A Fond Farewell

Posted on January 6, 2025 by Michael Luongo

Muppet Vision 3D Closing

You can’t get in the way of progress. Unfortunately for us Muppets fans, that means we are losing our iconic attraction. Disney recently announced Muppet Vision 3D is closing. The area of Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios will be rethemed into Monsters, Inc. I have thoughts.

I love the Muppets. I understand they are now more cult classic than pop culture. I have to at least say Disney tried to resurrect them. There were two new Muppets movies that were mildly successful. There was a sitcom on ABC that didn’t work and multiple Disney+ shows that couldn’t gain traction. I think after these (yelp) failures, Disney decided to move on from the Muppets.

Grand Avenue in Hollywood Studios is also home to two restaurants. Mama Melrose’s and Muppets themed PizzazRizzo will be remodeled. There are also Muppets styled restrooms that are pretty nice as restrooms go. Closing those will impact the necessities on that side of Hollywood Studios.

Muppet Vision 3D has had numerous updates to Muppet Theater in the recent years. Those seem a little short sighted now. But the performance has not changed. I’m going to miss it. I love the pre-show with Gonzo. Waldorf and Statler are wonderful. Kids who aren’t necessarily familiar with the Muppets are still wildly entertained by the show. And the nostalgia factor is off the charts. I’ll miss Bean, Fozzie with the RC pie, the fireworks, the explosions, Beaker and Dr. Honeydew, Sam Eagle’s salute to all nations, but mostly America and I’ll miss all the rest.

Coming Soon

The choice of building a new land based on Monsters, Inc is puzzling. While the initial reports of a new coaster and a Monsters takeover of Muppet Theater are intriguing, I am not sure the characters have the draw to anchor a new land. Maybe I’m wrong. I love getting my kids to enjoy the Muppets. Perhaps there is a new generation getting their kids into Monsters. I also wonder what this means for Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom.

Disney has also confirmed that the Muppets will takeover the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I have seen a lot of negative responses to the news and I do not understand why. Aerosmith doesn’t have any Disney connection and I’m excited to see the transformation. That ride could use a makeover as the entrance and queue are dated. The draw is the roller coaster. Nobody is only there because of Aerosmith.

Toy Story Mania is a Blast

Posted on September 28, 2023 by Michael Luongo

There are two main reasons why Walt Disney World is the best family theme park in the world. Walt Disney has the greatest collection of characters and intellectual property. Walt Disney also has the resources, imagination and desire to create amazing theme park rides. Walt Disney World is so much more than just rollercoasters. With four distinct theme parks, the possibilities are endless. This variety include simulators, experiences, wonderful restaurants, live animals and so much more. In Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Mania is an exceptionally fun ride for the whole family.

All Toys on Deck

Toy Story Mania is a virtual shooting gallery. It is appropriate for everyone in the family. This common theme is one of the amazing ways Walt Disney World truly brings families together. There are many of these rides and adventures that families can experience together. Not many amusement parks have attractions that appeal to everyone. The wait time for Toy Story Mania is usually less than 40 minutes. In slower times, it is often under 20 minutes. The queue is indoors so everyone will stay cool and dry. It is also heavily decorated with toys and games that are fun to look at and talk about. Mr. Potato Head entertains guests in line with some funny antics. I can not stress enough how great it is to have everyone in the family able to enjoy this attraction.

The Competition

My family can get pretty competitive on Toy Story Mania. The games are really fun to play. It is a shooting game, but it is super kid friendly. The games include breaking plates and popping balloons. The game is scored accurately and the technology used is unsurprisingly advanced. My secret tip for a higher score. If you have a younger child under 10, sit with them because you will have an opportunity to hit more targets.

Toy Story Mania is a fun ride for everyone in the family. A trip to Walt Disney World is more than a vacation. It is a memory making machine where families can come together and create shared experiences.

Disney Announced New Hollywood Studios Christmas Event

Posted on June 18, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is the most magical place on earth. During the holiday season, the magic intensifies immensely. There is no better time to be in Walt Disney World. However, this is no secret, and the crowds are massive and it is usually as busy as it gets. If you accept that challenge, it will be well worth it to visit Walt Disney World for the holidays.

Jollywood Nights

Walt Disney World announced an entirely new special event taking place at Hollywood Studios. It will be called Jollywood Nights. The event seems to play on the history of Hollywood. I love this selection of the theme. Hollywood Studios has moved away from some of its history by adding Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Anyone who visited Hollywood Studios (or the old MGM Studios) in the early 2000s and 2010s may remember there was much more of a glitz and glamour feel to the park. Disney’s website uses phrases like “Glitz & Glitter” and “Dapper Decor”. It also seems that this party will be more adult friendly than Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party over at Magic Kingdom. I am so excited for this event. I am tempted to impulse book a reservation now. I think this event will be especially ideal for a quick adults only trip to Walt Disney World.

The available dates have been released and the time is from 8:30 pm – 12:30 am. Tickets will go on sale July 6, but guests who already have resort reservations can get tickets June 23.

Saturday, November 11
Saturday, November 18
Monday, November 20
Monday, November 27
Wednesday, November 29
Monday, December 4
Wednesday, December 6
Saturday, December 16
Monday, December 18
Wednesday, December 20

Should you buy Disney Genie Plus???

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is certainly a popular vacation destination. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. No other vacation involves so much planning and offers such a diverse list of activities. Every vacation to Walt Disney World is unique on its own. Being so popular (and so amazing), means that the cost of the vacation is expensive. And that is just the start. It goes up from expensive to pretty much astronomical. Therefore, budget decisions must be made. Things to decide on include resorts, dining, souvenirs, and other extras. Then there is Disney Genie Plus. It costs can vary by day, but expect about $15 per person per day, which can easily add up to a major expense. Disney Genie Plus allows users to make reservations (the old Fast Pass) for some rides throughout the day. So The question remains, should you purchase Disney Genie Plus.

The Definitive Answer to the Question

The simple answer is YES. You need Disney Genie Plus. They way to think about Disney Genie Plus is that however it works out, it is really amazing to skip major lines on at least some attractions. It actually makes a big difference (especially for the kids) to get on a ride without a long wait. It makes for a nice break from the lines and makes them more bearable when you get back in one.

But the complicated answer is you don’t need it every day. Disney Genie Plus works best at Magic Kingdom. Because there are so many rides, you can get the most amount of reservations. The other parks have much more limited options, and it becomes less valuable. Animal Kingdom really has the least benefit and it can probably be avoided. Especially if you can get there early and rope drop. Hollywood Studios is so busy and the reservations go so fast, it is also a struggle to use Disney Genie Plus. But even if it only gets you a few rides, it can make a difference as Hollywood Studios usually has the longest waits. EPCOT is the second best park for using Disney Genie Plus. There are surprisingly a large amount of quality rides to book and they are some pretty great ones (Soarin’, Frozen Ever After, Test Track).

It’s All a Matter of Preference

Posted on March 20, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is a massive resort destination for family fun. There are four distinct parks, including Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. Each park has its own unique theme and feel. EPCOT is actually an acronym for Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. The theme here is clear throughout EPCOT, with a focus on science, planet Earth and Space. Hollywood Studios, especially with the new additions of Star Wars: Galaxy Edge and Toy Story Land, is where the movies come alive. Animal Kingdom is a combination of a zoo and a theme park. Magic Kingdom is the “happiest place on Earth”. By itself, it is home to six different lands that bring wonder and joy to children and adults.

It is important to remember when planning a vacation to Walt Disney World that there are no wrong answers. There are so many different things to do that every trip to Disney World can be unique. So when planning your next vacation, always consider your own preference and what your family likes to do. While there are some attractions that are universally beloved (or despised), most people have widely varying opinions. Don’t rely too heavily on reviews and other sources. Make sure you experience everything once for yourself. Within my own family, we have many disputes between our favorite rides. We even disagree on which parks we like best.

Consider also why you are taking this vacation. Most likely it is to build family memories and provide an amazing experience for your children. So think about what they like to do. We have a child that absolutely loves animals. We therefore like to spend more time at Animal Kingdom than we normally would.

Restaurant Profile: Sci-Fi Dine In

Posted on March 8, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Dining at Walt Disney World is a big part of a Disney Vacation. There are so many unique and wonderful options to choose from. Of course, it also requires a lot of planning. There is likely no other scenario where people make daily dining reservations 60 days in advance. And there are so many diverse dining options that it can be an overwhelming experience. Some of the most popular restaurants are so hard to book that you might not get them over multiple vacations. There are other factors to consider like making sure you book the right restaurant to match your park reservation. This inevitably can lead to a stressful planning process. Disney planners want everything to line up perfectly. Again, I must say that no matter what dining reservations you secure, or what plans you make, everything will work out and your Walt Disney World Vacation will be amazing.

Even still, Disney planners want to learn as much as they can about their dining options. While EPCOT has an insane amount of choices, Hollywood Studios has seemingly too few. One of our favorite places at Hollywood Studios is Sci- Fi Dine In.

Sci-Fi Dine In is wonderful. It is so much fun. The atmosphere is amazing. Some of the tables are designed to look like you are sitting in a car. The old time movies and shows playing on the big screen are authentic Walt Disney World. They are enjoyable and nostalgic. They make everyone feel great.

Sci-Fi Dine In knows what it is. It is secure in its identity. It is a nostalgic diner. They have a small diner menu of mostly burgers and a few salads (and milkshakes). But the food is delicious. It is smart (it is Disney after all) that they specialize in the menu and do it so well.

All Things Beauty and the Beast

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Michael Luongo

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.

An Adults Only Trip to Walt Disney World

Posted on January 16, 2023 by Michael Luongo

For the first time in our adult lives, my wife and I traveled to Walt Disney World without our children. The 2 of us celebrated her 40th birthday on a 3 night vacation. Our thoughts before our vacation had us wondering what it would be like in Disney World without kids. Would there be enough to do? Would it be as fun or as magical? Would we miss them? Would they be mad at us? Well, all our questions were answered rather quickly. We had an amazing vacation. While it was certainly very different without our children, it was an experience every Disney Dad should enjoy.

We knew that we were not planning a usual vacation to Walt Disney World. We did not want to rush to make it to every ride. We wanted a relaxing pace so we could take in every magical moment. We also planned for a lot of time at EPCOT. We wanted to navigate World Showcase without the attention being on our children. We also wanted to see Fantasmic (finally) as it had been closed for almost 3 years because of the Covid19 pandemic. We added the park hopper option and made park pass reservations. We chose Magic Kingdom for our arrival day, because it was open late and we were staying at Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary Resort. The second day we started at Hollywood Studios and ended at EPCOT. We reversed that plan for the third and final day, starting at EPCOT and moving to Hollywood Studios.

One of the things we attempted that we had never done before on a family Disney vacation, was to have a nice dinner. We made late reservations at California Grill inside of the Contemporary. We had a wonderful day at Magic Kingdom. We rode Splash Mountain (one last time before the new theme). We returned to our resort to grab a drink and watched the fireworks from our hotel room balcony. That was something we didn’t plan in advance but gave it a try when we realized we could. And it was so worth it. It was an experience we never considered, but it was so magical to have a private view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks. We played the accompanying music on the hotel TV and we felt like rock stars. California Grill was amazing and we lucked out with a table at the window with a wonderful view of Magic Kingdom.

The second day at Hollywood Studios we planned for a short stay there. We wanted to get to EPCOT right at 2 when park hopping opened. We watched Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream inside the Walt Disney Presents museum. It was a great show that we were never able to get to with kids. We had a few drinks at Oga’s Cantina and saw Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. The wait for Tower of Terror never got low enough for us to get in line. There was so much we wanted to experience without having to get on the thrill rides to appease the kids. Another first for us, we took a Friendship Boat to EPCOT. It might be the slowest way to make the trip, but it was so cool. And the boat operators entertain with jokes that imitate Jungle Cruise.

EPCOT without kids was awesome. We did get Lightning Lane reservations for Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind twice. That ride is so much fun. We got to enjoy so much of what makes EPCOT unique and fantastic. We stayed until 11pm with extended hours and headed right back the next day at 8:30 for park open. We stayed until almost 5 pm and then finally headed over to Hollywood Studios. This time we took the Skyliner to Carribean Beach from EPCOT and hopped on the other line to Hollywood Studios.

Our night at Hollywood Studios included a Lightning Lane reservation at Rise of the Resistance, drinks at BaseLine Tap House, and a late 9:30 showing of Fantasmic.

Visiting Walt Disney World with only your spouse is so easy. It’s so much quicker to decide on where to go or what to eat. Many decisions become cumbersome when traveling with kids. It becomes even more slow when the extended family comes along. But with just 2 people that are so familiar and comfortable together, we traversed effortlessly through the parks. We were able to do so much in just three days, we both felt like we were there for a week.

Under appreciated Hollywood Studios Attractions

Posted on January 5, 2023 by Michael Luongo

Walt Disney World is home to some pretty amazing rides. Across four theme parks, there is a diverse mix of thrill rides, family rides, shows and experiences. Hollywood Studios has transformed recently more than any other park. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land have massively increased the size of the park. Even still, Hollywood Studios is relatively small, but the rides are jam packed all over the park. The current big draw is Rise of the Resistance, which is one of the most unique attractions in all of Disney World. But there are plenty of great experiences here that don’t get the attention they deserve.

Let’s start within Galaxy’s Edge with Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. This great attraction is completely overshadowed by Rise of the Resistance. It doesn’t get nearly enough hype because of this. Smugglers Run is a wonderfully immersive adventure. Guests are able to enter the Millennium Falcon and step into the flight deck. It is incredibly fun and kids get so much joy from their scores at the end of the ride. It is such a unique Disney attraction that delights all. Especially for Star Wars fans the ability to be inside the Millenium Falcon is mind blowing.

Our next entry on our list is a bit surprising, but this attraction has become under appreciated. It has been a staple of Disney World for so long, people have stopped realizing how great it is. Of course, I am talking about the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. The ride is still magnificent approaching 30 years of operation. The theme, the details, the music, the decorations and everything else are so great. The ride is the perfect mix of fright and fun for children and adults. It doesn’t seem possible to achieve that goal, but Disney was able to create this timeless attraction.

Finally, maybe I am biased because of my own personal love for them, but Muppet Vision 3D is criminally under visited. The pre-show is hilarious to the point I often quote some of it, “what foolishness would you like to see”. The 3D movie is funny and sweet and the Muppets really shine. The Muppet Theater is iconic and nostalgic. And kids that don’t know the Muppets still thoroughly enjoy the show. Hollywood Studios always seems to be the sunniest and hottest park at Walt Disney World. A nice rest in a cool theater should help rejuvenate your family for the rest of the day. There is hardly ever any wait for the show, and nobody will be disappointed.

A Few Tips for a Short Trip

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Michael Luongo

Vacations to Walt Disney World have so many variations. There are so many things to do and decisions to be made. Some families prefer a relaxing vacation with maximum time hanging out by the pool, while others arrive early at the park and stay all day. Many vacationers stay a week or more and still leave wanting more. There are also families that might only stay for a few days because of a number of factors including budgeting and time constraints. A short trip can seem even more overwhelming because there is the added stress of feeling rushed to get everything done. Here are some ideas to relieve stress and enjoy your vacation.

The most important thing to remember when visiting Walt Disney World is that it is supposed to be fun. It seems simple, and kind of stupid, but it is still something to remember. Even with all the planning and considerations ahead of time, there WILL be bumps in the road. This is especially true for short trips where you will inevitably be trying to squeeze everything in. There have been times when I wanted to make a showtime, and just didn’t make it for one reason or another.

Dining reservations might be hard to come by. The dining reservation system opens when your vacation is 60 days away from the first day. So during a long stay, you can book the last days before many other people. The inverse is also true, that during a short stay, many people have already made their reservations by the time you are able to make yours. That means you have to accept that you will likely not get your top choices. And don’t feel like you need to sit down and eat every meal. I usually only do one table service meal anyway. On a short trip, it would be wise to only sit at a restaurant you really want, and not settle for anything.

It might be worth it to purchase the park hopper option on a short trip. The park hopper allows guests to go to 2 parks in one day. This way, you will at least be able to visit all the parks. A great benefit of this is that each park has their own hours, and generally Epcot and Magic Kingdom are open the latest. Also Animal Kingdom usually opens the earliest and you can really hit most of the attractions in half of a day. This allows you to start at an early park and then go to another that’s open later and really maximize your time. And to save money if you plan to park hop on the back end of the trip, you cab add that option after you used your base ticket the first few days. Something to remember is that Hollywood Studios and EPCOT are very close to each other and you can even walk from one to the other in about 20 minutes.

Finally, prioritize the attractions you definitely want to do. With a little luck you should be able to do everything you want at EPCOT and Animal Kingdom. But, assume you won’t have time to do all of the major attractions in one day at Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom. And you won’t want to spend so much time in lines you can’t really enjoy the Disney experience. So make sure to hit attractions that don’t have long waits. And again, don’t rush around trying to do everything. Just enjoy what the vacation brings you.

Disney By Dads

Ideas for planning your Disney World Vacation

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