Orlando Things to Do Tips by Jefie

Hollywood Studios: Hollywood Boulevard & Echo Lake Walt Disney World - Hollywood Studios Review

Disney's Hollywood Studios was the third theme park to open at Walt Disney World, in 1989 (it was then known as Disney-MGM Studios). A bit like Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Boulevard is where you get your first look at the Studios. At the top of the street you'll find Mickey's sorcerer's hat, which has become the Studios' icon. There are plenty of souvenir shops around, and that's also where most of the street entertainment takes place, with the Block Party Bash parade and the High School Musical show (which my 11-year-old niece really enjoyed!).

Behind Mickey's hat there's a cool reproduction of Grauman's Chinese Theater, in front of which many Disney characters as well as real actors have left their handprints. It's also home to the "Great Movie Ride", which pays tribute to Hollywood classics. There are several that my niece and nephew didn't know about, but as we were waiting in line we got to see clips from all the movies that would be represented during the ride, which helped them appreciate it more.

Around Echo Lake is where you'll find "Star Tours", a Star Wars-inspired experience that takes you on board a spaceship. It's a really fun ride, but it's not for people with motion sickness - of all the rides at Walt Disney World, it's the only one that made me feel a bit queezy. Next to it is the "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular", a show that recreates some of the most famous scenes from the movie "Raiders of the Lost Ark". It was really well done and highly entertaining, we all enjoyed it very much.

Finally, we went to the "American Idol Experience" show. We weren't necessarily expecting much from it, but we all ended up liking it so much that we went back a second time. It really does make you feel like you're in the real American Idol studio, and the fact that the singers are random visitors who just decided to give it a shot makes it even more fun. The performances were great, and it's possible to watch the day's finale on big screens outside the theatre. With so much to do, it's no wonder we had to go back to the Studios for a second day!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios

Character Greetings! Walt Disney World - Epcot Review

If you're traveling with kids, surely they'll want to meet up with Mickey, Minnie & co. There are some designated areas at all four theme parks where you can meet characters, but the lines can be long, especially for the most popular ones. There are also some "unofficial" greeting spots at all four theme parks, and the line up there is usually much shorter (see the link for a list of all these unofficial spots). My niece's favourite Disney character is Minnie Mouse, and she was ecstatic when she finally got the chance to have her picture taken with Minnie at Hollywood Studios, near Echo Lake. She also met Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) near the France pavilion at EPCOT, and of course we all got to meet Rafiki (from The Lion King) at Rafiki's planet watch in Animal Kingdom. All the characters were very nice and although they made sure the line would move fast enough so that everybody would get a chance to have their picture taken, we didn't feel too rushed when our time came. The characters took time to greet us and we were able to snatch some single and group pictures :o)

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/characters/wheretomeet.asp

Animal Kingdom: DinoLand, U.S.A. Walt Disney World - Animal Kingdom Review

The DinoLand, U.S.A. area at Animal Kingdom is a bit different from what you usually find at Walt Disney World in that it is somewhat reminiscent of small town traveling carnivals. There are some traditional carnival games such as Whack-a-Mole and skee ball games (for which you have to pay to play), and even some of the rides have that slightly outdated carnival look - doesn't mean they're not fun, though! We went on the Primeval Whirl, a spinning roller-coaster, and although it was a fairly tame ride we all enjoyed it.

But our favourite attraction at DinoLand, U.S.A. was DINOSAUR, a thrilling fast and bumpy ride through time that goes back to the dinosaur era. Our least favourite was "Finding Nemo - The Musical". We weren't planning on going, but as we were walking past the theatre someone gave us a set of fastpasses so we thought we'd give it a shot. Visually the show was kind of nice, but the songs were kind of boring, verging on depressing. It doesn't help that young children were crying throughout the show because they were scared of the sharks and other villains in the Finding Nemo story. We ended up leaving before the end and the cast member who opened the door for us could hardly suppress a knowing smile...!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom

Animal Kingdom: Asia Walt Disney World - Animal Kingdom Review

There are four major attractions in the Asia area of Animal Kingdom and they're all amazing! Perhaps the most popular one are the Kali River Rapids (you'll probably need a fastpass), a really cool white-water rafting experience. Be careful though: while some passengers might only get a few drops during the ride, others can get soaked! To see who was the "lucky" one in our group, just take a look at my 2nd pic...

The Maharaja Jungle Trek is a bit similar to Africa's Pangani Trail, but I thought the setting was better. The path takes you through the ruins of an abandoned city, where animals and vegetation have taken over what used to be human land. You get to see tigers, fruit bats and various bird species, among other things. Asia is also where you will find "Flights of Wonder", a live bird show that we all thought was very impressive, interesting and funny at the same time. I especially liked the singing parrot!

Finally, the Asia section is home to "Expedition Everest", a roller-coaster set in the humongous Forbidden Mountain. This is the only ride at Walt Disney World I could not bring myself to go on - the trains are pulled on a track that is over 100 feet high at its highest point, which is something that would not have gone well with my slight fear of heights. My niece and nephew did go on it though, and they enjoyed it so much that they did it twice in a row! They told me that at the beginning the ride goes forward, but after an encounter with the abonimable snowman, the train starts racing through the mountain backward! If you'll take their word for it, it was a great ride :o)

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom

Animal Kingdom: Africa Walt Disney World - Animal Kingdom Review

The Africa section of Animal Kingdom is home to one of the coolest attractions at Walt Disney World: the Kilimanjaro Safaris! You take place aboard a safari vehicle while your driver/guide takes you on a photo safari - now of course, having never been on a safari I can't compare it with the real thing, but the illusion was good enough for me :o) We got to see reticulated giraffes, African elephants, crocodiles, lions, rhinos, flamingos and more! And as if this wasn't enough, there's also quite a bit of action towards the end when our driver gets notice that poachers are believed to have kidnapped a baby elephant and we go on a wild race in an effort to uncover them. It was so much fun!

Next to Kilimanjaro Safaris, you'll find the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, a short but nice jungle trek that allows you to see some more animals such as gorillas and hippos. Also in that section you can ride the Wildlife Express Train that takes you to Rafiki's Planet Watch, the educational section at Animal Kingdom. Kids can learn about wildlife and animal habitats, pet some of the animals and interact with Disney veterinarians. Oh, and there's air conditioning there!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom

Hollywood Studios: Sunset Boulevard & Pixar Place Walt Disney World - Epcot Review

Whether you're travelling with big or small children, this is where you're going to want to use your fastpasses. The Sunset Boulevard & Pixar Place area is home to the Studios' three most popular attractions: the Tower of Terror, the Rock n' Roller Coaster and Toy Story Mania. Toy Story Mania is a fairly new ride, and it's like an interactive 3D videogame. You get to shoot at different targets and see who makes the most points - unlike the Buzz Lightyear game at Magic Kingdom, it's very easy to figure out how to play this one. I think it was my big sister's favourite attraction in all of Walt Disney World, she got us to do it three times!

Kevin and I were the only ones brave enough to go on the Tower of Terror and Rock n' Roller Coaster rides, and we loooooved them! Unlike most theme parks, Disney always makes sure to add a little gravy and set the ride in context, which makes it longer and more entertaining. In the Tower of Terror ride, you learn about the terrible lightning storm that struck the old hotel and caused the disparition of many guests who had been riding an elevator. The ride through the dark, abandoned hotel serves as a gloomy and exciting prelude to the impending 13-floor drop everyone knows is coming up. As for the Rock n' Roller Coaster, you arrive at a recording studio where the band Aerosmith is working on an album. Their manager shows up to let them know they're late for a gig, and offers to take us there in a limo. As you twist and turn and loop around to get to the show on time, you can hear Aerosmith's songs playing throughout the ride. The Tower of Terror and the Rock n' Roller Coaster were by far the most thrilling rides I went on at Walt Disney World!

Finally, Sunset Boulevard is also home to Fantasmic!, the Hollywood Studios' night show. Unlike the other night shows at Walt Disney World, Fantasmic! is only performed on certain nights, which makes for really big crowds. We showed up 45 minutes before the show and already it was standing room only. To be honest though, I think I would have been disappointed if I had waited more than 45 minutes. The show begins and ends with a bang, with great fireworks and fountains, but the middle part is rather boring. Clips from different Disney movies are either shown or reenacted, and after about 10-15 minutes people in the audience started to leave. Considering the theatre sits about 10,000 people, we thought it'd be wise to do likewise and we watched the last few minutes of the show while making our way towards the exit. I'm sure some people love Fantasmic!, but for me it was a bit of a let down after the other great night shows at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT.

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios

Animal Kingdom: The Oasis & Discovery Island Walt Disney World - Animal Kingdom Review

Animal Kingdom is the most recent of Walt Disney World's theme parks. It opened in 1998 and technically, it is the biggest of all the parks since it covers over 500 acres, but because there are less attractions it's the only park we were able to visit in just one day. As soon as you set foot in the Oasis section of Animal Kingdom, you immediately get the feeling you've been transported to some far away tropical jungle. There are a variety of animal habitats to visit, though when you're on a fastpass hunt, chances are you're more likely to visit them on your way out.

Discovery Island sits at the center of the park and it is home to the Tree of Life, a huge artificial tree almost entirely made up of animal wood carvings. Though it does not stand out the way Cinderella's Castle or the Sorcerer's Hat do, the Tree of Life is the official Animal Kingdom icon. Right underneath the tree there's a theatre where you can catch the 3D movie "It's Tough to be a Bug", inspired by the popular movie "A Bug's Life". As with most 3D movies at Walt Disney World, this one also comes with pretty cool "4D" effects that'll keep you laughing 'til the end!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/animal-kingdom

Hollywood Studios: Streets of America Walt Disney World - Hollywood Studios Review

I think the Streets of America section might be part of the reason why so many male visitors love Disney's Hollywood Studios! The "Lights, Motors, Action!" show is filled with amazing vehicle stunts and the really cool part is that after they're done shooting all the different action sequences, they show you what tricks they used to make such stunts possible. The "Studio Backlot Tour" is also very interesting, especially the Harbor Attack and Catastrophe Canyon parts, where you get a first hand look at how movie special effects are made.

To complete the Streets of America section, there's a really funny 3D Muppet movie, and I also very much enjoyed walking around the New York City and San Francisco street sets. So much attention has been paid to details, the visual effect can be quite surprising!

Directions: Walt Disney World

EPCOT: World Showcase Walt Disney World - Epcot Review

EPCOT's World Showcase has been described as a permanent World's Fair, a celebration of culture and diversity. In total, it houses 11 pavilions and the countries represented are Canada, the UK, France, Morroco, Japan, the US, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico. It is a bit different from the rest of Walt Disney World in that it doesn't offer as many rides and attractions but the World Showcase is still very popular, especially with adults or when it comes time to eat thanks to the wide variety of food offered. Most pavilions offer some type of entertainment or other - the ones we prefered were "Maelstrom", a fun ride aboard a Viking boat at the Norway pavilion; Gran Fiesta Tour, a smooth but colourful boat ride at the Mexico pavilion; and "Impressions de France", a slightly outdated but still beautiful film showcasing France's "plus beaux atours". As for the pavilion themselves, I think I was most impressed by the atmosphere inside the Morroco and Mexico ones. Part of me thinks I might have liked the France and Italy ones better if I hadn't been to Las Vegas's Paris and Venitian resorts so recently... Oh, and whatever you do, please don't judge Canada by what you see at EPCOT, we've so much more to offer!!

Because we were there in the summertime, we got to watch one of the "Sounds Like Summer" concerts featuring a tribute to U2. The band "2U" did a great job of impersonating Bono, The Edge & Co., both physically and musically. But no matter when you go to EPCOT, you should definitely stick around for the evening show called "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth". Next to the night shows at Magic Kingdom, this was our favourite: it combines beautiful fireworks with great music and some surprising special effects. It definitely was a great way to end our day at EPCOT!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot

EPCOT: Future World Walt Disney World - Epcot Review

EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Walt Disney's original idea was to have about 20,000 people live at EPCOT in an effort to create an ideal community. The plan was soon abandoned, but the park still opened in 1982 as a tribute to Walt Disney's philosophy and ideals. The main themes of the Future World section, which is easy to recognize thanks to its iconic giant ball, are technology and innovation.

Our favourite attractions at Future World were without a doubt "Soarin'", an over-the-top IMAX-like experience that allows you to fly over the different landscapes and cities of California, and "Test Track", in which you get on board a vehicle as it is being submitted to a series of road tests (suspension, brakes, handling, acceleration...). After the ride is over, you end up in a GM show room where you can sit and take pictures in fancy cars. Again, I'd recommend getting a fastpass for one and go wait in line for the other as soon as you enter the park as these are EPCOT's most popular attractions.

To our surprise we also very much enjoyed "Spaceship Earth", especially because we could pick the language of the narration and the kids were happy to get a break from English. "Turtle talk with Crush" was hilarious, and I'm still not quite sure how they managed to get Crush to interact with the crowd the way he did. Right next to it was the Caribbean Coral Reef, a huge aquarium where I was delighted to see all the little fishies I had met in Belize the previous winter, including some daulphins and two manatees :o)

The other attractions in that section weren't as exciting, but they weren't boring either. I have to say though that none of us was brave enough to try Mission: Space - the fact that the ride comes equipped with motion sickness bags was enough to scare us away from it!

Directions: Walt Disney World

Website: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot