Meet Mickey Mouse

Meeting Mickey Mouse is a MUST for anyone visiting Disney World. To meet the Mouse in the Magic Kingdom you will have to visit the Judges Tent in Mickey Toontown Fair. To get to the Judges Tent you will have to go through both Mickey's Country House and his garden. Don't worry it just takes a few minutes to walk through each and both are self guided so you can spend as much or as little time as you want.

When entering the Tent you will immediately notice the cool air! It's a nice break from the hot Florida sun. Everyone in the Tent will be able to enjoy classic Disney cartoons and fun Mickey shaped props. The line moves rather fast considering the high volume of visitors Mickey gets. A cast member will guide a small group from the line into a smaller room to see the Mouse. Which is nice because it make the meeting more relaxed being in a small group instead of a few hundred people staring at your encounter.

Tip: To beat the crowd without wearing out little legs, jump on the train! The second stop is Toontown Fair.
Trick: Grab a photopass (it's Free!) and ask the cast member to take a picture with your camera. Even if you don't buy any of the pictures off the photopass, you can share them with friends and family.
Tidbit: A few times a year a Mickey meet and greet will be held at the flag poles in Town Square (entrance of the park) If you're lucky enough to be visiting on one of these days, you need to take advantage of this rare event. It's very rare and the picture will have Cinderella's castle in the background!

Playhouse Disney Live On Stage

Play House Disney Live On Stage is a must see for any family with children especially preschoolers. We have been to the show twice in the past three years. Our first visit the show featured characters such as Jo Jo and Stanley. The show updates to coincide with the Disney channel programing. The show now features characters from Handy Manny, My friends Tigger and Pooh, and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

The format of the show remains the same. The audience sits on the floor during the show. There are few benches along the back row for those guest who can not sit in the floor. The seating is very limited so if you are traveling with someone who will need a seat, you should make sure you arrive very early for the show. During the show leaves and bubbles fall from the ceiling on to the audience. Grab a few leaves for as a souvenir.

Tip: The best view of the stage is the center section.
Trick: Arrive early if someone in your group will need one of the few seats.
Tidbit: Characters from current and past playhouse disney shows often appear outside for meet and greets.

Buzz's Space Ranger Spin

The Space Ranger Spin is a favorite with all ages. It's one of the rides my kids & my husband ask for each trip to the Magic Kingdom. The line for the ride is fun which is great because the wait can be very long. Buzz will make each guest a space ranger to help defeat the Evil Emperor Zurg.

The exit of the ride has two great photo opts. One wall has Ranger Booster from the tv show "The Adventures of Buzz Lightyear". The opposite wall has the recently captured Emperor Zurg behind bars. The bars are set just far enough apart for little kids to climb in with him for a quick picture.

Tip: Two words: FAST PASS! This is very popular ride and I've seen the wait be over an hour many times. Time at Disney is precious. Get a fast pass.
Trick: If you want to boost your score then shot for the "Z" targets on the back walls.
Tidbit: You can meet Buzz at Hollywood Studios.

Mickey's Garden

When you leave Mickey's Country House at the Toontown Fair in the Magic Kingdom, you will be greeted with this fun sign directing you to the Judges Tent to see Mickey Mouse. The walk to the judges tent to see Mickey Mouse is a short walk through the garden. Don't rush too much or you'll miss the fun! When you leave the Judges Tent you will be on the other side of the building near the train no where near the garden. There is no convenient way to revisit the garden. You will have to retrace your steps through Mickey's House which can be rather busy. Enjoy all the Mickey shaped veggies. The giant pumpkins
are my favorite! My kids love the character shaped cactus. Don't forget to snap a picture of Pluto's dog house either.

Tip: There are a lot of fun photo opts in the garden.
Trick: Kids can easily be bribed out of Mickey's house with the excitement of looking for Pluto's dog house in the back yard!
Tidbit: You can see real Mickey Mouse shaped veggies in the Lands at Epcot.

Mickey's Country Home

Mickey's Country Home is one of my kids favorites attractions. They love to see where he lives and boy is a bacholor! Mickey's house is a mess! The WDW website describes the attractions as an "interactive" walking tour but that's only partly true from my experience. It is a walking tour but it's not really interactive. Each room in the house is blocked with railings so you can only look into the rooms. You can still get a lot of great pictures though. I know my kids would love if it was interactive. I can see them climbing up onto his bed. Maybe the attraction was interactive early or will be interactive in the future but in the 4 years I've been touring Mickey's house it has not been so.

Mickey's country house is located in Mickey's Toontown Fair in the Magic Kingdom. It's located just a few steps from Minnie's Country House and the Toontown Hall of Fame. It's number 25 on the interactive Magic Kingdom Map (the link is over there ----->)

Tip: Mickey's Garage is often overlooked by the crowd. Make sure you step in for minute to see what Mickey is building and storing inside.
Trick: The easiest place to snap a pic of the kids is in the study/game room. It's the last room of the house and has the longest viewing area so you should be able to take a pictures without too much rush or being to crowded by the crowd.
Tidbit: Mickey's Country House is the entrance to his garden
which leads to the meet and greet making it a very busy place. Try not to rush through and really enjoy looking for the Disney characters around the house.

Kilimanjaro Safari

The Kilimanjaro Safari is a MUST see at Disney's Animal Kingdom park. The safari is always busy with the peak in the morning. It's one of the first attractions people rush to when the park opens hoping to see the most animals before the hot afternoon. The animals reportedly are the most active during those morning hours. This is general true especially during the summer months when the temps hit 80+. However, my best safari experience was during an afternoon trek. Disney has a way to make the most of the experience at any time of day. There are feeders cleverly hid among the foliage to attract the animals even during the hot hours. If you are lucky to visit Animal Kingdom during the cooler months, I think the safari is great anytime of day.

As a mom, my favorite part of the safari is actually the line. I know that sounds weird but this is a popular attraction so the line can be on the long side throughout the day. Long lines are rough on small kids but you will be able to use your stroller through half the line. About half way up a cast member will take your stroller into the stroller parking for you. You will enter that parking area from the opposite side after the ride to find your stroller.

The best spot in the vehicle is the first row right behind the driver. It's easier to hear what your guide is saying about the animals. It will also provide the view of some of the animals. Sometimes the animals will walk in front of the vehicles and then disappear into the brush before everyone gets a good view. I also personally love to sit in the first row so I can get a cool picture of my children's reflection in the huge side mirrors. If you want to sit in the front row, just let the cast member know that you would like to sit behind the driver. You may have to wait a few minutes for the next vehicle since the front row is the handicap seats but it will be totally worth it if you have the time to spare.

The back row has been very bumping in my past experience. Now the whole ride is a little bumpy but that's part of the experience.
Tip: The animals are the most activity during the morning hours
Trick: Ask the cast member to sit in the front row.
Tidbit: You will be able to use your stroller through part of the line.

Laugh Floor Comedy Club

If you have a Monster Inc fan then you must MUST go to the Laugh Floor Comedy Club,. It's located in Tomorrowland inside the Magic Kingdom. The show is great fun and wonderful for all age groups making it a great family attraction. While in line you can text in some jokes of your own that may be used in the show. We've seen the show 3 times now and I always wish I had a clever joke to share. Maybe next weekend........

The show is very interactive. The characters appear on screens but converse with audience members. All the seats are equally great so no worries about where you are seated. You will have a great view of the show. You don't have to be at the end of the row to be selected to participate. However, you will have better odds if you are closer to the ends of the row because a cast member will join you with a microphone. It's just naturally easier for them if you are near an isle.

As I said earlier we have been to the show 3 times and my children have been selected to participate twice! I've learned a little trick.... the last act likes to open with a joke about a human kid with 4 ears. If you are visiting the show with small children have them wear their Mickey Mouse ears to the show. Maybe they will be chosen as the 4 eared human kid. Good luck!

Tip: The show is popular so visiting during the parade or fireworks is a good idea especially if you hoping to participate. There will be less people in the audience during these times. If you have the privilege of magic hours...it's a great attraction to save until then as well.

Trick:Have your kids where their ears to show!

Tidbits: The Laugh Floor took the place of the Timekeeper attraction.

Nemo the Musical

The Finding Nemo the Musical at Animal Kingdom is a huge hit. I've been to see the show twice and I totally understand why. It's a great show and it's in a big air conditioned building (great for hot Florida afternoons or wet Florida afternoons). Both times I went, the show was maxed out.

It's a good idea to arrive early. The auditorium is divided into 2 levels. The bottom level has two sections, while the top level has 3 sections. The ushers will fill the bottom sections and the top center section first. The bottom level usually has the greatest rush of people but it's not the best seat in the house. You will be closer to the main stage but the characters move throughout the auditorium with some characters never touching the main stage. The best seats in the house is the first few rows in the center section of the upper level. Anywhere in that center section is a great seat and the upper level is better than the bottom level overall. The bottom level will have to turn around to follow the action throughout the show. That's not always easy when small children are involved.

Some shows allow food or drinks inside. Nemo is not one of those. If you arrive in line early,it will be a great time to offer a quick snack to occupy little ones during the wait. You won't have time to eat a large snack or meal however. You also can not save seats. Make sure everyone that wants to sit together is present before you enter the theatre.

Tip --- Sit in the upper level/center section for the best view.
Trick--- The wait inside the theatre is just as long as the line.Be prepared! A few minutes before the show starts, Nemo will begin swimming through the bubbles surrounding the stage to help little ones make it through the wait. Keep an eye open.
Tidbit-- Sneak Peek and making off http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=18716&a=on