by Sean | May 20, 2014 | Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
So you have decided to head to the Magic Kingdom for the Rock Your Disney Side 24 hour event!!! Now what come the questions, how do I get there, what can I do, and what exclusive items will be available??? Here is a quick run down to answer some of those questions.
Rock your Disney Side: 24 Hour event runs from 6am Friday May 23 to 6am Saturday May 24.
Transportation
- Bus Transportation to the park will start at 5:15am on Friday May 23, 2014
- Transportation and Ticket Center parking will be open at 4:30am
- Ferry service will begin at 5:15am
- Monorail service
- Express will start at 5:15am until 7am the following morning.
- Resort will start at 5:15 am and run to 3:30 am the following day. Regular service will start again at 5:30am.
Attractions
All Attractions listed below are open for the full 24 hours(6am to 6am) unless otherwise noted.
Frontierland
Fantasyland
Liberty Square
Main Street U.S.A.
- Walt Disney World Railroad – will close between 8pm and 10pm for fireworks
Tomorrowland
Merchandise
As with all Disney events there will be great merchandise, be sure to take a look at these locations:
- Emporium – Main Street, U.S.A. (all items except cupcakes and pin)
- Fantasy Faire, Le Chapeau (ear hat only)
- Big Top Souvenirs (ear hat and cupcakes)
- Main Street Confectionery, Prairie Outpost & Supply (cupcakes only)
Food
And last but not least, my favorite category FOOD! There will be many new things to try and don’t forget break items if you make it through the night.
Sleepy Hollow
- Poisoned Apple Waffle Sundae – waffles with stewed apple topping and whip cream
The Lunching Pad / Friar’s Nook
- Olaf souvenir cup with specialty beverage
Gaston’s Tavern
Main Street Bakery
- Maleficent Cupcake
- Frozen-themed Cupcake
- Olaf Carrot Cupcake
Plaza Ice Cream Parlor / Plaza Restaurant
Storybook Treats
- Poison Apple Shortcake Sundae – ice cream, yellow cake, stewed apple topping and whipped cream
Oh so you made it to breakfast – here are some location for that as well:
For breakfast:
Main Street, U.S.A.
- Main Street Bakery, Starbucks breakfast sandwiches
- Casey’s Corner, breakfast sandwich
- Plaza Ice Cream Parlor (5/24)
Adventureland
- Aloha Isle (5/24)
- Sunshine Tree Terrace (5/23)
Fantasyland
- Pinocchio Village Haus, breakfast flatbread pizza (5/24)
- Friar’s Nook (5/24)
- Storybook Treats (5/24)
- Cheshire Café (5/23)
- Gaston’s Tavern
Frontierland
- Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, hot breakfast sandwich (5/24)
- Westward Ho
Liberty Square
- Columbia Harbour House, French toast sticks and bacon (5/24)
- Sleepy Hollow, breakfast waffle sandwich
- Liberty Square Market (5/23)
Tomorrowland
- Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, hot breakfast sandwich (5/24)
- Auntie Gravities Galactic Goodies (5/23)
- The Lunching Pad, breakfast dog
by Lori | May 16, 2014 | Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World’s Top Five Counter Service Meals
You weren’t able to get a reservation for a fancy table service restaurant, you don’t have time to sit, or you just can’t afford an expensive sit-down meal…don’t worry! Disney World has plenty of amazing counter service restaurants to enjoy. Sure, you can find an inexpensive hamburger or chicken nugget platter on every corner, but Disney World also has some amazing counter service restaurants that will make you feel like you’re paying for fast food, but eating at a table service. Read ahead as we count down the top five best counter service restaurants according to DisneyDaybyDay!
Honorable Mention: Lotus Blossom Café found in the China pavilion at Epcot
Okay, so we have more than five; we can’t help it, there are just so many great restaurants! If you like Chinese food, this little gem is the perfect place to grab a quick bite. Tucked away in the China Pavilion at Epcot, the Lotus Blossom has plenty of your typical Chinese fast food, but in our opinion it tastes even better than your local fare. Our favorite? The Orange Chicken that had just enough sweetness to satisfy our craving. This is a filling meal for one, or even a good snack for 2. But we really adored the light and yummy egg rolls! The staff is friendly, tables are clean, but seating is outdoor (although shaded) so it can get hot in the summer.
Serves lunch and dinner. Average price is $14.99 and under per meal; opens at 11 am
5- Columbia House Restaurant at The Magic Kingdom
Yes, you can get your typical fried food here but Columbia House offers so much more! Columbia House sits between Peter Pan and Haunted Mansion and is actually one of the original restaurants at Magic Kingdom! Decorated in a New England costal décor from day’s past, you’ll feel as if you’re stepping aboard a Colonial ship. Best of all is you can purchase meals here you wouldn’t normally find elsewhere: shrimp, fried fish, grilled salmon and even clam chowder! Not a seafood fan? They also have chicken nuggets and salads. Because it’s out of the way and has lots of seating, this restaurant is a great place to go if the other counter service restaurants are crowded. It’s quiet, air conditioned, and has some nice views of Fantasyland and the Haunted Mansion. Our favorite foods: the fried fish and chicken platter is the perfect meal to share with a young child and if you want something a little healthier try the delicious salmon platter. Just follow the sound of the ringing bell, it’s time for lunch!
Serves lunch and dinner. Average price is $14.99 and less per meal; opens at 10:30 am.
4- Les Halles Boulangerie & Patisserie located in the France pavilion at Epcot
Wanting something quick to eat, we decided to grab a sandwich at this newer café hidden at the back in the France pavilion. Because of the line and limited seating, we almost ignored this one but we’re glad we didn’t! The cheesy goodness makes these warm sandwiches amazing! Our favorites the Jambon Fromage (ham and cheese) and Bisque De Homard (Lobster Bisque)! But there’s more than just sandwiches, you can also find plenty of yummy, upscale deserts like crème brulee. This delicious food will give you a taste of the French life.
Serves some breakfast type pastries, but mostly known for lunch and dinner. Average price is $14.99 and less per meal; opens at 9 am
3- Flame Tree Barbecue located at the Animal Kingdom
Who doesn’t like BBQ? This restaurant has outdoor seating only, but with the beautiful garden-like setting you won’t mind! And because there are so many tables, it’s the perfect place to go if the other restaurants are crowded. Make sure to head down toward the pond where there is seating with views of Mount Everest. From the turkey sandwich, the ribs, and chicken, there’s something for everyone! Our favorite meals are the ½ Chicken with baked beans or the shredded Pork Sandwich.
Serves lunch and dinner; may close early based on Animal Kingdom’s hours. Average price: $14.99 or less per meal; opens at 11am
2- Sunshine Seasons in The Land Pavilion at Epcot
The Sunshine Seasons restaurant is number two on our list for many reasons: it’s got healthier alternatives than your normal fried food, there’s a huge variety, and there is plenty of seating. This is the perfect spot to eat once you’re done with Living with the Land and Soarin Attractions, or if you just want somewhere to sit in air-conditioning. Choose from sandwiches, pork chops, fish, chicken and even some Asian meals. And don’t miss the amazing dessert area! Our favorite is the oak-grilled rotisserie chicken with black beans, yellow rice, and for dessert the strawberry shortcake. Delicious!
Serves some breakfast, lunch and dinner. Average price is less than $14.99 per meal; Opens at 9 am.
1-Be Our Guest Lunch, Magic Kingdom
Because of the amazing ambience, décor, and delicious specialty sandwiches Be Our Guest at the Magic Kingdom places number one on our list! Can’t get into the Castle at the Magic Kingdom? This is a superb alternative! Yeah, you won’t get to see any characters, but dining under chandeliers, your little one will forget. And even better, you’ll pay counter service prices!
Be prepared, there will be a line so get to this stunning restaurant early and prepare to wait. Sit in the great hall where Belle and the Beast first danced, the portrait room, or try to find a seat in Beast’s study where you’ll even see the infamous red rose! Our favorite food? Any! All the sandwiches and desserts are great. This is truly a unique meal that will make you feel like royalty!
Serves lunch and dinner, however our review is for lunch only. Be aware the menu for dinner will be different, more expensive, and you’ll most likely need a reservation. Average price is $14.99 and under per meal for lunch only; opens at 11 am but get in line early!
As always these are only DisneyDaybyDay’s opinions. If you would choose another counter service meal for your top five, we’d love to hear about it in the comment’s section. There can never be too many good restaurants!
by Sean | May 15, 2014 | Magic Kingdom
Every time I see this line at the Magic Kingdom I’m thankful that we only have a son so we can walk right past Princess Fairy Tale Hall. While at the Magic Kingdom last week we noticed a new rope drop procedure. Cast members are now walking with ropes in front of the crowd to keep the mad rush in control all the way to Princess Fairy Tale Hall.
Since Anna and Elsa from Frozen have moved from Epcot’s Norway Pavilion the Magic Kingdom rope drop has been the starting line for a lot of sprinting Mothers and Fathers. I can understand this as the standard wait times are 4 to 5 hours within 30 minutes of park open.
With the new procedure also comes another big change, you can no longer enter the line and hold a place for your family. The entire party must be with you when you enter the line as no one will be allowed to join a family member already in the line. If you are found doing this you will be asked to join the new party at the back of the line.
Luckily the Princess Fairy Tale hall is equipped with FastPass+ so the best way to meet Anna and Elsa is with a FastPass. But be sure to watch your FastPass window as these are usually gone the day you are able to book them.
Here is a quick look at the new procedure – you will hear people saying get up on the sidewalk as they tried to go around the rope without success.
by Sean | May 14, 2014 | Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World
As you stroll around the Magic Kingdom tweeting, status updating, and instagraming your phone is bound to run out of juice. There are areas around the park where you can plug in, such as the tree stumps near the Tangled bathrooms and fastpass area in Storybook Circus. But, you have to sit there while charging, which isn’t as fast as you would like and it’s eating into your Disney time. So wouldn’t it be nice to leave your phone and have it charge while you experience an attraction or grab a bite to eat? Disney has you in mind. They are now testing charging lockers at the Magic Kingdom.
These charging lockers are free for use, but they do require a credit card/gift card to lock and unlock your locker. The card is not charged but used to identify you when you come back to get your phone. After scanning your card, you select what you would like to use to charge: Apple Lightning, Apple 30 pin, or micro USB and the device will indicate which locker is available for use. There are three colors to each locker: Blue – the locker is open and ready for use, Red – a device is in the locker and not fully charged, Green – a device is in the locker and fully charged. This allows you to quickly glance at your locker to see if it’s fully charged and ready for pick up.
There are currently 2 sets of lockers in test at the Magic Kingdom, one at Cosmic Rays and one at the Space Mountain exit gift shop. The lockers are only built for cell phones, so you can’t charge your tablet or larger devices. Since this is a test these stations could go away or begin charging any day, we hope they stay free and more are added.
What do you think of the new charging lockers?
by Sean | Apr 29, 2014 | Epcot, Future World, Tips and Tricks
As they conceived Epcot, many new types of ride vehicles had to be invented, the standard omnimover would not give the Imagineers what they were looking for. One of these attractions ended up with a vehicle that is rotated on a bed of air. Which attraction would you guess that would be?
The answer is The Universe of Energy! The new concept of the traveling theater allowed for something never done before at Disney, the combining of different types of experiences: film, live action, and special effects. But, it also added a level of complexity to the mix, how could they build the attraction with large traveling theaters which had to change directions easily in such a small space.
Disney developed the turntable. These turntables had to rotate 80 tons of traveling theaters quickly and quietly. The turntables are able to do this by using 60 air bags mounted under each turntable. The air bags are inflated which raises the theater about 1 inch and excess air provides a layer of air between the vehicle and the floor below. This process virtually eliminates any friction and allows for a small motor to turn the 80 ton theater.
So, have fun riding on the giant hockey puck next time you ride the Universe of Energy.
Looking for more Trivia – be sure to check out TIGGERIFIC TUESDAY TRIVIA, hosted by Magical Mouse Schoolhouse, My Dreams of Disney, and Heidi’s Head!
by Sean | Apr 11, 2014 | Lodging, Walt Disney World
The Disney Vacation Club (DVC) construction continues at the Polynesian Resort and the new Ferry Docks look to be complete at both the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) and the Magic Kingdom. The new Ferry Docks will allow for 2 Ferry’s to be docked at the same time increasing overall capacity. This will definitely help when the Monorail is down as has happened more often lately. On our last visit we didn’t have time to visit the Poly but I grabbed a few shots from the Admiral Joe Fowler.
We could still see the volcano so nothing has changed there, but we are hearing that this will go under construction from July 2014 to March 2015. You can see how large the bungalows are now and that they will be blocking the castle view for anyone staying in the first floor of what used to be theme park view rooms. Those in the second floor should still be able to see the castle, but the bungalows will now be in the line of sight for sure making the 3rd floor now the best views.
New Ferry Dock at the TTC
New Ferry Dock at the Magic Kingdom
New Ferry Dock at the Magic Kingdom
New Ferry Dock with Poly construction in the background
New Ferry Dock with Poly Construction in the background
New Ferry Dock at the TTC with Poly in the background.
Dock for the bungalows in place, construction on them yet to begin at this end.
