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

Autographs @ Disney World & Tips On How To Get Certain Characters

If you have been following this blog, or even if you have a pulse, you realize that Disney World is a magical place. It is a place where adults can feel like children and children can feel like royalty. The park just seems to be a cut above. Everything about the park and the experience involved with it is special. Part of that special experience for children often involves character interactions and autographs. Getting the characters to acknowledge them is magical for the children. The character taking time to sign is incredibly spectacular for the kids.

I was not sure my oldest son would be able to appreciate autographs yet, so we were planning on holding off on them. Boy was I wrong. We started an allowance system with him shortly before we got passes again. The 1st thing that he bought with his own $$$$ was.....a character autograph book. He loves that book and adores getting signatures. He also has/had a very specific pattern he wanted to get their signatures in Mickey Mouse, then Goofy, and so on....we try to cross a few off each time so that he can enjoy these interactions and make it a point of emphasis before we go. So I thought we wouldshare some of those tips with our readers......

Tips for autographs and where characters currently are in the parks

Aladdin

Aladdin meets @ Frontier Land in Magic Kingdom and in Morocco @ Epcot
I have never been to either meet as my children aren't that into Aladdin, but maybe someday soon. I have not seen long lines for Aladdin during any visit. I know that Aladdin meets with Abu during the Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Parties. If we do one of those, we might try to meet Aladdin.

Alice

Alice meets @ Mad Tea Party Early in the Morning
By noon Alice is gone so go in the morning to meet her. She also meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast. Haven't meet Alice yet, but we will be doing the character breakfast in the next year and can give an update at that point.

Anna and Elsa

Meet @ The Frozen Section in the Norway Pavilion @ Epcot
Lines will be extremely long. Book Fastpass+ if available.

Army Men

Meet Outside Toy Story Mania! @ Hollywood Studios
Expect Little to No Wait!

Baloo

Meets @ Upcountry Landing @ Animal Kingdom
Expect a wait between 5-20 min. One of our favorite meet and greets

Bolt
Meets near the Great Movie Ride @ Hollywood Studios
This is a newer meet and greet, but lines aren't too bad. Not sure why Bolt is meeting of all characters, seems like a waste of a meet to me....

Baymax
Meets @ Character Spot West in Epcot
Does not Sign

Buzz Lightyear
Meets next to Buzz Lightyear Ride in Tomorrowland of Magic Kingdom
Great meet with waits typically under 20 min.
Also Meets w/ Woody Across From Toy Story Mania!
A meet that is always packed and I haven't seen less than 30 min
Note: Buzz Lightyear stamps and does not sign

Chewbacca
Meets @ Star Wars Launch Bay @ Hollywood Studios
I have typically seen wait times around 20 minutes when I have been

Chip n' Dale

Meet in all 4 parks
In Tomorrow @ MK
At Rafiki Planet Watch @ AK
Great Movie Ride @ HS
Land Pavilion @ Epcot
Also Features in Several Character Breakfasts
None of the lines are too long
I personally prefer the Animal Kingdom meet and the Magic Kingdom meet
We had no wait @ Magic Kingdom last time!

Daisy Duck
Meets in all 4 Parks
Meets @ AK Character Breakfast
Character Landing @ AK
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
World Showcase Pavilion @ Epcot
Great Movie Ride CY @ HS

Doc McStuffins
Meets in Disney Jr. Courtyard @ Hollywood Studios
Lines are not long

Donald Duck
Meets in All 4 Parks
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
Cretaceous Trail @ AK
Great Movie Ride @ HS
Mexico Pavilion @ Epcot
Also Meets @ Several Character Breakfasts
Some of the lines get long, but nothing too bad typically.
We prefer the Mexican Pavilion or a character breakfast.

Doug and Russell
Meet in Animal Kingdom
We don't like Up so we skip this meet and are unsure of lines.

Eeyore
Only available for meet @ Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom.
Also available @ Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Party

Flik
Started this year meeting across from Discovery Trail in Animal Kingdom
We have yet to participate in this meet, but will at some point in the future. Lines aren't long.

Gaston
Meets near Gaston's Tavern in Magic Kingdom
Lines vary throughout the day. However, they have gotten long and we have been turned away before because they are too long.

Goofy
Meets in All 4 Parks
Dinoland USA @ AK
Pete's Silly Sideshow @ MK
Movie Ride CY @ HS
Character Spot @ Epcot
Character Spot is longest wait time, but is short early in morning. Others are not bad waits.
Also meets @ Several Character Breakfasts

Jack Skellington
Meets @ Halloween & Christmas Parties
This is one of the most popular meets @ those parties

Jake
Meets in Disney Jr. Courtyard @ Hollywood Studios
Lines are not long
Also appears @ Hollywood and Vine Character Dining

Jasmine
Jasmine meets @ Frontier Land in Magic Kingdom and in Morocco @ Epcot
I have never been to either meet as my children aren't that into Aladdin, but maybe someday soon. I have not seen long lines for Jasmine during any visit. I know that Jasmine meets with Genie during the Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Parties. If we do one of those, we might try to meet Aladdin and/or Jasmine.
Jasmine also appears at Cinderella's Royal Table Character Dining and Akershus Character Dining

Jessie
Appears w/ Woody in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
Lines can get long best to arrive just before 10am when their 1st set starts

Jiminy Cricket
Appears @  Animal Kingdom for Earth Day

Joy and Sadness
The Inside Out characters meet @ Character Spot West near Baymax
Lines can get long, but are short early in the day

King Louie
Meets @ Upcountry Landing @ Animal Kingdom
Expect a wait between 5-20 min. One of our favorite meet and greets
King Louie does not sign autographs, but there are rumors that Baloo does sign

Kylo Ren
Meets @ Star Wars Launch Bay in Hollywood Studios
Personally not a fan of this character, but the times I have seen posted are <30 min

Lilo
Meets @ The Great Movie Ride CY in Hollywood Studios
Also Meets @ Ohana Character Breakfast
Both meets are fantastic and I'd recommend them. I would assume the HS meet is short term, but Ohana will likely stay.

Mad Hatter

Mad Hatter meets @ Mad Tea Party Early in the Morning
By noon Mad Hatter is gone so go in the morning to meet him. He also meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast. Haven't meet Hatter yet, but we will be doing the character breakfast in the next year and can give an update at that point.

Mary Poppins
Meets @ Magic Kingdom Fireworks Viewing Plaza

Also Appears @ 1900 Park Fare Character Breakfast
Again with boys typically skip this

Max

Not a regular meet, but often seen @ Hollywood Studios in the Summer Time

Mickey Mouse
Meets @ All 4 Parks with Fastpass+ Available for most
I'd recommend getting the Fastpass for most meets. Talking MM appears only @ Magic Kingdom. However, he does not always talk. Still, I'd recommend possibly meeting him @ Magic or Epcot depending on line. Hollywood Studios is the only park that does not offer Fastpass to meet Mickey, but the line is typically pretty short. Epcot is a short wait in the morning and Goofy and Minnie are right next to him at this meet.
Also appears at many character breakfasts.

Minnie Mouse
Meets @ All 4 Parks
I'd recommend Epcot meet, but Magic Kingdom meet has a short line
Mickey and Minnie are also typically available at the Disney Visa Special Meet @ Epcot.
Character Breakfast Opportunities also available.
The most chances to meet any characters are the mouses and Pluto.
Here my son is w/ main four @ Epcot. This is where he got these 4 to sign!

Olaf
Meets in Hollywood Studios
I'd assume the lines are long, but he started meeting this summer and we haven't been

Peter Pan

Meets in Magic Kingdom by his ride
Lines are long!!!!

Piglet
Appears @ Crystal Palace Character Breakfast
Occasionally appears @ 1900 Park Fare
Occasionally Appears @ Pooh's Thotful Spot

Pluto
Meets @ All 4 Parks
Longest wait is Main Street Flagpole in Magic Kingdom. Shortest Wait is typically Dinoland  USA in Animal Kingdom with Goofy.
Also appears at just about every character breakfast.
Pro Tip: Pluto cant see past his nose and has to sign close up to his eyes. Be careful when handing him the pen/marker. He marked up a page in Jr.'s book accidently.

Pocahontas
Appears @ Discovery Island in Animal Kingdom
Typically a fairly short wait

Princesses

There are two princess character dining experiences, Cinderella's Royal Table in Magic Kingdom and Akersaus in the Norway Pavilion @ Epcot
There is also a Princess Fairytale Hall meet with Fastpass+ in Magic Kingdom

Rafiki
Jr.'s favorite person to meet thus far
Meets @ Rafiki's Planet Watch in Animal Kingdom
Meets in Frontierland in Magic Kingdom
Expect short lines in Magic Kingdom

 Hugs

 More Hugs

 w/ Rafiki

 Posing

The Autograph

Scrooge McDuck

Uncle Scrooge appears with Donald @ the Christmas Party

Stitch

Appears @ Magic Kingdom Flag Pole (Long Wait)
Appears in Great Movie Ride CY (Unknown Wait, Temp Spot)
Appears @ Ohana Character Breakfast (Great Opportunity)

Tarzan

Meets in Animal Kingdom

Tigger

Meets @ Pooh's Thotful Spot (lines can get long)
Meets @ Crystal Palace Character Dining
Meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Dining

Tigger w/ mommy and Eli

Winnie the Pooh

Meets @ Pooh's Thotful Spot (lines can get long)
Meets @ Crystal Palace Character Dining
Meets @ 1900 Park Fare Character Dining

Eli meeting his favorite w/ mommy

Woody
Meets w/ Jessie in Frontierland @ Magic Kingdom
Meets w/ Buzz @ Hollywood Studios Across from Toy Story Mania!
Lines can get long for both meets. Especially @ Hollywood Studios. I hope they offer Fastpass+ for the HS meet soon!

More Opportunities
There are random character meets at Hollywood Studios (called Character Palooza) and Epcot (called Training Meets). Locations and times are unknown, but hopefully you can run into these. They are super neat.

-Noland

Disney's Assault on Fatherhood

My first mistake was reading comments online. The mistake was made though and I caught myself reading the statement which seemed to get endless support...

"Disney always makes the dad look like the buffoon, Disney is assaulting fatherhood and the role of the father. We need to boycott Disney."

Despite, my ideas about boycotting and my love of pretty much everything Disney, I really wanted to explore the idea, just to see if it held any merit and to see if I have been looking at the company through pixie-dust covered glasses.

Here is what I found and began to think.....

Every Disney movie does have a story and a theme. Certainly, the same is true about the shows, and the THEME Parks. These themes though rarely have to do with the family unit as the central theme. I would argue though that Disney is a company for families and that the park was built for any type of family. However, we are not there yet, let's break it down piece by piece and see any place that this notion could have come from. I really wanted to see if there was any merit and either help debunk or prove the seemingly popular statement.

First, let's start with the movies as that is some people's first and only exposure to the world of Disney. Through my looking back, I noticed that dads in Disney movies are typically treated as better than they are in pop culture. Throughout pop culture, dads are treated as useless buffoons often, but in many Disney movies it seems to be the exact opposite.

Marlin in Finding Nemo is actually the star of the movie. He tracks across the entire ocean in order to find his son. Despite being worried about something happening to Nemo due to a baraccuda killing his family, Marlin protects Nemo and when Nemo is taken, Marlin does whatever he can to get Nemo back. Marlin is the hero of the tale. This clownfish shows courage and has many ideal qualities of what it means to be a dad and the protector of your family unit.

Another one of my favorite movies with a dad character is Pinocchio. During that movie, Gepetto did not have any children, but he kept wishing and praying for one. Eventually, he got Pinocchio as his little boy. He was so joyful, happy, and thankful for having this boy brought into his life. When Pinocchio went missing, just like Marlin did, Gepetto stopped at nothing to find Pinocchio. This movie showed a dad that truly cared for his son. Its central themes were to follow your conscience and dream big. Do the right thing and dream big is what the movie focused on. Seems to me this would be a fantastic movie to show your kids.

Finally, let's look at the Lion King and everything that is involved with that franchise. The wise dad here was Mufasa. Simba's dad taught him all the important things in life and always looked out for him. He eventually died trying to save his son. However, his spirit and memory lived on as he continued to give advice to Simba and help Simba reach his destiny. Now, he occasionally gives Kion advice in the Lion Guard series. Mufasa could be said to be the wisest of all the characters. Despite, not being around anymore, Disney has kept an important role for him. Mufasa is one of the best known characters in all of Disney and nobody thinks of him as a buffoon. Everyone thinks of Mufasa as Simba's wise father.

There are other examples in movies. More fathers and father figures, but after the three I focused on, I realized that it was not even close to true that Disney made dads to look like fools in all movies, but could I find any examples....

The closest I got to finding a dad that was a fool in these movies were The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. Those are three of Disney's big movies, and the dads were somewhat foolish in each. The Little Mermaid though involved the dad having incredible power and keeping his teenage daughter away from a cruel world. King Triton was not really foolish in that he understood the world being far different and he wanted to protect his daughter that was not legal. He even lets her chase her love at the end of the movie and helps save his daughter from the evil Ursula.

The saltan was Jasmine's dad in the movie Aladdin. He was made to be more of a foolish character, but it was one movie and even here, he was hypnotized by Jafar's staff for a large portion of the movie. That hypnotism added to the perceived foolishness of his character.

Finally, Beauty and the Beast. Belle's dad was deemed a fool largely in part because he told of a Beast off in the forest. Belle proved her father right when she showed the people of the Beast. Dad was an inventor in this and some of the inventions worked pretty well. This all is not to mention that like the two other dads (Saltan and King Triton) he was a single dad that raised a strong independent woman on his own. There is something to be said for them not raising trainwrecks as just the dad. Many popular media outlets would not give that message, that Disney seemed to invoke.

So if not in movies, then what about in television?

Disney owns ABC, so I sure that there are cases of the dad being a buffoon on ABC, just as there are on any channel. My suggestion with this is that if the show is trash, don't watch it. I don't watch any shows that I think are complete filth. I encourage you to do the same. I do not have any specific examples of the dad being a buffoon in these shows because as I said a minute ago, I don't watch shows that are garbage. I don't watch shows that send awful messages like that, at least that I can think of off the top of my head. The only two shows on ABC that I do watch are The Middle and Last Man Standing. I really enjoy the dads in those shows. Those dads are the best TV dads since the Home Improvement days.

Finally, what about Disney Parks?
Well, I feel I am always treated very well at Disney World. I rarely have a poor experience. This resort has the best customer service in the world. As a dad, I am treated just as magically as anybody else. The people are helpful and they do anything they can to help my family routinely. They make the experience magical for my whole family. Making reservations is a piece of cake. Making plans is easy as pie. This place allows me to plan ahead so that I can help make my kids memories to last a lifetime. Disney World makes it easy to be a dad that is even more loved and even more appreciated.

My family with my favorite Jiminy Cricket

My family with Minnie @ Character Breakfast

My 3 year old gets to meet lots of characters

 We get to meet Eeyore

And look around every corner for something special

My kids love Disney World. My kids love Disney period. I will not boycott Disney because of a few buffoons who spew hate on the internet. Boycotting is typically stupid anyways. Disney does not have an assault on fatherhood. Some people just are unable to see the big picture. The big picture that Disney is a wonderful company that does a lot of good and encourages kids to dream. I like the world that they provide. I am sorry that some are not able to love and appreciate it. However, I do appreciate living in a free country where people can have different opinions and perspectives. I also appreciate that my family does Disney.

-Noland

Use of Disney Characters in the Theme Parks

As much as I love Walt Disney World, I must admit that the park could do a better job of incorporating its characters. Having never been to Disneyland I don't know exactly if that is the same case, but I hear it often. It says a lot that many people's favorite thing to do at Walt Disney World (including mine) was to see those more rare characters @ Character Palooza @ Hollywood Studios. The demand and desire from this event became so popular that Disney ended up cancelling character palooza last month.

First, let me say booo to that decision. I do understand Disney trying to protect this magical experience and moving it around. However, it should tell Disney that it is in high demand and that guests want to meet more characters. They can move it around and spread it around, but make it more frequent. Nobody wants to roam the park all day wondering when, where, and if character palooza is going to happen. They just want to meet their favorite characters. If my favorite movie is Pinocchio and I want to meet the title character, then I should be able to know where he might be. I shouldn't have to wonder around the whole park looking. This is my one gripe with Disney in that they don't incorporate their characters in the best way possible.

Here are 10 changes I'd immediately do if I was in charge!

1) Make sure you could meet each of the following in every park, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Daisy, Goofy, Pluto, Chip, Dale, Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Jiminy Cricket

2) Add more character dining (Details of which to be released in a future entry)

3) Rotate some rare characters through the parks every other hour and have the selection of characters change weekly.

4) Replace the meet and greet at town square with characters from the movie that most recently released from the vault

5) Animal Kingdom Entrance you can meet the Three Little Pigs

6) Hollywood Studios Entrance you can meet Handy Manny and Bullseye

7) EPCOT Entrance you can meet Lewis and Wilbur Robinson (these can rotate to other characters after about a year)

8) Outside of Mexico guests can also meet Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles with Donald Duck

9) In Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom add a meet and greet spot to permanently have Abu and the Genie.

10) Instead of meeting Dug and Russell, you should be able to meet two animal characters in ANIMAL KINGDOM. My choices would be Jiminy Cricket and Flik since it is right outside of the Bug's Life area.

Bonus: I'd also put into action a new park which I'll describe in a later entry.

Here is the list of characters that Disney has a costume for that are virtually unable to meet (non-face)

Abby Mallard

Abu

Agent Oso

Annie

Atta

Big Bad Wolf

Bolt
Bowler Hat Guy

Brer Rabbit

Bullseye

Captain Hook

Carl Fredrickson

Chicken Little

Clara Cluck

Clarabelle Cow

Clarice

Darkwing Duck

Emile

Fiddler Pig

Fifer Pig

Flik

Foulfellow

Friar Tuck

Judge Frollo

Genie

George Sanderson

Gepetto

Gideon

Goliath

Gov. Ratcliffe

Gypsy Moth

Hades

Handy Manny

Horace Horsecollar

Jiminy Cricket

JoJo

Jose Carioca

June

Kenai

Koda

Launchpad McQuack

Leo

Lewis Robinson
Lotso
Louis the Alligator
Lucky the Dinosaur
Ludwig Von Drake
Lumiere
Miss Bunny
Mittens
Mr.Potatohead
Mushu
Needleman
Oogie Boogie
Panchito Pistoles
Perla
Pinocchio
Practical Pig
Prince John
Queen of Hearts
Quincy
Rabbit
Remy
Rhino
Robin Hood
Roger Rabbit
Roxie
Sebastian
Shaker
Shan Yu
Sherif of Nottingham
Slim
Smitty
Terk
Thumper
Timon
TRex
Tweedles
WallE
Wendell
Wilbur Robinson

That is quite the impressive list and I am sure that people would love to meet the majority of the characters on it.

Next week I will start an updated countdown of the Disney characters. Have a great weekend!

-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

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.

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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

8 Tips to save Time & Waiting when visiting Disney's Magic Kingdom

If you are reading this post than you probably already know that having a successful day at Disney World is all about advanced planning. It’s really not as complicated as you may think but I get that it is completely overwhelming when you walk through the front gate into the magic adventure that is Disney's Magic Kingdom!

Recently, my family came down to Orlando for a 4-day vacation. We spent one day at Magic Kingdom. We got there at park opening (8am) and left at noon. In that small time frame, we were able to ride 10 rides. And it was Disney’s famed busiest day of the year, 4^th of July! How did we do it? Well, Noland and I have a couple tips that we use every time we go to a park for the day. We’ve been a quite a few times this summer and honestly, I can say I have not waited in a line for more than 15 minutes.

These tips can come in extra handy during the busy times, so check them out. Pin them on Pinterest, share them on Facebook... Do what you have to do to keep them somewhere so that you can refer to them next time you visit Disney's Magic Kingdom!

1. Pre-purchase your tickets to the park. They will mail them to your house.

This may seem like a waste because there may be a shipping cost but pre-purchasing your tickets WILL save you so much time. If you purchase them in advance, they show up at your house and you get to bypass waiting in the long lines with excited kids at the ticket center.

Another positive to purchasing your tickets in advance is that you can schedule your Fastpass+ 30 days before you actually visit the park. Disney’s Fastpass+ lets you pick 3 rides where you basically skip the rest of the line and have, at most, a 5-10 minute wait. Since anyone who has purchased tickets in advance can schedule Fastpass+, it works in your advantage to purchase your tickets at least 30 days in advance so that you can pre-schedule your Fastpass+ for the rides that you really want. Fastpasses DO run out for the really popular rides. Usually, the Fastpasses don’t run out until the day that you visit but sometimes you could miss out on your favorite ride or character meet and greet because others pre-ordered and have booked theirs in advance.

2. Pre-schedule your Fastpass+

As stated earlier, once you purchase your tickets online, you CAN pre-schedule your Fastpass+ up to 30 days in advance! It is pretty awesome! My husband schedules us fastpasses all the time, he loves it. Fastpass+ assures that you will get to enjoy at least 3 attractions the day of your visit. If you manage to complete all 3 of your fastpasses, you CAN add another fast pass by visiting a Fastpass+ kiosk. But, let's focus on pre-booking the fastpasses... it is SO important to pick the attractions that you or your kids really want to do and pre-schedule them as your fastpasses. Fastpass+ allows you to guarantee those 3 attractions.

If you have small children, I would book at least one Fastpass+ for a character meet and greet. Magic Kingdom has a ton of awesome characters and their lines are usually pretty long. If your child wants to meet a lot of characters, I would recommend checking out the other parks. I wrote a post about a secret character meet and greet that can be found at Hollywood Studios with a ton of different characters! Epcot is known to have a ton of characters too. Almost every country at Epcot has a Disney princess!

None the less, you can schedule Fastpass+ for 1 or multiple character meet and greets at Magic Kingdom. My personal opinion is that if your child loves Mickey, then he is the coolest character to meet at Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is the only place where Mickey can talk to you when you meet him...Technology is so crazy. If you have a little girl and she likes Belle from Beauty and the Beast, I would definitely encourage you to book a Fastpass+ for Enchanted Tales with Belle. When you get there and the Disney cast member ask who wants to be the Beast, have your daughter raise her hand! She will get to dance will Belle and it is so sweet. I cried a happy cry when we went to Enchanted Tales with Belle... haha. The little girl who played the Beast was completely starstruck!

Remember that you only get 3 Fastpass+ to start off with. You know your kiddo's interests but here are some other great rides for the younger kids that you can book a Fastpass+ for (because the lines can get long between noon-4pm):

• Buzz Light Year space ranger spin


• Peter Pan's Flight


• Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid


• Pirates of the Caribbean


• Haunted Mansion


• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh


• Barnstormer

If you have older kids (7+), I would recommend booking your Fastpass+ for 3 of the roller coasters/log flume. They always have long lines. You don't have time for long lines! :

• Splash Mountain


• Big Thunder Mountain


• Seven Dwarves Mine Train


• Space Mountain

3. Make sure to schedule your Fastpass+ for the busiest times (between noon-4pm).

The morning time is not really busy. The wait times are down so I'd recommend saving your Fastpass+ for the busier times. From park opening on, more and more people are coming into the park and by noon, it is pretty crowded. We always save our fastpasses for after lunch. We try to get some big rides done first thing in the morning, check out some shows, etc., eat lunch around noon and then take advantage of our 3 fastpasses during the busy times!

Once your fastpasses are gone, remember that you can go to a kiosk to book one more. When that one is gone, you can stop by the kiosk and book another, and so on. This comes in handy if you will be around for night time or decide to leave and come back for a night time parade or show, you can have an extra Fastpass+ booked before you head to the hotel to take a nap.

4. Pack a lunch.

When we visit Disney, we pack a meal and plan to eat one meal there. As you know, meals can be expensive at Disney. Another fun fact is that they let you bring in your own food. We try to pack our lunch and then we can eat dinner at one of the park restaurants, or vice versa. It keeps us from putting a large dent in our wallet and saves a little bit of money to put towards a Mickey bar or Disney souvenir.

I would also recommend packing the meal the night before. That way, you won't feel stressed out if you happen to wake up late or have to get the rest of the family moving in the morning.

5. Download the Disney app and use it throughout the day. 

The Disney app has all sort of helpful tips. Once you pre-purchase your tickets, if it is 30 days or less in advance, you can actually pre-schedule your Fastpass+ online or on the Disney app before you even have your tickets in-hand. While at the park, the Disney app allows you to check wait times and gives important info like parade times, character meet and greet times, etc. It is useful and can be extremely helpful when you are leaving Splash Mountain (which is on the far west side of the park) and need to decide which ride to head towards next.

6. Go the bathroom before you leave your resort.

This one is easy. Try your best and encourage your kids and other family members to hit the bathroom before you head to the park in the morning!

After you park at Magic Kingdom and walk or take the tram to the Ticket Center, there are bathrooms on the East end of the ticket center. From the Ticket Center, you have to take the ferry boat or monorail to the park. Once you enter Magic Kingdom, there are bathrooms past the train station and to the left (West end) before you head down Main Street. But, if you manage to go to the bathroom before leaving, it could save you a little bit of time!

Make sure to check out my favorite bathrooms in Fantasyland to the left of the It's a Small World ride. They are Tangled themed and for a split second, you feel like you stepped into the movie!

7. Arrive at park opening.

This one is the MOST IMPORTANT on this list! Do it. Wake up early on your vacation because it is absolutely worth it! Check park opening of the day you plan to go. Sometimes it varies, and Disney resort go-ers are sometimes allowed in earlier than everyone else for Extra Magic Hours!

If the park opens at 8, leave your resort at 7:15am. Once you park at Magic Kingdom, you will walk or take a tram to the ticket center. If you already have your tickets in-hand, which you should because you pre-purchased them... you will then take the monorail or ferry boat to the Magic Kingdom park. Sometimes the ferry/monorail can get backed up so that's part of the reason it is important to get there early! Once you get off the monorail or ferry boat, you will have to go through a bag check line. After this is done, you will then scan your park tickets and your fingerprint to get into the park.

If you make it by 7:50am (if the park opens at 8am/8:50am if the park opens at 9am) then you will get to see the Welcome Show in front of the Train Station. It always features some fun Main Street characters and Disney characters. It's cute and I'll be so proud that you made it early.

After the Welcome Show, you can stroll down Main Street and head towards Tomorrowland on the East end of the park. It is always super slow in the morning with 5 minute wait times on Space Mountain and the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin! If you get to ride them first thing, then there is no reason to waste a Fastpass+ on them... or you can ride them multiple times if you have already scheduled your Fastpass+ for one of them later in the day! When we went on 4th of July, we rode Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin first thing in the morning. We definitely could have gone on them multiple times in a row but decided to get in as many other rides as possible since the wait times were so low.

I promise you that getting there early will keep you from waiting. Wait times are almost non-existent first thing in the morning. I would recommend not running toward the Seven Dwarves Mine Train or Meet and Greet with Anna & Elsa from Frozen. Those are the two attractions that always have a 90+ minute wait within the first 5 minutes of park opening. I've even asked Disney workers and they agree that it is crazy how many people run back to get in line for those 2 attractions. If those are 2 attractions that you really want to see while at Disney's Magic Kingdom, I'd recommend booking a Fastpass+ for them or you will be wasting your precious time waiting, waiting, waiting in line.

8. Save the rides that never really have a wait for the busy times.

When the park starts to get busy, you can use your fastpasses but there will only be 3 so you will eventually have to find something else to do. Here are the rides and shows that you do NOT need a Fastpass+ for... they almost always have short wait times and if you see one of them with a long wait line, then give it about 30 minutes and it will probably go down:

• Shows: Mickey's Philhar Magic, Monsters Inc Laugh Floor


• People Mover


• Carousel of Progress


• Mad Tea Party


• It's a Small World


• Aladdin's Magic Carpets


• Prince Charming's Regal Carousel


• Dumbo: The Flying Elephant (I wouldn't book a Fastpass+ for this one because there is a play area while you wait in line. It is great for the little ones to get out some much needed energy)

Also, you can always check the Disney app for approximate wait times, which will help you know which ride to head toward next. Finally, there are a few things to do around Disney's Magic Kingdom that you could not book a Fastpass+ for anyways. These are good to check out when all the wait times are over 30 minutes:

• Tiki Tiki Room


• Swiss Family Robinson Tree house


• Country Bears Jamboree


• Take a boat ride and explore Tom Sawyer Island


• Take a ride on Liberty Square Riverboat


• Get a yummy Disney snack like dole whip at the Pineapple Promenade in Adventure land.


• Stroll up and down Main Street to check out all the Disney shops and goodies!


• Walk through Cinderella's castle!


• Catch a parade or Dream along with Mickey show in front of the castle!


• Go play Sorcerer's of the Magic Kingdom (found at the front of the park).

Here are some pictures from our last visit at Magic Kingdom: 

[caption id="attachment_1438" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Noland Jr. loving the Mad Tea Party[/caption]



[caption id="attachment_1429" align="aligncenter" width="798"] Move it! Shake it! Celebrate it! Street parade is always fun to watch![/caption]



[caption id="attachment_1432" align="aligncenter" width="796"] Donald Duck is one of Noland Jr's favorite characters![/caption]



[caption id="attachment_1427" align="aligncenter" width="600"] This is my favorite picture of Cinderella's beautiful castle! Make sure to check up close for all the details![/caption]

With these 8 tips listed above, you should not wait in line for very long, and you will save a lot of time! If a line has a 30 minute or more wait, please don't get in it! Check your Disney app and move on to another ride. Remember that the wait times are always changing and there is always a chance the line will be shorter later on. If you have any questions about planning your Walt Disney World trip, feel free to leave me a comment and I'll try my best to answer and help any way that I can. I'm trying to start posting some Disney tips on here from time to time. Let me know what you think! If you like this post, please share with your friends, family, and anyone you know planning a trip to Walt Disney World!

-Jen