Showing posts with label Disney World Beyond The Parks. Show all posts
Firsthand Look At Disney's Art Of Animation Resort
Disney's newest resort hotel, Disney's Art Of Animation Resort, is now open for business! This welcomed addition to the Disney World Value Resort lineup brings 4 classic Disney and Pixar animation movies to life in this beautiful resort.
Disney's Art Of Animation Resort
The resort is divided into four sections with the first two now opened and the others opening later this year as they are completed. Each section corresponds with a different movie. Currently open are Finding Nemo and Cars sections, while The Lion King and The Little Mermaid are still under final stages of construction.
Visually stunning is one way to describe this resort. If you like Disney's Pop Century then you will absolutely love this new resort hotel. This is the first Disney World resort to be so closely tied to the Disney movies and characters.
From the moment you enter the lobby to the main building, called Animation Hall, you notice the wonderful colors and familiar images from these classic movies.
The food court, called Landscape Of Flavors is worth exploring even if you weren't hungry. Each of the four movies has its own sections including sketches and images.
The food in the food court also bears inspection as many of the items that are available go well beyond the ordinary with a selection of Tandori style foods and a burger grill that has a multitude of great looking burgers that will tempt your taste buds.
Finding Nemo Section
The first section to open was the Finding Nemo section which is devoted to your favorite characters in this classic tale of a father and son and their struggles to overcome their fears in order to be reunited.
The pool section blew us away when we saw it. Everything has been created so that the guest is "Nemo sized" and sees the world from his perspective. All of the guest rooms in this section are elaborately themed Family Suites that can accommodate up to 6 people. This is great for those that have struggled to find a place to stay with families of 5 or 6.
Cars Section
The second section to open was the Cars themed section. This opened on June 16th. The pictures shown were taken 2 days prior to opening, as final preparations were being made. This section is also exclusively made up of family suite configured rooms. Cars fans will love the theming that they will discover here.
The Lion King Section
We also saw a glimpse of the theming for The Lion King section. It will not disappoint when it is finished. I love the use of trees in the common area. This section also will be exclusively made up of family suite configured rooms. When completed Disney's Art Of Animation Resort will have over 1,100 family suites.
The Little Mermaid Section
The last section to be completed will be the Little Mermaid section. This section will be made up of over 800 "normal" sized hotel rooms with The Little Mermaid theming at prices comparable to Disney's other Value Resorts.
Disney World Value Resorts
Disney's Art Of Animation Resort is a great new addition to the Disney World Value Resort lineup including: All-Star Sports, All-Star Movies, All-Star Music, & Disney's Pop Century Resorts. This will add over 2,000 additional value priced rooms and suites with the focus on creating more family suites.
The resort is beautiful and should definitely be on your list to consider when you are planning your next Walt Disney World Vacation.
This article originally appeared on the Only WDWorld Blog.
Touring Sanaa At Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
One of Disney World's newest Restaurants is called Sanaa and you can find it in the Kidani Village section of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.
This Disney Dining establishment is about far more than just food. Being true to its name, which means "Artwork" in Swahili, Sanaa is practically a mini art museum showcasing artwork from a number of African Countries and cultures.
Jugglers Take The Stage At Disney's Boardwalk
Night Time At Disney's Boardwalk
When visiting the Walt Disney World Resort, one area to make sure you visit is Disney's Boardwalk. This is a shopping and entertainment area situated between Epcot and Disney's Hollywood Studios and surrounded by the Boardwalk Inn & Villas, Disney's Swan & Dolphin Hotels, and the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts.
Characters In Flight Seen From Epcot
The Characters In Flight Balloon is 72 feet in diameter and is the world's largest tethered gas filled ballon.
It was built by Aérophile S.A, headquartered in Paris, France. It was made to be similar to an attraction created for Disneyland Paris.
Weather permitting, guests can board the balloon in Downtown Disney from 9 a.m. to midnight each day, for an 8 to 10 minute excursion to 400 feet in the air.
The balloon itself, called the Aéro30, is attached to a gondola that is 19 feet in diameter and holds up to 29 Guests and the pilot at a time. On a clear day the passsengers can see up to 10 miles away with a 360 degree view.
Ticket Prices:
•$16 Adult (tax included) - Guests ages 10 and up
•$10 Children (tax included) - Guests ages 3 - 9
•Guests under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
•Gondola is wheelchair accessible with assistance. Guests must transfer from an Electric Convenience Vehicle (ECV).
See and Be Seen
The Characters In Flight balloon has a circumference of 240 feet, and a height of 105 feet, making it easy to spot from Epcot as we did in the earlier photos.
For those that are not afraid of heights this would be a great addition to your Disney World vacation, and a chance to see Disney World from a whole new perspective.
Take A Sleigh Ride This Christmas Season At Disney World
The sleigh ride will be a 25-minute horse drawn journey through the scenic woodland paths.
Since snow is not very likely in central Florida, Disney has modified their sleigh to have wheels instead of the traditional runners. It will be drawn by a horse from Disney World's Tri-Circle D Ranch based at Ft. Wilderness. It is painted fire-engine red and will be decked out in Christmas lights and garland for the Holidays.
The sleigh is sized to hold up to 4 adults or 2 adults and up to 3 children. Each sleigh ride will cost $60 total whether it is a romantic trip for two or your family of up to 5.
You will board the sleigh at the Blacksmith's Shop near the Settlement area of Ft. Wilderness Resort and Campground. You can either drive to Ft. Wilderness or take Disney World transportation to get there. Once you have arrived at Ft. Wilderness, you can take the internal shuttles to get to the Settlement area.
The sleigh rides are only available for a limited time during the Christmas Season, running from November 29th through December 30th. You can make reservations by calling (407) WDW-PLAY.
Relax On A Resort Launch At Disney World
With all of the wonderful forms of transportation at Disney World, one of the least used is the Resort Launch.A Resort Launch is a boat that travels from one of the Disney World Resorts along the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake (Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge, Ft. Wilderness Campground, Polynesian Resort, and Grand Floridian Resort) to the Magic Kingdom.
You do not have to be staying at one of these resorts in order to use the launches. Just walk down to the dock and hop aboard.
The launches provide a relaxing cruise across the man-made lakes to take you from the Magic Kingdom to the Resorts and back. During the trip you get great views of the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, Contemporary Resorts, as well as, the Magic Kingdom.
This is a great way to travel in order to check out some of these interesting resorts. If you have not visited the Wilderness Lodge or the Grand Floridian Resort, I would highly recommend it. It is ceratinly worth a couple of hours to check these places out.
One of the best ways is to plan on having a lunch or dinner at the resort and use the adventure as a break during your day at the Magic Kingdom. You could return to the park after your meal if you wish and take another Boat Launch ride back.
One of my personal favorite Disney World Tips is using the launch to travel to the Polynesian Resort to get the Tonga Toast at Captain Cook's for breakfast. There is no better way to start out your day!
Disney World's Race For The Taste 10K
This morning I represented Only WDWorld at the Disney World "Race for the Taste 10K". This was not only my first Disney Endurance Series Race, it was also my 1st ever 10k!
The day start by catching a taxi at 5:45 am to get from the Boardwalk Villas to Disney's Wide World of Sports, where the race started.
The amount of people that gathered before the race was amazing. I believe that there were nearly 4,000 runners as the race was listed as FULL on the website a couple of days prior to the event.
After everyone was staged according to expected pace levels we heard a wonderful rendition of the National Anthem and then it was time for the race to begin at 7:00 AM.
There was one wheelchair competitor in the 10K and she went first. Two minutes later the sea of runners started off to begin our adventure.
Not being a runner, I was amazed at the silence as hundreds of people were around me, but the only noise was the pounding of shoes on the pavement.
After the first mile the runners started to separate and it was a little easier to negotiate around people. I was always working to dodge in and out of traffic to find some open space and get to a comfortable pace.
After the 2 mile mark we entered Disney's Hollywood Studios. We entered the park at the rear and ran across the set of Lights, Motors, Action! and they projected the runners on the giant screen as we ran by.
We then worked our way through the park and left near the front entrance. It was then time for the path between Hollywood Studios and Epcot. It was nice to run by the Boardwalk, Swan, Dolphin, Yacht Club, and Beach Club Resorts.
The cast members staged at different places along the race course to encourage us was great. It really did help!
Once we got to Epcot, this was the part of the run that I had been imagining in my training for the past month. Only in real life I was more tired at this point than during my imaginary runs through Epcot.
Having all of the other people running with you really helped give you the energy to keep going. At one point in the race this lady told the guy that had stopped at the side that it was time to get going again. He didn't know her, but thanked her for helping him get re-motivated and start running again.
It was a great friendly event.
At the Finish Line Mickey Mouse himself was there to greet the Finishers.
The Finishers Medal is really cool and it is something that I will certainly remember. Although I was no where near the first finishers, my wife, serving as Only WDWorld's official photographer was able to capture both the men's and the woman's winner of the race.
The Finishers Medal is really cool and it is something that I will certainly remember. Although I was no where near the first finishers, my wife, serving as Only WDWorld's official photographer was able to capture both the men's and the woman's winner of the race.
After the race, there were four different food stations from the Food & Wine Festival that you could visit as each runner got 3 food coupons for participating.
For me, just finishing was enough, but as a bonus I finished right at my goal of 1 hour , so I am very happy. I would highly recommend a Disney Endurance Series Race for anyone to participate in. It is for the serious and the not so serious runner alike.
Disney World's Longest Running Parade - The Electrical Water Pageant
The Electrical Water Pageant debuted at the Walt Disney World Resort in October of 1971. It started its daily presentation on Bay Lake and the Seven Seas Lagoon within one month of the official opening of Disney World.This parade at sea consists of 14 floats on barges that contain screens with lights and speakers to broadcast the music for the parade.
Since the parade occurs on the water the theme is aquatic in nature and the screens display images that have to do with the water. The images depicted include: Sea Serpent/Dragon, Whale, Turtle, Octopus, Dolphins, Crocodile, Brachiosaurus, and King Triton being pulled by 4 Seahorses.
The Electrical Water Pageant was originally conceived as an entertainment for guests as they left the Magic Kingdom at the end of the day and a way to illuminate the Seven Seas Lagoon as they departed.
The Pageant passes by the Magic Kingdom, but also makes appearances for guests at the Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Resort, Contemporary Resort, Wilderness Lodge, and the Ft. Wilderness Campground. The schedule changes depending upon when the Wishes fireworks show plays, so check at Guest Services for the Magic Kingdom or your resort for the schedule for the particular night you wish to see the EWP.
Despite its longevity the parade has only gone through minor changes during its 38 years of existence. The technology used is not state of the art, but the whimsical nature of the parade makes it entertaining nonetheless.
The current rendition plays a different musical tune as each of the Water Floats are illuminated. The musical selections are coordinated to match the theme of the image shown.
The Show
The approximately 10 minute show proceeds as follows:
It starts with no lights and the playing of “Fanfare” from The Little Mermaid. Then The first 4 floats light up to create a Sea Serpent while "Boo Bop Bop Bop Bop (I Love You Too)" from Pete's Dragon plays.
The Sea Dragon is followed by a playful Whale that is accompanied by the song “Whale Of A Tale” from the movie 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.
Next to be illuminated is a Turtle that raises and lowers its head ( I have not been able to determine the song for the Turtle – comment if you know!).
A bright, happy Octopus is coupled with Ursula’s dark rendition of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid.
The next 3 floats show 3 spirited Dolphins playing in the surf. (I have not been able to confirm this song either unfortunately.)
Although not known for swimming a Brachiosaurus follows the dolphins to the music of Was (Not Was) - "Walk the Dinosaur".
Disney Classic Peter pan is represented by a Crocodile and the song "Never Smile At a Crocodile" from the movie.
Last, but certainly not least, King Triton is being pulled along by a team of four Seahorses to the songs - "Fanfare" & "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid.
The Finale
For the finale the Electric Water Pageant transforms the Sea Creature images to those of United States Flags and red, white, and blue stars as patriotic music ensues. You will hear excerpts from "You're a Grand Old Flag", "Yankee Doodle", & finally "America the Beautiful".
Great Free Entertainment
All in all it is a fun activity to see. The Electrical Water Pageant consistly gets mentions in lists of great FREE things to do at Disney World.
Whether you see it at the end of your day at the Magic Kingdom, or if you catch the show from the beach at one of the resorts bordering the Seven Seas Lagoon or Bay Lake, the Electrical Water Pageant should be part of your list of activities to do during your next Walt Disney World Resort vacation.
Disney World And The 5-Legged Goat
Have you heard about the Walt Disney World Resort's 5-legged goat?
It's true, there is a 5-legged goat in the Contemporary Resort.
OK, it's not a live goat, but rather one that is incorporated into the magnificent murals that are part of the Grand Canyon Concourse in the resort.
Before we see the goat let's learn a little about the person that brought the infamous animal to the mural and why.
Mary Blair
Mary is one of the Disney Legends. She was recognized with that honor posthumously in 1991.
Mary's stylized artwork and influence is recognized in many of the classic Disney animated movies and Disney World and Disneyland attractions.
Movies that she provided art for included: "The Three Caballeros", "Song of the South," "Make Mine Music," "Melody Time," "So Dear to My Heart," "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad," "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland," and "Peter Pan."
She is also known for her contributions to the "look" of the "It's A Small World" attraction. She also created murals for Disneyland in addition to the one at the Contemporary Resort.
Why The 5-Legged Goat?
So we come back to the question about the 5-Legged Goat. In these massive 90 foot high murals that were painted in time for the Contemporary Resort opening in 1971, why did she feel the need to give one of the goats 5 legs?
The story goes that Mary believed that no piece of artwork should be perfect because only God was perfect, so she purposely created the mistake, aka the 5-legged goat, in the mural.
How Can I Find The Goat?
If you would like to see the 5-legged goat in person, first travel to the Contemporary Resort. In the Grand Canyon Concourse, which is the expansive area that the monorail travels through, you will notice that there are massive murals on each of the sides of the center structure.
The murals are breathtakingly impressive, so take the time to check them out and not just look for the 5-legged goat.
To find the "special" goat, you must look on the side of the mural that faces the monorail station, but furthest away from the Magic Kingdom. There near the top of the mountain will be the goat with one of its normal companions.
Join Only WDWorld For The Final Running Of "The Race For The Taste 10K" on Oct. 11th, 2009
Join me as I represent Only WDWorld at the final running of the "Race For The Taste 10K" at Disney World which will occur on Sunday October 11th.
The race has been held the last several years in conjunction with the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.
Registration for the race is currently 82% full and October 4th is the last day to sign up, so there is no more time to procrastinate. You can sign up at Disney Endurance Series.
You don't have to be a professional runner to participate. If you have the will to persevere and can meet the 15 minutes per miles pacing requirement, then you can compete.
If you are like me, the event is not about winning, but rather experiencing the journey. This event really sounds cool, so I am training in order to be able to experience it firsthand.
DISNEY’S RACE FOR THE TASTE 10K Features:
Where else do you have the opportunity to go through Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot all before 8:30 am? Ok, you don't get to ride any of the attractions or take in a show, but it is still cool to be in the parks at that hour before they are officially open.
The race course starts at Disney's Wide World of Sports then travels through Disney's Hollywood Studios. Then you run along the walkway to the Boardwalk, past the Yacht Club and Beach Club Resorts before continuing on the Epcot's International Gateway. A quick trip around the World Showcase lagoon and out the front on Epcot to the Finish Line.
Other Race Highlights:
- Along the way Disney will provide on course entertainment.
- Athlete refreshments at the finish line.
- Timed event with online results.
- Awards presented to the top three male, female, military, and age group winners and male and female champions in the masters and wheelchair divisions.
- Canned food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.
Post Race Picnic
At the Disney’s Post-Race Picnic runners can choose 3 of the following 4 Food & Wine Festival Offerings (just announced) :
- Argentina Beef Empanada with Tomato Salsa (Buenos Aires)
- Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Maple Glazed Salmon with Lentil Salad (Montreal, Canada)
- Strawberry Shortcake (United States)
There will also be Disney entertainment face painters, Kids’ Races and the Awards Ceremony. This is included with race entry.
10K participants will also receive:
Bonus for 2009 - Fall Race Challenge:
Don't Miss Out
This looks like a really fun event, and an experience that you will remember for years to come.
Sign up before its too late and you miss out. Be sure to leave a comment on this Blog Post if you are participating, so I know to look for you.
I hope to see you there!
Old Fashioned Fun Disney World Style at Chip 'n Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long & Movie
At Disney World's Ft. Wilderness Resort & Campground you will find a fun evening activity that is FREE for the family.
Each evening Ft. Wilderness hosts Chip 'n Dale's Campfire Sing-A-Long & Campfire. This activity includes:
- A campfire where you can roast marshmallows.
- A fun sing-a-long session with old favorite songs that make you feel like you are at camp.
- A chance to see Chip & Dale and have your photograph taken with them and have them sign your autograph books.
- After the sing-a-long a Disney Movie is shown on the big outdoor screen, like the drive-ins of the past.
The rustic setting of the Ft. Wilderness Campground makes a great setting for this event. You do not have to be staying at the campground to participate. Any Disney Guest can attend for free.
To get there either drive to the main Ft. Wilderness parking lot or take a bus from one of the parks or Downtown Disney to Ft. Wilderness. Then board one of the Yellow line internal buses to the 1500 area Bus Stop.
If you don't remember the stop, tell the bus driver that you are going to the Chip & Dale Campfire and they will let you know where to go.
During the campfire phase of the program starting at 7:30 pm, you may roast marshmallows that you brought with you or you may purchase them from the Chuckwagon.
At 8:00 pm the Sing-A-Long starts. A guitar playing cowboy led the crowd in a number of old favorites and then he was joined by Chip & Dale. During the program Chip & Dale went through the audience allowing each family to meet with them, take pictures, and sign autographs.
After the sing-a-long ended things got prepared for the movie to start at 9:00 pm. During the night we attended Bolt was the movie for the night. A schedule was posted and there was a different Disney Movie playing each night of the week. Show times may change during different times of the year, so please check for exact times while you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. Also remember that this event takes place outdoors, so dress appropriately.
The setting and the entertainment wasn't fancy, but it was good wholesome family entertainment. The trip to visit Ft. Wilderness Resort and the show was definitely worth doing for an evening.
This is a good way to slow down and relax, doing something different. It is also great that this is an evening of free entertainment (unless you don't bring your own marshmallows and choose to purchase them there.)
