Family Traditions at Walt Disney World
or "Why I Love the World"

[Download a text-only PDF version here.]

I'm sure that many people who know me wonder why I'm so fanatical about Walt Disney World (WDW) and keep going back there year after year. I'll try here to explain my fascination with the place and hope that, in the process, I'll encourage you to experience the "magic" in the not-to-distant future ... if you haven't already.

Main Street USA and Cinderella's Castle - July 1973

My first visit to a Disney theme park was in July 1973, when my brother and I visited WDW for a few hours during a Grayline Tours excursion from Miami that also included our first visit to the Kennedy Space Center. At the time, WDW consisted of only the Magic Kingdom, which had opened on October 1, 1971. It would be nine more years, in July 1982, before I would again have the opportunity to visit WDW, this time with Helena and Selene (then five years old). That was our first family vacation to Florida, and it included two days at WDW. Although EPCOT Center was almost completed, WDW still consisted of only the Magic Kingdom. Our next family visit was seven years after that, in July 1989. By that time, EPCOT Center and the Disney-MGM Studios were open, as was the family-oriented Caribbean Beach Resort, where we stayed during our week in Orlando. In 1992, we visited during Christmas week and experienced the special magic of WDW during that festive time of year. Five years later, in 1997, we again visited WDW at Christmas-time, this time for a full two weeks. Walt Disney World was celebrating it's 25th Anniversary at the time.

Walt Disney World's 10th Anniversary Parade - July 1982

By 2000, with Selene now graduated from college, married, and living permanently in Florida, Helena and I had gotten into a routine of annual trips to Florida in December for some vacation time and for annual medical checkups with specialists who weren't available back home in the islands. For our 2003 trip, we decided to include a week at WDW, and by the next year we had become Disney Vacation Club members. Since then, visiting WDW during the Christmas season has become a major tradition for us. Over the years, from my first short visit in 1973 through today, we have developed some other traditions that have highlighted for us why WDW is such a wonderful place to visit. I'll explore some of these traditions below.

With Mickey during the 25th Anniversary celebration - December 1997

The Trip There

During our early married years, Helena and I only took off-island vacations every three to five years. So, whether it was a short hop over to nearby Puerto Rico; a longer flight to Florida or Washington, DC; or a cross-country journey to visit Helena's siblings in California, getting there was part of the fun. If the destination was Orlando, the flights took on special meaning, because the anticipation grew as we neared our ultimate goal -- Walt Disney World. Now that we visit Florida once or twice every year, on those trips that include a visit to WDW, the Disney "magic" begins on our drive up the Florida Turnpike from South Florida. I'll plug my iPod into the rental car's stereo and have Disney theme park music playing -- the anticipation growing with each mile. We usually stop about half-way for a short rest and I always take a few minutes to pick up copies of the promotional brochures for WDW and some of the other Orlando-area attractions. As we get nearer to our exit, we see more and more highway signs and billboards pointing towards our destination. Eventually, we reach the exit onto the Osceola Parkway and we make our way west, getting closer and closer to Disney property. We know we have arrived when we see and finally drive under the colorful archway proclaiming "Welcome to Walt Disney World." The directional signs are now white on purple and yellow on red instead of the usual white on green. As we drive by the marque signs for the various Disney resorts and road signs directing travelers to the theme parks, the anticipation grows. Finally, we drive up to our resort and we're greeted by the security guard with a hearty "Welcome Home!" -- a greeting we'll hear again from the cast member (Disney doesn't have "employees") who helps us check in. More often than not, even if we're there before the official 4:00pm check-in time, our room will be ready for us. If not, bell services will be happy to hold our bags so that we can go directly to a theme park and return to our room later in the day.

Entering Walt Disney World on the Osceola Parkway - December 2009

For the most part, cast members we meet around the resorts, the theme parks, and the dining areas are friendly and eager to greet and offer assistance whenever they can. That's just part of the Disney way. Helena and I like to pay attention to the cast members' name tags, which also identify where they're from, and acknowledge those who have been particularly helpful. We've had friendly encounters with cast members from as close to our St. Thomas home as Puerto Rico and as far away as Japan and China.

The Themed Resorts

For us, a big part of a Disney vacation is the themed resorts. On our first family visit to WDW in 1982, we stayed at a nearby Holiday Inn. It was nice and they offered shuttle service to the Magic Kingdom, but it was "just a hotel." But beginning with our 1989 trip, we've always stayed at a Disney resort. That first experience at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort in 1989, completely spoiled us. This picturesque "moderate" resort is spread around a large lake scattered with white sand beaches and separated into sections named for some of the larger Caribbean islands -- Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Martinique, and Trinidad. The check-in area is called the Customs House and is themed after an immigration entry building you might find on one of the islands. The main pool is themed after an old Spanish fort (similar to El Moro in San Juan, PR), and the main dining and shopping area is called Old Port Royale. There you'll find a charming food court designed to resemble the main street of a typical Caribbean town, with a different eatery at each of the little storefronts. There's also a nice sit down restaurant called Shutters, where you'll find a variety of Caribbean-influenced delights. One of my personal favorites at the Old Port Royale food court is the largest and most delicious freshly-baked banana nut muffins I've ever had anywhere, bar none! Maybe it's the setting or the steel band music playing softly in the background, but banana nut muffins anywhere else just aren't as tasty. The Caribbean Beach Resort became an instant tradition for us, and we returned there in 1992, 1997, and 2003. We hope to go back there again sometime in the near future.

Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort - December 2003

But WDW has many other themed resorts that are just as pleasant, if not more so, as the Caribbean Beach Resort. To date, we've been fortunate to be able to sample Disney's three other "moderate" resorts -- the Coronado Springs Resort (Spanish southwest), Port Orleans / French Quarter (downtown New Orleans), Port Orleans / Riverside (southern plantation manor) -- and the Saratoga Springs Resort (upstate New York style), which is our Disney Vacation Club home resort. Each has its own theme, personality, and style. But all are head and shoulders above the routine off-property high-rise hotels and timeshare villas.

For those who are more budget-minded or are traveling with young children, Disney also has several "value" resorts that are filled with whimsical, over-sized icons, themed pools, and other decorations geared for the young at heart. These resorts include the All Star triplets -- the All Star Music, All Star Movies, and All Star Sports resorts -- and the Pop Century Resort. The Pop Century Resort currently includes buildings themed to the pop culture of the 1950s through 1990s. Another planned section, themed to the 1900s through 1940s, has yet to be built.

In December 2008, Helena and I took an unusual approach during our annual Christmas-time visit to WDW. Instead of spending our full days at the theme parks, we took some time each afternoon to visit the "deluxe" Disney resorts. Near the Magic Kingdom, there are the original Contemporary Resort (modernistic style) and Polynesian Resort (Pacific island) along with the flagship Grand Floridian (turn of the 19th Century Florida). All three of these deluxe resorts are a short monorail ride from the Magic Kingdom. A short boat ride away are the Wilderness Lodge (Yellowstone National Park lodge) with its authentic-looking geyser and Fort Wilderness (rustic cabins and campgrounds). Near Epcot (formerly EPCOT Center), there are the Boardwalk Inn (Atlantic City beach resort with boardwalk stores, eateries, and entertainment), the matching Beach and Yacht Club Resorts (New England and mid-Atlantic beach resorts), and the art deco Swan and Dolphin Resorts. All of these are located around a lake that is just a short walk away from Epcot and a boat ride away from Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios). Lastly, the Animal Kingdom Lodge (African safari lodge) is located right next door to Disney's Animal Kingdom park, and the Old Key West Resort (the first Disney Vacation Club resort) is next to the Downtown Disney shopping/dining district.

The lobby of Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge - December 2008

The point of this rundown of the Disney resorts was just to illustrate how many different hotel experiences are available at WDW, regardless of how many times you visit. Although a Disney vacation certainly isn't cheap, it can be magical. A big part of that magic is where you'll eat breakfast and some of your other meals, where you'll return to in the afternoon or at the end of a long day to rest, and where you'll rest your head at night. Disney's resorts give you the opportunity for a different adventure each and every time you visit WDW. Since 1989, our family tradition has been to always stay at a Disney resort. We've been able to sample five of them so far, and have many more to look forward to.

The Dining Options

If you think WDW has a lot of hotels, wait until I tell you about the dining options. A quick count of the different food outlets at WDW totals well over 200! If you can't find something you like there, you must be the pickiest eater in the world. The eateries at WDW are usually one of three types -- food carts and kiosks, counter service restaurants and food courts, or buffet and full-service restaurants. You'll find some of each type at every theme park and almost all resorts.

Let's begin with the "value" resorts, where you'll find large, appropriately-themed food courts with a variety of quick service items available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These resorts don't have full service restaurants, but do have in-room pizza delivery. The "moderate" resorts also have extensive food courts and in-room delivery, plus at least one full service restaurant. For example, I've already mentioned Shutters at the Caribbean Beach Resort. Over at the Coronado Springs Resort there's a nice restaurant called the Maya Grill, which has a southwestern flair, while the two Port Orleans resorts share Boatwright's, which has a more Cajun style.

Old Port Royale food court at the Caribbean Beach Resort - December 1997

At the "deluxe" resorts, the choices are even greater. These resorts have food courts for a quick meal or snack and more extensive room service than the "value" and "moderate" resorts. But they also have some high-end signature restaurants to delight any taste. For example, the Animal Kingdom Lodge has three popular restaurants (Boma, Jiko, and Sanaa) with an African flair; the Boardwalk Inn has four full service restaurants out on the nearby boardwalk (Big River Grill & Brewery, ESPN Club, Flying Fish, and Kouzzina) plus a number of counter service choices; the Contemporary Resort has The Wave and the California Grill (great for viewing the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks); the Polynesian has O'hana (a very popular family-style delight) and the Kona Café; and the Wilderness Lodge has the Artist Point and the Whispering Canyon Café (another favorite with families). To top it off, at the Grand Floridian, you'll find the finest dining at Narcoosee's and at Victoria and Albert's. So far, we've had the opportunity to sample the delicious meals at five of the places listed above, so we have many more to look forward to.

If you want a show while you dine, at the Polynesian Resort you'll find the Spirit of Aloha Polynesian Luau, and at Fort Wilderness you can enjoy the Western style Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue. Both of these dinner shows are crowd pleasers that include a filling meal served family style. But wait, there's more! I haven't even begun to mention the dining options at the theme parks and the Downtown Disney shopping and dining complex!

The Hoop-Dee-Doo Revue at Fort Wilderness - December 2003

At the Magic Kingdom, the Columbia Harbour House and Pecos Bill's are our favorite counter service spots, while Tony's Town Square is great for Italian selections and the Liberty Tree Tavern has a hearty old-fashioned American feast. For the little ones, you can't beat the Crystal Palace for a buffet meal with Winnie the Pooh and friends or Cinderella's Royal Table for a fixed-price feast with Cinderella and some of her princess friends.

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the counter service places (including Backlot Express, Toy Story Pizza Planet, and a couple more) tend to be crowded and noisy, so we prefer a fine sit down meal at the Hollywood Brown Derby, the lighter fare at the amazing SciFi Dine-In (think "drive-in movie theater"), or the fun-filled ‘50s Prime Time Café (themed after a 1950s sitcom diner). For a good (if noisy) buffet meal with characters from the Disney Channel's morning shows, try Hollywood & Vine.

At Disney's Animal Kingdom, our favorite eatery is the Asian-influenced Yak & Yeti. Other popular choices include the Rainforest Café (located at the park's entrance), Tusker House, and the Flame Tree Barbecue.

At Epcot, your dining choices are literally international. At the World Showcase section of the park, each country pavilion (and there are eleven of them) has at least one authentic eatery from that country, which is staffed by Disney cast members who are natives of the country. For example, the San Angel Inn will give you a taste of Mexico's finest cuisine, at the Biergarten you can experience Germany's Oktoberfest, at Teppan Edo your Japanese servers will delight during your hibachi table meal or you can choose the nearby sushi bar, in Morocco you can experience an authentic North African meal while enjoying the tantalizing belly dancer. Enjoy a Norwegian smorgasbord, or authentic Chinese, Italian, or French meals. There's even an old English pub. But, besides the Teppan Edo in Japan, our favorite eatery in Epcot is Canada's Le Cellier Steakhouse. These two restaurants have never disappointed us, and we return there at least every other visit to WDW.

The San Angel Inn in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot's World Showcase - December 2005

At Downtown Disney, our personal favorite place to eat a relaxed lunch or dinner is Gloria Estefan's Bongos Cuban Café. We always try to eat there on either our arrival or departure day. Additional favorites of ours at Downtown Disney include another Rainforest Café and its "sister" restaurant, T-Rex. Other popular restaurants (where we haven't yet had a chance to dine) include Fulton's Crab House, Wolfgang Puck's, Paradiso, Raglan Road, Planet Hollywood, and the House of Blues. By the way, don't pass up the chance to enjoy a decadent ice cream delight at Ghiradelli's Soda Fountain.

Another family tradition that we've had since Selene was five years old, is to take in at least one character meal on each trip with her or (now) with our granddaughter, Jaidyn. The first such character meal was with Selene at Chef Mickey's (in the Contemporary Resort), where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto joined us for lunch. More recently, we've had some priceless moments with Jaidyn at the Garden Grill in Epcot's The Land pavilion with Mickey, Pluto, Chip, and Dale; the Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom with Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Piglet, and Eyore; and Hollywood & Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios with JoJo and Goliath plus June and Leo from the Disney Channel. The food isn't quite 5-star, but it's satisfying and the interactions with the characters are priceless.

With Chip at the Garden Grill in Epcot's The Land pavilion - December 2007

In summary, with all of these dining options (and many more I didn't even mention), it would take a lifetime of visits to WDW to exhaust the list.

The Transportation Options

Like everything else, WDW gives you lots of options for getting around. Probably the best known is the monorail, which is pretty much a Disney institution (many people consider it to be an attraction unto itself). The original monorail route makes a circle around the lake that's directly in front of the Magic Kingdom. You can either take the "express" monorail that only makes stops at the Ticket and Transportation Center (where the main parking lot is) and the Magic Kingdom, or the "resort" monorail that stops at those two locations plus the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts. The other monorail route makes a roundtrip run between the Ticket and Transportation Center and the Epcot theme park.

The Monorail makes a roundtrip circuit between the Magic Kingdom and Epcot - December 1997

Throughout WDW, boats of every description are another important mode of transportation. Regularly scheduled ferries run back and forth between the Ticket and Transportation Center and the Magic Kingdom; between the Magic Kingdom and the Wilderness Lodge; between the Wilderness Lodge, Fort Wilderness, and Contemporary resorts; and between the Magic Kingdom and the Polynesian and Grand Floridian resorts. At Epcot, ferries run between Future World and World Showcase; between the Boardwalk Inn, the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, and Epcot's International Gateway entrance (near the United Kingdom pavilion), and between the Boardwalk Inn and Disney's Hollywood Studios. Other ferries run between the Downtown Disney shopping and dining district and the Port Orleans, Old Key West, and Saratoga Springs resorts.

The ferry between the Magic Kingdom and the Ticket and Transportation Center - December 2008

The monorail and ferry boats are available to all WDW guests. Another important transportation mode that's available only to guests of the Disney resorts is an extensive bus system. Every Disney resort is served by its own set of routes to and from the theme parks, water parks, and Downtown Disney. The buses usually run from a couple hours before park opening until a couple hours after park closing, on a 20-30 minute cycle. I know there are some regular visitors who prefer to drive themselves around WDW, either in their own or rental cars. However, we have always found it much easier and actually part of the charm of WDW to ride the buses, monorails, and ferry boats. Why worry about the traffic or getting lost when you can just relax and let Disney's able cast members "do the driving"? In fact, for guests who arrive through the Orlando International Airport, Disney's Magical Express will even provide free bus transportation from and back to the airport, including taking care of your luggage both ways. We've never had the occasion to use this service because we usually are driving a rental car up from South Florida. But it's certainly something we would consider if we were ever flying directly into Orlando.

Disney's buses are the main transportation between the resorts and theme parks - December 1997

The Theme Parks

Of course, the main reason for even visiting WDW is the theme parks. Although opening times vary for special occasions (such as Christmas week), the four main theme parks usually open at 9:00am. But, if you've never visited before or if you haven't stayed at a Disney resort, you might not know that on certain days of the week, Disney resort guests can enter the theme parks an hour before they're open to the general public or stay up to three hours after they close for everyone else. Disney calls this perk "Extra Magic Hours." But, you know what? We don't use the Extra Magic Hours. In fact, we avoid the park that is having the Extra Magic Hours on any particular day because we know that we won't be getting up early enough to take advantage of the morning extra hour or staying late enough to make use of the three evening extra hours. We've had better luck with the crowds by avoiding the parks on those days. That's our little secret ... keep it to yourself. ;-)

- The Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 and is based on the original Disneyland in California. But although the two parks have some of the same rides and attractions, most people will tell you that they're really two completely different experiences. There are attractions at the Magic Kingdom which don't exist at Disneyland and vice versa, and even those attractions that do exist at both parks are different enough that they still provide a different experience. (Unfortunately, my only visit to Disneyland was in July 1985, with Helena and Selene. But we're hoping to visit there again sometime within the next couple of years.)

PhotoPass portrait - December 2009

We always try to arrive at the theme parks shortly before the normal 9:00am opening times. We have found that getting an early start (again, on non-Extra Magic Hour days) allows us to get in quite a few of the popular rides during the first two hours of the day with almost no waiting in line. When we walk through the tunnel from the entrance plaza and first enter the Magic Kingdom, we like to take our time walking up Main Street USA, taking in the atmosphere and just relishing in the fact that we're actually here at WDW again. We might stop for the umpteenth picture of Cinderella's Castle or the Partners statue (always looking for just that perfect shot). We'll almost always stop at a PhotoPass photographer to get an "official" portrait or two of our group. Most people are just rushing off for their first big thrill ride -- usually either Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, or Big Thunder Mountain -- but we like to just take our time and soak it all in.

Cinderella's Castle on a cloudless day - December 2003

We usually devote at least two full days to touring the Magic Kingdom. One day we'll take in the attractions on one side of the park and then do the other side another day. This gives us a chance to take in all of our favorite attractions without completely wearing ourselves out. If it's a family visit with Selene, John, and Jaidyn, we'll hit Fantasyland first because that section of the park gets crowded very quickly. We might then backtrack a bit and visit Mickey's Toontown Fair followed by a few attractions in Tomorrowland. (NOTE: As of March 2010, Mickey's Toontown Fair was being dismantled to make room for a major expansion of Fantasyland. Word is that the only attraction that will remain from Toontown is the Barnstormer roller coaster.)

If Helena and I are alone at the park, our "must see" attractions on that first day at the Magic Kingdom include Mickey's PhilarMagic 3D movie and "it's a small world" in Fantasyland and Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, the Carousel of Progress, and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in Tomorrowland. Notice that Space Mountain isn't included -- Helena and I just aren't roller coaster fans, although Jaidyn looks like she's going to be a real thrill ride junkie when she's a little older. Incidentally, Helena and I have a friendly rivalry going on the Buzz Lightyear ride, which is like being inside a video game as we shoot laser cannons at brightly-colored moving targets. She usually beats my score, but I maintain that she has the upper hand because I always have to "drive" our ride vehicle and shoot at the same time, while she can just concentrate on the targets.

Ride photo from Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - December 2009

Our second day at the Magic Kingdom usually begins in Liberty Square and we work our way down to Frontierland and Adventureland. "Must see" attractions on this side of the park include the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square; the Country Bear Jamboree and the Liberty Belle Riverboat in Frontierland; and Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. Depending on the weather (hot and dry), I might also take a solo ride on Splash Mountain and hope I don't get too wet. By the way, one of my favorite snacks in the Magic Kingdom is the Dole Whip (a pineapple/vanilla ice cream swirl found at the Aloha Isle kiosk in Adventureland), although I must admit that I haven't had a chance to enjoy one as often as I'd like. Lunch or dinner usually gets in the way of the Dole Whip.

As the sun sets and the lights start to come on, the Magic Kingdom takes on a whole new atmosphere, with Cinderella's Castle highlighted in changing hues of color and patterns. At Christmas-time, the Castle is even more spectacular in shimmering, twinkling winter lights. A day at the Magic Kingdom isn't complete, in my opinion, without taking some time to view the SpectroMagic parade down Main Street USA and the Wishes fireworks show above Cinderella's Castle. (I'm going to discuss those in more detail later.) If you allow yourself to "become a kid again" the Magic Kingdom really can become magical.

Cinderella's Castle in all it's winter splendor - December 2007

- EPCOT Center (later changed to just Epcot) opened in 1982 and, although it isn't the futuristic city with people living there that Walt Disney envisioned for his Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow, it is still a marvel of engineering. It combines the best aspects of a World's Fair -- Future World with its many science-themed exhibits and rides and World Showcase with its pavilions celebrating the culture of eleven different countries. Epcot is another WDW theme park that really needs two days to fully explore and appreciate. But because Future World opens at 9:00am and World Showcase doesn't open until 11:00am, we usually devote two mornings to Future World and the afternoons to World Showcase. That helps us to get ahead of the crowds that develop later in the day at the popular rides and attractions in Future World.

PhotoPass portrait - December 2009

Whether you arrive at Epcot on the monorail, a Disney bus, or your own car, the first thing you'll probably see is Spaceship Earth, the 165-foot diameter geodesic globe that is the park's icon. Inside the globe is one of the original rides at Epcot, which takes you on a fascinating journey through the history and development of communications. But, although the Spaceship Earth ride is one of our "must see" attractions, we bypass it first thing in the morning and ride it instead near the end of the day when the wait times are almost always quite short.

After we enter the park and have some PhotoPass portraits of our group taken in front of Spaceship Earth, I usually go ahead of the rest of our group to the right side of Future World to pick up Fastpasses for Soarin' at the Land pavilion. If the line for Soarin' isn't too long by the time the others catch up with me, we'll jump in line for a first ride of the day and then return later to ride again with our Fastpass tickets. Two other pavilions located on this side of Future World are the Imagination pavilion and the Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion. The Imagination pavilion contains the Journey into Imagination with Figment ride and the Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 3D movie. We don't take in these two attractions on every visit to Epcot, but do try to experience them at least every other trip. At the Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion, the entry into the building is actually through a charming little ride based on the Finding Nemo movie. But the real attraction here is Turtle Talk with Crush. Watching and listening to the children interact with the animated Crush the Turtle (controlled and voiced by a cast member backstage) is just a wonderful experience. It became even more wonderful for us during our visit in December 2009, when little Jaidyn was called on by Crush to talk with him.

Crush the Turtle calls on the "little ones" for a friendly conversation - December 2008

We usually save the left side of Future World for our second morning at Epcot. The "must do" rides here are Test Track and Mission: Space. Because of a recent back injury, Helena can't ride these, so I usually ride alone (unless Selene and family are visiting with us). I've ridden both the more intense (spinning) and less intense (non-spinning) versions of Mission: Space but, because I suffer from occasional attacks of vertigo, in recent years I've had to go on the non-spinning version. The third attraction on this side of Future World is Ellen's Energy Adventure. Because this is quite a long production (close to 45 minutes including the pre-show), we don't take this one in on every visit to Epcot. However, it is an entertaining show starring Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a cast of dinosaurs.

Mission: Space takes you on an exhilarating trip to Mars - December 2003

Future World also has two areas, called Innoventions East and Innoventions West, that present a large number of ever-changing technology exhibits. But I have to admit that Helena and I have rarely taken the time to view these exhibits. It seems that we're always too busy with the major attractions to take the time to visit Innoventions. One place where we have stopped when Selene and family were with us is the Character Connection near Innoventions West. Here you can have PhotoPass portraits taken with many of the classic Disney characters, including Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Pluto. We got some great interaction here between Jaidyn and the characters in December 2007.

Directly across the lagoon from Future World is World Showcase, where eleven countries (Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada) have authentically-styled pavilions staffed by cast members who are natives of the respective countries. In addition to the unique dining establishments and gift shops at these pavilions, they also have attractions and exhibits that showcase each country's culture and history. To wander through World Showcase is truly like taking a trip around the world in a day (or two). Our strategy for touring World Showcase is to start in Mexico one afternoon and work our way up to the American Adventure pavilion (which is located at the center of the loop), and then start at the opposite end in Canada the next afternoon and again work our way up to the centrally-located American Adventure pavilion. We like to take time to enjoy the attractions or exhibits particular to each country and to dine at some of our favorites (Canada and Japan immediately come to mind).

There is a host of live entertainment at the various pavilions. For example, there's the Celtic rock band Off Kilter in Canada, the Beatles tribute band British Invasion in the United Kingdom, the unusual blend of Middle Eastern and rock and roll music played by Mo'Rockin' (yes, with a belly dancer) in Morocco, the Matsuriza drummers and candy artist Miyuki in Japan, the Voices of Liberty chorus at the American Adventure pavilion, the Oktoberfest Musikanten in Germany, the Dragon Legend Acrobats in China, and the Mariachi Cobre in Mexico, among many others. The only two actual rides in World Showcase are the Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico (starring Donald Duck) and Maelstrom in Norway, both of which we try to take in on every visit to WDW. Travelogue films are also presented continuously in China, France, and Canada, and these we try to catch at least every other visit. One absolute "must see" for us, however, is the American Adventure multimedia show. This very stirring, patriotic presentation highlights key events and persons in American history, and is guaranteed to bring at least a mist to your eyes no matter how often you see it.

Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain host the American Adventure - December 2005

Directly across the walkway from the American Adventure pavilion is the American Gardens Theater, where classic rock and roll groups provide free concerts. During the Spring, Epcot hosts its Flower and Garden Festival, which includes the Flower Power Concerts. Such 1960s artists as Petula Clark, the Fifth Dimension, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Herman's Hermits, Gary Puckett, Tony Orlando, Chubby Checker, and Jose Feliciano have performed recently. A "dream come true" for me was the opportunity, in April 2008 and 2009, to see my absolute favorite rock band, The Ventures, perform at the Flower Power Concerts. During the Summer, the American Gardens Theater hosts the Sounds Like Concerts. Here, tribute bands present the music of such greats as the Rolling Stones, U2, Bon Jovi, the Eagles, the Bee Gees, and Chicago. During the Fall, Epcot's Food and Wine Festival includes the Eat to the Beat Concerts, with such artists as Starship, Kool and the Gang, Sister Sledge, Vanessa Carlton, Boys II Men, and Billy Ocean. During the Christmas season, the American Gardens Theater is the home of the magnificent Candlelight Processional, a musical retelling of the Christmas story with a choir of hundreds and full orchestral accompaniment. The Processional's narrators are usually celebrities, such as Whoopi Goldberg, Brian Dennehy, Edward James Olmos, and Angela Bassett, among others. We have experienced the wonder of the Candlelight Processional several times, and it really brings out the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Epcot's Candlelight Processional - December 2003

Finally, no day at Epcot is complete without experiencing Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (more on this later). After this presentation, Epcot officially closes for the night, but we tend to stay back a few minutes before enjoying a relaxing stroll from World Showcase, through Future World, and out the park's exit gates. The post-show music for Illuminations is playing in the background, "Good Night" greetings are being projected by lasers onto Spaceship Earth in many different languages, and often the park's cast members will line the way, adding their "goodbyes" to park guests. It's a serene and almost surreal way to end the day.

Spaceship Earth at the end of an exciting day - December 2007

- Disney-MGM Studios opened in 1989 as a combination theme park and working movie studio. The movie studio is no longer operational, but the magic of Hollywood still remains. The Studios' name was changed to Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2008, reportedly to reflect a change in the park's overall theme from a focus on the golden age of Hollywood to the broader entertainment industry that includes movies, television, music, and theater. Even so, as you enter Hollywood Studios, you're transported to Hollywood in the 1930s. As is our custom, we'll stop on Hollywood Boulevard for a PhotoPass portrait or two and then slowly make our way up the charming little street. Frequently there will be "Streetmosphere" performers out and about, pulling guests into their little theatrical skits. Classic songs from the movies will be playing in the background. The whole atmosphere just puts you in a good mood.

PhotoPass portrait - December 2009

At the far end of Hollywood Boulevard stands an exact replica of Grauman's Chinese Theater, which houses one of our "must see" attractions, the Great Movie Ride. Unfortunately, in 2001 a 122-foot tall replica of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat from the movie Fantasia was erected directly in front of the Theater, blocking the view of it from Hollywood Boulevard. Although the Sorcerer's Hat has become the icon of Disney's Hollywood Studios, many Disney fans (myself included) hate it's location because it blocks the view of the majestic Grauman's Theater. We really wish Disney would move the Sorcerer's Hat to another location, such as the park's entrance plaza.

Despite this one disappointment, there's a lot to like at Hollywood Studios. If the park isn't too crowded, it's actually possible to experience most of the attractions in a full day. We usually start at the right side of the Grauman's Theater in the Mickey Avenue / Pixar Place area. A "must see" here is the relatively new ride called Toy Story Midway Mania. Wearing 3D glasses, guests are carried in their ride vehicles through a series of carnival games where they shoot at moving 3D targets based on the Toy Story films. Because this is such a new and popular attraction, the lines are always very long, so it's a good idea to get Fastpasses right away and then get into the line (regardless of how long it is) to get a first ride of the day. Then we'll come back later to ride again with our Fastpass tickets. Oh, since I don't have to "drive" the ride vehicle here (like on the Buzz Lightyear ride at the Magic Kingdom), I'm the score champ over Helena!

Mr. Potato Head hosts the Toy Story Midway Mania ride - December 2009

Backtracking a bit and depending on the show times, we would then either visit One Man's Dream, an inspiring exhibit hall and film honoring Walt Disney, or the Voyage of the Little Mermaid stage show. Both are "must sees" in my book. Moving on, we'd next head over to the Animation Courtyard to take in the Magic of Disney Animation. Usually the presentation includes artwork and sculptures from upcoming Disney and Pixar animated films, plus a chance to meet some of the characters from the most recently released films. If Selene and family are visiting with us, we'd also work in a stop to the Playhouse Disney Live stage show, where Jaidyn likes to see some of the characters from the Disney Channel.

Moving on to the left side of Hollywood Studios, we love to take in a showing of the American Idol Experience, where park guests (three to each show) participate in a sing-off with a chance to win a Golden Ticket to audition for the real American Idol TV show. The audience votes for the winner at each show during the day, with those winners facing off in the finale at the last show of the day. That winner gets the Golden Ticket.

Continuing further back into the park, we might either take in the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular or go for a ride on Star Tours, with Star Tours (based on the Star Wars movie) being my favorite of the two. (NOTE: It was announced recently that Star Tours will be getting a much-needed upgrade with a new 3D film and enhanced programming of the ride vehicles. I can hardly wait to ride the upgraded version!) Just a little further along is another "must see," the Muppet*Vision 3D movie. Although this is another attraction that could use an upgrade, I just love the Muppets and enjoy this film no matter how often I see it. Hopefully Disney is planning for a new Muppet 3D movie in the near future. By the way, the short Muppets pre-show video that runs in the waiting room before heading into the main theater is just hilarious and definitely worth trying to see in its entirety.

Muppet*Vision 3D is a "must see" attraction - December 2006

The two remaining attractions in the back area of Hollywood Studios are the Studios Back Lot Tour and the Lights, Motors, Action auto stunt show. Depending on the show times, I'd pick Lights, Motors, Action every time just because I'm a big auto racing fan. Also, the Studios Back Lot Tour, frankly, isn't as good as it used to be before a large part of it was turned into the stadium for Lights, Motors, Action. We tend to alternate between these two attractions when Helena and I are visiting alone. If Selene and family are with us, we let them choose their favorite. I do know that Jaidyn is a little "Cars" fan, and she enjoyed the auto stunt show in December 2007.

The last area of Hollywood Studios is Sunset Boulevard, which branches off on the right about halfway up Hollywood Boulevard. This is where the park's two big thrill rides, the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n' Roller Coaster, are located. But Helena and I stay away from those two. We do, however, always make a stop, at some point in the day, along Sunset Boulevard to see the Beauty and the Beast stage show. Although the story is abbreviated to get in as many shows as possible each day, the acting and singing are Broadway quality. Definitely a "must see" on our list.

Beauty and the Beast is a Broadway-quality production - April 2008

In the evening, Hollywood Studios is transformed, with all of the marque signs on the shops and eateries along Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard lit up with neon and twinkling lights. The Sorcerer's Hat, and even the Grauman's Chinese Theater behind it, sparkle. Over at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater you'll find Fantasmic!, which is one of the spectacular night-time shows presented at WDW (more on that later). If you visit during the Christmas season, like we do, you'll also have the opportunity to experience the awesome Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Basically, five millions twinkling Christmas lights have been transplanted from their original home in Little Rock, Arkansas to the buildings along Hollywood Studios' Streets of America. A few years ago, Disney supercharged the popular display by programming the lights to twinkle and flash in time to Christmas music played through the park's PA system. This is another "must see" whenever we visit Disney's Hollywood Studios at Christmas.

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights - December 2006

The final showing of Fantasmic and (at Christmas) the finale of the Osborne Lights' show signal the closing of Hollywood Studios. Tired, but giddy from the spectacular displays of showmanship we have just seen, we head down Hollywood Boulevard and to the park's exit. The "golden age" of Hollywood still lives ... at Walt Disney World in Florida!

- Disney's Animal Kingdom is the newest theme park at WDW (so far) and it opened in 1998. Besides being the largest of the four WDW theme parks in terms of acreage, Animal Kingdom is also the hardest to tour without some amount of backtracking. Once you go through the entrance plaza, you pass through the Oasis, a lush tropical jungle area with small animal and floral exhibits along the way. Soon you'll come to a bridge that overlooks the park's icon, the 145-foot tall Tree of Life. Again, we traditionally stop here for a portrait or two of our group by a PhotoPass photographer. Then it's on to Discovery Island, where the adventure begins.

PhotoPass portrait - December 2009

Animal Kingdom is arranged in a circle, with Discovery Island and the Tree of Life at its center, surrounded by a man-made river. The other themed areas of the park (Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, and DinoLand USA) branch out from Discovery Island through connecting bridges that are like the spokes on a wheel. However, although you can also move from one themed area to the next in sequence, the timing of some of the major shows will require that you do some backtracking in order to hit all of the highlights in one day of park touring.

We always start in Africa by getting Fastpass tickets to the Kilimanjaro Safari and then going next door to view the animals at the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, including the gorilla families. These are two of our "must see" attractions at Animal Kingdom. On your way through Africa to get to the Safari and the Pangani Trail, be sure to slow down and spend some time taking in the sights at the little village of Harambe, including the musicians along the way. This is all part of the charm of Animal Kingdom. If we got an early start at park opening, by the time we're finished viewing the gorillas and other animals along the Pangani Trail, we should be within the return time window for our Fastpasses to the Kilimanjaro Safari. If we're lucky, the animals along the Safari trail will be alert and active at this early hour of the day.

Out on the Kilimanjaro Safari - December 2003

After the Safari ride, we'll backtrack to Discovery Island and then over to Camp Minnie-Mickey for one of the first showings of the Festival of the Lion King. In my opinion, this is perhaps the most entertaining live show in all of Walt Disney World. It's a lively, fast-paced romp with Timon and other friends from the Lion King movie -- all to the wonderful music from that film by Elton John. After the Festival of the Lion King, we usually bypass the nearby Greeting Trails, but then would be a good time to stop and meet with Mickey, Minnie, and some of their jungle friends.

The Festival of the Lion King - December 2003

If the timing is right, our next destination would be DinoLand USA to take in the Finding Nemo: The Musical stage show. It's presented in a large enclosed theater around the back of the dinosaur attractions, and is another "must see" for Helena and I. The show is presented in a unusual way, with large sea creature puppets and the actor/puppeteers all visible at the same time. But after a few minutes you forget about this aspect and just enjoy the story and the music. The most logical touring plan after Finding Nemo would be to go next door and take in the Dinosaur ride and some of the other rides and attractions in the campy Chester and Hester's Dinorama section of DinoLand. But this is not a "must do" for us. I might ride Dinosaur solo (remember Helena's bad back) once in a while. However, because everything happens in almost complete darkness, so you don't really see much, and it's so jerky, this is something I can pass on most of the time.

Finding Nemo: The Musical - December 2008

Instead, after Finding Nemo: The Musical, we usually head over to Asia to visit the Komodo dragon, large fruit bats, Bengal Tigers, and other animals on the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Those tigers are such majestic animals! Another fun show in Asia is the Flights of Wonder, an entertaining educational display of some of the behaviors of different types of wild birds. The highlights of the presentation include a low-altitude flyover by a hawk, a singing parrot, and the appearance of a huge American Bald Eagle. Asia is also home to two popular thrill rides -- Expedition Everest (extreme roller coaster) and the Kali River Rapids (white water raft ride). Say what you will, but I won't be going on Expedition Everest anytime soon. However, I do very much want to try the Kali River Rapids. The only thing that has stopped me so far is the desire to remain dry. :-) During our December 2009 visit with Selene and family, little Jaidyn had her parents ride the rapids with her three times in a row! Let's just say, they got pretty wet.

Getting soaked on the Kali River Rapids (3 times!) - December 2009

Rafiki's Planet Watch is an educational conservation area that lies between the Africa and Asia sections of Animal Kingdom. You take a Wildlife Express Train out past the animals' after-hours living areas and come to the Conservation Station, where you can see a number of environmental and conservation exhibits and also view Animal Kingdom's veterinary facilities in operation. There's also an animal petting area with goats and other small animals. This is an area of Animal Kingdom that we don't visit on every trip to the park. But it is an interesting place to spend some time every so often.

By now, it's probably getting on in the afternoon, and we'll begin heading back to Discovery Island to take in the It's Tough to Be a Bug 3D movie. The theater where this is presented is actually inside the base of the Tree of Life. As you walk through the maze-like queue, be sure to pay attention to the movie poster parodies along the walls. They're just hilarious. Helena and I enjoy seeing this presentation on every trip, but it's definitely not for smaller children because of the scary "bug actors" that make an appearance. We've seen many little kids have a serious meltdown when the grasshoppers attack.

Panorama with the Tree of Life and Expedition Everest as we leave the park - December 2006

Animal Kingdom closes around sunset, but the finale of the day is a wonderfully entertaining parade called Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Expedition. The music and creative floats just put you in a happy mood before it's time to leave the park. During the Christmas season, the parade takes on the spirit of the season and becomes Mickey's Jingle Jungle Expedition. I have to admit that a full day at Animal Kingdom can leave you physically exhausted because the park requires a lot of walking, some of it on roughly paved trails. But we still always come away happy from the experience. Very near the park's exit there is a Rainforest Café, and we often stop there for a nice dinner after the long day at Animal Kingdom.

The Parades and Fireworks Spectaculars

I know that many visitors to WDW have no interest in seeing the various parades that are presented at the different theme parks and, instead, use that time to ride some of the more popular attractions when the lines are shorter because people are lined up to see the parades. We're absolutely not in that category, and we almost always take the time to view the daily parades at the various parks.

At the Magic Kingdom, there are two different parades during the daylight hours. The traditional afternoon parade usually starts in Frontierland, makes its way around the hub in front of Cinderella's Castle, and then heads down Main Street USA. The parades change themes every few years, with the current one being called the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade. Colorful floats carry many of the popular Disney characters, of course led off by Mickey, and many dancers and other characters follow along besides the floats. The music is always lively and helps to lift everyone's spirits. At Christmas-time, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade runs instead of the usual afternoon parade and, of course, it's just filled with the Christmas spirit. In 2009, the Magic Kingdom added a second mini-parade, called Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!, which runs three times a day. It makes its way up Main Street to the hub at Cinderella's Castle, where the floats stop and the parade participants encourage guests to join them in dancing and frolicking to the lively music. Everyone seems to be having a lot of fun, and the whole thing is fun to watch.

Mickey leads the Disney Dreams Come True Parade - December 2008

Epcot currently doesn't have a parade, although it did have one during the 2000/2001 millennium celebration that was called the Tapestry of Dreams. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, in 2008 the former Stars and Motorcars Parade (which is now running at Disneyland Paris) was replaced by the Block Party Bash. This is somewhat similar to the Magic Kingdom's Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! mini-parade in that the floats and parade participants stop at certain points on their route up Hollywood Boulevard to encourage the audience to join in the fun. However, in this case, the floats and characters are all based on the various Pixar animated movies, and the music and dancing performances are very, very high energy and lively. We've seen this parade only once so far, but we were definitely impressed with the enthusiasm of the participants. I look forward to experiencing it again soon.

The Disney-Pixar Block Party Bash - December 2008

As I mentioned earlier, over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Expedition runs every afternoon shortly before the park closes. There too, the music is high energy (with an Africa flair), and a combination of artistically-designed animal floats and vehicles carrying Mickey and some of the other Disney characters make their way around the park's walkways in Asia, Africa, and Discovery Island. We've seen this particular parade many times and have enjoyed it each and every time.

Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Expedition - December 2004

After the sun sets, the WDW theme parks take on new personalities, and one very special parade and three fireworks spectaculars rule the night. At the Magic Kingdom, the lights all go out on Main Street USA, trumpets blare, and voices begin to sing: "On this magic night, a million stars will play beside us, cast a spell of light, glimmering, shimmering, carouseling. ‘Round the world tonight, a symphony in SpectroMagic, pure enchantment lights our way." So begins my absolute favorite attraction in all of Walt Disney World -- the SpectroMagic parade. It has everything -- the Disney characters and dancers, elaborately decorated floats, hauntingly enchanted music, millions of lights and strands of fiber optics woven into floats and even into the costumes of the characters and dancers, and a magical attitude that just can't be beat. This is the way to end a day at the Magic Kingdom!

SpectroMagic is my absolute favorite attraction at Walt Disney World - July 2007

Almost as magical as SpectroMagic is Wishes, the current fireworks display that is presented every night above Cinderella's Castle. Jiminy Cricket is your host as the music, narration, and spectacularly-choreographed fireworks tell of the power of wishes. On most nights, Wishes is presented between two showings of SpectroMagic. If you're up to the lateness of the hour, the crowds will thin out greatly after Wishes, allowing for better viewing of the second showing of SpectroMagic. Together, Wishes and SpectroMagic make up the one-two punch of the Magic Kingdom's closing act. Only rain or illness can keep us from experiencing them on every single trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Wishes lights up the sky over Cinderella's Castle - December 2004

Over at Epcot, Illuminations: Reflection of Earth is presented immediately before the park closes. This fireworks, laser, fire, and water show presents mankind's journey on Planet Earth, using a huge globe made up of thousands of LCD screens formed into the shapes of the continents and accompanied by an incredible musical score. The music starts out low key and soon swells into a crescendo as the story is told by the images on the globe and the combination of fireworks, lasers, fire, and water. For me, this spectacle itself is worth the price of admission, and is another "must see" for us.

Illuminations: Reflections of Earth celebrates mankind's journey on Planet Earth - December 2005

On selected nights, Disney's Hollywood Studios presents Fantasmic!, a multimedia show that stars Mickey Mouse himself. Mickey's dreams are projected on huge screens of sprayed water, but they soon turn into a nightmare populated by some of the meanest Disney villains. Through a combination of the water screens, fireworks blasts, fire, and stage show elements, Mickey takes the fight to the villains and, of course, comes out victorious. Unfortunately, Disney recently cut back from daily showings of Fantasmic! to just three or four times a week, which means much larger crowds trying to get into the limited seating area. But even so, Fantasmic! is definitely worth seeing as often as possible. There are currently no night-time shows at Disney's Animal Kingdom, which usually closes around sunset.

During Fantasmic! Mickey battles his worst nightmares - December 2007

Bringing It All Together

Wow! I originally intended for this to be a one or two page "note" that I could post on Facebook for the benefit of my friends there. But once I got started writing, I just couldn't stop myself. This has ended up being a 15-page dissertation that reads more like a "Guide to Walt Disney World." And to think ... I haven't even written anything about Downtown Disney (other than mentioning some of the dining options), or the two Disney water parks -- Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach, or all of the other recreational options like golf, mini-golf, jet skis, parasailing, bicycling, horseback riding, driving a real NASCAR racer, and much more.

Typhoon Lagoon is one of two water parks at Walt Disney World - December 1997

Hopefully my enthusiasm for Walt Disney World has come through in what I've written. It's not a "perfect" place -- there isn't such a place in this life. You'll sometimes run into large crowds and long lines at the attractions, or the rude guests who try to push ahead of you in the line or in front of you as you wait to see a parade, or even the cast member who's having a bad day and might not exhibit the "Disney spirit." But, you know what? Those are the exceptions. To me, Walt Disney World is a place where the cell phone stays off and the outside world doesn't exist, where there are no bills to pay (those come later!), where I can forget that I'm 60 years old and have bad lungs, where I can meet my friend Tigger and say "hi" to gorgeous Belle, where I can take a high-powered car out on the test track and also take a spaceship to Mars or into the Death Star's trench, where I can see some amazing fireworks and parades, where I can visit eleven countries in an afternoon, where I can see exotic animals without having to worry about traveling half-way around the world, where I can see a little part of Hollywood as it was in the 1930s, where I can have a fine meal every day in a different exotic location -- again without having to worry about traveling long distances to get there, where I can see my granddaughter's smile when she rides the teacups, gets wet on the Kali River Rapids, makes friends with Chip and Dale, talks to a turtle named Crush, or sees a blue alien named Stitch.

Even big blue aliens are friendly at Walt Disney World - December 2007

I dare you to make a trip to Walt Disney World (or any of the other Disney theme parks around the world for that matter) and not have fun!

Me and my friend Tigger - December 2003

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