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STAYING IN A HOTEL THAT DISNEY DOES NOT OWN

The best reason to stay in a non-Disney hotel is to save money. (For the Disney-owned hotels, see this.)

Water Play Area at Four Seasons Orlando

Five non-Disney hotels are in the heart of Disney World, and offer deluxe-quality rooms and amenities for typically less than the Disney deluxes (at Shades of Green, much less).

Shades of Green Resort

Shades of Green Floor Plan

They are the Swan and Dolphin. Swan Reserve, Four Seasons, and Shades of Green. (I’ve stayed in all these except the Swan Reserve multiple times–the links go to detailed reviews.)

Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Four Seasons Floor Plan

All these participate in Disney’s new Early Entry program.

Disney World Dolphin

Dolphin Floor Plan

All except Four Seasons in addition can pre-book access to as many as five rides per day seven days before your arrival, earlier than almost everyone else can pre-book them, as part of Disney World’s new Lightning Lane Multi Pass and Lightning Lane Single Pass programs.

Also, all but Four Seasons are eligible for Extended Evening Hours.

Swan Floor Plan

The Swan and Dolphin used to be part of Starwood, but are now part of the Marriott family.

I’m not keen on any of these for first timers.

• None has any distinctive Disney theming–you could be anywhere.
• Shades and the Four Seasons have less than great transportation
• The Swan, Dolphin and Swan Reserve have transportation more comparable to the Disney-owned resorts, but are inconveniently located for a Magic-Kingdom-centered trip–which most first visits are.

They can each be great choices for returning trips–Shades of Green for its prices, The Swan in particular for a lower-priced way to be close to Epcot (the Swan has queen beds and two sinks, making it a better family choice than the Dolphin with its full beds and one sink), and the Four Seasons for its stunning amenities, and in particular its pool complex–the best at Disney World.

Complete reviews:

• Shades of Green Resort
• Swan and Dolphin
• Four Seasons Resort Orlando

Another group of hotels in the Disney Springs Resort Area are on Disney property but isolated from the main attractions at Disney World except for the shopping and dining at Disney Springs. All these also participate in Disney’s new Early Entry program, but don’t have access to early booking Single Passes or Multi Passes, nor to Extended Evening Hours.

These have widely varying prices and amenities. Links to reviews are below.

• The B Resort & Spa
• Doubletree Suites by Hilton Orlando
• The Hilton Buena Vista Palace
• The Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
• Holiday Inn Orlando
• The Wyndham and Wyndham Garden Lake Buena Vista

Also at Disney Springs is the Drury Plaza Hotel.  I have not stayed in it since it took over and added a tower to the old Best Western Lake Buena Vista.

Finally, two resorts of the five resorts in the Bonnet Creek area (near Caribbean Beach) also have access to Early Entry.   Reviews of each are at the links:

• Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek
• Waldorf Astoria Orlando 

Which key time-saving perks guests at which hotels are eligible for can be confusing, so I created the table that follows:

There are literally hundreds of other hotels and thousands of condos/villas/homes for rent off the property. The condos/villas/homes for rent will particularly save money for larger families or groups.

Be careful in your price comparisons to include added any incremental rental car costs, resort fees, hotel parking, and theme park parking.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JANUARY 21 TO JANUARY 29, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on January 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/21/-1/29/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-11p 1/21, 9a-10p 1/22, 9a-8p 1/23, 9a-9p 1/24, 9a-8p 1/25 and 1/26, 9a-9p 1/27, 8a-12MN 1/28, and 9a-11p 1/29

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-8p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-7.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/21-1/29/17

Saturday 1/21 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 1/22  Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Monday 1/23 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 1/24 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 1/25 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 1/26 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 1/27 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 1/28 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 1/29  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/21-1/29/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/21-1/29/17

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom:  10p 1/21; 9p 1/22 8p 1/23 through 1/27; 9p 1/28; and 10p 1/29

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7.45p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/21-1/29/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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OVERVIEW: AUGUST 2017 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews August 2017 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

There are no great times for first-timers who may never return to visit in August. Kids start going back to school in August, so crowds go down later in the month–but that’s also when the peak of the hurricane season kicks off.

Prices begin the month low at the deluxes and stay low all month long. Prices begin the month OK at the moderates, and high at the values. Values prices drop to moderate levels on 8/13, and on 8/25 prices drop to among the lowest of the year at both the values and the moderates.

For first-timers who can’t return, the best week is that beginning 8/5–higher crowds and prices than later in the month, but lower hurricane risk. For those who can return, then later in the month is best.

[Read more →]

MEET THE AUTHORS

Co-author Josh and I will be doing a meet-up and book signing Saturday January 28 at Epcot.

We’ll be outside the main pyramid in Mexico on the right from 1p to 2p (or until the crowds go away) and would love to say hi and sign your copy of The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2017.

For your own copy of the 2017 edition of the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series ever (ever!), click here.

PRO BOWL AT DISNEY WORLD

That’s the same period that for the first time the Pro Bowl will be in Orlando, with many festivities in Disney World, especially at ESPN but also at Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs.

Here’s the current scoop on what’s going on with the Pro Bowl at Disney World:

To actually see practices or the skills showdown, go here to get tickets.

The tickets are free and are just a way of limiting access to capacity. Note that Saturday the 28th is already sold out, so just come to the meet-up. You don’t need tickets for the “Pro Bowl Experience” fan zone.

In addition there’s a parade of players Friday at the Magic Kingdom—at 2.30p, according to the Orlando Sentinel—and something at Disney Springs, possibly late night player sightings at Raglan Road or, more likely, STK.

Younger son and I will be doing most of these experiences so we can review them for you in case you want to try them out next year. (Older son can’t make it because he’s too busy BECAUSE HE WON A TICKET TO THE SUPER BOWL.)

It’s hard to say what impact the Pro Bowl and associated festivities will have on the parks that week—the best guess is little, except for Friday at the Magic Kingdom and the roads around ESPN Wide World of Sports. (We’re at Art of Animation most nights, so are theoretically within walking distance, although I don’t recall any sidewalks on Victory Way.)

The Pro Bowl fan events and practices at ESPN and parade at Magic Kingdom obviously makes a Disney World visit a little more attractive that week for some football fans, and if it gets the rep of being fun, may make that week a bit more of a target next year. That’s’ why I’m going—to see for myself so I can offer guidance for next year.

ALTERNATIVES TO EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS

Over that weekend I’ll also be seeing Epcot’s new International Festival of the Arts, which occurs Fridays to Mondays until February 20th. This looks, so far, more promising than I’d thought it would, and after the visit I’ll let you know what I think.

However, you can do your own Festival of the Arts at home—grab some Triscuits and pimento cheese, and settle down with a copy of The Walt Disney Film Archives.

Wildly expensive at 135 bucks on Amazon, this huge (I put the playing card on it for scale, and had to reorganize one of my bookshelves to fit it), 14 pound book is the most beautiful book on the classic animated films you’ll find, and despite the tiny type, my favorite Disney-related book in years.

I’ll post more on this amazing book later, but in the meantime, just trust me and get it.

DISNEY AFTER HOURS

Friday night the 27th we’ll be doing the Disney After Hours event, an expensive way to see a bunch of Magic Kingdom rides with hardly any waits.

Not something I’d recommend for first-timers, this event is well worth it for returning visitors who can stay up through it, especially on nights Magic Kingdom closes at 8p, or if they’ve otherwise blown their Disney World visit hanging around at ESPN.

Space Mountain at the Disney After Hours Event

It’s currently on the calendar for multiple Thursday and Friday nights into early March—specifically, January 20 and 27, February 2, 9, and 16, and March 2 and 9.

See this for how it went in 2016.

THIS AND THAT

FWIW, also on this visit I’ll be staying in and photographing a refurbed One Bedroom Villas at Kidani, and also, I hope, a refurbed room at the Dolphin.

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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.

RAGLAN ROAD

By Jim Korkis

Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant at Disney Springs is owned and operated by Great Irish Pubs Florida, Inc., the company of Irish partners John Cooke, Paul Nolan and celebrity chef Kevin Dundon.

(c) Disney

The restaurant that opened in October 2005 has both a loyal local and international following and has won numerous national and local honors. Each March, Raglan Road hosts multi-day St. Patrick’s Day events. Over the four day Labor Day weekend, it hosts the Great Irish Hooley Festival.

Traditional and contemporary Irish music, storytelling and dance are featured nightly and guests are encouraged to participate.

“Having built more than 400 Irish pubs in the four corners of the world, we believe that this is our best expression yet,” said Paul Nolan, “We are incredibly proud and excited to continue bringing the best of Ireland to Disney Springs

The name Raglan Road comes from an actual road of the same name in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. The real Raglan Road is on the south side of Dublin.

In 1946 the lane was made famous by Irish poet Patrick Kavanagh considered one of the foremost poets of the 20th century. He used the melody of the old poem “The Dawning of the Day” for his poem entitled “On Raglan Road.” The poem was written about his unrequited love for a young woman.

In the 1960s Irish folk singer Luke Kelly first put the poem to music. “(On) Raglan Road” has become a seminal Irish song and has been covered by such artists as Van Morrison, Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler and U2.

Kavanagh was always seen sitting alone on a park bench by the Grand Canal in Dublin so when he passed away in 1967 after a long battle with cancer he was commemorated with a statue by the banks of the canal.

Today, the only replica of this bronze statue of a man sitting alone on a bench thinking of his lost love, specially commissioned for this location, is found outside the front door of Raglan Road in Disney Springs.

That’s why there is a crumpled hat placed next to him and the seat is not flat but slanted inward so it makes it awkward for a guest to try to sit next to him for a photo while he is looking down and pensively remembering what might have been.

Kavanagh is remembered by three plaques in Dublin. Two of them are at locations where he lived while the third plaque is beside his bronze statue sculpted by Peierls at the location by the canal where some say he found inspiration for his work. The lines on this plaque read: “Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal, pouring redemption for me.”

The four aged mahogany and walnut bars that feature marble adornments, leaded glass and ornate detailing were handcrafted in Ireland for old Irish bars and churches more than 130 years ago and shipped to Florida. In addition, Raglan Road’s furnishings, lighting and wall coverings were all created and built in Ireland. Authentic Irish antiques, ornamentation and bric-a-brac complete the authentic décor.

The works of Irish artist Graham Knuttel have found homes among Hollywood celebrities and on November 11 2011, the restaurant unveiled his commission painting for the restaurant based on Kavanagh’s poem.

It depicts a pub scene in which more than two dozen unconventional Knuttel figures that include Kavanagh, Kelly, Irish rockers Bono and The Edge and writers James Joyce and Brendan Behan are celebrating. Looking closely, admirers may discover a photo of a child wearing mouse ears in the painting.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim! Here’s the review of Raglan Road from The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit:

And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, and The Vault of Walt: Volume 4, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JANUARY 14 TO JANUARY 22, 2017

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

For more on January 2017 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/14/-1/22/17

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-10p 1/7, 9a-8p 1/8 through 1/12, and 9a-11p 1/13 through 1/5

Epcot will be open from 9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-8p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-7p 1/7, and 9a-7.30p 1/8 through 1/15

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/14-1/22/17

Saturday 1/14 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 1/15  Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Monday 1/16 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 1/17 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 1/18 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 1/19 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 1/20 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 1/21 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 1/22  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/14-1/22/17

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/14-1/22/17

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom:  9p 1/14; 10p 1/15; 9p 1/16; 8p 1/17 through 1/20; 10p 1/21; 9p 1/22

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7.45p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 1/14-1/22/17

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

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