WE'RE THERE!

WE'RE THERE!

The first thing I want to talk about is the Amazing feeling you get when you first see that Walt Disney World gate. This is one of the most iconic feelings I have about going to Walt Disney World mostly because it means WE'RE THERE! I live in northern Indiana and every time I have been to Florida we have drove. On a amazingly perfect trip one way it would still be an 18 hour drive. That's enough to have the parents asking the same questions as the kids "Are there yet?"  But on the other hand I kind of like the drive for a few reasons, one of them being you really get to enjoy the beautiful mountains in Kentucky, Tennessee, and into Georgia. The other reason is the Hype and anticipation of the fun you're about to have. It is an amazing long and tiring drive but if you've ever drove it you know exactly what I'm talking about. When I see this sign I feel the same way today as I did when I was 4 years old.

New things Coming!

• New Things Coming!

I know i have not been on here in a very long time. My trip has came and past and I'm awaiting an other trip back to the most magical place on earth Walt Disney World. For this part of the blog I'm going to change it up a bit. I'm going to try to break down and describe the best i can with detail what I think makes Walt Disney World the best place on earth.

I hope you decide to follow me and tell your friends.

“In bad times and in good, I have never lost my sense of zest for life.”

~Walt Disney~

255 Days to go: Muppet Vision 3-D

255 Days to go: This post is about Muppet Vision 3-D. This is a very cute and fun 3-D show. During the wait in line you are in the "backstage" of a studio. They have tv's showing how everyone is preparing for the show, but beeker and bunson run into a problem to where one of their creations "Waldo" has escaped. This attraction is full of hilarious mishaps and all age good humor. This attration is good the age groups from toddler to seniors (besides the grumpy seniors from the muppets.) Infants might find this amusing but have trouble keeping glasses on them. Overall I give this attraction a 4.2 out of 5. The line is fun, the show draws you in and its fun for all ages.

266 days to go: Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure

266 days to go: Today will be the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure at Walt Disney Worlds Hollywood Studios. This is a larger than life back yard "play ground." For some people who know or have seen Honey I Shrunk the Kids remember with the ant and the oatmeal creme pie, well this is exactly that. You feel drawn in with blades of grass 20 feet tall, running through ant hill tunnels and sliding down rolls of undevelopes Kodak Film, oh yeah and sprinklers. The kids will have a blast at this play ground.

269 Days to go: Animation Courtyard @ Hollywood Studios

269 days to go: The Animation Courtyard is the Perfect Place to meet your favorite daytime Disney character like Handy Manny, Jojo and Goliath from Jojo's Circus, and The Little Einsteins. The building right next to the Courtyard has all kinds of random characters that you rarely see anywhere else. Some of them are Pixar characters besides from Toy Story cause they have their own area, more like from Up, The Incredibles, A Bugs Life. The other character in there are all just randomized besides one and that is Sorcerers Apprentice Mickey Mouse. This is a great little nook to meet characters, its not to over crowded and you don't have to line up much to meet them (even during spring break.)

273 days to go: STAR TOURS

273 days to go: Today I'm going to write about STAR TOURS at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studios (MGM) . STAR TOURS is a simulated thrill ride with a 40 inch height requirement. I can remember this attraction from when I was 5 years old. I used to love to wait in the line, mostly cause the 40 feet tall robotic camels that sprayed water in the wooded area from Return of the Jedi. Once you enter you see an animatronic R2-D2 and C3PO off to the side as you work your way through what looks to be the Death Star. When you have reached the ride you be assigned a row to be seated in and to move to the end of the row. Once seated they will instruct you to put on your safety belts and you will meet your captain a rookie flight droid on his first flight. You get a glimpse of what the space ships you are in looks like and the are very similar to a 1980's handheld hoover vacuum(  if you're around the age of 20 or under google it.) Everything is smooth sailing for the first 4 seconds, until you make a wrong turn into a maintenance hallway and drop off a landing. We safely recover from the drop and head out an exit bay. Then we warp to light speed and have to avoid getting to banged up during an ice storm. Then get sucked into the DEATH STAR's tractor beam. After being pulled into the restricted air space you are then escorted to Endore by the safety of Jedi pilots. Once you have reached your destination you will exit to your right, go down the hallway, enter Gift Shop and that's the end of your voyage. In my opinion this ride gets a 4.5 out of 5. Everyone who meets the height requirement will enjoy it. The line is never too long and it is full of props to keep your mind busy away from the wait.  It hasn't changed to drastically until this year (I haven't been on the remodeled STAR TOURS II yet), which you can watch on YouTube.

291 days to go: BACKLOT TOURS

291 days to go: Today I'm going to do a run though on Disney's Hollywood Studios: Backlot Tour. During the line of this ride you'll see props from movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, Pearl Harbor and U-571. The have TVs that have director of the these movies explaining the difficulties and techniques used to film the special effects from the movies. You start the attraction by walking down a 2 tier viewing platform that over looks a small watery set area with a submarine and a naval ship. They take volunteers from the crowd to act in a small skit. This skit shows on a small scale how they shoot the battle scenes in the water using torpedoes and explosions. After the small skit is over. You continue through a warehouse full of movies props and then load up onto a tour bus. The tour take you along a drive lined with larger props some being the motorcycle and airplanes from Indiana Jones, the roller from Who Frames Roger Rabbit, and Herbie. Then you get a peek at the wardrobe warehouse and an animatronic warehouse. After all that you'll enter a canyon and enter an other live action scene with flooding, an earthquake, and a semi truck explosion. This is practically the only unchanged part of the attraction. you will then go past the larger props again one of the being Walt Disney's personal airplane and all other kinds its fun to try to name what movie they are from. This ride is more targeted towards teens to adults, they explosions get the younger kids attention for a minute but the care very little for most props. I give this ride a 3 out of 5 stars just because its not a thumbs up to keep all age groups happy.

276 days to go: INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR

276 days to go: Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is my next subject of topic. I used to be really fascinated with this when i was younger but my parents never really wanted to take time to watch the show. This is a live action stunt show featuring re-enactments from the Indiana Jones movies. They explain how these stunts are done and even though they have been made safe as realistically possible and in a controlled environment, they can still be dangerous. They changes sets 3 times. The show feature famous scene re-enactments like the boulder rolling behind Indy, the Nazi base scene from raiders of the lost ark, and the fight scene in the streets from the temple of doom. The duration of this show is roughly 35 minutes. This show has the highest thrill factor off all Disney park shows. This attraction is very entertaining for toddlers to seniors, but is a little too much for infants. I give this attraction a 4.3 out of 5. I would have gave it a 5, but the show gets distance in some parts even sitting in the front row, you need to be sure to get towards to the center. But all and all an amazing show. Watching this show was a must because my son loves the Indiana Jones movies.

297 days to go:TOWER OF TERROR

297 days to go: Here's what I'm going to blog about today, Hollywood Studios Tower of Terror. This is the first big thrill ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios (MGM Studios). The story starts October 31, 1939 in the Hollywood Tower Hotel. The tale is that a group of people where going to the 13th floor and elevator was stuck by lightning, trapping the people in the Twilight Zone. You enter the ride by walking through an eerie path over grown with ivy and Spanish moss. You'll follow the path under an old wooden canopy and along the building. When entering the Hollywood Tower Hotel, you can cleanly see there was an upset. Everything was left the way it was the day of the tragic accident. This most have been truly disturbing to the guess because it seems a lot of them were in such a hurry to get out they left a lot of their belongings behind. The inside of this ride is amazing, everything looks so creepy. The lobby's furniture is covered in dust and cob webs( look on the desk with the ink jar on it for a hidden mickey). Once you "check in" the bus boy will take you to the library. When you enter the library the lights flicker and The Twilight Zone comes on the TV. The Twilight Zone tells you the story about what happened that night everything went wrong and what we can do to try to help them back to this dimension. After leaving the library you journey into a dark boiler rooms and prepare to board the service elevator. Strap in and get ready for a thrill. There is one pit stop on the way though. On the way up you'll stop to see ghostly figures of the people in the Twilight Zone as they fade to nothing( look at the doll the little girl is holding for another hidden mickey). Finally when you reach the top you will go forward through a room full of clocks, gears, and stars. Then you come to a sudden halt and 2 vertical lines appear and start to move towards each other. When the lines meet the doors to outside kick open, your eyes adjust to the sun light, you get a split second of an overview of the park, and goodbye. You drop then it shakes you up and down, kind of like you would a can of paint. The drops are completely random will never be the same. I give this ride a 4.5 out of 5. It would have a 5 if it was for the line. Everything else is great. The ride has an amazing story. The imagineers did an outstanding job on this attraction. The interior is so beautiful and eerie. Thats all for today though hope you enjoyed this.

303 days to go: THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE

303 days to go: Today I'm going to touch base at Disney's Hollywood Studios (MGM Studios). I'm going to do a run down of my Favorite slow ride. The Great Movie Ride is exactly what it sounds like. It is a dark ride that is inside a Chinese theatre. To board the ride you enter the theatre and follow the line guided by the classic velvet rope, accompanied by props and a large cinema screen. When entering the boarding area you are locate in a behind the scenes area. You"ll enter the car (they carry approx. 20 people) and meet your guide. He will explain to you what you going to see on this star studded tour, also while waiting for the ride to get going look around in the sky and stars for a hidden mickey. This ride take you through familiar scenes of "Great Movies". You start the ride with Gene Kelley doing the best thing I know him to do swinging on a light pole and "Singing in the Rain". Following that is Mary Poppins with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke on the the room top sing "Chim Chimney". Going forward we creep into a 1930's prohibition mob scene. When entering this area keep an eye on the windows up high to the right for a hidden mickey. Here you'll see James Cagney from Public Enemy. Beware this is a rough neighborhood and you might find yourself in some trouble. After a brief traffic stop at a red light you find yourself going from the back alleys to the wild west. In this western you will see 2 classics John Wayne and Clint Eastwood. Next we move onto the spaceship from Alien. The Alien part used to be much better cause the alien would come out of the ceiling and you'd get slim on you. I loved that part when I was little. On to the next "snakes why'd it have to be snake". You guessed Indiana Jones, in this part you'll be going through a temple but beware of the jewel of the gods some say it holds a curse. Next stop is in the jungle to visit Tarzan and Jane. Moving to the next movie scene is the airplane scene in Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart "Here's looking at you kid". Then into a cinematic whirlwind of Disney's Fantasia: The Sorcerers Apprentice. Which features Mickey Mouse wearing the iconic sorcerers hat that is place in the center of Hollywood Studios. "Oh my Toto I have a feeling we're not in Kansas any more." Here you will be welcomed by munchins but will soon wear out your welcome thanks to the wicked witch of the wear. No need to worry though the munchins give you detailed direction on how to reach your destination. After following the yellow brick road you'll reach another cinema were you watch short clips from hundreds of great movies. That concludes my Great movie ride run down.

306 Days To Go: Just For Fun!

  Ok so Disney World in Orlando, Florida has more treats than you can imagine! Everything from candy to Clam Chowder! While we were at Disney World last year we ate so many different things there! The coolest thing was that even the kids liked everything we tried!

  One thing that we had was the smoked turkey legs! These ran about $8.00 at the different parks and they are HUGE! We bought only 1 and the whole family(2 adults 3 kids) was able to snack on it and be held over until dinner! We did this quite a few times during our stay to save a little money so we wouldn't have to have lunch! The flavor is more like a ham flavor since theyre smoked! You can ask for bbq sauce to dip it in and its great!  I definitely recommend trying one!

  Another thing we tried and LOVED was the New England Clam Chowder from the Columbia Harbor House. This amazing chowder is actually made at another location for this restaurant everyday! You get a good sized bowl for around $4.00! It was the best New England Clam Chowder that I have ever had!

  We also had eggrolls that we got from a little vendor by the Swiss Family Robinson Tree Houese. They were under $2.00 and very good!

  Down Town Disney has a very cute candy shop called Disneys Candy Cauldron! They have many different items! Candy Apples, Caramel Apples, Cocolate Covered Marshmellows, ect... I have to say their covered apples are the biggest apples I have ever seen! They are very good also! I have a "Taffy Apple" while we were there and I don't remember the price but I do remember it was delicious! The cool part is you can watch the people through the window as they are making these goodies!

  Another amazing treat we had were milk shakes from the Ghirardelli shop also at DownTown Disney! The kids had ice cream from here also! I can't remember the prices from here but they couldn't have been too bad or we wouldn't have went there!

  There are quite a few vendors around Magic Kindom that have glazed nuts for under $3.00 I believe! They are sweet and the kids liked them!

 We got bags of Chip n Dale shaped pretzels and bags of cotton candy from one of the shops at ToonTown at Magic Kingdom! Once again I can't remember the prices! This is one of those purchases where you go into the shop just to get out of the heat not planning to buy anything and you come out with all kinds of stuff!

  Well, I hope you enjoyed this post and get an idea of the many many different snacks and goodies that you can come across at Disney World! If you know of any others that you have tried and recommend please let me know!

 



 

Just for fun...

Beneath the coupled gold faints the painless catalog.
What exactly does that mean? 

315 days to go: EPCOT

315 days to go: I absolutely love everything Disney. So on this blog I'm going to go through and write about some of my favorite things at EPCOT. My number 1 favorite is the water areas. One area the ground has sensors and when you walk over them, it triggers water to spray up from the ground. This is so much fun to chase your kids around on during a hot day. I love to watch them run and get hit by surprise by water or even when it happens to me its pretty funny. But best yet is unsuspecting grounds walking over it. LOL. My other favorite water area is over by the Imagination Pavilion. This is where the water sprays over your head in the landscaped area. I think it is amazing and I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame. The only problem this posed for me is I have 3 boys and they wanted to climb on the wall and slap the water. But I can automatically assume with the millions on people that EPCOT yearly I am not alone. My other favorite At EPCOT is the manatees in the Living with the Seas with Nemo and Friends. I don't think a trip to Florida can be complete without see at least one manatee. I feel so bad for them poor guys with all their scars. I also find it awesome that there closest relative is an elephant. My other favorite would be playing around in the Innoventions buildings because you never really know what kind of cool stuff you'll see in there. That all for now. If you like to share your favorite EPCOT experience or attraction please feel free to leave a comment!

323 days to go: Things to see at Epcot Part 3

323 days to go: The World Showcase, EPCOT. When entering The World Showcase area, you will start with Mexico. Most of the attractions in that area are located inside an Aztec or Mayan pyramid. It has an inside slow water ride featuring the 3 Cabrera's. It also has a restaurant and lots of merchandise booths. The second is Norway. This area also has a ride called the Maelstrom, where you ride on a viking boat through a dark ride showing some of the heritage and culture of Norway. The third area is China, and it features a panoramic view of china. This pavilion also has some dining areas as well. The fourth area is Germany, this area doesn't have a ride or anything, but they do have restaurants and merchandise booths. They sell steins, (heavy glass beer mugs), and drum roll! BEER! The fifth is Italy, and it features dining areas and booths. The sixth area is The American Adventures!  It's attraction is a 30 minute story of The United States and dining featuring American food. The seventh place, is Japan! It features dining and sachi (rice alcohol). The eighth area is Morocco! It just features dining. The ninth is France and it features a 20 minute film and native food. The tenth place is The United Kingdom. This place features a pub and a fish and chips dining area.Eleventh and, last but not least, our friends to the north, Canada! This place features a 20 minute film and a Canadian steak house. This area is very unique and showcases so much more than I could put into words! Once you are in these areas you actually feel like you are really in that country! It is pretty amazing!

325 days to go: Things to see at Epcot Part 2

325 days to go: I'll continue with The Future World part of EPCOT. I'll start with the Universe of Energy. This used to be one of my favorite rides at EPCOT when I was young. This was before the re-vamp. I found it way more amusing when I was younger and plus they added Bill Nye the Science Guy, so it just makes me think of 6th grade science. They also added Ellen DeGeneres and updated the Dinosaurs Ride, both a plus! Needless to say, if you need an hour out of the humid Florida day, hit this ride for the air conditioner. Now onto TEST TRACK. This is one of the rides I don't mind waiting in line for. The line had props that show all the things they test for while manufacturing a vehicle from seat belt durability, to how long it takes to wear down a seat with a dropping bag of sand. This attraction allows you to ride along while they test handling, breaking, driving through rough terrain, and a speed test. TEST TRACK is also the fastest Disney attraction reaching speeds of 60 mph. In the INNOVENTIONS buildings they have all kinds of cool gadgets and simulators! Everything in these buildings are so hard to explain so please bare with me!. In one of the INNOVENTION east buildings you can meet all the main Disney Characters like Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Daisy! Now onto the Pinnacle of EPCOT Spaceship Earth. This is the attraction inside the huge "Golf ball" as my kids call it. When first boarding this ride you enter your home location. This ride takes you from the beginning of time starting with a mammoth and going into a cave of cave men, oh and women. Then onto a Egyptian tomb and the Pharaohs. After that you travel forward in time to Ancient Greek times and the Fall of Rome. Michelangelo paintings are on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Then, jumping forward to the Industrial Revolution, the Printing Press, Morris code, Motion Pictures, and onto the stuff we are familiar with today. Then you ascend into the future and into space. After all of that,  you slowly descend backwards and downwards to the end of the ride. This ride is very interesting and great for both adults and children that meet height requirements!

326 days to go: Things to see at Epcot!

326 days to go:  I'm back! Sorry for the gap i have in my days.  I've been having problems with my Internet provider. Anyways,  for a while my topic is gonna be Epcot! After my eighteen hour drive, my favorite thing ever is finally looking through the orange groves and seeing Spaceship Earth! ( the EPCOT ball). It's such a sign of relief to finally see your destination after a long drive. Epcot is an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. This park is not so much for children as it is adults. The most thrills my children got at Epcot was *The Seas w/ Nemo* and "Figments Imagination". A lot at this park in more informative and still very interesting. One if my favorites is the *Living with the Land*!  This is a slow water ride that takes you through different climates and explains about the vegetation in the area. It also takes you through a green house. At this green house they grow vegetables that supply the disney restaurants. They also grow Mickey head pumpkins, have tomato trees, a hybrid of the worlds hottest pepper, plants growing without soil, a hydroponic system, rice growing without standing water, plus a fish farm, and baby alligators. If you feel the need to learn more, go early and see about the "Behind The Seeds Tour". The Seas with Nemo and Friends is a dark ride with every childs favorite fish, Nemo! Ending with a large aquarium with all kinds of fish, some sharks, and manatees. When exiting from the ride, look in the aquarium to the left to find a hidden mickey on the ground of the aquarium. You can also take you kids to play at a small play area or to Turtle Talk with Crush. Continue more on my next blog  

337 days to go: BUDGET

337 days to go: Still on the topic of budgeting. Don't forget to budget in other activities you'd like to visit. Gatorland is a fun inexpensive park. It has gator shows, a water play ground, petting zoo area, and you get to feed a tortoise, which my kids loved. Food and drink are at a really fair price. You can take a train around the park or walk the observation walk way over a swampy alligator sanctuary. They also have a display of snakes native to Florida and a few albino gators. Also keep an eye out for Chester and read about this notorious gator. And, also don't forget to stop in at the gift shop and get some gator sticks (like beef sticks, but not beef) they are amazing.

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Countdown Day 339: BUDGET

Ahhhh Day 339...Today we are still on the subject of BUDGETING and we will talk about a FOOD BUDGET! Orlando is filled with many different places to eat! As are the Disney Parks! If you are on a budget then there are many places to eat that offer some pretty fair prices! First of all, there are quite a few buffets in that area! Sizzler, Pondarosa, Golden Corral, just to name a few! There was also an all you can eat lobster buffet for $19.99 on Orlo Bronson Hwy. There were also a ton of places that have "kids eat free" offers where you get a FREE kids meal with a paying adult! That could save some good money! I was also told that if you go to a counter service restaurant at the Disney Parks and order a burger they have a condiments bar where you can use the condiments to build a salad! Meaning when you go to build your burger you can add some extra lettuce and tomatoes to your plate and make a salad! I did this once while I was there! I was also told that you can go to any counter service restaurant at the Disney Parks and ask for an ice water and you get that for FREE also! I was also told that you can order a double cheeseburger and ask for an extra bun and then you can make 2 burgers out that! Disney also allows you to bring in your own food and drinks in a SOFT SIDED cooler! So to save money you can pack some sandwiches and chips for lunch! Or bring along some fruit for a snack! Don't forget that most hotels offer FREE breakfast as well! Another thing to remember are those Hess gas stations at the Disney Parks! Remember they have quite a few food and drink choices there that are only $1.00 each! Our next trip we plan to take advantage of this deal for lunch each day we are there to save a ton of money! Well I hope these tips and tricks have helped!
Please remember to leave any comments at the bottom!

Have a great day!!

340 days to go: BUDGET

340 days to go: Lets keep the budgeting tips going for the week shall we? If you haven't discovered the Hess gas station I highly suggest them! They can save you so much money and they are located practically right outside the gates of the Disney Parks! Their gas is usually about 10 cents cheaper per gallon than other gas stations in the area! The best part is their food. It can save you a fortune to leave the park and go to a Hess filling station. Their hot dogs, sausages, pizza slices and a good portion of fries (bigger than a Mcdonalds large) are only $1 each. That right there can cut your food budget in half if you planned to eat in the Disney parks! When you compare the price you would pay at Hess for a meal to the $8.95 burger meals at the Parks, you can literally save 1/2 the price! So for the people at Hess filling station I salute you! You're doing a great job!  I hope you enjoyed the BUDGETING tip for today! Please feel free to visit me and maybe even like my page on  facebook @
 http://www.facebook.com/pages/my-348-day-disney-countdown/194401127267636

I want to add also that when I started this blog countdown I thought for sure it may seem to drag out the time we have to wait until our vacation,  but really this last week that I have been blogging seems to have gone by faster than I would have thought! I want to thank any and all of my readers here so far and I hope to get more "Followers" soon! I also want to say that I hope this blog has or will soon help some of you out when it comes to planning your trip! Disney World is a VERY MAGICAL place for any family and if you plan right you can take a wonderful trip on probably any budget! I hope you enjoyed this post and if you are new here then please take a look at the older posts and feel free to leave any comments at the bottom! Have a great day!!

341 days to go: Still on BUDGETING...

 Before

After editing...

341 days to go: Ahh so many days left of waiting...LOL! Well this week we are on the subject of BUDGETING so tonight I will talk about shopping! We all know that shopping at the Parks of Disney can get pretty expensive! Especially if you are a shop-a-holic! Some don't even know they are shop-a-holics until they get to Disney World lol! There are so many shops in the Parks and also outside of the Parks that it's very hard to NOT want to stop and shop! Last year when we went we ended up stopping at probably every gift shop in the Orlando/Kissimmee area and spent a pretty good amount of money! This next year when we go we are taking a different approach! We think a good idea this time would be to buy Disney themed gifts elsewhere and save them up for when we get there and then disperse them from there! Here is the idea...We search for all things "Disney" on Ebay, Craigslist, department stores, etc while we're still in our home area and buy things that are cheap here but would otherwise probably cost double the price in Florida! Then we save them all up and hide them from the kids of course! We will wrap them up and take them along with us on our trip! Once we get there we will give the kids each a gift every day that we are there! They will love it and this will save us a ton of money because since they would have already gotten a gift for the day then we can go cheap while at the Parks and save money that way! Ebay is a great place to shop for Disney items! We got Mickey Shaped balloons like the ones sold at the Parks for a whopping $4/4 from Ebay! They are around $11 each at the Parks so we already saved a ton of money there! We pretty much paid $1 each so that saved $10 for each balloon and we have 3 kids so thats a quick $30 savings! We will probably buy a cheap helium tank and fill them up ourselves! These are probably the biggest shopping tips I can give! I hope you enjoyed and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them below!!