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Disney theme parks have now reopened following lockdown, but with some new procedures and rules in place.  We talk you through what you need to do now to enjoy some Disney magic.

 

The main difference you’ll notice at the Disney parks is the lack of the usual crowds.  Disney has put in place some strict social distancing measures that limit the number of guests.

 

Regulations affect:

 

Following the lockdown, attendance figures were right down, but they are now starting to pick up again.

 

How is Disney managing attendance at its parks?

 

Disney World has introduced a new scheme to help it manage the attendance at the different Disney parks.  From now until January 14, 2022 you will need to use the new system if you wish to visit a Disney park.

 

Essentially, Disney has introduced a new park reservation system in order to manage park attendance.  This requires you to not only have park tickets but also make a reservation for the day on which you wish to visit the park as well.

 

The new regime affects everyone.  Whether you have Disney Resort Hotel reservations, whether you are an annual passholder or whether you have purchased theme park tickets, you will need to make a reservation using the new system.

 

 

How does the new Disney park reservation system work?

 

It’s really simple to use the new system.  You simply purchase your park tickets, then when you have your valid admission details use the new Disney Park Pass System to reserve your spot on the day of your choosing.

 

There are a few other things you need to know:

 

 

What do I need to do if I want to visit a Disney park?

 

If you wish to attend a Disney park, these are the steps you’ll need to follow:

 

We recommend that you reserve your Park Passes as soon as you get your tickets, so you have the widest possible selection of dates available to you.  You don’t want to leave it so late that the parks have reached capacity for the days you wish to visit.

 

Before you visit the Disney park, review the new park safety rules so you can be COVID-19 secure and help to protect yourself, your friends, your family and the other theme park guests.  The rules focus on physical distancing, enhanced cleaning and reduced contact.  All guests over the age of two will be expected to wear a mask and park staff will be wearing masks too.  Read the new rules in full here.

 

Ready to book?

 

View our selection of Orlando vacation homes ideally located to visit Disney World:

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Want more Disney tips?  Read our top ten Disney hacks here:

Orlando Hacks

 

As always, there’s plenty of Halloween-themed fun to be enjoyed in Orlando’s theme parks this year.  But there are several real-life spooky stories associated with the area too!

 

The Ellis Exclusive Villas team has been looking into some of the real-life, local ghost stories about the haunted locations around Orlando’s theme parks and the wider Orlando and Central Florida area.

So, if you’re interested in going beyond the theme parks to find out about Orlando’s ghoulish and unnerving goings-on, check out the locations on this spooky list.

 

#1. Walt Disney’s apartment ghost story

While Disney World, Orlando is our favourite Walt Disney theme park, it seems that the man himself might have stuck around in the California park!  In July 1954, Walt Disney moved into a small apartment on the Disneyland site so he could oversee the theme park’s construction ahead of its grand opening in July 1955.  According to local legend, it’s possible the legendary cartoonist never left!

One evening, a cast member turned off the lights and locked up only for the light in the apartment’s front window to come back on again.  She went in, turned off the lights again and, when she again tried to leave, the light was on again.

It’s now a tradition to leave the light on in an apartment above the Firehouse on Main Street at Disneyland every night as a tribute to Walt… spooky!

 

#2. Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride

Meanwhile… back in Orlando… Like the rest of the attractions at Disney World, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride is no stranger to screams of enjoyment.  But legend has it that, if you don’t tread carefully, some decidedly more frightened screams could result.

No one’s certain whether the story of a local welder called George who was killed during the construction of the attraction is really true, but believing in him might be a good precaution if you’re going to ride this attraction!

 

It’s said that the cast members who work on the ride in the day or close it up at night like to bid George good morning and good night.  It’s said that failing to keep him appeased in this way has resulted in some very strange occurrences… and, whatever you do, don’t say that you don’t believe in George while you’re on the ride… it’s said George will stop the ride if you do!

 

#3. Greenwood Cemetery, Orlando

If you’re looking for ghosts, it’s almost common sense to head to the local cemetery… and Greenwood Cemetery certainly adheres to that notion.

As well as being home to the tombs and mausoleums of some of Orlando’s most prominent families, the cemetery has several spooky stories attached to it.  Local legend has it that in certain areas of the cemetery, you can hear the disembodied sounds of children’s laughter.

Meanwhile, just outside the mausoleum of Fred Weeks, you may spot the cemetery’s most famous long-dead resident.  There have been several sightings of Fred lurking just outside his final resting place.

 

#4. Ceviche restaurant, downtown Orlando

If wandering around cemeteries isn’t your particular idea of fun, dining out at Orlando’s popular Ceviche restaurant used to be a much more appealing way to get your ghost story fix.

Ever since the tapas bar opened for business, tales of spooky goings-on have been reported – mostly linked to the building’s former roles as city hotel and, before that, a local church.  Most of the sightings centre on a woman wearing nineteenth-century clothing who is said to linger by the bar.  But some report unseen hands that pull at clothing.  And some mention a ghostly priest!

However, in June we heard the sad news that Ceviche Orlando is closing its doors permanently, as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

You’ll now need to head over to St Pete to enjoy Ceviche’s delicious tapas – and while the food should be as tasty, you can’t expect the ghostly sightings!

 

#5. Motel ghost, International Drive

Staying in your own vacation home with a private pool (and, at the moment, the easy social distancing) is always better than staying in a hotel in our humble opinion (although we might be slightly biased!)… but nowhere is this more true than in room 206 of the Super 8 motel on International Drive, Orlando.

Room 206 is said to be impossible to heat and the room feels cold in the heat of day – even with the air conditioning turned off!  Guests have also claimed to see an imprint of a human body appear on the sheets, even when nobody has been there!  And some guests have been woken by the feeling of someone else in bed beside them or by the bed suddenly shaking violently in the night!

We definitely prefer the good night’s sleep of our own vacation homes!

 

#6. Princeton Hospital, Orlando

Ok, so it’s an unlikely vacation destination (we hope!) but this hospital is definitely part of Orlando’s spooky folklore!  The psychiatric hospital is said to be haunted by the spirits of patients by the doctors, nurses and other staff who work there.

The second and third floors, in particular, are said to be host to strange paranormal goings-on, with lights flickering on and off, unexplained knocking sounds, freewheeling wheelchairs drifting along corridors and disembodied moans and voices.

 

#7. Cassadaga, Florida

Cassadaga is famous for its paranormal activity.  The town is home to a local spiritualist camp.  Located just off the I4 on the way to Daytona, Cassadaga is the place to go to meet healers and spiritualists, but it also has its fair share of spooky stories.

In the centre of town, the Cassadaga Hotel is supposedly haunted, as is the eerily named Devil’s Chair in the Lake Helen Cassadaga cemetery.  It seems only natural that the place named locally as “the psychic capital of the world” should be particularly attractive for visitors from beyond the grave…

 

#8. St Augustine, Florida

There are many compelling reasons to make a day trip to St Augustine from one of our vacation homes in Orlando: the food, the seasonal events, the history, the beaches… The town was once the state capital of Florida and its historic sites are well worth exploring.

The iconic St Augustine lighthouse is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the Pettee girls.  Their father was working on the lighthouse construction when they drowned in the sea a short distance away.  Today, visitors to the lighthouse report hearing sounds of the children’s laughter and footsteps on the lighthouse’s many stairs.

 

Meanwhile the sprawling site of St Augustine’s seventeenth-century Castillo de San Marcos fortress has a number of ghost stories attached to it.  Visitors report seeing a lovesick woman in white.  While others report seeing the ghost of a Seminole man who leaps from the fortress walls.

 

#9. Tampa Theatre, Tampa, Florida

Beautiful old buildings seem to attract tales of hauntings and the Tampa movie theatre is no exception.  This gorgeous theatre building was built in 1926.  It is said to be haunted by one of the projectionists who worked there from 1930 until 1965, when he died of a heart attack in the projection room.

Since then, employees have reported many spooky and paranormal events that have happened, especially when they are alone in the theatre!

Although the theatre isn’t open at the moment, you can do your bit to support this local non-profit institution by streaming movies from its website.  In honour of the season, there’s a whole range of ghostly, ghoulish and downright scary movies to enjoy.

This year, brave souls can also sign up to SpiritsFest – an exclusive online Halloween event.  Sign up to receive a code to access an exclusive evening of LIVE-streaming entertainment, starting at 7:00pm Saturday night.  And you can also purchase SpiritsFest sampling-to-go boxes for $95 featuring four spirited seasonal cocktails.

 

#10. Complex 34, Kennedy Space Centre, Florida

Now that SpaceX has revitalised the local space industry, heading over to the east coast to see a rocket launch is a must-do while in Orlando: you’re guaranteed a really amazing day trip from one of our Orlando vacation homes if you time your trip right.

It’s around a 50-minute drive to get to the East Coast beaches and, while you’re there, a trip around the Kennedy Space Centre is an absolute must!

 

However, the location isn’t without its share of spooky stories either.  The terrible tragedy of the three astronauts who died in a cabin fire on the launch pad of Complex 34 is well known.  The launch pad was immediately closed down and now Launch Complex 34 is maintained as the memorial site for the crew of Apollo 1.

In normal times, you can visit the site on official tours.  Visitors who do have reported a variety of paranormal activity taking place there, including a mysterious screaming.  Many who have visited the site report a feeling a sudden and overwhelming sense of dread.

 

Want to live the Orlando adventure for yourself?  Book your visit!

 

Spooky stories abound – as you can see!  If this has whet your appetite for some spooky Halloween fun, read our guide to the Halloween fun that’s happening at Florida’s theme parks this fall season.

Halloween 2020

 

Check out our vacation homes near Disney World Orlando:

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Fall is one of the most fun times in Orlando’s theme parks.

This year, Orlando’s theme parks are working hard to get the right balance between ensuring guest safety and spooktacular Halloween fun in Orlando.

Even with the new rules being enforced to protect guests from COVID-19, there is still plenty of fall fun to enjoy!

Here’s our round up.

Scary Good Times at Universal Orlando

Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights are one of our favourite events.  Like many people we were sad to hear they won’t be running this year.

Universal have introduced plenty of “scary good” fun to occupy us though!

There are two heart-pounding haunted houses in Universal Studios:

Virtual lines are in place for both attractions to enable social distancing. Both haunted houses are included with normal admission to Universal Studios Florida or Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

You can take your kids (age 12 or younger) trick-or-treating in Islands of Adventure. Grab a free trick-or-treat bag, then look out for pumpkin stickers marking participating retail stores.

There’s also a fun Scarecrow Stalk. Find all 13 custom-crafted scarecrows and skeletons on this all-new scavenger hunt to receive a candy sampler bag, while supplies last.

Costumes aren’t essential, but they are encouraged.  Dressing up is a good way to have Halloween fun in Orlando.

Even better for Florida residents, if you buy a day you can visit every day through to December 24th for free!

 

Halloween fun at DisneyWorld Orlando

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party isn’t happening this year either.  However there are still plenty of special treats to enjoy.

The Boo-To-You parade, fireworks, stage shows and character meet-and-greets cannot take place this year because of social distancing rules.

Nevertheless, Disney has ensured that your little ones can still see their favourite Disney characters and enjoy the magic of the season. Magic Kingdom has introduced mini cavalcades that happen at various times throughout the day.  It’s actually really nice to enjoy a more laid-back park experience without the crowds.

There are plenty of special autumnal food treats to enjoy too. How about the Pumpkin Spiced Waffle Sundaes at Sleepy Hollow? Or the Pumpkin Spice Milkshake at Auntie Gravity’s Galactic Goodies?

Disney is inviting all guests to embrace the spirit of the season by wearing Halloween costumes when visiting between September 15 and October 31, 2020.  While costume masks aren’t allowed for anyone over the age of 14, all guests are required to wear approved face coverings during their visit.

Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival

This year is the 25th anniversary of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.  We’re pleased to say it’s still going ahead, albeit in a scaled back way.

Disney is inviting guests to sip, savour and stroll around the park.  There will be twenty participating marketplaces at this year’s Taste of Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

Kids can follow Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak Scavenger Hunt. You will need to purchase a map and then explore the World Showcase to help Remy collect ingredients for his signature dish.  Along the way pick up  stickers from select Festival merchandise locations.  At the end of the hunt claim your prize at Disney Traders.

The event is included in your Epcot admission.  Remember to use the Disney Park Pass reservation system in order to enter the park.

What Halloween fun is happening at SeaWorld?

You can read more about what’s happening elsewhere in Central Florida on our blog: read about this year’s Spooktacular at SeaWorld here.

Ready to book your own Halloween fun in Orlando’s theme parks?

Check out our vacation homes near Disney World & Universal Orlando:

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The Halloween fun has begun in Orlando’s theme parks!

The parks are a little different right now, thanks to the social distancing measures that are in place to keep guests safe. That isn’t affecting all the fabulous fall fun there is to be had though!

SeaWorld’s fun-filled Halloween event, the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular, is back this year.

SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular

This year, Spooktacular is running on Saturdays and Sundays, from September 19th through November 1st.

You’ll notice some differences: the frequent hand-sanitising stations, the obligatory mask wearing and a few tweaks to the programme.

Plus, on the Trick-or-Treat Trail this year:

The Spooktacular events are all included in park admission. This year’s attractions for your little ones include:

Plus! Enjoy a nostalgic drive-thru experience

New this year, SeaWorld have introduced a fab drive-thru movie experience as part of their Halloween events.  Now, you can enjoy a spooky film night under the stars while complying with social distancing requirements.

You can buy treats before the movie from the local food trucks that will be parked up nearby. Then sit back in the comfort of your own vehicle and enjoy the movie!

Saturdays, Sept. 19 – Oct. 31 and Friday, Oct. 23 & 30

Family-friendly Halloween film: 7:45 p.m.
Fright-filled Halloween film: 10:30 p.m.

It’s $40 to park your vehicle and this includes all seated passengers in it to view the movie.

Book your Halloween fun now!

Halloween is one of the most fun times of year in Orlando’s theme parks. We’re so pleased that this year, you can still experience and enjoy the magic.

You can find out more about SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular here.

If you’d like to book your stay in Florida to enjoy a visit to SeaWorld Orlando or any of the fun-packed fall events that are happening in central Florida and its wonderful attractions this year, please check out our homes here.

There can be few places better to spend the Christmas and New Year than Orlando.

Here’s the Ellis Exclusive Villas run down of the very best ways to celebrate the holiday season.

 

#1. Disney’s Magic Kingdom: Micky’s Very Merry Christmas Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is a warm-hearted family celebration featuring all your favourite Disney characters.

It is a specially ticketed event running over select nights between Nov 8 and Dec 22.

This year’s event features a Frozen-themed Disney castle and a special Christmas Parade and lightshow.

 

#2. Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has seen a slew of new openings in recent years, including the new Star Wars world and Toy Story world.

Its Christmas celebrations this year include the Jingle Bel, Jingle BAM firework spectacular and a special show on Sunset Boulevard which includes falling snow.

 

#3. Epcot: International Festival of the Holidays

Discover Christmas traditions from all over the world at Epcot’s Christmas celebrations.

The highlight is the Candlelight Processional with a 50-piece orchestra, which takes three times each night. Plus, enjoy delicious festive treats at the food stalls and a festive cookie stroll.

 

#4. Universal: Christmas in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

This festive season, Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley have both had a holiday makeover.

If you’re a Harry Potter fan and you haven’t been this year, do make a trip to the Universal parks a part of your holiday season schedule because Universal has also had a fantastic new opening in its Harry Potter world this year: a new rollercoaster called Hagrid’s magical creatures motorbike adventure.  Plus, there’s a new lightshow featuring Dementors, Death Eaters and the Dark Lord Voldemort at Hogwarts Castle at Islands of Adventure.

Elsewhere in the Universal parks, you can enjoy a Macy’s Holiday Parade and a Who-liday Spectacular featuring Dr Seuss’s Grinch.

 

#5. Snow falling in Celebration

We’re big fans of the town of Celebration, just outside the Disney Parks. It’s well worth a visit anytime of year, but Christmas time is particularly special.

As well as horse-drawn carriage rides around the town as it is all dressed up for Christmas, carol singers on the streets, and a really buzzy Christmas feel in the shops and restaurants, the town also boasts a temporary ice rink and even has its own snowfall every evening!

 

 #6. Legoland Florida Resort

If you have young children in your party, don’t miss a trip to Legoland this festive season.  Your little ones will love the special Christmas activities at the theme park.

As well as special fireworks shows on select nights leading up to Christmas, there’s also a child-friendly new year’s party this holiday season.

 

#7. Festival of Trees at OMART

If you aren’t travelling with little ones, the Festival Trees at the Orlando Museum of Art is perhaps a more age-appropriate way to celebrate the holiday season.  This highly regarded event is a bit of an Orlando Christmas institution. It’s a great way to stock up on truly unique gifts made by local designers and artists, while supporting the museum’s programmes for lifelong learning.

Loch Haven Park, where the Orlando Museum of Art is sited, is about 10 minutes from downtown Orlando.  So, while you’re visiting downtown Orlando, combine a trip to the Festival of Trees with tickets to enjoy another Orlando cultural Christmas tradition: Orlando Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker at the Dr Philips Centre for the Performing Arts.

This year’s performances run from Friday, December 13 through to a matinee performance on Monday, December 23, 2019.

 

#8. ICE! At Gaylord Palms

 

If you don’t want to make the trip downtown, then you might want to try another local favourite a bit closer to home. This year, the popular ice sculpture show at the Gaylord Palms hotel and resort features a Polar Express theme.

The walking tour around the ice sculptures is a real holiday treat and your kids will love the ice slides at the end!  Running: November 25, 2019 – January 5, 2020 at the resort at 6000 West Osceola Parkway, Kissimmee.

 

Remember! If you need help purchasing tickets for any of these wonderful holiday celebrations, please speak with our ticketing partner, Kissimmee Guests Services.

With Christmas inspiration, now book your visit!

 

Check out our vacation homes near Disney World Orlando:

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Talk to our ticket partner for the best deal on tickets – guaranteed!

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Read our best-ever hacks for Universal Studios and Universal Islands of Adventure:

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It can sometimes be confusing about who gets a tip and how much that tip should be. Guests can really struggle with the minefield of tipping restaurant and hotel staff in Florida.  That’s why we’ve created a handy guide on tipping in the USA to help remove any uncertainties travellers may have.

In the USA, restaurant staff waiting tables often rely on tips to make up a significant proportion of their wages.   Staff are really motivated to go that extra mile because tipping is so important to their overall take-home pay.

Today, the federal minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13. (The main federal minimum wage is $7.25).  Only seven states mandate that all workers, regardless of tips, must be paid the full state minimum wage before tips, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

This means, if you don’t tip, it can represent a big loss of earnings for your server.

Take a look at the handy guide on tipping in the USA

Here’s our pick of some of our favourite heart-warming, inspiring and, sometimes, shocking tipping stories…

The Tipping Jackpot!

When police detective Robert Cunningham chose to offer his server a deal instead of settling the tab on his usual meal of linguini and clam sauce at Sal’s Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York, she agreed.  By 1984, Phyllis Penzo had waited on tables six nights a week at the restaurant for 24 years.  Cunningham suggested they split the lottery ticket he had in his pocket, so Penzo duly sat down and helped Cunningham choose the numbers.  This $1 entry into the New York State Lotto Competition won the pair $6 million dollars!

Their story was later dramatised (with some artistic licence) in the 1994 film It Could Happen to You starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda.

A Family Remembers

Aaron Collins left a rather unusual instruction in the will his family found on his computer after he died: to leave a $500 tip to a server in a pizza restaurant.

His older brother Seth Collins, his younger sisters and his parents decided to make a website for friends and family to contribute to Aaron’s last wish.  Donations quickly racked up to $48,000 within three weeks and the family began following Aaron’s instructions to leave their servers $500 tips. The family have said all of the donations will be distributed in $500 tips to restaurant servers.

Seth Collins said, “It doesn’t seem to be about the money.  It’s about the random kindness — that unexpected kindness from a stranger, not just people who have gotten the money, but people who have watched it.  And I think that really surprised me.”

Changing Tipping Habits

Another Kentucky resident has taken a similarly generous approach to tipping.  Russ Johnson, a retired septuagenarian manufacturing executive in Louisville has decided to start tipping 50 percent of the bill.

His decision followed a conversation with a golfing buddy which inspired him to stop donating to charities and start tipping generously instead.  Johnson told MarketWatch: “I have convinced many of my friends to reduce donating to charities.  I would rather put money in the hands of people on the low end of the scale working their way up the ladder than in some bureaucrat’s hand who works for an organised charity.”

Generous Celebrities

If a particularly generous celebrity walks through the restaurant doors, servers can be in for a treat.  Johnny Depp’s $4,000 tip after an enjoying an evening with friends and several $500 bottles of wine is legendary.  And Thrillist recounts a wonderful story about Bill Murray, who not only left his server a hugely generous 120 percent tip he then went on to teach the same server how to make their lemon wedges juicier by rolling them on a cutting board before slicing them!

The Restaurant that Tried to Ban Tipping

A few years ago, Joe’s Crab Shack experimented with the idea of eliminating tips.  In November 2015, the casual seafood chain announced it was trying out a “no tipping” policy in 18 of its restaurants.  With more than 100 locations nationwide, it was the first major restaurant chain to test out a no-tipping policy.

However, by May 2016 the company began rowing back on its no tipping approach.  Its customers had complained of higher food prices and poor service.  The restaurant’s research showed that around 60 percent of customers disliked the policy because it took away an incentive for good service and because they didn’t necessarily trust that management was passing the money to workers.

Tipping to Show Appreciation of a Good Job

When the New York Times asked its readers for their tipping stories, they were inundated with stories that ranged from the horrifying to the heart-warming.

Reader Sheri Albrecht of Walford, Iowa’s story definitely falls into the heartwarming category.  She told the paper about a time when she and her husband had dined at a local restaurant with another couple who had picked up the check but left a paltry tip.

“My husband returned to the restaurant the next day, found the waitress, apologised for our friend’s poor tip (she remembered it) and handed her enough cash to make 20 percent.  She stared at the money for a few seconds, stunned, then threw her arms around my husband’s neck and started to cry.  THAT’S how much tips mean to servers.’’

We’d love to hear your experiences about tipping in Florida and in and around Disney World and the other Orlando parks.  Share your stories with us below.

The latest new Harry Potter Adventure!  Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Ride is opening at Universal on June 13th.

The latest addition to the World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is sure to delight coaster freaks and Harry Potter fans alike.

Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike ride boasts some thrilling white-knuckle stats:

* The longest rollercoaster in Florida

* The first coaster in the USA to feature a free-fall vertical drop

* The most launches of any coaster in the world

Fun Fact:  It combines some of the most high-tech animatronics and input from the creative team behind the Harry Potter films.  Universal’s creative team worked with Stuart Craig, the films’ Creative Director and Alan Gilmore, the Art Director.

Immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter

Thanks to this exciting new ride, visitors to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hogsmeade at the Universal Islands of Adventure theme park in Orlando will be ushered into a new world of magical creatures

It’s the first time that visitors to the park will come face to face with one of the series’ best loved characters.  Universal has pulled out all the stops to create its most advanced and realistic animated figure yet.

Fun Fact:  The team worked directly with Robbie Coltrane, the actor who plays Hagrid in the films, to develop facial expressions and body movements for the animated Hagrid figure that introduces visitors to his magical creatures.  New voice recordings by Robbie Coltrane where produced for more authenticity.

Meet the magical creatures of Hagrid and Harry’s world

Enter through Hagrid’s hut prior to venturing on to the abandoned ruins, on the edge of the Forbidden Forest.

A pre-ride show featuring digital projection technology will entertain you as you meet Hagrid, Arthur Weasley and Hagrid’s pet – Fang.

You’ll then be able to decide whether to ride Hagrid’s motorbike or travel like Harry in the sidecar alongside.

Buckle up and the ride will plunge deeper into the Forbidden forest – where you’ll meet some of the wizarding world’s rare and wonderful magical creatures.

A rip-roaring ride

It isn’t only magical creatures that will be taking your breath away. Hadrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Ride launches at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

Fun Fact:  The ride track measures in at 5,053 feet long.  This makes Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Ride the longest roller-coaster in Florida.

The ride includes the first free-fall vertical drop in the USA.  Drop 17 feet vertically down for an adrenaline-spiked, stomach-losing free-fall, before in one movement being catapulted 65 feet into the air at a 70-degree angle and dropping back down again.   A really wild and hair-raising adventure!

Want to live the adventure for yourself?  Book your visit!

Check out our vacation homes near Disney World Orlando:

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The Ellis Exclusive Villas team shares our favourite Disney World top tips. This is everything you need to know about Disney World!

Even experienced Disney visitors will learn something from this collection of our favourite Disney hacks. If you are planning to visit Disney World while staying at one of our Orlando vacation homes, make sure you try these best-ever Disney World Hacks.

Let us guide you step by step through everything you need to know about getting the most from your visit to Disney World Orlando.

#1. Pick your dates wisely

Ticket prices can vary wildly from one month – or day – to the next. Choosing the right dates to go can have a huge impact on your total bill. If you are able to pick your travel dates freely, January and September are usually the cheapest months – and the weather is milder too.

If you are planning a visit to the parks with tiny tots, then make the most of these cheap rates before your toddler reaches school age and you’re constrained to the more expensive school holiday periods.

We really love Dave Shute’s guidance on this and if you’re serious about picking a day with lower footfall highly recommend you visit his site.

#2. Get your ticket from a reputable source

Don’t fall for too-good-to-be-true prices – always get your ticket from a reputable source.

If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. You don’t want to find yourself signed up for a timeshare meeting to get a discount (what a waste of a day’s holiday!) or, worse, turned away at the gates.

#3.Buy your tickets AT LEAST a month before you go so you can use the Fast Pass service

Disney’s Fast Pass Plus will save you lots of time standing in line.

Fast Pass is a free service from Disney. To use it, you need to have Disney tickets.

Then, 30 days before you are due to visit, you can use your Fast Pass to reserve your place in the queue on some of Disney’s most popular rides and attractions.

If there are some rides you don’t want to miss, your Fast Pass is the best way to minimise the time you stand in line for those rides. Simply register online or in the app to book your slot in the queue in advance.

Each guest can reserve their place in the queue for up to three rides or attractions.

You can also use your Fast Pass Plus to book character Meet and Greets too – which is really great if you have toddlers and little ones in your party.

Spend some time thinking about what you want to do, what you don’t want to miss, what is going to make your day special and use of your Fast Pass allocations wisely.

#4. Download the Disney World app

The best source of information before you go is the Disney World app – it includes information about wait times per attraction as well as showtimes for fireworks and parades.

Download the Disney World guest app “My Disney Experience” as soon as you can. The app is available on IoS and Android.

The app is ideal for helping you get familiar with the park layout and services before you arrive.

It also gives you access to the Fast Pass Plus scheme – so you can book your place in the queue for the most popular rides (see item #3). You can access the Fast Pass Plus system from 30 days before your visit. This scheme is one of the best ways to minimise the time you spend in line during your visit – so do make use of it.

#5. Book Disney restaurants and Disney character meet and greets far in advance

Character meet and greets are extremely popular and you need to book them month’s in advance. Don’t leave it to the last minute.

 

#6. When you visit, aim to arrive BEFORE the parks officially open

People don’t usually want to get up early in the morning when they are on vacation so, as a rule, the parks are always quieter first thing in the morning. Aim to arrive even before the official opening time. This enables you to make your way to the gate for “rope drop” and be at the front of the queue!

Magic Kingdom opens an hour before rope drop – so you can spend a little time browsing the stores on Main Street before getting yourself into pole position for opening.

On some days, on some rides, you may even be able to enjoy an attraction before the official opening time.

#7. Early starts don’t have to mean a full day

If you have toddlers in your party, one thing we have found useful over the years is to book a villa just a short drive from the main gate – our homes on Seasons are ideal. This way, you can align your trip perfectly with your toddler’s schedule.

You’ll be used to the early starts with your toddler’s early rises so can arrive at the parks early and make the most of the lighter queues in the mornings. When your little one is ready for their lunchtime nap, escape back to the vacation home for lunch. This will save you a fortune because you can cater for yourself instead of having to pay high restaurant prices in the parks.

 

You can chill by the pool during the heat of the day, then return to the parks fully refreshed in the late afternoon – ready to enjoy the evening fireworks and parades.

Disney can be quite overwhelming, especially on a first visit, so this is one way to reduce the stress and sensory overload on your whole party!

#8. Extra Magic Hours

One way to sneak into the park before anyone else is to stay at a Disney hotel for a night when there are Extra Magic Hours running at the park you want to visit.

On these days, hotel guests can access the park an hour early or stay a couple of hours later than other guests.

A word of warning, however: this is really only useful if you intend to get up an hour earlier and make use of that extra magic hour. What’s more, the parks do tend to be busier on the days when Extra Magic Hours are available.

There is a cheaper and better way to get into the park early which we will explain below.

#9. Time your Disney restaurant bookings and Disney character meet and greets wisely

Rather than checking into a Disney hotel and leaving your villa empty for the night, we recommend saving your money and booking a character breakfast on a day when there are no Extra Magic Hours instead.

Book an early breakfast at Crystal Palace or Cinderella’s Royal Table on a non-EMH morning and you can skip down an empty Main Street USA and pose with characters with hardly any others in the picture.

This is a great treat. Plus, the rest of the day won’t be subject to the extra crowds that seem to materialise on Extra Magic Hours days.

You can also use the Disney app to book restaurants and character meet and greets.

Do book as early as you can because they are popular!

#10. Agree a meeting point

As soon as you enter the park, set a meeting point where all your party can meet up in the event you get separated and your phone batteries die. If nothing else, it’s good for peace of mind.

#11. Your first visit should be to Guest Services if it is a special occasion

On your first visit, birthday, anniversary or special event go to Guest Services as soon as you arrive to pick up a pin badge. Wear your “It’s my birthday today” pin and you’ll be regaled with birthday greetings all day. A little bit of extra Disney magic which makes an occasion or birthday extra special.

If you are going to do this, we recommend an early start because the queue for Guest Services can get long quickly – and early start saves the time you’ll spend in line.

#12. Leave your selfie stick at home

They are not welcome at Disney.

#13. Do pack a poncho

This is our favourite money saving tip. At certain times of year, Florida is known for its flash showers so having a lightweight waterproof is vital.

Plus,  your waterproof poncho will also come in very handy on the water rides!

However, the ponchos you buy in the park are expensive, so if you are trying to save money don’t leave it until you get to Disney World to buy one. Pick them up cheaply from local stores or online before you go.

#14. Make use of the Single Rider and Rider Switch schemes

Just as in Universal, Disney operates a rider swap scheme for parents with young children, so no one has to miss a turn on the ride because they’ve been left holding the baby.

As well as ensuring both Mum and Dad get to turn on the ride, older children in the party can enjoy a second turn without having to return to the back of the line.

Another way to reduce times is to ride as a single rider. This way, you will be seated where there are single seats between large parties. However, you do need to be prepared to ride alone; if you join the Single Rider line with other people in your party, you need to understand that you will be seated separately.

If you are parents visiting with one child who is too small to ride, you can combine Rider Switch with Single Rider and keep your wait times to an absolute minimum.

#15. Keep adding to your Fast Pass Plus selections as you use them

Once you use up your three pre-booked Fast Pass Plus selections, you can add more Fast Pass Plus options through the day (subject to availability). Either use the app or go to one of the Fast Pass Plus kiosks around the park.

Remember, to use the Fast Pass Plus scheme to full advantage, you need to get your Disney tickets well before you travel.

#16. If you don’t mind missing parades or firework shows, this is the time to ride!

The wait times for attractions are usually much lower when there is a parade or show happening.

On nights when there are no evening spectaculars in Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom, you’ll find those parks have shorter waiting times too.

So, provided you don’t mind missing the shows, this can be a great time to get some extra rides in.

If you have little ones in your party or its your first visit, you won’t want to miss these magical events of pure Disney – so position yourself to the beginning of the parade route so you can scoot off once the parade passes and enjoy the short lines!

Word of warning: make sure you are on the right side of the parade route for the attraction you want to ride. There’s no crossing the parade route once it’s started.

#17. Offset your mealtimes

Wait times are often shorter during mealtimes too. So, you could consider scheduling a mid-morning snack and afternoon tea instead of having lunch.

This is a double win: you eat when the restaurants are less busy and you make the most of the short lines during peak dining times.

#18. Shop wisely

There are so many ways to spend money in the parks, so it’s worth thinking about what you want to spend your money on before you go.

You can pick up Disney merchandise cheaply in stores like Walmart or online, so if you are trying to save money it might be worth buying your little princess her Elsa dress before you go.

You can also save money by taking refillable water bottles with you – most restaurants will give you free iced water if you ask for it.

When Main Street is busy, you can avoid the crowds by walking through the shops instead of along the road. The shops are all inter-connected and the air conditioning is a cooling bonus!

We suggest you leave your shopping until the end of the day, because the shops of Main Street remain open for an hour after the rest of the park closes. However, if you do pick up a few souvenirs during the day, you can ask for them to be sent to the front of the park for the end of the day, so you can pick up your gift shopping as you leave.

Follow these 20 tips and you can get your most from your Disney World Orlando visit.

Share your Disney World Orlando hacks!

If you have other Disney World Orlando tips you can share with our guests, please do share your thoughts on our Facebook page.  We’d love to hear your Disney World tips and hacks.

If you’d like to talk to us about finding you the perfect vacation for your Disney World Orlando vacation, please email: reservations@ellisexclusivevillas.com 

 

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Central Florida is a beautiful part of the world and it is definitely worth making time to explore beyond the parks if you can.The Ellis team ventured out to Mount Dora recently – a great fun day out for all the family.  Here’s what happened.

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Mount Dora is an attractive lakeside town just forty minutes to an hour or so north of any of our vacation homes.  Take a stroll along the main street, browse its boutiques, stop for lunch in a little independent bistro, then in the afternoon explore a little further by taking a boat ride across the lake or a steam train ride to neighbouring Tavares.

Getting There

You’ll need to go North on the Florida Turnpike from Kissimmee.  Mount Dora is around forty miles to the North-West of Orlando.  The Turnpike is a toll road, so make sure you are prepared for the tolls.

Main Street

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Mount Dora is a really attractive town that you can happily explore on foot.Some parts of the main shopping streets are pedestrianised so it is great to potter around, browsing the stores and stopping to leisurely decide where to have lunch.

Lunch at Cecile’s French Corner

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Cecile’s French Corner is a wonderful little bistro in one of the pedestrianised areas of the town, serving Crepes, Salads, Quiches, and other French-inspired delicacies.  Sit inside or in the pretty courtyard out back and relax with a glass of French wine.

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Take a Boat Trip

Rusty Anchor Boat Tours are located just by the Yacht Club at the lakefront in Mount Dora.

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It runs a range of trips including a Sunset Cruise ($20 per person for a one hour trip) and Canal Tours (£27.50 per person for a two hour trip that takes in alligators, turtles, otters, 100-year-old Cyprus trees and many species of birds).

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Take the Train to Tavares

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The neighbouring town of Tavares is just an hour away by rail. Take one of the scenic trains which run between the two stations and watch the world go by.  At different times of year, you are able to catch special seasonal trains, including: Halloween Train, Pumpkin Train, Christmas Train, Wild West Train, Pizza Train, Wine and Tapas Train, Dinner Train.  It is a lot of fun.

The Kids Can Enjoy the Parks in Tavares

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Our children really enjoyed the wonderful rustic play area, complete with fairy-tale castle constructed from logs and the splash park at Tavares.

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Explore by Segway or Sea Plane

Back at Mount Dora, there are a few others ways to explore available to you.

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Segways and bikes can be hired locally at a reasonable price.

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Or for something a bit different, why not take a trip on one of the sea plane rides on offer.  Rides from Jones Brothers Air and Seaplane Adventures start from $39.

We found a great combination deal that took in a Sea Plane ride, boat trip and pontoon boats for $93.  Which is a heck of a lot of adventure to pack into one day out at the lake.

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Take Afternoon Tea at the Windsor Rose Tearooms

After all that adventure, we had worked up a thirst and so were very pleased to stumble upon the Windsor Rose tearooms.

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This delightful little café serving pots of tea, finger sandwiches, scones and cake was just what we needed before heading home!

Summary:   A great day out and a definite change of pace to the theme parks.  Well worth the trip.  Going in the Fall meant the weather was perfect for strolling around the lake and town; during the summer we expect it could get rather hot and sticky – although a trip to the splash pad would be great fun in the summer months!  October through March is the perfect time to visit.  The autumnal weather also meant that we weren’t hassled by insects (as long as you stay off the wet grass!) and we got to enjoy all the lovely harvest displays around town and in the shops.

For more information about activities, events, shows and entertainment in and around Orlando and Central Florida, speak with our ticketing partner Kissimmee Guest Services. 

Or call the Ellis Exclusive Villas team on:

 In USA: 321 710 8779

 In UK: 0333 332 1411