What's a queue?

I wanted to share one last post on Walt Disney World. I know that the boys have at least another post to add and Vicki may have more to write, but I have a trip to San Diego I need to share, so it is time to move on. I love the picture on this post, even though it is not a postcard shot or indicative of anything Disney. I love it because it shows my family as they are, and as they were as we waited in line after line. It is real and Walt Disney World -- though absolutely wonderful -- is not always real. The control over the details, the way they use normal human nature to keep things moving the way they want, the way they create this magical place that makes people feel happy -- all these things make it another world, a world that we eventually have to leave. In this picture we were standing in yet another 'queue' or line. We stood in many lines, though I have to admit that I was very surprised that we never stood in a line longer than thirty minutes during the last week of June. I suppose we got lucky, or we didn't 'follow' the typical behaviors, or there just weren't as many people in the park as we expected, but it was very pleasant. The hardest lines, like this one, were the lines in which we waited for transportation. After a long day at the parks, the last thing we wanted to do was wait for a ride home. Yet, some of our most wonderful moments were standing in those lines, as we shared our joys from the day and talked about what we would do next. We also complained about our sore feet and our tired bodies, talked about how wonderful it would be to lay down and rest.

Standing in line was one of the few places we actually chatted with other guests. Even though we were in a crowded park, it seemed like it was a world of our own. We were constantly moving, going from one place to another, so it was during those times in those queues that we actually had the chance to meet and talk to other people. There was even a family from Connecticut that we saw over and over again. It was to the point of being funny how alike we were in our itinerary. So, standing in line was not so bad. It was a chance to chat, to stop and rest in the shade and to look forward to something new around the bend.

Character Stories

I think one of the best parts of visiting Disney is seeing the characters all over the parks. Of course, the easiest way to see characters is to visit a character meal. We saw Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet, Chip and Dale, Cinderella, Mary Poppins, Jasmine, Belle and Snow White at different meals around the park. We also saw characters on the streets. There are certain places throughout the parks set aside for character meetings. The sites are often in areas related to the characters -- we found Flik in the Animal Kingdom near the Tree of Life Garden because the Tree of Life is a theater showing "It's Tough to be a Bug." Some of the classic Disney characters like Chip and Dale and Daisy hang out near City Hall at the beginning of Main Street. Mickey stays in ToonTown, in a special building near his house.

We spent a lot of time standing in lines waiting for pictures and signatures with some of the characters, but it was worth the wait. The characters are fun and they interact with the kids -- young and old -- as they might if they were really the person they represent.

SPOILER ALERT! I'm about to give away a couple of Disney secrets, so if you don't want to know, skip to the next paragraph. On our "Keys to the Kingdom" tour, we learned some very interesting facts. First of all, if you think you do a lot of laundry, think again. It would take a normal family 42 years doing one load of laundry a day to wash the amount of laundry that they do in one day at the Magic Kingdom. They create one ton -- that is two thousand pounds -- of lint every day. Since every employee is a cast member, every uniform is a costume. Secondly, the best job at the park is to be Tinkerbell. Tinkerbell appears every night during the fireworks display. To be Tinkerbell, the person must be no larger than 4' 9" and weigh no more than 90 lbs. The character suits up in 90 lbs worth of equipment, is attached to a zip line that is hooked to the castle, is pushed out a window and she flies for 30 seconds. She gets off the zip line, takes off the equipment and goes home. She is paid for an eight hour day. Of course, the job is not as easy as it sounds. Imagine wearing your weight in equipment. If the zipper doesn't work and she gets stuck in the middle of the zipline, she must pull herself to the bottom with her own strength. Disney has three Tinkerbells on staff -- a full time, a part time and a substitute. Finally, the costumes, especially those that have furry bodies, are very hot and heavy. The length of a visit with many of the characters are very short. There is an established schedule that must be adhered to for the safety and well being of the cast members. In the heat of the summer, some characters must go inside every few minutes to get a drink and cool off. They do try to keep the characters in shady areas, but it is still very hot. You have to be patient when you decide to stand in line because you might have to wait while they go to rest.

You have to have patience if you decide to wait for autographs and pictures. We had a couple experiences that were disappointing. We waited in several lines to meet characters we found in the parks, but they left by the time we reached the front of the line. Sometimes we left, not wanting to waste any more time waiting. We waited in line to see Jasmine and Genie for a long time, but it was worthwhile because Zack was anxious to meet Genie. By the time we got to the front, it was time for Genie to go inside for a few minutes. We didn't mind waiting, but Jasmine stayed to continue visiting the guests. That meant that we were herded through the experience and Zack missed out on seeing one of his favorite characters. Genie's handler was kind and she did get an autograph for Zack, but we could not jump the line for a photo. Luckily we found the characters from Aladdin later in the week at another park, but it was disappointing for Zack at the time.

I really enjoyed the characters from Aladdin when we met up with them in the Magic Kingdom. They were in Adventureland near the Magic Carpets of Aladdin ride. We knew they were coming, so we got in line and were very near to the front when they arrived. They seemed to have a very special relationship -- especially Aladdin and Jasmine. Genie was jealous of their concern for one another and he pretended to choke Aladdin to get him away from Jasmine. It was all in good fun, of course. They chatted with the kids, joked with Zack and even got their picture taken with all of us. I enjoyed the camaraderie between the characters. I wasn't sure if they were acting as they were because they were such good friends or because they were in character. It was great fun whatever the reason.

By early in the week we had all (except for Bruce) purchased some sort of Disney ears to wear as we visited the parks. As you might notice in our photos, Victoria and I wore our Minnie ears everywhere. Zack purchased Stitch ears because he loves Stitch (who we found in the Animal Kingdom). Zack does this really cool (or annoying if you ask Victoria) impersonation of Stitch. Whenever a character noticed his ears, Zack pulled out the voice. Victoria already told you about Belle commenting on Zack's ears and voice in an earlier blog. Those ears -- both Zack's Stitch ears and our Minnie ears -- were the topic of conversation at many of the character visits. At a breakfast with Goofy, he was offended that none of us had bought ears like his. He said that his were more practical and he used his to wipe his forehead. It was very funny.

When we were in Epcot, traveling near the village representing England, we ran into Mary Poppins. She was very prim and proper, as Mary Poppins should be. She was honored that Victoria was so thrilled to meet her, Mary Poppins was one character she really wanted to meet. Zack was standing near Mary Poppins when she noticed his ears. She asked Zack if everything was OK. She said she was worried about him because the ears did not look proper. She suggested that he should see a doctor. She had Zack laughing so hard. We met up with Mary Poppins later when we had lunch at Cinderella's Table. When we reminded her that we had met her before, she saw Zack's ears and asked if he'd seen a doctor about his ear problem. We were immediately impressed that she would remember that conversation but... (SPOILER ALERT! ... I think that the whole ears thing is a scripted response to seeing a kid in Stitch ears, especially since Stitch is very popular at the parks this year.)

My favorite character would have to be Captain Jack Sparrow. Jack was not available for consultation, he was busy teaching a crowd of people how to use a sword, but it was so fun to watch him in action. Of course it was not Johnny Depp, but I think the cast member did a marvelous job recreating the character from the Pirates movies. He had all the mannerisms, facial expressions and voice that we love. I wish I had been able to get my picture with my man Jack -- he is sooo bad, but soooooo good. After all, Bruce spent the week chasing after all the princesses (we have pictures of him with most of them as well as Minnie, Daisy and Mary Poppins. Take note of the picture in this blog.) As Jack finished his show and ran to escape whichever villain was after him today, I could not help myself. I screamed, "I love you Jack" much to the consternation of my family. They'll tell you today that they are still embarrassed by my boldness. How could I resist? It was Captain Jack.

Of the furry characters, my favorites from Disney will always be Chip and Dale. There's something about those cute and cuddly chipmunks that I just love. I was a little disappointed that I was not able to get my picture with both of them at the same time, but I did enjoy meeting them at the Liberty Tree dinner. That's me with Chip in the picture. I learned something new at that dinner. I was never able to keep the two straight -- I mean, they almost look like twins, of course they are hard to tell apart. However, there are differences. Chip has a black nose and one tooth in the front. Dale as a brown nose and two teeth. They have very different personalities. Chip is fairly calm, as calm as a chipmunk can be. He interacted with us, but like a gentleman. Dale, on the other hand, was crazy. When he was finished at our table he went to the next and grabbed a map from a man who was sitting there. At first he had the map upside down, trying to point out special features to the man. He suddenly realized it was upside down and turned it around, again trying to figure out where things might be. He eventually threw the map back at the man and went on his way.

We did wait in a lot of lines so that we could meet the characters and many visitors to the parks might think it is a waste of time. I thought that it was some of the most fun we had during the week. The kids certainly enjoyed getting autographs and I enjoyed watching them interact with the characters. Most of all, I enjoyed interacting with them myself. One of the current features found at Disney is a thing called "Photopass." At many points around the parks there are professional photographers ready to take your picture. Get as many taken as you can -- then buy the CD. It is expensive, $125 this summer, but with the CD you get the rights to use every picture however you like. You can even add Disney icons and autographs to the photos for the same price. Each photo would cost at least $13, so if you used more than 10 of them, it would pay for itself. Our CD had nearly 150 pictures, many of which are found in our slide show, so it was worth every penny for us.

Disney-MGM Studios Backlot Tour

I think one of the reasons why I loved Disney-MGM Studios so much was the theming. I mean, I am a "theatre geek" (as mom likes to call me) and am into all of the movies and theatre stuff, so naturally I'd love hanging out in a theme park that is centered around the world of movies and theatre. Believe it or not, MGM Studios has more than what the public sees--there are working soundstages in off-limits parts of the park where everything from TV commercials to shows are filmed.

What I loved the most about the backot tour (my favorite attraction at the park) was that it gave a really good insight into behind-the-scenes at a place that produces and films commercials and movies. The tour started with a short movie explaining how the special effects for the movie Pearl Harbor were created. The movie talked about how the director, producers, and special effects artists were able to make ships "blow up" and fires happen.

Then the tour started. The first part of the tour was a presentation at a special effects tank. The presenters used water and pyrotechnics to create a scene similar to what was shown in the movie (not to same scale, of course). It was fun watching the special effects presentation. We got a little wet, too (and the people chosen to help with the demonstration got even more wet)!

After five or ten minutes at the special effects tank, the tour continued with a ride on a red tram. After walking through a replica of a prop storage area (it was REALLY cool) you board the extra-long tram to take the rest of the tour around the "backlot". As the tour continues the tram passes by movie memorabilia displayed, some of the different soundstages at MGM Studios, and even the office where the Disney Imagineers work.

The tram comes to a spot called "Catastrophe Canyon". I won't tell you all about it because you should really experience it for yourself. I will tell you one thing, however: BEWARE.... you never know what might happen... and yes, you might just get wet. Also featured on the tour are the costume and scene shops, and if you go at the right time of day (during work hours) you can see people actually working!

The tour ends by passing the stunt show theatre. It was fun going by there because the drivers and the cars were practicing and warming up for a show later that day. We got to wave at them as they went screaming around corners into backstage parts of the stage. After getting off the tram you walk though an awesome showcase of movie costumes, props, and set pieces. I liked the Barbossa costume from the first Pirates movie. They had a Darth Vader costume as well (Zack liked that one) and some other fun things to look at.

This was a fun attraction. The wait wasn't very long, either. Since it can accommodate many people at one time, we only waited maybe fifteen or twenty minutes to get on a tour. It was well worth the wait as well.

Getting around the "World"

One of the cool perks of being a Disney Resort guest is that you get complimentary use of all the methods of transportation around all of Walt Disney World. There's three main types of transportation that can get you around the world, and our family got the chance to experience all three.

First, there's bus service from the resorts to pretty much anywhere in the "world". For example, from the Caribbean Beach Resort (our resort) we could take a bus to any of the four theme parks, the two water parks, and Downtown Disney. The buses are air-conditioned and the drivers are very friendly. When you get on a bus to go to a park music plays that fits the theme. For example, when going to Disney-MGM Studios showbiz music (like scores from movie soundtracks) played in the background. No matter where we were, when going back to our resort the bus played Caribbean music (I got very tired of hearing "Under the Sea" and "Kokomo"--with just the music and without the lyrics-- every time we were going back to our room). Even though the Caribbean music may have been annoying, the bus was still a wonderful service. Typically buses run every 20 minutes and begin running at about 7 am. We had mostly great experiences with the bus system (although one time we waited at our stop for about 40 minutes before an Animal Kingdom bus that wasn't full showed up), and when we didn't it was mostly because our stop was the last on the route.

Second there's the futuristic monorail that links the Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and some of the fancy resorts. There's also a monorail that links Epcot to the TTC. We only rode the monorail once. We rode it on Saturday morning after our breakfast at Chef Mickey's (we were in the Contemporary Resort and the monorail comes right through) and had fun going by all of the different resorts. On its way to the Magic Kingdom, the monorail passes by the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian resorts. It's a very fast and comfortable way to travel if you get the chance. Kids love it too, and it's even OK (and fun) to ride it just because you want to (it might have been quicker for us to walk to the Magic Kingdom from the Contemporary, but we wanted to take the monorail anyway)!

The last way is by boat launch. There are some areas of the resort that can only be accessed from other areas by the boat. We learned this the hard way. When going to breakfast at the Beach Club, we thought we could get on a bus to any park and then transfer to the bus to the Beach Club. Well, this statement is true for any park EXCEPT for Epcot and MGM-Studios. Of course, the bus we got on went to Epcot, and once we got there the cast member at the bus stop told us that we had to take a bus to MGM-Studios and then take the boat. So that's what we did. We weren't late for our reservations because we left very early, but we did learn that the resorts on the lake near Epcot were only accessible to the two parks by boat (and the Epcot boat docks on the other side of the park in World Showcase--that's why we could not take the boat from Epcot to the Beach Club) or by walking. The boat was wonderful though, and the captains were very nice and funny. They even took a picture of the family for us.

There are some cases when calling a taxi is useful and perhaps the best way to go. We had to call for a taxi twice during our stay. The first time was for when dad and Zack had to be at the Magic Kingdom for their tour at 7:15 (there was absolutely no way they could have caught the bus) and the second time was when we had to be at the Contemporary for breakfast (after our Beach Club adventure, we really didn't want to deal with transfers again). However, it is possible to travel from place to place without a cab.

Overall, the transportation system was great. It was wonderful to park the van for the entire week and not have to worry about driving it around or having to deal with parking lots at all the parks (the bus stations are at the front of each park). We didn't move the van at all while we were on Disney property!

The best advice I could give to the Disney traveler is this: make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to get from place to place, especially if you are planning on going from resort to resort. It can take a lot longer to get there than you think. And make sure you know what bus goes where--and if there are certain parts of the resort that are only accessible by certain modes of transportation (i.e. the boat story).

That's Entertainment!

There is so much to do in Walt Disney World that it is impossible to do it all. There are four major theme parks and two water parks. In Downtown Disney there are places to eat and show. There are movie theaters, clubs and the Indoor Interactive theme park called Disney Quest that Zack described in a previous blog. Walt Disney World also has plenty of opportunities for sports -- ball parks, golf courses and boating. Each resort has swimming pools and entertainment typical of the theme. Our resort -- the Carribbean Beach Resort -- had beaches, fishing and boating. You really can't do it all.

I certainly enjoy the different theme parks. I liked the Animal Kingdom and all the animals we could see. Epcot's World Showcase was exciting and Future World was educational. Disney-MGM was interesting, especially to my children who are interested in acting and show business. Magic Kingdom had the most rides. We all had our favorite activities and as much as I enjoyed some of the rides, I think I like the shows the best.

The Disney-MGM Studio theme park is focused on movies and television, of course. We had dinner and a movie the evening we visited. The dinner was at a restaurant called Hollywood and Vine, which is decorated like a diner in the 50's with waitresses in uniforms and rock-n-roll on the jukebox. The food was a great buffet filled with down home food like our mothers might have made. When we left the restaurant we wandered toward the theater for the evening show. "Fantasmic" is a fireworks and light show starring Mickey Mouse and his friends. In this show, which is a little frightening for the younger children, Mickey's dreams turn to nightmares as all the Disney villains try to take away his joy. Video clips appear on curtains of water that rise out of the lake while Mickey fights for his dreams. He succeeds and then all his friends come out to celebrate.

At Epcot, we saw the evening fireworks and light show called "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" which presents the history of the earth from the beginning of time to the present and then into the possibilities of the future. What I enjoyed most in Epcot was a street performance we happened upon while shopping in the villages. As we were leaving a tea shop in England, we noticed three actors setting up in the street. They did a show about King Arthur using Diseny guests to play some of the roles, including Sir Galahad. They made stupid jokes and got the whole audience involved with certain phrases or actions. It was very funny. I saw Sir Galahad later that day and greeted him warmly, with a bow and a smile. I'm not sure if he was embarrassed, but Vicki was!

The movie "The Lion King" was the theme in a show found in the Animal Kingdom. In this show Timon plays with some acrobatic monkeys who play on trampolines and trapezes. There is singing, dancing and plenty of fun with Simba and his friends. The animatronic animals seem almost lifelike, especially the elephant that was right near our seats. Some of the dancers are on stilts -- it is amazing to watch the way they move and dance. There was always a stilt dancer near the elephant, whose trunk could swing back and forth and his head bobbed up and down. About halfway through the show I noticed that the stilt dancer was having a little difficulty staying on his feet and I realize rather quickly that it was because the elephant was playing with him. His trunk kept hitting the back of the dancer's head, tapped the dancer's arm and even pushed at the dancer's back. The dancer turned and played with the elephant. The dancer grabbed the trunk, danced and boxed with the animatronic animal. I don't know if this was typical for the show or whether the cast members playing the roles had a special relationship, but it was sure fun to watch.

We saw a couple of shows in the Magic Kingdom, including "Mickey's Philharmagic" which was described in an earlier blog. We went to the Country Bear Jamboree, which Vicki thought was lame. We ran into a street performer, Captain Jack Sparrow, who was teaching the crowd how to use a sword (but he deserves a separate blog.) We also went to The Enchanted Tiki Room - Under New Management. Now, I remember seeing this attraction, or some form of it, during previous visits to Disney parks but I never had an interest in visiting. But we had a few minutes on our hands and the show was about to begin, so we went in to watch. It is a cute show, with animatronic birds singing annoying songs. The show stars Iago from "Aladdin" and Zazu from "The Lion King." They fight over the control of their new business venture until the Tiki gods punished Iago and brought everything under control.

We missed too many shows that we really wanted to see, but we simply ran out of time. I guess that is as good a reason as any to go back again!

MY Favorite Ride

I do have to admit that I'm not the kind of person who does thrill rides or roller coasters (just ask my family.... they try to get me on rides that I absolutely won't step onto). I'd rather spend all of my time spinning around on the teacups or riding the other "kiddie" rides than step on a coaster. Especially one in the dark (like Space Mountain). But I do have to admit that MY favorite, absolute favorite ride was Splash Mountain.

Maybe it was the whole cute story/animatronic adventure or maybe it was the fact that flume and water rides are fun (to me at least). I was looking forward to Splash Mountain. We rode it on Friday night after dinner (we decided to get fastpasses since the line was over an hour long and we didn't want to deal with it before dinner).

The ride really did seem to go on forever. There were a gazillion rooms of animatronic figures and songs. There was even a smaller drop before the larger one (the larger one being only five stories tall). Every time I thought that we were about to go down, we would enter another room or go around another corner. We finally did go down the large drop though, and it felt GREAT (especially since the day was pretty hot... the water felt very good).

I got SOAKING wet. SOAKING!! Zack told me that the left side of the boat doesn't get wet, so I sat on the left side (his reply after I got wet: "I didn't say that the back of the boat doesn't get wet!"). The horrible thing was that only the front of me was soaking wet. I had a gray t-shirt on too, so anyone could tell that I was soaking in the front, but that my back was dry. Luckily because it was still a little warm (just a little.. lol) I dried fairly quickly.

I liked the end of the ride. The last room of animatronics takes you to a room with a great big moving steamboat and a whole bunch of figures that sing "zip a dee do da". Since the story told during the ride talks about how Briar Rabbit is going home to his "laughing place", the ride ends with him safely home and singing along (although he does have different words the very familiar tune).

We didn't get any pictures of the animatronics during the ride because we were afraid that we'd ruin our cameras with all the water (and it was good that I had mine hidden... it really could have been destroyed!), or that we'd lose it when we went down the drop (many people do lose their hats and sunglasses as they go down). I did get some pics of the outside of the ride, and I've included them with this blog. My favorite picture is the one that's to the left of a log going down the ride. We also bought the picture that was taken as we went down the final drop (because Splash Mountain was the one ride we all went on together), but that one hasn't been scanned and saved on the computer yet. Once mom gets it on the computer and saved I'll try to get it posted.

Even though it is considered a "thrill ride" and I normally don't ride those, I had a blast riding Splash Mountain. It was by far my favorite ride. I'd ride it again in a heartbeat! :)

The Modern Age Cats

Hello,

Since everyone else is busy blogging we thought we (Felix and Tigger) had to get into the act also. Dad affectionately calls us "The Boys." That means we probably rule the roost.

Life as Felix the cat is interesting. To start with, some you may not know that I was actually born in "Jolly Ole England" 9 years ago. Since then the family has taken me on many trips and moved me twice in my short life. The only saving grace is that they never fully abondon me. I hate traveling, especially since we usually go to the place I hate the most, the Vet office.

Some people call me "Satan incarnate" when we head to the office. I really don't like people prodding me and sticking me with needles, although everyone tells me it is for my own good. This year Mom and Dad decided to have me sedated for the exam, which actually was a good thing. The doctor examined a huge lump on my rear leg. The removed it and I am glad they did because the tumor actually wound up to be cancer. I am happy to report that so far I am free of any recurrances. My family is really hoping I stay that way.

I spend most of my day doing what cats like to do, sleep. Mom says I sleep about 18 hours a day. I'm not so sure about that, but I do know I like my sleep. My favorite place is Dad's recliner. Victoria says its my chair, but Dad says it is his because he paid for it. All I know is that if it isn't occupied by a human, it is mine.

I would really love to go outside, but that happens very rarely. Everyone takes great care to ensure the doors stay closed so I don't escape. Not sure why they want it that way, they keep talking about fleas and ticks in the yard. I do get creative when I really want to get outside. When we lived in England I taught myself how to open the doors. In England they have door handles not knobs and when I got big enough I jumped up on the door handle until it opened. Ah, the freedom, but it didn't last long. My most creative venture was when I decided to jump out the open second story bathroom window (again in England). I am not sure how long I was outside, but when the kids and Dad figured out I was missing and opened the the back door to look for me, I was ready to return.

My personal life changed drastically three years ago when Tigger (a.k.a. "The Runt") entered the family. I wasn't too sure about the little hair ball but he is alright. Everyone says Tigger keeps me young, and I guess that is true. I do like to have the daily romp or two with him and we go running around the house playing. We do get into some major tussels but I lay down the law, especially when I am losing.

I really love my family, they treat me like gold. To show my appreciation I like to give them love back, especially when they are busy on the computer. My favorite thing is to annoy Mom and Dad when they are working. I really love to wag my tail like a dog and hit the keys. It is my version of typing.

Thats about all for me. Time to turn over the blog to the Runt, er, little brother.

Unlike Felix, I (Tigger) have Texas roots. I came into the family three years ago.
Entering the house was a little traumatic for me. Felix growled and hissed at me. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I turned on the charm and he eventually warmed up to me. Maybe it was because I liked to play with him. Everytime he moved his tail I would chase it. It was fun.

I, like Felix, like my sleep. If there is a corner or wall to lay against I am there. I do like hiding under the desk in our den also. For a short while Mom even put a small blanket in the spot so I would be more comfortable. I try to stay on the same sleep cycle as Felix so when we are awake we can play. I like to annoy Felix when he isn't looking. Sometimes I will lay on the piano bench or coffee table and wait for my big brother to come by. When he isn't expecting it, I bop him on the head when he walks by. Sometimes I even jump on him. I love those surprise attacks. What a hoot.

I also like to entice Felix into tussels. I learned early how to win. When Felix thinks he has the upper hand, I get him to fall on me and then pull my best wrestling move. As he is falling on me I raise my legs and flip him over my body gaining the upper hand. When I do that, Felix gets mad and growls. That ususally means play time is over becuse he is a sore loser.

My favorite time of the day is meal time and it doesn't matter if it is breakfast, lunch or dinner. If there is food, I am around. I even have a special chair in the corner of the dining room next to the table where I can sit and get the birds eye view of what is for chow. Who could resist my cute face? I especially love the meat just as long as it doesn't have too many spices or fat. Only the healthiest meat for me.

I too like to help with chores around the house, especially laundry day. I like to help mom sort the clothes into piles before they go into that noisy machine. But oh, it feels so good when they come out of the dryer and they are so warm and smell so fresh. I get my best naps when I lay down in the baskets with freshly folded clothes. The only thing better is sleeping in the basket of unfolded clean clothes. Everyone wants to take them away from me. I'm not sure why.

I guess thats about all for now. It looks like Dad is getting ready to do his evening chores which means treat time is just around the corner. Felix and I love our snacks every day. Everyone says they are good for our teeth, all I know is they taste real good and I can't wait for my share. I even steal one or two from Felix when no one is looking, at least I think they aren't looking.

Hope you all enjoyed hearing a little of our lives. Maybe we will blog some more at a later time.

DisneyQuest

I'm back, and ready to blog again. Back at Disney World, at Downtown Disney, right next to La Nouba, is DisneyQuest. DisneyQuest is a five story "interactive theme park" (I call it an arcade). Each of the five floors are unique in their own way. When you enter, a cast member puts you on an elevator, where The Genie is your pilot, and he takes you to the third floor, Ventureport. This is where your adventure begins. The other four floors are divided into four different zones. There is the Explore Zone, the Creative Zone, the Score Zone, ans the Replay Zone.

Floor one, the Explore Zone, has three big attractions. You've got the virtual Jungle Cruise where you and some friends are put in an inflatable rafts and use paddles to actually row where you go through the age of the dinosaurs. There is no heavy equipment to worry about. just keep your eyes on the screen and row. Then you can become a swashbuckling pirate in Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold, where you step onto a ship and fight the ghost of the Jolly Roger and other virtual pirates on a search for gold (if you want to do this attraction, get to Disney Quest before it opens at 11:00 a.m.). And on part of floor two, you can ride on one of Aladdin's magic flying carpets and save Genie in Aladdin's Magic Carpet Ride.

On the other parts of floor two, the Creative Zone, you can create your own Space mountain and ride it in a simulator at the CyberSpace Mountain. And every 30 minutes starting at noon, you can learn to draw your favorite Disney characters at the Animation Academy. There are some other activities there, too.

Part of floor three and floor four is the Score Zone. On floor three, there is Buzz Lightyear's AstroBlaster. At this attraction, you and a friend jump into a bumper car and fire asteroids out of a cannon at the other players. And become a living pinball in the Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam. In this fusion of hockey and pinball, try to outscore your opponents by hitting targets and scoring a goal against the computer goalie. Floor four and five has a virtual reality game called Ride the Comix, where you put on a VR helmet and take a laser sword and fight off comic book villains.

Floor five is the Replay Zone. Here, the older generation can go back in time and play old arcade games like Galaga, Space Invaders, and Centipede. The cool thing about it is that the games are free!! Except for Ski-Ball, that has a quarter fee.

That's just about it. When you are done, just head to the Explore Zone on the first floor, follow the exit signs, and leave through the DisneyQuest Emporium (a store with other Disney memorabilia).

La Nouba

I have always been fascinated with the work of Cirque du Soleil. I've seen some of their specials on TV and have fallen in love with their comination of acrobatics and dancing. When mom told us that we were going to get tickets to see Cirque at Disney World, I was very, very excited.

Their show at Downtown Disney's West Side, titled "La Nouba" (performed in the appropriately-named Cirque du Soleil theatre), was exclusively created for the WDW Resort. Throughout the hour and a half show two worlds collide--one monochromatic and dull, and the other colorful and full of life. When the two come together it leads to a whole new experience unlike any other and an exciting celebration.

Talented acrobats from around the world come together to perform amazing acrobatic stunts. There were German wheels, Diabolos (girls using Chinese yo-yos), trapeze artists, tightrope walkers, performers doing an aerial ballet with silk scarves hanging from the ceiling, and stunts on bikes, and much more. One of the ending scenes used a whole bunch of trampolines (Zack said the trampolines were his favorite part). I also loved the dancer on pointe who showed up quite a bit during the show.

The show's music is mainly instrumental; there is very little dialogue at all (my favorite song from the show is titled the same as the show; it is a piece that was performed in the beginning when the "main characters" entered the theatre and is performed with a trumpet). I thought the music was absolutely wonderful... we bought the CD with the program. Because there is not a lot of dialogue in the show, you must be able to follow it by watching all the movement and facial expressions of the performers.

The only problem I had with the show was that there was always so much to watch while there were performers on stage. Sometimes I found it hard to focus on one area of the stage when there was a character in the far upstage corner doing something interesting. It was tiring upon occasion, too.

I absolutely loved the technical aspects of the show (upon leaving the theatre I turned to my mom and said, "I'd hate to be a stage manager for that show!"). Not only are there so many light, sound, and special effects cues, but there also are so many different set changes and cues to hit with the acrobatic pieces as well (like the trapezes and stuff).

If you go to Disney World and get the chance to see Cirque du Soleil, do so. We were lucky because our tickets were included in our vacation package (some do include Cirque tickets, but some don't). If you were to buy tickets from the box office they can get to be pretty expensive. If you can afford it, though, it is worth the money. It is ninety minutes of fun and awe-inspiring performers and lively, colorful music. It's well worth the wait... really.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

Victoria stole my thunder by already talking about the "Tree of Life" found in Disney's Animal Kingdom, but I am going to add a few photos and thoughts about this marvelous sight. It was one of my favorite things at Walt Disney World, I suppose because it is so beautiful and took such creative talent to make.

The "Tree of Life" is a larger than full size tree sculpture that is filled with images of animals carved into the trunk. It is like playing "I Spy" and you could spend hours looking for all the different animals represented. The tree is the centerpiece of the Animal Kingdom, though there is plenty of other things to do there. The park is divided into several different regions representative of different parts of the world including Africa and Asia. The characters, buildings and costumes fit the themes. There is also an area that is themed around dinosaurs with funny rides as well as a place to dig for bones. The newest ride in the park is called "Expedition Everest": it is the roller coaster that Zack described in a previous blog.

Walt Disney had a dream -- well, he had many dreams -- but this particular dream grew after he took a trip to a tropical rainforest. There, as he floated down the river, he imagined a ride at Disney World that would represent his trip. His vision became the Jungle Cruise found in the Magic Kingdom, however it was not all that he wanted it to be. As usual, Walt Disney was ahead of his time in imagination. He wanted the Jungle Cruise to include real animals -- including hippopotamuses wallowing in the shallow depths of the river along which the boat traveled. His advisors were adamant -- it was not possible for the park to use real animals! There were legal issues, animal care issues and safety issues. It would not happen as Walt Disney dreamed. He agreed to allow animatronic hippos and elephants, but always looked toward the day when they could make it right. The Animal Kingdom came long after Walt Disney's death, but that park fulfilled his dream.

One of the rides is a safari which takes visitors on a half hour trip through a wild animal park. The animals in the park are free range, meaning they can move and roam as they might in the wild. You never know where you might find the animals -- the tour guide is as surprized as the visitors when an elephant appears close to the road. I'm sure there must be some restraints -- it would be dangerous to allow the lions roam free, though they are given plenty of space. We did not see any of the rhinoceroses because they were beyond the view of the tram, but we did get to see the lions. I'm going to let you in on a secret, however... Disney is always in control. To keep the lions in just the right place at just the right time, they have installed air conditioning on the rock. It is the coolest, most comfortable place in the lion's habitat, so he is likely to be found there all day long.

As I said, "The Tree of Life" was one of my favorite parts of Walt Disney World. As an artist, I appreciated the incredible attention to detail. The animals were not in proportion -- there is a beetle as large as a buffalo -- but the animals meld together as if they belong in the same world. The owl pictured here is just one close-up from the tree. As you can see, it almost looks real. You can see the intensity of its eyes watching its prey somewhere beyond our vision. On the larger picture above, you can see how this carving fits into the rest of the sculpture. It is a beautiful and amazing thing to see.

Back to the Islands, man!

The resort we stayed at during our trip was the Carribbean Beach. It was great! The buildings were colorful and there was even a lake! There are buildings that are separated into different "islands". Our "island" was Barbados.

Each island has its own laundry facility, pool, and our island even had a stretch of beach that included a playground and some hammocks. There was also a complex called Old Port Royale. It included a food court, a restaurant, and a gift shop. The pool near Old Port Royale was themed and included a waterslide (we never got to swim at this pool... it was too crowded when we went and we decided to swim in the quiet of our island pool). Also at Old Port Royale you can rent paddleboats to take around the lake, and bikes to ride on the path that runs the perimeter of the lake (it was a great way to walk from our building to other parts of the resort).

Our room was very comfortable (and colorful, too!). I loved flopping down on the bed to rest my feet (which needed to be done quite often).

All in all, we loved the resort. It's a great place to stay if you're ever at Disney World!

Disney Rides

Since everyone here has posted something about Disney World, I guess it's my turn. The rides there are so awesome, you have to ride them for yourself. At the Magic Kingdom, you've got Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland, a subtle roller coaster that is a must for roller coaster lovers. You hop aboard a train and ride through the Wild West, and a collapsing mine. And don't worry, the rocks barely move. Then there is Tomorrowland, a gaze into to the future. If you want to relax, ride the TTA: the Tommorowland Transit Authority. It just takes you around Tomorrowland. And then go to the first indoor coaster in Disney World, Space Mountain. It's 28 mph speed is slow, but it's a great ride (probably one of the best roller coasters in the history of all coasters).

In Epcot, you've got Test Track, where you buckle up and ride a test car through a series of tests a car goes through to be approved to be sold. Fun ride. except the part where you go through a heated chamber. That stinks on a hot day.

And the newest additions are the Rockin' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, and Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. In the Rockin' Roller Coaster, Aerosmith invites you in a limo to ride through the streets of Hollywood to their concert. Yet this is not a normal coaster. It is an indoor, air-compressed coaster that shoots you out of the station at 60 mph in 2.8 seconds. AWESOME!! You can find this in MGM Studios.

Then head over to the Animal Kingdom and ride Expedition Everest. This coaster seems like a normal coaster, until you reach the top and see the tracks have been ripped up. Then as you hear the screams of another cart going down the big drop, your journey continues....backwards. The rest is for you to find out, except that you do finish the ride going forward.

Well that is all for know, more blogging later. Bye!

The Tree of Life

I think that the absolutely most incredible thing at Disney World was the Tree of Life in the Animal Kingdom. It's in the center of the park on Discovery Island and is a man made tree that contains carvings of over 300 different kinds of animals. There's everything from the tiniest bug to the largest mammal.

We spent absolutely forever walking around the tree. The detail was so incredible that we would stop and look at one section for five or ten minutes before moving on. We didn't even make it to the back side of the tree during our first visit, so we had to go back and walk some more.

Not only are there all of the carvings to see (and they're not just on the trunk itself... there are also carvings on the roots that pop out to the pathway) but there are also animal exhibits to see. I think we found some of the coolest animals along the trail behind the tree, like the Galapagos turtles, macaws, and porcupines. We got to take our time walking around as well; because so many people focus on riding on and seeing all of the attractions, the paths were pretty clear and quiet.

If you go to the Animal Kingdom definitely spend some time walking around the Tree of Life. You'll be glad you did!

It's All in the Details...

The opportunities for fun at Walt Disney World are not limited to the rides and shows. Disney also offers a variety of tours that give guests a look at Disney from a different perspective. Behind-the-scenes tours include "Hidden Treasures," "Gardens of the World," "Behind the Seeds," and "Backstage Magic." The tours cost anywhere from $10 to $199 and are worth every penny. Bruce and Zack went on tour called "Disney's Magic behind our Steam Trains, and I will leave it to them to share about their experience.

Victoria and I took the "Keys to the Kingdom" tour, a five hour tour (lunch included) that showed us the logistical, technical and operational sides of the Magic Kingdom. We learned the four Keys to the Kingdom -- courtesy, safety, efficiency and show. Everything that the cast members do at Walt Disney World fulfill at least one if not all four of the keys. Our tour guide, Matthew, shared the story of Disney and gave us a peak into the things we might not notice about the park so that we would realize that it really is in the details.

For example, we were in Liberty Square, the area in the Magic Kingdom that is themed around the American Revolution, with buildings representing the Federal or Colonial architectual styles. One day, Matthew was giving a tour like ours when he noticed that some of the shutters on some of the buildings were crooked, leaning farther away on the top than on the bottom. Thinking that he had discovered something 'wrong' with the way the the buildings were designed, he went to the Disney imagineers with his discovery. They laughed a bit at his naivete and gave him a brief lesson in American history.

At the time when those buildings were built in places like Philadelphia, the country was at war and metal was difficult to come by. It was not only very expensive, but it was necessary for all metal to be used for military purposes. The common people were not able to purchase metal hinges for their homes, and so they had to use leather to hang their shutters. The climate and weight of the shutters eventually caused the leather straps on the top to stretch and thus the shutters began to tilt. The upper class residents were able to use metal hinges, so the shutters stayed straight. So, in the design of Liberty square you can see that it is all in the details -- some of the shutters are tilted, some are straight, representative of the different types of buildings and the classes who might have resided in the buildings.

While walking through Liberty Square, Matthew called our attention to the pathways. The 'roads' were designed with lighter bricks in the middle, making them very decorative and attractive. Matthew explained that this was another detail that pointed to the authenticity of the design. The lighter colored bricks were representative of the Colonial American sewage system. They did not have pipes hidden below the streets as we do today. In that era, the sewage flowed in gullies down the middle of the street. To that end, there is no indoor plumbling found within Liberty Square. The accessible bathrooms are actually located on the edge of the neighboring lands. Though the Magic Kingdom can seem like a very big place, it is very compact and the buildings are much closer than they appear. That is one of the secrets that we learned on our tour.

One of my favorite rides in the Magic Kingdom is "The Haunted Mansion." Unfortunately, the ride was closed during our visit. They are renovating the building and updating the technology to make it an even better experience for park visitors. I was very disappointed, but it gives me an excuse to go back again soon!

There is a show in Liberty Square called "The Hall of Presidents." This audio-animatronic theater presentation tells the story of America in the voices of her presidents. It is amazing to see them all on the stage, to notice the insignificant details that make the characters look real. One of the presidents had a twitch in his foot. Another tapped his fingers. The characters who spoke appeared life-like, with characteristic body movements and facial features.

We had one of our character dinners in Liberty Square at the Liberty Tree Inn. Character dinners are a wonderful way of guaranteeing a visit with some of the Disney characters, but it is good to make your reservations early for these dinners. At the Liberty Tree Inn, the cuisine is a good old American Thanksgiving dinner with turkey and stuffing served family style. The characters visit every table, giving each family the chance for authographs and photos. Some of the characters act very silly. Pluto took Bruce's hat off his head and tried to wear it for a bit. Dale (as in Chip and Dale) picked up a man's map and tried to give him directions until he realized that the map was upside down! Minnie was hostess and she wore a lovely colonial frock, as you can see in the picture. We also met Goofy and Chip.

For some people, Liberty Square is a way to get from one land to another. There are only two rides in the area -- the Haunted Mansion and the Liberty Belle Riverboat. However, there is good food and shopping -- well worth some or your time.

POLAR BEAR DROP!!!!

Camp was fun in Montana. The performance went great, and everyone had fun with it. But in my opinion, I have to say the best part of camp was not related to theatre at all. My favorite part was the POLAR BEAR DROP!! The whole camp got up at 6:30 in the morning to watch people jump into the lake at 7:00. After we jumped, we had to swim across the lake as fast as we could. I went with my entire cabin, and it was a BLAST! A few guys in my cabin had second thoughts because they thought the water would be freezing. It wasn't. Some people even did it twice! Not all people in the camp did the polar bear. Personally, I think it should be mandatory for all campers to jump. Yeah, it WAS that fun. The cool thing was that it woke us up for the day of the performance (and rehearsals. AAAAAAAHHHHH). But mostly, I absolutely CAN NOT wait for the polar bear next year! Will the lake be warm? Or will it be freezing? No one will know until next summer.

Dreams do come true... they really do!

OK... my last post was about my Montana adventures with Zack. Everyone else (meaning mom and dad) are talking about our vacation, so I guess it's my turn to talk about MY FAVORITE PART of our trip.

I absolutely loved every minute of it. Really. I didn't want to leave once our last day rolled around. Even though I loved it ALL, I think the best part of the week for me was meeting my favorite character. A moment I was waiting for all week long.... getting the chance to meet Belle.

Belle has always been my favorite of ALL the princesses. I think it's because she's the most like me. I love her story. So if I could only meet one character all week, I would have had to choose Belle. We were lucky enough to find her and the Beast in Epcot when we were walking World Showcase. As we were coming upon the France pavillion we saw a line forming and the characters there. Zack and I ran to get in line (seriously... mom told us to run and get in line) because I realized it was the one person I REALLY, REALLY wanted to meet.

We waited in line for I guess about ten or fifteen minutes (with all the anticipation it seemed like FOREVER). Finally we were next in line, and we got to walk up and meet Belle and the Beast! She signed our autograph books and started talking to us. She commented on Zack's Stitch ears ("You look like our friend Stitch!" *Zack talks in Stitch voice* "You sound like our friend Stitch!" *Zack and I start giggling* "Do you get in trouble like our friend Stitch?" *I start to nod "yes" to her*) and she asked me what my favorite story was (a VERY Belle thing to say).

Of course, I really didn't know how to tell her she was my favorite character of all time. So when she asked me what my favorite story was, and I said that it was hers, she got all excited and started asking me about my favorite part (I answered, "I like it all!"). When it came time for pictures, she said she would be honored to take a picture with me. HONORED!!!! Meeting Belle was definitely my dream, and finally my dream really did come true.

We ended up seeing her again the next day at Cinderella's Royal Table. So I got to see her twice! I didn't care how the rest of our vacation went... I had gotten to meet Belle. My vacation was complete.

More blogging later. Mom says I should give Zack the chance to blog about his stuff sometime soon. I know for sure he wants to talk about his camp experiences, and maybe even Disney as well.

Bruce enters the blogging world!

I hope everyone bears with me, this is my first attempt at blogging. I admit, I was a little surprised when Peggy told me she set up a family blog. I am never good at these things, never quite know what to write about. Life is grand, still sort of enjoying my military retirement, even though I haven't stopped working. Thats for another blog. The kids keep me going. The remaining challenge for this summer will be making sure Vicki knows how to drive safely. I am really looking forward to taking her to a parking lot and turning over the car to her (yeah right). Only kidding Victoria, it is going to be fun.

Like everyone else I too had a great time on our Disney vacation in June. It truly is the Happiest Place on Earth. The drive was long (would have been nice if Victoria could have driven some of the miles so I could sleep like Zack in the back of the van) but worth every mile. The best part of the week was acting like a kid and enjoying all the fun things Disney has to offer. I think I enjoyed meeting the characters just as much as Victoria and Zack. Some even tried to give me more hair. I could tell you lots more about the week, but I am sure the rest of the family will fill you with lots of useful tidbits for when you decide to visit. Bottom line, I highly recommend the trip even if you are an adult. Got to run, more to do. Please keep visiting the site, you never can tell what you may learn about us.

A movie for all your senses...

Walt Disney World was created by Walt Disney because he always had a dream to provide the theater going public with an experience of all the senses. As a matter of fact, when he created the film “Fantasia” it was meant to be multi-dimensional. He went from small town to small town to ask the theater managers to play the movie. However, to play it, the theater owner or manager had to promise to make some changes to their property. Special speakers were required as well as special equipment for mist and smell to reach the viewers. The costs for these changers were extraordinary; none of the managers were willing to put so much into presenting the film. When it was officially released, the viewers only had a part of the experience and it left many disappointed.

Walt Disney was simply ahead of his time. He had the imagination but not the technology necessary to give the audience the multi-sensory experience. Of course, Disney has long been innovators – they have created technology that did not exist to make some vision come to life. Some movie theaters are now being built with the equipment that would have made “Fantasia” an amazing movie experience.

Since he could not make it happen on the big screen, Walt Disney decided to make it happen in a much larger theater. That is why he created Disneyland in California. The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is designed on the same pattern. The park is designed to be a huge movie that the viewer can actually step into. From the parking lot into Main Street, the visitor is greeted with the same things they would see at the theater. They park and then approach the ticket booth. At the front door you can see posters advertising upcoming attractions – the themed areas inside the park. As you walk through the door, the first thing you will smell is the popcorn coming from the carts parked nearby. Main Street is where you will see the movie credits. There are names painted on the windows above the stores. These names tell the story of Disney – from accountants to designers to Walt Disney himself.

Finally, as you begin walking down Main Street you can finally see the feature presentation – Cinderella’s Castle. You can not see the castle from anywhere outside of the park – it is not visible until you step on to Main Street. The Main Street Train Station was specifically designed to hide it until the very last moment. Walt Disney wanted it to be a breathtaking moment. The entire Disney experience – at whichever park you visit – is the same. It is not a theme park, it is a show. The workers are cast members, their uniforms are costumes. They are actors on a stage and you enter into a very different world.

Another way to Experience what Walt Disney intended for that early movie is an attraction found in Fantasyland. Mickey's PhilharMagic is a 20 minute 3 dimensional large screen movie using ideas and visuals from the movie "Fantasia," but also adding the other sensory features that Walt Disney intended. It is so much fun to try to catch the things that pop out of the screen at you -- jewels, instruments, even Donald Duck. The smell of roses and the feel of mist on your skin makes it an incredible experience. Mickey's PhilharMagic is a FastPass ride, though the auditorium is large and the wait is usually short. It is worth the wait.

The pictures in today's blog were taken by Bruce.