behind the scenes tours – A Blog About Disney Stuff

There was A LOT of news about Disney World last night! And with huge updates like the suspension of FastPass+, the cancellation of all Disney Dining Plans and dining reservations, and details about the new reservation system for park entry, some of the other new info has gone relatively unnoticed!

Spaceship Earth

Here are the Disney World announcements you might have missed!

All Experience Bookings Have Also Been Canceled

In addition to FastPass+ and dining reservations, Disney World also announced that all experience bookings such as behind-the-scenes tours have also been canceled.

Information from the Disney World Website Regarding Canceled Experiences

According to Disney, these experiences were canceled in order to promote social distancing among guests. We reached out to Disney and at this time they are not providing information regarding which behind-the-scenes tours and experiences are being canceled. They did however inform us that Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets are valid at this time.

Click here to read our update regarding Mickey’s Not-S0-Scary Halloween Party!

Updates to the Dining and Experience Booking Window

Also, while all Disney dining and experience reservations are canceled, there will be changes implemented when guests are able to book again. When reservations resume, guests will be able to book dining and experience reservations up to 60 days in advance.

Information from the Disney World Website Regarding Updates to Dining and Experience Reservations

The shortened booking window will allow guests to make their plans closer to the date of their trip. We know that this can really put a damper on plans, especially if you already had dining reservations or like to plan ahead. As more information is shared regarding this new reservation window, we will be sure to give you all the details!

Click here to read more about the cancellation of Disney Dining Plans and dining reservations.

Park Hopper Add-Ons Will NOT Be Automatically Refunded

At this time, park-hopper add-ons will NOT be automatically refunded. According to a Cast Member we spoke with, “It will not happen automatically do to the fact that we currently do not have information on if our Guests will be able to park hop.” Keep in mind, this was what we heard this from one Guest Relations Cast Member and could possibly change. Disney has not shared specific information on if guests will have the ability to park hop or not at this time.

Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom

Guests who are interested in changing their tickets may call the Ticket Services department at (407) 566-4985.

Click here to learn more about the Disney World park reservation system.

While dining, FastPass+, and park reservations have received most of the attention since last night’s announcements, these are a few of the other changes that you may have missed! We’ll continue to be on the lookout for more information regarding the reopening of the parks and keep you informed with any updates.

Click here to learn about the updates to the Disney World mask policy.

Do you have a Disney World trip planned this year? Let us know in the comments.

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney parks, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Table-Service, Walt Disney World, behind the scenes tours, booking window, disney dining plan changes, Disney World reopening, Disney world reopening plan, disney world tours, park hopper, Walt Disney World Tours

Whether you’re heading to Disney World to ride ALL the attractions or to go on some epic snack crawls, there’s a wide variety of things to do in the parks.

Happily Ever After

While we love seeing some of our favorite shows and hugging the characters, it’s pretty easy to get stuck in the same Disney routine as EVERY other guest. But, there are actually unique experiences that most visitors don’t see very often!

So, the next time you visit Disney World, we recommend going on an adventure to check out these 4 things you’ve never done before in the parks!

Disney World Monorail

Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Ever wanted to know how Disney grows some of their own food in Epcot? Or, have you ever wanted to get up close and personal with some of the animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Well, you may not know that Disney has a series of behind-the-scenes tours that give you an exclusive look at the parks. Yeah, it’s just as cool as it sounds!!

Living with the Land

Each tour offers a unique experience in one of the Disney Parks (or even ALL of them on some bigger tours) by a VIP tour guide.

You can look at the African animals in Disney’s Animal Kingdom on the Wild Africa Trek, explore behind the scenes in the Land Pavilion in Epcot on the Behind the Seeds Tour, get a peek at the underground tunnel systems in Magic Kingdom on the Backstage Magic tour (!!!), or even take an in-depth look at the World Showcase Pavilions during DestiNations Discovered!

Elephant on Kilimanjaro Safaris

There are SO many tours to pick from that it’s almost too hard to choose (almost).

Spent Time at the BoardWalk

Did you know that although Disney’s BoardWalk Inn is a Disney hotel, it also has an entire BoardWalk area open to the public? The BoardWalk is filled with fun activities, whether you’re looking for a new spot to relax or somewhere to grab a bite to eat.

Disney’s BoardWalk

The inside of the resort actually holds a lot of history you might not know about as well! If you look up on the fireplace of the BoardWalk Inn, you can spot Lucy the Elephant. Over in Margate City, New Jersey (the coastal town that Disney’s BoardWalk Inn pulls its influence from), Lucy is a building that was built in 1881.

It has drawn visitors into the town for years and now this smaller re-creation creates a bit of extra Disney magic at the BoardWalk!

Nanny Chairs and Lucy the Elephant

Even though we know you’re totally getting your steps in traveling the parks (it’s justification for all those snacks ;D), the BoardWalk has surrey bikes that your whole family can rent to travel all the way around the resort area! These can be VERY fun and bring lots of laughter to your family as you work together to bike uphill or cruise around the lake.

Surrey Bike

While there are plenty of places to dine at the BoardWalk, like the Flying Fish or Trattoria al Forno, you can also snag some of the BEST desserts at the BoardWalk Bakery! We’ve tried anything and everything from the Unicorn Cupcake, Valentine’s Macaron, and their classic Cinnamon Roll.

Seasonal Cupcake

Plus, BoardWalk Joe’s just across the way features some great cocktails you can sip on as you stroll around the BoardWalk in the Florida sunshine or the twinkling evening lights.

BoardWalk Joe’s

But, one of our FAVORITE spots in Disney World actually happens to be at the end of the BoardWalk! Jellyrolls is an adult-only dueling piano bar that has tasty drinks and fantastic music.

Jellyrolls

You’re bound to have a wonderful time as the performers sing hit songs (and take PLENTY of requests) that will have everyone partying along with them!

Relaxed at the Enchanted Rose Lounge

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a GORGEOUS resort that features a live band in the lobby most days, direct access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot by way of the Monorail system, and the recently opened Enchanted Rose Lounge. This lounge is a true hidden gem in the Grand Floridian!

Enchanted Rose Bar Area

Like its name suggests, the Enchanted Rose features four uniquely designed rooms that are inspired by Beauty and the Beast (can you spot Cogsworth and Mrs. Potts??).

The Library

Enchanted Rose opens at 1PM daily and has a more upscale lounge menu than you might find at other Disney bars, with starters served from 5PM to 10PM along with cocktails, martinis, beers, hard ciders, and wine.

Enchanted Rose Food

Some of the cocktails are inspired by Beauty and the Beast, while others have unique names and flavors! Are you feeling the Envy or Love Cocktail more?? These two drinks are prepared tableside for you!

Preparing Both the Love and Envy Cocktails

Since the monorail connects directly to the resort, the Enchanted Rose Lounge is a hot spot to visit before or after you spend time in Magic Kingdom.

Hopped on ALL the Main Street Transportation

Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom is home to trolleys, horse-drawn streetcars, a fire engine, a jitney car, and more. And, guess what?? You can ride them all!!

Main Street, U.S.A. Horse-Drawn Trolley

The transportation doesn’t just add to the atmosphere (even though we love it) — they’re actually really memorable ways to spend time with your family members or take a break from the hustle and bustle of the park as you go up and down Main Street.

Note that you can’t ride some of the transportation during the Main Street Trolley Show at 9:15AM, 10:10AM, and 12PM! But, you can still ride them at other available times on most days in the park!

Main Street Trolley Show

Note that these vehicles are only out typically in the morning hours, so if you don’t mind Rope Dropping the Magic Kingdom, you’ll be in for a treat when you walk down Main Street!

Disney World is just one of those places that keeps creating new magic every time we go! It doesn’t matter if you’re a new friend or an old pal — Disney keeps on surprising all of us with interesting places and special things to do in the parks!

What are some of your favorite things to do in Disney World? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Counter-Service, Disney Entertainment, Disney News, disney parks, disney resorts, Featured, Walt Disney World, Backstage Magic, behind the scenes, behind the scenes tours, bikes, Boardwalk, Boardwalk Bakery, Boardwalk Joe’s, destinations discovered, Disney, disney dining, disney news, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Grand floridian resort and spa, Enchanted Rose Lounge, Epcot, Flying Fish, jellyrolls, lucy the elephant, magic kingdom, main street transportation, main street trolley show, Main Street USA, Trattoria al Forno, Wild Africa Trek