5 Overlooked Attractions At Disney World (That Ought Not Be!)

When people rush into the parks at Disney World, they always have a few major attractions at the top of their minds: maybe their goal is to hit all the mountains in Magic Kingdom, hit the major attractions in Epcot, or explore Pandora in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Unfortunately, in our hurry to get to the major attractions there are often a few attractions that are impressive, beautiful, funny, and other things, but sadly overlooked. In this post, I’m going to point out 5(ish) attractions in Walt Disney World that deserve a little bit more love, and, if you have never visited them yet, you should set some time aside next time you go to the parks to see.

Carousel of Progress

The Carousel of Progress is seen by many as a cool, dark place to take a nap but it is so much more than that. The Carousel of Progress is the longest running stage show in the world, it debuted in the 1964 World Fair in New York and was moved into Tomorrowland (Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom later on). The show features both a look at the past and a view of the “future”. It blends an optimism for what is to come and a humor for what has already passed, which is basically what the attraction is all about: watching as a family (or several different but incredibly similar families!) participate in the march of progress. There are two reasons why I believe that people ought to participate in this show: First, we live in an age that looks to the future as being bleak. The future is presented here as a “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”, something that we all ought to be reminded of. Secondly, I do not believe any attraction at Walt Disney World encapsulates the philosophy of Walt himself quite like this show. In fact, when the Sherman Brothers wrote the song “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”, they wrote it with Walt in mind, and even said that the line, “Man has a dream and that’s the start, he follows the dream with mind and heart, and when it becomes a reality it’s a dream come true for you and me,” they claimed that in their minds they replaced the words “Man” with “Walt”. The Carousel of Progress is more than just a show, it is a big way to see into the heart of the man who started it all.

Many Epcot rides

I know I’m cheating here, but when I started thinking about Epcot, I could not come up with just one overlooked attraction, there are so many. I think that too many people discredit Epcot as a place to just eat and drink. I’ve heard people say that other than Frozen, Soarin’, and Mission Space there is nothing to do. I almost shed a tear when I hear this. Let me spout out some overlooked attractions here: Journey into Imagination, Living With the Land, Gran Fiesta Tour, even to some extent The Seas wit Nemo and Friends, and Spaceship Earth. And those are just ride based attractions, what about the shows all throughout world showcase: 

Reflections of China, The American Adventure, and O Canada. Take the time to do these attractions, they are fun! I personally believe that Epcot can be a 2 day park if it is enjoyed for everything that it is and not just the few big E-ticket attractions.

Muppets Vision 3D

I am not just adding this one because I am a huge Muppets fan, but also because this is a hilarious show. Muppet Vision 3D combines so many elements that you will not find combined anywhere else at Walt Disney World, meaning, there is no other show, at least that comes to mind, that combines a 3D video, audio-animatronics, live performers (Sweetums), and the theater itself being used to tell the story. This is a marvelous show, and better yet, it is hilarious. Something that I would suggest is to arrive at the theater 10 to 15 minutes before the show starts, you will be treated with the pre-show, which, I think, is the best pre-show on Disney property. You will be delighted by the 3 D’s, you will receive instructions from Sam the Eagle, and you will even be greeted by Mickey Mouse (well, not really. I won’t ruin that surprise though!) I hear people complain all the time about how there is nothing to do at Hollywood Studios, but a lot of those people don’t take the time to go down to the Muppet Courtyard and see this wonderful show. Even if you have never had any experience with the Muppets before, this show is a must-do.

Conservation Station

Conservation Station is a hidden gem at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The big reason for this is that you have to ride on a train to get there. I promise you, though, it is absolutely worth the time spent to get there. After getting off the train, you will walk down a path, along this path are demonstrations and signs that teach about the importance of conservation and practical ways to practice it in our own homes and yards. At the end of the path there is the Affection Section, which is Disney’s special name for a petting zoo, there is also a building that houses the Conservation Station. Inside there are animal encounters and a look at the veterinary care of the animals. Outside the building is a special gem for you character lovers. There is a space for character encounters. Last time we went, we got to meet Chip and Dale without having to wait in any line! I heard that you can also meet Doc Mcstuffins and even Jiminy Cricket (a very rare find) inside the Conservation Station. To me, this is an attraction that will take you off the beaten path and get you away from the crowds. It is a relaxing experience, it is an educational experience, and it is a fun experience.

Swiss Family Tree House

The Swiss Family Tree House is a great attraction. I guess the best way to describe it is: Ultimate Treehouse. I understand why it is an overlooked attractions. First, The Swiss Family Robinson is not exactly a movie that has endured the test of time, not many people know about it anymore. Second, the Tree House is not a ride, it is a walk around attraction, and most people are looking for excuses to not walk, not the other way around! But the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse is a unique experience and truly fun. I personally was so sad last time that I went to Disney because my kids were cranky and did not want to explore the tree house, but next year when I go on my first “adult only” trip you’d better believe that I am going exploring! By the way, there is only one song in all of Walt Disney World that is more of an ear worm than “It’s A Small World” and that is the Swisskapolka!

Honorable Mentions

A few others that are of note that I did not add to this list are Tom Sawyer’s Island, Country Bear Jamboree, and the Great Movie Ride. There are others that I also have not mentioned on purpose!

What do you think? Are there any attractions that you think are often overlooked but deserve some love? Let me know in the comments! But please, I beg of you, do NOT say Frozen Ever After!

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Disney For Beginners- What Is Fastpass+

Most Disney blogs that I read assume that the reader understands the basics of planning a Disney World vacation but that isn’t the case for many people. In this series of posts “Disney for Beginners” I will seek to give some basic information about Disney World trip planning concepts. Today’s post is about the Fastpass+.

What is the Fastpass+?

Fastpass+ (FP) is a service provided for theme park guests to skip the line on certain attractions. A lot of the attractions have two lines, the Stand-by Line and the FP Line. Park guests are allowed to reserve FP in advance to their trip in order to not have to wait in long lines. This is a major convenience seeing that, depending on the attraction, you can save an hour or more of time using a FP as opposed to waiting in Standby.

How Much Does Fastpass+ cost?

This is a common question and misunderstanding. In fact, I love correcting people about this when they are misinformed about this. FP (as of the time of this writing) is FREE. That’s right, you are not charged extra for using this service. That means that you have no reason to not use this!

How Do I Get Fastpasses?

There are two ways to get a FP, one is through the My Disney Experience App and the other is through the website. Both are incredibly user friendly, I am practically computer illiterate but I figured it out really well. A few things to know:

• Each FP is in an hour time slot- That means that if I want a FP for Seven Dwarves Mine Train in the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning, it will last from 9:05 am to 10:05 am. If you try to get in the FP line before that time slot you will not be allowed in, if you try after the time expires you will not be allowed in.
• You cannot overlap FP  That means this, if I still have that FP for Seven Dwarves from 9:05 to 10:05, I cannot also have a Fastpass for Space Mountain from 9:30 to 10:30, those two times overlap some. My second FP is going to have to be no earlier than 10:10-11:10. That is different from the old paper FP  for those of you who remember those days. It is impossible to overlap times.
• You can only get 3 FP a day to start off with- After you have used your first 3, you can get more 1 at a time, but you cannot pre-reserve more than three (btw, another good reason to have the My Disney Experience App on your phone when you go to the parks!). This is the same for every park although Hollywood Studios and Epcot work a little different in that some attractions are on different tiers than others, meaning that out of your three original FP  only one of them is allowed to be on tier one. More on FP planning in a moment.
• Important to Know- There is a special perk for resort guests when it comes to reserving FP  if you are staying at a Disney World resort you can reserve FP 60 days before check-in, whereas if you are staying off-site you can start reserving FP at 30 days before your trip.

Fastpass Planning

Here is my personal strategy for planning out my FP  I am going to use Magic Kingdom as the park scenario and show you how I do my planning-

• Plan FP back to back, first thing in the morning. That means this, if you are at Magic Kingdom and the park opens at 9, you need to have your three FP scheduled for 9:05-10:05, 10:10-11:10, and 11:15-12:15. Get them all done first thing in the day
• When you have made it into the line for your 3rd fast pass, immediately schedule your next one for as early as possible- So if I just walked into the FP line for Voyage of the Little Mermaid, even while I am in line I am going to get onto the My Disney Experience App and schedule my next FP, maybe there is one for Jungle Cruise at 12:30, I’ll take it. Since I can only do one FP at a time after my initial 3, I will keep repeating this process every time I enter into the fast pass line for the remainder of the day. This allows me to get the most FPs possible, and the least amount of lines possible.
• Don’t worry about working the park in a certain order. I personally believe that the FP service has done away with the “work your way counter-clockwise around the park” mindset. Let’s go back to my original example: If I have my first fast pass for Seven Dwarves, but my second FP does not start for another half hour and it is Space Mountain, the best thing to do is to experience the smaller, less “on demand attractions” surrounding your immediate area. So, in this example, I would head to the Prince Charming Regal Carousel, It’s a Small World, and maybe even Mickey’s Philharmagic before making my way to my next FP.  What I am basically saying is this: Fill the times in between FP with the smaller lined attractions. Along those lines (pun intended), I would not rush to my first fast pass as soon as you get into the park (assuming that you made it for rope drop), instead I would head to a nearby, high demand attraction before getting on my first FP ride.  For example, again, my first FP is Seven Dwarves from 9:05 to 10:05, since I have an hour before my pass expires, I can head over to Peter Pan’s Flight or Small World before hitting my FP in order to take advantage of the short lines at the beginning of the day. 
• Here are some of the top attractions that you ought to get FP for- Magic Kingdom- Seven Dwarves Mine Train, Space, Splash, and Great Big Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan’s Flight, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Carribbean. Epcot- Frozen, Soarin, Mission Space, and Spaceship Earth. Hollywood Studios- Tower of Terror, Toy Story Mania, Rock n Roller Coaster, and Star Tours. Animal Kingdom- Kilimanjaro Safari, the new Pandora Rides, Dinosaur, Everest, and Kali River Rapids
• I personally do not think it is necessary to waste a FP on a show or parade unless you absolutely must have the best seats in the house, but even then, most every seat at the shows and parades give you a good view.

That is most of the basic details about Fastpass+, let me know if you have any additional questions or comments in the comment section! For more information, check out Disney's official website.

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How To Get The Most Out Of Disney's Animal Kingdom

Nahtazu

Sometimes I hear people talk negatively about Animal Kingdom. To many, it is their least favorite park on Disney World property, some claim that it is only a “half-day park”. Pandora, the World of Avatar, will be opening in a few days; yet as exciting as that is going to be, with only two “attractions” to offer, the mindset of many concerning this park is not going to change. This is really disappointing, because Animal Kingdom is my second most favorite park (second only to, of course, Magic Kingdom). Animal Kingdom deserves to be given a whole day, if not more. I would like to give you some info on how you can best enjoy Animal Kingdom.

Slow Down

This is the main problem that a lot of Disney World vacationers have with Animal Kingdom: There are not a lot of major rides (in disney speak, attractions). To a certain degree, they are right. The difference between Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom is huge. Magic Kingdom has 27 ride based attractions whereas Animal Kingdom has 9 (including the two that will soon open in Pandora).So people that try to approach Animal Kingdom with the same gusto that they treat Magic Kingdom are going to be disappointed. At Magic Kingdom, you can go from one ride to the next ride to the next ride and practically do that all day, but Animal Kingdom is different than Magic Kingdom, and it was built to be that way. When going to Animal Kingdom, you need to slow down. There is so much to do at Animal Kingdom beyond riding on rides. When my family goes to Animal Kingdom, we always try to go the day before Magic Kingdom to ease ourselves into the exhausting experience that we are going to go through the next day. Animal Kingdom is serene, it is lush and beautiful, it is meant to be slowly savored rather than gulped down. Every point under this will be a variation of this main point to slow down.

Learn Something New

I don’t know if Disney came up with this word on their own or if they adopted it, but Animal Kingdom is all about “edutainment” (education and entertainment together). Animal Kingdom was built so that you could learn something about animals and conservation. I love the Kilimanjaro Safari, I love seeing the animals and the lush world they live in. But whenever I ride on the safari, I am amazed by how many people are not listening to the safari guide. Last time my family went to Animal Kingdom, we rode the safari twice, and on both of those occasions I learned something new. The same can be said about the often overlooked Conservation Station, the cast members all over the park that are giving demonstrations on certain animals, the live animal show, Flights of Wonder, exhibits all throughout the park, and the beautiful walking trails. If you do not learn something new while at Animal Kingdom, it is because you are going way to fast or purposefully trying to not learn. Write down in the comments something that you learned the last time you were at Animal Kingdom!

Watch Street Performances

As you walk around Animal Kingdom, you will come face to face with live street performers…Everywhere! Do not rush by the men in Africa who are singing, dancing, and playing drums, in fact, join them! They ask for people to dance with them. If you aren’t able to at least smile at this live performance, there is something wrong with you! At night, when we finished our final safari ride, we walked the “back street” of Africa to leave the park, and we encountered two women singing next to the Harambe Market. In Asia there are dancers and singers. One of my best memories of Animal Kingdom as a kid is when a man with a guitar came up to my sisters and asked what their names were, when they told him their names he created a song about the two of them right on the spot, he went around to a bunch of people and did that. When you are rushing around to get to the next attraction, you will not have a real chance to enjoy the live street entertainment, and boy, you are missing out!

A Few Special Tips

• Do the Kilimanjaro Safari first thing in the morning. The animals are more active early in the morning, so your best safari experience is then.
• Do not skip the Affection Section and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. There is a lot to learn and do there. Special hint, there is often a character meet and greet near the Conservation Station, because it takes a train ride to get to this area most people ignore it, but you will find sometimes that you will have a character interaction all to yourself. Extra magical!
• The stage shows at Animal Kingdom are the best on property. I make it a point to at least see the Finding Nemo Musical every time I go, and yes, I cry every time.
• Do you want a delicious meal that you can share with a partner and still get full? Try Flame Tree Barbecue. Delicious food, large servings, good price, MUST TRY!
• Best attractions to use Fastpasses on: Anything in Pandora, Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari, Dinosaur, Kali River Rapids.
• If there is a long line to get into the park, there is a secret entrance through the Rainforest Cafe. If you walk through the gift shop there will be a door leading outside. If you walk on that path a little bit, there will be an entrance to the park. Every time my family has used this entrance there has been no one ahead of us and we walked right in after scanning our MagicBands.

Any other special tips for Animal Kingdom? Any special stories about your time at Animal Kingdom? Let me know in the comments!

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