Category Archives: Walt Disney World

Confessions of a RunDisney Wannabe

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IMG_4163Calling RunDisney fans – I need your help!

I dream Disney dreams all the time, but seems like I’ve been dreaming about participating in a RunDisney event forever.  

I’m a big fan of planning and goal setting (aka: dreaming and scheming).  The everyday me loves to procrastinate – I’m positive I work better under pressure *cough*.  The Disney me, possesses mad planning skills and can tell you at any given time what Disney trips are in the works for at least the next two years.  That me also has no problem whatsoever with making dining reservations 180 days in advance, creating spreadsheets to compare dining plan options, or creating and distributing a new, customized packing list/daily itinerary to each member of The Fam months ahead of departure.  How is it that I haven’t found a way to join two of my most favorite things in the world?

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Dug these out of a cabinet in the laundry room

 I’ve been running for more than 15 years.  I like running.  That and riding my bicycle are my preferred methods of staying in reasonably good shape (pretty important at my age!).  I’m proud to say I’ve completed 2 marathons, 4 half-marathons, countless 5k’s and over 30 sprint and olympic distance triathlons.  All of that would never have been possible without the support of The Fam who, with few exceptions, has always been with me, cheering me on.  I’t’s bothering me that as many times as I’ve been to Disney World, I’ve yet to participate in one of Disney’s popular running events.

So, RunDisney people, I need your help!  How do you blend a Disney vacation with your family and a lengthy sporting event?  I need some pointers, some tips and strategies for making sure I don’t inadvertently waste time or money on our Disney vacation doing something that feels like it’s mostly all about me.   General Dis Pics 11.13 070

Here are a few questions:

  • I’ve always trained and raced in the morning – are evening events more difficult because of this?  Have any tips?
  • What does your family do while you’re racing (when not actively cheering you on)?
  • How early do you generally arrive at Disney World (the day before? or earlier?)
  • How hard is it to hit the parks the next day and not slow everyone down?
  • I’ve narrowed down my best (most likely) future race options to:  The Princess Half-Marathon, The Wine and Dine Half, or the Tower of Terror Ten-Miler – any suggestions?

I’d be so very grateful for any tips you could give me!

 

 

 

 

MY Favorite Disney Ride – Expedition Everest

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Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain!

I saved the best for last.  I told you all about the favorite rides of the rest of The Fam, but my favorite ride really is the very best, most exciting, most fun ride experience Disney World has to offer.  Expedition Everest has something for everyone – or at least everyone over 44″ tall.  As one of the newest thrill rides at Disney World, it has the best theming, best story line, best standby line – although Tower of Terror would be a very close second.  Located in the Asia section at Animal Kingdom, you’ll easily spot the ride’s famed mountain long before you reach it.

Way back in 2006, we were lucky enough to visit Disney World during Expedition Everest’s softEE Queue opening.  We rode it seven times!  Yes, we can say we are among the fortunate few who experienced The Yeti in its original, fully functioning, arm-swiping glory.  Jealous?  You know you are.  Sadly, Betty (as we super-fans call the mountain’s guardian) is broken.  Most EE fans agree – She may never be fixed, never restored to her original scary self.  All you get now is a mere shadow of her former brilliant Yeti-ness (albeit a strobe-lit disco one).  Originally (yes, I am an actual authentic eye witness), the Yeti was a highly visible, hunch-backed, dread-lock-sporting giant whose long, simian arm would take a swipe at you mid-ride – VERY cool and frightening.  However, early on, the rumors say, the foundation supporting the gargantuan beast cracked (reports about the actual problem vary).  But here’s a fact:  Betty the Yeti is broken and cannot be repaired without tearing up (or down) the entire mountain.  Searching the internet will uncover the many different theories about poor Betty but all seem to agree:  The repairs would be very costly and take a long time during which EE would be non-operational.

So why is this still my favorite ride?

IMG_1907For one thing, the queue for this attraction is SO fantastic – you’ll actually miss some of the best things about the Expedition Everest experience if you have a fast pass.  Long before you enter the actual queue, you’ll notice an abundance of detail.  The mountain itself with its snowy peak, the worn colored flags strung through the air, the statues, the trinkets and tributes – and that’s just outside.  Step into the Yeti museum and the expedition outfitters supply store!  Amazing!  So much to look at, you’ll forget you’re in line for the best ride at Disney World!

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IMG_1912Once you make it to the ride platform (where you’ll find still more details to enjoy), hop aboard a tea train for what at first is a delightful little ride past some pretty landscaping – then the climb begins that will take you into the forbidden mountain (check out the great view on the way up).  Once you reach the top?   Hang on!  There is SO much action on this steel coaster which reaches 50 mph during the ride’s nearly 3 minute duration.  There are plenty of surprises, so keep those eyes open!  Even the post-ride exit through the gift shop is fun.  This ride has it all!  If you haven’t yet had the pleasure and are headed to Disney World, put this at the tippy top of your “must do” list.

Anybody else love EE as much as I do?

 

Saturday Salute – Disney’s Liberty Tree Tavern Dressing

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IMG_2265Liberty Tree Tavern is a restaurant located in Liberty Square at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park.  Diners there for lunch or dinner enjoy traditional American fare amid Colonial themed décor.  Offerings include such dishes as “Declaration Salad”, “Liberty Lamb Stew”, “New England Pot Roast”, and “Pilgrim’s Feast” (includes cornbread dressing) to name a few.  Reviews (available at many websites) for Liberty Tree Tavern are mixed – If you want to give it a try, I recommend lunch as your best bet for a good experience.  

Leading up to Thanksgiving I saw several of my favorite Disney sites post Liberty Tree Tavern’s dressing (aka stuffing, but mine would not be going in the turkey) recipe and I thought, what the heck – looks easy enough – why not give it a try.  So while my little turkey was in the oven, I threw a batch together. 

I made a double batch of cornbread the night before (using Fisher Cornbread Mix).  After it cooled, I crumbled it up and stored it overnight in a gallon bag before toasting the crumbs in the oven per the recipes instructions on Thanksgiving morning.

You can find the recipe I used here at allears.net (excellent resource for all things Disney).  I cut it in half since my 2 batches of cornbread ended up at about 6 cups of crumbs.  It was very easy indeed.  If you’re looking for a cornbread dressing recipe, this one would be excellent for beginners – I’m sure store-bought, pre-made cornbread would work just as well as baking your own. I baked my dressing in a 9″x13″ pan for 45 minutes at 325 degrees (slipped it in alongside the turkey as it was finishing up) and it turned out great.  Well seasoned, great texture, not too soggy.  Raymond, always willing to be a taste-tester for me, gave it a two-thumbs-up.

If you try any Disney recipes – I’d love it if you’d share the details with me!

What’s so Great about Disney World’s Tower of Terror?

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“Hollywood, 1939. Amidst the glitz and the glitter of a bustling young movie talent at the height of its golden age, the Hollywood Tower Hotel was a star in its own right. A beacon for the show business elite. Now, something is about to happen that will change all that.” -Mark Silverman as the voice of Rod Serling, Tower of Terror Introduction

 

Disney WorldIMG_0870‘s Twilight Zone Tower of Terror…The ride that divides The Fam like no other.  Raymond and Megan really don’t care for it and will ride it one time (and one time only) during each trip to Disney World – just to be polite.  Joseph and I love it (Joseph’s all time favorite ride) – we can and will ride it again and again.  Once we even scored a surprise fast pass when got off so we got right back in line!

Like Rock’n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror is located in Disney’s Hollywood SIMG_3026tudios at the end of Sunset Blvd.  The queue for this ride is, as Disney tends to do with newer attractions, cleverly detailed and carefully crafted to immerse you in the ride’s theme and story line long before you board the ride vehicle (in this case a seemingly innocuous service elevator).  From the winding garden paths through the overgrown greenery, past the once grand outdoor courtyards of the Hollywood Tower Hotel to the perfectly dusty and slightly sinister-looking hotel lobby, guests paying careful attention will find wonderful gems in the details.  Hidden Mickeys abound IMG_0876along with several nods to the Twilight Zone television series.  Even the sullen, grey- uniform-clad bellhops add to the depth of theming for this attraction.  If the day is not too warm, I find the stand-by line for this ride actually quite enjoyable, but that’s not why Joseph loves it.  The constant screaming coming from the hotel “guests” is a good clue about the real reason this ride’s a big hit with thrill-seekers like Joseph.

IMG_3521As you draw closer to the pre-ride intro show, you begin to feel a sense of dread.  As if the hotel lobby is emitting a warning to you.  The bellhops will guide you into the library.  Joseph describes it this way – “The feeling of impending doom is created by the cast members working at the tower and the abandoned, worn-down look of the hotel – inside and out.  Like somewhere you don’t want to be.”

The pre-ride show provides the backstory (I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s great!) after which you are led into the hotel’s basement to the service elevators.  The theming and mood-setting details continue –IMG_3525 watch for another Hidden Mickey on the wall.  TIP: Going to the left instead of right in line is generally faster.  Once you board the elevator (you must be 40″ tall to ride and health warnings exist), fasten that seatbelt – you’re gonna need it!  The best part of this attraction is the layers of build-up to the finale.  Everything, from the first step in line, leads up to what happens in that elevator!

Continuing with the story introduced in the library, the elevator travels through several scenes before you hit the real action.  The elevator drops, shoots up, drops, and so on – riders are constantly surprised.  Random drop Tower of Terror Collagesequences are what keep people coming back for more.  There’s no way to predict the exact pattern of elevator movement.  When the elevator is “falling” it is actually being pushed downward – gravity alone would not be this fast.  This is VERY scary for many people – as evidenced by the screaming!!!  Joseph and I both LOVE this part – we don’t find it frightening, just incredibly fun.  The sense of weightlessness is what makes this ride so great!

Have you visited the Hollywood Tower Hotel?  What did you think?