There’s been a lot of people talking about Walt Disney World’s newest attraction recently and it hasn’t even officially opened to the public yet. To be fair, there quite a bit to say about this new Tomorrowland coaster over at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park. Not only has it been a long line coming, with the completion of the attraction delayed [likely due to the pandemic], but the previews have resulted in a few problems. From complaints about size inclusivity to challenges presented by the mandatory locket system, people have had a lot to say about the newest attraction to hit the roster a lot of it not very good.

What Makes This Coaster Different

Unlike other coasters at Walt Disney World, Tron Lightcycle Run features a different type of ride vehicle from what most Disney World guests are familiar with. Rather than a bench seat with a lap bar or a bucket seat with restraints that come down over the guests shoulders, Tron Lightcycle Run has a motorcycle style seat with restraints that use mostly the lower body to secure the guests.

This type of motorcycle style seat is not new here at Walt Disney World. Guests who have visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom and had the opportunity to ride Avatar: Flight of Passage will be familiar with this style of seat and restraint, as they are similar. However, due to the nature of each attraction being different, there are a couple of challenges presented to guests that ride Tron Lightcycle Run that they won’t encounter on Avatar: Flight of Passage.

Currently, there are 2 challenge presented by the nature of the motorcycle style seats on Tron Lightcycle Run. The first is that there’s nowhere to stow bags on the attraction with you while riding. While this isn’t something unheard of while riding thrill attractions at theme parks elsewhere, this is a first for guests visiting Walt Disney World.

The second challenge guests are running into with Tron Lightcycle Run is presented by the restraints themselves. Unlike those lap bars and shoulder harnesses, the lower body restraints on Tron Lightcycle Run are less forgiving and slightly more restrictive than other coasters around Walt Disney World. This means that there are some guests who are unable to be property and safely restrained in the motorcycle style seats. Fortunately, this does’t mean that they’ll be unable to ride as there are alternatives available so that everyone [who meets the minimum height requirement] can enjoy this new attraction.

Of course, challenges like the ones we outlined aren’t something Disney is unfamiliar with. The nature of new attractions is working through these growing pains and Disney has done just that with Tron Lightcycle Run.

To solve the issue of guests being unable to stow bags on the ride with them, Disney has implemented a locker system for guests to put personal items while riding. This system of lockers is in the attraction queue and allows guests to keep bags and other personal items with them for the bulk of the queue, only placing them in the lockers just before the final [and rather short] indoor stretch before boarding the attraction. It’s also worth mentioning that these lockers are free for guests to use and are easy to access using theme park ticket media [MagicBands or Park Ticket].

While we found the locker system to be fairly straightforward and easy to use, there will likely be a learning curve for some guests who are unfamiliar with this process. That said, our only criticism of the lockers themselves were how small they were. While we were not carrying much with us on this particular day, there was still a little bit of shoving required to get the bag all the way in the locker. For us, this raises the question of what you’re supposed to do with larger items that you carry with you throughout the day such as popcorn buckets or other purchases.

Size inclusivity is another challenge that Disney has had to access with Tron Lightcycle Run. In fact, it was probably one of the most talked about things related to Tron since began. Because of the restraints being less forgiving than some other styles of restraints, there are some guests who are unable to fit safely and properly on the motorcycle style seats. However, there is a solution to this problem that has been presented by Disney; accessible seats.

These seats, located at the rear of some trains, are bench seats with a lap bar that is easier for those who are unable to ride on the motorcycle seat for one reason or another. Not only are they accessible, for guests who will be transferring out of a wheelchair, but they’re also available for any other guests who may need them to use due to the limitations of the restraints on the motorcycle style seats.

While this isn’t the perfect solution for everyone, I do think that it is a good way to ensure that guests who cannot be properly secured in the motorcycle style seats have the opportunity to ride. This is not something that we see on other attractions with limitations [such as height requirements] and so I think it’s fair to say that there is some size inclusivity taken into consideration here.

Tron: Lightcycle Run is a somewhat mild coaster. While the seats offer an experience unlike anything else at Walt Disney World, the intensity of the attraction isn’t something that is worth writing home about. That said, it is a great fit for Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park; offering up a family friendly thrill that anyone can enjoy.

This all having been said, what Tron: Lightcycle Run lacks in thrills, it makes up for with some great visuals and effects. We won’t get into the specifics here so that you can enjoy them for yourself if you choose to ride, but they did add quite a bit to the attraction. However, it seems worth noting that this will be an attraction that needs to be kept up well in order to maintain the same amount of charm it has now.

Finally, the question that a lot of people have been asking since previews began: do you need to have seen to movies to “get” this attraction’s storyline?

While there’s no denying that having knowledge of Tron will add to the experience, I don’t think that this is the type of attraction that you can’t enjoy if you haven’t seen the movies. The storyline of the attraction is fairly straightforward and well explained as you make your way through the attraction’s queue. In other words, I don’t think that you’ll find yourself unable to grasp what is going on if you don’t have an intimate [or even casual] knowledge of the films.

To that point, I also think that this attraction is more than capable of standing the test of time. Even though there is some iconic imagery from the Tron films, the attraction isn’t carried by that theme as much as it is enhanced by it.

We want to know what you think. Are you excited about Tron: Lightcycle Run? Have you thought about whether or not you’ll be riding on your next trip to Walt Disney World? Let us know your thoughts in a comment!

Brian’s Spanish Cove is a small resort located nearby the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, but that doesn’t mean you should look over it. The location is great, the view from rooms facing the lake is great and the rooms [at least as far as we are concerned] are well worth the price. The thing is, we haven’t taken too much time to talk about the resort itself when it comes to Brian’s Spanish Cove. Why? Quite frankly, the resort itself doesn’t have all that much going for it.

Now, don’t let that fool you into thinking that Brian’s Spanish Cove isn’t a good place to stay. We’ve shared some of our thoughts on whether or not it’s worth booking a room here and we’d encourage you to check out what we had to say if you’re considering it for yourself. The thing is, it’s important to understand that while the rooms might be ideal for the right type of families, the resort itself isn’t going to compare to some of what you might find elsewhere out in town.

This all having been said it’s important to keep in mind that there are some things you will need in order to make this type of accommodation work though. In most cases, these types of accommodations aren’t going to have perks or benefits when it comes to visiting the Walt Disney World Resort. In other words, you’ll need to arrange your own transportation to and from the Walt Disney World Resort. For families that have their own car, this isn’t something that be too concerned about, but if you’re flying in this fact can add to the cost per night if you have to rent a car or take a ride share. In that case, these types of accommodations might nit be right for you.

Personally, we’ve stayed in these types of accommodations before both at the Walt Disney World Resort and elsewhere off-property. While some of them have been fantastic, others left us wondering why we spent so much money on such a lousy hotel. This is why we recommend making sure that you’re not only doing your research, but also crunching the numbers. This is especially important if you’re considering flying in and renting a car so that you can stay at one of these off-property resorts rather than staying on property and exclusively using Disney transportation.

With all of this having been said, we’d love to know what you think. Have you ever stayed in one of these condos or villas before? What did you think and would you do it again? Tell us all about it!

It’s no secret that staying on property at one of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels is a great way to make the most out of your Disney vacation. . . . but how do you pick the one that’s best for you?

With so many Resort hotels to choose from, even starting the search can be a daunting task. That’s why today we’re going to talk about the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, break down some of what I think you should know before beginning your search and hopefully get you on the path to finding the one that will be ideal for you and your family.

Now, before we jump head first into today’s topic, I want to take a second to clear some cobwebs. There are a lot of factors that go into picking which of the Walt Disney World Resort hotels will be ideal for you, your family and your circumstances. On top of that, there are plenty of factors that are out of your control such as closures, limited availability and so on. That said, everything we are talking about here today is meant to serve as a guide as to where you might want to be looking [or not looking]. As always, you know what you’re capable of better than anyone, so be sure to keep your wants and needs in mind while going through these lists.

I don’t know about you, but the first image that comes to my mind whenever someone says “Disney World” is that of the Magic Kingdom. Sure, there’s much more to Walt Disney World than this one park, but there’s just something iconic about the place where Cinderella’s Castle sits at the end of Main Street. There’s just nothin’ like it!

Aside from being just about as close as you can get to the most iconic place at Disney World, there are a lot of great reasons to stay at one of the resort hotels in the immediate vicinity of Magic Kingdom. Of course, families who foresee themselves spending most of their Walt Disney World vacation at Magic KIngdom will find being a short ride on Disney transportation or walk from the park ideal. [This is especially the case if you’re traveling with young children who might require multiple trips back to the room throughout the day.] Staying at one of the Resort hotels in the Magic Kingdom area also gives you the opportunity to enjoy some offerings that you’re just not going to experience at other hotels around Walt Disney World. The Electric Water Pageant is one great example of this.

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

Like every other park at Walt Disney World, the list of reasons to visit EPCOT is a long one. However, when we start to talk about the best reasons to stay at one of the hotels in the EPCOT area it narrows down pretty quickly; food! EPCOT’s World Showcase is one of the best places to enjoy amazing food and drinks on Walt Disney World property. On a normal day, there are 11 countries featuring unique and authentic cuisine to choose from. That expands during the many EPCOT festivals that take place throughout the year. This is unquestionably the best reason to stay at one of the EPCOT resort hotels.

If the idea of staying in the EPCOT area so that you can enjoy all of the delicious offerings appeals to you, there are a few obvious choices as far as Resorts are concerned. As is listed on the Walt Disney World website, there are a handful of Resorts to choose from within walking distance of EPCOT’s International Gateway. [The International Gateway is a back entrance to EPCOT that allows guests to enter into World Showcase rather than at the main entrance into Future World.] There is no denying how convenient these options are. I mean. . . . walking distance! However, with convenience comes a higher price tag and less availability. Fortunately, the addition of the Disney Skylier has expanded the list of options. Though it’s less convenient than walking, taking the Disney Skyliner makes EPCOT that much more accessible to a few more Resorts than it previously was.

Hollywood Studios might not be known for its food or its iconic Disney feel, but one thing it does have is thrills! It’s also the home of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which is arguably one of Disney’s most impressive expansion’s yet. When you put these two things together and sprinkle them with some of the parks other new offerings, you get a recipe for crowds and long wait times. This makes Hollywood Studios, at least in our opinion, one of the parks you’re most likely to arrive early at or rope drop. Though there are plenty of Disney transportation options that can get you to whichever park you choose for whatever time you’re hoping to be there, being close to Hollywood Studios can make rope dropping much easier and more convenient.

Much like is the case with EPCOT, there are Resorts within walking distance of Hollywood Studios that might seem like the obvious choice for someone wanting to be in the immediate vicinity of this particular park. Because of their convenience and proximity to the park, they also come at higher prices and less availability. This is especially the case because the Resorts in the Hollywood Studios area are also in the EPCOT area so you may find even less availability around the time of festivals or holiday celebrations. That said, like is the case with EPCOT, the Disney Skyliner has changed the game a bit. With a Skyliner station at the Hollywood Studios entrance, there are more Resort options that there previously were.

With a little bit of everything from thrill rides to foods from different parts of the world, Animal Kingdom is an amazing park. It’s also one of those places where you could wander, explore and relax for days. If this is the type of thing that appeals to you then staying at one of the Resorts in the Animal Kingdom area is an obvious choice.

When most people think about staying in the Animal Kingdom area they immediately think of staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is a great choice. . . . . it’s not the only option though. There are plenty of other great Resorts to stay at that will give you relatively easy access to Animal Kingdom as well as great theming.

Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort

Disney’s All-Star Music Resort

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort

If you’re traveling to Walt Disney World with the intention of enjoying a little bit of nightlife, dining and entertainment while also keeping your ticketed park days to a minimum, staying at one of the resorts with easy access to Disney Springs might be a good choice for you. Though it’s not quite like the Downtown Disney of yesteryear, there are still plenty of great things to do at Disney Springs no matter what time of day [or year] you visit.

The offerings at Disney Springs change and are often available for a limited time only, but there’s always something new to check out so I recommend visiting the Disney Springs website and following the establishments that appeal to you on social media. This is not only a good way to find out what is happening during your visit, but can also be a good way to take advantage of discounts or even secret menu items!

Disney’s Saratoga Spring Resort & Spa

Disney’s Old Key West Resort

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter

If you’re one of the many people who plans on visiting Walt Disney World, but doesn’t plan on spending every day in the parks you’re not alone. Park tickets can be expensive and let’s face it. . . . . being in the parks every day [especially when they’re crowded] can be a bit much for some families. Fortunately, the Walt Disney World Resorts have you covered with some very impressive resorts that will keep up to the Mickey hat in magic whether you visit the parks or not.

Now, you can argue that every one of the hotels in the Walt Disney World Resort is ideal for enjoying on its own. In a sense, it’s true. However, from our experience some stand out above the rest.

As I mentioned at the top of our chat here today, different resorts are better for different situations and different families. I’ve got my opinions to share, but I’d love to know what you think! If you’ve ever stayed at Walt Disney World in one of their Resort hotels in the past, share your experience and what type of situation and/or family that resort would be best for. We’d all love to hear your thoughts!

I’m not big on New Year’s resolutions, I’ve never been, but I am big on taking advantage of milestones. Whether they’re big or small, whether they’re frequent or infrequent, milestones give us an opportunity to reflect. It’s an opportunity to look back at where we’ve been. It’s an opportunity to look forward to where we want to go. And so, just like every other year, I’m using this opportunity to think about what has led me to where I am right now and where I want to go moving forward.

I have to be completely honest with you, looking back this year has been unlike any other year. It’s a little bit weird, or maybe cereal is the word I’m looking for.

So often, when I arrive at this time of year, I find myself thinking about all of the things that I want to improve in the next 12 months. It tends to be a rather long list. What can I say? I’m rather ambitious and thirst for change! No, in some ways this year is exactly the same as the past years. There are things that I would like to accomplish in the coming year. There are things that I would like to do and adjustments I would like to make in the coming year. However, this year feels so unlike past years. It feels so much more like connecting with an old friend and much less like trying to fit a square pack into a round hole.

There were, of course, the challenges that came to be after 2020. However, for us the year is leading up to 2020 came with their challenges as well. Having just moved to the United States after living in Japan for 10 years, this was an entirely new way of living in a place we had never so much as visited before. And so, it was very much like breaking in a new pair of shoes. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but figured the work would likely be worth it in the end. This type of thing takes time and work, which we were both very well aware of. We did our best to find and do things that would help us adapt to this new environment; to this new lifestyle. And we enjoyed ourselves! To say that we didn’t, would be selling ourselves short. The thing is, just because you enjoy a thing, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s what you want. Which is such an interesting comment and may be a little bit confusing, concept. Nonetheless, things never felt quite right.

By the time New Year’s Eve 2019 rolls around it had become pretty obvious that some adjustments needed to be made. And what a better time than the biggest milestone of the year! So as we ring in 2020, we made the decision that we were going to make this year our year; we were going to get 2020 our all.

Obviously you know what happens next.

Now, I’m not gonna go into all the details. I think we’ve all had enough recap of 2020 and the year’s following it. What I will say is this, 2020 was a very illuminating year. There are any number of reasons that this could have been the case. For us, it was a stripping away of all the distractions and excess. This needed glaringly obvious what actually worked for us in this new lifestyle and what didn’t.

With this not so new, but now clearly defined, discovery on our hands we knew that we needed to do something. So we spent the next however long it was trying to figure out what exactly that meant. We made a long list of changes which ultimately led us to moving to Orlando.

Looking back, the interesting thing about this moment in time is that all of the changes we made, even the really small ones, all felt right. Even after moving out of our house and into a crappy apartment that smelled like cigarette smoke, it’s still felt better then where we had come from. It felt more right. It felt more us. Then, when we arrived in Orlando, it was like slipping into a comfortable pair of shoes. So much about living and being here was what we knew we already loved. It’s what we never wanted to move away from, but knew we had to 10 years ago.

This made our move, if I’m being completely honest with you, not feel like much of a move at all. It felt like we were just coming home. Which is the oddest feeling. Especially because we weren’t moving to a place we’d ever lived before. Although, unlike Minnesota, we had visited this place before. So we need to expect.

This all leads us to right now. We moved to Florida in April and so it’s been a good number of months since we arrived here. We’ve had our opportunity to settle in, whatever that means, and we’ve established ourselves. No, with the New Year, it’s time to think about where we’ve been and where we’re going. And I have to say, this is the 1st year in a very long time that I don’t feel heavy right at the start. I feel like my feet are underneath me and while I realize that that might not remain the case for the duration of the year, thinks change, it feels like a good place to start.

There are, at least in my mind, a couple fairly common misconceptions about the weather when people talk about places known for having warmer climates. The first is that you don’t get 4 seasons and the second is that it doesn’t get cold. Both of those aren’t necessarily false, but they certainly aren’t true either. Today, which happens to be Christmas Day 2022, is a great example of just that.

🧊

It does get cold in Florida. . .

Let’s make something perfectly clear right out the gate. I’m not suggesting that Florida is somehow as cold as any number of places around the United States [or world] that people like to pipe up about in situations like these. It’s no Nebraska, North Dakota or even Maine; it’s Florida. I’m very well aware of that. However, cold is cold and how that cold is experienced by those living in places not equipped to manage that type of cold plays a role in how it’s perceived.

A great example of this is the town I lived in just before moving to the United States. It was a small farm town, not far from Hiroshima, where it just barely got cold enough to snow; never cold enough to stick around for long. Just because it didn’t get that cold didn’t mean you weren’t experiencing a lot more cold, though. In fact, I’d argue that living in that small farm town not far from Hiroshima where the temperatures rarely got below zero was much colder than living in a place like Minnesota. How could that be, you ask? It’s largely due to the way homes are built in most parts of Japan. Even in the colder parts of the country, there’s no central heat or double paned windows. Floors are vented and uninsulated, which means that walking around during the winter months without house slippers can result in mild frostbite. In other words, experiencing the cold is a much different thing.

The same thing can be said for places like Florida. Temperatures don’t get all that low all that often, which means homes and people aren’t well equipped for it. Of course, the same can be said in reverse for people who live in colder places that don’t often experience temperatures in the triple digits.

The attraction that is The Florida Citrus Tower is made up of 2 parts. The first, located at the base, is a small cafe. This cafe has a menu that, appropriately so, serves up various items featuring citrus. [During my visit, I had a drink called the “Orange Buttercream” which was spectacular!] You can then enjoy your drink, free of charge, in the building that makes up the base of the tower. This area is set up like a cafe, but also features decor themed to citrus as well as memorabilia from The Florida Citrus Tower through the years. There is also a small gift shop where you can purchase items to commemorate your trip. Then there’s the tower itself.

Going up to the top of the 226 foot tall tower is not free of charge. During my visit, if memory serves me right, it was $11 per person to go to the top of the tower. There was also an “Annual Pass” available for just over $100 per person, allowing unlimited trips to the top of the tower. At the time of writing this, The Florida Citrus Tower website is under construction and not showing and information pertaining to pricing.

For the price of admission, visitors can ride a small elevator to the top of the tower where they will be treated to panoramic views. Aside from the beautiful views, visitors can reference signs showing what they are looking out over and sign up for an email showing photographs of the surrounding area in the past. There’s also a coin drop, where visitors can put a coin in a slot and listen to it fall the 226 feet down to the bottom of the tower. Probably the most interesting thing about the top of this tower, though, is that it is an extension of the cafe down below. With a bar that runs along the length of the windows and tables to sit at, visitors can take their time enjoying the view somewhat comfortably.

[NOTE: While the top of The Florida Citrus Tower is air conditioned, it’s important to note that it still does get warm due to the panoramic windows and bright white interior. It’s also worth noting that the top of the tower isn’t very spacious. While there is enough room to comfortably walk around the perimeter of the tower, it’s not suitable for strollers or ECVs. Standard wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs are likely fine.]

The weekend has arrived and that means so too has the effects of Potential Tropical Cyclone One. We have some updates regarding this storm to share with you, but you can also find the most up to date information regarding this storm and future storms HERE.

As of June 4th, 2022 at 5:00AM, there continues to be a Tropical Storm Warning in effect for Eastern Central Florida including Kissimmee, Yeehaw Junction and Harmony. What this “Tropical Storm Warning” means is that we can expect to see the effects of this tropical storm in the next 36 hours. That said, current information regarding this storm is showing that we can expect to feel the effects of this storm between 8AM and 8PM today, Saturday June 4th.

In terms of what we can expect to see throughout the day, we’re looking at wind and rain. Currently, the forecast is calling for wind to peak somewhere between 10-20 mph with gusts up to 34mph, which is a bit less gusty than was originally forecast. The forecast is also calling for around 1 inch of rain, with the chance of higher amounts in some areas. This amount of rain is also less than we had originally expected. The “potential for a few tornadoes” has also been included in this Tropical Storm Warning, with a notation that the tornado threat has increased from the previous assessment.

You can read the entire Tropical Storm Warning HERE.

Today marks the beginning of Pride Month, a month-long celebration and show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Last year, among other things, Disney released fun wallpapers to mark the occasion and so we were very excited [as we know many of you likely were] to see what fun images they might have come up with for this year. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be anything as of yet. . . so we spent some time pulling together a few Pride Month wallpapers of our own!

The past couple of years have been filled to the brim with changes and adjustments made to the Walt Disney World theme parks. Among a long list of other things, this has meant changes to the way we visit the parks and the special hark ticket events hosted each year. However, we’ve just got word that something spooky is brewing at the Walt Disney World Resort for the Halloween season and we’re excited to share it with you.

This year, the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be returning to Magic Kingdom! This “frightfully fun event” was replaced in past years with a smaller event, but is finally returning to Magic Kingdom on select nights August 12 through October 31st. The event will include the Disney’s Not-So-Spooky Spectacular fireworks show, Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular castle stage show, Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade and much much more! Guests will also be able to trick-or-treat throughout the park, dress as their favorite characters, show off their costumes to their favorite Disney pals and enjoy all the other event-only offerings throughout the park.