Day 1312: Birthday Wishes

There are very few ways that you can celebrate your birthday that are better than celebrating at the most magical place on earth. 

While my actual 21st birthday was earlier in July, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate at Walt Disney World, especially since the trip was sort of like a birthday present. It's amazing how much magic one little birthday button can create, and I can't thank the amazing cast members throughout the resort enough for all the magic they created, from saying happy birthday to creating very magical moments for me throughout my trip! 

During my day spent at Hollywood Studios there was plenty of birthday magic to be had. Mickey threw me a birthday party (not a castle party...it's still too soon to bring that up), a wonderful cast member gave me a strawberry bar, and my lunch at the Brown Derby was made extra delicious by the entirety of the staff there! 

And then at Animal Kingdom, the staff at Tiffins brought me a special dessert with a candle (that I remembered to take a picture of before blowing it out), and at the end of the night, the staff of the Animal Kingdom Starbucks made a magical moment for me by gifting me a special Mickey-Shaped Cinnamon Roll (which was pretty much my favorite moment of the entire trip). 

After that I stopped wearing the buttons, as I was already overwhelmed by the outpouring of love from everyone I met, but honestly, I think the two days and three hours I was "officially" celebrating my birthday were almost better than the entirety of my actual birthday trip three years ago (although celebrating with my family was pretty magical too). But more than anything else, I was always aware of the fact that, for the week I was in Florida this July, I was there alone. I wouldn't be meeting up with my family later in the day for dinner, I wouldn't be seeing them for a Fastpass, and while I was alone, I never really felt alone. The cast members made sure of that, and they made me even more determined to return in just about a year to make magic for others just like me as a cast member myself. 

Have you ever celebrated a birthday at Walt Disney World? 

Have a magical day!

Day 1311: Photographic Evidence

Perhaps one of my favorite not-so-hidden secrets of Walt Disney World has to be the thousands of little pictures you can find right in front of Spaceship Earth. These pictures, a part of the Leave A Legacy campaign that began in 1999, allowed guests to put their own permanent mark on one of the most visited places in the world, and now, 17 years later, you can still see the pictures, proudly displayed at Epcot. Plus, it's photographic evidence that I was indeed at Walt Disney World all those years ago. 

I actually have two Leave A Legacy pictures, one from 1999 with my mom (which I'm pointing to in the picture above) and another of my brother and I from a few years later. I will say that it's pretty difficult to find the pictures, because their individual "addresses" are certainly something you need to decode, but nothing makes me happier than visiting these pictures, a permanent piece of me that is always there at Epcot. It's sort of like a physical part of me that's always there...despite the fact that I don't look much like I did 17 years ago. 

There's been continuous rumors over the years that the plaques will come down at some point, as obviously they're not original to the park, and I believe they were only guaranteed for 20 years, but I would hate to see this living reminder of so many taken down. Of course, there's thousands more represented near the Magic Kingdom in bricks, of which I also have one, some of which have worn down over the years to the point where they're unrecognizable, but that's what the Florida weather will do to you I suppose...if you're a brick that is. 

Do you have a Leave a Legacy photo or a brick at the Magic Kingdom? Let me know in the comments! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1310: I'll Be Back

I always find leaving Disney World to be sort of ridiculous...in more ways than one. For starters, it's ridiculous, honestly, that I get so upset walking out of a park I've been to probably over a hundred times (we're talking about Epcot here people), and I know for a fact that I'll walk there hundreds times more. It's ridiculous because, as I left Epcot, I was thinking about Fastpasses for our next trip, reservations which I could make only hours after returning home. It's ridiculous because this isn't like walking out of my house for the last time, or leaving yet another dorm room or apartment behind as I move somewhere else. This is a Disney Park, filled with thousands of people, heated to the brim in the scorching Florida sun, and ever changing, whether we like it or not. 

And yet, from the second I take a step beyond the main entrance gates, or any gates for that same matter, a certain somberness takes over. It doesn't matter if I'm unsure when I'll be back or if I know I have another trip scheduled in two months, it's always the same. While I'm better at not crying when I leave these days, it doesn't mean I don't want to, and after this trip I spent the majority of the ride to the airport wondering why this happens...and how in the world we get it to stop. 

I'm fairly certain that we'll never stop missing Disney when we're hundreds of miles away. Gosh, even those who live nearby probably get to missing the parks from time to time, and when the only solution is to go back, we're sort of out of options other than to start planning another trip and not-so-patiently count down the days that pass by much too slowly. 

It's also ridiculous though because, really, why are we leaving Disney in the first place? No one can live there permanently, obviously, but it's that exact reason that I'm pretty sure there's no where else in the world I'd want to work. That feeling, of never wanting to leave and not feeling at home anywhere else, is the exact reason I know there's only one place I can spend the rest of my life working...even if, technically, I'll still have to leave Epcot at the end of the day. 

But if anyone figures out a way for me to live at Epcot, let me know. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1309: Use and Abuse

I've been waiting for the day you can make additional fastpass reservations from your phone since the initial introduction of Fastpass+. It's one of the things I loved about the old system - the ability to have a fastpass for more than a few attractions if you planned your day right. Of course, the new system has greater benefits: the ability to schedule your day prior to entering the park, securing a morning fastpass instead of getting to the park at 9 only to have a fastpass for 8 that night, and my personal favorite, the ability to change your fastpass time at any point in the day, actually making everything more flexible than I thought it might be. 

But what was missing was the ability to make additional fastpasses, which we now can, finally, do. I tend to have a rough idea of how my day is going to go, but I also love to plan on the spot, and from the second I realized I could have additional fastpasses, I went to town...or rather, all across Magic Kingdom...using and abusing the new system. 

Since the park was open until midnight the night I was there, I spent most of the afternoon hours at The Grand Floridian for Afternoon Tea, which allowed me to get out of the heat and take a much needed break. But by the time I got back to Magic Kingdom, I was ready to go. Now, the way the system works is that if you use all three of your fastpasses earlier in the day, you can make additional fastpass selections at any point for any attraction in any park. Often times, you can snatch up a fastpass for only minutes out from the current time, which means you could be outside Pirates of the Caribbean and could probably get a fastpass to skip that half hour or 40 minute line right then and there, and the second you scan your magic band at the fastpass line entrance, you can make another fastpass selection from the app. 

And you can keep doing this for as long as there are fastpasses available. 

Once I figured all of this out, I just started making new fastpass selections while in line for the attraction I had the previous fastpass for. So I began at Pirates, and while in line I made a fastpass for another attraction, which I believe was for Big Thunder. While waiting for the fastpass, which started soon after, I took the train to Fantasyland and walked the rest of the way to Tomorrowland, where I got a phone case for a friend and headed on the PeopleMover. Then it was all the way back to Big Thunder, where I made a fastpass for the Barnstormer. While waiting for the Barnstormer I made a fastpass for Dumbo, and while waiting there I made one for Winnie the Pooh. As I waited for Winnie the Pooh I made a fastpass for the Tomorrowland Speedway, and from there I secured one for Buzz Lightyear, and then Peter Pan, and finally Splash Mountain. It brought me to a total of 12 fastpasses in one day, which I didn't think was humanly possible...but apparently is. I also had a chance to head on the Teacups, the Carrousel, Astro Orbiter and then Pirates one more time at the end, so I guess you could say that it was a wild five hours after my Afternoon Tea. 

As for how many fastpasses you could get in one day, I'm sure 12 isn't the highest you could get, and I look forward to attempting to visit all the Magic Kingdom attractions in one day in the future, even if I have to really abuse the system to get there...but for now we'll say I'm utilizing the system, because really, that's what I'm doing! I'm just utilizing it to it's fullest potential...which may be a bit more than what Disney intended. 

Next time, I estimate 16 or 17 fastpasses...but who knows how many are possible! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1308: Frozen Ever After

I don't know about you, but I definitely remember the day all hell broke loose when Disney announced that our beloved Maelstrom would be replaced with "Frozen Ever After," yet another piece of the hit film Frozen in a world where many could do without it. At the time, I was just as angry as the next person. Why in the world would they think this would be a good idea? It's not as though Maelstrom was a popular ride, because in every aspect, it wasn't, but replacing it with Anna and Elsa to bring in yet more money seemed like a sellout. And to make matters worse, we've all complained about how franchise films don't belong in Epcot. That, however, is a different discussion. 

After months and months of construction walls and wondering about what was really happening behind them, Norway is open, and quite frankly, it's looking good. Norway, like Canada, needed a bit of work. A good portion of the guest population had no idea Maelstrom was there, and while it was great to never have a line for School Bread, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice to see a pavilion come back to life...even if it took Frozen to get it there. 

Perhaps the best parts about the refurbishment are the addition of the Anna and Elsa Meet and Greet and the adorable vikings that now call the pavilion home. The Meet and Greet actually fits in rather well, and the entire structure is stunningly beautiful. It's obvious they put a lot of time and thought into the creation of the area, and while it's certainly brighter than the rest of the pavilion, it fits. It didn't feel too much as though a franchise took everything over, and if we're talking about the characters themselves, I don't see a problem with them being there now that they have a proper area to meet guests. After all, Aladdin, Jasmine, Mulan, Belle, and Snow White, among others, also call Epcot home. 

The attraction itself, which I have very few pictures of since I was filming (so you'll see it in a future vlog), was much, much better than I expected. What they did with the original Maelstrom track is clever, and even if you've had enough of "Let It Go," that scene alone is sort of worth the entire attraction. The audio-anamatronics weren't as impressive to me in person, but I think it's because I'm just not a huge fan of the digitally animated faces. I prefer the real faces of those such as Lincoln in Hall of Presidents. That's my personal preference though, and I must say that otherwise, everything is amazing. Olaf seems completely real, as does Sven, and while the entire thing could be longer, you also really can't compare Maelstrom and Frozen Ever After at this point. They're completely different attractions and they're both great in their own unique way. 

So I guess what I'm saying is give Frozen Ever After a chance. It's one of the few attractions that didn't disappoint me in any way, and that's saying something. I literally couldn't find anything I disliked about this attraction, aside from my personal preferences about the anamatroncis and the fact that it replaced Maelstrom. And if for nothing else, it gave Epcot another much-needed E-Ticket attraction and brought life back to the Norway Pavilion. 

Now...if someone could just ship me some school bread? 

Have a magical day!

Day 1307: In Darkness

I think we've all been pretty skeptical of Animal Kingdom at night, especially after the first reviews came back as, more or less, terrible. With Rivers of Light pretty much permanently postponed, the "Awaken Summer" campaign has somewhat fallen through, although I do know that Disney has tried their best to make up for lost time and money. Whether or not "making up for it" works, I'm still not entirely sure, but I can say that what I saw at Animal Kingdom certainly wasn't the worst of what I saw on my most recent trip. 

Let's start with The Jungle Book: Alive With Magic, because the panorama above is nothing short of one of my favorite pictures from this trip. Granted, the view up there is more clouds and natural beauty than beauty of the show, but it does also give you an idea of where I was sitting, and I was in a prime spot too. I used one of my Fastpass+ Selections for the show, which allowed me to enter from the Expedition Everest/Asia side. Since I was alone, I managed to listen to recommendations and make my way down to the fifth row, where I also managed to squeeze in on an isle seat, allowing me a pristine view of the stage in front of me. Since I was on the inner portion, it also gave me a decent view of the main stage that sits in the middle, which I can't imagine is very visible from the outer seats on either side. 

As for the show itself, I actually somewhat enjoyed it. Yes, it's not Rivers of Light, and I'm sure that if you go into the show expecting Rivers of Light, you'll be sorely disappointed. However, if you immediately accept the fact that maybe this isn't Rivers of Light and maybe it won't be the best thing I've ever seen, it may just be better than you expect. The performers do a simply astonishing job, from the live music performers, to the vocalists, and right down to the dancers that bring the show to life, and while the deep neon colors bothered me a bit (largely because my camera hates picking up neon), everything seems bright, colorful, and full of life. Obviously there's still a lot to be worked out before Rivers of Light makes its appearance, but I'm excited for what that show may bring, as I'm positive it will be at least a few steps up from what's in Asia now. 

As for the Nighttime Safari...I'm not really sure. About the only positive thing I could say about this is that it gives the most amazing view of the lions. Since they sleep frequently and are mostly nocturnal, all three lions were up and about when I drove past on my safari around 10 pm. Other than that, we didn't really see much, and the lights, which everyone has mentioned, seemed oddly placed to me. It's obvious which exhibits don't have animals during the nighttime hours, and the lights there are obtrusive and completely unnatural. Granted, I'm not sure how you'd make lights like that natural, but something was still off about the entire thing. And that's about all I have to say about the Nighttime Safari. 

Onto Tiffins, which I was fortunate enough to have dinner at. While extremely expensive, I can't deny that Tiffins had some of the greatest food I've had in a long while. I went with the Curry Lobster Bisque, which I pretty much had finished by the time my server came back to check on me, and the Duck for a main dish, which I had cooked to the chef's recommendation and was absolutely delicious. Also...a note about the iced tea. Get the specialty iced tea. Just do it. More on Tiffins in a few months though! 

And finally, to perhaps my favorite of the new attractions and shows this summer at Walt Disney World: the Tree of Life Awakening. I LOVED this projection show, which obviously uses some of the newest projection technology to bring animals to life. There are multiple different shows you can catch, and they run randomly, so if you want to see all of them, you'll have to sit in the area in front of the Tree of Life for roughly a half hour. I grabbed some food from Starbucks on my way out and waited for all of the shows, and I think I loved each new show more than the previous. There's something incredibly brilliant about taking the animals carved into the tree and bringing them to life in brand new ways, and I'm sure I could sit there for much longer than I did watching what used to be just a simple tree. 

Overall, Animal Kingdom didn't really disappoint me. In comparison to some of the other new offerings across the resort, I feel that what's there was more impressive than what I was led to believe (with the exception, perhaps, of the nighttime safari). If you haven't had a chance to check out the new offerings, I suggest doing so soon, as many of them will cease at the end of the summer, when park hours are shortened and a nighttime safari becomes much less nighttime oriented. I'm excited for what's yet to come for Animal Kingdom, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

Have a magical day!

Day 1306: Only On Film

Since I found out a few years ago that you could meet Indiana Jones after the Epic Stunt Spectacular, waiting at the end of the show sort of became a tradition. We waited the first time on the band trip (as you can see above), when there was a whole row of us watching the show and six of us in the picture with Indy and Marian. I had no idea what I was doing waiting down there that first time, and honestly, was simply hoping that what I had read online was indeed true and I wasn't wasting the time of my entire group waiting on something that wouldn't happen. 

But it did happen, and several months later, we were back for more Indiana Jones and another picture. This time, in January 2015, we were able to see the whole show, and we were lucky enough to meet Stunt Double Dale for the first time. They signed our autograph books and we had a grand old time. 

Fast forward a year to January 2016, when Frank and I again headed to Walt Disney World...and happened across Dale again! By this point you might notice a trend with our pictures - every time we go we loose two people (or half of our group, depending on how you want to look at it after a while). This time around I was lucky enough to be chosen as a Stunt Double, so staying after for pictures was a must...especially when we realized it was Dale. 

So you can imagine my surprise when I headed to Indiana Jones again this July and Dale was the doubling for Harrison Ford. I wasn't intending to stay for a picture this time, and a phone call actually forced me to leave part way through the show. But I came back to watch the end and get a picture with my now favorite Indiana Jones Stunt Double. We made a pact that next time, if he's not Indy, I won't take a picture, and that's a promise I intend to keep. 

If you're interested in meeting Indiana Jones, you too can do so by heading down to one of the stage entrances on the right side of the technical booth after the show. They usually wait for a few minutes, allowing the stadium to clear out and for them to take a quick break and cool off before pictures, but if you sit and wait, they'll almost always come over to say hi. They'll sign autographs, take pictures, and I even have a video greeting from Dale to one of my best friends, but honestly, these stunt doubles are some of the nicest people in the world, and if you're an Indiana Jones fan, this is a must do when heading to Hollywood Studios! 

Have you met Indiana Jones at Hollywood Studios before? 

Have a magical day!