The Disney World Blog

Top 7 Snacks at WDW

Snacking is an essential when visiting WDW. The Disney dining plan has given us all a reason to snack and there are so many options to choose from.

Here are my Top 7 snacks

1. Dole Whip - a tasty tropical treat that is great on a hot day of touring. Ask Mr. Scopa, he'll tell ya.

2. Popcorn - those popcorn carts make the best tasting popcorn. I don't know what they do to it but it is extremely addicting.

3. Mickey Ice Cream bar - a favorite of kids everywhere.........and, me!

4. Churro - this sugary treat is a must have when visiting the Mexico pavillion.

5. Kringla Sweet Pretzel - another World Showcase favorite. I love to get some of these and take them back to the hotel for snacking later.

6. French fries- yes I know they are McDonald's but they are the best fries going.

7. Turkey leg - for the Fred Flintstone in all of us. This is almost a meal by itself.

Any suggestions are welcome. I love snacking at WDW and am always looking to try new things.

Until next time......

PS. Magicmeets is coming soon........

Top 7 Attractions I Wish Disney World had never Removed

Welcome to the latest edition of the Top 7. Today I will focus on my personal list of the attractions I wish Disney had never removed. I really love the fact that Disney tries to keep their parks fresh by bringing in new attractions but I am also really sad about some of the attractions they choose to change and remove. So, here is my list.

1. Horizons - Wow, I miss this ride. What I really loved about the old Epcot is it tried to teach you something without making it obvious. This was a very entertaining look into the possibilities for the future. It was a fun ride that you never had to wait for and I loved the fact that it let you pick your own ending.

2. World of Motion - same as above. I miss things about the old Epcot and this is one of those attractions that educated you and entertained you at the same time.

3. Mr Toads Wild Ride - what a fun crazy ride. After riding this in Disneyland a few months ago, I really remembered how much I missed this attraction. A classic dark ride that in my mind was replaced for marketing reasons. I realize Pooh is more marketable but it would have been great if both attractions could exist like they do in Disneyland.

4. 20,000 Leagues under the Sea - really miss the subs. Yes, the effects were a little cheesy but the attraction was a lot of fun and very entertaining. Same as above, my trip to Disneyland really made me remember how much I enjoyed this attraction.

5. Superstar Television - this was an original idea that I believe really worked. It was one of those attractions that helped give the Studios the feel that it was a real working studio (which it was at the time). One thing that upsets me about the Studios now is all of the attractions seem to be getting away from teaching us about making movies and TV.  I wish they had kept this and just updated it with newere shows to keep the spirit of the Studios alive.

6. The Timekeeper - I'm typically not a big fan of Circlevision but I really enjoyed this one. Robin Williams really added to this and I really miss this entertaining attraction at the Magic Kingdom.

7. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter -a really freaky attraction that was replaced by a really dumb attraction. The scare factor really added to the entertainment here and it was a little scary for the young ones but Stitch is a little scary for everyone if you catch my drift.

That's it for this edition. Life has really made me busy lately so my posts have not been as frequent. I hope to change that soon.

Thanks for reading.

Top 7 Table Service Restaurants at WDW

For this edition of the Top 7, I'll give you my Top 7 table service restaurants at WDW. Now, I have not been to every restaurant yet, especially most of the signature restaurants. Each trip, I try to get to a few new restaurants. For instance, this trip, I will be hitting Chefs de France and Coral Reef.

So, here are my Top 7.

1. Le Cellier- fantastic food and great service. I have always had a great time with the servers here chatting and they really make this experience enjoyable. I recommend the steak and maple creme brule for dessert. MMMM.

2. Yachtsman's Steakhouse - I'm a steak lover so this is a no brainer. The filet is fantastic.

3. Whispering Canyon Cafe - this place is a lot of fun. It's a bit noisy so if you are looking for a quiet meal, this is not the place. The kids will love it and the servers really add to this meal with their antics. I personally love getting the Canyon Skillet and sharing it.

4. Boma - a great buffet in a great hotel. I really enjoy all of the interesting flavors of Africa and love the fact you can try new things in small quantities. Some of my favorites are the Durban spiced chicken, sweet potato pancakes and the Zebra domes are one of the best desserts in WDW.

5. Crystal Palace - the buffet here is alway great. The character interaction is fun and the location can't be beat.

6. 'OHana - being a meat lover, this is of course is one of my favorites. Lots of food and a great time with the servers. It is a bit noisy but the food makes up for it.

7. Mama Melrose - this will probably surprise a lot of people but we have had great meal experiences here. We are not fancy eaters and the food has always been very good. Also, it is always fairly easy to get into and I like the location.

That's it. I welcome any suggestion you may have that I don't have on here.

Top 7 Attractions that only exist in Disneyland

In honor of my recent trip to Disneyland, I thought I would list my top 7 attractions that are found at Disneyland but not at Walt Disney World.

1. Indiana Jones Adventure - great, great ride. The ride is very similar to Dinosaur but much better. It relies more on the effects and not so much on scaring the crap out of you.

2. Finding Nemo Submarine ride - the wait is unbelieveable but it is great being on a Disney sub again.

3. Matterhorn - a fun coaster. It kind of reminds me of Space Mountain in the MK as it is not really smooth, but is very fun.

4. Mr Toad's Wild Ride- do i really need to say anything else here?

5. California Screamin - a great coaster over at California Adventure. This is definitely my highlight of that park.

6. Roger Rabbit's Toontown Spin - a great dark ride. I love the originality of the spinning in this dark ride. It is great fun and fits in great in Toontown.

7. Pinocchio - another great dark ride. The movie really translates well to an attraction like this.

So that is it. I do have a few honorable mentions, Maliboomer at California Adventure and the Aladdin show at California Adventure. That's it for this edition. Have a great weekend everyone.

Top 7 Disney Books

I was listening to Episode 57 of WDW Radio and Lou had George Taylor from Imaginerding as a guest. George did a very interesting segment on his favorite books. I myself have started to collect Disney books and those who have been following the blog know that I reviewed Jason Surrell’s Disney Mountains book back in October 2007.

I meant to post more reviews but got caught up in other topics and never got around to it. George’s segment inspired me to get back into it so over the next few weeks and months, I am going to start reviewing some of my favorites.

It was tough to limit this list to 7 but in the interest of keeping this a Top 7, here are my Top 7 Disney books.

1. Since the World Began - Jeff Kurtti
2. Disney Mountains – Imagineering at its Peak - Jason Surrell
3. Walt Disney’s EPCOT center – creating the world of tomorrow - Frank Beard.
4. Spinning Disney’s World - Charles Ridgeway
5. Walt Disney Imagineering – A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real - The Imagineers
6. Disney War - James Stewart
7. Realityland - David Koenig

You should be able to find these on Amazon.com except for the EPCOT center book which can often be found on Ebay.

My collection has only started recently so I’m sure this list will change as it grows. I recommend you check out any of the books on this list and I’ll try to post a review on each in the next few months.

Top 7 Attractions in need of a Refurb

Weclome to another installment of our Top 7 lists. This week, we will focus on rides in need of a refurb. I am not talking demolition or radical changes, just some sprucing up and updating.

So, here we go...

7. Muppetvision 3-D – I do really like this attraction but I think a new movie is in order.

6. Jungle Cruise – some updated audio animatronics would be fantastic. It is starting to look a little dated.

5. Country Bear Jamboree – same as above. Perhaps some fresh dialogue and songs would help as well.

4. Star Tours – the film on this ride is very dated and needs to be updated badly. It is really not hard to tell it was made a LONG time ago.

3. Tomorrowland Indy Speedway – CARS theming perhaps?

2. Imagination – just bring back the original ride and get it over with.

1. the Great Movie Ride – need to add some updated movie scenes badly. Most of the movies in this ride are vitually unknown the younger generations. I’m certainly not saying get rid of the classics but maybe add a few scenes from more recent movies to make it relevant the younger riders.

Please feel free to comment if there is something you disagree with or if you feel there is something I missed. Talking about refurbs always makes for great conversations.

Top 7 Songs from an Attraction

Welcome to another edition of the Top 7 countdown. Today we will look at my Top 7 songs from an attraction. Keep in mind these are songs with people singing and not just music. I have some attraction theme music that I love and I'll save that for another edition. So, without delay, here we go...

7. Love in a Roller Coaster (Rockin Roller Coaster) - I love this attraction and love Aerosmith so had to include this one. When I hear this song as I'm flying through the attraction, it just enhances the experience that much more.

6. Big Blue World (Finding Nemo the Musical/The Seas with Nemo and Friends) - a cute song that really fits these attractions.

5. The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Festival of the Lion King) - what a fun song in a great show.

4. Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (Carousel of Progress) - a classic song to a classic attraction.

3. Zip a Dee Do Dah (Splash Mountain) - another whimsical and catchy tune that really enhances the fun nature of this great attraction. I find myself humming this song for hours after riding this attraction.

2. Yo-Ho (Pirates of the Caribbean) - great tune to another great classic attraction.

1. Grim Grinning Ghosts (Haunted Mansion) - this song and the Haunted Mansion go together like bacon and eggs.

Well, that's it for this edition. Agree? Disagree? Did I miss one of your favorites? Feel free to comment. Until next time, have a Magical Day!!

Top 7 Holiday Experiences at WDW

As a tribute to my girl Stacey and in the spirit of the holiday season, here are my Top 7 "Must Do's" for the holiday at WDW. If you have not taken a trip to the World during the holiday season, you must make a point of making that happen. The magic is even more magical during the holidays.

7. Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade - a great holiday spin on the parade at the Animal Kingdom. The Animal kingdom is the least "festive" of the parks but this parade is fantastic during the holidays.

6. Lights of Winter at Epcot - these are beautiful and you must take some time to walk through and really look at these.

5. Christmas around the World in Epcot - this is a fascinating trip around World Showcase to learn how other countries celebrate Christmas.

4. Resort hopping - take some time to visit the various resorts (I'm mostly talking about the Deluxe resorts). The decorations are breathtaking and we try to take a picture of every tree at the resorts. The Gingerbread House at the Grand Floridian is not to be missed.

3. Candlelight Processional at Epcot - a very moving and popular show. Combine this with the Candlelight Processional Dinner package for a great evening of holiday magic.

2. Osbourne Lights at the Studios - this is fantastic. When the lights dance to the music, it is truly spectacular. I love to just hang out here, take some pictures and enjoy the holiday music.

1. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party - worth the money. Lineups for rides are almost non-existent but you really need to attend the special holiday events. The must see's are Mickey's Twas the Night Before Christmas show, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime parade, and Holiday Wishes. The Castle Lights are absolutely breathtaking and are worthe the price of admission alone.

That's it. My Top 7 for the holidays at Walt Disney World. From my family to yours, Happy Holidays and thank you for taking the time to read the Disney World Blog.