An Emotional Trip to Florida

I did Kilamanjaro Safaris first since it was at the back of the park and I figured I'd work my way up to the front. I was told this ride normally has a long wait so I should do it first, and I ended up waiting around 30-40 minutes. I decided not to use FastPass because my time was limited and I didn't want to have to come back to that part of the park again. Choosing the standby line turned out to be a good decision cause I didn't mind the wait at all. The queue winds its way through the jungle and you literally cannot see anything around you.

I can't even describe what a good job they did with this attraction. You ride a huge jeep that must seat 20 or 30 people, and the jeep winds its way through some rough terrain. It is fast and rough and a little disconcerting - at times it feels like Indiana Jones! I mean these roads are seriously bumpy and the jeeps just plow their way through ditches full of water, and they do NOT crawl through them, even around the turns! Unfortunately my friend Jarrad Nunes (RRC's Jabadoo2), who is ride op for this attraction, wasn't working this day, but our driver, Clay, was excellent, and I absolutely loved the ride. You could ride this every day and see something different.

Then I went to the park's signature attraction, the Tree of Life and It's Tough to be a Bug.

First of all, this park was more crowded than any other park I went to on any other day. The entire state of New Jersey must have collectively decided to visit Disney World. Unfortunately I got stuck in front of this nightmare from Brooklyn woman who would NOT SHUT UP. She was completely oblivious to not only her volume level but also her fantastic surroundings, and she went ON and ON about Melissa, only she pronounced it MYELLLLIIIIIIIYSSAAAHHH, like she was vomiting the word. She made me sick! I finally couldn't take it anymore and told them to go ahead of me, and when I looked at her for the last time she was still running her big yap.

It took a good 30 minutes to get through the queue of It's Tough to Be a Bug, but I really didn't mind. I *LOVED* this queue! The time and creative brainpower that went into the design and construction of this tree is simply mind boggling. I kept thinking the only thing that could have possibly made it better would be if the animals were animatronic and moved their heads or tails in different ways. I suppose that could be kind of creepy though - seeing a bunch of moving animals stuck to a giant tree as if they were magnetically drawn to it.

And the ride!!! I laughed out loud so many times I couldn't count. And the effects were really outstanding. The sting in my back and the cockroaches under my seat were the best! These two things sent *everybody* screaming! It's Tough to Be a Bug is a laugh riot and easily the best 3-D attraction of its kind. If the park hadn't been so crowded I would have loved to do it again.

So my first couple of hours in the park were outstanding. I thought it was extraordinarily beautiful in a natural way, and the attractions were first rate.

Then I went to DinoLand, U.S.A. and saw Dinosaur (formerly known as Countdown to Extinction). Yuck, I was so disappointed. The area seems completely out of synch with the rest of the park. It panders to children in a way that I didn't like. The area seems void of any type of landscaping or beautiful architecture and I got the distinct feeling this area was reworked to capitalize on the recent dinosaurs-are-cool phenomena.

Dinosaur, the ride, was a disappointment, too. It wasn't scary, it wasn't exciting, and the movement of the vehicle was just stupid. I kept thinking to myself WHY are we being tossed around like this?!?! It was stupid! The most exciting thing happened in the queue, when I heard what seriously sounded like Linda Blair in "The Exorcist" screaming this gutteral sound at the top of her lungs. A woman came *dragging* this kicking, screaming little girl into the building and up the FastPass lane. I don't know if the problem was with the mother or her brat but it was really the most unnerving sound I've ever heard at a Disney park.

I really didn't like anything about DinoLand, U.S.A. at all. I even hate the name. I understand Disney is adding a Spinning Mouse Coaster and midway games, and it wouldn't surprise me a bit to see it wind up here. What a collosal misfit and misjudgement this area is.

Finally I went to Camp Mickey and Minnie and saw Festival of The Lion King. I had to wait two shows to get in, but that was okay cause it gave me a chance to walk around the park a bit more and take it all in. Other than DinoLand, this park is just fascinating to walk through, that is, if you can get past the wall of strollers that dominate the walkways and come barrelling at you. I wanted to take a couple of those strollers and toss them over the bridge!

When I finally saw the Lion King show I was a *little* disappointed in that I thought it would be a compilation of scenes from the Broadway musical. Instead it turned out to be more of a showy kind of revue. But it was still very good and I enjoyed it enough to recommend seeing it. It was just a little more kiddie oriented than I would have liked, although that may be because of its location within the park. Camp Mickey and Minnie was an incredible area, too. There is a dragon hiding under a cave when you walk across the bridge and occasionally you can see him breathe this huge blast of fire from inside the cave. This area was actually very sophisticated looking and I really enjoyed just walking around.

I had to pull myself away from Animal Kingdom. There were several other attractions I would have liked to have done, but mostly I would have just enjoyed walking around and looking at all the animals and scenery. This is a VERY scenic park and there are lots of places of isolation here. It's probably a good thing they close fairly early because I would be a little creeped out walking around in the dark.

Next I went to MGM, and I am so glad I did! I had SUCH a good time there!!! I finally saw the Mulan Parade, something I had very much wanted to see. This is now my favorite parade. The synchronized swordsmen were awesome, and some of the tricks by the various performers were fantastic! The dancing dog balancing on top of the ball was a delight to see, as were all the performers. This parade has it all - great music, great costumes, great performers and a great setting. The giant temple facade of The Great Movie Ride provides the perfect backdrop for this parade. I wish it were longer though! It lasts only about 15 minutes and I really wanted it to go on forever!

Immediately after the parade ended, I went to Beauty and the Beast. Now *this* was what I was hoping for! A true reproduction of scenes from the Broadway show. It was GREAT! The woman who played Belle was outstanding. I would love to see this production at night!

Oh, one other thing - with the exception of The Lion King Festival and waiting for two other Animal Kingdom attractions (which turned out to be a good thing), I moved from park to park and ride to ride with almost perfect timing. I literally walked right onto one ride or show just as it was ready to begin. I'd get on a tram and boom, off they'd go. I got the perfect parking spot, or the perfect seat, and there was no waiting to get in or get out of any ride, park or parking lot. It was wonderful!!!

The only attraction remaining at MGM that I hadn't done was the Backlot Tour. It was good, but it's also the perfect example of the "one time only" problem with movie based theme parks. I saw it one time and have little to no desire to do it again. I really enjoyed driving through the production warehouse and seeing the various departments at work - costumes, scenery, etc. I could have stayed in the prop room for an hour alone just browsing around! As we drove past the production studios I noticed a marquee sign that read "Dooley and Friends" and realized that was why the Schwartz's had kept too themselves all weekend! I also liked driving down the street where you get to see the different homes from various shows - Golden Girls, Empty Nest, etc. That was cool. The Catasrophe Canyon was a letdown when I realized this would conclude our backlot tour.

Finally I saw Fantasmic again, only this time I got in line at 5:00. I never thought I would have to wait two hours but the park was packed and a huge crowd had already formed. I was determined to see it again so I figured I'd better get in line. We were seated fairly quickly and surprisingly the time flew by, thanks to a great concession stand and friendly people who were just as happy to be there as I was. One interesting thing occured shortly before the show began, when a crowd of people on the far side of the stadium started the wave. I haven't seen the wave done in years! Before long the entire stadium was doing it, and the wave was done in one continuous motion, that is it went from left to right, then a return wave followed right to left. This went on for at least 10 or 15 minutes until people got tired of it and began to stop. All of a sudden a slow motion began, and pretty soon the entire stadium picked up on it. People slooooooowly raised their arms and stood uuuuuuup. They were just too tired! It was hilarious!

Finally, the show began, and I loved it even more the second time around. The only part I find weak is the pirate/indian battle. The tribute to famous Disney character couples is adorable and put a lump in my throat everytime. And it really has an incredible ending. Just when you think its over, another cool thing happens! I can't understand the people who wait two hours to see it and then seem hellbent on leaving early and miss the imaginative ending!

I left MGM after spending 5 hours in the park. Ultimately there are six attractions here that I really enjoy: Tower of Terror, RnRC, Muppets in 3D, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan Parade and Fantasmic. I would also like to see the Hunchback of Notre Dame. But that's it. Nothing else at MGM interests me, and as much as I want to like this park, I could never spend a full day here.

I arrived at Epcot just before 8 and went straight for the World Showcase. Now that I know what I love about this park I went straight for the food. Let's see, at Poland I ate the kielbasa and perogies with sour cream, and they were really the best I've ever had. So good, in fact, I went back and got another one. Then I went to France and had Coq au Vin. Now this was great, too, but what really blew me away was the entire area, and particularly the restaurants. Chefs de France and Bistro de Paris look SO fantastically chic with diners sitting candlelight against floor to ceiling glass walls, everything overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. The lighting inside and the way the Lagoon torches reflected inside the dining room made even the ugliest people look attractive, so if you're ugly be sure to eat there! I have to eat there sometime!

I had never been in this part of World Showcase, so I explored it a little bit more and ended up walking through a little villa. It was charming! Lots of pastry shops and clothiers and ooooooohhhh, I want to go back so bad!!!

I next walked through Morocco and really, really enjoyed it. This looked straight out of Casablanca. One shop looked like one of the traditional baths found in that area, but actually they were selling rugs. I really cannot stress how much I enjoyed Epcot on this visit!

And of course the parade and Illuminations were incredible. I watched the parade this time from England, and the lighting here is very different, with numerous colored lights shining down on the street from second floor positions. It has a VIP kind of feel, as though this is thought to be the main starting point for the parade. I sat on the curb next to a little girl who kept waving through the entire parade. The joy on her face was unmistakable.

There is a fiteen minute interlude between the parade and Illuminations, and I used the time to walk over to Mexico. This really is the best spot for viewing as you are front and center for everything. I absolutely love hearing the crowd reaction to various hits within the show. But ultimately Illuminations reaches me on a very personal level. It makes me reflect on my own personal triumphs and tragedies, and I cannot help but get overcome with emotion everytime.

I was fine until I started to leave, when I saw this man and woman on a teeter-totter in Norway, I believe. They were set back a bit from the walk way and it was just the two of them, having a moment together and slowly going up and down on the teeter-totter. For some reason I just started crying! I'd had such a nice time and it was such a beautiful night and for some reason the sight of this couple having one of those moments to cherish really got to me. I really can't explain it but, as it happened so often throughout the week, I really enjoyed all those little moments I got to experience and I fully appreciate how lucky we are to be alive to enjoy our moments.

This was my favorite trip of the year.