Category Archives: Walt Disney World

Disney’s Epcot – The Germany Pavilion

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Germany Pavilion in Epcot 1It may be because I’m half-German or maybe because of its perfect location between China and Italy…just far enough from the beginning of the World Showcase (starting with Mexico) to have worked up a powerful thirst for a good German beer!  Maybe it’s the smells and tastes of the delicious treats inside Karamelle-Kuche – arguably the best sweets shop in Epcot.  Whatever the reasons, I love the Germany Pavilion!  Every detail about this area’s tribute to all things German is just wonderful…er…wunderbar!

Just in case you need them, I’ll give you five great things about Epcot’s Germany Pavilion:

1.  The Food – Delicious options abound!  Want a snack?  Quick service meal?  Full-blown Oktoberfest-style buffet? You can get them all in Epcot’s little slice of Germany.

I’ve mentioned Karamelle-Kuche already – from the makers of Werther’s candies, enter this shop and the aromas alone are amazing.  I recommend a piece of chocolate-covered salted caramel – big enough to share (maybe).

Need a quick meal?  Sommerfest is the place to be.  Enjoy a brat or Frankfurter for a simple lunch.  Feeling brave? Try the Currywurst (bun-less brat with curry ketchup) or the Leberkaese Reuben (German meatloaf in a Reuben sandwich) – not to your liking?  Well, then order the Nudel Gratin – not-your-momma’s mac-n-cheese!  Maybe just a pretzel to go with some beer!

Need a BIG meal? Biergarten will satisfy both the urge to try out a variety of German flavors (it’s a buffet!) and experience some authentic German entertainment at the same time.

2. The Buildings and Courtyard – Right in the center of the action you’ll find a statue of St. George and the Dragon.  Look around!  The architecture is modeled after 400+ year-old German landmarks. Colorful crests and symbols painted on the building’s facades add to the festive atmosphere. The whimsical clock tower where, at the top of each hour, figurines come out to visitors’ delighted surprise.

IMG_28233. The Shops – I love the variety!  Be sure to check out the store with the genuine Black Forest Cuckoo Clocks!  You can also buy many other fantastic German items like beer steins, hats, books, dolls and more.

4. The Beer – The Schofferhofer Grapefruit beer has a near cult following.  Try it out on a sunny, hot afternoon and see why!  Not to your liking? Grab the darkest brew on the menu to go with that Sommerfest pretzel – that’s what I do and..well…it’s perfect and makes me feel both happy and GERMAN!

5. The Scavenger Hunt – Germany is one of the countries you’ll visit on your quest if you choose to participate in Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure.  If you’re visiting right away, you might want to try out the brand new (rumored to be only for the Flower and Garden Festival) Muppets Most Wanted-themed adventure.

Bonus feature:  The miniature village and model train are super cool – located right next to the pavilion. Don’t pass it by.

If you’ve passed by the Germany Pavilion without exploring, I hope you’ll give it a visit next time you’re in the World!  If you’re already a fan, what’s your favorite thing about Epcot’s Germany?

 

 

 

 

 

The Charm of Streetmosphere at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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Citizens of Hollywood at Disney's Hollywood StudiosIf you need a reason to slow down and take in the sights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I’ve got a great one for you.  Instead of running (you know you do!) from Toy Story Midway Mania to Rock’n’ Roller Coaster to the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror to Star Tours, next time you find yourself in the Studios, take some time to stroll down Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards or stop altogether for a few minutes to take a look around…I did that one day not that long ago and the most amazing thing happened!

Cue Flashback Sequence Now…..

I was shopping (big surprise, that) in the stores that line Sunset Boulevard.  Raymond had gone off on an errand and was due back at anytime, so when I stepped out of the store, I looked down the street towards the Tower of Terror to see if I could spot him.  As I stood there, intently gazing off into the distance and searching the crowd, I heard a voice from the street right in front of me say, “Nice gams!  You ought to be in pictures!” – I’m sure I looked surprised.  The Talent Agent Jack Diamond at Disney's Hollywood Studiosaccented words were vintage 1940’s dialog and I wasn’t sure at first if they were addressed to me.  Nobody has EVER complimented me on my legs!  (Truth be told, I’m rather low to the ground due to unfortunately short limbs which are unremarkable at best.)  So, I turned my gaze to the two gentlemen standing in front of me – the more mature, taller of the two was, indeed, speaking directly to me.  Once he knew he’d gained my complete attention, he introduced himself and his companion.  They were, as they began to explain, a big-time Hollywood talent scout (Jack Diamond) and his protégé, a young actor (Bucky Greenhorn) trying to break into pictures.

They were charming and funny and had randomly chosen me to be at the center of their performance.  They made me smile and laugh – and feel very special as they told me their stories – this talent scout and would-be movie star.  Finally, after several minutes, they asked me who I was waiting for and I told them it was my husband, Raymond.  “Do you see him?” They Bucky Greehorn, Actor wannabee at Disney's Hollywood Studiosasked and yes, in fact – Raymond was headed our direction.  They wanted to know if he was the tall man with a mustache and was he a tennis player – laughing I said yes and no, golf.  Then they began to wave enthusiastically, calling out, “Raymond!  Yoo Hoo! Raymond!  Over here!”

There’s this look Raymond gets – I know it well after all these years.  It’s the look that says many things at once and reminds me of a look that Desi Arnaz used to give Lucy from time to time.  With a small, tight grin and a rueful shake of his head, Raymond gave me “the look” that day that wordlessly said, “What have you gotten yourself into now?  I can’t leave you alone for a minute!  Look at this – it’s hilarious!”  I get that look a lot and it always makes me laugh.  On that day, I’d landed right in the middle of one of the best, most magical, unexpected surprises in all of Walt Disney World – Streetmosphere a.k.a. Citizens of Hollywood.

The Citizens of Hollywood are a group of wandering street performers in Disney’s Hollywood Studios – their sole purpose is to entertain guests with impromptu skits and bits of fun.  Characters include stars/starlets, actors-in-training, talent agents/scouts, directors, gossip columnists and more.  This is Disney at its finest.  If these entertainers weren’t there, you’d never notice them missing, but oh, what a special touch of whimsy and unexpected charm they bring to the day for random strangers on the streets of Hollywood!

Have you ever experienced the Streetmosphere in Disney’s Hollywood Studios?  Who did you see?

 

Walt Disney World Transportation – More than Just a Way to Travel

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The Monorail at EpcotWe once rented a car for our Walt Disney World vacation – once being the important word here.  I’m not counting the time we rented a car for one day so we could run errands and visit Downtown Disney the day before our Disney Cruise departure.  I’m talking about driving to Disney World from the airport and driving from the resort to the parks, restaurants, and so on.  Epic mistake!  Disney transportation is wonderful, convenient and way more than just a mode of travel from points A to B.  In my usual way, I give you…

FIVE great things about Walt Disney World Transportation:

No need to know how to get where you’re going (or remember where you parked) – Once we enter the Disney Bubble, maximizing the magic of the Disney vacation experience is a must.  If we had our own car, every time we got in it, I would feel like I was at home!  NO WAY!  That would interfere terribly with shutting out the rest of the world for the duration of our vacation.  If we had a rental car, we would have to know how to navigate the roads, streets, and avenues of Disney property – we might also (GASP) be tempted to visit Orlando attractions outside the World of Disney – thus diminishing the power of the Bubble.

Cool and comfortable – Think about this:  You’re visiting the World at the peak of the summer.  You want to leave a park and go back to your resort hotel for a rest – the inside of your vehicle Walt Disney World Monorailwill be roughly the same temperature as the surface of the sun.  Seatbelts, car seats, steering wheel – all burning hot.  By the time you get way out into the parking lot, find the car and cool it off, you’d already be on your way (if not arriving at your destination) in the comfortable, refreshing coolness of a Disney bus (or monorail, or boat).

As a form of entertainment – The people-watching opportunities are excellent!  You can see a wide variety of #DisneySide displays in the form of hats, clothing, shoes, even nail polish.  You can check out other travelers’ pin collections and sometimes souvenirs.  On a crowded bus, you can teach your children courtesy and good manners – offer a seat to others who may not be able to stand for the duration of the trip.  Also, just riding the monorail to take a look around or relaxing on a scenic trip aboard the boats that cross Bay Lake can be wonderfully entertaining WDW Bus Transportationjourneys.  Board a boat (Blue Flag Launch) at the Contemporary boat dock and just stay seated when it stops at the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness – or get off and explore, then catch the boat back to where you started.  Ferry boats will take you from the Magic Kingdom to the Ticket and Transportation Center and there are boat from many resorts to Downtown Disney.

Included in the price of your stay – You are already paying for it, why not use it?  I’m not picking on control freaks, but as our friend Elsa would say, “Let it go!”.  Put yourself in the capable hands of the Disney drivers and let yourself experience Disney’s world class hospitality.  Save the control for when you get back into the real world and just be a kid again on vacation.

Wine and Dine – Enjoy some wine with dinner, make the loop on the monorail pub crawl, enjoy tasting the exotic adult beverages along the World Showcase – I’m not saying you should overindulge, I’m just pointing out how convenient it is that Disney provides a designated driver for you.  So, when dessert has been ordered and the nice Italian server you have at Tutto Italia says, “You look like a limoncello fan to me” – feel free to say, “Yes, indeed!”

Complete, official deets on Disney transportation can be found here.

What do you like most about Disney Transportation?

 

 

First Time Using MyMagic+ / FastPass+ Walt Disney World Plans

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Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World at NightThe results of this week’s Disney Plan-a-Palooza?  Pretty successful!  I thought I’d go ahead and share our plans as an example for you if you’re planning a trip and haven’t yet used Magic Bands or FastPass+.  This will be our first time to use the new system and I’d love to hear some honest feedback.  Do you think this plan is solid?  Bear in mind, we are (have always been) diehard, commando-style Walt Disney World vacationers – but I still feel this plan has enough free time built into it for us to stop and enjoy the Disney magic.  Post dinner hours are unplanned so we can decide last-minute if we want to try to take in a show (Fantasmic, Wishes, or Illuminations).  For sure we will see Wishes and the Main Street Electrical Parade at the Magic Kingdom at least twice.

We arrive on Sunday, leave on Saturday.  We’re staying at Old Key West – we’ve never stayed there before, but it’s an extremely economical use of our DVC points.  Most of our points are being used at Bay Lake Tower for our (Raymond and I) 25th Anniversary trip in October for Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.  Note:  In these plans, FastPasses (FP+) are listed by start time only, we have an hour once the start time begins to use them.WDW Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Here’s the plan:

Sunday afternoon:  Magic Kingdom – Lunch / Snack on the run. FP+’s:

  • Space Mountain (1:50 pm)
  • Journey of the Little Mermaid (2:50 pm)
  • Big Thunder Mountain (4:50 pm).

Then we’ll walk around and enjoy being in the Magic Kingdom until we have to leave for dinner.  Dinner is at 7:30 in Downtown Disney at Raglan Road.

Monday Morning:  Extra Magic Hour (EMH) – Animal Kingdom at 8:00 am.  Planning to ride Expedition Everest, then the Kilimanjaro Safari, then take it easy and play it by ear until after lunch (counter service). Eat a fairly early lunch and park hop!

Toy Story Midway ManiaMonday Afternoon:  Disney’s Hollywood Studios – FP+’s:

  • Toy Story Midway Mania (1:30 pm)
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (3:13 pm)
  • Star Tours (4:15 pm).

Dinner is at 7:30 on the Boardwalk at the Flying Fish Cafe.

Tuesday Morning:  Extra Magic Hour (EMH) – Epcot at 8:00 am.  Planning to ride Soarin’ then leisurely enjoy the morning doing whatever appeals to us until enjoying an early lunch (counter service).

Tuesday Afternoon: Back to Animal Kingdom!  FP+’s:

  • Kali River Rapids (12:30 pm)Expedition Everest's Forbidden Mountain
  • Expedition Everest (2:10 pm)
  • DINOSAUR (3:15 pm).

A quick bus ride away, we’ll enjoy dinner at Boma in the Animal Kingdom Lodge (7:00 pm).  Pre-dinner animal viewing on the savannah overlook is a must!

Wednesday Morning:  EMH – Disney’s Hollywood Studios at 8:00 am.  Planning to ride Toy Story Midway Mania and Rock’n’ Roller Coaster first then relax and see what the wait times are for MuppetVision 3D, The Great Movie Ride, Tower of Terror and more.  It’s Raymond’s birthday, so we’ll defer to his picks – he LOVES Rock’n’ Roller Coaster – it’s his most favorite ride in the World.  Won’t surprise me if we ride it more than once if the standby line wait time is not too terrible.

The Seas With Nemo and FriendsWednesday Afternoon:  Epcot – FP+’s:

  • The Seas With Nemo & Friends (2:45 pm)
  • Soarin’ (3:55 pm)
  • Spaceship Earth (5:00 pm).

Dinner in Epcot’s World Showcase at Tutto Italia (7:15 pm).  After Spaceship Earth we can pick up a cold beverage to enjoy as we may your way to the Italy Pavilion.

Thursday Morning:  EMH – Magic Kingdom at 8:00 am.  Our plans are to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train first.  It should be open by then and if I can score a FastPass for it on Sunday or Friday afternoon, I’ll do that for sure.  After the Dwarfs, we’ll be free to do what we please – Haunted Mansion, Pirates, and Jungle Cruise are must-do attractions for us, so we’ll be trying to fit those in.  This is where the longer-than-ever-before standby lines will cause us the most pain.

Thursday Afternoon: Epcot – FP+’s – Don’t laugh.  We only really needed/wanted one FastPass Crush the Sea Turtlethis day, but felt obligated to select three so…

  • Journey into Imagination with Figment(2:00 pm) – I KNOW!  You don’t have to say it.
  • Test Track (3:00 pm)
  • Turtle Talk with Crush (4:20 pm).  I don’t care if it’s supposed to be for little kids…I LOVE it.

After that we’ll scoot on back to our resort so we can relax before getting cleaned up for our 7:45 ADR at 1900 Park Fare.  I want to get some great pictures at this character meal (Cinderella, the Prince, Lady Tremaine and the Step Sisters) and would prefer The Fam look a little less park-worn for the evening.

Friday Morning: Disney’s Hollywood Studios – 8:00 am.  It’s Star Wars Weekend!  This will be our day to do as we please while enjoying the festive party atmosphere that Star Wars Weekends always bring.  Of course we’ll dash for either Toy Story Midway Mania or Rock’n’ Roller Coaster first thing, but after that, we’ll be taking it easy and soaking up the sights…that is until we enjoy our noon ADR at Hollywood Brown Derby for lunch.  Then we hop!

Friday Afternoon:  Magic Kingdom – FP+’s are for…

  • Splash Mountain (3:15)
  • Space Mountain (4:15)
  • Big Thunder Mountain (8:00)

Being our last day, we’ll be trying to make the most of it.  Counter Service for dinner will allow us more time to walk around and say farewell until next time.

So, if you were taking this trip, what would you change?  If you’ve got any pointers or tips to share about Old Key West, I’d love to hear them – especially pertaining to which bus stops are the best!