So how do you top a Halloween in the Magic Kingdom?

You don’t. You change direction and head to the movies in Disney’s MGM Studios.

MGM studios feature a ton of movie/TV based attractions. As soon as we entered the park my kids were dancing and singing wildly to the “High School Musical” review, a moving musical that tours the park several times a day. Talk about set the tone! Be sure to pick up a “Times Guide” when you  enter the park because it lists all the show times and really helps you plan your day.

So here we are at Disney’s MGM Stuidos with two of the biggest attractions in the park, “Tower of Terror” and “Aerosmith’s “Rock’n Roller Coaster”, 2 kids who have never been on a roller coaster and me who has sworn off any type of Roller Coaster gizmo since the birth of my second child. So what to do?

The kids are begging to go on the “Tower of Terror” so we take advantage of their naivety.  I muster up all my adult courage so it can never be said that “mommy chickened out” and off  we went.

The Tower of Terror is an old haunted hotel, where you are seated and head up in an elevator 13 stories high in the dark. When you get to the top you drop several stories before you stop, go back up and repeat this terrifying activity for what seems like an eternity. Okay, not life threatening or horrendously dangerous, just darn right freaky! Just ask my son who had no words for about 10 minutes after and, my daughter who experienced her very first real adrenaline rush. She shook fervently for 5 minutes and begged to go back, thus the birth of yet another adrenaline junkie. I confess that once was enough for me, and with cookies still intact I patted myself on the back and perused the popcorn stand with my little guy.  Of course in his eyes he has mastered the “Tower of Terror” and will impart his bravery to all his school chums the second we get home.

This is definitely one of the biggest attractions in the park and a Fast Pass is recommended, unless you happen to be there around late October or early November, because we didn’t wait for a thing!

We jump from this ride to Aerosmith’s “Rockin Roller Coaster Ride” where you are rocketed from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and a thrilling coaster ride in the dark!  Definitely makes for a bad hair day!  At this point I have thrown all caution to the wind and we ride this thing 5 times before calling it quits. Clearly I have saved face, phew!

Don’t be discouraged if your kids are too young for the Roller Coaster stuff because there are many other great things to do. Check out “Lights, Motors, Action” an extreme stunt show that shows how car stunts are done for the big Hollywood films, very cool! Also Indiana Jones is alive and well. The kids had no idea of his legacy but the stunt show was great. For the little guys Ariel’s Grotto is a must: the Little Mermaid in all her glory. Or check out Beauty and the Beast, another great live musical production. As usual Disney gets it right. Both are the perfect length for kids and give a bit of down time for the whole family.

If you are up for it, there is a great night-time laser show called “Fantasmic”. We were a tad on the pooped side so skipped the show in favor of cocktails by the pool, ahhhhhh the life! 

Another great day at Disney, aren’t they all. It was still 27C at this time of year and we could feel a water park in our future…

Karen is an urbanmoms.ca member and mom of 2 who traveled to Disneyworld in Florida for Hallowe’en 2007. Catch the first installments of her story beginning here, and stay tuned next week for the next chapter!