Have a question about planning a trip to Disney or something you’ve read here? Hopefully this blog can help! We’ve visited every Disney resort around the world, from Walt Disney World to Tokyo Disneyland, have stayed in nearly every Disney-owned hotel in the world, and have dined at the majority of Disney restaurants.
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Thanks,
Tom Bricker
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I am writing to you regarding the new NON Smoking Policy effective May 1, 2019. My husband and I are both smokers and have been for 30 years. We have booked a dream vacation for May 4 – 11th.
Had I known we would have to leave the park to have a smoke, I would never have booked this trip. Disney World should have posted a January 1, 2020 to instigate the new rules giving plenty of notice to prospective travelers. I booked and paid for Saratoga Springs and bought non refundable seven day park tickets, took time off of work, non refundable air line tickets and a whole lot of planning. I hope Disney realizes that advance notice should not be 30 days out and to give us until next year to let us choose whether or not to vacation there anytime in the future. Thank you, Amy
I agree with Amy! Lets cut the politically correct bs! As a smoker and a Disney patron for more than 20 years I have always used the smoking areas and have met a lot of nice people there! Most are very polite and always use the provided ash trays. The holier than thou crowd should mind there own business! I believe that alcohol is more of a problem at Disney than smoking ever has been. Just look around in the parks and you will see people walking around drinking booze. It really gets bad during the food and wine festival and on dapper days! As a family with young children I would be much more concerned with that than a few people gathering for a smoke off to the side in a designated area! I believe that if they take away the smoking areas in the park, you will see a lot of people either sneaking off the the side and leaving cigarette butts on the ground or there will be a huge increase in e-vape usage. Without giving smokers a specific area then it opens the whole park to smoke.
For non-smokers I suggest walking away from the smoking areas if there is a concern about second hand smoke. I’m not sure how much second hand smoke can be inhaled if a person come in contact with the smoking area for a few seconds.
I made reservations last October for All Star Movies thinking the renovations would be completed by October 2019. Have they resumed renovation construction as of the end of March? UIs there any indication they will resume? do I need to change my reservations to a section already renovated b/c my son in law is 6’3″ and needs a queen bed? What are the predictions for completion? One would assume they would finish at least this resort in view of the new opening of Star Wars?! Thanks for your help
Tom: I continually enjoy reading your blog. I was wondering if you could start including the date in the by-line of each post? Since things change so quickly – have the date would help put the post into the correct context.
thanks
Greg Bryniarski
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Thanks!
Rose Clark
I’ve seen some posts mentioning DVC and split stays, which I would like to do. How do I go about getting a DVC? I would then purchase theme park tickets and dining plan separate? Thanks
Hi! I love your reviews and take on the parks and restaurants. I searched your blog and didn’t quite come up with what I was hoping for. I would like to get your take on the best 1 credit TS restaurants in WDW, aside from the best value and the top 10 TS that’s mainly 2 credit meals. We are doing several character meals this fall but I want to be sure to get in at least 1 meal at a really good sit down place. In looking at the menus I’m considering (all dinner) Kona Cafe, Chefs de France, and Edison. What else should I consider and what would you recommend? (Family of 5 with girls ages 10, 7, & 6)
Thanks in advance!
Sarah
Would love to see your take on rumors about paid Fastpass+ coming to Disney – a system with only 1 free fastpass and additional paid … being likened to a version of MaxPass. The news that SWGE ride(s) won’t have Fastpass+ has fueled this rumor further. I realize you don’t have insider knowledge, but you always do provide great, personal perspective. Would love to have your thoughts on this topic.
Are there any video tours of Disney aside from the one on their website? I watched the one’s on Amazon but they are old. Looking to watch some videos of the different rides and attractions to get the kids excited.
Tom,
I’ve been working on my touring plans for an upcoming trip in the end of June 2019. I was trying to add Tree of Life Awakenings to my plans on disneyworld.disneygo.com and they do not have this particular bit of entertainment available to add to your plans after the end of March. Are they ending this in Animal Kingdom? I cannot find anything about it anywhere. It’s an amazing show and we much prefer it to the River of Lights.
Another thing that I was unable to add to our plans is the Citizens of Main Street in Magic Kingdom. Are they going away for good??? We adored Mary Poppins and her Suffragettes. I seem to recall something about Citizens of Hollywood coming to an end but nothing about their counterparts in MK…
Your blog is great! I hope you’ll review the Disney pools by how much shade there is available at each one, and whether they have chairs as well as loungers (which are too low for people with bad knees). Thanks.
I have reservations at All Star Movies in early October. I am scheduled to be in Mighty Ducks, do you know if renovations have started back and if they will be finished by then? Thanks
I enjoy your blog and twitter posts and read them regularly. I too have been traveling to WDW since I was a child, and remember a trip in the 1980’s with my parents where they “splurged” on some sort of dining plan. I have been unable to find any mention of this online. It was definitely after the opening of Epcot. I am hoping maybe you could tell me I am not crazy! Thank you!
Morning Tom,
We read your article online on your DisneyTouristBlog this morning on the Plaza Inn character breakfast. We have four grandchildren with varying degrees of autism and feel this might be a setting they can handle with characters that they recognize and like. However, the article did not mention the time that the breakfast is served there?
Thanks for your time and cooperation in this matter. We feel that the way WDW operates its character breakfast provides the time of environment that the boys might feel most comfortable in. Any opinion?
Regards,
Really enjoyed the article about New Year’s Eve at Epcot. We were there and had a blast. The music being piped through the speakers (not the dance parties, but the speakers throughout the walkways) in the World Showcase was incredible. Any chance you know how I can get ahold of the music playlist they had looping over the speakers all night? Great music.
2019 is challenging to plan with Galaxy Edge on the horizon. Not sure how much I can trust the various crowd calendars available online and there seems to be conflicts amongst them in the latter part of the year Oct-Dec. Any thoughts on crowd levels for a Oct 26 – Nov 1 trip vs a Dec 7-13 trip? The special event parties are not a factor for us. We did our first family trip in 2017 in early December and it was fantastic.
Thanks!
It is mentioned that Sleeping Beauty’s Castle in Disneyland has wall around it… How long will they be up? Also, I’m looking for a refurbishment/closure schedule. Trying to plan a trip in March, and there is no crowd calendar for March! Help! Anyone know??
I am an avid reader of your blog and have read that Port Orleans French Quarter resort bus is a direct shot to the parks and doesn’t share stops with Port Orleans Riverside, unless it’s the off season. I want to confirm that this is still the case since you travel the resorts frequently. We stayed at POR in April of 2017 and the only thing I wasn’t crazy about was the stops within the resort the bus made, otherwise I love this resort. I’d like to stay at POFQ but didn’t want to deal with extra bus stops within the resort again. We are planning on a trip for Dec 2020.
Thanks
How is Pandora during morning EMH? couldnt score a fastpass so trying for next best thing. Thanks!
I want to say, that my wife and I enjoy all of your articles. Hopefully you can help me. We are coming down on March 5th and I am looking for a place to rent a recliner for my room. My operation at Hospital for Special Surgery is not until May and I can’t sleep in a bed. Have contacted Disney, to no avail. The two places they suggested, no longer rent recliners. Can you help me. Thank You. Steve & Paulette Watkins