Apr 18 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Epcot Future World Attractions

For today’s Friday Favorites, I’m going to share with you my picks for best Epcot Future World attractions. Epcot is my favorite theme park in Walt Disney World so it was really hard to choose my top attractions. I decided to narrow it down to my favorite five and here they are in no particular order.

Spaceship Earth This ride is classic Epcot to me. Even though it has gone through several minor refurbishments throughout the years, it still reminds me of early Epcot. This is a 16 minute ride that travels through the 18 story iconic Epcot geosphere depicting the history of communication from cave men through today. There is a great use of audio-animatronics, wonderful narration and beautiful music that help create and tell the story. This ride is suitable for all ages and is not to be missed!
Soarin’ Another great ride that most everyone will enjoy! This ride simulates flying in a hang-glider over the gorgeous state of California. The attraction itself lasts a little over 5 minutes and has you high above the ground in a seat that moves gently creating the sensation of flight while you watch stunning scenery on an IMAX type screen. There is also wind, music and smells to add to the mood. This ride is great for anyone who isn’t afraid of heights and you must be at least 40″ tall to ride.
Test Track This is a fast-paced thrill ride that reaches speeds of 65 mph. The premise is that you are designing your own concept car and then putting it through the test track to see how it measures up. This attraction uses clever interactive technology to allow you to customize a virtual car and then once you are done testing it on the test track, enables you to continue the experience with even more games and experiences. This ride is great for any thrill-seekers in your group and you must be at least 40″ tall to ride.
Living with the Land Another classic attraction that is perfect for anyone in the family. This is a slow-moving 14 minute boat ride that displays the history and future of farming and agriculture. Now this may sound too boring or educational to be fun, but this attraction is filled with amazing audio-animatronics, waterfalls, thunderstorms and real plants to help bring the story to life. There are no height restrictions for this ride. If you love this ride as much as I do, consider dining at The Garden Grill. This restaurant rotates while offering views of Living with the Land.
Mission: SPACE (orange or green) This is the most intense thrill ride in Epcot. There are two versions of this ride Orange (that spins) and a milder Green version. The premise for this attraction is that you are manning a shuttle mission to Mars. The entire experience lasts about 15 minutes including a pre show training where you will assume one of four positions (navigator, pilot, engineer or commander) of your space shuttle. During the actual ride you will have an interactive role to play based on your position, however, if you panic and don’t do your part, no worries, it doesn’t effect the outcome of the attraction. This ride, created and designed with the help of NASA, uses flight simulators to mimic a space launch and is said to be very authentic. Be forewarned, this is not for people prone to motion sickness. Even the mild Green version can cause people to lose their lunch! You will also want to pass on this one if you are claustrophobic. Once closed, the capsule you ride in is small and you are strapped in very tightly with an over-the-shoulder type restraint. Mission: SPACE has a height requirement of at least 44″ tall to ride. However, keep this in mind, when my son first rode Mission: SPACE he was just 44″ and was very uncomfortable! Although, he met the height requirement, most of his height is in his legs, so the shoulder harness came down very close to his neck and he felt like he was almost being choked for the duration of the ride.

Well, there you have it…the best Epcot Future World attractions! I can’t wait to ride them all again this summer!

How about you? Do you have a favorite Epcot Future World attraction? Please leave a comment!

Apr 15 2014

Tuesday Trivia – Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin

In what year did the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin attraction open in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World and what attraction did it replace?

Please check the comments section for the answer!

Apr 11 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Character Meals

For today’s Friday Favorites, I’m going to share with you my picks for best Disney World character meals. Personally, I love character meals! Even though they are more expensive than a regular table service meal, they are such a fun experience and are well worth the additional cost in my opinion. What I love most about them is that you get great one-on-one interaction with the characters while you are enjoying your meal. You can take photos, get autographs and have a little quality time with your favorites. I feel like the time spent with the characters in this setting is so much more special and personal than at the character greeting spots. And this way you don’t have to spend additional time during your day waiting in line or using one of your Fastpass+ reservations to see the characters. So here are my choices for best Disney World character meals!

Cinderella’s Royal Table If you have someone in your group that likes princesses, this is the place to go! You will be treated to an elegant meal inside Cinderella’s castle in the Magic Kingdom. You will begin by getting your photo taken with Cinderella herself (this is included in the price of your meal and will be brought to you at your table) and then you are off to the dining room. Throughout your meal various princesses will visit you at your table for photos and autographs. This is a plated meal that you can choose from a small menu. The food itself is usually rated as average, but this meal is really about the experience of dining in the castle. They can even arrange a special celebration for your own “princess” for a birthday or engagement! A reservation here is difficult to come by and needs to be booked as soon as your 180 day window opens up.
Crystal Palace This location serves a buffet style breakfast, lunch or dinner and is located in the Magic Kingdom. The restaurant itself is a beautiful combination of greenery, white woodwork and glass. It makes you feel like you are dining in an elegant greenhouse. Here you will get the pleasure of visiting with Winnie the Pooh and some of his friends (usually Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore). They will come by your table for photos and autographs and about once an hour everyone can participate with the characters in a Friendship Parade around the restaurant. The food here is traditional American fare and there is even a kid’s buffet. To make a visit here more special, book a reservation as early as possible in the morning. You will be allowed into the Magic Kingdom before it opens and you can get some amazing pictures on Main Street and of Cinderella’s Castle with no crowds. Also, if you are finished eating early enough, you will be one of the first ones to the attractions as soon as they open.
Chef Mickey’s Located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, this is one of the most popular character meals in all of Disney World. This restaurant serves up a buffet style breakfast or dinner filled with American cuisine. As with most of the character meals, the food is tasty and plentiful, but it is much more about the experience. The location offers beautiful views of Bay Lake and the exciting sight of the monorail speeding along just above you! Here you will get to hang out with the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy) when they come by your table for photos and autographs. Every so often the song “Celebrate with Mickey Mouse” starts playing and the entire restaurant erupts in celebration complete with napkin twirling and dancing! This place is loud and full of excitement. Definitely book this reservation at 180 days out!
Garden Grill This restaurant is located in the Land Pavilion in Future World at Epcot. Not only is this a character meal featuring Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale, it is also served up in a rotating restaurant! That’s right…this place spins while you are eating offering magnificent views of the Living with the Land ride. I love that attraction, so that makes this restaurant even more special to me. The meal here is all-you-can-eat served family style right at your table. This choice was especially attractive to me when my kids were really small, because it was so nice to have everything come to me, characters and food included! It was so much more relaxing, because I didn’t have to juggle two little ones through buffet lines with plates, cameras and autograph books all at once. The menu here is simple with rolls, salad, beef, turkey, fish, veggies and cobbler for dessert. Be sure to request a booth for the best views of Living with the Land and put your kids on the ends so that they will have easy access to the characters as they come by.
‘Ohana Located at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, this restaurant offers a unique dining and character experience. ‘Ohana meaning family is a great place to bring your whole gang to hang out with Lilo, Stitch, Mickey and Pluto. The atmosphere here has a Polynesian flare while offering spectacular views of the Seven Seas Lagoon and the Magic Kingdom. The characters come by your table for photos and autographs and about every 45 minutes there is a fun-filled parade to join in. The food here is yummy and served all-you-can-eat family style right to your table. While this restaurant serves both breakfast and dinner, the characters are only present at breakfast time. The food includes breakfast breads, fruit, bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, biscuits and Mickey waffles. Being a huge fan of Hawaii, I love this place!

There you have it…my picks for best Disney World character meals! Be sure to click on the restaurant name to be taken to each place’s official website for more information and to make reservations. I hope you enjoy your meal and time with the characters as much as my family!

What about you? Do you have a favorite character meal? Please leave a comment!

Apr 10 2014

Disney World Tips & Tricks – Visiting Disney World With Babies And Toddlers

Taking a baby or toddler on a family outing like the zoo can be very challenging and rewarding at the same time, but taking them to Disney World is a fun family excursion on a grand scale! It is so amazing watching their little faces light up when they experience the magic of Disney World for the first time. But the face that is all smiles one minute can quickly turn to tears and tantrums even at the “happiest place on earth.” I have been taking my boys to Disney World since my oldest son was three years old and my youngest son was just six months old. Here are some of the tips and tricks that I have learned along the way!

Disney World is a huge place so when you are planning your trip, keep your expectations realistic. Don’t expect that you and your kids can do 15 attractions in a single day or everything in one trip. This will only lead to stress and frustration. Do your research and choose the top things your family wants to see, then try to visit about 6 attractions per day. If you see more great and if you don’t, you and your family won’t be disappointed.
Start small with attractions and work your way up. I have a friend who took her young daughter on Pirates of the Caribbean and she ended up being scared to death of the skeletons, pirates and dark. After that, her little girl didn’t want to ride anything inside a building for the rest of the trip! Think about your child’s temperament and check out ride ratings to pick out attractions that you think your kids would enjoy. A great one to start with is It’s a Small World.
If you have your baby or toddler on a schedule at home, try to keep to it as much as possible on vacation. No one can enjoy themselves if you have a little one that is cranky, because they are tired or hungry. You may have to make some minor adjustments to the schedule depending on your kids. Even though my boys would nap at home, they were way too excited to go back to the hotel room and take a nap in the afternoon. So we changed things up a little bit. We would get to the parks as soon as they opened and stay until about 3:30pm. Then we would leave, have an early dinner, give them their baths and have them in bed by 7pm. They just made up for missing naps by having extra sleep at night.
If you have a child under one, bring your own stroller. The Disney World strollers are made of hard plastic and only have a lap belt (no 5-point harness) that is easily unhooked by a child. If you have more than one adult in your party to help you push, consider bringing or renting individual strollers for each of your kids. The rentable double strollers are not that large and are pretty close quarters to expect two tired kids to share without fighting. We often rented a single stroller for one of my sons and then a double stroller for my other son and all of our stuff like jackets and backpack. This was really helpful! Also, it rains a lot in Florida, so be sure to bring a stroller rain cover or purchase a large rain poncho to put over it. You don’t want your little one to have to sit in a soggy stroller all day. Lastly about strollers, don’t leave snacks open and out on your stroller tray. Those Disney squirrels and birds are very resourceful!
Bring your own kid-friendly snacks to the parks. While Disney World has what seems to be endless dining options, sometimes there just isn’t a quick, convenient kid’s snack available. It was so much easier having five or six non-perishable snacks (goldfish crackers, Cheerios, etc.) in little baggies that I could grab and have them munch on while waiting in line.
Bring a backpack to the park with everything you would need for an entire day. Be sure to pack extra diapers, wipes, bottles, snacks, clothes and empty gallon size zip lock bags. You just never know what will happen. On more than one occasion my boys have gotten sick at Disney World and I’ve needed those zip lock bags, that change of clothes and lots of extra wipes. I always put a luggage tag on my backpack and made sure I never put anything of value in it; just kid’s supplies. That way I felt comfortable leaving it in my stroller and if something happened to it, it wasn’t the end of the world. In all of the years I’ve been visiting there, I have never had anything taken from my stroller.
There are Baby Care Centers in each of the four theme parks. While you can feed your baby anywhere and change them in any restroom, these specially designed centers are very nice and there is no charge to use them. They include a place for nursing moms, changing tables, high chairs, a place to prep food and they have baby items available for purchase. Click here for more details.
If your toddler has started potty training, remember that most of the toilets in the parks have automatic flushers. My kids hated those, so you can bring post-it notes with you and just cover the sensor while they are going, that way the toilet doesn’t flush on them and scare them.
Wearing your baby in a front carrier at the parks is a great way for them to have a wonderful view of everything and for you to have your hands free to help your other little ones or to carry things.
Consider renting a car instead of using Disney transportation. The plus side to having your own car is that you are on your own schedule, you don’t have to wait in line for transportation, there is no pressure to get your stroller folded up and onto the crowded bus, you can stop at a store for baby supplies and your kids might nap a little on the car rides. The downside, you will need to bring and install car seats. We did this for years and always felt like it was worth it in the long run.
If you have a toddler that no longer sleeps in a portable crib, be sure to request bedrails from housekeeping for your hotel room bed.
Bring simple childproofing stuff with you for your hotel room. I have always brought outlet covers with me, but then on one trip my youngest son locked the hotel bathroom door and pulled it closed with no one inside while the tub was filling! After an urgent call to maintenance, we found out that the stirrer in the coffee packet supplied with the maker can work as the emergency bathroom key. But to avoid that problem in the future, I always bring one of those foam things that keeps the door from being closed.
Bring a nightlight to use in your hotel room. With the room darkening curtains, the rooms can get very dark.
If your child has a treasured stuffed animal that they want to bring on the trip, consider buying a new one that is similar to it, but that is smaller in size. My boys both love Snoopy and have pretty good-sized ones that they always wanted to bring with us. I was able to find mini Snoopys that I purchased and gave them to take on trips. “Travel Snoopy” went on lots of vacations and we knew if he got lost, it wouldn’t be as devastating as losing the beloved big Snoopy that we left at home.

I hope these tips and tricks for visiting Disney World with a baby or toddler help you to have a magical and less stressful vacation with your family!

How about you? Have you visited Disney World with a baby or toddler? Do you have any helpful hints? Please leave a comment!