Unplugged: Another Disney tradition comes to an end

Our last Electric Parade
March 2016

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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It's the end of an era at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The company has announced plans to pull the plug on the Main Street Electric Parade October 9. The fun heads west to Disneyland in California where the event originated more than 40 years ago. The lights go out permanently for the parade in early 2017.

In all the reports I've seen about this, the one tidbit missing is why the parade is coming to an end. Every time we've visited Disney's Magic Kingdom we stopped what we were doing and made our way to Main Street for the parade. During our visit this past March we caught just a portion of it and I snapped the picture of Pete's Dragon. Had I known it was going to be our last time seeing it, I would have taken more note of the parade.

Pooh rules

Through the years Disney has tweaked things at the park and removed attractions and rides that were losing popularity. One of my favorite rides as a child was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. In 1999 it was replaced with The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh. 

Last time with the Sorcerer's Hat

At Disney's Hollywood Studios the giant Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat has been torn down. We last posed in front of it two years ago. On our most recent trip nothing had replaced the attraction. One rumor was something from Frozen would replace the famous hat from Fantasia. But I haven't seen any other updates on the matter. 

Star Wars takes over

It's only natural that things change at the popular theme parks. As the company continues to produce movies and tv shows it's important to stay relevant and do what the paying customers want to see. Universal Studios has undergone several makeovers, most notably to appeal to fans of Harry Potter. Now that Star Wars has the licensing to Star Wars there will no doubt be a larger presence of that franchise at the parks. 

So if you haven't been to Disney World for the Electric Parade, time is ticking away. If you have a trip planned between now and October 9, I highly recommend checking it out. I still remember seeing it for the first time at age 6 and the last time days before I turned 43 (while at Disney World no less). Thanks for the memories.

Everything's Coming Up Milhouse

My boy Milhouse

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

I realized recently I never finished my recap of our family vacation to Orlando.  Besides Disney World, we also visited Universal Studios.  While my wife and kids loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (I did too), I was even more excited to visit Springfield USA.  Four years ago when we were there, all that was at the park was The Simpsons Ride and the Kwik E Mart, which is a gift shop filled with t-shirts, treats, and other Simpsons knick-knacks.

Kang & Kodos' Twirl & Hurl

Upon our return in October 2014, a new ride had been added.  Kang and Kodos' Twirl and Hurl is similar to the Dumbo ride at Magic Kingdom.  It offers riders a bird's eye view of things via a space craft.  The ride is pretty simple and my kids weren't overly impressed, as they're at that age where they want a bit more thrill with their rides.  I however enjoyed the time relaxing.

Inside Fast Food Blvd.

But it's really not the rides in Springfield that caught my attention.  Oh before I go any further, The Simpsons Ride itself is a lot of fun and the kids returned to it a couple of times during our visit.  If motion sickness is a problem for you, this might not be your thing.  I'm biased and loyal, so I find it fun each time we ride it.  Back to my point, it was all the restaurants located inside Fast Food Blvd. that I enjoyed the most.  The atmosphere can't be beat.

Krusty Burger with cheese & curly fries

There's a large seating area and a long line to boot.  Instead of staking out a table on your own, staff members take your name and find a place for you while you wait in line. Time goes by quickly as clips from classic Simpsons episodes play on TV monitors positioned throughout.  There are plenty of choices, including Krusty Burger (that's what I had), along with Lisa's Teahouse of Horror which features mostly vegetable and fruit options, but they do have turkey wraps too.  Luigi's Pizza is self explanatory as are the Frying Dutchman (fish) and Cletus' Chicken Shack.  Prices are what you'd expect for an amusement park meal, but the food is plentiful and delicious.

Drinking a Flaming Moe

At the end of the food area is Flaming Moe's, which features the signature drink.  I had to have one, even though they cost eight bucks.  But that includes the souvenir cup.  The drink has no alcohol, but it did produce a lot of steam thanks to a chunk of dry ice in the protective area at the bottom of the "shot glass."  There's Buzz Cola, which is a no calorie soda with cherry flavoring, and Duff Beer. 

Welcome to Moe's!

Speaking of Duff, of course Springfield isn't complete without Moe's Tavern.  Duff, Duff Lite, and Duff Dry are all on tap.  On a hot day roaming the park, the beer really did hit the spot.  There's a giant replica of Barney at the end of the bar, along with the love tester machine.  The set up is spot on to what you'd see on the show each week.

Big ol' donut

Other places to eat just outside of Moe's are The Bumblebee Man's Taco Stand and Lard Lad Donuts.  Four of us started the morning with a giant donut.  It was a great value at five bucks as we all feasted on it. Other photo ops include Chief Wiggum with a wrecked squad car, the Jebediah Springfield statue, and the entrance to Duff Gardens.  Costumed characters like the Simpsons family, Krusty the Clown, and Sideshow Bob make frequent appearances too.  

Duff Gardens

I can't say enough about Springfield USA.  The place was authentic and I really felt like I had stepped into my favorite television show.  For fans who are upset that The Simpsons Ride bumped The Back to the Future Ride, don't worry.  Doc Brown and the Delorean are nearby for pictures.  Click here for more photos from Springfield.

Springfield USA in Pictures

These are some pics from our trip to Universal Studios Orlando in October 2014.

Barney

Double Krusty Burger with cheese

"You called 9-1…2"

Worst picture ever.

Big ol' donut

Striking a pose

Duff Gardens

Duff Man & Me

The Frying Dutchman

Inside Fast Food Blvd.

Flaming Moe

Tacos anyone?

Lunch time

Lots of veggies

The town founder

Kang & Kodos' Twirl & Hurl

Order here

Pizza!

Everything's coming up Milhouse

Outside

A toast

Sideshow Bob caught us

Adding to the dysfunction 

Harry Potter's Magic Spell on Universal Studios

Outside Flourish & Blotts

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Harry Potter first entered our lives in 2007.  My oldest son had just started second grade when my wife read him "Harry Potter & The Sorcerer's Stone."  I didn't pick up the books until the last one was released, but got hooked quickly.  We'd read the book and then see the movie.  We got caught up by the time Half Blood Prince was released in theaters and actually saw it on the big screen.

Butterbeer break

Four years ago, our family ventured to Universal Studios in Orlando, where we were in awe of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  A portion of Islands of Adventure has been transformed into Hogsmeade and Hogwarts.  Rides like the Harry Potter & The Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff, and Dragon Challenge add to the excitement of all the shops, including Honeydukes Sweetshop and Ollivander's Wand Shop.  There are places to get your fill of Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, and Gillywater.  It's the ultimate place for Harry Potter fans.

Waiting for the Hogwarts Express

Earlier this year, the Wizarding World expanded into the Universal Studios side of the part.  Now, you can hop aboard the Hogwarts Express and take it back and forth, assuming you have a ticket to both parks.  The train ride is reminiscent of the movies, it's by far the most relaxing of the five Potter themed rides at the park.

In the bank lobby 

Speaking of other rides, the only other new ride added with the addition is Escape from Gringotts.  Because it's a new attraction, the wait time was between 60 and 90 minutes (in October), although on our last day there, we went straight to that ride when the park opened.  Our wait time that morning was about 40 minutes.  It's a 3-D thrill ride with twists and turns, but not nearly as jostling as the Forbidden Journey ride.  But a little kid did barf on the way out and right in the path of where people were walking.

The dragon 

On top of Gringotts bank is a giant fire-breathing dragon.  Almost like clockwork every 10 minutes, a ball of fire shoots from his mouth.  There are plenty of stores along Diagon Alley, including Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour,  Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and the Leaky Cauldron.  We ate lunch at the Cauldron, and although pricey, it was delicious.  I had the Bangers and Mash.  The one interesting thing is there are no basic drinks in the restaurant.  It's all Pumpkin Juice, Butterbeer, or Gillywater (which is a bottle of water with a $4.25 price tag).  You won't find a soda on the menu.  After we sat down and started eating, we were offered a complimentary cup of water.

Working her magic

One of the other really cool parts of the whole Wizarding World Experience now is the interactive wands they sell in addition to the usual collector's wands.  These interactive wands can be used at the various store fronts (that have a special marking in front of them) and the holder of the wand can perform some magical task.  A sensor in the window reacts to the sensor in the wand to make things happen.  There's a cake topper that dances around, a tape measurer that comes unrolled, among other things.  It's neat, but again, an added price of about $50 per wand.

Don't touch wands

Compared to most of the other attractions and experiences at Universal, it's obvious Harry Potter and his posse are breathing new life into the theme park.  They've managed to cast a spell on my family and millions of others.  While not on the same level of Disney's magic, the folks who built this portion of the park have done a great job.

Ten Lessons Learned at Disney & Universal Studios

We found Nemo

 By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

My family recently wrapped up an amazing eight day adventure to Disney World and Universal Studios.  My mom, who is currently in remission after a battle with bladder cancer, wanted to take all five of her grand kids to Disney World, so luckily, my brother and his family, my wife and kids, and my parents were able to make it happen.  We've been before, but this is the first time all 11 of us were together for the trip.  As you might imagine, I've learned some lessons along the way...

Memory Maker in action 

10.  Splurge on the Memory Maker PhotoPass.  It costs $149, but this option gives you access to all the pictures that are taken of your party at any given Disney Park.   We have nearly 50 photos and two videos.  Anytime you're on a ride, the pic "magically" connects with your Magic Band and you don't have to wait in line to purchase individual photos.  We have plenty of great, professional shots to share now as a result.

My nephew

9. When a four year old tells you he has to poop, he means it.  A couple of times my nephew got caught up in the excitement of the Disney Magic and didn't make it to the bathroom on time.  In one case, we were about to board the Toy Story Midway Mania ride.  But like the professionals they are, the folks at Disney's Hollywood Studios gave my dad and nephew new FastPasses so they could enjoy the ride too.

8.  Read the instructions thoroughly when the information comes in the mail.  I screwed up and didn't make sure that my brother received his luggage tags when they were mailed to us. You put the "Disney" tag on your suitcase and the folks there get it from the airport and deliver it straight to your room.  You can get off the plane and head straight to the Magical Express Bus and not worry about your baggage.

Seven Dwarfs, it was fun!

7.  Roller coasters hurt more after you hit 40.  We rode everything from the Rock n Roller Coaster, to Space Mountain, to Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit.  The kids rode some of these more than once.  I didn't venture onto the Hulk this year because after the Dragon Challenge, Expedition Everest, and the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster, my body had enough.  Don't get me wrong, they're all enjoyable rides, but the older I get the more things like Winnie The Pooh, Peter Pan, and Dumbo appeal to me.

My parents and the kids

6.  People tend to not pay attention to folks in wheelchairs.  My mom, as I mentioned, is in remission from cancer.  She's also dealing with other health issues, including a severe case of asthma.  Our first full day we spent at Magic Kingdom and all the walking wore her out, so we rented a wheelchair the rest of our stay at the parks.  In general, people are respectful, and the Disney cast members go out of their way to accommodate on rides and in restaurants.  But there were a lot of people who cut in front of the chair, make snide comments, or completely ignore it.  It made me more aware of others in similar situations.

Casting spells at Universal Studios

5.  Take time to cast a spell at Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  Harry Potter fans can end up at Hogwarts and visit Diagon Alley.  You need tickets to both parks to do this though.  There are interactive wands to purchase and you're able to do different tricks at the various store fronts.  I'll share more on that in a future post.

Flaming Moe & a Krusty Burger

4.  When visiting Universal Studios, you have to eat at Krusty Burger, get a beer a Moe's Tavern, and have a donut at LardLad Donuts.  As a Simpsons geek, I was in heaven in the newly updated Simpsons area of the park.  I drank a Flaming Moe, Buzz Cola, and Duff Lite while there.  I'll go into greater details later this week.

Our resort 

3.  Don't leave the Magic behind.  We stayed at the Art of Animation Resort for six nights.  We left and took a cab over to the Holiday Inn next to Universal Studios for a couple of days of Harry Potter, Simpsons, and Marvel fun.  In hindsight, I think we should have stayed on the Disney property (as they will arrange transportation to get you over to Universal and back).  To be fair to the folks at Universal, we did not stay in one of their resorts, so I don't know if things would have been better on their property then a regular hotel.

Magic Kingdom after midnight

2.  Take a day to rest.  We arrived on a Saturday afternoon.  After getting checked in at the resort, the eleven of us hopped on a bus and hit Downtown Disney.  Every day after that we opened and closed the parks, including Universal Studios across town.  Magic Kingdom was open until 2 am on one of our nights there, so my niece, son, and daughter, went back with me for some late night fun.  We always talk about taking a day to relax and enjoy the pool at the resort.  One day we will.

Loving the Magic!

1.  Disney Magic, although paid for, is real.  I can't properly express in words how much more enjoyable the Disney experience is compared to any other vacation I've ever been on before.  From the way the resorts are decorated, to the buses to get you to and from parks, to the Magical Express to and from the airport or even other theme parks, to the overall hospitality. It was a great trip, made even more special by the way we were treated while at Disney World.  Walt Disney's legacy is alive and well and I can not wait to return to his Kingdom.