Opening the park at Disney World: being family of the day

I spent my childhood craving a holiday to Walt Disney World in Florida. But, although my parents were (are!) wonderful and took us on many lovely places, including a number of wonderful driving trips around Europe. We never made it to America, and I never met the most famous rodent on earth. It is the only time that I remember my parents telling me that it was simply too expensive – taking two adults and three children to Florida was way beyond our means.

I promised myself then that I would take my children and mentioned this to my husband even before we had them! We knew it would be pricey, but we saved up and up, and finally, when the children were of an age when I thought they would remember the experience, we told them it was happening. They were 11 and 7. And they were thrilled.

[caption id="attachment_1344" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We opened the Magic Kingdom![/caption]

The magic of Disney is something which so many of you will know about. But our experience was particularly special because we were lucky enough to do something utterly amazing: we opened the Magic Kingdom.

Until we got to our first Disney Park, Hollywood Studios, I had no idea that a family was even picked to open the park. But then I saw a family do so, and they looked joyous and a little bemused. I thought no more of it as we added in Epcot and visited Universal Studios too.

We left the Magic Kingdom right to the end of our ten day visit. Knowing that the park opened at 9am, we got there just after 8am. It was a lovely day and we were right at the front of a growing queue, near the turnstiles.

We chatted away to the people behind us and the security guards and cast members too. My son was wearing a Donald Duck cap, but we weren’t doing anything special. Then, around 8.30am, a man came up to us. “We’d like you to be our family of the day and open the park,” he said. I looked at him in disbelief. Had he just said what I thought he had? Yes, he had.

We looked at each other in astonishment. I thought I was going to cry. I had waited my whole life to visit this park, the classic one with the Cinderella Tower in the middle and the It’s a Small World ride, and here I was, being brought in before anyone else, and with the people I loved most beside me. It seemed crazy.

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We got to take pictures in front of the castle with no tourists around![/caption]

The man who ushered us in told us that over a million people visit the park each year, but only 365 get to open it. He then passed us over to another lovely man called Scottie who took us over to an old 1915 blue fire engine and told us we were going to have a quick tour round the park. We drove around “Main Street USA” and Robert sat in the front, tooting the horn at different intervals. Scottie couldn’t have been more charming. He told some of the history of the park and made sure we got pictures in front of the castle – with no tourists anywhere near!

[caption id="attachment_1341" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The family with all of the cast before the ceremony started[/caption]

We were then taken into the Disney railway station where we were introduced to the cast members of the show and to the Main Street "Reporter", Scoop. He told us that we were going to be in the opening show and gave us instructions: Brian needed to stand next to Mickey Mouse, Jess to stand next to Brian, with me next and Robert next to me. My task was to say “Good morning.” I immediately wondered how to say this – and think I ended up sounding as English as I could possibly be!

[caption id="attachment_1339" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Brian with Mickey Mouse when the park was opened[/caption]

We had a picture with the dancers and then it all got very busy. The steam train came into the station and all the characters, from Mary Poppins to Chip and Dale, got off. We stood as we had been told and waved madly. We were suddenly part of a show, which began with "Good morning" from Singin' in the Rain. We were introduced as "The Ebner family from London, England" and I said “Good morning”, while the music and dancing continued around us. Then, after a countdown from 10 to 1, some fireworks went off behind. We looked down and there were thousands of people below us.



The show didn’t last long, and then we were taken backstage. I felt quite tearful if I’m honest – what an experience to be part of, and a complete fluke that we were picked. The children were given some badges, plus a general fast pass for us to use and another for us to use to meet Mickey Mouse later on. He then said that we would be driven to the first ride we wanted to go on (the haunted mansion). It was strange to think that we hadn’t even started the day properly and yet we had already experienced one of the best things ever.

The rest of the day was brilliant, and the kids especially loved it when people came up to us and said “you were the family of the day.” We felt like mini-celebrities.

When we got home we Googled how to become “family of the day” and found that there were all sorts of tips on there, from getting there three hours early, to being advantaged if you were travelling with twins or a baby. We weren’t. We don’t know why we were picked and I’m sure that if we’d tried to be, it wouldn’t have worked.

All I can say is that it was utter magic. And wonderful to experience it all together. You won’t be surprised to hear that it made our holiday the best we had ever had.



Robert says: Just a few weeks ago I wrote a list of my favourite experiences and right at the top of it was opening Disneyland in Orlando, America. It was one of the best moments I have ever had.
It started off with getting to the park early then all of a sudden a man came along as said “You have been picked to be our family of the day and open Disneyworld with Mickey Mouse.” We got a guided tour of the park on an old fashioned Fire truck and got fantastic pictures of the iconic views without any people or crowds scuttling around us. We met up with more people and were told what we were meant to do when on the balcony. We then walked on and Mickey Mouse came off a train followed by all the other Disney Characters.
It was an utterly amazing experience looking down at thousands of people, who could have been in the same shoes as us. Afterwards lots of people thanked us being so great and rewarded us with lots of fast passes. It was BRILLIANT.

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="aligncenter" width="718"] With Mickey Mouse![/caption]

Jess says: Our family has been to some incredible places and participated in unbelievable experiences, but it's not so often that we get to do something that money can't buy, and that very few people get to do.
In 2013, the Magic Kingdom hosted 18.58 million visitors, yet only 365 families got to open the park. This is probably the reason that this event was so special; everyone was so lovely and we were able to do something unique! I can still remember my confusion at being asked to move forward and get through the gate early, and my giddy excitement at driving around the park with the wind in my hair. I loved walking onto the balcony with mum, dad and Robert, and gasped with exhilaration as the fireworks exploded above us! It truly was a day to remember, and possibly the happiest one of my entire life.

READ ABOUT ROBERT'S TRIP TO SPACE CAMP AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE

Read about our trip to the Harry Potter studio tour - and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando...

 

Travelling Times: Our Top Places to visit in 2014

 

[caption id="attachment_904" align="aligncenter" width="940"] On holiday in Tenerife[/caption]

Welcome to the second annual Family Travel Times Travel Awards! Once again, we have been lucky enough to visit some brilliant places, but which ones were our favourites? Welcome to the 2014 award ceremony and our top places to visit...

Best Day Out

Jess says: I definitely think that the "Art of the Brick" LEGO exhibition was our best day out this year. The exhibition, which is travelling worldwide, is composed of over 85 LEGO sculptures and all of them are fantastic. These sculptures ranged from 3D paintings such as The Kiss and The Scream to a giant dinosaur, and from the solar system to the Venus de Milo! We had a brilliant time looking at the sculptures, watching videos and even had a chance to create our own sculptures at the end!

Alternatively, Burghley house in Lincolnshire is a brilliant place to visit - we visited it over the summer and had a wonderful time. The house, which was built by William Cecil (Lord Burghley) is extremely impressive both inside and outside, as we found out when following the Beastly Boring Burghley tour. This tour was probably the best tour aimed at kids I've been to, and it was full of interesting facts. Afterwards, we loads of fun exploring the gardens, which consisted of a maze, Poseidon’s Grotto, sculptures and lots of fountains to run into.

Robert says:  The alligator tours in Florida was my favourite day out in 2014. It's not every day you get to see real life alligators and hold one too! It was a brilliant experience and I learnt many things like how to tell a crocodile from an alligator or how to spot if it is a male or female. I absolutely loved it and could do it again and again.

Brian (dad) says: I loved my visit to Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I particularly enjoyed the Rocket Garden, seeing the Space Shuttle Atlantis up close, hearing a veteran astronaut giving a talk, and walking underneath the enormous Saturn V rocket.

Best Overall Holiday

Robert says: My favourite holiday of the year was when dad and I went to Florida as I won a competition to go to Space Camp. Everything was great, from the inventive and exciting activities of space camp to the wonderful warm weather - not mentioning the cups and cups of free drinks. I loved learning all about space at Kennedy Space Center and the rides at Universal Studios were brilliant too.

Sarah says: For me, Austria was a perfect holiday. We all tried something different - cycling - and enjoyed the food, the scenery and the many things to do. I was genuinely overwhelmed by how beautiful it was and don't think it gets better than riding alongside Lake Wolfgang with the wind in my hair. It was magnificent.

Best in London

Robert says: We have been to some truly amazing things in London this year and my favourite has got to be ClueQuest. We had one hour to find a way to get out of a locked room. Everything was a clue from books to bottles, playing cards to tables. It was so fun and exciting but a bit stressful when we only had a few minutes left. It was an amazing day out that really pushed our minds to the limit.

Best View 

Jess says: The views at the top of the Schafbergbahn in Saint Wolfgang, Austria have to be the best I've ever seen. The summit of the mountain was 1,783m high and there were 360º beautiful views over the lakes Wolfgangsee, Irrsee, Mondsee and Fuschlsee. It truly was phenomenal.

[caption id="attachment_903" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The waves in Tenerife were captivating[/caption]

Sarah says: Obviously I loved the views in Austria, but I could also have watched the waves crashing onto the shore near our apartment in San Miguel, Tenerife, for hours. There were hardly any people around and we just sat and enjoyed the spectacle. They were just so dramatic, such an illustration of nature, that they were incredibly special. We have just come back from Tenerife - posts to come...

Best Place to Stay

[caption id="attachment_513" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Outside the House of Correction[/caption]

Jess says: The House of Correction in Folkingham, Lincolnshire was probably my favourite place to have ever stayed, and I would love to go back. The house belongs to the Landmark Trust and is built on the site of a big medieval castle. The house was a small prison for minor offenders and was initially built in 1611, but replaced in 1808 and enlarged in 1825. It was then closed in 1878. It is absolutely magnificent and only one family can stay at a time, making the experience even more special.

Best Ride

Robert says: I have been to two amazing parks this year which have both been full to the top with amazing attractions, so it was very hard to pick the winner for best ride. Instead I decided to pick three! The first is from Universal Studios in Florida and is the fast paced, scary indoor roller coaster Return of the Mummy. Most of the ride is in pitch black so it added extra suspense as you didn't know when there was going to be a drop. The first time I went on it I was scared out of my skin when we plummeted down into the red steaming smoke.



The next two winners of this category are from Siam Park, the Water Kingdom in Tenerife (post coming soon). Everything there was wonderful but I decided my first pick would be the Mekong Rapids that dad and I went on four times throughout the day. After a long tiring walk up hundreds of stairs we got to a small pool of water where inside we climbed into a yellow dinghy and then zoomed off down the tunnel. It was so fast and very wet. Dad was screaming like a baby the first time as there were so many drops. I loved the next ride, the Kinnaree the scariest ride we went on, but dad definitely didn't. However, it was still loads of fun. Of all the rides we went on this had the biggest drops and at some points we felt like we were going to go upside down. The ride was so cleverly made and I loved it but I don't think the guy next to me who was swearing the whole time did though.

Best Beach

Jess says: We travelled to Tenerife over Christmas, and the weather was lovely and the beaches superb. Although we had a lovely time at Los Cristianos, my favourite was the Playa del Bobo in Adeje. Not only was the sand lovely and soft, but the waves were brilliant and it was perfect for swimming and paddling. It wasn't too busy and was the perfect spot for a walk. There was also a delicious ice cream store nearby!

Best Educational Day Out

[caption id="attachment_171" align="aligncenter" width="504"] The actors at the Drake Fun Day[/caption]

Robert says: As we have been learning about World War II at school as a class we went to the Churchill War Cabinets and Churchill Museum. The audio tours were very detailed and informative. I learnt a lot about where the prime Minister of England stayed during WWII. I preferred the Churchill museum to the war cabinets as it was much more interactive. There was a table that told you what event happened on your birthday during the war, I got to hold Winston Churchill's teddy bears from when he was younger (they were so cute) and I even got to use a typewriter. It was a very interesting and fun day out.

Jess says: We also thought that the Drake Fun Day atop the Golden Hinde II (a replica of the ship which Sir Francis Drake used to sail all round the world) was fantastic. We played games and learned facts from the Captain and his strange assistant, Fart - this was lots of fun and very interesting! The event was two hours long and consisted of firing guns, learning a code and exploring the ship. I would recommend it to children aged 6+.

Best Hidden Gem

[caption id="attachment_151" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Robert at Groombridge Place's Mystic Pool[/caption]

Sarah says: Groombridge was gorgeous - and a surprise! We had gone to Kent for the weekend to visit Hever Castle where Anne Bolyen had lived, and as a Tudor aficionado, that was intended to be the main event. However, we decided we should visit another "attraction" too and that turned out to be Groombridge. We were so pleased we went as it was perfect for families, with gorgeous grounds and in particular many hidden treasures inside the woods. We'd highly recommend it.

Best Food

Robert says: For me the best food in 2014 came from VegFest, the big market where all the food was vegan. I had so many tasters of all the sweets, crackers, dips and drinks and I even had a go at using an electrical massage machine. I ate stuff that I had never seen before like bread crisps and I had salt and vinegar flavoured bread. Everyone was so nice and insisted that I should have more - how could I resist? It was a delicious day and I'll be coming back for more next year.

Thanks for reading Family Travel Times this year and enjoy 2015!

Read our Travelling Times awards for 2013 and let us know your favourites too!

 

The Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios in Orlando is to close

[caption id="attachment_621" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Us by the tram we took on the Backlot Tour[/caption]

Last year we had a wonderful holiday in Orlando, where we took the kids to Disney World for the first time. We absolutely loved the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, but we were also surprised by how much we enjoyed Hollywood Studios - with its Indiana Jones show, Muppets film, Star Wars ride and Backlot Tour where you were able to see how special effects in films were made. We all really enjoyed this tour (the kids described it as a "must see" in a piece they wrote for Britmums) and that's why we were sad to see that the tour is closing - permanently, on October 5th.

[caption id="attachment_623" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Robert by the gushing water on the tour[/caption]

We thought this attraction was great fun, taking us "behind the scenes" at the movies, through a series of special effects (explosions and more via the "Harbor attack" which you would walk by), plus the chance to see movie memorabilia and props (like the marionettes from the Sound of Music!) and a tram tour to the movie set of Catastrophe Canyon where we experienced an earthquake and then water gushing down right next to us. All of it was terrific, especially Catastrophe Canyon.

[caption id="attachment_624" align="aligncenter" width="300"] These are the famous marionettes used in the goatherd song from the Sound of Music[/caption]

The Backlot Tour was actually one of the original attractions at the studios when it opened in 1989. It was originally much bigger than it is now, but it was still well worth a visit - although apparently new demands suggest that its popularity must have been on the wane.

It had been altered/refurbished many times over the years, including the removal of its residential area (which made way for the Lights, Motors, Action show) nearly a decade ago).

There are suggestions that some of the space which will now be free will be used for some festive Frozen activities, or for some Pixar fun. Interestingly it's not the first attraction to close at the park recently as the American Idol experience was also voted off.

We're sorry to see it go.

Travelling times: our "bests" of 2013

Welcome to
 THE FAMILY TRAVEL TIMES TRAVEL AWARDS!

We have been really lucky to visit some incredible places this year, but which ones have been particularly brilliant? Here are our top ten!

 

Best Beach

 

Jessica says: The best beach of the year, and probably the nicest one I've ever been to, was the famous seven mile beach at our holiday in Beaches Negril (post coming soon). The beautiful blue sea seemed to stretch out forever and the white sand was soft and lovely to walk on. This was combined with the wonderful weather - always hot and barely ever a cloud in the sky.

 

Best View

Robert says: My best view was in Austria (read our post here).When I looked out of my hotel room window I could see enormous grey mountains. When I looked higher I could see no grey just a big blob of bright white snow. I could also see beautiful dark green hills. I thought it was a great view because there weren't any buildings in the way.

Jessica says: My favourite view ever was looking out of the window on our flight to Jamaica. The Caribbean looked incredible from above. The sea was clear blue and there was such a variety of colours. My favourite part was looking at the change of blue in the sea and an island that looked like a giraffe with a massive foot!

 

Best Day Out

Robert says: My best day out was by far the London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs. It is fun, scary, interesting and funny. I liked both parts, the educational and the scary, but some people do find the London Tombs terrifying. Click here to see my post.
Best Day Out For The Whole Family

Jessica: My best day out for the whole family was at Universal Islands Of Adventure, Florida (read our blog post here). The rides were awesome and it was fantastic weather. Rob and I both loved everything, but the best had to be the Wizarding World of Harry Potter as it looked so real.
The atmosphere was amazing, but it was slightly cagey at the start of the day as everyone was rivals in a race to get to the Harry Potter ride first! Disney World felt kinder and more relaxed, but the rides at Universal were better suited to us.

Sarah says: I think the best day out has to be the Harry Potter studio experience in Leavesden. There is so much to see, and it's not all about the rides! It's brilliantly done and works for every age (though there is a lot of walking). Read more of what I thought in my post here.

Best Hotel

The gorgeous Hilton Grand Vacation Suites at Seaworld

Jess says: We have stayed at loads of places during 2013, but a few have really stood out. Firstly, as part of our visit to Orlando in February, we stayed at the Hilton Grand Vacation Suites. This hotel had gigantic and luxurious rooms, as well as massive pools. We were there for a week and thought that it was so convenient as it was near to just about everything and we could walk to Seaworld easily.
Mum and I also adored Beaches Negril in Jamaica, as there was so much to do, everyone was charming and friendly and the food was delicious. It was, really, a holiday in itself.
A more unique and engaging hotel was St Ermins, which is situated right in the middle of London and near all the best sightseeing spots. I have written a review of it here and we got to try out the "Budding Bonds" package, letting us become secret agents. We cracked codes and searched local landmarks for clues, eventually being rewarded for our hard work with mocktails!

Best Ride

Robert says: Jess and I have three best rides. I will tell you about two of them and Jess will do one. The Simpsons ride is at Universal Studios. Our family was laughing before the ride had begun because when you were waiting Krusty would tell you funny jokes. In the ride, you are on a rollercoaster that has been sabotaged by Sideshow Bob. Bob seeks revenge so there are a lot of surprises throughout the ride. The ride is a simulator. The Spiderman ride was also at Universal, but in the Islands of Adventure section. It was an action simulator and a lot of fun. This ride was in 3D.You could feel the car bump when Spiderman landed on your car. You get to see all the baddies use their powers on you. There was real fire.

Jessica says: Harry Potter: A Forbidden Journey, also at Universal Islands Of Adventure is a mixture of a ride and motion simulator. It uses state-of-the-art graphics and motion technology to make you feel like you are actually flying through a quidditch match with Harry, Ron and Hermione!

Most Educational Day Out

Jess says: We had a really brilliant time in Bristol, where I learnt loads without ever getting bored. We went on a City Sightseeing Bus Tour which was fascinating, but the best part was At-Bristol, a fabulous interactive science museum that I enjoyed more than the one in London! As well as this, we visited Bristol Zoo, which I also enjoyed more than the ones at London. The best bit was feeding the Lorikeets - tiny, colourful birds.

Sarah says: We also had a lovely day out in Bath, which was full of things to see and do. The Roman Baths are a must, but we also did a bus top tour, which gave us some historical background, ate at Sally Lunn's (you can read about that here) and simply walked around taking in the sights.

Most Comfortable Bed

Sarah says: We stayed in a lot of lovely places this year and slept in a lot of beds, from the Premier Inn in Bristol, to the gorgeous Meridien Etoile in Paris. But we had our best night's sleep in Thornbury in Bristol. The fabulous double bed at the magnificent Thornbury Castle (Read here for more on our stay at Thornbury) was just so comfortable, I would have liked to have taken it home with me. I even found out what the mattresses were, and they are Vi-Spring mattresses. Fab.

Best Way To Travel

Sarah says: I'm not a huge fan of flying, although I know that it's the only way to get to far off places. That's why my favourite way of travelling this year was via the Eurostar to Paris. I couldn't believe how convenient it was. The security procedures didn't take hours and hours (unlike airports) and there was space to get up and move around. I had been told that it was an extremely boring journey, mostly through a tunnel, so was pleasantly surprised by how much of it was outside, where you could watch the countryside whizz by. Even better, we were in the centre of Paris in just a few hours without being exhausted from an early start or much hanging around. Brilliant.

Coolest Room

Jessica says: I loved our very atmospheric room at Thornbury Castle, which made me feel like I was in medieval or Tudor times! There was a stone staircase leading up to the room and a massive tapestry, and very posh toilet roll. There was loads of space, and it was like no hotel room I had - or imagine ever will again - experience in my life...

Travelling times: our "bests" of 2013

Welcome to
 THE FAMILY TRAVEL TIMES TRAVEL AWARDS!

We have been really lucky to visit some incredible places this year, but which ones have been particularly brilliant? Here are our top ten!

Best Beach

Jessica says: The best beach of the year, and probably the nicest one I've ever been to, was the famous seven mile beach at our holiday in Beaches Negril (post coming soon). The beautiful blue sea seemed to stretch out forever and the white sand was soft and lovely to walk on. This was combined with the wonderful weather - always hot and barely ever a cloud in the sky.

Best View

Robert says: My best view was in Austria (read our post here).When I looked out of my hotel room window I could see enormous grey mountains. When I looked higher I could see no grey just a big blob of bright white snow. I could also see beautiful dark green hills. I thought it was a great view because there weren't any buildings in the way.

Jessica says: My favourite view ever was looking out of the window on our flight to Jamaica. The Caribbean looked incredible from above. The sea was clear blue and there was such a variety of colours. My favourite part was looking at the change of blue in the sea and an island that looked like a giraffe with a massive foot!

Best Day Out

Robert says: My best day out was by far the London Bridge Experience and The London Tombs. It is fun, scary, interesting and funny. I liked both parts, the educational and the scary, but some people do find the London Tombs terrifying. Click here to see my post.

Read more »

Hello to new visitors!

We are delighted to have published two recent guest posts and wanted to say hello to anyone who may have found us through them.

Our post for Travel Dudes was on our brilliant trip to the US and how we loved being Family of the Day at the Magic Kingdom. You can see this article on Travel Dudes. It includes this picture of us with the cast of the opening show - after which I opened the park with the classic words "Good Morning"!

If you've come to us via Travel Dudes and are interested in reading more about Disney World or Orlando, take a look at Jessica's post on the best rides at Universal Studios, whether 11 is too old for Disney or my post for BritMums about SeaWorld.



You may also have come to us via Travel Bloggers Unite, where we gave our 5 tips for having fun in London with kids. If you've come to us via TBU and are interested in more on London, you could take a look at our posts on the Science Museum, the Shard or the Southbank, and check back here soon for pieces on the fabulous Spy hotel (St Ermin's hotel) and Buckingham Palace.

Please also take a look at other places we've been and give us your recommendations.

Thanks for visiting!

All the best,

Sarah and Jessica

Hello to new visitors!

We are delighted to have published two recent guest posts and wanted to say hello to anyone who may have found us through them.

Our post for Travel Dudes was on our brilliant trip to the US and how we loved being Family of the Day at the Magic Kingdom. You can see this article on Travel Dudes. It includes this picture of us with the cast of the opening show - after which I opened the park with the classic words "Good Morning"!

If you've come to us via Travel Dudes and are interested in reading more about Disney World or Orlando, take a look at Jessica's post on the best rides at Universal Studios, whether 11 is too old for Disney or my post for BritMums about SeaWorld.

Read more »

Is 11 too old for Disney World?

We were thrilled that the Huffington Post UK ran J's article on our trip to Disney. In case you didn't see it there, here it is....

Princesses, parades and characters I faintly remember loving aged two. Surely I, an 11 year old girl, am way too old for Disney World?

As we drove into DisneyWorld, I felt a surge of excitement. I had dreamed of visiting Disney forever and that dream was coming true. However, I was also slightly worried. When I had been begging my parents to take me, I was still in love with Belle, Toy Story and Pluto. Surely I wouldn't feel the same way about meeting them now as I would have when I was younger?

The first park we visited was the Disney Hollywood Studios. I was most looking forward to the Toy Story Mania ride because I'd heard so much about it. My expectations were very high but when I saw the waiting area, I almost changed my mind. It was full of brightly coloured games that looked cheesy and babyish. Suddenly, Disney started seeming less appealing.

My mind changed as soon as the ride started. My family spun around, laughing as we shot virtual pies, pins and darts at pretend targets. It was such good fun.

When my parents persuaded me to have my picture taken with the Monsters Inc characters, I felt a bit embarrassed. The line was full of five year olds and I was eleven! But Disney obviously drew the younger child out of me though, and it was quite cool to have my picture taken with Sully and Mike Wazowski. I didn't even mind knowing it was actors inside the costumes.


Obviously, the Hollywood Studios weren't just full of things for younger children. I enjoyed yelling, clapping and gasping at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, where stunt actors fell off buildings, got punched in the face and ran away from Germans in a WWII scene. Another highlight was Star Wars: Star Tours, where I was strapped into the StarSpeeder 1000 (a motion simulator) and went on a journey through space with C-3PO. It was so good I went on it twice!

At the end of the day, our family watched Fantasmic. By then I wasn't even worried about whether I'd be too old - so far everything had been perfect. The show was fabulous; it had fireworks, boats and scenes from Disney movies projected onto mist. I really enjoyed it.

I wasn't worried about Epcot at all. I'd heard it had some really cool, fast rides and nice places to walk around. I screamed my head off whizzing around Test Track and freaked out on the more intense version of Mission: SPACE. We were on a Spaceship that was going to Mars and you had to press buttons to carry out your allocated roles. The ride had REAL G-forces and was one of only two rides on the whole holiday that I didn't like.

I really enjoyed walking around the pavilions at Epcot. China and Japan had really fabulous statues and Morocco looked like it had come straight out of Aladdin. There was an acrobat balancing on chairs and wine bottles in France, and a band singing British songs. There were also some yummy pastries in Norway. The pavilions looked incredible, but it was really tiring to walk around, and that slightly ruined the day.

I was a little worried about the Magic Kingdom, because the rides were mostly based on Princes and Princesses. The most scary ride I'd heard of was the spinning teacups, and I thought that I would find the day dull and uninteresting.

I changed my mind straight away when our family was picked as family of the day and got to open the park. We were driven around on a 1915 fire engine and got pictures of all of us in the empty park. Then, we got to take part in a special opening show with dancers, fireworks, a steam train and all of the Disney characters. It was brilliant!

As soon as the show was over, we rushed to the Haunted Mansion. I was looking forward to this because I'd heard that it was quite scary. The pre-show was definitely spooky, and I prepared myself for something really bad. The ride itself was actually fine. There were some really cool bits, where there was a lady's face in a crystal lamp and a graveyard, but most was quite funny. When you passed by mirrors, there was a monster sitting on top of you. It was hilarious.

We went to three rides that I thought would be too young for me and I enjoyed two of them. I had no clue how the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor would make you laugh, but it did. There was a very funny bit where they told the story of Monsters Inc using people from the audience. I also thought the Ariel ride was peaceful and relaxing. Everything looked really good, especially the Under The Sea dance with all the fish.

The only other ride I didn't enjoy was the Peter Pan Flight. The sets looked unreal and tiny and it was quite babyish. It was definitely aimed for younger kids.

Our Disney experience ended with a parade including Cinderella, Mickey, Donald, Aladdin and all of the Disney characters. It was the perfect way to end the holiday.

Was I too old for DisneyWorld? No I definitely wasn't. And whatever your age, I doubt you will be either.

Is 11 too old for Disney World?

We were thrilled that the Huffington Post UK ran J's article on our trip to Disney. In case you didn't see it there, here it is....

Princesses, parades and characters I faintly remember loving aged two. Surely I, an 11 year old girl, am way too old for Disney World?

As we drove into DisneyWorld, I felt a surge of excitement. I had dreamed of visiting Disney forever and that dream was coming true. However, I was also slightly worried. When I had been begging my parents to take me, I was still in love with Belle, Toy Story and Pluto. Surely I wouldn't feel the same way about meeting them now as I would have when I was younger?

The first park we visited was the Disney Hollywood Studios. I was most looking forward to the Toy Story Mania ride because I'd heard so much about it. My expectations were very high but when I saw the waiting area, I almost changed my mind. It was full of brightly coloured games that looked cheesy and babyish. Suddenly, Disney started seeming less appealing.

My mind changed as soon as the ride started. My family spun around, laughing as we shot virtual pies, pins and darts at pretend targets. It was such good fun.

When my parents persuaded me to have my picture taken with the Monsters Inc characters, I felt a bit embarrassed. The line was full of five year olds and I was eleven! But Disney obviously drew the younger child out of me though, and it was quite cool to have my picture taken with Sully and Mike Wazowski. I didn't even mind knowing it was actors inside the costumes.
Read more »

My Three Top Rides At Universal, Orlando (By Jessica)

My family was lucky enough to spend ten days in Orlando, Florida. Two of these were spent at Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure. Here are my favourite rides...

1. The Simpsons Ride (Universal Studios)        

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Outside the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios, Florida[/caption]

In this amazing motion simulator, you sit in cars and watch a hilarious Simpsons film.  In it, you are riding a roller coaster in Krustyland (a terrible theme park) with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. However, a man named Sideshow Bob seeks revenge on the Simpsons for foiling one of his evil schemes and plans to demolish the roller-coaster - with you on it!

This was my favourite ride EVER because everything looked so real and Homer made some really funny jokes. The best bit was when Maggie tried to eat us (her mouth smelled of talcum powder!) This ride also has a hilarious pre-show.


 

2. Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey (Universal Islands of Adventure)
I loved this ride. Although we had to wait for some time, the queuing area looked very cool and it was amazing to see the characters talk to us in hologram form. The actual ride was incredible; it was a mixture of a ride and a motion simulator. You are being sneaked out of class to watch a Quidditch match with Harry, Ron and Hermonie when suddenly, dementors take over the pitch and you are whisked off on an incredible adventure. The technology was so good that I actually felt that I was there! The best bit was when we got up close to a fire-breathing dragon and got our faces sucked out by dementors.

    3.  The Amazing Adventures Of Spider Man in 3D (Universal Islands of Adventure)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="260"] Robert and Green Goblin after the Amazing Spiderman ride in the Universal Islands of Adventure.[/caption]

This was the ride that we queued the most for at Universal and it was awesome! I never knew much about Spider Man before, but now I really like it. In this ride, the members of the Sinister Syndicate have stolen the Statue of Liberty and it is up to Spider Man to save the day. This is also a motion simulator/ride but in this one you go around in cars and see real fire, plus you go on a simulated 400 foot free-fall that felt so real. The graphics were amazing and the best bit was when Spider Man jumped onto our car!

I also really enjoyed Men In Black Alien Attack (Universal Studios), Pteranodon Flyers, The Cat in The Hat and Poseidon's Fury (all at Universal's Islands of Adventure).

My Three Top Rides At Universal, Orlando (By Jessica)

My family was lucky enough to spend ten days in Orlando, Florida. Two of these were spent at Universal Studios and Islands Of Adventure. Here are my favourite rides...

1. The Simpsons Ride (Universal Studios)                                                             

In this amazing motion simulator, you sit in cars and watch a hilarious Simpsons film.  In it, you are riding a roller coaster in Krustyland (a terrible theme park) with Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. However, a man named Sideshow Bob seeks revenge on the Simpsons for foiling one of his evil schemes and plans to demolish the roller-coaster - with you on it!
This was my favourite ride EVER because everything looked so real and Homer made some really funny jokes. The best bit was when Maggie tried to eat us (her mouth smelled of talcum powder!) This ride also has a hilarious pre-show.
Read more »

Seeing Harry Potter come to life.

It’s impossible to over-stress the importance of the Harry Potter books. They inspired a generation to realise the power of the written word and to get immersed in a literary adventure. As impressively, they continue to do this. The books are still hugely successful.

And of course there’s an education connection. Without Harry Potter, there would be no Hogwarts, a school which is among the most famous ever to be created. And with the eight Harry Potter films, Hogwarts was brought to life.

In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry Potter Studio Tour

It’s now possible to see two different “real-life” Hogwarts in person. One actually brings you into the real thing, via the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, just outside London. The other introduces you to a version which cost around $250m to build and which contains an astonishing theme park adventure ride. But it’s a little bit further away – in Orlando, Florida. I have recently been lucky enough to visit both.

Let’s start with England and the studio tour. Even though I am not a huge HP fan, I thought this was incredible. It’s very special to walk into the Great Hall or amble along Diagon Alley. They’re so familiar from the books and films, and then, there they are, in front of you.

Dumbledore's study, Studio Tour

There is a huge amount to see and it takes a long time (be warned: it’s tiring). But it is actually quite magical to see Professor Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and the “real-life” Dobby. You can find out how the films were made (the attention to detail is quite remarkable), have a photo outside the Knight Bus and see all kinds of props and costumes. You can also try Butterbeer (which was quite delicious. It tastes like cream soda) and be fleeced in the shop (the downside of the day. There is not really anything priced at pocket-money levels).

Outside the Dursley's house on Privet Drive, Studio Tour

This is not a cheap day out, not by any means (a family ticket for four costs £85), but it is a very special one. It also works via timed entry, so although you still have to queue, it’s not for too long.

Diagon Alley, Studio Tour

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort is a totally different experience. It opened in June 2010 and became an immediate success.

The Wizarding World is part of Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park and their newest (and star) attraction (a similar one is now being planned for California). We were desperate to visit, but also extremely worried about the possible queueing time for the main attraction, a ride called Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. We had heard that you end up waiting for hours on end for a four minute ride. However, we had also heard that the ride was the best in the world, using remarkable new technology and taking place inside Hogwarts castle.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando

The first thing to say is that if you get to the park early, the waiting time is not that bad. We were there by 8am and when the park opened (just before 9) we ran to the Harry Potter section. We then queued for about 25 minutes. However, within about half an hour, the queue was up to 90 minutes, so be warned…

Luckily we didn't have to wait this long - but this was only at around 9.15am!

There is some entertainment during the long wait. As you make your way around the castle, you see talking portraits (including Dawn French as the Fat Lady), the Sorting Hat and a marvellous hologram of Michael Gambon as Dumbledore. The queue also sets up the idea of the ride, as Harry, Ron and Hermione appear (also in hologram form) and try to persuade you to skip a lecture and join them on a tour of Hogwarts. You are told to take some floo powder and are strapped into seats on a bench (I know, that doesn’t sound too glamorous) in groups of four, before taking off.

The ride itself is a spectacular mixture of roller coaster and simulation. The idea is that you are flying on a broomstick, around Hogwarts, through a quidditch match and just past the whomping willow. In my son’s words, it was “awesome” and “the best ride ever” but I couldn’t tell you much about it I’m afraid as I’m not a ride person and had my eyes closed for nearly the entire thing. I caught quick glimpses of some quidditch, Harry and a scary looking dementor but that was about it (and it was more than enough for me, as I realised afterwards when I was wobbled off, pale and feeling sick…)

There are extremely long queues for all the attractions in the Harry Potter section, but there is also a lot to see in Hogsmeade. We visited Honeydukes where we bought some Every Flavour Beans (they were slightly cheaper than the ones on sale in the UK) and Zonko’s the joke shop too. We peeked in at the bookshop which had a window full of books showing Kenneth Branagh as Gilderoy Lockhart (these were very funny) and had a quick look at The Three Broomsticks. There is an astonishing amount of themed merchandise on sale everywhere, ranging from chocolate frogs and cuddly owls, to gloves, scarves, socks and robes for all four of the Hogwarts school houses.

We also queued to visit Ollivanders, the wand shop, where there is a short show during which one lucky person is picked to find the right wand for him or her. I say short, because the whole thing lasts for around five minutes. It’s great, but I’m not convinced I would think so if I’d been standing in line for an hour or more to see it.

Ollivanders itself is full of different types of wands (at $30 each). You can buy a “famous” person’s (Harry’s or Ron’s for example) or choose your own. The shop was doing a roaring trade and I had to smile at the assistant who warned a small boy not to use his in front of muggles. The whole “world” here is full of excellent touches like this.

Hogsmeade, Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Orlando

There are also two other rides, a “family” rollercoaster called Flight of the Hippogriff and also a super-scary one (which you won’t be surprised to know that I didn’t go on) called The Dragon Challenge which consists of “duelling” rollercoasters going at top speed.

The two experiences were fantastic (albeit extremely expensive; a one day pass for the Islands of Adventure costs $88 per adult, although this does include other parts of the resort such Marvel Super Hero Island and the gorgeous Seuss Landing. There are also various other ticket options available). I loved the studio tour, and would imagine that it’s far more likely that readers of this blog will visit this one, than the Wizarding World in Orlando. However, if you have kids and are planning a holiday of a lifetime to Florida, you really should not miss it.

More on Harry Potter:

Read about our visit to the real King's Cross and how you can try out Platform 9 3/4

A Harry Potter walking tour in London

 

Seeing Harry Potter come to life.

It’s impossible to over-stress the importance of the Harry Potter books. They inspired a generation to realise the power of the written word and to get immersed in a literary adventure. As impressively, they continue to do this. The books are still hugely successful.

And of course there’s an education connection. Without Harry Potter, there would be no Hogwarts, a school which is among the most famous ever to be created. And with the eight Harry Potter films, Hogwarts was brought to life.

In the Great Hall at Hogwarts, Harry Potter Studio Tour

It’s now possible to see two different “real-life” Hogwarts in person. One actually brings you into the real thing, via the Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden, just outside London. The other introduces you to a version which cost around $250m to build and which contains an astonishing theme park adventure ride. But it’s a little bit further away – in Orlando, Florida. I have recently been lucky enough to visit both.

Let’s start with England and the studio tour. Even though I am not a huge HP fan, I thought this was incredible. It’s very special to walk into the Great Hall or amble along Diagon Alley. They’re so familiar from the books and films, and then, there they are, in front of you.

Dumbledore's study, Studio Tour

There is a huge amount to see and it takes a long time (be warned: it’s tiring). But it is actually quite magical to see Professor Dumbledore’s office, the Gryffindor common room and the “real-life” Dobby. You can find out how the films were made (the attention to detail is quite remarkable), have a photo outside the Knight Bus and see all kinds of props and costumes. You can also try Butterbeer (which was quite delicious. It tastes like cream soda) and be fleeced in the shop (the downside of the day. There is not really anything priced at pocket-money levels).

Outside the Dursley's house on Privet Drive, Studio Tour

Read more »