Tag Archives: FastPass+

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Taste Your Way Around the World

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Eleven days remain before I fly to Orlando International Airport and catch Magical Express to Disney’s Old Key West Resort. There are just eleven days now until I get to be in the same room with both of the kids, their spouses and their daughters. I’m starting to get butterflies in my stomach now. I always do when I have a flight coming up. And the excitement is way over the top!

Today I received the three “Taste Tour Way Around the World 2018” trays in the mail. I ordered them in advance so we can hit the ground running at EPCOT. It will be a handy way to carry our food and drink choices while we nosh and imbibe our way around EPCOT World Showcase. Cool, right?

I don’t know if we’ll all hang together at EPCOT after our Fastpass+ rides, or if we’ll divide and conquer. Our vegetarians may go one way, our newest parents may go another, and Mike and I may blaze our own path. It doesn’t matter, because we ‘ll start out and finish up at the same grand villa every day. But won’t it be fun to try some new (to us) international flavors? Oh, yes, it will!

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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Dumbo the Flying Elephant

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Just 37 days now until we head for Walt Disney World. Woo hoo!

I can’t remember if the kids rode Dumbo the Flying Elephant when they were younger, but I know that I didn’t. I’d like to try it this time, if I can muster up the courage. I am afraid of heights, so it’s a scary thought.

Dumbo, the movie, holds a special place in my heart. I’ve always loved it. He is so sweet, and strong in spite of all the bullying that he experiences. Great message, great movie! My kids won’t watch it; I used to sing “Baby Mine” to them when they were little. I had to stop, because it would make them cry. It is a very moving seen when Dumbo’s mama cradles him in her truck and sings that song. But I love it. The love seems so pure and real to me.

Anyway, here’s what Disney has to say about the ride:

Soar high in the sky on a whimsical flight over Storybook Circus aboard Dumbo the Flying Elephant. 

A Dumbo gondola flies high at Dumbo the Flying Elephant at Magic Kingdom park

Take Flight

Hop atop Dumbo and take off into the air on a joyful journey amid the jubilant sounds of carnival music. Based on Disney’s 1941 animated classic Dumbo, Dumbo the Flying Elephant invites you to accompany everybody’s favorite circus elephant as he discovers his unique ability to fly.

Dumbo’s faithful friend Timothy Q. Mouse greets you from the arched entry, directing the action with help from his “magic” feather. As a jovial band organ melody begins, Dumbo gracefully lifts off from the ground and magically begins to fly around and around.

How High Will You Fly?
During your aerial adventure, you can direct Dumbo to soar skyward or fly low by moving the handle inside the Dumbo-themed gondola. Feel the wind in your face as you take in the sweeping views of Storybook Circus below.

Twice the Fun
This isn’t your everyday flight of fancy. This breezy attraction features 2 sets of rotating elephants moving in opposite directions as they fly through the air high above Fantasyland.

A boy looks up with delight while in the wait area for Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction

Play Before You Ride

A circus-themed play area keeps the little ones having fun before taking flight. Upon arrival, you’ll receive a pager that “virtually” holds your place in line. Step inside the big-top tent and enjoy an air-conditioned playground complete with slides, climbing net, and even a toddler section. Kids of all ages will love to be part of the circus show as parents relax in ample seating.

Since we have Fastpass+ for the ride, we will bypass the playground; however, if time and willingness come together, then we may enter the stand-by line just to play in the air-conditioned playground for awhile.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater

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There are only 39 days until our trip to Walt Disney World now. Each day I get just a little more excited. “Anticipation, anticipa-ya-tion, is making me wait…keeping me wai-ai-ai-ai-aiting…” I’m excited about seeing Emi’s family again. It will only have been five months since I saw them, ten months since Mike, Jake and Eliza saw them. Too long. AND…Emi, James and Ida get to meet Linnie; that’s just the best!

Anyway, this time we got a Fastpass+ to Meet Mickey in Town Square Theater. I’ve always wanted to do this with the family, so this is a real bucket-list item for me. A chance to hug the Big Cheese!

Here’s what Disney has to say about it.

Go backstage as a special guest of your pal, Mickey. 

Master Magician Mickey grabs his cape while onstage at Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom park

Go Behind the Curtain

Mickey Mouse is in his rehearsal room, ready to meet his biggest fans. Discover props and posters from Mickey’s magical career in the theater and maybe even spot a disappearing dove or a rabbit coming out of a hat. The greatest magic of all happens when you get a hug from Mickey Mouse himself.

A mom, daughter, dad and son smile while posing with a magician-themed Mickey at Magic Kingdom park

Bring Home Memories with Character

Let your moments with favorite Disney Characters last long after your visit by purchasing Memory Maker—which features unlimited digital downloads of all your Disney PhotoPass photos and videos!

We do have Memory Maker, too, so I look forward to all those Photographers snapping us! We’ll be looking for those special shots, where characters magically appear in your photos.

Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

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Na’vi River Journey

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In just 42 days we head to Walt Disney World. This trip is coming just as there is much turmoil in our lives. Mike’s 98 year old mother is transitioning her living arrangement, and even more is going on back home in the U.P.  It is a time for deliberate and focused prayer. And through it all, God be praised!

Anyway…Pandora, The World of Avatar, has opened at Disney’s Animal Kingdom since we were last there. Avatar Flight of Passage is the newest, hottest ride in the park, however, since we have two tiny ones with us this time, we didn’t FastPass+ this. Instead we Fastpass+ed Na’vi River Journey. (I must confess these rides that allow the little ones to ride are my kind of rides!) Here’s what Disney has to say about Na’vi River Journey:

Journey deep into a bioluminescent rainforest in search of the Na’vi Shaman of Songs, only at Pandora – The World of Avatar. 

Guests gaze in wonder while floating through a bioluminescent rainforest aboard Na’vi River Journey

A Family-Friendly Adventure

Glide down a gentle, mysterious river and feel a sense of wonder as the full beauty of Pandora reveals itself. Located within the Valley of Mo’ara, Na’vi River Journey offers explorers an experience that has to be seen—and heard—to be believed!

As your expedition begins, climb aboard a reed boat and drift downstream. After coasting through a series of caves, and passing by exotic glowing plants and amazing creatures of the rainforest, you’ll soon find yourself face-to-face with the Na’vi Shaman of Songs.

The adventure comes to a conclusion as the Shaman demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music!

Distinct Na’vi artifacts and décor adorning the landscape all around Pandora – The World of Avatar

Here’s what Disney has to say about:

Pandora – The World of Avatar

Journey to an awe-inspiring land that celebrates the magnificent power of nature.

Located within Disney’s Animal Kingdom park, Pandora – The World of Avatar provides eco-tourists the opportunity to join Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE) for the transformational experience of a lifetime—filled with unforgettable expeditions, floating mountains, a bioluminescent forest, winged mountain banshees and more.

In partnership with ACE, visitors of every age will have the chance to explore the values and culture of this exotic place, and celebrate the striking beauty and overwhelming power of the natural world.

Welcome to Pandora—a world similar to Earth… but distinctly unique in so many ways!

Hike amid floating mountains, glowing fauna and flora, a native drum circle and many other wonders at Pandora – The World of Avatar. 

Exotic plants and magnificent floating mountains adorn the landscape of Pandora – The World of Avatar

Behold A Land That’s Beyond Belief

Walk about through the Valley of Mo’ara and get ready to discover a world like no other!

There’s more to Pandora than expeditions like Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey… much more! All around its enormous floating mountains, you’ll quickly uncover the valley’s one-of-a-kind dining and shopping experiences—along with sights, sounds and experiences that include:

  • Exotic plants that come to life with beautiful bioluminescence each night
  • A Na’vi-built drum circle, containing instruments playable by all
  • Na’vi totems and other cultural items found throughout the land
  • Brand-new Wilderness Explorers challenges and badges to collect

You may even come across tour guides from Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE), scientists from the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI), or even an eclectic expat or two!

A family of 4 walking past a waterfall

Explore Nature in Pandora

The Pandora Utility Suit showcases natural wonders in dramatic fashion.

Under the control of its pilot—a Pandora Conservation Initiative scientist—this 10-foot-tall mechanical suit roams the Mo’ara Valley to study fauna, collect plant samples and explore the rough terrain. While the suit traverses the land, its pilot will interact with Guests, discuss the otherworldly landscape and share details about conservation efforts in Pandora.

There will be plenty of new ground to explore together. Meet me at the Kingdom.

Donna

P.S. Sending prayers to family and friends up north as transitions take place.

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Fasspass+ Victory

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We are just 60 days out from our trip to Walt Disney World! This morning I woke up to an email from Stephanie, my travel agent from Destinations to Travel. She  was able to schedule every FastPass+ that I had hoped for. That is major! We scored Frozen Ever After, Toy Story Mania!, Na’vi River Journey, and Peter Pan’s Flight, plus eleven more that we requested. I am beyond excited now!

Sometimes the stars align, or pure luck sets in, or God intervenes and things just fall into place. That’s how today feels. I don’t really know about star’s aligning. I don’t really believe in pure luck. I do believe in God’s intervention. So I’ll just thank God for his mercies. Thank you, Lord!

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

 

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FastPass+ Anticipation

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We head to Walt Disney World in just 65 days. This means I’m just five days away from scheduling our FastPass+es. We are choosing kid friendly rides so the grandkids can go on them. Rides/attractions like Dumbo the Flying Elephant and Peter Pan’s Flight, Na’vi River Journey and Festival of the Lion King, Frozen Ever After and The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Toy Story Mania and Voyage of the Little Mermaid.

I sure hope we get them all. Although my favorite thing for this trip will be sitting in the same general area as Mike, the kids, their spouses and the grandkids. What a joy it will be! I’m especially looking forward to hanging out at the pool together at Disney’s Old Key West Resort. Ahh… Instant stress relief.

Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

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Fastpass+

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Hiya all,

Just 71 days to go until our trip to Florida. On August 21st, we can book our FastPass+es. These passes let you skip the long lines and ride/take part in three attractions much more quickly. Only so many Fastpass+es are available per day. Our travel agent will attempt to schedule our Fastpass+es for us. Better her than me! The last time I scheduled, them my palms were all sweaty and my heart was racing by the time I was done.

I picked Fastpasses that the grandbabies can take part in. These are the ones we hope to get:

Sunday, October 21-Magic Kingdom– FastPasses—The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan’s Flight, Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid

Tuesday, October 23-Animal Kingdom– FastPasses—Na’vi River Journey, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Festival of the Lion King

Wednesday, October 24-EPCOT– FastPasses–Frozen Ever After, The Seas with Nemo and Friends, Turtle Talk with Crush

Thursday, October 25-Hollywood Studios– FastPasses–Toy Story Mania, Frozen Sing-Along, Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Saturday, October 27-Magic Kingdom– FastPasses—Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Jungle Cruise, Meet Mickey at Town Square Theater

Wish us luck. Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna

 

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My Disney Experience

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Hiya Dear Readers,

Today I want to talk about a very useful app for those heading to Walt Disney World. It’s called “My Disney Experience.” If you book a stay at a Walt Disney World hotel, you can link it to this app, and then a wide world of convenience is at your finger tips. And when you buy Disney Park tickets and link them to this app, the rest of the World opens up to you. Once these things are in place, you can:

  • Book dining reservations 180 days ahead of your stay
  • Book FastPass+es for three rides a day at the parks
  • Then once you’re in the parks you can:
    • Check wait times for rides
    • Check the times for your FastPasses+es
    • Find characters in the park for photos
    • Search dining menus
    • Use Mobile Ordering: Place your order in advance and it will be ready when you get to the restaurant
    • Check out shows and showtimes for the day
    • Find PhotoPass photographers-If you’ve purchased PhotoPass for your vacation, which I have, you can find the photographers with the app
    • Find the nearest restroom
    • Check for bus times to and from the parks/hotels
    • Search for whatever you cannot find
    • Once you’re back home, you can use the app to download all your PhotoPass pictures.

That is one handy app! (Thanks to Get Down to Disness for the info listed above.) I love the Get Down to Disness Daily Agenda Book, too. It’s available online at getdowntodisness.com. I get a new one each time we book a trip. It makes it easy to keep all reservations organized, ie: flights, hotel reservations, dining reservations, FastPass+es, etc…

Another handy thing about the app is you can connect everyone in your travel party to the app, so they have access to all of the above, too. I can’t recommend the My Disney Experience app enough. It is golden!

God bless you and keep you, Dear Reader! Meet you at the Kingdom.

Donna Jarvi

 

 

 

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So Much Better

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Hiya Dear Readers,

Just want to drop a note to let you know that I am feeling so much better. It’s been seven weeks since my stroke. I spent six nights in the hospital in England. Since I’ve been back in the USA I’ve seen my GP, had blood work done, am currently 24 days into wearing a heart monitor for 30 days, have done a sleep study, have had an echocardiogram and have attended two of three scheduled diabetes education classes. (I have one more class in two weeks.) I will see a neurologist in two weeks and a neuro-opthomologist in three weeks. (I have some residual vision issues.) Then I will breathe a sigh of relief and bask in having gotten through all of that. Whew!

Anyway… I can tell I’m feeling quite a bit better, because I’m back to making plans for our next trip to Walt Disney World. We’ve bumped up our dates from October 2018 to the end of September 2018. Jake, Eliza, Mike and I had such a wonderful time when we went in the fall of 2015, so we thought we’d try fall again. Historically the end of September is a bit less busy than October, so we’ll try that. We can still enjoy The EPCOT Food and Wine Festival and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party while we’re there. The temperatures will be nice for some major pool time. I get so excited thinking about it! And then to have Emi, James and baby Ida there with us will be beyond anything that I can even imagine!

Disney World is so different from when we first started going there around 1990-ish. It’s almost too much for me now…almost. There are so many changes. Some favorite attractions have gone away to make room for new ones. There has been major construction of hotels adding many more rooms to the World. They built a whole new park, the Animal Kingdom. They have built another water park, Blizzard Beach. I miss the “intimacy” of the 1990’s World, but it doesn’t diminish my love for the new World.

My absolute favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World is to spend time with the family. I love hanging out at Disney’s Old Key West Resort at night and just chatting about our day. I love sitting at a great Walt Disney World restaurant (especially Olivia’s Cafe!) and sharing a meal with the fam. I love checking out the looks of awe and wonder on their faces while we watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom. I even love looking at their tired faces on the bus back to Old Key West.

I can call and make our reservation for a grand villa at Old Key West on October 23rd of this year. We already have our 5 day Park Hopper passes. I can make our breakfast/lunch/dinner reservations starting March 28, 2018. I can order our tickets for Mickey’s-Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in May of 2018. I can make our FastPass choices beginning July 26, 2018. Then it’s nothing but keep power walking to be ready to go.

I take nothing for granted. But Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, it will be a major Jarvi/Carmichael reunion and celebration. Just to be together with these people that I love in this place that I love is bliss!

I’ll write again soon.  Thanks for reading, Dear Friends! Meet you at the Kingdom!

Donna

 

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Fastpass+ Frustration!

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Day 424  in my fuming frustration on the way to meeting Mickey (6 days to go)

OK, so here’s the deal.  I got online at 11:00 pm last night (midnight EST) and attempted to select my FastPass+ choices for our December trip to Walt Disney World.  We are staying at Disney’s All Star Sports Resort for three nights.  Now the Disney spiel says that if you are staying on property, then you can book your FastPass+ choices 60 days in advance of your check-in date.  Since today is 60 days from our check-in I went for it.  It would only let me select Fastpass+ choices for two days, instead of three.  Man!  I was so frustrated!  So I called Disney today, and I was told that I had to purchase park tickets in order to book FassPass+.  And the nice lady that I spoke with said, “Im surprised it let you book any days without purchasing tickets!”  Now that is not at all clear on the Disney website.

Here’s what undercovertourist.com has to say about it: “FastPass+ is Disney’s reservation system that allows guests to book advance reservations for experiences and attractions in the park. Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel can make FastPass+ reservations up to 60 days in advance of check-in for their entire length of stay, while guests staying offsite can make reservations up to 30 days in advance of each day of their theme park visit. “

See? It says nothing about it being tied to ticket purchase.  Sheesh!

Anyway today I ordered our park tickets and now we have Fastpass+ in place for three days.  Here’s what we got:

  1. December 6–Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Fantasmic!
  2. December 7–Living with the Land, Spaceship Earth, Journey Into Imagination with Figment
  3. December 8–The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Mickey’s PhilharMagic, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Whew! Mischief managed.  Meet you at the Kingdom!