Background
It’s been over 15 years since I’ve been to WDW. My parents took me there as a child four times, most recently when I was a teenager. Since then, I’ve been privy to online theme park discourse. And in less than two months, I’ll be back on property, now grown up and ready to appreciate the beauty and history of its iconic theme parks.
What kept me away, and what spurred this on? Well for one thing, I enjoy some pretty intense rides that Disney mostly lacks. Furthermore, not one IP is more dear to my heart than Jurassic Park; if I was going to Orlando, I’d be hitting up the dinosaurs.
But Disney has dinosaurs, too! Yes, that infamously chintzy Animal Kingdom section, DinoLand USA, plays host to a cult favorite attraction. Known simply as “Dinosaur,” this ride was too hot for me the first few times I went, and last time simply not on the docket. That’s right- I’ve never ridden Dinosaur! And if I didn’t make plans soon, I never would.
But what’s a trip to Disney if it’s only a hit-and-run? So with the encouragement of my family, most of whom have other obligations at the moment, I made it a big thing. My gracious father, retired and full of serotonin, will be with me, trusting that I have done my research and made a plan.
Itinerary
We will be arriving in September, the Friday after Labor Day, for minimum crowds. Animal Kingdom Lodge will be our home, but if we’re up to it, we’ll pay a visit to Islands of Adventure before we even unpack our bags. Never in my life did I imagine that I would be able to directly compare the Jurassic Park River Adventure to Dinosaur, less than 24 hours apart!
Yes, our first Disney park will be Animal Kingdom, the magnum opus of Michael Eisner and one of the best-regarded theme parks in the world. Aside from the obvious, I’m most excited for Everest, Kilimanjaro, and the scenery and food of Pandora. The park closes at 6, so we will have dinner at the Lodge. A few drinks and a Starlight Safari later, we’ll head to bed.
The next day will be all about Epcot. Despite having strayed inexcusably far from its original vision, the park remains a gorgeous place filled with things to see. At the tender age of 30, my most anticipated attraction here is Living With the Land. Runners-up are Spaceship Earth and The Seas. For food, I am torn between Garden Grill, with its alternative views of the Living With the Land scenes, and the varied quick service of World Showcase. I have a deep stomach, so perhaps we can do both. Also worth noting are the performances to see, and shopping to do, around the world. I expect most of our day to be spent in Showcase. After evening fireworks, we will head back to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a much-needed rest.
And now we get to the big one: the final day-night excursion. The park into which a 78-year-old Roy Disney carried construction materials, determined to honor his late brother. The main workhorse of the entire corporation, The Magic Kingdom. The fireworks here should be great, right? But oof, it closes at 6 that day- which is why I elected to get tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! After perusing the Lodge some more and taking a dip in the pool, we will pass the turnstiles as early as 4pm- just enough time to kick back in the Tiki Room with some Dole Whip and see the 5pm flag retreat. My father’s only specific desire (thus far) is that we do Space Mountain, and so we will use this time to enjoy the vanilla version before it gets the spooky treatment (which we’ll no doubt also enjoy).
And from there? Any darn ride in the whole park. Pirates, Mansion, Dwarfs, Thunder (unless it’s closed), Splash, Tron, Peoplemover. Sadly absent will be Jungle Cruise due to refurbishment, but thankfully we’ll have seen plenty of animals already. I also plan to eat whatever quick service treats catch my fancy. Of course we will enjoy the parades, fireworks, and performances as well. By midnight, we will be more than ready for bed.
Checkout the next morning is at a comfy 11am, with our flight taking off about 90 minutes later. Perhaps we will leave a little earlier just to be safe. Once home, we will relax and recharge for the rest of the week.
There are some things I’m concerned about, only some of which I can control for. I will pack for a sunny day, IE a long-sleeved UVS shirt and wide-brim hat in case it’s purely sunny. Regardless of the weather, I’ll wear compression socks to do the double duty protecting my legs and keeping them from swelling up like sausages after 30,000 steps. We will also be carrying packs and possibly water bottles, although the latter may be cumbersome in combination with the former.
Other concerns include running into jerks, most of whom - in my experience - tend to be stressed-out and/or entitled parents. My hope is that our visit date will alleviate this possibility, but what it will exacerbate is the slight chance of a hurricane cutting short (or entirely out) one of our park days. Ride closures might also happen, but as long as Dinosaur, Living With the Land, Pirates and Mansion survive, I’ll be not too disappointed. Even then, it will be wonderful to spend this time with my father in Disney’s vacation kingdom.
I will be doing a post-trip report once we return.
It’s been over 15 years since I’ve been to WDW. My parents took me there as a child four times, most recently when I was a teenager. Since then, I’ve been privy to online theme park discourse. And in less than two months, I’ll be back on property, now grown up and ready to appreciate the beauty and history of its iconic theme parks.
What kept me away, and what spurred this on? Well for one thing, I enjoy some pretty intense rides that Disney mostly lacks. Furthermore, not one IP is more dear to my heart than Jurassic Park; if I was going to Orlando, I’d be hitting up the dinosaurs.
But Disney has dinosaurs, too! Yes, that infamously chintzy Animal Kingdom section, DinoLand USA, plays host to a cult favorite attraction. Known simply as “Dinosaur,” this ride was too hot for me the first few times I went, and last time simply not on the docket. That’s right- I’ve never ridden Dinosaur! And if I didn’t make plans soon, I never would.
But what’s a trip to Disney if it’s only a hit-and-run? So with the encouragement of my family, most of whom have other obligations at the moment, I made it a big thing. My gracious father, retired and full of serotonin, will be with me, trusting that I have done my research and made a plan.
Itinerary
We will be arriving in September, the Friday after Labor Day, for minimum crowds. Animal Kingdom Lodge will be our home, but if we’re up to it, we’ll pay a visit to Islands of Adventure before we even unpack our bags. Never in my life did I imagine that I would be able to directly compare the Jurassic Park River Adventure to Dinosaur, less than 24 hours apart!
Yes, our first Disney park will be Animal Kingdom, the magnum opus of Michael Eisner and one of the best-regarded theme parks in the world. Aside from the obvious, I’m most excited for Everest, Kilimanjaro, and the scenery and food of Pandora. The park closes at 6, so we will have dinner at the Lodge. A few drinks and a Starlight Safari later, we’ll head to bed.
The next day will be all about Epcot. Despite having strayed inexcusably far from its original vision, the park remains a gorgeous place filled with things to see. At the tender age of 30, my most anticipated attraction here is Living With the Land. Runners-up are Spaceship Earth and The Seas. For food, I am torn between Garden Grill, with its alternative views of the Living With the Land scenes, and the varied quick service of World Showcase. I have a deep stomach, so perhaps we can do both. Also worth noting are the performances to see, and shopping to do, around the world. I expect most of our day to be spent in Showcase. After evening fireworks, we will head back to Animal Kingdom Lodge for a much-needed rest.
And now we get to the big one: the final day-night excursion. The park into which a 78-year-old Roy Disney carried construction materials, determined to honor his late brother. The main workhorse of the entire corporation, The Magic Kingdom. The fireworks here should be great, right? But oof, it closes at 6 that day- which is why I elected to get tickets for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! After perusing the Lodge some more and taking a dip in the pool, we will pass the turnstiles as early as 4pm- just enough time to kick back in the Tiki Room with some Dole Whip and see the 5pm flag retreat. My father’s only specific desire (thus far) is that we do Space Mountain, and so we will use this time to enjoy the vanilla version before it gets the spooky treatment (which we’ll no doubt also enjoy).
And from there? Any darn ride in the whole park. Pirates, Mansion, Dwarfs, Thunder (unless it’s closed), Splash, Tron, Peoplemover. Sadly absent will be Jungle Cruise due to refurbishment, but thankfully we’ll have seen plenty of animals already. I also plan to eat whatever quick service treats catch my fancy. Of course we will enjoy the parades, fireworks, and performances as well. By midnight, we will be more than ready for bed.
Checkout the next morning is at a comfy 11am, with our flight taking off about 90 minutes later. Perhaps we will leave a little earlier just to be safe. Once home, we will relax and recharge for the rest of the week.
There are some things I’m concerned about, only some of which I can control for. I will pack for a sunny day, IE a long-sleeved UVS shirt and wide-brim hat in case it’s purely sunny. Regardless of the weather, I’ll wear compression socks to do the double duty protecting my legs and keeping them from swelling up like sausages after 30,000 steps. We will also be carrying packs and possibly water bottles, although the latter may be cumbersome in combination with the former.
Other concerns include running into jerks, most of whom - in my experience - tend to be stressed-out and/or entitled parents. My hope is that our visit date will alleviate this possibility, but what it will exacerbate is the slight chance of a hurricane cutting short (or entirely out) one of our park days. Ride closures might also happen, but as long as Dinosaur, Living With the Land, Pirates and Mansion survive, I’ll be not too disappointed. Even then, it will be wonderful to spend this time with my father in Disney’s vacation kingdom.
I will be doing a post-trip report once we return.
