2004 Disney World

[Caveman Bob]

First, a little explanation. If the following reads like there should be photos, that's because the original text is html, with the links to the pix and clips I took during my last trip to the World in 2004. I've removed the links for this posting, but I hope it's still worth the reading. I'm planning on returning this year, even if I have to go by way of Amtrak (Sorry, won't fly, me...) And so, without further ado:



And so, after all long bus-ride (Anderson Coach and Tours), we (myself and the other bus passengers) finally arrived at the All Star Movies Value Resort, DisneyWorld, Monday Dec 27 2004, at about 6.30 pm. The hotel itself is a bit of a sprawl, a main building with lobby, gift shop, arcade, and food court (it is, after all, a *value* resort, so no restuarant for us). This main building is the location where we catch the Disney World busses to the various parks. Just outside the main building is the main and the "residential" buildings. Along the way to the rooms are curious themed structures, like the big puppy below.

My room was in THIS block, second window from the left in the view you see, ground floor, just behind the hockey stick. And I have to say, the shower was a bit of a shock, in that it was a flat floor. No tub, just shower...and a wooden seat/shelf arrangement...but nothing to keep the water from sloshing all over the bathroom. By the second day, I took to rolling the excess towels up and laying them down to catch some of the water, keeping it away from the toilet area. There *was* a drain, and a very subtle incline towards it, and the floor dried reasonably fast, but still...

And of course, at the end of a hard day in the parks, with my hip, lets not mince (Excel Saga reference) words, hurting, there's a bit of a walk from the main building to my room, as you can see here. The water smelled a bit of sulpher, and I took to buying bottled water at the gift shop...and they had no tea there! Rather, they *had* Nestea, *with* lemon...oh, the evil of it all. Not a bottle of Lipton's without lemon to be found anywhere! So I had to rely on the restaurants for my precious tea fix.

While I *could* have gone out to, say, Rain Forest Café for food that very first night in, I was tired from the trip, and just grabbed some food (chicken quesadilla and fries) at the food court. I discovered the hotel room did indeed have Japanese television (NHK), along with German tv (Deutsche Velle...yawn). In fact, it was from NHK I first learned about the tsunami. Wish Warner cable carried that here.


FIRST DAY AT THE PARKS

Now, there's going to be a lot of photos from this point on, which is why I decided to do this via html. A lot easier and saves some space. It should look a bit nicer, too.

Now, Disney has something extra for all its guests, no matter whether they stay at the ultra-fancy, ultra expensive resorts or at the "value" resorts...and its the Extra Magic Hour. A different park each day opens an hour earlier just for Walt Disney World guests. If a park's regular opening is at 8 am, you, a guest staying on Disney property, can get in at 7 am. Of course, that means you have to get up earlier...and I found myself getting up at 5 am, in order to eat something and be out to get the proper bus in time, but that extra hour did have its advantages, as shall be seen.

The first park was MGM Studios, on Tuesday. First thing you see after you get off the bus (and I must say, a lot of times those busses were packed) is a big Xmas tree, this being the season for it. As you can tell, its early morning, and its quite nippy this Tues morning...well, for this part of Florida, that is. Upon presenting my Disney ID (which I still have), going thru bag inspection, and going thru the turnstile (the entrance gates look rather like turnpike gates from the 1950's to me), I am at last, after two whole years, back in a DisneyWorld park.

Instead of simply going straight along Hollywood Blvd to the Big Hat, I go left, where, to my surprise, I come across this refugee from the Patton Armour Museum in Fort Knox This is part of the scenery around the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. There were also "crashed" aircraft parts scattered around in thick undergrowth. Just across the way from Indy Jones is, what else, the Star Wars area, including this shop , which is filled with Star Wars stuff. Oh, the name of the big attraction in this area is Star Tours, a flight and motion simulator. And not being a particular Star Wars fan, I didn't drop any money here.

Ah, but *this* ...this was fun stuff. Its a Muppets 3-D show. It begins with a 12 minute pre-show, which tends to give the impression that things are a bit...well, out of control. Once inside, we are treated to a demonstration of 3D tech by those great benefactors of humanity, Dr Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker. I've never seen a 3D movie *in* 3D (Bwana Devil, anyone), and the effects were pretty amazing. Things did indeed look as if they were floating in front of your face, or coming off the screen at you...and when Fozzie Bear's squirting flower squirts, you not only see the water coming at you...you feel it. (a mere spritz, but still wet)

This is along the Streets of America, and you'll note all the thingies and structures hanging over the street, over the buildings, and the like. This is for the Xmas lights spectacular, more of which anon. It's still early morning, which explains why this was still closed, but from the name, this part of the street must have been New York. Going down to the end of the street and looking left, one can't help but to notice that one has gone directly from New York to San Francisco (home of Rice-a-Roni), because...well...isn't that the Golden Gate bridge? Oh yes, and the overhead wires in the foreground are more setups for the Xmas lights.

From Florida to California...here we are at Mann's Chinese Theater, home of the Great Movie Ride. Within are various scenes from famous movies recreated with animatronic figures, with some live action, as well. We got caught up in a gangster shootout, the trolly getting hijacked by a gun wielding moll.

This is the Big Symbol (each park has its own symbol...Magic Kingdom has the Castle, Epcot the Spaceship Earth, Animal Kingdom the Tree of Life). This is the hat worn my a certain mouse in the Sorcerer's Apprentice. How he managed to see out from under it, I don't know, because, as you can see...its a *big* hat. I suppose they have concerts here, but I've never seen any. Very close to the Hat is a bakery where I stood in a sizable line in order to get a bit of a breakfast, since the only thing I had earlier was a fruit cup and some milk in the food court at the hotel. By now I was a bit...hungry. What did I have? A large chocolate muffin and a cup of hot chocolate. Very nutritious. But at about 10 am on this day (Dec 28), the temp *was* about 55 degrees...so the hot chocolate was welcome. Clear skies, tho, sunny, and warming up fast.

This is the main street of MGM, Hollywood Blvd, looking (via the zoom lens...Yay for zoom lenses!) down toward the entrance of the park from the Big Hat. I didn't go down this blvd yet because...there were yet things to see...like...(The Tower of...Terror!) Ooo, spooky!

Down at the end of Sunset Blvd is Disney’s least occupied hotel, the Hollywood Tower. And there's a reason why no one stays here. Way back in 1939, some guests came here...there was a storm, and the only elevator working was a clanky old luggage elevator. As the five guests and the bellhop were upward bound, the hotel was hit by a massive bolt of lightning...you can still see the scar on the building front. As for the guests...they simply...vanished. It's as though they were cast into...the Twilight Zone.

Why are you looking at me like that? Its true, ye numps!

But before getting close to the Tower Hotel (the preceeding photo was, again, thru the zoom lens), I ventured into a shop. One with...big kitties. I mean, BIG kitties. Like this.. On the return visit to this very shop, later in the evening, I picked up a Captain Hook t-shirt. I'm wearing it even as I write this.

More Hollywood Hotel. I took rather a lot of photos of this structure. You can see how clear it is, and you can also see the huge crowd heading in the same direction. Do they realize the terror that awaits? To the left are various snack shops and a produce stand. And this is just outside the hotel. And it is, at last, time to tell the truth about the place. It isn't really a hotel at all! Its a ride! (Gosh). Its the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror...and the terror comes as a result of the guests entering the elevator (there really is one), being taken up the shaft, then being tracked *sideways* to...the drop zone. Then...down they go! But it's not that simple. They tend to drop a bit...go up again...drop a bit more...then a RILLY BIG drop...and so on. The drop pattern is completely random.

Just next to the Tower of Terror is is the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith (who?). Its an inside roller coaster, and as is the case with all such rides like this, they do not recommend it to people with high blood pressure. Which rules me out. Anyway, I don't do Vomit Expresses.

Here's some detail of the Tower of Terror structure. And here we have a bellhop at the Tower of Terror, along with the people foolish enough to enter the building. I mean, just *look* at the bellhop...is *that* a welcoming face? Very nice about getting his photo taken, tho.

And with that, I concluded my daytime visit to MGM. I planned to return later in the evening for the Xmas lights, but for now, I returned to my hotel room, doffed my jacket, which by this time (around 11 am or so) I didn't need, and caught the bus to...DOWNTOWN DISNEY

Downtown Disney is the big shopping district and Party Central of Disney World. There's three parts to this place...the Marketplace, West Side, and Pleasure Island, which is where the bars and dance clubs are. Can't get here from the various parks themselves, you can only get here via busses from the hotels, and from the Transportation Center (the rilly big parking lot, which also has ferry docks and a monorail station). And here is the entrance for the Marketplace. Walking straight down from this entrance, there's an Art of Disney shop on one side (I went in there), a Xmas shop on the other side, and at the end is It had been my plan to eat at a Rain Forest Cafe, but Disney has two...one here and one at Animal Kingdom. It was the Animal Kingdom in which I dined, but more of that later.

When I was doing my research for this trip, I had read somewhere that, as a Disney hotel guest, I could go to one of the lakeside hotels and rent out a boat. This was something I was looking forward to, but I didn't know how I'd manage to fit it in. But lo and behold, Disney Marketplace has a marina and boat rental, with a variety of craft. Well, how could I resist? I took out a Sea Raycer for 30 minutes. These things could only go about 6 miles an hour (I'm sure they'd been jimmied for insurance purposes), but it was still fun. The way I was zipping around on the thing, I suppose it was just as well it was limited in speed. After I got back, I was feeling a bit peckish, and there *just* happened to be a place to eat hard against the marina, called Captain Jack's. So what did I have here? Broiled Grouper Sandwich - with lettuce, tomato, and cajun horseradish sauce on focaccia bread served with Napa cabbage slaw $9.99 Oh, and a glass of iced tea. Which I guzzled, since I hadn't any tea the night before. Ordered tea where ever I ate, and was glad of it.

So after being fed with a good lunch, it was time to explore Downtown Disney. I *did* have a target in mind...the Virgin Megastore, but I didn't really know where it was. (Turns out it was way on the other end of Downtown, in West Side) I came across this place, the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain. I didn't go in here...I'd just had lunch, and I didn't want to die of chocolate poisoning. So, what I'm doing here is just walking along, taking photos, wandering into any shops that might take my fancy.
Now here's a place to eat for my next visit. (Fulton’s Crab House) No, this place doesn't move around, but the menu looks yummy. Also a bit on the pricey side, but it *is* Disney World, after all. And *this* is just outside the aforementioned soda shop.

Now, this was interesting. Honking big flying saucer and beasties in front of the Lego Imagination Center. Yes, these sculptures are all made from lego blocks. A lot of blocks. And where there's Disney World, there's McDonalds...but at least this one had something interesting in front of it. And buzzing around overhead for a *long* time was this flying advertisement. And this is from the McDon's/Lego shop area looking back towards the marina area, with some of the fancier Disney hotels in the background.
This is part of the Club district, Pleasure Island. It wasn't open at the time I was at Downtown Disney, and most of it wasn't of too much interest to me. The complex is sort of in between Downtown Disney Marketplace and Downtown Disney West Side, which is where I'm heading as I took these photos. Pleasure Island is (duh) surrounded by water, and there's a bridge over some of it. Getting closer to West Side is this monument to Hollywood excess... and just after Planet Hollywood (do they have Planet Bollywood in India?) is an underpass..

And here's the entrance to West Side. Here's some of the shops... the shop with the magnet on it is the Magnatron, which sells...magnets. Fancy refrigerator magnets. And here I'm getting closer to my main target on West Side, the Virgin Megastore I did buy a few items here (some Chinese music and a Mike Oldfield dvd), but I didn't find any virgins. Ruddy misleading advertising, that's what it is. Here's a video clip of the same scene...and if you can listen closely, you can hear Xmas music... And next time, I'm going to eat *here* (Wolfgang Puck’s)

After Downtown Disney, I went back to hotel to stash more stuff and rest up a bit. Around 4 pm, I went to the RainForest Cafe in the Animal Kingdon Park to eat, where I had Shrimp Platter - Shrimp scampi, coconut shrimp, and shrimp embrochette served with sweet mango and lemon butter sauces $21.99 (All seafood entrees served with Caribbean rice and Napa vegetables unless noted.) And it was yummers!

After eating, I returned to MGM. Something I read in pre-trip research mentioned an Osbourne's Xmas Lights show, a big display of Xmas lights. You saw the strings of lights arranged in the earlier MGM photos. Now, I have to explain that in the taking of the following photos, I attempted to use the digital camera's night-time setting. But the trouble is, the shutter speed was so slow that damn near *breathing* makes the picture go all fuzzy and wonky. So the photos won't be the best of the lot. But I also got some decent videoclips.

And on the return to MGM, I had to get the Xmas tree again, all lit up this time It's early evening, somewhere between 5 to 6 pm, getting dusky, but not yet dark. I had taken my lightweight tai chi jacket with me, and I'm wearing it now. Here we see a Disney park in the evening, Hollywood Blvd looking towards Mickey's HatAnd here's the first of the Xmas lights pix, and you can see the blurriness. Well, next time, I'll know better. But you can also see the amazing extent of the lights. All, and I mean, ALL the buildings along the Avenue of the Americas was covered in lights. Some of them were animated. Others were static. And it was all quite stunning. Even overhead lights... Even angels came out to see... And they moved, too... And this is about the only way to get a snowman in central Florida I've never SEEN so many Xmas lights! And at the end of the display, was the Muppet Theatre shop with a certain frog in front And that was the end of the first, quite busy day at Disney World.

DAY TWO-EPCOT

And now we come to my favorite park in the whole system...Epcot. This is actually two parks...Future World and World Showcase. Each park in DisneyWorld has a structure that is the park's symbol, and for Epcot, its Spaceship Earth, aka the Big Ball This is not a geodesic dome, but an entire sphere. Back in 2000, on my very first trip to DisneyWorld, this was the very first thing I saw, as the bus pulled into the parking lot, and it was a thrill. There's an attraction inside this big ball , which covers the history of communications With the early opening advantage (staying on Disney property, I was finally able to actually see it. On my previous visits, the lines at Spaceship Earth would stretch from Florida to Ohio.

This is Innoventions Plaza, and the reason you aren't seeing that many people here is, for one, it *is* early, and for two...they're already linging up at Epcot's two newest rides, Mission Space and Test Track This is the Innoventions East plaza area ...there's also an Innoventions West, both are showcases for new technologies. But this time, unlike other times, I'm not going into either one...instead I'm heading to get some photos of Mission Space And as you can see, the lines here have already formed. Taking some lines from http://www.allearsnet.com , Mission Space is From a Disney press release: "Guests who accept the mission will engage in a one-of-a-kind astronaut experience that launches them into a simulated space adventure -- from pulse-racing liftoff to the sensations of traveling though outer space on a mission to Mars. The new attraction is the most technologically advanced ever created by Disney. In association with former NASA advisors, astronauts and scientists, Walt Disney Imagineering developed Mission: SPACE as the first ride system ever created to take guests straight up in simulated flight." And did I go on it? Not bloody likely...there's some elements on this sign that applies to me. But I wanted to at least get a look and as you can see, there's a lot of people more foolish than me by far

I'm a new driver, as we all know, so here's another ride I didn't go The basic idea of Test Track is that the riders are crash test dummies...the cars they are riding in being put through a variety of situations..accleration, bad roads, hairpin turns, sudden stops...rather like negotiating Brittain Rd, only at 65 miles an hour.

But this ride (Universe of Energy-Ellen’s Adventure) I did venture. No vomit express this...just helping Ellen DeGeneres win on Jeopardy (and show up her snooty college room-mate). Too bad I couldn't get any inside photos, but they tend to discourage that sort of thing. There's a fair amount of dinosaurs in this ride. As you can see, at this particular time, there was no line, no waiting...well, not outside. There's a pre-show inside before you actually get onto the ride itself. Later in the day, a line built up, but it's still fairly early when I took this photo.

This is underneath the West Innoventions Plaza, looking towards The Land Pavillion...this is what a building of the future is *supposed* to look like! *This* is the sort of building we were supposed to see all over the place by now (complete with monorail)! Whatever happened to the old future we used to have? But...this is not where I'm heading at the moment...rather, I'm making my way toward one of my favorite exhibits in Epcot, the Living Seas Its a massive indoor aquarium, with two levels and a )seafood) restaurant, the Coral Reef. There's going to be rather a bit of pix and clips here, and to see the videos properly, you might need to adjust the angle of your monitor a bit. Now, this little garden wasn't here last time...its new for 2004. And here's some of the residents In fact, I got more video clips than words, so... ...with this clip, the coral you can see in the background is the same coral you can see in the Coral Reef restaurant. Since the Reef is in the same building as Living Seas, they share the same aquarium. Although I don't think the Reef serves up the residents as someone's lunch. I ate here, but not at this time. Still morning, after all. Although this fish would fill a plate nicely... Lots of fish. Kinda gets overwhelming after a bit. Outside the Living Seas is an official Kodak Photo Spot, guaranteed to get a good photo first time, every time and this photo gives an idea of the shape and scale of the pavillion and just to the right, you can see the monorail track (the transportation system of the future...yeah, right...) and the Big Ball.
And now I'm heading up to the Land pavillion, as seen earlier. At this time, it's sorta closed down...Disney's putting in something called "Soarin'" in here.. And outside of the pavillion, Spaceship Earth looms yet again. Kinda hard to miss something that big.

Going from the Land through the West Innovention Plaza, I come across some of Disney's clean-up with a musical bent. But these aren't janitors...these are...Jammitors! (Don't blame me, its what they call themselves). . I suppose you could call them the Poor Man's Kodo...and yes, that *is* a plunger with which he hits the gong

And if that weren't enough live entertainment, what about Kristos, at the stage in between the Innoventions plazas. "This unique trio performs feats of strength and balance", so it says on the Disney map. But you can judge for yourself. Oh, and I can attest that the woman has the longest blonde hair I *ever* did see under that spangly wig thingie.

WORLD SHOWCASE

And now we come to my favorite part of Disney World...the World Showcase, in Epcot. Around the world in 80 minutes. International scenery, international entertainment, international eating...international shopping...whats not to like? Lots of photos and video clips here, which were taken over a course of two days. For ease, I'm putting them all here. And we start with looking across the World Showcase Lagoon (about 34 ft deep) from Showcase Plaza towards the American Pavilion. There's two ferry boats that cross the lagoon, or you can walk around it. In fact, here's one of those very boats, crossing over in front of the Morocco Pavilion. And here is France. And here is Jolly Old , with the Swan and Dolphin Hotel in the far background. And here's Italy. . All these photos taken from the Showcase Plaza (which is where you catch the ferries) using the zoom lens.

And now I begin the Long Walk. Starting from the Showcase Plaza, I'm going to my right. Going in that direction, the first country reached is Canada, with more detail seen here . This is the main building of the pavilion , the Hotel du Canada (altho I've not heard that you can actually stay here), and here I'm strolling through the Canadian Rockies. Here's a detail of the Hotel du Canada , and here's a hint of the Canadian Northwest ...and yes, there *is* a shop in here.

In the Canada pavilion, the live entertainment is a band called Off Kilter Yes, rock and roll bagpipe. They are, perhaps, the most popular live entertainment performers in the World Showcase . They tour, too...they've been to Cuyahoga Falls a few times

And after Canada, its only natural to encounter Jolly Old, or BritSome very photogenic buildings here , although I suspect its a bit sunnier here than in the original country. Last time I was here, I picked up a packet of BlueBottle's (a character from the Goon Show, a BBC radio program of the 1950's) favorite candy, Dolly Mixture. Ah, and the grand bandstand , where the Fake Four play. And Disney is the only place in the United States (that I know of) that has a Brit restaurant . I picked up some fish and chips here...its right next to the pub, and ate at one of the tables in front of the pub. That was at about 11.00 am Sort of a late breakfast. Here is the area at the concert stage, with a little bit of a garden

And what happens at this stage area? Well, this being the Christmas season, the World Showcase hosts a variety of story-tellers, relating their country's holiday traditions. For Brit-land, its Father Christmas . And just after he was finished, a certain group appeared at the stage. A group called the British Invasion , but I call them the Fake Four. I wonder who are supposed to be For some reason, they sound...familiar. Back when I lived in Germany, I got asked if I knew the Beatles, since everyone thought at that time I had a British accent

After Britain, continueing the World Tour, one has to cross the International Gateway Bridge, and across the bridge is France. And standing on the bridge, looking across the lagoon, is Mexico. But there's a lot of countries between France and Mexico, and there's more of France to see. These buildings host shops, but since they are mainly wineries and perfumers, I gave them a miss. We get enough whine from France as it is. (Maybe next time, eh?)
And here we are on the road to Morocco. Strange thing, tho...I didn't see Bing or Bob anyplace, let alone Dorothy.

Ah, but here we come up to my favorite pavilion in the World Showcase...Japan. This pagoda is based on one in the city of Nara dating back to the 8th century, and yes, this is Nihon...aka Japan. This pagoda is the stage for Japan's live entertainment, the drum troupe Matsuriza. As an added benefit, this website http://www.horyuji.or.jp/horyuji_e.htm provides info on the genuine pagoda in Japan. Through the trees you can see looming up the castle keep of Himeji Castle. Standing next to the pagoda, you can see the US pavilion , but we aren't anywhere near done with Japan yet. This is the shopping place of the Japan pavilion, the Mitsukoshi Dep't Store, where you can buy almost anything Japan. Oh, by the way, the person in the foreground...way overdressed. Is wasn't nearly that cold. I've dropped a deal of money here in previous visits, but oddly enough, I didn't spend so much on this visit. I didn't even buy any new kimonos...and I only have three so far. And what would a waterside city in Japan be without a torii? Here's another view of the Mitsukoshi ...as you can see, its two levels. The lower one has the store, and the upper contains the Teppanyaki, the Tempura Kiku, and the Matsu no Ma. As I mentioned earlier, I did World Showcase twice, on the second day and the fourth day, which happened to be New Years Eve. On New Years Eve, I ate at the Matsu no Ma, which is a sushi place. I had two shrimp sushi and two squid sushi (chewy). As close to eating sushi in Japan as I'm likely to ever get!

Here's the grand entrance to the Castle. On the right is the Mitsukoshi, to the left is a small shop stall. Thats where I picked up my Iron Chef t-shirt on my 2002 visit. There's a bridge going across the moat And here's what the castle wall looks. Inside the castle is, to the left, the Bijutsu-kan Gallery, a small musuem housing a changing cultural display, and to the right, one of the entrances to the wonderland that is the Mitsukoshi Dep't Store...and oh, how I wish we had a branch here in Akron.

Video time, from Japan! Up on the upper level of the Misukoshi (and I can vouch that those steps are steeper than they seem), you can get a very good view of Epcot And at the Nara pagoda performs DisneyWorld's answer to Kodo, Matsuriza They have more performers in their group than are present here at any given time, but its always a thrill to see such a group in what might be called its natural settings . Unfortunately, you can't hear them all the way across the World Showcase, but then, you can't hear Off Kilter across the Showcase, either, and they get pretty loud.

Next on my world tour is what would likely be my dentist's favorite pavilion, Italy. From Italy you can see Germany , they're right next to each other...which, historically speaking, is rather curious. Within Italy, there is a reproduction of the Doge's Palace in , and here's a bit of St. Marks Square, the original also being, I believe, in Venice. Now, keeping in mind the fact that I'm combining two visits to Epcot in this section, let me point out that what I did for the first visit was to do the shops and take in the occasional show if my schedule and the performers coincided. Oh, and eat. The second visit, on the last day, I sought out the various shows. And what show did they have in Italy? Not a raucous musical group...not drummers...not dueling gondoliers...they just wheeled out a statue. (Imagerium) Just a dumb ol' statue, rightNo reason at all for it to draw a crowd (and I can tell you for a *fact* it was crowded around it).. Nothing at all interesting about it...what, wait a minute! It moved People are standing in front of it getting their pictures taken, and its...doing things! Things statues don't normally Other times it doesn't move at all! (other times it picks up babies and snuggles them...) Other times it insists on getting in the picture... , and its not easy to get away from its clutches.

And after Italy comes Germany. Having lived in Germany, I've felt there’s something not quite right about the setup here. Maybe its just that the buildings just don't *feel* old. Although the fountain certainly looks real enough. I had lunch here, on the first Epcot visit, in the Biergarten. Its a buffet setup, and I had sausage and snitzel, spaetzle, cucumber and potato salad. And while they might not have the buildings quite right, they certainly have the food done proper. Sadly, and unlike my first visit to DisneyWorld in 2000, I was not able to flirt with a German waitress.

China is the next country visited on my Round the World extravaganza, but in between the two is something called The Outpost. Its an open air shop featuring items from Africa, India, and Aussie-Land (which actually has a solid flintknapping tradition) Not much to photograph, though...maybe next time. I do, however, have this of two countries you don't normally associate together, taken from the lagoon side rocks at the Outpost.

Ah, but China...I like China. I like being able to visit the Temple of Sadly, the Nine Dragons restaurant has not recieved very good food reviews, and I've never eaten here. On the up side, however...well, just look at the *detail* at the Temple of HeavenAnd inside...well, okay, this photo didn't turn out the best, but still... The entrance to the pavilion is marked with a Friendship Gate And you have a Chinese village setup here and , with the main shopping for China, the Yang Feng Shangdian smack in the middle, toward the back (on the right of the bronze) And here's a pan of the same. The holiday story teller for China is a major folk figure, the Monkey King. Here's some people waiting for him. And here is the King himself, with his Magic Staff And here is the fabulous Monkey King in action

Now, inside the Temple of Heaven is also a performance venue, featuring acrobats and a musician. The music might not be quite what you're used to, but I like it. And a last look at China...a restful water garden
After China comes Norway, but this visit I gave Norway amiss and went straight on to... Mexico. Told you that Disney world geography was eccentric. Now, while most of the pavilions in the World Showcase are built around a central courtyard, Mexico is a bit...different. The whole thing is inside the big pyramid, based, as you can see, on Mayan design. Inside the pyramid is where the Mexico shops are...complete with mariachi band, "outdoor" stalls, restaurant, and the Rio del Tiempo ride. And it's always late evening. Its a very nice set-up, but unfortunately, having it inside tends to concentrate the crowds. And brother, is Mexico crowded. No obsidian to be found anywhere inside, either.

So with what meal did I end this tiring (exhausting) around the world adventure with? Well, somewhere above I mentioned the Coral Reef. Its the restaurant thats attached to the Living Seas, and shares the same gigantic aquarium. I have eaten there on both previous Disney visits, and this time was no exception. I had...and I am copying and pasting from Allearsnet again, Tilapia "Oscar" - pan-seared tilapia, crab cake, asparagus, hollandaise sauce, tomato oil $25.00. And iced tea. Which I desperately guzzled. And the food...was yummers! And that was the end of the Epcot Day.

DAY THREE-MAGIC KINGDOM

Next day was MAGIC KINGDOM and, being a glutton for punishment, ANIMAL KINGDOM...well, a part of it, anyway. I had, the evening on returning from Epcot, picked up a box of doughnut holes and a bottle of milk. My room had a little fridge in it, after all. So I had a nice, healthy initial breakfast of doughtnut holes to begin with, and I figured I could pick something up at the park...which, for today, was Magic Kingdom Early opening once again, and it was still on the dusky side, as you can see. But its never too early for the mice to be up.And the icon of Magic Kingdom is, of course, a certain castle This is the gate to FantasyLand, its 190 feet tall (during my previous visits to DisneyWorld, we stayed offsite, at Holiday Inn Eastgate, three miles away...and from the upper floors of the hotel, you could *still* see the castle...along with Spaceship Earth, and the Animal Kingdom icon) . Inside the castle there's even a sword shop. I *was* heading for Liberty Square (home of the Haunted Mansion), but that section was still closed at this time, so I ventured to TomorrowLand, where I rode the TomorrowLand Transit Authority and had a bit more substanial breakfast at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe (sausage gravy and bisuits) From the Cafe I took the following views...
By now, Liberty Square had opened, so I made my way to to really begin my day at Magic Kingdom. I *had* wanted to go here but there was already a sizable line formed up. I thought I'd wait a bit. So instead I amble over to AdventureLand, take the Jungle Cruise (sorry, no pix of it), Pirates of the Caribbean ...unlike the 2002 visit, there was no line at all at the time of my ride, and took in an audio-animatronic bird show at The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management) . I did *not* go on Splash Mountain or Thunder Mountain , both sited in Frontierland. Oh, and here's a pan of Liberty Square taken later in the day. You can see how it attempts to emulate 18th century buildings...there's even a copy of the Liberty Bell in the plaza. And the steam whistle you hear in the background toward the last third of the clip is from the steamboat thats sited here . And this is the aforementioned Splash in action...I prefered staying dry.

Both Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain are at the end of Frontierland. More in the middle is the aforementioned Rivers of America, where the steamboat makes its way (bit of cheating there...its actually riding along a track...its not powered by its stern wheel at all...). Rivers of America make a circuit, and in the middle is Tom Sawyer's Island, complete with fort. I've not been to that island yet, but one of these days I'm going to have to take over that fort, in the name of my Indian ancestors.

Backtracking along Frontierland, I end up back at Liberty . It should be noted that Liberty Square has a great place to eat, called the Liberty Tree Tavern. Inside it's set up rather like an 18th century tavern from Williamsburg, so thats a plus right there, as far as I'm concerned. I didn't eat there this time, but I had crab cakes on my last visit. Its offically an appetizer, but its one of those appetizers you could make a lunch out of...which is just what I did. On this day, however, I ended up having lunch somewhere in Asia, but more of that later.

The reason why I'm backtracking thru Frontierland and Liberty Square is that I'm heading for... The Haunted Mansion. They say there's 999 ghosts here...but there's always room for one more. (Kindly insert ominous laugh here, please). Visiting Haunted Mansion is a tradition for me, having been there in 2000 and 2002, and I've come out alive both times. Its an easy ride, not a vomit express (aka roller coaster). As you can see from the photo, there's already a deal of people willing to tempt fate. And here's a detail of the mansion ...and here, too . I wonder if Barnabas Collins ever visited here. And there's some...interesting decoration in the mansion's front yard... which serves to make the place cheery and bright...downright inviting, in fact Why, you could just stay here forever...in fact, 999 people are doing just that (Insert that laugh again) But, sorry to say, I have no views of inside the mansion. Ghosts are shy regarding cameras, and flash photography is not allowed inside.

Having yet again survived the terrors of the Haunted Mansion with my sanity intact (I'm actually Napoleon the 24th), I proceed to the area of the Magic Kingdom known as Fantasy Land. And immediately upon entering Fantasy Land I find myself in the area I call Little Germany. . Now, to me, this smacks more of Germany than the German pavilion in World Showcase. However, the shops in this area are not Germany themed...altho I did pick up a nice cookbook here. Walking a bit beyond Little Germany, one comes across the True Horror of DisneyWorld...the Its a Small World After All ride , which at this time was closed for renovation. And its a little known fact that its illegal for it to be cloudy over DisneyWorld. There's rides in Fantasy Land, of course, other than the Small World...I've ridden on an elephant at the Nurnburg Zoo (it was bumpy), but I've never flown on one before. And since this *is* DisneyWorld.. . Look at the blue of that sky...told you clouds weren't alllowed. And it was in the mid to high 60's by this time...which makes the Christmas music in the background seem just a little out of place.
Standing at the castle forecourt and looking towards Main Street USA (the entrance area to Magic Kingdom), you can see Casey's and the Crystal, both eating places. So long as you have money, you don't have to worry about starving at DisneyWorld. And by about this time, and its still morning...very late morning, maybe, but still...I had gotten pretty well nackered, my hip was hurting...again (bursitis), so I felt it was time to draw this visit to the Magic Kingdom to a close. But first, I wanted to take a train ride. That involves going thru the mob at main, encountering a couple of chipmunks on the way , until I get to the actual entrance of the park. The train station is on top of that. Felt good to sit down on that train, I can tell you. After the rail ride, I headed for the ferry to take me to the Ticket and Transportation Center...you see, despite my fatigue and the hip, I wasn't finished punishing myself for the day yet. The ferry trip provides some nice views of some of the Magic Kingdom area hotels...this is the Grand Floridian... There's also the Contemporary ...the monorail actually goes thru the Contemporary...and there's the Polynesian There's also a view of Space Mountain in Tomorrow World (an indoor roller coaster) , and the monorail


ANIMAL KINGDOM

After I was all finished with Magic Kingdom (and it was finished with me...), I caught the bus for the Animal Kingdom at the Ticket and Transportation Center (no photots...what, you *want* to see a bunch of parked cars?). For this day's excursion to Animal Kingdom, I visited the land of the east, the home of the tiger...Animal Kingdom Asia... There's also relatives of the Geico gecko sunning themselves...(Komodo Dragons) . These big boys have it nice...got their own waterfall... its no wonder they look so happy
Animal Kingdom Asia does provide a lot of photogenic scenes.. ...this is the entrance to tiger central, on whats called the Maharajah Jungle Trek, a self-guided tour thru a tropical paradise. The idea behind the ruins you will see illustrated here is you are wandering thru an abandoned and falling apart Rajah's hunting estate, now taken over by the wilderness. So, lets proceed with the long walk and see what we see...

Certainly looks jungley out today...Ah, here's just the thing for a warm day...and it still works... And here's part of the actual hunting lodge , and on the other side is this tree.Going within the lodge , each side has large windows, and what ever is on the other side of those windows certainly has the viewers interested. And this is what has them interested. Nice kitties
Emerging from the tigers den, there's this bit of the lodge and here ...remember, I'm photographing whatever catches my eye...and there's a lot of eye-catch here in Asia. In the same vicinity as the tigers, yet very cleverly separated from the kitties,. I'm sure any tiger would enjoy a bit of venison , but that wouldn't quite fit with the Disney image...having Shere Khan gobble up Bambi. And the deer share their area with some antelope, such as these...
Walking along here , one approaches this..(Bird house). You'll notice the bird motif on the wall...thats because this section of the Maharajah Jungle Trek is home to many exotic birds. Its kind of hard to photograph them , and there's netting overhead to keep the birdies in.

Moving along toward the Kali River Rapids, the big thrill ride in Asia, one comes across a ruined temple that has been taken over by new residents. . Lots of scaffolding here on which they can frolic and just moneky around. Some of them occupy this. Looking past the temple you can see something mysterious being built , but first, here's more of the temple
I mentioned the Kali River Rapids. I did not take this ride...maybe next time, but since its in the vicinity of the Temple of the Monkeys, I have this view of it. Its a river ride, and I'm standing on a bridge as I take it. The bridge has large squirt guns in the shape of elephants that passers-by can use to hose down those passing underneath.

And here we see what the construction is all about This is..Expedition Everest, slated to open in 2006 , and will be Animal Kingdom's first roller coaster. Yes, another vomit express. They're certainly busy with it , and its going to be big. While its not a ride I'm likely to try, hopefully there'll be some nice shops here.

This is the body of water in between Asia and DinoLand USA, which is marked by this big boy (big dino) . And here is a sign just outside the Dinosaur indoor ride. Looks yummy! Here's someone getting his food the old fashioned way and someone who likely doesn't want to be food... And whats this in the underbrush Eep, oh no! It sees me!

And that almost concludes my third day at DisneyWorld. But before leaving Animal Kingdom, I made a little stop in Africa, to take in a bit of a concert at Harambe Village . Quite a mob in this little slice of the ultimate Old Country, too

Oh yes...food! What did I eat at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom? Well, as previously mentioned, I had me breakfast in Magic Kingdom, and I had lunch in Asia. I ate at the Chakrandi Chicken Shop, a walk-up window service...had what was billed as an Asian Soup (like a potsticker soup, but with a bit of spice to it) and a stir fry (again with a bit of bite...this is, after all, supposed to be Southeast Asia and India. Lunch was at 12.58 pm (I kept the reciept), and I had a bit of work finding a place to sit down. Oh, had a coke with it. Dinner was once again at the Animal Kingdom Rain Forest Cafe (well, it was right there...Ate in the Gorilla Room and had the Crabcake entree with a Paradise House Salad. And for more detail... All seafood entrees served with Caribbean rice and Napa vegetables unless noted. Cyclone Crab Cakes - Two broiled crab cakes, made with lump crabmeat, garnished with lemon butter sauce $19.99 Paradise House Salad - Mixed greens and Roma tomatoes, jicama, carrots, and cucumbers with your choice of dressing $4.99 ...and iced tea, of course. The which, considering how tired I was, I once again guzzled.


FOURTH AND LAST DAY-ANIMAL KINGDOM AGAIN

Ignoring the sordid details of repacking for the return trip (most of which had been done the night before), and partaking of my usual early morning breakfast of doughnut holes and milk, I catch the shuttle bus for the journey back to Animal Kingdom. You'll have noted that the previous day, I only passed through Africa without doing much of anything there. Well, there was a deal I wanted to do, and this last day was the time in which to do it. It was just in front of the entrance you see here that I decided the hat I was wearing just wasn't going to be good enough. So I stopped into the little shopping kiosk called The Outpost and picked up a rather cunning straw hat. And thus armed with new headgear, I was ready for the day's adventure...in Africa.

But before I can get to Africa, there's a couple other parts of the park I have to pass through first (as you'll see if you consult the Animal Kingdom map I've decided to include on this disc) Once of those places is the Oasis, which is described this way..."The Oasis is your transition from the "real world" to Disney's Animal Kingdom. The lush tropical plants, trees and flowers provide an opportunity to "decompress" from where you parked your car to prepare you for what is ahead. Along the path, you might even discover some unusual animals." I didn't spend too much time here, since I had...a target. Proceeding on, the next encounter is Animal Kingdom's central hub, Discovery Island. "Discovery Island is the central hub of Disney's Animal Kingdom. Think of it as you would the Magic Kingdom's Main Street. From the Discovery Island hub, the spokes of the wheel branch out into the other lands in the park. From left to right: Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, and Dinoland USA." Also at Discovery Island is Animal Kingdom's major landmark, the Tree of Life. . To quote once again from Allearsnet, "Emerge from the heavy foliage of the Oasis -- Before you stands the 145-foot tall Tree of Life. The first time I saw the Tree of Life, I just stood and gaped with my mouth open. It is awesome. The branches span 165 feet across. There are over 100,000 leaves on the tree and the trunk is 50 feet wide. 20 artists carved into the trunk, branches and roots over 320 animals. Thousands worked on the construction of the Tree of Life which took 18 months to build." I can tell you for a fact that you can see this 3 miles away, and here you can see some of the 325 different animals that are on the tree. Its...big.

Still on Discovery Island, with my feet set firmly in the direction of Africa, I pass the Creature Comfort outdoor shop, some of which you can see here. . Closer to the shop, I am reassured I'm on the right path...that big ol' giraffe holding the sign points the way. And here is the bridge that crosses the Discovery River, laying in between Discovery Island and Africa This big pylon leaves no doubt as to location

Crossing the bridge, you can see for the first time Africa. This is part of Harambe Village, based on coastal villages in Africa (the real Africa. The village you'll see here in various photos is the end result of seven years of observing, filming, and photographing the real thing.

The boat's still in the river... It was here in 2000 and in 2002.

And here we are in Harambe. This is Tamu Tamu Refreshments...you can buy various treats here, *and* see where you want to go. And here you can see the Tusker House, restaurant ...its still fairly early in the morning, about 9 am or so. And just across from Tusker is Harambe's major shopping area, Mombasa Marketplace . Oh, and restrooms, too. That *is* kind of important. At Mombasa I picked up the cd by Wassalou, "Show Me the Way", which I'm listening to as I write this. And there's a fruit market here, too.
There was one thing I had most in mind to do here in Africa...go on safari. The Kilimanjaro Safari, to be exact. This is a very popular attraction, the star event at Animal Kingdom, and the lines tend to verify that. When I was here on the afternoon of the third day, the lines were long and they were out of Fast Pass tickets. So on this morning, I made, as fast as I could (pausing for the photos) for the Safari. When I got there, there was, even so, a small line, but it moved at a reasonable pace.

While you are moving along in the line, there's things to see on the way. Once you reach the end of the line, you get into your "Safari Wagon”, and you're on your way. Of course, there's always something waiting to see if you'll survive the trip. And there's a bit of jungle to get through, too.
Now, I should mention here that this is NOT a smooth ride. There's all sorts of bumps and jostles, and as a result, its very hard to get good, clear photos and video clips. Remember, you're on the plains and savannahs of Africa...not quite like cruising along I-95. So, having said that, here's the first animal...big ol' warthog, I think... . Basically, the idea of the set up here is that you're going through all the major terrain features of Africa, from rain forest to riverlands to the plains. I didn't get any views of the river areas, but now we enter the grasslands, as marked by this beobab tree. And while I've never been to Africa, what Disney's done here gives the impression of *being* in Africa. Its likely as close as I'll get to the real place . There's even termite mounds here. Its obvious what these long-necked beasties are...(do Gy-Raffes eat Gy-Roes?). And an elephant... I think the animals in the distance are some form of antelope. And where you get antelop, you get...Lions! Nice kitty! ...

The Safari ends at the far end of the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail ("Pangani Forest Exploration Trail takes you into a lush, tropical forest found in the heart of Africa where you can explore a variety of old and new animal friends."), where the main attraction are...these (gorillas). Big boy... . Considering that this trail is supposed to represent the African rain forest, and considering its central Florida, I'll bet it really feels rain foresty in the warmer months, so the sight of a waterfall is likely to be welcomed. You can't take a shower under it, though. And here is the entrance of the trail...
Now, keep in mind thats only the last half of Pangani Trail. And of course, I *had* to do the entire thing...but before that, I had to...find a restroom. So, it was back to Harambe Village. Now, this is the Tusker House, where they serve roasted chicken for lunch and dinner...but I had breakfast here, after walking the whole of Pangani Trail. I'll inform you of what I ate presently. But as a side note, and its odd, that while you can get some Asian food in Asia (see my lunch from the third day), you simply cannot get African food in Africa. Now, Africa doesn't have a great culinary tradition, but you can't even get Mafe! And that’s good eats! This is the Dawa Bar, an outdoor area, but you can take your food from Tusker House and eat here, if there's no room inside. And here would be the entrance for the Tusker House...but I wasn't quite ready to eat yet. Yes, I did find the restroom, quite easily. Why, did you want to see photos of the inside of *that*?

Now I'm back on the Pangani Trail , and here is the home of one of the less considered animals in Africa (Termites) ...a cut-away view.(Say, if there's Stanley Cranes, I wonder if there's Oliver Cranes, too?) But I tell you, its hard work trying to get through all the jungle here Still, you can see things in Africa you can't in Northeast Ohio...look, a meerkat eyeing an antelope . And I don't know how this meerkat got down here ...but it had company (just behind the front one. Walking through a small gorge here..., and another refreshing waterfall . From here the trail picks up with the gorilla area, which I've already covered...and besides, I'm getting hungry...time for breakfast!
Breakfast was, as previously mentioned, at the Tusker House, this being part of the And yes, I had my by now traditional biscuits and sausage gravy. Took a while over food, because there was something else I was looking forward to here in Africa. After breakfast, and while I was waiting for that something else to happen, I went shopping in Mombasa , which is where I found that Wassalou cd I mentioned earlier. When I come out, I find a little jam session going.This gent, he got a basket full of various small percussion instruments from which kids can pick and choose, and join in...which you can see here . And yes, he *was* enjoying himself.

I had picked myself out a comfy location to get a good view of this event for which I was waiting, and while waiting, I took the chance to photograph more of Harambe Village. Note the rooftop details . You live in Africa, you no got air conditioner, you gotta have *someplace* to hang out when its too hot to be inside... ...or to hang up your laundry..

As to the mysterious thing that I was waiting for, here at Harambe Village, it was a performance. By a group called Karuka.. I first saw them in 2000 and was utterly floored by them, had a chance to see them again in 2002...but this time, I was armed with a digital camera!

So, who are they and what do they do? Well, they're...these guys.. ...acrobats from Kenya. And here they begin... I have more video clips of them than! because still just doesn't do them justice. After all, can *you* just rope like this? And want to talk flexibility? . Next time, I'm going to get video clips of their entire performance

And that ended my visit to Animal Kingdom. I made my way back to Epcot afterwards, had a lunch of sushi and took in the shows at World Showcase, as has already been described. Around 4 or 4.30 pm, I took the shuttle bus back for the hotel, where I got a pork loin dinner at the food court. The Anderson bus was waiting at hotel, we loaded up and left for home at 6.30 pm, New Years Eve. And that concluded my 2004 trip to DisneyWorld...and I only wish the trip took as long as writing this up.