Author: touringplans.com

Many guests have a tradition of visiting Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts during the holidays because of the wonderful gingerbread display and Christmas village each resort offers. This year these displays are not out, but there are still lots of beautiful decorations to enjoy.

At Beach Club the decorations are full of details that celebrate the seaside and sea life. The decorations have soft pastel tones. Sea turtles and seashells are just some of the details you’ll find. There is also a miniature gingerbread carousel in the lobby in honor of the traditionally large display.

At Yacht Club the decorations are a little masculine and sophisticated. Strong maritime themes with navy blue and metallic hues can be found here. Ships and anchors are some the details you’ll see.

Have you stayed at Disney’s Yacht Club or Disney’s Beach Club during the holiday season? Which resort is your favorite this time of year?

 

The post PHOTOS – Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts Are Decked Out for the Holidays appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Photos and Video, Resorts, disney christmas, disney on site hotels, disney’s beach club, disney’s yacht club

Crowds are bringing higher wait times to Walt Disney World ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday.  The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT posted their highest average wait times of the past month today, while Animal Kingdom posted its second-highest average of the past month. Hollywood Studios wasn’t less busy, either.

At the Magic Kingdom, we counted 485 of 500 people (97%) following Disney’s rules for wearing face masks.  We received 116 actual wait times today. Let’s do the numbers!

 

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Every Animal Kingdom attraction except Avatar Flight of Passage reached its highest average posted wait time of the month today – and Flight of Passage’s was #2 for the month.

 

EPCOT Wait Times

Every EPCOT attraction except Living with the Land (#15) and Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros (#10) posted its highest average wait times of the month today.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Rise of the Resistance had another solid day of operation. Rise started calling boarding groups around 9:45 a.m. and continued almost continuously until 3 p.m. (as usual), when boarding group returns were paused for around 40 minutes.  Even with that delay, boarding groups were being called earlier today than they’ve been for the past week.

 

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Every major attraction at the Magic Kingdom set new monthly highs for average posted wait times today. Actual wait times we received ranged from 52% to 72% of the posted waits.

The post Crowds Keep Increasing – Disney World Wait Times for Tuesday, November 24, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

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

If this sign does not get you excited, you don’t know what you are missing. Having a rodent as your mascot is always good in our book. Buc-ee’s is to gas stations as Walt Disney World is to amusement parks. Buc-ee’s holds two world records: The World’s Largest Convenience Store and  World’s Longest Car Wash.

Buc-ee’s was founded in Texas in 1982. The first two Buc-ee’s outside of the Lone Star State are now open for travelers on their way to Florida. The Alabama location is off I-10, and the newest store is in Georgia, south of Macon off I-75. Their first Florida location is planned to open in 2021, south of Jacksonville off I-95.

First off, Buc-ee’s is a gas station; a huge gas station with 120 pumps. Central Georgia typically has good gas prices. On our visit, regular gas was $1.539 per gallon. This was about 20 cents less than the surrounding gas stations.

Bathrooms

Buc-ee’s claims the cleanest bathrooms. As well as being clean, the bathrooms are big. Taking pictures in a bathroom is a bit weird. Below is the only picture I took. It only shows half of the bathroom.  The men’s bathroom has 12 urinals, 12 toilets, and 12 sinks. The bathrooms have their own dedicated cleaning crew.

The Store

If cheap gas and clean bathrooms don’t get you excited, the “convenient store” will. As with everything at Buc-ee’s, the store is not your typical convenience store. Their stores are 50,000 square feet, the size of a normal grocery store. Anything you expect to find in a convenience store can be found at Buc-ee’s with 10 times the selection.

Coffee

Buc-ee’s ranked the best gas station coffee based on a GasBuddy survey. The coffee condiment-bar has an almost unlimited options of syrups, creamers, and toppings.

Snacks

Buc-ee’s has all the candy and snacks you expect from a convenience store.

 

 

Buc-ee’s is most famous for their beef jerky and Beaver Nuggets.

 

Entree

Buc-ee’s has a full selection of sandwiches, tacos, burritos, and salads. As well as the freshly made grab and go items, there is a kiosk to order custom made items.

The star of the show is the Texas BBQ.

Bakery and Sweets

Buc-ee’s has an in-shop bakery and sweet shop. You can pick up fresh pastries, fudge, and roasted nuts.

A good video that covers and reviews several of the food options is posted below.

 

Other Stuff

Buc-ee’s does not stop with consumables. Anything that can have Buc-ee the Beaver printed on it is available. From underwear to outerwear you can have the Buc-ee version. They also have homewares with either a Buc-ee or Texas themes. If you need a fire pit, or smoker Buc-ee’s has you covered.

Staff

The store is well staffed. The staff is friendly and helpful. The company seems to respect their workers.

What Buc-ee’s is not

Buc-ee’s is not a truck stop. There are no pumps for commercial trucks. Buc-ee’s is not a restaurant. There are no tables inside or outside for dining.

COVID-19

The Georgia store just opened and it was crowded. Besides the store having signs stating the requirement of face masks, there were no enforcement efforts. Inside the store, there was about 90% mask compliance and no social distancing. The chaos and lack of COVID-19 safety measures were too much for my wife and son. Until the crowds die down, or COVID-19 spread decreases you may just want to stop for gas.

 

Have you heard of Buc-ee’s before? Would this be a place you’d like to stop on an upcoming drive to Florida? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

 

The post New Destination for Drivers to Florida appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Transportation, Trip Planning, Walt Disney World (FL), Beyond the Parks, Driving

It’s time again to come take a stroll with us to view some more holiday decorations. This time we’re at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. The cheery atmosphere of this resort is elevated this time of year. There is so much whimsy in the décor and ornaments. The lobby here is a little small compared to other grand lobbies like at Animal Kingdom Lodge and Wilderness Lodge. But there is so much packed into the space during the holidays without it feeling cramped in the lobby. Part of this is thanks to the resort’s Christmas tree actually being outside.

 

In the courtyard, facing out onto the boardwalk itself, the resort’s Christmas tree stands proudly. It is a nice touch to have this brightly colored and warmly lit tree out on the boardwalk for all to see. It adds to the wonderful energy of this area. Thanks to Ivonne (@servoisnaked on Twitter and Instagram) on our team for these great photos.

Have you stayed at Disney’s Boardwalk for the holidays? What resort is your favorite this time of year?

The post PHOTOS – Beautiful Holiday Decorations Arrive at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Photos and Video, Resorts, disney christmas, disney on site hotels, Disney’s BoardWalk

EPCOT is late to the party every year, but soon the International Festival of the Holidays will start. This celebration of the holidays showcases how the holiday season is celebrated around the world. Through delectable holiday dishes, festive drinks, and spectacular decorations, the holiday season is celebrated globally at EPCOT. The Festival of the Holidays begins this Friday, November 27, 2020. And, preparations are underway for the festival to begin. A new photo opportunity with Mickey and friends in a classic holiday card greeting welcomes guests to the festival. Food and Wine Festival booths are now converted to Holiday Kitchens.

If you’re visiting Walt Disney World this holiday season, make sure you have holiday magic at your fingertips. Become a TouringPlans Subscriber and gain access to our Lines app. Our Lines app users save 2-3 hours on average per day in the parks, so you’ll have more time to savor the magic of this festive season.

Are you excited about the International Festival of the Holidays? Which of the four Disney parks is your favorite this time of year?

 

The post PHOTOS – EPCOT Prepares for Festival of the Holidays appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Epcot, Photos and Video, disney christmas, epcot christmas, epcot festival