Tag Archives: Disney’s Hollywood Studios

At WDW? Short on Time? Ride This OR That!

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Unless you’re staying for an extended period of time, it’s nearly impossible to do it ALL at Walt Disney World in a single visit.  That’s part of what keeps our family coming back for more, again and again.  The choices among rides and attractions can be pretty overwhelming!  It’s easy to find the thrill rides, if that’s your thing, and knock those off the to-do list.  But what about the less thrilling rides?  The movies and live shows?  If you can’t do it all, which should you choose and which should you leave off for a later visit?  For today’s Friday Five, I’d like to offer a few suggestions…

At WDW? Short on Time? Ride This OR That!RM-Dumbo-Queue

  1. Spinners-  In Magic Kingdom, ride Dumbo or Magic Carpets of Aladdin or Astro Orbiter.  Love Dinosaurs? Skip those two and ride Triceratops Spin in Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland U.S.A.  My Opinion: Dumbo’s a classic but the wait can be long (and loud!).  Magic Carpets of Aladdin is cute and our kids have always loved it.RM-The-Seas-Mr-Ray
  2. Under Sea Adventure-  Both of these attractions have Clamobiles as ride vehicles, both take you back through popular Disney movies – Ride Under The Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid in Magic Kingdom (Fantasyland) OR The Seas With Nemo and Friends in Epcot (Future World).  My favorite is the Nemo and Friends version, but my friend Heather and her family love the Little Mermaid best.  Both are cute!RM-Mickey's-PhilharMagic
  3. 3D Movies-  You have three choices: Mickey’s PhilharMagic (Magic Kingdom), It’s Tough to Be a Bug (Disney’s Animal Kingdom) or MuppetVision 3D (Disney’s Hollywood Studios).  My opinion:  I don’t dislike any of them, but Mickey’s PhilharMagic is my favorite.  Keep in mind: It’s Tough to Be a Bug can be very scary for little ones and people of all ages who are afraid of bugs.RM-7DMT-Train2
  4. Kiddie Coaster-  Barnstormer and Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, both in Magic Kingdom, have low height requirements at 35″ and 38″ respectively.  Barnstormer is great for very young, apprehensive riders (entire ride lasts about a minute).  For brave first-timers (or Barnstormer graduates), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train lasts twice as long and has more to see.RM-Voyage-of-the-Little-Mermaid
  5. Live Stage Shows- Great choices abound:  Festival of the Lion King (Animal Kingdom), Finding Nemo-The Musical (Disney’s Animal Kingdom), Beauty and The Beast Live on Stage (Disney’s Hollywood Studios), Disney Junior Live on Stage (Studios), and Voyage of the Little Mermaid (Studios).  You’ll know best which of these will appeal most to your own Disney fans, but if you can’t decide, Festival of the Lion King is a crowd pleaser across all ages.

Which rides or attractions would you pick from the list?

So Long Star Wars Weekends

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Yoda Yum! / Starring Rolls CafeI’ll admit I’ve got an emotional attachment to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  I first visited as a newlywed when the park was new – how exciting and completely different the attractions and atmosphere were way back then!  The changes to the park over the years caused mixed reactions in our family – some of them very welcome, some not so much.  It’s been difficult here lately to watch this once very unique and interesting park lose much of its luster…and the losses keep on coming.

So Long Star Wars WeekendsRM-SWW-Parade

Yesterday, in this article from the Orlando Sentinel, it was confirmed that Star Wars Weekends have officially been discontinued.  I get that Star Wars will, at some future time, have a much greater presence in the Studios.  And that the additional Star Wars real estate will be made up of enough rides, attractions, shows, shops, restaurants, etc. to satisfy even the most avid Star Wars fan and make special weekends in the early summer unnecessary.  I’m still disappointed.Wookie in Star Wars Parade

Star Wars Weekends were fantastic!  The end of May has always been one of our favorite times of the year to visit Walt Disney World and the undeniably fantastic extra addition of Star Wars Weekend activities made our vacations that much more fun!  In 2014, we enjoyed what we now know was our last Star Wars Weekend – we made time to rope-drop the park one morning to soak up the fun – there was always extra excitement in the air as Star Wars fans showed their love for the franchise in a wide variety of ways.RM-SWW-Parade2

The motorcade was the highlight for us.  There’s normally no parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so this event was very special indeed.  Star Wars characters and celebrities made up this popular spectacle and it was worth finding a place along the route well in advance (and waiting in the hot Florida sun).  RM-Star-Wars-Motorcade-John-RatzenbergerIn 2014, John Ratzenberger was in the parade and I could not have been more thrilled to see him!  I suppose that’s the biggest disappointment about the demise of Star Wars Weekends – the end of the gathering of stars from across the Star Wars universe and the excitement of the crowds who gathered to see them.RM-SWW-Stormtrooper

“I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.” – Walt Disney

Progress marches on, I suppose.  I know additions to the Studios as opposed to closures will be a most welcome change.  I’ll have to trust that the presence of Star Wars in the future will be better (or at least as good) as the Star Wars events and festivities of the past.  Let’s get going!

What are your thoughts on the loss of Star Wars Weekends?  Will more of an everyday Star Wars presence make up for it?

 

 

 

Tower of Terror – 10 Best Things

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RM-Hollywood-Tower-Hotel-SignIt’s October and I’m feeling Halloween-ish.  Last week, I listed my favorite things about Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion.  This week, I feel it’s only fair to do the same for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  As it is most certainly one of my top three favorite attractions, I have plenty of love for every dark, spooky, incredible detail.  Where to begin?  That’s easy!  The Tower of Terror’s draw begins long before guests step into the queue.  Stroll down Sunset Boulevard and you’ll see (and hear) what I mean.  The Tower’s exterior, complete with screaming faces in the upstairs window, is sure to capture your attention.

Tower of Terror – 10 Best Things

  1. The Grounds – This is one of the best, most detailed attraction exteriors ever created.  Disney Imagineering at its very best.  There’s mist, age, decay, overgrown landscaping – the story begins long before that first step inside the Hollywood Tower Hotel.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Misty-Queue
  2. The Lobby – If you could escape from a Doom-Buggy in Haunted Mansion, it might be a lot like exploring the Tower of Terror.  Clearly, this was once a finely appointed, upscale establishment.  It’s almost sad to see it in such a rundown state.  Creepy yet lovely with a sense of foreboding.  Exactly the right atmosphere for what happens next.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Lobby-Desk
  3. The Bellhops – Seriously some of the best and most fun Cast Members in the World!  They’re solemn (but still fun) and have awesome costumes.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Bellhop
  4. The Library – So much to see! Incredible details are everywhere even before the TV comes alive and Rod Serling (voiced by Mark Silverman) sets exactly the right mood!  This attraction layers the buildup like none other – carefully crafting the story while maximizing anticipation and a bit of fear (in a good way).  Watch carefully – the hidden details are part of the charm!RM-Rod-Serling-Tower-of-Terror
  5. The Sounds – The classic Twilight Zone theme song, the televised back story, the use of sound (and silence) from the library to the end of the ride…genius!  “It’s raining it’s pouring…”RM-Tower-of-Terror-TV
  6. The Basement – Amazingly detailed (like the grounds outside), the winding path between the library and the elevator takes guests into the dark, dingy hotel basement.  Giant boilers, pipes, equipment, and Hidden Mickeys are all there to be explored.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Queue2
  7. The Service Elevator – Could a ride vehicle look more daunting?  I don’t think so.  The elevator on the outside looks ramshackle and uninviting – once the doors open?  It takes some serious bravery to step inside knowing that once those doors close, there’s no turning back.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Elevator-Doors
  8. The Anticipation – First-timers worry about what’s going to happen next.  Repeat guests DO know what’s in store and still…well, I know how hard my heart is pounding at this point and I’ve ridden dozens of times. That’s part of what keeps me coming back!RM-Tower-of-Terror-Elevator
  9. The Thrill – As you can tell from outside this attraction, the Tower of Terror tends to make people scream.  Me?  Not so much – this ride makes me laugh hysterically.  I can’t explain it, but the surprises on this ride seriously crack me up.RM-Tower-of-Terror-Queue
  10. The Pictures – Even before our Memory Maker package included video for the Tower of Terror and even with many strangers in every picture, I still count the ride photos among my most favorite.  I guess it’s all the different expressions captured and the different way each person reacts to the ride’s random movements…makes me smile every time I see our pictures.Tower of Terror Ride Photo

What about YOU?  How do you feel about the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror?  Do you love it?  What’s your favorite detail about this attraction?

 

My FastPass+ Rankings

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FastPass+ Mailer EnvelopeThis is our family’s strategy.  We’re all adults, we’re thrill junkies, fans of park-hopping, and are nostalgic about certain attractions based on 25 years of Walt Disney World vacations.  This list ranks all FastPass+ choices into three categories:  Must Have, Might Have, and Do-Not-Care.  The Must-Haves are the attractions that we are going to definitely ride and feel strongly about not waiting in line for (at least once).  The Might-Haves are attractions we like, but will wait in line for if we need to and know we’re probably not looking at waits of more than 40 minutes or so under most circumstances.  The Do-Not-Cares are attractions we either won’t waste a FastPass on, are pretty sure will have short lines anyway, or don’t intend to experience at all.

I should add that because of FastPass+ tiers at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, our ranking does not imply that it’s possible to book all our must-haves at a given park in a single day.  We’ll book different combos on different days to end up with at least one FastPass+ for our must-haves during our vacation.

My FastPass+ Rankings

Must Have

Magic Kingdom:

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – This is a fantastic ride!  It’s thrilling, has loads of details, wonderful theming and is long – almost 4 minutes of fun!  The queue is good, but this is one attraction that we’ll book a FastPass for and also wait in line to ride again.Exterior track for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  • Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – We don’t care how wonderful the interactive queue is – the line will be long and will take up more time than we’re willing to spare for a two-minute experience.  If we can’t get a FastPass, we’re most likely skipping this one.Walt Disney World's Splash Mountain
  • Splash Mountain – Unless I know for sure we’ll hit this one first thing after rope-drop in the morning, we’re getting a FastPass for it.  Unlike Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, we will wait in line if we have to, but always try to book a FastPass every time.

Epcot

  • Soarin – This attraction deserves a better queue.  So popular – it’s a great experience (even in its current badly-worn condition) with a queue so torturously boring we cannot make ourselves wait for this one.  FastPass or just pass.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

  • Toy Story Midway Mania – We LOVE this attraction – It’s all me. I’m the reason we don’t wait in line for this one. I hate the queue with an unequaled passion.  I’ve gotta have a FastPass and I make it a priority!Entrance for Toy Story Midway Mania
  • Rock’n’ Roller Coaster – The queue’s pretty boring and usually extremely long and hot (most of it being outdoors).  We’ll wait if we have to in the early morning, but will always book at FastPass in advance, at the earliest possible time, to get at least one ride in our super-stretch limo without the long wait.Famly Pic on Rock'n' Roller Coaster
  • Twilight Zone Tower of Terror – We actually love the queue for this and will book a FastPass AND ride it with a wait. We cannot get too much of this one.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  • Expedition Everest – Love this attraction!!!  Since we’ll ride it multiple times, having a FastPass once or twice saves time.  The queue’s the best, so we’ll also wait in the stand-by line at least one time too.RM-Expedition-Everest-Sign
  • Kilimanjaro Safari – We always ride this first thing in the morning without a FastPass…then we’ll ride later in the day at least once during our vacation and we use a FastPass for that later adventure.

Might Have

Magic Kingdom

  • Haunted Mansion – Unless we’re there during peak season, we will monitor the wait on the My Disney Experience app and hit this one when we’re looking at 30 minutes or less.  Don’t get me wrong – this is a must-do ride, but we’ve found we don’t need a FastPass for it.Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion
  • Pirates of the Caribbean – Like Haunted Mansion, we are riding Pirates on every vacation.  What makes us pass on the FastPass most of the time is that the queue is inside, is cool and dark, and totally bearable.
  • Jungle Cruise – I love the punny humor of this attraction.  We don’t care for the queue (boring, long, hot) yet won’t burn a FastPass unless it sort of falls in our lap.  We’d like to take the Cruise on every trip, but if it doesn’t work out that way, we’re okay with it.WDW Jungle Cruise Jeep
  • Space Mountain – Similar to how we feel about Jungle Cruise with two notable differences – the queue isn’t horrible (indoors, cool and dark with a few interactive elements), but Raymond and I feel the jerkiness of this ride more now than we used to (I KNOW! We must be getting old!), so we kind of hesitate to use a FastPass for it when we don’t love it as passionately as we once did.
  • Enchanted Tales With Belle – I want to see this!  We’ve yet to fit Belle into our plans.  Gotta change that next time we go.
  • it’s a small world – Not everyone in our family loves this attraction as much as I do. RM-It's-a-small-world1
  • The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh – It’s cute, but not a must-do, we’d rather see if we can work out a trip to London and Neverland on the next attraction on the list.
  • Peter Pan’s Flight – If we see an opportunity to add a FastPass for this one, we’ll usually take it.  It’s cute and fun and the line’s normally crazy long.

Epcot

  • Spaceship Earth – Sometimes we have a FastPass, sometimes we don’t.  This is absolutely a must-do for us, but we don’t have to have a FastPass.RM-Spaceship-Earth-Early-Backup-System
  • The Seas With Nemo and Friends – We usually end up with a FastPass for this at least once, but we like this ride.  The line’s usually pretty short and we’ll happily wait in line, no FastPass necessary.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

  • Star Tours – It’s popular and we’d rather not wait in too long a line for at least one of the times we ride (which might be several, depending on who’s in our travel party).  If the wait’s not bad, we’ll ride without a FastPass.Star Tours Queue, Disney's Hollywood Studios
  • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular – Really no need for a FastPass, but sometimes we end up with one in our selection for a particular day.
  • MuppetVision3D – Same as Indiana Jones, but we’ll see this with our without a FastPass and, except for extreme crowds / peak seasons, never need one.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  • Festival of the Lion King – We have waited on may occasions for this, but will certainly book a FastPass if we can.
  • Dinosaur – Like some of the other attractions -if we end up with a FastPass in the mix for the day, we’ll ride Dinosaur.  If not…no big deal.  It’s not a must-do.Dinosaur Ride Photo
  • Primeval Whirl – I believe a FastPass in our lineup was the reason we ever gave this ride a try in the first place.  Who knew we’d find it weirdly adorable?  Not a must-do for us though.

Do Not Care

Magic Kingdom

  • Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid – It’s cute and we’ll always try to fit this in our schedule.  The queue is as entertaining as the ride.  We’ve yet to need or use a FastPass for this one.Under the Sea - Journey of the Little Mermaid
  • Ariel’s Grotto – We’ve not been here before.  Have you?  Would you use a FastPass?
  • Barnstormer – Nope.  It’s 57 seconds of kiddie-coaster and doesn’t currently fit into our touring plans.
  • Tomorrowland Speedway – *cough, cough* We prefer to watch this from the PeopleMover as it makes its way around Tomorrowland than actually “race” around the track.
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin – We’ll ride this if the line’s not too short, but won’t deliberately book a FastPass – if one ends up in our lineup, so be it.RM-Buzz-Lightyear-Space-Ranger-Spin-Interior
  • Princess Fairytale Hall – Never been and won’t be going until we have a little on traveling with us again.
  • Mickey’s PhilharMagic – This is certainly a must-do for us, but doesn’t need a FastPass.
  • Dumbo The Flying Elephant – I’m honestly not sure how the rest of my family feels about this ride.  I almost rode it once.  Can’t imagine booking a FastPass for it.
  • Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor – We love this attraction, but don’t find the line long enough to make a FastPass necessary.
  • Festival of Fantasy Parade – We’ll wait in one of our favorite spots.  The FastPass viewing area isn’t all that great to us.RM-Festival-Of-Fantasy-Skull&Ship
  • Main Street Electrical Parade – Booking a FastPass so late in the day means you’ll never use your allotted three and get the option to book another.  Plus, even if we had a FastPass, there’s a good chance Raymond and I will be too tired to wait up for this.
  • Wishes Nighttime Spectacular – We love Wishes!!!  Like Festival of Fantasy – we’ll wait for it where we can find a place and don’t need a FastPass for it.
  • Mad Tea Party – Too much potential for motion sickness.  Pass.
  • Magic Carpets of Aladdin – We don’t want to ride this one.

Epcot

  • Living With the Land – Line’s usually short and it’s not an every-visit attraction for us.
  • Test Track – Only occasionally do we care to do this one.  If we get the urge, we’ll try to get a FastPass.RM-Living-With-The-Land-Produce
  • Illuminations – I don’t mind waiting in a prime location IF I want to see Illuminations.  The FastPass+ viewing area was not that great to us the one time we tried it – although being able to arrive last minute and have a spot was pretty cool.
  • Mission: Space – Not unless a double-dog-dare is involved in some way will I be on this ride ever again.
  • Turtle Talk – I like crush, but am probably not wasting a FastPass on him.  Maybe someday when we have grandkids.
  • Journey Into Imagination With Figment – Figment’s cute and if the line’s not long, we’ll jump in.  Otherwise, we’ll pass.Journey into Imagination with Figment
  • Captain EO – NO.  Not under any circumstances.  No.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

  • Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage – We’ve seen this many times.  Unless Megan begs to see it again, we’ll pass altogether or wait for it…no FastPass necessary.
  • The Great Movie Ride – The line’s usually not too long.  This isn’t a must-do attraction for us – if we get the chance and have time, we’ll get in line.The Great Movie Ride
  • Fantasmic – We’ll get there early if we want to see this.  Or we’ll do the meal package (at participating restaurants), but we won’t be booking a FastPass for it.
  • Lights Motors Action! Extreme Stunt Show – This falls in the “once and done” category.  We saw it once and that was enough.
  • Voyage of the Little Mermaid – Sure, we’ll watch this if we have time and the opportunity presents itself, but no with a FastPass.
  • Disney Junior Live on Stage – We’ve never seen it.  Aren’t planning to anytime soon.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  • Kali River Rapids – We don’t dislike this ride, we just hate getting completely soaked on it.
  • It’s Tough to be a Bug – We like this one, but don’t need a FastPass for it.Kali River Rapids Boat
  • Finding Nemo – The Musical – We really don’t feel a FastPass is necessary.  If we check the app and the line is short, we’ll head that way.

Wow!  If you’re still reading, thanks for sticking with me this whole time!!!  What jumps out at you as completely opposite of what you’re family does?  I bet if you have little ones your ranking is totally different.  When you book your FastPasses, what are your top picks for every visit?