Disney's Animal Kingdom

Whenever I think of animals, I think of the Lion King. There is something about that song, "The Circle of Life", that just feels inspiring, almost spiritual..I love it. -- Speaking of animals, I've been sitting outside the last few hours (still in Florida), and I've had the opportunity to watch the nature surrounding me. There are so many lizards/geckos here!!! They are everywhere. I keep hearing leaves crunching, or bushes shaking, and it's because there are literally hundreds of lizards/geckos crawling around me. I keep laughing because every-so-often I see a shadow and hear a 'thud'. When I look over to find out what the shadow and thud is, I find a lizard/gecko that has decided to free fall from a nearby tree...I don't know why? Maybe lizards/geckos are adrenaline junkies or something, but it is the funniest thing!-- Anyways, enough of my tangent, let's get back to Disney's Animal Kingdom.

For our last day at WDW, Jeff and I decided to check out the Animal Kingdom. It was the first sunny day we had after 3-4 days of rain, so we thought it would be perfect to see all the animals. It was. We had so much fun at the Animal Kingdom. It's definitely similar to San Diego's Wild Animal Park, but with Disney style. We both really enjoyed seeing all the different animals, as well as a few shows, and rides.

Again, it's a small park, and we were able to get through it in a few hours. I will say, it's geared toward smaller children, but we still had a great time together.

Rides:

1. DINOSAUR- This one was a lot like the Indiana Jones ride in Disneyland. Really fun, kind of scary, and full of surprises. 

2. Expedition Everest-Legend of the Forbidden Mountain- OH. MY. GOODNESS. GRACIOUS. If you are scared of heights, this ride will test your fear, right in the beginning too! It was one of the funnest rides we went on. It's supposed to be similar to the Matterhorn Bobsleds, but it's newer, better for your back, and much more exciting. I highly suggest this ride, and make sure you keep your eyes open otherwise you miss things!

3. Kilimanjaro Safaris- This was the first ride Jeff and I went on, and it was so cool!! It's more of a safari then a ride, and it was amazing. The views were spectacular. The animals were so close to you, and there seemed to be no fencing, which made you feel as though you were in Africa. -- Side Note: Jeff and I went on a African Safari ride when we were in Africa, and we liked the Animal Kingdom Safari ride better...that's how great it was.

All three of those rides are the most popular ones, I would suggest getting a fast pass if you can.

4. Primeval Whirl- This ride looks like a typical circus, or small theme park ride, but it was super fun!! A must try.

Walks through/show:

1. It's Tough to be a Bug- Disneyland has this same show, and it's just as fun at the Animal Kingdom.

2. Maharajah Jungle Trek- This is a walk through exhibit, and it was so cool! I have a video of the bats that you will see when you walk through it.

3. Pangani Forest Exploration Trail- This is another walk through. REALLY stinky (it's the gorillas), but still very cool.

4. The Oasis Exhibits- If you are a bird fanatic, this is the walk through you want to go through. I'm not a huge bird fan, so it was okay for me. 

There are different parades throughout the day as well, but Jeff and I enjoyed walking through the different exhibits more. This was a fun park, and we would go back just to ride the Expedition Everest ride again!

<3 Em

Disney's Hollywood Studios

Originally, when Jeff and I decided to snag a 3 day WDW pass, we thought we would go to Magic Kingdom for two days and Epcot for one. We quickly changed our plans when we saw how small the Magic Kingdom park was. We decided that we would visit Disney's Hollywood Studios instead of the Magic Kingdom for day number two. 

And what a great decision it was!! We both thoroughly enjoyed Hollywood Studios. It was small just like the Magic Kingdom park, but there were a lot more shows that we both enjoyed. 

Shows/rides we experienced: 

1. Beauty and the Beast show- this show was surprisingly fun to watch! Even for adults, it was great. It was set on a stage, and the characters, and story were perfect. The right amount of time, romance, fun, etc. 

2. Studio Backlot Tour- this was one the coolest shows I've seen! We ran into the last showing, and the stadium was huge. Plenty of room to sit and watch the show. Studio Backlot Tour is a show all about special effects, and how movies use them. I'll include a few of the videos I took. It was a MUST see.

3. If you've ever been to California Adventures, you probably love the Toy Story Mania ride. Jeff and I do too. Hollywood Studios had Toy Story Mania, and Star Tours. Two of my favorite rides from Disneyland/California Adventures. - There wasn't much of a difference in the rides, but they were both just as entertaining as the So Cal rides.

4. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster was insane!- If you like the 0-60 take off roller coaster rides, this one if for you! It will definitely get your heart racing...my advice, try it once...at least you'll know whether or not you liked it. I'm not a roller coaster fanatic, so for me it was a bit much, but I tried it and I'm proud of myself for doing so.

5. The Great Movie Ride- If you are into history, and want a break from walking around all day, this ride is for you! It is a VERY slow, sit-down ride with a tour guide. It's about 20 minutes and goes through the history of movies. A great way to sit back and relax.

6. The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow- For those of you that know me, you know I am a Johnny Depp fan..love him! Also, I am a Captain Jack Sparrow fan for many reasons. (Johnny Depp plays him, His personality it amazing, the movies were great, my last name is Sparrow...I could go on). Anyways, Jeff and I tried this ride/show out, and it was okay. Unfortunately, the name "The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow" doesn't make much sense, because it's more of a small movie clip with Jack Sparrow in it. You basically stand for 10 minutes and participate with a group of strangers from the park. I'm so-so with this show...go if you want to, don't if you don't.
7. Fantasmic- OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS...I absolutely LOVED the Fantasmic show. I highly suggest it to everyone and anyone. I know Disneyland has Fantasmic, but I must admit the Hollywood Studios version was spectacular. I would go back just for this show.

8. Last but not least, if you are a history lover, or a Walt Disney lover, walk through Walt Disney: One Man's Dream It's a wonderful walk through museum that gives your information, pictures, and several items to enjoy about Walt Disney's life. It's pretty cool. I loved it. I believe there is a short film about Walt Disney at the end of your walk through the Museum, but I didn't watch it.  Like I said, if you love history or Walt Disney, walk through it! If not, no biggie.

 

If any of those shows/rides sounded fun or entertaining to you, I suggest trying out Disney's Hollywood Studios. Jeff and I really, really enjoyed our time there, and we would probably go back.

<3 Em

Magic Kingdom

I promised you lovely folks that I would write about the 3 different Disney theme parks that Jeff and I visited last week, so here we go! Starting with the Magic Kingdom, which is essentially Disneyland. 

Pros: 1. You can explore the entire Magic Kingdom park within 5-8 hours.

2. The Castle is the main focal point, and it's spectacular.

3. You can walk through, and around the castle while the fireworks go off in the back of the park..leaving you with plenty more options of where to sit or stand.

4. The look and feel of the Magic Kingdom is about the same as Disneyland.

5. It seemed as though the characters had a lot more meet and greet places/times.

6. The electrical parade was so cool!! 

((Although, I have to admit I've never watched any of the shows at Disneyland in So Cal...so I'm not sure if it's something Disneyland already has or not))

Cons: 1. The park seemed too small, and therefore somewhat boring.

2. The rides weren't as good as Disneyland (my opinion, not everyone's).

3. Boring.

4. Boring.

5. Boring.

This was a show about all our President's...I have to admit, this was amazing!! I loved it. I'm not sure if Disneyland has this show, but the Magic Kingdom show was spectacular, and very patriotic. It made me hope for America to go back to it's roots.

I know, I know...it seems odd to say that the Magic Kingdom is boring. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, or rude, or negative, but I was expecting this amazing, spectacular, once in a lifetime Disney theme park. What I got was a bad attempt at copying Disneyland. As a Disney fanatic, I feel bad for disliking the Magic Kingdom, but I just can't help it. Of course, I'm spoiled in that I am an annual Disneyland passport holder, so that could be where the fault lies. I'm used to Disneyland in Southern California. It's a huge park, with many rides, characters, and shows. I love that Disneyland gives you so many options, and there is so much going on. It makes it fun and exciting! That's what I was expecting for Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and unfortunately, I didn't get that.

My suggestion would be to try the Magic Kingdom once...it's definitely a bucket list item to check off. But you only need to do it once. Disneyland is much more exciting!

I'm sure my opinion seems odd, and you may find yourself loving the Magic Kingdom, but for me...I'll stay faithful to Disneyland in So Cal. 

<3 Em

P.S. A few more tips: Watch the President's show, watch the electrical parade show, what the firework show, ride the Thunder Mountain ride, and visit Downtown Disney!

I will say that Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World was amazing! It had a 365 days a year Christmas store!!!!!- As a Disney & Christmas fanatic, I was in heaven!!

Orange you glad we're in Florida?

I know I know, the title of my blog is cheesy, but I had too! I mean, Florida is famous for their Oranges! ;D

My goodness it has been 12 days since I've written to you lovely people! I am so sorry. I'm going to catch you all up with a few different blogs. Do not fret my darling friends and family!

 First, Florida has been an interesting adventure to say the least. If you ever get a chance to look on Google maps, check out the landscape of Florida. It's pretty amazing how much water there is throughout the entire state. Living in Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville the past 12 days has definitely confirmed how wet Florida is. Oh, and how many toll roads there are...ugh. -- Tip of the day: BRING LOTS OF QUARTERS WITH YOU...then I will say, "Orange you glad you took my tip of the day?"-- Okay, I'm done, sorry. 

Anyways, the first few days we stayed in the Westgate Villas near Walt Disney World and the weather was what you would expect for Florida. Hot, sunny, humid, tropical weather. Both Jeff and I were able to enjoy the beautiful days of sunshine on our patio working and blogging. We had geckos, and ducks visiting us every few hours too. It was a wonderful getaway from all the cold weather. Yes...even I admit that it was nice to get away from the cold.

Right as I was getting used to the hot, humid air, Florida decided to throw us a curve ball. All of a sudden the weather turned dark, gray, and cold. <--Three strikes and we're out, right? 

Just when we thought the cold would ease up, it started raining!! What?! Rain AND cold in Florida? Rain, I expected, but cold? Not only that, but the first two days that we went to Walt Disney World were the days that Florida decided to go all wintery on us. We were wearing rain coats, long sleeves, and ponchos all day long. It was pretty weird for Florida.

Finally, it started to clear up for our last day at Walt Disney World, and we were able to enjoy some sunshine with Jesus!

Side Note: I will be blogging about all three of the Walt Disney World parks that we visited in separate blogs just for you!

The sunshine didn't last too long though. As we made our way to and from Jacksonville, visiting Daytona Beach along the way, a thunderstorm decided to make it's way into our life. It was so dark, that it seemed as though it was night. Jeff and I watched from our hotel window as the gray clouds turned darker and darker. Then they started forming circular shapes, as though they were swirling around. Slowly, the rain started pattering on our window. Louder, and louder, until it was practically banging against the glass, while lightening lit up the sky every minute or so. It was so crazy! It roared over us for about 30 minutes, and after that, it left just as quickly as it came. I wont lie, I was pretty scared, and stunned.Once the storm passed, Florida graced us with it's beautiful sunshine again. 

Needless to say, Florida has given us a run for our money as far as the weather goes. We've had pretty much everything it could throw at us, except for a hurricane, which I'm thankful for. 

So that is that. Orange you glad it's over? Ha, me too...for the weather, not my blog ;)

<3 Em