Disney World
Magic Kingdom:
The Hall of Presidents: I have seen it three times before and I would see it every time I can. There is nothing that pulls on your patriotic heartstrings as much as seeing each of our president's come to life and hearing the inspirational and timeless words of Abraham Lincoln. Especially since September 11, everybody seems to appreciate it even more; our great traditions of democracy and this exhibit were filled.
Pirates of the Caribbean: I don't know whether it was the colorful animatronics, or the catchy tunes playing through this ride but Pirates of the Caribbean has you humming and tapping songs for the entire boat ride.
It's a Small World: Okay, so I am a softy for the old timers. Like the Carousel of Progress, which was closed this time for repairs, this exhibit always brings back memories of my youth and the World Fair of 1964 in New York, so this was definitely not a children's ride. Anyone over 40 will remember it's debut and what a fascinating and unbelievable ride it was in 1964. There was nothing like this in 1964, it was the first time that the every day person had a chance to see anything like this. Even though Disney has surpassed this ride in technology, it still holds the basis for what he has done.
Splash Mountain: This is a great water log ride, filled with ups and downs and one great wet drop at the end. It must be especially refreshing on a hot humid day, unfortunately on a February night, you might not be that refreshed, but in fact a bit chilled.
Disney/MGM Studios
Walt Disney "One Man's Dream": It was so fascinating to hear about the truly inspirational life and dreams of Walt Disney through both film footage and personal audiotapes. You can't help but be impressed with his limitless vision and boundless imagination. I could not get over what one man could conceive in his mind that would end up to be a reality.
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: For most people, this is as close as they'll get to being on the ABC TV show. It was exciting to play along with the winning audience contestant and seeing if we could be one of the top ten players in the audience whose name was displayed on a screen charting everyone's progress. I loved this show so much that I wanted to rejoin the line and play again.
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular: This show lives up to its title of spectacular. It was a great 'behind the scenes' look at stunt work. I was amazed at the vastness of the set that opened up before us. All of a sudden, we were watching burning jeeps, a fight scene, and Indian Jones jumping from a two-story building. I felt jealous that I was not one of the audience members picked to participate up close.
Fantasmic: There was a long lime and over an hour wait, but this end of the evening show was well worth the wait. Based on the dream sequence in Fantasia where Mickey is drowning in buckets of water, they extend the theme by showing the display on a water mist backdrop. The light show was accompanied by music, fireworks and live entertainers. It was a perfect finish to a perfect day at MGM.
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