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My 10th WDW & Universal Studios holiday

Well, it's been just over a week since I came home from Orlando and it's taken me this long to face writing a blog about it.

I could go into a huge, depressing blog post about it, but that won't change being home or be fun for anyone to read. So, I thought I could just write about the memories, the fun times I had there this year, how it has changed since I first went there 15 years ago and the wonderful new things I will be facing when I go back in 3 years.

First I'd like to just comment on the new Under the Sea with the Little Mermaid ride in New Fantasyland. My expectations for this ride were very high, I'm not too sure why, maybe because it was similar to the Finding Nemo ride in Epcot, a ride that I love to go on because it's very relaxing and isn't just a complete copy of the 2003 film. This is where you may want to look away if you don't want the ride spoilt. I was not expecting in anyway the ride to just be a re-telling of the whole film in about 10 minutes. Sure, the animatronics were brilliant, you can sing a long to your favourite songs from the film and the best bit of the ride is the recreation of 'Under The Sea'. I just found myself a little bored during the ride and fairly disappointed that they had just built a ride re telling the story in 10 minutes. It seemed all a little rushed and I am very glad I had got a FP for it and not waited in the stand by line. In my opinion, it is Magic Kingdom's weakest ride. 

For those of you who looked away, you can re-read now :)

One thing I really enjoyed about this holiday was that I walked onto most of the rides the whole 2 weeks, this was due to the fact the massive groups that usually attend the parks had yet to arrive. Going two weeks before we usually go really paid off. 

Nothing had really changed this visit, apart from the new tickets and there were a lot of building boards up in Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

I also managed to ride Transformers in Universal Studios before the grand opening, because you know grand openings aren't pretty, this ride is fantastic! If you're going to Universal at any time, I strongly suggest you make this ride a must. I wasn't expecting much and I certainly didn't expect it to be anything like it is. 

I am still highly impressed with Universal Studios as a whole and I'd go as far as saying Disney finally has major competition. 

This is all I really have time to wrote about now, so I'll continue in another post later on.

As always, you can tweet me with all questions, queries, comments or suggestions @CAGoldenWest14

Thanks for reading!

"It was... different. Nobody likes change" - Ross, Friends

How much can actually change in a year? 

A lot, when it's Walt Disney World

First major thing that has come in with WDW is that they're out with the old paper park tickets and in with new plastic cards which don't work on the turn styles, they're for the new Mickey scanners that seem to have popped up all over the park at the start of the Fast Pass lines. This was all very interesting to me and my father. We came up with our own theories as to what these scanners were for. Then as if Disney were reading our minds, a few days later as we entered the Magic Kingdom, we saw a sign saying My MagicBands this way. Wanting to know all about these new bands we found a Cast Member inside and questioned him about it all.

If you already know everything about My MagicBand then there's no need to read the rest, if not, read on :)

Basically, you'll have a band for your wrist, they're just like a bracelet or a watch and come in a lot of different colours, this band will be your park ticket, your Fast Pass tickets, and your credit card, pretty much everything about you will be on this band. But, and it's a big but, to receive the full benefit of these bands you need to have an account on the My Disney Experience app, I'll tell you more about that now. They're currently running guest trials for these bands for guests who arrived last week and will do 2 more trials before they release it to everyone, pending everything goes smoothly. The trials with Cast Members and their families were successful, so this is why the Guest trials have started. So, until the bands become the main thing, Disney are distributing plastic park tickets, almost like credit cards. 

So, these scanners that have popped up in the entrance ways to the Fast Pass lines in most attractions, this is where the MagicBands get INTERESTING! Remember that Disney app I just told you about? Well, when you activate your bands onto the app you're able to book Fast Pass times for the Park you plan on visiting that day. I became very wary of this when the CM told us but he said you're only able to book for 3 attractions in one park a day until they see how things go, apparently they've researched the average amount of Fast Passes distributed by Guests is 3 in one park. He also said they are getting rid of all of the Fast Pass machines for all the attractions, so you really need this app or when the park opens Guest Relations will have computers with the app on them so you're able to do it from there. Also, you will need to check the app to remind you of your Fast Pass times, or you could write them down when you've booked them.

I'm not sure if the band will have Disney Resort room keys on them, but seen as the current room keys are Guests park tickets as well, they probably will be. 

This is a VERY big change for Disney and it's not the only change within Disney property but I'll save that for my next post.

As always if you have any questions, comments, suggestions or things you'd like covered, let me know in comments below or contact me on Twitter at @WDWHoliday13

Thanks for reading,

Emily

WDW Food, you'll never want normal food again!

So, I thought I'd dedicate my latest blog post to the WDW food. What can I say? It's so wonderful, it needed its own post.

I'll start with a place I love to eat at Magic Kingdom. Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, the best place to grab a bite to eat. They have 3 different bays to choose from, all selling different foods. One bay sells salads, another Chicken and my personal favourite the burger bay. Their double bacon cheese burgers are to die for! And one of the best things about this place is that you can add your own salad and sauce, the burger doesn't come with any of that in it, so if you're not a lover of salad then no worries, you won't have to ask for them to make it without any of the salad. The seating areas are another thing I love about this restaurant. You can either sit inside and listen to Ray (he's an animatronic alien) crack jokes and sing songs or you can sit out on the terrace outside. But be warned, around about 12 pm this place gets VERY busy because it's a popular place to eat in the park. 

I have yet to try Be Our Guest as it opened after my last visit, but I have read really good reviews.

This is the only place I have really eaten in Magic Kingdom due to the menu and the fantastic price, there are other good restaurants in this park but I tend to stick with Cosmic Ray's because it's worth every penny.

Now, in Epcot I have eaten in two restaurants, the four seasons at the Land and the fish and chip bar in the United Kingdom pavilion. 

The four seasons sell four different types of foods (it's kind of in the name). I tend to go for the Chinese section because their food is so yummy. This place is located right next to Soarin' and Living with the Land, two great rides to go on while at Epcot, so when you've finished your food there you can hop on either one (Soarin' normally has a VERY long wait though, so fast passes are recommended for this one).

The fish and chip bar in the United Kingdom pavilion is great little British tradition spot and is located next to the Rose and Crown pub, where more traditional British meals are found. This bar is great for a small dinner while waiting for the Illuminations to begin. 

Disney's Hollywood Studios also has a lot of reasonably priced places to eat. I recommend the food stalls just up from Tower of Terror and Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. These little stalls sell Chilli dogs, my favourite, Turkey legs, my dads favourite, burgers and pizza's, basically everyone's favourite meals all in one area. It's a wonderful place eat and you can have a little laugh at the screams coming from Tower of Terror or hear the loveable songs of Beauty and the Beast coming from the theatre. Another great thing about this area is that there are a few shops on the same stretch, so you can walk off your food before facing more rides (and do some shopping). Another place I like to eat at in this park is Pizza Planet, how can you not eat here? It's simply a must as it's part of the greatest Disney Pixar movie's every created.

I never really eat in Animal Kingdom, so I don't really have an opinion of their restaurants, although, they do sell those famous Turkey Legs in a lot of the food stalls you'll pass through out the park.

When I'm at the water parks I don't eat, it's not a very good idea to 'swim' on a full stomach. So, me and my dad normally take a trip to Downtown Disney after we've finished in the water parks and eat at The Earl of Sandwich, which is another great place to eat. Their sandwiches and salads are to die for and all at a low cost.

Now, there are many other restaurants that are located in the Disney parks which I haven't mentioned, purely because 1. I haven't been to them or 2. They're a 3 $ restaurant.

The restaurants in WDW tell you want kind of price you're looking at per person for a meal on the park maps, this will make it easier for you to decide where you'd like to eat and so you won't have to go looking in every restaurant at their prices, which will waste time.

You will find next to the restaurants name on the map $ signs, indicating to you how much per person your looking at paying there.

$ = $14.99 or less

$$ = $15 - $29.99

$$$ = $30 - $54.99

Some restaurants have a $ and a $$ by their name, this tells you that lunch is $ and dinner is $$.

Some have a $$ and a $$$ by their name, this tells you that it is god damn expensive to eat here.

$$$ sign restaurants are normally Character dinning places. This is where Disney Characters come around your tables and meet you. Cute yes, but expensive. I recommend you do this experience once because it can get very pricey if done all the time. I tend not to go to these, I've done it once and once was enough really.

I hope this has helped you with meal times for when you visit the parks.

So, until next time!

Don't forget, if you have any questions about anything in this post or a previous post or something I haven't covered, feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on Twitter @WDWHoliday13

Universal Studios

I have realised I have been talking a lot about WDW and not enough about Universal Studios. So, I thought it could use its own post.

If you don't already know, there are two parks within Universal; Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

I don't have a favourite, they are equally as great as each other. Both have great rides I could simply ride over and over.

Now, I find that Universal seems to be more of an adults park, purely because the rides there are a lot more violent and rough than any in WDW. So, if you're taking young children who meet the height requirement for the rides, as their parent, I'd ride first to see if you think it is suitable for your children before they ride themselves. The last thing you want is for your child to not enjoy it and possibly get scared on say the likes of The Hulk or Hollywood Rip Ride Rock It, both of which are fairly violent compared to Expedition Everest and Rock 'n' Roller Coster. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying children won't like Universal full stop, I've seen many a child there have the time of their lives but they mostly seem to be at least 8/9 years old. 

The height restrictions in Universal are a lot higher than in Disney, for their big coasters, but there are plenty of other rides that have little to no height restrictions. 

I find that both parks can be done in one day, but don't get a one day 2 park ticket because Universal Studios is a seriously great park and you'll want to ride the rides over and over.

Until next time,

Emily

Fast Pass the long lines

In this post I am going to explain the Fast Pass system in WDW.

Fast Passes enable you to 'save' your place in the lines. A lot of the rides in the parks have them (apart from the Water Parks, these don't have the Fast Pass system) and they save you and your family a lot of time, so, you're able to do everything you want to do in the parks.

Now, you can't simply go and get a FP for every ride at once, you can only get one at a time, per park ticket. But as soon as the return time starts on the current FP or an hour after you get your FP, which ever comes first, you're able to get another.

The FP return time is only valid for an hour, which is stated clearly on the ticket. If you return after the hour window has finished you're FP is invalid.

There is one exception to this rule though, if the ride breaks down before or during your return time your FP now becomes valid for the rest of that day. Something I found out last year when Splash Mountain was experiencing serious malfunctions.

So, how do you get a FP? Well, next to the rides, you will find that rides FP service machines, with these you put your park ticket in and a FP comes out. If it all becomes a little 'I'm not sure what to do' a cast member is always on hand to help you.

So, that is the FP system explained. Remember, for the most popular rides, be sure to obtain a FP as the lines can get long.

I hope that has helped you and cleared up any uncertainty. If not, please feel free to ask questions below or on my Twitter @WDWHoliday13 and I will answer it to the best of my abilities.

Until next time,

Emily

WDW Extra Magic Hours

As mentioned in my previous post, I will tell you all you need to know about Extra Magic Hours, even if you're not a Disney hotel guest they will effect you when going to the parks.

There are two sets of Extra Magic Hours, am and pm.

The am hours normally start at 8am, an hour before the park opens to the general public.

It happens to all 6 parks but on different days, so I advise you to check out which parks have am hours on which days and plan your days around them.

Only one of the parks a day will have am hours.

Due to the park being open to Disney guests an hour before non Disney guests the park can get crowded very quickly and by the time the park opens, at 9 to the general public, the queues are long and there's a while for the Fast Pass return times, it's just not worth it! Avoid that park during the morning.

Now, there are also pm hours, the same as am hours, with only one park having them on one day but the park could stay open for up to 2 hours after closing time to the general public.

How do they know who are Disney guests and who aren't? I hear you say. Well, I'll tell you. How can they simply throw you out of the park at closing time? Well, they can't. You can stay in the park if you're a non Disney guest until the Extra pm Hours have finished but you won't be able to ride any of the rides. That is because when the pm hours start the Cast Members on the rides check to see if you have a Disney room key, this is what enables you as a Disney guest to the Extra Magic hours.

So, if you try to get on a ride after official park closing time and you don't have a Disney room key you can ride anything. It's as simple as that.

Three parks don't have Extra pm Hours and that is Animal Kingdom, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. Don't ask why, I have no idea.

I hope that has cleared the whole Extra Magic Hours up for you.

Remember, if you have any questions or anything you would like covered please don't hesitate to comment below or tweet me @WDWHoliday13

Until then,

Emily