The Seas with Nemo and Friends: Ride Review

Name: The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Type: Ride, Slow-moving
Location: Epcot, in Future World, in the Living Seas Pavilion
The Gist: Board a "clamobile" and travel through scenes from "Finding Nemo", ending up infront of an actual aquarium, where, in a clever bit of technology, characters from the film are projected amongst real dolphins, turtles, fish and sharks.
A Must-Do For: "Finding Nemo" fans, little kids who are bored with the other stuff at Epcot, people who like aquariums.

A view from outside.

Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe: Restaurant Review

Name: Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe
Location: Magic Kingdom, in Tomorrowland
Cuisine: American
Type: Counter Service; divided into 3 separate "Bays", each with different menu options, food-court style.
Good For Those Who: Want the most options of any quickservice joint in the Magic Kingdom; would like to watch a silly animatronic alien singing jazzy music while they eat.
Price Range: Disney lists this location in their $ range, which means everything is $14.99 or less. Entrees here vary in price, but typically cost around $9.

The resident performer, the biggest little star in the galaxy himself, Sonny Eclipse.

Expedition Everest: Ride Review

Name: Expedition Everest
Type: Ride, Roller Coaster
Location: Animal Kingdom, in the Asia area
The Gist: Take a wild train ride through the Himalyas and search for its most infamous inhabitant- the Yeti.
A Must-Do For: People who watch shows like "Finding Bigfoot"; roller coaster lovers
Avoid If: You don't like heights; very fast, sometimes dark rides; moving backwards at 30 miles an hour.


The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: Ride Review

Name: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Type: Ride; basically a big elevator that drops you repeatedly
Location: Hollywood Studios, Sunset Boulevard area
The Gist: In this Twilight-Zone themed ride, you board an "elevator" in a haunted hotel. After seeing some ghosts, you plunge thirteen stories. Repeatedly, in a random combination.
Must Do For: Twilight Zone fans (they capture the mood of the show incredibly well- Rod Sterling and all!); people looking for a different type of thrill ride.
Avoid If: Hearing the screams from this ride from across the park unsettles you too much; you don't enjoy that feeling of flying out of your seat; don't like heights (at the top, they open the doors and you can see out across the park).
Fear Factor: 7/10. The drops are scary, but the way they create suspense with this is almost the worst part. The mood and just the build up is enough to freak people out before it anything even happens. And the fact that they do the drops randomly means you never know exactly what is going to happen when.
Lines and Other Tips: This line is sometimes crowded, sometimes not. Most times I've ridden it, I've gotten on with a very short wait. And even if you have to stand in line a little longer, there is plenty to see in the way of the creepy lobby of the "hotel", so its not too dull of a wait.I'd save your Fastpasses for things like Rock'n'rollercoaster and the Toy Story ride, unless this is absolutely your must-do.

I have mixed feelings about this ride. It scares the shit out of me, and I always have to be forced on, but once I go, I'm always glad I did. I think the unpredictable-ness is what gets to me. If I've been on a ride enough times to know exactly what is gonna happen, I start to get immune to the nerves. But not with this! Haha, I suppose that means it is doing it's job!

xoxo, Lily

Tangierine Cafe: Restaurant Review

Name: Tangierine Cafe
Location: Epcot, in the World Showcase Moroccan Pavilion
Cuisine: Moroccan
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Want more exotic food choices, such as couscous, falafel, and lamb.
Price Range: Disney lists this location in their $ range, which means everything is less than $14.99 per person. Entrees here run around $12 each.
Times: Lunch, dinner, and snacks (they have a small bakery area as well).
Reservations: None needed, since this is quickservice. Like I always say, to avoid the busiest times of day, eat before noon or after 2pm.
My recommendation: I like the falafel sandwhich. Like, do you even know how hard it is to find falafel in Orlando?? This is one of the few places I can get it, and it is good. The tangeierine couscous is also yummy.

The Haunted Mansion: Ride Review

Name: The Haunted Mansion
Type: Ride, Slow-moving
Location: The Magic Kingdom, in Liberty Square
The Gist: A slow-moving silly, yet creepy tour of a haunted house
Must-Do For: People who like haunted houses, people who want to experience one of the most classic attractions at the Magic Kingdom.
Avoid If: You would be scared by dark spaces and fake ghosts. This mostly applies to little kids (and trust me, even though this ride is mostly silly, I've seen plenty have freak-outs on it). Not all will be bothered, though. Neither me nor my sister had an issue with it when we were young. So just know them.

A view of the Mansion from the top floor of the Liberty Belle Paddlewheel Boat.

Primeval Whirl: Ride Review

Name: Primeval Whirl
Type: Ride, Kiddie Coaster
Location: Animal Kingdom, Dinoland U.S.A. area
The Gist: Supposed to be like a silly carnival ride, this small rollercoaster is distinct because of its "whirling", which is really just a part at the end where they spin your car around a few times.

Don't you just love the design? Pure kitsch.

Sunset Ranch Market: Restaurant Review

Name: Sunset Ranch Market. This is actually a group of 5 stands that each serve something a little different.
Location: Hollywood Studios, Sunset Boulevard area
Cuisine: American
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Want the largest selection at any HS quickservice joint; are looking for traditional park fare like turkey legs and fries; want to watch the people screaming on Tower of Terror while they eat.
Price Range: Disney lists this in the $ range, meaning everything is less than $14.99.
Times: Lunch and Dinner

Soarin': Ride Review

Name: Soarin'
Type: Ride, Simulator
Location: Epcot, in the Land Pavilion
The Gist: Take a peaceful, simulated hangliding flight over California. Basically, how it works, it you sit in rows of benches and then you are hoisted up over a giant screen, feet dangling and all.
A Must-Do For: People who like California, people who want to experience an attraction that is admittedly different from anything else you've ever done.
Avoid If: You are afraid of heights. Much of the ride features simulated height, and you actually are about 20 feet in the air. So not really for the acrophobic.
Fear Factor: If heights don't bother you, then this is 1/10. It is very peaceful and unscary.

Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe: Restaurant Review

Name: Pecos Bill's Tall Tale Inn & Cafe, or just Pecos Bill's for short
Location: Magic Kingdom, in Frontierland
Cuisine: American, with a slight Mexican influence
Type: Counter-Service
Good For Those Who: Like to put their own toppings on hamburgers and salads.
Price Range:  Disney lists it in the $ range, which means everything is less than $14.99 per person. Entrees here average at $8 each.
Times: Lunch and Dinner
Reservations: None, since this is quickservice. To avoid the biggest crowds, as usual, go before 12pm or after 2pm.

Flame Tree Barbeque: Restaurant Review

Name: Flame Tree Barbeque
Location: Animal Kingdom, on Discovery Island
Cuisine: American, Barbeque
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Like barbeque, are enticed by the smell of smoked meats wafting through Discovery Island
Price Range: Disney lists this location in their $ range, which means less than $14.99 per person. Entrees here run around $9 per person.
Times: Lunch and Dinner
Reservations: No, since this is quickservice. To avoid the most crowded times, eat before 12 am or after 2 pm.

Star Tours: Ride Review

Name: Star Tours
Type: Ride, Simulator-Style
Location: Hollywood Studios, in the Backlot area
The Gist: This classic Star Wars-themed simulator ride was recently redesigned to include new location, characters and 3-D technology. There are over 50 different ways to ride, meaning the scenes you go through are chosen in random combination each time. I've done this ride so many times, and its never been the same twice.
A Must-Do For: Star Wars nerds- I mean, fans; people who want something more thrilling than the Great Movie Ride, but less thrilling than The Rock'n'Rollercoaster or the Tower of Terror.
Avoid if: You are prone to motion sickness. Simulator-type rides are notorious for this. Most people might be ok going once, provided they haven't eaten recently, but even I felt off after doing it twice in a row one time.

Biergarten: Restaurant Review

Name: Biergarten Restaurant
Location: Epcot, in the World Showcase German Pavilion
Cuisine: German
Type: Buffet (ALL YOU CAN EAT!!!).
Good For Those Who: Like buffets; want to gain 10 pounds; like beer
Avoid If: You are on a diet that you wouldn't want to blow, you don't like sausages or potatoes, you want a relaxing dining experience. Also note that they seat you at communal tables with other guests, so if this would bother you... then go someplace else.
Price Range: Since this is a buffet, there is a set price per person. This is, of course, subject to change, but the sample menu lists $21.99 per person for lunch, and $32.99 per person for dinner. Drinks are separate costs, obvs.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad: Ride Review

Name: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Type: Ride, Roller Coaster
Location: Magic Kingdom, in Frontierland
The Gist: Board a runaway mine train and travel up hills, through caves and around tight curves in a desert setting.
A Must-Do For:  People who like rollercoasters, as this is one of only 2 options at the Magic Kingdom; kids looking to try out their first somewhat-thrilling ride.
Avoid If: You really hate roller coasters, even small ones, or are very afraid of heights.
Fear Factor: I'd give it a 5.5/10. The movement of the ride is very similar to that of Space Mountain, but since Big Thunder is not in the dark, it seems less scary. This is a very mild rollercoaster, as far they go. Not quite a kiddie coaster, but probably only a few steps above that.

DINOSAUR: Ride Review

Name: DINOSAUR
Type: Ride, Bumpy "Jeep" ride through animatronic dinosaurs
Location: Animal Kingdom, in Dinoland, U.S.A. area
The Gist: Travel back in time millions of years to watch dinosaurs in their natural habitat, then almost get hit by an asteroid.
A Must-Do For: Dinosaur buffs, people who want an exciting ride that isn't a roller coaster.
Avoid if: You or your children are frightened by loud (very loud!) noises, dark spaces, or pretty darn realistic meat-eating dinosaur animatronics.
Fear Factor: 5/10. The actual movement part of the ride is not that scary. Just a little bumpy and jerky. What makes this scary, mostly for kids, is the atmosphere and the dinosaurs. It is very loud and dark. If you are like me, and know that loud and dark doesn't bother you, then you will be fine. Probably not a good choice for small children, though.

ABC Commissary: Restaurant Review

Name: ABC Commissary
Location: Hollywood Studios, in the Backlot area
Cuisine: American, with some ethnic flavors thrown in
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Are looking for quickservice options beyond the standard chicken nuggets and plain hamburgers.
Price Range: Listed by Disney's system in the $ range, which is less than $14.99 per person. Entrees here run around $8-$9 each.
Times: Lunch and Dinner

Test Track: Ride Review

Name: Test Track
Type: Ride, fast-moving, racecar type thing
Location: Epcot, in Futureworld
The Gist: See how manufacteres test the cars we drive, and finish with a 64-mile-an-hour jaunt around the track. This is billed as being the longest ( meaning amount of disntance covered) and fastest (meaning speed-wise) attraction in Disney history.
A Must-Do For: Car buffs, people who want to do a thrill ride that is not too thrilling.
Avoid if: You think you would be bothered by high speeds.
Fear Factor: 4.5/10. Honestly, this ride is not that scary. It is not a roller coaster, there aren't really any drops, the speed is really just the thing. Originally, I was too scared to go on this one, but then my boyfriend made me, and I ended up loving it. I kind of thought that the speed would bother me more than it did. It actually doesn't bother me at all. This, to me, seems so different than when you go fast on a roller coaster. It basically happens on one plane, you aren't twisting and turning and droping and looping like on other rides. Kids love it, too. So does my mom, who freaks out on the Barnstormers. So that should tell you something.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant: Restaurant Review

Name: Tony's Town Square Restaurant
Location: Magic Kingdom, on Main Street, U.S.A.
Cuisine: Italian
Type: Table Service
Good For Those Who: Are fans of "Lady and the Tramp" and wish to recreate the spaghetti kiss; people jonesing for Italian food at MK.
Price Range:  Disney lists this restaurant in their $$ range, which means it should fall in the spectrum of $15-$35.99 per person. Entrees at lunch cost around $16 each, and dinner entrees cost around $19 each.
Times: Lunch from 11:30am to 2:45pm; dinner from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.

The view from outside.

The Rainforest Cafe: Restaurant Review

There are two Rainforest Cafes on the Disney property, one at Downtown Disney, and the other at the entrance of Animal Kingdom. I've been to both, and since they are both very similar and have the same menu, I decided to condense them into one post.

Name: The Rainforest Cafe
Location: Animal Kingdom, near the gate (there are two entrances to the restaurant, one inside the park and one out, so technically, you can eat here even without theme park admission) and Downtown Disney, in the Marketplace section.
Cuisine: American
Type: Table Service
Good for those who: Want to watch animatronic gorillas and fake rainstorms while they eat. Also, this place is good for people who want a lot of menu options (it has more than any other eatery at Animal Kingdom).
Price Range:  Disney lists this in the $$ range, which technically means $15-$35.99 per person. Entrees prices here vary greatly depending on what you order, but average is around $20.
Times: Downtown Disney location serves lunch 11:00am to 4:00pm, and dinner from 5:00pm to 10:30 pm. The Animal Kingdom location serves lunch 10:15am to 4:45pm, and dinner from 5:00pm to 7:50pm. This location also serves breakfast, from 8:30am to 10:00am.

The Great Movie Ride: Ride Review

Name: The Great Movie Ride
Type: Slow-Moving Tour
Location: Hollywood Studios, in the Hollywood Boulevard Area
The Gist:  A "magical journey into the movies", this slow-moving narrated ride takes you through recreated scenes from some famous films.
A Must-Do For: I would say anyone, really. It is a very cool ride, and I feel like it is one of the signiture attractions at this park. No other ride is so devoted to the movie-making theme as this one.
Avoid If: I don't think there is really a reason to avoid it. Everybody has to like at least one  of the movies they feature here.
Fear Factor: 2/10This is a very tame ride, however, there are a few moments with loud noises (a shootout scene) and in the part of the ride dedicated to "Alien", one of those creepy creatures pops out from above your head. Bottom line, although most of the ride isn't scary at all, there are a few moments that small children will not like. I remember my sister used to cry at the alien part, but she was a mega crybaby anyway!

San Angel Inn: Restaurant Review

Name: San Angel Inn
Location: Epcot, in the World Showcase, Mexico Pavilion
Cuisine:  Mexican
Type: Table Service
Good for Those Who: Like Mexican food; wish they could just live in the Mexican Pavilion because it is just awesome and beautiful and smells good. That is, people like me. Which is prolly no one...
Price Range: According to Disney's pricing system, this is a $$, which means everything is in the $15 to $35.99 range. Entrees at lunch run about $18 per person, while dinner runs about $25.
Times: Serves lunch and dinner
Reservations: I recommend you have one (they can be made on the WDW website), particularly for dinner. If you want to do an early lunch (like 11 a.m.) you may be able to get a table without one. This might be possible at other times too, but expect a wait.

Splash Mountain: Ride Review

Name: Splash Mountain
Type: Log-Flume ride
Location: Magic Kingdom, in Frontierland
The Gist:  This water ride is pretty chill and slow moving as you wind up the mountain, going through scenes from the film "Song of the South", until that 52 1/2 foot drop at the end.
A Must-Do For: Anyone who is for some reason a fan of "Song of the South" (that is, the most infamous Disney movie nobody has ever seen), anyone who hasn't heard "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah" enough times that day, and naturally, thrill seekers, as this is one of your few options in this park.
Avoid if: You don't think you'd like a 52-and-a-half foot drop; you are opposed to possibly getting wet.

Kilimanjaro Safari: Ride Review

Name: Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition
Type: Ride; but I can't really classify this, because their isn't much else like it. The vehicle is basically a big safari jeep.
Location: Animal Kingdom, Africa area
The Gist: Board a jeep, steered by an actual driver and live narrator, and take a wild safari through the African animal (read: REAL animals- this ain't the Jungle Cruise, folks) exhibits. No two rides
are ever alike, and you never know what you might see.

For Instance, you might see this. D'aww.

Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano: Restaurant Review

Name: Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano
Location: Hollywood Studios, in the Backlot Area
Cuisine: Uh... Italian...
Type: Table Service
Good For Those Who: Are at Hollywood Studios and want Italian food. This is really your only option for that.
Price Range: According to Disney's pricing system, this restaurant is in the $$ range, which is $15 to $35.99 per person. The entree prices here vary somewhat greatly, but the average is around $20 each.
Times: Serves lunch and dinner

Spaceship Earth: Ride Review

Name: Spaceship Earth
Type: Slow-moving, Educational
Location: Epcot, in Futureworld. Inside the big ball. Kinda hard to miss.
The Gist:  Relax as Judi Dench's voice narrates a trip back through time. You slowly move through different scenes in history and see how advances in communication brought about our modern technology-centered lifestyle. At the end, see what your future might look like (and what your face looks like on an animated body) with a silly interactive thing they do on a computer screen in front of you.


Cue the dramatic space-traveling music they always blast at the entrance to Epcot.

Columbia Harbour House: Restaurant Review

Name:  Columbia Harbour House
Location: Magic Kingdom, in Liberty Square
Cuisine: American
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Are in the mood for fish; love fried foods
Price Range: According to Disney's pricing system, this is a $ (one-dollar sign), which means everything is less than $14.99. Entrees here run about $8 or $9 per person.
Times: Lunch and Dinner

Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe: Restaurant Review

Name: Yak & Yeti Local Foods Cafe
Location: Animal Kingdom, in the Asia section
Cuisine: Asian
Type: Counter Service
Good For Those Who: Are curious about the Yak & Yeti sit-down restaurant but don't want to spend that much money; fans of standard "Asian" style fast food.
Price Range: According to Disney's pricing system, this is a $, which means everything is $14 and under. Main dishes here run around $10 per person.
Times: Serves lunch & Dinner

Toy Story Mania!: Ride Review

Name: Toy Story Mania!
Type: Interactive, game-type thing
Location: Hollywood Studios, in the Pixar Place area
The Gist: Supposed to look like an old-timey midway with characters from all 3 "Toy Story" films, this ride zips you through different "games" you play by using the controller in your car to shoot at 3-D screens. If you are familiar with the Buzz Lightyear Space-Ranger Spin at Magic Kingdom, it is along those lines, except a HUNDRED times better and more fun.
A Must-Do For: Anyone who loves Toy Story (which, I'm pretty sure is everyone), people who like interactive rides
Avoid if: I really can't think of anyone who should avoid this, unless you just hate the franchise (do these people even exist??).

The Garden Grill: Restaurant Review

I have eaten at most restaurants at Disney World, and I thought it'd be helpful to provide some info and my thoughts on every place I've been- food at the parks does not come cheap, so it helps to know what you're getting before you go! I'll start with one of my all-time favorite restaurants, The Garden Grill.

Name: The Garden Grill Restaurant
Location: Epcot, Future World area in the Land Pavilion
Cuisine: American
Type: Table service, food served all you can eat, family style
Good for those who: Want a character dining experience, have an obsession with rotating restaurants, appreciate the value of sustainably-grown food.
Price Range: Disney lists this restaurant as a $$ on their pricing scale, which technically means $15-$35.99 per person. I can safely tell you that the prices here are much, much closer to the 35 end of that range than to the 15. The food is served family-style at a fixed price, which they do not list on the website, which I suspect is because it fluctuates occassionally. But, you can definitely count on it being at least $30 per person.

Space Mountain- Ride Review

Well, hello, and welcome to my blog:) I don't want to waste time, so I'm just gonna dig in with my first post: a bit of info on that Magic Kingdom classic: Space Mountain!

Name: Space Mountain
Type: Ride, Roller Coaster
Location: Tomorrow Land in The Magic Kingdom
The Gist: The famous "in the dark" coaster, supposed to feel like you are shooting through space
A Must-Do For: Any MK visitors looking for something more thrilling than the Jungle Cruise
Avoid if: You have a serious fear of rollercoasters or dark spaces, or are prone to hard-core motion sickness (and, if you are prone to light motion sickness, I'd suggest NOT doing it right after downing a chili-cheese dog...just in case.)