Category: Other

As predicted in our Crowd Calendar, this Labor Day weekend saw quite an increase in attendance across Walt Disney World. It comes as no surprise that Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios were booked up and busy, whereas Disney’s Animal Kingdom continued to be the runner up, with plenty of room. We recapped the pre-Labor Day weekend crowds and wait times. Now, let’s look at how this weekend shaped up and how our Lines app saved users lots of time.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times: Saturday, September 5, 2020

Both days this weekend were busy, of course, which came as no surprise to anyone. We tend to see the highest wait times between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. at Magic Kingdom. At 1:00 p.m. yesterday we did observe some of the highest wait times of the day, though our Lines app showed that actual wait times were about 10 – 15 minutes less than what Disney had posted. You can see from the screenshots below that our app recommended to wait until later in the day to ride Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, and Big Thunder Mountain.

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
  • Posted Wait Time 50 / Expected 38
• Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Posted Wait Time 60 / Expected 47
• Jungle Cruise
  • Posted Wait Time 45 / Expected 35
• Haunted Mansion
  • Posted Wait Time 30 / Expected 24
• Big Thunder Mountain 
  • Posted Wait Time 25 / Expected 33

Magic Kingdom Wait Times: Sunday, September 6, 2020

We continued to see higher crowds on Sunday at the Most Magical Place on Earth. The wait times in the 1:00 p.m. time frame (one of the busiest times of day at this park) are very similar between Saturday and Sunday. And as indicated in our Lines app there were plenty of instances that it would be better to wait until later in the day to ride some attractions. You can also see in some of the screenshots below where Liners (users of our app) submitted actual wait times they experienced that day to help with the real-time data.

• Splash Mountain
  • Posted Wait Time 60 / Expected 51
• Jungle Cruise
  • Posted Wait Time 35 / Expected 37
• Big Thunder Mountain
  • Posted Wait Time 35 / Expected 29
• Haunted Mansion
  • Posted Wait Time 30 / Expected 26
• Pirates of the Caribbean
  • Posted Wait Time 60 / Expected 40

To provide a little more context about how busy this holiday weekend let’s look at the observed wait times at Magic Kingdom versus the observed wait times from Sunday two weeks ago. These charts show the average predicted wait times compared to the average observed wait times. On average yesterday’s wait times were 10 -15 minutes higher than two weeks prior and about 5-10 minutes higher than the busiest weekend we’ve seen since reopening, prior to this holiday weekend. This solidifies that Labor Day weekend has been the busiest weekend since reopening, so far.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times: Sunday, September 6, 2020

Although Animal Kingdom continues to experience low crowds and solid availability, this weekend did see an uptick in wait times. We tend to see wait times the highest around 11:00 a..m to lunch time and then things slowly begin to trickle off, with the last hour of operation being one of the best periods for low wait times.

Around 1:00 p.m. yesterday we saw some higher wait times posted by Disney, however, our Lines app predicted wait times to be about 15 minutes lower than what was posted. Our app also makes recommendations as to when to visit an attraction. In this case, it recommended to wait on riding Kali River Rapids, which ended up having no wait at all toward the end of the day.

• Dinosaur
  • Posted Wait Time 45 / Expected 30
• Kali River Rapids
  • Posted Wait Time 25 / Expected 36
• River Journey
  • Posted Wait Time 45 / Expected 33
• Flight of Passage
  • Posted Wait Time 50 / Expected 36

 

This Labor Day weekend marked the first major holiday weekend since Walt Disney World reopened. Not all of the Disney parks experienced large crowds, but it was definitely one of the busiest weekends we’ve seen in this new era. We saw large, sold out crowds at Universal Orlando’s theme parks too.

Our team observed that mask compliance and physical distancing had some weaker moments than previous visits, but they were rare moments. Physical distancing is much stronger when there are physical markers presents. Overall the parks did a good job of upholding the practices they’ve worked so hard to establish over the summer.

Do you have a Walt Disney World trip planned soon? What planning information can we help you with?

The post Labor Day Is Busiest Weekend at Walt Disney World Since Reopening appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Epcot, In the Parks, Magic Kingdom, Trip Planning, disney crowds, disney reopening, disney wait times, Epcot Crowds, epcot wait times

It’s a tough year for EPCOT to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the International Food and Wine Festival. Unlike any other year, this year’s festival is currently a mini version of itself. But, the newly released festival merchandise, including a large selection of Passholder exclusives, and a collection featuring Minnie Mouse, celebrates the festival in a big way. The 25th anniversary logo featuring Spaceship Earth that is featured on much of the merchandise will certainly please any EPCOT fan. Here’s what our field team found at Mouse Gear on a recent visit.

• “Queen of Cuisine” Chef Hat Keychain – $14.99
• Chef Minnie “Queen of Cuisine” Hot Pad & Towel – $21.99
• Chef Minnie Queen of Cuisine” Apron – $34.99
• Chef Minnie “Queen of Cuisine” Bowl – $24.99
• “Queen of Cuisine” Chef Minnie Hat Mug – $19.99
• “Queen of Cuisine ” Chef Minnie Stainless Steel Bottle – $27.99
• Chef Minnie  and Mickey Spatula – $14.99
• Chef Minnie “Queen of Cuisine” Magnet – $14.99
• Chef Minnie Phone Case – $29.99

• Chef Mickey & Minnie, Figment, and Remy 4 Coaster Set – $24.99
• 25th Anniversary Passholder Glasses – $14.99 each
• Festival Glass Carafe – $29.99
• Festival Passholder Hoodie – $49.99
• Passholder Remy Salt and Pepper Shaker – $12.99
• Passholder Remy Stainless Steel Water Bottle – $27.99
• Passholder “Olive to Cook” Serving Tray – $34.99
• “Olive to Cook” Passholder Tee – $29.99
• “Olive to Cook” Passholder Wooden Tray – $12.99
• Passholder “Olive to Cook” Magnet – $14.99
• Passholder Figment Phone Case – $29.99

Have you been to this year’s mini-festival? What do you think of this new merchandise?

The post New 25th Anniversary Food and Wine Festival Full Line of Merchandise Pours Into EPCOT appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Epcot, Festivals, Merchandise, epcot food and wine festival, epcot food and wine festival 2020, Epcot merchandise, figment merchandise

Labor Day weekend 2020 is in full swing in Orlando, with sold-out theme parks from Walt Disney World to Universal. It’s a different picture from last year, when Hurricane Dorian all but crashed Labor Day weekend. To be honest, I can’t even remember if it rained or if Dorian was a total non-event in Orlando…I just remember the fuss when the Disney Springs Starbucks closed early.

This year, we’re looking at a very wet pattern for the week after Labor Day. That makes September 2020 very different from September 2019 — so far. Last year, the dry air left in Dorian’s wake made Centr al Florida’s rainy season slam to an abrupt end. This year, though, we’ve already seen plenty of rain to start September…and plenty more rain is in the forecast.

The cause of all the wet weather ahead? A lot of atmospheric factors are in play, but the most obvious one to point to is an inverted trough over the Bahamas, which is going to drift west and northwest through Wednesday. This will draw more tropical moisture into Florida and, importantly, a strong onshore flow. When the east coast sea breeze is aided by strong onshore steering currents, rain can begin drifting inland early in the day, with storms kicking up throughout the hot midday and afternoon hours.

Later in the week, a ridge of high pressure will conspire to keep those southeast winds blowing, meaning this extra-wet pattern will stick around through the weekend.

Despite the likelihood of additional cloud cover and strong chances of scattered storms moving through, temperatures will continue to soar. They’re expected to be just above average, with high heat index numbers, all week long. That means 91-94 degree days, with a heat index close to 105 around midday into the mid-afternoon.

This week in Walt Disney World Weather

For the rest of Sunday, the big heat will continue with a heat index around 105 degrees. Storms will be moving through from the east, with a 50% chance of seeing some thunderstorm action in the theme parks. Storms will slowly clear in the evening, leaving some clouds and a low of 75.

On Labor Day, look out for higher storm chances beginning in the morning, then ramping up around midday. The wind will pick up from the east-northeast, pushing those storms along. They’ll have the potential for heavy rains and frequent lightning. The chance of storms is 70%, fading late night with a low around 74.

Rain returns Tuesday, with a decent chance of showers and some thunderstorms. The high will be around 91, although it might be a cloudy sort of day. Rain chance is 70%, trailing off in the late evening with a low of 75.

On Wednesday, expect rain showers with a possible thunderstorm. There’s an 80% chance of rain, but the high will still be around 91 degrees, giving you an idea of how patchy the rain could be. Late, the rain chance dies off and leaves us with a low of 75.

Thursday should be quite sunny and 92 degrees, but there’s still a 70% chance of showers and storms moving through the theme parks. We’ll see mostly cloudy skies for the overnight with a low of 75.

Friday and Saturday are much the same, with a high of 93 degrees and a 70% chance of rain.

Tropical Weather Outlook

This week we have four potential tropical systems to talk about, and two are pretty hot. None of these will affect Florida in the coming week, but the long-term forecast might have some interesting features.

The most impressive area is a disorganized low pressure system in the south Atlantic, about halfway between Africa and the Leeward Islands. It has a 90% chance of developing into a tropical cyclone by Tuesday, and will continue to move generally west.

The second area is showing signs of organization, but is farther away. This tropical wave has just left the coast of Africa. It’s expected to become a tropical depression in the next few days, and continues to have high development chances through the rest of the week as it moves west.

In the central Caribbean, we have a tropical wave that is largely disorganized and unfavorable conditions for any real improvement. It has a 10% chance of development.

And finally, a trough of low pressure near Bermuda is looking broody, but the environment isn’t really conducive to development and it has a very low chance of developing as it moves west-northwest over the next five days. As you can see, it looks like it might be bringing some rain to the mid-Atlantic by late week.

We’ll let you know if anything pops up which might affect Florida, but so far… a quiet week shoreside.

The post This Week in Walt Disney World Weather — September 6, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

Many of us have been chomping at the bit, ready for the spooky season to arrive at Walt Disney World. With the lack of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, which usually starts mid-August, it’s been nice not having Halloween fatigue creep in already–but also, bring on the pumpkin spice!

Low and behold a Labor Day weekend treat was bestowed upon visitors to the Magic Kingdom. Some of the highly anticipated Halloween treats have arrived–including the Madam Leota Sipper that is worth all the hype, even at $15.99 (fountain beverage included). This weekend our field team experienced a 40-minute wait at Sleepy Hallow Refreshments to acquire the sipper and to enjoy the scrumptious Pumpkin Spice Mickey Waffle Sundae.

The great news is the Madam Leota Sipper is limited to one per guest. Also great news is the sipper is super cool and lights up. Spirited spooks will definitely be tempted to socialize with this sipper.

The Pumpkin Spice Mickey Waffle is a favorite. Two spiced Mickey waffles are topped with sweet vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel drizzle, and sprinkles. It is $6.49 and a good value for the seasonal sweetness it brings. Sleepy Hallow Refreshments is one of the highest rated snack locations in Magic Kingdom, and this sundae is an example as to why.

Over at Tomorrowland you’ll find more Halloween treats. At Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe you can sink your teeth in Mickey’s Monster Mash Burger stacked with potato barrels, Muenster cheese, bacon, and sriracha aioli. As a specialty burger it is priced at $13.99 which is a tad high, but this is a very flavorful burger and an improvement on the standard Disney quick service burger. Ask for some extra sriracha aioli on the side to dress up your fries.

Also in Tomorrowland, at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies you can sip on a Pumpkin Spice Milkshake ($7.99) or scoop up a Pumpkin Spice Sundae ($5.49). Our team was full enough from the Monster Burger and Mickey Waffle Sundae so we didn’t have room to try these treats out, but they are returning from last year and received decent reviews then.

Do you have plans to visit Magic Kingdom soon? Which Halloween treat are you ready for?

The post Select Halloween Treats Arrive at Magic Kingdom, Including the Madame Leota Sipper appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Halloween, Magic Kingdom, disney halloween, haunted mansion merchandise, madame leota sipper, magic kingdom halloween, mickey ice cream, mickey waffle

Imagine if you could go back to early 2001, fire up your Gateway computer, and log on to your AOL account. What would the Walt Disney World website have looked like back then? Thanks to the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine we can do a little time traveling and find out.

What did the home page of one of the world’s most popular travel destinations look like in early 2001? This is it. Not much to it, right? Websites in the early 2000s were extremely light compared to sites of today. Back then computers were much weaker, and more importantly most people had slow connection speeds. Broadband internet was slowly being added to more homes in 2001, but dial-up modems with speeds of 56 kbit/s or lower were the norm at this time. With that in mind it’s easy to understand why most pages on disneyworld.com only had 1 picture.

It’s always fun to look back at old Disney maps. Here you can see the park almost 20 years ago where the most obvious differences are the extinct Mickey’s Toontown Fair and the remnants of the old 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea lagoon.

 

FastPass was only a couple of years old at this point, so it was still very much a new and exciting thing that had many people curious. As you can see, the roster of attractions that featured FastPass was slim back then, especially when compared to modern times.

In the FAQ section you can find answers for every possible question you could ever possibly have about dining in Walt Disney World. Just kidding. As you can see, the dining FAQ has ONE SINGLE question and answer.

One of the coolest features I found on this old website was live webcams. As you can see the camera in the Magic Kingdom had an especially cool vantage point where it offered a stunning elevated view of Cinderella Castle. If the current Disney theme park websites had webcams I think they would be enormously popular, especially during this year when most people stayed at home during the pandemic.

Before we move on, anyone who has ever tried to do even the most simple task on the Walt Disney World website should be familiar with the “Someone Ate the Page!” screen. This screen is shown when any one of the dozens of technical issues with the WDW site pops up. Curious about what this page looked like in 2001? Here it is:

Mickey does look pretty sorry.

I found an error! On the Country Bear Jamboree attraction page there is a picture of Gomer in his Vacation Hoedown attire. This version of the Country Bear show was unfortunately long gone by this point.

 

While we’re on the subject of attraction pages, rides and shows that are now extinct are still immortalized on this old version of the site.

Another extinct show, The Making of Me at Epcot. I’m fairly certain this is the only time the word “fetus” has appeared on any Walt Disney World website.

Circling back to the FAQ, you can see this section which shows attractions that had recently closed in 2001. It’s sad to see some all-time classics on the list!

Again I have to mention how striking it is to see how simple the WDW website was back then. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A good aspect of this is the site is very simple to navigate. There’s very little bloat, as seen on this page which features the list of attractions at Magic Kingdom.

The price of a 1-park 1-day ticket in early 2001 was $48 for adults. That’s $70.26 adjusted for inflation. As of now, tickets range from $116.09 to $169.34, depending on the time of year.

They were practically giving away annual passes in 2001. A Premium Annual Pass was $469. That’s $686.54 adjusted for inflation. This pass is currently known as the Platinum Plus Pass and goes for $1,379.18. The Annual Pass (now know as the Platinum Pass, $1,272.68) was $349, or $510.88 adjusted for inflation.

In 2001 you could stay on Disney property starting at $77 a night ($112.72 adjusted for inflation). After inflation the price of a value resort isn’t too different than it is now. For example I glanced at standard rooms at All-Star Music and found rates ranging from $112 to $226 throughout the year.

We’ll revisit other ancient Disney websites at some point but for now that’s going to do it.

What internet memories do you have from the early 2000s? Share them in the comments below.

The post Let’s Take a Tour of Walt Disney World’s Website in 2001 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Just For Fun, Walt Disney World (FL), just for fun