Resort Hopping 101 – Animal Kingdom Safari Hop

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October 23, 2010

One of our focuses on the website the past few months has been Quick Tips. We like to prepare you for the parks and offer up tips and tricks to making your vacation more enjoyable.

If case you missed our last Resort Hopping 101 ‘s check them out Monorail Express, and the Epcot Area Ferry Hop. Today I want to talk to you about something outside the DisneyWorld Theme Parks and that is the Disney World Resorts, specifically the Animal Kingdom Area Resorts.

For those people who drove to Walt Disney World or have a rental car this is an easy Resort Hop. If you are like most people who fly there this Resort Hop is going to require you to ride the buses.

Transportation issues aside this resort hop has the most variety and is great for pictures. So lets get started..

Resorts

Animal Kingdom Lodge
Cornado Springs Resort
All Star Movies
All Star Music
All Star Sports

I was trying to think of a theme for today’s Resort Hop so since we are in the Animal Kingdom area we are calling this a Safari Hop. So grab your safari hat and boots as we swing right in.

The best way to use today’s Resort Hop is to use Animal Kingdom as your base of operation. The buses to Animal Kingdom generally are light and all the buses are compacted in a nice area. With today’s resort hop we like to spread it out over a couple of days so what we normally do is go to the Animal Kingdom for the day. We find the 9am-5pm park hours works very well for this.

Day 1

Usually we like to leave after the Mickey Jammin Jungle Parade. That gives us a little time before we eat dinner to cruise around the resort and work up an even bigger appetite (as if walking around AK wasn’t enough)

About 99% of the time we have our ADR for Boma as its easily one of my favorite places to eat at WDW. So we head off to the Cornado Springs first. The CSR is beautiful, just walking around the lake is so serene. Be prepared to do some walking if you want to check out the whole resort. If you don’t feel like walking just stay around the main area, but if you don’t mind the walk be sure to walk over to the Dig Site. Check out a map of the resort here.

So after some window shopping its time to jump back in the car or bus and make your way to the Animal Kingdom Lodge. If your going by bus you will have to go to DAK first then to AKL. This is where leaving the park early comes into play. If you taking the bus be sure to watch your time if its to late your going to have to bus hop from Epcot to the AKL.

When you arrive at the Animal Kingdom Lodge be prepared to be amazed. I remember walking into the resort for the first time and was just in awe of how beautiful the inside of the resort is. Take your time and walk around. Sit in the comfy lobby chairs.

If I could move into a resort and live there is would be it. It is breath taking just to walk the grounds. You can easily spend hours walking around this resort. We were fortunate on our last trip to do that as our little one passed out in the stroller..To bad she missed out on the animals in the savanna.

If your not eating anywhere at this resort be sure to still check out the restaurants. Usually if you ask the hostess you want to take some pictures or look at the food they don’t mind.

The best article I have read with the most info on the Animal Kingdom Lodge comes from Allears. Check out the link here to learn more about the resort.

The attention to detail is phenomenal so TAKE YOUR TIME! Explore and just take in all the sights, sounds, and smells.

Day 2

The best thing about the All Star Resorts is they are all together. The worst thing is they all share the same buses. So depending on your situation and what resort you want to check out will determine how long of a bus ride you have so have patience. Most times we just go in order Sports, Music, and then Movies.

Walking around the resorts have fun taking pictures, exploring, and playing with all the fun things on site. You can get real creative with the pictures if you have a good imagination.

The three resorts are no where near the size of a moderate resort so you can easily do all three in a few hours depending on transportation.

Normally we use this day to kill time till our dinner ADR, or its something fun to do after dinner if you didn’t want to go back to another park.

So that concludes this weeks Resort Hopping 101. I hope you enjoy Safari Hopping as much as my family and I do. Stay tuned next time as I discuss the Lights Camera Action Hop.

If you have anything little tips or suggestions on things to do and see at these resorts be sure to let us know in the comment section below.

Resort Hopping 101 – Animal Kingdom Safari Hop

Best Thing I Love About Disney is PhotoPass

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Best Thing I Love About Disney is PhotoPass
In short, Disney’s PhotoPass service allows guests to view and purchase digital photos taken by professional PhotoPass photographers throughout their vacation. Photopass photographers are available at Character Greeting locations and throughout the parks, most notably at the park entrance and other locations that provide a perfect backdrop for a special Disney photograph.

Before I had small children, I didn’t give a second thought to this service. Although I appreciate photography, I don’t appreciate being the subject. Other than a picture of my husband and me taken by my stepson on our familymoon, I can’t find a picture of either of us at Disney prior to us bringing our young children.

Now that we have small children, documenting their Disney World trips in pictures is a must. How could I not have a photograph of my son’s first ride on Dumbo or the sweet and touching photograph of him meeting Mickey with his college-age brother?

Why do I love PhotoPass so much?

Because I’m the only mommy who forgot to bring her camera and capture her son’s first horseback ride at the “Fun with Horses” class. Because I’m the mommy whose camera always seems to have a dead battery when I try to capture my kids doing the cutest things ever Because when I do have a working camera, I cannot seem to master the delay inherent in digital cameras so the pictures are either blurry or a candidate for the delete function. Because I am challenged at photography. Although the quality of the PhotoPass photographs varies with the photographer they are all good and some are great.
Enjoying the Moment. When I’m trying to take photographs, I’m so intent on trying to make sure everyone is in focus that I often miss out on part of the experience. Knowing that Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture an image of my toddler touching Pluto’s nose means I can relax and just soak up every detail of the experience.
Splitting Up? No Problem. On our multigenerational Walt Disney World trips, it is not unusual for us to split up for parts of the day. There’s no fighting over the PhotoPass card since Disney allows you to link multiple cards to a single PhotoPass account. I can use one card when my oldest meets Donald Duck while grandma can use another to have her picture taken with our little guy in front of Cinderella Castle as they make their way back to the resort room for an afternoon break.
Christmas Shopping Made Easy. The Disney PhotoPass site allows you to purchase not only your PhotoPass photographs but also other customized products. One year I created custom calendars and Christmas tree ornaments. A few short clicks and a credit card number later and I had made a large dent in my Christmas shopping list.
Sharing the Memories. At some of the character dining experiences, PhotoPass photographers are on hand to take a picture of your dining party. If you purchase the photograph that is brought to your table during your meal, the digital version can be added to your PhotoPass account so it can be shared with family and friends.
You Just have to Ask. PhotoPass photographers are often very willing to take a photograph with your own camera if you ask.
The Discount. Guests can pre-purchase the PhotoCD that contains all their digital photographs and save $50. Visit http://www.disneyphotopass.com/previsitoffer.aspx.
Professional Portrait Service. Have a professional portrait taken of your family at one of the following five resorts: Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club Resort, Grand Floridian Resort, Polynesian Resort, and Wilderness Lodge. To book a session, call 407-934-4004.
Test Track is a Freebie. After riding Test Track, you can download the photograph taken of you on the ride to your PhotoPass card.

And most importantly…

Capturing my family’s vacation memories forever. Priceless.

Lisa M. Battista is the author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers When she’s not chasing after her little ones, you can most likely find her at the beach or in the kitchen trying her hand at a new recipe. You can follow her on Twitter @DisneyExplorer or become a fan of Beyond the Attractions on Facebook.

Is Disney Becoming too PC?

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

It is interesting to me that by even asking that question, I may not be Politically Correct! To wonder if anyone has taken this non-offense initiative too far is to invite criticism. But if you have read any of my other Essays, you know I’m going to do it anyway!

So when is being Politically Correct really Too Much?

The simple answer is: When it ignores history.

Take Song of the South for an instance. This film is likely never to be re-released any time soon. It is apparently thought that it would spark more controversy over the racial problems of the past, and perhaps inflame some of the prejudices that still exist today. But I wonder if burying such a movie will make such controversy disappear? It’s unlikely.

The fact is that this film was made. It was released. It had an impact. And so I believe it should have a place in today’s society.

Take also the portrayal of smoking in Disney films. Now, I agree that we don’t need our children to see their favorite Disney character puffing away on a Virginia Slim. Can we imagine Ariel lighting up while relaxing on a rock after a hard day’s swim? Mickey pulling out a pipe on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and then breaking into a song all about the joys of smoking? Neither scenario is appealing!

But neither is denying that Disney characters have always been depicted as smokers if the story and situation called for it. Like Pinocchio when he was making an ass of himself. Or Cruela de Ville with her iconic long cigarette holder. And we have to remember that Walt Disney himself was unapologetic about his own chain smoking.

Lately, there have been a series of commercials depicting Disney characters having bad experiences with smoking, like the aforementioned Pinocchio example. The overlaying narration suggests that smoking is bad, so this is a good use of this old footage. But should this old footage be changed, perhaps edited out of the Classic films altogether?

I ask this because of something I noticed in the DVD release of Pixar’s Shorts. One of my favorites is Knick Knack, where a Snowman in a snow globe sees a pretty girl lying on another tacky souvenir. He spends the whole picture trying to escape his globe to reach her. Why? Because she has big breasts! But in the re-release of this Short on the DVD, her breasts are gone. She is now PC. How do I know? Because I have the original VHS release, the box art of which accompanies this Essay. Not only is she very buxom back then, but she is prominently featured on the packaging.

The Point: Should the PC movement have the power to, not only ignore, but to change history? Maybe that is the true controversy!

A Ride Wimp’s Guide to Disney World Thrills: Soarin’

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

A Ride Wimp’s Guide to Disney World Thrills: Soarin’ While I usually write about affordable Disney vacations, not long ago, I wrote a different kind of article for Chip and Co., about being a Ride Wimp at Disney World: kind of like a Disney Confessional that, yes, I actually hate the idea of Tower of Terror….and a few other rides as well. Turns out, I have a lot of company. 🙂

So, I thought it might be fun to share some ways that Ride Wimps *can* get some thrills at Disney World too. Because, we’re not all slow, boring, “wow-its-a-small-world-rocks” kind of people… We like our excitement too!

And it is actually possible to be a Ride-Wimp and have some thrills.

With that in mind, this week, let me share my all-time favorite ride at Disney World: Soarin’. I sure do love this ride. And many, many other folks do as well, both Ride-Wimps and thrill-seekers alike.

Soarin’ was actually born in Disney’s California Adventure park where it is known as Soarin’ Over California. The premise here is pretty simple: you feel as if you are in a glider, flying over the state of California. The ride proved to be so popular there that Disney decided to create a second version for Epcot, where it currently exists in the Land pavilion.

So what on earth is so great about this ride? I mean, you know what the lines are usually like for Soarin’, right? What makes all those people stand in line for so darned long?

Well it is just very cool, and you really, truly feel like you are…..soaring! Through a mechanism that raises all seats in the auditorium into the air, you then watch an IMAX type movie….up in the air…..feeling as if you are gliding like a bird. Between the breeze that you feel, and the scents of pine trees as you fly over the woods, and oranges as you soar over orange trees, it is the closest that many of us will ever come to actually knowing what it is like to literally fly through the air.

No plane required. 🙂

My words truly do not do it justice at all. You’ll just have to trust me on this one. It’s awesome, it’s amazing, and I really cannot ride this enough. In fact, it’s usually the first ride we do at Epcot every trip as well as the last…and if we can get a FastPass or two, we’re likely to do it a few times more as well. It does not EVER get old for us.

Now having said the part about being raised into the air, if you are a Ride-Wimp with a fear of heights, you may be wondering if you will like this. Well I am not fond of heights at all, and I love it!! Do yourself a favor and give it a try, you will be so glad you did!

Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that “Disney magic” found in the most unexpected places.

Secretariat – A Wonderful Family Movie

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Secretariat – A Wonderful Family Movie

I remember when I was a little girl being mesmerized while watching a horse named Secretariat galloping around the track. It was awesome to watch. I was not a fan of horse racing, nor had I ever watched horse races. Like most kids today, I had no idea what the Triple Crown was. But Secretariat wasn’t just a race horse, he was magnificent and had become a star. Being highlighted and praised on all the sports broadcasts, there was a buzz in the air that was strong enough to reach the ears of an 8-year-old girl in South Texas.

This past weekend, my book club girls and I went to the theater to see the new movie, Secretariat. All throughout the movie, there was no denying this was a Disney movie. And I must say that I am impressed with the way Disney depicted this story. Beginning with the words from the 39^th chapter of Job from the best selling book of all time, we were all acutely reminded of how destiny plays a role in our lives. Big Red, who raced under the name of Secretariat, was born to run — that was his destiny.

Secretariat is a wholesome, faith-based story that leaves you feeling good when you leave the theater. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to watch a movie that has a positive message and is purposely made to not focus on the negative but only positive subject matter.

I saw the Belmont race in 1973 so I knew what was going to happen at the end of the movie. Still, I had tears in my eyes and goosebumps all over me as I was reminded of that scene on the big screen. It is not the race, it is the sheer greatness of him and the strength in a woman who believed in something others could not see. To me, Secretariat is a very well-made Disney movie about an extraordinary athlete who had the whole country pulling for him. It reminded me of a time long ago and it made me feel very good. I hope you will enjoy this wonderful movie with your family.

Disney Dining Reservation Planning Tips

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

I have a fairly large family, my wife and I have 5 kids, so our trips to WDW require a bit extra planning. Finding dining reservations for 7 is not always easy. Through the years, I have developed a few tips to make my planning easier, and to make sure I get all the dining reservations I want. I hope they help you out:

Make your WDW hotel reservation early. I usually plan 9 – 12 months in advance.
Plan out your days. I don’t plan much, but do I schedule the one park I plan on being in each day for dinner.
Pick your restaurants based on your park for that night. I pick a first and second choice for each night.
Book your dining reservations as soon as you can. Since I plan early, I make my dining reservations 180 days in advance of the day I check in.
Book popular restaurants towards the end of your stay. If you are wanting to book Chef Mickey’s, Cinderella’s Royal Table or Le Cellier, do them late in your trip. Yes, 180 days seems like a lot, but for popular restaurants, they book up quickly. Even though you are booking as early possible, that means anyone traveling before you has been able to book those restaurants for a week or more. If you push them back to the end of your trip, that gives you a much better chance of finding them available for a good time.

Booking early, and having your plan set, you usually have no problem getting your first choice each day. If for some reason, you book late, and are not booking your dining reservations 180 days in advance (or anywhere close to that), there are a few tricks you can use to find what you want.

Try to avoid the evening Extra Magic Hours and any other special events like the Halloween and Christmas Parties. They bring a larger than normal crowd to the parks, it is best to avoid them if you want to find available restaurants. You can always hop over to the Extra Magic Hours after you eat.
Buy the Hopping add-on to your ticket, as mentioned in #1, it will give you much better flexibility.
Once you arrive at WDW, call Disney Dining from your room phone (there is a speed dial button). Disney often holds cancellations for last minute reservations, many guests have great success getting difficult reservations this way. You can do the same thing by stopping by one of the theme park’s guest services, but I have found calling works a bit better.
If you can’t find your first or second choice, book something nearby. You can always show up at your fist choice 30 minutes before your other reservation to see if you can get in. If you can, great, you got your first choice! If not, you always have a back up reservation.
Don’t get fixated on a restaurant your co-worker’s aunt’s friend told you that you must do. Some restaurants are just popular, and impossible to get into. Just about every Disney restaurant is decent or better. Take a chance on trying someplace new, you will have a better vacation.

Big thanks to Keith Anderson for being a Chip & Co guest blogger. Keith runs MouseMisers.com, and sits around all day finding ways to save you money on your Disney vacation. Stop by and say “hi”. You can also find Keith on Twitter or on Facebook at facebook.com/mousemisers.

Best Things I Love About Disney – The Imagineers

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Best Things I Love About Disney – The Imagineers

The soul of the Disney Company was and continues to be Walter Elias Disney. The heart of the Disney Company has to be the thousands of Cast Members in every division of the company. That brings us to the mind of the company which has to be the Imagineers. These are the people who conceive, research, design, and build the attractions we all know and love.

I think a lot of visitors take the detail involved in putting together an attraction for granted. Believe it or not this is probably exactly what the Imagineers have in mind when they begin their brainstorming for a new or update of an existing attraction. They want the appearance of an attraction on the property or an update to an attraction to be as seamless as possible and cause the minimal inconvenience to the visitors. They do a wonderful job of this.

They are artists, engineers, construction professionals, etc. but they have one thing in common – they think a bit differently than most of us, completely “outside the box.” After watching some interviews with Imagineers and reading about their work I believe that most of them have never even heard of the “box”. Yes, they would consider that statement a compliment. Take Expedition Everest for example, it looks like a single structure but it is actually three structures with the coaster track being the innermost. This had to be done so that the stresses put on the structure by the coaster wouldn’t shake it to pieces. Even with the aid of very powerful computers it took eighteen months just to complete the design phase.

Next time you see an attraction you have never seen before please look at it a bit differently and appreciate the planning, thought, imagination (perhaps that’s why they call them Imagineers), and work that goes into making it what it is. Enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

PHOTO BY DISNEY

Exclusive: Disney’s Sing It – Party Hits Review

By

Chip

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October 23, 2010

I had a chance to try out this NEW game from Disney Interactive Studios. This is the first time I have done any singing type game. I couldn’t have picked a better first game to start out with.

Packed with music and videos it was very cool to sing along with my favorite Disney Stars. I was not familiar with all the songs but that was ok there are plenty of to chose from.

I highly recommend this game to anyone who is a fan of Disney, music, or singing.

For more check out our 60 second 2 Lonely Deeks Review below.

Best Things I Love About Disney – Muppet Vision 3-D

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Best Things I Love About Disney – Muppet Vision 3-D

I love, love, love the Muppets!!! Muppet Vision 3-D has very special meaning for Muppet fans because it was Jim Henson’s last production. They are all there – Kermit, Miss Piggy, The Swedish Chef, Statler and Waldorf (at my age I see a lot of me in them), etc. etc. The production is crazy, full of their typical insanity, and tons of puns. The theme is a tour of the world famous Muppet Labs and from the time you enter the queue, and go to the pre show you will be in Muppet Labs. Pay attention to the props and subtlties in the queue they are fantastic. Read the doors and signs as you head to the pre show area and enjoy the pre show itself, it is also hilarious.

The theater is large and of course air conditioned and the seats are very comfortable. The production, as the name implies, is done in 3-D so you will be wearing their 3-D glasses but have no fear, I wear glasses and they fit just fine over your own. The only caution you should be aware of is that there are a couple of effects that may scare young children but I have never heard any crying in the theater, just laughter. I whole heartedly recommend a visit to Muppet Vision 3-D. As you visit the Streets of America area just follow the signs:

Best Things I Love About Disney – Muppet Vision 3-D

Look for the Kermit balloon:

Best Things I Love About Disney – Muppet Vision 3-D

You will be there!!! Enjoy the show!! As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Oldies But Goodies…Just Have Fun!!!

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Oldies But Goodies…Just Have Fun!!!

I’m not generally known as a fun loving and happy go lucky guy. As a matter of fact for the three years before I retired it was part of my job to be stern and intimidating because I was dealing with bad guys every day. I know that many of my fellow Oldies had high stress jobs that didn’t allow for a lot of frivolity or may have had stressful family situations that held them back from being silly. There is a place for us to finally relax and be goofy (not the character, the personality trait). Walt Disney World is the perfect place to let go and do the things you might not normally do in your day to day life.

When you are at Walt Disney World, no one really cares if you act a bit silly. You might find a lot of admiring and supportive faces if you are in your sixties, seventies, or older and find it necessary to skip down Main Street USA or gush a little when you get to meet Mickey for the first (or fifth or tenth) time like I do. There will be a lot of folks surrounding you who wish they had the nerve to do the same thing, who knows, you may even inspire someone. Your admirers don’t really care who you are they are just happy to see you having a wonderful time!!

Go ahead and get in line for the character meet and greets because you might just make a friend with someone fifty years younger than you are and no one will criticize you or think you are dumb. I make it a point to search out the Queen of Hearts on every single visit so I can have my photo taken with my favorite villain. Deep down she really is a sweetheart. We also make the Epcot Character Spot a must do and we have never heard a – What are you doing here this is for kids? At Walt Disney World, everyone is a kid. Some of us are just a little taller and have gray (or like me – no) hair. The characters love to have fun with us Oldies.

Try to get to a character meal also. Dinner at 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is a lot of fun because the stepsisters are excellent at getting everyone in the mood. Another reason for trying 1900 Park Fare is the food quality – YUM! Try the strawberry soup. There are lots of other character meals but I feel that this one is the most Senior friendly. After dinner you can go out into the lobby and listen to the orchestra. Don’t stay too long though because you might turn back into one of those Oldies who don’t like to be silly again.

Please take this advice and let go a little bit when you are visiting Walt Disney World. It will absolutely enhance your visit and make you feel young(er) again. I’ll be one of the silly ones!!! Enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Free Epic Mickey App from iTunes

By

Chip

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October 23, 2010

Welcome to Wasteland! Visit directly on your iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad the world where long-forgotten Disney icons of animation can find new life inspired by the Disney Epic Mickey videogame.

Select one of the six Disney Epic Mickey – Tales of Wasteland Digicomics and discover Disney Epic Mickey’s world in a prequel to the videogame storyline. Read it on autoplay or tap into the panels to move throughout the page. Downloading the Disney Epic Mickey app, costumers will in plus have the chance to take a look at the map of Wasteland, the trailer of the videogame and the character files.

~ Includes the 6 Disney Epic Mickey – Tales of Wasteland digicomics: 1 digicomics for free and 5 digicomics bundle for just 2.99$

~ Read your digicomics, bookmark them and share them with your friends

~ Discover the characters section and read about Disney Epic Mickey’s main icons

~ Offers also the map of Wasteland, the character files and the videogame trailer

~ To be updated with additional amazing contents

Click here to learn more.

Come and Take A Sentimental Journey on a Beautiful Antique Horse

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 23, 2010

Come and Take A Sentimental Journey on a Beautiful Antique Horse

Trying to explain to people exactly why I love Disney World so much is nearly impossible for me. I don’t have the vocabulary necessary to describe it to a depth that would allow them to be able to feel it in their heart as I do. I am a student of Walt Disney. Like my dad, Walt was a man who loved spending time with his family. It was during one of his traditional Saturday outings with his daughters, in fact, that he first got the idea for Disneyland. He explained it this way:

“Well, it came about when my daughters were very young and Saturday was always Daddy’s day with the two daughters. So we’d start out and try to go someplace, you know, different things. I’d take them to the merry-go-round and I took them different places and I’d sit while they rode the merry-go-round. Sit on a bench, you know, eating peanuts. I felt that there should be something built where the parents and the children could have fun together.”

The merry-go-round Walt referred to was actually a carousel similar to the one found in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom. No matter how many times I visit Disney World, I feel the same gentle tug at my heartstrings as I walk toward Prince Charming Regal Carrousel, formerly Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel. I can’t help but reflect on Walt’s words as I stare at this antique treasure in motion. As all the little princes and princesses go around, I revel in the thought that he would have loved to have seen all that’s been created for families to spend magical moments together.

Sometimes I watch as people walk on past this Disney treasure viewing it as just another carousel that one could find anywhere. They don’t seem to realize that generations upon generations have enjoyed this iconic treasure together in Walt’s Fantasyland. My own family has enjoyed so many memories here. Someday I will be placing my first grandchild on one of those unique stallions.

I hope the next time you visit you will look at Prince Charming Regal Carrousel a little differently. I hope that, like me, you will remember that it was a carousel like this one that started a great dream. I hope that, above all, you will be filled with a thankful spirit for enjoying time with your family – together; just the way Walt dreamt you would.