I forgot to take into account something very important when I came up with my last schedule... Extra Magic Hours! Normally, I don't plan my days around where I end up at night so I basically ignore the Evening Extra Magic Hours all together. The schedule for October hasn't been released yet but i'm basing my schedule for October after September's Extra Magic Hours that have been released. If it is all different then i'll just have to suck it up and deal because once I book my ADRs i'm not going to flip them all around.
What's Extra Magic Hours (EMH for short) you ask? Basically, any guest staying at a WDW resort on property has the ability to get into a WDW theme park 1 hour early or stay in the park up to 3 hours past park closing. The smart people know that the evening EMHs aren't really worth it as you don't get much accomplished because more people are there. Why are more people there? Easy! More people would much rather stay out late than wake up early. Well, i'm a freak of nature and like getting up early at WDW so the morning EMH really works out for me well.
Right now, my revised schedule looks like this.
September 29 - AK ('till close) - Tusker House dinner
September 30 - EP - Le Cellier
October 1 - MK - Kona Cafe
October 2 - AK - Cape May Cafe
October 3 - DHS - Mama Melrose
October 4 - EP - Coral Reef
October 5 - MK - 'Ohana
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Happenings Around WDW
I just wanted to talk about a few things that are going on in the parks right now down in Orlando. Lots of new technology... even if it is a little behind the times.
WDW just started a Mobile Room Ready Notification Service for guests staying at a WDW resort on property. Basically, when you check-in and if your room isn't ready, you give them your cell phone number and they will send you a text message or give you a call to let you know when your room is ready. That way you can feel free to mess around at your resort or head to the parks and start having fun. I'm surprised that WDW hasn't implemented this service yet but i'm very glad now that they have. There has only been on instance where my room hasn't been ready upon arrival (and we always arrive quite a bit before 3:00 p.m.) but still I think that it'd be nice to know when your room is ready so you can head back and freshen up or whatever. They will still give you your Key To The World card and your room will be attached but they won't tell you what room until it's ready. That way you don't try and get in early when the room isn't prepared for you yet.
Next up in WDW technology...the ability to book your ADRs online! This excites me as I hate having to use the telephone anymore than I have to. The only thing is... it sounds like there are still a few glitches in the system that they are going to have to figure out. If you call to try and book your ADRs like we've always had to before, you can book 90 days out from your arrival day plus 10 more days after that. Implementing the well known 90 plus 10 rule. It sounds like people are having issues using the 90+10 rule when booking ADRs online. The website says something about 5 days which i've heard means you can book in 5 day increments. So, if your vacation is 7 days, you will need to book your first 5 days ADRs and then go back in and do your last 2. Someone is thinking that if you put in your resort reservation number you should be able to book for your entire vacation but this hasn't been confirmed yet. I book my ADRs July 1st so if the kinks aren't worked out by then I will just call and book all 7 days.
Lastly, on May 8th a new stage show opened at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. It's Stitch based of course (what isn't these days), and includes go-go girls and break dancers to boot. Funnily enough, the show is closing at the end of the month already. Why? Well, it sucks. haha. Honestly, if you find it on YouTube and watch it you'll see how horrific it is. There is a rumor that the show isn't closing for good. Just for a while so they can tweek it (a lot hopefully) and then reopen when it's actually a decent show. Right now it kinda reminds me of an episode of Pee Wee's Playhouse... set in the future... with Stitch. Now, I love Pee Wee's Playhouse... don't get me wrong... but I don't wanna see something that bizarre at WDW. Some people are saying that they saw the show but couldn't stand there through the whole thing because of the heat. The guest area is not shaded at all and the sun just beats down heavily on patrons. I can understand that the heat could get unbearable but I don't think that it's a sole reason to close the show. The show is just bad and needs to be fixed ASAP. They've already wasted that space enough over the years by not utilizing it... you'd think they'd actually put a good attraction there. hehe. Guess not! :)
Next time... i'll probably post about dining... got food on my mind. :)
WDW just started a Mobile Room Ready Notification Service for guests staying at a WDW resort on property. Basically, when you check-in and if your room isn't ready, you give them your cell phone number and they will send you a text message or give you a call to let you know when your room is ready. That way you can feel free to mess around at your resort or head to the parks and start having fun. I'm surprised that WDW hasn't implemented this service yet but i'm very glad now that they have. There has only been on instance where my room hasn't been ready upon arrival (and we always arrive quite a bit before 3:00 p.m.) but still I think that it'd be nice to know when your room is ready so you can head back and freshen up or whatever. They will still give you your Key To The World card and your room will be attached but they won't tell you what room until it's ready. That way you don't try and get in early when the room isn't prepared for you yet.
Next up in WDW technology...the ability to book your ADRs online! This excites me as I hate having to use the telephone anymore than I have to. The only thing is... it sounds like there are still a few glitches in the system that they are going to have to figure out. If you call to try and book your ADRs like we've always had to before, you can book 90 days out from your arrival day plus 10 more days after that. Implementing the well known 90 plus 10 rule. It sounds like people are having issues using the 90+10 rule when booking ADRs online. The website says something about 5 days which i've heard means you can book in 5 day increments. So, if your vacation is 7 days, you will need to book your first 5 days ADRs and then go back in and do your last 2. Someone is thinking that if you put in your resort reservation number you should be able to book for your entire vacation but this hasn't been confirmed yet. I book my ADRs July 1st so if the kinks aren't worked out by then I will just call and book all 7 days.
Lastly, on May 8th a new stage show opened at the Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland. It's Stitch based of course (what isn't these days), and includes go-go girls and break dancers to boot. Funnily enough, the show is closing at the end of the month already. Why? Well, it sucks. haha. Honestly, if you find it on YouTube and watch it you'll see how horrific it is. There is a rumor that the show isn't closing for good. Just for a while so they can tweek it (a lot hopefully) and then reopen when it's actually a decent show. Right now it kinda reminds me of an episode of Pee Wee's Playhouse... set in the future... with Stitch. Now, I love Pee Wee's Playhouse... don't get me wrong... but I don't wanna see something that bizarre at WDW. Some people are saying that they saw the show but couldn't stand there through the whole thing because of the heat. The guest area is not shaded at all and the sun just beats down heavily on patrons. I can understand that the heat could get unbearable but I don't think that it's a sole reason to close the show. The show is just bad and needs to be fixed ASAP. They've already wasted that space enough over the years by not utilizing it... you'd think they'd actually put a good attraction there. hehe. Guess not! :)
Next time... i'll probably post about dining... got food on my mind. :)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Update!
It's been a month since i've last updated my Disney blog. Clearly, this is the time when planning gets slow because not much new information is out for me to plan around.
Today, we confirmed our dining choices. We are going to pay OOP for Kona Cafe breakfast. We pay OOP (out of pocket) because it's not worth a dining credit. The price of the meal itself isn't at the higher end of the restaurant options so we'd be wasting a credit on a $12.00 meal per person when we could be spending it at a restaurant like Coral Reef which is about $30+ per person. For the other restaurants we will be using our DDP credits. I can't actually book our ADRs until July 1st but at least we know we've got what we wanted figured out. I took the time today to get onto touringplans.com to look at the crowd calendar for when we go. All 4's and 5's! Woo! I matched up our restaurants to the best park to go to on each day. All while thinking about other things we might like to do and when we'd like to do them.
September 29 - AK ('till close) then probably EP ADR: Tusker House
September 30 - EP ADR: Le Cellier
October 1 - DS ADR: Mama Melrose
October 2 - MK ADR: Kona Cafe breakfast
October 3 - EP ADR: Coral Reef lunch & Raglan Road late dinner
October 4 - DS ADR: Cape May Cafe
October 5 - MK ADR: 'Ohana
Raglan Road could get moved around. I'm still not sure where to put it. I really don't want to have to put Coral Reef as a lunch but, nothing else works as a lunch. I COULD put Raglan Road on the 2nd but I don't wanna rush anything at MK since we'll be getting a late start anyways because of having breakfast at Kona. I'm also hesitant to put Raglan Road on a Studios day since i'm not sure what day i'm going to audition for American Idol Experience. Right now, i'm thinking October 1st because the crowds will be lower...therefore my competition will be less stiff. And because my friend Ed will still be in WDW with his family and i'd like for them to be able to come and see me if I get a showtime.
I think I will have to sit on that one and think about it. Tough tough stuff. I may end up switching around a bunch of days to cater to this whole ordeal anyways.
Oh, so anyone out there see "Up" yet? I've now seen it 3 times and I am totally obsessed. I got an "Up" shirt at the Disney Store Tuesday. Wanna see?? http://twitpic.com/706cz
I wore it last night when we went to see the movie again. Matt also got one that is pretty awesome. I'm shocked that a medium fit him. And i'm even more shocked that a child's large fit me. Thanks Disney for making me feel tiny again.
Today, we confirmed our dining choices. We are going to pay OOP for Kona Cafe breakfast. We pay OOP (out of pocket) because it's not worth a dining credit. The price of the meal itself isn't at the higher end of the restaurant options so we'd be wasting a credit on a $12.00 meal per person when we could be spending it at a restaurant like Coral Reef which is about $30+ per person. For the other restaurants we will be using our DDP credits. I can't actually book our ADRs until July 1st but at least we know we've got what we wanted figured out. I took the time today to get onto touringplans.com to look at the crowd calendar for when we go. All 4's and 5's! Woo! I matched up our restaurants to the best park to go to on each day. All while thinking about other things we might like to do and when we'd like to do them.
September 29 - AK ('till close) then probably EP ADR: Tusker House
September 30 - EP ADR: Le Cellier
October 1 - DS ADR: Mama Melrose
October 2 - MK ADR: Kona Cafe breakfast
October 3 - EP ADR: Coral Reef lunch & Raglan Road late dinner
October 4 - DS ADR: Cape May Cafe
October 5 - MK ADR: 'Ohana
Raglan Road could get moved around. I'm still not sure where to put it. I really don't want to have to put Coral Reef as a lunch but, nothing else works as a lunch. I COULD put Raglan Road on the 2nd but I don't wanna rush anything at MK since we'll be getting a late start anyways because of having breakfast at Kona. I'm also hesitant to put Raglan Road on a Studios day since i'm not sure what day i'm going to audition for American Idol Experience. Right now, i'm thinking October 1st because the crowds will be lower...therefore my competition will be less stiff. And because my friend Ed will still be in WDW with his family and i'd like for them to be able to come and see me if I get a showtime.
I think I will have to sit on that one and think about it. Tough tough stuff. I may end up switching around a bunch of days to cater to this whole ordeal anyways.
Oh, so anyone out there see "Up" yet? I've now seen it 3 times and I am totally obsessed. I got an "Up" shirt at the Disney Store Tuesday. Wanna see?? http://twitpic.com/706cz
I wore it last night when we went to see the movie again. Matt also got one that is pretty awesome. I'm shocked that a medium fit him. And i'm even more shocked that a child's large fit me. Thanks Disney for making me feel tiny again.
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