Since October 1 we have collected over 164,000 wait times across the four Disney World parks. Overall the average posted wait times at Magic Kingdom (27 mins) and EPCOT (26 mins)  are about the same compared to the same time period in 2019 (28 and 26 mins, respectively), but that is not the case for Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. At the Studios the average posted wait time is 41 mins compared to 31 mins in 2019. At Animal Kingdom we see the opposite, a 27 minute average wait time this year and 40 minutes last year. It seems reasonable that Hollywood Studios is the bigger draw lately with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Train, Galaxy’s Edge, and the still popular Toy Story Land.

Although the average posted times are similar pretty much everything else is different. Park schedules, attendance limits, social distancing measures, and closed attractions are making touring plans look a lot different this year. Let’s see how the Crowd Calendar did in the last 30 days.

Magic Kingdom

Crowd levels at Magic Kingdom continue to stay below a crowd level ‘5’, averaging 1.8 during the last 30 days. The average of our predicted crowd levels during that time was 2.5, slightly higher than what we observed. It is rare for our models to predict a crowd level ‘1’ since that implies a near-empty park, but Magic Kingdom did hit that level several times in the last 30 days. Our touring plan testers are still seeing gains by following the plan however, with at least 30 minutes a day saved compared to the ‘wander and ride’ approach. This is true even on the least crowded days.

EPCOT

The average at EPCOT was 2.5 thanks to several days that reached a crowd level ‘6’ on our scale. The average predicted was 3.4. We had predicted several days would reach a crowd level ‘7’ but that never happened. Posted wait times are clearly higher on weekends at EPCOT with all of the ‘6’s and ‘7’s falling on weekends and all the ‘1’s and ‘2’s during the week.

Hollywood Studios

At Hollywood Studios we observed an average crowd level of 1.8 in the last 30 days which is a half-point lower than what we predicted during that time (2.3). A level ‘3’ is the maximum level reached at the Studios and we never predicted a level higher than that. The crowd level ‘3’ occurred twice in the last 30 days, both on a Wednesday which feels more like a coincidence than a pattern.

Animal Kingdom

Crowd levels at Animal Kingdom were the lowest of the four parks and the most accurate on the Crowd Calendar. We saw an average level of 1.4 and we predicted an average of 1.3. Posted waits at Animal Kingdom attractions do seem to be slightly higher on weekends but the difference isn’t large. Animal Kingdom saw the most crowd level ‘1’s of the four parks in the last 30 days.

We are very curious about the crowd levels during the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We think crowds will hit their highest levels since Labor Day and we are hoping that our observations will help us adjust our predictions for holidays in the near future like Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day in January, and Presidents Day in February. Obviously, these are strange times and a lot can change in the next 90 days. We will be watching closely and preparing to make adjustments to the Crowd Calendar predictions as needed. The next update to the calendar will come early in December.

Have any questions for the Crowd Calendar crew? Let us know in the comments.

The post Disney World Crowd Calendar Mid-Month Update for November 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Crowd Blog, Walt Disney World (FL), Crowd Calendar

This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at the holiday celebration at the Universal Orlando Resort! With the coronavirus playing havoc with the theme park calendar this year, a couple months ago it was uncertain whether the Florida parks would even have much of an effort at bringing Christmas to the theme parks to close out the year. We’ve all seen the quarterly earnings report with both Disney and Universal losing hundreds of millions of dollars. Thousands of theme park Cast Members and Team Members are still currently out of work (to find out how you can help, CLICK HERE). Projects were stalled if not outright cancelled. It seemed like we were doomed to a “death by a thousand paper cuts.”

Then something amazing happened. Universal went forward with a modified version of Halloween Horror Nights. While Disney was letting entertainment go left and right, Universal was bringing more entertainment in. For the first time in a while, things for a theme park fan were looking up.

For many guests, the Christmas season at the theme parks is the most special time of the entire year. Decorations are up, Christmas music is playing over the speakers, and both Disney and Universal do an incredible job with their annual events like Mickey’s Very Merry and Grinchmas. For these “unprecedented times,” a lot of what we loved in the past can’t be done right now. The good news is that – with a little creativity – Universal Orlando was able to put a gift under our Christmas tree after all…

Today we’re going to take a look at the holiday celebration, and we’ll kick it off with…

# 6 – Voodoo Doughnut

We’re running out of superlatives to describe our favorite bakery at Universal, as Voodoo Doughnut once again has come through with some wonderful Christmas themed offerings. In previous years, Voodoo has had donuts themed to Santa Claus and the Grinch, and for 2020 they have two Snowman donuts along with an ornament donut.

Let’s get a close-up of these beauties…

The filling inside the head of the snowman is white chocolate mocha cream.

While the body is filled with chocolate peppermint cream.

The ornament is filled with gingerbread cream cheese and tastes as good as it sounds. One of Voodoo’s best ever tasting seasonal offerings.

Hard to get better than themed donuts, but this year Universal introduced The Holiday Treat Trail! We’ve seen similar gimmicks like this over at Disney, including at EPCOT and Disney Springs. If guests purchase five qualifying treats at various locations around Universal, they are rewarded with another snack. Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!

The map features a look at Universal CityWalk and the two theme parks, and has a place on the side for guests to get a stamp after their purchase.

A bottle of Cinnamon Coke can be purchased at several locations throughout the parks and CityWalk.

Red Holiday Popcorn can be purchased at the popcorn cart near The Incredible Hulk Coaster in Marvel Superhero Island.

This Pumpkin Spice Churro is available at the Production Central cart in Universal Studios Florida.

The Holiday Wreath Cake is available at the TODAY Cafe in Universal Studios Florida.

When you have all the stamps collected, you can head on over to the Silver Screen Coke kiosk in USF or The Watering Hole in Jurassic Park at IOA and get your redemption prize: a Christmas tree sugar cookie.

# 5 – Earl the Squirrel

One of the best “secrets” at Universal Orlando comes every holiday season, and can be found in the gigantic Christmas tree that is installed at Universal Studios Florida.

Many guests now know the “pro tip” of taking your own picture through a reflection in one of the Christmas bulbs, but not as many know that Earl the Squirrel makes appearances by popping himself out of the tree.

Even better? This year EARL IS WEARING A FACE COVERING!

# 4 – Holiday Tree Hunt

During the “taste” of HHN this fall, guests got to participate in the Scarecrow Stalk and that theme continues with the Holiday Tree Hunt. Here’s how it works: similar to the scavenger hunts at EPCOT like Figment’s Brush with the Masters during Festival of the Arts or Spike’s Pollen-Nation Exploration during Flower & Garden, guests purchase a Holiday Tree Hunt map ($9.95). The map includes the locations of all the themed trees at locations inside the parks and at Universal CityWalk. Like the treat trail mentioned earlier, at each location your map get can a stamp. There are a lot of trees throughout the resort, and the good news is that Universal will give you the ornament redemption prize even if you haven’t received every stamp. This way you can collect the stamps at your leisure and not have to stress about “getting them all” before the park closes or your vacation ends.

At the Universal Studios store in CityWalk, the tree is loaded with some fun nods to Universal attractions.

One thing I love about the Holiday Tree Hunt is that it gives guests a chance to check out some of Universal’s incredibly themed stores. Whether you buy merchandise or not, the attention to detail in many of these stores will blow your mind. Tons of fun gags and props to check out.

It’s Christmas, you have to have a Grinch tree!

The ornament redemption prize is double sided, and features the Holiday Tree Hunt logo on one side.

With a holiday themed Universal Orlando Resort logo on the other side.

# 3 – This year, the Grinch takes YOUR photo!

Possibly the greatest character at any theme park to interact with is The Grinch during Christmas season at Universal. For most of the year, The Grinch walk around character in the Universal parks is based on the cartoon version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but during the holiday season the character is based around the Jim Carrey version in the live action remake. This allows The Grinch to be able to use his razor sharp wit while having fun with guests. In previous years, guests would queue up to have their picture taken with The Grinch in Seuss Landing. For social distancing, this year The Grinch takes YOUR photo, and here is how it works…

Instead of standing in a traditional line, guests scan a QR code to make an appointment for their experience. When it’s time, you and your family get to interact with The Grinch.

After a bit of frivolity (along with any requested selfies,) The Grinch will then get behind the store’s camera to “take your picture.”

The Universal Photo Connect app will then have some fun Grinchmas-themed options for you to enjoy.

# 2 – Tribute Store

The Tribute Store for HHN has been a true highlight of recent horror seasons. Filled with rooms packed to the brim with details and merchandise, the Tribute Store is an HHN fan’s dream come true. Out of nowhere, this year’s HHN-themed Tribute Store was almost immediately converted over to a Christmas themed Tribute Store!

Word on the street is that the Visual Merchandising team at Universal spent several months designing this fantastic store for another location in Universal Studios Florida. Over the course of just one week, the entire location was disassembled and moved over to be put back together again to replace the HHN Tribute Store. There is a ton of great merchandise to browse though along with rooms themed to The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Harry Potter, and even Earl the Squirrel!

 

 

After the return of Wax-A-Matic in the HHN Tribute Store, what a delightful surprise it was two see two more machines in the Christmas Tribute Store. One machine offers molds of Santa Clause.

While the other machine has a snowman mold.

The molds also feature the Universal Studios branding.

One area in the Tribute Store is decked out with posters elements from the tribute store along with a ton of photos from Universal Christmas events from years past.

Who needs a Christmas village display at their house when they can have a Harry Potter village?

Earl the Squirrel’s Tree Farm room is where you can get all the holiday themed snacks!

The HHN Tribute Store had gummy “beating hearts,” and the Christmas Tribute Store has it’s interactive treat too…

 

# 1 – Universal’s Holiday Experience Featuring Macy’s Balloons

One of the highlights at Universal every Christmas season is the great parade they have at USF featuring Macy’s balloons. Think of it as a theme park version of the world famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. With a bit of ingenuity, Universal was able to give guests a version of the “parade” with an experience held inside a soundstage. Guests are able to check out some of the elaborately themed larger-than-life balloons, along with getting social distant pictures of some Universal characters.

Santa is available for photos and socially distant selfies.

HONORABLE MENTION – Food Truck Funnel Cakes

A food truck at Universal Studios Florida has changed its menu over to our beloved funnel cakes, and the results couldn’t be more spectacular.

Fried chicken and funnel cake? We’re IN.

So there you have it: Six Reasons we love Christmas at the Universal Orlando Resort! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles covering the latest from the Disney Outlet Stores. You can also follow Your Humble Author on Twitter (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

DAVID & DEREK: The Do’s and Don’ts of COVID-19 Safety Protocols at the Theme Parks

6 Pieces of Disney Merchandise That Don’t Exist (but Totally Should)

SATURDAY SIX Presents: The Disney Signage Hall of Shame

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHyde and you Potterheads will  enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

Next Week:

The 7th Annual

THEME PARK TURKEY OF THE YEAR AWARDS!!!

ARE YOU READY?!!!!

The post The SATURDAY SIX Checks Out CHRISTMAS at the Universal Orlando Resort appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, CityWalk, Harry Potter, Holidays, Saturday Six, Universal Orlando Resort

 

Yet another day of low wait times at Walt Disney World. Some of those lower waits have come through expanded ride capacity at attractions such as Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Haunted Mansion, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid.  We received 143 actual wait times in line today.  And it’s the return of the attraction infographics. Let’s do the numbers!

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Crowds at the park were below average for the last month, with today’s average posted wait times ranking #18 out of the last 30 days. Actual wait times we got at Big Thunder and Buzz Lightyear were less than half of the posted waits.  Actual waits at Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train were closer to the posted waits.

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

With Runaway Railway’s expanded capacity, Slinky Dog Dash continues to post the highest average wait times in the park.  Actual wait times at Toy Story Mania are still running at about half the posted wait.  And Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster should be re-themed with ABBA.

Rise of the Resistance only had one pause in calling boarding groups today, for about an hour from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

Actual wait times we got at Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest were about half of the posted wait, which is interesting.  Actual waits we measured at Flight of Passage and DINOSAUR were closer to the posted wait.

EPCOT Wait Times

The post More low crowds at all four parks! Walt Disney World wait times for Friday, November 20, 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Trip Planning, Walt Disney World (FL), disney crowds, disney thanksgiving, disney wait times

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge is a destination all its own. It is such an immersive resort that you could make a vacation of just enjoying this resort. Our team ventured over to both Jambo House and Kidani Village to view the holiday decorations that arrived this week.

From the colossal towering Christmas tree in the center of Jambo House’s lobby, to the garlands adorned with handcrafted decorations inspired by African art, there is a lot to see and admire. The lights and color palate are warm and rich. Gold, bronze, and Earth tones mirror the motif of the resort itself.

Have you ever stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge during the holiday season? Which resort is your favorite this time of year?

The post PHOTOS – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Holiday Decorations Have Arrived appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Resorts, disney christmas, disney on site hotels, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

If you’re a Star Wars fan, then Walt Disney World truly is the place where dreams come true. I’m referring to Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While this attraction isn’t on the same level as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (which to be fair – what is?), it offers guests the experience of piloting the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy.

The attraction itself is an interactive simulator where guests are assigned unique roles and tasks to perform throughout the ride. Think of it as an upgraded version of EPCOT’s Mission: Space set in the Star Wars Universe and minus the claustrophobia and motion sickness courtesy of detached screens.

1. The Situation with the Cockpit

The cockpit is designed to replicate the cockpit of the Millennium Falcon down to the most minute details. You will truly feel like you’re stepping into a Star Wars movie when those whooshing doors slide open and you see inside.

However, this Millennium Falcon has three rows of seats with six seats in total; and every row has a different job to perform.

The two pilots are seated at the front and at the controls. The gunners sit behind them followed by the engineers. These latter two positions have buttons to push and functions to perform on the wall panel beside them.

So here’s the thing. The pilot positions are simply the best. They’re closest to the screen and have the most to do. What’s a little unusual is the shared piloting. For instance, the left pilot controls the ship moving left and right while the right pilot controls up and down.

Tip: The right pilot is way better than the left simply because they get to pull the lever for lightspeed! (By the way, if you don’t yell punch it; you’re doing it wrong. Just sayin’.)

When the ride first opened with Galaxy’s Edge in late August of 2019, some guests found that the pilot positions came with a lot of pressure since the actions of the pilots impact the ride the most. This was especially awkward when the pilots didn’t know the other guests riding with them.

Well, due to our current global situation, that’s no longer a concern. In order to allow for social distancing, each party now receives their own cockpit when riding Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. Now there’s no concern about riding with strangers or feeling their ride experience is entirely in your hands! It also increases your odds of receiving the pilot position since it’s now up to you and your group what your role is as opposed to being assigned it by a Cast Member.

2. Your Performance (Sort Of) Makes a Difference

Back in the day when we were first hearing about Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and the rest of Galaxy’s Edge, eager guests were told their actions and performance would influence their other interactions in the land. For instance, a Cast Member at Oga’s Cantina would know if you crashed the Falcon or did a great job and say something to you about it.

That never quite happened. While the pilots do impact the overall ride, it’s more along the lines of damage. The ride film doesn’t allow for much deviation; and in some cases, guests who have intentionally tried to do a terrible job have received a similar, if not better, score than when they actually tried! And if you attempt to crash the Falcon, you still go through the motions of the ride film and reach the same endpoint.

So even though there’s an element of control on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, it still too much like Mission: SPACE. Great for kids; not so much for teens and adults.

3. The Queue May Be Better Than the Ride

It’s true. Apart from sitting in the cockpit of the Falcon and going to lightspeed, the queue for Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run may wow fans more than the ride experience itself.

The first half of the queue is through a detailed space garage for Ohnaka’s Transport Solutions offering incredible views of the life-size Millennium Falcon parked just outside. But it gets really awesome when guests encounter audio-animatronic Hondo Ohnaka, a jolly but shady pirate from the Star Wars Universe, who needs you to join the Falcon’s crew for a job.

The next phase of the queue allows guests to enter the hold of the Millennium Falcon which, again, looks exactly as it does in the film complete with the iconic holographic chess table, porg nests, the hallway where Han and Leia first kissed, familiar trinkets from the films, and more.

4. There’s a “Chewbacca Mode” Hack

“Chewbacca Mode” is a special modification or cheat code you can activate while aboard Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This mode basically replaces Hondo Ohnaka’s narration with Chewie for the length of the ride experience.

According to the FreshBaked! YouTube channel, there’s a process to activate this mode. First of all, you should not choose manual or automatic flight mode right away. Instead, have the left and right pilots push their controls to the extreme left, right, up, or down. With the controls pushed, the pilots should then press the flight mode activation button followed by the engineers and gunners pressing any of the white buttons before pressing the orange flight mode button.

All of these steps need to be completed before the Cast Member finishes checking seatbelts and starts the attraction.

5. The Characters and Locations Are Not Mainstream Star Wars

Casual Star Wars fans may be confused by the ride’s story. Who is Hondo Ohnaka? Why is Chewbacca working with him? And after leaving Batuu, where did you go and why?

So Hondo Ohnaka is a legit Star Wars character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels animated series. Imagine a blend between an enthusiastic salesman and a Captain Jack Sparrow – that’s Hondo. He’s been known to help out the Rebels and now the Resistance, as long as he profits in the end. That’s why Chewbacca is letting him use the Falcon and that’s why Hondo needs you.

Now after you leave Batuu on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, you go to Corellia. That’s Han Solo’s home planet featured in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Your mission is to obtain containers of coaxium, a material needed for hyperspace travel, from a First Order train on Corellia.

Hopefully, this will prevent any confusion for when you ride Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run.

Is Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run on your to-do list? Let us know in the comments!

The post Five Things You Should Know About Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Galaxy’s Edge, Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney World (FL), Batuu, Disney Attractions, disney world, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, galaxy’s edge, hollywood studios, hollywood studios attractions, Hondo Ohnaka, Millennium Falcon, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, Smugglers Run, Star Wars, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, walt disney world