Florida Villas Blog

This attraction is located in Disney Hollywood Studios, the old MGM studios. The ride is based on the old TV show the “Twilight Zone”.

The original version of the attraction opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios in July 1994. The story includes the hotel being struck by lightning on October 31, 1939, strangely transporting an elevator full of passengers to the Twilight Zone and making an entire wing of the building disappear.

The outside of the ride resembles an old hotel (The Hollywood Towers Hotel) with a blackened scorch mark across the front of the building where the lightning strike damaged it.

The cast members are especially selected to act scarily when they greet you and throughout their interaction with the ride. They wear a costume that resembles a hotel porter of that era. At over $1000 per uniform, it is the most expensive costume in the theme parks.

Standing 199 feet tall, it is the second tallest attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort, if it had been 200ft tall they would have had to put a red light on the top to abide by FAA regulations.

The preshow queue involves the guests on the outside being guided through the overgrown gardens of the hotel. Once inside after entering through the main hotel door, you queue to enter an atmosphere setting room that resembles a library because your room is not quite ready. The whole hotel looks cobwebby and looks as though it has been left just how it was after that October night. You can see that a thunderstorm is happening outside, through the library windows. There is a black and white TV that comes on after a thunderclap and the TV presenter gives a little insight to what happened to the hotel and the lost guests. Once the TV broadcast is complete a door at the opposite end to where you came in opens and you find yourself in the boiler room of the hotel. There are several service elevators there waiting for you. You do have to queue a little here too. A little tip keep taking the left option as this seems quicker.

Once inside the ride you have a lap strap as opposed to a bar that was originally pulled down to your lap. I will leave the rest to your imagination so as not to spoil the ride for you.

Our thoughts go out to the family and friends of the Sea World trainer, Dawn Brancheau, who died following an incident with one of the killer whales.

It appears that the whale grabbed her from the roll off area and began thrashing around and dragging her underwater. This followed a training session with the whale and was massaging Tilikum, a 12,000-pound whale when her ponytail fell onto the whale's nose Wednesday afternoon. That's when Tilikum suddenly grabbed her hair and dragged his trainer into the water where she drowned.

Tilikum, has killed twice before. The first time was when he was involved with another whale in the death of a trainer in a Canadian water park. The second time was when a man hid when the park was closing and entered the whale enclosure when no one was around.

I think that it is time to withdraw the whale from shows and interaction with trainers as it is clear that he can become distressed easily. I would hate to see this animal destroyed just as I am sure that Dawn Brancheau would not want that either.

Universal Studios Orlando have announced the line up for their Mardi Gras entertainment

The line up is as follows:
February 6th: KC and the Sunshine Band
February 13th: Heart
February 14th:Kool and the Gang
February 20th: Blondie
February 27th: Dierks Bentley
March 6th: Akon
March 13th: Aretha Franklin
March 20th: Miranda Lambert
March 27th: Doors Down
April 3rd: Beach Boys
April 9th: Sheryl Crow
April 10th: Flo Rida
April 17th: Chicago

 

 

It looks a like there should be something there to suit all musical tastes.

 

 

Animal Kingdom is a paradise for animals, birds, reptiles and other creatures, so what better way to see them than by taking the Kilimanjaro Safari Ride? We have ridden this ride several times, but each time we see something different, and enjoy it even more. It is a good idea to go straight to the safari ride as soon as you arrive, as it is really popular, and gets busy very early. However, you can use your fastpass if you arrive later. It’s great for taking photos of the animals, and if you arrive early you will have more chance of seeing them than after midday, when they tend to be having a siesta.

Kilimanjaro Safari Ride is located within ‘Africa’ at the far left hand corner of the park. As with many of Disney’s attractions, there is a long walk before you reach the actual safari ride, but there are overhead TV screens to get you in the mood, and fill you in on the background story, so you really don’t notice the wait. It is quite cool, with fans overhead, and open sides to the covered walkway which let in any cooling breezes. The scene is very cleverly set, and you can almost imagine yourself back in the old colonial days, wearing a pith helmet and safari suit. After quite a winding walk, which twists and turns, you will eventually come to the Park Ranger Station.

Here you will line up ready to board the large 32 passenger, open sided trucks, which will take you over bumpy ground into the bush. The seats are quite high up, so you get a good view of the animals, and with the canopy overhead and a fresh breeze coming in, it makes for a really enjoyable, if bumpy, ride. If you peer out of the truck at the road you will see animal footprints and tyre tracks in the dust – but, on closer inspection, you will see that it is really concrete! If you go more than once, try to sit on different sides of the truck, as you will get a different view from wherever you sit.

Do have your camera at the ready, but you will have to be quick to capture any photos of the animals, as the truck does not stop. Be prepared by setting your camera to take moving shots.

As you set off, the driver becomes your guide, and it is his, or her, enthusiasm that will make the experience seem real, or not. Our first driver was South African, and entered into the spirit of things with real gusto. It was simply amazing, as the truck set off into the underbush. Throughout the journey he kept in contact, by radio, with the bush pilot who is ‘flying’ overhead, and looking out for animals for us to view – as well as keeping an eye out for poachers. The safari takes you through very realistic African terrain, through savannahs of tall grass, over rocky trails, through a canopy of towering trees, and at one stage over a very rickety and dilapidated bridge – look out for the surprise here! Everywhere you look there are animals, gentle, shy antelope grazing in small groups, then onto the Bongo pool, where you may see a black rhino drinking. 

You may see hippos, basking at the foot of waterfalls, which cascade over the rocks, or large alligators, half covered with water, just waiting to snap at you. The grassland is really spectacular, and gives the impression of being in Africa. There are huge termite mounds and baobab tress – alright, they may be concrete, but they do look realistic.

The height of the safari, for us, is always the elephants, who stand majestically in groups, their massive bodies taking on the red rust colour of the soil they like to bathe in, trunks waving to and fro, as they reach up for leaves. You may be lucky enough to see a baby. It is now that we are asked by the pilot to start looking for Big Red and her offspring, Little Red, who are missing. Could they be in danger? Well, we will keep a look out and see if we can find them.

As we pass a flock of graceful flamingos, their delicate pink plumage making a splash of colour against the gold of the savannah, we are told to look out for cheetahs, lying up amongst the rocks, and maybe a regal lion, stretched out lazily on another mound of rocks, eyes shut, taking a nap in the sunshine.  Your truck will take you past tall necked giraffes swaying as they walk elegantly by, basking hippos and real alligators, wildebeest and gazelles, grazing placidly, regal lions lying splayed out on the rocks, lazily dozing in the sunshine.

All this peace and tranquillity is suddenly shattered, by the crackling of the radio, and an urgent appeal, by one of the reserve wardens, urging us to help find some poachers who have wounded Big Red. Little Red is missing too. It’s time to hang onto your hats as the truck suddenly accelerates, making a quick detour away from the track and through geysers spouting 20 feet into the air. This is when the fun really starts, and you really do have to hang on tight, as the truck twists and turns, rocks and rolls at speed through the potholed terrain. A jeep disappears round the bend, and at the side of the track we can see the remains of the poachers’ camp. The campfires are still smoking, and there are elephant tusks strewn around. They have obviously left in a hurry. We wonder if we are going to be too late to save Little Red? Well, I won’t spoil the excitement……..you will have to wait and see for yourselves!

Then it’s back on the road, through lush tropical vegetation, across a large pool with three large waterfalls, and then we are back home at the Ranger Station. Sadly, our safari is at an end, but you can do it all again if you go and use your fastpass! It’s a ride the children will love, adults, too, and even if the termite hills and the baobab trees are made of concrete, they are pretty good replicas!

The amazing thing is that you will be unaware of the ditches and barriers, which keep the animals in the right place – there are no visible fences.  Most extraordinarily – all the animals are taken into safe enclosures at night – makes you wonder how they get them all back in.

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

 

There is so much to see and do at Animal Kingdom, that it is hard to fit it all in, but one thing I would not want to miss is the wonderful and very spectacular ‘Festival of the Lion King,’ in Camp Minnie Mickey. We normally try to catch a performance later in the day, after we have visited most of the attractions. It is quite a long walk to the huge auditorium, but its well worth it, even if your feet are killing you by then. Try to arrive reasonably early as it gets pretty full and you can then choose where you sit.

The 1000 seat auditorium is now fully enclosed, and benefits from the addition of air conditioning. When we first visited Animal Kingdom it was open at the sides, and sometimes, during heavy showers or thunderstorms it was difficult to remain focused, because of the deafening noise of the rain and thunder. It could also be rather hot and humid, but now it is great.

The atmosphere is electric as the show starts, and the huge animatronic animals emerge from behind the curtains, accompanied by colourfully dressed cast members who sing and dance. Their tribal costumes are extravagant and stunning, with bold colours and vivid use of a variety of materials, and their typical African headdresses are very spectacular. There are 4 animatronic animals, Simba, who sits atop Pride Rock, a swaying giraffe, an elephant, and, in the jungle, Pumba and Timon. The theatre, which has 4 banks of seats, is then divided up so that each bank represents an animal – elephant, wart hog, lion and giraffe. The audience is encouraged to make appropriate noises for their allotted animal, and a member of the audience is coaxed down onto the floor to demonstrate their prowess at making animal noises. It is no problem for elephant or lion, but giraffe and warthog have a bit of a struggle. After a quick practice, this fast moving show is on the road.

There are acrobatic monkeys, in their startling orange striped costumes, who cavort and tumble on the trampoline that rolls out of the central area. They swing on the trapeze and provide a fast moving and intricate display of acrobatics. They tumble and twist and turn, whilst the song ‘Hakuna Matata’ plays.  There is a high speed finale, and then, almost in the bat of an eyelid the trampoline is folded away and disappears.

The mood changes dramatically and the auditorium is filled with pounding drums. The lights are lowered and in come the tribal warriors on stilts, their spectacular costumes, red and yellow striped, grass skirts, topped off with feathered tribal headdresses. There is a fire show, with plumes of flame rising out of the central stage area. The whole floor looks to be alight, and there are spinning torches, surrounded by colorful dancers – but there is an air of foreboding. Fire eaters make us gasp as they swallow flames.

The mood changes yet again, and all is calm and lightness. A turquoise and red bird dances in front of us, the female lifted high into the air, spinning and swooping. They perform to the sounds of that beautiful duet, and one of my favourite songs, ‘Can you feel the love tonight?’ which is sung with such feeling that it brings a lump to your throat. It is enchanting and romantic, and a spine tingling moment as you listen to the glorious harmonies. The female bird spins high in the sky, and as she circles above the audience there is orchestral music – a world in perfect harmony, connected in the circle of life. This wonderfully emotive song is sung with great power and emotion – the whole auditorium is simply transfixed by the beauty and emotion of it all.

Then it’s straight into the powerful, exciting and joyous ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ with its rhythmic chorus of ‘Whimoweh!’ and everyone joins in the singing and clapping, with a parade of eager children drawn into the centre of the auditorium.  More songs follow – Hakuna Matata – ‘no worries for the rest of your days’ – indeed your worries simply disappear in the magic of it all.  The birds return for another beautiful song, followed by the powerfully song ‘Be Prepared’ when an atmosphere of menace and evil emanates.

Simba reappears and sings ‘I Just Can’t Wait to be King’ a happy, rhythmic song in which the whole audience participates.  ‘The Circle of Life’ brings the ‘tingle’ factor once more, and delicate birds are brought out on tall sticks, swooping and gliding high above the audience. The finale, itself, is truly spectacular, engulfing you in song and music and dancing, drawing us all together in the circle of life. All too soon it is over, and the huge animatronic animals glide silently backstage. If you are quick, you might just get a photograph before they disappear.

I always leave with a feeling of great calm, awe and wonder, after this truly memorable show, which although offering just a brief taste of the magical musical, The Lion King, brings a visit to Animal Kingdom to a remarkably beautiful end. It is one of Disney’s best shows, combining wonderful sound systems, superb singers and dancers, remarkable animatronics, fast action, suspense, romance, and beautiful songs, in a way that only Disney can do. Don’t miss it, whatever you do.

Submitted by "ellie" a vacation home owner, view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

Surely the most magical part of Disney has to be Cinderella’s castle? How many of us, as children, dreamed of castles and princesses, princes and fairy godmothers, witches and dragons? I am sure that, like me, you cannot have failed to have been touched by the magic when you first saw Cinderella’s castle. Actually, I have to admit it was a bit of a shock to me, as I had always thought of it as being pink, but of course, that is the castle in Disneyland Paris, and Disneyworld’s magical castle is grey and blue, with gold spires. Set against the deep azure blue skies of Florida it is the perfect colour.

But did you know that it is supposedly the most photographed building in the world? I expect, like me, you have dozens of photos of the castle from every possible angle, and it is a firm favourite for a family portrait. I bet there is not one of us who does not have a photo of the family with the castle as a backdrop! It is certainly a great landmark as it can be seen from almost all parts of the park, so you need never get lost.

I wonder what is it about the castle that stirs the senses and takes us back to a mythical age when dragons roamed and knights in shining armour rescued princesses? Well, whatever it is, Disney seems to have found the perfect formula in Cinderella’s castle – from sunrise when it is suffused in a golden glow, through noon when it stands proud against an azure sky, and finally to dusk when it is lit up with  16.7 million colours. But of course it is night-time when the castle truly comes alive, bathed in a million exploding stars, as the dramatic firework display explodes around it and Tinkerbell flies across the sky. Like many others I have stood, entranced, the music and sounds engulfing me as I watch the castle changing colour - the perfect backdrop to the spectacular pyrotechnics of the evening.

Of course it is all an illusion – but one which we really don’t mind believing in. Said to be inspired by Neuschwanstein Castle in the Bavarian region of Germany, it stands only 189 ft tall but it appears larger because of forced perspective. The bricks and other details get smaller as the building gets taller, so it appears larger than it really is – it actually looks more like 300ft tall. In fact they are not really bricks at all, but the walls both inside and outside have been sculpted to resemble solid granite. The inside of the castle is made of reinforced gypsum plaster, supported by a huge steel frame weighing six hundred tons. The exterior facade is fibreglass.  The castle was completed in July 1971, and took 18 months to construct. In fact Walt Disney did not think the castle at Disneyland was prominent enough, so when the castle was built at Magic Kingdom at Disney World it was elevated. Walt Disney also wanted nothing to be taller than the castle, so he added a flag on it for good measure. It is said that one of the flagpoles has an artificial flag that is really a transmitting antenna for co-ordinating the Main St parade.

A well kept secret is the 650 sq ft hotel suite which was hidden inside the castle. It was designed to be used as a private apartment for Walt himself, but it was never finished. However, in 2006 it was decided to complete  the suite so that, as part of the ‘Year of a Million Dreams’ promotion, lucky guests could be chosen at random and given the opportunity to stay there overnight. Designers had to create a suite fit for Cinderella, herself a fictional princess, and that took some doing. After all, would she, for example, have a television? Well, they decided she would, so a plasma screen TV takes pride of place over the ornate fireplace. The lucky winners were escorted to the suite and then taken for a special meal at Cinderella’s ‘Royal Table Restaurant.’ A trip to the ‘Wishes’ show followed the meal, and from here they were taken in Cinderella’s carriage to their suite, where Cinderella herself gave them a wake-up call the following morning. They even had the services of a butler to take care of all their needs during the night. Now if that isn’t magical I don’t know what is! I have to admit that I would have been thrilled to have won a night in Cinderella’s suite.

One of my favourite parts of the castle is the stunning mosaic tile murals which adorn the walls of the corridor which runs through the middle of the palace. These huge 15ft by 10ft panels were designed by Dorothea Redmond, and then executed by a team of 6 mosaicists, led by Hanns-Joachim Scharff. They tell the story of Cinderella, and it is said that some of the tiles are real gold and silver. The mosaics took over two years to complete, and consist of hundreds of thousands of pieces of Italian glass, in over 500 colours. Don’t forget to look closely at these mosaics as if you take a peep at Cinderella’s wicked stepsisters as they watch Cinderella trying on the glass slipper, you will see that one sister has a red face, which is suffused with anger, whilst the other is green with envy.

Of course there are many myths which have grown up around this magical castle. It is said that a ghost can sometimes be seen walking around in the crowds. There is another myth that it can be dismantled during a hurricane, but this is absolutely false.

One thing is for sure – the prime icon of Disneyworld, Orlando will always be Cinderella’s Castle. Undoubtedly it will continue to bring a touch of magic to millions of people in the future, and it will certainly give me goose bumps whenever I see it for the first time, as I walk through the gates of Magic Kingdom.

Submitted by "ellie" view her property here:
http://www.perfectfloridavillas.com/main/prop.aspx?pID=183

Sea World have announced a new tour that gives you admission with preferred seating to the Shamu show, “Believe” the dolphin show, Blue Horizons” and the Clyde and Seamore show and, gives you a photo opportunity immediately following the shows. It’s called Animal Shows and Photo Experience.

 

You also get to interact with a Penguin and a Clydesdale. The tour will run with groups of around 12 at a time and is a walking tour that lasts around 5 hours. At the conclusion of the tour you receive a photo cd of your days adventures.

The cost is from $125 for adults and from $100 for children. This is on top of the regular admission price.

Dates for this years Halloween Horror nights have been released by Universal. The dates are as follows:

September 25 & 26, October 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28, 29, 30 and 31. (Frequent Fear Pass dates are Sept. 25 & 26, Oct. 1, 4, 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 22, 25, 28 and 29.)

The cost of entry has remained the same as last year at a steep $69.99! The ironic thing is you can buy a Frequent Fear Pass for the same price and go to as many of the 13 Frequent Fear dates as you wish.

If you are one of those people who arrive early to the Disney water parks in order to join the race to get a shaded picnic table then things are changing from this week. Provided you are prepared to pay for the privilege you can now book one. The cost is $250 a day and the price includes all-day drink mugs, bottled water, lounge chairs and tables, towels, private lockers and an attendant.

It is really one of the must do’s to visit one or both the Disney Water Parks when in Orlando. Disney have recently increased the price of admission from $40  to $45 for adults and from $34 to $39 for kids.

If you are a regular visitor to Orlando or even if you are there for a couple of weeks but don’t want to do the regular theme parks but would like to soak up some sun in a really cool atmosphere it could be worth you buying a Disney Water Park Annual Pass. The cost for adults is $106 for adults, $87 for kids,  so 3 admissions and you are on to a money saver after that.