A few months ago Chef Mickey’s reopened, but with one very important ingredient missing: there were no characters. Our team visited during that time. The food satisfied, and the lack of characters was welcomed for those looking for a hearty breakfast without the kinetic craziness of typical character dining. Now that the characters are back we have to say, Chef Mickey’s may be our current favorite for Disney character dining.
Chef Mickey’s Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Chef Mickey’s can be one of its greatest features for some guests, and the worst part for others. It is located on the concourse level of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, in a multistory atrium. The iconic monorail whooshes by every few minutes and thanks to its atrium setting the voices of all the guests and the music bounce all around. This is not the place to be if you are not a morning person. If, however, you are looking for a high-energy experience that is undeniably Disney, this is your place. You can’t help but feel excited. There is no denying that you’re at Walt Disney World when you’re at Chef Mickey’s.
Chef Mickey’s Food Service Station and MonorailChef Mickey’s Former BuffetChef Mickey’s Distanced Tables
There is no more buffet. Everything is served on platters, family style, and your server will gladly bring you second helpings, or thirds or more, of any of the food, which is included in one flat price. The characters, which are Mickey and his pals, come out and greet guests by section rather than coming to each individual table. All character dining is currently done this way, with social distance, but Chef Mickey’s has been the most energetic that our team has experienced since the parks reopened. As each character came to the section that our team was dining in, they danced a little and were very cheerful.
Chef Mickey’s Food and Beverage
If you love breakfast food, you’re going to be in heaven at Chef Mickey’s for breakfast. Here you won’t find anything too fancy, just elevated versions of American breakfast classics. The meal starts off with a select of breakfast breads with honey butter, as well as fresh fruit and yogurt. Then the feasting continues with a bountiful breakfast platter of bacon, chicken sausage, beef brisket, scrambled eggs, and Mickey waffles. This platter is bursting with classic breakfast items.
Chef Mickey’s Bread Yogurt and FruitChef Mickey’s Breakfast Platter Celebration Pancake Banana French Toast Cheesy Potato CasseroleChef Mickey’s Breakfast Platter
A few specialty dishes are served which include “Loaded” Potato-Cheese Casserole; a “Celebration” Mickey Pancake; and Banana Bread French Toast with Espresso-Mascarpone Cream, Toasted Bananas, and Chocolate Crumbles. Of the three our research team enjoyed the Potato-Cheese Casserole the most. But all three dishes really elevate the whole meal. It is a lot of food, so if you’re going to do this for breakfast, consider having a very light lunch.
Chef Mickey’s Cheesy Potato Casserole
Our team felt the meal was worth the $42 per adult and $27 per child, plus tax and gratuity. Considering the quality of the food, the fact that you can have as much as you like, and the distinct atmosphere, it is worth it. Our team, and many of our readers, are reporting that they enjoy the family-style service much more than the buffet. Having the food brought to your table makes it more of an enjoyable meal, and you don’t have to run the risk of missing the characters while waiting in line at the buffet.
Chef Mickey’s Character Appearances
Thankfully the food at Chef Mickey’s is good and the entire experience doesn’t hinge on the characters alone. But the great news is the character interaction here is high energy and tons of fun. Each character dons a special chef’s outfit that matches their personality. You won’t need that second cup of coffee once you see Donald shake his tailfeather and Goofy’s flap his ears as he skips around. Although the chance to have one-on-one interaction and photos at your table is temporarily gone, it is still a fun experience. Just practice the art of composing a selfie beforehand.
Chef Mickey’s Mickey himselfChef Mickey’s MinnieChef Mickey’s Goofy
Each guest receives a souvenir postcard. This Chef Mickey’s postcard has each of the characters autographs on it, and features great artwork on the front with the characters in the monorail as it pulls through the Contemporary.
Chef Mickey’s Souvenir Card
We have listings and ranks for every Walt Disney World restaurant. Our readers give Chef Mickey’s an 85% thumbs up rating. It is ranked number 50 out of 106 table service restaurants. Reservations for character dining can be difficult to secure. Our Reservation Finder tool is free to use – give it a try!
Have you dined at Chef’s Mickeys before? What do you think of the new setup?
Filed Under: Dining, Dos and Don’ts, kids, Trip Planning, chef mickey’s character dining, disney character dining, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, walt disney world mickey mouse
Planning your Walt Disney World vacation can feel overwhelming. Are you making the most of your trip? Is there something you’re forgetting? There’s lots to know, and we aim to make our website and Lines app as helpful as possible. In that spirit here are three tips for visiting Walt Disney World that practically everyone forgets about.
Merchandise Pick-up / Delivery
Adults can order from kid’s menu
The park doesn’t actually close at closing time
Disney’s Merchandise Pick-up / Delivery
This first tip you may not want to share with your kids. If you’ve ever said, “no we can’t buy that, we don’t want to carry it around all day,” this one’s for you. At most Disney theme park merchandise shops you can send your purchase to the front of the park to pick up at the end of your day. This service is free, and it was suspended during the initial reopening on the parks, but it is now back in service.
When you’re checking out, ask the Cast Member about the Merchandise Pick-Up option. Usually they need just 2-3 hours to ensure your purchase makes it to the park exit. Be sure to double check on if you have enough time, and ask about the exact location for picking up your merchandise. At EPCOT you will need to know if you will exit at the front of the park or at International Gateway.
The other free option is for your purchase to be sent to your Disney resort hotel. Not all hotels on Disney property participate, so be sure to double check with the Cast Member. You will need to provide your room number. The purchase will be sent overnight and available for pick up the next day at your resort’s merchandise shop. This service cannot be done for delivery on the day you check out of your hotel.
Hester’s and Chester’s Dinoland USA Merchandise
Adults can order from the kid’s menu
If you’re not too hungry, or you’re trying to save a little money at Walt Disney World, you can order from the kid’s menu. This mainly pertains to quick service dining locations. At table service restaurants it may be a little trickier. Thanks to Mobile Ordering you can easily order from the kids menu and simply pick up your order when it is ready. Disney does have the basics of children’s eating habits like chicken nuggets, burgers, and pizza, but they also have some creative, healthy options too. Be sure to explore!
Kid’s Finger Food at Geyser Point
There’s also a great snack pack available at select quick service locations which provides a decent amount of snacks that can keep you going throughout the day.
The park doesn’t actually close at closing time
Each park’s published closing time indicates a few things. First, no more guests will be admitted into the park at that point. Second, no additional guests will be allowed entrance into any of the queues for the attractions. Most quick service locations and many shops will close at closing time or just before. However, if you are already in line, you can remain in line. So, yes, if you’ve got five minutes until the park closes and you jump into a line with a 45 minute wait, for example, you’ll be able to continue in line and ride the ride.
Tomorrowland at Night October 2020
You can also dine past closing time. Many table service restaurants will have timeslots available all the way until just before closing time. There’s also been cases when we’ve found timeslots for right after park closing, say 15 minutes. You use our Reservation Finder to help secure a reservation at popular spots and popular timeslots.
Enjoying a meal that goes beyond the published park closing time will not only satisfy your hunger, but will give you a chance to stroll through the park with less people–an enchanting way to end your day. Merchandise shops at the front of the park are open for about an hour past closing as well, in case you need those last-minute mementos.
There’s plenty more tips where these came from. Let us know in the comments if you’d like to see more tips like these.
Filed Under: Dos and Don’ts, Observations, Park Hours, Trip Planning, best tips for disney world, disney dining, disney park hours, disney world planning tips
As we yeet 2020 off a cliff into oblivion it is finally time to look ahead to 2021. In addition to a year of change, firsts, and hopefully many vials of vaccines, 2021 also is bringing many additions and changes to the Universal Orlando Resort. In this article, we will preview the year ahead at Universal Orlando Resort.
Before we get any further, please consider donating to the Cast Member Pantry or other local food banks to help support employees let go in 2020.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster
Concept art copyright Universal Orlando.
One of the most anticipated coasters in the world for 2021, the Jurassic World VelociCoaster opens in summer 2021 at Islands of Aventure. This brand-new coaster combines all the elaborate theming and intricate design work from Universal’s recent projects, such as Hagrid, with the design of a modern steel coaster. VelociCoaster features two launches, four inversions, near missing “head-chopper” rockwork, and a 155-foot-tall top hat element.
Photograph copyright Universal Orlando.
You will be racing through the raptor paddock in style on slick, 24-seat coaster vehicles. The head-rest mounted spot-lights will illuminate our path while the lap bars will provide unparalleled freedom of movement during the ride’s sustained airtime.
Jurassic World VelociCoaster opens in summer 2021.
In early 2020 several CityWalk retail establishments closed for a new project. Throughout 2020 the stores were gutted and reconfigured into one large venue. While Universal has not confirmed the replacement, we believe the store will be a new, larger Universal Studios Store with more retail space and themed sections. Expect an official announcement sometime in early 2021 for a 2021 opening.
Mardi Gras 2021
Feet don’t fail me now. Mardi Gras 2020 was cut short due to COVID-19 but expect a return of a modified Mardi Gras in 2021. While we are not expecting any concerts this year, expect an updated Tribute Store, Mardi Gras float walk-through experience, more unique food and beverage options, and of course stilt walkers. Stilt walkers are Universal.
Universal has not announced Mardi Gras 2021 dates yet, but the event is likely to occur from February through April 2021.
Halloween Horror Nights 30
The biggest gut-punch this year was the cancelation of 2020’s Halloween Horror Nights in what would have been the event’s 30th anniversary year. Thankfully Universal provided a small taste of the event in September and October with a daytime Halloween event to satiate us. 2021 will bring us the full anniversary year with 10 houses, multiple shows, scare zones, and more. Universal even went the extra mile and teased us with a house debuting next year, Puppet Theater Captive Audience:
Due to 2020’s cancellation, expect Universal to keep announcements close to the vest for a while. We believe Halloween Horror Nights 2021 will run from the beginning of September through October 31, 2021.
Other Surprises…
Universal always has a few surprises up its sleeves for any given year, from new experiences like meeting dinosaurs, to new restaurants, and even all-new theme parks. We expect lots of additions and updates throughout the year and you can find all that coverage, and more, on the TouringPlans blog!
This week’s SATURDAY SIXtakes a look at 6 Reasons We’ll NEVER FORGET 2020 (No Matter How Hard We Try!). With the new year almost upon us, it is time for another SATURDAY SIX annual tradition of looking back at some of the most “memorablemoments” of the previous twelve months. Now we already covered some of the most next level bonkers events of 2020 with the prestigious Theme Park Turkey of the Year Awards, so today let’s look at six theme park stories that fall into a different area. Events that are almost hard to believe actually happened, but we promise that they did, and we’re here with the proof. So let’s kick it off with…
# 6 -Self Parking at Wilderness Lodge
For decades, the cost to park at WDW hotels was built into the price of the room. Then, in 2016 a new initiative began, one based on “nickel and diming” every consumer on property. On came the up-charges, and opportunities like $700 tents in Tomorrowland and a bus system which would drop guests off backstage to skip the “hassle” of a park’s main entrance. Eventually, this initiative found its way to on-site resorts as every single hotel on property began to charge guests an additional fee for overnight parking. People exempt from the parking fee include: guests with disabilities, Cast Members staying as guests, guests part of a group or convention, or guests staying at the Fort Wilderness campsites.
This year, a guest found a whole new way around the parking fee dilemma… by making their own spot.
Over the years we’ve seen many reports of guests reacting badly in the park. We’ve seen people try to climb the pyramid at EPCOT’s Mexico Pavillion. We’ve seen guests choke other guests for standing during nighttime spectaculars. We even saw one family in Disneyland do their best to recreate a melee generally only seen on the Jerry Springer show. These stories come and go, generally getting a quick reaction before all us move on to The Next Thing.
On rare occasions, a guest acts so inappropriately that they unite the entire community, and it’s usually because they break one of the theme park commandments, such as
COMMANDMENT: THOU SHALT NOT DISRESPECT THY DISNEY DUCKS
Back in July, right before WDW opened for the public, the parks let in Cast Members to perform a “stress test” of sorts to make sure everything was ready to go before regular guests came back. For reasons still unknown, one Cast Member decided this was the time to not only pick up a duck in Disney’s Magic Kingdom, but film the experience to put on Tik Tok and generate views.
This went about as well as you think it would, and Disney Duck Girl was born. Response to the video was swift.
Several others had fun with the Disney Duck Girl story.
What if instead of a duck it was Bacini, the official dog of DisTwitter?(classic meme by Gratuitous Disney Memes)
WORD OF ADVICE: If you ever do something that sparks an internet outrage against you, “take the L” and move on. Apologize. Take a moment of self-reflection and try to understand where everyone else is coming from. Evaluate your choice and make an honest assessment of what you could have done differently.
Of course, no one ever does this. They usually make excuses for their behavior. Disney Duck Girl’s excuse was that she was afraid for the duck’s health because of children nearby. Keep in mind that *she* posted the video which debunked her own story.
Disney actually may have been happy about the duck story, because it distracted people from a video that Disney themselves put out before the parks opened and was immediately mocked by the internet.
COMMANDMENT: THOU SHALL NOT “STIFF” THY SERVER
Tipping at Walt Disney World is one of the most controversial subjects in theme park community. I get it. Many guests come from countries in which servers in restaurants make a livable wage and the “tip” – so to speak – is built into the cost of their meal. Unfortunately that’s not how it works in America, nor at Walt Disney World. Here, servers are paid an extremely low wage because of the assumption that tips will bring up their earnings. Whether that policy is “right” or “wrong” is a battle for another day. This is just simply how it is, period.
Servers get poorly tipped, if not outright stiffed, many times over the course of a year. Like our story above, they just have to “take the L” and move on. The servers can’t complain, because in almost all cases tipping is voluntary. When guests gloat about being a jerk to a server, that always backfires, such as this next story from EPCOT.
In September, a self-described Disney Expert posted an Instagram story about her experience at Via Napoli.
During the story, the “influencer” showed the check they got for a pizza. In the Instagram story, the “expert” said that they read the menu wrong. The original bill was for slightly over $50. The person than applied than Annual Pass discount to bring the check down to $45. Here’s where we get to the point of the story which shows you everything you need to know about this so-called Disney expert’s character. In the updated check, they put zero in for a tip with the hand written explanation,
Sorry not to tip, but this price is outrageous.” – Alleged Disney Expert
Even better, the Disney “influencer” created a GoFundMe, trying to get people to chip in and reimburse the $45 spent on lunch.
Reaction to all of this was BRUTAL. It wasn’t long before the story changed. Multiple times. The updated Instagram story now claimed this “expert” was misled by the server, was being attacked by everyone on social media, and even went so far to suggest it was God’s Will which led them not to tip. Lessons Learned? Like the tip itself, zero.
The good news is that this is the rare story with a truly happy ending. After learning about the situation, another person started a GoFundMe page for the Via Napoli server. A whole bunch of people contributed – much more than expected – and the Via Napoli server was given the entire amount of the funds in the form of a $1,430 tip.
As always, regardless about how you feel about tipping at WDW, there is something to keep in the back of your mind when going out to eat at any table service restaurant.
COMMENT: THOU SHALL NOT MISQUOTE A BUG’S LIFE
Speaking of touchy subjects, a new one was added to the list this year in terms of face coverings. Whether you agree or disagree with the wearing of face masks inside the Disney parks is irrelevant, they are a mandated rule. Other companies, including the supermarket chain Publix, “encourage” customers to wear masks, but will not do anything to customers who chose not to. That’s not how it works at Disney, because the last thing the company needs after this past year is an outbreak that gets traced back to the theme parks.
Despite signage EVERYWHERE saying masks are mandatory…despite impossible-to-miss pop-up messages that come up on your phone when you log into MyDisneyExperience and apocalyptic audio messages in parks providing “reminders”…there are still guests who think they don’t need to wear a mask at Walt Disney World.
Walt Disney World’s response: NAY NAY.
While many guests have been asked to leave the parks if they refused to wear a face covering, one man took it to another level back in September. It what has to be assumed was an attempt to go “viral,” the very embodiment of the Florida Man stereotype was escorted out of DHS by park security while causing a scene. Screaming about his rights – although certainly not the “right to remain silent” – the man even invoked the beloved Pixar film A Bug’s Life in his ranting..
“Remember the movie that came out at Walt Disney World?,” yells the man. “It was called A Bug’s Life! Remember Hopper? If one guy stands up, one ant stands up, then they’ll all stand up and they’ll lose control.”
Because the mask-less man was live streaming the entire altercation, we also got a rare look backstage at DHS. When guests get trespassed from Disney, they are generally brought back to a backstage room while paperwork is filled out. During this exchange, one person in this entire saga ended up being a hero to many: the Cast Member who served our unmasked man his trespass warning while explaining He Can’t Come Back Here Again. One user on social media even applied characters from A Bug’s Life to this unforgettable moment.
COMMANDMENT: THOU SHALL NOT COVET THE NEIGHBOR’S CLOSED ZOOLOGICAL PARK
When Walt Disney World closed earlier this year it was a blow for us all. I personally had a long planned family vacation scheduled for April that was to be split between Universal and Disney. By March it was clear this vacation was not happening and every day brought one of two things, either I was calling the parks to cancel something or they were sending me an email letting me know that it was cancelled for me. I felt like Ralphie Parker in A Christmas Story when the see the family turkey after the neighbor’s dogs tore it to pieces. “The heavenly aroma still hung in the house, but it was gone, all gone! No turkey, no turkey sandwiches, no turkey salad, no turkey gravy, turkey hash, turkey a-la-king, or gallons of turkey soup!” My dreams of Volcano Bay, Hoop-Dee-Do Revue, and the Poly’s Spirt of Aloha show were gone, just like that. Thousands of other guests around the world were going through the exact same thing as me.
Except one guy.
One guy decided that now was the time to finally have his dream vacation. With the parks and resorts closed, this guy decided to camp on Discovery Island.
Keep in mind that Discovery Island isn’t an easy place to get to. After this guy was spotted on a boat going to the island, Orange County deputies did their search on foot, by helicopter, and by boat before finally making contact with him. In fact, body cam footage of the manhunt came out and it was next level insanity. Guns drawn like a game of Call of Duty, the police searched Discovery Island in what they referred to as, “best game of hide and seek ever.” At one point, when going through a building, an officer says, “…and this is where they raised the baby dinosaurs.” WHAT?!!!!
It was a banner year for merchandise resellers, with the announcement of Splash Mountain being rethemed to Princess and the Frog bringing people out in droves. As soon as Disney’s Magic Kingdom reopened from its coronavirus shut down on July 11th, bags and bags of merchandise featuring characters like Bre’r Bear and Bre’r Fox were quickly whisked out of Disney’s Magic Kingdom and immediately put on eBay with a massive surcharge.
And when we say immediately, we mean immediately as some pieces of merchandise were listed while the seller was still inside Frontierland after making the original purchase.
These pictures do not even do justice to what was witnessed over the course of a week. Despite constantly being restocked, it wasn’t long before the entire Splash Mountain gift shop was completely stripped of anything piece of merchandise actually related to Splash Mountain. Less than a month later the gift shop was boarded up and labeled “temporarily” unavailable on Disney’s website, as it remains today.
Resellers have been controversial topic in many theme park message boards and social forums. By buying stores out of stock, many people feel deprived of the chance to purchase the merchandise themselves, and are forced to buy items from the resellers, feeding into a vicious circle. Any time a limited or “hot” item is released and immediately scooped up by resellers, there are cries to Disney that Something Should Be Done.
As someone who has followed the Disney merchandise game for quite a while, I can tell you with almost complete certainty that there is one hard truth: They Don’t Care.
In my experience, not only does Disney NOT do anything to dissuade people from buying out the stock, they go out of there way to help them. I say this without judgement. It is what is. Earlier this summer we saw a reseller go to the Disney Outlet Stores and make multiple trips back and forth to their car carrying Frozen castle sets. On one trip, a Disney Outlet Store manager helped them bring Frozen sets to their car. As God as my witness they helped them to their car. I say this only as a way to hopefully help others “let go” of some sort of anger they hold towards Disney Cast Members for not stopping these resellers.
We can summarize the entire situation using an iconic moment from the movie The Fugitive.
# 4 – You Never Know What You’ll See on the Disney Skyliner
After a slightly bumpy beginning and having a laugh with the emergency kits, the Disney Skyliner has turned one of the best methods of transportation at Walt Disney World. If anything it has become even better since the coronavirus shut down because now your party is all but guaranteed to get a “private” Skyliner cab rather than sharing it with others like in the past. Being on the Skyliner gives guests a unique view of Disney property, and while being high up in the air may have you looking into the horizon to see places normally you couldn’t see, don’t forget the opportunity to take a look down…
For those who don’t know, this dirt wide swatch of dirt is not – I repeat, NOT – a road to travel on.
A man, a plan, a scooter
Speaking about things you can’t believe you’re seeing with your own eyes, over at Universal CityWalk an interesting character showed up in front of Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. The robot dog named Latte was outside and interacting with walk around character Penelope Toothsome. Back in 2019, there were photos and videos of a robot dog made by Boston Dynamics. Watching this robot dog in action can be a bit unsettling, and anyone who has watched a Terminator movie knows eventually this is how Skynet will end up taking over the world. While us humans are still in charge of the Earth, we can take a moment to photo of one of this robot dogs with an elaborate steampunk makeover.
Zooming into the photo you can even see the coffee bean details. “Spared no expense.” – John Hammond, Jurassic Park (photo by @bioreconstruct)
# 3 – Sugar Factory Straight Up Rips Off Toothsome
Latte the robot dog isn’t even the craziest story involving Toothsome this year. Back in July, our friends at Attractions Magazine tweeted that Sugar Factory would be opening a new fast-casual restaurant concept in Orlando.
If you look at that concept art and think, “that looks familiar,” well, you’re not alone…
This is so next-level bonkers that it got us thinking of the restaurant McDowell’s that was used to hilarious comedic effect in Eddie Murphy’s Coming To America movie. The joke was that McDowell’s was a complete ripoff of the fast food chain McDonald’s, but the owner tried to say otherwise…
One user on social media took the Sugar Factory concept to the next level, introducing characters familiar to anyone who has seen Penelope Toothsome and her robot companion Jacques.
Believe it or not, that’s not even the craziest theme park ripoff story of 2020. While perusing books, one person on DisTwitter came across the following…
Let’s take a closer look at that logo…
Remind you of something?
Speaking of which, we’re proud to introduce the new logo of this fine blog series…
# 2 – The Jungle Cruise and Splash Mountain Remind Guests “You May Get Wet”
Many of the stories we are talking about in this article never made it past the theme park community. The next story got worldwide attention. Back in February, people on social media started reporting that a boat on the Jungle Cruise was sinking with guests still on it.
It didn’t take long before the boat was almost completely submerged. Thankfully all the guests were removed from the attraction before they got too wet.
However, that did not stop DisTwitter from running wild with this story, creating seemingly thousands of memes and jokes based on the situation in near record time.
An incredible t-shirt design based off an actual joke said by a skipper on every ride of the Jungle Cruise. (art by @GoAwayGreen)
Others referenced more lines from the attraction…
The references to Titanic were everywhere.
One of our favorite memesmiths – who likes to incorporate Walt Disney from the opening of Disneyland in 1955 – used the opportunity to not just put Walt into this situation, but have him wearing a snorkel.
More recently, the Jungle Cruise was seen in the form of a Happy Meal toy available from McDonad’s.
As you can see, I can’t let things go.
In August, another Disney attraction had some issues taking on water as guests posted video of water quickly rushing into their Splash Mountain log.
DisTwitter was Johnny On The Spot, having their usual fun…
One user created a meme using a well known Flex Seal ad to make a joke about how Disney could fix the ride.
But the actual Flex Seal brand even made a joke about the situation!
Even Disney’s number one competitor got a small jab in…
We see you laughing over there Universal, but don’t forget YOU did THIS…
For reasons still unknown, over at the Universal Orlando Resort, a large ad was put in the middle of a lake. Ads aren’t unusual, especially in Orlando, but this is ad designed for only one person to truly appreciate…Blogger In the Sky @bioreconstruct.
# 1 -Summer 2020: When EVERY Theme Park Was As Empty as Disneyland after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Opened
Clearly the thing that will most be associated with 2020 is the unprecedented closure of every theme park in the world. We’ve had some fun over why Disneyland “felt empty” after Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, but now the parks WERE empty and it was depressing.
Magic Kingdom hub. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Magic Kingdom’s Fantastyland. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Another view of Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Magic Kingdom’s Storybook Circus. (photo by @bioreconstruct)The parking lot for DHS. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Center Stage at DHS. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Black Spire Outpost at DHS. (photo by @bioreconstruct)EPCOT, with Flower and Garden topiaries and flower beds still in place. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Marvel Superhero Island in Universal’s Islands of Advnture. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Toon Lagoon in IOA. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Seuss Landing in IOAL (photo by @bioreconstruct)
Meanwhile out in California…
Main entrance of Universal Studios Hollywood. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Super Silly Fun Land at USH. (photo by @bioreconstruct)The Simpsons and Harry Potter areas of USH. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Main Street USA in Disneyland. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Disneyland’s castle. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Pixar Pier in Disney’s California Adventure. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
If we could sum up Theme Park’s 2020 in one photo….
Promotional material for Avengers Campus, which was scheduled to open in Disney’s California Adventure in July 2020.
Just how bad did things get this year? Well, let’s take a look at the gas station closest to my beloved Disney Outlet Stores. This Shell gas station on Apopka-Vineland Road, just around the corner from Disney Springs, has to be the most expensive gas station in Orlando. For years, the price of regular unleaded gas was $5.99. For those reading from outside the United States, it was rare to ever find a gas station selling gas for more than $3 a gallon.
Now, prior to the coronavirus, gas prices in general have being going down in America. In some areas it has gone even lower than $2 a gallon. How did our famous gas station react with all the prices going down? IT WENT UP A DOLLAR.
(photo by Ben Wszalek)
It’s important to remember that the $6.99 per gallon was for the CHEAPEST gas at this station. The premium gas was actually almost $8 a gallon!
(photo by Ben Wszalek)
With the parks shut down and tourism to Orlando crushed, the most shocking even of 2020 occurred…our gas station finally lowered their prices.
“Impossible.” – Bane, The Dark Knight Rises (photo by Julia Mascardo)
It almost seems like mirage.
(photo by Julia Mascardo)
Honorable Mention – DisTwitter’s Tweet of the Year
Does it though?
And the runner-up…
Double Secret Honorable Mention – “I Before E, Except After C…”
We’ll close this year’s Never Forget with a story that should be fresh in many people’s minds. In mid-December, Disney posted a picture of the refurbishment going on at the Boardwalk’s pool. However many people noticed that the “Keister Coaster” had a small typo…
After a bunch of reaction online, Disney posted a picture the following day with the spelling fixed.
This was not the only prominent typo at Disney in 2020…
Peak – 1 a prominent mountain. We saw a snowy peak rising from the plain. 2: the pointed top of a hill or mountain. I climbed all the way to the peak. 3: a sharp or pointed end. The roof rises to a peak. 4: the highest point of development. He is at the peak of his career. Peek – what we meant to say.
So there you have it: Six Reasons We’ll Never Forget 2020 (No Matter How Hard We Try!)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:
Filed Under: Saturday Six, TouringPlans Everywhere, Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World (FL), Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain
The year 2020 certainly was an unusual one, and it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the negative. To help brighten your holidays, we’re running a series of articles of the best of what we saw for 2020.
Yes, the TouringPlans blog covers content that you’d expect to find on many Disney blogs (although with our own unique twists and data-centric focus), we’re also famous for posts that you just plain won’t find anywhere else–even beyond the truly unique content of the Saturday Six. Here’s three of our favorite posts that are unlike content you’ll find elsewhere on Disney blogs.
Disney Droids Playing Dress-Up Around the World
Disney people are some of the most creative people in the world. When customizable droids came out in Galaxy’s Edge, many Disney fans said “You call that customized?” See so many amazing ways that people have dressed up their droids for a trip to Walt Disney World–and around the world–here!
Visual Représentations of Wait Times
We LOVE data at TouringPlans and are always looking at ways to represent data to our fans. Based on the COVID modeling that came out in early 2020, we asked what it would look like to visually model wait time data over the years in a similar way to watch wait times “grow” and change before our eyes. The results were shared in the video here.
Testing Disney Cell Service versus WiFi
Remember those days when you had to stand in Hollywood Studios and race to grab a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance with everyone else early in the morning? We spent time looking for the best place to stand in the parks and testing different cell and WiFi connections to find a place that could save you fractions of a second in your Rise of the Resistance boarding group lottery. You can relive those old days here.
Do you have any favorite topics we covered in 2020? Let us know in the comments.
