It’s basically July, which can mean only one thing…it’s time to start talking about Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom.

We return to the 2019 edition of the Halloween Party to see what it has to offer, and discuss some of the least stressful ways to experience the best parts. This post will introduce what you can expect to see and do and then I’ll follow it up with a more detailed look at the individual pieces in separate posts. There’s only so much you can do in 5,000 words.

Continue reading “Guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party 2019 at Disney’s Magic Kingdom”

We head out to Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way, a new “Enchanting Extra” up-charge event as part of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. It takes place at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at Magic Kingdom from 9:30pm through 12:30am on event nights.

With the success of Tony’s Most Merriest Town Square Party after it debuted during the Christmas Party season last November, it’s not particularly surprising that we see a spooky version for this year’s Halloween Parties. Nobody may have been more surprised than me that I reviewed the Christmas version positively after attending last year. There were a few primary reasons for that determination. Principally, I was impressed by the ease and peacefulness of the overall experience, particularly with the guarantee of a prime parade viewing location around the Flag Pole. Second, the atmosphere inside Tony’s was festive and pleasant for the wintertime holiday, with thoughtful cast members, plenty of room to spread out, easy access to the buffet and bar, and several hilarious encounters with Tony, the proprietor of the restaurant.

At least on paper, the details of Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way are virtually indistinguishable from the Christmas event. I’ve highlighted some key points:

Continue reading “Review: Cruella’s Halloween Hide-A-Way at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party”

We head out to visit Disney’s Contemporary Resort and the iconic Chef Mickey’s restaurant that’s located on the fourth floor Grand Canyon Concourse. Whether there’s something in the water, a fear of Donald Duck’s imminent retribution, or it’s simply Disney’s unyielding marketing machine, every child who enters this world wants to eat here. That power transcends price, food quality, logistics, and by all other accounts, logic. After all, a family of four eating dinner at Chef Mickey’s will pay about $217.45 with tax/tip for a buffet that is almost universally panned on pricing and food quality.

Continue reading “Chef Mickey’s Brunch Review at Disney’s Contemporary Resort”

With just about two weeks until the start of the International Food and Wine Festival, we return to Epcot for some easy late morning touring.

We continue from the first part of this series, where we took a look at the current state of construction at the entrance to the Park. We also saw what it takes to rope drop Test Track, the Park’s highest priority attraction.

Continue reading “An Epcot Afternoon”

8/7/19 Update: Updates to the map, touring strategies, FastPass+ priority, and touring plans.

The information below is available in an easily printable PDF here. Consider downloading it to your smart device for easy referencing.

Larger: Here.

PDF: Here.

General Touring Philosophy: The opening of Pandora – World of Avatar complicates touring, but it’s still possible to experience most or all of Animal Kingdom’s attractions in one day. How you go about your day basically comes down to whether you can acquire FastPass+ for Avatar Flight of Passage, which are typically not available 59 or fewer days from a given date. That means little or no availability for those staying off-site or planning a trip fewer than 60 days in the future.

If you are able to acquire Flight of Passage FP+: With one day, the easiest way to do most everything is by arriving at least 30 minutes before open and heading straight to ride Na’vi River Journey in standby. After, head to priority attractions outside of Pandora where waits will be short. If you can’t arrive that early and can stay late, get in line for Na’vi River Journey about five minutes before park close. If neither is possible, ride River Journey sometime between 1pm and 5pm when waits are actually shorter than the early morning or evening, or search for River Journey FP+ availability throughout the day and book it when it becomes available. Use FastPass+ at Flight of Passage and other priority attractions in the late morning and afternoon. With two days, book FastPass+ for Flight of Passage on one day and Na’vi River Journey on the second, in addition to two other selections each day.

Continue reading “Animal Kingdom Touring Plans, Rope Drop, Wait Times, and FastPass+ Priority”