Tag: WDW

Opinion: Should Disney Get Rid Of FastPass? Maybe. Here’s Why.

FastPass (and a Disneyland/Disney California Adventure version, called MaxPass) is a virtual queuing system created by the Walt Disney Company. Introduced in 1999, it’s a way for theme park guests to avoid long lines for rides and other attractions by reserving a time to come back and wait on a minimal queue, ahead of most people who don’t have a FastPass and are waiting on a “standby” line.

Joe and I have been Disney fans for what feels like forever, and are at an advantageous point of view where we’ve lived long enough to have spent several years both with and without the various versions of Disney’s FastPass service. After all, Joe’s first trip was in the mid-1970s and mine was in the late-1970s, so we both had 20+ years of Disney parks “BFP” (before FastPass). We’ve also lived in the northeast AND in the Orlando area, so we’ve been able to experience Walt Disney World as vacationers and locals. This is significant because visiting Disney is usually a different experience, both with their respective advantages and disadvantages, as a visitor and a local. So we’re able to see things from both sides of the coin. So when a friend of mine posted the following article, I found it to be a VERY interesting read.

Continue reading “Opinion: Should Disney Get Rid Of FastPass? Maybe. Here’s Why.”

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YMMV Travel Deals: Tuesday., Nov. 13, 2018

When we see travel deals, we always want to spread the word. So as we see them, we make sure to let you know. They run the gamut from hotels to flights to points to miles to car rentals and even stuff you need while you’ll traveling, like equipment, Uber discounts, theme park tickets, food for when you’re on the road, etc.

Heads up that some of these deals might be really limited in time or amount, or some could go on for days or longer. Some deals might be good for some people and not so much for others. There may be better deals out there and we just don’t know about them. We take no responsibility for any transaction you may or may not do; we’re just telling you what’s we’ve seen that’s out there at that very moment and it’s up to you to decide if it’s something useful, beneficial and worth it for you, and if you can take advantage of it before it’s too late.

Here’s what’s out there right now:

Continue reading “YMMV Travel Deals: Tuesday., Nov. 13, 2018”

Why Does The Mosaic At The Entrance To Epcot’s The Land Pavilion Curve Onto The Ground? We Found Out!

Before Epcot opened in 1982, Wat Disney World already had some beautiful mosaics on its property, in the form of the five panels that tell the story of Cinderella, inside Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom.

CindyMos
via Tumbler / the-disney-elite

Designed by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond (who also designed the Grand Canyon mural at WDW’s Contemporary Resort Hotel), the mosaics were done by Hanns Scharff, a WW2-era German interrogator who turned into a mosaic artist in the 1950s, and whose other work included the California State capitol building, the Dixie State College Cine Arts Center and several schools, colleges and universities.

So when Disney was building its second park in Florida and wanted a mosaic at the entryway to The Land pavilion, they knew exactly who to call – Hanns Scharff.

The mosaic is meant to depict the various layers of the earth, which fits in perfectly with the theming of The Land. But did you ever notice that the tile aren’t just on the wall, but they also curve onto the floor? There’s a reason for that.

And it wasn’t on purpose…

 

Continue reading “Why Does The Mosaic At The Entrance To Epcot’s The Land Pavilion Curve Onto The Ground? We Found Out!”

YMMV Travel Deals: Tuesday., Nov. 6, 2018

When we see travel deals, we always want to spread the word. So as we see them, we make sure to let you know. They run the gamut from hotels to flights to points to miles to car rentals and even stuff you need while you’ll traveling, like equipment, Uber discounts, theme park tickets, food for when you’re on the road, etc.

Heads up that some of these deals might be really limited in time or amount, or some could go on for days or longer. Some deals might be good for some people and not so much for others. There may be better deals out there and we just don’t know about them. We take no responsibility for any transaction you may or may not do; we’re just telling you what’s we’ve seen that’s out there at that very moment and it’s up to you to decide if it’s something useful, beneficial and worth it for you, and if you can take advantage of it before it’s too late.

Here’s what’s out there right now:

Continue reading “YMMV Travel Deals: Tuesday., Nov. 6, 2018”

The WDW Dining Plan You Can Get Without Staying At A WDW Hotel

Walt Disney World (WDW) has been offering Disney Dining Plans (prepaid meal plans that allow for up to 30% discounts on food prices) since 2005. Since then, they’ve slowly evolved and developed in complexity, with various options of sit down meals, character meals, quick service meals, snacks and, most recently, alcohol, that can fit almost any budget. However there was one thing that has always been a constant – in order to be able to buy a Disney Dining Plan, you had to be staying at one of the 25 or so hotels owned by WDW and on Disney property. That is, until recently…

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