Attractions Archives ~ My Dreams of Disney

Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Hollywood Studios

June 13, 2019 by Mike Ellis

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Hollywood Studios

Today we complete our look at our list of under-appreciated attractions at Walt Disney World. We’ve selected Hollywood Studios as our last park to explore in part because it is a harder park to select (primarily because there are fewer smaller attractions). You may remember we started with the Magic Kingdom, then progressed over to Epcot and Animal Kingdom.

For Sophie, her choice for Hollywood Studios was the Animation Academy, the attraction where a creative genius like Sophie could draw out her favorite Disney characters. I’d say that as a younger kid, this attraction may have been one of the things that sparked an interest in animation for her, which has led to her following her dream into college. So, with all that said, Sophie has missed not having the animation academy around, but is very excited that it is being re-established as the Animation Experience over at Animal Kingdom!

For Cindy, the choice was simple — the collection of exhibits and films that makes up One Man’s Dream. I know, I know — you tell me that this attraction is closed! Well, technically you are right, but it re-opened as Walt Disney Presents, and from looking at it on the Disney website, the idea is similar to what it was before.

Being a kid of the 70s predominantly, when I was a child there was no show I liked better then the Muppet Show. So, on my first visit to what was then Disney’s MGM Studios, one of my favorite attractions was Muppet*Vision 3D.

Although the attraction is dated, it is still one of my favorites, and when I’m in a nostalgic mood, it’s a great way to remember those days of yesteryear.

What are you under-appreciated attractions for Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let us know in the comments!

Can I help you plan your next Disney trip? If so, send me an email to mike@pixievacations.com, or feel free to request a free, no-obligation quote online today! Thanks for spending time with us today, and please tell me in the comments what your favorite Walt Disney World attraction is! Thanks, and have a great Disney day!

Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Animal Kingdom

June 12, 2019 by Mike Ellis

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Animal Kingdom

Today we are continuing our look at our picks for the most under-appreciated attractions at each of the Walt Disney World parks. Our last post was on the under-appreciated attractions at Epcot. Today, we look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

As always, today Sophie starts us out. Picking an attraction that is under appreciated at Animal Kingdom to me is kind of hard, and I think it was for Sophie as well, because she chose Festival of the Lion King. This is one of the incredible shows that you can see at Walt Disney World, and this one has almost a Cirque-du-Soleis® feel to it! The performers, the trampolines, and so on really give this a positive, excited feel. If you haven’t seen it, go check it out!

For Cindy, her choice was Rafiki’s Planet Watch. When we visited last November, we were saddened because we knew that the attraction had been closed down. However, we learned on March 19th that Rafiki’s Planet Watch was going to re-open! Not only that, in the Conversation Station, they are putting in The Animation Experience! All of this opens up on July 11, 2019! This is very exciting for us because we hated that the Animation Experience was leaving Hollywood Studios, so knowing that it is being moved over here is a big deal for our family!

Lastly, my choice for most under-appreciated attraction goes to Primeval Whirl. This spinning roller-coaster is a lot of fun, like Goofy’s Flight School out at Disney’s California Adventure park, and I think the reason I like it is because it took a long time before Sophie was tall enough to ride it. She waited so patiently to be tall enough, and finally when we were able to ride it, we really enjoyed it. The unpredictable nature of the way the car spins and all the dips just makes it a great ride for us!

So tell me, what are your choices for under-appreciated attractions? Let us know in the comments, and if you are interested in finding out more information on what a Walt Disney World vacation would cost for your family, read below. Thanks for stopping by!

Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Epcot

June 10, 2019 by Mike Ellis

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Epcot

Last week, we shared our most under-appreciated attractions at the Magic Kingdom. Today we continue that look by taking a look at our most under-appreciated attractions at Epcot. Later this week we’ll look at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios with our lists for those parks.

For Sophie her choice for Epcot as her most under-appreciated attraction is The Seas with Nemo and Friends. This attraction is a great one for many reasons:

First, it is never busy so you don’t need to use a FastPass for it.
On a hot summer day, coming into this pavilion is great to beat the heat.
It’s a nice, slow ride and brings back memories from the movie, and it feels faster than it is.
Also, after your trip, you can enjoy looking at the other sites in the pavilion!

Cindy chose another attraction that doesn’t have much of a need for a FastPass — Journey into Imagination with Figment! For years, we didn’t really have anything to do with this attraction; for whatever reason, it just wasn’t on our radar when we would go to Epcot. One year, though, we corrected that oversight, and it was like we had seen it for the first time, and it became an instant classic for us. Like Nemo, it doesn’t need a FastPass, it’s often a walk right on type of ride, it’s imaginative, fun, and just a blast for our whole family. Check it out again if you’ve been missing it your past few trips!

My choice for under-appreciated attraction at Epcot is the singing group Voices of Liberty! Always a wonderful pre-show concert, the Voices of Liberty can be seen at the American Adventure pavilion in the World Showcase. They can be seen and heard before the showing of the American Adventure movie. The a capella music style, patriotic songs, and period costumes, like we see above, really makes this an under-appreciated attraction in my mind.

Where do these attractions stack up with your choices for under-appreciated attractions at Epcot? Let us know in the comments, and thanks for stopping by!

Our most Under-Appreciated Attractions at Walt Disney World

June 5, 2019 by Mike Ellis

Under-Appreciated Attractions

The other night at dinner, I asked my wife Cindy and daughter Sophie what the most under-appreciated attractions were at each of the four main Walt Disney World Parks. These are attractions or shows that a lot of people seem to forget about seeing or riding, but are ones that we almost always experience during our trip. What do you think your list would look like? Let us know in the comments below, and thanks! For now, though, take a look at our list and let us know if you agree or disagree with them!

Magic Kingdom

We start our trip at the Magic Kingdom. There are so many great attractions here that it’s hard to come up with just one, but we’ve worked it out.

Sophie’s choice for the Magic Kingdom is the Hall of Presidents. This attraction is a great show that reminds us all of the history of our country, but it seems to be an under-appreciated attraction. This may be changing, though, with the elections of President Obama in 2008 and 2012, and then President Trump in 2016.

For Cindy, her most under-appreciated attraction is the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. As a family, we (ok, me if I must be honest) have always liked the corny jokes and the way the camera shines on unsuspecting guests in the audience. In fact, we even texted in a joke that was said during the show! Here is the joke, for those that want a groan (or a laugh):

Why did the chicken cross the road? Answer: To get away from KFC!

Not sure why no one laughed but me…

Swiss Family Treehouse shot of the water transport system.

For me, my under-appreciated attraction is the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. The only thing that this thing has going against it is that it is not ADA-compliant, which is a shame for wheelchair bound guests. This attraction is a favorite of mine because it has such great views of other areas of the park, and I can imagine sleeping here at night if I were allowed to spend the night in the park. What fun that would be!

Later on, we’ll take a look at our under-appreciated attractions at Epcot, Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park. For now, though, we’re going to stop at the Magic Kingdom. Let me know what your selections are, and thanks for stopping by!

House Industries: A Type of Learning REVIEW

June 2, 2017 by Mike Ellis

Once again The Henry Ford Museum has delivered a fun and entertaining exhibit, this time presented by House Industries. And who is House Industries, and what is the purpose of this exhibit?

Well, Inspiration is everywhere, especially when you are obsessively curious. The artists of House Industries have followed their curiosity to earn international acclaim for a diverse body of work that ranges from fonts and fashion to ceramics and space travel. What has been created here is a multisensory exhibition that will inform, teach and, most important, empower people of all ages to follow their interests and never stop learning from what they like.

House Industries: A Type of Learning is a physical representation of the creative process. The exhibit shows how childhood interests in drawing led to creating fonts that help the world communicate; how hot-rodding and punk rock influences reinforced a hands-on approach to problem-solving; and how personal interests can inspire innovation. Significant historical artifacts – including hot-rodder Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth’s futuristic Mysterion show car:

Also included are revolutionary furniture by Charles and Ray Eames and an original Apple 1 computer – pair with House Industries’ design work to demonstrate how different objects and experiences can pave the way for anyone’s creative path.

Modern House

House Industries is known throughout the world for its eclectic fonts and far-reaching creative exploits.

While guests of The Henry Ford might not recognize the name, they have seen House Industries’ fonts in movie titles, magazines and video games, and on album covers and even cereal boxes. And Disney fans might recognize the familiar font of a certain retro artist:

SHAG

House Industries has also worked with a wide range of collaborators and brands, including Jimmy Kimmel:

Other collaborators include Herm’s, The New Yorker, John Mayer, Muji, the estate of Charles and Ray Eames, Uniqlo and Heath Ceramics.

Original Paintings

Marilyn Neuhart Handmade Dolls

A Type of Learning beautifully celebrates House’s method of design-thinking and encourages guests to think about their own curiosity, leaving them with an intoxicating sense of endless possibility. Such as:

Crow T. Robot & Tom Servo (MST3K)

Snake River Canyon Jumpsuit

I thoroughly enjoyed this eclectic exhibit! I hope to revisit it often during its run from May 27th to September 4th, 2017.

COOL RATING: 5/5 STARS

Few of the cool nouns I review on this site get a full 5 stars but this is deserved exception for sure. Truly something for everyone!

Velo (French for ‘Bicycle’) is a House Industries font

Inspiration really can come from anywhere!

Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Hollywood Studios

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Hollywood Studios

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Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Animal Kingdom

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Animal Kingdom

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Our Under-Appreciated Attractions at Epcot

Under-Appreciated Attractions at Epcot

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Our most Under-Appreciated Attractions at Walt Disney World

Under-Appreciated Attractions

Magic Kingdom

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House Industries: A Type of Learning REVIEW

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Under-Appreciated Attractions at Hollywood Studios

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Under-Appreciated Attractions at Animal Kingdom

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Under-Appreciated Attractions at Epcot

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COOL RATING: 5/5 STARS

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