Must Do’s At Disney World

Disneyland Resort in California is usually touted as the park for die-hard Disney fanatics. It is Walt’s park. He walked among guests, rode the rides and even had an apartment on Main Street USA. Walt Disney World in Florida however has many nods to the man himself and should not be looked past for those Disney fans who enjoy frequenting the parks for nostalgia alone. If you are one of those people, look no further than the following attractions at Walt Disney World! They are sure to get your gears going and imagination running about what part Walt played in making these attractions come to life!

The Carousel of Progress

The Carousel of Progress was part of the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City before being moved to Disneyland Park and then again to Magic Kingdom in 1975. It is a rotating theater attraction following a quintessential American family at the turn of the century and through the decades. They focus on technological and cultural developments and always bring it back to the idea of progress, something that Walt Disney truly believed in. The music has a cult following and was composed by the Sherman brothers (Mary Poppins fame) and you will find yourself singing “there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…”as you wander the park the rest of the day.

Jungle Cruise

Jungle Cruise was a Disneyland original that was brought to Magic Kingdom at its opening. I used to think, why do Jungle Cruise when Animal Kingdom has the real deal? Well, the skippers are hilarious and no ride is the same because of it. Also, at the holidays they change it up to Jingle Cruise and who doesn’t love a great holiday layover?

It’s a Small World

It’s a Small World is another 1964 World’s Fair attraction that celebrates the cultures of the world. The Mary Blair art and the catchy song will stay in your memory forever! This is truly one of the most classic Must Do’s At Disney World today!

One’s Man Dream

Disney history is not limited to the Magic Kingdom! Disney’s Hollywood Studios has One Man’s Dream, an exhibit on Walt Disney. While it is not an attraction, Walt put his stamp on it and is bound to get you feeling all kinds of sentimental as you read anecdotes and see artifacts from his life. It really makes you realize that this entire place was the idea of one man, and he forever changed the course of entertainment history forever.

The Tomorrowland People Mover

The People Mover is one of my hands down, all-time favorite attractions of all time. I ride it multiple times a trip. I wish they served snacks on it. If they did, I would ride it all day long and people watch from above while catching a glorious breeze traveling through Tomorrowland. Walt was always dreaming up innovative ideas for the future. He thought EPCOT Center would be a place people actually lived. While that didn’t necessarily happen, it was his creative spirit and hope for a better future that made him who he was and what his legacy continues to be today. The People Mover was a small part of that future dream community. A transport system for his Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow!

While Walt Disney himself unfortunately never got to see and experience the opening of Walt Disney World, it was his brainchild. Nicknamed “Project X”, Walt secretly scooped up hundreds of acres of swamp land and began this endeavor to create an actual world that his guests could immerse themselves in and escape reality. It was the place he wished to rectify the mistakes he felt he made at Disneyland and implement ideas he simply did not have the space for in California. We are extremely happy for the dreams he had and the fact that we get to enjoy this nostalgia at Disney World!

Are you visiting Disney World for the first time ever? Just click that link for a little help!

We would love to have you join our Facebook Group, DISNEY EXPRESS LANE!

The post Must Do’s At Disney World For The Nostalgic Disney Fan appeared first on WaltExpress.com.

Video: The Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios a Disney World Review

The Great Movie Ride at Disney World holds sentimental value to my family. It was our first attraction on our very first trip. It has been a must-do for us on every visit since!

Location

The Great Movie Ride is located in the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre at Hollywood Studios. Once you enter the park, keep straight on Hollywood Boulevard and the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is behind the Center Stage area.

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre

As you walk up to the full-size replica of the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre that houses The Great Movie Ride, you will feel as though you are stepping back in time. The Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is known as a symbol of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Make sure to look down as you approach this beautiful theatre. The cement near the entrance features handprints, footprints and even paw prints of some of Disney’s biggest stars and characters!

The Great Movie Ride Queue

The queue of The Great Movie Ride is almost an attraction itself. As you enter the grand lobby and wind your way through the queue, you will pass props, set pieces and costumes from classic films. As an example, you will see the carousel horse from Mary Poppins and a pair of ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz.

The line then takes you into a small theatre. In this pre-show, you will watch films from movie genres such as musicals, gangster, romance and westerns. Once you reach the front of the theatre, you will come to a set of automatic doors that lead you to a Hollywood soundstage. This is where your vehicle awaits.

The Great Movie Ride’s has two sets of vehicles. At the front of each there is an open area for your live tour guide to stand. S/he will provide you with narration throughout your tour. There are times either in low crowds or maintenance that only one vehicle will be in use.

The Ride

The first set of movies you will come upon are all musicals. You will see a scene from Footlight Parade, an audio-animatronic of Gene Kelly from Singin’ in the Rain. Following is none other than Mary Poppins and Bert from the classic Disney film Mary Poppins.

The Public Enemy & Western Scene

Now your ride gets interesting, and possibly a little scary for the little ones. Your vehicle will pass through a gangster area of 1930’s Chicago in a scene from The Public Enemy. As your vehicle comes to a stop, a shootout begins between rival mobsters. One of the gangsters chases your tour guide away while hijacking your ride vehicle.

After the hijacking, you will pass through a Western scene. Figures of John Wayne sitting on his horse Trigger and Clint Eastwood are featured here. It is a bank robbery scene with the robbers on one side and the law on the other.

Alien

The next scene is from the movie Alien. You will see Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) preparing to confront the alien. It is here that the gangster speeds up your vehicle trying to get through the ship before it self-destructs. But not before the alien makes itself known! The alien comes down from the ceiling and out of the wall.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Next comes the adventure film Raiders of the Lost Ark! Your hijacking gangster sees a large jewel at the top of an altar and stops the vehicle. He runs up to steal the jewel when smoke billows up around the altar. When the smoke is clear, the gangster is nothing but a skeleton and the temple guard is…. your live tour guide! S/he jumps aboard and continues the tour as though nothing has happened. After all, the show must go on!

Tarzan the Ape Man & Casablanca

As you continue, you are in a jungle scene from Tarzan the Ape Man. An audio-animatronic Tarzan swings back and forth on a vine to your right. On your left, Jane sits on Timba the elephant. From the jungle you are transported into the final scene of the movie Casablanca. This scene has audio-animatronics of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund standing in front of a waiting airplane.

The Wizard of Oz

Then we enter my favorite part of the ride, the Munchkinland scene from The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy’s house has just landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and as she is trying to figure out what has just happened, munchkins begin to appear and sing. All of a sudden, a plume of smoke materializes and the Wicked Witch of the West appears asking who killed her sister. Your tour guide waves her away and you pass through The Wizard of Oz scene of Dorothy standing at the entrance to the Emerald City with the friends she made along her journey.

For your grand finale, you will end up in front of a large movie screen where you will watch a 3 minute collection of classic movies. Your ride vehicle will then make its way back to the soundstage where you will make your exit.

An Alternative Route

When two ride vehicles are in use, they will stay together through The Public Enemy scene. At this point, the first vehicle will move through and the second will stop and go through the story mentioned above. The first stops in the next scene which is the Western scene with John Wayne and Clint Eastwood.

Your live tour guide sees that a robbery is under way and decides to jump off to try to spoil the attempt. It is here that a shootout takes place between the robbers and the law, and unfortunately, you are caught in the middle. A shot fires into the bank catching it on fire. One of the robbers climbs aboard your vehicle and leaves your tour guide behind.

You make your way through The Great Movie Ride and the two vehicles meet back up at The Wizard of Oz scene.

Tips

• FastPass+ is offered for The Great Movie Ride.
• The wait for the stand-by line isn’t too bad. Expect a wait of 30 minutes or less unless crowds are extremely high.
• If you don’t see a visible sign with the wait time, ask the Cast Member at the beginning of the queue.
• The ride lasts approximately 20 minutes.
• The Great Movie Ride is a great ride on a very hot day or if a rain shower or thunderstorm pops up!
• Children under 7 years old must be accompanied by someone 14 years or older.
• This attraction can be a little frightening for young kids. The Alien scene is dark and intense and can be considered scary.

Height Requirement

There is not a height requirement for The Great Movie Ride. No matter what age, or height, everyone in your party will be able to enjoy this attraction.

Accessibility and Other Information

You may remain in your wheelchair or on your ECV for The Great Movie Ride.

Audio Description, Handheld Captioning and Language Translation Devices are available upon request.

Rumors

With the contract between Turner Classic Movies and Disney expiring soon, it has been rumored The Great Movie Ride could change in 2018. Stay tuned to Walt Express for all the Breaking News that comes out of Walt Disney World Resort.

What do you think about The Great Movie Ride? Do you hope the rumors are true? Leave us a comment below or join us at Disney Express Lane Facebook Group to discuss this and many other Disney related topics!

photo credit: Jeff Krause Photography Hollywood Studio – Theatre Minus Hat via photopin (license)
photo credit: ~Life by the Drop~ Great Movie Ride via photopin (license)
photo credit: blazerowner Gene Kelly – The Great Movie Ride via photopin (license)

The post Video: The Great Movie Ride at Hollywood Studios a Disney World Review appeared first on WaltExpress.com.