Jump to content
  TPR Home | Parks | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram 

Photo TR: A Weekend Staycation at Walt Disney World


Recommended Posts

As an Orlando native with a pass to the parks, it is easy to habitually visit Walt Disney World, driving around with your own car, parking in the normal theme park parking lots and visiting the parks for a few hours before leaving... It isn't often that we get the chance or take the time (and money) to stay onsite at one of the resort hotels and stop to experience Walt Disney World as a resort guest. The convenience of a MagicBand being your room key, your park admission, your FastPass, your PhotoPass and your method of payment. Being able to take the bus from your resort and never moving your personal car from its spot at your hotel. Waking up and having breakfast at your resort, going to the parks for a few hours and coming back to the pool.

 

If you'd believe it, I'd never experienced this in my adult life despite living within 20 minutes distance of Walt Disney World my entire life. That changed this past weekend when my wife and I celebrated her birthday with a weekend staycation. Along the way we experienced some of the newest offerings at Walt Disney World and had a great time in the process!

1.thumb.JPG.67d851fba8869baf8158b533ee590161.JPG

Our room at Disney's Art of Animation Resort, in the Little Mermaid section of the resort.

10.thumb.JPG.18e8e0177234129e7720cff6320e4621.JPG

Despite the third track being open for over a year, this was the first time I've had the chance to experience it. The queue space and station are in a section of the building separate of the other two tracks but it looks very similar!

2.thumb.JPG.7089b71e4aa65aa2e3d3b3b023437ae4.JPG

All of the room elements are in theme...

3.thumb.JPG.a2047f6b7f33e7a3bc28a454030afd29.JPG

Notice the sheet music!

4.thumb.JPG.1b67395afa001b571397746d4313a05c.JPG

Even the shower is themed!

5.thumb.JPG.c358dca0c82397b2c9238cb1599bedb8.JPG

A look out towards the pool in the Little Mermaid section of Disney's Art of Animation Resort.

6.thumb.JPG.887c810228a69d4a688fa97e4b36b0c2.JPG

Our first evening was spent at Disney's Hollywood Studios, checking out Toy Story Land for my wife's first time (my second time in the new land as well) but first... We thought this was a good idea!

7.thumb.JPG.6250e5591ca91452452b6a1a569ac654.JPG

We were able to snag some FastPasses that night, including one for Toy Story Mania. The new entrance from inside of Toy Story Land leads you through a few new themed spaces.

8.thumb.JPG.c45eff01b0e995e91578c210d13b7781.JPG

I really love these new murals!

9.thumb.JPG.70b667b4a01ee16e6de20aec672afc08.JPG

Lots of new details to find!

11.thumb.JPG.80c61b7ca8cce81bc9c5676995da63ee.JPG

I won this round...

13.thumb.JPG.b487226e38f5d7aca056b2732707e80a.JPG

Time to head out into Toy Story Land!

14.thumb.JPG.cda9bc1bb5bac7dd6835ce42d462844c.JPG

The new exit path tells a little more of the Toy Story Mania playset story.

15.thumb.JPG.212f722f30c9077efff4481aba1eff88.JPG

I love the old midway game set feel these graphics accomplish.

16.thumb.JPG.d1c0f01aed3adfa7af0f2f3086f32e5f.JPG

Throughout Toy Story Land you can see Green Army Men working on different operations.

17.thumb.JPG.ffd343d5029a29b458da86f11b28c1d6.JPG

It is a fun little element that offers a consistent element of discovery throughout the large land.

18.thumb.JPG.ca49f6e80e296f918051b95ab4aadf29.JPG

Really fun to look for these army men.

20.thumb.JPG.5d0c5c662443708ae3f081b5a5a85b19.JPG

Time for some new hotness!

21.thumb.JPG.363dc624c1c8218e81855d0e4f9c0a3c.JPG

Ready to head into the queue for Alien Swirling Saucers!

22.thumb.JPG.4b1a1ffee355dac694377e7fdd7ceaac.JPG

More Green Army Men to be found!

23.thumb.JPG.d2f53f8bd70dd0bf2c0fd017387aeec5.JPG

Fans of Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin (or its many sister attractions) may recognize this blaster.

24.thumb.JPG.9a5ac043dc78dfacbe307c820d45d02f.JPG

Hidden Mickey found!

25.thumb.JPG.24c640f13954fbee214e8ce7cfa6e21d.JPG

Alien Swirling Saucers is the same kind of ride as Mater's Junkyard Jamboree in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure.

26.thumb.JPG.f72d5df76283049178a65e232a8486ff.JPG

Lots of little details throughout the ride path...

27.thumb.JPG.e964af1515cc9cd46f5d3116d49edb04.JPG

The Claw!!!

28.thumb.JPG.762198f284f9be8ef70d77ef9db31432.JPG

Slinky Dog Dash spans the length of the new land and looks great at night!

29.thumb.JPG.3dbb7d7419cd56c48fcbe90097825718.JPG

It is a really fun addition to the park!

30.thumb.JPG.ef40ee0bd25f936a91d5413cb4ef5bb9.JPG

Andy's Lunch Box has some fun details as well.

31.thumb.JPG.80acbbf04df5d6cf10b1eae2dcc7172e.JPG

Some character designs from the Woody's Roundup show (and Toy Story Mania) can be found in the form of animal crackers in the lunch box. I love this kind of consistency throughout the land.

32.thumb.JPG.1b5f2db6b05aca66771b50c61daa98be.JPG

A thermos is used to prop open the lunchbox for guests to enter.

33.thumb.JPG.7bdac9a1288610888badbaee619a890b.JPG

Look at this ordering kiosk!

34.thumb.JPG.68ddbb43d7c526a6ac20a26749d37116.JPG

Cute!

35.thumb.JPG.a88cbcc4b9dfea6d311ef9e38d74ab8f.JPG

More army men!

36.thumb.JPG.9336576ef44f8947576f2425abbe0d66.JPG

Andy's Lunchbox normally offers a root beer float but if you ask, they will make it a float with any soda!

37.thumb.JPG.f0e678fe1f20d41c60d3c2b77c7888ef.JPG

Something I didn't realize going into Toy Story Land on this night, was where the land was situated in relation to the fireworks launch site.

38.thumb.JPG.76c4d3fb05552c83fe9f67232ecd330f.JPG

It is pretty neat that you get somewhat of a panoramic view of the nightly fireworks while in Toy Story Land.

39.thumb.JPG.7ba682dade8ac771b70d1d761a7caddf.JPG

Pretty cool!

40.thumb.JPG.487d1077d408f6b241bdcd8b3f43c948.JPG

FIRE!!!

41.thumb.JPG.317d936c19ccd2526028298e8568e91d.JPG

Time to head into the queue for Slinky Dog Dash!

43.thumb.JPG.79a608ba0d5c8e344ce60149ddc4fa6e.JPG

The story of the attraction is that Andy has taken his coaster playset and rigged Slinky around the coaster train to make the titular experience.

44.thumb.JPG.5278529b343ff543a225d340fa82a453.JPG

Quite the view!

45.thumb.JPG.ba69c926433cef7f18f4d3fccf81a27f.JPG

You can see how Andy wrapped Slinky around the playset's coaster cars...

46.thumb.JPG.252a7142f4ddfe94c3d14c12c7e592e9.JPG

The map on the back wall of the station hints at some elements that may have originally been planned for the land.

47.thumb.JPG.8fa6ddc20db78bb85e7fef3286efc332.JPG

This coaster's lighting package is excellent and makes the ride look fantastic at night!

48.thumb.JPG.8069d63dda125b5b31ed6bb5768a8ce1.JPG

The second launch show scene is my favorite element of the coaster.

49.thumb.JPG.5e79011824c4d6563d0e895409c8bc16.JPG

The new queue entrance building for Toy Story Land.

50.thumb.JPG.241395a486dc3e5a1099320b2ec30e50.JPG

And the main entrance of the attraction.

51.thumb.JPG.77b22981651abcd281d09510e2a8afb6.JPG

Time to head out!

52.thumb.JPG.654e5522689ce3633196a075f7657f7b.JPG

And we're back for the night... Tomorrow we experience the Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot for the first time!

Edited by jedimaster1227
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 17
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Fantastic report!

 

Toy Story Land looks awesome. I'm glad Midway Mania's queue still looks good. I didn't realize they were rerouting it when I visited back in March, so it was quite a shock to be waiting next to plain white walls.

 

I also hadn't seen the what the Alien Swirling Saucer ride looked like. They really did an excellent job with the theming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually do day trips to the parks in Orlando or stay overnight with family in the area but I've got a couple nights at Caribbean Beach planned in September for our own version of a staycation weekend for my kids' birthdays. Been a while since I've stayed on property at Disney so we're really looking forward to just relaxing and hang out. We've got a lunch reservation in EPCOT but that's about it, just gonna show up hang at the resort and see what happens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Next up was a new experience for us, the Behind the Seeds tour at Epcot! Most people that know about Epcot are familiar with the Living with the Land ride in The Land pavilion, but what many don't realize is that the park offers an up-charge walking tour of the pavilion's greenhouse. While you get to see a lot from the boats, getting an up-close experience in this sustainable environment is really a neat experience, even if you're not into greenery. Epcot has always been about the marriage of technology and science to better the future and it is incredible to see firsthand just how advanced the techniques within The Land are when it comes to cultivating produce, fish and even more. The tour is $25 per person and lasts nearly an hour and it is absolutely worth it! As someone that has been to Epcot more times than I could try to keep track of, doing something different in a place I've frequented so many times is a rarity and an exciting opportunity... This tour was one that I loved experiencing the first time and I'd definitely consider going back to do it again in the near future!

1.thumb.JPG.6d56c3ccd2c642a03719b71425ec318c.JPG

The Behind the Seeds tour starts off in an unexpected manner, focusing first on the cultivation of wasps that prevent Leafminer Flies from killing the produce in the greenhouse.

10.thumb.JPG.48d59ad41326fbf2a3ed118bfae90b61.JPG

Hydroculture, the growth of plants with nutrient-rich water below is something that Epcot actively practices.

2.thumb.JPG.7b52a87c02f241da7624862785ffce85.JPG

Like you see in the Living with the Land ride, scientists at Epcot actually cultivate wasps as a form of natural pesticide for the greenhouse.

3.thumb.JPG.f5546a25ca0b4309d51b709f63e38e75.JPG

The Leafminer Fly lays its eggs in the leaves of greenery and when the larvae hatch, they eat through the leaves.

4.thumb.JPG.f149eea1768feaf136e13463603e4de6.JPG

The Parasitoid Wasp actually lays its eggs inside of the Leafminer Fly larvae, which live off of the growing larvae in a parasitic nature. The wasps grow off of the fly larvae and then exit the leaves...

5.thumb.JPG.c48ffd85776a89e7e13386318d165d14.JPG

The scientists at Epcot actually extract the larvae of both species to maintain an ongoing cultivation of both. The wasps are harmless to humans but keep the leafminer flies at bay, acting as a natural and sustainable pesticide for the greenhouse.

6.thumb.JPG.5da396c1ebca0b60adc07860db0164f2.JPG

The remainder of the tour is spent in the greenhouse seeing areas up-close that you can only see at a glance from the boat.

7.thumb.JPG.adc22a118603bc7ef547c4df20059ab6.JPG

Hanging produce is something of a science here, but it yields extraordinary results.

8.thumb.JPG.d4715d300f47c5c5f2711d43c5de54a3.JPG

Even the greenery gets to go on a ride at Epcot!

9.thumb.JPG.3d7080d26e2e7e4397e59da6455417db.JPG

The hanging roots move slowly into a water station where they are lightly sprayed as they pass by. The water enters the plants via the roots while not requiring a physical environment of soil to anchor it.

11.thumb.JPG.f91af6e170d6e142e2cba562cec58186.JPG

A surprise for the tour was a sampler of fresh cucumbers grown in the greenhouse!

12.thumb.JPG.c4cf744a5c38915bae4bc9dd4e564d02.JPG

It isn't uncommon to see tomatoes growing on a vine...

13.thumb.JPG.01887e3707bb52209cf308a5feafa42a.JPG

But the method in which they grow these tomatoes is incredible effective...

14.thumb.JPG.602edf90539fa3a1f327720646a543b6.JPG

And yields huge results!

15.thumb.JPG.7e63540f19969e1b4336c6c180537cff.JPG

These heads of lettuce grow to source many of the salads used in the restaurants at Epcot!

16.thumb.JPG.ffe40cafbbec31d4b7ab879518ad7688.JPG

Unreal.

17.thumb.JPG.cf2c85029d1c105e5aa1df90ac06499f.JPG

Mites don't often have a positive connotation to their name, but these are good mites that help keep the produce safe from other pests.

18.thumb.JPG.f1714510b036b0637d23e137b8cd9bbb.JPG

Crazy to see how these vines grow naturally into a full canopy strong enough to sustain 20-plus pound melons.

19.thumb.JPG.e8e1be1171747a9117aea88c0fc16856.JPG

Ever see passionfruit grow?

20.thumb.JPG.f187a9368abe6bc1e30c43c43785c35c.JPG

This is the flower of a passionfruit!

21.thumb.JPG.d782fa909df4fe2a817a9b8bd6baa05e.JPG

Anyone like coffee?

22.thumb.JPG.868216fbbde29eec7ef45910391a0449.JPG

How about a nine pound lemon?

23.thumb.JPG.1194415a17fbd9ba37653225180ae4df.JPG

This fruit is known as the Buddha's Hand.

24.thumb.JPG.2775c2631e977529e6eea58dcfa5f853.JPG

Ever see a dark sunflower?

25.thumb.JPG.51fb0fe309807bc17cf24ba2693ff264.JPG

Heading into the aquaculture section of Living with the Land.

26.thumb.JPG.54c55fea4a3aa5584c7fbbaa140229ac.JPG

Some of the largest shrimp cultivated here...

27.thumb.JPG.45ec54c757f3ae7e6a82bb12e12a1c64.JPG

Hidden Mickey from the other side!

28.thumb.JPG.8be030982ef19a018b5561cc12162295.JPG

Catfish are cultivated here too!

29.thumb.JPG.fb70d0fbac466d2f549ee9bb110915d1.JPG

A very different perspective than I'm used to!

30.thumb.JPG.3897fac85e6224ea4a23402b38e5d299.JPG

See these fish?

31.thumb.JPG.915589c564254396f70565871cd50a6a.JPG

You get to help feed them!

32.thumb.JPG.5e91d9af7bcf368ab60fa9276ad5c1fd.JPG

Wave hello!

33.thumb.JPG.2a12ad31b7748d66be26d6fc0c3a01ef.JPG

Time to head into the last and largest portion of the greenhouse! The date palm is the largest plant in Living with the Land and requires a special crew to harvest the dates that grow towards the top of the tree.

34.thumb.JPG.daaeb73c9f6ae0fb45c9c1f1837e7d8c.JPG

Fresh bananas (Living with the Land is sponsored by Chiquita Brands International)!

35.thumb.JPG.b6caeef4d4d5334c89589c8f48e2f1fc.JPG

Ever see cacao in its natural form?

36.thumb.JPG.4911205939fd7c1b7cc1fa04fa62d250.JPG

How about dragonfruit?

37.thumb.JPG.f1c29b191d7d986bff2b4979d21dcb03.JPG

A closer look at the date palm...

38.thumb.JPG.af4ce206e3f6b6bb266045a168145245.JPG

And the clusters of dates growing underneath it!

39.thumb.JPG.ad4d7f995f0241b65506e5c6a09040a9.JPG

I loved getting to experience the greenhouse from this side of the attraction!

40.thumb.JPG.a24ec3c5f8cf1c707c935902caca827c.JPG

There's even an interactive element of the tour where you get to guess spices!

41.thumb.JPG.d4f286167a9b8963a9de10c5c963cb17.JPG

Think you know what this one is?

42.thumb.JPG.b6203763e08947959c56fb66fad07f1e.JPG

It is saffron! It is super expensive and is considered a luxury spice. These photos show the effort it takes to harvest the spice itself from the plant.

43.thumb.JPG.298d4f0787ad4df122ff3250f2a6ea19.JPG

Not so hidden Mickey!

44.thumb.JPG.f6e75e094ea4f43567f99b25a7990e8e.JPG

This is a huge fluted pumpkin!

45.thumb.JPG.78cda88dbc6f9d72ff0347e025cfcdf8.JPG

I can't look away!

46.thumb.JPG.dd12555eda7cf96729e38b7930fd545e.JPG

Dragonfruit up close.

47.thumb.JPG.e9401a23b4b1cde51070e26a4d3c2784.JPG

Any grape lovers out there?

48.thumb.JPG.bd670084e6e7136b7df99992da927ed9.JPG

And the final surprise of the tour, is Stanley... Stanley (his nickname) is a plant that naturally closes its leaves to protect them from falling off or being damaged during storms.

49.thumb.JPG.4b42e33f6839c053567c6068b5e9e869.JPG

When the whole plant is shaken, within seconds it looks like this!

 

This was our favorite element of the tour and one that we asked to revisit on our way out because it was so neat to see!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, what a really cool behind the scenes tour! Thanks for passing on a lot of your new knowledge about plants and the various things they grow there. The part about wasps was very interesting. With Stanley, how long until the leaves unfold again after closing up? It couldn't have been too long since you asked to see it happen again at the end of the tour. Plants are fascinating and what Disney is doing of course is always amazing work.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've always enjoyed the Living with the Land boat ride, and had no idea they offered this kind of 'behind the seeds" tour!

 

definitely on my radar for next time we make it back to EPCOT.

 

thanks for sharing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW you lucky people, you! Definitely the behind scenes tour we would go for, if there.

 

Thanks for sharing all that you saw and experienced during the tour and all of your visit there.

 

And I have to add...we used to have one or two "Sensitive Plants" in our house, and the mere touch

of one leaf with your pinkie would send the whole thing into shutdown! Then it would slowly unravel itself.

 

Very cool plant. I EPCOT!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

After our morning tour Behind The Seeds at The Land pavilion, we continued our day with a few experiences in Epcot and then a few random stops across the resort... As locals, we don't often get the chance to take advantage of the variety of resort amenities and offerings, so we made it a point to do a few things we'd never done before at Walt Disney World!

1.thumb.JPG.5f27a9080732b0750b23207babb8a57b.JPG

Starbucks for the win!

10.thumb.JPG.5c4db11eb216ef329cdee24100af2c84.JPG

Back at Art of Animation for a little more fun...

11.thumb.JPG.4c6da7afae49497ab781270a5446194f.JPG

The Little Mermaid wing is really decorated well!

12.thumb.JPG.36da4d923b5343b3b1716b9e1cce4615.JPG

This watermelon cupcake was all kinds of awesome!

13.thumb.JPG.b7c2ecd54adddf8c789879e8d4fa2f34.JPG

Disney's Skyliner construction as seen from our hotel room door...

14.thumb.JPG.9f5f195e19f9b0da4bfac93d01387509.JPG

And more to the side.

15.thumb.JPG.123dbfd03ce4d12738d45bbb026ed7f9.JPG

I couldn't resist dancing my way around the resort...

16.thumb.JPG.172bed4a6aa7422ec5fef0e0d78ebeb8.JPG

Really dancing around...

17.thumb.JPG.bca5c429612698c20b172f5bfa31fa3b.JPG

Ursula is huge (not meant in a disrespectful way)...

18.thumb.JPG.46c399a2a838a6e57eba058427648446.JPG

Can't stop.

19.thumb.JPG.6c9c7bfbeeb2624412c5697dc5cafa9b.JPG

Won't stop.

2.thumb.JPG.38f0e58b073256ac9cfe8935de5cae3b.JPG

Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live! had just debuted during our visit so I made it a priority to have us check it out!

20.thumb.JPG.54eb276acb7f0a959b13a18cf184b162.JPG

The Cars wing of the resort is really cute too. I wouldn't take it over Cars Land's Radiator Springs, but this is still fun to roam around.

3.thumb.JPG.e57cdde85c72dfa2325133ab668ce38a.JPG

The show was super fun and the vocal talent behind it were really great! I'm hoping the show comes back in some form when the new Guardians of the Galaxy coaster opens.

4.thumb.JPG.887de5812fb004440d030939b421fb09.JPG

Hooked on a feeling!

5.thumb.JPG.4e093af6cb078d638fb6ba8d42497d44.JPG

Hit me with your best shot--fire away!

6.thumb.JPG.71b47c2118b7f0a876b81addf5c05017.JPG

What better way to celebrate a birthday at Epcot than with FastPasses scored for Frozen Ever After?

7.thumb.JPG.6945adb272c6e1c51b6e029f8d9dcd65.JPG

Seriously... I enjoyed Maelstrom for its quirkiness, but Frozen Ever After is an infinitely better experience. The animatronics are incredible, the retheming of the space (queue included) is flawless and the ride actually has a cohesive storyline.

8.thumb.JPG.c769cd7f99dc1d7397bb7d2fb13f094d.JPG

In Summer!

9.thumb.JPG.a319c2bd222d6a1756f1571b87542abf.JPG

I can't wait for the Guardians of the Galaxy coaster to open!

26.thumb.JPG.2cf4d7091a0a6dac251142634d89bba9.JPG

Next up was a visit to Disney Springs for something my wife had yet to do...

27.thumb.JPG.4697083c29a887260985d69bbade2a87.JPG

Time to take a ride on Aerophile!

28.thumb.JPG.c91faae2ed5d4511820eb3f72cc9409a.JPG

You don't get this view of Disney Springs very often!

29.thumb.JPG.1ff9104a9318106a4bbc770cfc46d547.JPG

See how many attractions you can spot!

30.thumb.JPG.32fee929ccf35ad8edf799e8024fb591.JPG

The West Side of Disney Springs is still heavily under construction as the NBA Experience and Jaleo are both built.

31.thumb.JPG.44128da7618fa57907db23e426376435.JPG

I'm REALLY excited for Jaleo!

32.thumb.JPG.4ce5c2ac1852a3da0fc11907eda05913.JPG

I'm also very curious to see what the NBA Experience ends up including.

33.thumb.JPG.b2d5d8b688fca97629608ff6b50b44aa.JPG

Don't forget, La Nouba closed at the end of last year to make way for a new Cirque du Soleil show created specifically for Disney.

34.thumb.JPG.079fe36f9b45d1f583ba23bca044af91.JPG

A look at the new Wolfgang Puck Bar & Grill opening up by Planet Hollywood and the Coca-Cola Store.

35.thumb.JPG.b282669bc8863a461cacfd4ff3fd9e54.JPG

We ended our Florida Staycation with our first trip to the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue at Ft. Wilderness!

36.thumb.JPG.994a84f5e76bcb8a3015bdb158423055.JPG

Who doesn't love fried chicken?

37.thumb.JPG.b18df3dbdb5718d8ad6d21a386364cdd.JPG

I could live off of these ribs!

38.thumb.JPG.154afc13375ebcb22e361cb298491de7.JPG

This is the same kind of humor I would've expected to find in the Golden Horseshoe back in the day.

39.thumb.JPG.8624e84281af082cd3ebc783e76db13f.JPG

Singing, dancing and comedy make for a really entertaining dinner show that has been operating for guests for over four decades.

40.thumb.JPG.e82ab023f3c5ab40e3d977cad134d991.JPG

Really a great time, especially for someone that has never been before.

41.thumb.JPG.55abc5406fc167579afa8fa84d80aa64.JPG

Good ole country fun.

42.thumb.JPG.8fe0b424a2538962a9be5e0ad95a16f1.JPG

Oh, and the icing on the cake? Well, strawberry shortcake actually.

 

A really sweet way to end our weekend staycation!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use https://themeparkreview.com/forum/topic/116-terms-of-service-please-read/