Archive for the DISNEY ATTRACTIONS Category

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My Fantasyland Preview….YOU are going to LOVE it!

Posted in DISNEY ATTRACTIONS, DISNEY DINING, DISNEY'S MAGIC KINGDOM with tags , , , , , on October 23, 2012 by disneychronicles


We had a chance to preview a new section of Fantasyland!

Disney’s Enchanted Forest and …………..I LOVE it!
The official opening is scheduled for December 6th (hmmmm 2 days before my birthday, guess where I will be then?!)

The Enchanted Forest is inspired by The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

Now Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney Movie so you can imagine how excited I was to see this! And not to give too much away but my youngest son was chosen to be “beast” in the storybook adventure “Enchanted Tales with Belle” and I must add he was Fantastic!!!

Upon entering this area you will see “Enchanted Tales with Belle” to your left. The theming as always is magnificent very much like the movie.  You began by walking into Maurice’s workshop. I don’t want to give it all away here but you are transported to Beast’s library. 🙂
In my opinion this is good for girls and boys. It is a good storyline that includes parts for both.

The video only shows a small part it is a very audience participation oriented attraction so for obvious reasons I only posted the beginning….

Directly below beasts castle is the “Be Our Guest” restaurant.  Dinner here is a traditional table service inspired by French cuisine. The ballroom (once again just like the movie) is beautifully decorated, it features a domed ceiling, twinkling chandeliers and views of falling snow! (Need a cool off from the hot Florida sun? This is the place to be!)
Book reservations EARLY!

Also stop in at Gaston’s Tavern for snacks and the signature drink LeFou’s Brew which I was not able to try.

I did stop in at Bonjour! Village Gifts which has themed souvenirs mainly focusing on Beauty and the Beast.

Under the Sea was our next stop. I do wish that I was there during the daytime but it did look great even at night! You will enter Prince Eric’s castle. Walking through the queue there are many interactive spots to keep you occupied! You will then board a clamshell to start your journey. This is a great ride very musical and the effects are fabulous!

This video shows the entire ride so skip it if you would rather experience it on your own!

From what I saw I was not disappointed! This will be a great addition to the Magic Kingdom!

Check out all my photos!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151149313978853.456566.142061353852&type=1&l=b48cea5d12

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So it STARTED out being a Great Weekend….

Posted in DISNEY ATTRACTIONS, DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM, EVERYTHING DISNEY, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS with tags , , on September 24, 2012 by disneychronicles

This past weekend we had a training convention at Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club.

I won’t bore you with the minor details of it all but it was fun and educational. (I will be posting individual post for each event in a little more detail in the coming weeks.)

Friday night it started out with a trade show and a cocktail reception all fine and dandy. Saturday we had a ship inspection on the Disney Fantasy! I really need (want) to sail this ship!

 

Saturday night we had a surprise event at Animal Kingdom after it closed!

How awesome is that! It started with some appetizers and cocktails then moved on to dinner at the Tusker House restaurant.

After dinner we moved to another area which was set up with coffee and desserts! and for the finale a no wait no lines chance to get on and ride Expedition Everest! (as many times as you please) :-/

Well for the record I only rode once! Yup you got it…that’s all it took! so this is where it all went down hill! 😦

After ALL the eating that had just commenced you would think that maybe I would be a little smarter then to jump on a rickety super fast 50 mph with an 80′ drop roller coaster that also goes backwards.

Ahhhhhh but NO I suppose I could blame it on peer pressure but off I went! and since there was no line the only chance for hesitation was perhaps when I heard the clink of the lap restraint.

Oh yeah and did I mention it was DARK!

Well we all know how this ended (me behind a bush) didn’t even make it to the bathroom! Well not the first time anyway!

And THANKS to the GREAT Disney gift bag I was handed as I wearily schlepped myself out of the park I was able to finish on the bus on our way back to my hotel. A little graphic… yes I suppose.

(No worries no gifts were damaged, I had removed them first) 😀

So it was a horrible ending to an otherwise fabulous night!

So have you rode it? did you like it?

So some may not know…what is Expedition Everest exactly? and what’s the story?

Check it out here….

http://youtu.be/GaCKexzMSXc

The following morning as I DRAGGED myself out of bed we were scheduled on a 8 hour VIP tour of Universal Studios.

No way was I missing that! I did forego most of the rides….do it once shame on me but twice oh NO!

It was a great tour!

More on that to come!

 

 

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Tips and Tricks for your Disney Vacation

Posted in DISNEY ATTRACTIONS, DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM, DISNEY'S EPCOT, DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS, DISNEY'S MAGIC KINGDOM with tags on September 7, 2012 by disneychronicles

Tips and Tricks for your Disney Vacation from a Disney Addict! Just a few things that may help your trip go smoothly! would love to hear any tips that you have also….

MAGIC KINGDOM

Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the busiest days at the Magic Kingdom. Try to come toward the middle of the week, because most families hit the Magic Kingdom early in their Disney visit.

Ride a star attraction while a parade is going on if you’re willing to miss it; lines ease considerably.

Book character meals early. Main Street, U.S.A.’s Crystal Palace Buffet has breakfast with Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet 8–10:30 AM. Lunch at Cinderella’s Royal Table in Cinderella Castle is extremely popular—so much so that you should reserve your spot six months out.

EPCOT

Epcot is so vast and varied that you really need two days to explore everything. If you have just one day, be highly selective.

It’s best to go late in the week, when others are at Magic Kingdom.

The first thing you should do is grab a fast pass for Soarin’ or Test Track as the wait for these two rides can sometimes top 120 minutes.

All the countries serve pretty much the same kids meals, so if you have a picky eater don’t worry about picking a pavilion to dine in.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Visit late in the week, while most people are rushing through Magic and Animal kingdoms.

Check the tip board periodically for attractions with short wait times that you can visit between Fastpass appointments.

Be at the Fantasmic! amphitheater at least an hour before show time if you didn’t book the Fantasmic! dinner package.

Need a burst of energy? Snag a freshly baked chocolate-chip cookie or a pastry at Starring Rolls Cafe, at the corner of Hollywood and Sunset. Alternatively, Hollywood Scoops Ice Cream on Sunset might be just the thing on a hot day.

If you plan to have a fast-food lunch, eat before 11 am or after 2:30 pm. There are food stands along Sunset. You can get a burger (meat or veggie) or chicken strips at Rosie’s All-American Cafe, a slice of pizza from Catalina Eddie’s, or a chili dog at Toluca Legs Turkey Company.

Toy Story Mania, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror are the three most popular rides at Hollywood Studios. You may want to consider the single rider lines for these.

Don’t miss the parade if you can help it. The Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun parade is an interactive experience not to be missed.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Try to visit during the week. Pedestrian areas are compact, and the park can feel horribly packed on weekends.

Arrive a half hour before the park opens as much to see the wild animals at their friskiest (morning is a good time to do the safari ride) as to get a jump on the crowds.

The two most popular attractions are the Kilimanjaro Safaris and Expedition Everest. Make sure those are your first two stops of the day.

The best time to ride Kali River Rapids is between 1pm and 3pm, when the sun is at its hottest.

Make sure to see Festival of the Lion King. The show is great and has air conditioning!

and overall don’t forget to have a MAGICAL time! even you don’t get to see it all!

There’s always next year! 😀

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Have you checked out Disney Quest?

Posted in DISNEY ATTRACTIONS with tags , on September 1, 2012 by disneychronicles

Whether vacationing at Disney or if your locals like us, Disney Quest is a great change of pace from the parks and a great option if the weather turns bad. This does seem to be the case quite often this summer.

It is housed in a five-story, windowless building. Guests enter the first-floor lobby and are transported via a magic elevator to the third floor atrium at the start of their visit.

The five floors of gaming will keep everyone in the family busy for hours as they have many rides, attractions, and varieties of games that everyone can enjoy.  My children are 9 and 7 and there was plenty for them to do!

Myself not being much of a “gamer” feel that I cannot possibly give too much detail on the actual games but I did enjoy the Pirate’s of the Caribbean.  I especially enjoyed that you play this with the whole family.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold: Man a pirate ship and destroy other ships, sea monsters, and fortresses to collect gold. One player captains the ship by steering and controlling the throttle, while up to four gunners control the cannons to destroy other ships.

I also went to the Virtual Jungle Cruise: Paddle an inflatable raft (with real paddles) as you make your way down a prehistoric river, avoiding dinosaurs and occasionally getting sprayed with water. It is based on, Jungle Cruise. This was just….ok.

Animation Academy – Be a Disney animator! An instructor takes you through the process of drawing a Disney character step by step.  This was fun and great for any aspiring artist or not!

On the 4th floor you will find the Wonderland Cafe, which features some absolutely incredible desserts and specialty coffees. You know those huge cupcakes you see throughout some of Disney’s dining venues….yup you can get one here!  I did like it here because you do get to sit back and relax.

On the 5th floor is Food Quest where salads, pizza, sandwiches, and other counter service items are offered.

Regular hours of operation are as follows:
Sunday – Thursday: 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday – Saturday: 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Visitors under age 10 must be accompanied by a responsible person age 16 or older. Certain games offering prize incentives require purchase of tokens to play. There are not many of these, my boys didn’t even ask to play these with all the other options they had.

Strollers are not allowed but it is handicapped accessible.

There are so many games here, I merely mentioned a few and other attractions that it is worth a visit!

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