Archive for the ‘Attractions’ Category

A giant Stratocaster, four stories high, offers an iconic welcome to G-Force Records where you’ll enjoy an atmospheric queue before you encounter Aerosmith wrapping up a recording session, and accept the offer of a backstage pass and a lift to their concert across town.

Step into your stretch limo for a ride in the thrill lane.  You’ll experience 5 G’s as you jump from 0 to 57 miles per hour in less than 3 seconds; catapulting 200 feet before moving smoothly into the first of three inversions along more than a half-mile of “California Freeway.”

Each of the five limos blasts a different Aerosmith soundtrack through 125 speakers as you speed past the street signs and neon lights of a Hollywood night toward your destination.  It’s dark and fast and loud and unlike anything else at Walt Disney World.  You’ll disembark and walk the red carpet to Rock Around the Shop where you can purchase the souvenir photo taken just as the ride launched.

More than ten years after it first opened in Walt Disney World, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster remains hugely popular so arrive early and take advantage of FastPasses.  This can be a challenging ride and should be avoided by expectant mothers and those with back, neck, or heart conditions.

Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sunset Boulevard

Approximately 3 minutes

Guests must transfer from wheelchair and ECV to ride vehicle

48″ minimum height requirement

FastPass available

Park admission required

As you approach Frontierland you begin to hear it; every few moments, a sudden burst of delighted screaming.  We suggest you continue your walk toward “a little more adventure” on the wonderful Splash Mountain.

You’ll enjoy watching the story of Br’er Rabbit, illustrated by 68 audioanimatronic figures, as he sets out in search of the life that suits him best.  After an atmospheric “river” cruise, your log enters the “caves” to float along through the darkness, bouncing over small waterfalls, following the characters of this beloved tale.  While the origins of the story are very old, it was brought to life for millions by the 1940’s Disney film Song of the South.  Splash Mountain features some of the memorable music from this movie along with the extensive theming that places Disney attractions in a class by themselves.

Watching the final drop from the perspective of a spectator in front of the ride makes the plunge look much more steep and frightening than it actually is.  Your reactions are caught on camera and the pictures are displayed and available for purchase at Splashdown Photos as you exit.  Take advantage of Disney Package Delivery if you would prefer not to carry your photos for the remainder of the day.

Oh, one more thing – you can get REALLY wet!  If you’re hoping to stay relatively dry, avoid the front seat and the right side of the vehicle.  Keep in mind, though, that if you ride in an empty car, you’ll be drenched even if you’re sitting at the very back!  Wait times can be long and FastPasses go quickly, so make your way to the laughing place early.

Splash Mountain

Magic Kingdom, Frontierland

Approximately 11 minutes

Guests must transfer from wheelchair and ECV to ride vehicle

40″ minimum height requirement

FastPass available

Park admission required

Where can you listen to such favorites as Tears Will Be the Chaser for My Wine, Blood on the Saddle, and Mama, Don’t Whip Little Buford; not to mention Teddi Barra’s moving rendition of Heart, We Did All That We Could?

Just mosey on over to Grizzly Hall in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom for a musical revue featuring singing bears, talking taxidermy, and a little good old country rhythm.  Spend some time with Big Al, The Five Bear Rugs, and a dozen more musically-inclined characters for a quarter-hour of ursine humor and melody.  It’s a good time for all ages, but kids in particular get a kick out of the corny jokes.

Although the official Walt Disney World website is still insisting that the Bears perform a special holiday-themed show, sadly, The Country Bear Christmas has not been seen here for several years.  Nonetheless, The Country Bear Jamboree remains a year-round favorite for some old-fashioned fun.

The Country Bear Jamboree

Magic Kingdom, Frontierland, Grizzly Hall

Approximately 17 minutes

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening and reflective captioning devices available

Park admission required

Board a Time Rover and take a trip back through the millennia for a close encounter with the Iguanadon and Carnotaurus.

This dark ride welcomes visitors into a beautiful queue area featuring skeletal remains and fossils.  A preshow sets the scene for the coming adventure before guests climb into their time-traveling vehicles and enter an ancient world where dinosaurs rule, the terrain is rugged, and meteorites pepper the night sky.

Utilizing audio-animatronic figures, special effects, and technologically-advanced ride vehicles, Dinosaur offers an exciting experience as time travelers hurry to complete their mission and return to the present before a cataclysmic meteor impact destroys them.

Although it has been toned down since its inception, and both movement and sound are less intense, it is still recommended that pregnant woman and those with neck and back issues avoid this ride.  Guests should also be aware that the loud noises, darkness, and sudden appearances of large dinosaurs and bright, flashing lights may be frightening for young children.

Dinosaur

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Approximately 3 minutes

Guests must transfer from wheelchair and ECV to ride vehicle

40″ minimum height requirement

Video captioning and assistive listening devices available

Translation devices available

Park admission required

Finding Nemo – the Musical weaves puppetry, song, movement, and brilliantly-colored costumes into a unique and engaging retelling of this charming story about the little clownfish and his devoted dad.

The audience reconnects with many favorite characters from the wonderful animated film, Finding Nemo, including Marlin and Dory, Crush, Gill, Bruce, Nigel, even Mr. Ray; represented by fantastic, oversized puppets gliding across the stage.  The set is enhanced by video and special lighting effects that create the undersea environment for a truly “immersive” experience.

The long lines can be avoided by having lunch at Tusker House between 1:00 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.  Diners receive a ticket for excellent reserved seating in the front of the theater for the 3:15 p.m. show.

Finding Nemo – The Musical

Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Theater in the Wild

Approximately 30 minutes

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening and reflective captioning devices available

Park admission required

New name, new music, new movie, new displays, and a new president – The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders is attracting a new audience as well as guests who have not visited this Magic Kingdom classic for many years.

A patriotic and moving tribute to the American presidency, The Hall of Presidents combines a film shown on a semi-circular screen followed by an amazing display of audio-animatronic technology.  Every single United States president is presented, acknowledging his name as it is spoken. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and the current president, Barack Obama, speak to the audience.

The walls of the lobby are hung with portraits and this waiting area also contains display cases filled with items from past presidencies, including the gowns of Elizabeth Monroe, Edith Roosevelt, and Nancy Reagan.

Not just a cool spot on a hot day, this attraction allows us to reconnect with one of Walt Disney’s most cherished principles – love of country.

Hall of Presidents:  A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders

Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square

Approximately 25 minutes

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening, captioning, and translation devices available

Park admission required

Weaving a story with three-dimensional models, room settings, film clips, interviews, and memorabilia, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream gives the public a peek at one of the great creative minds of the 20^th century.

This self-guided tour winds through a gallery of displays, chosen from a revolving collection, that showcases the inspiration, innovation, and imagination of this consummate storyteller.  In the Walt Disney Theater, guests can watch a short film about his life which includes wonderful home movies and clips from well-loved classics.

The installation originally opened in 2001 as part of Walt Disney World’s 100 Years of Magic celebration but has become an ongoing attraction.  Visitors can move through the exhibits from the Disney archives listening to Walt’s own voice as he talks about his vision.  An extraordinary mix of material including costumes, toys, collectibles, Oscars, television clips, artist’s renderings, dioramas, and pieces from Walt’s own childhood make this a must-see for every admirer of the man who was not afraid to dream.

Walt Disney:  One Man’s Dream

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening devices available

Captioning and translation devices available

Park admission required

When the rope drops at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the crowds no longer head for Rock ‘n Roller Coaster or the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.  Instead, guests make a mad dash toward Pixar Place for Toy Story Mania!   Featuring Disney’s renowned blend of complex technology and spectacular theming, the attraction is based on Andy’s Room, a treasure trove of iconic toys that have delighted generations of children.  Nostalgic playthings include Mr. Potato Head, board games, Tinker Toys, crayons, dominoes, playing cards, puzzles, Lincoln Logs, and alphabet blocks; all supersized to allow each guest a toy-sized experience themselves.

As players move through the different Midway games scoring points, eggs fly, balloons pop, plates shatter, rings toss, and darts, well, dart!  3-D glasses allow passengers to “see” projectiles fly from their shooters toward the targets and watch other objects jump out from the scenes; the 4-D technology lending a virtual “whoosh” as they pass by.

Two-sided ride vehicles seat a total of four passengers back-to-back, allowing two players sitting side-by-side to compete at one game while two others face a different game.

Actual ride time is a satisfying five minutes, making that long wait in the standby line seem truly worthwhile.  Enormous fun for all ages, Toy Story Mania! has no height restrictions and features specially-modified cars that can be boarded using wheelchairs and power chairs.

Toy Story Mania!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

FastPass available

Guests must transfer from ECV to available wheelchair

Park admission required

Fresh from a seven-month refurbishment, Starport Seven-Five is once again welcoming space travelers.  Changes to Space Mountain include the addition of interactive games along the queue, an onboard photo which can purchased at the end of the ride in the Tomorrowland Video Arcade, and a refreshed exit area.  Imagineers have also added a number of their special “touches” along the way.

Sadly, the glowing stripes on the sides of the ride vehicles have been removed, and the view of the “stars” once offered from the queue areas and a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority has been lost; hidden by a new dome.

Passengers will have a greater sense of flying through the dark thanks to efforts to darken the ride, and make it smoother and quieter.  Guests hoping for a screaming new experience with updated sound system and new track configuration will be disappointed.  Those who were worried that the classic and relatively tame Mountain they loved would be irrevocably changed, can relax.

Although it can be a bit jerky, Space Mountain offers a fairly gentle roller coaster ride through the dark.  Vehicles seat passengers in a single file of six for an exciting trip on one of two nearly identical tracks, Alpha (ten feet longer) and Omega.  Riders twist and turn down through the darkness after a steep climb to the top of the Mountain.  A photo taken at the beginning of the ride in a glowing blue tunnel reinforces the sense of darkness with the flash of strobes.

Space Mountain

Magic Kingdom

44″ minimum height requirement

FastPass available

Guests must transfer from ECV to available wheelchair, then from wheelchair to ride vehicle

Park admission required

Something unexplainable happened many years ago at the Hollywood Tower Hotel.  Lightning struck and a wing of the hotel, including the passengers on the elevator,  crossed over into the Twilight Zone.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror boasts one of the most detailed and evocative queues on property, with dusty relics of a crumbling hotel that has been lost to time since the 1930’s.

Guests move through the atmospheric lobby and down to the boiler room before boarding a freight elevator that appears to be in a frightening state of disrepair; an elevator that “travels directly to…the Twilight Zone.”  The car rises to the thirteenth floor, then glides through spooky corridors allowing tantalizing glimpses of “lost” hotel guests.  Suddenly, the car enters a shaft and the terror begins – a computerized program randomly generates a series of hair-raising (literally) plummets and ascents.  Periodically, doors will open to a view of the park below before the car drops yet again.  For those not on the ride, the screams can be heard across the park before the doors slam shut.

Take the time to enjoy the extraordinary theming of this attraction.  Those who would like to take a peek but avoid the ride can take advantage of a special exit just before boarding the elevator car.  The “elevator attendants” do a wonderful job in their roles and are very popular with guests.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Approximately 4 minutes

Guests must transfer from wheelchair to ride seat

40″ minimum height requirement

Park admission required