Mouse Radio

Posted on August 17th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: General posts.

Added another link to link list, so I thought I would give it a plug.

Mouse Radio is an internet radio station on the Live365 network. I’ve talked about a couple of the stations before, and this is in the top tier. They play a great mix of stuff from the Walt Disney World parks, and it’s clear-as-a-bell audio. Listen to it on good equipment, and it’s almost like you are there. There are links to the Live365 website where you can get the station, and it’s available in both free and VIP format.

There’s also a forum that is mostly dedicated to Walt Disney World photos, but where you can also make comments on the stations’ format and content. All-in-all a good site if you are interested in park music or photos.

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Best times to go to WDW?

Posted on August 16th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: General posts.

Had someone who is planning a trip ask me what is the best time to go to the Walt Disney World Resort. I think that’s a very good question and depends on a lot of factors, so there’s not one definitive answer, as far as I’m concerned. However, all things being equal, I would pick two times — early May or early December.

I’ve been a couple of times in early May and it’s a fabulous time. It’s warm but not hot, and the crowds are only moderate. The parks are open to a reasonable hour and all the parades and fireworks shows are shown virtually every night. My last trip was in the second week of May and it was a perfect time to take our then-3-year-old. He really enjoyed it and we didn’t have any problems at all from a logistical standpoint.

While I personally have never been in early December, from what I understand, it’s also a pretty good time. The parks are decorated for Christmas and crowds are among their lowest of the year. Parks are not open very late and scheduling for fireworks and parades are sporadic, but that’s a tradeoff that’s worth it to be able to walk onto almost every ride.

So that’s my picks. Anyone agree or disagree?

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Pecos Bill’s Cafe

Posted on August 15th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Trying to get back to a more regular schedule of posting, so, as promised, here is another restuarant review for you. This time, we’re taking a look at Pecos Bill’s Cafe in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom.

In my opinion, this is the best counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, and maybe the best in the entire resort. I have eaten here many times, at least once per trip for the last decade. As the name suggests, the fare is not fancy — burgers and hot dogs are the staples. You can also get a pretty good chicken sandwich, and salads and fruit are available for those who don’t want\can’t eat fast food. But what Pecos Bill’s lacks in the “fanciness” of its food, it more than makes up for in quality. The burgers are excellent, especially for theme park fare, and the hot dogs are just as tasty. Portions are big, bordering on huge and prices are just overpriced and not ridiculous.

But the best part of the restaurant is the fixin’ bar, where you can dress your sandwich any way that you like. Standard condiments — catsup, mustard, mayonaise — are available, as well as tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and onions, both raw and sauteed. You can also get cheese sauce and sauteed mushrooms as well. The arrangement is good for both Disney and patrons — Disney restaurant staff can be more efficient in preparing sandwiches if it doesn’t have to specialize create each one to order, and people who can create the sandwich they want are much more likely to be satisfied with their meal.

The eating area is pretty big, with tables both inside and outside, but does tend to get crowded at lunch and dinner, even on sparse days, as this is one of the most popular eateries in the park. And the fixin bar can be a traffic nightmare any time of the day.

Still, the plusses outweigh the minuses at Pecos Bill’s. It’s definitely worth a stop if you want good fast food in the park.

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Timekeeper’s demise

Posted on August 14th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

The news has been out for a while, but I haven’t had a chance yet to comment on the demise of the “Timekeeper” attraction at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. While I’m intrigued by it’s replacement — a Monster’s Inc. version of the wildly entertaining and successful “Turtle Talk with Crush” — I’m going to miss the “Timekeeper” very much.

Why? Several reasons. First, this was one of Robin Williams’ most hysterical “family” roles. Granted, the guy is funny in almost anything that he does, but a lot of his work is not for general consumption. As the Timekeeper, he was both funny and clean and at his manic best. Second, it was also one of the few places where you could still get a dose of Robin Williams at Disney World. There’s not an Aladdin show anymore. The Animation Courtyard movie that he did with Walter Cronkite has been replaced. The Timekeeper was it, and the loss of Williams at Disney World is a loss for everyone as far as I’m concerned.

But finally, this was one of the few Circlevision movies that I could get my wife to go see. For some reason, they play havoc with her equilibrium, give her a headache and make her extremely queezy. Inexplicably, these problems didn’t seem to affect her on “Timekeeper.” Guess if I want to see the China or Canada movie now, I’ll be seeing them by myself.

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Get out your wallet

Posted on August 8th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: General posts.

If you’re planning a trip to Walt Disney World anytime soon, that giant sucking sound you’re hearing is Disney putting a vacuum cleaner to your bank account. For the second time in less than a year, the Mouse House has raised ticket prices at theme parks in the Walt Disney World Resort, starting August 6. Now, granted, the jump is not huge, but it is across the board. Basically ever aspect of the “Magic your Way” scheme that Disney came up with last year is more expensive.

Here’s one example. Let’s say you wanted a five-day ticket with Park Hopping priviledges. Before the increase, it would have been $239 for an adult (including taxes) and $202 for kids. Now it’s $251 for adults and $214 for kids. Basically a $12 increase, or just over $2 a day.

I certainly don’t begrudge a company getting what it can get for it’s product, and Disney certainly doesn’t believe that this increase is going to make any kind of dent in theme park attendance, or they wouldn’t have done it. But I just don’t think it’s good PR to raise prices more than once a year, unless you’ve got a pretty compelling reason. And a chance to grab more of people’s money is NOT a compelling reason.

If you are interested in looking at a chart with all the new prices, go to this page on the WDW Magic website.

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Huh, where am I?

Posted on August 8th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: General posts.

Geez, has it really been over two weeks since I’ve posted to the site? Really, really sorry about that. Things have been crazy at my real job and I’ve had a few family issues as well. But i’m back now and hopefully posting a LOT more regularly. Thanks if you’re still around for sticking with me through this time.

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