Category Archives: Disney World

Disney World Part VI: Unique Experiences

  By Anne Patrone | March 1, 2010 - 10:00 am | , , , ,
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Our last full day at Disney had us visiting the Magic Kingdom one last time to ride the rides in Tomorrowland we hadn’t gotten to or wanted to repeat.  Grabbing a FASTPASS for Space Mountain was our number one priority before heading off to wait in line for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin (also a FASTPASS ride, but we had already used ours for Space Mountain).

The line was relatively short and blasting at Zurg Z’s released a lot of tension.  Fortunately, by the time we exited, we were eligible for another FASTPASS and picked up a Buzz Lightyear one to use later in the day.

After lunch, the kids made their way to Space Mountain, but I chose to watch Carousel of Progress – an interesting show, but not a top attraction.  Then another ride on Buzz and we were done for the day and oh, so desperate to relax poolside at our hotel.

Eating snacks instead of a huge dinner, we made our way over to the Beach Club Marina near nightfall for an extra-special treat I had arranged – an Illuminations cruise to watch the fireworks at Epcot.  This special extra is difficult to get – call 90 days before on the day you want the cruise, not to mention pricy – around $320, but wow! is it worth it.

About an hour before the fireworks in Epcot begin, you board your boat (up to a maximum of 10 guests)   and putter out onto Crescent Lake.  The guide takes you over to Disney’s MGM, where you can see some of the Fantasmic lights and then around back near Disney’s Boardwalk.  Finally, you pass along the river that feeds the World Showcase Lagoon and stop just past the bridge linking France and the United Kingdom.

As you wait for the fireworks to begin, more snacks and drinks are available to munch on.  The crowd in Epcot thickens and then boom!  The fireworks begin.

The view is unbelievable and you are so close, gunpowder coats you.  Best of all, when the show is over, your guide turns your boat around and you exit the same way you came, leisurely avoiding the hordes of people trying to exit Epcot.

It’s an amazing experience and one that I heartily recommend.

Last, but not least, on the morning of our final day, I arranged a special ‘something’ for my guys before we had to leave for the airport.

There are a ton of activities available for children, but my guys weren’t too concerned about character breakfasts and they certainly didn’t like princesses.  What did they (and still do) like?

Pirates.

So with a mother’s careful planning, I arranged for them to have a kids-only pirate cruise the morning we left.  The cruise (around $31 per child) leaves from the Grand Floridian and journeys around the Seven Seas Lagoon, stopping at the Polynesian Resort and another spot to search for treasure.

All the kids get little pirate bandanas (with mouse ears attached, of course) and are chaperoned by several adult ‘pirates’ for the two hour cruise.  The kids came back loaded with pirate booty – candy, fake dubloons, and various other goodies.

Oh and did I also mention they came back with smiles a mile wide?

Book around 180 days in advance for this one and your kids will sing your praises.

And with such a fantastic send-off, there were hardly any tears when we left to fly back home.  In fact, the only tears were from Mommy, who when she returned home realized she had erased ALL of her pictures from the first five days of the trip!!!!

Moral of the story?

Never, ever buy a new camera right before you go on a vacation and if you do, get LOTS of info on how it works!

Next up:  Back on track with the 500 List:  Boston

          

  

Disney World Part V: Animal Kingdom

  By Anne Patrone | February 25, 2010 - 10:00 am | , , , ,
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There are four major ‘rides’ at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids, and the Kilimanjaro Safari treks.  Because we were visiting during Easter week and I wanted to eliminate some of the chaos, we decided to substitute a special tour Disney offers to guests staying in their concierge levels called the Wildlife Excursion in place of the Kilimanjaro Safari.  It’s essentially the same tour, but in a smaller jeep and with a personal guide.

So while my guys leisurely made their way to Africa to meet up with the guide, I ran across the park dodging people to pick up an Expedition Everest FASTPASS.  Sweating and hot, I made it back just in time for our off-the-beaten-path tour of the Kilimanjaro Safari area.  The excursion was fascinating and well-worth the hour it took (especially since we probably would have spent a large chunk of that time in line anyway).  At the end of the tour, we got FP for the Safari which we gave to a British family (remember that whole thing about paying it forward – see Disney World Part III).

After the tour, as everyone again leisurely made their way to It’s Tough to be a Bug, I booked it over to the Kali River Rapids for another FP.  I have to say, with all the running back and forth I did during this trip I definitely burned the calories!

I personally LOVED It’s Tough to be a Bug, another 4D experience with stinky odors from a stinkbug, spiders dropping from the ceiling, and strange bumps rippling beneath your seat.  The boys??  Not so much.  The spider dropping from the ceiling sent M into my lap with a terrified squeak.

By the time show was over, it was time for another FP, so I grabbed one for Dinosaur even though I knew the boys had serious doubts about riding it.  We ate lunch with hubby and I sharing one of those famous turkey legs that look way better than they taste.

Feeling full, we decided to walk along the Maharajah Jungle Trek and watch tigers prowling around and playing in the water before doing any rides.

By the end of the walk, the heat and humidity of Florida (and the greasy turkey leg) finally began taking a toll on me.  When traveling in Florida, I can’t emphasize it enough – water, water, water.  Keep drinking lots of it, otherwise you’ll feel as ill as I did.


A quick (and I mean really quick) ride on Kali River Rapids didn’t cool me off and make me feel better.  But darn it, we still had those stupid FP for Expedition Everest.  I couldn’t let my guys down.  Using our FP, we rode Expedition Everest, and I have to admit, I’m glad we did, even if it finally did me in.

It was the coolest ride.  Halfway through, you go backward, but not along the same track you just went down, making you all disorientated.

BUT knowing I was ready to collapse, we gave our FP for Dinosaur to another family and headed back to the hotel, with P guiding me out because I literally closed my eyes as we went through the park, trying not to vomit.

I took a brief nap at the hotel while hubby took the boys swimming and then . . . sigh, it was time for dinner at Victoria & Albert’s - the premier restaurant at the Grand Floridian.  The one restaurant where you have to call exactly 60 days before and then hope all the stars are aligned for you to get a table.

The last thing I wanted was a large dinner, but the realization of hard it was to get the reservation impelled me to go.  We took the guys to the Neverland Kids Club at the Polynesian Resort and watched them enter through a window into their private world of fun, then headed back for a multi-course meal that was, like the Victorian era, over the top.

I’m not sure if I was expecting too much, or if I was just cranky because of how I felt, but Victoria & Albert was overdone.  I know I’m a little bit of a food snob, but I felt this was a Disneyfied version of a three-star restaurant.  Things were just a little too cute.

From the personalized menus to the over-detailed explanations of the courses to the decor (which looked like a cross between a bordello and a funeral parlor) everything was over the top.  Again, it might have been me, but hubby (who wasn’t sick, felt the same way).  And the food?  Okay, but not comparable to a four-star restaurant in NYC.

All in all, the California Grill at the Contemporary Hotel had better food and a better view so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t get in to Victoria & Albert’s.

Next:  Magic Kingdom, Fireworks, and Pirates!

    
    

Disney World Part IV: Epcot World Showcase

  By Anne Patrone | February 22, 2010 - 10:00 am | , , , ,
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One of the nice things about devoting an entire day to the Epcot World Showcase is that you get to sleep in because it doesn’t open until 10:00 am!  Yeah!

So with a leisurely start, we arrived a few minutes before the area opened and purchased a ‘passport’ for our kids at a nearby gift store.  Then we faced the decision – go left or right?  Naturally, we chose to do a little bit of both a la Tourguide Mike.

Heading left, our first ‘country’ was Norway because it had one of the few rides – the Maelstrom – a water ride that takes you around the sights of Norway.  Hmm . . . it was pretty tame considering the day before we rode Splash Mountain, but the gift shop was nice and the kids got Viking swords and axes.  We got the passports ‘stamped’ and picked up a Kidcot mask which you could attach little charms from each country along with a stamp.

Mexico and the only other ride in the Showcase, El Rio Del Tiempo inside a neat Mayan pyramid, was next.  With boats similar to It’s a Small World, the ride is basically a tourist brochure highlighting the sights of Mexico.

A quick lunch and then we reversed course and headed to Canada because we were planning on dinner in Germany.  The day was starting to get hot and watching the movie ‘O Canada’ in an air-conditioned auditorium was a nice refuge from the heat.

By the time we got to the United Kingdom, it was time for a character greeting with who else?  Pooh!

France was a movie – Impressions - in thank goodness, another air-conditioned auditorium.  Passports and masks were stamped before we moved onto Morocco.

Morocco was one of the neatest spots with nooks and crannies to explore. The boys had their names printed in Arabic in their passports and then it was on to Japan.

The line for the Japan Kidcot station was incredibly long, but the cast member personalized their passports with hand-drawn Mickey Mouses.  Afterwards, we explored some of the pagodas with their intricate bonsai trees.

Then yeah! the USA with all-American ice cream!  We watched a performance of the Fife and Drum Corps and the guys then helped lead the crowd in a very moving Pledge of Allegiance.  I guess I’m a softie, but I had tears in my eyes.

Italy and Germany were next and we headed into the Biergarten for the worst wurst I’ve ever eaten.  Sigh – at least the beer and the entertainment was good, but the food — yuck!

Walking through China, we watched a gymnastics performance and got our last passport stamp.  Upon completion, the guys received official documents indicating they’d been “around the world!”

Whew! Then it was back to the hotel and a late night plunge in the pool to cool off after a hot day of traveling.

Next:  Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  

Disney World: Magic Kingdom Highlights

  By Anne Patrone | February 18, 2010 - 10:00 am | , , , , ,
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When a late night illness on M’s part derailed our Early Morning Hour plans at the Magic Kingdom, I was determined to make the best of a bad situation.

This was a vacation, right?

Surprisingly, we still managed to make it to the park by 9:30 and immediately took the Disney Railroad to Frontierland.  I quickly snagged a FASTPASS for Big Thunder Mountain while the gang ambled over to Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was still early enough for us to breeze onto Pirates, but alas, P’s comment afterward said a mouthful – ‘That was it?’

A 10:15 performance of Captain Jack Sparrow had the crowd becoming pirates, but my guys were too shy to get up on stage to say ‘Arrgh!’  Letting the guys wait in line for a photo with Cap’n Hook and Mr. Smee allowed me to get a second FP for Splash Mountain.

Success.  We had FP for two of the most popular rides with some of the longest lines, which we could use later in the day at our leisure.

It was time for another big-ticket ride – the Haunted House.

This happens to be one of my favorite rides, and using TourGuide Mike’s suggestion of where to stand after they corral you into the initial large group gathering (when all the portraits get long) put us at the front of the line for the little buggies that take you through the ride.  There were literally so few people in front of us that we had to hustle to make up for all the empty space.

Alas, my guys did NOT like this ride.  The spookiness factor, which I thought so hokey, was obviously too much for them.

We had time before we were eligible for our FP, so we ambled over to Fantasyland.

Holy cow!  This was the first time we actually saw crowds.  As in, hordes and hordes of people.  The line for It’s a Small World was relatively quick, but thanks to my careful planning, my guys had gotten used to short wait times.  The 20-30 minutes we waited felt like an eternity.

It was lunchtime, and we were also eligible to pick up another FP, so to maximize our time, we picked up a FP for Mickey’s Philharmagic BEFORE we ate, figuring it couldn’t hurt to have another, right?  Then after greasy pizza at Pinocchio’s Pizza House, we got in the FP designated line for the Philharmagic.

Wow!  What luck!  The family in front of us had FP for Space Mountain they weren’t going to use, would we like them?  You bet!  And with a promise to pay the favor forward when we could, we thanked them and enjoyed the show.

By now, the grey clouds overhead finally delivered their promised rain and out came the ponchos.  We figured we were already wet, so we might as well get wetter on Splash Mountain.  Using our FP, we walked to the front in about 15 minutes.  Then a quick walk over to Big Thunder and I got worried – this was P’s first big roller coaster.  How would he handle it?  Would he be terrified?

I shouldn’t have worried – he laughed the entire time.

We cleverly avoided the crowds by again taking the Disney Train to Toontown and zipped along a side path to Space Mountain.  Even with our FP, it was a long 20 minute wait, and as we neared there was a big uh-oh from the parents.

I had forgotten you have to ride single on the rocket-like sleds.  And oh jeez, the ride occurs in the dark.  Visions of P flying out during a wild turn whipped through my mind.  We placed our youngest between us, and I kept a death-grip on his shoulder the entire time.

Again, I shouldn’t have worried.  He was all smiles as he exited.

I guess it just goes to show – if you have a general plan of what you want to ride and manage the FASTPASS system effectively, you can ride all the major rides at the Magic Kingdom.  And yes, I know it helped that we were able to completely eliminate Fantasyland and its chaos, but thank heavens for that gift.

Next:  Epcot’s World Showcase  

Walt Disney World: Epcot

  By Anne Patrone | February 15, 2010 - 10:00 am | , , , , ,
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According to TourGuide Mike, and just about every other travel guide on Disney, Epcot is best tackled if you can split the park into two days – do the front section (called Future World) with its themed areas like the Living Seas, Land, and Space, one day and save the back area – the World Showcase with areas devoted to different countries for another day.  Because we were at Disney for a week, we chose to do the World Showcase on a different day.
   

The travel guides also tell you to get there early to beat the crowds, and they’re right, unfortunately.  But actually waking up and getting to the parks before they open is only easy if you have a family of early risers.

I don’t.

Knowing Epcot would be crazy the later we arrived, I booted everyone out of bed to get them there before the park opened.  So with grumbling, everyone complied.  But even with getting to the park early, we still had a LONG wait (over 30 minutes) for our first ride – Soarin’, though I did manage to book it clear across the park to pick up a FASTPASS for Test Track.

Technical problems made our wait longer, but we were glad to ride the hang glider-like ride.  With beautiful California scenery, it almost made me want to move back there – until I remembered the earthquakes.

After Soarin’ we scurried over to Nemo and the Living Seas to grab a clammobile.  Again, a little bit of a wait (around 15 min), but it was much worse later in the day.  Unfortunately, I was disappointed with the ride – it definitely wasn’t worth the amount of time we spent unless you’re into spotting computer-generated holograms of Dory superimposed on nearly empty tanks of fish.  The Turtletalk with Crush is kind of interesting, but it was again a waste of time with kids in the audience asking really stupid questions like ‘Why did the chicken cross the road?’

Sheesh, we wasted 30 minutes for that?

Hard to believe, but it was now lunchtime, so I sent hubby with the kids to get some food while I (again) jogged across Epcot to get another FP for Mission: Space.  You definitely can get a lot of exercise if you keep going back and forth!

We were almost back on my precious schedule, when oh no! the kids spotted Chip and Dale, their favorite characters.  Sighing and knowing it would completely wreck my timetable, we stood in line for 30 minutes to get photos and autographs from those crazy chipmunks.  To keep my sanity I kept repeating:  ”It’s a vacation . . . enjoy. . . it’s a vacation. . .”

Thank goodness for our FP.  We were able to stroll past a HUGE line and jump into the Test Track cars.  (It’s pretty tame – the cars never go faster than 40 mph).  Another short wait using our FP and we rode the Green version of Mission: Space (again, very tame and almost boring).

The travel guides recommend taking a break in the middle of the day, so we took the monorail back to our hotel for a short rest, then returned later in the evening to ride Spaceship Earth (which was my favorite at Epcot) and dinner at Le Chefs de France (huge portions, but really good wine).  In hindsight, I’m not sure it was worth the time going back and forth, especially since we had to change monorails at the transfer station, but I certainly appreciated the couple of hours of down time.

One last cool thing about riding the monorails – if you get there and have some time to wait before the next one arrives, ask the cast member if you can ride up front with the monorail driver.  It’s a pretty neat view and when you exit, you get little cards indicating your status as official co-pilots!

We were tired, but all set for a 6:00 am wake-up call to take advantage of the Early Morning Hour at the Magic Kingdom the next day.  I must admit, I was already dreading the early hour, but resigned to it to maximize our ride experiences.  However, sometimes life has a way of wrecking the best laid plans.

Our eldest, M, has a long history of pushing himself too hard and getting sick on trips.  And he didn’t disappoint this time with a midnight visit to the bathroom to throw up and a repeat visit at one am.  We cancelled the wake-up call and slept in.

Next:  The Magic Kingdom Condensed