DDW Pic 632. Tomorrowland Speedway

Tomorrowland Speedway

While giving a Magic Kingdom tour last week, I had the chance to "ride" on the Tomorrowland Speedway with a young guest. This attraction is always a hit with young boys. Even though they may need an adult to push the accelerator pedal, they can steer the car themselves. You have to be at least 54" tall to drive by yourself, which is the tallest height requirement in all of Walt Disney World. I snapped this shot at the very end of the race.

DDW Pic 631. Disney Quest

Disney Quest

Disney Quest is an amazing multi-level arcade at Downtown Disney. In addition to the common video games you'd expect at an arcade, this place has some very unique experiences. Disney Quest unofficially opened to the public exactly 15 years ago, on May 22nd, 1998. It would have its official grand opening in June. I took this shot last month from the outdoor balcony of the Cirque Du Soleil theater, just prior to enjoying La Nouba.

DDW Pic 630. Enchanted Tales with Belle

Enchanted Tales with Belle

I took this shot of the Enchanted Tales with Belle attraction early on Sunday morning. My tour guests were fortunate to be in the first group of the day to enjoy this unique experience. Since it opened in the new Fantasyland section of the Magic Kingdom last December, this has been a very popular spot with wait times that are typically close to an hour. You can see from this shot that Disney did a nice job with the landscaping around Maurice's Cottage. As always, they spent a great deal of time on the details when creating this important structure from Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

DDW Pic 629. Star Wars Weekends

Star Wars Weekends

For four weekends a year, Hollywood Studios becomes the place to be for any and all Star Wars fans. There are special presentations, autograph sessions, a great parade, and a ton of merchandise. However, in recent years the highlight has been the amazing stage "show" called Hyperspace Hoopla. This includes a "dance off" between the good-guys and the bad-guys. There are hysterical performances by most of the popular characters from the Star Wars movies. This year they dance to both classic songs from the 80's and 90's, as well as tunes from today. I had the chance to see the show last night, and I snapped this picture while waiting for Hyperspace Hoopla to start.

DDW Pic 628. Cinderella

Cinderella

On my way to grab "Meet Mickey" FastPasses for my tour guests today, I found myself in a spot to grab this picture. It was fun to get Prince Charming and Cinderella centered on "her" castle. Sometimes these types of photo opportunities pop up quickly, and it is nice to be able to quickly grab my iPhone and snap a picture like this.

DDW Pic 627. Festival of the Lion King

Festival of the Lion King

While giving a tour of Animal Kingdom this week, I had the chance to enjoy the Festival of the Lion King show from a very good seat. This is definitely one of the best productions in all of Walt Disney World. The energy of these performers is amazing, and they do it 8 to 10 times per day. Even if your family hasn't seen the Lion King movie, this show should not be missed.

DDW Pic 626. Center Street

Center Street

One of my favorite "out of the way" spots in the Magic Kingdom is Center Street. It can be found about half way up Main Street, USA, on the right. If you walk to the end, there are a few benches and tables set up. Even on busy days, there are rarely any guests sitting in this area. It is so close to the excitement and energy of Main Street, yet it is also somewhat secluded. I took this picture a few days ago. Right above where I was sitting is writing on a window that says "Singing Lessons" and "School of Dance." If you listen closely, you can hear musical instruction coming from that second floor studio. It is obviously a recording, but it certainly adds to the ambiance of the area.