Tag Archives: Disney World

Epcot’s The Seas with Nemo and Friends

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IMG_0979When you hear “Epcot”, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?  Spaceship Earth?  Soarin’?  Test Track?  The World Showcase, perhaps?  I don’t immediately think of any of those things.  I automatically think about The Seas with Nemo and Friends.  You don’t?  Well maybe it’s time to give it another try.  There’s so much packed under one roof in this (to me) underappreciated area in Epcot’s Future World (West).  I encourage you to take a closer look and give it a bit more consideration.  It’s a whole lot more than just place to escape for a while from the hot Florida sun or an afternoon rain shower…

“Oh, my God, Nemo’s shwimming out to shea!” – Nemo’s classmate, Finding Nemo

The Seas with Nemo and Friends began as The Living Seas in 1986 and was originally IMG_0981sponsored by United Technologies (until 2001).  Hydrolators (pretend under-seas elevators) took guests “down” to Seabase Alpha.  A pre-ride movie explained how the Earth’s oceans were formed before vehicles called Seacabs took visitors on a tour of coral reefs.  In the early 2000’s, the exhibit lost its sponsor and The Living Seas faded in popularity before being reinvigorated and re-named in 2006.

“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do, we swim, swim, swim.” – Dory, Finding Nemo

Today visitors to The Seas with Nemo and Friends will find an exciting, fun, and educational IMG_0980array of exhibits and attractions that offer something for everyone, every age to enjoy.  At the entrance, don’t miss the seagulls that yell “Mine!”  Great photo ops start outside the building’s entrance.

Here are the FIVE best things about The Seas with Nemo and Friends:

“It’s awesome, Jellyman. Little dudes are just eggs, we leave ’em on the beach to hatch, and then — koo-koo ka-choo! — they find their way back to the Big Ol’ Blue.” – Crush, Finding Nemo

IMG_28091.  Turtle Talk with Crush – DUDE!  This fantastically entertaining show provides guests an opportunity to interact with the coolest turtle in the seven seas.  Amazing technology allows Crush to see and talk to individual audience members – he tries to educate people about the lives of sea turtles while also asking people to explain strange and unknown things about humans to him.  Guaranteed laughs.  Amazing technology – No, I don’t want to know how it works…it’s magic!

2.  Manatees!  And other live animal exhibits allow visitors the chance to get up close with the likes of sharks, dolphins, rays, and more.  I particularly love the manatees (second level) – if you’re lucky, you’ll be there at the right time to listen to a Cast Member presentation about these endangered gentle giants.  Feeding time is also a lot of fun!  If you IMG_2776read my post on the Kilimanjaro Safari, then you know what happens when I see live animals.  Yep – I could stay right there and take pictures all day.  I have almost as many manatee pictures as I do of giraffes eating.  Don’t miss Mr. Ray’s Lagoon (first floor) for an up-close view of stingrays.

3.  Clamobiles!  Jump on into your ride vehicle and check out your favorite Finding Nemo characters as Marlin once again searches for his lost son – the show’s characters swim alongside real fish in the aquarium.

Ohhhh, let’s name the zones, the zones, the zones, let’s name the zones of the open sea! – Mr. IMG_2774Ray, Finding Nemo

4.  Bruce!  Our favorite shark in all the seas has his own exhibit next to the Turtle Talk entrance.  Bruce’s Sub House is a adorably crafted play area with many excellent photo ops – including posing as Bruce’s lunch!  Anchor and Chum are there, too, in this great place to learn and explore.  A great opportunity for little ones to enjoy a break from the confines of a stroller and burn off a little energy!

“I am a nice shark. Not a mindless eatin’ machine. If I am to change this image, I must first IMG_2008change myself. Fish are friends. Not food.” – Bruce, Chum, and Anchor, Finding Nemo 

5.  Coral Reef Restaurant – Enjoying a meal in this restaurant’s multi-level seating area is both a tasty and entertaining experience.  The main focal point for diners is a breathtaking view of The Sea’s aquarium.  While food reviews have been mixed (and disappointing) of late, the menu offers a wide variety of options with and without seafood as a main ingredient.  We have dined here (usually lunch) on several occasions and have never had a bad meal.  Make an informed dining decision with info here from All Ears.Net.  I will add that if you’re on the dining plan, Coral Reef uses one table service credit.

So?  You ready to give it another look?  If you’ve been to The Seas With Nemo and Friends lately, what did you think about it?

 

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions – Disney Style

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Happy New Year Disney Fans!  I’m thankful for all the new friends I’ve made this year and appreciate every one of you for choosing to stop by here and join me in my Disney life.  To ring in the New Year properly, I think it calls for a declaration.  Ladies and Gentlemen of the Earhat-wearing variety….I give to you my Top Ten New Year’s Resolutions – Disney Style:      

General Dis Pics 12.26 0151.  See These Movies:

  • Muppets Most Wanted (3/21/14) – Been a huge fan my whole life – this is a can’t-be-missed movie for me!  The unresolved romance between Kermit and Piggy keeps me coming back for more.
  • Captain America:  The Winter Soldier (4/4/14) – I’m diggin’ all the Marvel movies and I think the Cap’s aces.
  • Million Dollar Arm (5/16/14) – I am just a girl who cannot resist a good baseball movie.
  • Maleficent (5/30/14) – Looks darkly intriguing – I think we will love to hate her!
  • Into the Woods (12/25/14) – Have heard so much about this show – can’t wait to see it!

2.  Book a Cruise – I’ve got a place-holder (aka “dummy”) cruise burning a hole in my pocket.  Since August when we re-booked onboard (while sailing on the Magic in the Mediterranean) – We are anxiously waiting to DSCN0685see what the rest of 2015’s sailings look like before making a final decision.  Wishing for Baltic (tie in to Frozen).

3.  Attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party – I have wanted to do this forever.  2014 is the year!

4.  Buy a Fancy New Earhat – sounds easy enough, but I have the most difficult time deciding on one – I always walk away with a Disney baseball cap instead.  Not this year.  No, sir.

5.  Eat This Food – I’m up for passing up old favorites and trying out some new places in 2014.  I’m thinking about these:

  • Be Our Guest – I know, right?  Everyone’s clamoring to get in there – I’ll be lucky to score a visit, but I’ve heard so much great stuff about it.  I’m at least resolving to try my best to get in!
  • Flying Fish – I’ve never eaten here.  Chime in if you think I should ditch this plan in favor of something else.
  • 1900 Park Fare – For a character meal it has always been Chef Mickey’s but now that we have “adult” children, I thought Lady Tremaine and the Steps might be a bunch of fun.
  • Hollywood Brown Derby – We have never eaten here and have always heard great things.  IMG_2382Even if we just sit in the new outdoor patio lounge – I’d like to give it a go.

6.  Find and Trade a Pin to Complete This Set!  I love pin trading and in 2014 I’m gonna be in-it-to-win-it!  Yeah, Baby!  Watch out flying Orange Bird – you are mine!

7.  Ride the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train – Ugh.  Feels like the Fantasyland expansion has been going on forever!  I am riding this ride, dadgummit – get out of my way.

8.  Try These Recipes:  (You may have seen my other posts on cooking Disney food here and here and here)  I like to cook – why not make it Disney food?  Thanks to AllEars.Net for the recipes.

9.  Try a Dole Whip:  They say confession is good for the soul – so now you know my darkest Disney Secret (one of them anyway)…I hid it way down here at #9 so maybe no one will notice.  I have never eaten a single bite of Dole Whip in my life.  Don’t judge me.

10.  Take Better Disney Pictures!  To my shame, my Disney pictures are mediocre at best.  The great computer crash of 2009 cost me dearly and I just need to learn to be a better photographer overall.  I buy really small cameras because they’re easy to carry.  I’m not sure if I’ll actually dish out more cash on yet another camera, but I’ll do what I can to make the most of what I’ve got.  Promise.

Well – that wraps up my top 10 resolutions for 2014!  What about you?  Whatcha got?  Did any of these make it to your list?  If starting a rigorous exercise program or going on a diet seem too strenuous for you, join me on my 2014 Disney resolution journey and we’ll conquer the World together. 

Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Pixie-Dusted New Year….Lisa

Disney World – Best Time? ANYtime!

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IMG_3280As difficult as the transition to “Empty Nest” status has been, I’ve discovered one really great perk!  We can now go to Disney World any time we want to.  Any time of the year!  We are no longer tied to summers and school breaks – we can go during any season, any month, any special event!  We can plan our trip to avoid crowds and enjoy cooler weather if we want to or…not!  Okay, this empty-nest thing is looking UP!!!

In my heart I believe that ANY time at Disney World is better than just about anytime elsewhere, so I’ve put together a list of reasons to go to Disney World and things to do for every month in 2014.

January and February –

Two great months for runDisney fans and also a great time to take advantage of lower crowd levels and cooler, drier weather.  Average high temperatures are in the low 70’s, average lows are around 50-degrees and rainfall averages are around 2.5″ a month (compared to over 7″ per month in the summer).

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is January 8-12, 2014  and offers participants the opportunity to run a 5k, 10k, and both a half and full marathon!  In February, runners flock to the Disney Princess Half Marathon and Princess 10k (Feb. 20-23).IMG_2746

Planning Note:  Unless you’re going to cheer on your loved one, non-runners may want to avoid those race weekends as those very popular events boost crowd levels tremendously.

March and April –

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival.  Even if you are ambivalent to horticulture, you will still be delighted by the many magical touches and pixie-dusted details that abound in Epcot in the spring.  The Flower Power Concert Series is part of the Festival and you would not BELIEVE the awesomeness of the bands in 2014’s lineup! (The Guess Who, Herman’s Hermits and The Lovin’ Spoonful – need I say more?)  New in 2014 – Kermit and Piggy will star! – immortalized in all the topiary glory those Epcot wizards have become famous for.  Also, if you’re there, don’t miss out on the IMG_2750Butterfly exhibit – an absolute must-do if you have little ones.

May –

As Flower and Garden wraps up in Epcot (ends May 18th), over at Disney Hollywood Studios, Star Wars Weekends are just getting started (weekends, May 16-June 8).  While I’m not a Star Wars geek, I’m enough of a fan to get a big kick out of all the Stars Wars-goings-on during this summer-long event.  Your little Jedi (under 12) can attend the Jedi Training Academy and you can meet (and get autographs from) some of the most famous Star Wars IMG_3531superstars in the world.  The Storm Troopers on top of the Studios’ entrance are SO cool – and not above providing a little fun photo op if you can get their attention.

June –

School’s out for summer and June’s a great time to visit Disney World!  The last Star Wars Weekend is June 8-10 then the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot runs from about the second week of June to the last week of July.  This musical gathering of tribute bands offers guests some fantastic opportunities to have a rocking good time – included in Epcot park admission.

Expect afternoon thunderstorms and be prepared with rain ponchos (a good attitude doesn’t hurt either).  There are plenty of fun activities you can still enjoy even if the weather isn’t perfect.  At least those summer showers are usually short in duration and you can right back out photointo the action.

July –

It’s HOT, it’s crowded (with a ton of tour groups from our South American neighbors), but, with a little extra planning, you can still have an awesome Disney vacation.  Especially if you’re patriotic!  As with all holidays, Disney does Independence Day right!  While the official celebration activities have not been announced yet, you can bet that the Magic Kingdom fireworks will be spectacular!  Guaranteed to bring a tear to any red-white-and-blue-blooded American lucky enough to find a viewing spot on Main Street!  For anytime patriotic pleasure – go see the Voices of Liberty at the American Adventure in Epcot.  This a capella group is simply amazing and the acoustics in the rotunda are perfect!  Teary eyes and goose bumps guaranteed.

August –

IMG_0639As all the kiddos head back into the classroom – it’s still hot and sunny in Florida!  The second week in August is an ideal time to head to the World.  Crowds are much lower and one of the very best events in Disney World begins – Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival.

Imagine if you will:  A morning spent hanging out by the very un-crowded resort pool to catch a few rays (sunscreen, people!) before heading over to  your massage appointment at one of the many resort spas at Disney World.  (Raymond recommends the “Custom Firm-Pressure Massage” at the Contemporary Resort’s Olympiad Fitness Center.)  After a quick, light lunch spend the rest of the afternoon on the attractions at your favorite park.  Finally, enjoy a relaxing evening out for dinner and drinks before taking in your favorite nighttime show – like Illuminations at Epcot or Wishes at the Magic Kingdom.  IMG_0062

September and October –

What a fantastic time to visit with and without children.  The parks get all decked out for Halloween and Magic Kingdom presents Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on select dates through the first week of November.  Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is in full swing offering guests the chance to sample culinary treats (and special beverages) from around the world.

RunDisney Event Alert! 

  • October 4-5 is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler Weekend
  • November 8-9 is the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend

November and December –

Over at the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party helps you get into the holiday IMG_1044spirit on select dates beginning around the second week of November.  Spectacular holiday decorations are everywhere.  All the parks and every resort show off their seasonal best for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations.  Epcot presents Christmas Around the World as well as the Candlelight Processional (select dates).

Crowds are at their absolute extremes during these two months.  If you avoid Thanksgiving week and the Christmas to New Year’s Day period, you can find some less crowded days to enjoy.  If you go during school break expect capacity crowds – careful planning is a must but you can still make a visit during this wonderfully crazy time a very magical vacation indeed.

Are you taking a Disney vacation in 2014?  What time of year are you going?

What’s on Your Disney Christmas Wish List?

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TIMG_0059here hasn’t been a Christmas since Raymond and I married that there weren’t Disney gifts.  Clothing, P.J.’s, ornaments, movies, games, stuffed animals, toys, home décor – and so on.

One year in particular stands out in my memory as the absolute best for Disney gift-giving!  Megan was 16 and Joseph 11.  They had been arguing most of the year (literally) about where to go on our next vacation.  Megan wanted – and to this very day – always votes for – Disney World; Joseph wanted to see the ocean.  Any ocean.  We hadn’t been to the beach in so long, poor thing couldn’t remember what the ocean looked like.  The argument went on and on, month after month.  Seriously, aren’t you surprised sometimes by how tenacious siblings-at-odds can be?  During all that debate, an idea began to form.  What if we could give them both what they wanted?

The perfect solution would be a Disney Land-and-Sea Vacation.  Hey – what if we could pull itIMG_1049 off as a Christmas surprise?  When could we go?  Both the children were extremely involved in activities outside of school.  Megan had auditioned for and become a member of a local ballet company four years earlier – the practice and performance schedules were seriously demanding.  Our best bet was to try to go on Christmas break – which, if this trip was going to be a Christmas gift, would mean leaving right after Christmas Day.  A little web surfing and a few mouse clicks later… Ta-Dah!  We’d booked a package that would have us enjoying four Disney-World-days at the Polynesian (over New Year’s) before sailing on a 3-day cruise in the Bahamas.  I’ll be honest – Raymond was not in favor of this plan, but only because he had no interest whatsoever in taking a Disney cruise – thought it would be boring compared to Disney World.  HA!

Booking the trip was SO much easier than trying to keep it a secret.  That part was torture!  There were several times over the months leading up to Christmas when either Raymond or I would start to make a comment or ask the other one a question about the trip in front of one or both of the kids – each time we managed to catch ourselves just in the nick of time.

IMG_2389Now we needed to figure out how to stage the big reveal.  This was going to be the best gift EVER and I wanted the gift-giving to be so epic – the most incredible, most unique, most FUN and exciting moment-to-remember-from-childhood for our precious youngsters!  I came up with a scathingly brilliant idea! (Triple points if you can name the movie reference there).  I decided that by making the gift’s discovery a little challenging, the surprise would be even better!  A treasure hunt would be just the thing!  In fact, a pirate-themed treasure hunt would go right along with the gift!

As with most of my hair-brained schemes clever plans, I pulled out all the stops!  I wrote clues on scrolls written in pirate-speak suitably aged and burned around the edges.  These clues lead to puzzle pieces that, when assembled in their cardboard-backed frames, would form a poem that described the surprise.  Note:  gluing poetry onto puzzles before cutting the pieces apart while preserving the ability to read aforementioned poem is WAY harder than it sounds… IMG_2388y’know, just sayin’.

So – Christmas morning finally arrived!  The moment Raymond and I have been waiting for….the first scroll is handed to the children and, reading the clues, they begin their search to find puzzle pieces.  Here’s where my plan went a teensy bit awry.  See – I thought the whole plan would be just perfect if the location of the final puzzle pieces were really authentic to a pirate-treasure-finding-mission.  I had Raymond bury a small wooden chest in the side yard – pretty far away from the house.  So, that treasure chest (carefully wrapped in plastic) containing the final puzzle pieces was about a foot deep near a small pine tree next to a bayou – a lovely location for a sunny December day.

IMG_2387In my defense, keep in mind that here in Louisiana we sometimes wear shorts on Christmas – today even (December 20th), was in the 70’s, tomorrow will be near 80 degrees.  Yeah….Christmas day in 2006 dawned pretty chilly.  And RAINY!  Oh, the following-the-clues part was great until our teen and tween realized they would have to use a map (outside in the rain) and a shovel to dig in the MUD in order to finally find out what was up.  Oh, the eye-rolling and loud sighing – just imagine the indignity and horror!  Indeed.  We were downrightIMG_2385 cruel to ruin Christmas in such a way.

But they completed their mission!  Put the final pieces together and read the poem.  Then they just stared at us.  After a moment… light bulb!  No, REALLY?  You mean it?  Seriously?  We are going to Disney World and on a Disney Cruise…..Really?

Yep – it was worth every single moment of preparation and secrecy.  And we had a great trip.  And the children forgave us for our cruelty.  AND Raymond had a fantastic time on our first Disney cruise – so much fun, in fact, there have been four more since.

IMG_1045“Our children are different a girl and a boy.  What should we give them a game or a toy?  For Megan it’s one thing for Joseph another – Can they share just one gift, this sister and brother?  This present’s so clever, two halves of a whole – You’d better get ready – Mom and Dad are on a roll!  Now Megan we know what will make you most jolly – this time next week you’ll check in to the Poly.  And Joseph beware!  It’s pirates you’ll be seein’ when you set sail with Mickey to cruise the Caribbean.”

IMG_0990So….What’s been your favorite Disney Christmas surprise?