Disney World updates

[shark6495]

I go down there the week of the 20th... wonder if They will soft open it that week or not


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TTD-120-420]

I believe passholder and employee previews will be going on during that week, so you might have a chance at a soft opening between those times.

[Gabe]

I'd keep checking your MDE throughout the week, since it will show the ride wait times and will also allow you to get either a FP if available if the area soft opens.  Be advised that the times for soft opens vary widely and may only be open for a short time at that.  As an example, I recall when Snow White first opened, it was up and down quite a bit, and only stayed open for short periods at first.

[Colonel_SoB_fan]

Pandora had a media day today. While the land is obviously stunning and an engineering marvel, the river ride looks meh. 
 
http://attractionsmagazine.com/tour-the-rides-restaurants-and-shops-of-pandora-the-world-of-avatar-at-disneys-animal-kingdom/

From a thrilling aspect yes but the details were beyond amazing

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[CoastersRZ]

And I think it is just a perfect ride to go into the park.  My wife and I just watched Pandora on Friday evening, and I totally understand why they added it to Animal Kingdom.  I cannot wait to get down to Disney World to experience it.  Going to be a few years before we get down there though.  Targeting November of 2021 as our trip to take out son to Disney World.

[purdude86]

YEa I really want to go back sometime but want to wait for at least the current additions to get installed and have Star Wars Land and Toystory at HS, and check out Pandora. Plus the 50th for Magic Kingdom is coming up so might do something else for it as well. If possible try to work inb oth Disney and Universal to a big tripa dn hit Nintendo Land if it's open by the time we go and Volcano Bay.

[Gabe]

I know it's been a while, but this thread deserves to be bumped, due to Disney's announcement today that for all WDW resort reservations made after March 21, 2018, a daily overnight parking fee will be implemented.  The fee is $13/day for Value, $19 for Moderate and $24 for Deluxe.  Exceptions include DVC members staying in a Deluxe villa using DVC points (from whatever source) and those day guests looking to just shop, dine or otherwise look around the resort.  Other exceptions include those staying at the campsites at Ft. Wilderness, guests with disabilities, guests travelling with a group (not defined) or convention and CMs staying at the resort.

[VekomaRulz]

I already avoid staying on site unless there is free dining offered because I felt the extra cost of on site vs off site wasn't worth it. Now another fee makes me want to stay off site even more. I get Disney is a business and they want to make as much money as possible, but the combination of ticket increases, hotel parking fees, shorter park hours with more upcharge events (Halloween parties start in mid August this year!) and reduced capacity / operations during slower times to keep lines longer makes me want to visit less and less.

I know Universal charges for parking but that didn't bother me as much because their room rates are much less than Disney for an equivalent room and the unlimited Express Pass also helped justify staying there.

[Kenban]

DVC members pay for parking lot maintenance as part of their maintenance fees already which is why they are exempt.  I really hope I am wrong but this feels like it will lead to resort fees at Disney World. 

My recommendation is for people to look at the Disney Springs hotels, this is what used to be called Downtown Disney.  The hotels share marketing and transportation.  It is the best off-site transportation that I know of to Disney World.  Plus this year the hotel guests will receive almost all of the on-site benefits.  You get the 60 day booking window for fast passes and extra magic hours.  The transportation has a set schedule and runs every 30 minutes.  No magical express so you will have to pay to get from the airport to the hotel but Mears is reasonable.

[Gabe]

Keep in mind, though, that those so-called "Good Neighbor" hotels also charge for parking.  I suppose to avoid the fee, one could make a dummy reservation for sometime when they think they might be going, then change it at some other point.  The announcement wasn't clear whether doing so would cause the fee to be implemented.  Of course, by doing so, you have to pay a one night room deposit, so you're needlessly tying up $.  The Boo Mickey parties I've heard will begin in late August.  I'm going down in late September and already made my resort reservation, so I won't have to pay it this time, but the implementation of this fee would certainly affect my thinking going forward.   With the continued popularity of DVC, it's no wonder Disney is busy converting some of its hotel space to DVC units and planning construction of new resorts (latest rumor is that a new DVC resort is going on the site of the old River Country in Ft. Wilderness, since Disney just filed to do some soil borings in the 'wetlands' areas of the property, which is where RC was located.).  

[teenageninja]

If you are going to Disney with your family, is $13-$24 a day really a deal breaker?

Disney is not and never will be an inexpensive place to visit.  I mean Kings Island charges $20 to drive through the equivalent of a gravel pit.

[fryoj]

2 hours ago, teenageninja said:

If you are going to Disney with your family, is $13-$24 a day really a deal breaker?

Disney is not and never will be an inexpensive place to visit.  I mean Kings Island charges $20 to drive through the equivalent of a gravel pit.

It's not just the parking fee. It's the parking fee on top of the constant gate increases, insane hotel prices, overpriced restaurants, constant up-charges, nickel and dime-ing, staff cutbacks which increase waits, and on and on. Couple that with having to book all your meals 6 months out and your rides 2 months out, and it's rapidly approaching the breaking point on whether its worth doing Disney any more. 

[shark6495]

Disney is super popular. The way to control that in a capitalistic environment is to charge more for things people want. Sad to say but it’s the only thing that works.

You need dinner reservations sure but how else do you balance for people who may only get to Disney one time in their life. Do they want to get there and find out they can’t eat at the one restaurant they want to do? It has a purpose. Same with the rides.

I’ll be doing Disney the third time in the last 5 years this November and then again next June. For us the reservations does take stress out of our trips when we get down there. We don’t have to wait 4 hours for a ride we really want. So we can hit shops or food or shows.

To each their own though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[disco2000]

New rules coming into effect:

Key policy changes, which are designed to, among other things, help improve guest flow, ease congestion and make the park experience more enjoyable for everyone who visits include:

• As of May 1, 2019, smoking areas will no longer be present in our domestic theme parks, water parks and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Guests may use designated smoking areas outside of the parks, at Disney Resort hotels and at Disney Springs.
• As of May 1, 2019, strollers must be 31” (79cm) wide and 52” (132cm) long or smaller.
• As a reminder, wagons are not permitted in our parks. Beginning May 1, 2019, stroller wagons will also no longer be permitted.
• Loose and dry ice is not permitted in our parks. Reusable ice packs are recommended.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/rules-updates-parks-resorts/?CMP=ILC-DPFY19Q2wo0328190001A

 

[IndyGuy4KI]

The poor employees at the front gate deniying a family access with the wrong stroller.. 

[BoddaH1994]

56 minutes ago, IndyGuy4KI said:

The poor employees at the front gate deniying a family access with the wrong stroller.. 

Say what you want about Disney, but they have their stuff together.  They will come up with a fair and reasonable process to make this all work.  Maybe let them use a rental stroller in place of their own.  

Remember when KI had a Jr Gold Pass and if your kid grew to be higher than 48" (or whatever) it was the responsibility of the admissions employee to tell the person, "Sorry, I know this pass worked last week, but you're going to have to stand in another line and then pay us an additional $25. Next please!" Yeah, that doesn't happen with Disney.  Thank goodness Jr Gold Passes (at least) are gone now.

[flightoffear1996]

We brought the wrong stroller to Disney and they told us at the gate and took us over to get a stroller rental free of charge and we picked up our banned stroller when we left for the day. 

[BoddaH1994]

8 hours ago, disco2000 said:

New rules coming into effect:

Key policy changes, which are designed to, among other things, help improve guest flow, ease congestion and make the park experience more enjoyable for everyone who visits include:

• As of May 1, 2019, smoking areas will no longer be present in our domestic theme parks, water parks and ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Guests may use designated smoking areas outside of the parks, at Disney Resort hotels and at Disney Springs.
• As of May 1, 2019, strollers must be 31” (79cm) wide and 52” (132cm) long or smaller.
• As a reminder, wagons are not permitted in our parks. Beginning May 1, 2019, stroller wagons will also no longer be permitted.
• Loose and dry ice is not permitted in our parks. Reusable ice packs are recommended.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/parks/rules-updates-parks-resorts/?CMP=ILC-DPFY19Q2wo0328190001A

 

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-disney-world-smoking-ban-20190328-story,amp.html

“It’s about time,” said Dennis Speigel, president of Ohio-based International Theme Park Services. “It’s the happiest place on Earth … Why should people be subjected to smoke at Disney?”

I think that’s a little ethnocentric. I’m not a fan of cigarette smoke, but smoking is far more prevalent, accepted, and allowed in other countries and a large percentage of their visitors are from other countries. I understand that the next post is going to be some perpetual victim who is going to claim that even the smell of cigarette smoke sends them into an INSTANT asthma attack, to which I say: I’m glad you weren’t here even 25 years ago when you could smoke in bars, restaurants, malls, airports, and much more. I can only assume you’d be dead by now.

[Oldiesmann]

I'm not a smoker and can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, but I honestly don't have much of an opinion on this. Obviously the powers that be at Disney seem to think this is a good idea. I am however laughing at some of the comments on the various FB posts about this - people claiming they're never coming to Disney again simply because they can't smoke inside the park, etc.

[VekomaRulz]

At Disneyland, it sounds like smokers are going to have to walk to an area outside the parks past the security checkpoint to be able to smoke. If it's like that at Disney World too, I can see smokers ignoring the rule at both resorts and trying to go to a quieter area of the park and just smoke there instead and hope they don't get caught rather than take the time to leave the park, smoke and wait in a security line again.

I have never smoked and never will but I would have preferred they keep 1 or 2 smoking sections in each park away from the crowds and had a policy like at Six Flags, if someone smokes outside the designated area, they get kicked out of the park with no warning or second chance.

[flightoffear1996]

7 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-bz-disney-world-smoking-ban-20190328-story,amp.html

 

 

I think that’s a little ethnocentric. I’m not a fan of cigarette smoke, but smoking is far more prevalent, accepted, and allowed in other countries and a large percentage of their visitors are from other countries. I understand that the next post is going to be some perpetual victim who is going to claim that even the smell of cigarette smoke sends them into an INSTANT asthma attack, to which I say: I’m glad you weren’t here even 25 years ago when you could smoke in bars, restaurants, malls, airports, and much more. I can only assume you’d be dead by now.

I understand the whole from another country thing if you come to the United States you need respect the rules and laws of the United States as if an American where to go to Mexico we would need to respect their rules and laws.

[Joshua]

7 hours ago, BoddaH1994 said:

I’m glad you weren’t here even 25 years ago when you could smoke in bars, restaurants, malls, airports, and much more. 

Bowling alleys used to wreak something fierce. Set aside health concerns, cigarette smoke in constant, large doses in an enclosed structure is filthy. The smell lingers on furniture, books, etc., and the more consistent it is, the more putrid that smell gets. This was a good change. 

 

[BeeastFarmer]

Would it be ethnocentric where Disney has a park in another country, and smoking is accepted, to allow unfettered smoking anywhere?  I think what the market will bear (or is it bare?) comes into play.  The percentage of smokers/vapers decreases and the health hazards of the use of tobacco/vape is revealed, the less people partake.  People do have a choice to visit or not visit a park.

[IndyGuy4KI]

It seems a semi truck driver needs some help navigating and how to avoid hitting decorations.

 

https://streamingthemagic.com/semi-truck-smacks-into-disney-resort-decorations/?fbclid=IwAR1QyG96Oc7Ybmhc4JIF2SBqXzumD4y_lgVtU6Tn_VnxDXdVwJT_Wc_AeL4