New Hall of Presidents

I attended the Hall of Presidents during the passholder preview, which when we arrived the CM told us to go on in, it was open to all guests. In the foyer, there were cases with dresses of past first ladies, and cases with some other memorabilia. Photos of the dresses are in the post. On the floor you will notice the Great Seal of the United States. I have heard in the past that Disney had to get permission to put this here. An announcement was made that there was to be no video taping or photography during the presentation. I had hoped to get photos inside, but that was not to be.

I sat through the show twice and was very impressed with it. The Abraham Lincoln animatronic recited the complete Gettysburg Address which was very moving. George Washington also spoke, as did the current president, Barack Obama. I recognized President Washington's voice from the John Adams series on HBO. Same George Washington in the mini-series. He did a nice job. I also noticed that when the role call was in progress, there seemed to be less jumping from one side to the other. In the past show, by the time you looked, they had already moved on to the next President.

All in all, it was a much improved Hall of Presidents from the past version. I was impressed with the way it flowed, the clear, sharp video, and most of all how wonderfully the animatronic presidents moved so smoothly and realistically. Nice job Imagineers! If you are in the MK, stop by and check it out! Even if you don't like it, it's air conditioned and perfect for a short break!

Wishes Dessert Party

On Sunday night, my wife and I were walking up Main Street USA, (just like the song says) and a thought crossed my mind to check availability for the new Wishes Dessert party. We did a 180 and made our way back to City Hall. I was not hopeful, I had heard they were selling out fast. The Castmember informed us to go to the Noodle Station and inquire there. When we arrived, a very nice CM greeted us and said there was limited availability. Yes! She proceeded to take our information (and our money, $17.99 each) and informed us to return at 9:15pm.


The Hall of Presidents was next on the evening list. That's a subject for another blog post. We did this twice, with a Doombuggy ride in between. Nothing like 999 happy haunts to help work up an appetite.

We returned to the Noodle Station around 8:50pm. There was already a nice line. They allowed us to enter at 9pm, wristbands were given. Ours were green. There were teas and juices to drink. My wife enjoyed the blackberry green tea. The dessert was "all you care to eat". The fare included fruit trays for those wanting less sugar. The old standbys were there; chocolate chip cookies and brownies. The remaining desserts were fancy truffles, mango shooters, pistachio creme brule, just to name a few.
Everything was delicious. There was plenty of time to relax and eat too much, which we did. Wishes was next and compares with watching from the rose garden without the crowds. The main body of fireworks were off to the right of the castle, but still spectacular!
All in all, I was very happy with the entire party. The Castmembers were very helpful, food was fantastic, and Wishes was...Wishes. I could watch it a million times and never tire of it. I definitely recommend the Wishes Dessert Party. Go check it out!!

I am a Disneyholic!

Hi, I'm Jim, and I am a Disneyholic. "Hello, Jim", everyone replies. Believe me, if there were meetings for this, I would be there with Mickey Ears on. Not for therapy, but to share wonderful stories, time saving tips, and magical experiences with other Disneyholics. To learn the secrets of the Disney Parks, search for Easter eggs in Pixar movies, locate the most hidden of all Mickeys, and most of all to finally answer the illusive question, "When does the 3'o clock parade start?"

Our family's quest for The Mouse began 11 years ago across a kitchen table between my loving wife of then 17 years and myself. "Where should we move?", I asked. "Florida?", was her reply. From that day forward, we were focused on relocating our family of 10 to a place where dreams come true. Up to this point, our trips to the World were yearly and followed combat rules..rope drop to close. They also resembled Clark W Griswold's trip to Wally World, less the pool scene with Christy Brinkley. A memorable trip home began with us starting a drive north at midnight after being in the parks 15 hours. My Father-in-law insisted on feeding me caffeine pills until I was so sick I could neither drive or sleep. As we crossed the border into Georgia, I thought to myself, "There has to be a better way!"

I am a Disneyholic. I am a Disney podcast listener, and my largest playlist on my Ipod is (you guessed it) Disney music. I am also a member of the Neurotic Disney community as NDGD#1. Welcome to my world, my Disney Blog. Thanks for stopping by, and may all your days be magical!