Fantasmic is a nightly show at Hollywood Studios. It is hands down the best night show in Disney World. It is proabably one of the 5 best attractions. Fantasmic has it all. Water. Fire. Drama. Music. Mickey. So. Many. Characters. It is an absolute must see. Do not hesitate to attend this show. It is late, it draws a massive crowd and it takes a long time to leave. But it doesn’t matter. Go see it.
Here is a video of my son absolutely crushing it at Fantasmic. The video doesn’t spoil anything if you haven’t seen it. At the end of Fantasmic, large boats pass by saturated with characters. I watch this video all the time. I don’t know if I have ever been as happy and excited as he is.
Epcot had come a long way. It has been altered more than any other park. Hollywood Studios added Star Wars and Toy Story. Animal Kingdom added Pandora. Epcot has been completely reimagined. The construction has taken forever, and has been impacted by Covid-19. Epcot has added more thrill rides and has some of my favorites. But the feel of Epcot is joyous. It is festive and fun.
There was a time where we would spend a half a day at Epcot. Or even skip it altogether. Not anymore. Soarin and Test Track are a must. New editions Remy’s Ratatoullie and Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind will entice visitors for years to come. But the rides are just half the story. Maybe not even half. World Showcase with unique snacks, desserts, food and drink is a never ending festival.
Wandering through World Showcase, tasting and sampling, is an adventure to experience time and again. Even our kids enjoy it. They enjoy the relaxing change of pace. They love snacking on pastries, gelato, cookies and chocolates. They ask when we are going to Epcot so they can eat while we “drink beers”. The scenery is breathtaking. The flower beds are gorgeus. What brings vacationers back to Disney World year after year is the feeling of joy inside the park. Each park has a unique feel. Epcot has a feel of serenity, beauty and extravagance.
Don’t overlook Epcot. With the new redesign and rides, there is even more to do.
Memory maker is the most essential Disney Vacation perk. You absolutely have to buy it. For a relatively low cost you get unlimited photos. My biggest regret after every vacation is I wish we took more photos.
Disney Memory Maker allows you to download all of the photos taken at the parks. This includes ride photos and photo pass locations. These are both must haves. Where else can you have trained photographers snap photos of you on vacation? Again, take photo after photo after photo. When you think you have enough, get more. We love our iconic photos such as the ones in front of the Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom. But even the photos at random locations can be amazing. Photos with just the kids or just the parents or mixed and matched. I don’t have many great photos of my wife and I together since our kids were born. The ones I do have, are from Disney World.
Tower of Terror
If you go with a large group, only one person needs the memory maker. Just link the parties on the My Disney Experience website in the friends and families list. Our family has years of vacations saved in our photo cloud. I’m always just a few clicks away from returning to Disney.
As part of cost cutting initiatives, Disney World stopped including complimentary magic bands with a Disney vacation package. This saves them a lot of money. A lot. And they have spun the marketing on this to promote the My Disney Experience app and the Disney Genie Service as its replacement. They certainly aren’t stupid over there at Disney. They want you to use your phone for everything and make it so you think it’s better than the free magic bands.
You need magic bands. Even at an extra cost they are an essential vacation accessory. Part of the fun of a Disney vacation is the planning . Picking out magic band colors with your children is a fun little pre-vacation experience. Spending up for the limited edition bands they change frequently is well worth it. The kids love them and they double as souvenirs. My kids wear them as bracelets and they love telling their friends and classmates about their Disney trip.
Magic bands are, well, magical. Kids love tapping them to get into the park and to open the hotel doors. My kids race to the door to be the first to open it. And the memories of them when they are little and can’t get them to work are recreated as they get older and master the art. They are so proud of themselves for being able to do it, because they remember when it was hard for them. I love watching them obsess over tapping their magic bands when we go through lightning lanes.
You need this photo.
You will be using your phone enough with Disney Genie. Enjoy the magic with the magic bands.
