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Tag Archives: Kilimanjaro Safaris
Return to Oz in the All-New Spring Issue of Disney Twenty-Three on Stands February 12
The spring issue of Disney twenty-three, the flagship magazine of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, hits stands February 12, loaded with articles to delight both Disney fans and the general public. The cover story, “A Great and Powerful Odyssey,” gives readers an exclusive tour of the land at the end of the road of yellow bricks in Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful releasing in theaters this March. The article features interviews with stars Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams and Zach Braff. In addition, there’s a sneak peek of 2014’s Maleficent, starring Angelina Jolie, which offers a new take on the legendary Sleeping Beauty story.
The Emerald City theme continues with a second story illuminating the many connections between Disney and Oz, including Walt Disney’s early attempts to bring Oz to the big screen. The story includes rarely seen images from the Walt Disney Archives and a fond look back at Disney’s 1985 release Return to Oz.
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we sit down with Imagineer Joe Rohde as he reflects on the evolution of Disney’s wildest and most spiritual park.
“Frozen in Time” includes concept art from the upcoming film Frozen, due in theaters this November. Walt Disney Animation Studios brings an ice-covered world to life as Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) seeks to reverse a curse put on her kingdom by a cold-hearted snow queen (voiced by Idina Menzel), who also happens to be her sister.
How many of these Top 10 Disney Must Do’s have you done?
There is so much to see and do at Walt Disney World that it’s pretty much impossible to experience it all! However, there are a few things that you have to do in order for your Disney World vacation to be complete. Curious? Check out my Top 10 Disney’s Must Do’s and let us know how many you have done!
10. Dole Whip - A Dole Whip is a rite of passage for many Disney guests, and a sweet relief from the heat! They can only be found at a few select spots, such as Aloha Isle at the Magic Kingdom and at Captain Cook’s at the Polynesian Resort; and my personal favorite is the Dole Whip Float. This pineapple flavored soft-serve just has to be experienced!
9. Epcot World Showcase - Epcot has lots for guests to see and experience; but every guest MUST spend some time at this park’s World Showcase. This part of the park offers various pavilions representing different countries from all over the world. In an afternoon, you can visit little pieces of different nations and experience their culture, history, architecture, products, and food!
8. Kilimanjaro Safaris - This Animal Kingdom attraction offers one of the coolest experiences at WDW, a realistic African safari! You will board a safari vehicle and drive through areas which truly look and feel like the African savanna. Here you will encounter crocodiles, hippos, elephants, lions, giraffes, and much more. Young and old will enjoy!
7. Wear Mouse Ears - Every guest who visits WDW must don their own pair of iconic Mouse Ears and sport them through the Disney parks. It’s part of the Disney experience! So be sure to get your own personalized ears and stroll proudly down Main Street U.S.A. because everyone is a kid again at WDW! Just try not to go broke at Mouse Gears!
You Should Be In Pictures, Disney Photo Pass Pictures That Is!
What’s the best way to capture all your favorite Disney Memories? Pictures of course!!
Admit it we have all seen it happening or even done it ourselves…Stopping on Main Street, leaning over the rail by the flower gardens in Epcot, bending to get that silly shot on the Jedi Cruiser outside Star Tours, or how about stooping to get that little gecko hanging out in Animal Kingdom all in hopes of getting that one time million dollar shot! We all have those pictures we cherish, like ones of our favorite hotel that reminds us of a quiet morning that made it seem like we had the place to ourselves, or the one of the kiddos taking a nap in the stroller, or how about the animals on the Kilimanjaro Safaris come on admit it you have 15 pictures of the same elephants playing in the mud 
But one thing I always noticed is that I may have gotten some great random shots but the family pictures for the most part were always missing something… ME!
Now don’t get me wrong I love being behind the camera, in front of, well not so much. That said though family pictures at Disney are always our favorites, in front of Cinderella’s Castle, Spaceship Earth or that special picture with the main mouse himself! Whichever it is, it’s nice when everybody can flash their pearly whites and say Cheese!!
So how does one handle this little problem? Disney Photo Pass of course! We started getting Photo pass in 2006 and have loved it every time and our last trip was no exception! My best friend’s family was joining us this trip and it was a couple of years in the making. Her family had never been to Disney and wanting to capture every moment for them I knew from the get go that Disney Photo Pass was a must! So many amazing family photos, character shots, ride & dinner photos that was well worth the price and yes even the time it may take to get the picture snapped was so worth it when we got our disk of almost 450 pictures! Group shots that wouldn’t have happened are now trip favorites and have since been made into 8×10 and are hanging up on the wall.
Top 5 Walt Disney World Rides for Couples
Believe it or not, Walt Disney World is not just for kids/families, it can also be a romantic place to vacation for couples as well! Should you find yourself in the mood for a little Disney Romance, then check out these top romantic rides for couples:
1. Peter Pan’s Flight – Board a pirate ship for a trip to Neverland! The ships are suspended from the ceiling, giving you the feeling that you are flying, as you soar through scenes from the movie. It’s set mostly in the dark, plus you get to fly – how much more romantic can you get than that!
2. Spaceship Earth – Located in Epcot’s icon, the giant shimmering geosphere, this ride depicts the story of how we communicate, from ancient to modern times. The best part is that it is interactive – partway through the ride, the screen in front of you comes to life, and you enter some information, answer some questions, and then it shows “your future”, it’s a lot of fun and a blast to see what your future holds for you and your significant other.
Dealing with Grief – The Christmas We Escaped to Disney World
After finishing several articles featuring Disney Holiday Planning, I got to thinking about our own Christmas Trip in 2010. We stayed the week before Christmas and left the day after. This was my families first time to Disney during the holidays, in fact the first time we had travelled somewhere during Christmas Day. But for us it was an escape from the real world. We just couldn’t face a “normal” Christmas after the year we had. The trip was bittersweet but I would like to share it with all our readers in the hopes that someone else can gain from our experience.
In 2009, My son Andrew had turned 2 and just returned from his first trip to Disney. We were glowing in the post-Disney euphoria of a perfect trip. Then we receive the news that my Father-in-Law had been diagnosed with lung cancer. A year followed with ups and downs, forgotten holidays, illness and fear of the unknown. To give us a break, we decided to take another trip to Disney for our sons 3rd birthday. My father-in-law was doing better and although prognosis wasn’t great, we felt he was in better spirits after a tough year. Within a couple of months of that trip we said good-bye to the person I affectionately called FIL.
