News Round Up 2019

[Elizakapeka]

It looks like you have to buy the print, any idea how much it costs?

He will also be on hand to sign prints. I really wish i could attend.

this sounds amazing and its the day we are there!

 

[firefly_ris]

All these decisions are pushing me to stay at universal and just do a day trip to Disney.

Cabana Bay is a much higher quality hotel than any disney value. No benefits to staying on site? Then I won't.

My last few trips the free buses to the parks were all hit or miss anyway. Free is nicen but when you wait 50 minutes for a mk bus in the glaring sun in my mnsshp costume... No thanks. That free isn't worth it.

I'll just let the Uber drop me off.

Cabana Bay also has suites, which are really attractive to me as a family of 5.... and they look like they run more than $100 cheaper than AoA suites per night (and I can't get past the look of the AoA suites on top of it....Cabana Bay looks fun and bright while not being insane). And my oldest is big into Harry Potter. I won't be back to Orlando until 2022 regardless, so I'm just kind of sitting back and observing what happens over the next several years and how all this stuff plays out... but a Cabana Bay/Universal Studios trip with maybe just 1 or 2 WDW days tacked on at the end looks fairly enticing at the moment. And this is from someone who really loves WDW, but I think it's more like... someone who really loves pre-2016 WDW at this point...

 

[SaintsManiac]

Cabana Bay also has suites, which are really attractive to me as a family of 5.... and they look like they run more than $100 cheaper than AoA suites per night (and I can't get past the look of the AoA suites on top of it....Cabana Bay looks fun and bright while not being insane). And my oldest is big into Harry Potter. I won't be back to Orlando until 2022 regardless, so I'm just kind of sitting back and observing what happens over the next several years and how all this stuff plays out... but a Cabana Bay/Universal Studios trip with maybe just 1 or 2 WDW days tacked on at the end looks fairly enticing at the moment. And this is from someone who really loves WDW, but I think it's more like... someone who really loves pre-2016 WDW at this point...

We received a killer deal on a Cabana Bay suite in 2017. I had a regular room booked and they emailed me with a deal to upgrade. I took it in a second!

I was actually missing that suite after we had moved over to Beach Club for the WDW part of our trip!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Cabana Bay also has suites, which are really attractive to me as a family of 5.... and they look like they run more than $100 cheaper than AoA suites per night (and I can't get past the look of the AoA suites on top of it....Cabana Bay looks fun and bright while not being insane). And my oldest is big into Harry Potter. I won't be back to Orlando until 2022 regardless, so I'm just kind of sitting back and observing what happens over the next several years and how all this stuff plays out... but a Cabana Bay/Universal Studios trip with maybe just 1 or 2 WDW days tacked on at the end looks fairly enticing at the moment. And this is from someone who really loves WDW, but I think it's more like... someone who really loves pre-2016 WDW at this point...

Cabana Bay is also the cleanest hotel I've ever been to. Just walking around the lobby at random times you'd see several people wiping down surfaces or cleaning.

 

[rteetz]

News

PHOTOS: New Disney Parks Wishables Plush Arrive at Disney Parks and shopDisney

 

[rteetz]

News

“High Fidelity” Series Moving from Disney+ to Hulu

 

[skier_pete]

Wow, we get to see the last night of Illuminations and opening night of Epcot Forever! We adjusted our dining reservations tonight. Hopefully it won't be out of control either night.

Oh - it will be completely out of control. Expect near capacity crowds in Epcot both nights.

News

Disney has released the official trailer for the Lion King!!!

I might have tears...

I dunno guys Lion King might be huge.

I've seen a lot of trailer postings on my Facebook feed today. From people who have never posted a thing about Disney before.

I admit to generally not caring about the remakes - but everything we've seen on this is totally stunning. And I generally loath talking animal movies. My DD15 who was raised on Lion King cannot WAIT for this movie. I totally expect this movie to be the 2nd biggest Disney movie of the year and I'm including Frozen 2 and Star Wars IX.

One thing to point out, much like Jungle Book, our minds grasp the animals as CGI but remember literally EVERYTHING is CGI. The backgrounds are amazing.

RUMOUR: Magic Kingdom to Eliminate Evening Extra Magic Hours

https://www.kennythepirate.com/2019/04/10/magic-kingdom-will-eliminate-evening-extra-magic-hours/

Guessing this is the big one Kenny was eluding to!!

Torn on this one. We generally avoid Evening EMH because they're generally way too crowded and the drop to 2 hours have made them hardly worth it, BUT, it's the continued trend of reducing the ability to be in MK at night without an extra pay ticket. I say it many times but I feel it's only a matter of time until they make all evening time in MK a paid event. This is 100% the fault of the consumer for continuing to pay for these hard ticket events that just get more crowded, more expensive, and less special every year. It's my biggest disappointment about what Disney has done with these events. I have no issue with them having premium ticket events like the dessert parties and such, but when they reduce the ability to spend time in the park for the favor of extra cash events - it's just a true shame and I really, really wish the consumer would stand up against it, but I have no hope that they do.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Cabana Bay also has suites, which are really attractive to me as a family of 5.... and they look like they run more than $100 cheaper than AoA suites per night (and I can't get past the look of the AoA suites on top of it....Cabana Bay looks fun and bright while not being insane). And my oldest is big into Harry Potter. I won't be back to Orlando until 2022 regardless, so I'm just kind of sitting back and observing what happens over the next several years and how all this stuff plays out... but a Cabana Bay/Universal Studios trip with maybe just 1 or 2 WDW days tacked on at the end looks fairly enticing at the moment. And this is from someone who really loves WDW, but I think it's more like... someone who really loves pre-2016 WDW at this point...

The new Endless Summer resort will also have a lot of family suites - those I think will be really attractive, cost wise, to families with more than 4 people

 

[dlavender]

Cabana Bay also has suites, which are really attractive to me as a family of 5.... and they look like they run more than $100 cheaper than AoA suites per night (and I can't get past the look of the AoA suites on top of it....Cabana Bay looks fun and bright while not being insane). And my oldest is big into Harry Potter. I won't be back to Orlando until 2022 regardless, so I'm just kind of sitting back and observing what happens over the next several years and how all this stuff plays out... but a Cabana Bay/Universal Studios trip with maybe just 1 or 2 WDW days tacked on at the end looks fairly enticing at the moment. And this is from someone who really loves WDW, but I think it's more like... someone who really loves pre-2016 WDW at this point...

+1 for Cabana Bay. For our family of 5 those family suites are perfect. And Cabana is 2x's the resort AoA is......For less $$.....

 

[Roxyfire]

I wish Disney would keep the Evening Extra Magic Hours. I have teenagers and late nights work best for us. However we will adjust, but I would think the Morning Extra Magic Hours would be very crowded with the extra people. I guess Disney doesn’t want to spread out the crowds.

Maybe this was an outlier experience but the one time we tried to do the evening EMH at magic kingdom it was totally overrun compared to the evening before. (Wednesday vs Tuesday). We were basically trying to non ride stuff like Sorcerer's and even that had some long lines. So we just kinda gave up and chilled at the resort.

 

[skier_pete]

News

“High Fidelity” Series Moving from Disney+ to Hulu

"We love that we are moving from Disney + to Hulu" seems like a hard sell to believe. More like "We moved to Hulu because Disney wouldn't let us keep our show for adults otherwise." I am very excited for Disney+ but I do wish they were allowed to have some shows that would be more adult focused. And I don't mean by that "R" rated, but that are focused on an more adult form of storytelling. (Though often nowadays these things seem to have to go hand in hand.)

 

[Tiki Birdland]

“High Fidelity” Series Moving from Disney+ to Hulu

I got Hulu with my Spotify account. Tried it out last night. 1 30 minute show had 8 commercials. Do they have a tier that doesn't? Very disappointed, frankly.

 

[jknezek]

I got Hulu with my Spotify account. Tried it out last night. 1 30 minute show had 8 commercials. Do they have a tier that doesn't? Very disappointed, frankly.

Yes. You can pay extra for commercial free service.

 

[DisneyQueen1320]

Maybe this was an outlier experience but the one time we tried to do the evening EMH at magic kingdom it was totally overrun compared to the evening before. (Wednesday vs Tuesday). We were basically trying to non ride stuff like Sorcerer's and even that had some long lines. So we just kinda gave up and chilled at the resort.

We go every vacation and there are hardly any waits except Mine Train. I just hope they rethink this.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I got Hulu with my Spotify account. Tried it out last night. 1 30 minute show had 8 commercials. Do they have a tier that doesn't? Very disappointed, frankly.

Hulu has a commercial free tier but not included with your Spotify subscription. You'd have to upgrade to that.

 

[Firebird060]

yes they have a tier that doesnt have commericals, also were you watching it on a mobile device? Hulu tends to have more commercials via mobile devices

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We really enjoyed EMH not just for the rides but the ability to be in the parks longer. It made us feel like we got more out of our park ticket.

I have mentioned before the only things that would entice me to consider staying on site are FP+ @ 60days and EMH. Knowing my husband though he'd be perfectly fine staying at a Hilton-branded hotel even though we wouldn't have the opportunity to utilize EMH.

I'd actually love to be able to do a split stay with Universal (which I really am digging their hotel options and pricing) and Hilton-branded hotels.

 

[saskdw]

This trailers makes the CGI look rather stunning and very life like. The gazelles jumping for example.

The visuals do look like they will be stunning on my 4K OLED TV.

I'm not sure there was anything in that trailer that would brings tears though?

 

[saskdw]

Oh I agree. I also think though that Disney feels if people keep paying extra for things why should they offer “free” things.

I'll admit that the DAH events are something that appeals to me. I've haven't been to one yet as they didn't have them last time we went to Disney in 2016.

What interests me is the low crowds being reported at these events and having the run of the park for 3 hours. Walk on rides and no crowds to navigate in between those rides.

That is what I'm willing to pay extra for. Hopefully Disney knows this.

My concern is that over time they will slowly increase the number of tickets they sell for these DAH events and the crowds will grow and the appeal will go away. Although Disney won't admit it, it's no secret that they sell way more tickets for MVMCP now then they did years ago. The heavy crowds they have at these events now really kills the appeal for me.

 

[samsteele]

I would think the Morning Extra Magic Hours would be very crowded with the extra people. I guess Disney doesn’t want to spread out the crowds.

I use morning EMH and get a lot done. But I'm a single adult, a morning person and think nothing of waking up at 5am or earlier on vacation. I doubt other adults, and esp families with young children and teens, can force themselves out of the room that early and really crank out the rides. My experience has been that the first hour of EMH is golden but after that guests start to stream in and any utility is lost. By noon, the crowds aren't worth it and I usually park hop or hide in the less popular shows. I haven't done evening EMH for a while now as it felt like more onsite guests were using those and it was crowded. Even with evening EMH disappearing, I doubt that very first hour at morning EMH will be crowded. I'm going to stick with my rope drop at morning EMH to get it done. My concern is if WDW starts to reduce the headliner rides they open for morning EMH. If no FOP, 7DMT or Soarin' during morning EMH, and only available for pay EMH, then we'll know morning EMH are on the chopping block.