A Blog About Disney Stuff

Do you hear what I hear? The sound of POPping at Christmas?

Well, Hotwire is back at it again: You can find Hot Rate deals for Pop Century throughout December for $75 to $129, as well as Yacht Club running from $252 to as high as $346 heading into Christmas and New Year’s.

Before we get started, I want to mention that the Coronado Springs deals we mentioned last time are still available and the coupon code RMN8NOV20 will take another 8% off of any deals you book over $100.

Now let’s take a look at some rate comparisons to see how good these deals are. Below, I chose a random date in the middle of the month and calculated the all-in price versus Disney’s rates.

Looking at the Pop standard room, you can see the Hot Rate even beats the current Magic is Here rate by $76.18 per night! You’ll notice I included two tables for Yacht Club comparisons: Hotwire doesn’t offer any clues to what type of room these hidden deals are for. But over on Priceline Express, where it appears the same rooms are also showing up, there are clues that they are another batch of Water View rooms like the last set.

So, to be conservative here I compared rates for both room types – even if these Hot Rate Yacht Club deals turned out to be standard rooms you’d be saving $114.23 per night vs the Magic is  Here rate. But, if I’m correct and these are water view rooms, that nightly savings jumps up to $214.71!

Merry (Insert Holiday You Observe Here)!

Interlude: A Few Hidden Deal Warnings

Now, it can be easy to get stars in your eyes when looking at all the hidden deal savings. But, I want to remind you that it is always a good idea to run these comparisons. I won’t go into detail in this post, but if you slide your searches out to January you’ll probably see some Hot Rate hidden deals for Caribbean Beach and the much rarer Bay Lake Tower. Let’s take a look!

Well, $169 for a moderate room at Caribbean Beach seems like a fairly good deal! But, that rate is just high enough that the combination of Hotwire fees plus taxes brings the all-in price very close to Disney’s current Early 2021 deal. If I’m going to book hidden, non-refundable deal, I personally want the savings to be much greater than that. Otherwise, I’m going with Disney on this one.

The same scenario occurs with the Bay Lake Tower deals – and notice also on both that if you used an annual pass discount, the non-refundable Hot Rate would cost you more!

The second warning I have has to do with resort amenities: Don’t count on ’em. Yes, for Disney resorts on Hotwire looking to see if Airport Shuttle is listed is a strong indicator it is a Disney resort. (Swan and Dolphin also have it listed, by the way.) But, hidden deals on both Priceline and Hotwire regularly have amenities that are just flat-out wrong.

For a few months in 2018 Port Orleans Riverside had Room Service as an amenity. (NARRATOR: There is no room service at Riverside.) Right now on the Yacht Club Hot Rate deals you’ll see both Free Parking and Beachfront Hotel listed.

You may be aware that Disney resorts charge for parking these days. Also….

 

And We’re Back: How to Spot These Deals

To find these deals, you’ll want to enter Orlando in the location search box of course, and then I suggest you make the results easier to scan through by sorting by price and selecting just 3 and 4-star rated resorts in the filter box.

Then limit the results even further by selecting just the Bonnet Creek area in the map.

 

Pop Century will be a 3-star, 4.4-guest rated resort and is the only resort with that combination of Hotwire ratings in Bonnet Creek at this time. It will look like this in results:

Yacht Club will be a 4-star 4.5-guest rated resort in Bonnet Creek. For some reason it is listed as a “New to Hotwire Hotel”. *shrugs*

You may notice that the sub-ratings on these Yacht Club deals are all 0.0 – that’s a bug that has been occurring on several Disney Hot Rate resort deals lately. Annoying, as they can help identify a deal where there are several resorts with the same main ratings. In this case, there are three other resorts with a 4-star, 4.5-guest rating in Bonnet Creek: Animal Kingdom Kidani, Beach Club Villas, and Boardwalk Inn. Because of the pricing and their rarity, I believe it is a pretty safe bet that this deal is not for the first two resorts.

While technically, Boardwalk would still be in the running here based on ratings alone, it has rarely shown up on Hotwire, if at all. Also, there have been a LOT of Yacht Club deals on both Priceline and Hotwire this Fall, which is a strong lean towards that resort. But, more definitively: Boardwalk is not open for business at this time. (While there was an announcement that it would open at some point, Disney reversed that plan.)

OK, I can see some eyes glazing over out there now, so let’s cut to the chase: here is the Calendar of Deals for the month. Happy Hunting!

If you’ve booked any of these deals or have any questions, let us know in the comments…

The post Hotwire Deals: Some Christmas POPpers appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: discounts, Resorts, Saving Money, Walt Disney World (FL), hotwire

On December 25, Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” will introduce the world to Joe Gardner. In celebration of the release of the film, Disney and Pixar collaborated with multicultural powerhouse HUE Unlimited to bring Joe and company to life through a curated collection of wearable art pieces inspired by the film.

From its community incubator of cultural creatives and leaders, TONL, HUE Unlimited tapped four emerging Black artists and led their creative direction in crafting original inspired-by artwork. The collection features artwork designed by cultural creatives Bee Harris, Bianca Pastel, Arrington Porter and Cory Van Lew. Each artist took to the canvas to capture the soul of the film and its heartfelt story of music, family, friendship and self-discovery through their own unique lens, life story and experience as diverse creatives. 

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“We’re proud to work on this meaningful collection inspired by “Soul” and to be able to have each artist’s unique vision shine through,” says Michael Watson II of HUE Unlimited. “As a part of the next generation of creatives, we deeply understand that authenticity is incredibly important to audiences — so being able to curate a collection of products that represents Black voices overall is a dream come true.”

Get to know each artist featured in the new collection!

Bee Harris, a visual artist and activist focused on reflecting the multi-faceted aspects of the Black Diaspora, social movements and community through art, shares the inspiration behind her piece “The Village:” 

“Working on this collection was a dream come true! It was an honor to highlight the four Black women in Joe’s village. These women represent the strong-willed, supportive women in my life who have helped me discover and walk in my purpose. I walked away with a deeper understanding of myself and my capabilities as an artist. It was both challenging and inspiring to create something so unique to things I’ve done in the past.”

Bianca Pastel, a pop artist known for recreating nostalgic moments and leaders in Black culture through over-expressive imagery and pastel elements, speaks to how Joe and company inspired her piece “Joe & His Fro:” 

“Throughout the film, Joe learns some very valuable lessons on his journey, so I wanted to express the connection between colors, characters and stories in every detail. My favorite part of this process was choosing color palettes because, for me, it’s like picking a feeling. How I want a piece to feel depends on the colors I create with. Throughout the process, I realized I could create authentically, be myself with my process and have fun with my art – which is exactly what I did.”

Arrington Porter, an eclectic musician and painter visualizing the richness of Black culture, music, film and people with celestial exaggeration, created “Joe’s World:” 

“Creating artwork for this collection was an awesome experience! As an artist, I found myself connected to the film, relating back to a familiar place within my own love for music and being in constant pursuit of my dreams. Outside of being a visual artist, I too am a pianist – so I related to Joe’s character on a more personal level.”

Corey Van Lew, a new-age artist known to reimagine real-world elements of the Black experience into unique multi-dimensional art, took to the canvas for “The Great Gardner:”  

“This was an amazing opportunity for us as artists to tap into our version of “The Zone” and create a visual representation of what this moment means to us! The parallel worlds in the movie go hand-in-hand with the parallel universe I depict in my paintings. Down to the digitally-made background paired with the hand-painted characters, I aimed to immerse people in an alternate realm of my own.” 

Starting today, kids, families and the next generation of artists and creatives can shop the entire collection featured on the Pixar “Soul” Shop on Amazon. Fans can also stretch their own creativity by designing personalized products from t-shirts and hoodies to accessories and home goods using their favorite piece of artwork from the collection.

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From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com

Filed Under: Uncategorized

With every major holiday we get excited to visit Amorette’s Patisserie because there are always so many delightful seasonal items. The winter holiday season brings with it so many decadent flavors. It is hard to decide which we like better, the autumn flavors, or the winter ones. Our team had the daunting task of ordering some of the highlights of the holiday treats available at Amorette’s.

Here’s how the holiday desserts ranked among our team, in order of preference:

1. Chocolate Peppermint Creme Brûlée $9.00
2. Poinsettia Petit Cake $18.00
3. Holiday Mickey Mousse $9.00
4. Black Forest Parfait $8.00

The Chocolate Peppermint Creme Brûlée is one of the best desserts our team has enjoyed in a long time. It’s slightly minty and has such a wonderful mix of textures–the meringue and sugar are crunchy and the custard is creamy and fantastic. The Poinsettia Petit cake has most of the makings of the usual petit cake that Amorette’s offers, but the Cherry Jam and Frangelico Syrup really elevate this for those with a sophisticated palate.

If you want a dessert that is festive without the traditional holiday flavors, the Holiday Mickey Mousse is a great option. It has delicious chocolate flavors with chocolate chiffon cake, and both white chocolate and dark chocolate mousse. The one disappointing dessert our team tried was the Black Forest Parfait. The flavors were very light and left our team wishing there was more to this treat.

You can view listings and ratings for all Walt Disney World restaurants on our site and our Lines app. Our readers give Amorette’s a 94% thumbs up rating and rank it 15 out of 41 similar options at Walt Disney World. Besides a lovely interior there are tables and chairs, with umbrellas just outside. Mobile ordering is not available at this location, and sometimes the line can get a little long as patrons often have a hard time deciding among all the beautiful creations.

Have you visited Amorette’s Patisserie before? Which of these holiday desserts sound the best to you?

 

The post REVIEW – Delightful Holiday Treats at Amorette’s Including One of the BEST Desserts We’ve Had in a Long Time appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Disney Springs, Holidays, disney christmas, disney desserts, disney dining

Affection Section at Disney’s Animal Kingdom officially re-opened this week, allowing guests to interact with, pet, and brush docile animals in a petting zoo setting. Prior to this reopening guests could see the animals, but not enter each pen area to actually get up close. Now that it has reopened you may be wondering about COVID-19 safety precautions. After visiting the Affection Section on Monday, here’s why we think it should be on your list, and some thoughts about the safety precautions.

• Visit while the weather is pleasant
• Enjoy a train ride, especially since the WDW Railroad is temporarily closed at Magic Kingdom
• Limited capacity in the Affection Section
• Our team felt there was plenty of room to distance
• Sanitizing your hands before you can enter is required
• Hand washing stations and sanitizer readily available when you’re done

In these stressful times, a lovely, albeit bumpy, train ride that leads to a walk among nature, is a nice treat. The Wildlife Express train is located near Kilimanjaro Safaris and Harambe Market. Capacity on the train is limited, with certain rows and seats being blocked off. The train takes you through parts of the park that allow you to catch a glimpse of backstage, and see how the animals are cared for each day. The train stops at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. There is a long winding trail, with lush landscaping and a few educational spots, that leads to the Conservation Station and Affection Section. Conservation Station is a building with animal care exhibits, include a veterinary section where routine procedures are offered performed with guests able to watch. There is also The Animation Experience where you can learn to drawn a Disney character.

Then there is the Affection Section. It is an average size petting zoo style area, but it is very well maintained and clean. Animals like goats, sheep, and even pigs are generally available for interaction – just know certain animals may not be available on any given day for a variety of reasons.

Other animals like a cow and a donkey, are visible and nearby, but kept in an area where guests cannot enter, but can get close. Guests are encouraged to touch and pet the animals in a calm manner. It is still important to keep your distance from other guests, which is why capacity is limited. Some guests may find this experience calming and a much needed way to recharge.

Have you ever been to the Affection Section? Would you consider visiting with the safety procedures in place?

The post Affection Section Has Reopened at Animal Kingdom, But Should You Visit? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Dos and Don’ts, kids, Trip Planning, animal king attractions, animal kingdom for kids, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

‘Tis the season to indulge in all kinds of holiday delights. Every Walt Disney World theme park has festive treats during the holiday season. Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a few signature holiday beverages available at multiple dining locations throughout the park. The Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa is one such beverage, and it is available with or without alcohol. Our team gave it a try, as well as the Holiday Tree Mousse at Backlot Express.

The Frozen Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa sure looks delicious in the photo when you go to mobile order it. Judging by the name, one might expect it to be very sweet, and you’d be right. The blend of salted caramel and cocoa chocolate is very sweet, almost syrupy. This is not a frozen beverage to be taken lightly. It can also be ordered with a bit of Kahlua in it, which may cut the sweetness a little. It comes with a souvenir glow cube, which is actually a Mickey Mouse shaped jingle bell, without the jingle. Overall, this beverage is not something our team is in a hurry to order again, but if you want something festive and sweet, it is a decent choice.

The Holiday Tree Mousse has an interesting combination of flavors. The mousse is a blend of milk chocolate and chai. The mobile ordering menu says “chia” but we’re pretty sure that was typo, because we did not detect any chia seeds, but did indeed detect the warm spice of chai. This mousse is on top of an almond financier cake and a butter cookie. The flavorful combination was warm, cozy, and sweet and the texture of the mousse and the gelatinous covering was light and airy. Overall, this treat had the festive flavors we expect from these kinds of treats and was pretty satisfying. At $5.49 it is one of the lower priced holiday treats available.

Do you plan to visit Hollywood Studios during the holidays? Would you try either of these treats?

The post REVIEW – Two Holiday Treats for a Sugar Rush at Backlot Express appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays, Hollywood Studios, disney christmas, disney desserts, disney drinks, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, hollywood studios christmas