MyMagic+ Testing Starts Soon, Summer Crowds, Rainforest Cafe News, Wilderness Explorers, Kilimanjaro Safaris, The Lone Ranger Limited Time Magic, Main Street Bakery Soft Openings, Princess Half-Marathon Registration, Refurbishment Updates, Disney's Animal Kingdom - June 11

I hope everyone has had a good Father's Day, and since it's been a fairly boring week in Walt Disney World, there's not much to discuss. Crowds are here along with plenty of heat, as we are now in the midst of the summer season. Obviously, with that comes very little news and announcements until the D23 Expo. I think we've seen Disney be so quiet recently with attractions announcements (the closest thing to a new domestic attraction announcement this year has been Disney Springs in March) because of D23. If you remember correctly, the 2011 expo was highly criticized for "lack of new content", so obviously, they'll just save any announcement of significance until the expo, which for those that don't know, will take place August 9 to 11. Regardless, we're rewinding to June 11 late in the afternoon at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. There was quite a bit of overcast.

Photographing Walt Disney World - Epcot - Part 1

Well, I'm the first to admit that I'm no professional photographer (and that's not fake modesty as you will soon find out), but occasionally, I get lucky and with the magic of technology, even I can produce a somewhat decent photograph. In this series, we'll explore the Walt Disney World with a photographic focus. From theme parks to resorts, Photographing Walt Disney World will cover it all.

Disney Parks to celebrate Fourth of July all week long

Courtesy of NBC Los Angeles

As the Fourth of July quickly approaches, both Disney Parks have announced their plans for Independence Week, a week-long Limited Time Magic celebration honoring the Fourth of July.

The week will start of July 1 and conclude on July 7, and all parks will be getting in on the Fourth of July fun.

At Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, guests can dazzle at the Disney's Celebrate America - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky fireworks, which will now be shown nightly at Magic Kingdom Park throughout the week. The fireworks will takes occur at 9 p.m. on July 3 and 4 and 10 p.m. on July 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7. During the day, guests can watch several characters, in their Fourth of July apparel, usher in the daily Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade along with the Main Street Philharmonic and select Main Street Vehicles.

Disney Resort Hotels - The Deluxe Resorts - Disney's Polynesian Resort

Disney's Polynesian Resort is a deluxe resort in the Magic Kingdom Resort Area at Walt Disney World. It is on the Resort Monorail, which connects it with Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney's Contemporary Resort, and the Transportation & Ticket Center (TTC) where guests can transfer to the Epcot Monorail. However, the resort is located a mere five minute walk away from the TTC (instead of a 20-minute clockwise trip around Seven Seas Lagoon on the Resort Monorail). Additionally, water launches depart from this resort to Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Magic Kingdom Park.

Touring Plans - Creating a Custom Touring Plan

Obviously, going into one of the Walt Disney World theme parks with a touring plan is extremely important, and you can find great ones in the Touring Plans section of the site, but you may not want to see some attractions included in those and you may want to see some attractions not included in those. With that in mind, the following will help you create an efficient and practical plan that minimize waiting and walking. Regardless of what attractions you are seeing, I still highly recommend making rope drop and utilizing FASTPASS. Also, bare in mind, custom touring really works best on days without morning Extra Magic Hours. If you use them, then your plan should work even better, but if yo are going and will not be able to utilize them, your plan may be significantly thrown off. Finally, I usually recommend planning only up to lunch (which is generally the first three to four hours of park operation). After that, let the day unfold.

Disney Eats - Table-Service Restaurants - Hollywood & Vine

Overview of Hollywood & Vine

Hollywood & Vine is a table-serivce restaurant near Echo Lake at Disney's Hollywood Studios that specializes in American cuisine presented in the form of a buffet. It "costs" one Disney Dining Plan credit on Disney Dining Plans (with the exception of the quick-service one of course). It also participates in the Fantasmic! Dining Package and is considered a decent value for the amount of food that you are given. It offers characters breakfasts and lunches along with dinners (no characters) on the Fantasmic! Dining Package, as stated.