the Official Blog of the Unofficial Guides

  • UG_banner_Disneyland-2018

    Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel

    Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, the Crown Jewel of Disneyland Resorts With its shingle siding, rock foundations, cavernous hewn beam lobby, polished hardwood floors, and cozy hearths, the Grand Californian Hotel is a stately combination of elements from Western national park lodges. Designed by architect Peter Dominick (who also designed the Wilderness Lodge at Walt Disney World), the Grand Californian is rendered in the Arts & Crafts

  • UG_banner_WDW2018

    Rivers of Light Now Open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

    The first performance of Rivers of Light was held at 7:15 p.m. on February 17th. Until April 8th the show will be presented once nightly on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Thereafter, the show will often be presented daily with two showings per night. Make sure to check the showtime hours, as they will vary throughout the year. Disney is also

  • UG_banner_LasVegas-2018

    The Flamingo—A Hotel Built by Bugsy Siegel

    One of the earliest resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, the Flamingo opened in 1946 at the south end of old Highway 91, the empty dirt road heading out of town to Los Angeles. Named after gangster Bugsy Siegel’s leggy girlfriend’s long limbs, which he likened to those of the slinky bird, the Flamingo is downplaying its hot pink signature shade and upgrading most

  • UG_banner_WDW2018

    RunDisney Races at Walt Disney World

    RunDisney races are held throughout the year at Walt Disney World and at Disneyland Parks; in 2016 RunDisney even added races at Disneyland Paris. RunDisney Races Impact Park Attendance and Affect Vehicular and Pedestrian Traffic Usually held the second weekend after New Year’s, the Walt Disney World Marathon pulls in more runners and their families every year. In 2016 some 100,000 runners

  • UG_banner_WDW2018

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

    Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge—Where the Wild Things Are Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge combines African tribal architecture with the exotic, rugged style of grand East African national park lodges. Your entrance into the lodge’s main building (Jambo House) with its five-story lobby, featuring a thatched roof and native art and artifacts, will definitely make an impression. So, too, will the lodge’s restaurants—Boma’s buffet and Jiko’s