I grew up not liking Space Mountain, so it’s quite a turnaround that I have a great #DisneyMemory for this ride!
When I was a kid, roller coasters were not my friend. I didn’t like the speed, I didn’t like the turns, and at the top of my list of ones I didn’t like was Space Mountain. However, as I got older, I tried other roller coasters, and learned that they are a lot of fun, and have been a fan of roller coasters for years now. The first time I road Space Mountain was in 2000 with my soon to be wife Cindy, and since it was in the dark, I kept trying to anticipate the turns, and ended up with a splitting headache for my troubles. So, that first time, definitely not my favorite #DisneyMemory!
However, I gave it another shot in a different visit, and over time, I grew to like Space Mountain a great deal. My favorite #DisneyMemory from this great attraction comes on June 11, 2012 — which just happens to be the day that Shane proposed to Stephanie — and the day that Stephanie, Shane, Cindy, Kyle, Kerry, and myself rode Space Mountain together. I’ll never forget because Kerry was very nervous — to this day she still doesn’t like Space Mountain — but she tried it out, and gave it her best effort. She was actually doing okay — until, that is, Kyle let out a blood curdling scream — and from that moment on, it was chaos!
Such a fun ride, that was, and at 1:30 AM or something like that, it felt like the ride was ramped up to an insane speed, despite the ride being the slowest roller coaster at Disney. I don’t know what it was, perhaps all of those factors working together, but that day, that visit, that ride, was my favorite #DisneyMemory for Space Mountain.
What is your favorite #DisneyMemory from Space Mountain? Please let us know in the comments, and thanks for stopping by!
In Kevin Barry’s book, the Ultimate Guide to an Affordable Disney World Vacation, Barry explores the many different ways that you as a family can save money on your Disney World vacation. Captured within the 119 pages are tips on saving on flights, rental cars, park tickets, hotels, food expenses, and more. The story is written around the quest of the Barry family in planning their next trip to Walt Disney World, and gives detailed information on how much they are saving in their planning.
For me, the book is a good read, and has a lot of great information; however, there are some tips that I prefer not to tackle, that you need to make sure you are careful about before implementing. For me, the first is the tips that are provided for securing cheap/free air fare by getting credit cards. I know that there are disciplined people out there that can implement this process and save a lot of money on their flights, but the key here is that you need to be very disciplined to make sure you don’t run up thousands of dollars in debt. To his credit, Kevin talks about this in great detail.
When it comes to park tickets, the biggest question is really whether or not you and your family want to implement the park hopper add-on. This is a significant cost, and if you plan your trip correctly, you absolutely can get away with not purchasing the park hopper because it will save you money. In this regard, Barry does a good job against recommending it. Additionally, he also does a good job in making sure that you know that you can’t get your park tickets at just any location. The place to get tickets is at the Disney World website, where you will pay full price, or through select resale sites such as the Undercover Tourist website, where you can get a discount.
All in all, the Ultimate Guide does a really good job in providing tips on saving money on your next Walt Disney World vacation. At the cost of around $12, it’s a good investment, and in this blogger’s perspective, is worth the cost to have some great detailed information that you can use to save money on your next trip.
Have you read the Ultimate Guide? What did you think of it? Let us know in the comments, and thanks!
This photo from 2007 shows the excitement Sophie had for Donald Duck!
On June 9, 1934, Donald Duck made his debut in The Wise Little Hen, one of the Silly Symphony productions that Walt Disney did back in those days. Donald Duck was created as a companion character for Mickey Mouse; according to Wikipedia, there is a rumor that Donald Duck got his name from Australian cricket legend Donald Bradman, who, the story goes, was dismissed for a “duck” in a match. I don’t know if that is true or not, but I could certainly see that happening! Interestingly enough, a bit of trivia for you — did you know that Donald Duck has been in more films than any other Disney character, and that he is the most published comic book character outside of the superhero genre?
For me, my enjoyment of Donald Duck really stems from two things: my daughter and the Gran Fiesta Tour attraction in the Mexico Pavilion. The picture at the top of this post is an old one — back then, Sophie was so excited for Donald Duck! She was so excited during this meet and greet that she started bouncing, so of course Donald had to do the same! Another time, we saw Donald in the Mexico Pavilion, where Sophie gave him a big hug. She really enjoyed Donald back in the early days of our visits to Walt Disney World.
Now that she’s almost 15, I think her fascination with the characters has kind of waned a bit, and she’s more all about the adventures she makes with her friends.
The second thing that has caused me a lot of enjoyment with Donald is his role in the Gran Fiesta Tour. That simple little boat ride, which I’ve written about before, is just one of my favorite attractions at Epcot. I love all of the different scenes as we go looking for Donald!
So, happy birthday Donald! If you wish, take a look at the start of it all — The Wise Little Hen!
Welcome to this month’s Blogorail Orange Loop. Today we are sharing vintage Disney attractions and entertainment and a little Disney history.
Cinderella Castle stands watch over the Magic Kingdom!
Original Magic Kingdom Attractions
Hello everyone, and thank you for joining us today as we explore some vintage Disney on the Magical Blogorail Orange Loop! In my post today, I’m writing about my favorite Original Magic Kingdom Attractions. Have a look at my list, and let me know how my list compares with your list!
1) Peter Pan’s Flight
At the top of our favorite Original Attractions is Peter Pan’s Flight!
Our family loves Peter Pan’s Flight! It’s such a fun journey; as I said in a different post, when you enter the Magic Kingdom, it’s like you leave Florida, but when you enter Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s like you have totally left the Magic Kingdom behind. It’s that immersive. With Disney’s incredible use of forced perspective, you really do feel like you are traveling above the streets of London, and that you have left Wendy’s bedroom behind.
2) Haunted Mansion
The Haunted Mansion is one of Mike’s Favorites!
Another of my favorite Magic Kingdom Original Attractions is the Haunted Mansion. Like Peter Pan’s Flight, this attraction makes use of an Omnimover system for loading and unloading Guests into the attraction. There are some subtle (and also not so subtle) differences between the version in Liberty Square and the one located in Disneyland at New Orlean’s Square, but the premise is the same; who wants to be that 1,000th Happy Haunt? On a former post, we talked about where we would like to spend the night at the Magic Kingdom; for my wife, it was in the Haunted Mansion.
3) it’s a small world
Located across the path from Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world makes our list!
As many of you already know, I’m sure, part of what makes “it’s a small world” special is the fact that it was originally on display at the 1964 World Fair in New York City. In addition, this attraction is just one of those attractions that I love because it automatically makes me happy. I sing the song, over and over again, I look at the decorations, I take pictures of hundreds of things, and I wave at the Cast Member who starts us on our journey. When I was a kid, I remember my Grandpa and I sitting in Pinocchio Village Haus by the windows that overlook the attraction, waving at boat after boat, and having them wave back at us. That’s a memory that I will never forget.
4) The Walt Disney World Railroad
The Roger E. Broggie is just one of the locomotives on the Walt Disney World Railroad!
Perhaps as a surprise to some of you (or perhaps not to my long term readers), the Walt Disney World Railroad is number 4 in our list of favorite Original Magic Kingdom Attractions. I’ve had a fascination with trains my entire life, starting with my first train layout I was given for Christmas as a child, and continuing on to now with the trains I have here at the house. What makes the Walt Disney World Railroad so special to me, though, is the nostalgia of it all; the ability to just travel through time to when railroad travel was much more common, and to be able to see a side of Disney that one doesn’t often see.
5) The Jungle Cruise
The Gorillas have taken over the Jungle Cruise!
Rounding out our top five is The Jungle Cruise, that one of a kind attraction that has a cult following. What I love about the Jungle Cruise is how corny the jokes are! Also, I love the history of the attraction, more so from the Disneyland perspective than the Walt Disney World perspective, but I like the history at the Magic Kingdom nonetheless.
So there you have it, my top five Magic Kingdom original attractions! Where does my list stack up against your list? Let me know in the comments, please, and thanks for stopping by today! Now, go check out the rest of the great posts my friends on the Blogorail have written for you!
For more vintage Disney, check out the other great posts from the Blogorail!
This week we have praises and prayers — praises for our friend Dennis, but prayers over the devastation over in Oregon at Umpqua Community College. Please click over to our post on the Prayers for the Week site and read and pray with us. Is there anything that can be done? Click over, read and pray and let me know what you think, and add your prayer requests so we can pray for you!
