Monthly Archives: February 2023

All Things Beauty and the Beast

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Walt Disney World is home to the most beloved characters in the world. Heroes, villains, animals, princesses, toys, the list goes on and on. Walt Disney World certainly maximizes the appeal of these characters in rides, shows, performances and greetings. One movie that certainly has left its mark on Walt Disney World is Beauty and the Beast. There are attractions in 3 of the 4 parks, with the exception being Animal Kingdom.

Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage is a professional production of the beloved movie. It runs about 20 to 25 minutes and contains all the classic songs and scenes. It is really wonderful. The show is played in a covered theatre on Sunset Boulevard. Showtimes are usually every hour, so there are plenty of chances to catch it. I highly recommend this show as it really is dazzling.

Magic Kingdom

Located in Fantasy Land, Be Our Guest is an amazing dining experience. It is a signature (think expensive) restaurant with a prefix menu. Patrons are able to dine inside Beast’s Castle and meet Beast. Walt Disney World unsurprisingly built the castle exquisitely to the finest detail. There are performance aspects to the dinner, and you can even take a look at the rose in the glass. The menu is expensive and the food is definitely high end, so this might not be for everyone. I’m not much of an eater myself, but for the experience alone we needed to try.

EPCOT

Located in (where else) France, there is an underappreciated attraction called Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. We really only stumbled upon it one day to get out of the rain. Again, it shouldn’t surprise me that even a small show tucked away in EPCOT contains Disney magic to delight fans. I won’t give anything away, but you should definitely seek out a time to see this show.

Why I love Tommorrowland Transit Authority People Mover

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Magic Kingdom is the happiest place on earth. It really is. Thrill rides, beloved characters and iconic attractions bring back adoring guests year after year. Theming at Walt Disney World, and especially within Magic Kingdom, is something that helps Disney World rise above other amusement parks. Other Disney parks come close, but nothing quite catches this phenomenon like Magic Kingdom. Tomorrowland just feels different than Fantasyland and Fronteirland. It really is amazing. Magic Kingdom is the best.

There are so many rides in Magic Kingdom, that it wouldn’t be possible to experience them all in one day. Especially with little children, there is a certain limit of how much can be done. Little ones don’t do very well waiting in lines. Although Disney designs most rides to accommodate even the smallest guests, the thrill rides to have a minimum height requirement. And that leaves families scrambling sometimes trying to decide what to do. Here I will pitch one of my favorite attractions, Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover.

A view from People Mover

The People Mover is an elevated open air tram that travels around Tomorrowland in basically a tour of the attractions. The ride is slow moving and relaxing, but does sometimes seem to be cruising a little faster. It winds its way through rides like Space Mountain and is narrated with fun facts. Guests can get fun views of Magic Kingdom as they wind their way through Tomorrowland.

A view from People Mover

Vacations to Walt Disney World are about making family memories. Most rides and shows can be experienced by almost everyone in the family. Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover can truly be enjoyed by everybody. The ride is entertaining, long and enjoyable. The wait is never too long. The trams allow families to sit facing each other so they can really connect and converse. It is calm enough for people who don’t want a thrill, while also being fun enough for kids seeking a ride. I can’t describe the joy I feel while zooming around Tomorrowland with my favorite people.

Clickbait Criticism

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Walt Disney World is truly the happiest place on earth. Thousands of people return year after year. Millions of people visit annually. There are beloved characters, amazing rides and world class entertainment shows. There is magic in the air. People seek the wonder and joy that makes them feel like a kid again. I love Walt Disney World. So I get annoyed when I read negative articles that are obviously just being contrarian and trying to get views to their website. This has been a theme I have tried to promote. I hate the idea of somebody reading one of these stories, and then altering their vacation plans.

I recently came across an article titled “9 Disney World Hotels You’ll Never Stay in Again”. Against my better judgement, I opened the story and started to skim through it. The “highlight” of my dismay, was reading that Pop Century and Art of Animation were on the list. These are two of my favorite resorts. They are value resorts but are both a major step up from the All Star hotels. They both allow for transportation on the Disney Sky Liner. Art of Animation is beautiful and has the most Disney characters on display. When we stayed here, my children absolutely loved wandering around and calling out the characters. The pool is great, the splash pad is awesome and there is even a small playground for the kids to play.

Clickbait Criticism

I’m getting annoyed again, looking at this story. The author grabs a few complaints and publishes an article ripping a resort based on them. The music and kids were too loud at Pop Century? The walk is too much at Art of Animation? These are ridiculous criticisms. I hate to think a family might avoid Art of Animation after reading this. So the walk from the lobby to the room is 10 minutes. That walk is usually made a few times a day, and is not a major inconvenience. And there are character displays along the way. People are on vacation to spend time with their family. We love the walk where we would talk about what we were going to do and what we did that day. I have a full review of Art of Animation available.

Resort Profile: Art of Animation

The reality is that Pop Century and Art of Animation are reasonably priced resorts that allow for a family to enjoy a Disney vacation on a smaller budget. These 2 resorts are absolutely wonderful for little kids.