May 9 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Epcot World Showcase Attractions

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for best Epcot World Showcase attractions. Epcot’s World Showcase is my favorite place to just hang out and relax in all of Disney World. Usually while I’m in Disney World, I want to go non-stop and see and do as much as possible. I only stop to eat and sleep so that the rest of my family can survive! Epcot’s World Showcase is a nice balance of “going and doing” combined with the relaxed feel that my family so desperately needs. Our absolute favorite time to explore the World Showcase is after dark when all of the countries are brilliantly lit. The atmosphere is extraordinary and it is truly like being transported around the globe. Next time you are in Epcot, be sure to check out my choices for best Epcot World Showcase attractions. And here they are in no particular order.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros This is a 7 minute indoor boat ride located in the Mexico pavilion. This attraction reminds me a lot of It’s A Small World with its catchy music and colorful details. This cute and relaxing ride is fun for the whole family!
Impressions De France This an 18 minute film depicting the beauty and diversity of France and its people. The movie is projected over 200 degrees widescreen in a cool, comfy theatre complete with soft, velvety seats. A great show to see when you are ready to cool off and relax to some stunning scenery and serene music!
O Canada! This is an 18 minute 360 degree Circle-Vision film detailing the exquisite natural beauty of Canada. Narrated by actor Martin Short, this movie is sure to keep you entertained! Keep in mind that the audience stands during this show.
The American Adventure This is a 29 minute compelling show that gives a brief history of the United States. This patriotic story is told through a combination of Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain audio-animatronics, inspiring music and film clips. This is a must-do for us on every trip!

So there you have it…my picks for best Epcot World Showcase attractions!

Do you have a favorite Epcot World Showcase attraction? Please leave a comment!

Apr 24 2014

Disney World Tips & Tricks – Best Disney World Rides For Babies And Toddlers

Traveling to Disney World with a baby or toddler can be such a rewarding experience. Some of my best Disney World memories are watching my boys enjoy the amazing Disney attractions for the first time. With well over 100 rides and attractions spread among four theme parks, it might be hard to know what is appropriate for young children or what might be too much. Here are my recommendations for best Disney World rides and attractions for babies and toddlers divided into three categories: Fun For All – these rides are universally liked by small children, Great For Most – these rides will work for most kids in the age group and Proceed with Caution – a lot of these rides will be fine depending on the temperament of your child.

Magic Kingdom

Fun For All

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
Country Bear Jamboree
Enchanted Tales with Belle
it’s a Small World
Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor
Prince Charming Regal Carrousel
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Walt Disney World Railroad

Great For Most

Dumbo the Flying Elephant (goes up and down under your control)
Jungle Cruise (fake use of a gun by boat driver and one dark tunnel)
Mad Tea Party (spins a lot!)
Mickey’s Philharmagic (loud at times and water sprinkles on you a little once)
Peter Pan’s Flight (dark in spots and there is a scene with the crocodile about to eat Hook)
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin (goes up and down and tilts under your control, may get a little wet from a spitting camel)
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover (dark in spots – often a favorite ride for kids to nap)
Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid (large Ursula audio-animatronic)
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress (this is a 21 minute show in a rotating theatre – nothing scary and has a cute audio-animatronic dog)
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room (show includes a simulated thunderstorm)

Proceed With Caution

Pirates of the Caribbean (dark most of the ride, one small drop, lots of pirates and skeletons)
Haunted Mansion (dark most of the ride, images of ghosts, caskets and a graveyard)

For both of these Proceed With Caution attractions, my boys were fine as babies. Later, they went through a short phase of being scared of the dark and images in these rides.

Epcot

Fun For All

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros
Turtle Talk With Crush

Great For Most

Journey Into Imagination with Figment (big blast of air in one place and a loud noise in another spot)
Living with The Land (simulated thunderstorm in one section)
Spaceship Earth (dark in spots)
The Seas with Nemo & Friends (dark in spots and audio-animatronic sharks)

Proceed With Caution

Ellen’s Energy Adventure (dark in spots, large audio-animatronic dinosaurs, loud noise associated with “The Big Bang”, 35 minutes long)

Hollywood Studios

Fun For All

Disney Junior – Live on Stage!
Toy Story Mania

Great For Most

Muppet Vision 3D (a little water sprinkles on you once)
Voyage of the Little Mermaid (large Ursula character)

Proceed With Caution

Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage (some kids may be scared by the Beast character or the story itself)

Animal Kingdom

Fun For All

Festival of the Lion King
Finding Nemo – The Musical (does begin with the death of Nemo’s mother just like the movie)
Kilimanjaro Safaris

Great For Most

TriceraTop Spin (moves up and down under your control)

Proceed With Caution

It’s Tough to be a Bug! (dark, lots of bugs, loud noises, simulates bug touching you, a little water sprinkles on you – really just for true bug lovers, I’ve seen many kids completely terrified and screaming during this attraction)

For a complete list of all of the Disney World attractions and their descriptions, please check out these links for the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom.

What about you? Do you have any favorite rides for babies and toddlers? Please leave a comment!

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.