2022 saw the return of Mickey's Very Expensive....er, Merry Christmas Party after a Covid induced hiatus. I last saw this in 2015 and not much has changed. In fact, it's pretty much the same parade with no new addition or changes. I once again staked out a position in front of the Main Street Christmas tree facing Cinderella's castle. Because it's such a prime viewing spot, I had to camp there a good two hours before the parade start. The good news is that it afforded me some decent pics, the bad news is cost me our reservations at Cinderella's Castle (for which I had to prepay $160).
The snow effects on Main Street is still pretty amazing, giving the parade that extra "Christmas" vibe. We attended the earlier show, but it's common knowledge the 11:00 pm time is less crowded.
Our first two nights was at the DisneyYacht Club. If you prefer a more laid back, less noisy resort, this is a good choice. Rooms were nice with very minimal Disney accents. At night, the area is quite beautiful, especially the view of the lighthouse overlooking Crescent Lake. The one negative was the "Pumpkin Spiced Latte" from the Market @ Ale & Compass. It ran around six bucks and was truly terrible! Across from the Yacht Club is the Boardwalk Resort. I stayed there in 1996 when it first opened, but the place is really a ghost town at this point. I know there are ongoing plans to revitalize the area, so hopefully things will improve.
Disney Hollywood Studios was another one day only park. DHS had the most changes since our last visit. The company went on major acquisition binges with Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars so it's a forgone conclusion these expensive properties would make their way into the parks big time.
The E-Ticket attractions here are Guardians of the Galaxy: Rewind & Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. It's these rides that lead me down the rabbit hole of Genie+ and Lightning Lane. Disney World has an app which is very useful and well designed for smart phones. Tickets, lodging, dining, ride times, and just about anything else you need to know is all tied into your device. The app does include a standard Genie (think free D23 membership level) which helps plan your day based on interests and favorites. To book high demand rides like Guardians and ROTR, you need to pay extra per day for Genie+. It can range anywhere from $15.00-$25.00 depending on the day. We averaged about $20.00 per person when we chose this option. Think of Genie+ as "Fast Pass", only with a premium attached. On top of that, Disney has shrewdly designated certain rides as top tier demand which requires you to purchase Lighting Lane access (yep, another added cost). So for those two rides, we paid an extra $20.00 per person. In the end, a ride like Guardians, in addition to the daily park entrance ticket, will cost you approximately $40.00 more per guest if you want to avoid long lines. For me personally, it really degrades the entire park experience. It feels like Disney is out to fleece you at every turn. Perhaps younger generations with little to no experience on how Disney parks use to operate, are more willing to accept it as part of the vacation experience. My wife's friend basically boils it down to how much you value your time at Disney. If waiting 90 minutes for a ride is not your cup of tea, then Genie+ and LL might be the way to go. To pour salt on the wound, I had my eyes closed for most of Guardians because it was another motion control rides employing large video screens! For those who can handle this type of ride, you will definitely love it!
Fortunately, the other Lightning Lane purchase, Rise of the Resistance proved just the opposite. More of an actual ride with a better mix of video screens and physical staging, this was an incredible experience. It proves Imagineers can still take things to the next level, given the right properties and budget.
On a side note, Disney's ride queue plays such an important role in the overall immersive experience. One of the pitfalls of Genie+ and LL is that we often whisk pass this setup in a hurry to get to the ride vehicle (I'm guilty of this). I can't help but think how this dilutes the ride by not giving the mind time to accept the premise and buy into the idea we're about to board a space ship. Walt and his Imagineers understood this so well when building the original Disneyland.
I should have wrote about Star Wars: Galaxy Edge as a park before giving my thoughts on Resistance. But, never fear, this is another major hit for Disney. Obviously no expense was spared and this is a land that Hollywood Studios desperately needed. The theming and attention to detail is perfect, with the payoff being a full scale model of the Millennium Falcon. Like the castles, this is an iconic landmark that guests will immediately gravitate to. Set up against a backdrop of alien buildings and landscape, the Falcon is a sight to behold.
After the Falcon, the next most impressive ship would be the First Order Tie Echelon. Located towards the back of the park, this area is much less crowded and a little easier to get pics without too many people.
I was a big Star Wars fan when the original trilogy was released. The prequels and sequels dulled my passion considerably, so it is no small feat that Galaxy's Edge impressed the heck out of me.
Sue and I booked two of our favorite restaurants at Hollywood Studios....Sci-Fi Dine In and 50's Prime Time Cafe. My wife was still feeling lousy so we cancelled Prime Time. However, we did make it to Sci-Fi for lunch. We ordered chocolate and vanilla shakes and let me tell you....those were the best shakes I've ever had in my life. Seriously, I would go back to Orlando just to have another of these delicious ice cream treats! I still think the concept and overall theming of this restaurant is one of the best (even compared to the newest extravaganza Space 220). The trailer and advertisements on the big screen are a blast and the landscape beyond the drive-in has a magical look that makes me want to hop the wall and explore the country side.
I did a quick run though Toy Story Land, an area that the kiddies will enjoy! Very similar to "Bug's Land" in Disneyland, the rides are well designed and on the level of merry-go-rounds. Very cute, but no where on the level of Galaxy's Edge.
The last major change/addition to Hollywood Studios since 2015 was Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway. Replacing my much loved "The Great Movie Ride" (I'll admit it was showing age and needed a major overhaul) was a daunting task. It's a no-win scenario for the most part unless the Imagineers came up with a home run.
Sad to say, it looks like most of the budget went to Rise of the Resistance. Runaway Railway is a pleasant ride geared towards children. It's a "dark ride" spruced up for the current generation, but with none of the dramatic storytelling the best of those attractions had to offer (think Peter Pan, Snow White, and Pinocchio) .
I can understand not wanting to get rid of an iconic building like Grauman's, but the Chinese theater seems an ill match for this newest ride. It reminds me of how Tower of Terror was refitted for the Guardians Mission Breakout. It has an underlying feel of cost saving moves designated by bean counters.
Since we're on the subject, another classic ride that got booted in favor of a character/movie property was Norway's Malestrom. My favorite ride in Epcot, it perfectly captured the more fantastical and mythical aspects of Norwegian culture. While "Frozen" makes sense from a business point of view (very popular with the kiddies), I can't help but feel it takes away a little more of what made Epcot unique. There may come a day when Walt's personal dream park becomes indistinguishable from all the rest.
Our next accommodation for 3 nights was Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge. I first stayed there in 1996 and just visited the lobby in 2015 (a mistake I rectified on this stay). Wilderness Lodge is still my favorite hotel, but AKL is awfully close. One of the advantages over Wilderness is that it is a much quieter and older crowd. A lot less children for sure. Strangely enough, we didn't eat at any of the restaurants at either here or the park. We loved the food on our last trip, but making dining reservations was such a hassle this time around that it definitely impacted our choices.
Both Wilderness and AK Lodges (along with Disneyland's Grand Californian) were designed by Denver architect Peter Dominick ( had wrongly assumes that Imagineer Joe Rohde was in charge) so I can see why these three hotels are among my most favorites. There are similarities between Wilderness and here but I dig the feeling of continuity. There is enough differences to give each place their own personality with profound respect for the source inspiration.
I cannot fault AKL one bit. Although I've yet to see a giraffe come walking by by window, this is truly Disney accommodations at its finest!
Disney's Animal Kingdom was my second most anticipated park following Epcot. I've grown to appreciate the artistry and skill invested into this fourth gate, but its limited hours was always a negative. With the opening of Pandora, AK finally has a reason to stay open into the evening. Just to see the Tree of Light lit up at night is worth the admission price alone. I do think the tree photographs better in the day but that could be more of a testament to my sometime mediocre skills as a "photographer"!
Before entering the park, we stopped off at the Joffrey's cart outside the entrance for a really great cup of coffee (and this is coming from a Hawaii boy who drinks 100% Kona brew) and the best $6.00 chocolate covered doughnut ever! Yep, $6.00! But in Disney World that's equivalent to chump change...haha!
AK doesn't have much of an entry hub like Magic Kingdom. You pretty much head out to the areas of your choice (my faves being Africa and Asia). If you're there in the morning, be sure to hang out near Garden Gates Gifts for the daily appearance of DiVine. This hired performer on seven foot stilts never fails to impress. Highest kudos to Disney's audio-animatronics, but something about a real person in fantastically done makeup and costume can outdo those robots any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
We arrived in Pandora - the World of Avatar in the early afternoon. To say the place was packed would be an understatement. We went ahead and did Genie+ and LL for "Flight of Passage". This cost us an additional $35.00 each by the time we purchased both options. The overall experience is quite impressive. Think California Soarin' on steroids ala James Cameron. The nature of the ride doesn't allow for photographs, but this is one instance where the ride is better appreciated with one's full attention. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about Na'vi River Journey, a rare misfire for the Imagineers. While the scenes are pretty, it's nothing we haven't seen before in terms of technology. What really hurts this ride is a lack of storytelling. It's just a boat passing a bunch of random scenes (the ride may fair better among guests who have a stronger connection to the film than I do).
And therein lies the biggest problem with Pandora, and Avatar in general. I genuinely love most, if not all of James Cameron's films (T2, Aliens, The Abyss, True Lies, even Titanic), but his biggest movie, Avatar did not connect with me on an emotional gut level. One of Cameron's greatest strengths (besides stunning visuals and effects) has always been his emphasis on strong character development and making the audience care for their cinematic journey. While Avatar does this to a limited extent, the "Dances with Wolves" theme feels too familiar and cliche. The director's 3D work is a beyond reproach, but may have impacted Cameron's attention to storytelling. The end result is while Pandora is a beautiful addition to AK, emotionally....it leaves me uninterested. I always thought Avatar was a strange fit for Disney with it's more adult themes, but I can see the appeal of having the highest grossing movie as part of your stable. I would have preferred a mythical themed land hinted at when AK was initially launched.
Ultimately, Pandora has and will continue to bring crowds so it can definitely be deemed a success. And regardless of the subject, the Imagineers once again proved they are the king of the hill when it comes to new ideas and technological developments. But alas, like a tasty dessert, it's all empty calories.
The last day at WDW was spent at Epcot. By this time, Sue and I were pretty exhausted between park hopping and battling colds. I brought the camera, but really wanted to just enjoy and soak in my last time at WDW.
One of the unsung areas at World Showcase is the American Adventure. I always gravitate to colonial architecture so I wanted to make sure I got an image or two of this building at night. And while the audio-animatronic show was closed (hopefully for renovations), the Voices of Liberty were there performing a melody of classic Christmas songs.
Much like the Food and Wine event, Epcot's International Festival of the Holidays has the countries serving up small size portions of local cuisine. We were scheduled for lunch in an hour, but America's sampler was too good to pass up. Hot moist turkey smothered in brown gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry, and string beans was pretty much one of the best meals we've ever ate at a Disney park. They should be serving this at Be Our Guest (never mind that it's a French restaurant).
3 comments:
Len, as always your posts are filled with absolutely gorgeous photographs! They remind me why Walt Disney World is still an incredible place to visit. Thank you for writing this!
My only point of disagreement with you, my friend, is on Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. Sure, it could have been better, and yes, it should have been in the animation courtyard in a new building- but, I found it to be a delightfully charming old school styled attraction. So, I think a bit more highly of it than you. :)
In spite of all the negative money grabs, you sound rather hopeful about the future of the World. Am I reading you correctly, Len?
Thanks again for taking the time to do this!
Mark
I'm glad you enjoyed Runaway Rail, Mark! I do think it's well executed, no doubt! Just a personal preference thing. I've never been a big "Mickey" fan so that plays a lot into my enthusiasm for the ride.
I'll always be rooting for Disney parks, and the Imagineers in particular. My biggest concern is with the ever spiraling cost. I still feel it's moving into the realm of "the rich and upper class only" although I hope I'm wrong.
Thank you again for allowing me to guest post. Even though I did point out a lot of negative things, I truly love and have loved my time and experiences at WDW.
Happy New Year ad God bless you always my friend!
I hope you're wrong too, Len. I'd hate to be priced out of Disney, but that certainly seems like their long term plan.
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