My Disney Bucket List

My Disney Bucket List- by Shendl 

Photos: Disney

I am sure each and every Disney Fan has a Wish List or as I call it a Bucket List of things that they want to do or achieve on their Disney Vacations.

Some are Realistic and some are Fantasy. Today I am going to let you in on my current Disney Bucket List for my Next Vacation in 2017.

•    Eat at Be Our Guest.  This restaurant had just opened when we went to WDW in 2013, so we were unable to get a reservation and we didn’t want to stand in the really long Lines for lunch. This next trip in 2017, we will be booking a Dinner and Lunch/Breakfast depending on what we can get!  

•    Ride the Seven Dwarves Mine Train. The Mine Train was just being completed on our last vacation and I just Have to ride it and go through the interactive queue that I have heard so much about!

•    The Keys to the Kingdom Tour. One of my dreams has always been to see the Utilidors at Magic Kingdom (ever since I saw and Oprah episode where she took her whole audience to WDW), so we want to splurge a little next time!

  
•    The new Ferrytale Dessert and Wishes Cruise. This is a new addition to my List (its only just been released and it is a little pricey.) We want to treat ourselves for our Wedding Anniversary instead of buying each other a gift. This Cruise sounds like fun and the Desserts sounds amazing as well as the souvenir items you get.

     
•    Resort Hop. In my Four Vacations to WDW, I have never Resort Hopped!! This time we will be making sure that we have a day set aside just to visit as many resorts as we can and have  a snack or drink and get an item that says the resort name for our collection
   

•    Ride Tower of Terror and Rock n Roller Coaster. I have promised myself and my husband, Dieter, that I will ride these two rides next time. I chickened out the last time and I really wish I had done them. So no chickening out this time!!

•    Buy a Disney Dooney and Burke handbag. I really, really love the Dooney and Burke Handbags that I see my friends in the USA buying and I have vowed to buy something that is a Dooney and Burke even if it’s the smallest one I can find…..as long as it fits into the budget!!

•    Get my face painted. I really wanted to get my face painted when I was at WDW the last time and for some reason I felt that I would look silly with it done. I have since seen friends of mine have it done on their vacations and HAVE to do it!!!
   
•    Eat a Dole Whip. I have NEVER done this!! I hear you Gasp as you read this……I will rectify this in 2017 for sure!!
   

•    Pick a Pearl in Japan at Epcot or at Disney Springs. This is another thing I wanted to do last time and didn’t for reason’s unknown to me. I see such gorgeous things that friends have had made with their pearl picks and I think it will be such a lovely souvenir to bring some magic home!

This is my Bucket List – the one I plan to complete on my next vacation in Sept 2017. I have a fantasy one as well but that I will share with you another time!

Looking forward to seeing your Disney Bucket Lists!!

The Disney Exchange- Episode 9 Show Notes: Touring Disney's Hollywood Studios

By Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

-The Disney Exchange is Lisa Green, David Hodges, and me, Nicholas Maglio

-Main Topic- Touring Disney's Hollywood Studios

 
-We start off the show with me asking Lisa to tell about her being chosen to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration, which was Mardi Gras themed.

 Photo: Lisa Green

-Dave launches us into our main topic, Disney's Hollywood Studios, by saying he doesn't spend a lot of time there! I know, right? And he doesn't play the lottery apparently.

-I bring up the Sorcerer's Hat, and how all of us are not particularly unhappy to see it go. Sorry.

-Dave goes on to tell of his DHS touring strategy; Rope drop, Toy Story Midway Mania with FastPass selections being Tower of Terror, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster and something else. 

Bite to eat? We all agree that Starring Rolls is the way to go! 

 -Dave also enjoys the shows, such as Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular.

-The wonderful Writer' Stop is discussed

-Lisa and I go back to what I feel was the heyday of the park, which was the early to mid 90s.

-I'm up next and I share my FP choices which are usually Tower, Rock'n or Toy Story, and Star Tours.

-The not so wonderful, (this opinion may not necessarily be shared by a certain co-host named Dave) Light's, Motor, Action is discussed. In fact I use the word "abomination," and Lisa agrees.

- I tell our horrible Fantasmic story, and how emotional One Man's Dream makes me.

-Lisa always Fastpasses Toy Story Midway Mania, primarily because she dislikes the queue so much, because it looks like the inside of her brain apparently! 

-She discusses must do attractions as well as her favorite part of the park, the Muppet's area.

-How long is Voyage of the Little Mermaid? I believe it's longer than the actual animated feature!

 

-The possible future of Indiana Jones, the attraction and possible film reboot, is brought up.

-Anyone know what's up with the upgrades to the the Great Movie Ride?

-We speculate on the future of DHS.

-Lisa's upcoming trip is briefly discussed. I express my view of running.

-We ALL agree, Tower of Terror is the best ride at the park! A red letter day!

-The Wheel of DIStany is spun and the topic is: Favorite Ride Vehicle

I ask for clarification of the topic and Dave brings up "elevator shaft" and I immediately steal that as mine!

Dave picks the Monorail and we question if that is a ride vehicle. He then says safari truck.

Lisa picks the People Mover.

We then go ahead and discuss every single ride vehicle that has ever been created before we wrap it up!

Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy the show, please leave feedback on iTunes!
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Happy 25th Anniversary Disney's Hollywood Studios!

By: Nick

Today, Disney's Hollywood Studios celebrates it's Silver Anniversary.

I love this park.

It's got my favorite ride, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

It contains my favorite restaurant, The Hollywood Brown Derby, and a close runner up, Mama Melrose's.

There is a wonderful tribute to the Man himself, in Walt Disney: One Man's Dream.

And they have the terrific and sometimes hilarious Citizens of Hollywood providing Streetmosphere.

DHS even has one of my favorite shops in WDW, The Writer's Stop!

In addition, there are many other phenomenal rides and attractions such as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, Muppet Vision 3D, Toy Story Midway Mania, The Great Movie Ride, and Star Tours.

Now, I won't say it's all sunshine and rainbows. I dearly miss several things that were around during the Disney/MGM Studios days, such as the far superior Studio Backlot Tour, and the for real working Animation Studio, where you could see actual animated motion pictures being produced. But, even without those things, I'm starting to question why this isn't my favorite park at Walt Disney World!

Please join me in wishing Happy 25th Anniversary to Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios

by: Nick

I never considered myself a big Aerosmith fan. Sure, I liked some of their early hits, like Sweet Emotion, Walk This Way, Dream On and Back in the Saddle, but never bought one of their albums, tapes, or CDs. And I really wasn't a fan of their newer stuff.
But all that changed within the last few years.
I blame age.
My musical tastes have evolved, (though I'm still not a ballads guy).
With age has also come motion sickness.
What does any of this have to do with Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith at Disney's Hollywood Studios, you may ask?
Well, because of my lack of interest in Aerosmith, and because of motion sickness, I avoided riding this roller coaster for years.
What prompted me to get on?
Curiosity. I wanted to see if I could handle it. And you know what? I could!
But enough of all this! Let's go on the ride!

After walking through the queue, guests enter the offices and recording studios of record label G-Force Records. The lobby is decorated with posters, rock memorabilia, and vintage recording equipment.

You then enter a room looking into the recording studio, where the five members of Aerosmith are shown working on a recording.
The group's manager then comes in and tells the the band that they're late for their own concert.

Lead singer Steven Tyler insists that all us fans get backstage passes to the show. The band then departs by limousine, and the manager calls for a "super stretch" to get us to the concert.

We then walk through an alley into a parking garage, owned by "Lock 'n' Roll Parking Systems" where we board a waiting 24 seat stretch limo for the trip across town to the event.

After loading passengers, the "limo" stops at the entrance to a tunnel.

Music is playing and an overhead sign displays a series of several different messages before a countdown. After the countdown, the car is then shot into the tunnel at 60 miles per hour.

The roller coaster goes through a series of inversions, passing signs that represent various Los Angeles Area Freeways like Interstate 5 and U.S. Route 101.
Different Aerosmith songs play, depending on which limo you get.

The ride ends when the limo arrives at the backstage of the concert venue.

I really enjoy this ride, it is very smooth, which is why I believe it doesn't get me motion sick, and I can now enjoy Aerosmith songs in a way I couldn't before, because they're songs bring happy thoughts of a thrill ride I can actually go on!
 I still haven't bought any of their recordings, and for that I apologize to the members of the band who are doubtless fans of this blog!