Universal Orlando Resort Hotels

I love staying in on resort hotels at both Universal and Disney, despite that fact that the cost is ridiculously high, relative to hotels in the general vicinity (but it’s a theme park so what do you expect?)  JN and I usually do not stay in them for this reason. In fact other a few times we don’t stay in hotels at all as JN lives less than an hour away from Orlando.  But when I can I do like staying on the resort as it not only makes it for more convenient access to the parks but also the theming and amenities of the resort hotels are often top notch.  The rooms themselves not always but personally the rooms themselves don’t really make or break a hotel for me, as long as they have all the necessities  (plus a few more as I am paying a lot).  JN would disagree with me here as he a lot hinges on the room itself for him but perhaps he can elaborate some other time.

I have unfortunately not stayed in many Disney Resorts.  I have stayed at Port Orleans Riverside and have been inside of the Grand Floridian to eat at the Grand Floridian Café.  So I can’t really say much about Disney’s resorts as Riverside was only in the moderate price range and did not stay at the Grand Floridian (and probably won’t anytime soon unless I one of my get-rich-quick schemes finally pay off).  But I have stayed at all three hotels at Universal.  Luckily that is because my family enjoys going to Halloween Horror Nights and Universal in general so I don’t have to fork over a couple paychecks just for two to three nights.

In case you don’t know the three hotels at Universal are Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort, and the Hard Rock Hotel.  Loews is a hotel chain, as is, Hard Rock, of course. My favorite hotel at Universal is the Portofino. It is themed after an Italian seaside town and I will say in this aspect they did very well.  I have been to Italy and I will say other than looking a little flat and painted in some places (it is still a theme park hotel, not actually thing) it captured the Italian feel very well. It looked and felt like I was an Italian town with an abnormal number of American tourists, from the outside.

                                  Portofino Bay Hotel Exterior from fodors

From the inside it was still themed really well but started to lose some of it initial magic. Once you go to the hallways and the rooms it begins to feel like more like a hotel, but a very nice hotel. But fortunately the first thing you see is the exterior bay which is actually the back.  The visually main exterior is the back of the hotel with looks like an Italian town on a bay.  To get to the hotel you drive around the bay and can see main exterior as you approach.  It is very impressive in my opinion.  Once you enter it still feels as if you are in a theme park resort but does fell a bit enclosed for a resort lobby. There are multiple pools here but the main one is definitely awesome.  While it is not the greatest or biggest pool in general, it is definitely comparatively nice.  The entrance is like a wave pool entrance giving it a beach-y feel.  On the far end there is a fortress like structure with a small water slide. What makes me remember this pool fondly was the fact that it wasn’t very crowded (at least at the time I went) and I was able to chill under the arch of the structure with my family peacefully.  The Portofino is definitely the best theme park I have stayed at (although that may change if I stay at any of the Deluxe Disney resorts).

                              One of Portofino’s pools from orlandoinformer                            

The Pacific is anther great resort. Actually it may be better than Portofino in a pseudo-objective sense. Meaning it is bigger and has more amenities.  But it does not live up to it theme in my opinion.  The interior looked more like a ski lodge than anything and the exterior look like a moderately themed resort hotel.  Definitely all the work went into the resort aspect of the place not the theming, which is something some people prefer and is completely fine.  Personally I prefer hotel theming over amenities at a theme park as I am only usually there for a few days. Don’t get me wrong the theming isn’t horrible, it is actually pretty good, but it just does not capture an essence like Portofino does. But if theming isn’t you bag and you are looking for the nicest resort, Royal Pacific is definitely the one.  It is also the further away from the parks so you might want to take the ferry to CityWalk unless you want a good long walk.

                                         Royal Pacific entrace from vslive

Hard Rock Hotel on the other hand is right next to the parks. In fact you are only a few yards away from some parts of Studios (and the old Hard Rock Hotel) when you are in the parking lot. But convenience to the parks is just about the one advantage of this hotel.  I don’t know how Hard Rock Hotel’s are in general but it honestly felt like a really nice hotel with a few pieces of rock and roll memorabilia placed about.  I have honestly seen more memorabilia in most of the Hard Rock Cafés I’ve been in than I saw in the entire hotel (and I walk around through all the floors of the hotel).  I read that the nicer rooms and suites are themed after notable bands, and it would have been neat if I got to stay in a Led Zeppelin or Queen room but overall the hotel is rather lackluster as both a super-nice resort and in its theming.  If you have the money to and it is between an offsite hotel and this one always go with the Hard Rock but if you want a resort experience at Universal I would definitely suggest trying one of the other two first.

Hard Rock Hotel from travelape

 

-JS

My Thoughts on the “One More Disney Day” Event

For those who do not know, the “One More Disney Day” was an event that was held at both Disneyland and Disneyworld. Basically, they opened both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland for 24 hours straight in order to celebrate the leap year. I attended this one time event and here are a few of my thoughts about it:

JS and I decided to go to the park at around 10pm in order to assuage some of the expected crowds, but I had no idea that the park would be crowded the ENTIRE night. From 10pm till around 5am we were there and so were massive groups of people. This made it difficult to ride certain attractions. Space mountain was a no go the entire night because of the constant hour long wait, and even the people mover had a line all night! The People mover! We did ride most of the attractions, however, when the crowds would shift from one part of the park to the other. There was also a massive dance party that Disney Hosted in front of the castle that ate up some of the crowds.

I do admit that I had a really good time that evening, and I suffered from sleep drunkenness at least part of the night. I recall laughing rather hard at a single french fry that someone left behind because I was trying to get JS to eat it. I was upset that they did not have fast pass running that night because it may have helped with all of the people there. We did not get to ride splash or space mountain that night. Thunder was down for refurbishment as well. It was an interesting night for sure, and we could tell that the cast members were feeling it too. I remember one of the jungle cruise skippers remarking that “This night has turned into something Disney was not expecting.”

I really did have a great time that night even with the crowds, and I do think if disney did something similar like that event I would probably go again. They just need to work out some of the kinks. Watch out for the people mover though because I totally almost fell asleep on it.

-JN

Attractions and Theming

Would a theme park be a theme park without the attractions? What I am trying to ask here is if a theme park where not to have attractions (I’m particularly talking about ride here), would it be worth going. I would argue no.  Regardless of how well themed parks like Universal and Disney are, especially in places such as World Showcase and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, I couldn’t imagine spending money to shop and eat in a well themed place.  I wouldn’t even call such a place a theme park: consider the city of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There are very few people that live there, it is particularly a tourist town with countless shops, restaurants, and museums, but this place is a town, not a park.  Thus I would claim that attractions (and again I’m talking particularly about rides here) are the most important part of a theme park are the rides.  This seems counterintuitive given that the name is “theme” park; the theming should be most important.  But theming is extremely imperative as well.  No one wants to pay ninety dollars a day to walk around an bland park with unthemed or poorly coasters all day (They’ll pay fifty dollars and go to Six Flags, ZING!).

-I don’t care if you have a Batmobile, Six Flags, your theming sucks

     There needs to be a proper balance of expert theming, entertaining shows, and thrilling, innovative and kid friendly rides; restaurants are important as well.  A great balance of all of these is important but to me attractions are the most important.  Perhaps JN would agree with me, perhaps not, but I do know he ranks theming and particularly restaurants higher than I do; why do you think EPCOT is his favorite park.  As much as I love restaurants and think every park should have a few nice ones, I don’t, for instance, hold Magic Kingdom’s or Animal Kingdom’s lack of a plethora of full service restaurants against it. I usually rank parks solely on their theming and attractions.

Yet I have still never determined a favorite park.  Magic Kingdom has numerous classic rides yet there are only a couple that stand above the rest.  The intuitive choice then would seem to be Islands of Adventure. It does not have the same quantity of rides as say Magic Kingdom, the quality of almost every one is a step above Disney’s.  The theming is great as well, but the only place it is on par with Disney, I would say, is in Wizarding World.  That is a consensus JN and I have reached, Universal Orlando is superior in ride quality and Disney is superior in theming.  Still, at Universal there is not quite a ride like DINOSAUR! and Disney has not been able to capture the essence of a story like Wizarding World has.  Thus my favorite park is still a mystery to me.  But I digress.

-Built in the early 1970s and still possibly the greatest theme park  structure in all of Florida.

      Rides are what bring me to parks.  Whether it is the story immersion or the thrilling sensations that are hard to achieve elsewhere, I could ride rides all day, if I don’t I don’t feel like I’m getting my money’s worth.  I feel as if I could just go from ride to ride and only every now and then enjoy the scenery and be perfectly content.  Though, maybe I don’t know what I actually like.  For instance when I was two years old, I reportedly could not get enough of the Magic Kingdom, I stayed up all night the night before in anticipation, ran everywhere in the park while my family tried to keep up.  I did the same when I went in first grade.  I don’t remember wanting to rides to many rides though. I had to be forced onto the mountains, and was too scared to go onto the Haunted Mansion in first grade (but apparently enjoyed it at age two). Today if I don’t go on all the major attractions at a park I feel cheated, but then it clearly wasn’t about that.

Also JN and I are quite similar when it comes to theme park prefreneces and he has been to the parks much more than I have, particular Universal.  He has been to Studios and Islands of Adventure probably over two hundred times.  And although he keeps going back, he says that he could (and has) spend a day in the parks and enjoy the scenery, without riding anything (this is the joy of having an annual pass, I recommend you go buy yours right away!).  Perhaps if I had been as much I would feel the same.  Perhaps my raw desire is to enjoy the rides only but as I go to them parks more my aesthetic preferences will change to appreciate theming even more than I do now. Who knows?

This has been a digression and random thoughts into my opinions or theming and attractions at various theme parks. I could say so much more but I wouldn’t want to bore you. Thanks for reading!

-JS

Favorite Places to Relax in the Parks

I love going to theme parks and by now you all are probably sick of hearing me say that. I love going to theme parks, but what I do not love so much is the tiredness that comes with walking around in 90 degree weather for endless amounts of time. So, I am really glad that there are spots in most any theme parks that are ideal for relaxation between attractions. In this post, I am just going to discuss a few of my personal favorite spots, and why I love them as much as I do. Disney and Universal excel on theming and this is a definite reason why some of these places are as relaxing as they are. I love any area that can take my mind away from the tiredness or hot day. Side Note: Some of these places I have definitely almost taken a nap in, and sometimes I wish I would have. Ha-ha.

Central Park in Universal Studios

So I just looked for photos of this place for 30 minutes, and I could find literally none. The only photos available were those from an aerial view… That was frustrating! Anyway… Central Park is small section at the end of the Hollywood section of the park, and it is on one edge of the lagoon next to Battery Park. It is a small version of Central Park in New York, and it is one of the most peaceful places in the park. A lot of people simply walk away from it and do not even know it exists. There are rocks, lots of grass and trees and benches by the water. It is awesome place to sit by the water under a tree and chill for a few minutes. I also love to just stroll through it in order to avoid crowds. Central Park is one of my favorite aspects of Universal Studios Florida, and most people don’t even acknowledge it.

The Second Floor Dining Area of Burger Digs in Islands of Adventure

Burger Digs, while quick service, is one of my favorite restaurants in Islands of Adventure because of its quiet, breezy, and centralized location, and how big the burgers are for the price.

Burger Digs has an amazing view because of its centralized location on the lagoon. I love this place because of how quiet it is. I assumed because it was a busy quick service restaurant that it would constantly noisy, but I have never had a bad experience there. There also tends to be a nice breeze that goes throughout. Many people don’t even notice the outside setting area or opt to sit inside, so it is definitely a prime spot to rest and eat.

Cinderella’s Wishing Fountain in the Magic Kingdom

from Allears.net

Magic Kingdom is hectic at all times. There are people EVERYWHERE, but ironically the Wishing Fountain that is on one side of the castle is usually empty. I think that because it is off the beaten path, many people do not notice it. There are a couple of benches around, and it has great scenery. It also offers a wonderful view of the Cinderella’s Castle. The only complaint I have with area is that there is a smokers spot nearby, and I hate having to walk by in order to get to the place. To find this area follow the small path near the entrance to the Rapunzel meet and greet. This has to be one of the best places in Magic Kingdom to rest your feet, although there is little shade.

Japan Pavilion in Epcot

from gogobot

The Japan Pavilion has to be one of my favorite places in any theme park ever. I just really love and appreciate Japanese aesthetics. The Japan pavilion has faithfully recreated the feel and look of Japan, and it has peaceful tranquility. As I stated in my earlier post about the Katsura Grill, the area around the quick service is breathtaking. The koi pond is a sight to be seen. One drawback is that parts of the Pavilion are usually busy and hectic, and this is mainly the issue with the store portion. The garden area, on the other hand, is often open and empty and is a great place to take pictures and rest your legs. I personally like walking through the garden while waiting for crowds to dissipate.

Bonus spot: Free Soda in Epcot

Club Cool in Epcot offers free Soda’s from around the world. It is an awesome spot to quench your thirst for free. The cups are tiny but you can get as much as you want.

From Wikipedia

Theme parks may be hectic but there are always places to take a rest if you become weary. I hope some of you  will try out some of the places that I really enjoy. Question: What are your favorite places to chill while at the parks?

-JN

Disney Trip Planning

One thing that you need to know about me is that I love to plan trips. I hate doing anything in the spur of the moment, and it makes me uneasy if I don’t plan. Some may call this uptight but I see it as a “fun” disorder ; ).  As I stated in an earlier post, we plan to go to all the Disney Parks from Feb 29th- March 3rd. I am really excited for this because I have been so busy since December that I have not been able to use my Annual pass. Anyway, ever since we decided that we are going, I have begun planning the whole thing. Here is a general Outline of the trip:

Parks-

Feb 29th- Arrive at Epcot at around 9am and enjoy the day until around 4pm. Arrive at hotel and take a nap! Arrive at Magic Kingdom at 10pm and stay until 6am.

March 1st- Sleep until 1. Arrive at Epcot for lunch. Park Hop and/or Explore Epcot

March 2nd- Wake up and drive to Universal. Visit both parks and leave around 1pm. Return to Disney and spend the rest of the day at Hollywood Studios. End the night at Epcot.

March 3rd- Wake up and go to Animal Kingdom for the morning. Leave around 3pm.

Side Note: As you can tell, we end up at Epcot a lot. There are several reasons for this: 1. They have the best food options hands down. The Restaurants there are awesome! 2. Epcot is my personal favorite and I don’t think it will ever get old!.

Food:

Here are the current plans I have for where we are eating:

29th- Restaurant Marrakesh for Lunch and Dinner at Whispering Canyon Cafe

1st- Le Cellier for Lunch and Dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel

2nd- Lunch at Mythos and Dinner at Via Napoli

3rd- Lunch at Tusker House

There will undoubtably be a few trips to various bakeries and goodies throughout the expedition.

I am just excited that there will probably not be the usual hordes of people at the parks. The end of February is not really a high demand vacation time, and I look forward to not waiting hours in line for Everest or Soarin’. Commenters or followers: What are some of your favorite places to dine while at Disney or Universal?

Photo Spot Shark

Just a quick random thought, with Jaws demolished, they’re going to have to do something with the shark photo spot, most likely the most popular photo spot of the Universal Studios. Hopefully they’ll but it in another part of the park, just as they have the Delorean and Time Train. But where? I’m thinking someone near Disaster but I do hope they keep it.  It may seem silly to some people who aren’t as “into” theme parks as much as JN and I, but it’s little things like this that help us remember classic rides that are no longer with us. I know I just spent my last post talking about how change is a good thing a theme parks and I agree that sometimes the old should be moved to make room for the new.  But mementos likes these don’t hurt.  Besides is good for Universal to have things from several of their movies scattered around the park, especially when it’s a popular photo spot like this.

-JS

Weekly Restaurant Review #3- The Plaza

Magic Kingdom does not have the best options for restaurants. It is definitely no Epcot. When I booked The Plaza, honestly I was not expecting much and not looking forward to it. I will say that I have completely turned around since then, and I had a great experience eating at this restaurant. The location at this place is FANTASTIC, and most tables actually have a great view of the castle. This would be a prime space to get dinner and watch the nightly shows. The Plaza is a place that I definitely would love to go back again eventually. The ambience is very nice (Chandeliers and a lot of gold), but the dining area is on the smaller side. This not a bad thing because it allows for a much more intimate dining experience.

From Disboards

Service: The service here was some of the best I have ever experienced at the Walt Disney World Resort. Our waitress was very prompt, friendly, and helped us with any questions about the menu we had. At one point she talked with us about her children and what they were interested in. She reminded me of a very nice aunt or a good friend’s mom. I really enjoyed the service there, and it really made me forget how limited the actual menu was. I wish I would have written her name down, so I could have gone to Guest Services and told them of her excellent service.

Food: The Plaza is basically a sandwich and ice cream parlor, so the menu is very limited in that regard. That being said, the sandwiches were high quality and quite yummy. I chose the Rueben (which is one of their signature sandwiches) which came with fries. I also saw on the menu that they had broccoli slaw (I am a huge fan of coleslaw and wanted to try the variation) so I ordered that one as well. The sandwich was hot, tasty, and perfectly toasted. It was a great sized portion and the meat inside tasted fresh and of good quality. This was the best Rueben I have had in Disney. The fries were not the standard shoestring variety and I think I liked that better. They arrived hot and with the perfect amount of salt. They tasted much better than the Sci-Fi Drive In’s incarnation. The Broccoli slaw was an interesting component. It did not taste like cole slaw like I assumed, and this reminded me more of a salad with a creamy vinaigrette dressing. It was very crunchy and the broccoli was seemed fresh. Overall, the food was some of the best I have had at the Magic Kingdom, but there is not downfall of the limited menu.

I really suggest giving The Plaza a try if you are looking for a Table Service restaurant at Magic Kingdom. I know typically the food around MK is not the best, but the Plaza is a shining example that not everything meets the eye. I heard the desserts are really great as well, and I look forward to trying them the next time I go. Side Note: I want to get a later reservation for this place, so I can watch the end of the day festivities; however, there never seems to be any reservations open. Drat!

Rolling with the Changes

With Jaws closing there is a lot of griping about change in theme parks.  I personally think change in parks is a great thing.  Don’t get me wrong, I loved Jaws, it was one of my favorite rides, and I would rather have it back, but I understand classics must sometimes be lost or changed.  Universal seems to be constantly updating several of their attractions, Hanna-Barbera became Jimmy Neutron which is becoming Despicable Me, King Kong became the Mummy, Spiderman is getting a facelift, etc.  But Disney, particularly Magic Kingdom, seems to like to cling onto old ride designs.  Now this isn’t always the case, of course, Star Tours has improved greatly and Haunted Mansion recently underwent some changes as well, and there several other examples.  But then you look at rides like Pirates of the Caribbean and Peter Pan’s Flight and they feel very dated.

-Pirates of the Carribbean from guestofaguest

One of the problems is long time fans of the parks will revolt at any changes and even many occasional visitors might complain “that’s not the way the ride was when I was a kid, why did they change it?”  But wasn’t Walt Disney himself who believed that Disney would always be changing and developing, never to be finished.  A possible counter argument to this would be that he meant continually adding, not getting rid of what you already have, but you can’t expand infinitely.  No, I am not suggesting getting rid of any rides at the Magic Kingdom now (except Buzz Lightyear, that one is pretty bad), but revamping them.  Look at how much better the Jack Sparrow animatronics looks in comparison to the older ones. Imagine if they spent some money on updating the rest, the ride would be improved phenomenally.  Now in this particular ride it might be hard to resist making it more movie oriented i.e. placing as many movie characters as they can for the sake of recognition, but hopefully they wouldn’t go that far.  But Pirates is still at least decent as it is, some rides are not.  Such as Peter Pan’s Flight which, even on slow days, might but upwards or 80 minutes long because of the ride loading system. And then the ride isn’t even that great. I know it was probably wonderful when I opened over in Disneyland but know it seems beyond dated.  The walls look as if sheets were hung up to conceal the walls, and you see simple statues of characters.  This is a ride, if they weren’t to update the animatronics to match the soon to be opening Little Mermaid, then should be scraped all together. Sure “it’s a classic” or what-not but look at Snow White, that’s an old one getting replaced with a better ride in the Fantasyland Expansion, and that seems for the better.

-Peter Pan’s Flight from onlywdworld

Now I don’t think Disney should necessarily have a completely different set of attractions ten years from now but if they don’t developed what they have and lose some of the more dated attractions, then Universal will eventually completely surpass them in attraction quality. But it is Disney we are talking about here, so I don’t see Universal doing a complete eclipse it anytime soon (and probably never), but many of its rides already surpass many of their counterparts in the Magic Kingdom, i.e. Ripsaw Falls is better than Splash Mountain, E.T. is better than Peter Pan (but both are still dated), Jaws was better than Jungle Cruise (yet JC still stays puntastic today), and Men in Black drives Buzz Lightyear into the ground (as you can see have a certain animosity for that ride’s quality).  But this seems to be a probably isolated to the Magic Kingdom.  Disney’s other parks do not seem to have a probably rolling the with changes; as mentioned before, Star Tours is greatly improved, and I love the new additions to Spaceship Earth. Also you can see a quality improvement when looking at the attraction themselves at Disney’s newer parks, when compared to their Universal counterparts: Tower of Terror is better than Dr. Doom’s Fearfall, Muppet*Vision 3D is better than Shrek, Kali River Rapids and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barge are pretty much tied, there’s nothing like Mission Space or Dinosaur at Studios or Islands, and Expedition Everest would beat the Mummy if they got that dang Yeti to work (the last on is a direct correlation but relatively close).  Now I still love the Magic Kingdom, the whole place is jammed pack with nostalgia inducers.  And some of the older technology on many rides still feels like it works with the rest of the ride, such as It’s a Small World, which has simple, rigid animatronics fit well with its them and reputation.  But the Magic Kingdom should still keep up with the time with most of its attractions.  It seems my point may be moot though, as they seem to be doing this with the Fantasy Land Expansion and the Haunted Mansion update.  Hopefully this trend will continue throughout the next few years.

-JS

Drinking around the World (Showcase)

I am graduating college in a little less than 3 months, and I have been pondering lately what to do to celebrate this accomplishment. I’ve been thinking about a cruise, going to California, going to Europe and so many different things. This thought process brought up something I’ve heard about before. Of course, I am talking about the infamous challenge of “Drinking Around the World.” No, this does not mean you have to chug at beer in Canada, and hop on a plane to Japan in order to make it for the 5′ o Clock Sake special. This is a challenge to drink around Epcot’s World Showcase. Now, I have not decided whether or not to do this, but I have researched people’s different experiences with it. This is definitely a fun and viable option and I would like to explore a few of the aspects of the “commitment” of drinking around the world with you.

Picture from Disfriends

Money: The first thing we must all remember is that this is a theme park. The prices are going to be higher than normal, and some options may not be the most ideal or tasty. I have read that you can easily expect to spend around $100. When I heard that number, I was kind of disappointed  because of the high price tag. Then I got to thinking and I realized you have to look at it as an experience. It is a fun game that can be played with friends, and it allows for tasting different drinks from all around the world. (The price tag is still substantially less than it would be if I actually drank around the world.) This adventure, however, is not the for the average Disney park guest. I say this because of the high cost of the park ticket; I feel like this is a better option of the pass holders because once the game starts it pretty much takes over your day. Overall, as a pass holder I feel like the $100 is manageable. Side Note: I have read that a good option to save money is to actually share the drinks with one other person instead of finishing them all yourself.

Pacing- Pacing is important because no one wants to see you as a hot mess stumbling around Epcot. It is recommended to take one’s time and enjoy the park and drinks rather than just down them and move on to the next area. I think this is a crucial part to the success of the mission. Enjoyment is the key factor here, and getting sick would turn the memories from good to bad. I think there should be a rule of no shots through the night because mixed drinks can convey the flavors of the country and cause less of a chance of over drinking.

People- This is something you need to do with other people. Honestly, if you are drinking around the world alone, that is kind of sad. So If I decide to do it, I plan on inviting some good friends or family, and then we can embark on this journey together. It is also a good idea to have one person who is not drinking nearly as much. When there are good people around to keep you company, it takes it from just a moment into an experience that is hard to forget.

Drinking Around Epcot allows for a fun chance to experience the other cultures of the world. I do not think that this is the experience to get super mega hammered, but rather a way to celebrate a special occasion of circumstance. I am definitely thinking about doing this, and I want to research it a bit more to see what drinks each country has to offer. I am really excited to try the avocado margarita! Remember the #1 rule: Stay Classy.

From Life on the Hyphen

Top 5 of Disney’s Hollywood Studios

On Orlando United (theme park forum), I recently saw that a user posted a poll for peoples favorite Hollywood Studio’s attractions.  This inspired me to do a breakdown of my Top 5 Favorite DHS attractions, why I like them, and how some of them can improve.

Honorable Mention.Star Tours: The update is wonderful and I still can’t wait to see all the planets, as I haven’t been able to ride it that much, but the motion simulation still is exceed by rides elsewhere.

5. Fantasmic: Classic theme park show. I’m a sucker for crossover/compilation shows and a lot of the effects are top notch, but if you haven’t seen the show yet, skip over this discussion if you don’t want it spoiled.  There are a few things that could be updated though.  A better dragon head for one, the streamer-like things coming off the neck are kind of corny but after seeing online images, I can see this may be temporary.  Also the Pocahontas section seems out of place.  I understand there compiling many of Disney’s most popular films but the fact that there is a long, live-action section devoted to the lowest rated of the Disney Renaissance Movies*. If they had live-action sections devoted to other Disney movies it would make more sense, but as it is it is, I think the show would improve without it.  A dream I have for the show is absolutely unrealistic and would be ridiculously expensive for only a short section but would be to have a giant Chernabog animatronic  come out of the mountain for Mickey to fight (wouldn’t be able to move much though given its size).  Not feasible at all, I know, but seeing that would make me more excited than I could imagine.

-Fantasmic from interactivewdw

4. Toy Story Mania: True shooting rides aren’t horribly original, you have MIB at Universal which is really fun but Buzz Lightyear at the Magic Kingdom feels like a cheap carnival ride at parts and is badly dated all around.  What makes this ride so amazing is that 3D effect are absolutely fantastic.  It’s also really fun as a shooting game ride as well but the 3D is unparalleled (we will see how the new Spiderman does).  It is the only attraction in which the things actually look like they are coming out of the screen, the whole point of 3D.  The wait for this is truly atrocious though.  Fastpasses run out before noon usually, even during down seasons, and the line is perpetually over an hour long.  If you are to coming to DHS get your FP right away.  You’ll still be probably waiting at least 20 minutes, so you can do what JN and I did.  We got to the park when it opened and during the show they do immediately before the park opening in the entrance area, we shoved our way to the front of the crowd.  Once they let us pass, the majority of the crowd rushed toward TSM, but we walk quickly past them all best we could (you get in trouble for running).  JN loves to mention how, on the way through the park to the attraction, moms with strollers were trying to run us over and shove us out of the way but we prevailed.  We ended up being the second group on the ride for the day.  Moral of the story, if you don’t want to have to wait too long for a popular attraction you may have to shove a few soccer moms.

-Toy Story Mania oncept art from destination 360

3. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster: Not much to say about this.  It is Disney’s only inversion roller coaster, and my first, two of the reason why I love it so.  I have also always been a fan of classic rock so having Areosmith blaring for the ride is nice.  A classic, must-do for coaster fans with a great launch.

-Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Entrance from coasterlove

2. Muppet*Vision 3D: Let me put this one in perspective for you. I really love the Muppets, probably more than I should, I even have my own Muppet from FAO Swartz, but JN does not like puppets and particularly HATES the Muppets. And he said this was the best 3D show he has ever seen.  It’s a show from the early 90s that has aged extremely well in both visuals and story. The effects are still top-notch, the humor is classic Muppet meta-humor, worthy of the original show, even the pre-show has hilarious jokes.  Most 3D shows are outdated, like Terminator, or are newer but already feel stale, like Shrek, but I could see Muppet*Vision 3D staying the same for the next decade and still aging well (I guess that depends on 3D technology development and the way it seems to be going, I’ll probably be dining on that last sentence in a few years).

-Sam wants you to see Muppet*Vision 3D from muppetwikia

1. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Part of the wonderfulness of this ride is its simplicity.  A simple drop ride, randomized to make a truly unique experience each time.  The queue, as JN mention a few posts ago, is phenomenal, and the intro video with the seamlessly included Rod Serling makes me feel like I’m watching an actual episode of the classic show. A thrill ride that never stops staying thrilling: I’ve ridden it many times, and I still get nervous anticipating the drops. Also I love watching my lanyard floating in zero gravity.

-Creepy Attendants unfortunately not included on ride from allthingsdisneyonline

JN or I may do another Top 5 of another park but for now I hope you enjoyed my rantings on Hollywood Studio’s best attractions.

-JS