A Blog About Disney Stuff

Wow! In a move that certainly took me by surprise today, Disney took to social media today to share that the current Disneyland Annual Pass system, would be no more and the the whole thing is going to be revamped. In addition, current Disneyland Annual Passholders would be receiving refunds for their passes.

Here is the full statement that was shared, by the President of the Disneyland Resort, Ken Potrock:

 

 

We want to thank our Annual Passholders for their understanding during this closure period. Due to the continued uncertainty of the pandemic and limitations around the reopening of our California theme parks, we will be issuing appropriate refunds for eligible Disneyland Resort Annual Passports and sunsetting the current program. We are currently developing new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility, and value for our biggest fans.

 

According to the Disneyland website, there is a bit more information. Annual Passholders who held active Passports, as of March 14, 2020 will continue to receive applicable discounts based on the type of passport they had, for merchandise and food and beverage options at select Downtown Disney District and Buena Vista Street locations until any new membership offerings are announced. As an added benefit, starting January 18 and running through February 25, 2021, those Annual Passholders will receive a 30% discount on select merchandise at select locations, Monday through Thursday.

Disney states that a pro rata refund will be issued, if you are entitled to one and that refunds will be processed as quickly as possible.

What if you were a Premier Passholder who had access to visit both Walt Disney World and Disneyland? You will still be able to enjoy Walt Disney World and and passholder perks through March 31, 2021. Passes will be cancelled after that date. Premier Passholders will be able to renew their Walt Disney World Annual Passes through April 30, 2021.

Currently those with Walt Disney World Annual Passes will still be able to use them. They have not been cancelled or retired.

Of course, they did not share any details on what this new program that they plan to roll out in the future would entail. Based on the date that was mentioned repeatedly, March 31, I would expect we will have details somewhere around there about what the future may hold for Disneyland and its new membership program. Of course, that’s just me reading into things. We’ll make sure to share the details whenever they actually do become available.

The post Disneyland Annual Pass System To Be Revamped – Cancelling Current Annual Passes appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Disneyland (CA), News, Disneyland, Disneyland Annual Pass, Premier Passport

This week Disney added dividers to the monorail cabins which will allow for increased capacity. Not all of the monorails have these new dividers, but it would stand to reason that eventually all monorails will have them. The dividers allow for two parties to be on the same bench inside the monorail cabin. This change may make riding the monorail uncomfortable for some guests, which includes our field research team.

When waiting to board the monorail a Cast Member will assign you a numbered spot on which to wait. Once the monorail arrives and you head inside you will sit in the section with the corresponding number. Larger parties will be split into more than one section.

With average sized parties there can be up to four parties per door leading into the monorail cabin. There is a divider in the middle of each bench, as well as the top of the benches in the middle of the cabin.

Standing room is still not allowed, but with the new dividers the visibility is decreased. The cabins are still at a lower capacity than pre-COVID-19 times, but during peak monorail times there is a noticeable difference now compared to the past few months.

Our field team, myself included, does not feel comfortable on the monorail with the increased capacity. The good news is, during non-peak times, essentially the middle of the day until park hopper hours kick in, the demand for the monorail is usually low enough that you’d most likely still at least have the bench to yourself.

Have you been on the monorail since the July 2020 reopening? What do you think of these changes?

The post Changes to the Monorail May Make it Less Appealing to Some Guests appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: News, Observations, Transportation, disney covid, disney monorail, disney reopening, monorail transportation

January is a good time for Walt Disney World to get some cosmetic enhancements taken care of. At Magic Kingdom a few minor things are under refurbishment and other attractions still have not reopened since the March 2020 shutdown. Yesterday, we noticed the Christmas and holiday decorations have started to be removed.

Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island have been under refurbishment from quite some time now, and now that some time has passed we are able to look back at a before photo and get an idea of the progress being made.

The Liberty Square Market House is currently closed for some work. If you crave the legendary turkey leg it is available at a snack cart 118 steps away, just inside Frontierland.

Behind Cinderella Castle, between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland, is the Cinderella Wishing Well. This wishing well is beautiful and normally has a plaque explaining that coins tossed into the well will help donations to Give Kids the World Village. The plaque is currently gone. We are hoping it is just being worked on and will return soon.

Over in Tomorrowland, our field research, Chrissy, got stuck on Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. Getting stuck on this ride can sometimes work out to be a good thing, giving you the ability to rack up some points.

We also spotted some more Disney kitchen towels that will have fans raving; they are $19.99 each.

Finally, we revisited The Crystal Palace after our initial reopening review to see if anything has improved.  We will have a full write up very soon, but in short, things have improved only slightly.

What do you think of the latest activity at Magic Kingdom?

The post PHOTOS – The Latest Changes and Finds at Magic Kingdom appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: In the Parks, Magic Kingdom, Observations, Photos and Video, magic kingdom construction, magic kingdom photos, magic kingdom reopening

There’s a new set of Disney kitchen towels that every fan is becoming obsessed with. Three different kitchen towels, and matching aprons, have caught the attention of many Disney fans. Debuting originally on the West Coast at Downtown Disney, these adored items finally arrived at Walt Disney World.

At Main Street Emporium we found the kitchen towels, available as the Three Caballeros, Orange Bird, or Enchanted Tiki Room. However, the Tiki Room style is already sold out – hopefully just temporarily. Each towel is $19.99. They are embroidered and do have some nice details, definitely pulling on the heartstrings of fans. But, $20 for one kitchen towel seems like a lot.

Across the Street at the Main Street Confectionary we found the matching aprons. These aprons continue the same themes, Three Caballeros, Orange Bird, or Enchanted Tiki Room. Again each one has great detail, and is priced at $34.99 each.

What do you think of these kitchen towels and aprons that has everyone talking? Which one is your favorite?

The post NEW Disney Parks Attractions Kitchen Towels and Aprons That Every Fan Loves appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Magic Kingdom, Merchandise, disney kitchen, disney orange bird, Enchanted Tiki Room, magic kingdom merchandise

A fan favorite has returned! One of the most family friendly aspects of EPCOT festivals are their scavenger hunts, and Figment’s Brush with the Masters is no exception. In this hunt, Figment has popped into famous paintings from around the world, and those paintings are hidden throughout World Showcase.

Going around World Showcase to look for the pictures can be done at no additional charge. However, if you want the full scavenger hunt experience, you can purchase a scavenger hunt map with stickers to keep track of which paintings are found where. The map and stickers are $7.99.

The price also includes a “completion” prize (although you can pick up the prize whether or not you have completed the map). This year’s prize is a set of paper 3-D puzzles.

This is a wonderful way to learn a bit about historic paintings while having fun searching around World Showcase and is a great activity for all ages.

Are you a fan of the EPCOT scavenger hunts like Figment’s Brush with the Masters? 

The post Figment’s Brush with the Masters Provides Family Fun for All appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Epcot, Festivals, Walt Disney World (FL), figment’s brush with the masters, scavenger hunt