Walt Disney World Buddy Trip 2016, Part 4 ; After Hours at the Magic Kingdom

By Nick

Who: Me and my friends Joe and Josh
Where: Walt Disney World, stayed Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Kidani Village 

Part 4

 
Thursday, May 12th Continued

After dinner at Be Our Guest, we went to Guest Services to pick up our lanyards for the After Hours at the Magic Kingdom event, which gave us exclusive access to the park from 11pm-2am. This was a gift from our new friends Alison and Jim! We then made our way up Main Street to a spot to watch the Celebrate the Magic castle show and Wishes.

Left to Right: Alison, Josh, Joe, me, Jim

By then it was almost 1030pm. 

We rode the People Mover, watching the park empty out. 

Just a few minutes before the park closed, we went to Space Mountain. 

Now, I haven't ridden that in years because the last time I did I felt a bit motion sick, but, maybe because I'd been going on 5-6 hours sleep since about 730am and I was delirious by this point, or the excitement and adrenaline, or a combination of everything, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and didn't feel a bit ill.

So we immediately rode again!

During the event, there were ice cream carts serving frozen treats and Coca Cola products all over the park, and everything was included free! 

We hit Buzz's Space Ranger Spin, Pooh, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder, Pirates and the Jungle Cruise, some rides more than once, all with little to zero wait!

It was amazing to see the park so empty, we really felt that we had the park to ourselves! It was a surreal experience.

The only time we waited more than 5 minutes was at Princess Fairytale Hall.

Amazingly, I stayed awake the entire day. Anyone that knows me or frequent readers of this blog will know the I'm NOT a night owl, but the thrill of being in the Magic Kingdom at that time of night, and the feeling that it was open just for us, kept me pumped until the very end.

I can't thank Jim and Alison enough for this wonderful gift!

Please stop back soon for part 5!

Part 1 

Part 2
Part 3

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!!

Walt Disney World's Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

By Lisa Green 

Note:  This post actually has an accompanying video (such as it is) of my first ride on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  If you’re interested in watching, catch the action here (twice for some reason!) on Living a Disney Life’s YouTube channel.

So much hype!  Such incredible buildup!  Those walls were up in Fantasyland for years!  Could the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ever live up to the sky high expectations?  Sadly, it couldn’t.  Probably, not much could have proved worthy of all the massive promotion.  Nothing, realistically, could be as spectacular as the excitement generated by years of rumor and speculation, promises of cutting-edge ride vehicle technology, and the fervor created by a huge media blowout event.  All of that pre-excitement was counterproductive, maybe – stealing the thunder from what could have been a great final reveal.

I recently (finally!) rode the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and I loved it.  Was it as amazing as it was cracked up to be?  Not so much.  But – it was new, it was fun, and it has a lot of charm.  Some will call it a Kiddie Coaster (must be 38″ to ride), but I consider it more of a Family Coaster because the incredibly smooth ride will appeal to adults who don’t care for the rougher coasters like Big Thunder and Space Mountains.  I can see grandparents riding this with their grandchildren and making happy Disney memories.

We had previously held fastpasses for the day we arrived (5/25, during soft opening) but our dinner ADR and a torrential downpour nixed those plans.  So, while I DID get to ride the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train on May 30th, I only rode once and did not get to see any of the interactive standby queue.  That standby line was loooooong and some friendly Cast Members were on hand with cups of ice water to keep everyone properly hydrated and as cool as possible.  I will be returning to Walt Disney World in October and hopefully, time will allow us to use the standby queue – I’ve heard so much about it!

 

The highlights of the ride (for me) included the landscaping, the indoor/outdoor aspect (which I also love about Expedition Everest, Big Thunder, and Splash Mountain), the mine scene with the Dwarfs and familiar music, and yes, of course – it’s the little details, once again, that make this attraction a winner!  The shadows of the Dwarfs walking that are seen along the mine’s walls are a great touch!  It’s also a ride that begs to be ridden over and over because of the different details riders will spot that went unnoticed on the previous ride(s).

What would I change?  Well….that’s easy.  I’d make it a little longer (it’s only about 2.5 minutes), I’d make Snow White easier to see (she can briefly be seen through a cottage window, pay attention or you’ll miss her), I’d add just a few scary details, like maybe some of those scary trees that reach for you with their bare branch fingers.  I’d also probably toss in a few more friendly woodland creatures just for fun.

Overall, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train is a winner.  There’s a true feeling of quality to the ride, scenery, and perfectly aged, realistic details and animatronics.  The swaying, suspended-over-the-track mine carts are a fantastic innovation that do create a very smooth, quiet coaster experience.  The lap bar, though! 

Heed this warning (thanks to Joseph for pointing it out before Raymond and I took our first ride):  The lap bar pulls down smoothly and soundlessly (no clicking into place) – it’s very easy to pull it down too far – once it’s down, it doesn’t go back up until the ride’s over.  If you squish yourself in too much with the bar after you sit down, the ride can be extremely uncomfortable as your body shifts over the hills and around the turns.

Talk to me!  Have you ridden Seven Dwarfs Mine Train yet?  How did you feel about it?  Did it meet your expectations?  If you haven’t ridden it yet – how high are your expectations for this new experience?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Why You Should Make Those FastPass+ Choices at Walt Disney World ASAP

By Nick 

Last week, Barbie and I took a short vacation to the lovely state of New Hampshire to visit her equally lovely Aunt and Uncle.

In the back of my mind, somewhere, I knew that my window for FastPass+ selections for our October trip to Walt Disney World was coming up.

Our plans are:
October 11th, go to Epcot for a few hours to hit some Food and Wine booths and ride a couple rides. Relax at the pool.
October 12-16, 4 night Cruise on the Disney Dream
October 16th, back to WDW, spend the evening at Epcot
October 17th, Magic Kingdom, fly home

I had already gotten an email notification on August 11th telling me that my FastPass+ window was now open for October 11th.
I made my 3 selections for Epcot at that time, and made a mental note to be prepared on August 17th to make 3 selections for the Magic Kingdom.

What I should have done is set a notification on my phone reminding me the window for the second portion of our stay was coming up. Maybe put a note in my wallet. Asked Barbie to remind me. Something.

The morning of August 17th came, and I was preoccupied with a wonderful farewell breakfast made by the in-laws, packing and getting mentally prepared for the 7-8 hour drive home, and since I had not set a reminder of any kind, well, I didn't check my emails until we arrived home later that evening.

My 3 choices were to be the newest and most popular attractions : Meeting Anna and Elsa at Princess Fairytale Hall,  special Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade viewing, and the
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.

Yep. By the time I went to make my selections, all 3 attractions/experiences I wanted to choose were gone, with this message appearing "FastPass+ Distribution Has Ended for Selected Day."

All is not lost, we will just get to the Magic Kingdom for rope drop and head right for the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and we'll hopefully get a good spot for the parade. Meeting Anna and Elsa will likely have to wait for a future visit.

So, this is a cautionary tale. As soon as your window for FastPass+ selections opens, be ready with your selections and pounce!

The Disability Access Service Card at Walt Disney World

By: Jen Casteneda 

This May we took our annual trip to Walt Disney World.  

Like many families, we planned for months, made our reservations, changed our reservations, and sometimes even switched them back to the original reservation. 

After traveling to Disney for 13 years with 2 children with Autism, this was the one trip I was worried about most. 

Every trip we have been fortunate enough to be able to use the Guest Assistance Card, now known as the Disability Access Service card (DAS).  This card allowed our family to use the FastPass entrance without wait.  We have always taken our children’s medical documentation with us, even though Disney does not need or use it.  We last used this pass in September of 2013 knowing the “new” change was coming soon, due to a few bad apples.

We arrived at Magic Kingdom early in the morning and we wheeled our children up the ramp at City Hall.  Paperwork in hand, I waited patiently for my turn.  When my turn came, I explained our situation and the nice young lady asked if Max and Sadie were present.  By this time, everyone in the building knew Max and Sadie were present with their chortling and verbal squeals.

The Cast Member (CM) explained the new process and asked if I had any questions.  I had done my homework so I was feeling very prepared.  She then asked if they were ready to have their photos taken, and Sadie was first in line.

The new passes have the disabled guest’s photo on the front of the pass.
I was very happy to see this.  Each CM must view the disabled person by matching the photo to the person at the attraction the family is planning to ride.

As we made our way around the park, we didn't experience any wait times for the first 4 rides.  We were allowed to enter the FastPass line immediately.  When we arrived at Big Thunder Mountain we were given a wait time of 15 minutes.  I began to get a little nervous that Max and Sadie would not understand that we would have to leave and return in just a few short minutes.  We made our way to use the restrooms near Splash Mountain and slowly strolled back, just in time to enter the ride.  YEAH, no melt downs!

I was savvy enough to work our FastPass times around the time I knew we would be able to use our DAS card.  This enabled us to only have to visit this part of the park one time.  Max and Sadie do not enjoy the same rides all the time, so we were able to split up in groups. Downloading My Disney Experience was a true time saver for us.

We then made our way to Fantasyland. The longest wait time we were given was 40 minutes for Peter Pan, so we chose to skip this ride.  When we arrived at the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, the CM asked if we wanted to keep out Peter Pan ride time as you are only allowed one open wait time on a card at a time.  We explained that the kids would not understand returning to that part of the park at a much later time, and that we would to like to ride this attraction instead. The CM crossed off Peter Pan and inserted the Mine Train with only a 20 minute wait.  The kids enjoyed a few snacks and watched others as they rode the new ride.

All in all, I was very pleased with the way our family adjusted to the new program. I recently heard that some of the return times are up to an hour now with the Summer crowds.

Are The Seven Dwarfs Related?

by: Nick


.
For some reason, every time I look at this PVC figure in my collection, the lyrics to the popular 1970′s American sitcom, “All in the Family” popped into my head. I know I’m aging myself here.

Bashful reminds me of Edith Bunker.



While Grumpy is Archie Bunker.



In the opening, Edith and Archie sit side by side at the piano, but this is close enough.


If you have no idea what I’m talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1F9vRVyV914

Then it got me thinking, are the Seven Dwarfs related? Are they “all in the family”? Are they brothers? Are they cousins? Are they childhood friends?

You can ponder these mysteries of the Universe while watching the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Dedication today on the Disney Parks Blog!