Going to Mickey's House

Time just seems to escape.  Days turn into decades without notice, because all of us are so busy just living today, which quickly becomes "yesterday."

Mike and I went to Florida in January to cover the Tampa RV Show for Bob and Cindy, and since we were going to be there anyway, decided to take a couple of extra weeks in the (relative) Florida warmth.  St. Louis friends Ralph and Adrienne, fellow RV'ers who were heading south for the winter, asked us if we would be interested in "doing Disney" with them.  It was at that point that we realized that it had been 30 years since we had taken our sons Matt and Tim to Walt Disney World in Orlando.  (OK, does that make you "boys" feel old?  It sure makes us feel that way.)  Two of the four parks that make up Disney World didn't even exist the last time we were there.

Main entrance to "the happiest place on earth" - - Walt Disney
World in Orlando, Florida    "Where Dreams Come True"

We relied on Adrienne, who has made 15 visits to Disney World, to be our planner and guide.  She planned our visits to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, navigated us through lines, judiciously scheduled the use of our "Fast Pass" options (there's an app for that!), and booked theme lunches  as well as the Spirit of Aloha evening luau at the Polynesian Resort.  Wow, did we see and experience a lot of Disney in those two days.  And while all four of us went on most rides, Mike had a willing compatriot in Ralph for the few roller coasters that Adie and I passed up...Space Mountain, for openers!

Our schedules didn't match entirely, so Mike and I took on Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on our own - the two parks that have been built since our previous visit. 

It seems ironic that Walt Disney, after purchasing land in anticipation of building in central Florida, never saw the four venues through to fruition.  Disneyland opened in 1955 in California.  Disney World's four venues opened after Walt Disney's death in 1966.  Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, Epcot in 1982, Hollywood Studios in 1989, and the most recent addition was Animal Kingdom in 1998.  Disney was always cognizant that his empire began with a mouse!  (There are signs quoting Disney on that very subject in each of the parks.)  However, if the animator's wife, Lillian, hadn't convinced him that "Mickey" was a more marketable name, we might all  still be referring to him as "Mortimer Mouse", the name Walt originally gave his creation.  From Mortimer's/Mickey's inception in 1928 until 1947, Disney not only animated the cartoon, but he also provided the voice of Mickey in films and "shorts".  In 1955, with the beginning of television's Mickey Mouse Club, Disney returned to again voice the character for several years.  Indeed, generations of fans have loved Mickey Mouse through comics and cartoons, in films, on TV and at Disneyland and Disney World.   It is almost a rite of passage for children to experience Disneyland or Disney World...and a joyful experience for the young-at-heart no matter what their age.

THE MAGIC KINGDOM

Entrance to The Magic Kingdom, the flagship of Walt Disney World





The most iconic symbol of the park is Cinderella's Castle

Disney characters and dancers perform on a stage in front of the
castle several times each day



Even in mid-January the park is crowded with families with small children,
evidenced by the "stroller parking areas" outside of each ride or attraction

"Dumbo the Flying Elephant" ride

The Crystal Palace, where we had lunch on our day in the Magic Kingdom



Tigger came by our table during lunch at the Crystal Palace...



...and Winnie the Pooh stopped to have his picture taken with Ralph  and Adie

The castle just at dusk, as the lights start to come on
down Main Street U.S.A. 



The start of the Disney Electrical Parade that takes place on Main Street each evening



LED lights make for spectacular floats in the Electrical Parade

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

The Muppets are pretty cool to begin with.  In their own 3D
theatre at Hollywood Studios, their show is really awesome

The buildings on this street could be used to depict New York, or Atlanta, or
any number of cities, depending on which angle they are photographed from.



Relaxing on the "stoop" of a New York brownstone

Too bad they are all fakes...just hollow shells

The street fight scene from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" being
re-enacted at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular

"Lights, Motor, Action Extreme Stunt Show" features some incredible
action, and some tricks you would never imagine....



...and ends with  an amazing explosion and fire!

EPCOT

In cooperation with Penn State University, Epcot is experimenting with new ways
to grow food, including in water, sand, or just in the air.  Here, winter melons
grow, suspended from trellises, without soil of any kind



Adie and Ralph in the Japanese village at Epcot



Entrance to  the Chinese exhibit at Epcot



A member of the German band plays the Alpenhorn during a
performance.  We ate lunch here, and the band played several
sets while we were eating.



All of the parks are beautifully maintained, but the cherry trees
at Epcot were among my favorites



Mary Poppins greets children on the street in Epcot

ANIMAL KINGDOM

The Tree of Life rises several stories in the center of the park



Dragon boats on the river alongside the Asia section of Animal Kingdom



Hippos on the bank of a river. After having been on two safaris in Africa,
we agreed that Animal Kingdom's "safari" really came close to the real thing



Giraffe.  Disney has done a wonderful job recreating the terrain that you
actually find in Africa when you see all of these animals in the wild



African elephants.  Indian elephants have smaller ears.



The park has a large and very impressive band of gorillas, which we never saw in
the parts of Africa that we have visited. 



The Mount Everest roller coaster at Animal Kingdom.  This is one
scary coaster, because it stops and then goes backwards.  Mike
rode it; I passed on this one.



Tiger at Animal Kingdom.  In addition, we saw lions and cheetahs.

LUAU AT POLYNESIAN RESORT

Adie, Ralph, Yvonne and Mike just before the luau started



Dancers entertained during and after the meal.

At the invitation of one of the dancers, Yvonne joined them on stage.
(photo courtesy of Adie)

Fireworks over the castle, as seen from the beach of the
Polynesian Resort   (photo courtesy of Adie)



M-I-C   See you real soon!   K-E-Y   Why? Because we like you!   M-O-U-S-E.  Great memories, and great Road Stories.

Aloha to Mickey's House.  Hope to see you
somewhere down the road!



Gatorland

1950’s-era “road trips” come alive again when you get off the fast lane and follow the US highways that carried the bulk of travelers prior to the advent of the Eisenhower Interstate Highway System.

Located on US Highway 17 (a.k.a.  South Orange Blossom Trail) near Orlando, Florida, Gatorland takes you back to a simpler time, a time of family vacations in the station wagon, roadside attractions, and tacky - but wonderful - souvenirs.  Just enter through the oversized jaws of an American alligator and let the fun begin.  From 'gator jumping, to “crackers” wrestling 'gators, to zip-lining over the swamp…it's all here!


Founded in 1949 by Owen Godwin, the 110-acre park is still owned and operated by his family.  Over the years, the venue has grown and added new attractions, and its mission has evolved from being simply a tourist attraction to include alligator research and a rescue sanctuary for alligators, yet it still retains its status as an entertaining, educational, low-key, family-friendly road-side attraction that has all but disappeared from Americans’ vacation plans.

Gatorland and Mike...both classics dating from 1949

In 1954, the original name, "Snake Village" was changed to "Gatorland" because it
was noted that the women were staying in their cars while men and kids visited.
Immediately, the Moms started coming in with their families

The 'gator's mouth was first used as the entrance in 1954.  A fire destroyed the
original mouth...it was refurbished and you still enter through these jaws.

Owen Goodwin, founder of Gatorland, in an early advertisement

 

'Gators sunning in one of the pools.  The largest alligator at Gatorland is almost
14 feet long and weighs over 1,000 pounds. Because of his nasty disposition,
he is kept separated from all of the other 'gators

The "Iron Horse" steam locomotive ran from 1965-1980.  It has been replaced by a newer
 model which still operates.This was one of the first "tourist rides" in the Orlando area.

 

Gatorland is also a bird sanctuary. Ironically, the birds perch on the alligators'
backs and wade in the water with the gators, but aren't bothered by them

A 2,000 foot boardwalk through the swamp was constructed in 1978

Cypress "knees" and a variety of ferns in the swamp. Though we think of the Everglades
as being in southern Florida, the headwaters are actually here in central Florida

 

Juvenile alligators. Beginning in the 1980's, Gatorland was the first place
worldwide to have successfully artificially inseminated alligators

Though they look lethargic, they are surprisingly fast, both on land and in the water.

The "Jumparoo" - feeding alligators by hand or hanging raw chicken on wires above
the pool to make the 'gators jump up - started in 1983.  On cool days, like the
January day we were there, they tend to not jump as high as they do in summer

The 'gator wrestling "stadium" complete with seating on all four sides was built in 1991.
Originally, Seminole Indians were employed to wrestle the alligators.

"Crackers" was a name given to the original "cowboys" who herded and tended cattle
in Florida.  "Cracker" referred to the "crack" sound of their bullwhips when snapped.



The "crackers" had to make sure there were no 'gators in the creeks and rivers
where their cattle drank, so they would grab the 'gators and wrestle
them out of the water to allow the cattle to drink safely

A few of the dozens of alligators in the breeding marsh

This bird's feathers are so delicate they look almost like hair

The 'gators protect the birds from other natural predators like racoons

The white alligators were brought here from Louisiana in 2009. They are NOT albinos;
their skin is ivory in color, often with some darker splotches, and they have blue eyes.
(True albino alligators would have pink eyes, because of a lack of pigmentation.)

The white alligators are called LEUCISTIC alligators and are very rare.
It is believed that staring into a white alligator's blue eyes
will bring you good luck

Gatorland...a fun place to visit, and a sure bet to "cook up" some new Road Stories

 

To learn more about Gatorland, visit their website at

http://www.gatorland.com/public/the-park/index.cfm

 

On the day that we visited, the cashier asked if either of us was active military or a veteran.  When Mike told her that he was a Vietnam-era Army veteran, she shook his hand, thanked him for his service, and told him that his admission was free.  That’s one of the more unusual welcomes we’ve encountered, and one of our better Road Stories.