A new digital sign has been installed along Buena Vista Drive near Disney’s Riviera Resort. The colorful traffic signs around Walt Disney World are gradually being replaced by digital signage.
New Digital Sign Near Disney’s Riviera Resort
We were driving westbound on Buena Vista Drive when we noticed this sign had been installed. It stands at the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Esplanade Ave; the intersection where motorists turn left to enter Disney’s Riviera Resort.
Orange and blue marker flags dot the grass in the median. These flags are indicators for construction crews of what utilities can be found underground. An orange utility flag typically stands for phone and telecommunication lines, alarm or signal lines, cables or conduits, and fiberoptics. A blue utility flag typically stands for potable (drinking) water.
This section of Buena Vista Drive runs between Disney’s Riviera Resort and the back side of EPCOT. Just beyond the treeline on the driver’s right-hand side is the back of World Showcase. As you continue westbound you’ll find directional signage that directs motorists to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and the EPCOT Resort area.
While this new digital sign is not yet active, it appears that its construction is complete. It could be utilized for a variety of purposes. We are guessing they may be implemented for traffic updates, park status updates, or even as digital exit signs.
Other Walt Disney World Digital Signage Installations
Over the past year, we’ve been seeing the old purple and red exit signs from the 1990s being replaced with blue and gold signage. Now, we are starting to see the addition of digital signs being installed around the Walt Disney World Resort.
This digital sign was installed over southbound World Drive at Walt Disney World Resort earlier this month. This is the largest digital sign installed at Walt Disney World Resort so far. It spans almost the entire width of the road.
It’s on the road between Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. Now that it’s on, it informs guests that all three lanes lead to the EPCOT Resort Area, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The side of the screen points to the next right for EPCOT and Disney Springs.
The stripes across the digital screen only show up in photos, and they are easier to read in person. The display has a blue background. Most of the words are white, but “All three lanes” is in yellow. “Next right” is on a bright yellow rectangle with a white arrow.
In late March, a new digital sign was installed on World Drive North near the Blizzard Beach and Animal Kingdom Resort area exit. In February, we reported that another new digital sign popped up at the end of the ramp from Buena Vista Drive to World Drive, just before the EPCOT exit.
The digital signs will make it easier for Disney to update directions during road closures, construction, and other changes.
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Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster reopened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We were able to take a ride and noticed some pretty significant changes. Refurbishment Many people love to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster which launches guests in a “stretch limo” from 0 to 60 in a matter of seconds. Back in December, we shared that Rock ‘n’ […]
This weekend’s Family Movie Night is a very special version of Encanto that was performed live at the Hollywood Bowl, with the original voice actors reprising their roles in the in-stage version of this enchanting tale. If you missed it, you can find all the details here. While we prepare for this extraordinary performance, I thought we might get some authentic snacks underway to set the mood. Let’s try this recipe that Disney shared on Twitter for Arepas Con Queso, just like Julieta’s from the movie, sans magic powers.
It’s fiesta time once again at Knott’s Berry Farm with the reopening of the now-reimagined Fiesta Village! Featuring refreshed rides, new cuisine, live entertainment, and a nighttime street party, the park has completely overhauled the land into a beautiful celebration of Mexican culture. What’s changed? Quite a lot, let’s take a look at the revitalized […]
The Merchant Row district of Black Spire Outpost at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge has a new Black Spire Outpost ball cap available for travelers passing through the planet of Batuu. Take a look at the price and details below.
Black Spire Outpost Ball Cap — $29.99
The left front panel of this ball cap features the Black Spire Outpost logo.
On the right front panel “BSO” is spelled out in Aurebesh — a sort of common alphabet widely utilized throughout the galaxy. Running vertically in smaller print next to the Aurebesh, “Black Spire Outpost” can be seen.
More Aurebesh can be seen on the back side of the ball cap. This time it spells out “Batuu”. The hat features a “snapback” one-size fits all adjustable strap.
What do you think of this new Black Spire Outpost ball cap? Let us know in the comments.
The Month of Star Wars Continues
Source: CNN
May the Fourth was marked by a touching Hollywood Walk of Fame tribute to Carrie Fisher by her daughter Billie Lourd and close friend & co-star Mark Hamill.
As the month continues, though, Star Wars isn’t going away just yet. This entire month will be devoted to the franchise, especially in the parks, as it is the current theme in Disney’s month-by-month 100th anniversary celebration motifs. This past April was all about Earth Day and the 25th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Check out some of the other Star Wars-related experiences, events, and products going on right now:
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Completely Sold Out
Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, the immersive “Star Wars” hotel at Walt Disney World Resort, will permanently close after the final voyage on September 28, which quickly sold out after the closure announcement was made. Bookings closed temporarily but reopened yesterday. Guests waited in hours-long virtual queues to book their final trip to the stars.
Passengers learn the systems of the Halcyon starcruiser from the ship’s Bridge in Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Earlier this month, Disney made the surprise announcement that they’d be closing their themed hotel aimed at immersive storytelling permanently after only one year and a few months of operation. Starcruiser has been burdened since before its opening, shrouded in financial troubles, budget cuts, high prices, low occupancy, and inconsistent levels of satisfaction when individuals compare what was delivered with what was initially promised in conceptual stages. Above all, the struggling resort was prohibitively expensive for the vast majority of potentially interested guests, with costs exceeding multiple thousands of dollars for a brief, two-night stay.
SeaWorld Orlando’s newest coaster, Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, officially opened earlier this morning with a special dedication ceremony featuring Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings. The opening ceremony began with a musical number inspired by teen surfing movies from the 1960s. We then hear remarks from Jerry Demings (Mayor, Orange County), Cassandra Matej (CEO, Visit Orlando) […]
You might think you’ve got Disney “figured out.” You’re a Disney expert, right? You’ve been dozens of times and can walk the parks with a blindfold on. But, whether you’re a new visitor or repeat guest, there are some NEW PROBLEMS you need to be prepared for.
If you were hoping to sleep in late on your Disney World days, you might need to rethink that plan. Rope dropping (getting to the parks before they even open) and getting to the parks early in general can often help you get on the popular rides with shorter waits. But there’s another reason why you’ll want to wake up EXTRA early in Disney World — virtual queues.
For either/both of these rides, you’ll join the virtual queue using the My Disney Experience app. Make sure you have that app downloaded and fully set up AHEAD of your trip. You’ll want to make sure you’ve set up your account, linked your tickets/hotel reservations, and that ALL of the members of your party have either set up their accounts and linked their information or you’ve set up the friends and family accounts for them.
You want to make sure you can access EVERYONE’s information so one person can make virtual queue selections for the whole party.
TRON
Here are the basic rules for the Guardians of the Galaxy virtual queue:
The first sign-up time opens at 7AM — you don’t need to be in the park at that time to join but you do need an EPCOT park pass
The second sign-up time opens at 1PM — you NEED to be in EPCOT at that time to join the virtual queue
There may be an additional sign-up time at 6PM on days when Extended Evening Hours is offered at EPCOT — you don’t need to be in EPCOT to join at that time but you must qualify for Extended Evening Hours (staying at a Disney deluxe hotel, deluxe villa, or one of the other qualifying hotels)
Guardians queue
Here are the basic rules for the TRON virtual queue:
The first sign-up time opens at 7AM — you don’t need to be in the park at that time to join but you do need a Magic Kingdom park pass
The second sign-up time opens at 1PM — you NEED to be in Magic Kingdom at that time to join the virtual queue
There may be an additional sign-up time at 6PM on days when Extended Evening Hours is offered at Magic Kingdom — you don’t need to be in Magic Kingdom to join at that time but you must qualify for Extended Evening Hours (staying at a Disney deluxe hotel, deluxe villa, or one of the other qualifying hotels)
TRON Lightcycle / Run at night
These are both really popular rides and they do NOT offer standby queues. So if you’re hoping to get on them, the virtual queue is one of your only options (your other option is to buy an Individual Lightning Lane for the rides).
So here are a few tips. First, be aware that these virtual queues exist and review those rules a dozen times before your trip arrives. If you’re aware of the rules and know what to do to sign up for the virtual queues, it’ll make life a LOT easier.
TRON Lightcycle / Run
Second, know that the virtual queue spots can fill up FAST at that 7AM drop for both rides. You’ll need to decide which ride you want to prioritize, get a Park Pass for the appropriate park (do this well in advance of your trip), and then be ready to join that queue as soon as the 7AM sign-up time drops.
TRON: Lightcycle / Run
If you don’t get a spot, then you can try again at 1PM. We’ve found that the virtual queue spots for BOTH rides have (at times) been available for much longer periods of time at the 1PM drop time. Sometimes the virtual queue spots have even been available well past the 2PM park hopping time.
That means that you could (theoretically) join the virtual queue for Cosmic Rewind at the 7AM spot, ride the attraction, hop to Magic Kingdom, and (if they’re still available) get a virtual queue spot for TRON and ride it that afternoon/evening. (Or do the reverse, riding TRON first and then hopping to ride Cosmic Rewind.)
Cosmic Rewind queue
If you want to tackle both rides in one day, another option is to purchase the Individual Lightning Lane option for one or both rides. You could buy the option for both rides to “guarantee” a spot (rather than chance it with the virtual queues). Or perhaps just buy the Individual Lightning Lane for one ride and use the virtual queue for the other.
If you only buy it for one ride, we recommend buying the Individual Lightning Lane for the ride located in the park you’ll be hopping to at 2PM. If not, you run the risk that you hop to that park and the virtual queue has already filled up by the time you arrive.
TRON virtual queue and Lightning Lane signs
There are some considerations you’ll want to keep in mind. One of our reporters shared that they recently used the virtual queue for TRON and bought an Individual Lightning Lane for Cosmic Rewind and had ZERO regrets. While the virtual queue for Cosmic Rewind was still open when they hopped to the park at 2PM, the callback time was an estimated 6.5 HOURS. Since they had purchased a Lightning Lane, however, they already had selected a time that worked for them so they weren’t tied to that.
We have found that the return line for Cosmic Rewind can get longer the later you get called back, so an Individual Lightning Lane can be particularly helpful
Tap Point for Lightning Lane entrance for Cosmic Rewind
Another tip is to purchase an Individual Lightning Lane for TRON if you want to make sure you can ride the attraction at night, which is when it has those EPIC light effects. You could wait until the 1PM sign-up time to join the virtual queue for that day, but you’d run the risk that you won’t be able to get a spot at that time and thus are totally unable to ride the attraction.
But remember, Individual Lightning Lanes go on sale to all Disney World hotel guests EARLIER than everyone else. Individual Lightning Lanes are available to purchase at 7AM for Disney World hotel guests, but not until park open for all others.
So you may want to consider staying at a Disney World hotel for that added perk if buying an Individual Lightning Lane for one of these particular rides is important to you.
Cosmic Rewind Queue
Is it necessary to stay at a hotel and get this early access? Not necessarily, but it can help. For TRON in particular, if you want to make sure you can select an Individual Lightning Lane time for the evening, you may want to stay at a qualifying hotel to give yourself the best chance of snagging one of those.
Most of the time, you’ll still find that the Cosmic Rewind and TRON Individual Lightning Lanes are available to buy at park open, but TRON did start to sell out before that (sometimes) around Spring Break, so if you’ll be visiting during a busy season, staying at a hotel could give you an advantage there too.
Cosmic Rewind Vehicle Magnet
The key here is to know the virtual queue rules, set up a plan of attack for the rides you want to get on that have virtual queues, and be prepared to make your selections/purchases as soon as those times drop!
As a reminder, the “standard” Genie+ service lets you pay one price per day (that price varies each day) to make Lightning Lane selections at many of Disney World’s rides one ride at a time. Select popular rides are NOT available via the standard Genie+ service — for those, you need to buy an Individual Lightning Lane to skip the standby line.
Genie+
The “standard” Genie+ service used to be a set $15 per person per day. Now, that price varies depending on the date you’ll be visiting — meaning it can be MUCH more expensive on peak busy days. We’ve seen the price rise to as high as $35 per person.
So if you’ll be visiting Disney World soon, don’t expect Genie+ to be the same price each day of your trip. It may be $22 one day, $25 the next, and up to $30 by the end of your trip. To be extra safe, you may want to budget around $35 (or $40) per person per day for each day you plan to use Genie+ on your trip. If it ends up being cheaper, then that’s money back to your budget (or wallet). But if it ends up being around that price, then you’re mentally and fiscally prepared.
Lightning Lane
Some of the months with the MOST expensive Genie+ days have been November (particularly around Thanksgiving), December (especially around Christmas and New Year’s Eve), and March/April (with Spring Break in full force).
Kali River Rapids Lightning Lane
Of course, other months can have expensive Genie+ days too, particularly around holiday periods. So if you’ll be planning a trip to Disney World in the future, be sure to check and see if it falls around a holiday. If it does, expect Genie+ surge pricing to be in effect. If you can, consider rearranging the dates of your trip to be away from holiday periods so as to take advantage of (likely) lower Genie+ prices.
And those are just 2 of the big problems you’ll need to prepare for in Disney World. Whether they impact your wake-up time, budget, or other plans, you’ll want to take these into account so you’re as prepared for your trip as possible.
We’ve compiled all of our BEST tips and tricks from years of Disney World travel into one eBook that you can download to your tablet or smartphone and take with you!
Oh boy, planning a Disney trip can be quite the adventure, and we totally get it! But fear not, dear friends, we compiled EVERYTHING you need (and the things to avoid!) to plan the ULTIMATE Disney vacation.
Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pro, our insider tips and tricks will have you exploring the parks like never before. So come along with us, and get planning your most magical vacation ever!
A lot of new merchandise debuted at the Jurassic Park Discovery Center in Islands of Adventure this week. Most of the collection features a minimalist design with quotes from the classic 1993 movie.
All Major Theme Parks Have Delays Tee – $27.00
We spotted this new tee that features a T-Rex in fossil form towering over the entrance gates to Jurassic Park. A white sign that says “Danger” in a red circle is featured in the top left corner of the screen art.
Below the T-Rex and the entrance gates, it says, “All Major Theme Parks Have Delays.” This was a quote said by Dr. John Hammond (Richard Attenborough) in the first “Jurassic Park” movie, which debuted in 1993.
There is an orange Universal Studios logo on the left sleeve.
Spared No Expense Tee – $27.00
Here, we have another tee featuring a quote from Dr. John Hammond. This shirt features the Jurassic Park entrance with a cartoon of Dr. John Hammond’s signature hat and glasses.
Underneath the picture, is another famous quote from Dr. Hammond: “Spared No Expense.”
There is a dark brown Universal Studios logo on the left sleeve.
I Hate Computers Tee – $27.00
This gray tee features a screen art image of an old computer with the “iN Gen” logo on the monitor.
In the “Jurassic Park” movie, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) says, “I hate computers,” to which Dr. Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern) replies, “The feeling’s mutual.”
There is a blue Universal Studios logo on the left sleeve.
Jurassic Park Long Sleeve Tee – $45.00
The long sleeve “Jurassic Park” tee features the skeletal fossil of a T-Rex in a red circle on the left side of the chest.
The phrase “Welcome to Jurassic Park” is written underneath the red T-Rex.
The sleeve features black silhouettes of dinosaur tracks, a mosquito, and a palm tree.
The back features black and white design surrounding a red circle. Underneath, it says, “Welcome to Jurassic Park.”
A closer look at the back of the shirt shows that the black and white design is part of a raptor’s head, and the red circle is its eye watching you.
White Jurassic Park Tank – $37.00
This lightweight white tank top features a black silhouette of a fossilized T-Rex — also part of the “Jurassic Park” logo.
The back of the tank top features a racerback design.
In the top center of the tank top — between the shoulders — is the Jurassic Park logo printed in black.
Black Jurassic Park Tank – $33.00
This black “Jurassic Park” tank top features the T-Rex silhouette logo from ‘Jurassic Park’ in red. Below that is “93” for the year the first “Jurassic Park” movie debuted.
The back of the tank top features a smaller picture of the T-Rex fossil inside of the red circle. Below that, it says “Jurassic Park” and “93.”
Jurassic Park Drawstring Bag – $22.00
The drawstring back features a colorful and tropical design that says, “Welcome to Jurassic Park.” Below that, we see the gates to Jurassic Park slightly opened.
I Hate Computers Metal Sign – $22.00
You can now have the funny exchange between Dr. Ian Malcolm and Dr. Ellie Sattler on a metal sign for your home or office. It features the same design as the t-shirt.
All Major Theme Parks Have Delays Metal Sign – $22.00
There is also a sign to match the “All Major Theme Parks Have Delays” shirt. This quote from Dr. John Hammond can be a part of your collection forever.
Welcome to Jurassic Park Metal Sign – $22.00
The “Welcome to Jurassic Park” sign matches the drawstring bag from earlier. The only difference is that there are little dinosaur tracks leading outside of the gates, leading us to believe they have escaped.
Spared No Expense Metal Sign – $22.00
Once again, we have a cartoon image of Dr. John Hammond’s famous hat and glasses in between the gates of Jurassic Park. Underneath that is one of his famous quotes “Spared No Expense.”
Welcome to Jurassic Park Pin – $9.00
If you’re an avid pin collector, perhaps you’d like to add this ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park’ pin to your collection. Much like the drawstring bag and the metal sign, it features the gates to Jurassic Park slightly opened with dinosaur tracks leading out of it. The pin’s borders are lined with a tropical leaf pattern.
Welcome to Jurassic Park Keychain – $14.00
If you want to show your love of “Jurassic Park” wherever you go, this keychain is for you. It features the same design as the drawstring bag, metal sign, and pin from above.
What was your favorite piece of “Jurassic Park” merchandise? Let us know in the comments below.
Disney Channel has released the official trailer and key art for the second season of The Villains of Valley View, which premieres on Thursday, June 15th. What’s Happening: The Villains of Valley View follows a family of supervillains forced to hide their powers and adopt “normalcy” in suburbia. After defeating Onyx, the leader of all villains, Amy […]
