Category Archives: Travel

Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 5 of 5, Mount Vernon

21 Friday Sep 2018

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Day 1: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Day 2: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Day 3A: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum

Day 3B: United States Botanic Garden

Day 4: Luray Caverns

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First, for those of you outside of the United States, Mount Vernon is the home of George Washington who was the first president of the United States.  It sits on a lovely hill overlooking the Potomac River just south of Washington, D.C.  George Washington also owned other properties in the area, but this was the primary house where he lived and ran his various businesses.

This was a new location for us and we weren’t sure how the kids would handle the visit.  It was not as hot as it had been earlier in the week, but it was still hot and one would be spending much of the day outside.  Rain was not in the forecast, though we ended up wet from a brief shower mid-afternoon, that did serve to cool things off a bit.

The location is reasonably easily to get to and reasonably stroller friendly.  We did have to leave the stroller outside in the main house and some of the dirt paths are rather steep, but nothing that posed significant problems.

When you arrive and buy your tickets you receive a time stamp for entry into the main house.  Everything else on the property is open and available for you to explore at your leisure.  And, there is plenty.  We were there the entire day and still didn’t get to the Distillery.

We started with the upper gardens gardens, blacksmith’s shop, and spinning house.  All the gardens are still maintained, though more sparsely than they would have been.  One question I had is what happens to the food that grows there today as they did not seem to be harvesting anything.  There is a small garden oriented gift shop near the kitchen gardens, but we didn’t go in.

We then headed to the 12-acre lawn and bowling green.  These two large grassy areas in front of the house represent the view visitors would have had when they arrived.  The picture below is taken from the Bowling Green gate which separates the two lawn areas.

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Then we took our house tour.  As I mentioned the stroller needed to be left outside.  The tour was about 45 minutes, which was within the attention span of our group.  Each room had its own guide, all of whom were very knowledgeable and friendly.  You are on your feet for the entire tour with two flights of stairs.  Keep that in mind if planning a visit.  The colors are vibrant and bright, very different from the current grays one sees in houses.  Another significant difference from today is that the kitchen is separated from the house by an outdoor walkway to keep the heat and smells at a distance.

Following the house tour we went back to the museum building you enter through to eat lunch.  They have a food court and a sit-down restaurant.  We chose the sit-down restaurant which turned out to be excellent.  It is a largely modern take on traditional foods, but is very homey and kid friendly and we didn’t feel we were paying a fortune at a tourist trap.  Highly recommend eating here for any group vs another food court stop for hamburgers and french fries.

After lunch we headed back past the lawns to the lower garden, animal pastures, stables, and orchard.  These areas were less developed than the upper garden, but still offered something to see and plaques describing what things would have been like when Washington lived.

We saw the Old Tomb where Washington was first buried.  His will stipulated a new tomb be built, which happened and his body was moved there.  We visited this tomb next.  To be honest, neither tomb really had much to see.

Near the new tomb is the Slave Memorial.  As would have been normal for a man of his wealth in that time and place, Washington had a number of slaves at Mount Vernon and his other properties.  This aspect of history is discussed well throughout the property.  George Washington, and later Martha, freed their slaves upon their deaths.  The slaves were clearly a critical part of the running of the plantation.

We continued down the hill to the dock and Pioneer Farm.  Here we ran into the one re-enactor that I would have preferred not to run in to.  The sixteen sided barn was interesting, but the woman explaining it rather trapped you inside so it was impossible to step in to see it without getting stuck for a long while.  We wanted to catch the shuttle back up the hill.  Since it only comes every thirty minutes or so it was important to keep moving.  Also, this was towards the end of the day with many small kids who just weren’t up for a long talk by this point.

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On our way out we went through the museum.  All in all it was a successful day.  I hadn’t known what to expect when we started since looking at historical stuff with kids can be hit or miss.  But, there was enough interesting things, enough movement, and not too much stuffiness as to make the day run quite smoothly.

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Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 4 of 5, Luray Caverns

20 Thursday Sep 2018

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Day 1: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Day 2: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Day 3A: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum

Day 3B: United States Botanic Garden

Pictures today!

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On our last trip to New York state we visited Howe Caverns.  Since the boys enjoyed that experience we decided to visit Luray Caverns this trip.  We made a full day of it and took in everything to see on property.  Luray Caverns is about two hours west of Washington, D.C.  Since we were staying to the west already, a direct route would have taken us about an hour and a half.

On our way there we did the northernmost stretch of Skyline Drive.  This added about thirty minutes to the drive.  Note that there is a fee to enter so it is both a slower and more expensive way to get to Luray from the DC area.  But, the scenery on that part of the route (between Front Royal, VA and Rt 211) was spectacular – even the boys thought so.  On the way back we decided to drive it a bit more so we took the middle section from Rt 211 to Rt 33.  This was not as spectacular and probably not worth the drive.

Upon arrival at Luray Caverns we bought our tickets and then had lunch.  The line was somewhat long and tickets are not timed, so its up to you to best judge the line for entry.  That being said, it moves pretty fast regardless.  Even more than Howe Caverns, this operation seems to be a smooth running one that’s been going for generations.  That is apparent both in what you see in the caverns as well as how things are run above ground.  One example is that they take your picture with a green screen at the entrance and you have the opportunity to purchase at the end – very theme-park like.  It’s not a negative, but it is apparent that you are not seeing a truly unblemished natural treasure.

You can bring your own food to eat onsite, just not in the caverns.  There is also a basic grill near the entrance.  We later found that there is another food option across the street at the Luray Valley Museum that might have been worth exploring more had we found it earlier.  We ate at the grill.  The food was fine, but limited, basic, and pricey for what you got.

Note: A ticket to Luray Caverns includes entry to the Car & Carriage Caravan Museum, Toy Town Junction, and the Luray Valley Museum.  I’m not even sure if you could purchase ticket to those separately.  They did check our tickets at both the car and Luray Valley museums.

After lunch we went in the adjacent Toy Town Junction.  I’m glad they don’t call this a museum.  It’s more like someone’s well-organized toy collection.  Just about everything dates from 30-50 years back, with a few popular modern items and very old things added for completeness.  But, it was a fun few minutes.

After lunch we joined the line for the caverns.  It was much shorter.  We made the second group, which was maybe a 15 minute wait.  A huge advantage for us is that strollers are allowed in the caverns.  The steps are also somewhat narrow so an umbrella stroller is probably better than a big jogger.  You do have to carry them up and down the stairs and the start/finish of the tour.  And, there are some steep hills to watch out for with strollers.  But, it makes it much easier to handle the smaller children.

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The tour itself is about 45 minutes.  It was well organized; our guide was knowledgeable and kept the group together and moving the entire time.  One is very aware of the many other tour groups moving through the caverns with you, but they rarely interrupt the experience.  There are great vistas of large caverns and smaller features.  The completely still, mirror-like water was impressive.  The tour concludes with the playing of the Stalacpipe Organ.  By this point we had a hard time keeping the small ones quiet, but clearly we weren’t the only ones with that problem.  Generally, if your group is exclusively attentive adults who want to hear everything I’d recommend staying towards the front of the group.  Drop back if you have small children who might needs space or talk a lot.  If you want to take pictures, dropping back may also be a good idea.  Just, keep up with the group as the lights are on timers and you don’t want to end up in the dark.  Also, realize that in some places the path is quite narrow and you may not be able to work back to the front for a few stops.

After our tour we headed down the hill to the car museum (and bathrooms).  I must say, after the toy “museum” the car museum was impressive.  If you are at all a car enthusiast, you should visit.  They had an excellent variety of vehicles, displayed well with descriptions, and in excellent condition.  The aisles are wide and very stroller friendly.  We (adults) could have stayed much longer, but unfortunately the boys were unable to get very interested.  Many of the cars had a tie-in to the region, but not all.

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Finally, we went across the street to the Luray Valley Museum.  As folks who have visited Sturbridge Village, there really wasn’t much to this one.  It’s not that it isn’t well done, just that it isn’t very fleshed out and comes across as an afterthought.  I don’t know if they have bigger plans for this area, but compared to the rest it underwhelms.  There’s a small museum and five exhibit buildings from 18th century life that you can look in, but not actually enter.  Again, its not bad, it just feels like it could/should be developed further.

Note: If you check their website you’ll see that they advertise a maze and rope adventure park.  If I’m honest, neither looked very big or worth the price.  More importantly, they didn’t really work for the age ranges we had in our group.  But, take a look before you go especially if you are traveling with teens/tweens.  Both are right near the entrance and you may decide that they are a good option for your family.

All in all, Luray Caverns is worth the drive.  In fact, I think doing the top portion of Skyline drive on the way is worth it.  There is plenty to do and abundant free parking.  Clearly they can handle even very busy days.  Assuming you check out all they have to offer it’s a pretty full day so doing Skyline on the way there is better as it may be getting dark when it’s time to head back east.

Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 3 of 5 B, United States Botanic Garden

19 Wednesday Sep 2018

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Day 1: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Day 2: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Day 3A: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum

This will be a short post, both because I apparently didn’t take pictures and because the Botanic Garden is a much smaller venue than the Air & Space Museum.

The Botanic Garden is a large green house just a few streets over from the Air & Space Museum towards the Capitol Building.  We were there about an hour on this trip, but two would probably do it more justice.

The main greenhouse is four (or more) stories tall and includes a full-scale jungle with palm trees.  There’s a path at ground level that is reasonably stroller friendly.  There’s also a catwalk about halfway up in the tree canopy, but you have to take the stairs.  Technically, there is an elevator, but the expectation seems to be that one takes the stairs.  The catwalk is narrow and would not be appropriate for a stroller.

Around this center greenhouse are a series of rooms representing other ecosystems including both wetter, dryer, hotter, and colder.  Finally, outside there are gardens.  There is a Children’s garden in a courtyard enclosed by the building.  It has tools for the kids to dig, water, rake, etc.  It also has a small structure.  Our kids could have spent more time here and there are plenty of benches for parents.

The other gardens are exterior to the building and open later hours than the building itself.  I have been to more extensive gardens, but these offer a nice seclusion to the hustle and bustle in this part of DC.  Even if you don’t go in the greenhouse, pop into the gardens instead of walking along the sidewalks.

Finally, it should be noted that the Botanic Gardens have the best bathrooms in this part of DC.  They are large, clean, and uncrowded.  They are all the way in the back through the greenhouse, but (like the gardens outside) worth the trouble if you find yourself in need while outside in the area.

I would not plan an entire day for the Botanic Gardens.  But, given its location between Air & Space and the Capitol Building, it is a worthy stop at this end of the National Mall.

Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 3 of 5 A, Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum

14 Friday Sep 2018

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Day 1: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Day 2: Smithsonian’s National Zoo

Day three was hot again so we opted for something indoors.  Because our hotel was not near downtown we again opted to drive and found there was ample parking (in unrelated buildings) behind the Air & Space Museum on the National Mall.

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We have been here before.  Some things the boys wanted to see again were the plane and cockpit you can enter as well as the walk-through of the Skylab.  See a theme?  For some reason the walk-through of the mock aircraft carrier is not as big a draw.  They also complete planes and spacecraft.  We still have a harder time convincing them to read all the smaller displays although we adults would like to.

Once again we tried to go through in an order different from what we may have done before.  We headed for the space area on the eastern end of the first floor first.  Space interests everyone in our house so it was a soft entry.

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We were going to stop into the large McDonald’s for lunch, but found it closed for renovations.  (I don’t know if it will be a McDonald’s after again or not.)  In its place they had fridge and freezer cabinets with sandwiches, salads, and microwaveable stuff.  None of it was very kid friendly so we ended up leaving for the nearby McDonald’s and returning after lunch.  Thankfully, while crowded, the nearby McDonald’s was big enough to handle the onslaught (I don’t think we were the only ones.).  It also had very clean bathrooms!

We returned to the museum after lunch to finish the eastern end of the first floor.  We continued with the western end and then headed upstairs.  The solar system rooms went quickly, but its always a challenge getting out of “How Things Fly.”  It is very popular and they do a good job keeping all of the hands on activities working.  This room is a big tricky with strollers though because of its many different levels.

The many levels is a general issue with the National Air and Space Museum as multiple exhibits have stairs and most do not have ramps at all.  We’re curious how things will look after the massive renovation that is just getting underway.  For those considering visiting over the next two years, read up on the state of the renovations before you go.  Because of the extensive nature of the renovations, at various times significant chunks of the museum will be closed.  Some of the exhibits will be temporarily relocated to the Annex also so if you want to see a specific thing you will need to do some research.

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The rooms on the west end that focus on the early years of flying were interesting for the kids because they had complete aircraft.  Same for the military rooms upstairs, although note that those are fraught with stairs.

The boys were interested to spend time in the rooms covering the Wright Brothers and the Apollo missions.  Stairs weren’t an issue here with the stroller, which was nice.  The final room we went in was “Time and Navigation.”  This is probably the least approachable for kids in its current form, though there is plenty for the adults to absorb.  We never really get to spend enough time there to read everything.

Plus we were going a bit fast at this point so we could sneak over next door before it closed.  See the post next Wednesday (yes, a special one, but it will be short) for exactly where!

 

Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 2 of 5, Smithsonian’s National Zoo

07 Friday Sep 2018

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Day 1: Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Continuing on our DC area trip, on Day 2 we went to the National Zoo.  It was very hot (as one should expect in DC in August), but the chance of rain was lowest so we opted for this outdoor activity.  We had been here once before, but not the two-year old and we though she would really like it.

Last time we took the subway; this time we drove and parked onsite.  I didn’t find either transportation method to be particularly difficult.  If we had been staying near a METRO stop we would have taken it again, but we weren’t.

Our youngest has a thing for elephants recently so we spent a lot of time with those.

We saw just about all of the exhibits, including the pandas who were outside for the first time I’d ever seen.

A few exhibits were closed and the big cat area seemed to be sparsely populated, but neither was enough of an issue to cause concerns.

I like that this zoo is clean and less smelly than others. We also appreciated the farm area.  While we used to live near farms and therefore saw cows and chickens rather regularly.  But, that is much less common today so its nice to see those animals entering zoos along with the more standard African safari fare.

Near the parking entrance they seemed to be finishing up a brand new bathroom complex and kid’s play area.  The play area wasn’t open yet, but looked fun.

We took the full day and saw just about everything.  We missed one house, reptiles maybe?  It is hilly, but I’m not sure what they could do about that.  Some of the buildings have a very old school feel to them.  Having been to more recently built zoos, this is noticeable.  But, its over 100 years old and still very popular so there is something to that too.  The kids did notice the lack of giraffes and some other seemly “standard” zoo animals, but everyone did enjoy what there was to see.

That being said, we had a few issues.  The food was hit or miss.  They had no “basic” juice for kids, or milk.  When I ordered the bacon cheeseburger (only burger on the menu), I was told they were out of bacon.  You can bring your own food and it’s definitely worth it.  What they did haven’t wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t great and it was expensive.  At least bring your own drinks.

We also had an issue with the bathroom signs.  In one case I tried to follow the signs (and asked a few staff along the way) and from almost the middle ended up all the way at the parking exit to use the bathroom.  This is a long way for a five-year old.  As it turns out I could have found one quicker to the right, but the sign pointed left.  Something in between would have been greatly appreciated.  It’s not that the bathrooms were hard to find, just that they were very far apart.

In summary:

  • plan for a full day.
  • bring your own food, or at least drinks, especially if you have a stroller to put it on.
  • follow the loop from either the parking or METRO entrance to see pretty much everything.
  • use the bathrooms when you’re near one.
  • and, be prepared for significant hills.

 

Washington, DC./Virginia 2018: 1 of 5, Smithsonian Air & Space Annex

06 Thursday Sep 2018

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I let you know already that we spent in a week in the DC area in August.  Some of these places we had been to before, but enjoyed.  Others were new to us (or some of us as I had actually been to all of them years ago).  So, over the next few weeks I’ll give you an overview of each of the five places we went, in order.

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Day 1 was at Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.  We have been there twice before; it is a favorite every time.  The kids love the scale of the place – the big hangers with complete airplanes and helicopters are a wonder to behold.  It really does take a full day to take it all in, especially if you want to see one of the IMAX movies.

We decided to go here first because there was rain in the forecast (see clouds above, although it didn’t rain) and it was the shortest drive after a long travel day.  We also consciously did the loop in the museum in reverse of our usual order as folks do tend to tire towards the end.

The museum is basically “T” shaped and divided into three categories: military, space, and civilian.  There is also a restoration hanger, a control tower where you can watch planes landing at Dulles airport, simulators, and IMAX movies.  We did the civilian planes first.

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Then we looped back for lunch (McDonald’s, though they will let you bring in food).  As we passed the cockpit of the Enola Gay the boys remarked on its similarity to the Millennium Falcon.

After lunch we went up to the control tower and purchased tickets for the older ones to watch one of the IMAX movies later in the afternoon.  The wind direction was perfect because planes were coming in to land on either side of the museum’s control tower such that they were almost at eye level as they went past.  (More on this later.)

After lunch we went to the military wing.

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The older boys are finally getting old enough to understand the sides in the World Wars, the existence of the Korean and Vietnam wars, and the significance of the military in general.

I always appreciate it when they leave some airplanes in an un-restored state.  Dusted and cleaned up a bit yes, but not patched/painted/etc.

Finally, we headed to the space wing.  I finally figured out the corner to wedge into to get the entire space shuttle in one picture!

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The space wing has many more small displays and plaques to read than the other areas.  In this way it is the most like the main Air & Space museum downtown.

Finally, we sent the older ones off to their IMAX movie and I took the younger three up the observation tower again.  It was packed!  What I didn’t realize initially is that most folks up there this time were plane spotters.  This because obvious a few minutes later when an Airbus A380 came right past the window.  I was so busy showing it to the kids that I didn’t get a picture of it until it was past us landing.  But, I did get a picture of the Boeing 747 that came a few minutes later.  You can imagine the even larger plane this close!  Definitely not some thing you see often.

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Anyway, after the A380 went by almost 2/3 of the crowd headed for the elevator.  I also because aware of the number of people checking their phones to see which planes were coming next.  That’s how I knew to be more ready for the 747.  Apparently after the 747 went by there weren’t any other big planes due (at least for a while) because everyone headed for the exits.  We stayed a bit to let the crowds clear and then headed down to meet the rest of our group and end our visit.

Grocery Update: Week 33, 2018

20 Monday Aug 2018

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It will be a short post today because we got back from vacation last night.  We were gone for an entire week, during which I spent $10.97 on one gallon of milk and two containers of juice.  Otherwise food went on the vacation budget.

That does mean that this week will have quite a few stops so next week’s post might be rather long.  It also means school is just around the corner so hopefully I’ll be able to get more than one or two posts up per week.  I certainly have a new set of material!

Changes at Disney Since We Were Last There

13 Friday Apr 2018

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Prior to this trip, we were last in Walt Disney World in October 2015.  Obviously there have been some big changes – Frozen Ever After, Pandora, etc. – that I’ll cover in individual blog posts, but there have also been some minor changes that are worth noting.  Both are positive.

First, the bus depots at the parks have been expanded.  This seems to mean that buses are less often shared between resorts.  (It was an observation.  Nobody could actually tell me this with certainty.)  What it certainly means is that the buses are less crowded.  Only once did I not get on the first bus that arrived and that was because I had sleeping children with me and we would have had to stand.  I opted to wait so we could have the first choice of seats.  Frankly, very few of the buses we were on had anyone standing, except by choice.

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The second big change worth mentioning is to the Rider Swap option.  For those who are not aware, Rider Swap enables a party to split in two for a ride so that an adult can stay with the non-riding small children, but not have to wait in the full line twice.  It used to be that at the entrance you were offered a paper card that entitled three riders (the waiting adult + two companions) onto the ride later in the day.  You still get that paper card eventually, and it still allows three riders, but it is a bit different.  And, we goofed it up the first time so here goes.

Instead of getting the paper card at the entrance (FastPass+ or regular line), you will be given a lanyard.  The party entering the ride keeps the lanyard and turns it in to the second attendant (normally where the FastPass+ line meets the regular line) exchanging it for the paper card.  At this point they are deep in the bowels of the ride.  They go on the ride.  After they exit they give the card to the waiting adult who then goes through the FastPass+ line.  I suspect they may have had an issue with folks collecting Rider Swap cards so they could go through the FastPass+ line, but not actually choosing to go on the ride that first time through the regular line.  They are still super nice about giving them out, the waiting party just has to be visible to the attendants at the entrance – you don’t necessarily need to fight all the way there with your stroller and/or small children.

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I had been warned that if you had fast passes initially all members would need to scan theirs to get a rider swap, but that was not the case on our trip.  So, if you have small children you can still get an extra ride from time to time if you get there are the beginning of the fast pass window so that a second group can get in during the same fast pass window.  The paper cards themselves are now dated to expire any time from the same day to a week plus out.  I don’t know if that varies by ride/park or if it is somewhat random based on when you ask vs when they last happened to run the cards for that ride, because the paper cards are ride specific.

Once you figure it out (do not leave the lanyard with the waiting party!), its a perfectly fine system.  And, if it prevents some folks from gaming the system to get in more rides (thereby choking up the FastPass+ lines), I’m all for it.

Walt Disney World 2018 – New to Me Rides

06 Friday Apr 2018

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Readers will know that we have been to Walt Disney World before.  But, I have often been pregnant, and always with small children, so there are a number of rides I have never been on.  While we still had children not big/old enough to go on all of the rides, I was not pregnant so I took the opportunity to go on both some of my favorites I have not been on recently (eg. Big Thunder Mountain) and many I had never been on.

I still have not made it onto Splash Mountain or the Kali River Rapids.  I prefer water rides when it is very warm.  It was nice, but not super warm, and because we cannot all go on those rides together my going on them means it takes a big chunk of the day.  So, I passed in favor of other things.

The Pandora rides were new for all of us.  I wrote about them in my Pandora post.  To summarize our feedback on the rides:

  • Na’vi River Journey is a good ride and I appreciate that it is family friendly.  But, I’m not sure it is worth a fast pass for us.  When we were there the lines were running around an hour, so the fast pass was nice to have.  But, as the years go by hopefully these will go down.
  • Avatar Flights of Passage is a fabulous ride, maybe the best at Disney currently, and well worth a fast pass.  Lines were over four hours and as long as six when we were there.  Again, hopefully these will go down as the years go by, but right now you are getting serious bang for your buck using a fast pass here.

Staying in Animal Kingdom, I was also able to go on Everest and Dinosaur for the first times.

  • Everest is great – as real a roller coaster as you can get at Disney.  Because there are only two to a seat anyway, its a good ride to use the single rider option if your group is all tall enough to ride alone (ours was not).  I am definitely looking forward to riding this one again.
  • I quite enjoyed Dinosaur.  However, it is not for everyone.  First warning: the height limit is very low but that does not take the “scare factor” into account.  I would not recommend this ride for young children even if they meet the height limit, elementary age is a good starting point.  Second, it does rock you around quite a bit, but not in a classic roller coaster or motion sickness inducing way.  It’s more like Star Tours, but on a track.  I was hoping to go on this again before we left, but it didn’t make the cut.

There were two new to us rides in Epcot, both relative new to everyone and therefore having long lines.

  • We all loved Frozen Ever After.  As a family we agreed it was better than the Na’vi River Journey, and we have seen neither Frozen nor Avatar.  We did have fast passes, but we were able to get on two additional times because the line was quite short.  So, this may or may not be on your fast pass list, depending on the interests of your party.  I would use a fast pass if you have a true Frozen fan (you can always go extra times if the line is short) or if you are looking for a great ride for the entire family to enjoy together.
  • We also enjoyed the new Soarin’.  Everyone went, including the five year old.  If your child meets the height limit, take them.  You can grab a fast pass, or just walk for it first thing in the morning.  Because it has relatively high capacity it takes some time for the lines to build.  We walked for it no problem with a stroller.  It is not as spectacular as Avatar Flights of Passage, but that also means it does not present problems for people who might get motion-sick.  The ride refresh made it feel new and more interesting as we had seen the previous version more than once.

There were two new-to-me rides in Hollywood Studios; the older kids had been on both before.

  • I loved the Rock ‘n’ Roller coaster.  I enjoyed the music and I appreciated that the dark made it feel less like you were just being knocked around like a typical roller coaster.  In fact, those who get mild motion sickness should consider this one.  It has a similar feel to Space Mountain.  I’d go on this one repeatedly, if possible.
  • On the other hand, while I’m glad I went on the Tower of Terror once, I don’t need to go again.  It was fine, but not really fun, in my opinion.  If I was part of a big group, I would join them.  But, I’m not using a fast pass or otherwise pushing my group to go.

The only new-to-me ride I went on in the Magic Kingdom was the Dwarf Mine Train.  It was fun, a sort of tamed down version of Big Thunder Mountain.  I also appreciated the theme-ing, which was well executed throughout.  The lines were still quite long for a ride that has been out for a number of years so you may want to use a fast pass here.  If you get in for Extra Magic hours, you might be able to walk for it, but expect it to fill quickly and stay full all day.

I’m glad I had the chance to go on so many new rides.  While I don’t feel the need to go on Tower of Terror again, I did appreciate all of the rides and understand why they are crowd favorites.

Walt Disney World 2018 – Pandora

30 Friday Mar 2018

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This was our first visit to Pandora as it had not yet opened when we were last in Florida.  Because Pandora is still relatively new, we opted for two days in Animal Kingdom so that we could get Fast Passes to both Pandora rides.  This turned out to be a good idea as even the Na’vi River Journey line was over an hour.  The line for Avatar Flight of Passage was at least four and sometimes six hours!

Next time I would not feel the need to use a fast pass for Na’vi River Journey.  It’s not a bad ride, but there are a few reasons.  First, I expect the lines in Pandora to decrease with time and it will be at least two years before we are back.  Second, I suspect if you kept an eye on the app you could find a time with a relatively short line; forty-five minutes would be reasonable.  Third, it was not our favorite indoor boat ride and, because one cannot book Avatar Flight of Passage and Na’vi River Journey fast passes on the same day, it would require a second day in Animal Kingdom which we probably won’t do next time.  Of the two new family boat rides (both with movies we have not seen), we strongly preferred Frozen Ever After in Epcot to Na’vi River Journey in Animal Kingdom.  We’ll use our extra day next time in Hollywood Studios after Star Wars and Toy Story lands open.  We only spent one day there this year since so much of it was closed.

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Avatar Flight of Passage is fabulous!  It is like a modern, more intense Soarin’.  People who get motion sick should keep this in mind.  Even without seeing the movie it was a great experience that we would have been happy to go on multiple times.  We were able to appreciate both the unique ride motion and the graphics/storyline.

Another great addition to Animal Kingdom in Pandora is Satu’li Canteen.  The menu is a bit daunting when you first look at it.  But, between all of us we tried most everything, in many combinations, and everyone came out happy.  We will definitely be back.  It was substantially less crowded than any other Disney quick service restaurant we experienced.  I also appreciated that, while you were not allowed to claim your seat until you had your food, the lines were wide enough for double strollers and large groups.  Plus, tables were reserved for parties of six or larger, which can be very hard to find throughout Disney.

The only bad thing we found in Pandora was the Night Blossom drink.  We all found it to be far too sweet and generally just not good.

Even if you do not choose to ride anything in Pandora, it is worth a visit.  The scenery is spectacular and not something you see every day. And, Satu’li Canteen is worth the hike all the way in.