WDW Weekly News Update

This week isn’t even over yet but Disney has shared a few different pieces of exciting news with the public.  In chronological order…

February 12th: Rivers of Light show opens.  The long anticipated show that was supposed to open last summer is now ready to go.  This date is based on Fastpass+ bookings which recently were added to the system.

March 17th: Although this date was announced a while ago, I am so excited for The Beauty and The Beast movie!

May 11th: Final showing of Wishes which is the nighttime fireworks show at Magic Kingdom.
I really hope I can see Wishes one more time before it ends because it is a fantastic show and there is nothing like the soundtrack.

May 12th: “Happily Ever After” replaces Wishes as the new nighttime show.  I expect Magic Kingdom will be absolutely packed on this night.

May 27th: The opening date of Animal Kingdom’s Pandora!  We have not been able to see much of the construction, besides the one very tall tower structure so I am interested to see what Disney has done with Avatar, even though it was not my favorite movie.  I will definitely need to watch it again before May 27th.

2019: At some point in this year, the Star Wars Land portion of Hollywood Studios will be opening!

In conclusion, this summer is a great time to visit the Walt Disney World parks.  2019 will be a fantastic year to go if you are a Star Wars fan, or you can wait until 2020 when the hype decreases a little.

5K Part 2 and half marathon disappointment posts coming up soon!

Latest WDW Updates and my thoughts

D-Luxe Burger is a new burger place which will be open in May in Disney Springs.  To be honest, I do not care about having a burger place in Disney Springs.  What caught my eye is that D-Luxe Burger will have a wide range of gelato milkshakes!  I think that is the best Disney news I have heard in a while.

Disney is also piloting an After Hours ticketed event for Magic Kingdom where you pay around $150 to stay in Magic Kingdom from 11pm-2am.  The latest buzz in the online community is worry about the Extra Magic Hours for resort guests going away.  I would really hate if this was true because I personally won’t be paying for four hours in Magic Kingdom.

My family was in Walt Disney World a few days ago (without me) and could not get over the parking system at Disney Springs.  They also asked why I had not mentioned it before so I figured I could mention it now.  The parking garage at Disney Springs tells you how many spaces are free and also has green lights above the spots that are open and red lights above the spots that are occupied.

Only a few weeks until registration opens for January WDW Marathon weekend!  Is anyone signing up?  I hopefully will be.

 

Walt Disney World Updates

It seems Walt Disney World changes every time I open my laptop!  I’m going to break down the changes by park to keep myself organized but I am sure there are a few I might miss.

All Parks:

• Metal detectors are now at all Walt Disney World parks before you enter the park.  I am interested to hear how this is working as the regular bag check lines can get pretty lengthy some days.  My advice to Disney would be to somehow try to put the metal detectors ahead of the bag check so the lines wouldn’t get so backed up.  For example, put a line of metal detectors coming off the buses at MK, at the monorail exit at MK, and off the ferry at MK.  Extra security is always good but I also do not want to spend half an hour in the line to get into the park.

Magic Kingdom: 

• A new sit down restaurant has opened called Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen.  To see the menu click here.  The menu looks a little more daring than many of the Magic Kingdom menus which is exciting and I hope I can try it in January for dinner.

Hollywood Studios

• The Star Wars Launch Bay opened which has different items from the Star Wars movies and you can even get a photo with Darth Vader or a Storm Trooper depending on the timing.  Star Wars Episode VII has made over 1 billion worldwide.  I saw the movie over break and it was great.  I am looking forward to getting my photo with a Storm Trooper next summer.
• “Symphony in the Stars: A Galactic Spectacular” fireworks show debuted a few days ago as well and is a Star Wars fireworks show
• The final days of the Osborne Dancing Lights are coming up.  I have heard that there is now a line to get into the Streets of America at night and that the parking lots become full.  So, if you would like to see the lights, get to Studios early and leave early.
• One Man’s Dream had a preview of the Good Dinosaur for a while, not sure if that is still there.  A Star Wars preview was also in one of the theaters at the park.

Epcot:

• Captain EO has left Epcot!  For now…but I hope for a while as I miss Honey I Shrunk the Audience.  The short term replacement is a Pixar Short Film Festival which sounds like a fun, air conditioned way to break up a long day at Epcot.

Disney Springs:

• The Ganachery, a new chocolate store opened and looks delicious.
• Two pedestrian bridges are open
•  Morimoto Asia is opening a new quick service place with a limited menu, similar to how the Wolfgang Puck Restaurant has an Express section for quick items.
• It seems a new store opens every week so stay tuned for more updates

 

Advanced Dining Reservations Made!

So I made preliminary dining reservations for my family’s next trip to Walt Disney World.  We will be visiting some of the usual places, such as Liberty Tree Tavern, but also visiting some restaurants we haven’t been to in years such as the Crystal Palace and Via Napoli.

I have to say I was shocked when I was up at 8am days ago to make the reservations and some of the restaurants already did not have the time slots I wanted!  I had expected Be Our Guest to be filled, but it was not, so I had booked it first.  Beaches and Cream, one of the last ones I booked, had no dinner times.  The only had 4:15 or 7:15pm.  Now did I miss a memo that Beaches and Cream was suddenly really hard to get into?  I have never made a reservation for it before.  The one time we did go we walked up and had to wait half an hour to get in which wasn’t bad.  Morimoto Asia also does not take reservations until 90 days before your trip.  Okay, that’s fine.  I understand it is technically not a Disney restaurant even though it is on Disney property, but I like to have everything scheduled!

And we have a large crew for some of the meals because different family members are joining us and our standard traveling party for this trip is already 8 people, so scheduling can be tricky.  I am sure everything will work out though and until the trip begins I will be getting extra excited!

Throwback Thursday to Thanksgiving 2012

  Oh how I wish I had a hot chocolate on Main Street right now.

Rides I Have Gotten Stuck On

Thanks to a reader suggestion, this post will talk about the rides I have unfortunately gotten stuck on before.  Whenever someone gets on the ride who needs help getting in the vehicle, the ride slows down and often stops.  So I will not count the short stops which were most likely due to this.

• WEDway People Mover-15 min waiting time, and then we were evacuated off the ride during the 2013 WDW Marathon weekend.  So I had ran a half in the morning and gotten evacuated off the ride in the afternoon.  They did give us each a free FASTPASS to use anywhere in Magic Kingdom so that was very nice and we saw a little behind the scenes look at a stairwell near the People Mover.
• Splash Mountain-5 min waiting time.  I was stuck on this one while my sister and dad were watching the fireworks.  I ended up being able to watch them while our boat was stuck so that was nice.  I knew we were going to get stopped eventually because they had let too many boats out quickly so we were really backed up.
• Ariel’s Undersea Adventure-5-7min, of course we were stuck in the Ursula scene.  I would have preferred any other scene I think.
• Journey into Imagination with Figment-7-10min.  The theme song for this ride is great, but you get tired of it.  We were stuck in the scene where everything is upside down so I spent a lot of time wondering about the upside down popcorn and if they ever clean the food of dust on the ceiling.
• Carousel of Progress 7-10min, got to see one of the scenes twice since we did not rotate!

Those are all of the rides I can remember right now that I have been truly stuck on.  What rides have you been stuck on?  Have you been evacuated off any of them?

Things I Haven’t Done at WDW

Walt Disney World is twice the size of Manhattan and even though I have visited many times, I still have not seen or done it all.  Here is a list of some of the things I have not done at Walt Disney World, which I had fun putting together.

• I have not had a Turkey Leg yet.  It is on my to do list but unfortunately our meal times and ride hopes never seem to align with buying a huge turkey leg.
• I have not been to many of the resorts and have only stayed at two (if you count the Swan as one).
• I have not used a fitness center (mostly because running outside is so nice at Old Key West and because I walk a lot during Disney trips)
• I have not experienced a Star Wars weekend and now I never will because they are ending them while Disney’s Hollywood Studios goes under construction for all of the new additions
• I have not seen a game at ESPN Wide World of Sports
• I have not looked at all of the artifacts in the American Adventure Rotunda (might have years ago but don’t remember them)
• I have never seen all of the Circle Vision 360’s in Epcot
• I have not been chosen to open Magic Kingdom or be the family of the day
• I have not participated in any of Sammy Duvall’s Watersports at the Contemporary (although my mom went parasailing with my cousin)
• I have never had the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream

But…I have finally filled my Mickey and Friends crushed penny book!

Disney World: This or That Tag

Natalie at Disney Freak with a Bit of Mascara and The Disney Diva tagged me to participate in the Disney World: This or That survey.  I am going to tag Britt from Live Love Run Like a Princess because she is heading to Walt Disney World in a few weeks and Kaila from Kaila in Wonderland because she will be participating in the Disney College Program in the spring. I would definitely recommend checking out all of these sites because they are great blogs that I really enjoy reading!

I sometimes am hesitant about doing tagged posts but I LOVE posting about Disney and LOVE completing Disney questionnaires so here goes!

1.Magic Kingdom or Hollywood Studios? Magic Kingdom.  Hollywood Studios just can’t compare.

2.Epcot or Hollywood Studios? Definitely Epcot.  The World Showcase is amazing and one of my favorite rides in Studios, the Backlot Studios Tour has been closed for a while.  Also a little disappointed that the Osborne Lights won’t be back after this year.

3.Animal Kingdom or Epcot? Is this even a question? Epcot.  If you can’t tell Epcot is my favorite park with Magic Kingdom as a close second (right now anyways).

4.Epcot or Magic Kingdom? Epcot.  See question 3.

5.Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom? Hollywood Studios.

6.Animal Kingdom or Magic Kingdom? Magic Kingdom.

6.Splash Mountain or Space Mountain? Splash Mountain and I am bummed I did not get to ride it last trip

7.Peter Pan’s Flight or It’s A Small World? It’s a Small World 100%.  I do not like Peter Pan because the track is above you and not below.  I do not like rides when the track is above.

8.The Jungle Crusie or Pirates of the Carribean? This one will have to be a tie.  These rides are two of my favorite in Magic Kingdom.  I finally understand all of the jokes on The Jungle Cruise and enjoy it much more when I was little and got this and the safari in Animal Kingdom confused.  And Pirates is a classic even though I still jump at the gun shots.

9.Be Our Guest Restaurant or Crystal Palace? I haven’t been to Crystal Palace in years, but we are going to try it again next trip hopefully.  So Be Our Guest wins this one, especially since it is in my top two for Magic Kingdom restaurants.

10.Tower of Terror or Rock ‘n Roller Coaster? Tower of Terror.  I really like the whole frightening atmosphere and like watching the Twilight Zone episodes and then trying to find connections to the show in the lobby and library.

11.Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage! or Vovage of the Little Mermaid? Well I fell asleep during Beauty and the Beast last time so…Little Mermaid it is!

12.Toy Story Mania or Star Tours-The Adventure Continues? Toy Story Mania since my stomach gets upset on Star Tours.  Although now I have seen all of the Star Wars movies so I might have to go on it again just to recognize the characters even though I won’t feel completely well after, haha.

13.Test Track or Soarin’? Both are great top Epcot attractions.  I think I would go with Test Track because I have not been on it in a while.

14.France or United Kingdom Showcase? Besides the crepes in France and the circle vision movie…the pavilion is not my favorite.  I prefer the UK pavilion because I think there is nothing better than taking a break from the rides and listening to the band play.  The UK stores are fantastic and my favorite Disney character, Winnie the Pooh, can be found here.

15.Mission Space or Spaceship Earth? I’ve only been on Mission Space once and I really enjoy Spaceship Earth so Spaceship Earth wins.

16.China or Japan Showcase? Japan because Japan has amazing drummers and delicious Hibachi.

17.Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three 
Caballeros or Maelstrom? Gran Fiesta Tour. This really should not be a question.  Anyone in my family knows that Maelstrom was my least favorite ride ever except maybe Stitch’s Great Escape.

18.It Is Tough To Be A Bug or Festival of a Lion King? Festival of the Lion King.  It’s Tough to be a Bug is scary, especially when there is so much smoke and you can’t see anything!  But I could watch the Lion King show over and over.  Disney is the only place where you can get hundreds of people to act like elephants in the audience while they are waiting for the show to start.

19.DINOSAUR or Expedition Everest? Audio-animatronic dinosaurs are my number one fear so I definitely prefer Expedition Everest.

20. Polynesian Resort or Contemporary? Contemporary.  Great restaurants and within walking distance to Magic Kingdom.

21.Pop Century Resort or Art of Animation? I haven’t been to either but Art of Animation looks more fun.

Jonathan’s Disney Trip Report!

Here is the much anticipated trip report from my cousin Jonathan!  “Hope everyone enjoys … Ok so Sandy and I decided to go to Disney for an overnight getaway since it is only an hour and fifteen minutes away ( jealous anyone ?? Haha ). First stop was Magic Kingdom. Sandy’s request of splash mountain was first. Awesome ride. Loved all the animatronics inside. It wasn’t a long wait at all. 20 minutes tops.

I always say no wait time is too long for splash mountain! Mr toad and the rabbit are trying to tell you something here! Haha soaked. We had the second seat and I thought we were safe.

My stomach was telling me I was hungry.  Tt was about 5pm. Sandy lets me pick the restaurants since I’m the fat kid and I know yummy food . And it just so happens that it was day 3 of Morimoto in Disney springs being open. So we went there. Looked at the menu and it looked yummy.

I ordered pad Thai shrimp and Sandy ordered chicken lo mein! My pad Thai was the best I’ve ever had! Absolutely delicious.   And Sandy thought hers was great as well! 

And the peach/pear sangria was delicious too. Bartender was very nice and helpful. 

I would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone going to visit the Disney area! I have my fingers crossed that my cousin has this restaurant on her list of many places to eat when they come down in June! (Wink wink* hint hint* mc!!!!! lol )

Chef morimoto was actually in the kitchen we found out that day and he was autographing their house bottles of sake and beers. We didn’t ask for one bc I didn’t want to be that annoying celebrity while the man is trying to work ! Haha maybe next visit next weekend ( yes next weekend be jealous 😜) we ll get an autograph if he’s there!”  Thank you so much Jonathan for writing a post and sharing your trip with us!  I think you are hoping we have Morimoto on the list and that you and Sandy are free the night we eat there too, right? Haha.  The photo below is a little dark but it is of my cousins in Morimoto!

WDW Annual Pass Changes

As many of you probably heard, effective Sunday, there is a new Annual Pass Program at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  WDW MAGIC Annual Pass Article provides a great summary of the changes, but I will go into them in a bit here.  I also looked at Theme Park Insider.  It was a bit challenging to try to compare the Annual Pass prices over the past two years since once the new prices came out, everyone changed their websites!

Basically, the whole system has been changed.  So you used to choose between a Premium Annual Pass or the basic Annual Pass and then there were other options for Florida residents.  However, now anyone can purchase a Platinum Plus or Platinum pass but only DVC and FL residents can purchase a Gold pass and only FL residents can purchase a Silver, Weekday, or Epcot after 4pm pass.  So, there are many more options and they are way more complicated than necessary.  The price difference between the old regular Annual Pass and the new Gold pass is $64 for DVC and FL residents at $549.  The difference between the old Premium Annual Pass and the new Platinum one is $115 for everyone (up to $749) and $44 (up to $649) for DVC and FL residents.  These differences are WITHOUT taxes and see the links above for a more organized breakdown.  An 8 day Park Hopper pass is $435.59.  So, if you are going for an 8 day trip and are a DVC Member the Gold Pass is over a $100 more than the 8 day pass.  Once you add a second trip on though, the cost sort of evens out because a one day pass is $100 and then you get all of the Annual Pass discounts (10% off merchandise, 10% of boat rentals…etc).

The only added benefit that Disney has put in to sort of justify the price increases is getting PhotoPass downloads with the Platinum Plus, Platinum, and Gold plans.  I see this as a small benefit because when you go with family members, you might want to purchase a few pictures and I was shocked by the online price of $15 a pop for a photo.  But on the other hand, cast members are often willing to take a photo with your personal camera or phone or the family in line behind you will do so.  And many guests just take photos of the screens when they come off rides instead of buying the photo even though there is now a watermark on the screens.

The price of Tables in Wonderland also increased from $100 to $150 for Annual Passholders and DVC members and $125 to $175 for FL residents.  Tables in Wonderland is a dining discount card where you can receive 20% off of meals at many WDW restaurants.  However, you are not able to purchase this card unless you are an Annual Passholder, FL resident or DVC member.  If you go to Disney with a large group and eat meals at the restaurants on the list, then the card usually pays for itself after a few meals, but the $50 increase is not small change.

In conclusion, and while we wait for my cousin to finish the WDW Weekend trip recap and send it to me…have the price changes affected anyone’s future pass purchase plans?