First Visit to MK: Disneylander Documentation

[Animaniac93-98]

You can probably understand why MK felt like an impostor to me. The park itself is an imitation of Disneyland, as are the other castle parks, so of course it would feel like that. But this kind of annoyed me at times. For example, the Partners statue… It arguably doesn’t belong in Disneyland either, albeit for different reasons, but it felt so out of place to me in MK. I passed by it and thought to myself, you shouldn’t be here. I couldn’t help but notice that the park has a tough time distinguishing itself from Disneyland sometimes. It was obvious to me that it was grasping at things, grasping at any connection to Walt Disney, even if they have to make something up. @TP2000 has brought this up many times, but it’s really something when you see it for yourself. I already mentioned this, but Cosmic Ray’s has two menu items called “Walt’s chili cheese fries” and “Walt’s chili cheese dog,” clearly made up from I don’t know where. That woman’s shirt with a quote from Walt’s opening day speech for Disneyland with MK in the background really, really irritated me. Genuinely. That was even worse than the fictional Walt Disney food. Are these big deals for most? No, and I’m sure I sound annoying, but that’s how I feel.

I don't know when the Partner's statue was added, but it was sometime in the 90s. I feel like it was around the 25th anniversary that they really started to play up the Walt connection to Walt Disney World in a way that's factually incorrect and it's only gotten worse since.

They have One Man's Dream at DHS, which is the spiritual successor to The Walt Disney Story that used to be on Main Street. It's basically the only substantive appreciation for the man in the entire resort that isn't just marketing fluff.

Magic Kingdom was designed by Walt's hand-picked team of WED designers. People like Marc Davis, Claude Coats and Dorothea Redmond (who's signature is on the castle murals she designed) were given the money and resources to do Disneyland over in a way they felt was better, both visually and operationally. Over time, much of their design and details (the kind you feel are at Disneyland) have been stripped away or covered up, making the park hollow in comparison. Like the removal of trees, or turning fountains into planters, or getting rid of various live entertainment acts, it's those things that made the park feel more than it was.

Today it's very much "get in, do your 7.4 attractions and get out". That things like Carousel of Progress, Tom Sawyer Island (its own version in Florida) or the Swiss Family Treehouse still exist are minor miracles.

 

[Californian Elitist]

As someone who grew up visiting WDW, I agree as well. Once I spent enough time at Disneyland I realized how “fake” the MK is.

I really like the larger scale of the MK, especially the hub that really separates the different lands. But then everything falls apart. It’s sort of like the problem with Galaxies Edge. The scale of the place is huge and impressive. But then there is nothing to really explore or find because everything is just open space or a large facade.

At Disneyland there is something new and fun around every corner, because they have to use all the space. At WDW they just have lots of open space.

Totally agree about GE. Very grand, but when you really think about it, there’s almost really nothing there.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Great report! Thanks for sharing

Regarding the "Magic Shop," that space housed an actual magic shop until 1995, when it was absorbed into the Emporium as the Main Street Athletic Club. Up until recently, the sign outside reflected this and had the proper name of the current store. For some reason in 2017, Disney randomly restored the original Magic Shop signage and added new magic-themed window displays, but didn't change a single thing inside.

Edit: Here's an article from when the sign was randomly changed back: https://www.wdwmagic.com/shopping/e...store-front-returns-to-main-street-u.s.a..htm

This is sad, actually. And it’s not like DL hasn’t done this either, because they have. It’s unfortunate.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I don't know when the Partner's statue was added, but it was sometime in the 90s. I feel like it was around the 25th anniversary that they really started to play up the Walt connection to Walt Disney World in a way that's factually incorrect and it's only gotten worse since.

They have One Man's Dream at DHS, which is the spiritual successor to The Walt Disney Story that used to be on Main Street. It's basically the only substantive appreciation for the man in the entire resort that isn't just marketing fluff.

Magic Kingdom was designed by Walt's hand-picked team of WED designers. People like Marc Davis, Claude Coats and Dorothea Redmond (who's signature is on the castle murals she designed) were given the money and resources to do Disneyland over in a way they felt was better, both visually and operationally. Over time, much of their design and details (the kind you feel are at Disneyland) have been stripped away or covered up, making the park hollow in comparison. Like the removal of trees, or turning fountains into planters, or getting rid of various live entertainment acts, it's those things that made the park feel more than it was.

Today it's very much "get in, do your 7.4 attractions and get out". That things like Carousel of Progress, Tom Sawyer Island (its own version in Florida) or the Swiss Family Treehouse still exist are minor miracles.

Honestly, I’m shocked that some of the attractions there are still there as well.

I wish I could have seen WDW in its prime. I’ve read so many posts from people who’ve been visiting for decades and the general consensus seems to be that the glory years were from the 80s to maybe the late 90s. My mom wanted to take us on a WDW vacation when we were kids, but she could never afford it.

 

[Parteecia]

now that you mentioned her magical moment to you, her employment is probably not long for this world, especially a loss of $50

When I submit a CM compliment for a freebie or anything else that I'm afraid might get them in trouble I don't mention it directly. I just say something on the order of wonderful or magical service.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Hey, MK!

 

[Californian Elitist]

I’m glad you had a safe trip and enjoyed some parts of WDW. You just have to remember they serve two different markets.

Vacationers versus locals which does have an impact on things. Some of the comments made where a little funny and ironic though.

Exaggeration runs deep over here I noticed so I ignored some of the statements made. Especially when it concerned things looking dated.

One day is definitely not enough to see what the resort has to offer though. You should definitely come back and visit again and stay longer.

How would you say the tourist factor about WDW impacts it?


From an Angeleno perspective, at least, the parts of Florida I saw, MCO included, really are dated, especially in comparison to Southern California.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Agreed. I don't even get on that thing too much anymore. My local amusement park has a better version.

Agreed. I cannot drink the water in Florida. I drink a lot of bottled water. I bring a Britta bottle to CA when I make it out there and the water's fine.

No one told her where the good bathrooms are?

Yup... actually on my last trip to DL, my friend and I spent a lot of time going, "Did we just see that?" "Was that girl supposed to be dressed as Lilo?" I think part of it is the weather honestly. We just don't care when it's 90 degrees out and the humidity is making your hair stand on end. You do see more of it in the winter when it's more temperate, and you do see a lot of it in Galaxy's Edge.

I have found that around holidays tend to be worse as far as people being pigs. I've been over July 4th and Labor Day, and I've been in September when it's absolutely dead. People are worse on holiday weekends and the parks tend to be dirtier. I don't know why. I also think Disney tends to focus most of their custodial staff in AK due to the animals; that place is always immaculate.

I hope you get to experience the other parks someday, especially Epcot and AK. They're very different from the DL parks. I think you'd really be wow'd by the level of theming in both.

Where are the good bathrooms? Lol.

I do want to see AK and EPCOT. I have a strong feeling that I would really enjoy AK. In fact, when deciding which park we should visit, it came down to MK and AK. The next time I’m in town, I’m definitely going there next.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I completely forgot to mention my failed attempt at getting a Citrus Swirl from Sunshine Tree Terrace. I asked a CM where STT was, and he told me that it was on the right-hand side of Splash Mountain. My friend had a feeling that he was wrong and encouraged me to ask another CM, so I did. She told me it was behind me and pointed to the building (we were at the entrance to Adventureland). I went to what I thought was STT, but I didn’t actually see the restaurant signage and just assumed I was at the right place. At the time, I couldn’t remember the name of the soft serve I wanted, but I knew it was a vanilla and orange concoction, which is one of my favorites. I looked at the menu and didn’t see anything that looked or sounded like what I wanted. While I was scanning the menu, my friend checked the wait time for Pirates and noticed that it had dropped dramatically. In a rush, I picked the first thing I noticed that had “orange” in it, thinking it was what I was looking for. It wasn’t lol. I later discovered that I wasn’t at Sunshine Tree Terrace, but at Aloha Isle, and I hadn’t ordered a Citrus Swirl, but something called a Tropical Serenade. It came with a cake pop and I was so confused lol. To make things “worse,” the soft serve was coconut-flavored and I can’t stand coconut. The juice it sat in was delicious, though.

Can anyone tell me where STT actually is? Lol.

 

[tcool123]

I completely forgot to mention my failed attempt at getting a Citrus Swirl from Sunshine Tree Terrace. I asked a CM where STT was, and he told me that it was on the right-hand side of Splash Mountain. My friend had a feeling that he was wrong and encouraged me to ask another CM, so I did. She told me it was behind me and pointed to the building (we were at the entrance to Adventureland). I went to what I thought was STT, but I didn’t actually see the restaurant signage and just assumed I was at the right place. At the time, I couldn’t remember the name of the soft serve I wanted, but I knew it was a vanilla and orange concoction, which is one of my favorites. I looked at the menu and didn’t see anything that looked or sounded like what I wanted. While I was scanning the menu, my friend checked the wait time for Pirates and noticed that it had dropped dramatically. In a rush, I picked the first thing I noticed that had “orange” in it, thinking it was what I was looking for. It wasn’t lol. I later discovered that I wasn’t at Sunshine Tree Terrace, but at Aloha Isle, and I hadn’t ordered a Citrus Swirl, but something called a Tropical Serenade. It came with a cake pop and I was so confused lol. To make things “worse,” the soft serve was coconut-flavored and I can’t stand coconut. The juice it sat in was delicious, though.

Can anyone tell me where STT actually is? Lol.

Sunshine Tree Terrace is across from the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and between the Skippers Canteen and Magic Kingdom’s Club 33 location. This in general is to the right of the Adventureland entrance from the Hub.

It sounds like you ended up at Aloha Isle, which fun fact at one point Aloha Isle and STT where in opposite locations until they swapped locations to keep up with demand of Dole Whip.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Also forgot to mention that the restaurants and snack stands closed early. It was around 9pm and we were looking for food and nothing was open.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Where are the good bathrooms? Lol.

I do want to see AK and EPCOT. I have a strong feeling that I would really enjoy AK. In fact, when deciding which park we should visit, it came down to MK and AK. The next time I’m in town, I’m definitely going there next.

Any of the restrooms that are tucked away are better than ones out in the open. The Splash Mountain restrooms, the ones near Pirates, and the ones in the Beauty and the Beast area are always pristine. The ones in Tomorrowland over by Space Mountain are also better than the ones by the Speedway (those I actively avoid...lol). Oh, and the ones on Tom Sawyer's Island. Especially the ones over in the fort that no one knows about.

AK I love. I have a SLR, and I don't do FOP because of motion sickness, so sometimes I just wander around while the rest of my group is riding to see what animals I can find. I saw your post about WDW being in it's prime in the 90s...AK is the exception. They definitely have more animals there than when it opened in 98, more stuff to do...plus as great as the food is at Epcot, AK is a pretty good second.

Oh, and you can get Dole Whip at AK too. Random side note.

Epcot is kind of a mess right now with the construction, but that does not impact World Showcase. Some will criticize the fact that there's always a festival going on, but I love the Festivals. Food and Wine is definitely my favorite, though Festival of the Arts brings in Broadway performers to the America Gardens Theater, and I have to stop and see at least one show while I'm there.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Also forgot to mention that the restaurants and snack stands closed early. It was around 9pm and we were looking for food and nothing was open.

You have to go to Main Street that time of night. Casey's is usually open for about an hour after park closing, and everything else on Main Street stays open right until park closing.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Where are the good bathrooms? Lol.

I do want to see AK and EPCOT. I have a strong feeling that I would really enjoy AK. In fact, when deciding which park we should visit, it came down to MK and AK. The next time I’m in town, I’m definitely going there next.

I actually had a lot of good luck with the restrooms in the breezeway that connects Adventureland and Frontierland.

I get the feeling that you would love Animal Kingdom, there's really nothing else like it in the US. Epcot is a shell of its former self but at least World Showcase has some cool themed design and more interesting than average shops to explore. Somehow things like Spaceship Earth and Living with the Land have held on out front in whatever they're calling Future World now.

DHS isn't that great, but if you at all like thrill rides I would recommend dropping in if only for Florida's TOT, which is still the top TOT and one of the best attractions they've ever done. The atmosphere, theming, entire experience is superb and eons better than what TOT was at DCA.

The water parks are very underrated on a thematic level and are probably the most thematically pure Disney properties in the United States, even if their slide collections, particularly at Blizzard Beach, are absurdly dated compared to Universal's Volcano Bay.

I enjoyed reading your report and I'm glad you were able to enjoy MK despite its obvious deficiencies.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Sunshine Tree Terrace is across from the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse and between the Skippers Canteen and Magic Kingdom’s Club 33 location. This in general is to the right of the Adventureland entrance from the Hub.

It sounds like you ended up at Aloha Isle, which fun fact at one point Aloha Isle and STT where in opposite locations until they swapped locations to keep up with demand of Dole Whip.

Thank you!

Maybe the CM wasn’t aware of the location switch? Haha.

 

[PiratesMansion]

Thank you!

Maybe the CM wasn’t aware of the location switch? Haha.

It's been in that spot for about 10 years, so I wouldn't give that CM the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

We spoke more about it and my friend mentioned that it’s likely due to the fact that we grew up on Disneyland and therefore we are more used to our western home. While I think that definitely has something to do with it, I’m not sure I 100% agree with that yet. I think I’d have to visit some of the other castle parks around the world to see if that “feeling” I get when I walk through Disneyland’s tunnels onto Main Street is missing there, too.

I agree with your friend on this one, going to Disneyland has always had a nostalgic (going home) feeling for us, I didn’t get that my first trip to MK, it felt similar but also foreign and weird, now that we’ve been several times I 100% get that feeling though, maybe even more-so at WDW because we adore French Quarter and pulling into that resort literally feels like arriving at our second home.

My experience as a DL regular visiting WDW for the first time nearly mirrored your observations, the major difference being I couldn’t wait to go back to explore it further. I love both parks, they are similar but also very different which makes them both special in their own ways.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It's been in that spot for about 10 years, so I wouldn't give that CM the benefit of the doubt.

Another one told me it was next to Splash Mountain. Not sure what was going on the day we went.

I agree with your friend on this one, going to Disneyland has always had a nostalgic (going home) feeling for us, I didn’t get that my first trip to MK, it felt similar but also foreign and weird, now that we’ve been several times I 100% get that feeling though, maybe even more-so at WDW because we adore French Quarter and pulling into that resort literally feels like arriving at our second home.

My experience as a DL regular visiting WDW for the first time nearly mirrored your observations, the major difference being I couldn’t wait to go back to explore it further. I love both parks, they are similar but also very different which makes them both special in their own ways.

Different strokes, for sure! It all comes down to interests. My friend is the kind of Disney fan that likes almost anything Disney. I, on the other hand, am much more particular. She’s the kind of traveler that enjoys staying in one place during the entire time, so returning to WDW is likely a no-brained for her. I like to move around when I travel.

The reason I don’t think the lack of “feeling” is completely related to what I’m used to for me, personally, is because I’ve been going to DCA for 21 years and I don’t get it there either.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Yes she does say it

Very good to know. Seems I just happened to miss it.

 

[eddie104]

How would you say the tourist factor about WDW impacts it?


From an Angeleno perspective, at least, the parts of Florida I saw, MCO included, really are dated, especially in comparison to Southern California.

I guess it depends on the person because I’ve seen people say the exact opposite. That Florida looks newer and has better infrastructure than the places they are coming from.

To be honest I could probably go to google maps and put side by side comparisons between the two places and they would look extremely similar. MCO is definitely is due for a refresh I agree.

I’m confused on your usage of the word dated because from what I’ve seen of So Cal is doesn’t look newer than here and actually extremely gritty in some areas.