Florida Trip Nov 2009 - Magic Kingdom

Just a note for the future - don't go to a theme park on Friday the 13th. It doesn't go well. We went to visit Pirates first as we've decided that's our tradition. Broke. Just as we were about to give up, it opened and we got to ride it. We were stuck at the top of Splash Mountain for at least a half-hour. And it just kept piling up. We had a running count of 'things not working' and it became a source of amusement. The 'creepy' Haunted Mansion was fine. That seemed oddly appropriate.

Walt Disney World Railroad - Once. You ride a train around the park seeing the sights as well as a few displays set up only for the railroad. The train stops at the main station at the front of the park, in Frontierland, and in ToonTown. I like trains. It is relaxing. If you're going to be at the parks for several days in a row, I'd recommend saving it for later in your trip as that's normally when you start to tire a bit. At that point, a brief ride on a train can be restful.

Swiss Family Treehouse - Once. You walk through the house that the Swiss Family Robinson set up. It looks like they just left it behind. Go through it at night and take in the view at the top. It's fun but it's not the sort of thing I'd visit a lot. There's just not that much going on.

The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management - Once. You sit in a room that has a South Sea type decor to it. Once the doors close, the room comes alive, filled with singing birds and tiki gods. The fact that you feel like you're in the middle of the show, as opposed to being separated by a stage or water or a ride car, adds to the show's appeal. It's fun. Iago and Zazu have been added to the original Tiki room and their presence makes the show move quickly. I dunno that I'd want to sit through it multiple times on a trip, but it's very enjoyable. There's also sitting, which is nice.

Jungle Cruise - Once. Classic. Silly. Fun. Do it at night when the animatronics don't look so obvious.

Pirates of the Caribbean - 6 times. Still good stuff. Yo ho!

Splash Mountain - Once. You ride a log through Chikapin Hill and observe the story of Brer Rabbit. The ride is fascinating as it's based on a movie that hasn't been legitimately released in America in over a decade. Very colorful, lots of ups and downs until you get thrown into the briar patch near the end and drop 5 stories! Yipes! You will get wet. I'm not sure I liked the drop (they scare me!) but the ride is outstanding from a story perspective. Good stuff.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - 3 times. Fun coaster. Nothing too extreme, fast but not too fast. Beautifully lit at night.

Haunted Mansion - 5 times, including once on my own. Creepy but not so scary. The song is great. Narration is great. Love this. It just works.

'it's a small world' - Once. The show from the 1964 World's Fair still exists. It's cute. The song will get stuck in your head. It never leaves...

Peter Pan's Flight - 3 times. Riding in a Spanish Galleon or Pirate Ship of some sort, you fly through the Darling children's bedroom, out of the house, and high over London! As you pass the moon, you see Peter and the children's shadow and find yourself in Neverland! You fly over that, taking 'fire' from Hook's ship. Soon, Wendy is about to walk the plank and all looks dire, but Peter defeats Hook and saves the day. As we leave, Smee is trying to rescue his Captain from the ticking Croc. Looks of fun. Moves quickly. Still not sure why the line runs to 50 minutes on a slow day but there you are. Popular.

Mickey's PhilharMagic - Once. Why did we do this only once? 3D movie that bounces through Disney history. Fun.

Snow White's Scary Adventures - Once (at least that's what I have written down, I believe it was actually three times). A speedy ride through the first animated feature film. One of my favorite but simple tricks is in this ride. You approach the Wicked Witch from behind, seeing her glamorous reflection in the mirror. As she turns to face you (the reflection spins as well), we see her in her scary old lady form. Nice! It's a quick fun ride.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh - Twice. Another speedy ride through the events of the story. Lots of great touches make this ride fun. As you speed through Owl's house, you see a picture of him receiving a deed from Mr. Toad, as the Mr. Toad's Wild Ride was originally on this site. As you meet Tigger, the track is set up so that the car 'bounces' with him. The effect for Pooh's dream, as the animatronic falls asleep as its dream self floats away is impressive. The Heffalumps and Woozles that follow are suitably weird looking. I really enjoyed this ride.

Mad Tea Party - Once. Change places! We made it spin good. Lots of fun.

The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm - Once. A speedy coaster similar in style to the Woody Woodpecker coaster at Universal. Fun but it's over too fast.

Tomorrowland Speedway - Once. You drive a 'slot car' around a track. Fun for kids, not so much for adults that can already drive.

Space Mountain - 3 times. It was in test mode after being fixed up. The updated lighting is nice. The ride itself is the same. When my eyes weren't adjusted to the dim lighting in the queue, it was great, a smooth ride with awesome lighting effects. When my eyes were adjusted, I could see the track like last time and became aware of the track. I tensed up and it made my back hurt. It is fun but it is what it is.

Tomorrowland Transit Authority - Once. A futuristic 'train' ride around Tomorrowland, going through the buildings. It's very much a smaller version of the Railroad as you get a great view and see things you can only see on the ride. Fun. Weird.

Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin - Twice. Target shooting. Fun but nothing too special.

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor - Once. An interactive show where the Monsters work to fill a canister with Laugh energy. The video screens show computer animation but much of it is set up to interact with the crowd in the theatre at the time. They quickly explain that you may get put on screen. So many people that wouldn't play along, so sad... until they put the camera on me. As they retold the story of the movie, I was cast as the bad guy, Randell. The only joke I remember was that they said I went invisible and, thinking quickly, I covered my face with my hands to order to be 'invisible'. I looked like I was playing Peek-a-boo. "Awww," the monster on screen noted, "aren't they cute at that age?" Another of those things I enjoyed but would probably only visit once a trip.

Pictures:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2044688&id=1353274305&l=f87259cb85

And that's the end of that chapter.