Attraction Review: The Circle of Life

When I was doing all of my attraction reviews I somehow forgot about this one. Maybe it was because I blocked it from my permanent memory.

The Circle of Life is a movie located inside the Land Pavilion. If you are walking in through the door it’s located on the right hand side of the building.

The theater itself is surprisingly large. I was really shocked at how big this theater was. I didn’t realize how much room there was on that side of the pavilion. The waiting area isn’t bad and there is a brief preshow displayed on some old school tube TVs. That was the first sign that this is an older attraction.

Inside the theater the seats seem like they are in decent shape and it’s comfortable enough. You’ll hear the cast member give the normal spiel about moving all the way down your row. You can ignore this for the most part. There just isn’t that much of a demand for this attraction. I’d be amazed if even during peak attendance days this becomes an issue.

Believe it or not I just described the good stuff. The movie is rather boring and very preachy. It’s all about man destroying the Earth. It starts with Timon damming up a river to build a new resort and Pumba trying to explain why that’s not a good idea. Please stop and think about that for a minute. Now think about where you are sitting. Hypocrites! I like Disney but that really cracked me up. Why not just make a movie that says “Don’t do what we did. It’s bad.” I realize Disney is a very green company now and they do a lot to support the environment so please send the hate mail somewhere else. I’m just saying it’s very ironic.

There is another problem with this movie beyond the fact that it’s preachy and boring. It suffers from NS also known as Norway Syndrome. Norway Syndrome is a disease that convinces you that by turning up the volume you make something more exciting. That’s why the movie in Norway is so loud. It’s also why this movie will almost make your ears bleed. It’s amazing the speakers don’t blow out.

If you like boring movies that are preachy and insanely loud, you’ll love The Circle of Life! If you like Pumba and Timon don’t see this movie because you’ll want to cry. It’s the same reason you shouldn’t go on Stich’s Great Escape if you like Stich.

If you really have nothing better to do or really want to be able to say you did all the attractions then go see this movie. Just don’t complain to me after.

Photo of the Week - Soarin

How can you not love this photo? For many people it sends them to a happy place. Do you wish you were there?

Review: The Garden Grill

There are a number of character dining locations throughout Disney World. Most don’t really stand out. The castle isn’t worth it, it’s expensive, and it’s crowded. I’ll cover Chef Mickey’s and the Crystal Palace later. I just can’t get up the nerve to do Norway so don’t hold your breath there.

The Garden Grill is different in many ways. The Garden Grill has a lot going for it. It’s build on a giant wheel that slowly rotates and provides an ever changing view. Its location, theme, food, and entertainment put it a notch above other restaurants.

Food: The food is very good. You should know that you do not order food. The Garden Grill is an all you can eat family style restaurant. The first round is bread and salad. The salad is comprised of greens and vegetables that are grown in the Land Pavilion’s own green house. The second course is a trio of meats and sides. Flank steak with mashed potatoes, turkey with stuffing, and fish with some side I can’t remember. The fish is interesting because they farm some of them in the land. All three are very good. Dessert is amazing too. It’s a great berry cobbler. It’s nice, warm, and tasty.

Atmosphere: You don’t get much better than the Garden Grill’s atmosphere. As the restaurant spins you get to see out into the land pavilion, into the rain forest, desert, and farm house scene that are part of the Living With the Land ride. My personal favorite is the farm house scene. You will be amazed by the level of detail Disney put into all of its scenes. The farm house has a window that can only bee seen from the restaurant. The average theme park would put a fake window there considering you can’t really see it from the ride. Not Disney. The window opens up into a decorated room.

Service: The service was very good. We always had enough food and drinks. They also checked in often. Even the manager checked in to make sure everything was good. This was the only restaurant on our trip where a manager did a spot check with us.

Entertainment: Being a character dining location you get some private time with a number of characters. Chip and Dale are the headliners. My wife got confused because she couldn’t tell the difference between Chip and Dale. She thought the same character came twice. Other than Chip and Dale, Mickey and Pluto were on the prowl. Mickey never made it to use while we were there but Pluto did and he was very good. He hammed it up and was the most interactive of all the characters.

The price isn’t crazy when you consider it’s in a theme park, it’s all you can eat, the food, location, and entertainment are all good. This is one of the better restaurants in Disney World. Only a couple of restaurants in Epcot are better than the Garden Grill.

Photo of the Week: The Land - Hot Air Balloons

I don't know why but I always loved the hot air balloons that hang from the ceiling in the Land pavilion. Maybe its because they move or are just a nice touch. They are one of the reasons the Land has always been one of the best pavilions in Epcot.

The Greenhouse Part of the Land Video Has Been Posted

I have posted a video of green house section of the land. I’ve always loved The Land and it’s easy to see why when you watch this video. I find all of the technology they use to be fascinating and often wonder why it’s not used elsewhere. However, if you have an aero garden you are using some of the very technology used at the Land.

The video was taken in December 2008 and can be viewed HERE.