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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: OCTOBER 22 TO OCTOBER 30, 2016

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

For more on October 2016 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/22-10/30/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-12MN 10/22, 8a-7p 10/23 , 9a-11p 10/14, 9a-7p 10/25, 9a-11p 10/26, 9a-7p 10/27, 8a-7p 10/28, 8a-12MN 10/29, and 8a-7p 10/30

Epcot will be open from 9a-10p 10/22, 9a-9p 10/23 through 10/27, 9a-10p 10/28 and 10/29, and 9a-9p 10/30

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-8p 10/22, 9a-7p 10/23, 9a-8p 10/24, 9a-7p 10/25, 9a-8p 10/26, 9a-7p 10/27, 9a-8p 10/28 and 10/29, and 9a-7p 10/30

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-8.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/22-10/30/2016

Saturday 10/22 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/23 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

Monday 10/24 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 10/25 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 10/26 Morning: none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 10/27 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 10/28 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 10/29 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 10/30  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/22-10/30/2016

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

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/22-10/30/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p 10/22, 10/24, 10/26 and 10/29

IllumiNations at Epcot: 10p 10/22; 9p 10/23 through 10/27; 10p 10/28 and 10/29; 9p 10/30

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 7.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:  8p 10/22, 10/24, 10/26, 10/28 and 10/29

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 10/22-10/30/2016

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

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Disney World extended November Animal Kingdom operating hours by a bit in its latest schedule update.

As a result, the park is open between an hour to an hour and a half after civil twilight ends.

This provides plenty of scope for two showings of Rivers of Light, one at the end of civil twilight, and one an hour and a half later. Until November 5th, potential times could be 7 and 8.30p, and after daylight savings ends, 6 and 7.30p.

From an operational point of view, Rivers of Light has been ready to go for a couple of weeks now. Guesswork around when it will actually open seems to fall into 1) late October and 2) next year.  A third camp votes for in between. My money is on the third camp.

Here’s the chart of November 2016 Animal Kingdom closes (dashed red line), sunset (yellow line) and end of civil twilight (gray line):

(The blue line is the end of nautical twilight, and the black line the end of astronomical twilight. All this stuff is defined here, but the key point is that the end of civil twilight (the gray line) defines “dark enough.”)

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OVERVIEW: MAY 2017 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews May 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.

Earlier May is a great time to visit Walt Disney World, with low crowds, moderate prices, and good weather.

Crowds build over the month, and the end of the month sees high crowds from Memorial Day, and the beginning of humid and rainy summer weather.

[Read more →]

Chapter 7, Where to Eat, is one of four core chapters in The easy guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit—the 2017 edition of the best-reviewed Disney World guide book series, ever. (The other core chapters are When to Go, Where to Stay, and How to Spend Your Time.)

We—and especially my co-author Josh of easyWDW.com—put a lot into this chapter, as of the more than a hundred options you will be able to dine at only a few restaurants at Disney World, so understanding your alternatives and picking just the right ones for your party are one of the ways you optimize your Disney World experience.

There’s been a dozen major restaurant openings or major-redos in the past year or so, and of these a least half a dozen are profoundly significant. So the 2017 easy Guide, updated as of early August and with more free updates yet to come, is a handy way to sort through all of what’s new to pick just the best for you.

Chapter 7 of The easy Guide begins with the basics of Disney World dining, with a particular focus on suggestions that might make sense for various types of visitors.

We then cover a couple of peculiar features of dining at Disney World, Advanced Dining Reservations and the Disney Dining Plan, and after some thoughts on saving money, turn to the meat of this chapter—overviews of dining in the parks, and individual reviews of all the table–service options in the Disney parks, Disney Springs, and the Disney-owned hotels. (See the excerpt above from the table of contents; If you don’t know yet what “table service” means, you really need this book.)

For example, here’s part of the overview of dining at Magic Kingdom, with some thoughts on the new table service restaurant here, Jungle Navigation Co., Ltd. Skipper Canteen:

And here’s the full review of this restaurant later in the chapter:

This is an example of the kind of care and detail you’ll find in our reviews. And note that last lines of the first bit “Disney is expected to make changes that make the menu more appealing to the unadventurous.” In fact, Disney just made some changes here, and they simplified the menu much less than we thought they would. (See Josh’s note here.)

Because our is the only major Disney World guide book that offers free updates, buyers of The easy Guide 2017 will get for free the updated versions of the 2017 easy Guide that we’ll be publishing later this year and in 2017, including changes to this text! See the image for how to get yours:

Disney Springs—the old Downtown Disney—has seen a particular renaissance in fine and fun dining. Josh’s reviews of all the new and re-imagined offerings here are, for returning visitors looking to try something new, well worth the entire price of the book.

Here’s some brief excerpts of a few Disney Springs reviews from Chapter 7:

• Planet Hollywood: “Planet Hollywood is set to later in fall 2016 with a planetarium theme and new menu, though little else is known about what exactly will be offered.”
• Paddlefish: “Paddlefish replaces Fulton’s Crab House in the same location in a riverboat on the water and it will be operated by the same company that elevated it into becoming one of the 15 most profitable restaurants in the country.”
• Morimoto Asia: “Officially helmed by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto Asia opened in October 2015 to great fanfare. The restaurant is sleek and stylish, with impressive chandeliers said to resemble jellyfish.”
• Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar: “Jock Lindsey is Indiana Jones’ longtime pilot and his bar is ornately themed to his hangar which was recently converted into a bar for the enjoyment of his fellow members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.”
• Homecoming—Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar: “Chef Art Smith is perhaps best known as the personal chef of Oprah Winfrey, but those that appreciate his history with Disney will remind you that he completed a Disney internship as well. Homecoming Florida showcases the state’s fresh flavors with appetizers like house-made pimento cheese hushpuppies served with red jalapeño jelly and deviled eggs.”
• Frontera Cocina: “Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless, who operates around ten Mexican restaurants mostly in the Chicago area, brings what is easily Disney’s best Mexican restaurant to Disney Springs”
• The Edison: “Themed to a 1920s-period electric company, The Edison celebrates an era of invention, excitement, and imagination. Much more than just a restaurant, The Edison is expected to bring live singing, dancing, palm readers, contortionists, and a lot more.”
• The BOATHOUSE: “Offering picturesque waterfront dining, multiple bars inside and out, and a number of diversely themed dining areas, The BOATHOUSE brings upscale cuisine wrapped up in a casual atmosphere to Disney Springs.”
• STK Orlando: “STK is a significant departure away from anything else at Walt Disney World, blending an ultra-modern steakhouse aesthetic with an atmosphere that resembles more of a Las Vegas club than a traditional steakhouse.”

For the rest of these reviews, and all kinds of great advice on Disney World dining, buy the book!

Ok, that’s it for now. More to come on other changes in the 2017 easy Guide later! Meanwhile, buy the book, OK?

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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.

THE HISTORY OF THE MAGIC KINGDOM HALLOWEEN PARTY

By Jim Korkis

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween did not exist when the Magic Kingdom opened but two highly popular events inspired its creation.

The very first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party was held on December 16, 1983 for one night only but then expanded to two nights in 1989, then three nights in 1990 and its popularity continued to increase so that today, it runs for multiple weeks.

This separate hard ticketed event offered to a limited number of guests after the Magic Kingdom closed for the night was a great guest satisfier with new things added to it each year.

Halloween Horror Nights began at Universal Studios Florida in 1991 for three nights and was instantly popular so that today, it also runs for multiple weeks. Designed as the ultimate in an interactive scary experience, it sparked the creation of similar events at amusement venues not only in Central Florida but also in Southern California.

The Disney Company decided that perhaps a family friendly alternative celebration to the Universal event along the same lines as the MVMCP might appeal to people. Those holiday offerings were generating tens of thousands of additional sales from theme park guests and local residents.

WDW has previously experimented with some small Halloween themed promotions as early as 1972 but most often in the individual resorts. In 1975 to help attract locals and guests to the new Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, the Village Halloween Party was introduced where children (encouraged to attend in costume) could go with their parents trick-or-treating at the various stores and restaurants.

Another experiment was the one night separate ticketed Halloween Hysteria event at the Magic Kingdom held after operating hours in 1979. It wasn’t until October 31, 1995 that the first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party debuted. Like the first year of MVMCP, it was held for only one night to determine if there was any interest. The cost was $16.95.

By October 1997, it increased to two nights and in 1999 increased again to three nights. Two years later in 2001, it grew to five nights and two years after that in 2003 to ten nights. By 2005, it was boosted to fifteen nights and in 2016 there were twenty-nine nights. Just like MVMCP, new offerings were introduced each year.

Depending upon which night an adult attends, today, it can cost between seventy-two dollars and more to over a hundred dollars on Halloween night.

There are many reasons for the popularity of the event. First, it provides a safer and more magical environment for young children to go trick-or-treating for quality candy than visiting their local neighborhoods. Second, the limited number of people in the park provides easier access to favorite attractions.

Finally, during the event, the Magic Kingdom provides some unique experiences that don’t exist normally from a special “Mickey’s Boo To You” parade to eerie projections on the castle and unique stage shows in addition to Disney character dance parties.

Since 2005, the event includes an exclusive fireworks show titled Happy HalloWishes: A Grim Grinning Ghosts’ Spooktacular in the Sky with Halloween themed music. In addition, several limited edition merchandise from pins to ornaments to apparel are sold.

Of course, one of the key components is the opportunity to get free candy at a variety of locations. In 2016, roughly 285 tons of candy will be handed out during all the parties including 40 different kinds of brand-name candies, including Snickers, Milky Way, Butterfingers, M&Ms and Kit Kats as well as other offerings. Allergen free candy is also available so that children with allergies can still participate.

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Thanks, Jim! For 2016 party dates see this, and for a review of the 2016 Mickey’s Not-so-Scary Halloween Party, see this! 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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EPCOT DAY 1: FIRST SATURDAY AGENDA

Check in, get settled, and head to Epcot.

Today is the first of your three visits to Epcot. I’ve designed this itinerary with three Epcot visits because there are three key Tier One FastPass+ at Epcot, and you will use one each visit. This lets you sleep in before your next two Epcot visits…

Your plan tonight is to see Test Track, to visit the parts of World Showcase that are most fun in the evening, to sample the Holiday Storytellers, and to check out, if you have time, the holiday decorations in the nearby Epcot resorts.

You want to be on your way out of Epcot by 9.30p, so that you miss the crowds that will depart the park after the 9.30 IllumiNations show is over. (You will see IllumiNations on Friday night.)

You should have FastPass+ for Test Track, and you have no scheduled dining tonight.

(Note: this is from the 2016 Basic December Itinerary. The itinerary works only for the three weeks after Thanksgiving. See this for other itineraries.)

FIRST THINGS

Arrive at your hotel, following the instructions in your Disney’s Magical Express packet if you are using it to get from Orlando International to your Disney Resort. Check in.

Unless you are arriving late, your room may not be ready, but you can leave your bags. First change into clothes more appropriate for the weather–which your To-Do List reminded you to pack in your carry-ons.

Head to Epcot as early as you can, and at the latest in time to make your FastPass+ at Test Track.

AT THE PARK

• Go through the turnstiles and pick up a park map and “Times Guide”–a schedule.
• Head to World Showcase, and while keeping an eye out for your Test Track FastPass+, see the pavilions starting with Mexico and going clockwise.
  • Each pavilion will have some or all of shopping, special exhibits, a ride, a movie, and other special events—such as acrobats in China. Most also will have a Holiday Storyteller.
  • Check your map, times guide, and the pavilion itself, to see what each pavilion has.
  • For scheduled events like the Storytellers, acrobats, etc., sequence what you do when among items that are not scheduled (shops, exhibits, and rides), and bounce back and forth between nearby pavilions, so that you don’t have to wait long for the scheduled item
• Ride Test Track (FastPass+)
• Have dinner at a convenient counter service when you are ready.
• If you have time, head over to the BoardWalk Inn (walk or boat—the walkway and boat are at the International Gateway between the UK and France) and see the holiday decorations in its lobby, continuing on to see those in the nearby Yacht Club and Beach Club, time permitting.
• Be back in Epcot and headed towards the bus and monorail stops by 9.30p, so that you miss the crowds leaving after IllumiNations.
• Return to your hotel.

BACK AT THE HOTEL

Buy food, supplies (bowls, spoons, etc.) and get refillable mugs for breakfast in your room at your hotel counter service or gift shop, if you did not have time, or a room assignment, earlier. You can also get these in the morning, but crowds in the shops/counter service will likely be lower tonight.

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

You will spend the first of two days at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. You get to sleep in–you want to arrive by 1p. Check with your concierge on transport (likely buses) and what time you should be at the bus stop. Pack spare dry clothes, as you will get wet on Kali River Rapids!

MATERIAL IN THIS DISNEY WORLD ITINERARY

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