A Blog About Disney Stuff

The temperatures are creeping back up here in Orlando. So we thought it would be a good time to pull together the best ice cream-like treats of the season, at Walt Disney World. If you’re visiting from someplace that normally has chilly winter weather, it might be nice to enjoy a frosty festive treat in sunny Florida.

1) Pistachio Chai Tea Float

Up first, over at Adventureland’s Aloha Isle, we tried the Pistachio Chai Tea Float. If you’re looking for something festively different, you don’t want to miss this. Pistachio is a common flavor of gelato and glaces in Italy and France. It’s nice to see Magic Kingdom getting a little adventurous in Adventureland with this flavor. The Chai tea flavor and the Pistachio pair well for a holiday treat that has a nice balance of sweet and warm spices. It is topped with a small Red Velvet Cake Pop Ornament, which is tasty (as long as you like Red Velvet of course). This float is so great to have as another option besides peppermint, chocolate, gingerbread, or caramel for the holidays. It’s priced the same as a Dole Whip Float for $6.49.

2) Peppermint Bundt Cake Milkshake

You’ll find our next top ice cream treat at  Hollywood Scoops Ice Cream at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The description lists Peppermint Ice Cream as the base of the milkshake. I have to say, I think it was just vanilla. If it was made from Peppermint Ice Cream it had very weak flavor, and not bits of peppermint in it. However, there was a crushed peppermint rim which helped add the desired peppermint flavor. The topping is what makes this mammoth milkshake worthy of must-have status. A small piece of peppermint bark is nestled in a little mound of whipped cream. Then two mini bundt cakes are placed onto the straw. For $8.49 it is a fun treat and could be shared if you don’t want to overdo it.

3) Chocolate Peppermint Marshmallow Wand 

Okay, you caught me–this last one is totally cheating. It’s not ice cream at all. But, its shape and flavor is reminiscent of an ice cream bar. And the combination of chocolate and peppermint is irresistible. Even if you’re not a big marshmallow fan you should give this a try. As $4.99 it was of the lowest-price treats available and won’t weigh you down. You can find this at Zuri’s Sweet Shop in Animal Kingdom.

Have you tried any of the holiday treats at Walt Disney World this year? What’s your favorite? 

The post Top 3 Seasonal Holiday Treats for Ice Cream Lovers at Walt Disney World appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Snacks, disney christmas, disney desserts, disney ice cream

Ho, Ho, Ho and Happy Holidays! The temperatures may be dropping outside, but the holiday spirit is rising in the air. The most wonderful time of the year is quickly approaching, and you like many others, may find yourself decorating a bit earlier than previous years. Today we have two #DisneyCreators at Home who are here to share some festive DIY projects with a Disney twist! Get out the glitter and let’s get creative for this magical season.

Princess Tiana Wreath

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Nneka Mosley, better known as One Handy Momma, has dreamed up a holiday wreath fit for a princess, let’s make that Princess Tiana! The wife and mom of three, not only loves connecting with her followers via her blog, but she is also as great of a woodworker as any of Santa’s elves! Her twin daughters can’t get enough of Princess Tiana, so they were the inspiration behind her Princess Tiana holiday wreath.

A wreath, Princess Tiana doll, and colorful mesh ribbon are all easy objects to gather for this DIY wreath. Follow Nneka’s step-by-step directions to create holiday décor that will be the envy of every little girl in your home this holiday season. 

Gingerbread Mickey Ornaments

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With this Gingerbread Mickey template, puffy paint and a few other materials, you are on your way to making an ornament that will make even Scrooge smile! Leslie Brignac, the mom behind Minnie Van Mom, is the creator of this holiday keepsake that will no doubt become a family treasure. Inspired by her daughter’s Disney themed tree, this can be created at home in six easy steps! 

With these simple directions for two amazing crafts, all that’s left is gathering the family, making some hot chocolate and getting busy crafting! If you do create this wreath or ornament at your home, be sure to share and use the hashtags #DisneyMagicMoments and #DisneyHolidayMoments. Check back for more of these #DisneyCreators at Home stories on our “Everything Holidays” section on the Disney Parks Blog.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Crowds drove Magic Kingdom wait times to their fourth-highest posted average of the past month today, and EPCOT to the six-highest waits of the month. But average waits were lower at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.  We received 134 actual wait times today from Liners in the parks.  Let’s do the numbers!

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

A number of Magic Kingdom attractions had their highest average posted times of the week, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

 

EPCOT Wait Times

It looks like every attraction at EPCOT will post its highest posted wait time average of the week today, with solid crowds from park open to 4:30 p.m.

 

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Slinky Dog continues to have the highest average posted waits, with Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster second and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run third.

Rise of the Resistance ran well from park open until around 2:30 p.m., when it stopped calling boarding groups for about half an hour.  Rise had another outage, this time for over an hour, right at 4 p.m.  Those two delays means Rise is running slower than average for the past week.

 

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Just two attractions at Animal Kingdom posted their highest average wait times of the week today: DINOSAUR and Avatar Flight of Passage.

 

 

The post People Discover Magic Kingdom Is Fun! Disney World Wait Times for Saturday, November 21, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), wait times

Our team loves the ability to order takeout food from select Disney resort hotel restaurants via mobile ordering. It’s a great way to enjoy some of Disney’s delectable food from select table service restaurants without having to actually dine at the restaurant. Many folks are looking for ways to dine outside in the interest of safety, and this is a great option. You do not have to be staying at the resort to do the mobile ordering to-go.

Our team recently visited Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort to scope out the beautiful holiday decorations. And doing so gave a nice chance to try out the new takeout option via mobile ordering at Three Bridges Bar and Grill. The interesting thing about Three Bridges is that it is an outdoor bar and grill. With this in mind, the takeout options seems somewhat unnecessary, but being able to do mobile order takeout food allows guests to enjoy their food in whatever space they feel comfortable. Our team found there to be lots of seating options in the area, with great views.

 

The menu at Three Bridges Bar and Grill has a nice variety of small plates, entrees, and desserts that have fresh, vibrant flavors. The cuisine is internationally inspired rather than focusing just on Central American flavors. Our team ordered Braised Pork Tacos and Warm Churros. The Braised Pork Tacos has radish and carrot slaw, salsa verde, and Cojita cheese served with smoked paprika fries or fruit. For $14.00 the order came with three tacos and a nice serving of smoked paprika fries. This is just about the same price as some quick service meals in the parks, but so much better. It was a nice touch that the to-go container had a separate section for the side. This was a very satisfying meal, and a pretty good value.

The Warm Churros for $9.00 are served with chocolate sauce. These churros are slightly elevated with espelette sugar, which is a spice blend originating in France. It has a warm, bold flavor with mild heat, and tastes a little more sophisticated than the standard theme park churros. And, the serving of seven small churros was very generous.

In total our meal came to $23.00 before tax and was very satisfying. It’s not surprising that our meal was great, Three Bridges is currently rating number 35 out of 109 table service options at Walt Disney World, according to our readers. With plenty of outdoor seating throughout Coronado Springs Resort getting take out from Three Bridges via the MyDisneyExperience app is a convenient way to have a socially distant meal that is still full of quality.

Have you tried mobile ordering for takeout food from some of Disney’s resort restaurants? Which restaurant do you hope is next?

The post REVIEW – Mobile Ordering Takeout from Three Bridges Bar and Grill appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Resorts, disney dining, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

For years, thrill rides have been the name of the theme park game. In fact, before COVID-19, Disney World had begun construction on two new coasters – Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind for EPCOT and TRON Lightcycle Run for the Magic Kingdom. However, not everyone loves coasters or thrill rides. In fact, there are many Disney guests out there who feel sudden drops, dizzying heights, and high speeds are anything but magical.

So for my fellow Disney ride chickens, I’ve created a ranking system to help you know what to expect and maybe what to avoid when compiling your Animal Kingdom touring plan.

I’m breaking down the different elements of a ride that may be a little scary or extreme, such as drops, height, darkness, and speed. I’m also using a simple 1 to 3 scale with 1 being less intense and a 3 being the most intense.

Avatar Flight of Passage

Flight of Passage is a flight simulator attraction where guests experience the sensation of flight on the back of a banshee over and through the breathtaking landscapes of Pandora. Flight of Passage is often compared to EPCOT’s Soarin’ Around the World as it effectively simulates the feeling of flight and uses a giant screen coupled with scents and water effects. But what makes Flight of Passage unique from Soarin’ Around the World is its use of 3-D coupled with unique bike-style ride vehicles.

It is a difficult attraction to rate since it’s sort of a thrill ride and sorta not. The feeling of flight is definitely thrilling, and there are some close calls in the ride film, but I can’t say the ride is scary. I think it helps that, despite the massive screen and your 3-D glasses, you’re subconsciously aware that you’re not actually moving or up in the air and that takes aware a lot of the fear.

Also, the overall tone, along with the ride’s score, is  positive, triumphant, and even peaceful at times. The typical Disney ride formula where something goes wrong is absent so there isn’t that sense of alarm.

The ride vehicle definitely plays a part in how comfortable or uncomfortable guests feel on Flight of Passage. Some guests don’t like being isolated to their own bike or even riding in that position. Also, the restraints have been known to make some uncomfortable. On the other hand, other guests find that the restraints make them feel secure. It’s really dependant on the rider.

Height Rating: 2

Since the ride film depicts flight, you can expect the ride film to include a lot of heights. If you can handle Soarin,’ you can probably handle the heights in this attraction. I will add, however, that the rows of bikes are positioned on multiple floors; and if you look away from the screen and either far to the left or the right, you will notice other riders on bikes at various floor levels. Knowing you could be on a high floor may cause some uneasiness.

Claustrophobic Rating: 2

Once aboard your bike, restraints will come up against the back of your legs and your back to keep you secure during your ride. They do apply some pressure for optimal safety; but some guests find the pressure coupled with being locked in place claustrophobic.

DINOSAUR

DINOSAUR is a dark, thrilling hybrid of a dark ride and simulator where guests are tasked to travel back in time in a Time Rover to rescue a dinosaur before an asteroid hits the earth.

Many guests consider DINOSAUR to be the scariest ride in the park, and I’m one of them. This ride is very dark, very loud, very rough and jerky, and many of the audio-animatronics, including the hangry Carnotaurus, are legit scary. Still, there are no major drops or high speeds.

Darkness Rating: 3

As I said, this ride is very dark. Steer clear if this isn’t your thing.

Intensity Rating: 3

This rating isn’t because of any drops, inversions, or high speeds; it’s simply because of the scary nature of the ride. This is one where you need to know what your kids can handle before taking them on it.

Motion Sickness Rating: 2

Because this ride is so rough with plenty of up and down movements, motion sickness may be an issue for some.

Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is Animal Kingdom’s take on a runaway train coaster in a mountain. Think of it as a combo of Disneyland’s Matterhorn and the Magic Kingdom’s Big Thunder Mountain. This highly detailed coaster takes guests in and out of the snowy Forbidden Mountain to escape the legendary Yeti!

This coaster is the perfect blend of fun and thrill coupled with some of the best of Disney’s signature storytelling. There are no inversions, but you can expect a number of significant drops, high speeds, and an appearance from the Yeti.

Darkness Rating: 1.5

This coaster takes you in and out of the Forbidden Mountain so there’s a balanced mix of darkness and sunshine.

Drop Rating: 2.5

Expedition Everest offers several drops with the biggest at about 80″. They will take your stomach, but they don’t feel as intense as they look or as you might expect. Some guests, including myself, actually find that Splash Mountain’s drop feels more intense than Expedition Everest!

Height Rating:

Since the drops come so quickly, you don’t have much time to realize how high up you are. However, that slow climb up the lift hill at the beginning of the ride offers a spectacular literal birds-eye view of Disney property and the park below. If heights aren’t your thing, be warned about looking down or around during this part of the ride.

Intensity Rating: 1.5

This may be controversial, but I don’t find Expedtion Everest as scary or intense as some other Disney attractions. It’s a massive attraction and looks extreme, but guests tend to walk away thinking more about the story and experience than its thrill factor.

With that being said, the coaster does go backwards at one point; and some may be alarmed by the giant Yeti reaching down at guests towards the end of the ride. For those concerned about this element, keep in mind that the encounter with the Yeti happens so quickly that some guests miss it completely.

Motion Sickness Rating: 2.5

While the coaster is an overall smooth ride, there are some rough moments and sharp turns. The main motion sickness trigger however is definitely the rapid backwards motion.

Speed Rating: 2.5

Expedition Everest’s top speed is 50 mph, but it doesn’t maintain that speed throughout the experience. In fact, the first half of the ride is a slow climb; and the coaster stops completely at more than one point during the ride.

It’s Tough to be a Bug!

It’s Tough to Be a Bug is a 3-D/multi-sensory show starring Flik from Disney Pixar’s film A Bug’s Life. Through the use of a 3-D screen, audio-animatronics, and effects, Flik and other bugs attempt to demonstrate the importance of bugs, but also that it’s really tough to be one!

Darkness Rating: 3

There are moments of darkness during this show. What really tends to bother people is the darkness coupled with the implied presence of bugs.

Intensity Rating: 2.5

Believe it or not, this show truly terrifies people and especially kids. A large audio-animatronic Hopper from A Bugs Life makes an appearance, spiders lower down from the ceiling over the audience, and guests are sprayed with a giant can of bug spray. Plus, sensory effects are used to simulate both the presence and movement of bugs. Be sure to know what your kids can handle before checking out this show.

Kali River Rapids

Kali River Rapids is a whitewater raft ride through a lush Asian rainforest where guests eventually encounter the dangers of a logging site.

Drop Rating: 1

Kali River Rapids is shorter than most guests expect and a little anti-climatic. The biggest drop is 30″ and more of a downward slide.

Motion Sickness Rating: 2

The Kali River Rapids rafts spin and bob up and down in the waves. While it doesn’t aggravate some who experience motion sickness, the motion of this ride is something to be aware of and consider.

Are you a ride chicken when it comes to Disney attractions? Which Animal Kingdom ride would you recommend for guests looking to avoid thrills?

The post A Ride Chicken’s Guide to Animal Kingdom Attractions appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, animal kingdom attractions, Avatar, Dinosaur, Disney Attractions, Disney Thrill Rides, disney world, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest, Flight of Passage, Its Tough to Be a Bug, kid-friendly rides, pandora, Pandora-The World of Avatar, ride chickens, thrill rides, walt disney world