Category Archives: Walt Disney World

So Long Snow White – Hello Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Posted on by

Snow White's Scary Adventure - WitchThroughout my life (yes, nearly 50 years!), I’ve often found myself in a small minority of people who like change.  Change doesn’t generally bother me – most of the time I’m in favor of it.  For sure, I’m not as resistant to it as most folks tend to be.  In fact, in my job (the one I have to support my Disney vacation addiction), I’m often responsible for helping people adjust to and embrace change.  This sort of brings me to today’s topic…Snow White's Scary Adventure - Peek Inside

Two years ago we were at Walt Disney world during the last week of May.  Snow White’s Scary Adventure was closing forever after May 31st, 2012, so I planned for our group to be in Magic Kingdom that day in order to take a farewell ride.  As we rode along through all the scenes, I tried hard to feel sentimental and drum up some appropriate feelings of nostalgia – tried hard to be a little sad even.  Well….not so much.  Snow’s ride had never been one of my favorites and, in the spirit of totally honesty, I was not going to miss it.  At all.  I didn’t hate it or anything – To name my feelings, I would say I was perfectly ambivalent.  Yes, it was a Fantasyland classic, but it always seemed to lack the whimsy of Peter Pan’s Flight.  For sure, it wasn’t as interesting as It’s a Small World and Fantasyland Construction Wall Signwas completely without a catchy tune.  I guess you could say – I was in pro-change mode.  Close the ride and make something else?  Build a new Snow White-related attraction?  Make a Princess Fairytale Hall for meet-and-greets?  YES!  I was completely in favor of those plans.  Change is sometimes good and necessary.  This was certainly one of those times.

I walked by the walls surrounding the Fantasyland Expansion that day in 2012 and wondered what we could expect from the barely-begun Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – it seemed a fitting plan to pay tribute to one of the most Disney-esque of movies, while adding some much needed pizazz to a Snow White experience.  Back then, very little was know about the would-be attraction and its cutting-edge technology.  As construction updates began to appear on my favorite media sites, my excitement slowly built….

Next week, almost exactly two years to the day from the date we said goodbye to Snow Seven Dwarfs on Fantasyland Construction WallWhite’s Scary Adventure, I’ll finally get to ride the much-anticipated Seven Dwarfs Mine Train!  I’ve watched the YouTube videos, read the reviews and blog reports and am absolutely thrilled to have booked FastPasses for the afternoon of May 30th.

If you aren’t currently following Living a Disney Life on Facebook and Twitter – consider “liking” us on the links below so you won’t miss a single update as we embark on our latest Disney adventure.

Living a Disney Life on Facebook is here.  (Or you can just press the button to like us on Facebook at the top of this page on the right.)

Follow me (Lisa) on Twitter here.

Seven Dwarfs Sign Fantasyland Construction WallAre you excited for the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train?  Do you wish Snow White’s Scary Adventure had stayed in Fantasyland in place of the Princess Fairytale Hall? 

Summer Wardrobe for a Disney Vacation

Posted on by
Walt Disney World Summer Wardrobe Tips

Cool Clothing and Sunglasses at Walt Disney World

Summer Wardrobe for a Disney Vacation – This post is part 2 of my Summer Sun Survival Tips.  Link to Part 1.

Here’s an important lesson my wise (and much older) sister taught me as I was growing up. (Thanks, Sandy!)  Always start the day looking the way you will at the end of the day – take into account any factors that may adversely affect your appearance and plan accordingly.

This advice is extremely applicable when visiting Walt Disney World in the summer months.  We (maybe I’m kinda mostly talking about women here) want to look super-cute on vacation (I’m sure some of you guys do too, right?).  We shop for cute vacation wardrobes and plan out adorable outfits for every possible vacation contingency.  I’m here to tell you…some forms of cute vacation outfits, in the summer at Walt Disney World, are potentially fraught with peril.

The best clothing tip I can give you for a summer Disney vacation is to take my sister’s advice:  Start the day looking pretty much the same as you’ll end up.  Confused?  Let me explain.  It’s HOT at the World during the summer.  And incredibly HUMID!  The combo of the two can be brutal!  Everything is damp, your favorite tried-and-true hair products will totally fail you, makeup melts off completely – you may start the day looking super cute and fresh only to end up a sticky, wilted mess!  Start the day looking perhaps a little less fabulous than originally planned with the idea that you will never look “less” than you do right then.

WDW Animal Kingdom Family Picture

One of us (me) is NOT following this article’s tips!

Here’s my head-to-toe plan:

First things first:  Don’t try to style your hair – caps, hats, ponytail, braid – you pick what works for you, ’cause if you think your perfectly coiffed ‘do will hold up against the Florida sun and humidity (or worse, those two in the morning and a torrential downpour in the afternoon) – you’ll be so sorry you didn’t listen to me.  Start the day with well-subdued hair, liberally applied sunscreen, very little makeup, and a good lip balm.  Don a hat and sunglasses and voila!  You’ll end the day looking just the way you started – which is a LOT better than starting out like a movie star and ending up a caked-up, raccoon-eyed sweat-ball.

Walt Disney World Mother/Daughter Picture

Headed in at the end of the day – not looking TOO bad!

Wear cool comfortable clothing that breathes well and allows you to move freely (for getting on and off attractions).  If you’re planning to ride attractions where you may get wet or the weather person has predicted rain, be sure to choose clothing that will dry quickly.  I prefer cotton (or performance/athletic-wear fabric) tees and tanks paired with cotton shorts or running shorts.  Shoes should be well broken in – vary shoes day-to-day to reduce the potential for blisters and raw spots.  You could try comfy sandals one day, sneakers/trainers/running shoes the next and so on.  Switch up the shoes!

Finally, I hate to bring this up, but if this post is going to be of value, I’m going to have to mention something a bit delicate.  Shhhhh, come closer so I can whisper it…chafing.  There.  Now it’s out.  For many summer Walt Disney World guests, chafing is a very real risk.  You might not be prepared for so much walking – in the heat and humidity – which results potentially in unprecedented sweating – which, in turn, results in “hot spots” where wet clothing rubs against tender skin.  Distance runners and cyclists (of which I’m both) are unfortunately well-acquainted IMG_2338with the horrors of chafing and I’m happy to report there’s an easy preventive measure that can be taken.  Cover areas which may chafe with a smoothing substance made specifically for this purpose.  One brand I’m familiar with and have used before is Body Glide – but I’m sure there are others on the market that will work just as well.  The product comes in a convenient solid (like antiperspirant)  – you just apply it wherever you think you may need it.

There you go!  Take my advice and you’ll be golden.  While you’re touring comfortably – look around at some of the other WDW guests – the limping ones are the easiest to spot – they didn’t do their homework.  Adopt the Boy Scout motto and Be Prepared!

For more on protecting yourself from and treating chafing and blisters, there’s a good article here.

What did I leave out?  Do you have any tips for comfortably dealing with the summer conditions at Walt Disney World?  Tell me!  I’m headed there in 9 days!!!

 

Epcot’s Manatees in The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Posted on by

The Seas with Nemo & Friends I understand there are a lot of families who skip The Seas With Nemo and Friends when they visit Epcot.  The Finding Nemo-based ride through the oceans in a clammobile isn’t for everyone – I get that.  Turtle Talk with Crush is targeted at preschoolers and the general consensus seems to be that once the kids are a little older, there are more exciting things to see and do at Epcot.  I’m sad for the families who haven’t given The Seas pavilion another try.  There are some pretty amazing things to be found there and a couple of them are manatees.

I’m surprised by how many visitors completely miss Epcot’s manatees in The Seas with Nemo and Friends.  They’re pretty gigantic and absolutely amazing to watch – especially if you happen to time your visit around the manatees’ feeding schedule.  There are two viewing areas – upstairs (at the tank’s surface) Cast Members feed the manatees and make manatee presentations (check the schedule).  Downstairs is the underwater viewing area.Epcot manatee

Slow moving gentle giants, manatees are animals known as Sirenians – this group of aquatic mammals (related to elephants) can be found in many places around the world.  A subspecies of the West Indian manatees are the ones we can find in Florida.  There are also West African and Amazonian manatees and a close manatee relative called the Dugong (found in warm coastal waters from East Africa to Australia).

A quick peek over at Save The Manatee.org revealed some other interesting manatee tidbits:

  • Manatee in EpcotManatees are large and gray.  They have two flippers and a paddle-shaped tail.  Flippers have 3-4 nails on each.
  • Adult manatees reach about 10-feet in length and weigh 800-1200 lbs.
  • Manatees normally surface every 3-5 minutes to breathe, but can remain underwater for up to 20 minutes when resting.
  • Manatees spend most of their time eating (plants), resting, and traveling.
  • The reproduction rate for manatees is low.  Females produce a calf only once every 2-5 years.
  • Florida manatees are believed to normally live 60 years or more, but are currently an endangered species – recent studies predict the manatee population in Florida to be less than 5000 animals.

“Most human-related manatee fatalities occur from collisions with watercraft. Other causes of IMG_2791human-related manatee mortality include being crushed and/or drowned in canal locks and flood control structures; ingestion of fish hooks, litter, and monofilament line; and entanglement in crab trap lines. Ultimately, loss of habitat is the most serious threat facing manatees in the United States today.”  – Save the Manatee.org

Last time I visited Epcot, there were two manatees (Lou and Vail) who had both been victims of boat strikes in the wild – both were missing large sections of their tails.  The last news I’d heard about the pair was that, sadly, Vail had passed away last October (2013) and a new manatee had joined Lou named Lil’ Joe.  Lil’ Joe had been orphaned young and mostly raised in captivity.  I’m planning to stop by and see Lou and Lil’ Joe in a couple of weeks – if there’s any news, I’ll post an update.  Over the years, Epcot has rehabilitated sick and injured manatees who were able to be reintroduced into the wild.

The Manatees in EpcotSo, to end my manatee monologue, I’ll say this:  Go see them!  What a wonderful opportunity to teach every member of the family about animal conservation – right there in Epcot!  Not into educational opportunities while on vacation?  The manatees are still some of the coolest animals you’ll ever see!

When you go to Walt Disney World, do you take the time to visit the manatees?

 

 

 

Walt Disney World – Summer Sun Survival

Posted on by

Walt Disney World – Summer Sun Survival – Part One

Waiting for WDW Transportation

Everyone in this picture is slightly sunburned!

The last day of school is right around the corner and for those of you counting down to a summer vacation at Walt Disney World…YIPEE!  I’m right there with you!  So excited!  ADRs and FastPass+ all squared away!  Packing early!  Prepping for sun survival!  You’re doing all that too, right?  Especially that last part – don’t forget to pack your sunscreen and be prepared to use it – early and often – to make sure no member of your travelling party has their vacation made uncomfortable by a nasty sunburn.

We live in Louisiana where the heat and humidity are pretty extreme in the summer – when I say extreme, I’m not kidding!  We have very similar highs and lows to Orlando (average highs in June, July, and August around 90-degrees), but less rainfall.  Even though we’re used to it, we still prepare especially for a Walt Disney World vacation, because if we were at home, we wouldn’t be spending as much time outdoors as we do on vacation.

Here’s what I know about the sun in Orlando – it’s not only HOT, but it can produce a serious sunburn in record time.  Thankfully, I don’t know this from personal experience, but from watching countless fellow Walt Disney World guests suffer from the effects of a bad burn.  There’s no reason for this to happen to you.

Walt Disney World Guests

Hats make excellent sun protection!

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, there are a few basic sun protection guidelines everyone should follow.  These include:

  • Apply sunscreen to everyone!  Including toddlers and infants 6 months and over.
  • Use broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB protection), water-resistant sunscreen of at least SPF 30.
  • Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours or as often as the product label recommends.
  • Dermatologists say that a one-ounce “serving” of sunscreen is approximately enough to fill the exposed areas on an adult body – this is Max Block Sunscreen SPF 30enough sunscreen to fill a shot glass!

Utilize hats with large brims, sunglasses, and long-sleeved shirts for extra protection.  I will often tie a plain white linen button-up, long-sleeved shirt around my waist – if I have to spend too long in direct sunlight, I put it on over my clothes.  White reflects the sunlight and linen isn’t too hot/unbearable for a short time as extra sun-protection.

Cool Fact:  The FDA requires that all sunscreens retain their original strength for at least 3-years.

When applying sunscreen, don’t forget ears, the back of your neck, the tops of your feet, bald spots, all around sleeves and straps (that’s what gets me every time!), the backs of your legs, lips, and eye area.  Important:  Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before sun exposure.

Max Block Sunscreen LabelMy two cents:  I like “Max Block” sunscreen – and I’ve tested it for this post during the past two weekends.  It works very well for me – is indeed (for me) very water and sweat resistant, as the label claims.  It absorbs well, is non-greasy, and has a very pleasant, mildly tropical scent.  I bought and paid for this product and these opinions and tests are nonclinical, unofficial – the results are my own experience only.

Watch for more Sun Survival Tips coming soon!

What are your best sun-survival tips for Walt Disney World vacations?

Find complete information on selecting sunscreen from the American Academy of Dermatology here.