Nicki Elson's Not-So-Deep Thoughts

If we could rewind a bit to A and T for a sec...Thank you T ara Tyler and A lex J. Cavanaugh for featuring me in your N and Y posts, respectively!  Such nice surprises from two surprisingly nice people. Looking forward to catching their Zs. :)   Umm, I should probably go back to B as well.  As Suze's incessant giggling reminds me, I owe B logger an apology: Dear Blogger, Ever so sorry for flipping out and swearing at you in text lingo.  It appears the fault for that scheduling glitch lies entirely with me.  Although...well, I still think you could've somehow made it more clear that saving the scheduling information in the sidebar doesn't complete the process - the save button says "Done," after all.  Just saying.   And now on with the show... Z is for: Zebras! It's fitting that we're ending on one of my most favorite Disney World discoveries---the Sanaa restaurant in the Kidani Village , part of Disney's Animal Kingdom ...

Y is for: Your very own roller coaster A newish (2009) and underplayed gem at Epcot is the Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions East . At this attraction you get to design your very own roller coaster from beginning to end, and then you get to virtually ride it!  It's SO much fun, and for something I'd barely even heard about, way cooler than I expected.      The enclosed capsules for virtual riding can be a bit intimidating to some (like my son), but even the claustrophobic can participate---my daughter and I didn't peek while he designed, and then we girls rode his creation at our own risk.  When the attendant looked at our design card and asked, "You're going upside down three times?" I could only reply, "Apparently so." Disney World Trivia Which of Disney World's four major roller coasters is the shortest in duration?

X is for: Xanax for Your Feet For months before every trip to Walt Disney World, I embark on a quest for the perfect shoe.   Because if my feet aren't happy, I'm not happy.  So I've spent a lot of money on adorable yet comfortable shoes. But every trip to Disney World, I end up falling back on my old stand-by: Crocks .  And not the cute little numbers they've evolved into---I'm talking first issue, drab blue, complete-absence-of-anything-resembling-style Crocks.  I know they're ugly, and I know they're only made of rubber, but it's a miracle rubber, because when pushing the Disney World pavement to its limit, these are the only puppies that don't have me crying by mid-afternoon. To be fair, I know the darling Naot sandals I purchased for the last trip would've stood up to the challenge, however, it was a rainy week and I didn't want to risk ruining my new leather shoes, so it was Crocks to the rescue again.  An extra bonus of th...

Which Disney Character are You? Practically hidden---in The Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios---is the "Which Disney Character are You?" quiz. You might be able to find similar quizzes online, but those don't count.  You must take the test on Disney property for it to be official (in the rules according to moi).  It's totally worth the sideline.  We ventured into the walk-through attraction on a hot, crowded day at Hollywood Studios, but found the large, air-conditioned space to be fairly uninhabited.  We were free to peruse the exhibits and play with the interactive computers without waiting and had a lot of fun.  Winnie the Pooh and Sorcerer Mickey even made an appearance for photo ops with hardly any line at all. The one part of the exhibit I personally didn't care for was the show.  It's over-the-top cheesy and you feel pressure to laugh because of the live guy on stage in close proximity.  You're supposed to en...

V is for: Veneration If you love anything Disney, then it's only right to pay homage to the man who followed his dreams and thus feeds ours.  And you'll be glad you did.  Because One Man's Dream , a tribute to Walter Disney at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is not only an interesting walk-through-at-your-own-pace exhibit of memorabilia from the Disney archives, it's a pleasant escape from the hot, crowded asphalt of the park. My favorite things: the models of the Disney parks throughout the world and the short movie (about 15 minutes) in the comfy theater.  The movie contains never before seen footage of Walt himself and provides a nice little history of how the magical place you're in the midst of came to be.    The two in the middle you'll recognize.  The other two...let's just say they grow on ya after a while...like a fungus. ;) Disney World Trivia In what city was Walter Disney born?

U is for: Universe of Energy I guess this attraction qualifies as my dorky favorite.  You know, one of those rides that's not, like, great and it's totally dated, but for some reason you love it?  My tip today has two parts.  First is a warning that Ellen's Energy Adventure , the attraction in the Universe of Energy pavilion, is 45 minutes long.  That's really long---longer than most of the shows---so plan accordingly. Also, if your kids dig dinosaurs but are too young for the Dinosaur! ride in Animal Kingdom, Ellen's Energy Adventure makes an excellent mild-mannered alternative.  You just have to put up with a bit of education. Disney World Trivia Name the three other celebrities in the opening movie with Ellen DeGeneres. Bonus Question: If they were to ever redo the opening movie for this ride, which cast of characters from a currently popular TV show do I think should totally be in it? (Think about it...science... theories ...c'mon...

Is it just me or is it not April 23?  WTF Blogger?  Nice new "scheduling" system.  I see it's working great.  *mini-rant over. for the full version come to my house, haha*   T is for: Toy Story Mania It is indeed a mania.  The almost four-year-old attraction at Disney World's Hollywood Studios is currently the most popular attraction in all four theme parks.  Why that's the case is still a mystery to me---I mean, it's an adorable ride, but not nearly worth the 130 minute waits we saw for it.  Yet park visitors flock to Toy Story Mania and Fastpasses disappear early. I was so surprised when we picked up our Fastpasses before 10am and our window didn't start until 2:30 that afternoon.  Then when we went to use them, the Fastpass wait was over 20 minutes.  That's absurd!  Not only is it against my principles to wait that long in the freaking Fast pass lane, we had an early dinner reservation at Epcot and had to skeeda...