Posts Tagged ‘Disney’s Animal Kingdom’
Character Reference – Goofy
VITAL STATISTICS
Name: Goofy
AKA: Goofus D. Dawg; Dippy Dawg
Favorite Sayings: “Gawrsh!” “A-hyuck!” “Well, whaddya know …”
Prized Possession: green hat
Qualifications: optimistic, good-natured, kind
Facebook Friends: Max, Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Pluto, Clarabelle
CHARACTER COORDINATES
Remember, the appearance of a specific character is never guaranteed. Some of the locations below have regularly-scheduled appearances while others are occasional. Always check the Times Guides for the most up-to-date information, and be prepared for possible substitutions at character meals.
Meet and Greet
- EPCOT, World Showcase, American Adventure
- EPCOT, International Gateway
- EPCOT, Future World, Character Spot
- Magic Kingdom, Town Square
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown Hall of Fame (subject to change)
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown Barnstormer (subject to change)
- Magic Kingdom, Frontierland
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dinoland U.S.A., Chester and Hester’s Dinorama
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sorcerer’s Hat
Character Dining
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House, Donald’s Safari Breakfast
- Contemporary Resort, Chef Mickey’s
- Beach Club Resort, Cape May, Goofy’s Beach Club Breakfast
- Fort Wilderness, Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque Dinner Show
Attractions
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown, Goofy’s Barnstormer (subject to change)
Shows
- Magic Kingdom, Castle Forecourt Stage, Dream-Along with Mickey
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic!
Parades
- Magic Kingdom, Celebrate a Dream Come True
- Magic Kingdom, Spectromagic
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade
Miscellaneous
- Magic Kingdom, Town Square, photo op with statue sitting on a bench
For the Birds
Hidden in the trees at Camp Minnie-Mickey, the perfect abode for a winged citizen of the World. A Disney doorway creatively captured by the talented Doug Saletnik.
fav5 Significant Splurges
We’ve shared our fav5 Splurges, both Small and Special. Now, we’re moving to our top choices for a Significant Splurge!
#1 VIP Tour Services
For those of you who would enjoy the freedom of letting Disney be your guide, we highly recommend their VIP Tour Services. While your Whimsical World Travel concierge will take care of all the details of your vacation, your private VIP Tour Guide will be your personal navigator during your stay.
After collecting information about the interests and expectations of your group, a custom itinerary will be created just for you. Your Guide’s special expertise includes an in-depth knowledge of the parks; attractions, geography, trivia; which will guarantee a relaxed and carefree experience for your party of one to ten people.
What you can expect:
- With a touring plan and dining reservations based upon your preferences, your Guide will choose the best routes through the parks, obtaining new FastPasses for your party while you’re enjoying an attraction, to maximize your park-touring hours.
- You will be able to take advantage of special viewing areas for parades and fireworks, and enjoy premium seating at shows.
- There’s no need to worry about finding your favorite character or even the nearest restroom. Your VIP Tour Guide knows the neighborhood!
- Your Guide has a wealth of stories to share about the parks, the buildings, the attractions, and the thousands of small details that make the Walt Disney World Resort so amazing.
- In the past, guests were expected to include the Guide in their dining plans, and pay for the meal, when a tour ran more than 4 ½ hours. Currently, you may choose either to dine alone or include your Guide, with Disney picking up the tab for the Guide’s meal.
- The Guide’s pager number is provided to each member of the party, making it easy to reconnect in the event that anyone becomes separated from the group.
What you cannot expect:
- Back-door access to rides – while there may be special arrangements for entrance to shows, you will be expected to utilize regular stand-by and FastPass lines for other attractions. Your Guide’s experience with crowds, wait times, and schedules will help to minimize time spent standing in line.
- Park admission – the cost for VIP Tour Services does not include admission to the parks which must be purchased separately.
Other services available at additional cost:
- Private transportation can be arranged for pick-up from your resort to the parks and between locations if you hope to visit more than one park on a given day. This often involves access to the parks from backstage areas which is a real time-saver if you are hoping to experience shows and events scheduled close together in different parks.
- An Unlimited FastPass option allows your party to enter the FastPass lines as often as you want during your touring period.
VIP Tour Guides can be booked 180 days in advance. Because this department was originally created to service high-profile guests who needed separation from the crowds, those guests remain the first priority and Guides may not always be available for the general public.
Guides must be reserved for a minimum of six hours and you may choose to take advantage of the service for only one day of your vacation, or arrange to be met and accompanied by your Guide from the moment you arrive, for the length of your stay.
Prices are per hour and vary widely depending upon a number of factors including the time of year, whether or not you are a guest at a Walt Disney World Resort, any additional inclusions, and sometimes, who you are talking to. Current prices start at about $175.00 per hour.
VIP Tour Guides are a terrific option for first-time visitors and those looking for a stress-free, fully-planned experience. They are wonderful for organizing the park time of an extended family group, and can be quite cost-effective, per-person, for parties of eight to ten. For busy adults who spend their working hours planning and organizing, VIP Tour Services offers the opportunity to enjoy a true “vacation!”
Flash from the Past
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
Big Blue World
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
The Skeptic
Photo by Don Sullivan
