May 22

Carousel of Progress

IMG_5471Journey back in time as Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress exhibits how technological advances during the 20th century have made life more convenient and comfortable for a typical American Family. Narrated by the Partiarch, John, follow four generations of progress from the pre-electricty turn of the century to modern day times.  Featuring state-of-the-art animatronics, the rotating theater has a stationary stage with innovative seating that rotates around center stage, much like a carousel.

The 21 minute show features four acts:

  • Act I, Spring the turn of the century
  • Act II, Summer 1920s
  • Act III, Autumn 1940s
  • Act IV, Winter of present day

The Carousel of Progress was personally created by Walt Disney for the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair and was originally conceived as part of Edison Square, a new area at Disneyland park.  When that idea was abandoned, it was reimagined and opened under the name of “Progressland” at the World’s Fair where it was an instant hit.  The attraction was moved to the Disneyland park and eventually added to the Magic Kingdom in 1975 and revamped in 1994, with the classic song “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”. 

While this attraction does not offer any thrills, it is education and also holds a certain nostalgia in that it was one of Walter Disney’s own creations.  Every one should experience it at least one time when visiting the Magic Kingdom.

Interest:  Kids, tweens, teens, and adults.

Height Requirements: No height restrictions

Accessibility:  Guests must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV, assistive listening, audio description, handheld captioning and video captioning available

Thrill Level:  Slow Ride, revolving theater

FASTPASS+ is not offered

Location:  Tomorrowland

 Snow White’s Ranking:    

May 21

Tusker House

tusker-house-restaurant-00Located in Harambe Village in the heart of Africa at the Animal Kingdom, is a fabulous family-styled buffet that offers classic american fare infused with exotic African influences.   As we stepped into the colorful marketplace, it was easy to see that Disney, once again, left no stone unturned in the details and authenticity of an African Marketplace with rustic walls, flowing fabrics overhead and rugs hanging from the banisters. With it being one of the only two table service dining options located in the park and offering character dining for breakfast and lunch, Tusker House has become one of my top sit-down dining choices.

If character dining is what you are seeking for your family, Tusker House is the only character dining in the Animal Kingdom and you can have either breakfast or lunch at Donald’s Dining Safari with Donald, Daisy, Mickey and Goofy.  As you dine, the characters will make their way to your table for photos, autographs and memories to take home with you.  It’s always sure to please everyone in your party.  I know it does for us.

0117AS_0360DR58326578We took the opportunity to have dinner there and were surprised at the abundant all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet which includes dishes such as hearty stews, spit-roasted top sirloin and chicken, Kenyan coffee pork, unique vegetarian options and sides that seem to stretch forever.  I enjoyed the specific African flavors in the tabbouleh, couscous, plantains, root vegetables and the curried rice salad.   I couldn’t try the mango chutney due to a pesky mango allergy but there was so much there that I didn’t feel like I was missing anything. It’s alway nice to have a buffet so you can taste a little bit of everything too.   We thought it was great that there were kid options like corn dog nuggets, mac and cheese and a PB&J station too, especially for those kids who snarl at the word “curry”.  It’s not for everyone.

imagesFor the adults, there are several choices of African beer and wine during lunch and dinner and there are even mixed drinks like the margaritas, mojitos and, my favorite, the Lost on Safari rum and pangani punch concoction.  Needless to say, there is something at Tusker House to please every palate and every age group.

Tip:  If you are going to enjoy the character dining, it is always a great idea to do breakfast and make the earliest reservation possible.  That way, once you are done with breakfast, you have a jump start on the the attractions that tend to have long waits like the Kilimanjaro Safari and Expedition Everest.

The Tusker House counts as 1 entitlement on the the Dining Plan, Deluxe Dining Plan, Premium Plan and the Platnium Plan.

May 20

Lights Motors Action!

imagesLocated at the far end of the Streets of America in the Hollywood Studios, you will find the extreme stunt show called Lights Motors Action!  Set in a mediterranean village in the south of France, this show was inspired by the Moteurs….Action! found in the Disneyland Paris Resort.  Hold onto your seats as you witness a spy thriller unfold and filmed live with explosions, death-defying stunts and jumps.

tumblr_inline_n2y4zaGZ1X1sc4c8bThis high-octane stunt spectacular is packed with excitement as high-performance cars rev their engines and exude the scent of burnt tires as they burst onto the scene in fiery explosions.  This is where Disney reveals some of their filmmaking secrets.  Segments of each show are taped and highlighted on large screens to show how different camera angles are can create different special effects.

lights-motors-action-extreme-stunt-show-02Kids will love the special appearances of Lightning McQueen and Mater from the Disney/Pixar film Cars as they track the enemy spy on the set.

Several shows are scheduled throughout the day but keep in mind that since this is an outdoor show, inclement weather can make it subject cancellations.  Get there early for the best seats – a 5,000 seat theater can mean a trek up to the top of the not so favorable seating.

May 19

The Barnstormer

1551767_424018374396021_1901376178_nTake flight with The Great Goofini as you board one of his stunt planes in the Barnstormer, the only roller coaster at the Walt Disney World Resort geared specifically for kids. Located in the Storybook Circus area of the New Fantasyland, guest enter through a circus-like ticket booth and queue through the open-air barn full of scenes from Goofy’s hi-jinks. Designed to look like a 20’s stunt plane, your ride starts off with an ascend high above the New Fantasyland to an observation tower and then zooms down and around the barnyard following the previous path of The Great Goofini in this 90-second ride that safely crashes through a billboard before coming to an end.

1493276_424018391062686_725040311_nThis ride was previously named The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm was part of Mickey’s ToonTown.  With the expansion of the New Fantasyland and the Storybook Circus area, it is now known simply as The Barnstormer.   This “kiddie coaster” offers exciting but not scary thrills to young kids.  Kids love this roller coaster designed just for them. It’s a mild ride for big kids and adults but offers big thrills for the little ones who can’t ride some of the other coasters dues to height restrictions. Perfect for little thrill-seekers in the making like my daughter when she was younger.  She loved this ride up until she was tall enough to ride Big Thunder Mountain.  She took her first ride on it when she was 4 and giggled the whole time.  I think the last time she rode it she was 8 and still loved it at that age.

Snow White’s Ranking:  

Interest:  Preschooler, kids and tween.

Height Requirements: 35 in. or taller

Accessibility:  Guests must transfer from Wheelchair/ECV

Thrill Level:  Small drops, speedy curves

FASTPASS+ is offered

Location:  New Fantasyland – Storybook Circus area

   

 

May 18

Expedition Everest

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Looking for thrills?  Head over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom to explore Expedition Everest, the tallest artificial mountain in Florida and the most expensive roller coaster in the world.  Estimated to cost $100 million to construct, this 2 minute 50 second thrill ride is 199 feet tall and offers 4,424 feet of track with big drops, fast turn, exciting animatronics, and max speeds of 50 mph.

Themed around the Yeti hiding in Mount Everest, riders queue up through the make-believe travel and tour expedition office dubbed “Himalayan Escapes”, stroll through the Tibetan style Tea Garden and a room filled with equipment from successful expeditions.  Then venture into a Yeti museum where you will find information about the legendary snow creature, a large molding of the Yeti’s footprint and close to 8,000 artifacts from a Nepal trip.

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 Adventurous riders then board the Anandapur Rail Service trains in the village of Serka Zong for a fast-paced, high-speed run through the Himalayas to the base of Mount Everest in search of the elusive Yeti.  Filled with turns and lifts, riders pass through a ravaged temple with murals of the Yeti on its way to the top of the mountain.   Much to the riders surprise, the train roars through the cave to the top of the mountain where it appears the tracks have been torn to shreds by the Yeti.

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After a brief stop, the train starts to roll backwards and the speed increases as it enters into spiral loops as you hear the roars of the angry Yeti and his shadow appears on the walls as he shreds more tracks.  As the shadow moves away, the tracks shift and the train rolls forward to the 8-story high speed drop and enters another cave where the Yeti’s roars can be heard off in the distance and then another cave where the Yeti reaches down and tries to grab the riders.    I survived and returned to cilivization….will you?

wdw201328913576856This is a great ride for thrill-seekers.  I am not a huge roller coaster person by any means but I love Disney coasters, especially this one.  It is just plain fun!  Last time we were at the Animal Kingdom, my friend and I rode it 3 times and our kids rode it 4. That’s us to the right on the 8 story drop.  We don’t look scared, do we?

You don’t want to miss this ride so make sure that it is on the top of your FastPass+ list.  Please note that even though the minimum height for this ride is 44 inches, it does have some dark areas, loud noises and large creature effects that might be a bit scary for the younger ones.

If you ride in the first two rows of the train, you will be able to see Epcot, the Dolphin and Swan Hotels and Downtown Disney from the top of the mountain.  Pretty cool spot but look quickly before you start to go backwards. Did I mention you are going to go backwards?

Snow White’s Ranking:  

Interest:  Kids, tweens, teens, and adults.

Height Requirements: 44 in. or taller

Thrill Level:  Big drops, fast curves, dark

FASTPASS+ is offered.

Location:  Asia