Tag Archives: Adventureland

Disney Snack Favorite – Citrus Swirl

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Sunshine-Tree-TerraceEver since my ill-fated attempt to enjoy my one and only Dole Whip (yes, I know I’m weird), I’ve been looking for an acceptable new Disney sweet snack to try.  Enter the Citrus Swirl!

Last month on a warm and sunny December afternoon in Magic Kingdom, I found myself in Adventureland with some free time on my hands.  It was our last day of vacation and Raymond and I had decided to take things easy and savor every single moment.  We’d had breakfast at the Grand Floridian Café before heading to Magic Kingdom with no bigger plans than our three FastPasses – which were broken up by our lunch reservation at Whispering Canyon Café at the Wilderness Lodge.  (Begin flash-back sequence now….)Main-Street-USA-Crowds

Another great Disney day!  We started with Under the Sea: Voyage of the Little Mermaid which had a short stand-by wait.  Then we stopped in Fantasyland near Gaston’s Tavern to watch Gaston himself entertain a few guests with his hilarious ego-fuelled antics.  Then it was on to Mickey’s PhilharMagic before using our first FastPass for Pirates and our second for Jingle Cruise (gotta love that holiday overlay!).  Time for lunch, so we caught the boat to Wilderness Lodge.Magic-Kingdom-Boat-Dock-Selfie

I remember thinking over and over what perfect weather we were having and trying to stay in the moment.  The wind on the water was soft as our nearly empty boat took us to lunch.  Our experience at Whispering Canyon was great, but we skipped dessert.  By the time we returned to Magic Kingdom, it was just in time for our third FastPass and we flew right on to Space Mountain.Tomorrowland-Crowds

At this point, the crowds were definitely approaching an extreme level, but we weren’t ready to leave.  We waited longer than we ever had before to cruise Tomorrowland on the PeopleMover (worth the wait!) before slowly making our way to see those amazing Country Bears (you love them too, right?).  We could barely move for all the people crowding the walkways, but we still didn’t want to go.  That’s when Raymond said, “Wasn’t there something you wanted to eat in Adventureland?”Sunshine-Tree-Terrace-Menu

See?  This is why I married this man!  Citrus Swirl!  Yes, I wanted to taste a Citrus Swirl!  The line at Sunshine Tree Terrace was amazingly short.  In a few minutes I was madly trying to scarf down my snack as it rapidly melted in the sun.  Citrus-Swirl-MeltingThat’s when I got the idea that we could find some shade by seeing the Tiki Birds.  Bear in mind that it had been decades since we’d been in the Tiki Room.  I honestly didn’t realize that snacks are prohibited until it was too late – I am not advocating rule-breaking at all.  Please do not do this (no matter how happy you think it will make you)…Tiki-Room-Tiki

We waited in a very short line, caught the pre-show, made our way into the Tiki Room, and found our seats.  All the while I was calmly and openly snacking away on that Citrus Swirl – oh, the deliciousness!  Right about the time the show started and the announcer asked guests to refrain from eating and drinking…my paper cup was empty and I set it and my spoon aside to take with me and discard after the “concert”.  Tiki-Room-BirdsI enjoyed the birds, but I liked that Citrus Swirl more!  Me, born without a sweet tooth, hater of Dole Whip, in love with the perfect combination of creamy soft serve and tangy orange slush – worth every penny of its $3.79 price.

My first Citrus Swirl made me a fan – and I’ve got the memories of an amazing day to go with it.  In 30 days, I’ll be back at Disney World and I’ll be heading for Sunshine Tree Terrace.

How about you?  Have you tried a Citrus Swirl?  Are you a fan?

Magic Kingdom – Wait Here Not There

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IMG_3279The opinions expressed here are my own (as if you didn’t already know that).  I’m crazy about Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and it’s probably my favorite park, followed closely by Animal Kingdom.  Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of fun to be had in Epcot and what’s currently left of the Studios, but Magic Kingdom holds the most happy memories and has so much entertainment to offer me when I’m there.  When I daydream about being at Walt Disney World, I’m almost always in Magic Kingdom.

It won’t be long before we’ll be selecting FastPasses for our next visit to the World and that got me thinking about how I’ll be weighing the pros and cons of different attractions – including the entertainment value of specific ride queues.  This is just me now, but I’m much more willing to wait in some queues than I am in others solely based on the quality of the wait.  If we start in Adventureland and work our way around the park, land by land, here are my recommendations for:

Magic Kingdom – Wait Here Not There

RM-Adventureland-Magic-KingdomAdventureland – Wait for Pirates of the Caribbean not Jungle Cruise.  Yes, if we are strictly speaking Adventureland attractions, I’d much rather FastPass Jungle Cruise and wait for Pirates.  The queue for Pirates is cool and dark with excellent mood-setting elements – it’s actually an excellent place to cool off on a hot day and let your face rest from the pressure of your sunglasses on your nose.  WDW Jungle CruiseThe wait for Jungle Cruise is hot and has less to enjoy.  Personally, I find it somewhat frustrating although I do enjoy the announcements.

Frontierland – Wait for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad not Splash Mountain.  Big Thunder’s queue is interesting with loads of interactive elements to enjoy – in fact, I enjoy it so much, I sometimes wish the line were moving a tiny bit slower.Interactive Queue for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Interactive elements for Big Thunder Mountain QueueSplash Mountain’s queue, while possessing some cute features (like the adorable bird houses) is not nearly as interesting.

Liberty Square – Save your FastPasses!  Haunted Mansion is the only attraction that will ever have a significant wait and the queue (unless the day is super hot and humid) is great! Check out all the interactive components, search for the Bride’s Ring on the ground (embedded in the pavement) as you move along.  RM-Liberty-Belle-Haunted-Mansion-ViewPay attention to the excellent (and plentiful) Disney details.  If heat and humidity are factors – cool off in the Hall of Presidents during the day and save Haunted Mansion for after the sun goes down.

Fantasyland – Hmmmm…This is the toughest one!  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is going to have the longest wait – maybe for the entire park.  Seven Dwarfs Mine Train SignThat being said, it also has an excellent, highly entertaining and interactive queue.  Peter Pan’s queue has just been “plussed” and is worth waiting for.IMG_2542If you have little ones, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh has a very kid-pleasing wait.  IMG_0899Personally, I’d burn a FastPass on Dumbo if it’s a must-ride attraction.  I hate the wait for Dumbo so much, I’ve never made it to the ride.  (You can read the story here.)  Based solely on time-savings, excluding Dumbo, the FastPass would have to go to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Tomorrowland – Remember that FastPass I told you NOT to use in Liberty Square?  I’d use it here for Space Mountain.  While the queue is dark and cool, it’s also a snooze-fest.  Even though it was one of the first attractions I can remember that got a few interactive parts added to the queue, they’re not all that interesting.  RM-Space-Mountain-SignOnce you reach the top of the upward climb to the boarding area, the queue reverts to old school back and forth, metal-partitioned, waiting.  And waiting….and….you get the idea.

Your turn to weigh in!  Where would you select FastPasses in Magic Kingdom – and where would you stand in line?

Disney Princess or Pirate? – Pirates League Review

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Princess-to-PirateI have this friend named Melissa who’s a huge Disney fan.  We travel together sometimes for work and never run out of things to talk about. Melissa and her family take a Walt Disney World vacation every year in the fall for Food & Wine and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Melissa’s little girl, a second-grader, is really into things like cheerleading, fashion accessories, and watching Disney ride videos on YouTube.  Little Annelise is already a seasoned Disney traveler and she knows what she likes!

You’d think, wouldn’t you, that Annelise would be the perfect candidate for a makeover at the Bibbity-Bobbity-Boutique? That’s what my friend Melissa thought too when she offered to make an appointment for their most recent vacation. Turns out, we’d be wrong! See, Annelise has a bunch of girly interests, but is also really into things like zombies, age-appropriate classic horror films, and conventions like Walker Stalker Con. She did not want to visit the Boutique and be made over into a princess. She wanted to join the Pirates League!

The Pirates League experience at Walt Disney World is available to boys and girls, but is definitely more geared towards boys. On the day Melissa took her daughter there for her appointment, Annelise was the only girl in attendance. Having purchased a pirate outfit in advance (Melissa highly recommends this), Melissa and Annelise were welcomed into the League’s Adventureland headquarters near Pirates of the Caribbean.Pirate-Name-Machine

The Disney attention to detail is in abundance in the Pirates League.  Guests start out by spinning the helmsman’s wheel to discover their pirate name before pledging the Pirate Oath.  This was the first step for Annelise on her way to becoming Betty Goodhawk.  Once Betty (the pirate formerly known as Annelise) had her new name, the real transformation began.Pirates-League-TransformationPirates-Transformation-Begins Pirates-League-Transformation Taking-the-Pirate-Oath

Pirate Oath? Check.  Pirate name? Check.  Pirate appearance? Double-Check.  One last thing was necessary to make the change complete – entrance into the Secret Room just for pirates – this part’s details are super-extremely-top-secret and cannot be shared with anyone who has not taken the Pirate Oath, sorry.Pirate-Parade

Finally, Betty Goodhawk received her official Pirate Certificate signed by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow himself.  Betty and her fellow new pirates were all invited to return in the afternoon to participate in the Pirate Parade through Adventureland.Pirates

From the pictures, it’s obvious Betty/Annelise enjoyed the experience of becomeing a pirate, but what did her mom think?  Melissa said, “The crew at the Pirates League was amazing. Always in character. We loved it, and are already planning our next experience.”

If you have a daughter, is she more a Princess or a Pirate?