The House of Mouse
I have so many stories I can share with you that involve Disney. Disney brings out the best, and worst of people but it can also create memories that will last a lifetime. We first moved to Florida when I was 8 years old. We went to Disney that very same year and I was in complete awe of the place. I had been to theme parks before but never to anything like this.
I remember thinking how cool it was that all of my favorite characters, especially Winnie the Pooh were just roaming the streets. We bought an autograph book and a pen and my brothers and I had all of the characters that we encountered sign their names. That was definitely a highlight for me. Oddly enough, I could care less about the rides back then.
As I got older our school started doing field trips down to Disney. How cool is that? My favorite was my senior year of high school. Every year Disney hosts an event known as Gradnight where they open the park after hours for soon to be graduates. The park was all ours. They also bring in an musical act to perform, which I thought was pretty neat also.
Now a days I’ve found excuses such as concerts to visit the grounds. Each year I go to at least one concert at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney, a free shopping district.
Before each concert I browse through the shops.
My favorite park as a kid was always Magic Kingdom because it had the best rides and the most characters but now that I’m older I’ve come to appreciate Epcot instead. Epcot is dedicated to all of the different cultures from all over the world. While there aren’t many rides here at all, it’s like traveling around the world in just a matter of hours.
There are street performers, shops and some of the best eateries in any of the parks.
Animal Kingdom is one of the newer parks on the property. It is basically a large reserve that includes rides. Our favorite was a safari ride that brought you up close and personal with animals. It’s better than going to the local zoo.
For more information please check out my review just below the pictures.
For as long as I can remember we’ve gone down to Disney just to get out of town for the day. It’s only 2 ½ hours away from my house so it can easily be done as a day trip. Disney World today is just as amazing as it was when I was a kid. Sure tourists overpopulate it, but really, who isn’t a tourist when you’re a Disney? It’s like it’s own little world. And yes, the food is over priced, and the tickets keep getting more costly but in the end it truly is worth it.
The Magic Kingdom is the most famous and popular of the Disney parks. It is home to the icon that is Cinderella’s castle. The park is broken up into different zones. The first you will encounter is Main Street, U.S.A., which is based on different architectural structures you might find in New England or in the Mid-West. It’s a great way to introduce foreign tourists to our architecture. Here you will find several shops selling candies, souveniers, and food.
Adventureland has a multi-cultural theme. You’ll find décor representing Asia, Africa, South America, the South Pacific and even the Middle East here. It’s a little piece of home for everyone all over the globe. This is also where you’ll find one of the crowd’s favorite rides: Pirates of the Carribean.
Frontierland is cowboy land. Here you’ll find Wild West shows, Splash Mountain, a flume ride rollercoaster with a huge drop at the end. You’ll also see a train inspired rollercoaster called Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
Fantasyland is one of my favorite places, probably because I’m a kid at heart. This is a great area for the kiddies. Rides include Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Cinderella’s Carrousel, the famous tea cups and Dumbo the Flying Elephant.
There are other parks aside from Magic Kingdom as well. Epcot, known for it’s giant golf ball, is a great place to have lunch if you buy the hopper pass. Epcot is a multi-national affair and you can find food from all over the world. As a kid I always found this place boring but now that I’m older I’m appreciative of it.
Disney-MGM Studios is the second best park for rides. Soon it will be renamed to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This park celebrates all Hollywood has to offer in movies, television, theatre and even music. The highlights are the Backlot Tour, the Great Movie Ride, Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror.
The Animal Kingdom is an animal reserve which includes a safari and some rides as well.
Disney also has two water parks, Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, which are both great in their own right.
If you’re looking for Disney souveniers but don’t have the time or money to visit the park, visit Downtown Disney. It is free. Here you will also find Planet Hollywood, the House of Blues, Cirque du Soleil, a movie theatre, Virgin Records and a lake where you can rent boats.
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