If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, you’re in for a treat. Not only is the park home to a variety of exotic animals and breathtaking rides, but you’ll also have the chance to meet some of your favorite Disney characters in a setting that’s truly unique.
Here are some of the characters you can meet at Animal Kingdom:
Mickey & Minnie: Join the globetrotting couple at the Adventurers Outpost as they prepare themselves for their next grand expedition. Peruse exotic mementos they’ve collected on their trips around the world before posing for a postcard-perfect picture with the pair.
Pocahontas – This beloved Disney princess can be found near the Tree of Life, where she’ll be happy to pose for photos and sign autographs.
Donald Duck – This feathered friend is a favorite of many visitors to Animal Kingdom. You can find him near DinoLand U.S.A., where he’ll be happy to take photos and sign autographs.
Kevin: Meet Kevin at the Character Landing by Flame Tree Barbeque
Dug and Russell – Fans of the movie “Up” won’t want to miss the chance to meet these two lovable characters. You can find them near the park’s entrance, and they’re always happy to make new friends.
Meeting these characters is a great way to add some extra magic to your visit to Animal Kingdom. Make sure to bring your camera and autograph book, and get ready to create some unforgettable memories.
Magic Kingdom is a magical place where dreams come to life and fantasies become reality. It is home to some of the most iconic Disney characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans worldwide. From the classic Mickey Mouse to the newer characters like Merida, there is a character for everyone at Magic Kingdom.
Here are some of the characters you can meet at Magic Kingdom:
Mickey Mouse: Pop into Mickey’s rehearsal room at Town Square Theatre for the chance to greet Mickey! Discover props and posters from Mickey’s magical career in the theater and maybe even spot a disappearing dove or a rabbit coming out of a hat. The greatest magic of all happens when Mickey Mouse strikes a pose for a fun photo with you.
Cinderella: Cinderella is one of the most beloved Disney princesses, and she can be found at Magic Kingdom, at Princess Fairytale Hall, where she often greets her fans in front of her castle. She is always dressed in her signature blue gown and glass slippers, ready to enchant visitors with her grace and beauty.
Donald & Goofy: Step right up and say hello to the stars of this slapstick circus: snake charmer extraordinaire The Astounding Donaldo and his daring stuntman pal The Great Goofini! Share hugs, get autographs and snap pictures of your new friends—before the show’s over at Pete’s Silly Sideshow.
Winnie the Pooh & Tigger: Spend some time in a shady place deep in the Hundred-Acre Wood. Winnie the Pooh and Tigger love seeing new friends at the Thotful Spot and old to share hugs and maybe even a smackerel of honey.
Aladdin & Jasmine: Make your way into the exotic marketplace in Adventureland to meet Princess Jasmine and her prince, Aladdin. They’ll share stories of Agrabah under the shade of a colorful awning. You can recount your own tales of adventure in another magical kingdom you may know.
In conclusion, Magic Kingdom is a magical place where visitors can meet some of the most iconic Disney characters. From classic characters like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella to newer characters like Merida, there is a character for everyone at Magic Kingdom. So, next time you visit this enchanting place, don’t forget to say hello to your favorite Disney character.
One of my very favorite spots in the entire world is Lake Placid NY. Lake Placid was the town we visited when I was a child on rainy days when we were camping in the Adirondacks near Saranac Lake. Not much to do in the rain at a campground so we would pile into the car and drive to Lake Placid and walk around in the rain, spending sometimes hours inside the book store. Hey, we didn’t have English book stores near our home in Montreal.
As I got older, it became the spot to go with friends to get away from the crazy bar scene in Montreal. It’s no wonder I met my husband on one of those trips, we began dating long distance (he lived in Lake Placid) and eventually got married. We had our wedding in, you guessed it, Lake Placid.
I simply love the atmosphere in this town. It’s always bustling with people, and activities, and has great restaurants! There is a lovely path that takes you all the way around Mirror Lake. It is just under 3 miles and at the other end of the lake, you can see the actual Lake Placid. There is even a boat tour you can take to learn all about the history of the area and the ghost story of The Lady and the Lake. They are replacing the sidewalk in town and one side is complete with a beautiful smooth surface now.
One of the top places to stay is the Golden Arrow Resort. The Golden Arrow sits right on Mirror Lake, aptly named as you can see in this picture.
The resort has regular rooms, family rooms, specialty suites and is pet friendly. Many rooms overlook Mirror Lake and the beautiful lakeside lawn and beach exclusive to the hotel. They have lake toys available on the docks, beach chairs to lounge, and a sectioned-off area to swim safely for the littles. There are fire pits for nighttime fun and a beautiful spot where there is almost weekly a wedding taking place by the lake.
There is a restaurant and bar, Generations which is a great place to cap off the night before retreating to your room.
My favorite room at the Golden Arrow is the Morningside Suite. This is the suite we book every year for our girl’s getaway weekend. This suite suits us perfectly because it has a large table in the floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lake. We like to play games when we aren’t on the beach or wandering around the lake, and this is perfect for that. It also has a kitchenette and 2 bathrooms along with a king bed in one room and 2 queen beds in the other. The other fun thing about this particular suite is that it isn’t even in the hotel. This suite is actually at the back of the Alpine Mall. There is a door into the hotel at the back of the mall, on the right-hand side. Directly across, next to the coffee shop, is the door to the Morningside Suite. This means we can just get onto Main Street by a quick walk through the tiny mall without the need to deal with going through the hotel, hallways, and elevators.
On our most recent trip, we hit up our MUST DO of Big Mountain Deli and the #10 Gothic sandwich. Always a staple of mine. We also enjoy eating and a few adult beverages at The Cottage, The Mirror Lake Inn, Jimmy’s 21, Black Bear Restaurant, The Pickled Pig, Top of the Park, and breakfast at The Breakfast Club is a MUST!
In the morning I pop right outside my door and grab an iced latte to sip on my balcony before a walk around the lake. Perfect morning!
The hotel has an indoor pool and hot tub. Water trikes, kayaks, paddle boards available for use freely down by the beach.
There are of course lots of things to do in Lake Placid with the Olympic sites to visit, Whiteface Mountain even in summer is something to see. Gondola rides, hikes, the Ski Jumping complex (in the summer they jump into water!). The arena where Miracle on Ice happened and an Olympic Museum.
One of the best aspects of a cruise is the food. Disney Cruise Line is a notch above the rest when it comes to food and they know how to make a dining experience special and employee the BEST servers that will help take that dining experience to the next level.
Let’s go through the options for filling your belly on a Disney Cruise.
Main Dining Rooms
There are three main dining rooms on the Disney ships, they vary by ship, but each one has 3 main dining rooms with 2 seatings. Usually, the times are 5:45pm and then 8:15pm. Each ship has Animator’s Palette, although they are a bit different on each ship. The other restaurants vary by ship, but each will have two other themed dining rooms.
Disney operates a Rotational Dining experience onboard all Disney ships. Each night of your cruise, you and your personal wait staff will “rotate” to one of the 3 distinctly themed restaurants onboard the ship, ensuring you enjoy a delicious meal catered to your liking in a unique setting nightly. And since your servers travel with you each night, they get to know you quickly and will take fabulous care of you. This is definitely a #DisneyDifference. Servers know just how to make you feel special and entertain the adults and the kids.
There are 2 dinner seatings each night of your cruise. Although specific times vary based on itinerary, dinner is served at approximately 5:45 PM (Main Seating) and 8:15 PM (Second Seating). Once onboard the ship, check the dining tickets that can be found in your stateroom for assigned seating time, restaurant schedule and table number.
One of the main dining rooms is usually open for breakfast and lunch if you don’t want to buffet or poolside options. This is open seating so you can sit anywhere and come in anytime during the opening hours.
ProTip:Order as many entrees or appetizers as you want. Can’t decide or don’t think one portion will be enough, go ahead and order two.
My son had 3 entrees nightly. The first night he finished his dish and wanted more so from then on, our servers would bring out a second and 3rd dish without us asking once he was close to finishing the first. He would pick something from the menu and then our server would bring him the basic chicken or steak and salmon dishes off the “offered every night” menu.
Buffet and Pool Deck
Cabanas is Disney’s buffet restaurant located on the pool deck. Breakfast and Lunch are buffets and offer an incredible selection. Cabanas is also open for dinner, but the interesting thing is it has table service at dinner, it’s not a buffet.
The pool deck also offers fast food options, there is a pizza window and burgers, chicken fingers, etc…window that are open most of the day and late into the night.
Palo is one of Disney’s specialty restaurants available on each ship and is adult-exclusive. Palo is Northern Italian themed and is available at an upcharge, currently $40 per person for brunch or dinner. This does need to be booked in advance and is popular and can be difficult to get into. See more about Palo here.
Remy is another adult-exclusive French gourmet dining experience aboard the Disney Dream and Fantasy. Brunch and Dinner are available to be booked in advance, again, it is popular and reservations can be hard to come by. Why yes, that is gold leaf on the chocolate dessert!
Eye Scream Treats is the ice cream shop available on all the ships on the pool deck. Self-serve soft serve is available here.
Room Service
Another #DisneyDifference is room service is available at no additional charge on all Disney Cruise Line ships. While room service is free, be sure to tip your servers.
ProTip: Mickey Bars are available at no charge from the main dining rooms and room service. All the Mickey Bars you can eat!
You certainly won’t go hungry on a Disney Cruise. Let’s get you on one soon!
Since we cannot be at Disney World right now, let’s take a look at some of the things that make it so special.
Another one of my favorites! This attraction opened its doors on July 22, 1994.
The story
The plot of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror follows the tragic night of Oct. 31, 1939, when lightning struck the building. Five people were aboard an elevator as the building was struck, causing the elevator to free-fall. The hotel was closed after these tragic events and now guests are permitted to visit the obviously haunted hotel.
The History
The Tower of Terror is basically a drop ride with an incredible themed story around it. As for the drops, it drops 130, or 13 stories down. The first smaller drop in darkness is about 8 stories, then back to the top for the 13 story plunge doubled. The speed of the drop is about 39 MPH, and the drop itself only lasts for around 2 ½ seconds, although it seems longer!
Early on Mel Brooks was involved and it started out as “Castle Young Frankenstein” which would have featured a Bavarian village with winding streets to the castle with a drawbridge. The idea later changed to “Mel Brooks’ Hollywood Horror Hotel”. Mel Brooks eventually left the project and Disney Imagineers had some ideas of their own and brought in the idea to have a moving elevator off its track and moving down hallways. Imagineers decided on Spanish-Renaissance/Riverside Mission Inn architecture because it would fit in on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards. Disney also felt the attraction needed a movie reference and settled on the Twilight Zone theme making it an eerie and thrilling attraction.
The attraction uses an Autonomous Guided Vehicle. A self controlling, self contained ride vehicle, that can move without track. Although the 5th Dimension floor has guideways for traction, the vehicle itself runs on its own wheels along the floor. The AGV guides itself into the ride shaft to ascend to the boiler room (load) level, it slots into a larger elevator the VVC, or Vertical Vehicle Conveyance. This is a normal elevator car complete with cables and wheels. It is this that lifts the AGV up through the corridor scene, and to the 5th Dimension level. As the AGV transfers horizontally, the VVC returns to the basement level to receive the next AGV. The AGV then will get into another VVC for the drop portion of the attraction.
An informative video on how the Tower of Terror works.
Fun Facts
Our Walt Disney Imagineers viewed 156 episodes of “The Twilight Zone” for inspiration when creating The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
The ride vehicle is an elevator car.
The storyline of the attraction sets the date as Halloween night – October 31, 1939.
The architecture of the tower was inspired by multiple Southern California landmarks, such as the Biltmore Hotel and the Mission Inn.
The building has 27,000 roof tiles.
The grounds of the Hollywood Tower Hotel were inspired by the look of California’s Griffith Park and Elysian Park.
The lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel was outfitted with antiques and furniture purchased at Los Angeles-area auction houses.
The Library room features a hidden nod to Mickey Mouse in this sheet music, which is for the song “What! No Mickey Mouse?”
The clip of film in which Rod Serling introduces the attraction was taken from a “Twilight Zone” episode called “It’s a Good Life.”
The young girl who disappears in the elevator carries a Mickey Mouse doll.
The attraction’s “Fifth Dimension” scene was inspired in part by the “Little Girl Lost” episode of “The Twilight Zone.”
The drop is 13-stories.
The drop sequence for each elevator car is selected at random by the attraction’s computer system.
Measuring 199 feet tall, Tower of Terror is one of the tallest attractions at Walt Disney World Resort.
Since we cannot be at Disney World right now, let’s take a look at some of the things that make it so special.
Expedition Everest is one of my favorite atractions in all of Disney World!
The adventure begins in Asia at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, join the Expedition Everest team and embark on a trek through Anandapur. The trail leads visitors to the village of Serka Zong, which means “fortress of the chasm.” The Royal Anandapur Tea Company shipped its tea by train from Serka Zong through the Forbidden Mountain pass. The railroad was closed after several mysterious accidents, rumored to be from the hand of a Yeti. Today, the village of Serka Zong is thriving again thanks to the efforts of local entrepreneurs. The Himalayan Escapes, Tours and Expeditions company has partially refurbished the railway and now offers transportation for adventurers to the base camp at Mt. Everest.
Imagineers traveled to Nepal and surrounding areas to research local culture, architecture, food, and the legend of the Yeti. This massive feat was accomplished by building the ride track and the mountain completely independent of the other. The track and mountain never touch and were both built with superstructures that do not dependent on each other. When the attraction opened, the Yeti was the biggest, most advanced audio-animatronics figure to ever be created. He stands a whopping 25 ft tall and has the potential to move his entire body an astounding 5 ft horizontally in a few seconds flat. The figure was constructed to sit atop a 46 ft tall independent concrete base meant to hold its weight while allowing the beast to swoop down on passing train vehicles, terrifying riders and confirming the legends’ truth. Of couse, he hasn’t worked as he was meant to since that firt year, 2006. No explanation has ever been given as to why and stobe lights and fans to make his fur move have been put in place as a Plan B.
The queue for the ride is pretty incredible itself, try to take in as much detail as you can. The statutes featured outside, the flags hanging, the clothing in the cases, even the currency in the photos is all spot on with the Indian culture that exists at the base of the real Everest.
Building a Thrill Ride
Intestesting documentary on the building of Expedition Everest.
Fun Facts
The Forbidden Mountain’s rocky peaks and distinctive face are based upon the actual northwest face of Mount Everest.
More than 2,000 handcrafted items of wood, stone, and metal supplied by artisans in Asia are featured in the attraction.
At 199 feet, Expedition Everest is the tallest mountain at any Disney park.
The steam rising from the train after it pulls into the loading area actually comes from steam vents underneath the train station! These create the effect of an actual steam powered engine but the steam isn’t water-based to prevent rusting.
Expedition Everest reaches a top speed of 50 mph!
Notice the many hairbands thrown on the mountain when you stop at the broken track! It’s a weird tradition to throw hairbands here.
Climb aboard, let’s go to the base of Mt. Everest!
Since we cannot be at Disney World right now, let’s take a look at some of the things that make it so special.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was one of the first Disney rides to utilize computer-aided design. The attraction first opened at Disneyland in 1979, and the Magic Kingdom’s larger version opened in 1980.
The Story Behind the Mountain
Once a working mine during America’s Gold Rush, there was gold found deep within Big Thunder Mountain in Red Rock Canyon. Almost overnight, the town of Tumbleweed became a thriving mining town. Barnabas T. Bullion established the Big Thunder Mining Company to go after the gold. Barnabas was born into a powerful East Coast family, so naturally, he thought it was his very right to claim the gold inside the mountain.
Big Thunder Mountain was protective of its gold and would curse anyone who dared try to take it. Miners would hear ghostly sounds, strange events occurred, including cave-ins and equipment failure. On a stormy night, a flash flood completely wiped out the town, destroying the mining company. Rumors has it Professor Cumulus Isobar, a rainmaker, brought the flood to Tumbleweed. If you look carefully, you might spot a mysterious machine with Cumulus’ name on it during your ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad!
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad travels through an empty ghost mine and rushes riders through the canyons, caverns, abandoned mine shaft and the ghost town of Tumbleweed! Barnabas, however, is still trying to dig and find gold inside Big Thunder Mountain, despite the warnings and curses from the mountain. Spooky!
Big Thunder Fun Facts:
As you whiz past the Gold Dust Saloon in the town of Tumbleweed, you can spot the “Wildest Party in the West” happening on the second floor.
The setting of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was inspired by Monument Valley in Arizona.
A miner in his pajamas can be seen relaxing in a bathtub.
The attraction’s top speed is 36 miles per hour and has a 40-inch height requirement.
There are 3 lifts (two indoor and one outdoor) on the roller coaster.
The trains from Disneyland’s version were used in the mine chase sequence in “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom!”
Climb aboard the Wildest Ride in the West…
Your rip-roaring adventure proves that some legends are true. You’re sure to have a real blast!
Since we cannot be at Disney World right now, let’s take a look at some of the things that make it so special.
Today let’s take on another classic, Pirates of the Caribbean.
A Pirate’s Life for You
Board a weathered barge for a treacherous voyage to the 17th century, when rowdy rogues and ruthless rapscallions ransacked Caribbean seaport towns. Sing along as pirates serenade you with their anthem, “Yo Ho, Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me).”
Sail past haunted Dead Man’s Cove. Navigate cannon fire between a Caribbean fort and a striking 12-gun galleon. Behold boisterous buccaneers drunk on the spoils of plunderin’ as flames engulf a seaside town.
Be sure to keep a spry eye out for Captain Jack Sparrow, from The Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Magic Kingdom’s Pirate’s of the Caribbean attraction in Adventureland opened on December 15, 1973. This classic Disney ride first opened at Disneyland on March 18, 1967. It’s a boat ride, but when the idea first came about (sometime in the 1950s), the attraction was going to be a walkthrough wax museum!
Pirates of the Caribbean was the last ride Walt Disney himself actually oversaw and worked on before his death in December of 1966. Unfortunately, Walt passed away three months before the boat ride was finished, so he never saw the final product.
The ride inspired the popular film series and has even been revamped to include many of the films’ characters, including Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa.
Pirates Fun Facts:
During the ride’s battle scene between the pirate ship and town’s fortress, you’ll hear cannon balls whizzing over your head and dropping in the water. The illusion is created by moving cannons, flashes of light, and blast from beneath the waves!
Another memorable scene from the ride is the town in flames! This effect is actually just created by a bunch of different cloths, fans and lights.
There are over 120 Audio-Animatronics on the ride. This is a mixture of both human and animal animatronics.
The film characters added to the ride are all voiced by their original actors. Some of the ride’s original Audio-Animatronics are voiced by Paul Frees; you might recognize him as being the “Ghost Host” from the Haunted Mansion!
In 2012, mermaids were added to the grotto scene in Magic Kingdom. You can see the mermaid skeleton onshore, but it’s harder to catch the one swimming port side in the water!
Since we cannot be at Disney World right now, let’s take a look at some of the things that make it so special.
First up, the iconic Jungle Cruise!
The Jungle Cruise was an opening day attraction at Disneyland inspired by Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures films and “The African Queen.” The original attraction was more serious than today. Walt wanted it to be the Kilimanjaro Safaris of the 1950s. He even wanted live animals to be used in the attraction before learning that wasn’t exactly the best idea.
Since the day Disneyland park opened, the Jungle Cruise has been one of its most popular attractions. As you cruise the rivers of the world, you’re surrounded by fascinating animal life and a lush jungle of exotic trees, plants and flowers.
When building the Jungle Cruise, Walt Disney turned to Imagineer and horticulturist Bill Evans to create the landscape. Bill created a “Hollywood Jungle,” a mixture of exotic plants and trees that would give the feeling of traveling through exciting and uncharted territories. To create his Hollywood Jungle, Bill developed some intrepid techniques, like smuggling plant seeds inside the cuffs of his socks and planting orange trees upside down to resemble mangroves.
Through the years, the tall trees engulfing the Jungle Cruise have created a lush canopy that regulates the temperature inside this Hollywood Jungle, allowing plants that you won’t find anywhere else in Southern California to thrive right here in Disneyland park.
The Queue
The Jungle Cruise queue is an open-air outpost accepting bookings for cruises. Winding through the queue, guests can see the boats pulling up to the docks, as well as cargo, artifacts, and maps.
The Jungle Cruise Experience
The premise of the Jungle Cruise is that guests have signed up for a lengthy tour down the rivers of the world guided by a skipper from the Jungle Navigation Co. The ride lasts about 8 minutes, guests journey down the Amazon, the Congo, the Nile, and finally the Mekong.
Each section has audio-animatronics specific to that region, such as a giant python, a camp raided by gorillas, headhunters, waterfalls, or a pride of lions. While some of the scenes are humorous, more so the main draw of the attraction is the rapid-fire puns and cheesy jokes from the skippers.
Several jokes and gags from the skipper’s spiel have become iconic over the years, and often get a big reaction from guests who have cruised before. Be expecting the famous “backside of water” cheer when your skipper takes the boat behind a waterfall.
Let’s take a ride on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland…
The Jungle Cruise is a gentle, slow-moving boat cruise with plenty to see. It’s the perfect family attraction as it truly offers something for every age and member.
We are in uncharted territory at the moment, with the Disney Parks worldwide closed due to the Corona Virus. This is all so unprecedented.
To brighten your day a little, I wanted to take you on a little tour of the beautiful topiaries Disney World has decorating Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival.
Anna and Elsa in Norway
Lady and the Tramp in Italy
Snow White in Germany
Hopefully, you can get there next year and see them all in person. Stay healthy.
Magical Travels with Barb 