#RockYourDisneySide 24 Hour Event Survival Tips

RockYourDisneySide 24 Hour Party Ultimate Hashtag
140 characters formed a hashtag at Magic Kingdom Park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., to officially announce the Disney Parks bicoastal, All-Night Extravaganza on Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-24, 2014. (David Roark, photographer)

The #RockYourDisneySide 24 Hour Party will kick off the summer at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom from 6 a.m., May 23 to 6 a.m., May 24, 2014, EST.

The #RockYourDisneySide Party marks the third year in a row that the Magic Kingdom will be open for 24 hours straight, and this year guests are encouraged to show their #DisneySide by choosing Good or Evil!

I am already thinking of who I will be Disneybounding as!!! It was really fun to dress up as Elsa for the #RockYourDisneySide Party at the Summer Media Preview, and I think I want to give it another go!

Throughout the 24 hours, there will be special events showcasing the good-vs.-evil of classic Disney stories including character meet-and-greets throughout the parks, special entertainment, event merchandise, and food & beverage offerings. And mixed into the fun are sure to be some really great surprises.

The Disney Parks Blog has also said that they would be hosting another awesome Meet-Up! Make sure you keep an eye on their blog and Twitter accounts for announcements. I like to get their tweets sent to my phone, it is super easy to do, so I can find out as soon as it is announced so I can sign up!

Having survived the first two, at more than 28 hours awake and in the Magic Kingdom, I thought I would share some of my favorite tips for spending 24 Hours in the Magic Kingdom!

Pick Six: Tips for Spending 24+ Hours in the Magic Kingdom

1. Pack your bag ahead of time

Be like the Boy Scouts and always be prepared!!! I am usually an advocate of packing as little as possible for your Theme Park trips, but this is the exception to the rule. Try to think of what you will want the most, and pack it with you! For me, my ‘must pack’ list for 24 hour day included adding a travel sized facial cleanser, deodorant, a change of clothes, extra snacks, and playing cards to my normal all-day park bag.

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2. Late dinner

I get hANGRY so as I was snacking throughout the day, but I also I pushed all of my meals to a later time than usual. The first 24 Hour Day, we ate dinner at 11:00 at Liberty Tree Tavern and it was a lifesaver! We got to relax, sit down with air conditioning, have a good meal, and spend longer than usual eating to take up more time. It was great!

3. Look for activities, meet-up, and people around you in the Park

While I don’t advocate stalking people on Twitter around the park, it is a good idea to keep an eye on Social Media to see who you talk to that you would like to meet in real life, to look for spontaneous meet-ups, and to get ideas about what other people are doing so you can avoid particularly crowded areas of the Magic Kingdom. 

4. Plan on wasting time

You are going to be in the park for a looooooooooooong time, so make sure that you      pace yourself. Don’t go all YOLO and try to ride and see absolutely everything on a crazy schedule, because you will tire yourself out. You will have plenty of time, so relax and have fun! Some of my favorite time wasters and things to do that I usually don’t do were playing cards on Tom Sawyer’s Island and going to the shooting range in Frontierland.

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5. Go to sleep early

Think 4:00 pm dinner and 7:00 pm bedtime if you can! You will be getting up crazy early for 24 hour day, and in addition to that you will be awake longer and will be more active than you would be during your usual day. So grab the Early Bird dinner and hit the hay!

6. Have a recovery plan 

While a lot of people can get up and get going after staying out, I am not one of them! So I made sure that I had the next day to rest, organize photos, and commiserate with others who took the challenge!

I hope that these tips helped, and that I see you at the #RockYourDisneySide 24 Hour Party at the Magic Kingdom!!! 

Make sure you keep up with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for all the #RockYourDisneySide pictures, updates, and more!

 

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Favorite Boat Rides at Walt Disney World

Grand One boatSummer is just around the corner and I thought I’d take a look at some of the boat and water rides at Walt Disney World. These may help cool you down by splashing you or even just with a cool breeze on the water. To borrow a phrase from my friends over at Wedway Radio, everything is better on a boat.

Resort Boats

In the Magic Kingdom Resort area, each of the resorts features boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom and to the neighboring resorts. From Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge as well as the Contemporary on Bay Lake to the Polynesian and Grand Floridian on the Seven Seas Lagoon, boats are constantly crisscrossing the waters around the Magic Kingdom. Also on the Seven Seas Lagoon from the Transportation and Ticket Center, guests can take the Ferry Boats to the Magic Kingdom. Different sizes of boats and launches are found at these resorts for transportation purposes, but guests are also able to rent personal watercrafts, larger pontoon boats and can even rent (with a captain) the Grand One Yacht.

Between Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Friendship Boats run back and forth, making stops at the Swan and Dolphin, Boardwalk and Yacht and Beach Club. There are also pontoons and some smaller boats available for rent at the Yacht Club.

Downtown Disney also offers boats along the Sassagoula River to and from Saratoga Springs, Old Key West, Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter.

 

Attraction Water Rides

Magic Kingdom

My favorite boat or water based attraction at Walt Disney World is Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland. It is true that I love the Disneyland version even more, but I still appreciate this one as it was my first.

Also in Adventureland, the Jungle Cruise takes guests on several rivers including the Nile and the Congo. The campy jokes from the skippers make or break this attraction. If you’ve got a good skipper, it completely makes the ride fantastic.

Frontierland has one of the most thrilling water attractions in Splash Mountain with its five story drop. This classic is also one of the best themed rides with a lot of different elements including tons of audio animatronics.

The Liberty Belle in Liberty Square is another great boat ride. This turn of the century paddle wheeler takes guests on a nice slow ride around Tom Sawyer Island on the Rivers of America.

Just around the corner in Fantasyland is one of the quintessential boat rides of all time, It’s A Small World. This journey through the world just celebrated its 50th Anniversary from when it was first created for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York.

Epcot

In Future World’s the Land Pavilion, Livin’ With The Land (previously Listen to the Land) is my favorite boat ride. This slow moving boat ride takes guests through different ecosystems and talks about aquaculture, farming and fishing. This is one of my ways to cool off from the warm days we have here in Florida and there hardly ever seems to be a wait of more than a few minutes.

As guests make their way into World Showcase, they have a few more options for rides on the water. On World Showcase Lagoon, Friendship Boats traverse the waterway to transport guests between Mexico and Germany, and Canada and Morocco.

Mexico is host to the Grand Fiesta Tour featuring the Three Caballeros. Previously called El Rio de Tiempo, this slow moving boat ride takes a trip through Mexico and some of its cultural offerings. It is fun seeing the Jose and Panchito on a search for the missing Donald across different Mexican locales.

Right next door in Norway, the Maelstrom is a bit more thrilling. There are some lifts and drops, as well as a surprise or two before you go back, back, over the falls. It is still pretty tame as I’ve ridden it with infants without any trouble or fear for their safety without lap bars or any restraints.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The only current water ride at Animal Kingdom is the Kali River Rapids. Granted, I’ve only done this attraction once, but it wasn’t my favorite. I don’t know if it was the feeling of the message of clear cutting being pushed a bit too much or that I simply didn’t find it as fun as Grizzly River Rapids at Disney California Adventure. At least it has a water attraction, which is more than Disney’s Hollywood Studios can say.

 

To be honest, I could spend hours just riding the resort boats to relax. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pirates and Splash and Livin’ With The Land, but there’s something to be said just chilling on a boat. It’s been said before and I will continue to say it, it’s better on a boat. What’s your favorite way to spend time on the water at Walt Disney World?

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LEGOLAND Florida: DUPLO Valley Update And Preschool Pass

LEGOLAND Florida Marks Final DUPLO Valley Construction Milestone Ahead of

May 23 Opening

LEGOLAND Florida DUPLO Valley Construction

The park also announces ‘Preschool Pass’ granting annual admission for a toddler and a parent

LEGOLAND ® Florida completed installation of an iconic archway to the site of the DUPLO ® Valley expansion, marking the final major construction milestone ahead of the area’s May 23 opening. DUPLO Valley brings the LEGO® DUPLO line of preschool building toys to life with new farm-themed attractions, an air-conditioned indoor play area, and a water play area all geared to toddlers ages 2 to 5.

LEGOLAND Florida DUPLO Valley Construction

LEGOLAND Florida also announced its first-ever Preschool Pass, now available for purchase at the park. The Preschool Pass includes weekday admission to LEGOLAND Florida and standard parking for both one child under five and one adult for a full year at $90, plus tax. Assigned to the child, the pass allows an adult parent or guardian to attend the park with the toddler. The pass is transferrable to multiple adults in the family, allowing, for example, a mother to visit one day, and a grandparent the next, making it ideal for families to bring their little ones to LEGOLAND Florida during the week.

No blackout days apply, with the Preschool Pass valid Monday-Friday only. The Preschool Pass is available at the LEGOLAND Florida ticket office located at park entry or on Florida.Legoland.com later this week.

“We are excited that the final stages of DUPLO Valley are coming into place,” said LEGOLAND Florida General Manager Adrian Jones. “This new expansion, along with the introduction of the Preschool Pass, improves our offering to families with toddlers ages 2-5, giving them a whole new experience only available at LEGOLAND Florida.”

LEGOLAND Florida DUPLO Valley Construction

DUPLO Valley will be the ideal place for park guests to play and relax with their toddlers. New attractions coming to DUPLO Valley include the new DUPLO Train, DUPLO Tractor and DUPLO Splash & Play. Another key element will be the reopening of the DUPLO Barn, which will feature significant enhancements to allow kids to play indoors in the comfort of air conditioning.

LEGOLAND Florida DUPLO Valley

The new DUPLO Valley adds excitement to LEGOLAND Florida’s line-up of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions dedicated to children of ages 2 to 12.

We will be at the Media Event opening the DUPLO Valley at LEGOLAND Florida on May 22nd! Make sure you follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for all the fun!

LEGOLAND Florida Hotel The LEGO Movie

LEGOLAND Florida:

LEGOLAND Florida is a 150-acre interactive theme park with more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, a Water Park and The LEGO® World of Chima presented by Cartoon Network all geared to families with children ages 2 to 12. Recently announced, The LEGOLAND Hotel will open in 2015 featuring 152 highly themed rooms and suites, LEGO décor, interactive play areas, a pool and a restaurant. There are currently five other LEGOLAND Parks in the world – LEGOLAND California in Carlsbad, LEGOLAND Billund in Denmark, LEGOLAND Deutschland near Günzburg, Germany and LEGOLAND Windsor outside of London and just opened LEGOLAND Malaysia —the sixth LEGOLAND Park and first in Asia. The LEGOLAND theme parks are a part of Merlin Entertainments Group, the second largest attractions operator in the world. For the most current information, log on towww.LEGOLAND.com.

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Summer 2014 Issue of Disney Twenty-Three Will Have You Spellbound

Angelina Jolie casts a spell as Maleficent on the cover of the Summer 2014 Issue of Disney Twenty-Three

Disney’s Official Fan Club talks with the iconic actress and the creative team to learn the secrets behind making the film; the issue also takes a fascinating look at the creation of Walt Disney’s classic Sleeping Beauty

Plus, D23.com journeys to galaxies from a long time ago—and into the future—with a deep dive into the Star Wars universe and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.

 Disney Twenty-Three

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club celebrates the upcoming release of the eagerly anticipated Maleficent in the summer publication Disney twenty-three. Angelina Jolie and the creative team pull back the curtain on the surprising tale behind one of Disney’s most iconic villains. “I was afraid of her, and I loved her,” Jolie confesses in the cover story. Accompanying the piece is an in-depth look by animation historian Charles Solomon at the development of Walt Disney’s 1959 creative masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty, with rarely seen concept art and drawings.

Disney twenty-three’s Summer issue, available exclusively to Gold Members of D23, also includes a behind-the-engine look at Walt Disney World’s newest theme park attraction, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, featuring striking images and interviews with the team responsible for creating the experience, which is based on the world’s first animated feature. Disney twenty-three also explores the Marvel universe, talking to star Chris Pratt about his wild and wacky Super Hero adventureGuardians of the Galaxy.

Also included in the Summer issue of Disney twenty-three:

  • Star Wars 101: A fascinating look at the creation of the landmark films—and what’s to come
  • Disney Villains: The comprehensive list—from the mild to the wild—of Disney’s best baddies
  • A tour of Walt Disney’s Hollywood, with rarely seen photos and stories about his favorite spots
  • A behind-the-scenes look at Dusty Crophopper’s latest thrilling adventure in the new Planes: Fire & Rescue
  • Regular columns including A Walk with Walt, PHOTOfiles, D Society, and more

All D23 Members are invited to visit www.D23.com for additional members-only content, including a talk with producer Don Hahn (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast) about how Disney turned the animated Sleeping Beauty into the vibrant, live-action Maleficent.

Other features coming to D23.com include:

  • A deeper journey into a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars mega fan Steve Sansweet
  • The story behind Marvel’s selection of one of its lesser-known comic stories—Guardians of the Galaxy—to become its next mega-feature
  • A virtual map of Walt Disney’s Los Angeles with rarely seen photos

Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold Members as a benefit of their membership. The publication will begin arriving mid-May.

D23 disney twenty-three About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.

Fans can join D23 at Gold, Silver, and Free Membership levels at D23.com and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on TwitterFacebookPinterest, and YouTube.

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