LOVE & HATE IN THE PARKS

For this blog entry I wanted to touch on what I really love about each park and what I can’t stand.  I’m writing this piece before our April 2024 trip and because we haven’t been in 7ish years, there is actually a lot we haven’t experienced yet - so I’ll mention what we have yet to experience as I progress through this piece, so you know.  Because I can’t judge something I’m not familiar with - that wouldn’t be fair.  I will come back to this topic in the future to follow up with new additions, or to make changes, because as we all know WDW changes constantly and that’s one of the things we love about it.  What we love today could either be gone, or revamped and or we experienced something new that never used to be there.


I’m going to detail this writing park by park and list 5 things I love in each park ( in no specific order) and then 3 things I can’t stand and then I’ll end off each section with a list of everything I haven’t yet experienced, just so you’re aware of why something wasn’t listed that you maybe think I should have listed.    


Starting with Magic Kingdom.

#1 - I love Tomorrowland.  I’ve always been a “the future is brighter” kind of person and Tomorrowland is just that.  It is the essence of what could be or at least that’s the ideology this land is supposed to give off.  I was very happy when Tomorrowland was revamped from that 70’s-esque esthetic it used to have when I was a kid, to the futuristic look it has today - although, it could do with a slight revamp again - more lights more neon, more animatronic or robotic movement would be nice in keeping with the times.  Currently in this land that I love is Space Mountain, which I love as an attraction - it's so fun and fast, and I love that it's in the dark and it's hard to anticipate your next movement.  That is so fun.  I also love the Space Mountain building, it can come across as dated, it has that 70’s aesthetic I just mentioned, but somehow it's still modern, like a classic contemporary design that never ages. Same with Carousel of Progress, nostalgic - the building and the attraction itself.  Plus who doesn’t love having “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” stuck in their head all day.  I also really love the People Mover, because who doesn’t - and if you don’t - how can you not?  Space Ranger Spin is also a must do - I’m still working on becoming a Galactic Hero.  Not sure why I have such problems with high scoring on this, but trust me - always working on it.  I also really love the names of some of the kiosks,restaurants and shops in this land - The Lunching Pad, Auntie Gravity’s, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe - because how loveable is Sonny Eclipse, he’s great!  The naming of establishments is another favourite of mine throughout the Disney parks - helping to keep the immersiveness of the areas and theming alive.  I love it. 


#2 - The Haunted Mansion - I love everything about this experience, from the moment you walk up to or past the initial cast member to enter the queue, I love that they are in character.  The graveyard and interactive queue is fun as are the tombstones, I love to read all those funny puns and little quips - it really adds to the experience.  And then the cast members that open the doors and tell everyone to move forward into the parlor room or stretching room or whatever it's called, the room where we meet the ghost host voice - those cast members really set the overall tone of the experience.  They are so creepy,  I love it!  I just recently learned that if you are not comfortable going into that initial room with the stretching, like if you have littles and they’re not comfortable in dark spaces you can ask those same cast members I just mentioned to bypass that part of the experience and you can jump right not the room with the conveyors and loading.  That was new info to me - so, I thought I should share.  I would probably never bypass; I love the stretching room - I think it's so fun, and yes can be a bit creepy for first timers and littles, but you’re in there so briefly that it's very tolerable.  What I really love about this attraction is that it is so old - the original Disneyland one opened in 1969 and yet - the technology doesn’t even feel dated to me.  I feel like its so relevant in to many ways - maybe that’s just me and my Disney blinders, but from Madame Leota, to the  Brides attic to the graveyard projections and of course my most favourite scene - the ballroom - I don’t feel like the effects are dated at all and that is why I love this attraction so much - nostalgia, sentiment and timeless technology all in one not so scary mansion.        


#3 - Aloha Isle & Dole Whip Floats - Now I know you can get dole whips elsewhere on resort property, but this is the original, where it all started and I absolutely love Dole Whip.  On a super hot day, when that Florida humidity is kicking in, there is no better refreshment than a dole whip float.  I personally prefer the float over just the standard dole whip, because I’m a beverage person, over a sweets person so I love anything creatively packaged into a beverage and a tasty beverage just can’t be beat.  I love the standard pineapple flavour or pineapple vanilla and I know there are more creative options - here as well as at  Sunshine Tree Terrace, which is also located in Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland - there’s orange flavour and raspberry, lemon, coconut & strawberry - some are seasonal flavours or are only available when there are special dole whips available - which is why I prefer the standard pineapple on pineapple.  Plus I love a place that literally serves only 2-3 things - to me that means, they specialize in what they do and it's good and they can do it quickly.   Which is exactly what Aloha Isle is able to do time and time again,


#4 - The Main Street Emporium - This is my favourite place to shop in any of the parks. I love how the stores all interconnect from behind Casey’s Corner near the end of Main Street all the way to almost the train station at the start of Main Street.  Especially on a rainy day or a super hot day, there’s just so much to see in this place and I love how there are all the different sections.  I like the sports section with gold stuff, the fancy section with the glass and breakables, the new merchandise section with the latest and greatest of whatever they are selling for the moment, the plush section, the stationary section, key section, baby section - you get the idea, there is nothing you can’t find in this place.  I could spend a lot of time walking through this place, looking and wanting absolutely everything,  I have a couple memories of this place to share.  This is where I received my first congrats the first time I completed 4 parks in one day, I was really excited about that.  I also remember one October when my mom and I were sitting on Main Street waiting for the Main Street Electrical Parade and it was super freezing, like mild Toronto winter weather and the part of the Emporium that was right behind us was wheeling out rolling racks full of sweatpants and sweatshirts, like literally hundreds of them and we had to buy something because we were certainly not dressed for the weather, most people weren’t actually - it was freak out of nowhere kind of weather.  So, we had to buy a couple sweatshirts, and I still have mine actually, I really like it actually - it’s a gray sweatshirt with a large Mickey head on the front and on the back you see the back of his head.  I love it and I’m glad it's still in good condition.  


#5 - Fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle - No matter what the nighttime show is Happily Ever After or Wishes or Enchantment of Very Merry Christmas Fireworks or the Boo To You Fireworks - there is nothing more heartwarming that seeing the castle at night and the music is being pumped into the air up and down main street and then Tinkerbell flies out of the castle (depending on what show you’re watching I guess) and that’s when you see the most amazing firework display you’ll ever see in your entire life - honestly, it doesn’t even matter which show you’re lucky enough to see - each one will take your breath away and if you’re like me, this is when your eyes well up with tears and you want to cry, because I’m just so happy to be at Magic Kingdom and more specifically Walt Disney World.


So, Magic Kingdom seems so great, right - I’m really selling it - but what do I not like about Magic Kingdom - I’m not going to stress on the negative, so I won’t go into details about the things that I don’t like - but nothing is perfect, so I just want it to be known that I also see the negatives in each park - and just like things I like, the things I dislike are subjective,  


I have yet to experience Tron - so if you were wondering, this is why it was not a contender for my list this time around.


Let’s head on over to EPCOT where, if you know me - this is my favourite park, so picking 5 favourite things is pretty hard but I do know right off the bat, I’m going to tell you that my most favourite things in the entire park is:

 

#1 - Spaceship Earth - I have loved this attraction since I was a little kid.  Considering its about communication, which has always been a fascination of mine this really is no surprise.  Does the attraction need an update - of course it does - but not the history part of it - history is history, it has already happened and we can’t change it, therefore the historical context of the attraction should be left as is - especially that burning smell that fans love so much, if they omit that ever, I’ll be so upset.  What I do think could use a little refresh here is the last interactive element about the future - because what they have deemed the future for this part, isn’t really too futuristic anymore.  I also really love Spaceship Earth as an architectural marvel - it's so huge and the fact that we get to go inside there and that all those animatronics and those scenes are inside that ball - and there’s a spiraling track that goes up and comes back down.  I’m not an engineer, what seems an incredible feat of architecture if I ever saw one.  


#2 - Mitsukoshi Department Store at the Japan Pavilion - I actually lived in Japan in my 20’s, where I worked as an English teacher, but prior to that I was also fascinated with  Japan due to my love of Hello Kitty and Astro Boy - tho franchises which are still kicking to this day.  I basically love the entire Japan pavilion, but this department store creates such nostalgia for me; bringing me back to my childhood and to the time I spent living in Japan.  I never leave this store empty handed, I can always find things to buy - either stickers, or some little trinket toy and of course the snacks and beverages in the back, which bring me back to my teaching days in Nagasaki Japan.  I love how the cast members in this store greet everyone entering with an “I-Ra-Shay-Mase” or “I-Ra-Shay-Mase Konichiwa” - welcoming patrons into their establishment - this is the same thing that happens in actual Japanese stores and it's a comforting feeling to hear them shouting this out.  I love the energy in here at the pick a pearl station - such a simple thing, bringing so many people joy.  And I love that this store has different sections and is so organized by different things that Western culture is so in love with Japanese culture for - there’s the pop culture section with all the anime, Studio Ghibli, Hello Kitty, Pokemon, Super Mario - franchises we all know and love, the home good section with very innovative things to use in the kitchen or bathrooms - the traditional section with kimonos, samurai swords and bonsai trees and the snack section.  Love this store and am so glad that it is a part of Epcot.  


#3 - I love the World Showcase - there isn’t anything that I don’t love about the World Showcase.  I love the immersion around the lagoon, I love the details of the pavilions and I love that there are shops and crafts and cast members who are from whichever country you’re visiting.  The authentic factor is even bumped up a notch or two because of the food and beverage that are served.  Where else in the actual world can you go and walk in a 10 min span to find authentic Mexican Tacos, Chinese Dumplings and Real Gelato - not only yummy, but authentic.  There are also street performers from different nations that you can come across as you’re walking around the lagoon.  From mimes, to drummers and acrobats to Mexican Mariachi Musicians, to Canadian East Coast Musicians, to Beatles Cover Bands - there’s a little something special to be found in each and every country.  Which is why the World Showcase is so special, because each and every time you visit, it's sure to be a different experience.


#4 - Epcot festivals - We love a good festival and have been fortunate enough to experience Food & Wine a handful of times plus we’ve attended one festival of the holidays.  On our upcoming trip - maybe while you’re listening to this, we’ll be attending our first Flower & Garden Festival and I’m sure we’re loving that as well.  I already mentioned that I love the food and drink options that can be found around the World Showcase, so when Disney adds even more food and drink options on top of the already existing countries that are represented on the regular - then of course festivals are going to make my top 5 list.  Festivals are where I fell in love with Brazilian Cheese Bread & Australian Lamb Chops and Poke - and so many other delights.  I love having the passport and going around and visiting the countries and collecting stamps - it's a small thing, but a fun one that I am glad to participate in time and time again. 


#5 - Living With the Land - I know the Disney community has such a love/ hate relationship with living with the land, but for me its comfort.  It’s an attraction that has been around since I was a little kid and it doesn’t ever seem like it's going anywhere, so I’ll be able to continue loving it for many years. The boat ride for living with the land is so relaxing and can be such a reprieve from a hot, chaotic day in the park depending on the time of year that you’re visiting.  Plus, who doesn’t like a little bit of education in learning about how Disney is using innovation to help with their greenhouses and that the food they grow is utilized right there in the park for some of the things we may eat ourselves.  When this attraction used to be Listen to the Land - there was a really fun catchy song that always seems to be stuck in my head even though it is no longer used, but that’s nostalgia for you.     


So, considering that EPCOT has so much to love - what is there not to love:

#1 - Circle Vision Movies - I can’t stand these films in China, Canada and France.  I really with they would do away with these experiences and do something better with the space that people would love better, even if it were something museum-esque for people to walk through and see things  - like an exhibit, that would even be more interesting than a movie, with no seating, where you have to crane your neck to watch type of experience - at least even something younger guests would find even partially interesting.  

#2 - The Wasted Space that is The Odyssey and the Former Wonders of Life Pavilion - come on Disney, step up and utilize every piece of real estate you can, especially ones that are already in existence.  There was talk right before the pandemic that the Wonders of Life Pavilion was going to be transformed into the Play Pavilion, which would have been interactive experiences for guests that would have been hosted by Disney & Pixar Characters like Edna Mode and The Incredibles and the cast of Zootopia.  This would have been a nice addition, and from the descriptions - seems like it would have been reminiscent of the EPCOT that I grew up with with many hands-on exhibits.  And using the Odyssey solely for Festival booth space is a real cop out that I am very unimpressed with.

#3 - This is never going to change, but I don’t like that there are 2 entrances to this park - the front gates at the front of the park by the monorail station and Spaceship Earth and the back entrance known as the International Gateway in between the France and UK pavilions.  I really feel like entering through the International Gateway, takes away from the essence that is Walt’s Epcot from entering and initially viewing that giant sphere when you walk in.  Our most recent trip we’ll be staying at a Skyliner resort, so we’ll be entering for the first time (for Rope Drop) from the back - not loving the idea, but loving the use of Skyliner, so it's a love and hate kind of relationship.  


Yet to experience Guardians, Celebration Gardens & the Walt the Dreamer Statue, Remy’s Ratatouille (although have experienced the one in Disneyland Paris), Journey of Water inspired by Moana 


Coming up with things I love and hate in Hollywood is going to be hard, because as much as I love this park and what it has to offer guests, this park needs a lot of work.  But I do have things that I love - but there is also a lot in this park that I have yet to experience at the time of writing.


#1 - 50s Prime Time Cafe - I love so many things about this table service restaurant that I couldn’t not put it into my top 5.  The food is comfort food and it's so delicious - who doesn’t want a hearty, warm plate of comfort food to warm the soul?  Fried Chicken , Pot Roast, Mac & Cheese - I haven't had anything here that wasn’t delicious, so it's a restaurant that we try to visit when we can.  And the milkshakes - filling yes, but that PB & J is to die for and I can’t recommend it enough.  I can understand who introverts might not be too into this restaurant, but I wouldn’t call myself particularly extroverted and I think the wait staff here is delightful and so playful, but never in a way that makes you want to crawl out of your skin kinda way. From making you eat all your veggies, to no elbows on the table to wanting you to become a member of the clean plate club - rest assured that if you choose 50’s Prime Time as a Dining Experience for you and your family or party that not only will you have really delicious food, but you’ll have a fun interactive experience that you can’t really find too many other places.  


#2 - Fantasmic is my all time favourite nighttime spectacular.  For starters, you get a seat, which is great considering that for many of us, we’ve been on our feet all day and just want to enjoy some nighttime entertainment but be comfortable while doing it.  There’s so much going on in this show that it's hard not to love so many elements of the production - there’s water projections, animatronics, so many characters, acrobatics and the fight between good and evil is something I never grow tired of witnessing over and over again.  This is also an opportunity to see Sorcerer Mickey, who I absolutely love and my most favourite part of the show is when the steamboat comes by with pretty much any and every character you can possibly think of on it - that in itself is a special thing to witness.  


#3 - Toy Story Midway Mania - now this is going to be a bold statement - but this is my most favourite attraction of any of the parks.  I love Toy Story, the franchise and I love video games - but classic kinds of video games - not Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto kind of games - so I love the competitive nature of this game and want to do my best at it every single time.  I even had a Wii game that is this game and  I know it is somewhere in my basement, but I can’t find it - I’m still looking.  I’m not giving up on finding it.  I think the mini games here are so fun, just the right length and I love that this attraction is so interactive for guests of all ages.  My first few trips after this attraction had initially launched and it was so super in demand - I would Fast Pass (sometimes even securing two in a day) and then wait in line over and over and over again, just trying to better my score each time.  That’s how much I love this attraction - and how cute is the queue?  It is definitely nostalgic in so many respects that the queue in itself is something that deserves to be seen on its own.


#4 - Muppet Vision 3D - this show gets a bad rep, but really I think it's one of the better shows (not an attraction ride) in all the parks.  For starters, the nostalgia factor is out of this world.  A franchise as huge and important as The Muppets really doesn’t get the recognition it needs from Disney Parks.  I really appreciate the attention to detail that went into the queue and the holding area for this show, there are so many details to take in while waiting to be let into the theater for the actual attraction.  Guests should take the time to read all the little details that are on the walls and signage leading up to the holding room, and then once in the holding room, walk around and see everything that’s there.  There are so many things in there that will give guests a real chuckle.  I appreciate all the elements of the production that come together once you’re in the theater, the live action of characters searching for Bean, the two guys sitting up in the box making jokes (just like they used to on the actual Muppet Show).  I love the usage of water and lights to help enhance the production and overall, I just really love the Muppets. It's great to see classic characters like Kermit, Ms Piggy, Fozzie and Gonzo in a Disney attraction.  This attraction has really stood the test of time too, The Muppets aren’t predominantly featured in pop culture like they were once upon a time, and although movies continue to be made featuring these characters, many younger guests may not be familiar with them the way that older guests are. 


#5 - Rock N Roller Coaster - I feel like this is a controversial choice as well considering that this coaster always seems to be in some form of refurbishment.  I’m a fan of this coaster, because I like coasters.  I love that it has a loop, because loops are one of my favourite coaster elements.  I love the glow in the dark black light art that accompanies riders on their way to the Aerosmith concert.  People say the attraction is dated, and maybe it is and maybe the average younger guest doesn’t know who Aerosmith is, but that’s ok - because I’m sure they have no idea what the Twilight Zone is either and that’s a big feature for Tower of Terror and nobody calls that attraction dated.  The coaster itself of Rock N Roller Coaster can not be dated - its a roller coaster, it does as it is supposed to - it thrills guests.  Could the black light decor change?  Sure it could and could the featured musical artists change, sure it could - but even if you did change either of those, it's still going to be an amazing coaster that’s fun to ride and delivers on the thrill factor.


Off the bat two things come to mind that I absolutely can’t stand about Hollywood Studios:

1& 2  One and two I’m combining because they kind of overlap - The park is so horribly laid out and get rid of that launch bay building (add a building in Galaxy’s edge that meets this same purpose).  Logistically I’m not sure who designed this place, but there is no good method of traffic flow. Sunset Blvd, literally goes nowhere, so guests are forced to backtrack when they’re done with Tower and Rock N Roller Coaster.  You can walk directly from Galaxy’s Edge into Toy Story land and vice versa, that’s super strange and you can get stuck in the Animation courtyard (which by the way) has no more animation and this area you have to back track out of again.  I have ideas for these problems - Animation Courtyard should be changed into a whole Pixar area (save for the Little Mermaid Theater, which will finally re-open later this year - but everything south of the little mermaid - should dip into the Disney Renaissance - move the beauty and the beast show into one of those buildings, and add something of Aladdin and something of Hercules - use the existing theater where Beauty and the Beast is for something else, something new and fresh - maybe this is where you do something Disney JR -  maybe you do a whole Disney JR area for the littles in this area and use up some of the Fantasmic queue area.  And then take the rest of animation courtyard - knock out Star Wars launch bay - and make the best Pixar area ever - a Inside Out Coaster, an Incredibles Superhero Experience and throw in some Monsters Inc (maybe a new dark ride) plus some exclusive Pixar meet and greets with Soul, Luca, Turning Red and Elemental - and this is a winning area - plus the whole area is going to run right up to Toy Story land (which is the biggest of the Pixar franchises)


3.  This one is frivolous - but I really wish that Star Tours was closer to Galaxy’s Edge.  I understand the story logistically about Batu, and that has nothing to do with Star Tours, but in keeping franchises together, I can’t stand that you have the same IP in one area and the remainder of the IP elsewhere.  This really bothers me.  


Yet to experience Galaxy’s Edge & attractions, Toy Story Land & attractions like Aliens or Slinky Dog, Mickey Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Baseline Tap House, Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy.


Last, but certainly not least is Animal Kingdom.  Definitely the prettiest of the parks so in my top 5 things I love about this park is”

#1 - The sheer beauty and aesthetic of all the lands - except for DinoLand USA (which as we all know at the time of recording is on its way into extinction).  The foliage and the fauna throughout this park is nothing short of remarkable.  And I love how every area is distinctly its own in terms of the aesthetic of each distinct area - you can tell Africa from Asia and obviously Pandora from the other two and the most playful area, or the area that I personally think is the most “Disney's discovery island which is colourful outside of the greenery and the most playful. I love the architecture of the buildings and how each land is so immersive and bears a striking resemblance to what these places actually look like.  This is very well done creatively, and it's things like this that set Disney apart from competitors. And that Tree of Life - that is something to behold and I mean like really check it out - the carvings on the trunk are unlike anything you’ll see anywhere.   


#2 - Expedition Everest - I already mentioned that Midway Mania over in Hollywood Studios is my all time favourite and I would have to say that this is my second favourite.  I love this coaster and I love this one from the moment you spot the attraction walking up to it in the Asia area of Animal Kingdom. The background and theming of going on an expedition in search of a yeti is so well done and Imagineers have put so much detail into this queue that that in itself should be an attraction.  I love that his coaster goes backward and that some of it is in the dark - I wish there was a better initial drop, but it's so much fun and I love the theming and I even love the yeti who doesn’t work properly.  


#3 - Finding Nemo - The Big Blue and Beyond - So unfortunately at the time of recording I have not seen the latest iteration of this production, but the former was a must see for me every single trip.  This show brings tears to my eyes, that’s how well done I think it is.  I love the costumes and the original music and the puppets just can’t be beat, there is nothing to even compare this production to.  I know it's different now than what I’m used to from productions before, but I’m sure it is just as fantastic, just as creative and just as original as it once was.  I’m not really sure how this production has eluded the big stages of Broadway, because it is that good - and it has its own music, that is remarkable and it's all hiding in the a theme park as an included attraction, I feel like Disney is really losing out financially on what they could really make with this production worldwide.  


#4 - I love the food in Animal Kingdom - Aside from World Showcase at EPCOT, this park is tops for food choices and I mean that in both Table Service options and in Quick Service and Snacks.  Tusker House, Flame Tree, Yak & Yeti - the options are plentiful  and they are very out of the box in keeping with the different areas of the parks, keeping you immersed in the theming.  I feel like the eats in this park are very hidden, like not enough people are maximizing the treats they can find here.  Check out Kusafiri for flatbreads and hand pies, Yak & Yeti for the mango pie, flame tree for the pork sandwich and the mac n cheese with pulled pork - there is no shortage of good eats for the whole family to be had throughout this park - there are food options for the adventurous and also pizza and chicken fingers for all those picky littles out there.     


#5 - I really like shopping at Animal Kingdom.  I find the things you can find here very unique and unlike what’s in the other parks.  You can of course find  a good handful of the same Disney logoed merchandise that you would find in the other parks.  I especially find the selection at Discovery  Trading Company very good, Island Mercantile is another favourite of mine as are Mariya’s Souvenirs and the Mombasa Marketplace in which are both located in Africa.     


Now for what I don’t like


Yet to experience Pandora and its attractions, See Character Flotillas 


There you have it folks.  My likes and dislikes across all four Walt Disney World Parks.  I don’t expect everyone to agree with me or disagree with me - this is purely subjective and I would love to know what some of your favourite or least favourite things are at each of the parks too.  Reach out and let me know either on Instagram @ mousekathings or e-mail me. Thanks for reading and have a magical day or night, wherever you may be - thanks again and bye bye!


-Written May 2024