On the Go in MCO - Page 217 of 224 - A lifestyle and informational blog about all that central Florida has to offer! Enjoy our unique perspectives and news about the Orlando area attractions and resorts.

Wordless Wednesday – It Never Gets Old

100 Days Until LEGOLAND FLORIDA Opens!!!

With the Grand Opening of LEGOLAND FLORIDA only 100 days away, I have to say that I am getting pretty stoked about taking the family over to Winter Haven to check it out!

From new photos just released by LEGOLAND FLORIDA construction crews are hard at work transforming the property into the interactive theme park geared toward families with children ages 2-12, while still preserving the charm of the gardens that so many people have loved over the years.

I hope you enjoy them!!!

The Royal Joust, where kids ride LEGO-themed horses through a number of medieval scenes where they encounter other riders in a simulated joust.

LEGO TECHNIC® Test Track is a “wild mouse-style roller coaster where brave guests feel the power of acceleration, braking and maneuverability as they race a life-size LEGO TECHNIC vehicle along a wildly twisting track.

I love this unique perspective of the Grand Central Station NY that is part of the Miniland USA.

This Picture of the Banyan Tree is amazing!!!!

And the DUPLO® Farm and Safari Trek are well under way, as well!!!

Wordless Wednesday – My first Fourth

Wordless Wednesday – Mulchheads

Wordless Wednesday – A Patrotic Warning

Daddy’s Movie Day – Gnomeo and Juliet

Coming from a theater background, I have always had a great appreciation for all of Shakespeare’s works. Seeing the greatest love story ever told meets garden gnomes come in the mail didn’t leave me with great expectations. Of course in true fashion, my little princess saw it, and immediately had to watch.

From the beginning, I was pleasantly surprised. This comical, off the wall adaptation of the bards classic tragedy was much better than expected. The story is set in the gardens of feuding neighbors kept by families of garden gnomes and lawn ornaments. The comic antics ensue as everything from pink plastic flamingos, lawnmower races, to covert missions to destroy flower beds unfold.

From the director of Shreck 2 comes your chance to step into the secret world of garden gnomes – Gnomeo & Juliet. Perfect for the whole family, this fresh and funny makeover of one of the world’s most timeless stories features music from Sir Elton John, and the voice talents of Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and Sir Michael Cane. Caught up in a fued between neighbors, Gnomeo and Juliet must overcome as many obstacles an their namesakes. But with flamboyant pink flamingos and epic lawnmower races, can this young couple find lasting happiness? Complete withhilarious never-before-seen bonus features, Gnomeo & Juliet is an out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy your entire familty will love. We just gnome it!

Although nothing aside from the main characters names follow the original story, something pointed out as Gnomeo has a conversation with a statue of Shakespeare, it is a cute movie with lots of laughs.

Zoe and I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it for anyone looking for a laugh!

Gnomeo & Juliet available on Two-Disc Blu-ray™/ DVD Combo on May 24, 2011. The greatest love story ever told, starring…garden gnomes? In “Gnomeo & Juliet,” Shakespeare’s revered tale gets a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (co-director of “Shrek 2”) and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John, the film features the voices of James McAvoy and Emily Blunt as Gnomeo and Juliet.

Wordless Wednesday – From the Balcony

Rides with Friends – Monina takes a spin on the CoP

Today Monina Wagner a new member to the WDW Mom’s Panel and awesome gal takes us on a spin on her favorite ride…The Carousel of Progress!!!

It is one of my faves, and I am absolutely looking forward to riding and singing with her soon!!!

Also, a super huge thanks and hugs to Betsy for the use of her pictures!!!

Until then, Enjoy!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Magic Kingdom has evolved through the years – new attractions, restaurants, and shows. But one attraction that has remained a staple inside Tomorrowland is the Carousel of Progress.

But it’s an attraction that’s often overlooked.

Just not for my family. We ride the Carousel of Progress as much as we can when we visit.

It’s a Small World is quintessential Disney. Nearly every guest flocks to the attraction at some point during their visit. The bringing together of many cultures under one roof in an attraction that can be enjoyed by every single family member. That’s Disney.

But to me, Carousel of Progress is quintessential Walt.

This attraction literally has Walt’s hand print on it. He was the ultimate Imagineer. Initially built for the a pavilion in the 1964 World’s Fair, Walt introduced the entire animatronic family to the world. It was a hit – and I question how it could it not be! With a fabulous storyteller in “Father” and a huggable dog in Rover, you instantly become immersed in the story. I don’t need flashy lights or a vertical drop to be entertained.

And its catchy tune doesn’t hurt.

“It’s a great, big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day…”

Although I’d like to know what the Norwegian hoochie-koochie is. Ohh la la!

Sure, the fourth scene needs some extra love. In the days when we can no longer keep up with our iPhones and bluetooth technologies, the virtual reality games and talking ovens no longer seem futuristic. But the Carousel of Progress offers a glimpse into our history that other attractions cannot.

I still remember my parents taking me on the Carousel of Progress as a child. And while there are other attractions that I know my daughter loves, I want her to appreciate the CoP. Why? Because it really exemplifies the history of Disney. And of Walt.

So you’ll hear the theme song on my daughter’s iPod. And during our next trip to Disney, you can find my family circling the generations. Why? Because “tomorrow’s just a dream away!”

Wordless Wednesday – Looking Up

Daddy’s Movie Day – Lemonade Mouth

“Daddy! Daddy! I love Lemonade Mouth! It’s my favorite movie! What’s Lemonade Mouth?” The best thing about Zoe, is that a 30 second trailer on the Disney channel can change her life. All I have heard for the past two weeks was how much she loved Lemonade Mouth even though she had never seen it.

Another odd thing about Zoe is that she has surprisingly good taste in movies. When Lemonade Mouth arrived in the mail, I was expecting a half-baked knock off of high school musical meets revenge of the nerds. Your classic case of the social outcasts of the high school vs. the popular elite. I was pleasantly surprised to find a movie focused on inspiring kids to embrace their talents, stand up for what they believe in, and fight to have their voices heard.

Be Heard. Be Strong. Be Proud

It’s time to turn up the music and have some fun with an all-new Disney Original Movie, starring Bridget Mendler and Adam Hicks and introducing ten awesome new songs.

When five ragtag freshmen first meet in detention, it seems they have nothing in common. But, through music, they form an unbreakable bond and discover they have the makings of the greatest high school garage band in history! In the face of incredible odds, Olivia, Stella, Wen, Mohini, and Charlie find they can make a real difference when they learn to lean on each other and let go of everything holding back their dreams.

Although the story is quite fantastical, it is a fun movie full of catchy songs sure to stick with you long after the movie ends. Lemonade Mouth is family friendly, fun, and carries a good message. I would recommend this to anyone, not just fans of the High School Musical and Camp Rock style movies.

Lemonade Mouth available on 2-Disc Extended Edition DVD + Digital Copy May 24, 2011. Be heard. Be strong. Be proud. It’s time to turn up the music and have some fun with an all-new Disney Original Movie starring Bridgit Mendler and Adam Hicks. Turn the world into your own stage with Lemonade Mouth: 2-Disc Extended Edition DVD + Digital Copy, available May 24, 2011. It features 10 awesome songs from the #1 Soundtrack Debut and an exclusive extended music scene that you can only get with this release!

Here is Zoe’s favorite song from Lemonade Mouth…’More Than a Band’!!!!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFEL9dSoNDY&feature=player_profilepage]

Hidden Gems: Making Earth Day Everyday in Innoventions

It is really easy to walk by, and goodness knows that I had done it many times, but you really should stop by Innoventions East and try your hand at making Everyday Earth Day by creating paper!

088 — Some fun environmental facts are on display around the area.

090 — The first step was to scoop up the cellulose with a strainer.

095 — Once the cellulose was placed into a form, it was dunked into another water bath.

096 — As the form was lifted out of the bath, you could see the paper taking shape.

098 — Zoe after she moved her form over to the rolling area.

099 — Getting closer... The vacuum really helped start the drying process.

101 — And now to roll out as much of the leftover water as you can from the 'paper'. Zoe was able to do this part all by herself!!!

103 — And the paper was really starting to take it's shape! It was super soggy at first, but she was able to peel it off of the drying area and ready to be dried some more in an oven for a few minutes.

104 — Zoe and her paper!!! She was soooo proud of all of her hard work!!! 🙂

And now the best part….DECORATING!!!!!

And now a look at the finished product!!!

The whole process did take about 20 minutes, but it was a great break from the heat and the hustle & bustle of a day in Epcot!!!

Daddy’s Movie Day – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors

As long as I can remember, my little princess has been in love with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so we were definitely excited when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors came in the mail. Just as we expected it did not disappoint. We go hours of entertainment and enjoyment out of the set and the new interactive remote. Zoe was excited to be able to use the remote to interact with episodes and the bonus feature.

Both of us would highly recommend this great set to any Disney fans with little ones to entertain and educate.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors

For the first time with Digital Copy, this Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD is ready for the summer fun and on-the-go adventure! Available on May 24th, Mickey Mouse and his famous pals (Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Goofy and Daisy) join efforts to inspire preschoolers around the country to enjoy the outdoors by camping, fishing and exploring nature in Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment’s latest DVD release, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors.

As a great value for parents and a fun, portable play set for kids, Disney has packaged Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors to include a DVD, a Digital Copy and a Mickey Mote –making this the ultimate Play Set. The Mickey Mote (a child-friendly handheld remote control) provides hours of interactive fun that allows kids to engage with their favorite Mickey Mouse Clubhouse characters while watching Mickey’s Great Outdoors. And the Digital Copy allows parents to download all the episodes onto a secondary device for easy, portable on-the-go access. Just in time to kick off the summer, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Mickey’s Great Outdoors features four episodes from the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” TV show plus one all-new, never-before-seen “Mickey’s Fish Story” episode and comes packaged as a special DVD Play Set (DVD + Digital Copy + Mickey Mote) that will retail nationwide for the suggested price of $29.99 U.S. / $35.99 Canada.

The never before seen episodes are fun for the whole family!

MICKEY’S GREAT OUTDOOR EPISODES:

All-New, Never-Before-Seen Bonus Episode:

Mickey’s Fish Story – Daisy wants to find a fishy-friend for her goldfish Goldy – and we help her find other goldfish in the Jungle where we’re aided by the mysterious conga drummin’ Jungle-Pete! Boom-boom-bap-boom!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiQCm15Ewco&feature=player_profilepage]

Episodes From “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” TV Show:

Mickey’s Camp Out – Today Mickey and his friends are going to earn Clubhouse “Camp Out Badges” by completing two tasks – setting up camp and fishing for Gummy Fish. Everyone’s planning to camp with a “Tent Buddy”, but Donald decides to camp by himself – and he soon learns that camping with friends is much more fun than camping by yourself.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgkNPjFLY-U]

Mickey and Minnie’s Jungle Safari – Minnie is determined to snap a photo of the rare Hula Hibiscus that only blooms once a year. So the sensational gang go off on a jungle safari and explore new territory to find this legendary flower.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mljTi2OpoSQ]

Daisy in the Sky – On Balloon Day, Daisy grabs a large batch of balloons and gets literally carried away along with Minnie and Pluto, who couldn’t hold her down. Mickey, Donald and Goofy kick into high gear to save their friends: they use a Giant Candy Cane (to rescue Pluto), a Party Horn (to warn animals out of the way), a Piggy Bank (to weigh down one side of an elevator so that Mickey can reach the top of the lighthouse), and a Toy Hammer (to fix the Ferris wheel).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYkaCxeDDbg]

Daisy’s Grasshopper – Daisy has a new pet grasshopper named Wilbur, but the playful hoppin’ fella hops away – and we help all our Clubhouse friends hop after him and find him before the end of the day. Boing-boing!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8pypxZB9hg]

About Disney’s Mickey Mote

The Mickey Mote works with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes Discovery Mode(tm), the interactive “Watch & Play” feature on the DVD! All parents have to do is program the remote control – there’s an easy and quick set-up guide in each DVD- and select the Discovery Mode feature on the menu screen. Within minutes, kids will be easily responding to questions, throughout the story, about scenes they just watched (such as “What color is Goofy’s hat?”) by pressing one of four color-coded buttons on the device — a yellow star, green circle, orange triangle or blue square – to click in their responses. Discovery Mode features include two levels of play, which provides more challenging questions as the child grows.

Fourth of July Duffy!!!

Continuing the holiday Duffy line is the Fourth of July Duffy!!!

Wordless Wednesday – We all have this picture & love it!!!

Rides with Friends – One Last Ride on the Barnstormer

I seriously cannot believe that Mickey’s Toontown Fair closed a little over 3 months ago…

So for today’s ‘Rides With Friends’ I decided to post some pictures and video from our last ride on the Barnstormer.

It was Zoe’s first roller coaster, so it was a super special ride for us. Even though it will be re-themed, we will greatly miss looking for our favorite little details!