EsmeraldaX
DIS Legend
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2003
- Messages
- 14,910
I can't possibly be the only one who feels like I am 5 again when I walk through those gates and see that castle staring back at me from the end of Main Street. I get teary just thinking about it. Since I was a very small child going to Disney World with my parents, I have just felt like there was something magical about this place. The sort of thing that words can not describe. The sort of feeling you simply can not explain. The atmosphere is unlike anything else. The beauty of the buildings, the landscape, the water is breathtaking. People seem nicer here. Children seem happier here. Yes, I know that sometimes mean people visit and bad things happen here, but they are a very small thing compared to the decades of happy memories people have formed here.
I look back at all of my visits and I recall being able to do things in this place that I could never do anywhere else. Theme parks themselves aside, I got to sit in the co-pilot seat of the monorail when I was 7. I got to drive the boat to the Magic Kingdom when I was 16. I got to sample wines from around the world served in what looked so much like the lands they were from when I turned 21. I can remember every ride, every show, every parade and every song. I can lose myself in the vast hotels for hours and forget where I am or what year it even is.
Some of my favorite rides are no longer here. I will never again ride the submarine with Captain Nemo and face the giant squid. I will never again ride in an out of control old fashioned buggy with Mr. Toad. I won't again be able to chose my own landing as I complete my trek to the future. Yes, Mr. Toad, 20,000 Leagues and Horizons are gone. And in their place, new rides have sprung up. While I miss these things, I am glad that Disney World is open to change. I am glad we now have 4 parks instead of just one. And I love them all, for what they are.
The Magic Kingdom is not where the feeling of wonder ends for me. I love every ride in this park and could do them all a hundred times. They just never seem to lose their charm. Whether I am sailing above Neverland in a pirate ship, or trying to avoid being attacked by pirates in the Caribbean, I can lose myself in the rides. They are not rides. They are experiences. Even though some of them may not be as technologically advanced as others, rides like Small World bring back the warm, fuzzy feelings of childhood, singing along to the song with my mother. I have loved every parade, every show, every fireworks spectacular. I can not wait to once again see Wishes. It sums up my feelings perfectly. The music makes me teary. I melt at the sight of children's happy faces. At the wonder they feel, that I somehow feel too. Yet, in Adventure Land, I enter another time and place when I climb the treehouse and imagine what the Robinson family went through. I end up wishing it was really me! The Tiki Birds never cease to amuse me, and the shops here remind me of a fantastical Bazaar. Nowhere am I as wrapped up in fantasy as I am in Adventureland, with the possibly one exception...
When I think of Epcot, I think of many things. The first thing that comes to my mind is the back of the Moroccan pavilion. Here time is gone. It is 1890 and I am an American exploring the wonders of the Middle East and Mediterranean coast. The architecture and goods sold here are exotic and fine. The food is spicy and unlike anything I have ever tasted. The music transports you. But when I think of Epcot, I also think of the smell of Spaceship Earth. The smell of embers as you enter the dawn of time. The detail in the figures and the realness of their faces truly sends me to these periods in human history. And no trip to Epcot is ever complete without visiting the Manatees who reside in Sea Base Alpha. Though I have seen Epcot change so much over the years, it is my favorite of the 4 Disney parks and a place I will always love. Each country makes me feel like I am there, like I really am in a British garden or a French bistro. I have yet to sit through the American Adventure without shedding a tear or two. The tapestry of Nations and Millennium Village are forever etched in my mind. The street performers only add to the wonder. In Future World, my brain gets a workout. I AM blasting off to mars. I am going back to the age of the dinosaurs. And Figment? Well, Figment has been with me for a very long time. I miss the Dreamfinder, but I like to think he'd be happy with Eric Idle's performance.
I could spend countless weeks at Epcot. I have been there for the festivals, garden , food, wine etc. Each one makes the trip even better. Epcot is a place where one can simply walk around for days just taking it all in. Of course, sometimes one doesn't feel like just walking around. Sometimes one feels like being shaken up a bit...
I have always enjoyed Disney [MGM] Studios. Since it opened, and I took a backstage tour or two, I knew this park would be the "fun" park. The shows, parades and rides here are to be done to be believed. No one can truly explain the feeling of mixed fear with excitement one feels when walking through a seemingly haunted 1920's hotel boiler room to board an elevator to your doom. Or getting into the limo with Aerosmith and whipping through the streets of LA. I also equate Disney Studios with learning. This is where my backstage tour began when I was 13. I took a day long excursion with some other kids, whose names I still recall. We went to all of the parks, we went in the underground tunnels, we learned about the costumes, and the casting and everything else. It was an experience of a lifetime. It is also where I took an animation course when I was 15 and learned how to draw Mickey. And learned how animation comes together. I loved all the backstage tours that were just part of the attractions list at the Studios as well. The thrill of watching Indiana Jones escape from a burning wreck, the terror at thinking Catastrophe Canyon might crush my tour vehicle. Of course, the best restaurants were here to. Oh, sure Epcot has fine worldwide dining, but the Studios have The Prime Time Diner where a Donna Reed like Mom makes you eat your veggies before getting desert or you can watch old Sci Fi movies while munching on Drive In food. Fantasmic is a show to end all shows. Yes, Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback were Broadway worthy. But Fantasmic is something that goes beyond everything that has ever been. Sitting front row and center for this was the most incredible experience I have ever had at the world. And then there is always the fun of the Studios trip through movie history. You feel like you are there, on the set. It's unlike anything else. Except for Star Wars, where you are not just on a set, you're ON a flight to Endor. That's what Studios needs more of. Cute fluffy animals...
I was at Animal Kingdom the week it opened. I remember feeling like this was MY park. I love animals and nature and Animal Kingdom is the best place to see both. Riding on that safari, I feel like I am on the plains of Africa, maybe in the early part of the 20th century, looking for exotic beasts. When I ride Dinosaur, I AM in a time machine going back to pick up a harmless Iguanodon. I even stay for a while and watch the security camera footage of the guest we bring back from Pre-historic times. I love walking around Animal Kingdom and looking at the trees, the buildings, hearing the music and tasting the food. I enjoy the train ride and the petting zoo and I could spent hours and hours just staring in wonder at the Tigers, and the bats. This is not a half a day park for me. I like to take my time and take everything in.
I have stayed at most of the hotels, driven the speedboats, rode the horses, gone for the carriage rides, taken out a golf cart, swam in the themed pools, played in the arcades as a child. I have sat in the Adventurer's Club for hours on end taking in the hilarity. I have stared in amazement at those Lego Dragons and wondered if I could build that. I have shopped in the Marketplace for entire evenings. I have dined in some of the greatest places in the country. Yet it never gets old. Some people don't get it. They can't imagine why a grown woman with no children would ever want to go to this place. Why a responsible adult would take joy in eating in a castle or getting a picture with Winnie the Pooh or waving back to Mickey at the end of the night?
Well, I don't get why anyone wouldn't! I love this place. I always will.
I look back at all of my visits and I recall being able to do things in this place that I could never do anywhere else. Theme parks themselves aside, I got to sit in the co-pilot seat of the monorail when I was 7. I got to drive the boat to the Magic Kingdom when I was 16. I got to sample wines from around the world served in what looked so much like the lands they were from when I turned 21. I can remember every ride, every show, every parade and every song. I can lose myself in the vast hotels for hours and forget where I am or what year it even is.
Some of my favorite rides are no longer here. I will never again ride the submarine with Captain Nemo and face the giant squid. I will never again ride in an out of control old fashioned buggy with Mr. Toad. I won't again be able to chose my own landing as I complete my trek to the future. Yes, Mr. Toad, 20,000 Leagues and Horizons are gone. And in their place, new rides have sprung up. While I miss these things, I am glad that Disney World is open to change. I am glad we now have 4 parks instead of just one. And I love them all, for what they are.
The Magic Kingdom is not where the feeling of wonder ends for me. I love every ride in this park and could do them all a hundred times. They just never seem to lose their charm. Whether I am sailing above Neverland in a pirate ship, or trying to avoid being attacked by pirates in the Caribbean, I can lose myself in the rides. They are not rides. They are experiences. Even though some of them may not be as technologically advanced as others, rides like Small World bring back the warm, fuzzy feelings of childhood, singing along to the song with my mother. I have loved every parade, every show, every fireworks spectacular. I can not wait to once again see Wishes. It sums up my feelings perfectly. The music makes me teary. I melt at the sight of children's happy faces. At the wonder they feel, that I somehow feel too. Yet, in Adventure Land, I enter another time and place when I climb the treehouse and imagine what the Robinson family went through. I end up wishing it was really me! The Tiki Birds never cease to amuse me, and the shops here remind me of a fantastical Bazaar. Nowhere am I as wrapped up in fantasy as I am in Adventureland, with the possibly one exception...
When I think of Epcot, I think of many things. The first thing that comes to my mind is the back of the Moroccan pavilion. Here time is gone. It is 1890 and I am an American exploring the wonders of the Middle East and Mediterranean coast. The architecture and goods sold here are exotic and fine. The food is spicy and unlike anything I have ever tasted. The music transports you. But when I think of Epcot, I also think of the smell of Spaceship Earth. The smell of embers as you enter the dawn of time. The detail in the figures and the realness of their faces truly sends me to these periods in human history. And no trip to Epcot is ever complete without visiting the Manatees who reside in Sea Base Alpha. Though I have seen Epcot change so much over the years, it is my favorite of the 4 Disney parks and a place I will always love. Each country makes me feel like I am there, like I really am in a British garden or a French bistro. I have yet to sit through the American Adventure without shedding a tear or two. The tapestry of Nations and Millennium Village are forever etched in my mind. The street performers only add to the wonder. In Future World, my brain gets a workout. I AM blasting off to mars. I am going back to the age of the dinosaurs. And Figment? Well, Figment has been with me for a very long time. I miss the Dreamfinder, but I like to think he'd be happy with Eric Idle's performance.
I could spend countless weeks at Epcot. I have been there for the festivals, garden , food, wine etc. Each one makes the trip even better. Epcot is a place where one can simply walk around for days just taking it all in. Of course, sometimes one doesn't feel like just walking around. Sometimes one feels like being shaken up a bit...I have always enjoyed Disney [MGM] Studios. Since it opened, and I took a backstage tour or two, I knew this park would be the "fun" park. The shows, parades and rides here are to be done to be believed. No one can truly explain the feeling of mixed fear with excitement one feels when walking through a seemingly haunted 1920's hotel boiler room to board an elevator to your doom. Or getting into the limo with Aerosmith and whipping through the streets of LA. I also equate Disney Studios with learning. This is where my backstage tour began when I was 13. I took a day long excursion with some other kids, whose names I still recall. We went to all of the parks, we went in the underground tunnels, we learned about the costumes, and the casting and everything else. It was an experience of a lifetime. It is also where I took an animation course when I was 15 and learned how to draw Mickey. And learned how animation comes together. I loved all the backstage tours that were just part of the attractions list at the Studios as well. The thrill of watching Indiana Jones escape from a burning wreck, the terror at thinking Catastrophe Canyon might crush my tour vehicle. Of course, the best restaurants were here to. Oh, sure Epcot has fine worldwide dining, but the Studios have The Prime Time Diner where a Donna Reed like Mom makes you eat your veggies before getting desert or you can watch old Sci Fi movies while munching on Drive In food. Fantasmic is a show to end all shows. Yes, Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback were Broadway worthy. But Fantasmic is something that goes beyond everything that has ever been. Sitting front row and center for this was the most incredible experience I have ever had at the world. And then there is always the fun of the Studios trip through movie history. You feel like you are there, on the set. It's unlike anything else. Except for Star Wars, where you are not just on a set, you're ON a flight to Endor. That's what Studios needs more of. Cute fluffy animals...
I was at Animal Kingdom the week it opened. I remember feeling like this was MY park. I love animals and nature and Animal Kingdom is the best place to see both. Riding on that safari, I feel like I am on the plains of Africa, maybe in the early part of the 20th century, looking for exotic beasts. When I ride Dinosaur, I AM in a time machine going back to pick up a harmless Iguanodon. I even stay for a while and watch the security camera footage of the guest we bring back from Pre-historic times. I love walking around Animal Kingdom and looking at the trees, the buildings, hearing the music and tasting the food. I enjoy the train ride and the petting zoo and I could spent hours and hours just staring in wonder at the Tigers, and the bats. This is not a half a day park for me. I like to take my time and take everything in.
I have stayed at most of the hotels, driven the speedboats, rode the horses, gone for the carriage rides, taken out a golf cart, swam in the themed pools, played in the arcades as a child. I have sat in the Adventurer's Club for hours on end taking in the hilarity. I have stared in amazement at those Lego Dragons and wondered if I could build that. I have shopped in the Marketplace for entire evenings. I have dined in some of the greatest places in the country. Yet it never gets old. Some people don't get it. They can't imagine why a grown woman with no children would ever want to go to this place. Why a responsible adult would take joy in eating in a castle or getting a picture with Winnie the Pooh or waving back to Mickey at the end of the night?
Well, I don't get why anyone wouldn't!
I love this place. I always will.
