Toboggan Racers Review Coming Soon!

Hi everyone! I just wanted to say that the Toboggan Racers Review is being pushed back to next Friday. It's 95% done, but I really can't decide how to finish it! I also have a lot of revision for school at the moment, so have little time to write...

Thanks for your patience, and have a magical day!

A Series Of Exciting Announcements Kick Off Summer At Walt Disney World!

In their wonderful style, Disney have this week put out a series of magical announcements concerning not only events happening in the parks this summer, but some things which will debut even further into the future, which is becoming more exciting with every passing announcement, of which there have been many! It certainly has been a busy week over at the World, with the Animal Kingdom celebrating its 15th anniversary on Monday, and then a two day press event taking place as well over the course of the week.
As I mentioned in the former paragraph, the announcements have been plentiful, coming thick and fast over a couple of very exciting days. Such is the volume of these announcements, it's certainly been difficult to keep track of them all, so I've elected to set them out in a list below for additional clarity. Here they are
1: Disney have announced their 'Monstrous Summer' event, which will celebrate the release of the upcoming Monsters University movie, the prequel to the original Monsters Inc film. Alongside the already active Monsters University Monorail (or 'Monsterail)' the summer will feature meet and greets, special performances of the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor at Magic Kingdom, and most notably the 'Three Park All-Nighter', which will see the Magic Kingdom join the two parks of California's Disneyland in being open for 24 hours, much like the 'One More Disney Day' event last year. The Magic Kingdom's event will see the film's stars Mike and Sulley being the Grand Marshals of the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, alongside late night appearances by characters in Town Square and dance parties in Cinderella Castle's courtyard. As always, Disney have promised lots of surprises and unique merchandise for this special event, which will begin at 6am on May 24, running for the following 24 hours. This rare event was announced by none other than Mike Wazowski himself, who was projected onto Spaceship Earth using some pretty awe-inspiring technology. I won't give too much away, but would really recommend watching the video of this amazing piece of Disney Magic- absolutely amazing! There's also a video detailing how they did it, which can be found here
2: It has been revealed that the popular 'Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade' at the Magic Kingdom, will bow out to a replacement in spring 2014. This spellbinding parade has been a Magic Kingdom staple since its debut in 2009, when its predecessor was re-themed to create it, and has proved to be one of the most popular Magic Kingdom afternoon parades ever. It's successor, the Festival of Fantasy Parade will feature new floats, music and costumes, and will according to Disney “...bring a celebration of New Fantasyland...” to the parade's route. No dates have been announced yet, but we do know that a range of Disney Movies will be represented, from timeless classics such as Dumbo and The Little Mermaid to modern masterpieces like Tangled and Brave.
3: A major update has been shared regarding progress on the construction of the two New Fantasyland attractions which are yet to open- the Seven Dwarves Mine Train and Princess Fairytale Hall. The Disney Parks Blog reports in this post that both are on course for their respective opening targets, and also features a video in which Imagineers take us behind the scenes on construction of both attractions.
4: The Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend is adding the 'Glass Slipper Challenge' and a new 10k race for 2014. RunDisney have shared a creatively written article on their blog which has all the information you need should you wish to participate.
I am incredibly excited about all this! One of the reasons I love Walt Disney World so much is because it's ever-changing; there's always new stuff being brought in, and this week has been as good an example of this as any. Whilst I unfortunately probably won't get back to the World until after the Mine Train opens, I'm still definitely going to follow along with all of this awesome stuff, and can't wait to experience some of it myself!
Thanks for reading! This post took a little longer than normal to write, so this week's Attraction Review will be coming your way tomorrow! I read so many different articles to write this one that it took a bit longer than I thought it would to write- but I'm definitely going to do more WDW news updates in the future!
Please check out the awesome We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast of which I am the guest in Show #29! They do an amazing job with their podcast, and I would love for you to check it out if you haven't already!
Have a magical day!

Thank you for reading; and have a magical day!

www.wdw-wod.blogspot.com

World of Dreams Photo of the Week

Hello everyone! I hope you had a good Earth Day on Monday, and congratulations go to the marvellously beautiful Disney's Animal Kingdom, which turned 15 on the same day. As I'm sure you're aware, I was planning to dedicate an independent post to this, but have elected to tie it into this post due to the Blog Writing app I've begun using recently crashing as I attempted to publish my work. Hopefully this won't happen again!
Disney's Animal Kingdom will always have a special place in my heart, as it opened just over a month after I was born, and in turn celebrated its own 15th a month after mine with an amazing special Opening Ceremony worthy of such a great park. The ceremony, which can be watched here featured popular music from the park's rich selection, alongside appearances from Josh D’Amaro, Vice President of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Doctor Jackie Ogden, Vice President of Animals, Science and Environment, and of course all the Disney Characters decked out in their best safari gear. From what I've read and seen, it truly sounds like it was a day to remember- and here's to the next 15 years of what is widely regarded as Walt Disney World's most beautiful park!
I selected this Week's Photo in light of this, in order to celebrate this great milestone for the Animal Kingdom right here on the blog. In my opinion, the viewpoint from which I took this picture is the very best in the entire park, with a spellbinding composition showing the wondrous Tree of Life with Expedition Everest in the distance. The Discovery River provides a great leading line for the image, exquisitely directing the eyes immediately to the Animal Kingdom's two most iconic landmarks. I'm surprised that more people don't actually stop on the bridge from which this image was captured, such is the awe-inspiring panorama that becomes visible as you cross it. As I'm sure you can tell, I have heavily edited this photo, doing so with the intention of emphasising the leading line and creating an effect which fits into this park's unique atmosphere.




Before I sign off today, I would like to invite you to check out the We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast. Covering all things Disney, this sensational podcast is presented by Ed, Quinn and Hope, whose interesting discussions always teach me something! Show 29 has just been posted, and I am a guest in that episode- something I'm very excited about! In my segment, I talk a bit about myself and some of my Disney Interests, and thoroughly enjoyed doing so! I would just like to say a big thank you to Ed, Quinn and Hope for having me on the show, which is also available for download on iTunes. If you listen to Show 29, I hope you enjoy it, and that my segment is as fun to listen to as it was to record!
Thanks for reading, and have a magical day!

The Blog's 'Mini-Makeover'

Hi everyone! This week has been a bit of a funny week for me. I've been itching to get new articles posted to the blog, but have been holding back because the Blog's web address has changed. I made the decision to make this change after some confusion with the old URL due to its complexity, so made the decision to make it www.worldofdreamsblog.blogspot.com. Whilst I do appreciate that this causes a period of transition, I felt that it was worth it! The old URL now leads to a page detailing the Blog's new home.

For this reason, I didn't want to post as I read online that some posts can be lost due to a bug with Blogger when changing URLs, so elected to wait a week before posting. However, now that the 'ominous period of uncertainty' is over, the Blog will be returning to the normal routine this week. I have many posts in the pipeline, as well as some new pages for the Blog to ease navigation between posts. I don't want to give too much away, but will say that I will be writing about the much anticipated 15th anniversary of Disney's Animal Kingdom tomorrow.

Thanks for reading and for your patience, and have a magical week!

Quick Update

Hi everyone, I just wanted to share some news concerning the Blog. Once again, I have missed two posts, a Photo of the Week and an Attraction Review. Although it may seem that I'm full of excuses, my family and I have received some bad news this past week, and I'm really struggling to deal with it. I've been told to try and do activities I enjoy to help myself come to terms with it easier, and have been trying hard to. As you know, writing this Blog is by far the thing I love doing the most, but I just haven't been able to sit down and write like I normally do, there's so much going on in my head.

For this I apologise. I will try to get more posts up this week, and I have plans for several new posts which will be appearing in the near future, which I hope to elaborate on tomorrow. I would also like to inform you all that the Blog will be down for several hours tomorrow, as I'm transferring it to a new URL and hopefully adding some new features. All posts missed this week, including today's Pin of the Fortnight, will be rolled over to next week.

Thank you for your support, I hope you have a magical week!

Attraction Review- Kali River Rapids

I'll be honest, there aren't many places that I can visit, get drenched with freezing cold water, and yet still somehow have an enjoyable experience. Whilst this of course excludes swimming pools, Waterparks and the like (I make no secret of the fact that I love swimming, especially at Typhoon Lagoon), it certainly speaks volumes for a place if people actually visit it in the knowledge that they may well leave soaked through, and are still enthusiastic about it.

Naturally, Walt Disney World is one of the only places where this is true for me, as I'm sure it is for many of you. More specifically, I'm talking about an attraction over in the Asia area of the Animal Kingdom, the abundantly popular Kali River Rapids. Disney's first ever river rapids type ride, Kali River Rapids whisks adventurous guests around the winding Chakranadi River in 12 passenger circular rafts, which spin freely throughout the journey. This is due to them not being attached to a track at any point of the course, with even the lift hill using a conveyor system, and therefore makes this ride one of Walt Disney World's most unpredictable, especially with regards to how soaked you will get on this ride. Whilst some people do somehow survive without taking home half of the Chakranadi in their trainers, you will more often than not get wet, and completely soaked if you're going backwards down the attraction's sole drop. My advice would be to bring a heavy duty poncho with you to the park if you don't want to get wet, and not to buy one from Disney. I hate to criticise them, but whilst the design of the poncho is pretty cool, the price is a bit too high. Yes, the Disney ponchos are remarkably durable, but if you're just going to use it for Kali, buy a cheap one outside the parks. There are some great poncho tips on this DisBoards Thread if you want to learn more.

Kali River Rapids is a slow loader, and is for obvious reasons very popular on hot Florida days, which are plentiful. Therefore, you will on occasions have to wait a considerable amount of time to board your creatively named boat and begin your adventure. In spite of this, during your wait you will be treated to one of the most elaborately and thoroughly themed queues in the whole of Walt Disney World. The line contains many beautiful artefacts, and in my opinion just pips Everest's as the park's best, meaning that encountering a long line here isn't necessarily as bad as if you were waiting for an attraction with a plainer queue.

My only big complaint with the queue for this awesome ride is that the immersion is slightly blighted by the sound effects which can be heard about midway through the line. Seeing as the ride seeks to highlight the problem of deforestation, a chainsaw sound effect can be heard in the distance for a good stretch of the queue, and regularly proves to be a distraction to guests. Whilst I do get that the Imagineers were merely looking to explore this aspect of the attraction's theme to initiate the storytelling, the sound is so realistic that it leaves many guests to believe that there is actually a construction project going on nearby in the park. Indeed, almost every time I go through this line, I begin to wonder if this is really the case, before remembering that the noise is merely an element of the theming. I have also spoken to several other people around me in line who reported being similarly fooled by this clever sound effect. This certainly says something for the Imagineers' ability to create immersive and convincing themed environments, even if the effect doesn't have its desired impact on guests' understanding of the developing storyline. I understand that it would prove difficult to do this, too.

It's a given that Kali's line will always be at its peak during the warmer hours of the day, as droves of guests seek escape from the searing heat which Animal Kingdom has a reputation for. With any other, drier attraction, the simple solution to this problem would be to visit either at the beginning or end of the day, when the attraction is understandably much quieter. However, due to the amount of freezing cold water which is one of the main 'joys' of the Kali River Rapids experience, it's considerably more uncomfortable to ride it at the beginning or end of the day, the time when temperatures are at their lowest. Whilst this isn't the case every day, especially in the May to September period, the temperatures in Florida can fluctuate quite dramatically, so if Kali is a priority for you it's well worth checking the forecast a couple of days before you visit the Animal Kingdom, and adjusting your touring strategy accordingly.

Of course, you would then think that Fastpass would be the way to go to get on Kali at a time when it's actually warm enough without waiting too much. There are two reasons why that might not be the best idea. Firstly, there are other attractions in the Animal Kingdom which you're much better off getting Fastpass for due to several factors, namely Expedition Everest and Kilimanjaro Safaris, and to a lesser extent Dinosaur and Primeval Whirl. Secondly, whilst getting a Fastpass for Kali is usually surprisingly simple, actually using it isn't. The two lines don't actually split until about a third of the way through the standby line, and most of the time that they run side by side there is little or no division between them. The part where the two do split has no partition whatsoever, and I've never seen a Cast Member managing that part of the line. This leads to embarrassment for Fastpass guests who must often squeeze past those in the standby line, as well as anger for the Standby guests, especially those who don't understand the Fastpass system and believe the Fastpass holders are attempting to jump the line. Whilst this only relates to my own personal experiences, and I'm sure it isn't always the case, I have found it to be a problem in the past, so thought it was worth mentioning.

As with every Walt Disney World attraction which offers Fastpass, both the Standby Line and Fastpass itself have their pros and cons, it's ultimately your decision how you get to experience this awesome attraction!

Below I have commented on how I rate Kali River Rapids in the following areas, and why (I have rearranged the order this week, to make the article flow better):

Theming~ 10/10
There's no other way to put it- the theming of Kali River Rapids is perfect. I consider landscaping and horticultural features to be a massively important part of aesthetics, especially in environments like the Disney Parks, and therefore believe that Animal Kingdom is Walt Disney World's most beautiful park. As with every Disney Park, everything comes together wonderfully to create a stunningly realistic environment which immerses you in the enchanting stories from the moment you set foot in the park to the moment which you depart it. And while Animal Kingdom is the most beautiful park, I think that Kali River Rapids and the surrounding area is the most beautiful part of it, even more so than the Oasis, which also holds a special place in my heart. When I visit Kali River Rapids, I feel so very immersed in the story, and have fond memories of actually thinking that my hotel room was part of the queue on a very hot day the first time I visited WDW- it's that believable! I'm not saying that other Disney Attractions don't boast believable environments, every single one does so, rather that Kali does more so than some of the others.
It's a bit like staying at a Disney Resort, for (a pretty bad) example. I'm sure that we all want to stay at a Deluxe Resort on our Disney trips, as they boast more amenities, better facilities and richer theming. However, for whatever reason, we may not be able to stay at the Contemporary, for example, and so will opt to stay at a Moderate or Value Resort, such as Coronado Springs or Art of Animation. Whilst, when given the choice, we might still want to stay at the Deluxe, we're still thrilled to be staying at the Moderate or Value, as they're still Disney, still out of this world. Not a very good example at all, I know, especially since there aren't to many limitations with regards to experiencing attractions, but I hope you get what I'm saying! Anyway, the theming on Kali River Rapids is simply sublime (let's just ignore any misleading sound effects for the moment), and is, as I say about many parts of Walt Disney World, a real testament to the talent of the awesome Imagineers. The central theme of the attraction is a focus on conservation of the rainforests rather than the animal inhabitants themselves, highlighting the problems caused by deforestation and other forms of habitat destruction, thus fitting with the theme of the park itself. This message is perfectly conveyed by the striking juxtaposition guests encounter as their raft floats out of the lush rainforest, and picks up pace (showing the effects of deforestation on the river itself and other aspects of the local geographical landscape), as it passes through an area which has been 'destroyed' by loggers, before plunging down Kali's famous 30 foot drop.

Thrill~ 9/10
Thanks to the amazing theming, Kali scores highly for the sensual thrill, as guests are enthralled by the beautiful landscape which surrounds the river. The kinetic thrills are also in the limelight here- with the boats free to float and spin pretty spontaneously along the river there's never a dull moment.

Scariness~ 8/10
Apart from the deforestation and drop section, this ride is *relatively* calm, with just the occasional splash to worry about. The section in question is fast moving and turbulent, and is made worse if you're facing backwards. Thankfully, this usually won't last long, as the rafts are constantly freely spinning due to the river's fast and winding course. Facing backwards at any point of this ride can be intimidating, let alone when going down the drop, when you'll experience a double whammy of not only going down backwards, but being the ones in the boat who get absolutely drenched courtesy of the huge wave created by the raft's decent. Uncertainty plays a sizeable role here too- not only do you have little indication of when you'll be facing backwards, when you are you have little or no idea, depending on whether you've ridden Kali before or not, where your vessel is headed, and if you will be randomly doused by ice cold water, but hey, that's half the fun. If you think about it, in this sense, Kali's actually scarier than Expedition Everest, which by the way you get a great view of just before the big drop.

Educational~ 10/10
Perhaps it's less so than Epcot, but there's no mistaking the fact that Animal Kingdom is an educational park. As I discussed earlier, Kali's strongly themed to promote conservation, and to shine a light on the shocking problems caused by deforestation for the beautiful environments we love our planet for, and the fascinating creatures we share it with. As I'm sure you're well aware, deforestation is a very big, very real dilemma faced by every single precious rainforest on our planet, and is tragically causing their areas to decline at an alarming rate. Not only is this bad news for us, as less trees means more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, hence speeding up climate change, it's even worse news for the thousands of species, many still undiscovered, who exclusively call rainforests their home. I'm extremely passionate about preserving our amazing planet, and am therefore ecstatic to see Disney endeavouring to educate their guests about these issues, by highlighting them in attractions in their parks. I just really hope that as many Animal Kingdom visitors understand what Disney are doing here as possible, so that deforestation might be done less, or even stopped altogether.

Fun~ 9/10
The great thing about Kali is that it perfectly balances a very serious conservation message with an incredibly fun attraction that everyone can enjoy. Whilst not everyone sees getting soaked through with water as a particularly enjoyable activity, especially at colder times (see above), the unpredictability and thrill of Kali makes it unmissable.

Repeatabilty~ 8/10
Whilst it's the same basic ride every time, as I have mentioned, it's extremely unpredictable as to which direction you'll be facing at different points of the ride, and can therefore give you a different experience every time you ride Kali. This also means that you'll pick up new little details almost every time, especially since the theming of this ride is so good. This is especially true for the queue, which has so much to look at that it's impossible to take it all in on just one walkthrough. I would recommend that you ride Kali as much as you can, as the spinning boats can lead to you missing out on parts of theming, and there's so much to look at throughout the whole experience.

Interactivity~ 6/10
Whilst neither the queue or ride have any interactive elements, there is a neat little system where guests exiting or watching the ride from a bridge can control jets of water which are directed at riders as their boat approaches the unloading platform. Unlike similar features at non Disney parks, this is completely free, and merely involves pressing a button. It's immensely fun to control, especially as the jets come from the trunks of some beautiful Elephant statues, though admittedly it's not quite as amusing if you're on the ride! In most instances, the raft will be stationary for a short time, so those guests on it are like sitting ducks.

And finally, my overall rating of Kali River Rapids~ 10/10
The numbers say it all, Kali River Rapids is truly a superb attraction. Whilst many people complain that it's far too short, I think that it's a great length, and that Disney have done a great job with it. Whilst it could maybe be ever so slightly longer, this really doesn't bother me- it's just such a well designed experience.

So what are your thoughts? Do you share my concerns about the Fastpass Line, and are my ratings accurate enough? Please don't hesitate to share- it's always a treat to hear from you! You can on the Facebook Page, in the comments, or by emailing me at worldofdreamsblog@gmail.com
Thanks for reading, I hope you're having a magical week!

Kali River Rapids Review To Be Published Tomorrow

Hi everyone, I hope you've had a fun weekend! I just wanted to check in and say that my review of Kali River Rapids over at Disney's Animal Kingdom will be published tomorrow. I have been spending time with my family, and we experienced delays on our way home, so I won't be publishing the review tonight. I always want to give you my best work, so I really don't wanna rush writing it! To give you a quick preview; in my review I discuss the pros and cons of both the standby line and Fastpass for Kali, as well as commenting on how impeccably themed this wonderful attraction is.
Thank you for your patience, have a magical day!

Quick Update

Hi everyone! I'm sorry about this, but I'm gonna have to delay the story of when I bought my Splash Mountain Pin yet again. A couple of things have happened, and I haven't had the time to write it.
Apologises for the delay, and have a magical day!

Happy Birthday Blizzard Beach

Today marks an amazing 18 years since Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park first opened to the public back on April Fools Day in 1995. The third water park to open at Walt Disney World, and one of the two still in operation, Blizzard Beach is themed as a Ski Resort on the meltdown, and is complete with fake snowdrifts and icicles. The whimsical theme has a whimsical backstory to match, as well as the park's very own mascot; Ice Gator, who is sadly no longer available for meet and greets in the park.
I love Blizzard Beach, and have many fond memories of time I have spent there with my family, especially whilst riding Teamboat Springs- the world's longest family raft ride. As they do so well, Disney have released an article on the Disney Parks Blog, which celebrates Blizzard Beach's wonderful history with ten cool facts about the park. Yes, I'm still doing puns! Anyway, the article's definitely worth checking out, if not for the facts (most of which are common knowledge amongst Disney fans), then for the lovely images of this wonderful park. Also, be sure to check out the comments section of that article, where I have posted one of my favourite Blizzard Beach memories, of when I first experienced Summit Plummet, the park's signature attraction. It's comment number four if you're interested in reading it.
Don't forget to come back tomorrow to read the story of when I bought my Splash Mountain Pin which I wrote about yesterday! I've decided to push that post back to tomorrow to allow this post its time 'in the limelight', or at the top of the blog, to be exact.
Thank you for reading, and Happy April Fools Day!

Thank you for reading; and have a magical day!

www.wdw-wod.blogspot.com