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How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl

Although the Disney resort hotels on the monorail loop do not have their traditional gingerbread displays, they each are beautifully decorated and have delicious treats to enjoy. One of the best ways to celebrate the holidays at Walt Disney World is to hop from one resort to another to check out the decorations and treats. Here’s our suggestions for making your own merry monorail treats crawl.

You can start at any of the monorail resorts and take the Resort Monorail line. Keep in mind, Disney’s Polynesian is undergoing extensive construction and the monorail station there is currently closed. You can reach the Polynesian Resort via walking from the Transportation and Ticket Center. In all honesty, however, it is not worth the effort with the construction. And the holiday treats available here aren’t worth the effort either.

How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Christmas Tree at Grand Floridian

The Best Route for a Holiday Monorail Resort Crawl

  1. Start at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
  2. Take Resort Monorail to Disney’s Grand Floridian (there will be a brief stop at the TTC)
  3. From Disney’s Grand Floridian you can walk, boat, or monorail to Magic Kingdom
  4. Take the boat from Magic Kingdom to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
  5. Return to Magic Kingdom to access transportation back to your resort
How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Holiday Decorations at Disney’s Contemporary

If you are not staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, whether staying at another Disney resort or off property, simply head to Magic Kingdom and walk over to the Contemporary. Why do I suggest starting at Disney’s Contemporary? Because its holiday decorations are pretty bland, so its best to start here and build up from there.

Which Holiday Treats to Order During Your Monorail Crawl

  • Linzer Cookie at Contempo Café / Disney’s Contemporary
  • Happy Holidays Grand Cake Pop at Gasparilla Island Grill / Disney’s Grand Floridian
  • Spiced Moose Cookie at Roaring Fork / Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

We tried three holiday cookies at Contempo Café and it was difficult to pick a favorite. Our team gives a slight edge to the Linzer Cookie because of the quality of the cookie itself and the glistening, chewy jam sandwiched between.

How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Christmas Cookies at Contempo Cafe
How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Happy Holidays Grand Cake Pop

It is difficult to pick a favorite of the holiday treats at Disney’s Grand Floridian between the Happy Holiday Grand Cake Pop and the Red Velvet Wreath Cupcake. If you are a fan of red velvet then the cupcake is a must. It is one of the best cupcakes currently on Disney property. But if chocolate is what you are after then the Grand Cake Pop will absolutely satisfy your craving. It is a generous-sized cake pop and packed with triple chocolate goodness.

How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Holiday Decorations at Wilderness Lodge 2020
How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl
Holiday Exclusives at Roaring Fork

I’ve suggested that Wilderness Lodge be your last stop of the three resorts on this tour because it is the most beautiful this time of year. The woodsy feel of this resort is elevated with gorgeous, wilderness-inspired holiday decorations. This year I tried two of the holiday treats at Wilderness Lodge. Both the Christmas Cupcake and Gingerbread Pine Tree were disappointing. I desperately wanted to like both, and of the two I would say the Christmas Cupcake is better. But, the Spiced Moose Cookie seems to be enjoyed by everyone who tries it, so it receives my recommendation.

Pro-tip: While you are in route to each stop, place your mobile order for whichever holiday treats you decide in which to indulge. You’ll save yourself a good amount of time by placing your order while riding the monorail or boat to your next stop rather than waiting until you get there. Check-in on the app to pick up your order as soon as you arrive to the resort. Often times the resort counter service locations take longer to get mobile orders reader than their in-park counterparts.

Have you ever done your own monorail crawl? What do you think of our itinerary? 

How To Create Your Own Merry Monorail Treats Crawl

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From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Christmas, Resorts, Snacks, disney desserts, disney monorail, disney on site hotels

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Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020

Nice weather here in Central Florida brought folks out to Walt Disney World today, with all four parks seeing wait times in the top 10 days of the past month.  We received 162 actual wait times today from folks in the parks, too.  Let’s do the numbers!

Magic Kingdom Wait Times

Lots of attractions had their highest wait times of the week today.  For example, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad had an average wait time today of 55 minutes. Its 7-day average is 50 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 49 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month.  The good news is that we received 9 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 62% of the posted wait time.

Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Magic Kingdom wait times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Astro Orbiter
Average Posted Wait
35
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#16
365-Day Rank
#76
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Average Posted Wait
55
Actual Waits Were
62%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#3
365-Day Rank
#82
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Average Posted Wait
38
Actual Waits Were
61%
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#12
365-Day Rank
#109
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
Average Posted Wait
40
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#1
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
Average Posted Wait
15
7-Day Rank
#4
30-Day Rank
#15
365-Day Rank
#120
“it’s a small world”
Average Posted Wait
40
7-Day Rank
#4
30-Day Rank
#16
365-Day Rank
#71
Jungle Cruise
Average Posted Wait
46
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#13
365-Day Rank
#116
Mad Tea Party
Average Posted Wait
15
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#6
365-Day Rank
#91
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Average Posted Wait
29
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#1
Peter Pan’s Flight
Average Posted Wait
40
Actual Waits Were
60%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#5
365-Day Rank
#115
Pirates of the Caribbean
Average Posted Wait
50
Actual Waits Were
88%
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#7
365-Day Rank
#78
Space Mountain
Average Posted Wait
45
Actual Waits Were
50%
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#12
365-Day Rank
#126
Splash Mountain
Average Posted Wait
50
Actual Waits Were
57%
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#19
365-Day Rank
#99
The Barnstormer
Average Posted Wait
27
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#8
365-Day Rank
#88
The Haunted Mansion
Average Posted Wait
32
Actual Waits Were
56%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#5
365-Day Rank
#153
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
Average Posted Wait
13
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#14
365-Day Rank
#146
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Average Posted Wait
27
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#12
365-Day Rank
#125
Tomorrowland Speedway
Average Posted Wait
19
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#12
365-Day Rank
#123
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
Average Posted Wait
73
Actual Waits Were
90%
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#7
365-Day Rank
#107
Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid
Average Posted Wait
24
7-Day Rank
#2
30-Day Rank
#16
365-Day Rank
#122

Hollywood Studios Wait Times

Likewise, the Studios was a popular choice today.  Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run had an average wait time today of 58 minutes. Its 7-day average is 54 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 52 minutes, so today ranks #3 for the past month. Its 365-day average is 61 minutes, so today ranks #130 for the past year. We received 4 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 104% of the posted wait time.

Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Hollywood Studios wait times for Sunday, December 6, 2020

Rise of the Resistance had a great day today, running ahead of its last-week average for most of the day.  Boarding groups started getting called around 9:30 a.m., and continued apace until the usual afternoon pause around 3 p.m.  Good day for the park operations folks.

Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Rise of the Resistance boarding groups for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Muppet*Vision 3D
Average Posted Wait
27
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#1
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Average Posted Wait
50
Actual Waits Were
75%
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#14
365-Day Rank
#139
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Average Posted Wait
27
Actual Waits Were
37%
7-Day Rank
#4
30-Day Rank
#9
365-Day Rank
#103
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Average Posted Wait
47
Actual Waits Were
92%
7-Day Rank
#6
30-Day Rank
#16
365-Day Rank
#143
Toy Story Mania!
Average Posted Wait
27
Actual Waits Were
64%
7-Day Rank
#4
30-Day Rank
#13
365-Day Rank
#152
Slinky Dog Dash
Average Posted Wait
75
Actual Waits Were
90%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#5
365-Day Rank
#97
Alien Swirling Saucers
Average Posted Wait
30
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#2
365-Day Rank
#97
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Average Posted Wait
52
Actual Waits Were
55%
7-Day Rank
#3
30-Day Rank
#13
365-Day Rank
#116
Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run
Average Posted Wait
58
Actual Waits Were
104%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#3
365-Day Rank
#130

Animal Kingdom Wait Times

The good news at Animal Kingdom is that posted wait times seem like they were inflated more than usual.  Kilimanjaro Safaris had an average wait time today of 41 minutes. Its 7-day average is 23 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 25 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month. We received 13 actual wait times today, and the actual wait averaged 36% of the posted wait time.  So that average posted wait of 41 minutes was probably an actual wait closer to 15 minutes.

Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Animal Kingdom wait times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
DINOSAUR
Average Posted Wait
67
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#14
Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
Average Posted Wait
92
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#22
Kali River Rapids
Average Posted Wait
26
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#9
365-Day Rank
#44
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Average Posted Wait
41
Actual Waits Were
36%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#95
It’s Tough to Be a Bug!
Average Posted Wait
31
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#1
TriceraTop Spin
Average Posted Wait
13
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#35
Na’vi River Journey
Average Posted Wait
72
Actual Waits Were
77%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#79
Avatar Flight of Passage
Average Posted Wait
93
Actual Waits Were
70%
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#4
365-Day Rank
#104

EPCOT Wait Times

Every attraction in EPCOT posted its highest average wait time of the week today.  Even Living with the Land got in on the act: Living with the Land had an average wait time today of 24 minutes. Its 7-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #1 for this week. Its 30-day average is 13 minutes, so today ranks #1 for the past month.

Good Weather Brings Crowds – Disney World Wait Times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
EPCOT wait times for Sunday, December 6, 2020
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
Average Posted Wait
10
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#8
365-Day Rank
#108
Journey Into Imagination With Figment
Average Posted Wait
33
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#2
365-Day Rank
#10
Living with the Land
Average Posted Wait
24
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#24
Mission: SPACE Orange
Average Posted Wait
44
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#3
365-Day Rank
#38
Soarin’
Average Posted Wait
53
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#8
365-Day Rank
#48
Spaceship Earth
Average Posted Wait
30
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#7
365-Day Rank
#54
Test Track
Average Posted Wait
78
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#6
365-Day Rank
#31
The Seas with Nemo & Friends
Average Posted Wait
15
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#7
365-Day Rank
#105
Mission: SPACE Green
Average Posted Wait
30
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#12
Frozen Ever After
Average Posted Wait
93
7-Day Rank
#1
30-Day Rank
#1
365-Day Rank
#6

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Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), wait times

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Disney in a Minute: What is Water Painting?

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

A hallmark of the Walt Disney World theme parks is their ability to “surprise and delight” guests – providing them with something unexpected and fun that brings on a surge of warm fuzzies. One of such charming surprise is water painting.

Water painting is typically an illustration of a Disney character, rendered in water on theme park pavement. The artists are custodial cast members; their brush is a broom and their dustpan is a palatte. During a recent WDW visit I encountered this twice, once in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom and once adjacent to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Both times, the images began to fade almost immediately, as the sun started to dry and then evaporate the artwork. There is no set schedule or location for this activity, though typically you’ll see it relatively early in the morning on less busy days, when the walkways have fewer guests that might be inadvertently tripped by a wayward sweep. And obviously this is not something that happens on rainy days.

Disney in a Minute: What is Water Painting?

Disney in a Minute: What is Water Painting?

Disney in a Minute: What is Water Painting?

If you happen to see a water painting, enjoy it while you can, it’s an evanescent art form that will likely be gone within moments.

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Filed Under: Walt Disney World (FL), disney difference, disney in a minute

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Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

This year instead of the icicle “Dream Lights” surrounding Cinderella Castle, the upgraded projection technology is used to give the castle an amazing appearance after dark. Starting around 6 p.m. and changing every 15 minutes or so, often with a small shower of fireworks to signal the change, Cinderella Castle is transformed with a variety of appearances. Here’s some photos that we captured recently during our visit to Magic Kingdom.

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy   Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy  Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

Magic Kingdom Castle Holiday Projections Are Simply Dreamy

 

Do you prefer these holiday projections or are you a fan of the dream lights?

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Filed Under: Holidays, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL), disney holidays

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PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom

Yesterday our field team spent the entire day at Magic Kingdom testing out touring plans. We perform this kind of testing regularly to ensure our resources and tools are up to date for our subscribers. And yes, it’s a fun gig. Our team started their day at rope drop – which we highly recommend. They were let into the park shortly after 8:00 a.m. And they stayed in the park well into the evening.

PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland at Rope Drop December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland Rope Drop December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Morning December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Morning December 5, 2020

Of course, once the magic of rope drop wore off, things got busier in Magic Kingdom. In fact, yesterday was a very busy day in all four parks – check out yesterday’s wait times.

PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise Extended Queue December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise Extended Queue December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Jungle Cruise December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Speedway December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
TRON Coaster Construction December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Fantasyland Afternoon December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Cinderella Castle December 5, 2020
PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom
Main Street USA December 5, 2020

When was the last time you visited Magic Kingdom? Are you a fan of “rope dropping” the parks?

PHOTOS – Follow Our Team All Day in Magic Kingdom

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Filed Under: In the Parks, Magic Kingdom, Photos and Video, touring plans