Almost Wordless Wednesday – Goofy’s Candy Counter

Could my daughter fit anymore rainbow candies on her chocolate dipped marshmallows from Goofy’s Candy Company?

Pooh Sized Traveling – Part III Epcot – World Showcase

As I mentioned in my previous post, Pooh Sized Traveling – Part II Epcot – Future World,  Epcot is one of most favorite parks for ease of touring and lessening our fears about not being able to fit in attractions or at shows.

As we enter World Showcase we turn left to the Mexican Pavilion first.

Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Cabellaros - This slow-moving boat ride inside the Mexican Pavilion is to showcase the tourism of Mexico.  The vague storyline is cute and the boats are reminiscent of It’s a Small World After All.   You step down into the boats to sit.  The seats are low in the boat so your knees are lower than your hips.  This seating gets uncomfortable for me very quickly but I am able to shift myself around to try to keep comfortable.  There is little leg room.

Maelstrom -  In Norway the Maelstrom is a very similar boat to the Three Caballeros in Mexico.  The seating is very similar.  At the end of the ride is a 5 minute travelogue on Norway in a small theater.   The seats are 16″ from inside armrest to inside armrest.  If you wish to bypass the movie as you enter the theater there is an exit at the top left.

Reflections of China – This circle 360 movie was gorgeous.  I was completely surprised by how different the areas of China were.  There were no size issues in this show but standing while waiting for the show to begin and then through the entire show was tough for me.  Standing in one spot very still can get painful for me.   Next time I will make sure my legs are well rested before I head into this show.

The American Adventure – This is one of my favorite shows in Epcot World Showcase.  The theater seating is approximately 16 1/2″ arm rest to arm rest.  The theater is usually not full so you can leave an empty seat next to you if necessary.  It is a great air-conditioned space to relax and rejuvenate before the next section of your tour.  There are a few benches around the edge of the main  room  to sit on while you are waiting for the next show to begin if you are fortunate enough to get one.

Impressions de France - This movie in the France pavilion is in a smallish theater.  The seats are approximately 15 3/4″ arm rest to arm rest.  They are beautiful seats but left me with a nasty bruise on my hip where the arm rest dug into my side.  We loved the movie but the bruise left me not wanting to go back very soon.

O Canada! – This Circle 360 movie is similar to the Reflections of China.  You must stand while waiting for the movie to begin and during the movie.  Again, standing still in one spot is tough for me so I got a bit wiggly near the end.  I was very glad to go out and sit down once the movie was over.

Boats between the front of World Showcase and Italy or Morocco – These free-floating vessels are a great way to cut your walking in half if you need to get to the back of World Showcase for a meal or to start your touring.  We tend to tour World Showcase over 2 days so we start at the back before the crowds set in and move our way around to the front.  The boats have ample room and bench seating for comfort.

Epcot truly is one of our most favorite parks for our entire family.

Kim Possible Mission

She is serious about her mission to find the Jade Monkey.  At first I was very skeptical about the Kim Possible Missions.  Running around a country to catch the “bad guy”?  My kids had never even seen Kim Possible how could they possibly enjoy this?

Was I wrong!  It is now on our must do list for Epcot.

We signed up for our Kimmunicator in Innoventions and were given a FP to return to the kiosk by Norway an hour later.  This was perfect timing as we were heading in that direction and we had not done the Mission in Norway previously.

My children love seeing the clues such as smoke billowing from a chimney, a picture changing or singing steins.   Disney does this so perfectly.  I just wish they were able to spread out the Missions starting times a bit more.  At one point my children were backed up behind 2 other groups waiting for the same clue so we went on a short mission of our own to scout the area so they wouldn’t see the clue before it was their turn.

We have completed missions in China, Norway, Germany and France.   Each had a cute surprise at the end of each mission.  We can’t wait to do the missions in Mexico, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Be forewarned though – each mission takes about 30 minutes to complete so if you are rushed for time or have Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs) in another part of the world you need to plan carefully.

We can’t wait until they start the new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.  It sounds as if it will be similar to Kim Possible in Epcot.  Construction has already begun in Adventureland.  What a wonderful place to begin a new adventure!

Thoughtful Thursday – Growing Up

“Too many people grow up.  That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up.  They forget.  They don’t remember what it is like to be 12 years old.  They patronize, they treat children as inferiors.  Well, I won’t do that.”  

Walt Disney

I often hear parents saying to their children, “I wish you would just grow up.”  I often pause when I hear that phrase because that is not what I really think they mean to say.

I have been striving to keep my children being children in a tide that sometimes seem overwhelming.   Pictures of pre-teen girls in cut off shorts with the phrase – “It is all about the short shorts” greeted us on a shopping trip this spring.   My 11 year-old daughter and my 8 year-old son know unless it is a rated G movie there is probably no chance for them to see it.

I didn’t even allow them to watch most Disney movies until they were 6 or 7.  Every single movie, except Mary Poppins and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, have an evil villan.  Yes, there are mean people in life but why expose them to such things at a young age.  I want to protect them and show them the good things in life and not be jaded by life by the time they are teenagers.

I remember vividly the first time my daughter ran across her first mean child.  She was almost 5 and we were at a McDonald’s Play Place.  She was running and playing when suddenly she came back to the table and sat down.  When we questioned this she told us that another older child told her she wasn’t allowed in the climbing structure.  Of course we sent her back up there with coaching on what to say and do.  I want my children to be children but not door mats for others.  But, this made me sad because she suddenly realized all people were not kind, open and willing to share as she always thought.

Maybe I am Pollyanna-ish in my hopes that letting my children be children as long as they can will help them in the long run but I really don’t think it can hurt.

Pooh Sized Traveling – Part II Epcot – Future World

We are a family of what is commonly referred to, in Disney Speak, as Pooh Sized people.  I think of myself more Ursula sized but that is for another day.

We love vacationing in Walt Disney World because they try to accommodate everyone when building their parks.  My partner and I are Pooh sized, my son in autistic and my daughter and partner are hard of hearing.  There are things in the parks to help all of us enjoy our time there with as little stress as possible.

The first thing you notice about Epcot versus Magic Kingdom is that the gates to enter the park are wider.  They do not have the old turnstile, as at Magic Kingdom, that was built before the average size of the American population went up.  The Epcot turnstiles are wider in width and the turnstile bars are not too close together.  If you feel at all uncomfortable about going through the turnstile you may ask to be let through the gate when they scan your card.  The people at the gate have always been most accommodating to us.

Spaceship Earth – This is one of my most favorite rides in Epcot.  I love the general overview of history, the attention to details in the scenes and that it is a nice slow-moving ride.  Size is not my issue here as much as leg room.  I try to sit in the second seat in the car as there seems to be a bit of extra leg room.  Not much but a bit.  I get squirmy about half way through the ride and want to stretch my legs and there is nowhere to stretch them so I end up shifting from side to side to get comfortable as the ride goes on.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure – Now this is my most favorite ride in all of Epcot.  The first section of the attraction is a movie on three screens that you must stand for while viewing.  There are a limited number of benches around the edge of the room but they are quickly filled once the doors open.   Depending on when you arrive in the room and the start of the show it can be 10-15 minutes of standing still.

After the movie you enter a second section of the show with giant cars with bench seats.  The cars door are plenty wide enough and the bench seating allows you to sit comfortably.

Mission Space – Being a super chicken I have never personally ridden Mission Space but sent my 6′ 4″- 450 pound brother on it instead.   He rode the orange car and reported a snug fit but other than feeling incredibly nauseous he was fine with the ride.

Test Track – This six seat open car is tricky.  I do not ride it.  But, others have comfortably.  It depends on where you carry your weight.  There is a test car that you can discretely ask to use to see if you fit.  It is out of sight of the lines and if you do not fit there is a door nearby that you can exit through or you can rejoin your party.

The Seas with Nemo and Friends – This slow-moving ride is reminiscent of the “Doom Buggies” from Haunted Mansion.  As long as you or your child do not pull down on the bar as you are riding, the bars will lock into place as they are lowered, and you can leave plenty of room to be comfortable yet safe.

Turtle Talk with Crush – Children sit on the floor in the front of the room and adults sit on long benches.   No problems here.

Soarin’ -  This ride caused me tons of anxiety.  I carry most of my weight in my hips and thighs and knew that these seats are closely packed.  We asked the cast members where might be the best place for me to sit and they recommended the last row on the end.  As we passed each cast member I asked to be placed in the last row on the end.

We placed one of our children between us so that if we “infringed” on someone’s space it was our own children.  I had my partner help me with the seat belt before getting in her own seat as she could get a better angle on it.  I fit!

I was very glad I rode this ride.  It was fun experience I was glad I was able to enjoy.

Living with the Land – This boat ride has a small step down into the boat and bench seating.  There were no issues with riding.

The Circle of Life – This movie is shown in a tiered theater.  The seats are approximately 16 1/2″ from inside armrest to inside armrest.  What bothered us more than the seating in this theater was the volume of the movie.  There are two people in my family that are hard of hearing and both of them were extremely bothered by the volume of the movie.  So much so that we were forced to leave before the end of the movie.

Journey into Imagination with Figment – This ride is made up of four cars that travel together that can hold 4-6 people per car.  I prefer to sit in the front of the car because the second row seat door is much narrower than the first.   I make this known to the cast member placing us on our numbers to get into a car.  The doors can be narrow (reminiscent of The Honey Pots in Magic Kingdom) but if you turn sideways and step in you should be fine.  The seating once in the car is a bench seat without a bar closing over your lap so there are no problems.

Epcot is one of favorite parks for the wonderful attractions and shows.  They are easily accessible to us and allow us to have a great family experience.

Thoughtful Thursday – Alice In Wonderland

“Nothing’s impossible.”

Alice in Wonderland

This is the phrase we have been using quite often with my son lately.  He tends to be a bit of a pessimist, with a highly optimistic Mom, so I am trying to change his “It’s impossible…” thoughts.

We spend a great deal of time talking about the difference between impossible and improbable.  There are very few things that are really impossible.  The things you desire may take a great deal of work, sacrifice and maybe even money to accomplish but they still possible.   Maybe not probable but possible.

How bad do you really want something?  What are you willing to sacrifice?  Is the price worth the outcome?

 

Pooh Sized Traveling – Part 1 Magic Kingdom

We are not a tiny family.  I am 5’8″ tall and a 28-30W.  My partner is short 5’2″ and 26-28W.  Even our children are fairly tall for their ages our dear daughter is 5′ 3″ and our son is 4′ 9″.   So we are always aware of size – height and weight on all the rides.

Often you will see people refer to themselves on the message boards as being “Pooh sized.”  I prefer to think of myself more as “Ursula sized.”  I am big all over but especially in the hips.

On our last trip I took a tape measure and a small notebook to note some of the seat sizes where I could.  Here are some of our tips for making the trip a bit easier if you are worried about being Pooh sized for some of our favorite rides.

Magic Kingdom – Fantasyland

In Mickey’s Philharmagic the seats are 16 1/2″ from inside of the arm rest to the other arm rest and front to back.  We try to get a seat on the end of a row and place our children between us so that one of them is on the end closest to the next person.  Often the theaters are not crowded when we enter so the children end up not sitting next to anyone else.

It’s a Small World After All -  We have learned to ride this ride in two rows.  We each take a child and ask to be place in two rows.  We also make sure we are both not sitting on the same side of the boat or the boat seriously leans to one side and looks like it is going to start taking on water at any moment.

Also, height can be a problem on this ride.  Avoid riding in the front row if you are tall as the seat height is only 11″.  I felt like my knees were at my ears most of the ride and it was very uncomfortable.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh -  This ride has a large enough seat and leg room for us but getting into the honey pot I had to be careful to step onto the door jamb for the ride then turn sideways and make sure I lifted myself up and over the side of the honey pot.   The first time I rode I came out with a large bruise on my hip where I hit the side of the honey pot as I entered the ride.

The bar on this ride lowers automatically so just make sure if you riding with children they do not pull down on it because it locks automatically and you could be in a tight spot for the rest of the ride.

Mad Tea Cups – This ride is similar to Winnie the Pooh’s  honey pots in that getting into the cup was the most difficult part for us.  We each rode with one child and when getting into the cup had to make sure to turn sideways and make sure our hips cleared the edge of the cup.   As in most rides we have the child get in first then you can sit right near the door and do not need to slide around  the steering wheel in the center.  Once in the seat it was fine.  Also, on exiting make sure you step up on the door and then step to the ground.  Try not to exit stepping down directly to the ground or you may end up stuck at the door or with a bruise on your thighs or hips.

Peter Pan’s Flight – We each rode with a child and had no problems.  The bar automatically closes just make sure that you or your children do not pull down on the bar as it is closing or it may tighten too tight.

Liberty Square

The Haunted Mansion - Before the new line renovation it was the turnstile at the entrance that used to give me trouble.  My hips were just too wide to go through comfortably so I would use the wheelchair entrance.  Now there is no turnstile and there are no problems.

The “Doom Buggies” are similar to Peter Pan in that they are a bench seat and we have no problems here as long as the children do not pull down on the bar at anytime in ride.

The Hall of Presidents – This is one of my son’s favorite shows at Walt Disney World.  He was seriously disappointed that it was not longer.  He loves the Presidents.   The seats are about 15 1/2″ wide from inside the arm rest to the other arm rest in the handicapped section of the theater.

I moved to the regular seating area where the seat width was a full inch different.  Doesn’t sound like much but it really is.  Again, sitting with the children between us or sitting with an empty seat between us (we have never been in the theater when it was more than 1/2 full) was the best option for us.

Liberty Square Riverboat – This may sound funny but the biggest surprise to me was that there was no seating on the boat.  If you are going on this ride for a peaceful ride around the river that is great.   Just be ready to stand for the entire ride.  After a long day of walking this was not what we expected on our first trip.  I hunted the whole boat for a place to sit and could not find one.

Magic Kingdom – Frontierland

Splash Mountain – I don’t like fast rides or getting wet but I have ridden this several times over the years.  I ride in a seat by myself now, asking for a seat for 1 is never a problem, but when the children were smaller I could easily take the smallest one with me.   Again the biggest problem on this ride was the leg room.  I would sit in the front of the car as it seems to have the most leg room.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - This ride has a bar that comes down across your lap to hold you in.  It is more a jarring roller coaster going side-to-side rather than up and down.  The only thing that makes me nervous is if the bar fits across my lap then my child is not secure because they are so much smaller.

Pirates of the Caribbean - This ride is similar to It’s a Small World After All.  The boats are very similar so we ride it in a similar manner.

The Jungle Cruise – The most difficult part of this boat ride is entering and exiting the boat.  It is a large step down so if you have any issues make sure you step carefully.  Sometimes there can be water on the seat as you step in or on the deck that can be slippery so hold on.

Magic Kingdom – Tomorrowland

Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin – This is my favorite ride in all of Magic Kingdom.  There are no issues for me riding this ride.  We tend to ride it at least 5-6 times a trip!

Carousel of Progress – Many bypass this “old-fashioned” show but it is my favorite in all of Walt Disney World.  I love that Walt Disney had such a hand in creating it and I love it for the historical purposes of Walt Disney World.

The seats are similar to old auditorium seats, metal with wooden arm rests.  They are slightly smaller than most seats in Walt Disney World but the theater is very rarely even half full so you can sit with an empty seat next to you if you wish.

Space Mountain – I hate roller coasters.  I don’t like being scared so I have not ridden this ride in many years.  My partner and children rode on our last trip in June 2011 and she had no problem fitting in the seat.  She had a bit of trouble exiting the ride due to knee issues but her size was not an impediment to riding.

There is a demo seat that you can discretely ask a cast member to try out of sight of the entire line of people if you are in fear of not fitting on the ride.  If you fit you can return to the line, if not there is an exit you can go right out and no one but you will ever know.

We love Walt Disney World.  It is a place we all feel comfortable and we don’t have to worry about our size being an impediment to enjoying everything with our children.