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4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

You’re probably used to seeking our advice when it comes to avoiding some common mistakes people make on their Disney World vacations (as well as what you should definitely PIG OUT on in and around the parks)!

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Cake Pop at Magic Kingdom

But over the last few weeks, as we’ve watched Shanghai Disneyland slowly start its phased reopening, we’ve realized there is a slew of new issues heading our way when the Disney parks open back up again here in the States!

Besides ways to save money and where to find a decent poutine for the french fry-obsessed, have you thought about all of the new challenges you’ll face at Disney World and Disneyland when the parks reopen? We’ve thought of four MAJOR problems we’re betting our Corn Dog Nuggets that many of you guys will encounter when going back to the parks — but don’t worry! We’ve also figured out (almost) the “perfect” solutions for them too!

Problem:

Kids Touch EVERYTHING

We know your kids have to literally touch EVERYTHING they see — because that’s exactly how our kids are!

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

It’s Mickey!

It’s like they can’t believe it’s real or something until they grab it, try to hang from it, or worst of all, want to put it in their MOUTHS! (Show of hands, how many of us parents are guilty of telling our kids to NOT put their mouths on a Disney handrail?! Yuck.)

Solution:

Real Talk

While some of you may be used to sitting down with your kids before heading to Disney World to explain a few rules, we think it’s going to be more important than ever to establish some guidelines at home prior to arriving at the parks.

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Mickey Balloons

Whether your kids are fully aware of the global health crisis or not, you’ll want to tell them how this will impact your visit to Disney World. This means abiding by the rules and guidelines Disney World will be implementing upon the parks’ reopening such as wearing face masks at all times, social distancing from other guests, and limiting their contact with frequently-touched surfaces. Explain the importance of following the rules so they can still have a good time.

Problem:

Your Mask Gets Wet on a Ride or In the Rain

It’s QUITE common to get soaked in a rogue thunderstorm or splashed on a water ride at Disney World, but instead of drenched clingy clothes, how much of a bummer is it going to be to try breathing through a soggy wet face mask?

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Splash Mountain Ziploc

We’re thinking it’s going to be a pretty big one!

Solution:

Bring a Spare Face Mask For Everyone in Your Day Bag

We’re thinking everyone in our group is going to need a least one back-up face mask — just in case! You never know what could happen. And instead of trying to dry a soaked mask under a hand dryer at the parks, we’d just rather swap it out with a dry one instead!

Then when you get back to your room, you can go over it with the hairdryer you’ll find in your bathroom at most of the Disney World resorts!

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Hair Dryer

If you don’t have enough face masks to wear a new one each day AND have a back-up, it’s a good idea to bring some laundry detergent so you can handwash them in the sink and then line-dry them over your bathtub overnight! Most of the Disney World resorts have a retractable clothesline in their tubs for drying bathing suits and the like!

Problem:

You Blew Through Your Week’s Worth of Hand Sanitizer in Two Days

We all know you can only transport so much liquid with you in a carry-on bag when you fly to Disney World — and you might not want to put a huge bottle of hand sanitizer in your suitcase, should it choose to explode mid-travel all over your clothes (yuck).

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Travel-Size Hand Sanitizer

But now that you’ve already used up all of your hand sanitizer and you still have several days left in your vacay, what should you do?

Solution:

Disney World Has Got You Covered

Luckily, the Disney parks have got your back! Before they closed, Disneyland and Disney World installed several new hand sanitizing locations, especially around restaurants and restroom areas before they closed. Handwash stations and copious amounts of hand sanitizer can currently be found around Disney Springs as well.

The Disney parks also provide free hand sanitizer to guests and Cast Members at several counters and kiosks at the parks and resorts, while the gift shops have been selling travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer for as long as we can remember!

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Hand Wash Station

That’s why we’ll still toss a few travel bottles of hand sanitizer in our bag, but if we run out, we’re not too worried. Besides, now that we’ve seen Universal Orlando reopen, we know they are selling hand sanitizer and face masks, so it’s possible that the Disney Parks will also have a steady supply available for purchase.

Problem:

People Are Standing Too Close To You

By now you’ve probably experienced this in a grocery store or a restaurant while waiting for your to-go order — someone getting a little close! And whether they realize it or not, they’re crowding you out of your six feet of buffer space!

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Magic Kingdom Crowds on Final Night

In a place like Disney World where crowds are the name of the game, even with a limited capacity, what’s a rule-following Disney guest to do??

Solution:

Take a Step Back

We don’t like to be confrontational since most people don’t seem to realize they’re standing a little too close for our liking (sometimes social distancing markers are a little unclear or absent in some cases). In most situations, we try to put a little more space between ourselves and them if and whenever possible before saying something.

4 New Problems (And SOLUTIONS!) You’ll See On Your Next Trip to Disney World

Social Distancing Markers

But if we’re in a situation where we can’t step back and space ourselves out more, then we kindly ask those around us if we could have a little elbow room. Its also helpful to flag down a Cast Member and let them know if more social distancing markers are needed since sometimes there aren’t enough!

In situations where a guest won’t comply with the rules and step back, be sure to let a Cast Member know so they can help speak with the guest.

Well, friends, we hope we’ve helped you solve these four very important matters so that when they happen to you, you’ll know exactly what to do!

What are some new problems you think you might run into when the Disney parks reopen? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney california adventure, disney’s hollywood studios, Disneyland, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, News, Bubble Wand, Disney World, face mask tan lines, face masks, hand sanitizer, hand washing, how to dry your face mask fast, how to stop your kids from touching stuff, kids touching everything, ppe, unusual problems, wet face mask

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Disney News Disney Parks

California Is Set to Move to Stage 3 of Reopening Tomorrow — Here’s What That Means

Now that Disneyland has submitted its proposed reopening dates and parts of Universal CityWalk in Hollywood have already begun to reopen, Califonia’s phased reopening plan seems to be chuggin’ along.

California Is Set to Move to Stage 3 of Reopening Tomorrow — Here’s What That Means

Hollywood Sign

Stage 3 of Governor Newsom’s plan will go into effect this Friday which will means that more locations and businesses will receive the green light to reopen.

While Newsom’s plan has four stages, most of the state entered stage two in May. California’s reopening has been more gradual than other parts of the country and Newsom says counties still have the option of moving forward slower than the rest of the state if they choose to do so.

California Is Set to Move to Stage 3 of Reopening Tomorrow — Here’s What That Means

Universal Studios

Dine-in restaurants, houses of worship, hair salons, and non-essential retail stores were allowed to reopen last month at each counties’ discretion. Once stage 3 begins on Friday, the following locations may resume assuming all health guidelines and necessary safety precautions (limited capacity, social distancing, increased sanitation) are implemented:

  • Schools
  • Day Camps
  • Bars
  • Gyms
  • Campgrounds
  • Professional Sports

For schools and day camps, only counties that are below the threshold of cases will be permitted to reopen (which almost every county meets). The state will provide further guidance (including rules) on how hotels, casinos, museums, zoos, and aquariums can safely operate as well as the filming of television and movie productions and recording of music can resume.

California Is Set to Move to Stage 3 of Reopening Tomorrow — Here’s What That Means

Universal Studios Hollywood

Since California officials have stated Disneyland will be allowed to reopen in stage three, we’re eager to see if the proposed dates are finalized soon. 

Did you predict Disneyland would reopen in July? Let us know when you were thinking it would reopen in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: disney california adventure, Disney News, Disneyland, Disneyland Column, Disneyland Resort, Featured, california, can move slower, counties, disneyland proposal, govenor gavin newsom, pending approval, phase three, proposed reopening of disneyland, reopening, stage three

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Disney Business Disney Parks Disney Rumors & Gossip

How Many Guests Do The Disney Parks Need to Turn a Profit?

Disney World and Disneyland will be implementing many costly new procedures to help ensure the safety of guests and Cast Members upon the reopening of their theme parks.

How Many Guests Do The Disney Parks Need to Turn a Profit?

Disney World

All of these potential health measures and capacity cuts mean that Disney could be in a tough position — losing money to be able to make it again. Prior to the reopening announcement, we explored the financial impacts of opening the theme parks versus keeping them closed. With the parks officially reopening, some analysts are noting what Disney will need to do to make money again.

Disney hasn’t and won’t be generating anywhere close to the pre-closure levels of revenue in the Parks, Experience, and Products sector for a while. In an earnings call that took place last month, Disney CEO Bob Chapek noted that the company would not reopen any park unless it would ultimately generate profit.

How Many Guests Do The Disney Parks Need to Turn a Profit?

It’s Chewbacca!

So, with the Disney World parks reopening and Disneyland set to follow soon after, Disney may have determined what levels of capacity the parks need to maintain to keep a profit going. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bernstein analyst Todd Juengar has estimated that Disney will need to maintain 25 percent of normal [pre-global health crisis] run-rate attendance to turn a profit.

How Many Guests Do The Disney Parks Need to Turn a Profit?

Magic Kingdom Sign

The 25% attendance assertion is interesting. Disney has not made any indication as to how steeply park capacity will be reduced. If Juengar is correct, we may see it cut down to that 25% figure. Disneyland Shanghai saw a similar capacity decrease with a figure somewhere below 30% pre-closure attendance.

When we looked into this topic a month ago, we noted that at current operating cost, Disney would be operating at a loss if they lowered capacity by any more than 28%. Still, we also explored the fact that operating costs will greatly decrease as well with the continued closure of many attractions, resort hotels, dining experiences, and more. Take into account the cuts to operational costs and a less than 30% capacity opening starts to seem likely.

How Many Guests Do The Disney Parks Need to Turn a Profit?

Cinderella Castle

Again, Disney executives have explained that they do not intend to publicly release reopening capacity figures at this time. It seems that we’ll have to determine if Juengar (and our) predictions are right once the parks reopen and we can see how crowded (or not-crowded) they are. Chapek said that guests would have to be “lucky enough” to access the new theme park reservation system, so we can assume that capacity will be significantly limited — maybe even all the way down to 25%.

Do you think Disney will make or lose money when they open their theme parks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney california adventure, Disney News, disney parks, disney’s hollywood studios, Disneyland, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, News, analyst, crowds, Disney World, how many guests, how many people, limited capacity, losing money, profitability, reduced capacity, ticket sales, turn a profit

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Flo’s V8 Cafe — Better Know a Restaurant

Next in our “Better Know a…” series, we’ll drive by Flo’s V8 Cafe, a quick-service restaurant in Cars Land at Disney’s California Adventure.

Flo’s V8 Cafe — Better Know a Restaurant flos v8 cafe

What is Flo’s V8 Cafe?

Flo’s V8 Cafe is a quick-service restaurant themed to Route 66 in Cars Land that serves Southwestern-inspired American comfort food.

Where is Flo’s V8 Cafe?

Flo’s V8 Cafe is located in Cars Land, is an iconic fixture in the area, and will be tough to miss once you’re near it. It sits near the end of the street on your right-hand side before you reach the entrance to Radiator Springs Racers; consult the map below for the fastest path from the park entrance.

Flo’s V8 Cafe — Better Know a Restaurant Map to FLo's

What You Need to Know About the Menu at Flo’s V8 Cafe

Flo’s V8 Cafe serves American comfort food classics like pot pie, fried chicken, and pulled pork sandwiches, many with a hint of Southwestern flair thrown in, like the use of chipotle in the BBQ sauce for the pulled pork. It has a fairly standard kids menu, serving chicken tenders, mac and cheese, and sliders. Flo’s also features milkshakes, and has a breakfast menu that includes a classic American breakfast and tamales.

Flo’s V8 Cafe — Better Know a Restaurant
©Disney

What the Dining Experience Is Like at Flo’s V8 Cafe

The decor at Flo’s is reminiscent of a roadside diner, with classic black and white tile, chrome, and neon. There is lots of Cars-themed decor sprinkled throughout, including memorabilia featuring Flo and the Motorama Girls, and Doc Hudson’s early days as a racer. All in all, it’s very well done. You’ll stand in line to place your order and then receive your food and seat yourself. Flo’s is quite large, and there is ample seating indoors and out. The outdoor seating on the back patio offers a great view of Radiator Springs Racers. Flo’s does offer mobile ordering.

What are Some Items to Target at Flo’s V8 Cafe?

The food at Flo’s is quite good in general, by quick-service standards, but the fried chicken and pot pies are stand-outs. If you’re there for breakfast, try the Brioche French Toast with salted caramel sauce and bananas.

What You Need to Know About Accessibility for Flo’s V8 Cafe

Flo’s V8 Cafe is fully accessible and should not present any unique challenges for visitors in wheelchairs or ECVs. Guests with allergies should ask about allergy-friendly options, which you can preview here.

Does Weather Affect Flo’s V8 Cafe?

There is significant seating both indoors and out, and the outdoor seating in front is generally covered. Shade and protection from rain is more scarce in the patio seating area out back.

Flo’s V8 Cafe — Better Know a Restaurant Flos
©Disney

What is a Good Time to Visit Flo’s V8 Cafe?

Flo’s is the largest eating establishment in Cars Land and can accommodate large crowds, but as with all restaurants, eating at off-times will guarantee you the shortest wait. A late lunch in early afternoon is a good time to target.

Are you a fan of Flo’s V8 Cafe? What’s your favorite dish? Let us know in the comments!

From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Dining, Disney California Adventure, Disneyland (CA), Cars Land, Flo’s V8 Cafe

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Disney News Disney Parks

Could Disney Annual Passholders Get EXTRA Days Added to Their Passes Following the Reopening?

Now that Disney World is reopening July 11th and July 15th and Disneyland has a proposed reopening date, both resorts have stated they will be utilizing a new reservation system which will require all guests — including Annual Passholders — obtain a reservation to enter a park in advance of their visit.

Could Disney Annual Passholders Get EXTRA Days Added to Their Passes Following the Reopening?

Annual Passholder Magnet

We’ve been receiving a TON of questions about how this new reservation system will affect Annual Passholders since Disney hasn’t released very much info on the subject yet!

Disney World recently launched a new webpage for APs where we learned Annual Passholders will only be allowed to hold a certain number of reserved days at one time while park capacity is limited, but they didn’t give any explanation on what kind of compensation APs could expect for not being able to fully utilize their annual passes.

Could Disney Annual Passholders Get EXTRA Days Added to Their Passes Following the Reopening?

Walt Disney World Annual Passholder

Thanks to a tip from nuptiousdisney on Instagram, we noticed something very interesting over on Shanghai Disneyland’s Annual Pass website. Shanghai Disneyland reopened on May 11th and is also using a new reservation system. Similar to Disney World and Disneyland’s annual passes, they’ve extended expiration dates for APs who have paid-in-full for their memberships or kept up with payments by how many days the parks have been closed, BUT their policy also says they will be extending expiration dates for the amount of time that their new reservation system will be in use, too!

Could Disney Annual Passholders Get EXTRA Days Added to Their Passes Following the Reopening?

Screenshot from Shanghai Disneyland’s Website

If Shanghai Disneyland is implementing this new extension to make up for the AP restrictions, it seems possible this could happen for Disney World and Disneyland APs as well. Keep in mind though that neither Disney World nor Disneyland has stated that this will be the case once the U.S. parks reopen.

If Passholders have limited ability to access the parks during the initial reopening, an extension on passes through the first phase of the reopening would likely be a well-received gesture. Again, Disney World and Disneyland have NOT made this announcement on their websites, but we’ll be watching and let you know the second we see any updates!

What do you think? Should Disney World and Disneyland extend annual passes while the new reservation system is in use? Let us know in the comments below!

From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney california adventure, Disney News, disney’s hollywood studios, Disneyland, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, News, annual pass, Annual Passholder, annual passholder policy, ap, ap member, Disney World, expiration date, extension, new reservation system, passholder extension, shanghai disneyland, Update