Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1286

Sneak Peek: Picture The View From Every All-Star Movies Room

By Len Testa

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Earlier this month we launched Hotel Room Views, a new part of TouringPlans.com that shows the view you’ll see at every hotel room in Walt Disney World (more than 30,000 photos). We’re rolling out a few hotels each week, and we’ve got All-Star Sports, Polynesian, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and Wilderness Lodge available now.

Today we’re adding photos from each of All-Star Movies‘ 1,920 rooms.

The first page shows you a map of the entire resort. On the left side is a set of filter options you can use to find exactly the room you want:

All-Star Movies Resort Map

Room Type Includes Disney’s description of the view, and the bed type in the room (if we know it). All-Star Movies has Standard and Preferred views, most with double beds.
Walking Distance to Lobby Useful for cutting down on walking time
Walking Distance to Transportation Allows you to find rooms near bus stops, monorails and boats
Floors If you prefer ground or upper-floor rooms, you can specify that here
Sound Level Helps find the quiet rooms at the resort
Accessibility Identifies ADA-accessible rooms by feature, including roll-in showers and more
Our Picks Shows only the rooms which the  Unofficial Guide  has determined to be the best at the resort.
Prices You can also filter by price by entering the date you’re checking in.

Choose any of these options and click “Show Matching Rooms.” The map will highlight in red all of the buildings which have rooms matching your options.

Click on one of the highlighted buildings and you’ll see a map of all of the rooms in that building. Rooms which match your filter options will be highlighted in red:

All-Star Movies view of one building.

 

Click on any of the individual rooms and you’ll see the view from that room:

 Once you’re looking at a room’s view, you can do a comparison of nearby views by going left or right one room, or up or down one floor.

Another really great feature on this page is shown in the green text just below the photo:

Bldg 8,Flr 3,NE-facing room.Exmple:8955,8956,8957,8958,8959,8960,8961,8962,8963

This is the exact wording to give Disney (or your travel agent) to request that specific room, and rooms like it if this room isn’t available. During this project we learned that Disney’s reservation system may only have 80 characters of text to make room requests, and we’ve ensured that this text fits in 80 characters or less. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the room, by telling Disney the room you want and its alternatives, you increase your chances.

It’s Important to Choose Your Own Room

You’re paying a premium to stay on-site, and it doesn’t cost anything to make a room request. So consider the photo below, which is a Standard View room you could get at random if you just let Disney make the decision for you:

Up close and personal with the broom from Fantasia.

 

It may be from Fantasia, but that view isn’t magical. For the same money you could request room 3902 in the Mighty Ducks section, which has a nice view of the pool:

A better view from 3902

 

You’re also able to leave public reviews and private notes about a room, rate a room, and mark a room as a “favorite.”

When you mark two or more rooms as favorites, you’re able to do a side-by-side comparison of each room’s view by clicking the Compare Favorites link on the left side of the page.

We expect to have every Disney-owned resort in Orlando available by the end of this year. That includes DVC resorts, suites, and more. Here’s the approximate rollout schedule:

Week Ending
Resort


October 4
All-Star Sports Done!


October 11
Polynesian Done!

Saratoga Springs Done!

Wilderness Lodge Done!


October 18
Port Orleans French Quarter

Port Orleans Riverside

Caribbean Beach

All-Star Movies Done!

Pop Century


October 25
Coronado Springs

Animal Kingdom Lodge


November 1
All-Star Music

Art of Animation


November 8
Fort Wilderness (campsites and cabins)

Beach Club

Yacht Club


November 15
Contemporary Resort

BoardWalk Inn

Grand Floridian


November 22
Bay Lake Tower

Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas


December 6
Wilderness Lodge Villas

Old Key West

Saratoga Springs Treehouses

We had a lot of cooperation from Disney executives and resort staff to help collect these photos. For the deluxe and DVC resorts, we’ve got pictures of most of the first-floor rooms at every resort. For upper-floor rooms, we’ve got sample photos from different parts of each wing or building, showing the approximate view you’ll get at each room.

If you’ve got photos of the view from your room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, please email them to us! You’ll be helping out other families planning their visit.

Whether you’re taking a honeymoon or taking the kids on their first trip to Walt Disney World, we’ll help you find the perfect hotel room.

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Disney’s Disability Access Service – A Definitive Guide

By Morgan Crutchfield

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In mid-September, in response to reports from the national media that its Guest Assistance Cards were being rampantly abused, The Walt Disney Company announced that it would be revising its guest assistance policies in order to curb fraudulent use of the assistance system at both of its American parks. The Company slated an October 9, 2013, launch date for its new assistance system and was mostly close-mouthed about the differences between new and old policies, despite insistence from the blogging and travel agent community that official word had been released about how the new procedures would function.

Last week in both Disneyland and Disney World, the new protocol, now called Disability Access Service (DAS), rolled out. Because we know you have so many questions about DAS, following is a two-part overview. First, I’ll look at how a DAS card is obtained if you have previously used GAC or are new to the assistance system. Once the process has been described, I’ll answer some FAQs that I’ve collected over the past couple of weeks and revised as information has been revealed over the past few days.

WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO I GET ONE? 

According to the official literature, Disability Access Service “is designed to accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a conventional queue environment due to a disability (including non-apparent disabilities).” In order to indicate that you are a guest in need of accommodations under the DAS, you must obtain a DAS card.  Here’s how to do it.

1. Go to Guest Relations at your park of choice. Once obtained, the DAS card works in all of the parks. Tip: Get to Guest Relations as early as possible – at opening if you can. Lines at Guest Relations build as crowds peak during the day.

2. Let the Cast Member know that you’d like a DAS card. If you have an old GAC card you’ll need to hand it over (it will be used for your personal information and then destroyed). If not, they will need to see I.D.

3. Describe. At this point, the Cast Member will ask you to describe your (or your child or family member’s) limitations. While this may feel like an invasion of your privacy initially, or an attempt to make you “prove” that you need accommodations, understand that the more information that you can give the Cast Member, the better he or she can assist you with the accommodations that best work for you. For instance, if your child is on the autistic spectrum and has trouble waiting in long lines without melting down but also has sensory issues that make it difficult for him to stand or be subjected to loud noises, you need to let the CM know all of these things. “He doesn’t wait in lines” doesn’t give the Cast Member much to work with.

4. Smile for the camera. The new DAS card requires a photograph. Pictures are taken with an iPad, so don’t worry if the DAS holder is unwilling or unable to make it up to the counter – Cast Members have been more than willing to do what they need to get the photo without causing additional stress. If the DAS card is for a child, you may use the child’s photo or you may substitute your own if you’d rather not have the child’s photo on the card.

5. Sign. The DAS card requires a signature stating that you understand the policies and procedures and agree to abide by them. The DAS card can be revoked, along with your privileges, should you be found in violation of these policies.

That’s the process for receiving your card. Here are the front and back. I’ll go into how they work in a moment.

DAS Card Front

DAS Card Back

HOW DOES IT WORK?

WALT DISNEY WORLD: Guests with a DAS card will present the card to a Cast Member at the attraction they wish to ride. If the ride’s standby wait time is less than ten minutes the guest will be escorted through the ride entrance or the FASTPASS entrance if their limitations dictate that the FASTPASS entrance would be more suited to their needs.

If the standby time is more than ten minutes, the Cast Member will make an entry on the back of the DAS card with the attraction name, time of day, wait time at the attraction, and a return time. The return time will be the current wait time minus ten minutes. So, as above, if you get to the ride at 12:20 and the standby time is 40 minutes, your return time will be thirty minutes later at 12:50 (40 minutes minus ten minutes).

When you return at the specified return time, you will be granted entry to the FASTPASS  line. You may return at your specified return time or any time thereafter. The DAS cardholder does not need to be present to obtain a return time, but must be present with their party in order for anyone to gain admission to the attraction. Tip: You can only have one active return time on your DAS card. If you choose to return to a ride after your specified time, you may not ride any other attractions with your DAS card until the active attraction has been ridden or a Cast Member has crossed it off because you’ve decided not to ride. 

DISNEYLAND: At Disneyland, Guests will receive their return times not from each individual attraction, but from several kiosks centrally located to several rides each. The system will work the same way as the Walt Disney World system with that one exception.

QUESTIONS

Q1: If I am in a wheelchair, do I need a DAS Card?

A1: No. Guests in wheelchairs or with ECV’s will go through the standby queue as usual. If the queue is not accessible, a single-use card will be issued with a return time. When guests return they will be allowed alternate entrance.

Q2: Can guests still use strollers as wheelchairs if needed?

A2: Yes. Tags much like the ones issued with the former GAC cards are being issued currently. Old stroller tags will be removed and destroyed and a new one issued.

Q3: How many people can be in the party with the guest using the DAS card?

A3: DAS cards are good for six (6) people. If your party consists of more, all members of the party will need to be present when the DAS card is used.

Q4: How long can one DAS card be used?

A4: Your DAS card is good for the duration of your vacation OR 14 days OR until the back of the card is full, whichever of these times is shortest. If you fill your DAS card, you must return to Guest Relations and get another. The process will be much shorter as there is a QS code on your current card that is associated with your file and will make for rapid creation of a new card. If you are an Annual Passholder your card will be active for 14 days, after which you will be required to get a new one.

Q5: Can DAS cards be used at all attractions and meet and greets?

A5: DAS cards can be used at any attraction or meet and greet that has a FASTPASS or FastPass+ line, including Princess Fairytale Hall.

Q6: I used to have a stamp on my GAC that allowed special accommodations for my limitations. Will I still have that stamp?

A6: No. However, if you describe your need for accommodations as specifically as possible, Cast Members have the authority to assist and accommodate you as fully as possible.

Q7: Can I use FASTPASS or FastPass+ in conjunction with my DAS card?

A7: Yes, and in fact Disney Cast Members will suggest that you do so. It may take some extra planning on the front end, but it will be beneficial to use FASTPASS and FastPass+ to supplement your DAS accommodations.

Q8: I’ve heard we can get “re-ad” or readmission passes to ride an attraction multiple times for our children who are on the spectrum. Is this true?

A8: While it is true that some guests have received what are essentially open-ended FASTPASS vouchers that allow repeat rides, this is not a standard feature of the system and may have been offered in the initial days to help ease the transition for both guests and Cast Members. Do not count on being offered these “re-ad” passes, as some Cast Members will tell you they do not exist.

Special thanks to Aunesty Janssen for the use of her photographs.

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Fun at Food & Wine

By Daisy Lauren

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One of the best parts of living so close to Walt Disney World is getting the chance to have dinner at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival (see the menus) several times each year! Today, I’m excited to share our experiences so far in 2013! The rules are that I’m only featuring items we have actually tried in 2013. Although dishes don’t usually change year after year, I only want to share fresh experiences. Of course, the reviews are just my opinions, so you may disagree. But let’s get started!

Argentina -  Beef Empanada (Pictured Left)

This is a classic dish that my hubby loves so much he thought it was fitting that it’s “glowing” in this photo. Though it isn’t anything terribly exotic, this is a solid choice. The beef inside is perfectly spiced with the outside fried until it’s crispy and wonderful! Overall we really enjoyed this one. The beef empanada certainly isn’t a can’t miss, but it is sure worth a try! The glass of cabernet didn’t pair very well but was still tasty!

Australia -  Garlic Shrimp with Roasted Tomatoes (Not Pictured)

I don’t know why I always fall for shrimp at the Food & Wine Festival! I love seafood, and I guess I always have high hopes. This was certainly not a good value at over a dollar per shrimp. It definitely tasted like garlic, but this wasn’t a dish I’ll be getting again this year. There are much better items to be had! Your mileage may vary as I’m not a big tomato fan!

Belgium -  Potato and Leek Waffle with Braised Beef (Pictured Center)

This one took a bit of bravery. Since we were in line I went ahead and added this to our order expecting just another waffle. What was served I can only describe as visually repulsing. I’m pretty adventurous, and I actually thought about chucking this one in the trash. I would have been wrong to do it, though. Reminding myself that I can count on one hand the things that have been truly bad in all the years I’ve attended Food & Wine Festival, I took a deep breath and went for it. It was interesting with a more savory waffle and tender beef. For the flavor I would try it again.. but I think it would still take me a little time to get past the visual!

Belgium – Belgian Waffle with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream &  Belgian Waffle with Berry Compote featuring Driscoll’s® Berries and Whipped Cream (Pictured Above)

What can I say? We’re a waffle loving bunch in my house! The dessert waffles were a total no brainer – we couldn’t walk by without trying them, and they didn’t disappoint. The sweet crispy waffles are excellent with the toppings! Was it the most adventurous dessert? Of course not! But if you know this is something you enjoy, you can’t miss with this option! The Chilled Coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liqueur was also a nice complement to these waffles. It’s a bit thick and that kind of super sweet you only get with Chocolate Liqueur, but if you know you enjoy that then don’t miss this cocktail!

Brazil – F rozen Caipirinha featuring LeBlon Cachaça (Not Pictured)

If you are looking for a strong drink – choose this one! Wow, it was so good! If you have tasted a caipirinha before, then you’re familiar with the very sweet and tart lime flavor, but the twist is that this one is frozen. That certainly didn’t have any impact on the alcohol content, though. Pace yourself if you haven’t tried Cachaça before!

Canada -  Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup (Not Pictured)

Since the most recent menu change at Le Cellier, it hasn’t been a place we frequent. The only thing I missed was this soup, and I was excited to have it again (even in the shot glass portion). This is a staple of Food & Wine Festival and not to be missed!

China -  Black Pepper Shrimp with Sichuan Noodles (All Pictured Left)

Yes, I fell for shrimp again – but this dish I don’t regret. The noodles add a little bit more substance, and I loved the spicy burn of the black pepper. If you’re looking to try some seafood, I recommend giving this dish a try.

China – Chicken Potstickers

This is another one we look forward to year after year. While they are typical fare for most Chinese restaurants, they are an easy choice for picky eaters wanting to participate in Food & Wine Festival. You won’t be disappointed if you try these!

China – Mongolian Beef in a Steamed Bun

Phew – this one was HOT!! My husband really enjoyed this and would order it again, but it is a “skip” for me. I didn’t love the texture of the steamed bun, and the sauce was like thousand island dressing mixed with lava! I’l be curious to hear what others thought of this one!

Florida Local -  Florida Grass Fed Beef Slider with Monterey Jack and Sweet & Hot Pickles (Not Pictured)

We have found a new favorite dish in this simple little slider! It is juicy and all the flavors blend together perfectly! While I was skeptical about wasting Food & Wine time on a little hamburger, I have to recommend this dish! It is very tasty! I also recommend the Cigar City beer from this booth!

France -  Escargots Persillade en Brioche (Not Pictured)

If this is not a dish you have tried before, you absolutely should try it! For Food & Wine they serve the snails in teeny tiny little bite size bread bowls. The seasoning is perfect. The flavor is so out of this world you’ll forget you’re eating bugs (and maybe even order seconds)!

France – Boeuf Bourguignon (Pictured Right)

This was also an exceptional dish. The beef was fork tender, and the mashed potatoes creamy and decadent! It is all tied together with a red wine sauce that is to die for! My experience is that you pretty much can’t go wrong with anything in France!

Hawaii -  Kālua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole® Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise (Pictured Left)

This might be one of the best dishes at Food & Wine. I’ve tried making this at home several times after the festival ends, and I can’t get it quite right. This has been hands-down my hubby’s favorite dish at the festival for three consecutive years. Put this one on the “must try” list!

Hawaii - Tuna Poke with Seaweed Salad and Lotus Root Chips (Pictured Right)

While this is good, it isn’t a “can’t miss,” but I seem to try it every year (yep, still a sucker for seafood). The seaweed is bright and has the right amount of crunch, and the tuna -while not the best quality – is very good. This is something to try if you’re in the mood for it, but better dishes can be found around the world.

Japan -  California Roll (Not Pictured)

I was with a friend that ordered this one, so I can confidently say it is just your run of the mill California roll. While there is nothing wrong with that, it isn’t something you should go out of your way to try with so many other dishes readily available.

Japan – Spicy Hand Roll (Not Pictured)

This, on the other hand, was excellent and worth dropping by Japan to try! While it is still a more typical item that you’d find at a sushi restaurant, it was excellent! I also think this is a nice one to try if you aren’t sure about sushi – it is a great place to start.

Japan – Green Tea Colada (Not Pictured)

I’m going to give this drink the “best sissy drink” award for this year. The sweet coconut taste completely masks the alcohol, making it very palatable. It was surprisingly good, and I’m sure we will mourn losing this one when the Festival ends! If you are looking for a sweet drink, this is the one to try!

Scotland -  Seared Scottish Salmon with Cauliflower Puree, Watercress and Malt Vinaigrette (Pictured Left)

Are you seeing a theme here? They got me one last time with seafood… while this was good, it just tasted like salmon. I wasn’t impressed. It was tasty but not very special and not seemingly worth the price. If you’re heading to Scotland, maybe you should try the haggis? I’m trying to work up the nerve to, myself!

Desserts & Champagne - Chocolate Orange Cupcake (Pictured Right)

This is shockingly wonderful! The cake was moist and perfect with creamy, thick icing. It was really delightful! The icing has a light orange taste, but the sprinkles on top are the real punch. I don’t know where they got these little guys, but I need some for my baking at home! We will be going out of our way to get one of these every time we visit. Neither of the other items in the dessert trio really appealed to us, but we went back for seconds on the chocolate orange cupcake!

Desserts & Champagne - Frozen S’mores

I was so, so excited to try this dish and just got the chance last night. Let me just say… hubba, hubba. From looking at it, I thought it would be a heavy, thick milkshake, but it wasn’t at all! The drink part is light and airy! It wasn’t quite like anything else I’ve tried. I just loved spooning up the drink with the marshmallows and chocolate curls! I only wish I could have had a couple more graham crackers. Overall, this might be the best thing we’ve has this year! Be sure not to miss it!

That is everything we have tried so far this year, but we can’t wait to get back and taste more! Have you had a chance to sample things we missed? Do you agree or disagree with my opinions on dishes? Please let us know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

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Disneyland’s Fantasyland: Drama, Humor and Beauty

By Sam Gennawey

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Sam’s new book is available for pre-order.

From the publisher of The Unofficial Guide books comes The Disneyland Story: The Unofficial Guide to the Evolution of Walt Disney’s Dream by Sam Gennawey, the story of how Walt Disney’s greatest creation was conceived, nurtured, and how it grew into a source of joy and inspiration for generations of visitors. Here is a brief excerpt:

More than virtually any other attraction in the park, it was Fantasyland’s dark rides that set Disneyland apart from other parks. Before Disneyland, the typical dark ride would be something like the Tunnel of Love, where boats followed each other through a canal. Coats felt “the big improvement we made over what had been done before was the way we left people with a little two-minute experience within a certain story that they had known from our animated films. Now they got to see it in a more dimensional way, and these were interesting ways of doing it.” Walt wanted each ride to represent a different emotional experience. He wanted drama, humor, and beauty.

The process started with the source material, the animated films. The Imagineers used the original 4-by-8-inch storyboards and concept sketches. Claude Coats credits Ken Anderson with finding a way to make it work. Anderson drafted storyboards that highlighted key elements of the story but focused more on creating the right mood. Then Ken Anderson and Claude Coats designed the interior sets. Fortunately, both Anderson and Coats worked on the films and knew the material well. Once they finished, Bill Martin would make modifications to fit the shows inside the buildings.

Imagineers pioneered the use of ultraviolet paint. At the time, black light was considered a novelty. When it was used at an amusement park, it was usually limited to scary rides. Since the spaces within the dark rides were not very large, the use of black light created a better illusion than incandescent light. Working at the Burbank studio, Claude Coats and Ken Anderson applied black light paint on plywood flats.

Bill Martin was proud of what his team created for Fantasyland. “Ours were the first dark rides as such. It’s my feeling that our first three rides in 1955 were original and kind of breakthrough. When we went back East to visit all those amusement parks, all we saw were the ‘iron rides’ and midway attractions, but no dark rides like we were planning, using ‘black light.’”

Peter Pan and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride were mocked up at the Studio first while the ride show buildings were still under construction. Snow White was an exception. Since they were just trying to copy the film, the look and the key scenes had already been established. Bill Martin did the track layout and Ken Anderson started to paint the theatrical ‘flats’ himself. Guests would travel through Snow White in little mining cars; since the cars would be moving quickly, there was very little animation.

Fantasyland’s dark rides share many elements. For each, guests queued up in front under a shaded canopy with a mural previewing the attraction. The murals were created by Anderson and Coats, who could execute the paintings quickly since they worked on the source films. Walt was big on giving people previews.

All the Fantasyland dark rides shared another trait: The guest was supposed to fulfill the role of the lead character. For example, when a guest rode Snow White, they were supposed to be Snow White. The attraction was designed with that point of view in mind. You were the girl that was being threatened. At one point, George Whitney reported to Joe Fowler that guests were getting confused because they did not see the main character. He suggested that the image of the featured character be added to the rides. His advice was set aside for more than 25 years.

The rides were also all illuminated with incandescent light instead of black light for the opening and closing scenes. For example, Peter Pan starts off in the Darling children’s bedroom and Mr. Toad in the grand hall of his home. This made for a more natural transition from the outside.

The most dramatic and scary dark ride was Snow White. In Snow White, guests boarded 1 of 13 mine cars that were built by Arrow Development. They were meant to look like ore cars hand carved by the dwarfs. They ran along a single-rail guide track. The cars had no lap bar, just a rope hooked across the door of the vehicle.

Guests traveled through the Dwarf’s mine, past Dopey as he opened the jewel vault door with precious gems glowing, and then deeper into the mine. The Witch made an appearance before guests were confronted with a choice: to head for the cottage or go to the castle? With vultures looming over the cottage, the ore car turned toward the castle. Suddenly, the guests were being chased by the witch. Claude Coats remembered, “We got some letters about the witch scene in that ride. Walt never seemed to mind. He thought that children would sometimes have to learn that things were scary, you know.”

Guests frightened by Snow White found reprieve in Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, where humor was in abundance. Inspired by the Wind in the Willows segment in the 1949 animated film The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, the ride featured J. Thaddeus Toad, who was described as “a disturbing factor, a reckless adventurer, having a positive mania for fads while never counting the cost.” The ride would become the closest thing to a thrill ride at Disneyland until the opening of the Matterhorn Bobsleds in 1959. In fact, Bruce Bushman’s original idea for the Mr. Toad ride was a roller coaster with the cars following a downhill track towards obstacles that would move out of the way at the last minute. Walt thought it might be too rough and suggested it be toned down.

It was decided that the Mr. Toad ride would be best served not by telling the plot of the film but to focus on Toad’s motor mania as he might have experienced it from behind the wheel. Once again, the guests were asked to take an active role and to become the lead character.

While Claude Coats and Ken Anderson were working on the content, Bill Martin was busy working on the layout. He knew the size of the floor space available and that the ride was supposed to last about a minute and a half. This helped him determine how many cars he could fit on the track and the interval of loading. From there he could figure out the timing and spacing of the bumping doors.

The vehicles had a minimum turning radius of 4 feet, which was very fast. Initially, only some of the swinging doors between scenes were automatic. They were closed as the car approached, and it looked like you were going to hit them. When the ride first opened, sometimes you actually did.

While drafting the layout for Mr. Toad, Martin was limited in the amount of space he had to work with. Peter Pan was placed along the long side of the building while Mr. Toad was pushed into the end of the building. That limited the number of cars to only nine compared to Peter Pan’s 11 boats. There was even less space out front, which Disneyland visitors experience to this day.

Once the track configuration was determined, the team would meet and talk about gags. Martin said, “I remember the meeting when we thought of the ‘train coming at you’ idea. That was a ‘catch-on’ gag, the last effect at the end of the ride that sends you to Hell. That idea of going through the Devil’s mouth, through the Jaws of Hell, was okay with Walt at the time, too.”

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Universal Meals on Just $20 a Day

By Derek Burgan

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A Duff beer, Flaming Moe, and a Duff Lite. I need to crunch these numbers again…

Recently the TouringPlans blog has posted an interesting series of articles explaining how you, Dear Reader, can survive on eating inside the theme park world for just $20 a day. Click on these links to see the plans for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Animal Kingdom. It’s only natural that this financial exercise be extended to the Universal family of parks, and who better to tackle this subject than a man who has eaten a three pound slice of cake at Universal, twice?

At first, this seemed like a no-brainer. Well, duh. A Chicken & Waffle sandwich ($10.99) from Cletus’ Chicken Shack and a Flaming Moe ($7.99) from Moe’s Tavern. My favorite theme park food item and a show, but after tax the total came out to $20.11. I quickly realized that I would have to get my thinking cap on for this one (plus I was informed from the Grand Poobah himself, Len Testa, that most guests would want more than that during an entire day at the park. I know what you’re thinking: Americans.)

An orange from the Last Chance Fruit Stand

Plan B. I’m going to start out the day in Islands of Adventure, and since we’re taking this journey together, we’re going to rope drop the park because we want to head over to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as soon as possible. We’re up early and looking at a long day of excitement and adventure ahead of us, so while we are walking up the Port of Entry we are going to stop by The Last Chance Fruit Stand to pick up something quick. Our day of eating is going to start with an orange, which is value priced at $1.37 after tax. There’s a lot of good health benefits that come with an orange and it also contains a good amount of water to keep us plugging along. A lot of people go for sugar early in the morning, like a donut or a wonderful Cream Horn from the nearby Croissant Moon Bakery, but while those foods will spike your energy in the short term, you’ll be slogging around not long after. So the orange becomes a win-win situation. Cheap, will help keep us hydrated, and we can grab it and head on to our next stop. Balance: $18.63.

Subliminal advertising in its most subtle form, almost unnoticeable to the human eye.

While we’re inside the village of Hogsmeade,we gotta go for tradition and get a cup of Butterbeer, possibly the greatest signature drink that has ever been created. The vanilla “head” of a Butterbeer actually defies the laws of physics. Despite constant sips of a Butterbeer, and getting a wonderful taste of vanilla with each sweet wash down the gullet, the head appears to have the exact same size until you get the very end. Forget the talking portraits in Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and forget the wand chooses the wizard moment from Ollivander’s wand experience, Butterbeer is the true magic in the Wizarding World.

A 16 oz. Butterbeer will set us back about 6 Sickles (or 9 Knuts), and the current rate of exchange at Gringott’s Wizarding Bank gives a total of $3.75 in Muggle currency. Worth every single penny. Balance: $14.88.

Toon Lagoon’s Slurp & Snack or “Ale to the Chief”

As we make our way around the park, our next pit stop for food is going to be in Toon Lagoon. At the end of the bridge that connects Jurassic Park to Toon Lagoon is Slurp & Snack or “Ale to the Chief,” a very clever tribute to the Jay Ward cartoons that Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls is based off of. The Toon Lagoon island has several positives – and many negatives about it – but one thing I would really like to see in the area is sort of a One Man’s Dream-like walkthrough dedicated to Jay Ward. The work Ward was doing back in the ’70s was just as cutting edge and hilarious as anything The Simpsons or Seth McFarlane are doing today, if not more so.

In the world of Disney Food Porn, the soft pretzel takes a lot of ribbing over its name

Anyway, at Ale to the Chief we are going to get one of the more iconic theme park snacks, the soft pretzel. Joining popcorn and churros, soft pretzels have become ubiquitous in the theme park world. It’s hard to walk 20 feet without running into one. The price is reasonable ($3.18 after tax), the serving is huge, and you get to put free condiments on it, the most widely accepted being mustard. Balance: $11.70.

A side benefit of Ale to the Chief’s location is that it’s a great spot to watch guests come out drenched from Ripsaw Falls. And it got me to thinking… so far we’ve just been thinking of ourselves during this adventure. It’s time to show the readers of this very site that charity begins at home.We’re going to walk back onto the connecting bridge to Jurassic Park and buy our fellow guests a drink. For the low, low price of just $0.25 (that’s right, just a quarter…it’s almost free!) we are going to BLAST unsuspecting riders with a cannon shot of water!

This will be the best quarter that you have ever spent in your life. Not only are there about 10 cannons at Ripsaw Falls, but just a few steps away over at Popeye & Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges there are opportunities to use water cannons and shower heads that dump water onto guests below. This can almost be seen as cruel and unusual punishment though, as every person who rides Bilge Rat Barges is going to get soaked regardless. We’ll play the part of the Frugal Gourmet and save our money for our remaining meals over at Universal Studios Florida. Balance: $11.45.

Chez Alcatraz

As you can see by now, this plan is going to eschew the traditional “three square meals” concept, as I believe that eating a whole bunch of smaller meals throughout the day is a better way to go when traversing through the world of theme parks. Celebrity blogger Morgan Crutchfield calls it grazing.Keep in mind that you have a lot of walking (and standing) throughout the day along with the very good possibility of severe Florida weather, so it makes sense to stay away from foods that are going to slow you down or not sit well in your system. I also found out when doing a Eating Vegetarian at Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival that – in almost all cases – staying away from meat can help you save money when it comes to eating.

Bucket of Chips from Chez Alcatraz

So our next food stop is going to be at Chez Alcatraz in the San Francisco area of USF and is located across the street from Disaster!…A Major Motion Picture starring YOU and right next to the San Francisco Candy Factory. Chez Alcatraz is a fantastic place to stop by and just relax with a snack or drink as it has a full size bar and there is almost always little-to-no wait. It’s also neighbors one of the most well known photo-ops in the entire Universal Orlando Resort, the hanging Bruce the shark from the movie Jaws.

Here is where we are going to find one of the best values in the park, the Bucket of Chips. Served in a metal bucket, these are house made seasoned potato chips and served with chipotle ketchup (ketchup with a touch of Tabasco sauce.) When I first ordered this bucket, I figured their had to be a false bottom because there was no way the chips went all the way down for the price of $3.99 ($4.23 after tax), but I was in for a pleasant surprise. Great chips that are thick and flavorful. You can easily split this among 2 – 4 adults as an appetizer if needed. Balance: $7.22.

To prepare for the final rush of our theme park day we are going to add a little sugar into the system and we’ll do via The Ice Cream Of The Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Future, Dippin Dots. There are several Dippin’ Dots locations in USF, including outside of BeetleJuice’s Graveyard Revue and next to the Super Silly Stuff gift store, but we’re going to head into KidZone and go to the Hollywood or Bust location that sits between Spongebob Storepants and E.T. Adventure. This is the only Dippin’ Dots location in the park that has any type of theming and, let’s face it, eating Dippin’ Dots can make you feel like a kid again so we’ll be right at home.

Cookies n’ Cream Dippin’ Dots

There are several varieties of Dippin’ Dots on the menu, including chocolate chip cookie dough, but I finally ended up settling on cookies n’ cream. This option sprinkles in bits of Oreo cookie into vanilla Dippin’ Dots. When I got the cup of dots and they were orange and not white, I was conceded that I was somehow given mango dots, but I was assured by the employee it was vanilla. So add vanilla Dippin’ Dots to the list of things that are orange but should be white (a list that already includes Hulk Hogan and Jersey Shore’s Snooki.) After tax this delicious dessert cost us $5.21, a bit pricey considering our mandate but you live long enough you learn there are certain things in life you should never skimp on including toilet paper, your mattress, and desserts. Trust me on that one. Balance: $2.01.

The nexus of the USF universe

One great place to be in the park is right outside Cafe La Bamba. Here you can make the decision to head down into Hollywood and check out the scandalously underrated Horror Make-up Show, head on towards Transformers: The Ride 3D and join the battle to save the world (good news recruits, N.E.S.T. was not affected by the government shutdown,) or go back towards Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone and Springfield USA. You can also take photos with the vintage cars outside Mel’s Drive-In, enjoy a spot for the Superstar Parade, or even head down towards the lagoon to just take a break and enjoy the scenery. In many ways this area is the nexus of the USF universe and it’s here where we are going to stop at the Lemon Slush & Fruit stand to pick up our last food item of the day, an apple.

Four of the best pressed penny options in Florida

I know what you’re thinking? AN APPLE?! IS HE SERIOUS?! Yes, I’m completely serious. The expression “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” has some truth to it. Apples provide both short term and long term benefits. For this particular case they fulfill three objectives: make us feel full, give us a little bit of an energy shot to end our day, and save us money. We just spent the whole day on our feet, walking who-knows-how-many-miles, standing behind people using an iPad to take a picture, all while being under a Florida sun whose heat and humidity can make the planet Mustafar seem like the planet Hoth, and having the time of our lives while doing it. And now that we think about it, the apple only set us back $1.37 after tax. That means we have 64 cents left in our pocket, enough money to get a souvenir…

It’s time to head over to the main store at USF, right at the front of the park and get a PRESSED PENNY! The hardest part here is which one to choose. A Jaws penny? A King Kong Penny? One of the classic Universal monsters? You can’t go wrong with any of them. A pressed penny costs $0.51 leaving us with $0.13 of our original $20. It’s never too early to start saving for that next trip….

Even Bruce the Shark can find a meal under $20 at Universal

Special Thanks to Universal NOW‘s Brandon Glover for his assistance with this article.

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Your Hotel Room Views at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

By Len Testa

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Wilderness Lodge Resort Vew

Last week we launched Hotel Room Views, showing you the view you get from every Walt Disney World hotel room. We started with pictures from every room at All-Star Sports and followed that up with Disney’s Polynesian Resort and Saratoga Springs. We’re ending the week by rolling out Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Cue up Aaron Copeland’s Rodeo as background music, and let’s get going!

The first page shows you a map of the entire Wilderness Lodge grounds. On the left side is a set of filter options you can use to find exactly the room you want:

Room Type Includes Disney’s description of the view, and the bed type in the room (if we know it). For the Wilderness Lodge, we were able to get information on which rooms contain 2 queen beds, and which contain 1 queen and 2 bunk beds.
Walking Distance to Lobby Useful for cutting down on walking time.
Walking Distance to Transportation The Wilderness Lodge’s bus stop is pretty far out, so use this option to find rooms closest to the buses.
Floors If you prefer ground or upper-floor rooms, you can specify that here
Sound Level Helps find the quiet rooms at the resort
Accessibility Identifies ADA-accessible rooms by feature, including roll-in showers and more
Our Picks Shows only the rooms which the  Unofficial Guide  has determined to be the best at the resort.
Prices You can also filter by price by entering the date you’re checking in.

Set any of these options and click “Show Matching Rooms.” The map will highlight in red if there’s a room that matches your options.

Click on the Lodge and you’ll see a map of all of the rooms which match, starting with the first floor. Rooms which match your filter options will be highlighted in red:

Wilderness Lodge Floor Plan

 

Click on one of the highlighted rooms and you’ll see the view from that room:

 

View from 4129

Once you’re looking at a room’s view, you can do a comparison of nearby views by going left or right one room, or up or down one floor.

Another really great feature on this page is shown in the green text just below the photo:

Bldg 6,Flr 1,NW-facing Room.Exmple: 3545,3543,3547,3541,3527,3525,3523,3521,3507

This is the exact wording to give Disney (or your travel agent) to request that specific room, and rooms like it if this room isn’t available. During this project we learned that Disney’s reservation system may only have 80 characters of text to make room requests, and we’ve ensured that this text fits in 80 characters or less. While there’s no guarantee that you’ll get the room, by telling Disney the room you want and its alternatives, you increase your chances.

Why is this important?

There are definitely rooms with bad views at the Wilderness Lodge. If you don’t make a room request and leave the choice to Disney, you could end up with one of them. For example, if you’ve reserved a Standard View room at the Wilderness Lodge and let Disney pick your room, you could end up in room 4046, with a view of … trucks:

Wilderness Lodge Room 4046

 

Or you could request on of the rooms on the other side of the resort, 4091 through 4099, and get this view:

Wilderness Lodge Room 4091

Other Features

You’re also able to leave public reviews and private notes about a room, rate a room, and mark a room as a “favorite.” When you mark two or more rooms as favorites, you’re able to do a side-by-side comparison of each room’s view by clicking the Compare Favorites link on the left side of the page.

We expect to have every Disney-owned resort in Orlando available by the end of this year. That includes DVC resorts, suites, and more. Here’s the approximate rollout schedule:

Week Ending
Resort


October 4
All-Star Sports Done!


October 11
Polynesian Done!

Saratoga Springs Done!

Wilderness Lodge Done!


October 18
Port Orleans French Quarter

Port Orleans Riverside

Caribbean Beach

All-Star Movies

Pop Century


October 25
Coronado Springs

Fort Wilderness (campsites and cabins)


November 1
All-Star Music

Art of Animation


November 8
Animal Kingdom Lodge

Beach Club

Yacht Club


November 15
Contemporary Resort

BoardWalk Inn

Grand Floridian


November 22
Bay Lake Tower

Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas


December 6
Wilderness Lodge Villas

Old Key West

Saratoga Springs Treehouses

We had a lot of cooperation from Disney executives and resort staff to help collect these photos. For the deluxe and DVC resorts, we’ve got pictures of most of the first-floor rooms at every resort. For upper-floor rooms, we’ve got sample photos from different parts of each wing or building, showing the approximate view you’ll get at each room.

If you’ve got photos of the view from your room at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, please email them to us! You’ll be helping out other families planning their visit.

Whether you’re taking a honeymoon or taking the kids on their first trip to Walt Disney World, we’ll help you find the perfect hotel room.

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Universal Dining: Jake’s American Bar at Loews Royal Pacific Resort (Photo Review)

By Derek Burgan

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In early November I’ll be going to my first ever character breakfast on Universal property, and it will be at Jake’s American Bar at the Loews Royal Pacific Resort. After I made my reservation (through OpenTable), I realized I had never eaten at Jake’s. I consider the Royal Pacific my second home in Orlando but spend a lot of my eating time either poolside at the Bula Bar & Grille or in the lobby area at the Orchid Court Lounge. So on my most recent visit to the Universal Orlando Resort, I decided to hit Jake’s twice in one day to check it out.

Jake’s is located on the ground floor of the Royal Pacific and is right across from the Islands Dining Room.

Right next to the hostess stand was this sign for $10 beer flights. At this point I knew I’d be trying all of them. About once a month Jake’s holds a Beer Dinner, where there is live music and an all-you-can eat situation involving food and beer. For the month of October it was held on Friday the 4th, and in honor of Oktoberfest they christened the first annual Beer Festival. Long story short, if you like beer you’ll love Jake’s.

The beers you can choose from for the flights included: Stella Artois, Bell’s Best Brown Ale, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, Clear City Jai Alai, Yuengling American Amber Lager, and Goose Island Honker’s Ale. We ordered two flights to make sure we could try all of them.

Since there were six beers to choose from, but eight slots in our beer flights, we decided to try them all before choosing which final two we wanted. While we were deciding, the server came by and gave us a glass of Cigar City Brewing‘s Blueberry White Oak IPA. Cigar City Brewing is a local brewery located in Tampa and was a part of the inaugural Beer Festival the night before.

Blueberry White Oak from Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, FL)

The Blueberry White Oak, Kona Fire Rock Pale Ale, and Goose Island Honker’s Ale were the big hits, the latter possibly for the name alone. While we were enjoying the beer, our appetizer of the Homemade Pretzel Rods arrived. Costing $7, these were gigantic and came with two sauces: tangy mustard and four cheese porter fondue. I consider myself a connoisseur in the area of breadsticks, so when I say these were good you can take that one to the bank.

Homemade Pretzel Rods with tangy mustand and four cheese porter fondue

Next up was the Fresh Garden Greens salad. This consisted of local organic greens, cherry tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and had a side of Ginger-soy dressing. ($10)

Fresh Garden Greens salad with Ginger-soy dressing

The biggest hit of the afternoon was the Tomato Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich. This had sun dried tomato pesto, fresh mozzarella, and balsamic glaze. ($12)

Tomato Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Raves across the table for the sandwich. We also had a completely vegetarian lunch that was fantastic and filling. Here’s the menu for those interested.

I know that many theme park foodies appreciate when their restaurant has a complete back story, so here’s a full page history of “Jake McNalley” and his association with Royal Pacific Airways. This also continues the overall theme of the resort, which centers around the 1930s and the Golden Age of Travel.

#story

At this point we finished out meal and headed over to Universal Studios Florida for Halloween Horror Nights. While at HHN we also tried a whole bunch of food and alcohol – for research purposes, of course (see this weekend’s edition of the Saturday Six for the results) – but afterwards we stopped by Jake’s to cap off the night.

Late Night Menu

While Jake’s Late Night Menu is very limited, it does have a fully stocked bar.

Not only is Goose Island Honker’s Ale my new favorite beer, it’s also my favorite beer tap. Although there is something to say for that weird Jai Alai one as well.

First order was for the Sweet & Spicy Buffalo Wings. These were coated in a tangy mustard sauce and had ale cheese sauce for dipping. Good quality wings, but a slight step down from your wing offerings at places such as Buffalo Wild Wings or Duffy’s. ($11)

We also tried the Cheese Pizza. This was better than expected hotel pizza. ($13)

We sat at the bar itself, but there are tables nearby, as well.

Overall Thoughts: I consider Jake’s American Bar to be a pretty big hit. The lunch menu was large, everything we had was very good, and there several more items I want to try on my next trip. Service was fast and not pushy, making for a very relaxing meal. For the late night trip, it was a good discovery to find a place in the hotel that stays open late to order drinks and some light fare. I remember on one of my previous trips I actually walked to CityWalk at midnight because I had a craving and just assumed everything in the hotel was closed. The quality of the food has me really looking forward to the character meal now. I will report back in a month. Same TouringPlans time. Same TouringPlans channel.

Special thanks to Universal NOW‘s Brandon Glover for his assistance with this article.

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SATURDAY SIX: Top Six Food and Drink Items at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights 23

By Derek Burgan

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The Saturday Six is a weekly look at the most interesting, most fun, and sometimes even the most outrageous things within the theme park world that we all love so much. Whether it’s checking out the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, playing the Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf in CityWalk, or eating at Springfield USA’s Fast Food Blvd, the Saturday Six is your personal guide to experiencing the very best Orlando has to offer

HHN has arrived…

This week’s Saturday Six looks at the Top Six Food and Drink Items at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights 23.  Regular readers of this column know that we like food. Scratch that. We like breathing. We love food. Especially theme park food. Perhaps you’ve seen our article on the six most outrageous food items at Universal or its follow-up looking at six more outrageous snacks. Or maybe you’ve browsed through our look at the best items in Springfield USA’s Fast Food Blvd. Or perhaps you’ve chosen to look at our take on the very best signature drinks at Universal. Today we are going to look at the top six food and drink options at Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights 23 event. Once Universal Studios Florida closes to regular guests and reopens for HHN, a whole bunch of food and drink stands open up with it. Here is what we enjoyed the most…

(Remember, you can click on any picture to see the full size version)

Fried Sweet Potato Chips (Applewood Bacon and Cheddar)

# 6 – Fried Sweet Potato Chips 

Located in the New York section of the park (or the Fall of Atlanta scare zone for HHN fans), you’ll run into the stand selling Fried Sweet Potato Chips as you’re queueing up for the Evil Dead house or on your long walk out of The Cabin in the Woods, Resident Evil: Escape from Raccoon City, or An American Werewolf in London houses. It was good to see waffle fries brought into the park, something that should be around all year. The two available  toppings that are Applewood Bacon & Cheddar and Candied with Cinnamon and Marshmallow, the latter of which scares even me.

We went with the bacon and cheddar topping and found the serving size to be more than generous. While normally I prefer regular fries over sweet potato fries, the taste combination of the sweet potato and the toppings was definitely more flavorful than the regular fries would have been. Very filling and at $7.00, it isn’t too bad a deal for the amount of food that you get.

Twisted Taters

# 5 – Twisted Taters 

Twisted Taters are spiraled out potatoes which are fried, seasoned, and then stretched out on a skewer. This year there are four flavors available, including: Sour Cream & Chive, Garlic Butter, Seasoned Salt, and Salt & Vinegar. We tried both the Garlic Butter and Seasoned Salt varieties. It has become an annual tradition of ours to grab these (and a beer) over by the Lew Wasserman statue at the edge of the New York section of the park and begin our walk towards Bill & Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure stage show over in World Expo.

This is another item where I just don’t understand why it is not available to purchase during the rest of the year. It’s a great tasting snack that almost immediately forces you buy a drink because of the salt content. It’s easy to carry around and eat on the go while you walk the park and – because it is made out of a vegetable – Twisted Taters can give you the plausible deniability that you’re actually eating something semi-healthy. That’s a classic win-win scenario in my book. Each Twisted Tater is $5.00, but you may want to factor in the cost of a soda or beer because you’ll need one to go with it. Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival has wine pairings? Well, HHN has my exclusive Tater Pairings. I recommend a Yeungling with the seasoned salt Twisted Tater and a Miller Lite for the garlic butter.

A slice of HHN pizza

# 4 – Pizza

For pizza to make a list of favorite snacks, it better be good pizza. I may be lenient on some other food items, but bad pizza is one of my bugaboos. I’m looking in your direction Pizza Predattoria. This particular HHN pizza kiosk is located across from the upcoming Diagon Alley as you leave the San Francisco area of USF and head towards World Expo. There are two types of slices available: cheese and pepperoni. The slices were humongous and very similar in size and taste to the slices served at Universal Studios’ Classic Monsters Cafe, one of my favorite areas at either Universal park to have pizza. The $7.50 price per slice is steep, but you’re getting a big slice of good New York style pizza.

Cheesesteak

# 3 – Cheesesteak

The Cheesesteak stand is in Woody Woodpecker’s KidZone as you head down to the queues for The Walking Dead and La Llorona houses. We found the bread to be fresh and the toppings to be plentiful. The meat was seasoned perfectly, and it seemed that American cheese was used. The cheesesteak platter comes with fries and is $9.00. What’s nice is that it is one of the only places in the park where you can add on a Miller Lite draft beer for just $3.00 more. That was a great value. I think the cheesesteak would be a great item for Universal to incorporate into Duff Gardens in Springfield USA as it’s a great snack to get with a cold beer in a bar-type setting.

The Signature Drink of HHN 2013: Dead Walker

# 2 – The Dead Walker

Every year HHN has a signature drink, and this year it is the Dead Walker, which makes its return from last year’s event. Basically it’s part vodka, part fruit juice, and part Full Throttle energy drink. I’m much more of a beer person than hard alcohol, and this was sweet enough that I didn’t mind at all. The drinks are $10 each and come in a souvenir glass that lights up at the bottom. Refills are $7.00 each, and you can also use your glass to get cheaper refills on the various mixed drinks and draft beers throughout the park.

It’s actually a little surprising how few specialty drinks there are, considering how many Disney has available throughout its parks and resorts and especially how much Universal guests have taken to Butterbeer, Duff Beer, and the Flaming Moe. I had one of the worst drink experiences of my life when I tried the Doofenslurper over at Epcot, but a drink that is served in a laboratory beaker is a no brainer for a theme park that has Frankenstein’s monster in it. While Universal gets very high marks almost across the board for this year’s HHN, the creativity put into specialty drinks was almost non-existent.

The Blood Sucker

# 1 – The Blood Sucker

Throughout the park you will see bloodied nurses standing around IV poles with blood bags on them. These bags are Blood Suckers are are a mixture of vodka, peach Schnapps, and jello. You eat them by sucking the jello out through the end, hence the Blood Sucker name. I could go through 10 of these a night, but at $7 a pop it’s best to spread them out.

Where Universal scores extra points here is presentation. I did see some janitorial workers that had some blood splattered on their uniforms, but for the most part the HHN employees had very little theming, except for the nurses selling the blood suckers. They stood out and then some.

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 head on over to the TouringPlans.com Podcast Network and check out Universal NOW! and Pardon the Pixie Dust.

Halloween Horror Nights takes place on selected nights from September 20th through November 2nd, 2013. For more information and to buy tickets: click here.

Special thanks to Brandon Glover and Zeus Navarro for their assistance with this week’s Saturday Six.

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Finally! A look at Avatar for Disney’s Animal Kingdom

By Rikki Niblett

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It’s been just a little over two years since we received word that Disney’s Animal Kingdom would get an entire land based around the blockbuster movie Avatar, bringing to life the mythical world of Pandora. Today, via the D23 Expo in Japan, Disney finally released a bit of what this world will actually look like when it comes to fruition.

©Disney

Pandora will be a place where guests become immersed in the world that was created for the big screen. They will be able to not only see this world, but hear and touch it.

In the world of Avatar, guests will encounter floating mountains, as well as explore a nighttime jungle of bioluminescent plants that are alive with light and sound. The area is absolutely gorgeous and full of an illuminating rainbow of color.

©Disney

Guests will also find out what it feels like to soar into the sky riding a Banshee.

©Disney

In addition, Disney’s Animal Kingdom will also see a few more perks. The park will FINALLY, after 15 years, receive a brand new nighttime spectacular. This showcase will come to life on Discovery River and combine live music, floating lanterns, water screens, and swirling animal imagery. Additional entertainment offerings will also be introduced, including live performances that take place on Discovery Island. Also, it seems that a brand new nighttime version of Kilimanjaro Safaris will be available for guests to experience.

©Disney

Disney confirmed that the world of Avatar is overtaking the Camp Minnie-Mickey section of the park. A new theater for the popular Festival of the Lion King is under construction in the Africa section.  Update:  According to Tom Staggs, Chairman of the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, this new world is expected to open early 2017.

It looks like a lot of interesting activity is brewing for Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the upcoming years. Stay tuned to the blog as we watch the progress of making Animal Kingdom even better!

©Disney

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Fit2Run Store Coming To Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

There most certainly seems to be a rapidly growing popularity of running, what with the number of runDisney races that happen yearly and how many people you see at Walt Disney World jogging around the resorts on their vacations! (Disney even recently started putting up running trail maps at most of its resorts for the convenience of its guests).

So, it seems like a slam dunk idea that Fit2Run – The Runner’s Superstore is making its way to Downtown Disney West Side this fall. The company currently runs eight stores and is rapidly adding locations throughout the state of Florida.

This new store will help guests find their perfect fit footwear. Fit2Run staff provide a complimentary video-taped gait analysis, as well as an iStep barometric scanning, allowing them to find each guest’s ideal shoe. Guests will also be able to test the footwear on Fit2Run’s indoor track. Plus, in addition to offering first releases on many shoes, the store will have unique merchandise that will only be available at this location.

The shop is expected to open sometime next month, where it will be located next door to Curl and across the street from House of Blues.

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