At the start of 2017, I stayed at my apartment in Davenport, Florida, USA. I had rented it out previously and had to clear it up after the people renting it had left and made a mess of it, making it difficult to sell. I decided to visit DisneyWorld whilst I was there.
Walt Disney World Day.
On the 26th of January, I set off early to pick up my friend Karys for a day at Disney World. We got one-day park hopper tickets and were going to see as much as possible. In the end, we saw a few attractions and enjoyed some of the rides at 3 of the parks, we had a great day.
EPCOT.
EPCOT was Walt Disney's idea of a future city that would continue to grow. He died before it opened, but his original ideas form the basis for the EPCOT we visited today.
Attractions we saw at EPCOT.
Spaceship Earth.
Spaceship Earth is the iconic and symbolic structure of EPCOT. The 15-minute ride demonstrates how human communication advancements have helped create the future. Passengers journey back in time to witness the origins of prehistoric man, then travel forward in time to witness essential breakthroughs in communication throughout history, from the invention of the alphabet to the creation of the printing press to today's modern communication advancements. Dame Judy Dench now narrates the ride, It was just like having 'M' from the James Bond films taking you through the ride.
The Seas with Nemo and Friends.
This used to be 'The Living Seas' but has now been themed around Disney's Nemo films. Characters from the films now tell you more about our planets, Seas and Oceans.
Living With The Land.
Living with the Land is a combined ride and greenhouse tour at EPCOT. The ride focuses on agriculture, especially new technology, to make agriculture more efficient and environmentally friendly. I enjoyed this and feel that if the world took more notice of the lessons learnt here rather than fighting each other, we could all live in a better world.
Circle of Life.
In this film, Timon and Pumbaa from The Lion King film, are chopping down trees and clogging up rivers to build the Hakuna Matata Lakeside Village. Simba comes to them and explains how their actions are harmful to nature. This lesson is explained with live-action footage with clips of people such as Native Americans, Native Hawaiians and Masai, clips of New York City and other locations such as the Amazon Rainforest, Serengeti, Andes, Las Vegas, and images of animals such as monkeys, bald eagles, snakes, elephants and wildebeest.
Another film that many who rule the world would do well to watch.
Magic Kingdom.
The Magic Kingdom was the first of the Disney theme parks built in Florida and is based on Walt Disneys characters and Films. We had great fun here and both went on rides we had never been on before.
Attractions and rides we went on at the Magic Kingdom.
Pirates of the Caribbean.
My favourite ride at Disney World was the first ride we went on at the Magic Kingdom. I must thank Karys for continuing to spend the day with me after this ride. My continual singing of 'Yo Ho Yo Ho, it's a Pirates Life for me' would typically be enough to put anyone off spending a day with me.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
I was surprised Karys wanted to go on this ride but she assured me she would be all right and had been on it before. I think it may have been a bit faster and more violent than she remembered but Karys did it, well done.
Splash Mountain,
This was a ride that Karys said she would not go on, but fueled by the adrenaline rush from the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and my gentle persuasion, I managed to get her on it. If you've been on this ride, you will know how long the queues can be. The screaming of people on the ride must have been very scary for Karys, but she did it. Well done. I hope you kept the photo from the top of the 52-foot drop.
Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn.
After all the excitement of Splash Mountain, we went for lunch here. There was nowhere to sit once we had got our meals, but an American couple called us over and gave us their table outside. We were joined by another American lady who had lost her friends and joined us at our table. We would continue to see this lovely lady throughout the park.
The burger here wasn't that good but the salad and taco bar included with every meal was very good. Next time I will get the tacos with the salad bar. Disney really should make their food more affordable. They prevent you from taking any food into the parks and charge a fortune for the food in their cafes and restaurants.
The Haunted Mansion.
Another of my favourite rides, this ride is great fun and was another first for Karys.
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin.
This was a ride Karys wanted to go on, and there was no queue, so we went on. It was the first time I had been on it. It was fun, but I wonder if I'd do anything that Karys wanted me to do (Yes, I probably would).
Animal Kingdom.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is a zoological theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. It is the second-largest theme park in the world, covering 500 acres. The park opened on Earth Day, April 22, 1998, and was the fourth theme park built at Walt Disney World. The park is dedicated and themed entirely around the natural environment and animal conservation, a philosophy once pioneered by Walt Disney.
Attractions and rides we went on at Animal Kingdom.
Kilimanjaro Safaris.
We joined the line to ride the Kilimanjaro Safari and were lucky not to have to wait too long before we got on for our Safari ride.
Expedition Everest.
Karys wanted to go on this white knuckle roller coaster in the Asia section of the Animal Kingdom, but the long queues meant we would miss other things we wanted to see, so we decided to miss it out on this visit.
Primaeval Whirl.
This ride was one that Karys wanted to go on. I wasn't bothered about going on it, but I queued up for an eternity to go on the ride. We got in the car we were to ride in with two other girls and were soon strapped in. The ride was not what I was expecting. It was an old-fashioned wooden thrill ride with views to the floor over the side of the car, it gave the appearance and feel of a much bigger ride. The best part, without a doubt, was that Karys got scared, grabbed hold of me and held on to me for the entire ride. Karys screamed, I laughed, and the other two girls smiled politely the whole ride. I want to go on this one again, Karys.
It's tough to be a Bug.
I love this film show with effects built into the chair. The smells, and effects from the chairs are great. Unfortunately, because of my eyesight, I can't appreciate the 3D effects of the film, but it is fun sitting with someone who screams and ducks out of the way of bugs or things thrown at the audience by catapults.
Kilimanjaro Night Safari.
When we came off of the ride earlier the girl on the ride exit had told us about the nighttime Safari ride. When we returned, it appeared to be closed, but we were asked to enter by a different route and again went on the Safari ride. Some of the animals were very well hidden, but it was different doing it at night, and I'm glad we took the time to go back after the sun had gone down. You still see many animals; some, like the lions, are more lively when the sun has gone.
Return to EPCOT.
After Animal Kingdom closed, we returned to EPCOT to watch the fireworks and laser show. We arrived about a half-hour before the show and found a spot by the lake to sit down while we waited for the show to begin. The fireworks and laser show here is my favourite in all of the Disney Parks, and after watching the show, we eventually found our way back to the car. I had forgotten to look where we had parked.
Waffle House.
After a long day out we were both hungry and stopped at a Waffle House on the 27 for something to eat. I enjoyed the meal here and the service we got was really good. All the staff here were friendly and helpful.
Summary.
It was my first day at a Disney Park for years, and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, perhaps that may have been because of the company. The rides are always fun, the shows always fun or informative and the fireworks were fantastic.
That said, I think Disney Ticket pricing is very high, and I will probably not be going back again for a while unless I can get some discounted tickets.