Yesterday, most of our writers got together via the internet and talked a little Disney.  In this post, we’ll share the highlights from that chat.  Also, we have created an Instagram account.  You can follow us at WanderingInDisney on Instagram. Since this was a chat, the typing was a little less formal than a typical blog post, so bear with us.  Thank you and enjoy the chat!

Andrew – This is a quick little blip more relatable to Cassie and Leslie since they see the parks more often but, how do you think Disney World and Disneyland look right now in general? It seems like a pretty interesting time for both resorts as Disneyland really geared up for their anniversary and Disney World is on the verge of some really exciting things that haven’t actually been announced.

Leslie – Disney World looks crazy at times if that is fair to say. Construction is everywhere as change is everywhere. That being said something new seems to be popping up everyday. We have had new things opening in Downtown Disney (soon to be Disney Springs) as well as in Animal Kingdom (which I need to visit soon). Parks are filled and there is still more to come. Right now some rides are down for refurbishment but should open again while I am here so I am excited to see them soon.

Cassie – I had visited the parks I think three times just in the month of February and there was a lot of construction. The saddest part was the castle was covered up by a giant sheet basically with a fake castle painted on it haha….I felt so bad for families visiting at that time who had never been before and had to see that on vacation. BUT then I went again in March and April and the castle looked FABULOUS. Seriously, it is brand spankin’ new. Splash Mountain which was also closed down during the winter seemed like they had cleaned it up a lot and looked great!

Kelsee – I love what they’ve done with Paint the Night. Growing up I loved seeing the Main Street Electrical Parade and this is very similar, but upgraded. From what I’ve seen around the Internet, it’s amazing! Have you seen any of the new shows/parades Cassie?

Cassie – I unfortunately haven’t, my pass is blocked out for June and July so I won’t be able to make it back to see them until August. Some people from my work were raving about Paint the Night though…that is definitely my number one priority when I return.

Andrew – Yeah, I can’t wait to see that and the firework show.

Cassie – Yes! Speaking of the anniversary I just wanted to share with you all a cool piece of mail I got today. Sometimes Disney sends the passholders super cool gifts. It is an art piece by artist Liana Hee that was created for the Diamond Celebration. I just love this piece and found the gift to be super special!

Andrew – Rumor has it, Disney CEO Bob Iger and the rest of the Disney board were on property in Disney World this week discussing and finalizing the budget for the Disney’s Hollywood Studios redo/remodel. I’m guessing the budget will be pretty good, at least on par with the California Adventure 2.0 budget. How much of Hollywood Studios do you think should remain and how much of it should be totally redone in favor of an expanded Pixar Place and Star Wars Land?

Leslie – To name a few things I want to go, Disney Jr stage (not gonna happen) Lights, Motor, Action, where the Backstage Lot Tour was, the Honey I Shrunk the Kids play area gone and where they previously had the Frozen Sing Along gone.
What I don’t want to go but probably will is the Indiana Jones area, at least if they want more Star Wars things in the Star Wars area.

Andrew – People who have read the blog fairly regularly know that I’ve taken a few shots at Hollywood Studios over the last few months. There’s not much there and I wasn’t a huge fan to begin with. With that in mind, I think Tower of Terror should remain. Even though it scares the daylights out of me, it’s the best ride on property. The Chinese Theater is a great icon and I like it in the center of the park. Other than that, they could truly rip it all out and I would be excited. Of course, Toy Story will stick around with the rest of Pixar. So will Star Tours. I’m guessing Rock n’ Roller Coaster will because that’s a very good attraction but not one that I’m personally attached to.

Melissa H. – Really – I don’t feel like I can speak a lot to this topic since I haven’t been there since 2010, but the park itself seemed to have a few good things going for it. I think it would be really cool if they made 3 different lands – one dedicated to Star Wars where the existing Star Tours is, one dedicated to Pixar back where the current Toy Story ride is, and one that kind of remains the “real-life Hollywood” where they keep other attractions like Rockin Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror.  And I agree, I really liked the Indiana Jones stunt show, but it will likely go…

Kelsee – Tower of Terror, Rock n’ Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Midway Mania need to stay.

Andrew – Toy Story Mania is staying and getting another track to accommodate more guests!

Leslie – Also as much as it pains me to say it…the great movie ride needs to go… Please don’t throw stones!

Andrew – I like it. It needs updated, not needing to go. They’ve started updating it but there is more work to be done.

Melissa – Leslie, I agree that it either needs to go or needs some sort of MAJOR overhaul

Leslie – They did “redo” it with TCM. It is awful…

Andrew – Oh, I’ve heard people who really like it.

Leslie – They are insane…don’t trust those people Andrew.

Andrew – They need to redo the actual ride and scenes not just the script and the films. The idea behind the great movie ride is fantastic, it just needs better execution.

Kelsee – Ya, they need an upgrade to keep it around. I agree that the Chinese theater needs to stay. Very iconic throughout Hollywood’s history.  I love the idea behind the ride too, Andrew.

Leslie – The biggest problem with the “redo” is that the attractions cast members barely have a speaking role anymore. The new clips at the end are great, mixing classic and newer movies wonderfully. The end is now unfortunately my favorite part…

Andrew – Yeah, I’ve heard that some of the audio script is pretty clunky.

Leslie – It is easily 75% of the ride.

Melissa – Yeah, the actual interactive aspect of the ride was what I enjoyed about it. However, some of the scenes just seemed like they needed a major upgrade, or to at least speak to something a little more relevant to today’s park guests. Or I could just be down on it because I find Wizard of Oz terrifying….

Andrew – How would you feel about a mini-Cars Land in an expanded Pixar Place?

Melissa – While I think it would be cool and extremely popular, I think Radiator Springs kind of needs that grand scale

Leslie – As much as I would love one, I want it to stay in California.
I want there to be a reason I want to go to Disneyland, if everything was at Disney World I would never want to visit anywhere else.

Cassie – Agreed. I feel like Cars Land saved California Adventures life

Andrew – Oh, I definitely agree.  I’d rather Cars Land stay in California Adventure alone but if they do move it, I hope Radiator Springs Racers goes in as the full ride and not a smaller version. I also hope it takes the spot of Lights, Motor, Action.

With that being said, I’d much rather see a few original Pixar related attractions like the long-rumored Monsters Inc. Door Coaster.

Cassie – We need an UP ride….badly

Andrew – Agreed.  Along with some Inside Out in Epcot!

Leslie – I also agree, but I still need to see Inside Out.

Melissa – That just gave me another idea about what the could do with the park… It would be kind of cool if they could incorporate real-world/life inspirations to the park to kind of keep the studio feel if they really wanted that. But, to come back to the current conversation, I think Disney could do SO MUCH by incorporating more Pixar in ALL of its parks.  I’ve wanted a Crush Coaster based off of the EAC for a LONG time!

Cassie – Right!!! There is SO MUCH to work with.

Andrew – That would be fantastic, Melissa.  I think there will be more Pixar in Epcot, DHS and California Adventure in the future. The other 3 parks, I’m not sure about.  I’m not sure I want it in the others either.

Andrew – This is more of a vacation tip question, but how much spending money do you think is good for a day at Disney?

Leslie – I give myself maybe $75. Mostly because I don’t buy many things anymore for souvenirs, and I like nice sit down restaurants. I also take advantage of free water from Starbucks or Quick Service places to keep hydrated. I also like to save my money so I won’t let myself spend more than I earn in a week, but at the same time I know I won’t be able to experience this ever again.

Cassie – For a vacationer I would recommend budgeting for around $50-$75 per person, per day. That being if you want to eat all three meals at the park, have some snacks, and buy maybe on souvenir.

For myself I usually grab a quick bagel or something cheap for breakfast, pack my own lunch, and just budget for dinner and usually a cool treat like an ice cream or dole. I can do a $25 Disney day easy…not counting the extra money for gas and parking.

Now for a special occasion, honeymoon, etc, I would say give yourself a bigger buffer. $100+ if you really want to treat yourself.

Melissa – Oh gosh… I really think it varies depending on who you are. I like to overestimate my money and I have been so many times that I feel like I know my own needs pretty well. When people ask me about money though my advice usually is:

1. If you aren’t on a dining plan and are going to be eating ALL meals at the park that day plan $10 for breakfast and $20 per both other meals (for a total of $50 in food related money). This is usually an overestimate for food so it allows you wiggle room to buy snacks or even extra money for other things. If you plan on eating at a specialty restaurant like Blue Bayou or Sci-Fi Drive In you will need to do some research and plan accordingly.

2. Plan about $15 extra spending money per day. That way you can pool it together to buy a bigger item or spend it on a locker or something smaller.

3. Out of park purchases like parking and stuff will bring your total up a bit.

That makes about $75 per day though

Andrew – I’m not a huge souvenir fan, so I might be a bit of outlier here. I usually spend around $50 a day because I like sit down restaurants and I like snacks and drinks. Like Leslie said, I never pay for water. I do usually eat two meals a day in the parks, one being a little nicer meal.

Thanks for reading out chat!  If you have questions, topics or comments that you’d like us to talk about in our next chat send them to wanderingindisney@gmail.com.  Have a great day!