Celebrate the Memories

by John Commentary, Featured, Magic Kingdom, Opinion

It was a day before we left for our current Disney World trip that Disney announced the end of Celebration the Magic. If you’ve been following Elyssa and I for the past few years, you know that Celebrate the Magic holds a special place in our hearts (see, e.g., my first Mighty Men of Mouse podcast appearance and further explanation.) Its uplifting message has become a symbol for us of surviving and overcoming life’s obstacles.

We hold hands tightly as the paper lanterns rise on the castle, we smile and laugh as the children around us sing along loudly with Let it Go, and then, when the final segment starts, we shed a tear or two of joy as Pocahontas’s defiant look turns into Carl’s balloon-attached house rising into the air.

For almost three months in 2014, I worried about Elyssa’s health and future. I watched as she struggled to learn to walk (and run) again. On our wedding day, I was so happy that she’d made it that far. It wasn’t until the first night of our honeymoon, though,–when we were standing on Main Street and Celebrate the Magic started–that I finally felt like things were really going to be okay. Even if you didn’t connect with the show itself, just think of some moment in your life that has come to represent something special; that’s what Celebrate the Magic is for us.

I’m glad Elyssa and I were already planning to be down here to say goodbye to one of our favorite shows. Because of our connection with it, it was the list of things we would have had to drive down to see one last time before it ended. Now, we get one more night to celebrate the memories that Celebrate the Magic has given us.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is off to a Good Start

by John Events, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized

Follow Elyssa & me on Instagram (Elyssa | John) and Twitter (Elyssa | John) for more shenanigans tonight…

Rivers of Light Dining Packages Page on Disney Website with Possibly Out of Date Information

by John Animal Kingdom

UPDATE: Disney has now pulled the Rivers of Light dining packages page.

Earlier today, a page for dining packages associated with Rivers of Light went active on Disney’s website. As you can see from this screenshot, there is a date of May 1st listed in the “Know Before You Go” section of the site:

Sites like WDW Magic and WDW News Today are reporting this as confirmation that Rivers of Light’s dining packages will be available starting May 1, 2017. I don’t agree.

Originally, Rivers of Light was supposed to debut on April 22, 2016. I think it’s probably more likely that Disney posted this page that was created to go live when Rivers of Light was supposed to debut earlier this year, and has not yet updated it with the information for when the show is actually going to debut. In other words, I don’t think this listing of “May 1”–without any year–confirms anything. I think it’s more likely the page just got put up prematurely and that the availability date hasn’t been updated yet. (The fact that Tiffins–which is widely suspected to be a package option, but did not open until May 27, 2016–isn’t listed in the “Know Before You Go” section also seems to be in line with this.)

On a related note, I did call Disney Dining to try to make a reservation for the Rivers of Light dining packages and the Cast Member (after talking to her supervisor) said that the option is still listed as “coming soon” in her system and that they have no information about when the option will actually be available.

New Rope Drop [dot] Net Feature – Everyday Carry – John’s Disney Bag

by John Commentary, Featured, Meta, Opinion, Planning, Touring, Walt Disney World

Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed a new navigation option pop up in the menu a few days ago. That was a “soft launch”, but today we’re officially launching a new feature on the site: Everyday Carry – John’s Disney Bag. People who know me are aware of the extent that I iterate over every aspect of my Disney plans, always trying to refine each and every detail. As you might expect, that refinement extends to the bag that I bring with me to the parks pretty much every day.

This first version of the feature goes directly to my current bag setup. As things evolve (which has a high likelihood of happening in the upcoming months), I anticipate changing the page to more easily view (what will then be) historical versions.

Let me know on Twitter what you think (and what you bring with you to the park!)

The Easiest Way to Calculate Your Disney Timeline: Ask your iPhone

by John Planning, Technology

One of the things you’re frequently doing when planning your Disney World trip is calculating dates. (When is 180 days before the first day of my trip? When is 60 days before the first day of my trip?, etc…) Over the years, I’ve tried various options (TouringPlans’s Dashboard, Wolfram Alpha’s Professional Assistant App, and I even wrote my own date calculation program), but none of them were easy as I wanted the process to be. Enter, Siri.

“Hey Siri, what’s 180 days before April 20?”

“It’s Saturday, October 22, 2016.”

Siri Date Example

Boom. Done. It’s so simple. Why would I ever bother to do date calculations any other way? (I can also ask Siri to make appointment on my calendar or set a reminder for me, but that’s beyond the scope of this article.)

NOTE: Sadly, my beloved Alexa cannot handle this kind of date calculation (which bummed me out.) Also, Google’s “Ok, Google” assistant seemed to be able to handle the “in the future” calculation (e.g., “What is 60 days from now?”), but couldn’t handle the “days before” type of requests that are so common when doing Disney-related planning (e.g, “What is 60 days before April 20?”). Microsoft’s Cortana cannot do it either, but I don’t know anyone who uses her (except when playing Halo.)

Quick Thoughts on the 2016 Disney Podcast “Awards”

by John Commentary, Opinion

One of the early interviews I conducted on this site was with Brian Perkins, who helped create a set of Disney Podcast awards. I like Brian, so I "reached out" via Twitter when this year's slate of nominees was released under the same banner he used previously. It was not really surprising when he informed me that he did not participate in this year's nomination process, since this year's slate of nomineees clearly was not up to the quality of previous years.

Let me start by saying that I appreciate anyone who is trying to spread the word about Disney podcasts, but I think there is some level of responsibility to do that well. I've tried to do that on this site, and am currently in the process of creating a new version of that directory. As part of that effort, I conducted a survey here on the site (which has more entries than the "panel of 30 people" that apparently did the listing of nominees for this year's "awards"). Though I haven't finished my updated directory, I have reviewed all the submissions, read reviews, etc… and based on my research (which is admittedly influenced by you, my readers), this list of nominees is not reflective of shows that people are currently listening to and enjoying. (In the world of Twitter-dot-COM, I referred to this nominee slate as "hot garbage". As I also said in a follow-up tweet, I am not commenting on any of the specific shows listed in the nominations, I have a problem with the composition of the nominees itself.)

Here is my biggest complaint (and why I can't take this year's awards seriously): I have a mound of data in front of me, where people listed out up to 5 of their favorite podcasts, and 3 of the 4 most popular entries ARE NOT MENTIONED ANYWHERE ON ON THIS SLATE OF NOMINEES. These shows, which clearly be included in any alleged "Best Of" listing are:

There are additional problems I have with the listing ("Modern" Men of Mouse?, Len Testa is a host on WDW Today?), but the main problem I have–as indicated by the data I described above–is that I don't think the shows listed reflect current Disney podcast listening trends. For example, shows that were popular on similar lists in previous years such as WDW Radio and WDW Today received hardly any mentions in this me survey. To me, that indicates that engaged Disney fans aren't listening to those shows as much anymore. The Disney Podcast Awards, however, do not seem to accurately reflect those trends.

Ultimately, I think this issue could be best cleared up by explaining more about the nomination process, the composition of the panel, what the criteria were for each category, etc… Until such time, however, I'm going to disregard these "awards" as things that don't actually have any value as indicators of actual show quality.

News Nuggets from Around Disney World

by John Disney Springs, Epcot, Events, Holidays, Magic Kingdom, News Nuggets, Resorts, The Studios

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: