Photo Of The Week 28-7-2010
I missed out on the photo of the week last week thanks to the fact I had something a bit more important to blog about and I have been pretty busy for the last 8 days which is why there has not been a blog post on here recently but to try and keep some kind of pattern going on the blog I am actually going to include one this week!
Many people miss things like this and it is important to realise just how much work Disney put into their parks! I believe this is on the way out when you are walking out of the Magic Kingdom. It’s always a bit sad for me because it is one of the last things I see of the park!
Planning A Trip To Florida: A Few Tips
I think it is pretty safe to say that planning to go on that big trip to Florida, or Orlando more specifically is actually something that takes a lot of time, thought and effort. It can also take a lot of stress up too so here are some tips to help you out.
Do Things Together
Make sure that you plan the trip together and that you do not let one person do things because when it comes to arriving there people are going to be complaining that they have not got the things they wanted booked. Lets face it, booking things together is much more fun and it gets everyone in the family more excited for the trip. I know the girlfriend and I have spent countless evenings together looking into some of the restaurants we are going to be eating at as part of the Disney Dining Plan.
Been Before?
If you have been before then you will know most of the rides out there and how long it takes to get around each theme park. Plan ahead and discuss the days in which you are going to go to each park. You do not need to go into which ride you will be going into at what time because then it just gets a bit silly. Make sure you leave a couple of days free so you can do what you want in this time.
Exchange Rate/ Clothes
Make sure you always keep your eye on the exchange rate. Keep a bit money on the side in case the dollar rate start looks good and you can rush in to grab some, well change the money don’t go in there and demand dollars or you will be sitting in a cell rather than on the plane!
Look out for bargains when it comes to summer clothes all year round so that when it comes to a few weeks before you do not have to get ripped off on all of your clothes and holiday items.
Just Have Fun
One of the key things about planning a trip like this one is to have fun with it, getting the whole family together is going to help and the thing we used to do (okay, I still do it) is to have a big countdown on the wall and cross off each day as it passes.
These are just a few tips, stick with us as we will be publishing more and more as the blog gains age and power!
Whatever the planning procedure, make sure you have a fantastic time and say hello to Mickey from us here at Top Florida Guide!
Newcomer To Disney World Loved It!
You may remember me mentioning a few weeks back that I was going through a few bits with my mate who was heading off to Disney World for a week before he headed onto the Amazon rainforest for a few more weeks. Well he his back and I have to be honest, I didn’t think for one second that he would be the type of person to really enjoy Disney, well he loved it!
The Rides
He said that the rides were a lot better than the ones that you can find in places such as Thorpe Park and Alton Towers here in the UK, and that even the smaller rides that he thought were just for kids were very enjoyable indeed. Rides such as It’s A Small World and Mickey’s Philarmagic he said he actually really enjoyed stating further that I knew what I was talking about when it came to the parks.
Overall Experience
When it came to the overall experience of the place he said he was like nothing he had ever seen before and contrary to his belief the staff were not wearing fake smiles but actually enjoying the experience of working for Disney.
The only groan he had was the fact that a lot of the food was the same, burgers and hot dogs everywhere for which I replied he must not have been looking in the right places because Disney has one of the widest selections of restaurants in the world!
All in all you can see that he loved it and already he is planning on going again, this time including Universal and other parks like Busch Gardens. We are thinking of taking a joint trip with our girlfriends in a couple of years time, something that would be pretty awesome.
Captain EO Proves To Be A Hit!
You may remember me mentioning that the Michael Jackson show, Captain EO had made its’ return to EPCOT well the verdict from the fans are in and I have to say it is looking very good indeed.
Here are what some of the fans had to say:
” I saw it when I was little, I don’t remember around what age and I all I remember best is Hooter and obviously captain EO, its better now because now I appreciate it”
” So we came out of there and he was crying, admit it, you were crying! I was, I was crying, we really can change the world. The Disney/Jackson partnership again is great, it means Disney really have faith in him again”
Disney Insider
“When we really wanted to keep it exactly the same as it was in the 80s so we brought back the same person that put it together way back in 86″
This is really what Disney World is all about, making people happy and bringing passion into the parks. Although captain EO is not going to be around long it is good to see many of the fans very happy indeed.
Why Does The Magic Kingdom Always Put A Smile On Newcomers Faces?
Well for starters I say newcomers faces, this is far from true, I know for a fact that every single time I enter the main gates I am lit up by everything that is going on around me.
So what is it that makes the place just fill you with joy as soon as you step out into the start of Main Street U.S.A.
A Lot Going On
One of the things that certainly impresses people when they are walking into the park is the amount of things that are happening all over the place. At any one time down Main Street you can have marching bands, singing quartets, Disney characters walking around, horse drawn carriages and even balloon salesmen dressed like they were back in the day. It is truly amazing to see it when it is like this.
Cinderella’s Castle
The very first thing you see when you walk down Main Street USA is Cinderella Castle and this lights up not only children’s faces but everyone else that grew up loving Disney movies. It makes you feel that anything is possible, after all that is a castle looking exactly like it does from the movies.
The People
Something else that people really like when they are walking into the park is that everyone else around them is smiling too,it is hard not to be happy when this is the case. You will very really see anyone sad in a Disney park and although a lot of people moan at Disney for being too corporate I feel as long as they are doing this job, they are doing their job well.
It is all these reasons and many more that make Main Street USA one of the happiest places in Disney World, the street itself is colourful and magical on top of all of these other reasons. It is these reasons why I would always recommend going to Magic Kingdom first when it comes to Disney World stops.
What Do People Think About The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter?
So far it would seem there have been a lot of mixed messages on what people think of the new land opened up in Islands Of Adventure within Universal Studios. Here is a brief summary of what people are saying.
Not Enough Rides
This makes perfect sense to me and although I have actually not been to the land yet I could have bet money on people saying this. Despite there being three rides within the land, Universal have only really created one and simply redesigned two older rides to fit in with the Harry Potter universe. A lot of fans are a bit annoyed with this as Universal have had plenty of time to plan for new rides to be put in place.
On a positive it would seem the fan reaction to the ride Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey has been a good one which is encouraging for me when I arrive there in mid September.
Too Many Shops
Again I cannot say I am surprised with this one either as Universal along with Disney are always keen to make as much money back from their investments as possible. Again although this might be initially a bad thing I am hoping that over the years more rides will start to pop up and take the shops over in quantity.
There is once again a positive to the early negative in that the fans have generally been pleased with what the shops are selling which is great, I really hope they have things like extendable ears and other things right.
Harry Potter Restaurants
The last problem that is cropping up is that the restaurants are selling very typical English food. Whilst I come from England I cannot think of the last time I ate shepherd’s pie or a trifle. It makes sense to change the menu a bit to make it a bit more, well, magical!
The overall reaction to the Wizarding World Of Harry Potter has been good and whilst there have been a few negatives there were always going to be and I am almost certain that they will be improved upon!
Photo Of The Week 4-7-2010
This picture/photo of the week is taken from my favourite Disney park, EPCOT. Now there are many reasons I love EPCOT the most and one of these is thanks to Spaceship Earth. I love this ride and although I am a little disappointed as the update wasn’t what I expected it to be, it is still a fantastic ride and as you can see by the below image, it is massive!
Why The Name Change Of The Carrousel?
Well firstly I know it looks like I have spelt Carrousel wrong but it is how the French spell it and this is how Disney seem to spell it too. Now onto the main event of this article, why on earth has Disney changed the Carrousel name from Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel to Prince Charming Regal Carrousel. This all seemed a bit pointless but there could be a couple of explanations on why Disney have made this move. First of all let’s take a look at the back story that Disney have come up with to go along with the new name change:
The New Prince Charming Carrousel Back Story
“Following their fairy-tale romance and happily-ever-after wedding, Cinderella and Prince Charming took up residence in Cinderella’s Castle. With peace throughout the kingdom, Prince Charming had time to practice for jousting tournaments. In the countryside near the castle, he built a training device of carved horses, on which he could practice the art of ring-spearing, a tournament event in which a knight rides his horse full speed, lance in hand, toward a small ring hanging from a tree limb, with the object of spearing the ring. This event was known by various names throughout the lands, but generally came to be called “carrousel.”
The carrousel device drew the attention of the villagers, who wanted to take a turn on this amazing spinning contraption. So Prince Charming had a second carrousel constructed closer to the Castle, where everyone could take a spin on this wondrous invention. Instead of a working knight’s training device, however, this new carrousel is more befitting its regal location in the Castle Courtyard – its rustic training horses replaced with ornately decorated prancing steeds adorned with golden helmets and shields, flower garlands, feathers and other festoons. Prince Charming invites one and all to test their horsemanship skills and to enjoy their own happy ending.”
Source: DisneyWorld Blog- http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/05/carrousel-name-change-at-walt-disney-world/
Part Of The Fantasyland Update?
One reason many people have speculated that Disney have made this move is because of the major updates that are in progress within Fantasyland at the moment and are of course due to be completed by 2012. It is not like Disney to make a change like this that could potentially upset (has already upset) many hardcore Disney fans so I hope that in the near future they provide a reason for this.
Boy Friendly Carrousel?
Another option to why Disney have done this is to make Fantasyland a bit more boy friendly and whilst I think a lot of Disney experts are stating this to be the reason I am not so sure. They already have fantastic attractions such as Peter Pan and Mickey’s Philarmagic when it comes to what boys would be interested in, what is a name change going to do?
The fact is that the Carrousel at DisneyWorld is a ride suited for both sexes and people of all ages, I am shocked to see the name change but I am sure Disney have something up their sleeve that will be revealed at a later date. Stick with Top Florida because as soon as I hear the news, so will you!
