Disney @ Christmas Time

Christmas is the most magical time and magical season that there is. It is filled with happiness and joy. Makes sense that people want to be at the happiest place in the world during the happiest time in the world. A lot of people share this sentiment and Disney is packed for the holiday season. Other than 4th of July, the entire week before and after Christmas is the busiest time at Disney world. I went the day after Christmas before and it was difficult to even move much. However, there are some pointers in dealing with this crowded time at the parks.

First, to get the most bang for your buck at Disney, avoid the parks during those two weeks. Go at a different time in the season, all of the Christmas stuff is offered and you won't have to deal as much with the crowds. If you have a Silver pass (like us), your pass is blacked out during this time anyways. There are better times to go.

Next, determine how much the special events mean to you. The special event I am most specifically speaking of is the Very Merry Christmas Party. It is a special ticket event that is seperate from a regular day park admission. That being said, it does come cheaper than a regular park admission and offers some extra perks. Besides being cheaper it comes with a slightly less crowded park and is offered after park hours. You can usually get in at 4pm while the park closes to the general public at 7pm and you are allowed to stay until 2am (which is impossible for parents with young children). Free cookies and holiday beverages are offered at several locations throughout the park. There is also a variety of other holiday treats available for purchase. Additionally, there is a holiday stage show and a special holiday parade. Finally, the biggest draw which is special character meets that aren't available during the day. These meets included Sandy Claws (Jack Skellington), Scrooge McDuck, and the Zootopia characters this year. It is very worth it for one time, but I do not know if I'd go back since I've been once. Also it is very tough for my family to get our complete money's worth and stay until 2am because of the little ones.

Magic Kingdom does not have many holiday offerings outside of the party. The castle lights up at night and there are decorations around the park. However, if you want the holiday experience at Magic Kingdom, you need to go to the party. The special holiday treats are only available at the party.

We miss the Osborne lights a lot. That amazing experience at Hollywood Studios is never to be seen again. It is really sad that they won't have it anymore. We went a few weeks ago and were pretty disappointed at what was being offered. It was so sad. We didn't stick around for the new projection show after hearing it was just okay because the kids were tired. Honestly, this park makes me feel claustrophobic at times now and I am not that type of person. There just is not and will not be a lot to do until the Toy Story and Star Wars lands open up. Disney needs to increase the amount of character meets in this park to make it worthwhile to attend to non passholders. I go still because it does have some of my favorite rides, but I probably wouldnt spend my money to go here for just one day as of now. It will pay off in the long run, but it is not up to the Disney standard currently.

Picture of the Osborne Lights we miss so much. Disney isn't as exciting at Christmas, but its still cool.

Animal Kingdom is my favorite park and the park the boys enjoy most. It is a really cool park for the Animal lover and has a lot of boy themed attractions, while the other parks typically focus a bit more on the little princesses. It has the least holiday appeal though. It simply does not have holiday shows and lacks major holiday decorations. They do exist though, and the tree out in front is always my favorite Christmas Tree on Disney property. Do not expect much beyond that particular tree though as far as holiday appeal.

We are going to Epcot at Christmas time this weekend to catch some of those holiday festivities and will have more tips at a later date. The Christmas trees and decorations were up in mid November when we went, but the Candlelight Processional and other holiday shows were not quite ready yet at this time. The tree entering the World Showcase was a pretty awesome sight. Another cool sight was the tree in America. Finally, the holiday topiaries were also a very nice touch to the park.

If you do not care about holiday decorations and shows and just want to visit the parks, go in the morning! They are way more crowded at night because of the holiday offerings. Stay tuned in a few weeks for updates on the new Christmas offerings at Disney Springs!

From the entire Robinson clan, I hope you have a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-Noland

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

The Seas @ Epcot

The Seas @ Epcot
Walt Disney World Resort
Lake Buena Vista, FL

Date of Visit: Several Times in 2014

We went to Epcot often this year because we have the annual pass for Disney. In fact, we likely will go a few more times before these passes run out in January. However, we did not go to these aquariums nearly as much as we went to Animal Kingdom. That should give you a good idea of what we thought of this aquarium compared to Disney's other animal attraction. There are not a lot of animal attractions unfortunately. However, we all enjoy this part of Epcot and it is the favorite of our entire family while at the park. If we did not have annual passes this year though, we would not have gone multiple times and we may not have gone at all. It is pretty small when you get down to it.

Website

Pictures

 Tank Full Of Jellies

 More Jellies

 Last Shot of Jellies. This was the coolest part of the area. These guys are by Turtle Talk With Crush. They are neat to look at.

 You cannot always see the Sea Turtle, but we were able to catch him on one trip. Another of the cooler parts of this aquarium.

Hidden Mickey behind the fish.

 Cool looking Lionfish.

 Another shot of the Lionfish.

 A shot of one of the eels.

My favorite creature here, the seahorse. This is the 2nd coolest exhibit they have behind the moon jellies. There are not quite as many seahorse as there are Jellyfish.

Yellow Tang in front of some cool coral.

Overall Review

We give this aquarium 0 out of 5 elephants.
The reason this is so poorly rated is that you get very little bang for your buck in the aquarium. It is $95 to get in which is 4x the price of the FL Aquarium. You pay all of that to get a small building of fish that you can go through in 20 minutes. If you are into the other stuff at Epcot than it is a solid deal. However, if you only want to go for the Aquarium, then it is a major ripoff. I'd choose FL Aquarium over this place any day. If you are solely going to see the fish/animals than this is not the place to do it. I'd go again if we got passes, but no special trips. In fact, if we could get Disney passes without Epcot for a cheaper rate, we'd be all over that. Stay tuned in the next few weeks for a post about the exciting places ZooZooReview has been and will be going.

-Noland