Editorial: Magic Bands and Fast Pass Plus

Disney made a major announcement this week regarding the future of how Fast Pass Plus and Magic bands would be working for all guests, so I thought I would throw my opinion into the fray and do my monthly editorial on this $1 Billion dollar project know as "Next Gen".

Magic Bands and Mickey

Next Gen" is the term used by Disney to label an incredibly expansive project around the Walt Disney Resort. The project includes but is not limited to enhancements made to admissions, turnstiles, attraction queues, reservations, resorts, dining, and on, and on, and on.  The Disney company feels that the future of the theme park industry is in making every experience for every guest unique and personal, and I for one am a big fan of the project.

Change is always going to be a point of contention for die hard fans of any "fan" group, Disney, Star Wars, Star Trek, and comics all get lambasted anytime they make a change.  People by nature are abhorrent to change. I have never understood this really, for most times in life change is a wonderful thing. The changes that Disney is making now will forever affect the theme park industry and the way we travel and vacation.

Disney, as many of you know, now issues an item know as Magic Bands to all future resort guests, annual passholders, and as of this week, even day guests can buy their own Magic Bands to use in the parks. The band is used for a variety of things, it is your room key at the Disney resorts, your admission into the parks, your Fast Pass to the attractions, and your Photopass while visiting Disney.  The system uses a colorful bracelet which contains an RFID chip that has all of your information encoded to a main database and is genius in design.

The problem with the project is mainly found among annual passholders and frequent visitors whom over the years have found way to hoard Fast Passes to Disneys major attractions, and in reality, to manipulate a system that needed desperate change. I for one hate getting to the park at 12:00 PM only to find the Fast Passes for most major attractions gone.  The new system allows the Fast Passes to be spread among the masses more evenly.  A resort/passholder guest can now book three Fast Passes each day well in advance of their arrival at the resort and rest easy knowing that they have at least 3 key things reserved that they really want to experience.

Disney in the near future will be adjusting the Fast Pass system so that once those three items have been used, then guests may visit a Fast Pass kiosk and pick another selection, after that one is used they may do another, and rinse repeat. The system currently does not allow Fast Passes to be used in regards to what Disneyholics call Park Hopping (going from one park to another), this to will be changing in the future.

I would like to see everyone relax a little about the new systems and give Disney some time to work out the kinks and details.  I can say first hand that when combined with the My Disney Experience app the system has always worked great for me and has been a huge time saver and stress reducer. I am a fan and congratulate Disney on the foresight they have and look forward to the future of the "Next Gen" project.

Cabana Bay Resort Opens!!

Universal Orlando is celebrating the opening of its fourth on-site resort hotel and it looks to be another home run for the unstoppable property here in Orlando.

The Cabana Bay Beach Resort officially opened yesterday to eager guests looking to visit the resort and experience all of its amenities, but still save the family a little money on accommodations. The resort and its retro theme beckon travelers to a time when family trips by car were the norm, and "Air Conditioned Rooms and Color TV's" were the hottest thing in America.

Front Entrance

The resort even went retro with the bathroom amenities which feature VO5 shampoo and conditioner,  and Zest soaps!!  Poolside you will find a sandy beach area that has ping pong tables, a massive zero-entry pool, plenty of Cabanas to take a break from the intense Florida sun, and OUTDOOR pool tables....score one for Universal recreation.

Main Lobby

The opening is only phase one of this massive property and includes 900 family suites, a great retro lobby bar, a classic dive tower water slide in the pool area, and a ten lane bowling alley just for starters.  The resort also offers its guests a massive food court and a hip little lounge for Mom and Dad. The resort is also home to the worlds first Jack LaLanne fitness center which is amazingly nostalgic and contemporary at the same time, a fitting tribute to the "Father of Fitness".

Main Pool area with waterslide

Fitness center

Bowling!!

Yes...Bowling!!

Retro Bar

Phase two of the resort will open later this summer and add 900 standard rooms, add another pool, and Universals first lazy river at any of its resort properties. A new poolside bar and another quick service restaurant is slated to be part of Phase 2 also.

Congratulations to Universal in yet another successfully executed concept. Be sure to check out Cabana Bay Beach Resort when you get a chance, they are taking reservations now at GREAT rates!!  Click the link below for more information.

CABANA BAY BEACH RESORT RESERVATIONS

Enjoy!!

Disney's Frozen Hits a Major Milestone!!

Disney's Frozen reached a milestone this week when it became the highest grossing animated film of all time, beating out Toy Story 3 for the coveted title.

The cast of Frozen

Total global box office revenue for the film reached over one billion dollars this week and still has room to climb. The amazing success of the film has also earned it number ten on the list of largest global blockbusters of all time.

The movie, for those that have not seen it, is an amazing heart-warming story of family,and friends and the ability to trust the love of both.  Disney was already looking at breaking records when the film took both Best Animated Film and Best Original Song at the 2014 Oscars. The win of an Oscar, as with most films, simply pushed its box office receipts even higher.

Congratulations to the cast and crew at the Disney Company that labored to bring this film to life. We also want to give our thanks to Disney for once again thawing our hearts and showing us how to "Let it Go" in a way that only Disney storytelling can do.

Enjoy!!

Huffington Post Gives Florida Some Love!!

The Huffington Post recently published an article giving 23 Reason Florida may be the Best State to Live In, and the article is great.  I think we as Floridians tend to forget how good we have it here sometimes. The theme parks, the beach, the sunshine, the always green and lush landscape, and the list goes on!

Vintage Post Card

 Do not mistake the fact that we have issues, and our share of crazies, but for the most part I am proud to be a native Floridian and love being here.  Take a moment and read the article below then tells us what you love most about living or visiting the "Sunshine State"!!

Click the link Below

23 Reasons Florida (Yes, Florida) Is Quite Possibly The Best State In America

NEW!! Star Wars Character Dining during Star Wars Weekends!

Do you feel a disturbance in the force? The disturbance would be the joy of thousands of Star Wars fans hearing the announcement that for the first time ever you will be able to dine with characters from Disney and the Star Wars films during Star Wars Weekends at Disney Studios!!

Parking At-At the front gate

Starting May 4th, the official Star Wars day, Star Wars fans and geeks can have breakfast at Sci-Fi Dine in, or dinner at Hollywood and Vine with their favorite characters.  Dinner characters will include Ewok Chip and Dale, Leia Minnie, Jedi Mickey, Darth Goofy and Stormtrooper Donald, all taking photos and signing autographs while families dine on a great selection of specially theme Star Wars foods.  Breakfast will be dominated by Stormtroopers, Jawas, Greedo, Boba Fett, and the evil mastermind himself Darth Vader!!

A rainbow moment

Prices for breakfast will cost $47.99 for adults, and $29.99 for kids. Dinner will run you $55.99 for the adults and $36.99 for your little Ewoks. You will also receive a digital download on a special Photopass card made for the event . These dining options will run during the entire time period of the event and not just on the weekends.

The news follows the announcement from Disney that Mark Hamill will be making his first ever appearance the weekend of June 6th - 8th, 2014. The attendance of the original Luke Skywalker is expected to be paired with an announcement the he will be appearing in the new Star Wars: Episode VII film due in theaters December 18th, 2015.

Luke Skywalker announcement expected

I am also counting on some type of announcement from Disney regarding a new Star Wars expansion at the Florida complex but only time will tell.

Enjoy!!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Artwork and Cast Member Training

Disney Imagineering has released the new official logo for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster which is soon to open at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando.  The artwork is bright, detailed, and solidifies the rumors that we will see all seven of the Dwarfs in the attraction.

Official Logo

The attraction has been a very long build and is the final piece to the massive Fantasyland expansion. The opening date has not been set in stone but cast members begin training on April the 20th, so look for a soft opening around that time with a grand opening in May.

Enjoy!!

#disney #rollercoaster #fantasyland

Cabana Bay Garden Walk Details

Guests staying at the Cabana Bay Resort at Universal Orlando will have a new experience to add to their lists of things that make Cabana Bay resort unique.  The once rumored Garden Path walkway leading from the resort to the theme parks has been started, and looks to be like an amazing scenic journey from Cabana Bay down a new canal system and into the Royal Pacific Resort grounds before heading into CityWalk and the park areas.

The project was first discovered months ago, but only recently has Universal Orlando made it official.  Pylons are being driven into the ground near Cabana Bay and blueprints have been released.  Guests will actually cross from the resort over what is being called a Garden Bridge. The bridge will allow guests to cross without ever realizing they are crossing over a busy roadway system.

Bridge Artist Concept

The path will then wind along side canals and landscaping ending where the Royal Pacific Resorts guests cross now to get to Citywalk and the entrances of the parks.

Overlay of new walkway

Cabana Bay Resort Phase 1 is scheduled to open at the end of this month, with Phase 2 opening later in the summer. More details to follow.

Enjoy!!

#cabanabay #universalorlando #themepark

Anna and Elsa to move to Magic Kingdom!!

The main characters from Disney's smash hit Frozen will getting a new home soon, and it is going to be with the other Princesses at Fairytell Hall at the Magic Kingdom!!

Anna and Elsa from Frozen

The pair currently do meet and greet photo ops at Epcot's Norway pavilion, but due to their popularity the wait in the past few weeks has reached as long as three hours. The queue is causing major congestion around the world showcase lagoon in that area, with the line wrapping across the pavilions entrance then back across the world showcase lagoon promenade.

April 20th is the date for the duos move to Princess Fairytell Hall in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. The move will allow guests to secure Fast Pass times and avoid the lengthy wait times that are currently the norm.

Enjoy!!

#disney, #frozen, #letitgo

Hogwarts Express Details Revealed !!

Dementors, Hagrid, Buckbeak, Sirius Black, The Knights Bus. What do these all have in common?  The are all part of the magical world of Harry Potter yes....but what makes them so exciting is that you will be seeing them all again, and very soon!!

Universal Orlando revealed earlier this week some new details about the journey guests will take when they board the Hogwarts Express this summer in London and travel with other first time muggles to the village of Hogsmead and the castle of Hogwarts.

Here is what we know so far with some press release photos and some I took recently in the park:

Guests will get a chance to board the Hogwarts Express on platform 9 3/4 at London's Kings Cross station. Universals creative team has stated that you will see people transition form London to The Wizarding World right before your very eyes, and that is only where the magic begins.

King's Cross as of March 12th 2014

Once on board "Muggles" will be ushered to private booths which they will find have been outfitted with the same fabric seats, lights, and windows, as found in the Potter movies.  The trains will hold 200 guests and the entire ride experience is billed as family friendly, well, as family friendly as a Dementor can be. The journey will take about 7 minuets and along the way riders will encounter different characters and events from the Harry Potter novels. The windows will actually be high definition video monitors that are using technology never before seen in a theme park environment. They will not be 3-D so no need for pesky glasses, but we can be assured that it will be amazing.

Weasley on a broom

Hagrid wishes us safe journeys

Buckbeak is majestic flying over the Black Lake

Once the train reaches the Hogsmead station guests will disembark and travel down a winding forest path to the village itself.  Construction is in full swing and you can already see some of the station details.

Hogsmeade Station March 2014

Hogsmeade Station March 2014

Universal is again going to be the ticket to have this summer in the Orlando area. Please allow me to make a correction: Universal is the ticket to have now and for the foreseeable future in the Orlando area. The opening of London and Diagon Alley combined with the  Hogwarts Express train journey to Hogsmead, will be the experience to have on vacation this year.  

I will post more as soon as the info becomes available. Please feel free to ask any questions or place your comments, we love hearing from you guys! 

Enjoy!!

Universal Increases Prices as Expected

We reported a couple of weeks ago about the Walt Disney Company increasing tickets prices for it parks here in Orlando and now, as is the normal trend, Universal Orlando has increased its ticket prices also.

Universal increased their ticket prices this morning and they mark a sizable jump in prices with some of the multi-day ticket media jumping by 20%.  Price increases have become an annual staple for all of the Orlando theme parks for many years now. Combine this with the fact that Universal is once again set to open what will be the hit of the theme park industry for the next few years with Diagon Alley and this increase is no surprise.

Universals Price Increase 2014

Orlando Informer, and others sites, are reporting that many people are actually applauding this move by Universal hoping that it will help to ease some of the summer crowds that are expected to flock to the theme parks this year. I can tell you it will not make a difference.

Diagon Alley, from what we have seen, and rumors that have been confirmed is going to be a massive draw for Universal Orlando this summer and for a long time to come. Then again summer crowds are just part of the game down here and when you consider dollar for dollar what you are paying for admission, the theme parks are still your best entertainment dollar value. What do you think of Universals price increase?

Thanks to OI for posting of the web capture of the new prices.  

Disney to Kick off Summer with 24-hour PARTY!!

Summer is almost here and Disney is going to let you "Rock Your Disney Side" with a heroes and villains filled 24-hour event at the Magic Kingdom on both coasts.

Similar to the insanely popular "One More Disney Day" in celebration of leap year, the event will run from 6:00 am on May 23rd to 6:00 May 24th.

Guests are encouraged this time to wear their own Disney hero or villain outfit and show their DISNEY SIDE !! There will be special fireworks, merchandise, and food and drink themed to the celebration.

I had an amazing time at this event last year and cannot wait to do it again. Please feel free to post comments here and lets get a large group from all around the world and "ROCK OUR DISNEY SIDE!!"

More details as they are released.

Enjoy!!

#disney #rockyourdisneyside #24hours

New Central Hub Expansion at Magic Kingdom is a go!

The Magic Kingdom is expanding again. Rumored for sometime now the new central hub expansion project at the Magic Kingdom has now been made official and construction has started.  The expansion will provide much needed relief for traffic flow to the world's busiest theme park and give even more viewing areas for the nightly fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom.

The new design will provide additional seating at Casey's Corner and The Plaza with the main area of the hub closest to Main Street U.S.A. widened. Frequent guests and locals will love the new area as it will be a perfect spot to catch Wishes, or the Parades and then exit the park. The new outer hub will make moving to the other parks areas much easier during parade of events, as most of us know it is a nightmare to try and move through the hub when it is lined with guests waiting for a show.

Current Central Hub

The path that ran from the hub toward Tomorrowland (where the old Swan boats attraction was located) is being removed and is most likely going to be home to the new sculpted gardens that is referenced in a Disney press release.

Central Hub 2015

The entire area is scheduled to be completed by early 2015 and should give a little more breathing room to the busiest area of the park.






You can find a CGI flyover link below.

Enjoy!!

Universal Orlando Rumor Register - Skull Island Project Underway?

Harry Potter: Diagon Alley may still be a few months away but Universal Orlando is not resting on its laurels when it comes to future projects.

Rumors have been flying for over a year now that the infamous hairy beast KONG would be making an appearance soon at the Florida property, given the popularity of the attraction at Universal Hollywood. Now those rumors look to be true and are moving from drawing board to reality. I am very excited about this prospect since Kongfrontation was my first attraction job at Universal Studios back in the day!!

The opening of the new Harry Potter expansion means that Universal will be looking to increase crowd flow to Islands of Adventure in the near future so IOA  is about to get what is rumored to be two new attractions: Skull Island (home of Kong), and a possible new flight coaster themed to the aviary area as seen in the Jurassic Park movie.

Skull Island is the first project on the board and should be rising from the storage area located behind Thunder Falls Terrace in Jurassic Park.  Look for an amazing Potterish expansion that will be an indoor/outdoor attraction with a highly detailed queue taking you through an ancient temple to the loading area where you will start your journey to meet the worlds most famous ape.

Skull Island and Kong as seen in King Kong

The flight coaster, to be located in the old Triceratops Encounter area, will be heavily themed and is rumored to contain some amazing animatronic effects that will simulate an aerial battle with Pterodactyls. Rumors at this stage point to a large aviary structure that may be a hybrid indoor/outdoor attraction. I should note that I am also hearing just as many rumors about a Jurrasic Park Jeep ride (which was one of the original projects for the park but was scrapped) but i just do not think that the size of the area would allow for a project of such magnitude.

Here is a view of the two new project areas:

Neither one of these announcements have been made official, and probably will not be until Diagon Alley opens, but here is what we have heard so far:

• Two weeks ago an internal memo was sent out at Universal Orlando requiring all items located in the storage lot behind Thunder Falls Terrace to be removed immediately so the area could be prepared for future use. 
• Trees in both areas have been marked for removal to allow for future construction. Orlando Theme Park News has some great photos of this.

White ribbons are trees to be saved

• Creative Team members have been seen in the area numerous times in the past two months.
• Balloon Markers have been seen in the area marking the different areas of elevation.

Once again these are just rumors, well Skull Island is more than rumor at this stage, and nothing is cast in stone until the powers that be at Universal make the announcement. Feel free to send us comments and let us know what you think about these two new rumored projects.

Enjoy!!

#kingkong #universalorlando #ioa

Galaxy Fun to Open Soon

Rainy day in the vacation capital of the world, stuck in the hotel with your children, no problem, load up the crew and head over to Galaxy Fun on International Drive!!

Tagging in at around 48,000 square feet Galaxy Fun indoor play park looks to be a great way to spend the day with energy packed kids weather it is rain or shine.  The Florida heat can be brutal at times and an air conditioned playground is a welcome oasis.

CEO Bruce Roudebush high above the action

CEO Bruce Roudebush is happy to provide us with some details:

 "There's over 100 different mazes, tunnels, tubes, things for them to crawl through, climb over, explore. … You name it," ... "They're going to come out sweating."

CGI of playground

He also has thought about the parents who will sit high above the action watching their little ones play and installed free Wi-Fi access throughout the entire complex. A small food menu will help curb hunger for those tykes burning up all that energy and the space will have numerous areas that can be rented for birthday parties, and other events.

Pricing will be $19.99 for unlimited play for children between the ages of 4 and 12, and $9.99 for ages between 1 and 3. Soft opening began earlier this week with a grand opening planned for March 14th.

(Photo courtesy of  Galaxy Fun and Orlando Sentinel)

Enjoy!

#galaxyfun #indoorplay #orlando

Disney Festival Of Fantasy Parade to Debut March 9th, 2014

Costumes..check. Highly detailed floats...check. A new parade with a "steampunk" look and feel...check!!

Disney announced yesterday that its highly anticipated "Festival of Fantasy" parade will debut March the 9th at the Magic Kingdom.  Over 2 years in the making the new procession marks a fresher, more cutting edge look for the Disney staple know by many as the 3:00 clock parade.

Amazing new floats are just the beginning of what is in store for the throngs of families that will line the streets in the Magic Kingdom. The costumes for the parade are some of the most detailed to date and will provide incredible photo opportunities for all who experience this new event.

I was able to listen to one of the new parade tracks last week and the music is simply going to be outstanding, adding to the gala feel that the entire parade will have.

So mark the date and plan on making a visit to the Magic Kingdom soon before the summer crowds arrive, because after all Everyone loves a parade!!

(Photos courtesy of Disney's Blog)

#disney #parade #wdw

Disney Increases ticket prices across the board.

The special Disney magic and pixie dust will be costing everyone a little more starting today with Disney increasing ticket prices for all categories at the resort complex in Florida. Tickets prices are increasing by $4.00 for a one day ticket, with annual passes jumping up as much as $25.00 per pass.

This is the first ticket price increase since Disney raised the price of admission to the Magic Kingdom last year making it more expensive than visiting its other three theme parks.

Details should be released today but look for:

• A single day ticket to increase by $4, which puts the Magic Kingdom at $99, and Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom at $94.

• Walt Disney World Annual Pass price increases take effect today, with a regular Annual Pass seeing an increase of $25, up from $609 to $634 + tax.

• The Premium Annual Pass which includes water park admission increases from $729 to $754. Florida Residents will see an increase also with: An Annual Pass increases from $464 to $485. A Florida Resident Premium Annual Pass from $584 to $605, and a Florida Resident Seasonal Pass goes form $309 to $319.

The prices still are an incredible value for all that you get to see and do while at the resort, when you consider the prices of movies, sporting events, and concerts.

Expect Universal Orlando and SeaWorld to follow with ticket price increases of their own soon.

Enjoy!

#disney #tickets #waltdisneyworld

Star Wars Weekends extended!!

The time for fun is approaching fast from a galaxy far, far, away....that's right,  it will soon be time for Star Wars Weekends at the Disney Studios in Orlando, Florida.

The Annual Star Wars Geekdom event will take place this year each weekend between May 16th and June 15th, making it the longest run ever in the history of the event.

The theme this year is Join the Rebel Alliance, and look for more guest appearances and special treats and surprises.  The long time favorite Hyperspace Hoopla will not be presented this year but instead look for a new high tech nighttime fireworks gala and laser show to close each evening. Fireworks are always outstanding at this park and I cannot wait to see the show set to music from the Star Wars films.

New merchandise and a longer parade that is rumored to be running twice a day this time should make the gathering more fun than an Ewok party!!

The weekends are a massive draw to the studios so prepare for some large crowds, but fun on a galactic sized level!!  The schedule is as follows:

The full schedule is:

• Weekend I: May 16 – 18, 2014
• Weekend II: May 23 – 25, 2014
• Weekend III: May 30 – June 1, 2014
• Weekend IV: June 6 – 8, 2014
• Weekend V: June 13 – 15, 2014

#starwars #disney #starwarsweekends #jointherebellion

Old Town Kissimmee gets some new attractions....

Old Town located of of Hwy 192 in  Kissimmee, Florida is a location that many people pass everyday.  The bright lights and carnival style attractions bring back memories of an era gone by, a time when big budget theme parks were scarce, and the family outing to the local fair/carnival created memories that lasted a lifetime.

Old Town at night

Old Town is not really a park but a unique shopping and entertainment district located at the doors to Walt Disney World.  The weekly classic car show is a favorite with locals, as well as visitors from abroad, and will allow you to see automobiles that most have only seen in movies. Corn dogs, popcorn, hamburgers and hot-dogs (along with many other items) help to fill the stomachs of those traveling back into this quaint little "town".

Classic Car Show every Saturday night is a huge hit

Last year saw the opening of a new permanent haunted attraction "Legends: A Haunting at Old Town". The premise behind Legends is simple, a  funeral home established by Archibald Ashdown in 1889 at Old Town had a thriving business burying the dead. The truth is however that not everyone Archibald buried was dead at the time, and now those souls haunt the building forever. The attraction is unique in that it has live actors, combined with animatronics and special effects in ways never used before. The one thing that really makes this attraction a nine on the scare scale is that the actors are not leashed, meaning they are free to roam, so no location in the house is safe from the dead.

Creepy

The attraction has been an instant hit, so Old Town has decided to expand its entertainments offerings once again by adding a new venue known as "The Great Magic Hall".  The project is still on the "do not discuss" list for now, but we have pulled some hints out of our magic hat as to what the experience entails.

The Great Magic Hall will be a series of rooms all interconnected and driven by a singular story line.  Guests will be escorted through 12 rooms where they will lay witness to some mind-blowing magic tricks that will be combined with special effects, actors, and other surprises. We are also told that the finale is something not to be missed and will leave you in awe. The attraction is operated by Theater Magic, which is the same crew that does shows at Universal and other area parks. More details will follow as they are released but look for a summer 2014 opening for this new project.

The pace at Old Town is slower, and more intimate than in the larger parks and can be a refreshing change for most guests, so if you get the chance check it out!!

Enjoy!!

Mardi Gras 2014 at Universal "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"!!

Let the good times roll!! or as the French say "Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez"!!

Music Plaza at night

Universal just released a new list of artists for the annual Mardi Gras celebration and the line up is going to be outstanding with something for basically everyone! The celebration takes place each year at Universal Studios Florida and is a massively popular experience, which is understandable as the Music Plaza area at the studios is one of the best outdoor concert venues ever built inside a theme park.

Line up as of 1/16/2014

Top name acts and new up and coming performers will fill the stage on select nights at the largest Mardi Gras celebration outside of New Orleans. The studios is decorated in festive purple, gold and green colors along with many other great photo op sets. This year will be the longest running Mardi Gras event Universal has ever hosted, and will provide the lead in for the opening of the new Harry Potter: Diagon Alley which is rumored to open in early June.

Mardi Gras nights bring the famous parade with floats galore (many of which come directly from New Orleans), more beads than you can carry, commemorative doubloons, and lots and lots of glitter and confetti. The smell of true New Orleans Mardi Gras food fills the air and drinks, including the signature Hurricane, flow like water.

King Gator Float

King Cake

Beauty of India float

 Mardi Gras nights can be packed, with the major artists nights reaching sell outs.  So be prepared to have some amazing experiences with a few thousand of your closest friends and celebrate this great event along with Universals top attractions and shows. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or help with planning your trip.

Enjoy!!

#mardigras #themeparkwhispers #universalorando