Captain EO Returns To Disney World
Captain EO has recently planned to reopen at EPCOT in Disney World after it’s closure way back in 1994. In case you were not aware on what this is I will go into a bit more detail but this is a huge result for the fans that really enjoyed it the first time around. The attraction will be reopening on July 2nd 2010 and will be running for an undetermined amount of time, I am hoping it remains open at least until September so I can have the chance to watch it.
What Is Captain EO?
24 years previously Micheal Jackson joined forces with Disney, George Lucas as well as Francis Ford Coppola to create a nearly twenty minute long 3D show that like Star Wars was way ahead of its time. It featured two original songs as well as mythical creatures created by Disney for the show. It is set on a colourless planet in which Jackson (captain EO) along with his friends encounter the Supreme Leader and through the power of music they manage to change the planet to what it once was and the Leader changes her ways (typical Disney I know).
I have not seen the show myself as when I was in EPCOT in 1993 I was bit too young to see it (according to my parents) but everyone I have spoken too that has seen it have not got one bad word to say about the show so I am really looking forward to seeing it. Of course the reason it was scrapped is because of the first allegations of Jackson committing crimes against children. This was cleared up and again in the early 2000′s and Disney have realised the fans want it back.
Although I do not see this coming to Disney World forever I think if the fans really push for it we can see a joint showing in between Honey I Shrunk The Audience and Captain EO.
Night Time Magic
Out of all of the entertainment I have seen in the world, I have to say, the entertainment at Disneyworld,Florida is the most amazing i’ve ever come across. There are two particular shows that always spring to mind. These two shows were beyond brilliant. They were the most amazing and magical things that i’ve ever seen.
Fantasmic
This show starred the famous Mickey Mouse as the main character and the whole thing was set at night on water. I was squashed and sweating on seats in the setting sun having to wait an hour for the show to start (you have to get there early to get a decent seat) but it was all worth it because when the music began I forgot all of that, and nothing else except the fireworks and the stage in front of me could capture my attention. The show was so magical that I felt like a child again believeing in things that weren’t possible. It made me feel like part of the fairy tale and by the end I felt so happy that I was almost in tears. The music was breathtaking and and the images of the characters together with the fireworks was unbelievable. Easily one of the most fantastic shows ever to be on stage.
SpectroMagic
Spectromagic is a light parade set in the Magic Kingdom. Every float has hundreds of different lights on it to really give the float a magical shine. The image is so intense that you find yourself captivated from beginning to end which is probably around 30 minutes (although it seemed a lot longer). Its amazing to think how much effort went into this parade and how many lights are used in all. It is the most entrancing thing I’ve ever seen and I cannot begin to explain how absolutely perfect every aspect of this parade was. Every single person around me was enthralled. Definitely one to watch if you have the opportunity.
For more detail on both of these parades make sure you stick with Top Florida Guide!
Picture Of The Week
Unlike most blogs that do this kind of thing I am not going to be pointlessly submitting pictures for the sake of it every single day because I want this blog to be a lot more based on writing my opinion of all things Florida, Disney and Universal rather than showing people pictures so they can ooo and aaahh. However I thought that because I have such an extensive range of pictures from the state that I would start to show some of the ones I would not usually include in my blog posts just for the hell of it.
Why not, it’s only once a week right? So without further ado, here is this weeks picture!
As you can see, nothing inspiring, just an image that reminded me of the rush of getting out of the park after Fantasmic! has finished.
What Ever Happened To Green Eggs And Ham?
Green Eggs and Ham is something that I enjoyed a long time ago (around the time in which it opened within Dr Seuss Land) and although it was nothing that blew my mind away it was a bit of a laugh to have a hamburger with a green egg in it. The food was pretty nice in the same way that all of the Islands Of Adventure Food is pretty decent.
Since the first time I ate in this place it never seems to be open and Universal’s excuse is always “this dining location only opens at peak times”. Well according to figures it would seem that both the middle of August and around Thanksgiving is very peak but still on these occasions I have found the place to be closed. I am almost inclined to even ask why it is there but I know if I do this I will be thoroughly disappointed when they get rid of it.
So if any of you guys from Universal are reading this post, make sure you stop wasting time on things such as the wrath of Poseidon or whatever that very poor show is and spend money keeping the Green Eggs and Ham burger kiosk open!
A Year Of Toy Story For Disney?
The end of the so called Toy Story trilogy has finally arrived and although it has not been ofically announced whether or not there will be another film in the franchise it has been confirmed that it is the end of an era when it comes to Woody, Buzz and the gang which coming from Top Florida Guide is not a good thing at all.
Merchandise
The good thing about this is that if you are visiting Walt Disney World this year no longer should all of the merchandise be focused on things like High School Musical and Hannah Montana which is great new for all Disney fans that aren’t 10-15 year old girls! This year it is is time for the Toy Story merchandise to shine and I have to say when i head out there later this year I am looking forward to seeing what Disney has come up with.
UK Times
The worst thing about Toy story 3 is that it doesn’t make it to UK cinemas until late July which is crazy considering it is already out in the states!
Next Pixar Movie?
Well Pixar haven’t said anything yet but rumors have it that they are going to be working on an Incredibles sequel which will be pretty awesome but even better is the plans that they might be creating a second Bugs Life film, easily my favorite Pixar film of all time.
So there you have it, if you are heading into Disney World within the next couple of months make sure you keep you eyes peeled for some awesome Toy Story merchandise along with more appearances from people within the Pixar movies.
Is A Disney Annual Pass Worth The Money?
Grabbing a park annual pass is something only worth doing if you live out in America or get to travel there enough during the course of the year. Now once we have gotten than out of the way it would seem that there are other things you need to take into consideration.
Disney World Annual Tickets
When it comes to Disney tickets it would seem that the best thing to do when it comes to this is look at how many days you are going to be spending in the parks during the course of a year. If it is any more than a five days then you are in luck because this is how much a annual pass to all of the theme parks, water parks and other attractions like DisneyQuest would cost you. That’s right, if you are spending more than five days a year at the parks then it is cheaper to get an annual pass.
Worth It?
An annual pass will not only give you unlimited access to all of the parks it also gives you loads of Disney bonuses too so it is well worth going after one of them. You get discounts, access to things other guests cannot get to and of course your own unique title that all other card holders have.
Florida Residents
All Florida residents get a 10% discounts on annual pass tickets so there is even more reason to go after one of these cards if you live in the Florida state.
In the end the choice is yours when it comes to this, make sure you don’t end up spending more money than you have to when it comes to visiting DisneyWorld
Wizarding World Of Harry Potter Is Open!
Well it has been six years in the making (according to figures) but today the wait is finally over as the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter finally opens to the public at long last.
Wait Times
It is expected that for the much anticipated Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey that wait times are going to reach a massive five hour mark which is pretty much half the day gone. I cannot see the other two rides being that big because they have been in the park in the past.
The Rides
The press aren’t too happy with the rides and although they feel that Journey is a fantastic ride they just do not think there are enough rides in the place and I can see where they are coming from on this.
Shops
The press also feel that Universal have gone a little overboard when it comes to the shops in the place and they feel to a certain extent that Universal are trying to take Harry Potter fans for granted.
Opinion
My opinion on this is that they look to have done a good job on the place, I will not give my full opinion on the place until I am back from my travels there in September but from what I can see it looks to be fantastic. Of course they could have put more rides into it but the truth is that it is much easier to put shops in than rides. I feel more rides will be added in the coming years.
Taste Of Africa For Animal Kingdom?
Just a quick one today really as it is more as rumor than anything else. It would seem that The Taste Of Africa is said to becoming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom this summer and this it what it said to involve.
Food
African culture is the key to this event so a wide variety of African foods are going to be available for either trying or purchase, however as all Disney employees will tell you, what is ever free at Disney. Expect to pay for this as Disney are never ones to miss out on anything.
Music
Although you can catch African music at various times during the day within Africa at Animal Kingdom it would seem that with the Taste of Africa, Disney are going to show a bit more of this as well as perhaps getting people involved like they love to do now at the Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Parade?
A smaller parade has also been rumored to be taking place during this time of the Taste of Africa. It hasn’t been confirmed by Disney but I wouldn’t expect this to take the place of the regular parade that goes around the park at 3pm everyday.
It has not been announced if this is going to be a permanant addition to the park but other than the above, extra shopping facilities have been brought forward along with other live entertainment other than the parade and music.
I will keep you up to date as soon as Disney say something on this matter.
Mission Space- EPCOT
Mission Space is one of the most popular rides at the EPCOT theme park there is no doubt about that but when it comes choosing which of the two options to ride it can be a bit of a problem for many people.
A Quiet Day Outside Mission space
In case you didn’t realise there are actually two options to this ride, for the people that love intense rides there is the Orange Team and for the people that still want to go on the ride but do not want to experience the full feeling of space travel then it is the calmer Green Team. A lot of people struggle to find which one they would rather go on.
Health On Mission Space
If you are overweight, suffer from heart problems, have motion sickness or any of the usual suspects when it comes to the precautions for going on a big ride then you are advised to go on the Green Team. This is because there is no spinning on this ride and you will not feel the full impact of the 2.4G that the people on the Orange Team go through. In case you didn’t know this 2.4G is twice more than the Earth’s gravitational pull, pretty awesome I know.
Worries For Mission Space
If you are really that worried about the ride then screw it, still continue to to go on the Orange Team because the experience is that much better. If all else fails and you really do think you are going to be sick on the worry then have no fear there are sick bags on the ride to empty your stomach in. When I first went on the right the Green Team was not available and I am still here sop just go for it.
Advice For Mission Space
The only advice I have to going on this ride is to always look straight ahead of you and try not to move your eyes around or swivel your head in anyway. Other than this have a great time and you will see why it is one of the most loved rides at the park.
Old School Sunday- Animal Kingdom
I thought I would do something a bit different today by showing something a bit old school from one of the theme parks. This time it isn’t that old but then again nor is the Animal Kingdom. However here is the very first revealing trailer to the Animal Kingdom park. I remember it well as this hit my television just weeks before I was heading out there to enjoy the park for the very first time.
So without further ado, the Animal Kingdom’s very first TV spot.
For all you Disney fans out there I am sure this brought back many, many good memories.
