Author: touringplans.com

We know Florida’s occasional chilly weather is no match for up north. Still, when it gets a little cold in Central Florida you may want to know where to go get warm. Yesterday we talked about the best festival food for cold weather, as well as where to grab a warm drink. Now, let’s review some of the best places to get warm around Walt Disney World.

Magic Kingdom

• Get cozy with America’s progressive family at Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
• It sounds counterintuitive, but make a splash at Ariel’s Undersea Adventure; most of the queue is indoors
• Grab a warm cinnamon roll at Gaston’s Tavern
• Experience the magic of Mickey’s PhilharMagic
• Socialize with some grim, grinning ghosts at The Haunted Mansion
• Get a little country at Country Bear Jamboree
• Enjoy a tropical serenade at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room
• Try the Spice Up Your Holiday Spicy Chicken Sandwich at Cosmic Ray’s

EPCOT

• Journey through time at the iconic Spaceship Earth
• Figment’s got on a festive sweater, so head to Journey Into Imagination
• Take a relaxing ride on Living with the Land
• At The Land Pavilion, Sunshine Seasons has hot beverages and some hearty food selections
• Explore the massive aquarium inside The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• It sounds counterintuitive, but Frozen Ever After‘s queue is indoors and cozy, as long as you get there before the queue extends outside
• Journey to the great north without dealing with its weather at Canada Far and Wide
• Be inspired by the The American Adventure show

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Get to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway before the queue extends outside
• Take a galactic journey aboard Star Tours
• Celebrate the fun of being on vacation at Vacation Fun at the Mickey Shorts Theater
• Grab a drink at 50’s Tune-In Lounge, or a home-cooked meal at 50’s Prime Time Café
• Explore the fascinating history of Walt Disney at Walt Disney Presents
• Enjoy the zany humor of Muppet*Vision 3-D

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

This park is rough if you want to stay warm, as most everything is outside. But the animals are usually very active in cooler weather

• Get to Flight of Passage before the queue extends outside
• Go get that dino at DINOSAUR
• Enjoy a warm meal off-world at Satu’li Canteen

Walt Disney World Resorts

• Enjoy the indoor firepit at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Jambo House
• Relax by the fireplace at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, one in each lobby
  • Use resort transportation from Magic Kingdom
• Sit around the fireplace at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn
  • This fireplace is not used for an actual fire, but the lobby is cozy and inviting, and a short walk from Epcot
• Break for a meal at Ale and Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club – such a cozy atmosphere
  • A short walk from EPCOT
• Soak in hot tubs at each resort, if you’re feeling brave to wear a bathing suit in this chilly weather and are a guest of the resort

Have you visited Walt Disney World during chilly weather? Where do you recommend warming up?

The post Best Places to Get Warm at Walt Disney World appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Resorts, disney christmas, disney reopening, disney weather, on site disney resorts

It’s okay to admit that wearing a mask all day in a theme park is not always easy or fun. It’s the right thing to do and the safe thing to do, but it’s okay if you want a break for a few minutes. Each major Orlando theme park has designated areas where guests can sit and take off their mask for a little bit. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom there are two Relaxation Stations. They provide a restful area whether you want to enjoy your snack or drink, or just have a place to sit down for a few minutes. Here’s everything you need to know about the Relaxation Stations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Location of Relaxation Stations at Animal Kingdom

There are two Relaxation Stations at Animal Kingdom. The first is located at Pizzafari at Discovery Island. This is normally a quick service dining location, but it is temporarily unavailable as it is used as a Relaxation Station. There are tables, chairs, and plenty of shade. This location is closest to the front of the park and is a good spot to rest before or after venturing into Pandora – World of Avatar. There are also restrooms here, making it an overall great place to stop and rest, or have a snack.

The second Relaxation Station is located along the Discovery River. It is not as easy to find as the Pizzafari location, but it is midway along the pathway that connects the African land and Asian land. It is a beautiful pavilion with detailed wood carving. The views of the Discovery River and the Tree of Life are glorious, and you might even catch a character cavalcade go by. This is a good location if you’re in the back of the park. Restrooms aren’t as convenient as the Pizzafari location, but there are some a few steps away, across the pathway.

How to Use Relaxation Stations at Animal Kingdom

No reservations are needed for the Relaxation Stations, but they can reach capacity. It is rare for them to reach capacity as many guests do not know about them. The tables are placed six feet or more apart, so please do not move the tables or chairs. If you have a larger group it is asked that you keep your party at the designated tables and not combine them.

It is asked that all guests keep their masks on until they are seated at their table. Once you are seated you can remove your mask whether you have food and drink, or if you just want to sit and relax. There is no time limit on using the stations. If you need to get up from your table, or whenever you are done, it is asked that you put your mask back on before getting up from your table.

Cast Members frequently clean and sanitize the tables, chairs, and the general area. The Relaxation Stations can have limited hours. They do not always open right when the park opens, and generally close a little earlier than the park itself does.

Have you made use of the Relaxation Stations yet? Do you think they are helpful?

The post Everything You Need to Know About Relaxation Stations at Animal Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Dos and Don’ts, In the Parks, Trip Planning, disney covid, disney reopening, disnney’s animal kingdom tips

This Crowd Calendar update is an update through May 2021. The slight delay in publishing this month’s update due to us wanting to review the crowds during Thanksgiving and allow the statistical models to learn from what a major holiday is like in 2020.

On November 16, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced that Walt Disney World’s capacity was raised from 25% to 35%. We do not expect another increase in attendance in 2020. We don’t expect the crowds in December will be any higher than what we saw in November. With COVID cases still going up, it is unlikely that more people will be traveling to theme parks. Florida is unlikely to restrict travel, but other states and CDC may recommend not to travel.

To handle the higher capacity Disney made some operational changes. Disney added Plexiglas between rows at Rise of the Resistance and Mickey’s & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. On other attractions, Disney started loading more ride vehicles. The Haunted Mansion and Mickey’s & Minnie’s Runaway Railway wait times show the biggest decrease in wait times. Rise of the Resistance is loading more boarding groups per day.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Disney crowd levels will not return to normal levels until a vaccine is widely available. The initial distribution of a vaccine is going to go to First Responders, the elderly, and other high-risk populations. Summer will be likely the earliest Disney will see the return to normal. This means that the first half of 2021 is going to look more like 2020 than 2019. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 18, 2021), Presidents Day (February 15, 2021), Mardi Gras (February 16, 2021), Easter (April 4, 2021), and spring break are going to have a muted effect on crowds in 2021.

As always, we will be keeping a close watch on what is going on at the parks and will update the crowd calendar as needed.

Have any questions about the Crowd Calendar update? Feel free to leave them in the comments.

The post December 2020 – WDW Crowd Calendar Update appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Crowd Calendar, Walt Disney World (FL)

More quick service options have become available at Walt Disney World in recent weeks. Among them is Lotus Blossom Café at EPCOT. This quick service restaurant inside the China Pavilion isn’t a shining star in the galaxy that is dining options at EPCOT, but it is a solid choice for familiar food. Our team revisited this location to see if its standard Chinese-inspired fare still blooms.

At Lotus Blossom Cafe, you’ll find simple choices and familiar Chinese fare. The café is entirely open-air which is very important for lots of guests right now. The lobby area is at the center to walk-up and place your order. Then there are two open-air and covered dining areas to either side of the lobby. Mobile ordering is not available at this location.

The menu at Lotus Blossom has been reduced, with the entrees being cut from six options to three. Our team selected the Orange Chicken Combo, which is a whopping $13.50, but does come with steamed rice, egg roll and steamed broccoli. This is a generous platter and could be shared by two people if they wanted to have room to explore other international cuisine. The orange chicken was crispy and the sauce had the right balance of sweet and sour. The egg roll is fantastic, as it is the same as what’s served at Joy of Tea. The broccoli, unfortunately, was cold and crunchy.

We have listings and ratings for all Walt Disney World restaurants, and our readers give Lotus Blossom Café an 82% thumbs up rating, which is below average. It is ranked number 73 out of 107 quick service options. As you can see there are plenty of better options out there, but if you want simple food with flavors you may be familiar with, then this is a good pick.

Are you glad Lotus Blossom Cafe has reopened? What’s your favorite spot for a quick meal at EPCOT?

The post REVIEW – Lotus Blossom Cafe Returns to EPCOT appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Epcot, disney dining, epcot dining, Epcot Restaurants

How it is December already? It seems like it was just May … for the last six months.  Anyway, wait times were low at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom today, and in the top 7 for the past month at Hollywood Studios. That’s even more surprising since Runaway Railway and Tower of Terror have taken steps to increase their hourly ride capacity in the last couple of weeks.  We received 119 actual wait times today, and we counted 478 of 500 guests (96%) following Disney’s mask guidelines in EPCOT.  Let’s do the numbers!

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

The most interesting wait time at Magic Kingdom today was probably Big Thunder Mountain Railroad’s average posted wait 54 minutes. Its 7-day average is 48 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #4 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #84 for the past year. That’s a strong crowd for this time of year.  We received 6 actual wait times today at Big Thunder, and the actual wait averaged 79% of the posted wait time.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Slinky Dog Dash remains popular.  Slinky’s average wait time today was 76 minutes, two above its 7-day average of 74 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 69 minutes, so today ranks #4 for the past month.

Rise of the Resistance had a rough middle part of the day, with a delay of almost an hour in calling boarding groups between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m.  It’s unlikely they’ll get to 100 boarding groups today.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Slow day at the Animal Kingdom.  The busiest attraction relative to the past month seems to be Expedition Everest, which had an average wait time today of 38 minutes. Its 7-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 36 minutes, so today ranks #12 for the past month. The good news is that the 7 actual wait times we got today for it averaged just 57% of the posted wait time.

EPCOT Wait Times

Great day to ride Soarin’.  Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 25 minutes. Its 7-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 41 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. We received 10 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 91% of the posted wait time.  That’s pretty accurate for this ride.

The post Good Attendance at Studios – Disney World Wait Times for Tuesday, December 1, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), wait times