Liza's Pick-of-the-Week

It is often referred to as the most magical place on earth which is why Disney is my #PICKoftheWEEK.

I LOVE DISNEY.   There is something for everyone of all ages.  Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971 and it has been enchanting visitors ever since. 

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American entrepreneur, cartoonist, animator, voice actor, and film producer.  When Walt lost rights to his cartoon character “Oswald the Lucky Rabbit”, Disney felt the need to develop a new character to replace him, which was based on a mouse he had adopted as a pet while working in his Laugh-O-Gram studio in Kansas City.  In 1928, Mickey Mouse was born.   Ub Iwerks provided the sketches for Mickey but Mickey's voice and personality were provided by Disney himself until 1947. In the words of one Disney employee, Ub designed Mickey's physical appearance, but Walt gave him his soul.  Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, before construction began on Walt Disney World.  According to Forbes, Walt Disney World is the most visited vacation resort in the world, with an attendance of 25 million annually.

The original ticket prices were $5.75 per adult and parking was 50 cents per automobile.  The 2 original hotels in Walt Disney World were the Contemporary and the Polynesian and both are still open today.  In fact both resorts have expanded with the new Bay Lake Towers Villa section at the Contemporary and the new Polynesian Village section at the Polynesian which will feature over the water bungalows.  The top 6 original rides that are still operating today are:  The Enchanted Tiki Room, Peter Pan’s Flight, It’s A Small World, The Jungle Cruise, Hall of Presidents and The Haunted Mansion. 

Disney is always evolving and creating new “magic”.  The newest ride addition is the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train which opened on May 28, 2014 and there are always rumors of new lands/expansions.  Disney is also still testing the new magicbands everyone receives when booking a Disney Vacation.  You even get to choose the color of your bands.  These bands will store all your pre-booked fast passes, dining reservations, etc. 

There is so much that Disney offers from kids pirate adventures to mini-golf to a campfire with Chip and Dale where you eat s’mores, sing songs and then see an outdoor Disney movie to renting a pontoon boat and watching the Epcot Illuminations Fireworks/Laser show from the lake to trading pins with Disney Cast Members to seeing the Osborne Christmas lights at Epcot in December.  There truly is something for everyone.    How to describe Walt Disney World:

    4 Theme Parks, 2 Water Parks, Shopping, Dining, 20+Themed Resorts, Recreation, Pixie Dust

Here are some of my top picks for rides, hotels and dining while at Walt Disney World:

Rides:  Some of my personal favorite rides that I never miss are:  Toy Story Mania and the Aerosmith Rock n Roller Coaster in Hollywood Studios, Mickey’s Philharmagic and Pirates of the Caribbean in Magic Kingdom, Test Track and Soaring in Epcot and Adventure Everest and the Lion King Show in Animal Kingdom.   A trip to Disney would not be complete without seeing the Electrical Parade and Fireworks in Magic Kingdom.

Hotels:  Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Polynesian or Art of Animation

Restaurants:  O’Hana at the Polynesian, Boma at Animal Kingdom Lodge, Donald’s Safari Breakfast in Animal Kingdom, Princess Storybook Breakfast in Epcot, Whispering Canyon (for kids) at Wilderness Lodge,  Hoop Dee Doo Dinner Show at Fort Wilderness, Narcoosee’s at the Grand Floridian, Yachtsman Steakhouse at the Yacht Club and Beaches & Cream Soda Shop at the Beach Club

I also love traveling in September/October when the parks are not as crowded and Disney’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is going on.  This event requires separate admission but is a lot of fun with trick or treat stations and a special parade with fireworks led by the headless horseman and featuring some of our favorite Disney Villains.