Disney’s Aulani resort in Hawaii is now in a phased reopening. If you’re planning to visit Aulani, or anywhere else in Hawaii, be aware that a new sunscreen law is in place for that state.

The new law, which started on January 1, 2021, had Hawaii become the first state in the US to ban the sale of sunscreen containing the coral-harming chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate. These ingredients are believed to contribute to coral bleaching, which leads to increased coral mortality levels.

Avoid sunscreens containing petrolatum, commonly known as mineral oil, as well as sunscreens with high content of Titanium Dioxide. This mineral does not biodegrade and is found to react in warm seawater to form hydrogen peroxide, which is harmful to sea life.

Most commercial sunscreens available on the mainland are not compliant with Hawaii’s law. One that does meet the new requirement is Banana Boat Simply Protect SPF 50+ Sunscreen (spray, not lotion). If you’re not confident about finding compliant sunscreen at home, you may want to wait until you arrive at your Hawaiian destination to buy some.

The post Aulani Visitors – Be Aware of New Hawaii Sunscreen Law appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Aulani, aulani, hawaii, sunscreen

This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at our favorite @bioreconstruct photos from 2020! Despite the last year being almost a complete dumpster fire, there are a couple positives here and there that we can look back upon. The Space Mountain cookie jar was an awesome piece of merchandise that was released. I took Bacini – the official dog of DisTwitter – for our first ever stay in a cabin at Fort Wilderness and discovered it may be our favorite place on Disney property. Answering my prayers, the Disney Outlet Stores finally closed for a little while to give me a break from visiting that wretched hive of scum and villainy.

One thing that was consistant throughout 2020 was awesome photos from our favorite blogger-in-the-sky, @bioreconstruct. Today we’re going to look back at some of our favorite photos that our pal “Bio” took over the past 12 months, even getting a chance to pick on a couple of them. Let’s kick it off with…

# 6 – Right Place, Right Time

There’s an old saying that “it’s better to be lucky than good,” but in our case Bio is both lucky and good. Getting a good shot of lightning can be challenging for any theme park photographer, because you never know where or when it is going to arrive out of the sky. This past year Bio was able to get several incredible pictures because he just so happened to be in the right place at the right time (and was well prepared!).

Who doesn’t love seeing a rainbow? Makes a day 22% better immediately.

How often do we get photos of blimps looking down at them?!

Some of my all time favorite shots from Bio are those taken at night, such as this incredible photo of Islands of Adventure taken on May 5. The lighting packages of the various islands just pop and Jurassic Park at the center of the photo is extra illuminated for construction lighting.

I asked Bio what was it about nighttime shots that appeal to him as a photographer. His reply:

Another one of Bio’s nighttime flights got this amazing shot of several of Universal’s on-site hotels. The photo below was taken back at the end of March, and it was one of the first flights around Orlando by anyone after pretty much the entire city was closed down in mid-March. (Reminder that Walt Disney World shut down its parks on March 16.) You can see in the photos below that large hearts have been created on Cabana Bay Beach Resort, Aventura Hotel, and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

Soon after, Bio got a shot from ground level of the heart which was created for Aventura Hotel.

One of the more humorous stories involving a nighttime photo shoot came on May 30. While flying over the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Islands of Adventure, Bio saw that the maintenance lights were on for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. A photo with these lights on is something I don’t think had ever been captured by a photographer before.

However, the lights didn’t stay on for long with someone noticed a helicopter circling above…

There are some things you just can’t plan for, such as back in June when Bio was flying around Walt Disney World taking aerial photos of pretty much empty theme parks. However, when flying above Disney’s Magic Kingdom, he noticed some activity on the ground.

For most of us, that information was gone probably the day after we saw it, if not sooner. Bio never forgets anything, and was Johnny-on-the-spot to immediately remind us of his earlier photo when Disney unveiled a new television commercial over four months later on October 17th.

# 5 – The Rocket’s Red Glare

Those of us living in Central and Eastern Florida get the opportunity to see a decent amount of rocket launches over the course of a year. One of the benefits of your state having a “Space Coast.”  We may get used to seeing palm trees and great beaches, but a rocket launch is something that honestly never gets old. In fact, just a couple weeks ago – on December 19 of last year – I remember rushing outside to the backyard with my family to see the last SpaceX rocket launch of the year. We live on the Treasure Coast section of Florida, well over 100 miles south of Cape Canaveral, and yet we still were able to see the bright trail from the rocket.

What’s better than seeing rocket launches from your house? Seeing them from Disney and Universal….

 

# 4 – Moon

We’ve done several articles in this Fine Blog Series on the craft of theme park photography. The best photographers can take something we’ve all seen a million times and present it in a way that is unique and eye catching. For example, despite being something ubiquitous that we see just about each and every day of our lives, photographs of the moon mixed with theme parks can be extremely special. Because the moon has different phases, there can be various striking images taken of it.

# 3 – Planets

While we may seen the moon every day, one thing that we don’t see with the naked eye nearly as often is other planets. While most of us park goers aren’t astronomers, I think most guests would enjoy being able to see other planets from inside the theme parks. The good news is: you can. The bad news is: since most of us aren’t astronomers, we don’t know when or where to look. Thankfully, Bio has us covered. This, we even got a even rarer treat, as two different planets were visible at the same time over the course of several days as they moved closer and closer to each other.

Here is an illustration from an article in Sky and Telescope. It shows how closely Jupiter and Saturn are passing from our perspective on Earth.

Being able to see various moons of these planets without using a telescope is pretty extraordinary, but that wasn’t the only thing which floored Bio.

 

# 2 –  Velociraptor Coaster Construction

When it comes to covering the construction of any theme park attraction, Disney or Universal, Bio is the guy we can all count on. Since 2020 saw the elimination or slow down on many projects in Orlando, there wasn’t as much going on as in previous years. One project was full steam ahead though, the VelociCoaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. Bio was there every single step of the way, giving us spectacular views of the attraction along with spotlighting some teriffic details!

Bio was also in or around the parks to catch both the first ever nighttime and daytime testing of the coaster.

With ride vehicles running on the track, it allowed Bio to get some good shots using the attraction’s theming in the composition.

However, something caught Bio’s attention while photographing this coaster…

# 1 – The Osprey Odyssey

We covered the incredible saga of ospreys taking over the VelociCoaster in our award-winning 2020 Turkeys of the Year article. An odd story that took many interesting turns over the course of several months, it also allowed Bio to get some wonderful photos.

Ospreys aren’t our only fine fowl friends that Bio has caught with his camera this past year. On December 22, he was able to photograph this flock of birds flying above the EPCOT service canal at sunset.

This broadwinged hawk was pictured at the Universal Orlando Resort.

This red-shouldered hawk was seen on the Universal Garden Walk on August 8.

“Smile!”

However, if there is one bird that is beloved by theme park guests, it is the duck. In fact, one guest got a bit of notoriety this past year when they had the temerity to pick up a duck in Disney’s Magic Kingdom. One of the unspoken rules of theme park blogging is “you see a duck, you take a picture of it, period.”

What part of social distancing don’t you understand?!!!

HONORABLE MENTION – An Empty Orlando

Back in March of 2020, we did a SATURDAY SIX looking at the empty theme parks. For those of us who live and work in Florida, it was just as jaw dropping to see otherwise busy areas completely desolate of people.

So there you have it: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos From 2020! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles covering the latest from the Disney Outlet Stores. You can also follow Your Humble Author on Twitter (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

The SATURDAY SIX Presents: @bioreconstruct’s Favorite Aerial Photos

DAVID & DEREK: The Do’s and Don’ts of COVID-19 Safety Protocols at the Theme Parks

6 Pieces of Disney Merchandise That Don’t Exist (but Totally Should)

SATURDAY SIX Presents: The Disney Signage Hall of Shame

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHyde and you Potterheads will  enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

The More Things Change…

The post The SATURDAY SIX Presents: Our Favorite @bioreconstruct Photos From 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Saturday Six, Walt Disney World (FL), bioreconstruct, saturday six

Despite it being Friday and despite it being the first day of EPCOT’s Festival of the Arts, it’s a relatively slow day at Walt Disney World.  January is usually a good time to visit, though this is traditionally Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. With it being cancelled we’re in for a quieter weekend than normal. We received 164 actual wait times from our Lines app users – thank you, Liners! Our team observed 13 out of 500 guests were not wearing their masks in accordance with Disney’s guidelines. So that puts it at just under 98% of observed guests were wearing their masks correctly.

In honor of the first day of the Festival of the Arts, we’ll focus mainly on attractions that have an artful spin or inspiration. Let’s check out the data for Disney’s posted wait times and more!

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Wait Times

In the queue of Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain there are some great examples of local art and sculptures. Everest had an average wait time today of 22 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 39 minutes, so today ranks #170 for the past year. We received 9 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 49% of the posted wait time.

No better attraction to get inspired to make animal themed art than Kilimanjaro Safaris which had an average wait time today of 11 minutes. Its 7-day average is 29 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 29 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 38 minutes, so today ranks #226 for the past year.

Any artist would be inspired by the beauty of Na’vi River Journey and the thrill of Avatar Flight of Passage. River Journey had an average wait time today of 48 minutes. Its 7-day average is 73 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #125 for the past year.

Avatar Flight of Passage had an average wait time today of 45 minutes. Its 7-day average is 71 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 71 minutes, so today ranks #27 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 76 minutes, so today ranks #158 for the past year.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Humor is an art form all its own. Muppet*Vision 3D had an average wait time today of 28 minutes. Its 7-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #23 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 16 minutes, so today ranks #25 for the past year.

Music of all styles is most certainly art. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith had an average wait time today of 45 minutes. Its 7-day average is 51 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #16 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 54 minutes, so today ranks #154 for the past year. We received 12 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 78% of the posted wait time.

The art of the scare is alive and well at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror which had an average wait time today of 73 minutes. Its 7-day average is 76 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 67 minutes, so today ranks #9 for the past month. It is also rare that Tower of Terror has the highest wait of all the attractions at Hollywood Studios, but such was the case today.

Perfect the art of the perfect score at Toy Story Mania! which had an average wait time today of 26 minutes. Its 7-day average is 38 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 34 minutes, so today ranks #26 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #154 for the past year. We received 14 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 66% of the posted wait time.

Some of the visual gags in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway are works of art. Runaway Railway had an average wait time today of 44 minutes. Its 7-day average is 53 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 47 minutes, so today ranks #19 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #168 for the past year. We received 14 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 62% of the posted wait time.

Rise of the Resistance is having a slightly rough day, like a Padawan in training. There were two slight gaps in operation at 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., and boarding group distribution is about the middle of pace for the past 7 days.

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Enjoy the earthly hues of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad which had an average wait time today of 50 minutes. Its 7-day average is 62 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 59 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #107 for the past year. We received 8 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 52% of the posted wait time.

The inspiration for much whimsical art, Dumbo the Flying Elephant had an average wait time today of 11 minutes. Its 7-day average is 16 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 18 minutes, so today ranks #23 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #133 for the past year.

Perhaps the most art-inspired attraction of them all, thank you Mary Blair, “it’s a small world” had an average wait time today of 37 minutes. Its 7-day average is 45 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 46 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 35 minutes, so today ranks #115 for the past year.

Showcasing the art of music and animation, Mickey’s PhilharMagic had an average wait time today of 31 minutes. Its 7-day average is 32 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 31 minutes, so today ranks #18 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 16 minutes, so today ranks #20 for the past year.

So many artists are inspired by outer space. Space Mountain had an average wait time today of 49 minutes. Its 7-day average is 65 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 59 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #109 for the past year. We received 9 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 49% of the posted wait time.

Macabre themes in art can evoke emotion. The Haunted Mansion had an average wait time today of 25 minutes. Its 7-day average is 26 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 28 minutes, so today ranks #22 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 37 minutes, so today ranks #172 for the past year. We received 7 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 52% of the posted wait time.

Like a child’s storybook illustrations come to life, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh had an average wait time today of 21 minutes. Its 7-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 30 minutes, so today ranks #29 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #167 for the past year.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs marked the birth of a new artform, the animated full length film. Seven Dwarfs Mine Train had an average wait time today of 70 minutes. Its 7-day average is 82 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 81 minutes, so today ranks #21 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 73 minutes, so today ranks #105 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 78% of the posted wait time.

The Little Mermaid is credited as resurrected Disney’s animated film artform. Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid had an average wait time today of 20 minutes. Its 7-day average is 26 minutes, so today ranks #4 for this week. Its 30-day average is 27 minutes, so today ranks #24 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 23 minutes, so today ranks #152 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 30% of the posted wait time.

EPCOT Wait Times

The way the animatronics in the finale scene come and go is an artform all its own. Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros had an average wait time today of 6 minutes. Its 7-day average is 11 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 11 minutes, so today ranks #30 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 10 minutes, so today ranks #204 for the past year.

Figment is one of the stars of the Festival of the Arts. Journey Into Imagination With Figment had an average wait time today of 20 minutes. Its 7-day average is 14 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 20 minutes, so today ranks #12 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 15 minutes, so today ranks #70 for the past year.

What better inspiration than nature, Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 12 minutes. Its 7-day average is 10 minutes, so today ranks #3 for this week. Its 30-day average is 12 minutes, so today ranks #15 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #145 for the past year.

Journey back to the Renaissance aboard Spaceship Earth which had an average wait time today of 18 minutes. Its 7-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #2 for this week. Its 30-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #20 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 19 minutes, so today ranks #125 for the past year.

For many, cars are works of art. Test Track had an average wait time today of 56 minutes. Its 7-day average is 69 minutes, so today ranks #6 for this week. Its 30-day average is 73 minutes, so today ranks #28 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 55 minutes, so today ranks #91 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 57% of the posted wait time.

Our beautiful oceans can certainly inspire art. The Seas with Nemo & Friends had an average wait time today of 10 minutes. Its 7-day average is 12 minutes, so today ranks #5 for this week. Its 30-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #20 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 14 minutes, so today ranks #146 for the past year.

Frozen Ever After was unexpectedly down, not operating at all today. Maybe Anna and Elsa decided to check out the festival instead.

The post All Four Parks Relatively Quiet Including EPCOT – Disney World Wait Times for Friday, January 8, 2021 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Attractions, Observations, Trip Planning, disney attendance, disney crowds, disney wait times

This year marks the fifth Festival of the Arts. In celebration, much of this year’s merchandise includes a 5th anniversary emblem. Many of the merchandise offerings feature Figment and Mickey Mouse in an abstract style.

We wanted to give you just a quick first look at some of the items available so you could get an idea of the style of this year’s merchandise.

Do you usually attend EPCOT’s various festivals? Do you enjoy taking home some of the festival merchandise?

The post FIRST LOOK – 2021 Festival of the Arts Merchandise appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Epcot, Festival of the Arts, Festivals, Shopping, 2021 Festival of the Arts Merchandise, epcot festivals, epcot shopping

Today marks the official start of the EPCOT Festival of the Arts! Technically it is named the “Taste of the Festival of the Arts” as some of the features (mostly live entertainment) are not included this year. This festival is truly a delight for the senses. One of the visual delights is the beautiful and fun depictions of Disney characters in art forms throughout World Showcase.

Each pavilion has at least one or more artful depictions of Disney characters hidden somewhere on the walls. Some are easier to find that others. We’ll get to those photos momentarily in case you wish to avoid spoiling where these characters are hidden.

First, let’s look at something that is different this year. In years past there would be lovely canvas style art of each character next to their traditional meet and greet spot. Since character meet and greets are not currently happening all the canvas have been placed in one area.

The United Kingdom courtyard garden is one of my favorite spots in all of EPCOT, it is under utilized and a quiet spot. Rather than staying on the main promenade, head into the United Kingdom, walking past the shops, and you’ll be rewarded with a lovely courtyard and a small hedge maze. All of the character canvas are in this courtyard this year and it is a great spot to get away from the crowds and take in the art.

Now, back to the character art on the walls around World Showcase. If you wish for these character appearances to be a pure surprise for you, so that you can find them all yourself, you’ll want to click out of this article and move on to some of our other great blog posts. Otherwise, please enjoy a look at the characters around World Showcase.

SPOILER ALERT!!! Once again if you do not wish to see where the character wall art is located around World Showcase, abandon ship now!

What do you think of the character art this year? What’s your favorite?

The post PHOTOS – Disney Character Art Throughout World Showcase for EPCOT Festival of the Arts 2021 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Epcot, Festival of the Arts, Festivals, In the Parks, Trip Planning, Epcot Festival of the Arts, epcot photos, World Showcase