Travisma

A plumbing failure at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas caused a water leak that resulted in flooding and drywall damage to multiple resort rooms. The leak happened between the second and third floors of the Disney Vacation Club Villas around 4am on Saturday, February 20th.

According to a post in a Disney Vacation Club Facebook group, sources stated that over 2 inches of standing water flooded multiple villas. The leak triggered the resort’s fire alarm system and emergency services quickly arrived at the scene.

The since-deleted Facebook post included images of seemingly severe ceiling damage, drywall damage, and standing water inside a resort villa. Industrial fans were spotted today to help repair the damage on both the first and second floor.

Disney has not made a public statement on the details surrounding the incident.

I have never seen anyone giving out treats other than on their own or adjacent shared site.

Pretty sure even pre covid it wouldn't have been allowed.

The cabins will get some visitors, but not like the big loops down around the meadow area.

2020, you were not "allowed" to hand out anything to trick or treaters.

That being said, plenty or sites had tables set up with an assortment of goodies that people could help themselves.

CMs were patrolling and discouraging anyone from actually handing out treats.

Who knows what 2021 will bring.

Last year, James Rosemergy at TouringPlans.com attempted to become a “Disney Cyborg” by having a chip meant to duplicate the functions of a MagicBand implanted in his arm. Though his experiment did not work, he did interview a guest who had a custom chip created from a pre-existing MagicBand surgically implanted in her arm and was successfully able to use it as a MagicBand. In response to these experiments, Disney has added a label to MagicBand boxes warning users not to do this.

The sticker on the inside of a MagicBand box reads “Not for internal or subdermal use.”

https://wdwnt.com/2021/02/breaking-disney-park-pass-theme-park-reservation-system-extended-will-remain-through-january-2023/

Take this with a grain of salt

Looks like they are only basing it on the calendar, not information from Disney

Introduced with the reopening of Walt Disney World theme parks in July, the Disney Park Pass reservation system requires guests to book a specific park per day ahead of their trip, based on availability—which varies depending on whether you’re a ticket holder, Annual Passholder, or Disney Resort hotel guests. Previously, the Disney Park Pass availability calendar extended through September 2021, but was then extended until January 2022. With 2022 resort and vacation bookings now open, it seems Disney has updated the calendar to cover that period of time.

The Disney Park Pass calendar now extends through January 2023, meaning that the theme park reservation system is here to stay for quite some time.

https://www.insider.com/why-you-shouldnt-visit-disney-world-now-2021-2

Long article but has some good information for people that aren't that Disney savvy.

As a result, both Disney diehards and fans ready for their first visit are left wondering if they should plan a Disney World vacation in 2021.

Unfortunately, the answer is no if you're hoping to experience a magical, once-in-a-lifetime trip this year.

Among the unavailable staples are character meet-and-greets, evening firework displays, daily parades, and live shows like Fantasmic.

These changes would be disappointing at any theme park. But at Disney World specifically, what's a vacation without hugging Mickey Mouse, staying late to watch fireworks behind Cinderella Castle, and seeing Broadway-like performers throughout the parks?

That being said, Disney World ticket prices have generally remained the same since the theme park reopened in July 2020. Standard admission costs upwards of $109, and park-hopper tickets are even pricier, starting at $174.

If you're planning to take your first-ever Disney World trip in 2021, you should probably hold off

AJ Wolfe, the founder of the Disney Food Blog, told Insider that Disney World is "very different" right now, with "a lot missing from the general experience you would normally have." 

Are you going for your very first trip ever, or your only trip ever?" she said. "Are you bringing the whole family and spending 16 mortgage payments? Now is probably not the time to go if that's the case. You're not going to get the full experience — you're just not. I don't think there's any way to sugarcoat that."

"There are a lot of things not available right now that would really make your trip so memorable and so Disney," she added.

Disney World is currently best suited for annual passholders, Florida locals, and other frequent visitors

According to Wolfe, Disney World's COVID-19 safety precautions and unavailable attractions will be "more of an inconvenience than a major disappointment" to people who have already experienced the theme park.

Hemphill, a Disney World annual passholder, said visiting the theme park now is actually "almost nice" thanks to a "change of pace."

"We had to slow down because there are no FastPasses or dining reservations," she said. "We just had to go, experience it, and not do as much planning, which was kind of refreshing. We were even able to enjoy some of the little details around Disney that we hadn't seen."

4 hours ago, Tri-Circle-D said:

The dock reassignment coincided with the closure of the Polynesian Resort monorail station in November. I’m guessing they needed a bigger covered waiting area for the Polynesian guests, and with only the DVC rooms open at Wilderness Lodge it made sense to give the Polynesian the bigger dock. 

I agree. If the exercise trail was going to reopen, it wasn’t going to be until after the Reflections construction was completed. Now, I doubt there’s a plan or any money budgeted to reopen it.  It will probably remain closed until someday long in the future when a new DVC resort is built. 

TCD

Trail is totally torn up and looks wider.

What’s really troubling is the paved part ends a little past the new barn.  At that point the old trail is totally gone, been all leveled out, and it’s all grass for quite a ways until the torn up part starts.

2000 loop has been graveled !

800 loop is closed, saw piles of gravel in front of some of the sites.

39 minutes ago, Love Ft Wilderness said:

Thank you for the walking trail update.  I can't understand why it takes so long to finish it.  From the Wilderness Lodge end of it, this past December, it looked like they were smoothing that part out.  I hope they can get it open again this year.

It was closed due to the Reflections construction.  There was a truck crossing the path not sure where it was heading.  Until they figure out that mess I doubt it’ll reopen

When did they move the Fort and Lodge boat landings at MK?  Now they are near the monorail and share the entrance to the new GF walkway.

Last time we took a boat, the launch was closer to the ferry dock.

Took a walk around part of the Fort.  1500 and 1600 loops have a lot of utility flags and paint all over the roads and dirt.  Lots of utility flags along the main roads.  Looks like they are planning on doing some digging.

Currently at the Fort.  Want to give some updates.

Bus between the Fort and Wilderness lodge is running on the access road.  Walking trail is still closed and is torn up in a couple of places.

Liberty Belle is back in the Rivers of America and operating.  There is an article in the Orlando Sentinel about its trip last night getting back.  I can’t read it because I’ve visited their site too many times.

2000 loop at the Fort was pretty deserted yesterday Thursday 2/4.  Filling up today.  Not sure if they are reading their faxes.  I asked for 2025, then 2027.  Checked in and they gave us 2045, but 2027 was open. 
 

That’s it for now.

But it’s my granddaughter Olivia’s 12 birthday if anyone wants to wish her a Happy Birthday!

On 1/27/2021 at 12:05 PM, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Wow, it's finally happening.  We first heard about this years ago when we were dining at Johnnie's Hideaway in Crossroads - one of our favorite off-property spots.  They told us that at some point they were going to have to move but didn't know when.  Hopefully they're able to find a new location nearby.

Though not as close, it's something...

The pandemic has sped up some of the closures within the Crossroads Plaza, with Gooding’s, Sweet Tomatoes, and other businesses permanently closing last year. Others are moving to new locations nearby. Just east of the 535 interchange is Daryl Carter Parkway, currently only a bridge over I-4, but it will see a full interchange built in the coming years.  This is the new overpass from Palm Parkway across I-4 over to the outlet mall. 

That’s where O-Town West is located. Previously envisioned as a luxury development with Vegas-style amenities, the development has been downgraded into a mix of smaller developments with a large strip mall and surface parking lot at its core.

Many of the former tenants of Crossroads will open new locations in O-Town West. A small section of O-Town West called The Crossings will be home to Wendy’s, Tijuana Flats, World of Beer, BurgerFi, Dunkin and other dining options. Across Palm Parkway in The Village section of the complex will be Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, Taco Bell, Flipper’s Pizza, Vitality Bowls, Wawa, Portillo’s and the world’s largest White Castle. The Town Center section that fronts Apopka-Vineland Road will house a new McDonald’s, Publix, Planet Smoothies, Mooyah, Cold Stone, Gator’s Dockside and other strip mall retailers. A Zen Hotel, two apartment complexes, a subdivision of 250 townhouses, a high school, and the Marriott Vacations headquarters will also be located in the development.

• Image via Unicorp
• An overview of the O-Town West development, now under construction

Unlike Crossroads, O-Town West will be accessible via multiple roads, but the location will mean a further drive for most tourists. It will also not feature the visibility that made Crossroads so successful.

More weekday dining closures are taking place at Magic Kingdom. See which new location joins the list and find out how this will affect your trip.

As holiday crowds die down and weekdays become less busy than weekends, Disney is closing certain restaurants.

Just recently, we learned that The Lunching Pad would be closed during the week. The quick-service restaurant serves up hot dogs, pretzels, snacks, and more over in Tomorrowland. 

Tomorrowland Terrace also joins The Lunching Pad in reducing hours during the weekdays. Beginning February 1, it will not be open for Guests during the week. However, if you are visiting Friday-Sunday, you can fuel up there.

Beginning March 8, Tomorrowland Terrace is expected to reopen 7 days a week.

You may remember that this restaurant recently reopened to accommodate the increase in holiday crowds. It served up fare from Columbia Harbour House, which has not reopened at all. If you’re looking for your lobster rolls, you’ll have to plan a trip to Magic Kingdom during the weekend.

Westward Ho joins The Lunching Pad and Tomorrowland Terrace on the list of restaurants that are closed during the week in February. The stand is located in Frontierland and serves up corn dog, churros, Mickey pretzels, and drinks. It is an excellent opportunity to grab a snack and watch one of the character cavalcades float through.

It will be open from 11 am to 3 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Beginning March 8, the stand will reopen 7 days a week.

Well, if you planned to grab a snack in Frontierland you will need to look elsewhere.

Pecos Bill, the turkey leg cart, and popcorn cart are open.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/walt-disney-worlds-recently-announced-alterations-interruptions-and-outright-extinctions/Content?oid=28704946

Some new news, some old, and some speculations.

Only two weeks ago, I was sharing optimistic news about upcoming additions to Orlando's attractions. Well, the theme park gods giveth, and the theme park gods taketh away. Here's the latest scoop on some recently announced alterations, interruptions and outright extinctions at the Walt Disney World Resort.

An iconic opening-day Magic Kingdom attraction shut down last week without any official advance notice, but unlike most Disney park closures, this one elicited more applause than anger. Jan. 19, the final full day of the Trump administration, also turned out to be guests' last chance to see the current version of the Hall of Presidents. I attended one of the final performances, and am happy to report that the security guards and spiked railing added four years ago for the Trumptronic's safety weren't required, as the audience remained respectful, although I'll admit watching the red curtain come down on Donald's doughy doppelgänger for the final time was strangely satisfying.

Even as late as that afternoon, Disney cast members in Liberty Square couldn't say what would become of the attraction, but it came as little shock when Inauguration Day dawned to find a "closed for refurbishment" sign on the Hall's entrance.

Some — including the Orlando Sentinel's editorial board — have called for it to be permanently retired, but Disney has announced that the show will eventually reopen with an audio-animatronic figure of the new President, although it has not set a reopening date, nor confirmed whether the Biden-bot will have a featured speaking role in the finale like all its predecessors since Bill Clinton.

In light of October's 50th anniversary, it might be wise to sidestep polarized contemporary politics and restore a tribute to the 1971 version of the attraction, with the chief executives silently nodding along to a roll call.

At the other end of the spectrum, internet rumors claim the Muppets – who previously performed outside the Hall of Presidents – will move inside the theater, with Weird Al Yankovic and Lin-Manuel Miranda floated as collaborators. As wild as that idea might seem, even a park purist like myself would prefer that to the divisive downer that Walt's pet project devolved into.

Any complaints about the Hall of Presidents' closure were easily drowned out by the hue and cry over Walt Disney World's announcement earlier this month that the complimentary Magical Express bus service between Orlando International Airport and their on-site hotels would cease operations at the end of 2021. That means there will be a gap of at least a year between the end of the Magical Express and the debut of the Brightline train line to Disney Springs, leaving visitors to secure alternate transportation.

Originally intended to trap vacationers without rental cars on Mickey's property, the "free" service was always factored into the resort's expensive nightly room rates (which are not expected to decrease with the bus elimination). But Disney has apparently decided that, with increasing numbers of guests using ride-hailing apps to escape to Universal and SeaWorld, it's no longer worth their while to subsidize the Mears-operated service.

Although most locals likely never used the Magical Express service, tourists have come to rely on it over the past 15 years; its absence will be especially felt by families requiring a vehicle with multiple car seats, which are nearly impossible to come by otherwise.

Also almost overlooked amid the Magical Express mourning was news that Extra Magic Hours, which allowed pre-pandemic resort guests into select parks one or more hours before or after normal operating hours, were being permanently eliminated. In their stead, Disney is instituting 30 minutes of Early Theme Park Entry at all four parks every morning, with no evening hours.

This new scheme somehow manages to make things worse for both those paying to stay on-site — whose time to enjoy shorter waits has been chopped in half — and off-site visitors (including locals), who will now never be able to rope-drop a park without finding the headliners' queues already filled with hotel guests.

Last but not least, a recent announcement sounds like a ray of sunlight for long-furloughed entertainers, but could signal a slow recovery for Disney's stages. Festival of the Lion King, Animal Kingdom's most popular live show, will be the first large-cast Actors' Equity show to reopen, but there are a couple of catches. Simba and company won't return until sometime this summer, and when they do it will be in a "Celebration of" the usual show, featuring modified choreography and backstage adjustments to provide physical distancing for the cast, crew and audience.

What isn't currently clear is how many of the 700-plus union performers who are still laid off will be brought back, and when any other shows might be revived. Disney's Hollywood Studios is already home to two of the resort's reopened Equity venues (Savi's lightsaber workshop and the Frozen sing-along), so restarting open-air amphitheater productions like Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and Beauty and the Beast seems like a no-brainer. I'm never excited about Disney making cutbacks, but I can accept it if some of that cash ends up in the paychecks of unemployed actors.

For an interesting slant on camping, watch the Jimmy Kimmel interview with Dax Sheppard from Monday 1/25.

Insights on mileage and traveling with water weight.

Also Jimmy Kimmel purchased a camper.

23 minutes ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Roger that!  LOL

Hah!  Quite possibly.  Ok plan B - just wear clothes in the pool.  All that chlorine ought to do the trick!

Or just take a little laundry detergent with you, smear it on all your clothes and hop in a shower at a comfort station

5 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

Just leave the As out, we'll decipher it - LOL.

Seriously, very glad surgery went well and I hope the healing goes as well and quickly as possible also.

Keep it up without the A's and maybe you can be famous....

Written in 1939, Ernest Vincent Wright's Gadsby is a 50,000 word novel—and there’s not an "E" in sight (at least not once you get past the author's name or the introduction, in which Wright mentions how people often told him that such a feat was impossible). But Gadsby sticks to its own rules admirably. If there are abbreviations used, they are only ones that still would not contain the letter "E" if written out in full. In order to make sure he didn't accidentally cheat, Wright reportedly tied down the letter "E" on his typewriter.

5 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

I once packed for 8 nights at Disney in a carry-on.  I'm pretty sure I can pull it off.  

What are the rules on washing out your clothes in the canals?  

They will probably come out dirtier than they were going in!

On 1/24/2021 at 1:59 AM, Ivy said:

I am glad your surgery went well. I hope your recovery is going smoothly.

 

I just finished reading and enjoying all your photos. Thanks so much for sharing your adventures with us!

The empty riverbed really looks ugly. I was thinking they drained it not too long ago. I am surprised it is drained again.

I liked your stealthy photo in the Runaway railroad. I think it is neat to see some of the behind the scenes things. Looking forward to getting to ride that some day.

A portion from the Haunted mansion past the raft ride was drained 1n 2018 sometime around labor Day.  At least that's when we saw it drained.

17 hours ago, momof3kids-Yvonne said:

I need to start working on my backpack camping skills. 

If you pack carefully, you should be able to ride in on a Disney Spring bus,  then just set up in an area behind a site like a lot of the people have been doing lately.  Free camping!

Long article worth reading, but I'm just posting some snips

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2021/01/19/planning-a-disney-vacation-may-soon-get-easier-and-for-that-you-can-thank-the-pandemic-and-the-influencers-really

Disney has been rumored to be looking at a reservation-style system for years. In late 2015, Orlando Weekly’s Seth Kubersky noted that the (new at that time) security checkpoints found at the entrance of Orlando-based theme parks was just the start of a multi-step process to better handle safety and crowd levels. Those comments have proven prophetic, as Disney introduced a very similar system when the Orlando theme parks reopened in July. The system is currently in use due to social distancing required decreases in-park capacity. Similar approaches have been used at other attractions, such as the Louvre, for years as a way to better predict crowd levels.

The move to eliminate annual passes, at least in their previous form, may help address the self-entitlement that cast members have complained about for years. It may also help limit abuses to the system. Disney has played a game of cat and mouse with passholders abusing the system for years.

As with all admission tickets, the terms and conditions of annual passes strictly prohibit commercial uses, but that hasn’t slowed a steady stream of content creators and resellers from making covering the parks their sole source of income. Entire websites and YouTube channels are now dedicated to tracking the drama between Disney influencers. Even as some influencers are now questioning their symbiotic relationship with the massive corporation, there seems to be an endless supply of new fans willing to replace them.

Early in the pandemic, many content creators were panicking. On his website, Pirates and Princesses, Thom Pratt, who notes that covering Disney is just a “part-time income” for his family, acknowledges the days of full-time influencers filling Disney parks every hour that they’re open may be coming to an end.

“I do think the influencer bubble might burst because many people simply will have to find another career path as covering Disney parks as a full-time job simply isn’t viable right now,” Pratt says. He adds he’s thankful for his other sources of income: “As someone who used to literally cover Disney for a living, I am incredibly thankful I don’t rely on that as my primary income right now.”

In the August Q3 earnings call, Disney CEO Bob Chapek made it clear that the company was looking to go after higher-spending vacationers over 'less valuable' annual passholders when he said, "Different guests, depending on where they're coming from, have different relative values in terms of their contribution as a guest to the park. And typically, someone who travels and stays for five to seven days is marginally more valuable to the business than someone who comes in on an annual pass and stays a day or two and consumes less, you know, merchandise and food and beverage."

D'Amaro spoke to Roger Dow, the president of the U.S. Travel Association, in August indicating the current Disney World style reservation system is likely here to stay, stating that the system leads to a better experience for casts and guests alike.

Disney World’s digital FastPass system required weeks of planning before visiting, with the most popular attractions often filling up nearly two months early. At Disneyland, MaxPass seemed to merge the paperless FastPass system's benefits while keeping what made the original day-of FastPass system work. It allows guests to skip the lines but doesn’t require months of planning to get on rides. Once FastPass returns to Disney World, the system may resemble MaxPass more than the previous FastPass+ system.

Disney World may also look to its older sister in California for another big move. Prior to closing, Disneyland allowed for dining reservations just 60 days in advance, while Walt Disney World had pushed out the reservations to a full six months. For Disney World visitors, having to decide when and where they were going to eat half a year before visiting, followed by having to book their ride reservations two months before visiting, proved confusing and stressful.

When Walt Disney World reopened in July, the dining reservation window had shrunk to the same 60-day format used in California. There’s no indication that this will change post-pandemic. Instead, Disney looks to be using this once-in-a-lifetime slowdown to address out-of-control reservation and annual pass systems that made parks on both coasts far less enjoyable than they once were.

On 1/18/2021 at 1:41 PM, Duane said:

Never watched this guy before... But he seems to be really "fast and loose" on some of his comments...

I guess if you've never been to the Fort or infrequently, you wouldn't catch a lot of his errors.

On 1/18/2021 at 3:38 PM, AuburnChris said:

Just my speculation here, I have no inside info, but I could imagine them applying a DVC-style points model for APs, where instead of blackout dates, you get a limited pool of "park points" that would allow you to enter the parks. Low-traffic days would be cheaper in "points" than high-traffic days, to encourage AP holders to come when crowds are lower. The most expensive new "Annual Pass" would provide you with enough points to attend 365 days if you wanted, but would be "if you have to ask" expensive, where cheaper APs would give you enough for maybe a few days a month, or a longer vacation once or twice a year.

Sounds like the old A thru E ticket books!