This theme park combines thrills with animals and is truly a work of art. There are details everywhere and you have to see it in person to be amazed. In 2006, Expedition Everest will make this a must visit park.
Behind the Seeds is a great opportunity for people who enjoy plants, biology, or science in general. It is a great opportunity to see more of what is going on in the greenhouses, and the new updates to the tour post-Soarin' add some fun elements. As a former tour-guide I can say that who you have is important to the overall enjoyment. While usually any guide is capable, some are simply better than others. It is a good value for the money and good for kids if they are interested in science at all.
I don't want to put Beach Club Villas down, but my wife and I took the tour a few weeks ago. Since there were 27 people on the tour, we broke into two groups. We got James, from the Disney Institute. He was extremely knowledgeable, and very funny. He did go into detail about the Osbourne lights :) In fact, he knew more about the multitude of Christmas, Ramadan, Hannakuh, and Kwanzaa traditions, than the other tour guide. Although James did not provide much in the way of "Disney Christmas traditions," I don't think the tour is geared that way. I think it's geared more toward Christmas traditions - the Christmas tree, ornaments, lights, the manger, Ramadan, Hannakuh, Kwanzaa, pointsettia flowers, small down decorations (down the parade route). Then he talked about some of Disney's decorations - the 4 park Christmas trees, decorations down Main Street, USA, etc. Next we went to the Wilderness Lodge. There was really nothing extrordinary about the decorations at WL. Next we went to the 68,000 square foot Holiday Entertainment wharehouse. This is where all the Christmas displays are stored for 4 parks, 21 resorts, the Vero Beach resorts, and 2 cruise ships. Also are workshops for the 25 (?) full time CMs who get all the displays ready by mid October, and start refurbishing them starting mid-January. True, during the Christmas season, there isn't much to see, but you can definitely imagine the shelves completely stocked with displays. If you really enjoy Christmas, and you really enjoy Christmas at Disney, my wife and I highly recommend this tour. And, you definitely need to ask for James. :)
You will learn and see much more of The Land Greenhouses then you will on Living With The Land. Well worth the money!
The Keys to the Kingdom Tour is an excellent one! Our tour guide made the tour worth it... so hopefully you will have a good one. Reasons to take this tour: you've really wanted to see the Utilidors... you want to see what the parade float storage unit looks like... Otherwise, the tour is really about describing the magic of the Disney theme parks, as well as share the history and heritage of Disney. If you are a big Disney expert, Backstage Magic has a lot more and may suit your interests better!
This tour is the best I have taken. Very pricey, but definitely worth it if you are curious about Walt Disney World in general! Backstage Epcot is similar to the Undiscovered Future World Tour... but going behind the scenes at the American Adventure (to see how it actually works!) is AWESOME... like the Keys to the Kingdom, there is a trip into the Utilidors... and looking at Creative Costuming, Horticulture, and ESPECIALLY Central Shops is not to miss! HIGHLY recommended for the Walt Disney World fan!
This is THE tour for big Epcot fans (like me)! We took the tour back in 2002, and what a blast it was! It was super neat to go back to the upstairs of the Imagination pavillion... and going backstage at the Universe of Energy was awesome. Backstage Epcot is super cool... It really depends on how knowledgable the tour guide is... but we had an absolute blast!
We were placed on a small bus at Rainforest Cafe and taken to the the Safari area. We saw all types of animals although the tour information states you won't. My wife hair was chewed on by a Giraffe that was on loan by a Zoo. She was standing next to the fence and the Giraffe leaned over. The duration was a little long, we became bored looking at the food prepartions for the animals and then the look at where the hay is stored. We received a free pin at the end. Great tour
A rated kid very poor becuase it tells secrets and good unmask the magic. We went in 2002 when you could us it for the Silver Plan. It was very good. You were taken back stage and under ground. You were taken on some rides and given the history of those rides. Lunch was provided and it was excellent. You learn alot about the history of Magic Kingdom. It does require a lot of walking. We should have taken a mid day break after the tour ended. We were very tired by time the park closed You cannot take pictures, but they will lock up your personnel belongings while on the tour.
Great trail and should be visited at least once per visit!
This trail is full of animals for you to see and is beautifully decorated. I would not miss this if you go to Animal Kingdom. This and the Pagani trail are one of the best animal exhibits anywhere.
I enjoyed this show very much but I wouldn't recommend it for very little kids. Some parts can be quite intense like the wasp stings that hit you from the back. When the spiders drop from the ceiling, it can scare children so use your best judgement. The queue for this is always short so no need for Fastpass. Overall, it was an excellent show and one of the best 4-D shows ever. I prefer this over the DCA one because this one takes place under a tree just like in the "A Bug's Life" movie.
This ride is very fun and should not be missed. From the very beginning, you travel down rapids and dodge waterfalls. The burning part was cool and I enjoyed the drop. It was a bit on the short side but enjoyable whatsoever.
This ride is perfect in every way. The theming is fantastic and looks just like a real savannah. This is an example of what Jungle Cruise would be like if it had real animals. The ride is about 30 minutes long and perfect for kids. Do not miss this no matter what.
This ride was fantastic! After riding Indiana Jones at Disneyland, I thought this would be a bit of a let down but I was wrong. This ride is thrilling, and has great animatronics. The jerks and turns make this an intense ride but still perfect for big kids. They lowered the height restriction from when it was Countdown to Extinction so now smaller kids can enjoy it too. Personally, I liked it more intense back then but now you can see the dinosaurs more clearly.
This is the best thrill ride at WDW so far. TOT is so popular that they're building it at DisneySea and Disney Studios in Paris.
This ride is very smooth and packs quite a thrill. Not as good as TOT but one of the best rides at MGM Studios!
One of the best rides at Epcot, even though it was copied from Soarin over California at DCA. This ride is very unique and is a must ride when visiting Epcot or DCA.
Most people drive faster than this on the freeway so I don't really see this as a thrilling ride. Good storyline and a decent ride. Honestly, I thought this would be better considering it was advertised "Disney's fastest and longest ride ever!"
This ride fits into Future World perfectly and has a nice theme to it. The overall ride is very thrilling but not recommended for younger children.
Calm, relaxing ride through Norweigian seas. Not too big on thrills and can get a bit scary for younger kids. Go on this if you visit Epcot, it's a classic!
This ride is not very good at all! The film is old and story is outdated. The actual ride is very rough and made me feel sick.
This ride is perfect for the whole family to ride! It's not too scary and a good way to get small kids used to roller coasters. The queue can get over 2 hours as it is one of the more popular rides. Don't miss this ride when going to MK.
This ride is one of my favorites at MK next to Splash Mountain. Like Splash, this ride attracts some of the longest lines ever. I recommend you use Fastpass unless you want to wait for 2+ hours! The actual ride itself is only average and if you're riding for thrills, you would be better off on Rock n' Rollercoaster
I love this ride!!! From the animatronics to the big drop at the end, this is a perfect flume ride. The only bad thing is the huge lines, which can often surpass 2 hours.
This ride is good but personally, I think the "carnival" theme didn't fit well with the park. The theme of the ride fit very well with Dinorama. I understand that Joe Rhode wanted to attract more guests to Animal Kingdom and after doing a survey, it turns out Dinorama really does make people stay longer at the park because of rides like Primeval Whirl. Even though the atmosphere of this area is not as good as expected(like DCA), the ride itself is pretty good and I'm glad they decided to expand the park.
My family and I (Wife and 4 year old and a 1 year old) stayed at the All Star Movies for 3 nights and the hotel was excellent! It is themed very well for children. It was a brief walk to the food court and bus stop but nothing major. We stayed at the 101 dalmation section and the room was perfect for taking a bath and sleeping at night. If you want to stay at the hotel all day and have room, go with a moderate hotel. But if you are just looking to have a nice bed, go with the All Star Movies. The only complaint that I had was the food court service was slow, but that is nothing huge. I am looking forward to booking there again!
Stayed here for a quick visit to WDW...and really enjoyed it! My only complaint is the parking...much too far if you arent staying in Pref. Room locations. I enjoyed the themeing very much...brought back fond memories of my childhood. Very comfy beds out of all Values. Will stay here again...but in Pref Room.
I was not all that happy with this resort. Our room had an aweful smell that we could not pinpoint and they did not have any other rooms available to move us to. That is not the way to start a 10 night stay. We did like the main pool and the new sand castle slide and there was activities going on occasionally which is very nice. Another great feature was the walkway that goes all the way to SSR and DTD. I would get up and walk that every day. I was however very disappointed that you could not get anything to eat or drink early in the morning. If you wanted to get breakfast or a cup of coffee at 7:00 AM you would have to make it yourself or go to another resort. Also Turtle Shack Snacks was closed during the Thanksgiving week when the place was packed. I will go back to see if I have better luck only because I can save points here versus any other DVC resort.
The Backstage Magic Tour is absolutely the best! First, for a bit of explanantion on the ratings. Duration onlly gets a "Good" because it could have been MUCH longer. But that's me, and I could stay backstage all day and find it as entertaining if not more entertaining than onstage (i guess that's why I'm in techinical theatre!). Kid friendly gets a "poor" due to the fact you must be 16. I am 16 and enjoyed it, but it is my field of interest. My friends would have been bored. The $199 is completely worth it! Passholder/DVC discount is great too! Our guide Nancy was very good, and explained everything very well. After starting at Epcot, we went into the American Adventure to see how it worked, followed by a visit to the Cast costuming and locker area. We then hopped to MGM (via a disney cruise line bus, which stayed with us the entire day), where we went into the Creative costuming dept. The Lunch at Mama Melrose's Restraunte Itlaino was AMAZING! All of the signiture dishes (with pizza as an appitizer) were served family style with more than enough to go around. After our lunch, we went behind the Magic Kingdom to the Holiday Warehouse. In December that place is a bit...empty. Still very interesting. We then spent a great deal of time in Central Shops, where everything from AudioAnimontronics to ride vechiles are made for parks world-wide. After a very good amount of time there, all of which very interesting, we went to the Utilidors. That was very interesting as well, although we spent all of our visit underneath Main Street. I would have loved to just explore and get myself lost! After the Utilidors, we watched the afternoon parade from town square and went back to Epcot. All and all, an AMAZING tour! PM me for more Info, and/or questions.
I am 38 years old now, but I can still remember going on this ride in my pre-teen years. I sure miss the late 70's and early 80's Walt Disney World. It's funny how magical this ride and the whole place seems when you're a kid. Now I'm experiencing the wonder and amazement through my 3 year old daughter's eyes. I went to MK so many times as a kid, I can truly imagine how she sees it. I had an Epcot park employee ask me last week if this was my first time at Disney. I told her I sure wish it was, but unfortunately it's not.
I heard about this ride for the first time a few weeks ago. We were at Disney for 5 days last week and I was really looking forward to my day at Epcot because of all the talk about Soarin' being such a great ride. Well, maybe I went in with extremely high expectations. The ride itself is pretty darn cool. But, there were a few things I disliked. One, which was immediately noticeable when the film started, was bits of dirt and debris showing up on the projected image. I'm not sure if it was stuck on the film reel or in front of the lens, but it appeared and disappeared many times and moved around causing quite a distraction for me and ruining the whole 'suspension of disbelief' effect. My next complaint is of the film image itself. In this day and age of razor sharp HDTV images in one's living room, Soarin's image looked soft and blurry. If you looked far off into the horizon, it was okay, but if you looked down, particularly during the Magic Kingdom flyover, the images lack sharpness and definition. My final complaint is of the IMAX screen. If you sit on the front row, you will be lifted to the top of the three row stack when the ride begins. While at the top, you'll clearly see the top of the IMAX screen where the image stops. This also kills the 'suspension of disbelief'. If you're sitting in Row 1, you must keep your head pressed firmly against the back of the seat and not look up in order to avoid seeing the edge of the screen. The ride could have been spectacular, but for me it's just a 'pretty cool' ride. Nothing more, nothing less.
I did the 8:30 tour. Our tour guide was Matthew. He is by far, the best tour guide I have encountered. He was very knowledgeable and made the tour really fun. The tour started out with a trip down Main Street. This part of the tour deals a lot with Walt and his dreams and ideas. Next, we made a quick stop at Cinderella Castle. He explained how all the buildings in Main Street and all around the park, are built with a forced prospective, giving the illusion that the buildings are taller than they really are. Next stop - Adventureland. The tour guide explained how Disneyland was a complete failure at first and put the Disney brothers in a lot of debt. But from that, came a good lesson which helped them when it was time to make Disney World. He also explained how the idea for the Utilidor came about. After that quick chat, we took a trip backstage behind Splash Mountain. For most of us, this was our first glimpse at "backstage". After that, we took a private tour of the Jungle Cruise where the guide pointed out a lot of things not usually pointed out by the skippers. Ding! Time for lunch! Lunch was served at the Columbia Harbour House. 11:00 is a bit early for lunch, but I liked the fact that we had the 2nd floor all to ourselves and lunch was already waiting for us when we got there. After lunch, we took another quick look at Cinderella Castle from a different angle where we were better able to see the forced perspective come into play. From there, we went behind Crystal Palace and into the backstage area again and went into the Utilidor. Seeing the utilidor was a neat experience. There's really nothing out of this world down there, but it's pretty cool knowing that you're one of the few, non-CM people that has ever seen the utilidor. My overall rating of the tour is Excellent. I really learned a lot about different parts of the park and I would recommend it to anyone.
The best part about this ride is the audio. Aerosmith music playing outside and in the ride cars during the ride is awesome! The fact that there is great variety and little to no repitition in the music tracks is probably the best aspect to it all. The Preshow story is a cool addition, that plays off well. The ride itself has a great launch (hydraulic sled propulsion), good overall ride speed, great cars (very comfortable) and nice theming on the cars and the loading area. The ride is very smooth and enjoyable, you hardly notice you're inverted at all. The ride signs and set pieces are rather boring, but the great sound track and smooth ride make up for any lacking visuals. Regarding the ride launch, the hydraulic sled is fun to watch if you are sitting in the front of the first car. As your train moves in to place, you will sit a second, then hear a slidding sound coming towards you out of the dark tunnel, this is the launch sled coming to attach to the train. It is resetting from the last train launch. Seeing it come and attach is a cool mechanical element that is essential to the ride's functions. Anyone not sitting in the front row will miss this, and they will not be able to see over the people in the front row. Also, the track and tunnel are dark, so it's hard to see to begin with. I do wish the ride was twice as long, but I believe it is short due to lack of chain driven propulsion and to maintain the smoothness of the ride. This is one of the smoothest roller coasters you can find. Since there is no chain drive to jerk you up a hill, and no apparent brake points during the ride, everything is momentum driven after the initial launch. So, you are floating and gliding on the track for the rest of the ride. This is very enjoyable. A second vertical lift via chain drive would be needed to make the ride longer, or a second hydraulic or magneto launcher would be needed, which would greatly increase the ride's costs and add a greater percentage of service issues, due to greater ride complexity. Overall, this ride is excellent! Great job Disney and Aerosmith-->Keep up the good work. This is what people want!
The only thing going for this very boring ride is the Preshow. It does a good job of building some excitement to what will be shown thereafter. There are props and display from classic movies shown and these are interesting to see. Unfortunately, there are not that many to look at. Unfortunately, the ride itself is a GREAT WASTE of Time. A cast member drives you thru make-shift mock movies sets of classic movies. Unfortunately, none of the sets look remotely like their movies, nor do they evoke any suspense or similarity to the actual movies that they portray. The animitronics are boring and stiff, and the lines the "script" that the cast members read is dull at best. The cast members are trying to build excitement in to something that is obviously boring. The park space should be recaptured and used for something more entertaining.
Artist Point is the high-end Dinner Only restaurant at the Wilderness Lodge. The food is fresh and inventive and the quality is superb! Some of the offerings include Duck Confit with Pear Salad, Crispy Venison Spring Rolls, Beef tenderloin, and Buffalo steak. The desserts are also excellent. The servers are knowledgeable about the food and wines that they offer and are friendly. The restaurant theming is average but nice, but really the best part about it all is that it is quiet and has great quality food and service.
The Whispering Canyon Cafe sounds like a great idea on paper, but fails in many ways. The first and foremost problem with the restaurant is that it is the "Cafe" for the resort, also known as the least expensive, table-service location for the resort. Anyone and everyone who travels expects a "Cafe" for simple table-service, where you can get common food items, at a reasonable price, in a quiet environment with little wait. The Wilderness Lodge Resort only has two other dining options-Artist Point, the high-end end dinner only restaurant (which by the way is excellent), and the Roaring Forks Snack Bar (a self-serve counter that specializes in food that is fast and poor quality) With this said Whispering Canyon is your only option if you want to sit down to a table service meal for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. The premise is that you are dining in the Old West. Apparently, in the Old West, everyone is hard of hearing, because all the servers at the restaurant think that you need to SHOUT to be funny or authentic. The servers joke throughout your meal using words like, "Partner" and other typical western phrases to evoke a smile or embarass their diners. They threaten to force you to do the dishes and if you ask for ketchup they bring you 30 bottles and scream through-out the restaurant that you wanted ketchup. Later, when another, unsuspecting visitor asks for ketchup, then the first table's patrons take all 30 bottles to the next table and so on. Admittedly, the first time you see this, you will laugh as long as it isn't your table. Ultimately the jokes are good for kids, but adults will be irritated that this is their ONLY Table Service Option for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at the Wilderness Resort. Before or after a long day at the parks, the last thing you want is to be SCREAMED AT, while eating POOR QUALITY FOOD, that is too expensive for what it is. Really, the jokes and yelling would be acceptable if the service and food offered was better. The food is sub-par at best, the skillets that are served at Breakfast and Dinner are ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT, but the food served is very poor quality. You will begin to notice that most of the food offerings are strikingly similar to those found in the snack bar, only you pay more money and you get to get yelled at! How enjoyable! The Breakfast skillet includes scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, formed hash browns, (like at McDonalds) and rock-hard biscuits that you would never serve to guests. The Breakfast Plate at the Roaring Forks Snack bar is almost identical for a fraction of the price. The Dinner skillet includes smoked pork ribs, smoked pulled pork, potatoes with onions, & link sausage. Most items are smoked meats that frankly taste FAKE. The smoke flavoring tastes nasty and has a really bad aftertaste. Anyone who barbeques or smokes their food at home will know immediately that what they are eating is not very good. But, because you are on vacation, with the kids, and at Disney World the adults at the table feel forced to shut-up and just eat what's in front of you. As mentioned, there's really no other option, aside from leaving the resort, which we were forced to do. We ultimately went over to the Grand Floridian Cafe which has excellent common breakfast options (like Eggs any way & Eggs Benedict) and the service that is way, way better. I did overhear others on some of the transit buses while on our stay talking about avoiding the Whispering Canyone Cafe simply out of frustration and irritation with the format of the restaurant. Ultimately, the Whispering Canyone Cafe could be great at the Wilderness Lodge if there was another regular Cafe at the resort. In this fashion, those who wanted to experience the oddity of the Whispering Cafe could do so optionally. The FOOD and SERVICE must be significantly better though to be successful. Also, the pricing for what you get in return is a Poor Value.
If you like gardening, take this tour. If you like nature and the outdors, take this tour. If you like the World Showcase, take this tour. This tour is a detailed trip around World Showcase, pinpointing all the small, detailed items about the inner workings of Disney's honocultural efforts at WDW and WS specificaly. This is, in our opinion, one of the best tours Disney offers. It's not about rides, or shows, or some gadget or another. It's about trees, and flowers, and plants, and nature, and how Disney has incorporated all of that into a theme park. ANd how they keep it going on a daily basis. We've done this tour many times now. And along with the Segways tour, is by far our favorite. We've had a different guide on each tour, and have learned new things each time because the guide have specialties that they talk about during the tour. On our first year we had a turf man. He loved grasses. And by the end of the tour, we all loved greasses too. Did you know all grass at WDW is green. Even the brown dead stuff. It's painted with a food color to make it green if it's not. On our last tour we had a tree specialist. And she explained how Disney moves around huge trees, and i'm talkining about really huge trees over 40 feet or more. The guides have all been trained specialists. These are not people from off the streat and put through 2 days of training staff. These are doctorate level specialists that could be working anywhere, but have chosen Disney because of there commitment to there field of study. It's a pleasure to have a tour led by these same people, and a breath of freash air compaired to most of the other tours that are sometimes Disney "sugar coated" a bit too much. Take the tour, you'll love it too.
This is the walking tour version of the boat ride available at The Land. And it has the distinction of being the least expensive of all the Disney tours. We haven't been on this one in a while, as it has been closed the last few times we were there because of the Soarin' construction. What you get is a walking tour of the gardens where all the food is being grown. Some of it is backstage where you can't see from the boat, and some of it is in the same places where the boat tour travels through. You get alot more detail on how things are done in The Land, and it much more informative than the boat ride. If you are looking to spend some extra time, and actually learning something while at WDW, this tour is full of juicey educational information. For the cost and the content, I'd recommend this one to all.
We love this tour. You basically are trained how to use the Segways for an hour inside a room in FW. Then you head out into the park for an hour. Like others have said, they should cut down the training to 30 min, and increase the play time to 1 1/2 hours or even more. You get a little bit of Disney information while out in the park, but most of the time is spent zooming around the world showcase, and most of it is still closed because it's before 11:00 AM. So you get to see what happens before the park opens. I to would recommend the first tour. The second tour sometimes doesn't get all the way around before WS opens, thus yu get shorted a little ridding time. This tour, for us, is worth every penny. We've done it twice now, and will do it again on our next trip. It is also one of the few tours that you can get a discount with using a Disney Visa card. I just would like to see an advanced Segway tour for those who already know how to ride them. I'd love to have more time zooming around in the happiest place on earth.
Wild by Design is once of those types of tours that strives to be the very best, but falls a bit short sometimes. We've only done this tour once. And because of a few things that happened on our tour, we should probebly do it again to see if it has improved, plus because of some issues with the guide, the experiance could probebly be better. Let me elaborate... The tour was an "on stage" tour that basically points out the architecture and building choices Disney made while creating DAK. We were given radio headsets, and the guide had a mic. This allowed us to wonder off a bit and still be able to hear her, plus with the added bonus that other guests couldn't try to tag along with your tour for free or interupt you paid experiance. I would hope that Disney uses these devices at other on stage tours were the general public is around you during the tour. The tour was basically a triva type tour, not unlike the Treasures tour at Epcot. And is a fine tour to do once so you can learn some of the reasonings behind the choices the Imagineers made building DAK. Now were our experiance goes a bit off was that our guide was not feeling well that morning. About half way through the tour you take a little breakfast break, and when the break was over, we had a different guide. This just kind of made the tour strange in that we had been with one guide, an got to know her, then she was gone and someone new was there like nothing happened. Just a bit akward. On a second note, why does Disney stick in food breaks on the shorter tours. Yea, on Backstage Magic (and all day experiance) you break for lunch. But this ones is not that long. They did the same thing on Undiscovered FutureWorld too. I paid for a tour, not a contenental breakfast. And while the cinomon rolls we had were great, I much rather would have spent the 20 min or so getting and seeing things. I can eat afterwards.
Backstage Safari is a behind the scenes on how Disney runs an animal themed park. We've done this tour several times over the years, and it has changed a little each time. As of the last time we took this tour, it begins with a ride through the regular Safari ride for your group. You then move on to the backstage area to see several barn, and sometimes animals and the caretakers. Since this is a working backstage, things cannot always be "scripted" so your experiance will vary from tour to tour. We've been able to feed a girraffi once, see the elephants play in the out side pen area, touch a reptile and bird, and talk and ask questions of several care takers. This all happened across several tours, so do not expect much, but you may get surprised if things work out. You then are moved on to the food prep area, and are show how all the food is created and readied for the animals. You can sometimes get some juicey information like the lions favorite treat in a rabbit frozen in ice. The bunny pop. Then the tour finishes with a walk through the vet areas that you can see at the Conservation Station. As a side note, the tour has become more about pleasing the "common man" than in previous years. The first year they had the tour, there was no ride in the begining. Instead the used the time in the middle of the tour in a classroom setting. A cartaker would bring in an animal (an American Alagator once) and have an Q & A session. The previous tours were more centered around education, and I believe, were better than the current format. Thus I would have given excelent in years past, but now I consider it good. In any case, it is still one of the better Disney tours you can take, and well worth the money.
Queuing Time-Excellent-I have honestly never waited more than maybe 5 minutes to ride this attraction. Audio/Music-Good-The first half of the ride has very ambient, tribal music that is very good and adds to the mystique. However, the second half has a redundant and rather annoying song that will drive you silly. Although it sticks in your head for hours. Over the years it actually has grown on me. PreShow/Queuing Area-Excellent-No Preshow. The queue area is inside the temple near the plaza and restaurant. Thrills-Very Poor-None whatsoever. It's relaxing, not thrilling. Duration-Good-It's probably a little too long. But-if the song at the end wasn't so goofy it might not seem that way. Kid Friendly-Excellent-This ride is perfect for anybody. It's like a poor man's version of 'It's A Small World". Overall-Average-I think this quiet and very relaxing boat ride is a bit underrated. It's nice to escape the heat and just sit back and enjoy the sights. I think the Mexico pavilion is great and although the ride is slightly hokey at the end, it's still fun to ride. Go on this ride expecting a quiet boat ride and you'll enjoy it tremendously.
Queuing Time-Average-It all depends on when you visit and other variables. If it's raining, at night or during the off-season you can get on quick. During the day during peak seasons it can be a long, long, long wait. Audio/Music-Excellent-From the authentic bgm played in the queue to the twilight zone theme during the ride itself. The music is perfect on this ride. The sound effects are also very good. PreShow/Queuing Area-Excellent-The queue area starts in the delapidated hotel gardens and eventually the lobby. Cobwebs and other nice touches add to the feeling of charm and creepiness at the same time. The preshow in the library is also awesome. The preboarding area boiler room is perfect to get you into the mood and make your hair on your back stand up. Storyline-Excellent-The story is written to include the ride and you as part of the story. It's a very cool twilight zone story. Theming-Excellent-Lots of little details. The outside sign with it's burn marks from lightening and the blinking neon marquee are just the beginning. When you are inside the lobby it really feels like a hotel inside! The library also has many cool set pieces from the show. PostShow/Merchandise-Excellent-A full range of TOT items are available after your ascents/descents. Thrills-Excellent-Just waiting in line for this ride is thrilling. Words can't describe the feeling of excitement and terror when the drops start. Amazing. Duration-Good-If you include the preshow, it's perfect. But I always thought the ride should explore a floor or two more of the hotel tower. Kid friendly-Average-If your kid is afraid of the dark, scary noises and music, loud sounds, any kind of drops or the actual Twilight Zone show; I would not recommend it at all. However, if your kid is a thrill-seeker they will love TOT! Overall-Excellent-This is one of WDW's best rides ever. If you have never been on TOT it is worth even a 2 hour wait-it's that good! Disney did a perfect job in bringing you thrills and a good story to envelope you. DON'T MISS IT!!! Destined to become a classic at WDW.
Great resort for a family to spend time at Disney. More relaxing and quiet than most other resorts. Staff members are great and concierge is very nice. Food is available at different price ranges and the mercantile has some great stuff. Easy to get to Magic Kingdom & Epcot. Animial Kingdom & Downtown take some time to get to.
I was very excited about my first Christmas trip to Disney, and decided to take the Yuletide Fantasy Tour to make sure I could see as much of the World as possible in a weekend. I was told that we would visit World Showcase, the Magic Kingdom, at least one hotel, and the place where they store all of the decorations. I couldn’t wait. We met up with the group in front of Epcot, and proceeded backstage to a Mears bus. We were told we would be going backstage to World Showcase to discover how other cultures celebrate the Holidays. We started in Morocco, where our guide told us there were no decorations because they celebrate Ramadan, which was already over. Then we went to Japan, which again wasn’t decorated because the Japanese don’t celebrate a traditional Christmas the way Americans do. I was expecting to visit Italy, Germany and Norway, or at least some of the countries that looked different than they do during the rest of the year. It was nothing special. Our guide talked about how the Japanese buy new furniture during the New Year. Then we went to America, which was decorated beautifully. We went inside, and the guide tried to explain the Hanukah and Kwanzaa displays. She called Kwanzaa a “made up holiday” and said that the miracle of Hanukah was that there was enough oil to last for 3 days and it lasted for 6 (there was enough for 1 day and it lasted for 8). By this time, I was annoyed and wondering what exactly I had paid for. We went outside of the American pavilion, where the guide spent 15 minutes asking the group about their holiday traditions. I didn’t really care what everybody put on their trees; I cared what Disney puts on their trees! That was it for Epcot. We went next to MGM because the MK was filming the Christmas parade. We went in the back way to see the Osborne Lights. We stayed on the street for about two minutes before the guide decided it was too loud and moved us over to the entrance to HISTK playground. There she went on for twenty minutes about Christmas movies, including Miracle on 34th Street and how Maureen O’Hara was cast in it and how the movie was filmed. If I really wanted to know any of this, I could have Googled it. I wanted to know about the Osborne lights! That was it for MGM – it was off to the Grand Floridian. I was excited to see their tree and gingerbread house, and I really wanted to buy a gingerbread cookie. In the lobby, the guide read the recipe of the gingerbread house and gave us 2 minutes to take pictures. Then we were herded out of there like cattle. No cookies, no up close views, no nothing. Bah Humbug! I seriously considered jumping ship (or bus) and hitting the monorail at that point, but decided to stick it out. Our last stop was the bungalow where Disney holds all of its holiday decorations. Which, as you can imagine at this time of the year, is a bunch of empty shelves. I’d like to see it in July. This was the most interesting part of the tour, though, because we heard about the store where they go to buy the decorations in Atlanta, the permanent staff of 15 that keeps everything looking like new, and how the Christmas trees are assembled and disassembled every year. Then it was back to Epcot. Bottom Line: This is no way felt like a Disney tour. This could have taken place in Any Town, USA. You're much better off walking around on your own. You can learn more from reading a park map.
As with all tours, this is strongly dependent on the tourguide and the group. We had a rather obnoxious and distracted guide (last minute replacement) and some people in the group that had no business being there (ie I like the big golfball and where is the Mummy ride?) The tour was slow in starting spending too much time talking about the Epcot vision, and Walt and other boring common knowledge stuff. You get to visit one or more of the "private" lounges, go backstage in some exhibits (we did backstage at UoE and got to get photo's with the pterodactyl anamatronic that was replaced by Ellen) You also tour backstage on MS and TT (tour may now include soaring...) most groups get to sneak on an ride one or more...we didn't do any. There was a breakfast break midway that was a real waste of time...we're here to tour! We also got to do backstage at the dockyards for all water craft including the "fire barge" (before being damaged). There was also a meeting with international CM(s) that wasn't organized well for this tour. You also got to see cast wardrobe for Epcot. So there were some neat things to see, but this one was poorly presented.
This is one of the few tours that is open to kids 10+, so provides a nice family opportunity. You should be able to swim well, and it's best to have some snorkelling experience. You enter outside the park at guest services, so don't need park admission. You are met in the guest services courtyard (to the right of the windows) and give clothing size info, so that when you arrive in the locker room, your wetsuit and other equipment is ready for you. There is the prerequisite training lecture, then off to put on your wetsuit. If you have never done it, it is a bit of an experience, if you have, it's funny to watch others. You then parade from the locker room to the central core through the guest aquarium area where the stairs are located to the top of the tank. You are equipped with an oxygen tank and respirator similar to scuba, (breathing is similar to using a snorkel) you have fins, mask and a flotation vest that will keep you on the surface no matter what. If you try to dive, you will look like a duck with your butt and feet in the air. You get about 30-45 min in the tank and get to see a whole lot. Some fish and the sea turtles are very friendly and come close...but you are not to attempt to touch. You can wave at guest in the view windows. For non divers it is a very special experience. The one down to our tour was that it was very full, and due to a scheuling mistake an additional group was added on. The tank area was really too crowded for a leisurely swim. If you are certified, do the scuba tour, but if not, or with younger children, this is a truly wonderful experience.
OK, age is 16+ (to not spoil the magic) so I rated it very poor for kid friendly. All of these tours are somewhat dependent on your tourguide. This tour I have only seen and heard of very good and excellent. It is about 5 hours long so you need to be comfortable with the group. Also on this topic, the makeup of the group can really impact the tour. Even someone that thinks they know all about Disney will learn some things and look as Disney a little differently after. You get a good backstage experience and visit the utilidors. There is opportunity to ask the kinds of questions of Cast members that you didn't feel appropriate in a private setting and generally get back an answer that is not necessarily "the party line". Lunch is included. If you do one, this should be it.
A really fun and different experience. Possibly spends a bit too much time in the practice/preparation, but you do get about an hour out and about. Transportation on these machines is a very different type of experience. Suggest doing the earlier tour rather than the later as it is often less crowded and you get some more interesting views of world showcase "waking up" Remember your AP discount. Age is 16+ which probably could be relaxed for this. Most kids can handle these better than the adults.
I was very excited to do this tour, mainly to see the Utilidors. I was not disappointed with the back stage portion of the tour, even though we didn't get to see the intricate workings of the attractions. I was disappointed, however, that we didn't get a full tour of the Utilidors. Only shown a small portion of them. Other than that, the tour was great. Our guide was knowledgable and very helpful with any questions we had for him.
If you're tired of burger and fries and want good healthy meals, then I highly suggest Tusker House. I personally think Animal Kingdom has the best counter service park food of all the WDW parks, and Tusker House is at the top. The grilled salmon with rice and vegetables is a wonderful change from the average. The rotissire chicken is also another great choice. I wasn't too impressed with the turkey wrap, but the corn chowder that came with it more than made up for it. Yummy!! They also had a vegetable stuffed pita with a side of grapes that was also quite good. If you're trying to eat healthy in the parks, you can't go wrong eating here.
I cannot think of one critical thing to say about the cuisine at Jiko. I live in San Francisco which considers itself a serious food town and I have to say that Jikos has beat all the restaurants I've tried in SF. The food is just that delicious. In fact I've voted it my favorite restaurant in the world. Jiko means "the cooking place" in swahilli, and they have two large earthen like ovens in the center of the restaurant. The decor is warm and cozy incorporating dark woods in the floor and seats, and rich earth colors in the fabrics. The forced perspective flock of birds that hang above the diners is also a nice touch. As is the simulated dawn to dusk lighting in the restaurant. As for the menu, I highly recommend the lamb shank, the scallops, and the pork loin. The braised short ribs are also not to be missed. Try something different for dessert and order the cheese platter selection. Excellent. One of my companions is a very picky eater and always orders the sirloin cooked very well done. They butterfly the sirloin so that it is cooked well done but not dried out. You may think the menu won't have anything for children, but they do have a children's menu. And judging by the happy faces of the children we did see on the evenings we were there, it must be good. The service is superb. On my last trip I dined at Jiko three times on my last trip. On two occasions I had a server named Hassan. He was very warm and welcoming and always knew when you needed something. On the one night we didn't have Hassan he came over to welcome us anyway and at one point he walked by our table and saw my glass was empty of water. He quickly picked up my Pelligrino bottle and filled my glass! To me that's the mark of quality service. Taking care of the needs of diners who aren't sitting in your section!! Really, I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this restaurant. It's completely spoiled me and I will now compare all others to it.
Read the early reviews and see how the changed this from the best value on site to a place where there is no fun or value. Akershus was like Germany is now, where you picked the food you wanted, now you order each item and have to wait for it to be cooked and then if you want another item you order it and wait again. This is suppose to be "all you can eat" of anything you want, but if you don't know the foods it is hard to guess what to order. The old days it was right in front of you and you picked it yourself. We now go to Germany for the food and show.
The Swiss Family Treehouse is one of Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom's oldest and most detailed attractions. Based on the movie, it allows guests to actually experience what living in a gigantic tree might actually be like! ON TO THE REVIEW! Queue Time-Good Sometimes the waits can be very long. My advice is to come back later when it's no line. You can relax a bit and take your time to enjoy the details and the sights from the tree. PreShow/Queue Area-Good I guess there really isn't one, but it's themed so well I give it a good rating. Storyline-Average There isn't really a story, it's more like a way to get an idea of what something might be like, somebody else's POV. Theming-Excellent The lazy river surrounding the tree, the Spanish moss dangling from it's branches, the sound of the water from the wheel, the Swiss polka music. All of it combines to make a great experience. PostShow-Average Other than a bridge to walk towards the exit on there is no post show. But-this type of attraction is a show in itself, so it can't/doesn't need one! Thrill rating-Poor. Okay, thrill seekers might not like this. But, some of the views are rather inspiring. I suppose if you suffer from acrophobia or vertigo it does provide some mild thrills. Duration-Good Unless it's crowded you can enjoy this at your own pace-fast or slow. Kid friendly-Good For kids over the age of 4 it's great! Overall-Good. I think a lot of people overlook it because it's not new or thrilling. Shame on those who dare to pass on this Disney show. It's a shame they rethemed the California version to Tarzan now. The old Swiss polka is part of Adventureland's charm. Give it a try before WDW changes their's, too! Once it's gone, like so many other classics, it will be sorely missed.
Where can you go and get a GREAT sandwich at such a great price Earl of Sandwich is the place.
Very tasty pizza! I didnt particularly care for the bread sticks and ended up tossing them (they were a bit hard and untasty to me even with the side of sauce) The pizza is VERY GOOD and if you're visiting with kids...you can NEVER go wrong with pizza.
Great food, but very weak theming. I wish it was open more often, as it is the only mexican food in MK.
A fast food noodle shop, ok, but with so many tastier places to eat this isn't high on my repeat list.
A good snack.When snacking around the world we are usually full by the time we get here. Probably better to start here to really be able to enjoy them.
This is/was my favorite Disney 3-D movie so far and was definitely their most imaginative and expensive one to date. Michael Jackson starred as the heroic leader, Captain Eo. On a mission to find the Supreme Leader they crash land on her planet accidentally only to find the planet's been turned into a wasteland. As captives, the band of freedom fighters use music and dance to overcome the Evil Queen and end up converting her and the planet's people back to good. Yes, it all sounds kind of simple and almost hokey, but the movie was a really great action-packed adventure. The music and sound were loud and crisp and the visuals were on an epic scale. The combination of Lucas (produced and wrote) and Coppola (scripted and directed) made it a real quality show. The characters were cool, too. The little furry creature, the twin-headed muppet Idee, Hooter the blue elephant and the Blue robot dude, Major Domo. Contrary to what many people think, the attraction was not removed due to Jackson's legal troubles. In fact, the Paris and Tokyo versions were still around in the late 90's;and even California's didn't close until 1996. Anyways, Honey, I Shrunk the Audience is a somewhat mediocre replacement for what Cpt Eo was. I will always have fond memories of Captain Eo. I still remember walking in EPCOT's Future World East and actually being able to hear the bass from the last song, 'Another Part Of Me', rumbling from far away as the show ended. Hooter, btw, was played by Tony Cox, the same black dwarf actor who was hilarious in Me, Myself & Irene as the limo driver and more recently in Bad Santa as Santa's helper!
I thought this had the best theming of any rapids ride in the world. It even has a drop unlike many others. Compared to GRR, I would choose Kali River Rapids for sure. It has better theming, stronger rapids, and gets you way more wet(which is bad and good). Who cares if GRR is a bit longer, the theming is lacking. Don't know why everybody is complaining that it's so short, it was a good 4 and a half minutes. Thats pretty long for a water ride!
A few characters and some items in the star tours store and not much else. Hard to see how it could be called a weekend!!!!!!!
Queue Time--Avg Star Tours can sometimes be a horrendous wait, but then other times it's empty. Audio/Music--Excellent Well, for one it's got John Williams classic score during the actual ride. But the sound effects and overall ambience are also awesome in the queue area. PreShow/Queue Area--Excellent. Very well done. Lots of things to look at and details to point out. Also, any Star Wars fan will appreciate the basic feel of it all. It's pre-prequel Star Wars!! Storyline---Good. Okay, it's basically a trip to the moon of Endor gone wrong with some inconveniences along the way. (BTW-ever notice you never do get to Endor?) Theming--Excellent. Again, the entrance alone is pretty cool. Everything in the entire show is themed well to the Star Wars saga. PostShow/Merchandise---Excellent. As a Star Wars nut it's a cool shop to browse in. I guess for people who don't care for Star Wars it's not that great. Thrill--Good. Although it's a bit old now, it still will get you laughing and the kids still love this ride as well. Duration--Average. I always thought this ride should be about 2 minutes longer. It always felt a liitle too short. Kid Friendly---Good. Kids who love thrills will absolutely love this ride. And kids who like Star Wars will want to go on again and again. Overall--Excellent. Even though it's 19 years old now (technically it's only 16 years at WDW), it still is a must-see attraction. The whole ride is a fun romp and totally succeeds in creating a thrilling, fun and emersive experience.
The main purpose for the Magic Kingdom is to have fun as a kid or as an adult. As a kid, the Raceway is totally fun. As an adult, it's pretty uneventful. With that being said, I think it's almost unfair to blast this ride as adults. If you surveyed kids under the age of 11, I bet this ride gets a huge thumbs up. I for one am glad Disney chooses to maintain and keep this ride. Sometimes we adults forget that some of these attractions were designed for kids. I remember the Autopia at Disneyland being one of my favorite rides when I was a little kid. And yes, the ride lost a lot of excitement when I learned to drive a real car; and even moreso after I got a real job out of high school and found out what commuting means. BUT!!!----It would be a shame to bulldoze this ride and put in something that only adults can ride. WDW is one of the most special places to take a kid and this ride only makes it more special. So, as an adult I give it a bad rating. But you know what, I'm going to give the ride the rating I would have given it when I was 10, since that's the age most riders are.
our family home away from home. you just can't beat the location
Sorry, but World of Motion was much better of an attraction than Test Track. No, it did not have thrills, but it educated way more than Test Track could ever do. The World of Motion was EPCOT's equivalent of Pirates of the Caribbean. Huge sets with tons of Audio-Animatronics and a great soundtrack. The attention to detail was so amazing on it. And the humor made it great for kids and adults alike. Plus, this show lasted a good 15 minutes. I hate how all of EPCOTS new attractions are so short and pointless. Test Track, Soarin', Mission Space--they're all less than 5 minutes!!! The shows they replaced, World of Motion, Horizons and Kitchen Kabaret were 15 minutes each!! Such a worthless trade in my opinion. The old EPCOT was original, educating and fun. The new Epcot is stale, trendy and more for quick thrills than anything else.
Okay, first I'll review it, then I'll make my statements. This is one of the Magic Kingdom's best attractions. Queue Time--Not bad at night or early morning. Mid-day can be brutal, though, especially in summer. Audio/Music-Some of, if not, the best Disney music ever on an attraction. The soundtrack is great, too. Preshow--Very cool dungeons and then the port area where you dock (get on the boat) is very well done. Storyline--Awesome. Theming--Some of the best theming you will ever lay your eyes on anywhere. Postshow/Merchandise--The exit spills you out into a Caribbean Plaza.....good I guess. Thrill--Back when this came out, it was probably a bit more exciting. But it still gives you a rush on the little falls. Duration--Um, on it's own, it's fine. More on this later. Kid friendly--Almost any kid will love the ride. Overall--Not to be missed! Excellent use of visuals, audio, theming, lighting, music, Audio-Animatronics.... NOW---With all that being said....this version of the ride is not as long or as entertaining as Disneyland's in California. Queue Area-I like WDW's a lot! The dungeons and lairs and Spanish port you leave from at the start is cool. BUT--the old bayou swamp that's in California's is way more detailed and adds more to the actual ride itself. The Ride---Geez, where to begin. WDW's is missing the whole beginning scene in the swamps. It only has one small drop instead of the 2 (I know, I know, it's because WDW's doesn't have to go below a berm--but still!) The dungeons and underground caves with all the skeletons in the bar, the beach....none if it is in this version. And then the finale is much, much, much shorter. No creaking wood on fire that's ready to collapse. And again, you get off the boat before it goes back up the hill. Which I understand, but it's still neat at Disneyland. The finale at Disneyland and WDW are also completely different. I actually like WDW's arsenal scene better.
Whispering Canyon Cafe has some of the best food and at exceptional value. The all you can eat Canyon Skillet is one of the best deals to be found anywhere. Many people think this is primarily a "barbeque" restaurant, which it isn't. They do have some barbequed and grilled items on the menu, but they offer much more than that. However, the barbequed and roasted dishes they do have are outstanding-- the ribs, pulled pork and chicken especially. The Cowboy Beans are delicious along with the corn on the cob. Since my wife and I were dining alone for dinner, we asked for a quieter table, which you might think would not be possible at this venue, but it is. We had to wait a few minutes since the restaurant was full, but it was well worth it. We were seated at a cozy table for two next to a fireplace. Our server, "Lazy" Susan, was wonderful and took great care of us. This is one of my favorite restaurants-- delicious food and great service. I never need to look at the menu-- I just say "I'll have the skillet, please".
This is our favorite club on PI. My wife and I end every evening at the AC after dinner. We love the atmosphere, theming, all the characters and shows. The AC is at the top of our list for nigttime adult entertainment.
This movie ended in 1993. Queuing Time-Like all shows, if you happened to walk in right before it started, you had no wait. Audio/Music-The music on this show was some of Disney\'s best. The Magic Journey\'s theme was good and the score was very interesting. Although nowadays it would have been somewhat dated. PreShow-The preshow area was just a room with 3-D holographic pictures of Disney characters. When it was at Epcot they showed a short called \'Makin\' Memories\'. But when it moved to MK after Cptn Eo I remember them playing the Donald Duck & Chip n Dale cartoon, \'Working For Peanuts\'. Story-Well, it didn\'t really have one. It was more of a dreamlike story where it just followed some kids playing and centered on their dreams and imagination. Theming-Nothing really. The theater was plain and didn\'t have anything interesting. PostShow-Again, there was none. You just got up and left and walked back out into Fantasyland. Thrills-None. Although, there was the what is now considered to be common to a 3-D movie, sight gags. When this debuted, it was state-of-the-art. It was a new concept for Disney having a 3-D show. Now it seems common. Duration-Perfect. It was great for people who wanted to cool off for a good 25 minutes. Kid friendly-A scene where an evil witch threw lightning at the audience would sometimes cause little kids to start crying or screaming. Other than that, it was very tame and didn\'t have any loud special effects or music. Overall-It lasted a lot longer than I ever thought it would. It was a great movie for it\'s time, though. I think out of all of Disney\'s 3-D films this one had the best music. The cinematography in Magic Journeys was also very good. But it was also probably the least entertaining of all. The last time I saw it in Summer of \'93 (right before it was taken out) I remember dozing off a few times because it was so quiet and relaxing after a long, hot summer day in the Magic Kingdom.
Long waits are common in early morning,afternoon. The theming is awesome on this ride and demands admiration and awe. Every little detail, from the various wildlife to the hot springs and flooded mine town; it\\\'s all done with amazing detail! The music waiting in line fits the ride perfectly. That saloon old-west piano music is great. Also, the out-of-control whistling and chugging noise the train makes as it tears through the tracks is great! The mountain is breathtaking to look at and makes one want to go exploring inside its tunnels. The WDW version has a much better layout than Disneyland\'s mountain, in that it is situated on a hill and is quite a distance away from the queue area and located along the banks of the Rivers of America. The thrills are there, but not so intense or high that it scares away the timid. It\\\'s a good coaster and the elements of the surrounding environment add to the thrills! The train whips around corners and feels like it is going to collide with buttes or smash into the beautiful red rocks of the mountain. The ride is perfect in length. It\\\'s not too short or too long. Most kids will love this ride. It\\\'s not too scary and there\\\'s a lot to see, too. Overall, Big Thunder is one of Disney\\\'s greatest ride\\\'s ever built! The western theme gives it a very chaotic feel and the sheer scope of detail and size of the entire area is amazing. Be sure to ride it when you visit!!!! If you ride at night it gives the ride a whole different experience. Is a can\\\'t miss ride at WDW! Also, \\\"be sure to hang on now, n\\\'specially to dem hats n\\\' glasses! \\\'Cause this here\\\'s the wildest ride in the wilderness!!!\\\"
Okay, since I was lucky to see both versions of this show I am rating each one on it\'s own since they were very different. 1975-1993 (Now Is The Time Version) Queuing Time-Excellent. You never had to wait! Audio/Music-Excellent. Now is the time! That song was so catchy and brings back fond memories! Better to me than the current one. PreShow/Queue Area-Poor. Nothing to see or do. Storyline-Good. Theming-Good. PostShow-Very Poor. Although I don\'t think one was needed for this show. Thrill-Very Poor. Again, no thrills. But, it wasn\'t meant to, either. Duration-Excellent!! Perfect for relaxing or enjoying a long and interesting show. Kid Friendly-Good. I think this version of the show was actually more interesting to kids. It had more humor and seemed more entertaining. Overall-Good. I think this was my favorite attraction when I was a kid. 1994---(Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow version) Queuing Time-Excellent. Again, no real waiting time. Audio/Music-Good. To me, and I know it\'s the original theme, it\'s not as good. I have a soft spot for the older one. PreShow/Queue Area-Average. Although, it\'s better than it used to be. Now they have a cool video of old footage that is very interesting to watch! Storyline-Good. Theming-Good. PostShow-Very Poor. But it doesn\'t need one, either! Thrills-Very Poor. And again-it wasn\'t meant to, either!! Duration-Excellent. No such thing as too long for Disney rides! Kid Friendly-Average. I don\'t think the current show is as kid friendly as the old one. Maybe because I\'m an adult now. Overall-Good. Still a treat for the whole family and preserves Walt\'s vision and dreams of a brighter tomorrow. One thing that will always be annoying on this attraction--the 4th and final room. Unless Disney updated it every 3 or 4 years, it will always be dated. In 1994 the finale was fine, but in 2006 it is hokey and lame. The Now is The Time version\'s finale was even worse!!! It had a Brady Bunch-like feel to it with floodlights, shag carpet, turtleneck sweaters, beads and a TV inside a wood display to boot!! But now that I think of it, that gives it slight charm .
Okay, I admit it, I loved Delta's Dreamflight/Take Flight. It was somehow hypnotizing to me. That song would get stuck in my head the rest of the trip. Ahhh, memories.....I know it wasn't the best attraction and the appeal factor was low. I never expected it to last forever. You knew it was someday going to replaced. The cheesy cut-outs in the barn! The guy strapped to the plane doing stunts! The Japanese garden! The French street! The jet engine with fog!!! The giant pop-up book with the Delta jet projection whizzing by in the background! It was so memorable! I agree it wasn't a crowdpleaser, but to me it was one of the best rides in the Magic Kingdom. And the best part--you could walk on this ride whenever you liked without a wait! No matter how crowded the park was. A very average ride to an average visitor. But one of my favorite rides in a long line that are now gone at WDW!!
This show got a really bad reputation for scaring the kiddies. But in all fairness, Disney warned parents and the parents didn't listen. Anyways, the theming to this show was great and seemed very real. The seats alone would make anybody who hates being trapped scream with terror. I loved the feeling of being stuck in the seat and not knowing what the blazes was going on. The screaming of terrified people was a plus, too! This show made me laugh with glee. Most kids hated it and rightfully so. Horror movie/Sci-Fi fans loved it. I kind of think a lot of people expected this show to be like the one it replaced (Mission to Mars). Meaning, a way to relax and escape from the heat for 20 minutes in an air-conditioned theater. What they got...was a surprise! And as for all the moronic parents who dragged their children on this--I hope the parents were scarred psychologically, too. There were warnings all over the place. Maybe those parents were illiterate, I don't know.
Queue Time-Poor-The ride was notorious for having long waits during the day and peak seasons. But it was somewhat soothing to hear the hum of the engines and smell the chlorine! Audio/Music-Average-The music playing in the queue area was very good but the actual sound system used on the submarines was very old and somewhat muffled. PreShow/Queuing Area-Good-No preshow, but the queue area was simple yet effective in capturing that nautical feel. The music playing and the sounds of the subs added to the exotic nature of the ride. Storyline-Good-Cpt Nemo was basically your tour guide through the sea. It was very simplistic but at the same time it worked very well. Theming-Good-The theming was fantastic. All the rocks and plants added a really far-off feel to the ride. And the Nautilus's were detailed and very cool looking. PostShow-Very Poor-There wasn't one. You walked off an were right back outside in front of Mr Toad's. But did it need one? No. Thrills-Poor-Obviously this was more of a show than an actual ride. The only thrills came when the sub was attacked by the giant squid. Although, as a kid I remember being excited that it was underwater, too! Duration-Good-It was long but that meant you were extremely captivated by the end. Looking out the port holes and staring out into the lagoon's waters was almost hypnotizing in a way. Kid Friendly-Average-Kids who were interested in ocean-life would love it. However, most kids might be somewhat bored and uninterested by the time the 9 minute ocean voyage was over. Overall-Good-I miss this ride. It was one of Fantasyland's most interesting and unique attractions. I always thought Captain Nemo's narration was pretty good and that the effects were quaint but did the job. It's too bad Disney ended up filling up the lagoon with dirt and uses it as a Pooh play area. The lagoon alone by itself was so awesome just sitting there. I'm glad I rode it every year I visited WDW.
Audio and visuals are top-notch. The lighting on the floats are extremely well done. I can see how a lot of people might not like this parade, though. There's not as many Disney characters involved and the parade isn't as interactive as it could be. I will say I hated it the first time I saw it. But--it grew on me after repeat visits to Disneyworld. I think by the third trip I grew to love the show. Now I can't imagine the Magic Kingdom without it now!
Can't say enough good things about it. The location is perfect if the Magic Kingdom is your favorite park. There's a very laid back, relaxed feeling you get at this hotel. It isn't overly fancy, yet it is still quite nice. Kids will enjoy it since the main pool area is themed very well with a volcano and waterfalls. The property is huge for this hotel, so I wouldn't recommend it for seniors or for people who can't walk well or have health problems. But because it is so big it also is very quiet and feels like you're a world away from everything else. There's also lots of wildlife. Rabbits, ducks, lizards, frogs, bugs and tons of other birds. It all adds to the natural beauty. Food is slightly above average for the most part, although it should be much better considering what you end up paying for it. Transportation is great here-Monorail, ferry, bus or boat. You can get anywhere you want from this hotel! The ambience here is by far my favorite reason to stay at the Polynesian. The lush vegetation and beauty of the tranquil surroundings is soothing. The sound of rushing water inside and outside of the Great Ceremonial House is calming. The views of the lagoon and castle across it are stunning. The tiki torches that are lit everywhere in the evening. Even the music piped through the walkways adds to the relaxing pace. Be aware that none of the resort's buildings are connected at all. If there's a torrential downpour (almost an everyday occurence in summer), you will have to run (not recommended!), get wet walking, gear up in your ponchos! or just wait it out til it's over. If you like a care-free, tropical setting and price means nothing, stay at the Polynesian Village--you won't be disappointed!!!!
WHEN READING REVIEWS OF THIS SHOW I THOUGHT THEY WERE WHINNING DISNEY NUTS. I WAS WRONG !! THIS SHOW HAS NO GOOD POINTS. IT STARTS OUT BORING AND GOES DOWN HILL FROM THERE
ONCE YOU GET THROUGH THE CROWDS OF PEOPLE IT'S A GREAT EXPERIENCE.THE RIDE ITSELF SEEMS SO SHORT, DUE TO BEING SO ATTENTION GETTING THAT TIME SEEMS TO FLY BY.
NICE STOP FOR A LOCAL SNACK WHILE DRYING OFF FROM THE RAFT RIDE.GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO THEME FOOD TO THE AREA
LIKE ANY THRILL SHOW, THERS IS ALOT OF FILLER AND PEOPLE WHO READ FROM A SRIPT THAT WAS EITHER WRITTEN BY A THIRD GRADER OR A PERSON WHO HAS LITTLE IDEA OF WHAT A THRILL SHOW IS ALL ABOUT. THE THRILLS ARE AS GOOD AS CAN BE EPECTED FROM A SHOW THAT IS RUN SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.THE CAR NUTS WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO SEE THE MODS OF THE CARS UP CLOSE AS THEY SEEM TO PLAY A LARGE PART IN THE SAFTEY OF THE SHOW
I keep reading comparisons to Indiana Jones. This ride is no Indiana Jones. It is, however, an incredibly bumpy, jerky, and ROUGH ride. Ride is too dark to take advantage of the visuals. You literally FLY past the few nice visuals that are lit to any degree. Not one of Disney's best pieces of work.
This was our first stay at a Value Resort, from 9/28 to 10/04. We had a king room in the 50's building, fourth floor facing the bowling pin pool. The room was immaculate, and didn't seem too small with a king size bed, but I think it would seem very small with two double beds. The vanity area was cramped, and the bathroom was tiny. The food court was great, and seemed to be kept very clean. For the money, the actual resort is a great deal! The bus service is not. We continually had to wait over twenty minutes at a time for buses to the parks to arrive, and usually would have to wait for another bus! Coming home from the Magic Kingdom, we counted (yes, we counted) over 300 people waiting in line for a bus to Pop Century. Since we do not rent a car, we will never stay at another Value Resort. Overall, the smallness of the room, the motel-like set up, and the horrible bus service convinced DH and myself that we would rather spend more money for more conveniences.
My sister and I recieved a membership to the DVC at Saratoga Springs for our 21st birthday and chose to celebrate there. I had a wonderful experience late July at the resort. I was very pleased with our accommodations! Though they are somewhat smaller than OKW (which we have stayed at several times in the past) they are exquisitely decorated and detailed and very comfortable. We lucked out with a balcony overlooking the waterway and right into Pleasure Island (which made for an excellent picture on the eve of our 21st - champagne glasses in hand, Princess tiaras on our head and the fireworks of Pleasure Island at midnight in the background!). Our 2 bedroom stuidio afforded plenty of space for the 6 of us including 3 tv's (one in each room) and two complete bathrooms with outside vanities (very important when vacationing with multiple females). The service was classically Disney and though it was not the best I've ever seen (that distinction goes to a certain Thabo who used to work at the Coral Reef Club at the Swan and now is a tour guide at AK Lodge), but it was on par with most of our experiences. We personally had a great experience with the concierge when purchasing tickets and making reservations. Though the walk to the main building was not particularly close, it was much closer than my stays at OKW and made for a very nice walk in the evening after dark when we would venture to the pool after hours. We also had a very welcoming satelite pool a short distance away off the main walk to Pleasure Island, a walk that was a treasure in and of itself. Transportation was located conveniently outside our building (we stayed at Congress Park) close enough that we could run to it were there a bus already waiting when we rounded the corner (which was necessary on more than one occassion!). Transportation by boat in the evening to Pleasure Island was also very nice, and we were able to be dropped off right by the House of Blues. Though we did not eat at the restaurant on this trip, my father and I dined there this past March when we made a quick trip for a tour. I found the selection to be very delicious and have since replicated several of the recipes on my own. Of course, it is definitely a more adult menu and is designed to reflect the resort menus of Saratgoa Springs circa its haydays in the 19th century, if it seems a bit foreign to some people. The recreation area right outside the area, while smaller, is a new favorite of mine among Disney resorts. It has a delightful play area for kids, a slide fun for everyone and a delicious drink bar for adults. I'm a particular fan of the sloping beach like entrance where you can sit below a fountaing and enjoy the scenery. This area also features the Win, Place or Show Arcade which as everyone's favorites including DDR! I would also love to give special compliments to the Spa and health club that has not been touched upon in the reviews yet - if you can't afford to induldge in a massage or facial, definitely take advantage of their state of the art equipment which is better than most gyms and free for resort guests! A few tips if you're staying at Saratoga Springs: - Take advantage of the water access to Pleasure Island, its slower than the buses but has a great view of the whole complex - Try walking the quiet path around the waterway to Pleasure Island, its a very relaxing atmosphere after the clubs have closed - Don't neglect the satelite pools, particularly after dark when they're uncrowded and relaxing - I wouldn't reccommend this resort for children under 12 or 13, its atmosphere is more mature - Take advantage of the kitchen and purchase food for breakfast and between park snacks, it'll save you money if you can go to the grocery store or Target and do so - Explore the property - there are many hidden mickey's to find and beautiful spots to relax like benches and gazebos
The line all depends on different aspects- time of year, time of day, weather, and such. Overall, its not that bad. The music in the queue is amazing- authentic 1920-30's elevator music! The storyline is excellent, with an actual plot, and a problem. I love when you go into the library and watch the movie. I always scare the other people by going (DUM DUM DUUUUMMM) when the lights turn off. I like the touch of the lightning, too. I enjoy the shop, after, too. Who HASN'T bought a ToT pic? When WDI randomized the drops, the ride improved ten fold. It adds an element of surprise. At 13 (I am thirteen, yes!), I still close my eyes when we go into the "twilight zone: it freaks me out! The only drawback is that it may scare little children. It scares my 11 year old brother, and I torment him about it all the time...
Depending on what time you are there, or what the weather is like, RnRC has a average line. If you getg a fastpass, however, expect to get in the building in around 5-10 minutes. When you walk up the ramp, and you get into the first room, take a sec, and look at all of the cool stuff! One of my favorite parts of the "ride" is the preshow- It rocks! All of the decoration is superb. The storyline is good- you are trying to get to Aerosmith's concert. After the amazing, thrilling, hair raising ride with inversions and such, you are whisked into a giftshop with amazing stuff (although a tad expensive). The only drawbacks are that it is a bit short, and it might frighten little children.
All of the times that I have gone on this amazing adventure safari, there has been little to no wait. The audio on the caravan is a bit rushed, but (most of the time) the CM explains the animals. To me, the queuing area is like a real African outpost, with decorations that the real stuff may envy. The story line is a bit outdated, however, and I think that the majesty of the animals should speak for itself. It is amazing how Disney recreates an African savannah from a Floridian climate (I live in Miami!). I come to Animal Kingdom just to see this.
When I went (5:30 pm, after a day of thunderstorms) there was no line, which is why I am giving the queuing an excellent. The music was so/so, and there was no pre show or noteworhty pre-ride attractions. No storyline, and the theming is okay (50's). No merchandise. The duration is a bit lengthy for the ride. It is very jerky, maybe making children weary. Personally, I hate this carnival themed part of the park, and all the surrounding rides. (Like the overrated Dinosaur)
The story line, etc, and theming is excellent, but the ride itself (For me) is not scary, but way too bumpy. Don't get me wrong, I am a teen, but I didn't fully appreciate it. Also, if you have epilepsy (which my sister does) advise against this. Also, children will be extremely afraid.
In addition to the excellent ribs, we enjoy the seating area at Flame Tree BBQ. You can go all the way down to the edge of the water for a peaceful meal with fantastic views of EE.
I love this show. The music is the best. The only issue i had was that it might be hard to see the spinning earth globe.
We stayed on the concierge level. The stay was outstanding in every way, except the rooms are small. The mattresses were great and rooms quiet, so the good night of rest and fact that we weren't in the room all that much made it okay. We had a queen sized bed and bunk beds, great for the boys, ages 8 and 10. The concierge staff were very accomodating. I lost some perscprition eye drops and they put me with a local drug store that delivered them to me for $5. Wow!!! This is our second stay on Wilderness. Will stay again!
The Buffalo was overcooked and almost too tough to eat. The Salmon was average, at best. We spent over $200 for family of four, two children ages 8 and 10. We wanted this to be special and the room was nice and view equally nice. But this was a dissappointment.
Good theme park. Has wonderful theming/atmosphere(greater than the other parks) and has a good selection of E-tickets as well. Definetely visit this park if you go to Walt Disney World! With Expedition Everest coming out in 2006, this park will definetely become more popular!
This is our favorite moderate resort. My wife and I prefer the Casitas theming to the Ranchos and Cabanas. The Casitas are actually probably the least themed of the 3, and most like any other non-Disney resort. Honestly that's what we liked about it - it's subtle and understated. Yet the fountains and landscaping around the lake really made the exteriors feel luxurious. The main lobby and reservations desk is designed well, and the resort's shop, Panchito's, it probably the largest of any resort shop at WDW. The front desk service was very accomodating. We had been transfered from the Port Orleans Resort due to an error on their part in booking us and no more vacancy that week, so the Coronado upgraded us to a lake view without our asking. Then later, we woke up one morning with the smell of cigarette smoke wafting through our non-smoking room. No one was outside smoking, so our guess was that someone in the adjoining room was lit up. We called the front desk, and within 20 minutes the concierge was there to transport us to a new room, which was an upgrade to a lakeview suite! Very nice. Room service was not very professional on the phone, but very prompt. We never waited longer than 5 minutes for a bus, another plus, and even with as many as 3 other stops within the resort, we were always out the resort driveway within 10 minutes.
This is generally a good moderate resort. The building exteriors and landscaping are generally well done. The lake is beautiful, though none of it really felt like a beach. My only complaint with the exteriors are that the garden areas between the building aren't particularly well maintained -- I was glad to have gotten my lake view. I didn't particularly care for the interior decoration. The patterns were a little too primary and loud for me. It seems like Disney always has a hard time with subtlety. However, I had no problems with housekeeping and facilities. I stayed there just before their most recent rennovation, and one tiny 2 inch corner of wallpaper in the bathroom was peeling. I happened to mention this to housekeeping in passing one day, and when I returned to the room it was fixed. During the summer months there's usually a calypso/reggae band that plays near the main pool at night. I didn't really care for this as the sound carries across the lake. I've read complaints about the CBR bus system. However, I found it to be efficient. Having to drive to several bus stops within the resort didn't add more than 10 minutes to each trip, and I can only recall once where people had to wait for a 2nd bus because the 1st one was too full.
If you like to look at theming, landscaping, browse shops, and take a leisurely stroll through a large park, this is the one for you. If you like to be amused by attractions, thrills, etc., it isn't although they've tried to start fixing this with Space and Soarin. Not much yet. Food is good in this park. Limited fun for kids.
The theming was amazing. They missed on the food quality and seating. The food was the same as if you would have gone to counter service but it was higher priced. The seating was uncomfortable and cramped. The overall experience was poor other then the theming. If you are a Sci-Fi fan this restaurant is a must see but only once. I would not go back again. But being a huge Disney fan I have to try every attraction and restaurant at least once.
Hoop Dee Doo Revue is a great dinner show. The show hasn't changed much over the year which to me is the only down fall. The show is entertaining and the food is great. If you are a fan of fried chicken and fixins this show is a must. This show is great for the whole family. I have attended with a large group and a small group and it is great either way.
This restaurant is great for the whole family. The wait staff keeps you entertained the whole time, it is like you are attending a dinner show. The staff interacts with guests and it is always a good time. The food is great and there is always plenty to eat. I go to this restaurant every time I visit WDW.
Best burgers in WDW! This is a must-stop eating establishment when we're in the MK. Topping off the burgers is a fantastic fixin' bar, complete with the usual toppings and sauteed mushrooms. If burgers aren't your thing, they have a wonderful chicken wrap, full of chicken, tomatoes, cheese, and just enough sauce to keep it from drying out. My wife always gets this and can never finish it because of the size. Remember, it is counter-service, so don't expect a lot there, but you can't go wrong with a lunch at Pecos Bills. Oh, beware of the birds if you choose to dine outside!
When i went on holiday to Walt Disney World in the summer of 2003 they where just starting construction on Soarin so ever since 2003 i have followed the work and updates on Soarin's constuction. Soarin at Epcot opened on the 5th May 2005, i myself went on holiday to Walt Disney World on the 12th May 2005. I can fiarly say that Soarin is one of the best rides in Walt Disney World so far. Disney have really put a lot of work into the ride pushing boundies even ferver. Soarin is located in "The Land" at Epcot. When you queue up for Soarin you could be waiting for up to 3 hours, for a seven minute ride. Or you could get a Fastpass and only wait ten minutes, but i can say that whatever the wait that it is completley worth the wait. As you are queueing up for the ride you can hear music being played from vairus aviation movies you can also here loud rumbling sounds from the ride in the background (very nice atmosphere). There are two queues called "concorses" that split off in opersite directions when nearing the Pre-Show this is because there are two theatre's for the ride you could eiver goto "Concourse 1" or "Concourse 2". You will then wait in another queue for a short period of time before entering the Pre-Show area. When you enter the Pre-Show area you will be put into seperate 3 diferent blocks of small queues (by the Soarin staff) the queues are labled A, B, C. The Pre-Show it self if presented by actor Patrick Warburton he is the chief flight intendent of the ride. He tells you about the ride, safety etc. The Pre-Show will then finish and you will be quided into the huge theatre and instructed where to sit. One everyone is sitting and has fastend their seat belts the light go out and you hear Patrick Warburton say "Soarin to tower, we are cleared for takeoff". You are then lifted up 40 feet above the ground if front of a huge I-MAX dome screen where the movie comes on and you acctually think you are flying. I wont go into the movie to much but i will tell you that the ride system that you are sitting on tilts and pitches with the movie and you can smell different cents as you fly over different scenes with a cool wind in you face. The movie finishes and you are lifted back down to the ground (the ride never cieses with everone clapping). You then hear Patrick Warburton say "On behave of our entire flight crew thanks for soarin with us, to unfasten your seat belt just push down on the red button on your right, be sure to collect all you carry on items etc. You then leave the theatre and exit Soarin back into The Land. It is clear that Soarin is and exelent ride for all ages and i would recommend it to anyone who was going to Walt Disney World. 10 out of 10. I will be writing a full review soon on my Soarin website i will update the WDW Forums when the site is online.
THIS is what I expect from a store inside a theme park dedicated to film. A place that sells movie memorabilia, and I'm sorry but after a certain point Disney characters DO NOT count! I mean, every other store at the Studio sells practically the same tired Disney character merchandise. There might be a small store here and there w/ some merchandise themed to a specific attraction (Indiana Jones, Muppets, etc), but here is a store devoted to film itself. While I understand that to have more merchandise like this probably doesn't make a whole lot of business sense, it really adds to the atmosphere the same way the shops of the Main Street of old or Disneyland's New Orleans Square used to simply add atmosphere. Slowly, these mom-and-pop places are making way for yet another Disney character shop, and it really does a diservice to the uniqueness of each area. I find it sad that Sid Cahuenga's is off in a corner of the street, though I admit that to put it anywhere else may take away from it's charm.
Of all the resort shops I've visited, I like this one the best. It's certainly the largest one I've seen. I especially like the resort specific merchandise. And I love the murals of the 3 Caballeros above some of the displays.
Between this one and the one at Disneyland, I prefer this one. The store is easier to navigate since the several sections are clustered together instead of in a straight line like the one at Disneyland. And at least up until this year now that Disneyland has 50th anniversary merchandise, in previous years the WDW merchandise always seemed more varied to us than the Disneyland merchandise.
I've always been impressed with Virgin stores, and this is one of the best and largest of the one's I've shopped. That said, because I live far from WDW and don't get out there often, the last place I'm going to go to when I visit WDW is to this place when there's one 10 minutes from where we live.
It's a trendy cute little store. I personally like the flat magnets w/ scenes from movies. Worth a trip once, but no need to return unless you really want a magnet.
Unfortunately, our experience here was pretty bad. While my wife liked the selections, we found the service to be decidedly non-customer oriented to the point where we were treated rather rudely by several staff. It's one thing when it's one person, it's another when its the whole team. Not planning to return.
This is a miniature version of the Guitar Center chain w/ some really cool guitars signed by famous guitarists. Fun to browse if you play.
We were disappointed. Having 2 cats ourselves, we find a trip to Petsmart more enjoyable. There isn't much merchandise here to begin with, and half of it isn't even Disney brand. I don't think Disney has really expanded into this market yet, and it shows. We were definitely disappointed.
This is a store I understand will be closed soon, or has already closed. I'm not sure why, as it always seems to be pretty full when we've gone. We'll definitely miss it. We really like this store, and always manage to buy something for ourselves or others here. We like the more subtle items like the merchandise w/ just a few Mickey sillouettes, rather than the stuff w/ the actual characters drawn on.
I'm not really a collector because I simply find it hard to justify spending so much money. Nevertheless we still find this to be one of our favorite stores to visit. We're always impressed by what we find here. Some of the art is pretty routine, but other things are pretty unique.
I couldn't have told you what the fireworks show was supposed to be about or represent in the times I've actually seen it. But oddly enough, it's quite moving, probably because of the wonderful score that's the best of any ever written for a Disney show. I've since come to understand the show is supposed to represent the formation of the Earth itself to the present day w/ all it's human inhabitants. The fireworks are perfectly choreographed to the score, and the globe in the middle of the lagoon, while a bit too small, is a pretty good centerpiece for the action. This is one show we never miss.
I don't get why this parade is not popular on these review boards. Granted, I was never greatly impressed w/ the floats, but I've always loved the performances, and I'm always wowed by the Chinese acrobats. It's like watching a scene from Cirque de Soliel on the street.
This is a decent version of the Disneyland show, though not quite as solid. 1st the bad news; The theater is way too big for it's own good. It probably seemed like a good idea to build the thing since the Disneyland show is so incredibly popular to this day and crowd control is a nightmare. But compared to the Disneyland version where you're never more than 10 standing rows back, here at the Studio version you may be a good 35 seated rows up watching from far away. This has the effect of removing you from the action, and once you've been that close, it's hard not to experience the vastness of the Studio theater as being a bit impersonal. Also, the WDW version has several changes to it, the most evident is that the Peter Pan battle aboard the moving Columbia has been replaced by a Pocahontas stunt show on a stationary stage. The Disneyland version is far more kinetic, simply because it takes place on a moving ship. Frankly, it's also nice to see 2 Disneyland icons -- the Mark Twain and Columbia -- used to such great effect in the Disneyland show, whereas WDW has completely eliminated the Columbia (probably as a cost-cutting measure) and build a bare bones version of the steamboat. Now the good news; the WDW Fantasmic still does keep the spirit of the Disneyland show. Most of the effects are left intact. It's still an exciting story that utilizes to great effect our familiarity with and love of Disney stories. Try to line up early to sit closer to the front.
If this is a part of your length of stay pass, by all means then check it out. I'm not sure I'd ever pay separate admission for it though. Granted, it's themed well, and there are some interesting attractions here. My particular favorites were the river raft ride, the remote control jeeps, and Ride the Comix. But I also felt a bit claustrophobic somehow. The facilities are entirely enclosed, and the layout is somewhat confusing even with a map. Although there's no money changing hands, it almost has a Las Vegas like casino feel to it that I'm not real happy with. I once read Disney's intent for Boardwalk was to test the waters for gambling on the property, and thank goodness they haven't gone through with it yet.
We have to ride them at least once on our infrequent trips to WDW. It's always a thrill on the MK to TTC direct line to ride straight through the Contemporary lobby. That never grows old. When possible, ask for a seat up with the driver.
I love using these boats to get to the MK hotels. Much more fun and scenic than the buses, or even the monorails. Service is always personable.
This ride is a must-do for every trip to the Magic Kingdom. Why? Well, there's nothing really rational for my love of this ride. It's not particularly exciting, it's slow, not very smooth. I guess it's just nostalgic for me. I live near Anaheim, and they ditched the Peoplemover here for the Rocket Rods which they don't even have anymore, so now the old track still stand in the middle of Tomorrowland completely abandoned. It's nice to still see it in operation at WDW, even if no one goes on it.
I kinda like the WDW Railroad better than the original Disneyland one. Although Disneyland's Grand Canyon Diorama and Primeval World are always fun, they always seemed out of place to me, even as a kid. I like that WDW's railroad is just a nice train ride around the park.
I understand that Pooh basically takes place in the imagination of a boy, but this ride still doesn't seem to fit into Fantasyland. I think Fantasyland is more about fairy tales, and Pooh doesn't really fit that mold (neither does Mickey's Philharmagic, which would have gone much better in Toontown, but I digress...). At any rate, this is still a decent dark ride addition. Before my 1st time on this ride, I had read there are a bit too many painted plywood cutouts where there should be bold 3 dimensional sets. That's true, but I really didn't notice all that much, and in my opinion it doesn't really detract from the charm of the ride, and the scenes flow together pretty well. I remember just as many plywood pieces on Mr. Toad, so it doesn't seem like such a big deal to me.
This is my favorite resturant in any of the parks, it is the best! I'm a passholder and I have to go to this place every couple of months, just fabulous...
We had lunch at Rose & Crown for the first time in July. Boy have we been missing out! We tried the Cottage Pie, Chicken Pasty and Fish & Chips. All three meals were fabulous. Our waitress was so friendly, making jokes and providing us the recipes for our food! The portions are HUGE. I was so full but didn't want to stop eating. We didn't try dessert, but it looked good when I saw it going by. We ate inside because it was raining, and it was very warm and cozy. I felt like I was in an English pub. I can't wait to go back
If you've ever passed by and wondered should you give it a try....the answer is YES! The food is really good. The rotisserie chicken is a change for counter service and it's so darn good comparable to Pollo Tropical (if you've ever dined there). The Garlic Mash Potatoes are excellant and I ate mine and my girlfriends. She loved the veggies but she did mention they needed more salt. Overall, it was a great experiance and we will def. eat at Tuskers again.
I had breakfast at the Crystal Palace on my birthday Oct 10th and LOVED it sooooo much that the day after my birthday i called to make PS for breakfast again! Our waiter was so excited and friendly and really made my day special. I hugged him with tears in my eyes after our meal. The characters were very attentive and visited our table often. The food is yummy with a wide selection of foods for EVERYONE! For a buffet the price was great and the food was hot...all the time! Def. my favorite restaurant in WDW! I loved it!!!!!
All the buses ran smoothly, except for the MK. We stayed at the Pop Century, so we had to walk the farthest. We decided to drive next time for the MK. It gets ugly at closing time. People pushing, passing others. We waited over an hour for a bus. And we even sat at a bench for 20 minutes! And watch out if you're standing! Some drivers don't know how to use their brakes properly, and can sling you to the ground, so hold on tight!
This was the best place we eat at during our stay. We eat there twice!!! The breadsticks are good, the appetizers, the steaks. I had the chocolate whiskey cake one day and the raspberry sorbet the next time, two words, flippin sweet!!!!!!! We had lunch both times, couldn't get dinner reservations. I'm so glad that we got the chance to eat there. I'm def going back next time!
I had fun. I just expected more at the buffet. They had good food, just not enough variety. The desserts were really good. The characters came around twice and was really fun. The mashed potatoes are really good. And try the bread pudding w/ Bailey's Irish Creme. Excellent!
I really enjoyed the food here! I ordered off the menu, instead of the all-you-can-eat deal. I had a grilled chicken sandwich, I can't remember what it was called, but it was really good. My aunt had the all-u-can-eat and she really didn't like it. I had some of it and I liked it. The banana dessert was awesome! We weren't seated in the main dining room, but that was ok. We enjoyed listening to the things that went on in the main didng area. The waitress was really nice too. I give it two thumbs up.
We stayed here 09/29-10/04. The rooms were small, but that didn't bother us. We got around just fine. The food court was always crowded, but they have great breakfast and Italian dishes. The pool was nice. We stayed in the 60's building on the right, room 4268. It was located in front of the kiddie pool. Not a whole lot of noise, from the outside. I'm not going to stay at another value resort again. I'd rather save my money and spend more on the moderate or deluxe. We heard everything in the other room next to us. We heard the wake-up call every morning, and I even heard the guy coughing!!!!! I value my sleep, and I didn't get a whole lot with all the noise going on. If you're a heavy sleeper and don't mind some noise, this is the place for the $. I have nothing bad to say. I just won't stay there again because of the thin walls. But I did have a blast and I'm glad I stayed.
I'm in agreement that they needed to update the show. However, I think New Management was a big let down. Not that it wasn't a great idea, Iago and Zazu taking over sounded like it'd be a lot of fun. But the problem is in the execution. See, one of the things that makes audio-animatronic shows from Walt's time more classic is that they all had original tunes -- Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow, It's A Small World, Yo Ho A Pirate's Life, etc, even if it's true those attractions contained a lot of non-original songs. New Management features no new songs at all. In fact, if the point of the show, as Iago screams out, is to show the world the Tiki Birds are hip, then why do they belt out only remakes with slightly modified lyrics? On top of that, they're OLD songs. That Buster Poindexter song "Hot, Hot, Hot" was at least 10 yrs old by the time New Management debuted, and the 2 Gloria Estefan songs even older. So much for hip. It just felt like without a new song, they weren't even trying on this one. It just felt cheap. On a better note, I loved the wit of the two agents, Morris and William, from the preshow. Very clever.
I prefer the old Swiss Family Tree House in Orlando to the new Tarzan Tree House in Anaheim. While Tarzan is done up well enough, and there's a nice animatronic baby elephant at the end, I think there's more charm to the Swiss Family. Since there's no cartoon characters to focus on here, there's more attention to the details like the names of the books, or the various artifacts in each of the rooms.
This is my favorite "mountain" attraction at the Magic Kingdom. I really think this is the perfect blend of a thrill ride and a traditional audio-animatronic attraction. It's got one of the steepest, longest waterfalls of any ride in the world for thrills, plus the fall in the middle of the ride that is more like a dip. There are animatronic animals everwhere, and the story is quite cohesive if you're listening to the lyrics. This is one thrill ride that meets you on all levels.
This is a pretty good "mad mouse" style roller coaster that uses similar technology to the Matterhorn. It doesn't feel quite as smooth as the Anaheim Space Mountain, but it's track layout is better. I hope it gets the same makeover that the Anaheim version recently got for the 50th anniversary.
Count your blessings, this ride is far better than the one we have out in Anaheim. Better for one reason only -- the ending. In Anaheim, the ride ends with the scene of the 7 Dwarves trying to get to the Witch who is standing above the ride vehicle trying to knock a large rock onto you. There's a flash of light, and then BOOM you're outside looking at the exit and riding past a sign that reads "And they lived happily ever after." Huh? There is absolutely no conclusion here. In Orlando, the addition of the scene with Prince Charming kissing Snow White gives you what is sorely lacking from the original.
This and the Haunted Mansion are truly classic Disney rides in design, theming, atmosphere, detail, and especially storytelling. It will be interesting to see the upgrades intended to integrate aspects of the 3 Johnny Depp films.
This is probably the best of the Fantasyland dark rides. I've always attributed it's popularity to the fact the ride vehicles hang off their track, while the other dark rides feature ride vehicles on the ground, just like any other ride. After all, who doesn't want to feel like they're flying?
Here I go again, comparing things to Disneyland's versions... The Disneyland Toontown is much better than the Magic Kingdom's. Granted, MK's came 1st, and I believe was intended more as a temporary set up, so it was planned and built quite quickly. But while all the elements are there indoors, those darn tents that they're housed in just gives no atmosphere at all. The Disneyland Toontown facades should be the model for a much needed makeover of the MK Toontown.
I love this film. It's light on 3-D effects and big on story and love of Disney animation. It takes the some of the best segments of Disney films and ties them together with the thread of Donald searching for a very important missing object. They could have done a bit more with the design of the actual theater and the queue however. I also wish they'd have animated this with hand drawn cells instead of computer. But I suppose if Disney is switching to computers only these days, then the truth is they've done a pretty decent job on this one. This is one of their best recent efforts.
It's hard for me not to compare the Magic Kingdom rides to their Disneyland counterparts since I grew up with Disneyland. I do enjoy this version a bit better than the Disneyland version. Basically, I like the addition of the cave at the end of the MK version. DL doesn't have this.
Although so many folks find the song irritating by virtue of it's repetition, the song itself cannot be denied it's classic status not only amongst Disney songs, but within the world of music in general. While the Magic Kingdom's version is not quite as effective as the Disneyland version, this is an effective copy.
This attraction is great in just about every aspect, the theming, design, storytelling, animatronics, effects, atmosphere. There are details everywhere and each time there's something new you didn't notice before. The preshow is probably the most famous of all Disney attractions, and there's even a nice post show touch ("hurry baaa-aaack..."). The ghost effects are still effective even by today's standards. This is a classic.
This is one of those shows for the die hard Disney fan. The animatronics and detailing are a sight to behold. As an actual show, it may not be something you necessarily need to see with every trip to the Magic Kingdom, but this show deserves to be seen at least once. This is Disney's America at it's patriotic best.
The friendships are too slow of a way to get people from there resorts to Epcot or The Studios, it is not an efficient way to get around. to get from Epcot to The Studios takes over a half an hour, which shoud take 10 Min tops.
I've always liked this show better than the newer "Vacation Hoedown" show at Disneyland. The Disneyland show is disjointed, the songs don't always fit the theme, and it's weird to see Country Bears singing the Beach Boys or Gene Kelly, or Country Bears dressed in Las Vegas Elvis jackets, or snorkels and inflatable inner tubes. I mention Disneyland's version because that show renewed my appreciation for the original Magic Kingdom show, where it's a straightforward country/western variety show, with country/western songs and country/western costumes. And what can you say about Blood On The Saddle - it's timeless.
I love the old animatronic shows like this one. This is how they used to do it. While I like societal & cultural changes in taste, it's a shame this type of storytelling is considered dated, because there's so much nostalgic charm in something like this. Although it's future is uncertain, I appreciate Disney's attempts to update it, featuring a new preshow video explaining the shows historical relevance as it relates to Walt Disney himself, and I like the updated dialogue better than the original, especially the running joke about specifics technological improvements to the same types of household chores, each update building onto the next era's (show scene's) update. Probably only a ride for those who appreciate the nostalgia.
Great idea for a dark ride to make it interactive. Essentially, this is a combination dark ride and shooting gallery where you shoot at various designated targets along the ride's path. A direct hit causes a reaction from an animatronic, much the way a hit in a shooting gallery causes a response. It's kind of a cheap looking ride, but the gun element is extremely fun, and warrants repeat ridings on the same day. The guest photos are funnier than you'd expect, with sometimes pained looks of concentration on the rider's faces. Although the Disneyland version is a bit better, the Magic Kingdom features the original version.
A well-themed coaster infused with bits of Disney humor here and there (guy in bathtub, flooded town, etc). It's probably the least thrilling of the 3 "mountains" at the Magic Kingdom, but the detail can be elaborate and communicates an environment of thrilling possibilities that makes up for any perceived lack of thrills produced by the track layout itself.
Overall, I like this attraction. The show itself is a bit gruesome by Disney standards, even if it is only implied. It's not something you'd expect at a Disney theme park, perhaps more in the style of Universal. But the thrill is undeniable, featuring some of the more creative storytelling effects to date (at least for that time). The preshow where SIR fries the poor alien is quite mean spirited, and really the only aspect of the attraction I really had any problem with. It's in the delivery of the SIR character, who is written and animated as more of a bully than anything else. A bully with no remorse and no retribution, very un-Disney like if you ask me.
This was our first experience with a Disney Resort, and we were so pleased with our accommodations. The room was great since we have a BIG little Toy Story fan. The dining area was noisy, but would please most palettes. The best part of the hotel is by far the Mousekeeping team because each day we had a new surprise for our little one by how they had arranged her toys. It was very welcoming after a long day at the parks. We would highly recommend this value to everyone with little ones.
If you're a tourist (as opposed to local) and not planning on going anywhere but WDW while in Orlando, then taking the buses are the way to go for us. WDW buses are as efficient as any city bus system. Keep in mind, this doesn't mean that you won't have to wait for the bus to show up, and the length of time it takes to get to your destination will be longer than if you take your own car due to possible multiple bus stops, and the fact that buses just plain drive slower than cars. I'm always surprised at how WDW guests seem to think that because this is WDW that somehow the bus system should be different than your local city buses. They complain that they have to get off one bus and transfer to another to get to their destination. Yes I agree that is inconvenient, but again, anyone who has ever taken a city bus will know this is pretty common. Anyway, I'll take the waiting anyday compared to the stress of driving myself, bothering with road maps, making sure I turn into the right parking lot, etc. I'm a tourist, so I'm not that familiar with the roads. So I have to wait for the next bus because I didn't get on the first one. That's OK so long as I'm not driving. After all, I'm on my vacation!
In addition to the decent ride, I've always loved the Stave Church exhibit. It's the tiny building in the front of the pavilion that most people either skip or rush through when they realize you're gonna have to read stuff. I personally think it's one of those nice detail touches throughout Disney theme parks. I find the exhibit to be a fascinating look at Norways religious influences. It's also interesting to note how religion influenced the actual design of the churches, not just in how it is decorated, but in how it is structurally designed. On a different note, my wife got a great thrill last year when visiting this pavilion. We got off the ride and went into the store. Toward the end of the store, she noticed a familiar scent, and realized they were selling the same perfume she had bought and worn exclusively for our wedding. She ended up happily explaining this to one of the cast members. As it turned out, even though the man had a name tag, he was not a cast member (and was not wearing a cast member costume). He was in fact the actual creator of the perfume, who was there from Norway for several days promoting his perfumes. He graciously gave my wife a free bottle of the perfume, Leila, and signed it, gave her a signed headshot, and took a picture with her. That made her day.
While I wish that every pavilion had a ride or show, I guess I don't mind it when they don't. Japan was supposed to get Meet the World for a while, then they were supposed to get a Mt. Fuji roller coaster, but that rumor's been around for years. Oh well. One of the things I really appreciate is that the exhibits here aren't just historical. The last one we saw was about Japanese toys, and someone else mentioned the one about baseball. I think it's great they do things on the fascinating world of Japanese pop culture. It used to be that all things American were a huge influence on Japanese pop culture, but these days the reverse is slowly happening where it's Japan having an influence on American youth -- increasing anime style cartoons, Japanese baseball players, fashion (think Gwen Stefani's song Harjuku Girls), etc. I even heard a song the other day on the local top 40 station that was sung entirely in Japanese.
This is the best 360 film at Epcot. It benefits from a filmed narrator (who by the way has very refined and stately speaking skills), rather than an unseen one as in O Canada and Impressions de France. I've read social commentary before that said this film is lacking because it fails to address the current Communist regime, but it's too bad these folks let politics get in the way of appreciation for beauty of the Chinese culture and landscape (though I can understand if a Chinese native has something to say about this). This is a truly a majestic film that captures the spirit of it's people and the magnificence of it's terrain.
I love this show. It incorporates a few films, some great technology with a moving theater that breaks up into ride vehicles, and some cool animatronics. Ellen DeGeneres is not everyone's cup of tea apparently, but I think she's pretty funny in this show. I love that Alex Trebek plays it straight, and Jamie Lee Curtis is perfect as "Stupid Judy." The two films in the theater have fantastic special effects and animation, and the entire storyline is Imagineering at its best.
If you never see this, you're not missing anything. Having said that, grading it on it's own merits for what it is, it's actually a pretty good film w/ Martin Short doing a back-to-the-future, seeing his parents when they were younger, seeing when he was born, etc. Directed by Glen Gordon Caron (TV's Moonlighting), it deals with sex tastefully, and doesn't get too scientific.
I don't get it. Half these reviews complain about the missing Sea Cabs and how they were the best thing about the pavilion. I mean, I miss them too, and it definitely played a part in building anticipation toward the climax of Sea Base Alpha, but it was only like a minute and a half long, and in-and-of-itself all it did was take you past the big fish tank which (once you exit the ride) you end up being able to stand in front of it for however long you wished anyway. How is observing the fish tank on a ride any better than observing the fish tank by standing in front of it? If anything, standing there is better, because you're able to take your time and watch, the same way you'd do it at the Maharajah trail at Animal Kingdom. Needless to say, I enjoy this pavilion. It's more than a big fish tank, it's supposed to be the largest salt water tank in the world or something like that. Although it's a bit degenerated over the years, the sea life is still amazing, especially those giant turtles. Some of the other areas are in need of rehab or update, but I hear Turtle Talk is a nice edition - I hope it's at least somewhat educational.
This is the kind of show I wish we had more of at Epcot. There are a lot of stories to be told at World Showcase, and I think this type of show can do it justice. Anyway, amazing animatronics aside, this show does a good job of craming 200 years of history into 20 minutes. A lot of folks have written about how it Disneyfies a lot of the darker periods in US history or omits them from the animatronic part of the show such as Vietnam and the civil rights movement, but what are you going to do? I've got my own list of events I think should have been mentioned, but it's only 20 minutes long, something's gonna get cut. At least MLK gets acknowledged in the montage at the end. This is a decidedly pro-American show in a short period of time, so you're really only going to get the happy highlights.
Though I never miss this ride, I do feel it's a bit overrated as a thrill ride. The only real thrill is the charge around the outside of the building at the end. Everything inside is more like a dark ride, and the parts that are supposed to be thrilling like the mountain curves and the brake testing are quite tame. Still, I enjoy it for what it is, and they obviously put a lot of money into developing this one. The queue is actually the best part of this attraction which actually explains a lot of the R & D that goes into developing a car.
This is the last great animatronic ride left at Epcot. Horizons and World of Motion are gone, the original Journey Into Imagination gone (though I admittedly never went on it). Universe of Energy is still up, but the dinosaur segment is just a part of the overall experience. A while back, they were going to try to gut Spaceship Earth of the original ride and put in a thrill ride. As it turned out, the structural integrity of the sphere would have been compromised as the ride itself helps support the sphere from collapsing, so they ditched the idea. While I'm sure the new ride would have been good, I'm really glad they kept the old one, because it's one of my favorite dark rides. The theme is the evolving of human communication, and it's quite appropriate for the interior of a structure meant to symbolize our planet itself. As the Epcot icon(or "weenie" in Disney-speak), I appreciate that this ride really ties in together all the themes of the various pavillions (or used to anyway) and the underlying implications of World Showcase. If nothing else, it's nice to see animatronics old-school style. Not that there's anything wrong w/ more recent animatronic technology, but it's fun in a retro sort of way.
This is for the most part a solid thrill ride. I don't think it's the best, Dinosaur and Rock N' Roller Coaster are still tops for me. But Mission: Space is pretty good overall. Obviously the G's are what everyone talks about. The G's are actually not as strong as what you experience on Rock N' Roll, but they're sustained over a much longer period of time rather than the short burst that is Rock N' Roll's launch. The training camp idea works, and the storyline in the ride itself is typical Disney -- everything is routine until (oh no) something goes awry -- but exciting in the moment. My only complaint about the ride was that the animation on the viewscreen is not realistic, but kinda cartoony. Maybe that's how a real training simulator is, but I guess I expected something more like the Star Tours film.
It's a decent ride with fun troll animatronics that could have been a bit more cohesive in it's storytelling. The ride itself could have been a bit longer, while the movie at the end could have been a bit shorter, or done away with completely, as it is probably the only film at any Disney theme park that was not remotely interesting. I always feel embarrassed for the poor CM's introducing the film because half the people walk straight from the ride past the theater and out the exit. Then again, I'm one of the folks skipping the film so I can't really say anything.
Most people hear about this ride and think "BORING!!" myself included. But Birnbaums, the Unofficial Guide, and a couple other books said not to let the description fool you, and guess what? They were right. Obviously, this is not a particularly thrilling ride, the beginning scenes are scaled down sets, and it's nothing you want to take your kids on for sure. But the beginning is effective enough at drawing you in, and the 2 greenhouses are really quite amazing with what they have accomplished there, you know, vegetables growing without soil and all that. For the extreme Disney fan, I really believe this ride captures the essence of what Walt Disney had originally intended for Epcot. Not Epcot the theme park, but E.P.C.O.T. the city. While a lot of what was written about the different advanced technology that would have been used citywide, I can picture that the advanced farming technology featured in this ride were things that would have been used on the city's outskirts. The lines are usually pretty long (pre-Soarin' days anyway), but it's worth the wait to go at least once.
We visited Artist Point Sept. 28, 2005. We had a 6pm res on a Wednesday night, and the restaurant was half full. Very quiet, very few children, exceptionally romantic and upscale. I ordered a beef filet med rare that I could cut with my fork and brought tears to my eyes. It was the best meal we had all week. Our server was friendly, unobtrusive, and knowledgeable about the menu and wine list. We had dined at the California Grill two nights before, and I enjoyed Artist Point much more. A hidden gem!
Never been on the original or 2nd version, only the 3rd. It's cheap looking, a bit noisy at one point, but occasionally cute. I like Eric Idle as Nigel Channing both here and in the 3D movie next door. I don't have much of an attachment to Figment, and with no point of reference to how bad the 2nd version of this ride supposedly was, I can only say that on the whole, this is a mediocre ride at best.
I've never been a fan of Innoventions. Been to the one at Disneyland as well. What's the point? Most of the technology is really not all that advanced, and if your a geek like me you probably heard about it from one of your geek friends already or read about it on the net or magazine somewhere. Most theme park fans know Innoventions was Paul Pressler's baby that got him 1st noticed by Eisner, because it was an attraction that they didn't have to spend any of their own money on - they just got the different vendors to pay the money for their own displays. It's one big giant occasionally interesting string of commercials.
I don't know what the big deal is. Birnbaum's said this was the best Epcot movie, and I disagree. China 1st, Canada 2nd, France 3rd, Norway 4th. I think I liked the pre-show exhibit more than the film.
This is another one of those hidden Disney gems that you can easily miss. Nothing great, just a nice little surprise. Granted, the eye sore of an entrance is hard to miss, but once you're inside the ice cave, it's fun and freezing. The main draw of course is the free samples of soda from around the world. A couple of those sodas are plain terrible, but it doesn't matter if you don't like what you try, the point of it is to have fun trying it. My wife and I never miss it.
Most people rank It's Tough To Be A Bug as the best WDW 3D experience, but I prefer this one, as well as Mickey's Philharmagic. Bug was made for the two purposes of promoting the Pixar film (as per command from Eisner himself) and exploiting 3D and other in-your-face effects. Granted, while any 3D film is to exploit it's effects, the thing that sets Honey apart is that the effects are decently integrated into a storyline where 1 segment (character driven I might add) builds onto the next. Whereas in Bug, the 1st 2 bugs featured are there solely for the purposes of demonstrating an effect, and once they're gone from the stage, that's it. I'm probably thinking too much about it, but that was my gut reaction after 1st seeing Bug, and it made my appreciation for Honey that much more.
This movie about technology's impact on the environment is a bit preachy, but an important theme that mixed well w/ the pre-Soarin pavilion, and told well enough. The theater is just an ordinary movie theater with no preshow or themed queue. See it once, but probably not worth a repeat.
My favorite theme played during the fountain show is the exciting Rescuers Down Under theme. My favorite place to sit back an watch the fountain is outside the Electric Umbrella on an uncrowded weekday, sitting eating my burger and fries. You never want to set something up like this as being such a big deal, because it really isn't. It's just one of those nice things Disney does that if you have the time, it's nice to stop and take it in.
I like the films from the Wonder Cycles enough to give it an overall rating of "good." The camera goes into places obviously not accessible to a real bike, so it's fun to watch even if you're not the rider.
I've read enough negative reviews of this ride on various travel guides, that when I actually rode it, it wasn't that bad. Guess I was set up to expect much worse. I think everyone'e problem with it is that from the opening scene past the temple and restaurant, it looks like you might get something in the spirit of Pirates of the Carribean. But you don't get that. What you do get are some uneventfully pleasant scenes that amount to a tour book of Mexico. I don't mind riding this at all when there are no lines.
I don't care how dated this show looks, or how little money they obviously spent on it, I still think it's absolutely fabulous. Don't miss the preshow cartoon that sets up the plot of the main show. The storyline is cute, clever, and full of laughs. This is one show I can see over and over again. I'm highly disappointed by it's rumored closure.
This is a great idea for a ride, love Tim Matheson who plays the captain. However, I've never been more sick on any other ride than this one, so it's really hard for me to judge it fairly. This ride uses the same simulators as on Star Tours, and yet I never get sick on Star Tours. The motion on Body Wars is far worse. There's something about the physical movement generated by the idea that your vehicle is pretty much out of control and at the mercy of the body fluid currents. Half the time you're supposedly moving backwards. It all just made for an extremely unpleasant trip. The only WDW ride I refuse to go on.
The ratings here don't really do it justice. Granted, it's just an ordinary changing exhibit, but for a movie buff like me, you don't care about things like theming and storyline. All you care about is the movie props on display behind the glass cases. I've only been here once, and the props I saw are long gone, but it was very cool to see an actual Kermit and Robin posed on actual sets from Muppet Christmas Carol. The marionettes used in The Sound of Music were displayed. The best part was seeing the one of the actual 6-foot tall Terminator skeletons.
This is a pleasant relaxing diversion. The theming is well done, and it's interesting to see some of the backstage areas like where the animals from the safari actually sleep at night. On the flip side, I'm not sure why this ride is here to begin with. I guess it's supposed to convey a sense of going from onstage areas to offstage, offstage being your train's destination -- Rafiki's Planet Watch (originally named Conservation Station) where you learn what goes on behind the scenes at Animal Kingdom. But I don't know why we couldn't just walk there. I hated having to wait 15 minutes for a train going 1 way only with no narration. And frankly while Rafiki's is a decent attraction, is not worth the total 30 minute wait (both ways). You're essentially queing up twice for a kid's museum.
This is based on what was there in '99. I hear some things have changed since then... While not the most exciting thing in the park, it can be interesting and fascinating. It's not much to look at both outside an in, and has a kid's museum like feel to it. Nevertheless, I like being able to see the food the animals eat including the grubs (must be a guy thing). I like the animal cams. Although we didn't see any animals in the medical exam rooms, the idea is pretty cool. I even liked the video segments on endangered species. You kinda just have to expect that it's mostly for education, and then you might have a good time.
I have to admit I had more fun on this than I thought I would. But the thrills are purely from the coaster design itself, not the theming. I really don't like the theme of the entire area to begin with. Seriously, there's nothing special about this place. Nothing elevates it beyond an actual "roadside carnival" that it tries to emulate. The Disney publicity machine states the theme of the ride itself is the dinosaur extinction, but it really is just a ordinary ride w/ cardboard cutouts. I've read from time to time guests say we should grade it for what it was intended to be and in that sense it succeeds. I agree with this, but on the other hand, I don't like what it was intended to be to begin with. So there you are. A disappointment.
At a regular zoo, you'll walk along an ordinary concrete road lined with cages or individual themed habitats that have a few rocks, tree stumps, some patches of grass. Disney designs circles around the typical zoo experience by theming the areas between the habitats as if you are really somewhere in the wild (yeah, of course the concrete road is still there, but it's windy like an actual trail). The habitats themselves are better designed and far more lush than the dirt and rocks at the zoo. The highlight are the gorillas, although they tend to blend in with their environment a bit and need a bit of patience to spot.
At a regular zoo, you'll walk along an ordinary concrete road lined with cages or individual themed habitats that have a few rocks, tree stumps, some patches of grass. Disney designs circles around the typical zoo experience by theming the areas between the habitats as if you are really somewhere in the wild (yeah, of course the concrete road is still there, but it's windy like an actual trail). The habitats themselves are better designed and far more lush than the dirt and rocks at the zoo. Don't forget to stop by the bat house where you can see the bats without a barrier between you and the bat.
This is the main reason to go to Animal Kingdom. This is Imagineering at it's best (and there are hardly any animatronics!). The landscaping is beautiful, there are many different areas of the safari with different animals, there's an interesting storyline thrown in RE poachers that involve the few animatronics in the ride. When Walt Disney was designing the original Jungle Cruise for Disneyland, he wanted live animals, but was advised against it because they would mainly hide during the day and guests wouldn't be able to see any. Kilimanjaro Safaris is the realization of the original intention for the Jungle Cruise. The methods of keeping the animals from hiding are fascinating, including hiding most of their food in visible areas so that the animals are trained to look where the safaris can see, and air conditioning in certain rocks. The Imagineers keep the animals in their designated areas (so none of them get eaten by others) by hidden barriers like ditches, or chain link on the ground (animals won't cross this for some reason). The whole thing is really amazing. The only thing that may vary your experience is how enthusiastic your driver is, or maybe how good a day they're having. I can't speak to comments that the ride is better in the early morning -- I've never ridden it anytime but then.
One of our favorite places to eat! Even our picky eaters found things they loved. My 8 yr loved the chicken Schnitzel among other things. Wish they didn't cook the weiners in kraut...OK for me but kids weren't thrilled. And for those of us who like to try new things, there were plenty of choices. The entertainment was fun, but they could have gotten the audience invloved more. Our server was excellent and very friendly. We enjoyed talking to him about his homeland. Recommend putting the vanilla sauce on the apple strudel! Also, try the different sauces for the meats,yum! Everyone left very full. My 64 yr Dad said it was the best meal at Disney. Rec. a late lunch Ressie, get the cheaper lunch price but this much food covers lunch and dinner. Plus, the buffet is continuous, so you don't have to worry about them putting everything away.
While I know a lot of people have had great experiences here, we are not one of them. We ate dinner here one night in August. I thought the menu choices to be slim. When I ordered a sandwhich, I requested something be left off. The cashier looked at me and said "But that is how it comes.". I commented since they make them fresh, couldn't they omit something. It was a big hassel. When we did get our food, it was just not very good. I left most of it uneaten. The kids did seem to enjoy theirs, though. But it was not a hit with the aduls. There were also many dirty tables, and while the place was not very busy, it was hard to find a place to sit due to the mess. While the A/C was nice, I would not go here again. I hope we just got them on a bad night.
We were horribly disappointed in this resort during our stay in July. We were so far away from the main building that we only saw the main building the day we rented a car to go to Sea World. We were never able to use the main pool or the cafeteria because they were a 20 minute walk away. The worst part, though, was the attitude we received from the cast members. When we checked in and told the bellman that we werestaying in the Paddock, his response was "You can't be. The building's not open." Our lock died one night, and it was after midnight by the time the locksmith got there. The front desk's response was "What do you want us to do?" The hallway outside our room flooded one night, causing water to spill into our room and damage a suitcase. The response? "Don't leave a suitcase near the door." I'm sure the resort will be nice when it's finished, but if I wanted to look a bulldozers and construction work, I would have stayed home.
I got the Strawberry Flavor Burst, and let me say that it was definitely missing the "burst". I couldn't even taste the strawberry at all, even when I ate only the parts with strawberry. It's just like vanilla soft serve. I haven't had the other flavors so i'm not sure if they're any better, but in my opinion if you want strawberry, get a Strawberry Swirl at Enchanted Grove in the MK.
Though I rated several categories "good," I feel overall this ride was just average. It's basically not much different from any other river raft ride. I have 2 conflicting thoughts. On the one hand, there isn't much to see. A lot of lush trees, and a scene where they're all burned down. On the other hand, I'm not sure I would have really noticed if there was more to see, you spend most of the time wondering when the raft is going to turn your back to the water so the next splash nails you. Maybe that's why there isn't much to see, no one pays much attention anyway. The theme of deforestation is a bit of a grim subject to be surrounded by while you're excitedly screaming after getting doused. A little bit of an odd mix.
I almost didn't see this show b/c of a negative review I once read in a travel book. But we had time, and the show was just about to start. The banter between the two trainers was cheesy but fun and they actually had a cute chemistry. They hadn't done the show so much that they'd lost their enthusiasm or surrendered to underlying cynicism. The birds were beautiful and majestic. I saw a similar show w/ birds and other animals @ Universal using several similar stunts and jokes, but because the Disney version was better themed and better performed, I prefer this one.
Probably the best live show at WDW. Incorporates several floats from the Disneyland Lion King parade. It's been several years since I last saw it, but as I recall, it's not really the story of the Lion King, but like the title implies, more of a festival. There's a lot of energy here.
In most polls, Tower of Terror and Rock 'N Roller Coaster seem to win for biggest thrill, but I think Dinosaur may be the best ride out there for sheer intensity. It's actually quite relentless in places, especially the end. A ride doesn't have to be fast to be thrilling, and Dinosaur is not fast. Rather, what makes this ride so intense is not purely the physical movements of the ride vehicles as in Tower and Rock 'N Roller, but in the animatronics combined w/ the vehicle's motion. While I believe the ride is too dark in places (to hide the fact there's nothing but black walls instead of props), several of the dinosaurs are quite scary. My wife pretty much hid her face the last third of the ride. Some have complained this is the noisiest ride ever, and it's true they could turn the volume down just a bit. On the other hand, the loud volume only adds to the sense of chaos, so in my book, that's generally a plus.
It's kinda misleading to refer to this attraction as a "trail" since the other 2 trails (Maharajah & Pangani) in Animal Kingdom are significantly longer, better themed, & have a ton more of animals to see. You're barely getting started when it ends. This is a poor man's version of a Disney's Animal Kingdom trail.
As this is the most recent 3D show built @ WDW, it has the best effects. Hopper is an animatronic wonder to behold. The theming is pretty well done, and the attraction posters in the lobby are clever. Although the other reviewers here all gave "excellent" ratings for storyline, I found the storyline lacking. It's meant to be a variety show, so it's a bunch of individual segments loosely strung together. In this way, the show seems like a big excuse to throw a bunch of 3D and other effects in your face. I suppose that's the point of 3D. But compared to something like Honey I Shrunk the Audience where each segment builds onto the next and the effects are an extension of the story, you don't notice the effects for the effects themselves. In Bug however, the 1st 2 bugs (stink bug, acid bug) are simply there to showcase the effect and build towards pretty much nothing later. Maybe I'm thinking too much, it's just a show, but that was my initial gut response the 1st time I saw it. It's also worth mentioning that a couple kids were crying due to the intensity, one of them left the theater during the show.
It's enjoyable once, but compared to Universal's tram, this tour is just a little too short for me. They really dropped the ball on this one in comparison to the Universal tour. Because the Studio built hardly any sound stages for actual filming, they just could never attract production companies to film there, and they rarely got any new sets or props to put on display when the filming was over. Consequently, there's not much to see here, and every several years the tour gets shorter. This year I hear that w/ the new automobile stunt show, they shortened the backstage tram even more. At least w/ Universal's tram, they periodically build new animatronic presentations like King Kong into the tour. Disney hasn't added anything like this ever. When the highlight of the tram is seeing the small plane Walt Disney used to scout locations for WDW, then you know something is missing.
This is a review of the older show, back when the Studio still had an actual animation department. It's really a shame they axed them. With respect to the attraction itself, it sort of defeats the whole purpose of having the attraction in the first place. I mean, the whole point is to see the animators at work (which is why you had to go during regular working hours to see any). I really appreciated seeing them at work. The Robin Williams / Walter Cronkite film is funny and enjoyable.
One of the best thrill rides at any theme park. The drops are thrilling even if you're in the dark most of the time and can't see the view. The vehicle itself is memorable for being able to move forward horizontally instead of just vertically. The theming is excellent throughout the hotel and the effects are pretty good. As a Twilight Zone story, there's not much of a point to it, at least not in spirit of the old TV show with it's moralistic overtones, but it's cohesive enough. Definitely merits numerous repeat visits.
It's nice to see a traditional audio animatronics attraction done decently. I expected to be a little bit more immersed in the action - the large vehicle size sorta prevents this - but this will do. The interaction w/ your tour guide is clever and surprising for the 1st time rider. The film montage at the end of the ride is kinda lame and it's a shame they chose to use so many Touchstone films that were hits, but not breakouts and certainly not significant films. The previews in the queue were a great tribute to the films in the ride.
Not a great show, silly story, and although it incorporates new technology (3D sound), it really has nothing to do with the movie making process the way the old sound show w/ Martin Short did. In that older show, you got your general education on sound in the movies. With Drew Carey, you just get a display of the technology without the explanation. This attraction is probably only fun if you're a Drew Carey fan like me. In real life, he loves WDW, and you can just see him having a great time making this attraction. I like that.
My favorite ride anywhere. The preshow where you meet Aerosmith is actually kinda cute. I did think the coaster's soundstage could have benefitted from more than cardboard cutouts, then again you're going so fast it's a relatively minor annoyance. Experiencing the launch 1st hand for the 1st time is shocking even though you've already watched it several x's before your turn. I love that you could see Steven Tyler's attraction photo on display in the store at the exit, although we couldn't find it last time we went.
I love reading anything about the man himself, Walt Disney, so this exhibit was a dream come true. Granted, I'd seen a lot of these displays at the Reagan Library a couple years ago, but it was great to finally see them somewhere on Disney property. I did wish it could have been a little more interactive, but this exhibit was one of the highlights of of our last WDW trip.
Not a great storyline, and I disliked that the camera wasn't stationary. In other words, it didn't look as if the screen were an actual stage like in Honey I Shrunk the Audience and It's Tough To Be A Bug. Nevertheless, I enjoy anything w/ the Muppets, and I try to see this out in Anaheim as much as I can. SPOILER AHEAD!! -- Favorite line in any attraction; Waldorf "Hey look at the guy w/ the Goofy mask!" Stadler "Uh, that's not a mask." Waldorf "Oh, sorry lady!"
I've only seen this show once. I must've gone on a bad day -- the stuntman performing Indy was terrible. He jogged through each stunt as if he were tired of doing it, no enthusiasm for the part. I realized he probably performed the same thing several times a day, but come on. The storyline itself was fun.
Oops, I'm reviewing the wrong show. Tried to delete it but I can't. Sorry.
Disappointing. I hear pretty good reviews of this show, but I wasn't that impressed. Each song segment in and of themselves were well done, but I thought the storyline was modified a bit too much. Granted I understand there are time constraints when you're in a theater where the temp is 90 degrees, but there you are. I think I was a bit prejudiced by the fact of seeing the very exciting Aladdin show at California Adventure before ever seeing this one.
Hi, I stayed in a 14th floor concierge room facing the magic kingdom, it was excellent!! The service was superior the theming was elegant and the whole experience was pure Disney magic! As we approached the resort we told the security guard we was staying in on the 14th floor and we were then welcomed to the resort. We then went up to the front of the hotel and was welcomed personally by one of the bellmen and we were given free valet parking for one night. We were then taken up to the 14th floor and had a speedy check in and eat and drunk some of the free refreshments. We went to the roo and found we had a mk view! WOW! This was excellent. I would recommend the Contemporary to anyone regardless of what room you sleep in. Hey you are going to be in the parks most of the time so who cares about the room?
This campground is beautiful from the peacocks strolling around to the sparkling shower houses. We camp quite a bit and this campground is truly better than the rest. The pools are nicely heated which I enjoyed, but my husband thought it not refreshing enough in the summer heat. It is a big campground so be sure to either pick a spot near what you want to be within walking distance to (like the ferry or pool) or rent a golf cart. My only issue with this place during our last visit was that our key card wouldn't open the shower house. We had to be issued new ones. Unfortunatly, we didn't find this out until the middle of the night so we all couldn't get into the shower house until my husband had gone up to the office the next morning to have the cards replaced. From now on I will check my key card first thing. We roasted marshmellows and sang songs with Chip and Dale. That was an attraction in itself.
My family loves fettucini alfredo so they were excited to dine here. While the adults enjoyed the pasta, my 2 girls did not think the alfredo sauce tasted like it was supposed to. It is delicious, but it does not taste like an Olive Garden type sauce that my kids are used to. They had more than enough to eat though since I shared lasagna off of my huge platter of food with them. The desserts were gorgeous although we were to full from the huge portions to try any. The beautiful restaurant and cozy atmosphere made for an interesting place to rest for a meal. It was loud, and the server had a hard time reaching or hearing everyone since it was a very long table with its end pushed against the wall and squeezed between a wall partition and another long table of people. I think it is worth eating here once, but I will try all the other restaurants in Epcot before coming back here again.
This is a wonderfully decorated, themed restaurant with comfortable seating in a peaceful atmosphere. I wanted to dine here for the experience of the different foods and the entertainment. I was surprised at how much everyone, including myself, actually liked the taste of the food. The kids had a great time dancing beside the table as the belly dancer did her thing. Our waiter was very patient in explaining items on the menu.
This breakfast was truly magical for our family. It is mighty expensive, but as long as you remember that you are paying for the entire experience rather than just some fruit and french toast, it will seem well worth it. The castle is realistic looking inside with a lovely view overlooking magic kingdom. My husband thought the service was too hurried...like we were being rushed, and he didn't get time to ask for a refill of juice. I was too caught up in the meeting of princesses to notice. The fruit they served was fresh and cold. My kids liked the basket of assorted muffins and croisants. My daughter asked for more sausage and it was quickly brought out. I have heard this advice before and it is worth repeating, don't let the servers make you feel rushed. When you shell out that kind of dough for a meal you have earned your time in the booth. I would definatly have breakfast with Cinderella again; hang the cost. Oh yes, if you have a liitle girl, have her wear a princess costume dress. My 6 year old wore a cinderella dress and all the princesses commented on it. Also, all the cast members said, "Hello, Cinderella." to her all day making her feel quite special.
such a fun hotel it was only been open a few months when we stayed there so it was all new and clean staff were so friendly and the place ad music played everywhere you went i felt like a kid again it was brill
this is such a fun hotel its got everything you need there . it is a very clean hotel and everywhere you go there was music it was really good would recomend big time
We were RIPPED OFF. Milky Way sundae has a bundt. Ours had none. My finace was fine with this. ME, no. This was NOT free on the dining plan. No one said anything and I was left diving through the mass of whip cream that was sneakily added to divert my attentions, in search of the delectable delight only to find the bottom of the bowl. As you can see, I am traumatized. RIP missing bundt cake. Overall Rating: F (not bitter. Honest.)
Love it here. I ordered the Lamb Shawarma Sandwich which is huge, a side of fries, that I couldn’t finish and really didn’t even need, and Baklava. It is delicious. If you like gyros, you will love this sandwich. The Baklava is the same they serve in the restaurant Marrakesh. Overall Rating: A+
My fiance got lunch here one day. He ordered the Shogun Combo (teriyaki chicken, sukiyaki beef and rice). Beware the sukiyaki beef. He expected it to look like teriyaki beef but it looks more like dog food. He didn’t touch it but he did like the teriyaki chicken and he said he’d order there again getting just that. For dessert (you get them free on the dining plan which is why we have one at every meal) he got a ginger cake and he did like it. Not sure what he’d give it overall.
On a recommendation that I got on these boards, I tried an almond covered sweet pretzel. To me, it was just ok. I wouldn’t get one again. But it was worth a try. I don’t think it’s fair to give a grade to something that was good, just not my taste. So I will leave it at that.
I only stopped in here to try the pot stickers (peking dumplings). I was disappointed. They overcooked which made them crunchy and they had the wrong type of dipping sauce. Usually they have a ginger soy dipping sauce but these came with a thick sauce that I’ve seen put on other types of Chinese food. If I’m really craving them, they do taste the same and maybe they’d be cooked better next time, but if this is your dining option, I’d go to Pinocchio’s. Overall Rating: C but I think they may have just had a bad day.
This change is a very very good change. While I still miss the pickles they offered on the bar, I like the new menu, which is Italian. And Figaro Fries are still an option! But we have yet to try them. My fiance, JD, ordered a Pepperoni Pizza, side salad and chocolate cake for dessert. He gave the salad to me but he really liked his meal. He prefers the pizza at Pizzafari only because they cook it better, he likes it well crisped, but it’s the same exact pizza. The chocolate cake was also delicious. I ordered the Italian Sub Sandwich. It was on a Tuscan roll which seemed to be a whole wheat or multigrain roll. It was very filling and I really really liked the taste. If you like Italian subs, it was a smaller version but the same taste. I had a side of fries that I had a couple of and so did JD but we didn’t finish them since there was so much food! One of the cool things about this place is they give rice crispy mickey head treats as a dessert option. I love those!! Overall rating: A+, change is good! (We had the DDP)
If you have skipped this restaurant like I used to, thinking pizza is boring, like I used to do, you are missing out! You can always count on coming here and finding a nice open space to sit. DON’T sit where everyone does, in the first room. Get your food and walk down the hallway to the very last dining room. We have been lucky in both August and December (Christmas week) to find it relatively empty and gleaming with cleanliness. A nice relaxing place to have lunch. My fiancé (JD) ordered the pepperoni pizza and he loved it. He ordered chocolate cake for dessert which was an actual slice of cake and very very good. We also got a side of breadsticks which are garlic and with a bit of cheese baked in and dipping marinade, very tasty. I ordered the Hot Italian Deli Sandwich, it was the most amazing counter service meal I have had on property. It was warm with a hint of pesto, just right. It was also huge on a really weird bread. Which I found out was actually pizza dough. I loved it. In fact, we both loved our meals so much that we went back again later in the week! For dessert I had an apple tart one day of which I only ate the apples, it was ok. And a frozen strawberry lemonade the other. I didn’t care for that much. Overall rating: A+, best counter service meal of the week! I wouldn’t waste my money on the desserts though unless I got the chocolate cake. (We had the DDP)
I have to say, for the price you do get quite a bit of food. I was sufficiently stuffed after this meal. I had to go it alone, my fiance went to the McDonalds in Dinoland haha and came to eat with me down by the river. The one cool thing about this place is that you can sit in so many different seating areas that I didn’t know existed. We were able to sit next to the water and watch the boat with the characters go by. Very cool! I ordered the ½ rack St. Louis Ribs, Corn and Beans. I also got a dessert so I chose the frozen lemonade which was completely melted by the time I was done with my meal. I gave the corn to my fiance who really liked it. The ribs and beans were great, much better than most counter service meals in Disney. Overall Rating: A, for counter service, this is good stuff!
Our reservation was at 7:50 am and it was our very last day. I was a combination of sad and tired. And the restaurant was mostly empty when we got there. So I think it would have been more fun at a different time in the day and I don’t think I appreciated it enough. The service was great, the characters were fun, and the food was standard breakfast buffet. Our seat overlooked the MK but it was covered in dead bugs and you couldn’t see out it because the condensation was so bad at that hour in the day. Yuck on many levels there. Our photo came out bad because we were so tired hehe. I did like Goofy’s Vegetable Breakfast Lasagna, the mini croissants and the cheesy potatoes. My fiance ate the standard waffles and liked them. Mickey waffles are the best of course! So I have to say for a breakfast buffet it was ok. Probably good for kids. But for the money, the Polynesian’s breakfast buffet is 100 times better in my opinion. Overall score – B, go to the Poly for better food and a more fun atmosphere.
This restaurant is so cool. You are seated with 8 people no matter how many are in your party so we were with 6 people we didn’t know. The rooms are set up so there are 4 dining areas of 8 in each and 4 chefs. Our waitress came out and gave us our drinks. We had a couple of special mixed drinks, don’t recall the names but they were good but the ice in them melted down fast from the hot table and they were a bit watery after that. Appetizer – I tried the Sushi Sampler and California Roll. This confirmed that I’m not a fan of sushi. I managed to choke down a few pieces so that we didn’t look rude, I was near green by the time our chef came out. Dinner – JD (my fiance) ordered Tonosama (chicken & steak (surprised?)) and I ordered San-Kai (cold water lobster and steak). Our server did some tricks with the vegetables that we all got which included making a smoking volcano with onions. It was neat how fast he worked. We were all served a type of vegetable lo mein with bean sprouts along with white rice and our main course. It was excellent, especially the lobster. We both cleaned our plates. They give you a ginger sauce and a soy type sauce to dip your meat in. It’s all very tasty. Dessert – JD ordered vanilla ice cream and I had the Chestnut Cake. It was great but I was too full to eat it! Overall Rating – This is a dinner show. Would we pay for it? Probably not. I think it was over $100. It was good but not THAT good. If we had the dining plan? For sure, it was entertaining and good. Overall rating: A
This buffet is extensive and very different. I will say that it does have some favorites like chicken fingers on there for the JDs of the world. So you can bring a picky eater and they will be satisfied. We were seated about 5 minutes after we arrived. We both headed straight for dinner and skipped salads and breads, though I did go back and try a few salads and the only one that stood out was the kool slaai (cole slaw) which they give you a little hard bread to put on. Very good! There is so much here so I will just post the things we really liked and some that I personally really disliked. Liked: Potatoes with Afritude (JD’s favorite of the meal), Malabu Pepper Steak, Curried Coconut Seafood Stew, Falafel, Chicken Tenders , Fufu and Pap. The falafel was my favorite. I think it tasted really great. Disliked: All of the other soups. For desserts the Zebra Domes were a bit disappointing to me only because I’m not a fan of Mocha. Had they been vanilla/chocolate I would have loved them. However the best dessert was a fudge brownie I had. Unbelievable! I didn’t see any Simba Paws?? Maybe they are either not at this restaurant or not available anymore? Overall, you really can’t go wrong. This buffet is really good and has many things that are tasty. It’s worth the money. Overall Rating: A
Well this menu is limited IMHO. And there wasn’t much on it that wasn’t “weird” except for the Polletto Ruspante all’Uva or as what us Americans know as Chicken on the bone hehe. My fiance doesn’t like skin and he doesn’t really like chicken on the bone or chicken with any juice in it, or Italian food in general. So I was afraid we were definitely stopping after this meal for a burger… Appetizer – I ordered the Caesar Salad and asked JD to order the Calamari as his appetizer. Hey, it was free and he was going to choose nothing, so I freely stuffed my face. SOOOOOOO good. Both of them. Just amazing. I didn’t eat too much because we had more to come! But the Caesar salad was great, the dressing was like none I’d ever tasted before. The girl in the couple sitting next to us commented that it was “the first salad she may actually finish”. I think that speaks for itself. Dinner – We all know what JD ordered. I ordered the Fettuchini Alfredo of course. They said it was their “famous” dish. I had to try it. It was good. Not the best fettuccini ever. But very good. I added a lot of pepper though to taste. It was a little bland. And what of the chicken? JD devoured the entire thing. If bones were edible, those would have been gone too. He said it was amazing and he’d never had chicken like that before. He also ate the rolls they give you with the dipping oil. The dipping oil was a bit plain as well, but the rolls were excellent. We also ordered a carafe of Sangiovese. It gave us 3 glasses of wine each and we were on top of the world by the time the meal was though! LOL Dessert – We ordered the dessert special for 2 which gave you miniature pieces of all the desserts. JD liked them all. There was tiramisu, yogurt covered strawberry, canoli and some type of pudding thing. I only liked the canoli but the other desserts to me were just ok so I didn’t want to stuff myself with them. Overall Rating – We were literally sitting on top of the other couple next to us and they didn’t speak to each other the entire meal except for the salad comment and we were blabbing to each other getting louder and louder I’m sure with ever sip of wine for our whole meal. No doubt they were either fighting or annoyed with us So it was a bit awkward in that respect. Would we pay for the meal? Yes. Though I think we’d both give this restaurant different scores. So I’ll have to average it out. Ambience: A+ Seating Arrangement: C- Food: A
OK I can't help but write a mostly glowing review here. We have 2 favorite restaurants in Disney. Ohana and Le Cellier! All I have to say about this meal really is that if I had to eat one thing, everyday, for the rest of my life, this would be it. The restaurant is under the Canada Pavilion, hence the name, Le Cellier. It is dark and almost gothic looking, with low chandeliers and wine cases lining the room. The only problem with this restaurant is that they sit you right on top of the couple next to you. I felt like we were dining with them and at one point we were talking to each other. It is such a romantic atmosphere I would have liked it to have been a bit more private. Oh well, the food makes up for this 10 fold. Appetizers – I ordered the cheddar cheese soup and JD had the Grilled Beef Tenderloin Kebab. Probably the only appetizer he really loved the whole trip. The Cheddar cheese soup is unbelievable. Topped with bacon it tastes like cheese, bacon and beer. Sounds gross eh? Not so! It’s delish. You also get fresh long breadsticks of sourdough, pretzel bread and multigrain. All were tasty! We both liked the sourdough best. Dinner – We both ordered the 14 oz. NY Strip Steak. We love us some steak! It literally melts in your mouth, it is cooked to perfection. I don’t know what they rub on the steak but whatever the marinade is, it is amazing. Though it came with roasted Yukon potatoes, which JD really liked, I wanted the Cream Cheese Mashed potatoes instead. They were the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had in my life. Honestly, whatever meal you choose here, you can’t go wrong. And one good thing about this meal, in case you haven’t heard, Disney decided to drop it down to 1 DDP point instead of 2. So we only used 1 meal for this!! Our server said they were trying to change this and bring it back to 2 but for the time being it’s 1. Dessert – I’m a fan of Crème Brulee, the most diet deceiving dessert on the face of the planet. Take a good look at it folks, how much fat is in something so small, light and delightful?? More than in your entire meal AND your lunch! But the Maple Crème Brulee was unbelievable. And who was I to count fat? I was drinking regular coke like a fiend and eating ½ a 14 oz steak!! LOL JD had the new Happiest Celebration on Earth Chocolate Fudge Cake. He really liked it and ate most of it, it was a large slice. Overall – I have to say, this was our favorite meal of the whole trip. Just unbelievable. An A+ doesn’t do it justice.
We arrived to MK for our 8:50 am breakfast. We were in the castle foyer for about 3 minutes before our name was called. Up the stairs and into the room, it was gorgeous! I really wish it wasn’t a restaurant and they could do something with the castle to make it an actual walk through attraction. I think that would be much cooler and a much better use of the space though probably not as profitable!! We were seated in the best seat in the house, the table for 2 right at the window overlooking the carousel. What luck we thought… about 5 seconds later we found out why. Our server thought it was our Honeymoon!! Haha Don’t know why he thought that!! But hey, we’ll take the perk! The food here is just ok. And in my opinion, for the price, unless you have kids who want to go here or are really dying to try it just once, it’s not worth it. I wanted more since there were a couple things I didn’t like and I wanted to skip lunch that day, but I felt guilty asking. I did ask for more potatoes, those were great, but my server forgot and by the time he remembered, we were ready to leave. JD didn’t like anything, he’s a picky eater. So he filled up on croissants which we asked for more of. The meal consisted of a kind of au grautin potatoes, 2 links of sausage, 2 pieces of bacon, scrambled eggs and a little cheese stuffed toast type thing. I didn’t like that. I also thought the serving was small. Maybe it was because the plate was so large. You start with fresh fruit which was great and some pastries. I only liked the croissants. JD liked all the pastries, there were cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins as well. It was just standard breakfast fare. I had to try this once in my life. That’s really all I need. But I’m sure if we have a little girl somewhere down the line, we will go again for her. It’s worth it if you have kids that likes the princesses and yes, the castle is really cool inside!!! Overall Rating: Ambience: A+ Food: B- For a character breakfast, if you can skip the princesses, I'd suggest Ohana.
I went here on my very first trip to Disney when I was 12 or 13 and I ended up loving Cous Cous after that. So I was excited to try the restaurant again. We arrived 30 minutes early because we were hungry and wanted to get to our end show that night. They seated us right away one table away from the dance floor. I was a little irked at this because there was NO ONE sitting next to the dance floor. I think it was because the servers were better able to get to your table that way. The belly dancer had just done a set so we had to wait another 45 minutes for her performance, which was fun since we have such an elaborate meal plan! I ordered the Marrakesh Feast but substituted the Lemon Chicken with the Roast Lamb Meshoi. This meal comes with soup, Beef Brewat Rolls for appetizer, Lamb, Beef Shish Kebab, Cous Cous with 7 veggies for dinner and tons of Baklava for dessert. JD ordered the Chicken Bastilla for appetizer, Shish Kebab dinner and Crepes Atlas for dessert. The appetizers came out and I didn’t really like the soup. To be honest, it tasted like Campbell’s Vegetable Alphabet Soup. It was good but I could have it at home so I only took a bite or two. The Beef Brewat Roll was like a pastry covered with confectionary sugar and stuffed with beef. It was sweet. I actually really liked it. The Chicken Bastilla was just ok. It looked like a fried pastry saucer with chicen inside. JD didn’t like it but keep in mind he’s not very adventurous when it comes to dining. Our dinner came out very quickly. I have to say here, the Lamb tastes like dirty laundry. I tried, but it tasted like some of the dirty kid smells I was running into in the parks. EEW. The Cous Cous was as I remembered, perfect! So very yummy. I seriously could have eaten a big bowl of that. The Shish Kebab we agreed was excellent. The beef was cooked perfectly. The one thing that I didn’t like but JD didn’t mind was the tomato sauce they put it in. I’d have rather had it plain. Our dessert came and I absolutely love Baklava so I was in heaven. I tried the Crepe and I didn’t like it, tasted like straight honey. JD liked the ice cream but not the Crepe. The belly dancer came out as we were eating dessert and she was only on for about 5 minutes and that may have been stretching it. It was actually funny because two little girls went running up and she danced with them. Now that was funny for about a minute. You could tell she was annoyed that their parents just sat there laughing and taking photos and did nothing to remove them from the stage. Then she kept motioning for them to go back to their seats and they refused. Still the parents did nothing. This stopped the show. They were on there almost the entire time she was. Here’s my nasty side coming out… A quick note to parents out there… yes, your kids are cute. Yes, kids are funny. However, your kids will never be AS cute or AS funny to the rest of the people on vacation who are trying to enjoy a show or the Disney workers who are trying to do their job, as they are to you. When they are disrupting something, please take a quick photo and remove them. Thank you! (can you tell this happened A LOT on our trip?! Hehe) Overall rating: A-, I still can’t get the horror of the lamb taste out of my mind. I wouldn’t pay to go here as a regular diner… but if on the DDP, I would try it again and get the Chicken Cous Cous.
This was the longest wait we had once we arrived for our PS right on time at 6:30 pm. We waited about 15 minutes before we were seated. Our waiter was really great. The buffet, however, was not. It is decent if you are just looking for a heavy meal. There’s nothing WRONG with the food. But it is standard buffet fare. Nothing fabulous about any part of it. I was really looking forward to this meal because it was the only Disney buffet or nice dinner I had on the college program and I remember it being amazing. Looking back, that was probably because I was living on Canned Soup, Mac & Cheese and Pasta Roni at the time!! LOL It was a virtual feast back then! I was looking forward most to the steamers. I love steamed clams with butter so I planned to have many. They were ridiculously small. Not what I’m used to in the summer up here in Boston. They were tasty, but too small to even put a dent in my appetite without having loads of plates filled with shells on the table and I wasn’t interested in going up that many times. Nothing stood out except for the mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes are the reason I left there full. Very creamy with a cheesy garlic taste, it’s the only thing on this buffet that I can highly recommend. The dessert bar also had a really tasty treat, an oreo cookie/fudge pastry. I had 2, they were petit. (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!) Just your average fare and not worth the price IMHO, I was super glad it was free and a little bummed we didn’t try somewhere else. Overall rating: Ambience: A, we like the Beach Club! Food: C – If you have only one buffet option, go to Ohana.
We arrived again 30 minutes early for our dinner. The only other time we had a PS before this trip was for Le Cellier in Canada and we waited at least 20 minutes that time for a seat so we thought we’d run into that on this trip, hence getting to dinner early. But we didn’t! September crowds rock! We were seated in the far back section of the restaurant against the windows looking out over Norway. The restaurant wasn’t too crowded, it was 6:00pm. Our waiter greeted us right away and brought out water and soda. With the Disney Dining Plan, we were allowed 2 sodas, 2 appetizers, 2 meals, 2 desserts. MOO MOO MOO. For appetizer, JD ordered beef skewers and I ordered Pot Stickers. They came out not 5 minutes later. There were 3 very small beef skewers. The beef was tender and very good, JD loved it. The pot stickers were the best I’ve ever tasted. These are my favorite Chinese food option so I have much experience in trying them from different restaurants. If you like these, try them here! For main course, we ordered a side of fried rice which they didn’t charge extra for and JD ordered General Tso’s Chicken and I ordered the Honey Sesame Chicken. Both were excellent and melted in your mouth! The portions were large and very filling. I did not really care for the fried rice, I’ve had better at home. JD didn’t seem to either. JD finished his meal completely, it was so good. I personally loved the Honey Sesame Chicken more but JD preferred his meal. But with either, you can’t go wrong. For dessert I ordered the red bean ice cream and JD ordered ginger ice cream. The bowls were small with 1 scoop, perfect in my opinion since we were already stuffed. Red bean ice cream is very strange but sweet. I wasn’t expecting that. I really liked it, the beans just reminded me of nuts, though they didn’t taste like beans or nuts, but just added a crunch. I did NOT like the ginger but JD did. In general, I just don’t like ginger, if you do, this ice cream is very strong so you may like it. Good ambience, great food, private table. We wouldn’t pay $7.99 for the beef skewers, they were too small a portion. But everything else was worth the price. Overall Rating: A+
We have two favorite restaurants in all of Disney. This is one of them!! We arrived 30 minutes early and decided to have a drink in the Tambu Lounge. We sat at the bar and ordered a Lapu Lapu for me and the Tradewinds for my fiancé, Johnny Disney (JD). The Lapu Lapu was extremely strong, I tasted no fruit and all alcohol. I’m a wuss and I really like “girlie” drinks, like the Tradewinds, but was enticed by the pineapple… I’m a sucker for fun mugs, cups, straws, etc. The Tradewinds was TASTY. JD loved it as well; he too is a fan of the “girlie drinks” . The Lapu Lapu is large. It is also $11.99 so there’s no way I was going to let it go to waste. I finished it and was feeling pretty good by dinner… We were seated not 5 minutes after we finally checked in. The table we were at was for 3 people, right against the windows in front of the castle. Perfect view! At this restaurant you are referred to as “cousin” by the waitstaff. We started with Hawaiian bread, it has pineapple in it and is very tasty, but filling! Don’t eat too much; there are better things to come. Our waiter, who was fantastic, brought over a lazy Susan of chicken wings, shrimp and vegetable won tons, salad (who eats that?! Certainly not I), and 3 types of dipping sauces: fruit, peanut and cilantro ginger. Usually you also get rice with this but we got Au Gratin Potatoes instead. And can I just say here they were fabulous. I liked them so much more than the rice. Ohana offers long skewered tips of steak, turkey and pork as well as shrimp. Your server brings them over in rounds and puts as much or as little as you want onto your plate. Here’s where they save money at Ohana, they do have a long wait time (at least every time we’ve been) between each round of Steak/Turkey and Pork/Shrimp. So the longer time you have to wait, the more time you have to digest, then you’re not hungry by the time the next option rolls around. I hate this. I wanted to stuff myself like the glutton I can be, but I was too full too fast. However, I will say that the steak was marinated and cooked just right, not too pink, not burnt. We both like our steak well done, and we were really happy with this. I preferred the steak and shrimp while JD really liked the steak and Turkey. At the end of the meal our waiter told us the dessert was different. They were no longer doing pineapple and caramel. Instead he brought us over a rum cake with vanilla ice cream. It had an awesome warm caramel/syrup sauce that tasted like it had some cinnamon in it. We LOVED the new addition and though we also loved the pineapple, we both agreed this cake was much better!! Overall Rating: A+
After hearing such wild reviews my partner and I dined here and honestly it wasnt to our liking. The food temp. wasnt hot and I didnt find it all that seasoned. I understand that the menu encompasses African foods and being African American with family from Africa I honestly wasnt impressed w/ the selections. I did enjoy the zebra domes and my partner enjoyed the other desserts. We both agree that the ambiance is beautiful. Everyones experiance is different..for us, we wouldnt dine here again. It just wasnt what we expected considering the reviews.
Gosh, I love this place! From the moment I took to the stairs to be greeted by the hostess I was amazed! I loved the beauty of the dining area it was so amazing. When we were seated our waiter called me princess and explained the menu perfectly. To me the prices are a bit expensive for what was on the menu but it was our vacation and we didnt mind. The selections on the menu were okay. The services was great and being that it was my birthday my table was sprinkled with pixie dust. I loved it and dine here all the time. I felt like a princess!
I'm a fla res and visit WDW ALOT during the year. We always stay at the all star music resort. The service is okay...I mean it's not the best but it's close. I think that the whole checkin procedure needs work and more CM's...the lines are out of control at times...but I beleive that it has alot to do w/ the number of guests checking in and the fact that the CM's explain everything from tickets to parks to the newbies(and they should-Disney can be overwhelming) The food court offers a variety of yummy things however expect long lines. The pools are crowded but theres plenty of room for everyone! I love this resort..it's so disney...the themeing is AWSOME! Would I pay more for a moderate..maybe..but for a person who spends most of her time at the parks...this is my fav. resort!
ONE WORD: YUMMY! I love this place. I had never dined here before and wanted to try it out...I'm so glad we did. We dined at The Cafe' and I had the fettecinni. It had these little bacons or something in it...to die for. I loved the bread that was brought out prior to the meal and the salad was fresh. I wish I had room for dessert because it looked like heaven on a plate. I refuse to dine anywhere else downtown...i'd feel like I was cheating on on the Cafe.
I loved this restaurant. Our "mom" was the bomb! I have to admit that I havent hid my veggies since I was a little girl. It was so much fun! I put my veggies on my partners plate and she ended up sitting in the corner for not finishing her meal!!!!! I didnt like the meatloaf as it was dry and untasty to me. I then switched to the fried chicken and it was AWSOME and HUGE! I will never forget my experiance dining here and I told all my friends who now LOVE this place. Dine here...you won't regret it...Just keep your elbows off the table!
My partner and I never miss a chance to dine here. We love the pasta and chicken(me)/shrimp(for her). The portions are HUGE.Honestly, the service you get depends on the server. The service can sometimes be hit or miss, it depends on your server. We have a favorite and when she's not there we don't expect to be "wow'd". All in all, the food is yummy and the atmosphere is nice. Try it..you just may walk away a few pounds heavier and a fan for life!
Though I prefer the theming here than at the newer Blizzard Beach, Blizzard's slides are better (though I have yet to try the new blaster). Shark Reef is fun, but too short and not as many fish as I would have liked.
I am hugely impressed with this water park. I admit, when I initially read about the theme, I thought it was silly, but being there is another thing and I actually changed my mind about it and found it quite immersive and clever. Summit Plummet is absolutely the scariest thing at WDW, you get more of a rush here than Tower of Terror or any other thrill ride at WDW.
I like the fast food here, and the nautical theming is well done. I know then I should consider a better overall rating, but it really bugs me that there arent' enough windows to see out from the first level.
Typical Disney hot dogs, but the theming is great, and the view of the Castle while sitting under an umbrella really makes this a nice fast food dining experience.
This is a pre-Soarin' review of this eating area, I don't know how the selections or appearance has changed since. This is a better than average food court due to the diversity of the selections. The theming is nothing noteworthy and even a bit dated (again, pre-Soarin' days), but the food here is better than at most of the WDW hotel food courts.
I think it was something called the potato bread I tried. Anyway, I loved it. I also had a smoked salmon sandwich which was pretty good. Because there is only one line, service can be slow.
Typical Disney fast food stand with nothing real noteworthy in the theming. The one thing I really enjoy about this place however is eating outside watching the Innoventions Fountain.
Never had lunch or dinner here yet, but the breakfast is a slight step above you're typical fast food breakfast, and the theming in this place has a very geniune feel to it. Favorite restaurant at Animal Kingdom.
Your average WDW burger. Nothing special or stand out about it. Nothing noteworthy about the theming, except that since it's outdoors you can see everything on Sunset Boulevard, but that's not really a part of the actual restaurant's theming, it's more a side benefit of the surrounding area.
My least liked restaurant at WDW. I would not eat here again. Granted, the last time I came was in '99, so the menu may have changed, but back then I detested my quesadilla club sandwich. It sounded like a good idea, but given how it actually tasted I can't imagine this item ever catching on anywhere. We took a peek inside the restaurant recently and noticed the theming hasn't changed since '99, and it was just as dreadful now as it was then, a boring cafeteria with a bunch of TV's blatantly (and loudly I might add) advertising ABC shows. Never have I been so irritated by a restaurant's theming.
I've read the food at dinner is just average, but I've been impressed enough with my entrees the 2 times I've been there. My wife loves the "pretzel" bread. Dinner isn't really a character affair, but what can you say about eating inside the Castle -- one of the most fun dining experiences to be had anywhere in WDW.
I've had better French cuisine in nicer restaurant settings for similar dollar amounts, but this restaurant is still passable. I've yet to try the upstairs Bistro, which I hear is better.
My salmon was pretty decent. Service was very friendly and fast. What you're really paying for is to eat by that gigantic fish tank. That makes it worth at least an initial visit in my opinion.
I had such a good time there. This is a very classy restaurant, an exact copy of the old Hollywood Brown Derby that no longer exists. If it had to be in a theme park, Disney Studios is the most obvious fit, though I'd say it's out of place to be in any theme park, it's too nice for that. The Cobb Salad is wonderful.
This is a unique buffet experience where instead of leaving your table to get to the buffet line, the servers bring the buffet to your table. There are some great appetizers and salads to start, while the meat and seafood is brought to your table on 2 foot skewers. Most tables have a view of the fire pit. There are games w/ a Polynesian twist for the kids. There's a great view of the MK fireworks and the Electric Water Pageant. And the caramel-dipped pinapple is fantastic.
Typical Disney breakfast buffet. The food is always good, how can you go wrong with breakfast? Since it's a character breakfast, it's naturally very kid friendly and there were plenty of kids there. I wasn't impressed w/ the decor, it's really just a large cafeteria hall w/ some plants, Victorian wallpaper, and the big pipe organ.
The food is as good as any comparably priced L.A. restaurant. I was a bit surprised the sushi was straightforwardly traditional Japanese, rather than w/ a California-cuisine twist. But it was still good as traditional goes, fish was very fresh. Our entrees were tender, cooked just right. How can you not like a restaurant where you get to see/hear the fireworks and music?
I really felt this was not as good as most of the travel guide reviews said it was. The main reason to try this place is supposed to be the seafood, but I found it really wasn't that fresh at all. I feel some of their fish items was comparable to that from a cafeteria. It just seemed like an ordinary buffet with nothing that stood out. For my money, Ohana's is the best dinner buffet @ WDW.
BBQ sauce is a bit too salty and rich for my taste. Nice view of the river though, and so much seating provided that it's not too difficult to find a table away from others, if you're looking for a quiet respite.
My wife and I have eaten here many times and have never been disappointed. The soups (Cheddar Cheese and Beef & Barley) and complimentary breadsticks are excellent.
My basis is on service only. After being left down stairs for half an hour (they forgot to come get us), scolded like bad children for going to the front desk, by the concierge when our keys did not work and conceirge did not answer the phone, told we needed to pay extra for a honeymoon room when we already had, and no apology when the mistake was pointed out, all dinning reservations were wrong (GF had made them and would not fix them), and three room changes all the while being made to feel the problem was us, we left and went to the poly, the first night.
The smoothies are delicious (especially with ice cream added). And last time I got one (with ice cream), it came with a cool Pluto straw. The Africa food locations are all good. Tusker House for a meal, Harambe Market for fresh fruit and Tamu Tamu for ice cream. One problem: Even though there are two lines, they don't move extremely quickly.
This is a great resturaunt to eat at if you're looking for a filling meal and a good time. Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, Chip and Dale compliment the whole atmostphere nicely with their outfits, and the Turkey and Mashed Potatoes are just to die for! I keep going back, this is one of my fav. character Dinners!
The Fra Diavolo was one of the best tasting meals I've eaten. I will eat there every trip! It was really that good!
We got the Cypress Suite in the Conch Key building for 7 nights, and although paying more than we would have liked, I must say it was worth every penny. We had 4 balconies, all of which looked upon the Magic Kingdom, Seven Seas Lagoon and Contemporary. We watched Wishes from it and were able to hear the music as well. The room had every convenience imaginable, and I loved the mints and personalized notes left on your bed upon returning at night. The room also had an itinerary, and I was able to write a letter home using it. The swimming pools were great, one was just a standard pool and hot tub open 24 hours, the other had waterfalls and a water slide. The white sand beaches were very nice, as they are always quite and a great place for a stroll. The health club and spa were great as well, but were VERY far from our rooms. The monorail made getting around easy, with the busses right underneath the monorail station. The marina was also nothing more the a short stroll away, and featured many different types of boats and activities. The grounds are very well kept, and I enjoyed being able to sit down and watch the world go by in this picturesque setting. I would highly recommend the Grand Floridian to anyone who is able and willing to spend a lot on their accommodations, but not to those traveling with small children. I have been to many of the Disney Resorts but this is easily the most luxorious and charming of all of them. Disney aptly named this hotel, as it is indeed grand.
Superb show, certainly not to be missed. From beginning to end keeps the entire of the audience captivated, quickly moving through the storyline in the 25 minutes provided covering every detail that is needed. Have a friend who also does the show and it was recommended to me to come and see it - I enjoyed every minute of it. Superb performance by all.
Rock n' Roller Coaster is a shining example of what the future of Disney thrill rides is. Test Track, Mission: Space, Tower of Terror, Dinosaur, and this ride provide great templates for how the Imagineers put Disney Magic and Themeing into their rides, while still appealing to a new generation of riders. Rock n' Roller Coaster is a very short ride, but I dare you to only ride it once. 5/5
This ranks right up there with journey into your imagination as the worst rehab every. I personally liked Alien encounter, even though i knew it was not for everyone. This piece of garbage is scary, but is probably still too scary for children. So it is too scary for children, but not thrilling enough for adults. It uses only one new effect and has not one original idea in it. Thismight be the biggest piece of garbage I have seen in a long time.
While the ride itself is somewhat dated, it's not too bad of an all around experience. However, Ellen Degenres degrades the whole experience. Her attempts at humor drag down the whole ride. If she didn't host the Universe of Energy, I wouldn't hesitate to ride it numberous times, however I think next time I'm near the UE, I'll pass.
Finally went on Misson:Space. I'm not sure if it was that I had big expectations, but the ride was a dud. The take of was great. Other then that I really did not see anything special. It did not do anything more for me then Body wars or Star tours. I really cannot understand how people even get sick on the ride Body Wars is ten times worst. All the attraction made me do is miss the "Old" Epcot even more.
Disney MGM Studios creates the strongest and best atmosphere of any of the parks. It truly immerses you in an amazing environment which is known as, "The Hollywood that nevere was, but always will be." It easily has the two most gut wrenching experiences offered at a Disney park in Rock n Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror as well as fun for the little ones with their Playhouse Disney and Voyage of the Little Mermaid shows. It also sports arguably the best of the Disney nightime shows in Fantasmic.
Ulike any other theme park worldwide, Epcot is an amazing experience. No other park can blend a look into the future and a trip around the world so flawlessly. With the new additions of Mission: Space and Soarin', Epcot solidifies itself as a great Disney theme park.
While not abundant in thrill rides, no park does everything else as good. First and foremost a family park, Magic Kingdom has set the standard for theme parks since its construction in 1971. It has an amazing atmosphere which cannot be compaired to any other created by any other park. Regardless of how many parks Disney constructs on their Florida resort, the Magic Kingdom will always be the heart of the Walt Disney World Resort.
This is my personal favorite of the WDW parks, although the magic lies within the Magic Kingdom, Disney MGM Studios is amazing a fun and great place to be, with the two best thrill rides at the Disney parks and the shows are excellent. Disney Studios is also the home of the best night time show...FANTASMIC!
This would be the best parade i have ever seen! even though the transformations in this parade are not taking place it is overall a 10/10. The costumes & theming are excellent and also the vibrant colors of the floats and the storyline of this parade are awesome.
As someone who has lived in Norway, I find the food to be very good. Most of the menu has been tweaked to favor the average American. It's great to speak to the staff in their native tongue... their face lights up right away when you address them with a tradiditonal hello in Norwegian...(God Dag "goo dog" / Good Day) The only thing I find lacking is more of the traditional foods found in Norway, like cloud berries, reindeer stew, and lutefisk.
My wife and I stayed there in Sept. 2004. Overall I was very pleased with the resort..however, two things stick out in my mind. One, even though the pools had "themes", I was not overly impressed, and Two, we had to walk a LONG way to our rental car. We were in the sixties section and where our bldg was located, it was a LONG walk to the parking lot!! We were very comfortable in the room, however, I could see if a family of four tried to stay there, they would be extremely cramped!! We've stayed many times at the All-Star Movies Resort, and quite honestly, I liked it better than Pop Century, even though I loved all the "memorabilia" that was at Pop Century. I'd probably stay there again.
The latest attraction at the Disney MGM Studios fails to live up to my justifiably high expectations for a Disney attraction. My first complaint is that the video clips and our host seemed to be "talking down" to the audience. I draw this conclusion based on the general tone of the entire show-something difficult to pin down, yet a conclusion with which my entire family of Disney veterans agrees. Furthermore, the storyline was weak, and much of the show seemed to be filler or fluff. The choosing of a volunteer from the audience to "drive" one of the stunt cars was simply rediculous. It contributed nothing to the storyline, and, frankly, I was uncomfortable with the fact that, at my showing, an 11-year-old boy was made to feel embarassed in front of 50,000 guests. Finally, the seating area is in drastic need of better ventilation. Due to the heat and the fumes, my entire family felt light headed and nauseous after the show. The shows only redeeming quality: the stunt drivers. I truly enjoyed watching these young men showcase their incredible driving skills. Other than that, this show was a complete waste of time, and I would recommend seeing it only once, after you have done everything else at MGM at least twice. Anyone looking for a show like the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, which can be enjoyed again and again, you are out of luck. I sincerely hope that this is not indicative of the quality of all new attractions at WDW-this one, in my opinion, will not withstand the test of time, as people will not be eager to enjoy repeat viewings.
I will admit I was a little leery of this resort before I stayed here, but boy was I wrong! Our room was HUGE, easilly the largest we have ever stayed at on property. The best, most magical part of all was the view from our room. I could lie in bed and watch Wishes, and see cinderella's castle change colors. We could also watch the train pull into the Main Street Station, and could see all of Space Mountain. This was THE perfect room. An added bonus was the monorail, which there was never a line for. The only down side of this resort was the Food and Fun Center. It always looked dirty , and did not have many different food offerings, but it was a great place to refill your mug. I would stay here in a Tower room again in a heartbeat!
The Wilderness Lodge used to be our favorite resort, but the Boardwalk Inn has won our hearts! The rooms are so large and nicely decorated, and the shops and restaurants along the Boardwalk are great. We could easily stay here and never visit a park. It is wonderful to be able to walk or boat to Epcot and MGM. The Boardwalk Inn is definately a little slice of heaven!
This parade is absolutely amazing! The first thing I should mention is the beautiful music played throughout the parade. The music is so beautiful that I bought the CD and I play it a lot at home on my ipod. It cleverly incorporates music from multiple movies, using a full orchestra to make it sound classical. The parade is very extravagant, and it seems very dramatic because of the music. After watching this parade, the Main Street Electrical Parade in Disneyland seemed kind of plain and dull. It lacks the soundtrack as well as the variety of characters (some Disney, somee created specifically for the parade) and floats that Spectormagic has. Spectromagic seems more innovative and magical than MSEP, but that may be just because of the music. Then again, sometimes it just takes music to change an entire tone of the parade.
I had a few problems with our recent stay at Coronado. As with all Disney Hotels, the theming and grounds were pretty and 'authentic'. I did not like the food court area at all--VERY overpriced and I hated the fact that you had to wait to be seated and pay 10% to have your drinks brought to you. The only 'advantage' to this is your beverages have free refills while you are there (which no one bothered to tell us)so there really was no need to purchase the refillable mugs. The area where you go to get your food was also very cramped. It was very difficult to move around--especially with a heavy tray since they used heavy glass dishes. We had to wait a long time for our rooms to be ready also. We arrived at 11 am (and I do ralize check in is at 3, but we have never had a problem getting in early). Our rooms were not ready until about 6 pm and then the key card machine was broken so we had to get temporary key card. We had to wait in line at the registration desk several times and there was always a 20-30 min wait there--I have never experienced this at any or the other moderate resorts. When we finally got our rooms we had a few problems--no bed rails for my handicapped daughter even though I requested them several times. There was a blown out lightbulb over the bed, the door on the fridge was broken, the knobs on the drawers were off and I think there were a few more things I cna't remember right now! We were in the Ranchos 7A building. Close to a quiet pool but far from everything else. We requested a standard view but had a nice garden view. We didn't have a problem with the bus service. The kids liked the play ground and the water slide was a huge hit. Over all, it was not my favorite resort and do not think I would stay there again, mainly because of the food court area.
I have been going to "Old Key West" for about 10 years now. I used to go to Polynesian, but got tired of it, and I heard about this place. From the first day, I was hooked. The service was prompt, the cast and crew friendly. The pools were wonderful, never too busy. Despite having no lifegaurds, all the children were well, as many workers came by and kept an eye on things. As youc an see, everything got the vote of "Excellent" from me, and that's the truth. Nothing has ever gone wrong in my many stays here. The rooms were always sparkling, the kids were always running around with joy. The prices never rose too high for me. I will never NOT go here.
absolutly amazing.......great value for money and so much fun for the whole family.....made the holiday fantastic
This was my third trip to Mama's. Once years ago with my family. I liked it then but the DW didn't appreciate food that was Italian that didn't taste like it can out of a can. Second time was the lunch you get on the Back Stage Magic tour which is served family style with nearly everything they have on the menu plated. I discovered several dishes I loved that I would not have picked from the description on the menu. Most recent visit was June 05. I had the seafood/pasta dish described earlier which was very good. One off point - they served a clam that was unopend. My understanding is cooked unopend clams are NOT good and should not be served. I bypassed that one. The real focus was the Italian dessert tiramisu. The quest, which is better tiramisu, Tony's Town Square Resturant in the MK or Mama's? I know it is suppose to be ladyfingers soaked in coffee/liquor but I'm afraid Tony's took it too far. It was a sloppy mess of flavors. Mama's wins this one hands down. As I told our server, this resturant is the standard to which I judge all other resturants Disney or not. For attention to service and a willingness to accomodate your needs they are unbeatable. Like our tour guide on the Back Stage Magic tour said, "It's a kitchen! They can make anything.", AND they are willing to do whatever is reasonably in their power. I have a special drink I like mixed when there is a full service bar and they were able to match the mixture exactly. No prob, Bob!
I had read some recomendations of it being not so good but due to other locations at MK being booked up I tried Tony's in May 05. I returned in June 05 and specifically booked a dinner here. This resturant is very strong on service and above average on food quality. VERY Italian - as if the name doesn't make it's point. Portions are WDW oversized. One hickup during the June 05 visit. The server INCORRECTLY refused the Disney Dinning Experience Card discount for our dinner saying it was only for LUNCH. Wrong! Rather than cause a scene I paid the bill as it was. What was I to do? Carry by DDE letter around with me? So...I went to Guest Relations at EPCOT the next day and asked just what was were the discounted meals at Tony's? BL&D they said. Then I plopped down the receipt from the night before. Guest Relations credited the $14 and change back to my room charge after calling the resturant to straighten them out. Not to pick on this resturant as I have seen this before. Clearly the wait staff in resturants are as confused as anyone about the various dinning plans out there. I suspect the confusion is between the Disney Dinning PLAN and the Disney Dinning EXPERIENCE.
again another good choice---tasty food, plenty of room for seating and the lines were well coordinated here. i'd recommend this counter service to anyone
the service here left a lot to be desired, as did the menu selections for children, well at least my picky young eater, who suffered through the hot dogs after they were wiped off of the baked beans they were served in. anyway, the lines were long and disorderly, we were served warm bottles of water and there was little or no seating to be found----5 of us squeezed at a table meant for 2 and as soon as we got up were nearly shoved out of the way for someone else to have a seat! on the bright side, my turkey wrap was tasty anyway...
we used the dining plan and used a counter service each day in each park. this was, by far, the best run counter service we experience. the food was very good and hot too. there was a fixings bar for your hamburger to add what you wanted to it. there was no confusion or back up of the lines and a good selection for a limited menu.
we chose this counter service for our day at MGM thinking it would have lots of different choices, which it did not--- while the food was very tasty, the service left much to be desired. the lines were out of control and it seemed the staff was not sure at all of what they were doing in the production line way they were supposed to be running it---there was plenty of seating though, so that was good, because we had to wait a while for our entire party to get their meals and finish them!
i really enjoyed our stay at POP; however, one thing to make really clear is the vastness of the property. our room was in the 90's building, which felt like it added an extra mile onto our walking each day!! it would be nice if guests could use carts like the employees are dropped off from in the mornings when they are staying in the farther away buildings (which we were in the very last building!). it feels like an ENDLESS walk at the end of a long, hot day at the park. otherwise, housekeeping was pretty good, though it didn't feel like the floor was vacuumed each day when walking in bare feet. we did get prompt delivery of towels for use at the pool. the concierge was helpful with dinner reservations and currency exchange. we did have a problem with the dining plan and an employee who was unfamiliar with what constituted "snacks" on the plan---but the manager was very helpful and it was quickly corrected. the food we had at the counter service was very tasty as well....all in all a good experience
this was my first time staying in a Disney hotel and i totally enjoyed it. i didnt know what to expect but it was awesome. me and my younger sister went and she did nothing but moan. we stayed in the american football area which is in the middle of the food court, the diamond shaped pool(by one of the laundry rooms) and the other pool which is in the surfing area. there are vending machines and ice machines on each floor. outside of our room was the x and o that you see in holiday brocures and of a night men and children who didnt know each other use to play american football i know this as i asked them could i watch them play as i have never seen people play that before so i sat on the bleachers and watched them play. the room was nice it had 2 double beds in it, a safe with a key, a table with 2 chairs, air conditioning, in the bathroom there is a shampoo and bodywash dispenser, you get mickey soap and fresh towels every day and if you need any all you do is press housekeeping on the phone and they bring you some. the TV is fair in size. and the cupboards are big- bigger than what i expected. i walked around the hotel one day and found that the foo court is visable from any themed area aswell as any pool. i went to the top of the baseball area and could see the All star music. the food court was nice and clean but as it was my first time in a disney hotel i found it expensive but only as every other time i have been i have bought my food from wal-mart or wallgreens and ate out at restaurants. the first thing i bought was a refillable mug as they are worth it. my overall summary of the all star sports is: it is worth it but it is nice if you can go to a food shop as im a vegetarian and i was getting sick of eating soya burgers and most of the food they serve has either cheese in it (which i dont eat) or meat. i didnt travel with any children but if you were to go with children they would really enjoy it, im 20 and i enjoyed it.
Great Memories as a kid watching the starland show. Gummi Bears were my favourite along with Ducktales & Chip 'N' Dale
The restaurant is fantastic. Most dinner entrees were priced between $25-$35, and they had a nice selection of 8-10 entrees. The wine list is extensive, and the desert selection was very nice. My only complaint is that the lighting in the restaurant was quite bright. If the lighting was a little dimmer, it would make for a more relaxing, and potentially romantic environment. It was nice not being surrounded by a ton of kids. Most families seem to eat at Whispering Canyon, which is for the better.
I had the chance to ride the Disneyland version of this attraction, which I understand to be very similar to the WDW version. I found the strongest aspect of this attraction to be the coherent story. The scenes seemed to logically flow from one to another. There is also a nice effect with the train. However, the low-tech 2-D scenery was not very engaging. Also, the attraction contained a couple of elements that I felt were inappropriate for younger (under 10) riders. Overall, I found Mr. Toad to be somewhat entertaining.
Awsome for all ages From educational to thrilling The countries to KIDCOT fun stops and everything in between Epcot is an excellent disney theme park
This high speed "car thrill" puts you right into the test seat and sends you through hair raising stunts and hairpin turns... Even a high speed portion. Not to be missed, the que and themingis excellent, guiding you through a real car factory in which airbags/seatbelts etc are being tested.
This ride, was so amazing. this is just...Out of this world! (No pun intended). The Quue Area, Just made me feel like, i really was, At Mission Control. Then, the amount of Gforces, Made me so scared, but it was worth it. It was the most amazing thing ever. I reccomend ot anyone over 10.
This was one of my favorite all-time Disney attractions until they took it out. Alien Encounter was something that could not be described, only experienced. The effects were awesome and the suspense and fear was thrilling.
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Our family enjoyed our stay at the Pop Century the week before Easter 2005. We were on the second floor of one of the 80s buildings. We were very happy with this location - not too far from the parking lot, and not too far up the stairs. The rooms are a bit small, but we have two teenagers and had no trouble rearranging the room so that one could sleep on the floor (moved table to bed by bathroom and chairs to various places). I didn't particularly like the way the door opened right into the bed, but got used to it and it wasn't really a problem - more of an aesthetics thing. The TV cabinet was exceptionally cheap looking. We've stayed at some really cheapo places that looked better. But once we had loaded it up with books, clothes, and Disney shopping bags full of junk, no one noticed! The room had an ironing board, but no hair dryer or coffeemaker. I brought both, thanks to reading reviews like this in advance. It also had a safe that we could use at no cost. It was the shallow but wide and tall enough for a laptop and a couple of wallets. The computer pool had eye-catching accessories but was basically a square pool. It is neat, though, in that the pool is shallower around the sides and deeper in the middle. Also, it had a handicapped entrance, which I have never seen before. Having bathrooms, shower and lockers by the pool is a nice touch that was also a new one for me. We washed clothes one morning and by 10:00 there was a line of grumpy people waiting for washers - only 6 or 7 for several buildings. Considering that it's a value resort, you can expect lots of people who need to wash - they should have made the laundry rooms bigger. Take our advice - go early to wash! We loved walking around the grounds and looking at the icons - all so fun! We also enjoyed watching both Wishes and Illuminations from the bank of the lake near the 80's parking. we loved the food court - ate there three times. It was one of our favorite counter service places. Mousekeeping was excellent. They always managed to come when we were gone - no matter when - it was, well, like *magic*! We also got the cute animals in our window and "good job" stickers on our toothbrushes, which was funny since they were Mom and Dad's. One final note... on check-in we borrowed a luggage cart (after $250 deposit). This made carting our stuff from the car to the room much easier. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, wish we were there now, and look forward to going again as soon as possible!
I've been on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Disney. Nothing I have been on even compares to the Disney Cruiseline. The prices are incredibly steep compared to other cruises but in my opinion it is worth every penny. The activities onboard are double the activities on the other cruiselines but the food is the real difference. After going on a Disney cruise I was incredibly disappointed with the other cruiseline's food. Disney cruiseline is definitely the way to go.
I've stayed at the WDW Dolphin in 2001 & 2004. The Walt Disney World Dolphin is a great resort, much more good than bad. It's located in the middle of the EPCOT Resort Area, which is right in the middle of WDW. Take buses to MK, AK, etc, and boats/walkways to EPCOT and MGM. The pool is terrific, a short distance from the resort. "Interesting" decorating outside, but very beautiful inside, and the views from every room are great (most with SE, ToT views, & Illuminations can be seen too). Very low-key in terms of Disney themes (it's not really a Disney owned hotel). As far as dining goes, a lot of options for kids. Tubbi's and the Dolphin Fountain are both very kid friendly, however the prices are steep. A few cons: (1) walkways can be tiring, and not to be done a lot for the average person. Even a brisk walk would take at least 10 mins to either park. (2) Though the boating is nice, it's a long journey, because the boats hit up every EPCOT Resort Hotel, and the Swan/Dolphin is the first to be picked up, as they pick up everyone else afterwards, and the last to be dropped off. Other than that, a great option, and it comes highly recomended!
I have not yet stayed at SSR, but we pool hopped there and took a tour of the rooms while we were there in October. We loved it. Ironically we purchased our vacation club membership there, but stayed at OKW. Anyway I do want to mention one thing people should be aware of. There is only one place to eat and the menu is limited. I am trying to say this in the nicest way and I probably live a boring life - but eating BBQ beef on a piece of flat bread is bizzare. IMy wife had tuna on a flatbread. live only 100 miles from Saratoga Springs, NY and I just never heard of any of the items on the menu. Now I have an 11 year old and a 6 year old and it's difficult enough getting them to eat pasta or a hamburger. I can tell you I didn't even bother trying to offer them any of the food offerings from the Artists' Palette. I asked if they had any more mainstream food offerings and the castmember suggested a minute walk to Downtown Disney area. Now the pool bar had only drinks when we were there. If hamburgers and other mainstream items are added I would be completely satisfied with the resort. The reason I went on about the food is that I have read lots of reviews about the Resort and none mention the limited food offering. This to me is a big deal. That being said - I love the resort. Yes there is construction going on but that did not deter from the beauty of the resort. Thhe pool was great. The slide was fun. There was a small pool slide my 6 year old loved too. There wet play area was shut down the day we were there, but it looked like a lot of fun. There is a nice big game room that I think is sure to please many a youngster, and the grounds were neat and clean. The resort is somewhat spread out. Basically there are numerous large buildings dotting the grounds. My overall reaction is this: I love the resort, but will not be staying there until they offer burgers, pizza or other more mainstream food items. Hopefully more restaurants will open soon. Hope this helps! Joe
stayed in 99. We thought is was a great value for the money.
Stayed here in February of 2005. We were in the Acadian House (but I toured the entire grounds). It is all very lovely and beautiful. The only thing that I found that could use work was the main pool. I actually would have rather swam in our quiet pool or down at French Quarter then swim at Ol' Man Island. I highly recommend this resort!
Wonderful fireworks and choreography! I love it...I bought the soundtrack, video taped it, and took 60 something pictures of it! Absolutly amazing! I highly recommend. this show! It is definatly my favorite! (IllumiNations: ROE is my 2nd favorite)
This parade doesn't hold a candle to the Main Street Electrical Parade! SpectoMagic is not near Magic! It is absolutly horrible!
Its like 2 vacations in 1 Spend a busy day in the parks?relax at night in a Wilderness Lodge best of the best
I got to stay here in August 2001. It was an amazing hotel, and I'm dying to go back there again. My family and I did have a cleaning woman who just didn't like to clean the room, which kind of dampered the situation. But I still love this resort. It's relaxing, calming, beautiful, and very tropic. You truly lose yourself completely at the Polynesian. Great choice no matter who you are. = ).
It's a great ride. If you want a thrill you won't get one. It's 3D, but if you don't like 3D you don't have to keep your eyes open all the time. Very interactive as the characters come out to you. Definetly a Disney Classic.
this ride is great and has few thrills but it is fun and u always have to look out for the targets so your always on edge. Overall its a great ride
I'm so happy that I decided to go on Splash Mountain. I am terrified of heights and drops, and for years, wouldn't go on. I've always wanted to though, because it looked like so much fun. I made my father tape the ride so I knew if there was anything he was leaving out when he told me about it. I went on, held on white knuckled to the bar and survived! It was so much fun. After a while you don't even feel the drop. My advice is just scream and before you can finish your scream you're already at the bottom! Fantastic ride. Great for all ages and stomach problems...lol..= ).
I've been to quite a few of the House of Blues locations and the one at Disney is my second favorite. Mind you my favorite is the one in New Orleans so it's got a special place in my heart....... The food was excellent and the atmosphere was cool, just like HOB should be. You must check it out!
We went here on our last Disney trip. The food was good, but being a family-style meal there weren't alot of choices. I liked everything so it wasn't a big deal for me. The characters looked pretty neat in the period costumes. The service was excellent as expected. I'd recomend it to anybody!
We've been to this restaurant twice and had a great experience each time. The food was great as was the service. If you want something different you must check it out.
There are many things that make this attraction excelent. The time spent in line is well worth the duration of the ride. The theming and storyline are te best, along with multiple drops and even the view from the top of Splash Mountain make it a top notch attraction!
this was my first time staying at the GF and i loved every minute. we stayed in concierge and the food and service was spectacular. we got a phone call from the concierge every night with the next day's hours, weather, etc. Also, i loved the conveinence of being on the monorail, one stop from the MK. It also has a great spot for viewing Wishes!
My family and I have stayed here twice. The rooms have been always well kept and good sized. I have stayed at other on site resorts and it seems that there is just more busses runing at this one (It must be because of its size). I would recommend getting on the buses on the Old Port Royal side of the lake since they seem to fill up quick and they stop there first. The resort has always been quiet, it seems like we were the only ones there. The only thing that is a pain is the walking at times, but it is not 1/10th the walking that you do at the parks. I will continue to go to this resort when I return.
Would ride it again if not a long wait had some interesting effects like Stitch
This is one of the few rollercoasters that is fun for ALL ages. It is exciting enough to give you that rush of a roller coaster but isn't so intense that kids cant ride.
I really do miss this attraction. Unfortunately, I was only able to ride it a few times. I have been on Mission: Space and comparing would be like apples to oranges. The technology of M:S is great, but nothing can beat this ORIGINAL attraction.
My husband and I ended our last visit to Walt Disney World with two nights at Wilderness Lodge. Upon arrival we were surprised with an upgrade to the honeymoon suite and conceirge level! Cast was extremely friendly and made us feel at home. After coming from Pop Century this was a welcome change! Artist Point was fantastic as was Whipering Canyon (Kethup anyone??). We loved it so much that I just booked another trip for May 12-17 and we are staying at Wilderness Lodge. It is definately worth the extra money!
Just spent a week at Pop Century and was very disappointed with the cast. Long lines in food court, often overlooked. Housekeeping quick to get us out of room day we were checking out.
"Please let all the bettles, bugs, and cochroaches safely exit the theater." A reaaly exciting and intense 3-D show with the stars of A BUG"S LIFE that will have you jumping off your seat, literaly!
The Wilderness Lodge is cettainly worth the money. I have stayed twice before and enjoyed it very much. The theming is excellent, and the pool and hot tub first rate. The drawbacks are the food is quite pricey(but what Disney food isn't} and the rooms tend to be a tad smaller then the other deluxe hotels. I did find that the lighting was not that great in the queen/bunk bed room that i stated in three years ago. Have booked again, same type of room, for this July. Hope the lighting is better. One opf my favortite things abvout this resort is just hanging out in the lobby by the fireplace if it is raining outside. Gives you something to do besides staying in the rrom watching t.v..
What's the sign you know you had one hell of a ride? When you get off and you feel your knees knocking. The harder they knock.. the better the ride. If guests at Disneyland (Anaheim, CA) can hear your knees knockin' - get back on Mission: SPACE ;)
Housekeeping denies your request for additional towels and other amenities. Not a choice hotel to stay at for those quick Disney weekends.
Outstanding value!! I would recommend this resort to everyone!!!
This was my first time trying a value resort. All 12 of us were pleasantly surprised and very pleased. The rooms ARE small, but well appointed. The whole property, while intimidating when we first pulled in; was easy to navigate. The food court had a nice variety, the kids loved the arcade and the pools. The overall cleanliness of this resort, along with nice theming, and a very cool Classic Hall make this a great value for your money.
Went in Aug 03 and going back in June. We love this resort, with the restaraunt plus the food court, its great. Didn't get to the pools last time, but definitely plan to this time. Altogether it is an awesome resort. Highly Recommend it!
I have traveled all over the world and spent many of my vacations since I was a teen in Hawaii. I love the Polynesian Culture and the Polynesian resort is the best mix of a Hawaiian vacation and a Disney Vacation. Every resort has its horror stories but on average the Polynesian has many more good reports than bad and still holds the number one spot for repeat guests out of all WDW resorts. The Polynesian also keeps the resort up with frequent rehabs and updates. Infact most of the resort you see today has been worked on or fully replaced (down to the wood on the buildings) in the last few years. They are also in the process of redoing the decore of the rooms to add a whole new look from the look you see now that was done in the late 90’s. The new look will have all new furniture and electronics and even down to the light fixtures and carpet. The rooms will be more open and seem larger even with them being some of the largest standard rooms on property (400 sq-ft +). We return about every year and every time there is something new and different about the resort. The staff has always gone out of their way to get to know us and make us feel like family. You also cannot say enough about the concierge. The views, beautiful grounds, large beaches, great food and the BEST transportation in WDW only makes the resort better. No other resort has the monorail, busses, boat to the MK and walking distance to the TTC for the monorail to Epcot and because of its location you are never last in line for pickup by the busses or the monorail which means it is rarely full before it gets to your resort. I never settle for “just ok” and I always return to the Polynesian even after trying other Deluxe Resorts.
This hotel has really gone down into the dumps. The rooms are covered in heavy layers of dust, the air filters looked like they were 5 years old, and the carpet was dirty. Service was horrible in some areas like the Front Desk and Guest Services. Excellent service was found in the shops and eateries, though some CMs were rather pathetic and had some interesting problems doing what a guest asked. One CM insisted that pizzas had to be burned in Captain Cooks. Another CM corrected her though. and he was very nice, but he was moving to AZ I believe. Overall, I'd never stay at the Polynesian again, but I would visit the resort whenever I visit the Magic Kingdom. The Kona Cafe has excellent prime rib.
I stayed at Coronado Springs for New Year's Eve 2004-2005. We arrived on the night of the 30th so we could enjoy the resort and Pleasure Island. (Yeah that's right. We celebrated New Year's two nights in a row!) I was with my parents and friend, but we only wanted one room, so we ordered a cot over a month before. When we arrived at the resort, I was amazed at the size of it. IT'S HUGE! And from the looks of it, they are adding a whole new side. Our room was great, but despite them charging us an extra fee for a water-view room, we did not get that. A huge lake, and no water-view. Apparently they deem a view of the pool a water view. Eh, not much of a problem. But when we got into our room, there was no cot. We called the front desk and asked them to bring it up, and they said it would be there when we returned from Pleasure Island. Well we got back and the cot was nowhere to be seen. So we called again, and they said the cots were all gone. Pissed off, we went to bed to prepare for MGM on New Year's Eve. We had dinner at the Pepper Market, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had. I ordered the chicken quesadillas, and they were massive for a reasonable price. You know everything at Disney is always more. 12 bucks was pretty good though for such a good meal. I recommend it to everyone who stays at Coronado Springs. The next day went well. The resort was very close to MGM, which was where we were going, and the buses were prompt. In the middle of the day, it was hard to catch one back to the resort, but it didn't kill us. Back at the resort, the cot finally arrived. We went in the Dig Site pool, and it was great. The slide is definitely a huge plus, but even having a basketball hoop in the water was fun. They say that's the best pool at Disney, and I agree. The theming at the pool and even the rest of the resort is phenomenal. I even got to play the Roller Coaster Tycoon pinball game in the arcade, which I had been wanting to do for awhile. All in all, the resort was great. I loved the Spanish theme since I have been taking Spanish in high school for four years now. I was disappointed I did not get to make use of the marina, but it was still fun without that. I recommend Coronado Springs to everyone. It's a great place to stay and has tons to do. !Adios!
We walked all the way over from World of Disney to the House of Blues location at the end of Downtown Disney across from DisneyQuest and next to Cirque du Soleil for lunch. It was well worth the trip. You won't leave hungry. This was a walk-up and my wife and I were seated in about 3 minutes. We were seated on the main floor and had full view of all the various artifacts/architectual details there is to see and there are plenty from the bottle cap decrative adornments to the ceiling mediallions of R & B artists. You would come here many times and not see all there is to notice. Service was prompt, pleasant, and efficient. We had the iced tea for drinks and for "first flavors" we split the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, served warm, with Roasted Salsa, Sour Cream and Tortilla Chips which was about what you'd expect from any dinning out establishment. We also tried side of Skillet Baked Rosemary Cornbread with Maple Butter. When people talk about the cornbread they aren't kidding and it isn't like I haven't had cornbread before having been raised and still residing in the South. HOB is worth the trip just for the cornbread. My wife played it safe and had the Spicy Buffalo Chicken Tenders served with Blue Cheese Dressing, Celery Sticks and French Fries which was good but strong on the blue cheese. Being adverturesome I had the Creole Jambalaya with Shrimp, Chicken, Tasso Ham, Andouille Sausage and Roasted Green Onions. I've had jambalaya with Andouille before and realize a true jambalaya calls for it but have always found it to be "dry" as a sausage and perfer a kasaba sausage. The Tasso Ham was however wonderful. The jambalaya is served in a large bowl that masks just how much the portion size is. It was impossible to finish it and would be a canidate for splitting with someone else. We were just barely able to save some room for dessert. For dessert we split White Chocolate-Banana Bread Pudding with Jack Daniels Crème Anglaise, Whipped Cream, and a Caramel Halo. This was a great dessert but I make a better Jack Daniels sauce for bread pudding which I adapted from a Planet Hollywood receipe for bread pudding. My suggestion to HOB is to load the sauce up with more butter. I had always wanted to try the resturant at HOB but never had due to its location. This time I made the time to try it out and I'm glad I did. It is on my list of placed to be sure and visit.
I did a walk-up for two and was immediately seated. For drinks I had the Live Love Eat and the wife had the Tangerine Dream which was better. For starters she had the Butternut Squash Soup which she is still talking about now 2 weeks since. I had the shrimp and octopus sushi which was good if you like sushi. The wife had the Chinois Salad as the main course for which she didn't care. She admits she was warned that it was much like a cabbage slaw by the server before she completed her order and says it was her own fault for ordering something she didn't like. I had the meatloaf and was plesantly suprised at the delicate seasoning. Having watched W. Puck's show on Food TV I didn't expect something so lightly crafted. We finished up by splitting a carrot cake with a couple of coffees which was good. Total cost was $75.15 minus $15.03 with the 20% Disney Dining Experience discount plus tip. For adults I would recommend W. Puck's as an upscale eatery with excellent service and good food at theme park prices. I wouldn't take the kidos here. There isn't any associated entertaining value other than the dining and a great view of the lake across to Saratoga Springs to occupy the younger set.
WITH SO MANY GREAT PLACES TO EAT I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR BURGERS AND HOTDOGS IN THIS AREA. BUT IF YOU MUST IT'S AS GOOD AS ANY OTHER.
The Rock n'Roller Coaster is a very fast and fun roller coaster, right now, it is the only one of it's kind in the WDW Theme Parks, it goes 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. It is a very cool ride, if you like fast and energetic roller coasters, than this is definatly the ride for you.
DISNEY HAS DONE THIS SHIP THEIR WAY. GREAT SHIP, A CREW THAT REMINDS ME OF WDW,GREAT SHOWS AND WAY TOO MUCH GOOD FOOD. ROUGH SEAS IN JANUARY CAN BE A PROBLEM SO IF MOTION SICKNESS IS A PROBLEM A TRIP LATER IN THE YEAR WOULD BE BEST.
Fantasmic! is a great show to watch after a long day at Disney-MGM Studios!!
All I can say is, if people see the themeing here as 'average', what would one expect to see when the theming is 'excellent???? I think this park is beautifully built and maintain and captures the hearts and souls of every nation, young and old. May it live forever!
When you enter the park, everything is Disney! And there're magic everywhere. Let this be a place for your family fun. It's great for every one and every time.
This's one of the greatest show I've ever seen. You'll feel like every wishes will come true!
I had a great time on this one...Even tho I only scored like 80,000. Good job guys
An amazing 3D adventure, with all the faviorate disney Characters: Mickey, Donald, Ariel, Simba, Peter Pan, Aladen, Jasmine, Beauty and the beast's luminare and friends. And the best part of the show is when they Make the whole theatere smell like fresh bake pie!
They have the biggest and best Ice Cream Sunday in WDW, its called the kitchen sink! It has every flavor of Ice Cream every topping, and a WHOLE CAN OF WHIPPED CREAM. It feeds desert for about 4 people.
I can honestly say that some of the best days I've ever had have been at WDW and Port Orleans Riverside (I still prefere the name Dixie Landings though). Well furnished, not too hurried, quiet but not too quiet, great connections to the world, boat and bus. We've been going for 6 years now and the 'Al Bundy' lookalike who plays the piano in the bar never fails to amuse. Highly recommended. Going back in May 2005!!
the moment you enter the beach club resort, you'll feel as if you have entered a "martha's vineyard"- like place. the rooms are good, the service is well executed, and Stormalong Bay has got to be the best pool ever, not to mention that with it's sandy bottom, it feels as if you were at a beach in which you could snorkel at (just keep in mind that even though you can bring your own mask and snorkel, you cannot bring your swim fins into the water. i almost forgot, a word of caution for weak swimmers: this swimming pool contains areas which can go up to 8 feet deep.). all i can say this resort deserves the "unofficial figment1988-sanctioned flawless review award, plus an added Figmentality award" P.S. be sure to say hello to Art (the Beach Club Resort greeter) when you first enter this resort. oh yes, i forgot, sorry for the cheesy Mortal Kombat puns at the end
A ride that has better themeing in the Queuing Area than in the actual ride itself. Disney was a penney pincher when building and scaled back the origional plans, and it shows.
The beachclub by far has the best Pool in WDW! If you never have been there you should take a visit, My favirote resort by far!
My wife, 12-year-old daughter and I stayed in the Casitas section. Things we liked: 1. The room, while not huge, was adequate for 3. It was always clean. 2. The pool area was wonderful. Our daughter loved the waterslide. The pool area is so large that while it was crowded, we never felt overwhelmed by the number of people either in the pool or around it. 3. We walked the resort every evening. The theming was just excellent. The transition from lush theme to desert theme was just great. The paths are never boring to walk. 4. The people at the main desk were always nice. We ordered tickets to Hoop-De-Doo by phone and picked them up at the main desk. There was a problem with their credit-card processing machine at one station and the supervisor stepped right in. She took me over to an empty station and proceeded to process the order quickly. She was nice, too. 5. The bus service was great. We never waited more then 10 minutes to board a bus to any of the parks, no matter what the hour. A quick note about the bus service. I was there on business, while my family came along for play. We had an event at the Swan/Dolphin resort that ran far later then planned. The busses had stopped running to most of the resorts, leaving us with no way to get back to CS. We boarded the bus to Downtown Disney, hoping to transfer there. We talked to the driver, who said that it was a quiet night and offered to drive us directly to CS, saving us over an hour of transfer-wait time. If you find a bus driver who goes out of the way for you like this lady did, ask them about their "perks", a little card they carry that you fill out and leave with your front desk or in any theme park's service counter. The driver gets a perk for being extra nice. Things we didn't like: 1. The maid service was "too good" in our room. Is this possible? Each day, the maid would take the barely-used soap out of the tub and sink and neglect to leave us any new soap. We called the front desk and new soap was delivered to us promptly. This happened every day. 2. Pepper Market we found to be high-priced for the quality and quantity of food. One night, we spent over $20 for tuna sandwiches, chips and drinks for 3 people. 3. Transportation to another resort was tough at times. I understand this, as most people who stay at Disney go from their resort to a park and back. I was there for business, and although the Swan/Dolphin was only about a mile away, there were no walking paths which I could take. To get there each morning, it necessitated taking a bus to one of the parks, then changing to a bus which went to the Swan/Dolphin. I found that it took anywhere from 40 minutes to 90 minutes to get to my conference, depending on which park I chose. The quickest was Typhoon Lagoon. I must admit that I felt a bit funny sitting on the bus in my shirt, tie and briefcase with all the people in swimsuits. Overall, CS gets an A-. We'd go back.
The wife & I like Pop Century. We've stayed at Music and Movies and while they are nice, the central food court and being a little away from the other value motels cuts down on the traffic congestion. We are coming back again in May (no kids) for her 50th Birthday.
It cannot get any better than Splash at Magic Kingdom. Sure, other attractions come VERY close...but Splash is one of a kind! Most attractions have such long lines, and the duration does not make up for it. Not so here! The lines are long, and the ride is long and very detailed, so that each time you go, you notice something new. The drop may be extremely intimidating, but it looks worse than it is. Aside from that, the attraction has MUCH more to it than the various drops. I don't know what else to say...just go ride it!
This and BTMRR are tied in second place, because Splash is my favorite. Now, I do indeed love Space...as long as I can get a fastpass for it. Right before closing, the lines are empty as well, and sometimes we take advantage. It's hilarious watching a herd of people hauling patootie to the empty lines lol. Anyway, even though this ride isn't really fast, it does FEEL fast. It's very jerky, but somehow that makes the ride feel more exciting right? What my incessant rambling is trying to say is that you should definitely check this out. A lot of little kids who meet the height requirement get freaked out. But if they decide to ride, it'll quickly become a favorite!
Ok, so it doesn't have the same technology as Winnie the Pooh or Philarmagic. It's still cute. Well, it used to be less cute because of the witch popping out so much. The witch still pops out, but it shouldn't be too bad for kids. Every kid is different though, so be cautious. I especially love Dopey waving good-bye to everyone in the end. I'm very biased to Dopey (who isn't?!) and that is why I love seeing him in the ride =). If you have time and are a Seven Dwarfs fan (Snow White doesn't appear as much ::shrugs::), definitely check it out. Otherwise, there are cuter attractions out there...sorry lol.
I don't go on this attraction as often as I used to...and I don't know exactly why. It's a classic, but I've always felt it's too short. I still enjoy it though. From the skull right before the fall to the "pata cochina" ("yucky foot" in Spanish lol), this is a family favorite. I guess I'll have to revisit it again if I enjoy it so much lol. For first timers, this is a must in order to appreciate an attraction personally supervised by Walt Disney before his death. Kids may be a bit frightened, but not as much as say Haunted Mansion.
This used to be one of my favorites at MK. However, the lines have become ridiculously long for the duration, and for the fact that it's a continuously loading ride. The ONLY worth while thing in this attraction is that you "fly" through London and Neverland aboard a pirate's ship. No matter how old you get, that is always appealing. Nevertheless, I will not wait in an hour to fly over London and Neverland in a minute or two. For the kids, this is definitely worth it. For everyone else, either Fastpass it (after you've fastpassed everything else) or wait until right before closing.
This has quickly become one of my favorite attractions at Magic Kingdom. FINALLY, Donald Duck gets an attraction where he's in the center of it all. Please don't let the Mickey in "Mickey's Philarmagic" fool you...he's only in the beginning and the end...and I love that! Donald is adorable and funny in this attraction! The animation is very nice and it never ceases to amaze me when everyone (kids and adults) reaches out to grab some jewels or apple pie lol. Speaking of apple pie, keep your noses alert for that delightful smell. My only problem with this attraction is that it's too short. It felt like we were being rushed through each movie, with Peter Pan getting the shortest amount of time in the attraction. Seeing as how this attraction is extremely kid-friendly, a longer movie would have been great. Anyway, this is not to be missed at Magic Kingdom. Don't miss it!!!
A great way to end a day at WDW. There is a large viewing area from anywhere around the world showcase lagoon. It is an excelent show with fireworks, water, and fire.
An Exciting way to get around! The WDW Monorail is an Exciting way to get around, and if you ask and are lucky, you can sit up front with the driver!
It's a good ride for a tough stomach, when its open now that the land is in SEASONAL operation.
We went to this show in February 2004, and you should be aware that on a cool night you will be FREEZING! The food is OK but nothing to rave about. The first two segments of the show are about equal to a high school musical production. The third segment of the show, which features the various authentic dances, is really great. They could dispense with the first two segments and just use this part. Young kids will probably be bored by this, especially if they are tired from a long day in the parks. My 6-year old only wanted to go back to the hotel to go to sleep.
This so-so ride is a great when you need a to relax. Queueing time is excellent as there's never a wait. However, there are no thrills what-so-ever and no story at all. Overall a mildly entertaining boat ride with it's a small world style dolls (uh-oh).
This ride does seem like a rip-off of Star Tours, but it's still fun. I do agree that it's rough, but I guess that's why I think it's thrilling.
I have visited CBR twice now. Once in May of 2003 and May of 2004. I have loved this resort. True the building designs and room layout is in the style of an average motel but the grounds are beautiful. When you go to check-in be prepared to stand in line! There are few places in the lobby area to sit down. It took about 45 minutes both times for us to get checked in. If you didn’t rent a car then definitely use the baggage service. The walk to some of the rooms is extremely long. The rooms were clean and comfortable. You can find pictures of the rooms on Disney's website. My girlfriend and I took time out to walk the paths next to the lakes. I recommend this walk just before sunset. You can grab a seat on one of the many benches and watch the sunset in peace. At one point we had a mother duck with about 6 chicks stroll by. The bus stops are easily accessible and we have rarely had to wait more than 15 minutes for a bus. The main pool looked great but a little small. Every time I walked by the pool for a meal it was loaded down with people. Depending on which village you are in (Barbados, Martinique, Aruba, Jamaica, Trinidad North, and Trinidad South.) you could be walking up to ½ mile to get to Old Port Royale where the food court is. I have not had a bad experience at CBR and will be staying at CBR again 1/8/05 – 1/11/05 and 4/30/05 – 5/7/05.