SOARIN AROUND THE WORLD
One thing to note about the new Soarin: they got rid of the single rider line!! Thank goodness I didn't fastpass something else.
Overall, I enjoyed the ride. They incorporated 3 new smells which is awesome. The music was very similar which I also liked. They also added new transitions which spiced it up. For me, a big negative was the amount of CGI used where it didn't need to be. Also, the technology hasn't changed much since the ride began in 2001.
I do miss the random scenes of California as it the state I live in. I think the world works better at Epcot. I do however like that all of the scenes shown have a small Disney connection.
LUIGI
This opened awhile ago but I didn't want to wait for it. I was able to walk right on at 8:10 and I fell in love. It's so adorable and had a huge smile on my face the whole time. Basically the cars all dance with each other and I loved every second. Do note that the cars only hold 2-3 people as there is only one row (much like the seating on Mater)
FROZEN
Well I rope dropped to get fastpasses. When you get fastpasses, they are given out for 3 sections: orchestra, mezzanine and balcony. They have about 4 shows a day and are given out in that order. There is a standby line but I wouldn't risk it as I have heard it is as low as 100-200 people that they let in. I got show 1, orchestra and it had strict instructions. Show started at 11:30 and you had to be back between 10:30-11:10 with the line closing at 11:10 sharp (this was confirmed by someone I talked to that was locked out the day before and as well someone I sat next to the show) so plan accordingly.
NOTE:there are no restrooms in the theatre or in line so if you need to go, you have to get a pass to come back in.
I was able to walk to the third row and had a great seat. Not to give too much away about the show, but I loved it. It had amazing costumes and sets and I was shocked by some of the things they were able to do (Elsa's flying cape, Elsa's dress, Sven, Olaf, the trolls!!!) . I highly recommend this show!
One thing to note: the show is about an hour so between needing to be there about 30 min before and the 5-10 min it'll take you to exit the theatre, it does take up a chunk of your day.
I did the Paint the night dining package at Blue Bayou for the 4th and really enjoyed it. It's 62 dollars for 3-course meal (starter, entree and dessert) and reserved viewing for the parade. The viewing area is by the flag pole in town square on Main Street.
I had the house salad,the lamb chop and Meyer lemon creme brûlée. All of it was excellent!!
The fastpass tickets were for the 8:50 world of color and it said check in 30 min prior to show-8:20. The area was plenty big and was never completely full. You can a full view as the parade goes completely around the area which gives you a lot of opportunities for pictures! The main concern was seeing the fireworks right after which was accomplished. We left the area as soon as the parade passed in front of us and we're able to hop on the sidewalk and get in the middle of Main Street with no problems and without having to campout for a spot hours before. If I did it again, I would show up a bit closer to showtime as we stood around the whole time(about 40 minutes as the parade got to us around 9PM) waiting for it to start. Do be warned, use the restroom before as there isn't one close that can be used during the parade without crossing the parade route so you could get stuck and miss the parade.
I think this is a great option for first time viewers as you don't need to camp out. It also gives you an opportunity to dine at blue bayou! Do be warned this books up quickly so make sure to do it 60 days out. We got lucky and got a reservation on Saturday-2days before. People get their reminder emails 2 days before their reservation and it is when most people cancel so make sure to keep checking back!
Have you done any of the new attractions at DCA?