10 Best Toddler Attractions @ Walt Disney World

What are the best things to do at Disney for me? This is what everyone at the park is thinking based on their current situations. We now consider ourselves experts having been passholders and want to help you out with tips for navigating the parks. From time to time we post those thoughts here. Today, we will go over the ten best attractions for toddlers. Disney can be a blast for you alone, but with kids, it is taken to a whole different level.

We will focus on the boy toddler, but most of these are great for girls as well. The focus is on the boy toddler is because we have a boy, but most of these are awesome for girls too. Additionally, the focus will be on freebies and not on add-ons you can purchase (character dining etc.).  Before we start the list, let's start with an honorable mention and that being the Boneyard in Disney's Animal Kingdom (pictured above). This attraction is an honorable mention because as cool as it is, it is a playground and not a ride at the end of the day. So with that in mind, here is the list......

10. Disney Jr. Live on Stage (Hollywood Studios)

This is a fun attraction that managed to make the list and would be higher for some. They have a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse part, a Doc MsStuffins part, a Sofia the 1st part, and Noland's favorite, a Jake part. This is an awesome little show that they do throughout the day at Hollywood Studios. It is pretty neat and I recommend checking it out whether you have boys or girls. It would be higher on the list, but it has the most uncomfortable seating arrangements at Disney. Not a fan of sitting on the floor at 6'3.

09. Mad Tea Party (Magic Kingdom)

This ride should probably be even higher because it fills my son with pure joy. Everytime we ride it, he has the biggest smile on his face. He absolutely loves riding this amazing attraction. I mean just look at him, he is absolutely thrilled on this ride. He loves the spinning teacups. It is probably the most iconic ride in the park too other than maybe Dumbo. They always show this one in the commercials and it is one that everybody knows. The best thing though about Mad Tea Party is that it usually has a wait time of less than 30 minutes.

08. Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (Magic Kingdom)

This ride is awesome for boys and girls, but especially boys. They get in a spinning ride and they get to shoot stuff. Each boy also gets in a ride with a character from Toy Story that is most likely their favorite. Our little guy loves Buzz and Rex and I think most boys are very similar. Not to mention that when he hears that drum in line, he dances everytime. Another great feature is that Buzz is able to be met right outside of this ride with a very short line usually. Love It!

07. The Three Caballeros (Epcot)

No picture for this one, but it is easily my favorite thing to do at Epcot with the little guy. The country of Mexico is easily my favorite in the World Showcase as well. The whole atmosphere is awesome! We love this ride because of the characters throughout and the singing during the ride. It is just an awesome experience. Of course it does not hurt that Donald Duck is the star of the attraction.

06. Finding Nemo the Musical (Animal Kingdom)

Not as cool as the other musical at Animal Kingdom, but just awesome. This is a really great show that you just must do. Jenna and I find ourselves singing the songs everytime we watch Nemo and they aren't even in the movie. In fact, we just sing them randomly sometimes. Jr. wasn't as into this as some other things so it is only 6 on this list, but he was a huge fan. His favorite part (like most of us) was when Crush entered the musical. Just Go with the Flow.....

05. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Magic Kingdom)

Toddlers love Pooh. If you are a parent of a toddler and your toddler doesn't know Winnie, you are doing it wrong. Now, this one might be controversial because it replaced Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which I loved), but Pooh is more marketable and our family does like Pooh better. It has all the characters from the original Pooh movie including a lot of stuff on Gopher. My son's favorite Disney character is Pooh so obviously this ride is usually at the top of our list. Outside, you can meet Pooh and Tigger @ a Thotful Spot. Sometimes as was the case in the photo below, Eeyore and Piglet are there as well.

04. Peter Pan's Flight (Magic Kingdom)

This ride routinely has a line that is about an hour long or more. Peter Pan is one of the most popular rides in Disney. It is something that usually either needs to be a Fastpass+ selection or hit really early before the park gets busy. There is a reason for this. The popularity is because this ride is awesome. It is simple, but it is awesome. Each person gets to ride a pirate ship. Any boy that loves Peter Pan, Jake, or just pirates will love this ride. If your boy is like mine and loves all three, then you are in for a real treat. This is definitely a Disney must do.

03. Festival of the Lion King (Animal Kingdom)

Who has a boy that says their favorite movie is The Lion King? I do, I do! This is easily his favorite show in the park. It has the main songs from his favorite movie, the three main characters of the movie and a lot of animal effects. This is just the perfect show and the actors are AMAZING! I can't believe that I did not do this show before last year. See it soon are you are missing out!

02. Toy Story Mania (Hollywood Studios)

This is the most popular ride in Walt Disney World. Don't you want to see why it is the most popular ride at this wonderful resort? This is just such a fun and interactive ride. It is fairly new and they are going to be doubling the size of it due to popular demand. Seriously, this ride cannot get much better. It has most of the characters from the Toy Story movies and is just a great time all around. You do not want to miss this thrilling attraction.

01. Kilimanjaro Safaris (Animal Kingdom)

The best ride at Disney though is Kilimanjaro Safaris. It is our favorite, always will be our favorite, and the whole family loves it. This is the closest you can get to a real African safari without leaving the country. I have heard it on numerous occasions and it is free with park admission. Try getting closer to a hippo than you get on this ride, it just doesn't really happen. Now, try all the thrills you normally get on this ride added with a boy that loves animals. A boy that is learning to talk and gets excited by every new thing he sees. You try riding this ride with that boy like I did, and you will never want to get off. That right there is the Magic of Walt Disney World Resort. That magic is summed up in this one experience that you will never want to end.

Hope you enjoyed this list and that you get to enjoy all the wonderful attractions at the fantastic Walt Disney World resort. As always have a wonderful weekend and stay tuned next week for more awesome tips.

-Noland

Mastering Disney's Fastpass+ System

I know that some people think Disney's Fastpass+ System is lame, but my family thinks it is excellent. Sure there can be tweaks made, but it guarantees you three rides with little wait everytime you go to DisneyWorld and that is huge. You just have to learn how to master the system. Jenna and I never waited in a line of more than 30 minutes during our entire year of passes and we went to Disney every weekend! Check out our tips!

Tip #1: Schedule Your Fastpasses the Day you are able!
The biggest key is to schedule your fastpasses ASAP. You want to schedule your fastpasses 60 days out if you are going to a resort. Scheduling this early  will allow you to see headline attractions like Toy Story Mania, Meet and Greet with the Frozen sisters, or the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It will be difficult to schedule any of those attractions if you wait too long. If you are not staying at a resort, you can schedule your fastpass+ selections 30 days. Scheduling 30 days out may take away the headliners mentioned above, but not always. It gives you a chance to get on those rides and you can schedule other headliners such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Space Mountain.

Tip #2: Don't Waste Your Fastpasses
Do not use fastpass+ selections on attractions that do not need a fastpass+. Mickey's PhilarMagic will have a 10 minute wait 90% of the time and doesn't need a fastpass+. Unless the park is incredibly busy, the Mad Tea Party and Dumbo typically have less than a 1/2 hour wait. Same with Aladdin's Magic Carpets. Now, if these are the only fastpass+ selections available, then yes still use them because they save time, but they are best used on more popular attractions.

Tip #3: Schedule Your Fastpasses for Peak Times
We have often blogged about the benefit to arriving early. Arriving early is huge and let's you ride a bunch of rides with little to no wait. If you are already waiting very little time, it is pointless to schedule fastpasses before 10am. That is unless you are trying to ride the Mine Train or Meet Anna and Elsa. Those two attractions are always busy. I recommend using your fastpasses between 11-3. If the first one is scheduled for 1030-1130 that is fine, but I would visit closer to 1130. You want to use your fastpass+ selections when the park is the busiest.

Tip #4: Use Your Extra Fastpasses Wisely
Some people obsess over the extra Fastpass+ selections. This can be a difficult process and I recommend you don't stress to hard over them. Often the lines in the park to get a Fastpass+ is longer than lines to some rides. You can feel like you need a Fastpass+ to get through the Fastpass+ line. If this is the case, don't worry about these Fastpass+ selections. However, once you use your original 3 Fastpass selections, you can get a new one every time you run out of selections. If there is a short line for Fastpass+ or the line is shorter than ride lines, then go for it. Just don't be disappointed when the good rides are gone, because there are a limited number of Fastpasses available. They have to keep them fast after all.

Tip #5: Use Them on the Best Attractions Possible
I will break this down to my favorite rides and what I would use the Fastpass+ selections for.

Magic Kingdom

(Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain) easily sub Mine Train if that is your preference, but I like the other rides better.

Magic Kingdom w/toddler

(Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin, Winnie the Pooh, Peter Pan) Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, or Pirates can be subbed

Animal Kingdom

(Kilimanjaro Safaris, Kali River Rapids, Expedition Everest)

Animal Kingdom w/ toddler

(Kilimanjaro Safaris, Meet Mickey, the other one will be wasted unless you do rider exchange)

Hollywood Studios

(Toy Story Mania, Tower of Terror, Disney Jr. live on Stage)
Side Note: Hollywood Studios does a tiered system where the more popular rides are on a higher tier. You can only pick one of Toy Story, Aerosmith coaster, or Fantasmic! The one positive to this is that Tower of Terror is on the lower tier. I recommend Toy Story, but you can sub it for the coaster. If you don't have little kids there are other selections besides Disney Jr. on stage as well.

Epcot

(Test Track, The Seas w/ Nemo, Living With the Land)
Side Note: Epcot also uses a tiered system. You must choose Test Track or Soarin'. I believe the character spot was on that upper tier as well. The best ride at Epcot doesn't need a fastpass+. The ride in Mexico is always less than a 20 minute wait and it is awesome! For a family with a toddler you would sub Test Track for that meet and greet.

Bonus Tip: Don't Wait Until You Get in The Park
As I said before the lines for Fastpass+ can get excruciatingly long. Do them on your phone before you get to the park. Waiting until you get to the park is a waste of your precious Disney time. This is one line at Disney you can easily avoid.

Stay tuned next week for more life tips!

-Noland

Disney's Animal Kingdom (Update)

As promised, here is an update since our last visit to Animal Kingdom. This year (2014) we are Disney Annual Passholders for the 1st time ever. Now that we have had the opportunity to be passholders, we know a lot more about the ins and outs of each park. This review will have a lot more detail than the previous review. Unlike our past Animal Kingdom review, this review will include our pictures as well.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Dates of Visit: Several Times in 2014

We went to Animal Kingdom often this year because we have the annual pass for Disney. In fact, we will go a few more times before these passes run out in January. We will probably even go this upcoming weekend. Love this park. For seeing animals it is better if you can go on the safari. You cannot ride the Kilimanjaro Safari ride while pregnant so we missed the biggest attraction at this park when Jenna was pregnant during the last review. Not this year though! Disney's Animal Kingdom is still a fantastic time no matter what. In fact it is the favorite park of several in my family. Our favorite Disney Park (mine, Jenna, and Jr.) is Magic Kingdom because of the amount there is at that park, but this is a close second for all of us. We love Animal Kingdom! Enjoy our comments, and pictures!

Highlights: This is one of the best if not the best animal attractions in the country. You could easily spend the whole day there! They have an amazing "African" area and "Asian" area! The animals are all awesome! There are some spots where you can't see certain animals, but there are so many viewing decks, you could probably move somewhere and get a view of them. The Kilimanjaro Safari is easily the best part and it is probably the closest thing to a safari there is outside of Africa. The up close views of animals on the safari are incredible and some even cross the path. We have never seen rhinos that close and so many of them. The rhino is my favorite animal so it was awesome for me to see them so close. You always get a good view of rhinos and I have never gotten a better view of a hippo than this safari.  It is Noland Jr.'s favorite ride and he wants to ride it over and over again. He loves pointing out the animals on the safari and telling us what they are. The look of amazement on his face is truly priceless everytime we ride this ride. I definitely recommend using your fastpass+ for this attraction at AK. Usually you can walk on this attraction in less than 1 hour too if you get there within the first hour of park opening. Another good idea for riding it is checking the Disney app for wait times and going there anytime there is less than a 30 minute wait. During non-peak season it shouldn't be difficult to ride with little to no wait. You see more the second time around when you go on it. We always try to ride the safari twice when we come. The Komodo Dragon exhibit was another highlight for us as we saw one of our favorite animals and we could see it outside of the safari. Also for Florida Residents you can go to Disney 3 days for $99 which makes tickets extremely affordable. There are also several seasonal and annual passholder options for you to visit this theme park.

You can look at some pictures this time from our many trips to Animal Kingdom. 

When you first enter the park you are directly in front of a spoonbill exhibit. We love the spoonbills.

Another creature featured early in the park is this awesome Iguana.

Waiting for the now extinct parade an awesome worker drew this Mickey for our boy. Disney workers are fantastic at creating magic for the family.

We saw the kangaroos very well from a walkway that goes by their exhibit.

We love the Komodo Dragon it is one of our favorites. This can be seen on the Jungle Trek in Asia.

This is a gorilla from the walking trail in Africa.

Kilimanjaro Safaris is the best place to see hippos that we know of.

We love the rhinos on the safari.

The Nile Crocodiles are crazy looking.

At Disney World we have learned that a group of flamingos like this is called a flamboyance. Check out the elephant in the background of this shot Jenna took.

The rhinos are mine and Jr.'s favorite part of this safari.

This is my favorite photo from Animal Kingdom of just the animals!

This is from his first safari where we got front row. It was a bit chilly that day, but he loved it.

On a different visit he was waving at the rhinos.

Animal Kingdom is a ton of fun!

Disappointments: We did not have many disappointments for this place! We both wish that there were some more walk throughs where you could see more of the African animals outside of the safari. However they did have the underwater hippo viewing area and a walkthrough of some of the animals. This inability to see many of the animals made us miss some of our favorite part of the park when Jenna was pregnant. The safari is not recommended for pregnant women, so you should avoid it if you are. Another good idea would be to add some more bones/plastic dinosaurs in DinoLand for the little ones, but other than that, WE LOVED THIS PLACE! This park is a big reason why someday we will get annual passes to Disney again despite the expense.

We gave it a 5 out of 5!

That's all for now!

Leave a comment or your opinion if you have been to Disney's Animal Kingdom!

-Noland

What is the Best Zoo in the US?

It depends on who you ask. According to America's Best Online I have been to a couple of the best zoos in the country. Here is a little bit of their list, with my take. Interesting that the Atlanta Zoo wasn't on this list, because we rated it as the top Zoo in the southeast. Also interesting that Lowry Park Zoo was rated the top kid zoo. Hopefully, that is true because we can't wait to take our kid to the zoo. Check out this list below.

1. San Diego Zoo

I have heard many times that the San Diego Zoo is at or near the top of the best zoos list. I really want to go here. Unfortunately, I have not been West of Arizona. Hopefully, I will be able to get you my own review of this zoo. Maybe I can share the review of one of our followers also.

2. Disney's Animal Kingdom

We recently did a review of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Here it is.

3. San Diego Wild Animal Park

I haven't heard as much about this one, but if we make it out to San Diego we will surely go here as well.

4. Maryland Zoo

We recently did a review of the Maryland Zoo as well. Here that is.

5. Bronx Zoo

I have never been to New York. Jenna has, but neither of us has seen this zoo. We hope that changes sometime soon, because we have heard many say that this zoo is the best.

6. Columbus Zoo

Much like the Bronx Zoo, we have heard many people claim that this zoo is the best in the US. We may be able to go to this zoo this summer, but we will see if it happens.

7. San Antonio Zoo

I actually have been to San Antonio with my family, but did not go to this zoo. I did go to Sea World San Antonio and that review is coming soon, but not the zoo. I would love to go back to San Antonio at some point and check out the zoo. It is a very interesting city.

8. Henry Doorly Zoo

This zoo is in Nebraska. I have never heard of it before. I am kind of shocked to see it on the list. Apparently, it is home to the largest indoor rain forest in the world and that is the big appeal. This is probably the zoo in the Top Ten that we are least likely to go to, but you never know.

9. Phoenix Zoo

I have been to the Phoenix Zoo a few times when I was little and my aunt lived in Arizona. I do not remember it too well and certainly not well enough to do a review, but I remember a good time. Wouldn't mind going back.

10. St. Louis Zoo

I am surprised to see this zoo in the Top Ten as well. You don't usually hear too many people talk about the St. Louis Zoo. It is a free zoo which is one plus and is one of the leading research zoos. Looks like we may have to check this one out.

-Noland

Top Ten Zoos In the Southeast

It is my birthday today and one of my favorite things on this earth are countdowns and countdown shows. Because of that I decided that I would do a countdown of the top 10 zoos in the southeast. We live in Florida and I grew up in Virginia so the majority of the zoos I have been to are in the southeast. For purposes of this assignment we will call the southeast anything south of Baltimore on the east coast.

Add in Maryland and take out the non coastal states and then this map is where we are going off. MD, DC, VA, NC, SC, GA, FL. We will count theme parks and aquariums as part of this countdown. Unfortunately if we have not been to the zoo it can not be included on the countdown.

10) Florida Aquarium, Tampa, FL
Review to come soon. Visit in 2011.

9) National Aquarium, Baltimore, MD
Review here

Main Tank at the National Aquarium

8) National Zoo, Washington DC
Review Here

The biggest draw at the National Zoo, their Giant Panda Exhibit. Well other than the fact that it is free!

7) Sea World, Orlando, FL
Review coming soon. Trying to wait for a return visit to get an updated review before posting.

Shamu

6) Lowry Park Zoo, Tampa, FL
Review Here

Penguin Feeding at Lowry Park Zoo

5) Jacksonville Zoo, Jacksonville, FL
I've been to this zoo many times in the past, but Jenna and I just went together last week. Our review is coming very soon.

4) Maryland Zoo, Baltimore, MD
Review Here.

Arctic Fox @ Maryland Zoo

3) Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL
Review posted 3 days ago. Click on the FL tab for more on Busch Gardens Tampa.

This picture was not in the review. It is a Gorilla napping @ Busch Gardens Tampa.

2) Disney's Animal Kingdom, Kissimmee, FL
Review Here

Tree of Life @ Disney's Animal Kingdom

And the number one animal attraction in the southeast is.....
Zoo Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Full Review Here

They had close views of my favorite the Rhino!

They also had a baby komodo dragon feeding when we went.

Zoo Atlanta is very deserving of #1. It was so close between it and Animal Kingdom though.

However, if this was talking about each park and not just the animal portion, I would go with Busch Gardens Tampa. I suggest you check out all of these places if you can!

Let us know if you think we missed anything or if we need to check another zoo out. Also if you have different rankings please share.

-Noland

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Sorry Everyone! I've been a bit of a slacker lately on the updates! I have the blog over at itsjustcalledspicy and since my last update have gotten married and pregnant. However, Noland and I have been to quite a few zoos since November. After this update on Disney's Animal Kingdom, we will post on our local zoo next week and we got many more updates coming soon! Unfortunately, this update will not include many pictures.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Lake Buena Vista, Florida

Dates of Visit: December 27, 2011 & February 18, 2012

We went to Animal Kingdom with Noland's family right before the wedding and again just the two of us in February. However, when we went back I was pregnant so it was quite a different experience.For seeing animals the first trip was much better. You cannot ride the Kilimanjaro Safari ride while pregnant so we missed the biggest attraction at this park during the visit. We also were unable to do practically anything in Dinoland USA because of the pregnancy. Disney's Animal Kingdom is still a fantastic time whether pregnant or not. In fact it is Noland's favorite of all the Disney Parks.

Highlights: This is one of the best if not the best animal attractions in the country. You could easily spend the whole day there! They have an amazing "African" area and "Asian" area! The animals are all awesome! There are some spots where you can't see certain animals, but there are so many viewing decks, you could probably move somewhere and get a view of them. The Kilimanjaro Safari is easily the best part and it is probably the closest thing to a safari there is outside of Africa. The up close views of animals on the safari are incredible and some cross the path. We have never seen rhinos that close and so many of them. The rhino is my husband's favorite animal so it was awesome for him to see. It was also our nephew Luke's favorite ride as he wanted to ride it a couple of times. I definitely recommend getting there early and getting a fastpass for later. You see more the second time around. The Komodo Dragon exhibit was another highlight for us as we saw one of our favorite animals and we could see it outside of the safari. Also for Florida Residents you can go to Disney 3 days for $99 which made our tickets extremely affordable.

I've added some other people's pictures from online because ours did not come out to good from our phones. We both managed to leave our cameras behind in Tampa.

Giraffes and Zebras courtesy: travellandleasure.com

Rhinos courtesy: DisneyEveryDay (There were a ton of these guys!)

Tree of Life, Kilimanjaro Safari, and Komodo Dragon courtesy: Wikimedia

Disappointments: We did not have many disappointments for this place! We both wish that there were some walk throughs where you could see more African animals outside of the safari. This inability to see many of the animals made us miss our favorite part of the park in February. Another good idea would be to add some more bones/plastic dinosaurs in DinoLand for the little ones, but other than that, WE LOVED THIS PLACE!

We gave it a 5 out of 5!

That's all for now!

Leave a comment or your opinion if you have been to Disney's Animal Kingdom!

♥ jen