BalekFekete
Shared on Mon, 01/26/2009 - 13:15With this being the time of the year of awards, whether it be Golden Globes, SAGs, or the all-powerful Oscar (and screw each and every person who denied Nolan and The Dark Knight a shot at Best Director/Movie and may the fleas of 1000 camels infest your groins...anyways, I digress), I figured I would stay in the theme and present you with The Disneys! So sit down, kick up the feet...this blog will be, by nature, a little longer than normal. 
As with all award ceremonies, there are several categories with respective nominees...
The first category is Best Transportation. The nominees are...
1. Flight 686 from Philadelphia to Orlando. While getting your ass out of bed for a 7AM flight is near-inhumane, and the scare of having a 6-month old baby in the seat directly behind you can ruin a flight, the plane ride was smooth, on-time, and without any screaming at all (except from my kids as we descended...the anticipation finally got to them, in a good way).
2. Disney Magical Express. We opted to use the ENORMOUS infrastructure for our transportation needs in Disney, and never really had a problem with it. Yeah, we waited 15 mins or so on a few occasions for a bus to arrive, but more often than not they had enough running to get us where we needed to be, when we needed to be there. Seats were even comfortable enough for kids to snooze on after looooong days at the parks.
3. Flight 628 from Orlando to Philadelphia. Getting on the way home never felt so good. Yes, we had a few screaming kids (one in particular I swear was being water boarded in the bathroom half of the flight), but we made it home safe and sound. Can't ask for much more.
And the award goes to.....Flight 686!!!
The second category is Best Food. The nominees are...
1. The Coral Reef, in Disney's EPCOT resort. With an elegant dining area dwarfed by what has to be a 20' x 200' aquarium, our first night was one of trying to enjoy excellent food and ambiance while staying awake and coherent. The crab cakes were perfect, the sea bass with a mango/pineapple sauce - mmm, and a molten chocolate cake to die for...well, need I say more?
2. The 50's Prime Time Cafe, in Disney's Hollywood Studios. Turn the clock back in time, and pretend you're eating dinner with the Cleavers. That's what is was like. Aunt Ellen was our waitress, and was an absolute riot. My eldest didn't finish his corn, so she scooped up a forkful, and with our "cousins" from the neighboring tables proceeded to do the airplane-into-the-hanger. I hadn't laughed that hard in a long time.
3. The Concierge Lounge, at the Yacht Club Resort. Ok, not great food, but there whenever you wanted it, breakfast, lunch, snacks, whatever. The bagels and cinnamon buns was enough for our kids in the morning for a quick bite to eat, which let us get to the parks fast and on-time each day. Instead of the $4.50 bottle of water taunting you in a normal hotel room, we nabbed litre bottles of Evian each night to rehydrate. It was one of those amenities that we didn't expect but fully appreciated once we got there.
And the award goes to....The 50's Prime Time Cafe!!!
(Sorry for the blur...best pic I was able to grab)
The third category is Best Ride. The nominees are...
1. Expedition Everest, Animal Kingdom. By far the largest attraction, at least physically, at the Animal Kingdom, Expedition Everest towers over the park like...well like Mount Everest. An awesome exhibition of engineering and showmanship, the ride was far the best rollercoaster in any of the parks. A mix of theme, ambience, and unexpected thrills merged together into a ride that earned many a FastPass and ride from our family, most of all my daughter - 5 times in all I think.
2. Toy Story's Midway Mania, Hollywood Studios. Let's face it - if it has Pixar's name attached to it, it's gotta be good. This holds true at the parks as well, and with this ride in particular. A great merging of 3D technology and fun user-controlled midway games made for a great time on the ride. Whether shooting rings around the little green spacemen, or darts to break virtual plates, the kids had a ball as did I with this full size, interactive ride.
3. Tower of Terror, Hollywood Studios. Without a doubt, the super-mega-headliner of the park, the Tower of Terror dwarfs the rest of the park, even Mickey's Sorcerer Hat. The set-up of the ride, from the time you walk up to it, to the greeting from the cast members dressed as hotel bellhops, to the decrepit state of the hotel from within...it all worked perfectly. And then the ride. Oh My GOD...what a thrill. I'm not one for the stomach dropping, vomit inducing rides at an amusement park, but the Tower of Terror gave a buzz without going so far as to ruin it for me. I rode it 3 times, and would ride it again if given the option. Just being able to briefly look out over the park before plummeting who knows how far was just an experience that must be had.
And the award goes to...no surprise...The Tower of Terror!!!
The next category is Biggest Surprise. The nominees are...
1. Hats. Who'da thunk that a set of large, colorful, creative Disney hats would be so important. The kids say them immediately, and they all wanted to spend some of their own money on one. Win number one...I didn't pay for them. Then, they kept their heads warm...win number two. And finally, the most significant win...they made the kids stand out in the crowds, and easy to keep tabs on. Three for three, all in all excellent to have and would recommend them over family 'uniforms' any day of the week.
2. My Boys and Thrill Rides. I'll be frank; my boys are about as big of wusses as they come with respect to amusement parks. In the past, they've stayed with relatives when the wife, my daughter, and I venture out to Six Flags or the like. There just isn't anything there they remotely enjoy. If it speeds, drops, dips, or flips, they hate it. However, we get to Disney, and all the sudden they're trying rides I wouldn't have thought they would go on in a million years. I was so profoundly proud of them for standing up to their fears, giving the rides a shot, and after just about each and every one, saying they weren't that bad and often riding them again!
3. Pins. I knew about the whole 'pin trading' before leaving, and even contemplated getting the kids a starter set a piece before going for Christmas, but opted out because of the cost - damn things are expensive. However, again, the kids wanted to do it, and used some of their funds to get set up. Can I tell you...they LOVED IT. It kept them entertained when getting ready to get on a ride, to the times when they would trade with waitresses while we waited for food, to when they would trade with other kids while waiting in line. It was perhaps the single best diversion for them at any point in time when tempers were flaring or nerves were getting frayed. The only downside, I already mentioned, the cost. But, being a standing part of the Disney experience for 10 years now and running, I don't see it going out of style anytime soon, so they may be trading again when they go next time, or with their kids, or with their grandkids.
And the award goes to...My Boys!!! I couldn't be happier or prouder of them!
The final category is Best Park. The nominees are...
1. Magic Kingdom. It's a classic, and has all the rides that we knew as kids...from Space Mountain to It's A Small World (yes...we did subject our kids to that ;)). Factor in the famous Main Street shopping, the Pirates of the Caribbean, and finally some of the best fireworks you'll ever see, and you have a park where, while we spent almost 16 hours in one day - not leaving until almost 2AM - we still could use more time at.
2. Animal Kingdom. This was a surprise nomination for me honestly. I thought that after the safari and maybe Dinosaur, there wouldn't be a whole lot that would pull us back for more than a part of a single day. However, It's Tough To Be A Bug (Pixar's other main headliner and a RIOT of a show), Expedition Everest, and the Wings of Flight bird show made Animal Kingdom a great time all around. Also...the Tree of Life is just simply spectacular to see in person.
3. Hollywood Studios. I heard before going this park would stand out, and it didn't disappoint. The Tower of Terror, already an award winner, and it's neighbor The Rock And Rollercoaster, were simply awesome. The boys loved...I mean LOVED...the Lights, Motors, Action stunt show, as well as the Indiana Jones stunt show. The Toy Story ride was one we went on 4 or 5 times alone, and enjoyed every run through. Even the food there, eating at both the 50's Prime Time Cafe and the Sci-Fi Dine-In, was an experience. We spent almost two full days there when it was all said and done, and could see that park being worth a season pass if you were within range alone.
And the award goes to...yup, Hollywood Studios.
I said final category, but I do need to give out one Disney equivalent to the Razzie for Worst Experience. The nominees are...
1. Mission:Space. Never, and I mean NEVER EVER LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT ride - on the orange team - EVER. Granted, they warn multiple times that those who are prone to motion sickness best not ride it...but they say that on many rides that aren't a big deal. However, on this one, they give you barf bags on the ride for a reason! I don't know how I kept my lunch down, but I felt 'off' for most of the afternoon thanks to that clusterfuck of an attraction. Disney, do me a favor...get some engineers, tear that piece of crap ride apart, and make another copy of Test Track.
2. The Weather. We heard it more times than we can count: "This must be the coldest week in the past 4 or 5 years, easy." Mornings with frost covering the boardwalk, making it an attraction just to stay on your feet enough to make it to the ferry bound for the parks. Nights where the wind picked up enough to blow the hats off the kids head and bite straight through the fleece jacket. But hey, at least it drove the park admissions down even further from the locals, so that was a silver lining.
3. Renovations. Yes, I understand they need to keep the place up. And yes, I understand the best time to do it is when the park admissions are at their lowest. But that just happens to be the time we went! Granted, there was only one or two attractions that were down and out that I regret not seeing, but by and large there was more than enough to forget about those very quickly. Not a huge disappointment, but still there nagging at the corners of my memories.
And the Razzie goes to Mission:Space - I HATE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Even a cat wearing a colindar can't save your suckage!
Sooo...there you have it. A brief glimpse of Disney from my perspective, and the vacation of both my life, and (I think I can speak for them) my family. 
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