Saturday, January 23, 2010

Magic

Do you believe in magic? I do. Not the kind of “Harry Potter” supernatural magic and not the sleight-of-hand tricks from a magician. But magic as a special feeling, or, as my computer dictionary says - “a quality that makes something seem removed from everyday life, especially in a way that gives delight.” For me, Disney World has that magical quality.

I’ve been trying to decide which of the four theme parks I liked the best. I’ve decided, however, that they are all so different it’s impossible to choose.

I was initially most excited to go to Animal Kingdom. I love animals and knew they had an African safari. After being on safari in South Africa I was eager to share this experience with the rest of my family. I found that Disney puts their own take on the safari - it’s basically a jeep ride through the African animals exhibit with an added storyline narration about poachers stealing a baby elephant (very corny). It was nice to see all the animals - elephants, giraffes, cheetahs, hippos, rhinos, and even the tip of a sleeping lion’s head way up on a rock - but I left Animal Kingdom realizing it was just a really expensive zoo. I even found out that all the animals in the safari exhibit are housed in buildings at night. After the park closes, they’re all brought back to their “houses.” The “magic” of Disney - making the safari seem real. I enjoyed the time at Animal Kingdom, but I don’t think I’d go back to Disney just for that park.

Hollywood Studios is all about magic - the magic of movies. I found this park exciting because of all the energy. There were lots of shows - a stunt show, studio back lot tour, American Idol show, High School Musical show, and a number of others that we couldn’t fit in during our single day there. We also enjoyed a parade featuring the characters from Pixar movies. Seeing these larger-than-life make-believe characters added to the magical feeling. I left this park wishing we had another day to spend here.

I didn’t spend enough time at Epcot Center to really experience this park. I was only there for a couple hours one morning when it first opened before I met the rest of my family at another park. It was New Year’s Eve and they were getting ready for the big celebration that evening as well as taking down everything from the Christmas celebration that ended the night before. So I just walked around enjoying the beautiful landscaping and flowers (remember, I had just left snowy Michigan - it was wonderful to see the green!). I did sense a little feeling of magic in the World Showcase area seeing all the pavilions representing the various countries and cultures.

But, for me, walking into the Magic Kingdom was truly magical. We saved this park for last, and I’m so glad we did. Magic Kingdom is so different from the other theme parks - it is truly magical. When I first turned the corner and saw Cinderella’s castle shimmering in the sunlight, I instantly felt like a little girl again with hopes, dreams, and wishes for living “happily ever after.” All throughout the day, whenever we walked past the castle, I just couldn’t stop staring at it. It’s beautiful. It’s magical. It’s filled with possibilities. Maybe it’s because of my nostalgia and growing up with the “Wonderful World of Disney” TV show and fairy tales, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this park. We saw parts of several shows and parades featuring the typical Disney characters - Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. But while I loved reading about all the princesses when I was growing up, I realized now how boring their lives would actually be if they really spent all their days dancing with the prince in a parade or a show and never actually getting out and living.

I truly enjoyed the “magic” of Disney World - the temporary removal from everyday life for a few days. At the beginning of the week I thought about how nice it would be to just stay there - no real worries or problems, everyone working to make life easier and happy for me. But by the end of the week I was ready to return home to my real life - where I belong and can hopefully make a difference in the lives of others.

Although I still love the picture of Cinderella’s castle.


Saturday, January 9, 2010

Florida

As I sit on the couch looking out my living room window, I see piles of white snow. The sky is gray and it’s cold outside. Yesterday morning I shoveled the deck and driveway; it’s definitely winter in Michigan. Just over a week ago I was enjoying sunshine and blue sky while wearing capris, short sleeves, and sandals in Orlando, Florida. What a difference a week … and a location can make!

I had a wonderful time in Florida. We actually spent the entire time on Disney property and I loved seeing all the beautiful landscaping - the colorful flowers, the green grass and bushes, the palm tress. I think I can now get through this Michigan winter after glimpsing a taste of the spring to come. I also enjoyed the Disney theme parks and the resort we stayed at. But the best part for me was spending time with my family.

It was fun to reconnect with my college-aged nephew and his friend. Although we were often on different schedules (they were usually heading out for a night on the town while the rest of us were getting ready for bed), we spent most evenings playing games together which was really fun. We also rode on “Expedition Everest” - a roller coaster which often went backwards through dark tunnels - together.

I also was able to spend some time with my younger niece and nephew. My niece and I spent an afternoon together at Hollywood Studios. We experienced the “Tower of Terror” for the first time together and then took a backlot tour where we had the adventure of being in a flooding canyon and learned the technology involved in staging movie special effects. We also had fun on the "Mad Teacup Ride" at Magic Kingdom, although she got a little carried away on the turns!


My 6 year old nephew loves animals, so he and I got up early one morning and spent a few hours at the Animal Kingdom. It was quite cold, so we were bundled up. Even so, when we arrived we needed some hot cocoa to warm up before we went searching for any animals that weren’t too cold to be outside. We saw several tigers and gorillas as well as kangaroos. We also took a train ride to the petting zoo.

It was also nice to spend time with my sister and brother-in-law and my parents. We stayed all together in a 2-bedroom condo at Disney’s Old Key West resort which was very nice. Disney certainly has a good thing going. I can’t believe how much land they own! There are numerous resorts to stay at besides four theme parks and two water parks. And the bus transportation system was very helpful as we drove right past long lines of cars. Although we picked the busiest week of the year, all the “cast members” (Disney’s name for their employees) were friendly and we were treated very well. I actually was able to visit all four theme parks during the five days we were there. More on each theme park during later blog postings. I’m so thankful to my sister and brother-in-law for inviting us to be part of their vacation.