Author: touringplans.com

There is no shortage of yummy food at EPCOT. Even Disney itself has used the term “the foodie’s park” in their marketing of EPCOT. No matter when you visit, whether it’s during the Food and Wine Festival, or not, you can make your own cullinary exploration just from stopping at the many food and beverage kiosks throughout World Showcase. Chrissy on our team recently stopped at Joy of Tea in the China pavilion for a satisfying snack break.

Many of the food and beverage kiosks at World Showcase sit along the promenade, the main walkway that loops around the lagoon. On the menu at Joy of Tea on the promenade, and as the name implies, there are a variety of hot and iced teas available here. Lots of folks overlook this booth, thinking it may only offer tea. But you can grab a light bite here including egg rolls and a curry chicken pocket, as well as alcoholic beverages. In fact, there is the Lucky Combo which is a Curry Chicken Pocket, two Egg Rolls, and your choice of soft drink for $10.99. This is a great value compared to most quick service meals at Walt Disney World.

Our readers have completed over 500,000 surveys over the recent years, and give Joy a Tea a 89% thumbs up rating. It is ranked 72 out of 171 similar options at Walt Disney World. While it is not a destination that should be a must-do during your trip to EPCOT, it is a great option for something quick and affordable. It is a walk-up kiosk so it does not have any dedicated seating, but you’ll find some benches and high-top tables along the promenade.

Chrissy decided to enjoy two Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls, and paired them with a FOO Draft Beer. The egg rolls were crispy, with lots of flavorful filling. The pork and vegetable filling had a good amount of pepper to add some bite to it. Each egg roll is $3.99. One is enough for a satisfying snack, and two would easily make a decent lunch, without breaking the bank. The FOO draft beer was floral and refreshing, a great choice for $8.75, and one of the best craft beers our team has tasted at EPCOT.

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What’s your favorite affordable food find at EPCOT?

The post Grab a Quick Snack or Light Lunch at The Joy of Tea at EPCOT appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Drinking, Epcot, Snacks, dining at epcot, disney dining, epcot beer, epcot drinks, epcot lunch, epcot snacks

Even though Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance only made in 2019, it’s already being ranked among the greats such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Disney’s latest and possibly greatest stands upon the shoulders of these attractions that have come before while offering a whole new level of immersion and state-of-the-art technology.

Naturally, Rise of the Resistance is an absolute must-do for many Disney World guests these days; and so, after several adventures of my own to that galaxy far, far away, I’ve compiled Five Things You Should Know About Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

1. It’s Not a Ride; It’s an Experience

In a time where IP-based coasters are the name of the game, the Imagineers flipped the script with Rise of the Resistance. There are no high-speed launches, no inversions, and no massive drops (just a small one!). At its most intense, Rise of the Resistance is a simulator a la Star Tours; and throughout most of the ride time, it’s most akin to a dark ride.

So why is it so exciting? The thrill comes from the immersion. While guests are being recruited to the Resistance, experiencing a simulated flight into space, and then being led captive through a Star Destroyer, there are no seats. No restraints. Guests are free to walk around and look in whatever direction they choose. This is a 360-degree experience, and the guests are the stars of their own Star Wars adventure.

For the next phase of the attraction, guests board trackless ride vehicles and the immersion only continues as they move through multiple, massive sets complete with life-size AT-AT walkers, take on simulated blaster fire that leaves behind damage, and encounter fluid audio-animatronics and other ride effects all to the soundtrack of John Williams’ iconic score.

Unlike other attractions, it’s not the motion of the ride vehicle that creates the thrill. It’s what you’re experiencing. That’s why Rise of the Resistance isn’t a ride; it’s an experience.

2. Getting a Boarding Group is a Gamble

Even before Disney suspended FastPass+, Rise of the Resistance used a completely different system as its only way to ride – a virtual queue. In order to gain access to the virtual queue, guests must join a boarding group through the My Disney Experience app.

Currently, boarding passes are distributed two times a day: at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The problem? Boarding groups fill up in about a minute. The app will distribute backup boarding groups, but guests in those groups will only be called to ride if all of the initial planned boarding groups have already been called. The other problem? Rise of the Resistance is prone to frequent breakdowns so there are no guarantees that you will get to ride, even if you do get a boarding group.

In order to join a boarding group, all guests wanting to ride must be in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests must then select the option to join a boarding group on the app as quickly as possible at either 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Guests who successfully joined a group will be notified to ride through the My Disney Experience app by push notification (if enabled).

3. It’s a Long Ride

While successfully getting a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance can be a hassle, this ride offers a lot of bang for your buck! The entire experience, which consists of various experiences, typically spans about 18 minutes! It’s something to be aware of when planning your day, and it also serves as a great reminder that you’re guaranteed a lot of Star Wars for your effort.

4. Kids Must Be 40″ Tall to Ride

Parents, particularly parents of aspiring Padawans, should know that kids must be at least 40″ tall to ride. This is good news since Disney’s other uber-popular attraction, Avatar Flight of Passage, has a height requirement of 44″.

5. The Ride Employs Multiple Ride Systems

Part of the reason why Rise of the Resistance is an experience is due to the fact it utilizes multiple ride systems. Throughout the entire experience, guests ride two simulators, a trackless vehicle, and are lifted both up and down. There’s also a small drop towards the end, but it’s super quick.

BONUS: It’s Set Between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker

Rise of the Resistance puts guests in the middle of a Star Wars adventure, but which adventure and when? There are currently 11 live-action Star Wars films, and 9 of those films consist of the Skywalker Saga that spanned three generations of a famous Force-sensitive family. So even if you’re a casual fan of Star Wars, you gotta wonder just whose story are you being dropped into.

The answer is that Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is set between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker with guests being recruited to the Resistance, as opposed to the Rebel Alliance, and where the big baddie is Kylo Ren instead of Darth Vader or Palpatine. This is also true of Galaxy’s Edge as a whole since you spot Rey and Kylo Ren roaming about during your visit.

Is Rise of the Resistance on your to-do list? Let us know in the comments!

The post 5 Things You Should Know About Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios, Rise of the Resistance, Star Wars, Walt Disney World (FL), boarding groups, Disney Attractions, disney world, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, galaxy’s edge, Rise of Resistance, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance

This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at Universal’s Untitled Halloween Event (AKA HHN 29.5)! Thanks to the coronavirus, the theme park calendar took a lot of hits this year with the biggest losses coming at the end of the year when our favorite seasonal events usually take place. Mickey’s Not So Scary? Gone. Mickey’s Very Merry? Gone. Back in July, Universal announced it was cancelling Halloween Horror Nights (HHN). This was an especially painful cut for fans, not just because HHN has become THE premier haunted house experience in the United States, but because 2020 was going to be the big 30th anniversary celebration of the event.

Then there were whispers in the theme park fan community. Universal had already prepared for HHN 30, and rumors were flying around that despite cancelling the event, guests would be able to experience some of the houses. Universal confirmed the news in September when announcing that a modified version of the event – which is NOT being called Halloween Horror Nights – would take place from October 3rd to November 1st.

The good news is that the untitled Halloween event’s haunted house experiences would be included with everyone’s park admission. Even better? We got a whole bunch of other great “HHN” stuff to give us all a taste of what might have been, starting with…

# 6 – Voodoo Doughnut’s Jack the Clown

One of the best synergies at Universal Orlando is with the park’s seasonal events and Voodoo Doughnut in CityWalk. The tradition of awesome baked goodness continues with a Jack the Clown themed offering. Jack the Clown is the most popular icon of Halloween Horror Nights, and this vanilla frosted with raspberry filling snack does him justice!

With vanilla frosting on the outside and a raspberry filling on the inside, the Jack donut is another in a long line of successful Voodoo Doughnut offerings.

# 5 – Scarecrow Stalk

One thing that my family has enjoyed over the years at EPCOT are the scavenger hunts during the festivals such as Figment’s Brush with the Masters during Festival of the Arts or Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration during Flower & Garden. For their new Halloween event, Universal guests can participate in a similar type of scavenger hunt that is absolutely free. The Scarecrow Stalk sends guests across the park to discover unique and highly themed scarecrows and skeletons. At each stop there is a stamp for your map, and those who successfully complete the stalk get to choose some Halloween candy as a prize.

There are very few things to enjoy about Fast & Furious – Supercharged, but this leather-jacket-wearing skeleton scarecrow in the gift shop is one of them.

Guests with a completed map can choose from several Halloween snack bags.

# 4 – Tribute Store

For a while this summer, it seemed like the only thing related to HHN that Universal guests would be able to experience this year was the Tribute Store. But you know what, that might have been enough because this store is AWESOME. Loaded with incredible photo ops and fun details, this is one gift shop that is essentially an attraction in and of itself. With sections dedicated to Universal Monsters, HHN Icons, and Beetlejuice, the Tribute Store is loaded with Easter Eggs for horror fans.

The Beetlejuice room is the closest any of us will get to what it’s like being on set for this beloved movie. The attention to detail is second to none.

# 3 – The Merchandise

In early years of HHN, merchandise was the events only weak link. Some not-so-great t-shirts and that’s about it. Now, merchandise is one of the event’s strengths and even though we’re not officially having “HHN 30” we are getting the chance to buy some great items that were made for it. Halloween aside, one of the absolutely coolest things to come to Universal this entire year was the debut of a Mold-A-Matic machine. While these machines were never used at the Universal parks in Orlando, they did have them out in Hollywood during the 1960s and 70s. You can find them in several locations in Florida including Busch Gardens Tampa, Gatorland, and the Miami Zoo. Many SAT SIX readers know how much I love pressed pennies, but a Mold-A-Matic souvenir ranks even higher on my list. When a Franken-Mold machine arrived at the Tribute Store, my jaw dropped to the floor in disbelief.

Even better, a second machine arrived with – you guessed it – a pumpkin wax mold.

 

These glasses themed to HHN Icons are incredible!!

Being able to buy retro merchandise is an HHN fan’s dream come true.

How INCREDIBLE is this HHN map based on the event from 2005?!!

This pinball-themed poster featuring HHN houses is also E-Ticket.

One of the coolest items to drop this year was a limited edition Music of Halloween Horror Nights album.

Limited to just 500 copies with a too-good-to-be-true price.

Demand for this album was – of course – high, which in turn caused some fans to create fake versions of it. I personally got “Babylon Bee’d” myself in thinking the below version was real. SPOILER ALERT: it’s not.

# 2 – The Food and Drink

The SATURDAY SIX has long considered HHN to be the “International Food & Wine Festival for the workin’ man.” While EPCOT may offer frou frou plates along with wine pairings where you need to hold your pinkie out when drinking, Universal offers items such as the iconic twisted taters, s’mores fries, and a donut in the shape of a giant eyeball.

One of the surprise highlights this year was a vegan skull brownie.

When it comes to novelty snacks, it’s going to be hard to top the Beating Heart Sour Gummies.

Let’s look at these beauties even closer…

How about a Twister Tater wrapped around a giant hot dog? And they say America isn’t on the cutting edge of technology!

Cafe La Bamba has been converted over to the Skeleton Bar.

# 1 – Haunted Houses

The haunted houses are the draw for HHN every year, and despite HHN 30 being cancelled guests are able to experience two houses. Revenge of the Tooth Fairy and The Bride of Frankenstein Lives! Both have been modified to keep in line with safety concerns (such as barriers between scareactors and guests) and we can actually thank social distancing guidelines for giving us the “pulsed” house experience we’ve all wanted for years. The sets for both houses are fantastic and the scareactors working inside are On Point. It’s just a taste of what we were going to get for what was going to be a massive HHN celebration, and we’re truly thankful to have it.

Revenge of the Tooth Fairy – The innocent traditions of the tooth fairy hide a darker ritual. All children must give up their baby teeth to the goblinesque tooth fairies or pay a gruesome price. Step into an old manor that has been overrun by yellow-clawed fiends who extract teeth by force. It’s an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

 

Universal Monsters: Bride of Frankenstein Lives – “We belong dead.” The last words of Frankenstein’s monster on that fateful night when his Bride rejected him. But his end was her beginning. Now the Bride is stepping out of the shadows to bring him back. And there’s nothing she won’t do as she sharpens her brilliance by experimenting on unsuspecting victims. The mate will have her monster. And the monster his mate.

WARNING: Universal’s Halloween haunted houses are NOT for children. Reconsider bringing kids under the age of 13 and use your judgment for anyone under 18. Houses feature low lighting, fog, strobe lights, startling imagery, mature themes, and confined spaces.

Honorable Mention – Trick or Treating at Islands of Adventure

Similar to Disney, this year Universal is allowing adults to dress in costume at the parks. Now we can join the kiddos as they cosplay around the parks. Even better, kids 12 and under get the opportunity to “trick or treat” at Islands of Adventure, where Team Members hand out candy at locations throughout the park. This is one of those wonderful ideas that only came about because of the coronavirus, and let’s hope it returns in future years!

So there you have it: Six Reasons We Love Universal’s Untitled Halloween Event (AKA HHN 29.5 AKA HHN Lite, AKA Diet HHN)! 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: 

VIRTUAL Halloween Horror Nights

Universal Orlando Resort Fall Fun and Halloween Event

Universal Orlando for Newbies – Frequently Asked Questions

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHyde and you Potterheads will  enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

The post SATURDAY SIX: 6 Reasons We Love Universal’s Untitled Daytime Halloween Event (AKA HHN 29.5) appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Halloween, Saturday Six, Universal Orlando Resort, HHN, Voodoo Doughnut

It was the busiest day of the past year at Mickey’s PhilharMagic, and that might be all you need to figure out how busy it was at the Magic Kingdom today.  It was also busy at EPCOT, and not as much at Hollywood Studios.

We also collected 187 actual wait times around Walt Disney World today, so we can see how those compare to Disney’s posted waits.  Starting today, we’ll be highlighting those actual wait times at an attraction level.  Thank you very much to all of our Liners who send those in.  Let’s do the numbers.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Here’s an example of the difficulty Disney’s having in posting accurate wait times since re-opening.  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average posted wait time today of 74 minutes. That’s good for #1 for the week and #1 for the past month. We received 14 actual wait times today from 7DMT, and the actual wait averaged 86% of the posted wait time.  That is, if the average posted wait was 74 minutes, your actual wait in line was 86% of that, or about 64 minutes.

Over in Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait time today of 60 minutes. That’d also be #1 for the week and month. But those posted wait times were less accurate than the ones over at Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  We received 6 actual wait times for Big Thunder today, and the actual wait averaged 50% of the posted wait time.  So that posted wait of 60 minutes ended up being an actual wait of 30.

Other notable attraction wait times today:

• Buzz Lightyear had an average wait time today of 43 minutes (#1 week/#1 month). We got 10 actual wait times and they averaged 65% of the posted wait (so ~28 minutes for an average posted of 43).
• Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid had an average wait time today of 34 minutes (#1 week/#3 month), with 6 actual waits averaging 45% of the posted wait time (~15 minutes).
• The Haunted Mansion had an average wait time today of 53 minutes (#1 week/#2 month), and 12 actual waits that averaged 51% of the posted wait time (so about 27 minutes).
• Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 57 minutes. Its 7-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 39 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #119 for the past year. We received 13 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 78% of the posted wait time.

Actual wait times were 69% of the posted wait time today throughout the whole Magic Kingdom, so a posted wait time of 25 minutes at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh meant an actual wait of around 17 minutes.

EPCOT Wait Times

For the second day in a row, EPCOT’s posted wait times were about double the actual wait in line – and that’s a very high overestimate as compared to historical averages (and to, for example, the Magic Kingdom today).  Test Track had an average wait time today of 67 minutes, #2 for the week and #6 for the past month.  We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 60% of the posted wait time (so about 40 minutes in line).

Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 19 minutes, but its actual wait time only averaged 20% of the posted wait time (from 6 actual waits submitted).

Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 48 minutes. Its 7-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #7 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 40 minutes, so today ranks #77 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today from Soarin’, and the actual wait averaged 46% of the posted wait time (so 22 minutes, which isn’t bad at all).

Spaceship Earth had an average wait time today of 23 minutes. Its 7-day average is 24 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 17 minutes, so today ranks #6 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 22 minutes, so today ranks #106 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 72% of the posted wait time.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 69 minutes (#4 week/#4 month/#156 for the past year).  Na’vi River Journey had an average wait time today of 49 minutes (#2 for the week, #3 for the week). So that was Pandora.

Expedition Everest had an average wait time today of 38 minutes (#3 week/#6 month).  We received 10 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 56% of the posted wait time.

Actual wait times were around 55% of the posted wait times today – that’s not typical for the park.  The average posted wait was 32 minutes, so the average actual wait was about 18 minutes, or 14 minutes less than posted.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Every day is a good day to experience Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and today was no different.  Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 83 minutes. Its 7-day average is 82 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 83 minutes, so today ranks #15 for the past month.  Same thing over at Slinky Dog Dash, which had an average wait 66 minutes (#5 for the week and #14 for the past month) – almost a replay of yesterday’s numbers.

Toy Story Mania had an average wait time today of 39 minutes, which is #1 for the week and month. But we received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 38% of the posted wait time, so that average posted wait of 39 minutes meant just 15 minutes in line.

Actual wait times were 55% of the posted wait time across the park, so a posted wait time of 30 minutes at Alien Swirling Saucers would’ve meant an actual wait of around 17 minutes in line.

And here’s how Rise of the Resistance boarding groups were called today – another solid day of performance.  They’ve been running better since around 3:30 p.m. today than they have all week.  Hats off to Park Ops for that.  And it looks like ROTR’s hourly capacity is about to increase, since Disney’s installing plexiglass dividers on ride vehicles.

Wait times are only part of the story. If you’d like to be ahead of the curve and get customized, computer-optimized touring plans for your specific vacation, then become a TouringPlans Subscriber and use our Lines app.

The post Actual Waits Were All Over the Place Today – Walt Disney World Wait Times for Friday, October 16, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

While we’re not expecting this weekend to be as busy as the holiday weekend last week, our Crowd Calendar does show an uptick in the expected crowd level. Weekends are busier at Walt Disney World now that more Florida Residents and other regional guests make up a larger portion of the attendance. Before COVID-19 there was not such a dramatic difference on weekends versus weekdays.

Our team is in the parks daily and during our time in the parks leading up to this weekend we could see an increase already taking place. Our tools like our Crowd Calendar, and our customized Touring Plans make it possible for you to save time by optimizing which attractions on your list to visit at what time. Let’s see how things looked in the parks leading up to another busy weekend at Walt Disney World.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Crowds

We are seeing some busy days at Animal Kingdom with actual observed wait times on Thursday being the highest they’ve been on any previous Thursday this month.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Crowds

We are also seeing some busy days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with actual observed wait times on Thursday being the highest they’ve been on any previous Thursday this month here as well.

Whether you are planning on visiting Walt Disney World on a busy weekend, or a slower week, you deserve to maximize your time. Sign up for a TouringPlans Subscription and you’ll be able to save time and avoid frustration with our Lines app.

Have you been back to Walt Disney World yet? How was your visit?

The post Gearing Up for Another Busy Weekend at Walt Disney World appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Crowd Calendar, Dos and Don’ts, In the Parks, Photos and Video, Trip Planning, disney covid, disney crowds, disney reopening, disney wait times, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios