WDW Guide: Magic Kingdom

Saving the best park till last, this is a guide to the main park of Walt Disney World: Magic Kingdom.

As soon as you hop off the monorail, boat or bus (these are the many different ways to get to the entrance), you will be greeted by the vision of Walt Disney.

This park oozes the classical Disney themes throughout. As you wander through the turnstiles and under the bridge of the rail station, you will be greeted with the town square. Carry on walking and you will see the sight that makes my heart melt every single time: Cinderella's castle.

Main Street USA is a wondrous place to walk down. Here you will find a vast array of shops selling all the merchandise you can think of. If you want candy, character ears, ice cream, christmas decorations or anything else, you will probably find it in one of the shops. Do take the time to wander in and out to take in the detail, and escape the heat for the AC!

For coffee lovers, a Starbucks can be found here as well.

Main Street USA

Directly in front of the castle is a statue of Mickey and Walt which I really think is worth a picture. The castle often has welcome shows featuring dancer's, princesses and the famous characters. It is a Disney way of welcoming you to the Magic Kingdom.

The various lands surround the castle where the attractions await. I don't think there is a particular route you should go, as it will likely be busy everywhere unless you get there as soon as the park opens. The lands are summarised below:

Tomorrowland

Sci-fi is the theme of this land with Disney favourites located here such as Stitch's Great Escape, Monster's Inc laugh floor, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (very popular) and Space Mountain (also very popular).

My top tip: Go on the People Mover. It may not seem like a thrill ride but it won't be a waste of time and its great to have a quick rest. You can also get great views of the castle and see the rides in Tomorrowland from a cool behind-the-scenes view.

Also, make sure you catch a character dance party. These are so much fun and are great for making you laugh. Details of these are available on a program at the entrance to MK.
If I could give advice on what's not worth doing in Tomorrowland, it'll be Walt's Carousel of Progress. Its great for Disney fans but in my opinion, not worth the time doing if you are only there for a few days.

Fantasyland

Every little prince and princesses' dream place is Fantasyland. Here you'll find the classical Disney fairytales played out in various forms, such as roller coasters, tea cups or even a flying elephant. 

Must do rides are Peter Pan's Flight (be prepared to queue or get a fastpass), Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Under the Sea- Journey of the Little Mermaid and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.

I actually couldn't do the mine train as the queue was ridiculously long but I've heard that it is good. You can also get fastpasses to meet the popular princesses or if you love Beauty and the Beast, then you can meet Belle at her Enchanted Tales.

Be Our Guest

One thing I love doing is the carousel. If any of you have seen Saving Mr Banks, Walt Disney rides it in Disneyland, CA. Whenever I go on the carousel in any Disney park, I feel like I'm being transported back to when Disneyland was brand new and Walt could see his vision become reality.

Recommendations for eating here are Be Our Guest, which is very popular and sadly we weren't able to go. We did eat at Pinocchio's Village Haus, which is a great QSF&B serving pizza's, salads and flatbreads. Do try the Blue Raspberry frozen slushy, it is seriously the best thing I've ever tasted but it will turn your tongue blue!

Flat bread and Blue Raspberry slushy 

Also, don't forget that you can board the railroad here to take you around the park, which is great if you want a little sit down.

Liberty Square

The next themed area is Liberty Square. Catch the Haunted Mansion, a classic Disney ride. Apart from that, I'd recommend the riverboat if you have nothing else to do. Liberty Square is quite small, so really the Haunted Mansion is the main attraction.

For food, the Sleepy Hollow is famous for the waffle sandwiches although I am yet to try one!

Frontierland

Home of two of the mountains and the former being my favourite ride- Splash and Big Thunder! These are the top attractions and can have hefty wait times so fast pass is recommended. Some cool themed merchandise are also located here.

Adventureland

Do ride the Jungle Cruise, a hilarious boat ride that is so enjoyable because of the Cast Member operating the boat. Pirates of the Caribbean is another favourite. For kids, they'll love the flying carpets of Aladdin and if they are keen explorers, the Swiss Family Treehouse is cool to climb and get great views of MK.

If you want to meet Aladdin and Jasmine, you'll find them here also!

One thing I will always get in Adventureland is a classic Dole Whip. Opt for pineapple, vanilla soft serve or a mixture of both. The float comes with pineapple juice, but either in the Floridian heat is refreshing and will cool you down nicely.

Overall, this is a miniature version of a guide to MK and is based on what I have experienced and therefore recommend. MK really requires two full days to get everything done. 

Do not miss the Festival of Fantasy Parade or the night time Main Street Electrical Parade. Make sure you pick up a program with the parade routes and times to ensure you get a good spot.

Festival of Fantasy Parade

At the end of the day, you can saw goodbye to MK by watching Celebrate the Magic. Projections of famous disney scenes can be viewed on the castle itsself, followed by the night time firework spectacular that is Wishes.

Celebrate The Magic

Wishes

This will send shivers down your spine and almost make you well up (it did to me). It's times like these when I watch the show and realise how special Disney can make people of all ages feel. It'll be at this point when all the planning, money spent and travelling to get to MK is way worth it. You will not want to leave after this. 

I hope this has given a good insight into the main park of Walt Disney World. What you do with your time is up to you, and members of your party of all ages will feel so special in this park. 

If you are going, I hope you have the most magical time!

WDW Guide: Disney's Hollywood Studios

The next in my series of WDW park guides

So this may just be my favourite park. Although Magic Kingdom is the mother of all disney parks, Hollywood Studio's doesn't fall far behind in my opinion.

There has always been something about the Hollywood theming that intrigues me and genuinely excites me.

As soon as you pass through the turnstiles, walking down fake Hollywood boulevard brings me the same excitement in my stomach that walking down Main Street USA does when you first see the castle.

The array of attractions, shops, restaurants and shows are what makes this park. I could easily spend a whole day here although many people say it can be done in half a day.

I think to appreciate the true beauty and effort that went into the making of this park, you need to spend a day where you can look at the incredible theming of the merchandise shops, the street actors, the themed restaurants, even down to the queuing areas of the attractions.

Some of the big name attractions are here, including Rock 'n' Rollercaster, which is a high speed upside down coaster that cruises to the soundtrack of Aerosmith.

Then there's The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where you plunge up and down in a haunted elevator.

There's more for the kids, including the ever so popular Toy Story Midway Mania.
These top 3 I thoroughly recommend getting fastpasses for, as the queues can be long. I queued two hours for Toy Story! Luckily, it was worth it.

There are lots of little attractions that celebrate animation and Walt's creations, as well as famous movies and the big film franchise of Star Wars. These can offer a welcome break inside AC and away from the heat.

Another must-do of this park are the shows. Much like Animal Kingdom, these rival broadway musicals.

The best is Beauty and the Beast! It is so beautiful and captivating that I could see it over a hundred times and never get bored. Similarly there is Voyage of the Little Mermaid which retells the classic story.

For the more masculine side, there is the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show featuring high speed car chases and stunts, as well as the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. This was the first time seeing it for me and I was completely surprised at how funny and clever it was! Make sure you see this.

Indiana Jones

Parade wise, it changes so do check the schedule for when you visit, but whilst I was there it was all about Frozen. Seriously, there were Frozen themed parades, fireworks, dance parties, drinks, cupcakes, the list goes on!

Frozen fever!

Frozen Dance Party

Olaf Cupcake

After all the excitement of the attractions and shows, eating is easy here as there are so many quick service outlets that provide a variety of food for all types, and there are some unique table service meals perfect for a break from all that walking.

I tried the 50s Prime Time Cafe which offers great food as well as incredible service from the waiters and waitresses.
Basically, it transports you back to the home-cooked meal days where you would sit at a table each evening with the rest of your family, be told off for not eating your vegetables or having your elbows on the table, and they even give you homework to do while you are waiting for the food. This was such an amazing experience and really makes the time you are waiting for you food go by quickly.

I had the delicious salmon entree with warm apple crisp for desert which reminded me of my mum's home cooked apple crumble!

To end the day in this fantastic park, there is only one night time show to see, and that is Fantasmic. You will be blown away by this, not as good as Wishes, but just as mind-blowing and great for all the family.

Make sure you arrive in good time to get a good seat.

My only decent photo of Fantastic

WDW Guide: Epcot

Oh Epcot. You either get it or you don't.

I've heard a lot of people say this is their least favourite park because it has no solid theming throughout.

Like Animal Kingdom, this park should not be underestimated. This is Walt's baby, as EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Centre of Tomorrow, and he had a heavy influence on the attractions seen their today.

It can easily be done in a day, or half if you are hardcore and don't take in all the details.

Popular rides here are Test Track, which most definitely will have a long queue in peak times, so fastpasses or single rider is preferable on this attraction.

Similarly, Soarin' is popular and has the slowest and most boring queue in the world so try and get a fastpass for this (single rider isn't applicable).

Other attractions include going into the big 'golf' ball, called Spaceship Earth, and Mission Space. These are great to experience, but I wouldn't say they are must do's in my opinion.

There are other low key attractions at the park, but since I haven't ridden them, I feel I can't really comment on them.

The other big attraction is the World Showcase, an area featuring 11 different countries where you can walk around each pavilion and immerse yourself in the different cultures.

Mexico

The countries featured are Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and Canada.

UK

Each pavilion features the architecture typical of that country, as well as merchandise, food, drinks and some attractions/entertainment.

Morocco

This could take half a day to walk around if you really wanted to see everything, but if you aren't that bothered then I would suggest visiting Mexico, Morocco, France, Japan and China.

Of course, as I'm British, a visit to the UK is a must for me!

I ate at the Akerhusus Banquet Hall in Norway for breakfast, as it was character dining and included in my disney dining plan. You get to meet most of the princesses who come around to your table for a chat, as well as performing a princess parade around the restaurant where they lead little prince and princesses around in a procession.

The food was nice, in a buffet style featuring traditional Norwegian foods along with the usual american fare. They also have a hot plate with sausages, bacon, eggs and hash browns which can be replenished if you ask the servers.

To work of all the food we ate, I wandered around each country, stopping to buy a drink in the Rose and Crown pub in the UK and also to take a look at the delicious french patisserie in France. Next time I go, I will most definitely be buying a treat from there.

 

My favourite shop was Karamell-Kuche in Germany, where they sell a selection of Caramel treats. The smell of that shop made me want to live there forever. It smells like a Werther's factory a.k.a. heaven!

Germany

Here you can buy caramel apples, caramel corn, caramel chocolate, caramel cupcakes... yeah you get the gist! Unfortunately I didn't get anything which I really regret but next time, that will be my first stop.

Another highlight at Epcot that stood out for me was browsing the merchandise at Mouse Gear, which I think is one of the best places to buy merchandise.

Also, you can have a go at tasting the flavours of fizzy pop from around the world. Some are horrible (Beverly) and some are yummy (Fanta Melon) but its fun to try them all.

To end a long day here, IllumiNations is the evening show to watch. Not only are there spectacular fireworks set to an amazing musical score, but it is also magical to watch at various places in the world showcase where the lights on the buildings are in sync with the show.

Definitely make sure you see this show, and if you want to splash out then certain restaurants around the world offer dining packages where you can eat in the perfect firework viewing area.

WDW Guide: Animal Kingdom

If you find yourself visiting WDW then I have blogged about my 2015 experience of each park. This first one is about Animal Kingdom!

 This park often comes at the bottom of peoples top parks list, but I think it is underestimated and it is great for kids who love animals. The thing I enjoy most about this park is the theming. It is so wonderful to be able to walk around and feel like you are in Asia, then to walk across to Africa, and if you have an appreciation for this then take the time to have a wander around.

There aren't as many rides here, but the ones they do have are great. Do check out:

- Kilimanjaro Safaris

Your driver can really make this ride so much better so it does depend on individual experiences as well as whether the animals are actually awake and not hiding somewhere! If you're lucky, this can be a really great attraction.

- Expedition Everest

A high speed rollercoaster that goes backwards! It took me by suprise at how fast it is but most kids and adults will enjoy this and the queue theming is amazing.

- Festival of the Lion King Show

A great choice for a chance to sit down on a busy afternoon. The Lion King's famous and well loved songs are recreated with dancers, actors, singers and guest interaction. This is one of the best shows of WDW so do make sure you check it out.

- Kali River Rapids

You may or may not get soaked on this, so be prepared! Queues for this can get really long so try and fastpass if possible. It's great fun for the family and one of my favourites.

- Dinosaur 

This has been at this park since I first visited when I was 4 or 5, but this was my first time riding it and it was actually fun! Very bumpy so not for those who hate rides, but the storyline is cool and usually the wait isn't long.

If possible, take a walk around the Maharajah Jungle Trek which offers you the chance to get close to animals and takes you away from the busy crowds.

 Where we ate:

Yak and Yeti Restaurant
Amazing cuisines from Asia/Africa and I tried the chicken tikka masala which was amazing! After craving one for months as America don't do Indian cuisine as much as the UK, this was the perfect treat that reminded me of home and was delicious.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Selection of sorbets

Do check out the other choices of food as street vendors are everywhere and offer so many cuisines as opposed to the usual American food. Here you can stimulate your taste buds with the different flavours from all over the world.

Animal Kingdom is a great park to visit in one day but can also be a great choice for a relaxing day at the park if you are not bothered about getting everything done in one day. Do not miss this park out because of other peoples advice. WDW wouldn't be the same without it and with the upcoming expansion, this park has great potential.

Left my heart in Disney...

Ok so the disney cep blog posts will be coming after my program as there is simply no time to write them! 

But this post is a travel related post, as I got to spend four days in my favourite place in the world... DISNEYWORLD!!!

So working for disney has its perks and one of them is free entry to all the theme parks and a whopping 50% discount of hotel rooms, so four of us interns decided to book four nights at Disneys Carribean Beach Resort, a moderate resort near Epcot. 

So, we left Hilton Head around 7pm on the Tuesday and arrived in Orlando at 12.30am. Can I just say that I drove 5 and a half hours on American roads in an automatic car! Scariest experience ever especially as I've never driven abroad ever and have only been driving 3 years! But it turned out to be very easy and the best way to get there.

When I arrived I was tired and physically drained from working a 6 day week then driving for 5 hours, so as soon as I got into bed I crashed out. Waking up the next day was very exciting though as we had booked a pirate themed room which meant we were literally sleeping in pirate ships! Pretty cool huh?

So Wednesday was day one and it had to be Magic Kingdom! The sun was shining and we hopped on the bus to the place where dreams come true. I haven't been to Disney World for 5 years so coming back was an amazing experience, it really felt like I had never left! Seriously, walking down Main Street USA is one of the best experiences when you see the castle!

As we were staying on disney property, we all had a magic band. These are great for the trip as they hold you room key, fast passes and any reservations you make on them! Perfect for that time when your room key is at the bottom of your bag! It made the trip so much easier. They also held our dining plan on them. We went for the standard dining plan!

The magic bands are customisable!

Now I've never really eaten in disney before, we always used to take our own food and eat outside the parks. This dining plan meant we could get one quick service meal (entree, dessert and drink), one sit down meal (entree, dessert, drink) and a snack. This is per day. That's a lot of food!!

Bearing in mind a snack can be one of the famous giant cupcakes or Rice Krispie treats, or it can simply be an apple/bottle of water. The choice is yours but seeing as I wouldn't know the last time I would be in disney, I went all out and ate the most unhealthiest choices. Look at that cupcake!

Olaf Carrot Cupcake. The most delicious cupcake I've ever eaten!

In Magic Kingdom we managed to fit in a fair bit including most rides like Splash Mountain, Thunder Mountain, Peter Pans flight, 3 o'clock parade, a character buffet plus wishes and the night time parade. It was exhausting! The only thing we didn't manage to do due to large crowds was the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train which is a fairly new ride, and Space Mountain. All the more reason to go back! 

So as this is a long post already, I'm going to summarise Magic Kingdom in photos! Enjoy!

The famous walk down Main Street USA

Breakfast!

3 o'clock Parade

Character buffet at Crystal Palace

Celebrate the Magic

Wishes

Well that kind of summarises day one but one thing I will say is sometimes you just have to experience it in person to be able to really understand disney, and I wouldn't hesitate to go back tomorrow if I could. 

Oh and also watch out for post disney depression, its a real thing! 

More posts to follow on the rest of the vacation!