My oldest daughter is participating in the Disney College Program in Orlando, FL until August. We decided to go out to visit her for her birthday a few weeks ago. May is a perfect time to visit. We walked on most rides and compared to other times we have visited Disney World, the crowd was relatively small.
We went to all the parks: Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. I like each of the parks for different reasons. My favorite rides are Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom and Rockin' Rollercoaster in Hollywood Studios.
I like Magic Kingdom, but I have to be honest, it doesn't have the same magic for me that Disneyland has. I'm sure it's because I grew up going to Disneyland regularly. I remember back in the day when we had to use tickets to get on the rides and the Matterhorn was the "big" ride. Disneyland makes me feel like a kid again. I have so many memories there and I love it. Magic Kingdom in Orlando is fun, just not as magical for me.
We also went to Universal's Islands of Adventure. Some of the coolest rides ever. LOVED Harry Potter World and I'm not even a Potterite (though my daughter is and she was in heaven--just like a little girl even though she's 23). The ride through the castle is probably the best ride I've ever been on because it makes you part of the world. You are following Harry through a Quidditch game and flying around Hogwarts, then you're in the spider's lair (which squirts water at you). We hardly waited in line, but going through the wait area is so cool because it has so many things featured in the books. AWESOME ride.
I also loved the Spiderman ride for the same reason. You become part of Spiderman's world and the ride is interactive--a bad guy plugs a big cord into the car you're in and it starts shaking, you feel heat when the Goblin throws fiery pumpkin heads, and you're sprinkled with water when the bad water guy comes after you. Of course, at the end Spiderman saves the day. AWESOME ride.
I also loved the roller coasters in Harry Potter World called the Dueling Dragons (I think). Fast, smooth, upside down at times. The front seat is the best spot. There's a blue one and a red one--my favorite was the blue one.
I did not like The Hulk Rollercoaster. Too jerky and each time I rode it, I ended up with a headache.
As for Disney vs. Universal:
Disney wins for atmosphere and ambiance hands down. But Universal wins for awesome rides. I wouldn't go to Universal with really young kids because they'd miss out on a lot of the rides, but for older kids and adults, you just can't beat those Universal rides.
A very fun trip!
Showing posts with label Theme Parks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Theme Parks. Show all posts
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
EPCOT: World Showcase
I love this part of EPCOT. It's a big circle with all the countries surrounding a large lake. I'd guess it's over a mile from start to finish. You walk the loop going from country to country.
It's so interesting to visit each place and learn a little about that country. We watched a movie about Canada in a 360 degree/surround theater. It was breathtaking. I had no idea Canada was so beautiful. It made me want to visit.
In order to accommodate the crowds at EPCOT, there are no seats in the theater. Everyone must stand. My daughter assumed this to mean that Canadian theaters have no seats. She asked one of the Canadian workers, "So do Canadian theaters have no seats?"
The worker looked at her and said, "In Canada, we all pull out our sleeping bags, go into the forest, and watch movies on a sheet spread between trees." Then she walked off leaving my daughter to wonder if she were serious. Of course, none of us gave my daughter a hard time for asking that question :).
My son loved showing us Italy because that's where he spent 2 years on his mission. He said Disney did a fantastic job replicating the look of Italy. He said they always have a patron saint that watches over the city.
I loved eating in Germany--delicious food. We ate a buffet with red cabbage, different meats, German salads, and lots of delectable desserts. I also loved eating at Morocco. Very different food. Some of the kids didn't enjoy it much but they were good sports and ate it anyway.
I must, however, complain about the reservation policy. None of the restaurants wanted to give us reservations because we had 13 people. They gave us such a hard time and we ended up having to wait a long time and/or eating very late at night. I would guess from their reactions and unwillingness to give us reservations that we are the only large group to ever go to Disney World. And, the guy in Italy was just rude about it.
We watched the Candlelight Procession which included a choir singing religious songs and a reading by Susan Lucci of All My Children fame. Beautiful program.
The fireworks display was awesome. Every night at closing EPCOT hosts a fantastic fireworks show including a large replica of the earth that was brought out to the middle of the lake. At the end of the show fire comes out of the earth.
I also enjoyed going to Norway and learning about the Vikings--some nasty dudes. From what I read, seems like they were Norwegian pirates. This is photo of my daughters with an infamous Norwegian troll.
EPCOT isn't filled with rides, it's more of a learning experience and you can't do it all in one day. We went back a few times to see what we'd missed. Growing up in CA, we went to Disneyland all the time, but EPCOT is like nothing else. It's really an adventure and I'm glad we could take the kids and expose them to it.
It's so interesting to visit each place and learn a little about that country. We watched a movie about Canada in a 360 degree/surround theater. It was breathtaking. I had no idea Canada was so beautiful. It made me want to visit.
In order to accommodate the crowds at EPCOT, there are no seats in the theater. Everyone must stand. My daughter assumed this to mean that Canadian theaters have no seats. She asked one of the Canadian workers, "So do Canadian theaters have no seats?"
The worker looked at her and said, "In Canada, we all pull out our sleeping bags, go into the forest, and watch movies on a sheet spread between trees." Then she walked off leaving my daughter to wonder if she were serious. Of course, none of us gave my daughter a hard time for asking that question :).
My son loved showing us Italy because that's where he spent 2 years on his mission. He said Disney did a fantastic job replicating the look of Italy. He said they always have a patron saint that watches over the city.
I loved eating in Germany--delicious food. We ate a buffet with red cabbage, different meats, German salads, and lots of delectable desserts. I also loved eating at Morocco. Very different food. Some of the kids didn't enjoy it much but they were good sports and ate it anyway.
I must, however, complain about the reservation policy. None of the restaurants wanted to give us reservations because we had 13 people. They gave us such a hard time and we ended up having to wait a long time and/or eating very late at night. I would guess from their reactions and unwillingness to give us reservations that we are the only large group to ever go to Disney World. And, the guy in Italy was just rude about it.
We watched the Candlelight Procession which included a choir singing religious songs and a reading by Susan Lucci of All My Children fame. Beautiful program.
The fireworks display was awesome. Every night at closing EPCOT hosts a fantastic fireworks show including a large replica of the earth that was brought out to the middle of the lake. At the end of the show fire comes out of the earth.
I also enjoyed going to Norway and learning about the Vikings--some nasty dudes. From what I read, seems like they were Norwegian pirates. This is photo of my daughters with an infamous Norwegian troll.
EPCOT isn't filled with rides, it's more of a learning experience and you can't do it all in one day. We went back a few times to see what we'd missed. Growing up in CA, we went to Disneyland all the time, but EPCOT is like nothing else. It's really an adventure and I'm glad we could take the kids and expose them to it.
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