Once you get past the Park tickets, the lodgings and just getting to Orlando, next comes the multitudes of shops packed into as many square feet of Park as possible. While it's impossible to rate every single item in a continuous cycling of merchandise, there are some products which have been around for a few years and some which will always be offered.
Mickey ears are a classic souvenir and not exorbitantly priced in the scheme of things. In addition to the classic black cap of the Mickey Mouse Club, there are pink caps, blue caps and even multi-colored caps in children's sizes. There are the special ears for whatever promotion is currently being run. Currently, these are the rather pricey blue and silver light-up ears for A Year of a Million Dreams campaign. There are also groom and bride ears, Minnie Mouse ears and pirate themed ears. Basically, they have ears coming out of their ears. Name embroidery used to be free in the Magic Kingdom, but that is no longer true.
However, I've found that the best souvenirs are found in one of three places. Mouse Gear in Future World in Epcot, Mombasa Marketplace in Africa in Animal Kingdom and World of Disney in Downtown Disney. Especially, if you go during the fall off-season.
Mouse Gear and Mombasa Marketplace for whatever reason often have the coveted clearance items. These are marked with red price tags. Mostly these are products that are being phased out for newer ones. In the case of Mombasa Marketplace, I've often gotten shirts there at half price because the color or design didn't test well with park guests. That's not to say they are terrible shirts. Disney merely tested two shirt colors and planned on producing more of whatever color was preferred. Five to eight dollar shirts, however, test really well with me. Khaki can come home with me any time at that price. Occasionally, the Tomorrowland Arcade connected to Space Mountain, the Celebrity 5 and 10 at Hollywood Studios and the resort gift shops also have red tagged merchandise.
The World of Disney may not necessarily have a lot of clearance merchandise, but it does provide a good overview of nearly everything available in the Parks. It's a good place if you are the type that decides to wait and see what else there may be and then decide that you want to get an item after all. I usually wait just so I can use the 10% discount I get with my Disney Visa. But sometimes, it's a madhouse in there. You'd almost think people were being paid to take out the merchandise. It does have the largest selection of baby and toddler clothes.
The important thing about souvenirs to remember is that whatever you buy; you somehow have to bring it back home. So keep the size of your suitcases in mind, if you don't want to pay Disney to ship it home for you.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Navigating Disney Hollywood (MGM) Studios
This is my favorite park by far. I’m not happy about the renaming of this park, it will always and forever be MGM Studios to me. My strategy for navigating this park has nothing to do with crowd control and I do not follow the same pattern as I do at other parks. This one is strictly based on my favorites.
Upon entering this park we head straight for the Tower of Terror. If there is a long line, we’ll get a fast pass for later and head over to Rock ‘n Rollercoaster. I have to say that I don’t have a whole lot of experience in waiting in long lines for rides because the majority of my visits to WDW have been during off peak seasons and the lines are not usually a big problem. The first time I rode this ride was the year it opened and also my first trip to Disney World. It was during Spring Break, a very busy time and I stood in line for this ride for 45 minutes. I’ve never done that again at any park on any ride. It was worth it in this case. I’m not a big rollercoaster fanatic, I can ‘take them or leave them’ but this one was exceptional. 0-60 in about 2 seconds, what a rush!
Assuming we have been able to ride my favorite ride, The Tower of Terror, and maybe the Rock ‘n Rollercoaster, we then head back to the opposite corner of the park to the Star Tours ride, my grandson’s favorite. We love wandering through the gift shop there looking for the latest Star Wars games, toys, and memorabilia. They can take pictures of your face on a character’s body. I have a treasured one of my grandson’s face on Anakin Skywalker’s body. It’s awesome.
We then backtrack to The Great Movie Ride, followed by the Animation Courtyard where the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is always a great treat for the little ones, and a respite from the heat on a hot day.
We might eat lunch at the ABC Commissary or at the Backlot Express. If you have the money or are on the Dining Plan, you should definitely check out The Brown Derby at least once in your life. My daughter and I had an early supper there one year, and it was memorable. The original Cobb Salad was excellent as was the Filet Mignon.
After lunch we may go on the Backlot Tour , wander through the many glorious stores, watch the street actors perform in their 40’s and 50’s style costumes, and late in the afternoon, its ‘Lights Motors Action‘. This show is very loud, but very exciting, especially for little car enthusiasts.
At times there a lots of Characters lined up all along the center of the park near the big Hat outside Animation Studios and near the lagoon. Just about every character you can imagine is there for pictures and autographs.
We like to take an afternoon break around the lagoon and grab an ice cream at Gertie’s, the giant dinosaur that resides in the lagoon. The best soft serve ever!
The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is a good show but I only go once every few years. My grandson was quite afraid of the loud explosions and only finally agreed to see the show this past September.
If you want to stay for the evening spectacular ‘Fantasmic’ you are in for a treat. A great light and laser show that is very entertaining and crammed full of Disney Characters and of course Wizard Mickey. It can be a little intense for smaller children and is very crowded no matter what time of year you go. A lot of locals come for this event alone. You should get there early , which can be kind of boring while your are waiting for darkness to fall and the show to begin and it is a really crowded walk back out of the arena, but also something you should see at least once.
Next time- the different worlds of Epcot.
Upon entering this park we head straight for the Tower of Terror. If there is a long line, we’ll get a fast pass for later and head over to Rock ‘n Rollercoaster. I have to say that I don’t have a whole lot of experience in waiting in long lines for rides because the majority of my visits to WDW have been during off peak seasons and the lines are not usually a big problem. The first time I rode this ride was the year it opened and also my first trip to Disney World. It was during Spring Break, a very busy time and I stood in line for this ride for 45 minutes. I’ve never done that again at any park on any ride. It was worth it in this case. I’m not a big rollercoaster fanatic, I can ‘take them or leave them’ but this one was exceptional. 0-60 in about 2 seconds, what a rush!
Assuming we have been able to ride my favorite ride, The Tower of Terror, and maybe the Rock ‘n Rollercoaster, we then head back to the opposite corner of the park to the Star Tours ride, my grandson’s favorite. We love wandering through the gift shop there looking for the latest Star Wars games, toys, and memorabilia. They can take pictures of your face on a character’s body. I have a treasured one of my grandson’s face on Anakin Skywalker’s body. It’s awesome.
We then backtrack to The Great Movie Ride, followed by the Animation Courtyard where the Voyage of the Little Mermaid is always a great treat for the little ones, and a respite from the heat on a hot day.
We might eat lunch at the ABC Commissary or at the Backlot Express. If you have the money or are on the Dining Plan, you should definitely check out The Brown Derby at least once in your life. My daughter and I had an early supper there one year, and it was memorable. The original Cobb Salad was excellent as was the Filet Mignon.
After lunch we may go on the Backlot Tour , wander through the many glorious stores, watch the street actors perform in their 40’s and 50’s style costumes, and late in the afternoon, its ‘Lights Motors Action‘. This show is very loud, but very exciting, especially for little car enthusiasts.
At times there a lots of Characters lined up all along the center of the park near the big Hat outside Animation Studios and near the lagoon. Just about every character you can imagine is there for pictures and autographs.
We like to take an afternoon break around the lagoon and grab an ice cream at Gertie’s, the giant dinosaur that resides in the lagoon. The best soft serve ever!
The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular is a good show but I only go once every few years. My grandson was quite afraid of the loud explosions and only finally agreed to see the show this past September.
If you want to stay for the evening spectacular ‘Fantasmic’ you are in for a treat. A great light and laser show that is very entertaining and crammed full of Disney Characters and of course Wizard Mickey. It can be a little intense for smaller children and is very crowded no matter what time of year you go. A lot of locals come for this event alone. You should get there early , which can be kind of boring while your are waiting for darkness to fall and the show to begin and it is a really crowded walk back out of the arena, but also something you should see at least once.
Next time- the different worlds of Epcot.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
'The Plan' for Magic Kingdom
We definitely have a plan for visiting the parks. A lot of people who go with children get up early, hit the parks at opening time, and head back to the resort for naps by mid-day then head back to the parks in the evening. We prefer a different plan. We are what you would call ‘Park Commandos’.
We don’t necessarily hit the parks at opening time but shortly afterwards. There is a strategy to avoid the biggest crowds. For instance, when we go to Magic Kingdom, upon entering the park we take the train over to Adventure Land. The train’s first stop is near Splash Mountain. We walk back to Pirates of the Caribbean and usually the lines are very short or even non-existent. Sometimes we work our way forward to the Aladdin Ride and check out the Bazaars and then cut over to Frontier Land and the Haunted Mansion. If we want to ride Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Railroad, we’ll head back that way. Sometimes we take the opposite route and head back to the Splash Mountain area after Pirates then over to Haunted Mansion. By this time it’s usually time for lunch and we have tried Pecos Bill’s and Columbia Harbor House, both good options but usually very crowded.
We then cut through the passageway near Haunted Mansion into Fantasyland where the children can enjoy the Flight of Peter Pan, Small World, the Carousel, Dumbo, Tea Cups etc. Then it’s on to Tomorrow Land where those who want to ride Space Mountain get fast passes and then we all go on Buzz Lightyear where even if it’s a long line, seems to move very fast. My grandchildren love the Tomorrow Land Transit Authority, a pretty tame train ride around Tomorrow Land. I usually take them on that while the Space Mountain enthusiasts take that ride. I don’t have anything against Space Mountain, I’ve ridden it several times, it’s just not a ‘must do’ for me. We saw the Carousel of Progress the last time we were there for the first time.
We haven’t seen the Monster’s Inc. Comedy Club yet, but we like to do something new at each park at each visit so we’ll probably get that done the next trip.
If we haven’t eaten lunch yet, we will go to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.
Then we head back to Main Street to wander through the stores and make our way out of the park to head back to the resort for some relaxation and supper. The grandkids still ride in strollers and if they want to, they take naps while we are at the parks. Sometimes they don’t and that’s okay as long as they don’t get too cranky. They are usually so fascinated by the people, the attractions and the music that they stay pretty happy. We take plenty of breaks as there are lot’s of benches and seating along our route if we want to just sit for a few minutes and plan our next move. We also visit many stores and Characters on our way.
The point is, head to the back of the park first and work your way back to the front. Most people use the opposite strategy so by the time we get to the front of the park, it’s not quite as crowded as it is at opening.
Next time I’ll lay out our plan for my favorite park Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
We don’t necessarily hit the parks at opening time but shortly afterwards. There is a strategy to avoid the biggest crowds. For instance, when we go to Magic Kingdom, upon entering the park we take the train over to Adventure Land. The train’s first stop is near Splash Mountain. We walk back to Pirates of the Caribbean and usually the lines are very short or even non-existent. Sometimes we work our way forward to the Aladdin Ride and check out the Bazaars and then cut over to Frontier Land and the Haunted Mansion. If we want to ride Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Railroad, we’ll head back that way. Sometimes we take the opposite route and head back to the Splash Mountain area after Pirates then over to Haunted Mansion. By this time it’s usually time for lunch and we have tried Pecos Bill’s and Columbia Harbor House, both good options but usually very crowded.
We then cut through the passageway near Haunted Mansion into Fantasyland where the children can enjoy the Flight of Peter Pan, Small World, the Carousel, Dumbo, Tea Cups etc. Then it’s on to Tomorrow Land where those who want to ride Space Mountain get fast passes and then we all go on Buzz Lightyear where even if it’s a long line, seems to move very fast. My grandchildren love the Tomorrow Land Transit Authority, a pretty tame train ride around Tomorrow Land. I usually take them on that while the Space Mountain enthusiasts take that ride. I don’t have anything against Space Mountain, I’ve ridden it several times, it’s just not a ‘must do’ for me. We saw the Carousel of Progress the last time we were there for the first time.
We haven’t seen the Monster’s Inc. Comedy Club yet, but we like to do something new at each park at each visit so we’ll probably get that done the next trip.
If we haven’t eaten lunch yet, we will go to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café.
Then we head back to Main Street to wander through the stores and make our way out of the park to head back to the resort for some relaxation and supper. The grandkids still ride in strollers and if they want to, they take naps while we are at the parks. Sometimes they don’t and that’s okay as long as they don’t get too cranky. They are usually so fascinated by the people, the attractions and the music that they stay pretty happy. We take plenty of breaks as there are lot’s of benches and seating along our route if we want to just sit for a few minutes and plan our next move. We also visit many stores and Characters on our way.
The point is, head to the back of the park first and work your way back to the front. Most people use the opposite strategy so by the time we get to the front of the park, it’s not quite as crowded as it is at opening.
Next time I’ll lay out our plan for my favorite park Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Changes IV: Animal Kingdom
The great thing about Animal Kingdom restrooms is that they are visually very interesting to babies and toddlers. I was trying to remember any particular time when I had to change my daughter and she was fussy about it, but I can't. The walls themselves in most of the facilities provide a lot of entertainment and distraction. I have never needed reinforcements and therefore never had to use a Companion Assisted Restroom in this park
The restrooms tend to be less conveniently placed compared to Hollywood Studios, but many of them are larger. Located in the Safari Village in Africa, the Baby Care Center is a bit of a pain to get to from the rest of the park. Mostly because, even though the distance is short, the uneven grounds and hills of Animal Kingdom make it more difficult to push a stroller around than in the three flatter parks. And unlike Magic Kingdom, there are fewer avenues to each section of the park, so many times there's no way to get to the other side of the park, except the long way around.
The best place to change, if the Baby Care Center is too far, is right before the entrance to Dinoland USA. The changing area there is in a quiet isolated alcove and the restroom is generously sized. Which is lucky, because Dinoland is as far from the Africa part of the park as you can get. There is a Companion Assisted Restroom located there should you end up needing it. The rest of the CARs are located at the Affection Section, the Mombasa Marketplace, Dinosaur Treasures, inside and close to the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
The restrooms in Animal Kingdom do tend to be crowded despite the lower attendance in the park. That's due to this park having fewer air conditioned indoor areas and rides compared to other parks. Many people tend to go into one during the hot Florida days just for some respite from the heat. A good idea if you have a little one.
Just be warned: one feature of many of the Animal Kingdom restrooms are the super strong power dryers in them. They are extremely loud, powerful machines that may initially startle even an adult. Which is what makes any isolated changing areas such as at the Dinoland USA entrance a must. Unfortunately, most baby change stations are located close to the sinks and the dryers. If at all possible, try to go to a less crowded facility in order to decrease the number of times a dryer will be used during the changing. Finding the butterflies scattered across the tiles will only go so far in baby distraction.
The restrooms tend to be less conveniently placed compared to Hollywood Studios, but many of them are larger. Located in the Safari Village in Africa, the Baby Care Center is a bit of a pain to get to from the rest of the park. Mostly because, even though the distance is short, the uneven grounds and hills of Animal Kingdom make it more difficult to push a stroller around than in the three flatter parks. And unlike Magic Kingdom, there are fewer avenues to each section of the park, so many times there's no way to get to the other side of the park, except the long way around.
The best place to change, if the Baby Care Center is too far, is right before the entrance to Dinoland USA. The changing area there is in a quiet isolated alcove and the restroom is generously sized. Which is lucky, because Dinoland is as far from the Africa part of the park as you can get. There is a Companion Assisted Restroom located there should you end up needing it. The rest of the CARs are located at the Affection Section, the Mombasa Marketplace, Dinosaur Treasures, inside and close to the Maharajah Jungle Trek.
The restrooms in Animal Kingdom do tend to be crowded despite the lower attendance in the park. That's due to this park having fewer air conditioned indoor areas and rides compared to other parks. Many people tend to go into one during the hot Florida days just for some respite from the heat. A good idea if you have a little one.
Just be warned: one feature of many of the Animal Kingdom restrooms are the super strong power dryers in them. They are extremely loud, powerful machines that may initially startle even an adult. Which is what makes any isolated changing areas such as at the Dinoland USA entrance a must. Unfortunately, most baby change stations are located close to the sinks and the dryers. If at all possible, try to go to a less crowded facility in order to decrease the number of times a dryer will be used during the changing. Finding the butterflies scattered across the tiles will only go so far in baby distraction.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Deluxe and Vacation Club Resorts
I’ll admit that my experience at these resorts are limited to The Beach Club Resort and Old Key West respectively. They are more expensive and if it wasn’t for special deals, I couldn’t really afford them.
In the case of the Beach Club Resort, it was the one year I had bought an annual pass and there was a special rate for annual pass holders. I stayed there in December and they have the most amazing Christmas decorations that include a chocolate carousel. The rooms are again slightly larger than the moderates, we had a balcony and you can get room service. The drinking glasses and coffee cups are glass and ceramic vs. plastic and foam. What I really like about the Beach Club Resort is that it is a short walk to Epcot. If you have small children in strollers you can really cut down on the number of buses you have to take. In addition to walking to Epcot, you can take a ferry to Hollywood Studios, or even walk if you want. To get to Magic Kingdom you can go through Epcot (if you have the park hopper option on your park ticket) and take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom. You only have to take the bus to Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney. Cape May restaurant has a great Character Breakfast. The gift shop has an area for limited food choices, no food court. You are close to the Boardwalk which has a great bakery, ESPN restaurant and lots of other choices as well as food vendors on the boardwalk.
Old Key West is a Vacation Club Resort and I afforded that by taking lots of people with me. We had a party of nine and stayed in a two bedroom villa. There were three families to make it affordable. The master bedroom included a bathroom with whirlpool tub. The second bedroom is similar to a moderate resort room with two beds, table and chairs, and bathroom. There was a full kitchen, living room with Queen size sofa bed, patio, and laundry room with washer and dryer. We were close to the registration building, restaurant, pool, and counter service. No food court here. We were the first stop for the bus so if we missed one we could take a short walk over to the registration building which was the last stop. There was more than enough room for the nine of us. It was nice having a full sized refrigerator, microwave, stove with oven. They supply dishes, silverware, dishwasher etc. Housekeeping came everyday and loaded and ran the dishwasher. How nice!
All in all, anyone would prefer to stay at these resorts and I highly recommend both of them if you can afford the higher price. It is definitely worth it and I hope to stay at either one again some day.
In the case of the Beach Club Resort, it was the one year I had bought an annual pass and there was a special rate for annual pass holders. I stayed there in December and they have the most amazing Christmas decorations that include a chocolate carousel. The rooms are again slightly larger than the moderates, we had a balcony and you can get room service. The drinking glasses and coffee cups are glass and ceramic vs. plastic and foam. What I really like about the Beach Club Resort is that it is a short walk to Epcot. If you have small children in strollers you can really cut down on the number of buses you have to take. In addition to walking to Epcot, you can take a ferry to Hollywood Studios, or even walk if you want. To get to Magic Kingdom you can go through Epcot (if you have the park hopper option on your park ticket) and take the Monorail to Magic Kingdom. You only have to take the bus to Animal Kingdom or Downtown Disney. Cape May restaurant has a great Character Breakfast. The gift shop has an area for limited food choices, no food court. You are close to the Boardwalk which has a great bakery, ESPN restaurant and lots of other choices as well as food vendors on the boardwalk.
Old Key West is a Vacation Club Resort and I afforded that by taking lots of people with me. We had a party of nine and stayed in a two bedroom villa. There were three families to make it affordable. The master bedroom included a bathroom with whirlpool tub. The second bedroom is similar to a moderate resort room with two beds, table and chairs, and bathroom. There was a full kitchen, living room with Queen size sofa bed, patio, and laundry room with washer and dryer. We were close to the registration building, restaurant, pool, and counter service. No food court here. We were the first stop for the bus so if we missed one we could take a short walk over to the registration building which was the last stop. There was more than enough room for the nine of us. It was nice having a full sized refrigerator, microwave, stove with oven. They supply dishes, silverware, dishwasher etc. Housekeeping came everyday and loaded and ran the dishwasher. How nice!
All in all, anyone would prefer to stay at these resorts and I highly recommend both of them if you can afford the higher price. It is definitely worth it and I hope to stay at either one again some day.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Changes III: Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios will always be "MGM" in my mind and I will love it either way. Oddly, my first exposure to MGM...er Hollywood Studios (perhaps MGMeHS?) was with the restrooms outside of the park. They are close to the buses and serve as the first introduction to the 50s art deco style that will soon dominate the scenery. They help you acclimate to the theme of the park without even using them.
The unfortunate part to this is that they are also the best restrooms in the park, but are outside of it. Big, roomy and always nearly empty. It does have it's uses before getting on the bus with a toddler, although the extremely posh Baby Care Center near the entrance of the park is by far better.
Hollywood Studios also has the worst changing area in all the parks. The changing counter in the Tower of Terror restrooms is a very small one. So much so, that I think only the youngest of infants could actually fit on it. Toddlers will have to be changed standing up, which can get tricky in certain situations. It is also a busy restroom, because, well, it's outside of the Tower of Terror and people seem to need it after the ride.
There is a Companion Assisted Restroom among the Tower's offerings with a full sized counter, but once again, use it with discretion. It's better to trek over to the Rock N' Roller Coaster, which is bigger and quieter. Quiet is important. While some of us may feel a happy thrill of anticipation when hearing the screams of those who have just entered a land of shadow and substance, many babies and toddlers find them distressing. The remaining CARs are located at the Rock n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, on Mickey Avenue, at the Fantasmic! amphitheater and near the Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.
It seems there are nothing but negatives to Hollywood Studios in this area, but that's not so. The Studios has the most well placed facilities of all the parks. It's enough to make you wish the park planners would hire out to local malls, zoos and state fairs. The rest of the restrooms are decently functional so that a parent shouldn't have any problem not only finding one very close by, but it'll be well designed. Nothing awkward like some in Epcot. This could be the reason why there aren't any of the huge mega-restrooms of the other parks. There just isn't a need.
The unfortunate part to this is that they are also the best restrooms in the park, but are outside of it. Big, roomy and always nearly empty. It does have it's uses before getting on the bus with a toddler, although the extremely posh Baby Care Center near the entrance of the park is by far better.
Hollywood Studios also has the worst changing area in all the parks. The changing counter in the Tower of Terror restrooms is a very small one. So much so, that I think only the youngest of infants could actually fit on it. Toddlers will have to be changed standing up, which can get tricky in certain situations. It is also a busy restroom, because, well, it's outside of the Tower of Terror and people seem to need it after the ride.
There is a Companion Assisted Restroom among the Tower's offerings with a full sized counter, but once again, use it with discretion. It's better to trek over to the Rock N' Roller Coaster, which is bigger and quieter. Quiet is important. While some of us may feel a happy thrill of anticipation when hearing the screams of those who have just entered a land of shadow and substance, many babies and toddlers find them distressing. The remaining CARs are located at the Rock n' Roller Coaster, Star Tours, on Mickey Avenue, at the Fantasmic! amphitheater and near the Lights, Motor, Action! Extreme Stunt Show.
It seems there are nothing but negatives to Hollywood Studios in this area, but that's not so. The Studios has the most well placed facilities of all the parks. It's enough to make you wish the park planners would hire out to local malls, zoos and state fairs. The rest of the restrooms are decently functional so that a parent shouldn't have any problem not only finding one very close by, but it'll be well designed. Nothing awkward like some in Epcot. This could be the reason why there aren't any of the huge mega-restrooms of the other parks. There just isn't a need.
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