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Disney World - Part 1
Disney After 50
Written by: Janet Pope
Our reporter explores Disney World from the perspective of an older generation and finds it's not just for kids.
I do not consider myself a Disney novice, having been there three times already, yet I am certainly not a Disney expert compared to some that I have met. I do admit that I approached our last Disney Adventure with trepidation. I had two fears. First, would we find Disney as much fun as we did the first three times when we took our children, since this time we would be... I dread to say it... childless! Secondly, being now in our fifties, would we still have the necessary," Disney Endurance"? Did we possess the stamina to walk for countless miles in the heat and to face, undaunted, the long lines and crowds of humanity.
Well, let me proudly announce an affirmative to both! As far as being childless in Disney, let me tell anyone in doubt, that it was wonderful! Oh sure, there were a few times that it would have been nice to view the Disney Characters through the all-believing, awe struck eyes of a five year old, but those moments were fleeting. Those idyllic daydreams were erased every time I saw a toddler scream for their umpteenth souvenir. Perhaps, since I was not so busy during this trip entertaining and pacifying my own overtired toddlers or hard to please teenagers, I was able to notice the throngs of children everywhere. It's odd to say, but most of them, especially the under six crowd, looked tired, cranky, or sleeping. The parents looked even more tired as they schlepped the dual-toddler strollers up and down hills, trying to maneuver around crowds of walkers.
It was also a unique experience to plan an itinerary around what we wanted to see: no more teacup rides were necessary. The last time that we went to Disney we had teenagers and our entire mornings were spent, waiting for them to finally rise, shower, dress and face the world with a smile. It was a pleasure to actually get up and arrive at Disney before noon! This time around, we ate what we wanted and when we wanted. We even were able to see the exhibits that we wanted. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it?
So suffice it to say, I am happy to report that yes, there is a Disney experience after children grow. Now for my second worry. "Would we still have" Disney Endurance"? Would we possess the stamina necessary to see it all? Would we still be able to jog at a brisk pace and make the tram about to pull away? Could we walk with a backpack on our backs with the day's essentials? Would we literally be able to walk around the world and back? Again, I'm proud to say, without the benefit of formal endurance training, we did it!
Sure, we dozed off every time we went into an exhibit that lowered the lights and offered us a cushioned seat, but overall, we saw it all and hardly broke a sweat. Now for a few of our highlights...
Animal Kingdom
Kilimanjaro Safari: It was so beautiful to see the animals roam free. I felt like I had landed in the middle of a National Geographic spread. Coming from Brooklyn, and having been to the famous Bronx Zoo many times, I was sure that this place would have a hard time impressing me, but it did.
Flight of Wonder: I must admit that I was not that excited to see a bird show, but these birds proved to be both beautiful and fascinating to watch and if you were lucky enough, you got picked as a volunteer to see them up close. Seeing the eagles soar above us with a wingspan of over six feet was impressive to everybody.
Tarzan Rocks: My husband wasn't as excited as I to see a man run around in his loin cloth, but this live rock show featured singers, gymnasts and roller skaters who held even his attention. The highlight of the show was Tarzan and Jane swinging high above the audience's heads while all of the actions of the other actors were going on at once.
Festival of the Lion King: This show was a combination of music, dance, 'bigger than life' costumes, acrobats and the characters and sing along songs of the Lion King. Children were picked to be in the finale and every adult audience member was jealous that they could not join in the dancing.
Boma- Flavors of Africa: Our favorite restaurant, beyond a doubt, was a diverse buffet at the Animal Kingdom Resort. We went there after our day at the Animal Kingdom and reservations would have been a good idea. We were told that there would be an hour to an hour and a half wait. Since the hotel itself looked like a great place to explore, we actually agreed to wait. After only 20 minutes, our restaurant beeper went off. The buffet proved to be well worth the anticipated wait. The food choices were not standard buffet fare. We especially loved the Fufu - a mashed/sweet potato combo, the apple vinaigrette dressing, and the Zebra desserts. We mentioned this to our waiter and he gave us a recipe request card! We filled out the card with our e-mail address. That night when we checked our e-mails, we had already received the coveted recipes.
Read part 2 | Read part 3
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