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We have determined you’d be definitely be delighted to dig down for more deals on the Dolphin!

Previously, On Priceline

If you haven’t been paying attention then get with the program Skippy no worries, we’ve got you covered. Back at the start of September the Dolphin was first re-opening. There was a a week of Express Deals at the start of the month hovering mostly above $110, followed by several weekends of deals around $123. Then I noticed a whole bunch of $115 deals during much of November.

Well, I’m here to tell you it gets even better. The current Dolphin deals out there are mostly around $18 to $24 less than the last time I blogged about them. In fact, on the last two days of the month the deals dropped to be $88 less than the previous round! As Goofy would say, Wahooohoohoo!

If this post makes you want to sharpen up your mouse and go find some deals to book, I suggest you go back and check my previous post More Dolphin Deals to learn a few tricks on how to tease out the resort on Priceline Express. Long story short: the Dolphin does not always show up in initial search results, so opening any 4-star deal in Bonnet Creek will often cause a Dolphin deal to pop up on the results page or show in the Similar Express Deals section at the bottom of the deal you just opened.

You’ll want to note that there are still Yacht Club Express Deals out there in November – as well as a nice batch of $139 Caribbean Beach deals as well.

DVC Interlude

In the name of providing you all with as many options as we can, here’s another place you may want to check to find some really good deals: DVCReservations has a real time Flash Sale page where they list emergency offers. Right now I see a Beach Club studio for 6 nights for $1,274 and an Animal Kingdom studio for 5 nights for $1,279. Definitely worth keeping an eye on those deals – they seem to go fast.

Beware the Scary Resort Feeees Glitch

Thought I’d get a little Halloween spirit in there, because I want to warn you about a weird glitch on some of these Priceline Express deals right now: you may find that on certain multiple day bookings that the mandatory (aka resort) fee on the booking page has an amount much higher than you’d expect for the Dolphin. (It is also happening on Swan deals.) I have not found any pattern to the problem, but below is an example of the issue.

You can see in this example that we are booking 5 nights, so would expect to see a mandatory fee of ($30 times 5) = $150. But the fee is almost double! I first noticed this was happening last week when the mandatory fee presented for these same dates was a whopping $571.83 – or almost 4 times the expected amount.

Oddly enough, when I try slightly different dates the fee goes back to normal. So, let this be a warning: (say it with me): Always. Double. Check. The. Fees.

I don’t know what sort of recourse one might have if you booked one of these deals and didn’t realize the fee was exorbitant. So, better safe than sorry (and poorer).

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, it is also usually a very good idea to check the current rates at the resort’s own web site. Sometimes their own refundable deals can be close enough to the non-refundable Express Deals to make them worth considering, even for a few extra dollars.

The Calendar of Deals

Now that I’ve hopefully gotten you excited over deeper Dolphin discounts (and maybe scared your wallet into hiding from resort fee glitches), I’d like to present the new November Dolphin Deals calendar. And, for today only (because on the day you read this post it will always be today) I have included the previous Dolphin Express Deal rates so you can see the changes more easily.

The average rate of all the Dolphin Express Deals I’ve recorded over the last few years is $160. As you can see, these November rates are very nice.

If you’ve booked any of these deals or just need some post-resort-fee therapy, let us know in the comments!

The post Priceline Express Deals: Dolphin Dives Deeper appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: discounts, Resorts, Walt Disney World (FL), priceline

Posted wait times throughout Walt Disney World were near their monthly lows today.  Even with a bit of afternoon rain, it was a great day to visit the parks. Weekdays are much better than weekends right now. Let’s do the numbers.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average posted wait time today of 41 minutes. That’s 17 minutes below its 7-day average of 58 minutes, so today is the 2nd slowest day of the week. 7DMT’s 30-day average is 60 minutes and today ranks #29 for the past month. We received 6 actual wait times today at Mine Train, and the actual wait averaged 63% of the posted wait time.

Splash Mountain had an average wait time today of 41 minutes, and actual wait times averaged almost half – 54% – of the posted wait. Splash’s 7-day average is 58 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week; it’s also #29 for the past month.

A bunch of other rides had posted waits very close to their monthly lows, including these:

• Haunted Mansion’s average wait time today was 31 minutes. Its 7-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the last month.
• Peter Pan’s Flight average wait was 23 minutes. Its 7-day average is 33 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month.
• Jungle Cruise had an average wait time today of 31 minutes – that’s #5 for the week, #28 for the month, and #193 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today for Jungle Cruise, and the actual wait averaged 74% of the posted wait time.
• Pirates of the Caribbean average wait was 33 minutes. Its 7-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month.
• Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 17 minutes. Its 7-day average is 39 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 43 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month.
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an average wait time today of 17 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had the highest average posted waits today at 45 minutes. Its 7-day average is 46 minutes, so that makes today #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #14 for the past month.

As you can see, weekdays are the way to go. If you’ve got to visit during a busy weekend, have a special tool at your side. Subscribe today and get our Lines app too.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue had an average wait time today of 22 minutes, but even that might be inflated: We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 44% of the posted wait time. Even so, 22 minutes is well below Star Tours’ 7-day average of 32 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 29 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #143 for the past year.

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 71 minutes. Its 7-day average is 84 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 84 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month.

Over in Toy Story Land, Slinky Dog Dash had an average wait time today of 59 minutes. Its 7-day average is 68 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 69 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. And Toy Story Mania had an average wait time today of 23 minutes. Its 7-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month.

In Galaxy’s Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run had an average wait time today of 47 minutes. Its 7-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month.

Rise of the Resistance boarding groups went well through the late morning and into the early afternoon. It looks like there was a delay of about 45 minutes around 2:45 p.m. today around Boarding Group 51, and then things got back on track around 3:30 p.m.

EPCOT Wait Times

The (relatively low crowd trend continued at EPCOT today.  Frozen Ever After had an average wait time today of 49 minutes. Its 7-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 63 minutes, putting today at #26 for the past month.

Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 12 minutes. Its 7-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #18 for the past month.  And Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 16 minutes, 20 minutes lower than its 7-day average.  Today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 36 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 67% of the posted wait time.

Journey Into Imagination With Figment had an average wait time today of 6 minutes. Its 7-day average is 16 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week.

Spaceship Earth had an average wait time today of 10 minutes. Its 7-day average is 18 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 18 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month. And Test Track had an average wait time today of 47 minutes (#5 week / #23 month / #128 year).

Finally, The Seas with Nemo & Friends had an average wait time today of 7 minutes. Its 7-day average is 12 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 12 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Let’s start where it all began: Africa.  Kilimanjaro Safaris average posted wait today was 15 minutes.  That’s below its 7-day average of 21 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 21 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #199 for the past year – a slow day at the Safaris.

Over in Asia, Expedition Everest had an average wait time today of 15 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. And Kali River Rapids had an average wait time today of 13 minutes (#4 week / #25 month).

In Pandora, Na’vi River Journey had an average wait time today of 35 minutes. Its 7-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #185 for the past year.

Finally, Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 28 minutes. Its 7-day average is 64 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 103 minutes, so today ranks #192 for the past year.

The post Today’s Crowds Lowest of Past Month – Walt Disney World Wait Times for Tuesday, October 27, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Trip Planning, Walt Disney World (FL), disney crowds, disney reopening, disney wait times

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is my favorite park to bring my toddler, more than Magic Kingdom. The animal interaction is beyond anything you’d experience at a standard zoological park. Exhibits and attractions that speak to all ages are offered at Animal Kingdom. One of the best activities for kids is the Wilderness Explorers Interactive Attraction. This collection of interactive stops throughout the park used to be very hands-on. So you may be wondering how the Wilderness Explorers experience works with COVID-19 precautions in place. Here’s how it works.

• Each station has a marker for participating Explorers and their parties to stand six feet from the Cast Member.
• There are distancing markers for any guests waiting their turn.
• Each badge that is earned is peeled and placed on the edge of the table for retrieving from a safe distance.
• Cast Members have modified some of the hands-on activities to options that can be done at home or on your own in the park. For example, one of the stations in Asia used to have a plaque that participants used paper and pencil to do a rubbing of. Now, Explorers are encouraged to draw objects they observe in the area.
• Hours are modified to 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

We participated in a few stations with our toddler son, and I noticed that some Cast Members were able to modify their activity based on his young age. Along the Maharajah Jungle Trek the Cast Member asked us to draw a tiger at home in the Wilderness Explorers booklet and then look up photos of the six different species of tiger to decide which one our drawing looks like the most. I had no idea there are six species of tigers. Then, the family behind us had older kids with them and the Cast Member explained how they use a ball for play enhancement with the tigers, showing the claw marks on the example ball.

Admittedly, I had not participated in Wilderness Explorers activities before the COVID-19 precautions were put in place. However, I have years of witnessing it during my visits to Animal Kingdom, and working there as well. To me the interaction, the personal attention each child receives, and the fun of exploring the park in this way is still intact even with the precautions. Wilderness Explorers is a great program for kids of all ages, but it seems ideal for kids 3-8 years of age.

It is free to participate. Just visit any Wilderness Explorers station found throughout the park to get your booklet. Or, start at the main location just as you come out of the Oasis and enter Discovery Island; it is on your right as you face the Tree of Life. Here they will explain how to participate and initiate your little explorer with the Wilderness Explorer’s pledge and call. In the booklet it has a map of the park with each station noted on it. There are beautifully illustrated pages with facts about animals and pages with space to complete activities. Even though we haven’t participated in all activities in the entire park, we often read the booklet to our toddler because of the great animal and conservation information in it. As you complete an activity you are given a badge, which is a sticker to place on an assigned page in the book corresponding to the activity.

We’re big explorers here at TouringPlans and we are in the parks daily to explore the latest information so that our tools and resources are up-to-date. Become a TouringPlans Subscriber to have access to all our resources so you can have the best Walt Disney World vacation ever!

Have you become a Wilderness Explorer at Animal Kingdom? What was your favorite activity?

The post How to Participate in Wilderness Explorers Interactive Attraction at Animal Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, kids, Trip Planning, animal kingdom attractions, animal kingdom for kids, disney covid-19, disney reopening