>This is my family…It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good. *

>

Happy Mothers’ Day to all the Mothers out there, especially to my mother and my wife. I originally wrote this article last Father’s Day, because of a tweet made by Garth Vaughan. His tweet was called, “Disney Time is Family Time” It came from the Disney Parks Blog and showed a great picture of two kids with their dad at Disney World. I enjoyed writing this article after seeing Garth’s post, because I still believe that this is one of the Biggest Unknown Magics of a Disney World Vacation, Family Time. The chance to spend

time with your family, maybe to reconnect with those pre-teen and teens or to give a little extra attention to a little one that needs it, because you’ve been working so much, or just to hang out as a family, without running to this practice or that game, is a Magical Experience in itself. But to do it in Walt Disney World is even more special.
Everything in Disney is aimed at Family Fun, Family entertainment, Family togetherness. This is one of the reasons why Disney offers so many perks to stay on site. Everything from the Magical Express from the airport, to the on-site transportation, and the Disney Dining Plan are aimed at making the vacation of your dreams easier on you, so that you don’t have to worry or stress over the little things and you can spend more time with your Family.

Take the Disney Dining Plan for example, everyone in the traveling party must have the Dining Plan if you purchase it. Some people don’t like this, but I see it as a way to make sure we eat as a family, which I personally think is a great thing (many families don’t get a chance to do this anymore). Disney Restaurants are also all child friendly and not only that, but the cast members that work in them know how to talk to kids and relate to them very well. A family meal in Disney World can become a Magical Experience at any moment, sometimes because of your family, sometimes because of a Disney cast member. When I was a teenager, I slept in one morning on a trip to Disney World with my family. When they got back, I was told all about my Dad wrestling around on the floor at the restaurant in the Contemporary Resort with Goofy, because my dad happened to be wearing socks with Goofy on them. I still remember my disappointment in missing what was a Magical Experience on my family’s trip.

Another thing that Disney does to promote Family Fun is make it so most of the attractions can be ridden by everyone. There are very few height requirement rides in Walt Disney World. The Thrill rides Rock-n-Roller Coaster, Space Mountain and Mission Space come to mind, but you may be able to ride with the children. Check with the Cast member at the queue for the ride. Even the attractions that seem to be more for the children have ride vehicles that will fit a grown adult. This makes it easy for you and the youngest members of your family to enjoy time together also. This makes every attraction a possible Magical Experience.

If you look back over the posts I’ve written over the last six months, you’ll see maybe one or two that are aimed at adult entertainment, or satisfying one certain member of the Family (a teenager for instance). That is because everything in Disney is for everyone in the family. I have a friend that begrudgingly went to Disney a few years back. He is a workaholic to the Nth degree, but his wife and daughters wanted to go. He figured he’d play some golf, send them to the parks, and they’d have dinner together every night. Well, the first day, he played his round of golf, met up with the family for lunch and was expecting a nap and to sit by the pool and do some work for the afternoon. Well, his youngest asked him to go on Tower of Terror with her, she was afraid, and he said yes. He didn’t make another tee time the rest of the trip, because he had so much fun with them that afternoon that he didn’t want to miss anything else that week, because of the Unknown Magic; Disney time is Family time.

As Disney Vacation Members, we get to vacation in Disney often. A few years back, we skipped our yearly trip and waited until the following year. On that trip, my son, wife, and I took my parents and my sister and her family. There were a total of nine of us. My sister is a Disney Commando, which is against my beliefs, so we did our own thing most of the time, and went to the parks together maybe twice, but ate many meals and hung by the pools together often. Throughout the trip my son who is an only child, kept saying “it’s great to have Family”. He was having Magical Experience after Magical Experience with his cousins and family.

One night we went to Chef Mickey for dinner. We met my sister’s family there, so there were five of us traveling from the Beach Club Resort to the Contemporary Resort. I hadn’t thought about the travel time, so instead of trying to coordinate buses and all that, we drove over. The only problem was that I had rented a convertible that sat four comfortably. My Mom who at that time was just over 60 years old, ended up sitting in between the two back seats and we laughed all the way home that evening, after laughing all through dinner that evening. A Magical Experience that I will never forget.
So, now that you know, even if you can’t afford to go to the parks every day, or you can only go to Disney World for five days instead of seven, it doesn’t really matter. As long as you are in Disney, you will have Magical Experiences because of the Unknown Magic; Disney Time is Family Time.

*Post title comes from this quote from Lilo and Stitch: “This is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.”

>What I Think…

>There is already Magic in the Rooms

Disney announced last week that they were going to transform some of their Resort rooms into “specialty” rooms. These rooms will be in the “Riverside” section of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort and also in Disney’s Contemporary Resort. They will be like the rooms already in Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort that have a Pirates theme. The new rooms in Port Orleans will be Princess Rooms while the specialty ones in the Contemporary will be aimed at adults and have a health-and-wellness theme. The new 512 Royal Rooms will open to guests in February or March of next year. Disney says it expects the health-and-wellness suites to open by November (these will take over the entire 14th floor of the Contemporary).

What kid or even a kid at heart wouldn’t want to stay in a Pirate or Princess Room? Years ago, when they first announced that the Cinderella Suite in the Castle was to be stayed in, my family and I thought that would be pretty cool. The problem was it was only offered as a special prize and you had to win to stay there. Now people can stay in a specialized room without having to win, they will just pay a little more money. I think the extra special details like the water faucets looking like Aladdin’s genie lamp, will be fantastic.

But what I don’t think people realize is that there is Unknown Magic in the Disney Resort rooms already. That they have special themes and details that are Magical. Everything from the headboards at the Animal Kingdom Lodge to the details on the bedspread at the Grand Floridian add to the Magic that is available in every Disney Resort Room. I stayed in the Caribbean Beach years ago and the bed posts and the armoires were decorated with pineapples. When I stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside, the rooms had beds that seemed like they were made of logs and sticks, which was really neat, it added to the feeling of being back in the woody area of the south. And it’s not just the moderate and deluxe resorts that are like this, the value resorts have their own special themes in the rooms to add to your enjoyment. For example in the All-Star Movie Resort, things like the shower curtains being covered in stars and the stars above the beds add to the excitement of staying in these rooms. In Pop Century, the bedspreads showing Mickey and friends enjoying different activities that were popular in the different decades do the same thing.

There are so many little details that Disney adds to every area of the Walt Disney World Resort, including the rooms you stay in, that help to make your stay magical. The housekeeping staff adds to that magic also, by leaving special welcome towels when you first get to your room. Besides the room’s décor being themed and designed around that theme, there are usually ‘Hidden Mickeys’ somewhere in the rooms also, either the woodwork, the bedspread or the curtains. So, even if you get a “regular” Disney Room, you are still going to find some Magic.

So, if you are a first time visitor to the Magic Kingdom, getting one of these new themed rooms might be a great thing for your family; but please don’t think that the non-Royal or Pirate rooms in Disney Resorts are just your regular hotel room, they are anything but that. They all have details and special items in them that make staying in them a Magical Experience.

For the full story on the new rooms check out this Orlando Sentinel Story: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-daily-disney/os-disney-princess-hotel-rooms-20110425,0,6470887.story

>What the Shell?

>

In 1963, the Enchanted Tiki Room opened in Disneyland. Then in 1964, Walt Disney presented Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the World’s Fair in New York. Both of these utilized the new science Disney Imagineers (Disney’s creative geniuses) invented called “Audio-Animatronics”. Since then, the Imagineers have created hundreds of
these mechanical marvels for Disney Attractions. In the past few years, they have invented some that can actually move freely around the parks and interact with guests. One of these “Lucky” The Dinosaur was seen for a few months in the Animal Kingdom a few years back. The Imagineers have since moved into another awesome version of the interactive character. This Unknown Magic can be found in Epcot. To be more specific, it can be found in the Seas with Nemo and Friends Pavilion.

The Seas with Nemo and Friends is both a Pavilion (it used to be called the Living Seas) and an attraction of its own. The Attraction part is basically a way to enter the pavilion. You board a “Clamobile” and wind your way through the deep-sea to get into the Pavilion. As you ride along, you see Nemo and friends in their natural habitat,

swimming with other creatures of the deep. When you arrive at Sea Base, the pavilion’s main attraction, you exit the Clamobile and you come to the Caribbean Coral Reef Aquarium. This aquarium is actually a 5.7 million gallon tank, which is 200 feet in diameter and 27 feet deep; it holds 6,000 animals from 60 different species. Also in the Pavilion is the Coral Reef Restaurant, a gift shop and a small theater which is where you can find today’s Unknown Magic, the Turtle Talk with Crush Show.

Turtle Talk with Crush is a very cool show. When you enter the theater, there is a very large tank in front of you. There are small benches to sit on, and they have a large space toward the front where they have the kids sit. After everyone is seated, they have you call out to Crush, the cool Surfer Dude Turtle from Finding Nemo Fame. The 15 minute show actually features Crush speaking to the audience and talking about his

habitat and about taking care of our Oceans. The Magical Experience happens when they have the children talk to Crush and ask him questions. It is very cool to watch Crush interact with the children and also to hear the questions they ask and the answers he gives. This show is completely unrehearsed and it really can’t be. Every show is different because of the question and answer segment, which is entertaining, as you can have a different experience every time you see it.

Although Turtle Talk with Crush isn’t an Audio-Animatronics show and not the only Attraction at Walt Disney World where you can interact with the performers, the show is truly a unique Unknown Magic, where the kids and even adults in your group will have fun and maybe make a Magical Experience.

So, now you know, in Epcot, you can create a Magical Experience, by coming face to face and talking to one of the stars of Finding Nemo, in the Unknown Magic of Turtle Talk with Crush.

>ONE YEAR and Counting…

>

Dear Readers,

April 23, 2010 was a day like any other in most lives, it was in mine also. Until the sun went down. It was then that I started the Unknown Magic within Walt Disney World. I hadn’t really planned on it, but it just kind of happened. I read a lot that day about blogging. I was thinking about it, because I had been reading the Relocated Tourist; a great website by two very courageous people, who are living their dream, by moving to Florida to be closer to the Mouse. I thought how great that would be and then I thought I have some knowledge about Disney World I could share. So, I read and looked into a few different formats and then I started. By the time I had figured out the name of the site, (which for those of you that do not have a website, is much tougher than it seems) and bought the domain name, it was actually the next day. I posted my first article that day; on April 24th. It was a Saturday and all it really said was hi, I’m new. Actually this is the original post:

First of all,

Hello! I hope you had a Magical Day.

I am starting this blog after talking with friends about an upcoming trip to Walt Disney World. As we talked I realized that we (my family and I) Do Disney our own special way. I’m not saying our way is best or even original, but it is relaxing, enjoying and memorable.

I’ve read books, magazine articles, websites, even APPS on how to plan your visit, how to maximize your trip and even how to go cheaply. These materials are out there. They all offer great advice for the first time visitor.

So how will my blog be different? I honestly don’t know, but I will share what I do know about Walt Disney World. How if you look at things from a different point of view, you can enjoy the little things most first timers (and even Disney Die-hards) miss. I hope I can help a few people enjoy their first trip to Walt Disney World, and maybe even show some people who have been there quite a few times some things they may have missed.

I hope you enjoy the Blog. I have a feeling I am going to, just because it will be about one of my favorite things in the world.

So, looking back I guess it is different enough from other websites out there; I still try to share the things that people miss when they go to Disney World. I still talk about the Unknown Magics that Disney has to offer. Over the past year, the look of the website has changed and I hope it has gotten better. I think I have grown as a writer and as a Disney community member. But that’s easy, because there are so many people that accept you into the Disney On-line Community and share your passion. One of my first contacts was JL Knopp of the Disney Driven Life. I commented on an article on her website and she responded. She was (and still is) very kind and gracious and was

very welcoming to the Disney neighborhood. With her encouragement, I knew I could write about Disney World and people would accept it.

Over the next few months I found others that I connected with. And although I haven’t actually met most of these people in person, I feel like we are friends and linked in a common purpose. I was approached to contribute an article to another site; wdwfacts. (If you don’t have this site on your daily read, you are missing out on some great stuff). That was how I met Tom Cahill, who runs the site. Tom is a very generous man who doesn’t think you should have to pay to share in the love of Disney, Disney history or Disney fun. Through this site I also met Bill Iadonisi. If you haven’t had the opportunity to talk with or interact with Bill, you should know that, although he was never a Disney cast member, he is the epitome of the Disney Spirit. He not only spends as much time as he can taking pictures in the parks and contributing to four different websites, but he is willing to share information, pictures and even a meal with the rest of us Disney people. On more than one occasion, he has given me a picture or even gone to the parks or Downtown Disney to take a picture for me (and I still haven’t met him in person; Bill I owe you a meal).

It wasn’t long after meeting these two men, that I joined Twitter and met a few other friends, who would change my writing. I was lucky enough to become friends with the writers of Growing up Disney (who also will celebrate their one year anniversary in a few days). They were kind enough to allow me to share an article about the Greatest Thing I ever saw in Walt Disney World (my son on our first trip there together). Since then, we have become close friends and they have allowed me to contribute a few more articles to their great site. Another person I met around the same time is Janine Pipe, who doesn’t have a website of her own, but contributes too many others. Just like Amy and Ridge at Growing up Disney, she is one of the people who have continued to be a supporter and a friend.

Soon after, I was approached by two different websites for contributions. I am honored to have met Stuart Sternberg (actually in person) and Lisa Battista of the wdwfanzone. I also met Bob McLain of the Disney Dispatch, who is not only a very creative person, but very driven. He has given me an outlet for some of my more creative Disney writings, which I appreciate.

I also have had the opportunity to meet some very great Disney people that read my writings and share my passion; my friend Chad and his partners write the Days in the Park website. When I first found it, I thought I could write with them, they sound like me (Which I hope they don’t take as an insult). They are a fun group that enjoys the park and the Magic that Disney has to offer, much the way my family and I do, although not in the same way, because they don’t go to Disney World, they go to Disneyland.

Which brings me to my biggest fans, my family; my wife Heather and my son John not only put up with my writing, but encourage it. They understand that I spend hours of my free time sitting at the computer writing, because I not only need to, I want to. They offer suggestions and criticisms and they also participate. John is now my co-author on Tuesdays, for those of you that don’t regularly read, and Heather proof-reads just about every article I write whether it is for my website or any of the others I am lucky enough to be contributing to. They are the unsung heroes of the website and I am very lucky to have them.

So, I think I mentioned everyone, I think I talked about everyone that have helped me throughout this past year. Everyone that is except You the reader. I need to thank you all also. My friend Chad and I have had many conversations over the last few months talking about our readership and why we do this every day. It comes down to enjoying what I do. I enjoy sharing my knowledge about Walt Disney World. I hope I am helping you to learn something about Disney World that maybe you didn’t know. Or at the least reminding you of some Magical Experience you had in Disney. Either way, Thank You for coming by the Unknown Magic Within Walt Disney World. I hope I have informed, entertained and enlightened you over the last 12 months and I hope to continue to do it in the months and maybe years to come.

Thank you,
Bruce.

https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

P.S.

You can follow us on twitter @umwdw.

You can check us out on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Unknown-Magic-Within-Walt-Disney-World/132851053415652?ref=ts

And we now have a You Tube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/umwdw?feature=mhum

The websites Bills Iadonisi contributes to: wdwfacts, The Disney Driven Life, The Disney Food Blog and Mickeynews.com.

Lisa Batista is also author of Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers and her own website Beyond The Attractions

Background Picture courtesy of Growing Up Disney.

Disney Animated Gifs by Disney’s World of Wonders.

>Ooh, Ahhhh… Part 3

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Over the last two weeks, Saturday’s posts have been about Fireworks in the Magic Kingdom and Epcot, today we will finish up the Firework Series at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Firework Show in Disney Hollywood Studios is called Fantasmic! This Fireworks extravaganza takes place in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. This is truly an Extravaganza. This Show is so wonderful, that Author Ridley Pearson* used it as a focal point in his new book Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow. The show is only able to be viewed in its entirety in the Amphitheater. What makes this an Unknown Magic is not that it’s a Fireworks Display, but something special for the whole family.

Before I tell you about the reasons why this show is worth seeing, I need to give a warning. This is one of those things in Walt Disney World, where people get a little crazy. I’m not talking about them getting out of hand or rowdy, No, I’m talking about the Craziness of Waiting. At the Magic Kingdom and Epcot people will set themselves up for the Fireworks about an hour before they begin. At Fantasmic, the gates open to the Amphitheater two hours before the show. If you want a seat, and actually if you want to be able to see the show, you need to show up about an hour before it starts, or you will not be able to watch.

SO, what makes people want to wait for this show for two hours? Well, first of all it is a great show. It involves the Disney Villains, against Mickey Mouse in a battle of Good vs. Evil. It is technologically amazing to see, the effects are amazing. When you finally walk out of the 25 minutes show, you are Satisfied that Disney has given you something you will remember.

Knowing that Disney does Fireworks like no one else, I’m sure that even first time visitors expect a great Fireworks show in “Hollywood”. So what makes this an Unknown Magic? The show itself is not the Unknown Magic. It’s how to see it. In Epcot and Magic Kingdom, you can see the fireworks from other places. No, the Unknown Magic here is not where to see them, but how to see them better.

The Hollywood Brown Derby, Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano and Hollywood & Vine, three big restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, offer a Fantasmic! Dinner Experience. What this is basically is a FAST PASS for Fantasmic! You make an Advanced Dining Reservation for one of these

three eateries for dinner, and you are given a pass that allows you to go to Fantasmic! 30 minutes before the start and you are guaranteed a seat. There is No Additional Charge for the package, but at this time, you must book your reservation with a credit card and you will be charged a nominal fee if you do not show up.

As a person that doesn’t like to wait 2 minutes for a microwave burrito, I think this is a great thing! I mean not only can you have a great meal, Momma Melrose’s is Fantastic, but the fact that you don’t have to go to the stadium an hour to two before the show begins to me is Wonderful! This Makes this Magical Experience even better!

One other tip on Fantasmic, sometimes they offer two shows when the crowds are high. If they do offer two shows, try to go to the second one, the crowds for this show are usually smaller.

So, now that you know, Have a nice dinner and then catch Fantasmic! It will make your Magical Experience even better!

*Ridley Pearson’s next book, Kingdom Keepers IV Power Play is scheduled for release next week; April 5, 2011

>Say Cheese….

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Suntan lotion?: Got it.

Water Bottle? : Yes.

Money?: Yup.

 

Room Keys?: I got mine.

Park Tickets?: I have them.

Taking the Camera?: Yes.

Extra Batteries?: Where are They?

Memory Card?: There’s no more room!?!?

Should we just leave it?: I guess.

My wife and I have had this conversation on more than one occasion over the years. It usually happens before a long outing to the parks, or when we know we’re going to a park that isn’t close to the Resort where we are staying. As you can see, it usually goes well until the camera question. Taking the camera to the parks is always a tough decision for us. I like to take the pictures of the Parks and the Family, but carrying the bag around gets to be a pain. Most of the time, we’ll take the camera in the morning, and not in the afternoon or evening. We travel lighter after lunch it seems. Before that though, we take the video camera and the still camera and the bag with extra batteries, an extra memory card and all the other paraphernalia. Sometimes we actually only carry the Camera Bag to carry the sun tan lotion and other small items we may need during the day, while I carry the camera around separately I know that seems odd, but I’m sure (hope) there are many other people that do it also.

There are times when you want to take the camera with you for a specific reason. Maybe you want to take a picture of something you had seen the day before and wanted to remember it, so taking the camera makes sense, other times you are thinking of nothing but going through the Park and going

through every Attraction you missed earlier in your trip, you don’t want to take the camera, but you never know what character you may meet or if when you get to the Magic Kingdom, You decide you want a picture of the kids in front of the Castle, because Main Street USA seems empty that day. So, What Do you DO?

On days like this, you leave the camera behind. If you want that Picture of the kids in front of the castle, you can still get it. Disney has this wonderful Unknown Magic that will make it easier on you. It’s called Disney’s PhotoPass. Visitors to the Parks may have noticed these people before, I’m sure, and if you’ve been to other amusement parks, they have similar programs. For first Time Disney Visitors let me explain it to you, when you first enter any of the parks, as you see the Park’s Focal Point (the Castle, Sorcerers Hat, Tree of Life, Spaceship Earth) there are cast members walking about. These cast members are part of Disney’s Photography Corps. Known as the PhotoPass Photographers, these cast members are professional photographers, there to take pictures of you and your family while framing you with a Magical Background. They also add extra little Disney touches to your Photos.They are in all Four Theme Parks and not just at the entrance. A lot of times these cast members are at character meet and greets and just roaming around the Parks.

I know some cynical people reading this will say, “But this is just another way for Disney to take my money”. If that is your attitude, you probably shouldn’t be reading this blog anyway, but for a cast member to take your picture, it is free. Not only that, but you don’t have to purchase anything at the Park. Now, that is a Magical thing, because that means there is no pressure from Disney or from your kids to get a picture.

What happens is this; when they take your picture, they record information from a little card onto the memory card of the camera. This saves the pictures under your card number (make sure you have your card handy throughout the day, that way if any other PhotoPass people take your picture you can have all the pictures on the same account). Then you can look at the pictures later, either at the park (there are areas in each park that you can go and view your pictures, with help from cast members, or at home at your own convenience. This service is available on line for quite awhile after your vacation ends, so you can take your time putting together your scrape books or even finding that perfect picture for your Christmas cards.

PhotoPass may not seem like a big thing, but if your family is in Disney World for the first time, it is great to have a Family Picture where no one is left out because they are taking the picture and the picture is professionally done. These Pictures of your Magical Experience will be treasured for years to come. At this moment, I’m looking at a picture of my Parents with the Grandchildren standing in front of Cinderella Castle that was taken three years ago, it is making me smile to remember that trip.

So, now you know, you can leave the camera behind and still get a great family picture in any of the parks that will let you remember your Magical Experiences for years to come.

>These aren’t the Tiki Birds!

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The Walt Disney Company has a long history with nature. The first True Life Adventure “Seal Island” was released in 1948. Of course Disney opened the Enchanted Tiki room in 1963. Disney Nature an independent film label of The Walt Disney Company was started in April of 2008. Their first two releases Earth and Oceans were magnificent productions. And on April 22, 1998 Disney opened Animal Kingdom. Animal Kingdom is the Largest of the

Theme parks in Florida. Even first time visitors to Animal Kingdom know about Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safari and Kali River Rapids. But there is a quiet little show; very unassuming that makes it towards the top of my list for must sees when you are in Animal Kingdom. This show is unknown to many, which is a shame. This Unknown Magic is called Flights of Wonder.

Flights of Wonder is a 25 minute show presented many times throughout the day in Asia. You will have to check your times guide to make sure you don’t miss it. There is plenty of seating for the show, but you may want to get there a few minutes before the show starts, because there are a few very special areas to sit. When you first walk in, look to the back of the stadium that the show takes place in. Find the two short poles at the back. now find a seat somewhere on line with this pole and the side of the stage. These are the best seats in the place.

Flights of Wonder starts out with a local tour guide “Guano” Joe walking onto the stage. He is greeted by the host of the show Luke, a bird handler in training, and together they start discussing animals and nature and taking care of the Earth. Throughout the show, 20 different species of birds show off natural behaviors and other trained ones. According to the Disney Website  The following birds may be seen during the show: Abyssinian Ground Hornbills, American Bald Eagles, Augur Buzzards, Barbary Falcons, Eurasian Eagle Owls, Gray-Crowned Cranes, Harris Hawks, Ibis, Indian Runners,
Ducks, Macaws, Pigeons, Seriemas, Toco Toucans and the Yellow-napped Amazon Parrots. These birds are joined at different times by smaller critters also.

Going to Flights of Wonder is a really great way to take a break from all the walking that is done in Animal Kingdom. This park is so large, that you will walk a lot and you will need a break at some point during the day. This wonderful show can provide a break and a Magical Experience, because as you are sitting and watching you’ll find yourself smiling and enjoying the birds. This is one of those experiences that won’t scream out at you when you start

remembering your trip once you get home, but it is one that brings a smile to your face when you think about it. The reason you were instructed to sit in a specific spot, earlier, is because sitting there will make this show an even more Magical Experience for you and your family. To do this, make sure
you have your camera or video camera ready, when they bring the Owl onto the stage and Luke tells you to get ready, you’ll understand why.

So, now you know, for a Magical Experience that isn’t for the birds, but given by the birds, take a break at Flights of Wonder and Soar with this Unknown Magic.

>Oh, How Silly!

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Christmas is for Children; at least that’s what the song says. Then there is a line that says, but aren’t we all children Christmas Day? Walt Disney World is like that also. Everyone is a kid in Disney World; everyone acts silly and everyone is giddy and everyone is happy. I made a comment on one of my articles a while back that even in Disney, teenagers don’t act like teenagers. They are more family oriented, maybe even more accepting of us parents. But one thing that happens when you are in Disney is somewhat of an Unknown Magic. It happens to the kids more than the parents; mainly because we parents cause this magic to happen (sometimes it happens to parents too, though). It is the Unknown Magic of making your kids look silly.

I know this may sound like a horrible thing, but how many times do we as parents give up things for our kids? The extra pork chop at dinner, the better seat at the show, whatever it is, we give for our kids, because we love them. So, making them look silly in a few pictures is only fair, in my book. In Disney World, it is so easy to make someone look silly. You can have kids pose with anything in Disney though and they love it, until they get older and they realize they looked a little silly.

One of my favorite places to get a picture is in Disney Hollywood Studios by the Muppet Theater. Underneath the huge statue of Kermit in a tuxedo, anyone looks tiny and somewhat silly. Another great place in the Studios is at Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground. You put a kid on a giant ant, and blow that picture up and they look silly.

 A few years back we got our son to stand next to a picture of the Chicken Little promotional poster.

Tell me he doesn’t look a little silly.

Another great thing that makes kids look silly is when they meet a character.

But fair is fair. Here are a few pictures of my wife and I looking silly ourselves:

By far the best silly picture is of my son and me after a great meal at Le Cellier. Our waitress made us purses for our leftovers and made my son a toque (a Canadian winter cap).

So, now you know, Disney World is like Christmas, it changes us all into little kids and we all get to look silly or make our kids look silly and what a Magical Experience that is.

>"A" Ticket to Ride

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Model of Main Street USA presented in One Man’s Dream

 Walt Disney’s Birthday was this past week. He was born December 5, 1901. He grew up in Marceline, Missouri and then Kansas City. Main Street USA is based on Marceline, Missouri. It is set in the early 1900’s when cities were just starting to grow and people were moving to them from the farms and countryside. If you walk down Main Street USA, you hear music from the time period and the facades of the buildings take you back to simpler times. On Main Street you will also find some Unknown Magics that help to transport you not only back in time, but from the beginning of this wonderful street all the way to Cinderella Castle. I’m talking about the Unknown Magics that comprise the Main Street USA Transportation fleet.

The Main Street USA Transportation corps is made up of four vehicles; each one a Magical Experience waiting for you. They all start at different stops around Town Square. On the lampposts surrounding the Town Square circle there are signs marking where each one will stop. All of these modes of transportation let their passengers off at the foot of Cinderella castle or you can take the ride the opposite way; from the Castle to the front of the park. There are five different vehicles you can ride. There are an omnibus, a horse drawn trolley, a fire engine, and old fashioned automobiles (a jitney). When Disney World first opened, and the park used the ticket system, these “rides” up Main Street USA were considered A Tickets.

The Omnibus is a double decker bus based on a 1920’s vehicle form New York City. The old-fashioned automobiles are based on various models form 1903-1907. The fire truck has an Unknown Magic connection of its own. The Fire house in the Town Square section of Main Street USA is named Engine Company 71. Of course the fire truck would be Engine No. 71. The 71 in both cases are a tip of the hat to the year that Walt Disney World opened.



Looking back as we made our way toward the castle.

 My Favorite of the Main Street Vehicles is the Horse Drawn Trolley.  The reason for this is because of our family trip a few years back. In 2007 my family went to Walt Disney World. My parents, my sister her family (husband and two daughters) and my son, wife and I all went to Disney World together and had a fantastic time. When we first got there, my mom told me that besides spending time with us and the Grandkids, my dad wanted to ride as many different modes of transportation as possible. So, our first day in the Magic Kingdom, after riding the Monorail, when we first entered the Park, we jumped on the closest form of transportation to us. It happened to be a Horse Drawn Trolley. It was a very nice relaxing way to start our day in the park and I know my dad enjoyed this Magical Experience all the way to Cinderella Castle.

That is the nice thing about these vehicles, they are very laid back. If you are in a rush, you should avoid them all together, because they don’t go quickly, where you could probably walk the distance of Main Street in a few minutes, these wonderful trips usually take a little while. Sometimes, you even have to wait for the ride to begin. When we took our ride a few years ago, we waited about ten minutes for the driver to get us on our way. Which also bring me to the drivers; they are very informative and will be able to give you pretty much all kinds of information about the Magic Kingdom and the park hours and such.

So, now you know, there are a few Unknown Magical ways to get up Main Street USA. All you have to do is look for a stop around the Town Square and when one of the wonderful Main Street USA Vehicles is available, jump on and enjoy the Magical Experience that is the ride to Cinderella Castle.

>Saturday Matinee

>Today’s Saturday Matinee was a Magical Experience taken during a visit to the Magic Kingdom this past summer. Enjoy!