Disney Parks Live Stream of Fourth of July Fireworks
The Disney Parks will be live-streaming the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom tonight at 9;10pm Eastern. You can see the post here.
Here’s the video feed:
Disney to Live Stream Magic Kingdom New Year’s Eve Fireworks
It’s become an annual tradition at this point, but Disney is once again going to stream the Magic Kingdom Fireworks tonight as “the ball drops” on 2018. It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to update this post with the video link, so I recommend going to the Disney Parks blog later today (normally around 20 minutes before the turn of the year) to find it.
Happy New Year everyone! I’m hoping next year will involve more than the handful of posts that I had time for in 2018, but we’ll have to wait and see on that.
Livestream of Boo to You Parade Tonight at 9:25pm Eastern
It’s time for another Disney Parks Blog livestream, and this time it’s a personal favorite of mine: the Boo to You parade! As always, I recommend visiting the Disney Parks Blog about 20 minutes before the start of the show to check for the updated post with the embedded video. I’ll also try to post the link and video here, if I’m able.
Enjoy the show tonight! It’s a good one.
Live Stream of Disney World Fourth of July Fireworks at 9:10PM Eastern
It’s another year, and it’s another live stream of the Disney World fireworks via the Disney Parks Blog. Visit the Disney Parks Blog or use the embed below to watch the show:
Happy Fourth of July, y’all!
News Nuggets from Around Disney World
The Christmas season is in full swing at Disney World, and at Rope Drop [dot] Net HQ. The Magic Kingdom has it’s Christmas decorations up (and is having it’s “Very Merry” Christmas Parties), The Studios has its ‘Flurry of Fun”, and Epcot has it’s “International Festival of the Holidays.”
If you’re going to Epcot’s “International Festival of the Holidays” and thinking about trying out some of the food items available at the holiday kitchens, you can find the full menus here. Josh over at easyWDW also has a post with his favorite items, as well as reviews of the individual kitchens:
- Canada Yukon Holiday Kitchen
- China Shanghai Holiday Kitchen
- Cookie Nook
- Feast of the Three Kings
- France Alsace Holiday Kitchen
- Germany Bavaria Kitchen
- Italy Tuscany Holiday Kitchen
- Japan Hokkaido Holiday Kitchen
- Mexico Las Posadas Kitchen
- Morocco Tarabaki Holiday Kitchen
- Refreshment Cool Post
- United States American Holiday Kitchen
Now, with that out of the way, it’s time for the rest of the News Nuggets:
- New Spy Glass Grille Restaurant at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort Set to Open in Early 2018 – Not a lot of details outside of “we know that it will feature Coca-Cola Freestyle machines.” Then again, do you really need anything else?
- Mark Your Calendars For More Moonlight Magic in 2018 – Since Elyssa and I aren’t DVC members, we don’t track these dates too closely. If you are a DVC member, however, it might be worth checking this out.
- List of Interactive Exhibits and More Details Revealed for the NBA Experience at Disney Springs – It’s going to require a separate ticket to do certain things? I thought it was going to just be a big restaurant like the Comcast grill at Uni.
- Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen at The Magic Kingdom Radically Alters Menu Once Again – No more mac-and-cheese means I doubt I’ll ever convince Elyssa to eat here again. Josh from easyWDW has a review of the new items..
- Permits Filed and Building Placement Revealed for Tron Coaster and Main Street Theater – Nothing exciting is revealed in these permits, but it’s at least some evidence that things are progressing.
- Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Returns December 15th, The Last Jedi Scenes Being Added – Adding a little Last Jedi flavor for the holidays.
- Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar Releasing “Jingle Cruise” Elephant Mug This Week – If I was already having a drink at Trader Sam’s I might pick one of these up. I’m not interested enough in them to wait in line in the morning for one, though.
- Sushi Lands in The Cool Ship at the Magic Kingdom – To someone like me—who isn’t a sushi guy—this seems as strange as when I see sushi in a gas station.
- easyWDW Review of Refurbished Room at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort – Josh takes a detailed look at the new Yacht Club rooms. They seem to follow the refurbishment trends of Pop and Coronado (which mirror the wider hotel trend of more minimalist design, with lots of “multi-use” space.) I like the room in the abstract, but I wish they could add a few more “theming” touches (like how the headboard used to look like it had a porthole in it.)
- Disney Springs Christmas Tree Trail Debuts Extended Weekend and Holiday Hours – I enjoyed walking the Christmas Tree Trail last year, but this year felt much more cramped and crowded (I’m not sure if there were just more people there because of Santa being at the end, or if the path is actually narrower.)
- Bon Voyage Tangled & Little Mermaid Breakfast at Boardwalk Expanded to Offer More Reservations – Now offered through noon (which is fine, since that “breakfast calzone” is a definitely fine for lunch.) I assume this is just for the Christmas season, though.
- Disney CEO Iger is likely to extend his term beyond 2019 if Fox deal happens – It feels like Iger pretty much has a Supreme Court style “lifetime appointment’ at this point.
- Guests Can No Longer Order Merchandise by Phone or Email from Disney Parks, Will Have to Rely on Shop Disney Parks App & ShopDisney – I never used the other methods, but I usually don’t have many issues with the iOS app.
- Ray-Ban Sunglasses Featuring Mickey Mouse Are Back by Popular Demand – I hope this becomes an annual thing (so I don’t feel so much pressure to make sure nothing ever happens to mine.)
- Transformation Details Revealed for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort – Looks like an interesting concept. WDW News Today has a few additional images of the concept art.
- Reunion Station at Wilderness Lodge to Offer Disney Vacation Club Members Paid Lounge Experience – Interesting. I wonder if you have to be a “direct purchase” member (or whatever that’s called) in order to do this.
- easyWDW Review of Dinner and Chocolate Kitchen Sink Beaches and Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort – I share Josh’s thoughts on the food quality. These days, Elyssa and I grab a burger at Crew’s Cup before going to Beaches & Cream for dessert (though we might try Ale & Compass’ burger now.)
- New Venues from Patina Restaurant Group, Including The Edison and Maria & Enzo’s, Take Their Place in the Disney Springs Story – “An adults-only scene for guests ages 21 and up” with “gravity-defying aerialists?” Great. (Though it’s probably not the best sign that the dates for the tour have already been delayed for a week.)
- First Look: Brand-New Galactic Transformations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique During Star Wars Day At Sea – There is an adult version. That said, you still have to get on a boat to do it.
- Ample Hills Creamery at Disney’s Boardwalk to Offer ‘The Last Jedi’ Ice Cream Flavors – If they’re still there for NYE, I’m sure I’ll give them a try.
That’s it for this edition of the News Nuggets. Elyssa and I recently spent a day at Disney World and tried out Ale & Compass and a few other quick things. Hopefully, we’ll have those thoughts up shortly!
See you next time!
Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!! Livestream Tonight (December 4) at 7:55pm Eastern
It’s time for one of the Disney Parks Blog’s livestreams, and this time it’s Jingle Bell, Jingle Bam! (the holiday projection and fireworks show from The Studios.) The stream is scheduled to start at 7:55pm Eastern, so I would recommend going to the Disney Parks Blog at about 7:40pm to find the new post that has the video link. I’ll also try to update this post with the information if I’m able to catch it.
UPDATE: Here’s the Disney Parks Blog Post, and here’s the video:
Enjoy!
Live Stream of the Magic Kingdom Fourth of July Fireworks Tonight at 8:55PM Eastern
UPDATE: Here’s the Disney Parks Blog post with the video. I’ve also embedded the video below.
As it has for the past couple of years, Disney will be live streaming tonight’s Fourth of July fireworks. My standard recommendation for these types of events still applies, namely: Go to the Disney Parks Blog at about 10 minutes before the event to find the new post that includes the Disney Parks video embed. (Of course, I’ll try to update this post with that information if I’m able.)
Happy Fourth of July, everyone! Enjoy whatever family time, fireworks, bbq, etc… that you have planned for today.
UPDATE: Here’s the video stream…
Disney to Livestream “Frozen Holiday Wish” Castle Lighting at 6:25PM Tonight
Disney is going to livestream tonight’s “Frozen Holiday Wish” castle lighting tonight. The eaiest way to view the performance is to visit the Disney Park’s blog and look for their new post with the video link. (I’ll try to do my best to update this post, but 6:25pm is kind of a rough time for me to make that update.) Enjoy the show!
UPDATE: Here’s the Disney Parks blog link, and here’s the video:
Initial Thoughts from Our October 2016 Disney Trip
Our latest trip to Disney World focused around a few major Disney World events: Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. I’ve learned these past couple of years that having defined things that we want to do lets us feel a little of the time pressure that people who don’t visit as frequently as we do can end up feeling. It makes for an interesting trip. Here are some initial thoughts:
- The End of Celebrate the Magic:I’ve already written about how much Celebrate the Magic means to Elyssa and me, but seeing the show for the last time was still overwhelmingly emotional for both of us. I have faith that the new projection show will be good, but I doubt we’ll ever have the emotional connection to that new show that we have to this one. It truly will be missed.
- Kona Cafe (Breakfast): I still love starting a day with a press of Kona Coffee and an order of Tonga Toast. Elyssa almost always ends up with a Big Kahuna (which, again, is a great way to start the day.) We normally get an early ADR, and then head to the Magic Kingdom to watch the Welcome Show. I don’t know if I’d recommend Kona if you want to rope drop Mine Train, but it’s pretty perfect for what we use it for.
- Homecoming Florida (Dinner or Drinks): Homecoming is fast becoming one of our favorite spots to grab a drink later at night (in addition to being an excellent dining option for either lunch or dinner.) Fried Chicken, biscuits, and hush puppies aren’t the most “adventurous” of dishes, but Homecoming does them very well. If southern comfort food is something you enjoy, I’d definitely give Homecoming a shot.
- Animal Kingdom at Night is a (Hidden?) Gem: We now build nights at Animal Kingdom into our trip. An evening Safari, a drink or two at Nomad Lounge, and the Tree of Life Awakenings (which are extremely fun to watch) all make for a really enjoyable night.
- Seeing Friends is Always Fun: Elyssa and I were fortunate enough to run into world famous podcaster, “Light ‘Em and Hide”, twice including once with a guest appearance by similarly renowned Disney theme park photographer Brandon Glover. Though we didn’t get to meet up with friends of the site, Dutch, Josh, or Eric, I’m sure we’ll run into them again before too long. Name dropping aside, it’s always nice to spend time with people we know from this little hobby of ours. I hope the trend those meet-ups continues.
Over the next week (or two, or three…), I’ll be working some more in-depth coverage of a few of things we did, but here is a little preview:
- Goofy and Pals Breakfast at the Four Season: Elyssa and I decided to switch things up on the character breakfast front and try something a little different. My (almost) twitter length review: Breakfast was good. It has a little different vibe than standard Disney character meals (fancier?). The food also seemed to be a step up from what you might find at a traditional Disney buffet. The character interactions were superb (and if that’s what you want, I’d recommend making a 10:45am or so reservation, since the place was nearly cleared out by 11:00.).
- Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party: Halloween is Elyssa’s favorite holiday, so we had been thinking about planning a trip around the halloween party for years. Things finally fell into place this year. We arrived at the party a little before 4 (and used our AP to gain admission.) We ended up meeting Tink, Rapunzel, Tiana, the Seven Dwarfs, and riding Mine Train before the party officially started at 7pm. From then on it was character meet-and-greets, parades, fireworks, and candy. It was a super fun night (Maybe Elyssa and I should do a Mic Drop segment on it??)
Is there anything left for me? - Food and Wine: I feel like the stand outs from Food & Wine the past couple of years are either desserts or from the Chew booths (or sometimes, both.) Things like the Liquid Nitro Truffle, or the Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Mousse stand out in my memory more than the duck bun I got from China. At this point, I’d probably be fine attending 1 or 2 mornings mid-week and calling it a Festival.
Overall, it was a pretty great (if not a little jam packed) trip (even with Celebrate coming to and end.)
News Nuggets from Around Disney World
If you’ve been following us on Twitter (including at Elyssa’s new handle!), then you know that the last few weeks have been crazy at Rope Drop [dot] Net HQ. Weddings in foreign lands (well, Maine), J O B job stuff getting in the way of site updates, etc…all have conspired to make this a HUGE helping of News Nuggets. I hope you’re hungry (for news)!
First, a quick link in case you pre-order this year’s Unofficial Guide and need to get ir replaced due to the defects: How to Get a Free Replacement 2017 Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World.
And now, the actual nuggets:
- Disney World puts up Bug Spray Kiosks to fight Zika – It’s interesting that Disney is going to give away free bug spray because of the Zika threat, but that it makes you buy sunscreen. (At least it’s interesting to me.)
- Mama Melrose’s at Hollywood Studios To Offer Reduced Menu While Under Refurbishment – No flatbreads for a couple of weeks.
- Celebrate Afternoon Tea at the Garden View Tea Room Sponsored by Twinings at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – Here’s an answer for someone who says they really “want to do something different on their next Disney World trip.”
- Morimoto Asia Street Food Introduces New Daily Specials at Disney Springs – Morimoto is now offering daily specials of different items from their quick service window. Might be worth a shot if you’re looking to grab a quick bite at Disney Springs.
- Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Refurbishment in late October – November – Keep this in mind if you’re going to be visiting from October 27 through November 9. (Wait…we’re going to be visiting during that time ?!?)
- Whispering Canyon Introduces MASSIVE “10 Gallon Hat” – $27 Dessert Served in a Hat – One of the few times “game changer” might actually be appropriate to describe something. (As if people needed another reason to love Whispering Canyon Cafe.)
- New Fall Finale for ‘Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire’ Debuts This Week at Magic Kingdom Park – This show as really fun to watch (as we explained in our trip summary), and it’s cool that Disney is going to provide some little updates throughout the year to it. Inside the Magic has video of the new Fall ending.
- Children Now Require Biometric Finger Scan to Enter Walt Disney World Theme Parks – Yes, as you might expect, this does slow down the process of getting into the parks. (Just think about it: you have to get children out of strollers, etc… up to the turnstile to put their thumb on it. That’s going to take time.)
- Aladdin and Jasmine debut new outfits at Disney Parks – I post this only because Elyssa and I were going to stop by and meet Aladdin on our most recent trip, but the line was too long. Looks like we might have missed seeing him in his old garb.
- Creative Burgers, Celebrity Chefs at Rockin’ Burger Block Party at Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – If I remember correctly, this event wasn’t well reviewed (or well attended) last year…
- The Haunted Mansion Closing for Refurbishment in November/December 2016 – Something to be aware of if you’re going to be at Disney World from November 28 to December 1.
- Holiday Brunch returning to 1900 Park Fare at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort – It might be a fun way to grab a meal during the busy periods surrounding Thanksgiving or Christmas.
- Tomorrowland Entrance at The Magic Kingdom Gets A Shiny New Look – I think it looks kind of cool.
- Ultimate VIP Tour Experience for the 2016 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Now Available – I really like (some parts of) Food & Wine, but a $400 “VIP” experience just isn’t for me.
- Cabins & Dining Take Shape at New DVC Copper Creek Villas, Wilderness Lodge – I think this will be cool when it’s done. I’m interested to see the DVC point rates on the new rooms, too. Josh at easyWDW also has coverage .
- “Scoop Sanderson” Main Street Reporter & Pin Expert Character to be Discontinued – I admit, I was never a big pin trading guy, but anytime I see cuts of “minor” things like this, it makes me a little sad. Offering these special touches is what sets Disney apart for me, and I feel we are losing more and more of them.
- WDW News Today Rumor that Vekoma is Constructing A Revolutionary Flying Roller Coaster for Epcot’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” Ride – Again, if a Guardians ride comes to Epcot, WDW News Today gets the credit as being the first with the rumor. It’s also their reputation on the line if it doesn’t.
- Main Street Electrical Parade Dining Package to be replaced with a Festival of Fantasy Parade Package. – Timing wise, this always made more sense. Of course, I still think it’s a little overpriced for what you’re getting. (Though I’d probably say that about anything that requires eating at Tony’s.)
- More Rumors of Rivers of Light finally coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. – Kenny the Pirate breaks down why he thinks Rivers of Light might be come in the next month or so. I hope he’s right, but i’m not getting my hopes up.
- Rumors that Woody, Jessie and Rafiki could be leaving Magic Kingdom – Unlike the previous one, this is a Kenny the Pirate rumor that I am not excited about.
- Seasonal Sweets Haunt Amorette’s Patisserie, D-Luxe Burger and The Ganachery at Disney Springs – That Caramel Apple milkshake sounds interesting…
- Coca-Cola Polar Bear Will Debut Soon at Disney Springs – Huh. Interesting. I wouldn’t wait in line for this, but if he’s just hanging out, I’d be fine taking a picture.
How about we take before we look at more nuggets?
Okay…now back to the nuggets…
- “Updates” to Refillable Popcorn Bucket Program in Disney World – Disney Food Blog reporting on something that had previously been on the Backside of Magic podcast: Refillable Popcorn Buckets are good for the length of your stay.
- Night of Joy at Walt Disney World Resort Rocks ESPN Wide World of Sports; Announces 2017 Dates – Mark your calendars for Sept. 8 and 9, 2017, if you’re interested in this event. Personally, I liked the concept of it being after the Magic Kingdom closes than being at Wide World of Sports.
- Disney testing Guest Relations Location in Tomorrowland. – This makes sense to me. It allows people who have Guest Relations issues to avoid having to go all the way down Main Street (which can be especially problematic during a parade, Wishes, etc…).
- Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club to Close for Major Overhaul in 2017 – With the upcoming convention center expansion, this does make sense. I hope they raise the quality of the place to something at least as good as Trattoria al Forno.
- The Timeline of Epcot History Returns, Completely Overhauled – It always makes me a little sad when little features like this go away. So, it will come as no surprise, that it makes me happy to see it come back AND BE UPDATED.
- Dole Whip Now Allowed Inside Florida’s Enchanted Tiki Room – The actual policy is that apparently all food & drink is now allowed in the Tiki Room, but WDW News Today’s headline is more catching.
- Nomad Lounge at Animal Kingdom Undergoes Massive Menu Overhaul – More wing and ribs? Yes, please. (Actually, I only care about the ribs.)
- Sanaa now offering Quick Service Breakfast – Interesting. It makes sense to provide a quick service option for guests staying at Kidani. That said, it doesn’t look like something that requires a special trip to experience.
- ‘The Muppets Present… Great Moments in American History’ Debuts October 2 at Magic Kingdom Park – It’s been rumored for some time, and now it’s official. I wonder how this show will be received. Here are links to vide from Video from Inside the Magic and The DIS.
- Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto Introduces Some Much Needed New Menu Items – A few wings while enjoying my HippopotoMai-Tai? Yes, please.
- The Highly-Acclaimed Muppets Mobile Lab Returns to Epcot – This does look pretty neat. I wish it was going to still be going on next month.
- STK To Undergo Changes Due to Under-Performance at Disney Springs – It is probably a good idea to adjust their model to get more in line with what people expect at Disney.
- You’re Invited to ‘A Princess Royal Reception’ this October at Disney Springs – Interesting use of some empty space. I bet it’ll be well received.
- Reedy Creek Approves a 3rd Parking Structure for Disney Springs – I haven’t seen both parking garages full before, but I wonder what will happen around Christmas.
- B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. Introduces Oktoberfest Special – I think I’ll stick to the sampler.
- Writer’s Stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Close Permanently – No surprise here.
- Possible Universe of Energy Closing Date for Guardians of the Galaxy Ride at Epcot – January 2017. Let’s see what happens.
- AVATAR: DISCOVER PANDORA Exhibition Launches World Tour Dec. 7 – I wonder if this will be using some of the same technology as Avatarland at Disney World will use.
- Get a Sneak Peek of the Mysterious World of ‘Doctor Strange’ Starting October 7 at Disney Parks – Movie previews at One Man’s Dream are pretty standard, so this isn’t much of a surprise.
- Dr. Strange Meet and Greet is Coming to Walt Disney World? – Speaking of Doctor Strange, this is really interesting (not just for the chance to meet the character, because of what it means for Disney v. Universal with respect to Marvel.)
Here’s a different way to end the post, a video stroll around Castaway Cay from The DIS:
Disney Live Streaming Fourth of July Fireworks at 8:50PM Eastern
Don’t forget that Disney is live streaming the Fourth of July Fireworks from the Magic Kingdom tonight at 8:50pm.
News Nuggets from Around Disney World
It may seem like you just had a large helping of News Nuggets, but the Disney World news has been coming hot and heavy for the past week or so. Sounds like it’s time for another order!
Here are the latest Rope Drop [dot] Net News Nuggets:
- Name and Possible Theme Revealed for New Vacation Club Resort at Wilderness Lodge – There have been rumors for awhile that this would be a new Wilderness Lodge condo association, and this adds more fuel to that fire. I wonder how long before they are on sale.
- Amorette’s Patisserie Opens May 15 at Disney Springs – The Goofy cake looks amazing.
- Disney Now Offering Weddings in Front of Cinderella Castle – These weddings start at $75,000. That’s quite a bit of cash. Here’s a video preview from the DIS if you’re interested. – AT THE END!!!!
- Goodbye Earffel Tower – The Earful tower at Hollywood Studios is officially no more. The park, it is a changin’.
- Authentic Details Bring to Life Pandora — The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – The touches Disney is bringing to Pandora are pretty impressive. I do fear, however, that all these new features might result in even more time delays. (SIDENOTE: It’s super confusing that Avatarland is called “Pandora” while Pandora, the jewelry company, sponsors so much at the Magic Kingdom.)
- runDisney Virtual Race Series – I know it’s probably a little silly, but I’ve already signed up for or this.
- Disney After Hours Event Now Discounted for Annual Passholders and DVC Members – At $75 a person, this was pretty much a no-brainier purchase for Elyssa and me. We’ll have our thoughts on the actual event in another couple of weeks.
- Disney World Early Morning Magic – Fantasyland Review – IS IT WORTH IT? – Speaking of “things that are worth it”, Josh at easyWDW has an excellent write up about the value of the Extra Morning Magic event.
- Visit Olaf ‘In Summer’ at the All-New Celebrity Spotlight at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Putting Olaf in a different park than Anna & Elsa is a brilliant move to spread people out. That said, this will be a good test to see how much people still have Frozen “fever”.
- Tutto Italia at Epcot Offering Prix-Fie Lunch this Summer – This is kind of “meh” for me. It looks like an okay deal for the price, but I’m not usually eating lunch at Epcot at all. I guess I’ll wait until I see some actual (paying for the meal) reviews before I make a final decision.
- “Frozen” Games Coming to Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park – This is nice if you’re going to Blizzard Beach anyway, but is it really going to draw people there?
- “Star Wars Celebration” event heading back to Orlando in 2017 – Cool news. Unfortunately, this timing (in between Wrestlemania & Star Wars: Dark Side) means that it’s unlikely that Elyssa and I will be going (unless we just decide to spend the whole month in Orlando).
- “Whoopie Pies” a sweet new selection at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – I don’t know what these are, but these are not whoopie pies. I’m from Maine, the official home of the whoopie pie.
- New Hollywood Minnie Mouse & Sorcerer Mickey Meet & Greet at The Studios – The space looks pretty cool. I especially like Mickey’s “castle” set.
- Sneak Peek Inside Ample Hills Creamery on Disney World’s BoardWalk. – A nice photo preview of the soon-to-be opened ice cream shop from the Disney Food Blog. They also predict a May 15 opening.
- Tiered pricing for Mickey’s Not So Scary and Very Merry Christmas. – The lower-priority parties didn’t change that much, but some of the more sought after dates went up significantly (and don’t allow AP or DVC discounts.) Unfortunately, if you’ve already planned your vacation (as a lot of people have, since it’s less than 6 months out), you’re kind of just stuck with that pricing.
- Valet parking lot at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge to be relocated – This makes sense. The valet lot at this resort always seemed fairly empty.
- Happy HalloWishes Premium Package Being Offered for 2016 Halloween Parties at Magic Kingdom – A $70 dessert party along with a $105 special event ticket is pretty steep.
- Morimoto Street Food reopens this weekend. – It’s supposed to have a new, expanded menu, and covered seating. It might end up being quite the nice spot to relax.
- Get a free cupcake when Sprinkles at Disney Springs opens on May 15 – Sign-up for Sprinkles member perks program, get a free cupcake. Seems pretty simple.
- A Bundle of New Tastes Debut May 15, at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort – I am really excited to try D-Luxe Burger and B.B. Wolf Sausage. They seem right up my alley as Disney Springs additions.
- New Stage Show for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – They added the Hocus Pocus show to Mickey’s Not So Scary last year, so it makes sense they’d update Mickey’s Very Merry this year.
Even though it’s not really our beat, we’ll end with a couple of videos from Shanghai Disney. First the TRON coaster:
And this one of Shanghai’s version of Pirates of the Carribbean:
Rumors are that this is the BOATRIDE system that will be used in the new Pandora BOATRIDE. Hopefully, that ride will be as impressive as this version of Pirates is.
News Nuggets from Around Disney World
It’s Easter Weekend and and that means (among other things, obviously) lots of visitors to Disney World, and a whole bunch of new Disney World News Nuggets.
The biggest news is probably the new “extra” hours opportunities at the Magic Kingdom:
- Disney “After Hours” Event Announced. – 3 extra hours at the Magic Kingdom with a low attendance sounds pretty awesome, but $150 per person is a lot of money for it. I’m not sure what I’ll do when I have the option to go to this. (I’m not the first / only person to say this, but it seems like the DVC Fireworks we saw a couple of weeks ago might be a good fit for this party.)
- Disney adds “Early Morning Magic” to the Magic Kingdom – Rumors are saying that $69 gets you rides on Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, Peter Pan and Winnie the Pooh, as well as a “breakfast buffet” at Pinocchio Village Haus for 1.5 hours before the park opens to regular guests. I was hoping this would be $50 per person, not $70.
That wasn’t all the news from the past few days, though. Here are the rest of the News Nuggets:
- Disney is actively calling people trying to get them to switch their Magic Kingdom fp+ to another park over the days leading up to Easter – If this is true, it’s just crazy. Have we really got to the point where the Magic Kingdom is that much more popular than the other parks?
- Diamond Horseshoe Table Service Dinner Review – Josh’s review is devastating. I’m really bummed that this place turned out to be no good. (He’s not alone in his opinion, BTW. Tom from WDW News Today also crushed it.
- New Observatory concept art shows the Stargazers patio and new interior design – The new Disney Springs restaurants have set the bar really high. I hope this continues that trend.
- Some FastPass+ attractions eliminating second touch point – This makes sense, especially for attractions where the Fastpass+ is physically separated from the other queue.
- New Walt Disney World Discount for Summer 2016 – I’m glad this discount is back up to 30% after similar discounts were only 25% in the fall last year.
- The Disney Blog gives a “Farewell” Tour of Fulton’s Crab House before it closes for remodel. – Fulton’s is closing on April 6 for extensive remodel, so the Disney Blog created a video walk-through of how it looks in its current. I (perhaps irrationally) have a nice opinion of Fulton’s, so I’m really hoping they come back with something great.
- “Disney TAG” travel accessories boutique opens at Disney Springs. – I’m pleasantly surprised that Disney has continued to update the various mini-stores that are in the CO-OP area. I really thought they were going to put a few stores in there and leave them for years.
- Club Villain at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Extended through the end of May. – It’s going to be just Saturday nights, but this $129 per person hard ticket event is continuing. When the event was first announced (and the price went up), I figured it had to end semi-quickly. Apparently, I got that wrong. That said, I doubt I’ll be pay $129 for sticky “pig wins”, no matter how much The DIS praises it.
- New Disney character inspired food kiosks coming soon to Disney Springs – Disney started building these when we were visiting, and I feel like the exterior of the structures went up over a single night. More importantly, I hope that these new offerings will be higher quality than standard Disney kiosk food. (The AristoCrepes? Really? Could they pick a more adorable name?)
- Additional Nighttime Kilimanjaro Safaris Details Released – One of the best parts of the Wild Africa Trek is having more time to watch the animals while you’re not moving, so I hope the rumor of “longer truck stops” turns out to be true
- Parades and fireworks removed from Magic Kingdom FastPass+ line-up – This has been rumored for a bit, but I guess they finally pulled the trigger. Though I know these weren’t the “best value” for Fastpass reservations, I did use them sometimes.
- Second Festival of Fantasy Parade Added Daily from March 28-31 – You get things like this around the busiest times of the year, and Easter is definitely one of those times.
- D-Luxe Burger Opening This May at Disney Springs – This place sounds right up Elyssa’s and my alley. I hope it will be able to keep up with Disney Springs level crowds.
- Religious Services at Walt Disney World Resort on Easter Sunday – If you’re down at Disney World and want to go to church, here are some on property options.
- MuppetVision 3D and Mama Melrose’s area to be renamed Muppet’s Courtyard – Hopefully this is a sign that MuppetVision will be sticking around, even with Star Wars Land coming.
- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort Chocolate Easter Egg Display 2016 Includes BB-8, Inside Out, Toy Story Designs (and Many More!) – I know some people aren’t as excited about these smaller events and touches, but I love that Disney still does them.
- April 2016 Disney World Operating Schedule Changes – As Josh points out, the most interesting part of this update is the lack of Animal Kingdom changes related to Rivers of Light.
- Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Spooks Walt Disney World Guests 29 Nights This Fall – That’s a lot of days to have the Magic Kingdom close early for “all” guests. The amount of times the party sold out last year, though, seems to indicate how popular it is.
- Dates Released for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party for 2016 – The dates for the Christmas party were released too.
- The Royal Princess Promenade is a little slice of magic at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort – This seems like a nice little addition. I don’t know if I’d plan a trip around it, but if I was already in the area, I might check it out.
- STK sees Disney Springs as fit for entertainment strategy – I think this is supposed to be a high end steak house, but I’m concerned about any restaurant that features a live DJ who it’s going to try access the “mood of the room.”
We’ll end this edition of the News Nuggets with this look at what has become of Disney’s River Country “Watering Hole”. I used to love River Country, and I was sad when it was closed. It’s freaky to see what it looks like now that Disney has abandoned it. Hopefully, the rumors Jim Hill talks about (building a DVC resort in that area) turn out to be true.
See you next time!
Last One to Leave, Turn Off the (Osborne) Lights
The End of the Osborne Lights
On Wednesday night, the Osborne Lights faded to black for the last time. Thankfully, a lot of our favorite Disney blogs were there to cover the event (and give people like me–who couldn’t be there in person–a chance to see what the Lights were like in their final moments):
Mouse Steps had an excellent photo post, including a video of the show’s final moments:
WDW Magic had a photo post and an epic 10 angle video of “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24” and the last moments of the show before it went dark:
WDW News Today had a nice written recap and video of the final moments:
TouringPlans had a recap of the last night and a video of their own:
And with that, we say goodbye to the Osborne Lights. As I’ve said before, I’m sad they’re going away, and I hope they come back (in some form) some day.
Disney gives People a Few More Days to See the Osborne Lights
In a move that I don’t find particularly suprising, Disney has extended the display of the Osborne Lights through Wednesday, January 6th, including running the Lights until 10:00pm on Monday through Wednesday. (Frankly, I am surprised it’s only 2 more days. I was thinking they might extend the lights through Martin Luther Kin, Jr. Day or later.)
As you would expect with a piece of news like this, everyone has reported it: TouringPlans, WDW News Today, and easyWDW.
News Nuggets from Around Disney World
There has been a lot of Disney World news over these last few weeks of 2015. So, let’s not waste any time and get right to this edition of the Rope Drop [dot] Net News Nuggets:
- The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen is now open! First, I’m glad they went with straight table service, instead of a mix. The menu options and the lack of ADRs are interesting choices. I look forward to seeing some of the reviews about the quality of the food.
- Comedy Warehouse to be at The Studios from December 19 through 25. – I used to love the Comedy Warehouse. My family and I would go almost every night of our trips and I was devastated to see it close. I hope I’ll get to see the Christmas version one of these years. (NOTE: It’s a Tier-2 Fastpass+ attraction.)
- Nighttime Torch Lighting Ceremony Returns to the Poly. – This is pretty cool. I’d like to check it out some day. (The only question is whether or not I wait until I stay at the Poly first or not.)
- Audio-Animatronic Three Caballeros return to the end of the Gran Fiesta Tour. – What a neat little upgrade. Much like Disney repurposing part of the Magic Kingdom’s old Snow White ride into the Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train, this addition brings a nice little bit of nostalgia to Gran Fiesta Tour. You can see a video at WDW Magic.
- Previewing the Chocolates Available at the New Ganachery at Disney Springs. – These look pretty awesome. I have a feeling that Elyssa is going to be asking to go to Disney Springs more and more because of places like this. This is also coverage of the opening and a Disney Food Blog review available.
- Here’s a line-up of all the holiday entertainment that’s available at the Magic Kingdom this week.
- A Review of the Different Levels of Walt Disney World Park Capacity Closures – With the the busiest weeks of the year approaching, it’s a good time to review the various levels of closure that might occur at Disney World.
- Tiana, Lady Tremaine, Step Sisters, and Fairy Godmother return to their original Meet-and-Greet Locations – As construction wraps up, it makes sense that some of these characters are moving to their original meet-and-great locations.
- Memory Maker gets lower pricing. – I’m glad to see Memory Maker get a price decrease, but it makes the Annual Pass price increase earlier this year a little tougher to swallow. That said, the ability to get photos via the My Disney Experience app for easy social media posting makes Memory Maker a better value than it used to be.
- ‘Brunch at the Top’ Debuts February 7th, 2016 at California Grill. – Eating brunch at the California Grill would be cool, but $80 a person is pretty steep. Personally, the menu is probably a little too fancy for Elyssa and me. We’ll stick to Whispering Canyon.
- New pirate “invasion” comes to Adventureland. – This is…ahhh…interesting? Are they really going to do this all year long? I kind of think this is a holidays only thing.
- Disney World makes some security changes, including metal detectors and bans on adult costumes. – It’s kind of a bummer that we’re at a place where Disney World has to do this. I hope this is a temporary step until they can install some additional security that’s more transparent to the guests. I guess only time will tell.
- Pizzafari now has handmade pizzas! I thought Josh had lost his mind when he said the new pizzas at Pizzafari aren’t that bad. Looking at the pictures in his post, however, I am optimistic about this change.
- Baymax Meet-and-great now open at Epcot. This is great news. I’m really glad to have Baymax back.
- Thirsty River Bar and Trek opens at Animal Kingdom. – It’s a small addition, but it seems like a nice one. Disney Hipsters and Disney Food Blog also have coverage.
- New Wine Bar coming to Disney Springs – With each new announcement, Disney Springs is becoming more and more of a place you are going to want to visit during your trip.
- Christmas Day religious services at Disney’s Contemporary Resort – I think it’s good that Disney gives people an easy option for this while they’re on vacation.
That’s it for this edition of the New Nuggets. Let’s finish off this post with a link to some pictures of some of the great Christmas trees found at Disney World And a video of the new Symphony in the Stars, Star Wars-based Fireworks at The Studios
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Live Stream Sunday (December 6) at 8:15 PM EST
Much like they did for the Osborne Lights a couple of weeks ago, Disney will be live streaming some of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas parade tomorrrow night at 8:15PM Eastern..
For these types of events, I normally recommend starting to check the Disney Parks Live Youtube Channel about 20 minutes before the show is supposed to air, and then continuing to reload the page until the link for that night’s event shows up. (You can also search for “Disney Parks Live” in the YouTube app in various media streaming devices if you want to watch on your television.)
Elyssa and I attended the party earlier this year and had an absolute blast. We intend to do a fuller write-up in the next few days (weeks?), but, if you’re interested at all in the party, we would recommend checking out the live stream.
News Nuggets from Around Walt Disney World
Since there has been a lot of news coming out of Disney World recently, it seemed like the appropriate time to debut Rope Drop [dot] Net’s “News Nuggets” feature (inspired by one of Elyssa’s favorite Disney Food items: the corn dog nuggets from Casey’s Corner). As you would expect, these are small, bite-sized “nuggets” of news that you may find delicious useful.
Before we get to the actual nuggets, I do want to point out that Josh at easyWDW has started posting his 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Festival “booth by booth” reviews of all of this year’s food and drink options. (As I’ve mentioned before, I always start my Food & Wine Festival planning with Josh’s reviews. They are top notch.) You can already find Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 on his site, and I would imagine the rest of the booths will be up shortly.
Now, with that out of the way, it’s time for the nuggets:
- Flying Fish Cafe to be closed for lengthy “reimagining” starting on January 31, 2016,. Though Elyssa and I have never eaten there, we do have reservations for a trip in November. We kind of want to see what this place looks like before they change it up.
- There will be an early “sneak peak” of the Osborne Lights from November 1–5. If the lights are already up (and close to functioning?) it seems to make sense to extend their last “performance” as much as possible. I wouldn’t be surprised if the lights stay up a little later in January, either. (If you want an even earlier preview of this year’s lights, you can check out this post from Denise at Mouse Steps.)
- New BBQ Menu at Tortuga Tavern. Coming from North Carolina, I doubt I’m going to get my BBQ at Disney World. That said, when is Tortuga Tavern even open?
- Duffy’s (Girl?)Friend, ShellieMae, is Coming to Disney World. This is something that Elyssa has been waiting for since ShellieMae was announced in 2010. I have a feeling that you’re going to see ShellieMae and Fenway in some of those “couples” costumes on Elyssa’s Instagram before too long.
- Mulch, Sweat and Shears had their last Disney World performance this past weekend. I never was a huge “Mulch” fan, but, based on the outcry online, it seems like they will be missed.
- New “special event venue” at The Studios to host “Club Disney”, starting on December 4. Eventually, the Sunset Showcase (Theater) will be home to things like the Frozen Sing-a-long (if it comes back next year.) For now, though, it’s going to host Club Disney, “[y]ou can join Mickey and the gang and take to the dance floor in this electric club environment, where a DJ Club Host spins the perfect playlist mix of your favorite Radio Disney Top 40 songs.” Though my initial reaction is that Elyssa and I won’t get a lot of use out of this, I would imagine that we’d at least check it out. (Though I can’t imagine it’ll top the \#INCREDIBLESSuperDanceParty. I mean, the Incredibles party has “hashtag” as part of the name.)
That’s all the news for now. If you want more to read about Disney World, I suggest taking a look at the interview we posted yesterday with Casey Liss. It has gotten some really good responses so far, and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2015 featuring Josh Gonzalez
The reviews of this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party are starting to pop up. Though we’ll get to those in a minute, I was more interested in hearing what friend of the site, recent Not So Scary party attendee, and all around class act, Josh Gonzalez, had to say about the party. Thankfully, Josh was happy to oblige:
I attended my first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this past Sunday night and I had an amazing time. I saw the Boo to You Parade twice and I was very impressed with all of the performers and I really liked the parade music. My favorites include the grave diggers and ballroom dancers from the Haunted Mansion and the portion that had characters from Splash Mountain and the Country Bears Jamboree. I was also very impressed by Hallowishes. I caught the very last Hocus Pocus Villains stage show at midnight and I was thoroughly entertained. It was funny, creative, and included lots of very talented performers. The villains in the show were a lot more impressive than the standard villains you see in parades and meet and greets. I was thrilled to see Oogie Boogie with an articulated face that included a moving mouth and moving eyes.
I also really liked the overall atmosphere of the party, especially considering that it was only late September. If you plan on going to a Halloween party, I highly recommend you wear a costume! One of the real highlights of the night was seeing all of the different costumes that everyone was wearing. I think the people who were wearing costumes were definitely having more fun than those who were not. One last bit of advice: if you are planning on trick or treating, ask around about which locations are giving out the most candy and the best type of candy. Some of the locations were only giving out 2 or 3 pieces of candy per person, while others were giving out 2 large handfuls of candy per person.
As you might expect, Josh practices what he preaches and put together amazing Hipster Minnie and Mickey costumes with his lovely wife, Carye:
For more of Josh’s photos from the party, check out Josh’s 2015 Mickey’s Not So Scary Google Photos Album. (which includes photos of the dancers and Splash Mountain characters he described in his recap.)
If you want even more information and reviews on this year’s party, this review by Dave at YourFirstVisit.net is probably the best place to start. He provides a nice level of detail about the party, as well as gives some general touring tips and information about some of the schedule changes they made to this year’s show. On the audio side of things, the gang from DIS Unplugged provides a pretty good recap of their experiences at the party in their most recent episode.
In a similar vein, Denise over at Mouse Steps also has some good tips on how to make the most of your visit to the party. My favorites from her list are:
- Trick or Treating is for Everyone – Adults and children can trick-or-treat! Make sure to pick up a bag when entering the park. (And as Josh said, make sure you ask to see where they are giving out the best candy.)
and
- Meet “Talking Mickey” in his Halloween costume at Town Square Theater
Her tips related to shows and parades (view the latest show and parade, watch the parade from Frontierland, etc..) are also good advice for whenever you are visiting the Magic Kingdom (whether there is a hard ticket party or not.) You can also check out Denise’s photo / video post, that includes over a 130 photos from the 2 nights that she attended if you want to see even more images from the party.
Lastly, if you’re a TouringPlans subscriber, you can find touring plans for the party on their Miscellaneous touring plans page (including plans for family’s with small children and for adults).
Disney World October, December, and January Park Hours Updates from easyWDW
Josh at easyWDW has posted updates to Disney World’s operating schedule for October, December, and January. The December update is especially important since it includes a number of new Extra Magic Hour mornings around Christmas.
As a general note, I always check easyWDW for schedule updates before any trip. I know that I could pull the information directly from Disney but Josh’s layout and information is way more convenient. (I even prefer it to using MyDisney Experience to look for future park hours.)
Disney to live stream Boo to You Parade and HalloWishes Fireworks Tonight
Disney has announced that it will be live streaming the Boo to You Parade and HalloWishes fireworks from tonight’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Even thought you can find various videos of these events online, I always think it’s kind of special to see it when Disney broadcasts something live.
If you’re on non-computer device that has Youtube access (i.e., an Xbox 360 or Roku), you can usually search for the “Disney Parks Live” channel to find the video. It will normally have a “Stream Coming Soon” placeholder about 20 minutes or so before an event is supposed to take place (so, approximately 8:00PM Eastern for this one.)
The Last Year of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Late last week, Disney announced that this year would be the last year of the Osborne lights at The Studios. I don’t think I’m in the minority when I say that I’m majorly bummed out by this announcement (even if I expected it for the past couple of years.) When Elyssa and I have taken Disney World trips during the holidays, we would stop by the Osborne lights 2 or 3 times (maybe more). This year, we’ll be running through them as part of Wine & Dine half-marathon weekend. It is going to be pretty sad to see them go.
In the end, I understand the Osborne lights were a casualty of the new construction (and, yes, I’ve heard the rumors related to dealing with the family, how they might simply be re-branded to work with ABC’s christmas lights television show, etc…), but that doesn’t make their departure any less hard. I hope that Disney does a similar kind of action in a year or two (location TBD), but I am not going to hold my breath.
Video of the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular Show
Inside the Magic has a nice video of the Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular Show that debuted last night as part of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party:
Plan for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party 2015 with this Year’s Brochure
Tom Corless at WDW News Today has a copy of this year’s Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party brochure, if you want to start planning your visit to the party.
Tom also breaks down some of the entertainment schedule changes:
Fireworks are now 30 minutes later than in previous years, while the first parade is 20 minutes later and the second a full 45 minutes later than last year. There are 4 castle stage shows compared to the usual 3, likely because it is a new show for this year.
Personally, I’m fine with this new schedule.