Monthly Archives: December 2016

About WDW Parks Express Transportation

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A couple of weeks ago, Walt Disney World announced a new option for park-hopping transportation.  Pass-holders and guests with Park-Hopper tickets can now pay an upcharge ($15 single day or $24 per 7-day stay) to travel from park to park on special, behind-the-scenes bus transportation.  Beginning at 10:00 am daily (through park closing), visitors who’ve added this Express Transportation Option can exit one park through a “back door” and enter the next park the same way.  As with everything Disney adds or changes, this has generated quite a bit of chatter on social media, much of it negative.

About WDW Parks Express Transportation

This new option sounds great to me!  If I don’t want to pay extra or do not plan to park-hop, I can still rely completely on Disney’s well-organized transportation that is included in the price of my stay.  If I want to park-hop (I DO!) and am visiting during a super-crowded time of the year (I AM!), I can pay the $24 and potentially save a bunch of time and extra walking.

We like to park-hop between Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Typically, we spend an entire day (or two) at Animal Kingdom with no hopping.  For five days during our upcoming Christmas vacation, we’ve either planned to switch parks or have left the option open to do so in our touring plans.  Based on our last visit in October, I can expect the bag-check lines to be longer and slower than ever before (due to increased security).  I’m pleased that Disney is taking security more seriously and, by the number of people they’ve caught attempting to enter a park with a weapon, they need to.  The metal detectors are also a way of life now and again, based on our last experience, I can expect to be chosen for extra screening every time I reach a park entrance.

Park-hopping has become much more time consuming!  Leave one park, walk to bus, boat, or monorail (depending on personal choice & which park is next), wait for transportation, travel to next park, walk to park entrance, wait in bag-check line, wait in security line (likely), wait in line to scan Magic Band/ticket, finally enter park.

The Express Transportation Option sounds like a way to avoid much of the walking, checking, screening, etc.  I expect to have my Magic Band scanned (maybe by a Cast Member with an iPad?) as I get on the bus to the next park.  No need for long walks, waits in line, bag checks, or metal detection!  Just exit the bus right into the next park!  (All the details about where to board and exit busses can be found here.) Entrance to DHS

Will it be worth $24?  I’ll have to wait and see if the process is as good as it sounds, but I’m certainly going to give it a try.  Do I believe this will negatively impact those who do not choose to pay the upcharge?  I do not.  Disney transportation has been, in our opinion, getting better over the past couple of years.  If enough guests choose the park-to-park Express, it could reduce wait-times at bag and security checks for other visitors.  I don’t believe busses will be taken away from non-Express users to offer this new service.  Like the in-park cabanas being tested in Magic Kingdom, guests can choose NOT to pay extra without being negatively impacted by visitors who choose to take advantage of these new options.

In my Disney fan bubble, I like to believe the Disney Parks folks are hard at work to find revenue-generating offerings so they don’t have to raise ticket and food prices as often.  Stop laughing!  It’s a nice thought.  I’ll let you know how the bus thing works out when I get back.

Would you pay an upcharge for park-hopping faster?

 

 

Disney’s Pandora – What I Want to See

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Since the recent announcement about Pandora’s opening date in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, I can’t stop thinking about this new land.  What will it really be like?  After all the doubt and speculation, will Disney and Avatar fans all be pleased?  Will that amazing Na’vi shaman animatronic figure be as cool in person as she seems on Facebook?  What would I like to see?  That last part, I’ve got figured out!

Disney’s Pandora – What I Want to See

Joseph came home to visit for a couple of nights while Raymond was out of town on business this week.  He knows I hate staying by myself (Junior’s not much of a watch dog).  He gets free food, I avoid loneliness – it’s a win-win for both of us.  For fun, I came up with my best idea for a Pandora attraction and ran it by Joseph to see what he thought.  He not only liked the idea, he immediately started building on it to make it better!  Armchair Imagineering is FUN!!!

I started with this idea:  Think about the experience of Turtle Talk With Crush (in Epcot’s The Seas With Nemo and Friends).  Imagine that same technology used in a classroom made of glass (instead of just one wall).  Guests would enter a special environmentally controlled room (to protect humans), reached via short tunnel extended from the main Pandora research facility.  The tunnel would take “students” partially into the wilderness of Pandora lessons on the planet’s flora, fauna, and culture.  As everyone takes their seats, Na’vi “instructors” would approach the enclosure, introduce themselves,  and talk about what it’s like to live on Pandora.  Visitors in the classroom would be able to see Pandora and the Na’vi people through all four walls and the ceiling.  The experience would be interactive exactly like Turtle Talk, but instead of being geared towards the pre-school set, this attraction would mainly engage tweens, teens, and adults.  Students would have an excellent view of the plants, animals and people of Pandora with the ability to ask (and answer) questions.

Joseph added his thoughts:  The experience would change along with the time of day – just like Kilimanjaro Safaris.  Early mornings would show the Pandora landscape during sunrise (or suns-rise?) and the Na’vi teachers would explain how the planet changes as night turns into day.  Midday would offer completely different “lessons” and then, as the sun(s) set, dusk and nighttime would transform the experience yet again with different animals in the wild among the glow of the bioluminescent plants.

The technology is already available for this attraction!  Think about the possibilities!!!

What would YOU most like to see in Pandora?

 

 

 

Disney World Christmas Crowd Busting Plans

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I suppose we’re gluttons for punishment.  Raymond and I had such a great time at Wald Disney World last year during the much-maligned Christmas week, we’re going back for more!  And this time, we’re taking Joseph with us.

A few years ago, we took a Disney Cruise in Alaska (see post here) with both Megan and Joseph.  Joseph was young enough for the teen club and activities and once he checked in, we barely saw him again.  This meant that we had a ton of mom-dad-daughter time with Megan and those memories are among my most treasured!  It was so wonderful, in fact, that now we’re spending a mom-dad-son vacation with Joseph.  Megan, in her typically sweet way, has offered her (and Grant’s) services for house and dog-sitting.  Excursion on Disney Cruise Line in Alaska

Disney World Christmas Crowd Busting Plans

Arriving Christmas Eve, we’ll have seven days at Disney World during the busiest time of the year.  I’ve planned, schemed, booked, and rebooked what I hope will be a fabulous vacation to remember with our youngest offspring.  I’m using some tried and true strategies along with a couple of new plans for what I hope will be a great holiday experience.  The number one item on our packing list?  Patience!  We know the crowds will be insane, but thanks to last year, we know how to have fun around them.Christmastime at Walt Disney World

Christmas Eve – Our midday arrival means that while we have afternoon FastPasses in Magic Kingdom, we may not get to use them due to the crowds.  We’re okay with this!  Plan B is to drop our things at Bay Lake Tower and, starting at the Contemporary, do the monorail pub crawl while checking out the decorations at all the resorts along the way.  Our dinner is at Kona Café that night, so we can stick to the resort loop, enjoy dinner, and end the evening at the Top of the World Lounge.  If we DO use our FastPasses, they’re for Jingle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.Jingle Cruise Sign

Christmas Day – We’ll need to rise and shine to make our early breakfast at Be Our Guest.  Before the crowds become totally insane, we’ll use FastPasses at Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Splash Mountain.  We’ll be finished by lunchtime and plan to grab something very light at a quick-service place in or near Magic Kingdom before heading back to our room to relax.  Early dinner will be at California Grill.tusker-house-goofy

December 26th – I’ve planned an early start to the day again, but this time at Animal Kingdom for breakfast at Tusker House (because we loved it so much in October).  We’ll be able to relax and do what we want all morning since our FastPasses are all for the afternoon (Expedition Everest, Primeval Whirl, and Festival of the Lion King…don’t judge!).  Dinner’s at Tiffins, again because we had such a wonderful experience in October.tiffins-wall-detail

December 27th – We’re rope-dropping Disney’s Hollywood Studios with a plan to get in and out by 11:00 am at the latest.  We’ve got just two FastPasses booked for Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania.  Raymond and I did this last year and were able to ride Rock’n’ Roller Coaster and Star Tours with little to no wait.  Then we plan to hop to Epcot and slowly make our way around World Showcase, grabbing lunch while we go.  Dinner will be at Citricos in the Grand Floridian.  This day is designed to be relaxing with a huge play-it-by-ear factor since the next day will be the exact opposite.

December 28th – I’ll confess to over-planning, but I have faith in our abilities to see this day through!  At least we get to sleep in a little later before we head to the Boardwalk for breakfast at Trattoria al Forno.  The reason we’re going?  I needed a Candlelight Processional dining package and the Trattoria was included in eligible restaurants.  I LOVE that our meal gets to be breakfast!  When we finish eating, we’re heading to Disney Springs where we plan to stroll and shop until it’s time for our lunch ADR at Morimoto Asia.  Morimoto-Asia-Disney-SpringsAfter lunch it’s back to Epcot for a couple of FastPasses:  Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo & Friends.  We’ll see the 6:45 Candlelight Processional (Cal Ripkin, Jr. is our narrator) and then we, full of Christmas joy, will walk back to the Boardwalk for a late dinner at Flying Fish.  I have no idea what I was thinking when I booked all this, but we’re not a family that shies away from a challenge!

December 29th – I regained my sanity when booking this day’s activities.  We don’t have to be anywhere until lunchtime for an ADR in the Studios at The Hollywood Brown Derby.  RM-Brown-Derby-StoryAfter lunch, we head to Epcot where we have FastPasses for Soarin’ and Spaceship Earth.  Dinner’s at Shula’s Steak House.

December 30th – This day’s plan was originally based solely on the fact that we wanted to squeeze in a Dinner at Jiko in the Animal Kingdom Lodge on this trip.  Then I heard about the Jingle Bell Jingle BAM! Dessert Party at the Studios.  Then I heard that Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular was coming back beginning on December 16th.  Now the day looks like this – Hit Animal Kingdom at a leisurely pace until mid-afternoon.  Lobby at Animal Kingdom LodgeThen we’ll head to Animal Kingdom Lodge and enjoy the lobby atmosphere, the Savannah Overlook, and perhaps a cocktail at the Victoria Falls Lounge before our dinner at Jiko.  I was luckily able to re-book dinner for an earlier time when I decided we needed the Dessert Party and possible double fireworks shows at the Studios.  As of now, I can’t tell when and if the Star Wars show will happen that night.  We know there are nighttime Extra Magic Hours and we’ll already be there…keeping our fingers crossed!

Home for New Year’s Eve!  Raymond and I have a long-standing New Year’s Eve tradition of a lobster dinner at home and we know we’ll enjoy that more than staying for the craziness of ringing in a new year at Walt Disney World.  Plus, we’ll be tired!  If everything goes as planned, we’ll have had a great time enjoying some special, new experiences while revisiting our usual favorites and, in spite of the crowds, will have some wonderful new vacation memories to cherish.

Have you been to Disney World for Christmas?  What did you love most about it?  Do you have any crowd-busting tips to share?

 

About Those $649 Cabanas in Tomorrowland

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Right now they’re big, white, and generic-looking.  Disney World’s newest pricey specialty offering has a lot of tongues wagging.RM-Tomorrowland-Walkway

About Those $649 Cabanas in Tomorrowland

If you missed this latest Disney news tidbit, Magic Kingdom guests may now rent a “cabana” for the day near Space Mountain in Tomorrowland.  The amenities and details included in the $649 price can be found here.  The cabanas are, for now, actually large, windowed tents like the ones people rent for outdoor events.  Inside, guests will find some tables and seating along with the charging station and lockable storage trunk.  At face value, critics see yet another money grab at an exorbitant price for wealthy vacationers (even if it does include customized Earhats).

I can see a different side to this…

I feel certain this is the first of several tests and, if successful, will result in actual cabana-like structures in keeping with the Tomorrowland (or other) surroundings and they’ll come with air conditioning.  If you’ve listened to the latest episode (#116) of The Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish with Jim Hill, you’ll find that these test cabanas may be the tip of the iceberg for in-park getaways.  If Jim and Len are right, cabanas will be in several (if not all) parks and may be elevated to allow guests unobstructed, prime viewing for parades and fireworks.RM-Tomorrowland-Skyline

I see a certain appeal for this concept with a particular sub-set of Disney vacationers.  And it may not be such a bad or outrageous idea.  Imagine for a minute that your vacation includes multi-generations.  You may be headed to Magic Kingdom with grandparents or infants or both!  Suppose you’re staying off property and want everyone to get a full day of park touring, plus have a place to rest, nurse a baby, take a nap, or take turns babysitting or simply hanging out.

There would always be a shaded, cool, private spot at your disposal.  No need to pack up and leave for nap time or meltdowns.  You’d have a secluded place, all your own, to regroup, relax, and recharge (literally and figuratively) without having to waste time returning to your resort.  Grandma and Grandpa could comfortably enjoy the Festival of Fantasy parade without sitting on a curb in the burning sun.  Mom and Dad could tend to the needs of little ones away from public view and know that nap time will be in a cool and comfortable place.

While I’m not in a stage of my life where I could justify forking over $649 for the luxury of a Disney park cabana, I’ll never say never.  I can easily imagine a time when having the convenience and amenities that come with booking a little personal space in Walt Disney World could be a worthwhile and time-saving investment.

Your turn!  Are these cabanas an extravagant ripoff or a legitimate in-park convenience?