Road Stories: 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.