Category Archives: Walt Disney World

Disney Cupcake Cravings

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DSCN2521For many of us (okay, probably mostly me) this is always the time of year when we feel the need to…well….work on lightening up, you could say.  Don’t know about you, but I’m fluffy.  I’m well-insulated for the winter and paying the price for eating, drinking and making merry during the holiday season.  You’d think by now at the ripe old age of…uhmmmm.  Lets just say I should know better.  I’m down to three pairs of pants, two skirts and a dress that still fit from my work wardrobe.  I refuse to buy bigger clothes.  So I started this 21-day quick start diet thing.  This is not a post about dieting.  I’m just going to say that after four days of eating according to the “plan”, I do feel lighter.  I’ve also taken to chewing on my sleeves a little at my desk when no one is looking.  Yesterday I may or may not have eaten a sticky note.  And, if anyone asks, you have no idea what may be wrong with the bamboo plant on my desk.

I am a little hungrier than usual.  I’m sure I’ll get used to this – I’m consuming a big bunch of fruits and veggies and that’s good, right?  It’s only 21 days, right?  All I can say is that It’s a super good thing I’m not at Disney World right now.  You may have heard – I don’t have a sweet tooth – and it’s really true.  I don’t ordinarily crave sweets – if I have a craving, it’s for pasta, rice, or potatoes.  Until this week.  Must be the new “pDSCN2520rogram” – suddenly I NEED (with a soul wrenching desire) a Disney Butterfinger Cupcake.

Close your eyes (figuratively or you won’t be able to read this) and imagine the texture, the sweetness, the dessert nirvana of that perfect combination of cupcake and candy bar.  Whoever invented this food-for-the-gods should be anointed with top baker honors!  Back in the Unfair and Unbalanced review of counter service restaurants at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I mentioned Starring Rolls Café and the Butterfinger Cupcake, but I did not have the opportunity in that post to wax poetic about its virtues.  Probably because I was still eating macaroni and cheese back then.  Today I’m here to tell you that you have got to try one of these culinary miracles.

I’m begging you…if you are at Disney World right now and you purchase a Butterfinger Cupcake…please, oh, please send me a shout out!  If I have to be here at home subsisting on spinach, kale and broccoli, at least I could live vicariously through your snack choice of the day and, come to think of it, still be sticking to the “plan”…unless you send me a picture and I eat it.

Disney’s Mission: SPACE – Which Color’s for You?

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IMG_0969Way back in 2005, I rode Mission: SPACE in Epcot.  It was, to me, the Disney equivalent of a double-dog dare.  I had to do it.  I had to prove to myself and The Fam that I had the right stuff, so to speak.  No backing down, no backing out – I stood in line, reading the dire and serious health warnings, and reminded myself that I was one tough cookie who had never, in her adult life, tossed a single cookie due to motion sickness.  There was only one version of the ride (now called Orange) and I was getting in that cockpit and performing my crew-member duties perfectly, regardless of any challenges I faced as we blasted off to Mars.

Mission SPACE

Photo Credit: Christina Lawrence

Front of the line.  The time came for The Fam and I to take our seats – the four of us became a crew of astronauts (pilot, navigator, commander, and engineer).  There was no way to ignore how small a space we were climbing into – four seats, side-by-side, facing control panels, seats separated by partitions.  I knew what not to do – I would heed the warnings.  Do NOT move your head.  Do not look to the side. Do not close your eyes.  Stare straight ahead at the control panel’s screen and wait for your turn to perform your duties.  I’m not going to lie – I was scared!  I remember chanting in my head – do not move, do not look away, do not move, do not look away.  The g-force was strong enough that I had a hard time reaching out to the control panel to do whatever it was I was responsible for, but I did it.

The ride ended and we crawled out of our vehicle.  Megan and Joseph were pretty stoked!  They were feeling proud and I heard them discuss riding Mission: SPACE again.  Raymond turned and looked at me – at the exact same time we both said, “I’m good.”  As in good for life – never need to ride it again.  We proved we were tough enough to ride Mission: SPACE and emerge unscathed, but Raymond and I each felt we had taken a terrible risk – what if?  What if we had gotten sick?  At the least – what if we’d gotten queasy and felt horrible for the rest of the day?  That would have been tragic!  To be at our most favorite vacation place in the whole wide world and waste even part of a day with self-imposed nausea!

I don’t care if you are passionate about Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, The Mad Tea Party, or the IMG_2338Primeval Whirl – Mission: SPACE Orange is fraught with PERIL, I tell you – BEWARE!  Seriously, people, ride at your own risk.  There are extremely valid reasons this ride comes with a dozen posted health warnings and a handy barf bag when you find your seat (nope, not kidding).  If you have even the slightest case of claustrophobia, you’ll be miserable even before the chance of illness and health issues strikes.

Here’s the deal:  This ride is an excellent example of a simulated rocket launch – actual NASA scientists and astronauts were involved in creating Mission: SPACE.  It’s good.  It’s very realistic.  To achieve that perfect reproduction of how it feels to blast off into space, your ride vehicle must create g-force by spinning in a giant circle – imagine you are attached to the outside of a wheel as it spins.  Add other simulator effects that bounce you around – bouncing, spinning, very tiny space – you get the idea.  Green, the milder version of the ride, is reportedly very realistic without the spinning.  Choose wisely, my friends.

There’s a great article here at Touring Plans.com with tips for mitigating the risks of riding Mission: SPACE Orange.

So?  Which color’s for you?

What-If Wednesday: Disney’s Avatar Land in Animal Kingdom

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General Dis Pics 02.04 015This week’s What-If Wednesday is all about Avatar!  Land, that is.  After two years of anticipation and a January 10th groundbreaking ceremony, construction is finally underway.  Personally (and I believe many of you feel the same) – because I absolutely love Animal Kingdom, I am thrilled that the construction of Avatar Land means Disney imagineers are making substantial additions, creating new attractions, and adding nighttime experiences to a great park.

Just in case you missed it, here’s a link to the D23 Tokyo video of James Cameron and Joe Rohde discussing some Avatar Land details:  http://youtu.be/j3fkuaQNGHI

Many thanks to those of you who played this week!  Now on to the What-If part….

What if you were in charge at Disney’s Animal Kingdom?  Would you go ahead with Avatar Land as planned or would you go a different direction – What would you like to see?

I asked – you Tweeted out your answers.  Here are a few of my favorite ones:

@1MinDisneyDream:  “Not a lover of the film, I did enjoy it.  I’m looking forward to the night experience.” – I’m totally in agreement with this!  As many before me have pointed out, Avatar (the movie) is basically “Dances With Wolves” on another planet.  Soldier assigned to fight a territory’s natives for land and resources, learns the natives’ ways, understands their culture, becomes sympathetic, falls in love – no longer wants to fight to takeover the territory, but rather fights to help the natives protect their home.  Nothing new there but, what Avatar may mean to Disney’s Animal Kingdom park in terms of extended hours and new attractions could be huge!  This is where Avatar brings a lot to the table in terms of extraterrestrial special effects, alien beings, incredible landscapes, flora and fauna…you get the idea.  All of it glows in the dark!

Sophie @DisneysBeauty and Alexander @alex_wdw both thought tributes to Disney’s The Lion IMG_2069King would enhance Animal Kingdom more than Avatar Land.  Sophie wants “a tribute to either The Jungle Book or The Lion King – Alexander took it one further suggesting a Lion King roller coaster.  I think both of these have great potential.  The Festival of The Lion King is a fantastic show (temporarily closed, scheduled to reopen this summer) – attractions to go along with it would make a logical expansion to the Africa section of the park.  Adding elements from The Jungle Book to the Asian section would also make sense.  Solid ideas, guys.

Safari Mike (@JamboEveryone) is an excellent authority on the Animal Kingdom, being one of the hosts of an awesome podcast, Radio Harambe (“the unofficial podcast of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Walt Disney World.”).  I was pretty stoked when Safari Mike took the time to jump into this discussion via twitter.  If not Avatar Land?  Mike made the following suggestions for other Lands:  Australia, Mystic Point, Amazon, Middle Earth, North America, and Beastly Kingdom.

Let’s take a look at these one at a time…

IMG_3395Australia – this was also a suggestion made by Disney Princess83 (@OzGoofyPrincess) as she is from Australia (she also mentioned that she’s not really an Avatar fan but is “excited about Animal Kingdom becoming a nighttime park”).  Australia would be a fantastic focus for a new Land – the array of extraordinary animals alone is mind boggling.  Then there are the reefs, the caves, the outback, the desert….

Mystic Point – This Land can already be found in Hong Kong Disneyland and would work extremely well duplicated in Animal Kingdom.  Mystic Point’s highlight is Mystic Manor – the home of world explorer Lord Henry Mystic and his traveling companion – a monkey named Albert.

IMG_5334_face0Amazon – For me, just bringing awareness to the animals, plants, and conservation needs of the Amazon rainforest would be worth a Land in Animal Kingdom alone.  That being said, dark rides (under the trees’ canopy or cruising down the Amazon River) and roller coasters (through the treetops) are just a couple of cool ideas that spring to mind!  Cue the anacondas!

Middle Earth – Just think for a second how ridiculously popular a Land based on the location of J. R. R. Tolkien’s books would be!  Ents and Dragons and Trolls, oh, my!

North America – As a Land, this has very broad options.  A live animal section (bison, wolves, bobcats, alligators, armadillos, etc.) and attractions based on everything from the Alaskan wilderness to the Florida Everglades and everything in between – could even include the Yeti’s cousin Bigfoot!

IMG_3194Beastly Kingdom – This suggesion was also popular with @JaynePhipps and @ISIParksBlog.  It is indeed a shame that such a perfect original concept for Animal Kingdom has never been made a reality.  Unicorns, dragons, perhaps a phoenix rising from the ashes – as the basis for incredible rides, shows, and attractions.  Who wouldn’t love that?

Thanks again for playing along!  Shout out if you have any suggestions for next week’s game! 

 

What is The Disney Bubble?

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IMG_3280The Disney Bubble – it’s a very real phenomenon (doo-doo-do-doo-doo).  In fact, I’d ague that for most “Disney people”, The Disney Bubble is an integral, vital part of the Disney vacation experience and one of the primary reasons we feel compelled to return to Walt Disney World time and time again.

What is The Disney Bubble?

For those of you who haven’t yet experienced it, didn’t notice it, or haven’t known what to call it, the Disney Bubble is the total immersion in the magic of Disney upon arrival at Walt Disney World.  You enter the Bubble and everything changes – the worries, stresses, and cares of everything outside the Bubble disappear.  The weight of adult responsibilities – mortgage, bills, car repairs, office politics, home maintenance, kids’ homework, activity schedules, and so on just lifts away.  Once that weight is gone, you feel better, younger, lighter, happier.

For Disney Bubble addicts, once we leave the Bubble, one of our primary concerns is always IMG_2025when and how we will get back in.  This is why count-down calendars/calculators are so popular with us.  There have been particularly stressful times in our life when knowing that if we could just make it through the next XX # of days, we could get back to Disney and the Bubble would make everything seem better.  People that, sadly, have never experienced this most amazing aspect of Disney travel are the ones we can count on to be perplexed at our propensity to vacation at Walt Disney World over and over.  They ask, “Where are you going on vacation?” We answer, “Walt Disney World” and they look at us in confused pity and say, “AGAIN?”  If you haven’t felt the Bubble’s power, you cannot understand its draw.

My personal Bubble Testimony:  There were a few years there along the way when Megan was literally dancing 7-days-a-week and Joseph was involved in martial arts as a teacher, student, and national competitor.  We joked that people thought Raymond and I had gotten a divorce because we were never seen in the same place at the same IMG_1194time.  Every day’s schedule was based on a “divide and conquer” strategy.  Walt Disney World and the Disney Bubble helped our family reconnect, relax together, eat together and enjoy each other’s company.  All while having fun – simple, old-fashioned good times.  Even looking forward to a Disney vacation gave us a common focus when our day-to-day lives were going in many different directions.

If you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation and haven’t yet embraced the Disney Bubble phenomenon, here are my tips for making the most of the experience:

  1. Stay on Property.  Whether you’re a value, moderate, or deluxe resort fan.  This is an integral part of the Bubble Effect.
  2. Use Disney Transportation.  If you fly to Orlando, use Disney’s Magical Express to get to the IMG_2614resort from the airport.  It’s included in your resort stay and Disney will get your bags from the airport for you.  Just walk off the plane and onto the motor coach.  It’s literally that easy to get right into the Bubble!  If you drive to Orlando, park your car at the resort and leave it there until it’s time to go home.  Bus, boat, and monorail are important parts of the Disney Bubble – let Disney transportation take care of you and eliminate the worry of driving directions, navigation, and parking.
  3. If you must visit other, non-Disney theme parks which shall remain unnamed in this (and every) post, do not leave the Bubble to do it.  Try to stay at Walt Disney World just for Disney.  Go stay somewhere else if visiting other Orlando attractions.  Think of it like this – coming and going from the Bubble diminishes its power.  If you can, stay on Walt Disney World property either before or after visiting those other places.  If I were you, I’d save the best for last, of course.

IMG_1170Do you believe in the Disney Bubble?  I have a theory that some people are, tragically, immune to the power of the Bubble.  We refer to these unlucky souls as “non-Disney people”.  I don’t know where their happy place is, but it is not at Walt Disney World.  Probably we shouldn’t try to convert them – it wouldn’t work anyway.  Plus, it leaves more room in the Disney Bubble for the rest of us.

 

What are your thoughts about the Disney Bubble?