The Magical World of Disney on TV!

I recently rediscovered my family's VHS recording of the Grand Opening of the Disney-MGM Studios television special. This aired on the eve of the official opening of the Disney-MGM Studios on April 30, 1989. Hosted by the late John Ritter, this program showed what this new theme park had to offer.


Many popular celebrities of the time made cameos including; Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty, John Forsythe, Kate Jackson and even Ronald Reagan. I still enjoy this special just as much as I did 22 years ago. This show may seem like a two-hour advertisement, but for some it is a glimpse at a magical world.



Back in the late 1980's The Magical World of Disney generally showed a Disney movie or some sort of special event on a weekly basis. These shows were something that I would look forward to each week. Generally, these shows would bring cast members from popular NBC shows together in an interesting way. One instance showed us Mickey Mouse leaving his comfortable lifestyle and running away only to befriend young Andy from the hit series Family Ties.

I feel that one of the oddest specials to air was the Walt Disney World Celebrity Circus. This originally aired in 1987 and featured a cast including; Tony Randall, Malcolm-Jamal Waner, Lisa Bonet and Kim Fields. Mixed in with these celebrities were some of the most daring circus acts and performers across the world. A make-shift circus was created on top of the EPCOT Center Fountain of Nations that was able to hold up several elephants.


Through the years, Disney World specials have unfortunately decreased. Now only a yearly Christmas parade is broadcast, with very few additional theme park programming. I hope that when Walt Disney World turns 40 years old in October that we get to see a few new television specials. Do you have any favorite memories of watching Walt Disney World specials?

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye

This week I am going to talk about a ride that I would love to see built at Disney World, Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye. I first encountered this ride when I visited Disneyland in California and have sung its praise since. This ride incorporates a beloved movie series into a fast-paced, dark ride attraction that causes thrills and chills for all.

Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye premiered in Disneyland on March 3, 1995 to a star-studded celebrity gala and the following day to the general public. This was not Indiana Jones' first attraction at a Disney theme park. The Disney-MGM Studios opened on May 1, 1989 with the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! as one of the original attractions. Due to the incredible success of Indiana Jones on the East Coast, George Lucas and Disney teamed up again to recreate the popularity on the West Coast in Disneyland.

It was decided that the Disneyland Monorail and "Eeyore" parking lot would be relocated to accommodate the addition of this attraction in Adventureland. Construction began in August of 1993, involving more than 400 Imagineers. The Enhanced Motion Vehicle (EMV) was created for this attraction as a next-generation ride vehicle. These vehicles are able to drive with all wheels on the ground, while simulating movement along various terrains. This ride system was used for the popular attraction DINOSAUR, located in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

AT&T sponsored the attraction from 1995 to 2002. During these years, each guest was presented a Marabic decoder card. The nearly half-mile queue leads guests into the Temple of Mara and its walls are covered in hieroglyphics warning guests. Disney Channel aired a special starring Raiders of the Lost Ark stars Karen Allen and John Rhys-Davies to create interest in this attraction. Disney even commissioned the original Indiana Jones poster artist to create a fitting poster for this attraction.

The ride incorporates fast motion, fire and shocking drops to create an awesome ride that one will not forget quickly. I think that this ride is so good that when I am in Disneyland I ride the attraction at least four times a day. There is so much detail into this ride that it offers new things to see each time you ride it. Have you ever had the chance to enter the world of Indiana Jones?

Voyage Under the Sea

It will soon be a time for celebration at Walt Disney World. October 1, 2011 will be the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort. This celebration will mark an exciting year to follow. One of the most exciting things to happen will be the completion of the Fantastyland expansion. This expansion will create new and exciting areas for guests to visit.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure will be opening in late 2011 or early 2012. This exciting new dark-ride attraction will be a great addition to The Magic Kingdom. Disneyland's Fantastyland, has more attractions than its East-Coast companion. So this addition is very welcome. No attraction has been added to this area since its opening.

The Little Mermaid ride was originally envisioned for the Disneyland Paris Theme Park. It was supposed to open in the early 1990's following the release of The Little Mermaid film. The ride was scrapped due to low expectations for the theme park in France. Plans and mock-ups were put together, but shelved until a recent release of The Little Mermaid on DVD. A special feature of the DVD was a digital recreation of what this ride would be. Many people liked what they saw and decided that this ride would be created finally.

It was decided that the Little Mermaid would have a home in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and Disney California Adventure in Disneyland. The interior parts of the attractions are being completed at the same time. This makes sure that the rides are produced similar and saves on costs. Disney California Adventure is going to open its version of this ride on June 3rd, 2011. This will be replacing the Golden Dreams show that starred Whoopi Goldberg.

In Disney World, the attraction will be featured in a recreation of Prince Eric's castle. A meet-and-greet featuring Ariel will be featured next to the castle. This ride will be featuring some of the most complex animatronics to ever be seen on property. We will be able to see Ariel, Flounder, Ursula and all the others come to life, right before our eyes. I think that this ride will be an awesome addition to the park and can't wait for it to open. Are you excited about the ride? What is your favorite Little Mermaid memory?

Back to Disney World

Hopefully you have enjoyed the past two weeks blogs about the Universal Orlando Resort, and are ready to return to talking about a much better place; Walt Disney World. Nothing big has happened lately at Disney World, other than continuing work on the Fantasyland expansion. A lot of rumors have been spreading regarding exactly what this expansion has in store. Some think that the expansion may go exactly as planned, while others feel that something different and exciting may happen. Hopefully as 2011 continues, we will be able to see a better picture of the end product as construction efforts double.

The new interactive queue at the Haunted Mansion attraction has begun public testing. The week following my departure from Florida, some elements were unveiled for the public to see. These things include new mausoleums and tombstones that incorporate well-loved Mansion characters. This queue seems to be moving in the right direction like the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction queue over in nearby Fantasyland. The Haunted Mansion queue is said to be opening in April this year.

Star Tours II is going to be a 3-D, simulator attraction located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride is replacing the popular the popular Star Tours, 2-D simulator attraction that occupied the same location. Both Disney and Star Wars fans are trying to guess which Star Wars locations will be visited during the ride. I just hope that the pilot of the original ride, Rex, appears in this new incarnation. He brings some fun to the Star Wars universe, for those who are not familiar with the Star Wars saga.

With all these small changes and rumors coming out, I hope that you stay tuned to see what actually happens and what gets forgotten. Again, if you have some questions or something you would like discussed further, don’t hesitate to ask.

Adventure in the Islands of Adventure

In this week’s blog post I am going to discuss the Islands of Adventure theme park. Opening in May of 1998, Islands of Adventure is the second theme park in the Universal Orlando Resort. This park’s theme is quite different from its counterpart Universal Studios, as it relies on the theme of exploration rather than a movie studio. At the time of opening, the park consisted of six lands, adding a seventh in June of 2010.

Islands of Adventure

• Port of Entry
• Marvel Superhero Island
• Toon Lagoon
• Jurassic Park
• The Lost Continent
• Seuss Landing
• The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

At the time of opening this new theme park, Universal Studios Florida’s name was changed to Universal Studios Escape. This confusing name change is said to have attributed to poor attendance numbers the first few years of operation. 2001 brought the name change to Universal Studios Orlando and park attendance began to increase. Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Universal Studios Orlando was the only resort in the Orlando area to have an increase in attendance.

I have heard so much about this park and its Harry Potter ‘land’ that I was very interested to see what it was all about. Upon entering, I took note that the park is modeled after a typical Disney ‘hub and spoke’ format. The ‘hub and spoke’ format generally consists of a center circle with themed lands spread out in all directions that are joined by a main entrance road. At a Disney park it is Main Street and at Islands of Adventure it is the Port of Entry.

Universal has seemed to do a great job on developing themes for their ‘islands’. Each different ‘island’ has at least one attraction, restaurant and a handful of gift shops. Jurassic Park seems to be the best themed of the original ‘islands’. It hosts a fairly faithful recreation of the original Jurassic Park Visitor’s Center which houses a restaurant, gift shop and discovery center. The Jurassic Park River Adventure is a water-based ride that pits visitors against escaped dinosaurs and an 85-foot droop below a hungry Tyrannosaurs Rex.

The most popular ‘island’ is currently the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which opened on June 18, 2010. The main attraction here is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which is located inside Hogwart’s Castle. This ride is a fast-paced blend of state-of-the-art video technology and advanced animatronics. I was not ready for all the action in this ride. There were spiders, dragons and many other creatures found in the storybook world of Harry Potter. I feel that this attraction and the wonderfully themed Hogsmeade village are very entertaining.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter holds two other rides; Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff. Dragon Challenge, previously named Dueling Dragons pre-Potter is the world’s first dueling inverted roller coaster. Flight of the Hippogriff, formerly the Flying Unicorn is a smaller roller coaster that is aimed at children. Five shops; Zonko’s, Honeydukes, Dervich and Banges, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods, and Owl Post are all located within the ‘island’ and sell all the items you would need to become a wizard. The Three Broomsticks Inn and The Hog’s Head Pub allow visitors to enjoy food and drinks taken from the Harry Potter stories.

I hope that you have enjoyed my take on the Universal Orlando Resort and all it has to offer. Next week, we return to talking about what is going on a few miles away at the Walt Disney World Resort. Please post any questions or comments you have about the Universal Orlando Resort, and maybe I will continue to post some news stories about this theme park.

Spring Break! Part 1

I'm sorry for not posting a blog last week, but I was busy doing something more important; visiting Walt Disney World! Last week was my Spring Break and I went to Orlando, Florida with my friends. While we were in Orlando, we were able to visit the Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Universal Studios and the Islands of Adventure. I was very excited to get my feet back on to Disney property and also enjoyed being able to see what Universal Studios theme park had to offer. Over the next few weeks I am going to be highlighting events from this trip in a series of posts.

When we arrived in Orlando we were greeted with warm and sunny weather with only one day in our forecast calling for rain. Since we hadn't visited the Universal theme parks, we decided that we would visit Universal Studios first. We rushed into the theme park quickly to get on as many rides as possible, but also tried to enjoy this new experience as much as possible. Revenge of the Mummy, Jaws, ET Adventure and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit were among our favorite attractions at Universal Studios. The majority of the rides at this theme park were thrill rides as opposed to the more relaxing rides at Walt Disney World.

As we all know, Walt Disney World is known for the cleanliness of its parks and I was on a mission to see if Universal theme parks were comparable. I took a survey of the entire park and felt that it was pretty comparable and have to give Universal some credit for being able to keep up with Disney World. I did feel that some of the Universal attractions' queuing lines were similar to those in Disney World in the late 70's and 80's that did not offer much to do or look at while in them.

I hope that you enjoyed this look at Universal Studios theme park and please comment or ask any questions that you may have. Tune in next week for another look at an awesome Spring Break!

The waiting game

If you have visited any theme park, you have experienced a line while waiting for an attraction. For years, the folks at Walt Disney Imagineering have been trying to add some fun to waiting in line or a queue in Disney terminology. Sometimes a queue can be the place where people spend the majority of their vacation. Generally, an attraction lasts only a few minutes, while waiting in the queue for it can last double that amount. I can say that it has never really bothered me to wait in line, because that is my time to enjoy and relax with my family and friends.

My vacations to Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California tend to be a rather "rough vacation" according to others. I don't sleep very much, and I am at the parks virtually the entire time they are open during the day. I just enjoy the rides and atmosphere so much. I know that the resorts and other areas of the Resort offer more things to do, but I feel that the main reason I am there is to take in the theme parks.

Well all that waiting in line I have done is about to get a little more exciting. Walt Disney Imagineers have been toying with a new breed of queue; the Next Generational (Next Gen) queue. These queues incorporate interactive elements to keep people of all ages entertained while waiting. This idea has been toyed around with for years, but has never been pushed forward as much as it has been today.

No place at Walt Disney World has needed more inventive queues than Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. Fantasyland's original and current theme is that of a Medieval Festival. This fits this area as it is located behind Cinderella Castle. At the time of construction, there was not much time or real estate to put into developing advanced queues for these popular attractions. This ended up giving some of Walt Disney World's most popular attractions a very generic wrap-around queue like many other theme parks across the United States.

This all changed when The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh's queue oddly went under refurbishment in 2010. Many wondered why a queue would close for refurbishment, but everyone was delighted with the outcome. November of 2010 brought a queue that would change the look and feel of Fantasyland for the good. Instead of the old generic queue, a new queue that resembled the 100 Acre Woods of the Winnie the Pooh stories greeted guests.

This fantastic new queue gives children something to play in, and adults to enjoy the detailed artistry. I cannot wait until I make my next trip to Walt Disney World to see this for myself. I feel that this will fit well nicely with the future Fantasyland expansion project. This care and attention to detail in such a trivial place, such as a queue, is what makes me love the Walt Disney Corporation. Currently, the next new queue is being installed at The Haunted Mansion attraction in Liberty Square. I will be excited to see what new ghouls will come alive once that queue is opened. Do you have a favorite queue or memory that you has taken place in one? Feel free to share and discuss.

Planning, Planning, Planning…

When planning a trip to the happiest place on earth, one has many things that they need to think about. Planning a vacation to the Walt Disney World resort is not as easy as it used to be. If it has been a while since you have visited, there might be new resorts, rides and even new theme parks.

Where to Stay

Where you stay when you are visiting Disney World can be crucial. 33 resort and hotels are spread out the 47 square mile property. 24 of these resorts are owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company. These resorts each have a unique theme and vary in price to fit practically everyone's budget. The five categories that these resorts fall into are: Deluxe, Moderate, Value, Cabins and Campgrounds and Disney Vacation Club Resorts.

You should make your hotel decision based on how you like to vacation. I feel that if you like to spend a lot of time at your hotel, you should choose one of the nicer hotels. For me, the hotel is a place to sleep. It really doesn't matter where I stay, as long as it has a bed and running water. The quality of pools and hotel amenities all depend on the amount of money that you are willing to spend. In the end, a hotel should be a place that you can afford, but also allow you to feel comfortable.

Dining

There are at least 217 different restaurant-type locations at Walt Disney World. Most sit-down restaurants require a reservation. Cinderella's Royal Table is the hardest restaurant to get in to. Reservations open up 90 days in advance and most popular times are spoken for within minutes of the reservation line opening. I have had the opportunity to dine in Cinderella Castle a few times, and it is pretty exciting. Who doesn't want to eat lunch in a castle?

My advice is that you should really study a Disney World guidebook, such as Birnbaum's Walt Disney World. This guide has been around since at least the late 1980's. My family has utilized it since its inception and now we don’t even need it. It has the easiest to use interface and finding restaurants is a snap. Once you have found what restaurants you would like to eat at, try and make a reservation, so you are able to enjoy dining there.

I hope that these insights into planning a Walt Disney World vacation have helped you. It has taken me years to figure out just what I know about Disney World, and I hope that some of my knowledge benefits you. If you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Wrecking Ball's Fury

I have previously spoken about the highly anticipated Fantasyland expansion located in the Magic Kingdom. This expansion is not only going to affect the current Snow White attraction, but also Mickey's Toontown Fair. For those of you that don't know, Mickey's Toontown Fair is one of the seven lands that make up the Magic Kingdom.

Origin of Mickey's Toontown Fair

Originally opening in June of 1988, Mickey's Birthdayland was built to celebrate the 60th Birthday of Mickey Mouse. Celebrating Mickey's 60th Birthday was a big deal, but not big enough to justify an entire area devoted to it. In May of 1990, Mickey's Birthdayland underwent a name change to become Mickey's Starland. The area stayed relatively the same, except for the name change.

The 25th Anniversary of Walt Disney World brought the third and final name to this area; Mickey's Toontown Fair. Finally, the area was partially renovated to mimic the much more complicated Mickey's Toontown at Disneyland in California. Instead of a total fair theme, the area would now include a home for each of the main characters in the Disney franchise.

Present day

Mickey's Toontown Fair will close permanently on February 12, 2011 for Fantasyland expansion construction. I find myself questioning whether or not this is a good thing. Closing and replacing an aging attraction is one thing, but destroying an entire area is another thing. This reminds me of the destruction of the majority of the Backlot Tour at the Disney-MGM Studios.

They heyday of the Disney-MGM Studios (early 1990's)

The Disney-MGM Studios (MGM) hastily opened in 1989, just before Universal Studios Orlando opened its gates. When MGM opened it only housed handful of attractions and the Backlot Studio Tour was one of those few. The Backlot Studio Tour took theme park guests through the actual sound stages that were used for filming.

Disney made an honest attempt to bring Hollywood to Florida to film, but unfortunately failed. The Backlot Studio Tour eventually lost the soundstage portion of the tour and now only was left with a special effects show, residential street, wardrobe and shop departments and Catastrophe Canyon. These few elements still were able to keep the tour afloat, offering views of popular television homes on residential street and the thrill of an earthquake in Catastrophe Canyon.

Gone, but not forgotten

2003 brought the end of residential street and the majority of the excitement of the Backlot Tour. I understand that the television show homes were a little outdated. The Golden Girls and Empty Nest had long been off the air, but they still held some nostalgic feelings for some. The destruction of these homes made a new home for a new show; Lights, Motors, Action! Having seen this show once was enough for me. I feel that the majority of guests at Walt Disney World have the same feelings that I do about this incident.

Present day…again

In the end, I feel that there is enough real estate on Walt Disney World property that new attractions can be incorporated without knocking down old favorites. I will go ahead and deal with the changes, and just hope it's for the better. Do you have any favorite attractions that have been replaced or removed?

Epcot Center Commercial

The best EPCOT commercial!

Treasures of Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World has much to offer, but few notice the painstaking details that grace its 30,080 acre parcel. I have been to Disney World quite a few times, giving me the opportunity to explore it and find some hidden and not-so hidden treasures.

The first treasure, located in the Magic Kingdom, has probably been seen by every guest since the park's opening in 1971. Five murals grace the breezeway in Cinderella Castle. These murals depict the story of the Castle's "owner", Cinderella. Famed Disney Imagineer, Dorthea Redmond was the brain behind the murals.

Once Redmond completed her drawings, Hanns-Joachim Scharff took them and cut more than one million pieces of glass, silver, gold and jewels to create mosaics. These pieces were then transferred to Walt Disney World to be placed. The whole process took two years to complete, as to make sure that the mosaics could withstand the Florida weather and millions of hands that would touch them.

The fourth mural shows the glass slipper being placed on Cinderella's foot. This mural is probably the most special of the series. It includes the faces of famed Disney employees, Herb Ryman and John Hench. Both men were very influential in the creation of the Walt Disney World Resort. Cinderella's stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia, are depicted green with envy and red with anger, respectively as well. Simple touches like this are what makes this forty year old mosaic a hidden gem in my book.

My next treasure that I am going to discuss, is not really hidden, but more of an overlooked park icon. Spaceship Earth, opened in 1982 with the ambitious EPCOT Center. Famed science fiction writer, Ray Bradburry consulted Walt Disney Imagineering in developing this 18-story geodesic sphere.

At the time EPCOT Center opened, Spaceship Earth was seen as an amazing feat of architecture. Construction took 40,800 man-hours and 26 months to complete. Spaceship Earth, is not only a park icon, it is also an innovative attraction. Originally, a 13 minute ride took guests through the story of communication. In 2007, Spaceship Earth's sponsorship switched from AT & T to the Siemens Corporation, and the theme of the ride was switched to the development of technology.

Spaceship Earth sits on four blue "legs" to create the illusion that the sphere portion is floating in mid-air. One of EPCOT Center's original taglines was "creating the new world of tomorrow". Walt Disney's original idea for EPCOT was to be a utopian city with everything a citizen would need located within city limits. I feel that Spaceship Earth represents Disney's image of the "City Hall" for his idea of EPCOT.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about a couple of my favorite Disney treasures. Please feel free to comment and post some of your own. I will try to make this a regular posting, to try and share some interesting facts that I have found.

Snow White's Scary Adventures: Evicted!

I had better begin with a further explanation before I go in too far, for those who are not aware of what is currently going on at the Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom is currently undergoing the most ambitious expansion that it has ever seen in its almost 40 year life. The demolition of the Toontown area and 20,000 Leagues under the Sea Submarine Voyage has created room for the Fantasyland expansion project. This project is set to create a larger home for the Disney Princesses and move and double the size of the super-popular Dumbo attraction.

What does this have to do with Snow White's Scary Adventures, an attraction that has been in place since 1971? The sad answer is that due to a few cuts in the expansion budget, some things were scrapped from being built. This in turn made the higher ups at Walt Disney Imagineering take a look at the already existing prime Fantasyland real estate.

Only one other "ride" has been completely removed from the Fantasyland footprint; Mr. Toad's Wild Ride. Many, many fans cried out in horror as that ride was removed to be replaced with a Winnie the Pooh based attraction. With that exception Fantasyland has not changed very much other than a few cosmetic fix-ups here and there.

I know that Snow White's Scary Adventures is not the most popular attraction at Walt Disney World, but it has some deep history to it. Not only is Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs the first full-length animated feature film, it is Walt Disney's crowning achievement and without it, one could say the Disney parks would not exist.

In the early 1970's when Walt Disney World was under construction, the developers had to choose attractions for this new Fantasyland. Disneyland in California had a very popular version all its own and they were not sure if it should be copied for the East Coast or to create a new one. They decided to import the attractions over, but considered switching out the Snow White attraction with a new one featuring Sleeping Beauty.

In the end the fairest one of all won, and Snow White's Adventures was built and opened with the park on October 1, 1971. For 23 years this ride entertained guests of all ages and proved to be relatively popular. The ride featured the guest taking on the role as Snow White and dealing with the problems that she faced. Many did not understand this interesting take on a ride, so many left confused as to wondering why Snow White was not depicted in the ride.

1994 brought a new design for the ride and a new name; Snow White's Scary Adventures. Changes in the ride included the incorporation of Snow White and a different plot line allowing the guests to view more of a complete story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. These changes freshened up what seemed to many an outdated ride.

January 18, 2011 brought news that was hard to hear. Snow White's Scary Adventures will be closed to make room for a Princess greeting spot near Cinderella Castle. Snow White will not be completely leaving the Magic Kingdom as a new area in the expansion will recreate the Seven Dwarfs cottage and house a mine car type roller coaster. For those of us who enjoyed being chased by the Evil Queen and having a boulder almost drop on us, this will not be the same. We have no control what happens, but we can only hope that it is for the best. I for one can say that I will miss my "scary adventures".

Walt Disney World Commercial

Who didn't want to be like the Huxtables in the 80's?

Dreams can come true...

I decided that my first post for my blog should explain when and where I became infatuated with the Walt Disney Company. The story begins in a time that not many can remember; the 1980's. I was a mere three years old and my parents told my brother and me some of the greatest words a child can ever hear, "We're going to Walt Disney World".

Now, back in the day, going to Disney World was not something that one did all the time. It was one of those things that someone would do and never go back. My brother and I realized how important this was and we had to act accordingly. Unfortunately, there was a time before the internet, so we were forced to page through books and decide what we would do while we were down there.

Eventually, spring finally came and it was our time to visit the most magical kingdom of them all. When we reached the Polynesian Village hotel we checked in quickly and took the monorail to the Magic Kingdom for our first day of theme park fun. We took in some favorite attractions such as: the Haunted Mansion, It's a Small World, and the Pirates of the Caribbean. Seeing all of these things we had read about and saw on TV was amazing for us all.

We met Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, and all sorts of other characters, but had yet to meet the person I had been so eager to meet; Cinderella. At that time in my life, Cinderella was the most beautiful woman in the world, so obviously it was a little upsetting to not find her. The following day, my dad decided we would go to EPCOT Center. When you are three years old and looking for Cinderella, EPCOT is not the place that you want to go.

The day at EPCOT was full of all the educational "fun" that any child of the 1980's would want. We got to see a robot that we figured would become a fixture in our home in the 1990's. Back then, we all thought we would get robots, but we never did. To my surprise, while walking through the United Kingdom at the World Showcase a double-decker bus full of characters stopped, but still no Cinderella.
Well, our final day at the most magical place on earth began much like the first, we returned to the Magic Kingdom. Today was the day that we were to eat at King Stefan's banquet which was located in the castle. We sat down at our table in awe of eating in a "real" castle and were greeted by an unexpected guest. Cinderella, herself visited each table and talked with the guests! I was so excited to meet the woman of my dreams.


After enjoying ourselves so much, my parents decided that we would return to Disney World the next year. We have continued going usually at least once a year since, in what has become a tradition for our family. Having grown up with Disney World, I have learned a lot and like to discover new information. I hope this blog will be interesting and maybe even convince you to visit Walt Disney World.