Okay, so after five years of having a basically unusable website, I finally made the change over to a new layout. This took a lot of work. I’m sure considerably more than it probably looks. It would not have been possible without the help of Matt Turk of http://www.turkmandu.com/. If you’re looking at creating or redesigning a website, I really cannot recommend him enough. He’s put up with waaaayyyy more than any human being should have to deal with over the course of several lifetimes. Now that most of the work behind the scenes is complete, we can return to more frequent on-site updates.
So what’s changed…You should notice the new menu at the top. I wanted to organize it mostly by Park. So if you mouse over Animal Kingdom, you’ll see a variety of categories from the dropdown menu. I revamped each of the attraction pages. You’ll now find a variety of pictures for each attraction and I added a lot more information about wait times and FastPass+. For example, you’ll now find a chart of FastPass+ availability throughout the day for each ride, in addition to charts of wait times based on crowd level, FP+ priority, total experience time with FP+, what you miss using FP+, etc.
All of the menus and items at the quick services have been updated. So if you’re wondering what Harambe Market serves or would like to see all of the items I’ve reviewed in the past, you can pull up a page like this. I also spent a lot of time revising the “Best of” pages. So if you’re interested in eating a quick service meal at Epcot, but aren’t sure where, you can pull up a page like this that compares all of the major quick services in a variety of categories, including most unique menu, most expensive meal on the Disney Dining Plan, best value out of pocket, best seating, best food, and an overall best of list. There’s about 30 pictures that go along with it as well. These are available for each Park.
I’m still going through the restaurants updating the content for each, but I finished Animal Kingdom, Epcot, and Hollywood Studios and should have Magic Kingdom updated shortly. What you’ll now find are links to my previous reviews of each restaurant at the top. So if you pull up something like the Hollywood Brown Derby review, you can click on the various review links at the top. Each link also has an HTML anchor tag so it will skip down to exactly where that restaurant review starts, rather than just linking to the beginning of the post. The reviews otherwise include information on discounts, price points, food type, advantages, disadvantages, tips, and links out to current menus.
The Theme Park Touring section links to the new versions of the website’s cheat sheets as well as listing all of the information in text. I have in mind to bolster this section quite a bit in the coming weeks with additional advice, but it’s all you’ll need to efficiently tour the Parks.
You’ll also find a more convenient way to pull up live wait times at the Parks.
The Resorts section has been updated with new “Best of” posts that compare the resorts in each class in a variety of categories. So if you’re trying to decide between Port Orleans, Coronado Springs, and Caribbean Beach, you can pull up this post which lays out the differences nicely. I’m mulling over what to do about the full resort pages. Unfortunately, one of the reasons why this redesign has been delayed so long is that the website just covers too much stuff. I may just link out to Dave’s excellent reviews at yourfirstvisit.net. We also have a lot of good information in the current version of our guidebook.
Otherwise, I’m on Facebook now. You can find me over at www.facebook.com/easywdw. I’m going to use it for quicker updates on things that take me a while to get around to writing, in addition to being able to post more timely updates. You’ll already find some tips on dealing with the current parking situation at Hollywood Studios, in addition to this week’s Times Guide, a look at Animal Kingdom Christmas decorations and my meal at Jiko last week, etc. Facebook is basically a popularity contest, so I would appreciate it if you’d take a moment to “like” me. I’m sure you can mute me or something after. I actually have virtually no idea how Facebook works. The whole thing really creeps me out. But don’t think about any of this and just click “like.” Don’t let your dreams be dreams…
Ummmmmmmm…I guess that’s it? I’m pretty excited about the changes. I think the website is much more functional now. There’s still some work to be done linking things and I have in mind to bolster what you see now with additional content. I’m headed back to Washington state for the holidays next week, so I’ll have some time to write up some posts on Extra Magic Hours, buying theme park tickets, etc.
Enjoy!
It’s launched! Cheers!
Cheers!
Love the new site!
Thanks!
AWESOME! Thank you for doing this site. Over the last 10 months I’ve been researching for our first-time trip, and this site has helped me so much. It is thorough, but also honest and realistic, which is missing from much of the literature out there. Now I can actually find things quickly! Thanks!
Thank you, I think it is a big improvement!
Site looks great! Thanks for taking the time to make it a bit more user-friendly … and of course, thanks for all your hard work on the site on a regular basis!
Thank you!
Looks great.
Thanks!
Love the new design – definitely easier to find everything!!
I hope so! Thanks!
Looks great on my phone! It seems like it might be loading faster too.
The menu icons are adorable, which I’m sure is exactly what you were going for.
That’s what I strive for in everything I do, thanks!
Looks awesome! I’m super excited you’re on facebook now. Thanks for all the great information you share, I give your book to anyone even thinking about planning a WDW vacation.
Thank you, I look forward to seeing you over there!
Congratulations! This looks amazing. And while I was totally willing to search for all I needed, it’s awesome to have it all so beautifully organized.
I bought a book, but I was also hoping for a donate button… ?
Maybe if I can figure out how to add one!
Nice!
Looks great! thank you so much for all you do
looking good
thinking may be more likely to persuade reluctant spouse to commit to The Trip?
Good looking format.
Soooooooooooooooooo much easier to navigate. Thank you!
Love the updates. THANK YOU for all you do. I appreciate your efforts that have helped make countless memories for me and my family on our trips.
Rock on!
Looks great…..I cant wait to click through it and also to see what else you have in store for the future…..keep up the great work
Wow, it looks like the best WDW site just got even better! Love the new layout — very easy to use, and makes all the information more accessible. Thanks for all you do, Josh!
Looks great! Thanks for all you do!
Great job as always. Excited to see what the facebook page brings to the party!
Looks great and I am so glad that you are on Facebook now too!!
A proper CMS, UI design/functionality… plus automation. Very nice, of course, technology without the content is just veneer. Great work as always 🙂
Excellent work as usual.
However, did the RSS feed disappear? It was a very convenient way to be alerted of new updates.
Thanks!
Wondering this as well! The new posts didn’t update in Feedly for me.
Yes, please make sure this still works, I don’t want to lose any of this wonderful content 🙂 Everything looks terrific otherwise!
There is a RSS icon on the right-hand column … it’s a black icon between the Facebook and Twitter icons. You should be able to update your RSS aggregators with that.
Thanks! I overlooked that, thanks for pointing it out.
I’m also creeped out by Facebook so won’t be visiting you on there. Other than that, the new design is awful. Please go back to old one. Thanks.
Looks great.
Easier to navigate with the buttons to the various parks.
Josh, Your new website is amazing!! I look forward to your posts and I’m really looking forward to wasting time at work today pouring over your new 2.0 format!! Congrats! (Thx for doing launch bay on day 1! It was really the most informative article that didn’t sugar coat, it helped me fix my plan…so thank you!)
Wow! Great job Josh, all of your hard work really shows with the new layout. I just wanted to say that I have been reading your blog since the first month you started ( has it really been five years!?!) when I googled ” WDW crowd calendars”. You have been the biggest help EVER in planning each of our seven trips since. I don’t know what we would have done without you! I really can’t thank you enough. (P.S. – I’m not on Facebook either – I think it’s creepy too.)
Thanks for all of your hard work! It’s fantastic!!
Pretty!!!! Can’t wait to explore more. Thanks for all you do!!!
Hi, Josh. I’ve spent many of my lunch hours over the past five years smiling/laughing while reading your website. I’ve loved every minute of it. But, whenever I went to find a nugget of information that I (or a friend) needed, I wanted to pull my hair out because I couldn’t navigate the site. So, thank-you for revamping the site and making life easier!
Thank you so much Josh, the site is awsome now, so easy to search for previous posts. You take me from Brazil to Disney in each post, thank you again
I was expecting you to call the new-look website “easyWDW+” 🙂
Otherwise, the new look almost appears professional – which is a welcome change. Keep up the good work!
Love the update. Have been a big fan of your site for years but now it is so much easier finding what I need. Great job!
Love it! I already checked your website every day…now it just got easier!
Everything looks AWESOME!!! The site is a thing of beauty. Way to go. You have always been the best WDW planning site out there, and now your info is easier to find and use. I’m not a tweeter (Twitterer?) so I’m actually really glad you’re on stalkerbook now too. I raise my glass of scotch in tribute to your hard work!
Oh! So fancy!! I love it!! And so happy you are FINALLY on Facebook 😉
This update is great — everything looks wonderful. So much information at my fingertips! Thank you!
Enjoy your holidays!
The website looks awesome! Yay for Facebook! Thank you for everything you do!
Fantastic upgrade – everything looks slick and is very intuitive. Thanks for all your hard work – you’re a god among men.
Wow! Josh it looks so wonderful! Fantastic work to you and your designer, I can’t wait to explore more!
Wow, it looks great! There’s a really nice streamlined look to it now and it’s more readily accessible. Navigating through the tabs is much easier too. It really looks fabulous. Good work!!
Wow.
I’m not a huge fan of change but I LOVE your new site. Very sleek and easier to navigate!
Congrats, and thanks for all your hard work!
Suggestion….
your new design is pretty cool. I really love it.
do you think you could put in you 4 parks menu (MK, HS, EP, AK) another ‘wait times’ menu but it would be historical weekly average wait times instead of current wait times? I think you have this information but it id displayed in different posts…..
Thanks
Fantastic! I loved the old site, love this one even more. Thank you so much for all of the hard work you put into this.
Looks awesome! Great work!!
Looks awesome, Great update! A++++
🙂
Looks great, Josh. Thanks for the excellent update to an already great information website. So many appreciate all the work and thoughts you share. Best wishes going forward.
Dan
Love the new organization. Everything looks great, so much easier to navigate!
A couple of my favorite non-WDW blogs have changed formats lately, much to my dismay. Your site, however, is an excellent upgrade! I’m actually glad to see a few ads, without going over the top with them — hopefully you’ll pull in enough $ to help keep the site going for years. Funny, though, the first ad I saw on the new format was a NIKON add! Bwahaaaahahahaaaa!
So phresh! ?
Great job Josh, it looks fantastic!
I often read YOUR old resort or dining here so I’m excited that I’ll be able to find them more easily now.
Love the new site! Loved the old one, but this is a great upgrade! Thank you for all of the hard work!
Bravo!!! J’adore! Love it!
From Québec, Canada
Josh, the new *design* is nice. The ads? Not so much. Your site was so fast and so clean before. Ads slow it down and add clutter. But I understand, you gotta eat too.
Careful about Facebook. You start adding more content there and I, along with others, might just visit you more there and not here (backfiring on that ads strategy – fewer hits and click-throughs).
Thank you for all the hard work you do!
A+ + + +
Love the new design and layout
I may be the only person to say this but…. FINALLY an advertisement!
Your information is too valuable for you to not be profiting off of it. Your new site looks great and I hope it brings in some extra cash for you and your family!
Wow this is soo cool!
I like it. The layout for the attractions and restaraunts are excellent. Still more to go through, but so far, really cool.
*restaurants* – Ok, the reply function could use a spell check or even an edit function for people like me.
When are you going to update EasyUniversal to the new format?
Loving the new site. Great work. Thank you!!!
LOVE the new website! Thank you for all of your hard work which makes it easier for all of us when touring.
“Nothing Gold can Stay…” is my thought about the drink missing in Mickey’s hand in the easywdw logo now. But serious kudos on the other site re-vamps.
AWESOME JOB, Josh and Matt!!!
I read your site via RSS, and while I realized a while ago (like, in December) that I didn’t seem to be getting any updates, I just sorta chalked it up to you being busy and not posting. Imagine my chagrin to realize you’ve been posting all this time and it just wasn’t showing up in my feed, because the feed address changed. Well… now I guess I know what I’m doing for the next few days. 🙂