Hollywood Studios Silver Anniversary

May 1st 1989, Disney MGM Studios was opened to the public. 25 years later I was able to celebrate the silver anniversary at the parks that went out with a bang! Entering at 09:00 am I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of crowds. I suppose most guests made their way straight to the limited merchandise for the event inside Studio Stage 1 near the Backlot Tour.


I, on the other hand, strolled leisurely down Hollywood Boulevard, rode the Great Movie Ride, then watched the rededication ceremony hosted by the parks VP Dan Cockerell. Cast Members who were also celebrating 25 years of service had a chance to shine in the spotlight on stage. A guest who had been present opening day was brought on stage to participate in commemorating the anniversary in concrete along with Mickey Mouse, a 25 year cast member, and the VP of the park.








With the Florida heat getting to sweltering I was very appreciative that the entire ceremony took only about 10 minutes. Afterwards was time for a delicious celebratory Nutella cupcake from Staring Rolls. Cupcakes sold out around the park by early afternoon.

The rest of my day was filled with a 64 question scavenger trivia hunt around the park. Kudos to WDW Celebrations for bringing together the event group and making this challenging but thrilling set of questions. Studio 25 is the groups 10th event and each one has had awesome trivia hunts that stump even some of the most Disney Detail obsessed people (Hint: ME). I am proud to say that my group/family tied for 1st place with 55/64 questions!
The Character Cavalcade was highly disappointing with only a dozen or so actual characters. Even more sad is that there were not any celebrities to speak of. As a milestone anniversary in the parks I would have expected a little bit more attendance. I might have spotted Johnny Depp though....
The finale I had been waiting for all day finally arrived at 09:30 pm. Twelve and a half hours of being in the park, running around, waiting for rides, and sweating like crazy had all come to the fireworks tribute. The display featured major attractions from around the park including The Muppets, Cars, Star Wars, The Tower of Terror, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. All in all the fireworks were some of the best organized and executed I have seen from any Disney park and was thoroughly impressed by this one time show!

For the First-Timer: Animal Kingdom

For those of us that are avid Disney Parks connoisseurs we sometimes have difficulty explaining why we continue going back. This problem often happens when I am taking a friend to the Disney Parks for either the first time, or the first in a long time. Generally speaking I have a high rate of converting them into Disney fans by the end of day one. The most important part of bringing someone who has not been to the park before is understanding what they expect to get out of it. If they don't like storybook rides, skip the waiting at the kids rides. If they don't like roller coasters, think of all the extra time you have for other attractions!

When it comes to Animal Kingdom it is on average the least congested of the parks. This is great if you are bringing someone who does not like all the crowds. If possible avoid coming to this park in the summer as the humidity is much higher than the other parks and there are not nearly as many indoor/ air conditioned areas to cool off. For those who enjoy seeing animals close up take them to Rafiki's Planet Watch, the Kilimanjaro Safari Ride, and the different animal Treks in Africa and Asia.
If they like big thrills take them on Expedition Everest, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, or Kali River Rapids (if they don't mind being soaked!).
Animal Kingdom has a lot of nooks and crannies filled with animals. The trails around the Tree of Life on Discovery Island are home to dozens of birds and other animals that most people never even know are there. Take your time (if available) to walk around leisurely and don't rush if you don't have to. You can even let your inner child take over and join the Wilderness Explorers for the day and earn badges!
Always keep in mind what your friend/guest like or don't like. Don't make them go on a ride just because you want to! They may regret coming to the park if you only take them on what you want to go on.
Keep everyone happy, well hydrated, and let the magic begin!

Holiday at Yacht and Beach Club

It was the end of the year and soon the decorations would disappear. January is now here the lights are down and the trees away. I was able to catch the last of the decorations at Yacht and Beach Club on the 31st. A carousel made out of gingerbread and chocolate, a sea shore themed tree in the lobby, and a miniature train going through a Disney village.  The carousel had 14 hidden mickeys in golden paint. some were on the horses and others on the structure itself. I wish I had the chance to see the other resorts but so it goes. Hopefully next year along with Very Merry Christmas Party!

Food & Wine Festival 2013

Food & Wine Festival 2013, a set on Flickr.

Over the weekend of October 19 I was satisfying my Disney fix with some much needed time away from school and work. During my mini vacation I had the pleasure of attending the 2013 Food & Wine Festival at EPCOT. There were two things about this year's event that really amazed me. 1. It was incredibly hot out, and 2. There were so many people! I do not think I have ever seen so many guests at the park during this time of year. Even with those set backs I still had a fantastic time and was able to at least take a peek at the menu for most of the stations.
The garlic shrimp at Australia was delicious as was the lamb chop, this coming from someone who really does not like lamb. The Cheese stop was just the perfect amount for a sample of the three types they offered. I loved the wines at this station as the names were all fairy-tale inspired. The ravioli at Italy was incredibly cheesy in a great way. I needed a sweet kick after and baklava from Morocco did the trick. I shared a few bites with a friend at France, unfortunately I'm not brave enough for escargot yet The seafood pie at Ireland had huge pieces of lobster which was a treat. My last stop of the day was my favorite classic. I can't go to the festival with out having my cheese soup from Canada.
My only wish is to have had more time and shorter lines to have been able to enjoy more of the dishes offered at this year's event.

Tree House Villas

Part of my visit for the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival for 2013 I stayed at the Tree House Villas at Saratoga Springs.

The villa is spacious and the rooms are decent. The master is beautiful, especially the bathroom!

 I do not like that there is a very limited car allowance by the villas. I had to park over by the Grandstand and then walk through a path which could have been lit much better. The walk itself is not difficult but the principle of not being able to park more than one car bothers me.

 This bathroom is too awesome not to share!

Helicopter Tour

So I took a flight for the first time ever in a helicopter today! I had such a blast my only complaint is that it was not long enough. I took a friend of mine as a present. We left from Kissimmee and the flight path took us over to Downtown Disney and Typhoon Lagoon. We could easily see Tower of Terror and EPCOT in the distance though. The guide didn't have much to say, but I know so much about the area anyways so I would be surprised if he had any information that was new to me!
Here are a few photos and some video from the quick flight!

 

Fall 2013

So I must say, it's been over a month since I've gone to a Disney Park.  I think I'm about to reach withdrawal!  Fortunately I'll be going the way of Walt Disney World in a couple of weeks. The Epcot Food and Wine Festival is in my sights and I'll be staying on property thanks to my awesome best friend at the Treehouses! Check back in then and I'll be posting about my new experience there and of course how awesome of a time it will be at Epcot.