55: Ride a boat down the Sassagoula River

What a nice way to travel…

Guests at Disney’s Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, and Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter Resorts have an especially fun way to get back and forth from Downtown Disney: the Sassagoula River Cruise. It’s just a charming, fun way to get around, and the views are pretty great! There are the meanderings of the river itself and beautiful glimpses of nature along the way:

Depending on your final destination, you may have the opportunity to see Resorts where you aren’t staying, and experience their theme and beauty.

Disney’s Treehouse Villas

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

Disney’s Old Key West

Port Orleans French Quarter

Port Orleans Riverside

And you gotta love the boat-to-boat wave (click the photos to enlarge)!

I think a great way to spend an evening outside the Parks would be to grab some Fish & Chips at Cookes of Dublin in Downtown Disney, then take the Sassagoula River Cruise over to Port Orleans Riverside to see a Yeeha Bob show. But that’s just me . Disney World guests are never limited to their Resort only—you can get to just about anywhere on property, and Downtown Disney is a great place to catch a bus to any Resort you’d like to visit.

But I am partial to boats over buses when given the choice . Guests can catch a Friendship boat from Disney’s Boardwalk or Yacht & Beach Club Resorts to EPCOT and Hollywood Studios.

And the Magic Kingdom Resort area (Disney’s Grand Floridian, Polynesian and Contemporary Resorts, as well as Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness Campgrounds) offers boat service to the Magic Kingdom.

Where in the World will you sail ?

29: See the Castle Lights at Christmas

The Holiday season has begun in Walt Disney World, and this breathtaking display of over 200,000 lights on Cinderella Castle is just one of many special events to celebrate the season!

Castle Dreamlights (at the Magic Kingdom through January 8, 2013):
The Fairy Godmother magically decorates Cinderella Castle in shimmering “icicles” in the presence of Cinderella, Mickey and Minnie, and a few other Disney Pals. You can see the result above , but no photo can prepare you for the sight in person.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (at the Magic Kingdom select nights November 9 – December 21, 2012)
Special holiday fireworks, a parade, hot cocoa, character meet-and-greets in their holiday finery, and SNOW falling on Main Street U.S.A. are just a few of the treats in store at this special ticket-only event.

Holidays Around the World (at EPCOT November 23-December 30, 2012):
Travel around World Showcase and encounter Father Christmas and storytellers sharing holiday traditions from around the world.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth, Holiday version (at EPCOT November 23-December 30, 2012):
EPCOT’s nightly evening firework spectacular is given an extra special “holiday tag,” including even more stunning fireworks and a special holiday message.

Candlelight Processional (at EPCOT November 23-December 30, 2012):
Celebrity narrators read the Christmas Story, accompanied by a full orchestra and choir singing beloved Christmas carols. You can find the full list of celebrity narrators for 2012 here.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights (at Hollywood Studios November 9, 2012-January 6, 2013):
Literally millions of festival holiday lights “dance” in synchronization to Christmas music—an unforgettable treat for the eyes and ears! From the Walt Disney World website: “Jennings Osborne and his family set up an elaborate collection of holiday lights and over the years, the collection of lights grew, and grew… and grew! In 1995, the Osborne family decided to share their magic with the world, and Walt Disney World Resort happily offered to become the new permanent home for this exceptional exhibition of holiday cheer.”

Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade (at Animal Kingdom November 9, 2012 – January 2, 2013):
Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle parade receives a holiday makeover!

Festival of the Seasons (at Downtown Disney November 16-December 27, 2012):
Enjoy live music while you take care of your holiday shopping, AND meet the Big Guy himself. No, not Mickey Mouse… SANTA CLAUS!

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!

74: Ride the Characters in Flight Balloon in Downtown Disney

It was a gorgeous Friday night. What better way to treat my visiting Dad (who rocks, by the way) than take him up on a beautiful balloon ride to view the evening lights of Orlando from 400 feet in the air? Characters in Flight is located in Downtown Disney and offers guests the chance to enjoy the sites of Walt Disney World and Orlando from a very unique perspective.

According to our receipt (or “Boarding Pass”), my father and I were guests number 108,080 (and 81, I presume) to take part in this adventure. It was $18.00 for each of us (tax included–$12 for children ages 3-8), to ride for about 10 minutes including ascent and descent, which feels much longer (in a good way), as it offers you plenty of time to take in all the sights.

As I mentioned previously, my dad is awesome. Here’s a pic:

Somewhere around the moment I took this picture I remembered, suddenly and profoundly, my fear of heights. 400 feet in the air does not sound that high. Once you approach the balloon and see how small the people are inside of it as opposed to what you imagined in your head, reality sets in. YIPES!

The ascent was peaceful and smooth, and the views from the top really were amazing. Our driver (Conductor? Flyer? Guide? What’s the proper title here ?) was funny, approachable, and friendly. So friendly, in fact, that when he noticed my dad and I trying to take photos of each other, he offered to take one for us—truly, sincerely nice. All I could think, though, when he let go of the wheel, was, “Excuse me, but don’t you have other things to do… like MAKING SURE WE DON’T DIE, FOR INSTANCE??” In all honesty, I’m certain he was very skilled and knew exactly what he was doing. That was just me freaking out—as evidenced by this extremely unflattering photo of me with a death-grip on the balloon rails (which you are free to let go of to take in all angles of the view, once you’re up in the air):

Something to note: when Dad and I first arrived, there was a sign posted informing that, due to high winds, Characters in Flight was not running at that moment. We checked with an Aerophile staff member (the company WDW has contracted for this experience), and they recommended checking back in an hour. We strolled over to the far end of the Downtown Disney Marketplace, enjoyed a ride on the Sassagoula River Boat to Port Orleans and back, returned in just over an hour and it was up and running again. Don’t be too discouraged if that sign greets you right away—conditions can change quickly, and you’ll be thankful that winds are light once you’re up in the air.

If you are afraid of heights like me, it’s worth putting that into consideration before purchasing your Boarding Pass. This attraction may be a bit much for you. But I really think Disney has provided a terrific opportunity to take in the sights of The World from an amazing perspective. And if you time it right, you may see some fireworks from 400 feet up. Not bad for a Friday night .

UPDATE: As of October 2012, there is a gorgeous new balloon for the same great experience!

HAPPY FLYING !