The Magic of Disney World

Ah, the Enchanted Tiki Room… that magical place where “the birds sing words and the flowers croon”.  Okay, so magical maybe isn’t the right word.  Maybe the word I’m looking for is “air-conditioned”.  Never underestimate the power of an air conditioned room in the middle of summer in Florida.  Anyhow… back to the Tiki Room.

The Enchanted Tiki Room was one of Disney’s first attempts at anamatronics.  The show stayed the same at both Disneyland and Disney World for a long time, until finally the imagineers at Walt Disney World decided a new story line was in order.  So they brought in the big guns… Zazu from The Lion King and Iago from Aladin.  (more…)

Disney’s Family Magic Tour is a fun romp through the Magic Kingdom, complete with a treasure hunt and character guides. Although I haven’t been on the tour personally, it sounds like a blast! It’s $27.00 a person (plus park admission), and it’s open to everyone. Since I haven’t actually taken the tour, here’s a link to Allears.net. They have several first hand accounts from families who have.

Tours and Other Experiences — Descriptions

Just like Dumbo, Astro Orbiter is a hub and spoke attraction where you go round and round a central point while raising and lowering your vehicle. In this case, it’s a rocket ship turning around planets instead of a flying elephant spinning around a small rodent named Timothy, but the concept is the same.

Personally, I think that the elephants have more charm and appeal. Astro Orbiter does have the advantage of being placed above ground level, which gives you a nice view of Tomorrowland as you circle. (more…)

There’s something about Dumbo the Flying Elephant that attracts small children like bears to honey. I don’t know what it is…Dumbo is a simple hub and spoke attraction. Sixteen flying elephants circle around a central point, as you control the up and down motion. It’s pretty basic, and it’s one of the few attractions at Disneyworld that is geared just for kids. If you have a child between the ages of 2 and 8, don’t count on skipping Dumbo. It won’t happen.

I like Dumbo…it’s cute and whimsical. I have to admit, (more…)

Pirates of the Caribbean was such a hit at Disneyland park in California, Disney Imagineers decided to create a version for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. They had to make a few revisions because of the water table in Florida, but the result is basically the same.

Guests board boats for a 10 minute cruise into a town where pirates have taken over. The pirates themselves are cutting edge anamatronics…or at least they were when they were created. (more…)

Ever wondered how Mickey Mouse lives? Apparently the Imagineers at Disneyworld did…and the house that they put together is a lot of fun, both for kids and adults.

Disney is very good at making things appealing on two levels…one level for kids, and another for adults. Mickey’s Country House is a lot like that. There are the obvious jokes…the kitchen that Donald and Goofy are remodeling (remind me not to hire them for my next project!), the ears on all the vegetables, (more…)

Okay, fess up men…how many of you secretly watch The Little Mermaid with your daughters? Let’s face it: cute girls in seashells don’t just attract small female children. Ariel’s grotto in Fantasyland of the Magic Kingdom gives people young, old, male and female a chance to meet Ariel, pose for pictures, and get an autograph.

Since Ariel is such a popular character, it makes sense that people would want to meet her. (more…)

It’s amazing that a place like Tom Sawyer’s Island can exist in the middle of a bustling, crowded amusement park. For some reason, the island just seems rustic and remote, even though there are a lot of people milling around.

The only way to get to Tom Sawyer’s Island is by raft. Well, I guess you could swim, but I wouldn’t advise a dip in that yucky water. Anyway, (more…)

Welcome to the home of 999 ghosts…but there’s always room for one more! The Haunted Mansion looks frigtening from the outside, but on the inside it’s more of a fun romp through a “haunted” castle then a ride designed to scare anyone. I took a three year old on it, and he wanted to jump right back in line when we were done. That about tells you how scary The Haunted Mansion is.

Your journey through the mansion begins in the portrait hall, where all seems normal until the floor starts dropping. Or is the ceiling rising? Anyway, (more…)

“You can fly, you can fly, you can fly!” Well, sort of. You can fly if you first board a pirate ship attached to cables that lift it off the ground. I know…way to bring realism into somewhere it shouldn’t be. I love Peter Pan’s flight…I always have. There’s nothing quite like getting in that pirate ship and flying over the rooftops of London all the way to Neverland…

For those who have never seen Peter Pan (not sure who I’m talking to here, but whatever), (more…)