Is it November already? The first letter this week is from reader David, who provides a brief synopsis of his recent trip to Walt Disney World, along with some great tips for MousePlanet readers. David writes:
I just got back from my week-long trip to Walt Disney World. Your Web site provided some terrific tips to beat the crowds and let us in on some ride closures (Thunder Mountain and Space Ship Earth) that would have been disappointing had we not learned about them ahead of time. In fact, your site seems to have more information than the official Disney Web sites; so thank you very much!
We were lucky enough to stay at the Grand Floridian and our room had a spectacular view of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. Though rather pricey, the hotel was wonderfully elegant, complete with a live jazz band playing some vintage favorites from yesteryear. We even took the time to have dinner at the famous Victoria and Albert’s; the meal and service were exemplary.
Though the hotel was luxurious, the housekeeping staff was very average. One morning, we accidentally left the do-not-disturb sign on the door when we left for the day. When we got back, we noticed our mistake and called housekeeping to let them know. In typical Disney fashion, housekeeping said they would be happy come up to clean the room at the time of the regular turndown service. With our problem seemingly solved, we left for the evening.
When we got back at 10:00 p.m., the room wasn’t cleaned. We called housekeeping a second time just to get towels, housekeeping said, “Don’t leave the sign on the door next time.”
Now, I recognize it was our own stupidity to leave the sign on the door, and I might expect that response from a less expensive resort, but I certainly don’t expect that level of service from the flagship of the Disney Resorts. You’d expect some type of apology and something special the next day (like a towel sculpted in the shape of Mickey Mouse or something and few extra chocolates).
Aside from the minor mishap with housekeeping, we came up with a few observations of our own to share:
Make sure you get to the parks as soon as they open. You’re no match for the career moms with their stack of Fastpasses. They arrive at the crack of dawn with their family’s 2 day passes and race to the Fastpass machines ahead of everyone else. Don’t get in their way; they will have no problem knocking you down. I still have a few bruises.
Extra Magic Hours make the parks Extra Crowded! Disney offers Extra Magic Hours in the mornings and evenings for Disney Resort guests. These hours are only helpful during the Extra hours, and tend to swell crowds during the rest of the day. Use the Extra Magic Hours mornings to grab an extra Fastpass and see a few attractions, but it’s best to leave before lunch when the crowds swell. Arrive at the Extra Magic Hours evenings only for the Extra hours – the crowds really are less during these hours, but they won’t help you during regular hours.
Keep your bags with you on arrival for Disney’s Magical Express Service. We’ve all heard horror stores about bags being lost or delivered at inopportune times. It’s just as easy to pick up your bags at baggage claim and carry them yourselves to the Welcome Center. You’ll have to wait for the motor coach anyway. If you can, carry your bags to the room and avoid the bell service. We had to wait an hour for the bellman to bring our bags up at the hotel (It makes one wonder if the problems with the Express Service might be at the hotels themselves and not at the airport).
Check your bags in at the hotel for your departure. This service really does work. You can get your boarding pass and check your baggage right at the hotel. If you flight is later in the evening, you get an extra day of play in the parks!
Limit park hopping if possible. It’s easy to park hop at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim: Just cross the Esplanade and, like magic, you’re in DCA. The parks at Walt Disney World in Florida are sometimes miles apart and require monorail or bus transportation. They’re about as efficient as they can be, but the process can easily take up to an hour. If you do park hop, choose to hop between parks that are closer to each other or choose to park hop for only one day on your trip. Consider staying at one park for most of the day, head back to your hotel for an hour nap, and head for a park that has Extra Magic Hours in the evenings.
Make Disney Dining reservations, but sparingly. We were smart enough to make dining reservations ahead of time, since nearly all of the restaurants weren’t seating anyone without reservations. It will take the spontaneity out of your trip, so plan ahead as to what park you’ll be visiting on what day. Our big mistake was making too many reservations as it caused us to rush around the parks just make it in time for our reservations. We cancelled many of our reservations in favor of spending more time in the parks. I would recommend making reservations for no more than three of your favorite restaurants so you can add a little flexibility to your trip. The concierge desk at our resort was able to make and change reservations for us.
Read MousePlanet and other Web sites to plan your trip!: The official Disney Web sites will let you know when Extra Magic Hours are scheduled, but if you want more detailed information like ride closures, special events, insider information, and honest reviews about what you can skip on your trip, Web sites like MousePlanet are your best bet for the latest information!
Thanks again for the information! Your site saved us a lot of time and made planning easy!
Next, a MousePlanet staff writer answers reader Cameron G., who writes in with some information on the Disneyland Resort:
Hey, I’m here at the Disneyland resort right now and I thought I would mention a few things that I’ve talked to the cast members about. For one, right now they are only running one monorail (the Year of a Million Dreams one) due to the other two being out (upgrades and new design probably) and the other down for its yearly maintenance. This is causing the wait to be longer, with 15 minutes or more between trains; this especially impacts those staying at the Disneyland Hotel like we are. When asked how long this will be, the only response is ‘a few more weeks’ and that the yearly maintenance is supposed to be ‘6 weeks’. I do not know when the maintenance started but one cast member at the Downtown Disney station said that it might go longer than expected. My personal (and no way official) opinion is that this means they will be running one monorail through October and part of November. I would imagine they would have two back up and running for the busy Thanksgiving holiday at least.
Also we bought a Toll House Ice Cream Sandwich at DCA yesterday (Monday), but today were unable to find them in Disneyland. When I asked the cast member there he told me that they are phasing them out and will not be selling them anymore due to the fact that they are ‘high in trans fats’. On the ice Cream carts that I have seen in Disneyland today the spot on the selection menu where the sandwich was has now been replaced by and second Mickey Mouse ice cream sandwich (same sandwich just listed twice now on the menu).
This is interesting news, but keep in mind that rank-and-file Cast Members are usually the last to know about substantive changes in the parks. We had heard about the monorail from other sources, though, so that seems reasonable. With regard to the Toll House ice cream cookie sandwiches, the Cast Member’s comment that they are “high in trans fats” may be true but it’s doubtful that Disney is phasing them out of the parks; Disney has a long-term deal with Nestle, manufacturer of that treat and other ice cream in the parks, and it seems unlikely that one item would be singled out for its nutritional deficiencies. Of course, nothing is ever certain at Disney parks, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
Eyes on Orlando editor Brian Bennett answers letters on Walt Disney World topics of interest. Jeffrey F. writes:
I was at Disney World in August and it looks like Aunt Polly’s is closed. Do you know if that is permanent or not? I am a longtime Disney visitor; I visited Disneyland when I was seven years old in 1967 and visited Disney World shortly after it opened in 1971. Thanks for all of the information.
Aunt Polly’s is usually open during the very busiest times of the summer season. August, frankly, doesn’t usually qualify for “very busiest” anymore.
Early July, right around the Fourth of July, is a much more likely time to be able to buy ice cream treats and enjoy them on the deck across from Liberty Belle’s landing.
James M. writes:
My father loves to fish. Are there places we can go and fish from the bank and not have to pay big bucks for a boat trip?
To the best of my knowledge, only escorted fishing tours are allowed on Walt Disney World’s major lakes.
However, you can fish at Port Orleans Riverside’s Ol’ Man Island Fishin’ Hole and at Fort Wilderness Campground for a much smaller fee, with a cane pole (provided). No advanced reservations are required.
Finally, two readers wrote in response to Brian’s request for information on the Castillo del Morro reference on the Pirates of the Caribbean show building in his Adventureland photo tour (link). Art C. writes:
I was born in Havana, Cuba in 1965. My family came to the United States (Florida) in 1966 via the “Freedom Flights.” We moved to California shortly after and have lived there since. When we ride the “Pirates of the Caribbean” at Disneyland, I always tell my kids that the fortress is the “Castillo del Morro” from Cuba. I wasn’t sure if it really was, but it sure looked like it to me. You are the first person I’ve heard make mention of it. Thank you for bringing this to light.
Armando D. writes:
Thanks for a great Photo Article on Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland. It’s good to hear that they are planning to refurbish the Jungle Cruise next year, although I wish they could hurry up with the Space Mountain refit myself.
I just wanted to give you a quick heads-up on the inspirations behind the exterior of Magic Kingdom’s Pirates of the Caribbean, particularly the name “Castillo Del Morro.” While it’s true that there is a fortress in Havana Harbor named “El Morro” (which incidentally is Spanish for “headland” or “promontory”), I should point out that there is another Caribbean fortress named “El Morro” in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. It’s actually called “El Castillo San Felipe Del Morro” (The Fortress of Saint Philip of the Headland), and this is where most of the appearance of Pirates of the Caribbean’s exterior comes from. It is the oldest of the Spanish fortresses in the Caribbean, but not the largest; that fortress is actually about a mile east from El Morro, El Castillo de San Cristobal.
If you take a look at references like “The Imagineering Field Guide to Magic Kingdom” or Jason Surrell’s Pirates of the Caribbean book, they very definitely point out that this version of the ride was modeled after Puerto Rico’s “El Morro,” from the fortress walls to the sentry boxes, which also serve as the iconic image of the island. Even the attraction itself has some very interesting references to Old San Juan. If you look very closely at the burning town sequence straight ahead, there is a structure that appears very much like a gate and a small church. This is actually a representation of “La Capilla Del Cristo” (The Chapel of the Christ), a unique building near one of the old city’s most scenic overlooks. In fact, with proper research, you will find a very rich treasure of Puerto Rico references within Pirates of the Caribbean that would be the makings of a great article!
In fact, you can also try to write a fantastic article about the growth of Puerto Rican culture in the Orlando area. Much like Miami is identifying itself with Cuba, Orlando has definitely grown as a haven for Puerto Rico, and you will find great discoveries there in my opinion.
Here are some public Yahoo images and Wikipedia links that may interest you:
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