O' Canada, Epcot - Epcot has three 360° films on World Showcase. They are all great films, but my personal favorite is O' Cananda, tucked away in the Canada pavilion. When it first debuted, the 360° Circle Vision was AMAZING, and still is pretty neat. Giant screens surround you on all sides, making the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian landscape even more so.
Temple of Heaven, Epcot - The China pavilion's Temple of Heaven is home to the film Reflections of China (another 360° Circle Vision movie). While the film is great, the real attraction to me is the temple itself. Just walk in and look up. You'll see what I mean.
Walt Disney World Railroad, Magic Kingdom - Not just an attraction, but a great means of transportation inside the park. With stops at Main Street, Frontierland, and Fantasyland, taking the train is a relaxing (and scenic) way to get from one side of the park to the other. Because the train circles the entire perimeter of the park, you get a different perspective and view of some of the attractions, including an inside view of Splash Mountain.
Country Bear Jamboree, Magic Kingdom - So it's a little corny...OK, maybe it's a lot corny, but this is a classic everyone should see (especially if you have little ones). The personalities of the animatronic bears are what make the show for me. They are a great example of Disney storytelling at its finest. The music and humor is, like I said, corny, but it still makes you laugh and tap your foot to the beat.
Walt Disney: One Man's Dream, Disney's Hollywood Studios - This one is easily my favorite on the list. If you have any interest at all in Disney history, you'll love this walk-through exhibit. You'll learn about Walt's humble beginnings, his struggles in the business, and how his amazing dreams became reality. There are also great artifacts like the multi-plane camera, early Mickey Mouse merchandise, and models of theme park attractions. At the end, you can view a short film about Walt that is wonderful (yeah, it makes me cry). Definitely don't miss it!
Hey, remember me? Yeah, I know, I’ve been a big time slacker on this blog for the past two months, but now that graduations are over and my crazy photographer life gets kind of back to normal, you should be seeing a lot more of me here…. Especially since I’m super homesick right now!
I’m always missing WDW, but it’s even worse this time of year. Right now is peak vacation season for families. The kids are just out of school and it hasn’t gotten too unbearably hot yet, so this is one of the most desirable vacation times of the year. In fact a couple of my Facebook friends just got back last week, and a couple of weeks from now my cousin is taking her husband and three kids. (I’ve already threatened to hide in the suitcase more than once!) As for me, I probably won’t be returning for another 2 or 3 years :(. But don’t think I haven’t already started planning!
Just this weekend, something happened in the World that got me (and my mom and dad) totally fired up and ready to go again. On Friday, the Star Tours attraction finally reopened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, bigger and better than ever!
For those of you that don’t know, Star Tours is a simulation ride that opened at the Studios 20 years ago and was based on the final movie in the original Star Wars trilogy, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi. It has always been one of my favorite rides, even before I became a Star Wars fan. When I was just 3, my parents and I would ride it, get off and turn around and get right back on. We did that so many times once that the cast member at the entrance said he couldn’t believe I would ride it that many times. But I LOVED it!
After the first part of the new trilogy, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, came out in 1999, I think everyone was in agreement that the ride needed updating, just to keep up with the new story. For whatever reasons, the ride never changed. I believe it’s popularity did decrease slightly, because the last several trips I haven’t had to wait in line for it at all. But it wasn’t until September of 2010 that the ride closed for refurbishment. “Refurbishment” in Disney-speak usually just means a good cleaning and oiling up, but Star Tours got a complete makeover.
The ride is now in 3-D and features 54 different ride experiences, so you could ride it over and over like we used to and never get the same sequence twice. You could travel to some of your favorite planets in the Star Wars galaxy, like Tatoonie (where you can podrace!! AWESOME!!), Hoth, Naboo, Coruscant, Kashyyk, or maybe you’ll venture over to the Death Star. And you never know who your pilot may be. It could be Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Admiral Ackbar, R2-D2, Master Yoda, a storm trooper, or even (yikes!) Darth Vader.
Being the huge Disney/Star Wars geek that I am, I took a break from photo editing Friday morning to watch the grand opening ceremony on WDW’s Facebook page. George Lucas and cast members from the TV series The Clone Wars were on-hand to officially open the ride to the public. After a little stand-off with Vader and his storm troopers, guests took their first intergalactic flight.
I’ve added Disney's commercial for the ride below. I cannot wait to see it in person! If you’re planning a trip this summer, check it out and be sure to let me know how awesome it is. And of course, may the Force be with you!
