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Showing posts with label Disney Countdwon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Disney Countdwon. Show all posts

Friday, June 5, 2015

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.

Boneyard

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.
Mad Tea Party

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!
Buzz

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.
Pooh

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.
Safari

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

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

The Top 101 Disney Characters of All-Time (20-11)

The countdown is officially at the top 20 and everyone should be able to guess at least who is in the Top 10 after today. This is the crazy portion of the countdown where you can argue top 5 status for pretty much every character. It would be a failed argument, but you could argue the status. Let's do a quick recap of the first 81 of the countdown before we begin...


If my mom were making this list, I think Flounder would be #2. He would be in many people's top tens, but if you averaged it out, I think he'd be right here at #20. He is the perfect person to start out the top 20 of this countdown. Flounder is not actually a Flounder though. However, he is Ariel's best friend and an awesome addition to The Little Mermaid movie.

19. Dory
When you really think about it, the most memorable character from Finding Nemo isn't Nemo, his dad, or the awesome turtle Crush. The most memorable character is the character that forgets everything. That Blue Tang that tells you to "just keep swimming." Dory is one that everyone knows and loves. It is the biggest reason that they are coming out with a Finding Dory movie in the near future. Ellen DeGeneres was perfect for this lovasble character and her fans would tell you that Dory is a top 5 character. She is a great fit for #19.

18. Rafiki
Rafiki is many people's top character from The Lion King. He also is the character star of Disney's Animal Kingdom. This guy could easily be a top 10 or even top 5 character. However, I think he is perfect here at #18 as the 4th most vital character from The Lion King. This guy is huge in the Disney Universe and I am one of the many millions that are big Rafiki fans. He is a perfect example of why this list is so tough because you would think this guy is a Top 10 character, but look at what is to come here on the countdown.

Daisy Duck is Donald's female companion and one of Disney's main characters. She is one of the 6 characters that is a regular on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Unfortunately for her, she is the only speaking character of that group outside the Top 10. Throughout Disney history, she just does not play as vital a role as the main 4 characters. In fact, several have Pluto ranked higher than Daisy. Now, Daisy should be ranked here at #17, but she isn't as good as the 16 characters that are about to come.

Sebastian is the most popular character from The Little Mermaid that isn't named Ariel. This crab is a beloved Disney character that is the genius behind two of the best songs of the movie. He looks out for Ariel and wants what is best for her. Sebastian also happens to be who King Triton trusts the most with his daughter. This crab is deserving of his top 20 spot.

15. Dumbo
Dumbo the flying elephant is the perfect person to start the Top 15 with. While his movie is not as popular as some other Disney classics, Dumbo is. His ride at Walt Disney World was so popular and crowded that they re-themed it with a second set of flying elephants. It also happens to be the most iconic Disney ride in my opinion. This is the ride people think about when they think of Disney World. They want to ride the Dumbo ride. That alone has to give him a huge bump in the rankings. Add in that he is one of the most beloved characters in the Disney Universe and he fits in at #15.

Jiminy Cricket is the unofficial Disney mascot. He is Pinocchio's conscience and good friend. This guy also hosted the majority of the Disney Sing-A-Long Songs. Jiminy is a top 10 worthy character and he got strong consideration for that, but just missed. In the end, he just didn't have the same appeal as the other top characters. If he were to appear in the park some more or get use in another movie soon, he could find himself back in the Top 10. For now, Disney's most important insect will have to settle for #14.

13. Woody
Woody is Andy's favorite toy from the start, at least he is until replaced by a better character to come soon. He is one of the two main characters of the series and many people would argue the best. However, more people would argue that he is #2. It is an interesting debate whether you are on Team Woody or Team Buzz. Either side can agree though that both characters belong in the Top 20.

12. Buzz Lightyear
Why is Buzz better than Woody? There are many reasons, but I will use just two. Buzz got his own cartoon and his own ride at Walt Disney World. Buzz also literally carries Woody in the movies too as pictured above. He is the coolest character from Toy Story and should be the highest from those movies on the list. Having his own cartoon and own ride are just icing on the cake. Finally, Tim Allen >>>>>>>>Tom Hanks.

11. Simba
Simba just can't wait to be king, but he'll have to wait for the Top 10 reveal, because he just missed it. Honestly, this was one of the hardest for me because I could have Simba as high as #2 because of the importance of the Lion King movie. However, eventhough he is the main character in the movie, there are two characters from that movie that have had a more lasting impact on the Disney Universe. Like I said The Lion King is all about how you want to rank them because there are so many good characters.

-Noland