Blank and Bow

The Disney Parks Blog often hosts events in both Walt Disney World as well as Disneyland.  On February 13^th, just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Disney Parks blog hosted a meet-up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in order to preview the new stop motion film Blank- A Vinylmation Love Story.  In order to be chosen to attend, I had to sign up via email.  Only a limited number of people were chosen out of all of the emails that were received.  After trying out for many of these events, I knew that I might not get picked.  However, I was excited to discover that I had been chosen for the event.  I was even allowed to bring a guest (my husband) with me!                         

On the night of the meet-up, we were told to arrive by 7:00 pm at the front gate of Hollywood Studios.  There was a clearly labeled area for us to congregate and sign in. Each attendee also had to bring a signed consent form that allowed Disney to use his or her likeness and image on the Disney Parks Blog in order to promote the event.  After signing in, we were given lanyards to wear that would identify us to the Disney castmembers who were working the event.  Hollywood Studios was already closing for the evening when this event started.  Since we were easy to spot, it was simpler for us to be directed to the Premier Theater where the event was being held. 

The Theater is located in the rear of the park near the Muppet Vision 3-D building.  For Star Wars fans, this is a familiar spot because it is also the home of the Stars of the Saga Talk Show during Star Wars Weekends.  After making our way to the Theater, we were escorted in and provided with popcorn, soft drinks, and the opportunity to take photos with the stars of the film, Blank and Bow.  After sitting for a few minutes, the evening began with Steven Miller (Merchandise writer for the Disney Parks Blog) interviewing the film’s director as well as discussing new Vinyls that will be debuting soon.  After the brief interview session, the film began. 

Basically, there are two blank Vinyls, Blank and Bow, who meet and fall in love.  However, there are many obstacles that prevent them from being together.  I don’t want to ruin the film for you, but just know that things do work out in the end.  The whole film is done in traditional stop motion, and there is absolutely no dialogue.  It is amazing that so much emotion can be conveyed without words and without faces.  Remember, these Vinyls are completely blank except for a bow tie and a hair bow.  The music throughout the film was well orchestrated, and I definitely enjoyed seeing our little heroes overcome all of the trials that they had to face in order to be together.  The main message of the film is that you can be who you are and still be beautiful and be loved.  You do not have to be perfect or have any particular paint job in order to be valuable.  If you are in Walt Disney World, you can view the film at Hollywood Studios this weekend or you can watch the film on Google Play.  If you want a little heart-warming Valentine’s Day love, then give Blank a chance.  Also, keep an eye out for some cameos by a few of the Vinylmation Park Starz in the film.

           After leaving the Premier Theater, we were given a little surprise.  Each of us received our very own Blank and Bow Vinyls.  I am so glad that we were chosen to attend this Disney Parks Blog meet-up, and I hope that we will get to attend more of them in the future.  Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

                          

It All Starts with a Wish!

Wishes: dream a dream!  If you have seen the fireworks at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, I am sure that you are familiar with that line from the show.  Since we are able to see Wishes on a pretty regular basis, we have been trying to scout out new locations for viewing this nighttime spectacular.  Of course, one of the best locations is on Main Street, USA.  If you stand here, Cinderella Castle acts a backdrop for the show, and you can take in all of the beauty of this section of the park.  Although many people flock to Main Street to get this view of the fireworks, this is not the only good view of Wishes to be had in the Magic Kingdom.  Main Street can get very crowded, and people start to push and shove, and that is just not conducive to a magical experience.  If you want to avoid the crush of Main Street, you can venture over to Liberty Square near the dock for the Liberty Belle.  If you watch the fireworks from here, you can even sit down on the low stonewall near the stocks.  This is an excellent spot for viewing the fireworks, and not many people stand in this area.  There are some downsides in that you cannot really see the castle from this angle. You can, however, see Tinkerbell make her flight from the castle.  Plus, after the fireworks, you could hop right on Haunted Mansion if the park is still open. 

Also inside Magic Kingdom, you can journey to a brand new section of the park in New Fantasyland.  If you stand in the middle of the new castle walls right behind Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, you will be surrounded by fireworks!  The smaller charges are set off near the castle and Fantasyland, and the larger blasts come from an area outside of the park behind Storybook Circus.  If you enjoy perimeter fireworks, this is the area for you.  A word of caution if you plan on watching Wishes in New Fantasyland: make sure to bring earplugs.  The fireworks are set off very close to this location, and they are very, very loud.  We saw many small children who were so uncomfortable with the loud booming that they did not enjoy the show.

            Now if you are outside of the park, there are many fireworks viewing locations that are fantastic.  For example, watching Wishes on the beach at the Polynesian Resort near Luau Cove provides a great view, and there are even beach chairs as well as swings on which to sit.  The Grand Floridian also offers a prime viewing spot right outside of Gasparilla Grill and Games.  There are tables and chairs all around this area, so you can have a comfortable seat.  Finally, you can also ride the monorail over to the Contemporary Resort to take advantage of the close proximity to the Magic Kingdom.  You don’t need a reservation at the California Grill in order to enjoy the fireworks from the Contemporary.  All you need to do is go outside to the seating area that is on the same floor as the monorail.  There are benches outside, and if you don’t mind standing, you can ascend a few flights of stairs to get an even better view of the show. 

            If you enjoy riding Disney watercraft, there are also some great opportunities for fireworks viewing.  Of course, you can pay to take a fireworks cruise, but you can also just ride one of the launches to a monorail hotel or over to Fort Wilderness.  These launches don’t cost anything, and they provide a relaxing and beautiful vantage point for the show.  So, if you love Wishes as much as I do, take some time to view these fireworks from different locations around the World.  Sometimes watching them from outside the hustle and bustle of the Magic Kingdom can be a more relaxing experience.  Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

                        

Fastpass + Revisited

            Recently, paper fastpasses have become extinct in all of the Walt Disney World theme parks.  After experiencing this change, I have made a few observations worth mentioning.  First, it is important to make your reservations early because now everyone has to use the FP+ system.  The My Disney Experience App is still having difficulties keeping up with the demand.  I find that at busy times during the day, the app takes quite a while to load.  However, in the parks now, there are many kiosks that are staffed with knowledgeable castmembers who can help you make reservations if the app is giving you trouble.  Once the app loads, I find that it is fairly easy to use, especially since you will be using it over and over again during your trip.  A negative aspect of the app is that I find I spend too much time staring at my phone screen to plan our touring agenda through the parks.  Perhaps, if I used the kiosks, I would spend less time staring at the phone.  Also, in order to make sure that I always have my times handy, I have started taking a picture of the times that I have scheduled so that I do not have to open up the app.  This saves a huge amount of time, and it has been helpful when the Magicband reader was not registering our times for Journey of the Little Mermaid.  I just pulled up the picture and showed the castmember that we indeed had reserved times to ride the attraction.

            Overall, I like FP+; I think it makes touring a lot easier.  I don’t have to run back and forth across the park over and over again to get fastpasses for later in the day.  I have more control over my ride times by making reservations.  However, there are still some issues.  For example, I used some of my reservations in Animal Kingdom, but then I couldn’t make any more reservations for the rest of the day.  Essentially, I cannot park hop and effectively use FP+.  Also, we used to get seven or eight fastpasses on a good day in the Magic Kingdom, but we are limited to three a day now in only one park.  I think that this will change when the system becomes more familiar to guests, and Disney will figure out how to use the system to its fullest potential. 

            Since we go to the parks so much, I have learned which attractions really need a FP+ reservation.  We will start with the attractions that definitely need a FP+:  Peter Pan, Space Mountain, Splash Mountain (when it is warm outside), Enchanted Tales with Belle, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Toy Story Midway Mania, Soarin’, Test Track, and Kilimanjaro Safaris.  In my experience, these are the attractions that have really needed a FP+ in order to avoid very long lines.  Omnimover type rides like Haunted Mansion tend to move very quickly, so they really don’t have too long of a wait anyway.  I will never wait in the very long Peter Pan line.  It is always at least thirty minutes long, and it is just not a fun line in which to wait.  I am also not a fan of the Soarin’ line; whereas the Test Track queue is more entertaining.  I mention these types of issues because Epcot and Hollywood Studios have a tiered system from which you must pick your attractions.  You cannot have a FP+ for both Test Track and Soarin’ on the same day.  You must make the decision on which line is less of a chore for you and your family. You don’t really need a FP+ for anything else in Epcot other than these two attractions, so you will have to choose wisely.  For Magic Kingdom, the tiered system has not been enacted yet, so you could still pick all of the mountains for your FP+.  It just depends on what your family enjoys.  We have also used FP+ for meeting Mickey Mouse, but it was not necessary to have reservations; there really wasn’t much of a wait to meet the Big Cheese.

            Now, when you are making your reservations, you will see nighttime spectaculars on the lists.  Do not spend your FP+ on Wishes, Illuminations, or Fantasmic. This is not a good use of one of your reservations.  I absolutely love Wishes.  I watch it several nights a week; it is one of my favorite things at WDW, but I would not use a FP+ for it.  For this show with a FP+, you are allowed to sit in the grass near the Rose Garden that is next to the Mickey and Minnie topiaries in front of Cinderella Castle.  This sounds great, but they only let you sit there if it hasn’t rained that day, and the grass is dry.  The problem with this is that is rains pretty much every day in Orlando, so the grass is very rarely dry.  It is a safety hazard to have people on the wet grass, so I understand why the decision is made, but the alternative to the grass is actually not that great of a view.  Therefore, do not spend you FP+ on this.  Next, Fantasmic is a wonderful show, and I watch it at least once a week.  However, do not waste a FP+ on it because your FP+ does not reserve you a certain seat or section.  With a FP+, you are allowed to enter the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater in a different entrance, and if the show fills up, you will get into the Amphitheater for standing room only.  This is not a reserved seat, so if the show is full, you will not get in, even with a FP+.  In order to see Fantasmic, your best bet is to arrive early and snag a seat.  Bring some snacks and just wait until show time.  Finally, Illuminations is a beautiful show with wonderful music, and it should not be missed.  Again, I would not use a FP+ on it.  It is in the same tier as Test Track and Soarin’, so I would definitely pick one of those attractions over Illuminations.  Unlike Wishes and Fantasmic, FP+ actually does get you into a reserved area to watch the show.  This area is right behind Port of Entry store, which is on the pathway that leads to Canada in the World Showcase.  This is a very nice viewing spot, and if you have no plans of going on attractions, then you could use one of your FP+ reservations on this show.

Overall, you really need to sit down with your traveling party and decide what you want to see and when you want to see it.  I know that many people say that this type of planning takes away spontaneity from a Disney trip, but the planning is a lot of the fun.  Disney trips are always smoother and more enjoyable when they are planned at least to some extent.  Fastpass + still has issues that need to be dealt with, but I think overall, it makes park touring less of a hassle.  You don’t have to send someone to run across the park, and I can leave home already knowing my reservation for attractions.  We even had FP+ times for New Year’s Eve; this made our evening far more enjoyable than in previous years because we arrived at the Magic Kingdom late in the day, and we just walked right on to our three attractions.  I am a fan of FP+, and I actually like wearing the Magicband.  It’s a fun addition to all of my other Disney odds and ends.  So, give the FP+ system a try on your next trip, but remember to be patient and ask castmembers for help if anything is confusing.  Eventually, this system will seem old hat just like paper fastpasses have become.  Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!