soarin – threestrandswdw

Soarin’ To New Heights

It has been rumored, and now confirmed by Walt Disney World, that the popular attraction Soarin’ will be closing on January 4, 2016, for an extended refurbishment. The closure could be six months or more. So, what is expected to be done?

Many of us already know that a third theater is being added to the attraction. And, it is expected that this theater will be a DIGITAL theater. This allows for the probability that the original theaters will be updated with the same technology. Imagine, watching something on a screen that isn’t stained! That’s an upgrade right there!

The conclusion of this refurbishment is expected to coincide with the release of the NEW Soarin’ Around The World film. And, while I know it will be a pain to have to miss this attraction during this time, I believe the outcome will be more than worth it for one of EPCOT’s most loved attractions!

I can’t want to see it! Can you? In the meantime, I hope you have a Blessed and Magical week, my Disney Lovin’ Friends!!

Changes Soarin’ at WDW

Walt Disney always said that things in the parks would continue to evolve and change as imagineers came up with new ideas and technologies. Well, this week saw a completed refurb and a few announcements of new enhancements at Walt Disney World.

First, Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid recently completed a short refurbishment that saw enhancements to the scenes. Most notably, some added fish and the use of additional black lighting to bring out the glow of this dark ride. I can’t wait to see this one in person!

Walt Disney World announced two rides would be getting a little more space to help with crowds. These changes have been rumored for sometime, but we now know that a third track is being added to Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This additional track will hopefully help shorten wait times in the stand-by line. We shall see!

And, at EPCOT, Soarin’ will have a third theater added to help swallow larger crowds. The new theater will have a new screen and an upgraded movie system. I am assuming that it will be going digital, but that hasn’t been confirmed at this point! Once this third theater opens, the other two will be upgraded with new screens and the upgraded movie system. A completion date hasn’t been released, but most guesses are in the fall of 2016.

Cinderella’s Royal Table reopened in THE Castle! I can’t wait to see the new pictures, but at this point, no word on any improvements to the menu. Stay tuned!

Have a Blessed and Magical Day, my friends!!

magical_matthew

The Return Of…at WDW

It began with the Meet and Greet of Anna and Elsa! It found it’s way to Soarin’ at EPCOT! Now, it has made it’s debut at Be Our Guest! What is it, you ask? It may bring about memories of an era gone by! What am I talking about? Read on…

A few weeks ago, Walt Disney World decided to limit the stand-by line at Anna and Elsa by giving guests a piece of paper with a return window time printed on it. You are given something that resembles the classic Fastpass that has a 30 minute window to return to the stand-by entrance and meet the Frozen royalty!

A week or so later, the same type of system was introduced for stand-by guests at Soarin’. It, too, has a 30 minute window for re-entry to the stand-by queue in time to get your flight!

This week, WDW has introduced this line reducing strategy at the Be Our Guest restaurant for lunch! You report to the entrance of the Stand-by queue, a Cast Member gives you ticket timed for a specific return. Once all of these Fastpass type tickets have been distributed, a sign stating that there is no more stand-by seating for the day will be put in place! So, there are now two primary ways to eat at Be Our Guest for lunch!! Either, you are one of the blessed on-site guests who get the email invitation for Fastpassing Be Our Guest, or you head Stand-by line and hope to get a lucky ticket!

In my mind there is an advantage to these attractions being managed in this manner. Instead of standing in a queue for as much as three hours, you can use that time to see some other attractions and shows! It may require moving a few things around, but if these are things on your Must-Do lists, it may be worth the adjustments!

Enjoy your weekends!! And, have a Blessed and Magical Day, my friends!

A Journey of the Imagination

Today, I want to take a trip in my imagination to my favorite park at Walt Disney World. Welcome to Epcot Center! Yes, that is what I called it and will continue to call it the rest of my life!

After making Rope Drop, I am headed to Test Track! I love getting it done early when crowds are more manageable, and I can design my car without being rushed! I have been on both versions and don’t know if I really have a favorite, but this is what we have and I’m going to enjoy it on it’s own merit! After the high speed conclusion, I am headed to Spaceship Earth! To me this is the definition of a classic Disney attraction! I don’t like some of the changes, especially at the end, but at least most of the history is in tact and enjoyable.

Now to use my first Fastpass+ for Soarin’! Like many, I am hoping for an update to both the film and the theaters! Rumor of recent flyovers for filming are circling around, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Once my feet are back on the ground, it’s time to make a pass through Nemo.

Now, I know my choice for lunch can be somewhat controversial, but I love Nine Dragons! The Five-Spiced Fish is awesome, and the service we received on last visit makes it worth a second glance. And, it’s time to tour World Showcase…first stop, Norway and my second FPP on Maelstrom! Love the ride and this pavilion is beautiful!! I hope they leave the ride alone and dowse all of these Frozen rumors! They can stick Frozen someplace else!

Next stop, The American Adventure! My absolute favorite World Showcase stop! I don’t know about any of you, but I always cry at the sound of Golden Dreams! My patriotism comes out anytime I walk into this building. The Voices of Liberty and the Fife and Drum make the entire experience memorable and special!

A quick pass through Morocco to look at some of the mosaic tiling, and Japan for the drummers, then off to Canada for the O Canada movie and some Off Kilter, love this band!! A trip back to the America Gardens Theater for Starship at the Flower Power Concert, then I am headed to Garden Grill for dinner before using my final FPP for Illuminations! After the fireworks, I am going to Rose and Crown for the EPCOT Wind Down before headed back to my room at Disney’s Beach Club Resort!

Hey, If I’m using my imagination, I can do anything I want to, right?

How would your day go? I’d love to hear about it either in the comments below or by email at threestrandswdw@outlook.com.

Have a Blessed and Magical Sunday, my friends!

Vehicles

You probably think this is about getting around the parks, and it almost was! But, I decided it’s time to look at some of the workings of the attractions. So, today, in this installment of the ABCs of Walt Disney World, we will be looking at some of the ride VEHICLES that bring some of the great memories of being a guest at any of the four theme parks.

Today, I’m starting at Disney’s Animal Kingdom! There are two obvious ride vehicles that jump to mind, and maybe a third, when you think of this park. Kilimanjaro Safaris offers a ride through the African savanna in an open-air vehicle that allows you some unique views of the animals as they make their way around their habitats. It’s a bit of a rough ride, but it seems quite realistic!

What goes up, comes down...FAST!! — What goes up, comes down…FAST!!

Expedition Everest is a ‘train’ ride through the Himalayan Mountain Range. The cars are a big part of the show offered on what may be the Big Kahuna of thrill rides at WDW! It’s my wife’s favorite! One other worth mentioning is, DINOSAUR! The cars themselves aren’t much to think about, but the way they respond, is all part of the attraction! Each car has pre-programmed reactions to each scene within this dark ride. And, it is very realistic as you make your way through this pre-historic jungle. Overall, it’s an exciting adventure!

At EPCOT, the most memorable ride vehicle is probably SOARIN’! The unique experience offered on this ride it something to behold! The actual vehicle is set up on a cantilever type structure that swings you up in front of an IMAX screen and you have the feeling of floating, flying, and soaring through the sky over various scenes in California. You even get the smells to go with the ride!

Hollywood Studios has Tower of Terror. You may not think of this as a vehicle driven ride, but I believe it qualifies! You are taken for a little tour before the doors open and you suddenly begin to drop several times and at different paces. But, it’s not an actual elevator, it is a carefully designed and skillfully programmed ride to give you the thrills that keep you coming back time after time.

And now, the Magic Kingdom! Probably some of the most loved and memorable ride vehicles are here! For me, the obvious first one to look at is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, or Peoplemover! Who doesn’t enjoy a round (or two) on here? It’s a way to kick back, relax, and enjoy a different view of Tomorrowland attractions. One question, can someone tell me if they tend to turn up the juice on this thing when it’s busy? My last ride kind of messed up my hair!

Pirates of the Caribbean has the look of a pirate longboat for this classic Disney ride. It is one of the most popular rides in The Magic Kingdom, and a crowd favorite! And, since the movies have come out, some of the scenes have been enhanced with the presence of your favorite pirates.

Pooh has a Honey Pot, Peter Pan has a flying pirate ship, Big Thunder uses another train type car.

But, the one everyone is waiting for is coming soon! The Seven Dwarf’s Mine Coaster offers the most unique ride vehicle created to date! Each car is different! Not only are there the normal bumps along the way, but the cars will sway side to side as well. There will be some of the familiar scenes from the movie (or so we have been led to believe) throughout the ride. I don’t know about anyone else, but I can’t wait for this one! Hopefully, it will open to guests this spring.

Well, there are many more, but I don’t want to go on forever! So, I wish you a Blessed and Magical Day, my friends!

EPCOT Visit 2013

Today took the threestrandswdw family to EPCOT! I went ahead of everyone else to have a few minutes to myself in my favorite park. Seems like yesterday when I walked into a two-day old EPCOT Center that looked new, smelled fresh, and had a unique theme that had never been done. And, while it looks a bit more worn, could use a fresh coat of paint, and maybe some updates on a few attractions, my soft spot for this Theme Park remains strong and true.

I got to take my first ride on the classic Spaceship Earth! I miss the Walter Cronkite version, and didn’t get to hear any of the other narrators prior to Miss Dench. She does a nice job, but if you’re sleepy, be careful! From there, I went over to the musical fountain and shot several minutes of video. I love how the water responds to the music, and at this time it is using Christmas music. Nice touch!

Once my family caught up, we rode Mission: Space. It’s a thrilling ride, even on the Green side of things. I love that Gary Sinise is the Capcom! He just fits the part!

Soarin’ was next on the list and it did not disappoint! I do wish they would get a film more fitting to the Florida setting, and we all know rumors are circling. But, until I see it, I won’t believe it! The technology is looking aged, but it still delivers a nice, calm thrill!

While my wife and mother-in-law went to “Livin’ With The Land” I took the kids and we did Figment at the Imagination Pavilion. Then, we met back up at “The Seas with Nemo and Friends” using FastPass+. On this day, that was a good choice for this attraction!

My son and I then hoofed back to Imagination to enjoy Captain EO. I know, it’s old and dated. But, this is only my second time seeing it, and rumor has it may be the last chance I was going to get to see it.

Finally, it was time for the other ride I had been waiting to see. We cashed in our FastPass+ at Test Track! I actually like the changes. It still does the same testing, but it is kind of a blind test. You don’t really see what’s coming, or how the car is going to respond. The road test was exhilarating! My only regret is that I ran out of time to ride it a second time!!

It was time to head to the China Pavilion in World Showcase for lunch at Nine Dragons. I know much has been said about this restaurant, but I like to judge on my own experience without the influence of others. I will be writing later with details of what we all ate, and what we thought about each dish. Suffice it to say, we will likely return on future visits.

We all went our own way for a bit of time to wander different areas of World Showcase. I still enjoy “O Canada” and Martin Short enhances the movie, in my opinion. The visuals are beautiful and the music brings tears to my eyes (and I’m not Canadian).

The highlight of the day was my first ever Candlelight Processional. Our narrator tonight was Whoopi Goldberg and I was very pleasantly surprised at her presentation of the Christmas Story as told in The Bible! As a Christian, it is important to me that this story is treated with respect and honor. And, Whoopi accomplished that task with grace and feeling. Nicely Done!!

I chose to pass on Illuminations! Reflections of Earth on this trip. It’s been hotter than expected with higher humidity that you would think to see this time of year. And, considering my home is under a foot of snow at this moment, I think I’m doing pretty good!

Tomorrow is Animal Kingdom day, so until may you have a Blessed and Magical evening!