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:
Soft Opening for Rope Drop [dot] Net
I am taking a page out of Disney’s playbook and doing a “soft open” of RopeDrop.net before really starting to talk about the site. During that time, I’ll be posting and operating the site as I intend to going forward, but please understand if I still have to make some changes to ensure that everything is working correctly.
TouringPlans’ Fastpass+ Priorities for Hollywood Studios
TouringPlans how now posted their recommended Fastpass+ priorities for The Studios. No real surprises with their preference for Toy Story Midway Mania, Tower of Terror, and Star Tours. Unfortunately, with all the construction currently going on at The Studios, there aren’t many other options left.
A Look Back at the Magic Kingdom Skyway
Mike Ellis has an excellent look back at the Magic Kindom Skyway that brings back memories of riding this attraction with my dad. I remember the first time I went to WDW after the Skyway had stopped operating and I was devastated. I imagine I’ll watch this video recap of the ride more than once:
Narcoossee’s to offer Sunday Brunch
One of Elyssa’s and my favorite restaurants, Narcoossee’s has opened up reservation for a new Sunday brunch that will be starting on November 22. Though that initially sounded like great news, the $69 per adult price point seems a little rich for my taste.
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.
Tom Bricker’s Favorite Burgers at WDW
Tom has an interesting list of his favorite burgers at WDW. I have admittedly never tried some of these, but I would imagine the burger from Beaches & Cream would be on my list just like its on Tom’s.
I am kind of surprised the burger from Whispering Canyon isn’t on the list. I’m pretty sure that it’s one of Elyssa’s favorites.
TouringPlans Under Estimates Labor Day Weekend Crowds
Now that TouringPlans has come out with its crowd reports for the beginning and end of labor Day weekend, it is clear that Elyssa’s and my impression that TouringPlans completely missed the mark on crowd levels was correctly. Instead of 3s and 4s, the crowds were 6s and 7s.
Star Wars Launch Bay to Open at The Studios in December
WDW Magic is reporting that artwork on the building that will be the future home of the Star Wars Launch Bay indicates that the new “attraction” will open in December of this year. Personally, I was hoping they would get it open by early November, but I really had no doubt that they’d have it ready before the Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in mid-December.
Morimoto Asia to open at Disney Springs on September 30
News has broken that Morimoto Asia, a new Italian restaurant at Disney Springs (I’m kidding, obviously the cuisine will be Asian themed). Reservations will be available via OpenTable starting on September 15, 2015.
Rope Drop Changes Coming to Hollywood Studios
WDW Magic reports that changes are coming to the opening procedure at Hollywood Studios. The biggest change comes at 8:30am (for a 9:00am park opening):
Guests without breakfast reservations will be allowed through the touch points at 8:30am and onto Hollywood Blvd. Guests will be able to go as far at the 50’s Prime Time Cafe, Min and Bill’s Dockside, and to the Trolley Car Cafe, with ropes at each of those locations.
There will then be a “rope drop” at these locations at 8:45am. (As you might expect, some of the shopping and the Starbucks will be open at 8:30 when guests are let into the park.)
Personally, I prefer this opening procedure. It lets people spread out a little and then better position themselves for either heading to Toy Story Midway Mania or Rockin’ Rollercoaster.
Tom Bricker reviews the Polynesian Villas & Bungalows
Tom Bricker recently posted a review he titled Polynesian Villas & Bungalows (though the review is actually of studio room in the Polynesian Villas, with mention of the Bungalows and how much they cost.) As you would expect, Tom’s review has excellent pictures showing the layout of the room and a good rundown about the various amenities the room provides. There is nothing particularly Earth-shattering in his write-up, but it’s definitely worth taking a look for the photography.
Cabana Bay to Add 400 Rooms Before 2017
Universal Studios announced a 400 room expansion to its Cabana Bay Resort that will open in 2017 along with the new Volcano Bay waterpark. This move will bump Cabana Bay up from 1,800 rooms (comparable in size to Disney’s All-Star Sports & Movies or Corando Springs) to 2,200 rooms (which puts it has larger, by room count, than any Disney resort except Pop Century.) Though I have heard really good things about this hotel, having that many rooms really makes me wonder how common areas (the pools, restaurants, etc…) will be impacted.
New Studios Breakfast Option at Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater in Hollywood Studios will be serving breakfast between November 1 and January 23. The options are kind of interesting (“puff pastry filled with scrambled eggs, crab, asparagus and Gruyère cheese with roasted tomatoes and avocado” and “grilled beef tenderloin on baby spinach with bacon and Cheddar custard on a roasted tomato with cheesy horseradish potatoes”), but as someone who has had the Star Wars breakfast in that venue, I can’t imagine wanting to go for this more “generic” event. That said, Disney probably needed to do something to make sure that people had reasons to go to The Studios over the holiday season, and this move fits that bill.