Around The Mouse

Summer Nightastic Review

2010-06-22T18:51:00.001-07:00

Standing in the boiler room, you hear thunder clap in the distance. The lights blink and then go out. The cables of the elevators spark and almost snap. A little girl can be heard singing faintly somewhere in the background.

This is the new Tower of Terror - Summer Nightastic style. And it's awesome. Dare I say, I might like it better than the original. And it's not all that's great about Summer Nightastic.

This being said, I do admit that when Disney first announced their plans for Nightastic a few months ago, I was underwhelmed. I thought it was a poor attempt at trying to counter Harry Potter over at Universal. But then I came to understand that it wasn't supposed to go toe-to-toe, and it took experiencing it to fully understand. What it's supposed to be is a fun and cool evening treat for people who want something new in WDW. And that is definitely what it delivers - at least for the most part. And what it does, it does really well.

Basically, Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom hit this one out of the park. What they offer is outstanding. The Main Street Electrical Parade and The Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular are AWESOME. I needed to see the MSEP in person to fully appreciate it (youtube does it no justice at all). And as we mentioned in the last article, it was a hit. I now see why those WDW old-schoolers were giddy with excitement for its return; it is a LOT of FUN, plain and simple.

The fireworks are also equally impressive. The 180 degree blasts really add to the spectacle. And when the castle goes to battle with Captain Hook - it's phenomenal. I loved it - it's as much a different experience from Wishes as is MSEP is from SpectroMagic. Both Wishes and Spectro pull at the heart strings while MSEP and the Nightastic Fireworks are all about the fun. A very different experience for sure, and for those who have seen the Spectro/Wishes combo multiple times, a welcome change. That's not so say we don't like the previous combo, but a little update to the Magic Kingdom evening presentation is a breath of fresh air. A little tip: stand somewhere in the Hub in front of the castle or on the Railroad platform; standing in the middle of Main Street, USA will obstruct your view of the peripheral fireworks.

Hollywood Studios' effort is also first-rate as well. First, the Rock & Glow concert under the giant Sorcerer's hat is also a tremendous amount of fun. Lead by Mulch, Sweat & Shears (one of my favorite live acts in WDW) and several different DJ's, it really adds to the festive, party atmosphere meant for Summer Nightastic. Mulch is a great amount of fun and those guys are really talented. I'm glad they are being showcased here. Their 80's set is particularly great.

But The Studios really hits the mark with the Tower of Terror. Now, I've heard several reviews that don't agree with the changes, but I can't disagree with that sentiment more. I LOVED the changes. What they've done has made the ride more creepy and exciting. And, in my opinion, it actually melds with the theming better. I'd love for it to stay this way.

The changes begin in the boiler room. You do hear thunder in the distance rumble and roll, and every once in a while a clap occurs followed by a dimming of the lights and finally they go out completely...and slowwwwwwly come back on. You also do hear the faint singing of the little girl who was on the elevator in 1939...it is very much creepy and effective.

After boarding the elevator, during the first stop after the door opens, a bright flash takes your picture...then the sequence happens where the "ghosts" appear, then the window breaks. Then you move on.

The next stop is the forward-moving sequence. But instead of the Twilight Zone inspired odd set pieces along both sides of the hallway, it has been turned into a black starlight field. After turning the corner and heading toward the drop sequence, a large photo appears of the elevator with all the guests seated (the pic taken during the last stop). The guests are then electrified and begin to dissolve and disappear from the seats...a very awesome effect.

After this, the doors open and you move into the elevator shaft. Instead of the typical "YOU ARE ABOUT TO DISCOVER..." line, there is nothing but darkness and creepy jazz music...and boy, does that work. Then the sound of thunder and cables snapping...and WHOOOOOOSH you drop. Then up to the top 3 full times. It is incredible...I can't rave enough about the Tower of Terror. And remember, we're talking about what was arguably my single favorite attraction in all of WDW to begin with - so it had set a high bar for itself. And it blew it away. I loved it; so did the whole family.

For everything that Magic Kingdom and The Studios did correctly, Epcot and especially Animal Kingdom didn't do AT ALL.

Now, at least Epcot has the return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series...and I do very much enjoy that and it's a welcome addition to the evenings at World Showcase. It is a lot of fun (when it's on the schedule), and even though it's not a brand new concept, it's something. And you can't complain too much about bringing something old back like the Sounds series since MK is using the same strategy with the Electrical Parade. But Magic Kingdom is also offering a lot more to go along with that. Epcot isn't.

And speaking of not offering anything, Animal Kingdom has cornered the market on this one for Summer Nightastic. Disney did proclaim that it would have "extended evening hours" for the summer, but I have yet to see that. Leaving the park open until 7 p.m. on most non-EMH nights is not my idea of "extended hours." I'm only upset about this because AK is so phenomenal at night - it's absolutely beautiful. But most people don't get to see that. This wouldn't be so bad if they actually did live up to their claim of extended hours, but they haven't. At least they are including the Taste Of Africa event after the Jammin' Jungle Parade every afternoon...however, that costs extra (sort of like a mini Food & Wine Festival). So, in essence, AK has really not done anything at all for Summer Nightastic.

But beside that, I love The Mouse's effort for this summer event. It's a whole lot of fun, and little extras like this is really what WDW excels in - it always adds so much to the park experience. I'm actually hoping they continue with the Electrical Parade, the Fireworks and the Tower of Terror changes well past the summer.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls...The Magic Kingdom Proudly Presents...

2010-06-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

We had an opportunity to attend the passholder preview this past Saturday for the debut of Summer Nightastic! at Magic Kingdom. It didn't disappoint! In this article, we'll detail our first experience with The Mainstreet Electrical Parade. We watched both the 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. parade and the Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular in between - we'll review the fireworks in an upcoming article.

I must start out by saying that my family really aren't huge parade fans (not that we don't like parades, we simply don't go out of our way to see them any more). I must also say that the kids had no idea about The Mainstreet Electrical Parade - the last time it came down the streets of MK, Chance wasn't even born yet and Katie was just a couple years old - so the news that it was finally coming back to The Mouse Of The South didn't hold much meaning for them. Hope remembers seeing it a very long time ago with only fleeting images as memories. I had never seen it in person.

The parade it replaced for the summer - Spectromagic - is cool. It has GREAT music and Hope loves the fact that it so heavily features princesses. The kids at this point could take it or leave it - the first couple times seeing it, it was more novel them, but not any more. So for us, it's a good time for a change. The Electrical Parade was just what the doctor ordered.

Now, I've heard the soundtrack on my ipod many times. I've also seen bits and pieces of the parade itself on youtube. So I was somewhat familiar with what it is...but that didn't do it justice at all. The Mainstreet Electrical Parade is unique and more importantly, FUN. I really enjoyed it, as did the whole family.

There's something very cool about how the lights shut off and the intro begins: "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls...the Magic Kingdom proudly presents..." It builds a real sense of anticipation. And when you finally see the floats, it's very much a spectacle. For the first showing, we saw it from Liberty Square; seeing it coming across the Liberty Square bridge from the Hub helped feed that anticipation. Seeing these HUGE glowing floats from a distance coming closer as you're surrounded by a dark MK is a sight to behold...and a unique feeling to experience. For the second showing, we were in Town Square across from the Confectionary with a full view of the gates to backstage where the parade emerges from and then begins its route. Seeing it come out from backstage was also a treat.

My first impressions of the Mainstreet Electrical Parade was that it's...weird. Cool and fun, but strange. And for that, I love it. I want something different...something that really feels like its out of another place and time. It's sort of surreal. And I love it for that.

I mentioned how great Spectro's music is/was. And it is...but it is SO different from this one. Spectro's soundtrack is grand and sweeping - it evokes powerful feelings in return. Electrical Parade's is pure fun - people loved it so much that everyone broke out into clapping in unison. It's a feel-good parade in a different way that Spectro is a feel-good parade. And that's also not just an interesting comparison, but it says a lot for both. These parades are effective in that they bring out an emotional response in everyone - and a vastly different emotional response in each.

Unfortunately, I forgot the digital camera...I only brought the cell phone which has a very poor night-time camera, so the photos came out horrible. So for the sake of providing a visual, I'm inserting several from Kathy Werling's DisUnplugged blog...she's a great photog with great camera equipment...enjoy!

You can see Kathy's original blog post here.

Happy Memorial Day

2010-05-31T11:32:00.001-07:00

Happy Memorial Day from Around The Mouse! A huge thanks to all those who've served our country and have paid the price for our freedom. We are forever grateful.

Disney pin image courtesy of a great pin collecting/trading website, pinpics.com.

Two Great Pieces Of American Culture: Disney and Star Wars

2010-05-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios is awesome. I say this not only because I grew up with the original trilogy in the late 70's/early 80's, but also because our kids have grown up with the prequel trilogy and love it just as much (and they've also fallen in love with the original series as well - yes!). So this event combines two great pieces of American culture: Star Wars and Disney.

I mean, honestly - how can you beat Jedi Mickey?

You can't. You can't beat Jedi Mickey. You can only hope to contain him!

Well, unless you're talking Jedi Mickey with R2-MK, of course! That's the only way to beat just Jedi Mickey.

Now, our love for Star Wars and Disney draws to us to this event every year. And there are some really, really GREAT aspects to these weekends. The single best aspect for our family has been the character interaction. Every year they outdo themselves and provide a great deal of entertainment. Whether it's characters in the meet and greet spots (which are spread out all around the Backlot area, Star Tours area and behind Muppet Vision) or characters roaming about freely in those areas, they all are FANTASTIC.

Below is a series of three photos that underscore what kind of fun guests can have with these characters. Aurra Sing is a peripheral character in the Star Wars universe (only having appeared in Episode I very briefly), but she makes for a terrific face character. We camped out for a while by the entrance/exit for the characters over by the Backlot Tour, because it turns out to be a perfect spot to get shots and time with these characters as they're entering and leaving the "stage". Check out Aurra and Chance as he waits for her to come out...she knows he's there, but he doesn't know SHE knows...until she lets him!

She played it up and I'm sure it's something Chance is going to remember for a long, long time. She didn't just pay Chance mind, though...she got right into Katie's face and had a staring contest! Aurra won.

Stormtroopers, Jawas, Clonetroopers, Jabba's Palace Guards, Tusken Raiders and more roam the streets and make for incredible photo ops. To us, this is the best part of Star Wars Weekends.

Also, the face characters at the meet and greet spots make conversation and know their Star Wars stuff, for sure. They can hold their own - because believe me, we tested them a little (I asked Luke if he's been to any good cantinas lately, and he responded, "Oh, there's just this one down in Mos Eisley....that's about all the entertainment we've got on Tatooine." Not bad.

And while we didn't see the parade this past weekend, we've seen it in years past...and it's worth it. Also, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention Hyperspace Hoopla. If you haven't seen it yet, it's worth it. Crowded, but worth it. Well, OK...extremely crowded. So much so that if you don't set up camp early and get your spot, then you'll have a hard time seeing it. So get there well before show time.

And speaking of the crowds... now for the negative. There isn't much negative about the Weekends...except the crowds. It is insane, because it is so popular. But that's OK, because it's totally understandable. Just know that coming in, in order to get into the Jedi Training Academy, the autograph signings, the Jedi Mind Challenge or other limited-capacity events, you have to be there early. As in WAY before rope drop early. I heard that guests were lining up at 5 or 6 a.m....and we arrived for rope drop, and the kids couldn't get into the Jedi Training Academy even then! Oh well, lesson learned.

Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett) signing autographs.
You have to get an autograph fastpass to get
anything signed, and they were given out very quickly,
very early in the morning.

So in the end, regardless of the crowds, if you're a Star Wars fan, you gotta be here. And if you're a Star Wars AND Disney fan, then it's a moral imperative to be here!

"Tom Sawyer's Island...?"

2010-05-20T06:02:00.000-07:00

Being passholders for years, our kids have not been on some attractions for a long time - even years for certain ones. Winnie The Pooh, Snow White's Scary Adventure, Ellen's Universe Of Energy, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and a few others are attractions that have been done and there hasn't been much of an outcry to get back on them. One that both have been on - but it's been at least 4 years since the last time - is Tom Sawyer's Island at the Magic Kingdom.

So a few weeks ago, we took them to the Island because it was something "new" - something they haven't done in a really long time. Let me tell you - they LOVED it. LOVED it. They've been begging to go back ever since.

Well, I must admit that I probably never gave Tom's island much of a chance. First, it's a pain to get to. Second, with its trees and vegetation, it gets HOT. And they don't even have their quick service restaurant open any more (which is too bad - there's picnic tables and other great spots to eat at on the island). It probably didn't help that I was never much of a fan of Tom Sawyer/Huck Finn and company. Just a series of books and stories that as a kid I never took much interest in. So from a theme standpoint, I guess I just never gave it a second thought. So the thought of heading out there and spending an untold amount of time was not appealing.

I was wrong, and I admit it. Tom Sawyer's Island is really pretty cool. It's old school Disney, and a great place to explore. Of course, it's not the most technologically advanced attraction in WDW. And like I said, I wish Aunt Polly's food stand was still open.

The barrel bridge, the fort, the caves, the mines, the windmill and more make this a fun venture. Some great views of the vistas of Magic Kingdom including Big Thunder Mountain, a unique view of The Haunted Mansion, Frontierland and the Castle are also present from various vantage points around the island..

Now beware - the terrain on the island is old school. Very narrow paths, steeply graded and crooked walkways, dark spaces where it's hard to see in front of you and other obstacles are present. Personally, I love all of that - makes it a very different place to be and explore. However, some of those things can be very challenging to some people, especially those in wheelchairs and strollers. And I also admit the theming is actually very cool. Once again, Disney places you in that time period with their attention to detail. Some of it is absolutely wonderful.

So without further ado, here are some photos of our experiences at Tom Sawyer's Island...

The spooooooooky cave face! Ooooooooh!

OK, it's actually pretty cool.

The stables...

The Fort...the kids love this place. Lots of little spots to run and hide.

Love the view of the Mansion from here...

Gotta love a good old barrel bridge.

Cannons and guns to fire from high up on the Fort.

No wonder the kids love it.

Around The Mouse Fitness - Healthy Eating In Magic Kingdom

2010-05-17T05:50:00.000-07:00

When it comes to eating healthy, Magic Kingdom can be a major challenge - and in my opinion more so than any of the other parks, especially in comparison to Epcot, the first park of this Around The Mouse Fitness series.

There are some big differences between Epcot and Magic Kingdom in the realm of healthy eating. First, Epcot has many more table service restaurants than Magic Kingdom (11 to 4). And as we mentioned in the last article, it's usually easier to eat healthfully at table service restaurants because if you communicate with the server and/or chef about your wishes and dietary needs, they are usually very willing to work with you. In most cases you can ask for seasoned and steamed or baked veggies instead of rice or pasta. Or you can request a baked, broiled or grilled chicken or fish with no butter or oil and they can usually do something for you. Or a dressing or sauce on the side so you can use it sparingly and control the amount that goes on your food.

Also, Epcot has a very wide variety of food because of the nature of World Showcase. With 11 different pavilions from around the world showcasing their cultural culinary diversity, there is plenty to choose from. Magic Kingdom offers food that is more monochromatic in nature.

But that doesn't mean the original WDW park is devoid of healthy offerings and options altogether. One place I love that offers some healthy options is The Plaza Restaurant just around the corner off of Main Street, USA on the way to Tomorrowland. The Plaza has a Chicken Strawberry Salad with a White Zinfandel dressing that's really very good. Also, the Turkey Sandwich on Multi-Grain bread is a quality choice as well (just ask to hold the mayo and replace with mustard if you're a mustard fan).

Next in line for healthy choices is Cosmic Rays Starlight Cafe. The Grilled Chicken Sandwich isn't a bad option, and there are some good condiments to be had at the toppings bar - just avoid the mushrooms and onions as they are sauteed in butter and oil. You could also ask for the half rotisserie chicken - just make sure to take the skin off to save massive calories and fat. Also, it comes with mashed potatoes and seasoned veggies - you could ask for double veggies and be much better off.

Another Magic Kingdom counter service staple has a couple of items that fit the bill - the Columbia Harbour House. Just beware of the tuna sandwich - tuna fish is always tricky since because it's fish, many believe it to be healthy. Except, and in this case too, it's always mixed with full-fat mayo. Gotta stay away from that. But Harbour House does have a hummus sandwich that is very good and much better for you than the tuna - and definitely better for you than the battered deep-fried fish or chicken. Add the side of vegetarian chili and you're in good shape.

Our new favorite is a great counter service restaurant in Adventureland that's open only sparingly (usually only for lunch) - El Pirata Y El Perico. It is basically standard Mexican counter service-type food: burritos & tacos. But first of all, we love this restaurant because it's very cost-efficient...some of the cheapest counter service meals in the parks. Second, they have a vegetarian taco combo that is very good and relatively healthy. Instead of ground beef or chicken, the veggie taco comes chock-full with black beans - which are loaded with protein and fiber and next to no fat. Ask for double beans and no rice (which they've done for me), and it doesn't seem to be a problem. It also comes with a little side cup of white rice and black beans. Again, ask for more beans and no rice and it shouldn't be a problem. They also have a GREAT toppings bar with incredible salsa. Add some lettuce and diced tomatoes and you've got a great taco - you could choose to not eat the corn tortilla and be better off, but you could do worse even if you eat the shell.

One other location that I always recommend is the Liberty Square Market fruit stand beside The Hall Of Presidents. They offer a variety of fruit which are PERFECT summer snacks (or snacks for any time of year). Fruit is particularly great in the summer because most have a high water content (which will help keep you hydrated along with regular water consumption), a decent amount of fiber (to help you feel satiated) and fructose (natural complex fruit sugars) to give you energy to keep navigating the parks. Try going there instead of for the turkey leg! ;)

So that's a three counter service restaurants, one table service restaurant and a food cart area to take advantage of in the Magic Kingdom when it comes to healthy eating options. And while it's a battle to try and avoid the Dole Whips, the Churros, the Confectionary fudge squares and the Popcorn, it is possible to do!

Next up, Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Around The Mouse Fitness - Healthy Eating In Epcot

2010-05-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

Epcot is the King Of Dining in The Mouse. It really is. Just think about how many restaurants - both table service and counter service - they have all around the park. Some of the best establishments in both categories are present: Le Cellier, Sunshine Seasons, Les Chefs de France, Tangerine Cafe, Biergarten, Coral Reef, and Teppan Edo just to name a few. The options are almost limitless.

But what about options when it comes to eating healthfully? What if a guest needs to limit or balance their calories? What if they don't want to blow their eating habits out of the water by coming to the vacation kingdom of the known world? Is it even possible to not blow it up?

It is possible. And it's very doable...especially at Epcot. You just have to pick your battles and know where to look.

First, let's be honest: most people who come to Disney World are on vacation and want to splurge - and they have every right to. And WDW has some of the best food you'll EVER taste, period. You don't want to miss it, and shouldn't miss it. But you can control it. The secret lies in eating healthy when the options make it at all possible, so it helps balance out the few times you truly splurge because the best options might not be there. That means knowing where those healthy options are present.

One of the best places to look for healthy options is the winner of Around The Mouse's best counter service restaurant, Sunshine Seasons. Don't get me wrong - there's plenty here that's REALLY unhealthy - so just going to this expansive restaurant in The Land pavilion doesn't make all the choices optimal. Amongst the best from which to choose from in Sunshine is:

Black Bean Soup
Seared Tuna on Mixed Greens
Spicy Thai Chicken
Oak Grilled Vegetable Flatbread
Grilled Salmon with Kalamata Olive Pesto
California Sushi Rolls
Cous-Cous side
Mixed Green Salad with Apple-Balsamic Dressing
Broccoli side

Our vote for healthiest choice would be the Seared Tuna on Mixed Greens (with Seasame Wine Dressing) with a side of black bean soup. The soup is low in calories and fat while being high in protein, fiber and complex carbs. The Tuna & greens is relatively low in calories, high in Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins and minerals. Just be careful with the dressing - there are worse dressings out there (anything in the cream dressing department), but you don't want to go overboard. Also, just a little sushi goes a long way - the white sticky rice is nutritionally empty and very high on the glycemic index (see more on the Glycemic Index here). It is packed with veggies, however, at least giving it some nutritional punch.

Another great option in Future World comes from the surprising Electric Umbrella. This counter services next to Innoventions and across from Mouse Gears offers a good old fashioned Whole Wheat Turkey Wrap. Ask for no cheese and you have a low calorie, low fat, high protein and moderately high fiber meal. Mustard or a light Italian dressing can provide some extra flavor.

Moving over to World Showcase, the Yakitori House in the Japan pavilion offers their broiled Chicken Ginger Salad and Miso Soup. Both are low on calories and the Ginger salad high in protein and low in fat. The Miso Soup may be an acquired taste, but I love it.

The Tangerine Cafe has some offerings that can help a healthy diet. The vegetarian platter is wonderful, as is the Mediterranean Chicken Wrap. Sides of hummus, tabouleh, lentil salad and cous-cous are also good choices with quality nutritional value.

Of course, the stars of the dining world in Epcot are the table service establishments. Almost all of them will be more than willing to work with you on creating healthier options for your meal - remember, you're never relegated to only what's on the menu. The server and chefs will definitely assist in providing something tweaked to be healthier (no butter while sauteeing, dressings/sauces on the side, veggies instead of rice/pasta, extra spices or seasonings to add flavor, lower sugar options, etc.). Don't be afraid to ask.

Two places that might give you an issue as far as healthy options is Biergarten and San Angel Inn. And the Inn might be able to work with you as far as switching out ingredients or altering preparation, but Biergarten is a buffet - a buffet I love - but it is a LOT of heavy calorie, heavy sauce, heavy carb dishes. They do have some salads, but I don't know if I could justify spending upwards of $30.00 per person for a salad buffet. It pains me to say it because I flat-out love the place, but enter with caution.

In the end, Epcot has tons of options, even counter service options that can help you come to Disney World and not consistently have a 4,000 - 6,000 calorie day. That can add up quickly. So when you have an opportunity, look for some of the above recommendations if you need to watch your caloric intake.

We Love The little Things

2010-05-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

The question I asked recently on the Around The Mouse facebook page got me thinking. The question was, "If you were at WDW right now, what is THE one thing you'd most want to do on this fine, sunny day?" The answers were (and they're still coming in as I write this) very interesting. For every major attraction listed (Splash, Soarin, Pirates, etc.), many people answered, "Just being there" or something similar. What is it about WDW that brings out that feeling in so many people?

Sure, we all love the big, popular attractions (Toy Story Mania, Haunted Mansion, Soarin, Everest, etc.). The awesome end-of-night fireworks and shows (Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic!). The major restaurants (California Grill, Brown Derby, Le Cellier, Boma, etc.). The most popular desserts and treats (Dole Whip, Zebra Domes, etc.). But what are the many things that make Walt Disney World feel like Walt Disney World...that have nothing to do with the big things?

I'm talking about the elements of WDW that you see, hear, smell and feel that makes you LOVE being IN Walt Disney World. And I think the vast majority of those things have nothing to do with the biggest, most popular attractions.

Maybe it has to do with a few of these things...

...the Welcome to Walt Disney World sign that crosses over the highway.

...walking down Main Street, USA in the morning with the Philharmonic playing in the distance.

...the smell of popcorn on Main Street, USA?

...the hammocks at Poly beach.

...watching Wishes from the Poly beach.

...the idea of watching Wishes from the Poly beach hammock.

...the slow incline up at the beginning of Spaceship Earth.

...the pre-Illuminations loop that plays over the speakers as you stroll around World Showcase after dark.

...the miso soup from the Yakatori House.

... the hanging garden lamps and the sound of the water falls behind the Yakatori House. Especially at night.

...being told, "Welcome home," as we enter the resort lobby.

...hearing, "Look at all the lazy people in the lazy rivah."

...seeing the morning sun rise over the Boardwalk.

...seeing the morning sun glow on the Castle.

...seeing your kids meeting Pluto and KNOWING it's HIM.

...experiencing familiar scent of Pirates of the Caribbean.

...having a seat on a bench somewhere around World Showcase and just r-e-l-a-x-i-n-g.

...the first time you see Cindy's castle in the distance as you're walking through the TTC toward either the monorail or the ferry.

...getting choked up during Wishes. Or Illuminations. Or the Candlelight Processional. Or from watching the Voices of Liberty.

...lining up at the turnstile to any of the four parks and knowing you have a whole day ahead of you in a fantasy land...or at least part of a day in Fantasyland.

...watching a CM trade pins with your kids and giving out advice for touring.

...watching the glass blowers at Magic Kingdom.

...and about a million other things.

More and more over the years I've discovered that Walt Disney World isn't about riding rides. It's about the feeling the experience evokes as you envelope yourself in its wonderfully unique atmosphere. When you're there, soak it all in and enjoy every moment - there's no place like it anywhere else.

Around The Mouse Fitness - Resort Fitness Centers

2010-05-09T06:02:00.000-07:00

Nothing can sabotage a fitness program or regimen like going on a vacation. Between the incredible food, being immersed in the escape from reality and tight schedules, fitness can be put on the back burner for a while. But it doesn't have to be that way! Especially when you consider the array of awesome outdoor and indoor activities offered around Walt Disney World.

Mickey needs some work on his deadlift form.

In this first article in the Around The Mouse Fitness series, we'll start off with some basic options for keeping active while at WDW. One of the best ways to do so is to visit the closest resort Fitness Center. Not all resorts have one, but many do, and they are all of high quality (although some are relatively small). Cutting edge equipment from some of the biggest names in the industry (Life Fitness, Cybex) help make the experience feel top-notch. And remember, a little resistance training can go a long way to increasing your metabolism, and therefore your calorie burn - even at rest. Combine that with some aerobic training to get your heart rate up and it can help you greatly in staying fit in the middle of a vacation*.

Of course, if you stay at these resorts, usage of the fitness center is complimentary. If you're not staying, the fee is $12.00 (subject to availability). The fitness centers are also complimentary for the day if you purchase a spa treatment. Resorts that offer their own fitness centers:

Animal Kingdom Lodge: Zahanati Fitness Center

Boardwalk Inn: Muscles & Bustles Health Club

Coronado Springs Resort: La Vida Fitness Center

La Vida Fitness Center

Contemporary Resort: Olympiad Fitness Center

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Health Club

Old Key West Resort: R.E.S.T. Exercise Room

Polynesian Resort: Disney’s Grand Floridian Spa & Health Club

Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa: Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa Fitness Center

Wilderness Lodge and Villas: Sturdy Branches Health Club

Disney's Yacht & Beach Club: Ship Shape Health Club

Ship Shape Health Club

Of course, fitness centers aren't the only way to be active at WDW - there are literally countless ways to get moving and get your heart rate up a little. In upcoming articles of Around The Mouse Fitness, we'll go over many of those options in detail.

*Of course, if you have any health issues, check with a doctor before beginning any workout program.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T05:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day from Around The Mouse!

And an especially big Happy Mother's Day to my loving wife and mother of two, Hope, and my mom, shown below with my brother and I at Magic Kingdom in 1989 (in all our 80's fashion goodness!).

Holy 80's neon green hats and sunglasses, Batman!

2009 Theme Park Attendance

2010-05-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

We don't usually do "news" at Around The Mouse, but we figured we'd throw this out there in case you missed it.

Mickey and Minnie are celebrating
after this latest attendance report.

The TEA (Themed Entertainment Association) released the theme park attendance report for 2009. Once again, our beloved Magic Kingdom topped the list, and Walt Disney World theme parks in general dominated the top 10 (although both Japan parks decreased in attendance slightly). And while much was made of the recession and how it had a drastic impact on the parks, all four WDW parks still rose in attendance. Of course, the special deals they offered helped (buy 4 days, get 7, etc.), but it still speaks to the appeal of Disney Parks and Walt Disney World in particular as to how they've weathered the storm.

Here's the list of the top 10 theme parks world wide for 2009:

1) Magic Kingdom (Florida) - 17,063,000
2) Disneyland Park (California) - 14,721,000
3) Tokyo Disneyland (Tokyo) - 14,293,000
4) Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris (Paris) - 12,688,000
5) Tokyo Disney Sea (Tokyo) - 12,498,000
6) Epcot (Florida) - 10,935,000
7) Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Florida) - 9,608,000
8) Disney’s Animal Kingdom (Florida) - 9,540,000
9) Universal Studios Japan (Osaka) - 8,300,000
10) Everland (Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea) - 6,600,000

Here's the link to the story:
http://www.themeit.com/publications.htm

How Do You Do? Mighty Pleasant Greetin'

2010-05-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

In the last installment of Around The Mouse, we talked about attractions that needed a little TLC. That story was inspired from our trip onto the newly refurbed Splash Mountain. And while we went over our thoughts about how imagineering knocked this refurb out of the park and what it did for that attraction, I figured we'd expand upon that a little by showing you more from our experiences from around the ride (just remember our little digital camera doesn't do the interior of the ride justice at all - doesn't do that well in the dark).

In fact, the refurb was so well done that it kicked Splash Mountain up the ranks of Can't Miss Attractions (see the list here) in Magic Kingdom. In fact, I'd only put two attractions ahead of Splash - the Haunted Mansion and The Stroll Down Mainstreet, USA. Space Mountain and its recent refurb might have done more for that ride than did this refurb for Splash, I think from top to bottom Splash is a more enjoyable experience and it now looks the part.

And besides, with 90 degree weather already here and summer coming, getting potentially soaked can be very appealing!

Attractions That Need Just A Little TLC

2010-04-29T04:49:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week we had an opportunity to head to the Magic Kingdom for a little while in the morning and early afternoon to let off some steam. It was an absolutely gorgeous day (even slightly on the hot side - mid-80's), so we decided it might be a good time to once again try Splash Mountain.

It had been months since we last rode Splash, and that's for several reasons: 1) It's been a cold winter, 2) It just hasn't worked out recently with our touring, and 3) Last several times we were on it, it REALLY showed its age. And while the main reason of not going on Splash was mostly due to a combination of 1 and 2, when an attraction gets to the point of where Splash had been the last few times we were on it, it bumps down the list of must do's. Especially when attractions like Space Mountain go through the kind of quality refurb it went through. If we were going to dedicate a lot of time to a "Mountain" it would be the newly polished Mountain.

Anyway, we decided to give Splash a try with a fastpass on this beautiful day. It's a miserable wait in that queue when the stand-by lines are long, so fastpass, as with most superheadliner rides, is always recommended for Splash. We got ours and had a return time of about 11:00 a.m. I was actually looking forward to this because I knew it underwent a recent refurbishment, but I didn't now the extent of the changes.

Now, there weren't many "changes", so don't worry - it's still good ol' Splash. But let me tell you - it LOOKS bright, shiny and NEW. It's apparent that they went through this attraction with a fine-tooth comb and took care of basically all the things that needed some TLC. The colors of the painted objects pop. The colors of the lights are bright and bold - which really contrasts well with the large areas of shadow. The dioramas stand out and look beautiful. All the characters are moving the way they're supposed to move now (a fully hopping b'rer rabbit is back!) and they went through and touched up some of the costumes that were really starting to come apart. In a word, the ride looks AWESOME.

Back on April 2nd, we compiled our official list of the of the Top Ten Can't Miss things at Magic Kingdom, and Splash did indeed make the cut. But this refurb kicks it back up the list of attractions at Magic Kingdom toward the very top of the best attractions in this original WDW park.

What they did to Splash got me to thinking about how they could improve certain attractions at The Mouse with just a little TLC and it would make them instantly better. Here are 5 that could benefit from that type of attention:

Maelstrom
Norway pavilion, Epcot

Now, I don't want to change anything major on this attraction. I love the weirdness and uniqueness of the ride. It just exudes classic 80's EPCOT Center, and for that it's awesome. But it could use some touching up. Especially the large, flat gray walls that are just way too apparent in too many parts of the attraction. More trees, paint, bushes, drapery and other props need to be included to hide some of those walls - many of which have peeling or cracked paint, show bolts or nails, etc. A few of the animatronics need a little help, too (some are just too clunky at this point). Little improvements would REALLY help Maelstrom and these little things wouldn't ruin the original Spirit of this classic.

Great Movie Ride
Hollywood Studios

OK, some would say this needs MAJOR work. And it does. Some of the scenes could (should?) be replaced with newer movies that might mean a little something more to today's audience. But that doesn't necessarily need to happen with the type of refurb I'm talking about. With GMR, it would be very similar to my suggestions for Maelstrom: new coats of paint, a better job of hiding the walls, more dynamic lighting (like Splash - that would do wonders for GMR), etc. Little things to help sell the illusion of what's currently there just a little better. How about trying to make Tarzan's skin look a little less "plastic"? How about trying to get the Footlight Parade girls to move once again like they did way back when? How about a new face for Sigourney Weaver in the Aliens scene - or at least helping out with snapping, blinking eyes that makes me think of a ventriloquist dummy? They don't need to reinvent the whole attraction if they don't want to dedicate that time and money, but a Splash type refurb would do it a world of good.

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin
Tomorrowland, Magic Kingdom

Buzz is still pretty good even though Toy Story Mania has really put it to shame as the next generation "shooter" attraction. It's still a lot of fun and has its place (especially with Toy Story 3 almost here), but it really needs some TLC too. I've noticed a lot of places where the neon/blacklight paint it employs needs a new coat. Paint is chipping and faded in certain spots and looks bad. And if it wants to stay competitive with Toy Story Mania at all, they need to address this. Even the guns on some of the cars don't work properly anymore and some are very dirty - a thorough cleaning and new paint jobs needs to happen here as well. Bright, clean colors and lights are probably more important in a ride like this than almost any other.

Living With The Land
The Land, Epcot

I know this just went through a short refurb not that long ago, but it still needs help. Help as in the GMR-type help. A lot of the animatronics are VERY much showing their age - clunky movements, fur that is coming part, etc. Also more dynamic lighting (like Splash) would help the first half of the ride not be so dull and tired in appearance. I know the darker atmosphere is there to help hide some of the structural elements, but like with Maelstrom, there's ways of helping that. Living With The Land needs that help and it'll be just fine.

Primeval Whirl
Dino-Land, USA, Animal Kingdom

OK, we all know that the vast majority of people out there don't like the "theme" of Chester & Hester's Dino-Rama, and in particular, the theme of Primeval Whirl. I'm one of those people. Dino-Rama is the one place in Disney World that I'm ashamed of when it walk by it or through it. I do understand what they were doing when coming up with this theme, but I don't like it. So, with the understanding that the theme is not going away any time soon, at least they could hit a home run WITH this theme. Going on Primeval Whirl not too long ago for Chance's first ride ever on it (we'll post about that soon), gave me the opportunity to once again check it out. They've let it go. So much of it has been damaged by the outdoor elements and time - paint is faded, chipped, cracked. Perhaps new illustrations covering up existing paintings would add new life into this attraction. Let's face it: they could re-paint the whole attraction with all new illustrations and it would be relatively cheap and not all that time-consuming...and might make the thing actually look good. But until then, at least brighten and tighten it up!

All in all, WDW does a great job in keeping up with paint touch-up and the little things that keep the illusion real. They are the masters of attention to detail. But a few of the attractions could benefit from that much-needed TLC.

The Yin Yang Of WDW In The Summer

2010-04-20T19:40:00.001-07:00

Ahhh, summertime in Walt Disney World is fast approaching. There are definitely things to love (and not love as much) about being in The Mouse during the heat-and-humidity-infused months ahead. For example, there are far more activities that can be done in WDW during the scorching upcoming months, but that's balanced out by the massive crowds and long lines.

So to look more closely at this yin yang experience that is The Mouse in The Summer, we'll break it down into what we love about WDW in the summer versus what we might not love so much...

What We Love About Summer In The Mouse

The Pools

It's no fun staying at the Caribbean Beach Resort in January when it's 30 degrees and you can't even go swimming - trust us. Come summer, you CAN'T WAIT to dive in.

Paddle Boats & Other Recreational Water Activities

Who wants to head out into the middle of Seven Seas Lagoon on a Water Mouse when it's 45 degrees out? Sounds a little more appealing in that fantastic Florida sunshine in June.

The Dole Whip

Now, this treat from Adventureland (and Captain Cook's in the Poly) can be enjoyed any time of year...but it just seems so much better when it's 93 degrees out!

Kali River Rapids, Animal Kingdom

Any other time of year, Kali is basically not worth the effort (outside of seeing the queue area - which is phenomenal). Unless it's an unseasonably hot day, you don't want to get soaked only to walk around shivering afterward. And I also never understood the point of wearing the rain ponchos on the ride - aren't we riding it to get wet??? So with that said, when the heat is cranked up, there is almost no better feeling than hitting Kali and getting DRENCHED. But get that fastpass, because the lines are LONG in the summer.

Splash Mountain, Frontierland

This classic is slightly different than Kali in that during the non-summer months, they usually turn down the big sprinklers that really get you wet - although that doesn't save you from the splash other logs make at the bottom of the big drop after you've already done it. But during the summer, you WANT to get soaked here, for many of the same reasons why we love Kali during this season.

Summer Nightastic

This gives us an opportunity to see some new things at WDW this summer: new effects at Tower of Terror, extended hours at Animal Kingdom, Summer Concert Series at Epcot, new fireworks at Magic Kingdom, and of course, the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Water Misters

Who doesn't love to put their face into the water mister spots you can find at Epcot? There's 3 places I can think of off the top of my head - the area over by Test Track, the misters outside of Universe of Energy, and the misters by the fountains before you reach the World Showcase breezeway. There's also one opposite the bongo drums in Africa at Animal Kingdom, one over in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom and a few others hidden throughout the parks. These are a prize when it's 95 degrees and you're sweating like there's no tomorrow.

Singing In The Rain, Hollywood Studios

This is actually unknown to a lot of people. At the Lights, Cameras, Action end of the Streets of America, you can find an umbrella attached to a light pole. Stand in the right spot and water spritzes out all over. This is just another clever way of getting you wet - which, of course, is a blessing this time of year.

Tiki Totem Poles, Adventureland

They look cool, and during the summer they play a valuable role in cooling you off. The kids die for these guys.

Premium Mickey Ice Cream Bar

For much of the same reason why we love the Dole Whip, the Mickey Bar comes to the rescue on occasion.

Ellen's Universe Of Energy, Epcot

OK, this isn't the greatest attraction ever, but 45 minutes inside of cool AC is a savior in the middle of July. American Adventure in World Showcase does the same thing, but it's a far superior attraction, although not quite as long.

Club Cool, Epcot

Of course, we can never sing the praises of this little outpost enough. AC and free coca-cola products from around the world. How can you beat that when you're burning up?

The Water Parks

Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach really are a great way to spend a day at The Mouse when it's ridiculously hot outside. Whether it's the lazy rivers, the wave pools or slides/rides, you can't go wrong at either water park. We especially love Typhoon because of the awesome theming.

Ice Water Dumped On Your Head

OK, maybe this is just me. But wow, does it work.

What We DON'T Love About Summer In The Mouse

It's Busy Season

School is out all across the country. This is THE time most families around the country (and most of the world in general) come to The Mouse since they don't have to rip their kids out of school and miss time. So it all converges here at once, for 3 straight months. This means big crowds.

Long Lines Everywhere

When it's busy season and there are big crowds, that means long lines. REALLY long lines. So not only do you have to wait in a ridiculous line for a ride/attraction that probably lasts all of 3 minutes, but for some of these rides the wait (or part if the wait) is outside in the ridiculous heat. Patience wears thin.

Shoulder To Shoulder Crowds During Parades, Fireworks

This comes hand-in-hand with "It's Busy Season" (as do long lines). But it's particularly bad because it's really hot outside -which very much adds to the frustration factor which is already present because you're shoulder-to-shoulder with countless thousands of people, every where you turn.

It's Tougher To Tour "Commando" Style

Some people love to blitz around the parks, taking in as much as possible as quickly as possible. While I don't really prescribe to that idea as much (anymore), I can understand the motive of those who do. But this time of year, not only can long lines sabotage your efforts, but it can drain you - quickly. If you're trying to really get your money's worth and see as much as you can, this is a difficult time to go that route, for all those reasons.

Getting An ADR Is Almost Impossible

At least it used to be during the summer. With the state of the economy, it might be slightly easier these days heading into summer to get a dining reservation with shorter notice (although with the number of travelers getting the Dining Plan, it is still going to be difficult no matter what). Be prepared to eat Counter Service, at a Table Service that isn't your first choice, or bring your own food (which we always encourage).

It's Uncomfortable Outside Even During The Evening

In central Florida, it's not just the sun and pure temperature that makes the summer heat awful - it's the humidity as well. It's a "wet" heat, and that's what makes you sweat the most. And even when the sun goes down in the evening, much of the humidity stays put. So you continue to sweat, even standing there on Main Street, USA at 10 p.m., watching The Main Street Electrical Parade and Summer Nighttastic Fireworks show.

Now, even though that's a rather daunting list of things to dislike about The Mouse during the summer, to me the good outweighs the bad. There's still more things to love than there is to not love. And when it's all said and done, whether it's 25 degrees or 95 degrees, there's still no place I'd rather be than The Happiest Place On Earth.

Top Ten Can't Miss In The Mouse: Animal Kingdom

2010-04-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

In the fourth and final installment of the Can't Miss series, we take a look at WDW's youngest of the four main theme parks, Animal Kingdom. We've made no secret here at Around The Mouse that we love this place, even though it gets a bad rap sometimes from some sectors of the Disney World fan community.

We talked quite a bit about this way back in October (Defending Disney's Animal Kingdom!, Oct. 23, 2009) as we tried to explain why Animal Kingdom isn't that far behind (if at all) the other three older parks in The Mouse. It's beautiful, it's masterfully themed, and it does have an abundance of worthy attractions if you take advantage of what it actually has to offer. It also has some phenomenal dining - in both table service and counter service.

So while we're not here to try and convince you to love Animal Kingdom like we do, we do want to give you our thoughts on the Top Ten of what Animal Kingdom has to offer the Disney World guest.

Expedition Everest

Location: Asia

One word sums up Everest: AWESOME. Awesome theming. Awesome thrill. This is what Disney Imagineering can come up with when they're REALLY on their game. What's the best part of this attraction? The big forward drop? The fast, backward, twisting drop in the dark? The harsh G's you feel when flying around the outer edges? The Yeti swiping at you (even though he's usually a statue these days)? The theming of the Yeti museum? The theming of the shrines? The surrounding area of Anandapur? The answer to all is "yes."

Dinosaur

Location: Dino-Land, U.S.A.

This ride is legitimately scary to a lot of people...kids, adults, everyone. We've always loved it though, as that scary thrill is the reason it endeared itself to us. There may be no more effective audio-animatronic in WDW than the Carnotaurus that actually chases after your Time Rover. The glowing eyes, the realistic running movement, the roar, the screams...it's incredible. And then there's the Carnotaur at the picture spot - that guy is LOUD and SCARY. And because of that, looking at the photos post-ride can be hilarious. If you can keep your wits about you (and don't have a bad back - this ride can be VERY bumpy), this is a definite can't miss in Animal Kingdom.

Kilimanjaro Safari

Location: Africa

The most immersive attraction in Walt Disney World, in my personal opinion. The theming here is so killer that even though you know you're not really in Africa, you could swear that you might actually be in Africa. As big as Everest has gotten, the Safari is still the backbone of entertainment in Animal Kingdom - something that everyone can ride and enjoy.

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Location: Asia

Never mind the Tigers or giant Bats - which are very cool. The most impressive thing about the Jungle Trek is the theming. It really is THAT good. It does rival the Kilimanjaro Safari as the most immersively-themed part of Walt Disney World in general. No detail was spared here as you feel as though you are walking through a very historically old country filled with lush greenery, wildlife and crumbling temples. Amazing.

Pangani Forest Trail

Location: Africa

While maybe not quite as impressive as the Jungle Trek, the Forest Trail is great in its own right. The Gorilla compound is particularly cool as you really do get a glimpse of these awesome animals as though they are living in a huge and expansive natural environment. Plus, the meerkats are always a lot fun to watch.

Festival Of The Lion King

Location: Camp Minnie & Mickey

In sum, Festival is one of, if not THE best live stage shows in The Mouse, hands-down. Insanely talented dancers, singers and acrobats elevate this show to incredible heights. Meanwhile the huge animal props and costumes sell the rest of it. This show has been around a while and Disney still hasn't topped it with any other live stage show since. Check the time schedules, get fastpasses for other attractions and make sure not to miss this.

Jammin' Jungle Parade

Location: Africa, Asia, Discovery Island

When it comes to parades, Disney usually hits the nail on the head. Jammin' Jungle Parade is no exception. It reminds me of the old Tapestry of Nations/Dreams parades that Epcot used to send around the Showcase. Huge stylized puppets and floats along with unique music make this unlike any other Disney parade. If you want a little something different, check it out.

Tusker House

Location: Africa

I tried not to include any restaurants in this list, but if one deserves mention, it's Tusker House. It's that good. For a full write-up on Tusker, check out our Tail Of The Tape article from back in March.

Tough To Be A Bug

Location: Discovery Island

WDW has a couple of excellent 3D shows: Mickey's Philmarmagic in Magic Kingdom and Muppet Vision 3D in The Studios. Tough To Be A Bug rounds out a threesome of 3D attractions that are all very much worth seeing. Entertaining and funny - and at times scary for little ones - it doesn't pull punches. The Hopper A.A. is one of the best in The Mouse - and can also be rather scary. The spiders that come down from the ceiling have been known to freak some people out. But don't let that put you off - Tough To Be A Bug is a great way to spend 20 minutes. Especially when it's 95 degrees out and you get to find the AC under the Tree Of Life. Speaking of...

Tree Of Life

Location: Discovery Island

This is a jaw-dropper. Especially if you take the time to explore the trails that surround the tree itself. The artistry that went into carving the animals into the tree and all the roots around the base is nothing short of genius. The Tree Of Life is the epitome of what Animal Kingdom is all about - if you take your time to appreciate the little things, to smell the roses, you will come away from it all blown away.

WDW's Most Underrated Park: Typhoon Lagoon

2010-04-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

Our family loves the water parks at The Mouse. Typhoon Lagoon especially...it just has something Blizzard Beach doesn't (Charm? Great theming?). I'm not sure what it is, really. But this isn't necessarily an article that's meant to compare the two, it's more a love letter to Typhoon Lagoon - a truly underrated Disney Park, in my opinion.

It's Katie and Chance's spring break this week, so we decided to use one of the days at Typhoon since the weather is absolutely gorgeous and is just hot enough to justify a day at the water parks. They both now openly admit the water parks are their favorite parks in Walt Disney World - they love them that much. Hope and I? Like them better than Magic Kingdom, Epcot, The Studios or Animal Kingdom? We won't go that far. Not even close.

Beautiful theming is a hallmark of Typhoon Lagoon, as this

line for one of the downhill raft rides illustrates.

That being said though, Typhoon Lagoon is indeed wonderful. It truly is a worthy Disney theme park. The fact that it's a "water park" is almost a footnote - the theming is that good here. You can tell that when it opened in 1989, WDI was aiming VERY high with this project. It has the spirit of imagination that the other four main theme parks have, and the attention to detail is amazing. It very much reminds me of Animal Kingdom in how far they went to make sure every single corner was attended to when it came to design and theme. Contrast this with Blizzard Beach's theming (OK, so maybe we compare them a little bit) - seemingly thrown together at the last minute in order to help alleviate the crowds at Typhoon Lagoon due to its popularity. I've always thought Blizzard Beach reminded me of Dino-Rama over at Animal Kingdom. It looks as if WDI rented some outside cookie-cutter amusement park comparny to take care of most of the design and theme work. This is no offense to anyone at Disney who might have helped design this park - it isn't bad, by any means. But compared to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard falls far short when it comes to selling the idea of a great theme for guests to become totally immersed within.

Katie in awe of the wave pool from a distance.

Nothing gives you a sense of what Typhoon Lagoon is more than the elevated telescope area at the front of the park that overlooks the wave pool. Talk about a sense of awe. If you're standing out there looking at the pool when one of its massive waves start, your jaw drops. I love the guaranteed mass scream that takes place as soon as that wave snaps into motion. It happens every single time, without fail. And to see and hear that from the platform can be an intimidating thing for people who've never been to the park before - especially for kids - just ask ours!

An underrated "weenie."

Typhoon Lagoon also has a "weenie" - just like Walt wanted all his parks to have. That weenie is the Miss Tilly...the boat that sits atop Mt. May Day behind and above the wave pool. Combined with the wave pool itself, these give Typhoon a central focal point for everyone to fixate upon. Once again, the theming of this mountain and boat is second to none.

Chance overlooking the wave pool at our campsite for the day.

One of the things that I come away from Typhoon Lagoon is that it's like spending a day at the beach, but within a much more controlled environment. You can find a spot, camp there for the day, bring your own cooler with food/snacks, and wander a little enjoying the sites and swimming. Except there's no sharks or jellyfish.

Typhoon combines the amenities of the best water park in the world

with the perks of the beach.

One this day, we got there fairly early (10:15 a.m. - park opening was 10:00 p.m.) and we got a GREAT spot: a series of 4 chairs sitting up above and along side the wave pool. Great view. And when the big waves went crashing, a light spritz of water hit us as we lay on the beach chairs - it actually felt really, really good considering it was in the low-mid 80's that day with the sun beating down. It was also right around the corner from a restroom, picnic tables, the raft rides, and not far from anything. Having a great camp site like this is invaluable for a place like Typhoon Lagoon. This goes to show that getting there early can really benefit you, no matter which park you go to.

The intimidating, but incredibly fun wave pool in action.

Of course, the wave pool was a huge hit. The giant 6-foot wave is an event every time it occurs. The kids live for it - and it is really, really thrilling. Just as thrilling as any roller coaster, in my opinion, and it happens every 90 seconds. It's awesome.

High above the very relaxing lazy river.

Everyone loved the nearby downhill tube rides (Gangplank Falls, Keel Haul Falls, Mayday Falls), and it was worth being right around the corner from those as well. Katie and I tried Humunga Kowabunga - the 214-foot long triple water slide. Let me tell you, you go 30 MPH down those slides, and feels a HECK of a lot faster than that. But it was FUN. We also went on Crush N Gusher, the tube water slide on the other side of the park that goes much faster than any of the Falls rides mentioned above. Because of height restrictions, Chance couldn't ride either Kowabunga or Gusher, so he and Hope went off and enjoyed the lazy river while Katie and I took care of our thrill fixes.

Mmmm...tuna sandwiches! Actually, they were pretty good.

We did bring our own cooler with lunch, snacks and water. Tuna and whole wheat sandwiches, grapes, bananas and a few other light options were the order of the day. At the front gate, they were very good about letting us through without any hassle. And we did rent a locker for $6; I didn't want to worry about my wallet, cell phone or keys all day, so that was worth it. Upon return of the locker key, you get $5 of the $6 back, so little harm done there.

One lesson we did learn was to keep re-applying the sun block lotion - but after the fact, and after the sun burns were already present. So make sure you remember to keep slathering it on!

As the warm months approach (and won't leave for a LONG time), the water parks become a very attractive option at The Mouse. And no matter what we said about Blizzard Beach above, it's still a great park - just not at the level of Typhoon Lagoon. So when you're at The Mouse and want to spend the day getting wet and relaxing in the lazy river, I'd pick Typhoon first. It's a worthy and important part of the most popular vacation kingdom on the planet. Give it a try.

Top Ten Can't Miss In The Mouse: Hollywood Studios

2010-04-08T06:08:00.001-07:00

Our next stop in the Can't Miss series is Walt Disney World's third oldest park, Hollywood Studios. This park is interesting in that it has some of the absolute best attractions in The Mouse. And some of the worst. That is part of the reason why I felt it's even more important to create this list for DHS...to make sure if you have one day in the park on your trip (and especially if you've never been there before), that you don't waste your time.

A few items were left off the list that just missed. The Beauty & The Beast stage show is a quality performance that is very entertaining (even though they had to hack up the story big time in order to fit it in about a 15 minute slot). Mulch, Sweat & Shears could have made it - they are a blast during their live performances. Starring Rolls Cafe and The Writer's Stop are two quick eateries worth checking out that offer some very different options from the normal fare (in particular, the delicious but calorific Carrot Cake Cookie from Writer's - Lou Mongello did a video piece on this not long ago for the WDW Radio Show). Block Party Bash is also a decent parade that even shoots golf ball-sized nerf balls out into the crowd for you to keep - the kids love this.

There are also a few attractions that I'd say are worth seeing once if you've never seen them before and if you've already seen the Top Ten attractions: the finale of the American Idol Experience, The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, the Backlot Tour and the Lights, Cameras, Action! stunt show. But remember, these are long and time-consuming (at best) and at least a few of them have seen much, much better days (Indy, Backlot). Some shouldn't be in existence (Lights) and one already is seeing a big loss in popularity and will fade quickly once its TV show inspiration jumps the shark - if it hasn't already (Idol).

With that said, DHS does have some of the best offerings in WDW. Their high-end attractions are TRULY high-end. And without further ado, here are the Top Ten Can't Miss attractions in The Studios:

Tower of Terror

One of the greatest themed thrill rides of all time, anywhere. The randomized drop sequence from 13 stories up never, ever gets old or boring. The attention to detail is amazing from the beginning of the queue through the exit. If your stomach can handle a pure drop like this, it becomes almost euphoric.

Rock N Roller Coaster

One of the best coasters in Florida, and right there with Everest as the best coaster in Disney World. The slingshot take-off is awesome, as is the loop it directly leads into. The theming is indeed really great - great enough to make it a top-notch Imagineering attraction rather than just a roller coaster. If you're tall enough, and not deathly afraid of coasters, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by missing it.

Toy Story Mania

This attraction truly is a phenomenon. Even though it's been open for more than a year it's still arguably the most popular attraction in all of The Mouse. The race for it at park opening is like a stampede. I'm not sure its popularity will ever die out, and rightfully so - it is pure, unbridled fun, and just about anyone can play it. It also appeals to your competitive nature, which definitely adds to the whole thing. Awesome attraction.

Fantasmic!

This show blew my mind the first few times I saw it, and it's still a true spectacle. It deservedly sits with Illuminations and Wishes as the trio of awesome end-of-night spectaculars. The only problem is that it's been cut down to just a couple nights a week. So that means less opportunities to see something this good, and when it is running, the crowd situation is insane. When there's two shows, always go to the second one when possible. Trust me. But even with the hassle, it's worth it. It's that good.

Star Tours

I love Disney World and I love Star Wars, so it doesn't get much better than the two of them together! Yeah, it's showing its age, but a huge refurb is coming within the next 2 years and it's going to be incredible. Later this year, it's going down for about a year, so enjoy the classic version while its still around. Bad hairdos, video quality and all.

Muppetvision 3D

Like Star Tours, Muppetvision 3D is showing its age too. But it is also due for a refurb (not as extensive as Star Tours, but a cleanup to the movie and possibly to the pre-show video, as rumors have it). Even with the wear and tear, it's still a riot and still a classic MGM fixture. And the muppets are enjoying a big resurgence in popularity lately...and deservedly so.

Animation Academy

This is a hidden gem. We've raved about it before, and for good reason. You sit down at an actual drawing desk and sketch a classic Disney cartoon character, following the cues from a Disney CM artist. Not only is it fun, but it's FREE and you get to take your creation home with you. Even though the Magic of Animation attraction isn't what it used to be on the whole, this part of it all is still great fun.

Citizens Of Hollywood

Live entertainment is a huge reason why Disney World is Disney World, and how you get so totally sucked into the atmosphere. That's why they call these people "streetmosphere" characters - they bring the place to life. And it's hilarious. Ultra talented and witty, they add the little things into the day that bring the whole park to life, and to a whole different level of entertainment. Stop and enjoy.

Great Movie Ride

Yeah, it needs work and is showing its age. Yeah, some of the audio-animatronics are in desperate need of facelifts and other cosmetic surgery. But the GMR, like Star Tours and Muppets, exudes the spirit of old MGM Studios. A little TLC (and maybe some different movie scenes) and it will once again be a headliner. But even if they never change it, it's still worth the long, air-conditioned ride through the history of movies.

One Man's Dream

We've raved about this before too. One of my absolute favorite WDW attractions, this walk through Walt's life and accomplishments is fascinating. I believe it to be required viewing for everyone who enters Walt Disney World so they can have a true appreciation for the genius and inspiration that was behind it all.

Next up, the youngest of the four main WDW theme parks, the under-appreciated and stunningly beautiful Animal Kingdom.

Top Ten Can't Miss In The Mouse: Epcot

2010-04-03T22:46:00.000-07:00

In this edition of the Can't Miss series, we bring our attention to the second original Walt Disney World theme park, Epcot. The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow is interesting when it comes to can't miss items...there's a LOT to see here and many things could and should make an appearance on this list. But, as with the Magic Kingdom, we will narrow it down to a top 10, assuming most people only have one day to explore each park on their vacation.

So with that said, not every deserving attraction made the list. Casualties include the three pavilion movies (Impression de France, Reflections of China and Oh, Canada!), The British Invasion, Off Kilter, Mo Rockin', The Dragon Acrobats, Biergarten with their Oktoberfest Musikanten, Les Chefs de France (with Remy), Matsuriza, Living With The Land, The Seas aquarium tanks, Turtle Talk With Crush, Universe Of Energy, Club Cool, The Fife and Drum Corp., Boulangerie Patisserie, Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure and The Jammitors. That's quite the list. And if you have two days at Epcot, you can see them all. But, if you only have one day to experience this unique park, these are our Top 10 Can't Miss In The Mouse at Epcot:

Soarin'

Location: The Land, Future World

Incredible ride that takes everyone's breath away, especially the first time. The look and reaction is almost always the same after their first time on Soarin (wide open eyes and "wow" almost always comes out of their mouth). It's not a thrill ride by any means, but it's absolutely exhilarating. Come early in the morning, head directly to The Land and pick up fastpasses. And if you're quick enough, you can ride it first thing, get your fastpasses afterward and then ride it again later. It's worth the effort at rope drop, trust me.

Test Track

Location: Future World

Test Track is a lot of fun. The payoff is the last portion of the ride when you're on the outside high-speed loops heading around the building on steep banks going 65 MPH. That may not sound like much (we go 65 every day on the highway), but it's much different in a convertible while on a 45 degree angle without hitting the brakes. It's a fun and interesting ride with some nice thrill on the back end.

Spaceship Earth

Location: Future World

Absolute classic in every sense of the word. Wonderful attraction that is the living essence of everything "Epcot" and old Walt Disney World. The new refurbed historical scenes are incredible as some of the best audio animatronics in The Mouse reside in Spaceship Earth. I've heard a lot of complaints about some of the changes, in particular the computer "game" you play on your way down...but I'll tell you, I get a big kick out of it. It's not bad and in some ways an improvement. The kids absolutely LOVE IT, too.

Mission: Space

Location: Future World

No attraction is more of a Jekyll and Hyde than is Mission: Space. On one hand, you have the Orange "more intense" version and on the other, the Green "less intense" version. I can say that while the Orange Team had some well-publicized issues early on in its day and because of that they did calm it down some, it's still very intense. But if you like that sort of thrill, get in line! Now, the Green training in my opinion is not worth the time. It's basically just watching a video game while sitting on a chair that moves and tilts a little with the corresponding action on the screen. I found it so tame it was boring. But the orange option is a completely different story.

Sum Of All Thrills

Location: Innoventions, Future World

This is a great new addition to Epcot. It can be a little intimidating to some looking at it from the outside (the KUKA robot arms look like massive monsters that are eating poor unfortunate souls with their legs hanging out of their mouths), but the ride itself is so smooth it's almost hard to believe you're being thrown around like you are. With Sum, you can custom build a roller coaster, jet or bobsled then actually ride your creation. It's a good learning experience as you build your ride, then a fun time actually riding it. Future World needed something like this.

American Adventure

Location: U.S. Pavilion, World Showcase

The American Adventure show, like Spaceship Earth, is an Epcot original and is still AWESOME. And like Spaceship Earth, A.A. has some of the best Audio-animatronic figures in WDW...but unlike Spaceship Earth, these are the originals from 1982. Considering that, they're even more impressive. It's a very long show (about 30 minutes), and in the middle of the summer it can be a NICE break from the heat. And for some kids, a nice opportunity for a refreshing nap...

Voices of Liberty

Location: American Adventure pre-show, World Showcase

Arguably the best live-performance act in Walt Disney World, the Voices are incredible. They could technically be considered part of the American Adventure show, as they perform 15 minutes before each showing throughout the day (but you can see the Voices and leave if you don't want to sit through the following 30 minute show). Their talent is top notch and it can be a very moving experience to hear them sing their patriotic and historic songs.

Maelstrom

Location: Norway pavilion, World Showcase

Even though we have Spaceship Earth and American Adventure on this list, perhaps no attraction exudes the feeling of classic Epcot Center more than the Maelstrom. For that reason alone, it's worth the ride - never mind the charming little things like the hidden Mickey in the huge wall mural in the queue area and the 3-headed troll that sends you back, back down the falls!

Stroll World Showcase At Night

Location: World Showcase (of course!)

This isn't any particular attraction, show or movie. But it's one of the most beautiful things The Mouse has to offer. It's a romantic, fun and unique experience, and it's one of the great "adult" things you can do in WDW. One suggestion: try the orange slush from France as you swing by and take in a performance from Off Kilter or Mo Rockin.

Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth

Location: World Showcase

Strolling along the Showcase at night leads directly into this last Can't Miss: Illuminations. In my personal opinion, it's the best end-of-night spectacular WDW offers (no offense to Fantasmic or Wishes). The music for Illuminations is powerful and emotional, the story is fascinating and the fireworks and effects phenomenal. Just remember to stand upwind to avoid the smoke on a breezy evening, and try to see it from front-and-center across from the American pavilion, the outcropping at Italy, or standing atop the International Bridge for some of the best viewing opportunities.

Well, that does it for Epcot. Really, this park is a two-day adventure considering all the incredible things it offers. But if you're there for only one day, make sure to hit the above - especially if you've never been there before.

Next up, Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Top Ten Can't Miss In The Mouse: Magic Kingdom

2010-04-02T04:48:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while we like to run a string of related articles here at Around The Mouse, as we did this past December with The Early Bird Gets The Mouse series. There, we talk about how getting to each park bright and early can help you more easily see all the things worth seeing and experiencing in that park without going insane. Well, in the Can't Miss series, we'd like to expand a little on what the truly "can't miss" attractions are in each park, starting with the Magic Kingdom.

To start off, this isn't easy. All four parks have a laundry list of attractions, shows, restaurants and other things that could be considered "can't miss." But if you have one day at each park, you may have some decisions to make. You may have to skip over a few things. We're here to help you decide what you really can't afford to skip over.

First, we must emphasize the main point of the Early Bird series: get there early for rope drop. You'll have a much better chance of experiencing all of these things if you do. Then, utilize Fastpass. Those two tips will be of great aid in attempting to see everything truly worthwhile.

Second, we know that everyone's goals are different. Depending on the make-up of your family, particularly the age and height of your children and the willingness of everyone to do big "thrill" rides, you may or may not be able to do every single thing on these lists. So what we are doing here, as we do with almost everything on Around The Mouse, is to give you our can't miss attractions and such at each park. And we hope this not only entertains you, but possibly helps you determine what you may not want to miss on your next trip.

Can't Miss at Magic Kingdom

Haunted Mansion

Location: Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion is phenomenal. Not only is the idea behind it all a Walt original, but the theming (especially after the rehab from a couple years ago) is amongst the best in all of Walt Disney World, and that says a lot. It's not too scary, but scary enough. It's not too whimsical, but whimsical enough. Almost everyone of any age can experience it. Experience it at night for an extra boost to the atmosphere.

Space Mountain

Location: Tomorrowland

This Space Mountain is the original Space Mountain of Disney parks. And while it's an older attraction and not the biggest or fastest coaster around, it's still incredibly fun. Another great job of inventing an original theme out of mid-air, the 2009 refurb was also a big addition (adding a similar added flavor to the original like Haunted Mansion's 2007 refurb). Little touches like the classic soundtrack as you scale the long queue line (which now included interactive video games) and the fact that it's dark enough inside the ride to not see where you're going, making the thrill more thrilling, makes this place what it is: huge amounts of fun.

Wishes

Location: way up high in the sky

Wishes is powerful. The first time or two you see it...or three of four times...can make you well up a little. It's a powerful and awe-inspiring show. There's something about combining the massive fireworks, the tall glowing castle, the beautiful music and the reactions of the crowd around you that just makes this a one-of-a-kind experience. My best spot to view it is right there on Main Street USA even with Casey's - provides a perfectly framed viewpoint of the castle/fireworks combination. But you can watch it from Fantasyland, the Railroad Station, the Poly beach, the Fort Wilderness beach and even the Ferry dock at the Ticket & Transportation Center...and it's all good. Make sure to make time in the evening for Wishes.

Splash Mountain

Location: Adventureland

This wonderfully themed ride with one huge moment of thrill - the big outdoor drop - is a rite of passage for kids in the Disney theme parks. For a lot of kids, it's the first "big" ride they ever do. We usually get a fastpass for Splash as soon as possible in the AM, then return later in the day to ride - it's hotter outside, so the potential of getting wet is more appealing, and you get to skip the ridiculously long lines. It's a long ride with a lot to look at, and it lulls you into a false sense of security as you ride gently by scene after scene. Little drops here and there gives you a reminder that that's not all there is to the attraction, but nothing - nothing - prepares you for the view on the top of the Big Drop. And no matter how many times you've done it, you still get that rush of adrenaline at the very top. Enjoy the view, then scream your head off.

Big Thunder Mountain

Location: Adventureland

Thunder is the other first "big ride" for a lot of kids. And while yes, it is a "kids" coaster, it's still a tremendous amount of fun for all ages. Like most Disney originals, the theming on Big Thunder is awesome. The fact that it's partially indoor and outdoor also adds to it's charm. I get a similar kick out of Thunder as I do from Space Mountain - it just forces me to laugh from the pure joy of it all.

Carousel of Progress

Location: Tomorrowland

For me, this selection was between Carousel and Small World. Both are odes to the man who made it all happen: Walt Disney himself. Carousel and Small World were his ideas and they both have that classic charm of yesteryear. But if I had to choose one, it would be Carousel. Charm is the key word here, and it's such a unique show. You can't go wrong with either and do both if you can, but I'd recommend Carousel above Small World in a close call.

Dole Whip

Location: Adventureland

A food item has to be particularly special in order to break into a list like this. The Dole Whip at Aloha Isle is that type of novelty, I believe. There is something about the experience of having a Dole Whip that goes above and beyond just its flavor (which is awesome). Try one in the middle of the summer as you stroll through Adventureland toward Pirates Of The Caribbean and it'll become a Magic Kingdom staple for you and your family.

Pirates Of The Caribbean

Location: Adventureland

There are several original Walt ideas on this list, and Pirates is one of them. It was great before its Captain Jack Sparrow refurb, but that refurb (like Haunted Mansion's and Space Mountain's) really added to its greatness. This is also one of the best themed rides in Walt Disney World, and considering its age that says a LOT. Another ride that's probably better at night simply because of its atmosphere, try it during the busiest of times when you have a fastpass for something else because it handles crowds very well.

Mickey's Philharmagic

Location: Fantasyland

The best 3D film in Walt Disney World. That says a lot because Muppet Vision 3D and Tough To Be A Bug are both great. But this one is magical. In my opinion it's really similar in feeling to Soarin' in that it's absolutely exhilarating. The combination of the songs, the smells, the visuals, and the audience reactions add up to an experience that really makes you feel good when you leave. This, like Pirates, is a great place to head to on the really busy days when you have a fastpass for something else. It too handles crowds well and the combination of AC and comfy seats are a welcome respite from the heat.

Stroll Mainstreet first thing in the morning

Location: Mainstreet, USA

This is the essence of Walt Disney World. Soft morning sunlight. Feeling of anticipation starting out your day. The smell of the Main Street Bakery in the air. The clip-clop of the horse-drawn carriage. The quaint, turn-of-the-century architecture of the surrounding shops. And the majestic Cinderella Castle waiting for you at the end of the road, leading to a whole park worth of thrills. The feeling this scene evokes is unique and can't be missed.

There's a lot here. Magic Kingdom is FILLED with attractions and there's a lot more that should belong on the list. But add in dining and rest time, and sometimes you'll have to make some choices if you only have one day to explore. I know that for families with smaller children, your can't miss list might include Dumbo, Peter Pan and Winnie The Pooh instead of the mountains. Or you might simply have to make time for SpectroMagic (or Mainstreet Electrical Parade this summer), Storytime with Belle or the Jungle Cruise.

With that said, I hope you found this helpful. Next up, our Top Ten Can't Miss In The Mouse: Epcot.

Tail Of The Tape: Sunshine Seasons vs Columbia Harbour House

2010-03-29T18:51:00.000-07:00

There are some GREAT counter service restaurants in Walt Disney World. Several months ago we outlined our best (and worst) of counter services around The Mouse (Best And Worst Counter Service Restaurants in WDW, Nov. 26 2009) and decided we'd narrow it down further by pitting two of the biggies up against one another in more detail, head to head: Sunshine Seasons in Epcot and Columbia Harbour House in Magic Kingdom.

I'll start off by saying Seasons and Harbour House are two of my absolute favorites on property. They are definitely two heavy-hitters, and for very different reasons.

Sunshine Seasons is about the variety and quality of the food. What it isn't about is theming. Located inside The Land across from Soarin', it poorly themed, but that's OK. It's especially OK when the food is as good as it is.

It's broken down into 4 main sections: Asian Wok Shop, Sandwich Shop & Bakery, Soup & Salad Shop and the Wood-Fired Grill Shop. Each have some great choices and some of the healthiest options in The Mouse. This is important, because one thing many people have trouble with at Disney World is the ability to eat healthfully, and Sunshine Seasons at least gives you a fighting chance to do that. For example, the Black Bean Soup, the huge Caesar Chicken Salad (go easy on the dressing - ask for it on the side), the Grilled Salmon, the Seared Tuna Salad and the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich are relatively good ways to go from a healthy-eating standpoint.

It also has a tremendous amount of snacks and desserts to choose from including a cheese & grapes platter, cous-cous, turkey wraps, yogurt, key lime pie, strawberry shortcake and many other sinful and not-so-sinful options. It also has a self-serve drink station. Now, we're not really sure if you're technically "allowed" to have free re-fills at Sunshine Seasons, but I've never seen them stop anyone. And usually at counter services, when it's a self-serve drink station, it's OK to get re-fills. That is probably the case here, too.

In the end, because the food is awesome, Sunshine Seasons is simply one of the best counter service choices in The Mouse if you don't mind bland theming.

Columbia Harbour House is great for a whole different set of reasons. They aren't so much about variety, but the quality of (most of) the food is good and they also have some relatively healthy options. Where they REALLY score big points is the theming...and location. But while theming definitely takes a back seat to food (we are talking about restaurants here), the combination of both at Harbor House makes the place a fantastic and attractive option.

The theming and decor of Harbour House is amazing. Based on the history of sailing and seafaring (especially of the 18th & 19th centuries), they have relics and art displayed all throughout. This restaurant was designed with such care that you'd think it was meant to be an attraction. It's really worth taking the time to explore and savor the attention to detail. What's also cool is the fact that's it has two floors - and the second floor is usually rather empty. And if you get the right window seat, you can overlook Liberty Square (and the Haunted Mansion!). Eating in peace and quiet with a great view of the outside along with the theming of this place makes it a can't-beat atmosphere for Counter Services.

The food? It's good. Not great, but it's good. It holds up its end enough so that you can justify going there for something other than just the surrounding theme and location. If you're a fan of battered/fried chicken and fish, then this is a wonderful option. If you like some semi-healthy options, then you can also survive here as well. The Lighthouse Sandwich is pretty good (hummus with tomato-broccoli slaw) and the Anchors Aweigh Sandwich (white tuna with lettuce & tomato on whole grain bread) isn't bad a option either.

Tail Of The Tape

Sunshine Seasons

Menu Variety: 5 Mouse Ears

Menu Uniqueness: 5 Mouse Ears

Food Quality: 5 Mouse Ears

Cost: 4 Mouse Ears

Theme: 2 Mouse Ears

Total: 21 Mouse Ears

Columbia Harbour House

Menu Variety: 3 Mouse Ears

Menu Uniqueness: 5 Mouse Ears

Food Quality: 3 Mouse Ears

Cost: 4 Mouse Ears

Theme: 5 Mouse Ears

Total: 20 Mouse Ears

An Ode To The Magic Kingdom

2010-03-24T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ah, the Magic Kingdom! The crown jewel of Walt Disney World. What is it about the original Florida park that makes it so special? What is it about this particular park that draws us to it again and again no matter how many times we've been there?

It's an interesting question. The kids, Hope and I have been there as a family too many times to count. And before that on solo trips, and with my brother Kevin and sister-in-law Melanie, and friends and other family members like my parents. We've done every ride, show and attraction in the place. Over the years we've tried Casey's, Pecos Bill's, Columbia Harbour House, Starlight Cafe, The Plaza Restaurant, The Main Street Bakery, Pinnochio's Village Haus, Aloha Isle and more (probably everything they have except the table service restaurants for some reason). We've explored most every nook and cranny.

Yet it's still magical.

Wishes can still choke me up.

I still look at details of the Haunted Mansion with awe and respect for such imagination.

Space Mountain may not be the biggest or baddest coaster on the face of the planet, but it still makes me laugh like crazy person. Every time.

The site of Cinderella's castle emerging into sight as we turn the corner past the Emporium still takes my breath away for an instant. Especially when the Holiday Lights are up during The Season.

The smell of the Confectionary out on Main Street USA still gets me in good mood.

How about the surge of adrenaline you get every...single...time... you hit the peak of Splash Mountain and get ready to drop?

Does any 3D movie touch Mickey's Philharmagic? I think not. I still love the Be Our Guest and Lion King sequences every time I see them.

How about the theming of Pirates of the Caribbean? Or that distinctive smell of the water? Or the unbelievable Captain Jack animatronics?

It never gets old trying to pull the sword out of the stone. And it's especially awesome to see your 6 year old son actually pull the thing out and get named "Prince of Fantasyland" for the day. And THAT is even better when it happens after a group of college dudes just tried to get it out...and failed. To the great amusement of their girlfriends and everyone else standing around.

Magic Kingdom knows how to throw a party, too.

It never gets old trying to get your kids soaking wet courtesy of Aladdin's camel. Especially when they aren't paying attention.

Two words: Dole Whip.

Two more words: Mickey Mouse.

Isn't it awesome seeing grown adults wearing Mickey Ears and not caring who sees them? They're amongst like-minded friends. And we all love it.

Two more words: Cast Members.

I'm reminded every time I go there and stand outside of the hub looking at the castle, that it's the place I knelt down and proposed to my wife.

And I also remember the feeling of wearing the Mickey Top Hat during our Disneymoon, walking through the Kingdom and feeling on top of the world.

It's reading all the signage on the windows of Main Street, USA.

It extends outside of the park as well...

It's riding the Admiral Joe Fowler on the second deck, breeze in your hair, heading toward The Kingdom.

It's entering the Contemporary via the Highway In The Sky.

It's watching Wishes from the beach of the Poly.

It's seeing the ever-changing colors of the Castle at night from a distance as you make the loop around the Monorail.

It's the Castle in the morning light.

It's riding Big Thunder while Wishes is going off.

It's the tiki music on the bridge to Adventureland.

It's experiencing a little part of Walt in Carousel of Progress. And its air conditioning.

It's that little part of Walt in Small World, too.

The Magic Kingdom has a feeling attached to it that is unique in Walt Disney World. This is why we can never get enough of it.

Missing In The Mouse: Italy Pavilion's Living Statues

2010-03-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

What do you miss in The Mouse? There are many things that are long gone that I miss, and the Living Statue in Epcot's Italy pavilion is one of them. These phenomenally talented individuals attracted crowds of gawkers in much the same way DiVine still does at Animal Kingdom these days. I wish they'd bring them back...

The statues had the amazing ability to stay perfectly still for minutes on end - seemingly without breathing or blinking. They would move only when they knew it would freak out a guest or would provide a great picture opportunity for another. Some of the reactions were priceless. And the makeup and costumes were incredible. They were very much part of the many little things that added to the unique atmosphere that is Walt Disney World.

What are some of the long-gone things YOU miss in Walt Disney World?

Happy St. Patrick's Day From Around The Mouse!

2010-03-17T05:37:00.000-07:00

In honor of St. Patty's Day, I've posted one of my favorite Disney pins - the 2008 St. Patrick's Day "Mickey Mouse In A Bowler Hat". The image is from one of the best sites on the web for looking up and referencing Disney Pins: pinpics.com. I traded for this pin from a Cast Member lanyard a few months ago.

"Ha ha, oh boy! Where's my green beer?"

The Mouse Is In The Details: The Nooks Of World Showcase

2010-03-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

So many times at Walt Disney World we're running. Running from one attraction to another. Running to an ADR. Running to catch Wishes. Running to get in line at the Character Spot. Running to get the best seat possible at Fantasmic. Running to the bathroom.

And while it is necessary to boogie sometimes, at times it's just better to...chill. Relax. Take in the little things that separate The Mouse from most all other forms of entertainment. One of the great things about the product Walt Disney World provides is their attention to detail; it is the single most important factor in their theming.

This is why I love World Showcase at Epcot so much. Sure, is has great restaurants (Les Chefs de France, Biergarten, San Angel Inn, etc.). It has great live entertainment (Voices of Liberty, Off Kilter, Dragon Acrobats, etc.). And it has great shows (Illuminations, American Adventure). They even have a great, old-school, classic EPCOT Center attraction (Maelstrom).

But more than anything, World Showcase is wonderful for its detail. The little things that are hidden away that aren't immediately apparent. They may take a little digging and exploring to find...but when you find them, it helps you to appreciate just how special and unique a place this is. And these are some of the best places in Walt Disney World to take a deep breath, relax, and enjoy.

These nooks and crannies of World Showcase are too many to count. So we'll start with just a few of our favorites:

Canadian Rockies Waterfalls & Bridge, Canada Pavilion

This is an easy one to miss. Most everyone can see the Canadian Rockies jutting up high at the back of the Canada pavilion. But not everyone has taken the bridge path at the base of these mountains where beautiful waterfalls rain down in mesmerizing fashion into the stream that leads out toward the Queen Victoria Gardens. It's also easy to skip if you take the left down the stairs at the top of the pavilion on your way to the O, Canada! 360 degree movie. The movie empties out into the far end of the bridge and leads out past Le Cellier. But if you decide that at the top of the pavilion to take the right down the stairs toward the mountain waterfalls, you can find this gem.

Mask Shop, Italy Pavilion

This is artistry at an incredibly high level. The Venetian masks sold at this little shop which is tucked away inside the Italy pavilion can be mind-blowing and breathtaking. Even if you don't lay down a pretty penny to take one home, just admiring the incredible detail and beauty of these masks is a wonderful, and hidden, experience.

Tomb Warriors Exhibit, China Pavilion

Just to the left of the massive Temple Of Heaven in the China pavilion is a large room hosting an amazing exhibit: Tomb Warriors, Guardian Spirits Of Ancient China. This can't miss attraction is actually easy to miss, so don't overlook it. I love the sense of authentic ancient history this exhibit exudes. This is what the plaque reads describing the warriors:

"Tomb Warriors - Qin Dynasty (221 - 210 B.C.). These tomb warriors were intended to be the protectors of the emperor beyond the grave. Because nearly all the faces of the tomb warriors are unique, some archaeologists believe that the figures were modeled after real soldiers. Many other emperors followed Qin's example and created their own special armes. One tomb even provided a mess hall for the convenience of the terracotta statues."

Other ancient artifacts spanning China's history line the walls of the exhibit room. This place is amazing. Don't forget to stop and smell this incredible rose.

Japanese Garden, Japan Pavilion

I've mention this place before in previous articles - the Japanese garden that resides behind the massive temple in the Japan pavilion is one of the most serene, beautiful and peaceful spots in all of Walt Disney World. And because it's hidden behind that huge temple, it's easy to overlook. Stroll the garden over little bridges, admire the koi fish pond, take in the gentle sounds of the bamboo trees creaking as it compliments the low bubble of the small waterfalls found throughout this lush and hidden garden. Beautiful.

Marketplace of Morocco, Morocco Pavilion

Talk about a feeling of authenticity. The Morocco pavilion is not only one of the most beautiful of the 11 that surround World Showcase Lagoon, but it is perhaps the pavilion that enables you to feel most like you are literally in that country. You can get lost in the marketplace and winding paths that create this phenomenal pavilion. Everything from the cross-hatched roofs (as shown above), which create beautiful light and shadow, to the architecture of the front entrance of Restaurant Marrakesh, the subtle detail of this pavilion is almost unmatched in Walt Disney World. Get lost in here and enjoy.

There are many more spots like these dotted throughout World Showcase. And whether you're strolling the Showcase under beautiful, bright sunlight or during the more romantic glow of the evening, there are plenty of incredible little places to find and explore.

Tail Of The Tape: Boma vs Tusker House

2010-03-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Let me preface this by saying that Boma and Tusker House are two of my absolute favorite restaurants in all of The Mouse. Same goes for our whole family. So to compare them is like comparing Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle - you simply can't go wrong with either. Basically, they both offer many of the same phenomenal qualities and they're both great at what they do. And as with DiMaggio and Mantle, it's the little things that make the difference when it comes to picking a favorite.

Boma has nostalgia and sentimentality on its side for me. It's one of the first "sit-down" restaurants I ever tried at WDW and over the years we've had several celebratory meals there, as it's tried and true and great - a known commodity.

Tusker House is a recent player on the scene. For several years it was a counter service restaurant in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom. It was a good counter service, and I was actually disappointed when I learned they were shutting it down. But I didn't know what they had in mind to take over when it opened its doors again. But it has not only cracked the lineup of great table-service restaurants in WDW, it shot its way up to the top like a Rookie Of The Year candidate. It's now a stand-out.

The similarities are interesting. Both are inspired by African and Mediterranean cuisine. Both have interior design schemes that may be completely different in tone and atmosphere, but they share an authentic African feel. Both are located amongst the Animal Kingdom park and resort areas. Both are buffets. Both have not only an incredibly varied menu to choose from, but a high-quality menu; the food is top notch at both establishments.

So, as in comparisons when there are many similarities, it's the differences that make the difference in the end.

Boma is open for breakfast and dinner - not for lunch. This, in my opinion, is the biggest ding in Boma's armor. First, lunch is usually a cheaper meal than dinner. For many people who are interested in saving money, they can eat lunch at a great restaurant and save some pennies in comparison to eating dinner at the same place...yet the menu offerings are very similar (dinner will usually feature an extra entree dish or two and desserts that aren't offered at lunch). Second, if I'm going to eat at a buffet or have a large meal such as the kind you can get at Boma, I'd rather have it earlier in the day so I have more time to digest it and work it off (at least work part of it off). Huge meals late at night to me are not a good idea.

Tusker House, on the other hand, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have all your options available, including a slightly cheaper lunch offering.

Boma is located outside of the Animal Kingdom theme park - meaning if you're in the park, you have to actually leave to enjoy Boma. This isn't a problem for most people who have dinner ADRs for Boma, as Animal Kingdom is usually closed by about that time, but it's still not optimal. Tusker House is located inside Animal Kingdom and you obviously don't have to leave in order to get there.

Boma has some of the most incredible soups you will EVER taste. The carrot ginger and butternut squash soups alone are worth the price of admission, and honestly there isn't soup there I've tried that I didn't LOVE. They are masterpieces. Tusker has a few soups, but they don't hold a candle to Boma's selection.

Tusker's buffet set-up is more user-friendly. It is wide open and spacious, allowing for minimal crowds and lines at each food station - plenty of room to move. Boma has very little room by its buffet tables and sometimes the lines get ridiculous.

Boma has Zebra Domes. One of the best desserts you will ever try. Tusker doesn't have Zebra Domes. Tusker does have the 7-layer cookie, however. At least they used to - I haven't seen it since the first visit a year ago. If they still have it, it at least gives the Zebra Dome a run for the money...although I'd still pick the Dome.

Tusker has their orzo pasta with feta, spinach and kalamata olives. Incredible. No side dish at Boma touches it.

Boma has a spit-fired prime rib that is out of this world good. No entree at Tusker touches it.

Basically, both restaurants offer a few dishes that are unique and not available at the other...but most of what they offer is similar in style and flavor, being African/Mediterranean in origin. It's more the experience and circumstances in each that is the main difference. If you want a darker, more beautiful and even romantic (for a buffet) atmosphere, Boma is the way to go. It also has a huge selection of beers, wine and mixed drinks that Tusker doesn't have. If you want the convenience of in-park dining, Tusker is the way to go. If you want a slightly cheaper lunch option, Tusker is your only choice.

In the end though, I have to pick Boma. Partly for nostalgia reasons, partly for the fact that it's still great and hasn't lost its quality, and partly because its atmosphere is far superior. Tusker, while it loses this battle, loses only by a nose. Boma set the bar very, very high and Tusker House is right there with it.

Tail Of The Tape

Food quality: Slight edge to Boma

Food variety: Even

Service: Even

Price: Tusker House (option for a cheaper lunch)

Overall Experience & Atmosphere: Boma

Interview: A Kid And Her Coasters

2010-03-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Do the kids in your family love or hate thrill rides? In particular, how do they feel about the prototypical thrill ride: roller coasters? Well, our kids love coasters, so we decided to sit down and get the scoop on 10-year-old Katie's favorite coasters in WDW.

Around The Mouse: Katie, what's your favorite roller coaster in Walt Disney World?

Katie: I'd have to say Space Mountain.

ATM: Really? What about Space Mountain makes it your favorite coaster?

Katie: I like how dark it is and all the surprising turns and drops. You can't see where you're going and I like that.

ATM: What else do you like about Space Mountain?

Katie: I like the long hallway with the video games. Those are fun. I don't like the windows into space though - they make me feel a little sick to my stomach. But I just don't look at those any more.

ATM: Which coaster is your second favorite after Space?

Katie: Hmm. I'd say Primeval Whirl.

ATM: Wow. You like Primeval Whirl better than Everest?

Katie: Yeah. Everest comes in third though.

ATM: OK, what is it about Whirl that lands it so high up on your list of coasters?

Katie: I love how it spins so fast and has those fast drops. I also like the bright colors of the ride. It's different than all the other coasters.

ATM: Alright. You said Everest comes in third?

Katie: Yeah. It's my third favorite roller coaster.

ATM: What do you like about Everest?

Katie: I like how the Yeti attacks you as you ride by. I also like the backward drop in the dark and the big drop after the Yeti rips up the train tracks.

ATM: OK, which coaster comes after Everest?

Katie: Rock & Roller Coaster! I love Rock & Roller Coaster.

ATM: But you like Space, Primeval and Everest better than Rock & Roller Coaster?

Katie: Yeah, it's close, but I like it fourth best.

ATM: What's makes you love this one?

Katie: I like the corkscrew and loop a lot. I like how it's dark.

ATM: What makes the top 3 better than this one in your eyes?

Katie: I don't like the beginning - the zero to 60.

ATM: Really? I would have thought you'd like that the best.

Katie: Noooo...it makes me feel a little sick.

ATM: I didn't know that!

Katie: Yeah, it does a little. It's not my favorite part.

ATM: Alright, that leaves two coasters...Big Thunder and Goofy's Barnstormer. What comes in 5th after Rock & Roller Coaster?

Katie: Big Thunder is 5th.

ATM: Why that over Barnstormer?

Katie: Well, Barnstormer is for little kids, but that's fun too. But I like Big Thunder better because it's faster and it has the wilderness theming - I like that.

ATM: OK, so that leaves Goofy's Barnstormer for last, but you said it's fun too. What's fun about Barnstormer?

Katie: I like how they have Goofy as part of the ride. That's the best part.

ATM: Ah, so you like how they have part of the Fab Five as part of the theming? By the way, who are the Fab Five?
Katie: Oh, that's easy. Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy!

ATM: Thank you, Katie.

Katie: You're welcome, dad!

What's the best time of year at WDW?

2010-03-02T12:37:00.000-08:00

What's the best time to visit Walt Disney World? This is an important question because when you visit Walt Disney World can greatly effect your vacation experience. Personally, I've always considered there to be four distinct times of year in Walt Disney World, and they correspond loosely with the seasons - but not exactly so.

I'm thinking about this topic because after having just completed the "holiday season" at The Mouse, we're moving quickly toward actual spring time (although the weather hasn't felt that way!) and things change greatly between those two times of year. But in Disney terms, one major "spring" event has already taken place (ESPN The Weekend), and one is about to begin (International Flower and Garden Festival). This has me wondering about which season I truly love the most at WDW? And if you're planning a visit, which time of year should you choose?

Brian and Hope at the Flower & Garden Festival

3 years ago (see the wand!).

They all definitely bring great things to the table. However, they all have cons as well. I guess this affects people more who have to pick and choose a certain time of year to come down and visit. Questions such as: which events do you want to see? What do you want to be able to do? What do you want to be able to experience that isn't available other times of the year? These are important to consider.

With that being said, let's compare with four main "seasons" in Disney World:

"Spring" (Slow) Season (mid-January through mid-late May)

Pros: Beautiful weather; Low crowds; Flower & Garden Festival; ESPN The Weekend; Comfortable "Strolling" atmosphere; Easier ADRs

Cons: Sometimes not hot enough to use water parks, water rides or pools

This time of year is wonderful, mostly due to weather. If you don't like the extreme Florida heat, this is a great time to come. Also, if you like just enough heat to be able to enjoy your resort pool, this is a great time to come (especially the latter half of this season). If you like to be able to enjoy a Dole Whip or Premium Mickey Bar outside in the parks, this is also a great time to come. If you want to experience the International Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot, come mid-April. If you want to experience ESPN The Weekend, come late-February.

These are all things that would make me want to visit this time of year - after the holidays and before summer break. The crowds are generally lighter (except for Spring Break and Easter), but most of all, it's the weather. This is the time of year to stroll the parks; to take your time and enjoy the details. Most of the time you can't do that and not sweat at the slightest movement. But spring time? Ohhh it's beautiful...enjoy all the all the sights and sounds...day or night.

"Summer" (Peak) Season (beginning of June through 3rd week of August)

Pros: Refreshing usage of water attractions, pools and water parks; Refreshing treats provide extra enjoyment; Ability to experience everything a standard WDW vacation has to offer

Cons: Insanely hot weather; Massive crowds; Limited dining options; Huge attraction lines

I must admit that this is my least favorite time of year at Walt Disney World, but there are still a lot of pros to a visit this time of year. Of course, two factors can make for a challenging time: extreme heat and extreme crowds. This is peak season; school is out all across the country and families take advantage by coming to The Mouse. And when you're shoulder to shoulder to thousands of people, it's bad enough - but when you're shoulder to shoulder and it's 98 degrees out - that's another thing. Summer in Florida usually creates that combination.

However, there's many things in Walt Disney World that was MEANT for summer fun. Walt Disney envisioned a complete vacation destination in sunny Florida for a reason, and water-based activity and sport was a big part of it. And the hotter it is, the better we like our water activities. Whether it's swimming at the pool at the Beach Club or Pop Century, or hitting the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon, or testing the water sports options at Fort Wilderness, Walt Disney World and water activities are meant for one another. Plus, ice cream tastes and FEELS a lot better when it's 90+ degrees out.

"Fall" (Slower) Season (Very end of August through Thanksgiving)

Pros: International Food & Wine Festival; More comfortable weather; Lighter crowds; Halloween decorations; Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party; Still have the ability to use water attractions and pools most of the time

Cons: Can still be extremely hot; May regret not going during Holiday Season when it's right around the corner with nicer weather

Yaaaaaarrrrrrr! Downtown Disney has offered

free trick-or-treating every Halloween

A lot is offered this time of year, but it really begins to rock and roll in mid-to-late October. In fact, the last week of October is when I would suggest to go. Not only is the weather beginning to cool down some from Florida summer highs, but Halloween is in full swing, as is the International Food & Wine Festival at Epcot. It's also still warm enough to use the pools, water rides, and water parks. But it's the special events that take place in the fall that take the cake. Food & Wine in particular is in my opinion the single best event WDW has to offer. And if you can throw in a Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, that's highly recommended too.

The only possible con to coming this time of year is if it forces you to miss the Holiday Season, if you can only come down once. Other than that, Fall is an incredible time to be at The Mouse.

"Winter" (Holiday) Season (Immediately after Thanksgiving through beginning of January)

Pros: Cooler weather; Lower crowds (except from Christmas week through New Years Day); Beautiful Christmas and decorations and music; Special Christmas events going on at each park; Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

Cons: Can be truly cold, not just cool, weather; Can't make as much use of water parks, water rides and pools; Short window of opportunity to visit without the massive crowds of Christmas week through New Year's Day

I still consider this my favorite time of year at The Mouse. Cooler temps, Christmas Decorations and park music, and a general change take place altogether. The first couple weeks of December is lighter crowds and you STILL have Christmas decorations and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Visiting the resorts becomes an event with what they do for the Holidays. The Holiday Storytellers at Epcot are wonderful as is the Osbourne Family Lights and Holiday Wishes. After doing Epcot at New Year's Eve this year, I can't imagine a better party. It's a different place this time of year.

That being said, if water parks, water attractions and pools play a big part in your WDW experience, they will be hard to come by this time of year. Sometimes the weather does get downright cold rather than cool, and it can be rather uncomfortable.

All in all, every season offers something great. But if you only have one longer trip to make in a year, the decision will be tough. Perhaps the solution is to make multiple shorter trips instead of one long one? Or to rotate the seasons you visit from year to year to experience the scope of it all.

Katie and Chance prefer the summer, because they love the water aspect of WDW. Hope loves the early spring because of the lower crowds the Flower & Garden Festival. I love the Holiday season and everything about it.

The Tree Of Life

2010-02-25T17:27:00.000-08:00

Here at Around The Mouse we've always been staunch defenders of Animal Kingdom. We love to sing its praises as we believe it's been given a bad rap and is a bit underrated.

Hope even says it's her favorite WDW park when it's not summer (the oppressive heat that time of year is the only thing that knocks it off the perch), and even though it's my 4th favorite of the four parks, it doesn't mean I don't love it. I just happen to be a sucker for tradition and and history, and Animal Kingdom is the youngest of the bunch. But I think it's awesome and definitely NOT a single day park, as you hear so many describe it as. Our article Defending Disney's Animal Kingdom (October 23, 2009) goes into many of the reasons why we love it so much.

One of the big reasons we love it is the icon of the park: the Tree Of Life. Not only is it an incredible and imposing structure, but it's beautiful and serves multiple purposes. The artistry that went into designing and then sculpting the animals of the tree is mind-blowing. I've been staring at it for years and almost every time I go and look at it I discover new details that I didn't notice or fully appreciate before.

The paths around the Tree Of Life wind right

up to the base of the structure - making for

an incredible close-up view.

The eagle is one of the most fantastic sculpts on the tree.

There's a striking resemblance here...

"The backside of water" can be found at the

Tree Of Life as well as The Jungle Cruise.

This guy was hamming it up for the camera.

Actually, he was in the lone sunny spot of his area

just trying to get warm.

The swan didn't want us anywhere near his humble abode.

The kangaroos were incredible to watch up close.

The walking trails around the tree are serene and beautiful. Animal and bird sanctuaries are plentiful. Countless signs detail the wildlife and provide an excellent educational experience for young and old alike. Waterfalls, streams and ponds dot the surroundings and plenty of tree shade shelters you from the sun. Walking around the tree is a wonderful experience that definitely should be explored and savored.

"Hello. And...and...and...welcome. Welcome to our show!"

The tree is also home to one of the best 3D movies in The Mouse - It's Tough To Be A Bug. Some younger kids find it disturbing, but mine have always loved it. The quality of the film has stood the test of time and the 3D elements are still very much effective.

It also has the what I believe to be the best 4D elements of any of the WDW 3D films attractions: giant spiders drop from the ceiling, hornets poke you in the back, beetles crawl under your butt and one of the best audio-animatronics in WDW makes an appearance (Hopper, the grasshopper).

Personally I believe the "weenie" (as Walt used to call the park icons) at Animal Kingdom is a worthy part of the lineup of icons that includes Cinderella's Castle, SpaceShip Earth and even the Sorcerer's Hat (as hated as that one is by many). And while the others may be more popular and historic, it's possible the genius of The Tree Of Life's artistry may surpass all of the rest.

Top 10: Live Performances In The Mouse

2010-02-19T13:44:00.000-08:00

Many important factors make Walt Disney World what it is: attention to detail, phenomenal theming, great music, incredible food, constant upgrading, meticulous cleanliness, respect for tradition, family entertainment, education, thrills and one thing that sometimes gets overlooked: live entertainment.

There are countless live performances all throughout each park and resort every single day. These ultra-talented artists of every kind help make Walt Disney World what it is: a totally engrossing experience. They add to the atmosphere of the area of the park they're in and sometimes give you the most memorable experiences of your vacation. They're the unsung heroes of The Mouse.

In this article, we count down our top 10 best live performances around Walt Disney World. This will encompass singers, dancers, musicians, acrobats, stage shows, comedy acts and everything in between. If it's performed live, it's a candidate. Now, we do have to draw the line somewhere; we won't be counting CMs who work the queue lines and such, even those with larger role-playing efforts like the Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror crews. These have to be scheduled live performances in and of themselves.

So without further ado, the 10 Best Live Performances in The Mouse:

10. Off Kilter

Canada Pavilion, Epcot

Off Kilter is incredibly popular. Every time they're on stage at Epcot's Canada pavilion, huge crowds gather to hear their fusion of Celtic and Rock music. I love their unique sound and because I'm such a fan of classic rock, their covers suit my personal taste perfectly. They're awesome and fun.

9. Finding Nemo, The Musical

Animal Kingdom

The longest stage show in Walt Disney World, this elaborate production is wonderful. The fact that they made a musical out of a movie that was not a musical is what's truly intriguing. The singers are ultra talented, the songs are well-written and catchy and the costumes and stage props are awesome. This show is extremely well designed and even if you've never seen the movie, it's very easy to follow the story. Plus, it's a great way to escape the heat for a good chunk of time.

8. DiVine

Animal Kingdom

We gave DiVine her props in a recent article (The Mouse Is In The Details: DiVine, Feb. 4, 2010). She's amazing, plain and simple.

7. Dragon Legend Acrobats

China Pavilion, Epcot

This acrobat troupe can make your jaw drop, no matter how many times you've seen them.

6. Citizens Of Hollywood

Hollywood Studios

So many of these talented folks belong on this list that we decided to include them all under one umbrella. They're called "streetmosphere" because they MAKE the atmosphere at Hollywood Studios what it is...a wonderful recalling of the Hollywood of yesteryear. Except they are hilarious. My personal favorite is the one and only Bucky Greenhorn.

5. Mulch, Sweat & Shears

Hollywood Studios

Quite simply, these guys are FUN. They are the ultimate party band and they put a smile on everyone's face. They usually set up camp around the Streets of America and inevitably a huge crowd gathers around to hear their stylized covers of classic rock songs. Basically, they're very talented musicians who make everyone feel good.

4. The Main Street Philharmonic

Magic Kingdom

These guys are big part of the flavor of Main Street, USA. There's nothing like being in the Magic Kingdom under the bright morning sun and hearing these guys playing their instruments in the background in Town Square. Talk about atmosphere. These guys ARE atmosphere.

3. Festival of the Lion King

Animal Kingdom

This is the closest thing The Mouse comes to Cirque Du Soleil inside the parks, except this includes live singing along with the acrobatics, unbelievable costumes and props. Katie was once chosen to grab an instrument and encircle the stage with other kids at the end of the show and it's a highlight of her Disney World life.

2. Voices of Liberty

United States Pavilion, Epcot

Inspiring, jaw-dropping, phenomenal talent. I can't count how many times they've made me choke up during America The Beautiful or The National Anthem (or countless other songs). The setting inside the rotunda in the American pavilion is perfect visually, and for their phenomenal sound.

1. Fantasmic!

Hollywood Studios

Even though not every aspect of Fantasmic is "live", I included this huge production because of the amount of actors and dancers who so expertly perform their role every show to make this the most mind-bending on-stage experience in The Mouse. I was simply blown away by Fantasmic the first time I saw it and have been addicted to it ever since.

Honorable Mention:

Jedi Training Academy

JAMMitors

Push The Trashcan

Main Street Ragtime Piano Players

YeeHaw Bob Jackson

Flights of Wonder

Miyuki

Mouse Ramblings: A Wizard vs A Sorcerer's Apprentice

2010-02-15T05:56:00.000-08:00

Disney World this summer is going to be an interesting (and fun) place to be. The newly announced Summer Nightastic is a good thing, with some very cool additions and/or changes to the parks coming our way.

I've never seen The Mainstreet Electrical Parade in person, so I'm very much looking forward to finally catching that in Magic Kingdom. I'm also looking forward to the new fireworks show (rumored to be the Magic, Music and Mayhem fireworks from the Pirates and Princesses Party) that will be replacing Wishes. A new drop sequence will be added to the Tower of Terror as will new sound and visual effects. This is VERY cool news. Animal Kingdom will be opened later at night (which is a GORGEOUS park after dark) and they will be bringing back the Sounds Of Summer concert series at Epcot. All the parks get a little something, and they're all good things.

But I'm not blown away with this. Don't get me wrong - I like all of it. They are all positive changes to shake things up a bit, something Disney should be doing all the time...but a bit underwhelming in my opinion. Especially when considering what their competition up the street has planned for this summer: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Potter will be a massively popular addition to the Universal Orlando theme parks. It WILL be a major success. And it will take visitors away from Disney World. How much it will effect WDW is another question. Will families taking their summer trip down to central Florida skip Disney altogether and just hit Universal? Will they hit both and give each about equal time when they used to give the vast majority to Disney? Will they spend the majority of their time at Disney, but give one or two days to Universal for the express purpose of seeing Harry Potter when they wouldn't have left Disney otherwise? In this economy, these are legit questions.

This doesn't mean Universal is going to out-draw Walt Disney World this summer. It won't, and it won't be close. But you can bet a healthy percentage will be taken out of Disney's pocketbook as a result of Potter. And like we said, in this economy, when the crowds are expected to be down this summer to begin with, The Mouse will feel it.

All of this is why I'm surprised Disney didn't have something major up their sleeve for this summer. Something HUGE. As in E-Ticket huge. As in Expedition Everest E-Ticket huge. As nice as Summer Nightastic sounds, can it really be the answer to something as culturally enormous as Harry Potter?

Don't underestimate how popular Harry Potter is around the world. Those books and movies are monsters. People will come from all over to be able to surround themselves in that world - it's perfect for a theme park. It's going to be a hit.

In a recent article, we talking about how Epcot is due for a major E-Ticket attraction (Random Mouse Ramblings: Epcot's Next E-Ticket, Feb. 1, 2010) - they haven't had one there since 2005 (Soarin), and they're due. This would have been the perfect answer to Potter. They could have torn down The Wonders Of Life pavilion and put something incredible there - something HUGE to counter punch Potter. There has been plenty of time; the plans for Harry Potter have been known for quite a while, and in the last two years or so Imagineering could very well have come up with that answer. Maybe they did, but budget held it back? But then how did they see it appropriate to throw billions of dollars around at the Marvel acquisition and the RFID technology project that's going on behind the scenes?

The Fantasyland expansion is on its way, but that won't be open for another 2 years. Over that time, Harry Potter will have the run of things as THE big new addition to central Florida theme parks. Star Tours 2.0 will open in 2011, but that's still giving Potter a year with virtually nothing opposing it. And even when Star Tours does open back up, it's still a single attraction - it may have groundbreaking technological advancements and it may be awesome, but it's still a single attraction. Potter is a whole area with multiple attractions. That's a whole different ballgame.

The point is, Disney has seen Potter coming for quite a while. Epcot is due for an E-Ticket and they have the space (Wonders of Life pavilion) to accommodate it. Considering Disney's investments, they obviously have the money. They also have the talent. They should have prepared a MASSIVE counter punch to strike back with this summer. It would have been good for us - the consumer. When businesses compete, they go the extra mile to make the customer happy...we benefit. But it almost seems as though Disney is conceding the summer to Potter, and Nightastic is their way of making an effort, but not a big effort.

And as huge a Disney family as we are, we will probably eventually make our way to Universal once to check out Potter. We'll be back to Disney again and again afterward, but that's still a trip we wouldn't have made if Potter wasn't opening. And in this economy, I'm sure there are families out there who aren't local who can't afford to do both - or give all the time in the world to both - and they just might pick Universal and Potter instead of Mickey this year.

That should frighten Disney. But it didn't seem to frighten them enough to go toe-to-toe with Harry Potter this summer. And that's not a good thing - for us.

Review: Hollywood Studio's Animation Academy

2010-02-11T04:45:00.000-08:00

Very early on in Around The Mouse, we talked about one of the special FREE things that you can bring home with you when at The Mouse: drawings from the Animation Academy at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Oh, You'll Love This, Just One More (Free) Thing..., October 27th, 2009). Recently the kids and I had another opportunity to take advantage of this great attraction.

First, this is part of the larger Magic Of Animation attraction that's housed in the Animation courtyard in Hollywood Studios. The attraction in general is pretty cool, although it used to be quite a bit better back in the day. But this is one of those attractions that if you never experienced the original, this version will seem just fine.

In the full version, you wait in a queue for the start time of a movie to begin that features Mushu from Mulan in an explanation of the creative process by which an animated character is made. It's not a bad movie and does a decent and humorous job of getting its message across. We did find out that you can skip this movie by asking the CM and they will point you toward a second door that will lead to the interactive area (we'll expand on this in a minute). The reason why this current movie is ripped by people who saw the previous version is because it used to have actual Disney animators working live in front of the guests explaining how the animation process worked.

For example, we went there once and saw them working on Brother Bear, explaining it all step by step. Now it's a generic movie that is the same every time. The greatly diminished role of the classic 2D animation style was probably mostly responsible in the elimination of this part of the attraction (Princess and the Frog not withstanding). If 2D animation won't be a constant anymore (considering the tepid theatrical response to ...Frog) Disney might want to now include a portion of the attraction showcasing the art of 3D rendering that's so expertly used by Pixar. Just an idea, Disney.

From the movie you enter an area that overlooks an actual art studio. The last couple of times we've been there, a Disney artist has been sitting in the studio working on animation cells that were to be sold in the Art Of Disney stores (according to the nice CM nearby). This annoys people as well because this studio used to be occupied by animators working on actual cells for animated pictures instead of art to be sold in stores. Anyway, I still think the room is great to look at and it's still worthwhile to see.

After that, you pass by another art studio that features examples of storyboard art at various stages during production. The current art that is featured is from The Princess and the Frog.

From there, you move into the "interactive" area where several things are going on. There's three meet and greets, including a permanent area that features Sorcerer Mickey, an area that currently features the Incredibles, and a third area that houses the Up! characters.

Katie trying out one of the interactive touch-screen games.

There are also interactive games to be played mostly involving art games on touch screen monitors. Several other small interactive activities are present that most kids love to spend time doing. Some activities are similar to the games and exercises that can be found in the Create area of DisneyQuest, if you're familiar with those.

A shot of the CM animator's desk who instructed the class on how to draw Pluto.

Katie and Chance ready to put some pencil to paper.

In my opinion, the best part of this whole attraction is the Animation Academy. As we mentioned in the previous article, it's a free activity. A CM leads a class full of guests in showing them a simple and quick way of accurately sketching popular Disney characters. All you have is a light table, an eraser-less pencil and a piece of blank paper with the DHS logo on the bottom corner.

Mid-way through my sketch of Pluto. Remember - light lines!

It's actually a great exercise in freehand drawing. They emphasize to tread lightly with the pencil, using very light lines - you'll go heavier with the pencil after you get the shapes fleshed out. They do a great job in continually switching out the characters they're drawing all the time - we've done this attraction probably 4 or 5 times and haven't drawn the same character twice. This last time, we sketched Pluto.

My finished product of Pluto.

Katie proud of her Pluto!

The kids always beg to do this attraction, and it's really worth it. Not only does it teach valuable lessons in the art of drawing, but it's simply a very different experience from most things you can do in the parks and it's FREE. Take advantage!

Chance Walks This Way For The First Time

2010-02-07T07:48:00.000-08:00

7-year-old Chance had only three attractions left in Walt Disney World that he couldn't do because of height: Primeval Whirl, Sum Of All Thrills and Aerosmith's Rock N Roller Coaster. For years he looked up to Rock N Roller Coaster with awe and with the aspirations of one day being big enough to actually ride it. Well, he's finally big enough, and he finally rode it.

The first thing he said when he got off?

"CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?!?!?!?!?!?"

This is the same kid who at age four rode Tower of Terror. And then immediately after his first ride, went on to ride it 12 times in a row...at his persistent request each time. He also did Test Track at the same age (TT was actually his first "big" ride).

This event rings in a new era, as Chance now can look forward to Sum and Whirl sometime soon.

Chance and Katie enter the lobby of Rock N Roller Coaster.

Always thought the lighting in the lobby was critical to setting the mood of the ride.

Chance wasn't so excited that Katie was really proud of his new milestone.

The famous door of marbles that just HAS to be rolled whenever walked by.

Steven just wanted to give everyone backstage passes.

The drum kit inside the studio.

Check out Chance in the front row. Now THAT is a priceless look.

He'll love this pic when he's older.

The Mouse Is In The Details: DiVine

2010-02-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

One of the great hidden secrets of not just Animal Kingdom, but Walt Disney World, is the beauty and grace of the unique character that is called DiVine. She has the ability to make your jaw drop - dressed with complete coverage of vines, leaves, plants, twigs and berries, she blends in perfectly with the lush natural environment around her. Moving ever so slowly with the grace of a ballerina, she draws huge crowds of gawkers. With legs and arms on camouflaged stilts, she looks and moves unlike any other character you'll see in the parks.

Seeing DiVine has always been a priority for my family and I when visiting AK - she's that impressive. She is representative of what makes Disney World so great - a little hidden detail that adds so much to the overall atmosphere of the park experience.

However, be sure to check the time guide stand at the front of Animal Kingdom for her appearance schedule - she only performs a handful of times throughout the middle of the day. DiVine can be found on the path between Africa and Asia (closer to the Africa end). If you've never heard of her or have never seen her, seek her out - it's worth it.

Random Mouse Ramblings: Epcot's Next E-Ticket

2010-02-01T06:19:00.000-08:00

When it comes to the next round of huge additions or changes to the WDW theme parks, I believe Epcot's turn to bat is coming up - and it should be on deck to hit next.

Sure, when it comes to relatively small additions and refurbs, they have certainly been given some attention. Sum Of All Thrills is a great new attraction in Innoventions. The Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure was also a wonderful idea to implement into the World Showcase experience, especially for kids. And they've refurbed Spaceship Earth and the Gran Fiesta Tour, amongst a few other small examples along the way (mostly in Innoventions).

However, the last time Epcot received a monster E-Ticket addition was 2005 - five years ago now - when they opened up Soarin'. Since then, Animal Kingdom received the massive Expedition Everest in 2006, Hollywood Studios added the insanely popular Toy Story Mania in 2008 (and will recieve a huge upgrade to Star Tours within the next two years), and of course Magic Kingdom not only had incredible refurbs done to Space Mountain, Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean, but they are also getting the King of All Attractions in the next two years - the Fantasyland expansion.

That leaves my favorite park, Epcot, in need of some serious TLC. Not only is it logically next in line in the batting order based on what the other parks have received, but there are several things about Epcot as it stands right now, that are obsolete and need to be changed. And the sooner the better.

First is the remnants of the carcass that was once known as the Wonders Of Life pavilion. It now hosts seasonal events such as seminars (and as gift shops) during the International Food & Wine Festival and the Flower & Garden Festival. Talk about a waste of space. The empty Odyssey building near World Showcase would be perfect for those events, and they in fact used it for exactly that purpose just a few short years ago when they were still using Wonders of Life as a seasonal attraction. In a pinch, they could always use the huge and under-utilized World Showplace pavilion as a staging area for bigger needs than what the Odyssey can handle.

The Wonders Of Life Pavilion is massive and could either be re-purposed as is for something new (the less-expensive route), or they could rip the whole thing down and create a huge new E-Ticket attraction (the more-expensive route). As the economy recovers (hopefully), it might push Disney into being more willing to splurge on something massive for this spot. And by the time the Fantasyland expansion is done in 2012 or 2013, they well should have more than enough opportunity to begin implementing something like this for Epcot. By doing this, they will be taking advantage of the space they have to supplement the attractions that will by that time be getting much longer in the tooth (Soarin', Test Track, Mission: Space).

The other area in Epcot that needs serious work is the Imagination pavilion in Future World. As disliked as the "new" Journey Into Imagination is in comparison to the original with Dreamfinder, it doesn't need the same level of attention that Honey, I Shrunk the Audience does at this point. I've hammered on this a lot recently, but with the speculation of Captain EO's possible return, it is shifting the spotlight onto this attraction. And that spotlight is showing how badly this thing needs to go. At the very least, a new 3D film with huge changes to the theming should happen here. And at the very best, the whole thing could be torn down, including Journey, and a whole different take on Imagination could be created for this pavilion - something truly state-of-the-art. An E-Ticket Journey Into Imagination. How awesome would that be?

Epcot deserves this kind of love and it is getting to the point that is needs it, too.

Misc. Ramblings

How awesome is it that they are offering up the opportunity to actually dine inside of attractions as special events? Yes, very, very costly but an incredible idea. First, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, then The Great Movie Ride in Hollywood Studios (for Tables In Wonderland customers). I'd love to see Tower Of Terror get a shot at this... If you don't like heat and huge crowds, this is THE time of year to be at The Mouse - at least it's a close race between now and the first two to three weeks of December. From what I've seen, I believe the crowds are slightly smaller now, and the weather cooler...but this is also the time of year for many maintenance refurbs and less opportunity to use your resort's swimming pools, so pick your poison...It's awesome that World Showcase is offering real pizza at its Italy pavilion. The Mouse has always had a problem with pizza. And coffee. Maybe they'll partner with Starbucks next (we hope)...

Theme? What Theme?

2010-01-29T05:35:00.000-08:00

Coming up with the worst-themed attractions in Walt Disney World was tough. This is because even the worst-themed attractions aren't that badly themed. And it's important to remember that not all of the worst-themed attractions are bad attractions in and of themselves (and should still be experienced at least once if possible). The same holds true for the best-themed attractions list - some of the best rides in Walt Disney World didn't make that list simply because the actual theme isn't top 10 material (i.e., Soarin') - but they're still terrific attractions.

So with that said, below are the Walt Disney World attractions that do the worst job of theming due to any number of reasons: having the least attention to detail, having shown their age to the point that it removes you from the fantasy of the experience, or simply lacking the "magic" of enveloping the guest in the experience.

Honey, I Shrunk The Audience, Epcot

Never mind that the subject of this attraction is woefully outdated and should be replaced immediately. That is beside the point. The real point here is the theme of this attraction is lacking horribly and has almost nothing to do with the 3D film. Honey replaced Captain EO in 1994 and at that time, there was still clear memory of the movie that inspired the idea of the attraction; it was still somewhat relevant. But it's clear that the minimum was done to give the theater a personality change after Captain EO. The pre-show room is bland and has basically no theming itself (compare/contrast that with Muppet Vision 3D), and the same basically holds true for the theater itself. This attraction relies almost completely on its 3D movie - which is a bad thing. At least if the theming were tremendous, the quality of movie itself might be forgiven (as with Star Tours).

Maelstrom, Epcot

This is a great example of what I consider to be a terrific attraction (one of my favorites in Epcot) whose theme (mostly due to its age) is starting to take away from the experience. This mostly has to do with a few of the older AA's having a slightly tougher time moving (the long, ferret-like Polar Bear, for example) and the oil platform scene after the little drop back, back down the falls. The lighting is such that you can easily see too much of the ceiling and walls - many of which the seams are very apparent and it takes you right out of the illusion of the scene. A little TLC would go a long way for this one. It deserves it.

Backlot Tour, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Now, the Backlot is not a typical attraction. It's not trying to fool your senses into believing you're in this fantastical setting. It is however, dependent on the content as the theme. And that content has dwindled for years. It's to the point that so much of what it had is gone, that there simply isn't that much to see any more. If the theme of the Backlot Tour is to show you a working backlot full of movie props and such, it's now way past its expiration date.

Turtle Talk With Crush, Epcot

Like Maelstom, this is a quality attraction that should not be missed. And while it doesn't have a bad theme, it just doesn't have a great one, worthy of the innovation of the main attraction (Crush's interactive Q&A with the audience - a technological marvel, especially at the time it came out). The pre-show area does have quizzes and different interactive and educational games for the kids to do while waiting for the show, but it just seems that this could be a much, much bigger deal of an attraction if they went all-out when designing the theme. More attention to detail - any attention to detail - in the Crush room would have sealed the deal.

Stitch's Great Escape, Magic Kingdom

I'm in the minority when it comes to opinions on the entertainment value of this attraction - I don't think it's all that bad. It has some very advanced audio-animatronics (Stitch) and even uses KUKA robots (the massive arm-like canons) to add a bit of a "wow" factor to the ride. Stitch took the place of Alien Encounter (which was a superior attraction), and as with Honey, I Shrunk The Audience, the minimum was done to give the attraction a personality of its own after having taken over a completely different attraction. The pre-show room that has the TVs hanging from the ceiling has a very similar feeling to the pre-show room at Honey - no theming at all, just TVs. Quite simply, lazy design. And while the next room has much more to offer, including another very good AA, the rest of the attraction does very little to sell the guest on the depth of the story - in other words, the theming is shallow and is one reason why many consider this attraction to be lacking the "Disney Magic".

Tomorrowland Speedway, Magic Kingdom

This attraction really has no place anywhere near Tomorrowland. And it takes up massive amounts of real estate that could be better used for something else futuristic that would make Tomorrowland truly phenomenal. Or, they could radically change the theme to make it an ultra-futuristic racing game so that its theme actually jives with its location within the park. Nothing about the attraction's theme makes sense as is.

Primeval Whirl, Animal Kingdom

I can see what Disney was trying to do here. The aim was to create an area of the park that simulated a road-side carnival. If that is the aim of the theme design, they hit the nail on the head - job well done. I just think it's a bad (and ugly) idea. Another example of a huge waste of a massive amount of space that could be utilized for something truly cool - another huge Dinosaur-related "thrill" ride or even an actual fossil museum with incredible interactive educational experiences. Worst of all, it appears as though Primeval Whirl is simply a cookie-cutter "wild mouse" roller coaster with an ugly coat of paint reflecting an ill-conceived idea for a theme. Dino-Rama is the one big blemish that resides in an otherwise incredibly themed theme park.

Top 10 Best Themed Attractions

2010-01-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

When it comes to attractions in The Mouse, two ingredients go hand-in-hand to create a typical, top-notch Disney experience: story and theme. Even in big "thrill" rides, the "thrill" is essentially secondary to theme, or else it would simply be a Six Flags or Busch Gardens ride. Disney has mastered the art of mixing incredible theme and just enough thrill to satisfy almost everyone. Today Around The Mouse counts down the top 10 best themed Disney World attractions.

1. Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom

The dining hall. The stretching room. The ghost host. The ghost writers. The wallpaper. The blinking eyes on the wallpaper. The hitchhiking ghosts. The attic scene. The pet cemetery outside. The glow of the windows on the front of the mansion at night. This place is incredible. And the concept of the Haunted Mansion comes directly from Walt himself. Attraction theming simply doesn't get better than this.

2. Expedition Everest, Animal Kingdom

If realism is the goal of theming, then Everest is the ultimate example. From the Yeti museum to the shrines and intricate wall carvings along the queue line to the mountain itself, no detail was spared here to sell the experience. In a park that is probably the best-themed Disney park in general, this is the best themed attraction. That speaks volumes.

3. Tower of Terror, Disney's Hollywood Studios

If we could have two attractions tie for second place, it would be Everest and the Hollywood Tower of Terror. But we had to pick one, and Everest got the ever-so-slight edge. But attractions like Tower was the true inspiration for rides like Everest: a massive thrill ride with ultra-realistic detail-oriented theming that is out of this world.

4. Kilimanjaro Safari, Animal Kingdom

The sheer size of this beautiful attraction lends to the engrossing, all-encompassing feeling of being in the middle of an African safari. The queue to the actual ride is also very well themed as you pass through ticket booths and offices along the way with promotional anti-poaching TV programs being broadcast for your enjoyment and education.

5. Pirates of the Caribbean, Magic Kingdom

Huge attraction (and Walt-inspired original) that is awesome both in the queue and during the actual ride. The aged authenticity of the Castillo del Morro is incredible with its weaponry, iron work and stone architecture. And, of course, the ride's dark dioramas are amazing.

6. Muppet Vision 3D, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Hilarious inside jokes, gags and puns everywhere in the pre-show room - you can get lost in there looking around at the little things. The theater is a wonderful recreation of the Muppets theater and includes the Waldorf and Statler AA's in the balcony. I always consider the courtyard and merchandise store as part of the attraction and those are also hilarious and worthy of adding to the theme of this attraction.

7. Star Tours, Disney's Hollywood Studios

The outdoor Ewok Village with the AT-AT may alone nominate this attraction for best themed attraction. But add to that the attention to detail of all the droid parts strewn about, C-3PO and R2D2 audio-animatronics and the Star Wars-style "airport" feel to the rest of the attraction, and this one still holds up (unlike its simulator movie).

8. Toy Story Mania, Disney's Hollywood Studios

Wonderful and whimsical come to mind when walking through this attraction. The classic games and toys blown up to giant size (in order to make you feel like you're the size of a toy in the bedroom) along the queue is great fun to experience. The theming doesn't let up once you're in the shoot-out portion of the game, or even in the car itself.

9. Kali River Rapids, Animal Kingdom

Kali is another attraction that makes the theming of the Asia section of Animal Kingdom incredible from top to bottom. It's the direct precursor to Expedition Everest, as is evident from the relics and art present along its amazing queue line. The thick trees and vegetation along the ride path and the logging scene with the fire erupting also create a sense of awe and can rattle the nerves a little bit. Quality theming in a type of ride (water tubing) that can be very difficult to theme effectively.

10. Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom

This probably wouldn't have made the cut if it weren't for the latest refurb; even if some people don't believe they did enough to the actual ride track itself, there's no denying that they hit a home run with the theming. It is now a comprehensive story that even ties in other Disney attractions (Horizons) with some cleverly placed nods to the past. The games along the queue tie into the story and the new graphics along the ceiling are top-of-the-line. Even if the ride itself is the same as before, the theming is far, far superior.

Honorable Mention:

Maharajah Jungle Trek, Animal Kingdom

Spaceship Earth, Epcot

The Seas With Nemo & Friends, Epcot

Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Magic Kingdom

Well, So Much For Swinging On The Hammocks

2010-01-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

When Walt Disney was originally planning "the Florida project", part of the logic was that the warm weather was perfectly suited for what would amount to an all-inclusive year-round resort. The Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, The Magic Kingdom theme park, and multiple waterfront resort hotels would provide the Disney World guest with a complete vacation experience. And one of the main parts of that experience was to enjoy the water-related activities at the hotels: pools, water skiing, sunbathing, etc. Unlike Disneyland, this place had the space enough so that nobody would have to leave for any reason. Everything was right there. And beautiful, warm weather had everything to do with it.

Walt laying down the law in Florida.

This is why pools and related activities are so important to most of the Disney World resort hotels. Many are themed so well that they're close to being a water-based attraction unto themselves. This aspect helps to lend these hotels their theme and personality. When the theme park is closed, or if it isn't an option, there's something fun to do outdoors at the hotel other than sitting in your room watching TV. It's the benefit of being located in Florida.

The awesome newly renovated pool in Port Royale.

Keeping that in mind, the Caribbean Beach Resort at Disney World is supposed to provide an experience that's similar to a Caribbean Island vacation. Replete with beach sand, hammocks, water sports, beautiful pools, surrey bikes, paddle boats, bright colored buildings and a light and festive atmosphere.

A lonely hammock trying to sway in the 20 degree wind.

It's just that the Caribbean Islands don't ever experience 20 degree weather. That's definitely not swing-on-the-hammock-with-a-frosty-beverage conditions. It wasn't built for that, and neither was Walt Disney World.

Two watercraft that would make CBR a great place

to play almost any other day of the year.

Unfortunately, for marathon weekend at The Mouse, the frigid (for Florida) conditions put a damper on experiencing what the Caribbean Beach Resort has to offer. Of course, that has nothing to do with the resort itself; obviously Disney can't control the weather, no matter how powerful they are. And it won't stop us from going back to the Caribbean Beach Resort, because we did see first hand what you could do there, if the weather is right.

But that also taught us a little lesson: if you are visiting Walt Disney World in the winter months, you may want to go with another option outside of CBR, as the weather may render much of what makes it great as useless that time of year.

Now, 20 degrees in Lake Buena Vista, Florida is not normal, like Walt Disney understood when planning all this. And next winter, there may be no cold spell quite that cold at all. But there may be 30 degrees or 40 degrees, or even 50 degrees - which would still make many of the water and beach related activities very uncomfortable. It's enough of a risk that you may want to opt for Port Orleans or even a cheaper value resort instead of something like Caribbean Beach (why spend the extra money on a resort if you can't take advantage of what it has to offer?). For something like Marathon weekend or the week between Christmas and New Years, you'll just have to book much earlier in the year before it fills up.

All this being said, we really like this resort. We could tell it has great potential and in the right season, it would be an absolute blast. We have experienced little bits of the resort before as non-guests. We've taken an afternoon or two to walk the grounds, swing on hammocks and rent paddle boats. It was a LOT of fun. It would be even more fun if you're staying there and can retreat back to your room and take the recreation as you want it, when you want it. So we can definitely see the value here, especially with their newly refurbished and pirate-themed main pool at Port Royale.

Hope and the kids enter the check-in area at CBR.

A fireplace would've been nice.

As for our stay, let's start with the check-in. It was marathon weekend, so the situation was a little different than most times of the year. We arrived at about 2:30 or so in the afternoon on Saturday and was hoping that we could potentially get an early check-in. If we didn't get it, no big deal, it was just a half hour or so until it was officially check-in time, so we'd simply wait it out. We didn't realize until having gotten there that during marathon weekend, they allow runners to have a late check-out to accommodate for if they needed more time to rest post-race in the early afternoon. They informed us that check-in could be as late as 5:00 p.m. That was a little surprising, but we couldn't complain - Hope was running the marathon the next morning and we may very well need that generous service. So we said, "OK" and went on our way.

We needed a couple of hours to take up - but it was already cold. About 34 degrees. The family took a vote as to what they wanted to do, and it voted for DisneyQuest. It's indoors and the kids love it. Hope wanted that too, as she didn't want to expose herself the day before the full marathon to getting a cold from too much frigid outdoor exposure. I was indifferent, so DisneyQuest it was.

I did get a text message from Disney at about 3:45 or so telling us that our room was ready! That was a pleasant surprise, as it didn't take as long as we thought. We took off from DisneyQuest and found our room.

Home sweet home for the next two nights.

We had room 2324 in the Martinique area. Not bad at all - it was adjacent to Port Royale (the center hub with the shopping, dining, main pool and marina) which was a short walk away around the lake. Our room was also very close (probably 50 yards or so) from the closest bus stop - which was a HUGE break at 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning when Hope had to be there to catch the ride to Epcot for the race. With some other hotels on property, the bus stops are MUCH further away and can be quite the walk to get there - which would have been harsh this particular morning (wind chill gave the weather an 11 degree "feels like" temperature).

Katie trying to decide which sink to use.

The Nemo theme didn't go much further than

the comforter and trim at the top of the walls.

The chest almost made a perfect bed for Chance.

A wider shot of the room. Check out the Nemo

trim along the top of the walls.

Chance and Katie having lunch.

Katie obviously has nefarious plans for something.

We ended up with one of the newly refurbished "Nemo" rooms - over the last year or so they refurbed a chunk of the resort to have themed rooms - either Nemo or Pirates of the Caribbean. It was a nice touch. It wasn't anything Earth-shattering, but it was nice. The trim along the top of the walls were murals of Nemo, Dori and other characters from the movie, as was the comforters on the beds. The curtains had a water/wave pattern to them, lending to the overall theme of the room. Even though the depth of the theming wasn't quite to the level of rooms such as those in the French Quarter, it still gave the room a novel charm and some personality.

The room was very much spacious enough. No complaints there at all. The bed was comfortable and the double sinks with the privacy curtain was definitely a welcome perk of this moderate-level hotel room.

It included a refrigerator, a sizable dresser and the standard coffee-maker (which was well-used the morning of the marathon). We also packed several meals for the 3 days and the fridge came in very handy.

This is what a beach looks like at 20 degrees.

Caribbean Beach has absolutely beautiful grounds.

The bright colors of the buildings are perfect for the Caribbean theme.

This was the little plaza/courtyard just outside of our room in Martinique.

A small, cute pool closer to our quarters.

We did brave the cold a couple of times to take a look around the grounds, but it was short-lived. The grounds are very well themed and there are tons of little secluded areas that I'd love to just relax in. The hammocks definitely looked lonely. So did the pools. And watercraft. Unfortunately, we happened to pick the coldest week central Floria has seen in decades for our weekend getaway to Caribbean Beach Resort. Oh well. However, we saw enough to make us want to come back in warmer weather and do it the right way the next time.

Review: Disney's Health & Fitness Expo

2010-01-17T13:41:00.000-08:00

For a few years now both Hope and I have wanted to attend Disney's Health & Fitness Expo that is always part of their annual Marathon Weekend, but for various reasons just never made it over to the Mouse for that event. But the 2010 Expo was different because Hope actually ran in the marathon and needed to go to the Expo at some point to pick up her racing packet and goodies. And after finally going on that Friday afternoon (January 8th), we're really glad we got the chance to check it out this year.

An overhead of the Health & Fitness Expo.

This wide shot leaves out about half the room...it's huge.

First off, the Expo is HUGE. Massive. It's essentially a trade show centered around racing/running, athletics and fitness. If you're into all of that, this event was like being in...um...Disney World. Ahem. And that's why we loved it. As fitness and Disney World maniacs, if we had unlimited funds, we would have gone nuts there.

The Expo ran from Thursday through Saturday but had to visit there on Friday. We couldn't make it over on Thursday due to school and work schedules, and didn't want to go there on Saturday in order to not wait to the last minute to pick up her packet - Disney's advice is to not wait that long because it's a madhouse on Saturday.

This sign at the D Sports merchandise store greets

visitors to the Expo in Disney's Wide World Of Sports.

So we picked up the kids from school and headed up for the afternoon/early evening on Friday. It had been several years since I'd been to the Wide World Of Sports, so I was looking forward to heading over there again.

The Wide World Of Sports Cafe is one of the few spots

in Wide World Of Sports Complex where you can spend

some time if you're not watching a sporting event.

ESPN at Boardwalk is far superior, however.

Basically, unless you're there for a specific sporting event at one of the fields or facilities, or there to watch an Atlanta Braves spring training game, there's not a lot to do at Wide World Of Sports. But I was still looking forward to heading over and checking the place out and of course, to hit the Expo.

Plenty of signage is available at Wide World Of Sports

to help out those who aren't familiar with the huge facility.

We started out doing what we really HAD to do there - picking up Hope's racing packet. There were plenty of signs to follow to get you where you're going and also plenty of people to follow. The registration area was held in a building called "The Milk House". Basically, this is an indoor gym/athletic facility sponsored by "Got Milk?"

I think some kind of beverage sponsors this building,

but it's not clear which one.

The registration process was pretty easy. There were no lines for her area of the alphabet, it was taken care of very quickly. Hope was very excited to see her bib, and her commemorative 2010 Marathon pin that she ordered back when signing up for the event many months ago.

The registration lines were very short on Friday afternoon.

Registration was simple and quick. Don't forget your ID!

Ahhh, that commemorative pin and racing bib.

The bib and pin, along with the censor strip for her shoes and other paperwork all came in the registration packet. It was indeed cool to open up...like a late Christmas present!

Hope and Mickey have an eerily similar smile going.

Hopefully she would be smiling like that during his marathon.

There was a small merchandise area in the middle of the registration area...it was but a taste of what was to come in the actual Expo. But still, it was enough to get really excited about the reality of the event. Between the merchandise and the racing packet, gave the feeling of it's here. It was time. Now, it's real.

They also had guest speakers in the Milk House talking about running and fitness and training and their experiences. Unfortunately, we didn't get to hear any of them as most of the speaking engagements were in the morning...we didn't get there until about 3:30 in the afternoon or so.

This was a quality trade show - Disney does Marathon weekend right.

From there, it was time to hit the main event: the Health and Fitness Expo. This is exciting because both Hope and I are group cycling instructors (a program called RPM). We love fitness as much as we love Disney, so this is something that we really excited for. Combining these two important things in our lives was a great thing.

As you could see from the first picture in this article above, the Expo was enormous; a massive trade show, essentially. Some of the biggest names in fitness and endurance sports: Adidas, Clif, Garmin, Polar, Brooks, Puma and countless others. They had massage tables and merchandise of every kind imaginable.

Another look from overhead - check out the massage tables.

The Clif Bar table was popular - they were handing out samples.

Adidas was one of the many shoe manufacturers there to

get the runners into new gear.

Brooks makes one of the most popular and effective racing shoe.

A $10 rack. Proof that there were some semi-affordable

merchandise to be had at the Expo!

Garmin makes phenomenal heart rate watches that incorporate

GPS technology to help runners keep track of everything they need.

Like Adidas, Puma was representing.

Hope's favorite shirt.

After looking at some of the vendors that were at the Expo, we made our way to the other side of the show area to pick up Hope's Goody Bag. We were also really looking forward to seeing what was going to be in here as well. Turns out it had several very cool things inside, including a sharp running shirt Hope wore around Epcot when we got our pics with the Fab 5.

Hope receives her Goody Bag.

It was actually incredibly helpful for the race.

The day after the marathon - Hope sporting

the complimentary running shirt that was part

of the Goody Bag.

After getting the Goody Bag, we went back through the entire trade show again, this time making our way to the Sharpie booth that was set up special for making signs the families and friends of the runners could hold up during the marathon. This was a GREAT idea. They were handing out free heavy poster paper, about tabloid size (11x17") and had tables set up with dozens of Sharpie markers set out for people to use. We made great use out of our signs during the race.

The kids hard at work on this signs for mommy.

We had a great time at the Health & Fitness Expo. Free samples were handed out at several of the tables and just seeing the latest and greatest in the fitness industry was fascinating. All within a professional Walt Disney World wrapping. It was definitely worth checking out and we'll be doing it again in the future.

Exclusive: Interview With A Disney Dad

2010-01-15T19:44:00.001-08:00

One of the main reasons why Around The Mouse was created was to give people an idea of our perspective on WDW - and how the many experiences of a family of four (Mom, Dad, 10-year-old-daughter, 7-year-old-son) local passholders may give you some informative entertainment about navigating The World and how it may relate to you and/or your family. Now, you might already know many of my personal opinions, since I write the majority of the articles here. But as an element of comparison, we'll include mine as well as Chance and Hope (Katie's interview will be coming shortly) so you'll have a full range of our opinions and how they compare and contrast with one another. So without further delay, this is my exclusive interview with Around The Mouse:

What are your top 4 favorite Disney Theme Parks?

1. Epcot

Epcot is my favorite for many reasons. It's the most "adult" park. It's a "strolling" park. It contains my favorite general "area" of any park: World Showcase. It has the best end-of-night show in Illuminations. It has some of the best restaurants on WDW property. It's based on an original Walt idea. It's just so different than anything else I've ever seen. It's a thing of genius.

2. Magic Kingdom

How can you not get chills when you take your first steps - no matter how many times you've seen it before - down Main Street USA with the Castle at the end? How can you not love how the Castle stands high, towering above everything else around it as you approach the park from the monorail? How can you not love the glow of it all at night when you approach on the ferry? How can you not love the original Walt created or inspired attractions (Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Carousel Of Progress, etc.) that are still so great now?

3. Hollywood Studios

Perhaps the most intriguing park - as far as attractions go, it has such a phenomenally high end, and such a low bottom. This park, by itself, houses 5 or 6 of the absolute best things WDW has to offer: Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Rock N Roller Coaster, One Man's Dream, Fantasmic and Osbourne Family Lights. But it also has Lights, Cameras, Action!, Narnia, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and the Backlot Tour. The Backlot wouldn't be on there as one of the worst if it wasn't so great in its heyday. It's just that it's fallen so far and should finally be scrapped completely. It's embarrassing now. But the great attractions are truly great.

4. Animal Kingdom

Life isn't fair to this park. Much of what makes Disney great is its history and longevity. Even Hollywood Studios has that at this point. Animal Kingdom suffers from being the newest of the 4 theme parks, and therefore has the least historical impact - it has to compete not only against the quality of the other parks, but their history as well. So while it loses there, it wins in that it's probably the most beautiful and well-themed park of the 4. It also has several of the best attractions on WDW property: Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris and Dinosaur.

What is your favorite Disney World water park: Typhoon Lagoon or Blizzard Beach?

Typhoon, and it ain't close. That wave pool is a monster and I love getting far out into the pool and riding the waves in. The Lazy River is far superior to the Blizzard Beach version and the park in general is just so much prettier and well themed than BB.

What are your top 5 favorite rides/attractions?

1. Tower of Terror

2. Expedition Everest

3. Haunted Mansion

4. Spaceship Earth

5. One Man's Dream

What are you top 3 favorite end-of-night fireworks shows?

1. Illuminations

What a phenomenally well-put together show with some of the most beautiful and inspiring music you'll ever hear.

2. Fantasmic

3. Wishes

What is your favorite restaurant?

This is a tough one because so many are great. Chefs de France in Epcot wins out though. Incredible atmosphere, location and food. Went there on our honeymoon and you simply can't beat this place for an overall experience. Especially sitting on the side patio room after dark, with the fountains just outside your window. Gorgeous.

What are your 3 favorite ice cream snacks at The Mouse?

1. No Way Jose

This thing from Beaches N Cream is evil in ice cream form.

2. Dole Whip Float

The regular Dole Whip is overrated. But make it the float, and you're on!

3. Premium Mickey Head Ice Cream Bar

This is a classic. gotta eat it before the chocolate melts though.

Favorite Disney pin?

I mainly collect classic Mickey Mouse and WDW theme park-related pins. So when I saw this one of classic Mickey that opens up to show the mirror image of two Mickey's - Steamboat Willie and the contemporary Mouse - I had to get it. In fact, I used part of my 2009 Disney birthday gift card to purchase it.

Which is your favorite party: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party?

I'd have to give the edge to the Christmas Party. First, personally I enjoy Christmas a little more than Halloween to begin with, so I love surrounding myself with that atmosphere. So there's that. I love the shows they have for Christmas. I also love the cookies and hot cocoa better than the candy as giveaways. And I like the cooler weather during Christmas time as opposed to October weather.

What is your favorite memory of going to Walt Disney World?

There are many, but this is a no-brainer: proposing to Hope in front of the castle. It's my favorite memory for obvious reasons, but also because it just happened to work out so perfectly - and the photopass photographer snapped about 20 shots in order, in such a way that the photos turned out better than I ever thought it would. We are fortunate to have been able to capture the moment on camera with such clarity, and in sequence. This all wasn't really planned until I was on the monorail that morning heading to the MK - I had kept the ring in my pocket all weekend waiting for the perfect opportunity to do it, and this was it.

What is your favorite hotel that we've stayed at?

I would have to say Port Orleans French Quarter. Absolutely beautiful. Quiet. Tranquil. Romantic. Incredible theming.

What is your least favorite ride/attraction at Walt Disney World?

I have to say Honey, I Shrunk The Audience. Not only is the subject outdated and obsolete, but it's LONG. Between the pre-show and show itself, if I were an once-in-a-lifetime visitor to Epcot and I spent a half an hour of my day in this attraction, I would be kicking myself at the end of the day. I don't want Captain EO back, but they need to change things up in this 3D theater to something new.

What is the first thing you think of when you think of WDW?

When I think of Walt Disney World, I think of home away from home. It evokes an emotion that is some combination of comfort, familiarity, awe, youthfulness and fun. It's a unique place, and it gives me a unique feeling.

Review: Marathon Weekend Getaway

2010-01-12T06:42:00.000-08:00

There was ice on the parking lot of the Ticket and Transportation Center on Sunday morning - the morning of the 2010 Walt Disney World full marathon. There were reports of sleet and/or snow on Saturday morning - the morning of the WDW half marathon. This is Walt Disney World - right?

Yes...ice puddles at The Mouse on Sunday morning.

Personally, to me, it wasn't so bad. Now, low 20's is cold - cold is cold, that's for sure. But being from up north (New York and New Hampshire), we still had 20+ degrees to go before it was really cold. But for a trip to Walt Disney World, and in particular, during marathon weekend when one of your family members is actually running in the marathon, it was indeed really cold. That being said, it was worth every minute because we had a blast.

Essentially the weekend trip was centered around the full marathon being run by Hope on Sunday morning. She had been training for this for months, and has had the almost single-minded focus of getting that cherished Mickey Medal. Katie, Chance and I were her support staff and her cheering section along the way. We wanted her to get this medal almost as much as she wanted it. And while I'll highlight the marathon here, we'll post a couple of marathon-specific posts in the next couple of days - one from Hope's perspective about her experiences running the race (and the happenings before and after), and one from my perspective and how we tackled the weekend getting her ready, the logistics of finding her along the path and cheering her on, and celebrating together afterward. This blog will be about our weekend in WDW in general.

Friday, January 8th: Health & Fitness Expo

Our weekend really started on Friday afternoon when we headed up to The Mouse for the Health and Fitness Expo at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex. Since both Hope and I work in the fitness field (we're RPM instructors - a group cycling class for a local gym), we had a great interest in attending the Expo and seeing what it was all about.

The most important part of the Expo is that it's where the runner has to pick up their racing packet and goody bag. The packet includes things like the Runner's bib, commemorative pin and sensor strap for their shoes (which keeps track of the runners progress along the way) while the goody bag had such important things like Gel Shots, official 2010 WDW Marathon running shirt, athletic tape, coupons and much more.

The little bling - the marathon pin!

Seemingly hundreds of sponsors had tables set up to promote their products. Special guest speakers talked about their experiences running and the like (which we missed, unfortunately - most were in the morning) and there was also a section sponsored by Sharpie. This area was a great idea as they gave out thick poster paper and markers for the guests to create signs for their runner. It was a lot of fun and well worth the time.

Future Disney animators??? Chance and Katie making signs for mom at the Expo.

After picking up Hope's packet, we walked around the Expo for a while, checked out the tables and made our signs. We didn't purchase anything, but if we had unlimited funds, it would have been easy to go nuts there, as sports and fitness (and Disney) enthusiasts. All in all, the Expo was fun and much larger in scope than I expected going in - and I expected it to be rather large. After the Expo we headed home for the night and did our packing for the weekend.

A mass of humanity at the Expo trade show on Friday.

Saturday, January 9th: Minnie, Check-In, Boys Hit The Town, Girls Early To Bed

The plan was to head over early on Saturday afternoon, drop Minnie (our Great Dane) off at the Epcot Kennel, then head over to Caribbean Beach to check in. We were excited because this is the first time we've used a Kennel over at The Mouse. We decided to use Epcot because that is where we were going to spend most of our time (because it's where the marathon begins and ends) and also because they walk and feed the dogs twice a day each there. This is important because only two of the four park kennels do that: Epcot and Magic Kingdom. Both the Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom kennels don't walk or feed - just provide shelter. It is up to you, as the guest, to head there however many times a day to walk your dog. We ended up visiting Minnie a couple of times, but it was nice to know that Epcot's Kennel was going to be taking good care of her so we didn't have to worry about getting over there multiple times a day each day. Minnie seemed to have a great time and her report card was very positive - she was a good puppy.

Outside the kennel, Minnie was pondering the wonder of the

Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow.

After dropping off Minnie, we headed to the Caribbean Beach Resort. We had never stayed there before, although we had visited a couple of times to check out the resort in the past. We've done things such as rented paddle boats and swung on hammocks...and it was a lot of fun, so it was something we were looking forward to. We checked in at about 2:00, hoping that the room would be ready for an early check-in. Unfortunately, it wasn't ready yet and they even said it might not be ready until 5:00 (standard check-in is 3:00). That was a little disappointing, but they said it was because on Marathon Weekend, they try to accommodate for the runners as much as possible post-race with late check-outs in case they need it to rest for a little while longer. That was definitely understandable. They did offer the standard text-message alert to be sent to us when the room was ready, and that worked great.

Sometimes DisneyQuest is a necessary evil - during rain or cold.

So we had a couple of hours to take up while we waited for our room. It was cold, and we didn't want to go too far, so we decided to hit Disney Quest for a while. One reason I like Caribbean Beach is that it's close to Downtown Disney and not far from any of the parks. Unfortunately, Quest was crowded - on cold days like this (or rainy days any time of year), Quest gets much more popular. While not my favorite thing to do in The Mouse, Disney Quest has its positive points and it was a great way to keep busy for a while and stay warm indoors.

Chance is seemingly shell-shocked inside a warm, cozy room.

At about 3:30, we received the text message that our room was ready. We headed over to the Martinique section and found our home for the next two nights. We ended up with one of the newly-refurbished Nemo rooms - Chance and I were hoping for the Pirates room, but that's OK - and it was very, very nice. This is the second Moderate hotel we've stayed at - French Quarter being the other - and we were impressed. It's a very different hotel than is FQ. They serve two different purposes, and if we stayed at CBR during warm weather, it would have been much more appropriate. After all, it is supposed to simulate a Caribbean island experience and all the water and beach related things that go along with that. But in 20-30 degree weather, you just can't take advantage of all it has to offer. We still managed to swing on a hammock for a few minutes though! The room was clean, large, had a refrigerator a powerful heater. Martinique is also fairly close to Port Royale, the "town center" of the resort - where their shops and restaurants reside. I do very much love the layout of the whole thing - the resort (even though it's very large) and Port Royale. We'll have a more in-depth review of the resort itself in a future article in Around The Mouse.

Since the race was only a few short hours away in the wee early hours of Sunday morning, it was important for Hope to get her rest early on Saturday night, even though she was so excited and anxious for the race. So after eating dinner in our room and enjoying the place for a while, Chance and I headed out for some fun at the parks while Katie stayed with Hope to rest up and hopefully fall asleep.

Chance's white whale...Rock N Roller Coaster.

We headed out to Hollywood Studios first. Our goal: to ride Rock N Roller Coaster. For months, Chance had waited patiently...to grow. He's only about an inch or so away from being able to ride this incredible coaster. We didn't measure him beforehand, we wanted to do it in real time at the park. We wanted the drama.

He didn't make it. Still about a 1/2 an inch away. Even with his very thickest pair of sneakers on and his winter hat. Oh well, maybe next time big guy!

The single-best attraction in Walt Disney World...or is that Everest?

I can't ever decide.

We decided to hit Tower of Terror after that - a family favorite. He started riding it at age 4(!) and has been addicted to it ever since. Riding it was as great as always. I always toggle back and forth between Tower and Everest as to which is my #1 attraction in WDW. I can't ever truly decide.

After that, we walked across the park to Star Tours. Since Hope isn't a huge Star Wars (or Star Tours) fan, whenever we're there without her, we take advantage and hit this one up. It's a Chance favorite. On the way, we walked past Toy Story Mania - the wait was 50 minutes. The time was about 6:20 and the park was closing at 7:00. The plan was to go to Star Tours, ride it, then high-tail it back to TSM and hope to ride it just before closing. This plan has worked before for super-headliner rides like TSM, Soarin and Test Track. Just before park closing is a great time to ride these massively popular rides. We were hoping it would work this time too.

Princess Leia wished she had hair as stylish as this.

Star Tours shows its age, but it's still fun. I'm a big life-long Star Wars fan, so that helps for me. And Chance is a 7-year-old boy - so he's in his Star Wars fandom prime, so he LOVES it.

Hit Toy Story Mania 2 minutes before park closing.

The plan worked - less than 30-minute wait.

The plan worked. We walked off Tours at about 6:52, and had just under 8 minutes to get over to Pixar Place. We got there at 6:58 - two minutes to spare. The wait was posted as 30 minutes. Yes!

Chance would wear these glasses all the time if he could.

Toy Story Mania is a marvel. What a great ride. And in this case, being inside an attraction with a 30 minute wait while it's 30 degrees outside isn't a bad thing either. Turns out though, the wait was closer to 20 minutes.

OK, so the accuracy wasn't so hot. But the scores weren't bad.

After getting off of TSM, the park was officially closed, so we headed out. We didn't want to head "home" yet, especially if Hope had already fallen asleep, it was a little too early to potentially disturb her. So we went to Epcot since it is right next door and Magic Kingdom was only open until 9 p.m. that night as well. We'd get the most bang for our buck at Epcot.

"Nice work, pal."

Epcot was empty. I don't think I've ever seen it that empty. First of all, most of the people at WDW that weekend were there for the marathon, and most of them were sleeping by 7:30 that night. And many who participated in the half marathon that morning were probably dead tired an in bed too. So we had a run of the place for an hour and a half. Club Cool, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Soarin' and pin trading were the order of the day. To underscore how empty it was, Test Track was a walk-on and Soarin' was a 10 minute wait! To think that we rode both Toy Story Mania and Soarin' within the same hour without fastpasses is basically miraculous.

After Epcot, we headed back to our room. Turns out Hope couldn't sleep due to the excitement. But eventually, we all went to sleep - after we made sure three different alarms were set for 2:30 a.m. (my cell phone, Hope's cell, and front desk wake-up call).

Sunday, January 10th: Walt Disney World Marathon, Mickey Medal, Celebrate!

Hope looks like she's about to scale the Himalayas.

2:30 came quickly. After getting Hope bundled up, she headed out to the bus stop at about 3:50 a.m. The bus stop was basically 50 yards away from our room, across the narrow Caribbean Beach parking lot. This was VERY convenient and helped tremendously. I went back in and set my cell phone alarm for 6:30 a.m. - we wanted to get to the Magic Kingdom to see Hope running into the castle at about 7:30 - 7:45...her predicted time for that mile.

There she is! At the Ticket & Transportation Center!

We got there for 7:30 - but couldn't get to the actual park. Due to how they had the parking lot divided at that time to accommodate for the runner's path, we couldn't get to the monorail or ferry. So we had to watch from the Ticket and Transportation Center area. And shortly after we arrived, there she was! Perfect timing!

Don't they look toasty warm?

After she stopped briefly and passed by, we took off for the Animal Kingdom to meet her again at about mile 18. We got there about an hour or so before she was predicted to get there, but it afforded us to find a good spot to see her coming. There she was!

Hope on mile 18 at Animal Kingdom.

She was in some serious pain from her IT Band by this point.

After AK, we headed to Epcot for the finish of the race. It was a mad house. Check out the line to get in:

Getting into Epcot was crazy. Not New Years Eve crazy, but crazy nonetheless.

We knew we had some time, so we visited Minnie to walk her for a while. Here at Disney, she was a superstar - people think she's gorgeous.

This would have been a great spot - if I were 10' tall.

After that, we hunted for a good spot to find Hope hopefully cross the finish line. It wasn't easy. And while we couldn't get a spot at the actual finish line with a clear shot to see her approach, we did get an area that lead up to the finish line stretch...and there she was!

Hope approaching the final .2. When she saw us, she smiled and booked it!

She was in pain, but she is a warrior and she finished! Yay Hope! I was so very proud of her. A marathon is no joke. Especially with her IT band problems, a head cold, and frigid conditions. What an accomplishment! The Mickey Medal is hers!

Her precious! The Mickey Medal!

After the marathon, we walked around for a bit and headed back to the resort. Hope stretched, showered and enjoyed her well-deserved Mickey Medal! Then we headed off-site for a post-race celebration dinner at Sweet Tomatoes on 535 across from Downtown Disney - a healthy buffet that would help her recoup some of the 3,000+ calories she just burned. And it's about less than half the price of most WDW restaurants. And it's very good - highly recommended.

She was beat though. Physically drained. After walking around for a while so that muscles wouldn't totally cramp up, we finally went back to the resort to rest up. It was tiring for everyone and the kids wanted a nap too. The three of them stayed while I went to hit Epcot again (I wasn't that tired for some reason - it would hit me a little later).

Monday, January 11th: Check-Out, Fab 5, Minnie, Home

After a great night's sleep at Caribbean beach, we regretfully had to leave. It's always depressing to check out of a Disney hotel - you never want it to end. But we did have to pick up Minnie before noon or there would be an addition fee added on to her stay, so even a late check-out wouldn't have helped much.

At Epcot, we partied with the Fab 5.

The four of us walked around Epcot for a while, took photos with the Fab 5 at the Character Spot, enjoyed the cold but BEAUTIFUL day around the Showcase for an hour, then got our puppy...and headed home.

A beautiful day around the showcase (and for a Mickey Medal).

All in all, it was a weekend of joy and accomplishment. Even the cold wasn't going to put a damper on things. And as we'll write about in our Marathon-specific articles, nobody puts on an event like Walt Disney World. I only wish I could have run in it. Maybe someday, although my reconstructed knees will probably say differently. We'll see. So if anyone out there is on the fence about participating in Marathon Weekend - let me push you over the fence onto the side of signing up. The sense of team displayed by everyone there was amazing. Seeing all the Donald, Mickey and Goofy medals walking around the parks was also a sight to behold.

It was another incredible Disney getaway.

Random Mouse Ramblings

2010-01-05T13:09:00.000-08:00

We are on the verge of Disney World's Marathon Weekend and I'm excited. Hope is running on Sunday morning, even though it seems like Antarctica has taken over the Lake Buena Vista area. That throws a huge monkey wrench into the whole thing, as severe cold (as defined in Florida - low 30 degrees, high 50 degrees) is a factor that you don't usually have to deal with down here. Waiting in the queue area in Epcot's parking lot will be miserable. But hopefully once she gets running, the cold won't be as big a factor. At least it's not forecast to rain that day, like it is on Friday for those poor 5K participants. Yikes.

I'm wondering when we'll see the first inkling of construction on the new Fantasyland. You've gotta think it will be fairly soon...

I'm surprised that the folks at Lucasfilm and Disney aren't combining Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios (every weekend between May 21 - June 13) and the Official Star Wars Celebration at the Orlando Convention Center (August 12-15) in some way. Seems to me you might be asking what's mostly the same fan base to make two separate trips, which in this economy is asking a lot...

Our daughter Katie, who danced in her school's Nutcracker Ballet recital in December, was ecstatic to see the Magic Kingdom rendition in front of the Castle last week. All her hard work in becoming a ballerina gave her true appreciation for the level of skill the Disney World dancers possess as she watched them on stage with Mickey & Crew...

WDW Today's Sip And Snack 3 podcast that just came out and was hilarious. Nothing beats the very first one and its spontaneity, but both 2 and now 3 are laugh-out-loud funny...

My question though is where was Matt and Len???...

And speaking of podcasts, Tom Corless and Co. did a great job on Christmas Podcast Parade 2009. I cracked up at the WDWNT crew singing the Epcot classics...

And speaking further of podcasts, I can't wait to hear The DisUnplugged's new format...

Epcot's New Year's Eve party was much more fun that I imagined it would be. Will definitely want to do it again next year...

Fitmouse: Top 8 Ways To Stay Active At WDW

2010-01-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest ways to hijack a diet or fitness regimen is to go on vacation, and Walt Disney World happens to be the vacation capital of the world. There, with all its temptations (Zebra Domes, Dole Whips, Turkey Legs, Beach 'N Cream), it's particularly easy to lose control of your fitness goals - and because you're on vacation and having so much fun, sometimes you don't even feel guilty about it. But there's ways to mitigate the damage.

Behold: The dreaded but tempting Kitchen Sink

from Beaches 'N Cream

Making good choices the majority of the time while eating out is one way (side salads instead of fries, grilled chicken sandwich instead of that double bacon burger, fruit & cheese plate instead of ice cream, etc.). Admittedly, depending on where you are, choices are limited so this can be a challenge. Making good choices most of the time is possible though! Ask servers at restaurants to put dressings and sauces on the side. Ask for steamed veggies instead of sauteing them. There are many ways to custom fix your meals, especially at table service restaurants, in order to keep closer to your fitness goals.

Bringing snacks with you into the park is another way (take almonds, fruit and other healthy options in your backpack). Eating breakfast in your room (or at home if you're local) before you leave for the day is another. These can help your calorie intake - and your wallet too. In our December 20th article, The Frugal Mouse, we talk about a few healthy and inexpensive options that you can take advantage of by using - such as Larabars and Quaker Oats Weight Control oatmeal.

But we understand how tough this is. Without the benefit of having a full kitchen with a stocked pantry in your hotel room, it is very tough to eat "clean" while at WDW for 3 or 5 or 7 or more days - or even 1 day sometimes. Besides, most people want to let go a little when on a getaway at The Mouse. And nobody can blame them.

Mickey stayed active by helping the New York Yankees

to their 27th World Series Championship

One thing you can do, though, is include physical activity into your itinerary. This can be tough, because most days are chock-full and by the end you're dead tired and your feet are sore. But being active at WDW is possible, and it can be a lot of fun! Some of our family's best memories include active things we did at The Mouse. Here, we go over our top 8 ways to stay physically active while at Walt Disney World.

Yaaaarrrrrr! The newly refurbished pool at the Caribbean Beach Resort

8. Swimming

All WDW hotels have pools. Some are incredibly themed (Yacht & Beach Club, Poly, French Quarter), some are a little bland (All Star Sports, Fort Wilderness), but all are large and serve the purpose. Go ahead and take advantage while you're staying there. Of course there's the old strategy of heading to the resort in the early afternoon to take a dip to beat the heat. You can also use the pools at night to cap off the day. Any way you cut it, as long as you get in the water and swim around, you're doing something positive for your fitness.

7. Tennis

For those who love tennis, it is a great way to get your heart rate up, burn calories and have a lot of fun. Playing sports such as this is a great way to take away the tedium some people experience when working out in more conventional ways.

If you want to play some tennis, take into consideration that only the following resorts have courts: Yacht Club Resort, Beach Club Resort and Villas, Boardwalk Inn and Villas, Old Key West Resort, Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and the Grand Floridan Resort. Remember too, that you have to bring your own equipment for all but the Grand Floridian (where they do have equipment for rent). Also, in order to use a court at a particular hotel, you have to be staying at that hotel. If you're staying at a resort that does not have courts, you can use the Grand Floridian's courts. Call 407.621.1991 for more information.

6. Volleyball

You might want to play volleyball for the same reason you'd want to play tennis - it's active and fun! Several resorts around The Mouse have sand courts: The Contemporary, The Yacht Club, The Beach Club and Villas, Coronado Springs and Old Key West resort. Jump around and get that heart rate going!

The marina at Caribbean Beach - paddleboats are among

the many options to choose from

5. Paddleboats

Paddleboats are offered at most resorts that borders a large body of water. These can be as leisurely as you want, or they can be a BIG leg workout! We've tried the paddleboats at Caribbean Beach Resort and had an AWESOME time. And in comparison to many rental items, these are very reasonable - last we saw, $6 per 1/2 hour - and it fits 4 people.

4. Fitness Centers

For those who are into more conventional workouts - free weights, machines and cardio equipment - many resorts offer fitness centers to get your fix. Ship Shape at The Yacht Club Resort comes to mind as does what has been said to be the largest on property: the fitness center at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

If you want to not feel guilty about what you eat afterward, hit the gym before anyone else in your family is up in the morning and get that workout in. Then go play volleyball with the kids later!

Quaint bridges are common around Fort Wilderness Campground.

A perfect place to take your bikes for a ride and be active.

3. Bike rides/surrey bikes

We can speak to how much fun it is to ride bikes on the trails around the massive Fort Wilderness Campgrounds (rent or bring your own). We can also speak to how much fun it is to rent a surrey bike at the Boardwalk and take that ride around Crescent Lake. Cycling is a great mix of a fun, recreational activity and a quality cardiovascular activity.

2. Run/walk the trails at resorts

Almost all resorts have walkways and trails that you can take advantage of by either using them to walk on or run. This is a perfect way to get acclimated with your resort so you know what it offers and also a great way to enjoy the scenery. Either get up early and tackle the trails before anyone is up, or take the whole family to enjoy the incredible theming.

The beautiful Village Lake at Downtown Disney at night.

Scenes like this make it easy to walk all around The Mouse.

1. Walk as often as possible

This is a biggie. Walking, all by itself, will not negate a 5,000 calorie day. So don't make the mistake of thinking that just because you walked around the 1.3 mile World Showcase Lagoon in 4 hours, it makes that Biergarten lunch go away. It won't. But it will help. And any amount of walking you'll do all day long will help your cause.

So if you're physically able, walk as much as humanly possible. If you're staying at the Contemporary, walk to the Magic Kingdom a couple of times instead of using the monorail. If you're staying at the French Quarter, take the walk up the Sassagoula River to Riverside and back. Park at West Side at Downtown Disney, walk all the way to the far reaches of Marketplace and back. Walk the stairs at the Grand Floridian instead of using the elevator. If you're in the front two parking lots at Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios, walk instead of Tramming it to the front entrance.

It is possible to keep active at Walt Disney World. And in many cases, it can be a huge amount of fun. Take advantage of what the vacation capital of the world has to offer - and that's more than just food and rides!