On Christmas Day, we flew down to Orlando to spend a few days at Disney World. It was the first time there for me and for the kids (who are 8 and 5). I was not one of those wearing a “first time” badge, partly because I see going to Disney as a once in a lifetime thing – as in once is interesting, and enough.
We had three full days, plus some time in each of our travel days. We visited Epcot, the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Downtown Disney. So we didn’t make it to Hollywood Studios. The number of attractions we fitted in were limited by a few factors, including time taken waiting for, and travelling on shuttle buses, and crowds.
Ah yes, the crowds. It was crowded just after Christmas, and seemed to be becoming more so for new year (by which time we were home in Maryland).. Although I don’t like crowds or lines, I was fascinated by the way Disney moves so many people through the parks and attractions, and manages the lines.
I wished more lines were like the one for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, which went past things for kids to do while waiting. Even if it’s only pushing plastic bees along a bead maze, it helps make the wait go by more quickly for all concerned. That same ride is also eligible for FASTPASS, the system by which you can get a ticket that tells you to return at a later time and pretty much go right in past the line. We were in the line itself, though, since the FASTPASS system didn’t allow us to overlap reservations.
We of course took many photos, including this rather unoriginal shot of palm trees and Spaceship Earth. We didn’t take that particular ride through time and space… well, perhaps there will be another Disney visit for us.