If you have ever wondered about what a trip to Disney world is like read on. In 2011, I went to Disney for the first time since 1997. My grandfather had not been to Disney since it opened in the 70’s and that was the deciding factor in this trip.
The day we took off for our trip, my grandpa waited for us on his porch with great anticipation Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort as he called continuously. He also had a supply of snacks waiting in an effort to avoid any delays for our for our trip. After a three hour drive, we had finally arrived.
All children get really excited when they hear of a Disney trip and it was no different for my grandpa. The magic was in his eyes and exuberance was all around him. Everyone needs at least one trip to Disney to experience the magic.
Once we arrived in Orlando we had to find lodging because the original hotel we choose was definitely not to our liking. It was very disappointing to see the location where we were supposed to stay was not all as it appeared to be. We made our way to the Disney’s All Star Sport’s and thankfully we found vacancy for two rooms for one week.
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To my unexpected and pleasant surprise upon checking in to the Disney All Star Resort I saw a flyer for a Star Wars parade which just so happen to include Matt Lanter. MATT LANTER! Matt Lanter was my favorite actor from my favorite TV show at the time 90210, and freaking unbelievably gorgeous!! Up to this point I had never met a celebrity, my oh my, what a great first time it was. Spoiler – I met him and got a photo with him (insert major fan girling here (drool).
The parade was to take place in Disney’s Hollywood Studio. That’s it; I decided that the first park we would visit would most certainly be Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Hollywood Studios did not have a lot of rides at the time and since I went with my mind set on going to the parade and to the meet and greet. We didn’t linger after the meet and greet because it was June and very hot, too hot for my grandpa. He did; however, get lots of pictures and loved the park.
The food in the Park was good. especially the Disney’s Play and Dine Restaurant. Disney Characters were all around at this Restaurant and came to the tables to greet everybody. The food was amazing and it was an all you can diner, a bit pricey but oh so worth it.
The second park we visited was the Magic Kingdom. When entering into the Magic Kingdom, you can either use a ferry or the monorail to the park. One of the days we drove and chose to board the ferry to take us in. On the other days we found it much more convenient to use the complementary Disney Shuttle provided by the Disney Resort we stayed at.
Being with my elderly grandfather who had a special need, it was nice to see soon after the entrance of the park, was a spot where guests can rent strollers or motorized scooters for those in need. Also immediately after entering the Park, gift shops began, Mickey’s Ear Balloons and trinkets of all sorts were vastly available throughout the Kingdom to include the much loved variety of mouse ears and t-shirts.
The Magic Kingdom is a magical place where adults are reminded of their childhood as in their days of youth and children feel like they are in a fairy tale. Whether it is a princess, a knight in shining armor, a prince in disguise or even Mickey Mouse himself, fairy tales come alive and everyone gets a happy ending. It is here where Disney cartoons all come out to play. Every little girl’s dream of castles and fantasy becomes alive with Cinderella’s castle. Treasured characters which we have all grown up with and have loved as very young children were all around to greet and take photos with guests. We took plenty of photos but also had Disney take some that we purchased afterwards.
Chilling with my buddy Sebasitan
Whether you like adventurous and daring rides or prefer a more calm and soothing one, they are many available for the young and old alike. Unfortunately, we went at a time where most of the rides were closed for maintenance. There were also many attractions that had yet to be opened. We did ride Winnie the Pooh, the Carousel, the teacups and the bumper cars in Tomorrow Land. All though most of the rides were not opened it was a lot of fun.
Taking some of Pooh’s honey 😉
Epcot Studios was our last park and we had a great time there. I loved how this park had different sections that pertained to different countries. Being of Italian background, my favorite section was the one that represented Italy. The food, the sites the music, it all made me feel as if we had indeed entered Italy. My second favorite was the section of London. I am a big sports fan and loved the high quality jerseys on sale at one of their shops.
There were live bands playing music and setting the tone. There were also great picture spots. Epcot represents the future of technology, the cultures of the past and all of the great nations that make up our World. It is also very interactive. Time seemed to quickly slip away while we were there. I look forward to visiting again in the near future.
