New Star Wars themed resort to be connected to upcoming Star Wars Galaxy's Edge at DHS

Source:  https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2018/05/update-on-the-star-wars-immersive-resort-planned-for-walt-disney-world-resort/.

The official Disney Parks Blog has provided an updated on the planned Star Wars immersive resort coming to Walt Disney World.  The new resort, already under development, will be constructed adjacent to Disney Hollywood Studios on the southern side of the park, which is where the new Star Wars Galaxy's Edge land already is under construction and slated to open in late 2019.

Based on the description given in the linked blog post above, it appears the new resort could be located somewhere in the shaded orange area on the photo below.

Courtesy Google Maps

   So far, there's no specific opening date, though it seems logical that the resort will be open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World in 2021.

Given that this is planned to be a very immersive resort, it's quite likely that the room rate for this resort will be higher than anything we've ever seen for a Walt Disney World resort.  One could almost consider this the first of a potential new class of resorts - the Ultra or Premium resorts.

It will be interesting to see how this new kind of resort goes over with guests.  Based on the current (huge) demand at Walt Disney World, I have good feeling about this.

D23 news: Star Wars lands at Disneyland and Walt Disney World to be called, "Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge" new Star Wars-themed hotel announced

Image copyright Disney, All Rights Reserved.

Fans at the D23 Expo were elated to hear their Star Wars stories will come to life in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the newly announced name for the Star Wars-themed lands. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman, Bob Chapek, shared exciting new details and a glimpse inside the two anchor attractions, including one that puts guests right in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance where guests will feel like they are inside a hangar bay on a Star Destroyer. Guests will also have the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon, where each guest is critical to the mission’s success. Chapek also revealed many characters that guests will meet, including BB-8, Chewbacca, Rex and Kylo Ren. Representing the largest single-themed land expansion at 14 acres each, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in 2019, with the first land debuting at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, then at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

Image copyright Disney, All Rights Reserved.

Among the announcements were projects that infuse even more exciting experiences for resort hotel guests in ways that are only possible at Disney. To the delight of fans, Chapek confirmed ambitious plans to create the most experiential concept ever in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel at Walt Disney World Resort. Dedicated entirely to the galaxy of Star Wars, it will be a one-of-a-kind experience where a luxury resort meets a multi-day adventure in a galaxy far, far away.  Details have yet to be announced about the specific location of this resort.

Tip Tuesday: Long trip - one suitcase

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week's tip is short and sweet, and it comes thanks to my good friend Beci Mahnken from MEI & MouseFanTravel (who are my official travel partners).  I happened to have to fortune of picking up Beci at the airport in Roanoke, VA for Mousekemeets.

As we were waiting at baggage claim, she said she only had one checked bag.

"Only one?" I asked.

"Yep.  Just one, and this is a ten day trip," she confirmed.

This got me to thinking, just how could someone do a ten day trip and only have one large suitcase.  The answer was immediately obvious - laundry services.  Quite a few guests don't know that Disney resorts have coin-operated washers and dryers at each resort, and studio rooms and villas have in-room washer/dryer units.  Disney does offer dry cleaning services, though I understand this can get pricey.  For more on Disney laundry services, see this link.

So if you're going to Walt Disney World for an extended time, you can pack lightly and wash a few outfits while you're staying at the resort.  As most guests often are wearing very casual attire, it's likely easy to mix and match so it doesn't look like you're wearing the same thing on different days.

Plus, it's a whole lot cheaper to bring a roll of quarters than to pay $50 or more for another checked bag on a round trip flight. 

So the next time you're thinking about a long trip to Walt Disney World - bring some quarters and a bit of laundry soap!  You'll be glad you did!

Tip Tuesday: Disneyland lodging

Welcome back for another Tip Tuesday!

With a trip to Disneyland the near future, I thought I'd share a tip about lodging when it comes to planning a Disneyland vacation.  One of the first major questions to answer is this:  to stay on property or not.

This is a key decision that must be made because it can impact many aspects of your trip.  Here's something you might not have considered before.

Do the Disney resorts give you closer access to the parks than off-site resorts?  Well the answer is both yes and no.  Certainly the Grand Californian provides the closest access to both parks - it is part of Disney California Adventure and has it's own special entrance to that park, so there's no beating the Grand Californian when it comes to proximity to the parks.

But what about the Disneyland Hotel and the Paradise Pier Hotel?

Click image for a larger view

If you take a look at the map to the right, you'll see the locations for the Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier Hotel and the Good Neighbor Resorts on Harbor Boulevard.

Do you see how far away both the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotels are from the main esplanade between Disneyland and California Adventure?  True, there is the monorail station in Downtown Disney that is fairly close to the Disneyland Hotel providing transportation to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom, but overall, it's pretty clear that the Good Neighbor Hotels, especially those right across from the main pedestrian entrance provide closer walking access to the park entrances than do the Disneyland Hotel or Paradise Pier Hotel.

Now, I know location is only one factor to keep in mind.  There's also theming, which you certainly will not get with any of the Good Neighbor Hotels.  I've stayed at these hotels before and will be doing so again soon and I'm not under any illusion that these hotels provide anything more than a clean room with decent amenities.  If you're looking for any sort of theming or experience, you'll find it at a Disney hotel, not at any of the Good Neighbor Hotels.

On the other hand, there's the price to consider and there's simply no way the on-property resorts come anywhere close to the inexpensive rates of the Good Neighbor Hotels.  Some of the rates you can find along Harbor Boulevard will be half (or more) the rate for the on-property hotels.

It's all about determining what your priorities are.  If you are focused mostly on proximity and/or price, then the Good Neighbor Hotels are the way to go.  If, instead, you're focused more on amenities and experience, then you need to seriously consider one of the on-property hotels.

Once you've got an idea of where you want to stay, you'll next need to think about how you're going to get there.  I'll share some thoughts about that in a future post.

What do you think?  Which is the better option?  Staying on-property or off?  Post a comment!

Photo Friday: A Grand morning

 

Ok, so it's not Friday.  Nevertheless, here's this week's photo Friday!

Obviously, this is the Grand Floridian.  What drew me to this shot this week was how the morning light basked the resort in amber light along with the reflection in the Seven Seas Lagoon.  This shot was taken from a balcony at the Contemporary Resort.  I've commented before about how I really like the Magic Kingdom view rooms at the Contemporary, perhaps the best theme park view rooms in all of Walt Disney World, and this shot is just one more reason.

Oh, and did you see the four hot air balloons in the distance?

Until next time!

Tip Tuesday: Disney Arcade Card

Time for another Tip Tuesday!

(my apologies for yet another delay... oy!)

Last week, I started a series of posts about the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game at the (of course) Magic Kingdom.

This week, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about other gaming option at WDW before continuing about SOTMK -- and that's the many Disney arcades around.

Arcades aren't new to Disney at all.  Many resorts have arcades and have had arcades for quite a while.  There are even two arcades in the parks (one in Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom and another in Pizza Planet in Hollywood Studios).  There's also DisneyQuest, which is a topic of it's own.  What's interesting is that the concept of an arcade is becoming more and more foreign to kids around the nation (with the prevalence of home-based gaming systems).  Long gone are the days of the mall-based video arcade.  Sure there are a few arcades located in pizza restaurants (i.e. Chuck-E-Cheese) but most people don't visit these on any kind of a regular basis like I did a few -ahem- years ago.  So when kids (and adults) do run across the resort arcades, it's a moment of amazement for kids at all the huge gaming systems and nostalgia for adults who may remember the old days.

Just about every Disney resort has an arcade and some are much bigger and better than most.  Arcades are open from 7 a.m. to midnight each day.  The best, in my opinion, is The Game Station located on the concourse level (4th floor) of Disney's Contemporary Resort.  This arcade is pretty large and just has more of that old arcade look and feel.  It really fits in the Contemporary. 

To play in the arcade, you first need an arcade card (shown above).  It's easy to get one.  There's a kiosk in every arcade where you can purchase an initial card with points preloaded on it.  The costs are anywhere from around $5 to more than $50 depending on how many points you want.  Games cost different points, from around 15 points per play for very simple (usually kiddie) games to 200 points per play for more complex games such as racing games.  The arcade cards can be reloaded with more points, so there's no need to get a new card when your points run out.  Also, cards can be reused trip after trip, so be sure to keep it with you anytime you're at Disney.

Most importantly, Disney tracks any "tickets" won on the game card, so DON'T THROW IT AWAY if you win tickets at one of the many games that offer ticket rewards.  The ticket credits don't expire, so you can save up to get those more valuable prizes.

Arcades are a great place to kill a few hours especially when a rain shower begins to dampen the day, so just have fun and play on!

Tip Tuesday: Check (out) please...

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

A few weeks ago, I discussed a few tips for making your check-in process a little smoother.

This week, let's go to the other side of your vacation and discuss some ways to make your check-out process go a little easier.

Like check-in, there is one major factor to consider:  how are you leaving?  Car or bus?

If you're driving (either your car or a rental car to the airport), check-out can be a very simple process.  Simply call for bell services, or bring down your bags, pull up the car, load up and you're on your way.  Really there should not be any major headaches.  This is one of the major benefits of having your own wheels on property - you have complete freedom.

If you are driving, keep in mind that your parking pass is still good on the day of our check-out, meaning you can park at any of the theme parks for free.  So even after you leave your resort, you can still enjoy time in the parks without having to worry about parking fees.

If, however, you're using Disney's Magical Express, you have quite a few more things to keep in mind.  First, you will be given a time slot to meet the Magical Express bus.  This time is about three hours in advance of your flight departure time.  The morning of your departure, take your bags you want to check-in to the Magical Express desk.  Remember that you will need to pay your baggage fees ahead of time.  You will not be able to pay for baggage fees at the resort Magical Express check in desk.

The cast members will take your checked bags and send them to the airport.  Carry-on luggage that you don't want to take into the parks on your departure day can be stored at the front desk until you arrive back at your resort for your assigned Magical Express departure time.  Be sure to allow plenty of time to get from the parks back to your resort so you don't miss your bus.

Hopefully this will help you make that dreaded return to the regular world go a little easier.

Tip Tuesday: Room requests

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

A common question many planners are asked is how guests can go about requesting a room in a certain area of a resort.  Guests may want to be close to a bus stop, close to the main building (where the resort dining options are located), close (or not close) to the elevator, nearby the pool, or just want a good view.

I often make room requests - many times I'm trying to get a partial resort view (while still staying in the standard rate rooms).  I enjoy the ability to watch fireworks from the convenience of my own room.  Depending on where you stay, you can sometimes make your room that much more convenient without having to upgrade to a higher category room (like water view or preferred).

So when should you first make a room request?  I usually include my requests when I (or, rather, my MouseFanTravel agent) makes the initial booking.  Now keep in mind that when you're (or an agent) is making a booking, you're working with the central reservation system, not the individual resort.  Your booking information (including room requests) aren't usually transferred to the individual resorts until about two weeks out from your arrival date.

So, it's a good idea to follow up your initial request with a phone call directly to the resort front desk about a week out to confirm your request.

Then, when you arrive at check-in, you'll want to again, triple-check with the cast member to see if the room you've been assigned meets with your request.  If you didn't get the room you want, talk with the cast member and see what  you can work out.  Here is one place where patience and politeness can often be rewarded.  You might not get exactly what you requested, but you just might get something pretty close.

Before you arrive on property, it's a good idea to do  your homework.  I mean go and look at resort maps to determine which area you want to be in.  This will help you be more familiar with the resort when you talk with cast members to find a suitable room.

Room requests can be fairly simple.  Just have some patience, politeness and understand you might have to compromise on your request.

So when you hear, "Welcome home!" you'll be starting a magical time at Walt Disney World!