The kids have been anticipating going to Disney in Orlando for months and they are thrilled to be starting out in the morning for
Magic Kingdom. I am holding my breath as the weather forecasters are calling for temps in the mid 90's along with high humidity - yuck.
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| Hey - it's looking pretty good so far |
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| Wow - lots of other cars |
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Even though it's well over two weeks past Easter Break, the crowds are daunting. Long lines are the de rigueur of the Disney experience. Once past the gauntlet of finding a parking space in the enormous lots, waiting in line for a tram, going through security lines and ticket checks, we finally find ourselves inside the entrance.
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| Long lines and parents trying to make their kid smile |
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| Whew! We made it in. |
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| Christine and kids lead the way in |
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| Classic pose |
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| Tomorrow Land |
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We quickly learn we need to sign up for our daily allotment of Fast Passes, allowing us to bypass the much longer standard lines. We are dismayed to discover all the Fast Passes for the main rides have already been snapped up. Apparently the more savvy Disney nerds sign up for their set of passes as soon as they obtain their tickets way in advance.
With the kids chomping at the bit to get on a roller coaster ride, we pick the nearest one - the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. The line takes us over an hour and half for a ride that lasts less than 5 minutes. The hassle to fun ratio isn't worth it in my book. From then on we start checking the wait times more carefully for other rides.
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| Long line for Dwarfs Mine Train |
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| Peter suffers waiting in the sun |
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| Only half an hour for the Speedway |
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| Inside waiting room for Dwarfs |
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| Waterfall on Dwarf's Mine Train |
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| Haunted Mansion |
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| Under the Sea - Little Mermaid |
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| Under the Sea |
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| Enchanted Tales with Belle |
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| Muppet Great Moments in American History |
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| Brooklyn in face paint |
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| Jungle Cruise |
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| Hippos on Jungle Cruise |
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| Witch Doctor |
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| Cavorting elephants |
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| Cinderella's Castle |
We were all very tired by the end of the day, still after they have cooled down and gotten some rest, the kids seemed to have had a good time. Although I can't say the same for myself, between the crowds, heat, lousy food, and lack of adequate water fountains
I am done with Magic Kingdom.
Hi Marti and Peter!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the pictures and enduring the agony of Disney Parks so I don't have too. I think of the Griswold family vacation to Wally World whenever I think of going to Florida's Disney World. I enjoy seeing your trips. Phill
Yes - it was definitely a Wally World experience!
ReplyDeleteAs we were leaving Magic Kingdom, I told the grand-kids that I hoped they enjoyed it, because I certainly wasn't ever taking them back.
yours is not the only sad story. sad to say but the "blue pool" has gone up in flames. Belknap Hot Springs has been evacuated. Hopefully the resort can be saved. Hazardous air quality is the name of the game throughout Oregon. We dont need anymore convincing evidence of global warming. other than that. all good. pura vida.
ReplyDeleteOMG - that is shocking. We were just at Belknap HS after watching the eclipse in Camp Sherman. Yes there were fires all around the Eastern Cascades, but we thought the fire fighters were getting them under control.
DeleteAfter thinking more about the devastating fires in the West and huge hurricanes in the East, I wonder how much more weather related disasters will be needed to turn around the climate naysayers' thinking so we can fully address this looming problem.
DeleteMarti... I can relate re: the not so "Magic Kingdom". We went 25 years ago(when our kids were teens) and ended up using the passes to the water parks much more than the ride parks. Note our poor grandkids don't even have grandparents which offer to take them to one of the Disney parks.
ReplyDeleteAlways enjoy your blogs... aloha and safe travels. Edna
Yes - we certainly wished we were having fun at the water parks instead. In fact, we hit up as many of the water rides we could at the Disney Parks. Who knew Orlando could get so hot in April? We certainly didn't when we were buying the passes months ahead of time.
DeleteDisneyland is sure a lot closer!
ReplyDeleteLOL - yes, you are right.
DeleteOrlando is much closer to Christine and the grand-kids who live in Knoxville, TN. Besides, Peter has other relatives living in Florida. All of whom I hope manage to stay out of the hurricanes' destruction.