Tag Archives: MuppetVision 3D

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

Posted on by

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?

Great Waits at Walt Disney World!

Posted on by

RM-Dumbo-Ticket-to-WaitA while back I touted the joys of some of Disney World’s standby lines in this post.  Today I’m going to continue that discussion.  If you don’t have a FastPass, there are plenty of rides and attractions worth waiting for – simply because the wait itself is part of the fun!  If I have to spend time in a standby line, I want that wait to be an entertaining one!

Once again, I’m using the same criteria for today’s queue selections:

  • Existing ride successfully refurbished to provide a vastly better standby experience
  • Brand new ride with a wildly entertaining standby line
  • Not-so-new ride with an original, well-themed queue

Dumbo – Just because I couldn’t make it through the new, interactive standby line (I almost rodeRM-Dumbo-Rockets Dumbo once, story here) doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate how brilliant the new queue area is for families with small (or small-ish) children.  The technology is cool, the colors are bright, and there’s a variety of activities available for time-killing. I might not have cared for the experience, but for kids?  Genius!

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train – The ride appeals to multiple senses – full of colors, it’s visually stunning, the sway of the mine train cars and the smooth ride are physically enjoyable, the sounds – both in and outside the mine – are a wonderful part of the overall experience.  The queue sets just the right mood for what’s to come.  Sort gems, spin barrels for some cool projection effects – there’s a lot to enjoy in the mine long before the train takes you off on a new adventure.

Muppets in Disney's Hollywood StudiosMuppetVision 3D – The queue for this area is one of my most favorite places – not just in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but in all of Walt Disney World!  I love the net full of Jello (a funny tribute to Annette Funicello) and dozens of other clever sight gags.  The pre-show “show” is full of classic Muppet jokes and bits.  If you grew up with the Muppets like I did, the queue for MuppetVision 3D takes you back to the good old days of Muppet glory!

Which queues are your favorite?  Which would you recommend for a future standby line post?