Author: touringplans.com

The season of cozy comfort food is upon us. The 2020 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival is different than any previous year. It has been running since EPCOT reopened in July, and only offers booths–no concerts, no seminars–and, not all the booths opened in July. The two latest booths to open this year are the Donut Shop booth and the Waffles booth. Let’s check them out.

The Donut Shop booth debuted last year, but with a completely different menu. This year the menu is simplified and less inspired. Despite the lack of creativity with the menu, this booth will satisfy your craving for donuts. If you’re a chocolate fan, go for the Double Chocolate Donut Holes with Chocolate Drizzle.

Want something colorful and a little creative? Go for the Sprinkle Burst Donut Holes with Purple Drizzle. The colorful sprinkles and purple drizzle do not add any flavor, other than additional sugary sweetness. The donut holes themselves are classic plain cake.

If you want some fall flavors then the Apple Fritter Donut Holes with Salted Maple Drizzle are an absolute must. Personally this would be my favorite.

Each serving is $4.00 and comes with five donut holes, which is a very satisfying serving for one person, or easily shared between two people. The Donut Shop is located near Test Track.

Over toward World Showcase, at the festival courtyard near Future World West, is the simply named Waffles Booth. Here you can choose between two waffles. Both a fairly simple and easy for Cast Members to put together. The Belgian Waffle served with Warm Chocolate Ganache and Whipped Cream is rich and sure to satisfy any chocolate fan. The Belgian Waffle served with Berry Compote and Whipped Cream is very sweet, but a great option if you want lots of fruit flavor.

Each waffle is $4.25, and is a mini size that can be cut into about 5-6 bites. Between the two booths, we prefer the Donut Shop for its variety and easy to share portions.

If you want to get the most out of your visit to EPCOT then become a TouringPlans Subscriber. You’ll gain access to our Lines app which let’s you reduce your time waiting in line and gives you ratings of all Walt Disney World restaurants.

Have you been to EPCOT for the 2020 Food and Wine Festival? Which booth sounds better to you?

 

The post REVIEW: New Donut Shop and Waffles Booths Now Open at EPCOT 2020 Food and Wine Festival appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Epcot, Festivals, In the Parks, epcot 2020, epcot desserts, epcot food and wine festival, epcot snacks

Crowd levels are up at Walt Disney World. On October 12, 2020, Disney’s CEO Bob Chapek said in a CNBC interview that the parks remain capped at 25% of their capacity. While those two statements might sound like they’re at odds with each other, both can be true, because Chapek is referring to 25% of maximum capacity.

In normal years, the parks rarely if ever hit their maximum capacity. In a normal fall, for example, park attendance is closer to 50% of maximum capacity. And when Walt Disney World re-opened in July, attendance was closer to 5-15% of its capacity.

One thing that makes the parks feel crowded is that there is less space for people. Many restaurants and stores are either closed or have reduced capacity, and some attractions – such as stage shows – are closed. The attractions that are open are running with 50-60% of their normal capacity. And because of social distancing, their queues are often extended into walkways. Finally, shorter park hours are causing people to arrive at park opening and stay until the closing, without a mid-day break that would reduce crowds.

In mid-September we counted people in the parks and extrapolated that attendance for the month to date was around 12-15% of their maximum capacity. Based on our September estimates, Disney has room to increase attendance and still stay within Chapeks’s cap of 25%.

	Estimated September Average Daily Attendance	Maximum Capacity	Percent Capacity
Magic Kingdom	12,000	90,000	13%
EPCOT	18,000	110,000	16%
Hollywood Studios	6,500	60,000	11%
Animal Kingdom	8,000	60,000	13%

With increased attendance, we don’t expect to see any 1’s at the Magic Kingdom or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With more locals going to Walt Disney World, the weekends will be busier than weekdays. Thanksgiving will have the highest crowds since the parks re-opened.

The post October Mid-Month Crowd Calendar Update appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), Crowd Calendar

Our latest Universal Crowd Calendar update was incomplete. We have now updated the dates that were missed. For a description of the latest update check out this post. If you had created a touring plan for a future date after the previous update there is no need to redo it – it should already include the latest wait time predictions, even for those dates that were missed.

To see what Universal crowds will be like on your next visit subscribe here and check out the Universal Crowd Calendar.

The post Universal Crowd Calendar Additional Updates For October appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Crowd Blog, Universal Orlando Resort, Crowd Calendar

 

Walt Disney World crowds were lower today as compared to the recent holiday weekend, but the parks were still busier than they were a month ago.  Let’s, as the kids say, do the numbers.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Wait times were lower than they’ve been at the Magic Kingdom’s mountains. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 67 minutes. Its 7-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week.  Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 52 minutes, good for #3 over the past week.  Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait of 41 minutes, #4 for the week and #19 for the past month – good day to go on BTMRR.  Its neighbor, Splash Mountain, was the busiest mountain today with an average wait time 77 minutes, also #4 for this week.

Other notable attractions include Jungle Cruise, which had an average wait time today of 50 minutes – that’s good for #1 this week and over the past month.  Tip your skippers well.  And The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh had an average wait time today of 31 minutes, near the top for the week and month.

Our Lines app received 121 actual waits from the Magic Kingdom today.  Those actual waits in line averaged just under 70% of the posted wait time, so a 40-minute posted wait at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin would’ve been a 28-minute actual wait.

EPCOT Wait Times

Frozen Ever After had an average wait time today of 62 minutes. Its 7-day average is 69 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week.  That 62-minute average is also good for #8 over the past month.  Test Track had an average wait time today of 55 minutes, well below its 7-day average of 72 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week.  And Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 34 minutes. Its 7-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week.

Actual waits in line at EPCOT averaged around 66% of the posted waits. If you got in line for a 15-minute posted wait at Spaceship Earth, your actual wait in line was probably closer to 10 minutes.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

It was a comparatively busy day over at Hollywood Studios.  Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 87 minutes. Its 7-day average is 81 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 84 minutes, so today ranks #8 for the past month. Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run had an average wait time today of 66 minutes. Its 7-day average is 60 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #7 for the past month.

To put some of those wait times into pre-pandemic perspective, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run’s average wait of 66 minutes barely makes the top 100 highest average wait times for the past year – it’s #96 and the parks have been re-opened for around 90 days.

Toy Story Mania!’s average wait was 35 minutes today. Its 7-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 29 minutes, meaning today ranks #3 for the past month.  And Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster had an average wait time today of 55 minutes, good for #2 on the week and #5 for the past month.

Actual waits in line at the Studios were around 70% of posted wait times, so a posted wait of 30 minutes at Alien Swirling Saucers would’ve meant an actual wait of around 21 minutes in line.

Also, we’ve added real-time Rise of the Resistance boarding group data to the site, showing when each boarding group is called throughout the day.  The gray lines indicate the range of times each boarding group has been called over the past 7 days, while the blue lines represent today’s boarding groups. Here’s a sample from today:

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Also busy was Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Kilimanjaro Safaris had an average wait time today of 28 minutes. Its 7-day average is 21 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month. Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 68 minutes. Its 7-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month.

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain had an average wait time today of 33 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 26 minutes, so today ranks #7 for the past month.  And actual wait times at the park averaged around 70% of the posted wait times: a posted wait of 50 minutes at Na’vi River Journey would’ve meant an actual wait in line of around 35 minutes.

That’s a lot of wait times, isn’t it? If you’d like to be ahead of the curve and know which attractions are best to visit at what time of the day then become a TouringPlans Subscriber and use our Lines app.

The post Studios, Animal Kingdom, MK Busy But Not Terrible – Walt Disney World Wait Times for Tuesday, October 13, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), disney covid, disney reopening, disney wait times, magic kingdom wait times

Just outside the entrance to Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge is Baseline Taphouse. This little lounge has been open for about three years and continues to be a favorite among Disney fans. Its location is hallowed ground and although its menu is limited, the bites at Baseline are so good you could make a meal of them.

Baseline Taphouse has a hipster California feel, meant to represent the tap houses in urban, hip neighborhoods in the area. The lounge jazz covers of popular music of the 1980s and 1990s fills the air. A long list of California craft beer makes it tempting for a flight or a tall pour. Wines on tap are high quality. And a few cocktails on tap rival many of the cocktails available throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Prior to being Baseline Taphouse, this cozy venue was the Writer’s Stop, which served coffee and baked goods, and sold Disney books and kitchen ware. Writer’s Stop had a cute little sitting area with a TV playing Disney classics which eventually became a marketing loop video instead. Now that this location has become Baseline there is limited interior seating, and a large walk-up bar for drinks and bites. The decor pays homage to the Writer’s Stop as well as the life of being a writer in show business. There are also touches that indicate Baseline’s backstory as Figueroa Printing Company, a small print house that had ties to the Walt Disney Studios.

Our readers rate Baseline with a 95% thumbs up and a ranking of number 8 of 59 similar options at Walt Disney World. The beverage selection is great, they even have two craft, non-alcoholic drinks. The food pairs perfectly with craft beer and wine. If you enjoy visiting your local brewery back home you’re sure to enjoy the menu at Baseline Taphouse.

Our team stopped in to see how things are at Baseline now that places like it are so valued right now. Its walk-up-only bar and outdoor seating make it a popular choice as many guests prefer to dine outside right now. Ivonne selected the popular Bavarian Pretzel and also tried out the Coffee Rubbed Rib-eye Steak Puff. The Bavarian Pretzel is served with Beer-Cheese Fondue and Spicy Mustard for $9.00. We lovingly call it the Len Testa special since our beloved Len loves Disney pretzels so much. This massive Bavarian Pretzel is usually soft and warm, and the Beer-Cheese Fondue is irresistible. I love alternating between the Beer-Cheese and the Spicy Mustard while sipping on a craft IPA.

Side note: Check out the Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway paper that the pretzel is served on!

The Coffee-Rubbed Rib-Eye Steak Puff is a nice option if you crave something more than just luscious carbs. The coffee-rubbed aspect of the rib-eye was lacking during our team’s visit. The Olive Salad that accompanies the Steak Puff is good, though you obviously need to enjoy olives to be able to like this side. The Bavarian Pretzel is the more popular choice, and for good reason. This Steak Puff was satisfying and could be shared among two people, but it was not as good as other options on the menu. It’s a decent value at $11.00.

Due to limited capacity, there are not as many tables in the immediate outdoor dining area as normal. Additional tables have been added just outside the normal dining area. Most of these tables are high tops for standing only. For many Disney fans, Baseline is a must-do. It’s a lovely area and a great place to stop for a bite before or after visiting Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge.

If you love pretzels, or have a different favorite food, you can search for specific food items across Walt Disney World with our Menu Finder. It is free to use, but we would love to have you as a TouringPlans Subscriber so you can have access to all of our tools and resources.

Have you stopped in at Baseline yet? Do you have a favorite item on the menu?

The post REVIEW: Baseline Taphouse Has Bites So Good You Could Make a Meal of Them appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, Drinking, Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios, In the Parks, baseline taphouse, disney covid, disney reopening, disney’s hollywood studios dining, hollywood studios bars, hollywood studios drinks, hollywood studios snacks