Tag Archives: PeopleMover

We’re Going to WDW – 10 Things I’m Looking Forward To!

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As mentioned before, I’m crazy excited to introduce our granddaughter to the joys of a Disney vacation. I can’t wait to see her reaction to characters, rides and all the sights, sounds, and flavors we can find for her to enjoy.

Personally, I am looking forward to quite a few things by myself. When I focus on staying “in the moment” while I’m at WDW, it’s amazing what random experiences stick in my mind as being particularly wonderful. I know what I’m most looking forward to changes for every visit, but this time the top ten are….

Drumroll, Please

10. The Electrical Water Pageant. Sure, there’s no afternoon parade in Magic Kingdom and no nighttime fireworks in the parks right now, but I’m kind of okay about it because I can still enjoy the most cheerfully ridiculous spectacle on the Seven Seas Lagoon!

9. Florida dawns and sunsets. I suppose we have some pretty amazing sunrises and sunsets in Louisiana, but I’m typically too busy to notice. Seems like when I’m at Walt Disney World I get to start and end the day with gorgeous skies and have time to soak up every moment.

8. The Ghost Host will lower my safety bar. And then I’ll get to see and hear all the things I adore in the Haunted Mansion! Madam Leota, Constance-in-the-attic, all of it! Maybe Little Leota at the exit might be my favorite. Hard to say because I love it all.

Haunted Mansion's Madame Leota

7. The smell of the lobby in Bay Lake Tower. Sure, it’s lovely when they say, “Welcome Home!”, but nothing is more welcoming to me than that special scent. It’s like a warm hug that washes away all my worries. I could be weird, but there it is.

6. Earning the lowest score on Toy Story Midway Mania. I don’t do it on purpose, but there’s a reason I have never participated in any sports requiring eye-hand coordination. Nonetheless, I love this ride! Breaking those plates is inexplicably gratifying.

5. PeopleMover. If you don’t love it, stay off of it and let the rest of us have it to ourselves. There’s not a single second of resting on that lovely blue upholstery as I cruise around Tomorrowland that I don’t love. Mr. Morrow, I can’t wait to be there!

4. Sipping and Snacking my way around World Showcase. This is the ultimate Epcot experience for me. I can shop, stroll, or sit and relax while sampling exotic fare and sipping an adult beverage. Doesn’t matter if we start in Mexico or Canada, I’m going to enjoy the trip around the World!

Italy Pavilion / Epcot's World Showcase

3. Taking a million pictures on Kilimanjaro Safaris. I’ve stopped trying to NOT do this. I can ride the Safaris five times on a single vacation and I will snap pics like I’ve never been there before. I’m convinced my family appreciates this phenomenon as just another of my many adorable quirks. And if they don’t, I don’t care. Look! An Okapi!

2. People watching from the Dawa Bar. Give me an Old Elephant Foot IPA and a place to stand. This is a great spot for soaking up the atmosphere in Africa. I don’t have very many must-do’s on every trip, but this is absolutely one of them.

And Number One…

Walking down Main Street USA. I can’t be alone here. This is probably something the majority of people love to do on a Disney vacation. It’s the ultimate I-am-back feeling. Familiar sights, sounds, and smells. The lovely air of nostalgia. There’s Cinderella Castle in all her glory…a familiar and beloved sight that will be especially welcome to these weary eyes…they’ll probably start leaking.

View of Cinderella Castle from Main Street U.S.A.

What will you be looking forward to the most on your next visit?

WDW Things I’m Most Looking Forward to…

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You, my Disney-loving friend, will recognize the feeling: It seems like forever since we last visited our favorite vacation destination. Our dining plans were made months ago, our FastPasses have been booked, our Magic Bands should arrive any time and the wait is nearly over! Now that I can finally say, “Next month I’m going to Walt Disney World!”, here are 30 completely random things I’m looking forward to…

Would any of these be on your list?

  • Dinner at Morimoto Asia
  • The scent of Bay Lake Tower’s lobby
  • Every detail in Animal Kingdom (like how the sounds in Pandora change throughout the day)
  • Pre-race people-watching in our runDisney corrals
  • Dawa Bar beer
  • Looking out over Animal Kingdom from the tea train on Expedition Everest
  • Yellow Monorail / Walt Disney World
  • Singing with the Dwarfs in the mine…Heigh-HO!
  • Crossing finish lines!
  • Monorail announcements!
  • Our 2019 Strategy - Epcot's International Food & Wine Festival
  • Crispy Pork Belly
  • 19.3 miles of one-on-one time with Joseph at Disney World
  • Yak & Yeti eggroll
  • Every second on the PeopleMover (gotta rest those feet!)
  • That first glimpse of Cinderella Castle
  • Balloon vendors on Main Street U.S.A.
  • Soaking up my favorite Spaceship Earth scenes (for a little while longer)
  • Watching for Raymond on the race courses (and trying not to run by him accidentally)
  • The Backside of WATER!
  • “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow….”
  • Everything in Mitsukoshi
  • Random character meetings
  • A maintenance service elevator waiting just for me
  • The wildest ride in the wilderness!

That was only 30 things and there are about a million more! I can’t remember when I’ve been more excited about vacation…time to start packing! Are you headed to Walt Disney World this fall? What are you most excited about?

In Magic Kingdom? Avoid the PeopleMover!

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There’s been much too much love shared among Disney fans on social media, in blog posts, and on podcasts  for Tomorrowland’s PeopleMover attraction.  Way too much effusive praise.  I feel the need to warn you away.  Don’t listen to the hype, I say!  Why?  Well, if you’ve never ridden the PeopleMover, now’s not the time to try it.

In Magic Kingdom? Avoid the PeopleMover!

Let me give you the five best reasons to mark this attraction off your to-do list…

  1.  You’re afraid of heights.  You’re pretty high up on this ride – at times, on the very edge of the track even.  It’s straight down if something goes wrong.  Better not chance it.
  2. You like clean air.  You’d think that a birds-eye view of Magic Kingdom would be refreshing, right?  Nope!  The exhaust fumes from the Tomorrowland Speedway are toxic!  You’ll have a difficult time breathing, trust me.
  3. You’re a thrill ride junkie!  No thrills here.  PeopleMover is a total snooze-fest.  A boring, narrated, slow-moving tour of Tomorrowland’s sights and attractions.  You want thrills in this section of the park?  You’ll want Space Mountain or Stitch’s Great Escape, for sure.
  4. You (or any member of your party) are afraid of the dark.  Your ride vehicle will enter tunnels of complete and total darkness.  Like can’t-see-your-hand-in-front-of-your-face pitch blackness.  And not in a thrilling way.  It’s boring and uneventful…unless it’s your biggest fear, then it will be horrible.
  5. You want to be cool.  This ride is for dorks and geeks.  Cool kids do not ride the PeopleMover.  It’s the last place you’d ever want to be caught if you want people to think you’re worldly and hip.

So, if you’ve been here before you know that I’m always completely honest, right?  I give you my opinions in a straight forward, no-nonsense way and I can’t lie to you now.  I love the PeopleMover!  It’s the only must-do Tomorrowland attraction for me on every visit.  I’ve taught my entire family to appreciate and adore this wonderful ride as much as I do, but too many people have started to notice its awesomeness!

It’s getting too popular.  Where we used to walk on no matter the season or time of year, we’ve recently started to have to wait in line.  Sometimes for as long as 20 minutes!  I don’t like this development and want you to pass up PeopleMover so those of us who love it the most can have it to ourselves.  Am I asking too much?  I don’t think so.  Re-read the list of reasons to avoid the PeopleMover, take them to heart, and keep on walking, okay?  Please?

Holler if you love PeopleMover!!!!

Disney World Attractions For Mature People

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Kona-Coffee-To-GoWhen I say “mature people” it’s my nice way of saying older-and-slowing-down people.  Like me.  Raymond and I have reached the age where we don’t have to keep up with our kids or make concessions for nap times (that aren’t our own).  We can do what we want, when we want to and now that we’ve arrived at this part of our lives, we find we do want to slow down and take it easy.  Where Disney vacations were once about seeing and doing as much as humanly possible for 15+ hours a day, we’ve earned this time of soaking in the little details, meandering, leisurely exploring, going to bed early and sometimes getting a late start on the day.

Don’t get me wrong – we are thrill ride junkies and book FastPasses for our favorites.  Today’s list is more about the attractions we enjoy when we’re between FastPasses or have an unscheduled half-day for going with the flow.

Disney World Attractions For Mature People

RM-Mickey's-PhilharMagic

Mickey’s PhilharMagic – It’s a fantastic show.  Plus the queue’s short and indoors where it’s nice and cool.  All our favorite Disney songs, a 3D movie, smell-a-vision and a comfy seat.  Yup, this one’s a perennial favorite. RM-PeopleMover-Cruising

The PeopleMover – So underappreciated by young whippersnappers!  This thing’s the bombdiggety.  Sure, it’s outdoors, but there’s no ride in the World more relaxing to me than this gem of an Omni-mover taking me on a Tomorrowland tour.  No thrills, no water, no animatronics, no worries.  (BTW – The tunnel-of-love aspect should not be ignored!)RM-Carousel-of-Progress-Dad

Carrousel of Progress – An attraction as old as I am!  The awesome theme song and the unforgettable moments through American history make this classic…well, classic.  Campy?  Cheesy?  That may be your opinion.  I think it’s perfect.Epcot-Manatee-at-Surface

The Seas With Nemo and Friends – No, I’m not talking about the ride, but the Seas pavilion itself – although there is something to be said for a nice relaxing ride in a clam-mobile.   It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Epcot’s manatees and their home in the Seas.  Indoors with multi-level viewing areas, this Future World pavilion is a great place to chill during a hot summer afternoon and soak up the surroundings.Epcot's World Showcase

World Showcase Shops – Maybe not an “attraction” in the strictest sense, but a very fun way to spend an afternoon.  I don’t care if we start in Canada or Mexico, wandering through the pavilions’ shops never fails to delight.  Even if I don’t buy anything (oh, who am I kidding…I always buy something!), the shops are interesting and the Cast Members, if not too busy, are full of awesome information about each country along the way.The Great Movie Ride

The Great Movie Ride – While parts of this kill me (Tarzan, I’m talking to you!) with their need for an update, I enjoy the experience.Gorilla at Animal Kingdom WDW

Pangani Forrest Trail and Maharajah Jungle Trek – Sure, during the warmer months the entirety of Animal Kingdom is almost unbearably hot, but these two trails are irresistible to me!  So much to see and if we go when we’re not pressed for time, the experience is so much better!  To get the most of both the Pangani Forrest and Maharajah Jungle, you need to have plenty of time and patience.Rhino on Kilimanjaro Safari

Kilimanjaro Safari – I’m crazy stupid on this attraction no matter how many times I experience it.  Every. Single. Time.  I take a bajillion pictures and am captivated by each and every animal we encounter.  Added bonus – I can rest my feet from walking the trails.

How about YOU?  Have you reached the older-and-slowing-down people phase yet?  Which attractions do you love the most for their relaxation factor?

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