On Friday, I had a conversation with a co-worker from Florida regarding her weekend plans to take her daughter to Disney World for the first time. This spawned into a 15 minute conversation solely on the whole concept of Disney World and how phenomenal it was for ourselves when we were children. Then, after that call finished, my co-worker in the next cube said he was going to Disney as well and we walked out of the building talking even more about the "wonders of Disney World".
For my overseas readers who have heard of Disney World and have never been able to go, I will do my best to fill you in on the wonderment of it all. It will be almost impossible in one blog sitting! However, I will say this, if you are going to make a trip to the United States, please make Disney World in Orlando Florida one of your must see stops. You and your family will never forget it.
Now....there are two Disney attractions in the U.S. - Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. I can only speak to Disney World since I have only been to this park. I have never had an interest in seeing Disneyland since I have been told that Disney World is larger and more grand.
In the 1960's, the Disney World location was nothing but swamp land. By the time the theme park opened in 1971, this empty swamp land was turned into the most spectacular technologically advanced theme parks in the U.S. Unfortunately, Walt Disney himself did not live to see the doors open since he died in 1966. However, his futuristic creative ideas transformed how we would view amusement parks from that day forward. Many of the technologies that Disney used in the robotics of the theme rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted House or the Hall of Presidents are viewed as the best way to do things even today.
My first trip to Disney World's Magic Kingdom (Magic Kingdom was the only park in the Disney World space at the time - it has grown to include Epcot Center, MGM Studios, Typhoon Lagoon etc etc) was when I was twelve and it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. Presidents coming to life on a stage.....moving around and talking! Pretty exciting stuff for a twelve year old I must say! It is amazing to me (and my co-workers) that even today when we go back as adults how this technology still has us in awe. I mean....it was fantabulous when we were twelve but it is still advanced even today!
Walt Disney was a forward-thinker and the parks that bear his name are still forward-thinking in their advancements. As I write about this today, I am getting excited like the Disney mothership is hovering over the house right now to whisk me down there. Alas......that is not the case. I don't have any near future plans to make a trip to Disney in the next year. I have been to Disney World three times in my lifetime and I will make a fourth trip if my "partner in crime" will oblige my rambunctious inner child the opportunity.
Here are some websites for more information on The Wonderful World of Disney:
http://www.disneyworldtrivia.com/
http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/complete_history.html
2 comments:
I had to comment since I am one of the fortunate ones (?) who grew up in Orlando with Walt Disney World almost literally in their back yard. There are definitely pros and cons to this. As a young child I too was always amazed by the “Disney Magic. In junior high, my best friend's father worked for "The Mouse" so trips to the Kingdom were even more frequent we were even at Epcot on opening day. Then as a senior in high school, along with scores of other friends and acquaintances, we became Disney Cast Members ourselves. I'll never forget attending orientation or "Disney University" as they called it and being caught up in being able to help create the “Disney Magic.” This was all good and fine until my first day actually on the job and getting my first behind-the- scenes look at some of my favorite attractions. I won't be a spoiler but let's just say Space Mountain looks a whole lot less ominous than it does in the dark. And I can say I used to say freeze tag with "Minnie Mouse" and shared an Algebra book with "Pluto" ~ if you get my drift. So unfortunately my perception of Walt Disney World and the other surrounding theme parks is totally different, especially when I remember keg parties in the woods where Universal Studios now stands! Well, as Tigger would say...TTFN! Go Sox!
Wow....keg parties with Mickey and his friends??!!! Goofy always did look like a lush if you ask me.
:)
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