Cast members celebrated National Yoga Day with a special guest: Mickey Mouse!
Last Sunday was “National Yoga Day” and in honor of this, Shanghai Disneyland hosted a yoga event for it’s cast members in order to promote self-care and wellness.
The event took place in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle, where over 200 cast members enjoyed a relaxing morning, following local health and safety measures of course, in company of Mickey and the Shanghai Disney Ambassadors, Eleven and Fiona.
“It’s a day to slow down, take a deep breath and focus your mind” said Cici Li, Vice President of Human Resources at Shanghai Disney Resort. “Im so happy to be able to celebrate International Yoga Day here in front of the Enchanted Storybook Castle. I hope that today’s cast can learn a couple of poses that they can practice at home to stay fit and healthy.”
Cast Members at the other parks around the world were also able to celebrate National Yoga Day virtually!
At Disneyland Paris, yoga instructor Tara Stiles was in charge for hosting a class. Over at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, yoga classes were available all weekend online and at Hong Kong Disneyland, the class was lead by a cast member named Mandy.
It’s important to remember to take a little time off and relax and work on our mindfulness, specially during these times. Namaste!
Credit: Disney Parks
From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Shanghai, Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World, Cast Members, disneyland paris, Enchanted Storybook Castle, hong kong disneyland, mickey mouse, national yoga day, Shanghai Disneyland
You’re going on vacation to Walt Disney World! The only problem? You’re not sure which attractions are right for you and your kiddos and you have questions. Which attractions are too intense for little ones? What rides do I really need a FastPass+ reservation for? What’s the disability access like for certain attractions? We’re answering all those questions and more in our Everything You Need to Know attraction series with today’s focus on Spaceship Earth at EPCOT!
What is Spaceship Earth?
Photo courtesy of Disney.
Spaceship Earth is EPCOT’s flagship attraction and housed inside of its signature 18-story geosphere. The attraction itself is a slow-moving dark ride showcasing major moments in the history of communication.
Where is Spaceship Earth?
Spaceship Earth is located at the main entrance of EPCOT and inside of the park’s icon.
What is the History of Spaceship Earth?
Spaceship Earth opened with the park on October 1, 1982. To date, there have been four versions of this attraction even though the experience and story has remained largely the same through the years. Changes have typically involved a change in narrator and sponsor, as well as adjustments to scenes, score, and some effects. One of the most substantial changes involved the removal of the ride’s descent scenes leading to the unloading area.
To celebrate the year 2000, a Mickey Mouse arm holding a magic wand with the number 2000 appeared next to Spaceship Earth. In 2001, the number of the year 2000 was replaced by the word Epcot. These additions were later removed in 2007.
What You Need to Know About the Queue for Spaceship Earth
Using a FP+ reservation to ride Spaceship Earth, just tap your band and go.
Much of the queue for Spaceship Earth is outside of the attraction and consists of a series of switchbacks. around the base of the attraction.
What You Need to Know About the Ride Experience
Guests experiencing Spaceship Earth slowly move past animatronic scenes representing major moments in the history of communication as narrated by Academy Award winner Judi Dench.
Guests riding Spaceship Earth will ride through scenes showcasing cave paintings, the Phoenicians using their alphabet to trade goods, Gutenberg’s printing press, and then later the rise of computers. The attraction finale is a projection of Earth from the perspective of space before the ride vehicles gently turn backwards and slowly descend down to the unloading area.
During that descent, guests use an interactive screen to personalize an animated video about their possible future.
What You Need to Know About the Ride Vehicles
Spaceship Earth employs an omnimover system–a continuously moving ride system. Guests step aboard a car from a moving walkway. Each car contains four hard seats with two in the front and two in the back. There are no safety restraints.
Each row has a single interactive touch screen which comes into play towards the end of the attraction. There is one controller per row so you may want to seat kids in separate rows with an adult so each child can control their interactive experience.
What You Need to Know About Accessibility
Guests must transfer to a standard wheelchair and then to the ride vehicle. Guests boarding the attraction should be prepared for a small step up from a moving walkway into the moving vehicle.
Due to the nature of the experience, Guests with service animals should check with a Cast Member at the attraction for boarding information.
What You Need to Know About the Health and Safety Advisories
Disney doesn’t recommend this attraction for guests who are made uncomfortable by enclosed dark spaces; but honestly, there are only a few moments where guests might feel discomfort or confined. For those who are concerned, Spaceship Earth is nothing like what guests experience on Mission: SPACE.
Also, a small number of guests with motion sensitivity may experience discomfort when the vehicle slowly rotates and moves backward at the end of the ride. However, this rotation and backwards movement is very slow and gentle in motion.
What are the Height Requirements?
There is no height requirement for Spaceship Earth! Everyone in the family can enjoy this attraction together.
Yes, but it may not be necessary depending on what time of day you plan to ride it.
If you want to ride Soarin’ and Test Track before you head to World Showcase, try to get a FastPass+ reservation for around 1 p.m. Or, if you plan on spending the afternoon in Future World and don’t want to use FastPass+, try to ride after 3 p.m.
Does Weather Affect Spaceship Earth?
Since this attraction is located indoors, inclement weather will not affect the ride’s operation; however, guests waiting in the extended queue may be exposed to the elements.
What’s the Best Time of Day to Experience Spaceship Earth?
Because Spaceship Earth sits at the main entrance of the park, guests tend to ride it first. Try to check it out before 10 a.m. or after 4 p.m.
This chart shows you roughly how long you’ll wait for Spaceship Earth when you visit on a day with a given EPCOT Crowd Level. The blue bars represent the average “peak” wait time (that is, how long the line will be at its busiest). The bottom and top black lines represent the range of peak wait times to expect (for you fellow nerds out there: it’s the 5th percentile and 95th percentile of peak wait times). Please note that these are estimates, and for a better forecast for your travel dates, see Spaceship Earth Wait Times.
Spaceship Earth was slated for closure and an extensive redo where guests would still travel through time, but the focus would be on storytelling and the human experience.
However, due to the lengthy COVID-19 shutdown, Spaceship Earth is currently scheduled to reopen in its current form on July 15 with its redo rescheduled for some time in the future.
Did I answer all of your questions about Spaceship Earth? Is this attraction at the top of your family’s vacation to-do list? Let us know in the comments.
From our friends at touringplans.com
Filed Under: Attractions, Epcot, Walt Disney World (FL), Disney Attractions, disney world, FastPass+, Spaceship Earth, walt disney world
And, while we are now able to book vacation packages for 2021, guests still can’t purchase tickets or hotel reservations for dates in the remainder of 2020. So, what’s the deal?
With all of the moving parts surrounding the reopening of Disney World, it can be tough to decode what’s really going on — and why! Officially, Disney has stated that they will open up ticket sales and hotel reservations for the rest of 2020 “later this summer.” Although, as the situation progresses, this timeframe is subject to change.
So, why the hold-up on 2020 tickets and hotel reservations? This comes down to the limited park capacity that will be implemented upon reopening. Prior to the closure, Disney was selling park tickets for 2020 dates based on full capacity. Now that they’ve released that park capacity will need to be greatly reduced this year, they want to ensure those who’ve already purchased a ticket for 2020 are able to visit.
Animal Kingdom Entrance
Essentially, the goal is to determine how many people currently have tickets AND how many are still planning to come to Disney World so that they’re not overselling the limited capacity theme parks. If the number of guests currently holding tickets already meets (or exceeds) the park capacity for the year, opening up ticket sales for 2020 would allow guests to purchase tickets that couldn’t be used.
Tower of Terror
Once those with 2020 tickets have made their Disney Park Pass reservations, Disney will determine whether they have any additional capacity in 2020 and if so, they’ll open up ticket sales at a later date.
Mission: SPACE
With all of the new policies and procedures, it can be tough to figure out exactly what’s happening with your Disney World vacation plans. Which is why we’re keeping a close eye on things as they unfold, to help break it down! If (or when) Disney World ticket sales are resumed for 2020, we’ll report back with the details!
Are YOU looking to get Disney World tickets for 2020? 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, Walt Disney World, Disney Park Pass, Disney Park Pass System, Disney World 2020, Disney World reopening, disney world ticket, disney world tickets, disney world vacation package, Disney World Vacation Packages, walt disney world 2020
One of the perks available to Disney Vacation Club Members is the opportunity to attend Moonlight Magic events.
Spaceship Earth
These are after-hours events where DVC members can ride attractions with shorter wait times, meet characters, indulge in complimentary snacks and drinks, and attend dance parties!
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in Magic Kingdom
And, for the safety of both guests and Cast Members, Disney has announced that the Moonlight Magic events scheduled during the months of June, July, and August have been canceled.
There are currently Moonlight Magic events scheduled at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on September 15th, September 22nd, and October 6, 2020. Currently, these event dates have NOT been canceled, however, that is subject to change as Disney continues to monitor the situation.
We’ll continue to keep an eye out for any updates or announcements regarding the remaining Moonlight Magic dates in 2020!
Did you have plans to attend one of these Moonlight Magic events? Let us know in the comments!
From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, Disney News, disney parks, disney’s hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World, Disney Vacation Club, Disney World cancellations, DVC, DVC Members, DVC Membership Magic Event, moonlight magic
Although the resorts were relatively empty when we visited, we still noticed a lot of changes put in place around the hotels. Since this is an unprecedented situation, Disney is looking to continue making every experience better and safer for guests visiting Disney World.
After our stay at Disney’s Bay Lake Tower, we received an extremely detailed survey about our experience at the resort. While it may seem long (it took a bit of time to complete!), these surveys help Disney continue to expand upon their existing guidelines and create new ones based on the feedback they are given.
…allowing you to provide comments along the way about why you gave certain questions a specific rating.
Resort Re-Opening Survey
Cleanliness in public areas was also an important point to Walt Disney World…
Resort Re-Opening Survey
…as well as the health and safety measures that were in place at the resorts. As we explored, the biggest surprise to us was that the hotels aren’t requiring temperature checks at the moment.
Resort Re-Opening Survey
There were also questions about guests’ views on specific health and safety measures, like distancing, face masks, and hand-washing and hand-sanitizing stations.
Resort Re-Opening Survey
The survey went on to ask permission to use information obtained from our MagicBand or theme park ticket so they can use answers to our questions that best pertained to our experiences.
We also thought it was interesting that Disney wanted feedback on our virtual experiences after we used multiple online features, like Mobile Dine Check-in.
Resort Re-Opening Survey
At the end of the survey, we were asked about safety and security at the Disney Resorts.
Resort Re-Opening Survey
Since the ball is rolling with Disney World’s phased re-opening, we’re curious to see how the resorts incorporate the feedback from these surveys into their everyday operations. As more resorts start to re-open around the property, there could always be changes made and new guidelines put in place to better assist guests and Cast Members.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort
While we continue to make our way to the resorts to give you a look at everything new happening, we will give you more details on what you can expect when you return to the Disney Resorts! Check back with DFB for all the latest reopening news out of Disney World!
What Disney Resort is your favorite to visit? Let us know in the comments below!
From our friends at www.disneyfoodblog.com
Filed Under: Bay Lake Tower, Disney News, disney parks, disney resorts, Featured, Walt Disney World, Disney, disney hotels, disney news, disney resort re-opening survey, Disney resorts reopening, disney survey, Disney World, Disney World reopening, resort survey
Spaceship Earth opened with the park on October 1, 1982. To date, there have been four versions of this attraction even though the experience and story has remained largely the same through the years. Changes have typically involved a change in narrator and sponsor, as well as adjustments to scenes, score, and some effects. One of the most substantial changes involved the removal of the ride’s descent scenes leading to the unloading area.
To celebrate the year 2000, a Mickey Mouse arm holding a magic wand with the number 2000 appeared next to Spaceship Earth. In 2001, the number of the year 2000 was replaced by the word Epcot. These additions were later removed in 2007.
Spaceship Earth employs an omnimover system–a continuously moving ride system. Guests step aboard a car from a moving walkway. Each car contains four hard seats with two in the front and two in the back. There are no safety restraints.
Each row has a single interactive touch screen which comes into play towards the end of the attraction. There is one controller per row so you may want to seat kids in separate rows with an adult so each child can control their interactive experience.
