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Tag Archives: Cinderella Castle
Disney Photo Opportunities You Don’t Want to Miss
Photos at Disney are a MUST! I mean, you’ve spent months planning this trip, packed everything carefully, and you don’t want to miss a minute of the magic. Plus, there’s going to be an awesome scrapbook full of memories to put together when you get home, right? Yes, if you take some of the great photo opportunities that Disney has to offer. Aside from the obvious {we take a photo in front of every park icon}, there are some spots on Disney property that will give you unique photos to enjoy after your trip is over.
1. Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom. The closer you get to the castle, the cooler the picture. One of my favorites is our family in front of the castle, with the statue of Walt and Mickey just in the distance.
2. Inside Cinderella’s Castle. There are beautiful mosaics, telling the story of Cinderella, in the castle. These make for great backdrops for photos. Or, photograph some without any people in the picture and use them for desktop wallpaper, scrapbook layouts, or to hang in your home.
Disney World to Host First-Ever ‘A Walk Around The World’ Charity Walk
This fall, the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida will be the venue to For A Cause, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that orchestrates multi-day charity walks in vacation destinations. This group is unique in that they allow participants to walk for the charity of their choice. The “A Walk Around The World” event will be a walk-only fundraiser that can only accommodate 50 participants. It is scheduled to occur November 14-18, 2013. Over the course of three days, participants will average walking ten miles each day. Their course will take them through Disney World resorts, water parks, and theme parks.
“There are so many die-hard WDW fans out there who are going to love the idea of visiting their favorite theme park while walking to raise money for the nonprofit of their choice,” according to Robert Webber, president of For A Cause. “In years past, For A Cause participants have traveled to castles in Europe and trekked miles throughout historical destinations, but this is the first time they’ll be given a chance to visit Cinderella’s castle and walk miles throughout a fantasy destination. It’s going to be some serious fun — the Walk will be both magical and meaningful. If your feet get a little tired, you can just hop on one of the enchanted rides and take a break!”
Top 5 Overlooked and Underestimated: Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Edition
Have you ever talked with someone who is still fresh with the “post Disney glow” only to realize that they missed out on some pretty amazing Disney Stuff? I’m always shocked when they didn’t even realize such a thing existed! I have a couple of spots that I always hit, no matter what and it is really hard for me to understand how anyone could pass them up! These personal favorites may not seem like much to everyone, but these are my top picks for overlooked and underestimated, Magic Kingdom edition.
Main Street USA Train Station
I have a 3 year-old nephew who is crazy for trains. I’ll take that back, he’s crazy for anything that moves- engines, wheels, tracks, steering wheels, axles he does them all! So, you can bet that we do our fair share of time on the Walt Disney World Railroad. For our family, the train is a must. Sadly, I will say that I often find myself hurrying through the Main Street USA Train Station in an attempt to board for a scenic tour around the Magic Kingdom. There are some really neat things in that station, including functioning mutoscopes (moving picture show), historical sights, a wonderful resting spot/parade viewing spot, and of course a beautiful shot of Cinderella Castle and Main Street USA. Take a little time and enjoy what the Main Street USA train station has to offer.
Swiss Family Robinson Tree House
Okay, so I’m sure some of you are thinking like I think…how could you miss the Swiss Family Tree House? I’m right there with you! I always stop by when I hear that infectious Swisskapolka tune! As impossible as it may seem, I actually think that this beloved tree can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Perhaps it’s the distraction created by the lure of Dole Whips at Aloha Isle? Maybe guests are zooming straight for the more popular attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean? Maybe it’s the camouflaged effect of the tree’s craftsmanship? Maybe it’s because typically this is a walk on type of attraction with little to no wait? No matter what the source might be, this attraction is often neglected. I love the charm of the story and the feel of the attraction. As a little girl, I was always intrigued by the ingenuity of this shipwrecked family (who are we kidding, I am still mesmerized by this fictional tale)! I simply can’t skip taking the grand tour and you shouldn’t either!
From the Disney World Vault: King Stefan’s Banquet Hall
King Stefan’s Banquet Hall
Image courtesy of Imaginerding
Any Chip and Co fans born after 1990 are going to have no idea what I’m talking about. So I’m going to get you all ready for the Double Jeopardy Question. When Disney World opened in 1971, the restaurant in Cinderella Castle was… If you guessed Cinderella’s Royal Table you would be wrong. The answer is…
King Stefan’s Banquet Hall
Yes, the restaurant featured in Cinderella Castle was named after Sleeping Beauty’s father. It only took until 1997 for Disney to get sick of answering all the questions and change the name to Cinderella’s Royal Table. Apparently the Disney Imaginers wanted to give the restaurant a regal name to match the dozens of Coat of Arms on the wall. Since Cinderella’s father isn’t named in the movie, they decided on King Stefan. Hence 25 years of confusing tourists and Cast Members.
The menu was known for its Beef and Barley Soup and Fried Brie. The Fairy Godmothers Vegetarian Plate was a gnocchi and vegetable combination, a favorite among diners. The Kid’s menu resembles a fast food chain “crown” and joins other King Stefan’s Banquet Hall collectibles on Ebay. Check here for recipes of old favorites from the original Royal Table.
As my first Disney visit was as an adult, I never knew King Stefan’s Banquet Hall. Please share your stories, menu items and collectibles with Chip and Co in the comment section below.
Photo credit Imaginerding.com
Related articles
- Rare 1971 Walt Disney World Aerial Pics (disneyandmore.blogspot.com)
- ‘Limited Time Magic’ Gets Wickedly Beautiful with Beautifully Disney (chipandco.com)
Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour
I was lucky enough on a recent trip to take part in the Keys to the Kingdom Tour at The Magic Kingdom. Let me tell you, this is well worth the price of admission. I used my annual pass to get a 15% discount on the tour. My total was around $66 for the 5 and 1/2 hour tour which included lunch at Columbia Harbour House.
My tour began at 9 am, but we were allowed into the Magic Kingdom at 8:30. This was great since the park was not open yet and we could take those wonderful photos of an empty main street! We checked into our tour at The Chamber of Commerce and were treated to some super cute name tags and bottled water. We were also given our ear pieces at this time and selected what we would eat for lunch.
At 9:00 am sharp we met our tour guide, Molly. Molly was everything that is good about Disney! She was fun, funny, informative, entertaining, and so knowledgeable. She was also an amazing story teller. I absolutely adored her. Molly informed us that we would not be allowed to take any photos on the tour, either “on stage” or “backstage” and we were happy to comply. For this reason, you will not be seeing any pictures that were taken during the walking tour.
Molly began our tour with a walk down Main Street, explaining to us what the Keys to the Kingdom are: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. It is upon these building blocks that the entire Magic Kingdom and Disney World as a whole is run. As we walked down Main Street she explained how beginning at the train station you are seeing a show. The station acts as curtain concealing the star; Cinderella Castle. As the curtain lifts and you enter Main Street you will see concessions such as popcorn and soda for sale and walk along a red walk way that is representative of the red carpet! The windows of the buildings act as credits for the people who brought this production to life.
