If you need a little pixie dust and you’re heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios soon, you may want to add Walt Disney Presents to your touring plan. The “One Man’s Dream” film is reinstated and now playing. Whether you’re interested in the movie or not, Walt Disney Presents is a great walk-through attraction that is a must-do for any Disney fan.
Walt Disney Presents EntranceWalt Disney Presents Entrance
This indoor attraction puts priceless Disney treasures on display. To me there is no better way to learn about Walt Disney and some of the history of the Disney Company than by visiting this attraction. You can walk through at your pace. Displays include licensed merchandise that is nearly 100 years old, equipment and cells used to make Disney animated films and shorts, and even Walt Disney’s childhood school desk.
Walt Disney’s Desk at Walt Disney PresentsMain Street USA Model in Walt Disney PresentsSleeping Beauty Castle Model at Walt Disney Presents
Many visitors love viewing the models of classic Disney attractions like The Jungle Cruise and even a portion of Disneyland’s original Main Street U.S.A. Viewing the intricate details on these models is delightful and inspiring. I personally find it fascinating to see all the work that goes into the creative process. Aspiring designers and professional creatives are sure to enjoy these different artifacts and pieces.
Walt Disney Presents
Walt Disney Presents opened as part of the “100 Years of Magic” celebration which honored Walt Disney’s 100th birthday in 2001. It has evolved over the years. Its most recent incarnation has movie previews often in place of the classic “One Man’s Dream” film. It is not a hugely attended attraction so if you are looking to escape some of the crowds you may experience in Hollywood Studios this is a great spot.
Hollywood Studios Expected Wait Times in Lines App at 3 p.m. 10-05
As you can imagine, Walt Disney Presents is one of the attractions on our Lines app, that shows “Ride Any Time” pretty much all the time. Make your vacation dreams come true and become a TouringPlans Subscriber to have access to the Lines app, and many more resources.
Have you ever watched the “One Man’s Dream” film? Are you glad to see it has returned?
From our friends at touringplans.com Filed Under: Attractions, Dos and Don’ts, Hollywood Studios, In the Parks, disney reopening, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, hollywood studios, hollywood studios attractions, Walt Disney
This is part 2 of our series on early mornings at Walt Disney World. See part 1, Current State of Transportation at Walt Disney World, here.
Depending on your definition of “Rope Drop”, it is not happing at Walt Disney World at this time. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, all parks would allow people to arrive early and be held behind a rope at the park entrance or just inside (for instance, on Main Street). At the Magic Kingdom guests were encouraged to arrive at the park 1 hour before the official opening time and explore the shops on Main Street. Each park had their own “Rope Drop” procedures, but people who were at the park for “Rope Drop” were the first people in the park and were able to do their first few rides with extremely low wait times.
Now, Disney has evaluated the flow of guests and changed the morning process. Their strategy is to limit any bottlenecks that cause guests to gather in large groups. Disney is allowing cars to back up at the toll booths until the temperature check stations are open. People sitting in their cars are socially distanced. Parking lot trams are not being used so people don’t cluster waiting on them. Buses will be held back if there is a backup at the temperature screening. If there is a backup at security, guests will be held at temperature screening. If there is a backup at the touchstiles (touchless turnstiles), guests will be held at security. Once you enter the park, the park is open and many attractions are running. The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios seem to try to start allowing guests into the park 50 minutes early. EPCOT and the Animal Kingdom are allowing guests in 30 minutes early. What attractions are open early is a bit random. All rides have safety checks that they have to clear in the morning. The most popular attractions will be open when guests are allowed into the park if possible. Restaurants that are open for breakfast will be open and shops will be open. Disney will not miss an opportunity to take your money.
Getting to the entrance of the parks early is a bit harder with Disney’s strategy to prevent bottlenecks. Guests who can walk to a park have the most control when they arrive. I have another blog post covering current transportation options and tips on how to get to the parks early.
10:25 guests waiting at EPCOT’s International Gateway
For guests wanting to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, they need to arrive at Hollywood Studios before 10 a.m. so they can try and get a spot in the virtual queue. Disney opens the virtual queue a second time, but for a better chance of getting on Rise of the Resistance, guests should try first to get in the virtual queue at 10 a.m., and then 2 p.m. if they were unsuccessful the first time. The other parks do not currently have a virtual queue, but it is still valuable to arrive early. The shortest lines for popular attractions will be before the parks officially open. Now with the later opening times, parks become more crowded early, and the peak wait times happen earlier. At the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, you can get 2-3 rides done before the parks open. At EPCOT and the Animal Kingdom, you can get in 1-2 rides in before the parks open. If you can knock out a few popular attractions on your touring plan you will be well ahead of other guests.
Using a Touring Plan
Currently, it is not possible to use a touring plan before the official park opening time. Predicting what will be open and what the wait times will be before the parks open is not possible, as ride openings are completely at the whim of Disney on any given day. To best use a touring plan, design it for park opening hours, mark the items you do before park opening as done, and then re-optimize the plan at the park opening time.
Is it worth it?
It takes more effort to arrive at the parks early, but it is defiantly worth the effort. Currently, parks have limited hours. Any attractions that you can experience before the parks open will save you hours of waiting in lines in the afternoon. There is a Facebook Live video of the Magic kingdom when I arrived 50 minutes before the park opened. In summary, I rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates of Caribean between 8:10 and 9:00 am on September 19, 2020. Below is a YouTube video showing my morning at Hollywood Studios when I arrived at 9:00 a.m. on September 24, 2020.
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Are you a “rope drop” type of person? Do you find the park hours make it easier or harder to arrive early? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!
What is the Pillory?
In the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, as you’re strolling past the entrance to the Riverboat attraction, you’ll pass a wooden post with perpendicular boards attached. The boards have three holes on either side. That’s a pillory. It’s part of the Colonial era themeing of Liberty Square.
A pillory was a device of punishment, meant for public humiliation, typically in a town square. A prisoner would be locked into the pillory, with his head in the larger center hole, with his hands on either side. As townsfolk passed, they would deride the person locked in the pillory, possibly adding injury to insult by throwing rotten fruit. The Magic Kingdom version has space for two people.
At Disney, this is a popular spot for silly photos.
Who gets locked up? Was Dad a grump at breakfast? Put him in the pillory! In a Derek Burgan Saturday Six post about Liberty Square, he notes that for families that go to Disney World every year, it can be fun to see a passage of time through photo ops like this.
If members of your family are too short to pose in the pillory, you can try placing them in the nearby stocks, a similar device that’s set low to the ground. In the pillory, the prisoner stands, but in the stocks they can sit.
Note: Some historical documents assert that the pillory was used to restrain prisoners as they were whipped, while the stocks were used for public humiliation. I’m hoping that Disney had tomato tossing in mind, rather than actual torture, when they added a pillory to the Magic Kingdom.
Let us know what Disney topics you think need just a bit more explanation.
If you’re ready to dine with Mickey and the gang once again at Chef Mickey’s, then you need to mark December 16 on your calendar! That’s because he and his friends (normally Goofy, Minnie, Donald and Pluto, though we aren’t 100% sure if all will be returning) will be joining you for breakfast at the table service dining location, located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort on that date!
Now, of course, things will be different. The characters will be greeting Guests in a socially distanced way. In addition, the restaurant will not be offering a buffet dining option, instead opting for an all-you-care-to-enjoy family style meal.
So, what options can you choose to enjoy for breakfast during this updated meal?
Well, in addition, to traditional breakfast favorites, Guests will be able to enjoy the new Mickey’s “Celebration” Pancake, featuring whipped cream, celebration sprinkles, shimmering pixie dust and more.
Finally, there’s Goofy’s Banana Bread French Toast which pairs banana bread baked in zesty orange-scented French toast batter, topped with Espresso-mascarpone cream, toasted bananas and chocolate crumbles.
Best of all, Guests will have the option to taste all three as part of an their meal, should they choose!
Reservations for this updated Chef Mickey’s character breakfast will open on October 17.
From our friends at touringplans.com Filed Under: Dining, News, Walt Disney World (FL), character dining, Chef Mickey’s, dining, Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Finally, there is one more place to grab a quick bite at Magic Kingdom. It’s clear that reservations and attendance have increased at Magic Kingdom, as evident in our Crowd Calendar, and the Observed Wait Times on our site. With this increase in attendance it is frustrating trying to have a meal at any Magic Kingdom quick service location, as only three counter service restaurants are open. Thankfully, Friar’s Nook in Fantasyland has returned!
Inside Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom’s busiest land, you’ll find Friar’s Nook – it’s around the corner from Fairytale Hall. If you’re looking for a quick lunch, this is a good option, and the menu is all tots and brats. There are two down sides to Friar’s Nook. First, there is no mobile order option since it is such a small location. Second, seating is very limited.
Friar’s Nook at Magic KingdomFriar’s Nook Menu at Magic Kingdom
Our readers give Friar’s Nook a 89% thumbs up rating. It is ranked number 37 out of 109 quick food options at Walt Disney World. Generally service is fairly quick, and the value is fair. It’s the lack of seating that holds this location back.
Our team visited yesterday and enjoyed the regular Brat and Tater Bites. For $10.79 a Bratwurst sausage is served on a thick roll. Normally the Brat is topped with warm sauerkraut but you can ask for it on the side or not it all, if you wish. The roll would be better if it were a pretzel roll, but it’s still good and holds up to the hearty Brat, which is well flavored and seasoned with fennel and other spices.
Friar’s Nook Brat and Tater Bites at Magic Kingdom
Pro tip – ask for some cheese sauce on the side. There’s no charge and it is divine for dipping the tater bites.
If there are not open tables available at the small seating area, you can walk over to the New Fantasyland entrance and have a seat along the castle -styled walls. It is not ideal, but it is great for people watching.
Friar’s Nook at Magic Kingdom – Small Seating AreaFriar’s Nook at Magic Kingdom – Backup Seating Area
Last year I tried out the plant-based version of the Brat and really enjoyed it. I also tried the Loaded Buffalo Chicken Tater Bites, which was satisfying, but the Buffalo sauce was a little heavy. It’s good to have one more quick dining option inside Magic Kingdom, and one with a decent plant-based option too.
We’re also pleased to report that the Spring Roll Cart inside Adventureland has reopened as well. It’s good, and necessary, to see a few more places to grab a quick bite become available in Walt Disney World’s most attended theme park.
Spring Roll Cart at Adventureland October 2020
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Where’s your favorite place to grab a quick bite to eat inside Magic Kingdom?
