Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

EPCOT DAY 2: FRIDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete Epcot, and have the evening off.

Assuming you saw Spaceship Earth, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Frozen Ever After (if open) and some of World Showcase on Saturday, you’ll have an easy day today.

If you missed some of these, the priorities from among them to fit in today are Spaceship Earth, Mission Space and World Showcase.

For today you should have FastPass+ for Test Track, Turtle Talk with Crush, and a third ride.

You have no reserved dining today.

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 45 minutes before open. 

AT THE PARK: MORNING

• Enter the  when the park opens and see Soarin’
• Ride MISSION: Space
• Head to Test Track. Ride it using FastPass+.
• Head to the other side of Future World and see the attractions in the Imagination Pavilion– Disney-Pixar shorts, and Journey Into Imagination with Figment
• Fit in The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Living with the Land, and Circle of Life around your FastPass+ for Turtle Talk with Crush. If lines are too long for Living with the Land, get a fourth FastPass+ for it later. Note that as you ride each FastPass+ ride you can move the next to an earlier time, if available.
• Have lunch while you are in this area of the park at Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion on the lower level
• Next is the rest of World Showcase, starting in Canada and progressing counter-clockwise. Tour as you did Saturday night, checking out the shows as you wander
• If the kids are bored by World Showcase, check out Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure
• And you are almost done!  Check out Innoventions on your way out of the park

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you complete your visit to the Magic Kingdom.

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

MAGIC KINGDOM DAY 3: SECOND SATURDAY AGENDA

Today you will complete your visit to the Magic Kingdom, with Adventureland and Frontierland in the morning, a break to nap and pack, and the nighttime shows in the evening. You will also pick up today anything you missed on your earlier visits, or want to see again.

You should have FastPass+ for Big Thunder Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and and third ride.  The other fixed points in your schedule are dinner at the Crystal Palace and the times of the evening shows.

FIRST THINGS

Be at the park by 45 minutes before opening.

AT THE PARK

• Head to Splash Mountain and ride it
• See Big Thunder Mountain (FP+)
• See the Magic Carpets of Aladdin
• See Pirates of the Caribbean (FP+)
• Take the raft to Tom Sawyer Island
• Head back to your hotel and take an afternoon break
• Be back at the Magic Kingdom by 5.30p
• Have dinner at the Crystal Palace
• Re-check the time of the fireworks tonight, then if you have time re-visit any rides you want to do again
• Find a parade viewing spot as close to the Castle hub as you can.
• Watch the Celebrate the Magic
• After Celebrate the Magic, move back closer to Main Street and see Wishes
• Head back to your hotel

PREVIEW OF TOMORROW

Tomorrow you finish the Animal Kingdom, and then return home

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(Note: this is from the FastPass+ Higher Crowd Itinerary. The itinerary works only for certain weeks. See this to see if it works for your dates.)

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!

ANIMAL KINGDOM DAY 2: SECOND SUNDAY AGENDA

Today you spend the morning completing your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and then depart for home. You have no scheduled meals.

You should have FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, Kali River Rapids, and a third (pick from your favorite from your First Sunday visit).  Your goal today is to see Africa, complete Asia with Kali River Rapids, and if you have time and interest, see Rafiki’s Planet Watch.

Bring spare clothes and shoes to change into, as you will get soaked on Kali!

MORNING

• Check out and note your instructions for Disney’s Magical Express if you are using it.  If you aren’t, for many domestic airlines you’ll be able to check bags and print boarding passes near the front desk.  This is a tip-based service.  You can also store your bags at the bell stand
• Arrive at Animal Kingdom by 45 minutes before open

AT THE PARK

• Enter the park, and go to Africa and ride Kilimanjaro Safaris
• See the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
• Use your FastPass+ for Festival of the Lion King, and anything else you have scheduled
• Revisit favorite rides.
• See Kali River Rapids
• Rafiki’s Planet Watch is a minor adventure accessed by the Wildlife Express Train. If interested, and you have time (including the train allow at least 45 minutes), see it
• Sadly return home

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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 LAWNMOWER TREE AT FORT WILDERNESS

By Jim Korkis

For several decades, a natural wonder delighted guests who came to Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Every time guests would visit they would seek out this living curiosity to see how it had changed over the intervening time since their last visit and were always surprised.

Years before Walt Disney World ever opened, someone who lived in the area had leaned an old, push-style blade lawnmower up against a tree and left it there. No one seems to know who that person was or why they left the lawnmower there.

When a tree is growing, and it encounters something that gets in the way of its growth, it can do three things: stop growing, grow away from it, or grow around it.

The tree grew through the tool so it was absorbed and became part of the tree’s gnarled roots above the ground with significant rusting parts sticking out prominently.

As the area was being developed for the campground, the lawnmower tree was discovered by WDW Imagineers who thought it looked interesting and decided to leave it as a hidden treasure curiosity rather than remove it.

It was located just off the sidewalk about five feet from the path about halfway between Pioneer Hall and the marina about a hundred feet off the lake.

The Imagineers even decided to create a back story to explain its existence and integrate it into the lore of the campground. They evem installed a sign next to it:

So the lawnmower tree was a popular landmark at the resort since its opening in November 1971.

As the decades passed, more and more of the lawnmower disappeared into the tree as it expanded until roughly 2007 when just a few rusting blades were still visible at the foot of the tree.

By then, the tree was dead, either through natural causes or having most of the upper half of the tree cut off. Anyway, only about twelve feet of the trunk remained and the tree had stopped absorbing the remains of the lawnmower.

Disney Legal determined that the rusty remains provided a possible safety issue since guests sometimes would go up and touch the parts.

The Disney Company hired an outside contractor to quietly remove the tree in late October 2013 without alerting the guests.

The tree was so well known that it was listed in the earliest Birnbaum Official Guides to Walt Disney World as “a point of interest worth hunting down” and continued to be listed into the 21st century editions.

The Disney Company itself promoted the lawnmower tree as a “fun fact” on official handouts to the media and it appeared on the earliest campground maps.

Over the years, many significant landmarks have disappeared from Fort Wilderness including the famous railroad, the first water park River Country, the petting zoo that had Minnie Moo the cow with the black three-circled Mickey Mouse imprint on her side, food trucks and other things.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim. 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.

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 19 TO MARCH 27, 2016

Update: as Josh reported here, Magic Kingdom is now opening at 8a from the 21st through the end of the month.

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 3/19-3/27/2016

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-12MN 3/19 and 3/20, 8a-12MN 3/21 through 3/23, and 9a-12MN 3/24 through 3/27

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-9.30p 3/19, 9a-10p 3/20, and 9a-9.30p 3/21 through 3/27

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-7p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/19-3/27/2016

Saturday 3/19 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 3/20 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: None

Monday 3/21 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Tuesday 3/22 Morning: none Evening:  Epcot

Wednesday 3/23 Morning:  none  Evening:  Magic Kingdom

Thursday 3/24 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 3/25 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: Hollywood Studios

Saturday 3/26 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 3/27  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/19-3/27/2016

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 10p every night

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/19-3/27/2016

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 9p every night

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:  8.30p 3/19; 8.30 and 10p 3/20 through 3/27

Symphony in the Stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.30p 3/19; 9.15p 3/20 through 3/27

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/19-3/27/2016

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

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 3/19-3/27/2016

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

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KEY MILESTONE DATES FOR YOUR DISNEY WORLD TRIP

If you intend to dine at any of Disney’s best-loved restaurants, or see Disney’s most popular rides with low waits, there’s two milestone dates to keep in mind:

• Disney World restaurants start accepting reservations 180 days before the desired dining date (for those staying at a Disney-owned hotel, at 180 days before your check in date you can book both that date and the next ten). Booking open at 6a for on-line reservations and at 7a for phoned-on reservations.
• Disney’s FastPass+ reservations—which allow you to book a low-wait “appointment” to see certain rides—become available 60 days before planned use at 7a if you are staying at a Disney-owned hotel, the Swan or Dolphin, or (new in 2018) Shades of Green. the Four Seasons, and the Disney Springs Resort Area hotels, or (new in 2019) the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and Waldorf Astoria Orlando–and 30 days at 7a for everyone else.

For an 180 day calendar, see this.

Taking advantage of either of these requires that you know where you plan to be during the days of your visit—because dining where you already are saves much travel time, and you need to know what park you plan to be in to know where to book your FastPass+.

My itineraries take care of that for you, or, if you are building your own itinerary, leave a comment on this page (down at the bottom.)

Other key milestones are detailed in all the To-Do Lists on this site. Each is designed for a specific itinerary, but the general steps on the To-Do Lists apply to everyone.

A few other points deserve mention here

• If all you’ve reserved from Disney is a room, you can cancel it up to 6 days before check-in without a penalty
• If you’ve reserved a package—a “package,” basically, is a room plus anything else—you can cancel up until 31 days before check-in without penalty. (This used to be 45 days)

Note that if you’ve been shut out of a dining venue, start checking again at 31 days before your arrival, as some will get canceled around then from people cancelling their entire visit. Check again the day before, as there’s a penalty for not canceling by the day before.

This all is more planning ahead than many wish for, or want.

But with the advent of FastPass+ in particular, there’s never before been such a payoff to planning ahead at Disney World as there is today—and never before been such a penalty for failing to do so….

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