28,000 acres: that's twice the size of Manhattan, and also the size of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Mouse in Orlando, Florida. Two-thirds into my first visit here and I'm still trying to grasp how large this thing actually is. There are so many things you could do with/talk about/experience in 28,000 acres… Walt Disney just decided to make a super-sized amusement park that turned out as one of the most successful business complexes in the world. And because I’ve almost completed my first magical experience, I’m going to give those newbies out there a hitch hiker’s guide to the one and only “Wonderful World of Disney”.
Like I said before, there’s a lot to talk about in one blog that covers 28,000 acres so I’ll give you the nut-shell. On this vacation, we (my mom and my two sisters) only got to see Epcot and Magic Kingdom, which can sound like only ½ of the parks but there’s a method to my madness. Seeing as though the youngest member of our crew is only fourteen, we decided to experience the more “grown up” version of Disney. For those of you who haven’t had your magical experience yet- Epcot is basically a tour around the world. You can visit countries ranging from Morocco to Ireland all in one big loop that stretches just over two and ½ miles. I think my sisters and I can agree that Morocco was our favorite country. It had exotic, beautiful products from slippers to belly-dancing costumes. Although we were surrounded by riches, the best food came from Canada at Le Cellier. With cheddar cheese soup, hot pretzel breadsticks, filet mignon on a bed of mushrooms and risotto topped off with chocolate mousse… I started to drool just from writing this. But let it be known- if you drooled too, make sure you make your reservation at least six months ahead (it’s not just you who now knows the glorious secret about the Canada restaurant).
After reading about Epcot you must be thinking that there’s no way that Magic Kingdom could live up to that… I was surprised too. My mom got us tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party thinking that we would all love it- she guessed correctly. At this party we got pictures with Tigger, Piglet, Eeyore, and Pooh (which to many people is not interesting but this was a very big deal to the McCarthy sisters), we got a good view of the parade, and we also got a good view of the fireworks. To get pictures with a favorite character isn’t impossible if you know where to find them at the right time (we happened to stumble upon the quartet by random: that doesn’t happen often so don’t count on that). We also secured a spot to watch the parade and the fireworks early. This is important because Disney knows how to do its fireworks. It’s a spectacular show (so spectacular that right behind us- somebody proposed after the fireworks!), and it would stink to high heaven if you missed it.
Overall, my favorite ride was Soarin’ at Epcot (very cool sensory ride but I would be cautious if you get motion sickness easily). My favorite hotel was the Grand Floridian with its picturesque, Cape Cod like, Victorian style décor and feel about it. And to top it off, we had stunning weather the whole time. With all of these aspects put together, my first experience at Disney was a magical one. And one last trick of the trade, jut just like on any vacation (with Disney especially), don’t try to do five parks in five days, three days, or even a week. I say- Disney’s not going anywhere and unless you’re spending you’re “semester abroad” at Disney then don’t rush. Make sure you soak in all that magic- you can’t find it anywhere else.
and yes- I was dazzled every time I looked at it
photo credit: me!
I think you hit the point of this right on the nose (no pun intended with Mickey) when you said to not do all of the parks at once. I think that many people go to Disney or anywhere for that matter with the intent to see it all, not to appreciate what it has to offer. I think your idea also applies to everyday life where people are constantly going and doing so many things that they can’t possibly enjoy all that they are doing or soak up everything that they are learning. This made me think that just because you have the ability or time to see something doesn’t mean you have the time to fully enjoy it. I think that by only going to two parks you were able to have more energy and fun while in those parks. I think that many people in this world need to take a lesson from you and just do less but enjoy what you do that much more.
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