There’s a lot to unpack when it comes to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the first part of which will open in just over a week’s time. I struggled a bit with how to cover the opening. As you’re undoubtedly aware, a virtually identical Land opened in Disneyland back in June, with previews that began a month before that. I waffled between going to Disneyland to cover Galaxy’s Edge there and staying home to drink whiskey on the couch and cry. As you might expect, the latter won out, as it usually does. The fact is that for us Walt Disney World visitors, what’s happening out in Disneyland is largely irrelevant, and that would be even more true during limited previews or opening day festivities out in California. Even now, with a week to go, my own opinions of the Land are going to be based on limited previews here in Florida. Of course, unlike a lot of “media” sites, we’ll continue to be in the thick of things for the next hundred years, honing our touring strategies and seeing how best to enjoy each of the many parts that make up the planet of Batuu. In this brief introduction, I’ll discuss what to expect from Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run here in Florida during the first few months of operation.

You may click (almost) any image for a larger version.

Millennium Falcon: Smuggers Run is located in the very back left corner of Galaxy’s Edge, through the Marketplace area and past the various shops, stalls, and eateries. The entrance to the attraction is to the left of the ship.

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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”