Tag Archives: Disney World Travel Tips

Walt Disney World’s Splash Mountain – 5 Great Things

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Splash Mountain Warning Sign“Everybody’s got a laughing place (high ho!).
   A laughing place to go-ho-ho! (high ho!).
    Take that frown, turn it upside down
    And you’ll find yours we say-hey-hey.
 And soon you’ll find you’re here to stay!” – Everybody has a Laughing Place – Splash Mountain

Whenever we visit the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, The Fam and I love the mountains!  Tomorrowland’s Space Mountain and the twin peaks of Frontierland – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain.  A visit to the Magic Kingdom wouldn’t be complete without hitting these three rides at least one time.

The strategy for our mountain conquering expedition always involves arriving before the park opens and heading for Frontierland first – we’ll hit Splash and Big Thunder before the standby Walt Disney World's Splash Mountainlines grow too long (more than 30 minutes), then use a FastPass later in the day for Space Mountain (if necessary).  I’ve mentioned before our best-loved things about Big Thunder and I’ll save Space Mountain for another day – right now, I present to you….

FIVE Great things about Splash Mountain (Note: must be 40″ to ride):

1. It’s one of the most highly themed rides in the World!  So. Many. Details – This ride (based on the 1946 Disney movie Song of the South) tells the story of Br’er Fox’s attempts to capture Br’er Rabbit.  Of course, Br’er Fox is assisted by his bumbling side-kick, Br’er Bear.  Following along on their adventures adds an extra element of fun to this attraction – which lasts a whopping TEN minutes!

The 50-Foot Drop on Splash Mountain2. Dark ride, log flume!  It’s a dark ride, but unlike most (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain) – this is not a scary ride!  It’s a bit like riding in a little log boat through a cartoon.  Br’er Frog starts the ride off with a little speculation about what he thinks will happen.  As you bob along, you’ll meet a great number of adorable musical creatures who add to the tale.  As you go, a couple of little dips and drops prepare you for the main event: The 50 foot plunge!  At 40 miles an hour!  Yes, you will get wet, but it’s totally worth it!

3. SO many animatronics.  In addition to the main Br’er characters, Mr. Bluebird and many other birds are singing and playing instruments, there are frogs, turtles (riding geysers), ‘possums, gophers – just bunches of creatures to see and hear….and that’s not all!

4. Little houses, little mailboxes, little clothes drying on the line – the animals aren’t the only fantastic details that make up this great ride.  Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain SceneryThere are honeybees, briar patches, even a huge paddle-wheeler-grand-finale!  This ride’s got everything and…

5. Catchy tunes!  Along with The Laughing Place song and other great tunes, who doesn’t love Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah?  There’s enough variety of happy music, it doesn’t get monotonous (I’m not pointing fingers *cough*smallworld*cough). And the songs add so much to the experience, you’ll find yourself toe-tapping and singing along.

Br'er Rabbit - Splash Mountain“Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, Zip-a-dee-ay!
My oh my, what a wonderful day!
 Welcoming back Br’er Rabbit today.
We always knew that he’d get away.”

What do YOU love most about Splash Mountain?

 

 

Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean – A Must-do Ride!

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IMG_0816When family and friends ask about must-do rides and attractions at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, I’m always tempted to direct them right to the mountains:  Space, Splash, and Big Thunder.  I think “thrills” first and foremost – everything else second.  Wrong way to go.  I should be steering newbies to the best, most quintessential, iconic attractions first.  The most Disney-ish rides of all.  While I have (surprise!) several favorites in that category, today I’m just going to focus on one…Pirates of the Caribbean.  Why?  Multi-generational appeal, superior theming, top-notch effects, and old school Disney style.

The queue for Pirates does a great job setting the mood – you descend into underground caverns.  Stone walls, arched doorways, cannons, cannonballs, barrels of gunpowder – all set just the right tone for what happens once you board your boat.

“Dead men tell no tales” – the haunting voice repeats the words over and over as the ride IMG_0819begins.  You set off on your journey by sailing through several scenes with a multitude of very spectacular effects to take in – if you get to ride twice, pick a different side of the boat each time – there’s so much to see.

Purists may be bothered by the modernization of Pirates, but the 2006 refurbishment kicked the ride up a notch with fantastic new things to see and hear!  The addition of Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa (and other Pirates of the Caribbean movie tie-ins) at several points during the ride added more excitement – especially for first-time visitors who have seen the movies.  Those partial to the theme song from the movies will love that it’s now in the ride.  And, guests still get to visit Port Royale and see all of the original and beloved animatronics that make this ride a classic!

Pirates is cool and dark – If you’ve been outside in Florida’s scorching summer sun, this ride is a perfect way to cool off!  There are no major twists and turns and only a little bit of up and down (one big-ish drop) as your boat sails leisurely through the pirate-infested waters.  Before FastPass+, Pirates rarely had a long wait – it’s my understanding that things may be different at this time.  I would still recommend you spend your valuable FastPass+ choices on other rides, but it may be worth trying to fit Pirates in early – at the very least, keep an eye on the wait times via your My Disney Experience smartphone app and catch the ride when the lines are shorter – otherwise be prepared to wait 30 minutes or more.

IMG_1220The gift shop at the ride’s exit is one of the best in the parks.  The unique and plentiful merchandise is as fun as the ride!  Even if we don’t make a purchase, we love to take a few minutes to look at all the pirate gear.  Parents of little boys may want to keep this particular shop in mind when planning souvenir shopping.

If you’re really lucky, you may even run into the real live Jack Sparrow outside the ride entrance!

What’s your favorite part of Pirates of the Caribbean?  Is it a must-do ride for you?  

 

 

More Musings on My Disney Experience / MyMagic +

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IMG_2531In a couple of weeks, The Fam and I will be able to make our FastPass+ selections for our upcoming Walt Disney World Vacation (pretend that last part was said in a loud booming voice with an echo!).  I’ve been listening to a ridiculous number of podcasts, pouring over other Disney blogger’s posts, and surfing Disney message boards in preparation.

Now, I feel I need to preface the remainder of this post with a disclaimer:  This is my blog and the words you are about to read are my personal, amateur, Disney non-specialist opinions…Opinions formed by all the unofficial research I’ve been doing.  There, now, I may proceed with a clear conscience.

The FastPass+ portion of the My Disney Experience / MyMagic+ is still a very hot topic.  Overall acceptance to the new way of vacationing at the World is gaining traction – people seem much more positive today than they were even a month ago.  More users are reporting positive experiences with the structure of the program as it stands today (still in testing, according to Disney).  I am absolutely certain we are going to love Magic Bands!  I also believe that Disney is indeed still actively testing and we still haven’t seen the final version of the experience.

That being said, there are still two areas that remain sources of angst I want to address:

  1. Folks still do NOT like the 3-FastPass, 1-Park, Tiered-attraction aspect.  A very decisive IMG_2608person normally, I find myself on the fence.  I’m okay with the 3-FastPasses (we very rarely used more than 3 in a single day, ever).  I think I can be okay with the 1-park restriction as we’d always planned (from the first time we heard about this) to book our FastPasses for the afternoon – do rope-drop (arrive prior to park opening) at park #1, ride E-Ticket attractions early (no FastPasses needed), then hop over to park #2 where we’ve booked our FastPass usage.  The tiered-attraction aspect is, most likely, going to hurt.  Attractions are tiered at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  In the old system you could have FastPasses for all the E-Ticket rides you could score in a day, no restrictions – as long as they were available and you were willing to use the specified return time.  I’m mulling this over and working out different strategies based on park hours and where we’re eating (Advance Dining Reservations booked months ago).  I’ll let you know what plan I decide on later.
  2. IMG_3040The forced planning of FastPasses 60 days in advance is troubling for many vacationers.  The biggest complaint being it’s too restrictive; it’s killing the magic and spontaneity.  This is a very hot issue!  And, never one to shy away from controversy, I have to say I completely disagree with these people!  The number one thing I did NOT like about the former system was how restrictive I thought it was with FastPass return times.  One of us, carrying all our park tickets, would run to gather FastPasses for a favorite ride, only to find out that the fast pass return time would not work for us at all.  It was either too late in the day or smack dab in the middle of a dining reservation.  Also, obtaining and using the legacy FastPasses often required a LOT of schlepping around, back and forth, across a park, in the summer sun!  I believe, if people would be a little open-minded, they could potentially find this pre-planning actually less stressful and more freeing.  No more sending a runner, no more having to go back out to a park at night specifically to use FastPasses that you would have much preferred using earlier in the day.  I’m picturing our commando-touring style still working for us – but we’ll know our FastPass times are times WE chose, not obtained at the mercy of the machines cranking out slips of paper to the other guests who got there before us.  There is positive feedback coming from actual users who are embracing these changes and making it work – believe it or not, they’re still having great vacations!  I’m convinced we will, too.  I’m fairly happy/content in stand-by lines up to about 40-45 minutes long.  Yes, that’s mainly due to not having small children, but even with little ones, some creativity can make waiting in line bearable.

Final Thoughts:

IMG_2522

Photo Credit: Nicholas Maglio

If you are unfamiliar with which rides are the most popular and would normally require a FastPass (to avoid wait times in excess of 30 minutes – sometimes as high as 90 minutes or more) – this may cause you to dislike the new system.  See, here’s the dealio:  With this new set up, FastPasses were added to rides that never had them before.  These are rides with normally low wait times (relatively speaking).  Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, and Pirates of the Caribbean come to mind at the Magic Kingdom.  So if you don’t choose wisely, you may end up with 3 FastPasses you don’t need at all and subsequently face very long stand-by lines for the rides you should have chosen instead.  To resolve this issue I suggest you research like crazy (online, books, podcasts) OR consult a travel agent that specializes in Disney travel.  A competent travel agent could be invaluable in helping you choose dining and attractions and then…wait for it…the travel agent will actually book everything (dining, FastPasses, tickets, accommodations, transportation etc.) for you so all you have to do is show up for vacation!!!  If planning, strategizing, and/or research is not your thing – just call a travel agent.  They don’t cost anything!

Okay – now it’s your turn.  Do you have (or have you taken) a Disney vacation this year?  What are your thoughts on My Disney Experience / MyMagic+ / FastPass+?

If you missed my previous posts about using MyMagic+ and Magic Bands and want to know what I said, go here.

Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

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IMG_4880Last week, Disney announced that for the first time, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will host FIVE Star Wars Weekends in 2014.  Beginning Friday, May 16th and concluding Sunday, June 15th, guests of Walt Disney World will be able to enjoy all the exciting events and special guests Disney’s unique tribute to all that is Star Wars encompasses.  Since 1997, Disney’s Star Wars Weekends have offered visitors the opportunity to become immersed in the epic battle between the Rebel Alliance’s good guys and the Dark Side’s villains through a wide variety of special events – those Disney Jedi knights really know how to throw a party!

We have a habit of visiting Walt Disney World at the end of May.  Here in the South, schools get out for the summer a bit earlier than they do up North.  Plus, Raymond’s birthday is at the end of May and it’s always great to celebrate a birthday at Disney World!  So, these May visits mean that we’ve been to several Star Wars Weekends over the years.  For those of you who’ve been wondering what all the hoopla’s abIMG_4856out and if these events are mostly geared towards the avid Star Wars fan, let me explain.

Five Great Things about Star Wars Weekends!

1. Excitement is in The Air!  Evidence of all the magic Disney pours into making Star Wars Weekends truly special is all around you.  We are not major fans, but can’t help but be impressed!  Details large and small abound.  We’ve been greeted by Stormtroopers on the roof of the main gate,  seen Jedi Mickey posing for pictures, and, I don’t know, but for some reason, the Star Tours attraction even seems especially fun during Star Wars Weekends!

DSCN25652. Darth’s Mall – Special merchandise – really cool stuff – is available only during Star Wars Weekends.  Darth’s Mall is an actual shopping location, in the form of a gigantic tent sale, set up in an area near Rock’n’ Roller Coaster.

3. Photo Ops, Meet and Greets – Spread throughout the park are opportunities for great pictures with some of your favorite Star Wars characters – even monsters!  Actors from Star Wars movies and cartoons are on hand for autograph signing – they even ride in special motorcades through the park.

4. Dressing as Your Favorite Star Wars Character is A-OK! – Diehard fans get into character – donning their very best costumes for total immersion into the spirit of the event.  It’s great to IMG_5382see how detailed and creative some super-fans can be.  Just showing off your love for Yoda or a certain Wookie is tons of fun!

5. The Jedi Training Academy – if you have a young Padawan, he or she may be chosen to hone their lightsaber skills with a Jedi mentor – on stage!  Times guides will provide information on when this opportunity is available (several times each day) – watching appears to be almost as much fun as being a participant.  You can’t help but love seeing those adorable little Jedis-in-training all dressed up for this event!

The theme for 2014 is “Join the Rebellion” – will you be enjoying a Star Wars Weekend this year?