Monthly Archives: November 2016

Thoughts on Epcot’s Future

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This morning in my way to work I was listening to Episode 98 of Radio Harambe.  This is an excellent podcast and one of my favorites, especially since it’s mostly focused on Animal Kingdom and you know how I feel about that park.  Anyway, Mike and Dave, the hosts, were discussing the recent Disney announcement about the future of Epcot and what that might mean for Epcot fans.  Mike and Dave and I don’t always agree on stuff and today was no exception…I was interjecting my opposition to their opinions out loud on my commute (as if they could hear me) and the discussion was inspirational for this post.Epcot View

Thoughts on Epcot’s Future

Epcot’s changed a lot since I first visited the park in 1990 and not always in a good way.  Lots of attractions have closed, sponsorships ended, and Future World has been mostly left to stagnate and generally decline.  What was once a thought-provoking center for amusing edu-tainment has become a mere shadow of its former self.  Updates are badly needed and if Disney must incorporate some of its popular entertainment franchises to do it, so be it.RM-Living-With-The-Land-Greenhouse

If visitors to Future World were to once again find themselves inspired by technological innovations, the original purpose of Epcot lives on.  If said inspiration were to be derived from familiar movie characters, what’s the harm?  It’s a fact, Disney sells more merchandise with well-known fan favorites than they would with newly launched concepts and sales are what keeps stockholders happy.  I want to see Epcot revitalized and am willing to be open-minded about it.

A few thoughts on what I would consider moving in the right direction…

Inside Out has been the movie most discussed among Disney fans as a perfect fit for Future World.  A new attraction related to how and why changes occur in our brains as we grow up would be perfect!  Every young person should know that an immature frontal cortex will inhibit sound decision-making long past their 18th birthday and this is why they should listen to their mom!

Perhaps, in the same building, The Incredibles (and my favorite character, Edna Mode) could entertain us while helping us understand the relationship between nutrition and the optimum performance of both brain and brawn?  Personally, I think The Incredibles are woefully underrepresented in Disney parks!  This would be a win-win for me.RM-Universe-of-Energy-Exterior

Guardians of the Galaxy has been rumored to be the theme of a new attraction to replace the outdated Ellen’s Energy Adventure.  What if Rocket, who is an engineering genius, were to host an attraction based on how creativity and technology come together to solve problems with things like clean energy, transportation, space exploration, or waste disposal?

While I’ve heard that Wreck-It Ralph may be slated for Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom, I could see wonderful potential with this franchise for an Epcot attraction as well.  How about an interactive attraction that allowed guests to see what goes on during the invention of arcade/video games.  By helping visitors see how imagination becomes virtual reality through technology, young future-programmers might be encouraged while the rest of us just have fun!SSE Lecture Dude

Education combined with entertainment is great, but the final, Epcot-worthy result needs to be inspiration.  When guests leave feeling like they can make a difference in their own lives as well as the world around them, then Epcot’s mission has been accomplished.  If, in the course of visiting Walt Disney World, some small fraction of young guests discover a new interest in science, technology, engineering, or math…just by having fun on vacation, then Epcot’s bigger meaning is realized.  And isn’t that as Walt Disney intended it to be?  Just my two cents.

What are your thoughts on Epcot’s future?

 

 

Memory Maker – Nailed It!

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Finally!  After several tries (other reviews here and here), we figured out how to best utilize Memory Maker.  The results of our group effort on our last Disney World vacation were our best yet!  We came home with a huge number of pictures and the vast majority of them were great.img_0679

Memory Maker – Nailed It!

I believe it was the combination of learning from prior mistakes, Disney photographer improvement, and teamwork that resulted in our success.  We came home with well over 150 good photos (many of them excellent).

I’ve summarized our tips for best results…

Have a plan – As a group of seven, we wanted to get lots of pictures without wasting precious vacation time.  Teamwork helped!  We worked together to find photo ops with short lines that would result in pictures that were both fun and quintessentially Disney.img_0676

Maximize character meet & greet opportunities – Schedule at least one character meet up with a FastPass, if possible.  We highly recommend the Character Spot in Epcot.  You won’t know which characters will be there, but no matter what (or who), there will be excellent photo ops.  Throughout your vacation, watch for characters and get in line if the wait will be fairly short.  Don’t forget about the Star Wars Launch Bay in Disney’s Hollywood Studios for pictures with Chewbacca and Kylo Ren.img_0674

Link Magic Bands, then ask for help – It may look like you’re all linked correctly in My Disney Experience, but we found that not to be the case.  Megan and I were the ones who had our Magic Bands scanned by the photographers most of the time and several of her band’s pictures were missing from my photos.  We took advantage of a Photo Pass kiosk to get help while we were at Disney World, then I still had to call for more help after we got home.  This is inconvenient, but worth the effort! (The Cast Member who helped is at the kiosk admitted that this is a well-known, common problem.)img_0667

Learn where and when ride photos will be taken – If you’re experiencing an attraction for the first time, it’s hard to know where pics will be snapped.  Ask a Cast Member before you board or check out the pictures from your first ride and use subsequent rides to strike a pose, smile and wave, or be clever in your own way.img_0668img_0675

Stop early and often – Just say YES when you see a photographer with a short or no line, no matter where they are.  Early in the day when you’re still fresh and looking good is a great time to stop for just a few seconds.  Photographers will be in lots of places other than in front of each park’s icon, so keep an eye out.  Some of our favorite pictures from this trip were taken just as we were exiting Kilimanjaro Safaris.img_0671

Ask about Magic Shots – Photographers won’t always tell you when they can add a little extra magic to your pictures and it never hurts to ask.  Maybe it’s our imagination, but the abundance of Magic Shots seems to be ever increasing.  Personally, I loved meeting Sebastian in Fantasyland this time.img_0673img_0669

img_0677Ham it up!  Have fun, be silly, let your inner child out to play.  You’re at Walt Disney World!  Don’t ruin family photos by being the stuffy one who is merely suffering through.  There’s no better place to have a great time – be sure to let it show!  Maybe you wouldn’t want your work friends back home to see you acting foolish with a Disney princess, I get that, but your family will cherish the memories and will love looking back through pictures even more if you relax and embrace the unique type of fun a Disney vacation offers.  If you’re anti-Disney, I can’t help you, but you could at least try not to ruin pictures with your crabbiness.img_0672img_0680

Overall, we’ve seen a big improvement in the quality of pictures taken by Disney photographers.  They snap more candid shots than they used to and have gotten really good at lining a group up and taking several clever shots quickly.  If you’re on the fence about investing in Memory Maker, hopefully these tips will help you decide. Oh, and the videos that are included with rides like Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and Tower of Terror are wonderful!

Have you had success with Memory Maker?  Where were your favorite pictures taken?

Disney Hallmark Ornaments – Ready, Set, Snow!

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Disney Hallmark Ornaments – Ready, Set, Snow!

By Nick

Last week I shared the first 2 ornaments released in the “Ready! Set! Snow!” ornament set, which featured Mickey Mouse and Pluto.

This Donald Duck Hallmark ornament, entitled “Cool Duck Donald”, was released on September 8th, 2012.

From the box:

Cool Duck Donald

Ready! Set! Snow!

 

Donald thought that sledding
would be sweet, and he’s in luck-
gliding fast across the snow,
he looks like one cool duck!

This ornament can be connected to others in the “Ready! Set! Snow!” collection. Collect them all to create a delightful holiday display!

Nello Williams
Cullen Brown
Hallmark Keepsake Artist

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This ornament has a notch to connect other ornaments in the set.

“Snow Stylin’ Goofy”, was released on October 6th, 2012, is part of a set of 5 ornaments, featuring the Fab Five, titled “Ready! Set! Snow!”.

 

Snow Stylin’ Goofy

Ready! Set! Snow!

Goofy’s got some crazy moves
as he rides on the sled.
Or maybe he’s just making sure
his hat stays on his head!

The Minnie Mouse Hallmark ornament, titled “Merry Mittens Minnie”, was released on November 2nd, 2012, and is the final piece in the set.

From the box:

Merry Mittens Minnie

Ready! Set! Snow!

Minnie’s always ready
for a sled ride in the snow.
She warms her hands with cozy mittens-
red to match her bow!

And here is the whole set together!

You can follow Nick, his wife Barbie, and all their friends on their many Disney adventures:  Disney Musings Blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, On Instagram, On Pinterest.  You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about all things Disney.

Tiffins – Disney Park Signature Dining Perfection

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Disney’s Animal Kingdom is immersive, exquisitely themed, and carries guest away on exotic adventures.  For visitors looking for a signature dining experience that perfectly reflects the park’s theming, Tiffin’s is the place!

Tiffins – Disney Park Signature Dining Perfection

My favorite attraction in Animal Kingdom may be in Asia (Expedition Everest), but my favorite section of the park is Africa.  From the Dawa Bar and Burudika Band to the Harambe Market, Festival of the Lion King, and the Gorilla Falls trail…Every square inch of Africa is amazing!  I have yet to visit when I didn’t see several things I’d never noticed before.  On the last visit, we were serenaded by a wandering musician…what a unique and unforgettable experience!dak-musician

When the opening of Tiffins was announced, we knew we had to try it.  We love adventure in both vacation activities and dining.  By all accounts from the early Tiffins reviews, the experience sounded both exotic and delicious.  (This is probably not the best restaurant for picky eaters.)tiffins-sign

We booked an early dinner for seven to cap off a full day of Animal Kingdom touring.  The exterior of Tiffins blends well into its surroundings.  When we walked in, it was obvious that the carefully crafted details outside the building were magnified on the inside.  The most meticulous care went into making the restaurant’s interior feel uniquely special and perfect for its location.

What we liked – Everything!  The service (ask for Kile!), the ambiance, the food, the wine…every detail was fantastic.  Kile, our server, was passionate about Tiffins and was happy to share details with us about everything from the artwork on each wall to the flavors in the menu’s dishes.  tiffins-rivers-of-light-wallNotice the colorful fabric behind the lighted animal figures (just like the floats in Rivers of Light!)?  Those fabric pieces were once Animal Kingdom Cast Member costumes.  tiffins-interior-wall-detailSee the wooden poles?  tiffins-wood-carvingsThey are covered in carvings of a multitude of different animals – these very same poles were once painted bright blue and stood in Camp Minnie-Mickey.tiffins-menu

What we didn’t like – Nothing.  We loved everything about Tiffins…it was us we didn’t like.  This restaurant is special and we felt a little soggy and grimy after being in the park all day and maneuvering through an afternoon downpour.  We were a ragtag bunch eating in a very nice place.  Luckily, that’s to be expected with any in-park dining, so while we wished we’d been a bit more presentable, we enjoyed an excellent meal just the same.tiffins-soup tiffins-octopus-appetizertiffins-beef-entree

What would get us back – Time and budget.  Signature dining = expensive meal, so we’d need to plan accordingly.  Also, we’d want to book a meal at Tiffins during a day we were already planning to be in Animal Kingdom.  Unlike signature restaurants on the monorail loop or at resorts in or near Epcot, the Animal Kingdom park is pretty far away from where we usually stay.  It’s not someplace we would visit just for a meal.  All that being said, we do already have anther reservation at Tiffins in about a month.  Our first impression was great and there are many things on the menu we’d still like to try.

If you’re an adventurous eater and you love Disney signature dining, Tiffins is a solid choice for a unique and special experience.  Have you tried Tiffins?  How was your meal there?