Category — p. News and Changes

My imaginary internet friend Joe Black gave me the heads up that the new Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom Skipper Canteen began soft open today, so I went over for a look around.

The restaurant is themed as the old Jungle Cruise skipper’s lounge and dining area–and also as the private dining room of Alberta Falls, daughter of founder Albert Falls.

It’s located just inside Adventureland.

Here’s part of the menu.

The lovely and hilarious Annie gave me a guided tour of Skipper Canteen.

There’s three dining areas. I don’t quite have the words right, but there’s the main dining room:

…a room hidden behind a secret door in a bookcase that was Alberta Falls’ private dining room :

And a third room that includes much better birds than The Enchanted Tiki Room:

Fun details abound:

I’ll clean up the photos and post more later, but I wanted to get this news about Skipper Canteen being open  out now in case you are in the Magic Kingdom one of these days and want to stop by!

“Soft open,” by the way, means it may or not be open when you come by. I asked Annie when the opening would be real and Skipper Canteen would begin taking reservations. “The ways of the jungle are mysterious and not to be predicted,” she said…

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Note 3/5/2017: The Wilderness Lodge refurb should be complete by mid-summer 2017. See this.

Note 1/31/16: The construction impact on the Wilderness Lodge itself will be much more extensive than implied below.  See this.

Construction kicked off at the Wilderness Lodge and Villas in late 2015 and is expected to extend (at least) through 2016.

The largest impact will be on the Villas, but around 20% of rooms at the Wilderness Lodge itself may see diminished views, and weekday noise from construction might affect all rooms at both.

Wilderness Lodge guests who book courtyard-view rooms should largely be isolated from view issues.

Villa guests who avoid Bay Lake views will be better off than those who don’t–but since these rooms are not directly bookable as such, Villas guests will be facing more of a challenge.

The images below are from December 2015 from the top floor of the Bay Lake side of the Villas.

Above: from the old Villa pool area to the beach.

Above: from the old Villa pool area to the Wilderness Lodge.

CONSTRUCTION AT THE WILDERNESS LODGE

Most construction is between the southeast edge of the Wilderness Lodge and the northwest side of the Villas, with another smaller area affected at the northwest side of the Lodge.

See the map (click it to enlarge it), where using my sophisticated image skills I’ve put blue boxes in the affected areas.

On the map, the Lodge has the green roof, and the Villas the red roof.

Major construction will include removing and re-doing the smaller pool outside of the Villas (the main pool in the middle of the Lodge wings was updated in 2014 and will remain open), adding a restaurant between the Villas and the beach, and adding bungalows along the shores.

As a result, the small pool, beach, boat rentals and playground on this side will be closed.

This area as of December 2015 is all screened off with construction fabric. Interestingly, these are printed with woods, and are somewhat see-through.

The see-through means you can tell better than in most recent Disney projects what is going on.

For example, the above is not one of my usual lousy photos, but rather the result of holding my lens right up against the construction fabric.

Well, I guess to be precise it is one of my usual lousy photos, but this time at least I have an excuse…

Main Lodge guests who book courtyard views will largely escape the construction.

Views on the Lodge side between the Lodge and the Villas will be affected, and the beach and marina are closed.  Below is the construction wall by the beach:

There will also be construction on the far side of the Lodge, but as of December 2015 all that has happened here is some preliminary watershed protection:

It will be a lot harder for Villas guests to avoid, as while one can request a “woods” view at the Villas that might avoid the construction, this is not a separately bookable category.

So despite the panic out there on the internet, any first-time Lodge visitors who can afford the upcharges of the Courtyard views (about $100/night, depending on the year and season) should not much worry about this construction.

We had a courtyard view in our December 2015 Wilderness Lodge stay, and thus zero impact from the construction other than a note left in our room (top of page) and some fun pins:

Villas guests will have a harder time.

About half of Villas rooms will have views dominated by construction, so it will be much harder to avoid.

I’d advise avoiding the Villas at the Wilderness Lodge at least until we all have a better sense of how these rooms feel.

Many Villas guests are already re-booking, some with some pretty nice arrangements–see this thread on co-author Josh‘s site.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest

My co-author of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, Josh of easyWDW.com, and I will be doing meet-ups and book signings, and perhaps giveaways too, next week, on Tuesday December 15.

We are gonna be almost everywhere. Here’s our schedule:

• We’ll be meeting and signing at the Animal Kingdom, near Restaurantosaurus, Tuesday 12/15 from 3.30 to 4.30p
• We’ll be meeting and signing at the Magic Kingdom, at the Tomorrowland Terrace, Tuesday 12/15 from 5.30 to 6.30p
• Then we’ll be heading over to Epcot, mostly for a private IllumiNations party hosted by the folks at WDW Magazine (especially Carl Trent, also of Dad’s Guide and The Best of WDW), but we will also do a meet and greet in the UK area around 7.45 to 8.15 or 8.30p

On Tuesday itself, check Twitter to stay in tune.  I’m @yourfirstvisit,  and Josh is @easywdw.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

This To-Do List is for the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. For To-Do-Lists for other itineraries, see this.

If your arrival is May 27 or later the summer of 2017, use this for the first and second Sunday–including the FastPass+ you need to book for then–instead of what’s written here!

A. MORE THAN 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PLANNED ARRIVAL DATE

(Note that a good travel agent, such as Destinations in Florida, can do almost all of this for you, for free. If you use Destinations in Florida as you travel agent through a link for this site–like this one–then they share a bit of the pixie dust they get from Disney with me.)

1. Confirm your budget, planned dates, intended hotel, kids’ development and heights, and your transportation choice and its availability for your planned dates.

2. Make your plane reservations, if flying. Make any other needed transportation arrangements.

3. Create your My Disney Experience account here and add your family members to it

4. Set up your hotel and tickets. Call 407-939-7675 (preferred, because this allows you to tell the reservationist which building at your resort you wish to be in), or click here to use Disney’s online system.  (Note: if your dates are later than what the online system permits, see this.)

• If you are following my itinerary, you want the hotel you’ve picked for 8 nights, nine day, no hopper, no “water parks and more” tickets, the Dining Plan, and Disney’s Magical Express if you are flying
• Itineraries other than mine will have different requirements here

B. 181 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

Decide whether on your first night you’ll be dining at Akershus or the San Angel Inn. Akershus is a princess meal–you’ll have another princess meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table on Thursday.  If you really like princesses, do Akershus; otherwise, San Angel Inn is the better choice.

Login to your MyDisneyExperience.com account, click the “Things to Do” tab at top right, under Dining hit “Make Reservations,” and practice trying to reserve restaurants (hint: use the search box at the upper right).

This may well drive you crazy, but the site works better than it used to…and is likely the only way you can get your Cindy reservations done! (as the site opens up a new reservable day at 6a, whereas the phone reservation line opens at 7a).

Collect your restaurant reservations together. You will want to do them online in order of hardest to reserve first. This is how they are listed below.

C. EXACTLY 6am EST, EXACTLY 180 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

(For an 180 day calendar, see this).

Be on the restaurant website by at least 5:50am EST, and have your Cindy reservation all set up on the page. Keep refreshing, as you will be let in as soon as Disney’s system decides it is 6a.

Make as many of the following as you have patience for (try to get through at least Chef Mickey’s), in the exact order listed:

• Cinderella’s Royal Table Lunch (dining plan, two credits): Thursday at 11a or later if you can; earlier than 11 only if your sole option…
• Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue (dining plan, two credits): Tuesday 6.15p show. The later time will keep you up later than you need to be, OK if all you can get. Avoid the earlier time–it’ll cut into your park time too much
• Chef Mickey’s (dining plan, one credit) Tuesday 11a.  Later is OK, but not a whole lot earlier–no earlier than 10.30a
• Crystal Palace (dining plan): Second Saturday 6p if you can; earlier OK, but not later
• Akershus Banquet or San Angel Inn (dining plan): First Saturday 7p.  No later, but earlier is OK.
• 50’s Prime Time Café (dining plan): Monday 6p. Can be earlier or later.

For those you don’t make online, make them by calling call (407) WDW-DINE (939-3463)

D. 60 DAYS BEFORE YOUR ARRIVAL DATE

1. Go to your MyDisneyExperience account at 7a and set up the following FastPass+

(If your arrival is May 27 or later the summer of 2017, use this for the first and second Sunday FastPass+ you need to book instead of what’s written below!)

• First Saturday afternoon and evening at Epcot: Tier One: Frozen Ever After. Tier Two: Spaceship Earth and a third ride. The Tier One FastPass+ is your priority. Set the Tier Two times for when your travel plans permit you to be in the park. If one or both Tier Twos is impossible to set at a good time because of your travel schedule, then book just one or two FastPass+.
• First Sunday at the Animal Kingdom: Expedition Everest, DINOSAUR, and Rivers of Light. Set DINOSAUR for 1-2p, Expedition Everest for 2-3p, and Rivers of Light for when it is available.
• Monday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Great Movie Ride. Tier Two: Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones. Set Tower of Terror for 9-10a, Great Movie Ride for 10-11, and Indiana Jones for the noon show time.
• Tuesday at the Magic Kingdom: Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Jungle Cruise. Set Space Mountain for 9-10a, the Speedway for 10-11a, and Jungle Cruise for 3-4p.
• Wednesday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: Tier One: Toy Story Midway Mania; Tier Two: Star Tours and the Frozen Sing-Along. Set Toy Story for 1.10 to 2.10p, Frozen for the 2.30p show, and Star Tours for 3.15-4.15p
• Thursday at the Magic Kingdom: Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Enchanted Tales with Belle, and the Haunted Mansion. Target Seven Dwarfs for 1-2p, Belle for 2-3p, and the Haunted Mansion for 3.30-4.30p. (At park open, head to Peter Pan.)
• Friday at Epcot: Tier One: Test Track. Tier Two: Turtle Talk with Crush and a third of your choice. Set Test Track for 10.30a-11.30a, Turtle Talk with Crush for 12.30p to 1.30p, and the third for right after.
• Second Saturday at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean, Big Thunder Mountain, and a third ride. Set Big Thunder for 9-10a, and Pirates for 10-11a
• Second Sunday at the Animal Kingdom: Festival of the Lion King, Kali River Rapids if you have Rivers of Light instead for First Sunday, and a third. Book the first available show for Festival of the Lion King, and book Kali (if you have it) during the last hour you plan to be in the park. At park open, head to Kilimanjaro Safaris.

2. Do online check in, requesting as you do special location points

3. Customize your MagicBands

E. NOTES ON PACKING ETC. BEFORE YOU LEAVE

1. Bring your MagicBands in your carry-ons

2. If you use Disney’s Magical Express, you do not need to collect your bags at the Orlando airport unless you arrive late in the evening/at night or are an international traveler. Disney will get them for you and, eventually, deliver them directly to your room. Your bags may arrive hours after you do; so, depending on the weather forecasts, have a carry-on with an appropriate change of clothes for Orlando weather on Saturday, as you will almost certainly go to Epcot on Saturday before your checked bags arrive.

3. Follow the instructions in the Magical Express packet you will receive in the mail regarding both tagging your bags pre-departure, and where to go at the Orlando airport to find your transport to your resort.

4. Bring a copy of your room reservation, confirmation numbers and any tickets for special events you may have received in the mail.

5. Pack breakfast utensils, as they are not always available in the gift shop: bowls, spoons, napkins

6. When you arrive at the hotel, look for the special “On-line Check-in” line, and get into it.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Below is my FastPass+ based Disney World itinerary for higher crowd weeks.

If your arrival is May 27 or later the summer of 2017, use this for the first and second Sunday–including the FastPass+ you need to book for then–instead of what’s written here!

It does not work all dates, and some dates that it mostly works it may need some little adjustments. Check your week here.

The recommended dining reservations and FastPass+ that make it work are in the To-Do List.

Daily agendas are in the links:

• Saturday
• Sunday
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday
• Sunday

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

In my giveaway of two copies of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, Jan (comment 35) and Erin (comment 43) won. I’ve emailed each winner using the email addresses each entered in the comment form, to get mailing addresses.

For those who did not win, thanks so much for entering–and for the kind words many of you added.

You can still (as I write this early Monday) get 30% off Amazon’s already discounted price by using HOLIDAY30 as a promotion code on Amazon’s checkout page. But I don’t know how long that will last.