Author: touringplans.com

There are so many wonderful fall-flavored treats to enjoy at Disney Springs right now. Earlier this month we reviewed some of the edible Halloween treats available at Disney Springs. Now it’s time to review some of the seasonal drinks currently available at Disney Springs. There’s some great options here, especially if you’re not into Pumpkin Spice.

Here’s how our field research team ranks these seasonal sips at Disney Springs. After this research trip they had quite the sugar high, so if you’re thinking of tackling all five of these drinks in one trip make sure to have a drinking buddy with you and drink lots of water too.

1. Peach Bourbon Lemonade at Polite Pig (contains alcohol) – This frozen cocktail claims our number one spot because it is refreshing and strikes the perfect balance between sweet and tart. This seasonal drink was introduced in April 2019 and has stuck around because of its popularity, so perhaps it shouldn’t be considered seasonal anymore? Whatever the case, we dig it!

2. Caramel Apple Delight at Starbucks Disney Springs West Side – This refreshing drink has gotten lots of attention. If you want to know what sipping a caramel apple is like, as opposed to eating one, this drink accomplishes exactly that. Lots of fall-flavored treats can be heavy, but this Caramel Apple Delight is refreshing without losing the warm and cozy autumn apple flavor. This is one of our favorite seasonal Starbucks creations yet!

3. Apple-y Fall at Starbucks Disney Springs Marketplace – It’s pretty clever that the two Disney Springs Starbucks locations each have their own seasonal drinks. Over at the Marketplace location, near World of Disney, you can fall deep into apple flavors with the Apple-y Fall. This blended drink is super sweet and not as refreshing as the Caramel Apple Delight at the West Side location. Our field researcher describes it as “drinking an apple fritter.” This is not necessarily a bad thing, just be prepared for lots of sweetness.

4. Jack O’ Lantern Float at Vivoli il Gelato – A hidden gem at The Landing at Disney Springs is Vivoli il Gelato. This specialty gelato shop offers authentic Italian gelato in a variety of flavors, and has some incredible creations. There’s usually a seasonal offering or two and right now you can sip on the Jack O’ Lantern Float. This float is picture perfect and a great option for anyone who wants a fall seasonal treat, but without the fall flavors. This float is made of vanilla gelato and Fanta orange soda served in an adorable Jack O’ Lantern cup with whipped cream and green sprinkles.

5. Bourbon Cream Float at Polite Pig (contains alcohol) – We were expected this creamy cocktail to rank higher on our list, and if you’re a fan of Bourbon you may find it ranks higher in your own personal list. This Bourbon Cream Float is essentially a root beer float but with warmer flavors.

Disney Springs is a great place to visit to enjoy seasonal treats at Walt Disney World. Do you have a favorite Disney Springs spot?

The post REVIEW: Here’s How We Rank These Five Fall Drinks at Disney Springs appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Disney Springs, Dos and Don’ts, Drinking, Snacks, disney springs drinks, disney springs halloween, drinking at disney springs

We’ve spent a good amount of time showing you what it is like at Walt Disney World. With lots of COVID-19 precautions visiting Walt Disney World right now is unlike any other time before it. Things are different inside Disney Springs too. So let’s take a look at what to expect at Orlando’s largest shopping and dining destination.

Weekends have always been busy at Disney Springs. Now that regular travel is reduced and Florida residents make up the lion’s share of visitors at Walt Disney World, you can expect a dramatic difference in crowds on the weekend. Based on our observations this weekend at Disney Springs here are some of our top tips.

1. Visit early in the morning.
2. Make dining reservations.
3. Get familiar with shops ahead of time and make a plan for which ones are must-dos.
4. Walk near the water.
5. Take breaks.

Most shops at Disney Springs open at 10:00 a.m. The parking structures and parking lots open well in advance and you are welcome to walk around while waiting for the shops to open. Most restaurants and dining locations open by 11:00 a.m. Disney Springs is very much an afternoon and evening destination, so you can get a leg up by getting there early.

There are so many great dining options at Disney Springs. Some of the highest-rated restaurants at Walt Disney World are here at Disney Springs. Two favorites of our readers are Homecomin’ by Chef Art Smith and Jaleo by Chef José Andrés. Both are highly rated from over 500,000 surveys completed by our readers. On our site you can view ratings for all Walt Disney World restaurants. You can also use our Reservation Finder tool to help secure those hard-to-find reservations. This tool is free to use, but becoming a TouringPlans Subscriber is a great way to say “thanks” for the tools and resources we offer.

There are over 150 shops at Disney Springs. Some favorites are World of Disney, the Marketplace Co-Op – which includes the popular Dress Shoppe, the LEGO Store, and UNIQLO. It’s a good idea to browse the list of Disney Springs shops ahead of time and select which ones you absolutely must visit. These shops can get really busy on the weekends and there is reduced capacity due to COVID-19 precautions.

During our trip this weekend there was a 15-minute wait just to get into World of Disney. We’ve seen this happen quite often on busy weekends. Capacity inside stores is reduced to allow for safe distancing. There are also designated entrances and exits at many stores. You’ll want to be prepared for a little extra walking and paying attention to signs.

Walkways can get crowded on weekends. I have found that if I stay near the waterline, walking along the lake, there are less people, and prettier views. It is also a good idea to take breaks if you are making a full day of visiting Disney Springs, just like you would at a theme park.

There are quite a few things in the works at Disney Springs too. A local favorite bakery is coming to Disney Springs. Gideon’s Bakeshop has cookies and cakes unlike anything you’ve seen or tasted elsewhere. Gideon’s has been operating at East End Market, a great local hangout if you’re ever looking to explore one of Orlando’s coolest neighborhoods. Gideon’s cookies are dense, and more like a cake or fudge than a traditional cookie. Most locals slice the cookies into fourths and share or save some for later. No official opening date for Gideon’s Disney Springs has been announced, but it should be opening very soon.

Over at Disney Springs West Side you’ll find lots of construction, more than any other portion of Disney Springs. Beatrix is a fresh concept coming to the spot where Bongo’s Cuban Cafe used to be. Sadly there is no sign of progress at this site. We could not see any building frame in place so it looks like it will be a long while before Beatrix actually comes into existence.

Around the corner, between Splitsville and the AMC Theater, you can see things are progressing well at Everglazed. This cold brew coffee and doughnut shop replaces the Pop Gallery. It will be nice to have a breakfast option on this side of Disney Springs.

 

Also over on the West Side, the M&Ms Store continues its construction work.

Sadly, two attractions at Disney Springs West Side remain closed for the foreseeable future. The poor unfortunate NBA Experience barely got its footing and then it shut down as part of the March 2020 COVID-19 shut down. It has not reopened due to the hands-on nature of its attractions. Despite Disney’s involvement in the NBA Playoffs and Finals, there is no reopening date.

Just a few buildings away, the beautiful Cirque du Soleil theater remains shuttered. An incredible new show themed around Disney animation was set to debut in Spring 2020. In fact, a media preview of the show took place at the beginning of March this year. The future of this show is unclear at this point.

Despite all the construction at West Side, and the weekend crowds, now is a fun time to visit Disney Springs. Fall festive decor and treats abound, and the holiday season is on its way. Just get there early and plan ahead.

Have you been to Disney Springs lately? What are your favorite things to do at Disney Springs?

 

 

The post What Is Visiting Disney Springs Like Right Now? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Disney Springs, Dos and Don’ts, Observations, Trip Planning, disney covid, disney crowds, disney reopening, disney springs dining, disney springs shops

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Walt Disney World had added a mobile-order feature to many of its quick service dining venues. Though mobile order was available, you’d still see lines, sometimes long lines, at the walk-up order counters.

Now during the pandemic, if a quick service venue has mobile order capability, it’s a near mandate that guests use that method to obtain food. At most locations, there are cast members stationed at the doors who won’t let you enter the restaurant unless you have a notification on your mobile device that you’ve made a mobile order and that the order is complete and ready for pickup.

I was a fan of mobile order pre-pandemic and am fully onboard with the safety aspect of it now. But doing some eavesdropping in the parks this week, I’ve observed that not everyone wants to mobile order their food. Some of the reasons I’ve heard are:

• Preference for using cash rather than electronic payment
• Not having a mobile device on hand
• Not wanting to download the MyDisneyExperience app
• Fear of using an unfamiliar technology
• Desire to ask questions of someone inside the restaurant prior to ordering
• Desire for immediate access to food without waiting for a mobile order window to open.

While there are certainly workarounds for some of these issues, when you’re hangry sometimes you just want what you want. For those folks, there are places at Walt Disney World where you can get quick food via the old fashioned method of standing in line and ordering in person, bypassing the mobile order process.

Here are the places in the Walt Disney World theme parks, that are open during the COVID-19 pandemic, where you can get quick food without a reservation or placing a mobile order:

All Parks

• Ice Cream Carts
• Popcorn Carts

Magic Kingdom

• Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies
• The Friar’s Nook
• Gaston’s Tavern
• Liberty Square Market
• Lunching Pad
• Main Street Bakery
• Sleepy Hollow
• Storybook Treats
• Sunshine Tree Terrace
• Westward Ho

Epcot

• Food & Wine Festival booths
• Choza de Margarita
• Cool Wash
• Crepes de Chefs de France
• Fife & Drum Tavern
• Funnel Cake Booth
• Gelati
• Joy of Tea
• Kabuki Cafe
• Katsura Grill
• Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe
• La Cantina de San Angel
• L’Artisan des Glaces
• Les Halles Boulangerie Patisserie
• Les Vins de Chefs de France
• Refreshment Port
• Refreshment Outpost
• Yorkshire Fish Shop

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Anaheim Produce
• Hollywood Scoops
• Trolley Car Cafe

Animal Kingdom

• Anandapur Ice Cream Cart
• Creature Comforts
• Dino-Bite Snacks
• Drinkwallah
• Harambe Fruit Market
• Isle of Java
• Pongu Pongu
• Tamu Tamu Refreshments
• Thirsty River
• Trilo-Bites
• Yak & Yeti Local Food

A quick look at these lists shows that you’ll have the most options at Epcot and the fewest at Hollywood Studios.

Also note that many of the available non-mobile-order quick service options are primarily snack or dessert places. During the Food & Wine Festival, Epcot is the exception to this; you can get savory dishes and protein at most of the Festival booths.

The post Where Can You Get Quick Food at Disney World Without Using Mobile Order? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

I hope all of you had a happy Canadian Thanksgiving.  And a huge thanks to all of the TouringPlans folks who submitted over 225 actual wait times in Walt Disney World on October 12!  Here’s how the day looked.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

The Magic Kingdom was busy on Monday, with the park’s secondary attractions all posting strong wait times:

• Peter Pan’s Flight had an average wait time today of 43 minutes. Its 7-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month.
• “it’s a small world” had an average wait time today of 43 minutes. Its 7-day average is 36 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #2 for the past month.
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an average wait time today of 42 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month.

The park’s “mountains” were busier than average, but most didn’t hit the highs of the past few days:

• Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait time today of 51 minutes. Its 7-day average is 42 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #4 for the past month.
• Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 53 minutes. Its 7-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 36 minutes, so today ranks #5 for the past month.
• Splash Mountain had an average wait time today of 78 minutes. Its 7-day average is 71 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 57 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month.
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 69 minutes. Its 7-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #2 for the past month.

Actual wait times at the Magic Kingdom were around 65% of the posted waits, so a 45-minute posted wait at Pirates of the Caribbean would’ve resulted in a 30 minute actual wait.

EPCOT Wait Times

It was the slowest day of the week over at EPCOT, and actual wait times were barely half of the posted waits.  Wait times were strong at Frozen Ever After, which had an average wait time today of 63 minutes. Its 7-day average is 67 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Test Track had an average wait time today of 63 minutes, while Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 50 minutes.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

A mixed bag over at the Studios. Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway had an average day today – wait times averaged around 82 minutes, just over its 7-day average of 81 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 84 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month.  Slinky Dog Dash was comparatively busier – it had an average wait time today of 79 minutes. Its 7-day average is 69 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 63 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

And a relatively slow day at Animal Kingdom, too.  Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain had an average wait time today of 36 minutes. Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 58 minutes, slightly below its weekly average.  And actual wait times were about 2/3rds of the posted wait times throughout the park.

 

The post Here Were the Wait Times at Walt Disney World on Monday, October 12, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

Planning a trip to Disney World looks a little different these days; and since new situations call for new tools, the TouringPlans Lines app (the highest-rated Disney World app in iTunes and Google Play!) has received a major update improving those features users love! And yes, that includes creating your own customized Touring Plan. That’s why today I’m going to show you how to create a custom Touring Plan using the new and improved Lines 2.0!

So let’s start with the app’s homepage. Upon opening the app, users can check out handy crowd level forecasts and daily park hours.

And at the bottom of the main page, you will find a toolbar with an icon to the left for Plans. This is where you’ll access your customized Touring Plans when using the app; but first, we gotta make one! So let’s keep scrolling, shall we?

Here towards the bottom of the homepage is a button to Create New Plan. That’s what we’re going to select today to create a new Touring Plan through the updated app.

Now once we select that option to Create New Plan, what’s pictured below is what you should see.

This is where we can name our plan and then select which park and what date our Touring Plan is for. There’s also a handy option to toggle your preferred walking speed and whether you prefer waiting over walking or vice versa.

Now if we keep scrolling to the bottom of this page…

…we then need to select the start time for our Touring Plan and for when we intend to finish. You can also choose to use park open and park close.

After saving, we then should see what’s pictured below. This is where you can select which attractions you want to add to your Touring Plan, including how many times you want to ride!

This means if you want to ride Astro Orbiter five or six times during your day, you can! The app will let you do you and live your best Disney life, just without wasting time in line.

Another helpful feature is the option to select More Attraction Details under the attraction title. This will reveal our ratings for each attraction plus height requirements.

Also, for a little extra help, you can also select the three lines in the upper-right-hand corner of the page. This will allow you to filter each park’s attractions as seen below.

Now the picture below is what you’ll see if you select the Meals icon at the top of the screen. Here you can add your dining reservation times and even what snack kiosks or popcorn carts you plan to check out to your Touring Plan! Plus, you’ll get an idea of the cost along with our rankings and reviews. Take a look!

Also, if you select the icon for Breaks, you can schedule in what time you prefer to get off your feet and for how long. Oh, and for optimal accuracy, the app has you specify whether you’re taking a break in the park or leaving the park for a midday rest.

Now once you’ve added all of your attractions, dining times, and break times, you will notice mustard-colored squares underneath each attraction you chose. Be sure to take a moment to read them as they are helpful notes about what to expect from each attraction’s social distancing measures.

Now it’s time to optimize!

Selecting the button to Optimize at the bottom of the page sends your plan to the TouringPlans software where it will be organized into a customized plan to save you and yours the most time in line!

The best part? If your plan changes during your day at the park, you can use the app to make adjustments on-the-go! Optimizing those changes will update your Touring Plan so you can continue saving time in line.

But if you prefer to utilize out one of our pre-designed Premium Plans, and you’re a TouringPlans subscriber, you can find them in the app too! Just select plans from the main toolbar and then the three horizontal lines in the upper-righthand corner.

So that’s how to make a Touring Plan using the new and improved Lines 2.0 app. Be sure to give it a try for your next Disney World vacation in order to save time, skip the lines, and to experience as much magic as possible!

Also, check out the video below for a video tutorial for how to create Touring Plans using the Lines 2.0 app.

Video: How to Create a Touring Plan in Lines 2.0

Have you checked out the new Lines 2.0 app? Let us know in the comments!

The post How to Create Custom Touring Plans Using the Lines 2.0 App appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Beyond the Parks, Lines 2.0, disney world, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, lines 2.0, Magic Kingdom, Magic Kingdom Touring Plans, touring plans, walt disney world