Fun Fact Friday- Haunted Mansion: Up or Down?

Disney’s Haunted Mansion is a long time fan favorite.  It has received its fair share of updates and is slightly different in Disneyland and Disney World (not to mention it’s counter parts – Phantom Manor in Disneyland Paris, and Mystic Manor at Disneyland Hong Kong).

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Haunted Mansion- Disneyland

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Haunted Mansion- Walt Disney World

One of the most obvious differences that I so enjoyed when I visited Disneyland this past November was the stretching room.

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I’ve rode the Disney World version dozens of times and in the stretching room the room stretches up, while in the Disneyland version, you descend.  It gives the same effect in both rides, but serves a different purpose!  With Disneyland, the stretching room physically transports you to the ride area with its descent.

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Fun Fact Friday- The Hitchhiking Ghosts

Did you know that the Hitchhiking Ghosts from Disney’s Haunted Mansion had names?  I just recently discovered this fun piece of trivia!

The names of this ghostly trio are Gus (the prisoner) , Phineas (the traveler), and Ezra (Skeleton).

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The Hitchhiking Ghosts’ names were not originally a part of the Haunted Mansion storyline.  The names are thought to have been originated and popularized by the cast members.

The ghosts are so popular that they’ve even been the subject of artwork by Annie Leibovitz.

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Four Days- Four Restaurants

One of the most frequent questions that I am asked is what restaurants to get reservations at when at Walt Disney World.  There are SOOOO many amazing restaurants to try, but if you only have one day in each park, these are the restaurants that I would recommend.

(Note 1-there are AMAZING restaurants at the resorts as well that I LOVE, but for today we will pretend you only have one day in each park.  Note 2- There are lots of amazing quick service restaurants as well, but all of these are table service restaurants.)

Magic Kingdom- If you’ve only got the opportunity to check out one of the awesome restaurants, I recommend Crystal Palace.  I recommend it because it’s a buffet and has something for everyone, AND it is a character meal!  I’ve had breakfast and dinner at this location and both are delicious!  The characters at this location are Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet.

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Epcot- There are more table service restaurants at Epcot than any other park.  Within the 11 different countries in the World Showcase alone, there is at least one table service restaurant per country (sometimes 2 depending on which country!).  I’ve eaten at many of the restaurants, but if I only had one day I would choose Via Napoli.  The pizza offerings are out of this world!  They serve traditional Neapolitan style pizza that is cooked in a wood burning oven.  They also serve other Italian dishes and appetizers.

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Animal Kingdom-I have never had the opportunity to eat at a table service restaurant at Animal Kingdom (to be honest, 9 times out of 10 we have park hopper passes and usually do morning at AK and then go back Epcot for dinner!)  But if I were to eat at Animal Kingdom, I would go for Tusker House.  Tusker House is a buffet that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and is a character meal featuring Safari Donald and his friends!

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Hollywood Studios- My pick for Hollywood Studios is 50’s Prime Time Cafe.  I’ve eaten at 3 of the five table service restaurants at Hollywood Studios and this was by far my favorite!  Not only was the food outstanding, the atmosphere was really enjoyable.  It’s set up as if you’re in a 1950’s mom’s kitchen.  The food is homestyle cooking, and cellphones at the table and elbows on the table are not tolerated.

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Are you interested in planning your own trip to Disney World?  Be sure to contact Ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com.  She can help you plan your trip, make dining reservations and recommendations.  Contact her today for your free no obligation quote.

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ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com

Register Today for the Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Today is the big day to register for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Walt Disney World!  Registration opens at noon, so don’t miss your opportunity to run during Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.  (Edit to original post- Registration has been moved to 3/29/16)

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The Wine and Dine will take you through 3 Disney parks and this race is unique because it takes place at night (edit to original post- this race is no longer at night and a 10k has been added).  Additionally, there is an exclusive after hours party at the Food and Wine Festival for participants!

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Don’t miss your chance, RunDisney races tend to sell out quickly!

Never participated in a RunDisney event?  Do you wanna take the hassle out of planning?  Don’t fear, Ashley is here!  Ashley with Charming Travels can help you plan your trip for your RunDisney “race-cation”  She has run Disney races both at Walt Disney World and Disneyland, earning her Coast to Coast distinction twice!  She can help you plan your trip and book for you once you’ve registered for the race!  Contact her today- Ashley@Charmingtravelsllc.com

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ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com

Rivers of Light to Open April 22nd

Just in time for Earth Day, the much anticipated “Rivers of Light” night time show will be premiering at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Check out this video for more details on the storyline and visual effects!

Want to check out River’s of Light for yourself?  Be sure to contact ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com to book your own magical Disney vacation.

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ashley@charmingtravelsllc.com