#disneyvacationfun - Disney Castle Dreaming Travel

How to Build Excitement for Your Upcoming Disney Vacation

Planning a first time trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland for your family or friends? Are you anxiously waiting for Disney trip that is a long way off? Are you looking for ways to get your family (or friends) excited about the trip? There are lots of great ways build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation. I get a lot of questions about keeping family members excited about a Disney vacation that is a long way off. Since many people are planning their Disney vacation for up to 2 years in advance, the long lead time can sometimes seem never ending and frustrating.

Toy Story Mania Disney Vacation — Super Patient Kids Waiting in Line (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

When Should You Tell Your Kids They Are Going to Disney?

There are some different ways to approach this. You know your kids better than anyone else does, and what is right for your kids may be different than what is right for someone else. There is no absolutely right or wrong way to do this, no matter what “experts” on Facebook or Instagram might tell you. Follow your instincts—and use what you learn for the next trip.

Option: Tell Your Kids as Soon as You Start Planning

For a lot of us, planning a Disney vacation is a very exciting time. It can absorb a lot of your time and attention, especially if you are doing a lot of the planning yourself. You may find you want to talk about it a lot. You may want to get opinions and find out about wish lists. That can make keeping a secret for any length of time super challenging.

If you have older (teenagers +), I think it often makes a lot of sense to involve them in the planning, or at least some aspects of it.

Sharing the planning process with the whole family can be fun. Having family planning meetings to discuss the trip can help build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation.

Fast Pass Planning Build Excitement — Fast Pass+ Planning (Photo: Brooke Hudson

However, sharing the planning process can also be stressful. If your family has a lot of strong personalities, planning can turn into arguing very quickly. One person not liking a character or movie that someone else loves can result in hurt feelings or anger.

If you are planning a trip more than one year in advance, which is extremely common, family members, especially younger kids, can get very frustrated with the long wait or vacation.

For this reason, I generally don’t recommend telling little kids about the upcoming trip until you are just a few months out. Kids don’t really understand time yet, and “next year” or “year after next” just aren’t concepts that make sense to them. As a result, they may drive you crazy asking when you are going to visit the Mouse’s House until the actual trip.

Again, you know your family. I just want to give you some things to consider as you make these decisions.

Option: Big Announcement or Gift Presentation

Some parents decide to announce the upcoming Disney vacation with a lot of bells and whistles. There are tons of super cute videos on YouTube of kids being surprised with the news they are going to Disney.

As a scavenger hunt girl, this one is a favorite:

The Ellen show did a cute little montage of suprise reactions to the news:

Another fun idea is to present the trip as a gift for Christmas, birthday or graduation. This isn’t an idea just to surprise your kids with, either! Surprising your spouse or significant other with a Disney trip is super fun and can be very romantic, too!

Here’s a cute Christmas surprise:

Again, the time lag between the big announcement and the actual trip is something to consider. If you get your kids super excited with a big presentation but the trip is a year away, you may find they lose the excitement over time. Of course, there are LOTS of fun things you can do to build excitement every month, or even every week as the trip approaches.

Option: Tell Them Right Before the Trip (Or even ON the trip!)

Some parents prefer to spring the trip on the kids right before they leave. I’ve had clients who told their kids they were going to visit Grandma, and then surprised them in the car with the news they were going to Disney WITH Grandma instead. There are a couple of fun videos on YouTube where parents woke their kids up really early in the morning with the surprise that they were leaving immediately for a trip to Disney. The kids are too sleepy to really understand the surprise at first. Pretty cute.

Here’s a pretty great one where they find out they’re going and leave immediately. The mode of transportation to the airport is part of the surprise. It’s so cute!

What Works Best for Your Family?

As you can see, there are lots of different schools of thought on when to involve your family in the planning. When you tell the family way before the trip, you might run into “it’s NEVER going to be time” frustration or planning fatigue. When you choose to surprise the family right before the trip, you avoid the months of “when are we going?” questions, but you also don’t get to do fun things to get everyone excited. You have to think about your family, the time until your trip and how you want to handle the big news.

Personally, I like to have at least some time before the trip to build excitement. I want everyone to be looking forward to the trip, and I like to have time to build some anticipation and enthusiasm. However, I also tend to mostly plan everything out, based on my knowledge of the people I’m planning for. This can help avoid any planning drama or arguing. Again, you know your family, so involve them as much (or as little) as makes sense for your group.

Build Excitement for Your Upcoming Disney Vacation

Disney Family Movie Night

One of my favorite ideas to build excitement for an upcoming Disney vacation is a Disney Family Movie Night.

Scheduling regular Disney family movie nights where you all sit down together and watch a Disney movie is a terrific way to build excitement and minimize frustration. Because you’re at home, you can plan a mid-movie intermission for bathroom breaks. Before starting the movie back up, you could talk about the first half of the movie as a family. You could talk about what characters you might see at Disney when you visit. You could ask questions about favorite moments that could maybe someday turn into an attraction.

The idea is to have quality family time, good conversation with your family AND to talk Disney!

A Disney Family Movie Night is great Disney vacation preparation, even if your family members don’t know they have a Disney vacation in their future. It’s also a terrific way to pass the time between trips, or to lessen the post vacation blues.

I’ve learned that many of the classic films that are such an integral part of the Disney parks are not that familiar to younger kids today. Many kids under 10 (or even under 20!) have never seen classics like Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty. You may have family members that have never seen Peter Pan, the Jungle Book or Swiss Family Robinson.

Knowledge is Power

While having familiarity with all the movies and animated series featured in the Disney parks is certainly NOT necessary to enjoy the parks, having seen these movies adds an extra layer of fun to any parks (or Disney Cruise Line) visit.

For example, if you have a meal inside Cinderella Castle, you may or may not notice two colorful little mice located high up on one wall, watching Cinderella greet her guests. If you’ve never seen the movie, you might not care about the mice. However, if, like me, you’ve seen the movie, you probably LOVE Gus-Gus and Jacque, those two mice perched up on the wall watching the fun. It’s a fun little detail that adds to the magic.

If you’ve never seen Snow White, you’ll still love Seven Dwarfs Mine Train—but if you HAVE seen the movie, the details in the queue and in the scenes you pass through will be much more fun and interesting. Visiting during Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival? The Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs topiaries are really cool, but if you’ve grown attached to them in the movie, you’ll rush to take pictures with them!

If you’re a Star Wars fan, walking into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is truly mind blowing. You feel like you’ve walked into one of the movies. If you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie, much of the creativity and detail won’t mean as much to you. You will probably think it’s a cool world, but it won’t pack much emotional punch or meaning for you.

The moral of the story is: If you have a few months before your trip to Walt Disney World or Disneyland, consider implementing a Disney Family Movie Night. You’ll build some important family time, watch quality family entertainment, and hopefully spark some interesting discussions. Even if you’ve chosen not to let your family in on the secret (upcoming vacation), you will all have fun on Disney Family Movie Night. And as a bonus, when you do take the trip, everyone will have even MORE fun because they’ll recognize characters and themes from the films.

Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation Disney Movie Night — Rey and BB-8 (Photo: Lucasfilm)

Disney+ and the Public Library

There are a lot of great ways to find classic Disney movies. When I was making the list for my own family, I inventoried my DVD library, and made sure everyone knew they could borrow from Auntie Brooke. You might be surprised how many Disney movies you have in your own library, especially if you love Disney.

Many public libraries will have DVD copies of most Disney films in their collection that you can check out for free.

NetFlix still has some Disney movies in their library, although not as many as they used to. Of course, you can buy Disney movies to your heart’s content, either digitally or on DVD. Amazon, Itunes, the Movies Anywhere app, WalMart, Target and many more are great sources of new copies of Disney DVDs. Like garage sales? Keep your eyes out for used Disney DVDs to pad your collection. You might be surprised at the great deals you can find.

Disney+ is a TREASURE TROVE. I am so happy with Disney+, I can’t even stand it! There is SO MUCH here. Tons of classic movies, lots of Disney channel shows, classic Disney animated shorts and lots of new Pixar and Disney shorts. There’s also ALL the Star Wars movies and animated series, as well as the new Star Wars series, The Mandalorian, which you can ONLY watch on Disney+. (It’s FANTASTIC).

Disney Family Movie Night — The Mandalorian Photo: LucasFilm/Disney

If you’ve been seeing this cute little guy EVERYWHERE and wondered where he came from, he’s in The Mandalorian. Another great reason to watch!😉

The Mandalorian (Photo: LucasFilm/Disney)

Disney+ also includes National Geographic programming. There is just so much on that app, it’s amazing. If you don’t already subscribe, I highly recommend it! Our movie list for Disney Family Night has more than 20 movies on it, and they are ALL on Disney+. In fact, there are some movies that weren’t on my original list that I may add as bonus entries, just because they’re on Disney+ and I want my family to see them.😉

Countdown Calendar

Another terrific way to build excitement for a Disney vacation that is a ways out is a countdown calendar. These can be simple or super detailed.

You can even download monthly calendar templates from the internet, and print them out. Put a giant sticker on the day you leave for vacation, and let the kids cross off each day as you get closer and closer to the trip.

Countdown Calendar Build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation — Calendar designed by Linda Harkness (Photo: Brooke Hudson)

We’re in the midst of planning big family trip for October. My mom made these amazing calendars on Shutterfly, using lots of pictures from our previous family trips. She gave them to us for Christmas, so everyone has a countdown calendar for the time until the trip. It’s super nostalgic and fun, especially because our two littlest vacationers don’t even remember their first trip. The pictures are proof they were there (even if they don’t REALLY believe us!) It’s so fun imagining them on this next trip. They won’t forget this one!

Mom incorporated the Disney Family Movie Night idea into the calendar, and put movie suggestions throughout the calendar, with a different movie suggested every two weeks until our trip. She also highlighted important dates for the grown ups, reminding us when to look for airfare, and when deposits are due, etc. She even included lots of Disney trivia and information about where we are staying.

It’s super fun and colorful, and it’s really fun looking at it every month. The little ones are crossing off days as we get closer, and I know the excitement will build really high when we get into that final few weeks before the trip.

Disney Food Themed Meals

These days, even a trip to the grocery store can help build excitement about your upcoming Disney vacation! There are so many Disney branded foods available in grocery stores now. There is everything from apple slices to ice cream branded with Mickey Mouse or one of his pals! Here’s a couple examples of some of the stuff you can find. You could pack Disney themed snacks in your kids’ lunches one day a week, with a sticky note reminding them how many days until vacation.

(Note: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to click through my link to Amazon, I will earn a small commission on your purchase. This does NOT affect your pricing in anyway. Thank you!)

<br />

Here’s another idea: you could incorporate some of these branded items into your meal planning. For example, as your trip approaches, you could have a special Disney Food Themed Meal night. You could have Disney brand hot dogs, Mickey Mouse tater tots and Mickey bars for dessert. If you want to avoid using the Disney branded foods, you could choose a movie, and serve foods inspired by that movie. Alternatively, you could choose a theme park, and serve foods inspired by that theme park. You could even pull recipes from one of the Disney cookbooks and serve something that you might even find at Disney on your trip! There are a lot of Disney cookbooks. Here are a few that I really like.

<br />

You could even make foods in the SHAPE of Disney icons. Mickey shaped pancakes or cookies can be a fun addition to breakfast time or snacks. Be sure to talk about the trip during these special themed meals. Talk about some of the fun things you’ve got planned, characters you might see. You can even talk about the food you might eat, haha.

So Many Ideas!!

There are so many great ways to build excitement for your upcoming Disney vacation. In this post, we’ve focused on Disney Family Movie Night, Countdown Calendars, and Disney Food Themed Meals. This article is going to the the first in a series of three, all designed to help you and your family get ready and get excited for your trip. The next article in this series will be out in two weeks. Please comment below with your favorite way to build excitement for an upcoming family or Disney vacation.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Authorized Disney Vacation Planner — Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Epcot’s New Space Themed Restaurant: Space 220

Disney’s EPCOT theme park is well known for lots of good and even great dining options—but the fast majority of those can be found in Epcot’s World Showcase. Coming soon to Epcot’s Future World is a space themed restaurant we’re hoping will knock our socks off! Epcot’s new space themed restaurant is called Space 220, and it’s expected to open sometime this spring.

Announced last year, Space 220 was originally projected to open during the fourth quarter 2019. That was fairly aggressive, and proved to be a deadline the new restaurant couldn’t meet. Later, February 2020 appeared to be the planned opening target, but more recently I’m seeing projections of late February/early March. I suspect we may see soft openings sometime in March, with the official opening happening in April. That’s not from the powers that be, that’s just my supposition, based on what I’ve been seeing and hearing as the project progresses.

I’m excited about the theming and story of this new restaurant. The story is that you are traveling to the Centurian Space Station for your meal. The Centurian Space Station is 220 miles above the Earth’s surface (that’s where the Space 220 comes from). While you dine, you’ll have stunning day and night views of Earth below and the Space that surrounds the Space Station. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Guests will enter a special space elevator that will quickly take them to the Space Station, with spectacular views along the way.

Location

Space 220 is located backstage, behind Mission Space. The entrance for Space 220 will be part of the Mission Space building. Have you ever been to Coral Reef at the Living Seas Pavilion? Coral Reef is part of the Living Seas Pavilion, but it has its own separate entrance around to the side. I believe Space 220 is using a similar configuration.

Epcot Mission Space — Epcot’s Mission Space. (Photo Disney Parks)

It is my understanding that Space 220 is set in the Mission Space universe—so we are a little bit in the future but not TOO far. The Centurian Space Station is a resource for the missions that happen at Mission Space. We may see some Mission Space tie-ins inside Space 220, but that has not been confirmed.

Food

We don’t have a menu yet for this new space themed restaurant in Epcot’s Future World, however, I feel confident that we will NOT be served Tang and freeze dried Ice Cream. Space 220 is being operated by the Patina Group, a company behind many of the most successful restaurants at Disney Springs and across the country. The Patina Group already operates several of the better restaurants at Epcot, including Via Napoli and Tutti Italia. They are also responsible for Morimoto Asia, Maria and Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway, Pizza Ponte and The Edison at Disney Springs. I especially love Morimoto Asia, which is very elegant and lovely. The food is really good too!

Morimoto Asia Disney Springs — Morimoto Asia (Photo Disney Parks)

The Patina Group has more than 60 restaurants across the country, including Tortilla Joe, Napolini Pizzaria, Catal Restaurant and UVA Bar and Restaurant at Downtown Disney in California.

We haven’t been given much information yet about the food. All we know is “American Modern”. I’m not exactly sure what that will mean. Hopefully, now that we are getting closer to an actual opening, menus will be released soon.

Concept Art

We don’t have any official interior pictures from Disney yet for this new restaurant. I suspect we will get pictures when Disney is ready to give us an opening date and makes Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) available for Space 220.

We do have some concept art for this new addition to Future World, however.

Epcot’s new space themed restaurant Space 220 — Space 220 Concept Art. (Art by Disney Parks)

Based on the concept art, it looks like we can expect tiered seating, so everyone will have a view from their table of the giant windows looking out into Space and down at Earth.

Since the concept is that we are dining on the Centurian Space Station, I think we can expect the views out the windows to change as we move through Space, 220 miles above the Earth.

Advance Dining Reservations

As I mentioned above, we do not yet a have an official opening date for Epcot’s new space themed restaurant, Space 220. Disney has also not yet made Advance Dining Reservations available for the new restaurant. I think we can expect ADRs to be available shortly before the new restaurant opens, and the standard 180 day window to apply thereafter.

I’m sure this will be a very popular reservation, at least initially. Anytime there is anything new, we all clamor to check it out as soon as we can. Ironic, given how loud we yell whenever Disney changes anything, or god forbid, eliminates an attraction. Yes I’m still bitter that Horizons is gone. 😉

Once initial reviews are out about the food and the experience, we may see demand level off. However, if the experience is good (which I’m assuming it will be!) and the food is decent, I suspect Space 220 will join the list of “must get” ADRs for Disney trip planners.

Stay Tuned for Opening Date Announcement

As soon as Disney announces an opening date or makes Advance Dining Reservations available for Space 220, I will send out an alert and update the Blog. If you want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement, please click here to join our email newsletter mailing list. We send out email newsletters weekly. Occasionally, you will get an email alert from us when there’s big news. In my opinion, Space 220’s opening date and ADR availability is BIG news.

I’ll keep you posted as I learn more.

Update: Rumor Mill is reporting March 30 as a potential opening day for Epcot’s new space themed restaurant, Space 220.

I don’t have anything confirmed yet, but I am hearing a lot of rumors about March 30 from various sources. I will let you know once we have a confirmation from Disney.

Are you excited to check out Space 220? Do you agree that Future World needed a new restaurant? Please like this post and comment below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Disney Launches Free Dining Authorized Disney Vacation Planner — Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!

Rise of the Resistance Review

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has been open for a few months now at both Disneyland in California and Disney World in Florida. The newest Star Wars themed attraction, Rise of the Resistance, opened in early December in Florida, and in mid January in California. Read on for our Rise of the Resistance review.

Rise of the Resistance Review

Rise of the Resistance is one of the most immersive and stunning attractions Disney Imagineers have ever created. It is truly an outstanding attraction, especially for long time Star Wars fans. If you love Star Wars, this attraction is going to push ALL your buttons. You will come as close as you will ever come to actually BEING in one of the movies. Even if you are not a Star Wars fan, I think you will find it very challenging not to love this attraction.

Rise of the Resistance has all of the components of Disney’s BEST attractions:

It is incredibly detailed and excels at making you feel you are part of the story. Disney’s best attractions have always been the rides that tell a story and bring you into it. Rise of the Resistance uses excellent pre-show segments to get you into the story from the moment you enter the queue. Rise of the Resistance also uses cast members better than any other attraction I can remember.
It has giant, memorable set pieces. There are wonderful special effects throughout the attraction, and there are both audioanimatronic figures and screens that make you feel like you are part of the story, interacting with characters you know and love.
It is a long attraction–about 18 minutes. The best attractions are long enough to make you feel like you really DID something. Your time in line was WORTH it. Rise of the Resistance is definitely worth the wait!
It has great music. Rise of the Resistance features memorable, recognizable, heart pounding music that deepens your emotional involvement in the story. (Note: the music composed by John Williams for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge won a Grammy this past weekend!)
Most importantly, in my opinion: It is repeatable! There is so much going on in this attraction, I think I could ride it a dozen times and still notice something new. This is the true hallmark of a GREAT Disney attraction. I’ve ridden Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion tons of times over the years and I never get tired of it. I think Rise of the Resistance will join that camp of attractions we can ride again and again and always enjoy. Boredom will not be an issue with this attraction, I promise you!

Unlike Any Other Disney Attraction

I can’t compare Rise of the Resistance to any other attraction. It’s unique and full of new technology. In fact, Disney has applied for several patents for elements of this attraction–that’s how special and new the technology is in this ride.

Rise of the Resistance Review of Ride — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge: Rise of the Resistance (Photo Credit: Disney Parks)

I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t go into more detail about ride specifics. This is an incredible attraction, unlike anything Disney has done before. There are several pre-show segments that keep you entertained and immerse you in the story. The ride vehicles are trackless, so you feel much more free and like anything can happen. There are different elements and phases to the attraction to keep it interesting and surprising.

I really hope this attraction is a sign of future Imagineering at Disney. This attraction is truly amazing, and a wonderful addition to both Disney World and Disneyland.

What are people saying?

Disney released this short video a few days after Rise of the Resistance opened at Hollywood Studios Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. I think the excitement and enthusiasm is really fun to see:

Virtual Queue and Boarding Groups

Rise of the Resistance is NOT currently part of the Disney World Fast Pass+ system. It also does not have a standby line. For Rise of the Resistance, Disney is using a virtual queue system. Basically, the idea is that when you enter the park, you tell the system you want to ride via the My Disney Experience app or by visiting with the Guest Experience Team (if you don’t have a smart phone). The system will then assign you to a Boarding Group, and give you an idea of when your Boarding Group will be called to ride. Later in the day, when your group is called, you will have a window during which you will go to Rise of the Resistance and be able to ride.

Availability of Boarding Groups

You won’t have access to request a Boarding Group until after you’ve passed through the touchpoints at the park entrance (where you scan your Magic Band or ticket and scan your finger). Boarding Groups are not available until the official park open time, either. So while I always recommend you arrive at the park early as you will often be let in before the official park open time, you will not have access to Boarding Groups for Rise of the Resistance until AFTER you’ve entered through the touchpoints AND the official park open time for the day has arrived.

Boarding Group availability each day is based on the projected number of guests that Disney expects to be able to ride during that day, based on the hours the ride is expected to be functioning. They have built in some downtime.

The Good

You don’t have to hover around Rise of the Resistance for hours, waiting for a chance to ride–you’ll get an update in your My Disney Experience app, notifying you of your Boarding Group being called. You can go about your day and enjoy many other attractions and shows at Hollywood Studios while you wait. Assuming there is availability, using the app to request a Boarding Group is fairly easy and user friendly–as long as the app doesn’t crash. Once you are notified that your Group has been called to ride, you have a window of time. In most cases, this is two hours, so you don’t have to rush right over or worry if you’re in line for another attraction. Note: sometimes the window is one hour, so be sure to read your notification carefully so you know how long you have.

The Bad

Currently, the Boarding Groups are filling up VERY fast. Most days, all the Boarding Groups for the day are filled within minutes of the park being open. The impact of thousands of guests all trying to get access to Boarding Groups at the same time via the My Disney Experience app is that the app often crashes or locks up, making it very challenging to get a Boarding Group before they are all gone. Adding to this, the attraction has unfortunately been breaking down fairly frequently, which is also limiting the availability of Boarding Groups for visitors. The notification window for Boarding Groups has been fluctuating — some groups are given two hours, while others receive one hour. It is important to read your notification carefully so you don’t miss your window.

Intriguingly, Disney has been surveying Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance guests this week about the virtual queue and possible alternatives. I’m interpreting this to mean all is not going as well as they’d hoped with the system, and changes may be coming.

Ride Breakdowns

The biggest challenge right now is that Rise of the Resistance breaks down pretty frequently. I think because this attraction is so huge, and has so many moving parts and so much new technology, breakdowns at the beginning are inevitable. In my opinion, Disney rushed this attraction a bit and announced open dates that were premature. I don’t think this attraction had enough time to work out all it’s kinks, and guests are bearing the brunt of that right now.

Currently, guests impacted by a ride breakdown are often given passes enabling them to return and ride the next day, or to ride later the same day. I think guests directly impacted are being adequately compensated; however, this does not address the indirect impact. With the ride experiencing downtime almost every day, and often, several times a day, Disney is not moving as many guests through this attraction as they anticipated. As a result, many guests are not being able to ride the attraction at all.

While this is always the case with a popular new attraction (queue times for Flight of Passage still often top 90 minutes most days), the anticipation for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is significantly higher than for any other land or attraction in Disney history. Most guests visiting Disney this year are EXPECTING to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and expecting to ride both attractions. With the current situation, many guests are leaving disappointed by not being able to experience this attraction.

Star Wars Galaxys Edge Rise of the Resistance — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance (Joshua Sudock/Disney Parks)

What Can We Expect?

I’m confident that Disney is doing everything it can to fix the problems with the attraction, and hopefully, these breakdowns will soon be a thing of the past. I’m very anxious to see what happens with the virtual queue situation. So far, there is a lot of very loud frustration coming out of guests actually experiencing the virtual queue system, so I suspect some kind of change will be forthcoming.

Earlier this week, Disney made changes to the Fast Pass+ tier system (read here for more information). Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run is now part of the Hollywood Studios Tier One. If the virtual queue system doesn’t work, I suspect Rise of the Resistance will soon be joining Tier One as well.

Even with all the challenges to actually ride the attraction, I cannot stress enough: This is an AMAZING attraction! I promise, even if you struggle with some frustration is getting to ride, it will be WORTH IT! This is a MUST-RIDE attraction if at all possible!

What do you think? Do you think Disney will end up adding a stand-by line and Fast Pass+ reservations for Rise of the Resistance, or do you think they will improve the system for the virtual queue and Boarding Group system?

Have you had a chance to ride yet? I’d love to hear your Rise of the Resistance review if you have one. Please comment below!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Disney World Fast Pass+ Tiers Are Changing!

Are you planning a Walt Disney World Vacation for later this year? If so, this is BIG news for you. Disney World Fast Pass+ tiers are changing to include the new Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run attraction! This is MOST impactful if your trip is within the next 60 days and you’ve already booked your Fast Pass+ reservations. If your trip is AFTER February 19, 2020, you may want to review your Fast Pass+ and make changes.

Disney Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon- Smuggler’s Run (Photo: Disney Parks)

What are Disney Fast Pass+ Tiers?

If you’re an experienced Disney World vacation planner, you have been dealing with the Fast Pass+ reservation tier structure for a couple of years now. Skip ahead to the next section to learn about the changes.

However, if you are new to Disney World vacation planning, you may not know about Disney’s tier structure for Fast Pass+ reservations. Basically, the tier structure is Disney’s way to spread Fast Pass+ reservations out over the most popular attractions. The tier structure is designed to give you your best chance to reserve a Fast Pass+ for at least one of the most popular attractions. The most popular attractions at each park are grouped together in one tier, allowing each guest to choose only one for their Fast Pass+ reservation of the day. The remaining two Fast Pass+ reservations will be booked from the second tier, which will contain the remaining attractions in that park.

Example: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Fast Pass+ Tiers

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom, two of the most popular attractions are the two newest: Pandora’s Flight of Passage and Pandora’s Na’vi River Journey. In a perfect world, you’d be able to book Fast Pass+ reservations for both of these popular attractions for your Animal Kingdom visit. However, Disney makes that impossible by putting these two popular attractions in their own tier. At Animal Kingdom, you can choose ONE Fast Pass+ reservation from Tier One, which has both Pandora attractions in it, and TWO Fast Pass+ reservations from Tier Two, which includes all other attractions.

Disney Animal Kingdom Pandora Vacation Planning — The Islands of Pandora Photo: Brooke Hudson

In this example, Flight of Passage Fast Pass+ reservations might all be gone by the time you try to make your Fast Pass+ reservations, but you would still be able to book a Fast Pass+ reservation for Na’vi River Journey. This helps give guests the perception that they are able to book Fast Pass+ reservations for the most popular attractions, even when many of the Fast Pass+ reservations book up super quickly.

Keep in mind that with your Disney park ticket, you are able to book three Fast Pass+ reservations per day. These three reservations are limited to ONE park. Once you are at the park and have used all three reservations, you’ll be able to book additional, unlimited, Fast Pass+ reservations, one at a time, through the My Disney Experience app on your phone. There are also Fast Pass+ kiosks in various locations throughout the parks where you can book additional reservations if you don’t have a smart phone.

Check out this post, this post or this post for more Fast Pass+ planning information.

Disney World Fast Pass+ Tiers Changes

Effective on February 19, 2020, the current tier structure for Fast Pass+ reservations at Hollywood Studios is changing. Currently, Tier One attractions include Toy Story Mania!, Rock ‘n Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Slinky Dog Dash and Alien Swirling Saucers. This all changes February 19, 2020.

Disney Vacation Planning Disney Hollywood Studios Disney Trip Planning — Tower of Terror Photo: Brooke Hudson

The new Hollywood Studios Tier One attractions will be Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run and Slinky Dog Dash. Guests making Fast Pass+ reservations will be able to choose ONE of these two attractions for their first Fast Pass+ reservation of the day. All other attractions will now be in Tier Two, and be available for the remaining two Fast Pass+ reservations of the day.

Disney Millennium Falcon Smugglers Run Extra Extra Magic Hours — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Millennium Falcon – Smuggler’s Run (Photo: Disney Parks)

Keep in mind, once you have used your three Fast Pass+ reservations, you can book more. You’ll be able to book additional Fast Pass+ reservations via the My Disney Experience App on your phone. You can book an unlimited number of additional reservations throughout your day, one at at a time, as you use them.

Disney World Fast Pass+ Tier One Attractions (as of February 19, 2020)

Here’s a list of the Tier One attractions for each park after the changes:

Epcot: Soarin’, Test Track, Frozen Ever After and Epcot Forever (nighttime show)

Animal Kingdom: Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey

Hollywood Studios: Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, Slinky Dog Dash

Magic Kingdom: There are no Tier One attractions. All attractions are available for Fast Pass+ booking at the same time.

What About Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?

Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, the second major attraction at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in December. Right now, Disney is experimenting with a virtual queue system to enable guests at the park each day to ride. There are no immediate plans at this time to add Rise of the Resistance to the Fast Pass+ system. Depending on the overall success of the virtual queue system, we may see that continue. If it works well, I bet we will see this with other new attractions as they come online. If it doesn’t work, we may see it disappear. In addition, I suspect we will see Rise of the Resistance added to the Tier One Fast Pass+ reservation system in a few months. I’ll keep you posted as I learn more.

Fast Pass+ Reservation Strategy Changes?

Do these Disney World Fast Pass+ tiers changing impact your Fast Pass+ strategy? I’m happy with the changes as I thought there were TOO MANY Tier One attractions at Hollywood Studios. I felt like all my favorite attractions were all clumped into Tier One! I especially hated choosing between Toy Story Mania! and Slinky Dog Dash! Now that Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has entered the mix, a day at Hollywood Studios is a completely different adventure than in past years.

How do you plan to change your Fast Pass+ strategy? Please comment below!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

P.S. If you’d like help with your Disney World Fast Pass+ reservation planning and have already booked your vacation, don’t worry! I offer stand alone trip planning services to help. I can book your dining reservations, Fast Pass+ reservations and help plan your general daily itinerary. Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for more information.

P.P.S. If you haven’t booked your Disney vacation yet, contact me today. I can help you choose the best package for you and your family. If you book your trip with me, it doesn’t cost you ANYTHING extra. As a bonus, you’ll get the benefit of my Disney trip planning expertise. I’ll be able to help you plan your dining reservations, Fast Pass+ reservations and MORE. Email today for more information. brooke@disneycastledreaming.com.

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Opens March 2020

We finally have an opening date for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios next spring! Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opens March 4, 2020 in Florida. In more good news, the attraction will roll into Disneyland Park in 2022.

Replacing The Great Movie Ride

When Disney originally announced that longtime favorite “The Great Movie Ride” was being replaced by a new attraction, I was heartbroken. I don’t know about you, but I always loved The Great Movie Ride. Granted, it desperately needed some updating. Nonetheless, it was classic, and one of the few attractions left from the days when Disney Hollywood Studios was focused on the “movies”.

These days, most of the “Studios” has left Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There doesn’t seem to be much of the original focus on the “magic of the movies” left. Hollywood Studios has continued to be a beautiful park, and feature favorite attractions like the Rock n Roll Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror–but what the heck do either of these have to do with MOVIES?????

Disney Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror Holiday

However, with the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge this year and Toy Story Land last year, Disney’s Hollywood Studios has returned to a MUST NOT MISS park after a few years of construction and many closed attractions (to make way for Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge).

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Adding this new attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, is sure to add even more juice to a park that is currently fairly jam packed with must-do attractions. Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway has no height or age restrictions. Hopefully this new attraction will appeal to guests of all ages.

Disney released a short video featuring the new attraction. Check it out below:

Can you believe Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway will be the first theme park ride to actually feature Mickey Mouse and his friends?? How crazy does that seem? It all started with a mouse. Mickey’s all over the parks, but he’s never had his own ride before.

That all changes with Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. And in a not-so-surprising twist, this attraction will feature more “hidden mickeys” than any other attraction in Disney history or around the world.

Modern Disney Animation

The animations in this attraction are modeled after the Mickey and Minnie cartoons currently airing on the Disney Channel. Kids who watch cartoons on the Disney Channel today will feel VERY comfortable with these characters.

For those of us that grew up with a different style of Disney animation, the animations look a little strange; however, I’m sure we will get used to them. They are cute, just different. The current Disney shorts in this style have won awards and are VERY popular, so I think this newer style is here to stay.

Behind the scenes of Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway — Behind the scenes of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (Photo: Disney Parks)

We’ll visit the Chinese Theatre to join Mickey and Minnie on a magical adventure in the cartoon world where mouse rules apply. We’ll ride a train with Goofy as the Engineer, and as you can imagine, hijinks ensue!

I’m always overjoyed when a new attraction comes to any of the Disney Parks. This one promises to include new technology. I love that it is an “all ages” attraction. I think the best attractions are the ones that bring whole families together. Grandma can ride, and so can the littlest of grandchildren!

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway Disney Vacation Planning Disney trip planning top reasons to visit Disney — Disney Artist Rendering Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Are you looking forward to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway? I suspect I will always miss The Great Movie Ride, but I’m happy to see a new attraction in Hollywood Studios. We’ll need something to keep us busy outside of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, haha.

Are you planning to check out this new attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Please comment below!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Disney Skyliner Transports Its One Millionth Guest

Walt Disney World’s new Skyliner Transportation system has reached an important milestone. Can you believe that Disney Skyliner has already transported its one millionth guest?

As you may remember, Disney Skyliner opened on September 29, 2019, so in just a few short weeks, one million guests have already ridden on the new system! Guests are raving about the system. Common reports are that the system is smooth and fast. Many guests talk about how beautiful the views are, and how secure they feel in the system.

Disney posted a new video to celebrate one million guest riders on Skyliner:

Doesn’t that look like fun? I can’t wait to ride the darn thing personally, and I’m afraid of heights! I think it looks amazing, though.

Nothing is Perfect: Skyliner Accident Shuts Down System

Of course, as you have probably heard, Skyliner has not completed it’s first month without some challenges. Two weeks ago, there was a minor malfunction at the Disney Riviera Resort Skyliner station. One of the gondolas got stuck, and several Skyliner gondolas collided in the station.

Disney Skyliner Accident — Photo Credit: @Ada58974405 on Twitter

The Epcot Skyliner line was immediately shut down, and fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Guests were inconvenienced, having to stay in the gondolas out on the Skyliner cables. Some guests were stuck in the gondolas for as long as three hours; and it appears that Disney did NOT communicate with them what was going on. Ultimately, three guests were transported to the hospital to get checked out.

Evacuation

Ultimately, quite a few guests ended up being evacuated from the gondolas. Disney had purchased special equipment for the Reedy Creek Fire Department specifically for Skyliner gondola evacuations, and of course, LOTS of testing for the evacuation procedures had been done prior to opening day. The good news is that the Reedy Creek Fire Department and Disney team members reacted quickly and the evacuations went smoothly. Nonetheless, no matter quickly or how smoothly the evacuations were handled, I’m sure it was pretty scary for those guests.

Photo Credit: Aaron Murray @WaltyDis on Instagram

What Happened?

Several gondolas were lightly damaged during the incident. The gondolas that collided in the station all had their plexiglass vents open to allow for maximum ventilation. When the gondolas collided, those vents broke in some cases. Fairly minor problem, and I’m sure they were repaired quickly. The gondolas are equipped with insulated edges, and are designed to be stored, nestled against each other. So the actual structure of the gondolas and the gondolas themselves were not damaged at all; it was just the glass in the vents that were on the exterior of the gondolas that was damaged.

Disney released a statement on Sunday, October 6, 2019, the day following the incident. “We have a team diligently looking into the cause of the malfunction on the Epcot line of the Disney Skyliner. We have been in contact with the guests, many of whom were on the Skyliner for more than three hours until we were able to restart the system. We express our sincere apologies for the inconvenience and continue to work with each guest individually.”

I suspect this statement means that the guests that were inconvenienced were compensated by Disney in some way for the incident. At least I hope so. I mean, if I were stuck in a gondola 30-60 feet off the ground for three hours, I would probably be a basket case! I did read that the guests were eventually told there were emergency packs under their seats that contained water and cool packs. Good to know. Scary situation though!

How Did Disney Respond?

As a result of the incident, the Skyliner system was shut down for several days. Disney brought in the manufacturer and conducted a comprehensive review of the Skyliner systems and operations with them. After the review, Disney released a statement indicating that they making adjustments to their processes and training. Disney also stated that they would be improving how they communicate with guests during their travel on the Skyliner system.

The Skyliner system and gondolas were designed by Doppelmayr Garaventa Group. Doppelmayr is an Australian company known for manufacturing chairlifts, cable cars and gondolas for amusement parks and ski resorts. Doppelmayr also builds urban “people moving systems”. They’ve produced more than 14,600 installations in 89 countries. Given the high visibility of any Disney project I suspect Doppelmayr has done everything they can to make sure this system is one of their best.

Disney Skyliner Transports One Millionth Guest — Photo: Disney Parks

Disney also stated that Disney Skyliner may slow down or come to complete stops during the ride. These “slow downs” or stops are primarily due to accommodating guests that need extra time to load into their cabin. As smoothly and as quickly as the system moves, it moves too fast to safely load wheelchair bound guests, slower moving guests, or special needs guests without slowing down or stopping the Skyliner. Looks like the moral of the story is that Disney doesn’t want guests to panic anytime they get stopped on the line, thinking it’s another accident. I am choosing to believe that Disney and the manufacturer have figured out what caused the accident, and taken steps to ensure that it will NOT happen again.

A Magical Way to Travel the World!

There are a few things you may want to know before your first ride on Disney’s Skyliner.

Because Skyliner is designed as a transportation system rather than an attraction, you cannot board Skyliner and just stay on it and ride around the whole system. There are six total stations, visiting four Disney resorts and two Walt Disney World theme parks. (Note: one of the stations is a “turn around” station, located between Epcot and Disney’s Riviera Resort. This is a pass through station for guests; gondolas will not load or unload at this station).

Certain stations are “end of the line” stations, and will necessitate that you exit the gondola. If you are continuing on to another destination, you will be changing to another line on another gondola.

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort

These two resorts share one station. Both resorts are located on either side of a small man made lake, and each resort has a pathway to the Skyliner station.

Disney Skyliner Station Pop Century Art of Animation — Skyliner Station Pop Century/Art of Animation Photo Credit: Amy Micari

This station is the beginning of the Skyliner line (or the end of it, depending on whether you are coming or going!). If arriving at this station, you will always be required to exit your gondola. If you want to continue your ride, you can get back on again, and travel on from here.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

The Skyliner station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is the central hub for the whole system. Extra gondolas are stored here, and this is the largest station. All the various Skyliner lines ultimately go through here. If you boarding at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, you will be taken directly to your destination without having to disembark your gondola. From here, you can travel directly to Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Disney’s Riviera Resort or Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

If you have come to Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort’s Skyliner station from another station, you may have to get off your gondola and change lines and board a different gondola, depending on your destination. For example, if you depart Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort and want to go to Epcot or Disney’s Riviera Resort, you will be transferring gondolas at the Caribbean Beach Resort Skyliner station.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

If you board the Skyliner at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and are going to Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort, you will not transfer at Disney’s Caribbean Resort Skyliner Station. You will continue on through the station directly to your destination. However, if you are heading to any other destination, you will need to exit your gondola at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and transfer to another gondola heading to your destination.

Art: Disney Parks

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Disney’s newest resort, the European themed Riviera Resort doesn’t actually open until December, so right now, guests can’t board Skyliner from Disney’s Riviera Resort, nor can they disembark here (except in the case of an emergency.) Currently, the gondolas pass through the station without stopping. The station is staffed with cast members, and is ready for its opening day on December 16, 2019.

Once the Resort and station are open, guests that board here heading for Epcot will not need to transfer at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. However, guests heading to any other Skyliner destination will need to transfer at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.

Also, guests heading to Epcot from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort will pass through Disney’s Riviera Resort Skyliner Station and continue on to Epcot.

Epcot

Epcot is an end-of-the-line station. All guests arriving at this station must exit their gondola. If you’re planning to continue on to another destination, you will board a different gondola and head to Disney’s Riviera Resort station. If you are planning to go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort or Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, you will stay on your gondola through the Riviera station, and continue on the Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort station, where you will disembark and either end your travels, or transfer to a different line.

Traveling on the Skyliner System

When you arrive at Caribbean Beach Resort station and want to transfer and take a different Skyliner route to another destination, you will exit your gondola. You will pick where you want to go, and enter the line for that route. Be prepared for at least a short wait (5 – 10 minutes) in the new line if you are traveling during busy times.

The busiest stations for loading are currently Epcot and Hollywood Studios. You can expect long waits at park close (up to 40 minutes on busy days), much as you would expect with the parking lot trams, buses and monorails at this same time.

Your Skyliner gondola accelerates as you exit each station, and decelerates as you approach the next station, even if it is a turn around or pass through station. The maximum speed of the gondolas in transit is 11 mph. When they are passing through the station, they slow down to about 1 mph for loading/unloading. (For comparison, most people start their treadmills at 2.5 – 3 mph). The gondolas load very similarly to the PeopleMover or Spaceship Earth. The gondolas will be stopped if guests need more time to load and/or unload.

Travelers

Each gondola CAN seat up to ten people, however, Disney does not seem to be “packing them in” at this time. Most gondolas seem to be traveling with 5-8 guests, based on anecdotal stories from guests. That may change as busier days approach, of course. Generally if you have 5-8 people in your group, you will likely have a gondola to yourselves. Smaller groups or single riders can expect to share with others.

All guests MUST be seated at all times in the gondolas, no standing is allowed.

Strollers are allowed on the gondolas, as long as they fit within a 30″ x 48″ area.

There is no height restriction for guests to ride Skyliner. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult, however.

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Mobility Devices

There are special gondolas designed to fit wheelchairs and ECV’s (scooters). Keep in mind, these gondolas are limited to six guests. There is a special loading area for guests with mobility issues, or that have wheelchairs and ECVs. The gondolas come to a complete stop in this area, and rejoin the main line once loaded. Guests will just need to inform a cast member when they arrive that they have wheelchairs, ECV’s or mobility issues.

No Air Conditioning

As you may have heard, the gondolas in the Disney Skyliner system do NOT have air conditioning. However, the gondolas do feature reflective glass and cross ventilation. According to Disney, these features will help ensure the gondolas remain “comfortable”, regardless of exterior temperatures.

I’m not sure how effective these features will be in the high heat of summer, when temperatures top 100 degrees; the Skyliner system opened at the end of September. While some hot days do still occur in October and November, we generally can expect temperatures to stay in the eighties and nineties, rather than exceed 100 degrees.

Early reports from guests indicate that while the gondolas are moving, there is a nice cross ventilation going if the vents are opened. Mentions have been made that on rainy days, water does “rain in” if the vents are open, but if the vents are closed, it gets a little stuffy. Time will tell if those are isolated incidents or common occurrences. Perhaps the vents can be angled to keep out the rain? I haven’t been able to check this out personally yet, but I will keep you posted!

Travel Times

Disney has released these time estimates for the various Skyliner routes. Based on guest reports, these seem to be pretty accurate.

Traveling between Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort: Less than four minutes.
Traveling from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Riviera Resort: Two to three minutes.
Skylining from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Five to six minutes.
Traveling from Disney’s Riviera Resort to the International Gateway at Epcot: Approximately nine minutes.
Skylining from Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to the International Gateway at Epcot: Ten to twelve minutes.

The Skyliner system official operating hours are 45 minutes before park opening (Hollywood Studios and/or Epcot) and one hour after park close (also Hollywood Studios and/or Epcot hours). Keep in mind that hours are subject to change due to inclement weather. Skyliner will not operate during high winds, heavy rains or when there is lightning. Basically, if Disney would shut down Test Track or tell you to get out of the pool, assume that Skyliner will not operate.

Disney Skyliner Transports Its One Millionth Guest

Despite the brief setback, Skyliner is going strong! Disney reports that Skyliner transported its one millionth guest this week. At that rate we will be talking about 100,000,000 riders sometime next year. Crazy!

Here’s another video from Disney featuring guest reactions to Disney Skyliner.

Do you have any questions about the Disney Skyliner system? Please comment below, and I will find the answers for you!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

P.S. Interested in more Disney Skyliner information? Check out this post, this post and this one!

Disney Skyliner Takes Flight!

It’s hard to believe, but after more than two years of construction, Disney Skyliner is ready for take off! Disney Skyliner officially takes flight for Walt Disney World park and resort guests on Sunday, September 29, 2019. However, Disney Skyliner has been taking special guests and members of the press on test “flights” all week.

Early reports are VERY positive, and I cannot WAIT for my first ride!

Disney Skyliner Takes Flight

I am so excited to check out this latest mode of transportation at Walt Disney World! Take a look at the latest video of Disney Skyliner, released by Disney earlier this week:

Partly a means of transportation from one park or resort to another, Disney Skyliner also looks like one heck of an attraction! The views from the Skyliner gondolas look amazing!

Skyliner visits both Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Epcot theme parks. In addition, Skyliner visits four resorts: Disney’s Caribbean Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, and the NEW Disney’s Riviera Resort (opening in December).

Skyliner Merchandise

Perhaps most exciting for the shoppers among us, there is LOTS of new merchandise available at Walt Disney World starring Disney Skyliner!

Disney Skyliner Ready for Take Off Merchandise — Photo: Disney Parks

You’ll be able to find Skyliner merchandise in select locations; predominantly at resorts and theme parks on the Skyliner line. Merchandise will be available at the International Gateway at Epcot, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Riviera Resort, when it opens in December. There is no official mention of Skyliner merchandise being featured at the World of Disney Store in Disney Springs, but I have a hard time believing we won’t be able to find SOMETHING Skyliner themed there, don’t you?

Check out these ADORABLE Christmas ornaments. Has a Disney attraction ever been MORE perfect for an ornament?

Disney Skyliner Ready for Take Off Ornament

Photo: Disney Parks

Similar to the ornaments are these models. If you want to have your very own Skyliner gondola in your home, one of these might be for you!

Disney Skyliner Ready for Take Off Model

Photo: Disney Parks

But wait, there’s more! (Shocking, I know!) Check out some of these options:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Annual Passholders, do not fear! There is (of course!!!) special Disney Skyliner merchandise just for you. Take a look:

Photo: Disney Parks

And, of course, because this is Disney and we know they want ALL our money, I feel fairly confident in assuring you that there is much, much more in the Disney Skyliner merchandise line. And certainly, some holiday themed Skyliner merchandise will be coming. I don’t know that for sure, but I feel reasonably confident, don’t you?

Are You Ready To Take Flight on Skyliner?

I love how colorful the gondolas (also called cabins) are. Featuring eight colors and a TON of graphics featuring characters from Disney movies, theme park attractions and traditional cartoons, I think watching Skyliner from the ground is going to be almost as much fun as riding it.

Each Disney Skyliner cabin can handle up to 10 guests, including those traveling in wheelchairs or with strollers. The gondolas are NOT air conditioned; however, they are vented, and Disney assures us that the cabins will be comfortable as air moves through them as the cabins move through the system.

#DisneyTransportationGoals

I think an excellent adventure plan for Disney guests looking for a challenge will be to plan to enjoy all FOUR methods of official Disney transportation on a given day. For example, you could start your day via bus and head to Hollywood Studios to start your day. From there, you could take the Skyliner to Epcot, and then travel by monorail to the Magic Kingdom. From Magic Kingdom, you could take a boat to the Ticket and Transport Center or one of the nearby resorts, and have dinner or drinks to celebrate your success. Even more fun would be to plan stops along both the monorail lines and the Skyliner lines. Lots of terrific options for Walt Disney World Resort guests!

Are you looking forward to your first ride on Disney Skyliner? Please like this post and comment below!

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

P.S. To learn more about Skyliner, please check out these previous posts:

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

I’ve decided to run a new series of posts focusing on Disney’s WIDE variety of resorts. This week, I’m focusing on Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort has long been one of my favorites. Even when we don’t stay at the Polynesian, we often make sure to stop by and visit the Gift Shop, grab a snack at Cap’n Cook’s or to take a walk on the grounds.

It’s All About the Dole Whip

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the few places outside a Disney theme park when you can get the beloved Dole Whip. A creamy concoction of pineapple (or other citrus fruits) flavored dairy free soft serve, the Dole Whip has been a Disneyland and Walt Disney World MUST-DO since 1986. Originally, you could only find the Dole Whip at a kiosk near the Enchanted Tiki Room. Now, you can find them at larger, more permanent structures, and in more than one theme park. However, you can’t find a Dole Whip at all the ice cream carts, popcorn stands or churro kiosks located throughout Disney, so Dole Whip feels a bit more like a treasure you have to hunt for.

Side note: Animal Kingdom features a Dole Whip window where you can add RUM to your Dole Whip. You can also find this lovely rum treat at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Honestly, I think this might be what nature originally intended!

Of course, you can find LOADS of recipes on the internet (like this one), or buy the DOLE soft serve mix and make your own Dole Whips at home–but I think that takes all the fun out of it. I love having treats we only get on vacation at Disney.

The Pineapple Lanai, located just of the lobby at the Polynesian Resort, features several varieties of Dole Whip. Of course the traditional Pineapple flavor is there, along with Vanilla soft serve; you’ll also find Lime, which is served in a cone and topped with an orchid, and called the Te Fiti Cone (VERY popular). Not on the menu, but available, is the Lemon/Lime swirl. It’s pretty TART, though, so make sure you really love lemon and lime before going for that one!

Periodically, they will also have special flavors or “themed” treats. For example, in honor of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, The Pineapple Lanai is offering a “Yoda” cone. Basically, it’s a Lime cone with two white chocolate “ears”.

If you’re on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use a snack credit for a Dole Whip treat at The Pineapple Lanai. Currently, a regular Dole Whip (Pineapple, Vanilla, or Swirl) is $4.99. The version with coconut rum is $11.00. Also available is a Pineapple float $5.99 and the Te Fiti Cone $5.29. Finally, you can get your Float in a souvenir cup for $10.99, or your Dole whip in a souvenir bowl for $9.99.

Now that we’ve got all that important Dole Whip information out of the way, I guess we should talk about the REST of the Polynesian Village Resort, hmm?

Take a Tour of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is a Deluxe Resort, located on Walt Disney World’s Seven Seas Lagoon. The Polynesian Village Resort is one of the original two resort hotels at Walt Disney World when the Magic Kingdom opened back in 1971! In April 2015, Disney’s Polynesian Villages Resort opened its Disney Vacation Club resort, Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Watch this video to explore Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows.

Advantages of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

- - Proximity to the Magic Kingdom: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows are located very close to the Magic Kingdom. A short water taxi ride, two Monorail stops or a short bus ride gets you to the Magic Kingdom pretty quickly.
  - Monorail Resort: There are only three resorts actually ON the Monorail line. Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. It’s hard to beat the convenience of being on the Monorail line. Want to visit any of the other Monorail resorts? Just hop on the Monorail? Want to visit Epcot? Just hop on the Monorail. Want to go to the Magic Kingdom? Hop on the Monorail. Enjoying the restaurants and other amenities located at the other Monorail resorts is super easy when all you have to do is hop on the Monorail.

Polynesian Monorail — The Monorail Departs Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Photo: Destinations in Florida)

- - Design and architecture: The Polynesian Village Resort has a “South Pacific” theme. It’s about as close to Hawaii as you are likely to get in Central Florida. The resort is lush and beautiful, filled with water features and has a very tropical flair.
  - Room Size: The standard rooms at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort are larger than the standard rooms at many other Disney resorts. Standard rooms at the Polynesian Village Resort feature two queen beds and a day bed. The rooms allow for five people and one child under age three. Many resort rooms top out at four people, so the Polynesian is one of only a few resorts that allow for 5+ in a standard room.

Polynesian Resort Room — Photo: Destinations in Florida

- - Romantic: Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is one of the more romantic resort locations at Walt Disney World. There are lots of beautiful spots to quietly snuggle and appreciate the scenery. There are hammocks to relax in, and you can sit on the beach or near the beach and watch the fireworks over Magic Kingdom. There’s even a picturesque spot where small Disney Fairy Tale Weddings are held.

Disney's Polynesian Romance — Photo: David and Vicki Arndt Photography

- - Transportation: Disney’s Polynesian Resort gives you access to a wide variety of Disney’s free transportation systems. You can use the bus system, the water taxi system, or the Monorail system. You can take the Monorail to two other resorts, as well to Epcot. From Epcot, you’ll be able to use the Skyway (after it opens September 29), boat or bus to visit Hollywood Studios. The Skyway will also take you to four other Disney resorts.
  - Entertainment: The Polynesian Village Resort features a variety of restaurants and bars as do most Disney Deluxe Resorts. However, there is a very popular attraction that can ONLY be found at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort: Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show is held nightly, and is Walt Disney World’s version of a Luau. Guests enjoy an all you can eat tropical buffet, featuring Aloha pulled pork, Polynesian ribs, roasted vegetables and more. The highlight is the entertainment: hula dancers, fire dancers, drummers and more! (Note: You CAN use Disney Dining Plan meal credits for the Spirit of Aloha dinner show, but two meal credits are required per person. Current regular ticket prices range from $66 – $78 per adult, $39 – $46 per child.)
  - Character Meal: Most Disney Deluxe Resorts feature character meals. However, if you are a Lilo and Stitch fan, there is only ONE character meal for you: the Character Breakfast at Ohana, at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. You’ll not only find Lilo and Stitch at Ohana. They’ll be joined by some of their Disney pals, dressed in South Pacific vacation outfits. (Note: Disney Dining Plan meal credits may be used for this Character Breakfast; one meal credit per diner. Regular prices range from $24.50 for kids, ages 3-9 to $40.47 for adults and kids, 10 years or older.)
  - Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto: a tropical tiki bar, Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto is a fun place to stop in for specialty cocktails, beer, wine or small plates. Trader Sam’s offers a variety of non alcoholic beverages as well. Many of the specialty cocktails are available in collectible souvenir cups. The atmosphere at Trader Sam’s is fun and definitely worth checking out.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Disadvantages

- - It’s Pricey. There’s no getting around it, Disney Deluxe Resorts are expensive. And the Deluxe Resorts on the Monorail are among the most expensive on property. I’m not saying it’s not worth it, because if you can afford it, it’s absolutely worth it. It’s hard to beat staying so close to the Magic Kingdom, being on the Monorail, and having great fireworks views from the beach.
  - It’s VERY Popular. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows is one of the most popular resorts on Disney property. As a result, it can be very difficult to get reservations there. If you’re hoping to stay at the Polynesian, plan to book as EARLY as possible–at least 1 year out, if you can. This helps increase your chances of getting the reservation you want.
  - Rarely Gets Discounted. Related to the popularity of this resort, the Polynesian rooms or room/theme park ticket packages are rarely discounted significantly. If/when discounts like Free Dining include the Polynesian, it is usually for a very small number of rooms and goes very quickly.

Photo: David and Vicki Arndt Photography

Not Just Another Hotel

I think my favorite thing about Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort is that when you are at the Polynesian, you KNOW where you are. Full of unique sights, smells and sounds, it is clear from the moment you enter the resort that the Polynesian Village Resort is not just another hotel. There is nothing “generic” about the Polynesian. It’s special, and feels different than any other Disney resort. Disney’s strength has always been theming, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows do not disappoint.

Disney's Polynesian Village Resort Lobby — Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort Lobby (Photo: Destinations in Florida)

Have you ever stayed at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort? What did you think? Please comment below.

Happy Dreaming,

Brooke

Looking for a more economical option? Check out this post about Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is HERE!

It’s finally time! Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is HERE!! In just a few days, Walt Disney World guests will be able visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios. I am so excited to get in there and take a look. Even though we’ve already had lots of reports out of Disneyland visitors to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, I really want to check out the land at Hollywood Studios.

I don’t expect many differences, based on what I have heard so far, but you never know! Until we can all get in there and take a look, hear the sounds and smell the smells—anything is possible.

A View From Above

Disney release this terrific video with an aerial view of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Take a look below:

How cool is that??

TIME Magazine: World’s Greatest Places

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Time Magazine Top 100 — Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places 2019 includes Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Photo: Disney Parks)

TIME Magazine has included Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in this year’s list of the World’s Greatest Places. Each year, TIME Magazine releases a list of 100 of the World’s Greatest Places, featuring destinations that offer visitors groundbreaking, unique experiences. It’s a great honor that TIME has recognized Disney’s newest theme park achievement, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

TIME Magazine took a look at a variety of factors when evaluating Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, including innovation, originality, quality, influence and sustainability.

More Than 1,000,000 Smugglers Served

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened at Disneyland on May 31, 2019. Already, Millenium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run has proven to be an extremely popular attraction. Already, more than 1,000,000 guests have experienced the fun of this exciting attraction!

The largest themed land in Disney parks history, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has astonished and amazed guests. Guests have raved about the many immersive experiences and adventures they’ve had while visiting Black Spire Outpost on the planet Batuu in a galaxy far, far away.

Millenium Falcon Smugglers Run Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is HERE — An Aerial View of the Famed Millenium Falcon at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. (Photo: Disney Parks)

Rise of the Resistance

Recently, Disney announced that the second, highly anticipated attraction planned for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Rise of the Resistance, will open in Florida at Hollywood Studios in late December.

Disneyland’s Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will join the resistance with their version of the attraction opening in late January 2020.

Take a look at this post-there’s a teaser trailer for Rise of the Resistance, as well as some info about the music we’ll hear throughout Black Spire Outpost.

Dressing for Success

Many guests planning to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge want to “look the part” and join in the immersive World as much as possible. For some, this means choosing outfits that might blend in with the “locals” on Black Spire Outpost.

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is here — Photo: Disney Parks

For children 13 and under, costumes ARE allowed. This can include masks, as long as the eye openings allow the eyes to be fully visible beneath the mask, and as long as the mask permits good peripheral vision.

Costumes and masks cannot be worn by adults (or children 14 or older) at any time, except in the event of special events (like Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party) that specifically allow costumes and have their own rules.

While Disney encourages adult guest to dress in looks inspired by the Star Wars films, or specifically to choose outfits inspired by Batuu residents, there are some big no-nos.

There are First Order Storm Troopers patrolling Black Spire Outpost so any armor, uniforms, helmets or weapons are prohibited.

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Costumes Not Allowed — Photo: Disney Parks

Chewbacca is a frequent visitor to Black Spire Outpost, so to avoid any confusion or conflict, no other Wookiees are allowed.

Disney recommends that guests wishing to fit in with the locals choose muted earth tone colors, and consider natural fiber fabrics with a handmade or rugged look.

Here’s some Disney approved examples:

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Dress for Success — Photo: Disney Parks

Please review Disney’s guidelines for guest attire here if you have more questions.

Out of This World Grub

Are you ready to try some food from another galaxy? Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has LOTS to offer. Guest reviews of the food at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland have been great, so I’m very excited to get to Hollywood Studios and try some of this out of this world food for myself!

Check out the feedback from these visitors:

I really want to try some of that Blue Milk. Don’t you?

Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Now Open Milk Stand — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Beverages: Blue Milk and Green Milk can be found at the Milk Stand. (Photo: David Roark/Disney Parks)

Bonus: Mobile Ordering will be available for Ronto Roasters, the Milk Stand, and Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo to help reduce time spent in lines!

Have You Planned Your Adventure?

I can’t believe the long awaited opening date for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Hollywood Studios is finally here! Are you ready? Have you planned your first visit to Black Spire Outpost yet?

Please like this post and comment below with when you will be visiting a galaxy far, far away.

It’s not too late to book your adventure for this year, if you’re on the fence. Contact me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com for more information.

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

P.S. For more information on what Cast Members will be wearing on Black Spire Outpost, check out this post.

P.P.S For more information about food and beverages coming to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge look here.

NEW: Mid-Day Magic Tickets at WDW

Walt Disney World has a new ticket available for a limited time. Called the Mid-Day Magic Ticket, these tickets offer a discount for guests that visit after 12 p.m. Available now through December 15, these tickets are perfect if you prefer a shorter day. Targeting guests not staying on Disney property, guests purchasing these tickets will be able to secure afternoon and evening FastPass+ reservations (based on availability) 30 days before their start date.

Disney Free Dining Disney Magic Kingdom Disney Mickey Bars Disney Family Vacation — Photo: Disney Parks

One Park Per Day

The Mid-Day Magic Ticket are available for one park per day, valid for admission after 12 p.m. They do require a start date when purchasing, and are available in 2, 3 or 4 day increments. As with other Disney tickets, the more days you purchase, the less each day costs.

Here are the prices:

2 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $176 total plus tax ($88 per day). Expires four days after the start date.
3 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $252 total plus tax ($84 per day). Expires five days after the start date.
4 Day Mid-Day Magic Ticket: $316 total plus tax ($79 per day). Expires seven days after the start date.

Advantages of Mid-Day Magic Tickets

If you are someone who likes to sleep in, or go golfing or to the pool in the morning, this new Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be a good fit for you.

If you’re planning a trip for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival this year, and plan to spend your days mostly at Epcot, this Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be a good value for you, especially if your interest is mostly food and wine and World Showcase, as opposed to Future World attractions.

Mid Day Magic Ticket Epcot Food and Wine Festival — Photo: Disney Parks

If your family has a hard time getting going in the morning, and you find it challenging to make it to the parks before noon, this might be the perfect ticket for your family.

If you like to do Character breakfasts at the resort hotels (for example, Chef Mickey’s), and/or prefer to explore resorts in the morning, this Mid-Day Magic Ticket might be the right ticket for you.

Chef Mickey's Character Breakfast — Chef Mickey’s Photo: Brooke Hudson

If you are a night owl, and prefer to stay in the parks as late as possible, you may like this Mid-Day Magic Ticket.

This is a full access, regular park ticket. So you can visit all attractions, parades, shows, nighttime entertainment and restaurants–as long as you go after 12 p.m.

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge — Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Photo: Disney Parks

Disadvantages of Mid-Day Magic Tickets

Generally, if you’re staying on Disney property, tickets purchased with your vacation package are the better deal, especially if you want to take advantage of early morning Extra Magic Hours.

Crowds are usually heaviest at mid day, continuing through early evening.

In-park character breakfasts are out of the question.

Shortens the time you have available to spend in the parks.

Park Hopping is NOT an available option at this time.

Mid-Day Magic Tickets Available Now

These tickets are available for purchase now. Email me, brooke@disneycastledreaming.com, if you’d like to purchase Mid-Day Magic Tickets today!

What do you think of this idea? I think it’s a great idea for people that prefer to visit the parks later in the day, and spend their mornings doing other activities (like sleeping!). If this proves to be a popular option, I suspect Disney will expand it, and continue to offer it after December 15.

Please comment below to share your thoughts!

Happy Dreaming!

Brooke

P.S. If you’d like to learn more about other Disney World ticket options, please check out Disney Park Hoppers vs. One Park Per Day Passes: The Battle Begins.

When Should You Tell Your Kids They Are Going to Disney?

Option: Tell Your Kids as Soon as You Start Planning

Option: Big Announcement or Gift Presentation

Option: Tell Them Right Before the Trip (Or even ON the trip!)

What Works Best for Your Family?

Build Excitement for Your Upcoming Disney Vacation

Disney Family Movie Night

Knowledge is Power

Disney+ and the Public Library

Countdown Calendar

Disney Food Themed Meals

So Many Ideas!!

Share this:

Like this:

Location

Food

Concept Art

Advance Dining Reservations

Stay Tuned for Opening Date Announcement

Update: Rumor Mill is reporting March 30 as a potential opening day for Epcot’s new space themed restaurant, Space 220.

Share this:

Like this:

Rise of the Resistance Review

Rise of the Resistance has all of the components of Disney’s BEST attractions:

Unlike Any Other Disney Attraction

What are people saying?

Virtual Queue and Boarding Groups

Availability of Boarding Groups

The Good

The Bad

Ride Breakdowns

What Can We Expect?

Share this:

Like this:

What are Disney Fast Pass+ Tiers?

Example: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Fast Pass+ Tiers

Disney World Fast Pass+ Tiers Changes

Disney World Fast Pass+ Tier One Attractions (as of February 19, 2020)

What About Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?

Fast Pass+ Reservation Strategy Changes?

Share this:

Like this:

Replacing The Great Movie Ride

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Modern Disney Animation

Share this:

Like this:

Nothing is Perfect: Skyliner Accident Shuts Down System

Evacuation

What Happened?

How Did Disney Respond?

A Magical Way to Travel the World!

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort/Disney’s Pop Century Resort

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Riviera Resort

Epcot

Traveling on the Skyliner System

Travelers

Wheelchairs, Scooters and Mobility Devices

No Air Conditioning

Travel Times

Disney Skyliner Transports Its One Millionth Guest

Share this:

Like this:

Disney Skyliner Takes Flight

Skyliner Merchandise

Are You Ready To Take Flight on Skyliner?

#DisneyTransportationGoals

Share this:

Like this:

It’s All About the Dole Whip

Take a Tour of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Advantages of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Disadvantages

Not Just Another Hotel

Share this:

Like this:

A View From Above

TIME Magazine: World’s Greatest Places