Tag: #disneyvacationfun

Choosing Where to Stay on Your Disney Vacation

One of the earliest planning decisions you need to make is choosing where to stay on your Disney vacation. There are many facets to this decision: staying on Disney property or staying off Disney property? If staying off property, do you want to stay at a hotel or rent a house (Air B&B)? If staying on property, do you want to stay at a Value Resort, a Moderate Resort or a Deluxe Resort? Do you want to stay at the Swan, Dolphin or Swan Reserve? Another option to consider: You could rent points and stay at a Disney Vacation Club Resort.

Polynesian Resort Room
Photo: Destinations in Florida

Advantages of Staying on Disney Property

Once you’ve decided WHEN you want to go to Disney, your next big decision is WHERE to stay. Choosing where to stay on your Disney vacation is a HUGE decision.  Where you stay will have a big impact on your vacation budget, whether you need to rent a car, how much time you spend at the parks, how early you need to get up in the morning–You’d be surprised what an impact where you decide to stay will have on your overall vacation experience.

Some of the advantages of staying on Disney property include:

      • Proximity to the Disney World theme parks.
      • Free parking at the resort and at each theme park.
      • Free Disney transportation within Walt Disney World.
Monorail at Exit; Choosing where to stay for your Disney Vacation; Staying on Disney Property
Monorail at EPCOT                                                                                                                 Photo: Linda Harkness
      • You don’t need to rent a car, unless you want to.
      • Early park entry: Disney resort guests can enter 30 minutes before official open time every day at every theme park.
      • Extra evening hours: Disney resort guests can stay 2 hours after park close at select theme parks 2 nights per week.
      • Advance dining reservations can be made 60 days in advance of your stay for the entirety of your vacation–up to 10 days.
      • Great Disney gift shops at each Disney resort.
      • All Disney resorts offer lots of family friendly activities every day. There are craft activities, movie nights, s’mores, character visits, and more!
      • Restaurants and food courts: All Disney resorts feature some dining options. Value Resorts feature food courts with counter service meals, while Moderate and Deluxe resorts usually feature both counter service and table service meal options.
      • Resort Mug with Free Refills for the duration of your stay. All Disney resorts offer refillable mugs for purchase. These mugs can be refilled at no additional charge at beverage stations at several locations around your resort. Note: you cannot get refills in these mugs at the theme parks–but you can get free water throughout each theme park, and the refillable mugs work great for that, too.
      • Room service: some Disney resorts offer room service options.
Old Key West, Pool, five key tips for a magical Disney vacation
Old Key West Pool                                                                                                                    Photo: Brooke Hudson

Intangible Advantages of Staying on Disney Property

There are additional, less tangible advantages to staying on Disney property as well. There’s nothing like being in the Disney bubble for your entire vacation. Even the highway signs on Disney property are themed! Each resort has it’s own theme, and you can count on Disney to carry the theme throughout your resort. And you gain time by staying on Disney property. You don’t have to get up as early, or get back to your resort as late if you’re staying on Disney property.  You’re avoiding Orlando traffic, which can be pretty challenging.

Disney resorts are SO CLEAN. We’ve been visiting Walt Disney World for more than 50 years, and we’ve stayed at MANY different Disney resorts. We’ve never had an issue with a room not being clean, or with the resort public areas being clean. I’m not saying there are never exceptions to this–but they are exceptions. Disney has very high standards, and cast members are held to those standards.

When evaluating whether to stay on or off Disney property, you need to consider those “intangibles” in addition to the more tangible advantages. If budget is the most important thing to you when you are planning, you can definitely save money by staying off Disney property. But you may not save as much as you think.

Disney Transportation Why rent a car at Disney?
Magic Kingdom Ferry: Free to Disney Resort Guests                                                Photo: Brooke Hudson

Things to Consider if Staying Off Disney Property

There are a lot of great hotels located off Disney property, in every possible budget. And Central Florida offers a TON of vacation rental homes and condos. Again, in almost every possible budget. Every time we plan a longer Disney trip, we always consider staying at a vacation rental home–especially for our big family trips.  There are twelve of us–and the inventory of vacation homes with 5 or more bedrooms is plentiful.

For our most recent trip, we very strongly considered it. But ultimately, we decided the advantages of staying on Disney property outweighed the cost savings of staying at a vacation rental. But everyone’s priorities are different and you have to consider what is important to you when making this decision.

Considerations

      • You HAVE to have your own transportation if you stay off property. If you’re driving to Disney, this is no big deal.  However, if you’re flying, you will need to rent a car.
      • You will need to pay to park at the theme parks. Currently, parking at each theme park is $30 per vehicle, per day.
Choosing where to Stay on your Disney Vacation. Magic Kingdom Gate
Magic Kingdom Gate
      • Travel time to and from Disney World. Depending on where you are staying, you may need to allow as much as one hour for travel time to the theme parks. Traffic in the Orlando area can be brutal. I live in Chicago, so Orlando traffic is no big deal for me–but generally, most Orlando visitors and residents complain a lot about the traffic in Orlando.
      • If you have read any of my previous blogs, you know I’m a big proponent at getting to the parks EARLY. The crowds are lightest first thing in the morning, so if you want to avoid long lines, your best bet is to arrive at the parks before opening.  This means getting up earlier to allow time to drive to Disney, to park and to walk in from the parking lot.
      • Keep in mind that at the end of the night, you’ll have more of a drive back to your hotel or vacation rental.
      • You can make Advance Dining Reservations for meals on Disney property 60 days before your trip, but only one day at a time. (When you stay on Disney property, you can still make your reservations 60 days out, but you can book all your reservations for up to 10 days).
      • You won’t have access to Early Park Access (30 minutes per park per day if you’re staying on property).
      • You won’t have access to Extra Evening Hours (2 hours after park close at select parks 2 nights per week for Disney resort guests).
Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort; Choosing where to stay on your Disney Vacation
Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort                                                             Photo: Linda Harkness

The Bottom Line

Choosing where to stay on your Disney vacation is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when planning your Disney vacation. Deciding whether to stay on Disney property or off Disney property will have a major impact on both your budget and your overall vacation experience.

Art of Animation Resort
Photo: Disney Parks

If you are working with a tight budget, the most economical options are off Disney property. However, it’s important to consider the costs of renting a car, parking at the theme parks, and the time-cost of driving to and from Disney.

In our next blog, we’ll discuss the different types of Disney resorts to choose from.

Where do you like to stay when you visit Disney? Are there any Disney resorts or any off property resorts that you’re wanting to visit?  Please share below!

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent

Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

P.S: The name of this blog is going to be changing soon. Our new name will be Magical Castles Travel or WDW Castle Dreaming Travel.

Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster?

Did you have Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster on your bingo card? I sure didn’t! I’m always happy to see Disney adding more Muppets to the parks—but I have to be honest—Rock-n-Roller Coaster was NOT an attraction that I looked at and thought “Muppets”.  But here we are! Disney announced earlier this week that the Muppets are “moving right along” to Rock-n-Roller Coaster.

Disney Hollywood Studios Rock-n-Roller Coaster
Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Fans of Disney’s Hollywood Studios have long speculated that Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith would be overhauled. While Aerosmith is beloved by many, fans speculated that Disney would choose a new band to partner with for this attraction to help appeal to a younger demographic. Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was closed earlier this year for several months for maintenance and refurbishment. Since this was a longer closure than usual, many fans wondered if it would reopen featuring a different artist. When it reopened, however, there were no substantial changes to the attraction. And, of course, Aerosmith is still the featured artist.

Rock-n-Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.                                            Photo: Brooke Hudson

Muppets 3D Vision

When Disney announced at last year’s D23 event that they were adding a Monsters Inc. area to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I immediately started worrying for Muppets 3D Vision. The Grand Avenue area of the park, where Muppets 3D Vision is located, doesn’t really have much else over there. It’s at the south end of the park, and it seems like a logical area for a new attraction or “land”. The Muppets themed gift shop never reopened after Covid. I was really worried that if Muppets 3D Vision closed, that would be the end of the Muppets at Disney theme parks.

Muppets 3D Vision Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Muppets 3D Vision. Photo: Disney Parks

I LOVE Muppets 3D Vision. It’s a very cute show, inspired by The Muppet Show, and features lots of fun hijinks from many of our favorite Muppets. The pre-show is cute, and the props throughout the pre-show area are detailed and fun. I’m always noticing something new when in the Muppets 3D Vision preshow area. I’m also a big fan of any attraction that is air-conditioned and allows guests to sit down for more than 10 minutes without waiting in really long lines first. Funny and entertaining for all ages? BONUS!!

Outside Muppets 3D Vision is the Miss Piggy fountain.  This is a popular photo spot, and another really fun tribute to the Muppets with lots of detail.

Muppets 3D Vision Miss Piggy
Miss Piggy Fountain.                                                                                                              Photo: Brooke Hudson

On our most recent trip, we even got to meet Kermit the Frog in this area! I suspect the Miss Piggy fountain will also disappear when this area is taken over by Monsters. However, I’m hoping (maybe delusional…) that they will move the fountain to the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster courtyard, or somewhere in that general neighborhood.

Muppets 3D Vision Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Photo:Disney PhotoPass

While I completely understand that this area is a very logical place to add the new Monsters Inc. area, I am very disappointed to see Muppet 3D Vision closing to make way.

Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster

As I mentioned above, the Muppets had never occurred to me as a possible replacement for Aerosmith at the Rock-n-Roller Coaster. However, now that Disney has announced it, it does make a weird kind of sense to me. Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, the house band for the Muppet Show, have always been somewhat chaotic, and I think that fits right in with the Rock-n-Roller Coaster vibe. The only concept art Disney has released so far for the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is the graphic at the top of this post. That graphic features Dr. Teeth, Animal, Janice, Floyd Pepper, Zoot and Lips—all the members of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.  The concept art also features Miss Piggy and Kermit the Frog. The concept art also shows them all riding in a psychedelic limo. I hope this means that the cars will all be painted with a psychedelic scheme, to match the Van that Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem travel around in.

I suspect the ride itself will not change much.  I’m guessing Disney will repaint the cars, and of course replace the Aerosmith scene with a scene involving the Muppets. Some changes to the artwork and the queue area and BOOM, Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is up and running.

Rock-n-Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith
Rock-n-Roller Coaster Queue.                                                                                            Photo: Brooke Hudson

Almost like doing a holiday overlay of the attraction like they do to make the Jungle Cruise into the Jingle Cruise for Christmas—I think this could be a pretty fast transformation.

The Rock-n-Roller Coaster is one of only a few “thrill” rides at Disney World, and is very popular. I suspect they will not want the ride to be down for very long if they can possibly avoid it. But who knows? Maybe they will overhaul the entire attraction and dramatically change everything up.  I doubt it, but you never know!

In the announcement, Disney says the Muppets will be teaming up with some of “music’s biggest stars” for a rockin’ music festival. Now it’s possible that Disney thinks Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem are among music’s biggest stars, but somehow I don’t think so. So we may see some engagement with other musical celebrities—who knows? When The Muppet Show originally aired in the 70’s, they were able to get some pretty big stars of the time on the show. But the world has changed pretty dramatically since then, and the Muppets are not as popular as they were back then. I have a feeling we’re more likely to see some Disney channel stars or someone trying for a comeback than we are to see Beyoncé or Ariana Grande.

Disney also shares that Sunset Boulevard will offer “plenty” of Muppets themed merchandise. I’m guessing at minimum, the shop at the end of the attraction will be rethemed to match Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster.  Perhaps the other shops on Sunset will feature more Muppets merch? There’s been a serious lack of Muppets merchandise in the parks in recent years, so I’m cautiously optimistic that this will get better when the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster opens.

Monsters, Inc.

New attractions are always welcome—especially if it means some expansion to the park. Take a look at the concept art for the Monsters, Inc. area below:

Monsters Inc. Concept Art
Monsters Inc. area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Concept Art.

In this concept art, it looks like the Monsters, Inc. building is pushing back on the south side of the park, or actually expanding into a new area, enlarging the footprint of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I don’t know for sure, but that’s how it appears to me.

Disney promises that this new Monsters, Inc. themed area will include a Monsters, Inc. themed roller coaster, as well as dining, shopping and a new theater show. Humans will be able to enter the world of Monsters, and at long last, we’ll be able to be a part of the scene in Monsters, Inc. that looked like a ride design when we first watched the movie: the door vault scene. Disney tells us the coaster will be a suspended ride that will recreate the door vault.

I think this land will be a welcome addition to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and I’m only surprised it has taken so long to get to this stage. I honestly expected Monsters, Inc. to show up in Disney’s Hollywood Studios 15 years ago! Disney’s Hollywood Studios will certainly benefit from another thrilling attraction and a good show that absorbs large crowds is a terrific plan! More dining and shopping is always welcome, so the only downside to this whole plan? Losing Muppets 3D Vision.

The Bottom Line

Retheming Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith to the Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster feels like a consolation prize. I suspect the powers that be are trying to assuage fans that will mourn the loss of Muppets 3D Vision with this retheming. And on some level, I understand that it’s time for change. As much as I love the Muppets and absolutely adore Muppets 3D Vision—you can almost always see the show with a max 15 minute wait. This is not a “hot” attraction anymore. If it was, I suspect it wouldn’t be on the chopping block, regardless of its location.

Fortunately, the Muppets are an important property and they do have marketable value (and they do help to sell merchandise…). I’m guessing the rethemed Muppets Rock-n-Roller Coaster is Disney’s “great idea” to keep the Muppets in the parks without spending a lot of money. There’s the side benefit of updating the original Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, which also feels a bit outdated. Two birds, one stone.

I’m not sure these are the right decisions, but then no one at Disney asked me, hahahaha. I guess we’ll all see when the dust settles. I’m hoping there’s a Muppet loving Imagineer brainstorming new ways to use the Muppets in the parks. (If so, please let me know where to send the donuts!)

I AM excited about the new Monsters, Inc. land. I am always happy to see new attractions at any theme park, and nobody does immersive lands like Disney does. I’m hopeful that Monsters, Inc. will be wonderful and worth the long wait. I suspect this area won’t open until 2028–MAYBE 2027? I’ll keep you posted when I know more.

In the meantime, Disney has not announced closing dates for either Muppets 3D Vision OR Rock-n-Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. So we all still have time to get rides in on those attractions. My guess is that both attractions will go down in 2025. I’m guessing after the summer? But one or both could go down much sooner. As soon as Disney announces official dates, I’ll post an update. There’s still plenty of time to plan your 2025 visit to Walt Disney World. If you’d like to get started, please email brooke@DisneyCastleDreaming.com.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

 

Revisiting Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Toy Story Land

Roundup Rodeo BBQ is a Toy Story themed table service restaurant that opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in March 2023. We originally visited Roundup Rodeo BBQ in May 2023, not long after it opened. Despite originally vowing to never eat at Roundup Rodeo BBQ again, we found ourselves revisiting Roundup Rodeo BBQ a few weeks ago.  Our experience this time was substantially different and I felt deserved an updated review.

We left Roundup Rodeo BBQ pretty disappointed after our initial visit in May 2023. While we loved the theming, we were really disappointed with the food during that visit. That original review can be found Here.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Dining Review Revisited
Roundup Rodeo BBQ                                                                                                                  Photo: Disney Parks

When it came time to plan our big family trip for October 2024, we kept coming back to Roundup Rodeo BBQ. The theming was SO good and we knew that several family members would be excited to dine in Toy Story Land. We also had heard that Disney had made some changes to the menu based on guest feedback. While that doesn’t always mean good things when it comes to Disney, in this case, we felt things HAD to improve—we didn’t honestly think they could have gotten worse. With cautious trepidation, we made an Advanced Dining Reservation for dinner on our Hollywood Studios day. There were 10 people in our group the evening we had dinner at Roundup Rodeo BBQ.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Excellent Theming

The one thing that remained consistent between our first visit and our most recent visit was the theming of the restaurant. This restaurant is themed VERY well to Toy Story, and includes characters and storylines from all four movies throughout the restaurant. It’s very colorful and cheerful. This is a very family friendly restaurant—so the noise levels are high. Do not expect a calm or relaxing atmosphere at Roundup Rodeo BBQ. This is a high energy, fun experience—aimed at providing Toy Story fans (especially young fans) an immersive and memorable meal.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ; five key tips for a magical Disney vacation
Roundup Rodeo BBQ                                                                                                             Photo: Brooke Hudson

The cast members are all outfitted in cartoon western wear, very fitting with the Toy Story Rodeo theming. One thing my mom pointed out—she felt the cast member seating us and our server did a better job this visit with bringing everyone into the Toy Story atmosphere, and in telling diners what to expect. She’s not a Toy Story fan, and felt lost during our first visit—not understanding some of what was going on. This time, the cast members explained that Andy or Sid might come into the backyard, and because we are all honorary toys, we have to freeze whenever that happens. This helped Mom feel more involved, even though she hadn’t seen the movies.

The audio playing throughout the meal seemed clearer and more understandable this visit as well. We also noticed some really fun action that played out around the restaurant involving different cast members acting as certain Toy Story characters. It was fun and the activity and audio cues were frequent enough to keep younger kids from getting bored, but not so often as to make you feel anxious or overwhelmed. (Everyone’s barometer for overstimulation is different however; your mileage may vary on this).

Roundup Rodeo BBQ Revisited
Roundup Rodeo BBQ, Interior                                                                                                  Photo: Disney Parks

Roundup Rodeo BBQ: Pricing

One of the advantages that Roundup Rodeo BBQ has had from the start is that it is a relatively fairly priced meal for Walt Disney World. The menu is served family style, and is all-you-care-to-eat. The meal includes a beverage (fountain drinks, iced tea or milk), several different meats, multiple sides and dessert. When Roundup Rodeo BBQ first opened, the price for adults (age 10+) was $45 per person, and the price for children (ages 3-9) was $25.  These prices have increased slightly. The current prices for adults is $49 per person and for children is $27. This is the same whether you go for lunch or dinner–so make that reservation whenever you can get it. There’s no price disadvantage to the dinner hour, and no price advantage to the lunchtime shift.

Take a look at the current menu here.

The majority of our family really took the “all you care to eat” to heart. I think most of us really got our money’s worth here. We made sure to go in hungry—and the improvements in the menu were definitely appreciated by pretty much the whole family. One of the single BEST improvements to the menu doesn’t show on the online menu–it only appears on the printed menu you get at the restaurant: you can get salmon upon request with your proteins. And the salmon was SO GOOD!! It really elevated the meal for us. Somehow, I didn’t manage to get a picture of any of the VERY fabulous salmon. But I did capture my other favorite item on the menu–and this is an original menu item– the biscuits with the sweet pepper jam. Oh my goodness. I wouldn’t be surprised if a black market sprung up somewhere just for these!! Really yummy!

roundup rodeo bbq biscuits
Roundup Rodeo BBQ Biscuits with Sweet Pepper Jam.                                             Photo: Brooke Hudson

The desserts were also beloved universally at our table–and between the 10 of us, we tried ALL of them.

Let me be clear: $49 is a lot of money for lunch or dinner—especially for a 10 year old person. However, this is a meal inside one of the most popular theme parks in the world. For theme park dining at a table service restaurant, $49 is one of the lower priced options you’ll find. And while this is not a character meal, it is very well themed. And there actually is quite a lot of entertainment happening. Overall, now that the quality of the food has improved (in my opinion), I think this is a very reasonably priced table service meal at Disney. I definitely recommend going in hungry if you can!

The Bottom Line — Roundup Rodeo BBQ Revisited

Toy Story Land Table Service Restaurant Roundup Rodeo BBQ                                Photo: Disney Parks

I would definitely recommend Roundup Rodeo BBQ for a fun family dining experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. My recommendation does come with a few caveats, however. If your kids are SUPER picky eaters–make sure you look at the menu before making your reservation. $49 is a lot of money if the only thing your kid will eat is mac and cheese.

Be aware, this is a LOUD, boisterous and fun dining experience. If you have Toy Story fans in your group, they are likely to love it–but if you have kids with sensory issues or that get overwhelmed when there is a lot going on–this may not be the right dining experience for your family.

However, we found it to be fun and entertaining. The service was great, the food was really good, and our family REALLY enjoyed the all-you-can-eat aspect. I’d like to also personally recommend the Rattler Rum Punch for those that like a little alcohol with their boisterous family dining experiences. It was really tasty and had a nice little kick to it!

Roundup Rodeo Revisited
Roundup Rodeo Beverages                                                                                                       Photo: Disney Parks

I think Roundup Rodeo BBQ fills a need that it was supposed to fill: good, fun, entertaining themed dining in Toy Story Land. Good food that appeals to most (especially with the changes they’ve made over the last year) at a reasonable for theme park dining price.

I suggest you check it out on your next Disney vacation–especially if you’re a Toy Story fan or have Toy Story fans in your traveling crew.

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Disney Fireworks Cruises

If you love Disney fireworks like I do, trust me, you want to know about Disney Fireworks Cruises. These exceptional experiences offer some of the best fireworks views around AND you get to avoid the crowds!

I am a Disney fireworks junkie, I admit it. Over the last 20 years, I have seen ever incarnation of Disney fireworks at all of the Florida Disney World parks, from regular shows to limited runs to holiday spectaculars. I LOVE Disney fireworks. If my fellow travelers would allow, we would watch Disney fireworks from SOMEWHERE every night of our Disney vacations.

Fireworks Waiting in line
Magic Kingdom Fireworks                                                                                                (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Where to watch the show from is just as important as which show on what night. And I have watched from every location I could. In front of the castle, behind the castle. The rooftop at Bay Lake Tower, the catwalk at the Contemporary Resort. The porch at Narcoossee’s. The Beach at the Polynesian.

Disney Fireworks From Bay Lake Tower
Magic Kingdom Fireworks from Bay Lake Tower                                                 Photo: Brooke Hudson

We’ve watched EPCOT fireworks from every country around the World Showcase and have watched from the spot between Port of Entry and Mexico or Canada. I’ve even watched from parking lots and the Skyliner.

Epcot Illuminations Reflections of Earth Fireworks
Illuminations Reflections of Earth, Wedding Dessert Party                          Photo: Vicki and David Arndt

Until last night, I would have told you that the very best fireworks viewing to be had was from Disney fireworks dessert parties. We hosted a fireworks dessert party in the UK after our wedding and it was AMAZING—and offered a wonderful view of the fireworks. We’ve become big fans of the Seats and Sweets Fireworks Dessert Party over at the Magic Kingdom (Click Here to read my blog post about fireworks dessert parties.) While I would still highly recommend Disney fireworks dessert parties, the Disney fireworks cruise is has climbed to the top of the list for me. This is the BEST way to view Disney fireworks—and to have a terrific overall experience as well.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney Fireworks Cruises – The Basics

First off, let me caution you: this is not an economical experience. However, it is also not an exceptionally overpriced extravagant experience. The current price for a Disney Fireworks Cruise is $449 + tax, and you can include up to 10 people on your cruise. This is a private, chartered cruise, and includes the services of a captain. The cruise also includes snacks, as well as pop, juice and water. If you shared the cost over all 10 people, each person would pay less than $60, and that would include the tip for the captain!

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Disney Fireworks Cruise Oct 2024 Captain Kayleigh

You are also allowed to bring your own treats and/or alcoholic beverages if you wish.

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Disney Fireworks Cruise Family Time                              Photo: Brooke Hudson

Children under 12 must wear a life jacket—provided by the marina team. Your cruise can also include a birthday or anniversary banner (provided by the Marina team) at no additional charge and may also include balloons for no additional charge if the winds are not too high.

Disney Fireworks Cruise Happy Birthday Banner
Happy Birthday Banner Disney Pontoon Boats                                                    Photo: Deidra Ocampo

EPCOT Fireworks Cruises

EPCOT fireworks, currently “Luminous, a Symphony of Us”, are always at 9 pm. EPCOT fireworks cruises board at the Yacht Club Marina, located near the lighthouse at the Yacht Club on Crescent Lake.  Each night, up to five pontoon boats may be chartered for the fireworks cruise. Your group (again, up to a maximum of 10 people) will board your boat at approximately 7:45 pm, with your captain setting sail at 8pm.

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Crescent Lake Boat Tour – Swan & Dolphin Photo: Brooke Hudson

Your boat will tour Crescent Lake for approximately 35-40 minutes, traveling past the Swan and Dolphin to Disney’s Hollywood Studios before heading into EPCOT to tie up with the other fireworks cruise boats, just inside the park, between the UK and France.

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Crescent Lake Boat Tour                                           Photo: Brooke Hudson

Your group will float happily in this perfect location to watch the entire Luminous show. Once the show is over, the boats will separate and gradually return to their home dock. The entire experience lasts about an hour and a half.

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Disney Fireworks Cruise, Boats Tied Together Before Show Starts  Photo: Brooke Hudson
Disney Fireworks Cruise
Disney EPCOT Fireworks Cruise                                                                                         Photo: Brooke Hudson
Disney Fireworks Cruises Pontoon Boats
Disney Fireworks Cruises Pontoon Boats                            Photo: Brooke Hudson

Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruises

Magic Kingdom fireworks start at different times, depending on sunset and/or holiday parties or special events. So the Magic Kingdom fireworks cruises are not quite as consistently scheduled as the EPCOT fireworks cruises are.  The experience is quite similar though. Your experience will last approximately an hour and a half, and your boat will depart approximately one hour before the fireworks are scheduled. Your cruise will board at the Marina at the Contemporary Resort. Your boat captain will tour Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon with your party, making sure that your party has a great view of the fireworks, once they are ready to begin.

Disney Fireworks Cruise Magic Kingdom
Disney Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise Boats                                                            Photo: Brooke Hudson

The main difference between the two experiences is that the Magic Kingdom fireworks cruise boats do not tie up together like the EPCOT fireworks cruise boats do.  The Magic Kingdom fireworks cruise boats continue cruising throughout the fireworks show, albeit at a much slower pace. After the fireworks are over, the captain will return your boat to the Marina.

Note: Some Magic Kingdom fireworks cruises will launch from the Marina at the Grand Floridian resort. Please confirm your launch location when reserving your cruise.

How to Book a Disney Fireworks Cruise

Booking a Disney Fireworks Cruise is relatively easy; however, you cannot book your cruise until 60 days before the date of your cruise. You can book a Disney Fireworks Cruise through the My Disney Experience app, through this link, or by calling (407) WDW-PLAY (407) 939-7529. Alternatively, if you are working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner like myself, your planner may also reserve your cruise for you.

The cost of your cruise is $449 + tax (and a tip for your captain!).

Disney Fireworks Cruise
Disney Fireworks Cruise Family Photo Octo 2024

Rent a Pontoon Boat

Did you know that you can rent a pontoon boat during the day for up to 10 passengers during your Disney vacation? Rentals are available at the Yacht Club Marina, the Contemporary Resort Marina and the Grand Floridian Marina. You can rent the boat as long as you have a valid driver’s license, state ID or Military ID and are over 18 years old.

Things to keep in mind:

      • Cost $49 + tax for 3o minutes
      • Children under 12 years old must wear a complimentary life jacket
      • Reservations are not required
      • Rentals are available on a first come, first served basis
      • These boat rentals do NOT include a captain; YOU will be responsible for driving the boat.
      • Smoking is not allowed on board any Disney boat or watercraft
      • Only Resort guests or guests with Resort dining reservations will be permitted to park in the Resort parking areas

Final Thoughts

One thing to keep in mind. Once you have done a Disney Fireworks Cruise, you will have a hard time ever going back to standing shoulder to shoulder with 25,000 of your closest friends to watch Disney fireworks in a theme park! My mom and I were joking the other evening that we have been completely spoiled now–between the Seats & Sweets Fireworks Dessert Parties we’ve attended and now this amazing Disney Fireworks Cruise, regular old fireworks standing out in the Magic Kingdom or at EPCOT just isn’t going to feel as good as it used to!

Disney Fireworks Cruise
We all had such a wonderful time on our Disney EPCOT Fireworks Cruise!

What do YOU think? Would you like to try a Disney Fireworks Cruise sometime? Comment below.

I have a Magic Kingdom Fireworks Cruise on my Wishlist now. I’m going to see if I can collect a few friends next trip to split the cost with me…

 

 

Five Key Tips to a Magical Disney Vacation

Get an Early Start to Your Disney Days

This may be unpopular with some vacationers that prefer to sleep in while on vacation. However, trust me when I tell you that the benefits to getting up early and getting into the theme park early are HUGELY worth the inconvenience.

Five key tips to a magical Disney vacation
Wake up!

If you are staying on Disney property or in a Disney Good Neighbor hotel, you have access to Disney’s Early Entry — this allows you to enter the theme park 30 minutes before it opens to the general public. This may not sound like much time, but you would be surprised at what an advantage this is!

Disney vacation tips sleeping
Rise and Shine DeMarco                                                                      Photo: Linda Harkness

Number one, MANY people like to sleep late on vacation. These people will still be in bed while you are getting on rides with very short or non existent lines! I love to sleep in as much as the next person; however I love short lines on Disney rides a lot more. Generally speaking, the morning crowds are SIGNIFICANTLY lighter than the afternoon crowds.  Around 11 am, the crowd levels start climbing and they generally peak around 3:30 pm.

In the Florida heat and humidity, crowds can feel really intense and overwhelming. Especially as I get older, my tolerance for thick crowds on hot days has really shrunk!

I’m not promising that you’ll have NO lines all morning but the lines are markedly shorter in the mornings than they will be from noon on.

Five key tips to a magical disney vacation; Soarin'
Soarin’ All to Ourselves in the morning!

Plan to Sit Down in Air Conditioning for Lunch

People underestimate the benefit of taking 45 minutes to an hour and sitting down and getting rest in air conditioning for lunch. Often people are so focused on trying to DO everything, they rush through lunch and don’t take any time to rest. Generally, these are the same people that you will observe yelling at their crying four year old around 4pm.

I cannot stress enough how much everyone, all ages, benefits from taking the time to sit down, cool off and rest.  Yes, ultimately, you may end up doing one less ride during your day; however, you will actually ENJOY the rest of your day MUCH more. Now, if you are age 15 – age 30, this may not apply to you. However, I have traveled with families with young children, I have traveled with older family members and family and friends aged 2 to 80 and almost without exception–people were happier and had a much better time after taking a 45 minute lunch break to cool off and calm down.

Roundup Rodeo BBQ; five key tips for a magical Disney vacation
Roundup Rodeo BBQ                                                                                                              Photo: Brooke Hudson

This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to do a table service meal every day for lunch (although I highly recommend that if you can plan ahead and make reservations). There are many quick service restaurants that are inside locations that are air conditioned or have lots of ceiling fans.  I highly recommend taking advantage of mobile ordering whenever possible to minimize time standing in line, especially if the line is outdoors like at Flame Tree Barbecue (Animal Kingdom).

Epcot’s new space themed restaurant Space 220
Space 220 Concept Art, Disney Parks

Know the Shows or Rides Where You Can Rest

You may think I’m crazy when I tell you this, but take a few minutes in the morning to identify rides or shows in the theme park you are in where you know you can sit down for at least 20 – 25 minutes and get a little break.

Disney Parks News Festival of the Lion King Cast and Crew Laid Off
Festival of the Lion King                                                                                                     Photo: Brooke Hudson

For example, the Festival of the Lion King show is a 20 minute show. You’ll take your seats 15-20 minutes before start of the show. The theatre is air-conditioned, and you’ll be seated for approximately 30 minutes. The show itself is really good, and I highly recommend it. BUT, it’s also a great opportunity to get a little break.  Pay attention to how you are feeling. Your kids might not notice if they are getting overheated or over tired–but you will. There is nothing wrong with accomplishing two things at once! Enjoy an attraction or a show AND get a little break from the Florida heat and humidity at the same time.

Here are some of my suggested attractions that will double as a “break” for you and your family.

Magic Kingdom:

      • Walt Disney World Railroad
      • Enchanted Tales with Belle
      • Carousel of Progress
      • Mickey’s Philharmagic
      • Tomorrowland Transit Authority (People Mover)
      • Country Bear Jamboree
      • Honorable mention: Pirates of the Caribbean: This a really nice and air conditioned line once you get inside the building and the ride itself is fairly long for a Disney ride.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

EPCOT:

      • Living with the Land (ride)
      • Spaceship Earth (ride–usually shorter lines)
      • Awesome Planet (10 minute movie)
      • The American Adventure (really plush comfortable seats)
      • Impressions de France (18 minute movie)
      • Beauty and the Beast Sing a Long (movie)
      • Honorable mention: Japan has a very large very air conditioned store, Mitsukoshi. There’s no where to sit, but there is a LOT to look at and do while in the store.
      • Entertainment at Canada Mill Stage (Musical acts)
      • Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros: This is a relaxing boat ride in Mexico. This usually has a short line.
      • Honorable Mention: China has a movie in an air conditioned theatre that is definitely worth a watch–there are no seats but there are places to lean. There is also a large air conditioned series of shops in China. Again no where to sit down, but lots to look at.
      • Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

      • Festival of the Lion King
      • Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…And Beyond
      • Wildlife Express Train (Short Train ride to Rafiki’s Planet Watch)
      • Honorable Mention: Feathered Friends in Flight (35 minute show in Asia).  This is in an outdoor theater, but there are lots of shady spots, plenty of seats, and fans.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

      • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
      • For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing A Long Celebration
      • Walt Disney Presents (there is a movie at the end where you can sit down)
      • Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie
      • Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage
      • Muppetvision 3D
      • Fantasmic!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Take an Afternoon Break

If you follow my advice and have an early start on your park days, by lunch time, you may be starting to wilt a little bit. Especially if you are traveling to Florida from cooler climates–the Florida heat and humidity can have a really adverse effect on your energy levels.

Generally speaking, the hours between 12pm and 5pm are the hottest and most crowded in theme parks. we usually try to leave whatever park we are in by around 1-2pm and go back to our resort and relax for a few hours. We’ll take short naps or go hang out by the pool.  We might take the opportunity to get some laundry done. We might have afternoon cocktails on the patio or a late lunch by the pool. Sometimes we will even order pizza or DoorDash dinner in.

Old Key West, Pool, five key tips for a magical Disney vacation
Old Key West Pool Photo: Brooke Hudson

Later, we will either return to the same park for evening rides, fireworks or shows OR if you are an Annual Passholder or have park hoppers, you can visit a DIFFERENT theme park at night.

Disney cancels dining reservations and other experiences
Magic Kingdom Fireworks                                                                                                   Photo: Brooke Hudson

Build in a Rest Day

If you are visiting Walt Disney World for 4 days or more, I HIGHLY recommend building in a rest day. Multiple park days in a row can get exhausting. Trust me when I tell you that your whole group will benefit from a rest day at the resort. I don’t mean don’t do ANYTHING, I mean take a day off from the theme parks. Take advantage of the amenities at your resort. Enjoy the pool. Enjoy the bar. Visit one of Disney’s four miniature golf courses. Sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast, enjoy a more relaxed day.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Many people don’t know that the average theme park visitor will walk more than 5 miles in a day during their visit to a Disney theme park. My family often averages 7 miles per day during our trips–and that’s with the breaks that I build in. (Read here for tips on training for your Disney vacation.)

I’m not kidding around when I promise that your vacation will be much more enjoyable overall if you build in some rest time. Not to mention: Disney resorts (and MANY of the non Disney resorts) are really nice places to spend time. The pools are usually beautiful. Disney resorts offer fun activities most days and show movies many nights out by the pool. You can even roast marshmallows at fire pits at many Disney resorts. You’re paying for all the amenities at your resort–but most Disney guests never take advantage of any of the amenities their resort offers.

Disney offers many activities throughout the resort that have nothing to do with the world famous theme parks. There are three highly rated, professionally designed golf courses. There are two fun miniature golf courses. There are boats you can rent. You can go bowling, go shopping, go see a movie…There are a TON of options outside the theme. Granted some are more restful than others, but active rest can be good too!

Winter Summerland; five key tips for a magical Disney vacation
Winter Summerland Miniature Golf                                                                                      Photo: Disney Parks

Five Key Tips for a Magical Disney Vacation — The Bottom Line

You are investing a lot of money in your Disney vacation. Most likely, you are also investing time planning your trip, thinking about your trip, getting excited about your trip, and budgeting for your trip. Once you are actually ON vacation, you would think you wouldn’t have to do any more thinking. And you will have a good time on your vacation as long as you pack some good shoes, a good attitude and a little bit of patience.  But these five key tips will help you to have a more magical Disney vacation.

      • Get an early start
      • Plan to sit down in air conditioning for lunch
      • Know the shows or rides where you can sit down and rest
      • Take an afternoon break
      • Build in a rest day

What do you think? Do you have any favorite tips that you will employ on your next Disney vacation? Please comment below.

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Changes Announced for 2025 WDW Marathon

Are you planning to run in January’s Walt Disney World Marathon? runDisney has announced changes to the January 2025 WDW Marathon.

Each year, runDisney kicks off their race season with the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend. WDW Race Weekend includes a 5K, a 10K, a half marathon and a full marathon. There are also challenges: the Goofy challenge, for racers who complete both the half marathon and the full marathon; and the Dopey challenge, for participants the complete all four races: the 5k, the 10k, the half and the full.

runDisney 2025 WDW Marathon Weekend
runDisney 2025 WDW Marathon Weekend

runDisney: Consistency, year after year

There are many things about race weekend that are predictable that racers can count on to happen every year.  For example: the 5K is on Thursday, the 10K is on Friday, the half is on Saturday and the full is on Sunday. There is an Expo that will begin on Wednesday and run through Saturday. There will be a lot of limited edition, fairly expensive race weekend merchandise for sale. Some of it will sell out VERY quickly. All four medals (six, if you include the challenge medals) will look great and will have some weight to them. The races will all start REALLY early, and racers need to be in their corrals SUPER early.

runDisney announced changes to 2025 WDW marathon. 2025 Dopey Challenge
2025 Dopey Challenge

There will be hundreds, if not thousands, of porta potties near the starting corrals and throughout the courses. As many as 25,000 racers will be on the course for the races. There will be character photo opportunities throughout each course. We all know there will be water stations every mile or so throughout the courses.  Disney makes sure there are Disney PhotoPass photographers taking pictures of racers during the theme park sections of the races as well as at the finish lines and in the post race areas.

runDisney PhotoPass Photographers on course. 2024 Princess Half Marathon.
runDisney on course photo

There are many things you can count on with runDisney races. They are very consistent and dependable. They charge a lot for these races and the overall race experience does reflect that, at least to some extent. As a “back of the pack” walker, I’ve been able to see that Disney staffs their race courses with water and Gatorade through the end of the race (for the most part–there have been a few exceptions over the years). There are always enough snack boxes at the end of the race for those of us that take hours longer than the fast runners at the front of the pack. That hasn’t been my experience with some of the other races I’ve walked in, so I’ve always been very grateful that runDisney seems to appreciate the back of the pack as much as the frontrunners.

Changes Announced for the  2025 WDW Marathon

This year, however, runDisney has announced there will be some CHANGES to the January 2025 WDW Marathon. The first change? Instead of the usual 5 a.m. start time, this year’s Marathon will begin at 4:30 a.m.  I’m guessing this is so they can try to have the courses cleared a little earlier and to shorten the length of time theme park guests are impacted by the race.

runDisney announced changes for 2025 WDW marathon. 2025 Marathon Weekend 10K.
runDisney 10K Chip & Dale

runDisney is telling us that the change is based on guest feedback and leads us to the other big change: the course itself. runDisney has recognized that guests LOVE the portion of each race that is actually inside the theme parks, so for the marathon, they’ve modified the course slightly to accommodate a little more time in EPCOT and the Magic Kingdom. They’re saying that starting the race 30 minutes earlier is allowing them to do this.

EPCOT 2025 WDW Marathon Course Changes

What exactly has changed? Normally, the race begins in the EPCOT parking lot and heads immediately out onto the roads towards Magic Kingdom. This year, the race will still begin in the EPCOT parking lot, but instead of heading out to the roads, racers will head into World Showcase, where the course will wind most of the way around World Showcase and then exit out near the front of EPCOT. Once racers leave EPCOT, they will then head to the roads towards Magic Kingdom. In this new course, most of mile three is actually inside EPCOT.

runDisney 2025 January Marathon MaprunDisney 2025 Marathon Map

Grand Floridian/Polynesian 2025 WDW Marathon Course Changes

The next big change happens when racers head towards the Magic Kingdom. Past courses have approached the Magic Kingdom by traveling under the Seven Seas Lagoon (briefly) and climbing the hill leading up to Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Bay Lake Tower before turning in to enter the Magic Kingdom.  The 2025 course, however, goes the other way–passing Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Wedding Pavilion, and Disney’s Grand Floridian before heading to the Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom 2025 WDW Marathon Course Changes

There’s another change in the course to enable racers to see more of the Magic Kingdom during the race. In previous years, racers journeyed up Main Street, before routing through Tomorrowland to New Fantasyland, through Cinderella Castle, and then through Liberty Square and Frontierland before exiting out behind Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

runDisney 2024 Princess Half Marathon Castle
runDisney Castle on course photo

The new map allows racers a little more time (and distance, of course) in the Magic Kingdom. The new course still goes up Main Street, but instead of heading towards Tomorrowland, racers will go through Adventureland. Next, racers will wind through Frontierland and then Liberty Square. Racers will pass It’s a Small World, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mickey’s Philharmagic and Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel before racing through Cinderella Castle.  The course continues through Fantasyland and Storybook Circus before winding into Tomorrowland and passing TRON and Space Mountain before exiting the Magic Kingdom near the Carousel of Progress.  All of mile nine and about half of mile ten are inside the Magic Kingdom.

rundisney announced changes for 2025 marathon. Goofy's Race & a Half Challenge
runDisney 2025 Goofy Challenge

The rest of the course looks pretty similar to past years. I’m a little worried there may be some congestion in a couple areas where the course kind of crosses itself.  It looks, at least on the map, like the front runners and back of the packers may have a couple of intersections where they could all be in the same place at the same time. But I trust that runDisney will have it all figured out, and I’m sure once everyone is on the course, it will make more sense.

To learn more about the 2025 WDW Marathon weekend or other 2025 events, please visit runDisney.

What are your thoughts?

So what do you think? Are you excited about the changes announced for the 2025 WDW Marathon? Do they matter to you? I’m hoping that similar changes will be announced for the 10K and the half in coming weeks. And then for Princess…. But who knows?!? We will see. I think overall, these are positive changes. I’m always happiest during the theme park sections of the races, so I think trying to include more distance inside the parks makes a lot of sense.  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens June 28 at Magic Kingdom!

Great news! Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at Magic Kingdom!

It’s been 18 months since long beloved Splash Mountain closed for reimagining. Fan reception was mixed when Disney announced that Splash Mountain would be replaced with an attraction based on The Princess and the Frog. Some fans were thrilled that Princess Tiana was getting her own attraction. Others were very upset that Splash Mountain was going to be changed at all, let alone completely reimagined with a new theme. Still others were happy that the “basic” ride itself wasn’t going to change–Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is still a log ride. It’s still a water ride with a 60′ drop. You will likely still get wet on Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Opens June 28 at Disney World
Take a look at that drop!                                                                                       Photo: Destinations to Explore

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Opens June 28

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure has been in testing and previews for a few weeks now. Reviews from those that have ridden so far have been mixed: I’ve read reviews from people that absolutely loved the new attraction, and I’ve seen other reviews that have been lukewarm or even negative.

Some of the more negative reviews seem to be that the attraction wasn’t changed enough from Splash Mountain while others seem unhappy that it wasn’t still Splash Mountain.  A third subset seem to be disappointed that there wasn’t more done with Audio-Animatronics. Disney has been telling us for months that these are the most sophisticated Audio-Animatronic characters they’ve ever created, and the early video they released of one of the Tiana Audio-Animatronics sure was impressive. See our earlier post here to check out that video. I’ve really been looking forward to seeing these new Audio-Animatronics live and in person, so I can certainly understand if some were disappointed if the new Audio-Animatronics don’t live up to the hype.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Opens June 28 at Disney World!
Jazz Loving Louis Audio-Animatronic                                                             Photo: Destinations to Explore

Based on the pictures and videos I’ve seen so far, I’m pretty excited about this reimagining. I loved Splash Mountain, but I wasn’t among those that were upset that it was getting an update. I loved The Princess and the Frog, and I think Princess Tiana was a terrific addition to the Disney Princess roster.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure Opens June 28 at Disney World
Still image from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog”

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: What’s the Queue Like?

The landscaping, pathways and the building exteriors have all been refreshed and revitalized. The main building is now a bright cheery yellow and has a terrific mural on one side.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure will open summer 2024 construction 2024
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Construction                                                            Photo: Destinations to Explore

There’s now great signage for the new attraction, both outside the queue and within.

Tiana's Bayou Adventure opens June 28!
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Signage                                                                     Photo: Destinations to Explore
Main Entrance Photo: Destinations to Explore
Tiana Foods Delivery Truck Photo: Destinations to Explore

Spoilers Ahead: Queue Photos for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure

If you don’t want more details about what the queue will include, click away now. If you’d to see the queue theming, check out the gallery below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The queue helps to tell the story of what inspires Tiana to go into the Bayou. This attraction picks up a while after the end of the movie, “The Princess and the Frog”. We learn that after the success of Tiana’s restaurant, Tiana’s Palace, Tiana went on to expand her business.  Working with the community, Tiana took over an aging salt mine and created Tiana’s Foods.  Tiana’s Foods produces seasonings, hot sauces and other foods.

We soon learn that Tiana is hosting a celebration tonight, and everyone is invited! But before the celebration can begin, Tiana needs our help! Somehow, in all the craziness of planning the party, both Tiana and Prince Naveen forgot to book a band! It’s Mardi Gras time, and there are no available musicians! Tiana thinks of her jazz loving alligator friend, Louis. All of us are going to journey into the Bayou to find Louis and see if he can help us find musicians for the party.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: What will we see on the ride? SPOILERS AHEAD

As Tiana leads us into the Bayou, we are again entering spoiler territory. If you want to be surprised by Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, click away now. But if you’d like to see some images from the ride itself, please check out the gallery below.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

In a ride experience full of music, we also get to experience some Disney magic as well.  The wonderful music we’ll hear throughout the attraction will include a new song, “Special Spice” with vocals from Anika Noni Rose, who was the original voice of Princess Tiana.  Mama Odie will shrink us down to an itty bitty size to help us find great Bayou musicians.  She’ll also help us get back to normal size so we can experience the joyful Mardi Gras celebration of Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen’s celebration.

Audio-Animatronic Characters

As I mentioned above, Disney has been telling us that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will include some of the most advanced Audio-Animatronic figures Imagineers have ever created. Disney also tells us that this new attraction includes “dozens” of Audio-Animatronic figures.  Tiana’s Bayou Adventure includes Audio-Animatronic figures of Tiana, Mama Odie and Louis. Disney tells us that Louis is one of the largest and most dynamic Audio-Animatronic figures Disney has ever built!

Tiana. Photo: Disney Parks
Louis. Photo: Disney Parks
Mama Odie. Photo: Destinations to Explore

In addition to these three very familiar characters for fans of The Princess and the Frog, Disney has also created lots of NEW characters, just for this attraction. There are 19 new critters we’ll meet on our Bayou Adventure, each with their own distinctive features and personalities.

Critters. Photo: Destinations to Explore
Critters. Photo: Disney Parks

 

I don’t include any video ride-throughs on my page because I like to be at least a little bit surprised, and I’d  like to preserve that opportunity for my visitors as well.  Nevertheless, if you are interested in a video ride-through, you can find them on both youtube and tiktok.

I think the ride looks like a lot of fun from the pictures, and I’m really looking forward to riding it on our family trip in October.

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure Will Open With  Virtual Queue

Disney has told us that when Tiana’s Bayou Adventure initially opens, it will use a virtual queue, just like TRON, Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. However, my impression from the information Disney has released so far is that the virtual queue for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will most likely not last very long. I think once everything is going smoothly, Disney will drop the virtual queue and revert to a standby queue. I’m hopeful that the virtual queue will be a distant memory by summer’s end.

What about Lightning Lane?

Disney has told us that Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will not be an attraction available for separate purchase as a lightning lane attraction. However, it will be part of Genie+, and guests will be able to reserve lightning lane access via Genie+ if they choose to purchase Genie+ for the day.  As with any Genie+ attraction, lightning lane access will depend on availability.

Bottom Line: Are You Excited to Ride?

It’s been a year and a half since Splash Mountain closed.  Now that we know Tiana’s Bayou Adventure opens June 28 at Disney World, are you excited to ride it? Please let us know below!

 

 

 

 

 

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

Is “The Little Mermaid” Returning to Hollywood Studios?

It’s been a long time since we’ve heard Ariel sing “Part of Your World” At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but it looks like “The Little Mermaid” may be returning at long last !

After Walt Disney World reopened after the closure in 2020 due to the pandemic, shows were among the last things to reappear. In many cases, the show that reopened was a downsized version–for example, the fabulous Festival of the Lion King show at Animal Kingdom reopened in May 2021 as “Celebration of the Festival of the Lion King”. This initial reopening emphasized social distancing, both in the audience and among the performers.  The show was about 10 minutes shorter than the original show, and was missing some key elements–like the tumble monkeys.

Disney Parks News Festival of the Lion King Cast and Crew Laid Off
Festival of the Lion King (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Most shows eventually returned the parks, and for the most, order was restored to the Kingdom.

The Voyage of the Little Mermaid

There was one show that never reopened after the pandemic–The Voyage of The Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  The Voyage of The Little Mermaid opened in January 1992.  This show was a mixture of puppetry and actors, along with some special effects. It was a 25 minute show and told a shortened version of The Little Mermaid movie. It featured each song from the movie and it was very popular for many years. By the mid-aughts, it was apparent that the show needed to be updated. Nevertheless, the show still drew crowds and was a fun way to spend 25 minutes.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Outside the Voyage of the Little Mermaid theater. Photo: Brooke Hudson

As the years passed post-pandemic and this show didn’t reopen, speculation began to run rampant. Maybe Disney would revamp the show. Maybe they’d replace the show with a totally different show. The theater remained in place, with no signs of life. The Voyage of The Little Mermaid marquis sign stayed in place, giving hope that the show would one day return.

There was a gift shop attached to the theater that also never reopened–and we know Disney never misses an opportunity to fill a gift shop with merchandise guaranteed trigger the “I WANT” button in small children and adults as they exit an attraction that pushed emotional or nostalgia buttons! But year after year, the shop has remained closed.

At last, it appears that The Little Mermaid is returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure

Walt Disney World has announced “The Little Mermaid -A Musical Adventure” is coming to the newly refreshed theater in the Animation Courtyard in Fall 2024. Disney tells us that “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” will be a fully reimagined musical production inspired by the classic Disney movie, “The Little Mermaid”. It seems clear from the description that this is not a revamp of the original Voyage of the Little Mermaid show, but rather a completely new show in the same theater.  Disney promises new set pieces, cutting edge effects and a bold new design.  Disney Live Entertainment tells us they’ve been looking for innovative ways to tell the story of Ariel’s journey to the human world.

The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure
Photo: Disney Animation

The show will feature favorite songs from the classic film, like “Part of Your World” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls”.  Disney has released concept art for the new “Kiss the Girl” scene.

The Little Mermaid - A Musical Adventure
Concept Art: Disney Parks

This is the only concept art they’ve released so far, and the information we have so far is pretty limited. We don’t yet know how long the show will be, or if this will all be live action actors like “The Beauty and the Beast” show that has been playing for years at the Theater of the Stars on Sunset Boulevard. Alternatively, it could be a mixture of live actors and animatronics or animation.

From the references to “classic”, I’m assuming this version of “The Little Mermaid” will lean heavily on the 1989 animated Disney film, “The Little Mermaid”. But COULD they be drawing anything in from the 2023 live action remake? Or from “The Little Mermaid” on Broadway?  Anything is possible. I will be sure to keep you posted as new information becomes available.

The Little Mermaid
Photo: Disney Studios

The Bottom Line

The bottom line is that ANY new show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is good news. That park has long needed some additional entertainment options, and adding “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” is definitely a step in the right direction.  Hollywood Studios has become fairly ride heavy in the last few years, and while we all love the rides, the entertainment was always a big part of what made Hollywood Studios so special. There are still many entertainment experiences that have never returned to the park post pandemic, and I think the losses are felt throughout the day when you visit Hollywood Studios today.

Disney Parks News Citizens of Hollywood Laid Off
Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ amazing Streetmosphere players (Citizens of Hollywood) (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

Missing Entertainment

For example, the streetmosphere actors that used to perform little skits involving the crowd are a giant loss. They were clever and very funny, and did a great job at involving crowd members in their little vignettes.

Another loss has been the Jedi Training Academy. Each one of these shows would involve 8-12 kids from the audience that would participate and practice with light sabers and learn the ways of the Jedi. Each show would feature a visit from a villain, like Darth Vader or Darth Maul, and the shows were entertaining and fun for both the participants and the audience members.

I hope that this new show, “The Little Mermaid-A musical Adventure” is just the first addition of shows and entertainment back in to Hollywood Studios.

What do you think? Are you excited to see Ariel’s return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Please comment below and let us know if there are other entertainment ideas you’d like to see come to life at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

 

 

 

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

P.S. – Are you planning to visit Walt Disney World in 2024? I’d love to help. Contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for a no obligation quote.

P.P.S. – Check out our review of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ newest table service restaurant, Round-Up Rodeo here.

What to do when it RAINS on your Disney Vacation

“Into every life some rain must fall.” — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

When planning your Walt Disney World vacation, you are usually planning for fun-filled sunny days.  But what if all your vacation days don’t end up being sunny?  What should you do when it rains on your Disney vacation?

Rainy Day at Disney; What to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation
Photo: Brooke Hudson

Mindset: It’s NOT the end of the World

I promise, no matter how hard it rains, your vacation doesn’t need to be ruined. It is important to plan ahead for rainy days just in case they show up on your vacation. It is even more important to have the right attitude about a rainy day.  If everyone gets all gloom and doom about a rainy day, then you will all be correct–you won’t have any fun, and it will be a no-good terrible very bad day.

grumpy on a rainy day at Disney; what to do when it rains on your Disney vacation
Photo: Brooke Hudson

However, if you have a plan AND maintain a positive “we are going to have fun no matter what” attitude, you may find some of your favorite vacation memories happen on your rainy day(s).

What are the odds it will rain on your Disney vacation?

It’s always a good idea to check the weather for the Orlando area for the week of your trip before you leave home.  We’ve been surprised a few times by much colder temperatures or a lot more rain than we expected.  Forewarned is forearmed.  If you know it’s going to be cold at night during your trip, you can plan ahead for that and pack a sweatshirt.

https://www.weatherbug.com/weather-forecast/now/walt-disney-world-resort-fl-32836

It’s also a good idea to check the weather in recent years for the time period you are going. For example, if you are traveling to Florida in April, you might check and see how much rain the Disney World area traditionally gets in April (2.72 inches, some rain on an average of 16 days).

Rainy Season

The months that get the most rain at Walt Disney World are June, July, August and September.  This is considered “rainy season”.  Hurricane season runs from June through November.

If you are traveling any time during rainy season, you can expect at least SOME rain most days.  Torrential downpours that last all day are not common, but they do happen.

Regardless of when you travel, the odds are good that you could have rain on at least one day of your Disney vacation.

Be PREPARED for Rain on your Disney Vacation

One of the best things you can do to set your family up for fun rainy days is to be prepared!  There are few low – cost items you can add to your park bag to help you stay reasonably dry and minimize the impact on your park fun.

Rain Ponchos

The single most important investment you can make to prevent rainy day misery when it rains on your Disney vacation are rain ponchos.  On rainy days, you will see rain ponchos for sale at every shop around Disney property.  The problem with waiting to buy a poncho until you need it is that a) you are usually already pretty soaked by the time you get into a shop to buy a poncho b) you are stuck paying Disney Parks prices for your ponchos and c) occasionally you end up at the one store that sold out of ponchos 10 minutes ago.

Pack your panchos; what to do when it rains on your Disney vacation
Rain Panchos

It’s best to pack your own ponchos in your daily park bag so that as soon as it starts to rain, you can put them on and minimize your risk of getting soaked. Bonus: wearing ponchos on rides like Kali River Rapids will help you stay dry when everyone else in your boat gets drenched.

Where to Find Ponchos?

There are tons of different ponchos you can get before your trip.  You can buy them at the Dollar Store or at Sporting Goods stores or even on Amazon.

For example, if you have a big group and need lots of ponchos, you may want to consider something like this:

What to do if it rains on your Disney Vacation? Ponchos
Family Package of Ponchos

https://amzn.to/3qW0M7P

These are thinner than the Disney ponchos, but the whole package of eight ponchos–4 adult and 4 children sized ponchos– are only $15.99. These are also packaged up very small and are very lightweight.

What should you do if it rains on your Disney vacation Ponchos
Ponchos – 10 pack with sleeves

https://amzn.to/3swMOtm

Here’s a 10 pack of clear, lightweight and easy to pack rain ponchos.  The 10-pack is $15.99, so about $1.59 per poncho.  That’s pretty tough to beat. But keep in mind these are very thin and lightweight.  They are intended primarily for one time use.  If you are careful not to tear them, you may be able to get multiple uses out of one poncho, but most likely, you will want to have a few extras in case it rains multiple days on your trip and you are unable to reuse your first poncho.

What Should You do if it Rains on your Disney Vacation Poncho
Mickey & Minnie Heavy Weight Poncho

https://amzn.to/45Am8Xu

This poncho is a little heavier weight than the one time use ponchos shown above. It can be re-folded and stored until the next time you need it, as long as you are careful while wearing it and when you take it off. This particular poncho is fairly similar to what you would be able to buy inside the parks. They are usually just big rectangles with hoods, with a couple of snaps under each arm to hold the sides together.

We bought a few of this style several years ago and have been able to reuse them on multiple trips.  This particular poncho is priced slightly more affordable than Disney’s at $12.49 but it’s not a big savings.  The advantage with buying ahead is that your family will already have ponchos when it starts to rain on your Disney vacation.

Backpack Covers

If you or someone else in your group carries a backpack as your park bag, you may want to consider carrying a backpack cover in case of rain.  While a large poncho can usually go over your backpack as well, you may want stronger protection for your backpack, in case it doesn’t completely fit under your poncho or in case you want to carry it outside of your poncho.

what to do when it rains on your disney vacation backpack covers
Waterproof Backpack Cover

https://amzn.to/3ReDJzA

These waterproof backpack covers come in a variety of colors and sizes.  Prices range from $9.99 – $11.99, based on the size.  Quick and easy to use, I really like the security of being able to protect my park backpack.

Extra Shoes and Socks

If you are traveling to Disney during rainy season, I recommend you bring at least 2 pairs of whatever shoes you are planning to wear to the parks.  That way, if your first pair of shoes get soaked, you can let them dry at least 24 hours before wearing them again.  Just wear your second set of park shoes the next day. If you are staying at a Deluxe Resort, you will most likely have access to a washer and dryer, so drying your shoes in the driver may be an option for you–but if there is a time crunch, or you just don’t want to bother with drying them in a dryer, you’ll be glad you have that second pair of shoes.  I usually carry an extra pair of dry socks in my park bag if I’m expecting a rainy day.  As long as your feet can be warm and dry, you will generally be fairly comfortable.

Phone Protectors

Another rainy day tool that can be really helpful can also do double duty if you are visiting a water park or planning some pool time is a waterproof protector for your phone.

what should you do if it rains on your disney vacation phone pouch
Waterproof Phone Protection

https://amzn.to/45H5Rjp

We originally purchased these to protect our phones on lake weekends. Later we discovered that they were super useful for Disney water parks and water rides at the theme parks.  They’re also super helpful on really rainy days.

What can you do when it RAINS on your Disney Vacation?

If you are prepared for the rain, there is no reason for the rain to interrupt your theme park plans. Fun fact: attraction lines tend to be much shorter on rainy days because travelers unprepared for the rain often leave and return to their resort, leaving the theme parks wide open to those of us made of sturdier stock.

On some rainy days at the Magic Kingdom, Disney will send out the Rainy Day Parade.  You can only ever see this parade on a rainy day, so you can consider yourselves very lucky if you happen to see it live and in person.

what should you do if it rains on your disney vacation rainy day parade
Rainy Day Parade                                                                                                               Photo: Brooke Hudson

Fireworks

Disney doesn’t cancel their nightly fireworks shows very often. Unless there is lightning or very high winds, the fireworks shows tend to go off no matter what.  We have watched the fireworks in the rain many times.  If you have a good poncho, you can sometimes get some great fireworks viewing spots out in the center while those that want to stay out of the rain crowd under the trees or awnings where they are available.

Disney Fireworks in the Rain; What to do when it rains on your Disney vacation
Fireworks in a Downpour                                                                                                Photo: Brooke Hudson

During last May’s mother – daughter trip, I didn’t take my own advice and we did not pack our ponchos.  It started pouring while we were having dinner.  It stopped briefly after dinner and we made our way towards the front of the castle for fireworks viewing–and the skies opened up on us.  We found a little shelter under a tree but we still pretty much got soaked during the fireworks show.

Crowds Thin Out After the Rain
what to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation
After the Rain                                                          Photo: Brooke Hudson

After the fireworks, most people left the park because of the heavy rain, which stopped about 30 minutes later. We were freezing so we bought a couple of very expensive sweatshirts. (Again, I hadn’t taken my own advice and brought one in my park bag!)  We used the hand dryers in the ladies bathroom to try and dry our skorts off a little bit because the rain water kept running down our legs!  It was pretty funny, honestly–and a memory I know we will never forget.

Disney World in the rain; What to do when it rains on your Disney vacation
Photo: Brooke Hudson

And the best part?  All the rides were pretty much walk ons the rest of the night.

Short Lines and Shopping

Rainy days are great days to ride attractions with shorter lines.  Many visitors decide to wait out the rain and either leave the theme parks altogether or hang out in covered areas hoping the rain will stop.

Having the PeopleMover mostly to ourselves after the rain            Photo: Brooke Hudson

This means shorter lines for everyone willing to venture out into the rain.  The harder the rain, the shorter the line!  Keep in mind that some outdoor rides may be shut down during a heavy rain–but most rides keep running, regardless of the rain.

We’ve ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in the pouring rain.  I don’t know if you can tell in this picture, but it’s raining pretty hard on us here.

Rainy Day at Disney World; What to do when it rains on your Disney Vacation
Photo: Disney PhotoPass

If you’d prefer to stay out of the rain, there are lots of shops to help you stay dry.  For some of us with family members that don’t really allow us time to visit the gift shops, a rainy day can be a great advantage.  If your family doesn’t want to play in the rain, you can spend a lot of time playing in the stores.

Will you let a little rain ruin your Disney Vacation?

As I said at the top of this post, a little rain is likely to fall at some point during many Disney vacations.  For some Disney visitors, rain on their vacation is catastrophic.  But it’s important to remember, rain doesn’t not HAVE to ruin your vacation or even your afternoon.

All you need to do is be prepared for a rainy day and manage your mindset. You can have as much fun as you WANT to have.  Let the kids splash in the puddles. Play in the rain. Ride all the rides with short lines.

Whatever you do, decide that you can have a great day at Disney no matter what the conditions.

What do you think? Do you think you can make rainy day fun at Disney?

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com

P.S. Another bummer on  your Disney vacation is aching legs and feet.  Did you know that you will walk an AVERAGE of FIVE miles per day during your Disney theme park vacation?  Read here to learn how to prepare.

 

 

New Special Magic Photo Shots for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!

Believe it or not, it’s Halloween at Walt Disney World! It seems to arrive earlier and earlier every year.  This year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties began earlier this week, and the Magic Kingdom is decked out in its finest fall and Halloween decor.  This year, Disney’s PhotoPass department has really outdone themselves and there are lots of new special magic shots for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

What is a Magic Photo Shot?

A magic photo shot is a picture taken by a PhotoPass photographer with a little “magic” added to the picture that you won’t see until you look at the photo in your My Disney Experience app.  What the magic is depends on which park you are in and where in the park you are. The time of year and any special events also impact what Magic Shots are available.

Here’s an example of a commonly available Magic Shot at Magic Kingdom:

magickingdom magicshot,photopass, magicshot

The PhotoPass photographer will ask you to put your hands out in front of you or out to the side.  When you see your picture later, you might find a beautiful little fairy with an attitude.

It is important to note, there is no guarantee you will get a Magic Shot.  The longer the line for the photographer, the less likely you are to end up with a Magic Shot. If there is one you really want to get, don’t be afraid to ask for it, but be nice.  And please, be understanding if the PhotoPass photographer is unable to give you the Magic Shot you are requesting.  Depending on the location they are working in, they will only have certain Magic Shots loaded into their software. Also, if the lines are long, or if you’re asking for a shot that is event specific and you are not at the event–the Photopass photographer will not be able to help you.

New Special Magic Photo Shots for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party

You may discover a few of these shots available during your Disney vacation this fall, even if you don’t attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. However, the vast majority of the new special magic photo shots I’m telling you about in this post will only be available during the ticketed event. If you’d like more information about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, please read this.

Here are some of my favorite new and classic special Magic Photo Shots available during this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties festivities.  I’m also sharing where you’ll be likely to find these special shots available.

Location: Gardens near Casey’s Corner and The Plaza Restaurant

New this year! I really want to do this one!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo ShotPhoto: Disney Photo Pass

New this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Main Street U.S.A.

New this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Returning this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks..

New this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

New this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

New this year!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

In Front of The Haunted Mansion

Another classic returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

This fun lantern shot is also returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Liberty Square Near the Hall of Presidents

Returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Returning this year–one of my FAVORITES!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Photopass Magic Shot Headless horseman
Photo: Disney Parks

Castle Walls Near Pinocchio Village Haus

Returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Near the Purple Wall by Laugh Floor (Monsters, Inc.)

Returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Select Spots in Front of or Near Cinderella Castle

Classic returning this year.  How great are these kids? Really acting their little hearts out!

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Returning this year.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party New Special Magic Photo Shot
Photo: Disney Parks

Which New Special Magic Photo Shot Do YOU Want??

There are some really fun new Magic Photo shots this year, aren’t there? Several look like fun.  And of course, some favorite Magic Photo Shots from the last few years are coming back this year, too.

Hopefully at least a few of your favorite shots will be available during the regular park days this fall, but remember: most of these are special just for the Halloween parties.  If you’ve never been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, it is a special ticketed evening event featuring special Halloween themed shows, treats, special merchandise, trick or treating and a really terrific parade.  Click here to learn more.  It’s not to late to book your trip for this Halloween season.  Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for a no obligation quote!

Brooke Hudson Disney Travel Agent
Ready to Plan Your Next Disney Vacation? I’m ready to help! Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com