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 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 4 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Magic Kingdom Attractions

For today’s Friday Favorites, I am going to share with you my picks for best Magic Kingdom attractions. The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is one of my favorite theme parks! It has such an amazing variety of attractions for every member of the family to enjoy. Throughout the years, I have experienced rides with my youngest son when he was just six months old all the way up to my grandparents when they were in their 70s! I love that Disney World has so many options that the entire family can share together. With over 40 different attractions in the Magic Kingdom, it was very hard to narrow my list down. I decided to pick one favorite from each section of the park. And here they are!

Pirates of the Caribbean (located in Adventureland) I absolutely love this ride! It has been one of my favorites since I was a child. This is a 9 minute dark indoor boat ride with audio-animatronic pirates plundering and being generally rowdy. The accompanying song “Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life Me)” is so catchy! There are lots of things to see along the way like skeletons, ghost ships, wenches being auctioned, looting, fires, treasure and of course, Captain Jack Sparrow. The attention to detail on this ride is amazing all the way down to the hair on the pirate’s leg as his foot dangles over the bridge above your head. Although, my boys have loved this ride since they were toddlers, I would be cautious with kids that are very sensitive or are afraid of the dark. There is also one very small hill, so small that even my 65-year-old dad who doesn’t like any sort of thrill rides, can ride it with no problems. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
Splash Mountain (located in Frontierland) Even though I hate getting wet and always wear a rain poncho on this ride, it is one of my all time favorites! This is another boat ride, but this one is more flume style, and travels both indoors and outdoors. It journeys over a half of mile in about 18 minutes during which you will see more than 100 audio-animatronic animals telling a story based on the Disney movie “Song of the South.” Again, there is great music in this attraction including the songs “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” and “How Do You Do?” This attraction includes several smaller “teaser” type hills throughout the ride culminating in a 5-story plunge. The question on this ride is not if you will get, it is how wet will you get. If you want to stay dry, wear a poncho and be sure you tuck it under yourself and sit on it! You must be at least 40″ to ride and children under 7 must be accompanied by an adult.
The Haunted Mansion (located in Liberty Square) This is another wonderful Disney World attraction and one of my must-do’s on every trip. It begins in a room where a little of the back story is given. Then you will move from there to the actual queue to get in your “doom buggy” to experience the rest of the ride. Once in your “doom buggy” you will tour the entire Haunted Mansion and a graveyard. This ride also has a great song to it called “Grim Grinning Ghosts” and it makes the whole thing seem a little more light-hearted. There is nothing particularly gory about this ride and the special effects that are used to simulate the ghosts are really quite amazing! With that being said, as a child, I was terrified of this ride! My young boys are much braver than me and never had a problem with it. If you are going to bring a young child on it, here are a few things to keep in mind. In the room where you begin your ride, it will go completely dark and other guests find it very funny to scream their heads off at that point. This can be very startling to young kids so you might want to prep them for that possibility. Once you actually get inside your own personal doom buggy, they will be comfortable in their own enclosed car with you. There were many times as a child, I just rode through with parents with my eyes shut all the way and I was fine. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
It’s a Small World (located in Fantasyland) This is a true Disney classic so much so that it has been replicated in every Disney resort around the world! Another indoor boat ride, this one travels to all seven continents in a journey of about 10 minutes. Along the way, you will see almost 300 dolls each displaying the traditional dress from their nation while they sing along to the timeless song “it’s a small world.” This ride just warms the heart! As a child, this was my favorite ride of all time. It is almost like being in a time machine when I ride this attraction, remembering my parents bringing me on it and now I’m enjoying it with my own kids! This is a perfect starter ride for very young kids. It is bright, colorful and calm. There are no height restrictions on this ride.
Monster, Inc. Laugh Floor (located in Tomorrowland) Based on the hit movies, Monsters Inc. and Monsters University, this show is sure to get you laughing! The premise is that the monsters have now discovered that laughs produce more power than screams, so they are after your laughter. Through amazing technology, the animated characters on the screen are able to interact with audience members. This show is usually hilarious and can be made even more funny with great audience participation. If you just want to watch and don’t want to be chosen to play along, avoid the seats with what look like desk lights right in front of them. My whole family loves this show!

There you have it folks…my picks for best Magic Kingdom attractions!

How about you? What are your favorite Magic Kingdom attractions? Please leave a comment!

Mar 21 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Frozen Drinks

There is nothing better on a hot summer day than a frozen drink to cool you off! Disney World offers lots of tasty frozen beverages throughout the parks. For today’s Friday Favorites, here’s my list of the best frozen drinks in Disney World!

Frozen Coca-Cola This is a classic frozen Coke. I absolutely love this one – being a huge Coke fan myself! It is so sweet, refreshing and great for anyone of any age. These can be found at several locations throughout all four parks. My favorite spot to get one is at the Lunching Pad in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. It is conveniently located right next to a yummy popcorn stand!
American Dream This is another great drink for anyone! This is a combination of frozen strawberry, frozen blue raspberry and vanilla soft serve. I love this patriotic red, white and blue, creamy frozen treat! You can find this delicious beverage at the Fife and Drum kiosk near the American Adventure in the World Showcase at Epcot.
Yak Attack This is a wonderful sweet and sour frozen beverage for the adults in your group. A tasty combination of light rum, wild berry and mango, this drink is amazing and strong! You can get one of these at the Yak and Yeti counter service or table service restaurant at Animal Kingdom.
Fiesta Margarita Another terrific classic frozen drink. What I love about this margarita is that it is a swirled combination of lime, strawberry and mango margaritas! This way you get to try all three flavors in one awesome drink! You can find this one at the Margarita Kiosk near Mexico in the World Showcase at Epcot.
Grey Goose Citron Slush When considering this drink, think “grown up” lemonade. It is a tangy combination of frozen lemon and Grey Goose Citron Vodka. It is so cool and smooth, these go down really quickly, so watch out! This drink can be purchased at the Vins de France kiosk near France in the World Showcase at Epcot.
Grand Marnier Slush Last but not least, this is my all time favorite! This drink is a sweet mix of orange and Grand Marnier. It is like a yummy orange dreamsicle with a kick! This beverage can also be found at the Vins de France kiosk.

And there you have it! Disney World’s best frozen drinks to help keep you cool on even the hottest days of your vacation!

“If you have the chance, I highly recommend picking one up!” – Ferris Bueller (for you 80’s fans)

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

Mar 14 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Snacks

One of the things that I think Disney does best in the way of food is their snacks! They have so many wonderful snacks and treats available that some days when I’m there I don’t even eat a meal! I just eat four or five of their delicious snacks throughout the day. So without further ado here is my list of the best Disney World snacks!

Dole Whip Without a doubt this is one of the top snacks at Disney World. If you have never had a Dole whip it is a frozen soft serve dessert. They come in the classic pineapple flavor as well as orange or vanilla. The orange flavor is my absolute favorite! It has a light citrus taste and is nice and sweet. You can even get them in a swirl or a float! The most popular place to pick one up is at the Aloha Isle in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. On a hot summer day, the line for these can be very long, but definitely worth it!
Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar Another iconic treat and fan favorite is the Mickey’s Premium Ice Cream Bar. This treat is vanilla ice cream shaped like a Mickey Mouse head dipped in chocolate and served on a stick. It is very similar to a Dove bar that you can get at home, but made way better simply because it is in the shape of Mickey! These treats are so popular that you can now get shirts, magnets and pins to declare your love for these yummy snacks! You can get one of these ice cream bars all over the parks from many of the cart vendors.
Turkey Legs Now this is a not a personal favorite of mine, because I can’t stand to eat meat that still resembles the animal, but they are definitely one of the top snacks at Disney World. From what I hear these turkey legs have great flavor and are not at all dry. You will see people wandering all over gnawing on these things! If you are in the mood for a high protein snack, you can find these being sold at several of the cart vendors throughout the parks.
Popcorn Another one of my personal favorites is the popcorn. Imagine the best movie theatre popcorn you’ve ever had only better and then you’ll have Disney World popcorn. They go through so much of it, it always seems fresh and warm. It’s not overly salty, with the perfect amount of butter and crunch, now that is a great snack! The large size is sold in a cute seasonal bucket with lid so you can continue to graze on it all day. Like most of the other snacks, popcorn can be found at several of the cart vendors throughout the parks. One of my favorite stands is at the cart just inside the Magic Kingdom.
Fancy Cupcakes This is my all time favorite Disney World snack! I love the wide variety of flavors of cupcakes that they have at Disney World. They have simple ones like chocolate and vanilla to exotic ones that contain all different kinds of fillings and toppings. A couple of my favorites are the White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake which is dark chocolate cake, vanilla buttercream frosting topped with toasted coconut and the Strawberry Shortcake Cupcake which is a yellow cake, topped with a whipped cream type frosting filled with Grand Marnier soaked strawberries. My kids love the Oreo Bon Bon Cupcake featuring yellow cake topped with a cookies n’ cream buttercream frosting, Oreo crumbles and two Oreos to resemble Mickey’s ears! These gourmet cupcakes can be found throughout the parks and resort hotels. One of the places for the best selection is the Boardwalk Bakery at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.