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I am a Disney theme park geek, yes, we do exist. I have a whole shelf of books on everything related to the parks, from the architecture to in-depth looks at specific rides to a book all about the rides that never were. Since 1995, the Pixar characters have been gradually integrating themselves into Disney theme parks worldwide and in Florida they can be found in all four parks at Walt Disney World. Here are my top ten Pixar experiences at Walt Disney World, you'll probably disagree with at least some so do tell me what you would have included.
1. Top of the list is the latest Pixar themed opportunity at Walt Disney World, a meet and greet with Princess Merida from the company’s latest film, Brave. Merida is meeting guests inside the Fairytale Garden which is located right beside Cinderella’s Castle inside the Magic Kingdom and has enjoyed a large makeover to look like the courtyard of a Scottish castle and has been hung with many beautiful tapestries.. As well as getting her autograph, guests can meet the three cheeky bear cubs from the film, color in a picture of Merida with her horse, and even learn to shoot a bow and arrow.
2. Also in the Magic Kingdom is Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Buzz needs your help to save the galaxy from the Evil Emperor Zurg by joining him on a mission to blast all the bad toys trying to steal our batteries. You ride in a four person carriage equipped with a laser gun for each rider which you use to shoot at anything and everything - each rider accumulates points for hitting targets and your final scores appear on the ride photos you can buy at the end, so you can preserve your triumph (or abject humiliation) for all time.If you’re a fan of the Men in Black ride over at Universal Studios Orlando then this comes as a letdown as the guns are attached to the cars making them somewhat more awkward to fire (although easier for little kids for whom the MiB guns can be unwieldy) and the trigger is much tougher - I always get hand cramp on Buzz but not on MiB, even after repeated rides.
3. The first of two dining experiences on the list, the Toy Story Pizza Planet Restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a replica of the restaurant first seen in Pixar’s debut movie Toy Story. It is a counter service restaurant serving much the same Disney fayre as found in many other counter service eateries across the property namely pizzas, salads, and snacks. If you want a quick and easy dinner option that’s lifted straight from the film it’s a good choice as it’s also central to the park, but do not expect gourmet cusine here.
4. Finding Nemo The Musical sounds like something that just shouldn’t be, but as I explained earlier this week it is a true hidden gem in the Animal Kingdom park. The songs are excellent and fit so perfectly with the story that you’ll be amazed they weren’t in the original film.
5. If you want to hear the sound of children (and often adults) screaming in terror, then head to “It's Tough to Be a Bug” in the Animal Kingdom. I don’t mean to imply that this is in any way a bad attraction because it’s not - in fact it’s always on my “must-do” list when visiting the park, but then I’m not especially scared of bugs. ITTBAB is a 4D film experience located inside the famous Tree of Life that shrinks you down to the size of an insect to meet many of them in 3D “on stage” in front of you. Throughout the course of the eight minute show you will be [SPOILERS] subjected to spray from a stinkbug, stung by wasps, sprayed by a “bug bomb” that fills the room with thick fog and shot in the face by a tarantula. It’s really a whole lot of fun, honestly, but possibly not for those with a deep fear of creepy crawlies and small children who are often terrified by the loud noises (it really does get loud), physical effects and darkness.
6. For our second dining experience we’re heading to the France pavillion in EPCOT and the Chefs du France restaurant. While seated at your table you may just meet a very small, furry friend. Chef Remy from the film Ratatouille often travels around the restaurant on his very own chef's cart. Remy hides inside a cloche (that's the name for those big silver domes that cover the plates in fancy restaurants) which his handler will lift off to reveal the life sized animatronic who entertains guests by laughing and dancing. There’s no word as to how many guests have had a mild panic attack on seeing a rat suddenly appear on the dinner cart in a restaurant but I’m guessing it must have happened at least once or twice.
7. The Finding Nemo Ride in EPCOT is one of my absolute favourites, and it’s suitable for the whole family, right down to tiny babes in arms whom I’ve seen riding. You are seated in a Clam-mobile (my second favourite vehicle name in the parks after the Haunted Mansion’s Doom Buggies) that slowly takes you through a spectacularly beautiful rendition of the Finding Nemo story. The ride is similar to The Haunted Mansion in that you just sit in your slow moving vehicle looking at dioramas of scenes from the film (beware that the angler fish scene can be a little scary for very sensitive children). The best part of the ride comes at the end when you will pass by the real life aquariums that form The Living Seas pavillion; some very clever technology is in place that creates the illusion of the Nemo characters swimming around inside the tank with their real life friends. The outside of the pavillion is also worth checking out as it is home to the film’s seagulls. Mine, mine, mine!
8. Remaining in the Living Seas pavillion just across from Nemo, is Turtle Talk with Crush. This is a stunning interactive show that uses technology to allow Crush, the laid back sea turtle Dad from Finding Nemo, to talk to the kids in the audience. The show is presented as a Q&A session with children allowed to ask Crush questions which he will answer in his characteristic style. The technology is flawless, even as an adult with a thorough understanding of how the effect was being achieved it was still mind blowing to watch. The same effect has recently been used on the Disney Dream (and now the Disney Fantasy) cruise ship which GeekMom Patricia sailed on earlier this year, she even managed to record her son in conversation with Crush.
9. Disney's Art of Animation Resort opened in May 2012 making it the newest resort on property. It has four wings of which two are now open, the Finding Nemo wing opened on May 31st and the Cars wing opened just this week (The Lion King and Little Mermaid wings are scheduled to open later this year). The resort is big, brash and colorful with the rooms, pools and exteriors designed around each wing's theme movie, if you or your kids are big fans of Nemo or Cars then this is the ultimate place to stay on property.
10. Finally we head back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Toy Story Mania, a ride that has maintained enormous guest excitement since it opened in 2008. The ride is a 4D shooting game in which guests ride in vehicles among classic carnival midway games, using their on board cannon to fire custard pies, darts, rings and more during different themed games. It is possibly the most fun I have ever experienced in a Disney theme park and others must agree as it has consistently run out of fast passes early in the morning ever since it opened. The ride also inspired the Toy Story Mania video game for the Wii (and more recently also for iOS); although the game is enjoyable it doesn’t even begin to capture the fun of the ride and I ended up selling my copy after just a few months, however if your kids love the ride it’s a cheap way to bring some of the magic home.
This list doesn’t even begin to cover all the Pixar experiences you can have at Walt Disney World, or at other Disney theme parks which all offer different attractions. There are parades, animatronics, meet and greets, and much more to be discovered around the World. Always remember that if your child is keen on a specific character you can always ask a cast member if they are out in the park that day and the cast member will find out times and locations for you, as well as pointing you towards other experiences your child will enjoy. If you’re going to Disney this year, I hope you have a magical trip.
