Who Would Love Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Ride?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Lisa

Last time we were at Walt Disney World, Raymond and I took a break from the parks and went back to the Contemporary – he had a massage scheduled at the Olympiad Fitness Center (a birthday gift from ME!) and I, as usual, was starving. So we had a few minutes before Raymond’s appointment to grab a bite at The Wave (excellent!) – then he went his way and I was, for the first time in my life, on my own at Disney World.

I walked straight to the Magic Kingdom. The day (end of May) had been a bit rainy and, while the rain had stopped, it was kind of cool out. I remember I was wearing my favorite Donald Duck sweatshirt (and received lots of random compliments on it from strangers) as I made my way toward the as yet mostly unfinished Fantasyland expansion. The park was unusually un-crowded.

I was curious – nosy even (shocker that!) and wanted to see the new Circus area since I’d heard a LOT about the animal footprints and peanut shell marks in the concrete. I wanted to check out what little I could see over the construction walls…I wanted to ride Goofy’s Barnstormer.

A strange thing happened on the way to the Circus – I, all alone at the Magic Kingdom, picked up (unknowingly) what would be one of the last paper fastpasses I would ever obtain. For The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Don’t ask me what prompted that – I was on a mission to see the Storybook Circus. There was just something about the look of Winnie the Pooh – I had never ever ridden it. I was on my own and feeling like I could do anything I wanted…I wanted to ride Winnie the Pooh. Go figure.

Walking on, fastpass in hand, I had time to see the ground in the Storybook Circus area with the footprints and peanut-marks in the cement. I had time to ride Barnstormer – seriously? TIME? The ride lasts literally less than a minute! – Great first coaster for little ones, by the way. You only need to be 35″ tall to ride. Mission accomplished – time for Pooh!

At the time, I had no idea that the original queue for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was supposed to be much cooler than the final version. I thought it looked pretty neat! Rabbit’s garden, honey everywhere, interactive parts, highly detailed, well-themed. I was pretty impressed.

No waiting – I played that fastpass – and suddenly, I found myself waiting to board my pot-o-honey! I think that’s when it hit me that I was alone in Magic Kingdom, but didn’t feel weird or uncomfortable. Heck! I felt adventurous. For many years, I’d been MAD at Pooh for booting Mr. Toad to the curb and was ready to let bygones be bygones and give it a try!

Annnnnd. It was cute! Sweet (ha! pun intended) and the characters were adorable. For 3 whole minutes, I rode along solo in my little honey pot and remembered how much I used to love those Winnie the Pooh stories. Piglet was always my favorite character – the blustery day story particularly. Here it was! All lovingly recreated by those clever Disney Imagineers – All the gang, even Heffalumps and Woozles were there. It hit me when I saw the small tribute to Mr. Toad himself, that I shouldn’t have been mad at Pooh to begin with. I’m normally the least-adverse-to-change person I know – why I’d been holding a grudge for years and years against the very existence of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh without even giving it a chance – I have no idea!

This ride is great for all ages, but particularly the very young. As a beginner dark ride, it’s perfect. If you grew up with Pooh and friends, you’ll enjoy the different scenes. The little kiddos will like the queue, the ride vehicles, and the colorful characters along the journey. Who would love Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Ride? I would! You will! And so will your children.

Why Watch the Parade at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?

Posted on January 8, 2014 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

2014 is bringing about lots of changes at Disney World. One of these changes is to the afternoon parade at the Magic Kingdom – it’s out with the old and in with the new! I, for one, am totally stoked about this. I liked the old parade well enough – Celebrate a Dream Come True (final performance was January 4^th) – we managed to catch it several times during its almost-5-year run. Once, in 2012 we were even pixie dusted into VIP seating. Okay – I probably could have lived without the parade’s theme song which, like the tune in It’s a Small World, wormed its way into my brain for the rest of the day (or longer), but I love a good parade nonetheless and Magic Kingdom’s has never disappointed. It’s a great way to see many different characters – some you don’t usually get to meet & greet – at one time.

Now it’s time to make way for the Festival of Fantasy Parade which will debut this spring. This means, unfortunately, no afternoon parade for guests to enjoy between now and then, but the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! street party will still go on (3 times a day right now) as will the Main Street Electrical Parade in the evenings. The most exciting part is that the theme of the new parade is so appropriate – It will incorporate the characters and stories from the new Fantasyland and include completely new floats and costumes. Rolling to both a new theme song (oh, thank goodness) and well-known songs from our favorite Disney movies, the Festival of Fantasy Parade is sure to be a spectacular addition to the 2014 excitement at Disney World.

TIP: If you happen to watch the parade in the vicinity of a newly minted little princess who has visited the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. You’ll see the parade characters, princes, and other princesses acknowledge the “royalty” in the audience in many special ways – bowing, winking, waving, blowing kisses – just another way Disney makes memories for guests that last a lifetime.

Disney World’s It’s a Small World!

Posted on December 10, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

It’s a Small World! If you’ve not had the pleasure (maybe pleasure is the wrong word, depends on your taste in Disney rides) of experiencing It’s a Small World, you really need to add it to your bucket list! Okay, okay! I’m joking. You might not want to add it to your bucket list, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood (Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland), do drop in for this little 11-minute boat trip around the world

The line moves quickly, the boat-boarding area is detailed and
ornate – lots to look at and, if you happen to be there at the right time, the clock opens up and does this clock thing which is kind of cool. There’s no minimum height requirement, so anybody, any age can ride. And it’s a classic – opened with the park in 1971 but actually dates back to a 1964 New York World’s Fair exhibit. Originally designed by artist Mary Blair (think mural in the Contemporary lobby and the Five Legged Goat!!), the entire ride exhibits an amazing use of shapes and color. If sugary sweet cuteness is your thing, this is your ride.

Warning: It may actually be possible to overdose on adorable. If you’re not into singing children or if, perhaps, you’re hiding a fear of dolls and/or clowns – try to tough it out. Be brave. You only need to ride it once to experience this one irrefutable, undeniable thing as you drift through It’s a Small World in your little boat: Floor to ceiling, there are thousands of moving parts in this tunnel of toys – and they’re all singing. You cannot deny that a tremendous amount of craftsmanship and attention to detail was required to produce hundreds of small people, animals, vehicles and buildings to represent all the continents and cultures around the world. And if, after you’re through, you catch yourself singing a certain catchy tune for the rest of the day….an added bonus!

So, what do you think about It’s a Small World. Is it really “the happiest cruise that ever sailed”?

Magic Kingdom VIP Parade Seating

Posted on November 25, 2013 by greenlisa9989@yahoo.com

Magical Memory Monday! Just last year, we had a fantastic Disney vacation (aren’t they all?) that included an unexpected, wonderful surprise! VIP seating for the afternoon parade at Magic Kingdom. Can you believe it? Pixie Dust at its best and here’s how it happened:

May 2012. The Fam and I were headed to Disney World and thought it would be great if Megan and Joseph each brought along a friend. Joseph’s best friend, Jason, had been on many vacations with us before and was the easy choice for Joseph as a travel buddy. Megan brought her friend Ashley along. Ashley was in dire need of a vacay having just graduated from nursing school. The six of us had a perfect set up in a two bedroom suite at Bay Lake Tower, so off we went.

On our Magic Kingdom day, we arrived for the opening celebration with a carefully constructed morning touring plan and a free afternoon to do as we pleased. I was trying out a new strategy I had read about online – once into the park, immediately take the train to Frontier Land, beating all the guests on foot and putting yourself at an advantage for getting on those two very best Frontier Land rides: Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Oh, there were doubters among us. My plan deviated from tradition and, when we reached the steps to the train, they were closed off – I stood firm (this did prove to be an excellent strategy). Shortly we found ourselves on the train platform with very few other riders, waiting to board.

I have this habit of always looking at Cast Members’ name badges. I find it interesting to note where everyone is from – listed right below their name is their home town. On this particular day, when I glanced at the name badge on the Cast Member nearest to me on the train platform, I thought it said the name of his hometown was the (small) city where I work. Surely I was mistaken, certainly my eyes were playing tricks on me and the state was probably IA instead of LA – I waited for him to turn back to me. YES! This gentleman was from home!!!

I was so excited to tell him we were basically from his “neighborhood” and he seemed genuinely happy to meet us and discuss things from home for a minute while we boarded the train. As we got ready to steam off towards Frontier Land, he asked our names and if we would be in the park all day and when we said YES – he told us the Cast Members at VIP parade seating would be waiting for us so we could enjoy a very special parade viewing experience.

Let me tell you – of all the magical things that have happened to me over the years at Disney World, this ranks among the very best. About 30 minutes before the parade was scheduled to begin, we found the VIP seating – in a shady spot on ornate white iron benches along the bridge that passes between the hub at the top of Main Street and Liberty Square. Before the parade began, we had time to sit and relax…some of us even enjoyed a snack. The Cast Members making their pre-parade route inspections carried misting fans and smiled as they sprayed us on their way by. This was an unbelievable, unobstructed parade view – with tons of VIP character interaction. Because the bridge is closed to everyone not IN the parade, we were front and center to all the action.

I’ve always loved the Magic Kingdom parade, but on this day it was especially (indescribably) fun and we did feel like very special VIPs every minute.