Welcome to the wild and wooly world of peak hurricane season! The weather in Central Florida is definitely under the influence of tropical systems as we start the week. And with dueling storms in our neighborhood, the week will begin just how you might expect: with breezy days and some gusty squalls.
Last week was particularly wet and even kind of gray around Walt Disney World and the Orlando attractions. The weekend was supposed to be our break in the weather, but then: Tropical Storm Marco happened.
Radar estimates more than two inches of rain fell around the Disney, Universal, and Sea World parks on Saturday. The falling pressure, tropical moisture, and steady southeast flow around the tropical storm were enough to cause steady downpours throughout the peninsula.
Doppler radar-indicated rainfall for 8/22/20, with 2+ inches for WDW and Universal Orlando! Source: iweathernet.com
What’s coming this week? After the influence of two tropical systems move out of the way, rain chances should drop off for a few days. Then? That old southwest flow returns, and with it, persistent heat and the potential for plenty of afternoon storms.
This Week’s Weather at Walt Disney World
For the rest of Sunday, think sticky and wet. But, at least there will be a breeze? As Tropical Storm Marco moves up the Gulf of Mexico and Laura approaches Cuba, even more tropical moisture will feed into the Florida peninsula. Rain will develop in the afternoon and into late evening. There’s an isolated chance of a strong thunderstorm. Motion will be out of the southeast at about 20-25 miles per hour. The chance of rain is about 50%. Watch out for a heat index as high as 105 degrees with all of the humidity out there.
Monday, Tropical Storm Laura should be moving near or over Cuba’s western shores, heading into the Gulf of Mexico. With this motion and high pressure to our north, winds will really pick up here. On Monday we can expect winds of 15 to 20 miles per hour, and gusty, fast-moving squalls moving inland from the Atlantic. These will be scattered and highly-localized, so there’s a 60% chance of rain, but some areas might see a few inches of rain and some might just get a trace. Monday’s high is near 92 degrees, with a heat index topping around 105 degrees.
On Tuesday, watch out for a scorcher. Laura should be intensifying into a hurricane but moving west northwest across the Gulf of Mexico. As the storm pulls away, we’ll be left with a drier, easterly flow. There will be just a 30% chance of rain Tuesday afternoon. With dry air and plenty of sun, it gets hot: 94 degrees. There will be a southeast breeze of 10 to 15 miles per hour.
Wednesday also has lower rain chances. It should be mostly sunny and hot, with a high around 93, a southeast breeze, and a 40% chance of afternoon storms.
Thursday the axis of a ridge drops over the peninsula, giving us a southerly flow which brings back the rain. The day starts hot and humid, with a high of 93; then watch for a 60% chance of showers and storms. This weather pattern sticks around for Friday.
By Saturday, the southwest flow returns as the ridge axis drops to south Florida, and we’ll be looking at continued high coverage of afternoon storms moving inland from the west coast, after midday highs around 90-93 degrees, and overnight lows in the upper 70s.
Tropical Weather Update
Tropical Storms Marco and Laura are both expected to move through the Gulf of Mexico towards the Louisiana coastline over the early part of the week. Marco is expected to make landfall as a hurricane sometime Monday; Laura sometime Thursday.
Of these two, Tropical Storm Laura still has Florida forecasters’ close attention. However, there is fairly strong confidence in Laura’s continued track towards the west-northwest, and eventually away from Florida. The main influence on our weather will be the strong breeze and squally, fast-moving storms through Monday.
Tropical Storm Laura’s forecast as of 8/24/20. Courtesy: NOAA/NHC
Behind them, there are no new storms to consider. As of Sunday morning, no new tropical cyclone formation is expected for the next five days.
The great American road trip is back! Many of us are preferring to travel by car, if we travel at all, right now. If you’re considering taking a road trip to Walt Disney World, you’ll want to prepare before your trip. Save yourself some time and some stress and plot your trip ahead of time. To help you with your planning, I’ve pulled together some of my favorite tips for a road trip to Walt Disney World.
Plot Your Road Trip to Walt Disney World Ahead of Time
You may know how to get from point A to point B, but make sure you take time to research what will be along the way. I am a big fan of using Google Maps. Besides planning your pit stops such as filling up for gas or stopping for lunch, it’s a good idea to really familiarize yourself with the route. I’ll share some tips for planning pit stops in just a moment, but what I want to point out here is to just familiarize yourself with the general plan. What are the roads involved? Will there be tolls? What alternate routes are available?
Of course the great news is there’s lots of GPS-enabled apps available. From Google Maps to Waze, you’ll be able to get real-time traffic and other alerts. Although these GPS apps are an invaluable tool, it can be hard to adjust on the fly if you’re not familiar with the route and alternatives. I don’t know about you, but I always worry about having to glance down at my phone to make sure I know what road to turn on or what exit to take when I am not familiar with the roads.
Merging on World Drive towards Magic Kingdom
Plan a Few Pit Stops
One of the advantages of a road trip to Walt Disney World is that you have the comfort of your car. Even if you rent a car you’ll have more space than other means of travel, and you can pack a bunch of stuff like groceries, bedding, and other comforts that you can’t pack when traveling by plane. But, it takes longer and the active mental focus of driving can strain the driver, so plan out some pit stops for food, gas, and restrooms.
First, I use the Directions function to get direction and a route. Then I look for any large cities or towns along the way. I click on that city, which changes the view in Google Maps, and then I select “Nearby”. From here you’ll able to search for restaurants, gas stations, coffee shops–practically any type of establishment to see what is nearby. Just make sure what you find is near the road you’ll be traveling along.
Google Maps Example Jacksonville Florida
Most likely you’ll be using a major highway for at least one part of your trip. Here are links to rest areas along some of the highways most people use to travel to Walt Disney World.
Chances are you have your favorite Disney music ready to go. I love having a playlist or two ready to go anytime I drive somewhere. But, I also fine that being in the car is the best time for me to listen to a podcast. Here are some suggested Disney podcasts for your listening pleasure.
You may want to just drive straight through as much as possible to get to Walt Disney World as quickly as possible. But hear me out, the wait times are at an all-time low. Consider making things a little more leisurely this time around. Do something different and stop at a roadside attraction. Here are some of my picks for best roadside attractions in Florida. Of course, a lot of this majorly depends on where you’re heading from, so I am offering a wide variety of options.
The most famous roadside attraction in Florida is arguably Weeki Wachee State Park. With its underwater swimming mermaid show and beautiful natural springs, and a small water park, it is a great roadside attraction. It is, however, southwest of Orlando so it is not on the way to Disney for most travelers. Also, the park is temporarily closed, so be sure to check their website for updates.
Frances Dwight feeding the fish as a part of the underwater show at Weeki Wachee Springs Photographed on December 14, 1948
If you’ll be traveling through the panhandle of Florida you absolutely must stop at Goofy Golf. This miniature golf course is in Fort Walton Beach and has been in operation since 1959. That’s 12 years before Walt Disney World even opened!
Another must-do if you are traveling through the panhandle is the Florida Caverns State Park. This is perfect for those that love natural beauty. Normally you can explore incredible underground caverns. However, right now this part of the park is closed. You can travel the trails and enjoy the picnic area which are lovely and a great way to stretch your legs and take a break from the road.
Another famous roadside attraction is Silver Springs. Just over an hour north of Orlando, Silver Springs State Park is famous for it’s glass-bottom boats. You can also rent kayaks, canoes, or stand-up paddle-boards. This once privately owned attraction is now a state park. It is an incredible opportunity to see Florida’s natural beauty. It is open to limited capacity right now so be sure to keep this in mind when planning to visit.
Driving along A1A for an hour or two is still on my must-do Florida list, and I was born and raised here. Consider planning some time to travel along A1A, on Florida’s Atlantic coast. While Florida has a network of scenic byways, A1A is the only one designated as a National Scenic Byway. You don’t even have stop anywhere, just the drive itself is scenic enough. But there are plenty of coastal town cafes along the way.
On the east coast, if traveling along I-95 consider making a slight detour to the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse. This lighthouse is a Florida icon and is featured in lots of photography. There is a nominal admission charge which includes access to climb to the top of the lighthouse, and admission to the small museum. The views are spectacular.
Fort Matanzas National Monument Photo By Saginaw66
Of course, the oldest city in America is quite the side trip when embarking on a road trip to Walt Disney World. Whether you choose to visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum or Fort Matanzas National Monument, you’re in for a real treat. Both sites are full of history and unique views. If you don’t want to carve out extra time in your travels, consider at least driving through part of St. Augustine on your way. It is truly the most special city in the state.
Tips and Information
Remember to budget hotel and theme park parking costs.
Pack sanitizer or wipes, accessible in the cab of your car.
Keep a few masks accessible in your car for pit stops and fuel stops.
Pack snacks and fluids.
Travel on a weekday if possible to avoid higher traffic.
Please drive safely and make sure your vehicle is in good repair before hitting the road.
All hail the Pumpkin King, the haunting season nears. And with its approach comes lots of new Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise throughout Walt Disney World. Many of these items are also available at shopDisney online.
Nightmare Before Christmas Dress by Her Universe $39.99 (found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and available online)
Nightmare Before Christmas Plush – multiple characters $16.99 (found at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and available online)
Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Hat $27.99 (found at Disney Springs)
Nightmare Before Christmas Dress by Her UniverseNightmare Before Christmas Dress by Her UniverseNightmare Before Christmas Mayor PlushNightmare Before Christmas Mayor PlushNightmare Before Christmas Oogie Boogie PlushNightmare Before Christmas Jack HatNightmare Before Christmas Jack Hat
Jack Skellington and Zero Disney Toy Box Figures – $14.99 (found at Disney Springs)
Jack Skellington Hoodie with Mesh Mask – $64.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Nightmare Before Christmas Snake Plush – $26.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, online priced at $22.99)
Jack Skelington and Zero Toy FiguresJack Skellington Hoodie with Mesh MaskJack Skellington Hoodie with Mesh Mask – BackJack Skellington Hoodie with Mesh MaskJack Skellington Hoodie with Mesh Mask – Disclaimer Tag
This Jack Skellington Hoodie is quite interesting because it is something that cannot be worn within Walt Disney World, or at least the full face covering mesh mask contained within the hood cannot be worn. There is a disclaimer tag attached with the price tag that reads “Masks, including the one on this item are not allowed to be worn in any Disney theme park.”
Nightmare Before Christmas Snake PlushNightmare Before Christmas Snake Plush
Jack Skellington Mug – $14.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney Springs)
Nightmare Before Christmas Pullover – $44.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Nightmare Before Christmas T-shirt – $24.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom)
Nightmare Before Christmas Hat- $27.99 (found at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and found online)
Nightmare Before Christmas Pullover and T-Shirt and Mug and HatJack Skellington MugJack Skellington Mug – BackNightmare Before Christmas Pullover and T-ShirtJack Skellington HatJack Skellington Hat – BackJack Skellington Hat – Detail
Are you a fan of Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King? Which new merchandise item is your favorite?
We’ve written a lot about things you might need to pack for your Walt Disney World vacation. To simplify things even further, here are ten things that you might be tempted to pack, but can reliably be left at home. (More room for souvenirs, right?)
Basic toiletries are available in your WDW hotel room. No need to bring your own.
Large amounts of cash: While you do want to have a small amount of cash on hand for tipping, there’s no need to bring large amounts of cash with you on your trip. Virtually every restaurant and food kiosk takes credit/debit cards, Disney gift cards, and/or MagicBands as payment. Unless you have a huge amount of luggage or you’re using the automobile valet service every day [currently on pause during the pandemic], it’s likely that $50 in cash will be more than enough.
A hair dryer: There are hair dryers available in all Walt Disney World hotel rooms.
An iron: Before you start with the “who the heck irons clothes on vacation” talk, remember that there are business events and conferences that take place in and around Walt Disney World. Additionally, some folks like to wear dressy clothes for meals at signature restaurants. Regardless of your reason for wanting to neaten up, there are irons and ironing boards available in all Disney World hotel rooms. If you’re not in the mood to iron yourself, there is a dry cleaning and pressing service available at the resorts.
Shampoo and conditioner: H2O brand shampoo and conditioner are available in Disney World hotel rooms, as is bar-style hand soap. Body lotion is available in the moderate and deluxe resorts.
Towels: There are towels in your hotel room and by the pool at your resort. You might want to buy a beach towel as a souvenir, but there’s no need to bring one to use while you sunbathe or swim.
Adult costumes: Disney World prohibits costumes in the parks worn by guests over the age of 13. There are some exceptions to this, notably Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party, but the Halloween Party has been cancelled for 2020, so there’s no need for any adult costumes.
Clothing with “adult” sayings or graphics: The Disney parks prohibit the wearing of clothing with obscene language or images.
New shoes: I get the temptation to splurge on new outfits for vacation, but leave the new shoes for a different trip. A typical Disney vacation involves 7-10 miles of walking each day. Make sure that whatever you put on your feet for the trek is already vetted for comfort and fit.
Marijuana and related substances: Disney prohibits all forms of marijuana at the parks and resorts, including medically prescribed marijuana and marijuana obtained in a state where it is legally sold. There have even been kerfuffles related to guests bringing CBD oil into the parks. Leave the pot at home.
Drone-style cameras: All drones are prohibited at the Disney parks and resorts. We’d love to take aerial photos in the parks, but that’s a big no-no. And while we’re on the subject of photography, you can leave the selfie stick at home too. Those are also prohibited at Disney World.
Do you have any questions about packing for your Disney World vacation? Let us know!
This week’s SATURDAY SIXtakes a look at the past week in theme park NEWS! Every week seems impossible to top, but between both Universal and Disney we’ve had some doozies recently. Today we’re going to look at The Good, The Bad, and – especially – The Ugly which happened during the last week or so, starting with…
# 6 – Lightning Strikes Disney’s “Star Trek Land”
Where no man has gone before…” – Captain James T. Kirk, possibly referring to opening of Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland
When news concerning the theme parks goes viral, it’s almost never a good thing. Whether it’s a guest concealing guns in their diaper bag, a family fighting in Disneyland, or why Splash Mountain needs to be re-themed, if your friends and family are seeing a theme park story on Facebook and ask you about it, generally your response will begin with “Yeah, but…” This past week showed why the non-hard core theme park fans in your life don’t know what they are talking about, and it’s not their fault!
In last week’s edition of this fine blog series, we talked about a lightning storm that ended up causing operational issues for Disney’s (possibly cursed) Rise of the Resistance attraction. This week the “regular folk” saw the same footage and wrote up their articles. Unfortunately, one of the main articles covering this amazing lightning strike mentioned it hit the “Rise of Resistance” attraction at “Galaxy’s Edge Arena” in Disney’s new “Star Trek Land.” Filled with basic errors, the article went everywhere, and was shared on a whole bunch of websites.
As theme park fans, stories like this have to make you wonder how much the news gets wrong on stuff we don’t know a lot about.
# 5 – Bird is the Word
Speaking of stories that we covered last week that got even stranger…
So anyway, there was this cute story of an Osprey making a nest atop the highest point in the roller coaster being built at Jurassic Park in Islands of Adventure. Universal got rid of the nest overnight, and that was going to be the end of the story, right?
Osprey with a nest at Islands of Adventure. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Getting a (literal) bird’s eye view of construction. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
NAY NAY.
This week a second Osprey was seen atop the coaster and a new nest started to get built!
Strength in numbers. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Double Ospreys is rarer than seeing a Double Rainbow. We would ask if the photographer had tears of joy shooting this picture, but that would be assuming photographer was human and not – in fact – a time lord who disobeys all laws of physics. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
Naturally, Universal had to do some important tightening of screws in this very same area, so it was time to remove the second nest.
“Just tightening screws here. Definitely not going to remove any nests.” (photo by @bioreconstruct)Workers adjust the upcoming Velocicoaster. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
A third nest was under construction as of last night!
Somewhere the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock is smiling, because this isn’t the only theme park attraction that birds have been taking over. Over at Sea World, several of our fine feathered friends were seen atop their new coaster, Ice Breaker.
MORE BIRDS ON COASTERS. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
# 4 – Disney Opens Covid Testing Center
When Walt Disney World re-opened in July after being closed for months, the company’s disagreement with a Cast Member equity union kept many performers out of the parks. From the Dapper Dans, to the Festival of the Lion King performers, to the cast of Beauty & the Beast: Live on Stage, there are a lot of highly trained Cast Members that are part of this union. One of the main sticking points for the union was addressing the issue of safety for the performers. To help address the safety issue, this week Disney opened up a Covid testing center on-site at WDW, with testing available for both Cast Members and Florida residents.
For me personally, while it’s great being able to get on rides with little to no wait, a large part of the “magic” of visiting theme parks is gone right now. In many ways, equity performers are the heart of Disney theme parks in how they can connect with guests in ways almost no other Cast Member can. For example, I can build my own lightsaber in a gift shop with Cast Members nearby giving me tips, but the equity actor working at Savi’s Workshop in Batuu makes the experience something I’ll remember for years, and will tell all my friends and family about.
# 3 – Our Long National Nightmare Is (Almost) Over
If I had a “wish list” of things I would ask for at Walt Disney World, for years one of the wishes would have been a walkway from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian. There is nothing more soul breaking than after a day spent at the Magic Kingdom, to walk out and see giant lines for the monorail, ferry boats, and busses. Thankfully that dream is about to be fulfilled, exactly at the time we don’t need it. That’s okay though, eventually we will and Disney is getting ever so close to finishing up work on a walkway from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Flo that includes two new bridges for guests to use. The bridge closer to the hotel is a stationary bridge, while the one closer to Magic Kingdom can pivot to allow access for water craft into Seven Seas Lagoon.
Wide shot showing Disney’s Magic Kingdom in the center, with the Contemporary on the left, Polynesian Village Resort at the top, and the Grand Flordian at the right. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Overhead view of the Grand Floridian, with the walkway to Magic Kingdom on the left. (photo by @bioreconstruct)A look from the side shows two bridges guests will have to walk over. (photo by @bioreconstruct)From the other angle. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
You can see in the photo below that the larger bridge has been pivoted to allow watercraft – like the Electrical Water Pageant and the Liberty Belle steam boat – to enter the watercraft service area.
Walkway. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
This aerial view gives better detail of the pivoted bridge, along with the Eletrical Water Pageant on the left.
(photo by @bioreconstruct)
Now that we got the walkway, maybe it’s time to update our wish list for Disney:
Beer carts in Magic Kingdom (sometimes regular ham & eggers need a Miller Lite when taking the kids to Fantasyland)
A good nighttime show at Animal Kingdom
Reflections DVC Hotel to NOT be built at Fort Wilderness (wait, it looks like that one might come true as well…)
As some hotels go up, other hotels go down
The Cove hotel, part of the Disney’s Swan and Dolphin complex, is one of the few projects at WDW that kept chugging along even after the coronavirus shut down. The Cove is located across the street from the Swan & Dolphin, and is right next to the Fantasia Gardens mini-golf course. (Small reminder that Disney itself is basically just a landlord for these three hotels as the Swan, Dolphin, and Cove are owned by Tishman Realty and operated by Marriott).
Disney’s Swan hotel in the foreground, construction of The Cove in center, and Grand Destino Tower in the background. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Construction of The Cove. Note the area where there will be a pool on the roof of the lower part of the building. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
Some of the various design elements at the Swan & Dolphin hotels. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Construction of The Cove. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
The upper floors of The Cove will possibly have some amazing views of the EPCOT nighttime spectacular, once that returns.
Shot from inside World Showcase in EPCOT, The Cove rises in the background. (photo by @bioreconstruct)The Cove guests will also get a stunning view of the BoardWalk pizza window. (photo by @bioconstruct)
Speaking of hotels still pushing forward with construction, although at seemingly a glacier pace compared to the Cove – here’s the latest look at the Star Wars themed Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
In the foreground of this photo is Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, with the Galactic Starcruiser hotel in the top right. Guests staying on at the hotel will take excursions to Galaxy’s Edge via a themed Mears bus space shuttle. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Galactic Starcruiser. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Galactic Starcruiser. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Galactic Starcruiser. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
On the other end of the spectrum was the news coming out of the Universal Orlando Resort, as yesterday was the last operating day for Sapphire Falls and Aventura Hotel. Guests with reservations at these hotels have been given complimentary upgrades to the Hard Rock Hotel or Royal Pacific Resort. So for closed onsite resorts, Sapphire Falls and Aventura join Portofino Bay (which never re-opened after its Covid related shut down) and Dockside Inn & Suites (which never opened, and was going to have its official Grand Opening the week Universal shut everything down back in March). Believe it or not, even with all these hotels being closed, Universal still technically have more rooms available than it did back in 2013, which shows just how much work they are put into this area of the resort.
The hotels are expected to be closed at least until December 31, 2020.
(photo by @bioreconstruct)
# 2 – The Prism Pylons Arrive at EPCOT and the Tears of Fanboys Flow
With all the things going on this summer, theme park fans needed a win and EPCOT gave it to us by installing a gorgeous set of prism pylons at the base of Spaceship Earth, each with the original EPCOT Center logo. Spend enough time reading online forums or on social media and you’re invariably hear about how “EPCOT was better back when…” and many times you have to take it with a grain of salt. However, you can’t deny the effect that EPCOT had on a generation of theme park fans, as it was like no other theme park ever built (before or since.) While minor, this new fountain in front of Spaceship Earth, with the prism pylons pointing towards the sky, gives you a small taste of what it was like to walk into EPCOT years ago. A time when you could be filled with a sense of hope and wonder.
Old Glory seen through the newly installed prism pylons at EPCOT. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
The Epcot Center logo symbolizes unity, fellowship, and harmony around the world. Five outer rings are linked to form the shape of a flower–a celebration of life. The heart of the logo is the Earth, embraced by a star symbolizing hope–the hope that with imagination, commitment, and dedication, we can create a better tomorrow.” – Disney Legend Marty Sklar
Classic EPCOT logo in the pylons. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Spaceship Earth seen in the reflection of the prism pylons. (photo by @bioreconstruct)“Indescribably beautiful.” (photo by @Blog_Mickey)
# 1 – Can This Be Fixed?
There are times when anything theme park related on Facebook is an actual nightmare. You begin to lose all hope in humanity when following just about any Disney or Universal related group. However, the suffering is all worth it because every once in a while a post comes along that is a, well, “chef’s kiss.”
To wit, the following post was made on a popular Disney related website. In it, the original poster is asking for tips to fix a “Mickey” silhouette they created on their wall. What’s unbelievable to start is that the actual silhouette was made out of smaller Mickey heads, showing the poser exactly what they need to do to fix the problem. HOWEVER, the replies to the post had even better ideas…
This looks a job for for TLC’s Trading Spaces show (or maybe A&E’s Intervention…)
Another reply pointed out that – from a different perspective – the Mickey head looks like someone screaming. In a meta way, that may actual be us looking at the original artwork on the wall.
So there you have it: The SATURDAY SIX Looks Back At The Week That Was!See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles covering the latest from the Disney Outlet Stores. You can also follow Your Humble Author on Twitter (@derekburgan).
If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following:
