A Blog About Disney Stuff

This year guests are allowed to wear costumes to Magic Kingdom during the day, due to the cancellation of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. I decided that it would be fun for my toddler son and I to take advantage of this. There was just one problem: I don’t like putting together elaborate costumes. So I aimed to devise a costume that would be comfortable and easy to put together.

If you’re like me and prefer to put together practical costumes, especially if you’re attending an outdoor event, comfort is key. Here are my tips for putting together a park-friendly costume. These tips can apply to any outdoor events you may attend, not just heading to Magic Kingdom.

• Look for clothing that resembles the colors of the character or item you wish to portray.
• Wearing regular clothes that resemble the character will allow for mobility and comfort.
• Look for materials that breathe, like 100% cotton or performance wear, rather than stretch and polyester.
• Loose fitting apparel helps with breathability, but be sure it won’t be a potential tripping hazard.
• Pick out at least one accessory to add to your outfit that will help complete the look.
• Bring a change of clothes in case the weather doesn’t match with your costume.

I selected Sorcerer Mickey and one of his brooms as our costumes. My son loves the movie “Fantasia 2000” and he likes to pretend we’re the brooms from the Sorcerer Mickey segment, carrying around buckets through the house. I figured I could easily put together clothing that would resemble Sorcerer Mickey, since he wears a large red tunic, and his black legs are mostly covered by it. This led me to use a red shirt that was slightly too big for my son, and a pair of black leggings. Of course, we had to complete the look with a Sorcerer Mickey hat.

For my costume I was totally about comfort. When I visit the theme parks, just me and my toddler, I am all about being able to move easy and take care of my toddler. I opted for beige pants and a long sleeve top. In hopes of conveying the image of a brooms bristles I used a brown hula skirt. The only way this look kind of worked is if my son was right next to me. Even then I am sure a few people thought I was a reject from Festival of the Lion King. I had hoped to have a wooden bucket to carry with me, sadly Amazon did not come through in time.

I did bring a change of clothes for us both. My son was not interested in changing, but I did change out of my long sleeve shirt after our photos were taken. I was so concerned with keeping him hydrated that I should have done a better job hydrating myself.

We were fairly comfortable, and I think the look I was going for was accomplished in the end. I will certainly cherish the photos we have, and we can easily put these outfits together again if we end up having another outdoor Halloween event to attend.

What costume tips do you have? Have you dressed up in costume or done Disney Bound in the parks? Let us know in the comments.

The post How to Make a Park-Friendly Costume appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Celebrations, Dos and Don’ts, Halloween, kids, Magic Kingdom, disney bound, disney clothing, disney halloween, magic kingdom halloween

If you need a little pixie dust and you’re heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios soon, you may want to add Walt Disney Presents to your touring plan. The “One Man’s Dream” film is reinstated and now playing. Whether you’re interested in the movie or not, Walt Disney Presents is a great walk-through attraction that is a must-do for any Disney fan.

This indoor attraction puts priceless Disney treasures on display. To me there is no better way to learn about Walt Disney and some of the history of the Disney Company than by visiting this attraction. You can walk through at your pace. Displays include licensed merchandise that is nearly 100 years old, equipment and cells used to make Disney animated films and shorts, and even Walt Disney’s childhood school desk.

Many visitors love viewing the models of classic Disney attractions like The Jungle Cruise and even a portion of Disneyland’s original Main Street U.S.A. Viewing the intricate details on these models is delightful and inspiring. I personally find it fascinating to see all the work that goes into the creative process. Aspiring designers and professional creatives are sure to enjoy these different artifacts and pieces.

Walt Disney Presents opened as part of the “100 Years of Magic” celebration which honored Walt Disney’s 100th birthday in 2001. It has evolved over the years. Its most recent incarnation has movie previews often in place of the classic “One Man’s Dream” film. It is not a hugely attended attraction so if you are looking to escape some of the crowds you may experience in Hollywood Studios this is a great spot.

As you can imagine, Walt Disney Presents is one of the attractions on our Lines app, that shows “Ride Any Time” pretty much all the time. Make your vacation dreams come true and become a TouringPlans Subscriber to have access to the Lines app, and many more resources.

Have you ever watched the “One Man’s Dream” film? Are you glad to see it has returned?

The post Good News! The “One Man’s Dream” Film is BACK at Walt Disney Presents appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Dos and Don’ts, Hollywood Studios, In the Parks, disney reopening, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, hollywood studios, hollywood studios attractions, Walt Disney

This is part 2 of our series on early mornings at Walt Disney World. See part 1, Current State of Transportation at Walt Disney World, here. 

Depending on your definition of “Rope Drop”, it is not happing at Walt Disney World at this time. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, all parks would allow people to arrive early and be held behind a rope at the park entrance or just inside (for instance, on Main Street).  At the Magic Kingdom guests were encouraged to arrive at the park 1 hour before the official opening time and explore the shops on Main Street. Each park had their own “Rope Drop” procedures, but people who were at the park for “Rope Drop” were the first people in the park and were able to do their first few rides with extremely low wait times.

Now, Disney has evaluated the flow of guests and changed the morning process. Their strategy is to limit any bottlenecks that cause guests to gather in large groups. Disney is allowing cars to back up at the toll booths until the temperature check stations are open. People sitting in their cars are socially distanced.  Parking lot trams are not being used so people don’t cluster waiting on them. Buses will be held back if there is a backup at the temperature screening. If there is a backup at security, guests will be held at temperature screening. If there is a backup at the touchstiles (touchless turnstiles), guests will be held at security. Once you enter the park, the park is open and many attractions are running. The Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios seem to try to start allowing guests into the park 50 minutes early. EPCOT and the Animal Kingdom are allowing guests in 30 minutes early. What attractions are open early is a bit random. All rides have safety checks that they have to clear in the morning. The most popular attractions will be open when guests are allowed into the park if possible. Restaurants that are open for breakfast will be open and shops will be open. Disney will not miss an opportunity to take your money.

Getting to the entrance of the parks early is a bit harder with Disney’s strategy to prevent bottlenecks. Guests who can walk to a park have the most control when they arrive. I have another blog post covering current transportation options and tips on how to get to the parks early.

For guests wanting to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, they need to arrive at Hollywood Studios before 10 a.m. so they can try and get a spot in the virtual queue. Disney opens the virtual queue a second time, but for a better chance of getting on Rise of the Resistance, guests should try first to get in the virtual queue at 10 a.m., and then 2 p.m. if they were unsuccessful the first time. The other parks do not currently have a virtual queue, but it is still valuable to arrive early. The shortest lines for popular attractions will be before the parks officially open. Now with the later opening times, parks become more crowded early, and the peak wait times happen earlier. At the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, you can get 2-3 rides done before the parks open. At EPCOT and the Animal Kingdom, you can get in 1-2 rides in before the parks open. If you can knock out a few popular attractions on your touring plan you will be well ahead of other guests.

Using a Touring Plan

Currently, it is not possible to use a touring plan before the official park opening time. Predicting what will be open and what the wait times will be before the parks open is not possible, as ride openings are completely at the whim of Disney on any given day. To best use a touring plan, design it for park opening hours, mark the items you do before park opening as done, and then re-optimize the plan at the park opening time.

Is it worth it?

It takes more effort to arrive at the parks early, but it is defiantly worth the effort. Currently, parks have limited hours. Any attractions that you can experience before the parks open will save you hours of waiting in lines in the afternoon. There is a Facebook Live video of  the Magic kingdom when I arrived 50 minutes before the park opened.  In summary, I rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Big Thunder Mountain, and Pirates of Caribean between 8:10 and 9:00 am on September 19, 2020. Below is a YouTube video showing my morning at Hollywood Studios when I arrived at 9:00 a.m. on September 24, 2020.

Creating a touring plan, or using one of our specialty created premium plans, can save you hours in line. See more and become a subscriber today here.

Are you a “rope drop” type of person? Do you find the park hours make it easier or harder to arrive early? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The post “Rope Drop” During COVID-19 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

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

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

What is the Pillory?

In the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Square, as you’re strolling past the entrance to the Riverboat attraction, you’ll pass a wooden post with perpendicular boards attached. The boards have three holes on either side. That’s a pillory. It’s part of the Colonial era themeing of Liberty Square.

A pillory was a device of punishment, meant for public humiliation, typically in a town square. A prisoner would be locked into the pillory, with his head in the larger center hole, with his hands on either side. As townsfolk passed, they would deride the person locked in the pillory, possibly adding injury to insult by throwing rotten fruit. The Magic Kingdom version has space for two people.

At Disney, this is a popular spot for silly photos.

Who gets locked up? Was Dad a grump at breakfast? Put him in the pillory! In a Derek Burgan Saturday Six post about Liberty Square, he notes that for families that go to Disney World every year, it can be fun to see a passage of time through photo ops like this.

If members of your family are too short to pose in the pillory, you can try placing them in the nearby stocks, a similar device that’s set low to the ground. In the pillory, the prisoner stands, but in the stocks they can sit.

Note: Some historical documents assert that the pillory was used to restrain prisoners as they were whipped, while the stocks were used for public humiliation. I’m hoping that Disney had tomato tossing in mind, rather than actual torture, when they added a pillory to the Magic Kingdom.

Let us know what Disney topics you think need just a bit more explanation.

The post Disney in a Minute: What is the Pillory? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square