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Located in Fantasyland, is a place called Princess Fantasy Faire. Here you can listen to stories told by Princesses, meet them and yes, dance with them.
On our recent trip to Disneyland I insisted that we attend the Royal Coronation Ceremony where Andy and I would learn the finer points of how to become a Princess. Not sure if it worked, but none the less here is video of the dance we were taught! Enjoy:)
During my recent visit to WDW I had the opportunity to ride ‘Characters in Flight’, an experience I would recommend to everyone. Located on the west side of Downtown Disney, the ride consists of a tethered helium balloon that lifts you 400 feet up in the air allowing you to see the most amazing view of every part of Walt Disney World imaginable (and then some). The balloon itself is also massive, so large in fact you see it while in Epcot as it oddly rises above the France pavilion.
My friend and decided to ride it one evening while strolling through the stores and restaurant. It was the weekend, around 10pm in the month of August. Needless to say Down Town Disney was bussssy. We waited around 2 hours in line, which wasn’t that bad as Downtown Disney was full of performers at the time. But if you want to avoid lines I would recommend going before noon on a weekday.
‘Characters in Flight’ is also highly dependent on the wind. The number of people allowed to ride in the balloon depends on what the wind speeds are at the time. The winds were pretty high the night we went and so only five of us rode in the balloon. Although it made the wait long, it was actually quite nice having so few people up there as it allowed you to roam around the balloon on the circular platform.
The ascent was a little wobbly due to the wind and when you get your first glimpses looking down it definitely takes your breath away. This is a ride that is definitely not recommended for those who are scared of heights. Once we reached our destination in the sky it was a smooth flight and I felt quite comfortable walking around. The best part of the ride was trying to spot all the landmarks and realizing just how ginormous WDW really is!
To make the experience even more memorable we were surprised when one of the passengers got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend. Which actually isn’t a bad idea for any boyfriends out there who are trying to come up with a unique place to pop the question.
In the end we paid $12 each (Cast member price, $16 regular) for the 10 minute ride and I would definetly do it again. It’s a one of a kind experience getting to see a birds eye view of the parks. I highly recommend you check out ‘Characters in the Sky’ the next time you visit Walt Disney World.
While on our last trip to Disneyland, KP, our friend Carol, and I were wandering down Main Street, and around the hub, when we caught refrains of our favourite tunes on the air. People were started to gather and our curiosity got the best of us: we wanted to find out what was going on! Then to our surprise, through the gate under Sleepy Beauty’s Castle, came the Disneyland Band! They were joined by some Disney character’s as well, who danced along to the tunes. They played for a good ten minutes, before marching on down Main Street, to do another performance by the firehouse.
Talk about a pleasant surprise!
Here’s a clip I took, enjoy!
When it comes to Disney, there’s always a little extra fun involved even when you don’t expect it.
Some of these things have been reported on the internet before, and it’s always and adventure to try and track them down. Doesn’t matter if it’s a Hidden Mickey or some other extra fun to make the rides extra silly. These Hidden Disney moments can turn up anywhere, from merchandise shops, to attractions, or even signage or a sidewalk. They can be very obvious, like Mickey Waffles, or tough to find, like the Bride’s ring from the Haunted Mansion (which by the way, no longer exists).
When KP and I worked for Disney, we made it our mission to find some of these elusive things. One of the items that topped our list was the key under the mat at Muppet Vision 3D, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
The instructions we found in looking for this key had been vague at best, and said that the key was under the mat at the ticket office.
Set with those instructions, we looked around the queue area once inside the attraction, around the preshow area, and the post-show area. Do you think we could find that darn thing? Not a chance.
The next time we were at DHS we gave it another attempt. We scoured the exterior queue area, when the lineup wasn’t even long enough to be in that section of the queue area. We came across a really awesome water fountain, but that was about it.
Muppet Labs Queue Water Fountain
Then just as we were giving up, we decided to just go see the show again and maybe we’d spot it. It was a stroke of luck, really, but as we went through the turnstiles we looked back and…
Back in 5 Minutes... Key is under mat
The key is under the mat!
… there was box office. Staring us right in the face, with the back in five minutes sign hanging right in plain sight. We couldn’t believe we’d missed seeing it before. But it was a nice success!
The infamous Key is found at last!
For this weeks Media Monday I thought I would travel back a few years and bring you some picts I recently stumbled upon in my Grandma’s photo albums.
Disneyland Hub: 1985
This picture appears to be taken in the Hub, outside the entrance to Tomorrowland. The Plaza Inn is on the left. Off to the right is the center of the Hub with the Partners Statue. I think that the Hub appears much larger in the picture than it does now…perhaps due to the enormous trees. That must have made watching the fireworks a challenge. But I do like how Green it all looks.
Sleepy Beauty Castle
Ahhh Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. Once again I love the green foliage growing up the side. But the castle appears much smaller to me. I can’t figure out why. Hmmm thoughts?
Hands down, bar none, by far my favourite show in Walt Disney World is Wishes. In just my summer work term at Disney alone I saw Wishes a total of 26 times. Anytime I visit a Disney park, Wishes is always on the schedule. The obvious and trully best spot to take in the fireworks is the Central Hub or Main Street, USA. But the truth is, Wishes can be captured from almost any place in the park including the ToonTown train station, behind the Castle and the top of Splash Mountain (if you get the timing right).
Most people often don’t realize that in addition there are places to view and hear the fireworks outside the park as well. All the resorts along the Lagoon have restaurants that provide a view of the Magic Kingdom and will pipe in the music. Two of the best would be the Bay Lake and Contemporary Resort which both provide viewing decks outside to enjoy.
But my favourite place to take in the spectacle would be on the beaches of the Polynesian Resort. You don’t have to worry about finding a spot in a crowded sea of people. The show unfolds right before you across the Seven Seas Lagoon. You can relax and rest in a lounge chair, swing or hammock on the sandy white beaches, and best of all….it’s free! To make the experience even better head on inside to the Kona Cafe and grab a Dole Whip (Hmmm Dole Whip). When the show is done you don’t have to worry about fighting through the crowds to exit the park, as you are already outside the Magic Kingdom and now just a hop, skip and a jump away from a non crowded monorail ride back to the Transit and Ticket Center.
A Blurry Picture of Wishes from the Polynesian Resort
Of course, it isn’t the same as viewing it from within the Magic Kingdom and if you only have one night to view Wishes I recommend seeing it from within the park. But if you have seen it before and want to enjoy a stress free relaxing viewing of the nighttime spectacular, you can’t go wrong with the Polynesian Resort.
Short Clip I Took of Wishes from the Beach of the Polynesian Resort
Why not take a tour on Star Tours? They offer some fabulous destinations, including Endor…
This song has been archived to save space. If you’d like to hear it, just comment on this post and we’ll upload it again.
Please note: None of the music we post in the blog will be available for redistribution, so don’t ask!
Ask any Disney fan to name a list of their top five favourite Disney treats, and you’re likely to see a Dole Whip somewhere on that list.
What is a Dole Whip? Wikipedia calls it “a soft-serve frozen dessert available at individual ice-cream vendors…The dessert is a dry mix reconstituted with water and then frozen before serving–preservatives in the mix ensure a long shelf life and no insect/vermin infestations.”
Andy digs into a Dole Whip at the Poly.
To KP and I, it is a quintessential Disney park must-eat. You cannot go to the parks without having at least one. It’s cold, it’s creamy, it’s pineapply goodness.
Essentially a Dole Whip is pineapple flavoured soft serve ice cream served in a cup. You can also get it served as a Dole Whip Float, with pineapple juice in the bottom and the ice cream part on top, or you can get a Dole Whip swirled with vanilla soft serve. But the regular Dole Whip is my choice and it wouldn’t be a trip to a Disney theme park without having a least one (though usually several are in order over the course of a trip).
For a long time it was popular belief in the Disney community that Dole Whips were only available at three places on the planet: Walt Disney World (In Adventureland or the Polynesian Resort), Disneyland (Adventureland), or at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. This helped to add the magic, because this delicious treat was so rare.
Unfortunately over the years KP and I have debunked this myth, as well have other Disney fans. One year KP and I were attending Disney on Ice and there was a kiosk that proudly displayed a sign that read “Dole Whips”. We were so excited, then got to the booth and… they only sold strawberry or chocolate.
Now many other creamy treats could admittedly go by the name, but a real Dole Whip is a pineapple one.
More recently I had relatives visiting from out of town, so I took them around to do the touristy things. At one of the popular tourist attractions I came across another such “Dole Whip” sign. This time, however, I wasn’t being led on and getting my hopes up – I’d been down that road before. But then to my surprise, pineapple was one of the flavours, and I had to order one just to claim that I had eaten a Dole Whip outside of the parks.
And I was disappointed. It just didn’t taste as good. Sure it was cold, it was creamy, it was pineapply… but there was something missing.
KP enjoys a Dole Whip, while Andy tries out a Dole Whip Float in DL.
The problem was that it wasn’t Disney! The Dole Whip has become this special treat, and is part of the pilgrimage that makes up a trip to Disney. Sure, you can get a Dole Whip outside of the parks, but it’s the experience of having this treat, this experience in the Happiest Place on Earth.
So yes, you may be able to eat a Dole Whip outside of a Disney park… but do you really want to?