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| Planning Your Way Around The World | | Date Created: Nov 16, 2005, 02:22 PM |
Recently some friends were planning a trip to visit Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, a trip that got postponed due to possibly torrential weather. I'd been asked to come a long for their planned side-trip to Walt Disney World, a place I'm most familiar with, as you know. It was to be their first time at the World and quite frankly, I always have a wonderful time watching first timers visit one of the Happiest Places on Earth, especially since it's never what they expected it to be.
I had made the roundabout comment that they should jot down the "must-see" attractions so that they wouldn't miss them, an idea that was frowned upon by the trip organizer due to his penchant that it's more fun to just go without planning. While I think it's possible to enjoy many aspects of Disney World without a set plan, in my opinion, when you're taking someone there for the first time, it shouldn't be an option.
Disney World is a huge place, not some small theme park meant to amuse the children. There are so many choices available to the smart vacationer - so many different sorts of things to do there - that most people don't even realize, and may totally miss. WIth lines for popular attractions running for an hour or more during peak times, it's important to gain a sense of purpose and plan your way around the park so that you do accomplish as much as possible. This is especially true for the cost-conscious first-timers, who may be over-whelmed by it all.
The way I do it is quite simple. Either the night before a planned excursion, or a few minutes into the first line at the park, I take a look at the park Map and decide first which attractions I don't want to miss. I then plan a short trajectory around the theme park area - get a sense of direction, and make my way around, making sure I take in everything I wanted to.
Of course, these "plans" aren't necessarily followed to a "T", but they help focus the mind on your journey through this vast playground that contains so many unique surprises and enchantments at every corner. I would only consider going without plans if someone else had thought up an itinerary. Or if I were only visiting for a short time (as I did last year as an Annual PassHolder). I think planning your trip out in this way can enhance the experience for the first timer, who will be thrilled at the opportunity to have seen more than they ever thought they would.
Case in point:my friends ended up cancelling their trip, but I made it to the Magic Kingdom Theme Park with my octogenerian father, who had been to EPCOT a few times in the past decade, but didn't remember much about the Magic Kingdom. Thanks to my simple, rough trajectory, which I planned map-in-hand once I got through the ticket gate this time, as well as my familiarity with the area (having just been here a couple of months ago), we were able to cover just about every corner of the Magic Kingdom (minus the fast-thrill rides) in just under six hours, just in time for the old man's nap.
So the next time you head out to the Park's - Disney or not -- take some time out to familiarize yourself with the layout of the area and jot down where you want to start from and end from. You'll find it saves time and you'll be able to cover more than you'll ever expect.
Or you could just wander around aimlessly and not worry about how much it all is costing, walking past attractions you didn't even know you'd love. |
| Magical Gatherings | | Date Created: Aug 30, 2005, 11:04 PM |
I've been so busy over the past few weeks that I haven't had a chance to report on the wonderful trip I took recently to one of my favorite places... Walt Disney World. I know. You're all saying, what the heck does a grown up guy get out of visiting that place so much? I'll tell you...I'm not sure. But I do know that I love every visit I make there, and am in constant Internet conversation with dozens of other people my age who love it, too. It's a magical place. Not to say it's perfect or the same for everyone. But for me, it's one of the few places that never ceases to enchant me or engross me.
By "Walt Disney World", I am talking about the entire experience. Not a theme park. I am talking about a huge resort that happens to have a few theme parks in it. What I love most about passing through the gates of Walt Disney World is that feeling of "coming home". It's a friendly, exciting, and most relaxing feeling. Despite what is going on around you, you feel somewhat safe, and part of an exciting community. And it doesn't matter if you're 2 or 102, there's always something going on around for you to enjoy... IF you know how to do it right.
Many people aren't caught up in the same charm and wonder of the place. They get lost in the rushing around to do all of the Theme Park attractions, and never take the time to just enjoy being there. I could stay at one of the Disney Resorts and not have to go to the parks at all, and still have a great time. Just because of the feeling of sharing an experience with millions of others in a place that is designed to truly set you free from the squalor of the real world.
Speaking of sharing an experience, my life-long best friend and his wife took their marriage vows upon a scenic hill overlooking the Magic Kingdom, in a ceremony that I will never forget. I had an unbelievably great time on vacation with them and their families. Her family was having a Magical Gathering, which is Disney's term for a family reunion. It was a perfect time and place to have a wedding, while so much of the family was gathered together. Since I had been invited to partake in this ceremony and perform the function of Best Man, I had the pleasure also of spending a week with both families, and experiencing many magical moments that would be difficult to have had otherwise. I thank them for the opportunity and wish them well in their new life together.
I won't do a day by day trip report, but I'll try to put up some of the more interesting parts of the story here for you to enjoy.
In the meantime, I felt this photo captures the moment brilliantly. In the far distance, you can see the wedding couple being photographed, as his (their) daughter watches. In the other distance, you can see the fireworks coming out of the Castle at the Magic Kingdom. Definately a memory I'll savor... |
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| (Photo: Mark & Lisa take their vows at beautiful Sunset Pointe at Disney's Polynesian Resort. Where else but in Disney can you get married with a castle behind you?) |
| Happy 50th Anniversary To Disneyland! | | Date Created: May 04, 2005, 11:51 PM |
On May 5, 2005, Disney will begin to step up its promotion of the 50th Anniversary of Disneyland, with various festivities and excitement planned throughout each of its theme parks and entertainment venues.
To celebrate the milestone, I've put together a slideshow movie with personal photos highlighting some of the most fun of the recent times I've spent reveling in the Disney Magic. I've limited it to the past 2 years, but you can get a taste of both Disneyland and Disney World in the video.
Just for the record, there are other people in my life, but most are too shy to share their likeness, so you will get my goofy mug along with Goofy's mug, set to a number that was originally written to celebrate Disney World's 25th Anniversary, performed by Brian McKnight in 1996.
Enjoy: Click here to view.
(Photo: My first ever trip to Disneyland (in California) in 2000. 6 Hours, most of that time spent lining up. I consider my 2nd trip, in 2002, to be my real first time there, because I actually got to explore the place properly over the course of a few days.)
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