A Fond Farewell

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Michael Luongo

Muppet Vision 3D Closing

You can’t get in the way of progress. Unfortunately for us Muppets fans, that means we are losing our iconic attraction. Disney recently announced Muppet Vision 3D is closing. The area of Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios will be rethemed into Monsters, Inc. I have thoughts.

I love the Muppets. I understand they are now more cult classic than pop culture. I have to at least say Disney tried to resurrect them. There were two new Muppets movies that were mildly successful. There was a sitcom on ABC that didn’t work and multiple Disney+ shows that couldn’t gain traction. I think after these (yelp) failures, Disney decided to move on from the Muppets.

Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios is also home to two restaurants. Mama Melrose’s and Muppets themed PizzazRizzo will be remodeled. There are also Muppets styled restrooms that are pretty nice as restrooms go. Closing those will impact the necessities on that side of Hollywood Studios.

Muppet Vision 3D has had numerous updates to Muppet Theater in the recent years. Those seem a little short sighted now. But the performance has not changed. I’m going to miss it. I love the pre-show with Gonzo. Waldorf and Statler are wonderful. Kids who aren’t necessarily familiar with the Muppets are still wildly entertained by the show. And the nostalgia factor is off the charts. I’ll miss Bean, Fozzie with the RC pie, the fireworks, the explosions, Beaker and Dr. Honeydew, Sam Eagle’s salute to all nations, but mostly America and I’ll miss all the rest.

Coming Soon

The choice of building a new land based on Monsters, Inc is puzzling. While the initial reports of a new coaster and a Monsters takeover of Muppet Theater are intriguing, I am not sure the characters have the draw to anchor a new land. Maybe I’m wrong. I love getting my kids to enjoy the Muppets. Perhaps there is a new generation getting their kids into Monsters. I also wonder what this means for Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom.

Disney has also confirmed that the Muppets will takeover the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I have seen a lot of negative responses to the news and I do not understand why. Aerosmith doesn’t have any Disney connection and I’m excited to see the transformation. That ride could use a makeover as the entrance and queue are dated. The draw is the roller coaster. Nobody is only there because of Aerosmith.

How we beat the crowds

Posted on April 23, 2024 by Michael Luongo

When planning your vacation to Walt Disney World, there are certain expectations. It is going to be memorable and enjoyable. But it is going to be expensive and crowded. The most expensive times are also the most crowded. Side note, all associated expenses for travel are highest at the busiest times, like flights and other transportation modes. It’s obvious then that you can save time and money by visiting Walt Disney World during quiet times. This is anytime schools are generally in session.

When our children were much younger and not in school, we were easily able to follow this plan. We would go to Walt Disney World in October or early November and the crowds were light. We then tried a trip during February vacation. It was still so much fun. But it was super crowded. Flights were at least double what they usually cost. We made another trip in August. It was less crowded than a vacation week. But it was terribly hot. There was a weird weather pattern that year. It only rained one day we were there. But it was hot all day and night. It is very weird to have the temperature still well above 90 degrees at night.

We made the decision for our family that our kids can miss a few days or even a week of school in order to go on a fun family vacation. This might not be the right decision for everyone, but it works for us. A vacation to Walt Disney World is an investment in family bonding, memory making and a contribution to everyone’s well being. For us, that is worth a week of missing school.

How many days do you need at Disney World

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Michael Luongo

Planning a Disney World Vacation can be a little scary and overwhelming. There are many things to consider and many, many options. One of the first things to decide is how long to stay for. I always prefer longer stays, but it is not always in the budget. So here are the basics.

Animal Kingdom is the easiest park to discuss. This is definitely a one day park. It can even be less than a full day. In just one day, guests can enjoy nearly every ride and attraction, and also visit all the animal exhibits. I usually plan on a night at the resort pool after a day at Animal Kingdom. The park closes earliest of all parks and there is just the right amount of time to finish off the day with some swimming. This guideline is true for families with children of all ages.

Time at EPCOT is dependent on the ages of the children in the family. There is not too much to do for families with exclusively young children. EPCOT would definitely be only a one day adventure. If time was short, EPCOT is the park I would skip until the kids are older. With older kids, which is what I have now, we spend the better part of 2 days at EPCOT. World Showcase is now enjoyable with them as they like learning about the other countries and trying new foods. Test Track and Guardians of the Galaxy are thrill rides that they love.

Hollywood Studios is a park that can be experienced all in one day. There a fun things for young children, like Disney Junior Play and Dance. Then there are the thrill rides that the older kids love, like Tower of Terror and Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land have so much to keep guests of all ages busy. So while one day is enough to feel like you saw everything, the attractions are so good you will want to do it all over again.

Finally, we get to Magic Kingdom. Here, there are just so many classic attractions. No matter the ages of the kids, or adults, you really want to spend 2 days at Magic Kingdom. And why wouldn’t you, Magic Kingdom really is the happiest place on earth. The experiences throughout the different lands are so unique magical, you will not want to leave.

What does it add up to…

So we have 1 day at Animal Kingdom, 1 day or less at EPCOT, 1 or 2 days at Hollywood Studios and 2 days at Magic Kingdom. So when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World, you really should be looking at staying at least 4 nights and 5 days. There are some planning tricks to help maximize your time. Carefully decide which park to go to on the the day of your arrival. If you get in early enough, there may be enough time to see everything at EPCOT or count that as your second day at Animal Kingdom. I also recommend considering adding the park hopping feature. This will allow you to visit 2 parks in one day. So maybe you will go early to Animal Kingdom and finish the day at Hollywood Studios to ride Tower of Terror again.

A Story of Misplaced Anger

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is the happiest place on earth. It is only called that because it is entirely true. There are 4 theme parks and millions of visitors each year. It is an amazing destination full of awe and wonder. But that doesn’t mean it is all magic all the time. There are certainly times when things get stressful and families snap at each other.

Setting the Stage

We were at Magic Kingdom on Saturday in early October of 2006. We were there all day and we had tickets to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party. The temperature was above average for the time of the year. It was very, very crowded. It was early afternoon and we had Fast Passes (remember those) for Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin. The standby wait time wasn’t too bad. It was probably about 40 minutes. As we entered the Fast Pass return queue, we noticed the standby line seemed pretty long. It also looked to be moving pretty slow. Even the line we were in was moving slower than it should have been. So it was a little annoying. At least for us it was a little annoying. It was apparently much more annoying for people in the stand by line who probably ended up waiting over an hour and a good 20 minutes over the posted wait time. We would soon find out it was about to push one woman over her breaking point.

Just Why

After almost 10 minutes to get through the Fast Pass return queue, we made it to the ride entrance. The attendant was a college aged girl. She stopped a woman and her children who were next in the standby line to allow more Fast Pass holders through. The woman then erupted on the attendant. She just started screaming at her that she had been waiting too long, the Fast Pass system is unfair and she should not have been stopped. I mean the woman was really screaming at her. The poor attendant was just trying to get her to calm down while another attendant was calling for help, I suppose. As I walked by this woman I told her to stop yelling at the attendant, as she is only doing her best and should not be the target of her rage. The woman only paused briefly to look at me as my wife quickly ushered me away.

The morale of this short story is to always remember Walt Disney World is a magical place and we must all do our part to keep it that way.

Park Hopping Adventure

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Michael Luongo

On my last trip to Walt Disney World, something unexpected happened. We didn’t plan for it ahead of time. It kind of just happened. But it was really fun and I’m actually really proud of it. We went to three different parks in the same day, and even had time to swim at the resort. This was our 3rd day at Walt Disney World. We were staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort. We were only able to get around so easily because of the resort’s great transportation options and location in close proximity to both EPCOT and Hollywood Studios. We had park reservations at EPCOT and began the day there.

Park 1: EPCOT

We started the day by taking a Friendship Boat from Boardwalk to EPCOT. When you take a boat to EPCOT, you enter the park at International Gateway, where the Disney Skyliner is. This gets you into the park between France and England. We were in EPCOT the night before exploring the World Showcase, so we went over to Journey into Imagination with Figment. We continued on to SeaBase, the aquarium in World Nature. We were on our way then to an early lunch at Space 220. We didn’t really have a plan for the rest of the day. We then saw we were able to get a Lightning Lane reservation for TRON Lightcycle/Run. Because of the ease of travel to Magic Kingdom from EPCOT on the monorail, we decided to head over there after lunch. Well, we rode Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind before we left.

Park 2: Magic Kingdom

We took the monorail to Magic Kingdom, and headed directly over to TRON. We breezed through the Lightning Lane. It was our first time on TRON so we were really excited. The queue onto the ride is great at building anticipation. The ride is amazing, though unusually short for Walt Disney World. When we got out, we didn’t have any more reservations for rides or dining. It was really hot at almost 100 degrees. We then came up with the plan for the rest of the night. We would go back to the resort for pool time and a light dinner. Then we would go to Hollywood Studios for Fantasmic.

Park 3: Hollywood Studios

We had never gone to a park so late that we were just going for a night time show. But we thought it was a good idea. We didn’t have to take time out of our next day at Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic, which left more time for rides. So we got to Hollywood Studios a little before 8 pm for the 9 pm show. We went right to Fantasmic and got in early, and got great seats. We watched it in awe (as usual) and headed back to Boardwalk as we started the day, on a Friendship Boat.

Disney Announced New Hollywood Studios Christmas Event

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is the most magical place on earth. During the holiday season, the magic intensifies immensely. There is no better time to be in Walt Disney World. However, this is no secret, and the crowds are massive and it is usually as busy as it gets. If you accept that challenge, it will be well worth it to visit Walt Disney World for the holidays.

Jollywood Nights

Walt Disney World announced an entirely new special event taking place at Hollywood Studios. It will be called Jollywood Nights. The event seems to play on the history of Hollywood. I love this selection of the theme. Hollywood Studios has moved away from some of its history by adding Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Anyone who visited Hollywood Studios (or the old MGM Studios) in the early 2000s and 2010s may remember there was much more of a glitz and glamour feel to the park. Disney’s website uses phrases like “Glitz & Glitter” and “Dapper Decor”. It also seems that this party will be more adult friendly than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party over at Magic Kingdom. I am so excited for this event. I am tempted to impulse book a reservation now. I think this event will be especially ideal for a quick adults only trip to Walt Disney World.

The available dates have been released and the time is from 8:30 pm – 12:30 am. Tickets will go on sale July 6, but guests who already have resort reservations can get tickets June 23.

Saturday, November 11
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Walt Disney World has the BEST employees

Posted on May 17, 2023 by Michael Luongo

There are many, many things that separate Walt Disney World from other theme parks. Walt Disney World is home to so many beloved characters and the universe of story telling is unmatched. With 4 distinct and unique theme parks, 2 water parks, and a shopping/dining/entertainment complex, Walt Disney World is a magnificent vacation resort destination. But what really makes the biggest difference are the employees.

Firstly, Walt Disney World has absolute world class performers. There are so many amazing actors, comedians, singers and dancers. There are acrobats, gymnasts, and animal trainers. There are so many more specialists that it is actually astounding. EPCOT employs people from all around the world to showcase their culture.

What this post is truly about, though, are the countless cast members that cheerfully interact with thousands of people. These are the people at the park entrance, ride operators, bartenders and waitresses. They are so awesome. It is amazing there are so many cast members that obviously love what they are doing. In the above picture, the bartender at Oga’s Cantina offered to take a picture of us. She then took the selfie with us in the background. It was so fun she was great.

The difference is really noticeable. I have been to many amusement parks and nobody anywhere can do what Disney does. The cast members are so helpful, engaging and happy. I strongly suggest you take notice of this on your next trip to Walt Disney World. Interact with them and thank them for what they do. Keep the Magic strong.

Disney Dining Plan Returns and a look towards 2024

Posted on May 9, 2023 by Michael Luongo

The Disney Dining Plan is finally back!!! Missing since the start of the Covid pandemic, the Dining Plan returns in January 2024. Check out why I missed it so much here.

The Disney Dining Plan allows guests to budget their dining expenses. Every time I used it, I pretty much didn’t pay for any food while I was in the parks. You know how many meals and how many snacks you have each day, and if you stick to the plan, you won’t end up going overboard on food. I found when I did have the Dining Plan, it was easy to refrain from excessive purchases.

Big News Under the Radar

The return of the Disney Dining plan wasn’t the only jaw dropping information included in Disney’s recent 2024 announcements. Without admittedly providing any details, Walt Disney World acknowledged that Disney Genie Plus needs some changes. Disney reportedly will make Disney Genie simpler, and allow for more planning and purchases before the day of the visit. That is amazing news. I do enjoy Disney Genie Plus, but as Disney (responsibly) admits, using it takes away from the experiences enjoying a day in the theme park. It takes a lot of time and attention to plan the next reservation. When this is done every few hours, it can seem like you are on your phone a little too much.

My Best Animal Kingdom Advice

Posted on April 25, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Animal Kingdom is certainly the most unique park at Walt Disney World. It really is astonishing that Disney was able to combine a world class amusement park with what is essentially a wonderful zoo. All of this is accomplished without guests being aware of any of the effort behind the scenes to care for the animals.

Animal Kingdom is the largest park by area, and it feels it. It is a long walk from one side of the park to the other. Then there are the walking trails to see the animal exhibits. Animal Kingdom has diverse (and bulky) vegetation throughout the park that can make navigation more difficult, especially for new visitors. There are also less rides than at the other parks. All of this has the combined effect of making planning your day at Animal Kingdom much more important.

The Must See Attractions

Based on popularity and wait times (and not personal preference), the biggest attractions at Animal Kingdom are Avatar: Flight of Passage, Na’vi River Journey, Festival of the Lion King, Kilimanjaro Safari, Expedition Everest and Dinosaur. So the plan must be to find the best way to get to all those attractions, without making the day so hectic that it takes away from the enjoyment.

The Plan that Works for Me

I have a plan that I have worked through over multiple visits to Walt Disney World that gets me the results I want. I usually don’t purchase Genie Plus for Animal Kingdom, because there are just too few attractions to use it on. If you really want to get on Avatar: Flight of Passage, you can book a Lightning Lane reservation for that ride alone (more on timing later). The most important part of the plan is to arrive early at Animal Kingdom. I want to be there at least 20 minutes before the park opens. Now this is usually pretty early in the morning because Animal Kingdom is often the first park to open. But you need to get there early and get in at rope drop.

Now mostly everyone heads over to Pandora when Animal Kingdom opens. So I go the other way and I can ride Dinosaur and Expedition Everest (once or twice even) without any wait. Next it is on to Kilimanjaro Safari, and then Festival of the Lion King. By then it will be around 11 am. Then it’s either a light lunch or snack, or right over to Pandora. If I have made a Lightning Lane reservation for Avatar, I will hop on, and have the rest of the day to relax and see the animals. Otherwise, I will get in line and wait. The queue is interesting, and the wait is most often less than posted. I am not a huge fan of the Avatar movies, so I don’t wiat for Na’vi River Journey. But if you want to experience it, the ride is beautiful.

Should you buy Disney Genie Plus???

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is certainly a popular vacation destination. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. No other vacation involves so much planning and offers such a diverse list of activities. Every vacation to Walt Disney World is unique on its own. Being so popular (and so amazing), means that the cost of the vacation is expensive. And that is just the start. It goes up from expensive to pretty much astronomical. Therefore, budget decisions must be made. Things to decide on include resorts, dining, souvenirs, and other extras. Then there is Disney Genie Plus. It costs can vary by day, but expect about $15 per person per day, which can easily add up to a major expense. Disney Genie Plus allows users to make reservations (the old Fast Pass) for some rides throughout the day. So The question remains, should you purchase Disney Genie Plus.

The Definitive Answer to the Question

The simple answer is YES. You need Disney Genie Plus. They way to think about Disney Genie Plus is that however it works out, it is really amazing to skip major lines on at least some attractions. It actually makes a big difference (especially for the kids) to get on a ride without a long wait. It makes for a nice break from the lines and makes them more bearable when you get back in one.

But the complicated answer is you don’t need it every day. Disney Genie Plus works best at Magic Kingdom. Because there are so many rides, you can get the most amount of reservations. The other parks have much more limited options, and it becomes less valuable. Animal Kingdom really has the least benefit and it can probably be avoided. Especially if you can get there early and rope drop. Hollywood Studios is so busy and the reservations go so fast, it is also a struggle to use Disney Genie Plus. But even if it only gets you a few rides, it can make a difference as Hollywood Studios usually has the longest waits. EPCOT is the second best park for using Disney Genie Plus. There are surprisingly a large amount of quality rides to book and they are some pretty great ones (Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Test Track).

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Ideas for planning your Disney World Vacation

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