Friday, June 29, 2012

The fountain at Innoventions Plaza can shoot water 150 feet in the air--within 30 feet of the top of Spaceship Earth.

Here's another little fact about that fountain:  If all the shooters fired at once, there would be 2000 gallons of water in the air. 

Watching the fountain is a great way to keep kids entertained while you rest for a few minutes.  It's relaxing and fun all at the same time.  Here's a tip: Grab a snack to boost your energy and then relax watching the fountain for a few minutes.  It's a great time to regroup before continuing on your day.  


Monday, June 25, 2012

Monster's Inc, Laugh Floor

Today's picture comes from the queue (or line) area of the Laugh Floor.  Join Mike Wazowski, along with an entire cast of monster comedians, as they interact with the audience and make jokes (sometimes at the expense of select audience members) in hopes of getting enough laughs to fill the gigantic laugh canister. This attraction is live and not scripted, using real-time animation, sophisticated voice-activated animation, and a terrific cast of talented improv back stage comedians.  You can even text your favorite jokes to the show from your cellphone (just prior to showtimes) -- and you may find yourself laughing at a joke or two of your own! The number is available in the queue area.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

Spaceship Earth, the centerpiece for Epcot weighs 16 million pounds. The outer skin is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.

Also: Rainwater never falls off the sphere.  It's channeled into the ball and funneled away.  

When I first read this, I thought: that is a lot of weight!  Then, when I learned about the rainwater, I was completely blown away.  This is a perfect example of Disney's attention to detail. It rains a lot in Florida.  Some people say that in August it rains every day.  So, the simple fact that Disney didn't want rainwater pouring off the edge of the attraction onto unsuspecting guests shouldn't surprise me.  It still does though.  Mix that with the fact that I can be a doubter--and well, next time I'm at Epcot in the rain, I'm going to head over to Spaceship earth and see for myself.  


Monday, June 18, 2012

Happy Birthday Scott!


This week is Scott's birthday, so today's magical monday is dedicated to him.  Here he is hanging out in Downtown Disney.  I love wondering around looking at all of the shops and exploring the area.  Scott, well, he loves me, so he explores too.  Besides, he gets to do cool things like pose for pictures at places like this.  Happy Birthday Scott--thanks for being such a good sport!

Friday, June 15, 2012

More than 1.6 million turkey drumsticks are devoured each year in the four Disney World theme parks.

Scott and his brother had a long standing joke about legless animals, which I think is appropriate here. 1.6 million turkey legs is a LOT of legless turkeys!  These drumsticks are a classic favorite at the disney parks, and can be found at carts throughout all four parks.
Here are just a few stand locations: 
Magic Kingdom: Frontierland
Hollywood Studios: the cart near Rock-n-Roll'er coaster
Epcot: America Pavilion in World Showcase
Animal Kingdom: near the entrance to Dinoland

Don't worry!  These delicious treats only have 1100 calories! Enjoy--you're on vacation after all!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Disney for Dads!


What do you plan to get your dad for Father's day? Another new tie? Dinner at a nice restaurant? Aftershave? Why not try something more creative, like something special just for him on your next vacation.

We are not going to Disney until September, but our family is all about giving each other memorable experiences, so we are giving dad a magical Disney experience. This is great for a few reasons: 1-it creates lasting memories, and 2-it keeps us from becoming hoarders.

We spend time focusing on the magic and special experiences for kids on Disney trips. Sometimes, we forget that grown-ups need magic once in awhile too. As my husband and I began to think about what to do for dad for father’s day, we began looking at one important question: what is there for dad to do at Disney?

The answers we came up with might surprise you. At the top of our list was a fishing excursion. My dad has always loved fishing, and several of the moderate and deluxe resorts offer opportunities to rent out a boat, equipment and fishing guide for a few hours. A great way for dad to get away for a few hours, relaxing and doing something he enjoys.

Next up: Pirates League. You have probably heard about how they can make over kids into pirates, and guess what--they can do it for dads too. When we were little, we used to do something similar right outside Pirates of the Caribbean. We would all get dressed up in pirate attire and they would take pictures. Dad always loved it, so for nostalgia, Pirates League made our list.

Finally, we looked at other tours. From learning about the Walt Disney World railroad to touring Epcot on a Segway, there are tours for every age group, but deciding which one would be the best fit became a challenge.

These were our Top three for my dad. There are countless others. You could go to a dessert party, or take a fireworks cruise. If he is into speed, there is the Richard Petty Driving experience. Maybe a night on the town at Downtown Disney, complete with tickets to Circ de Soleil or DisneyQuest (Depending on the dad). Alternatively, simple things, like letting dad choose which ride is his priority.

No matter what you choose, taking time out to celebrate Dad on your next Disney vacation would be a great way to say thank you for all the things he has done for you over the years because dads deserve a little pixie dust too!

Monday, June 11, 2012

Happy Father's Day!

This is my very handsome daddy.  He LOVES frozen cokes.  In fact, I'm pretty sure he used ALL of his snack credits on this treat.

In his honor for fathers day, I've listed a few of the places you can get frozen cokes at Walt Disney World.  I'm sure this isn't all of them, so feel free to let me know if you spot any other locations, and we'll get them added to the list!
    
Magic Kingdom - Lunching Pad,

Epcot - Cool Wash, Club Cool, Liberty Inn, African Outpost

Hollywood Studios - Hey Howdy Hey! Takeaway, Peevy's Frozen Concoctions, Herbie's Drive-In

Animal Kingdom - Drinkwhallah (across from Yak & Yeti), Dino Diner, Safari Coffee

Friday, June 8, 2012

More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at the Land paviliion at Epcot are served on property at Walt Disney World Restaurants

What?  You mean that there's more than Soarin' over at the Land pavilion?  Aside from the boat attraction "living with the land" that takes you on a brief trip through the Disney greenhouses, you can also take a behind the scenes tour called "Behind the seeds".  This inexpensive walking tour takes you through the greenhouses offering more information about how everything works.  It gives you a much more interactive experience, doing different things such as feeding the tilapia or releasing lady bugs.  Like everything Disney, each tour offers something different, and promises to be an enjoyable experience.

Monday, June 4, 2012

Delicious Dessert!

This beautiful, perfectly browned creme brulee is one of the regularly featured desserts at the Coral Reef. 

The Coral Reef Restaurant is housed in the Seas with Nemo and Friends, and while you dine, you can relax and enjoy the wall to wall view of the Seas aquarium.  It makes this restaurant a place you must try-and of course, follow up with something delicious like this.

Friday, June 1, 2012

More than 26,000 feet of lights outline the World Showcase pavilions. Thats enough to stretch across the golden gate bridge more than 6 times.

It's confession time here at the blog.  I have never really enjoyed the World Showcase until this last trip.  On our last trip, we were collecting smashed pennies and exploring the shops in each pavilion to do so.  I also, other than running through at night to get to illumination had never seen it all lit up.  It's really very beautiful.

Have you ever neglected an attraction to fall in love with it later?  While I'm not yet "in love" with the World showcase, I'm going to try and spend more time there each trip, exploring all the things I've missed for years.