In this post not only will I give lists of the height requirements for rides in each park (including the water parks), but will also discuss: Why your child may be physically tall enough, but not emotionally ready to ride certain attractions What to do […]
The Garden Grill is one of two character meals that you’ll find in Disney World’s Epcot, and is a pretty nifty place for at least three reasons, in my opinion: The restaurant rotates You get to meet Chip and Dale It’s one of the more […]
Rock n Roller Coaster in Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios, a fast roller coaster with loops that blares Aerosmith music through speakers near your head during the ride, is a good prop to illustrate the differences between me and my husband Rob.
Rob gets motion sick very easily, prefers rides like Haunted Mansion over roller coasters, and he can’t stand classic rock music. Rock n Roller Coaster is probably his worst nightmare.
I, on the other hand, can and will ride anything, no matter which direction it goes in. I love Rock n Roller Coaster, usually ride it twice in a row, and sing along with the soundtrack.
I guess it just goes to show that tastes in Disney rides (and music) isn’t what makes or breaks a marriage.
In this post I’ll try to answer every question you might have about Rock n Roller Coaster, one of my favorite rides at Disney World.
Construction on the ride began in February 1998, and the grand opening was on July 29, 1999. As a point of reference, Hollywood Studios opened in May of 1989 (although the park was originally called Disney-MGM Studios until January 2008) and Tower of Terror opened in 1994.
You need to be 48 inches tall (exactly four feet) to ride. This is a taller height requirement than Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, or Expedition Everest.
Yes. If you don’t mind being split up from your group and sitting next to a stranger, you can save a little bit of time by getting in the single rider line, located next to the FastPass entrance.
The bad news is that, unlike Epcot’s Test Track (which seats 3 guests per row instead of 2), the single rider line doesn’t move much faster than the regular standby line.
You might want to ask a Cast Member what the estimated wait is for the single rider line. Or, if you prefer technology over speaking to people and like your information to be more precise, you get Touring Plan’s app, Lines, which will give you the wait time for both the standby and the single rider lines so you can compare and make the best decision.
Speaking of wait times, they can easily be up to 90 minutes or more during high-crowd seasons, so I would definitely recommend getting a FastPass if you can.
Mickey Mouse on Guitar Disney Trading Pin
Rock ‘N Roller Coaster Mickey Mouse Plush
Yes, although in a weird way you don’t notice it as much as your typical roller coaster with an upside down loop. I don’t know if that’s because of the speed, the dark indoor environment, or the nature of the inversions.
There are three total inversions, a first two a Disney attraction. Wiki describes them as “half-vertical loops, half-corkscrews, and a sea serpent roll.”
The first time I rode Rock n Roller Coaster, in the first 5 seconds of the ride I was absolutely terrified and thought, “OhNoNoNoNoWhatDidIJustGetMyselfInto!?!”
The funny thing was that, when I told my girls that after the ride, my oldest daughter Rachael said she was thinking the exact same thing.
At its launch, Rock n Roller Coaster accelerates from 0 to 57 mph in 2.8 seconds has has a g force (gravitational force equivalent) of 5. (A rocket launch only has a g force of 3, yikes.)
Luckily (I guess?) you can see the launch while you’re waiting in line, so at least you can sort of expect it.
Sadly, yes, there was one death on this ride.
According to Wiki, in June 2006, a 12-year-old boy from Kentucky, was unresponsive at the end of the ride and declared dead on the way to the hospital. The death was said to be the result of a congenital heart defect.
I remember hearing a long time ago that when Aerosmith first came out in the 1970’s, critics called them a “poor man’s Rolling Stones” … which is kind of funny, because that’s exactly what they are in the story of Rock n Roller Coaster.
According to Jim Hill Media, Disney approached Mick Jagger and Keith Richards in the spring of 1998, while the roller coaster was still under construction, asking if they would be interested.
The Stones were interested — but for a huge licensing fee, something to the tune of $7 – $10 million per year.
This was way out of Disney’s budget, so they approached Steve Tyler, Aerosmith’s frontman. This made total sense, not only because they are a poor man’s Rolling Stones, but because Aerosmith had just been signed by Touchstone pictures to perform “I Don’t Want To Miss a Thing,” for the movie Armageddon, so there was already a Disney connection of sorts.
Steve Tyler loved the idea.
More importantly, he loved it for about the tenth of the price that the Rolling Stones did.
Note: Some people say that U2 had been approached by Disney to be the featured band, but I never saw that from any reliable source, and I personally find it pretty hard to believe. Could you even remotely imagine Bono agreeing to be part of a Disney World attraction? Yeah, I didn’t think so.
According to Mickey Wiki, each “limo” has its own unique soundtrack, which is identified by its license plate:
1QKLIMO– “Nine Lives”
UGOBABE– “Love in an Elevator” and “Walk This Way”
(Interestingly, this license plate used to be “UGOGIRL” but was changed to “UGOBABE” to be “less sexist.”)
BUHBYE– “Young Lust”, “F.I.N.E.*” and “Love in an Elevator”
H8TRFFC– “Back in the Saddle” and “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)”
2FAST4U– Live version of “Sweet Emotion”
I’m lucky that I don’t get motion sick, but I was thinking that a ride that goes 57 miles per hour and has three corkscrews isn’t a good choice for someone who does.
However, it sounds like I thought wrong.
Apparently many people who suffer from motion sickness don’t have a problem with Rock n Roller Coaster.
Qtwns from the DisBoards says:
If you want advice from the Queen of Motion Sickness, I’m your gal. I cannot ride motion simulators, ever!
Rock n Roller Coaster is not a problem. It is a smooth ride if you ride in the middle or near the front. If you want your brains jerked out, ride in the back. Cast members have always been very accommodating when I request to ride from the middle up to the front…trust me, there is always someone waiting to ride the back car … You go too fast to realize you’re up side down until your right side up again!
and Mjkre says:
I can ride it at least once. Multiple times would push it. You can see, sort of. And I thought it was much smoother than Space Mountain. i have now gone on it about five times.
To put it in perspective, I cannot even sit as a passenger in a car without some level of motion sickness. Reading is impossible. Motion simulators are a guarantee for hours of nausea. But I can ride roller coasters. RnR is a fun one!
Personally, I like Rock n Roller Coaster much more than Space Mountain.
For one thing, the whole idea of a roller coaster that plays rock music is totally my jam, so right from the start it earns extra points in my book.
Second … I just don’t like Space Mountain all the much. I find it physically uncomfortable because of the jerkiness, and the whole “roller coaster in the dark” thing makes me wince.
Which is weird, because guess what Rock n Roller Coaster is? A roller coaster in the dark! But I think the difference is those flashing lights on Space Mountain. I dunno. I just don’t like it.
I will say that Rock n Roller Coaster is more smooth and definitely faster (about twice the speed of Space Mountain).
Here’s what some other people had to say about the differences between the two coasters:
KimR on the DisBoards says:
I think Space Mountain is worse than Rock n Roller Coaster. Rock n Roller Coast is very smooth, no drops and I feel secure – I never get the feeling that I’m going to be tossed out.
On the other hand, Space Mountain is slower and doesn’t have any loops, but it has more drops and is much jerkier – I do sometimes feel as though I am going to fly out even though rationally I know I will not! It just depends on what freaks you out on rollercoasters, though. (I love inversions, but hate drops).
and FutureWasYesterday says:
Coming from a completely unexperienced roller coaster rider, I would say Space Mountain is a bit rougher on the stomach. I have ridden both, and Rock n Roller Coast is definitely faster but it is much much smoother than Space Mountain. SM is much slower but speed is relative, has more unknown twists and turns, and jerks you around a bit more.
C’mon, think about it. You can drive down the highway at 80mph and unless you take a sharp turn your body doesn’t even feel it. Space Mountain is the rougher I believe for the newbie coaster rider.
If you want some more detail about what Rock n Roller Coaster looks like and how exactly it works, check out this video.
In this review, they says the ride loses points for its weak theming and queue (by Disney standards). I guess I would agree (especially about the queue), but I’ve always enjoyed the ride itself too much to really think about it.
What do you think of Rock n Roller Coaster? Do you like it better than Space Mountain? Do it make you motion sick? Is “UGOBABE” less sexist than “UGOGIRL”? Let us know below in the comments!
The Crystal Palace is a character dining restaurant in the Magic Kingdom where you get to meet characters from The Hundred Acre Woods (ie, Winnie the Pooh and Friends.) According to Mickey Wiki, the Crystal Palace is as old as the park itself, but originally […]
I still have a very vivid memory of being mad at my mother because she wouldn’t let me ride Space Mountain during my own childhood trip to Disney World when I was in elementary school. In retrospect, it was probably a good call on her […]
So I guess I’m really slow when it comes to certain things ,,, but I just discovered last week that there is something called “The Disney Rash.”
As you’ll see in a moment, it isn’t really a rash at all, but it is kinda ugly and often uncomfortable.
Since the last thing you want is to physically uncomfortable during your Disney trip, I did some research about this so-called “Disney Rash,” what causes it, how to help prevent it and what treatments are effective.
Of course I need to put the disclaimer that I am not a medical professional in any way, and my only “qualification” to discuss this is that I spent a couple hours doing Internet searches. (You can see the bibliography at the end of this post.)
The medical term for “Disney rash” is Exercise-Induced Vasculitis.
It technically isn’t a rash at all, but rather an irritation of the blood vessels due to prolonged exercise in the heat.
The “rash” is typically on the lower legs and can appear as red blotches, purple patches, or small dots. It may or may not cause itching and is usually accompanied by swelling (or what medical people call “edema”).
Nope. (It’s not contagious, either, since it isn’t really a rash.) It’s just yucky-looking and irritating.
The Disney rash will resolve on its own several days after you come home from vacation. There are some treatments that may help reduce it a little or at least make you feel a little better, which will talk about in a moment.
There are a few things you can do to reduce the likelihood of getting a Disney rash:
I’m really sorry to say that woman over fifty years old are more likely to get Exercise-Induced Vasculitis that anyone else. But you can’t do much about that one way or the other, so let’s move on to number two …
Getting in the habit of walking regularly means less of a shock to your body when you have to trek ten or more miles around Epcot in the heat. Consider making a family walk each evening party of your Disney vacation countdown. This is also a great way to break in your walking shoes.
This is always a good idea at Disney World. Remember that you can get free ice water at any counter service restaurant. If you consider Florida tap water to be kind of nasty-tasting, consider getting a filtered water bottle.
Again, this should be a non-negotiable on any Disney trip, but some people report that it helps prevent the Disney rash in addition to protecting them from sunburn.
This doesn’t seem to work for everybody, but some people claim that taking non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) like aspirin, ibuprofin, or naproxen before the start of the trip.
If you don’t normally use those medications, you might want to check with your doctor first, because there are some people (who like) who shouldn’t take them.
Motrin IB, Ibuprofen 200mg TabletsAdvil Coated TabletsBayer Genuine Aspirin (500 ct.)Aleve Liquid Gels, Naproxen Sodium Capsules 220 mg (NSAID)
When you get back to your hotel room at the end of the day or during your midday break, prop your feet up on a couple pillows while you nap, check your email, or watch Netflix.
Okay, so you walked regularly before your trip, elevated your feet, slathered yourself in sunscreen, and popped Advil every day … but you still have itchy bumps all over your legs.
What do you do now?
First of all, remember that there is a First Aid center in every Disney park, including the water parks They carry anti-itch cooling gel, and antihistamines, which should be able to provide at least some relief.
Using witch hazel towelettes and itch-reducing lotions can also helpful.
Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel an TowelettesEucerin Eczema Relief Cream – Full Body LotionCalaGel: Medicated Maximum Strength Anti-Itch Gel 6 ozAllerClear Loratadine 10 mg Antihistamine Tablets
Nohal on the DisBoards found something that worked like a charm for her:
I always get the Disney Rash … The older I get the worse the rash is … This trip I brought Gold Bond medicated powder so [my husband’s] suggestion was to put the powder on my legs (also worked for chafing when the Gold Bond stick didn’t work), let it sink in a little, then put suntan lotion over top.
The rash started to clear and for the next 6 days of our trip didn’t come back and neither did the chafing on my thighs. Worked great for me hope it works for others.
Gold Bond Extra Strength Medicated Body Powder
Narnia_girl on the Disboards lists several things that helped her:
I get the Disney rash (golfer’s vasculistis) every time and it’s miserable for me. Very itchy.
I’ve searched every tip and suggestion. I’ve also been to first aid at WDW and Universal for the Calagel lotion (it does help).
For relief when you have it, a few things helped me:
1) Resting and elevating my feet up every chance I got–during shows, breaks, in transportation etc…2) Having a couple of non-park days.
3) I also take a small dose of Benadryl (break a 25 mg tablet in half) and take that every four hours during the day; at night I take a full tablet. This helps relieve itching.
4) I’ve read that drinking a lot of water and starting Ibuprofen a week ahead helps, but I’m not sure if that was effective for me.
5) What has helped me prevent it the most is wearing tall socks. Last July when we were there I actually wore toe socks with my Birkenstocks and I looked well, goofy.
But it worked! The pressure from the socks must prevent blood vessels from expanding.
Now I know there no-way-no-how-no-heck I’m wearing socks like that to Disney World (if for no other reason than my teenage daughters would refuse to be seen with me), but … I guess if you’re in enough discomfort, you’ll do what you gotta do.
In addition to Exercise-Induced Vasculitis, there are a few other things that may be going on if you experience a rash during your Disney trip.
This actually is a rash, and it’s caused by sun exposure in people who have developed sensitivity to sunlight. It looks like a Dense clusters of small bumps and blisters and is often accompanied with itching and burning.
Fair-skinned females are more at risk for PLE (sigh).
Like Exercise-Induced Vasculitis, treatment includes using sunscreen (or avoiding the sun), and using anti-itch cream, oral antihistamines, and Ibuprofen.
Heat rash is caused when blocked pores trap perspiration under your skin. It manifests itself in blisters and/or deep, red lumps. It may feel prickly (hence the name) or very itchy.
Heat rash usually develops in skin folds and places where your clothing causes friction. It can be prevented somewhat by wearing loose, lightweight, cotton clothing.
Now it’s your turn.
Have you ever gotten the “Disney Rash”? Do you have have any tips or suggestions on how to prevent or treat it?
Flight of Passage is the better and more popular of the two rides in Animal Kingdom’s newest land, Pandora — The World of Avatar. It is, of course, based on the then-popular-now-not-so-much 2009 film Avatar. Disney began developing Pandora — World of Avatar in 2011 […]
We all know that you can save both time and money by just eating a quick bowl of cereal or granola bar in your hotel room for breakfast. But come on, do you want to start every morning like that? Sometimes it’s nice to start […]
Chef Mickey’s in the Contemporary Resort is considered by many (including myself) to be one of the best Disney World restaurants for kids.
It’s been a long time since we’ve been to Chef Mickey’s, and it was before I had this blog, so I wasn’t taking photos of the food or contemplating the atmosphere or anything blogger-like. I was just trying to juggle the kids, eat, and take a few photos like a normal person.
So I brought in my friend and fellow Disney blogger Jana Seitzer from Whisky + Sunshine to do a guest post review of Chef Mickey’s.
Chef Mickey’s in an American breakfast & dinner buffet with character visits from Mickey & friends at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. You do not need park tickets to access this restaurant, but reservations are highly recommended.
Chef Mickey’s ranges in price from $35 to $59.99 per adult. and is on the dining plan for one table service credit.
(Pricing information is from Touring Plans.)
Ages 10 and over: $44.73
Ages 3-9: $26.63
Ages 10 and over: $44.73
Ages 3-9: $26.63
Ages 10 and over: $54.32
Ages 3-9: $31.95
As you can imagine, Chef Mickey’s is a popular place and books up fast. The best tip is to make your reservations as early as possible (180 days in advance, first thing in the morning).
Another suggestion if you’re having trouble is to try again 45 days before your trip. Since this when final payments are due, this is around the time people might cancel.
If you’ll be celebrating a birthday or other special event, let them know when you’re making the reservation. You might be lucky enough to get a birthday card or cupcake, although there are no guarantees.
If you need to cancel your reservation, you need to do so the day before to avoid the cancellation charge.
Breakfast ends at 11:30am, at which time it goes immediately into brunch (which is similarly to breakfast, but has more “lunch food,” as you’ll see in a moment).
Breakfast — 7:00am-11:30am
Brunch — 11:30am-2:30pm
Dinner — 5:00pm-9:30pm
Yes! It’s about a 10-12 walk, and there is a path to walk along. It’s a nice option if the weather is nice and you’re not in a hurry. Here’s a video showing you exactly what the walk looks like.
The dining space is located adjacent to the monorail and views of Bay Lake with a gorgeous 90-foot high mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair.
My kids love that you can ride the monorail in and out of the Contemporary Resort to get to breakfast, and the proximity to Magic Kingdom and Epcot is convenient for park days.
There’s a photo opportunity just inside the restaurant where you can take a photo while you wait for your table to be ready.
(Menu information is from Touring Plans.)
Oatmeal
Cheesy Grits
Smoked Salmon Bar
Carving Ham with Honey Mustard
Biscuits and Gravy
Corned Beef Hash
Bacon
Sausage Links
Scrambled Eggs
Western Scramble & Egg White Scramble
Tofu Scramble
Pastries
Make Your Own Waffle Bar (with syrup, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, whipped cream, chocolate chips, etc)
Fruit
Yogurt Parfaits with Assorted Toppings
The brunch menu is [mostly] the breakfast menu with “more stuff,” including:
Peel & Eat Shrimp
BBQ Pork Ribs
Ham and Cheese Scramble
Seafood Newburg
Seasonal Salad Selections
Seasonal Vegetables
Create Your Own Sundae Bar
Mickey Mouse Domes (see Pinterest photo below)
Prime Rib with Horseradish Cream Sauce
Roasted Chicken
Pot Roast
Glazed Salmon
Chili Cornbread Casserole
Chicken Nuggets
Charcuterie Board of salami, cheese, olives, and pickles
Daily Soup and Pasta Specials
Assorted Breads and Spreads
Caesar Salad
Salad Bar
Create Your Own Sundae Bar
Mickey Mouse Domes
Bread Pudding
We love the choices for the breakfast buffet. We always eat eggs, sausage, bacon, Mickey Waffles (because Disney!), fruit, and pastries for dessert.
In general I don’t have picky eaters, but they definitely have preferences as to how they like their eggs. So even though Chef Mickey’s serves scrambled eggs by default at the buffet, you can ask your server for fried eggs if you’d prefer to have them prepared that way. My kids are always very happy with that option.
Yes. Mimosas are served at breakfast and brunch and there is a specialty cocktail menu that includes, beer, wine, margaritas, and other drinks available for dinner.
If you love the Fab Five, Chef Mickey’s is the perfect all-you-can-eat buffet where you can meet:
Mickey Mouse
Minnie Mouse
Pluto
Goofy
Donald Duck
All 5 characters are available during breakfast, brunch, and dinner.
One thing that’s nice about Chef Mickey’s is that you can make your rounds of the huge buffet right away while you wait for the characters to make their rounds. This is particularly nice if you’re dining with young children and/or Very Hungry People.
I’ve never eaten dinner at Chef Mickey’s, but I’ve heard a lot of strongly negative comments about their dinner buffet. For example, here’s what Goofy4Prez on the DisBoards had to say:
Dinner? “Forget About It.” The most absolutely, pathetic, most unpleasant dining experience I have ever had the misfortune of trying. The food was below average to disgusting. The buffet station was filthy, often empty and poorly kept up with and the food was the worst in WDW, even beating out ABC Commissary as my personal worst. Never again, even if this place was free …
And Minnie Mum adds:
Dinner at Chef Mickey’s is plain awful. I get that people go for the characters. But dinner is noisy, chaotic and the buffet line can get gawdawful messy. And the food quality is probably the lowest of all the buffets ( although it may be tied with Hollywood & Vine).
Another thing to consider, especially if you are paying out of pocket as opposed to using dining plan credits, is that breakfast is cheaper. And let’s be honest … at Chef Mickey’s, you’re really paying more for the characters than for the quality of the food, so you might as well keep the price down as much as possible.
When people make decisions about their Disney dining, they often try to decide between two someone similar restaurants.
Garden Grill in Epcot is an obvious “competitor” with Chef Mickey’s because a) both are character meals featuring Mickey Mouse and his friends, and b) they have similar menus.
Here are a few things to consider if you’re trying to decide between the two restaurants:
1) Instead of the “Chef Mickey Fab Five” of Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck, Garden Grill stars “Farmer Mickey,” Pluto, and Chip and Dale.
2) Garden Grill is a “family-style” restaurant, which is sort of a buffet in reverse. You stay at your table and they bring the food to you. You can request seconds or thirds of anything you like.
3) Garden Grill slowly rotates and you get a view inside Living With the Land.
Tusker House, located in the Africa section of Animal Kingdom, is another obvious “competitor” of Chef Mickey’s. Both restaurants star Mickey and friends, and both restaurants are buffets.
People who think Chef Mickey’s is overrated are usually quick to suggest Tusker House as the better alternative.
Here are the basic differences between the two restaurants:
1) Again, you’re not getting the “Fab Five,” but you do get Donald and Daisy Duck, Mickey, and Goofy (dressed in safari clothes).
2) While Tusker House serves “basic” foods like eggs and bacon for breakfast and roast chicken for dinner, they also serve most adventurous foods like Beef Bobotie and Basmati Rice and Curry Chicken.
3) The theming is quite different, as Tusker House is set in an African harambe market.
If you enjoyed your waffles at Chef Mickey’s, good news! It’s easy to make your own at home.
According to the Disney Food Blog, the secret to replicating Disney’s waffles is to use Carbon’s Golden Malted Waffle Mix.
Carbon’s Golden Malted Pancake & Waffle Flour Mix, 32-Ounces
Then you can pour the batter into a Mickey waffle maker, cook, and load up with your favorite toppings!
Disney DCM-9 Mickey Mini Waffle MakerDisney DCM-12 Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker
By the way, If you enjoy making Disney food at home, check out this cookbook. It includes recipes from food at Disney World, Disneyland, and the Disney Cruise Line.
Chef Mickey: Treasures from the Vault & Delicious New Favorites
That is a popular question, and … well, it depends on who you ask, and what you’re looking for.
Do be aware that Chef Mickey’s can be noisy, even chaotic, and it is usually crawling with little kids. If the scene you are picturing in your head right now gives you the heebie-jeebies, you might want to reconsider Garden Grill or Tusker House as an alternative.
For us, as far as Character Dining goes, this is one of our favorites for value. You get 5 characters and the breakfast buffet is a better value than many of the other restaurants. We can eat a big late breakfast and get by on a snack and not eat another big meal until dinner.
I’d much rather do Character Dining to see characters than wait in line at the park, so to me, Chef Mickey’s is definitely worth it!
Now it’s your turn.
What has your experience at Chef Mickey’s been like? Is dinner as awful as some people say it is? Do you think Chef Mickey’s is worth the price?
Jana Seitzer is founder and editor-in-chief of Whisky + Sunshine. She’s a full-time mom to 4 amazing kids (11×2, 13, 15)—including two with special needs; married to her husband for 16 years; writer; speaker; photographer; marketer; designer; former Disney podcaster; and social media maven. She loves to travel all over the world—solo and with her family—and tell stories about her travel adventures—adventures that often involve a glass of wine or bourbon.
Click here to follow Jana on Instagram.
In my post about the best Disney restaurants for first time visitors, I recommended the 50’s Prime Time Cafe in Hollywood Studios even though our personal experience was not that great (because our waiter was not that great). I still wanted to give 50’s Prime […]
