Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin Update Alert

Disney is updating its Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin ride at Tommorrowland in the Magic Kingdom.

The shooting ride, based on the popular character from the Toy Story franchise, will close in August for refurbishment.

There will be a new character “Buddy the Robot” as well as new ride vehicles featuring the colors of Buzz Lightyear and Star Command. There will also be new handheld blasters, lighting and sound effects, so guests can better see their targets. In the current iteration, it’s tough to see whether the little red dot actually hits the target.

So here’s to an improved version!

The revamped ride is scheduled to reopen in 2026. I wonder if they’ll cover up the section you can see from the Walt Disney World Peoplemover?

Disney Visa Card Offers Free Dining

There’s a deal for holders of the Disney Visa Card, offered by Chase.

According to the Walt Disney World website, holders of the card can get a “FREE dining plan when you purchase a nondiscounted 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Travel Company package that includes a room at a select Disney Resorts Collection hotel and a theme park ticket with a Park Hopper option.”

This deal is good through for bookings made by March 26, 2025.

And people who don’t have the card are still eligble for the deal if they apply and are approved.

Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club

Both the full service and quick service dining plans are eligible for this promotion.

Deal rating: On the surface, Disney food is extremely expensive as anyone who has been to the House of Mouse can well test. A free Disney dining plan offers good value, especially if you plan on staying at a Disney hotel this year. Paying for the dining plan out of pocket is another matter altogether, but a free meal plan to go along with your stay at a Disney resort is a good perk.

How to Avoid Traffic at Walt Disney World

The traffic in the areas surrounding Walt Disney World is a nightmare, particularly on Interstate 4. It’s also a mess getting onto 192 westbound from World Drive. It can back up for miles.

So are there any tips to avoid such a hassle?

Not really, since all the side roads are jammed too, especially traveling westbound from the World (we’re talking to Davenport, Lakeland, Tampa, etc). But here’s a hint. The best way to avoid traffic is to stay on Disney property. If that’s not possible and you have the time, it works better to go later in the day and leave later at night, an hour or two after park close.

If you linger in Hollywood Studios or Epcot until about 10-1030 (do a little shopping, catch Fantasmic or Luminous, take more and more photos), most of the traffic onto I-4 or 192 westbound will have cleared. Of course, Magic Kingdom is usually open later so by then the traffic is usually clear. Barring road work of course, which is ongoing once again in the corridor!

If all else fails, grab a late dining reservation at Beaches & Cream at the Beach Club. It takes reservations until 11pm.

Drive safe!

Disney Changes Queue Policies for Tiana’s Bayou Adventure and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind

Disney announced that two of its most popular attractions, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom, and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at Epcot, will no longer have virtual queues and will transition to regular standby lines. That means visitors will no longer have to try to snag a spot at 7am or 1pm for the virtual queues. Instead, they can simply get in line or wait. Or pay for a Lightning Lane Multi Pass to skip the line.

Disney uses virtual queues for new attractions as a way to control crowds. Currently there are no virtual queues at Walt Disney World.

Ranking Yacht & Beach Club Restaurants

Dining at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club, twin resorts in the Epcot Resort area located just off Buena Visit Drive, is a treat. This post will rank the four full service/buffet restaurants at the resorts: Ale & Compass, Yachtsman Steakhouse, Cape May Cafe, and Beaches & Cream. Off we go into the wild yonder of restaurant rankings.

4. Cape May Cafe (Beach Club)

The only buffet style restaurant at the Y&BC, Cape May Cafe serves breakfast and dinner only. Breakfast is a character meal with appearances by Minnie Mouse and other characters dressed in beach gear.


Dinner is just a straight-up buffet, reminiscent of a casino buffet in Atlantic City quite frankly. The food is adequate. The kicker: crab legs are not included and cost at time of writing $29 for one pound. Add that to the $50 price tag, and this meal will quickly add up.


The decor is northeast beachy, with pictures of people vacationing from the turn of the century. Not my favorite at Y&BC.

3. Yachtsman Steakhouse (Yacht Club)

High-end steakhouse. Certain tables have a view of the Stormalong Bay pool area.
This is priced like a high-end steakhouse too. The food is adequate, but nothing to write home about given the price. The Mickey Puzzle is a fun kid’s option however.

2. Beaches & Cream (Beach Club)
The classic soda fountain full of burgers, fries, onion rings, and ice cream, ice cream, ice cream. Most notably home of the “kitchen sink” sundae, which is loaded with eight scoops and a whole can of whipped cream (the place turns off the lights and makes an announcement whenever some hungry group orders the thing).

Ice cream is fine. Sandwiches are ok. I actually prefer the french dip or the reuben to the burger. Another nice perk is the flavorings you can add to the sodas. Pricey but hey it’s Disney.

The decor is light and airy. There’s a jukebox and plenty of pictures of Mickey & friends eating ice cream.

1. Ale & Compass (Yacht Club)

You may not agree, but I like Ale & Compass and am naming it the top restaurant in all of Yacht and Beach Club world.

There’s nothing flashy, and in fact the decor in the dining room is rather dark, but it’s a pleasant place to enjoy a meal. The menu recently got a refresh and there are several quality dishes such as the pappardelle pasta with chicken, the Vermont cheddar burger, and the seafood pot pie. As for appetizers, the Parker House rolls rule, especially with the three spreads (citrus butter, bacon jam, and pub cheese— cheese is the best!)

A&C also does breakfast where it offers salted caramel french toast and dark chocolate waffles among more standard options. The place nearly always delivers at a good price point too for Disney. (It’s not uncommon for 2 adults, 2 kids, to get out of there under $100). Price good, food good, atmosphere good! Plenty of fun times walking around the boardwalk and the resorts too after a lovely meal. #1 at the Y&BC.

Champions Gate: The Good, The Bad, and the Congested

If you’re considering staying at off property at Walt Disney World, the Champions Gate area is a prime destination.

Home to the Omni Resort, the area is also chock full of potential rentals, including apartments and single family homes (usually with caged-in pools).

Here’s a few things to know about Champions Gate located southwest of Walt Disney World, straddling Osceola and Polk Counties.

PRO:
It’s just about 15 minutes to Walt Disney World, barring any traffic on Interstate 4.

CON:
There’s almost always traffic on I-4, so realistically you’re looking at about 30 minutes to WDW. Exit 62 is the most convenient while coming from Championsgate.

PRO:
The area has become saturated with a variety of restaurants, mostly of the chain persuasion, meaning you won’t lack for places to eat. In recent years, Ford’s Garage, The Olive Garden, Miller’s Ale House, Panera Bread, Red Robin, Tijuana Flats, First Watch, Huey McGoo’s, have all sprung up on and around Champion’s Gate Boulevard/

CON:
The area is saturated. Traffic is heavy (it can be a nightmare getting down Champion’s Gate Boulevard alone, especially during peak periods). Restaurants are crowded! Kind of goes with the territory.

Disney in Inclement Weather

When it comes to the parks, nothing can spoil your day quite like a Florida thunderstorm. While you can go months with very little rain, in the summer the storm chances are usually 50/50, making it impossible to know if it’s going to rain or not on your visit to the parks.

Fortunately, there are ways to ensure you get the most out of your visit, no matter what the weather is like.

And the key is to have a plan. Just have a plan please! That means, if it’s going to rain, try to hit the indoor attractions or perhaps snag a last-minute dining reservation.

For instance, if you’re at Epcot, head to the Land, where you can ride two attractions (Soarin and Living with the Land), eat at the Garden Grill, and even watch Awesome Planet, a short film about global climate concerns. Next thing you know, three hours has gone by and voila, the storm is history.

If you’re at the Magic Kingdom, you can always snag a dining reservation, or enjoy one of the many indoor shows such as Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, the Hall of Presidents, Tiki Room, etc.

The important thing is to have a plan! And your umbrella handy too, Ponchos are helpful as well. Don’t buy at Disney world where you’ll pay about 5x the price. And consider wearing sandals. It’s no fun walking a mile to your car at the end of the evening with soaking wet sneakers.

And finally, a word about fireworks. They will go forward unless there’s lightning in the area.

Florida’s I-4 Traffic

If you stay outside of Walt Disney World property, chances are you may have to take I-4, which is currently one of the top ten highways in the nation for heavy traffic, right up there with roads in LA and New York City. Yes, even at 11pm at night you will likely encounter traffic.

As of now, the big bottlenecks heading westbound are usually from around Exit 75 for Universal to about Exit 67 for Epcot. Then you get a couple miles of smooth sailing. However, around Exit 62 the traffic almost always builds again. Florida 417 and World Drive spill onto I-4 west at this exit, and create a traffic headache. Once you merge, the traffic will still be heavy, but usually lightens up as you head past the ChampionsGate exit (Poinciana, Kissimmee, exit 58).

Going eastbound from Tampa, you’ll notice the traffic is heavy from about Exit 55 to Exit 60. The reason: you lose a lane for exit only for Florida 429 north. After Exit 60, there’s a bit more traffic until you clear Exit 62. Then as westbound, you get a couple miles of smooth sailing, before you guessed it, more traffic. From right before Exit 68 to about Exit 72 it almost always jams.

The moral of the story, and the reason for writing this, is to beware that I-4 is a traffic nightmare. Now state and local government have made improvements, such as the diverging diamond at Championsgate and the exit only lane for Exit 58. And they’ve promised express lanes in about a decade, just like the express lanes that rumble through downtown Orlando. However, in the meantime, just be safe on the road, have patience, and know that you’ll likely have a ton of company no matter what time you travel.

Waiting Tip: Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

The Runaway Railway is a great ride in the Chinese Theater in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests see a brief cartoon featuring Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy, and then board the train for a fun spin around several scenes, including a canyon, carnival, ocean, and dance studio. It’s a great ride, especially for kids, with a catchy tune that will have you looking for the song on YouTube as soon as you get home.

A View of the Chinese Theater and Ride at Night

Here’s a tip: I’ve been on Runaway Railway dozens of times and have never used a lightning lane to get on. Instead of looking at Disney’s official wait times (which can be inflated or deflated to control guest flow), I look to see if the line is outside the building. If it’s NOT outside, head in, because the wait won’t be very long. Even if it’s a lane or two outside, it still shouldn’t be that long.

It gets long when it’s numerous outside lanes filled to capacity, and you’re baking in the hot Florida sun. Skip the ride then, and come back later. Trust me, this is a time saver that won’t cost anything. I however, am not responsible for sending you to the Railway if the ride breaks down. That has happened to me too! Enjoy!

Restaurant Review: Space 220

When I do restaurant reviews I try to make them short and snappy. There’s no reason to be fully detailed on every angle. We’re going to rate them like we’re in school on an A-F scale.

So let’s blast off into Space 220, located at the Mission Space pavilion at Epcot.

Atmosphere: A

Food: A-

Service: A-

Cost: D

Worth It: Yes

Atmosphere:

One of the coolest restaurants in a world full of cool restaurants, Space 220 grabs you from the get go. You feel instantly transported into a new realm as you are sent from the check-in desk, into a room with a blue motif and space pictures. From there you are given a ticket for your elevator ride into space. The graphics are realistic and it looks like you’re blasting off from Florida, 220 miles (hence the name) to a space station where your table awaits.

You walk through some corridors that give the illusion that you are in space. You even see some spinning vegetables!

From there you head into the restaurant. We were fortunate to have a nice table for six, with a good view of the screen, making it appear as if we were orbiting the earth. We saw astronauts, meteors, and satellites fly by during the course of our dinner.

Food:


For dinner, Space 220 offers a three course prix fix meal, which includes appetizer, main course, and dessert. It’s a pricey meal at $79 per adult and $35 per child.

I can’t comment on all the dishes, but I had the scallop risotto for an appetizer, which was OK. They only gave one scallop. I would get a different appetizer next time. Others had the fried cauliflower which was excellent and the shrimp tacos which were also pretty good. The calamari had a good aioli sauce. The children had mac and cheese for the appetizer and both approved!

(l to r: Space 220 Scallop Risotto, Starry Calamari, Shrimp Tacos)

For the main course, the filet mignon made the grade. It was cooked to perfection with mashed potatoes. The slow-rotation Zero-G short rib dish was ok. I liked it but it was not my favorite and I would opt for the filet mignon next time. The carrots that accompanied both dishes were tasty! The children had the beef tenderloin and liked it.

(l to r: Space 220 Filet Mignon and Slow Rotation Zero-G Short Rib)


For dessert, we had the Pina Nova, the Astra, the Blue Planet, and Gelato. And the kids the Milky Meltaway.

First off: the Milky Meltaway is a must do if you have children. Liquid is poured through chocolate into a glass of ice cream and the chocolate then melts providing a unique twist on a hot fudge sundae.

For the adult desserts: the Pina Nova was passable, nothing amazing. The plating is actually quite small. The Astra was pretty good, especially with the honeycomb cookie. The Blue Planet cheesecake was also a solid choice and cool to look at. Gelato is gelato.

(l to r: Space 220 Pina Nova, The Astra, The Blue Planet)

One more note: standard drinks are available but at a significant price. There are also collectible space cups that you can buy, filled with lemonade-like non-alchoholic drinks and souvenir light-up glow cubes The drinks come with a collectible pack of cards. The Moon Rocks drink even includes a pack of pop rocks candy. Price is $13 to $16.

Space 220 Collectible Cup

Finally a note on service and price:


The service was fine. The server was friendly. It was a bit long for the food to come out but nothing too dramatic. It gave up more time to enjoy the dinner. The server also washed out our collectible cups and glow cubes.

Space 220 is very expensive. I understand it’s Disney but the dinner price is even higher for an adult than most character meals. I would like to see a slightly lower price or at least include soft drinks/coffee. Also, the WDW Annual Pass is not accepted at dinner, only at lunch. DVC is accepted however.

Space 220’s overall grade is an A-. Go there at least once for the experience. If you’re rolling in the dough, it’s a fine place to return to, otherwise I might seek other options after your initial visit.