Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 9 TO APRIL 17, 2016

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

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-12MN 4/9 through 4/11, 9a-11p 4/12 through 4/14, and 9a-12MN 4/15 through 4/17

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9.30p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-7p 4/9, 9a-6p 4/10, 9a-5.30p 4/11 through 4/13, 9a-6.30p 4/14 through 4/16, and 9a-7p 4/17

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

Saturday 4/9 Morning:  Epcot  Evening: none

Sunday 4/10 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: None

Monday 4/11 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 4/12 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 4/13 Morning:  none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 4/14 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Friday 4/15 Morning:  Epcot Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 4/16 Morning: Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 4/17  Morning: none Evening: Epcot

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9p 4/9 through 4/11; 9 and 11p 4/12 through 4/14; 9p 4/15 though 4/17

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p every night

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30 and 10p  4/9; 8.30p 4/10 through 4/13; 8.30 and 10p 4/14; 8.30p 4/15 through 4/17

Symphony in the Stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.15p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

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

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/9-4/17/2016

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

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

Josh and I published an updated version of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit last week, and as promised, here I’m both going into a little more detail on the update and also introducing the material in the book overall to those who aren’t familiar with it.

This post focuses on Chapter Seven: Where to Eat.

First, on the book itself—my co-author Josh of easyWDW is the world’s leading authority on the Disney World parks and how to maximize the value of your time within them.  I have the same world-beating insight into the Disney World resorts–after my April visit, I’ll have stayed in more than 125 different Disney World-owned rooms, villas, studios, suites, cabins and campsites.

We each know a whole lot about a lot of other stuff too, and as a result, the Disney World guidebook series we have written has received more than 95% five star reviews. You simply won’t find a better reviewed Disney World guidebook.

Chapter Seven has 60 pages on dining at Walt Disney World.

First timers often don’t know how much fun—and how expensive—dining at Disney World can be, whether your definition of fun is a memorable family meal with Mickey, Pooh, or princesses, or a sweet date night experience. (Babysitting options are covered in Chapter Two.)

They also often don’t realize how quickly such venues book up, how to book them, or the pros and cons of the various Disney Dining Plans.

Chapter Seven covers all of these key topics and includes both general material on them and also introductions to fining in the theme parks, Disney Springs, and the resorts, and the best collection in one place of reviews of all the Disney World table service options.

Many of the changes include updates to prices. Disney has been aggressively increasing restaurant prices, and we included all of those that were out by our press deadline. It also increased Dining Plan prices after we had put this update to bed.

At current trends, at some point, increases in cash prices will outpace increases in Dining Plan prices, and we will look more favorably then on the Dinning Plan value. Until then, for most it’s not a money saving choice. (Families with multiple folks three to nine years old who book multiple one credit character meals and buffets are the exception—even with the recent 9% increase in Dining Plan costs for 3-9 year olds, the regular plan used this way is still a good value for them.)

We also have included new reviews of several restaurants that opened after the first version of the 2016 edition came out in September 2015. New reviews include the Jungle Navigation Company Skipper Canteen at Magic Kingdom, and Morimoto Asia and Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar (above) in Disney Springs.

We’ve also included new character options at Hollywood & Vine, other changes to the dining landscape at the Studios, and a preview of the soon-to-open Tiffins at the Animal Kingdom.

Want a copy of your own of the most up to date and best reviewed Disney World guide book available? ? It’s available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon here!

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

FIFTH DISNEY WORLD GATE TO OPEN IN 2021

April 1, 2016: Today in Orlando Walt Disney World representatives announced that a new, fifth theme park will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World, in October 2021.

The new park will be themed to sadness and loss.

“Inside Out taught us once again what we have always known as story-tellers, that sadness is necessary to joy,” a Disney spokesman explained. “Well, actually, we think that’s what we learned from it—in fact, we kept falling asleep during the enthralling second act about filing systems for colored bowling balls, so never really made it to the end.”

The new park, to be called Disney’s Woeful Kingdom, will be built next to the Magic Kingdom, across from Frontierland and Adventureland, and will have its main entrance just to the west of the current Magic Kingdom monorail stop.

“Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows.” – Walt Disney

Conceived as both a new draw in its own right and as a way to relieve the press of crowds in the Magic Kingdom, the lands of the Woeful Kingdom will be opened in stages.

In fact, the first two lands, Abandonland and Deathland, will initially operate as extensions of the Magic Kingdom.

Later, as more of its lands open, Disney’s Woeful Kingdom will function as a distinct and separately ticketed fifth park, but easily accessible from the Magic Kingdom—similarly to how Disney California Adventure works in Anaheim today (although lower taxes compared to California means that Disney will continue to be able to afford the ” ‘s ” in Florida).

• Abandonland will largely feature rides based on Disney’s Toy Story series, which takes its narrative arcs from the eagerness with which children abandon everything that once they loved, and the devastation that such abandonment leaves behind.
• Deathland will have shows and rides from a more diverse set of Disney and Pixar films, including rides recapping the death of Ellie in Up, the death of Bambi’s mother, and the death of Anna and Elsa’s parents in Frozen. (Word is that their parents are being brought back in the Frozen sequel, just so that they can be killed again.)

Later, deaths and other bitter moments will be grouped more thematically into additional lands at Disney’s Woeful Kingdom, one themed to orphans and stepchildren, like Tiana, Aladdin, and Cinderella; another to losses of parents like Mustafa in The Lion King, Tarzan’s parents, Cinderella’s father, and Lilo’s parents; and another to losses of and betrayals by spouses, children, other relatives, friends, and presidential candidates.

Other lands won’t be quite so obviously targeted at younger children, and will have attractions more suited to the special despondencies of older children and their parents. Reportedly, one such land highlighting the sports teams of Cleveland, Ohio was well into design, but development was unusually shut down by the board of the Walt Disney Company because it promised to be just too sad to be borne.

Stories require conflict, challenge and opposition—something is at stake, and someone strives for that stake.

Sadness and loss raise the stakes. Sometimes the sadness and loss is part of the beginning circumstances of the hero, making that hero’s challenge more difficult and the hero themselves more admirable—this is the heart of all the orphaned or otherwise abandoned heroes in the classic Disney films.

Sometimes, as in coming of age stories like Bambi, The Lion King, and Frozen, the losses need to happen to clear the way forward for the hero to grow up.

And sometimes the devastating sorrow is put in the film just for sheer fun and dazzle.

Those who never miss a theme park about sadness and loss will rush to Disney’s Woeful Kingdom.

The new park will share but expand on the hotel, parking and transportation infrastructure already existing for the Magic Kingdom.

Five thousand more parking spaces will be added to the former location of the Richard Petty Driving experience in the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Also, a small looped route expansion of the two monorail lines currently serving the Magic Kingdom is being added, both to allow for more monorail capacity, especially on the already congested Resort monorail line, and also to open the far west side of the new theme park to a monorail station that will support hotel and cemetery development.

Guests at the Magic Kingdom and also at the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Shades of Green will be able to walk to the Woeful Kingdom, as well as to the graves, tombs and funeral services in the new cemetery and memorial area to be located on the southwest side of the new park, facing—yet never quite touching–the sunset.

Well known and, frankly, surprisingly good-looking Disney World blogger Dave Shute (author of the masterful yourfirstvisit.net, and co-author of the magisterial The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit, the best-reviewed Disney World guidebook series in the history of Amazon) noted that “this new park has been hiding in plain sight.”

He continued, in a shy yet graceful and sexy voice: “Disney had been able to explain all the Imagineer activity around the Toy Story components of Abandonland by hiding it as an expansion to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but the tear-down of the Richard Petty area south of the current parking lots has been unexplained. Also unexplained has been all the monorail closures of the past few years, which most assumed Disney was doing simply to show that it could. Now it’s clear what all this activity is in service of—sadness and loss.”

There’s little detail yet available on parades and other entertainment at Disney’s Woeful Kingdom. It is, however, widely expected that the evening show will include guests chanting, in order, the nine billion names of God. On some future date, as the final, nine-billionth name is chanted, overhead one by one the stars will quietly go out, as all sorrow ends.

The first two announced lands are expected to be complete by the Magic Kingdom’s 50th anniversary in October 2021. However, it is also possible that construction will stop during the next recession and just sit there, abandoned for decades, rather like much of Epcot. After all, as Judy’s dad tells her in Zootopia, “It’s great to have dreams, so long as you don’t believe in them too much.”

If so, this will be yet another black eye for Disney World, joining recent difficulties such as last year’s conversion of the Polynesian Bungalows to a viewing area for the Electrical Water Pageant, the brief cancellation of FastPass+ a couple of years ago, the abandonment of a pain-themed DVC resort, dropping the addition of a Minnesota Pavilion to Epcot, and still no word on the groundbreaking for the high-speed option for leaving Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ 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.

JOCK LINDSEY’S HANGAR BAR

By Jim Korkis

Some Disney fans do not fully understand that in 2012 Disney did not just buy the Star Wars franchise but the entire Lucasfilm catalog. That purchase included the beloved Indiana Jones character.

The first example of utilizing that acquisition is the creation of Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar in Disney Springs.

Jock Lindsey was a minor character in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) portrayed by actor Fred Sorenson who rescued Indy from the Peruvian Hovito natives with his seaplane. The character was an American freelance pilot whose background was as a stunt pilot performing in Midwest airshows.

After a flight related tragedy, he relocated to Venezuela where he was often hired to fly archeologist Indiana Jones to remote locations. According to the original screenplay, he was supposed to be British. His pet was a Burmese python snake named “Reggie”.

According to the newly created Disney legend for the new bar in Disney Springs, Lindsey took Jones over Florida in 1938 to help hunt down the location of the fabled Fountain of Youth. Lindsey spotted a small town that he liked and returned in 1948 to establish an airplane hangar, air tower and runway on its waterfront, and operate an air tour service.

His fellow members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers (S.E.A.) would drop by for an occasional drink, and in 1955 the area was officially established as a hangar bar and was littered with artifacts and memoribilia from their adventures.

The concrete bar top of the new bar is made to look as if it was once used as a work bench. Ceiling fans are made out of plane propellers, and walls are adorned with vintage travel posters and postcards and letters between Indy, Jock and other characters.

“He only had about a minute of air time in the original movie,” WDI Imagineer Theron Skees said, “and it was fun expanding on that. We were coming at it from the aspect that Jock is a pilot first and an adventurer’s guide second.”

In addition to references to the first three theatrical Indiana Jones movies, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar also alludes to elements from the Expanded Adventures such as The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, and Jock Lindsey’s roles in Indiana Jones and the Tomb of the Gods and The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones story “The Sea Butchers.”

The bar also contains nods to other Disney properties including Star Wars, The Rocketeer and Iron Man, as well as references to famous aviators such as Amelia Earhart and Charles Lindbergh.

Jock Lindsey’s Hanger Bar (c) Disney

The bar’s address at 1138 Seaten Avenue, referencing a George Lucas feature film tradition to include in his works the number from his first theatrical film THX 1138 (1971).

From Raiders is the golden fertility idol at the top of the bar’s bookcase. The head piece for the staff of Ra is in the lost and found bin located near the bathrooms

From The Temple of Doom, Voodoo dolls of Indy, Short Round and Willie Scott are on a shelf. Also from that film is a coaster from Club Obi Wan in Shanghai, China. The cool-headed Monkey drink and souvenir mug reference the monkey brain eating sequence in the film.

From The Last Crusade, the image of the grail cup is on sign stating “artifacts no longer taken as payment”.

There are several references to Reggie, including an empty cage, a signature drink with a snake swizzle stick and an outside dry-docked steamboat named after the reptile.

The menu items have names that reference the films as well, including Rolling Boulder Sliders, Tanis Tacos, Lao Che’s Revenge, Dr. Elsa’s She-deviled Eggs, Hovito Mojito, Poisonless Dart, Brody’s Brats and many more.

Jock and Indy may be long gone, but this location honors their memories and cleverly immerses guests in their legendary adventures. With the addition of this bar, perhaps Jock may pop up in the new Indiana Jones movie that was recently announced.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim!

Here’s the review of the bar from the just-released updated version of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit:

And come back next Friday for even 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 First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

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

Josh and I published an updated version of The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit last week, and as promised, here I’m both going into a little more detail on the update and also introducing the material in the book overall to those who aren’t familiar with it.

This post focuses on Chapter Six: How to Spend Your Time.

First, on the book itself—my co-author Josh of easyWDW is the world’s leading authority on the Disney World parks and how to maximize the value of your time within them.  I have the same world-beating insight into the Disney World resorts–after my April visit, I’ll have stayed in more than 125 different Disney World-owned rooms, villas, studios, suites, cabins and campsites.

We each know a whole lot about a lot of other stuff too, and as a result, the Disney World guidebook series we have written has received more than 95% five star reviews. You simply won’t find a better reviewed Disney World guidebook.

You go to Disney World for the parks. That makes Chapter Six the most essential chapter of The easy Guide. Using it is what gives you the best visit possible no matter when you got to Disney World or how crowded it is.

Chapter Six, How to Spend Your Time, first covers the basics of FastPass+, Disney’s new program that allows—and honestly, requires–you to book low-wait windows at (to start) three rides in a park per day starting 30 to 60 days ahead of your visit. FastPass+ is an essential tool for a lower-wait visit and ours is the first guidebook written form scratch to take advantage of it.

Most of the key points about FastPass+ are in Chapter Six, but we do come back to the mechanics of booking them in Chapter Nine.

Next we talk about itinerary design—how to spend your time in the parks. How many days to visit, and how to divide those days among the parks, is covered in Chapter Three. Chapter Six is about the details. We give sample itineraries, include detailed overviews of each of the parks and all of their rides, and end with versions of Josh’s famous “Cheat Sheets,” all grouped at the end of the chapter so that you can cut them out and carry them with you in the parks.

The material on each park has common sections. First we give a quick overview of the park. Next we identify the most important FastPass+–in order—for that park. Then we talk about arrival tips and tricks, and then cover the lands of each park. The sections on the lands include dining, shopping, and up to date reviews of each attraction.

The Cheat Sheets at the end of the chapter repeat a bit of this material (because they are meant to be torn out and carried into the parks) and add some additional valuable stuff: coded park maps, overviews of the best ways to tour each park, multiple detailed step-by-step touring plans, and finally for data hounds, expected waits by hour by crowd level.

Openings, closures, changes and such means that Chapter Six changes with every revision we publish. The key changes for the March update include the following:

• Major revisions because of the refurb of Soarin, with new versions of every Epcot touring plan we offer. We also added new and revised attractions (Baymax, Disney and Pixar Shorts) and give advice on how to revise everything once Soarin and the new Frozen attractions open later this year
• Changes to the priority list of FastPass+ at every park, based on the latest trends in how much wait time a particular FastPass+ will save you.
• Updates to the Animal Kingdom sections based on the opening of Tiffins and of Rivers of Light and other evening shows later this spring
• Multiple minor updates across the Magic Kingdom sections, especially revised touring plans
• Major changes to the material on Disney’s Hollywood Studios, incorporating recent and early-April ride closures there, and the additions of Star Wars events, shows and fireworks

All these changes make The easy Guide to Your First Walt DInsey World Visit your best friend for an upcoming trip!

Want a copy of your own? It’s available in paperback and Kindle versions on Amazon here!

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 2 TO APRIL 10, 2016

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

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-12MN 4/2, 9a-11p 4/3, 9a-12MN 4/4 and 4/5, 9a-11p 4/6 and 4/7, and 9a-12MN 4/8 through 4/10

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9.30p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-6p 4/2 through 4/6, 9a-7p 4/7 through 4/9, and 9a-6p 4/10

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

Saturday 3/26 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 3/27 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: None

Monday 3/28 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 3/29 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 3/30 Morning:  none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 3/31 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Friday 4/1 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 4/26 Morning: Epcot  Evening: none

Sunday 4/3  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 10p 4/2; 9 and 11p 4/3; 9p 4.4 and 4/5; 9 and 11p 4/6 and 4/7; and 9p 4/8 through 4/10

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 9p 4/2; 10p 4/3 thorough 4/10

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30 and 10p 4/2 and 4/3; 8.30p 4/4 through 4/7; 8.30 and 10p 4/8 and 4/9; 8.30p 4/10

Symphony in the Stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.15p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

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

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/2-4/10/2016

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

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