May 30 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Ways To Beat The Heat In Disney World

For today’s Friday favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for the best ways to beat the heat in Disney World. It’s that time of year again when kids are getting out of school for summer break and the temperatures and crowds are beginning to rise. By midday, you might be overwhelmed by the heat and wondering what you should do to escape. Here are my favorite ways to beat the heat at Disney World!

Take A Nap This option is especially great for families with little ones. Head back to your hotel room for a cool shower and a peaceful nap. You’ll be refreshed and ready to go for the night.
Go To The Pool Another terrific choice is to head for your resort pool during those scorching afternoon hours. Grab yourself a cool drink from the pool bar and take a relaxing dip!
See The Shows This works well when you want to stay in the parks, but you still need a little break. Make your way to the large capacity air-conditioned theatres in the afternoon. Great choices are the Enchanted Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Impressions de France, O Canada, Reflections of China and American Adventure in Epcot, Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios and It’s Tough to be a Bug at Animal Kingdom. Even during the busiest times, you can usually get into these shows quickly.
Head To The Resorts Another wonderful possibility is to explore some of the resort hotels. If you are at the Magic Kingdom, hop on the monorail and check out the resorts on the loop. Have a cool beverage, do some shopping and play some games at one of the arcades. If you are at Epcot or Hollywood Studios, hop on the boat. Enjoy the cool breeze on your ride to the Crescent Lake resorts. Once there, explore the area and cool off with some ice cream from Beaches & Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
Go To Downtown Disney You can also escape to Downtown Disney to get a break from the heat. There are lots of exciting air-conditioned places for entertainment. You can bowl a few games at Splitsville, see a movie at AMC Dine In Theatre, buy souvenirs at World of Disney, enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants or play games at DisneyQuest.

So there you have it…my favorite ways to beat the heat in Disney World!

Do you have a favorite way to escape the heat while in Disney World? Please leave a comment!

May 23 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Nighttime Activities

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for best Disney World nighttime activities. I love the ambience that Disney World has at night in the theme parks and beyond. Nighttime at Disney World is my favorite time of all! So without further ado, here are my picks for best nighttime activities in no particular order.

Fireworks, Parades, Shows This one is a no brainer! Of course, one of the top nighttime activities has to be all of the stunning fireworks, parades and shows that the theme parks offer. At Magic Kingdom, you have Celebrate the Magic, the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes. At Epcot, you have Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. And at Hollywood Studios, you have Fantasmic! All of these nighttime spectaculars are amazing!
Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland My favorite part of Magic Kingdom at night is Tomorrowland. Something about all of those neon lights calls to me! My family and I love spending an entire night just soaking up the atmosphere of Tomorrowland. Our favorite nighttime ride is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. It is rarely crowded and it offers beautiful views of the Magic Kingdom after dark.
Epcot’s World Showcase This is my favorite part of Epcot at night. I think it has a lot to do with the special lighting throughout the countries and the exhilarating feel that the World Showcase has at night. My family and I spend several nights of our trip touring this part of Epcot enjoying the shows, shops and snacks as we go.
Downtown Disney If you are ready for a little break from the parks, Downtown Disney is a fun place to go at night. You have so many options here including dinner and a movie, shopping, drinks, bowling, video games and live entertainment. We love visiting Downtown Disney on the night we arrive in Disney World, when we are too tired from traveling to head into a park, but we are eager to get our vacation started!
Arcade & Ice Cream This is a fun option when you are traveling with kids. My boys love video games so we always enjoy heading to Disney’s Beach Club Resort for some yummy ice cream at Beaches & Cream and then video games at the resort arcade.
Mini Golf & Cupcakes Another entertaining option that is wonderful for the whole family! My family and I love mini golf, but it usually too hot for us to play during the day. We love spending one evening playing a round or two at Fantasia Gardens and Fairways near the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and then walking over to the Boardwalk Bakery for a delicious cupcake!
Monorail Resort Hotels This is a very relaxing evening option especially for the adults in your group. We have a great time hopping on the monorail and going from resort to resort exploring, shopping and hitting up the lounges. If you time it right, you can even watch the Electrical Water Pageant from one of the resort’s beaches!
Pizza & Games And if you are just too exhausted to go anymore, all of the resort hotels offer pizza delivery to your room. Get yourselves a couple Disney-themed games (we have Uno and Monopoly) at one of the shops and have an exciting family game night in your room!

So there you have it…my picks for best Disney World Nighttime activities!

Do you have a favorite Disney World nighttime activity? Please leave a comment!

May 16 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Events

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for the best Disney World events. Throughout the year, Disney World offers several fun-filled events that your entire family will enjoy. So here are my favorites in chronological order.

Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival This event is held annually at Epcot from the beginning of March until mid May. There is so much to see and do at this event including beautiful flowers, topiaries, outdoor kitchens, demonstrations by HGTV designers and music concerts. For more information, check out this link.
Star Wars Weekends This is event is held annually at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from mid May until Mid June. This celebration of Star Wars offers special dining opportunities, limited edition merchandise, celebrity and character interactions and unique entertainment. For more information, check out this link.
Epcot International Food & Wine Festival This event is held annually at Epcot from mid September until mid November. This incredible festival includes nearly 30 food and beverage marketplaces scattered around World Showcase, signature dining experiences, food and beverage demonstrations and music concerts. For more information, check out this link.
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party This event is held annually at the Magic Kingdom on select dates in September and October. This is a family friendly Halloween celebration that includes special parades, exciting dance parties, stunning fireworks and tons of trick-or-treating stations filled with candy for everyone! For more information, check out this link.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party This event is held annually at the Magic Kingdom on select dates in November and December. This a festive party that includes a special holiday parade, entertaining shows, spectacular fireworks, hot chocolate and cookies, character dance parties and even snow on Main Street! For more information, check out this link.

So there you have it…my picks for best Disney World events!

What about you? Do you have a favorite Disney World event? Please leave a comment!

May 2 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney’s Animal Kingdom Attractions

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for the best Animal Kingdom attractions. The park itself is almost an attraction with all of the details and lush landscaping. The atmosphere is incredible and really makes you feel like you are in a different part of the world. So while you are soaking up all of the amazing ambience Animal Kingdom has to offer, why not try out the best Animal Kingdom attractions as well. So here they are in no particular order.

DINOSAUR If you’re into dinosaurs, you’ll love this ride! This is a 3 and a half-minute rough and wild journey on a motion simulator – track ride combination that will take you on a dark adventure that is sure to get your heart pumping. Your mission is to travel back in time and rescue a soon-to-be extinct dinosaur. While this sounds innocent enough, beware of taking very young or sensitive children on this attraction. It is dark throughout with very large audio-animatronic ferocious looking dinosaurs everywhere. I have seen several little ones come off this ride terrified. You must be at least 40″ tall to ride.
Expedition Everest This is a truly unique thrill ride for the roller coaster lovers in your group! What makes this coaster different from others is that it goes both forwards and backwards! This 4 minute ride takes you on a thrilling expedition to the top of Mount Everest while trying to stay clear of the Abominable Snowman. This ride reaches speeds of up to 50 mph and includes several dips and quick turns (sometimes going backwards!) but doesn’t go upside down. Be sure to check out the incredible details that went into the queue area while you wait. You must be at least 44″ tall to ride.
Finding Nemo – The Musical Being a huge fan of musical theatre in general, this is one of my favorite shows in all of Disney World. This attraction is an impressive combination of music, puppets, lighting, colors and special effects that together tell the story of Nemo. When taking young children, keep in mind that the show is long with a running time of 35 minutes and it does include the death of Nemo’s mother.
It’s Tough To Be A Bug! For true bug lovers, or at least people who can stand the sight of them, this is a lively 3D experience that shows you what life is like as a bug. This attraction is very intense and includes several special effects to simulate bugs on and near you. Be careful taking young children or anyone of any age that is squeamish around insects. I have seen lots of screaming children and adults fleeing the theatre. Although I am not a huge bug lover myself, I do enjoy the creativity of this show!
Kilimanjaro Safaris This is the attraction Animal Kingdom is best known for and it will not disappoint! An acquaintance of a friend of mine recently returned from an actual African safari and was amazed at how well Kilimanjaro Safaris captures the experience. This is an 18 minute journey in an open-air safari vehicle through the savanna. Every tour is a little different with how many of the 34 different animal species you will see. This ride is a must-do for my family on every trip!

So there you have it…my picks for best Animal Kingdom attractions!

Do you have a favorite Animal Kingdom attraction? Please leave a comment!

Apr 25 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney’s Hollywood Studios Attractions

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for best Disney’s Hollywood Studios attractions. There are lots of great ones here especially if you enjoy thrill rides and shows. Here are my top five choices in no particular order.

Toy Story Mania! Hands down, one of the best family rides in all of the Walt Disney World theme parks. Toy Story Mania! combines old-fashioned carnival games with interactive 3D technology. A great ride for everyone in your group!
Star Tours: The Adventure Continues For those who love Star Wars (and even those who don’t), this a thrilling flight in a motion simulator ride. With lots of twists and turns, not to mention over 50 different ride combinations, Star Tours is always exciting! You must be at least 40″ to ride.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror An amazing combination of thrill and artful design, this attraction is not to be missed! After making your way through an abandoned hotel and into your elevator, prepare yourself for an adventure that ends in at least one 13-story drop. Thanks to the randomly programmed lifts and drops, you are in for a wild ride! You must be at least 40″ to ride.
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster In my opinion, this is the most thrilling ride in all of Hollywood Studios! This an indoor roller coaster in the dark that speeds along at up 60 mph while traveling through loops, corkscrews and hills all to blaring Aerosmith music. Hang on tight…in the first few seconds of the ride you go from 0 to 60 mph and head into the first loop pulling 5 g’s! You must be at least 48″ to ride.
Muppet*Vision 3D If you like the Muppets, you’ll love this show! This is a 17 minute 3D movie of classic Muppets comedy. Fun for the whole family!