I have been lax on my writing this calendar year and I just finished a small blurb on the Animal Kingdom so I now attempt to tackle DHS (Disney's Hollywood Studios). Since my last visit in 2017, DHS has lost one of my favorite attractions (the Great Movie Ride) gained a new land (Toy Story Land) and is about to become one of the most visited tourist locations, possibly, because of the opening of Galaxy's Edge on August 29, 2019.
I feel that writing about this park in depth would be the equivalent of purchasing a history textbook written during an election year. It will be so outdated almost as soon as you crack the spine of the book.
I will say that DHS is one of my favorite parks and I am looking forward to visiting it in June. I like the street entertainers, the Muppets area, and Toy Story Midway Mania. I am also looking forward to visiting the Toy Story Land area and riding the Slinky Dog Dash.
I promise to write a more in depth post on DHS when I return from WDW in late June.
Sunday, March 17, 2019
Animal Kingdom
In my previous attempts at writing about WDW I must admit that I have said (wrote) that Animal Kingdom (AK) is my least favorite of the four WDW theme parks. Although that is still somewhat true I am here to say (write) that AK is a wonderful park. It is no longer the half-day park I once described it as. With recent additions (Pandora) it has become a must visit for me and not necessarily because of Pandora. Probably because of the tremendous opportunities to take photos of animals you cannot find may places roaming around like they do at Animal Kingdom. You can say zoos give you that opportunity but the animals in a zoo are more confined than at AK. Now, it is not as if there are tigers walking the same paths as the tourists but there are opportunities to see the tigers, gorillas, and other large animals of Africa and Asia in habitats larger than say a local zoo.
Along with the animals you have entertainment, cuisine, and thrill rides that make Disney's Animal Kingdom a must do "full" day park.
Along with the animals you have entertainment, cuisine, and thrill rides that make Disney's Animal Kingdom a must do "full" day park.
Sunday, December 23, 2018
EPCOT
When Walt Disney envisioned "the Florida Project" he referred to an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow or EPCOT for short. He envisioned an actual city where people lived, worked, and played utilizing newer technology and modes of transportation. That was prior to 1966 when he left this world before he could see his vision complete. Walt Disney World opened in 1971 with the Magic Kingdom as its only theme park and it would not be until 1982 that EPCOT would be delivered. EPCOT has gone through some changes over the past 36 years and is getting ready for some more changes. It may never be what Walt envisioned but it has become a must visit.
Magic Kingdom has its castle and EPCOT has is geodesic sphere called Spaceship Earth. Spaceship Earth is actually an attraction that takes people through the history of communication from the prehistoric hunters to the computer age with stops in between. I do not have the figures here but I am betting it is almost as much photographed as is the castle. Whereas Spaceship Earth is the icon of EPCOT it is not the only reason to visit. EPCOT is almost two separate parks with Future World and the World Showcase.
Future World (which includes Spaceship Earth(SE)) has an east side and west side. Turn right from SE and you will enter Future World West which includes the Land Pavilion, The Seas with Nemo and Friends also Journey into Imagination. Within the Land Pavilion is Soarin' and Living With the Land ( an educational journey into how produce is grown in different climates). There is a more in depth tour called Behind the Seeds also for an additional charge.
As you head back east you will encounter the Character Spot where you can meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. You continue east and you will eventually come upon Mission Space and Test Track. I won't go into much detail about the attractions because there are so many reviews, YouTube ride-throughs and such my opinion might not be what you want to hear. Next stop is the World Showcase.
In about 1.5 miles you can WALK from Mexico to Canada or vice-versa and pass through Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Experience, Japan, Morocco, France, and United Kingdom. In each of the pavilions you can sample cuisine, buy souvenirs, and experience entertainment from each of the participating nations (eleven in all including the United States).
When EPCOT was first introduced there was not much Disney Swag to be experienced at EPCOT. It has been a rumor that the idea of Hidden Mickey's originated with the Imagineers working on EPCOT. I am not sure if it is true BUT I wouldn't be shocked if it was. Over the years more and more Disney has crept into the park. Donald can be found in the Mexican pavilion, Mulan in China, Snow White appears sometimes in Germany as does Belle in France, and Alice in the UK. However, there probably wasn't a bigger outcry of foul play when Disney introduced Frozen to Norway. I say outcry because the EPCOT "purists" complained BUT Norway is possibly the most visited pavilion since the introduction of an Anna and Elsa meet and greet plus the attraction Frozen Ever After. The latter did replace an attraction called Maelstrom. I experienced both and I like the Frozen attraction much more.
As I mentioned before there has been a lot of changes since the opening of EPCOT and there are many more on the way. So I guess I will be having to visit throughout the years to keep up. Oh darn... Have a magical day and see you real soon...
Magic Kingdom has its castle and EPCOT has is geodesic sphere called Spaceship Earth. Spaceship Earth is actually an attraction that takes people through the history of communication from the prehistoric hunters to the computer age with stops in between. I do not have the figures here but I am betting it is almost as much photographed as is the castle. Whereas Spaceship Earth is the icon of EPCOT it is not the only reason to visit. EPCOT is almost two separate parks with Future World and the World Showcase.
Future World (which includes Spaceship Earth(SE)) has an east side and west side. Turn right from SE and you will enter Future World West which includes the Land Pavilion, The Seas with Nemo and Friends also Journey into Imagination. Within the Land Pavilion is Soarin' and Living With the Land ( an educational journey into how produce is grown in different climates). There is a more in depth tour called Behind the Seeds also for an additional charge.
As you head back east you will encounter the Character Spot where you can meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. You continue east and you will eventually come upon Mission Space and Test Track. I won't go into much detail about the attractions because there are so many reviews, YouTube ride-throughs and such my opinion might not be what you want to hear. Next stop is the World Showcase.
In about 1.5 miles you can WALK from Mexico to Canada or vice-versa and pass through Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The American Experience, Japan, Morocco, France, and United Kingdom. In each of the pavilions you can sample cuisine, buy souvenirs, and experience entertainment from each of the participating nations (eleven in all including the United States).
When EPCOT was first introduced there was not much Disney Swag to be experienced at EPCOT. It has been a rumor that the idea of Hidden Mickey's originated with the Imagineers working on EPCOT. I am not sure if it is true BUT I wouldn't be shocked if it was. Over the years more and more Disney has crept into the park. Donald can be found in the Mexican pavilion, Mulan in China, Snow White appears sometimes in Germany as does Belle in France, and Alice in the UK. However, there probably wasn't a bigger outcry of foul play when Disney introduced Frozen to Norway. I say outcry because the EPCOT "purists" complained BUT Norway is possibly the most visited pavilion since the introduction of an Anna and Elsa meet and greet plus the attraction Frozen Ever After. The latter did replace an attraction called Maelstrom. I experienced both and I like the Frozen attraction much more.
As I mentioned before there has been a lot of changes since the opening of EPCOT and there are many more on the way. So I guess I will be having to visit throughout the years to keep up. Oh darn... Have a magical day and see you real soon...
Saturday, December 15, 2018
Magic Kingdom
Whenever I plan on buying something "big ticket" I research it and read reviews. Not reviews from people who are paid to review but from people who have bought or experienced the same thing that I am contemplating. I first look at the numbers of reviews which are usually broken down into a five star rating with five being excellent and one being how shall I say it "poo-poo". With that in mind I then read the lowest ratings first. Why do I start off with that it is because when I began to research the Magic Kingdom (MK) like I would if it was my first time.
I went on tripadvisor.com and I typed in Disney's Magic Kingdom. I found that there were over 60,000 reviews and of those reviews 88% of them rated MK a five or four star and only five percent rated the park a two or one star. Right then I had a good idea I would keep reading. So I looked at the one star ratings and there were two let me say popular complaints, COST and CROWDS. I read closer and I chose three or four of the reviewers to explore other reviews written by them. In every account I found that the reviewer fell into two categories they were either anti-Disney or just negative in the first place and all of their reviews were negative. I had to laugh at one when I read how terrible Disney was with people with disabilities from his experience as someone with a disability with arthritis. Now I am not negating the idea that arthritis is painful and does limit some activities but being a father to a child who needs a wheelchair and wears a helmet due to seizures I do have experience in the idea that Disney is very good at helping guests with disabilities. So, you can understand why I do not take 2% of over 60,000 reviews very seriously. Now comes my thoughts on the Magic Kingdom.
As I mentioned in my earlier post on this blog I was last at WDW in 2017 (June to be exact) and we did visit the Magic Kingdom. That visit marked the tenth time I had been to WDW and each time we at least visited MK once (sometimes more) on each trip so I have my thoughts on the place. The Magic Kingdom opened in October of 1971 and is the most visited park of the four theme parks in WDW. Actually it is the most visited theme park annually in the whole world for those of you wondering all four theme parks at WDW are in the top ten world wide and eight of the ten are all Disney theme parks whether in California, Japan, or China.
Let me explain something WDW is expensive. Also, there is crowded and then there is WDW crowded. As a rule it used to be that when students were in school, WDW was less crowded. That doesn't always ring true anymore. As a teacher I usually have to go to WDW when school is out, which is another reason why I am looking forward to retirement in about five-six years. Disney being a business has tried to entice people to come in what used to be historically slow times. Whether it is free-dining or festivals at EPCOT or marathon weekends... some of the "low" crowd times are now crowded whether it be September, January, February, late August or even early December. So yes Virginia it is crowded. However, it also has made the numbers in the summer actually drop or even out. Again, it is not that there are days at MK where it is empty and you can walk onto every ride without a wait but there are days in the summer where it isn't WDW crowded.
Now finally, a trip through the Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is broken into six "LANDS" which surround a central hub and Cinderella's Castle which is the main icon of the park. There is Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street USA. Inside each "land" are attractions, eateries and shops that are themed for that land. Adventureland is the home of the Jungle Cruise and the famous Pirate's of the Caribbean attraction if you go up Main Street and hang a hard left at the hub you will be heading towards this land. Keep heading around and you bump into Frontierland which is the home of Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain (two of the mountains that make up the Magic Kingdom Mountain Range. As you make your way around you will soon enter Liberty Square which is the home of the Hall of Presidents and the Haunted Mansion. If you exit the Haunted Mansion to your left you will come into Fantasyland which has a plethora of attractions including Small World, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, the carousel, Dumbo to name a few. If you keep heading left you'll find yourself in Tomorrowland home of Space Mountain, the People Mover, and my personal favorite attraction Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Again keep heading left and you'll end up at the castle and back at Main Street USA which has entertainers throughout the day like the Dapper Dan's it is also the finishing point for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.
The Magic Kingdom has some really good restaurants some which are considered Quick-Service and also there are table service ones. Quick Service are restaurants where you order at the counter and then get your food and find a spot. Table Service is where you are given a table and someone comes and takes your order, also there is a buffet at MK called Crystal Palace. I am not going into reviews of the places I have eaten at while in MK (or any other park that will follow) except to say I have my favorites. In MK my favorite table service restaurant is Liberty Tree Tavern while I have a tie for quick service where both Casey's and Sleepy Hollow.
I have already shared with you my favorite attraction which is Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress which would be followed in this order Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Barnstormer for sentimental reasons because it is the first coaster my oldest son and I ever rode at WDW.
It is not that I do not like the other attractions or dining experiences it is that these are my favorites in my favorite park.
If you are planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom (or any of the other WDW destinations) don't think you can or have to do it all. Make sure you have a plan and make that plan flexible. Most of all have fun and be a kid again unless you are already one.
Someone once said it is not about the stuff, it is about the memories and the experiences. Some of my favorite times I have with my children are when we reminisce about a trip we went on or are planning the one we are going on. Take your time, take plenty of pictures, and again HAVE A MAGICAL TIME!
I went on tripadvisor.com and I typed in Disney's Magic Kingdom. I found that there were over 60,000 reviews and of those reviews 88% of them rated MK a five or four star and only five percent rated the park a two or one star. Right then I had a good idea I would keep reading. So I looked at the one star ratings and there were two let me say popular complaints, COST and CROWDS. I read closer and I chose three or four of the reviewers to explore other reviews written by them. In every account I found that the reviewer fell into two categories they were either anti-Disney or just negative in the first place and all of their reviews were negative. I had to laugh at one when I read how terrible Disney was with people with disabilities from his experience as someone with a disability with arthritis. Now I am not negating the idea that arthritis is painful and does limit some activities but being a father to a child who needs a wheelchair and wears a helmet due to seizures I do have experience in the idea that Disney is very good at helping guests with disabilities. So, you can understand why I do not take 2% of over 60,000 reviews very seriously. Now comes my thoughts on the Magic Kingdom.
As I mentioned in my earlier post on this blog I was last at WDW in 2017 (June to be exact) and we did visit the Magic Kingdom. That visit marked the tenth time I had been to WDW and each time we at least visited MK once (sometimes more) on each trip so I have my thoughts on the place. The Magic Kingdom opened in October of 1971 and is the most visited park of the four theme parks in WDW. Actually it is the most visited theme park annually in the whole world for those of you wondering all four theme parks at WDW are in the top ten world wide and eight of the ten are all Disney theme parks whether in California, Japan, or China.
Let me explain something WDW is expensive. Also, there is crowded and then there is WDW crowded. As a rule it used to be that when students were in school, WDW was less crowded. That doesn't always ring true anymore. As a teacher I usually have to go to WDW when school is out, which is another reason why I am looking forward to retirement in about five-six years. Disney being a business has tried to entice people to come in what used to be historically slow times. Whether it is free-dining or festivals at EPCOT or marathon weekends... some of the "low" crowd times are now crowded whether it be September, January, February, late August or even early December. So yes Virginia it is crowded. However, it also has made the numbers in the summer actually drop or even out. Again, it is not that there are days at MK where it is empty and you can walk onto every ride without a wait but there are days in the summer where it isn't WDW crowded.
Now finally, a trip through the Magic Kingdom. Magic Kingdom is broken into six "LANDS" which surround a central hub and Cinderella's Castle which is the main icon of the park. There is Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and Main Street USA. Inside each "land" are attractions, eateries and shops that are themed for that land. Adventureland is the home of the Jungle Cruise and the famous Pirate's of the Caribbean attraction if you go up Main Street and hang a hard left at the hub you will be heading towards this land. Keep heading around and you bump into Frontierland which is the home of Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain (two of the mountains that make up the Magic Kingdom Mountain Range. As you make your way around you will soon enter Liberty Square which is the home of the Hall of Presidents and the Haunted Mansion. If you exit the Haunted Mansion to your left you will come into Fantasyland which has a plethora of attractions including Small World, Seven Dwarves Mine Train, the carousel, Dumbo to name a few. If you keep heading left you'll find yourself in Tomorrowland home of Space Mountain, the People Mover, and my personal favorite attraction Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. Again keep heading left and you'll end up at the castle and back at Main Street USA which has entertainers throughout the day like the Dapper Dan's it is also the finishing point for the Festival of Fantasy Parade.
The Magic Kingdom has some really good restaurants some which are considered Quick-Service and also there are table service ones. Quick Service are restaurants where you order at the counter and then get your food and find a spot. Table Service is where you are given a table and someone comes and takes your order, also there is a buffet at MK called Crystal Palace. I am not going into reviews of the places I have eaten at while in MK (or any other park that will follow) except to say I have my favorites. In MK my favorite table service restaurant is Liberty Tree Tavern while I have a tie for quick service where both Casey's and Sleepy Hollow.
I have already shared with you my favorite attraction which is Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress which would be followed in this order Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, and Barnstormer for sentimental reasons because it is the first coaster my oldest son and I ever rode at WDW.
It is not that I do not like the other attractions or dining experiences it is that these are my favorites in my favorite park.
If you are planning a trip to the Magic Kingdom (or any of the other WDW destinations) don't think you can or have to do it all. Make sure you have a plan and make that plan flexible. Most of all have fun and be a kid again unless you are already one.
Someone once said it is not about the stuff, it is about the memories and the experiences. Some of my favorite times I have with my children are when we reminisce about a trip we went on or are planning the one we are going on. Take your time, take plenty of pictures, and again HAVE A MAGICAL TIME!
Sunday, December 9, 2018
Deja Vu All Over Again
Maybe it is because I have a new laptop that I feel it is time to create a new Disney blog or that I am thinking about exploring being a Disney travel concierge or that I just booked a new trip? Whatever the reason here it is. Pete's Disney Obsession is a blog that has been in the works for at least the past five or more years and numerous attempts. Whether this is just another attempt or one that I keep up with is yet to be seen but here it goes.
So, if you have been with me before there are going to be overlapping but what I wrote about Walt Disney World (WDW) in 2012, 2013, ... even 2017 is not up-to-date and the stuff I have written in 2018 is outdated already. I am not going to write in-depth this first post except to say that if I give my opinion it is just that, one man's opinion. One man's opinion based on my experience and taste in food, entertainment, and/or resort preference. That opinion however, is from one who has since 2008 visited WDW eight times and as of June this year stayed in at least one of each of the four resort categories at WDW. I don't claim to be an expert of all things Disney but I do have a passion for what I write about.
Walt Disney World is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida it covers about fifty square miles (roughly the size of San Francisco, California) it consists of four theme parks, two water parks, and thirty Disney owned resorts and a outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Disney Springs.
WDW opened in October 1971 (I was 6 about to turn 7 at the time). I remember visiting WDW once when I was a child on our way back to Illinois from a winter trip to southern Florida. There was only one park then and we just visited the park for a few hours and headed back north. It wouldn't be until I was married that I would visit the park again (1994) with my wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law and his family. In 1994 there were three parks; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney's MGM Studios. Fast-forward to Christmas Eve 2008 and we take our family to the Magic Kingdom and stayed the night and onto Disney's Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day 2008. At this point we realized it would not be our last trip and in 2009 we went in late July, early August then skipped a few years before going back in 2012 and visiting once a year between 2012 and 2017 and as I said before we are going back in June 2019.
Next time, I come to you I will begin exploring the Magic Kingdom. Until then have a magical day and see you real soon!
So, if you have been with me before there are going to be overlapping but what I wrote about Walt Disney World (WDW) in 2012, 2013, ... even 2017 is not up-to-date and the stuff I have written in 2018 is outdated already. I am not going to write in-depth this first post except to say that if I give my opinion it is just that, one man's opinion. One man's opinion based on my experience and taste in food, entertainment, and/or resort preference. That opinion however, is from one who has since 2008 visited WDW eight times and as of June this year stayed in at least one of each of the four resort categories at WDW. I don't claim to be an expert of all things Disney but I do have a passion for what I write about.
Walt Disney World is located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida it covers about fifty square miles (roughly the size of San Francisco, California) it consists of four theme parks, two water parks, and thirty Disney owned resorts and a outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment area known as Disney Springs.
WDW opened in October 1971 (I was 6 about to turn 7 at the time). I remember visiting WDW once when I was a child on our way back to Illinois from a winter trip to southern Florida. There was only one park then and we just visited the park for a few hours and headed back north. It wouldn't be until I was married that I would visit the park again (1994) with my wife, mother-in-law and brother-in-law and his family. In 1994 there were three parks; Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and Disney's MGM Studios. Fast-forward to Christmas Eve 2008 and we take our family to the Magic Kingdom and stayed the night and onto Disney's Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day 2008. At this point we realized it would not be our last trip and in 2009 we went in late July, early August then skipped a few years before going back in 2012 and visiting once a year between 2012 and 2017 and as I said before we are going back in June 2019.
Next time, I come to you I will begin exploring the Magic Kingdom. Until then have a magical day and see you real soon!
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When Walt Disney envisioned "the Florida Project" he referred to an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow or EPCOT for shor... -
I have been lax on my writing this calendar year and I just finished a small blurb on the Animal Kingdom so I now attempt to tackle DHS (Dis...