In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Mark Renfrow, show director with Disney Parks Live Entertainment, commented that the changes being made to bring Donald Duck to DinoLand USA is a permanent improvement to the area.
Renfrow said that the theming will have a “slightly temporary feel” but that the “[changes] are here forever”. He claimed that the area will “feel much more alive and definitely have so much more for the family and the kids”.
When completed this duck-friendly overlay will have seven brand new meet and greet areas, eight in total. Characters that will have their own meet and greet areas will be:
Launchpad McQuack with a hangar backdrop
Scrooge McDuck
Donald Duck in a welcome center
Daisy Duck in a costume design area
Goofy in a midway game backdrop
Pluto in the Boneyard
Chip and Dale on the Cretaceous Trail
How about that?! Excited for the changes? Tell us in the comments!
Are you visiting Disney in the future? We have some amazing packages available and can save you time and money so you and yours have the best time possible! After all, one of us is a former Cast Member. Fill out our form HERE to receive your FREE quote. Our services are completely free for you to utilize and you will get YEARS of experience on your side when booking with Moffits- Mad Hatter Adventures.
Always consider booking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planning agency, such as Mad Hatter Adventures. We will be available to assist you with everything from finding the best value for your travel party to getting dining reservations and Fastpass+ attractions lined up. Just get in touch with us at moffits@madhatteradv.com or watch our adventures on Facebook. We don’t just book Disney, we LIVE it!
As Disney fans and travel agents, we are always surprised when we hear about people being too scared to ride some of the thrilling attractions at Walt Disney World. It is understandable that health issues should not be ignored, but other than that we can not make too much sense out of it- it’s Disney! Live a little!
The most thrilling rides for thrill seekers at Walt Disney World have been chosen in a poll conducted by Walt’s Basement- for the Love of All Things Disney this past year. (You can find their group on Facebook HERE!)
The chosen thrills are:
Test Track- the end of this ride is fantastic, especially at night.
Big Thunder Mountain- the wildest ride in the wilderness!
DINOSAUR- it will shake you to your core- literally.
Splash Mountain- yes, you may get a little wet, or completely soaked.
Space Mountain- it only goes 28 mph, but you will swear you are going faster.
Expedition Everest- the Yeti may not function as intended but it will leave you breathless!
Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster- absolutely fantastic for rock and rollers.
Tower of Terror- one of the best queues at WDW, but this is not the typical elevator ride.
In addition to these, I would like to add my new favorite- Avatar Flight of Passage. While it is more of a simulator it is so exhilarating that I have to mention it. Nothing like soaring on the back of a banshee.
I also love Mission Space, although if you are claustrophobic you will not want to ride. I like it on Orange level- crank it up, Disney! I actually rode it twice in a row on our last adventure to EPCOT.
If you love thrilling and memorable attractions, Walt Disney World is the place to be. Not to mention that they have the best safety record in the business.
Do you agree with this list? Think anything else should be added? Tell me in the comments.
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Are you visiting Disney in the future? We have some amazing packages available and can save you time and money so you and yours have the best time possible! After all, one of us is a former Cast Member. Fill out our form HERE to receive your FREE quote. Our services are completely free for you to utilize and you will get YEARS of experience on your side when booking with Moffits- Mad Hatter Adventures.
Always consider booking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planning agency, such as Mad Hatter Adventures. We will be available to assist you with everything from finding the best value for your travel party to getting dining reservations and Fastpass+ attractions lined up. Just get in touch with us at moffits@madhatteradv.com or watch our adventures on Facebook. We don’t just book Disney, we LIVE it!
We attended the Disney D23 Expo which took place on July 14-16, 2017 at the Anaheim Convention Center. There was much to see and much to do.
There will be many upcoming posts here on the blog with specific pictures and details on the individual exhibits and celebrities that we met (thanks to the help of some of my personal Disney friends!), so be sure and watch for them. This article, however, is an editorial and more of an overview of the experience as a whole. Stop reading now if you are not prepared to read my honest opinion- because that is what I am going to give.
In our travels, we are not naive, as we have a lot of experience with D23 and with all of the other Disney parks, etc. We were thankful for the insight…
Growing up the daughter of a classic car expert (and former drag racer) was not without tales of Historic Route 66. My Dad told me of a time when it was realistic to take off in a large car with fins and cruise West, taking in all the sights and neon of motels, kitschy shops, and a variety of roadside attractions. By the time I was old enough to experience Route 66, all that was left were ghosts of the glory days and skeletal remains of these iconic places. Then Disney released the film “Cars“. Cars was the last film I watched with my Dad before he passed away, and he was not normally a big Disney guy (think more like John Wayne!). He loved Cars, however, and told my children, husband, and myself once again what it was like to have lived the legend.
We tell our Mad Hatter family all the time that yes, we really do live Disney. We have stayed at nearly all of the resorts and have experienced the good, the bad, and even the ugly from time to time. We always enjoy our time at Port Orleans French Quarter resort, however.
Disney describes this resort as a place with cobblestone streets, gas lamps, wrought-iron balconies and fragrant magnolia blossoms that evoke the Antebellum era with colorful Mardi Gras characters and jazz to keep things lively. We have found this to be the case, and we love the details that make this moderate level resort so lovely.
The pools are amazing- so many fun things to see and do both in and out of the water!
Mardi Gras-themed pool area where King Neptune sits astride a giant sea serpent, affectionately…
We’ve all heard it, right? That one question, usually spoken by a friend or relative that just has no idea what the Disney “spark” is all about. Yes, they ultimately exhale a long (or short) sigh, roll their eyes, and utter those familiar words….
“You’re going to Disney….AGAIN?!!”
If you are anything like me, you simply grin (the bigger the better) and retort a “you bet I am!” as a reply. I have noticed that the happier I sound when I answer, the more aggravated the other individual becomes, however. My bad. 🙂
Have you seen this look before?
What makes us return to a Disney park so often? What is it that reaches into our hearts, touches us, and inspires us year after year? It certainly isn’t the cost of a Disney vacation (although that is the very reason I do what I do- to make these expeditions as affordable as possible for our clients). It is not the crowd level on a busy day, or avoiding strollers and scooters that stop suddenly in front of us while we are walking with a Mickey ice cream bar in hand. It isn’t the parents that let their kids run wild, throw tantrums without remorse, and climb on the railings and dividers in a queue. So what is it?
In both Disneyland and in Walt Disney World, where we go most often, I have noticed that it is simply the beauty of the parks that appeals to me the most. I realize that this beauty transcends in different ways to different people, which is fantastic and curious at the same time. For myself, it is inspirational beauty. Yes, I love the attractions and the fun with my friends and family, but it is something much more than that which reaches out to me.
Witnessing Walt and Roy Disney’s first foray into the huge undertaking that became Disneyland is nothing short of amazing. How tenacious they must have been to overcome the naysayers of their era to bring the beloved park into existence for all of us! Seeing Walt Disney World, the fruition of Walt’s dream of plenty of space and the culmination of learning from all of the difficulties while building Disneyland, is nothing short of amazing. I still get a kick out of explaining to people that only want to go to Walt Disney World for a day or two that there is no way to see everything in such a short amount of time. It actually saddens me a bit when someone is not prepared for the sheer size of Walt Disney World, then they go and have less than a magical time. This is yet another reason I became a Disney travel planner- not on my watch. I make sure each of my clients is totally prepared before they go. I would want someone to do the same for me.
It isn’t hard to see the beauty. It’s everywhere. From the tiniest detail around the ceiling perimeter in a Disneyland Main Street shop to the most amazing fireworks spectacle at Cinderella’s Castle. Inside a Disney dining location or a resort hotel, it’s a feast for the soul as much as for the eyes.
From the flowers at EPCOT or around the Magic Kingdom on any given morning to the lush flora and fauna at Animal Kingdom, this priceless beauty inspires us to create magical moments for ourselves and others.
So the next time you hear those familiar words, hear a sigh, or see an eye roll- just grin as big as you can, and know that you share something very special with other Disney fans that the person you are looking at just doesn’t get at all. ºoº
Do you have this problem with anyone you know? Why do you return to Disney? Share with us and leave a comment below!
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Are you visiting Disney in the future? We have some amazing packages available and can save you time and money so you and yours have the best time possible! After all, one of us is a former Cast Member. Fill out our form HERE to receive your FREE quote. Our services are completely free for you to utilize and you will get YEARS of experience on your side when booking with Moffits- Mad Hatter Adventures.
Always consider booking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planning agency, such as Mad Hatter Adventures. We will be available to assist you with everything from finding the best value for your travel party to getting dining reservations and Fastpass+ attractions lined up. Just get in touch with us at moffits@madhatteradv.com or watch our adventures on Facebook. We don’t just book Disney, we LIVE it!
Many things have developed recently dealing with the Walt Disney Company, and while transformations of beloved scenes in Disney attractions is creating quite a stir the latest change from the company is to remove the 21 minute short, “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” from showing before it’s latest release, “Coco”. Theaters were recently sent this message:
Please note that the run of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure playing before COCO will end after 12/7. Starting on Friday 12/8 no more Olaf shorts should be up on screen. With the extra 22 minutes of running time back, we would appreciate if you could get in an extra show if possible.
Now forgive me, but I am going to present you with something to ponder.
Why are they not removing some of the previews that are shown prior to the main events? Answer= revenue. Why are they wanting the theaters to squeeze in more viewings of Coco? Answer= revenue. I do not blame them from a business standpoint here, but it does remind this author that once upon a time films had entire newsreels, a full length cartoon, and sometimes a double feature included. Now with shorter attention spans and a digital on demand age- we can not sit through a mere 21 minute short film after some previews? Really?
I saw many people complain or comment on social media prior to taking my own family to see Coco this past weekend. We were anxious to see what all the fuss was about. I enjoyed the short film a great deal more than the previews, that is for certain. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure takes place during the holiday season in Arendelle, focusing on Olaf helping Anna and Elsa design a festive celebration and develop traditions for themselves- family values and traditions is something I enjoy, personally. While the film features four new songs and the original cast members, I do agree that it could easily have been cut to two new songs. Yes, it is longer than what the Disney/Pixar audience has come to expect, but for us it was certainly not a big enough deal to actually complain about. If this is what someone has to complain about in life, they must be doing very well in my humble opinion.
Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was originally intended to be a television special, but it has become critically panned, with audiences terribly annoyed that they had to wait for an additional 20 minutes before getting to the main film. Our family was not annoyed, but rather enjoyed the short film to kick off the holiday season and get us all in the mood for family and holiday fun- and traditions. We love nearly all things Disney. It was a lovely and lighthearted short film, and even for those who are not Frozen fans it delivers some beautiful animation. It is not hard to appreciate the labor that went into the creation- very well done.
Many are beginning to wonder why Disney is altering anything such as omitting this short film, classic attraction scenes, etc- simply to appease anyone who might complain as opposed to so many more who do not take exception. Walt Disney did what he believed in and stuck to those beliefs, even refusing entry to his park to some that went against his personal values. We wonder what he would say about these sorts of changes. If you enjoy Frozen, be sure to get to the theater before the short is pulled. 😦
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Mardi Gras-themed pool area where King Neptune sits astride a giant sea serpent, affectionately…
