Magical Kingdoms Disney Blog

Annual Passholders at Disney World who have been lucky enough to attend the previews for Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ latest attraction have been reporting good things. Toy Story Midway Mania seems to be producing good reviews, with reports of guests wanting to ride again straight away, according to this Orlando Sentinel article.

The ride is quite possibly Disney’s most interactive ride yet, with guests wearing 3D glasses, and boarding ride vehicles that move through various scenes featuring typical midway games. In each game guests aim for 3-D animated targets using their own on-board “spring-action shooters.” The games include “4D” surprises including blasts of air & water sprays.

I know that I for one can’t wait to ride it!

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There are some great websites out there dedicated to individual Walt Disney World attractions.

Here’s my pick of the best ones:

Tell No Tales
A tribute to Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. The site is beautifully themed, featuring a great photo tour of the ride and rare audio files from the attraction. A must-see for any Pirates fan, arrr!

Haunted Dimensions
You guessed it! The Haunted Mansion. Another visually appealing site that Haunted Mansion fans will love. Providing a page devoted to the attraction’s history, lots of photos, and what has to be the most unusual thing I’ve ever seen on a website - download and make a paper model of the Liberty Square Mansion!

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
A guide dedicated to the Disney’s Hollywood Studios attraction. Although the site doesn’t appear to have been updated in some time, it does contain stuff worth visiting for, including photos, video and facts.

Doom Buggies
Another Haunted Mansion fan site! This one is brought to you by the same person as TellNoTales.com and features rare vintage audio and video clips. Lots of background history from the ride and interviews with the Mansion’s creators make this site a great read.

Ravenswood Manor
This one is dedicated to Disneyland Resort Paris’s Phantom Manor. An excellent detailed, guided photo tour complete with script excerpts and trivia.

An Officially Unofficial Muppet*Vision 3D Page
A funny look at the equally funny 3D movie show. With a show history, description and page of gags from the pre-show and show that you may have missed.

Figment’s Imagination
A fan site for Journey into Imagination with Figment. Contains audio, video, photos and Figment himself!

http://www.magicalkingdoms.com

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1. When someone boards the monorail shake their hand and say “Hi, I’m Walt Disney!”

2. First, make sure there is someone with Mickey Mouse on their t-shirt, bag, hat, etc. Suddenly exclaim “MOUSE!” (the more high-pitched the better). Once everyone is hysterical enough, calmly point to the image of Mickey.

3. If the monorail stops mid-way because there’s already one in the next station, say quite loudly “last time this happened they had to bring a really long ladder for us all to climb down.”

4. Ask the nearest kid in your cab if they’re looking forward to meeting Bugs Bunny.

5. Sing or hum “it’s a small world” for the whole journey.

6. Put your hand to your ear as if talking to someone on an earpiece and describe the appearance of someone in your cab just loud enough for them to overhear. If they ask what your doing, reply with “It’s classified”.

7. Point to someone wearing a Winnie the Pooh t-shirt and shout in a really loud voice “Hey, you’ve got Pooh on your t-shirt!”

8. Open your bag, look inside and say “have you got enough air in there Tinker Bell?”

9. Learn the monorail spiel and repeat it loudly in sync as you travel along.

10. Just after boarding, say to those around you “I love this ride, especially the drop at the end!”

http://www.magicalkingdoms.com

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When we announced we were going to be taking our 6 month old daughter to WDW, a few people asked why? She won’t remember it, they said. We replied that she may not, but we would, and we’d have many wonderful photos to show her when she’s old enough.

With the trip now behind us we don’t regret it one bit! We have many fantastic memories, and hundreds of photos to share with her in years to come. I think it actually did her good and helped with her social skills too. She met so many new people, made friends and had a fantastic time!

It’s by no means easy though! Having been used to visiting WDW many times before, doing as we wanted, when we wanted, staying out late and everything else you do as a carefree adult, it can be a bit of a shock to have the restrictions an infant brings. The key is to go with a totally different mindset. You’re not going to be able to ride all the “e-ticket” rides. You’re not going to be able to stay out late at Pleasure Island. You will have to keep stopping every half hour to feed or change the baby. You may only get a handful of rides done each day. But you will enjoy it. Just relax, take things easy and go with the flow. 

There’s a secret haven in each park. Somewhere that most childless guests aren’t aware exist. They’re called Baby Care Centers and they’re a lifesaver for those travelling with tots. Nestled away next to the first aid centers, they are somewhere parents can escape to to change, feed or just have a break in quiet air-conditioned comfort. Equipped with highchairs, rocking chairs, changing tables, microwaves, and private nursing rooms. They also stock a range of baby food, diapers, and other baby essentials, but expect to pay a little more than you would in your regular supermarket. The only snag is there is only one center in each park, and if you’re on the other side of the park it can be a bit of a trek, especially with a screaming baby.

Locations:
  • Magic Kingdom - next to Crystal Palace
  • Epcot - Odyssey Center in Future World
  •  Disney’s Hollywood Studios - next to guest services building inside main entrance
  •  Animal Kingdom - Discovery Island, between Pizzafari & Africa

Changing tables are available in all women’s and some men’s restrooms. Make sure you have some sort of disposable or fold-up changing mat with you, as the changing tables are either stainless steel or marble, which are both cold and hard, and not pleasant for a baby to lie on.

A major thing to consider is strollers. Do you take your own or hire one? Disney hire out single or double strollers, but have just raised the prices considerably. Singles now cost $15 a day, with doubles weighing in at a whopping $31 per day. If you’re staying for any length of time it would actually work out cheaper to buy a cheap stroller just for the trip. However, most airlines will carry a collapsible stroller for free, in addition to your regular luggage allowance, so just bring one from home. Lightweight umbrella strollers are the best type to use, especially if you intend to use the Disney transportation system, as you’ll have to fold the stroller up onboard buses.

  You can’t take strollers into any rides or wait/queue areas, and a front baby carrier can come in useful here with a young baby. Be aware that where you leave your stroller on entering an attraction may not necessarily be where you’ll find it when you exit. Cast Members often move strollers to a different place or even different area, so don’t panic thinking someone has walked off with yours! Having said that, it does occasionally happen, but there are things you can do to reduce the risk. Write your name on a piece of paper and put it inside your stroller, preferably somewhere visible like a clear plastic pocket if it has one. Tie brightly coloured ribbons to it, or anything that make it easily identifiable which will put someone else wandering off with it.

So, which rides can you go on with an infant? Well, you are a bit limited but there are still plenty of attractions you can experience.

Magic Kingdom
  Tomorrowland Transit Authority 
  Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor 
  Minnie’s Country House 
  Mickey’s Country House
  Donald’s Boat 
  All of Fantasyland (with the exception of Mad Tea Party which I wouldn’t recommend for babies!)
  Hall of Presidents 
  Liberty Belle Riverboat 
  Haunted Mansion
  Country Bear Jamboree 
  Magic Carpets of Aladdin 
  Enchanted Tiki Room 
  Jungle Cruise 
  Pirates of the Caribbean

Epcot
  Spaceship Earth 
  Ellen’s Energy Adventure 
  Honey I Shrunk the Audience 
  Journey Into Imagination with Figment 
  Living with the Land
  Circle of Life 
  The Seas with Nemo & Friends 
  Turtle Talk - With Crush! 
  All World Showcase attractions

Hollywood Studios
  Great Movie Ride 
  Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
  Playhouse Disney - Live on Stage!
  Voyage of The Little Mermaid
  The Magic of Disney Animation 
  Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream 
  Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour
  Lights, Motors, Action!™ Extreme Stunt Show (some infants may be scared by loud noises)
  Muppet Vision 3-D 
  Indiana Jones ™ Epic Stunt Spectacular! (some infants may be scared by loud noises)

Animal Kingdom
  Festival of the Lion King 
  Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends
  Kilimanjaro Safaris
  Conservation Station
  Maharajah Jungle Trek
  Flights of Wonder
  Finding Nemo - The Musical

If you’re worried about baby crying in the middle of a show, try to sit on the end of a row near the exit for a quick getaway if need be.

If you still want to ride the non-infant friendly rides, make use of “babyswap.” Simply enter the queue area as normal, infant too. Tell the Cast Member that you want to use baby swap. When you reach the front of the queue one of you will ride while the other stays with baby. Once the ride is over you simply swap round and the other one rides without a wait.

When you book your hotel, request a pak ’n’ play crib, and request again at check-in. Disney Resorts provide these free of charge. You’ll also find high chairs in all restaurants and food courts.

So there you have it, a brief guide to taking your infant of it’s first Disney trip. It requires more work and planning, but is well worth it. Go and enjoy, before that cooing baby grows up and starts demanding to go on small world for the fifteenth time, and wants every plush toy she sees!

http://www.magicalkingdoms.com

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When I tell people I write “The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort” their response is more often than not, “I want your job!”. It is a great occupation, one that I love, but it isn’t always a bed of roses. It’s hard work combined with loads of fun.

Weeks before my arrival at Walt Disney World I spend hours and hours of time putting the pieces together in order to get the most out of my visit. Each trip to Orlando involves a stay at approximately five resorts over about ten days which adds up to a lot packing and unpacking on my part. All hotel reservations need to be pieced together ahead of time along with public relations meeting scheduling at each resort, dinner reservations each night, spa appointments and resort tours added in to the formula, and at least some time for the theme parks.

A typical day begins with a light breakfast in the concierge lounge (I always stay on the concierge level if the resort offers one in order to review it for the book). I usually schedule a hotel tour with the resort’s director of public relations in the morning which consists of an hour or two walking the grounds and public areas followed by a peek at every room type offered. Then I get to see any suites that are available - definitely a fun part of the tour.

If the resort has a spa (something that is becoming par for the course) I schedule a treatment after lunch and then try to find time to enjoy the pool in the afternoon. I sometimes make a day of it with a workout in the fitness room, spa treatment, whirlpool and steam bath, and, at places like the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando, an afternoon at the exclusive spa pool with lunch served poolside.

I review at least one restaurant at every hotel I write about. I dine at the resort one night with the second night spent at either a restaurant at one of the theme parks, Downtown Disney, CityWalk, or pick a fabulous dining spot on “Restaurant Row” near Universal. That along with snacks and appetizers at the concierge lounge and lunch here and there adds up to plenty of food. Needless to say, I’m stuffed by the time I head home.

In between all the spa appointments, restaurants, and resort tours I add in visits to the theme parks at both Disney and Universal along with an occasional spin through SeaWorld, shopping expeditions, recreation, behind-the-scenes tours, visits to resort lounges, trips to Pleasure Island and CityWalk, and more. It certainly is a whirlwind with many Orlando trips necessary in order to revisit each resort, restaurant, spa, etc. before the next edition of the book is ready. I feel it is very important to sleep in the beds, actually have a spa treatment and not just a tour, eat many times at each restaurant, and experience firsthand everything included in the book before sending each new edition off to my publisher. I sometimes feel as if Orlando is my second home (I live in Texas).

Back at the office, I add all the new photos I’ve taken to my website at http://www.luxurydisneyguide.com/, update any changes to the site, then begin to add changes and new resorts, restaurants, etc. to the book. That way the information for each new edition is written when it is fresh in my mind. Of course, I take tons of notes and photos during the trip to jog my memory upon my return.

So if you are considering writing a travel guidebook plan on plenty of work, plenty of fun, and lots of writing. Take it from me.

by Cara Goldsbury, author of “The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney World Resort”

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