Welcome to Pandora-The World of Avatar!

So yeah,I am just getting around to writing about this now. But Disney's new Pandora-The World of Avatar area at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, is AMAZING!!!

I got to go to cast preview with my friend before the area was open to all guests so I got a more laid back, less crowded feel of everything. It was nice getting to be there before the massive crowds began.
 

Attractions

When we went there we got to ride both of the new attractions, Navi River Journey and Flight of Passage.

Na'vi River Journey is a slow moving boat cruise through the bio luminescent rainforest of Pandora where the Shaman of Songs can be heard singing near the end. The Shaman of Songs figure is very well done, it is like a real 10 foot tall Na'vi is standing in front of you.The bioluminescent effects throughout the ride make it seem like you are immersed into this foreign world. There are also other effects to showcase the wildlife that lives in the rainforest which is very cool.

Whereas Na'vi River Journey is a slow moving family oriented boat ride, Flight of Passage is a more thrilling experience. Let me tell you, Flight of Passage is like no other ride I have ever been on! To simplify it, it is like a version of Star Tours and Soarin' put together. You sit on a seat reminiscent of a bicycle, a "link chair" to link you to your Avatar, and scoot up to the handles in the front. A restraint then lowers, locking your back and legs into place. It is snug but not uncomfortable.

You then put on your "flight goggles" and are set to go! This ride makes it seem like you are soaring and flying on a real banshee! There are even effects to make it feel like an animal is breathing between your legs as it flies! The soaring and swooping motions made me feel like I could even bank and sway into the turns, as if I was controlling my own banshee. With added scents, wind in your hair, this ride is very realistic to what I imagine the experience of riding a banshee would be like.

This ride MUST NOT BE MISSED! I know the wait will probably be long, but it is SO WORTH IT. My friend and I even went back another day once the park was open to all guests and waited 2 hours in the standby line just to ride this ride. But don't worry!

There is much to see and explore in the queue as well while you wait! Why not even do what we did and grab one of the delicious "Night Blossom" drinks from the Pongu Pongu around the corner and bring it in line with you! Which brings us to the next best thing about Pandora....THE FOOD!

Food

Blueberry Cream Cheese Mousse

The food in this new area is amazing. The one new quick service restaurant, the Satu'li Canteen,has many different, and healthier options, then what you would expect to see in a theme park. There are different rice bowls with chicken,beef,fish and tofu which come with your choice of a vegetable slaw and boba balls, along with options for other sides, like sweet potato hash!

The option I chose, was the cheeseburger steamed pods in a bao bun. This was a mixture of ground beef,cheese,ketchup,mustard and pickle stuffed inside a pastry type shell and steamed. It came with a vegetable slaw with boba balls as well as vegetable chips. No french fries on this menu! These cheeseburger pods were delicious and packed with flavor! The vegetable chips were a welcome healthier addition to my meal which I enjoyed.

If you are looking for another vegetarian option, they offer vegetable steamed pods, which are different veggies stuffed inside the same type of pastry shell and steamed. For dessert we chose to share each of the options. There is a chocolate cake with a cookie layer and a banana cream topping, as well as a blueberry cream cheese mousse. These were both good, but neither stood out as much to me as the Night Blossom drink from Pongu Pongu....

Cheeseburger Pods and Pandoran Sunrise

Drinks

For a drink at Satu'li Canteen to drink with my meal, I chose to try the non alcoholic, Pandoran Sunrise, which was "tropical juices blended with powerade melon". It was very good! The drink I would recommend the most though would be the "Night Blossom" from the outside drink stand, 'Pongu Pongu' which in english translates to 'Party Party". The Night Blossom is a purple and green colored slushy type drink flavored with apple,pear and limeade and topped with passion fruit flavored boba balls! This drink is delicious and a great refresher on a hot Florida Day!

Night Blossom in front of the #PandoraMossyWall

Me with a Banshee up for adoption

Overall impression

Overall, Pandora is a very well done new area added to Animal Kingdom. With the fabulous new attractions and delicious food it is not to be missed. Some more welcome things that add to the experience are the new Wilderness Explorers badges you can now earn and there is an adoption rookery where you can adopt your very own banshee to bring home with you.

A new Instagram hotspot has also blown up, the #PandoraMossyWall is THE place for pics while in Pandora. When you are not waiting in one of the long lines for one of the attractions, there are also drummers sometimes out performing, as well as a plant you can touch and steam comes out of its top!

Don't forget to visit Pandora at night in addition to the day time. At night, the whole land has a completely different look as the trees and plants come alive with bioluminescence! My photos DO NOT do the land justice at night at all! So be sure to check it out!

DCP Bucket List: What did I actually complete during my college program with Disney?

So here is my bucket list from one of my previous posts, lets see what I actually accomplished!
Those in red I completed!

1. Do all of these things in Magic Kingdom

picture in front of castle

picture on empty main street

picture with Walt and Mickey on main street

Go during the day

Go at night

Rent a boat to watch fireworks from Seven Seas Lagoon

Rides/Parades/Shows:

Astro Orbiter

The Barnstormer

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin

Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station

Cinderella Castle

Country Bear Jamboree

Dumbo the Flying Elephant

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Frontierland Shootin' Arcade

The Hall of Presidents

Haunted Mansion (ride with lights on and off)

It's a Small World

Jungle Cruise

Liberty Square Riverboat

Mad Tea Party

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin

Main Street Vehicles-Themed Area

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Mickey's Philharmagic

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

Peter Pan's Flight

A Pirates Adventure-Treasures of the Seven Seas

Pirates of the Caribbean

Prince Charming Regal Carrousel

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Space Mountain (ride with lights on and off)

Splash Mountain

Stitch's Great Escape!

Swiss Family Treehouse

Tom Sawyer Island

Tomorrowland Arcade

Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Transit Authority People Mover

Under the Sea-Journey of The Little Mermaid

Walt Disney World Railroad-Fantasyland

Walt Disney World Railroad-Frontierland

Walt Disney World Railroad-Main Street,USA

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress

Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Celebrate the Magic

Captain Jack Sparrow Pirate Tutorial

Dapper Dans

Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade

Dream Along with Mickey

Electrial Water Pageant

Flag Retreat

Magic Kingdom Welcome Show

Main Street Electrial Parade

Wishes (from Mainstreet in park,behind castle, Contemporary Resort/other beach resort

See the Kiss Goodnight

Food

Aloha Isle-Dole Whip

Be Our Guest

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Gaston’s Tavern

Main Street Bakery

Pinocchio Village Haus

Plaza Ice Cream Parlour

Events/Tours

Disney’s Family Magic Tour

Disney’s Keys to the Kingdom Tour

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

New Years Eve

Night of Joy (worked)

Walt Disney: Marceline to Magic Kingdom Tour

2. Do all of these things in Epcot

call/answer Epcot payphone

Get an Epcot passport and have it stamped in every country

Picture in front of ball

Go during the day

Go at night

Food and Wine Festival

Have a drink in as many countries as I want/sound good

Rides/Parades/Shows

Advanced Training Lab

The American Adventure

American Heritage Gallery

Bijutsu-kan Gallery

Captain EO

The Circle of Life

Disney Phineas and Ferb: Agent P's World Showcase Adventure

Ellen's Energy Adventure

Gallery of Arts and History

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring The Three Caballeros

House of the Whispering Willows

ImageWorks - the "What If" Labs

Impressions de France

Innoventions East

Innoventions West

Journey into Imagination with Figment

Kidcot Fun Stops

Leave A Legacy

Living with the Land

Maelstrom

Mexico Folk Art Gallery

Mission: SPACE

O Canada! (film)

Project Tomorrow: Inventing the wonder of the future

Reflections of China

SeaBase

The Seas with Nemo & Friends

Soarin' (ride front, middle seat)

Spaceship Earth (Epcot)

Stave Church Gallery

Test Track

Turtle Talk with Crush

Acrobats

Illuminations

Mariache cobre
*Frozen Ever After (added after CP)

    

Food

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

Biergarten Restaurant

Block and Hans

Chefs de France

Coral Reef Restaurant

Funnel Cake

Gelati

Kringle Bakeri of Kafe

L’artisan des glaces

La cava del tequila

Liberty Inn

Le cellier steakhouse

Refreshments cool post

Rose and Crown Pub

Via Napoli Ristorante e pizzeria

Tours/Events

Backstage Magic

Behind the Seeds

Candlelight processional

Epcot Divequest

Disney’s Dolphins in Depth

Epcot Seas Aqua tour

Holidays of the World

The Undiscovered Future World

3.Do all of these things in Hollywood Studios

picture in front of hat

go during the day

go at night

Rides/Parades/Shows

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame

American Film Institute Showcase

The American Idol Experience

Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage

Block Party Bash

Disney Junior

Fantasmic!

The Great Movie Ride

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! (Volunteer)

Jedi Training Academy

the legend of captain jack sparrow

Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show

The Magic of Disney Animation

Muppet*Vision 3D

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Star Tours: The Adventures Continue

Studio Backlot Tour (volunteer)

Toy Story Midway Mania

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Walt Disney: One Man's Dream

Food

50’s Prime Time Café

Hollywood Scoops

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano

Pizza Planet and Arcade

Sci-Fi dine in theater Restaurant

4. Do all of these things in Animal Kingdom

picture in front of tree

go during the day

go at night

Rides/Parades/Shows

Affection Section

Boneyard

Conservation Station

Cretaceous Trail

Dinosaur

Dino Sue

Discovery Island Trails

Expedition Everest

Finding Nemo the Musical

Flights of wonder

Habitat Habit!

It's Tough to be a Bug

Kali River Rapids

Kilimanjaro Safaris (ride first safari of day)

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Mickey's Jammin Jungle Parade

The Oasis

Pangani Forest Exploration Trail

Primeval Whirl

Tree of life

TriceraTop Spin

Wild Africa Trek

wilderness explorers

Wildlife Express Train

Festival of the Lion King

Rafikis planet watch

tam tam drummers of harambe

viva gaia street band

Food

Flame Tree Barbecue

Pizzafari

Restaurantosauras

Yak and Yeti

Tours/Events

Backstage Safari

Wild Africa Trek

Wild by Design

5. Go to all 4 parks in 1 day

6. Visit Every Resort

picture in/at every resort

Value:


Disney's All-Star Movies Resort 
Disney's All-Star Music Resort


Disney's All-Star Sports Resort 

Disney's Art of Animation Resort


Disney's Pop Century Resort


The Campsites at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Moderate:


Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort


Disney's Coronado Springs Resort


Disney's Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter


Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside


The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort

Deluxe:


Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge


Disney's Beach Club Resort


Disney's BoardWalk Inn


Disney's Contemporary Resort


Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa


Disney's Polynesian Resort


Disney's Wilderness Lodge


Disney's Yacht Club Resort

7. Do all of the following things in Downtown Disney

Cirque du Soleil-La Nouba

Disneyquest

Go at night

Lego Store

World of Disney

People watch

Go out to eat

Ghiradelli Ice Cream

Earl of Sandwhiches

House of Blues

8. Visit Blizzard Beach

summit plummit

Ride lazy river around the whole way

9.Visit Typhoon Lagoon

snorkel

ride lazy river around the whole way

10. Meet and get autographs/take pictures with as many characters as possible

Alice in Wonderland

Anna

Elsa

Ariel
Aladdin

Jasmine

Genie

Belle

Beast

Gaston

Cinderella

Prince Charming

Lady Tremaine

Anastasia

Drizella

Fairy Godmother

Merida

Mickey Mouse

Minnie Mouse

Donald Duck

Daisy

Goofy

Pluto

Chip

Dale

Peter Pan

Wendy

Tinkerbell

Tiana

Naveen

Tigger

Winnie the Pooh

Eeyore

Piglet

Buzz Lightyear

Woody

Jessie

Marie

Mary Poppins

Mulan

Princess Aurora

Snow White

Mike

Sulley

Wreck it Ralph

Vanellope

Baloo

Louie

Pocahontas

Rafiki

Russel

Doug

Rapunzel

Flynn

Stitch

Lilo

Special characters:

-Mickey and Minnie in every park and as many outfits as possible

-Talking Mickey

11.meet character I am Disney bounding as and take a picture with them

12. Disney Bound

13. Be first one in a park

14. be last one in a park

15. go to a park by myself

16. go to all 4 park openings/rope drops

17. Watch a custodian paint a water picture

18. go to Boardwalk at night and during the day

19. Roommate picture

20. collect all of the buttons

21. meet or see a celebrity

22. Take monorail through Contemporary Resort

23. Ride the train

24. ride the boats

25. people watch

26. Eat a Kitchen Sink with friends

27. Eat a mickey bar

28. eat a funnel cake

29. Cupcake Crawl

30. Go to park on 4^th of July (MK Fireworks)

31. Go to park on Halloween

32. Go to park on Thanksgiving

33. Go to park on my birthday

34. Go to park on Christmas Eve

35. Go to park on Christmas

36. Go to park on New Years Eve

37. Go to park on New Years Day

38. Make a Magical Moment

39. Work a shift in every park (Magic Kingdom,Epcot,Hollywood Studios only)

40. Buy a picture from a ride that myself and friends are in

41. Watch the following Disney movies before/during DCP

(i couldnt remember which of these we did and didn't watch, probably most of them)

42. Collect a map from each park (every holiday etc..)

43. Go to entertainment audition for fun

44. Go to Mickey’s retreat

45. Buy the following Disney souvenirs

Minnie Ears (more than one?)

Something from where I work

Mug

Vinylmation

Alex and Ani Castle Bracelet

Plain silver stud Mickey ears earrings

Castle throw blanket/other blanket

Some kind of castle souvenir

Disney shirt

Picture frame

Snowglobe

“A dream is a wish your heart makes” pillow/ “once upon a time…” pillow

Disney Name tag

Other discounted items

Castle ring?-->other ring from ring carver

Disney sweatshirt?/hoodie?

Various pins?

Hat?

Photo album?

Mickey Mouse Oven mit?

46. other souvenirs

wooden surfboard for wall/picture frame/beachy sign if I go to the beach

Harry Potter World souvenir? chocolate frog and butterbeer at least

47. Go to Sea World

48. Go to Universal (Harry Potter World)

49. Universal Halloween Nights of Horror

50. Watch Disney movies with friends

51. game night with friends

52. visit friends at work

53. go to CP graduation/ pic with Mickey/Minnie

54.Go to housing events

55. go to every apartment complex

56. Embroider graduation ears

57. go to the beach

58. go to Miami

59. go to the pool at the apartment complex

60. take Environmentality and Sustainability Pilot

61. take Disney Heritage

62. Earn a 4 keys card

63. Go to Gatorland

64. VoluntEAR/get shirt

65. Kennedy Space Center

66. Keep a blog/journal of DCP (at least write down important/stand out moments)
67. Keep a ride count


Wow looking back at this list I have accomplished most of this! Of course once my college program ended, I started an entirely new Florida bucket list which I am currently working on. Let me know if you would like to see a list of those things! Its weird seeing how much of the stuff at Hollywood studios especially isn't there anymore and to see what other stuff has opened since making this such as Frozen Ever After, the new Soarin' overlay and all of the new nighttime Animal Kingdom entertainment things!

Cocoa Beach Highlights

Cocoa Beach, only about a 50 minute drive from nearby Walt Disney World and Orlando, is a great day trip to get away from the busy theme parks. There are some tolls along the way so be prepared and have quarters or a Sunpass ready!

Once you arrive, there are many different areas you could park. There is street parking with meters, the Cocoa Beach Pier with meters or pay cash to park in a lot, or there are a few hidden free spots including Ron John Surf Shop or Lori Wilson Park; any of these have quick beach access.

The Atlantic Ocean is quite a contrast to the warmer Gulf Coast beaches in that it offers both colder water and bigger waves for surfing and other water sports. The nearby pier includes a restaurant, stores,fishing and restrooms, while the beach right outside has volleyball courts, chair and umbrella rentals and many photo opportunities!

Another spot I recommend checking out is Lori Wilson Park. This park hosts many varieties of flora and fauna. During my time there I spotted a turtle and a raccoon. There is a nice boardwalk nature walkway through the trees that leads up to a nice overlook of the ocean. Lori Wilson Park also is also a well known pop culture stop for those “I dream of Jeannie” fans. This show, set in and around Cocoa Beach has its on roadway in Lori Wilson Park named after it: I Dream of Jeannie Lane. So stop by for a quick photo op!

Whether you prefer water sports or just lounging on the beach with toes in the sand. Cocoa Beach has it all for a quick trip away from the city!

August 2016 UPDATE

Hey everyone! So its been a while since I have made a blog post on here, but that is about to change ASAP! Since the Disney College Program I have continued to stay in Florida. Look for future posts on what I have been exploring and doing in my free time as well as Disney Updates and posts on my other travels as well! As always, thanks for reading and i'll talk to you all again soon!

WOW! What a month!!!

I cant believe I have already been down in Florida for a month!! Where did the time go??? I have been working soo much! With only having 1 day off a week I havnt gotten to do too much, but I did get to go see the 4th of July Fireworks on July 3rd! So they were the 3rd of July fireworks? They were amazing with the 360 degree fireworks! I even got to see them on the 4th while I was working. I just happened tobe bussing tables outside so I got to watch! I forget if I ever said where I am working. I am working at Pecos Bills Tale Tale Inn and Cafe! So far it is going great! I am starting to get friendlier with people from work which is nice. I havn't gotten to see my roommates all tha much since we have all been working a lot. Tomorrow is my next day off so I am planning to either go to Epcot or Hollywood Studios. I have yet to see Fantasmic or Illuminations so I want to see one of those tomorrow. Maybe I will park hop so I can see the Frozen event at Hollywood Studios then go to Epcot. We will see! I will try and keep this blog more updated but it is really hard when I am working this much!

DCP: Weekend before check in!!!!

My journey to check in began on Thursday June 5th. We left PA at 3:14am and got to Savannah around 6pm. Along the way we stopped at South of the Border to take some funny pictures then continued on. After we got settled in our hotel we ate at Longhorn steakhouse then drove into Savannah to look around. We drove around the historic section of Savannah including Forsyth park and took pictures. The trees were all really pretty and the area was nice. I was surprised how little traffic there was fora city. I also noticed how clean everything was. It was a nice little side trip. After exploring we went back to the hotel and went to sleep. The next day we woke up and headed on our way. In the morning over breakfast we decided to stop at the Daytona International Speedway. While we were there we took a tour of the stadium and my dad did a ride along in one of the racecars. We were there for a decent amount of time then we ate dinner at Outback. After eating we drove the rest of the way to Lake Buena Vista. We checked into the hotel then relaxed for the rest of the night.

On Saturday we went to Epcot. We got there right when it opened and went straight to Soarin'. It was great! We got right on! Overall the park did not seem too crowded. We got to do all the rides we wanted to as well as visit all of countries and really take it all in and see everything.

Today we went to Downtown Disney for a while. We ate lunch at the at the T-Rex restaurant and had ice cream at Ghiradelli. Then we went in some stores and headed back to the hotel.

We have been busy these past few days! Also Orange is the New Black season 2 was released on Netflix so I will have to find time to fit that into my schedule soon. I don't know when I will get around to it though with starting work soon but we will see! I am excited to check in tomorrow and meet everyone and find out where I will be working!!!!!

Tomorrow will be just like going to college except I won't have any homework, I get to live in Florida and I can go to Disney World everyday. Other than that its the same thing hahaha

DCP: T-minus 3 days

In 3 days I will be leaving PA and heading to Florida to start the Disney College Program! I am so excited! But still a little nervous. I am sure everything will be a lot of fun and I will make plenty of friends! I have been away from home for college for a while so I know what it is like to be away. But it is still a little nerve wracking that I will be so far away from home. I have gotten most of my packing done. I finally received my new hire paperwork and DORMS emails on Thursday so all of that is taken care of. I was getting nervous because I had to wait so long to get it but everything worked out and everything is all in order. My roommates and I all were able to request each other to live together so hopefully everything with housing works out! In the next couple of days I will be meeting up with friends for last goodbyes and I will finish packing. Then the journey to Florida will begin and I can start my time in the Disney College Program!!!

DCP: 2 Weeks until check in!!!!!

So I check in for the Disney College Program in 2 weeks!! I will be starting the trip down there in 9 days!!! Ahh so soon!! I've been packing and reading up on other DCP blogs to prepare. It is exciting reading about peoples experiences who are already there and seeing people post in the Facebook groups. Pretty soon that will be me! I still have not gotten my new hire paperwork. Today was Memorial Day so they were probably off. I may email them again or call if I do not get it by tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest. Good luck to anyone reading this who will be checking in soon and I can't wait to make some new friends!

DCP: Packing

So I think I have bought most of the things I will need for my time at Disney! Now I just need to figure out how to narrow down my clothes selection to the clothes I will actually wear. I really do not want to overpack. I am driving down, so I do have more room than people flying, but I do not want to pack too many things. I want to travel with stuff I will actually need and use. Only 3 weeks to go!!!!!

DCP: Planning for my trip to Florida for the DCP

Things are starting to come together for my trip down to Florida! My entire family and I will be driving down to Florida. We are stopping about 12 hours into our trip then will spend a day and a half there then continue on to Florida. We will then have Saturday night and Sunday to spend in Florida before check in! I have been doing some shopping and laying things out to start packing. I still have a lot of things on my list I need to get before I leave but I still have a few weeks to get things together which is good. I still have not received my new hire paperwork so hopefully I will be getting that soon so I can fill it out and check one more thing off my list. We still have not found a 6th girl to join us for an apartment so I think we are just going to get someone random. After all the 5 of us who have been talking are all basically random too, we just think we will get along. Hopefully everything works out! I am excited to get down there and start working, but I know I will miss my sister and family. Its sinking in now just how much I will be missing while I am away. I'm sure once I get down there and am busy it will go by fast and I will be home before I know it. I just don't like missing out on family events, especially holidays. Just thinking now about all the holidays I am going to miss is making me sad. I just hope I get along with my roommates and make a lot of friends to spend time with. I just need to look on the bright side and make the most of my experience and everything will be ok!

DCP: This week I will know

The final week has arrived. By Friday, I should have a yes or no answer from Disney whether or not I have been accepted into the Disney College Program. There was a wave of acceptances on Friday, so I am hoping there are still spots open. I'm sure there are, i'm just hoping my interview and everything showed the interviewers and decision makers how much I want this. The more and more I think about being accepted into the program, the more excited I become and the more I want it. I keep imagining myself one day working in Animal Kingdom as an environmental educator. That would be the best job ever! It would involve my major (Earth Science) AND I would get to work at Disney World! I have been staying positive and I know everything happens for a reason, so even if I do not get accepted, I will know something bigger and better must be out there for me. I am still crossing my fingers and wishing nonstop to be accepted though. So hopefully I will receive an email soon!

Disney College Program

So I just applied to the Disney College Program 2 days ago. I filled out the application and submitted it and within the hour was emailed the web based interview to take. I passed that and within 45 minutes was sent the email to schedule a phone interview! It was so exciting!!! So I scheduled my interview and had it earlier today. I think it went well, we will see! I am nervous about applying so late (today was the last day to apply)! The woman on the phone said I would hear back in 2-3 weeks, so we will see!! My fingers are crossed! I applied for the Fall 2014 and Fall Advantage 2014 programs. Ahhhh I am so nervous to see if I got in!!! It would be so fun to work at Disney! I want to get in so I can take the Environmental Sustainability seminar class too. I will be graduating in May and I did not even know people graduating could participate in the program! I am SO thankful I decided to look up the program again on a whim to double check the requirements! Fingers crossed!!!!

Day Trip Ideas: Amusement Park

Day trips are just as good as longer vacations or even weekend trips! If you do not have a full weekend to spare, why not just spend a day relaxing and having fun?

Amusement parks don't have to be big and well known to be fun! It doesn't have to be Disney World or Six Flags. Smaller and older places can be just as good, if not better! There is an amusement park nearby that my mom grew up going to with her parents that I go to almost every year with my family and friends. This park has free admission, you only need to pay for rides/attractions and food. Technically you could just go and walk around and people watch and get dinner then leave. There is plenty of shade at this park so no dying of heat stroke in the harsh sun. The food is priced well (it even won an award for best theme park food somewhere I think!) and very good! All of the rides are fun and  I love how family friendly the entire place is.

Just look up theme parks near your town and I am sure there is a hidden gem somewhere waiting to be discovered! 

Places I have been: Disney World

I have been to Disney World on multiple occasions. Each time there has always been something new to see. I still do not think I have seen everything there is to see. Some of my favorite places in Disney World are as follows:

Magic Kingdom:

 Magic Kingdom is my favorite park of all of the Disney Parks. I love it because of the castle, the rides, the princesses and all the other characters. I have also been to Magic Kingdom the most out of any of the parks. When I think of Disney World I think of Magic Kingdom. My first trip to Disney World was with my family and we ate breakfast with the princesses in Cinderella's Castle. It was really cool to be able to go into the castle! Space Mountain is a classic ride that I love, so if the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger ride where you shoot stuff with lasers. The Pirates of the Caribbean Ride is great too. I was on it before the Pirates of the Caribbean movies came out and I have been on the updated version too. I like both of them! Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, and It's a Small World are more of my favorites. On my most recent trip to Disney back in March, I got to go on the new Ariel ride. That was fun too. I just love how they theme all of the entrances so while you wait in line you have something to do besides stand there and wait. On my next trip I would LOVE to eat at the new Be Our Guest Restaurant, that seems really cool! I have seen pictures and there are different rooms themed for different scenes from Beauty and the Beast!

Hollywood Studios:

No trip to Hollywood Studios is complete without riding The Tower of Terror and Rockin' Rollercoaster! Multiple rides maximize the experience! Some of my favorite shows are the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (a show involving cars jumping over stuff, fights and all kinds of awesome stunts) and The Studio Backlot tour where you get a behind the scenes tour at how movies are filmed and get to see real props up close. I also like the Indiana Jones show. I just think it is so cool seeing how they film movies! Some things I have never done here but want to are go to the Pizza Planet Resturant, go to the Voyage of the Little Mermaid Show, and see the Beauty and the Beast Show.

Epcot:
Epcot is a fun park just because you get to experience so many countries! There are not many rides here, but it is still fun to explore! I like the Ellen Ride with the Dinosaurs, Soarin' of course, Living the Land (the nature ride), and Test Track. I can't get over how hidden some of the things were. I didn't know there were rides in some of the 'lands' until I stumbled upon them! I did not know about the Maelstrom Ride in Norway until I just happened to be looking around. I definitely recommend looking around all of the Countries to get a feel for what there is to see there. Now I just need to go to the REAL countries to compare (-;

Animal Kingdom:
I have been to Animal Kingdom the least out of all the parks. But some of my favorite things here are definitely the Kilimanjaro Safari, The "It's a Bugs Life" show inside the tree and Expedition Everest. From what I remember I also liked the Dinosaur Land. My first year going to Disney we stayed in the Animal Kingdom Lodge and had a view of giraffes and zebras out our window every morning! It was really cool!


***Can I just add a quick Fastpass story in here. So on my last trip to Disney my friends and I had all bought tickets to Magic Kingdom online. We had to wait in line and when it was my turn to redeem my ticket, everything went fine. Then it was my friends turn. Something happened to the computer so me and my other friend had to wait for the friend held up. The workers saw us waiting so they gave all three of us a COMPLIMENTARY Fastpass! This was awesome because we could now have two Fastpasses at once! This allowed us to not have to wait in almost any lines our whole day at Magic Kingdom! It really was no trouble to wait five minutes because of a computer issue, but it was very nice to get a free Fastpass out of it!

Typhoon Lagoon:
I have only been here once. But I remember I really liked snorkeling with the fish! I remember I swam really fast across because I was scared, but then did it again later slower and had fun with it!

Blizzard Beach:
I was here twice I think? All I remember is the really big water slide with the huge drop! Summit Plummet I think it is called? haha good times....

Downtown Disney:
I have been here on one trip. It was a nice place to go to shop after a long day at the parks! Lots of Disney related stores and places to eat!

*not my picture

What are your favorite places in Disney World? Did I leave anything out?