That Time We Went to the Frozen Sing-Along

Posted on by

Frozen-Sing-Along-EntranceSometimes when I’m booking FastPasses I’m only after two and that third one doesn’t matter very much.  When I was booking FastPasses for our last trip to Walt Disney World, I wanted Toy Story Midway Mania and Tower of Terror for our day in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I got them both at exactly the times I wanted – late morning and early afternoon.  We’d try to ride Rock’n Roller Coaster and Star Tours early in the morning on stand-by and have a pretty good plan.  My Disney Experience randomly chose a third FastPass for me and instead of trying to change it to something else, I thought, “What the heck – Why NOT?” and kept “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing Along Celebration” in the 2-spot for the day between Tower of Terror and Toy Story.  We’d never been to the sing-along and, to be perfectly honest, I didn’t know if we’d make it or not.  By the time that FastPass came due after lunch, I suspected we’d skip it in favor of something else.  Fast forward…

We were having a red letter day!  Seriously, considering it was two days after Christmas, we could not have enjoyed ourselves more.  As planned, we arrived early for the 8:00 am park opening and found Cast Members were letting guests in by 7:45.  We walked on to Rock’n’ Roller Coaster with no wait.  Rock'n'-Roller-Coaster-GuitarWe stopped for breakfast at Starring Rolls, strolled the Streets of America, rode Star Tours (20 minute stand-by), and saw MuppetVision 3D with no wait.  Great-Movie-Ride-WesternNext we hopped on the Great Movie Ride before deciding we needed to see Chewbacca in the Star Wars Launch Bay (30 minute wait) – we were having a blast and it was still early!  Beauty-and-The-Beast-LiveWhy not relax at Beauty and the Beast-Live On Stage before our first FastPass of the day at Tower of Terror?  After we got off our service elevator, we were parched and it was noon.Tower-of-Terror

A beer from Min & Bills hit the spot and then we made our way to 50’s Prime Time Café for our 12:30 reservation.  Lunch was excellent and, fortified for the afternoon with a carrot cake cookie from the Writer’s Stop, we decided we would indeed check out the Frozen Sing-Along. Frozen-Sing-Along-Trolls We entered the theater and took our seats in the center and toward the back – boy, was it crowded!  Behind us an argument between two groups of angry moms broke out and provided some riveting pre-show entertainment.  Then…show time!

The show is cute and funny and, having read reviews and watched this YouTube video, I knew what to expect.  When the first song started, I was ready!  I belted out the first line…Do you want to build a snowman…before I realized that virtually no one was singing along besides me.  I closed my mouth and looked around…yup, silence.  Weird!  Frozen-Sing-Along-SnowWe did like the 30-minute show…even if at our performance at least, there was no actual singing along with the sing-along.  The special effects were great!  Guaranteed to please even the most casual Frozen fan, you should put this on your Studios to-do list.  Probably, you don’t even need to use a FastPass like we did.  If you do go, I’m dying to know if people sing along or not, so please stop back by and tell me what happens!

 

 

Disney 100 Years of Magic- McDonald’s Glass Set

Posted on by

Hooray for the weekend!  Welcome to another exciting edition of Saturdays With Nick.  I bet some of you have (or had) some of these featured collectibles at your house.  Personally, I don’t have a single one and have absolutely no recollection of these being available at McDonald’s.  If I see some in a flea market in the future, at least now I’ll know what they are!  Are these in your kitchen cabinet?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Disney 100 Years of Magic- McDonald’s Glass Set

by Nick

In 2001-2002, Disney celebrated what would have been Walt Disney’s 100th birthday with the 100 Years of Magic Celebration.

McDonald’s released this glassy, er, classy, set of glasses to commemorate this occasion.

Each of the four glasses featured a park icon, with movie and character trivia, and even a quote from Walt!

This first glass features Spaceship Earth.
Park Trivia: EPCOT originally stood for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
The Walt Disney quote: “Today we are shapers of the world of tomorrow.”


Movie Trivia: Buzz Lightyear said “To Infinity and Beyond” only 2 times in “Toy Story”


Character trivia: Belle is the French word for beauty.


The inside bottom of the glass.


This glass displays Cinderella Castle.
Park trivia: Tinker Bell starts the fireworks nightly at the Magic Kingdom.
The Walt Disney quote: “Fantasy…lies beyond the reach of time.”


Pinocchio had to be “brave, truthful and unselfish” to become a real boy.


Dumbo’s real name was actually “Jumbo Jr.”.

Bambi was taught that “twitterpated” meant falling in love.


Park Trivia for this next glass: There are 325 animal carvings on The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
The Walt Disney quote: “…nature herself writes the most interesting stories”


Goofy-first known as “Dippy Dawg”-stars in “Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle” Parade.


“Simba” is the Swahili word for “lion”.


The outside bottom of the glass.


Mickey’s Sorcerer Hat at the Disney Studios is 122 ft. tall.


“Kiss Me” were the only words ever spoken by Pluto.
Donald’s middle name is “Fauntleroy.”


“…it was all started by a mouse.” Walt Disney

Happy New Year, and here’s to the next 100 years of Disney Magic!

This article was originally featured on the Disney Musings blog.  To see more of Nick’s Disney collection and follow along on his Disney adventures, visit the Disney Musings Blog and follow Nick on Twitter, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on Pinterest. You can listen to Nick, our friend Dave and me on The Disney Exchange Podcast where we talk about…well, you can probably guess.

Headed to Walt Disney World in 2016? The Disney Exchange Podcast will be having a meet-up in February during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend! Details will be available on The Disney Exchange’s Facebook Page and also on Twitter. We’d love to see you there!!!

Why Breakfast is BEST at Be Our Guest

Posted on by

Be-our-Guest-WindowThinking about dining at Be Our Guest?  Can’t decide which meal to choose?  Here are FIVE reasons why…

Breakfast is BEST at Be Our Guest

  1. The Perfect way to start the day in Magic Kingdom – You’re fresh, wide awake, looking your best, AND you can get into Magic Kingdom early!  Think of the possibilities for great pictures!  You can eat before getting a jump on the day with your favorite rides and attractions.Beast's-Castle
  2. Experience the incredible atmosphere at your leisure – Early breakfast not only means a less-crowded Magic Kingdom, you can also tour Beast’s Castle on your own while waiting for your food to arrive (or after you finish eating).  Be-our-Guest-CeilingThe details and theming are well-worth at least one visit to this very unique and magical restaurant.  Feeling rushed would certainly diminish the overall experience.Be-our-Guest-Tapestry
  3. The Food is good!  Compared to lunch and dinner, we enjoyed breakfast the most.    Raymond ordered the Croque Madame “Open-faced Ham Sandwich topped with a Fried Egg, Gruyere Cheese, and Béchamel served with Fresh Fruit and a selection of pastries.”  Be-our-Guest-BreakfastI opted for the Scrambled Egg Whites “Scrambled Egg Whites with Roasted Tomatoes, Chicken Apple Sausage, Fresh Fruit, and a selection of pastries”   Be-our-Guest-EggsThe flavor, preparation, serving sizes along with the “selection of pastries” was very filling and tasty! (We felt obligated to try some of each pastry selection for research purposes.)Be-our-Guest-Breakfast-Pastries
  4. Relatively reasonable price for two adults – Breakfast for two totaled about $44 before tax.  Be-our-Guest-ReceiptOur lunch was about $50 for the two of us (one soup, two entrees and two desserts plus soft drinks).  Dinner was WAY more expensive (we added a bottle of wine) and dinner involves adding a gratuity.  Preview the menu here.
  5. Convenience – We booked our ADR and took advantage of the option to pre-order our food.  Be-Our-Guest-Check-inUpon arrival, we checked in outside and were directed right on in.  Once inside, we checked in again, paid for breakfast and received our “rose” (looks like a yellow hockey puck).  Then we grabbed our drinks at the self-service beverage station and were free to sit in whichever room we liked.  That magical hockey puck rose directed a Cast Member right to our table with our food when our order was ready.   Be-our-Guest-Grand-BallroomOn this visit we chose the Grand Ballroom having already dined in the other two rooms (the Castle Gallery and the West Wing, both shown in the next two pictures).  Be-our-Guest-Dining Be-Our-Guest-West-WingFYI – that West Wing is kinda creepy and very dark for an entire meal.  You’re welcome to roam the rooms and take pictures, so don’t worry about missing out on all the cool details.

Yes, you should definitely eat at Be Our Guest!  It’s pricy but the experience is fantastic.  Which meal you choose will depend on your plans and the amount of time you have available, but now that we’ve tried all three meal options, we both unanimously recommend breakfast as the best option.Be-our-Guest-Gargoyle

Have you eaten at Be Our Guest?  What did you think about it?

Lou & Lil’ Joe – Epcot’s Manatees

Posted on by

Sign in The Seas With Nemo & FriendsMy two favorite things about Epcot’s The Seas With Nemo and Friends are riding in a Clam-mobile and checking up on Epcot’s manatees.  If I had to choose between the two, watching those big, beautiful, lettuce-munching manatees would be my first choice.  I’m fascinated by them!

Lou & Lil’ Joe – Epcot’s Manatees

Recently we had the opportunity to spend quite a while in The Seas and the timing was right!  The manatee-specialist was giving her talk about manatees in general and Lou and Lil’ Joe in particular.Epcot-Manatee-Presentation  While she spoke, she tossed heads of (what looked like) Romaine in the pool.  Manatees move rather slowly compared to other mammalian water-dwellers like dolphins and seals and that’s part of what makes them so much fun to watch.  They take their time passing by, giving guests great opportunities to check out their unusual features and appreciate their undeniable cuteness.Epcot's-Manatee-Viewing-Area

Lil’ Joe was born in the wild about 26 years ago and orphaned soon after.  He’s lived in a few other places before moving to Epcot and once even made a short, failed attempt at living in the wild again (he ate unhealthy things and nearly froze to death).  It seems an orphaned manatee baby cannot learn from humans what he would have learned from his mom.  It’s best for Lil’ Joe to stay at Epcot where his safety can be ensured.  He has a climate controlled environment, plentiful healthy food, and a buddy.Epcot-Mantee-Watching Manatee-Lil-Joe's-Tail

Lou has a completely different story.  He was living a happy life in the wild until a boat collision cost him his tail.  He looks a little rough, but having no tail does not interfere with his ability to get around well.  The Cast Member giving the presentation explained that efforts were being made to rehabilitate Lou for an eventual return to the wild.  Good news for Lou, but sad for Lil’ Joe when that happens.  The look happy together!Lou-and-Lil-Joe-Info-Board

The manatee area in The Seas has two observation areas.  Downstairs, guests can watch Lou and Lil’ Joe swim around in their habitat through a very large window.  Epcot's-Manatee-AreaUpstairs is the manatee “lab” around an area of the pool’s surface where guests can learn about these wonderful creatures.  I recommend setting aside a few minutes of your next day in Epcot to meet Lou and Lil’ Joe and learn about the life of a manatee.

Are YOU a fan of Epcot’s manatees?