One of Disney World’ biggest events takes place this month at the Hollywood Studios theme park. Fans of the Star Wars universe from all over the galaxy flock to the park to celebrate with a combination of experiences designed to please.
You never know who will show up for Star Wars Weekends. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company
In 2011 guests began lining up the day before opening day, attendance was significantly boosted by the grand opening of the newly revised Star Tours and the appearance of series creator George Lucas. While this year’s event may not have a brand new ride to unveil, you should still prepare for crowds if you plan on attending.
What to expect from Star Wars Weekends;
Characters: Expect to see plenty of Star Wars characters from the movies and television show. Characters appear all around the Start Tours ride area and in select locations nearby.
Shows: From the Jedi training academy to impromptu music and dance contests (you may even see Darth Vader do the moonwalk).
Parades: Expect a big parade on opening day, and scheduled parade events each day. Parades feature the characters from the series along with the special guest of the week.
Star Tours: If you haven’t ridden the new Star Tours, make it part of your weekend. The new ride is engineered to offer a different experience each time you ride.
Celebrity guests: Each weekend features different celebrity guests from the movies and film, guests are on hand to sign autographs and for photos at select locations.
Dates: Star Wars Weekends begin May 18 and run through June 10:
Whether you want to meet Mickey Mouse at Disney World, Dora at Universal Orlando or Elmo at SeaWorld, you’ll need the same basic information to make the most of your meeting. Review these character greeting tips, and you’ll be ready when you spot your favorite character strolling by or signing autographs.
Make sure the performer can see you: Some character costumes, particularly oversized ones like Goofy or Pluto can obscure the performer’s vision. Make sure the character can see you, and keep kids from approaching characters from the side or from behind; the character may not even notice them.
Some characters can be scary: a 2 foot tall Elmo seen on television is cute and cuddly – in person, Elmo tops out at about 7 feet tall! Don’t be surprised if some characters, particularly those in full costumes complete with masks, are scary to young children. Approach a face character like a princess first—they will be less scary, and you can see how your child does.
Some characters don’t speak: Most characters that wear full costumes complete with head won’t speak. From Winnie the Pooh to Donald Duck, expect to see plenty of pantomime when you interact with characters in the theme parks.
Wait your turn: Most characters appear in designated meeting spots—and there will be other people waiting to snap a photo. Figure on at least a minute or two per party in line, and decide if it is worth committing the time before you get in line. Not interested in waiting? You can find character greeting locations with Fastpass tickets at the Magic Kingdom.
Meet your favorite princess at Disney World. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company
Choose a character meal: If you want a little more time with your favorite characters, reserve a table for a character meal. You can find Mickey and pals at Chef Mickeys at the Contemporary Resprt, or the princesses at Cinderella’s Royal Table, Storybook Dining in Norway at Epcot and at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian.
Spring break is one of the busiest times of year for the Orlando theme parks, the only busier periods are the 4th of July and the week of Christmas. You can still have a great time even if the parks are at peak capacity, if you plan things out in advance. Use some of the following strategies to make the most of your Spring break Orlando vacation:
Stay on site: Choose your favorite theme park and select a hotel that is on site. Why? Because as a guest of the resort, you’ll receive some perks that will help you make the most of your trip. While this is nice any time, it will make a huge difference during Spring Break. Love the magic of Disney? Stay on site and you’ll get into a select park an hour early each day. Can’t get enough of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? Head to a Universal resort and get a free express pass for some of your favorite attractions when you stay on site.
Stay at an onsite hotel for some "guests only" perks. Photo courtesy the Walt Disney Company
Be an early bird…or a night owl: Scrap your usual schedule and hit the parks super early – as in 5 am early. Not ready to face “it’s a small world” quite so early in the day? Then sleep in and arrive at the park at dinnertime – and stay until the wee hours of the morning.
Avoid the afternoons: No matter what your strategy – arrive early or stay late—avoid the parks in the afternoon. You will stand in line for a very long time to accomplish very little. Instead, relax at your resort pool, go mini golfing, or visit one of Orlando’s more offbeat attractions, like Titanic: the Experience or Ripley’s Believe it or Not.
Stay safe: if you are heading to one of Universal Orlando’s nightly parties, or hitting the local nightlife scene, drive with care, and watch out for impaired drivers. Unfamiliar roads, high traffic levels and the Spring Break festivities can make the area more dangerous than usual.
From busy lines to parades, eye catching stores and shopping kiosks to live characters strolling around, there are plenty of sights to distract a kid in any of Orlando’s theme parks. If your child gets so distracted that he wanders off–or if you simply lose track of one another in a crowd, there are ways to be reunited quickly:
Prepare in advance: Before you head to the theme parks, talk to your child about what to do if you are separated. Choose a place to meet that he can easily find, and review this spot when you reach the park. The car, monorail or bus ride that you take to the park is a great spot to review this information.
Examine the area: Make note of exits and entrances from rides and attractions. Many of the rides in Disney World and Universal have exits that are far from the entrances; make sure you are looking in the right spot.
Snap a photo: Snap a quick picture of the kids each morning. You’ll have an instant record of what your child looks like and what he is wearing. Show this to the park employees who are helping you; it will make him easier to spot.
Ask for help: Each of the theme parks has a set “lost child” protocol in place, so ask for help as soon as you determine that your child is missing. In Disney World, the cast member that finds your child (0r one that your child approaches) will be released from regular duty so that he or she can help reunite your family.
Lost children are taken to a designated lost child station, and will be kept safe and happily entertained until you are reunited.If you have a meetup location, you can relay this information to the nearest cast member, and they can call for additional help. Universal and Sea World have similar lost child protocols in place.
Don’t panic: Losing track of a child is scary, but kids go missing (and are promptly reunited with their parents) every day in the Orlando theme parks. The sooner you ask for help, the sooner you will be reunited.
Christmas week, New Year’s Eve and Day, Spring Break — each of these holiday days or events pack thousands of extra guests into the Orlando theme parks. If you have scheduled your Orlando vacation for one of these time periods, be prepared for delays, and even closures.
What do these big crowds mean to you? During Christmas week 2011, the Magic Kingdom park in Disney World actually closed due to capacity several times–leaving plenty of vacationers on the wrong side of the admission gates. Make sure you are on the right side of the fence–and that you can actually see and do some of the rides your favorite park has to offer–by using these tips:
1. Show up early. No matter what park you are heading to, get there before the park opens, even if it means getting up extra early. You’ll be one of the first into the park; and you’ll probably ride more attractions during your first hour than you will the rest of the day.
2. Make reservations: If you have any interest in dining in a regular, table service restaurant, you’ll need to make reservations well in advance. Otherwise, you will not get a seat. If you are planning on using one of the walk-up, fast food locations that are scattered throughout all of the theme parks, plan on waiting in line for a bit–or dine at “off” times to beat the crowds.
3. Go VIP: If you are going to one of Universal’s parks, spring for the VIP, front of the line pass option; you’ll be assured a seat on the most popular rides, though you’ll have to pay for the privilege.
4. Stay late: If early mornings aren’t your thing, or you are traveling without kids (and don’t want to encounter many of them), sleep in and head to the theme parks late–very late. Show up at 9 or 10pm on a night your chosen park is open late; you’ll have a few hours of low crowds–which will continue to thin out as the hours go by.
If you are visiting Orlando during December, you will be treated to a whirlwind set of events, as each theme park and many of the large hotels put on over the top Christmas events. Christmas runs all month long in Orlando, so plan on getting a fix of holiday cheer no matter when you visit this month, or where you stay.
Some of the most popular events include:
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party: Disney World’s headlining holiday event takes place in the Magic Kingdom on select nights this month. Expect a festive evening, with holiday carols, hot chocolate and your favorite Disney characters. You’ll also be treated to a parade that only Disney could put on — and even an unusual Orlando snowfall.
Grinchmas at Universal Orlando: The grumpy Grinch himself is the host of this event, which features a musical performance of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, Grinchy meet and greets and a character breakfast. All Grinchmas events take place in the Islands of Adventure section of Universal, and are performed on select dates in December.
Sea World’s Christmas: Sea World offers a variety of Christmas events and experiences, including a special holiday reworking of the Wild Arctic ride– this simulator gets a Polar Express themed makeover for the holiday season. You can also catch Sesame Street themed Christmas shows and events, and a special holiday killer whale show in Shamu Stadium.
ICE! at the Gaylord Palms: This holiday spectacular brings snow and ice direct to Orlando. This year, ICE features a “Shrek the Halls” theme, with your favorite Dreamworks characters on hand to celebrate the season. Head to ICE for plenty of indoor snow and winter effects, character meet and greets, shows and hands on activities this holiday season.
No matter which event you choose, plan on spending some extra time getting around the Orlando theme parks in December. Holiday crowds will begin to arrive in droves mid-month, peaking Christmas week, so give yourself plenty of time to get around and to see all that Orlando has to offer in the holiday season.
If thrills and chills are a highly anticipated part of your Orlando vacation, make visiting each of these headlining attractions a priority. Each of these rides has a height restriction, and these are not ideal for expectant mothers or those with health issues–but if you’re over 48″ tall and healthy, then get in line for the ride of a lifetime!
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Disney’s Hollywood Studios): Take the plunge down a dark elevator shaft in this fully themed adventure. The Tower of Terror incorporates all the little touches Disney is known for–and you’ll get a different experience each time, thanks to some innovative ride programming.
Hulk (Universal Orlando, Islands of Adventure): From the green track that dominates the Islands of Adventure skyline to the load roar emitted by the ride vehicles, the Hulk is one of Universal’s most thrilling experiences. Expect surprises and extreme G-Forces from the stunning launch through the inversions and corkscrews offered by the Hulk. You won’t catch your breath until you are back on the ground.
Expedition Everest (Disney’s Animal Kingdom): Disney’s latest coaster is one of its greatest thrill rides ever. Expect to experience high speed twists and turns, a full ride reversal and an encounter with the resident Yeti himself.
Kraken (Sea World): Billed as Orlando’s tallest, fastest coaster, the Kraken is one of Sea World’s most thrilling attractions, with huge drops and multiple inversions. The ride car is floor less, so riders feel as though they are whipping through space. This ride is visually intimidating–so the line may be shorter than you would expect. You can board Kraken without a huge wait time almost any time of year–if you dare.
Dragon Challenge (Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter): While the Dragon Challenge lost a little of its bite earlier this year, the coaster still offers plenty of thrills for riders, offering side by side tracks, plenty of high speed inversions, twists and turns. A bonus for young riders is the Harry Potter-inspired theming. Arrive at the Wizarding World early if you want to ride Dragon Challenge–the line can be as scary as the ride itself if you show up later in the day!
If a trip to a Disney World restaurant is on your list of things to do on your Orlando vacation, you’ll need to make note of the new reservations policy announced this week. Changes to the cancellation policy could end up costing you extra money on your next Orlando vacation if you don’t follow the new guidelines.
As of October 26, 2011, you’ll need to provide Disney with a credit card number when you book your reservation at select dining locations. Your card won’t be charged until you dine, unless you don’t show up or cancel in time.
You’ll be charged a $10 no-show fee for each member of your party if you skip out on your reservation, unless you cancel it in advance. According to the Disney Dining reservations specialists, you’ll need to contact Disney and cancel your dining reservation at least 24 hours in advance; so show up on time or pay a hefty fine.
Not all Disney restaurants are affected by this change, but most of the popular dining locations are. Disney World restaurants covered by the new rules include character dining spots like Hollywood & Vine and Chef Mickey’s, resort headliners like Artist Point and the California Grill and Epcot’s popular Le Cellier.
Some signature Disney dining locations, including Cinderella’s Royal Table in the Magic Kingdom and the Hoop de Doo Revue already charge the entire dining fee for no shows. These locations will continue to do so and are not affected by the current changes.
So what do you do if you change your mind? Instead of simply not showing up, you’ll need to cancel your dining reservation. You can cancel by calling the dining reservation line, visiting your resort concierge, stopping by theme park guest services or going to the check in podium of any table service dining location. Cancel your reservation 24 hours in advance to avoid the new dining fees.
Disney World announced the May 2012 opening of the first phase of the newest onsite resort, the Art of Animation. Designed to appeal to families, the resort will have four phases, each themed on a different Disney or Pixar classic.
The Art of Animation Resort at Disney World is considered an Disney World Hotel Value Resort, and joins the existing value priced properties, the All-Star Movies, Music and Sports resorts and Pop Century. The Art of Animation builds on the popularity of the family suite rooms at the current resorts. Family suites are designed to be spacious and offer room for larger families; regular value resort rooms are restricted to only four guests.
The new resort will feature themed swimming areas and room decor, along with a larger assortment of dining options than previous value priced properties. The first phase of the Art of Animation draws inspiration from the Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo; with room, pool and exterior decor featuring the film’s settings and characters. The remaining three phases will follow the Finding Nemo section, and feature characters from the Little Mermaid, Cars and the Lion King.
While the resort doesn’t open until the end of May, you can book your room well in advance and be one of the first to check out Disney’s newest property. Guests staying at the Art of Animation will receive all of the benefits of staying on Disney property, including free parking, package delivery, bus transportation and daily Extra Magic Hours in the theme parks.
Do you have a favorite on site Disney World resort? We’d love to hear which property you like best!
If you are heading to our area for an Orlando vacation, we’ve assembled some helpful information to let you get a head start on your packing and itinerary planning. Knowing what to bring can save you some space in your suitcase (and excess baggage fees if you are flying), while hitting the right theme park on the right days can dramatically cut the amount of time you spend waiting in line:
Weather: If an Orlando vacation is in your forecast for October or November, plan on enjoying comfortable temperatures, but pack a lightweight jacket just in case. You may want to keep an eye on the tropics as well. Though it may feel like summer has passed, hurricane season is still in effect in fall.
Events: The Orlando theme parks are bursting with fall events, from the fun and festive Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom to a special Harry Potter film celebration at Universal. If you are in town during the fall, check out the event schedules for each park you plan on visiting so you won’t miss out on the fun.
Crowds: Expect the theme parks to be less crowded than usual, meaning you should be able to enjoy more rides and attractions per day. It is still a good idea to arrive when the park opens; or arrive late in the day to take advantage of evening hours, but even the middle parts of the day will be manageable at Sea World, Universal and Disney World.
Itinerary Tips: Plan to visit the Disney theme parks on days with Extra Magic Hours if you are staying on Disney property. Avoid the Extra Magic Hours park of the day if you are staying offsite; the park will be packed with onsite guests by the time you are allowed in.
Consider these tips as you pack and plan for your fall trip and you’ll be able to add plenty of seasonal fun onto your Orlando vacation.
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