Hey everyone and welcome to a news blog. If you are a follower of Disney Parks news chances are that you know that there are some changes coming to the Fast Pass tier selections at Disney's Hollwood Studios. These changes go into effect on February 19th and to say that the changes are minor is a huge understatement. The biggest addition to the Fast Pass Plus selections for the park is Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. This is the ride that opened along with Star Wars Galaxy's Edge back in the fall. Since it's opening the ride has not had a Fast Pass availability, but does offer a single rider line. In addition to this change the tiers are heavily changing for the better. As I mentioned in my Fast Pass Must Do blog, the current tiers at Hollywood Studios are as follows...
Tier 1
Slinky Dog Dash
Toy Story Mania
Alien Swirling Saucer
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Tier 2
Star Tours the Adventure Continues
Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-long Celebration
Fantasmic!
Muppet*vision 3D
Disney Junior Dance Party
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
The problem has been with this parks Fast Pass tier selections is that literally all of the popular attractions are tier 1. With the exception of Star Tours, none of the tier 2 attractions really ever have much of a wait and even Star Tours can frequently be seen with waits of 20 minutes or less. With the following changes, the way that people book fast passes in this park will greatly change. As of February 19th, the tiers will look like this.(changes in bold)
Tier 1
Slinky Dog Dash
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Tier 2
Star Tours the Adventure Continues
Beauty and the Beast - Live on Stage
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-long Celebration
Fantasmic!
Muppet*vision 3D
Disney Junior Dance Party
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Alien Swirling Saucer
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
I don't think much more needs to be said other than this changes everything. Previously guests could book one of the bolded tier 2 attractions when booking their fast passes. Now the possibility of booking Slinky Dog Dash, Tower of Terror and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster in one shot is a reality and for thrill seekers, that is a huge plus. My guess is that eventually Rise of the Resistance and Mickey's Runaway Railway will join the tier 1 selections at one point or another, but none the less, booking fast passes at Disney's Hollywood Studios is about to become a whole lot easier. I for one am super excited about this change and cant wait until I have the opportunity to book me some fast passes at this park. I love the Toy Story rides and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster so the past couple trips were incredibly frustrating in trying to get fast passes for all of them. I'd imagine it's going to be much easier to do now.
My only question is with both Slinky Dog and Smuggler's Run being the only tier 1 options... How busy are these fast pass lines going to be. You figure Slinky Dog was already wildly popular with fast passes, but Tower of Terror, Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, and Toy Story Mania specifically are also very popular rides. Then again... The Magic Kingdom has no fast pass tiers and everything seems to work out fine there. I guess time will tell, especially as the new rides in the park make their way to the fast pass system. As always, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next blog coming soon!
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Star Wars Fun Episode III: The Original Trilogy
Star Wars is a series that certainly needs no introductions. Whether you love it, hate it, enjoy it, or are indifferent towards it, chances are at some point along the line you have at least heard about Star Wars. I mean it's pretty much impossible right now to visit either Disney World or Disneyland and not have Star Wars plastered all over the place. It's crazy to think how big the series has become. I talked about a handful of the games in my last Star Wars blog, but it goes so far beyond that. There's books, miniature games, cartoon series, board games, a million different toys, and even remote controlled droids. It's hard to walk into any department store and not see something with the name Star Wars slapped on it. It all had a start though and that's what today's blog is going to look at. My feelings on the original trilogy of movies. As always these are my thoughts on the movies and are by no means factual in any way. Also... Spoilers if you haven't seen these movies...
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The movie that started it all. What else even is there to say about it. Even though I was pretty young I can still remember the first time I watched this movie. I still remember the first time I head a TIE fighter scream on screen. The first time I saw the Death Star wipe an entire planet out in one shot. The first time I saw that same Death Star explode into nothingness. I remember it all. I was too young to fully understand everything going on in the plot, but still enjoyed pretty much every second of it. As I got a bit older and understood the plot more, the movie jumped up into my favorite movies list.
Of all the Star Wars movies that have come out, I put the original Star Wars within the top 3 in my personal ranked list. There is so much of this movie that I absolutely love. Yes, even with the new technology and edits that have been added in over the years (Han shot first lol), the movie still holds up in my opinion. While there are no crazy lightsaber battles like the ones seen in the prequels, the battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi remains one of the most important and after watching Episode III, climactic. It's the end of the life long relationship that Vader had with Obi-Wan. It's an incredibly big deal in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't super dramatic in the movie itself, but the effects certainly are.
The battle above Yavin IV is stil;l a stand out Star Wars scene for me. It's the perfect Star Wars scenario. Two space forces, one the massive battle station known as the Death Star headed by the Galactic Empire. The other a band of rebels with a plan to cause one of the biggest upsets in the galaxy. The two forces collide and for a movie that came out when it did, it was tense. By the time Han appeared in the Millennium Falcon to save the day just before Luke Skywalker was about to be shot down I can only describe myself as on the edge of my seat. The battle kind of ends up being a model for future Star Wars space battles. In Return of the Jedi for example we have another big battle with a Death Star. In The Phantom Menace we have a similar situation where a droid control ship needs to be taken out to deactivate the Trade Federation's Army. Then of course in the Force Awakens, Star Killer Base is basically a massive Death Star and that battle has yet again, a similar objective. Perhaps my favorite part about this movie though is really what it set up.
At the end of the movie we have the victorious Rebel Alliance giving medals to our heroes. One problem is extremely easy to see. Darth Vader survived. His survival alone left things open for a potential sequel if the movie did well. Where we are today speaks in itself as to whether or not the movie was a success. A New Hope sets up everything that comes next and even what in the timeline would come before. This movie's legacy is one of the biggest and greatest in all of cinema. If it didn't grab audiences like myself the way it did and really continues to do, chances are high things like Galaxy's Edge would not even be a thought, let alone a destination for Star Wars fans everywhere.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
This movie. This movie, let me tell you, floored me the first time I saw it. Again, I was young at the time and pretty much any movie I had ever seen always had the good guys coming out on top. The first time I saw the end of this movie I was pretty much saying "wait that's it? That's a terrible ending"! This is why young me has no say in these matters anymore. Young me was also upset that the movie didn't feature a massive space battle like the last one did... The Empire Strikes Back is now my favorite Star Wars movie to date. On top of that, the Battle of Hoth, you know that not space battle, is now one of my favorite battles in all of Star Wars. My how times have changed and opinions have altered.
The movie features so many incredibly important moments that I can't help but want to gush over them. Of course the giant culmination of the movie is the lightsaber duel where we witness the single biggest turning point of Luke Skywalker's young Jedi career, learning that Darth Vader is his father. Was it true? Of course we know it is now, but at the end of Empire Strikes Back so many questions needed answering. The duel itself was much more than that of Vader and Obi-Wan and featured some different force abilities that we had not seen to that point.
Another one of my favorite scenes came early in the Battle of Hoth. After being surprisingly defeated at the end of A New Hope, the Empire literally flexes it's muscle and just crushes the rebels on Hoth. Seeing the strength of the Empire in this fight gives a hint as to just how big a mountain the rebels have to climb. It's an awesome fight and the scene of the three AT-ATs walking side my side just firing away is an image I think of anytime this movie comes up. While there is a ton of action, there is also important slower parts of the movie.
As awesome a character as Yoda is (and as funny in this movie compared to the prequels), the time that Luke spends on Dagobah is for me, a slower part to the movie. It's great to see him slowly developing his force powers and it created a bit of suspense as we learn that much like Vader, he is susceptible to falling to the dark side of the force. While important, I admit that I feel like the pace of the movie decreases during all of this. Of course there is more to Luke in this story. We also have Han and Leia
While Luke is doing his training Han and Leia spend a good chunk of the movie trying to get the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive system to work. Eventually the end up on Bespin where they meet up with Lando Calrissian and a series of betrayals lead to Han eventually becoming frozen in carbonite and being taken to Jabba the Hutt. None of Han and Leia's adventures in this movie really stand out to me a bunch, but the relationship between Han and Lando is something I always found really interesting and always wanted to learn more about.... More on that another time... Once Luke senses his friends are in danger the movie once again takes off leading into the duel between Luke and Vader where Luke ends up losing.
The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite in the series because it is so different that the first and what would come next. The entire time, the good guys just cannot catch a break or cannot win. It is such a departure from pretty much every other Star Wars movie not named Return of the Sith that it's almost a breath of fresh air every time I watch. Is it perfect? No. The middle feels like it's padded and a bit overextended, but the book-ended Battle of Hoth and everything that takes place on Bespin more than makes up for that padding.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The end of the original trilogy I thought wrapped up the story of the Skywalkers in a perfect way. The movie picks up a year after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke and Leia set out to rescue Han Solo and of course eventually succeed in doing so. It's a fun way for the movie to start considering the constant rebels vs Empire theme that the first two movies had. It's a nice little break as the team is dealing with crime lords and bounty hunters to start off this movie.
Finally getting to see Emperor Palpatine and everything that happens in the culmination of this movie to this day still gets me hyped up. While a good chunk of this movie I consider to be fluff and not particularly wowing sort to speak, the finale is worth everything. The battle final battle between the Empire and the Rebellion over the forest moon of Endor is just incredible. The espionage mission gone wrong on the moon itself plus the battle going on in space plus Luke dealing with both Vader and Palpatine plus the new Death Star being operational despite being incomplete. Oh man it's just so much going on at once that I cant help but feel like that final Death Star explosion is the culmination of everything from the previous two movies.
Other than that I really don't have to terribly much to say about Return of the Jedi. It's a good movie. Heck, I'll even say it's a real good movie. It's a ton of fun. The Ewoks are whatever to me. I guess they were aiming for something cute and cuddly to market and it worked. Seeing Vader's body burning at the end after he turns against Palpatine is such a such a somber, yet joyous occasion that is made even more impactful now that the prequels exist.It was all just a perfect ending to what I consider my favorite sci-fi saga. It became even more of a fitting ending after the prequels released and we finally got to see how Vader was turned by Palpatine and how much of a struggle it was for him to turn back.
With a perfect ending movie wise Star Wars really seemed complete. Yes books, comics, games, and other forms of media would extend the universe beyond what we saw in the movies, but the Skywalker story seemed complete. Then it happened. Disney got their hands on Star Wars. It was not long before rumblings began of more movies. It's crazy to think back and just look at these three or six movies as all there was. Since Disney began releasing Star Wars movies we have an all new trilogy that continues the Skywalker saga and two "spin off" movies that highlight one incredible mission and the past of a main character. Stay tuned right here for more on all of this as my next blog in this series will be focusing in on the two Star Wars Stories that deviated from the Skywalker Saga. As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next blog coming soon!
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
The movie that started it all. What else even is there to say about it. Even though I was pretty young I can still remember the first time I watched this movie. I still remember the first time I head a TIE fighter scream on screen. The first time I saw the Death Star wipe an entire planet out in one shot. The first time I saw that same Death Star explode into nothingness. I remember it all. I was too young to fully understand everything going on in the plot, but still enjoyed pretty much every second of it. As I got a bit older and understood the plot more, the movie jumped up into my favorite movies list.
Of all the Star Wars movies that have come out, I put the original Star Wars within the top 3 in my personal ranked list. There is so much of this movie that I absolutely love. Yes, even with the new technology and edits that have been added in over the years (Han shot first lol), the movie still holds up in my opinion. While there are no crazy lightsaber battles like the ones seen in the prequels, the battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi remains one of the most important and after watching Episode III, climactic. It's the end of the life long relationship that Vader had with Obi-Wan. It's an incredibly big deal in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't super dramatic in the movie itself, but the effects certainly are.
The battle above Yavin IV is stil;l a stand out Star Wars scene for me. It's the perfect Star Wars scenario. Two space forces, one the massive battle station known as the Death Star headed by the Galactic Empire. The other a band of rebels with a plan to cause one of the biggest upsets in the galaxy. The two forces collide and for a movie that came out when it did, it was tense. By the time Han appeared in the Millennium Falcon to save the day just before Luke Skywalker was about to be shot down I can only describe myself as on the edge of my seat. The battle kind of ends up being a model for future Star Wars space battles. In Return of the Jedi for example we have another big battle with a Death Star. In The Phantom Menace we have a similar situation where a droid control ship needs to be taken out to deactivate the Trade Federation's Army. Then of course in the Force Awakens, Star Killer Base is basically a massive Death Star and that battle has yet again, a similar objective. Perhaps my favorite part about this movie though is really what it set up.
At the end of the movie we have the victorious Rebel Alliance giving medals to our heroes. One problem is extremely easy to see. Darth Vader survived. His survival alone left things open for a potential sequel if the movie did well. Where we are today speaks in itself as to whether or not the movie was a success. A New Hope sets up everything that comes next and even what in the timeline would come before. This movie's legacy is one of the biggest and greatest in all of cinema. If it didn't grab audiences like myself the way it did and really continues to do, chances are high things like Galaxy's Edge would not even be a thought, let alone a destination for Star Wars fans everywhere.
Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
This movie. This movie, let me tell you, floored me the first time I saw it. Again, I was young at the time and pretty much any movie I had ever seen always had the good guys coming out on top. The first time I saw the end of this movie I was pretty much saying "wait that's it? That's a terrible ending"! This is why young me has no say in these matters anymore. Young me was also upset that the movie didn't feature a massive space battle like the last one did... The Empire Strikes Back is now my favorite Star Wars movie to date. On top of that, the Battle of Hoth, you know that not space battle, is now one of my favorite battles in all of Star Wars. My how times have changed and opinions have altered.
The movie features so many incredibly important moments that I can't help but want to gush over them. Of course the giant culmination of the movie is the lightsaber duel where we witness the single biggest turning point of Luke Skywalker's young Jedi career, learning that Darth Vader is his father. Was it true? Of course we know it is now, but at the end of Empire Strikes Back so many questions needed answering. The duel itself was much more than that of Vader and Obi-Wan and featured some different force abilities that we had not seen to that point.
Another one of my favorite scenes came early in the Battle of Hoth. After being surprisingly defeated at the end of A New Hope, the Empire literally flexes it's muscle and just crushes the rebels on Hoth. Seeing the strength of the Empire in this fight gives a hint as to just how big a mountain the rebels have to climb. It's an awesome fight and the scene of the three AT-ATs walking side my side just firing away is an image I think of anytime this movie comes up. While there is a ton of action, there is also important slower parts of the movie.
As awesome a character as Yoda is (and as funny in this movie compared to the prequels), the time that Luke spends on Dagobah is for me, a slower part to the movie. It's great to see him slowly developing his force powers and it created a bit of suspense as we learn that much like Vader, he is susceptible to falling to the dark side of the force. While important, I admit that I feel like the pace of the movie decreases during all of this. Of course there is more to Luke in this story. We also have Han and Leia
While Luke is doing his training Han and Leia spend a good chunk of the movie trying to get the Millennium Falcon's hyperdrive system to work. Eventually the end up on Bespin where they meet up with Lando Calrissian and a series of betrayals lead to Han eventually becoming frozen in carbonite and being taken to Jabba the Hutt. None of Han and Leia's adventures in this movie really stand out to me a bunch, but the relationship between Han and Lando is something I always found really interesting and always wanted to learn more about.... More on that another time... Once Luke senses his friends are in danger the movie once again takes off leading into the duel between Luke and Vader where Luke ends up losing.
The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite in the series because it is so different that the first and what would come next. The entire time, the good guys just cannot catch a break or cannot win. It is such a departure from pretty much every other Star Wars movie not named Return of the Sith that it's almost a breath of fresh air every time I watch. Is it perfect? No. The middle feels like it's padded and a bit overextended, but the book-ended Battle of Hoth and everything that takes place on Bespin more than makes up for that padding.
Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi
The end of the original trilogy I thought wrapped up the story of the Skywalkers in a perfect way. The movie picks up a year after the events of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke and Leia set out to rescue Han Solo and of course eventually succeed in doing so. It's a fun way for the movie to start considering the constant rebels vs Empire theme that the first two movies had. It's a nice little break as the team is dealing with crime lords and bounty hunters to start off this movie.
Finally getting to see Emperor Palpatine and everything that happens in the culmination of this movie to this day still gets me hyped up. While a good chunk of this movie I consider to be fluff and not particularly wowing sort to speak, the finale is worth everything. The battle final battle between the Empire and the Rebellion over the forest moon of Endor is just incredible. The espionage mission gone wrong on the moon itself plus the battle going on in space plus Luke dealing with both Vader and Palpatine plus the new Death Star being operational despite being incomplete. Oh man it's just so much going on at once that I cant help but feel like that final Death Star explosion is the culmination of everything from the previous two movies.
Other than that I really don't have to terribly much to say about Return of the Jedi. It's a good movie. Heck, I'll even say it's a real good movie. It's a ton of fun. The Ewoks are whatever to me. I guess they were aiming for something cute and cuddly to market and it worked. Seeing Vader's body burning at the end after he turns against Palpatine is such a such a somber, yet joyous occasion that is made even more impactful now that the prequels exist.It was all just a perfect ending to what I consider my favorite sci-fi saga. It became even more of a fitting ending after the prequels released and we finally got to see how Vader was turned by Palpatine and how much of a struggle it was for him to turn back.
With a perfect ending movie wise Star Wars really seemed complete. Yes books, comics, games, and other forms of media would extend the universe beyond what we saw in the movies, but the Skywalker story seemed complete. Then it happened. Disney got their hands on Star Wars. It was not long before rumblings began of more movies. It's crazy to think back and just look at these three or six movies as all there was. Since Disney began releasing Star Wars movies we have an all new trilogy that continues the Skywalker saga and two "spin off" movies that highlight one incredible mission and the past of a main character. Stay tuned right here for more on all of this as my next blog in this series will be focusing in on the two Star Wars Stories that deviated from the Skywalker Saga. As always thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next blog coming soon!
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Fast Pass Plus Must Do Rides
Hey everyone! Tonight I'll be looking at some rides that I feel are must do Fast Pass Plus attractions. What this means is that these are rides that I think are so good that the warrant the use of one of your three daily fast passes that you get during your stay in Walt Disney World. This is the first of a series of blogs that will briefly go over specific rides and what makes them warrant either a rating of "Must Do", "Worth It", "Not Worth It", and "IT'S A TRAP". The rides in this blog are not necessarly my favorite rides in the parks. These are the rides that if I am going to go on them, I'm going on them with a fast pass and I will explain why for each. This series of blogs is not going to feature meet and greets. If there is a character that you really, really want to meet, my belief is go ahead and fast pass that character. Sometimes meeting the characters can be far more memorable than a ride and if you have a kid that loves a certain character, the memory of meeting that character can last a lifetime. If you are a seasoned Walt Disney World veteran or if you have favorite rides that are not on these lists please comment below. I'd love to hear what your "Must Do" fast pass rides are!
EPCOT
Frozen Ever After: Frozen Ever After is a boat ride that takes you on a journey from Arendelle to Elsa's Ice Palace in the mountains and back again. Along the way you'll pass by Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, Marshmallow, Snowgies, Wandering Oaken (kind of), and Elsa. No villains from the movie are present so there is no Hans and no Duke of Weselton. The ride replaced Malestrom in the Norway Pavilion of World Showcase and always has a pretty long line of anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes with it breaching the 120 minute mark on busier days. Is the ride worth that kind of a wait? In my opinion, no. That said, when stacked against the other rides in EPCOT it becomes a Must Do fast pass selection. The ride is enjoyable (though it has a bit too many screens of Elsa singing Let It Go for my taste), the slightly modified songs are fun, and there is a chance of getting a bit wet. For big Frozen fans, the ride should be a destination of top priority in the park.
In EPCOT's tiered fast pass layout this is normally my tier 1 option. The other options are Soarin Around the World and Test Track. I admit that I am an early riser. So I am at the parks a bit before they open. With EPCOT I cannot think of a time where I opened the park and was not able to go straight to Test Track, and then head over to Soarin right after. The longest I've waiting for Soarin doing this was probably fifteen minutes at most. For me this leaves Frozen Ever After as the last of the tier 1 rides, so it kind of becomes the default tier 1 ride and believe it or not my only Must Do fast pass selection at EPCOT.
That of course is for the EPCOT of today. With everything going on in the park and new attractions well on the way it is entirely possible that this could change in the near future. I very rarely end up at EPCOT in the middle of the day. I usually plan to be there in the morning or at night, which is a big part of why neither Test Track nor Soarin are Must Do for me in regards to fast passes. If I do fast passes in another park and plan on going to EPCOT in the evening I will frequently check the My Disney Experience app and see if any fast passes for either Soarin or Test Track are available before looking for a Frozen Ever After fast pass as I actually enjoy Soarin and Test Track more than Frozen Ever After.
The Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: This is a pretty obvious one. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (for now), is the newest roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom. The swinging mine carts travel a twisting and turning track until you find yourself in the mines with some very hard working dwarfs singing their songs. As you exit the mine at the top of the mountain, you'll drop back down the twisting path of the mountain and end with a dance party in the dwarf cottage, but be careful.... The Old Hag is watching... With this ride still being the newest in the park, the wait time is always high. Even on less busier days the ride often reaches wait times of over 90 minutes. I've personally seen this ride with a 180 minute wait on a busy day in Magic Kingdom. While the queue line is actually pretty fun both visually and interactively, that is still an incredibly long time to stand in a line. Even if you head right to this ride at park opening you can expect to wait for a while as this ride and Peter Pan's Flight are normally the two go to destinations for guests opening the park.
Peter Pan's Flight: Speaking of Peter Pan's Flight... This is another ride that is a Must Do fast pass for me. The updated queue line is very imaginative and really has that classic Peter Pan feel, but for what this ride is, a wait time of 45 to 90 minutes is just way too long for me. That is not a knock though. I love this ride. I love that you take to the sky and fly over classic Peter Pan characters. I love that you fly over London. For real, that part of the ride is one of my favorite "magical" moments on any Disney ride. Even the final confrontations with Captain Hook are a lot of fun to fly by, and honestly the dated animatronics work perfectly in creating a classic feel to the ride. I just cannot justify myself waiting in a line for 45 to sometimes 120 minutes for a 3 minute uh... flying boat ride I guess I'll call it? The Magic Kingdom does not have a tiered fast pass layout, so if you want to ride this ride and not wait for long, fast pass it.
I do have to be fair about this ride's queue though. Pretty much the entirety of it is under a roof, so if it is a rainy day and you are taking it slow, waiting may not be the worst thing in the world. There is also a large chunk of the queue that winds through the building itself and is air conditioned which on a hot Florida day can feel super good. Me? I'd rather dive in and watch Mickey's Philharmagic or Carousel of Progress if I need an escape from the heat, but I totally get why people would wait on this ride's line to escape the heat for a bit.
Space Mountain: Space Mountain is currently the most intense ride in the Magic Kingdom. This roller coaster takes place nearly completely in the dark and features all kinds of tight turns and small drops. It can actually be quite disorienting if you are sensitive to stuff like that. It can also be quite the thrill. Since it is a thrilling ride, many thrill seekers seek it out. Space Mountain frequently has one of the longest wait times in the park, sometimes even eclipsing (see, space references) that of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. If thrill rides are your thing, Space Mountain should be at the top of your Magic Kingdom Must Do fast pass list. It's really an adventure that is out of this world.
The Haunted Mansion: This is a border line Must Do fast pass for me. I think I have selected this ride as a fast pass on pretty much every Disney trip I've been on, but there were a couple times where I got to the gate and the stand-by wait time was 15 minutes. Other times the wait time was about an hour and the stand by line extended almost back past the Liberty Belle. Whatever the case, I have to enter that mansion and take the tour, see the illusions, escape the attic, frolic with the spirits, and be wary of hitchhiking ghosts. The Haunted Mansion has just so much to offer for all the senses that I cannot help but be drawn to it again and again, making it a Must Do fast pass despite the possibility of lower wait times.
The Magic Kingdom is home to a slew of rides. Each and everyone of these rides brings something different and magical to the table. While there are other great rides in the park, these 4 are the ones that I must have a fast pass for at some point during my trip to Walt Disney World. Keeping in mind that I tend to get to the parks early, I manage to get a lot of other rides done and save these heavy hitters for my fast passes. That said there are a bunch of other rides that I highly recommend getting fast passes for in this park, but that is for another time.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios, in my honest opinion is a mess regarding the fast pass tier layout. All of the rides with the exception of Star Tours (tier 2), Rise of the Resistance (no fast passes), and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (no fast passes) are tier 1. What this means is you can only select one of the following when booking fast passes for a day. For fun I'll do this list in the order that I prioritize the rides and I'll touch on why for a few of them.
Slinky Dog Dash: An incredible experience, especially at night. Full of nostalgia and surprisingly fast and intense for a family roller coaster. This is normally the tier 1 selection I pick for a day at Hollywood Studios and it is easily a Must Do.
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: Honestly it's a toss up between this ride and Toy Story Mania for a second choice. The most thrilling ride in all of Walt Disney World offers a ton to thrill seekers. The ride blasts you off into the darkness and straight into a big inversion. From there there are all kinds of other high speed twists, turns, and inversions that keep the excitement going. Did I mention that music by Aerosmith blasts throughout the ride? Awesome! If I am going solo I'll hop on the single rider line and wait out the 20 to 30 minutes that I seem to normally wait for it. If I am with anyone though this ride becomes a Must Do fast pass as it always has a lengthy, sometimes 120 minute wait.
Toy Story Mania: It's a Hollywood Studios classic. It's still as good as it's always been, but despite both Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge opening, the wait times for this ride have not dropped a ton. If I cannot get Slink Dog Dash I usually look here next if I'm going solo or if both Slinky Dog Dash and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster are unavailable.
Alien Swirling Saucer:
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: I hate drop rides, so while the Twilight Zone is one of my favorite TV shows, the ride I'll pass on pretty much every time. That said if you are a fan of drop rides you're better off grabbing a fast pass for this ride, especially if you aren't a fan of roller coasters.
I do expect the situation at Hollywood Studios to eventually change. Between the two mentioned rides in Galaxy's Edge opening and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opening up soon, one would think that a restructure of the tiers is in order. My guess is that Alien Swirling Saucer, Toy Story Mania, and possibly Tower of Terror would become Tier 2. Time will tell, but for now the park's two roller coasters take the Must Do spots in this park.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Flight of Passage: Ok well I'm pretty sure everyone saw this coming. I've blogged about Flight of Passage more than a normal person would blog about a ride. It's a Must Do even if I open the park and get on it right away. Riding it twice in a day is never a thing I'll pass up, especially considering I can get right on Na'vi River Journey after that early morning Flight of Passage. That said, if you want to wait, the queue line is gorgeous. The not so pretty thing is the wait times that are up too and even over 180 minutes. As much as I love the ride (my favorite out of any park) I just can't justify being in a line that long. If it was closing forever, sure, but if I can get a fast pass. No.
Na'vi River Journey: I admit I have an Avatar bias. I love the move, so both rides suck me in big time. It seems like a lot of people aren't huge fans of this ride due to the relatively short length and long wait times. That's something I never really understood as Peter Pan's Flight is shorter and often has a long line... Whatever... Na'vi River Journey is a gorgeous ride that makes you feel like you are drifting down a river on Pandora. The shaman animatronic at the end of the ride is beyond incredible as well as is one of the most life-like machines I have ever seen. If I cannot get a Flight of Passage fast pass and am not opening the park, this is a Must Do.
Dinosaur: Alright this one is probably not on the list of a lot of people, but I love Dinosaur. Yes the movie is flawed. Yes the ride is rough, and for kids it can be straight out terrifying, but for me whose favorite movies start with the words Jurassic Park.... You get where I'm going. This ride kind of falls into the Haunted Mansion realm of sometimes it has a long wait, other times it doesn't. More often than not when I have had a fast pass for this ride I have not regretted it by seeing a 15 minute wait.
Animal Kingdom has a few other attractions that for me are not Must Do when it comes to fast passes, but are pretty borderline on it. The park does have a tier system for fast passes, but everything with the exception of Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey are tier 2.
So there you have it. My Must Do fast pass selections at each park. Keep in mind these are just my personal fast pass targets and are not scientifically proven to be the best options in the parks. The next entry in this series is going to be rides that I feel are "Worth It" when booking fast passes. Thanks as always for reading and let me know what your Must Do fast pass rides are :). Stay tuned for the next blog coming real soon!
EPCOT
Frozen Ever After: Frozen Ever After is a boat ride that takes you on a journey from Arendelle to Elsa's Ice Palace in the mountains and back again. Along the way you'll pass by Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, Marshmallow, Snowgies, Wandering Oaken (kind of), and Elsa. No villains from the movie are present so there is no Hans and no Duke of Weselton. The ride replaced Malestrom in the Norway Pavilion of World Showcase and always has a pretty long line of anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes with it breaching the 120 minute mark on busier days. Is the ride worth that kind of a wait? In my opinion, no. That said, when stacked against the other rides in EPCOT it becomes a Must Do fast pass selection. The ride is enjoyable (though it has a bit too many screens of Elsa singing Let It Go for my taste), the slightly modified songs are fun, and there is a chance of getting a bit wet. For big Frozen fans, the ride should be a destination of top priority in the park.
In EPCOT's tiered fast pass layout this is normally my tier 1 option. The other options are Soarin Around the World and Test Track. I admit that I am an early riser. So I am at the parks a bit before they open. With EPCOT I cannot think of a time where I opened the park and was not able to go straight to Test Track, and then head over to Soarin right after. The longest I've waiting for Soarin doing this was probably fifteen minutes at most. For me this leaves Frozen Ever After as the last of the tier 1 rides, so it kind of becomes the default tier 1 ride and believe it or not my only Must Do fast pass selection at EPCOT.
That of course is for the EPCOT of today. With everything going on in the park and new attractions well on the way it is entirely possible that this could change in the near future. I very rarely end up at EPCOT in the middle of the day. I usually plan to be there in the morning or at night, which is a big part of why neither Test Track nor Soarin are Must Do for me in regards to fast passes. If I do fast passes in another park and plan on going to EPCOT in the evening I will frequently check the My Disney Experience app and see if any fast passes for either Soarin or Test Track are available before looking for a Frozen Ever After fast pass as I actually enjoy Soarin and Test Track more than Frozen Ever After.
The Magic Kingdom
Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: This is a pretty obvious one. The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (for now), is the newest roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom. The swinging mine carts travel a twisting and turning track until you find yourself in the mines with some very hard working dwarfs singing their songs. As you exit the mine at the top of the mountain, you'll drop back down the twisting path of the mountain and end with a dance party in the dwarf cottage, but be careful.... The Old Hag is watching... With this ride still being the newest in the park, the wait time is always high. Even on less busier days the ride often reaches wait times of over 90 minutes. I've personally seen this ride with a 180 minute wait on a busy day in Magic Kingdom. While the queue line is actually pretty fun both visually and interactively, that is still an incredibly long time to stand in a line. Even if you head right to this ride at park opening you can expect to wait for a while as this ride and Peter Pan's Flight are normally the two go to destinations for guests opening the park.
Peter Pan's Flight: Speaking of Peter Pan's Flight... This is another ride that is a Must Do fast pass for me. The updated queue line is very imaginative and really has that classic Peter Pan feel, but for what this ride is, a wait time of 45 to 90 minutes is just way too long for me. That is not a knock though. I love this ride. I love that you take to the sky and fly over classic Peter Pan characters. I love that you fly over London. For real, that part of the ride is one of my favorite "magical" moments on any Disney ride. Even the final confrontations with Captain Hook are a lot of fun to fly by, and honestly the dated animatronics work perfectly in creating a classic feel to the ride. I just cannot justify myself waiting in a line for 45 to sometimes 120 minutes for a 3 minute uh... flying boat ride I guess I'll call it? The Magic Kingdom does not have a tiered fast pass layout, so if you want to ride this ride and not wait for long, fast pass it.
I do have to be fair about this ride's queue though. Pretty much the entirety of it is under a roof, so if it is a rainy day and you are taking it slow, waiting may not be the worst thing in the world. There is also a large chunk of the queue that winds through the building itself and is air conditioned which on a hot Florida day can feel super good. Me? I'd rather dive in and watch Mickey's Philharmagic or Carousel of Progress if I need an escape from the heat, but I totally get why people would wait on this ride's line to escape the heat for a bit.
Space Mountain: Space Mountain is currently the most intense ride in the Magic Kingdom. This roller coaster takes place nearly completely in the dark and features all kinds of tight turns and small drops. It can actually be quite disorienting if you are sensitive to stuff like that. It can also be quite the thrill. Since it is a thrilling ride, many thrill seekers seek it out. Space Mountain frequently has one of the longest wait times in the park, sometimes even eclipsing (see, space references) that of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. If thrill rides are your thing, Space Mountain should be at the top of your Magic Kingdom Must Do fast pass list. It's really an adventure that is out of this world.
The Haunted Mansion: This is a border line Must Do fast pass for me. I think I have selected this ride as a fast pass on pretty much every Disney trip I've been on, but there were a couple times where I got to the gate and the stand-by wait time was 15 minutes. Other times the wait time was about an hour and the stand by line extended almost back past the Liberty Belle. Whatever the case, I have to enter that mansion and take the tour, see the illusions, escape the attic, frolic with the spirits, and be wary of hitchhiking ghosts. The Haunted Mansion has just so much to offer for all the senses that I cannot help but be drawn to it again and again, making it a Must Do fast pass despite the possibility of lower wait times.
The Magic Kingdom is home to a slew of rides. Each and everyone of these rides brings something different and magical to the table. While there are other great rides in the park, these 4 are the ones that I must have a fast pass for at some point during my trip to Walt Disney World. Keeping in mind that I tend to get to the parks early, I manage to get a lot of other rides done and save these heavy hitters for my fast passes. That said there are a bunch of other rides that I highly recommend getting fast passes for in this park, but that is for another time.
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Hollywood Studios, in my honest opinion is a mess regarding the fast pass tier layout. All of the rides with the exception of Star Tours (tier 2), Rise of the Resistance (no fast passes), and Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run (no fast passes) are tier 1. What this means is you can only select one of the following when booking fast passes for a day. For fun I'll do this list in the order that I prioritize the rides and I'll touch on why for a few of them.
Slinky Dog Dash: An incredible experience, especially at night. Full of nostalgia and surprisingly fast and intense for a family roller coaster. This is normally the tier 1 selection I pick for a day at Hollywood Studios and it is easily a Must Do.
Rock 'N' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: Honestly it's a toss up between this ride and Toy Story Mania for a second choice. The most thrilling ride in all of Walt Disney World offers a ton to thrill seekers. The ride blasts you off into the darkness and straight into a big inversion. From there there are all kinds of other high speed twists, turns, and inversions that keep the excitement going. Did I mention that music by Aerosmith blasts throughout the ride? Awesome! If I am going solo I'll hop on the single rider line and wait out the 20 to 30 minutes that I seem to normally wait for it. If I am with anyone though this ride becomes a Must Do fast pass as it always has a lengthy, sometimes 120 minute wait.
Toy Story Mania: It's a Hollywood Studios classic. It's still as good as it's always been, but despite both Toy Story Land and Galaxy's Edge opening, the wait times for this ride have not dropped a ton. If I cannot get Slink Dog Dash I usually look here next if I'm going solo or if both Slinky Dog Dash and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster are unavailable.
Alien Swirling Saucer:
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror: I hate drop rides, so while the Twilight Zone is one of my favorite TV shows, the ride I'll pass on pretty much every time. That said if you are a fan of drop rides you're better off grabbing a fast pass for this ride, especially if you aren't a fan of roller coasters.
I do expect the situation at Hollywood Studios to eventually change. Between the two mentioned rides in Galaxy's Edge opening and Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway opening up soon, one would think that a restructure of the tiers is in order. My guess is that Alien Swirling Saucer, Toy Story Mania, and possibly Tower of Terror would become Tier 2. Time will tell, but for now the park's two roller coasters take the Must Do spots in this park.
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Flight of Passage: Ok well I'm pretty sure everyone saw this coming. I've blogged about Flight of Passage more than a normal person would blog about a ride. It's a Must Do even if I open the park and get on it right away. Riding it twice in a day is never a thing I'll pass up, especially considering I can get right on Na'vi River Journey after that early morning Flight of Passage. That said, if you want to wait, the queue line is gorgeous. The not so pretty thing is the wait times that are up too and even over 180 minutes. As much as I love the ride (my favorite out of any park) I just can't justify being in a line that long. If it was closing forever, sure, but if I can get a fast pass. No.
Na'vi River Journey: I admit I have an Avatar bias. I love the move, so both rides suck me in big time. It seems like a lot of people aren't huge fans of this ride due to the relatively short length and long wait times. That's something I never really understood as Peter Pan's Flight is shorter and often has a long line... Whatever... Na'vi River Journey is a gorgeous ride that makes you feel like you are drifting down a river on Pandora. The shaman animatronic at the end of the ride is beyond incredible as well as is one of the most life-like machines I have ever seen. If I cannot get a Flight of Passage fast pass and am not opening the park, this is a Must Do.
Dinosaur: Alright this one is probably not on the list of a lot of people, but I love Dinosaur. Yes the movie is flawed. Yes the ride is rough, and for kids it can be straight out terrifying, but for me whose favorite movies start with the words Jurassic Park.... You get where I'm going. This ride kind of falls into the Haunted Mansion realm of sometimes it has a long wait, other times it doesn't. More often than not when I have had a fast pass for this ride I have not regretted it by seeing a 15 minute wait.
Animal Kingdom has a few other attractions that for me are not Must Do when it comes to fast passes, but are pretty borderline on it. The park does have a tier system for fast passes, but everything with the exception of Flight of Passage and Na'vi River Journey are tier 2.
So there you have it. My Must Do fast pass selections at each park. Keep in mind these are just my personal fast pass targets and are not scientifically proven to be the best options in the parks. The next entry in this series is going to be rides that I feel are "Worth It" when booking fast passes. Thanks as always for reading and let me know what your Must Do fast pass rides are :). Stay tuned for the next blog coming real soon!
Wednesday, January 8, 2020
2020 Blog Update
Hello readers! This was not what I had originally planned on being my next blog, but it is a blog that I kind of feel is overdue. You may have noticed that there was a big gap between blogs from October really till the new year. There were many reasons for that happening including me going through some personal things, but I have since returned and kind of taken off with a couple multi part blogs. So where are we and where do I see us going here is the ultimate question.
I started this blog in March of last year with the idea that I would be keeping up with the latest Disney news and giving my thoughts on the latest happenings on the Disney Parks. I eventually added Six Flags Great Adventure to the mix as it is my home park. So all of that was last year. This year I'd like to do things a little differently. For one expect to see more multi-part blogs coming out. The reason I am splitting blogs up lately is two fold. For one, I feel like it is easier on the reader. I know that reading a massive wall of text no matter how interesting can only hold my attention for so long, so I hope that breaking longer blogs into parts will make things a bit easier and in some cases like my recent transportation blogs, more organized for people looking for information. The second reason is it will allow me to get more blogs out for you to read. I'm pretty fast at typing, but when I have so many thoughts in my head to organize, even shorter blogs can take a while to type up (like this one), so trying to not cram all my thoughts on a topic into a single blog will allow me to get my thoughts out there faster.
As far as content goes I'll still be reacting to Disney Park news as I see fit. So many other news sites are already out there and that is not what I want this to be. That said any time anything big happens in regards to the parks I'm sure I'll be reacting to it on here. I also plan on expanding into talking about some of my favorite Disney movies (animated or live action). You may have noticed I've already started doing this with my recent Star Wars blogs. You may have also noticed that I have started talking about Disney video games. This is something that is new to the blog this year. I am a big time gamer and I have played a large number of Disney games, so I'd like to share my feelings on those with you all too. I understand that not everyone is a fan of video games, but these blogs will not be "review" blogs, more of what I like and dislike about them blogs, similar to what I did in my recent Star Wars video game blog.
Additional content that I plan on exploring for 2020 is more review blogs from Six Flags Great Adventure. As I mentioned earlier, this is my home park. I live close enough to the park that I am able to go and give updates as I see them. This is something that I would love to do with the Disney Parks, but am way to far away to do. These blog posts will be reviews, but as far as news goes regarding the park, I don't expect to post much unless there is a major ride opening or something like that. I also will not be blogging about any other Six Flags park while I will be blogging about the Disney Parks around the world as I feel. I've never been to any of them, but sometimes we get some pretty awesome news about them that I am going to want to react to.
So that's the plan for 2020. More multi part blogs, expanding to other forms of Disney media in the form of video games and movies, more Disney Parks related blogs, and more Six Flags Great Adventure reviews. Thank you all for hanging around and sticking with me through 2019. It was an absolute roller coaster of a year (though it had nothing to do with Aerosmith, but now I am ready to get blogs out more regularly and hopefully give you something entertaining and informative to read in your spare time. Thank you again as always and expect the next blog real soon!
I started this blog in March of last year with the idea that I would be keeping up with the latest Disney news and giving my thoughts on the latest happenings on the Disney Parks. I eventually added Six Flags Great Adventure to the mix as it is my home park. So all of that was last year. This year I'd like to do things a little differently. For one expect to see more multi-part blogs coming out. The reason I am splitting blogs up lately is two fold. For one, I feel like it is easier on the reader. I know that reading a massive wall of text no matter how interesting can only hold my attention for so long, so I hope that breaking longer blogs into parts will make things a bit easier and in some cases like my recent transportation blogs, more organized for people looking for information. The second reason is it will allow me to get more blogs out for you to read. I'm pretty fast at typing, but when I have so many thoughts in my head to organize, even shorter blogs can take a while to type up (like this one), so trying to not cram all my thoughts on a topic into a single blog will allow me to get my thoughts out there faster.
As far as content goes I'll still be reacting to Disney Park news as I see fit. So many other news sites are already out there and that is not what I want this to be. That said any time anything big happens in regards to the parks I'm sure I'll be reacting to it on here. I also plan on expanding into talking about some of my favorite Disney movies (animated or live action). You may have noticed I've already started doing this with my recent Star Wars blogs. You may have also noticed that I have started talking about Disney video games. This is something that is new to the blog this year. I am a big time gamer and I have played a large number of Disney games, so I'd like to share my feelings on those with you all too. I understand that not everyone is a fan of video games, but these blogs will not be "review" blogs, more of what I like and dislike about them blogs, similar to what I did in my recent Star Wars video game blog.
Additional content that I plan on exploring for 2020 is more review blogs from Six Flags Great Adventure. As I mentioned earlier, this is my home park. I live close enough to the park that I am able to go and give updates as I see them. This is something that I would love to do with the Disney Parks, but am way to far away to do. These blog posts will be reviews, but as far as news goes regarding the park, I don't expect to post much unless there is a major ride opening or something like that. I also will not be blogging about any other Six Flags park while I will be blogging about the Disney Parks around the world as I feel. I've never been to any of them, but sometimes we get some pretty awesome news about them that I am going to want to react to.
So that's the plan for 2020. More multi part blogs, expanding to other forms of Disney media in the form of video games and movies, more Disney Parks related blogs, and more Six Flags Great Adventure reviews. Thank you all for hanging around and sticking with me through 2019. It was an absolute roller coaster of a year (though it had nothing to do with Aerosmith, but now I am ready to get blogs out more regularly and hopefully give you something entertaining and informative to read in your spare time. Thank you again as always and expect the next blog real soon!
Getting Around Walt Disney World Part 2: By Land, Sea, and Air
Welcome back to Getting Around Walt Disney World. This blog along with my last blog contains information on the Disney Transportation System as well as my thoughts on the forms of transportation. Since I use the buses so frequently I also included some personal stories in the last blog. As always the views in these blogs are mine and mine alone. This does not make them wrong or right, but I hope you can find them interesting and some of the facts in this blog helpful.
While the buses are the most easily accessible mode of transportation for most resort guests there are alternatives for others that can take you to and from parks and other resorts. All of these additional modes of transportation are free to all guests of Walt Disney World so you don't have to worry about paying for them. Again, only the minni-van service comes as an additional fee when it comes to transportation.
When it comes to ground transportation, there is one other mode besides the buses and mini-vans that you can use to get around. Now, bear with me here, but the mode I am speaking of is by foot. Certain parts of the Walt Disney World Resort are within walking distance of each other, which to be honest has saved me a bunch of time in a day. There are several resorts that are within walking distance of one another. For example, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort are literally across a lake from one another and there is a bridge connecting the two. In addition the three All Stars resorts are all within walking distance from one another. I used this to my advantage as on one trip my room at All-Star Movies actually ended up being closer to All-Star Music's bus stop. It was a neat little shortcut that I used for pretty much the entire trip. It felt kinda weird because I ended up using All-Star Music for pretty much anything I needed food and drink wise too because it was just closer than the lobby of the resort I was staying at.
In addition to some resorts being within walking distance to one another, some resorts are within walking distance to the theme parks. Disney's Contemporary Resort is literally right next door to the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Polynesian Resort is and soon Disney's Grand Floridian Resort will also be in walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. My absolute favorite walk though is the walk from EPCOT to Hollwood Studios and everything that comes with it. Yes readers, it is very possible to walk from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT or vice versa. The length of the walk is just about 1 mile, but the amount of things you pass on the way will make you think you walked a whole lot more than that. Say you are leaving from EPCOT. You would take the park exit by the France Pavilion in the World Showcase and walk until you come to a fork in the road. Take the fork to the right and the walk is longer as you pass by the Beach and Yacht Club Resort. To the left is Disney's Boardwalk Resort which is a whole lot of fun to walk through. Along the way you'll pass traditional boardwalk shops and an ice cream parlor. You may also see some boardwalk style entertainment and activities going on as well. Next you'll come to a canal which you will follow all the way to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Across the way from you will be the Swan and Dolphin Resort and eventually Hollywood Studios itself. It's a great walk with a lot of really great scenery. It can be hot if you do it in the middle of the day though, so plan accordingly.
Did I mention a canal? I thought so. The canal that you walk along serves a very important purpose other than moving water. That canal is also part of the Disney Transportation System. Boats are another way to get around Walt Disney World Resort. Ferries depart from a few locations throughout the day and offer a very relaxing alternative to the often hectic buses. The largest ferries run from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom. These are massive ferries that can carry hundreds of people at a time. They need to be as there is nothing like a post fireworks crowd at the Magic Kingdom transportation stops. It's a pretty quick ride considering the size of the boat you are on. I do advise though trying to be either the first or towards last off the boat. It can get crazy with everyone trying to get off the boat at the same time.
While the buses are the most easily accessible mode of transportation for most resort guests there are alternatives for others that can take you to and from parks and other resorts. All of these additional modes of transportation are free to all guests of Walt Disney World so you don't have to worry about paying for them. Again, only the minni-van service comes as an additional fee when it comes to transportation.
When it comes to ground transportation, there is one other mode besides the buses and mini-vans that you can use to get around. Now, bear with me here, but the mode I am speaking of is by foot. Certain parts of the Walt Disney World Resort are within walking distance of each other, which to be honest has saved me a bunch of time in a day. There are several resorts that are within walking distance of one another. For example, Disney's Pop Century Resort and Disney's Art of Animation Resort are literally across a lake from one another and there is a bridge connecting the two. In addition the three All Stars resorts are all within walking distance from one another. I used this to my advantage as on one trip my room at All-Star Movies actually ended up being closer to All-Star Music's bus stop. It was a neat little shortcut that I used for pretty much the entire trip. It felt kinda weird because I ended up using All-Star Music for pretty much anything I needed food and drink wise too because it was just closer than the lobby of the resort I was staying at.
In addition to some resorts being within walking distance to one another, some resorts are within walking distance to the theme parks. Disney's Contemporary Resort is literally right next door to the Magic Kingdom. Disney's Polynesian Resort is and soon Disney's Grand Floridian Resort will also be in walking distance to the Magic Kingdom. My absolute favorite walk though is the walk from EPCOT to Hollwood Studios and everything that comes with it. Yes readers, it is very possible to walk from Hollywood Studios to EPCOT or vice versa. The length of the walk is just about 1 mile, but the amount of things you pass on the way will make you think you walked a whole lot more than that. Say you are leaving from EPCOT. You would take the park exit by the France Pavilion in the World Showcase and walk until you come to a fork in the road. Take the fork to the right and the walk is longer as you pass by the Beach and Yacht Club Resort. To the left is Disney's Boardwalk Resort which is a whole lot of fun to walk through. Along the way you'll pass traditional boardwalk shops and an ice cream parlor. You may also see some boardwalk style entertainment and activities going on as well. Next you'll come to a canal which you will follow all the way to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Across the way from you will be the Swan and Dolphin Resort and eventually Hollywood Studios itself. It's a great walk with a lot of really great scenery. It can be hot if you do it in the middle of the day though, so plan accordingly.
Did I mention a canal? I thought so. The canal that you walk along serves a very important purpose other than moving water. That canal is also part of the Disney Transportation System. Boats are another way to get around Walt Disney World Resort. Ferries depart from a few locations throughout the day and offer a very relaxing alternative to the often hectic buses. The largest ferries run from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom. These are massive ferries that can carry hundreds of people at a time. They need to be as there is nothing like a post fireworks crowd at the Magic Kingdom transportation stops. It's a pretty quick ride considering the size of the boat you are on. I do advise though trying to be either the first or towards last off the boat. It can get crazy with everyone trying to get off the boat at the same time.
If you are staying at a Walt Disney World resort you may not need to take this ferry at any point as it only goes to the Ticket and Transportation Center. I only took it for the first time on my most recent trip as I wanted to use as many means of transportation on the trip as possible. The big ferry is not the only ferry though. Inside of EPCOT you will find ferries that will transport you across the World Showcase. These small ferries offer seating and are a very relaxing ride. This same type of ferry also has a route that extends from EPCOT to Hollywood Studios. Should you board the ferry at the International Gateway by the France Pavilion you will take a trip to Hollywood Studios that includes stops at Disney's Beach and Yacht Club, Disney's Boardwalk Resort, the Swan and Dolphin Resort, and finally Disney's Hollywood Studios. The boat path nearly mirrors that of the walking path, so it is much more relaxing. Overall I am not sure if it is any faster than walking. Honestly because of the stops and depending on how long it takes to load and unload the ferry, walking may be faster. Either way I highly recommend doing this mode at least once because it is very relaxing and sometimes you may even get a skipper that will give you some information on the resorts you stop at.
The final way to get around Walt Disney World is through the air! There are two different modes of sky transportation at Walt Disney World. The first is the classic monorail system. There are a few monorail lines that currently operate on the property. The EPCOT Line is pretty easy to follow. It runs from the Ticket and Transportation Center to EPCOT. The Express Line runs from the Ticket and Transportation Center to the Magic Kingdom. The Resort Line includes five stops. The stops are the Ticket and Transportation Center, Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Village Resort, Contemporary Resort, and the Magic Kingdom. While the monorails are really cool to ride in and offer some great views, especially the EPCOT line which goes over a good chunk of the park, I find the monorails to be one of the least reliable modes of transportation. I've had several not bad, but not good experiences involving breakdowns and delays. Fortunately none of the ones I've been on have broken down mid ride, but one time I was stuck just past the Grand Floridian for a solid half hour because another train broke down on the line. There is ongoing construction right now on the monorail lines so be wary of modified operating schedules with it as well.
The final mode of transportation at Walt Disney World is brand new and that is the Disney Skyliner. Personally I cannot tell you anything about my experiences on it because I don't have any yet. The skyliner opened just a few months ago, so while I have seen it, I have not ridden it. What I can tell you is that the Disney Skyliner runs from the Pop Century/Art of Animation Resorts to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. From there guests will be transported to either Disney's Hollywood Studios or Disney's Riviera Resort. From the Riviera Resort guests will be able to travel to EPCOT. I've heard a lot of good and bad things about the skyliner, so I can really say is experience it for yourself before making a judgment. Yes it has had some technical issues, but there are also countless reports that it is the absolute best way to get around the EPCOT/Hollywood Studios area. As a result of the skyliner opening, bus transportation at all the resorts listed above see reduced service. Where buses normally arrive every 20 minutes, buses at these locations for EPCOT and Hollywood Studios arrive every 60 minutes. Disney is really pushing for guests to use the skyliner to get around this portion of the property and as long as it's working, I don't see the harm in that at all.
So there you have it. The various ways to get yourself around Walt Disney World. For me the buses remain the easiest to use and while sometimes they are delayed it sure beats driving. The ferries between EPCOT and Hollywood Studios are by far the most relaxing mode of transportation, but the trip can be a bit long depending on how the stops go. Getting around on foot is never a bad option when available, but Disney World is host to a massive amount of walking already so it is nice to get off your feet for a bit. The monorail gets you from place to place really fast, but suffers from mechanical issues frequently and when I say it can get crowded. I mean it can get really really crowded, especially at night. The skyliner is apparently super efficient and offers great views, but is still working out some kinks in the system and does not operate in poor weather conditions.
All of them have their ups and downs, so really it is up to you to form your own thoughts and strategies for getting around. Whatever the case, it all sure beats having to worry about driving and parking at the parks or Disney Springs for that matter. Thank you all for joining me on this look at the Walt Disney World Transportation System! Stay tuned as the next blog will be coming real soon!
Getting Around Walt Disney World Part 1: On Wheels
Hey everyone and thanks as always for checking out my blog! Today's topic is on getting around the Walt Disney World Resort and some of my experiences (good and bad) in doing so. Of course by getting around I am talking about the Walt Disney World Transportation System as well as Disney's Magical Express. As I always like to start these blogs, these are my opinions on the topic and are not necessary right or wrong in the grand scheme of things, but they are my thoughts on the matter at hand.
When you arrive at the Orlando International Airport (MCO as I will call it for the rest of the blog and part 2 of this blog) Disney offers free transportation to your Walt Disney Resort Hotel. This free service does need to be booked in advance. The service also includes free baggage pickup and delivery straight to your hotel room. The way that the Disney's Magical Express is set up in the airport is by resort, or sometimes a couple resorts. You stand on line and await your turn to board the bus. For me it is the peak of the hype on my way to Walt Disney World. The buses themselves are pretty nice looking on the outside and on the inside definitely give you that Disney feel. While waiting for the bus to depart a bunch of Disney trivia about popular characters as well as the parks themselves will play on the TV screens. It's a fun way to pass the time and learn a thing or two before departing. Once the motorcoach leaves it takes in my experience 40-50 minutes to get to your resort the real fun begins.
I've had a different experience each time I've taken the Magical Express. I've had a bus driver tell terrible jokes, I've had one say nothing, I've had one give a bit of a tour/history of the area as we drove, and I've had one do some trivia. I'm the type of person that likes to tip so I definitely tipped the drivers not only for the ride, but for the entertainment as well. Also on board the bus is a 20ish minute video that acts as an all out hype video for Walt Disney World. The video talks about the different parks, some food options, Disney Springs, and other things to get your mind going with all the things there is to do. After the video the TVs run some classic and not so classic Mickey Mouse cartoons to keep you entertained while you ride.
Your magical journey ends with the arrival at your resort. Here is where I was caught off guard with one thing regarding this service on my first time using the service. This is advertised on the Magical Express section of the Walt Disney World website, so it was totally my fault that this happened. While Disney does pick up and deliver your luggage, they are doing the same with pretty much everyone else. This means that your luggage is NOT loaded onto your Magical Express bus. Your bags will normally arrive a few hours after you arrive. Keep that in mind if you plan on going into the parks or are arriving later in the evening. You may want to pack some stuff in your carry on to get through that layover, otherwise you'll be like me wandering around your resort in a sweatshirt and jeans. Also important to note is that the baggage service does not operate from 10pm to 5am so you will need to get your luggage when you land.
The day before you head back to MCO you will get a letter on your door. It is officially the saddest letter on Earth. It is the Magical Express letter detailing what you need to do before departing your resort. Disney offers complementary airline check in with participating airlines, so it is highly suggested that you take advantage of that. The morning of, they also offer bag check for certain airlines right at the resort. This makes getting your check bags out of the way super easy. If you have a later flight, still get to baggage check as early as possible the day you leave because it is only open in the morning for checking bags. Once you board the Magical Express to MCO you will watch the saddest video on Earth which encourages you to return and features Mickey and the gang wishing you a fond farewell.
After the Magical Express drops you off at your resort, the world of the Disney Transportation System is at your disposal largely free of charge. The buses, monorails, skyliner, and ferry boats are all free of charge. The minnie-van service however acts as an taxi around Walt Disney World. It's a nice private way to get around compared to the other modes of transportation, but it does come at a price per ride. Personally I have zero experience with this service so I cannot speak to whether or not it is worth it. As with any transportation pretty much anywhere I've heard both good and bad things.
My most frequented mode of travel at Walt Disney World is the buses. Boy oh boy do I have some stories from these buses. Some are good, some are bad. At the end of the day remember this. You are in Walt Disney World with a ton of other people coming and going to and from the same places. The buses will be crowded at times, sometimes jam packed even, but you are in Disney and not at home. Up until pretty much two days ago, buses ran from all resorts to all parks every 20 minutes. The changes to this are now the resorts that feature a Disney Skyliner station. Buses now depart from those resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios every hour. Other parks are still every 20 minutes.
There is no direct resort to resort bus line. In order to go from one resort to another via bus, you will need to stop at a park or Disney Springs. That is something to really keep in mind if you have dining reservations at another resort. I also suggest leaving ample time to get from one place to another. While the buses are slated to depart every 20 minutes delays do happen. Traffic, breakdowns, and other factors can cause a bus to run late. If I am going from one resort to another I try to leave as much time as possible to get from one resort to the other just in case that 20 minute wait becomes a 40 minute wait for some reason. I've only had that happen a couple of times out of the many that I've used the buses. One final note of the scheduling is that normally buses will run 1 hour before and 1 hour after a park has closed (no they will not leave you stranded in a bus line after the park closes)
These buses are very different than the ones of the Magical Express. There is much less seating, but there is a lot of standing room. They are actually quite reminiscent of a small bus that you would see in a city. The buses are also handicap accessible with a fold down ramp allowing wheel chairs and guest who cannot easily step onto the bus an easy access point.There are a few different designs to the buses. One is a visibly older model, the other is pretty much the same bus, but with some additional seating. The other two though are pretty cool. The first of these is the double bus. No it's not a double decker, but it is double long. It allows for a super large amount of people to get on. It's always a sigh of relief when one of these pull up because it's normally a pretty safe bet that you'll get on it or at least one of the next buses if by some chance it fills before you get on. The final bus is the newest and I call them the wrapped buses. These buses started showing up last year and are wrapped with different characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to Figment to characters from Avatar. The inside of these buses feature sparkling floors and seats have USB charging ports on the back of them. I got to ride one of these a couple times and it felt pretty cool to ride in and just looked more Disney than the other buses.
None of the bus rides are overly long. The longest I believe would be for guests staying at the All-Star Movies Resort heading to or from the Magic Kingdom. That ride is usually a solid 15-20 minute ride without traffic and hitting traffic lights. Other rides like Pop Century to Hollywood Studios are super short. You may want to keep distance in mind if your feet or back are really hurting. Standing on a full bus is not the best experience. The good news is you can always let the driver know you want to wait for the next one. This can be a good tactic after firework shows as normally a bus will show up every few minutes due to the very large amount of people trying to get back to their resort. If you were just looking for some information on the bus system, this is where you can stop reading as it is now officially story time!
The first story was on a ride from the All-Star Movies Resort to the Magic Kingdom (yep the long one). It was super early in the morning as I was going for one of the early morning tours so it was me and a couple other families. Strangely enough all but one were also from New Jersey. The bus driver had all kinds of fun with us. We did trivia the whole way, when we got an answer right he'd flash the lights as if it were a cash cab.He also told us to go harass his wife who worked in the Christmas shop in Liberty Square. Since there was only a few of us he started asking where we were all from. He was from Scotland and insisted that all of us from New Jersey were from the Death Star. It was a real fun ride, and honestly one of the most memorable and certainly fastest from All-Star Movies to Magic Kingdom.
Next we take you on a trip back to Disney's Art of Animation Resort from the Magic Kingdom following Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. To set the scene here keep in mind that the party ended at midnight and I stayed in the park close to an hour after that as the mass crowd exited. The bus was pretty full and chock full of kids that were super super hyped up on all kinds of Not So Scary Halloween Party sugar. The entire ride was filled with basically the whole bus singing Baby Shark the whole way. The Disney bed never felt so good after that splitting headache I got.
Another fun story was running into the same family on the way from Art of Animation to Disney's Animal Kingdom and then from there to Disney's Hollywood Studios. One of the cool things about the morning buses is that they tend to be less crowded than the night buses. On the way to Animal Kingdom I got to chatting with a family from Australia. They were visiting for the first time and were going to try to get on Flight of Passage. I was doing the same thing and had done it a few times prior so I was able to answer questions about the ride and the kids seemed really excited. They also asked about shows and I directed them specifically to check out Festival of the Lion King. Funny enough we ended up on the same bus to Hollywood Studios later in the day and I got to hear all about their adventures and how much they loved Festival of the Lion King and how awesome Flight of Passage was. I was so glad that they enjoyed themselves and apparently got into pin trading in the park which led to a whole additional conversation after talking about Toy Story Land which the kids were o so hyped for. I really do hope that family enjoyed the rest of their trip.
Real short story. So EPCOT's old bus loop had virtually no shade for many of the resorts. At one point I was trying to go from EPCOT to Animal Kingdom and it was blazing hot out. So I'm sitting there baking away and a group of dance students (dance weekend... woohoo...) join the line. Well after about 30 minutes of no bus they begin singing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid, only they changed the lyrics to longing for a bus. Was actually pretty funny and wouldn't you know it, a bus showed up halfway though.
One final story is probably my worst moments on a Disney bus. It was another late night ride from Magic Kingdom to All-Star Movies Resort. I was fortunate enough to grab a seat (bus wasn't overly full for once). The unfortunate part was the person next to me fell asleep and while sleeping ended up using my shoulder as a pillow. Mind you this was one of my first late night Disney bus experiences and I am NOT one to enjoy random people touching me in any form so I was internally freaking the whole ride back. Not only was I drooled on , but when the person woke up I didn't even get a sorry or a thanks for being my pillow or anything. So I did the only thing a person internally screaming could do. Went to the food court and ordered the largest ice cream sundae they had and stuffed my face. Then burned off all my skin (not really) in the shower.
Whew that was a lot. If you read all of that, thank you so much! I hope you find at least one of those little stories amusing or interesting. The real point is, you never know what is going to happen on a Disney bus ride. It is still my preferred method of transportation through the majority of the property, but there are still plenty of other ways to get around the Walt Disney World Resort and I will be covering those next time! Thanks again for reading and expect a new post real soon!
When you arrive at the Orlando International Airport (MCO as I will call it for the rest of the blog and part 2 of this blog) Disney offers free transportation to your Walt Disney Resort Hotel. This free service does need to be booked in advance. The service also includes free baggage pickup and delivery straight to your hotel room. The way that the Disney's Magical Express is set up in the airport is by resort, or sometimes a couple resorts. You stand on line and await your turn to board the bus. For me it is the peak of the hype on my way to Walt Disney World. The buses themselves are pretty nice looking on the outside and on the inside definitely give you that Disney feel. While waiting for the bus to depart a bunch of Disney trivia about popular characters as well as the parks themselves will play on the TV screens. It's a fun way to pass the time and learn a thing or two before departing. Once the motorcoach leaves it takes in my experience 40-50 minutes to get to your resort the real fun begins.
I've had a different experience each time I've taken the Magical Express. I've had a bus driver tell terrible jokes, I've had one say nothing, I've had one give a bit of a tour/history of the area as we drove, and I've had one do some trivia. I'm the type of person that likes to tip so I definitely tipped the drivers not only for the ride, but for the entertainment as well. Also on board the bus is a 20ish minute video that acts as an all out hype video for Walt Disney World. The video talks about the different parks, some food options, Disney Springs, and other things to get your mind going with all the things there is to do. After the video the TVs run some classic and not so classic Mickey Mouse cartoons to keep you entertained while you ride.
Your magical journey ends with the arrival at your resort. Here is where I was caught off guard with one thing regarding this service on my first time using the service. This is advertised on the Magical Express section of the Walt Disney World website, so it was totally my fault that this happened. While Disney does pick up and deliver your luggage, they are doing the same with pretty much everyone else. This means that your luggage is NOT loaded onto your Magical Express bus. Your bags will normally arrive a few hours after you arrive. Keep that in mind if you plan on going into the parks or are arriving later in the evening. You may want to pack some stuff in your carry on to get through that layover, otherwise you'll be like me wandering around your resort in a sweatshirt and jeans. Also important to note is that the baggage service does not operate from 10pm to 5am so you will need to get your luggage when you land.
The day before you head back to MCO you will get a letter on your door. It is officially the saddest letter on Earth. It is the Magical Express letter detailing what you need to do before departing your resort. Disney offers complementary airline check in with participating airlines, so it is highly suggested that you take advantage of that. The morning of, they also offer bag check for certain airlines right at the resort. This makes getting your check bags out of the way super easy. If you have a later flight, still get to baggage check as early as possible the day you leave because it is only open in the morning for checking bags. Once you board the Magical Express to MCO you will watch the saddest video on Earth which encourages you to return and features Mickey and the gang wishing you a fond farewell.
After the Magical Express drops you off at your resort, the world of the Disney Transportation System is at your disposal largely free of charge. The buses, monorails, skyliner, and ferry boats are all free of charge. The minnie-van service however acts as an taxi around Walt Disney World. It's a nice private way to get around compared to the other modes of transportation, but it does come at a price per ride. Personally I have zero experience with this service so I cannot speak to whether or not it is worth it. As with any transportation pretty much anywhere I've heard both good and bad things.
My most frequented mode of travel at Walt Disney World is the buses. Boy oh boy do I have some stories from these buses. Some are good, some are bad. At the end of the day remember this. You are in Walt Disney World with a ton of other people coming and going to and from the same places. The buses will be crowded at times, sometimes jam packed even, but you are in Disney and not at home. Up until pretty much two days ago, buses ran from all resorts to all parks every 20 minutes. The changes to this are now the resorts that feature a Disney Skyliner station. Buses now depart from those resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios every hour. Other parks are still every 20 minutes.
There is no direct resort to resort bus line. In order to go from one resort to another via bus, you will need to stop at a park or Disney Springs. That is something to really keep in mind if you have dining reservations at another resort. I also suggest leaving ample time to get from one place to another. While the buses are slated to depart every 20 minutes delays do happen. Traffic, breakdowns, and other factors can cause a bus to run late. If I am going from one resort to another I try to leave as much time as possible to get from one resort to the other just in case that 20 minute wait becomes a 40 minute wait for some reason. I've only had that happen a couple of times out of the many that I've used the buses. One final note of the scheduling is that normally buses will run 1 hour before and 1 hour after a park has closed (no they will not leave you stranded in a bus line after the park closes)
These buses are very different than the ones of the Magical Express. There is much less seating, but there is a lot of standing room. They are actually quite reminiscent of a small bus that you would see in a city. The buses are also handicap accessible with a fold down ramp allowing wheel chairs and guest who cannot easily step onto the bus an easy access point.There are a few different designs to the buses. One is a visibly older model, the other is pretty much the same bus, but with some additional seating. The other two though are pretty cool. The first of these is the double bus. No it's not a double decker, but it is double long. It allows for a super large amount of people to get on. It's always a sigh of relief when one of these pull up because it's normally a pretty safe bet that you'll get on it or at least one of the next buses if by some chance it fills before you get on. The final bus is the newest and I call them the wrapped buses. These buses started showing up last year and are wrapped with different characters ranging from Mickey Mouse to Figment to characters from Avatar. The inside of these buses feature sparkling floors and seats have USB charging ports on the back of them. I got to ride one of these a couple times and it felt pretty cool to ride in and just looked more Disney than the other buses.
None of the bus rides are overly long. The longest I believe would be for guests staying at the All-Star Movies Resort heading to or from the Magic Kingdom. That ride is usually a solid 15-20 minute ride without traffic and hitting traffic lights. Other rides like Pop Century to Hollywood Studios are super short. You may want to keep distance in mind if your feet or back are really hurting. Standing on a full bus is not the best experience. The good news is you can always let the driver know you want to wait for the next one. This can be a good tactic after firework shows as normally a bus will show up every few minutes due to the very large amount of people trying to get back to their resort. If you were just looking for some information on the bus system, this is where you can stop reading as it is now officially story time!
The first story was on a ride from the All-Star Movies Resort to the Magic Kingdom (yep the long one). It was super early in the morning as I was going for one of the early morning tours so it was me and a couple other families. Strangely enough all but one were also from New Jersey. The bus driver had all kinds of fun with us. We did trivia the whole way, when we got an answer right he'd flash the lights as if it were a cash cab.He also told us to go harass his wife who worked in the Christmas shop in Liberty Square. Since there was only a few of us he started asking where we were all from. He was from Scotland and insisted that all of us from New Jersey were from the Death Star. It was a real fun ride, and honestly one of the most memorable and certainly fastest from All-Star Movies to Magic Kingdom.
Next we take you on a trip back to Disney's Art of Animation Resort from the Magic Kingdom following Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party. To set the scene here keep in mind that the party ended at midnight and I stayed in the park close to an hour after that as the mass crowd exited. The bus was pretty full and chock full of kids that were super super hyped up on all kinds of Not So Scary Halloween Party sugar. The entire ride was filled with basically the whole bus singing Baby Shark the whole way. The Disney bed never felt so good after that splitting headache I got.
Another fun story was running into the same family on the way from Art of Animation to Disney's Animal Kingdom and then from there to Disney's Hollywood Studios. One of the cool things about the morning buses is that they tend to be less crowded than the night buses. On the way to Animal Kingdom I got to chatting with a family from Australia. They were visiting for the first time and were going to try to get on Flight of Passage. I was doing the same thing and had done it a few times prior so I was able to answer questions about the ride and the kids seemed really excited. They also asked about shows and I directed them specifically to check out Festival of the Lion King. Funny enough we ended up on the same bus to Hollywood Studios later in the day and I got to hear all about their adventures and how much they loved Festival of the Lion King and how awesome Flight of Passage was. I was so glad that they enjoyed themselves and apparently got into pin trading in the park which led to a whole additional conversation after talking about Toy Story Land which the kids were o so hyped for. I really do hope that family enjoyed the rest of their trip.
Real short story. So EPCOT's old bus loop had virtually no shade for many of the resorts. At one point I was trying to go from EPCOT to Animal Kingdom and it was blazing hot out. So I'm sitting there baking away and a group of dance students (dance weekend... woohoo...) join the line. Well after about 30 minutes of no bus they begin singing Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid, only they changed the lyrics to longing for a bus. Was actually pretty funny and wouldn't you know it, a bus showed up halfway though.
One final story is probably my worst moments on a Disney bus. It was another late night ride from Magic Kingdom to All-Star Movies Resort. I was fortunate enough to grab a seat (bus wasn't overly full for once). The unfortunate part was the person next to me fell asleep and while sleeping ended up using my shoulder as a pillow. Mind you this was one of my first late night Disney bus experiences and I am NOT one to enjoy random people touching me in any form so I was internally freaking the whole ride back. Not only was I drooled on , but when the person woke up I didn't even get a sorry or a thanks for being my pillow or anything. So I did the only thing a person internally screaming could do. Went to the food court and ordered the largest ice cream sundae they had and stuffed my face. Then burned off all my skin (not really) in the shower.
Whew that was a lot. If you read all of that, thank you so much! I hope you find at least one of those little stories amusing or interesting. The real point is, you never know what is going to happen on a Disney bus ride. It is still my preferred method of transportation through the majority of the property, but there are still plenty of other ways to get around the Walt Disney World Resort and I will be covering those next time! Thanks again for reading and expect a new post real soon!
Monday, January 6, 2020
Star Wars Fun Episode II: The Attack of the Games
The three movies that remain in the hearts, minds, and souls of the vast majority of Star Wars fans are the original trilogy. Both the prequels and sequels have their defenders and attackers, but one thing is pretty much widely agreed upon by most Star Wars fans. The original trilogy delivers the best of the Star Wars experience. However, it wasn't just movies that ate up our time. Books, comics, and video games all got in on the action and one of those things is what I want to focus a bit on today.
Welcome back everyone to my thoughts on the Star Wars franchise. If you missed my last blog which focused on the prequel movies, feel free to click the link on the sidebar. This series of blogs is going to be highlighting some of my thoughts and experiences on Star Wars throughout the years. Spoilers of all kinds can be found here, so if you are familiar or just do not care about spoilers to movies, games, etc., then read on! As always the opinions in this blog are my personal opinions and are neither right nor wrong as they are just opinions on a sci-fi galaxy.
After it's massive fan reception and exploding popularity, it was inevitable that Star Wars was going to invade the video game market. Since days of the Atari 2600 Star Wars has been a main stay on nearly every home video game console as well as on PC. Even arcades and pinball machines got in on the Star Wars action. It continues to this day to be an incredibly well selling series of video games. Star Wars has become so big in video games that it has nearly stretched through every genre. There are games that are flight simulators, first person shooters, third person shooters, run and gun platformers, racing, vehicle combat, fighting, role playing games (RPGs), real time strategy (RTS), massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), action/adventure games, dance, and honestly the list can go on and on. The point is, the video game industry has exploded with Star Wars content. It would take me forever to blog about all of them and frankly, I haven't played a lot of them. So today I am going to focus on the games that take place during the Galactic Civil War. This means that the games I am looking at today take place during or in-between episodes IV, V, and VI. This is not going to be a video game review blog, so I will be talking about the games that I have enough experience with to talk about.
Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Fun Fact. I own a lot of Super Nintendo games. Of all the games I own I have to say that the Super Star Wars trilogy are some of the hardest games I own. They are also some of the better games I own on the console. All three games follow the plots of their respective movies, though some scenes are altered to fit a run and gun platforming game. One perfect example of this is in Super Return of the Jedi, Luke has to fight his way to Emperor Palpatine as opposed to just going to the Emperor. The games stick out to me not just because of their difficulty, but for their creativity. Boss battles are extremely creative. An example of this is Luke fighting the deadliest Imperial Probe Droid the galaxy has ever seen in Super Empire Strikes Back as well as the Habogad (a monster living in the swamps of Dagobah). Other bosses are more expected like Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Jabba the Hutt, and a rancor. All of the battles are tough, but a lot of fun.
The music in the games are great. Many classic Star Wars tunes can be heard in 16 bit and really a lot of them sound pretty good. I also found it great that you can play as multiple characters. Throughout the games you get the chance to play as Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca. All of the characters have different moves and abilities that only expand as you get more into the games (Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi in particular). Overall I found these games to be a huge upgrade from the Nintendo Entertainment System's batch of Star Wars games. If you haven't gotten a chance to play them and still happen to have a Supern Nintendo hanging around, pick these games up. They are not all that expensive and if you love the original trilogy and want a good challenge, you do not have to look very far.
In the same year that Super Star Wars: Empire Strikes back came out, another Star Wars game, Star Wars: X-Wing came out on PC. I don't have much experience with it, but the little that I did play left an impression. The game plays similar to old world war II flying simulator games where you dog fight and do other missions. The game was pretty popular and spawned two expansion packs and a sequel, Star Wars: Tie Fighter, which then got two expansions of its own. I just wanted to mention these games are some of the first solid Star Wars PC games that attempted to bring the feel of dogfighting in space into the homes of Star Wars fans everywhere.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Speaking of bringing dogfighting to the homes of Star Wars fans everywhere. Star Wars Rogue Squadron took the idea of bringing the air and space conflict between the Rebellion and Galactic Empire and cranked it up with new state of the art 65 bit graphics. Releasing on the Nintendo 64 I cannot even tell you how many hours I poured into this game. The game itself begins shortly after the destruction of the first death star and largely takes up the gap between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes back. That being said, the death star trench run, and the battle of Hoth are both unlockable missions. The final mission in the game takes place six years after the events of Return of the Jedi, so while the games largely happens between IV and V, there are a few exceptions.
The game's story mode is great with the Rebellion going about completing various missions in the ongoing struggle against the Empire. While Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles are the main two pilots you play as, you'll come across a good amount of other characters, including Imperial turn coats. The number of unique ships you get to pilot is great and eventually you can even play different ships on missions you previously couldn't. For example, the first time playing a level you may be restricted to an X-Wing, later after you've progressed and unlocked enough, you can play as an X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing, or a snow speeder. That's not even all the ships available or unlockable.
While the classic X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing,, and snow speeder make up the bread and butter of the ships you'll play, you can play as several more. The Naboo Starfighter from Episode I is an unlockable ship as is the Millennium Falcon, the new V-Wing, and even a Tie Interceptor. If that isn't enough there are two bonus missions as well that offer unique vehicles. One is racing through Beggar's Canyon in a T-16 Skyhopper and the other is destroying settlements in an AT-ST.
All of these vehicle options kept me so engaged in this game for so long. I even still go back and play this game fairly regularly. It is not overly difficult, but still offers plenty of challenge (especially when flying the super light armored A-Wing and Tie Interceptor). Each mission offers it's own unique challenge and many of them involve defending a target for a while before flipping the switch and attacking. Some instances are intimidating like the first time you see an AT-AT walking around the battlefield and all you have is your little snow speeder... Wait... Well if you've seen the movies you can probably figure out what to do with that...
I really liked that the missions all largely take place between episodes IV and V. For gamers like myself it gave us some insight as to what was going on after the destruction of the death star. We also do get to see rogue squadron in action during the actual Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. This game would end up spawning two sequels on the Nintendo Gamecube. Both of these games would follow a similar format and take place throughout the original trilogy. While both good games, I didn't find myself as hooked on them as a trio of other Star Wars games would be right around the corner. It also didn't help matters that I didn't have a Gamecube until after the sequels were released as I had a Playstation 2 and computer at the time.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Running on the famous Age of Empire II engine, Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds took Star Wars gaming to an all new, but perfect genre for the material, the RTS. Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds takes players through battles and events originally in Episode I, IV, V, and VI. Later when the Clone Campaigns released events and battles from Episode II were added in. Like other RTS games, there are a variety of races you can play as. Royal Naboo, the Wookies, the Gungans, the Trade Federation, The Rebellion, and the Galactic Empire are all playable. The Clone Campaigns added in both the Republic and the Confederacy. Each race has their own units, buildings, and upgrades. It's a game in which you build your army and then control the battle with the various units and abilities at their disposal.
I've always been a fan of these kinds of games and I remember when I first learned of this game that I was super hyped. I always felt that both Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings series would make perfect RTS games and while Lord of the Rings had some success with the Battle for Middle Earth series of games, Star Wars I feel hit the genre perfectly. There is just so much variety in the units, factions, and strategies that the game pretty much never becomes stale. I mean really though, how does having a group of Tie Fighters gunning down a group of Gungans not sound appealing? If you like strategy games, check this one out on Steam.
Star Wars: Empire at War
Speaking of RTS games. Star Wars: Empire at War and it's expansion pack, Forces of Corruption, are in my mind the definitive Star Wars strategy experience. Playing very differently than Galactic Battlegrounds you control either the Galactic Empire or the Rebellion (or the Zann Consortium in Forces of Corruption) in a quest for galactic conquest. Unlike Galactic Battlegrounds, combat takes place in space and on the ground. The main map is a map of the galaxy with a seemingly endless amount of planets to conquer. I mean that too, there are fan made mods of a campaign containing over 140 planets! On top of that there is a mod that changes the entirety of the game into a clone wars game featuring the Republic fighting the Confederacy, but that's a story for a different blog.
The ground battles in the game aren't really anything special and basically equate to a lesser version of what Galactic Battlegrounds has to offer with limited units being on the surface and no way to construct buildings mid battle (outside of some turrets). It's fun, but the real addicting part of the game comes before the ground invasion. In addition to a ground force you need a space force because you cannot land on a planet without first taking out a space station. Each planet can construct a certain level of space station and by the time they are fully upgraded, they are more like space fortresses. The space battles are very well done with both small fighters and large capital ships being under your control. Heck, even the Death Star is at your disposal if you want it to be while playing as the Galactic Empire. Just be careful because Rogue Squadron can take it down...
I've spent a ton of hours on this game and while the struggle between the Rebellion and Empire is certainly center stage, playing as the Zann Consortium can give a different take on the game and put you in control of a bunch of different units, strategies, and abilities acquired by spreading corruption throughout the galaxy. It's also really cool to be able to control both IG-88 and Bossk. That's a pretty neat bonus. This game is on Steam and frequently goes on sale during the big Steam sales, so certainly check it out if you have the means of doing so.
I could go on and on about Star Wars video games and honestly, there are a few more Star Wars video game blogs that I have planned. To wrap up this blog I want to just touch on one game that I still feel like deserves a movie treatment. That game is called Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. It's not a game that I played for a ton of time, but it is one that offers an incredible story and basically plays like a movie. There was also a novel of Shadows of the Empire that released and the game was eventually upgraded a bit and moved to PC. I'm not going to spoil the story at all, but I will say that the game bridges the gap between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Thank you all for reading as always. Stay tuned for plenty more Star Wars and other Disney related content coming real soon!
Welcome back everyone to my thoughts on the Star Wars franchise. If you missed my last blog which focused on the prequel movies, feel free to click the link on the sidebar. This series of blogs is going to be highlighting some of my thoughts and experiences on Star Wars throughout the years. Spoilers of all kinds can be found here, so if you are familiar or just do not care about spoilers to movies, games, etc., then read on! As always the opinions in this blog are my personal opinions and are neither right nor wrong as they are just opinions on a sci-fi galaxy.
After it's massive fan reception and exploding popularity, it was inevitable that Star Wars was going to invade the video game market. Since days of the Atari 2600 Star Wars has been a main stay on nearly every home video game console as well as on PC. Even arcades and pinball machines got in on the Star Wars action. It continues to this day to be an incredibly well selling series of video games. Star Wars has become so big in video games that it has nearly stretched through every genre. There are games that are flight simulators, first person shooters, third person shooters, run and gun platformers, racing, vehicle combat, fighting, role playing games (RPGs), real time strategy (RTS), massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG), action/adventure games, dance, and honestly the list can go on and on. The point is, the video game industry has exploded with Star Wars content. It would take me forever to blog about all of them and frankly, I haven't played a lot of them. So today I am going to focus on the games that take place during the Galactic Civil War. This means that the games I am looking at today take place during or in-between episodes IV, V, and VI. This is not going to be a video game review blog, so I will be talking about the games that I have enough experience with to talk about.
Super Star Wars, Super Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and Super Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Fun Fact. I own a lot of Super Nintendo games. Of all the games I own I have to say that the Super Star Wars trilogy are some of the hardest games I own. They are also some of the better games I own on the console. All three games follow the plots of their respective movies, though some scenes are altered to fit a run and gun platforming game. One perfect example of this is in Super Return of the Jedi, Luke has to fight his way to Emperor Palpatine as opposed to just going to the Emperor. The games stick out to me not just because of their difficulty, but for their creativity. Boss battles are extremely creative. An example of this is Luke fighting the deadliest Imperial Probe Droid the galaxy has ever seen in Super Empire Strikes Back as well as the Habogad (a monster living in the swamps of Dagobah). Other bosses are more expected like Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine, Jabba the Hutt, and a rancor. All of the battles are tough, but a lot of fun.
The music in the games are great. Many classic Star Wars tunes can be heard in 16 bit and really a lot of them sound pretty good. I also found it great that you can play as multiple characters. Throughout the games you get the chance to play as Luke, Han, Leia, and Chewbacca. All of the characters have different moves and abilities that only expand as you get more into the games (Empire Strikes back and Return of the Jedi in particular). Overall I found these games to be a huge upgrade from the Nintendo Entertainment System's batch of Star Wars games. If you haven't gotten a chance to play them and still happen to have a Supern Nintendo hanging around, pick these games up. They are not all that expensive and if you love the original trilogy and want a good challenge, you do not have to look very far.
In the same year that Super Star Wars: Empire Strikes back came out, another Star Wars game, Star Wars: X-Wing came out on PC. I don't have much experience with it, but the little that I did play left an impression. The game plays similar to old world war II flying simulator games where you dog fight and do other missions. The game was pretty popular and spawned two expansion packs and a sequel, Star Wars: Tie Fighter, which then got two expansions of its own. I just wanted to mention these games are some of the first solid Star Wars PC games that attempted to bring the feel of dogfighting in space into the homes of Star Wars fans everywhere.
Star Wars Rogue Squadron
Speaking of bringing dogfighting to the homes of Star Wars fans everywhere. Star Wars Rogue Squadron took the idea of bringing the air and space conflict between the Rebellion and Galactic Empire and cranked it up with new state of the art 65 bit graphics. Releasing on the Nintendo 64 I cannot even tell you how many hours I poured into this game. The game itself begins shortly after the destruction of the first death star and largely takes up the gap between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes back. That being said, the death star trench run, and the battle of Hoth are both unlockable missions. The final mission in the game takes place six years after the events of Return of the Jedi, so while the games largely happens between IV and V, there are a few exceptions.
The game's story mode is great with the Rebellion going about completing various missions in the ongoing struggle against the Empire. While Luke Skywalker and Wedge Antilles are the main two pilots you play as, you'll come across a good amount of other characters, including Imperial turn coats. The number of unique ships you get to pilot is great and eventually you can even play different ships on missions you previously couldn't. For example, the first time playing a level you may be restricted to an X-Wing, later after you've progressed and unlocked enough, you can play as an X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing, or a snow speeder. That's not even all the ships available or unlockable.
While the classic X-Wing, A-Wing, Y-Wing,, and snow speeder make up the bread and butter of the ships you'll play, you can play as several more. The Naboo Starfighter from Episode I is an unlockable ship as is the Millennium Falcon, the new V-Wing, and even a Tie Interceptor. If that isn't enough there are two bonus missions as well that offer unique vehicles. One is racing through Beggar's Canyon in a T-16 Skyhopper and the other is destroying settlements in an AT-ST.
All of these vehicle options kept me so engaged in this game for so long. I even still go back and play this game fairly regularly. It is not overly difficult, but still offers plenty of challenge (especially when flying the super light armored A-Wing and Tie Interceptor). Each mission offers it's own unique challenge and many of them involve defending a target for a while before flipping the switch and attacking. Some instances are intimidating like the first time you see an AT-AT walking around the battlefield and all you have is your little snow speeder... Wait... Well if you've seen the movies you can probably figure out what to do with that...
I really liked that the missions all largely take place between episodes IV and V. For gamers like myself it gave us some insight as to what was going on after the destruction of the death star. We also do get to see rogue squadron in action during the actual Battle of Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back. This game would end up spawning two sequels on the Nintendo Gamecube. Both of these games would follow a similar format and take place throughout the original trilogy. While both good games, I didn't find myself as hooked on them as a trio of other Star Wars games would be right around the corner. It also didn't help matters that I didn't have a Gamecube until after the sequels were released as I had a Playstation 2 and computer at the time.
Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
Running on the famous Age of Empire II engine, Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds took Star Wars gaming to an all new, but perfect genre for the material, the RTS. Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds takes players through battles and events originally in Episode I, IV, V, and VI. Later when the Clone Campaigns released events and battles from Episode II were added in. Like other RTS games, there are a variety of races you can play as. Royal Naboo, the Wookies, the Gungans, the Trade Federation, The Rebellion, and the Galactic Empire are all playable. The Clone Campaigns added in both the Republic and the Confederacy. Each race has their own units, buildings, and upgrades. It's a game in which you build your army and then control the battle with the various units and abilities at their disposal.
I've always been a fan of these kinds of games and I remember when I first learned of this game that I was super hyped. I always felt that both Star Wars and the Lord of the Rings series would make perfect RTS games and while Lord of the Rings had some success with the Battle for Middle Earth series of games, Star Wars I feel hit the genre perfectly. There is just so much variety in the units, factions, and strategies that the game pretty much never becomes stale. I mean really though, how does having a group of Tie Fighters gunning down a group of Gungans not sound appealing? If you like strategy games, check this one out on Steam.
Star Wars: Empire at War
Speaking of RTS games. Star Wars: Empire at War and it's expansion pack, Forces of Corruption, are in my mind the definitive Star Wars strategy experience. Playing very differently than Galactic Battlegrounds you control either the Galactic Empire or the Rebellion (or the Zann Consortium in Forces of Corruption) in a quest for galactic conquest. Unlike Galactic Battlegrounds, combat takes place in space and on the ground. The main map is a map of the galaxy with a seemingly endless amount of planets to conquer. I mean that too, there are fan made mods of a campaign containing over 140 planets! On top of that there is a mod that changes the entirety of the game into a clone wars game featuring the Republic fighting the Confederacy, but that's a story for a different blog.
The ground battles in the game aren't really anything special and basically equate to a lesser version of what Galactic Battlegrounds has to offer with limited units being on the surface and no way to construct buildings mid battle (outside of some turrets). It's fun, but the real addicting part of the game comes before the ground invasion. In addition to a ground force you need a space force because you cannot land on a planet without first taking out a space station. Each planet can construct a certain level of space station and by the time they are fully upgraded, they are more like space fortresses. The space battles are very well done with both small fighters and large capital ships being under your control. Heck, even the Death Star is at your disposal if you want it to be while playing as the Galactic Empire. Just be careful because Rogue Squadron can take it down...
I've spent a ton of hours on this game and while the struggle between the Rebellion and Empire is certainly center stage, playing as the Zann Consortium can give a different take on the game and put you in control of a bunch of different units, strategies, and abilities acquired by spreading corruption throughout the galaxy. It's also really cool to be able to control both IG-88 and Bossk. That's a pretty neat bonus. This game is on Steam and frequently goes on sale during the big Steam sales, so certainly check it out if you have the means of doing so.
I could go on and on about Star Wars video games and honestly, there are a few more Star Wars video game blogs that I have planned. To wrap up this blog I want to just touch on one game that I still feel like deserves a movie treatment. That game is called Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire. It's not a game that I played for a ton of time, but it is one that offers an incredible story and basically plays like a movie. There was also a novel of Shadows of the Empire that released and the game was eventually upgraded a bit and moved to PC. I'm not going to spoil the story at all, but I will say that the game bridges the gap between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Thank you all for reading as always. Stay tuned for plenty more Star Wars and other Disney related content coming real soon!
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Star Wars Fun Episode I: The Prequels
So much Star Wars recently. Galaxy's Edge opened at both Disneyland and Disney World, The Mandalorian came out on Disney +, the much anticipated Rise of the Resistance debuted at Galaxy's Edge in Hollywood Studios, the Rise of Skywalker came out in theaters, and Star Tours debuted new scenes based on Rise of Skywalker. All of that doesn't even reach into the video game world where Star Wars Battlefront II released a massive content update and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order recently came out as well. It seems like the last half of 2019 was themed around that galaxy far far away. So I feel like now is the perfect time for me to throw a bunch of opinions out there on Star Wars. These are my opinions on the Star Wars movies, some of the video games, and the presence of Star Wars in the Disney Parks. Just remember, these are my opinions on these science fiction works. They are not right and they are not wrong, they are what I believe. If you disagree that is fine, you are just entitled to your opinion as I am mine. Also. Spoilers ahead. Duh.
The Prequels
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The prequels will always hold an interesting spot in my heart as far as Star Wars movies go. These were the three Star Wars movies I grew up seeing in theaters. I had seen episodes IV, V, and VI before, but episode I was the first I saw on the big screen. Often seen as one of the worst Star Wars movies, I've recently come to find some good in episode I. While it is nowhere near my favorite Star Wars movie, to me it isn't the worst. Yes Jar Jar Binks is completely annoying and really needs to just go away, and yes there are script/story issues throughout, but there are still some really cool moments that I cannot help but enjoy. The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul is one of my favorite of any Star Wars movie. Couple that with one of the most incredible music tracks of any Star Wars film in Duel of the Fates and the entire scene just works.
Pod Racing was visually outstanding for the time and I always found it neat to see some sport in a Star Wars movie. Honestly I wish it was brought back for a certain later movie that I'll get into later. I also really liked the idea of the Gungans. Yes Jar Jar is annoying as anything, but the idea that a planet's largest military force exists underwater and utilizes weaponry that were certainly not used to seeing in a Star Wars movie I always thought was pretty cool. Especially when the Gungan Grand Army was able to hold off the vastly superior Trade Federation army for so long. I'd also be silly not to mention Darth Maul. Of all the Sith that we see through the years of Star Wars, none of them look as intimidating as Darth Maul. Even Palpatine himself doesn't bring that horror feel that Maul does simply by looking the way he does. It's a shame that as far as movies go this is the only time we see him outside of a brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Yes we do see him in a couple of the animated series as well, but man did he look awesome in this movie.
Episode I I feel had such incredibly high, almost impossible to reach expectations that when the movie failed to live up to it, a lot of people turned on it super hard. Again, this is not a great Star Wars movie, but I feel like it did enough to set the stage of the Clone Wars. Was it needed? Probably not, but it did introduce several important characters in Padme, Darth Maul, Mace Windu, and Anakin who would all become important characters throughout the clone wars and in Anakin's case, beyond.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
For quite a while I really enjoyed Episode II, however recently it has dropped to my least favorite of the Star Wars movies. While it does offer some awesome visuals from the time and when there is action, it's good action, the majority of the movie feels like a drag. I understand that the purpose of the prequels was to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker and the fall of the Republic. That being said I feel like a lot was somehow missed. By the time the movie starts Anakin is already on that slow path to the dark side. It doesn't take long at all to see this without any word on his earlier training.
I also wish that this movie didn't have Padme falling in love with Anakin while he was already starting to waver. So much of this movie harps on the relationship between the two, but I feel like the entire time Anakin is borderline creepy and while Padme is at first shooting him down, after he slaughters all the tusken raiders she basically gives herself to him. I'm not going to bash any actors on here, but the acting is kind of all over the place with some, Christopher Lee, standing out against others that are much weaker, but in bigger roles. You can probably figure out what I'm talking about if you've seen the movie. I don't dislike everything about this movie though.
Seeing the Jedi younglings training was pretty cool. While overstaying its welcome a bit, the chase scene of Coruscant was visually appealing. The battle of Geonosis from the time Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan are chained to the pillars against three beasts to the end is a good time. In that fight we see all kinds of Jedi fighting, Jango Fett dying, Padme kicking some serious tail, the Republic army debuting, as well as some awesome looking new droids of the Confederacy. We also get to see the Death Star plans in the hands of the Confedercy (yet still in the hands of Palpatine anyway). We also get to see Yoda fighting. Yes, the lightsaber battles were crazy in the prequels and involved a lot of flipping and other craziness that would vanish afterwords, but it was so much fun to watch. Perhaps the most important thing and stand out thing to me is Count Dooku literally telling Obi-Wan the truth about the Republic being run by the Sith and Obi-Wan refusing to believe him.
I also want to point out that I have a pretty big interest in the army of the Confederacy. While the army of the Trade Federation in Episode I was largely comprised of AAT tanks, Battle Droids, and Destroyer Droids, the Separatist army was much, much more varied. In addition to the Trade Federation's droids from the previous movie, a slew of new droids including the B2 Super Battle Droid, Spider Droids, Dwarf Spider Droids, and the Hailfire Droid can be seen fighting on the battle of Geonosis. For some reason the droid army always fascinated me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I always thought it was pretty cool to see so many different droids on the battlefield. I also found it more interesting in that the Confederacy was more of an unknown. By that I mean it's no secret that the Republic eventually became the Galactic Empire. It's also no secret that Palpatine was behind the scenes of the Republic. What was cool to see was the dynamic of Palpatine running the Republic and then Darth Sidious behind the Confederacy. By the end of the Clone Wars it really feels like the Republic was the enemy and the Separatists were in the right all along. That of course is up for debate, but the Confederacy is such an interesting faction in Star Wars in my opinion.
All of that good though can't make the movie awesome for me. I'll still watch it, but I'd watch pretty much any Star Wars movie before it. It's kind of funny to me because when it came out I really loved it, but as I've gotten older more and more about it bothers me. It's still Star Wars though so while there are things I have issue with I still can find enjoyment in watching it.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The prequels end with Anakin fully turning to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader. This movie has always been my favorite of the prequels and on my most recent watch just before Rise of Skywalker came out, I enjoyed it more than ever. I feel like most people I talk to say if they are going to watch a prequel movie, this is the one they watch. It is certainly the most important one hands down too. If I didn't find the entirety of the Clone Wars interesting, I'd say that neither Episode I nor II were even necessary to watch to fully grasp the story of Star Wars (to this point at episode IX). Really the Clone Wars animated show has more lead into this movie than Episode II does. That's for another time though. Episode III focuses on Anakin's final turn from the light to the dark and culminates in a lengthy battle with his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Again, I don't want to bash actors here, but Anakin remains pretty weak compared to Padme, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan. At times this makes it difficult to take him seriously. Still though I found myself sympathizing with he was going through in this movie. Granted I felt more for the character in general, not really what I was seeing on screen due to the acting... Anyway... The opening scene I thought was a bit over the top once General Greivous's ship begins to crash, but the space battle itself between the Republic and Confederacy I thought was an awesome way to jump start the movie.
Compared to Attack of the Clones, this movie is high paced. There were very few times where things were "quiet" in this movie. One thing always led to another and usually with tragic consequences for one of the characters. Once Order 66 is issued you can feel the betrayal just as hard as Yoda. Granted we all knew it was coming as Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith Lord, but I still felt that sting as we watch Jedi after Jedi fall to the clone army. After the order we really see Anakin rapidly fall into madness, a madness that continues right to his very defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
It's all incredibly emotionally charged and for the vast majority of the movie it works. There are a couple things I've always pondered though and it could just be nit picks. The biggest of these probably being when Palpatine is telling Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis, Anakin doesn't seem to be really suspicious about the fact that Palpatine knows the story even after revealing that the story is not one that would be told by a Jedi. Even when he finally finds out that Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious, again he doesn't really react. Yeah he goes and tells the Jedi, but there is no shock or anything that the guy whom he had been working along side turned out to be the guy the Jedi were worried about all along.
The final battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan is so intense it is almost palpable. It is such a dramatic fight filled with amazing music and cool visual effects and screams heartbreak the entire time. Obi-Wan heart broken over the loss of the man whom he considered his brother. Heartbreak from Padme over the loss of the man she loves. Even heartbreak and pure rage from Anakin under the belief that Obi-Wan had turned Padme against him. It's all very well done and ends in the dramatic end of Anakin as we saw him in the prequels and gives birth to the Darth Vader we all know.
Of the three prequel movies, Revenge of the Sith is easily my favorite. I've beaten this to death, but it is an emotionally charged adventure that we already know the ending to before the movie even starts. We know the tragedy is coming and all we can do is sit back and watch it unfold in an ultimate betrayal on so many different levels. We watch a character that started out as a child literally break and become a monster. We watch his teacher do all he can to save his student and fail. We watch as the last hopes of the galaxy are hidden away on two very different planets. We watch as the Empire is born. It's all done in one movie and that movie, while certainly not perfect, is worthy of being talked about alongside the original trilogy.
Closing
I feel like the prequels are going to be forever looked at with controversy. I don't think they are ever going to be celebrated like the original trilogy and overall I think that's fair. While I personally can watch any of them at any time and find something to enjoy, I know a lot of people take issue with a lot more things in these movies than I do. I know a lot of people view Episode I as such a departure from what came before and has a character in it that literally somehow ruined the movie by himself. I know that Episode II will likely be looked at as a movie with a loose plot, bad acting by the lead actor, and a questionable script. Episode III will probably stay as the acceptable movie that is just not as good as the original trilogy, but one that can be talked about along side them. Whether or not you fall into those camps is totally okay. For me the prequels are all still worth a watch despite their flaws. They still tell the story of how Darth Vader came to be, how the Jedi fell, how Yoda and Obi-Wan ended up secluded, told the origin of Boba Fett, had some really cool lightsaber battles, featured a ton of interesting character, and most importantly shoiwed how Palpatine manipulated the galaxy and ascended to power.
The Skywalker saga stretches on for now nine movies with a few extra goodies thrown in. In-between these movies though so much more happened. I am only now discovering the animated series, The Clone Wars, which bridges the gap between episodes II and III. When it originally aired on TV I wasn't able to consistently watch it, but now that it is on Disney + I've started watching it and really it has brought my interest back to the prequel era. I can't comment much on it since I am still on season one, but so far I like what I have seen despite the animation not being my favorite style by any means. Perhaps once I finish it I'll give my thoughts on that.
The Prequels
Episode I: The Phantom Menace
The prequels will always hold an interesting spot in my heart as far as Star Wars movies go. These were the three Star Wars movies I grew up seeing in theaters. I had seen episodes IV, V, and VI before, but episode I was the first I saw on the big screen. Often seen as one of the worst Star Wars movies, I've recently come to find some good in episode I. While it is nowhere near my favorite Star Wars movie, to me it isn't the worst. Yes Jar Jar Binks is completely annoying and really needs to just go away, and yes there are script/story issues throughout, but there are still some really cool moments that I cannot help but enjoy. The lightsaber duel between Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Darth Maul is one of my favorite of any Star Wars movie. Couple that with one of the most incredible music tracks of any Star Wars film in Duel of the Fates and the entire scene just works.
Pod Racing was visually outstanding for the time and I always found it neat to see some sport in a Star Wars movie. Honestly I wish it was brought back for a certain later movie that I'll get into later. I also really liked the idea of the Gungans. Yes Jar Jar is annoying as anything, but the idea that a planet's largest military force exists underwater and utilizes weaponry that were certainly not used to seeing in a Star Wars movie I always thought was pretty cool. Especially when the Gungan Grand Army was able to hold off the vastly superior Trade Federation army for so long. I'd also be silly not to mention Darth Maul. Of all the Sith that we see through the years of Star Wars, none of them look as intimidating as Darth Maul. Even Palpatine himself doesn't bring that horror feel that Maul does simply by looking the way he does. It's a shame that as far as movies go this is the only time we see him outside of a brief cameo in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Yes we do see him in a couple of the animated series as well, but man did he look awesome in this movie.
Episode I I feel had such incredibly high, almost impossible to reach expectations that when the movie failed to live up to it, a lot of people turned on it super hard. Again, this is not a great Star Wars movie, but I feel like it did enough to set the stage of the Clone Wars. Was it needed? Probably not, but it did introduce several important characters in Padme, Darth Maul, Mace Windu, and Anakin who would all become important characters throughout the clone wars and in Anakin's case, beyond.
Episode II: Attack of the Clones
For quite a while I really enjoyed Episode II, however recently it has dropped to my least favorite of the Star Wars movies. While it does offer some awesome visuals from the time and when there is action, it's good action, the majority of the movie feels like a drag. I understand that the purpose of the prequels was to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker and the fall of the Republic. That being said I feel like a lot was somehow missed. By the time the movie starts Anakin is already on that slow path to the dark side. It doesn't take long at all to see this without any word on his earlier training.
I also wish that this movie didn't have Padme falling in love with Anakin while he was already starting to waver. So much of this movie harps on the relationship between the two, but I feel like the entire time Anakin is borderline creepy and while Padme is at first shooting him down, after he slaughters all the tusken raiders she basically gives herself to him. I'm not going to bash any actors on here, but the acting is kind of all over the place with some, Christopher Lee, standing out against others that are much weaker, but in bigger roles. You can probably figure out what I'm talking about if you've seen the movie. I don't dislike everything about this movie though.
Seeing the Jedi younglings training was pretty cool. While overstaying its welcome a bit, the chase scene of Coruscant was visually appealing. The battle of Geonosis from the time Anakin, Padme, and Obi-Wan are chained to the pillars against three beasts to the end is a good time. In that fight we see all kinds of Jedi fighting, Jango Fett dying, Padme kicking some serious tail, the Republic army debuting, as well as some awesome looking new droids of the Confederacy. We also get to see the Death Star plans in the hands of the Confedercy (yet still in the hands of Palpatine anyway). We also get to see Yoda fighting. Yes, the lightsaber battles were crazy in the prequels and involved a lot of flipping and other craziness that would vanish afterwords, but it was so much fun to watch. Perhaps the most important thing and stand out thing to me is Count Dooku literally telling Obi-Wan the truth about the Republic being run by the Sith and Obi-Wan refusing to believe him.
I also want to point out that I have a pretty big interest in the army of the Confederacy. While the army of the Trade Federation in Episode I was largely comprised of AAT tanks, Battle Droids, and Destroyer Droids, the Separatist army was much, much more varied. In addition to the Trade Federation's droids from the previous movie, a slew of new droids including the B2 Super Battle Droid, Spider Droids, Dwarf Spider Droids, and the Hailfire Droid can be seen fighting on the battle of Geonosis. For some reason the droid army always fascinated me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I always thought it was pretty cool to see so many different droids on the battlefield. I also found it more interesting in that the Confederacy was more of an unknown. By that I mean it's no secret that the Republic eventually became the Galactic Empire. It's also no secret that Palpatine was behind the scenes of the Republic. What was cool to see was the dynamic of Palpatine running the Republic and then Darth Sidious behind the Confederacy. By the end of the Clone Wars it really feels like the Republic was the enemy and the Separatists were in the right all along. That of course is up for debate, but the Confederacy is such an interesting faction in Star Wars in my opinion.
All of that good though can't make the movie awesome for me. I'll still watch it, but I'd watch pretty much any Star Wars movie before it. It's kind of funny to me because when it came out I really loved it, but as I've gotten older more and more about it bothers me. It's still Star Wars though so while there are things I have issue with I still can find enjoyment in watching it.
Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
The prequels end with Anakin fully turning to the dark side and becoming Darth Vader. This movie has always been my favorite of the prequels and on my most recent watch just before Rise of Skywalker came out, I enjoyed it more than ever. I feel like most people I talk to say if they are going to watch a prequel movie, this is the one they watch. It is certainly the most important one hands down too. If I didn't find the entirety of the Clone Wars interesting, I'd say that neither Episode I nor II were even necessary to watch to fully grasp the story of Star Wars (to this point at episode IX). Really the Clone Wars animated show has more lead into this movie than Episode II does. That's for another time though. Episode III focuses on Anakin's final turn from the light to the dark and culminates in a lengthy battle with his former master, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Again, I don't want to bash actors here, but Anakin remains pretty weak compared to Padme, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan. At times this makes it difficult to take him seriously. Still though I found myself sympathizing with he was going through in this movie. Granted I felt more for the character in general, not really what I was seeing on screen due to the acting... Anyway... The opening scene I thought was a bit over the top once General Greivous's ship begins to crash, but the space battle itself between the Republic and Confederacy I thought was an awesome way to jump start the movie.
Compared to Attack of the Clones, this movie is high paced. There were very few times where things were "quiet" in this movie. One thing always led to another and usually with tragic consequences for one of the characters. Once Order 66 is issued you can feel the betrayal just as hard as Yoda. Granted we all knew it was coming as Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith Lord, but I still felt that sting as we watch Jedi after Jedi fall to the clone army. After the order we really see Anakin rapidly fall into madness, a madness that continues right to his very defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
It's all incredibly emotionally charged and for the vast majority of the movie it works. There are a couple things I've always pondered though and it could just be nit picks. The biggest of these probably being when Palpatine is telling Anakin the story of Darth Plagueis, Anakin doesn't seem to be really suspicious about the fact that Palpatine knows the story even after revealing that the story is not one that would be told by a Jedi. Even when he finally finds out that Palpatine is actually Darth Sidious, again he doesn't really react. Yeah he goes and tells the Jedi, but there is no shock or anything that the guy whom he had been working along side turned out to be the guy the Jedi were worried about all along.
The final battle between Anakin and Obi-Wan is so intense it is almost palpable. It is such a dramatic fight filled with amazing music and cool visual effects and screams heartbreak the entire time. Obi-Wan heart broken over the loss of the man whom he considered his brother. Heartbreak from Padme over the loss of the man she loves. Even heartbreak and pure rage from Anakin under the belief that Obi-Wan had turned Padme against him. It's all very well done and ends in the dramatic end of Anakin as we saw him in the prequels and gives birth to the Darth Vader we all know.
Of the three prequel movies, Revenge of the Sith is easily my favorite. I've beaten this to death, but it is an emotionally charged adventure that we already know the ending to before the movie even starts. We know the tragedy is coming and all we can do is sit back and watch it unfold in an ultimate betrayal on so many different levels. We watch a character that started out as a child literally break and become a monster. We watch his teacher do all he can to save his student and fail. We watch as the last hopes of the galaxy are hidden away on two very different planets. We watch as the Empire is born. It's all done in one movie and that movie, while certainly not perfect, is worthy of being talked about alongside the original trilogy.
Closing
I feel like the prequels are going to be forever looked at with controversy. I don't think they are ever going to be celebrated like the original trilogy and overall I think that's fair. While I personally can watch any of them at any time and find something to enjoy, I know a lot of people take issue with a lot more things in these movies than I do. I know a lot of people view Episode I as such a departure from what came before and has a character in it that literally somehow ruined the movie by himself. I know that Episode II will likely be looked at as a movie with a loose plot, bad acting by the lead actor, and a questionable script. Episode III will probably stay as the acceptable movie that is just not as good as the original trilogy, but one that can be talked about along side them. Whether or not you fall into those camps is totally okay. For me the prequels are all still worth a watch despite their flaws. They still tell the story of how Darth Vader came to be, how the Jedi fell, how Yoda and Obi-Wan ended up secluded, told the origin of Boba Fett, had some really cool lightsaber battles, featured a ton of interesting character, and most importantly shoiwed how Palpatine manipulated the galaxy and ascended to power.
The Skywalker saga stretches on for now nine movies with a few extra goodies thrown in. In-between these movies though so much more happened. I am only now discovering the animated series, The Clone Wars, which bridges the gap between episodes II and III. When it originally aired on TV I wasn't able to consistently watch it, but now that it is on Disney + I've started watching it and really it has brought my interest back to the prequel era. I can't comment much on it since I am still on season one, but so far I like what I have seen despite the animation not being my favorite style by any means. Perhaps once I finish it I'll give my thoughts on that.
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