DisneyDawgs

Tag: #magickingdom

  • What Attractions are Open in Magic Kingdom?

    With Magic Kingdom opening this morning for a Cast Member preview, below is a list of what attractions are currently open and those that are not.

    Astro Orbiter – OPEN

    The Barnstormer – OPEN

    Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique – CLOSED

    Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – OPEN

    Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – OPEN

    Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station – CLOSED

    Casey’s Corner Pianist -UNKNOWN

    Country Bear Jamboree – CLOSED

    Dapper Dans -UNKNOWN

    Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade – CLOSED

    Dumbo the Flying Elephant – OPEN

    Enchanted Tales with Belle – CLOSED

    Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade – CLOSED

    The Hall of Presidents -UNKNOWN

    Happily Ever After – CLOSED

    The Haunted Mansion – OPEN

    Hoedown Happening – CLOSED

    It’s a Small World – OPEN`

    Jungle Cruise – OPEN

    Liberty Square Riverboat – CLOSED

    Mad Tea Party – OPEN

    The Magic Carpets of Aladdin – OPEN

    Main Street Philharmonic -UNKNOWN

    Main Street Trolley Show -UNKNOWN

    The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – OPEN

    Meet Ariel at Her Grotto – CLOSED

    Meet Cinderella & Elena at Princess Fairytale Hall – CLOSED

    Meet Daring Disney Pals as Circus Stars at Pete’s Silly Side Show – CLOSED

    Meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater – CLOSED

    Meet Rapunzel and Tiana at Princess Fairytale Hall – CLOSED

    Meet Tinker Bell at Town Square Theater – CLOSED

    Mickey’s PhilharMagic – OPEN

    Mickey’s royal Friendship Faire – CLOSED

    Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor – CLOSED

    Once Upon a Time – CLOSED

    Peter Pan’s Flight – OPEN

    Pirates of the Caribbean – OPEN

    Prince Charming Regal Carrousel – OPEN

    Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – OPEN

    Space Mountain – OPEN

    Splash Mountain – OPEN

    Swiss Family Treehouse – CLOSED

    Tom Sawyer Island – CLOSED

    Tomorrowland Speedway – OPEN

    Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover – CLOSED

    Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid – OPEN

    Walt Disney World Railroad – CLOSED

    Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress – OPEN

    Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room – CLOSED

  • Disney World Opens for Annual Passholder Preview

    Some crowds were gathered as they wait for the opportunity to enter the gates of Magic Kingdom for the first time since March.  Disney is opening the gates to the Magic Kingdom today to welcome home Annual Passholders for a preview of what it will be like to visit the”House of Mouse” for the foreseeable future.

    Gates are supposed to open at 9am this morning (July 7, 2020) to allow AP back into the parks.  Although visiting Disney World will be quite different for a while, a majority of those visiting this morning are just looking for an hour or two of normalcy…  To be able to live life the way we did back in February before the Covid-19 pandemic took over the planet.

    Even if it is for a short period, walking down Main St toward Cinderella Castle will make you forget all of your worries and problems that exist outside those gates… HAKUNA MATATA!!!

     

  • Disney Vacation Cancelled… AGAIN

    In the fifteen plus years that my family has been going to Disney World we have never had such a heart-wrenching year as this year.  For the second time this year, we have cancelled reservations to Disney World.

    Our first trip was planed for the week of April 15th and Covid-19 obliterated those plans, not only for our family vacation, but for everyone’s life around the world.  We then rebooked our trip.  We were looking at the numbers and we took an educated guess that Disney would try to reopen in the middle to end of June.  So on April 30th, we booked reservations at All-Star Resort for a suite for July 25 – August 1.  We also rebooked our plane tickets through Southwest for those same dates.

    Even though Disney had yet to announce an opening date, on May 25th, we booked our FastPasses and made diner reservations at Cinderella’s Royal Table, 50’s Primetime Cafe and Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White.

    When Disney first announced that the parks were reopening, we were happy but cautious.  When we found out that there would be no Fireworks, no parades, no character meet and greets, we started to get nervous.  In the time since the reopening announcement we have learned that the will be no Park Hopping, Pin Trading, Extra Magic Hours, Resort Hopping among many other things that you will no longer be able to do, we were now contemplating whether it was financially worth going to parks when they reopen.

    We have also been monitoring the virus numbers for Florida, particularly Orange and Osceola Counties in which Disney World Resort sits.  When we first rebooked the trip, they were averaging 15 and 10 cases a day and 0 deaths respectively.  As of yesterday (Wednesday, June 24, 2020) Orange County reported 554 cases with 2 deaths and Osceola County reported 75 cases with 1 death.  This is the main factor that made us come to our decision.

    We have again postponed our family vacation.  We are hoping to rebook again next June, if there has been a vaccine released or if the virus subsides.

    I really hated having to make the decision to cancel our trip again, but my family’s health and well being is the most important factor.

     

     

  • Disney Magic Cancels Cruises Though Early October

    Another postponement due to the Covid-19 pandemic is that Disney Cruise Line has suspended all Disney Magic trips through October 2, 2020.

    Below is the release from Disney Cruise Lines:

     

    All of us at Disney Cruise Line hope you are staying well. While COVID-19 continues to impact all our lives, we are inspired daily by the stories of care, compassion and resilience around the globe.

    With the wellbeing of our Guests and team members as our top priority and in line with direction from health experts and government officials, Disney Cruise Line is extending the suspension of Disney Magic up to and including the October 2, 2020 sailing. This means that your sailing has been cancelled.

    In light of this cancellation, for guests who are not paid in full, we will automatically refund any payment made toward the booking. This refund will be processed back to the original form of payment, but may be delayed due to the high volume.

    For guests who are paid in full, we are offering them the choice of a 125% future cruise credit to be used for a future sailing that commences prior to March 31, 2022, or a full refund. The credit has been automatically added to their account. 

    For guests who purchased the Adventures by Disney Cruise or Escape Package on six of the sailings as part of their vacation, the package will automatically be refunded back to the original form of payment.

    Impacted departures include:
    8/5 – 8-Night Northern Europe 
    8/13 – 7-Night Northern Europe
    8/20 – 10-Night Northern Europe
    8/30 – 7-Night Norwegian Fjords
    9/6 – 7-Night British Isles
    9/13 – 5-Night Western Europe
    10/2 – 10-Night Westbound Transatlantic

    Adventures by Disney Cruise or Escape Packages
    8/5 – 8-Night Northern Europe:  8/2 Copenhagen Escape and 8/5 Northern Europe Cruise Package
    8/13 – 7-Night Northern Europe:  8/10 Copenhagen Escape and 8/13 Northern Europe Cruise Package
    8/20 – 10-Night Northern Europe: 8/17 Copenhagen Escape
    8/30 – 7-Night Norwegian Fjords:  8/28 London Escape
    9/6 – 7-Night British Isles:  9/4 London Escape
    9/13 – 5-Night Western Europe:   9/11 London Escape

  • Will It Be Disney World or a VERY Expensive Six Flags?

    Each day we are receiving new information from Disney that is making us cringe.

    If you’ve been following this Blog, you know that we originally had a vacation planned for April, 2020 that Covid-19 totally obliterated.  Those plans were to celebrate the 20th Wedding Anniversary of my wife and I.  It was to also celebrate our oldest daughter graduating high school as her class’ Salutatorian and it would have most likely been our last vacation together as a family with my daughter leaving for college in September.  On a longshot that the parks would reopen in late June or early July, we rebooked our vacation for the last week of July.  As you can imagine, we were excited when Disney announced that they were reopening Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, then Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15 seeing that our flight to MCO in Orlando is on July 25.  We were able to rebook our FastPasses and Dinner Reservations, and, yes, we were able to rebook Cinderella’s Royal Table for my Graduating High School Senior.

    But since then it has been one disappointing notice after another.  We understood that there would be social distancing required.  We also understood that facemasks would be required for entering any of the parks, we were not thrilled of the thought of wearing a mask in the 90° Florida heat and humidity, but we understood.  When I started worrying was when Disney Announced that only 20% of capacity would be allowed in each park.  I started to think that they now have almost four months of backlogged reservations that they are going to need to rebook and with a 20% capacity, how are they going to do this.

    The next disappointment was that all of the FastPasses that my family spent an entire evening planning and calculating were all of the sudden gone from the MyDisney App.  Next were our dinner reservations at Cinderella’s Royal Table, 50’s PrimeTime Cafe and Story Book Dining at Artist Point with Snow White… Poof!  gone in an instance!

    Next we learned that park hours are going to be reduced and Extra Magic Hours are being suspended.  On top of that, there would be no fireworks, parades, nighttime shows, character meet and greets, and more.

    We also learned that the Resort that we booked and paid for already, All-Star Music Family Suites, may not be open when the parks open.  So far it looks like just the Deluxe and DVC Resorts will be opening  $$$.

    Guests were informed that even if they are staying at a Disney Resort, they are not guaranteed that they will be able to enter any of the parks, WAIT, WHAT???

    I know this next one seems small, but for my pride, it is important.  It was announced that pin trading with cast members will no longer be allowed.  Like I said, it may seem small, but it is the straw that broke the camel’s back.

    At no point has there been any mention of a discount on the price of admission and/or price of staying at one of the Disney Resorts.

    Let’s take a look at what Disney is expecting everyone to pay full-price for admission and lodging (and that is if you can even get into a park.).

    All of the following have been cancelled

    • No FastPasses
    • No Character Dining Experiences
    • No Fireworks
    • No Parades
    • No Character Meet and Greets
    • No Nighttime Shows (Fantasmic)
    • Reduced Park Hours (Approximately 10 hours a day).
    • No Extra Magic Hours (but early morning ticketed events still exist $$$)
    • No Park Hopping
    • No Resort Hopping
    • Reduced Transportation (but Minnie Vans will be available $$$)
    • No Pin Trading

    I don’t know, maybe its me, but right now visiting the parks looks more like going to Six Flags with the ridiculous Disney price of admission.  Also, I can only imagine how much the cost of snacks, drinks, meals, souvenirs, etc are going to be when the park’s reopen.  I would not be surprised to see a 20oz bottle of soda costing in the area of $7.

    Well, that’s it for us, we’re tapping out, we’re done.  At this point it is not worth gettin on a plane, flying 3hrs, paying for a rental car and then MAYBE having a hotel room and MAYBE being able to enter one of the parks…  It is just not worth the financial investment.

    Let’s face it, everyone knows that Disney Parks are WAY overpriced, but when 2/3 of the things that make Disney World, Disney World are taken away, Why would you waste your money?

     

     

     

  • Will It Be Worth Going to Disney World When They Reopen?

    All of the Disney Blogs and Vlogs are in a hype right now because Disney World has announced that Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom will be reopening on July 11 and Hollywood Studios and Epcot will be reopening on July 15.  I have to admit that I was excited about the reopening of the parks too, but when the details of how the parks are going to reopen, I had to wonder if it will be worth it to go to the parks when they reopen.

    Please don’t get me wrong, I still think that it is a wonderful step for Disney, the Orlando and State of Florida’s economies and the general moral of the United States that a large entertainment area is reopening during the Covid-19 pandemic.  I think that it will show everyone that the light at the end of the tunnel of this global economic shutdown is quickly coming to an end.  But will you be getting your monies worth going to Disney World in July of 2020?

    What we know

    Here is what we know so far:

    • Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom open on July 11.
    • Hollywood Studios and Epcot open on July 15.
    • There will be no Fireworks, Parades or Character Meet and Greets.
    • Facemasks MUST be worn at ALL times.
    • Hand sanitation and washing stations have been installed throughout the parks and restaurants.
    • Park Hours have been reduced:
      • Magic Kingdom: 9AM – 7PM (maybe magic hours?)
      • Animal Kingdom:  8AM – 6PM
      • Hollywood Studios: 10AM – 8PM
      • EPCOT: 11AM – 9PM
    • You will be required to have reservations to gain access to a park.  Does this mean no Park Hoppers?
    • Only a percentage of capacity will be allowed to enter any of the parks, most-likely it will be 20%.
    • All meal plans have been cancelled
    • Current Resort reservations will be cancelled.
    • Current FastPass selections will be cancelled.
    • Current Dinning reservations will be cancelled.
    • Resort pools will be open and facemasks will not be required in the water. Watch for capacity limits for the pools.
    • There has been no announcement of which attractions will be open and which will not be safe to ride.

    With all of the above restrictions and limitations, we really need to see if it is financially worth visiting the parks.  With no firework shows, parades and character meet and greets and with parks only open about 9 hours a day, if you are able to get a reservation to the park you want, it may not be worth the amount of the ticket to enter the park.  If you step back and look at it logically and not as a Disney Fanatic, you are basically getting only half, if that, of the experience of Disney World that you would have gotten before the shutdown back in March.

    Not only the fact that you will not be getting the value of which you paid for, I think that wearing a mask at all times in the July and August heat and humidity of Lake Buena Vista, Florida may cause other health concerns for park visitors.  Even without masks, the heat and humidity of Central Florida in July and August can be brutal and slow down even the healthiest of persons.  Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke may be MAJOR decision for those with health issues.

    Is it Safe?

    The biggest decision to make will be if you believe the parks are going to be safe.  Nobody really knows what this virus is doing or going to do.  Right now, it looks like the warmer weather is slowing it down.  That could change, like I said, nobody really knows.  At the time of this post Osceola and Orange counties (Where Disney World is located) in Florida has had a total of 2,576 confirmed cases of Covid-19 which has resulted in 59 deaths.  Once the parks start to open and tourists are coming into Florida from other parts of the country, it can be assumed that the number of cases will increase in these two counties.

    Not only the medical aspect of safety.  How is Disney going to handle those that refuse to wear the masks.  You know that there will be some that do.  How will Disney handle this and how will they handle those that confront the ones that are refusing to wear the masks.  There have been many documented instances of violent encounters over mask wearing and social distancing throughout the country.  When you add the stress of navigating a “new” Disney World and the heat and humidity of Central Florida in Summer, confrontations will be inevitable.

    Making a Decision

    At this point it is actually personal preference on whether a trip to Disney World in Orlando is actually worth the price.  I do believe that Disney should be making some compensation to those guest that are actually visiting the parks when they reopen.  Paying full-price for less than half the experience seems a little outrageous to me, but I guess it all depends on what someone would consider value.

  • Disney Parks Start Opening on July 11

    It is the announcement that we have been waiting to hear since March 13th… The Disney World Theme Parks are reopening.

    Disney World announced today and released plans to Orange County’s economic recovery task force regarding the reopening of all four Disney Theme Parks.

    In this presentation, Disney announced that Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom would be reopening on July 11.  Epcot and Hollywood Studios will follow a couple of days later on July 15.  Parks will be at a very limited capacity and you will need to have reservations along with your park tickets to enter any of the theme parks.  As with Disney Springs, temperature monitoring will take place and anyone with a temperature above 100.4° and their party will not be allowed to enter the gates.  Disney also introduced signage that will be installed within the parks to promote hand washing and social distancing.  They also will be promoting non-contact payment methods such as the MyDisney app or MagicBands but did not say if they will totally prohibit cash transactions.

    As of right now, Disney has not mentioned how they will distribute the reservations for entrance into the theme parks.  I also hope that they will be making a statement regarding how the FastPass+ system will work during the opening and if they will be using Virtual Queues as with “Rise of the Resistance” in Hollywood Studio.  Also, I am assuming that the Water Parks will remained closed for the time being…  When would they reopen.

    There are still so many questions that need to be answered by Disney, but at least at this point, we have a date in which the parks will officially reopen to the public.

  • Walt Disney World Releases Statement on Coronavirus

    Walt Disney World has released its first public statement regarding the coronavirus and the steps that they are taking for Walt Disney World.  Currently three Disney parks world-wide are closed (Shanghai, Hong Kong and Japan) due to the coonavirus.

    The following statement was given to People magazine by a Disney spokesperson:

    “We know there is new information this week about coronavirus in Florida.

    “We have very stringent sanitation procedures in place at Walt Disney World Resort. We are in close contact with health agencies for information and guidance, and at this time, we are continuing to communicate to our Cast the importance of preventative measures such as frequent hand-washing and rigorous cleaning processes.

    “For guest convenience, we have placed additional hand sanitizers throughout our parks and resorts and will adjust our protocols as the situation warrants.”

    Currently, there are two confirmed cases of coronavirus in Florida

  • Top 5 Quick Service Restaurants in Walt Disney World

    Below is a list and description of what DisneyDawgs considers the top-five Quick Service Restaurants that are within one of the four theme parks.  Those quick-service restaurants located in Disney Springs or either of the waterparks were not considered for this list.

    ABC Commissary

    Commissary LaneLocated on Commissary Lane in Hollywood Studios, the ABC Commissary offers a quick and inexpensive meal.  They offer a menu of quick food.  Ribs, Fish, Chicken and Burgers.  The service is usually quick and the restaurant is clean.  This is a great place to jump into if you want to grab a quick, inexpensive meal and still make it in time for your FastPass for Slinky Dog Rollercoaster.

    This location offers order ahead on the MyDisney Mobile App and also offers Reservations after 4PM.  From the Disney World website: ”

    Enjoy your dinner at this Fast Casual dining location—now accepting reservations! This gives you priority entry at your booking time.

    Starting at 4:00 PM daily, you can enjoy a fast-casual dinner experience allowing you to place an order at one of the cash registers, take a pager and find a comfortable place to sit. Then, when the order is ready, we’ll bring the food right to your table.

    Feast on scrumptious dinner fare like our Southwest BBQ Burger or Fish and Shrimp Platter paired with a Watermelon Margarita or Happy Daze cocktail. And don’t let the credits roll on your meal before enjoying a delectable dessert like our Apple Almond Tart.

    ”

    Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café

    Sonny Delight at Cosmic Ray's Starlight CafeLocated in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café is one of the, if not the busiest Quick-Service Restaurants on all of Disney property.  With a menu of basically Burgers and Chicken, the food is good.  The thing that makes this restaurant so busy is the entertainment.  Sonny Delight, the alien animatronic from Yew Nork City on Planet Zork has been entertaining guests with his lounge-style act and playing the Astro-Organ at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café since 1995.

    As of the time of this post, Sonny is currently down for refurbishment.  We hope that this is only temporary.

    This location offers Order ahead on the My Disney Experience App on your cellphone.  Like I said, Cosmic Ray’s is extremely busy at all hours of the day.  Seating can be at a premium, so be patient.  Also, if you are done with your meal, please be courteous and clean your table and make room so that some that is trying to eat their meal, has a place to sit.

    Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café

    Nacho Rio Grande at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and CaféLocated in Frontierland at Magic Kingdom, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café offers a variety of Mexican and Southwestern style meals. From Chicken Fajitas to Taco Trios to the Southwest Burger.  Prices here are reasonable and the food is good.  Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café has one of the largest dining rooms for a quick-service restaurant in all of Disney World and for the most part, finding a seat is usually not a problem.

    One of the big draws to Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café is the secret menu item that they offer.  For those that do not know, some of the Disney World restaurants have a “secrete menu”.  These are items that are not on the regular menu, but can be ordered if asked for. Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café secrete menu item is Nachos Rio Grande.  This item can only be ordered between the hours of 3 and 6PM and will feed 6-8+ people.  When ordered, you will have a special table reserved for you and your group. Once the Nachos Rio Grande is ready, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café cast members make a production bringing your order out in a covered wagon styled cart and a parade of every cast member ringing cowbells and hooting and hollering. Once you have finished the Nachos Rio Grande, your party is treated to a special ceremony where you are taught about Pecos Bill’s Code of the Wild West and each member receives a sheriff’s badge and cowboy hat.  The price tag for this experience is pretty steep though, $90+ for nachos.  But it would be an experience that everyone in your party would not soon forget.

    This location offers Order ahead on the My Disney Experience App on your cellphone.

    Pinocchio Village Haus

    Pinocchio Village HausLocated in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom, Pinocchio Village Haus serves more of an Italian style menu with chicken parmesan sandwiches to pizza, pasta and salads.  Themed, as you would imagine, to the story of Pinocchio, the restaurant is quaint and may seem quite small.  The hidden gem of this restaurant is the outdoor seating, but few know of the hidden seating here.  There are stairs that lead to an upstairs dining room that is quiet and not many people visit.  This alone would be a big plus for a quick-serve restaurant, but if you look around upstairs, there are window that view into the It’s a Small World ride loading area.  While you eat your meal, you are able to watch other guests embark on their journey through It’s a Small World.

    This location offers Order ahead on the My Disney Experience App on your cellphone.

    Restaurantosaurus

    RestaurantosaurusLocated in DinoLand USA at Animal Kingdom, Restaurantosaurus offers an American style menu featuring burgers, chicken and seafood.  The restaurant is styled as the quarters of a paleontology dig site.  The humor of the students can be seen throughout all of the rooms of the restaurant.  As with Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café, the dining room of this restaurant is quite large,not as large as Cosmic Ray’s, so you should not have any problems finding a seat inside the air conditioned restaurant.  If seating is at a premium, there is plenty of outdoor seating.

     

    This location offers Order ahead on the My Disney Experience App on your cellphone.

     

    There you have it.  This is DisneyDawgs pick of the top 5 quick-service restaurants in Walt Disney World.  Do you agree with us?  If not, let us know.  Leave a comment below and let us know what you think are the best quick-service restaurants on Disney property.

     

     

     

     

  • Cinderella Castle Makeover Scheduled

    A major refurbishment is scheduled to take place on Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World within the next couple of weeks and is expected to last until mid-Summer.

    With Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary scheduled for 2021, most of the parks have been seeing major changes and new rides.  Magic Kingdom has pretty much been spared other than construction of the Tron Rollercoaster in Tomorrowland (Disney World Railroad and Tomorrowland Speedway have taken the brunt.).

    Disney announced today that the Icon of all Disney World parks, Cinderella Castle, will start refurbishment within the next couple of weeks.  Disney claims that the work on the castle will not interrupt any of the shows or fireworks that are held at Cinderella Castle daily.

    Disney released an artist’s rendering of what the completed work will look like.  The majors change will be the pinkish hue added to the structure along with golden highlights very similar to Disneyland in California’s Castle.

    We are disappointed with the extremely late notice of this construction by Disney.  Most of those that will be visiting Walt Disney World this Spring and Summer had booked trips months ago knowing that there was MAJOR construction throughout Walt Disney World.  To have Disney spring this upon guests that may not be able to view the icon on of the Disney Empire is not leaving many long time fans of the Mouse too happy.

     

  • Current Standby times at Magic Kingdom

    Here are the current stand-by times for Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.  This week marks the start of the Spring/Easter vacations for school children in the United States and many other countries around the world.

     

  • FastPasses Booked!!!

    We’ve been waiting since September for this date, FASTPASS DAY!!!

    We have booked our FastPasses tonight and have gotten the following rides

    • Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
    • Slinky Dog Dash
    • Flight of Passage
    • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

    We got really lucky to be able to get three of the four major rides (Rise of the Resistance is not yet available.)

    My family treats FastPass Night as many would a Fantasy Football Draft Night.  Bartering and trading for the FastPass that you want.

     

     

     

     

    Our next task for preparing for our Walt Disney World trip will be in about a month when we start to get clothing and other items that we will need for when we head down to Lake Buena Vista.  Check back for more info.