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off kilter's amazing grace Trust me, you've not heard anything like this. If you have, then you must have see Off Kilter at Epcot.
Admittedly, I'm a Walt Disney World fan (Orlando), but these time lapse videos are really interesting. They show just how visionary Walt was... by erecting towers to house the stop motion cameras. He knew there was something special going on here. Enjoy these videos... And thanks for Van at Netcot for the original link to this... if you're not listenting to Van's podcast, you're missing out.
Beachcomber Shacks at Typhoon Lagoon Normally, we're a Blizzard Beach kind of family. On our first family trip to the Walt Disney World, we tried Typhoon Lagoon, and to be honest, it was a little too "rough" for the young ones on our family. (Mainly the wave pool.) But today on Twitter, I see @DisneyParks posted a link to their newly announced "Beachcomber Shacks." It's a semi-private area that you can rent for the day, and looks like a really nice place to camp out. Speaking from experience (we LOVE waterparks, and spend about 10-15 days a year in a waterpark), having a place to regroup & relax would be great. Not to mention, if you've ever gone to a Disney waterpark, you either get there at park open to get seats, or forget about it. From the link:
There you have it... now it does seem a little spendy... we get a Cabana at Zoombezi Bay for $125, similar spec, but I suppose, for Disney, you're gonna expect to drop a little more. We might give it a try on our next trip, and if we do... we'll post a full report right here. Hey Disney, if you're listening, how about "Igloo Blocks" over at Blizard Beach... if you build 'em, we will come! Have a magical day. *UPDATE* @DisneyParks announced "Polar Patios" at Blizzard Beach. Same set up, different theme. Really cool. Pun intended ;-) See more here.
start the countdown: I'm always amazed when I stop to think what we haven't seen in the 'World. We really try to see as much as possible, but with three kids, and a grandmother, in tow, sometimes we just need to "pass." Well, this next trip should be a little better. The youngest will be 5 years old, and we'll hopefully be able to make more of our trip. With our new found respect for rising early to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours (I HIGHLY recommend that!), we're planning on finding more noks and crannies to get lost in. So, I'm adding to the list of things/places to go on our next trip. Got any suggestions? Email me here, love to hear your thoughts. (This list is an addition to the previously posted list here.) Restaurants
Attractions
So, while listening to this week's WDW Today Podcast (#529), they interviewed Shawn Slater, a 20-year Cast Member. They discussed a lot of interesting things, but the most important thing to me was the new link: Disney Shawn (http://www.disneyshawn.blogspot.com/). Well worth a visit to his blog, and while you're at it, check out this video of a short-lived attraction at the Living Seas Pavillion: DRU-1 dolphin animatronic. Suffice it to say, this is just one of the many reasons I'm a Disney junkie. They routinely push the envelope of infotainment... and this is just one example. A really cool example, but just one. Hope you enjoy the video... I did. And thanks to the guys (and gal) at WDW Today Podcast. As always, keeping my habit alive.
oh, we’re dreaming of another trip to the World... I'm trying to convince the family to drive it again (c'mon, have you proced flights for five lately?), but I'm losing the battle. For now. One thing I do know is that we're gonna put the brakes on some of the frivolous spending... maybe even avoid Downtown Disney altogether. I mean, seriously, the Lego store has enough of my money. No, really, they do. Especially since we're getting a LEGO store of our very own here in Columbus! (link) Based on our learnings for the previous three trips, we're honing our process... so here's the list of things we're planning on doing: Accomodations
Restaurants
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Hollywood Studios
Animal Kingdom
I'll post more about the other aspects of it as we move forward, or rather, if we move forward, so keep an eye here.
2008 disney trip Our family loves Disney. No, I mean LOVES Disney. Every other year, we go down for a no-holds-barred trip, where we don't say “no” to the kids for anything. Truth be told, my lovely wife has probably states it best this way: “We're taking Dad to Disney.” Yes, it's true, my name is Greg, and I'm addicted to Walt Disney World. This trip the first time we've driven down, what an experience. We toured with our neighbors, the Schimmollers, and took their huge van and trailer.... here's how it went. We decided to go for two weeks. (Note to self: way too long, way too expensive.] We spent 10 days in Disney, then a couple of days split between Cape Canveral and Cocoa Beach. Really nice trip. We're not rookies at this, and certainly everyone who's made a trip to WDW has a tip or two to share, but I pride myself on being up to speed with things pertaining to the 'World. Having said that, I learned a lot from our friends that we travelled with. The summarized learnings:
The drive We drove down in one shot (split between several drivers, it's not so bad). It gave us a reason to 'take it easy' on that arrival day and lay around the pool. Not bad. On the drive back, we took our time, and spread it across two days. Not surprising. And, I'd have to admit, it sure was nice to have a vehicle at our disposal for the two weeks... need to go off property? No problem. Want to go to Downtown Disney without the bus? No problem. That was a new experience for us. The accomodations
The Pop Century was huge. Literally. You'd need a tram to go from one side to the other. It does have a nice food court, and plenty of pool space. One thing I'd have to say, though, the themeing left a lot to be desired. Big box buildings with stuff “bolted on.” Not really too impressive for a Disney experience. Now, the cost was attractive, but honestly, we go every other year, so when you look forward to it for that long, you may as well get what you're looking forward to. I know plenty of people who would disagree with me, but I am not convinced we'll vist the Pop again. Maybe we will... depends on the budget I suppose. For more detail on the Pop Century, check out All Ears Net's report for photos, reviews and more.
Then we moved to the Polynesian... that's our home away from home. We love the Poly. Yes, it costs more, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Nicer accomodations, better service all around, superb themeing. And, O'Hana... that seals the deal. We thoroughly enjoy every aspect of the Poly. The overall atmosphere is exactly what the doctor ordered. Lush foliage, accomodating service, Monorail access. All around, a wonderful experience. I could go on and on, but I won't for now. Again, for more detailed info, visit All Ears Net's fact sheet. The Parks Magic Kingdom | We rode all three of the “mountain” rides in Magic Kingdom (Space Mountain, Splash Mountain & Big Thunder Mountain). Admittedly, our butts were dragging by noon, but by then, you can justify leaving the park. After all, you've done what you came there to do. EPCOT | Test Track, Soarin' & Mission: Space were a blast. We did the Ellen's Energy attraction... mainly for the air-conditioned break, though I'd have to admit, she's pretty funny. Animal Kingdom | We also rode the Dinosaur attraction... a little intense for the younger ones in the crowd, but worth a try. Oh, and we ate at Rainforest Cafe, a fun experience. Expedition Everest is awesome. We rode it three times in a row (thanks to extra magic hours), and would do it again. The Finding Nemo stage play is also noteworthy... if you like the Lion King experience, you'll like this...
Hollywood Studios (our family's favorite park) | Of course, we did the Indiana Jones Stunt Show, and Lights, Motors, Action, always a good time. We skipped Sci-Fi Dine In... weren't impressed last time we dined there. However, the highlights of the Studios had to be riding the rockin' Roller Coaster and Tower of Terror. Wow. Solid fun. Dining We also had the pleasure or Mama Mel Rosa's... everyone had a good meal there. Our party of 10 (remember, two families) was well fed, and enjoyed the themeing. Wolfgang Puck Express... well, we'll pass on that next time. Nice environment, but for the value, it's not there. (This was a sans-kid meal, thankfully.) One evening we dined at the Mexican restaurant in the Mexico pavilion at EPCOT (the particular name escapes me at the moment), which is a really nice environment, though the fare is, well, fair. Ready for next: Links: |
There are a few things I'm really passionate about. My family comes first, always. Disney (as in Walt Disney World). Pixar movies (c'mon, who doesn't like Nemo, Woody & Lightning McQueen?). Oh, and LOST... oh my, don't get me started... here are a few of my favorite links:
Recent Posts:
And, oh, what the heck... here's a few more:
Big fans of, and though I'd love to be, I'm not affiliated with The Walt Disney Company.
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We tried some new places, and several old favorites. Hitting O'Hana is a must for us, but this trip also brought a character dinner at Chef Mickey's. Surprisingly good food (sorry, maybe I wasn't expecting much) and one of the trip's best photo opps.
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