Category: Other

Let the holidays begin!  A magnificently merry makeover at Magic Kingdom Park is officially ushering in the most magical season of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort. 

After a year of planning, our Holiday Services department has transformed Magic Kingdom Park for the holidays with twinkling lights, toy soldiers, poinsettias, wreaths and other decorations on Main Street U.S.A., – and of course, our iconic 65-foot Christmas Tree.  Today, we have a special look at the magic.

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Also this season, there will be a joyful look for Cinderella Castle when night falls and special projection effects transform the iconic palace with festive designs with the decorations.  Click here for details on all holiday offerings.  

Along with Magic Kingdom Park, delightful displays of decorations can also be found throughout the Walt Disney World Resort – including Disney Springs – throughout the season.  

For more holiday magic, our new “Everything Holidays” section will be home to a variety of in-park experiences, gift guides, special DIY projects, holiday recipes and more.  Be sure to share your own Disney magic with us at #DisneyHolidayMoments and #DisneyMagicMoments.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, MK, WDW

As a dad, I relish memories from my early days of fatherhood and young family life; watching my children take their first steps, speak their first words and even finish potty training. Of course, those things didn’t just happen overnight – they took months of practice, patience and positive reinforcement.

Much like parenting in some ways, animal training requires patience and understanding. This week’s episode of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+ highlights many behind-the-scenes moments that showcase how our expert Animal Care teams encourage the animals at Walt Disney World Resort to participate in their own care. It includes examples of training for both aquatic and land animals, celebrating new milestones and all the grit and glory that goes with it.

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Aquarist Aaron sets up a target feeding session for Harry, a green sea turtle

At The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT, aquarist Aaron has spent the past four years specializing in aquatic animals, including sea turtles. He has a wealth of expertise he has developed here and through work with other Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) institutions and conservation field studies. Aaron has invested a lot of time and effort into a green sea turtle named Harry, who came to us as a rescue from the wild after suffering an injury. Because of the extent of his injury, Harry’s not a candidate for re-release. Aaron has been by Harry’s side since his arrival at The Seas and is determined to help him thrive in the main aquarium under our care.

Feeding time for Harry is a central focus for Aaron, who is teaching the sea turtle how to swim to a target for his very own meals. This technique allows the aquarists to keep a close eye on Harry and ensure he’s eating enough each day. Here’s a sneak peek at what that looks like.

During their training sessions, Aaron provides Harry with positive reinforcers to gain his trust, in the form of back-scratches and his favorite foods, which you ­can see Harry loves…but you can also see it is a real treat for Aaron too. He has been working hard to help Harry make progress toward living his best life in his new aquarium home. With every milestone comes a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.

This week’s episode also highlights some small wins for one of our very large residents with equally big feelings of apprehension; the task – to get African elephant Nadirah to cross a bridge in her habitat on the savanna on Kilimanjaro Safaris. In this case, her animal care team Erin and Elizabeth had to redefine what success looks like, based on Nadirah’s personality and her unique needs.

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Erin has spent the past thirteen years exclusively devoted to working with elephants in AZA institutions. For the past six years, she and Elizabeth have been caring for elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park ,so they really have great insights on the dynamics of the herd and used their know-how and expertise to try a variety of different techniques to build up Nadirah’s confidence. By observing the elephants’ behaviors, they knew African elephant Vasha provides encouragement to Nadirah, so the team had them spend time together. They also knew Nadirah likes bath time with lots of attention and extra snacks, and this positive reinforcement gave the keeper team a chance to strengthen their bond with her and build more trust.

While Nadirah hasn’t crossed that bridge just yet, she continues to get a little closer, and we’re encouraged by her small steps toward big success. It’s a great reminder that at the end of the day, what Nadirah does is her choice, and just like with all of the animals at Walt Disney World Resort, it’s our job to recognize her needs, be supportive and work with her to ensure she gets the very best care.

Be sure to check out this week’s complimentary downloadable activity guide to learn more about the animals in our care, and follow us on Instagram (@DrMarkAtDisney) and Facebook (@DisneyASE) for more behind-the-scenes fun.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, disney+, WDW

TouringPlans is happy to welcome Billy Hirsch for this three-part guest series about Celebrity Cruise Lines. Read part 1  and part 2 of this three-part series.

Everything is subjective, but perhaps few things as much so as food.  Food is also a big focus on ships, so let’s look at the differences between Disney Cruise Line and Celebrity Cruise Line when it comes to the dining experience and food, as well as my personal preferences.

Main Dining Room

Disney’s rotational dining is a unique concept. Most cruise lines have one or more main dining rooms which are complementary – but you don’t necessarily rotate through them.  

Most Celebrity ships have one or two main dining rooms (which are essentially identical in terms of menu and quality) as well as a variety of specialty restaurants.  On Edge (and Apex), there are four distinct main dining rooms, with menus and cocktails unique to each.  You can be assigned to one but make reservations at others – or just show up to whichever you’d like on any given evening.  We love flexibility, so this arrangement on Edge class is great for us.  Across all of the Celebrity fleet, dining when you want, with whomever you want, is an option that they call “Select Dining”.

Food comes out hot (a common issue I’ve faced on DCL), and there is a good variety of quality options.  Have a special request?  No problem.  Don’t worry about bringing a tuxedo by the way, as Celebrity has two evening dress guidelines, “Smart Casual” and “Evening Chic”, the latter of which is intended to be less dressy than traditional formalwear, though of course if you’re so inclined, you can join some other guests in dressing things up a bit whenever you’d like.

Specialty Restaurants

I’ll admit, I think DCL’s Palo and Remy are spectacular, and the various meals, such as dinner, brunch, dessert, etc. are really nice so you can mix it up.  Celebrity ships have many specialty options as well, depending on the ship and itinerary, there can be as many as seven options, including a raw bar, steak house, French cuisine, and more.  Some specialty dining options also include a show, Le Petite Chef, which I mentioned in part 2.

Another option worth calling out is Eden Restaurant on Edge class, which offers not only delicious and creative cuisine, but you get a whole different perspective on the amazing shows going on in Eden Lounge.  Explaining this space would take a while, which is why I’ve written about it multiple times over on CruiseHabit.com.  Just know you’ve never seen a show or had a meal like this.  Like all the restaurants in Celebrity, service is superb, and in fact on our last meal there our server remembered what we enjoyed on a previous sailing and had the chef prepare an extra course of that dish.

I actually feel like on Celebrity, compared to not just Disney, but several other lines, I get to enjoy the variety of dining options more because while the food is plentiful, it doesn’t tend to be over-salted or just ‘too much’.  If you’re inclined to enjoy specialty dining (as we often do – but not always), there ways to save too, like pre-booking, dining packages, or just using some of the onboard credit available in some of the Celebrity ‘perks’ packages, where you can build in drinks, WiFi, gratuities, and more.

Other Places to Eat on Celebrity

Of course there are other options like room service, poolside bars, smoothies/juices, sandwiches, and of course…buffets.  Cabanas (the buffet on DCL ships) has a fun atmosphere – but in terms of variety and quality, they’ve got nothing on Oceanview Cafe aboard Celebrity ships.  

Each meal, in addition to featured items and themes, there are multiple stations with different types of cuisine, such as Indian, Italian, sandwich stations, and pan-Asian.  Desserts are markedly better than any non-luxury line (though I’ll give an honorable mention to Holland America Line here for making sugar-free and NSA desserts that are no compromise at all). While I see Cabanas as a convenient option, Oceanview Cafe is something I look forward to.  On some sailings we’ve eaten there more than any other venue.

In Summary: Where We Landed Between DCL and Celebrity

Loyalty doesn’t pay – at least not in picking cruise lines.  To this day I don’t have a single “favorite” line, and I don’t think there is a “best” cruise line, because it’s just too subjective, and there are too many considerations.  If we’re going on a cruise with friends that have kids, we might sail based on their preferences, or if we’re looking for a specific itinerary, that might drive us.  This is why we’ll keep sailing Disney Cruise Line, and Holland America, MSC, Oceania, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Celebrity, and others.  In fact, I can rattle off which lines I think have the best food, music, activities, and more (just ask, and know once I get started I don’t easily stop) – but it’s a balance, and for more and more of our trips, Celebrity strikes that balance.  The experienced and awesome folks at TouringPlans travel are great about understanding your vacation goals, so you can strike that balance, too.

Cruising in and of itself can be so wonderful, and many of us will enjoy any line we sail, so it’s easy to forget that there are other lines than the one you’re enjoying now.  Whatever your preference, just know there is a whole world of cruising options out there – and they all have something to offer.  My worst day at sea is better than my best day on land, and some of the best days at sea have been spent on cruises I’d never have taken if I didn’t try other lines and get a new fantastic point of view.

Considering a Celebrity Cruise? Thinking of sticking with Disney Cruise Line? The TouringPlans Travel Agency can help you get wherever you want to go. Get a free quote today at touringplans.com/travel.

Billy Hirsch is the creator of CruiseHabit.com where he shares tips, insights, and reviews of various cruises and related activities. He’s a Disney nerd, a cruise nut, a tech junky, and a former travel agent. Having started cruising as a baby, Billy has been fortunate enough to have taken over 60 cruises on various lines in different parts of the world. He has had a lifelong obsession with cruising, both as a leisure activity and the inner workings of the industry itself. You can frequently find him as CruiseHabit on Twitter and Facebook answering cruise questions or broadcasting live from ship and shore.  

The post Celebrity Cruise Lines Part 3: Describing Dining (and Final Thoughts) appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Beyond the Parks, Disney Cruise Line, celebrity cruise line

The holiday season at Walt Disney World Resort starts today, and we’re unwrapping more details about the magical experiences happening across our theme parks and Disney Springs, including special pop-up appearances by Santa Claus. Read on for all the festive fun!

Magic Kingdom Park

Your favorite characters don their holiday best and celebrate the season in a series of special cavalcades, complete with Christmastime floats and music. From Mickey and friends trimming a tree to Goofy and his pals whipping up a bakeshop full of scrumptious treats, character cavalcades bring holiday spirit to the streets of Magic Kingdom throughout the day. And keep your eyes open for Santa when he glides down the parade route in his sleigh.

Main Street, U.S.A. is the spot to catch the Holiday Trolley, bringing festive harmonies from the Dapper Dans barbershop quartet, and you may just see some Toy Soldiers joining the Main Street Philharmonic when they march through Magic Kingdom playing their merry melodies.

At night, holiday magic brings a festive look to Cinderella Castle with special projection effects, producing a kaleidoscope of designs including festive stripes and dots, a whimsical Christmas sweater look, a jeweled winter castle and a regal overlay of red, green and gold ornamentation. It’s sure to provide the perfect colorful backdrop for your holiday photos.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park

Holiday fun returns to Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, bringing unique seasonal décor and a flurry of festive flotillas with favorite Disney characters sailing down the Discovery River to a jolly holiday soundtrack.

“Donald’s Dino Bash Festive Flotilla” takes its seasonal celebration to the water, with character friends waving to everyone as they pass, and Chip ‘n’ Dale jingle through the jungle, bringing their own style of holiday flair to the river. The Discovery Island Drummers cruise along, too, entertaining guests on the shore with an energetic holiday beat. And when Santa Claus makes the trek to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, he’ll spread the joyous spirit of the season to all he sees along the way.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios get their own visit from Santa when he brings glitz and glamour to a motorcade down Hollywood Boulevard, led by an entourage of elves and riding in his red convertible packed with presents. And just in time for the holiday season, “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” adds a festive finale, featuring everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf, and celebratory songs of the season.

After dark, the iconic Hollywood Tower Hotel on Sunset Boulevard will twinkle with projection effects as it becomes the Hollywood Holiday Tower Hotel, magically transforming into a Muppets gingerbread masterpiece, a Toy Story toy hotel, a snowy corner of Arendelle and a Dickensian village inspired by “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.”

Disney Springs

The holidays arrive at Disney Springs on Nov. 7, when the area will transform into a winter wonderland, full of sparkling lights, enchanting décor and holiday surprises. Disney Springs is the place to find the perfect gift for everyone on your list – including yourself!  And here, you’ll want to take a break and savor the comforting flavors of the season.

As you wander, you can enjoy the Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll presented by AdventHealth, with elaborately decorated, Disney-themed trees appearing throughout the shopping, dining and entertainment district. There will also be music-playing DJs during the day, and in the evening, stilt-walking toy soldiers, skating snowflakes and a magical snowfall will add a touch of wonder for holiday shoppers at surprise locations.

Santa and Mrs. Claus are also making the trip to Disney Springs this year, where later in November you’ll be able to catch them soaking up their last bit of Florida sunshine before their big night. Look for them cruising Lake Buena Vista and sharing Christmas wishes from a pair of colorfully decorated pontoon boats.

Disney Parks Holiday Merchandise

You can bring the Disney Parks magic of the season home with you with new holiday-themed merchandise available throughout Walt Disney World Resort, as well as the Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street at Disneyland Resort in California (starting Nov. 19) and online at shopDisney.com. From apparel to accessories to homeware and more, these very merry collections feature the latest ear headbands, spirit jerseys for adults and children, plush, mini-backpacks by Loungefly, cloth face coverings and more. Highlights include:

• The first Disney Parks holiday snow blower
• Matching holiday onesies for the whole family
• Fuzzy clogs by Crocs
• A new holiday collection from BaubleBar
• And much more!

This is just a sampling of all the festive fun you will enjoy at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort this year. And there’s more to come! EPCOT gets into the spirit a little later in the month, when the Taste of EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays presented by AdventHealth kicks off Nov. 27 with live entertainment, Holiday Kitchens, the Holiday Cookie Stroll and more.

The Disney Parks Blog is also celebrating #DisneyMagicMoments of the season with our special new “Everything Holidays” section, featuring live events, DIY activities and more festive content through the end of 2020. So keep checking back here with us for more!

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Disney Springs, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, DAK, DHS, DLR, Holidays, Merchandise, MK, WDW

Today was a nice day of  low to moderate waits throughout Walt Disney World. The weather was fantastic, too. And we received at least 130 actual wait times today from our Lines app folks! Let’s do the numbers.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Avatar Flight of Passage had an average posted wait time today of 51 minutes. That’s just 2 above its 7-day average is 49 minutes, putting today at #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #19 for the past month. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 65% of the posted wait time.

Na’vi River Journey had an average wait time today of 46 minutes. Its 7-day average is 42 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #11 for the past month.

DINOSAUR had an average wait time today of 35 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #11 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 85% of the posted wait time.

Expedition Everest had an average wait time today of 27 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #18 for the past month.  We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 50% of the posted wait time.

Kali River Rapids had an average wait time today of 24 minutes. Its 7-day average is 20 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 24 minutes, so today ranks #14 for the past month.

Kilimanjaro Safaris had an average wait time today of 18 minutes. Its 7-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 22 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 60% of the posted wait time.

If you’re planning on visiting Walt Disney World this holiday season, you’ll need a special tool at your side. Subscribe today and get our Lines app too.

 

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Rise of the Resistance had a tough day, which led to long wait times in the rest of the park. Today’s overall average wait times rank at number 18 in the last 30 days.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster had an average wait time today of 50 minutes. Its 7-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror had an average wait time today of 50 minutes. Its 7-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 48 minutes, so today ranks #11 for the past month.

Toy Story Mania! had an average wait time today of 29 minutes. Its 7-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month. We received 10 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 36% of the posted wait time.

Slinky Dog Dash had an average wait time today of 64 minutes. Its 7-day average is 64 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 67 minutes, so today ranks #20 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 76 minutes, so today ranks #159 for the past year.

Alien Swirling Saucers had an average wait time today of 20 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month.

Tough day at Rise of the Resistance, which had several delays in calling boarding groups today.  The longest outage was from around 10:45 a.m. through noon, with another from around 1 p.m. until 1:35 p.m.; a third, shorter delay seems to have been experienced around 3 p.m.

EPCOT Wait Times

Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 32 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 37 minutes, so today ranks #14 for the past month.  We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 81% of the posted wait time.

Spaceship Earth had an average wait time today of 16 minutes. Its 7-day average is 18 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #15 for the past month.

Test Track had an average wait time today of 47 minutes. Its 7-day average is 56 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 63 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month.

Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 13 minutes. Its 7-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #16 for the past month.

Mission: SPACE Orange had an average wait time today of 21 minutes. Its 7-day average is 24 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month.

The Seas with Nemo & Friends had an average wait time today of 10 minutes. Its 7-day average is 11 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #17 for the past month.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 40 minutes. Its 7-day average is 54 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 59 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 72% of the posted wait time.

Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 21 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 40 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 60% of the posted wait time.

Splash Mountain had an average wait time today of 33 minutes. Its 7-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 60 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. We received 9 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 89% of the posted wait time.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait time today of 35 minutes. Its 7-day average is 39 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past month. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 56% of the posted wait time.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an average wait time today of 18 minutes. Its 7-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 72% of the posted wait time.

“it’s a small world” had an average wait time today of 29 minutes. Its 7-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 36 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 117% of the posted wait time.

Jungle Cruise had an average wait time today of 33 minutes. Its 7-day average is 40 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 41 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past month. We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 108% of the posted wait time.

Peter Pan’s Flight had an average wait time today of 22 minutes. Its 7-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month.  We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 83% of the posted wait time.

Pirates of the Caribbean had an average wait time today of 30 minutes. Its 7-day average is 39 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 105% of the posted wait time.

The Haunted Mansion had an average wait time today of 26 minutes. Its 7-day average is 38 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 61% of the posted wait time.

Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid had an average wait time today of 14 minutes. Its 7-day average is 21 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 111% of the posted wait time.

The post Another Nice Weekday – Walt Disney World Wait Times for Thursday, November 5, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Walt Disney World (FL), disney wait times, walt disney world crowds