To Fastpass or not?

There's been a lot of talk about adding Fastpass to the characters at Walt Disney World. Some people agree that it would be a great idea, some argue that it takes way anticipation of meeting the characters.

By adding a fastpass to the wait line for characters, some agree that it would facilitate the process. It would allow guests to visit other rides and take advantage of the smaller waited time offered by the fastpass.

Did you remember the first time you visited the parks and waited in line to meet Mickey? Some will argue that adding the fastpass feature will take away from that anticipation and from the exciting of the experience.

What side of the fence to stand in and why?

For more information on Fastpass, click here.

Goodbye 2010! Walt Disney World Celebrates

If you’re wondering what is happening at Walt Disney World’s theme parks for New Year’s then wonder no more. 

At the Magic Kingdom there will be a fireworks spectacle appropriately named “Fantasy in The Sky Fireworks”.  The park will be open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. and will feature the “Main Street Electrical Parade”, “Holiday Wishes” and “Mickey’s once upon a Christmastime Parade” throughout the day.

Over in Epcot a special version of “Illuminations” will take place at 11:40 p.m.  The park will be open from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.  At the World Showcase in Mexico “La Hacienda de San Angel” will be offering a special six course prix-fixe menu and live music starting at 9 p.m. for $199 per person or $225 with wine and spirits (plus tax and gratuity).  Children ages 3-9 will cost $49.95 and an Epcot admission is required to gain entry to the world showcase.  Also at the World Showcase in Paris the “Bistro de Paris” will offer a one of a kind prix-fixe New Year’s Eve menu for $150 per person, $225 if you want wine pairings for each course.  Again admission to Epcot is required.

Finally, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios there will be live performances by “Mulch, Sweat and Shears” back to back at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat; show times are at 8 p.m., 9 p.m.  and 10 p.m.  The band will also be performing at 11:55 p.m. for the New Year’s Eve festivities.  A DJ will get the party started at 6:30 p.m.  

Submitted by Anthony Breath

Welcome the New Year on Aladdin's Magic Carpet

Looking for something fun and thrilling to do on New Year’s Eve?  Walt Disney World’s DisneyQuest is having a New Year’s party that should not be missed!  As a former cast member at “the quest” (Big ups to any CP’s who might be reading this) I’m extremely excited about the festivities.  

I’ve always felt DisneyQuest was a hidden gem at Downtown Disney; it is an indoor interactive theme park that offers a one of a kind gaming experience.  There are 5 floors of virtual reality rides and 3D encounters fueled by Disney innovation and imagination.  Some of the games may feel a little antiquated by today’s standards but I think that is a part of DisneyQuest’s charm, all I got to say is Donkey Kong for life.

The party starts at 8:00 p.m. and goes until 1:00 a.m.  Throughout the night you’ll have access to all of DisneyQuest attractions, video games and a DJ Dance Party (I’m sure they’ll be bumping some Jonas Brothers and Hanna Montana); you and your family will be able to throw your hands in the air, and wave them………… wave them like you just don’t care, if you feel that’s necessary.  The night will also feature a New Year’s Eve countdown with party favors.  You’ll also receive a coupon for a personal pizza and soda at FoodQuest up on the fifth floor.  For desert head down to the Cheesecake Factory which is located on the fourth floor, if my memory serves correctly. 

Tickets for this family event are available online for purchase or by calling 407-WDISNEY (407-934-7639).  Advance purchase tickets are $39 per person (including tax).  Day of the event tickets are $45 (including tax.)  Tickets may also be purchased at the DisneyQuest Box Office located just outside the main entrance to the building.

Here is a list of the attractions in DisneyQuest:

Pirates of the Caribbean — Battle for Buccaneer Gold – Sorry ladies, Johnny Depp is not featured in this ride, if my memory serves correctly.  Inhabit a world where blade meets blade, booming with swashbuckling action. Steer your pirate's ship, fire cannons at marauding buccaneers and race for the gold! (Guests must meet a minimum of 35" to ride)

Virtual Jungle Cruise – Plunge down a prehistoric river on a raft with Wayne Szalinski from “Honey I Shrunk the Kids” right into the Dinosaur Age. Try desperately to avoid dangerous obstacles in the running rapids. With a touch of 4-D, you may even get splashed!

CyberSpace Mountain – Design your own roller coaster on a computer, with special assistance from Bill Nye the Science Guy. Make it as scary as you want. When you're done, jump in a simulator and ride your creation in full 360° motion& if you dare! The ride is filmed and can be purchased on DVD.  (Guests must meet a minimum of 51" to ride)

Buzz Lightyear's Astroblasters –This is my favorite ride in the entire building.   Pilot your own futuristic bumper car "Astroblaster". The only problem is you're in a battle and always under attack! So you must fight back by scooping up "asteroids", loading them into your blaster and firing away at the other cars. It's an asteroid-blasting game unlike any other! (Guests must meet a minimum of 51" to ride)

Animation Academy – Be a Disney animator! An instructor takes you through the process of drawing a Disney character step by step. You'll delight yourself when you see what you are capable of creating!  You can also purchase your drawing at the end of the class!

Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam – Hip check your friends in a life sized Mighty Ducks pinball game. (Guests under 48" tall should see a Navigator for assistance.)

Ride the Comix – Battle super villians as you fly through a virtual reality comic book world!

Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride – Fly through the alleys and streets of Agra bah on a hunt to find the magic lamp and save the Genie!  -Insert Robin Williams Genie quote or song here -

And don't miss the classic arcade games in the Replay Zone. Find old favorites like Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Mario Bros, Frogger, Space Invaders, Tron (oh yeah), Spy Hunter (oh yeah again), Centipede, Asteroids, Q-bert and Donkey Kong.  I reiterate, Donkey Kong for life.

If you are looking for less screaming kids (and I include myself into that mix) and more of a relaxing, refined evening; right next door to DisneyQuest is Cirque du Soleil (did I just squeeze another Downtown Disney reference into this post, man I’m good at this).  There will be two performances of La Nouba, one at 6:00 p.m. and at 9 p.m.  There will be New Year’s Eve champagne toasts and guests will receive a limited edition La Nouba pin created for the New Year’s Eve event.  This pin is only the second official Disney trading pin created for Cirque du Soleil!  Tickets range in price form $67 to $133 (plus tax) for adults and $54 to $109 (plus tax) for children ages 3 to 9; don’t worry; there’s no screaming during the show.  More information can be found by calling 407-939-7328 and visiting La Nouba’s website.

Giant dinosaurs, fantastic food and meteor showers

Hey everybody, time for another post about our local attractions. This time the fiancée and I went on a prehistoric adventure to the T-Rex Café at Downtown Disney, complete with blurry Iphone photos! At the entrance of T-Rex Café is a huge Tyrannosaurus Rex (good themeing goes a long way). From the moment you walk in you are transported to prehistoric world filled with giant dinosaurs, fantastic food, and dino-themed t-shirts. The restaurant side features enormous animatronic dinosaurs, an ice cave, an enormous octopus bar, geodes, and life size (back when they were alive) insects and my favorite, some woolly mammoths. On the store side there is the Paleo Zone, Discovery Dig and Creek, and a Build-A-Dino workshop by Build-A-Bear.

When you visit the T-Rex Café for brunch or dinner make sure you brink your appetites. The menu is packed with delicious items for all ages. The Bronto-Burger was fantastic, the Fish and chips were great but my favorite was the Paleozoic Chicken Sandwich. The desert was of course the highlight of the meal which was ice cream with chocolate brownies. Don’t worry folks; the two of us didn’t eat all this food ourselves, we shared dishes with her sister and her boyfriend.

The store features a variety of dino-centric products. T-shirts, toys and tar pit goo can be purchased here. Here you will also find the Paleo Zone and Discovery Dig where children can unearth the past. The best aspect of the store is the Build-A-Dino Workshop. Here kids of all ages can pick an exclusive prehistoric animal, have it stuffed, and choose how to accessorize their new friendosaur. I’ve already asked for a woolly mammoth dressed as a super hero for Christmas. Also every 15 minutes there is a meteor shower which darkens the entire building as ice cave changes colors, the sounds of explosions are heard everywhere and lights flash with a red glow. I don’t know how the employees put up with that but mad kudos to them.

We had a great time at the T-Rex Café located at Downtown Disney. If you are visiting the area on vacation or a local like us you have got to check out this one of a kind restaurant; the only other location is in Kansas (really, Kansas). As a local you really have to take advantage of all the entertainment that Central Florida has to offer; especially when the weather is so nice and there are less people here in November. Also included in the pictures is a shot from the Lego Store at Downtown Disney, but that visit is for a later post….. (Cliffhangers build suspense)

Submitted by Anthony Breath

Who's Duffy the Bear?

 

If you haven’t been to Epcot or to Downtown Disney you’re missing out on the newest and cutest visitor.  Duffy the Disney Bear has officially arrived at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, strait from Japan.  Duffy, the Disney Bear will be for sale at Epcot theme park and select locations at the Walt Disney World Resort. 

Disney had been making Disney bears since the 1960s but it was only on November 5th 2004 that Oriental Land Company (the company behind Tokyo Disney Resort) decided to reinvent a mascot for their new park.  Duffy would become the key mascot of DisneySea’s American Waterfront world.   Mickey was about to set sail on an adventure to visit friends around the world.  The Bear was a gift to Mickey from Minnie so hey would have something special to remind him of how he was loved at home.  She stayed up all night to hand make the plush teddy bear with all of her heart; the stuffed bear, which has a Mickey Mouse-shaped face and a Mickey-shaped birthmark on its hip and the bottom of his feet.  Mickey adored him and named him Duffy (since the bear would travel in Mickey’s duffel bag).  Mickey Mouse brings the bear with him as he travels around the world.  In this way, Duffy is able to experience all the joyous moments that Mickey experiences too. 

By Christmas 2005, the generic Disney Bear was gone - Duffy had become the character we know and love today. Whereas Disney had simply intended the Disney Bear as a product to sell, Oriental Land Company designed Duffy's park presence and merchandising as an experience to be had.  Deeply grounded in Tokyo’s DisneySea's themes of adventure and exploration, as well as classic Disney values of giving, friendship, the value of work/sacrifice, the power of magic and love; the new story firmly establish Duffy as a classic Disney character, and independent from his generic Disney Bear origins. 

At Epcot, you can meet Duffy at across from Plaza Towers East (looking at World Showcase Lagoon from Future World, it’s on the left) which is home to Duffy merchandise including outfits from each country in World Showcase.  But I have to say the sailor outfit is my favorite.  You can also find Duffy merchandise at Downtown Disney in Once Upon a Toy and of course, the World of Disney store. 

Submitted by Anthony Breath

HHN part two!

Following my own advice (read the first HHN post) a group of us boogied on over to Universal Studios Orlando on a chilly Friday night. On this visit to Halloween Horror Nights we were on a mission, to visit as many houses as possible before starvation and exhaustion kicked in. No shows, no stopping, no mercy! Our group arrived at 7:30 and immediately started our journey into terror.

We blew past the scare zone Esqueleto Muerte and headed into Psychoscareapy. The scare zone was a welcomed change from tall, overweight guys with chainsaws; though it wasn’t very scary. The house was great and featured a familiar face know only as “Izzy Evil”. Immediately after Psychoscarepy we hit Hades, after dodging guys with chainsaws. This house was amazing! It takes a less “fire and brimstone” approach and uses legendary creatures such as the Minotaur, Griffin, and Cyclops to scare patrons. After exiting Hades we headed past the Mummy through the scare zones Zombie Gras and Saws & Steam then into the Orphanage. Again, Zombie Gras is original but not that scary, and of course in Saws & Steam there was another pack of tall overweight guys with chainsaws roaming about. At the Orphanage there are of course, children, and I don’t know what it is but ghost children are really creepy.

After the Orphanage we walked over to Havoc. This house was great as well, with mutated soldiers and plenty of screaming (not from me of course). We then went to Catacombs which I enjoyed more this time around when compared to our first visit to Halloween Horror Nights. Our group then traveled over to Hallowed Past. This house was spectacular; it features all the great ghouls and creatures from past Halloween Horror Nights. I don’t want to spoil it for you but needless to say this was my favorite house. On our way out of the park we walked through a scare zone which contained some more horrors from the past. With two houses left we flipped a coin and headed into Legendary Truth which also featured creepy ghost children.

At 2 am we left Halloween Horror Nights tired and hungry. We stopped to get some delicious pumpkin pancakes and then headed home. Our group braved the best horrors Universal Studios could show us, and we want more! I’m getting another group of friend together and heading back, this time to enjoy the hilarious Bill and Ted’s Excellent Halloween Adventure. With my Frequent Fear Pass I get to go again and again and again. Not sure if this should be included – As before here is a tip when visiting Halloween Horror Nights, visit Zombiegeddon first. The house was closed due to technical problems later in the night. This seems to be a common occurrence and the house maybe closed for good so do yourself a favor and hit this home first.

Submitted by Anthony Breath