Navigating Walt Disney World – Sydney's Disney Blog

Corona Virus & The Disney Parks

April 2, 2020 Sydney Mccarthy4 Comments

Many of you commented on my last post that you are interested in what is going on with the Disney Parks in relation to the Corona Virus, so in my post today I hope to explain just that!

In mid-March, the Disney Company finally announced the closure of Disneyland, in Anaheim, CA, and Walt Disney World, in Orlando, FL. The closure of these two parks marked the official closing of all Disney theme parks, worldwide. Prior to this announcement, all international theme parks were closed due to the pandemic, however, the US parks remained open. Disney also suspended all Cruise Lines, and on March 17th, all Disney-owned stores in North America (including those in shopping malls) closed due to the virus.

The original plan was for the US parks to remain closed until March 30th, however, Disney recently announced that the parks will now be closing indefinitely.

If you have any questions regarding travel concerns or about canceling/rescheduling your Disney vacation you can call the guest service lines which, for Disneyland is (714) 520-5050, or go online to their websites.

Disney has automatically refunded all pre-paid dining, they have given guests who have park-tickets an extension on those tickets which will now expire on December 15th, 2020. If the tickets can’t be used before then, guests will get a reduction on tickets the next time they buy them. Disney World Annual Pass-holders will also get an extension on their passes by the amount of days the parks are closed for.

The closures are really hurting the Disney company as the theme parks are a HUGE revenue stream for them.

The only Disney resort property that has begun to open back up is Shanghai Disneyland Park. The park itself is not open, however, the on-property resort hotel, the shopping center (Disneytown), and Wishing Star Park are now open. Also, there is a limited number of “shopping, dining, and recreational experiences available in Disneytown.” They are having a phased re-opening, and re-opening these parts of the resort are the first step. They have been taking guests’ temperatures and requiring them to wear masks during their visit.

People are now speculating what this phased re-opening means for the rest of the theme parks, as well as how else the corona virus could change the Disney Park operations forever. It is near impossible for any of the Disney Parks to guarantee that guests will remain 6-feet apart, especially with the typical park experience. However, some possible steps Disney could take to help keep these safety measures is through limiting capacity, having a ride cue similar to that of the current Ride of the Resistance online cue. All guests may also get their temperature’s taken and may be required to wear masks.

For more detailed answers to all your Disney-Corona Virus questions, I would 10/10 recommend Disney Food Blog’s YouTube and website as they are monitoring the situation very carefully. (I would also recommend following them in general!)

If you have any other questions about how Disney World is handling the corona virus, please leave a comment below and I will try to respond!

Until next time, I’ll see ya real soon!

Your Day at Animal Kingdom Park

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 Sydney Mccarthy7 Comments

Don’t worry! I didn’t forget about your day at Animal Kingdom!

Animal Kingdom (AK) was never considered (generally) as the most popular WDW theme park, however, in recent years it has really stepped its game up! With the all “new” Pandora: The World of Avatar section of the park (with one of the best rides in all of WDW), their new nighttime spectacular: The Rivers of Light, and more, Animal Kingdom has become a hot stop for new and exciting adventurers!

The theme park is constructed of six areas (Africa, Asia, DinoLand U.S.A., Pandora – The World of Avatar, Oasis, and Discovery Island) which all meet at the center of the park, Discovery Island (home to the Tree of Life). It is designed to teleport you into these places and does a pretty incredible job of doing so.

AK is a veryyyy unique theme park as it has elements that no other theme park on the planet has. AK brings elements from all over the world (and beyond) and from all over time! The park offers several Broadway-esque shows–such as Finding Nemo – The Musical, Festival of the Lion King (an INCREDIBLE show), and more. It also has street performances such as Bollywood Beats, Winged Encounters – The Kingdom Takes Flight, Pandora Drummers – Swotu Wayä, Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe, Viva Gaia Street Band!, Pandora Rangers, and more. And it offers up close animal encounters with animals from around the world. If you want to take these animal encounters to the next level, you can to the Wild Africa Trek which takes guests around the safari by foot and makes them walk on “old bridges” over the alligator pit (of course it’s 100% safe though).

Festival of the Lion King

Tam Tam Dummers

If you have little kids in your group, then I would 100% recommend taking them over to DinoLand U.S.A. which is supposed to be themed as a Dig/Excavation Site-turned-Carnival. When I was younger this was my favorite spot in all of WDW (although I must say that I was a HUGE dinosaur fan) because of the giant dinosaurs (some made out of bones) and the Dig Site in which kids get to “dig” around a large pit in search of giant dinosaur bones.

AK has some incredible rides and attractions that often times get overlooked. Here are a few of the best rides AK has to offer:

Kilimanjaro Safaris takes guests on a guided tour (in a safari vehicle) through AK’s 110 acre safari where you will see real, live animals (don’t forget your camera because you do NOT want to miss these photo opportunities).

Kali River Rapids is another popular ride which takes riders through a jungle that got “ravaged by illegal logging,” or in other words, guests float in a giant inner-tube through bare-trees, with the occasional burst of fire, and ride down a giant drop which leaves everyone soaked with water. I would not prioritize getting on this ride, however, because the line is always very long (like 1.5 hour wait times) and the ride is very short and doesn’t give an experience worth an hour and a half long wait.

Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a roller coaster that takes you on a journey through the Himalayan Mountains where you will come “face-to-face with the legendary Yeti.” I 10/10 recommend this ride. It has everything you could want in a rollercoaster (including going backwards, having huge drops, and more!). I am not a big rollercoaster person, but I really enjoy this ride. It typically has about an hour long wait time, but it is definitely worth the wait, especially when considering all the things to look at while in the ride cue.

The newest ride introduced to the AK is one that puts guests in an INCREDIBLE new experience (think Soarin’ on another level). This ride is Avatar Flight of Passage. The story of this ride is that you go into Pandora inside an Avatar and get to ride on the back of a banshee all around Pandora. Now if you are like me and never have seen Avatar and know nothing about it, you may be thinking that this ride is not for you because you wouldn’t understand anything, you would be totally wrong. The ride makes you feel every movement of the banshee, feel the wind on your face, the spray of water, and makes you smell everything. It is a truly breath-taking experience that everyone should try.
- One note though, my dad said that his equilibrium got very messed up after riding this ride and is not planning to ride it again, so if you have problems with your equilibrium getting messed up, I would not recommend this ride. Also, the seats can be a little uncomfortable especially when the ride attendants press the restraints in so make sure you speak up about it immediately or else you might have an uncomfortable ride (speaking from experience here)
- Also, note that the wait time is extremely long for this ride so make sure to get a FastPass if you can.

Okay, with all that being said, here is your schedule for your day at Animal Kingdom Park:

9:00 am – Reservations for Breakfast at the Tusker House

10:15 am – Fastpass for Kilimanjaro Safaris

Visit some of the animal enclosures in the area

12:00 pm – Fastpass for Avatar Flight of Passage

1:00 pm – Eat at Harambe Market or another Quick Service location for lunch

3:00 pm – Expedition Everest Fastpass

6:15 – Yak & Yeti Dinner reservation

Rivers of Light (times vary)

*I would also recommend trying to make time for the Festival of the Lion King show some time during the day (times vary)

I hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know what your favorite ride at AK is (if you have one), or which ride/experience you thinks sounds most enjoyable, or what you’d like to see me write about next!

Until next time! See ya real soon!

Navigating Disney World with a Nut Allergy

March 19, 2020 Sydney Mccarthy5 Comments

Navigating new restaurants, let alone vacations, can be extremely challenging (and disappointing at times) when you have an allergy, especially a life threatening one. Something that is not talked enough about is allergies and how they are handled in WDW. And, unfortunately, despite the progress they have made, WDW has a long way to go when dealing with food allergies. So, today I figured I would discuss how to get what you want in restaurants eating with an allergy.

I say “get what you want” because, as you will find, the Disney restaurants claim that they are extremely allergy friendly, but don’t exactly tell you what it means… so I will.

I get very passionate about this subject because it is something I have had to deal with ever since my siblings were born. Somehow, out of the four of us, I’m the only one without any food allergies (I am the only one with glasses though, so I guess it evened out to an extent -lol). My siblings on the other hand all have severe, life-threatening, peanut allergies, and terrible treenut and seasame allergies.

As is often found, when resturants claim that they are allergy friendly it means that back in the depths of the kitchen they have the most repulsive foods (typically breads/carbs) you will ever try. Not only are they peanut/treenut/sesame free, but they are dairy free, egg free, gluten free, sugar free, fat free, wheat free, vegan… I could go on and on. So basically, they are “everything”-free (I seriously do NOT want to know what they are made of). Other than this monstrosity, they state that they “cannot ensure the safety of the other products.” This just isn’t fair to those with only one allergy

You may be asking, “okay, so this sucks. But what can I do about it?” Well, Disney is all about hospitality, and giving their customers the experience they desire –and quite frankly, the one they deserve after paying half their college tuition and going into debt just to see Mickey Mouse for a day. The key to getting what you want is using this “against” them. The kitchen staff is more than capable to make you your own, normal Mickey waffle and just keeping it safe from nuts, but a lot of the time, they are lazy about it (we know this because some of the restaurants are easy about requesting the regular foods in a safe location, and most all Disney restaurants are operated the same). By pushing them just a bit by fully explaining your situation, you will be able to get the safe food you want. If you have to fight for this, you are in your complete right to ask for the manager and try to dispute the situation that way.

This may sound rude, but Disney is well-known for its obsession with taking short-cuts, making them go one extra step is not unjustifiable. Also, sometimes the servers just don’t understand what you are asking for. Also, you aren’t just helping yourself, but those with allergies who come to Disney World and don’t know of another alternative than the horror bread. Through more and more people demanding that something be changed in the food operations in Disney, Disney will recognize the issue and make it so that people can automatically receive the good, safe foods.

The good thing is that now when you book your dining reservations, you can make a note that someone in your party has a food allergy. This will trigger something in your reservation that will automatically notify the chef of the respective restaurant to come to your table and walk you through what can be done to accommodate your allergy.

Also, many times I remember sitting down at a Disney restaurant and eating the pre-served, pre-prepared desserts while by siblings were served a massive, special, custom desert made special by the kitchen (they often do this without any request). I may have been a little jealous when they brought out a massive waffle cone filled with ice cream, warm chocolate sauce, whipped cream, freshly made mickey shaped brownie, and more, while I ate my square shaped brownie with a scoop of vanilla next to it. You can always request one of these yourself, but often times they just do it for special cases, such as allergies!

I hope this helped at least a little, and if you or someone you know is planning a trip to WDW and doesn’t know what to do for their allergies, don’t hesitate to ask!

Until next time! I’ll see ya real soon!

Restaurants Outside of the Parks

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020 Sydney Mccarthy3 Comments

So… you want a break from the parks? Well look no further!…

In comparison to the MASSIVE amount of land that Walt Disney World owns, the theme parks don’t take up all that much space. So, what exactly is in the rest of the property?

Unlike their theme-park counterparts, the resorts where guests stay have free admission. This is something that may seem obvious to some, but it often gets overlooked. So many of the resorts have such incredible things to offer visitors, and one of my favorite things they have to offer is the delicious food.

For this list, I am going to stay away from character themed dining and breakfast locations –as if I were to include those, this blog would be a bit too long! But if you would be interested in a blog about great resort/non-park breakfast locations, let me know in the comments, as there are some great and… different –to say the least– breakfast spots!

Olivia’s Café – Disney’s Old Key West Resort
1. Okay, I will admit that I may be a bit biased in choosing this location as Old Key West is me and my family’s absolute favoriteWDW resort. That being said, I truly believe there is something to be said about this restaurant. They are famous across all Disney foodies for their fried chicken and, above all, their key lime pie.
2. My favorite meal here is their salmon, served with fresh rice, and black-bean paste. Their key lime pie is heavenly, I can assure you!
3. Oh! And don’t forget to request extra of their bread (you’ll thank me later)!

Disney’s Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show
1. Did you know that you can watch a luau on the beach of a Disney resort while being served fantastic Hawaiian cuisine, and watch the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom right after your meal? Well folks, you can at The Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show at Disney’s Polynesian Resort. The dancing is fantastic, and the performance is jaw dropping. The fire twirlers were insanely talented and would be dancing around with fire on both ends of their torch.
2. The food it delicious, although beware that picky little kids (I’m looking at my siblings) may not be so inclined to try the food (although I promise it isn’t anything too crazy).
  1. 10/10 recommend this!!!!

Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue
1. Another dinner and show experience can be found out at the Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. This show is a lot of fun for the whole family. Watch as 6 extremely talented singers and dancers put on a show filled with laughs and wonderful music. All the while, you are enjoying some of the absolute BEST food you can find in Walt Disney World. No joke.
2. It really is a great show and has become a tradition for my family for years. And when you are booking, don’t forget to request the center table for some extra fun!

The Four Seasons – Capa
1. Okay, so maybe this isn’t technically a “Disney” restaurant, but for my final restaurant for this blog, I needed to mention Capa. This steakhouse is located on the “rooftop” of the Four Seasons resort on WDW’s campus. Sometimes you need to get away from all the Disney craziness. If so, this is your meal.
2. The food is good, but the view is even better.
3. From the balcony of the restaurant, you can see all across WDW (especially since FL’s topography is so flat). This especially comes in handy for the spectacular firework shows at the various parks during the night. My family and I tried Capa for the first time during our last trip and I was blown away by the view. On your right you see the Magic Kingdom fireworks, and on your left, EPCOT.
4. I would absolutely recommend this restaurant, but make sure you book it at the time the firework shows will happen!

I hope you all enjoyed my blog, and hope you will consider trying out some of these places in the future!

What are some of your favorite Disney resort restaurants? Have you ever been to any of these?

Until next blog! I’ll see ya real soon!

Navigating Transportation at WDW

February 13, 2020 Sydney Mccarthy5 Comments

For today’s blog, I decided to take a break from planning your vacation to explain some of the modes of transportation around WDW as navigating it can be a bit of a challenge for people who don’t know the ins and outs of getting around!

Okay, so let’s be honest, Walt Disney World is HUGE. And who can blame you if you don’t want to pay the outrageous parking prices to keep a car at your resort. Well never fear, Disney has your back for free public transportation!

Before I begin going into the specific modes of transportation, I will be discussing a place called the “Ticket and Transportation Center” (otherwise known as your worst nightmare when trying to get into the MK for the opening or exit the MK after closing). The Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC) is a gateway to the MK via bus, ferry, or monorail; or to EPCOT via monorail. The TTC has seemingly never-ending parking lots for guests to park their cars before traveling to their next destinations. It is important to note, though, that if you plan to drive, the TTC is the onlyplace you can park your vehicle for the MK, as there is no parking lot (resort guests aside) near the entrance to the park. Although this can be very inconvenient (especially when running late for a reservation –speaking from experience here), I believe it is designed this way to give more land to potential expansions of the MK, as well as to transport guests away from their hectic lives from the very beginning of the day, and get them excited and anticipated about the fun they have that day.

Monorails:

I must start with the most recognizable mode of Disney transportation: the monorail system. It is one of my favorite modes of transportation at WDW as you get to see some beautiful views of EPCOT and MK, as well as the surrounding Bay Lake resorts. It is fast, reliable, and really helpful if you are staying a monorail resort. The only drawback to the monorail is the lines of people trying to get into or out of the parks. This is primarily an issue at the Magic Kingdom, as the monorail, bus, and ferry systems are the only ways to exit the Magic Kingdom and return to your car at the Ticket and Transportation center (and the buses and ferries tend to take a long time to arrive).

Ferries:

The ferries are another easy, convenient way to navigate around the various sections of WDW. There are two parks that can be reached via an interconnecting system: Hollywood Studios and EPCOT; and the Magic Kingdom has its own ferry system that boats gets to and from the Ticket and Transportation Center. In addition, some resorts, including Disney’s Old Key West Resort (my family’s all-time favorite resort), Disney’s Boardwalk and Disney’s Yacht Club Resorts, and Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort all have ferries as well. Old Key West and Saratoga have transportation via ferry to Disney Springs which is basically a MASSIVE outdoor shopping mall (more on this in a later blog). The ferries are a nice mode of transportation is you have more time and want a nice and relaxing ride.

Buses:

OK, so maybe not the most glamorous form of transportation (definitely not as glamorous as the monorail), but hey, they do the job. These buses operate just as any regular public transportation bus would. It is important to mention them, however, because they are some resorts’ only mode of public transportation, so if that is important to you, be sure to book a resort with multiple modes of transport. In addition, the fact that buses get overlooked may be in your favor, particularly for the Magic Kingdom. As I discussed above, the only way to reach the MK with a car is to park in the TTC and transfer to either a monorail, bus, or ferry to ultimately reach the park. However, if you want to cut out the middleman (and who could blame you), then the buses are definitely the way to go. Although, be warned, if something were to happen, such as a freak, super powerful storm, and everyone wants to leave the park immediately (again, speaking from a very unfun experience –it isFlorida after all), then the buses are going to get a bit crammed, and you may not get out very timely (aka you will get soaked while simultaneously getting blown around by freakishly strong wind –its happened).

Trams:

While this mode of transportation does not bring you from park to park, nor from a resort to a park, it is a VERY nice tool to have (especially when it is over 100 degrees out and you don’t want to walk across miles of blacktop). Trams are in nearly every parking lot on WDW’s premise. To compensate for their massive size, and make your life a little easier, parking lots are usually divided into sections (such as Heroes and Villains) and different areas have a different character or action associated with them. Most trams specialize in transporting guests to a specific section (i.e. Heroes), so it is very important to know in what section you are parked!

Minnie Vans Service:

You’ve heard of Uber, you’ve heard of Lyft, well now we have Minnie Vans! Minnie Vans operate the exact same way as Uber or Lyft but are specific to WDW. The vans can fit up to six guests and come with two car seats for young children. The service can drop you off anywhere on the WDW premise and can be super helpful for getting to reservations on time or getting dropped off at the front of the MK!

The all new Skyliner System:

While I personally have not had the chance to ride in this new system yet, I’ve heard very good things about it. It has really helped out some of the resorts that are a bit farther from the parks by providing them with a new mode of transportation. Little kids seem to especially enjoy the ride!

The Skyliners come in different styles and some even come with a wrap featuring some of your favorite Disney characters which is really cute to see, especially as they go by.

Well, I hope this was helpful, and be sure to keep it in mind when planning on your next vacation!

See ya real soon!