I visited Disney World for the first time this past week at almost age 41. (I did spend a day at Disney Land when I was about 13 or 14. The security dude there wouldn't allow me to wear my recently purchased Sex Wax surfing wax tee-shirt into the park, so I wore it turned inside out.)
A grand time was had by all, mostly.
You go to Disney for your kids. And Maks and Eli had an awesome time. They met more characters than they know exist, many twice. They loved anything that got them wet. Heck, they got to feed ducks outside our hotel room balcony.
I got blisters.
Maybe it was the new Earth shoes, which were supremely comfortable regardless. (James Lileks has a wonderful take on shoes and Disney World here. Thanks, Laura!) Maybe it was all the walking. I had no idea we'd put in several miles a day, but we did. Sort of helps balance out the dieting that doesn't occur in that part of the world.
My one piece of advice about eating at Disney World: Eat anywhere but in the Magic Kingdom. We had truly great meals and service at Les Chefs de France and Aukerhaus in Epcot, California Grill at the Contemporary Resort and Jiko in the Animal Kingdom. The food inside the MK was in name only, and then you learn that particular park is also "dry." So, eat elsewhere.
What astounds me about Disney is aesthetics.
You're walking through the queue for the Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom, which has a kind of Indian safari theme, and you note the floor looks like asphalt has been laid over brick over stone—but it's deliberate. The aging effects and attention to wall surfaces, lighting and artwork is intense. I suppose it all helps keep you occupied while you're in line. But I really appreciated it.
And there's music. Everywhere. In some cases—Epcot, for example—I felt like I was walking through a global sampling of Muzak tracks. Now we're in Persia! Now we're in Brazil! Now we're in the Land of the Beach Boys! But in other parks and circumstances, like the parades, Disney does a very good job with music, sound and production.
Now, when is the "tell all" book about being a character performer coming out?
It was pretty hot, no, really muggy, when we were at Disney World. By my estimate, characters spend about 20-30 minutes on duty before they take a break. But physical comforts aside, I wonder what kind of personality aspires and thrives inside a costume, being hugged repeatedly by lots of little kids, and plenty of adults?
It was also interesting to note that the princesses (Cinderella, Aurora, et al) are about the only characters that actually talk. Even slightly off stage, the characters and their handlers are quite careful to maintain the illusions. There's got to be a movie in there somewhere, Disney.
But the attraction I'd most like to see is the "2 Hours With Disney World's COO" lunch. I want to know how it all works. The water and electricity bills. The garbage disposal. The coordination of talent and equipment for parades. The rehearsals. Sure, the aesthetics are impressive, but the sheer magnitude of the entire production is almost impossible to comprehend. And they do it every day of the year.
And they do it with smiles on their faces—even the guy cleaning up horse manure, or the lady cleaning out trash at our hotel—I have to assume you get fired from Disney World if you don't smile. It didn't feel faux, either. Working at Disney must be pleasant. At least, that's how they made me feel.
So my little grumbling is almost insignificant.
We stayed in the Saratoga Springs Resort. A comfortable space, just a bus ride from the parks. Nice pool area. And the food was decent. But they don't have wireless Internet access. They do, however have Ethernet jacks in the guest bedrooms which aren't connected to anything—a frustrating discovery when the two kids are sleeping in the one room that does have a working Ethernet connection. The front desk wasn't particularly helpful: "You could go to Kinkos." Problem solved by ordering an Apple Airport Express via next day delivery using an iPhone.
And if you do get on the Kali River Rapids, keep an extra set of shorts, shirt, underwear, socks and shoes with someone outside the ride. The sign is misleading. You absolutely will get soaked. But maybe that's because Maks wanted to ride it over and over, and the attendants were kind enough to let us keep riding—eight times in a row.
We'll be back.
A grand time was had by all, mostly.
I got blisters.
Maybe it was the new Earth shoes, which were supremely comfortable regardless. (James Lileks has a wonderful take on shoes and Disney World here. Thanks, Laura!) Maybe it was all the walking. I had no idea we'd put in several miles a day, but we did. Sort of helps balance out the dieting that doesn't occur in that part of the world.
My one piece of advice about eating at Disney World: Eat anywhere but in the Magic Kingdom. We had truly great meals and service at Les Chefs de France and Aukerhaus in Epcot, California Grill at the Contemporary Resort and Jiko in the Animal Kingdom. The food inside the MK was in name only, and then you learn that particular park is also "dry." So, eat elsewhere.
What astounds me about Disney is aesthetics.
You're walking through the queue for the Kali River Rapids in Animal Kingdom, which has a kind of Indian safari theme, and you note the floor looks like asphalt has been laid over brick over stone—but it's deliberate. The aging effects and attention to wall surfaces, lighting and artwork is intense. I suppose it all helps keep you occupied while you're in line. But I really appreciated it.
And there's music. Everywhere. In some cases—Epcot, for example—I felt like I was walking through a global sampling of Muzak tracks. Now we're in Persia! Now we're in Brazil! Now we're in the Land of the Beach Boys! But in other parks and circumstances, like the parades, Disney does a very good job with music, sound and production.
Now, when is the "tell all" book about being a character performer coming out?
It was also interesting to note that the princesses (Cinderella, Aurora, et al) are about the only characters that actually talk. Even slightly off stage, the characters and their handlers are quite careful to maintain the illusions. There's got to be a movie in there somewhere, Disney.
But the attraction I'd most like to see is the "2 Hours With Disney World's COO" lunch. I want to know how it all works. The water and electricity bills. The garbage disposal. The coordination of talent and equipment for parades. The rehearsals. Sure, the aesthetics are impressive, but the sheer magnitude of the entire production is almost impossible to comprehend. And they do it every day of the year.
And they do it with smiles on their faces—even the guy cleaning up horse manure, or the lady cleaning out trash at our hotel—I have to assume you get fired from Disney World if you don't smile. It didn't feel faux, either. Working at Disney must be pleasant. At least, that's how they made me feel.
So my little grumbling is almost insignificant.
We stayed in the Saratoga Springs Resort. A comfortable space, just a bus ride from the parks. Nice pool area. And the food was decent. But they don't have wireless Internet access. They do, however have Ethernet jacks in the guest bedrooms which aren't connected to anything—a frustrating discovery when the two kids are sleeping in the one room that does have a working Ethernet connection. The front desk wasn't particularly helpful: "You could go to Kinkos." Problem solved by ordering an Apple Airport Express via next day delivery using an iPhone.
And if you do get on the Kali River Rapids, keep an extra set of shorts, shirt, underwear, socks and shoes with someone outside the ride. The sign is misleading. You absolutely will get soaked. But maybe that's because Maks wanted to ride it over and over, and the attendants were kind enough to let us keep riding—eight times in a row.
We'll be back.
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