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Magic Kingdom One-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children Updated for COVID-19 Closures

Are you curious about how to tour Magic Kingdom now that there are many closures and modifications due to social distancing rules? We’re here to help. In this post I’ll walk you through our Magic Kingdom one-day touring plan for parents with small children. This plan features attractions that rated highest in our surveys with kids in preschool and grade school. You may notice there are no character meet and greets or stage shows are included. That’s because they’re all currently closed. Luckily there’s still plenty of things to do during your visit. When using this plan, arrive at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom 45-60 minutes before opening and rent strollers (if necessary).

1) Jungle Cruise

Start off by heading to Adventureland for a trip on the Jungle Cruise.
Jungle Cruise is an outdoor group boat ride through some of the world’s best-known simulated tropical waterways. You’ll pass through forest and jungle populated entirely by animatronic animals while your skipper comically narrates your journey.

2) Pirates of the Caribbean

Ride Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland
 A slow moving boat ride through a series of sets that depict a pirate raid on an island settlement, from bombardment of the fortress to debauchery after the victory. Arguably one of the most influential theme park attractions ever created. It ranks high with all age groups.

3) The Haunted Mansion

Head to Liberty Square and try The Haunted Mansion.
The Haunted Mansion serves up some of the Magic Kingdom’s best visual effects. “Doom Buggies” on a conveyor belt transport you through the house from parlor to attic, then through a graveyard. It’s only slightly scarier than a whoopee cushion, but preschoolers may still find it a bit too spooky.

4) “it’s a small world”

Make a short walk to Fantasyland and take a cruise on “it’s a small world.”
Small boats carry you on a tour around the world, with singing and dancing dolls showcasing the dress and culture of each nation represented. Small World ranks high with preschool and grade school kids.

5) Mickey’s PhilharMagic

Staying in Fantasyland, watch Mickey’s PhilharMagic.
Mickey’s PhilharMagic is a 3-D film with an odd collection of Disney characters, mixing Mickey and Donald with Simba and Ariel as well as Jasmine and Aladdin. Presented in a theater large enough to accommodate a 150-foot-wide screen, the movie is augmented by an arsenal of special effects built into the theater. PhilharMagic ranks high with all ages.

6) Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Experience the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a roller coaster geared to older grade-school kids who’ve been on amusement park rides before. There are no loops, inversions, or rolls in the track, and no massive hills or steep drops; rather, your ride vehicle’s seats swing side-to-side as you go through turns.

7) Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid

Go see Ariel on Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid.
Guests board a clamshell-shaped ride vehicle running along a continuously moving track (similar to Haunted Mansion‘s). Then the ride “descends” under water (which is just a lighting effect), past Ariel’s grotto and on to King Triton’s undersea kingdom. Preschoolers and grade schoolers rank it high. Other age groups? Not so much.

8) The Barnstormer

Storm some barns with Goofy and ride The Barnstormer.
The Barnstormer is a dinky little coaster with a brief-but-zippy ride. Of the 53 seconds the ride is in motion, 32 seconds are consumed in leaving the loading area, being ratcheted up the first hill, and braking into the off-loading area. The actual time you spend careering around the track: 21 seconds. This is a good candidate for a kid’s first roller coaster.

9) Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Take flight on Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
Parents and kids sit in small fiberglass elephants mounted on long metal arms, which spin around a central axis. Controls inside each vehicle allow you to raise the arm, making you spin higher off the ground. Despite being little different from rides at state fairs and carnivals in parking lots, Dumbo is the favorite Magic Kingdom attraction of many younger children.

10) Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

Walk to Tomorrowland and help defeat Emperor Zurg on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Another ride system similar to Haunted Mansion. Here you’ll move along a track in slow moving space ships. Each car is equipped with two laser cannons and two scorekeeping displays, enabling you to compete with your riding partner. A joystick allows you to spin the car to line up the various targets. Each time you pull the trigger, you release a red laser beam that you can see hitting or missing the target.
11) Rest

Take a break and eat lunch. You’re in Tomorrowland, but next up you’ll be heading to Frontierland. Try Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland or head to Pecos Bill in Frontierland.

12) Tom Sawyer Island

In Frontierland, take the raft over to Tom Sawyer Island. Allow at least 30 minutes to explore the island, Fort Langhorn, and the barrel bridges.
Tom Sawyer Island is a getaway within the park. It has hills to climb; a cave, windmill, and pioneer stockade (Fort Langhorn) to explore; a tipsy barrel bridge to cross; and paths to follow. You can watch riverboats chug past. It’s a delight for adults and a godsend for children who want to cut loose after being closely supervised all day.

13) Country Bear Jamboree

Watch my personal favorite, Country Bear Jamboree, and have each person in your family decide who their favorite bear is.
A charming cast of animatronic bears sings and stomps through a series of country and Western songs. On the plus side, it’s an air-conditioned refuge on hot days, and the remix of “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” and “Ole Slew Foot” is genius.
14) Swiss Family Treehouse

If you have time, experience the Swiss Family Treehouse in Adventureland.
An immense replica of the Swiss Family Robinson’s arboreal abode. Don’t do Swiss Family Treehouse unless you’re prepared to climb stairs. For your effort you’ll be rewarded with some wonderful bird’s-eye views of the Magic Kingdom.

15) Peter Pan’s Flight

Ride in a flying pirate ship on Peter Pan’s Flight.
Peter Pan’s Flight is superbly designed and absolutely delightful, combining beloved Disney characters, beautiful effects, and charming music. Embark on a relaxing trip in a “flying pirate ship” over old London and thence to Never Land, where Peter saves Wendy from walking the plank and Captain Hook rehearses for Dancing with the Stars on the snout of the ubiquitous crocodile. Nothing here will jump out at you or frighten young children.

16) The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Take a voyage to the Hundred Acre Woods on The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Ride a Hunny Pot through the pages of a huge picture book into the Hundred Acre Wood, where you encounter Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo as they contend with a blustery day. There’s even a dream sequence with Heffalumps and Woozles.
17) Rest

Your plan is done! Use your remaining time to ride anything again, or try something new. Don’t forget to grab dinner.

There’s no FastPass+ being offered at this time so you’ll have to do only stand-by lines. Don’t forget, you can customize and optimize this or any of our other touring plans using our personalized touring plans creator on the site or in our mobile app, Lines. Be sure to check out our other touring plans that will help you save time and money in Walt Disney World, and become a subscriber today to unlock even more benefits.

 

The post Magic Kingdom One-Day Touring Plan for Parents with Small Children Updated for COVID-19 Closures appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

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BIG NEWS: Mobile Ordering Now Available for Kona Cafe and The Wave To Go

Imagine devouring the famous Tonga Toast or Sweet Potato Pancakes from the comfort of your own Disney resort hotel room or villa. Now you can order Kona Cafe and The Wave To Go with mobile ordering! This convenient way of enjoying Disney dining without the safety concerns of dining inside a restaurant is made even easier.

Kona Cafe To Go Via MyDisneyExperience App
  1. Select An Arrival Window
  2. Wait for Meal to Be Prepared
  3. You Will Be Notified When the Meal is Ready


 

Kona Cafe To Go
Kona Cafe To Go
The Wave To Go
The Wave To Go

Due to COVID-19 changes, abbreviated menus are available at these restaurants, but depending on the time of day you can enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner from Kona Cafe To Go or The Wave To Go. Specialty coffees are available through mobile ordering to go too! Sip on a specialty coffee as you head out to the parks in the morning. Alcoholic beverages are available as well, but they are canned beverages.

Make sure to have your Annual Pass or Disney Vacation Club status enabled in your MyDisneyExperience account, as discounts can be applied prior to payment. Also, a recent update now allows Disney rewards cards and Disney gift cards to be used as payment methods.

Remember you can view listings for every Walt Disney World restaurant on TouringPlans.com include ratings and rankings from over 500,000+ surveys in the past few years. Get every resource you could ever need to plan your trip by becoming a TouringPlans Subscriber.

Which table service restaurant do you want to get To Go Mobile Ordering next?

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From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, Drinking, Kona Cafe, MyDisneyExperience, News, Resorts, disney covid, disney dining, disney mobile ordering, disney reopening, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, kona cafe

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Universal Crowd Calendar Update For October 2020

Today, we’re covering an update to the Universal Orlando Crowd Calendar.

Crowd Patterns at Universal

A consistent crowd pattern seems to be developing at Universal Orlando Resort this fall. Today we are updating the Universal Crowd Calendar to match the latest observations.

As a general rule, wait times at Universal Orlando parks are low during the week and very high on weekends, especially at Universal Studios Park. Guests seem to be taking advantage of Universal’s generous promotion that allows those who purchased a 1-day ticket to visit multiple times until December 24.

Update for October and Beyond

There are no real surprises in this update. Crowd levels are going up on weekends and down during the week. However it is important to remember that the Crowd Calendar is based on posted times. If you are using the Lines app you will see a prediction for both the posted time and the actual time you should expect to wait in line. Often the latter is significantly less than the former.

You should avoid weekends at Universal this fall (if you can) but if you can’t, try Islands of Adventure on Sundays – that is by far the lowest crowd you are likely to experience.

Assumptions

This predictions in this update assume that health recommendations for theme parks will remain in place for the foreseeable future and that guests will continue to visit in similar fashion as they have since Labor Day. We will continue to review the daily crowd numbers at Universal Orlando and we expect to publish another update in early November.

TouringPlans subscribers get access to additional features to make your vacation a breeze. See more info here.

The post Universal Crowd Calendar Update For October 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

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Most Quotable Disney World Attractions: EPCOT and Magic Kingdom

The Disney difference. There are a number of things the Disney Parks do that sets them apart. Theming. Detail. Storytelling. But also scripts! While we remember the amusing pirates, soaring over London in a pixie-dusted pirate ship, and the feeling of losing our stomach in an elevator shaft long after we’ve left the parks, what we hear on these attractions stays with us too.

If you’ve been to Disney World before, you no doubt have heard and repeated “Please stand clear of the doors. Por favor mantenganse alejado de las puertas” while riding the Monorail. It’s just one of the many phrases and spiels heard on Disney property that becomes synonymous with our vacation experience and part of the Disney fan vernacular. So, the question is, just how many attractions have scripts that we fans love to quote? There’s actually more than you might think!

We previously covered the Most Quotable Disney World Attractions at Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, so come along with me as I take a look at the Most Quotable Disney World Attractions at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom!

EPCOT

Spaceship Earth

 

Photo courtesy of Disney.

Spaceship Earth broke the castle-mold and was the first to pull double-duty as both a park icon and an attraction show building! Spaceship Earth as an attraction has experienced several refurbs since its 1982 debut, but its current script narrated by Judi Dench has become as timeless as the attraction itself and as memorable as the smell of burning Rome. (If you know, you know.)

“Remember how easy it was to learn your ABC’s? Thank the Phoenicians, they invented them.” – Judi Dench

“Like a grand miraculous spaceship, our planet has sailed through the universe of time.” – Judi Dench

Soarin’

The perfect blend of relaxation and exhilaration, Soarin’ Around the World replaced the original California-centric Soarin’ back in 2016 and we’ve been unable to accept its crooked Eiffel Tower ever since. Thankfully, the original pre-show host Patrick Warburton (he also voices Kronk in The Emperor’s New Groove!), and his signature script, remained.

“When the doors to your flight open, please take a seat and store all carry-on items in the under-seat compartment. This includes cameras, purses, hats, and of course, these little beauties.” – Patrick

Nice work pal!” – Patrick

Soarin’ to tower, we’re ready for takeoff.” – Patrick

Magic Kingdom

Pirates of the Caribbean

(c) Disney

You know I had to. Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most quotable attractions of all time! Apart from its earworm of a theme song, landlubber guests have repeated “Dead man tell no tales” and the now-retired “We wants the redhead” spiel for generations. But there are others you’ve probably said a time or two as well.

“Do not tell him, Carlos. Don’t be chee-ken!” – Carlos’ wife

“Ye come seekin’ adventure and salty old pirates, eh? Sure, you come to the proper place.” – Disembodied, mounted Pirate Skull

Haunted Mansion

The Haunted Mansion
Photo courtesy of Disney

Home to 999 happy haunts, the Haunted Mansion is yet another iconic Magic Kingdom attraction whose script is a literal marvel.

When hinges creak in doorless chambers, and strange and frightening sounds echo through the halls.” – Ghost Host

Welcome, foolish mortals, to the Haunted Mansion. I am your host, your ghost host.” – Ghost Host. Again.

Your cadaverous pallor betrays an aura of foreboding, almost as though you sense a disquieting metamorphosis. Is this haunted room actually stretching? Or is it your imagination?” – Ghost Host (Sensing a pattern?)

Do not pull down on the safety bar, please. I will lower it for you.” – Ghost Host. (I’ll stop now.)

Carousel of Progress

The definition of classic. Carousel of Progress tells the story of an American family experiencing progress throughout the 20th Century! It’s old school, but oh-so-charming and should be protected at all costs.

“There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow. Shining at the end of every day.” – “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” song written by the Sherman Brothers.

No privacy at all around this place!” – Uncle Orville

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Photo courtesy of Disney

This runaway mine train is both hilarious and thrilling, but the safety spiel for this modern classic is just as memorable as the ride itself!

If any of you folks are wearin’ hats or glasses, best remove ’em—’cause this here’s the wildest ride in the wilderness!

Jungle Cruise

A Disney Park staple, the Jungle Cruise is known for its vintage charm and “punny” skippers. Nowadays, the star of the attraction is what the skippers have to say!

“If you want to take pictures, go ahead. All the elephants have their trunks on.” – Jungle Cruise Skipper

“Ladies and gentlemen, the eighth wonder of the world, the backside of water!” – Jungle Cruise Skipper

“Here’s Trader Sam. He’s our head salesman in the jungle. He’s got a pretty good deal for you guys today…two of his heads for just one of yours. Either way you slice it, you’ll always come out a-head.” – Also Jungle Cruise Skipper

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Photo courtesy of Disney

Where all the bird sing words and the flowers croon, the original Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland is known as the first Disney attraction to utilize audio-animatronics.

Buenos Dias, Senorita. My siestas are getting shorter and shorter.” – Jose

Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover

What if the PeopleMover went... everywhere?

This 10 minute, elevated tour of Tomorrowland is a cult classic with Disney park fans and offers a glimpse at what the future could’ve been. If you too have experienced this attraction on the regular, you probably have quoted this line a time or two.

Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow. Please contact Mr. Johnson in the control room to confirm your flight to the moon.” – Disembodied Tomorrowland Voice

Quotable Defunct Attractions (R.I.P)

Maelstrom: “Back! Over the falls!”

Ellen’s Universe of Energy: “Stupid Judy. Stupid Energy.”

Spaceship Earth, the Jeremy Irons version: “The Rrrrenaissance…”

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth: “I hope you enjoy our story tonight, Reflections of Earth. (Blows out flame).”

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Have any favorite line that you think should make this list? Let us know in the comments.

The post Most Quotable Disney World Attractions: EPCOT and Magic Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL), attraction quotes, attraction scripts, Disney Attractions, Disney History, disney quotes, quotable attractions

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How to Make a Park-Friendly Costume

This year guests are allowed to wear costumes to Magic Kingdom during the day, due to the cancellation of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I decided that it would be fun for my toddler son and I to take advantage of this. There was just one problem: I don’t like putting together elaborate costumes. So I aimed to devise a costume that would be comfortable and easy to put together.

If you’re like me and prefer to put together practical costumes, especially if you’re attending an outdoor event, comfort is key. Here are my tips for putting together a park-friendly costume. These tips can apply to any outdoor events you may attend, not just heading to Magic Kingdom.


  • Look for clothing that resembles the colors of the character or item you wish to portray.
  • Wearing regular clothes that resemble the character will allow for mobility and comfort.
  • Look for materials that breathe, like 100% cotton or performance wear, rather than stretch and polyester.
  • Loose fitting apparel helps with breathability, but be sure it won’t be a potential tripping hazard.
  • Pick out at least one accessory to add to your outfit that will help complete the look.
  • Bring a change of clothes in case the weather doesn’t match with your costume.
Sorcerer Mickey Costume at Magic Kingdom

I selected Sorcerer Mickey and one of his brooms as our costumes. My son loves the movie “Fantasia 2000” and he likes to pretend we’re the brooms from the Sorcerer Mickey segment, carrying around buckets through the house. I figured I could easily put together clothing that would resemble Sorcerer Mickey, since he wears a large red tunic, and his black legs are mostly covered by it. This led me to use a red shirt that was slightly too big for my son, and a pair of black leggings. Of course, we had to complete the look with a Sorcerer Mickey hat.

Sorcerer Mickey and His Broom From Fantasia and Fantasia 2000
Sorcerer Mickey and His Broom Costumes at Magic Kingdom
Sorcerer Mickey and His Broom Costumes at Magic Kingdom

For my costume I was totally about comfort. When I visit the theme parks, just me and my toddler, I am all about being able to move easy and take care of my toddler. I opted for beige pants and a long sleeve top. In hopes of conveying the image of a brooms bristles I used a brown hula skirt. The only way this look kind of worked is if my son was right next to me. Even then I am sure a few people thought I was a reject from Festival of the Lion King. I had hoped to have a wooden bucket to carry with me, sadly Amazon did not come through in time.

I did bring a change of clothes for us both. My son was not interested in changing, but I did change out of my long sleeve shirt after our photos were taken. I was so concerned with keeping him hydrated that I should have done a better job hydrating myself.

Sorcerer Mickey Costume at Magic Kingdom

We were fairly comfortable, and I think the look I was going for was accomplished in the end. I will certainly cherish the photos we have, and we can easily put these outfits together again if we end up having another outdoor Halloween event to attend.

What costume tips do you have? Have you dressed up in costume or done Disney Bound in the parks? Let us know in the comments.

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From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Celebrations, Dos and Don’ts, Halloween, kids, Magic Kingdom, disney bound, disney clothing, disney halloween, magic kingdom halloween