Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

The guidebook I co-author with Josh of easyWDW.com is now out in its 2018 edition.

The book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2018, is the latest installment of the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series, ever.

The easy Guide is, by far, the shortest, smartest, most accurate, and most up-to-date Disney World guidebook available. For example, compared to an 846 page alternative, it knows that Easter 2018 is not April 11, and that neither Barbados at Caribbean Beach nor Building 9B at Coronado Springs even exists any more!

Going to Disney World?  Do yourself a favor and get a copy of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2018, available at the link on Amazon.

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

OVERVIEW: FEBRUARY 2018 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews February 2018 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Early February 2018 will have some of the lowest crowds and prices of the year, but also the risk of ride closures.

The end of the month brings slightly higher prices and crowds, but better weather and few closures.

In between–in 2018, the period from Thursday the 15th through Saturday the 24th–we will see high crowds and high prices.

[Read more →]

DISNEY WORLD ITINERARIES FULLY UPDATED

I have not been posting a lot lately, as first Josh and I have been working on the 2018 version of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, and second, I’m on a long vacation in the mountains of North Carolina.

Here’s the view from our balcony…

But every morning I’ve started early at the Starbucks in Boone, North Carolina and have been busy working there to update all the itineraries on this site.

For the standard Low and High Crowd itineraries, the updates reflect the changes at Disney World over this summer, and include refinements of my guidance for the new Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. They also are adapted to the closure of Ellen’s Energy Adventure and the Great Movie Ride, and the shift of the Festival of Fantasy Parade to 2pm.

These standard itineraries and their variants:

• Low Crowd Itinerary
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Low Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• High Crowd Itinerary
• High Crowd Itinerary, Seven Night Version

My “Basic Itinerary” and its variants are meant for what is in 2017 the four-week period that begins the Saturday after Thanksgiving. They include all changes to Disney World since last December.

• Basic December Itinerary
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Sunday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Seven Night Version, Saturday Arrival
• Basic December Itinerary, Nine Night Version.

Which dates you should use which  itinerary, and any other needed changes, is all laid out here.

Those taking even shorter trips, or with very different arrival days, will be best served by looking at the closest itinerary I have for the essential matters, and then adapting the one and tw0 day touring plans you will find in my book. Ask me for help using the comment form below!

Although I might be busy at the kitchen table, battling with my older son over the fate of the world…

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

Below is a seven-night, Saturday arrival variant of my FastPass+ based Disney World itinerary for lower crowd weeks.

Updated in April 2018, it includes guidance for the new Avatar: World of Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and an alternate set of instructions for the to-open on June 30 Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

1. Toy Story Land will be opening at the Studios June 30.  Unusual operating patterns from then through the week beginning 8/18 mean the following:
   • For visits when your Studios days are before June 30, use the itinerary and To-do List as written
   • For visits when your Studios days are between June 30 and and August 25, use the updated FastPass+ instructions and touring plans for the Studios day you will find on this page.
   • For Studios days after 8/25, I’ll be publishing an appropriate set of FastPass+ and touring plans shortly

On its first Animal Kingdom day, it uses a Rivers of Light Dining Package to save a FastPass+. Note that this package is available sometimes only 3-4 months ahead, rather than the 180 days ahead that most dining is available.

I’m not keen on this itinerary, as it has little rest time. Moreover, to see both evening shows at Hollywood Studios, you need to add an expensive Park Hopper to your tickets.

This itinerary does not work all dates, and some dates that it mostly works it may need some little adjustments. Use the comment form below to check with me on your dates.
As in all images and tables on this site, click it to enlarge it.

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

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

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

MOROCCO

By Jim Korkis

Morocco is the only World Showcase pavilion that is sponsored entirely by its government rather than by various businesses operating in that country. It opened September 7, 1984. The pavilion was inspired by the cities of Casablanca, Marrakesh, Rabat, and Fez.

When plans for a pavilion devoted to Africa fell through, King Hassan II of Morocco felt there needed to be a pavilion representing the culture of Africa. In addition to funding the building of the entire pavilion, much of its authenticity is due to the fact that the king sent many of his personal artisans to adorn the pavilion with carved and painted wood, plaster, tiles and mosaic.

Although the overall design of the pavilion was done by Imagineering in consultation with Morocco, the actual artwork and decorations were done by these artisans that included eight plaster craftsmen, eleven tile craftsmen and two wood craftsmen. They worked for approximately six months doing the construction.

Nine tons of handmade, hand-cut tiles were used, the same kind that had been used to decorate palaces of past kings of Morocco. The designs consist of different combinations of geometric patterns. Islamic law forbids the depiction in artwork of any living thing like plants, animals or humans. It would be considered an affront against Allah, the only one who can create life.

Morocco’s King Mohammed Ben Abdellah was the first world leader to send President George Washington in 1777 a letter recognizing the United States as an independent sovereign country. A copy of that letter and President Washington’s reply is on display in the lobby of the Restaurant Marrakesh which is built to look like a typical Southern Moroccan fortress. The interior is designed after several different palaces.

Outside to the left side, high on the wall, the Dar al-Magana from the city of Fez is a unique water clock where people were able to tell the hour using the twelve windows and platforms carrying brass bowls.

Bab Boujouloud is a replica of the entrance gate of the same name located in the City of Fez. The center of the gate is large to accommodate large groups of people and traffic like camels loaded with goods. At night, the center would be blocked and those entering the city would have to enter through the smaller arches on the side and pass a guard.

It transitions guests from the Nouvelle Ville (new city) to the Medina (older city) where the Souk (marketplace) is located.

The Nejarine Fountain is a replica of a fountain located in the Medina of Fez and this is an excellent example of the tile work of King Hassan’s artisans. The word Nejarine translates to “carpenters”.

The Koutoubia Minaret at the front of the pavilion is a prayer tower beside a mosque that exists in Marrakesh. The Chellah Minaret at the back of the pavilion is located near the capital city of Rabat. A prayer caller (Muezzin) would ascend to the top and call citizens to prayer.

Fez House is a representation of an upper middle class family where all generations including any extended family would live in one house. Built in the Moorish style of architecture, rooms are like apartments and would surround a central open air courtyard. To add authenticity, the Imagineers have recorded family conversations that periodically engage on the second level.

The exterior does not seem appealing because of the traditional belief that beauty is on the inside as well as the fact that the harsh weather in the country is damaging to any exterior building. It is referred to as “architecture of the veil”.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest, Secret Stories of Disneyland, his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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

This Walt Disney World itinerary is designed for the four weeks following Thanksgiving 2017.

It is a seven night variant of the Basic December 2017 Itinerary, with a Saturday arrival.

There’s also a seven night itinerary with a Sunday arrival–if you could do either, the Sunday arrival is a better choice. It’s here.

If you aren’t going one of those weeks, see Other Itineraries for alternatives the rest of the year, which are published about six months ahead.

You can enlarge the itinerary by clicking it. 

A detailed To-Do List covers all the reservations you need to make.

Daily agendas are in the links:

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

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