Reporting from an AirBnB
LAT 28.1, LON 81.3 degrees
More theme parks today, starting with the grandaddy of them all (at least in Florida)--Walt Disney World.
As mentioned yesterday, Disney has better theming than Universal. They also seem better organized in terms of logistics. Of course, it helps if you can start with miles of clean-slate marshland. Universal had to work around the city that later sprung up. We sailed thru, caught a tram to the transportation center, hopped on a monorail, and wound up at the front gate oh the Magic Kingdom.
Our long-time friend Janet got us in the place (her husband Bill is one of my oldest friends, and the two of them got Mindy and I together), so it was just the three of us. The rest of the group went to the Universal “Epic” parks.
Just as we walked down Main Street USA, a show completed at the Castle, and daytime fireworks went off. I had a lump in my throat.
I’m a sucker for Disney classics, so we made a beeline for the Peoplemover in Tomorrowland. It’s slow but enjoyable. It stopped at one point, which was perfect to get a shot of the original EPCOT design.
Then it was off to the Carousel of Progress (”There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…”) There was a hiccup at the beginning, which makes sense for an attraction as old as me.
Mindy was eager to try Mad Tea Party (aka the spinning tea cup ride).
Note the hat—she got a lot of compliments from cast members today (it’s a CA exclusive).
We then headed off to Haunted Mansion. The attraction is well known for mechanical issues, and it took far longer than posted to get through the line into the ride. Once on, we were stopped in one room for about 5 minutes. The ghoulish effects lose their luster when you see them 50 times. It made me think of the younger people who are used to impossible special effects--do they even get that this is all practical, all analog?
Time for lunch at a seafood spot. It’s what you would expect from Disney--they are great at snacks, not so much a meal. Then in quick succession, the Jungle (sorry, Jingle) Cruise, the Tiki Room, and Swiss Family Robinson. Jingle Cruise involved a long line—the others, not so much. Our jungle “guide” had great patter, and even referenced Central Ohio roots (although we wonder if he has pre-written stuff for many locations).
By that point we were getting late in the day, and the park was closing early at 6p to accommodate a special event. So we went back through various modes of transportation to the car, and then hopped over to Animal Kingdom. Mindy and the group (minus me) had already been there, but our niece wanted a specific shirt, so we did a quick pop-in, bought it, and left.
Long day--tomorrow is a down day, laying around the pool while said niece and nephew fly out.
#parkhopping