In what has become an increasingly rare occurrence, there are a few things of interest happening at Walt Disney World that don’t include a wall at Animal Kingdom moving from one side of the walkway to the other.
Disney installed guard rails along the Mickey floral to further persuade parents against letting their children run amok along the rockwork, only to have junior fall and then demand compensation because how could your stupidity be your own fault.
A scrim is still up on the cinema as the Cinderella Castle Crane continues standing tall in the distance.
Portions of Main Street were roped off with “wet paint” signs, which didn’t deter a stream of kids from ducking the ropes and plowing forward.
Both sides of the Hub are largely free from walls as the west side was unveiled on the 25th, with the east side following suit on the afternoon of the 27th.
The hub expansion adds a lot of walkway space on both sides.
The project’s principal goal is to facilitate faster and safer exits after Wishes, when this area gets slammed with 20,000+ people.
The Main Street Bypass is a big part of that plan. It connects the area between The Chapeau and Tony’s Restaurant on Main Street near the entrance/exit with the area in between Plaza Restaurant and Tomorrowland Terrace. Using the Bypass avoids the crowds that screech to a near standstill most evenings during the time in between the first Electrical Parade ending and Wishes.
In the future, it’s expected that both sides of the hub area will offer FastPass+ viewing for Wishes. You can see the semi-permanent installation of the Mickey touchpoints at the entrance to the east FP+ viewing area.
And on the west side.
With Wishes scheduled at 10pm, the area was restricted to FP+ users a full two hours early.
I’m standing in the center of the Wishes FP+ area and you can sort of see the Move It, Shake It, Selfie It Parade in the distance. The Wishes FP+ area isn’t ideal for Main Street Electrical Parade viewing because the Parade is so far away, but if you really don’t want the hassle of guarding a separate spot, it would sort of work if you only want to enjoy the music and see the tops of some of the floats.
While the amount of water has been reduced in front of Tomorrowland Terrace, there’s still a lot of it and it’s still pretty.
Back to the Casey’s Corner/Crystal Palace area, I’m not sure how obvious it is, but only the area circled is reserved for FP+ viewing. There are walkways on all sides.
This lousy picture was taken from the Wishes FP+ area looking back at the walkway, which is largely kept clear during Wishes and the Celebrate the Magic projection show that precedes it. Disney is allowing one or two rows of people to stand and watch the shows on the far side of the walkway.
A few more pictures of the Plaza/east side during the day just in case you missed the 4000 other sites that have posted the exact same thing:
And the Casey’s Corner/west side:
Hopefully Disney sprung for the ketchup-resistant AstroTurf as the area largely serves as a makeshift picnic space for people that can’t find a table after ordering a $10 hot dog from Casey’s Corner.
All in all, the hub expansion seems to be a major positive for the Park, aiding in guest flow and expanding the amount of Wishes FastPass+ viewing.
We booked Wishes FP+ for the first day it was supposed to be offered – February 27th. The plan was to see it on the east/Plaza side. We approached the area at 9:40pm and it was jam packed because Disney wasn’t using it for FP+ on this particular night, potentially because they didn’t expect this side to be done on time.
And considering this is what it looked like just 24 hours earlier, it’s hard to blame them.
We proceeded to the west/Casey’s Corner area, which was reserved for those with FP+.
With 5 minutes until Celebrate the Magic, the area was wide open.
And it remained that way through the end of Wishes.
I will stress that just because there are so few people on night 1 doesn’t mean that there won’t be more people moving forward, particularly considering the east side was not reserved for FP+ yet. Disney is likely looking at how many people can (un?)comfortably fit inside the space.
I saw a few early reports from people complaining that lamp posts blocked the view of the projection show and fireworks.
It’s true that there are lamp posts marring the view a bit, but I don’t think anyone that isn’t setting up an annoyingly large tripod to take long exposure shots of the fireworks will mind.
And I’d take a lamp post a hundred feet in the distance over a 12-year old on dad’s shoulders right in front of my face any day of the week.
There were so few people around that I was able to set my camera down on the ground and take a few casual shots from the back of the area.
Overall, it sort of remains to be seen what the average user’s experience will be with Wishes FP+ once Disney figures out how many to allocate each night. The Parade FP+ area isn’t overrun by any stretch of the imagination, so there isn’t necessarily much concern that Disney will try to stuff 1,000 people in a space that can comfortably accommodate 500. Moving forward, we can expect Wishes FP+ users to have an above average, comfortable view of both the projection show and fireworks.
One thing to keep in mind with the late night FP+ is that it does limit your ability to make 4th, 5th, etc. FP+ reservations because you need to use your initial allotment of three before you can make a 4th. Wishes will not be available as a 4th FP+ unless someone cancels. Wishes FP+ would be best on a day where you plan to arrive late – perhaps after visiting Animal Kingdom without FP+ in the morning or on an arrival night. Or you may find that a mostly hassle free viewing of the fireworks is worth giving up a potential 4th FP+ for The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. The choice is yours.
Construction continues in front of Cinderella Castle.
From the other side.
Walls still surround areas closer to the Castle, which will see the next round of work.
Good news for non-smokers as the smoking section behind Cinderella Castle on the walkway from Fantasyland down to where Cosmic Ray’s/Merida are has been officially removed.
The other major newsworthy note is that Be Our Guest Restaurant began accepting lunch reservations on February 25th. Like just about anything Disney does, securing a reservation on the first day was largely a fiasco for the first few hours with people unable to get through online or by phone. But by the early afternoon, reservations were seemingly available every day and I was able to book a reservation for the next day at 11:55am. Most of Magic Kingdom’s bigwigs were out front watching the process. If you know what the tops of their heads look like, you’ll see Phil Holmes (Gary Busey’s cousin and the Vice President of the Park), Maryanne Smith (General Manager of MK Food and Beverage), and a couple others. It was a good thing I was wearing my fake mustache glasses.
We arrived at 11:50am for our 11:55am reservation and the cast member out front scanned Lisa’s MagicBand. After the fourth or fifth attempt, the reservation popped up and we proceeded to pick up a red rose with an RFID chip that allows the cast member with your food to identify where you are sitting inside the restaurant. Theoretically they can use your MagicBand instead.
You have the option of customizing and ordering your food up to five minutes prior to your reservation time via the Disney World website or My Disney Experience app.
If you do that, you’ll bypass 10 to 15 minutes worth of line waiting for an ordering kiosk to open up.
Screens explain the kiosk ordering process:
The menu hasn’t changed recently:
The website already had reviews of every adult entree other than the vegetarian quiche. The orange eclair is also absent.
The kiosks provide pictures of all the food items and are somewhat intuitive. You touch the ‘+’ on items that you’d like to add and can pull up additional information by pressing the “show details” button.
Too much information perhaps. It turns out the Vegetable Quiche has an insane 44 grams of fat, 318 milligrams of cholesterol, and 1196 miligrams of sodium. To put that in perspective, that’s more fat than a McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese. That’s also more cholesterol than a 40-piece Chicken McNuggets and more sodium than four large fries. And if you’re wondering whether or not I still ordered it…the answer is yes.
Disney continues to pretend like they care about the health of your kids through the Mickey Check initiative, which seems to be synonymous with only offering food your kids aren’t going to want to eat. It’d be nice if they could reduce the amount of fat in the adult vegetarian entrees to something around a McDonald’s Big Mac, which “only” has 27 grams of fat.
The ordering process makes picking Kids’ sides easy.
Lisa ordered the $8.49 “Chip’s Delight” – Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup and Green Beans.
This one is squarely aimed at pleasing most kids’ simple palates. The sandwich is just a thin layer of Kraft-Singles-quality cheese on white bread. The soup has the flavor and consistency of Chef Boyardee Spaghetti O’s without the pasta. I don’t necessarily mean this to sound overwhelmingly negative as this is likely exactly what kids are after, but I don’t think it’s a good substitute for an adult looking for a smaller meal.
My $9.49 Baked Heavy Cream and Half and Half – Mushroom, Zucchini, Bell Pepper, Onion and Chive Quiche served with Baby Lettuce coated with Champagne Vinaigrette.
So was the quiche worth shortening my life immeasurably? Absolutely not – it was almost completely devoid of any flavor whatsoever. I’m not even sure you can pick out where a vegetable might be hiding other than a speck of pepper near the top. I didn’t run into any identifiable amount of mushrooms or zucchini. It might be classified as “good” if it had 90% less fat, sodium, and cholesterol, but considering how terrible-for-you this thing is, you want to avoid it at all costs.
I don’t usually supply recipes on the site because really…we both know you’re having a Lean Cuisine and a 1.5 liter bottle of Woodbridge for dinner, but in this one instance I’ll provide the salad recipe should you wish to recreate it to impress someone or something:
- One handful spring mix
- Two tablespoons Ken’s Champagne Vinaigrette (I recommend purchasing it by the gallon)
- Mix together
The $4.19 Éclair à l’Orange – Custard Filling with zested Orange and finished with Chocolate Ganache was pretty sad looking on the plate – the four bites nearly collapsing on themselves in fear before the fork even hit it. I’m not a big orange-custard-filling person – that sort of citrus-without-the-citrus taste is pretty artificial even if there are actual oranges involved. Unless you’re on the Dining Plan, my recommendation would be to keep your four bucks to put toward a much larger cupcake or other treat later.
Despite having nothing positive to say about the food from this particular meal, the reservation system is a major improvement for those able to snag reservations.
From return tickets, to FastPass+ reservations only available to guests staying on-site and opening exactly 27 days in advance (sometimes), to 45+ minute standby waits, and everything in between over the last 2+ years, the reservation system brings some certainty and “fairness” to the process.
And I do recommend booking lunch. You can read my thoughts on the venue and every other item in this post. You want to book your lunch as close to 180 days out as possible.
One big bonus is that the fountain beverage cups are somehow still sitting out by the beverage dispensers. I’m not saying you don’t have to pay. I’m just saying they’re there.
We exited at 12:35pm to this line to order. This would add about ten minutes to your wait if you didn’t pre-order (which allows you to bypass the line).
So to recap:
- Arived at 11:50am for an 11:55am reservation and walked into the Castle.
- Ordered at the kiosk at 12pm.
- Received our food at 12:15pm.
- Exited at 12:35pm.
So the whole process took about 45 minutes. To be conservative, I’d budget an hour.
The website’s long running advice on experiencing Be Our Guest lunch with a short wait was to get in line right around 2pm. This allowed you to not only avoid the lunch rush, but also not waste precious morning touring time waiting for a fast food sandwich by getting in line around 10am. I circled back around right at 2pm and they were admitting groups without reservations. Back at noon, they were telling people the restaurant was “reservation only.” So if you can’t get a reservation, I’d try approaching the restaurant with a friendly smile around 2pm. If you absolutely must eat lunch here or the world will end, you’d want to start by approaching the restaurant entrance before 10am to check on availability. If they say no, just keep trying. Once 2pm arrives, your chances should go up.
Speaking of potentially better treats worth your money, as mentioned a while ago, Storybook Treats to the right of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh offers two newish frozen yogurt flavors.
It’s difficult making cherry flavored ice cream/yogurt taste natural and not artificially sweet. Storybook’s $3.99 Orchard Cherry almost works – it’s still a little too sugary with a tinge of artificial flavoring, but it’s refreshingly fruity and a little different than the usual vanilla/chocolate.
Cake Batter was much more fake tasting and far too sugary, to the point where I “felt” like the sugar was crystallizing around my teeth as I ate it, if that makes any sense. Since it doesn’t, I’ll just say that it was very artificial tasting. Not bad necessarily, but you’re probably going to want to share it – the sweetness is pretty overwhelming.
Of course, there’s always swirl, though it’s a pretty chintzy size for $3.69. Still a better value than a Be Our Guest dessert though, in my opinion.
A few other things of interest from our February 26th visit. Tinker Bell waits remain low – this is at 11:30am, when waits for Mickey are typically peaking.
Mary Poppins was meeting with two penguins in between The Chapeau and Tony’s Restaurant on Main Street.
With most of the construction closer to Casey’s Corner/Plaza Restaurant complete, we’re seeing new flowers planted all around.
First day jitters. Do you see what’s wrong with this sign (that was fixed in the middle of the next day)?
Noon Fantasyland crowds.
We’re in the lull between Presidents Week crowds and spring break crowds with an overall crowd level of “3.” Magic Kingdom was not recommended on Thursday February 26th with the morning Extra Magic Hour attracting resort guests and pushing up wait times:
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With the relatively low overall crowd level, Thursday’s waits are far from unmanageable, but remain higher than the recommended days around it. Compare these wait times to what I professed would be some of the lowest of the year back on January 28:
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Peak and average waits are lower virtually across the board with the lower crowd level and recommendation.
Here is the full chart for Tuesday February 24th, a highly recommended day with an 11pm close:
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It also includes the average wait times from February 24-28 to give you an idea about how the recommendations affect wait times. One thing to note is the weather was terribly wet on Saturday the 28th, which pushed down wait times. The 2/28 chart also includes wait times during evening Extra Magic Hours from 1am to 2am, when wait times are reliably nonexistent at most attractions.
Here’s the full chart for the most recommended day of the week, Wednesday the 25th with a “2” as the overall crowd level:
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This isn’t quite as good as it gets, but it’s almost as good as it gets. And in the FastPass+ age with record attendance, that includes triple digit peak waits at Peter Pan’s Flight, two hour waits for the Mine Train, 40+ minute waits at Pirates of the Caribbean, and hour waits for Jungle Cruise.
The 26th again for the sake of being chronological:
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The 27th:
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And the 28th:
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With 12+ hours of rain, waits on Saturday were significantly lower than they would be given clear skies. To compare, check out Animal Kingdom, the most recommended Park, on Saturday:
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While DINOSAUR and Primeval Whirl are still posted at 20 minutes in the afternoon, both would be walk-ons virtually all day.
Epcot:
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Rain isn’t kind to Test Track, which was closed most of the day, in turn pushing up wait times at some of the indoor attractions. Still, rain or not, you don’t want to be in standby at Soarin’ from 9:45am-8pm just about any day of the year.
And Hollywood Studios for the sake of completion:
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People tend to flock to the Studios when it’s raining because most of its attractions are indoors. If the forecast calls for rain, Magic Kingdom is usually your best bet as far as wait times are concerned because most casual vacationers want sunshine in their pictures more than they want to wait 10 minutes for Space Mountain instead of 90.
Back to the afternoon of the 26th with Fairy Godmother meeting near the New Fantasyland courtyard walls to relatively short lines.
Far fewer strollers than the post covering Presidents Day Weekend.
No waits for a Fantasyland FP+ kiosk.
Light Old Fantasyland crowds at 12:45pm.
We rode Peter Pan’s Flight the following evening at 7:10pm with FP+ and an 80 minute posted standby wait.
It was 10 minutes between getting in line and being back out front.
Heavier in Frontierland.
30 minutes at Big Thunder at 12:50pm.
With FastPass+, it was exactly 15 minutes between the time we got in the FP+ line and the time we were back out in front of the ride.
35 minutes at Pirates is average these days.
The ride is expected to be closed from May 11th through September 25th.
With FP+, it was 15 minutes between the time we got in line and were back out front.
No extended queue necessary at the Treehouse.
In Tomorrowland, Sonny Eclipse is back hosting meals at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.
We grabbed dinner here on the 27th. Ribs are still only available after 4pm, but they are no longer offered as their own entree.
I ordered the Combo, which comes out to a whopping $17.25 with tax.
It’s been a couple years since I ordered it. On the Dining Plan, it’s a no brainer because of the high cost. Out of pocket, the quality probably doesn’t justify the price, though it’s one of the more filling meals on property – you get half of a small chicken and three meaty/fatty ribs, in addition to the side of beans and mashed potatoes.
Lisa ordered the $9.99 Vegetable Burger with a side of green beans. Considering you get a bun and a microwaved-from-frozen patty for the equivalent of eight bucks, the chicken combo might look like a better value, even at twice the money.
This was incredibly bland before it was dressed up with toppings from the bar.
Nothing has changed on the chicken nugget front, though this style of thinner fast food fry is now ubiquitous property-wide.
The Tomorrowland Arcade is still walled off, though the games themselves are all still present behind them.
A tour of Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover:
Rocketower Plaza Stage now shares the same paint job as the Vacation Club booth.
Buzz Lightyear with a 25-minute posted wait at 2:50pm. It was 12 minutes between the time we got in line with FP+ and the time we were back outside the entrance.
One last FP+ time for your enjoyment, we got in line on 2/27 for Mine Train at 9pm with a 70 minute posted wait.
And were back out front 12 minutes later.
That’s what’s going on.
Thank you once again, Josh. It truly helps to have a “friend” give such great advice and updates to all things Disney! I especially appreciate the advice about preordering at BOG! I don’t think I would have bothered to do that, thinking it may be a little ridiculous to decide so far out, but after seeing that line, I have reconsidered! And the warning about the quiche was appreciated too!
If you have a fast pass plus for the evening parade at 9pm, can you stay where you are to see wishes immediately after? Thanks so much!!
The current Electrical Parade viewing is described at the end of this post: https://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/hub-construction-starbucks-mugs-that-you-will-be-buying-big-crowds-for-january-disney-finds-a-sponsor-12015/. It’s too far back to see much of Celebrate the Magic. You could enjoy Wishes from back there, but it’s a bit far back for optimal viewing. You could follow the Parade from the FP+ area up closer to the Castle for a better view. But I think most people would want to see the fireworks from closer than the flag pole area.
So glad you are posting updates about the new Fastpass viewing areas – when I reserved them at sixty days out, it was just a big unknown on how they’d turn out. Now I’m feeling much more at ease about using them for our trip next week.
One thing I’m still a little nervous about is getting from the fast pass area at the flagpole in Town Square after the parade ends to the Plaza viewing in time for the fireworks (in time for Celebrate the Magic would be best-case scenario). Your post about “following the parade” up Main Street as it leaves makes it sound like it should be okay, but my 77-year-old dad with a cane and a severe limp does not make the best time. We have rented a scooter for him in years past, but he’s not great at maneuvering it in crowds, and I worry about him crashing into people and strollers. Trying to talk him into a wheelchair instead, but after reading your post about the Plaza viewing area closing off to all but Fastpasses after 8pm, I’m thinking maybe he should just hang there while the rest of us go see the parade and meet him back for the fireworks?
I wouldn’t be too concerned about moving from the parade FP+ area to the fireworks FP+ area. The Electrical Parade should pass about 15 minutes after it starts. So if the Electrical Parade is at 9pm, Celebrate the Magic is at 9:45pm, and Wishes is at 10pm, you would be on your way from the Electrical Parade FP+ viewing area no later than 9:20pm. That gives you at least 20 minutes to walk up Main Street, which shouldn’t be too difficult. There will be some people on the curb watching, but the street is much wider and the parade makes it so nobody can really walk in the opposite direction while the parade is heading toward the Castle. It should be fine.
Thanks so much, Josh, that really puts my mind at ease! It’s nice to know that we won’t be like salmon trying to swim upstream.
I know some people think that using s fast pass for a parade or fireworks is a waste, but with my dad’s mobility issues and a crazy toddler daughter, I’m grateful to not have to fight the crowds.
Thanks for the update, as always, Josh!
all I can say is wow on the HUB rework. that is really something. thanks on the BOG update . had dinner there right after it opened. good but not great see no reason to return soon .
Thanks Josh – just thinking today when is he going to tell us about the new Wishes viewing FP+ area? So my question is – since it’s not great for the Electric Parade do you think it would be possible to watch the parade from the bridge and/or beginning of Frontierland and then have time to walk over the FP+ viewing area? Last year we had FP+ for the parade right in front of the castle and then just stayed put for Wishes. Many thanks for all your great advice!
Yes. Your view/Wishes FP+ area crowds are going to depend somewhat on the number of FP+ Disney allocates. If that allocation is a big number, by the time you arrive at Wishes FP+ after seeing the Electrical Parade in Frontierland, there might already be a ton of people there. Time will tell on that front. If you saw the show in Frontierland, you’d want to cut over into Adventureland ASAP and then continue to the Casey’s Corner/West FP+ viewing area. But there would be time, yes.
Thank you! I’ll keep watching for your to tell me how the crowds develop over the next month! You’re the best!
Wish I was there, what with snow in our forecast here for the next few days. The new “garden” looks nice.
Thanks for the update, Josh. Your pics are great and a nice treat for all of us who cant get there as often as we’d like to.
Thank you Josh, a lovely write-up. I’ve read your blog a fair bit the last few months, my trip is in 2 months, and I’ll try and keep up with the posted news. The FP+ area for wishes is interesting, will have to consider snagging one even though it limits your FP+ usage somewhat.
The sign doesn’t seem like a problem to me but I’m from Boston, where you can drive on both route128 South and 95 North at the same time.
Ha!
How do you think the view was from the Wishes FP+ area for the Celebrate the Magic show? We really want to be able to have a decent view of the projection show, but also love the reserved space for Wishes. Just wondering what your opinion of this is as it is hard to tell from the pictures if you could see the projection special effects well. Thanks!
It’s pretty good for Celebrate the Magic. The ideal location would be closer to the Castle, but with the projection show starting 15 minutes before Wishes, you sort of have to decide where you’re going to stand based on where you want to see the fireworks from. Unless you’re putting the emphasis on the projection show. There’s only about five minutes in between the projection show and the fireworks. The problem with standing much closer to the Castle for the projection show is that the Castle itself blocks a lot of the low shooting fireworks. So to sort of answer your question, the Wishes FP+ viewing area is a good compromise for seeing both shows, I think. But if you care much more about the projection show than the fireworks, then I would head closer to the Castle.
Go to the second showing of the projection show if your schedule permits. You’ll have your pick of spots anywhere in the hub and it won’t impact your fireworks location.
Do the kid’s meals come with dessert?
Nope
You can choose a chocolate chip cookie as the side option but that’s all
I know that you like to joke about photography being… well a joke. But those are some impressive low-light pictures from the rides (especially considering that you were moving). Keep up the great work. I enjoyed reading the update as usual.
“really…we both know you’re having a Lean Cuisine and a 1.5 liter bottle of Woodbridge for dinner”
You know your audience so well.
I second that. I laughed out loud…
Thanks for your updates as always! Is the topiary sea serpent by Tomorrowland Terrace now gone? As beautiful as the hub looks, I will be sad if they couldn’t make room for it. I always enjoyed seeing it, and it is a vivid memory from childhood trips. Thanks!
Yep it’s still there!
I don’t know about the reservations for lunch at Be Our Guest. I was hung up on twice! Couldn’t get through more times than I can remember. Finally when I got through at 2:00 pm there were NO reservations available for my date.
Sharon, I was just able to book two reservations for 10:50 in late April for a party of 4 and 5. You may want to check again. I tried on the 25th when they opened… and the 26th, 27th 28th… and didn’t see anything. Maybe worth a double check!
I will keep trying!
Thanks for all the hub pictures.
9/25/15 is the most optimistic refurb completion date I’ve seen for POTC. That would be great news for our early Nov trip?
The dates I included are literally the official refurbishment dates.
They better be fixing those PotC boats!
If only my husband and children agreed with that whole Woodbridge and Lean Cuisine idea.
My mom never gave me a choice.
@Sharon: I would double check your times again. I think the 25th was a system shut down, and many times have become available since that day. Also, people would get all the way through the reservation, and then get the error message. They would keep trying. Some people ended up with many reservations! Now they are canceling all of the extra reservations, so there are many more times. I am not sure when you wanted the reservation though. I heard on the boards that July and August had your pick of times.
I am already planning my Casey’s picnic on the new grass area.
Thanks for posting the BOG salad recipe, Josh. May really push myself in the kitchen this week to try to recreate it. #disneydining
I tried several times throughout the day on 25th, as well as the 26th and 27th to get a BOG lunch reso for this coming Tues, Wed, or Sun, but no luck. Maybe because we have a party of 6?
Just got back from MK and walked from Buzz down main street to the flagpole during Celebrate in about 2 min. There’s so much room to walk. Love the new hub! The east “lawn” was packed – still must not be reserved for FP+
Different Josh, I read some people saying that for bigger groups they recommend dividing and making, for example, two reservations instead of one. Once they get there, they ask to be sitted together. Try that!
Thanks as always, Josh. The hub looks so different, looking forward to seeing it in person next month.
I really enjoyed the BOG vegetable quiche last year and I can’t believe how much fat there is in it :-O. I will definitely not be looking up the fat and calorie content of some of my others WDW meal choices. Not sure whether I’ll be able to resist having the vegetable quiche when we return to BOG again this year as it’s that or the quinoa cake for a vegetarian like me. 16 days theme park touring counts as exercise, right?
I was intrigued by your BoG lunch review and thought, What the hey….. So I meandered over to my MDE account, where it proudly displayed “My Plans – 67 Days to Go”. BoG, at 67 days out?! Not only YES, but there were several times available on my selected day! I’m happy. More for the experience than the food, but I guess that’s really what it’s all about anyway. Thanks for the review!
Another great & helpful blog post, thanks so much!
So my take-away from this post regarding the BOG lunch is… not worth the time and money…? Did I read it wrong?
My family and I really have picky pallets. I would say 50% of the reason we go to WDW is to enjoy the food. If readers here think I should skip this place, I gladly will. The quiche review appalled me when I read those nutritional facts and the taste feedback.
I would say don’t skip the BOG. Josh had a couple of so-so items, but most of them have been really tasty. And the atmosphere of the restaurant is really mind-blowing!
The pork and the roast beef were both thoroughly enjoyed by our party in 2013, to say nothing of the cupcakes–wow! But now that I’ve seen this review, I wouldn’t touch that quiche with a ten-foot pole…
Be Our Guest is one of the two best quick services at Magic Kingdom. Columbia Harbour house is the second. The review should include the sentence, “And I do recommend booking lunch.”
Thanks for that. Atmosphere is way on the bottom of my list on why I eat at certain places at WDW. If they served California Grill food at the Pop Century eatery, I would go there to eat that food. And even if the Nine Dragons Restaurant food was served in Cinderella’s castle and she agreed to sit in my lap the entire meal, I would not make that trip because of the atmosphere…
Now, if Snow White were to sit in my lap….different story.
May go ahead and give BOG a try.
The menu items from this review didn’t look very appetizing, but we thoroughly enjoyed the roasted pork and roast beef entrees. And the atmosphere really is worth a look. It’s especially worth it to go at lunchtime to enjoy the atmosphere vs. the overprice and meh dinner.
I think I am misreading the review but we can make the Wishes FP+ for our 4th after the first 3 are used? I was thinking about making this our 4th after we use the 3rd around 12:30pm.
“Wishes will not be available as a 4th FP+ unless someone cancels.”
Wishes books up pretty quickly. Trying to make a reservation the day of is pretty difficult and would only happen if someone else cancelled their reservation for Wishes. So it’s technically possible to use Wishes as your 4th FP+, Disney wouldn’t stop you, but it will probably not be available when you try to do it because the slots will all be filled.
For my trip April 25-May 2 all FP+ for Wishes are gone already, for example.
John, you can certainly try to make them, but the likelihood that there will be any available is slim to none. They are often some of the first to go when the 60-day window opens, so I would not bank on getting them. Which is basically why Josh says they won’t be available.
Wishes is currently booked solid every night for the next 60 days, meaning it would not be available to book as a 4th FP+ because there is no availability. You can luck into a cancellation, but it’s not going to have availability under normal conditions. Of course, Disney could increase the number of FP+ available, which would make it easier to luck into a cancellation, but I would still expect it to be 100% every day.
Starting to plan for an upcoming trip and just had a few questions about BOG. Do you reccommend going there for Lunch or Dinner? Is it pretty much the same experience? More excited to see the place than about the food. Also for lunch is it considered a quick service meal? Is it a fast pass reservations that you make for lunch? Doing our frist Disney trip later this year!
It’s quick service for lunch, table service for dinner. I don’t think the Beast appears at lunch (walking through the ballroom and appearing at your exit for photos), just at dinner. No more FP for lunch, I think – just reservations 180 days or less ahead of time. I’ve only had dinner there so far (very good) so can’t speak for how good the lunch is….others may chime in.
Lunch is cheaper and more casual. You can stay as long as you want, look around as much as you want, etc. Dinner is your standard table service experience – you can still look around after dinner and stay as long as you want (though more awkwardly probably as they want you to leave ASAP). Lunch is categorized as a quick service meal. There are no more FP+ reservations, only the standard Advanced Dining Reservation system.
This update was great! I was wondering where hub construction would be for our trip in June. It’s starting to look really good. Only 3 more months- so excited!
How long before the area around the Partners statue is completed? a couple weeks?
I don’t have an expected completion date. I would guess at least a few weeks, yes.
It was only a couple of days. The box is off!
“And if you’re wondering whether or not I still ordered it…the answer is yes.”
And this is why I love this site! 😉
East/West, Tomato/Tomato
Is Disney going to release a movie featuring cranes attacking various castles? Since the crane is still up I’m wondering if they are going to leave it there.
It’s actually the new rapunzel tower. Rapunzel rapunzel let down your… 3″ cable so I can climb up on my steel beam…
Careful there, different Josh.
This is a family audience blog.
So those of you using FP+ for Wishes are sacrificing one of your first three selections for the entire day? And essentially all additional FP+ since you can’t select a 4th until first three are gone? Or am I misundertanding something?
Right, if you want to use FastPass+ at Wishes, you’re going to need to book it in advance (at the moment, 60+ days out with the limited availability). The only way it would be available as a FP+ on the day of is if someone cancels. And because you have to use your three initial FastPass+ (or let the time of the third pass if you don’t use it), you would be unable to make a 4th FP+ selection until after Wishes.
Is Phil Holmes the one pointing in a very Non-Disney Fashion?
For shame Phil…For Shame.
I think that is a 2-finger point so he is OK!
lol That’s what I always tell people….to use TWO fingers like a weatherman; not rude that way. As long as it’s not the two-finger “salute” that’s familiar to the British.
Josh…Do you know when Disney is planning to remove the crane by the castle? Will it be gone by next Sunday?
The crane’s presence had been extended from the original date, which was mid-February. The current removal date is March 12th.
Do you have any idea how the pre-ordering BOG lunch system works if you are looking to make substitutions? I’d like to bypass the ordering line (especially since we’ll be going in post-Memorial Day crowds) but I’ve got a picky eater in my group who would not be happy with any of those sandwich sauces. Any help?
When I preordered BOG lunch (with the old FP system), I was able to customize my order. So unless something has changed, you can remove the sauces.
Just wondering if some of the high fat content in the quiche is actually from the vinaigrette dressing for the salad? I wouldn’t expect so much in just a quiche, that’s for sure.
I linked to the salad dressing nutritional facts. It would account for about 25% of the total fat in the meal if you used two tablespoons.
Thanks Josh!
we both know you’re having a Lean Cuisine and a 1.5 liter bottle of Woodbridge for dinner,
Painfully accurate.
Thank you for a wonderful update! If you did manage to get a Wishes FP+, where would you recommend watching MSEP before and how long to stake out the spot for the parade? TIA.
I would either see the parade in Frontierland and then use the shortcut next to Diamond Horseshoe to transfer into Adventureland and then walk over to the Wishes FP+ viewing area, or see the parade around the Town Square Theater area and follow the parade to the Wishes FP+ viewing area of your choice. If possible, seeing the second Electrical Parade will result in much lower crowds.
Thank you very much!
Thanks for the info on the Quiche — it was my “first pick.” Guess I need to rethink that … THANK YOU!
What time does Beast come out for the dinner people? Our reservation is for 2:20. I would like to meet Beast if it is possible. Thanks!
According to https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/magic-kingdom/be-our-guest-restaurant/, lunch is until 2:30, and dinner starts at 4:00, so I’m afraid you wouldn’t be able to meet Beast.
Yes, Beast is just at dinner, so you’d need a reservation after 4pm. They clear out all the lunch people before dinner service begins, which is why the cutoff is 2:30pm.
Thank you for the Wishes FP+ viewing information. I have FP+s for Wishes in April. I have done them in the rose garden previously so trying to get my new strategy with the change. Why did you initially want to see them on the Tommorowland (east?) side versus the Casey’s Corner side of the street – do you think the overall view on one side is better, you see Tink better, etc.??? Also, tough for me to tell from the photos, but it looks like they let people stand right in front of the fences in front of the FP+ viewing area – is that correct? So they aren’t inside the FP+ viewing area but could obstruct you FP+ viewing if you are up close to the fence of the FP+ viewing. If FP+ area becomes a bit more crowded, I could see this causing everyone in the area to have to stand. Your thoughts on the strategically optimal area to get in the Wishes FP+ viewing area would’ve appreciated, particularly as a short Mom with a 4 yr old. Many thanks!!!!
The Main Street Bypass is on the Tomorrowland side. So if you’re planning to leave after the fireworks, seeing the show on that side would it make it much easier to exit after the show because you wouldn’t have to deal with the Main Street crowds. I think the Tomorrowland side also offers a slightly better view than the Casey’s Corner side with Tinker Bell and where the fireworks are launched from.
I think the people you see standing are actually in the FP+ area. It’s not really a sitting section…so you’re going to see a variety of people sitting and a variety of people standing.
I think my reply got lost, sorry if it turns out to be a double-post… I was reading a trip report about the new fastpass viewing area, and it said that the people watching from the walkway right in front of the fenced-in lawn really did keep you from being able to stay sitting down inside fastpass area and still get a good view of the fireworks.
How is the BOG lunch process different if you pre-order? Do you get the rose or use your MB and go straight to the cash register rather than a kiosk?
If you have pre-ordered, you are directed to a kiosk via a much shorter line than the one Josh showed in his picture. You swipe your magic band, the kiosk pulls up your pre-order, asks you to confirm and pay.
Where are the entrances for the respective Wishes FP+ viewing areas? Are they closest to Main Street, front or back middle of the gardens, or on the farthest ends from Main Street?
Hopefully these will help:
https://i2.wp.com/easywdw.com/reports13/westfp.jpg
https://i2.wp.com/easywdw.com/reports13/eastfp.jpg
They’re purposefully about as far from Main Street and the central Hub as possible.
Thanks for the great info, the new garden areas look really good! I can’t wait to see it this summer! Question about booking FP+, do you think they will offer FPs for booking during the special fireworks shown on July 3? That would be wonderful if they did. We are not planning any park time for earlier in the day, but instead plan on heading to MK in the late afternoon/evening for the special fireworks and the EMH afterwards. Thoughts?
They should, but you’ll want to be staying on-site and booking as close to 180+ days as possible. Very limited. Very popular.
Thanks! We are staying on-site, so I’m going to try to make this as soon as my FP+ booking window opens. I know it’s a longshot, but it’s worth a try!
What happened to Sonny Eclipse that he is now back?
He was under refurbishment/missing for a month or more.
Best lunch dish at BOG is the braised pork. It is very, very good! I was surprised at how good it was. We’ve tried most of the adult entrees, including the quiche, and they’re all average at best. For dessert, the strawberry cupcake and the chocolate cupcake are awesome! Stay away from the cream puffs and the eclair, again average at best.
Can someone remind me? what was there before the hub expansion? was it the waterways?
Yes, just some water I think
We were very lucky and waited 15 mins for Pirates about 1pm today- A far cry from Monday which was mental at the MK! Jungle Cruise was still 40 mins though!
I love the new Hub- it’s so pretty and there’s tons more room now. Much easier to exit MK at closing time right as the Main Street Electric Parade kicks off!
I saw a trip report that had pictures of people standing in a walkway that ran right in front of the fastpass area’s fence – so much so that the reporters, who were sitting on the astroturf, had to stand up for the fireworks, after all.
Josh, which fastpass you consider better: wishes or the parade? Thanks!
Thank you, as always, Josh! You never disappoint for information and entertainment!
Are you able to make changes or substitutions when you order at Be Our Guest ahead of time? For example…. if you want the turkey sandwich with mayo instead of mustard? Is there a way to do that?
Thanks!
we were there on 2/27 too! Wish I had known, I would have looked for you!!! It was cold. Ok, not as cold as Connecticut, but cold nonetheless. We were allowed on SM 20 minutes past out FP+ time with a mostly friendly admonition to be on time! We thanked them because they certainly could have said no. Watched the afternoon parade, which I had not yet seen and loved, from LTT while our beyond delicious lunch was being prepared. Rode everything we wanted with pretty short waits. A good day at MK!!