Disneyland’s Autopia vs Disney World’s Speedway

Setting around both rides: Both rides are in the Tomorrowland sections of Disneyland and Disney World, but the surroundings are completely different. Disneyland’s Autopia is next to Finding Nemo and a Disneyland Railroad train station. Disney World’s Tomorrowland Speedway is near the edge of Tomorrowland, next to some restaurants and the Mad Tea Party ride. Near both exits, you can also get a fake driver’s license, but you have to pay for it. I think that Speedway has a better setting around the ride because Autopia is tucked into the back of Tomorrowland next to the train station. After you are done with Autopia, it is hard to get to the next ride because it is so far away from everything. 

Setting when you are on each ride: I think that Autopia’s setting, when you are on the ride, is better than Speedway’s setting because Autopia has characters on the side of the “road” that you can easily see while still driving. Speedway does not have anything fun to look at while you are driving. It looks like you are riding in a real car with trees and highway signs. I also think that both rides usually have a long queue; so expect to stand in a line.  

How are the two rides different: The scenery is better on Autopia. Another cool thing about Autopia, if you look on the back of your car, it has a funny license plate. Soon, the cars in Autopia will become electric, too. 
Al’s Winner: Both rides are awesome, but I think I liked Autopia better because it has a great setting when you are on the ride.   

A Beginner’s Guide to the World Showcase with Al: Spotlight on Mexico 

Mexico is one of my favorite pavilions in Epcot! Why? You will find out soon!

Food: Mexico has some great food. The pavilion has a pyramid with a restaurant outside of the pyramid called La Hacienda De San Angel and a restaurant inside of the pyramid called San Angel Inn Restaurante. 

At La Hacienda, you can eat and watch the fireworks at the same time! I like San Angel Inn better because they have good quesadillas and you can watch the boats from the Grand Fiesta Tour sail by you as you eat. These restaurants are part of the reason why I love this pavilion so much. 

Shopping: Inside the pyramid, they have a shopping place with skulls, skeletons, shirts, glasses, and many more things from Mexico. This is a very nice place to shop or if you just want to look around. 

Entertainment: Next to San Angel Inn, there is a ride called the Grand Fiesta Tour! This is a very fun and relaxing ride where The Three Caballeros (Panchito Pistoles, Jose Carioca, and Donald Duck) want to perform a song, but they lose Donald Duck! They go through many places to find him. Then, near the end of the ride, they finally find Donald! After all that, they eventually perform. This ride is another reason why I love this pavilion. 

Outside the pyramid, you can take pictures with Donald, who is dressed in Mexican clothes. 

Also, next to La Hacienda De San Angel, a band performs Mexican songs. There is always a crowd enjoying the music.

I hope you enjoyed my review of the Mexican pavilion.  

Al’s Top Five Favorite Rides at Universal

I love going to Universal almost as much as going to Disney so these are the rides that make me like Universal. 

5. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a good ride in Harry Potter land. Forbidden Journey is a ride where you fly around on a broom. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley fly with you around the school and then things pop out at you such as a dragon, spiders, and dementors! During the ride you are also playing a game of quidditch. This ride does not go upside down but it goes so far back it is like you are lying down! 

4. Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges

Popeye (I call this ride Popeye for short) is a water ride on a barge which is more fun than it sounds. Although this ride will have you super wet after you do it, this ride is still a very exciting ride for almost anyone in the family. This ride is also fun because there are about 6 other people with you on this ride so everybody on the barge laughs at each other when they get wet! This is a good ride to do if you do not mind getting wet and if you want to cool down in the sun. 

3. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts 

Escape from Gringotts is a roller coaster in Gringotts bank. The theme is crazy if you read the books and watch the movies. The point of the ride is that Voldemort and his assistant Belllatrix break into a very secure bank and they ask you where Harry Potter is because you were with him and his friends earlier. Then Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Bill (Ron’s brother) get you out! 

2. The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man

Spider-Man is a very fun ride to do at whatever age! Spider-Man is a ride in a closed car where you see the spectacular adventures of Spider-Man. Spider-Man is fighting bad guys while you help. In the ride you are recruited to help Spider-Man defeat Doc Ock and his evil crew. In the ride the bad guys attack you. Then Spider-Man saves you just at the last moment! 

1. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure

My favorite ride in all of the Universal parks is Hagrid’s Motorbike Adventure! Lots of people agree with me that Hagrid is the best ride in Universal, and I even go as far as to say Hagrid is the best ride including Disney! Hagrid is a super fun roller coaster where you go with Hagrid to see animals and different creatures. In this ride you can sit in either a bike or a little seat on a sidecar. If you go to Universal this is a must do. 

Honorable Mention: 

Jurassic Park River Adventure

Jurassic Park River Adventure is a ride where you are going on a journey to see dinosaurs, but you take a wrong turn and go into a restricted area. You keep going up until a T-Rex comes out and there is a huge drop! 

Those are my favorite rides in all of Universal!

Al’s Top 5 Favorite Roller Coasters in Disney World

I thought it would be cool to tell you guys my favorite roller coasters. So, this is how it went.

Beware of the Yeti!

5. Expedition Everest 

I like Expedition Everest because it has a lot of stuff: a beautiful view, scary parts, and it is a smooth ride. I sit near the front most of the time because there is a part where you go backward! In that part, if you are in the back, you go down a drop, then, you go up so high, you feel like you are almost going upside down. After that, there is a forward drop that is even bigger! If you like scary rides, then you would like this one.

The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!

4. Big Thunder Mountain 

Big Thunder Mountain is not a bad roller coaster; it is just a fun ride! It is “the wildest ride in the wilderness”! It has turns and drops, and almost anyone can ride and be happy when they get off the ride. It can also be repeated many times. There are two different tracks you can get! Big Thunder Mountain is next to water, too. When you get off the ride, make sure to get a picture with the water and the ride.

Here we go!

3. Slinky Dog Dash 

Watch out for Slinky Dog Dash because it is “the wildest ride in Andy’s backyard!” Slinky Dog Dash might look like a fun and cute ride, but it is not. It has a drop that is 50 feet! It also gets to a speed of 40 miles per hour, but it does not go upside down. The track is very smooth though, and that helps it not be as scary. If you want to have a tour of Andy’s backyard and like to scream, then this ride is for you.

3…2…1…

2. Tron Lightcycle Run 

Tron is a very cool ride that goes about 60 miles per hour! The only complaint about this ride is that it is only about two minutes. There is a part where you go outside that lasts about one minute. The ride also gives you a team color; it is always blue. Then you have to try to win a game with your team. The ride goes inside and goes through rings. If you get six rings before the orange, red, and yellow teams, you win! If you like competitions, you would like this roller coaster.

1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind 

Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite ride in Disney World for a lot of reasons. You are in a ride vehicle with two in the front and two in the back of every escape pod. You can also repeat this ride many times because it plays different songs (from the 70s and 80s) each time you ride it! You also go backward in this ride and a picture is taken of you in your escape pod when you go backward. This ride is crazy, and at the end of the ride, you hear, “Welcome to the Guardians of the Galaxy,” because you helped save the world!  

Honorable mentions: 

Space Mountain and Seven Dwarf Mine Train 

Space Mountain is an insane roller coaster in the dark with many drops and turns. Seven Dwarf Mine Train is a fast ride outside with a few fun songs to sing along, like, “Hi Ho”.

Those are my favorite roller coasters in Disney World. I hope you enjoyed this list!

The Best Things To Do In Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a must go place if you are a big Star Wars fan!

It can be overwhelming to know what you should do in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge so you can have the best experience possible. Today, I will be telling you what you should do in Galaxy’s Edge.

You definitely need to try blue milk! There is a milk stand located in Galaxy’s Edge that sells blue and green milk. The blue milk is actually pretty refreshing and the perfect thing to drink.

There are two rides in Galaxy’s Edge: Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. I will talk about Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance later. I would recommend riding Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run.

On this ride, you get to board the Millennium Falcon and either be the pilot, engineer, or gunner. It is a really cool experience because you really feel like you are in the Millennium Falcon.

You can make your own lightsaber!

At Savi’s Workshop, you can choose all the parts for your lightsaber every step of the way. I made my own lightsaber and it was a lot of fun!

My lightsaber.

Now, I left the best for last. You HAVE to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance! This is the best ride in all of Disney World and even non Star Wars fans will love it. Just trust me.

The Resistance needs your help to fight the First Order. At one point you even get captured by the First Order and have to walk through the ship!

I hope that this guide helps you have a great time in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!

My Favorite Roller Coasters At Disney World

I will be sharing with you my favorite roller coasters in Disney World!

5. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is a great ride, even if you are not the biggest roller coaster fan. Why? This ride has a lot of turns, but no drops.

4. TRON Lightcycle / Run just opened in March and a high speed adventure! You will join Team Blue and go on a race against Team Red. This ride is crazy fast and everything from the queue to the ride feels like you are totally immersed.

3. Expedition Everest – Legend of the Forbidden Mountain is a lot of fun! You are in the Himalayas and trying to escape the Yeti. During this ride you will also get a great view of Disney World.

2. I have recently become a big fan of Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. This is another new roller coaster. This ride can get really fast, so I if you are not a big fan of roller coasters I would say to skip this one.

  1. My favorite roller coaster should be no surprise to anyone, Space Mountain. Space Mountain is a roller coaster in the dark. I love the mystery of this ride because you do not know what is going to happen next.

What are your favorite roller coasters at Disney World?

Interview with a 9 Year Old

It’s that time!

Izzy: What was your favorite new ride in Disney World?

Al: Guardian of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind because I like the songs that it picks and it is super smooth and a great ride on its own.  I like roller coasters and if you like roller coasters it’s a great ride to do.

Izzy: Is Epcot still your favorite Disney World park?

Al: Yes, because I like the World Showcase and eating all the different food they have and also they have some great rides like Guardians of the Galaxy, Test Track and Spaceship Earth.

Izzy: Can you rank your top five favorite rides at Disney World?

Al: Oh yeah, that’s easy. #5 Dinosaur, #4 Pirates of the Caribbean, #3 Test Track, #2 Rise of the Resistance, #1 Guardians of the Galaxy.

Rise of the Resistance

Izzy: What is your favorite restaurant at Disney World?

Al: Definitely Teppan Edo because they cook the food in front of you and it is cool to see them do all those tricks in front of you. And I love their shrimp.

Teppan Edo

Izzy: Which park do you like better, Magic Kingdom or Animal Kingdom?

Al: Definitely Magic Kingdom.  There are more rides and it is more of the original park.  It is really cool to see the animals up close in Animal Kingdom, but they don’t have as many rides that I like.

Izzy: What is the best ride in Animal Kingdom?

Al: Dinosaur but I really like the Kilimanjaro Safari too.

The Safari

Izzy: What is your favorite thing to watch on Disney+?

Al: That’s difficult.  Probably The Mandalorian because it is so well done and everybody loves Grogu.

Izzy: When we went to Disney last year, we stayed at Boardwalk Villas, Bay Lake Tower, Saratoga Springs and The Riviera, which hotel was your favorite?

Al: Boardwalk Villas because you can walk to Epcot or Hollywood Studios and when you leave the hotel you are on the boardwalk and there are lots of dining options nearby.

The lobby of The Boardwalk

Izzy: Last year, we went to the pools at Bay Lake Tower, Saratoga Springs and The Riviera, which pool was your favorite?

Al: The Riviera, the slide at that pool was so good!

Izzy: Who is your favorite Marvel character?

Al: Still Spiderman.

Izzy: What is your favorite snack at Disney World?

Al: The Mickey pretzel is still my favorite.

Izzy: Last April we went to Universal Studios, what was your favorite ride?

Al: Hagrids because it is a smooth roller coaster with no bumps in it and I like how it goes around and you see different animals in the Harry Potter world, but I also like Spiderman a lot.

Ranking The Mountain Rides At Disney World

Happy New Years!

Today I thought it would be interesting to rank the mountain rides at Disney World. This is just my opinion, so it is completely ok if you do not agree with me.

What are the mountain rides at Disney World? The mountain rides include Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Expedition Everest.

5. In last place, we have Splash Mountain. My main problem with this ride is that you will most likely get VERY wet. I am not a fan of getting wet on a ride. The good news is that Splash Mountain is going to be re-themed to Princess and the Frog!

4. In fourth place we have Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. This ride always has a long line and the ride is so fast. It is only three minutes long. I would enjoy Seven Dwarfs Mine Train better if it was longer. Then, you will feel like it was worth waiting so long in line.

3. In third place, it’s Expedition Everest. This is the only roller coaster on the list that is in Animal Kingdom and not in Magic Kingdom. This ride makes you feel like you are in the mountains and I love all the drops and turns.

2. Next up, we have Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I really like Big Thunder Mountain. I like how the ride is outside. If you are someone who does not like a lot of drops on a roller coaster, this might be the ride for you. Big Thunder Mountain does not have a lot of drops, but it does have a lot of turns.

  1. My favorite mountain ride is Space Mountain. If you have been reading my blog for a while, you probably saw this coming. I like how this ride is completely in the dark, so you can not see the track in front of you.

I hope you enjoyed this article!

My Favorite Ride In Each Disney World Park

Today, I will be sharing with you my favorite ride in each Disney World park.

First, lets start off at Magic Kingdom! My favorite ride is Space Mountain.

Space Mountain is on the left.

Space Mountain is a roller coaster that is in the dark. I really enjoy this ride because I love roller coasters and on this one, you can not see the track in front of you, so it makes the ride full of suspense!

In Epcot, my favorite ride is Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind.

This ride just opened on May 27, 2022. I have only ridden it a couple of times, but it has quickly become my favorite. The Guardians need your help in order to get the Cosmic Generator back. This is one of the largest fully-enclosed roller coasters in the world.

At Hollywood Studios, I love Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. On this ride, you will team up with the Resistance and fight against the First Order.

This ride is incredible! My mom does not like Star Wars and she enjoyed this ride. I would really recommend trying Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance because you really feel like you are in the ride.

Finally, we have Animal Kingdom. My favorite ride in Animal Kingdom is Avatar Flight of Passage.

Avatar Flight of Passage is located in The World of Avatar.

On this ride, you will get to fly on the back of a banshee and discover Pandora. This is a really fun ride because it feels relaxing and you feel transported to another world.

These are my favorite rides! Now the real question is, what are your favorite rides in each Disney World park?

What Is Better: Spinning Rides Edition

Today I thought it would be fun if I talked about which is better out of the spinning rides in Universal Studios and Disney World: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, or Twirl ‘n’ Hurl, or The Magic Carpets of Aladdin, or Dumbo. On all four of these rides you can control how high you want to be. This is just my opinion, so it is totally ok if you do not agree with me.

In last place we have Twirl ‘n’ Hurl in Universal Studios. This is a Simpsons themed ride where you have been kidnapped by aliens. I personally find this one a little boring because compared to the other rides on this list the view isn’t that amazing.

Next, we have Dumbo in Magic Kingdom. On this ride you get to ride on a flying Dumbo! The view on this ride is great because you can see Cinderella’s Castle.

In second place we have One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish in Universal Studios. This ride is interesting because the fishes on the side of the ride will squirt water at you!

My favorite spinning ride is The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in Magic Kingdom. You get a great view of Adventureland from this ride and I find The Magic Carpets of Aladdin to be very relaxing.

That was my list. Now the real question is: how would you rank these rides?