A Blog About Disney Stuff

It isn’t an understatement to say that we’re living in historic times. For historians, recording these events as they happen will prove useful for future generations. The Smithsonian National Museum of American History is specifically looking for the stories of Disney Parks fans and Cast Members during this unique time for the project Business and Work in the Time of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 virus is sweeping across the nation and around the globe. Infecting millions of people, the health of businesses is also compromised. Many companies are shuttered, some limp along, and a few are booming. Millions of workers are being thrown out of work and their lives are turned upside down.

“Business and Work in the Time of COVID-19”, a project by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, is documenting how U.S. businesses, workers, and consumers are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum would like to hear, in your own voice, reflections on how the pandemic has affected your work life.

Some questions to spur your thinking include: Has the pandemic affected your workplace or what you do? Have you been furloughed, laid off, or told to work from home? How did that affect your life?

Disney Cast Members are part of a large organization, but their insights can provide unique reflection about the country as a whole that goes beyond just working for a large company.

If you would like to participate, please share your story and send your insights to covid19@si.edu.

The post Smithsonian Museum of American History Looking for Cast Member, Disney Parks Fan Stories appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), COVID-19, Smithsonian

Sunday’s crowds were concentrated at Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom.  We got 180 actual wait times from folks in line today, and EPCOT’s posted wait times still seem too high as compared to those actual waits in line. Let’s do the numbers.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 67 minutes, slightly below its 7-day average of 68 minutes, making today #3 for the week and #5 for the month. To put that 67 minutes in perspective, it’s only the 145th highest average wait of the past year, and well below its yearly average of 84 minutes.

Splash Mountain’s average wait today was 73 minutes, tying its 7-day average.  That’s good for #4 for the week and #8 over the past month.  We received 11 actual wait times at Splash today, and the actual wait averaged 66% of the posted wait time.

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin had an average wait time today of 34 minutes (#4 week / #9 month / #125 year). We received 7 actual waits at Buzz today, averaging 60% of the posted wait time.

The Haunted Mansion had an average wait time today of 50 minutes. Its 7-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #8 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #109 for the past year. We received 11 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 61% of the posted wait time.

At the other end of the actual wait time ratios, “it’s a small world” had an average wait time today of 38 minutes (#5 week / #11 month / #77 year). We received 6 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 113% of the posted wait time.  That’s really unusual.

Actual waits around all of the Magic Kingdom were around 68% of the posted waits, so a posted wait of 40 minutes at Peter Pan’s Flight would’ve resulted in an actual wait of around 28 minutes.

EPCOT Wait Times

EPCOT was busy again on Sunday. As with Saturday, EPCOT’s headliner attractions posted wait times that would be relatively strong over the past year:

• Test Track had an average wait time today of 86 minutes. Its 7-day average is 67 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 59 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 58 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past year.
• Frozen Ever After had an average wait time today of 89 minutes – that’s good for #10 over the past year (and #1 for the past week and month). Frozen’s average wait over the past year is 58 minutes.
• Soarin’ had an average wait time today of 55 minutes. Its 7-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #2 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 40 minutes, so today ranks #47 for the past year.

It was even busy over at Journey Into Imagination With Figment, which had an average wait today of 28 minutes.  That’s #1 for the week, #3 for the month, and #23 for the past year.

That said, the actual wait times we got today averaged less than half of the posted wait times shown, so a posted wait of 20 minutes at Living with the Land resulted in an actual wait of just under 10 minutes.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

It was one of the least busy days of the past month over at the Studios:

• Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith had an average wait time today of 48 minutes, #6 for the week and #24 for the month.  We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 69% of the posted wait time.
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror had an average wait time today of 44 minutes. Its 7-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #23 for the past month. We received 5 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 67% of the posted wait time.
• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 78 minutes. Its 7-day average is 83 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 84 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month.

Over in Galaxy’s Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run had an average wait time today of 57 minutes. Its 7-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #20 for the past month (#148 for the year). We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 76% of the posted wait time.

It looks like Rise of the Resistance started having technical issues in the afternoon today, around 4:15 pm (as it did on Saturday), coming back online around 5:45 pm.  They’re currently calling Boarding Groups above 90, which is still a good day.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 87 minutes. Its 7-day average is 79 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 56 minutes, meaning today is #3 over the past month. Its 365-day average is 104 minutes, so today ranks #151 for the past year. Na’vi River Journey had an average wait time today of 51 minutes. Its 7-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 44 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #147 for the past year.

Expedition Everest’s average wait today was 45 minutes.  That’s about 9 over its 7-day average, so today was #1 for the week. Its 30-day average is 29 minutes, so today ranks #2 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #108 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 55% of the posted wait time.

Posted wait times at Animal Kingdom averaged 73% of the posted wait, so a posted wait of 35 minutes at Kilimanjaro Safaris would’ve meant an actual wait of around 26 minutes.  (Safari’s 365-day average is 52 minutes, so today ranks #146 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today here, and the actual wait averaged 55% of the posted wait time.)

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 Strong Attendance at 3 of 4 Parks – Walt Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, October 18, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is giving us an October surprise of its own. ABC Commissary has reopened with a new menu, and it’s actually pretty good. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of the busiest parks since reopening in July, and while the quick service dining options are plentiful, it’s nice to have another place to put people. Our team visited to check out some of the new menu and plot twist, some of the items are so good we may return to order them again!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has the worst layout of any of the Walt Disney World theme parks. And ABC Commissary has a strange location, tucked along a slender alley known as Commissary Lane, behind the Hyperion Theater and Echo Lake, a short distance from the Chinese Theater ( home to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway). You may feel a little cramped as you head toward ABC Commissary. There is amble seating inside, where the dining area has costumes and other interesting items from ABC television shows. There are tables outside too, along Commissary Lane. This location is meant to feel like a cafeteria at a working television or movie studios, which is part of the reason for its unusual location.

Our readers give ABC Commissary a 78% thumbs up rating, which is relatively low. It is ranked number 83 out of 108 reviews, but hopefully that ranking will improve with this new menu.  Mobile ordering is used here, which is very convenient. We recommend placing your order ahead of the lunch rush, while waiting in line at an attraction, then when you’re done at the attraction you can check-in for your food to be prepared.

The menu at ABC Commissary has been revamped, with a focus on fresh flavors that won’t weigh you down. Our team ordered the following, all of which are new menu items:

• Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Grilled Sourdough toasted with Buffalo Chicken, Monterey, Provolone, Cheddar, and Cream Cheese served with a side of Buffalo Sauce and your choice of side. – $10.99
• Mediterranean Salad with Chicken: Chicken Breast served over Mixed Greens with Tomatoes, Cucumber, Pepperoncini, Kalamata Olives, and Feta tossed in a Mediterranean Vinaigrette served with Hummus and Grilled Flatbread – $11.99
• Shrimp Tacos: Sautéed Shrimp on Flour Tortillas topped with Cabbage Slaw, Chipotle-Mayonnaise, and Mango Salsa served with Mexican Rice and Black Beans topped with Queso Fresco – $12.99

Up first, we’ll start with something fiery. The Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwich is packed with spicy Buffalo flavor. There’s four different kinds of cheese in this grilled cheese, but the sauce overpowered the creamy quad-blend of cheese. This would heat things up on a rare chilly Florida day. This item comes with your choice of side, we went with the Arugula-Farro Salad which did help tame the spice and is a nice healthful option.

Now to cool things down, the Mediterranean Salad with Chicken, is delightful! The toppings are plentiful and fresh. Usually the chicken that comes with a quick service salad from Disney is rubbery and gross, but we were pleasantly surprised with this salad. The hummus and grilled flatbread are a great addition that add value. This is on our list to order again sometime.

The Shrimp Tacos are the surprise hit of the bunch. The shrimp is spicy, and probably made a little more so because of the Chipotle-Mayonnaise, but not overpowering. The toppings of Cabbage Slaw, Chipotle-Mayonnaise, and Mango Salsa are California-inspired rather than authentic Mexican. The black beans turned out to be one of the best sides our team has had at Walt Disney World in a while. We didn’t try the Pork Carnitas Tacos, but if they’re anything like the Shrimp Tacos we think they’ll be delicious. There are two plant-based options and they both sound delightful: Curry Rice Bowl with Tofu and a Plant-Based California Burger.

There so many places to eat at Walt Disney World. Let us help you navigate it all and find the best options for your family. Become a TouringPlans Subsriber and you’ll have everything you need for the best Disney trip ever!

Which of these new items sounds the best to you?  Do you think ABC Commissary will redeem itself with the new menu?

 

The post REVIEW: ABC Commissary Reopens with a NEW Menu appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Hollywood Studios, Trip Planning, disney dining, disney reopening, disney’s hollywood studios dining

When Walt Disney World first reopened in July, it seemed like a ghost town. Fast forward three months later and the walkways feel pretty packed at times. Thankfully physical distancing is enforced and that’s why it feels more crowded than it actually is. Physical distancing is most evident in the lines for rides. With floor markers throughout the queue requiring six feet between groups the queues extend far beyond the attraction’s location.

What does this mean for you?

• Be prepared to be outside for quite a bit before reaching the attractions’ actual indoor or shaded queue.
• For many attractions you’ll end up having to walk quite a bit away from the entrance to actually reach the end of the queue.
• Walking through the park you will see extended queues throughout the walkways.
• You’ll need to look for Cast Members holding a sign to mark the end of the line.
• The lines do move quickly, but they can feel extra long.
• Using our Lines app will show you Expected Wait Times that are more accurate than Disney’s Posted Wait Times based on real-time data and actual wait times submitted throughout the day.

The extended queues are well organized and generally well marked. Because they hug the edge of walkways, so as to not impede the ability to move throughout the park, they do not have many switchbacks, and are mostly one continuous line until they reach the actual queue inside the building. This can make these lines appear very long.

And because these queues extend beyond the regular entrance you won’t see the Posted Wait Time at the end of the extended queue. This is another reason why having our Lines app will help, so you can see Expected and Actual Wait Times on your phone.

Whether you visit during a busy weekend, or a slower day according to our Crowd Calendar, you’ll want to have a plan in place so you can maximize your time. Visiting Walt Disney World right now is unlike any other time. We’re in the parks every day so we can bring you the most up the date information.

Have you been to Walt Disney World lately? Have you waited in any of these extended queues?

The post Extended Queues Are Taking Over Some of the Walkways at Walt Disney World appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Epcot, In the Parks, Magic Kingdom, animal kingdom rides, disney covid, disney crowds, disney reopening, disney wait times, magic kingdom rides