Pin of the Fortnight

Although it's been a little (okay, a lot!) longer than a fortnight since I last wrote about a pin from my collection, I've improved my organisation with regards to writing these, so they'll be posted once a fortnight as usual from now on. Stay tuned for a special announcement regarding this and the Blog's Schedule at the end of this article!

As with my Splash Mountain Pin, today's pin, which represents Disney's Blizzard Beach Waterpark, is beautifully detailed, and also features kinetics as one of its most noteworthy features. The image it depicts is of the park's mascot, Ice Gator, who is shown on a snowboard with the words 'Blizzard Beach' on the bottom, together forming the pin's moving part. This can be rotated on a fixed point in the center of the pin, against a stunningly detailed background showing the park's iconic Mount Gushmore alongside its signature attraction, Summit Plummet, perched atop the mountain. It does a great job of epitomising the spirit of the park, which recently celebrated its 18th Birthday
I bought this wonderful pin in Beach Haus, Blizzard Beach's largest store. As far as I'm aware, it's still available to purchase, and is to my knowledge the most popular Blizzard Beach themed pin. One thing I have always noticed about the stores at the two Walt Disney World Waterparks is that, with regards to pins, they tend to have one of the best selections anywhere on property. When considering that it's also true that they stock many unique items alongside their impressive range of pins, it makes the stores at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon some of the most well rounded in WDW. In fact, I'll write an article sometime this week or next elaborating on why I think this!

Here is this lovely pin in all its glory:

PICTURE CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE

It truly is a splendidly designed pin, and has always been one of my favourites in my collection.
As I'm sure you're aware, this post was scheduled to be published on Sunday, but was delayed. Up until now it's been published every second Sunday, and not on the weeks in between, but that's about to change. Whilst I won't be publishing a weekly Pin article, and the existing 'Pin of the Fortnight' will remain scheduled for the same day, I am pleased to announced that I will be bringing a new set of articles to the blog, which will appear on every Sunday that doesn't see a Pin of the Fortnight. The new posts will be named simply 'My Top Seven...', with, of course, that fortnight's subject as part of the title. Launching this Sunday, these articles will consist of me picking any topic related to Walt Disney World, and describing my top seven favourite examples of this topic. This idea was born when I decided that I wanted to bring to this blog the popular concept of articles which list the best thing about something. Ubiquitous in the Disney Community, these articles are some of the most popular on the sites they feature on, and I hope this will be the case for the World of Dreams Blog. I always really enjoy reading these articles, and thought it would be fun to write some of my own too. I, however, decided to think a little outside the box. Most of these such articles feature a list of only five, or even six things, but instead, I've elected to detail seven. This is not only to make my articles as unique as possible, but also because there are so many great things at Walt Disney World that I'm gonna struggle to narrow it down to seven, let alone five or six! Look out for these posts premiering this Sunday!

Please also check out the amazing We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast!
Thanks for reading, and have a magical day! Photo of the Week will be published tomorrow!

Thank you for reading; and have a magical day!
www.wdw-wod.blogspot.com

Thank you for reading; and have a magical day!

www.wdw-wod.blogspot.com

Princess Merida Given A Royal Welcome To The Magic Kingdom

Yesterday Merida, the main character in the popular Disney Pixar movie 'Brave' was officially made the eleventh Disney Princess in a spectacular ceremony held in front of Cinderella's Castle in the Magic Kingdom. The ceremony, which was held moments after park opening, featured a variety of magical elements, and was attended by all ten of Merida's now fellow Disney Princesses, as well as her Mother, Queen Elinor.

The whole ceremony also celebrated Mother's Day, with Olympic Gold Medallist Gabby Douglas and her Mother playing their part by telling the audience about the importance of the relationship between mothers and their daughters. In addition to this, the actual coronation was performed by Queen Elinor, in her premiere theme park appearance.

Gabby Douglas and her Mother's speech was followed by the appearance of the first ten Disney Princesses, who were introduced individually before the arrival of Merida herself on horseback. Once she was onstage, Queen Elinor emerged from the Castle, placing the crown upon Merida's head and then hugging her, in what was an abundantly magical moment. This was followed by Merida proclaiming her delight at becoming a princess, and then being joined on center stage by her fellow Disney Princesses to mark the conclusion of this historic moment in the Magic Kingdom's already wonderful history, and of course to provide a unique opportunity for guests to photograph this rare event.

Whilst Merida's promotion to the prestigious status of becoming a Disney Princess hasn't been warmly welcomed by everybody, it certainly has been by the majority of people within the Disney Community. Criticisms aside, I think that this was a great decision by Disney. Merida's character is a perfect one for being a Disney Princess, and by becoming one has provided yet another great role model for children everywhere, as every Disney Princess always is.

To read Disney's coverage of the event be sure to check out this post on the Disney Parks Blog, which details the proceedings as well as providing a lovely video of the ceremony. Whilst on the subject of the awesome Disney Parks Blog, I would just like to share the link to a truly amazing graphic they posted this week, which can be found in this Weekly Recap. It's a flowchart of sorts, with the purpose of aiding guests with finding out which Walt Disney World park is best for them to visit first. It really is very cool!

Thanks for reading! Unfortunately, my internet's been very temperamental these past few days, and it only started working well enough for me to login to Blogger about an hour ago. Therefore, this week's Pin of the Fortnight will appear tomorrow, and will include a special announcement. The Typhoon Lagoon Attraction Review which was due on Friday has been written, but will now be published next Friday.

Please check out the awesome We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast!

Have a magical week!

World of Dreams Photo of the Week

Epcot is arguably the Walt Disney World park which features the greatest variety of themes. The beauty of it, however, is that the Imagineers have made it so that there is this great range of themed experiences, but every single one of them fits in and compliments the central theme of their respective area of the park. This weeks photo deliberately pays homage to this fact, showing the cleverly themed signage of the Seas With Nemo and Friends Pavilion (not forgetting the ubiquitous seagulls from the movie), in the foreground, and the majestic park icon of Spaceship Earth in the background. Their themes do at first appear to juxtapose each other, with one representing our planet's oceans and all they encompass, and the other a futuristic structure housing an attraction which addresses the past, present and future of the human race. What isn't immediately clear is the fact that these attractions both perfectly represent the theme of Epcot's Future World, which they're both located in, which itself encompasses a great deal thematically.

The photo has been edited quite heavily, and I elected to do so as the original image was very poor, and desperately needed enhancing. I have raised the saturation and contrast to acceptable levels, and even slightly exceeded that, which I think has created a very striking surreal effect. I particularly like the effect created with the rocks, alongside how the blue of the sky has been made abundantly deeper by these modifications.




Thanks for reading! I would like to invite you to check out Show #30 of the We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast, which I feature in.

Have a magical day!

Attraction Review- Toboggan Racers

If the unlikely event did occur that the temperature in Florida did plummet faster than the Tower of Terror, there is no question that Blizzard Beach could easily function as an actual Ski Resort! Such is the level of incredible detail put into the park that it's more than fair to say that the park IS truly a Ski Resort- the depth of theming and storytelling is that great. Of course, this is certainly true for every single Disney Park and Resort worldwide, and is a quality that you won't find anywhere else. The themed environments Disney creates are so immersive that they truly become the places they represent in the minds of every person who has the fortune to experience them. Blizzard Beach could function as a Ski Resort in the same way that Cinderella Castle could be home to a princess and the Land Pavilion really is a place where scientific research is carried out.

A prime example of how this is true for Blizzard Beach is the Toboggan Racers, one of three attractions served by the Purple Slope. Nestled right at the centre of the mountain's front, Toboggan Racers is a 250 foot 8 Lane slide which guests descend on mats similar in looks to real toboggans. As with the neighbouring Downhill Double Dipper attraction, this slide is a race to the bottom, and is therefore a great attraction to experience with family or friends. There are however some fundamental differences between the two attractions, most notably that you're not timed on Racers, whereas you are on the DDD- this makes it harder to determine who's won; not that it's necessarily a bad thing! In addition to this, you ride Racers on mats and the DDD on rings, and Racers is considerably less intense. These, alongside several other minor differences make these two attractions which are similar in concept starkly different as well, and it's therefore worth experiencing both!

Only one set of guests can experience this thrilling waterslide at one time, so it's therefore a pretty slow loader. Once one 'race' starts, the next set of competitors must line up, ready their mats and be given brief instructions as to how the attraction should be safely experienced before they in turn can have their own race. Therefore, this attraction is a painstakingly slow loader, although it has to be said not as slow as many other waterpark attractions. You know, I'm sure, what that means- long lines! Being a waterpark, Blizzard Beach is notoriously quiet in the first and last hour of park operation, so if you're really keen to experience Toboggan Racers, go at one of these times. I will say at this point that this is nowhere near Blizzard Beach's best attraction, so it's better to prioritise others, such as Summit Plummet, above it, experiencing those before it. It does however depend on what your specific preferences are! Another thing that should be mentioned is that Toboggan Racers shares its mat pickup with the neighbouring Snow Stormers, with no clear system as to how to distribute them. This creates a crowd around the mat pickup, with riders for each attraction in that crowd. As you can imagine, it's not unusual if complete confusion ensues! This is yet another reason to go at quieter times of day, when the mats are more frequent, and there's not so much of a mad rush!

Here's how I rate this attraction in the following areas, as well as a short explanation:

Thrill~ 8/10
Whilst the view from the top of this attraction is impressive, this attraction doesn't boast the best sensual thrills in the World. However, this short slide's two drops paired with the head first fashion in which you lie on your mat do together make this attraction pretty thrilling for what it is.

Scariness~ 7/10
Again, the fact that your descent of this slide is head first pushes the rating up here. The drops themselves aren't particularly scary at all, and the slide has no corners, which would make for a pretty tame ride if it weren't for the aforementioned factor.

Theming~ 7/10
As I mentioned before, Toboggan Racers is a great example of just how strong Blizzard Beach's backstory is, with every aspect of its theming reflecting this. Whilst the name conveys the attraction's own theme perfectly, I do feel that the theming elsewhere on the attraction doesn't quite live up to this. Nevertheless, it IS more than enough to be able to enjoy this fun attraction for what it really is.

Educational~ 1/10
Regrettably, there really isn't much to be learnt from experiencing this attraction. It could be said that the spirit of fair competition could be learnt from riding it, but even that's a bit of a long shot.

Fun~ 8/10
It's pretty much a given that you'll enjoy your experience on Toboggan Racers. Not only is the ride itself properly fun, the previously mentioned competition is too- my family and I always enjoy challenging each other on a number of things on this slide, not just who gets to the bottom first. Such is the versatility of the experience, and notably your moderate control over your mat, that there are countless ways to challenge your friends, family or even yourself. One of our personal favourites, if I recall rightly, is if you can keep one eye closed for the whole slide, as is who goes the furthest at the bottom. These are great ways to keep the attraction fresh and exciting, leading me nicely onto...

Repeatability~ 9/10
Yes, you're always going to follow the same course, and yes, the control you have over your mat isn't as great as for example Runoff Rapids, but the fact that this attraction is themed like a race makes it worth repeating simply to improve your standing, or indeed to achieve anything else as a participant. Again, it's great fun to be creative and think of unusual factors, such as the two listed above, whilst of course staying within the boundaries of both safety and rules. I just want to stress that when I say 'be creative' I certainly don't mean try to ride your mat as a surfboard, instead things such as who can go furthest at the bottom of the slide. Not to sound patronising, but you must lie on the mat as instructed to by Cast Members for the safety of yourself and other guests.

Interactivity~ 7/10
Again, you do have some control over your mat, but certainly not enough to feel you have complete control. Whilst I'm certainly not touting this attraction as dangerous, on the contrary, it's perfectly safe, I am saying that you do have some ability to influence things such as your speed whilst descending the slide. Whilst it's nothing to write home about, it is without a doubt one of the attraction's coolest features.

And finally, my overall rating of Toboggan Racers~ 8/10
Every park has minor attractions, whatever they may be, which make a day at that park feel complete. For me at least, Toboggan Racers is one of the Blizzard Beach attractions which does this. Of course, it's no Summit Plummet or Teamboat Springs, but it is a nice little attraction which combines excitement and fun to make an experience that can be enjoyed on any trip to this wonderful waterpark. It's attractions like this which complete the mix at parks like Blizzard Beach, and I for one feel that the parks would be at a loss without them.

So, what's your opinion? Am I being a little too kind about this attraction, or are my comments spot on? (I hope they are!) Please share your opinion on Facebook or in the comments below. Alternatively, you can email me on worldofdreamsblog@gmail.com- I'd love to hear from you! Please also check out the awesome We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast!

Thanks for reading, I hope you have a magical weekend!

World of Dreams Photo of the Week Celebrates Hollywood Studios' 24th Birthday

This week sees another special Photo of the Week, as we celebrate 24 years of the magnificent Disney's Hollywood Studios Theme Park. Ever since its openingon May 1st 1989, the Studios has proved to be an abundantly popular park, and is arguably the most dynamic Disney Park in existence. This is further shown by the countless intriguing rumours which surround it, ranging from a Star Wars Land to a Monsters Inc RollerCoaster, and covering just about every other possibility in between! This park is also a great example of just how long 24 years can be! Since its opening, DHS has grown extraordinarily, adding popular attractions including the Tower of Terror and Toy Story Mania alongside many others. It has also seen entire new lands, most notably Sunset Boulevard, of which the Tower of Terror looms over.

As I'm sure you know, I'm a big fan of the Studios! Whilst I've never had the fortune to have travelled to Hollywood itself, the park is so impeccably themed that it feels to me like I AM in Hollywood- if that makes sense! The Imagineers say that with the park they hope to achieve a sense of familiarisation in the minds of guests, regardless of whether they've actually visited Hollywood themselves, and I feel that they've definitely achieved this, and in spectacular fashion too! The atmosphere is impossible to put into words, as is the feeling of stepping onto the movies that you simply don't get with similarly themed parks from different companies. To hear more of my opinions on this wonderful park, check out my segment on Show 29 of the We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast

My photo of the Studios shows a close up shot of the park's stunning icon- the Sorcerer's Hat. Built in 2001 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, the hat is a replica of the one worn by Mickey Mouse in Fantasia, except the park version is 122 feet tall! Although it hasn't been too popular in the Disney Community, I do think the hat's a great concept, just maybe lacking a little in execution. Besides this, however, I have no real problems with it at all- I actually quite like it. It's a great thing to photograph, especially since you can walk all round it, and I really enjoyed experimenting with different angles on my last trip. Unfortunately it was quite overcast and cloudy when I took this image, so I have fiddled with the contrast and saturation in order to improve its appearance.

Thanks for reading, and have a magical day!

Happy Birthday, Disney's Hollywood Studios!