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UP! A Great Bird Adventure will debut on April 22nd!

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Disney have just announced that UP! A Great Bird Adventure will debut in Animal Kingdom on the 22nd April 2018, in exactly 2 months time!

Back in December as part of their 12 days of Disney parks Christmas Disney announced that an all new show was coming to Animal Kingdom that will feature Russell and Dug from Disney•Pixar’s film ‘UP’ and will take place at the Caravan Theater in Anandapur village. At the time it didn’t have a name but we now know that it is going to be called ‘UP! A Great Bird Adventure’.

It will start just in time for Animal Kingdoms 20th anniversary and will be a family friendly experience where you will be able to see Russell and Dug discover species of birds from around the world in an adventure around Anandapur Village with ‘UP’ close encounter every day with lots of winged creatures!

Who’s looking forward (or up) to this?

Smiles Included

Abby

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New Show at Animal Kingdom featuring Disney•Pixar’s ‘UP’ Spring 2018

Hey Thrill Seekers,

This afternoon Disney have announced – as part of their 12 days of Disney parks Christmas – an all new show which is coming to Animal Kingdom in Spring 2018. It will feature Russell and Dug from Disney•Pixar’s film ‘UP’ and will take place at the Caravan Theater in Anandapur village.

The show will start in time for Animal Kingdoms 20th anniversary next year and will give guests the opportunity to see Senior Wilderness Explorer Russell and his pet dog Dug as they explore and discover species of birds from all over the world. ‘There will be “UP” close encounters each day with amazing winged creatures!’

To make way for the new show which is yet to have a name, Flights of Wonder will take its final bow on the 31st December 2017 so if you are visiting Animal Kingdom this month be sure to go and experience Flights of Wonder at the park before it ends!

This is all the information we have regarding the new show but will be sure to keep you updated as soon as we get any more information.. it sounds very cool! ..What do you think it’s going to be called?

Smiles included,

Abby

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Abby’s Pre-Orlando Adventure

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Its nearly time…….

If you watch our bi-weekly Facebook Lives you’re bound to know that i’m due to go on a ‘Super Fam’ trip and in particular, how excited I am about it! Well it’s time and i’m finally leaving tomorrow to embark on what is sure to be the best trip EVER.

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram accounts you’ll be seeing loads of videos and photos from yours truly over the next week including all things Disney, Universal and SeaWorld. Before I start packing (yes I know I’ve left it very last minute) I thought I would give you guys a run-down of what my trip is going to involve.

Soooo.. I arrive in Orlando at 5pm -ish on Sunday and by 9.30pm i’ll be at Universals Halloween Horror Nights!! Nothing like throwing us in at the deep end aye?! I’m absolutely terrified but also mega, mega excited for this (I do feel sorry for the people who are going to have to keep picking me up off the floor in the houses though) The house i’m most excited for is SAW: The Games of Jigsaw, SAW hasn’t featured at HHN for 8 years now and i’m pretty eager to see what’s going to be involved this time around.

For the first few days i’m going to be staying at Universals Cabana Bay Beach Resort which I’ve heard is very nice indeed. 😛 On my first full day i’ll be visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter Diagon Alley, Hogsmede Village and Universal Studios. I’m absolutely buzzing to visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – I’ve heard so many amazing things about it and I just can’t wait to see it all for myself and i’m especially excited for  Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts™.

On to the next day.. On this day I will be visiting Volcano Bay in the morning and Universals Islands of Adventure in the afternoon, woooo!!! I can’t wait to ride Krakatau™ Aqua Coaster and teeny bit scared to do Ko’okiri Body Plunge™ I feel like this is going to be a fantastic morning and I can’t wait to get loads of snaps of the Volcano! For Islands of Adventure I’ve been warned not to wear white tops or any denim and this is because i’m bound to get ABSOLUTELY SOAKED on the water rides.. Hopefully it’s a warm day (oh I forgot to mention, the weather forecast for next week is BEAUTIFUL.) Oh i’m also very eager to ride The Incredible Hulk Coaster We have a surprise evening with Universal on this day and i’m super excited to see what this is going to be, of course, i’ll keep you updated!

Day 4 is the day i’m most excited about… anyone who knows me will understand why. Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to swim with a dolphin and now i’m lucky enough to have the opportunity to do it YAY!!! If you haven’t guessed already, i’ll be visiting Discovery Cove in the morning. I’m not going to lie there will probably be some tears buy hey, who cares it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity! After Discovery Cove i’ll be travelling over to Busch Gardens where I cannot wait to ride all the big coasters and ALL of the pressure is on me to ride Falcons Fury.. i’ve got this!

On day 5 i’ll be visiting SeaWorld in the Morning , Aquatica in the afternoon and back to SeaWorld for the evening! 😉 Very excited to ride Manta and Mako at SeaWorld as everyone in the offices always raves about how good they are. Especially excited to be lucky enough to ride them in the dark also! Psyching myself up for Ihu’s breakaway falls at Aquatica!

I’ll be staying over night at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, ready for day 6.. On day 6 i’ll be visiting EPCOT in the morning and Animal Kingdom in the afternoon. Can’t wait to visit all of the different countries at EPCOT and i’m so buzzing for Pandora – The World of Avatar at Animal Kingdom, the reviews i’ve read about Avatar – Flight of Passage have all been great so I cannot wait to experience it for myself too.

On the 7th Day i’ll be off to Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom, I am really looking forward to seeing Cinderella’s Castle, meeting all of the characters and getting to experience the iconic rides and attractions such as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. I also hope I get to watch Happily Ever After, could possibly shed a tear or two here as well!

On my last day I get to go SHOPPING at the Orlando International Premium Outlets and the Florida Mall, I’ve got all my pennies saved up for this I’m just hoping i’ll have enough room in my suitcase!! After that it’s home time 🙁 🙁

Only 1 more sleep to go and i’ll finally be off!! If you would like to follow my action packed week make sure you keep checking our Facebook and Instagram as i’ll be trying to post as much and as often as possible.

See you all soon!!

Smiles Included,

Abby

 

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Are Disney Preparing To Introduce Indiana Jones Land?

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Its a rumour that’s been doing the rounds for a few months now but for some reason its recently been picking up steam.

Disney purchased the rights to Indiana Jones in the same deal that saw it grab Star Wars and although the franchise has gone off the boil lately (Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) it is still seen as having potential especially as we can expect a 5th movie in 2020.

Here’s the latest provided by one of my favourite blogs Orlando Informer

Where?

We’re hearing that Animal Kingdom could be Indiana’s home with the new land replacing all of DinoLand, USA.

Plans

Rumour has it that approx. half the attractions will be receiving a theming overhaul and the other half being totally remove and replaced by brand-new experiences.

Their flagship attraction Dinosaur, is expected to be re-skinned as Indiana Jones Adventure. The Boneyard Fossil Fun Site is expected to get a makeover and re-themed to be an archaeology dig. Dino-Rama miniland, TriceraTop Spin and Primeval Whirl are expected to make way for new shop, eating experiences and perhaps a new main attraction.

When?

Disney obviously have a lot in the pipeline at the moment but the introduction of an Indiana Jones land shouldn’t prove as costly as say Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge which may be attractive to the Disney hierarchy. I wouldn’t have thought we’ll see it, assuming it happens, before 2021.

What do you think of the idea of a Indiana Jones themed Land, does it fit in at Animal Kingdom?

Smiles included…

Jamie

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Pandora: World of Avatar Ride Requirements

Hey Thrill Seekers,

So on our last Facebook Live we had a couple of questions about Pandora: The World of Avatar and in particular, will the rides be included in Fastpass+ and what d’ya know Disney released this exact information yesterday!

Lets start with Avatar Flight of Passage, Disney’s description of Avatar Flight of Passage is making me so impatient.

“Get a banshee’s-eye view of the beauty and grandeur of Pandora on a rite of passage you won’t soon forget! Deep in the heart of the Valley of Mo’ara, discover Avatar Flight of Passage—an all-new expedition that lets interstellar explorers like you climb atop a mountain banshee for a breathtaking, first-person flight over the moon’s incredible landscape. Bonding with a mountain banshee is a crucial step in the life of a Na’vi hunter—and flying on the back of one of these powerful winged creatures represents an important rite of passage.Now, as a visitor to Pandora, you’ll finally have the chance to test yourself in a similar way! “

The height requirement for this ride is 44 inches which is approximately 3.6 feet. The age interest is kids, tweens, teens and adults. Most importantly, can you use FastPass+ for Avatar Flight of Passage? The answer is yes. Wooo!

Next up is Navi River Journey, Disney’s description on their website gives me goosebumps..

 “Glide down a gentle, mysterious river and feel a sense of wonder as the full beauty of Pandora reveals itself. Located within the Valley of Mo’ara, Na’vi River Journey offers explorers an experience that has to be seen—and heard—to be believed! As your expedition begins, climb aboard a reed boat and drift downstream. After coasting through a series of caves, and passing by exotic glowing plants and amazing creatures of the rainforest, you’ll soon find yourself face-to-face with the Na’vi Shaman of Songs. The adventure comes to a conclusion as the Shaman demonstrates her deep connection to the life force of Pandora—and sends positive energy out into the forest through the power of her music!”

Sounds beautiful doesn’t it? What’s better is that there is no height requirement for this ride as well as the age interest being for everyone meaning the whole family can enjoy it together. You can also book your Fastpass+ on the Navi River Journey. 🙂

 

Next is Valley of Mo’ara, this isn’t something that I knew a lot about so looking on the Disney website has really got me excited to have a wander around the valley..

 “Walk about through the Valley of Mo’ara and get ready to discover a world like no other! There’s more to Pandora than expeditions like Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey… much more! All around its enormous floating mountains, you’ll quickly uncover the valley’s one-of-a-kind dining and shopping experiences—along with sights, sounds and experiences that include: Exotic plants that come to life with beautiful bioluminescence each night, A Na’vi-built drum circle containing instruments playable by all, Na’vi totems and other cultural items found throughout the land, Brand-new Wilderness Explorers challenges and badges to collect. You may even come across tour guides from Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE), scientists from the Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI), or even an eclectic expat or two!”

There is no height requirement and the age interest is for everyone. There is no Fastpass+ available for the Valley of Mo’ara as there will be no queue lines.

With the opening of Pandora: World of Avatar on the 27th May getting closer and closer we are loving any information that Disney are releasing about it.

Welcome to Pandora—a world similar to Earth… but distinctly unique in so many ways!

I don’t know about you but I really can’t wait and i’ll definitely be booking my fast passes for the Navi River Journey and Avatar Flight of Passage!!

Smiles Included…

Jess

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Disney’s Retired Attractions

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Theme parks are constantly making improvements to their parks. Attractions are always coming and going; some we’re happy about and some we’re not. I’m going to take a look into some of the iconic Disney attractions that have been retired.

Disney’s Magic Kingdom is a great starting point with Extra TERRORestrial Alien Encounter which was a brilliant attraction that was replaced in 2003 with Stitch’s Great Escape! Rumour has it that even Stitch will be leaving us soon as the park has already scheduled Stitch’s Great Escape for seasonal closures! 🙁

Mr Toad’s Wild Ride is talked about on so many Disney forums so I can only imagine how amazing it was. Originally due to be a roller coaster, it ended up being a dark ride with the left and right tracks being 2 completely different experiences! Unfortunately, I’m too young to have seen this as it closed in 1998 to be replaced by The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Snow White’s Scary Adventures opened way back in 1971 but was deemed a little too scary for some guests so closed for a refurbishment in 1994 before opening back up to the public until 2012. Princess Fairy-tale Hall is now in it’s place.

Let’s pop over to Disney’s Epcot and see what’s been changing here over the years shall we? One of my all time favourites that I remember from the first time I ever visited Orlando, Honey! I Shrunk The Audience! I’m not usually a fan of 4D attractions but how can you not love this?! I was gutted when this got taken away but it was temporarily replaced with Captain EO Tribute in 2010.

Maelstrom was an indoor log flume ride which would have it’s twists and turns before moving you backwards. Sadly, this ride closed in 2014 although I was so happy to finally see a Frozen ride, Frozen Ever After!

Horizons was a dark ride taking you through the ideas that could be used in the future to make the world even greater! Horizons was then replaced by Mission: SPACE, a motion simulator ride in 1994.

Over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Journey into the Jungle Book was a theatrical show filled with animals as well as costumed-humans which closed in 1999 and was replaced later on by Tarzan Rocks.

Tarzan Rocks was another theatrical show lasting about 30 minutes (perfect for the AC) which closed in 2006 before being replaced with Finding Nemo – The Musical.

Pocahontas and her Forest Friends opened with the park in 1998 and had an array of live animals as well as the lead character from the movie. The theatre seated 350 guests at a time but ended for good in 2008! Nothing major has replaced this show yet even today, but you can still have a meet and greet with Pocahontas herself!

Next stop, Disney’s Hollywood Studios where it used to be best known as the home to Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat which was inspired by the apprentice segment in Fantasia! Since 2015, his hat can no longer be found at Hollywood Studios, but instead, a view of The Great Movie Ride.

Journey into Narnia: Prince Caspian was a walk-through attraction, testing your knowledge on the movie and even includes a character meet and greet! This closed in 2011 being replaced with The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow before becoming Toy Story Land. Toy Story Land is currently under construction to become even larger in the near future.

Isn’t it amazing how much Walt Disney World has changed throughout the years?! Can you think of any other Disney attractions that we can no longer visit?

Smiles Included…

Louise

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Disney Announce Rivers Of Light Will Debut on 17th February at Animal Kingdom

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Disney are just spoiling us with announcements this week!! Last night they announced a new nighttime experience at Animal Kingdom called ‘Rivers of Light‘ to add to the variety of nighttime experiences that are currently available at the park.

The new show is set to debut on the 17th February.

“Continuing the grand Disney tradition of innovative, after-dark entertainment, “Rivers of Light” combines live performance, floating set pieces, a soaring musical score, fountains and more in a celebration of animals and nature.”

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The story of the show will unfold on the Discovery River and will convey the spirit of an ‘ancient and timeless’ lantern ceremony. It will be ‘filled with symbolism, storytelling and plenty of heart.‘

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is already home to amazing nighttime experiences such as Kilimanjaro Safaris after sunset, Harambe Wildlife Parti, Discovery Island Carnivale and of course when the Tree of Life literally comes to life with light and colour to showcase different stories. I’m very excited to see the new show, who doesn’t like pretty lights 😉

Animal Kingdom is a great place to visit in the evenings with so much to see and do and if you’re visiting from the 17th February onward then you’re in for a real treat! We would love to see some pictures if you go to watch the show!

Smiles Included

Jess

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Top Secrets at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Onto the last of the Disney parks now at Disney’s Animal Kingdom which happens to be the largest Disney theme park in the whole world at 500 acres! This is definitely going to be a walking boots kinda day…

Before you enter into the park, you might notice some of the cast sweeping up? Why not take a moment out of your day to go a bit closer, I mean would they really have rubbish to sweep away first thing in the morning…? 😉

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You might remember from my other post about Universal Studios that there was another entrance near to Blue Man Group with a lesser queue, well there’s a similar entrance at Animal Kingdom, just behind the Rainforest Cafe gift shop! This will give you that little bit of extra time to have in the park before the crowds.

The first thing to catch your eye in Animal Kingdom is pretty much guaranteed to be the Tree of Life in Discovery Island. It is absolutely mind blowing that there are over 300 animals carved into the tree and over 103,000 leaves that have been individually placed in the making of this tree. What’s that you say? ‘It’s not a real tree?!’ No, it’s not, it’s actually an oil rig believe it or not! The Tree of Life is also the home to It’s Tough To Be A Bug!’

TOL

Let’s go anti clockwise round Animal Kingdom and visit DinoLand U.S.A. DINOSAUR is one of my favourite rides at Animal Kingdom, but there is one thing I have only just recently found out. When you are in the loading area for the ride, overhead are some pipes, red, yellow and white with formulas written on them. I can’t be sure what these formulas are officially but rumour has it they are Ketchup, Mustard and Mayonnaise from when the ride was previously sponsored by McDonalds!

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Next door in Asia is probably the part of the park where the thrill seekers are more likely to head to being the home of Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids. You may notice on some of the trees there are scarves draped around which are to commemorate lost ones.

Expedition Everest is the world’s most expensive roller coaster at over $100 million which isn’t very surprising when you realise that it’s made with 1800 tonnes of steel! The coaster is huge and I for one can say that it is definitely worth all the money that Disney have spent on it.

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Kali River Rapids is another amazing attraction where you are guaranteed to get soaked! It’s the perfect way to cool down on a boiling hot day! Not everyone is a fan of rapids or just water rides in general but with Kali River Rapids, you can still join in the fun without getting on! There is a bridge where you can walk over the rapid route and find a button. This button will squirt water out of the elephant onto riders as they go round! It’s a great laugh for everyone (not so much the people getting soaked)

For our final part of Disney, we’ll take a quick look into Africa, home to the Kilimanjaro Safaris. Just the safari land is 3 acres larger than the whole of Magic Kingdom! That’s ludicrous! The best time, I think, to do the safari is first thing in the morning as you’re more likely to see more animals. Throughout the day as the animals start to become harder to find, you might notice that the lions are nearly always sat upon Pride Rock’. This is because there are piped, chilled air holes in the rocks to encourage the lions to hang around here thus making it easier for guests to take their photos of them!

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So that’s it, we’ve actually come to the end of Disney, but what a journey we have had! Be sure to look out for these little secrets and let us know if you find anymore!

Smiles Included…

Louise

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Behind The Scenes at Pandora – The World of Avatar

Hey Thrill Seekers,

So today whilst having a nose on the Walt Disney World Facebook page I came across this wicked video that not only gives us a sneak preview of what Pandora – The World of Avatar is going to be like but we also get to see what some of the top people dealing with the new world have to say.

Joe Rohde, Walt Disney’s Imagineering Senior VIP Creative says that this is a “crazy thing to try to do” but after watching this video i’m glad they have done it!!

Jon Landau – The producer of Avatar states that this land will literally ‘take guests to Pandora’ and James Cameron – The Creator / Director of Avatar ‘can’t really express how it feels to see something that he imagined in 1995 suddenly made physically real’

The Navi River Journey looks as though it is going to be an absolutely beautiful and serene escape into the bioluminescent forest and the clue towards something ‘amazing’ happening at the end of the ride that has ‘never been seen before’ has got me filled to the brim with excitement. AVATAR Flight of Passage will take you on a once in a life time flight over Pandora and is sure to be very thrilling!

My favourite bit has got to be the floating mountains and the fact you can walk underneath them as they move over your head. This is sure to create the atmosphere of being totally immersed in the world that is Pandora.

I think that this world is going to be absolutely incredible and definitely somewhere to add to your itinerary if you’re visiting from summer onward!

Smiles Included…

Jess

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Animal Kingdom’s Top Attractions 2016

Hey Thrill Seekers,

Coming in at an extremely favourable 1st place for top attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom is Expedition Everest.

“Careen through the Himalayan mountains on a speeding train while avoiding the clutches of the mythic Abominable Snowman.” 

Expedition Everest

Expedition Everest  is a thrilling family ride where you will board a weather beaten train and begin to zoom through a gorgeous scenery of rolling hills and green forests. After whizzing through a ceremonial stone tunnel you will find yourself at the summit. However you can’t stay there forever, one way up, one way down!

As you plunge downwards into the heart of the mountain the train comes to an unexpected stop as the track in front of you is broken! But don’t worry Disney wouldn’t allow you to be caught by the Yeti, not today! The train begins to race backwards, back inside the dark mountain to encounter lots of twists and turns. Keep your eyes peeled for a shadowy figure. Is it the Yeti? I would’t want to hang about to check that’s for sure!

Second Place: Kilimanjaro Safaris – You’ll have the chance to experience a tour of the African Savanna in an open-air vehicle for a day or evening tour. There are over 34 different species of African wildlife that are free to roam around.

Third Place: Festival Of The Lion King – Another unmissable experience at Animal Kingdom. One huge celebration with all your favourite characters and songs all rolled in to one show. (one of my personal favourites)

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Fourth Place: Kali River Rapids – This is a exciting whitewater experience down the Chakranadi River – look out you might get soaked!!

Fifth Place: It’s tough to be a bug – “See the world from a bug’s point of view with a little help from Flik inside the great Tree of Life.”

Expedition Everest is another great and very very popular top attraction for another fantastic park.

Smiles Included..

Jess
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