Animal Actors Show at Universal Studios Florida

The Animal Actors Show is a stadium style attraction that features animal trainers showing how animals perform in TV skits.  The trainers bring on individuals from the audience to participate in some of the animal stunts that the animals perform.  This show has comedy bits done by both the trainers and the animals.  It is a fun and entertaining show to attend.  I highly recommend watching this.  Below is a short vid that I made on December 2011 with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.

My Experience at the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party,,,captured in video! - Part 5 - Entering and Exiting the Party

This will be the last post in the series.  I will cover the experience of entering and exiting the party.  Depending on the night that you attend, the crowds tend to be the highest towards the beginning of the party.  I think this mostly because most of the young kids that want to attend the party will not make it to the end because they will be tired and fall a sleep.  The night I attended the party was very crowded at the beginning of the first hour.  Below is a video that I shot with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone of me walking down Main Street USA navigating through the crowds of people.


I stayed the entire time and made sure that I waited to be one of the last people to leave the park.  It makes a big difference to do this.  When  I walked down Main Street USA, it was totally empty.  I was able to enjoy the sights and sounds of Main Street USA without being rushed. Below is a video that I shot with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone of me walking down Main Street USA at the end of the party.

Mannheim Steamroller Sound Check at Universal Studios Florida - December 2011

During December 2011, Universal Studios Florida featured the famous musical act Mannheim Steamroller to play during the evening.  This was very during that year.  I was lucky enough to catch a sound check that Mannheim Steamroller did to prepare for their evening concert.  This band sounds great during their sound check.  I shot two videos using my Motorola Droid Bionic to capture these moments.

Rhino Rally at Busch Gardens Tampa - December 2011

During my first ever visit to Busch Gardens Tampa, I wanted to try the Rhino Rally safari to see how it would compare to the safari at Animal Kingdom.  I'm going to summarize it right now....there is no comparison.  The safari at Animal Kingdom is 100 times better than Rhino Rally.  Rhino Rally lasts only 5 minutes!  The driver cracks some bad jokes along your "journey".  This ride needs to either be overhauled or just eliminated because it adds no value to the landscape of animals that live at Busch Gardens Tampa.  I shot two videos using my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.

My Experience at the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party,,,captured in video! - Part 4 - Wishes (Christmas Edition)

This post in the series covers the fireworks show shown during Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, Wishes.  This is based on the same Wishes fireworks show that is shown every night at the Magic Kingdom.  The park puts a twist on the show, adding elements of Christmas in it.  It is a great show to watch, and something you do not want to miss while you are at the party.  I watched it near the bridge that leads to Tomorrowland.  Below is the video that I shot using my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.

Macy's Holiday Parade at Universal Studios Florida - December 2011

Universal Studios Florida has brought down the famous floats and balloons from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City to Orlando to be part of a nightly parade called the Macy's Holiday Parade.  This parade simulates the same parade that is performed in New York City without the cold temperatures.  I've been to the parade in New York City and it is a much more relaxed experience to watch it in Orlando where you can watch it on multiple nights during the week.  The team members helping out with the parade are very happy and get into the Christmas spirit.  This parade really rivals the nightly parades at Walt Disney World.  I took these videos using my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.

My Experience at the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party,,,captured in video! - Part 3 - Magic, Memories and You

This post in the series will cover the Magic, Memories and You show that is shown on Cinderella's Castle before the Wishes fireworks show.  Special projections are shown on the castle to transform it to a giant project screen showing special animation effects and pictures. The park makes special tweaks for the Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  Below is the video that I took with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone of the show.

My Experience at the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party,,,captured in video! - Part 2 - Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade

In my second post in this series, I cover the Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade that is held at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.  This parade only shows during this party.  That year, the Magic Kingdom held the parade twice during the party.  That was a smart move by the park because the first showing of the parade is the most crowded.  I took videos during the first showing, which was a challenge because I did not get the best view of the parade.  I was stationed near Cinderella's Castle.  There were parents that put their kids on their shoulders right in front of me to obstruct my view.  That was irritating.  I did not let their inconsideration ruin my time at the parade.  Here are the videos that I took of the parade with my Motorola Droid Bionic.

My Experience at the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party,,,captured in video! - Part 1 - The Dance Parties and Musical Entertainment

I'm starting this series of posts sharing my experiences through videos that I made from the 2011 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom.  This post features the dance parties and the musical entertainment that is offered at the party.

There was a dance party held at Cosmic Ray's.  A DJ was setup to interact with the guests and to play all the popular dance hits from 2011.  Cast members brought several characters to the dance party to dance with the guests.  Yes, I also got on the dance floor and danced! In my opinion, this was the best dance party offered at the party that year.



This video featured Goofy and Pluto dancing with a cheerleader group to KeSha's Blow.


This video featured Goofy and Chip and Dale doing the Cupid Shuffle with a lot of kids and adults.

This video features Goofy and Pluto doing the shuffle to LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem.

I also attended the dance party at the Diamond Horseshoe building.  To me, this was the least fun to attend because the DJ was not that good at getting the guests into the music.  It seemed that most of the people were just standing the around and looking at the characters.



I went outside of the Diamond Horseshoe and spotted the Frontierland Band playing lighted up banjos.  This was really cool because they were all decked out with lights while playing all their music.



I headed to Tomorrowland because another musical performance was playing there.  A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas Show was featured.  This was funny and entertaining.  The dancers were really into the performance.  I took two videos of this show:

Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade at Magic Kingdom - December 2011

Back in the first week of December 2011, I was hanging out on Main Street USA near the fire station when I saw a parade pass through.  I was the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade.  This parade has been around since 2009.  It is scheduled to end its run at the Magic Kingdom on January 4, 2014.  It is a fun parade full of cast members dancing, and floats that look like big wrapped presents.  The theme for the parade is celebrating dreams coming true.  I made a video of it with my Motorola Droid Bionic Smartphone.

Disney Channel Rocks! at Disney Hollywood Studios - December 2011

Disney Channel Rocks! was a daytime musical show that was performed in front of the big sorcerer's hat at Disney Hollywood Studios.  The performers sang and danced to covers of popular songs from the Disney Channel.  The show played its last show on April 6, 2013.  I was fortunate to see the show during the first week of December 2011.  I recorded a short clip of this show with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.  I thought this show was fun and entertaining.  The kids that were performing the song and dance number had a lot of enthusiasm  and spirit, and got the children in the audience to dance with them.  Below is the clip of the show.

Illuminations Reflections of Earth Christmas Edition at Epcot - December 2011

Illuminations Reflections Earth is a spectacular fireworks show that is performed every evening to close out the day at Epcot.  During December, Epcot puts out a Christmas edition of the nighttime show.  Christmas songs are performed, as well as special fireworks to match the Christmas theme.  It's cool the Epcot changes this show during December.  I shot video with my Droid Bionic smartphone at my favorite spot to watch Illuminations, at the bridge connecting the African outpost with China.  I have to apologize ahead of time with the quality of video.  The Droid Bionic tended to go out of focus in the environment.  Bear with the focus issues and enjoy the videos!

Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom - December 2011

I wanted to post these videos of the version Festival of the Lion King at Animal Kingdom from December 2011 because I wanted to feature the show at its present location at Camp Minnie Mickey.  Camp Minnie Mickey is being converted into Avatarland.  The show will be moving to a location that is currently being built at Africa.  I'm not sure if the show will change in any way when it moves to its new location.  The show in its present form is really entertaining and fun for the whole family.  It is shown multiple times per a day.  Here are videos of the show back in December 2011:

Mo Rockin' and Bellydancing at the Moroccan Pavilion at Epcot - December 2011

I spent the first week of December 2011 down at Walt Disney World.  I made time to visit Moroccan Pavilion at the World Showcase area in Epcot to enjoy the performances of Mo Rockin' and see some bellydancing.  Mo Rockin' is a musical group that plays traditional music from Morocco out at the Moroccan Pavilion several times a day.  Watching them requires no additional admission.  The bellydancer is the same bellydancer that performs at Morocco's sit-down dining restaurant, Restaurant Marrakesh.  The music is entertaining, and the bellydancing is amazing.  This is definitely something that you do not want to miss while you are visiting all the areas at the World Showcase.  Below is a video that I took of Mo Rockin' and the bellydancer.

Animal Kingdom's Jamin' Jingle Parade - December 2011

During the first week of December 2011, I had the opportunity to visit Animal Kingdom to see what the park does during the Christmas season.  One premier attraction that the park holds during this time is the Jamin' Jingle Parade.  It is a Christmas twist to the parade that Animal Kingdom normally runs during the late afternoon.  The cast members and characters wear special costumes, and special floats are paraded down the park.  A special musical loop is played throughout the parade route, which gets all guests in the Christmas mood.  I felt the need to "jam" to the music, no pun intended!  Overall, this is a very enjoyable parade to watch to end your fun day at Animal Kingdom.  Below is the entire parade from December 2011.

Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios - December 2011

Christmas is one of the best times to visit Walt Disney World.  Each park is decorated and have their own brand of entertainment to offer.  Disney Hollywood Studios features the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.  This attraction is located on the Streets of America, and features Christmas lights on all the buildings that move to music.  In this post, I will feature the attraction from 2011.  I filmed this with my Motorola Droid Bionic smartphone.