Haunted Mansion attraction and all it’s secrets!
One of Walt’s attraction projects that resides in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom parks.
This review is mostly over the Magic Kingdom attraction.
We will start with the queue.
Fair warning, please skip over the reads if you don’t want spoilers. Will note ‘spoiler’ if you want to skip those parts.
This queue has so much trivia fun finds within it to help entertain you while waiting!
The busts are the first story to encounter is a riddle, a Murder Mystery to figure out.
Here sits a series of busts each with a very short marker noting their demise.
The trivia is to figure out who started the murder spree!
For the main clue, you have to look at the full sculpture (even from the back of them).
If you want to work out on your own, do not read below.
In order of passing with their clue markers.
Uncle Jacob: the first to go “Killed with poison he swallowed”.
Bertie: who has the bottle of poison that did in Uncle Jacob.
“Avid hunter with an expert shot in the end that’s what he got”.
Aunt Florence: She has a gun on her marker – used to do in Bertie for revenge of her husband (Jacob).
“Found face down in canary Seed” .
The Twins: They have a bird on their marker which leads them to be Aunt Florence’s killers, “identical bumps on their heads”.
Cousin Maude: she has the hammer on her marker-cause of demise to the twins. “night her dreams went up in smoke”
So how exactly does Maude meet her demise? If you look closely at the back of her head, she used matches to hold her hair up. A common practice to use items found to pin hair back in that era. Unfortunately, she did herself in on accident while sleeping.
We have an organ platform-touchable wall-touch on the instruments to hear their eerie tunes. ‘spoiler’.
On top of the organ sits a crow, the crow is not just for haunted mansion, but it also represents the crow from Sleeping Beauty! You also see this crow throughout the attraction. Play the keys to make music and create fun mist if you play enough!
The fisherman who sits in the tub! Watch out, he may squirt water on you. Who am I kidding, it could feel so good in the heat!
Not too much of a spoiler with this one. You can barely make out the sailor singing and gurgling. He will leak water-so watch out for some sprays.
Use your fingers to plug some of the holes but the water will shoot out other holes!
Next up is the stone library. Notice many of the books have symbols on certain ones. Do you wonder why? You should.
There is a secret message found if you can decipher it!
‘Spoiler’ click HERE to see what the secret message is.
Watch the book located on back side of this stone library. A secret message will appear if you follow the directions!
Look around the queue path grounds, near the fisherman. You should be able to find the wedding ring belonging to Constantine.
Here is the real story, there was metal pole that was cut. When this was cut, it looked just like a wedding ring. The queue was redone many years ago but since this ring such a ‘thing’, they placed another one back in there! You should also see some beautiful gems left in the path as well. The treasures from left from the mansion residents.
Before entering the mansion – look over the cemetery to see the grave markers! They have such entertaining headstones!
Ok, now we are entering the Mansion being led into the Foyer. The fun portrait over the fireplace changes letting you know this is no ordinary mansion.
There are two stretching rooms, one located on each side of the fireplace from foyer.
Time to enter the stretching room!
Is the room really stretching? Yes it is! In Magic Kingdom the ceiling is being raised!
In Disneyland – you are sinking-like an elevator going down.
Everyone is asked to go to the center of the room! Stay away from the walls.
Well, you can do this but I don’t really recommend it. It is good to be in the center so you can see all the fun portraits.
For those who have seen them enough and wants a better queue placement then get closest to the wall under the tightrope ballerina. You can also see a little red light on the wall panel, this is where the door opens leading you to the attraction loading zone. This is where you want to be to get ahead of the herd you are in.
I like how they created this ‘rush’ of herd trying to squeeze back to a single person line but I hate that push and pressure feeling more.
The queue starts with a large space that narrows down to just standard line of true guest placement. It then only opens back up to a large mass area only to go back to funneling to single line again. This creates some stress and pressure by guests in finding their placement. I did learn the queue was created this way on purpose to create the ‘stress’ to keep in themeing of entering a haunted mansion. Here is my advice on how to handle this line the best one can! Move into any open space (they tell you to) and you should!
Once you enter the main entrance of the building, just stay in the center preferably in front of the portrait over the fireplace.
Once you enter the stretching chamber, depending on what side you enter you need to immediately head towards the hidden door.
How do you know which door this will be? It’s fairly simple. There are two stretching rooms. Left side of Fireplace & one on the right side of fireplace. If you enter the left chamber, go towards right inner wall. Vice versa if entering right chamber. You should see a very little red light. Keep in mind, don’t stand against or too close to the wall!
Once you see ‘the other way out’ (little experience) the hidden door of the chamber room will open. Head out, grab hands or shirts and book it. Stay closest to left side of hall once out of stretching room while walking down corridor. This huge cattle push will keep narrowing down into left which you are already. This puts you ahead of the game (as much as possible). It also seems to be slightly less stressful to me. I have a diagram below to see it laid out a little better!
Don’t forget to find a hidden Mickey! In the ballroom on the table, you should pay attention to the plates!
If you look in the pet cemetery, you will find an ode to Thaddeus Toad!
Some slight changes have been made since the re-opening however -nothing too major.
So—basically-all quick service meals must be ordered via the APP/mobile ordering. Even some Snack locations must utilize the Mobile order like Aloha Isle.
You can see all currently available/open quick service locations via the APP, mobile ordering tab.
Good news:
They have made more options available within the APP. To me, it is user friendly but always make sure to really look through the choices selected before just adding as an order. Look at each option list under the entrée. You can enter more meal preferences than previously allowed. You can only look at an image of a menu item under the ‘order’ tab. If reviewing the menu, for some reason the images of the food choice doesn’t show here. Weird to me.
Bad news:
Well, now more people are doing it, the process is taking a bit longer even though park capacity is way lower than an average day! Previously, this pre-order option was very unknown and under-rated! It was a great perk to use!
Back in the day! I would usually order my food while waiting in a queue. This helped to use my time wisely. I would get to my location, secure a table and select via APP. I was there and ready for them to start my order. The process was fairly quick – usually only takes 3-5 minutes for my order to be ready for pick up. Now, the order can take up to 10+ minutes before your order is ready. NOW, I am selecting I am ready for them to process my order when not even there. I take care of something else before getting there since I know I have that time cushion. There is a queue at the quick service location for check in with a cast member once your APP notifies you the order is ready. You are no longer allowed to enter a quick service location until the order is ready.
I have seen pretty ‘long-which can be a relative term’ line for guests waiting for their notification that their order is ready. Since it is all so new, many wait in line to be told they had to wait for the order to show ready for any further location access. This ends up creating two lines. Those waiting to ask and those waiting for the alert once they were told to wait.
Once you receive the alert notification that your order is ready, you are now allowed to enter the location. Via the APP, on the alert notification-a pick up window is provided so you know where to go inside the dining location. The windows have the window markers very visible. They are on the floor, windows and counters which makes it hard to miss!
Many of the tables are marked as ‘unavailable’ to create social distancing. This leaves semi limited inside (air conditioned) tables in some locations. This will change under the re-opening phases I am sure/hope. Once a guest leaves a table, it must be cleaned prior to use by another guest. The cleaning solution also has to sit 5-10 minutes before they allow use of the table again. It is not as easy as you would think a cleaning would be. I can definitely say, tables are much cleaner than they used to be.
Here is a quick video to show how APP operates.
Don’t look for too much logic in any of this. The condiment station is free game for hand grabbings and guests bunching together. On each order, multiple orders were at the same pick up window as my own instead of other windows being utilized. Queue of people bunched together outside quick service location waiting on their orders to show ready. I just could go on.
ALSO: if you do not see what you are looking for, just ask. It seems COVID has also brought much confusion-be prepared. I asked one cast member if they had any more ketchup. I was standing next to the station that was completely empty of it. She immediately tells me ‘all condiments’ are there—pointing to the station I am standing next to. WELL obviously, if it was there, I would not be asking. So after much—ummmmm, searching and waiting I received my ketchup. It is just the way it is right now.
Finally, back at Hollywood Studios since it’s re-opening!
What a fantastic day!
Current park hours are 10am-8pm
Let me start with, we planned a relaxed touring day yet still with goals. I wanted to take advantage of lower crowds and take some pictures or just walk/relax.
I find it best to have access to the Skyliner for arriving at this park due to operations are currently running via other arrival modes. (see arriving at the parks blog HERE).
The Disney Skyliner starts operation 1 hour prior to park opening. We entered the line right at 9am and there was already a good size queue. It moved very quickly though! We made it to the Skyliner grand station at 9:15am – this is a location where you need to switch lines; EPCOT, Hollywood Studios or Riviera Resort. We arrived at Hollywood Studios at 9:27, went through Temp check, Security and scanned our bands at 9:33am!
Since this park houses the newest and currently most popular attractions; Rise of the Resistance (ROTR), Smugglers Run, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway (MMRR) and Slinky Dog. These tend to have a hefty queue wait even with the lower park capacity. If the majority of the limited capacity guests are targeting these main attractions, it is easy to understand the 45-60+ minute waits.
We headed straight to MMRR. I have to say, this is actually my top 3 ride experiences! It has everything I love about Disney in it. Started our queue at 9:38am, boarded at 10:05 and exited 10:15am. This was a tad tricky! At 10am, the boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance opens at 10am (official park opening hours). The boarding Group is a virtual queue to enter if you want to enjoy this attraction. It can fill extremely quick. I secured this while waiting in line for MMRR.
We secured a boarding pass for ROTR but it was 38. The APP will now provide an approximate time until your boarding group opens. One thing to keep in mind with this, the time is not accurate. It is usually longer. Just keep an eye on the wait to make sure you plan accordingly. Once your boarding group is opened, you will receive a notification. You have 1 hour to check in for the boarding group. If you fail to check in, you do forfeit your place.
We decided to head over to Tower of Terror post runaway. We knew the majority of the crowd was already in Toy Story land or in queue for MMRR. Sadly, when we got over to Tower, it was not working yet. This can happen. We decided to get coffee instead (Joffrey’s located at the exit of Tower).
Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster was operational, but I just can’t ride this ride anymore. It kills my neck (I have a very bad neck and sadly, causes me motion sickness in my advanced age—getting old sucks!) I really LOVE the ride however! I will push through it at times depending on my body! This was not the day!
Onward we go, on to Toy Story Land! Now, the Slinky Dog Dash coaster had a LONG queue. It started basically at the entrance to Tory Story Land where Woody stands. My travelling partner for the day is not a huge coaster fan. For our plans, we decided to not bother with this. I enjoy this attraction, but it is not my favorite. It has been holding a steady 45+ queue time. In consideration with the previous norm wait times, it is not bad at all. It also looks as long as it previously did but that is only due to social distancing measures.
We went on to Toy Story Mania, entering the queue at 10:33am and off attraction by 10:49am. Alien Swirling Saucers was our next ride, getting in queue 10:56am and off of ride by 11:12am. Now, for both attractions the posted wait time was 30 min which was not accurate. Majority of posted times are more than actual wait times. I think it is best to consider the posted time however since it could easily be that time. An attraction cleaning will come up intermittently causing the time to really jump.
Time for lunch. Not all the quick service locations are opened yet. We decided on Backlot studios for our lunch. We had an early table service reservation. We didn’t want to eat our lunch too late or even have too heavy of a lunch so that we could fully enjoy our dinner. We also decided to share our lunch. We planned to split a chicken finger order, added an extra fry order and two drinks. It helped cut our cost. We ordered, picked up and finished our food by 11:41 (CLICK HERE for my experience on quick service mobile ordering)
Backlot Studios sits right next to Star Tours so we headed there! We entered queue at 12:17pm and exited attraction by 12:51. I get motion sickness on this attraction as well. I requested to sit in a back-row section if possible. They placed me in the middle. It was better than the front.
Now it was back to Tower of Terror! We entered queue at 1:05 and exited the attraction by 1:30.
Now, we really enjoy Icees (coke, raspberry, or cherry original style) but apparently this is currently a luxury. We could only find one place in Hollywood Studios and one place in EPCOT that was offering them. After checking our ROTR boarding group, we had at least a 60-minute wait. We decided to kill this hour re-experiencing MMRR! We entered the MMRR queue at 1:53pm and exited out of attraction at 2:40pm. This was perfect timing since we received notification our boarding group opened as soon as we exited! Now, on to Galaxy’s Edge to check in for ROTR!
We checked in for ROTR at 2:44pm by scanning our bands at the queue entrance. We exited the attraction at 3:24pm. An easy misconception to the virtual queue boarding pass is that you get to instantly board ROTR attraction similar to how a fast pass works. How it truly works, the boarding pass holds a large group of guests virtually and assigns groups to entry time. These groups can all enter the queue. It is still a large group, therefore there will still be a wait. The wait average pre-covid was an hour. It was still pretty close to that under the operational guidelines.
It started sprinkling and we were close to Mama Melrose, our dining location reservation. Our reservation time was for 4:05pm but we arrived 30 minutes early. The new guidelines have your scan the QR code located outside the entrance to check in for your dining. The digital operations does not allow for a check in earlier than 15 minutes which can be a hiccup. The staff saw me trying to check in and came out to check on me. I explained my hopes to check in early if possible but pointed out the system won’t allow it. I was completely fine if they were unable to check us in early especially with operational guidelines. I also believe in the philosophy that it never hurts to ask. The hostess went in but came back out to get us! They were able to check us in early! We were seated at our table at 3:40pm! See my review of Mama Melrose.
At this time, we had completed all we wanted to. We skipped Slinky Dog, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Muppet 3D and Smuggler’s Run. We wished Frozen Sing-along was operating but it is was not opened yet during our visit. I am not a huge Star Wars fan however I can greatly appreciate the artwork/design of Galaxy’s Edge. There is so much here to enjoy and look through. Smuggler’s run is a dud to me. I enjoyed it for the layout design and appearance. The ride itself is too simple in my opinion. I respect it for the design and a fan’s love of it. It is just not for me.
We decided to enjoy Toy Story Mania and Alien Swirling Saucers one more time before heading out. Walked into Toy Story queue at 4:39 and exited at 4:54. Entered Alien Swirling Saucers queue at 4:56 and exited at 5:08.
Walt Disney Presents is opened so we went for a look through in there at 5:13!
We completed our time at the park, exiting at 5:36 heading to the Skyliner. We had contemplated doing MMRR again but the wait was still holding strong at a 60 min wait. The option to enjoy our resort was much more appealing! Our room was perfect for relaxing and then we hit the pool/hot tub at 6:53pm.
What a great productive day!
MMRR—what a great attraction! It is just simply amazing! Join Mickey and Minnie in their cartoon land! I have never seen such a great digital mapping that submerges you directly into an experience like this ride does.
There is no pre-show currently for the MMRR. The room you enter to watch the quick cartoon is still used as a queue. Instead of watching the show and seeing the fun rip in the screen, you just walk directly through it. This of course could always change any day! I did see they placed markers within the room for social distancing if they did utilize it. There are actually two pre-show rooms to hold guests if they do re-open. For a Normal attraction experience, a set number of guests will enter a theatre room. A short preshow plays on the screen to set the story for the attraction. A mishap occurs and the screen blows up creating a walkway from the theatre room leading you back into a queue which is the station house for the train.
You board Goofy’s train for a fun scenic tour of their happy land! There is an engine and 4 loading carts to hold guests. Each cart has 4 rows and each row can hold 4-6 guests. They could probably squeeze more in but it would not be the most comfortable. Luckily with the current operational phased guidelines, they are limiting guests per cart. Each section is completely independent and moves along a magnetic track. I have sat in each section and I believe I enjoyed the 3rd section the best. Each section can offer a slightly different experience. While entering a room, the scenery can change by the time the last cart enters. With this in mind, the last cart can see more of the new changed scene while first cart is already headed into next room. Things will be missed in each of the 1st or last cart. I highly recommend enjoying this ride as many times as you can just so you can really see everything within each scene. SO MUCH CUTENESS. The train carts do shift, move around and end of changing order. This also creates slightly different experiences entering and exiting each room/scene.
For the Waterfall scene! I finally saw how this was done. Each cart separates and goes into it’s very own small room, sort of like a garage. This affect has Full digital mapping surrounding just your ride cart-my very favorite part! Once done, your cart backs up and gets back with the other carts. IN the end, everything wraps up perfectly as you head back to station!
Post by Jamie Dotson.
I love this place. It shows some of Walt’s childhood artifacts, his growth through the years and models of what is to come. It serves as a mini museum. There is so much here to look through. All pieces in there are the original artifacts from Walt’s life. There is a short film presentation located in the far back right of center. This film short usually shows trailers for upcoming movies. This film changes quite a bit so always take a peek to see what may be playing. A Character Meet and Greets is located here in the far back of center. Currently, this section is closed until full re-opening phases are complete. I love seeing the models showing what is coming. The models are still of Galaxy Edge – these are the original models used to create the design of this land. The detail is just amazing. In the past, they used to offer a secret quiz. You could ask a cast member about it. If you succeed in the quiz, you were awarded a certificate. I am not sure if this will come back or not. I seem to learn something new on each walk through.
Posted by Jamie Dotson.
Mama Melrose experience:
All restaurants are operating as much as possible via digital methods such as making reservations, checking in for reservations and menus. Temp checks are now also required at check in. This is an extra step newly added. Even if you have had your temp checked prior to park entry or Disney Springs, you will still need to repeat this process for dining locations. The digital system will only allow for a check-in no more than 15 minutes prior to reservation time. If you want to try to check in earlier, you will have to ask the hostess. If you would like a physical menu, you will need to ask for this.
Salt & Pepper shakers are not available at the tables. You will have to ask for this.
Tables are marked off to help create social distance between families/groups.
We had a great meal here. I love the atmosphere – it is so relaxing and intimate. I was craving a steak which is why I chose this dining location. It has a good meat cut at a lower cost than many other dining locations. It is still pricey; it is still Disney! My partner had the Spaghetti and Meatballs. This was a HUGE helping. 4-5 meatballs and huge bowl of spaghetti. I wish I had just shared the meal. It would have been a great meal and a great budget for us! My steak was good but not quite as good as previous ones I had there. My other experiences here have also been great!
I planned to splurge for this meal, so I did get the Cannoli for dessert! It says it had a citrus flavoring. It definitely does. This is not my favorite for this dessert, but it worked in this case. It added a little lightness to it, a cleaner after taste.
Watching the staff here, the table settings are well cleaned! On my previous dining experiences, I could easily account for a full hour or a little plus but this meal, we were done by 4:30. It only took 50 mins from sitting down, enjoying our meal, paying our check and walking out.
Posted by Jamie Dotson.
Magic Kingdom Park review under Re-opening!
Current Hours: 9-7
Please keep in mind things will be changing continuously so please double check recommendations or updates.
Please CLICK HERE on my review for arriving to the parks and what to expect!
We decided to drive into the park for this day. It was free parking since I am a pass holder and we were staying at a Disney Resort.
We left the resort at 8:50am, went through Parking system (no parking lot trams currently), temp checked, security check and boarded Monorail to take us to Magic Kingdom. We exited Monorail, scanned our bans to enter parks and were on Main street by 8:41am.
What an amazing opportunity this was to walk around the park first thing in the morning with a lower crowd. I was able to take the time to really look at some details that are easily overlooked. Every little aspect in fine detailing creates the masterpiece that is Magic Kingdom! Without these, it would just be another basic park.
I was able to take some beautiful pictures of Main Street! Don’t be too fooled with all the empty park pictures. Guests do continue to trickle in all day long and many don’t leave. Take the early morning time to take the pictures as you can without as many guests in the background!
Our typical touring plan always starts in Tomorrowland. We boarded Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger at 8:53, sadly I did not win against my competitor. Space Mountain was next (all by myself! Boo) – so worth the ride-entered queue at 9:03 and was off by 9:11. There was no wait at all. Some of the sound affects within the attraction were missing but it was minimal. An average guest probably wouldn’t even notice.
9:15 it was time for Tomorrowland Speedway! I got to be the passenger! Who doesn’t love to be chauffeured around? I was able to take some pictures and look over at the progress on the new Tron Coaster! Sadly the People mover, Tomorrowland transit authority is currently down. Boo. We also skipped the Astro-Orbiter. I felt the safety precautions were well laid out, I just have a personal issue getting in the elevators to get to the attraction. It is very rare I ever ride this.
It is fun and you can get some great park overviews from it. It is like a Fast Dumbo except with rockets!
Mad Tea Party / Teacup Time! 9:23 we entered the ride! Is it just me or does everyone get excited to pick out their favorite colored teacup?
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, 9:32 entered queue and basically walked on! So many Disney Debates! Which part is your favorite? Bouncing with Tigger or enjoying the rain?
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, got to ride at 9:45. I saw Cinderella’s Pony but sadly could not get to it! So, on this attraction every other row of ponies is marked off. The rows in use are marked on the outer side with a number. You are told what row number to go to. There are 5 ponies to a row. Such a beautifully crafted timeless ride. I was so glad the kids were not with me. They are too ‘grown’ for it.. so sad!
9:54 Time for Peter Pan, I always have to visit Neverland. I never want to grow up and at least at Disney, I never have to! I was so glad the standby queue was open. I previously would, without fail, obtain a fast pass. I love the standby queue. Since they re-did this queue 4-5 years back, it has become part of the attraction itself. You get to go inside the Darling home, visit the nursery and watch Tinkerbell cause mischief! SO many fun little things to spy if you take the time to look! Beautiful artwork made here.
It’s a Small World, 10:07am. I will always ride. On to Haunted Mansion! 10:30am The queue looks daunting but is not bad at all! Guests were properly spaced out for social distancing. While going through this queue, look at all the design details put into it. There are so many hidden stories inside this queue.
Time for Lunch! Sadly Casey’s Corner is not open yet. Cosmic Rays is offering two hot dog choices to help out with that Casey’s craving! We did our mobile ordering and enjoyed some air-conditioned quiet mask free time!
11:55am we felt it was time for a great refresher of good spirit at Hall of Presidents! It did not disappoint. We were so lucky, they just opened the theater doors when we walked into main entrance museum holding room.
Now off to Adventureland! Board The Magic Carpets of Aladdin 12:29. We thought we dodged that spitting camel until he got us right when ride was finishing up! That silly camel! On a hot day, I welcome it!
It would not be a Magic Kingdom day without experiencing The Jungle Cruise! 12:39 entered the queue for it! It was amazing, I even got to see the backside of water! Where else can you see this?
Our next adventure was Pirates of the Caribbean, entered the queue at 1:09. I will never stop loving this ride, even if they decided to sell chickens in it.
Time for a little exercise, we climbed The Swiss Family Treehouse – went through entrance at 1:51. This place provides some great views over the park, fun detail enriched settings and a little nostalgia!
1:59 entered the Enchanted Tiki Room queue. A great place for some fun Sherman tunes and air conditioning.
Time for a snack break!! We needed something to cool us off; a water and a frozen fruit bar! YUMMM
Off to Frontierland! We entered Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at 2:36pm – there was a 60 minute wait posted but we were off the ride by 2:49
We entered Splash Mountain queue at 2:51, the wait time here was more accurate. We exited the ride at 3:42.
Yes, another snack was desired!!! Disney and Snacks just goes hand in hand! Just about everyone loves Sleepy Hollow! This place is always popular breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between time! Here is where you can get the famous chicken waffles, Giant Mickey waffle and simple but delicious funnel cake among many other things.
It is time we finished up Fantasyland! We had previously completed the original Fantasyland but never did the New Fantasyland. 4:16 we entered the queue for Journey of Little Mermaid, Under the Sea, 4:30 entered queue for Dumbo and then entered queue for 7 Dwarf Mine Train at 4:39pm (exited the mine train at 5:17 which is seriously NOT a bad wait at all for this attraction). We did skip Barnstormer. I actually love this coaster. It is so cute and fun. The downside to this coaster is that it is so incredibly short! Since I was not with a coaster buddy, I passed it. It would have been a true walk on – no wait at all.
I saved the best for last, the Carousel of Progress! I never mind having this stuck in my head, It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow!!! Entered the standby 5:30 and off by 5:58. This show has 4 scenes that the theatre rotates through! So it is a lengthy attraction considering. Make sure to keep that in mind with touring plans.
Time to browse the stores on Main Street. Now this is a tad tricky and hopefully changes soon. Majority of the stores are connected. Under the phased re-opening operations there are capacity limits to the stores as well. To control this, they controlled the entrances and exits of these stores. Basically, there is only 1 entrance to the section of stores, but all other doorways are exit only. This can be a tad frustrating in finding the single-entry way. The Grand Emporium and it’s connecting stores Main (and only) entrance is at front corner of Main street. For the shops on the right side of the Street such as Pandora, Art of Disney, etc, the Main entry is through Pandora store. The Confectionery entrance is off Main Street Hub street, the one facing the Train station. This one generates the longest wait from my observation-Because we all love sugar! Just be mindful and prepared to watch for this.
We finally left the park at 6:22, boarded the monorail to return to the transportation and ticket center/parking and was back in the room at 7pm.
All in all is was a fantastic day. We never rushed to any location. I was able to snag some great pictures! It was almost like times we used to go before everything had to be so planned out. It was great deciding what we were doing while there in the moment. We enjoyed the park fully.
We still had plenty of time to relax back at the resort which is exactly what we did; quick service dining, pool and relaxation.
Posted by Jamie Dotson.
This is for all my fellow Special Needs families out there. Having a child with special needs comes with it’s own unique challenges and really, no two children on the Autism Spectrum are the same but I wanted to write about how we navigate a Disney Vacation in hopes to give confidence to some of you that not only could you take a trip to a Disney Destination with your child (or even a special needs adult in your family), you should. Disney really is the most magical place on Earth for my family; of course, meltdowns still happen and yes, sometimes we just leave the park early to go back to the resort and cool off in the pool but knowing how to navigate through our day to the best of our ability really does help.
We start our day in the hotel room. We have a light snack for breakfast to save our dining credits for later in the day and we pack all the things we might need for the day. The double stroller rental I arranged beforehand (For larger children Special Needs Strollers are also available, talk to your Travel Agent about either of these options) is so helpful for packing all the things we need for the day: snacks, water bottles, tablets, stim toys, a mini fan, change of clothes, baby wipes, sunscreen, sunglasses, noise cancelling headphones (among other things) are packed into a backpack and stowed underneath. When we’re all dressed and ready to go I give my son, Henry, and my youngest daughter, Eleanor, their pin trading lanyards (that also contain my emergency contact information) they put them on and hop in the stroller and we are off.
Disney Transportation is a great perk to staying on property; not having to deal with traffic, parking fees, finding a spot, taking the tram to the park entrance, and finding your vehicle at the end of the day is simply amazing. That said, it may be tough for some children to ride a big loud bus with a bunch of strangers so things like noise cancelling headphones and tablets/toys may be helpful here, but Henry actually loves the Disney busses (as long as they’re not too crowded) and always gets excited that we’re headed to the park. When we get to the park we head straight for Guest Services to arrange our DAS (Disability Assistance Service) pass and a Stroller as a Wheelchair tag for our vacation. You only have to do this one time the DAS stays linked to your tickets for the rest of your vacation and you keep the tag on the stroller the entire time.
I know the parks well and that’s very helpful for us to navigate where we are going, what rides are good for us, and where we can stop to rest or get a snack. If you’re not as familiar, the help of a Travel Agent works well here. A good tip- the Baby Care Centers (one located in each park) are usually a good place to take a break, they are cool, relatively quiet, and *usually* not too crowded. The Disney website has an official Guide for Guests with Cognitive Disabilities as well as the Attraction Details for Guests With Cognitive Disabilities that outlines each ride and what, if any, sensory difficulties a person on the spectrum may experience on that ride/attraction. You can download and review these beforehand to get to know the parks a little better too. I also highly recommend you watch YouTube videos of the rides you are unsure about to see what it is like and even have your child watch along with you to get familiar with it; this helped my son immensely and now he can ride most things confidently (but not Dinosaur).
If you are traveling with more than one child and your little one and/or special needs child wants to sit one out there’s also the Rider Switch Service that may be helpful to you. This service allows for you to take turns waiting with small children or guests unable to ride. How this works is one adult waits with the non-rider while the rest of your party rides. Then, when they are done, you switch places and ride with little to no wait (accompanied by up to 2 others in your party) by entering the Fastpass+ Queue. It’s similar to the DAS in that you need to ask a Cast Member at the attraction for this before the first party rides.
When it’s time for my family to have lunch or dinner I always feel good about meals in Disney Parks and Resorts! For less stress we pre-plan meals and get Advanced Dining Reservations (your Travel Agent can also arrange these for you) so we’re not stuck somewhere with cranky/hungry kids and wind up eating somewhere not ideal for us. The great thing is most Disney restaurants have been able to accommodate my family’s picky eating habits. Even ‘Ohana at the Polynesian Resort was able to accommodate us when my children would not eat the many options that were brought to our table family-style. They brought out a grilled cheese sandwich for one of my children and a bowl of pasta for another. If you have a picky eater too, I recommend you tell the host about it when you arrive at the restaurant. Oftentimes, they have a “secret” kids menu at Family-Style restaurants, and are usually able to accommodate something different even at a buffet. A few times I asked for plain buttered pasta or mac and cheese for my little one at a buffet and the Cast Members were more than happy to help!
Companion Restrooms are located throughout the parks. This makes bathroom breaks slightly easier for us. We roll the stroller right in and have a private place to use the restroom and wash up before heading out for more fun. I can help Henry with the buttons on his pants which he has a hard time with and make sure he washes his hands. It’s less stressful than minding multiple children in a busy public restroom (not to mention I am a single mother and have taken trips to Disney without anyone to accompany Henry into the men’s bathroom anyway). Companion Restrooms for the win!
Timing is also important for my family on a Disney trip. Avoiding the peak times for Disney Transportation and the rush to get in and out of the parks makes a much happier mom and kids! Our philosophy is “Come Late, Leave Early, and (usually) Skip the Fireworks!” I know this may sound very strange to most Disney Theme Park Enthusiasts but it is what works best for us. Sleeping in a little bit in the morning helps us avoid the “rush” of everyone else to get on the bus and get there for “rope drop” (when the park first opens its gates). We get up and take our time, sometimes my kids watch cartoons on the Disney Channel before we get ready, then have a light snack, make sure we have everything we need, and sometimes we fill our refillable resort drink mugs in the food court before moseying over to the bus stop (depending on the resort you’re staying in you can also insert Monorail/Skyliner Station here too). Florida is hot and can be overwhelming and tiring so we tend to leave early as well usually in the early evening. Instead of staying late we try to schedule something fun in the evening for the kids like a character meal at a resort restaurant, a swim in the pool, or a little bit of shopping at Disney Springs.
Every once in a while we’ll also take a midday break and go back for fireworks. My oldest daughter, Carol, loves the fireworks. When Henry was younger he absolutely hated them and I had to have him sit in my lap and hug him tight with his noise-cancelling headphones. Now that he is a little older he doesn’t hate them as much but can kind of take them or leave them. As far as night time shows go here’s my two-cents:
The last point that I would like to touch on is probably most important. Disney Cast Members are awesome! Without them, Disney would not be so magical! Don’t know if a ride or attraction is suitable for your family or your special needs child? Just ask! Is your child getting overwhelmed and you need help finding a spot to de-escalate the situation? They will help! Need a restaurant to accommodate your picky eater? They have never failed me! Want to know where the closest companion restroom is, when the fireworks start, or what bus stop you need to go to to get back to your resort? Really, ask them! Disney prides themselves on excellent customer service and has never ceased to amaze me.
Quick side story of some extra “pixie dust” we got one trip. When we rode Slinky Dog Dash for the first time my son was pretty nervous not knowing what to expect on a new ride; and my youngest, who was only 3 at the time, was even more nervous. We rode it and they both LOVED it. On the way out Henry told the cast member “Thank you for the best ride of my entire life” She laughed and said she was glad he enjoyed the ride and asked him if he wanted to ride it again. Of course he said yes! I figured she meant like next time or later but no, she meant, right now. The cast member escorted us back to the platform where we boarded the ride for a second time! Little things like that happen at Disney and I feel this is what really sets them apart from other amusement parks.
So there you have it, I hope a look inside Walt Disney World parks from my perspective has given you the insight you need to “Capture the Magic” with your special needs child. With some extra planning, and the help of your Capture the Magic Vacations Travel Agent, the magical memories you make with your loved ones on your Walt Disney World Vacation will be well worth it!
A Post by Jackie Freeman.
Getting there via Disney transportation or Driving into the Parks –so many changes that affect almost every aspect of Disney. Let me say at the beginning—things are changing constantly—so ALWAYS double check… also …sometimes the cast members can’t even keep up with the changes. Don’t get too frustrated at them since I am sure they get just as frustrated. What I did: checked surrounding signage and asked multiple people for a good understanding on what to expect.
I have noticed the hours to each park are staggered 1 hour off from opening to closing times. Each park is opened for 10 hours.
I believe the EPCOT hours being the latest are based on a general older crowd, International Food and Wine Festival can be enjoyed more as well for dinner options.
This is allowing a tighter control; better budgeted transportation costs and flow. It is distributing the arrival/return crowd rushes for parks.
Buses start running 30 min prior to posted park times. It had been an hour prior when they first re-opened. I asked a cast-member to verify but he was not sure. I then saw a digital bus sign at the Disney bus stop that stated the starting transportation times—confirming the 30 minutes prior to opening. (I expect this to change as crowds grow) I also would still arrive early to the bus station in order to get a head start on the morning crowds. With the limited guests per bus/seating ratio—it could still take the same time as a typical morning rush crowd before this mess started.
The Skyliner was operating an hour prior to park times. By the time I arrived at the Skyliner station from my resort, the line was already pretty extended. The lines can really fool you. Keep this in mind with any line you observe. The spacing of 6’ per party can make a crowd of 20 look like a crowd of 60. The queue can move so ‘fast’ at times one basically just does a very slow walk or an occasional hold at a marker to get to the final point. Easy peasy. It seemed most people follow the rules pretty well. If there are no ground markers, people tended to do what they have always done before which proves most people are good with just being themselves. Lol For those that want the space, they tended to put themselves at a distance. It all seemed to work out fine. I did not encounter any quarreling between guests.
Parking: This is the trickiest part and I would say… most annoying because, each park is different.
Magic Kingdom experience: they will hold cars at the parking lot toll entrance 1 hour prior to park time. If you arrive prior, they will have you turn around. This also goes for drop offs either by personal car, taxi or Uber. In saying this, make sure you time your arrival appropriately. Once they have you stopped and held at the parking toll entrance, they place a traffic cone in front of your car. They will not allow entrance until their system opens. This magical unknown time can be anywhere from 30-45 min prior to park opening. Example: we arrived at 8am to Magic Kingdom parking toll entrance. The park opened at 9am. We were held at the toll entrance. The cast member told us they didn’t know the exact time their computers release for parking access. At Magic Kingdom parking toll, the time opened at 8:15. For our EPCOT toll entrance experience, the time opened at the half hour mark (10:30am) and the park opened at 11am. EPCOT would not allow cars to hold at the parking toll entrance until 10:20am. They had cars turn around if arrived before that. When we arrived the first time, they told us to come back at 10:15. The second loop a different cast member told us 10:30. I asked why the different time. I was told to just come back at the first time. The cars will back up quite a bit from this holding pattern at the beginning, but the cast member told us the crowd only lasts about 30 minutes and after that the cars only trickle in post morning rush.
I also was told by the parking attendant the main reason for this hold. Once you park, you are pretty much allowed in the parks. This was confirmed upon parking and entering. Once you park, you walk through the temp check -baggage check and enter the parks even if prior to park posted hours.
If parking, the park trams are not running so you will walk from your parking spot to the front entrance. The parking is pretty close-not a hard walk. Cars are parked every other spot front to back. This is actually FABULOUS!!! No tight squeezes getting out of your car!!! HOWEVER—once the morning rush is over, cars that enter later are allowed to park directly next to your vehicle. The first guests have already entered the park by this point. This works well since it is still giving social space for first wave of guests parking.
If arriving by other means, the same holds true. When arriving by Skyliner, we were able to enter the parks 20 min prior to posted hours. Temp checks. Here they take your temp via a thermometer that reads off the forehead. No actual physical contact is made. White tents are set up for this. Contracted company with contracted employees are performing the temp checks. Fans are around to help reduce the heat in immediate surroundings.
Once you make it past the Temp stations, you will head to baggage check. It is handled totally different. You basically hold all belongings close to you or in front of you as you walk through the detectors. If something buzzes, then you will be directed for further inspection. I did not see a single person get stopped for this. I guess that is a good thing, but it makes me wonder if it was really ever needed to begin with?? Funny how priorities can change so quickly and vastly.
NOW That you have made it past these processes you are able to scan your band and enter the parks! Woohoo!!! No fingerprint verification is done any longer which makes the process a BREEZE! Amazing how quick the process is in when removing that little step!!! Again, one of those things that makes you wonder if it was ever needed. I understand the reason they had it but also—-did it really help their business that much? OK, I don’t want to go off on too many tangents, it is SOOOO easy to do!
In the parks:
Masks: this keeps getting changed—always double check. no masks allowed that have valves or holes. No gaiters. Masks must have two layers of fabric. (gaiters only have 1). Disney masks that are sold—contain 3 layers. Feel free to cut one layer out. I did and it made a HUGE difference. They now must cover the nose AND the chin. The chin part is new rule and was implemented in the middle of our stay there. I felt this was ridiculous. It made a difference temp wise (maybe just mental?) having it between lower lip and chin, felt some air right there made a difference to me. Must be stationary to drink/eat without your mask. You can be just about anywhere to do this. You do NOT have to be in a restaurant or relaxation station to do remove mask for a drink or bite-just be stationary. YES, the cast-members will LET you know if they are not satisfied with your behavior. You will not be allowed any photopass picture if your mask is not being worn.
Social Distancing:
Queues for attractions: There will be social distance taped markers within all queues. Be mindful. Majority of guests were—again, no issues with this. Queues can look very deceiving with these guests in queue all spaced out.
Green Circles: these are just what they sound like. They are markers to direct party groups too while waiting for a service- quick service pick up or an attraction. Party groups are asked to stay in the marked circle proximity to help space out within the sectioned area. Pictures for reference.
Keep in mind with the operation restrictions, even though the crowd capacity is limited, so are the attraction guest loads. Example: Tower of terror could hold 22 guests per attraction car but to keep with recommended guidelines, they may only load 8-10 guests. This scenario basically applies to all attractions. Yes, the waits have been significantly less for majority of attractions, but guests can still end up waiting 45-60 minutes for popular attractions. Under normal circumstances, the waits could be 120-300 minutes for the same attraction. This is better for park touring but correct expectation still needs to be held.
Also, with operation restrictions: some of the darker rides have experience changes. If pre-shows are limited or altered – it can affect the full attraction experience. A perfect example of this is the Haunted Mansion. Disney is very smart and thinks of everything. Operations are done so well, things run so seamless we never realize the importance of certain parts of an attraction. The stretching room holds two purposes. It adds a story setup for the attraction. Any Disney buff will tell you; the attractions ALL have stories to them. The second purpose for the stretching room is it allow your eyes to properly adjust to the darkness of the attraction. Without this step-the ride looks so much darker and many subtle details can be missed.
Attractions affected by slight changes:
Other attractions are missing some sound effects. Not a huge deal but noticeable.
A post by Jamie Dotson
What is this?
For every EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival hosts, they offer a scavenger hunt. Now, if you are thinking this one looks just like last years 2019 hide & squeak, you are absolutely correct. It is!!! The main difference is the year it has printed on the map! This fun scavenger hunt is great for kids and adult kids to partake in as they tour the World Showcase. To me, it has a three in one value.
The adults can take care of their needs while the kids enjoy a game. Price is usually around $7+tax (as always, prices can increase). I was lucky enough to purchase mine under my pass which provides 20% discount. Pass holders are being treated to 30% discount for a limited time!
The reward for the completed scavenger hunt is an adorable hard plastic cup. Very hard, thick and durable plastic unlike some other items I have seen in past. There are 4 cup designs to choose from. Of course, you could always buy 4 maps and make a complete collection for all 4! I may have done this, NO REGRETS! Honestly, a souvenir for only $7+tax (or less with discount) is not a bad deal!!! Each scavenger hunt is usually a new reward.
This one-the previous reward is being recycled. I loved this one though! Past rewards have been; ornaments, a different style cup, mini puzzles, Easter eggs with character designs and patches. Now, This is what I do.. I purchase my scavenger maps and ask to have them redeemed immediately. What does this mean? They will stamp it as completed so the cast members know I have already received my reward. You can do this at only certain locations! You can buy the map almost all over the park but they can ONLY be redeemed at certain locations; Disney Traders, Mouse Gear and World Traveler at International Gateway. Yes, you can redeem the map prior to actually completing the map! Why do I redeem mine in advance? There are a couple of reasons for this. I don’t want to forget my reward. I don’t have to back track for the reward! Is there a Downside? Yes but to me it is minimal. You will have to carry it around with you the entire time there. I know everyone has their own preferences or ways to park tour/plans. Always great to have options! Here are the pictures!! From the pictures, they are not a dead giveaway for the exact location. They may help a good bit. If you have trouble finding Remy in any of the locations, just ask a cast member. They are not allowed to tell you where he is but they can direct you!
A post by Jamie Dotson