March 20, 2013 Walt Disney World began MyMagic+ upgrade for annual passholders with hard plastic cards, RFID, and a MagicBandpreview.
Now through May 19, Walt Disney World annual passholders can take existing paper passes to the Odyssey Center at Epcot, located between Test Track and the Mexico pavilion, and update them to hard plastic cards embedded with technology that allows access to the newest features.
My husband and I headed to change our passes over on the evening of March 21st.
I wasamazed at how easy it was. It really just took place almost instantly after presenting our existing pass and photo ID. We got to choose from four character designs: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, or Donald.
Once converted, passholders have access to the new turnstile-free entry areas at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Mickey-head adorned posts replace turnstiles presenting guests a chance to simply touch their passes against the glowing circle and place a finger on the security reader to gain access, as demonstrated in the video below.
Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests can also currently use the touch-to-enter system as the “Key to the World” cards also have the necessary MyMagic+ RFID technology already built in.
In addition to touch-to-enter, these new hard plastic cards work with the existing FastPass system and will ultimately work with the FastPass+ system, once it officially begins. These cards will also soon be able to used for PhotoPass+, allowing passholders to simply touch their cards against PhotoPass readers instead of having them scanned.
But according to the cast members in the upgrade center, passholders looking to use the touch-to-pay feature that’s now available at most registers across Walt Disney World will have to use MagicBands.
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These lightweight, flexible wristbandswill effortlessly connect you to all the vacation plans you make using the My Disney Experience app or from your PC. MagicBands can be used to enter Walt Disney World parks, access FastPass+ attractions and more. Wearing a MagicBandhelps make everything super easy, so you can relax and enjoy the fun.
MagicBands will be provided to Passholders whose passes provide admission to Magic Kingdom Park, Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park or Disney’s Hollywood Studios. We’ll let you know more about MagicBands in the coming months. Linking a credit card to an annual pass for touch-to-pay access will not be possible. Each passholder will receive one in the mail some time within the next few months, though Disney isn’t saying when just yet.
The MagicBand is on display at the Odyssey, packaged in multiple colors, arriving to guests in the mail with names assigned:
In addition to the MagicBands, we also got to take a lookat a few bonus pieces of theme park history in the Odyssey, including Figment and Kitchen Kabaret figures, Tom Morrow 2.0, an “it’s a small world” doll, a remote control jungle cruise boat (that you will no longer find in the Magic Kingdom), and more:
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The Odyssey Center is currently the only location where existing annual passholders can receive the new cards, open during regular park hours. Those who need new passes or renewals will be able to get the new pass at any ticket window. After May 19, other ways will be made available to exchange passes as well.
Many people think Disney cruises are just for kids, but my new friend Shellie Wylie knows a secret. She and her husband of 17 years have found real life magic and romance on the Disney Cruise line, and it is their favorite way to travel WITHOUT the kids! Let’s cruise along with Shellie today, and see through her eyes, how and why one can find very grown- up treasure on the high seas with Disney.
Real Life Magic and Romance on the High Seas (with a Splash of Disney!) Written by Shellie Wylie
My husband and I have taken three Disney cruise vacations without children in tow. All three vacations were simply wonderful! Because I am the owner of a travel agency, we have traveled often sans children as well. Despite the perception that Disney cruises are just for kids – our favorite…by far… adults only vacations have been on Disney ships.
The feeling of being valued and appreciated by all crew members begins the moment we arrive at the terminal. The efficient check-in process starts the trust in Disney’s ability to care for us in that special Disney way. I enjoy the experience with excitement as the daily stress carried around in my shoulder muscles begins to drop away.
By the time we reach the gang-way and the cast member calls out “Welcome to the Wylie family”, I am in tears. The impact of that entrance, the grandness, the beauty, the simple yet profound welcome sets the stage for what is to come.
How does this relate to romance?
Well, because of the superior service and beautiful surroundings, as a couple, we are freed enough from our real lives to see each other again as we did 17 years ago. Disney is a master at story telling. On the ship the story they are telling is your own. You write it. They’ve given you a beautiful sea-bound canvas. Classic, well designed stateroom, charming coffee bar, opulent and fun restaurants, room service, night club, piano bar, sports bar, adult exclusive pool, and so many options for activities if your story should include them.
In this environment I am so very important again to my husband, and he to me. I begin to remember why we fell in love so long ago. We focus on each other because we trust Disney to do everything else. And they do.
Our stateroom is always clean. Our food is always wonderful. If we choose to sit and read on deck, we can do that in peace together on wonderful round cushioned loungers. We can play 70’s Music Trivia, or disco dance. Romance can be found on a Disney cruise because these ships give us a chance to look into each other’s eyes and fall in love all over again. The details are all taken care of, so we are able to put our focus elsewhere.
We have our own real life magic – with just a subtle sprinkle of Disney magic thrown in. It feels good to be a part of the magic. It’s magic, not Mickey Mouse. It’s NOT in your face Mickey or Minnie. They are there for sure should you seek them out. These ships have a feeling, a personality that does not focus on the Disney characters. The focus is on the elegance and magic to set your mind at ease. You get to create your own story – and my husband and I choose to create a story of romance.
But it’s not ALL about us. Another gift that is included with a Disney Cruise is meeting fellow passengers who also know how to appreciate the magic. They are people like you. They are people who enjoy family. They are people who are kind and thoughtful. They are people who enjoy excellent Broadway quality shows who probably do similar things at home. And in all my cruise vacations, I have never seen an adult embarrassingly inebriated on a Disney ship as on other ships.
It’s the magic that sets the Disney ships apart from other cruise lines. It’s Walt’s belief that we NEED some magic in our lives now and then. He was right. We do need it. I think we need it now more than ever before. Simple beauty. Simple service. Simple kindness. These go a long way to un-complicating my life for a little while, and helping my husband and I find romance and real life magic on the high seas.
When you board the Disney Magic, or Wonder, or Dream, or Fantasy, the magic of Disney is where you live 24 hours a day. Ironically it feels like a fantasy to be freed from the cares and worries of the “real” world. And that my friends…amounts to a hefty dose of romance.
Shellie Wylie is the owner of Wishes Family Travel – your FREE, concierge level, personal service, luxury travel agency for families.
Learn more about Wishes Family Travel – and how Shelly or her agents can help you book the vacation of your dreams – by clicking the logo below.
The first embarrassing ear hat photo can be found on my facebook page…but just like Limited Time Magic…that photo won’t last long.
I accept all facebook friend requests.
Now on with the serious stuff. Like dancing hippos. More on that later.
Limited Time Magic happenings and events have been announced for March 25th – 31st.
Disney is calling it Spring Fling!
Magic Kingdom Park will host Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny. Guests can hop on over to Town Square on Main Street to get a picture taken with the power couple.
The Mr. and Mrs. will share the spotlight with butterflies, other bunnies, flowers and dancing hippos in a special springtime procession that will happen before the daily performances of the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade.
Because….what’s a day at the Magic Kingdom without dancing hippos?!
It’s a good thing bunnies have energy because Mr. and Mrs. Bunny will also be at Epcot to host activities in the United Kingdom pavilion. Kids can meet them, pose for photos, hunt Easter eggs and participate in relay races.
This week will also bring Easter egg hunts in Future World. Yahoo! Stay tuned to Disneyways for what I am guessing will be some pretty awesome video footage of that.
Oswald The Lucky Rabbit ear hats will be available at Mouse Gear in Epcot while supplies last. Everyone knows Oswald ears are the hottest thing in fashion right now.
My husband Chris took this picture of us at the first ever Disneyways meetup. If you couldn’t make it that night, these are the sort of shenanigans you missed.
*Spring Fling experiences and offerings are subject to change without notice. Valid Theme Park admission is requiered for events taking place at Magic Kingdom park and Epcot. No Oswalds were harmed during the capturing of this photo.
March 21st 2013, I posted on facebookthat I was headed to get my new touch and go plastic version of the Disney annual pass, and turn in my old paper one. I asked you to send me your questions about this whole process – and we got some great ones! Some came by email, some by PM, and some were posted in various groups. I have much more I will post on the process and FUN I had getting this new touch-and-go pass, but I wanted to get to your awesome questions first.
Before we get started – I need to make a couple of shout-outs! I asked my Twitter and Facebook friends to guess which character I picked for my new pass. The correct answer was Minnie!
Robert Bearden of the fabulous MickeyUpdates.com was the first to answer correctly on Facebook! Honorable mention goes to Anne @_annaporter and Michelle @cmch22 for being my only 2 guessers on Twitter. Thank you so much to everyone who played along!
To my friends over at the Disney Dreamers group – you have a special place in my heart. I love you guys! Samantha, I know you are so proud. Thank you – and all the Dreamers – for your constant support.
Finally, another big thank you to each and every person who sent in questions, especially my wonderful Disneyways subscribers! You guys are the heart and soul of this whole thing. Thank you for taking this journey with me!
Enough mushy stuff…on with the questions!
Chantal G. – “Silly question are they plastic cards??? I am not all that fond of the paper ones.” Chantal…no Disney question is ever silly to me! Things change at lightning speed sometimes and a there is a seemingly never ending amount of new Disney information. Yes, these cards are plastic, and similar in size, width and flexibility as a driver’s license. I love it – I hope you do too.
Here is what I thought was the super cool secret part that (as far as I know) NOBODY else has posted any where on the internet. Get this…the cast members told me we don’t even have to take the thing out of our wallet for it to work. Of course I tried it…
They were right! I think I embarrassed my husband a little bit with how completely excited I was about this!!! I can’t promise it will work for everybody – but Disneyways readers will be informed enough to know they can try! I hope everyone will give it a shot- and let me know how it works for you!!
Linda R. – “I was wondering .. Do Season Passholders get the new card too or just annual passholders?” Linda this is for all passholders. Annual, seasonal, weekday and even Epcot after 4 passes will have the option to upgrade to plastic.
Mindy C. – “What determines whether your passes include parking or not? Is it a special kind of annual pass, or premium vs. regular?” Mindy, if you have a regular or premium annual pass, it includes parking – and this will not change when you switch to the new plastic card. There will be no doubt when you get it because the bottom of the card will have an orange stripe (see Minnie above) AND the back will have a red stripe like this:
Getting through the parking plaza will be a breeze. The cast members won’t have to squint like they do at the little black print on the old paper passes.
If you have a Florida resident seasonal or weekday pass – it does not include parking – and that won’t change. Your new card will have a black stripe on the bottom. If you buy a ticket as a day guest – your stripe will be green. See examples below:
Paul D. – “Are we allowed to request a character?” Paul this was a hot topic today! I am happy to report the answer is YES.
Alexis M. – “No more Pluto cards?” Alexis, Pluto is not an option at this time. Keep in mind however, you do not have to switch to the new plastic card. Also – please check out our post from January by clicking here. This post shows official pictures from Disney depicting the wonderful customization options we will get to choose once the MagicBandsare released. The cast member last night was so cute, he said “They are going to be as customizable as CROCS!” Referencing the shoes people wear that you can decorate.
Samantha J. – “What if someone has sensitive skin and couldn’t wear the MagicBands, would be another option ?” Samantha, the cast members told me last night that Disney invested thousands of dollars doing research to create a MagicBand that will not irritate even the most sensitive skin. It is also breathable so our arms won’t sweat. We can adjust the MagicBand to fit even a child – so they are one size fits (almost) all. Again, MagicBands are optional. You don’t have to switch over to one if you don’t want to.
Shannon K.W. – “Okay…so just so I have this straight (because my family thinks I have all the answers and I would like to continue to keep them fooled…hahaha!) Do we also have the option of bracelets…or is it just annual pass cards?” Shannon I love your question! Right now, our only option is upgrading to the plastic card if we choose. Disney will be rolling out the MagicBandsas soon as that technology is ready. No word yet on an exact date. Make sure you are subscribed to Disneyways so you will know the minute we find out!
Mark G. – “Still confused on if we will get replacements in the mail or will we have to go to guest relations when we go in June.” Mark, the cast members I spoke to last night were pretty confident that we will be able to get our new tickets or possibly Magicbands – if that technology is ready- as early as May 20th via the web, and then of course, if you order them on-line, they would arrive by mail. If you don’t have yours in time then you will head to guest relations when you get here. There are two more things they wanted me to be sure to tell you. One, if you haven’t already, you will want to be sure to register for an account here. Two, make sure you remember what email address you use to register this account. This is very important because all your MagicBand communication will go to that email address. Check your spam folder periodically if stuff tends to get sent there by accident sometimes.
The last questions I got were about Disneyland. Irene L. and Nichole M. thanks so much for asking! The information I heard (thanks Alexis M.) – was that Disneyland is not expected to have these new technologies until 2014 or later. You just never know with Disney, so keep an eye out for any changes there. I will do my best to watch – but Disneyways – for now, is mostly a Disney World resource (unofficially of course!)
Whew! I think that about does it. Again, if I missed your question, please let me know right away – the quickest being by facebook. I accept all friend requests.
You can also email me any time Disneyways@Disneyways.com There will be many more blog posts on this subject to come!
Now, in case there was ANY doubt in your mind about how much of a dork I really am….I have provided this lovely video. I did not know my husband was filming so what you are getting here is the real me. Check out this new little card and your MagicBand– in action – and listen to the little noise it makes! “Wow….that is really cool.”
March 20th 2013, Disney Annual Passholders Began Pickups for the New Touch to Enter Cards.
Since so many Passholders love to visit during Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, going on now through May 19, Walt Disney World is offering a convenient way to exchange your current paper annual Pass for a new card.
Why should you switch?
The new entrances will eliminate the need for turnstiles. Running that paper card through the machine will be a thing of the past. Just touch your new plastic card to the Mickey head, scan your finger, wait for the green light – and you’re in!
Got a stroller or a wheelchair? You will no longer have to wait for someone to open the gate! The folks that choose to have these cards will have a much faster wait time to enter the parks.
During your next visit, you can bring your paper Pass and valid ID to the Odyssey Center, located between Test Track and the Mexico pavilion, to get your new card.Obviously, cards must be used by the same person who originally used the paper pass. You will see a sign outside the Odyssey Center that looks like this:
At this time, the Odyssey Center is the only location where Passholders can receive the new cards. The Odyssey Center is open during regular park hours, and the best time to visit is Monday through Friday after 12:00 noon. Main Entrance ticket windows are unable to exchange Passes for the new cards.
In the coming months, we’ll provide more information here on other ways you’ll be able to exchange your Pass for a new card, (no worries if you can’t get here before May 12th!) as well as more information on MyMagic+ and when MagicBands will be available to Passholders. Disney has not released info on the timing of these yet.
Our Disneyways Man-on-the-Scene reporter Ramon Rodriguez, was the very first one in line- on the very first day – to get his new RFID card!!
Perhaps the first EVER guest at Walt Disney World to pick up his new (tap to enter) annual pass. Ramon Rodriguez of ThemeParkConcierges.com
Ramon was able to get these terrific photos from Day One – to give us an idea of how the process works. We will have answers to your questions and more photos for you tomorrow! Send your questions to Disneyways@Disneyways.com or leave them in the comments below and we will answer them in the nextblog on this subject.
I was sitting at a little table near Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland with my friend. She began talking about something called “SAWT-EM-KAY.”
I listened in amazement as she told me more and more about “SAWT-EM-KAY” and how it is a super cool interactive game that has grown very popular in the last year or so.
I quickly realized that she was using the special insider lingo for (what I know by it’s long drawn out name) – “Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.” (SOTMK)
Honestly I hadn’t paid much attention before now. I don’t know about you, but wow…I had a LOT of misconceptions about this game. I was really missing out!
We aren’t going to miss out any more.
Beginning very soon, we will be starting a new series on this amazing interactive game that has taken the Magic Kingdom by storm. Come along with Disneyways as we take this magical journey into the world of the Master Sorcerers. Even if you can’t be here to play along in person, you will be able to amaze your friends with what you know!
Get equipped with the knowledge to be a part of this seemingly “underground” movement – if you choose!
“What is SOTMK ?”
“How do I get started with the game?”
“Is SOTMK really for me ?” and
“What are some cool insider tips for advanced players?”
All of these questions and more will be covered in the series.
You won’t want to miss a single post!
Yesterday we had a facebook sweepstakes of sorts. I want to thank everyone who participated! The winner of the random drawing is Katrina Marie!
Katrina – please send me your address and I will mail you your unopened pack of 5 Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards that came direct from Walt Disney World.
Congratulations!
We will be giving away more SOTMK prizes on facebook, twitter, and here on the blog! Who will be our next winner? Why not you?
Leave your burning SOTMK questions in the comments below and if your question is chosen – YOU will win a pack of 5 unopened SOTMK cards!
Are you as excited as we are about the upcoming series?
UPDATE DECEMBER 21ST 2015…THIS YEAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY I WAS SENT A COUPON FOR A FREE BROWNIE – WITH PURCHASE! BOO EARL OF SANDWICH!!! BRING BACK THE FREE SANDWICH PROMOS!!!
Who says there is no such thing as a free lunch? ME. I am one of those people who looks for the fine print and thinks there always has to be a catch.
There are some great posts and articles all over the internet aboutcheap eatsat Walt Disney World – but how often do you hear about anything being completely free?
Today I found a World Secret that I thought was pretty special – an offer for a FREE sandwich. The catch – it’s only good during the month of your birthday.
Earl of Sandwich is located in Downtown Disney Marketplace. The very first store was opened here in Orlando by a direct descendant of the actual guy who invented what we now know as sandwiches – back in 1762. Carrying on the family tradition, The Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney is dedicated to bringing you “the world’s greatest hot sandwich.”
You may have heard the sound of rejoicing when Disney food lovers every where got the news that the Earl in Downtown Disney began offering the Holiday Turkey Sandwich year round.Some have said it really is the “world’s greatest” or more specifically as holiday heaven on a bun. To us rookies who haven’t yet tried it, it is basically turkey, stuffing, cranberry, and a little mayo served toasted on a freshly baked roll.
Sounds AWESOME to me, but maybe it doesn’t sound like your favorite?
No problem, Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney’s Marketplace offers a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, salads, ice cream, smoothies, lemonade, boxed lunches, and prepared “Grab & Go” items. Breakfast offerings include several cold items as well as hot breakfast sandwiches.
Already a pretty great value, most sandwiches here are right around $6.99. But enough of that – let’s get on with the FREE part!
All you need to do to get your FREE sandwich from Earl is sign up for The eClub. Once you do that, you get a printable voucher a few weeks before your birthday. You have your entire birthday month to print and use it. Just like all of their sandwiches, your birthday sandwich will come wrapped in gold foil – like some sort of wonderful smelling currency.
Here is the fine print, in case you are little skeptical like me, and don’t want to have to squint later:
“We (Earl of Sandwich) respect your privacy and will not rent or sell your information. By providing your email address you are opting-in to receive emails from Earl of Sandwich and all other restaurant concepts under the Earl of Sandwich (USA), LLC brand of companies. You may opt out of this list at any time.”
Click HERE to sign up for your free birthday sandwich!
Oh, and if you can’t come to Downtown Disney during your birthday month – Earl has places all over the country where you can get your free birthday sandwich. Hopefully there is one near you.
My friend Heidi is celebrating her birthday today and she just so happened to post about Earl too! You can read her blog here!
Hers has lots of yummy food descriptions and photos. Mmmmm….I am hungry.
So what are your thoughts? Have you gotten a free sandwich from Earl or was this the first time you heard about this particular World Secret?
First – the food part of today’s World Secret. Raglan Road is THE place to go for Irish food and entertainment in the Downtown Disney area. The menu comes complete with Bangers and Mash (that’s a fancy Irish name for sausage and mashed potatoes) – but did you know you will also find some of the absolute BEST burgers on property here? It’s true.
Photo credit: nutfreefam.blogspot.com
You can enjoy all that Raglan Road offers from a comfy table – or if you prefer – belly up to their 130 year old bar. It’s imported all the way from Ireland!
Cooke’s of Dublin is a quick service restaurant located right next to Raglan Road, and it offers a selection of the exact same food that Raglan Road serves – at a much lower price! The secret (inside the secret) of Cooke’s – is the “Doh-Bars” which are donut battered Snickers and Mars bars.
Yeah.
It’s enough to make me want to move to Ireland. But, don’t worry, one can cancel out the calories from your Doh-Bar with a healthy salad, because Cooke’s has those too.
Before you enter Raglan Road, look for a replica bronze statue of the famous Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, sitting on his bronze park bench.
Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, Patrick Kavanagh’s best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and of course the poemRaglan Road.
Folks in Dublin often saw Patrick relaxing alone on a park bench by the Grand canal. When he passed away in 1967 after a long struggle with lung cancer, he was commemorated with the original statue in Ireland. To this day, after every St. Patrick’s Day parade you’ll find his friends gathering at that bench.
Here is the actual statue in Ireland. Photo credit Flickr.com
Raglan Road pub’s replica of this statue is the only one you will find outside of Ireland. This version has a shorter bench, so there is no room to sit next to poor old Patrick, and perhaps he would prefer it that way. I think it is rather fitting, and symbolic of his original poem. I have added a copy here so you can decide for yourself.
Read carefully and you will see that he explains how, despite his best judgement, he fell for a girl that he knew would break his heart.
On Raglan Road
“On Raglan Road on an autumn day I met her first and knew
That her dark hair would weave a snare that I might one day rue;
I saw the danger, yet I walked along the enchanted way,
And I said, let grief be a fallen leaf at the dawning of the day.
On Grafton Street in November we tripped lightly along the ledge
Of the deep ravine where can be seen the worth of passion’s pledge,
The Queen of Hearts still making tarts and I not making hay –
O I loved too much and by such and such is happiness thrown away.
I gave her gifts of the mind I gave her the secret sign that’s known
To the artists who have known the true gods of sound and stone
And word and tint. I did not stint for I gave her poems to say.
With her own name there and her own dark hair like clouds over fields of May
On a quiet street where old ghosts meet I see her walking now
Away from me so hurriedly my reason must allow
That I had wooed not as I should a creature made of clay –
When the angel woos the clay he’d lose his wings at the dawn of day.”
March 12th 2013 I was walking through Fantasyland in Walt Disney World. You might be familiar with Pinocchio’s Village Haus, it can be found near the “It’s a Small World” attraction. It is a lovely, newly refurbished counter service restaurant. Ever since the updates have been completed – I tend to walk by this place and stare. It is really, really cool. I like everything about it, including the rainy day activities they have there…but that’s a blog post for another day.
This particular evening though, it was already dark out, and as my friend and I walked by we noticed a strange glow coming from the inside. If you are familiar with the portals that you interact with while playing Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – this is the sort of glow we saw. In fact we thought maybe it WAS a new portal – but we just couldn’t tell from where we were standing.
We decided we HAD to make our way inside to investigate. Once inside…this is what we saw:
If you have read the Disneyways post about The Blue Fairy – you are up to speed on my feelings about her. I am definitely a fan, so I was pretty thrilled to find this little hidden gem.
I know it’s a bit hard to tell from the photos, but this is a wish book. It appears to be available to all guests who would like to write down a wish for The Blue Fairy.
I hope to have more photos for you soon if you are interested in seeing them.
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I guess because most families are probably in a hurry to eat their flat bread pizza and move on to the next ride, there wasn’t much written down, as you can see. When my friend and I flipped through the pages however, we doubled over laughing at this particular wish.
Look carefully and you will see that a child has written “I wish parents were not alive.”
Which in itself is awful, and not really funny.
Once the child wrote it however, you can see he or she changed his or her mind quickly – and did a pretty good job of scribbling it out!! That is what was funny to us, just picturing this probably over-tired, grumpy kid scratching that out so nobody would see it. I don’t think he or she really meant it. Perhaps the child took a look around and realized how such a terrible thought really didn’t belong in the middle of the happiest place on earth? Maybe.
I am just glad the child changed his or her mind about the whole thing! I’m a parent who is obviously alive and well – so I now have a renewed belief that scribbling out your Blue Fairy wish makes it null and void. No litigation is required.
Have you seen this book before? As this post goes to publish – there doesn’t seem to be information on The Blue Fairy wish book anywhere.
I don’t know if it’s new or if I just never noticed it before. Anyway – kind of a cool little secret – don’t you think?
What comes to mind when you think of the gorgeous China Pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase?
Sure, China has lots to offer. The pavilion is decorated with serene ponds, crossed by fantastic bridges, and is dominated by a replica of the Temple of Heaven. Here you will also find Reflections of China, a Circle-Vision 360° movie – and there is a museum containing several ancient Chinese artifacts. You don’t see that every day.
China’s Nine Dragons is one of the most beautiful restaurants in all of World Showcase, and the Lotus Blossom Cafe has some of the best orange chicken in town. Shopping at Good Fortune Gifts and House of Good Fortune is a wonderful air-conditioned past time in the hot Florida summers.
Agent P World Showcase Adventure? Check. Dragon Legend Acrobats? Yep – China has those too – and what visit to China would be complete without actually meeting Mulan and Mushu? Speaking of Mulan, did you know Epcot’s China Pavilion served as a backdrop for the music video “Reflection,” performed by Christina Aguilera? You may recall that “Reflection” was from Mulan’s 1998 film – and nobody knew who Christina Aguilera was back then.
But what is China’s BEST kept secret?
To me, it is a wonderful little thing called the Lucky Combo – located right here at the Joy of Tea kiosk – only found at Epcot’s China pavilion.
It’s not new – it’s just that the The Lucky Combo has been hiding from me
(in plain sight).
For just $9.98, The Lucky Combo includes a Chinese BBQ Pork Bun, a Curry Chicken Pocket and an Egg Roll with your choice of a canned soft drink and a pretty generous serving of ice cream.
No…for real…this is an actual thing.
I had to take a picture because I couldn’t believe my own eyes.
The extra ice cream you see pictured here belonged to my dining companion. We got one of each option – Strawberry Red Bean and Caramel Ginger.
Trust me – you need to try them BOTH.
But wait – there’s more!
Tea here comes in all forms – hot, iced, spiked or slushie – and it is the only location in Epcot that carries real brewed tea instead of pre-made tea beverages.
Not a fan of hot tea? Here’s another little secret:
The extremely friendly cast members that staff this location will gladly provide you a cup of ice to make your own iced version. They will also offer you a tasting of any (non-spiked) beverage, if you want to try before you buy.
Even though it’s hard for me to look past the Lucky Combo, here are more details on the menu, in case you want to plan ahead:
Sweetened Iced Teas: Peach Oolong and Mango Green (both $4.25 or one snack credit)
Hot Teas: Ginseng Oolong, Jasmine, Dragon Well, Green (all $3.19 or one snack credit)
Soft Drinks: Soda ($1.59 or one snack credit); Bottled Water ($2.50 or one snack credit)
Alcoholic Beverages: Mango Gingerita w/vodka and rum ($7.50); Canto Loopy w/vodka and cantaloupe juice ($7.50); Peach Snap w/Schnapps ($7.50); Green Tea Plum Slush w/plum wine ($7.50); Tsing Tao Beer and Tsing Tao Pure Draft Beer (both $5.75); Plum Wine ($4.99); Tipsy Ducks in Love ($8.50 or non-alcoholic $5.50)
Ice Cream: Strawberry Red Bean or Caramel Ginger (both $3.25 or one snack credit)
Snacks: Chinese BBQ Pork Buns ($4.50); Curry Chicken Pockets ($3.99 or one snack credit); Pork and Vegetable Egg Rolls ($3.99 or one snack credit)
So what are your thoughts? Do you agree that the Lucky Combo might be one of Epcot’s best kept secrets?
Disneyways 