Souvenir choices will vary from place to place. Sometimes you have to be careful. If it's something you can buy at Target, Wal-mart, Toys R Us or even the Disney Store, you can figure that buying it at Disney World includes a $5-$10 mark-up. So it's best to stick with the ones you can't buy anywhere else or at least aren't able to buy easily.
The Japanese store in EPCOT, Mitsukoshi, is full of examples of this. Many of the toys you can find at Toys R Us or similar places. With the exception of the Pokemon section. This is actually a mini-version of the now defunct Pokemon Center stores and has things that could only be bought at Pokemon Centers or online. In the last six months, however, this section has been cut drastically since even the Pokemon Center website has closed down.
DVDs are better purchased off-site, although there are a few Disney World specific ones that can’t be found outside of Disney World.
Then we come to the best place to buy toys, where most of the toys are not available anywhere else and the prices are actually reasonable, normal prices. There is just one catch: You must like Star Wars.
Tattoine Traders outside of the Star Tours ride, is a small shop for the crowd it generates. Even more so since they added the “Build Your Own Lightsaber” station a few months ago. It’s actually a reasonably priced souvenir since it costs the same as buying one of the Electronic Light Sabers at any store that sells toys, except each lightsaber is uniquely made by the buyer. There are instructions for making the specific lightsabers of various characters, including Darth Maul, or you can get creative and come up with an entirely new one. A Tattoine Traders Castmember is always on hand to aid in building the lightsaber so that it will light up and make sounds properly.
Although, the regular Darth Tater Mr. Potatoheads are marked up, the special Star Tours only ones, such as Luke Frywalker, aren’t unreasonably priced. The same goes for the action figures of Disney characters as Star Wars characters, stuffed Ewoks and Wookies, toy blasters unavailable anywhere else and of course, the Star Tours vehicle toy.
If you are a Star Wars fan, or know one, this is definitely the store to check out and it has the most value for your dollar of any store in all the Parks!
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Toddler Blockbuster Hits: MGM...sigh...Hollywood Studios
Before I start this post, I really have to just face it. It's Hollywood Studios, not MGM and it's not going to change back. That won't stop me from calling it MGM in my head, but it's certainly going to be as confusing to newbies as using Dixie Landings to talk about Port Orleans Riverside, if I do it here. I can't be held responsible if an MGM accidentally types itself out on my keyboard though.
Hollywood Studios looks like it's all for teens, tweens and threens. There are screams coming from Sunset Boulevard. High School Musical performances in front of the Sorcerer's Hat and gun shots near Echo Lake. Yet, there are quite a few things toddlers can enjoy here.
Playhouse Disney Live has updated itself recently to showcase the new Playhouse line-up with a performance that includes Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Be warned, that there is no seating for this. Rather...there are no seats, you have to sit on the floor with your kids. Many of the Playhouse characters can be met outside.
The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is nicely air conditioned show, although some parts are dark and the Sea Witch can be frightening. If your toddler can handle it, it's worth going to. The Great Movie Ride can be hit or miss. I'm not sure some adults can deal with the Alien popping out at them, even if they get to follow the Yellow Brick Road at the end.
Hollywood and Vine has a nicely uncrowded character breakfast and lunch with Playhouse Disney characters who spend a lot of time with each kid. MGM is also a good place for characters without long lines. You'll usually run into them in front of the Hat or at the Crossroads after the Entrance. It's also a good Park for finding Pixar characters.
But then, there are the non-ride hits for toddlers. Such as the giant dinosaur Gertie at Echo Lake which is actually an ice cream shop. Or Sweet Spells, the candy shop which goes a long way in distracting toddlers scared by the screams from the Tower of Terror. It's also a good place to take them if you are the designated wrangler while others go on the Tower or Rock N' Roller Coaster. I currently have a Megablok version of the Tower of Terror and Sweet Spells on my dining room floor, it's that appealing to toddlers. Sometimes, for toddlers, the best part of a Disney World Park is just being there.
Hollywood Studios looks like it's all for teens, tweens and threens. There are screams coming from Sunset Boulevard. High School Musical performances in front of the Sorcerer's Hat and gun shots near Echo Lake. Yet, there are quite a few things toddlers can enjoy here.
Playhouse Disney Live has updated itself recently to showcase the new Playhouse line-up with a performance that includes Handy Manny, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and My Friends Tigger and Pooh. Be warned, that there is no seating for this. Rather...there are no seats, you have to sit on the floor with your kids. Many of the Playhouse characters can be met outside.
The Voyage of the Little Mermaid is nicely air conditioned show, although some parts are dark and the Sea Witch can be frightening. If your toddler can handle it, it's worth going to. The Great Movie Ride can be hit or miss. I'm not sure some adults can deal with the Alien popping out at them, even if they get to follow the Yellow Brick Road at the end.
Hollywood and Vine has a nicely uncrowded character breakfast and lunch with Playhouse Disney characters who spend a lot of time with each kid. MGM is also a good place for characters without long lines. You'll usually run into them in front of the Hat or at the Crossroads after the Entrance. It's also a good Park for finding Pixar characters.
But then, there are the non-ride hits for toddlers. Such as the giant dinosaur Gertie at Echo Lake which is actually an ice cream shop. Or Sweet Spells, the candy shop which goes a long way in distracting toddlers scared by the screams from the Tower of Terror. It's also a good place to take them if you are the designated wrangler while others go on the Tower or Rock N' Roller Coaster. I currently have a Megablok version of the Tower of Terror and Sweet Spells on my dining room floor, it's that appealing to toddlers. Sometimes, for toddlers, the best part of a Disney World Park is just being there.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Toddler Hits-Epcot, Sharpie Look Out!
Epcot is the "educational" park. Most of this is lost on the toddlers and preschoolers. It also has very few rides that a toddler can go on. In fact, the one thing that toddlers like the most about Epcot won't happen until night when they are too tired to take advantage of it and those are the light-up sparkley sidewalks.
Still, it's possible to have fun here with a little one. This is one of the best places to meet characters without a long line. Characters always pop out unexpectedly in the World Showcase, related to the countries. Belle is in France, Snow White is in Germany, Mulan is in China, Donald is in Mexico. If you are looking for Mickey, you can find him in America and sometimes dressed as a Musketeer in France.
Disney does try to help out with the lack of small child friendly activities with their Kidcot stations. I discovered, though, that these are all sponsored by Sharpie. You know, the permanent-never coming out of clothes or off the skin for weeks-marker. You can always spot a Kidcot station by the number of nervous parents hovering over their kids trying to keep the Sharpie tips a safe distance from the clothes of the kids and others.
So many times you find yourself with a problem. Maelstrom? Has scary trolls. Journey into Imagination? Scary invisible train noises and that loud boom and rush of air at the end. The stores? So many breakable objects they can't touch! But then there is Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival in May with the Neverland Playground and Minnie's Butterfly Garden, which Disney should consider having year-round.
You may just decide that Epcot isn't worth going to at all until...
Nemo. Nemo, that ever popular little clownfish who has taken over what used to be called just The Living Seas. From the moment you pass the seagull animatronics shouting, "Mine, mine mine!" you realize you may be there for quite some time. There is not one thing in the building that does not appeal to toddlers from the aquarium of dolphins to the extremely popular Turtle Talk with Crush. Next door is the Imagination Pavilion with it's impossible reversed fountains and the Imageworks play area, all taking up time until the World Showcase is open and you can try out El Gran Fiesta at Mexico. (Careful, though, most of the merchandise sold in Mexico is breakable and at toddler level.)
The Newly redone Spaceship Earth is not as toddler friendly as it once was. A section of the ride at the end is devoted to the touch screen in the car with you. While it may help to let the toddler do all the touching to distract them from the fact that they are moving backwards at a sort of scary angle, they won't get much out of it. It is air conditioned though, and that may be reason enough to go on the ride!
Should you skip Epcot with a toddler? It depends on your toddler. The Living Seas really makes it worth while to go and may just make your child more manageable for the rest of the park. Even if they do say "dude" the rest of the day as Crush will instruct them to do.
Still, it's possible to have fun here with a little one. This is one of the best places to meet characters without a long line. Characters always pop out unexpectedly in the World Showcase, related to the countries. Belle is in France, Snow White is in Germany, Mulan is in China, Donald is in Mexico. If you are looking for Mickey, you can find him in America and sometimes dressed as a Musketeer in France.
Disney does try to help out with the lack of small child friendly activities with their Kidcot stations. I discovered, though, that these are all sponsored by Sharpie. You know, the permanent-never coming out of clothes or off the skin for weeks-marker. You can always spot a Kidcot station by the number of nervous parents hovering over their kids trying to keep the Sharpie tips a safe distance from the clothes of the kids and others.
So many times you find yourself with a problem. Maelstrom? Has scary trolls. Journey into Imagination? Scary invisible train noises and that loud boom and rush of air at the end. The stores? So many breakable objects they can't touch! But then there is Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival in May with the Neverland Playground and Minnie's Butterfly Garden, which Disney should consider having year-round.
You may just decide that Epcot isn't worth going to at all until...
Nemo. Nemo, that ever popular little clownfish who has taken over what used to be called just The Living Seas. From the moment you pass the seagull animatronics shouting, "Mine, mine mine!" you realize you may be there for quite some time. There is not one thing in the building that does not appeal to toddlers from the aquarium of dolphins to the extremely popular Turtle Talk with Crush. Next door is the Imagination Pavilion with it's impossible reversed fountains and the Imageworks play area, all taking up time until the World Showcase is open and you can try out El Gran Fiesta at Mexico. (Careful, though, most of the merchandise sold in Mexico is breakable and at toddler level.)
The Newly redone Spaceship Earth is not as toddler friendly as it once was. A section of the ride at the end is devoted to the touch screen in the car with you. While it may help to let the toddler do all the touching to distract them from the fact that they are moving backwards at a sort of scary angle, they won't get much out of it. It is air conditioned though, and that may be reason enough to go on the ride!
Should you skip Epcot with a toddler? It depends on your toddler. The Living Seas really makes it worth while to go and may just make your child more manageable for the rest of the park. Even if they do say "dude" the rest of the day as Crush will instruct them to do.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
More Toddler Hits: Animal Kingdom-"It's Nahtazu!", But it Sort of is
Animal Kingdom for toddlers is an easy one. While Disney would prefer to promote it as more than a zoo in order to appeal to an older audience with things like Expedition Everest, when it comes to toddlers and preschoolers it is pretty much exactly like a mega zoo with dinosaurs.
It's unfortunate, that most toddlers go through a dinosaur stage between 2-6 and yet, the most potentially appealing attraction for such kids in Animal Kingdom is off limits to them. Dinosaur has a height requirement of 40" and even then, you may want to think twice. Only the most dinosaur loving and fearless preschooler is going to be able to handle the intensity and darkness. The Primeval Whirl over in Dinoland is also a no-go as it has a height requirement of 48". This leaves the Triceratops Spin, which is a clone of Dumbo and the midway carnival games, as well as The Boneyard playground.
However, pretty much everything in Camp Minnie-Mickey is tailor-made for little kids. As is the Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is basically a petting zoo, but requires a steam train ride to get to it for extra fun. Anything with animals in it, is sure to be a hit. The various animals along the trails, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and of course, the Kilimanjaro Safari offers the most exciting non-zoo like view of the animals. The Jammin' Jungle Parade is also usually fun for toddlers.
The Baby Center at Animal Kingdom is also the nicest looking due to it being the newest.
Then, just to top it off, Disney has brought out their big ammo by using their biggest success n the 2000s with the current generation with Finding Nemo: The Musical in the Asia area.
Some toddlers might enjoy It's Tough to Be a Bug, but the 3D effects and the darkness that occurs may also alarm them. Along with the "bug attack" that happens in the movie.
There is a bit of a down-side to the plethora of toddler-friendly attractions and entertainment. The uneven ground of Animal Kingdom, the lack of places to take an air conditioned break in and lack of water fountains, in a rare designing mistake of the Imagineers. Therefore, I usually recommend Animal Kingdom as a half-day Park.
It's unfortunate, that most toddlers go through a dinosaur stage between 2-6 and yet, the most potentially appealing attraction for such kids in Animal Kingdom is off limits to them. Dinosaur has a height requirement of 40" and even then, you may want to think twice. Only the most dinosaur loving and fearless preschooler is going to be able to handle the intensity and darkness. The Primeval Whirl over in Dinoland is also a no-go as it has a height requirement of 48". This leaves the Triceratops Spin, which is a clone of Dumbo and the midway carnival games, as well as The Boneyard playground.
However, pretty much everything in Camp Minnie-Mickey is tailor-made for little kids. As is the Affection Section at Rafiki's Planet Watch, which is basically a petting zoo, but requires a steam train ride to get to it for extra fun. Anything with animals in it, is sure to be a hit. The various animals along the trails, the Maharajah Jungle Trek, Pangani Forest Exploration Trail and of course, the Kilimanjaro Safari offers the most exciting non-zoo like view of the animals. The Jammin' Jungle Parade is also usually fun for toddlers.
The Baby Center at Animal Kingdom is also the nicest looking due to it being the newest.
Then, just to top it off, Disney has brought out their big ammo by using their biggest success n the 2000s with the current generation with Finding Nemo: The Musical in the Asia area.
Some toddlers might enjoy It's Tough to Be a Bug, but the 3D effects and the darkness that occurs may also alarm them. Along with the "bug attack" that happens in the movie.
There is a bit of a down-side to the plethora of toddler-friendly attractions and entertainment. The uneven ground of Animal Kingdom, the lack of places to take an air conditioned break in and lack of water fountains, in a rare designing mistake of the Imagineers. Therefore, I usually recommend Animal Kingdom as a half-day Park.
Strollers
My daughters and I have deliberated on the stroller situation. It’s convenient to rent a stroller at each park, but a bit expensive. Our problem is that we have a 2yr. old and 5 yr. old to accommodate. The 2 yr. old is no problem. She is not yet 30 lbs. The 5 yr. old is 43 lbs. and 44” tall. Too tall and heavy for the traditional umbrella stroller that is the easiest to take on and off the buses.
We have a ‘Joovy” which is a very sturdy stroller that offers a traditional seat on the front and a sit or stand platform on the back. The back portion is perfect for an older child, but a bit crunched for room for a 44” boy. The 2 yr. old does like to sit back there, but with the 5 yr. old in the seat, it becomes a bit hard to push. It does have a weight capacity of 45 lbs. in each section and is easy to steer. It folds up easily and becomes fairly compact but is really long (tall) when folded and does not easily fit in our cars (Aveo sedan and hatchback). We used this a couple of years ago when the kids were 6 wks. And 3 yrs. old. It worked out fine except it was a little bulky to take on the buses. My nephew-in-law was with us on that trip and didn’t seem to have much trouble handling it on the buses.
I’d prefer to use the easier to handle umbrella strollers but fear one wouldn’t hold up to my grandson’s size and weight. Granted, he may want to walk a lot, but then again, if his cousin is in a stroller, he tends to want that too. Thus the dilemma; umbrella strollers, rental at the park, Joovy.
The problem with the rental strollers is that you leave them at the park and I’m not sure that after a long day at the park, the kids will be willing or able to make the long walk to the buses and from the buses to the room at the resort. This means possibly having to carry them.
Murray Hill transportation used to have a nice sturdy stroller that folded up nicely for the buses but no longer offers that option. Bummer!
We have decided to go with the Joovy. My son-in-law will be in charge of hoisting it onto and off of the buses. I will let you know how that worked out next week.
We have a ‘Joovy” which is a very sturdy stroller that offers a traditional seat on the front and a sit or stand platform on the back. The back portion is perfect for an older child, but a bit crunched for room for a 44” boy. The 2 yr. old does like to sit back there, but with the 5 yr. old in the seat, it becomes a bit hard to push. It does have a weight capacity of 45 lbs. in each section and is easy to steer. It folds up easily and becomes fairly compact but is really long (tall) when folded and does not easily fit in our cars (Aveo sedan and hatchback). We used this a couple of years ago when the kids were 6 wks. And 3 yrs. old. It worked out fine except it was a little bulky to take on the buses. My nephew-in-law was with us on that trip and didn’t seem to have much trouble handling it on the buses.
I’d prefer to use the easier to handle umbrella strollers but fear one wouldn’t hold up to my grandson’s size and weight. Granted, he may want to walk a lot, but then again, if his cousin is in a stroller, he tends to want that too. Thus the dilemma; umbrella strollers, rental at the park, Joovy.
The problem with the rental strollers is that you leave them at the park and I’m not sure that after a long day at the park, the kids will be willing or able to make the long walk to the buses and from the buses to the room at the resort. This means possibly having to carry them.
Murray Hill transportation used to have a nice sturdy stroller that folded up nicely for the buses but no longer offers that option. Bummer!
We have decided to go with the Joovy. My son-in-law will be in charge of hoisting it onto and off of the buses. I will let you know how that worked out next week.
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