The Sunshine Flyer is Replacing Disney's Magical Express
The Sunshine Flyer launches in March 2022 and will replace Disney's Magical Express to transport Walt Disney World guests to and from Orlando International Airport. Here's everything you need to know about this new service and every question answered.
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The Sunshine Flyer is Getting Ready to Carry Guests from Orlando International Airport to Disney Hotels
This week, Transportation Management Services (TMS) announced The Sunshine Flyer as a new service from MCO to Disney resort hotels. The Sunshine Flyer offers a themed experience featuring old-fashioned railway passenger cars and train engines. A Theme that Walt Disney Himself Would Surely Love The Sunshine Flyer bus service aims to alleviate the stress of airport transportation and kickstart the magic of the family vacation from the moment they board the bus:
In honor of Disney’s 50th anniversary, there's even a charity component to the launch of The Sunshine Flyer:
The Sunshine Flyer’s buses are late model, premium motorcoaches with themes that center around old-fashioned passenger cars and train engines. From the bus designs to staff dressed as 1920s rail conductors and engineers, the motorcoaches effectively serve as time-machines, offering a glimpse into 1920s rail travel. “Everyone knows the magic of Disney once they’re inside the park gates. But through The Sunshine Flyer, we’re able to give guests the chance to start their vacation from the minute they step off the plane and turn what used to be a procedural drive into the beginning of an adventure to remember.” Frank Sherman, CEO of TMS With 25 years of experience as a large events transportation company working with world-class events such as the FIFA World Cup, NBA Finals and various PGA TOUR Tournaments, TMS is primed to offer a streamlined and well-executed service through The Sunshine Flyer. So What's It Like Inside The Sunshine Flyer Buses?
How to Reserve a Seat on The Sunshine Flyer You will book tickets online and receive a QR code that you will scan once you arrive at Orlando International Airport. Presumably this will be around the luggage carousel area. The goal is to ensure smooth timing and departures to the Resorts. Please note that there is no luggage handling option at launch, but they hope to add it at some future time. This may not be a bad thing as late-arriving luggage was a pain point of Disney's Magical Express. The Sunshine Flyer reception area is Located in the Main Terminal Building of Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Terminal B, Level 1, in the Ground Transportation area The Sunshine Flyer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Will buses depart WDW four hours before flight? The answer is a little unclear, but here's what they say: "Your bus is scheduled based on your specific flights. We monitor both inbound and outbound flights to make sure your trip is scheduled properly. We will email/text you a more exact departure window the day before your scheduled trips." How long will it take to get to your hotel? According to Sunshine Flyer: "We are using a dynamic routing software that customizes each day’s transfers based on specific riders. We can set the parameters to how long the ride is or how many stops the bus makes. 65 minutes is the longest anyone will be on a bus once it leaves to the final destination." “By combining our storied expertise in mass transportation management with a creative, themed experience, we have the unique opportunity to offer an experience that’s both stress-free and engaging,” added Sherman. “Disney guests deserve a trip to remember, right from the start. Whether they’re young or old, travelling in a group or solo, we hope The Sunshine Flyer sparks the imagination and excitement of all of our guests from the moment they step on the bus.” In celebration of Disney’s 50th anniversary, the Sunshine Flyer will donate 50% of all revenue from the first 50,000 passengers during the first 50 days of business to Make-A-Wish Central & Northern Florida. As a part of the Sunshine Flyer’s commitment to giving back, all Make-A-Wish children and their families will receive complimentary service from the Sunshine Flyer for their Disney wishes indefinitely. Tickets for The Sunshine Flyer must be booked at least four days ahead of arrival. Tickets are $17.00 per adult, $12.50 per child each way. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.sunshineflyer.com. Cancellations 72 hours in advance for full refund, credit if less than that. In other Disney travel news... Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort Will Reopen at Walt Disney World Resort in 2022 Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort will welcome Guests back starting March 31, 2022. Reservations are now open to book your stay. With this announcement it means that, as of Spring 2022, all Walt Disney World Resort hotels will be operating by for the first time since Spring 2020. Thank You for Listening to The Disney Travel Podcast Thank you for joining us at 1923 Main Street, Amelia and I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you did, we would be very grateful if you could rate, review and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or your favorite podcast player. A brief review about what you liked most about an episode truly helps to keep the show going by exposing it to new listeners. We look forward to continue producing new episodes and the latest Disney travel news on our Disney podcast each week. Contact us at 1923 Main Street We know that you enjoy Disney podcasts and we thank you for listening to the Disney Travel News Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas for future episodes. Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News If you would like to help support the show so that we can continue to improve the podcast, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. Shop Disney Be sure to visit our online shop to see a wide selection of 1923 Main Street merchandise, plus original Disney-inspired t-shirts and more. Thank you for listening and have a magical day! Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic
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Plus, Disney Tours are Coming Back and the Flower and Garden Festival is Getting Closer
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! This week on Disney Travel Podcast we share the latest on several Walt Disney World tours that are making a comeback in 2022. Plus, we have the latest news on the 2022 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival and some very special perks for Disney World holiday guests this year.
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Important Holiday Perks and Changes at Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World has made some temporary adjustments "to help provide a great experience for our Guests." From December 19 to January 3, 2022 Disney World resort guests will get Extra Park Time! The early theme park entry benefit for Disney Resort hotel Guests and Guests of other select hotels will be extended from 30 minutes to 60 minutes. In addition to that little perk, more attractions will be included in the Disney Genie+ service and will no longer be included as individual Lightning Lane purchase options. So you get more for your money with DisneyGenie+. Attractions now part of Lightning Lane include:
From the Enchanting Extras Collection - Tours are Coming Back to WDW Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom This five-hour walking tour Explores the history of Magic Kingdom Park, including backstage access to the hidden “utilidor” service tunnels. You'll also learn hidden secrets of classic attractions and lunch is included. You must be 16 or older for this tour. Caring for Giants At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park this one-hour tour offers a magical experience and opportunity to meet some of the park's largest inhabitants. Your guide will share insights into the inner workings of the African elephant herd, including a look a the day-to-day care for these amazing animals. You'll see these gentle giants from a private backstage viewing area and learn how Disney’s conservation efforts help to preserve wild elephant populations around the world. Wild Africa Trek One of our favorites, Wild Africa Trek combines action, adventure and education into a three-hour safari adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park. Cross a swinging rope bridge near crocodiles and view giraffes, rhinos, hippos and more on foot and in a safari vehicle. The guides are excellent and will share insights about all the animals you see plus details about the park. Recommended. Up Close with Rhinos Want to get even closer to nature? This one-hour tour takes you backstage to the second largest land animal in ways few people can. You'll meet the white rhinos at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park and get insights into their behavior and biology and more. Savor the Savanna This one's a little different. It explores the sights, sounds and tastes of Africa on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park’s Savor the Savanna tour. Get samplings of African-inspired cuisine, paired with a selection of regional beer and wine offerings from a great spot overlooking the Harambe Wildlife Reserve. Your private guide will share stories about the unique residents who inhabit the reserve and the special animal care provided at the park. Advance bookings are highly recommended for all tours and valid theme park admission and reservations. In addition, Disney has let it slip that the Starlight Safari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge may be next. Disney Cruise Line Selects Port Everglades as Second Year-round Home Port in Florida The Broward County Commission and Disney Cruise Line announced a new agreement naming Port Everglades as Disney’s second year-round homeport in Florida. This is a 15-year partnership that provides for one ship to be homeported in Port Everglades year-round starting fall 2023, joined by a second, seasonal ship in 2025. Adding Port Everglades as a second homeport gives Disney a dedicated terminal in a market with direct highway access and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL). Disney’s original homeport is Port Canaveral, located in Central Florida. 2022 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival Spring is already in the air at Walt Disney World as the horticulture team is busy creating topiaries, hanging baskets, flower towers and more in preparation for the 2022 EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival. The 2022 edition will run March 2 through July 4. That’s 125 days of festival cuisine, gardens, topiaries and entertainment. The 2022 edition will feature a new Goofy topiary and a 50th-themed birthday cake. Other favorite Disney Character topiaries will include Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the Germany pavilion or Lumiere and Cogsworth welcoming you to the expanded France pavilion. As always, gardeners can enjoy thousands of blooms forming colorful, living panoramas all around and for foodies, fresh flavors are on the menu at the festival’s 18 Outdoor Kitchens plus other food and beverage locations around EPCOT. The popular Garden Rocks Concert Series will return in 2022 at the America Gardens Theatre. The list of musicians who will be playing has not yet be released. To visit the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival you'll need valid admission and a park reservation for EPCOT on the same date. New Shops and Photo Opps at Disneyland's Downtown Disney District Pelé Soccer If you're a soccer fan, you'll love this stadium-themed store with a wide assortment of soccer gear from renowned global sports brands at this specialty shop named after Pelé, the legendary Brazilian superstar and one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Watch for official club and national team jerseys from around the world, sports apparel, cleats, balls and more for the whole family. Jerseys can be customized with a name and number. Post 21 Located in the east end of the district, Post 21 is new kiosk from an inspiring mother-daughter team from Los Angeles who have curated modern unique merchandise from Black-owned businesses. Boba Fett’s Throne (photo opp) Take a photo sitting on a replica of the throne featured in the Disney+ Original Series, “The Book of Boba Fett.” For a limited time, located outside of the entrance at the Star Wars Trading Post. Coming Soon! Lovepop Opening soon, Lovepop is the place to find eye-catching 3D pop-up cards, stationery and gifts. Lovepop has more than 400 designs so something for every occasion. And yes, Lovepop carries a collection of Disney cards and gifts. Bonus News! Disneyland turns Mickey's ToonTown house into a private party location. January 19 - March 6 (before the refurb closure). Book your event at disneyland.com/celebratemickeystoontown Thank You for Listening Thank you for listening to 1923 Main Street, Amelia and I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you did, we would be very grateful if you could rate, review and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or your favorite podcast player. A brief review about what you liked most about an episode truly helps to keep the show going by exposing it to new listeners. We look forward to continue producing new episodes of our Disney podcast each week. Contact us at 1923 Main Street We know that you enjoy Disney podcasts and we thank you for listening to the Disney Travel Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas for future episodes. Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News If you would like to help support the show so that we can continue to improve the podcast, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. Shop Disney Be sure to visit our online shop to see a wide selection of 1923 Main Street merchandise, plus original Disney-inspired t-shirts and more. Thank you for listening and have a magical day! Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic 
2022 is shaping up to be a comeback year for Disney travel
It sure looks like 2022 is shaping up to be a big year for Disney Parks and for Disneyland in particular. Join us for this show to hear what's coming back to Disney Parks in 2022 and all the latest Disney travel news that you need to know.
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Coming back to Disneyland in 2022: Sweethearts’ Nite, Villains Nite and Star Wars Nite
Disneyland After Dark events take place after regular park hours with festivities, special nighttime entertainment, access to most attractions with reduced wait times. There are special things to do not typically available during regular park visits. With each separately ticketed Disneyland After Dark event, you get four hours of fun after the parks close to regular visitors. Three-hour pre-party mix-in at the same park before the official start. At each event, you get unlimited digital downloads of Disney PhotoPass photos taken during the party, plus commemorative keepsakes including a souvenir credential and event guide map. Here are the details for each of the upcoming themed nights: Disneyland After Dark: Sweethearts’ Nite Feb. 1, 3, 8, 10 and 14, 2022, at Disneyland Park (now on sale on Disneyland.com) Sweethearts’ Nite at Disneyland Park on five separate nights in February -- including Valentine’s Day, which is celebrated on the final Sweethearts’ Nite. Here’s what to expect:
Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite March 8 and 10, 2022, at California Adventure (on sale on Disneyland.com, as of January 11, 2022) At Villains Nite you get to party with some of Disney’s most infamous villains at Disney California Adventure Park. Just two nights in March. Here's what you get:
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite May 3, 4 and 27, 2022, at Disneyland Park (on sale Disneyland.com, beginning January 11, 2022) Star Wars Nite features galactic fun on three separate nights at Disneyland Park in May 2022. Highlights of Star Wars Nite include:
If you bought a ticket for the 2020 Disneyland After Dark: Villains Nite or Star Wars Nite, you can exchange you 2020 tickets to one of the nights of the new event of the same theme. You may need to pay a small price difference if the new show costs more. Should You Even Bother Visiting Walt Disney World or Disneyland Without a Phone? We tackle this hot topic on this week's show and share our thoughts on why it's a good thing that you'll need a digital device to get the most out of your Disney Parks vacation. Even More Entertainment Returning to Disneyland in 2022 “Tale of the Lion King” Sometime in the spring, the Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland park will become home to “Tale of the Lion King.” It debuted in 2019 at Disney California Adventure park and then covid hit. The Storytellers of the Pride Lands are a troupe of traveling performers who present Simba’s journey in a unique story with live music and dance. “Main Street Electrical Parade” To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the “Main Street Electrical Parade” will make its big return to Disneyland park! “Fantasmic!” “Fantasmic!” is coming back too. It's nearly 30 years old at Disneyland park and it's Disney’s longest-running nighttime spectacular. “World of Color” World of Color is getting set to light up the night at Paradise Bay in Disney California Adventure park this spring. “Disneyland Forever” fireworks spectacular “Disneyland Forever” coming back with some surprising special effects. Main Street, U.S.A., and other spots in Disneyland park will become the canvas as a world of dreams takes over the park. From “Peter Pan” flying over the London skyline, to a dance with King Louie in “The Jungle Book” it's all back. Plus, two original songs, “Live the Magic” and the closing song “Kiss Goodnight,” both written by Disney Legend Richard Sherman. “Celebrate Gospel!” A celebration of the soulful spirit of Gospel music will return with “Celebrate Gospel!” on select days in February. The event moves to the Fantasyland Theater at Disneyland park. Festival of the Arts Update (January 14 - February 21, 2022) In our last episode we talked about the Broadway performers at Festival of the Arts...now it's all about the food and art. Watch for art-inspired menus at 15 Food Studios throughout World Showcase. Deco Delights and The Craftman’s Courtyard will debut at the festival, featuring artfully presented cuisine and beverages as visually appealing as they are delicious. The complete foodie guide in early 2022. Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine – a food stroll with 5 sweet & savory offerings. Once you buy (and get your passport stamped) for all 5, you’ll get an Artist Palette Cookie as a bonus. Visual art -- over 100 Disney and visiting artists will showcase their works throughout EPCOT. See artists at work from the Disney Artist Gallery and the WonderGround Gallery, plus see pieces from ACME Archives, Thomas Kinkade Studios, Wyland Galleries and POP Gallery. Figment also lends an artistic touch to this year’s festival merchandise collection. Chalk artists will create masterpieces at Chalk Art Galleries, and you can learn how to draw a Disney Character at Animation Academy. Children can create their own chalk masterpieces at Kid’s Chalk Art and families can leave their artistic stamp on a larger-than-life mural at Expression Section: A Paint by Numbers Mural. Around World Showcase there will be Photo Ops around famous works of art. Thank You for Listening Thank you for listening to 1923 Main Street, Amelia and I hope that you enjoyed the show. If you did, we would be very grateful if you could rate, review and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts/iTunes, Spotify or your favorite podcast player. A brief review about what you liked most about an episode truly helps to keep the show going by exposing it to new listeners. We look forward to continue producing new episodes of our Disney podcast each week. Contact us at 1923 Main Street We know that you enjoy Disney podcasts and we thank you for listening to the Disney Travel Podcast at 1923MainStreet.com. As always, we love to get feedback and questions from our listeners and to hear your suggestions and ideas for future episodes. Please be sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Your Source for the Latest Disney Travel News If you would like to help support the show so that we can continue to improve the podcast, please share 1923 Main Street with your friends and on social media. Shop Disney Be sure to visit our online shop to see a wide selection of 1923 Main Street merchandise, plus original Disney-inspired t-shirts and more. Thank you for listening and have a magical day! Mike Belobradic and Amelia Belobradic |
About the Editor
Mike Belobradic is the founder of the 1923 Main Street® Disney Travel Podcast and the Luxury Disney Travel Blog. Archives
June 2023
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