Disney Christmas Wish

If I had a Christmas Wish to bring back one extinct Disney attraction what would it be? Easy. I'd want the Journey Into Imagination With Figment to be restored to it's original glory.

This ride was great! In it, Dreamfinder and the product of his imagination, Figment, takes us on a tour through the process of creativity and ingenuity. "One Little Spark" may be my favorite all time ride anthem and the characters and ride scenes were vivid and alive.

As good as the attraction was itself, the ride exited into ImageWorks, an awesome interactive "playground" where you could continue your exploration into music, art, and color. It was a lot of fun! This area encouraged you to really explore the limitless potential that exists in each of us and playfully create something. Did I mention it was a lot of fun!

Part of the reason I want this attraction back so badly is that its replacement is so bad. I enjoyed other now-gone Epcot attractions like Horizions and the World of Motion, but I also enjoy their replacements (Mission: SPACE and Test Track). I cannot say the same for the newest "Imagination" version. I'm not even sure why they still call it "Imagination" as the ride now deals more with the five senses - meaning things you experience through sight, sound, or smell. Contrast this with the original version which encouraged you to follow the conviction of your own ideas - things you must "believe in" to create and share with others.

Associated with the new current attraction is ImageWorks: The What-If Labs. It is similarly uninspired when compared with the original.

WDW Radio explored the history of this attraction in great detail (start listening at the 39 minute mark).

I get a little sad when I take my daughter into this attraction and realize all that she's missing. I also feel this way in the new Tiki Bird attraction which is equally bad when compared to the original.

If only...

Disney Tip Idea #2 - Share Stuff

I've heard the idea to share fast passes a number of times and I had the opportunity to try it on our last trip.

We had gotten 3 fast passes to Peter Pan earlier in the day, but as the time for SpectroMagic and the fireworks approached, we realized we wouldn't make it back to Fantasyland in time to use them. We found another family of 3 and asked if they wanted them. They couldn't be happier! It was fun to see their excitement as they raced off toward the ride.

*****

Another time, as we sat waiting for SpectoMagic a family sat next to us and offered my daughter an extra sucker they had just purchased at the candy store. It was a sweet gesture (pun intended) and we had a nice conversation while waiting for the parade to start. What a simple way to to make fast friends!

*****

On the first day of our last trip, we bought my daughter a Mickey balloon - one of the large double balloons where a Mickey balloon floats inside of a large, clear, outer balloon. Anyway, this thing lasted the entire week! We knew we probably wouldn't be able to take it on the plane home, so we told my daughter to find another little kid who looked like they could use a balloon and pass it on. She found a little boy and he was really happy to get it. His parents were touched by my daughter's gesture and it was a good lesson in sharing.


For some reason, this type of sharing and openness comes more naturally for people in Disney World. I can't believe all the nice people we met while waiting in line or on the buses traveling to the parks. It gave us a good feeling to make these new friends. We've been trying to follow some of these simple sharing techniques now that we're back home.

Re: 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World - Cast Members

In the last installment of his 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World series, Lou Mongello and the guests on his show discussed the Cast Members as the key component which make Walt Disney World a truly special place to visit. It's the way we're treated - the little personal touches, the courtesy and respect, the passion all the cast members have - which allow these "strangers" to become such an integral and important part of our family vacations. For frequent visitors who see some of the same cast members on each trip, these people become an extended family. This story is one of many I've seen firsthand which demonstrate this unique bond.

On our first trip to Walt Disney World, we took our daughter to see Beauty and the Beast, Live on Stage. We got to the stadium early and had some decent seats. We watched some "stagehands" bring out some mics for the show, do a sound check, and then - completely to our surprise - burst into song! We were completely duped by these guys! It was so cool! We loved the "main" show itself - it was a highlight of our vacation - but it was the surprise of the preshow that really stuck with me.

My parents joined us on our next trip and I knew they'd enjoy this "surprise" too. I also learned that this was going to be one of the last performances for this group (Four for a Dollar) as their contracts were ending. Apparently a lot of other guests also heard the news - the stadium was loaded! My poor parents were a little confused when the guy who brought out the first mic for the show received a standing ovation. The ovations and frequent calls to the guys lasted more or less the entire show. This extended ovation was a testament to all the great memories these guys provided to families through the years. That so many people would turn out to personally thank these guys and let them know they would be sorely missed was an obvious sign that this group became a big part of many vacations - which possibly started the first time these guests were also "duped" like I was. It was a "meeting" guests looked forward to every time they visited Walt Disney World - like seeing an old friend. They will certainly be missed on my next trip.

Other places can try and duplicate the attractions or the theming, but it's the Cast of People working at Walt Disney World which truly sets it apart from other destinations.

Disney Tip Idea #1 - Pack swim suits for kiddos in the parks

I've read a lot of Disney travel tips (and will repeat my experiences following some of those), but one we've stumbled into on our own is pack swim suits for your kids in the parks.

All the parks have water areas where kids can cool off when it's hot out. Usually, these "fun fountains" squirt water randomly up from the ground over a rubberized surface. Our daughter loves to play in these and gets totally soaked.

We've started to pack her swim suit and bring it to the park each day. We're usually the envy of other parents in the area - especially those who must tell their kids that they can't get their clothes wet because they are close to a dining reservation.

So even though you don't plan on being near a pool, don't forget pack your kids swim suit everyday! Your kids will thank you!

Old Enough for Disney?

When discussing the right time to take kids to Disney World for the first time, I often hear "I want them to be old enough to remember it". I don't prescribe to that line of thinking. This summer I entered a contest and tried to describe why I think taking little ones to Disney is a great idea. Here's that entry...

Last spring I planned a trip for my wife and 2-year-old daughter to Walt Disney World. I got plenty of "advice" leading up to the trip on how my daughter was too young and wouldn't remember anything. While that may be true, nothing could ever compare to the memories I'll carry with me - experiencing The Magic through her young eyes.

Cinderella was my daughter's favorite movie then, and I could almost feel her eye's bulge out of her head as she spied The Castle for the first time. While we explored the mosaics under The Castle and rode the carousel, nothing prepared me for what happened when we dined with Cinderella at 1900 Park Fare that first night. It was a while before Cinderella made our way to us, and we watched with eager anticipation as she visited with other diners and posed for pictures. It was truly hard to eat our meal. When our turn came to meet Cinderella, it wasn't my daughter's silence that surprised me the most - it was my wife's! My wife was wide-eyed with her jaw hanging open (I so wished that Mary Poppins was there to say "Close you're mouth Miss, we are not a cod fish"). Anyway, to try and help break the awe of silence - I attempted to make smalltalk with Cinderella and asked if she was wearing the glass slippers? Even though I had seen the movie about 100 times, she proceeded to patiently explain how one slipper had broken and she could no longer wear them anymore. Oh the horror! Now I was red faced and wanted to crawl under the table. A quick picture and autograph, then Cinderella was on her way. We looked at each other and giggled at how we had acted.

Over the course of the week, we experienced (and fell in love with) all the parks. We especially enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast Show at Hollywood Studios, playing in the jumping fountains outside the Imagination pavilion in Epcot, and experiencing the Animal Kingdom's Festival of the Lion King. In addition, we probably rode (and re-ride and re-ride) both Dumbo and It's a Small World about a dozen times each.

My favorite memories though, are of our last day. We knew we had just spent a most wonderful week together - one that would be difficult to ever duplicate. It was a very tender morning in the Magic Kingdom. We started with a final spin on our Fantasyland favorites (which was just about everything). On our way toward the front of the park, my daughter spotted Winnie the Pooh (who we had not seen yet that week). She looked up at me and said "Daddy, I'd really like to meet him" - so of course we got in line. She had the patience of an angel - pen and autograph book in hand - never lifting her gaze from Pooh for the 10 minutes we waited. She approached him gingerly, without my hand, and gave him a big hug. I have a hard time expressing the emotions I felt as I watched my little girl grow up - just a little - in that very moment. Our final moments in The Kingdom were spent at the foot of Main Street sharing some popcorn and ice cream as we watched other families excitedly begin their vacations.

After eighteen months, my daughter still talks about how she met Pooh, and we laugh about our starstruck experience with Cinderella. Recently as we've been talking about and planning our next visit, I'll catch my daughter humming the Small World theme. When I ask her what she's doing, she replies, "Just thinking about Disney World, Dad". I cannot thank Disney enough for giving me these wonderful memories of love, tenderness, and fun with those closest to me - even if my daughter doesn't remember any of it.

The Look

I've become a big fan of all things Disney. A BIG fan. Almost an addict.

It all started when I planned our first trip to Disney World a few years ago. I was looking for planning tips in order to make best use of our vacation time and I discovered an enormous community of fan sites and podcasts devoted to nothing more than helping people like me have better vacations. It was unbelievable! At that time I didn't quite understand why people would donate so much time and energy to talk about a theme park. It didn't take long to figure out that Disney World is much more than a theme park

At the same time, I was introducing my daughter to all the classic Disney movies and characters... Cinderella, Dumbo, Pinocchio, Mickey and the gang. I hadn't watched these movies since I was a kid myself, and had forgotten all but the broadest storylines. When Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Nemo were released, I was in high school or college and didn't pay much attention. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed these movies when I finally made time to watch them with my daughter.

My love for Disney was firmly cemented when we finally visited the parks. The stories are so complete and alive there. Every little detail is attended to. Sure there are attractions based on the movies, but there are also stories built around the non-movie attractions. I experienced a mixture of excitement and embarrassment last week when I realized I knew the name of the mythical town where the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is - Tumbleweed. I knew that. Yep, I got it bad...

What could possibly possess me to remember that little fact? In part it's all of the things above, but more so it's the look on my daughter's face (and sometimes my wife's and I'm sure mine) when a character in a parade waves directly to you (or blows you a kiss). You. Like you're the only one there.

There are hundreds of places in the parks which can produce this look.... when you turn on Main St and see The Castle, when you take off on Soarin', or when you play Toy Story Mania. All elicit that look. Every time.

I even saw the look on my parents faces when they joined us for a trip this fall. And they're old. They've seen it all a hundred times. I know, because they told me all about it when I was growing up. They had the look too!

That look - a mixture of awe, wonder, excitement, and pure joy. Everyone gets it at Disney. And it's the feeling I get when I see that look that's got me hooked.