Disney 2019 Planning Part 8

March 23, 2019

N minus 148

Anabelle and I read through the Birnbaum’s Guide “must do” lists and disagree with most of them. Not sure why we buy the books anymore, except to spark conversations.  They've become more of a yearbook than a guide- sentimental value, nice pictures, irrelevant popularity contests and mostly ignored content.

March 24, 2019

N Minus 147

Scouting notes from family fellow Disney fan cousin Antonia.  Crosses sited on one of the kids’ beds in Pater Pan bedroom scene. Neither us us remember that. (This is far more important in her case, being way better at the Catholic thing than me.) Maybe it's a lent thing,  I’ll have to check in August.
[Later Edit- I did, with interesting results.  Don't wan't to spoil it yet though.]

March 27,2019

N Minus 144

Magic Bands selected (for now). Our initial selections went for variety this time.  Well, Anabelle has had a different color each time so she always has variety.  She picked yellow, Rosa switched from red to pink for a change, and I did the same from blue to purple.  Wanting to spice up the names inside, Anabelle took her occasional more Disnified nickname from me “MissBelle”, Rosa went with Rosita, and since Anabelle thought it was hysterical, I went with “P Magee."
[Later Edit- Much of this would change...not P. Magee though.]

April 3, 2019

N minus 137

Dodged another one!  The longest food and wine festival in EPCOT history also starts August 29, the day after we leave.

April 7, 2019

N minus 133

Anabelle’s confirmation leads to a family gathering. We fix Kim’s reservation link, they all pick Magic Bands. (With names like Possom and Potato written on them- we're a fun bunch.)  Anabelle introduces everyone to my new questionnaire which I have simplified to “if we have a FastPass, are you coming?”  and “If you were alone, would you FastPass?”  They mostly get it this time.  I have no idea if this will help me , but it may at least give me some obvious clues.  Mostly, they have fun thinking and talking about the attractions, which is why I do stuff like that.

April 13, 2019

N minus 127

The thirteenth attraction to have PhotoPass pictures built in is: The Haunted Mansion- picture in the Doom Buggy with a hitchhiking ghost.  You don't even have to scan anymore its all automatic with Magic Bands.  oooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo!

April 16, 2019

N minus 124

We probably don't ever have to worry about the Haunted Mansion getting a Christmas makeover like the one in DisneyLand.

California does it because over half the guests are annual passholders, as opposed to less than 10% in Florida.

So Disneyland caters to people who go all the time, and won't miss the original around the holidays.

How about that?

April 30, 2019

N minus 110

New table service barbecue place coming to Toy Story Land.  That’s the first announcement I'm a little bummed we’ll be missing they had in a while. Most of us like barbecue and Rosa and Grandma are always looking for a new ribs place.

May 1, 2019

N Minus 109

Disney World goes completely smoke free. Weird, I thought it did already. I guess those little hold over smoke islands were still there.   Super Wide Double Strollers and stroller wagons not allowed either. Good thing the kids grew up. Loose ice banned too, which affects our family about as much as the smoking did.

MGM, which I still think of as “new” turns 30. Crap I'm old.  AllEars had an article asking “What’s left of MGM 30 Years Later?”  The answer- Pretty much just us still calling it MGM. 

Plus they confirm that the new Mickey enter the cartoon ride in the Chinese theater opens next spring. Guess I don't have to worry about that FastPass.

May 4, 2019

N Minus 106

Talk about dodging a bullet!

Starting the day after we leave, to coincide with the massive traffic flow from Star Wars Land opening (which, keep in mind, you need special reservations to get in that section of the park, and will only be half open) they're going to have "extra extra magic hours"

MGM will be open from 6am to 10pm for the first few days, then have extra extra magic from 6-9am every day from Sept 1 to Nov 2

Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom will have extra extra magic hours every day  from August 29-Nov 2 from 7-8 am (meaning the parks open at 8 instead of 9)

We can wave goodbye to the beginnings of the crowds from the air.
[Later Edit- Or wave goodbye to the beginnings of no crowds. Was it the hurricane, or people thinking like us. I'm not sure which is scarier.]

May 6, 2019

N minus 104

Fancy schmancy Magic Bands can now be bought ahead of time instead of in the parks for $10 instead of $25. Plain colored ones are still free.  Announced but not on the website yet. Comments indicate we may be able to do this. Considering how many hours it took the family to pick colors, this may not be a benefit.
[Later Edit-  You ain't just whistling Dixie, me from the past!]

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