News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt Disney World

Both here at Rope Drop [dot] Net HQ and throughout Orlando, the events of the last week the events of the last week+ still leave a lasting impression. Though we continue to mourn for all the lives that were lost, we are going to try and talk once again about a place that we (and probably a lot of you readers) love. There’s not real “good” approach to moving on from something like this, so we’re going to do a symbolic “reset” and clear the deck of all our pending News Nuggets (even if some may be a little out of date, now.) Here is what we’ve got:

2016 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Now 62 Days of Great Eats, Trend-Setting Beverages, Live Entertainment – This time, the festival runs from September 14 through November 14. Personally, I would love for it start over Labor Day weekend some year.
Preview of Sprinkles Cupcakes at Disney Springs – Denise from Mouse Steps put together a really nice preview of one of the dessert-focused shops opening at Disney Springs. I’m not a big cupcake guy, but I don’t mind some good ice cream (and I’ve never forgiven Ghirardelli for getting ready of the peanut butter sundae.)
New Food Kiosks Coming to The Studios. – This makes sense for the busy summer period. I am especially interested in the “waffle sandwich.” Will it be the famed sandwich that recently was cut from Sleepy Hollow’s menu? (UPDATE: It is NOT the Sleepy Hollow One)
First Look and Review! B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. in Disney Springs – This kiosk might be the new Disney Springs food location I’m most looking forward to trying. The big question: Sweet Hot or Bavarian? (UPDATE: I did try the Sampler and it was fantastic.)
Morimoto Street Food releases new Menu. – Though I’m most excited about B.B. Wolf’s, I know a lot of people are excited for this update to Morimoto’s quick service. Initial reviews have been promising.
Disney files plans for first step toward new Hollywood Studios entrance. – There have been rumblings about this for a while, and it probably make sense with how they are going restructure the park.
First Look and Review of Ample Hills Creamery Soft Opens on Disney’s Boardwalk – Speaking of new dessert offerings, Ample Hills is set to open. As someone who loves to spend time around Crescent Lake, I am really looking forward to this one. (UPDATE: It’s expensive, but really good.)
Disney to Discontinue Disney Dollars – Everyone seems to be posting about this. I never really understood why anyone would buy Disney Dollars in the first place, so it seems to make sense to get rid of them (especially in a world where so many people pay with magic bands, cards, etc…)
Flying Fish: New Name, New Chef, New Cocktail Lounge Next Door – I liked the old Flying Fish (Cafe), but I didn’t think it really held up against places like Cali Grill and Narcoossee’s. I hope this refurb helps with that. (Oh, and that bar name is ridiculous. I’m just going to avoid typing it since I’m sure I would mess it up if I tried.)
Character location changes at the Magic Kingdom – Nice tip from Kenny the Pirate about how Chip & Dale have relocated, and Woody & Jessie have come to take their place.
Magic Kingdom Area Roadways To Undergo Massive Overhaul and Expansion – These changes make a lot of sense. Make it easier for people to get in and out of the resorts near the Magic Kingdom, while overall improving the traffic flow.
FastPass+ Booking Window Moving to 7am from 12am – I think I like this move. I never was really a fan of having to be up at midnight to grab the best Fastpass+ selections.
June 2016 Disney World Operating Schedule Updated – Josh has a nice update on the schedule changes for June. I wonder if the rumors about the fireworks scaring the animals that are out at night are part of the reason that the fireworks are not every night.
Name of new Wilderness Lodge DVC confirmed; existing units renamed – The new villas will be named Copper Creek while the existing villas will be called Boulder Ridge. I’m wondering when they’ll go on sale.
Rumors of Sum of all Thrills Closing – A note about replays only being available until June 30, 2016 has fueled this rumor. It’ll be interesting to see when Disney addresses this.
Rumors of The Muppets Are Getting Their Own Restaurant at Hollywood Studios – “Pizza Rizzo” – A classic “Huge, of true.” I’ve found WDW News Today has been fairly good getting restaurant related scoops, so I’m hopeful that track record continues. This could be a fun spot.
Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar opening mid-summer at Disney Springs – The amount of cool places to eat at Disney Springs seems to grow by the month.
‘The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic’ Debuts May 28 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – It’s got to be tough to make a temporary show that’s good enough that people want to see it, but it’s not so good that people aren’t going up in arms when its removed. Denise from Mouse Steps thought the show lacked some of the grandeur of other night time shows at Disney World. WDW News Today suggests you just skip it all together..
Soarin’ reopens at Epcot with third theater and new projectors – If you’re down in Orlando, this is your “last” chance to see the original Soarin’. (UPDATE: You missed it!)
Tiffins has opened at the Animal Kingdom. – Early reviews seem promising
STK Orlando opens at Disney Springs. – This “club-like” atmosphere doesn’t really line up with my sensibilities. If it’s your bag though, then it sounds like this might be a nice place for you.
3rd Track now Open at Toy Story Midway Mania. – WDW News Today has the complete walk through, and points out how much it impacted wait times during the first day it was open. It’ll be interesting to see how that continues.
Magic Kingdom’s Skipper Canteen Now Accepting Full Advance Dining Reservations – I hope this increases the people that give this place a shot. Allowing a Tables in Wonderland discount wouldn’t hurt either.
Dates for the 2017 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival – Like Food & Wine, Flower & Garden is getting more dates. It’s interesting that they’re keeping it open through Memorial Day weekend (when people would show up anyway.)
An Experience to Remember: Savor the Savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Not a surprise that they’re offering a “Wild Africa Trek-like” experience for the new night time Safaris. (Well, the riding / eating parts, it doesn’t involve the walking sessions in the bridge.) I wonder if there will be an AP discount for this one.
Magic Kingdom extends park hours for June 2016 – If you’re planning on going to the Magic Kingdom on one of the days it opens at 8am, you can actually get some fun stuff done before the crowds really roll in.
Epcot’s Margarita Stand closes, but may not be permanent – For reasons unknown to me, Elyssa actually likes this place, so I guess it’s sad that it’s closing?
ESPN Club now offering reservations for lunch – I thought this might be paving the way for reservations all day, but I think there’s at least some chance that Disney wants a place that people can go without reservations to watch various sports-ball games.
Early Morning Magic at Magic Kingdom Extended Through September – Friends of the site, Howie and Wes, really enjoyed this experience. If it’s still around next time Elyssa and I visit, we might give it a try.
Disney “Drops” Plans for Tower of Terror Themed Bar at Hollywood Studios – The idea was a little strange anyway, but I guess I’m “sad” it’s not going to happen?
New Animated Magic Shot at Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – I admit, I’m looking forward to getting one of these with Elyssa next time we ride.
New Summertime Eats Debut Today at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Shaved turkey and Gouda, really? They couldn’t have gone with spicy chicken? Boo!
‘Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire’ Begins June 17 at Magic Kingdom Park – I admit, I think this is going to end up being pretty good. I’m not sure why, I just think it has potential. (UPDATE: It debuted today and was pretty cool.)
New ‘Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular’ Fireworks Set To Make History at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Starting June 17 – I’m glad I got to see the previous show, because it was amazing. If the rumors are true that the goal for this show to is be a little less “explosion heavy”, I wonder how it ‘s going to compare.
Frozen Ever After Attraction & Royal Sommerhus Set to Open at Epcot June 21 – I wonder how many people have their articles about this “just being a re-vamp of Malstrom” and “not true to Epcot’s vision” already written. (UPDATE: Sommerhus opened today!)
FastPass+ Booking Window Time Change to 7am. – I like this change, since I’m always up at 7am, and rarely up at midnight.
Plaza Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Moving Away From ADRs, Walk-Up Availability Only – There are rumors that the Plaza is going to be replacing Skipper Canteen as the new “no ADRs allowed!” option at the Magic Kingdom. I guess this fits a need for people who “didn’t know” you you have make ADRs in advance, but it also conflicts with everything Disney has trained people to do for years I’m interested to see how this plays out.
Soarin’ to close early to prepare for new Soarin’ Around the World – It’s almost time for “New Soarin'”…
Disney’s Port Orleans French Quarter’s Food Court To See Refurbishment – Closing through the Fall is quite a long time. I wonder what kind of “reimagining” we’ll get out of this. I’ve already said that French Quarter is very appealing with it’s BOATRIDE to Disney Springs, and this could increase that.
Typhoon Lagoon Expansion Planned with New Family Raft Ride – I’m not sure this a direct reaction to Volcano Bay, but the timing is curious. (That said, to people really stay at WDW v. Uni because of the water park options?)
Homecoming: Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar Gets Ready to Open at Disney Springs – I guess I’ll try a meal that involves fried chicken and doughnuts.
Epcot’s Disney Vacation Club Lounge Brings Imagination Pavilion’s Old ImageWorks Back to Life – I don’t hate that this exists. I wonder if it will get enough use to justify its existence, though.
Reservations Open Tomorrow for New Dining Package at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at Magic Kingdom Park – Can I get a “dining package” that is just Ooey Gooey Toffee Cake and preferred seating for Tink in the MSEP for $10? That I would do. (Tony’s, I would not.)
Les Parfaits Inconnus circus group coming to Canada Pavilion – I can’t say that I’m very excited about this one.

That clears all the pending News Nuggets. Hopefully, the next couple of weeks will bring some better news.

Tons of New Announcements, but we’re at Disney World!

by John Epcot, Meta, Walt Disney World

There were a bunch of new announcements today, including that from May 27 through June 17, you’ll be able to see classic Soarin’ at Epcot and that Frozen Ever After will open June 21 (comments on the post seem to indicate that Anna & Elsa will be stand-by only ?!?!?). Though I would love to write things up in more detail, Elyssa and I are currently at Disney World, so I’ll point you to this post over at easyWDW with a summary of all the new stuff taking place this summer at Disney World.

Oh, and in case you were worried, we’re having an okay time down here:

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Disney Springs, Epcot, Events, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt 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

by John Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Planning, The Studios, Touring, Walt Disney World

It’s been a little bit since we did a full version of the News Nuggets, so it looks like we’re going to need a double order! (As an aside, Elyssa and I once thought we were hungry enough to get 2 orders of corn dog nuggets from Casey’s Corner. It did not end well.)

First, today’s big news was the release of the famous “Free Dining” offer (and related room-only discount.). Free dining is one of the most “famous” of the Disney discounts, but if you’re staying a moderate or deluxe resort, it’s almost always a better value to get the room-only discount instead.

Second, initial reviews of the first couple of “After Hours” parties at the Magic Kingdom are starting to trickle in. Attractions Magazine has some nice pictures that show (what feels like) a nearly empty park, easyWDW showed how there was virtually no wait at any of the attractions that were operating, and Dave’s brief summary on yourfirstvisit.net seems to confirm the “non-existent crowd” feel. Even TouringPlans thinks the party is worth the money. Personally, I’m tempted by it, but Elyssa and I could do a lot with $300 at Disney World, so I’m not sure we’ll end up doing it.

Third, you can now book your 4th Fastpass+ on your phone!. This should mean that a lot (most?) people no longer will need to ever visit one of the Fastpass+ kiosks (which means maybe Disney can put staffing cuts in those areas instead of on actual attractions.)

Now, on to the rest of the Nuggets!!

Fastpass+ is now Available for Soarin’ when it re-opens June 17 – Even with the additional theatre, I think you’re still going to want to try to get a Fastpass for this one.
Swan and Dolphin Discounts for the beginning of the Food & Wine Festival – These look like some nicely discounted rates for a couple of the weeks during the early Food & Wine Festival. Of course, the Swan and Dolphin charge outrageously high resort and parking fees, so take these rates with a grain of salt.
Zootopia’s Nick Wilde & Judy Hopps Debut in Move It! Shake It! Dance & Play It! at Magic Kingdom – This was announced a few weeks ago. I was excited for it when it was announced, but I’m a little bummed that they bumped Genie as part of the change.
Dates Announced for D23 Expo 2017 – The expo is going to take place on July 14th-17th, 2017. I wonder if that will be a good time for Elyssa and I to head out to California.
New Sense of Africa Tour at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. – Breakfast at Boma and a cool sounding “meet and great” with various animals. For $150 a person, Elyssa and I would probably jump on this. At $250, maybe we’ll try it some time?
New Food Kiosks coming to Disney Springs – B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. sounds pretty good to me.
You can now choose Zootopia Characters for your My Disney Experience Profile. – Disney has already added Judy and Nick to the parks, and the My Disney Experience app. This seems like a pretty quick turnaround for integrating new characters into things.
Examining the Toy Story Land concept art. – WDW News Today takes a look at the Toy Story Land concept art that was recently posted at The Studios. There are some changes to Slinky’s Coaster that are kind of interesting.
Writer’s Stop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Remains Open, Changes Menu. – The big tip from this Mouse Steps post: The Carrot Cake Cookie is at Sweet Spells!
Joy and Sadness From “Inside Out” Begin Greeting Guests at Epcot’s Character Spot – I’m hoping that the wait to see these two won’t be prohibitively long (especially once Frozen ever after starts up.)
Closures at The Studios – These were all announced months ago, but the actual closing has now happened. This is going to make The Studios feel a little more crowded while they work on all the new construction.
Club Villain at The Studios has discounts extended. – This show gets great reviews, but I still can’t see myself spending $99 a person for it.
Use Your Smartphone to Play Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure at Epcot – This makes things a little easier. I I wonder why they can’t just let people skip the entire “registration” process all together, though.
Norway Pavilion’s Stave Church closing for refurbishment amid hints of Frozen ride opening date – This seems to suggest that there might be some Frozen-related goings on at Epcot about May 28.
LEGO to Launch Line of Disney Minifigures! – These look so cool. I want them all.
Tiffins Inventive Menu Stars Cuisine From Around the Globe, Wine List Focuses on ‘Environmentality’ – This menu looks pretty interesting. Much like Skipper Canteen, it seems a little out of the “norm” for theme park food. (Personally, I wonder if they’re going to accept Tables in Wonderland right out of the gate.)
Changes coming to Fastpass+ system at Disney World. – A good breakdown of changes coming to Fastpass+ reservation concerning Anna & Elsa and Epcot starting May 27. This further seems to indicate that late is May is going to be when FrozenStrom might be opening up.
New Options and Perks for runDisney Events – Disney is now going to let you pay $40 and pick up your race bib “day of.” That could be useful for people who are trying to get in a runDisney race but minimize the amount time they want to spend at Disney World for the race.
Speculation that Star Wars Land will be built on former Streets of America. – New artwork and closures have caused increased speculation that Star Wars Land will be built in the area that used to be the Streets of America instead of the area near Indiana Jones / Echo Lake. I guess we’ll have to see how things come together.
New entertainment stage completed at Epcot’s Germany Pavilion – Can we get Off Kilter in Lederhosen?
Special “Spring into the Magic” offers available at Disney Springs hotels. – All of these special offers for Spring time makes me wonder if we might be seeing a reduction in guests this Spring. (Of course, the massive crowds at the parks make that seem unlikely.)
Update on Nighttime Experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – In news that can only be classified as a “major bummer”, Disney is delaying the start of Rivers of Light. Based on the post saying that an “update” will be provided in mid-May, I doubt we’re going to be seeing this new show anytime soon.
Ample Hills Creamery Opening at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn & Villas This Spring – (1) I’m glad we’re finally getting an ice cream shop at The Boardwalk, and (2) I totally got this wrong when I dismissed the WDW Magic Rumor about it.
New Tour Offered at Grand Floridian – I bet my mom would love this. (Okay, I would too.)
Star Wars Fireworks Added at Hollywood Studios Most (But Not All) Days in May – Weird. Are they really only going to show this on certain days?
New Haunted Mansion interactive ending being tested at Magic Kingdom – I am fine with them continuing to roll out these additional magic band related features. It makes things feel that much more special.
Kilimajaro Sunset Safari Fastpass+ is now available – So close. Just missing this by a week.
New Bar Coming to Tower or Terror – I wasn’t really “pleased” with the rumors of the Guardians of the Galaxy overlay, but I also really don’t see how this bar is actually going to be “a thing.” I guess we’ll see how it plays out.
Fulton’s to become “Paddlefish” Restaurant in Fall 2016 – I knew Fulton’s would get a refurb, but I didn’t think it would get a name change (especially one that sounds kind of lame.)

That’s it from this double-sized order of News Nuggets. I’ll leave you with the final performance of the Dream Along with Mickey castle show:

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Dining, Events, Holidays, Hotels, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Walt 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!

What special entertainment will be part of After Hours at the Magic Kingdom?

Announcing the Rope Drop [dot] Net Mic Drop with the Mighty Men of Mouse

by John Community, Meta, Walt Disney World

Today is a big day here are Rope Drop [dot] Net HQ, as Elyssa and I are proud to announce a new collaboration with the fabulous Mighty Men of Mouse podcast: The Rope Drop [dot] Net Mic Drop. The Mic Drop will be a recurring segment on the MMoM podcast (probably around every 3-5 weeks) during which Elyssa and I will discuss some of the recent happenings we’ve been writing about on the site. If that sounds good to you (and we hope it does), then you can check out the very first Rope Drop [dot] Net Mic Drop in this week’s MMoM episode! In this segment we talk about our recent trip and highlight some of the places that we ate. We hope that you enjoy it. (Also during this episode of MMoM, Elyssa enters the Disney Podcaster’s Studio with Russ Liption and answers “the questionnaire.”)

Of course, this post would be incomplete without thanking Dutch, Russ, and Kip for inviting Elyssa and I to join them on their show. Elyssa and I have been singing the praises of Mighty Men of Mouse since long before we started Rope Drop [dot] Net, and we are honored that the guys asked us to be even a small part of it.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Dining, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Planning, Resorts, Walt Disney World

We talked yesterday about the changes coming to Wine & Dine Half Marathon weekend at Disney World, but what are we to do with the news of menu changes, new dessert parties, and (sadly) more price increases? Sounds like it’s time for another edition of the Rope Drop [dot] Net News Nuggets! Before we get to the majority of the Nuggets, we should need to point out one huge item:

Purple MagicBand now available for Disney World guests – All the cuts / price increases are forgiven! (I kid, but I’ll probably get one.)

With that out of the way, let’s get to the rest of the News Nuggets:

New Wishes Dessert Party Debuts at Narcoossee’s – Huh. I know Disney loves it’s dessert parties, but this location seems like a bit of a stretch. I really like Narcoossee’s, but I don’t think of it as a great place to watch Wishes from.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad refurbishment to be later in the year. – It seems to make sense to wait until after the “Peak’ season to do a refurbishment on one of Disney’s signature attractions.
Sneak peek of The Jungle Book coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios – I guess there’s no reason to “close” the exhibit part of One Man’s Dream, but it’s weird that you walk through that on the way to see excerpts from the next Disney movie on the horizon.
Two New Nighttime Parties Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. – DFB point out information about some nighttime enhancements coming to Animal Kingdom (easyWDW also has a breakdown. The Tree of Life “Nighttime Awakenings” especially sounds like it could be cool. Nothing on Disney’s page seems to point to these being hard ticketed events, so I hope this is all just new entertainment for all Animal Kingdom guests.
Details from Walt Disney Co. annual shareholder meeting – The big items seem to be that Star Wars Land construction starts in April, and that Disney is building two more cruise ships. Breaking ground on Star Wars land is especially important since, as we know from analysis from Wes James, once Disney actually starts construction, things move right along. (See also, Wes’s appearance on Mighty Men of Mouse).
Josh from easyWDW recently spent at day at Animal Kingdom and noticed the impact of park staffing cutbacks – It’s sad to see something like Kilimanjaro Safaris get such a long wait when simply operating the other side of the loading area would drastically reduce everyone’s wait.
Disney Dining Plan Rates Increasing – It’s the time of year for price increases, but it still doesn’t feel good to read about them. (There are also reports about not being able to book a Disney Vacation “package’ with only 1 day of park tickets.)
Disney World it’s a small world Attraction Adds Personalized Farewell – This kind of personalization was one of the things that Disney used to sell MagicBands and MyMagic+. I’m glad we’re starting to see some of these features (especially with reports that these features were never going to come.)
Last chance to catch Gi-Tar Dan at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Though he has never been a “must see” for Elyssa & I, people who are fans might want to catch one of his final shows.
Minnie’s “Springtime” Dine comes to The Studios – I like this conceptually (and the spring outfits look pretty cool), but $47 per person is a lot to pay to eat at Hollywood & Vine.
Rumors of a Resort Fee Coming to Disney World – There has already been a lot of reaction to this (almost all of it negative.) One of the best reactions comes from Dutch Lombrowski at the end of this week’s Mighty Men of Mouse podcast.
Joy and Sadness to Join Baymax in Newly Expanded Epcot Character Spot – There was rumors of this back in January / February. I’m glad we finally got confirmation that it is happening.
Rumors of Premium Parking coming to Walt Disney World’s parking lots. – There was have been rumors like this since the Richard Petty Speedway started coming down. Part of me is almost surprised it took Disney this long to start testing it.
Night Safari at the Animal Kingdom Lodge now open to all – I never have done this safari, but I have visited AKL to view animals in the dark after sunset. It’s a pretty neat experience to put on night vision goggles to view the animals.
The Braves are looking to move out of Wide World of Sports – I haven’t been in a couple of years, but I would be sad to see the Braves leave Disney World for their Spring Training. That said, I understand how being hours away from most other teams can kind of be a pain.
‘Ohana dinner hours extended at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort – Dinner at 3:30pm might be a little early for some, but having more ADR availability at ‘Ohana is never a bad thing.
Special Easter Entertainment Coming to the Magic Kingdom – The Easter season is an especially busy time at Disney World, so it should be no surprise to see Disney adding a bunch of extra entertainment during that period. That said, the other recent cutbacks on staffing, etc… mean these additional offerings were a little more ‘up in the air” than in past years.

Though not a traditional “news nugget”, I would also like to point out that Disney plans to launch “Frozen” and “Tangled” themed wedding packages!. Yes, they’re only available in Tokyo now, but, if you ever need photography for Disney wedding (Frozen themed or not), feel free to contact Elyssa at Kivus & Camera. I bet there would be a discount for involved for getting to photograph that.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Dining, Disney Springs, DVC, Epcot, Events, Magic Kingdom, Shopping, Walt Disney World

Here are Rope Drop [dot] Net HQ we’re still recovering from the price increase that happened this weekend. Of course, even 8-10% ticket price increases can’t stop us from publishing the next edition of the News Nuggets!

All-New ‘Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire’ Stage Show Coming This Summer to the Magic Kingdom – Putting Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel, Flynn and Tiana in a show in front of the castle seems like a no-brainer. I wonder if this is the start of a trend that will see more and more entertainment being updated (Illuminations, anyone?)
Frozen Ever After and Royal Sommerhus now to open in Summer – This, obviously, could just be a typo, but would anyone be surprised if it took a few more months to get this ready to open?
Symphony in the Stars Fireworks to Continue through at least April. – This leads into the next nugget, which happens in April:
New Star Wars Entertainment coming to The Studios this Summer – With the new “Star Wars Stage Show”, the march of Captain Phasma, and the new “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” firework show, it sounds like this Disney is going “all in” with Star Wars at The Studios this summer.
Disney Moves Magic Kingdom’s May 24th Morning Extra Magic Hour to May 27th – I link to this not because of the actual content of the news, but for Josh’s analysis as to what it could mean for 24-hour day. Even though Elyssa and I wouldn’t be able to make 24-hour day this year, I’ll be bummed if we’ve seen the last one.
New Concept Art Released for Star Wars Land – The special itself was a little bit of a letdown, but the “concept art” sure looks pretty. (Are we still thinking 2018 before this is done? 2020?)
WDW News Today explains how It thinks the “eternal sunset” will occur in Kilimanjaro Safaris. – A nice little rumor / insight from WDW News Today about how Disney might be planning to achieve its “eternal sunset” effect.
Kylon Ren joins Jedi Training at The Studios – I’m surprised with how quickly they’ve integrated Kylo Ren into the various Star Wars attractions at The Studios. I’m probably equally surprised that they haven’t done something to allow photos with BB-8, yet.
Toy Story Midway Mania Closed March 15 to Prepare for Third Track. – The third track is rumored to open in summer 2016. It should help a lot with the capacity issues for this attraction. Also, re-book you Fastpass+ for March 15 so you can do what you want instead of the backup Disney gives you (I might just plan to go to another park that day).

Phew. That was a lot of News Nuggets. Let’s take a quick break to relax in the early morning glow of World Showcase:

Early Morning at World Showcase

Now, back to the News Nuggets!

DFB Rumor about Star Wars Ice Cream coming to the Boardwalk – The DFB has to connect a lot of dots to get there, but it’s a nice little rumor. Of course, nothing is stopping Disney from just branding any ice cream as “Kylo Ren Tracks” on its own.
Rumors of Rivers of Light Dining Packages Possibly Coming to Tusker House – Some more rumor scooping by DFB. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if this happened.
A light test of Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom? – Speaking of Rivers of Light, this picture seems to be a test of the lighting effects they will be using during Rivers of Light at the Animal Kingdom. I wonder how close they are to really having that show ready.
The Land of Avatar Rises at the Animal Kingdom. – Da Mouse is always great with these types of photo essays. If you’re interested in the Avatarland..err..”Pandora” construction, then you should give this a look.
A few menu items for Tiffins at Animal Kingdom Revealed. – The pork ribs sound pretty amazing.
Disney Springs Water Taxi hours to be reduced – This seems consistent with rumors of budget cutbacks at Disney World, but it’s tough for me to get too upset about the water taxis not running after midnight.
No more Turkey Legs at the Animal Kingdom – Elyssa and I aren’t big turkey leg people, so this doesn’t really impact us too much. That said, it’s always a little weird when something iconic is removed from one of the parks.
All-New Character Meet featuring Olaf and Mickey & Minnie Coming Soon to The Studios. – Putting Olaf in The Studios while Anna & Elsa are in Epcot is pretty brutal for families that want to make sure they get to all the Frozen meet-and-greets. I imagine the line for Olaf is going to be quite long for some time.
The next Phase of the Disney Springs Expansion Announced. – Wow. This is a ton of stuff. I definitely am looking forward to trying out the burger place, and I am hoping Fulton’s really steps up its game. I understand people are “upset” that stores “they have in their local mall” are showing up at Disney Springs, but it doesn’t really bother me.
Two big new features coming soon to MyMagic+ – I hope WDW Magic is right on this one. Being able to make the 4th (5th, 6th, etc…) Fastpass+ reservation from my phone instead of at a kiosk would be a really nice change.
All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Dining Coming to The Diamond Horseshoe in Magic Kingdom Park – All-you-care-to-enjoy BBQ with a nice apple dessert sounds like it might be okay.
Same Day Reservations at the Skipper Canteen Extended. – Personally, I’m glad that Skipper Canteen exists and allows me to get a reservation in the Magic Kingdom almost any day. That said, I have to wonder how long it will be before it starts using a more traditional ADR system.
Orlando bids for 2017 & 2018 Wrestlemanias. – Okay, this isn’t really Disney news, but I am about 99% sure I’d go to Wrestlemania weekend if it took place in Orlando.
Dates Announced for 2016 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival – Much like Flower & Garden, this year’s Food & Wine festival is going to be longer than before, running from September 14 through November 24. That’s a start about 2 weeks earlier than normal.

We’ll finish things up with a couple of “events” from Disney World. First, they recently had a DVC 25th Anniversary “party” at the Magic Kingdom. It featured, among other things, a rare appearance by the Haunted Mansion’s tightrope girl and a special fireworks show. Here are the videos of that show from DVC News, Inside the Magic, and The DIS:

Also, Flower & Garden festival starts tomorrow. There’s a nice primer to the festival at TouringPlans and Denise at Mouse Steps has put together a really nice preview. If you’re still looking to get more hyped for the festival, I’ll leave you with this video from The DIS:

Thanks for reading!

Initial Thoughts from our February 2016 Trip to Disney World

by John Disney Springs, Hotels, Planning, Resorts, Walt Disney World

Elyssa and I just got back from a recent trip to Disney World. Though we anticipate doing more in-depth posts about various parts of the trip, here are some initial thoughts:

The location for the new Flamingo Crossing hotels is pretty awesome. It’s too early to really review the hotels themselves (they had opened only a week before our 1 night stay there), but the concept seem promising. I wonder how different it’ll feel when there is more than just 15 people staying in them, though.
Breakfast at Kona is the real deal. Tonga Toast, the Big Kahuna platter, etc…are great. If there’s a day where you don’t want to be waiting at the turnstiles at rope drop, then definitely stop by. (Same goes for Whispering Canyon, where we ate breakfast twice on the trip. Skillets AND giant Mickey Waffles, baby.)
Speaking of “real deal” food options, both Sanaa and The BOATHOUSE are great places to have lunch. Sanaa’s bread service is always good (TIP: You can order more bread for it if you want (and we almost always do)), and the filet sliders are The BOATHOUSE are delicious (and a complete steal at only $12.)
Skipper Canteen was pretty good. We both really liked the theming of the place (but I would have been fine with a few more puns from our “Skipper”.) Once you get past the slightly flowery “garnishes” to the dishes, they really are serving steak, chicken, pork, and mac ‘n’ cheese with beef. My pork was fine. Elyssa enjoyed her mac ‘n’ cheese (but not as much as the mac ‘n’ cheese from the BOATHOUSE which is probably now her favorite thing in Orlando). In an interesting twist, the $1.75 “Kid’s Volcano” dessert tasted better than the $8 Kungaloosh (so we’ll probably just 4 kid’s desserts next time instead of getting “grown up” desserts.)
The construction around the Wilderness Lodge right now is kind of bummer. I knew to expect it, but seeing so much of the resort closed and the trees near Bay Lake being removed is a bummer. I’m sure the new DVC rooms will be nice, but I’m going to miss that little buffer between the lodge and rest of the World that the “Woods View” rooms used to have.
There’s a few running jokes about Elyssa’s and my visits with Tinker Bell, but the cast members who portray her are consistently some of the best we interact with. We had one who must have dropped 15 “leaf” puns in the span of 2 minutes, all while carrying on conversations with Elyssa and I about running, pixie dust, and various other things that she was “tinking” about.

I’ll end by saying that the logistics that must go on behind the scenes at a runDisney race have to be insane. So many people getting moved around, running down World Dr., through theme parks, etc… while being provided with various character meets, and other entertainment. It has to be a tremendous effort. Our local races might get choked up if we get 2,000, but Disney handles close to 20,000 really, really well.

As I said, there will be more coming from this trip (hopefully, at least 2 or 3 of the 3,000 pictures Elyssa and I took turn out to be worthy of being included in a few posts), but these are some of the major takeaways from our 5 days down there.

Oh, and one last thing: BOATRIDE CLUB, BABY!!

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Epcot, The Studios, Walt Disney World

Elyssa and I have a big week ahead of us, so we figured we would try to start it off on the right foot…with another edition edition of the Rope Drop [dot] Net News Nuggets!.

There isn’t a ton of major news to start the week, but the time changes at Epcot might indicate that things are going to be a little over there until for a few months.

Let’s take a look at that and some of the other news:

The operating hours of several Epcot attractions will be shortened starting this weekend. – Not a huge surprise that areas in the Land Pavilion are closing earlier. It’s like a ghost town over there now. It’ll be interesting to see how many of these get longer hours again once Frozenstrom opens.
Flamingo Crossings Hotels to have Transportation to Disney Parks – I don’t post about “off site” stuff a lot in the News Nuggets, but I am especially interested in these hotels as “short stay” and “first night” options.
Permits might show the Route for the AVATAR Boatride. – I know people like to complain about how Avatar isn’t really that popular of franchise, but–regardless of the movie–it sounds like Pandora in Animal Kingdom is going to be really, really cool. Yes, people might not have the same emotional connection to the world as something like Star Wars brings, but that doesn’t mean that Disney can’t make some top-tier attractions out of the concepts.
New Lion Guard Adventure Begins at the Animal Kingdom. – After Wilderness Explorers was such a big hit, it makes sense that Disney is going to try to add some more of those types of “edu-tainment” opportunities to the parks.
Stunning New Rendering Released for “Rivers of Light” at the Animal Kingdom – The rendered image is insane. My only fear is that Disney is setting expectations a little too high for this show.
Ticket Price Increase for Club Villain at the Studios – $129 per person for this just seems outrageous. Was there such high demand at the $99 price point that Disney figured it could increase the price?

That’s it for now. Stay tuned tomorrow for a little Rope Drop [dot] Net special feature!

It might be a good time to buy your Disney World Tickets

by John Planning, Touring, Universal Studios, Walt Disney World

Friend of the site, Josh Gonzalez, pointed out that Universal Orlando has raised ticket prices. Since a ticket price increase was expected, and since Disney normally raises its tickets around the same time as Universal, it might be worth considering buying your tickets now for any upcoming trips. The TouringPlans Ticket Calculator is a good place to find out where to get the best prices on your Disney tickets.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Disney Springs, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt Disney World

It’s time for another edition of the Rope Drop [drop] Net News Nuggets! (Don’t worry, we haven’t given up the site as a result of our new found fame as models on Orlando Weekly) .Before we get to the “new” news nuggets, we have a couple of updates from WDW News Today on items we posted about last week:

More News on Seashore Sweets Closing during Flying Fish Expansion. – Nice little rumor from WDW News Today suggesting that Disney might move Seashore Sweets down closer to the ESPN Club. (See also, Josh’s Boardwalk Update over at easyWDW).
Big Thunder Mountain to get the same finale as Disneyland – Another neat rumor from WDW News Today that suggests that the upcoming Big Thunder Mountain refurb might add the same ending as the ride has at Disneyland. Check out WDW News Today for a video.

and this announcement from Disney that:

Reservations are now Open for Afternoon Tea the Crescent Solarium.

With that out of the way, let’s move on to our traditional nuggets!

Two New Outdoor Kitchens added to this Year’s Flower & Garden festival. – La Isla Fresca “with flavors like Jamaican Braised Beef with Pigeon-Pea Rice and Jerk-Spiced Grouper or Chicken with Mango Salsa” sounds pretty interesting. Here’s also hoping that Cider House has some unique hard ciders available to sample.
Disney files permit to expand Wide World of Sports – Based on the permit, it appears the new building would be 3 times the size of the Josten’s Center (NOTE: That’s really big.) All indications are that it will be a venue for future cheerleading and dance competitions.
The Boneyard closing for refurbishment – The popular playground (and place for parents to relax while their kids run around) will be closed from late February until Mid-March.
The Circle of Life film at The Land Pavilion is now closed for Refurbishment. – The really interesting part is that WDW News Today has the rumor that the the film is never coming back.
Disney Springs’ Fulton’s Crab House to lay off 214 ahead of 6-month refurb – They seem to be following the same strategy as Planet Hollywood. What I don’t know about this refurb, however, is what the end result is going to be. Do we really need a steak / seafood place at Disney Springs with The BOATHOUSE already there?
Kylo Ren now appearing at Star Wars Launch Bay – I’m glad this change got implemented before Elyssa & I got down there.
Sweetheart Wine Tasting Cruise for Valentine’s Day – That sounds like a cool (and different) thing to do this Valentine’s Day.
Club Disney at The Studios moving to “Seasonal” Operation – I always suspected that this concept wouldn’t last very long. I guess I figured it would make it a little longer than early February.
Same-Day Dining Reservations Coming to Jungle Skipper Canteen – Disney has trained people so well that people won’t go to a restaurant unless they can make a reservation. Kind of crazy.

That does it for this edition of the actual “news” section of the News Nuggets, but I’ll leave you with this “Escape to the Magic Kingdom” video from The DIS to help you through your day:

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt Disney World

With the storm taking place last week, it was a good chance for us to put together a pretty significant helping of News Nuggets. The theme for this edition: “changes”. We have closings at The Studios (shocking, I know), as well as other various changes and new entertainment offerings. Let’s get to it!

Lights, Motors, Action! to close on April 2, 2016 – There were rumors about more closures coming to the Studios, and now we have the date for Lights, Motors, Action!’s official closing. The Disney Parks blog post also indicates that “nearby locations will be closing”, but doesn’t specify what those are. On Twitter, WDW News Today suggests those nearby locations include Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Backlot Catering Co., Watto’s Grotto, Youse Guys Merchandise, and the Mnnsters, Inc. meet-and-greet (which would seem to make sense.) The big question though: What is going to happen with MuppetVision?
Earful Tower to Come Down – The above mentioned change isn’t all that’s coming the Studios. The iconic “Earful Tower” will also be removed as part of construction. I like the quote that Tom Corless uses in his WDW News Today write up: the tower would be “visually intrusive” to those at Toy Story Land, where “guests are shrunken to the size of toy.” (I don’t put a lot of weight into this rumor that the Disney Springs water tower will actually be the Earful Tower.)
Flights of Wonder at Animal Kingdom to close for refurbishment – A 2 month closure from January 25th until approximately March 17 to add a new roof over the arena. It always stinks to have an attraction down for an extended period, but adding a new roof is probably as good a reason as you can get for why something has to close.
TradNation to Perform at Epcot’s Canada Pavilion – Huh. This doesn’t sound as “electric” as I thought the new entertainment would be. I wonder if this is only a temporary plan. WDW Magic has a video.
Kylo Ren Meet-and-Greet Coming to The Studios – This is pretty cool, and not something I expected. I wonder if he’s going to talk.
“Star Wars Rebels” meet and greet coming to Disney World – Interesting. I wonder if this will be for special events only, or if it will go in the new meet-and-greet area they’re building at The Studios.
You Can Now Modify Your Disney Dining Reservations – A nice functionality upgrade. I wonder how it impacts the cancellation policy (can I change my reservation to 1 person before cancelling day-of so I’m only charged $10?)
Big Thunder Railroad to be closed for long refurb over Spring and early Summer. – Woah. April 4 through July 15 is a long time for such a premiere attraction to be closed. I doubt this will impact crowds at the Magic Kingdom, but with Soarin’ already down during that time, it’s a big hit to “iconic” Disney World rides.
New “Afternoon Tea” offering at the Beach Club’s Crescent Solarium. – This is another new offering that just seems strange to me. At this point it’s not available for online booking, but you can check available dates via Disney Dining phone line.
Inside Out Meet-and-Greet Rumored to Start at Epcot Next Month – The rumors are just for Joy and Sadness. Personally, I really want to get an Anger meet-and-greet.
World of Coca-Cola experience under construction at Disney Springs – This isn’t the most exciting addition to Disney Springs, but it seems like it might be a nice touch.
Seashore Sweets on Disney World’s BoardWalk Scheduled to Close February 1st – I knew that Flying Fish was going under a major refurb, but I hadn’t heard about Seashore Sweets. I’m bummed this place is closing, I have a lot of good memories that involve getting ice cream here and walking around Crescent Lake (and it goes without saying that I really hope it re-opens.)
Menu Changes at the Nine Dragons in Epcot – A few interesting changes, and the $18 per person prix fixed lunch isn’t a terrible price. It’ll be interesting to see the first round of reviews on this.
Port Orleans Riverside and Port Orleans French Quarter to get Separate General Managers – This is kind of a small-ish news item, but I think it might result in some improvements to French Quarter as a stand-alone resort. Combine this with being so close to always improving Disney Springs, and I think French Quarter is going to be an even more prime location in coming years.

I’ll finish up this post by urging you to check out a new feature that Josh at easyWDW has been doing: daily wait times analysis. It’s a nice “only at easyWDW” feature that it is worth checking out if you’re into that kind of in-depth analysis of crows at Disney World.

With all these closings, I need a drink.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt Disney World

Though we still haven’t recovered from Monday night, we can’t keep our loyal Rope Drop [dot] Net Readers waiting any longer. It’s time for a new edition of the News Nuggets!

Let’s jump right in:

Zooptopia preview coming to Hollywood Studios – I don’t mind Disney showing these previews, but I am bummed that it’ll be at One Man’s Dream. It’s just another strong indicator that One Man’s Dream is not long for this (Disney) World.
Changes for Disney’s Hollywood Studios Begin in January – Bye, bye to Phineas and Ferb and Cars meet-and-greats. I suspect these won’t be the last things that close as construction begins at The Studios.
New Menu Items Coming to Sanaa – Grabbing a quick bite to eat at Sanaa really is a nice way to relax during the day. Get a late lunch ADR, have the bread service, and thank me later.
New Adventure Happens Here Dancing Party at The Studios – Not a bad way to try and fill the evening time before the Symphony in the Sky fireworks without building anything new.
Construction has begun to turn Planet Hollywood into Planet Hollywood Observatory at Disney Springs – As expected, Planet Hollywood closed shortly after the holiday rush. Since most of the changes to Disney Springs have been fantastic, I’m interested to see what happens with this.
New meet and greet area under construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Interesting. I hadn’t heard any rumors about a new Hollywood Studios meet-and-great until these photos went up. I guess we’ll see what they have in store for us.
New runDisney Costume Restrictions – Not unexpected given everything else that’s been changing around “security”, but still a little disappointing.
Willie the Aardvark comes to the Animal Kingdom – There’s going to be a meet-and-greet with an aardvark ?!?

That’s all for this latest edition of the News Nuggets. I’ll leave you with a couple of links to WDW Magic videos of New Year’s fireworks from Hollywood Studios and the Magic Kingdom

Someone finally recorded a Star Wars – The Force Awakens Podcast

by John Walt Disney World

I’m surprised no one thought of this sooner, but Elyssa and I recently joined the guys from Mighty Men of Mouse and Wes James to record a podcast about a recent movie that might have slipped under your radar: Star Wars – The Force Awakens.

The full episode starts with a recap of the Walt Disney World “Cruise Cup” challenge, featuring friends of the site Josh Gonzalez and Eric Laycock, but gets to the Star Wars Discussion right about the 39 minute 55 second mark. (You should definitely listen to the whole episode, not skip right to the part about Star Wars featuring Elyssa and me).

All kidding aside, thank you to Mighty Men of Mouse for having us on. It was a blast! (And I bet other podcasts are now going to do shows about this movie.)

Trying to Keep Elyssa from Reacting to some of the Opinions

New Balance has announced its 2016 RunDisney Collection

by John Disneyland, Events, Walt Disney World

New Balance has posted a page outlining its 2016 runDisney collection. The collection features:

Dumbo Vazee Pace;
Ariel Vazee Pace; and
The “Red Carpet” Minnie and Mickey 860v6s.

You can see the Dumbo and Ariel shoes on the New Balance page, and you can see a sneak peak of the Minnie & Mickey shoes right here:

If you want to get a pair of these new shoes at a runDisney event, you should sign up at the NB Virtual Queue as soon as possible for the day you’re attending your event expo. For Marathon Weekend, the NB Virtual sign-up queue timing is listed as:

To begin, runners can sign up at www.NBVirtualQueue.com using your bib number starting Wednesday, January 6th, at 6:00 AM EST, and all other guests can sign up Thursday, January 7th, Friday, January 8th and Saturday, January 9th, starting at 6:00 AM EST each day.

Good luck! (And make sure you ask if they accept any discounts! I know they’ve given us an Annual Pass discount in the past.)

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Disney Springs, Epcot, Hotels, The Studios, Walt Disney World

With 2015 coming to a close, I figured we could sneak in one last edition of Rope Drop [dot] Net News Nuggests. After the big edition last week, this will feel like a little bit of a down week:

Pixar Short Films Festival Now Open – I was hoping this was just a temporary, holiday attraction, but the amount of work they did to update the theming makes me think it will be there for a while.
New Menu at Jock Lindsey’s – Great rundown of the menu changes from Josh over at easyWDW. I’m bummed that I never got to try the calamari flatbread, though (it’s just regular calamari now.)
Disney Testing Paid Parking at Walt Disney World Resort Hotels – I think I prefer this to the blanket “no parking at the resort without an ADR” policy. I hope it’s something they only implement during busier times, however (and they have special exceptions like late night trips to Trader Sam’s.)
Pizza Planet closing for major refurbishment lasting from January 19 through November 7, 2016 – With all the construction taking places for Star Wars land (and Toy Story land being a whole different part of the park), I think we might have seen the end of Pizza Planet.
Permits for Disney Springs show details about Edison and (possibly) Neverland Lounge – I really have high hopes for the Edison. I hand’t heard about “Walt’s” before, but it sounds like the exact type of place I want to see more of (at Disney Springs or otherwise.)
Saratoga Springs might become a higher value DVC – This is an interesting look at how the DVC point charts for 2017 might make Saratoga Springs a more desirable destination. Combine this with its location near Disney Springs and it seems like a pretty good option for DVC members.

Let’s end things with a link to a video of this year’s holiday Illuminations and a link to Corey Disbrow’s 2015 Disney World photo recap. (And don’t forget that Disney is live streaming it’s New Year’s Eve fireworks from the Magic Kingdom tonight!)

The original news nugget picture for the last nuggets of 2015

Merry Christmas!

by John Walt Disney World

Merry Christmas to all our readers from Elyssa and me (and Fenway!). Thank you for all your kind words and support during our first few months running Rope Drop [dot] Net. We hope y’all have a magical holiday season.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Animal Kingdom, Disney Springs, Epcot, Events, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt 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

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Epcot, Events, Magic Kingdom, The Studios, Walt Disney World

So many nuggets, they don't even fit in the cup. — So many nuggets, they don’t even fit in the cup.

It’s about time for a hearty helping of news nuggets. As you are probably aware, new Star Wars offerings opened at The Studios this week, but since Star Wars is so important (both to Disney, and to Elyssa and me), I will be saving a recap of that coverage for another post.

On to the nuggets!

The Lumberjack Show won’t be returning to the Canadian Pavilion. – Off Kilter was so popular, that I think whatever replaced them had to be a home run. Though I didn’t mind this show, I don’t think it was as outstanding as it needed to be. I assume the next act will have a bit of an easier time.
International holiday food items available at World Showcase – The Food & Wine festival might be over, but there are still some special treats available at Epcot this holiday season as part of Holidays Around the World at Epcot.
Acoustic Group “Quickstep” Debuts in the United Kingdom Pavilion at Epcot – Huh. This seems like something you’d find in Portland or Austin, not Epcot. It’ll be interesting to see what people think. (Here’s a video from WDW Magic if you don’t want to wait to see them live.)
Clown slide at the Boardwalk closed. – The big reason I’m posting this is so that people staying at the Boardwalk while the slide is closed know that they might be able to use Stormalong Bay.
New “Grab-n-Go” Food and Beverage Option coming to Animal Kingdom “Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks” should open on or about December 12, and is located in former Expedition Everest Fastpass location.
Enchanted Tales with Belle no longer part of evening extra magic hours. This makes sense. They only do a show if there’s a certain number of people, and I imagine that number is hardly ever reached late at night.
Sum of All Thrills closed for Refurbishment until December 5 It’s a quick closure, but it helpful to know if you’re visiting Disney World this week.

We’ll close out with some links to the various Christmas decorations that are up around Disney World, including gingerbread sculptures at Contemporary, Mickey’s Village at the Yacht Club, and the famous gingerbread house at the Floridian.

John’s Guest Appearance on Mighty Men of Mouse Episode 229

by John Planning, Touring, Walt Disney World

The gang at the Mighty Men of Mouse podcast were kind enough to invite me on the show. You can find the episode here.

Here are links to some of the things we talked about:

Disney Annual Pass Price Increase.

Trip Planning – Segmenting

My TouringPlans blog post about explaining segmenting
Images of the Jeffro Bodeen waffle – Google Image Search and Flickr (I thought I had one of my own, but I apparently do not. I guess I have to go back…)

RopeDrop.net

My post on early coverage of the Food & Wine festival
My and Elyssa’s Favorite Breakfast Locations at WDW
Dutch Lombrowski Interview
Sharla Manglass Interview
My thoughts on ADRs and Disney Dining Scarcity

Listener Questions

Disney Cruise Related information: One, Two, and Three
My TouringPlans post about the Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah

As always, thank you to the Mighty Men of Mouse guys for having me on the show. Please don’t blame them when I bring the overall quality of the show down.

Reacting to Disney World’s Annual Pass Price Increase

by John Planning, Walt Disney World

On an upcoming episode of the Mighty Men of Mouse podcast, I briefly discuss my thoughts on the price increase of Disney World annual passes. I frame those thoughts on the idea that they impact “people in Florida” at a much higher level than they impact Disney World guests at large. Thinking things through a bit more, I think my explanation on the podcast lacked some of the nuance that I intended to convey.

When people listen to my reasoning tomorrow, I would anticipate that one major criticism of my opinion is that I fail to account for the impact the price increase has on DVC members. Ultimately, I think is more a failure in my word choice than an actual point against my position. I should have said that the changes in annual pass pricing impact “people in Florida AND DVC MEMBERS” at a different level than it impacts other people who may purchase annual passes. My thoughts are the same for both groups.

The Yacht Club Lighthouse at Dusk — There’s a not of text on this page. I just kind of wanted to break it up. This is a picture of the Lighthouse at the Yacht Club.

My position (which I share with various other theme park commentators) is that Disney World has a certain, definitive capacity that, at peak times, is actually reached. Disney, therefore, has determined that if people who have the “option” of attending the park other times during the year (such as Florida residents and DVC members) want to attend at peak times, those people will pay a premium to do so. Basically, Disney is saying “if you want to take the spots that could go to a family making their only Disney World trip in 2 or 3 years, then you’re going to have to compensate us for that privilege.” I’m not saying thats “right” or “fair”, but it’s the decision that Disney appears to have made. (And it shouldn’t really be a surprise to DVC members who sometimes have to spend almost twice as many points to stay during Christmas as during September.)

A common attack on this pricing approach by Disney has been the idea that “Disney World is punishing its best customers.” I understand that position (and frankly, I would much rather pay the previous $535 to renew my annual pass than the new $635 (before tax)), but Disney has determined that attempting to funnel these “best” customers into non-peak seasons is a better economic strategy than trying to preserve the “loyalty” of certain repeat guests. Only time will tell if this strategy pays off, but I think it’s clear that the strategy is in place.

Lastly, I want to show some of the math that fueled my position that these prices had a disproportional impact on Florida residents and DVC members. As a non-Florida resident, non-DC member, it will cost me $676.28 (including tax) to renew my annual pass next year. Here are a couple of possible trip plans that Elyssa and I have for 2016, along with their combined prices for a Park Hopper pass:

Five Day Trip ($367.50) + 2 Two Day Trips ($257.30 * 2) = $882.10
Five Day Trip ($367.50) + Three Day Trip ($325) + Two Day Trip ($257.30) = $949.80
Five Day Trip ($367.50) + Four Day Trip ($367.50) = $735.00

Buying individual tickets for these trips still comes out to be more expensive than buying an annual pass, even without including the benefits like free parking, photopass downloads, and restaurant discounts that an annual pass provides. (Also, these ticket prices are almost surely going to go up next year, probably in February. At that point, these numbers will look even better.)

NOTE: All ticket prices were found using the lowest price available from the TouringPlans Ticket Calculator (And, yes, the 4 day and 5 day passes do cost the same according to that calculator)

In other words, as someone who is purchasing an annual pass as a way make multiple trips a year, I am still saving money versus buying individual trip tickets. (And also getting some benefits I’ve questioned the value of in the past.) That said, there’s a good chance that I “make up” some of the difference in my annual pass renewal price by having an extra meal or two offsite during those visits (Always feel free to let me know if you want to meet up with Elyssa and me for some G-Mac and Cheese).

In summary, I stand by my position that the annual price increase impacts certain types of guests (Floridian residents and DVC members) more than it impacts regular Disney World travelers, but I wanted to “show my work” a little more than I did when I made those statements on the (soon to be released) podcast.

Changes to Disney World’s Annual Pass, Parking, and Tables in Wonderland Pricing

by John Planning, Walt Disney World

As first reported by WDW News Today, Disney World has changed the Annual Pass pricing structure, effective immediately.

For Non-Florida residents, the Annual Passes now come in two options: “Platinum Plus” and “Platinum”. Both passes include admission to all 4 parks (with park hopper privileges), free parking (which has been raised from $17 to $20 per day) and photopass downloads (a new addition this year). The Platinum Plus option also includes admission to Disney’s waterparks, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and the Oak Trail golf course. There are also a number of changes to the Florida resident pass options ,which can be seen at WDW News Today and TouringPlans. These changes include new “Gold” and “Silver” options that include certain blackout dates, and could possibly point to the tiered pricing structure that we have seen hints of over the past couple of months.

Looking at the numbers, renewing my annual pass as a new “Platinum Pass” is going to cost $102.24 more this year than it did last year (including tax). I had assumed that the amount would be closer to a $50 increase, but I can (kind of) stomach the larger increase because of the inclusion of Photopass downloads as part of the pass (especially since I have previously said that I don’t think Memory Maker is worth its cost.)

In a related move, Disney has increased the cost of Tables in Wonderland by $50 for annual pass and DVC members. Translated, this means that you have to spend $750 in food at Disney World in a given year to break even on your Tables in Wonderland purchase (up from $500 a year.) Based on Elyssa’s and my eating habits on our Disney World visits, this price increase might mean we will no longer be purchasing Tables in Wonderland.

Your First Visit’s 2017 Walt Disney World Season Projections

by John Planning, Walt Disney World

For those of us who like to plan far, far in advance, Dave Shute of Your First Visit has posted his projections for Disney World’s 2017 pricing “seasons”. If you’ve been following Walt Disney World pricing for any length of time, you know that Disney World’s seasons don’t really parallel the traditional “spring, summer, fall, winter” calendar. Thankfully, Dave’s post gives us some early indications about when prices at Disney World might be at their highest and lowest.

This information might be especially interesting if there is a Mighty Men of Mouse Listener Vacation in October 2017. According to Dave’s analysis, the end of October (starting with October 15th) might end up having Deluxe Resort prices only 6% higher than the lowest prices of the year.

Details about the DVC Expansion at Wilderness Lodge

by John DVC, Resorts, Walt Disney World

Earlier today, Disney released a press release that goes into some of the details about the Wilderness Lodge DVC expansion. As someone who loves staying at the Wilderness Lodge (John & Elyssa’s Favorites article preview?), I have been interested in seeing how Disney positioned this expansion.

Based on the press release, it appears that Disney is going to create an entirely new condo association for this expansion. My immediate reaction to that news was “shoot, that means they might not extend the contracts for the original Wilderness Lodge villas” (which are currently set to expire in 2042.) This post from DVC News, however, suggests some other potential issues:

Points Charts could be different;
Annual Dues could be different; and
The 11-month “home resort” booking window might not be good for the original Wilderness Lodge Villas if you buy a contract for the “new” ones.

At this point, that is a lot of speculation (and things with Disney are always subject to change), but even the possibility of those things happening is making me hesitate about buying an original Wilderness Lodge contract on the DVC resale market in an effort to take advantage of the new construction. With so much in flux, I think I’m going to spend a little more time observing before I make any moves.