Visit Downtown Disney in Orlando Florida

Oh, it's a Happy #TGIF you all. How was your week? Is there any of your New Year's Resolution has been realized yet? Well, one day at a time makes a big difference so; keep doing what you are doing. As for me, I am moving forward and hopefully, everything will work out just fine. To join a marathon is in my list and I did wish to sign up in the Disney World Marathon Weekend but, it was sold out! The marathon started last Jan 8 and ends on Jan 12 so; better luck next year for me.

I know you watch Forrest Gump and if you happen to visit Orlando,
check out the shrimping boat named "Jenny" displayed in Downtown Disney.
Movie Magic!

Speaking of Disney, I was digging some photos in my PC files and I found these photos which I took about two years ago.


This is the Planet Hollywood Restaurant.
The price is a bit expensive but, if you travel halfway around the globe, it is worth a try.
Food is great and this place is always crowded.

There is a new movie of Tom Hanks "Saving Mr. Banks".
The movie is all about Walt Disney , P.L Travers and her fictional novel character Mary Poppins.
Now, check out the print around the balloon.
Yes, you can ride the balloon and see Downtown Disney up above.

There is no entrance fee to visit Downtown Disney.
You will enjoy shopping, dining, see a concert for free, meet a Disney character and more.

There is a cable attached to the air balloon and it's pretty safe.
For a minimal fee, this attraction is worth to try.

Downtown Disney has a huge parking lot and it's always full.
Despite of, I am sure you will find a parking space though and it's free of charge as well.

Your kids love to have fun so; plan ahead.
Check out the attraction and fun rides as well as free activities and crafts offered in Downtown Disney.

Don't forget to bring a camera and charge it well if in case you want to take a #selfie LOL.

If you plan to visit in the afternoon until evening, bring a jacket.
It's really cold at night and so breezy.

This is the entrance to the restaurant and most of the time,
 the queue is long and you have to wait to be seated.

The Planet Hollywood Restaurant in Downtown Disney.

Any plans to visit Disney World? Don't forget to check out Downtown Disney and here's an advice, book your stay in a hotel near Downtown Disney. Anyway, I have more photos to share next time. Bye for now. Yawn! Hehehe. Thanks for stopping by.

Walt Disney Story: Uptown Theater in Marceline

We went to Missouri to attend a wedding, visit the hometown of Mark Twain in Hannibal and check the haunted house of my brother-in-law but, end up visiting the boyhood hometown of Walt Disney in Marceline. This town is the second largest city of Linn County in Missouri. This town also provided an inspiration for the film Lady and the Tramp and one of the city's major events is September's Toon Fest which well-known artists are invited.

The building above is Uptown Theatre in Main Street USA in Marceline.

"Opened June 30, 1930. In 1956, Walt and Roy Disney held the Midwest premiere of their feature film " The Great Locomotive Chase" in this theater. They personally greeted each child at the door. Walt and Roy took the stage before the movie started and the children of Marceline sang the Mickey Mouse song. Because the Disney program was not broadcast in Marceline the children learned this song especially for this occasion. The movie ran from 1:30 PM in the afternoon up to 1:30 a.m the next morning, so everyone who wanted too, could see the movie. In 1998 the Walt Disney Company held another premiere " The Spirit of Mickey" at this theater. 18,000 enthusiastic Disney fans came to Marceline for the premiere. A special appearance of Mickey."

This is a small movie theater.

"To tell the truth, more things of importance happened to me in marceline than have happened since - or are likely to in the future." - Walt Disney

Photo of Walt Disney inside.
 

Marceline is a small town and if you love city life, this is not your place. They have no WalMart, Bestbuy, Lowe's or shopping mall. There's nothing like that in here but, this town is full of charm and history.

If you love Rural Life Living, Marceline may work out for you. There are wide farm lands, Amish village nearby, mom and pop cafe where everybody knows everybody.

In the eyes of Walt Disney, this town is beyond imagination infact, this place inspired him to create the beautiful Main Street USA in Disneyworld and Disneyland. I bet you have seen the Uptown Theater, Emporium and City Hall in Disney right? He imagined those from this town in fact, if you visit Marceline, you will certainly recognized the architecture.

This is the front of the theater. Check out the signage on the window :-)

Inside the movie theater ...

Marceline is a nice town to check out and trace back the boyhood life of Walt Disney. The family lived here only for 4 years but gives a tremendous impact of Walt Disney's life. Few blocks away from this street is the Walt Disney museum where interesting Disney family memorabilias are on display. If you visit Marceline, you will also get the chance to see the house of Disney family and the Walt Disney barn which is the happiest place of Walt Disney. Take note, the "happiest place on earth" is Disneyland and the "most magical place on earth" is Magic Kingdom and both properties are own by Walt Disney. You know what's amazing? Walt Disney's happiest place is the barn and nearby it is his Happy Tree. Wanna see the photos? Check out my latest post. Thanks for stopping by. See you all next time.

Marceline Missouri: Walt Disney's Boyhood Town

We are supposed to visit Hannibal, Missouri which is the boyhood town of Mark Twain. We ran out of time and I was so disappointed. While looking for a German Restaurant in the area, my sister-in-law pointed the clock and the street sign which says Main Street USA. I asked why there are Disney signs in this town? Then, I was told and just knew that Marceline, Missouri is the boyhood town of Walt Disney. This town has influenced him a lot in fact; I saw his barn and his Dreaming Tree. The picture below is the Main Street USA in Marceline Missouri, the inspiration of Main Street USA in Magic Kingdom. Amazing! This road trip is very interesting. I am glad we came here in Marceline. 

Enjoyable Visit in Downtown Disney in Orlando

When you visit Orlando, there are so many ways to explore Disney World. You don't have to go to the theme parks. You can enjoy the music and performances by Disney talents; shop for souvenir items; dine in Disney restaurants and enjoy the ride by the lake. You can shop in one of Disney's biggest stores as well as dine in to some cozy restaurants in this area. Plus, you will adore the scenery here. Check out this photo:It is all free to visit Downtown Disney so; when you are in Orlando, you know where to bring your family. Have fun and remember where you park your car :-) Have fun!

Forrest Gump: Jenny Shrimping Boat

Traveling, movie watching, and dining are activities that I would jump out and go. Speaking of movies, who would ever forget the movie Forrest Gump? It is such a beautiful epic comedy-drama-romance and all-in-one package kind' a movie that broke my heart and brought tears in my eyes. This movie is inspiring and brought so much joy when Forrest Gump accomplished something. The story is showing us that there is hope and reason for everything and that life must go on against all odds. His Jenny is the love of his life and this boat which he named after her represents his undying love for her.I took this picture at Downtown Disney in Orlando at the Planet Hollywood area. The Jenny shrimping boat from the movie Forrest Gump is displayed in this area. You can come by and see it yourself. You can access Downtown Disney for free so; enjoy your visit.

Disney Storybook Belle Prestige Child Costume

The new storybook Belle prestige costume is another lovely addition to every little princess wardrobe. I ordered this product last week and I was so excited that it arrived yesterday. I got this dress for my niece as her surprise birthday present. Oh she loves being a princess so; a wish come true for her and she will be wearing this costume on her birthday which will be on the 28th of August.Disney Storybook Belle Prestige is amazingly beautiful dress! I think this is the latest design for Belle costume. As you can see, more brilliant details were added which makes it a stand out from the rest! The costume is a long dress made out of breathable material, more on yellow or light gold in color, and has a petticoat underneath. The top portion of the dress has a shiny glittery off shoulder strap and it features a glittery cameo on the center with a pattern embroidery look on the side which is really pretty!The bottom part of the dress has a printed detail of fireworks and the castle from the movie which is so lovely! It also has a lace trim with red flower ornaments hanging around the netting near the waist. This also has a petticoat which is a bonus. I think this would hang on beautifully on the child’s waist and gives a fuller look on the dress. Oh, I almost forgot that this also comes with a golden headband to complete the Princess Belle look!I would highly recommend this dress for a princess theme party or as a Halloween costume for little girls who does not want to look scary on Halloween! Whichever it would be, this dress would make every little girl's dreamy eyes sparkle. I am just excited for my niece to wear this dress. You can purchase this product at http://www.buycostumes.com today. Check it out now and I am sure your little princess will be delighted to own the Belle costume.

What to do in Downtown Disney in Orlando

Let's say, you've traveled to Florida but, have no plans to spend money at Disney Theme Parks. What's there to do? Visit Downtown Disney area and have a fabulous dining with dinosaurs which you and your kids will definitely enjoy. Of course, you will have to spend for souvenirs at the Disney shopping area. When you want to relax, you might catch a live music and performance in the Waterside Stage!Downtown Disney is an exciting and fun place to visit and it has three areas to check out: Downtown Disney West Side, Downtown Disney Marketplace and Pleasure Island.

Downtown Disney West Side has top-notch restaurants and has the 24-screen AMC Downtown Disney 24 movie theater. If you love food trip, you should try some their best restaurants. The price is affordable especially at lunch time. Oh, bring a sweater when you go there at night time. It's a bit chilly at night really. Have you heard about the amazing performance of Cirque du Soleil La Nouba? It's located in Downtown Disney too. It is a live entertainment show which I wanted to see. My German friend wants to see it for the nth times. We will find a schedule soon and I will find me a sponsor too LOL. The ticket ranges from $78 to $120. A bit expensive but, it's worth the money she says!Another place that you should check out is the Disney Quest Indoor Interactive theme park. The Downtown Disney Marketplace is the right area to check out on Disney merchandise. Here, you will find the largest Disney character store in the world. Downtown Disney is a happy place and if you want to relax, find a place along the lakeside restaurant. It's beautiful!The Pleasure Island is the area that you should check out for shopping and dining experiences. Take a peek at Curl by Sammy Duval, Apricot Lane Boutique, Raglan Road Irish Pub & Bar, Fuego by Sosa Cigars, Paradiso 37 and other outdoor food and beverage locations. This is an awesome place which the whole family will enjoy bonding, dining and shopping. Oh, I love this place.

Cinderella Castle Up Close

I was curious if anybody can go inside the Cinderella castle, the iconic fairy tale fortress, the gateway to Fantasyland in the theme park of Magic Kingdom. I went around and the middle part was close to public because there was a show at the courtyard. The Cinderella castle is a romantic beauty located in the heart of Magic Kingdom theme park. just above the central hub of the Park. If you stand in the Main Street USA, you will be amazed to see a medieval castle rising 190 feet into the sky.Seeing the Cinderella Castle at a far distant is like a fairy tale come true. I will try to explore next time, I want to see the mosaic mural. I heard that this castle has a tile inside which is made of real 14-karat gold. I am also curious to see the mural which contain one million pieces of glass in approximately 500 different colors. It would be awesome to see this huh?For our last visit, I only explore the entrance and the surrounding area. Here, I saw the fairy god mother. Do you know her name?

Splash Mountain at Frontierland in Disney World

We went back to Disney World last Thursday to accompany our friend. She wanted to hang out with us in Disney so; she bought a yearly pass ticket too. We parked at Magic Kingdom parking lot in the Heroes area, we took the tram and then, she claim her pass at the ticket area. We took the monorail to Magic Kingdom and we just stay there for two hours just walking around.I took these pictures to show you the Splash Mountain attraction which is located in Frontierland. Other attractions that you will find in this area are the following: Walt Disney World Railroad, Big Thunder Mountain railroad, Tom Sawyer Island, and Country Bear Jamboree. If you love thrills, you will enjoy this ride. I hate fast rides LOL but, when my niece came to visit Disney a week before, she encouraged me to ride so, I did! I didn't know what to expect but, listen...I enjoyed it.Just expect to plummet into dark caves and tumble over gentle waterfalls. I thought that was it, maybe two or three gentle drop then, we plummet over the mountain peak on a 5-story (52.5 feet) fall that ends in a massive splashdown into the refreshing pond. After the ultimate plunge, drift past more southern critters aboard a lively Mississippi riverboat. It was fun because you can sing along with the songs played as you ride. It makes all tensions gone, the ride was entertaining but, the big drop is terrifying but since it was short, it was not bad for riders like me.The line is long so; get the fast pass ahead of time if you want to take this ride. I was happy that I took the ride. I was alright and surprisingly, I was not sick at all.If you want fast rides take Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and Astro Orbiter. My favorite rides are the following: Tomorrowland Speedway, Transit authority People Mover, Haunted Mansion, Liberty Square Riverboat, Disney World Railroad, Jungle Cruise, and Pirates of the Caribbean. See you at Disney World!

Star Tours Attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios

The Star Tours is located at the Backlot area in Disney World's Hollywood Studios. I was already trying to detour when I saw this warning sign. But, I was curious so, Hubby and I went in to try this ride. If you have health problems, you should not try this. I have slight motion sickness so, this ride bothers me. I was able to pull it through but, I closed my eyes the whole time LOL. If you like adrenalin rush rides, this is for you!The picture below is C-3PO, a Human Cyborg Relations that assists the passengers for the Star Tours Space lines.This attraction is always jam-packed so; if you are caught with a 30-minute wait time, just take the fast pass and come back on the time stated in the pass then, you'll get through right away. It saves you time.Here we are heading to the gate of Star Tours boarding gate.If you are at the gate and decided to skip the ride, ask the Disney cast assistance and you will be directed to the exit.My husband loves the ride and he wanted to do it again. This ride did not bother me because it is a simulator so turbulent though. The 3D screen bothers my eyes. It glides among the trees, to a desert sand, lakes and even a city planet. It's really crazy LOL!

Mickey Mouse Playing the Soccer Ball Tattoo

Miss E wanted a temporary tattoo on her arm so; she chose the Mickey playing the soccer ball. She is a soccer ball player in her school so; she was so delighted to see this.It's about $6 and she likes it. Then, she bought a Goofy hat and found the character in the park. Her mom took a picture of her and Goofy.