We’re guessing that a lot of you probably fly into Orlando International Airport (or even Orlando Sanford Airport). We know many of you are big fans of Southwest, but we’re sure you use other airlines, too. That’s why we try to keep you updated on the latest airline discounts, news, and updates. Well, we’ve got an update for those of you who fly to Disney World from Canada.
According to Reuters, Canada’s Lynx Airlines has filed for bankruptcy and will stop flying on February 26th. Although the company had significant growth and explored cost reductions and even efforts to be sold or merged with another company, the airline said that its financial issues had become “too significant to overcome.”
Lynx Airlines has only been in business since 2022 and started flying into and out of Orlando International Airport from Toronto in January 2023. Although Lynx promises to operate most of its flights through the weekend, some of those flights might be canceled — affected passengers will receive an email. Lynx Air also states that it will not be able to assist with refunds or accommodations and that passengers will need to contact their credit card provider for a refund.
If you have a flight booked on Lynx Air after February 26th, Lynx Air will not be available for refunds, so passengers must contact their credit card company for a refund.
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!
Have you ever flown on Lynx Air? Let us know in the comments!
“As a card-carrying Jane-ite, I really wanted to make sure that we preserved the story, that we stayed true to it, those tones of love, of sisterhood, of hope,” shared Tia A. Smith, executive producer of Hallmark Mahogany’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. The film airs tonight, part of Hallmark Channel’s month-long “Loveuary” theme, […]
As a Disneyland fan who is also a non-California resident without unlimited income or a YouTube channel, I have to be somewhat selective about when I choose to make my (usually) annual visits. For some folks, such a scenario might have them focusing on the summer to take advantage of school breaks, in the fall […]
With season 7 only a few weeks away, a new cast member has been added to the show, with Rick Cosnett joining as a guest star as the 9-1-1 arrives on ABC, according to Deadline. What’s Happening: It has been reported that actor Rick Cosnett is joining the upcoming seventh season of 9-1-1 in a key recurring role. […]
With spending so much time there, we have come across some…well, unfortunate scenarios. Some of these issues are one-off moments, but other things happen fairly often. Like, every day (we wish we were joking, too). We’ve seen things as small as shows cut short due to weather (ahem, Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular) and other things as big as not being allowed through the turnstiles of the park right until the park opens — which differs from some of the other Disney World theme parks. Throughout our time here, we have noticed five unfortunate things that happen almost every. single. time. we go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Our Favorite Attractions Have Super Long Wait Times
We know that being at Disney World comes with long wait times, but sometimes, it just feels like we NEVER see anything with a low wait. We notice this issue at Rise of the Resistance almost every day. We’ve come across hours-long wait times more often than we’d like to admit (and we’ve waited in them, too).
Rise of the Resistance
The long wait times aren’t even the worst part. What makes this problem super unfortunate is that the ride breaks down pretty often. So, you may have waited in the hours-long line just to not be able to ride it. If we’re talking about something unfortunate (which we are)… this one takes the cake.
Hollywood Studios
Rise of the Resistance isn’t the only ride we’ve seen this with. Actually, we’ve seen the opposite happen on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror! There are times when we have gotten in line for Tower of Terror when it has a relatively short wait time, but then all of a sudden, the wait time skyrockets, and we feel like we’re waiting twice as long as we planned. This can be because one of the elevators on the ride has gone down, so now all of the guests in line are stuck using the only working elevator — which makes the wait time so. much. longer.
The Food Is…Underwhelming
Y’all, we LOVE food here at DFB. We will try everything at least twice, and we like to keep an open mind. However, when it comes to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, we have been underwhelmed by the food offerings.
outside of the restaurant
There aren’t a ton of Quick Service options for you to choose from, and when we do find a spot to eat, we don’t think the food is all that special. We’re not sure if it’s us or them, but we tend to hop on the Skyliner to park hop to EPCOT for some better food options.
A slice of pizza
If you’re at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and looking for a sweet treat, something that we are BIG fans of is the Carrot Cake Cookie that is sold at the park’s Starbucks location in the Trolley Car Cafe. So, at least there’s that.
Carrot Cake Cookie
We WISH that we had some better food options at this park, and we’re ready for some new and improved quick-service options (Unless you’re getting that carrot cake cookie. It isn’t appreciated enough).
The Fantasmic! Crowds
That’s it. Send tweet. Just kidding, but these crowds seriously give us SO much anxiety. We know that this show is so beloved, but the crowds that come with it aren’t.
Fantasmic!
Whether you’re going into the show or leaving, we can’t help but point out how anxiety-inducing the crowds can be. Sometimes, we hang back a bit after the show to let the big crowds leave first, but that stressful feeling is still there regardless. It’s unfortunate that the crowds are so heavy, but hey, at least we can sit down during the show!
Missing Out On Character Meet and Greets
We LOVE being able to meet our favorite Disney characters. Disney’s Hollywood Studios has such a fun lineup, too! However, we have missed meeting SO many characters here because they tend to stop meeting early in the day, and we sometimes forget to check the meeting times in the My Disney Experience app. We know this is partially our fault, but we’re so used to being able to meet characters later in the evening that sometimes it doesn’t cross our mind until it’s too late!
Hi, Sully!
Missing out on these precious character interactions can be really unfortunate. Especially when it comes to the lesser-known ones! If you head over to Star Wars Launch Bay, you’ll be able to find some meet and greets there with some popular Star Wars characters. We’ve noticed a lot of people don’t even know that there are meet and greets there, so keep this in mind for your next trip!
SCARY!
There are a bunch of other unfortunate things that tend to happen to us when we visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but we feel like these are the most common and really take the cake (insert another shameless mention of the Carrot Cake Cookie here). We LOVE this park to pieces, and we’re hoping that some of these things become better over time.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
We’re always trying to give you the best tips, tricks, and info so you can be prepared for your trip, so keep checking in with us at DFB for the latest!
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!
What is something unfortunate that you’ve experienced at Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments below!
Did you spot the secrets? Let’s take a closer look, shall we?
Face Armchair
The first thing we bet you noticed was the Face Armchair, as seen in the Haunted Mansion ride. This burgundy chair has a very familiar face on it, and if you look closely enough, you’ll recognize that it’s Donald Duck! So, instead of a Hidden Mickey, it’s a Hidden Donald.
And the arm chair!
This chair was originally the idea of Imagineer Rolly Crump, who was working on a Museum of the Weird for the Haunted Mansion. The chair was originally supposed to move and speak while interacting with people, and no, that’s not creepy at all!
If you look closely at the opening scene of Disney’s video, you’ll see a set of portraits on the right wall. The portrait closest to the screen looks familiar…
It’s Hatbox Ghost! This infamous character is mostly famous for how he didn’t work right when the Haunted Mansion first opened in Disneyland. It took Imagineers 45 years to figure out how to get his head to transfer to his hatbox and back. Now you can see him in both Haunted Mansions in the U.S.
Of course, there are plenty of other nods to the Haunted Mansion in the video, including candelabra (which is usually found floating in the Endless Hallway), the Hitchhiking Ghosts appearing behind the bar, the purple wallpaper, the clock that goes to 13, and more.
A new series of retro Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind merchandise featuring Spaceship Earth has arrived at Treasures of Xandar in EPCOT. We found a new Guardians of the Galaxy ball cap, mug, and belt bag.
A silvertone patch on the front of the ball cap is shaped like the seven-pointed Guardians of the Galaxy symbol with Spaceship Earth in the center. On top of Spaceship Earth is an embroidered colorful image of the Benatar spaceship with a rainbow of colors behind it.
The underside of the brim is striped yellow, orange, red, and purple. It has an adjustable red plastic strap on the back.
Next to the strap is a patch reading, “Other World Showcase.”
Guardians Mug – $19.99
The mug also has purple, red, orange, and yellow stripes. They wrap around the center of the mug, against a white background. The inside is also white.
On one side, a white rectangle set against the stripes features a blue image of Spaceship Earth with the Benatar flying over it, out of a jumppoint. “Other World Showcase” is at the bottom of the image.
A white rectangle on the other side reads “Guardians of the Galaxy” below the silhouettes of Star-Lord, Drax, Gamora, Groot, and Rocket. Spaceship Earth is rising behind them.
The mug is 369 milliliters / 13 ounces and stoneware.
Guardians Belt Bag – $34.99
The belt bag is the same off-white color as the ball cap. There is a small front pocket and a large top-loading pocket, both with magenta zippers. A Nova Corps Star Blaster is pictured in purple and yellow. A rainbow of stripes is behind it.
The yellow silhouettes of the Guardians are on the stripes. Spaceship Earth is in the background. “Guardians of the Galaxy” is printed at the bottom in purple.
The belt strap is striped yellow, orange, and red. It has a plastic magenta buckle.
Watch our full ride POV of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind below.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the 30th Anniversary of the original Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Walt Disney World. In honor of these momentous occasions, voice actor Mark Silverman has reprised his role of Rod Serling for an upcoming celebration of these milestones.
The commercial for Stage 89 is of course a parody of the famous pre-show for the E-Ticket attraction. Those most familiar with the wild elevator ride will surely recognize several references to the Tower of Terror scattered throughout.
In addition to providing the voice-over for the ad, Mark Silverman will also appear at Stage 89 to sign autographs, take photos, and tell the story of his casting as Rod Serling, a role that had to be approved by the famous actor’s widow.
Stage 89 is a multi-day celebration of the 35th anniversary of the former Disney-MGM Studios, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror taking place near and at The Walt Disney World Resort. As stated in the commercial above, it is the largest-ever in-person gathering of the former Imagineers who built the park and expanded it over its many years of entertaining guests. It includes two days of incredible panel presentations with never-before-heard stories and never-before-seen artwork pertaining to the following topics:
Initial development of the “Movie Pavilion” for EPCOT Center, and its evolution into the Studio Tour and eventually the Disney-MGM Studios
The Great Movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
MuppetVision 3-D & The Great Muppet Movie Ride
SuperStar Television & The Monster Sound Show
Catastrophe Canyon and more from the Studio Backlot Tour
Honey, I Shrunk The Kids: Movie Set Adventure
Star Tours & Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
You can find the special guest list, event schedule, and more information at STAGE89.com. Tickets to attend in-person are on sale now (also available at a discounted price for our WIGS members), while streaming tickets, which allow you to watch live and on-demand for one month, are currently 50% until March 15.
The latest entry in Disney Channel’s How Not to Draw series teaches us how not to draw one of the titular characters from the recently wrapped animated series, The Ghost and Molly McGee. What’s Happening: The latest entry in the popular Disney Channel interstitial short-form series, How Not To Draw, takes aim at the titular […]
However, in recent years (especially since the 2020 park closures), we’ve noticed that some of those “slow seasons” that happened periodically in Disney World aren’t really happening anymore, and it feels like crowds descend on the parks 24/7. If you’ve been on TikTok recently, you may be seeing videos from guests highlighting how busy the parks really are. But, is that just a false lens through social media, or is that what’s actually happening?
First, what videos are we talking about? Well, we’ve seen videos from multiple creators over the last few weeks showing the crowds they’re finding in Disney World. Creator @walruscarp posted a video from Magic Kingdom on February 21st, a Wednesday, showing the massive crowds near Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
Another video, posted by @itsandieflores on February 7th shows the large crowds walking into Tomorrowland. It’s unclear if the video was posted at rope drop, or early entry, but regardless, the crowds are large.
But these are only snapshots of two days — a MINUTE of two days — in the parks. So, do things really look like this?
Tomorrowland Crowds
Well friends, we’re sad to say that the answer, in our research, is yes, the parks really are that crowded now on most days. How can we tell? Other than the physical amount of people we see in the parks, we can also look at the price of Genie+, which changes depending on how busy the parks are expected to be that day.
In the beginning (October 2021), Genie+ was a set $15 per person, per day in Disney World. However, in October 2022, surge pricing hit the service, and it changed to be somewhere between $15 and $22 per person, per day, depending on how busy the parks were expected to be (by looking at park pass reservations). Things changed AGAIN in June 2023 when park-specific pricing hit the Genie+ system, meaning that you would select a single park or multi-park option, and the prices would vary based on how crowded EACH PARK would be. We’ve seen these prices start at $15 and go all the way up to $39. While part of this decision is just Disney wanting to make more money, they can do it BECAUSE the parks are so busy and people need Genie+ in order to do everything they’d like.
Genie+
Not to mention thatwe do still see park passes selling out for days in Disney World, when most guests don’t need park passes anymore because they have date-based tickets. It is also completely possible for regular Disney World tickets to sell out during peak times, so be sure to grab tickets as soon as you know when you’re going to be on the safe side. Genie+ can also sell out too!
Okay, so there’s more people in the parks, but who’s actually waiting in those lines? Uh, a LOT of people, unfortunately. We keep an eye on Disney World wait times frequently, so we stay in the know. Just this week, a typically calmer week in February, two rides easily hit triple-digit wait times. Using Genie+ means that you can skip these lines, which can save you tons of time, but you’ll be dropping a ton of cash for your whole family to experience more of the parks. If you budget for this ahead of time, you won’t be caught off guard, which is why we recommend that if there’s even the SLIGHTEST thought in your mind that you may use Genie+, budget for it ahead of time! Then, if you don’t use it, you can use that money towards snacks, souvenirs, or whatever else you’d like.
Tower of Terror line at over 100 minutes
So overall, yes, the Disney World parks are really as crowded as they look online, but there are ways to still have an amazing day in Disney World with crowds surrounding you. As always, be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest Disney World news and planning tips!
Pack your Patient Pants 
and pray you have Genie+ already bc Magic Kingdom and the rest of Walt Disney World has lines and crowds everywhere. If you have Genie+ you should be good otherwise prepare for 60+ minute waits everywhere. 
