Annual Passholder and DVC Member Preview Dates Announced for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Disney World; Virtual Queue to Be Used for All Guests

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

May 14, 2024

 

The new “Tiana’s Bayou Adventure” ride in Disney World’s Frontierland will officially open to all visitors on June 28th, 2024.  But a few groups will get a sneak peek ahead of time.  Disney Vacation Club (DVC) members and Disney Annual Passholders will get to preview the attraction before it’s officially open to other park visitors. 

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

While that’s not unusual for new rides, there are a few changes to the access process this time around.  (And, spoiler alert, the process is not going smoothly on the first day of the sign-ups.  Within mere minutes of the Passholder email hitting our inbox, Stitch was already showing up with “Somebody Ate the Page” messages for those trying to sign on to My Disney Experience to make park reservations, the first step in snagging a ride for Tiana’s new adventure. By 11:00 a.m., all the Magic Kingdom reservations were gone, and in trying to make a park reservation at another park, in order to follow Disney’s instructions of park hopping for access to the ride, we got a message that read, “Thank you for your patience. Please keep this page open and do not refresh it as you prepare to make a park reservation.… wait time more than an hour.”  Hmmm… never had THAT happen when trying to make a park reservation before! Apologies to those unlucky guests who were just trying to make park reservations for other non-preview days, as the Tiana-wanna-rides brought the system to a grinding halt.  Ah, Disney technology!)

In the past, Passholders have been able to reserve specific dates and times to jump on a new ride by signing up ahead of time at a designated link. While it sometimes meant hours of waiting for your turn in the online queue to reserve said space and use this special Passholder perk, you knew you had a guaranteed seat when you arrived at the park on your preselected day.  And if you didn’t manage to snap up one of the limited number of spaces in the registration process, you knew you’d been shut out weeks in advance of the big day.  This time, it’ll be more of a game of chance, with Annual Passholders, who still have to make park reservations on most days, using the park reservation system to gain access. Even after you have a park reservation, however, you will still be relying on the luck of the draw to get into a virtual queue that morning.

Most Passholders received an email from Disney this morning (May 14), detailing how the new process will work.  Here are the important points:

 

• First, make a park reservation for Magic Kingdom Park on a preview date to have the opportunity to join the 7 a.m. virtual queue for that day. Or, you can make a Park reservation to any Theme Park on a preview date to have the opportunity to join the 1 p.m. virtual queue.

• Next, on the day of your park reservation, it's time to request to join the virtual queue using the My Disney Experience app. There will be two opportunities to join each day of previews.

• The 7 a.m. virtual queue will be available to Passholders with a park reservation to Magic Kingdom Park for that day.

• The 1 p.m. virtual queue will be available to Passholders with a park reservation to any Theme Park for that day. As a reminder, Passholders must enter the theme park where they have a reservation prior to visiting Magic Kingdom Park. Or, on June 13, 14, 17, 18 or 20, they can enter Magic Kingdom Park without a reservation after 2 p.m.

• Passholders do not need to have entered a Theme Park when they request to join the virtual queue.

(As a sidenote, you can also hold a TRON or Guardians virtual queue at the same time as the Tiana virtual queue during this event.)

Annual Passholder previews will take place:

• June 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, and 20

DVC previews will take place on two dates:

 

• Wednesday, June 12, 2024, from 1 PM to 4 PM Eastern Time

• Wednesday, June 19, 2024, from 9 AM to 12 PM Eastern Time

 

For DVC members, (who will also get an email from Disney with the specific details of their registration process), event registration via registration link access opens on Thursday, May 16th at 10AM ET.  Pre-registration is required.  DVC members must hold a qualifying Disney hotel reservation, using your DVC Membership, and must have valid park admission and park reservations to Magic Kingdom on the day of the preview events (unless otherwise noted on your admission type.)  See your DVC email letter for the longer version of the details.

 

For all other guests:

When the ride opens to all guests on June 28, there will be two ways to ride: virtual queue, or Disney Genie+.

For the virtual queue process, guests can use the My Disney Experience (MDE) app to request to join the (free) virtual queue either at 7 a.m. or 1 p.m.  You can check out more information about how the virtual queue process works at disneyworld.com/virtualqueue.  

 

Tiana’s Bayou Adventure will also be included as a Lightning Lane entrance in the paid-for-service Disney Genie+.  Prices for Genie+ are available on the MDE app on the day of your visit, and vary by date and park.  Visit disneyworld.com/lightninglane for more details on using the Genie+ service.   (The Individual Lightning Lane rides are not being used for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.) However, access is still not guaranteed with Genie+.  When the slots for the day are gone, they’re gone, even if you purchased Genie+ for the day. You’ll just have to use Genie + for other rides in the park.

Disney notes that while a standby queue will not be available during the attraction’s initial opening days, they expect to open a standby queue soon after the attraction’s opening, once the initial swell of guests slows down.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

So, with this somewhat convoluted data dump, we wish you more luck in getting to be among the first to head down the bayou than the success we had… We’ll be watching you from the sidelines apparently, with one of the brand new “Tiana’s Famous Beignets” that will be dished up at the Golden Oak Outpost in our hands. (Or maybe not, since those fluffy beignets will be limited time only as well.)

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Get The Disney Planner: The TO DO List Solution by Ray Keating. More information at

https://raykeatingbooksandmore.com/shop/ols/products/disneyplanner. And please listen to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating podcast. 

Disney World Says Final “Aloha” to Polynesian Dinner Show

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

March 15, 2022

 

Sadly, Disney World is bidding a final farewell to the “Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show” at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort in Florida.  The show has gone through a number of iterations over the years, but it originally opened in 1971 with both the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian Resort. The first show, called “The Polynesian Revue,” took place on the beach of the Seven Seas Lagoon, with the covered, open air theatre added later in 1973.  

 

The “Spirit of Aloha” version of the show took the stage in 2003, and was among the many dining venues that shuttered with the COVID closures in 2020. 

Disney announced today that the show will not be reopening.  More significantly, its space in Luau Cove will be taken over by new Disney Vacation Club rooms, currently under development, and expected to open in late 2024. 

 

Bill Diercksen, senior vice president and general manager of Disney Vacation Club, was quoted, “It’s no secret that our Members and Guests love the monorail resorts at Walt Disney World. Expanding our Disney Vacation Club offerings at the Polynesian would give our Members and Guests yet another incredible option for staying close to the magic while making vacation memories that last a lifetime.”

 

Disney will share more details on the project at a later date.

 

The “Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show” featured hula dancing, including dances from Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, New Zealand and Hawaii; fire dancing; drummers; and a fire-knife performer, along with an all-you-care-to-enjoy tropical feast. Dining selections included Aloha pulled pork, Polynesian ribs, roasted chicken, seasonal vegetables, fresh-cut fruit, ginger-lime salad, pineapple guava cake, and chocolate cake.

 

Hosted in the open-air theater in Luau Cove, a short walk from the Polynesian’s Great Ceremonial House, the current backstory to the twice-nightly show was centered around Auntie Wini, who was playing host to a high energy luau to say goodbye to one of the local girls headed to the “mainland” for college. Prices for the dinner show ranged from $66-$78 for adults, and $39-$46 for children, depending on the seating category selected.

 

Looking ahead to the DVC expansion of Polynesian Village Resort, Disney said, “Situated on the shores of Seven Seas Lagoon, the proposed property would join the rest of the resort in offering stunning views of the Magic Kingdom. Proposed plans would offer additional rooms, new recreation offerings and dining options.”

 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For you and as a gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

Go to https://raykeatingonline.com/products/disneyplanner2022.

Changes Continue To Disney World Hotel Reopening Dates

by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

July 27, 2020

As COVID-19 rates continue to fluctuate across the country, so do guests’ travel plans, and Disney is doing their best to keep up with a very fluid situation. To compensate for changes to guests’ arrivals (or non-arrivals), Disney World has released a revised set of opening dates for several of their Resort properties. 

A select number of the Disney Vacation Club properties began operating in June ahead of the park reopenings, and the revised Resort changes do not affect the Disney Vacation Club portions of these Resorts. 

The following Resorts are impacted by the date changes:

• Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort (Scheduled to open Aug. 12, but will now reopen October 4)

• Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (Scheduled to open Aug. 12, but will now reopen November 1)

• Disney’s Beach Club Resort (scheduled to open Oct. 1, but opening date has been removed)

• Disney’s BoardWalk Resort (scheduled to open Oct. 1, but opening date has been removed)

According to Disney, “While reopening dates were previously shared for Disney’s Beach Club Resort and Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, these Disney Resort hotels will remain closed until further notice, as the reopening timeline continues to be reevaluated.”

No changes have been made to the previously announced reopening dates at these Resorts: 

• Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (July 29)

• Disney’s Yacht Club Resort (August 24)

• Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa (September 21)

• Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort (October 14)

There is no word yet on the reopening dates for Disney’s All-Stars Resorts, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter and Riverside, or Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

Disney’s website offers, “Future reopening dates are subject to change and Guests’ reservations could still be modified to other Disney Resort hotels if needed. Given the current situation, there are some Disney Resort hotels and other areas that are not, as of this time, being scheduled for reopening yet. We will continue to evaluate the situation and reopen more locations when the environment is right to do so. While these plans may evolve, we will be monitoring the constantly changing health environment and its impact on the state of Florida as we find the right time to welcome back even more of our Guests.”

If you are one of the guests whose trip has been affected by these  reservation changes, expect a contact from Disney. Options are available to either modify your reservation to another Disney Resort hotel at no additional cost or cancel your reservation without any Disney-imposed fees.

__________

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

Disney Experience Updated: Parks Reopening and What It Will Look Like

by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

June 8, 2020

The process of a phased-in reopening of Walt Disney World is under way, and it promises to be a slow endeavor.

It began on May 20 with Disney Springs. Next week, on June 15, reopening will start at Disney Vacation Club properties in Vero Beach, Florida, and Hilton Head, South Carolina. A week later, Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts and Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground are scheduled to open for members and guests.

The Disney Deluxe Resorts reopening are:

• Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

• Boulder Ridge Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

• Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

• Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village

• Disney’s Beach Club Villas

• Disney’s BoardWalk Villas

• Disney’s Old Key West Resort

• Disney’s Polynesian Villas & Bungalows

• Disney’s Riviera Resort

• Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort

• The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

Regarding hotel stays, among the points Disney spells out, here are a few worth highlighting:

• “Complimentary airport transportation via Disney’s Magical Express service will be available for Guests arriving and departing from Orlando International Airport.”

• Inside rooms there will be: individually wrapped glassware, double-cased pillows, and “additional items that have been cleaned and wrapped in single-use packaging.”

• And during stays, rooms “will receive a light cleaning service every other day,” including trash and used towel removal, replenishment of towels and other amenities, “wiping and cleaning of the vanity and counter surfaces,” and if needed, vacuuming. (Unless guests prefer not to have their room serviced as frequently, and they can then decline if they wish.)

• “Feature pools may operate with reduced hours; leisure pools will be open 24 hours a day.” (Except for Stormalong Bay at the Yacht Club, which will not be operational.)

This all points to reopenings starting at the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom on July 11, followed by EPCOT and Hollywood Studios on July 15.

We still have no word on when Disneyland in California, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, and Hong Kong Disneyland might be reopening. Shanghai Disneyland began reopening on May 11. 

Regarding Disneyland in California, under the state’s four-stage plan for reopening, Disneyland originally seemed to fall under Stage 4: “Gradually open larger gathering venues at a pace consistent with public health and safety, such as nightclubs, concert venues, and live audience sports.” However, at the end of last month, state officials said that theme parks would fall into Stage 3 as long as the rate of COVID-19 spreading and hospital rates remained steady. The state currently is in Stage 2, and Stage 3 is scheduled to begin on June 12.

Disneyland has pushed back reservation dates at its three hotels to afterJuly 15. Meanwhile, Legoland California and SeaWorld San Diego have targeted July 1 for reopening to start.

As for how things will be working at Walt Disney World, following are a few bits of information courtesy of here and elsewhere:

• “Initially, park attendance will be managed through a new park reservation system. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date is required.”

• “At this time, new ticket sales are temporarily paused. Existing ticket holders and Annual Passholders will be able to make reservation requests in phases before new tickets are sold.”

• “At this time, new reservations at Disney Resort hotels are temporarily paused so we can focus on Guests with existing reservations (Disney Vacation Club Members can still make new reservations).”

• Disney is also beginning the process of contacting guests who have upcoming reservations between June 22 and July 4^th with an “action required” email, asking them to indicate whether they would like to confirm, modify, or cancel an existing reservation.

• Disney has also updated the wording of the cancellation policy that was announced just a short time ago as well, and the new cancellation fee policy states that Disney is “waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through October 3, 2020.”

• “Upon reopening, theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, restaurants, attractions, experiences and other offerings may be modified and will be limited in capacity and subject to limited availability or closure, based on direction from health experts and government officials to promote physical distancing. Additionally, attractions, experiences (such as shows, parades and fireworks), services and amenities may have limited availability or may remain closed.” Sadly, this also includes the Electrical Water Pageant.

• While Magical Express will be able to get you to and from the airport, Minnie Vans will not be available in the short term. Valet parking will only be available to guests with disabilities. Disney busses will run from your resort hotel to Disney Springs, and once they open, to the theme parks themselves, but be aware that social distancing and reduced capacity will be in place, so transportation may take a bit longer than usual. Pack your patience.

• “Face coverings are required for all Guests (ages 2 and up) and Cast Members; temperature screenings are required in some location.”

• As DisneyBizJournal.com already reported, dining reservations; offerings and experience bookings such as behind-the-scenes tours; dining plans included in packages; and all FastPass+ selections have been cancelled.

• “We will also shift from a 180-day booking window to a 60-day booking window for dining and experience bookings going forward to allow Guests to make their plans closer to their visits.”

• “We will reopen dining and experience bookings with more limited numbers closer to when the parks reopen.”

• As for Annual Passholders who have paid in full, Annual Passes will be automatically extended for the number of days the parks are closed, or if seeking a partial refund, holders can contact Disney to do so (by contacting V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277). Monthly payments for Annual Passholders were automatically stopped and waived on April 5 due to park closures (and refunds made for March 14 through April 4), with payments resuming when the parks reopen.

• Locals in particular need to be aware that, when Disney first reopens, you will not be able to enter one of the resort hotels without either a room reservation or a dining reservation – no swing-bys to grab zebra domes or Dole Whips, at least in the beginning!

• Disney is encouraging the use of contactless/cashless forms of payment from guests, either with Magic Bands, credit cards, or prepaid Disney gift cards that can just be scanned to eliminate some of the points of contact.  Contactless menus have already begun at some Disney Springs restaurants, where guests can scan a QR code to call the menus up on their phones, or view menus on stationary signs at quick serve locations. Locations that previously had self-serve options, such as beverage fountains, will now be served by cast members. Guests are being encouraged to use mobile order as well to reduce time spent in lines.

• Sadly, character dining is on hiatus as well – except for a modified experience at Topolino’s Terrace at the Riviera Resort. Details are expected shortly as to what we can expect for the new arrangements. Dinner shows are not being offered at the moment, either, and private dining and in room delivery have been temporarily halted.

• Regarding merchandise shops, a favorite service of our family will be halted: “Package delivery to the front of our theme parks or to Disney Resort hotels will be suspended. However, shipping merchandise to Guests’ homes continues to be available.”

But in case you were unaware, you can still play golf at Walt Disney World on a regular schedule. Stay out of the Mickey Mouse bunker. However, hula lessons will be suspended. So, golf, yes; hula, no.

__________

See related...

“Disney World Gets Official Go Ahead to Open, But Disney Has Cancelled Your Dining Plans and More”

“Disney Announces Reopening Dates for Walt Disney World”

See recent...

“Disney and the Economy: Uncertainty and a Call for Walt’s Realistic Optimism”

“The NBA Coming to Walt Disney World”

“Disney and Its Brand Face Increasing Uncertainty in China”

See notable...

“Theme Parks: Pandemic, Disney and the Little Guys”

__________

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of The Disney Planner 2020: The TO DO List Solution (now available at a deep discount) and the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at  raykeating@keatingreports.com.

Get the paperback or Kindle edition of Ray Keating’s new book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York.