Travisma

No one else bother entering, this one is all mine.... 😀

But but but, the desert parties are just to die for.  And little Melinda just looks so adorable in the 98 degree temps and 95% humidity in her $300 Bippity Boppity makeover.
Ta Ta, we're off to our 4th character meal of the day, the premium plus dining plan is just divine...

Or MD 20-20

Or MD 20-20

Nope, not paying extra, and by the way, what happened to the 24 hours of Disney?

But but but, the desert parties are just to die for.  And little Melinda just looks so adorable in the 98 degree temps and 95% humidity in her $300 Bippity Boppity makeover.
Ta Ta, we're off to our 4th character meal of the day, the premium plus dining plan is just divine...

I doubt attendance was down, pretty hard to get reservations.
I did see an article that Disney, Universal, other theme parks, now make a big deal about attractions going away with advanced notice, special $$ parties, exclusive merchandise,  special times for passholders to ride.  Another way of getting some extra $$$ in their coffers.

Part of the rumor article mentioned about shutting it down due to the impending construction of the new mystery resort.
Wonder if it'll be closed because of safety issues, they are tearing down the settlement buildings, or it will be moved to the new resort area?
Or its just a good attention grabbing headline to get people clicking on their site and not offering any real information in the article itself.

How about Musket Mickey?  Or should I say tree limb walking stick Mickey! 😀

Looks good. 
 
I guess this is how he is still honoring his belief that Sunday is for church/relaxing...
 
As such, this location will be part of the 4R “Barbecue Ministry,” all net proceeds from the Food Truck’s sales every Sunday will support The 4R Foundation, which in 2017 funded more than 950 local schools, churches and charitable organizations. (All other 4 Rivers Smokehouse locations will remain closed on Sundays.)

I'm sure the mommy bloggers are just gushing over how great it will be, and of course all the rest of the freeloading bloggers will love it also since they don't pay for it.

I'm sure the mommy bloggers are just gushing over how great it will be, and of course all the rest of the freeloading bloggers will love it also since they don't pay for it.

We will be there October 15-22nd. Planning on hitting Epcot two or  three times. If anyone is at Epcot on the 18th come by the Seas pavilion and watch me, DW, and DD(13) scuba dive in the aquarium. My DD just got certified and where better to take her for her first dive 

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/07/26/disney-announces-a-new-ban-on-plastic-straws-across-locations-worldwide
 
Today, Disney announced plans to ban all single-use plastic straws and stirs at all company owned and operated locations by mid 2019.

In a statement sent this morning, the company says that more than 175 million straws and 13 million stirrers will be eliminated annually, according to Disney. 

Over the next several years, the company also plans to transition to refillable in-room amenities within their hotels and cruise ships, which will reduce plastic in guest rooms up to 80 percent, says Disney. It will also reduce the amount of plastic shopping bags on the cruise ships and will instead offer reusable bags at a "nominal" price. Disney will also eliminate polystyrene cups across its owned and operated businesses worldwide. 

“Eliminating plastic straws and other plastic items are meaningful steps in our long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products. “These new global efforts help reduce our environmental footprint, and advance our long-term sustainability goals.
In 2017, the company reduced its net greenhouse gas by 41 percent and deflected almost 50 percent of waste from landfills and incineration. This effort is in part with Disney's long-term goal of releasing a net zero greenhouse gas emissions and zero waste, as well as working towards water conservation.

Back in June, SeaWorld also initiated a ban on plastic straws and shopping bags,  just this month. 

I'm not sure about the posting rules and I'm not trying to advertise this but i Found This on etsy and thought I'd Share .

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/07/24/epcots-new-space-themed-restaurant-is-a-lot-more-high-tech-than-we-first-realized
 
Epcot's new space themed restaurant is a lot more high-tech than we first realized
 
Ahead of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary celebration, more than half a dozen new restaurants are in development across the resort, including one that sits on top of a lake, two rooftop restaurants, and a cantina within the upcoming Star Wars land. But arguably one of the most anticipated restaurants is Epcot’s space new restaurant. 

Operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, the same company behind Epcot’s Tutto Italia and Via Napoli restaurants, the new space-themed restaurant will offer simulated views into space with diners sitting in a spaceship themed dining room. Disney has confirmed that the new restaurant will be located between Mission: Space and Test Track, but the company has given few details on what exactly diners can expect. 

As previously reported, the dining room is believed to have two levels with 376 seats that diners access via "shuttles" similar to the Hydrolators that The Living Seas pavilion previously had. Back in May, when the details regarding the dining room and bar area were supposedly leaked, the biggest missing detail of the design was the restaurant’s lobby area where guests would wait before taking the "shuttle" to the restaurant. 

Now new details on what this area will include are slowly coming to light.
 
Image via Bioreconstruct | Twitter The land clearing for the new space-themed restaurant is now visible. The small, box-like unfinished corporate lounge can be seen in the middle left of the image adjenct to the Mission: Space attraction. With the location confirmed and land clearing well underway, it looks like Disney will keep the corporate lounge building that sits just to the right of the Mission: Space ride building. The ride’s original sponsor, HP, opted for a smaller lounge overlooking the ride queue instead of the larger lounge out to the side of the building. The unfinished lounge has a mirrored glass front that blends well with the existing pavilions and is well hidden behind a small hill of shrubbery. It’s unlikely any significant changes will occur to the outside of the existing building. 

The two-story unfinished lounge reportedly has two fully functioning elevators already within it. These elevators are expected to be updated with large digital screens, similar to those used by tourists to access the viewing platforms at One World Trade Center and the Burj Khalifa. The space restaurant would use these screens on the elevator to simulate the trip to the space station. This is a more involved experience than many had initially thought. Unlike the Gringotts ‘elevators’ where only the top corners are screens these would have screenings fully stretching across the walls and ceilings. 

After exiting the elevators, diners will enter into the newly constructed restaurant that will be connected to the rear of the existing lounge. After walking through a small hallway, guests will enter into the main dining room that, according to insiders, will have a 250-foot long digital screen that flanks the back of the curbed room. This screen will have screens of space very similar to those seen on the ride next door with occasional Disney touches, such as Wall-E and EVE flying by. These screens are expected to use the same 3D like depth technology that Disney will be using inside the upcoming Star Wars hotel. 

After their meal, guests would use the elevators to exit the restaurant back into Epcot. 

The opening date is still believed to be sometime in late 2019 or early 2020, around the same time as the new Star Wars land is due to open at Hollywood Studios. 

The menu, name, and price point for the restaurant have yet to be disclosed, but with most Disney World restaurants accepting reservations six months in advance we’ll likely learn all those details regarding the new space restaurant within the next twelve to fifteen months.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/orlando/explore-some-less-known-attractions-right-in-orlandos-backyard/Content?oid=16401041&showFullText=true
 
If you have free time on your spreadsheeted itinerary,  or are just camping and not visiting the parks...
Here's how to explore Orlando's lesser-known attractions 
Be a tourist in your own town
 

Remember the theme, this is all just a kids toy that has been left in the back yard it's going to fall apart. It's all part of the themeing. Next it gets hit by a lawn mower and they build Frozen 2 land.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/07/09/the-boathouse-ranked-among-opentables-best-al-fresco-restaurants-in-the-country
 
Orlando's Boathouse ranked among OpenTable's best 'al fresco' restaurants in the country
Florida is basically ground zero for outdoor dining, but not all are created equal. 
 
Twenty-six Florida restaurants recently were listed on OpenTable's 100 best "al fresco" restaurants, and Disney Springs' Boathouse was among them. Listed among the best outdoor dining spots were six restaurants in Naples and five in Fort Lauderdale.

In March, OpenTable also listed the Boathouse as one of the best 100 restaurants in the country for a "big night out."

Florida restaurants trailed just behind California, with 30 chosen restaurants. 
 
According to OpenTable, the list is generated from 12 million reviews from verified OpenTable users collected between May 1, 2017, and April 30, 2018. Winning restaurants span a total of 22 states.

Nothing major but still a fun addition
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2018/07/09/disney-just-opened-a-new-coco-attraction-and-barely-anyone-noticed
 
Epcot’s major reimagining is beginning to take shape, with new ride buildings rising above the park’s skyline. But as the park looks ahead to the confirmed additions of Ratatouille and Guardians of the Galaxy, other rumors still persist – none stronger than Coco heading to the Mexico pavilion. 
Image via Bioreconstruct | Twitter
While the rumors of Coco replacing the Donald Duck-led Three Caballeros-themed boat ride still look very promising, another Coco attraction has popped up inside the Mexico pavilion, the interactive Mirror de los Muertos video screens in the entrance foray. 

Back in November, Disney announced the new exhibit known as "Remember Me! La Celebración Del Dia de Muertos." Most of the displays were installed by the first of the year, but the framed mirror-like video screens sat unused. Then, completely unannounced, the video screens came alive last week just in time for the 4th of July. 
Similar to how Test Track allows guests to design their own cars, here guests can design their own Dia de Muertos skeletons by selecting things like hairstyle, eyeglasses, eye color and skull designs. Then via a screen capture technology guests "become" the skeletons and can move the skeleton around on the screen via their own movements. 

The creations are saved via the Disney PhotoPass that is linked to a guest’s MagicBand. A MagicBand reader on the bottom of the kiosk links the designs to each guest’s account even before they begin their designs. 
If a Coco overlay to the boat ride in the pavilion does happen, these skeleton designs could be seen on the rides, similar to how guest-designed cars are seen on Test Track or how the proposed but never implemented custom-designed It’s a Small World dolls were rumored to be showcased on that ride. 

Disney hasn’t commented on the speculation about Coco coming to the Mexico pavilion, but the popularity of the new interactive exhibits and the numerous retail offerings throughout the pavilion show that this is a franchise with plenty of staying 
 
 

Well that aint gonna happen at my house.  We got the silver to avoid the oppressive heat and crushing crowds.

Well that aint gonna happen at my house.  We got the silver to avoid the oppressive heat and crushing crowds.

Disney Blog said the MK were delayed until 10.
We saw them on the 3rd on a launch from WL to the Fort.  We stayed on and went to the Contemporary.  The CM slowed the boat down to a crawl heading to the hotel, then gave everyone a warning that the finale was about to start.
Was just like a fireworks dessert cruise without the food, drinks and $130 fee.

Thanks