My 3rd Trip to Walt Disney World

Lost and Found… and Lost Again
Day 1: May 14, 2006

The day had come. I had an early flight so I woke up at around 4 am. I made one last check of everything, wished my mom a Happy Mother’s Day, gave her a present, and I was off. I took two pieces of luggage with me. One was a red carry-on that’s been along for all four previous Disney trips. I’m a very sentimental person so I had to take it along for this one as well. The other piece of luggage was sent to baggage, carrying a yellow tag on it that read “Contemporary.” That’s right, I will be staying at Disney’s Contemporary Resort this time. I’ll be staying at my dream resort. Ever since that first night where the monorail pulled away from the Magic Kingdom and I saw the Contemporary, I knew I wanted to stay there. I’m at a point of my life, where free from responsibility, I can make it happen. And so I did. There’s only one reason I want to stay at the Contemporary, to always be with Cinderella Castle.

I arrived in Orlando at around 10:30 am. I totally forgot what the trams at the airport were like. Looking for the Disney Welcome Center, I followed the directions on the booklet Disney sent me. Where did they take me? To the airport exit. Ok, this can’t be right. I went looking around on the first level until I finally found it. Gosh, for a “Disney” area, it’s not very decorative. It just says “Disney’s Magical Express” on the wall. Avis and Hertz had more decorations. And what’s with this line? You honestly don’t expect me to wait in line, do you? I’m a deluxe resort guest. I should have butlers waiting on me! At least, that’s how I always pictured deluxe guests. Oh fine, I’ll wait in line. I think spending so much time with Californians has affected me. I got to the front and the cast member stamped my transportation voucher and I was directed to my bus. A video about Walt Disney World played on the Magical Express bus but I didn’t watch much of it. I just wanted to look outside. This is it! I’m actually being taken to Walt Disney World. This bus actually stopped at all four Magic Kingdom resorts and the Contemporary happened to be the last stop. I didn’t mind though. It was cool to see the Polynesian, Grand Floridian, and Wilderness Lodge.

We arrived at the Contemporary and I immediately headed for the front desk to check in. I was given a room on the ninth floor, facing the Magic Kingdom. Out of the elevator, I headed to the room, opened the door, and was just floored. The room was beautiful! It was a newly refurbished room. It was so… so contemporary! I approached the window and pulled on the curtains. And there she was! After three years, I lay my eyes on Cinderella Castle again. I really can’t describe how I felt then. It was weird, different. Maybe it was a bit of disbelief. But it didn’t really set on me of what I was actually seeing right then and there. I looked around and saw the entire monorail loop. It was an amazing view.





After taking another look around the room, I took out my backpack and camera, left my carry-on, and headed out the door. On the Grand Canyon Concourse, I boarded the monorail and went to the Transportation and Ticket Center. I bought an Annual Passholder ticket months ago and I was going to redeem my certificate now. I met the most charming cast member at the ticket window. Her name was Lacy. She asked if I had wished my mom a “Happy Mother’s Day” yet. I said I did and then got on a plane to get here. She just laughed and said that I must really love Disney. I told her I did. She suggested that I should work here. I told her that I would love to and that someday, I may. She replied saying that she hopes I do so she can take credit for it. It was just as nice a conversation as you can get with a cast member. She was so sweet. I thought about dropping on one knee then and there, but too soon? Maybe.

Lacy handed me my annual pass and I proceeded in. Now the decision, take the monorail or ferry. The monorail is always there. I wanted to take the ferry. It was the ferry that first took me to the Magic Kingdom five years ago, so I thought it would be fitting for it to take me now. While waiting for the ferry, I got a called from my roommate for this trip, Jerry. He had arrived at Orlando and was out with Rob for lunch. He said he would get to the resort soon. I told him to pick up his room key at the front desk and meet me at the Magic Kingdom. The ferry came and I went up to the second level to the front of the boat. I stood there and watched as the ferry slowly approached the Magic Kingdom. It was so very reminiscent of my first trip.



After going through security, there I stood in Main Street, staring down at Cinderella Castle. I walked towards it, but feeling strange. She was decorated for the Happiest Celebration on Earth. It was as though I couldn’t recognize her. What the heck is that big hulking thing covering her face?! It was so weird because I didn’t know how to feel. There in front of me is the one piece of Disney I cherish more than anything and it looks so different.

I was a little hungry now. All I had was a cookie at the airport for breakfast so I decided to look around for some food. I decided I wanted something simple like a hot dog. In searching for my hot dog, I learned something. The Magic Kingdom is not Disneyland! The layout is very different. I had become so used to Disneyland, I was just lost in the Magic Kingdom. I didn’t know where much of anything was. I tried to find Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café for lunch but had no clue where I was going. I actually kept going around in circles in Tomorrowland. Then, I arrived in the place I thought Cosmic Ray’s was at but I was wrong. I looked at the guide map. It’s supposed to be right here, at the end of the spoke to Tomorrowland! I then looked a little more closely. Tomorrowland has two spokes connecting it to the castle? Oh come on! Well, I eventually found Cosmic Ray’s and had my hot dog and some fries.

When lunch was done, I went down Main Street and browsed through the Emporium. Ah, the Emporium always brings back fond memories. I got myself an autograph book. I was disappointed it didn’t have a new look. All the ones I have are different. This will be the first that’s like one of the others. While in the Emporium, I saw parts of the changed Share a Dream Come True parade go by. Ariel kept rubbing her tummy for some reason. Did she just go to Taco Bell? After the parade, I got a call from Rain. She had arrived.

I hadn’t done any attraction yet. What should be the first? I know, something I’ve yet to see, Mickey’s PhilharMagic! Oh wow, it was incredible. That show basically captured all the things I love about Disney. My eyes lit up when Ariel reached out for me during the “Part of Your World” scene. That was definitely my favorite part. I really liked Peter Pan’s sequence as well. PhilharMagic was just a great show. And unlike other 3-D shows, I don’t think it loses much with repeated viewings.

Jerry had entered the Magic Kingdom while we were in PhilharMagic. We met him at the castle hub. He said he wanted to ride the Haunted Mansion. Dagnabbit! I hate that ride! It gives me the creeps. But fine, I’ll go. Why do I always find myself going on this ride when I dislike it so? Well, after getting freaked on that ride, it was my turn to choose. It’s a small world! Rain and I celebrated to Jerry’s dismay. As we went in, the cast member waved good-bye to us. I said she was waving good-bye to our souls. The “it’s a small world” ride at the Magic Kingdom is very different from the version I’ve grown used to at Disneyland. It’s much shorter and the audio seemed really low. It didn’t seem like there was much actual singing of the song, unlike Disneyland’s version. I next suggested the teacups, which was apparently Rain’s least favorite ride. We’re all doing our least favorite rides! Rain asked that we not spin too fast at first. So of course, Jerry and I immediately span the teacup as fast as we could. Wow, if you look up at the ceiling while spinning, it’s just crazy! Rain looked like she was going to be sick. I love the teacups!

We went over to Tomorrowland to hit some rides there. We rode the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. I remember liking this ride because it was so relaxing on a long, hot day. I pretended to be skiing on the ramp up to the ride. The next stop was Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. Alright, this attraction is just plain creepy. It started off ok but it just got weirder and weirder with each stop. And the way they started the song each time was frightening. It just popped out of nowhere each time! We hit Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin next. Rain mopped the floor with me. I am just horrible at this game! I got about 4000 points, while she got over 400,000. Oy!



Adventureland was our next destination. A funny thing happened while we were waiting for the Jungle Cruise. Rain was on the phone with Rob. A cast member at the ride, Jeremy, decided to play a joke and take Rain’s phone from her and talk to the person on the line. What he didn’t expect was that the person knew who he was. Rob and Jeremy knew each other. How funny is that? It was probably funnier than the actual ride itself. I giggled at some parts though. We decided to have dinner next and ate at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. I wasn’t too hungry so I had some chili cheese fries and a brownie with peanut butter mousse. The dessert was really sweet, a little too sweet. After dinner, Rain had to get back to her car to get something. So while she was gone, Jerry and I went to see the Hall of Presidents. While waiting for it, Jerry and I came up with some new ideas for the Hall of Presidents, like the Hall of Presidents Under New Management and the Hall of Presidents Starring Aerosmith. The actual show was nice and made you feel very patriotic.



Rain had come back and was waiting for us in Main Street. Jerry and I headed there through Adventureland. Then, something very special happened. I saw the spires of Cinderella Castle from behind the Adventureland buildings. It finally reached me. It was a very familiar image, a very comforting one. It really was Cinderella Castle. It was her all along. Even with all the decorations, I now finally saw the single thing I adored the most. I was at last truly reunited with her. I found home. I found the magic again. We met back up with Rain and we decided to relax around Main Street until the fireworks. It was time I took to get reacquainted with Cinderella Castle. The sun set and the castle began to light up as darkness fell. It was beautiful. That mirror is actually growing on me now. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her.

The smell of Main Street was too much for Rain as she went off to get an ice cream sandwich. I, myself, was tempted by the twinkling lights of the cast member cart. I ended up getting a light-up loop to wear around my neck. I’m going to annoy a lot of people with this! We then headed into the middle of Main Street to watch Wishes. I have never seen Wishes before. I have seen Remember… Dreams Come True however. I wonder how they will compare. Wishes began and I thought it was awesome. It was beautiful and magical. Cinderella Castle adds so much to any show. And the music, I loved the music to Wishes. It was so touching. The chorus of children singing “Star light, star bright” was absolutely chilling! I had never heard that before. My jaw just dropped at that part. In terms of effects, Wishes doesn’t hold a candle to Remember. But in terms of magic, I think Wishes topped it. I just adored the music. It touches your heart and speaks your dreams. That’s what I love.



The park officially closed but we stayed around after the fireworks. It was the Magic Kingdom’s Extra Magic Hour that evening. We had gotten our bracelets earlier. Our first ride of the extended hours was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Now this ride scared me in Disneyland. But I believe it was because it caught me by surprise. I was ready for it this time and it was a lot of fun. This was the first roller coaster I ever went on back on my first trip. The night atmosphere adds a lot to the ride experience. Next, Rain and Jerry decided to go somewhere. I just followed them. Big mistake. I found myself back at the Haunted Mansion. What? Again? Oh come on! I just rode this thing. Isn’t once enough suffering? It’s even creepier at night. I refused to go in, but Rain and Jerry dragged me. The cast members there were of no assistance! Hmph! I actually tried to ignore much of the ride going through it this time. It made it better for me. Ok, next, I get to pick. I choose Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel! It’s my absolute favorite ride at night. With all the lights and the circle tour of Fantasyland, it’s just so magical. Jerry didn’t want to ride it so Rain and I did. Rain is very clumsy on a horse by the way. We then did a ride Rain feared, Snow White’s Scary Adventures. How is Snow White really scary? The ride seemed different from the Disneyland. I’m not sure if it is. I thought it was a lot of fun. I love happy endings.



We next decided to ride one of my favorite rides at Disneyland, Space Mountain. Disneyland’s Space Mountain is incredible. Would the Magic Kingdom’s version be like it? I found out it definitely wasn’t. There was no on-board music. The track was very bumpy. And it didn’t have Disneyland’s effects. It wasn’t very dark in there, so you could actually see the track. After experiencing Disneyland’s far superior version, this was a disappointment. I thought it was more like Disneyland’s Matterhorn without the Yeti than Space Mountain. Rain wanted to go on Splash Mountain but I didn’t want to. I’ve already conquered Splash Mountain. I shouldn’t be afraid of it anymore but something was telling me not to get on. I don’t really know. I just didn’t want to ride it.

We hung around the castle hub for a bit. Jerry was tired and decided to call it a day and head back to the resort. Rain wanted to ride Splash Mountain badly so she went to ride it on her own. I was thus left alone with Cinderella Castle. I have no complaints. It’s my favorite place to be. I could stay there for hours. I walked around taking pictures of it and absorbing its magic. I noticed that characters had come out in front of the castle to take pictures. I thought that would be a really cool photo so I got in line to see Mickey and Minnie together. It was then that I got a phone call. It was from Jerry. What does he want? Didn’t he just go back to the resort? I picked up. He said that I needed to get back to the resort quickly. I asked why. He said that our room was flooded. Umm… what? He said the floors below us were flooded too. I had absolutely no idea what to think at that moment. Is Jerry pulling my leg? I decided not to risk it and headed out of the park. I left Rain a voicemail to tell her that I had to leave. I felt bad for basically just ditching her like that. But if my room is really somehow flooded, I have to get back now.



This was not the way I pictured leaving the Magic Kingdom on my first night. All I could think of was the image of water flowing from the Contemporary. I walked back to the resort instead of taking the monorail. I actually took two laps. I went to the wrong way and had to circle back and go the right way. I arrived at the Contemporary lobby expecting to witness utter chaos. But it was completely quiet and calm. What’s going on? I went to the elevator and was joined by a cast member pushing an empty luggage cart. We both ended up going to the ninth floor. I thought that was weird. It was only when I saw him following me that I realized what he was doing. He was going to my room. I opened the door, stepped in, and I heard “Squish!” I looked down to see the carpet completely soaked. Jerry was there. He told me it was much worse. A pipe in the bathroom burst and just shot water into the room. There was actually a layer of water in there just moments ago. The rooms directly below us on the seventh and eighth floors got flooded as well and complained. That’s how the resort knew it was our room that was the source. The cast member came in and put our luggage, which luckily was on our beds, into his cart. I asked him where we were going. He told me across the hall. I’m getting moved to the bay view? Hey, I paid for a castle view! I took a look at Cinderella Castle through the window and then followed the cast member. In the hallway, we met a shift manager at the Contemporary. He handed me a room key to our new room. He apologized for the inconvenience. I told him that I paid for a castle view room. He said the move would be temporary, the next day we would be moved back to the castle side of the resort. He also said he would “take care” of our first night. I didn’t really know what he meant by that. I thanked him and went into our temporary room. I looked out the window to see a lake. For one night, I suppose it would be nice. Jerry had told Rob about our room and he drove to the Contemporary to meet us. We met but I wasn’t really interested in saying much. It was a long day and I was tired. I called it a night and went to bed.

Ariel’s Day
Day 2: May 15, 2006

I woke up early to handle our room issue. I went down to the front desk to get things sorted out. I found out what the manager meant when he said he would “take care of it” last night. He completely refunded my first night there. Wow, a free night! Now that’s customer service! Look how much I saved! Saved? You mean, look how much more I have to spend! Yay! The front desk cast member handed me keys to our new room, back on the castle side. It was still on the ninth floor, actually 5 doors down from our old room. The room would not be available until later in the day so bell services came to pick up our luggage and store it until we came back.

After the room issue was settled, Jerry and I headed back to the Magic Kingdom. We hadn’t had breakfast yet so we decided to get something at the Main Street Bakery. On the way there, I saw another familiar sight along Main Street. It was the trolley show. I love this show. I was completely addicted to it during my trip three years ago. Seeing it go by brought a smile to my face. At the bakery, we both got a croissant sandwich. Jerry got some coffee while I had orange juice. I can drink coffee but I don’t utterly need it. I prefer my juice. We went over to an empty alley in Main Street to eat our breakfast. What we didn’t expect was to have one of the Magic Kingdom’s tours walk in on us. Everyone sat around us as their guide provided information and trivia. She gave stickers to people who correctly answered her questions. I wanted a sticker but seeing how I wasn’t really part of the tour, I didn’t say a word. Jerry and I finished breakfast and we left the tour group.



So what’s the first thing I’m going to do in my first morning at Disney? I think the mermaid on my shirt makes that answer obvious. I dragged Jerry over to Ariel’s Grotto. I have a date with my princess! The wait for Ariel wasn’t too bad. It was soon my turn and I ran up to her.

Ariel: Hello there! How are you today?
Vince: Hi Ariel! I’m good!
Ariel: Is that me on your shirt?
Vince: (shows it off) It is! You’re my absolute favorite, Ariel!
Ariel: I am? Oh wow! (sees my book) Can I sign this?
Vince: Of course you can! You’re the first to sign it. I made sure you would be!
Ariel: Oh wow, I’m really honored! What’s your name?
Vince: Vincent.
Ariel: Well, hello Vincent. Say, do you know Flounder and Sebastian? They’re friends of mine.
Vince: I do! I know Scuttle too.
Ariel: You know Scuttle too?!
Vince: Yeah, he tells me about all sorts of human stuff.
Ariel: I love human stuff! You know what?
Vince: What?
Ariel: Scuttle told me about my dinglehopper.
Vince: You have a dinglehopper? I wish I had a dinglehopper.
Ariel: You do? Well, look at this. (reaches for her chest, opens it, and pulls out a fork)
Vince: Wow! That’s so cool, Ariel!
Ariel: I know! (starts brushing her hair) I love to brush my hair with it. Vincent, can I have a picture with you?
Vince: Of course you can. I would love a picture.
Ariel: May I have your hand?
Vince: Ok!
(Ariel holds my hand as our pictures are taken.)
Vince: Thank you so much, Ariel!
Ariel: Oh, it was my pleasure. It was wonderful meeting you.
Vince: It was wonderful to see you! Bye Ariel!
Ariel: Bye bye!





On my way out, I was handed a photopass and an Ariel sticker. Yay! Oh my gosh, that was so much fun! Ariel rocks!!! I miss her already. While heading out of the grotto, I spotted Pinocchio. I’ve never gotten my picture with him before, so I got in line to meet him. It was a very short one. Pinocchio played a joke on the family in front of me. A child was in a stroller and his parents gave Pinocchio his autograph book to sign. Pinocchio signed it but wouldn’t give it back to the parents. He wanted the kid to come get it. He went and left it on a windowsill and told him to go get it. It was cute. The kid refused to get out of the stroller so he got his book back anyway. I then met Pinocchio myself and got his signature and picture.



Jerry missed out on Mickey’s PhilharMagic yesterday so we went to go see it next. I really love this show. When Ariel reached out this time, I reached out for her as well. I also tried to save Donald to no avail. Poor misunderstood duck. I next wanted to see another show I’ve never seen before, Cinderellabration. Jerry wasn’t interested in seeing it to he went off to do other things. Cinderellabration has very tough shoes to fill because it replaced my absolute favorite show from the last trip, Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration. I was heartbroken when I heard it was going away. That show was so addicting, it was like my drug. I still sing its song from time to time. Cinderellabration is basically the coronation of Cinderella as an official princess. It’s a very pretty and fancy show. I liked the music but it wasn’t as catchy as the previous show’s. Although I did like Cinderellabration, I don’t think it was as fun as Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration. I didn’t get to see Beast get down with it.

It's about DAMN time :lookaroun

Now I'll go read :lol:

I met up with Jerry again and we went into The Enchanted Tiki Room Under New Management. I thought it was really fun and entertaining, definitely different from Disneyland’s original version. We next got ourselves some Dole Whips to cool off. Jerry actually got a float, but I felt like just the soft serve. While we were enjoying our Dole Whips, we saw a lizard nearby bobbing its head to the Adventureland atmosphere music. It was really funny! The next stop was another attraction I’ve yet to experience, Stitch’s Great Escape! I know this show gets bashed a lot but I thought it was funny and cute. Though I could have done without the chili smell, ew! I noticed there weren’t really many effects at all in that show. Afterwards, I did some shopping at Star Traders in Tomorrowland. I bought a little Tinkerbell dangler to put on my desk at work. I think it’s cute. After that, we got aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad at the train station in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. It was a nice relaxing trip around the park. We didn’t do a full circle though. We got off at Frontierland. There, we rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad again. It’s not as fun during the day. Splash Mountain had a really long stand-by wait so we skipped that. It was probably for the best. With not really much left, we went to see the Hall of Presidents again. Jerry just wanted to be in the air conditioning.

Rain had arrived at the Magic Kingdom while we were in the Hall of Presidents. That’s the second straight time she did that. We met up with her in Main Street and browsed around a little in the Emporium. I got myself a cool t-shirt with Mickey and Walt standing on Main Street, a Walt Disney World polo shirt, and the Wishes CD. I do love that Wishes music! I then wanted to see if Mickey was still around doing meets in front of the Main Street train station. He was! Rain and I got in line to meet him and we both got our pictures with him. I also got an autograph. Mickey doing meets here is a lot better than in some silly tent.



We had a reservation for ‘Ohana at Disney’s Polynesian Resort for dinner and it was almost time for it, so we headed out of the Magic Kingdom. First, we wanted to go back to the Contemporary and get our new room. It should be ready by now. When we got there, we found out it was. We were back on the castle side of the resort. Bell services brought our bags up and I was back with my castle. Tonight, she will be the last thing I see. After we got everything in order with the room, we went over to the Polynesian for ‘Ohana. That resort seems really nice, but I still prefer the Contemporary. When we got to ‘Ohana, we were given a buzzer to alert us when our table was ready. The buzzer looked an awful lot like a taser. They said the wait would be 15 minutes but it was really more like 3 minutes. ‘Ohana was a very interesting and fun meal. Everything was about family there. ‘Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind! The waiters were family, the host was family. It was really a unique experience. Hawaiian songs were played, including the Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride from Lilo and Stitch, and the dinner was very interactive. And then there was the food. There was so much of it. They wouldn’t stop bringing it! We had fried wontons with dipping sauces as an appetizer. We were then given shrimp, chicken wings, potatoes, and vegetables. Then came the main course. I was already full! The waiter went around with 3-foot skewers filled with meat and dropped them in our plates. There was steak, chicken, pork, and sausage. The steak was really good. Unfortunately, I couldn’t finish anything. I was so full. Desert came and it was delicious. It was banana bread with vanilla ice cream. It was so good!



We were all completely stuffed from ‘Ohana. Jerry was tired and went back to the Contemporary. Rain and I went over to the Disney-MGM Studios. It would be that park’s Extra Magic Hour tonight. Rain actually drove us there, which was nice. When we got to the park, we immediately got our bracelets for the night. You know, if I felt a little lost at the Magic Kingdom, I was completely clueless at the Disney-MGM Studios. At least the Magic Kingdom resembled Disneyland somewhat, I haven’t seen anything like the Studios in three years. It took a while to get the hang of my surroundings and get reacquainted with the park. It was my second favorite park at Walt Disney World after all. After taking a couple pictures of the Disney-MGM Studios, we went on the Great Movie Ride. Our driver was named Erin. She was cute and very peppy. She was really energetic. It made the ride fun. I noticed they added a lot of new movies to end film sequence. After the ride, Rain suggested that we see the 10:30 showing of Fantasmic! so that we can do other things till then. I thought it was a good idea. I know what I want to see next! Voyage of the Little Mermaid! Yay! We got there early for the 9 pm showing so we played around in the princess store next to it for a bit. Rain made me wear an Ariel tiara and pearl necklace and hold a Flounder plush so she could take a picture. Why does it seem like I dressed up like a princess on every trip? We were pretty much some of the first people in the queue for Voyage. Because of that, we were able to get great seats, front row, directly in front of Ariel. The show was just amazing! To be put in the illusion of being under water while the Main Titles played, it sent shivers down my spine. The best part of the show was by far Ariel herself. She was simply incredible! Her rendition of Part of Your World was absolutely perfect. Jodi Benson probably couldn’t sing it any better. I was just put in complete awe during that show. With Part of Your World being my favorite song, I can tend to become a bit of a critic for its performances. But there was nothing to criticize with this one. Every note was perfect. She sung the playful part with energy, the soft parts was emotion, and the big parts with power. It was the best performance of the song I have ever seen live.



After being awed by Ariel, I browsed around some of the shops at the Studios with Rain. I actually played around a bit with the spinning wheel in the villains store. Rain then said she had to go so I parted ways with her. I was now on my own. It was almost time for Fantasmic! so I went over to the stadium seating area. While waiting, I thought about it and decided that it would probably best if I didn’t see Fantasmic! I’ve already seen this show many times, more than any other night show. And I’ve seen the superior version at Disneyland. I could watch it tonight but with the wait, the length of the show, and the trouble I’m going to have leaving it, I may be better off skipping it and doing other things with the time. I thought it was a good idea and headed out of the Fantasmic! area.



I visited the Magic of Disney Animation with my new free time. They’ve completely changed this attraction. The artists are gone, the tour area is mostly gone, and it looks a lot more like the Disney Animation building at Disney’s California Adventure. It has everything Disney Animation has, Animation Academy, the character greet area, Beast’s Library, and Ursula’s Lair. There is one major thing lacking though and it’s the greatest thing about Disney Animation. The Magic of Disney Animation didn’t have the incredible lobby area of Disney Animation, where they play Disney songs and project scenes on the walls. That’s the single thing that made Disney Animation awesome in California. Without it, it’s very blah. You know what the worst thing is though? They took away the ending movie of the old Magic of Disney Animation tour. That was the greatest Disney montage ever! I would go to the Magic of Disney Animation just to watch that movie. It always made you cry. I can’t believe they took it away. The Magic of Disney Animation is definitely not what it used to be. I did notice something interesting in there though. There was a poster for “Rapunzel” for 2008. I thought it going to be called “Rapunzel Unbraided” and only loosely based on the fairy tale. Does this mean it’s going to be the actual story? That would be awesome! We need a new princess.

What should I do next? I looked next to me and saw Voyage of the Little Mermaid. What? Go see it again? Oh yes! I got back in the queue early for the next showing and got the same seat again. It was the same Ariel and she sang just as beautiful and perfect as before. I could watch this show all night, especially with her singing. It’s funny. For each of my trips, there has been one show that just completely captured my imagination and I could not get enough of it. For my first Walt Disney World trip, it was Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. For my second, it was Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration. Snow White –An Enchanting New Musical captured my heart on my first Disneyland trip. And for my last Disneyland trip, it was Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams. This time, it would not be a new show but one I’m quite familiar with, Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It’s definitely moving up the ladder of my favorite shows.



When I was done being mesmerized by Voyage, I called it a night. It was really late now and there wasn’t much left open in the park that I wanted to see. I walked around the Studios for a bit and take it in and then hopped on a bus back to the Contemporary. Back in my room, I was greeted by the sight of Cinderella Castle glowing its nighttime beauty. This would be my first night of peace. I stayed on my balcony to just appreciate the castle and then went to bed, but not before wishing Cinderella Castle a goodnight.

A Second Chance
Day 3: May 16, 2006

This would be my first morning without having to deal with any room issues. I now actually find the whole thing rather funny. So with some free time in the morning, I spent it exploring the Contemporary for a bit. There’s actually not as much to look at outside as All Star Movies, my old resort. I also cashed in my Magical Express certificate for a free pin at the Fantasia store. I got a cute little Magical Express bus pin for it. When Jerry was ready, we went over to the Polynesian to have some Tonga Toast at the Kona Café. I had it with some Lilikoi juice. It was the first time I had Tonga Toast. It wasn’t bad. It was very sweet.



My first two days had been spent in the magic of fantasy. I got to see the two parks I love the most at Walt Disney World. Today would be a different experience. Today would be Epcot. I visited Epcot for the first time on my last trip. Much to the surprise of others, I was rather disappointed by it. It didn’t seem that there was much to do there that fit my tastes. I’ve had three years to think about it since then. Perhaps that day was just a fluke. Maybe it was just a bad day. Epcot deserves a second chance and this would be it.

A funny thing happened as we left the Polynesian resort to go to Epcot. It began to rain. It would end up raining all day. I think the sky was weeping for me. We transferred over to the Epcot monorail at the Transportation and Ticket Center. When we arrived at the park, I noticed instead of its usual music, it was playing princess songs. Hmm… Epcot’s trying to make an impression on me. Keep it up! Actually, the Flower and Garden Festival was going on in Epcot. That was the reason for the love songs.



The first attraction we did was Spaceship Earth. It had a pretty long line but it went through quickly. I don’t remember much about this ride from before, other than falling asleep on it. I tried to stay awake this time. Oh, so it’s about the evolution of human communication. Umm… woo! It had cool music though. That’s the one thing I’ll give Epcot. I do like its music. I also failed on my quest to stay awake. My eyes got a bit droopy at the end of the ride. We next visited the Universe of Energy to do Ellen’s Energy Adventure. This was an attraction I do remember enjoying. Ellen and Bill Nye are just too funny. The whole concept of the ride is just the silliest thing and that’s what makes it enjoyable. Epcot needs more Ellen. The pavilion next door was Mission: Space. This was something I missed on my first trip to Epcot. I wanted to ride it but I was nervous about it. You know, seeing how I don’t want to die! But after considering it for a while, I went in with Jerry. Ah, is there anyone more trustworthy than Gary Sinise? The ride wasn’t that bad at all. I thought it was rather tame. I did like it though. I was the pilot. From now on, I always want to be the pilot! At the gift shop, I got myself a Mission: Space t-shirt and a pilot security pass.

Ice Station Cool was our next stop. It’s been changed since I last saw it. There was very little to drink. Everything seemed to be out. Well, everything but Beverly. Beverly isn’t so bad going down, but the aftertaste just kills you. We then visited the Flower and Garden Festival Center. They had flowers arranged to form large versions of the stamps in the new Disney romance collection. I thought it was cool until I realized that the flowers were just painted on. Now that’s not as cool as picking flowers of the right color to form it. The Land was the next pavilion we visited. It has a new attraction, Soarin’. I just find that offensive. I guess it’s because I feel a certain loyalty to Disney’s California Adventure. They didn’t even try to change it to fit Walt Disney World. They just stole the ride and plopped it in Epcot! I couldn’t ride this. I’d feel dirty for betraying the true Soarin’ Over California. It’s one of my favorite rides, but not here. Not for me, at least. The line for Living with the Land was very long. I’m not making that mistake again! Why is that ride so popular? The only thing left was The Circle of Life. It was a very nice and sweet movie. Cursed humans! When will they learn? The final Future World pavilion we saw was Imagination! There, we rode Journey Into Imagination With Figment. I still don’t get all the hoopla over Figment. What’s so special about him?



Jerry didn’t want to visit the Living Seas, so we were done with Future World. I already saw Turtle Talk in California so I didn’t care. Next up was the World Showcase. The first stop was Mexico. I browsed around the shopping area a bit and then headed for El Rio del Tiempo. This is another ride I don’t recall anything about. But after riding it a second time, I don’t think I could ever forget it. It’s going to give me nightmares for the rest of my days. It is so weird and creepy! It makes no sense. It seemed like they just grabbed all this random stuff about Mexico and threw it at the ride. What’s the deal with that shopkeeper chasing you through the video screens? Norway was next. I do remember enjoying Norway. Not for the ride or anything, just for the umm… “sights.” We rode Maelstrom and compared to Mexico’s ride, this was much better. At least it made some sense. If I was some sort of skier, I think I would like Norway’s shop.

It was now China’s turn to try to impress me. Jerry and I actually didn’t do much in China. We saw that it had an exhibit on Hong Kong Disneyland so we looked at that. I was hanging around the statue of Khan when I got a surprise. I looked to my right and there was Mulan, who just appeared out of nowhere! Talk about a shock. There was practically no one around either. I got her autograph and pictures with her. She saw that Mickey was the last to sign my book. She called him the headcheese. I asked if Mickey was the boss in China as well. She said he was the boss everywhere. That was funny!



We had a dinner reservation for Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada tonight and its time was approaching. We hurried through the rest of the World Showcase but we did stop in Japan for a bit to check out the shop there. It feels like an anime shop in Chinatown. We got to Canada and waited for the second half of our party to arrive. Rob and his girlfriend, Rebecca, soon showed up and we stepped into Canada for dinner. Rob was able to successfully name all the Canadian provinces to the Canadian cast members and was given a “Le Cellier Trivia Winner” tag as a prize. He was a little embarrassed to wear it though. It’s funny, I’ve never known Rob to get embarrassed. I chose to have the Prince Edward Island Mussels and the 7 oz. Filet Mignon. It was good but I thought the steak I had at ‘Ohana yesterday was better. Rob actually was fascinated by the children’s dessert smores and got one for himself.



Rob couldn’t stay with us after dinner so he left Rebecca with us. The three of us then went around the World Showcase some more. We actually took the boat from Canada to Morocco. I didn’t see the point of the boat ride though. Canada and Morocco aren’t that far from each other. At the shop in Morocco, I thought about getting a lamp and saying that my genie was set free, but I didn’t get it. I found another surprise in Morocco however. I looked in a window and saw Aladdin! I went in to meet him and accidentally gave him my autograph book upside-down. I saw my mistake and told Aladdin it was upside-down. Aladdin was glad I told him. He said he would have looked really silly signing upside-down. I told Aladdin, “Yeah, my friends would say ‘That silly Aladdin signed upside-down.’” Then when I told him I was from Philly, he said he met a lot of people from Pennsylvania today. After Morocco, we hit the American Adventure. We had to enter through the exit of the theater. I guess the main entrance was being refurbished. It was a nice show, like a better version of the Hall of Presidents.



Afterwards, Jerry went off on his own and I finished the rest of the night with Rebecca. We went back to China to see Reflections of China and see what the shop had to offer. The movie was good, but it was a bit hard having to turn around to all the different angles to see everything about the film. Rebecca and I then found a spot outside to watch IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Sadly, IllumiNations is something else in Epcot I don’t remember much of from my first visit. This time, I do remember it and it was a very good show. But do you know what the problem is with Disneyland’s Remember… Dreams Come True? It’s that after witnessing that show, everything else pales in comparision. So I was not as impressed by IllumiNations as I think I should have been. You can blame Remember for that.



So now that Epcot has had a second chance to impress me, did it work? I leave today pretty much feeling the same way I did three years ago. I guess Epcot and I just don’t mix. Epcot was left out of my first trip and I don’t think it was ever able to catch up with the other parks. Other than the thrill rides and IllumiNations, I just don’t see what Epcot has to offer. I know Epcot is supposed to be the mature and enlightening park but I don’t go to Disney to be mature or educated. I supposed Epcot is just the “adult” park and my heart is just too childish for it. Keep me to my fantasies and dreams, I say. I may just give Epcot the Animal Kingdom treatment on future trips, just spend a few hours there, do the stuff you like, and get out.

After IllumiNations, Rebecca and I left the park and headed back to the Contemporary. Rebecca actually showed me things about my room I never knew. She figured out how to turn the couch into a bed. And she pointed out the fridge to me. I didn’t know the room had a fridge. Gosh, I should really pay more attention to my room. Rob joined us in the room a little later and Jerry came back after that. As a joke, Rob actually called the front desk and ordered stationary. Oh come on! You’re going to make a poor cast member deliver us stationary in the middle of the night? Rob and Rebecca left around midnight and the day was done.

Past, Present, and Future
Day 4: May 17, 2006

I got up even earlier than normal today. I did that so I would get to the Contemporary pin kiosk at opening. The Pirates of the Caribbean pins from the “Piece of Disney History” series come out today and a certain friend of mine wants them. There was already a line for them at 7:15 in the morning! I got two of them and a Voyage of the Little Mermaid pin for myself. I then decided to let Jerry sleep in and head off to Disney’s Animal Kingdom on my own. But first, I stopped in for breakfast at the Concourse Steakhouse. I had Eggs Benedict. I’ve never tried it before so I was curious. It wasn’t bad. They sure gave me a lot of asparagus though.

When I was done with breakfast, I hopped on the bus to Animal Kingdom. To my surprise, it was very crowded. It was actually the biggest crowd I had seen yet this trip. After looking around and checking out some animals, I did my first attraction, It’s Tough to be a Bug. This was my favorite 3-D show, until PhilharMagic showed up this trip. I still love it though. Jerry arrived at Animal Kingdom when I got out of the show. We met in DinoLand and rode Dinosaur. Dinosaur is fun but it’s not as memorable or exciting as the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland. We next got on Primeval Whirl. It was my first time riding that and was I ever in for a surprise. That ride is crazy and painful! It’s like riding the teacups on the Matterhorn. The insanity!

Jerry got a fastpass for Expedition Everest when he arrived and its time came. I really had no interest in riding Everest. Why? I don’t know, something about an 80-foot drop maybe. Yes, I know. I conquered an even larger drop just 5 months ago with California Screamin’. That, however, wasn’t exactly voluntary. I was dragged kicking and screaming on it by a group of evil Californians. I still see that plummet when I close my eyes. It haunts me so! So if I have a choice, I’d prefer not to try Everest. I went on a little tour of Asia as Jerry rode Everest. He was very excited about it when he got off. Maybe someday, I’ll try it but not now. It was then lunchtime so we stopped inside the Tusker House in Africa for some fried chicken sandwiches. That could have very well been the best friend chicken sandwich I ever had! I also kept staring at the chickens on the rotisserie. They looked good. After lunch, we went back to Asia to see Flights of Wonder. This was something else that I had not seen before. It was a very cool and funny show. I ducked for my life when the hawk came soaring directly at me. I want a pet cockatoo!



When the show let us out, Rebecca had come to join us. She and I decided to go check out Rafiki’s Planet Watch, a whole area I’ve never been to before. Gosh, there’s a lot in Animal Kingdom I haven’t experienced. Jerry didn’t want to go so it was just the two of us. To get there, we rode the Wildlife Express Train, which reminded me a lot of the Disneyland Railroad. It was mainly because of the way the seats look out to the side of the train. We didn’t have a lot of time to spend at Rafiki’s Planet Watch because we wanted to catch the next showing of the Festival of the Lion King. While there, I got to meet Pocahontas. It was my first ever meeting with her! Rebecca and I then got into some kind of sound booth where we listened to the sounds of the rainforest. It was very peaceful until they threw in the sound of chainsaws. It felt like a horror movie! We then made a quick stop to Affection Station to pet some animals. I got to pet a few goats and got to see a donkey sniff another donkey in the well… donkey. There was a big snake there too. I wanted to pet it but Rebecca didn’t seem to want to go near the snake. The time for Festival of the Lion King was getting close so we washed our hands and headed back to the mainland Animal Kingdom. We had less than 10 minutes to go from Africa to the Festival so we jogged our way there. We just made it!



Festival of the Lion King is something I have not seen since my first Disney trip. It holds a special place in my heart. Festival of the Lion King was the very last attraction I did on my first trip. I watched it then with my family. I got a little emotional watching this show again. It is a very beautiful show but it was mainly because of the emotional weight it carried. It made me remember my first trip and my family. It was five years ago that we headed out of Walt Disney World after this show. But that was not before my father handed me one of my most treasured souvenirs. It was only a little key chain but it became a symbol of my promise to return. That key chain sat in my pocket as I watch Festival of the Lion King again. It’s been in my pocket each and every day for the last five years. Thinking about it made me miss my family.

There wasn’t much left to do at Animal Kingdom after the show. We didn’t really want to get wet so we didn’t go on Kali River Rapids. The wait for Kilimanjaro Safaris was ridiculously long. We didn’t want to wait for the parade either, so we were finished with Animal Kingdom and left the park. Rebecca suggested we should check out Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge so she drove us there. Animal Kingdom Lodge was quite a sight. It was beautifully themed, but I wasn’t too impressed by the animals. It was mainly just zebras, giraffes, and other harmless animals. There was nothing really exciting. After touring the resort, I got myself a Minnie strawberry Popsicle and left the Lodge.



Jerry and Rebecca went back to the Contemporary but I went elsewhere. With this free time I have now, I wanted to see something again. I had just brought back memories of my first trip with Festival of the Lion King. It was now time to revisit my second trip. I boarded a bus at the Magic Kingdom to Disney’s All Star Movies resort. This was the site of my trip three years ago. I just wanted to see it again. When I got there, it was definitely weird stepping back into that lobby. This was the scene of quite a number of memories. I went through the resort gift shop and the food court. I actually saw the very same Beauty and the Beast poster that I wanted to rip off the wall and run off with last time. I still want it! I then stepped out into the main resort area. There’s the Sorcerer Mickey pool! I took a look around all the giant cartoon statues and then headed towards the Toy Story section. I then looked up the Buzz Lightyear structure I stayed at last time. This definitely brings back memories. I looked at my watch. I think I spent enough time there. I just wanted a little glimpse of it again. I was glad to have seen it again. I then left and got on a bus to Downtown Disney. I had some shopping to do.



At Downtown Disney, I did quite a bit of shopping. I had gifts to buy for people and myself. I first stopped in the candy shop to get some Mickey rice krispies treats for Jerry and Rebecca. I then headed into the World of Disney to do the major part of my shopping. There I got some gifts people at work requested of me. You tell people you’re going to Walt Disney World and they all want something. I got myself a red Mickey t-shirt and very nice blue polo shirt. I also bought a Disney watch. I haven’t had a Disney watch since I was 13. The next thing I bought would be a very special one. That key chain I’ve been carrying around for five years has seen some better days. I think it’s finally time to retire it. After this trip, I plan to finally put it away with all my other souvenirs. This means I have to get a replacement. It can’t be just any key chain, it has some big shoes to fill. It took a bit of searching but I found a beautiful one in the shape of Cinderella Castle. I think this will make a worthy replacement. From the World of Disney I went to the Art of Disney. I didn’t really intend to buy anything, just to check it out. I love the Art of Disney. If I was rich, I’d buy everything in there. I saw an awesome painting of Ariel and King Triton’s Castle there. It cost $10,000. Hmm… maybe if I stand by it looking really pitiful, someone will feel bad and buy it for me. Or maybe not. I ended up buying a lithograph of Cinderella Castle. I just can’t leave that store empty handed, even if it’s only with a little thing. With that, I was done with Downtown Disney. I didn’t really have time to check out the West Side or Pleasure Island, I had a dinner reservation at California Grill tonight. So I got back on bus and was taken back to the Contemporary.

Back at the Contemporary, I rejoined Jerry and Rebecca. I gave them their treats and stepped out into the balcony. Tonight, I was going to see Wishes from my room. This may be something I may not experience again for a long time. This is something I can only do here and now, so I’m going to enjoy it. It’s hard to describe watching Wishes from your balcony. You really don’t hear much of the music and the fireworks don’t actually appear directly above the castle. They came out from between Cinderella Castle and Space Mountain. It’s definitely not the same experience as standing in Main Street. However, the fact that you are watching the Magic Kingdom fireworks from your very own room is just plain awesome.



My reservation for California Grill was after the fireworks, so once Wishes was done I changed into my new polo and a pair of khakis. The California Grill has dress code, business casual. I would be going alone. The place is rather pricey for everyone else’s tastes. But hey, this is the one vacation where I have the ability to spend! So fifteenth floor, here I come! I actually had to go to the second floor first and take the elevator there once I checked in. Since I was alone, the cast member asked if I would like to sit at the chef’s table. Would I?! The chef’s table? Wow! I got up to the fifteenth floor of the Contemporary and was seated by the chef. I was told he was one of the top three sushi chefs in the world. Well, I’m impressed! On Roxxy’s suggestion, I got “Snake in the Grass” as a first course and the Dayboat Scallops as the main course. I feel like being fancy tonight. The “Snake in the Grass” was delicious. It was shrimp tempura sushi with avocado, eel and cucumber. It was by far the best sushi I have ever had. Actually, if that was sushi, what on earth have I been eating all this time? Nothing that good! I actually got to see one of the chefs make it in front of me. I spent the whole time watching them run around and work in the kitchen. Some would talk to me, from asking how my meal was to actually asking about me. The head chef asked me a bunch of questions about myself, like where I was from and how my family was. It was really cool. Throughout the night, my waiter Walter would constantly check up on me and make suggestions and such. I’ve never had any server give me so much attention. I felt really awkward at first because I had never been to a place like this before. I’m a guy from the inner city, this was fancy beyond my wildest dreams. But everyone there made me feel comfortable. The scallops were nice but were definitely overshadowed by the sushi. That was just too good. For dessert, I had the “Strawberries Forever” cheesecake. It was delicious! I left Walter the biggest tip I’ve ever given a waiter. I thought he deserved it. Before going back down, I took some time to watch Cinderella Castle from the California Grill. It was a beautiful sight. This was the best place I’ve ever eaten at Walt Disney World. You know, a guy could get used to this. I wonder if it’s any kind of glimpse of my future. I then went back to my room on the ninth floor and ended the day.

Fantasy and Reality
Day 5: May 18, 2006

After a brief detour, I come back to where I belong today, the Magic Kingdom and the Disney-MGM Studios. Jerry and I went our separate ways today. He went back to Epcot, I’m going to the two parks I truly care about. I wanted to devote the day to the Studios but not before a very quick stop at the Magic Kingdom. I’ve never been in the Magic Kingdom at park opening before so I wanted to see it. I heard there was some kind of welcome show. So I got up bright and early and went immediately to the Magic Kingdom. At the train station, I met Minnie and got an autograph and a few photos. I then hung around the castle hub area waiting for the welcome show but it never happened. It wasn’t until a few days later did I find out it was held in front of the train station, not Cinderella Castle. Pooh, I missed it. Seeing how I was already there, I chose to stay around for the first showing of Cinderellabration. This showing actually had Aladdin and Jasmine in it. They were absent from the first time I saw Cinderellabration. I didn’t understand why but they were. But they’re here now so it’s cool. I thought Aladdin’s introduction was hilarious. All the other couples came out to a love song and he came out to Prince Ali. Then he abandoned Jasmine to pose on the stage by himself. You go, Al! I also noticed the scene where all the princes greet each other and shake hands. I just pictured them going, “Yeah, the Mrs. dragged me here too.” Cinderellabration really is a nice show, but it lacks that addictiveness of Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration.





After Cinderellabration, I caught the full trolley show going down Main Street. I actually followed it and saw it twice. I love the trolley show! It definitely has that addictive factor for me. This was only supposed to be a quick stop at the Magic Kingdom, I would return for the evening festivities. It was now time for the Disney-MGM Studios. I was only able to see a few attractions when I visited a few days earlier for its Extra Magic Hour. I walked back to the Contemporary to take the bus from there. I hadn’t eaten anything yet so when I got to the Studios, I went looking for some lunch. On the way to lunch, I managed to meet Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. They were really good. Ron was just hilarious. I would be talking to Kim and he would start doing random things like blowing his hair and making the weirdest references. Kim noticed the Ariel pin on my chest. Like the key chain from my first trip, this pin became the symbol of my second trip. I take it everywhere with me as well. I’ve worn it throughout this whole trip. When Kim saw the pin, she asked if Ariel was my favorite. I said she was. Kim applauded my taste in redheads. I told her, “You always have to go for the redheads.” After meeting up with the heroes, I finally got some lunch. I had a BBQ pulled pork sandwich at the Studios Catering Company.



Now that my tummy is satisfied, what should I do first? Let’s see I’m at the Disney-MGM Studios, what should I do? Oh come on, you should know! I found myself back in the queue for Voyage of the Little Mermaid. I was treated to the most perfect Ariel three nights ago. I hope I would get to see her perform again. I got my wish. Back in my usual front row seat, I was ecstatic when I saw that it was her. And again, she wowed me with her amazing rendition of Part of Your World. It brings tears to your eyes. If she’s performing again today, I have to see another showing after this! After Voyage, I went on to see another of my favorite shows, Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. Surprisingly on my first trip, it was Beauty and the Beast that stole my heart, not Voyage. As I waited for the show to start, I saw cast members placing four microphone stands on the stage. That could only mean one thing, it’s Four for a Dollar! I love them! And sure enough, they came out with their “mischievous cast members” act. They sang Go the Distance, Hakuna Matata, and Remember the Magic. Their rendition of Go the Distance was awesome! I’ve never heard a version like that before, it was so cool. It was also nice to hear Remember the Magic again. I looked for their CD later to see if they sang any of these songs on it, but they didn’t. It was just a bunch of other songs. I’m sure more people would get their CD if they had more Disney songs on it. The main Beauty and the Beast show then started and it was as good as it’s always been for me. Beauty and the Beast just has the best soundtrack around. I actually got choked up when Beast died. It wasn’t because he “collapsed and died”, it was because of the music that was played. That music is so sad!

The next show was a brand new one for me, the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. They really need to find a better way to load people into this show. It felt like the cattle herd leaving Fantasmic! but only up flights of stairs this time. It was a cool show to see but there wasn’t really anything that surprised me in it. I guess it was because they show you so much about it in the previews for Walt Disney World. There was, however, one part of the show that was a big shock. In the final stunt where motorcycles are used, the hero attempted to jump the ramp with his bike. Unfortunately, he went too slow and the motorcycle didn’t make it completely across. Instead, it hit the edge of the ramp and threw the driver off. He ended up flying face-first onto the ramp surface. All the other drivers immediately got off their bikes and ran towards the hero driver. I thought this was part of the show. I was like, “Cool!” It was only when cast members brought over a tent to cover up the driver did I realize this wasn’t part of the show. Oh my gosh, he’s really hurt! He wasn’t even moving. They then tried to evacuate the show. They told the audience that the show was over and asked everyone to leave. As I was being pushed out of the area, I saw emergency personnel bring a stretcher over to the hurt performer. Wow, I sure hope he’ll be ok. Reality suddenly reared its ugly head in this world of fantasy.



Well, it’s going to be hard to get my mind off of that horrible accident. I stopped in Tatooine Traders and browsed some of the Star Wars merchandise. Tomorrow would be the start of Star Wars Weekend but I thought I might as well check out the store today. I bought three lightsaber chains, one of each color. I just thought they were so cool. I suppose I should check out another attraction now. Where to? Yeah, I was back at Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Hey, this will be my seventh all-time showing of Voyage. That ties it with Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration for 1st place. Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration did, however, have all seven showings in one trip. Voyage’s numbers are spread across all three trips. While waiting in the queue and playing with the objects in there, I came to a sudden realization. I’m actually at Walt Disney World! Now I know I’ve been at Walt Disney World for the last couple days. But it never really dawned on me how important that really was. I suddenly realized it because I started thinking about work in the queue. Thinking about the dull, boring life on the outside made me recall how I’m always wishing to be here. And then my senses just basically slapped me and said “Dude, do you actually know where you are? You’re standing in the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. You are in Walt Disney World!” Even just a little thing as playing with a piece of rope, I’m playing with a piece of rope in Disney! This is something you always long for, please savor every moment of it. Don’t take anything for granted here! The show started and I was in my favorite seat. But I was then met with a surprise. It wasn’t the same girl I had seen for the three previous viewings on this trip, I guess multiple girls perform a day. She was good, but not as a perfect as the other Ariel. Her voice was a little higher and she tended to overact some parts. But she was very energetic and fun. I liked her. If I had not experience perfection earlier, she would have impressed me. But unfair as it is, it’s hard to follow perfection.

It was late in the afternoon now, I saw what I wanted to see at the Studios. It was time to head back to the Magic Kingdom. I would be back at the Studios tomorrow. I want to check out Star Wars Weekends. There was no Extra Magic Hour tonight for the Magic Kingdom but I planned to stay around as long as I could. I had never really stayed past closing time before. I wanted to try tonight. I got off the bus at the Contemporary and walked back to the Magic Kingdom. I sure do love walking to the Magic Kingdom! I decided to have some dinner first so I tried a place I wasn’t very familiar with, the Columbia Harbour House. That is I thought I wasn’t familiar with it. I thought I had never eaten there before. I was wrong. The moment I stepped in the restaurant, I realized this was the place I had my first dinner at Disney. I had always that I had my first dinner was at Pecos Bill, but it was actually here in the Columbia Harbour House! There was no mistaking it now. I even remember where I sat with my family! That was cool. I had half a tuna sandwich and a cup of clam chowder for dinner. The clam chowder was surprisingly good!

After dinner, I caught the final showing of Cinderellabration. This show is growing on me. I then hit a show I loved from the first viewing, Mickey’s PhilharMagic. At the gift shop outside PhilharMagic, I got a PhilharMagic magnet and a Tinkerbell pin. I continued my shopping in Main Street with the purchase of the Cinderellabration CD and Walt Disney World’s official 2-disc album, which resembled Disneyland’s in terms of design and art. I also had planned to do something else in Main Street today. I brought my original set of Mickey ears on this trip, I bought them on my first day at Disney five years ago but I never got my name stitched on them. I wanted to do that now. I was quite surprised when I was told it would cost two bucks to stitch your name on the ears. What? It used to be free! Disneyland does it for free! Oh fine I’ll pay your two bucks. At last, my ears now carry my name.

I saw crowds beginning to form along Main Street so I immediately went over to the hub and claimed my spot for Spectromagic. It was the very same spot I sat in three years ago to watch it, directly in front of and facing Cinderella Castle. While waiting for Spectromagic, I got a call. It was from Dewey. Dewey and I have been friends for a very long time. I met him shortly after my first Disney trip and we’ve been friends ever since. He was actually at the Magic Kingdom. He had just arrived today with his family. I told him to meet me for Spectromagic and I would save him a seat. I quickly pulled out the Animal Kingdom poncho out of my backpack and lay it on the ground to reserve the space. You know, I think that poncho has spent more time on the ground than on my back throughout all these years. Dewey, his wife Mic, and his son J.D. arrived shortly before the parade. They were very nice family. It was actually Dewey’s birthday. He wore a birthday button. A cast member also saw the button and forced Dewey to stand in the middle of the street with the other birthday people. The cast member had everyone sing Happy Birthday to them. I thought they were going through the whole parade route so I didn’t sing, but they only did it once. Dewey was upset I didn’t sing Happy Birthday to him. Oh hush! Spectromagic started and it was wonderful. Those dolls that start it were actually a little creepy though, especially the ones on the spinning balls. Spectromagic is probably my second favorite parade, behind only Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams. I especially loved seeing Ariel and Cinderella, but I guess that’s pretty obvious. After the parade, we all decided to stay in the same place to watch Wishes. Watching Wishes from directly in front of the Cinderella Castle was incredible! Most of the fireworks didn’t appear above the castle but behind it. It made Cinderella Castle look larger than life. I love that children’s chorus of “Star light, Star bright.” They should do the whole show based off that song. It’s just so magical.





Once the fireworks were over, I hung around Main Street a bit more with Dewey and his family before they had to go. They planned to go to the Disney-MGM Studios tomorrow as well so maybe we would see each other again. It was after park closing now and the crowds were leaving. I wasn’t going anywhere though. I wanted to spend as much time there as I could. I didn’t even go anywhere. I just walked around castle hub. And you know what? That’s all that matters to me. I don’t need to go on rides or anything. That’s not what the magic is about. I mean how many times can you go on something before it loses its appeal? You don’t go to Walt Disney World for the attractions. At least I don’t. I come for this. This absolute moment of peace with nothing but the lights of Main Street and the warm, comforting glow of Cinderella Castle surrounding you. This is magic. This is what I dream of. I wish I could hit pause and stay here forever. After some amount of time passed, something special happened. The music on Main Street suddenly stopped. And then, fairy tale music poured throughout the area. I know this song! This is the Cinderella Castle medley. It’s a medley of When You Wish Upon A Star, Once Upon A Dream, Someday My Prince Will Come, and A Dream Is A Wish Your Hearts Makes. I never knew where this music was played until now. It was playing all over Main Street. It was completely chilling and magical. I mean, there I was, standing in a practically empty Main Street, under the lights of the Magic Kingdom, and absorbed by this music. How could you not get shivers down your spine? My heart was in heaven. I can’t believe I never got to experience this before. It was amazing. And then, once the music was over, Mickey’s voice came over the speakers and wished everyone a good night. Wow! I actually got to stay around to hear the good-bye! If this wasn’t enough, I got another surprise. Cinderella Castle suddenly stopped changing colors and turn pure white. It wasn’t blue or green or red or pink or anything. It was white! I’ve never seen that before. It just stopped changing colors and stood there brighter than I have ever seen it. Words just cannot describe the feeling. It was gorgeous!



I noticed cast members had begun to seal off the castle hub area. There were professional video cameras and other recording equipment around. It looked like they were filming something. I also saw Disney security personnel starting to walk down Main Street. Hmm... alright, I get the message. I’m leaving. This was the final night this trip where I would be in the Magic Kingdom at night. Before leaving the park, I stood at the flagpole trying to savor every last moment. This is my absolute favorite time at Disney. I wished Cinderella Castle a goodnight and walked back to the Contemporary for some sleep.

The Call of Home
Day 6: May 19, 2006

I’m back with Jerry today and we’re headed to the Disney-MGM Studios for Star Wars Weekends. But not before a little breakfast! I had breakfast at the Contemporary food court this morning. It was the first time I ate at the food court. I can’t stay at a place and not try its food court at least once. I had the breakfast platter, which was just bacon, eggs, potatoes, and a biscuit. I also got a Contemporary resort mug as a souvenir. It took a while to actually find one. They hid them along a wall. It was now time to go to a galaxy far, far away. I’ve never experience Star Wars Weekends before. Heck, I don’t really even know what they’re about. We took the bus over to the Disney-MGM Studios and the Star Wars experience started the moment we got there. The park was completely themed for Star Wars. Its familiar soundtrack played at the gate and stormtroopers actually guarded the entrance. An announcement came over the speakers telling us what there was to do today. The stormtroopers said that it sounded fun and wished they could go see it. But sadly, they were forced to watch people like us. It was really funny. We went into the park to found Star Wars characters roaming all over the place. The first attraction we did was fittingly Star Tours. The whole Star Wars atmosphere made it really fun.





Afterwards, I wanted to see one more showing of what’s become the attraction of this trip, Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Jerry actually got kicked out of the queue because he had a coffee and he didn’t want to get rid of it. I got back into my front row seat hoping I would see my perfect Ariel again. Unfortunately, I didn’t, nor did I get the other Ariel from yesterday. This show had a girl that wasn’t particularly that good. She had a really strong voice and that hit the power notes really well. But she couldn’t sing the softer parts of Part of Your World. It just felt weird. Still, I was happy to see Voyage again. This viewing gives it sole possession of the spot for my most viewed show, eclipsing Cinderella’s Surprise Celebration with eight total viewings. When this was done Jerry and I went back for more Star Wars action. We both met Darth Vader in the building Sorcerer Mickey usually stays. He kept threatening people and trying to choke them. I then met his girl, Queen Amidala. I’m glad he didn’t see that meeting. The queen of Naboo asked me what system I was from. I wasn’t quite expecting a question like that so I gave a bland answer, “Umm… Earth. Localized in Philadelphia.” She asked if I was visiting on diplomacy. Nope, I told her I was just here for recreation. She was very good. Jerry then wanted to hit the Great Movie Ride so we did that. It wasn’t until this viewing of the Great Movie Ride did I realize there were different versions of it. I never noticed that it changes between a gangster and a cowboy for the hijacker. When we got to the Wizard of Oz scene, the ride stopped for some reason. Our guide Nate then tried to entertain us with trivia and a very funny impression of the Wicked Witch scene. It was worthy of applause.




When we got out of the ride, I wanted to see one more Star Wars character, Chewbacca. I got in line to see him, but he then left and was replaced by an Ewok. I don’t want an Ewok, I want Chewie! I just left the line. I then was contacted by Regina. She had arrived and wanted to meet us in Epcot. Sigh… why Epcot? Why do people always want to meet at Epcot? Why do you always choose the most boring of all the parks? Why is it never “Meet me at the Magic Kingdom?” Why does no one ever want to meet here, at the Studios? I still want to see what else Star Wars Weekends have to offer. I’ve really only scratched the surface. I wish I could stay and see the rest of it, but Epcot calls. Jerry and I got on the bus to Epcot and when we got there, we met Scott and his son Ben and daughter Sarah in front of Mission: Space. They were a very nice family. Hmm… the sun’s still out. I thought we agreed to always make it rain when I visit Epcot. Regina, her sister Diana, and their friends arrived shortly after. The big group of us then went into the ride itself. Hey, today is the first day the tamer version of Mission: Space opens. They split guests into two teams, the green team and the orange team. The green team went without spinning while the orange team got the original, more intense version of the ride. We all chose to join the orange team. We could handle it. We were each given a colored tickets to present to the cast members in the ride so that they would know what team we were. I really don’t get the point of that if we’re in different queues anyway. I got to be the pilot again. I must always be the pilot! Our fate is always in my hands! Muahaha! After the ride, I took an empty barf bag as a souvenir.



When we got out, we all split up. Regina and her friends went to have lunch at the Electric Umbrella. Jerry and I went over to Mexico to find some food. And Scott, I don’t know where Scott went. But I wouldn’t see him again. Jerry and I got a table at the San Angel Inn. I had the Plato Mexicano, which was a beef taco, a chicken enchilada and a cheese quesadilla with beans and rice. It was very filling. I was completely stuffed from it. The restaurant had a nice, unique atmosphere to it. It was probably because it was constantly in the dark. After the meal, Jerry went off to see someone else and I was on my own. Wow, I’m alone… in Epcot. Sweet mercy! May God have mercy on my soul. I guess I should start moving around, instead of standing around looking dumbfounded. So I was off walking around the World Showcase. I got to see a lot of the atmosphere acts. They were ok, but nothing really made me want to stay around and watch. I did see a bit of the French chair performers. That was neat. When I went through Morocco, I saw Princess Jasmine. I met her boy toy earlier this week but not her. She was very nice. When I gave her my green sharpie to use, she told me she liked my choice in colors. I said green was my favorite. It was hers too. That shade of green really matched her outfit. She asked if I was alone. I told her I was with friends but they all ditched me. That got me some sympathy from Jasmine.



It was cool to see the princess but afterwards, I really didn’t know what to do. There’s nothing here I really want to do. Maybe I should go back to the Disney-MGM Studios and check out the rest of Star Wars Weekends. Or better yet, go to the Magic Kingdom! Yes, that does sound like a good plan. Let’s ditch this place and head back to where I belong. I decided to ponder that idea for a little while longer. In the meantime, I thought I should do something. So I went into France to watch Impressions de France. The French cast member hosting the show was really sweet and funny. She said we couldn’t take pictures of the show but we can take plenty of pictures of her. When no one took a picture of her, she pouted. I ended up falling asleep through the movie. It wasn’t because of the movie that I feel asleep. It was because of that huge meal I had in Mexico. That knocked me out. While slipping in and out of consciousness, I heard a call, a beautiful song. It was coming from Cinderella Castle. It was calling to me. It was calling for me to come home. But I can’t. My last night at the Magic Kingdom was yesterday and it was ever so magical. But I can have the same magic again. This can be my last night at the Magic Kingdom. It’s your home. Don’t you want to go home? Wouldn’t you rather be there? Yes, yes I would. Oh, I so wanted to stand below the glowing castle again.

When I got out of the show, I made up my mind. I was going back to the Magic Kingdom. I got out my phone to call Regina to tell her. It was then I was spotted by Diana, her sister. She said they’ve been looking for me. So I followed her back into France. It was then that my jaw dropped. Before me stood the mighty Beast. I have never met the Beast. I’ve always missed him somehow. He was the one character I wanted to meet badly. I can’t believe I’m finally going to meet the Beast! He was with Belle. There’s something awfully familiar about that Belle. Wait! That’s not just any Belle, that’s my Belle! That’s the very same Belle I met three years ago! I don’t forget a face like that. She was one of my favorite characters ever. She was so fun when I met her before. I can’t believe it’s her. It’s like seeing an old friend again. When I went up to them, I asked Belle for their autographs. I then turned to face the Beast, threw up my arms, and gave him a big hug. Belle and I then talked about the Beast. She complimented him and I mentioned what a gentle soul he had underneath. What a fun meet! Belle wasn’t the only princess there. Aurora was standing only a few feet away. Diana wanted to desperately meet her and I decided to see her as well. Aurora had to be the sassiest princess I’ve ever met. She was a lot of fun. I think she was actually a bit smitten with me. Umm… don’t tell Ariel.





You know, Epcot needs more princesses. They should just change the whole place to Princesscot with Princess World and Princess Showcase. I would definitely like Epcot a lot more then. Diana and I rejoined Regina and her friends. They just wanted to do a tour of the World Showcase and went in the opposite way I had just come. As we were going by Japan, I got a hilarious phone call.

Vince: Hello?
Dewey: Hey Vince.
Vince: Hey, how’s it going.
Dewey: Sorry, we had a change in plans. We didn’t go to MGM today. We’re actually at Epcot.
Vince: Epcot? I’m in Epcot!
Dewey: Really? Where at?
Vince: Umm… I’m walking by Japan as we speak.
Dewey: What? I’m sitting in Japan! Wait, I see you! Turn around!

I turned to my left to see Dewey standing fifteen feet away from me. Now that’s funny! I talked to Dewey a bit before going back to Regina and company. I promised to watch IllumiNations with Dewey later tonight. Back with Regina, we finished up the rest of the World Showcase and rode Maelstrom and El Rio del Tiempo again. I really don’t like that Mexico ride. It’s creepy! They then want to go see the Butterfly exhibit. Butterflies and me don’t mix so I browsed in Mouse Gears as they checked that out. I then got a call from Regina telling me that they left the park. Oh, that’s nice. You make me come to Epcot and then leave me here! Her explanation was that there was nothing to do. That’s what I’ve been saying all this time! Hmph, fine! Leave me at Epcot.

Now what do I do? I decided to call Dewey and see if he was available. I couldn’t get to him though. I then went by Test Track and figured, “why not?” I saw the stand-by line had a 70-minute wait. Yikes! But then I saw the single rider line had a 20-minute wait. Hey, I’m a single rider! I got in the queue and immediately got a call from Dewey. He has just gotten off of Test Track. Ok, I just got on. This is too funny. The ride itself was pretty fun. I’ll give Epcot that. It has nice thrill rides, ones I’m willing to do at least. When I got out of Test Track, I got another call. This time, it was from Regina. She wanted me to meet her at the park entrance to get a picture with her. I actually got lost trying to find my way back to the park entrance. Epcot is a big park. I kept going around in circles. But I eventually found my way to the front of Spaceship Earth. I met back up with Regina and Diana and took the picture they wanted. It was nice to see them on this trip. I just wish we could have had a little more quality time together. When they left, I joined Dewey and his family in Mexico to watch IllumiNations. We watched from the Cantina. IllumiNations really is a wonderful show. It’s not strong enough to stand along side the trio of Remember… Dreams Come True, Wishes, and Fantasmic! but it’s a good show nonetheless. Afterwards, Dewey and I discussed our park experiences including Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. He told me all about his trip to France, the real one. I then left the park with him and his family. At the monorail stop, they told me they were visiting Animal Kingdom tomorrow and if I wanted, they could get a fastpass to Everest for me. I declined. I have a date with Cinderella tomorrow.

I said good-bye to Dewey and crew at the Transportation and Ticket Center and headed back to the Contemporary. It was still pretty early so I looked around the Fantasia store a bit before going to my room. I’ve gotten a lot of souvenirs this trip but something I have not done yet is get the signature souvenir of the trip. Each of my trips has one very special object associated with it. My two previous Walt Disney World trips had the key chain and the Ariel pin, both of which were on my body right there. My Disneyland trips produced a glowing rose and an Ariel sketch, which are hanging over my bed back in Philly. What should be the object of this trip? It didn’t take to long to find it. This souvenir would indeed be very special. I decided it should encompass all five of my trips. I got a charm bracelet with five charms, one symbolizing a trip. Cinderella Castle was the charm of my first trip. It was the thing that changed my life that first trip. My second trip was represented by a rainbow, for the magnificent rainbow I saw soar over Fantasyland. My first Disneyland trip was symbolized by an Alice in Wonderland charm. I had so much fun with Alice on this trip and it was a whole new experience that felt like visiting Wonderland. A Santa hat with Mickey ears was the charm of my most recent Disneyland trip, which took place during Christmas. And finally for this trip, I chose an Ariel charm. This was indeed Ariel’s trip to claim. Once I found my souvenir, I went up to my room and packed. Tomorrow would be my last day. Packing on your last night is such a depressing thing. Once that was done, I spent some time on my balcony and watched Cinderella Castle shine in the night one last time. I then went to bed and enjoyed my final night at the Contemporary.

Heartless
Day 7: May 20, 2006

Today is my last day. I didn’t get much sleep as I woke up at 5 am. Rob actually called the room at 2 am as a joke. What the heck is his problem! I did my last bit of packing and did the express check-out from the resort. I told Jerry to call bell services to pick up and store our bags when he was ready. I then took one last look at the room and left to spend my last day at the Magic Kingdom. Knowing how gloomy this day could be, I saved something very special for my final day. I have a reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table. It was for an hour before park opening. Rain would be joining me for breakfast. I met her at the entrance and we were let in to find the park empty and all to ourselves and the few other guests with early reservations. It was just like it was three years ago when I got to enter the park before opening. It’s just an amazing experience. The feeling of walking through an empty Main Street and seeing Cinderella Castle standing all alone is indescribable. This alone would make an early reservation worth it. For a moment, the Magic Kingdom is all yours to hold and appreciate.



After taking time to take in the awe of the empty Magic Kingdom, we headed into Cinderella Castle for breakfast. We met Cinderella in the lobby. I told her how excited I was to be here in her castle. I got an autograph and picture and Cinderella wished us a good time in her home. We got up to the second floor and to my delight were given the same exact table I had before, the center table at the window overlooking Fantasyland. It’s the best table in the whole place! Both Rain and I got the hot platter. The food was delicious but I couldn’t really concentrate much on eating. There were princesses here and I was too excited I could hardly eat. I was afraid of meeting one with my mouth full. The characters there were the Fairy Godmother, Snow White, Belle, and Aurora. During our meal, a cast member delivered us our picture with Cinderella in a folder with a beautiful photo of the castle. Aurora was the first to stop by. She noticed from my autograph book that I had met her yesterday. I told her I had to see her again. The Fairy Godmother then came. It was funny. She asked where I was from. I told her Philadelphia and then called it “The Land of Cheesesteaks.” This surprised the Fairy Godmother. She said, “ Cheesesteaks? Why, I don’t believe I’ve heard of those. We have steaks in the kingdom, but I’ve never thought of putting cheese of them.” I told her she should try it. Next was Snow White, who caught Rain completely by surprise. Rain has no idea she was even there. Belle then came. I asked her how the Beast was treating her. She replied saying that the Beast was treating her well, but that he was really grumpy this morning while getting his fur brushed. He apparently had a lot of tangles. I asked if there was a lot of screaming. Belle said she’d rather not embarrass the Beast. That was so cute. When we finished with our meal, we headed out but not before having a little fun with the “Lords” room.





The park still has not opened yet so we waited in the castle until they let us into Fantasyland. When they did, we made a dash towards Peter Pan’s Flight. Pan has had a huge wait every time I saw it this trip. But now, it had a 0-minute wait time. We got there and got on a ship immediately. This ride seemed better than the Disneyland version for some reason. I really don’t know if it is. Maybe it was just getting to see it so early. I got to see the phony Ariel on the ride. That mermaid looks so much like her. We then rode “it’s a small world” and saw Mickey’s PhilharMagic again. Both had no waits as well. We then went over to Tomorrowland and did Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin again, with the same results. Rain obliterated me once again. Why am I horrible at this? Once that was done, we took on Space Mountain. If you take it for what it is, it is a fun ride. It’s nothing like Disneyland’s version but it is still fun. Adventureland was our next destination as we saw the Enchanted Tiki Room again. We actually stayed behind after the show to listen to Iago’s rants. I’ve never heard those before, they’re pretty funny. We next went to watch the Country Bear Jamboree. I kept falling asleep during this and Rain kept nudging me awake. I had five hours of sleep last night! Rain had to leave after the show so I hugged her and bid her farewell.

Jerry then arrived and told me all our bags are taken care of. Nice! I didn’t see much of Jerry for long though. He wanted to ride the Haunted Mansion. Yeah, I think I’ve had my fill of that ride so we went our separate ways. He did a couple rides and eventually went back to the Contemporary to chill. I planned to stay as long as I could. I decided to go see Storytime with Belle but along the way there, I caught another showing of Cinderellabration. I then got a call from Dewey. He was at Animal Kingdom like he said would be and he told me he had my fastpass for Everest. All I would have to do is get on a bus there and I could ride. I once again declined. Storytime with Belle was cute but it wasn’t anywhere near as fun as the princess storytelling in Disneyland. Those are downright hilarious. After that, there really wasn’t much left I wanted to do in terms of attractions. I just want to hang around and just spend my final hours absorbing the magic of the park. So I spent the rest of my time around Fantasyland, Cinderella Castle, and Main Street. I did a final bit of shopping in Main Street. I bought a book on Imagineering and the soundtrack to Disney’s On the Record, which I think is the greatest CD ever made. I also bought a box of Donald Duck mints outside PhilharMagic. It was passed noon now so I got some lunch at Casey’s Corner. I had a hot dog with some sauerkraut. I didn’t want anything big, I was still a little full from breakfast.



I only had a short amount of time left. It was time to go through with my final tasks. I chose Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel to be my last ride. I wanted to see all of Fantasyland again and it gave me that. That ride is so simple yet so magical. I then paid a visit to Cinderella’s fountain to have a little talk with her. I told her that I had come back as I said I would. But this time, I wouldn’t be leaving. A part of me will stay and always be here with her. Then in the tradition of my last three Disney trips, I headed over to Cinderella’s well to make a wish. Not too many people go by this side of the castle so I got some quality time alone with the well. I unloaded all the change I accumulated on my trip into it and made my wish. It was a very simple wish, straight and to the point. I then headed over to the front of Cinderella Castle for one last look. It was awkward seeing her at first this trip but I grew to see what she really was all along. She is still my home. I walked down Main Street and when I reached the flagpole, I turned around. I’m not going to cry this time. It won’t be like before. This is not a farewell. I looked at my wrist to see my new charm bracelet. Five trips, five stories, each one special and dear to me. I knew what I had to do. I put my hands over my chest and then extended them towards Cinderella Castle. I offered her my heart. I told her I would be back for it and left the Magic Kingdom.





I made the walk back to the Contemporary, met up with Jerry, and got my luggage from bell services. Magical Express came to pick us up. It actually took the opposite route from my first day. It visited all the Magic Kingdom resorts in reverse order, starting with the Contemporary. At the airport, Jerry was let off on the A-side. I said goodbye to Jerry and got off at the B-side of the airport. I went to check-in to my flight. I actually had two flights. I would go to Charlotte before going to Philadelphia. The woman working at U.S. Airways asked if I would like to go to Philadelphia nonstop. Really? You’re not going to charge me more, are you? She said there was no extra charge and changed my reservation to a nonstop flight to Philly. Wow, Disney magic still lives. The flight came and ended my trip.


Final Thoughts

This was the trip I had awaited for so long. It would be the most glamorous of all the trips. I would stay at my dream resort. So did it live up to what it was meant to be? I surely think so. It was simply amazing. I have so many memories to take back from these seven days. Is it the greatest of my trips? Did it surpass the last? I don’t believe it did. There was something incredibly special about my second trip to Walt Disney World. That was my first real trip and it carried an intense emotional factor that I doubt could ever be replicated. That trip still holds the title of the greatest for me. But that’s not to take anything away from this one. I met so many cool people on this trip, even if some were only for a few moments. I also learned something very important from both this trip and the most recent Disneyland one. My first Disney trip five years ago changed my life. But it wasn’t until now did I realize what it really gave me. That trip didn’t just open me to dreams, it showed me THE dream. For the last five years, I had been trying, unsuccessfully I might add, to somehow find dreams in the outside world. I didn’t realize that this is the dream. This is my dream. I now know that this is where I belong. Every decision I make now must lead me here. But it can’t be a rash decision. I must do it the right way. My mind and my heart must finally work together to make this dream come true. Someway, somehow… I will be a part of this world. And when I do, I will be back not for a few days but for good. But until then, I won’t be down because my heart is glad.

My heart’s far… far away, home and free.

Vince...I'm getting rather annoyed with your "DL is superior" crap :lookaroun

Excellent trip report Vince!.. Love the pictures and I love the Final thoughts.. I hope you make your Dream come true...

Aw Vince

:lookaroun

I really wish we had more quality time together too But next time...I know you have to go back eventually

Edit: I can't believe I read your TR :lol: But that's the sign of a good storyteller