Time for a Harding Family Vacation. This would be the first one where almost all the family members are adults except for one grandson. The planning was easy, just a long weekend, arrive on Thursday leave on Sunday, in Orlando, Florida. One day at Magic Kingdom (or as Dan labeled it Tragic Kingdom), one day in Epcot and one night at Cirque Du Soleil, surely everyone could get along with each other for 4 days. And of course, with 2 year old Nick joining us, wouldn't all the rides be more fun with a first timer along?
The participants would be myself and Scott, Dan and Suzie, Kyle, Leah and Nick, and Heather and Scott. I was designated the director, the one who would make the decisions on where we go once we enter the park. I got this title simply because I had copy a layout of the park, and done my research on the rides. Honestly, not much research was needed. There are also some surprises added here, things change but some things remaind the same hope you enjoy them.Come along for the ride as we visit the Magic Kingdom in one day.......
Also the time of day is also key. We had planned on being at Magic Kingdom at 8:45 am, because everyone knows they always open earlier than is posted, but one person slept in a bit longer than the rest, so we actually arrived at 9:10am. (It seems the busiest time to arrive is around 11am) Everyone went to a window and purchased their two day tickets. I had purchased 4 day tickets through AAA for Scott and myself. Now, you have to pay to make your tickets neverending, meaning they don't expire. AAA had told me it would cost me $24.00 a ticket but when I went to the customer service window to add on this option I was informed it would cost me $67.00 a ticket. WHAT!! I was pissed but what was I going to do, I knew we were only using 2 of the 4 days and considering the discount for the 4 day tickets, this added expense put them around the cost of a daily ticket. I figured when we go there again, oh in another 4 or 5 years...the cost surely will be higher, since it seems to go up every year.
Then we boarded the Monorail, which Nick liked. We entered the Magic Kingdom and walked up or is it down Main Street.
Then of course, time for the traditional pictures with Cinderella Castle in the background
And here are a few retro pictures
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| Disney 1984 |
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| Disney 1988 |
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| There used to be horse drawn carriages in Main Street, also made you watch where you stepped |
Then came the first decision. Since Nick had not gone on any amusement rides in the past, I decided to start on something slow and easy. So we turned left and went into Adventureland and with no wait, boarded the Jungle Cruise. The Jungle Cruise had received a C rating, its something to do with young kids and that's about it. Even the jokes told by the Cruise director were not really funny, or maybe it was that she just rambled on, but the ride was enjoyed by Nick and that was why we did it.
And some older Jungle Cruise Pictures
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| 1988 |
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| 1992 |
Next we went to Pirates of the Caribbean. Once again, no wait. The ride was in the dark, but as Kyle kept saying to Nick, its dark but not scary. And there was enough music and activity to keep Nick interested. Looking for Jack Sparrow at all the different scenes was fun for all of us. Good ride.
Did not go into the Enchanted Tiki room, or the Magic Carpets of Aladdin, which was just a ride that goes in a circle. The Swiss Family Treehouse also was passed by.
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| 1984 Swiss Family Treehouse |
Then we entered Frontierland and it was time for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This ride was labeled as not suitable for expectant mothers, so Leah had to sit out. It was too wild for Nick and I am not a fan of roller coasters. So Dan, Suzie, Heather and Scott Z. all boarded the train and enjoyed the ride. There was only a 10 minute wait.
Suzie's comment: I felt a little uneasy at times....yes the picture says it all
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| Oh yes, Suzie's face says it all! |
Now some older fun
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| Thunder Railroad 1988 ( Dan and Kyle in front of Scott and Matts head) |
We did not go to the Frontierland Shootin Arcade or onto Tom Sawyer Island. Nick is too young to enjoy it and it did not spark an interest in anyone else. Splash Mountain is rated as a very exciting roller coaster, the problem we faced was that it was only 60 degrees outside, and no one wanted to get splashed (hense the name of the ride) and be wet for the rest of the day. This ride had a 30 minute wait, so easily could have been ridden if the weather would have been warmer.
But we did do Tom Sawyer Island in the past...here is what they enjoyed
But we did do Tom Sawyer Island in the past...here is what they enjoyed
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| 1988 Entering Tom Sawyer Island |
A stop at the stockade:
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| Auditioning for the Haunted Mansion Staff |
and then we entered Liberty Square and it was time for the Haunted Mansion.
This ride has always been a favorite of mine. We had a 10 minute wait, then all entered the gallery and it was dark, very dark. As it turned out, darkness seemed to be the way many of the rides at Disney start out, and Nick had had his fill of darkness. This darkness was too scary for him and when the gallery wall opened to show the Doom Buggys we would be riding, Nick and Leah asked where the exit was and departed. I read that in 2007 the ghosts went to rehab, and were made more ghoulier and special effects more special. Anyway, too terrifying for a 2 year old, but enjoyed by the rest of us.Next came Fantasyland and it was decided to ride Its a Small World and then break for lunch.
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| "All participants must sit down for this ride"..opps we got yelled at |
Ok, so the song can get a little annoying, and you do start by going through a dark tunnel, but this ride was probably Nick's favorite. So much to look at and Leah said it was her favorite so far as well. There had been a 20 minute wait, but the line moved quickly.
We saw the long line for Peter Pan's Flight, so used the Fast Track to get a time stamp, be back there between 2:15 and 3:15. That gives us almost two hours to have lunch and possible slip in a couple other rides. We ate at the Pinocchio Village Haus. Overall, the menu options are limited, there was outside eatting at The Friar's Nook, where they offered Hot Dogs and French Fries but we decided going inside and eating would be a welcome break from the crowds. The average cost of everything was around $8.50, whether it was a personal size pizza, a meatball sub, or a chicken basket. We all refueled and then moved onward.
We went into Mickey's PhilharMagic 3D movie and it was fantastic. Yes, you have to wear 3D glasses and they are not high fashion, but this movie was very entertaining. Not only does stuff fly out at you, you also feel a puff of wind and get lightly sprayed with a mist. This turned out to me my favorite so far, and the same by many in our group. (sorry can't remember who exactly)
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| Guess only the color of the glasses changed from 1988 |
As loud as this movie was, the darkness was all Nick needed to close his eyes, which was what Leah was hopeing for. Naptime. Kyle, Leah and Nick then chose to go ride the Liberty Square Riverboat, slow and relaxing. The rest of us still had time before the Peter Pan ride so we waited 20 minutes for Snow White's Scary Adventure. Its labeled as a journey inside through the dark...we rated this ride a C at best. Boring, not particularily scary either, just dark. Very surprised it had one of the longer wait lines. 
Then I got Heather to join me on Cinderella's Golden Carrousel. This ride is listed as a B+ for smaller kids or an A for carousel fans. I am one of those. I have always loved the Carousel, mainly because I have never liked roller coasters or things that spin fast. Heather says it best: Sandy's favorite ride.... not to fast not to slow and there is a horse....
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| 1988 |
As innocent as this ride may seem, it was not liked by Nick. Once again, it was very dark and that may have played a part in why he didn't like it. The ride was ok, it was listed as an A for kids and parents but I would give it a B-. I think one improvement would be to have the story told to you as you fly by each scene, it would bring it all together and in my opinion make it more fun.
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| Dumbo 1984 |
ToonTown...This is the area that is suppose to have all the different Disney Characters. Most kids have their autograph book and yes, the characters have learned to sign their name while wearing those big fake hands or paws. Here are some pictures:
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| 1988 |
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| 1988 |
Nick took a minute to toss some bean bags
Our Means of Transportation:
We all walked a lot
but...
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| Nick got Carried |
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| In 1988 Heather got carried |
Suzie, Scott Z, Heather, Kyle, Nick and I got in line for the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Nick likes cars (and trucks and trains) so we thought this would be perfect. It posted that it was not suitable for expantant mothers, so Leah sat this one out. Scott and Dan were not interested either, but instead took all our tickets to Buzz Lightyear to get a Fast Track stamp.
The Speedway, or should I say Snoreway was about a 20 minute wait. It is nothing like a go cart track, the cars barely move and the steering wheel is really not needed. A 6 yrold would probably love it (see below) but we thought it was boring, but still had fun in front of the camera.
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| 1992 |
SNACK TIME
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| Snack time in 1988 |
Then onto the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, which we called the People Mover. No wait, walk right on. This ride is like a moving walkway, and travels above people waiting in lines. It also pops into Space Mountatin, though only perfect timing would allow you to see a brief glimpse of a Rocket coaster with lights on. Initially this ride was suppose to be the way it was expected people would travel in the future, well, hardly high tech but a fun ride. If you ride facing where you've been (backwards), it can shake you up a bit, as the sharp turns come unexpectedly. Nick liked this ride, and so did Leah.
Time to get in the Fast Track line for Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. Fast Track line MUCH shorter, probably a 15 minute wait. The Spin in the name bothered my husband, as he did not want to spin on any ride...it turned out not to be an issue at all. Everyone liked this ride as it incorporated the feeling of a video game, shooting at aliens and earning points. Each person has a cannon and in the middle of the dashboard is a level that turns the ship allowing you to aim at all the targets (that is the spin in the title). At the end of the ride, I was happy that I earned 45,000 points since I have no video game skills whatsoever, and Scott really outshot me by scoring 148,000 but the winner of our group was Dan with 353,000 points...kind of makes me wonder was I shooting at the same stuff?
Dan, Suzie, Scott Z and Heather then got their Fast Track time for Space Mountain, their time was 5:15 pm. It was about 4pm and Kyle, Leah and Nick decided to call it a day and head back to our house.
Of course, we saved the Walt Disney World Railroad for last, and ended over to the Toontown Station.
Rides we passed on in Tomorrowland: Astro Orbiter, rockets up high going in a circle; Monsters Inc Laugh Floor, no interest. Stitch's Great Escape: this ride used to be Mission to Mars then ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, same building, same format, and no one in our group were really that interested in the seeing Stitch Escape so we passed and walked to the Train Station
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| No Crowds |
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| 1984 Disney Train |
BUT there was time for ONE FAMILY PICTURE before we board the train.
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| Oh, doesn't everyone look happy, well we do have our own security guard with us. We even have an extra guy in the back. |
Dan and Suzie and I were going to hop on the Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm mini roller coaster. It was labeled an A for Parents and Kids. It offers less dips and drops but when I watched it go by, it still had enough zip to make me say, sorry I am going to pass on it. Suzie said she is sure her and Dan were the only people over 4 feet tall on the ride. When they were through they went off to find where the Turkey Drumsticks were for sale, so Dan could have a little snack.
Scott and I walked back to Main Street, watched a little Barbershop Quartet, which Scott really enjoyed, shopped in the Emporium store and purchased some earrings (for me).
We all met back at 5:00 at Space Mountain. Since we had a few minutes to waste, Dan, Suzie, Scott and I hopped on the People Mover again, the only ride we did two times, both times no wait!
After the People Mover, Dan, Suzie, Heather and Scott Z went to Space Mountain while Scott and I went to the Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. This ride debuted at the 1964 World's Fair and then Disney decided to add it to Disneyland. THe show rotates through scenes illustrating the state of technology from the 1900s, then 1920, then 1940, then current. The thing is, its just boring. Actually the first two were not bad, seeing a house with no running water, and how it progresses to a pump, then faucet, was interesting..but TOO MUCH TALKING. Too much boring dialog. While we were in this ride, I got a text from Heather that they were all outside waiting for us. Seems the Space Mountain had broken down, or closed for a while. I texted back that we were trapped and would hopefully be out soon. FINALLY, it was over with the last scene of a modern day family with all the high tech gadgets, but once again, too much talking rather then showing.
We all walked back to Main Street, stopping for some pictures with the scrubs:
Dan still had not had his Turkey Drumstick, so they went to try and accomplish that, while Heather, Scott, Scott and I went shopping. A half hour later, Dan and Suzie returned with no drumstick, foiled attempt. Well, they do sell them at Epcot too, so he will have to wait another day.
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| 1992 |
We said good bye to DisneyWorld, all commented a number of times that they had fun. Disney in one day...NO PROBLEM. We did everything we wanted to (except Dan didnt get his Turkey drumstick)..but other than that, we hardly ever waited which made it a perfect day.
Coming next Epcot in One Day....
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