Category: Hollywood Studios

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Disney World in 2019

For lots of Disney fans, EVERY year is a good year to visit Disney World.  In fact, if you ask me, almost every month of every year has lots of terrific reasons to visit Disney World!

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Freezing at Disney?

I never met a Disney day I didn’t like.  Croaking hot or freezing cold.  Crowded, rainy, crabby people, phone calls from the office, giant group, or just me and my husband–never matters.  I always love my time at Disney.  (Of course, I might be just a LITTLE crazy, so there’s that).

However, this year, a lot of die hard Disney fans are deciding to wait to visit Walt Disney World until 2020, wanting to ensure their next trip includes the long anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I don’t blame them at all.  If Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a MAIN attraction for your next trip to Disney, I am recommending 2020 to a lot of my Disney travelers.

Right now, it looks like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open at Disneyland in California some time this summer.  Hopeful reports say June…more practical reports are anticipating July or August.  I suspect we’ll know more by March or April.  At Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, early reports predicted late October/early November, but more recent reports have indicated December is more likely.  Again, we’ll know more later this year.

Disney Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Update
Jan 2019 Update Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge

However, Disney has SO much more to offer than Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, especially THIS year.  Yes, I’m SUPER excited that Galaxy’s Edge is coming and I’m DYING to check it out, but that doesn’t mean that 2019 isn’t still the PERFECT time to visit Disney World.  Here are my Top 5 Reasons to Visit Disney World in 2019.

Ticket Prices

Disneyland raised its ticket prices a few days ago.  I’m sure there are a variety of reasons behind this decision.  Most of you are probably aware that ticket prices have been steadily increasing at BOTH Disneyland and Walt Disney World every year for quite a while now.  Here are a few things to consider:

Disney has invested more money in BOTH Disneyland, California Adventure AND Walt Disney World in the last 10 years (adjusted for inflation) than they have at any other time in the Company’s history. Toy Story Land opened to record crowds and crazy long lines. Pandora’s VERY popular Flight of Passage attraction continues to routinely attract crowds and lines in excess of 90 minutes.  While the Toy Story franchise is of course much beloved, it doesn’t hold a candle to the popularity of Star Wars.  Avatar’s fan base is tiny in comparison to Star Wars and while it will probably grow over time as more films are released, it will never touch the popularity of Star Wars.  I do believe Disney’s Pandora (as a land) will grow it’s own fan base, separate and distinct from the Avatar movie franchise, but again, a drop in the ocean against the size of the Star Wars fanbase.  And of course, there are are tens of thousands of Star Wars fans that are not necessarily “Disney” fans or Disney theme park fans that will be VERY interested in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge…and may discover a previously undiscovered love of Disney in the process.  (I suspect there is more than one executive at Disney betting their bonus on this possibility!)

Star Wars is a unique phenomenon in fandom.  It has fans from all over the world, in almost all age groups, and in most ethnic groups.  Star Wars fans are passionate and voracious for new Star Wars “stuff” and Disney hasn’t been the number one leader in entertainment for the last fifty years without learning a few things about how to provide new “stuff” and how to make lots of money related to all that new “stuff”.   Disney has gambled BIG with their acquisition of LucasFilms and the Star Wars franchise, and they’ve had some major victories as well as some pretty significant setbacks.  They have invested BILLIONS in these theme park expansions, and while I fully expect they will earn BILLIONS more as a result, that’s going to take a while.  And Disney is a publicly traded company–some of you probably own stock.

Disney has shareholders to keep happy–and shareholders like to see VERY healthy bottom lines.  So in the short term, I personally think Disney theme parks is going to justify (and help offset) those giant investments and shore up profit margins with higher ticket prices, merchandise prices and probably resort prices heading into late 2019 and 2020.  (I think this is also why we have so many feature films on the docket this year.  Disney movies tend to be VERY profitable and make lots and lots of money!)

Movies…boy, do we have movies…

Note: Disney’s fiscal year is unusual–it runs October through September instead of January through December like many companies.  Disney’s fourth quarter ends with September.

What does this mean for you, and why do I think you should visit Disney this year?  While I do suspect Walt Disney World ticket prices will see another ticket price increase later this year, I believe ticket prices are set for right now, especially in packages.  Disney World released their “date based” ticket pricing last fall, and scheduled ticket prices right up through mid December 2019.  I’m hopeful that indicates that tickets prices will hold steady through most of the year.

Planning ahead is always best, and booking sooner rather than later will always protect your pricing–this holds true for trips next year as well.  Plan your trip as early as you can–lock your prices in early.  If prices decrease, you can usually get the discounts added, especially if you work with a Disney travel agent (like me 😉), but if they increase, you won’t have to pay the higher prices.  Ticket prices are lower now than they are likely to be next year: a great reason to visit Disney World in 2019!

Lighter Crowds

The reality is that many people will not have the budget to visit this year AND next year–and SO many people will want to make sure to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, they’ll be planning their trips to Walt Disney World for late 2019 or 2020.  Which means you, my savvy traveler, can benefit from lighter crowds (in theory at least) THIS year.

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It’s a beautiful day to be at the Magic Kingdom! Let’s pretend the crowds will be this light ALL DAY!

I’m not promising empty streets and no lines…those days are long gone, I’m afraid.  And of course there are TONS of families that just don’t care about Star Wars (REALLY???  Who ARE these people???  Just Kidding).  BUT, the numbers don’t lie, and current resort bookings support lighter crowds at this point for much of the year.  Of course that can change at any time, especially as Disney adds special promotions designed to attract higher crowds. [FREE DINING, anyone?]

But lots of folks have already booked their trips for next year and aren’t likely to move them.  And here’s the real hardcore truth: this year is probably the last year where the crowds won’t be just BANANAS all the time.  If you look at how aggressively Disney has been adding resorts, expanding resorts, partnering with local “good neighbor” hotels–they are anticipating a LARGE increase in visitor volumes in the coming years, once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens.

Here’s my thoughts on all this expansion: all those lovely people occupying all those lovely rooms are NOT going to be spending ALL their time (and money) inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  They ARE going to visit the rest of Hollywood Studios and the other three parks.  They won’t be able to resist the MAGIC. We have all known it for years…The magic of Disney is irresistible.  They will attracted to a particular character or attraction and they will visit a park “just for a little while to check it out” and twelve hours later, they’ll still be there.  It’s happened to all of us.  It’s the magic of Disney.  And what it means is that crowd volumes won’t just rise in Hollywood Studios for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge…they will rise EVERYWHERE.

There simply will be no more “lighter crowd” periods, I suspect.  Of course, I could be wrong.  But Disney is adding capacity for thousands of additional hotel rooms.  THOUSANDS.  And Disney resorts, for the most part, tend to stay at 80% or better capacity most of the time–and they usually don’t have to work too hard to do it.

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c Disney. Artist Rendering of Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15th DVC Property, expected to include 300 family villas.  And this is just ONE of the new resorts they’re working on…

Bottom line: Unless you are a fan of wall to wall crowds, you may want to plan a visit for this year just to bask in the glory of what will soon be fond memories of “normal” crowds and the “good old days”.

I trust Disney, and I am sure they have lots of creative ideas up their sleeve to help with crowd management…but I also know the reality is that “if you build it, they will come”…and Disney has built it, and THEY are COMING. 😉 So visit this year if you can…before they get here!

Special Celebrations

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Mickey and Minnie Birthday Celebration

This year features several new limited time celebrations you won’t want to miss.  First up: Mickey and Minnie’s Surprise Celebration.  This begins January 18, 2019 and finds Mickey and Minnie at the Magic Kingdom wearing their fabulous new 90th birthday outfits.  The “Move It! Shake! MousekeDance It! Street Party” has been updated for the celebration, and Magic Kingdom will feature new merchandise and specialty food and beverages in honor of our favorite duo.  You’ll also be able to meet both Minnie and Mickey together, in their birthday outfits, at the Town Square Theatre! I’m a sucker for Mickey and Minnie together, so this is a MUST DO for me!

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Linda and Brooke with Mickey and Minnie at Animal Kingdom

Disney’s Hollywood Studios turns 30!  This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (though it was originally called MGM Studios, and was conceptually quite different than the park we have today…sigh), and Disney is planning to honor this anniversary all year with a special logo and of course, special anniversary merchandise.  There will also be a new “Party with Pixar Pals” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting January 18, 2019, where you can celebrate the 30th Anniversary with the Incredibles at a Dance Party–and you’ll be able to meet Edna Mode, as well as other Pixar favorites, like Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc. and Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie from Toy Story.

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Edna Mode at Hollywood Studios

The Lion King turns 25 this year, and not only do we have the new live action movie to look forward to, we have a 25th anniversary celebration happening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, starting January 18, 2019.  Rafiki and Timon will lead guests in dances and games during the Hakuna Makata Time Dance Party on Discovery Island.

Farewell to Illuminations

If you are a fan of Epcot’s long running nighttime show, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (It’s been running since October 1999!), it is scheduled to end sometime during the second half of 2019.  We don’t have a final performance date yet; hopefully Disney will give us some advance warning before this beloved show goes dark–but if you want to see it one last time, don’t wait too long–you won’t be able to see it in 2020.

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Epcot Illuminations Reflections of Earth

Disney will of course be presenting a new nighttime show at Epcot, but we do not have any information about the new show yet.

This one is pretty tough for me.  Frank and I love Illuminations, and on our wedding day, we hosted a dessert party for our guests so that everyone could watch it together.  It was really magical and is a memory I will never forget… I am definitely sad that this show will be no more.

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I still haven’t recovered from Wishes being replaced. {sigh}.  I may have an issue with change. 😉 Or I’m really sentimental.  Or a combination of both…

New Attractions

Believe it or not, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not the ONLY new thing on the horizon.  There are some other really big things coming, especially if you look ahead to 2021 and 2022.  (Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron roller coasters, a Ratatouille attraction…lots of good stuff ahead…)

But there are some exciting things happening THIS year, too!

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c Disney Jaleo Disney Springs Artist Rendering

At Disney Springs, there is a new restaurant coming. (Ok, that’s not necessarily an attraction unless you’re a foodie, but I’m excited about it, so I’m sharing).  It’s called “Jaleo”.  It is coming to us from Chef Jose Andres and will bring the flavors of Spain.  The new restaurant will feature Spanish tapas style food and a lively atmosphere.  Sounds like a winner to me!

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Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is opening later this year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  This is officially the first EVER ride through attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse.  I’m not sure how I feel about this one, but I’m hopeful.

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c Disney Artist Rendering Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

It’s replacing the Great Movie Ride, which has left a GIANT hole in my heart, but the Studios really needs another attraction, and I’m hoping it will be cheerful and fun and that kids will love it.

Also at Hollywood Studios this spring, Lightning McQueen is bringing his new “Racing Academy to town this spring.  This will be a show featuring Lightning McQueen, and will hopefully be lots of fun for CARS fans.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also getting a new cinematic nighttime experience…hopefully to put a little Hollywood back into the studios.  This show is also part of the anniversary celebration, and will begin on the actual anniversary date, May 1, 2019.  It’s called “Wonderful World of Animation” and uses technology to take us through 90 years of animation–back to where it all started…with a mouse.

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Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Wonderful World of Animation

I’m pretty excited about this show.  I saw the special Star Wars show last May 4th (may the fourth be with you) and was BLOWN away by what Disney did with technology.  Hopefully they are breaking more new ground with this Animation show.

Disney Skyliner: I’m not sure this REALLY counts as an attraction as it’s considered “transportation”, but it should!  (In my opinion, anyway!)  I am SO excited to see these gondolas in action.  What an amazing way to move from the Studios to Epcot!  As a reminder, we don’t have a concrete opening date yet; all we know is “Fall“.   Gondolas have been seen on site at construction locations and we’ve heard that preliminary testing of the cables is happening.  It’s all very exciting.

Disney Skyliner Gondola animation graphics showing what the gondolas will look like

Top 5 Reasons to Visit Disney World in 2019

So there you have them: my top 5 reasons to visit Disney World in 2019.  I actually have a much longer list, and had a difficult time paring it down!  To summarize: if you CAN visit in 2019, I highly recommend it.  Ticket prices are going to be climbing in the coming years.  Make your reservations for travel this year before ticket prices rise.

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Keep Calm and Call Your Travel Agent

Crowds are going to be lighter in 2019 than they will be for the foreseeable future.  Once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens up, crowd levels are likely to set new records.  I suspect those crowd levels will stay high for many years to come.

There are quite a few special celebrations happening this year.  Most celebrations are starting in January and will continue throughout the year.  Visit this year to enjoy these limited 2019 celebrations.

Epcot’s Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is ending later this year.  2019 is definitely your last opportunity to see this show if you love it.  We don’t have a final end date yet; however, Disney has confirmed the show will end in the second half of 2019.

And finally, there are several new attractions opening in 2019.  Don’t you want to be among the first to check out these new attractions?

Are you considering a trip to WDW for 2019?  What are YOUR top 5 reasons?

Happy dreaming!

Brooke

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Disney After Hours Events

The good news?  Disney has recognized that the near constant high volume of crowds has dampened some fans’ enthusiasm for Disney’s beloved theme parks.  Over the last couple of years, Disney has piloted a few different ideas to offer visitors the opportunity to visit their favorite park or parks with significantly lower crowds, and the “After Hours” events seem to have won the battle, at least for the short term, as Disney has recently announced a slew of new Disney After Hours Events dates for 2019.

The bad news? Disney has also recognized that many fans are willing to pay a premium for that “lower crowd level” experience.  Based on Disney’s raging success with the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties, Disney already had a fairly good idea that some guests would be willing to purchase an extra ticket to attend a “special event” at the Magic Kingdom–but they weren’t sure if that willingness would extend beyond special holiday themed parties or beyond the Magic Kingdom.

Last year, Disney tried several experimental “After Hours” events, with varying degrees of success.  Early reviews from attendees raved about the low crowd levels, and being able to walk on favorite rides (something I remember from the early days of the MVMCP and MNSSHP, too) and taking pictures of an almost empty park near the end of the night… But those events were very limited, not publicized a great deal, and in many cases, priced significantly lower than these new offerings.

In the current round of After Hours events, there are dates scheduled through April 2019, and events are being held at three of the four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

Here’s a video Disney has released from a recent Disney After Hours Event at Animal Kingdom:

The Bottom Line: What Does An After Hours Event Cost?

Tickets for each Disney After Hours Event are $125 per person + tax if purchased in advance.  Tickets purchased the day of the event will be $129 per person + tax.  Discounts are available for Annual Passholders and DVC Members.  Contact me for more information.

Technically, this is officially a three hour event.  The event begins when the regular park day “ends” and runs for three hours after that.  Guests without After Hours event tickets will not be permitted to enjoy the After Hours events or attractions.

What’s Included in my Disney After Hours Event Ticket?

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Enjoy the parks after dark with an After Hours event ticket!

There is some really good news about these events, in addition to the lower crowds and easy access to your favorite rides.

  1. Ice Cream, popcorn and select beverages are included in your Disney After Hours Event Ticket.  (Most likely “beverages” is limited to soft drinks).
  2. Your After Hours event ticket will grant you access to the park where your event takes place as early as 7 pm–so if your park “closes” at 11 pm that day, that’s an extra four hours of park time you’ll be able to enjoy on your park ticket, in addition to the three hours of “After Hours” event time.  BUT, there are some event days where the park closes at 8 pm, so you’ll only be getting 1 extra hour.  It’s important to consider the total amount of time you’ll have in the park when determining if this ticket will have value for you and your family.
  3. Character Greetings with little or no lines!  If you are a person who enjoys Character Greetings, but hates sacrificing valuable park time to stand in lines for Characters, you may really enjoy the short lines or no lines to be found at the Character Greetings at After Hours events.
  4. There are usually some “special” After Hours “experiences, including Dance Parties, unique Character Greetings or Streetmosphere.
  5. Some quick service places will be open during each party, so you will have some options for late night dining if you are so inclined.
  6. Generally speaking as these events run pretty late into the night, there will be fewer very young children and strollers in the mix.  These events are not being actively marketed as adults only, but there are no discounts for children ages 3-9, which is a fairly good indicator that Disney does not expect much participation from that age group.
  7. With some proper planning, you can sleep in the day of the event and have a mostly “lazy day” and not spend a “park ticket” day on the day of the event, enter the park at 7 pm and stay until the party ends to maximize your value.  If you’re an annual passholder, this doesn’t really help, but if you’re purchasing park passes or a package, you could theoretically, reduce your ticket package by one day.
  8. If you are someone who struggles with large crowds or too much overstimulation from all the noise associated with the crazy mid day crowds, you may discover the later night lighter crowds are much more comfortable for you.

What Dates Are Available?

Animal Kingdom: January 8, 16, 22 and 31, 2019; and February 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 26, 2019; and March 5, 20 and 27, 2019; and April 3, 2019.

Magic Kingdom: The event takes place from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM on the following dates: March 21 and 28, 2019; and April 4 and 11, 2019.

The event takes place from 9:00 PM to midnight on the following dates: February 14 and 21, 2019 and March 7, 2019.

The event takes place from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM on the following dates:  January 7, 17, 24, and 28, 2019; February 7 and 28, 2019.

Hollywood Studios: January 5, 12 and 19, 2019; February 2, 9 and 16, 2019; March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2019; and April 6 and 13, 2019.

Disney After Hours Events: Are They Worth It?

Short answer?  It depends.  You’ve heard me say it before, and I’m sure you will hear me say it again–everything is relative, based on what is important to you and your family or travel group.  It also depends on your financial situation, and what kind of park ticket or vacation package you’ve purchased.

For me personally, lower crowds and shorter lines are becoming a higher priority.  Having a day to sleep late on vacation?  That might also be a nice change.  I’m not sure it’s worth $125, though.

I love the idea of getting more pictures without hundreds of strangers in them, especially for the blog.  And I would like to attend a couple of parties as the year goes on to see what changes Disney makes.  I’m just not sure 3 hours is enough time to really justify the expense.  I feel that three hours with light crowds is probably enough time (although for me personally…10 hours would probably never be enough, much to my poor husband’s chagrin!), but I think $125 is a pretty high price for three hours.  Of course, that’s probably the point.  If it was affordable for everyone, you wouldn’t have the lighter crowds and shorter lines they’re promising.  So they don’t WANT to sell this to everyone.  They want to sell this to a few thousand people for each party and that’s it.

I think for me personally, it would be worth it.  At least so I can report back to all of you! 😉

What do you think?  Do you think Disney After Hours Events would be worth it for you and your family?  Are you anxious to attend one?  Please comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

P.S. If you are interested in booking tickets for a Disney After Hours Event, I can book them for you.  We can add them to an existing package, look for discounts, and/or book them all on their own.  Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com to get started.

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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge UPDATE

I was really hoping that we would get a firm opening date for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios for next year during the D23 event two weeks ago, especially since it seemed like Disney was in the mood to announce ALL kinds of good stuff at that event.

Unfortunately, they didn’t come any closer to announcing actual dates or pinning potential dates down to even a month or two month window.  Currently, the best we have is “Late Summer” for Disneyland and “Late 2019” for Hollywood Studios. 

However, even thought we didn’t get the firm dates I was hoping for, we did get a lot of Galaxy’s Edge information, which WAS very exciting.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek announced the names of the two major attractions that will be part of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens next year (?) at Disneyland and Hollywood Studios.

We’ve known for awhile that one attraction would involve the beloved Millennium Falcon, but we didn’t know what it would be called or much about it.  Now, we know.  This attraction will be called Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.  Check out the teaser trailer Mr. Chapek presented at the event below:

Doesn’t this look like fun?  In this attraction, you’ll be behind the controls of the most famous starship in the galaxy in one of three unique flight crew roles. 

The second opening day attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.  This attraction will put you right in the middle of a battle between the Resistance and the First Order. 

Bob Chapek also brought a trailer for THIS attraction as well:

Based on the VERY limited information we have so far from these trailers, and, let’s face it, the way theme park ride technology trends have been going, I suspect both of these attractions will be motion simulators.  Normally, I am not a big fan of motion simulators; however, the Imagineers really worked some amazing magic with Flight of Passage at Pandora in Animal Kingdom–it’s quickly become one of my favorite attractions of all time–so I’m hoping that the Star Wars motion simulators will be the latest and greatest and just as good (or better) than Flight of Passage and will NOT make me queasy.  Fingers crossed.  We all know I’m riding anyway.  But it would be NICE if these attractions didn’t make me ill. 

Guess what?  After all this amazing attraction news, Mr. Chapek still wasn’t done with his update about Galaxy’s Edge.  And honestly, I’m just about as excited about this news as I am about the attractions:  John Williams, who composed and orchestrated the original iconic score for Star Wars is composing new and original music for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  You guys know how much I love Disney’s attention to theming and how there are so many tiny details that many guests never even notice that help make the overall experience so enjoyable….MUSIC is a big part of that.  The music is different in every Disney park Land; the music is different at the holiday parties and special events.  Certain attractions have their own memorable music, and these musical themes all contribute to your experience. 

Getting John Williams to create new music, exclusively for these lands at the Disney parks is a HUGE part of ensuring that Galaxy’s Edge will be as immersive as they are planning for it to be, and it shows that no detail is being ignored.  They could easily just use music already in the existing library of films and shows—there’s a lot of it, and I’m sure some familiar themes will be present…but to have the original composer create new music to add to the new world they’re creating?  I LOVE THIS!!!!

In the video below, you can see and hear some of this new music being recorded…and even better, you will see scenes of the construction project for Galaxy’s Edge…much of this footage we have not seen before!

They are officially now setting our expectations that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will be a multi-day experience.  If this is the case, this will take Hollywood Studios from usually a one day visit to potentially a 3 -4 day visit.  Which may mean that future trip planning may require either skipping one (or more) theme parks on your one week vacation–or that your typical one week vacation may need to be longer. 

A dilemma that we will spend much time talking about and planning for in future months, I assure you.

Mr. Chapek shared a few more highlights about Galaxy’s Edge:

  • Galaxy’s Edge is an Outpost called Black Spire Outpost (we knew that already, but we’re summarizing the good stuff here)
  • You’ll be able to visit the Cantina
  • Someone you may remember from Star Tours, Rex, will be a familar face in the Cantina
  • There will be other familiar creatures and characters in the Cantina
  • There is a street market in Black Spire Outpost
  • The street market has food stalls–you can buy unique delicacies like blue milk

Mr. Chapek also briefly mentioned the previously announced Star Wars resort coming to Walt Disney World resort.  It sounds like they are really trying to tread new territory here.  The resort will be connected to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios, and Disney is calling it a fully immersive Star Wars adventure.  Mr. Chapek says resort guests will be aboard a “luxury starship” that will have high-end dining, space-view cabins and all of the exciting action that we’d expect from a Star Wars experience.

Lots of good stuff to look forward to, right?  I can’t wait for more information to come out.  I want ALL the information!  And of course, as soon as I have it, so will you!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

P.S. – It’s not too soon to start planning your first visit to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.  Late 2019 should be safe for Disneyland and early 2020 should be good for Hollywood Studios.  Contact me today and we can start building your plan!  brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.


Favorite Nighttime Entertainment?

Do you have a favorite nighttime show that you MUST SEE every trip?  For Frank and I, it was always Wishes.  While we enjoy Happily Ever After a lot, I’m not having quite the same emotional response to it that I used to have with Wishes…but I suspect that may come in time…Happily Ever After is SO spectacular and there is SO much going on…I think my brain stays super active, and my heart just doesn’t have time to catch up!

I also have a soft spot for Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, and am sad that I most likely won’t be seeing it before that show is over forever to make way for whatever the next extravaganza will be…

I have seen Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom several times now, and I really like it.  It’s different from the other shows, but really pretty.

And of course, Fantasmic.  I’ve always loved that one…but it occurs to me I haven’t made time for it in a few years….Hmmmm….Maybe next trip….

Check out the video below for Disney’s brief summary of the nighttime shows at Walt Disney World currently:

Which show is a MUST NOT MISS?  Or would you rather ride attractions during the shows, or get to bed early to be raring to go for the next day?  I’d love to hear what your approach is to nighttime entertainment!

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Photo provided by Disney Parks Photography.

 

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Opening Seasons Announced

Perhaps trying to capitalize on the excitement surrounding this week’s opening of Solo: A Star Wars Story (or to add to the excitement?), Disney Parks has announced the official opening seasons for the Star Wars themed lands, currently under construction at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

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In a brief article published yesterday on the Disney Parks blog, Disney Parks announced that Galaxy’s Edge will open at Disneyland in the Summer of 2019.  Walt Disney World’s version at Hollywood Studios is officially scheduled to open in “Late Fall 2019”.  There are no more specifics than that, folks.

“Summer” and “Late Fall”.  Which, let’s face it could mean anywhere from May – September for Summer and October – December for Late Fall.  And of course…future announcements could be forthcoming should any delays crop up.

I certainly understand their hesitation to announce a specific opening day just yet…a lot can happen in a year…but fans are chomping at the bit to get a glimpse of Galaxy’s Edge, and that anticipation has been growing steadily in the months since Star Wars: The Last Jedi was released–and is likely to get another big bump once Solo: A Star Wars Story opens.

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Image from Disney Parks Blog

So far, we know that Galaxy’s Edge is set on the planet Batu, a remote outpost that has become a thriving port for smugglers, traders and adventurers.  Initially there are at least two attractions planned: one featuring the Millennium Falcon and one featuring a Star Destroyer.  We know there will be a Cantina featured, and that the blue milk made famous by Luke Skywalker in Episode Four: A New Hope will be an offering.  We can also count on lots of characters from the Star Wars universe, and of course….LOTS of merchandise.  In fact, some Galaxy’s Edge merchandise is already available in the parks today!

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Artists’ rendering from Disney Parks Blog

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Artist’s rendering from Disney Parks Blog

Disney continues to market Galaxy’s Edge as an extremely immersive experience, where guests are put in the middle of the action. Having just returned from a second trip where we spent a lot of time exploring Pandora, Disney’s Avatar-themed land at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, I am even MORE excited to see Galaxy’s Edge.  Disney Imagineering outdid themselves with Pandora, and from what Disney’s been saying, they’re going a lot farther with Galaxy’s Edge.

Add to that the incredible multi-media nighttime spectacular Star Wars fireworks show Hollywood Studios showed off on May 4th? (May the Fourth be with you!)  We were SO impressed and amazed.  I really can’t wait to see what they are doing with Galaxy’s Edge.   I suspect it will go beyond anything we’ve ever seen in a theme park before!

You can check out my previous post about Galaxy’s Edge here.  Here’s a link to the official announcement: Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

So…are you excited to visit Galaxy’s Edge?  Are you seeing Solo: A Star Wars Story this weekend?

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

*Note: if you need help planning your next Disney parks vacation, Disney cruise vacation, or Adventures by Disney vacation, I can help!  Contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for more information.

 

We’re BACK!

This was a WONDERFUL trip!  We had a terrific time, and I learned a few things I hope to incorporate into future trips…

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I’ll be doing a detailed day-by-day trip report over the next couple of weeks, but for now, here are some highlights:

Parks: All four parks looked great this trip.  We visited Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Magic Kingdom each twice.  Hollywood Studios was a blink and you’ll miss it visit this trip—we went in for dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby (AMAZING!) and caught the nighttime shows after dinner–but that was it.

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Weather: We had absolutely glorious weather most days—but we did have a couple days with a LOT of rain.  Saturday, our pre-planned Typhoon Lagoon/Disney Springs/Rest Day ended up with torrential downpours that lasted several hours.  Fortunately, we still got a few hours in at Typhoon Lagoon before the rain rolled in, and hey, if you’re going to be caught in the rain, somehow it’s better if you’re already in a bathing suit and flip flops with wet hair, right?  Our evening at Disney Springs had some sporadic rain showers, but they were fairly light and didn’t bother us hardly at all.  Sunday was a little more challenging as it was our last full park day…it rained off and on most of the day.  Fortunately, we were prepared with our ponchos, so it didn’t really affect us much…and had the bonus benefit of reducing the crowds a little bit.

 

The rest of the time, we had lovely blue skies with lots of sunshine.  Mid-afternoons to early evenings got pretty HOT and humid. Us northerners don’t do as well in the heat as southerners more used to the heat, and I have to admit, I was a bit of a wilted flower most days around 3pm.  But a cold drink, a little A/C, and a little sitting and people watching usually recharged my batteries just fine.

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Magic at Cinderella Castle! (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Disney’s Magic Kingdom (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Crowds: Originally, when I booked the trip, crowds were projected in the 3-5 range (out of 10, with 10 being so crowded it’s hard to walk, and parks at or near full capacity) for most days.  The closer we got to the trip, the higher the projections went, with crowds projected to be at 6-8’s most of our days.  In actuality, I think most days ended up being around 6’s, especially in the afternoons…maybe creeping into seven territory on Monday.  Our mornings were especially lovely, and crowds stayed lighter until around 11am most days.  Lots of strollers, lots of ECVs, but not unbearable by any stretch.  We did not see many big tour groups, either.

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Resort: We stayed at Old Key West this trip and really loved it.  It’s such a pretty resort, and has the largest studios of all the DVC resorts, with 2 queen sized beds—so it was perfect for us.  We had a second floor villa, so thank goodness for the wonderful bell services that helped us with all our stuff!  They are in the process of rehabbing this resort, but we saw no signs of construction during our visit.  The landscaping here is really lush and pretty; everything looked terrific!  We took the ferry to Disney Springs one night, and wow, that was so nice!  The ferries come every 20 minutes between 10 am and 11 pm, and it’s a really scenic ride to Disney Springs.  Our balcony had a nice golf-course view, and parking for our rental was very close by.  The gift shop at Old Key West is a really good one; OKW has some of the best DVC resort specific shirts and related souvenirs of any of the DVCs we’ve stayed at.  Cast members were all really nice and very helpful.  We had two meals at Olivia’s, the OKW main table service restaurant and they were ok, but not great.  The first was a lunch, and we had club sandwiches which were good.  The highlight of the meal was sitting out on the patio, though, honestly.  The second meal was breakfast on Saturday morning, and it really wasn’t great.  The service was very slow, and both of us had issues with our eggs.  The biscuits were very good, though.  Again, the highlight was our table out on the patio.

Old Key West Resort (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Old Key West DVC Resort (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Disney Transportation:  We rented a car this trip, so we did not use a lot of Disney transportation; however, what we did use was great, and we never had to wait very long.  We used the resort Ferry to Disney Springs, as I mentioned above, and that was a big highlight of the trip for us.  We used the Ferry at the Ticket and Transport center to get to and from Magic Kingdom a few times; I love that Ferry!  Also did a couple monorail rides—again, not much waiting, and they got us where we needed to go.   We rode LOTS of parking lot trams, haha.  The only real waiting we had to do there was on Friday when we left the park at the end of the night, along with about 20,000 of our closest friends 😉.  We waited about 20 minutes and through 4 tram loads before we got on one, but it wasn’t too bad, considering.  We did NOT use Magical Express or any bus transportation this trip.

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Merchandise: Mom and I both love to shop, and we shopped our hearts out on this trip.  Financial limitations meant we didn’t necessarily BUY a whole lot, but we SHOPPED and SHOPPED, haha.  Lots of fun merchandise, as always, for the Flower and Garden Festival, but we were a little disappointed.  It’s been a few years since we have been to the Festival, but in the past there was a pretty big variety of Festival merchandise, including, usually, several different pins.  This year, there was only one pin available, and we found it sold out in many locations—with three weeks still left to go in the Festival!  Perhaps there were more options available earlier on?  I’m not sure, but there were no special Passholder pins available for the Festival and only the one pin option.  Of course we DID buy the pin they had…but I would have liked to see a couple of different options.  One of the things I like about Festival time is that there is usually more variety in the shirts, hats, mugs, etc. at the Festival park than you’ll see everywhere else.  And that did hold true this year as well, although there wasn’t as much varied merchandise as I recalled from previous Festivals.   Other than Festival or Park specific merchandise, most of the shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, toys etc. were found in most shops across all four parks and Disney Springs.  The advantage of this, of course, is that you don’t have to buy something when you first see it, as you’ll likely see it many more times during your trip.  This is good for me, since I usually buy all my presents and souvenirs at the end of my trip when I think I’ve seen everything and can make a good decision.  But the big disadvantage is that the merchandise doesn’t feel as SPECIAL when you see the same stuff over and over and over.  Yes, it’s a big pain if you fall in love with the one shirt that you can only find at that little shop in the corner of Adventureland…but that makes it more FUN and more memorable, even if it means having to go back to that park on the last day to go to that little shop in the corner.  I have lots of memories of long ago trips when the last day was all about running around to find that special something we’d seen at the beginning of the trip and looked for in every store we went to after that….

Mom and I DID manage to find a very special and unique souvenir, but I can’t tell you about that one yet, as we got one as a present for someone and I don’t want anyone to see it until that person gets to see it. 😊

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One of the things I love about Animal Kingdom is that it has a lot of merchandise that is truly unique to Animal Kingdom—not just shirts and ears and mugs, but really different merchandise that is in line with the conservation and nature missions that Animal Kingdom promotes.   Now, there is one merchandise line that really stood out…in a fairly dreadful way, I must admit.  I’m just as excited about the upcoming Meghan Markle/Prince Harry nuptials as any self-respecting Disney Princess loving girl could be….but this? This goes just a little too far, even for me:

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Tea Towels???

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Nighttime Entertainment:  To be honest with you, neither of us are big night owls, especially after a long, hot day of theme-parking.  Our nighttime extravaganzas usually entailed whatever nighttime show was at whatever park we were in, followed by returning to the resort, showering off the day and CRASHING 😉.  We really enjoyed the nighttime entertainment in each park though.  Our very first night, we got to watch Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom.  We had great seats, and Mom loved it as much as I’d hoped she would.

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Friday night we did a quick Hollywood Studios visit for dinner and entertainment–once dinner was over, we were just in time for the Disney Movie Magic projection show on the Mann’s Chinese Theater and surrounding buildings, followed by a special Star Wars themed Galactic Fireworks and projection show in honor of May 4 (“May the fourth be with you”).  The Star Wars Spectacular was truly SPECTACULAR!  The show incorporated video clips and stills from all Star Wars movies released to date and a few from the upcoming SOLO movie (SOLO merchandise was VERY prevalent in the parks and at Disney Springs this visit).  It used lights, lasers, pyrotechnics, music, audio clips and fireworks to really dazzle the audience.  There were lasers coming out of the screens (buildings) that looked like blasters were firing and lasers coming from the back that looked like shots fired back…. It was pretty immersive and VERY impressive.  It was just a taste of what Disney is cooking up for Star Wars fans with Galaxy’s Edge, but I personally found it VERY exciting and can’t wait to see what the future will bring.

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Sunday night, the last night of our trip, we actually left Magic Kingdom about an hour before the fireworks and hopped a Monorail over to the Contemporary and went up to the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower.  Available exclusively to DVC Members staying at a DVC Resort, the Top of the World Lounge features a large bar and several indoor seating areas, surrounded by a very large patio area with a spectacular view of Magic Kingdom.  We had drinks and appetizers here, and I popped out to take pictures of the show from the unique “Top of the World” perspective, while Mom watched the show from her seat at the bar inside.  They pipe in the music, which is great, because the music adds SO much to the show.  Of course, you can’t really see all the castle projections that are an integral part of the Happily Ever After show, but the music and the fireworks are pretty fantastic, even without the projections.

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Another highlight:  On Saturday evening while we were at Disney Springs, we caught two different groups performing on the main stage there.  The first was a group of high school kids from Rome, New York.  They danced and sang, and were really terrific.  The second was a dance troupe, and each song was danced by a different group of kids–it seemed to be primarily by age groups.  They were very fun to watch, especially the littler kids. 😊

Needless to say, I could go on for DAYS (and probably will!! 😉 ) about our trip, but I’m anxious to get this quick summary posted, so I’ll stop here.

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Bottom line: The trip was WONDERFUL!  The parks looked terrific, we had some really wonderful cast member interactions and some AMAZING meals.  I’m so glad we went, and I can’t wait to go back!!

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Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

 

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Excitement moved throughout the world of Disney and Star Wars fans yesterday as Disney released a “Flyover” video showing construction progress at the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge “land” currently being built at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida and at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

Check out the video here.

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I don’t know about you guys, but I think it looks pretty impressive.  I’m especially excited about the descriptions Disney has posted so far about this “land”.  It sounds like they are really going for something truly immersive, and I suspect it will be unlike anything we’ve seen from Disney so far.  Scheduled to open in 2019, Disney hasn’t released a whole lot of details about this project yet, so this video is VERY exciting to see.

Technology keeps improving so quickly, and Disney certainly takes advantage of those gains as they design and create new attractions and experiences for Disney fans worldwide.  I was so impressed by Pandora when we visited Animal Kingdom in November (read about that visit here), and I think what Disney has planned for Star Wars is light years beyond what they did with Pandora.

Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan, I suspect Galaxy’s Edge will still capture your imagination!

Check out this short video that Disney released last year featuring Disney Imagineers talking about the project.

My stepdad took us to see the original Star Wars movie way back a million years ago when it first came out and I can still remember what an impact it had on all of us!  We’ve all been fans ever since (well…there were that unfortunate group of THREE movies 1999-2005 that I hated, but otherwise….), and it is so much fun watching the kids of today getting into Star Wars now just as much as we did when we were kids!

I’m really looking forward to seeing Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens, and I’m even MORE excited to visit with my step-dad and brothers because I know they will be AMAZED and thrilled.  I just can’t wait!

Take a look at this concept art that Disney released last year:

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Does that look out of this world amazing??

How about you?  Are you loving the recent additions to the Star Wars franchise?  Are you excited to plan a trip to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge??

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Toy Story Land Opens June 30!!

Big news from Walt Disney World today!  They have officially announced opening day for the highly anticipated Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios!  Toy Story Land will open June 30, 2018!!

Opening Toy Story Land will give a much needed boost to Hollywood Studios, which has felt a bit…well, decimated over the last couple of years as attraction after attraction was closed to make room for both Toy Story Land and the still under construction Star Wars themed land.  When we visited in November, it definitely felt like there wasn’t a whole lot to do at Hollywood Studios.  We took advantage of the extra time we had and watched the Streetmosphere Players a lot (they are TERRIFIC!)…but we missed the Great Movie Ride, the Animation Academy, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show, and even…dare I say…American Idol!  Does anyone else remember Sounds Dangerous with Drew Carey? That’s been gone longer, but I still miss it.  But I digress….[what else is new?] Read more about our November visit to Hollywood Studios here.

Toy Story Land capitalizes on one of the most popular attractions in Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania, as well as the very popular Pixar Toy Story movie series.  The idea is that when you enter Toy Story Land (much like when you enter the queue area for Toy Story Mania), you have shrunk down to “toy” size, and you are all set to play with the other toys.  Toy Story Land’s superstar new attraction is a roller coaster called “Slinky Dog Dash”.  Disney released a video of a test run on this attraction, check it out :

Slinky Dog Dash

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Photo from the Disney Parks Blog

Another new attraction is called Alien Swirling Saucers, which sounds a little like that Mad Hatter’s Tea Party to me…the Disney Parks Blog describes it as aliens “swirling about in their flying saucers with guests in tow…”…So swirling? Sounds like spinning, but I could be wrong.  I guess we’ll have to wait and see!

They’ve also added a third track to the VERY popular Toy Story Mania, along with a new game-themed entrance…this will hopefully help the ride move more guests through each hour, making it (fingers crossed) easier to get fast pass plus reservations for this attraction, as well as reducing the overall standby line.  I love this attraction, and am always happy when I can ride it more than once over the course of the day.

Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)
Wedding Trip: Toy Story Mania (Photo: Brooke and Frank)

Finally, they’ve added a new quick service restaurant called “Woody’s Lunch Box”–which is, you guessed it, Andy’s lunch box turned on it’s side.  It’s a walk up window type restaurant, so I’m assuming we’ll see outdoor seating, or perhaps a covered seating area?

The whole land sounds super cute…with lots of toys all around.  I can’t wait to see it.  I’m guessing our trip at the beginning of May will be too early to have any hope of a soft open or a passholder preview, but you never know!  If I can catch any glimpses, I’ll be sure to take pictures and share when I get back.

Otherwise, it will most likely be next year before I’ll get to explore Toy Story Land.  I can’t wait to see it, though.  I bet it will be lots of fun to explore and will have a ton of great photo spots.  All those bright colors and “life-size” toys?  I think it will look spectacular.  Dare I hope for more green Army men?  I love those guys!!

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Happy dreaming!!

Brooke

Hollywood Studios During the Holidays!

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to update since our trip.  I can’t believe how busy it has been since we got back!  Between being sick and working LOTS of extra hours trying to earn a little Christmas money, it’s been NUTS!

Getting back on track though.  With that said, here’s the first of several posts about our trip.

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Hollywood Studios

I have to tell you, I really feel like Disney has upped their game in the Holiday celebration arena in recent years.  They’ve always done a good job decorating each resort and they always decorated Main Street at the Magic Kingdom.  And they had the Osborne Spectacle of Lights at Hollywood Studios, but unfortunately that closed a couple of years ago.  With that gone, other than Christmas Trees at Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom, they didn’t do a LOT of decorating in the past at the parks.

I feel like that has changed.  During our trip, I felt like the holiday spirit was EVERYWHERE.  The Holidays were much more in evidence everywhere we went.  If you needed help getting in the Holiday Spirit, Disney is definitely the RIGHT place to be, that is for sure!  Going relatively early in the season gave us a nice kickoff to our 2017 holiday season.

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Hollywood Studios was where I noticed the biggest change: It looks like Hollywood Studios is really trying to attract crowds this year with their Holiday decor and activities, perhaps partially to make up for all the attractions that have closed to make way for the upcoming Star Wars land and the expansion of Pixar Place?  Whatever the motivation, it really scored with us!

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I have to add that we LOVED the Osborne Spectacle of Lights that used to be on the Streets of America at Hollywood Studios, and were heartbroken when it closed due to all the refurbishments.  We were lucky enough to visit it one last time on the last night of our wedding trip, and I’m so glad that we did!  The display was festive and magical and very fun…and we DEFINITELY missed it this year!

The Studios is really trying to still be a destination for visitors wanting Holiday Magic, though…They have added a lot of Holiday decor throughout the park, and they’ve added a new Jingle Jam Jingle BAM show in the evenings that is outstanding.  While we still missed the Osborne Spectacle of Lights, we really felt that Hollywood Studios held its own as a Holiday destination with the new additions.

Check out the recently refurbished Echo Lake area at Hollywood Studios!  Even Gertie the Dinosaur got decked out for the holidays with the addition of some snow and a giant Santa Hat.  There are floating Christmas ornaments all over the lake and a gorgeous holiday tree at one end.  It was fun and festive and looked really great at night, too.

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One of our favorite activities at Hollywood Studios is to watch the Streetmosphere Character Actors.  They come out several times a day, mostly on Sunset Boulevard, in various groupings and do crowd-interactive, at least partially improvisational, performances.  And they are TERRIFIC.  If you don’t take time to check them out when you visit, you are really missing out!

The Streetmosphere players really embraced the Holiday spirit as well.  In one scene we watched, they were a group of singers, trying to get on the Bing Crosby Holiday Radio Show.  They did a hilarious version of the 12 days of Christmas, with a few members of the audience participating.

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Another really funny one we watched was a riff on the Holiday Parade Celebrity Hosting idea.  They basically pretended everyone walking by was part of the parade and they threw out jokes and interacted with various “participants” as they went by.  Some people really played with them too, it was really funny.  It happened to be Dapper Day, so they had a fashion parade at one point, really letting those folks shine!

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The Hollywood Studios Streetmosphere players are so talented, and they think so fast on their feet!  They really added to our enjoyment of the day, that’s for sure!

Sunset Boulevard has gotten a festive update, and at night…wow.  Disney has really embraced their projection technology all over the World and boy is it everywhere at night at Hollywood Studios during the Holidays!  The Tower of Terror is the canvas for several themed festive vignettes, set to themed music and coordinated with projections on nearby billboards as well.  It’s overwhelming and a little disconcerting to be honest…you see all this festive happy Holiday magic on the Tower…and then people are screaming up at the top of the Tower.  You don’t see them, but you hear them, at least a little bit.  It was a little odd..but still really really cool.  Disney even used the old snow machines that used to over at the Osborne Lights display to make it snow on Sunset Boulevard (I’m assuming they are the same ones…maybe they’re new 😊!).  Unfortunately, none of my pictures turned out — the low lighting on the street combined with the quickly moving images on the Tower turned out a big blurry mess on my camera.

Here’s a picture of the Tower from Disney’s website:

Tower as Gingerbread House

And another:

Tower Holiday

Like I said, it was pretty astonishing.  What really blew our minds, though, was the Jingle Jam Jingle BAM show at the parks original landmark, the replica of Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

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Much like the shows over at the Magic Kingdom that use the Castle as a giant projection screen, Hollywood Studios uses the Chinese Theatre and surrounding buildings as giant screens for all kinds of holiday magic.  Coordinated with music, lights and fireworks, the show is festive and fun.

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The crowd around us really seemed to enjoy it, too.  Lots of oooo’s and ahhh’s.  It was super bright, colorful and to be honest…kinda dazzling!

We really enjoyed seeing Hollywood Studios decked out in her Holiday glory.  This park is fairly limited at the moment, as so many areas and attractions have been closed to make way for upcoming attractions…I wasn’t sure we’d be able to make a full day of it.  But we had a great day, and it was pretty action packed, too.  I’ll give you a full day recap in my upcoming trip report, but I’m happy to say Hollywood Studios during the holidays is a definite MUST-DO if you’re at Disney.  There’s still quite a few attractions and activities and the Holiday decor and nighttime entertainment is well worth a visit during your next holiday trip!

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Happy Dreaming and Happy Holidays!

Brooke