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:
- the total number of theme parks guests,
- the number of guests on particular rides or attractions at any one time,
- the number of guests allowed within individual shops and restaurants at any one time.
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:
- Disney has cancelled all existing FastPass+ reservations until the end of this year.
- You can only attend one park per day. Park hopping won’t be possible under the new system.
- If you have a multi-day ticket, you must make a separate reservation for each day you wish to attend.
- Annual passholders will be allowed three park passes at any one time. This will work on a rolling basis, so as soon as you make one visit, you can book a new third slot.
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:
- Book your tickets in the normal way, remembering that the possibility to park hop has been temporarily suspended.
- Download the My Disney app, register for an account and then link your park admission. Create your friends and family list for your travel party and assign tickets to your fellow guests. More details here.
- Check Disney Park Pass availability
- Choose the date and theme park you’d like to visit.
- You should then be able to view your park passes in MyPlans in the My Disney Experience app.
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?
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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:
- Universal Monsters The Bride of Frankenstein Lives
- Revenge of the Tooth Fairy.
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?
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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:
- Costumed youngsters will walk through in a single direction, with limited capacity, so they can have loads of fun whilst staying safe.
- At the entrance to the Trick-or-Treat trail guests must purchase a new reusable bag, from an assortment available, in order to prevent contact between individuals.
The Spooktacular events are all included in park admission. This year’s attractions for your little ones include:
- A trick-or-treat trail bursting with candy and adventure
- A special Halloween breakfast with Sesame Street friends
- Cookie Decorating with Cookie Monster
- Halloween Maze
- Meet a Mermaid
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.
Ellis Exclusive Villas has always worked hard to ensure our homes are pristine, well maintained and spotlessly clean. It’s a vital part of our commitment to ensure guest comfort.
With the travel industry still reeling from the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic, we know that restoring people’s faith in travel is going to take careful and sustained effort. We believe that rebuilding this trust must be based on safeguarding our guests in the best possible way.
For this reason, we have decided to introduce further enhanced cleaning regimes for all our properties to ensure our practices meet the latest recommendations for guest protection.
The new SafeHome scheme for vacation rental properties
We’ve decided to follow the guidelines of the SafeHome initiative. This is a new scheme designed to ensure safe cleaning standards in response to the pandemic which has been launched by the two vacation industry associations: the Vacaton Rental Housekeeping Professionals (VRHP) and the Vacation Rental Management Association (VRMA).
Our enhanced cleaning measures include:
- Providing our staff with personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves
- Asking staff to stay at home if they have any signs of symptoms, as stated in official guidance
- All surfaces will be cleaned with hospital-grade EPA-approved disinfectants
- Special care will be paid to high touch areas, such as light switches and door handles and TV controllers, etc.
- Dining tables and breakfast bars will no longer be set, all dishes will be washed and put away
- Throws and cushions will be washed and put away in closets
- Staff will wear new gloves when handling disinfected items
- Strict waste removal processes
- Handwash and extra soap will be left for each guest arrival
- Cleaning spray and cloths will also be left in the property for guest use
- All our staff will enact strict social distancing rules
We have introduced a new cleaning checklist to help our staff adjust to the new cleaning procedures and embed the new practices. We are happy to share this with you on request.
Our pre-arrival home inspections are continuing, so you can be sure that your vacation property meets your expectations. These will be conducted by staff wearing the appropriate PPE and sanitising door handles, light switches, etc. as they go.
New virtual processes for safe, socially distanced contact with our team
In addition to the new cleaning regime, we have also made some changes to the way we communicate with our guests.
We have now switched to a virtual meet and greet process. You simply need to schedule a welcome call with our team at a post-arrival time to suit you and we will talk you through all the great features of your rental home over a virtual team meeting.
We’re also shifting all first responses to maintenance issues to a virtual system. This means we can troubleshoot issues with you over a virtual video call, rather than coming out to the property. Many issues will be resolved over this video chat.
For those issues that do require a visit to your vacation home to resolve, our staff will be enforcing strict social distancing rules. We ask that you help them to do this and remain at least two metres (six feet) away from them at all times.
While there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread through pools or hot tubs, our staff will use clean gloves whenever they are conducting maintenance in these areas.
Please help us to keep you safe
Please respect our staff if they do need to visit your property and remain the safe distance away at all times.
It is important that you also strictly adhere to the standard check out time of 10am. Prompt guest checkouts are vital if we are going to maintain these higher cleaning standards for all our guests. They also play an important role in enabling us to ensure a 72-hour vacant period before check-in for our guests.
If you know that you are likely to want a late checkout, this must be booked and paid for in advance. Please show consideration to our team and the guests that follow you by checking out promptly.
Thank you for consideration. We look forward to hosting you in Florida soon.
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!
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Talk to our ticket partner for the best deal on tickets – guaranteed!
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Mickey Mouse has been a prominent feature in the Walt Disney company’s Orlando theme parks since they first opened in the 1970s. Here are some of our favourite Mouse facts.
Walt Disney famously commented, “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.”
Today, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with average annual attendance of more than 52 million.
There are now 4 parks at the Lake Buena Vista site: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
A Star is Born
Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in the cartoon “Steamboat Willie”. This short film debuted on November 18th 1928.
Fifty years later, on November 18th 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon character to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was awarded to celebrate Mickey’s 50th birthday.
You can see Mickey’s star at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard.
Steamboat Willie
Although Steamboat Willie was the first Mickey Mouse film to receive a cinema release, it was actually the third Mickey Mouse film to be created.
It was preceded by “Plane Crazy” and “The Gallopin’ Gaucho”.
These two earlier films initially failed to find distributors. Later, they were picked up and released.
Mickey’s first feature film was released in 1940. In “Fantasia” Mickey starred as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.
It Could Have Been So Different…
Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse after he lost the rights to an earlier character he had created, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
Walt Disney originally planned to call his mouse “Mortimer Mouse”.
Walt changed the name to Mickey when his wife Lillian suggested the name of Mortimer sounded too pompous.
Lillian suggested Mickey because she felt the name better evoked the characteristics of fun and humility.
The Talkies
The first film in which Mickey spoke was his ninth release. “The Karnival Kid” was released in July 1929 and Mickey’s first words were “Hot dog!”
Walt Disney wasn’t happy with the first few actors chosen to provide a voice for Mickey – so he did the job himself.
Walt Disney continued to be the voice of Mickey Mouse until 1947.
The two people who then became the voices of Mickey and Minnie were married in real life.
Mickey’s most famous phrases include: “Oh boy!”, “That sure is swell!” and “See ya soon!”.
Now you know the Mouse facts, book your visit!
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It’s sometimes easy to forget how different American English and British English are. Sometimes less so.
Because I book my villas to both English and American guests, I’m frequently reminded of the differences. Little things cause problems. For example, the terms ‘self-catering’ and ‘villa’ instantly communicate essential holiday characteristics to British guests, but are devoid of such meaning for my US guests.
I will be mid-booking and suddenly find myself floundering for words to describe what I mean:
“Would you like me to arrange a pushchair for you free of charge? What’s a pushchair? Umm…”
While British influence around the world started fading several centuries ago, American cultural imperialism has more than filled the vacuum. Here in the UK, we are exposed to American TV like we are that of no other country. It’s a shame really, because I feel sure that watching French or Spanish TV would help with our lousy record of learning foreign languages (and our sense of being European, but that’s a whole other topic!).
This diet of American TV classics fools us into the complacent idea that we can speak ‘American’. But for all the time I spend enjoying House of Cards or The Wire, I have to admit we are still separated by a common language.
Nowhere was this more evident than the aisles of Walmart as I stood miming sucking on my finger and desperately making loud, urgent sucking noises as the shop assistant stared back at me.
“No Maam,” he said uncertainly, “I don’t think we have those.”
Perhaps the screaming baby in my arms should have been a clue. But it still took a good twenty minutes before we located the pacifiers. And I realised for all the shop assistant knew I’d been throwing insults his way for the first ten of them.
“Dummy! Dummy!”
Almost as embarrassing as the time I went to buy diapers for a guest’s baby, forgot the word, asked for nappies (what the British call diapers) and found myself escorted to the female incontinence pads. Miming was not going to help in that situation…!
There is still plenty of room for misunderstanding you see. So next time, when I struggle to remember what I ought to call ‘stroller’ or ‘carriage’ (instead of ‘pushchair’ or ‘pram’), please bear with me. I’ll get there in the end.