Tip Tuesday: PhotoPass+

 

Can you believe it?!?!?  I'm back with another Tip Tuesday post and it's been WAAAYYY too long!

Ok, straight on to this week's post.  As you may know from previous posts, I'm a big fan of Disney's PhotoPass service.  It provides families a great opportunity to get professional quality photos that you simply won't get with a point-and-shoot camera.

With some planning and effort, photopass can also become a great value, especially if you plan ahead.

More than a year ago, Disney launched PhotoPass Plus, which is an expanded version of the original PhotoPass concept.  With PhotoPass+, guests receive the opportunity to have Disney photographers take photos at the many, many locations across Walt Disney World, but also will automatically receive a CD with all those photos, including all those that guests enhance using the online photo editor at www.disneyphotopass.com.

But wait, there's more.

With PhotoPass+, guests can also get any attraction photo at no extra charge.  I've often enjoyed seeing those on-ride attraction photos, but I wouldn't spend the money to buy a print.  With PhotoPass+, I can get those photos after each and every ride.

But wait, there's even more!

PhotoPass+ also comes with a stock photo CD filled with incredible imagery from each of the parks.  Many of these images, like the one shown above, are from viewpoints that regular guests couldn't possibly reach and could never take a shots like these.  Each of these stock photos is in high resolution, suitable for high-quality printing.  Seriously, these shots are amazing!

Now PhotoPass+ does require guests to purchase the service before it can be used.  To purchase PhotoPass+, the cost currently is $199.95 and can be done at any PhotoPass center located in any of the parks.  However, Disney does offer a pre-purchase option at the PhotoPass website at http://www.disneyphotopass.com/specialoffers/wdwppp.htm.  If you purchase the voucher online (it still must be turned in at a PhotoPass kiosk at a park), the cost is $149 - a $50 savings.

Now to get an idea of how this can be a good deal -- consider the cost of purchasing the regular PhotoPass CD -- $170 regular price or $120 if pre-purchased.  So for only $30 more, you get all on-ride photos, all restaurant photos (like those taken at Akershus, Cinderella's Royal Table, Ohana and more), the stock photo disc, AND the photo CD. 

So as you can see, PhotoPass+ actually is a good deal when you consider just how much you're spending.  Also, because you're committed, you will be much more likely to seek out photo opportunities, especially if you're with younger guests who are eager for character meet and greets.

Before your next trip - consider PhotoPass+ -- it might just be the answer to getting great family photos without having to worry about the camera.

Tip Tuesday: Single rider line

Welcome back for another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I want to begin sharing a few tips I picked up from my trip out west to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure over the July 4 weekend -- and I'm starting with the biggest tip of all - the single rider line (which is much more used in DL/DCA than at WDW).

Theme park experts know about the benefits of the single rider line, but for those of you who might not be aware, several (not all) Disney attractions offer a special line for single riders.  Often this line will move much faster than the regular standby line, though, of course, not as fast as a FastPass line (if available).

The purpose of the single rider line is to fill up ride vehicles when a group doesn't have enough people to fill the ride vehicle, particularly those with higher capacities.  So, for instance, a group of four comes up to Radiator Springs Racers.  The ride vehicle can hold six, so the group of four boards the vehicle, then (assuming a party of two isn't readily available), two single riders are sent to fill up the remaining seats.

Most people like to ride with their party and that's the major drawback of the single rider line.  As the name implies, you're riding on your own, most likely without your party.  On the (big) plus side, the wait times can be a mere fraction of the standby line time.  Case in point:  during the busy July 4 weekend at Disney California Adventure, I took the single rider line while the standby line was at a whopping 150 minutes (Fastpasses were long gone).  My total wait?  Somewhere around 35 minutes, and that was with a 5-8 minute complete ride stoppage.

Sometimes the single rider line can be hard to find.  For a couple of attractions at Disneyland, the single rider entrance actually was the exit, so if you're not sure if an attraction has a single rider line, just ask a cast member.

I wouldn't recommend the single rider line for young children because of some of the obvious safety concerns, but for teens and older, the single rider line can be a great way to quickly experience your favorite attractions again and again.  I was able to ride Radiator Springs Racers three times - all on a busy day where the standby wait was at least 60 minutes and sometimes much longer and Fastpasses were already gone.

So if you're ok with splitting up - go single rider!!  You'll get to do a lot more that you think!

Photo Friday (makeup): Pipe humor

 

I'm back!

After a month of traveling, including visiting BOTH Walt Disney World and (for the first time ever) Disneyland and California Adventure, boy have I got a LOT of photos and tips to share.  Of course, many of you also know, I'm still working on a master's program at USC (fight on!), so there may still be some times where posts are lacking.

But I'm going to try to do some makeup work, which leads me to today's Photo Friday makeup post!

This is from the well-known (and often ridiculed) skunk scene in Epcot's Journey into Imagination with Figment.  Don't know what the skunk scene is?  Go ride it and you'll find out - just hold your nose.

While most guests are devoting their attention to the three large screens (you can see a bit of the right screen at the top left of the photo above), there are some fun little details and gags that you can catch.  Take a close look at the pipe labels above.  One reads "fume and far between" while another says "scent out."  These are fun play on words phrases Imagineers added to punch up the gags.  There are some other funny pipe labels on the left side of this scene as well.

So I hope you enjoy this little bit of Disney detail and remember -- your nose is "how you tell a skunk's not a rose..."

Photo Friday: Disneyland for the Fourth

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

Well today's photo is literally hot off the camera.  I took this photo about 3 hours ago at Disneyland during the annual 4th of July fireworks spectacular!

I was all the way at the back of Main Street USA, but at least I had a good angle!

Happy Birthday America!

Tip Tuesday: Boulangerie Patisserie

 

Welcome back to another Tip Tuesday!

We'll, I'm back from another week at Walt Disney World and I've got a slew of new things to share -- so let's get started!

As my friend Lou Mongello would do, let's start with food.

I finally had the opportunity to visit the new Boulangerie Patisserie located in the back of the France pavilion at Epcot.  What makes this counter service location different is that it also offers some of the same menu items you can find at Les Chefs De France, particularly the scrumptious lobster bisque and the croque monsieur (ham sandwich to you and me). 

And the Boulangerie Patisserie also brings something completely new to World Showcase counter service dining -- breakfast!  This is the first counter service restaurant to offer breakfast items in World Showcase.  Sure there's a kiosk located between the Canada and UK pavilions that offers a few items, but nothing that matches the quality found at the Boulangerie Patisserie.  From pastries to hot quiches, breakfast at Epcot just got a lot better.

But wait, there's more -- it's air conditioned!  Even summer mornings in Florida are warm and humid, so it's nice to be able to enjoy good French cuisine without having to face the summer heat.

This is still somewhat of an unknown location, being tucked all the way in the back, so there aren't many crowds just yet -- so be sure to check it out on your next trip!

Tip Tuesday: Travel agents and why you need one

Welcome back to another Tip Tuesday!

Well, as you may have noticed, the DisneyDaddy blog has become a Mouse Fan Travel affiliated web site.  For me, this was a simple partnership.  I've personally used Mouse Fan Travel for several years in booking my own trips to Walt Disney World (and now Disneyland -- yay!).  Through this partnership, I'll be able to bring you some additional advice from some of the most respected Disney travel experts in the business.

Little did I know that I would end up needing that expertise for my own pending trip to WDW in just a few days.  You see, I like to generally pay for my trips in advance -- that way most of the hassles of check in are already taken care of.  It's just one less thing to deal with so I can get straight on to having fun and enjoying being in the World.

Well, it turns out Disney, like so many other companies and organizations around the world, occasionally experiences technical glitches.  Shocking, I know, but true.  When my Mouse Fan Travel agent (the wonderful Vicki Damanti) tried to apply the final payment to the trip a few days ago, there was some technical trouble in making the final payment.  Disney asked Vicki to check back in a few days to try again.

If I were handling this on my own (which I would have to do if I had booked directly through Disney), I would have to be the one calling back again and going through the whole process to finalize the trip.  But no.  I have a travel agent and that's what they're there for.  I don't have to worry about those follow up phone calls and double checking to make sure everything's taken care of.  I have a travel agent and that's what they're there for.

Now picking a good travel agent takes some homework and some checking.  Of course, as you can guess, I recommend Mouse Fan Travel, but there are many other good, reputable travel agents out there... but there are just as many (maybe more) agent and agencies that aren't so hot.  In a future post, I'll help you understand what to look for in a good travel agent/agency and how to avoid being taken in by some less-than-reputable agents/agencies.

Have a great week!

Disney increases ticket prices... again

Once again Disney has increased the price of tickets to Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

A one-day, one park ticket for the Magic Kingdom now is $95 per person ($90 each for the other three parks).

Standard annual passes are now $609 and the premium annual pass is $729.  The Premier pass is up to $979.




Here is a quick chart I created plotting the price of a Magic Kingdom one-day, one-park pass since 1982, when Disney fully implemented a single day full-access ticket (no more ride ticket books).  As you can see, the price of a one-day, one park ticket has steadily risen over the years.  In 1982, a ticket cost $13.25.  Five years later, the cost had doubled to $26 per ticket.  The next doubling in price occurred 16 years later in 2003 when a ticket ran $53 a person.

In looking at the overall percentage increase per year, ticket prices are increasing at an average rate of about 5-6% a year, especially over the last five years.  If this rate remains constant, by 2020, a one-day, one-park ticket will cost about $141 each.  That in just seven years from now.

So if you're thinking about a Disney trip in the coming years, you may want to think about purchasing with a no-expiration option.  However, as of this writing, Disney no longer offers no expiration as an option when purchasing tickets online.  You can get the option if you purchase on property and I suspect you can request the no expiration option if you order tickets by phone.

I should note that Disney isn't the only Orlando-area theme park hiking up ticket prices.  SeaWorld and Universal routinely increase ticket prices every year.

Photo Friday: "To honor America"

 

Welcome to another Photo Friday!  With Memorial Day just a few days ago, I thought I'd post a photo from the Main Street Electrical Parade to honor our and remember our veterans who have sacrificed for our country. 

To our veterans - thank you!

How a single final frame of a animated feature is made

In the latest exclusive from Disney Insider, Disney•Pixar fans have a chance to get a behind the scenes look at the making of Monsters University. Using an animated GIF, Disney Insider is giving fans an inside look at Pixar’s six-step progressive animation process, showing one scene from the film as it is transformed from an initial sketch into the final frame that will appear on the big screen.

Here are all the images compiled in a video:

Images are copyright Disney-Pixar.  All rights reserved.

Ever since college-bound Mike Wazowski (voice of Billy Crystal) was a little monster, he has dreamed of becoming a Scarer—and he knows better than anyone that the best Scarers come from Monsters University (MU). But during his first semester at MU, Mike’s plans are derailed when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, “Sulley” (voice of John Goodman), a natural-born Scarer.  The pair’s out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University’s elite Scare Program. To make matters worse, they realize they will have to work together, along with an odd bunch of misfit monsters, if they ever hope to make things right. Screaming with laughter and oozing with heart, Disney•Pixar’s “Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”), produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and features music from future Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and award-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Toy Story 3”). Check out disney.com/MonstersU, like us at facebook.com/PixarMonstersUniversity, and follow us on twitter.com/disneypixar. Rated G by the MPAA, the film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in 3D in select theaters.

Tip Tuesday: Saving time while park hopping

Greetings again!

As many of you know from reading this blog, I'm a fan of what's called "park hopping," meaning I like to visit more than one park in a day.  That's that the "Park Hopper" pass is for - it is an add-on to the base ticket that allows guests to visit as many parks as they want in a single day.

That being said, park hopping can be time-intensive.  Sometimes it may seem like there's no easy way to get from park to park using Disney transportation.  With a bit of planning and a little luck, you'll be able to do some quick park hopping without burning a lot of time.

So let's go from park to park with some of my tips for how to get to other parks as quickly as you can.

Magic Kingdom to Epcot
Without a doubt the fastest way to get from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot is the monorail.  Here's the hitch, though; the monorail isn't always running, especially later in the evenings and occasionally during the day.  So what do you do when the entire monorail system is offline?  There are a couple of options.  Disney will offer a direct bus to Epcot, but that bus can get overwhelmed quickly.  So here's what you do.  As you approach the bus terminals, look at the line for the Epcot bus.  If it looks like it's pretty long (like there are people completely filling the queue area), you may want to think about an alternate bus, say to the Boardwalk or Yacht/Beach Club, especially if a bus is already there and waiting.  It's possible you can catch a bus to either of these resorts and walk into Epcot through the International Gateway faster than waiting for an Epcot bus that will take you to the front of the park.


Magic Kingdom to Hollywood Studios
If the monorail is running, you've got a few more options aside from the direct bus at the MK bus station.  You could take the ferry or monorail to the TTC and catch a DHS bus from there, or take a bus to any of the Epcot area resorts noted above and then walk or take a Friendship boat to DHS.  I'd say the TTC-based option is the one I'd least recommend, but it is an option.

Magic Kingdom to Animal Kingdom
Here you're pretty much stuck.  There's simply no other means to get to AK from any park aside from a direct bus.  If those buses are supremely packed, you could consider waking to the Contemporary and getting a bus to AK from there, but keep in mind that it's a 10-minute walk to get to the Contemporary and you're totally at the mercy of the bus schedule there.  Of course you can take the "scenic route" by taking the ferry to the TTC or a boat launch from the MK to the Polynesian and then walking over to the TTC to catch a bus to AK, but that also will probably take much longer than just waiting it out back at the MK bus station.

Epcot to Magic Kingdom
Again, by far the fastest way to get from Epcot to the MK is by monorail.  But if the monorail is down for some reason, you're facing a similar situation as I described above, only in reverse.  You can take the dedicated Magic Kingdom bus or a bus to the Contemporary (where you can then walk over to the MK entrance).   It just depends on what the lines for each bus option look like.  Whichever bus you think will arrive next might be your best option.  I wouldn't recommend a bus to the Poly or Grand Floridian if the monorail is down because you'll then have to take a boat launch to the MK entrance.

Epcot to Hollywood Studios
Hoof it!  That right.  Walk.  There's a walkway connecting Hollywood Studios to the Epcot resorts area from which you can then enter Epcot through the International Gateway.  This is the easiest way to get in between both parks.  Yes it's a good sized walk -- upwards of 20 minutes depending on your walking speed -- but you are completely in control of when you arrive.  Otherwise, you can wait for a Friendship boat, but those lines can get tremendously long, especially toward park closing and those boats don't run as often as I'd prefer.  I can't count the times I've "outwalked" the boat from Epcot (especially since the boat stops at the Boardwalk, Yacht/Beach and Swan/Dolphon before going to DHS).  If you're not in a hurry, it's a nice boat ride, especially if you can sit in the very back in the open air.  But if you're trying to save some time, you'd best give those walking shoes a workout.

Epcot to Animal Kingdom
Take the AK bus.  As Princess Leia says, it's your only hope.

Hollywood Studios to Magic Kingdom
Here's where bus line monitoring can really pay off.  Yes, you can take the dedicated Magic Kingdom bus, if the lines aren't too bad.  Or, you can take a bus to any of the Magic Kingdom area resorts (Contemporary, Grand Floridian or Polynesian) or a bus to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC).  From any of these destinations, you can then hop on a monorail (or walk in the case of the Contemporary) to get to the MK main entrance.  It really just depends on which bus you can catch the soonest.  First bus to arrive wins!  If everything is nuts, you can walk to Epcot, then through the park and catch a monorail to the MK.  That's a really scenic route (and will take a long time), but it is an option.  Of course, if you know the monorail is down, then forget about buses to the TTC, Poly or GF.

Hollywood Studios to Epcot
Same story as Epcot to Hollywood Studios.  Hoof it or wait for a boat.  I'd say start walking.

Hollywood Studios to Animal Kingdom
Same sad story.  Bus is your only option.

Animal Kingdom to Magic Kingdom
My advice is similar as Hollywood Studios to Magic Kingdom -- look for the first bus that can get you to the general Magic Kingdom area and then take a monorail or walk depending on where you end up at.

Animal Kingdom to Epcot or Hollywood Studios
Much like AK to MK, there's always the direct bus to either park, but you also can get a bus to any of the Epcot area resorts (Boardwalk or Yacht/Beach preferred) and enter Epcot through the International Gateway (for Epcot) or take a boat to DHS, or just walk to DHS from the Epcot area resorts.

So there you go -- a complete set of marching orders to help you hop from point A to point B.  What do you think -- do you have some different alternate routes?  Post a comment! 

Good luck and hop along now!!