Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1268
December 17, 2013
The Not-So-Magic Bus: Walt Disney World and Orlando’s LYNX Public Transportation System
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The LYNX route 50 bus from downtown Orlando to Walt Disney World.
Most visitors to Walt Disney World must decide between renting a car at Orlando International Airport for the length of their vacation, or relying on Disney’s free Magical Express and internal transportation system if staying in an on-property hotel. But a small number of guests, and a much greater number of employees, rely on Orlando’s public transportation system — known as the LYNX bus — to get to and from the theme parks each day.
I’ve lived less than thirty miles from Walt Disney World’s main gate for almost 20 years, but in all that time I’d never taken public transit to the parks. That changed last month, when I participated in the Transit Interpretation Project (or TrIP) an educational experiment organized by arts activist Patrick Greene, curator of downtown Orlando’s Gallery at Avalon Island. Greene gathered a diverse cross-section of Orlando’s artists, writers, and performers to each dedicate a single day in November to riding LYNX buses and documenting their experiences.
I selected Wednesday, November 13, as my day to ride LYNX bus route 50, the most direct bus from downtown Orlando to the Magic Kingdom. For the purposes of the project, I was provided with a $50, 30-day unlimited ride bus pass to use, which was transferred each day from TrIP participant to participant. Ordinarily, a single one-way bus trip costs $2, while a one-day unlimited-trip pass costs $4.50; only cash is accepted on board the buses, and exact change is required.
My adventure began shortly after 10 a.m. as my wife dropped me off at the LYNX Central Station on Garland Avenue in downtown Orlando, less than ten minutes from my home. LYNX’s station is clean, modern, well-lit, and patrolled by police, though it does attract members of Orlando’s indigent population after dark. Commuters, many of whom must take the same route every day, had already self-organized a queue for the 10:16 a.m. departure before I arrived; Foursquare tips suggest you line up early for this route during peak commuting times,which seems like a good idea if you want a seat. The bus loaded promptly, despite my amateur fumbling with the ticket scanner, and by 10:19 a.m. we were on Interstate 4 en route to Lake Buena Vista.
LYNX buses are considerably more comfortable than the yellow bus you may have taken back in high school, with wide padded seats similar to those on the Community Coaches I sometimes take from the New Jersey suburbs into Manhattan. I used an iPhone audio recording app to document my trip, hoping to capture some sociologically insightful interactions with my colorful fellow passengers, but the hard truth about bus travel is that hardly anyone acknowledges each other’s presence, much less makes idle conversation with strangers. In fact, I’m not sure I even heard the English language spoken (except in heavily accented whispers) during my entire day aboard LYNX.
The most memorable passenger I encountered was the woman with a bird’s nest hairdo who sat across the aisle from me during the first leg of my voyage; despite being slumped over asleep, or perhaps unconscious, she managed to balance a bag of pretzels in her perpetually outstretched hand without ever spilling one, while continually sinking lower and lower in her seat, in an apparent miracle of instinctual acrobatics. She was certainly more entertaining to observe than the young man sitting next to me, who sat listening to music on a Sony voice tape recorder circa 1998, something I wasn’t aware was still possible.
With no traffic on I-4 to speak of, we smoothly passed Universal Orlando by 10:27 and exited onto State Road 528 (a.k.a. The Beachline) at 10:30. Until this point, the bus’s populace appeared to be exclusively locals. But by 10:40 an influx of out-of-towners had boarded at the hotel-adjacent stops near SeaWorld and International Drive, including a European family with several small children and a Japanese couple eagerly perusing a Wizarding World of Harry Potter guidebook in kanji (hope they weren’t too disappointed to arrive at WDW and find the wrong magical castle).
Here’s the funny thing about public transportation: it only took under 30 minutes to make it from downtown Orlando to Palm Parkway, a trip that would take almost the same amount of time in my car. But congestion in the Lake Buena Vista roads is so bad that it took another 7 minutes to make it onto Vineland Road near the Crossroads Shopping center, 4 more to make the turn into Disney property on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, and another 9 to park at Downtown Disney West Side. Traffic past the former Pleasure Island entrance is particularly poorly engineered, and will likely only get worse as construction on the new Disney Springs development progresses.
It was 11:11 a.m. by the time my bus arrived at the Transportation and Ticket Center, 55 minutes after we departed downtown and nearly half an hour after approaching the edge of Disney’s property. Unlike Disney’s own internal transportation, LYNX buses are not allowed to drop off at the Magic Kingdom’s bus loop, so travelers must use the monorail or ferry boat to get to the park, itself.
Ironically, on the day of my visit “high winds” disabled the ferry service, so I availed myself of the temporary bus service to avoid the overloaded monorail queue.
After a few hours in the park, it was time for my return trip, this time on on a double-length “green monster” accordion bus. There is no shelter in the TTC’s bus parking lot, so the wait for our 3:03 p.m. departure was particularly chilly on this windy day; I’d hate to have to stand out there in the rain. This time, my 20-odd fellow riders observed a zombie-like silence, staring straight ahead. We departed Downtown Disney at 3:16, exited Disney property at 3:27, and passed SeaWorld at 3:36. After a detour onto John Young Parkway to avoid congestion approaching Orange Blossom Trail, we arrived at the downtown depot where I started at 4:02 p.m., a 59 minute one-way voyage.
I survived my LYNX route 50 experiment unharmed, having saved gas and vehicular wear-and-tear, while only sacrificing minutes out of my day. For the vast majority of Mickey’s guests, LYNX is something that they will likely never utilize, though they’ll be grateful it’s available if they ever need it. But next time you see one of these colorful buses, think of the hundreds of Walt Disney World cast members who must spend hours every day riding LYNX to work so that they can make the magic happen.
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December 16, 2013
Disneyland’s Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage Closing for Extended Refurbishment
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Photo copyright Disney
If you are a fan of directionally challenged CGI clownfish, you better swim over to Disneyland in the next few weeks. The Orange Country Register reported, and the Disney Parks Blog confirmed, that Disneyland’s Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage attraction will close on January 6th for an extensive refurbishment expected to last until late 2014.
During the downtime, Disney says that the Tomorrowland lagoon will be drained and the coral rockwork will be made more colorful. The subs, which were (in their original non-Nemo incarnation) added in 1959 as one of Disneyland’s first E-ticket attractions, have limited carrying capacity and are notoriously expensive to maintain. Here’s hoping that the submarines do return by the end of next year, and that this isn’t the first step towards the attraction fading into Yesterland.
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Christmas Week Events (Characters and Holiday Performances!) Around The Walt Disney World Resorts
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As Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party ends and the week before Christmas gears up, special Christmas character meet and greets and mini-shows pop up all around the Walt Disney World Resort. Here’s the 2013 schedule of events to keep you in the holiday loop.
DISNEY’S GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT AND SPA
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 5 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. December 20, 22, 24.
Holiday Performers: 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. December 15, 17, 19, 21, 23
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S POLYNESIAN RESORT
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 4:45 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. December 19, 21, 23.
Holiday Performers: 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. December 16, 18, 20, 22.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S BOARDWALK
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 5:00 p.m. – 8:45 p.m. December 20, 21, 22.
Holiday Performers: 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. December 13, 14, 17, 19, 21, 23.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S YACHT AND BEACH CLUB RESORTS
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 7:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. and 8:00 to 8:15 p.m. December 20, 21, 22.
Holiday Performers: 6:30p.m. and 7:30 p.m. December 15, 17, 21.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Beach Club only.
DISNEY’S SARATOGA SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 9:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. December 22, 24.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S WILDERNESS LODGE
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 4:30 p.m. – 8:15 p.m. December 20, 21, 22.
Holiday Performers: 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. December 15, 17, 19, 21, 23.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
FORT WILDERNESS CAMPGROUND
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: December 24 only from 4:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Holiday Performers: 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. December 18, 20, 22, 24.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
DISNEY’S OLD KEY WEST RESORT
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 8:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. December 21, 23.
Holiday Performers: 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. December 21, 23; 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. December 22, 24.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S POP CENTURY RESORT
Holiday Performers: 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. December 23, 24.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
DISNEY’S CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT
Holiday Character Meet and Greets: 5:00 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. December 22.
Holiday Performers: 6:00p.m. and 7:00 p.m. December 17, 19, 21, 23.
Santa: December 24 from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.
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December 15, 2013
Walt Disney World Crowd Report – December 8 to 14, 2013
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Our wait time models tell us that we should expect our predictions to be accurate within one or two index points most of the time. Occasionally we can expect to be off by three index points, but almost never more than that. On our previous crowd report we saw a couple days where our predictions missed by three index points. This week, we returned to form with a good week of predictions. Our resort-wide crowd levels were spot on three days and only missed by one the other four. Every park prediction of the week was within one or two index points.
It was a good week for visitors to the parks, too. Resort-wide crowd levels were below average all week, and each park stayed at a level ’5′ or lower. Still, popular attractions did reach average wait times in the 80 to 90 minute range on some days. The new holiday-themed version of Jungle Cruise at Magic Kingdom continues to see a bump in interest, while most other attractions stayed within expected ranges all week.
Let’s look at how the crowd levels stacked up day-to-day.
The Crowd Report
The Walt Disney World Crowd Report
December 8 to 14, 2013
On Sunday all parks were below average except for the Animal Kingdom which reached a level ’5′ on our scale. This was two levels higher than the ’3′ we predicted thanks to higher than expected wait times at Kilimanjaro Safaris (31 minutes) and Dinosaur (22 minutes). Resort wide the wait times were below average reaching a level ’4′. Each of the other three parks reached a level ’4′ as well although in each case that was one level higher than predicted.
On Monday, the resort wide crowd level was ’4′ again, one level higher than the ’3′ that was predicted. Magic Kingdom and The Studios had wait times higher than expected although not significantly so. Our estimates for wait times at Epcot and Animal Kingdom were accurate within 5 minutes on average. The holiday re-theming of Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise (dubbed “Jingle” Cruise) continues to draw more guests than usual, although the average posted wait time stayed below 50 minutes on Monday.
As predicted, Tuesday brought the lowest crowds of the week with all parks at a crowd level ’2′ or lower. That doesn’t mean that the parks were empty however. Average posted wait times were 89 minutes at Toy Story Mania, 48 at Soarin’, 26 at Kilimanjaro Safaris and 36 minutes at Peter Pan’s Flight. Epcot’s wait times were the only surprise coming in a few minutes lower than expected, a surprise given Epcot hosted Extra Magic Hours in the morning.
Predictions for Epcot, The Studios and Animal Kingdom were accurate within one index point, the Magic Kingdom came in 2 points higher than predicted but still lower than average at a ’4′. The higher wait times were spread out evenly amongst the attractions but average posted waits never exceeded more than 44 minutes. These times were reasonable for a day at the Magic Kingdom without a Very Merry Christmas Party.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returned to the Magic Kingdom on Thursday while the park also hosted Extra Magic Hour morning. It was a good day if you took advantage of either event because the park came in at a level ’2′. Resort-wide our prediction of a level ’3′ hit the mark although each park prediction missed by one. Epcot was one higher at ’4′, The Studios one lower at ’2′ and the Animal Kingdom one higher than predicted at a level ’3′.
The second Friday-the-13th of the season brought wait times that were almost exactly what we predicted. Our predictions were accurate for The Magic Kingdom (3), Epcot (5) and Animal Kingdom (3). Only The Studios missed the mark but by one index level. We predicted a ’2′ and wait times came in at a ’3′.
Saturday brought the end to the Pop Warner Football Championship at Wide World of Sports. It also brought accurate predictions by our models with matches for the resort-wide level, Magic Kingdom and Epcot while The Studios came in one level higher than expected and Animal Kingdom one level lower. All parks were at a level ’5′ or below as predicted.
What to Expect This Week
December 15 to 21, 2013
Below average crowds are expected this coming week as well as we approach the busiest season of the year at Walt Disney World. We are predicting this coming week to be the calm before the storm with wait times continuing to be about average. Saturday, December 21, will be the day when Christmas guests start to arrive at the resort with the corresponding bump in attendance at the parks occurring the following day. We project relative wait times to be the highest at Epcot this coming week. Crowds at the Magic Kingdom will continue to fluctuate around the schedule of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties.
To see Walt Disney World Crowd predictions for the days of your vacation, check the Crowd Calendar.
The separately ticketed Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party continues on many nights at Magic Kingdom, which means savvy planners who don’t mind the shortened park hours can experience low wait times during the day.
To get details about our predictions of future crowds or details about crowds in the past check out the Crowd Calendar and select “Jump to Date” on the left margin.
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Universal Studios Announces Fresh Concepts in a Guest-Centric Overhaul of CityWalk
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Touted as the biggest announcement in Universal CityWalk’s history, yesterday’s media presentation by Universal executives detailed a multi-restaurant addition and renovation to the CityWalk lineup in order to bring a fresher, more interactive feel to the area. The venues share an overall theme that focuses on inviting common areas, fresh ingredients in original food concepts, and interactive dining experiences with open kitchens and fully customizable dining options. What’s coming? Take a look.
RED OVEN PIZZA BAKERY
Already in place on the lower level of Universal CityWalk in the former Pastamore market space, the recently-opened Red Oven Pizza Bakery is the first in the lineup of new eateries slated for the expansion. Opened in mid-November, the pizzeria is billed as an artisan pie bakery with the freshest of ingredients and a 900-degree stone-lined oven that bakes your custom pizza in a matter of a few minutes. The menu includes five red pizzas (tomato sauce) and five white (alfredo sauce) along with a host of fresh toppings, salads, and drinks. Meals are ordered at the counter and served table-side with the option to watch your meal being crafted in the open-air kitchen. Pies are large enough to serve two and range in price from 12 to 14 dollars each. Drink refills are free. Red Oven serves in-restaurant and carry-out, and if the restaurant is brimming, they’ll even deliver to CityWalk waterfront bars. Red Oven is sure to become a guest favorite for a fast but fresh meal.
ANTOJITOS
At soon-to-be-completed Antojitos, the order of the day is unique and cravable tapas-style Mexican food featuring handcrafted tortillas, made-while-you-watch guacamole, and fresh sauces for a taste of Mexico City. Antojitos is a Universal Studios concept, one of four introduced by the entertainment powerhouse for this project. Again the concepts of fresh, handcrafted food and vibrant common areas with room for many were were highlighted with emphasis put on the guest’s individual dining experience. Universal executives stressed that the concept is to make meals unique with open-kitchen environments and tailored ordering options so that Universal visitors feel that the dining has been part of their day rather than a break from the entertainment. Antojitos is still under construction in the Latin Quarter space, but progress on the building suggests an opening within the next couple of months.
THE COWFISH
Born of a need for space and the resulting friendship formed between the owners of a gourmet burger joint and a sushi bar in North Carolina, The Cowfish is a one-of-a-kind dining concept that melds pan-Asian cuisine with the heart of the American food repertoire to bring its guests the “first and only sushi burger bar”. The Cowfish makes its name with innovative fusions of burgers and sushi, named mashup-style as “Burgushi”. And while the menu is robust with adventurous offerings like the Mediterranean Lamb Burger, it is also family-friendly and fully customizable with an impressive list of add-ons and sides. Atmosphere bumps like touch-screens at the sushi bar that let guests create and drop a fish into the virtual fish tank are sure to be popular, as is the variety and creativity of the dishes offered. The Cowfish is competitively priced at around $12 for a gourmet burger, so look for the venue to become a popular addition to the CityWalk’s second level, where Starbucks currently resides.
HOT DOG HALL OF FAME
Developed by Steve Schussler, the creative force behind Rainforest Cafe and T-REX, Hot Dog Hall of Fame is a tribute to the iconic baseball park food. From the mustard bar curated by the National Mustard Museum in Wisconsin, to famous dogs from ballparks across the nation like the Dixie Dog and the Dirty Water Dog, to stadium seats from the most famous of diamonds, the Hot Dog Hall of Fame will resonate with baseball fans with its museum-like environment and possibly bring some visitors into the Dodger Dog fold. The restaurant, itself, will feature large-screen televisions and bleacher-type seating for those interested in catching a game. No matter what, given its theming, it’s likely that the Hot Dog Hall of Fame will become a popular stop. The restaurant is slated to take the place of the current Galaxy Bar.
BREAD BOX HANDCRAFTED SANDWICHES
Homemade bread, quality deli meats, and the freshest of produce in classic sandwiches constructed while you watch are the hallmarks of Breadbox Handcrafted Sandwiches, the Universal concept sandwich restaurant that will reside next to the AMC Theater in place of Cigarz and possibly Candy Co. The name recalls a time when bread was baked in the morning and sandwiches were an art, and Universal is hoping to bring those comfort-food feelings back with their creations. If the view from the window adjoining the theater lobby doesn’t pull you in, maybe the smell of freshly baked bread will.
Rounding out the additions and changes are: Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, featuring pay-as-you-weigh gluten-free, dairy-free frozen yogurt with all the mix-ins you can imagine; Cold Stone Creamery, serving fresh ice cream, cakes, and smoothie; and Starbucks, which will be moved to the lower level in place of Endangered Species and be expanded for an area more conducive to a coffee break. There is also a final concept restaurant described as a pasta-made-before-your-eyes format that will replace Pastamore. Tentatively named Pranzo, the Italian eatery will feature culinary teams and scratch-made dishes for an intimate and contemporary dining experience.
Also briefly discussed during the presentation were a Universal Studios Store complete overhaul and additions to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter comprised of Diagon Alley and the London landscape it resides behind, as well as the Hogwarts Express, which will travel between two theme parks on its journeys between Hogsmeade (in Islands of Adventure) and London (in Universal Studios Florida). It was revealed that Diagon Alley will feature the Leaky Cauldron in its intended restaurant form. It is not currently known whether a multi-park ticket will be offered to guests who wish to experience the entirety of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Stay tuned to the Touring Plans blog for construction updates and announcements as more about the Universal Studios expansions is announced.
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December 14, 2013
SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Character Breakfasts in Walt Disney World
By Derek Burgan
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Crystal Palace at the Magic Kingdom
This week’s SATURDAY SIX looks at the Top Six Character Breakfasts in Walt Disney World. Two of the things guests like to do most at theme parks are meet characters and eat food. Character breakfasts allow us to kill two birds with one stone and eat while meeting characters. As a side benefit, the interactions with the characters are much more involved and longer than the ones we wait in lines for at the parks. Each character will stop by your table and interact with you and your family, so there’s no need to try to and chase one down, stand in a long queue, or waste a FastPass+ on a meet and greet. They come to you.
Character dining has become a big business – especially at Disney – and the popularity is such that you almost always need an Advance Dining Reservation (ADR). You can now have breakfast, lunch, or dinner with the characters, but for today’s purposes we are going to look at the top six character breakfasts in Walt Disney World. Let’s see what made the cut…
Winnie the Pooh
# 6 – The Crystal Palace (Magic Kingdom)
Located inside Magic Kingdom (head right down Main Street and take a sharp left at Casey’s Corner), The Crystal Palace is a great place to meet Winnie the Pooh and his friends. In fact, it is one of the easier ways to meet Eeyore and Piglet.
While the food at this “Buffet with Character” is similar to what’s at most of the other breakfast buffets (scrambled eggs, Mickey Mouse waffles, sausage, etc.), there is one item on the kid’s buffet worth mentioning: Pooh’s Puffed French toast. Fried and coated in sugar, Pooh’s puffed French toast ranks right up there with Tonga Toast at Kona Cafe and Banana Bread French Toast at Whispering Canyon as one of our favorite breakfast items at Walt Disney World. The Breakfast Lasagna is also worth adding on to your Disney foodie bucket list.
One advantage to restaurants inside the parks is being able to schedule your reservation before the park officially opens to guests, allowing you the opportunity to be inside the park before rope drop. There is something to be said about being able to walk down Main Street, U.S.A., and taking pictures of a castle with no one in front of it.
Characters: Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet
Tusker House
# 5 – Tusker House (Animal Kingdom)
Located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom, breakfast at Tusker House is called Donald’s Safari Breakfast and – as your host – Donald greets each family (and takes a photo) before the family is seated. This is a nice change of pace from your average character meal as you have an interaction right away with a character. There are some food items in the buffet that you don’t see elsewhere, including frittatas and beef quiches. Because it is at the Animal Kingdom, it can generally be easier to get an ADR (or even a walk up), but don’t let that fool you; between the food and the theming, this is an exceptional character dining experience.
Characters: Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy
Handy Manny
# 4 – Hollywood & Vine (Disney’s Hollywood Studios)
A stark contrast to the incredible atmosphere at Tusker House, the biggest selling point for Hollywood & Vine is the ability for your kids to meet the very popular Disney Junior characters. It also is one of the easiest places on the list to be able to secure an ADR or be seated as a walk-up.
The negatives? This can be a loud experience; the restaurant itself just doesn’t have the “it factor,” and the Play ‘n Dine Breakfast menu is a by-the-books Disney buffet. But all the negatives in the world are erased when your kids interact with Little Einstein’s June or Jake. These characters can connect with youngsters in a very special way, and you get to spend a lot of time with them.. Like Tusker House and The Crystal Palace, it can be a great benefit to book ADRs early in the morning to get a jump start on a day of park touring.
Characters: June (Little Einsteins), Handy Manny, Special Agent Oso, and Jake from the Neverland Pirates
Stitch
# 3 – ’Ohana Best Friends Breakfast (Disney’s Polynesian Resort)
The ’Ohana character breakfast has some important differences from the venues we’ve looked at so far. Because it takes place at a resort (the Polynesian), you don’t need to have park admission to meet the characters. While it does have the usual assortment of breakfast items to eat, they are served family style instead of buffet style. Like Hollywood & Vine, it also offers you the opportunity to meet a character that is extremely rare in Lilo, along with some very popular ones like Mickey Mouse and Stitch.
The atmosphere at ’Ohana is among the best at Walt Disney World in terms of overall feel. The restaurant is going to fill up, but because it is so large you don’t feel cramped or overwhelmed. Much like ’Ohana at night, the characters do their best to get children involved with activities including conga lines. With views of the Polynesian resort grounds and the Magic Kingdom, there is something for pretty much everyone at this breakfast. Be sure to get an ADR.
Characters: Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Lilo, and Stitch
# 2 – Chef Mickey’s (Contemporary Resort)
Chef Mickey’s could almost be considered the most controversial on the list. Many guests find the atmosphere just too loud and chaotic to have a good experience, while others consider it a must-do on every vacation. Compared to the other character breakfasts on this list, the “Fun Time Buffet” food isn’t great, but – let’s face it – you’re not here to eat the food. Chef Mickey’s is where you can meet the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto), and that is a powerful draw.
Like the ‘Ohana character breakfast, Chef Mickey’s is at a resort (the Contemporary), so you don’t have to have admission to any of the parks to enjoy it. You have the monorail nearby and are inside the main concourse of the Contemporary Resort, itself, so despite the noise and activity, it’s certainly an atmosphere that is unforgettable.
Characters: Chef Mickey, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto
#1 Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall
Aurora is awake for breakfast in Norway
With a name that long, it must be good, right? It is. If your kids are wild about princesses, there are two places you are going to want to go: Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom or Akershus at Epcot. Cinderella’s Royal Table is more expensive (it’s also two credits on the Disney Dining Plan, compared to one for Akershus) and much harder to get into.
Just as Donald greets your family at Tusker House, Belle greets you at Akershus. This will be the only time you will be able to interact with Belle. Thankfully, the picture you take with Belle is included with the price of your meal (it is not at Tusker House). The meal is filled with appearances by a wide variety of princesses, which should have the kids in your family smiling for a long time. Like at ’Ohana, the Princess Storybook Breakfast food is served family style.
Characters: Belle, Snow White, Aurora, Cinderella, and Ariel
So there you have it: the top six character meals at Walt Disney World. See you next weekend for the latest edition of the Saturday Six. If you had fun, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles or, for your listening pleasure, check out Pardon the Pixie Dust podcast.
Special thanks to Brian McNichols and Morgan Crutchfield for their assistance with this article
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December 13, 2013
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 13, 2013
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In Case You Missed!
While you were watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for the 100th time this Holiday season, (that wasn’t just me, right?) here’s what you missed this week in the Disney News and Rumors department.
In Case You Missed It – Disney News and Rumors
There are always hidden gems about Walt Disney World’s past that I didn’t know about and this week, Progress City, USA had an interesting article about Bertha Mae, one of the early watercraft used at the resort as part of Mike Fink’s Keelboats. I love these little glimpses back in time!
Have you ever wanted to visit Walt Disney’s birthplace home? One couple is working to make that happen. Brent Young and Dina Benadon are working to restore the home that Walt’s father and mother (Elias and Flora) built in Chicago, IL, redoing it so that it looks exactly like it did when Walt would have lived there. It’s an interesting project and will be a great addition to those of us who want to get in touch with our inner Walt. (Much like the Walt Disney Family Museum or a visit to Marceline, MO would be.)
Are you an “it’s a small world” fan? (You have that song stuck in your head now.) Well, for those who are, a brand new eight episode webseries has been created that is set up to teach young kids about different countries and cultures. The animation was inspired by Mary Blair and the theme song was written by Richard Sherman.
Disney has officially obtained the rights from Paramount to be able to market and produce new Indiana Jones movies after the studio bought LucasFilm last year. While there is currently nothing in the works currently involving the archeologist, I would think we’ll start hearing rumblings soon that something is in the works. Variety takes a look at what that could potentially be.
USA Today had an fascinating article listing the hot Facebook check in spots around the world for 2013. Not surprisingly, many Disney parks made it on the list, including Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Epcot Center. (The nerd inside me just smiled a little at the mention of Epcot Center.)
With one hit movie on their hands this Holiday season (in Frozen), waiting in the wings here in the next couple of weeks is the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks, a film I am ecstatically looking forward to seeing. Moviefone has an unique review, if you will, all about the movie and why it is so enjoyable. If you like to avoid major spoilers, this review is fine to read, but if you don’t want to know even minor ones, then read it after you see the movie.
While on the topic of movies, did you (like me) think that Frozen‘s trailers seemed a bit juvenile, goofy, and make you think that Olaf was going to be the most annoying character in the world? Forbes has a great article that made me look at the other side of the coin and see why, just why, their marketing of the film was actually a win. (One plus was that because the the trailers focused on what they did, it really didn’t spoil much.)
Walt Disney World is always listed by the Themed Entertainment Association, which ranks theme parks worldwide by attendance, as the number one theme park in the world. Disneyland Resort is always situated at the number two spot. This week, in an article in the LA Times, Jay Rasulo Chief Financial Officer of the Walt Disney Company, stated that Shanghai Disney Resort, which is currently under construction and expected to open at the end of 2015, could actually end up taking the number two spot. Therefore making it bigger than Disneyland. It’s a stimulating read and something that I’ll be watching to see if it actually comes to fruition.
Did you know that Disney Animation celebrated 90 years this year? Over on NPR, they had a great interview with John Lasseter, asking about the use of female characters in these new animated movies, talking about technology and how they balance it against the characters, as well as some of his first interactions with the Disney company. The best part is that you can listen to the audio from this interview to give even more insight.
In Case We Missed It
What didn’t we mention here this week that you think we shouldn’t have missed? Write your idea on a copy of The Art of Frozen and send it to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.
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In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 13, 2013 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 13, 2013
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In Case You Missed!
While you were watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for the 100th time this Holiday season, (that wasn’t just me, right?) here’s what you missed this week in the Disney News and Rumors department.
In Case You Missed It – Disney News and Rumors
There are always hidden gems about Walt Disney World’s past that I didn’t know about and this week, Progress City, USA had an interesting article about Bertha Mae, one of the early watercraft used at the resort as part of Mike Fink’s Keelboats. I love these little glimpses back in time!
Have you ever wanted to visit Walt Disney’s birthplace home? One couple is working to make that happen. Brent Young and Dina Benadon are working to restore the home that Walt’s father and mother (Elias and Flora) built in Chicago, IL, redoing it so that it looks exactly like it did when Walt would have lived there. It’s an interesting project and will be a great addition to those of us who want to get in touch with our inner Walt. (Much like the Walt Disney Family Museum or a visit to Marceline, MO would be.)
Are you an “it’s a small world” fan? (You have that song stuck in your head now.) Well, for those who are, a brand new eight episode webseries has been created that is set up to teach young kids about different countries and cultures. The animation was inspired by Mary Blair and the theme song was written by Richard Sherman.
Disney has officially obtained the rights from Paramount to be able to market and produce new Indiana Jones movies after the studio bought LucasFilm last year. While there is currently nothing in the works currently involving the archeologist, I would think we’ll start hearing rumblings soon that something is in the works. Variety takes a look at what that could potentially be.
USA Today had an fascinating article listing the hot Facebook check in spots around the world for 2013. Not surprisingly, many Disney parks made it on the list, including Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Epcot Center. (The nerd inside me just smiled a little at the mention of Epcot Center.)
With one hit movie on their hands this Holiday season (in Frozen), waiting in the wings here in the next couple of weeks is the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks, a film I am ecstatically looking forward to seeing. Moviefone has an unique review, if you will, all about the movie and why it is so enjoyable. If you like to avoid major spoilers, this review is fine to read, but if you don’t want to know even minor ones, then read it after you see the movie.
While on the topic of movies, did you (like me) think that Frozen‘s trailers seemed a bit juvenile, goofy, and make you think that Olaf was going to be the most annoying character in the world? Forbes has a great article that made me look at the other side of the coin and see why, just why, their marketing of the film was actually a win. (One plus was that because the the trailers focused on what they did, it really didn’t spoil much.)
Walt Disney World is always listed by the Themed Entertainment Association, which ranks theme parks worldwide by attendance, as the number one theme park in the world. Disneyland Resort is always situated at the number two spot. This week, in an article in the LA Times, Jay Rasulo Chief Financial Officer of the Walt Disney Company, stated that Shanghai Disney Resort, which is currently under construction and expected to open at the end of 2015, could actually end up taking the number two spot. Therefore making it bigger than Disneyland. It’s a stimulating read and something that I’ll be watching to see if it actually comes to fruition.
Did you know that Disney Animation celebrated 90 years this year? Over on NPR, they had a great interview with John Lasseter, asking about the use of female characters in these new animated movies, talking about technology and how they balance it against the characters, as well as some of his first interactions with the Disney company. The best part is that you can listen to the audio from this interview to give even more insight.
In Case We Missed It
What didn’t we mention here this week that you think we shouldn’t have missed? Write your idea on a copy of The Art of Frozen and send it to blog@touringplans.com with the words “In Case You Missed It” in the subject line.
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In Case You Missed It: Disney News and Rumors – Week of December 13, 2013 is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
FastPass+ Testing For Disney’s Animal Kingdom To Open For Off-Site Guests
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©Disney
For the first time, starting on December 18, off-site guests will be able to take part in FastPass+ testing. Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, (which coincidentally was the first park to test Legacy FASTPASS when it was introduced), both on-site, as well as non-Disney resort guests will be allowed to make FastPass+ reservations.
If an off-site guest wishes to take part in the test by making FastPass+ reservations, they will have to visit a FastPass+ kiosk in the park to reserve their ride times on the day they visit the park. Non-Disney resort guests will currently not be able to use the My Disney Experience app or website make FastPass+ bookings. In addition, MagicBands will currently not be available for non-Disney resort guests.
To make a FastPass+ reservation, off-property guests will need to use their RFID enabled ticket in order to access the FastPass+ kiosks and Mickey touch sensors. These kiosks will be able to be found at Disney Outfitters, Kali River Rapids, Primeval Whirl, the Expedition Everest FASTPASS distribution area, and outside the service center located at Creature Comforts.
One thing to keep in mind is that during this test, Legacy FASTPASS will not be available to any park guest. The only way to have access to any FastPass will be by making FastPass+ reservations. With this test, the precedent will continue where guests will only be able to book three FastPass+ reservations for the day, no matter whether you are staying on-site or not.
Guests who are staying at a Disney resort will have the ability to make their FastPass+ reservations in advance via the My Disney Experience app or website, and they can also make them in the parks at the FastPass+ kiosks.
Attractions that utilize FastPass+ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom include:
Adventurers Outpost (meet Mickey and Minnie)
DINOSAUR
Expedition Everest
Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo-The Musical
It’s Tough to be a Bug
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Primeval Whirl
Currently, there is no word on how long this test will last for, but I am going to make the assumption that this new method probably isn’t going anywhere. This will likely become the new normal for visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom and I would suspect will eventually be rolled out to the other three parks baring any major hiccups with this test. Again, I have no official word on that, just what I would guess we will see based off my own knowledge.
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This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: Peter Pan, The Land, Tonga Toast and More!
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Every Friday on the TouringPlans Blog we bring you the week’s newest videos from our YouTube channel. Let’s get started!
This week we have two new HD ride through videos to share with you. Living with the Land from Epcot in Walt Disney World, and the classic Disneyland dark ride Peter Pan’s Flight.
More videos after the jump:
Tonga Toast from Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort is an absolute must try. Here’s our review!
Part 2 of a 3 part special edition of Ask Jim Hill! Join Len Testa and Jim Hill as they discuss various pieces of Disney theme park memorabilia. In this episode, Len Testa and Jim Hill take a look at memorabilia and share stories about from Main Street Electrical Parade and Who Want’s to be a Millionaire: Play It! Here is a link to part 1.
I consider the Straw Hatters to be a hidden gem of Disneyland. If you haven’t seen them take a look at our video one of their performances.
That’s all for this week. We add new videos to the channel several times a week. Be sure to head to http://youtube.com/touringplans and subscribe!
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This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: Peter Pan, The Land, Tonga Toast and More! is a post from the TouringPlans.com Blog. Signup for a premium subscription today! Or get news via Email, Twitter, & Facebook.
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