A Blog About Disney Stuff

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

Today we wrap up our look at all the touring plans that reflect changes in the Walt Disney World theme parks from social distancing rules and closures due to COVID-19. The Animal Kingdom One-Day Touring Plan is the standard one-day touring plan of the park, and includes major attractions. If you then wish to ride Flight of Passage without an excessive wait we suggest you arrive at the Animal Kingdom gates one hour before the park opens and ride Flight of Passage first.

STEPS
1) Avatar Flight of Passage Take flight on Avatar Flight of Passage as soon as the park opens. Avatar Flight of Passage is one of the most technologically advanced rides Disney has ever produced: a flight simulator in which you hop on the back of a winged, dragonlike Pandora banshee for a spin to take in the planet’s scenery. The flying effects are very well done. You can turn your head almost 90° either way, and about 45° up and down, to survey the Pandora landscape. Flight of Passage ranks high with all age groups.
2) Na’vi River Journey Take a cruise on Na’vi River Journey.   The Na’vi River Journey is a 4½-minute boat ride through the Pandora jungle. You begin by boarding one of two small, hewn rafts joined together. Each raft has two rows of seats, and each row can fit up to three adults. The big star is displayed in the ride’s culminating scene: the Shaman of Songs, easily one of  the most lifelike animatronic figure Disney has ever created.
3) Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain Confront the yeti on Expedition Everest.   The only true roller coaster in Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest vies with Avatar Flight of Passage for the park’s longest waits in line—and for good reason. Your journey begins in an elaborate waiting area modeled after a Nepalese village; then you board an old train headed for the base camp of Mount Everest. Throughout the waiting area are posted notes from previous expeditions, some with cryptic observations regarding a mysterious creature said to guard the mountain. These ominous signs are ignored (as if you have a choice!), resulting in a high-speed encounter with the Abominable Snowman himself.
4) DINOSAUR Go to DinoLand and ride Dinosaur. Dinosaur is a combination track ride and motion simulator. In addition to moving along a cleverly hidden track, the ride vehicle also bucks and pitches (the simulator part) in sync with the visuals and special effects. Dinosaur serves up nonstop action from beginning to end, with brilliant visual effects. Elaborate even by Disney standards, the tense, frenetic ride is embellished by the entire Imagineering arsenal of high-tech gimmickry.
5) Maharajah Jungle Trek Walk through the Maharajah Jungle Trek.   This walk is similar to the Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail but with an Asian setting and Asian animals. You start with Komodo dragons and work up to Malayan flying foxes. Next is a cave with fruit bats. Ruins of the maharajah’s palace provide the setting for Bengal tigers. From the top of a parapet in the palace you can view a herd of blackbuck antelope and Asian deer. The trek concludes with an aviary. Labyrinthine, overgrown, and elaborately detailed, the temple ruin would be a compelling attraction even without the animals.
6) Eat Lunch   Eat lunch. Our favorite counter-service restaurants are Flame Tree Barbecue on Discovery Island and Satu’li Canteen in Pandora.
7) Kilimanjaro Safaris Take a trip on Kilimanjaro Safaris.   Animal Kingdom’s premier zoological attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris offers an exceptionally realistic, albeit brief, imitation of an actual African photo safari. Guests board tall, open vehicles and are dispatched into a simulated African veldt habitat. Animals such as zebras, wildebeests, impalas, Thomson’s gazelles, giraffes, and even rhinos roam apparently free, while predators such as lions, as well as potentially dangerous large animals like hippos, are separated from both prey and guests by all-but-invisible, natural-appearing barriers. Another high ranking attraction for all ages.
8) Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail Explore Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.   As the trail winds between the domain of two troops of lowland gorillas, it’s hard to see what, if anything, separates you from the primates. Also on the trail is a hippo pool with an underwater viewing area, plus a naked mole rat exhibit. A highlight is an exotic-bird aviary so craftily designed that you can barely tell you’re in an enclosure.
9) Feathered Friends In Flight! Watch Feathered Friends In Flight.   This is a bird show in Asia’s Anandapur Theater, formerly home to UP! A Great Bird Adventure. Expect some audience participation.
10) Discovery Island Trails Walk through Discovery Island Trails.   Winding behind The Tree of Life is a series of walking trails that include around a dozen animal-viewing opportunities, from otters and kangaroos to lemurs, storks, and porcupines. Besides the animals, you’ll find verdant landscaping, waterfalls, and quiet spots to sit and reflect on your relationship with nature.
11) Eat Dinner   Eat Dinner if you’re hungry. Tiffins is the best Table Service restaurant in Animal Kingdom, or eat at Quick Service restaurant that you did not have lunch at.
12) Kali River Rapids Ride Kali River Rapids. Kali River Rapids is an unguided trip in a circular rubber raft down an artificial river; each raft has a topmounted platform that seats 12 people. The raft essentially floats free in the current and is washed downstream through rapids and waves. Because the “river” is fairly wide, with various currents, eddies, and obstacles, each trip is different and exciting. Oh, and you WILL get wet.
13) Valley of Mo’ara This is the part of the plan where we would tell you to tour Pandora after dark, but Animal Kingdom currently closes before the sun goes down. We’ll leave this step here for when Disney keeps the park open later than 5 p.m.

There’s no FastPass+ being offered at this time so you’ll have to do only standby lines. Don’t forget, you can customize and optimize this or any of our other touring plans using our personalized touring plans creator on the site or in our mobile app, Lines. Be sure to check out our other touring plans that will help you save time and money in Walt Disney World.

The post Animal Kingdom One-Day Touring Plan Updated For COVID-19 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Trip Planning, Walt Disney World (FL), touring plan