>A Nice Drink and a Big Hat

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Last summer, I bought a Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Margarita Machine. It was a nice addition to our Tiki Bar. It is pretty nice. It is a three step machine that adds the ice automatically for you and mixes all your ingredients. The problem I have with it is that I’m not big into Margaritas. I use it to make other frozen drinks, mudslides, for example, and I can drink the Margaritas, but I’m not a big Tequila drinker. My wife likes a good Margarita though, so when we are in Disney, we visit the little stand outside the Mexico Pavilion and we grab a Margarita to wander with. Of course inside the Mexico Pavilion there is also a good place to get a Margarita. Once a few years back, when we were eating in the San Angel Inn, we had some pretty good Margaritas!  We enjoyed them very much!  It even gave our son the opportunity to buy a Sombrero that was huge, and a lot of silliness ensued, but that is another story. Today’s story is about Tequila and where you can find it in Disney World.

Most people don’t think of Disney World as a place to get a drink, but there are some specialty places in Disney that are all about the tequila. Our Big Hat adventure in Epcot took place quite a few years back. Now, the San Angel Inn is sharing the Mexico Pavilion with another bar. This isn’t any bar though, La Cava del Tequila, is a specialty shop that sells and tells about Tequila. They actually have a Tequila Ambassador, someone to help you learn about the history and process of Tequila making and about different types of Tequila. There are about 30 seats in the shop and they serve light Mexican fare, but they are mainly here to sell you Tequila. They offer a variety of Margaritas and they have 70 different types of Tequila ranging from stuff you may have heard of, too very rare $50 a glass specialty Tequila.

La Cava del Tequila is open from around noon until Epcot’s closing. If you want some Tequila and you don’t happen to be in Epcot, you can always head over to Downtown Disney. This is where you will find Paradiso 37. This is a newer restaurant/bar on the West Side that was being added before they decided to change Pleasure Island. It is still there and is a great place to get a Margarita.

Paradiso 37 is a “high-energy restaurant and bar that serves up unique cuisine inspired by the Taste of the Americas.” It not only offers an international Wine list, but a Tequila Tower and 37 different types of Tequila. They also offer 10 different types of Margaritas for your enjoyment. Paradiso 37 also offers live music and the menu is rather extensive. They open at 11 AM and offer specialty coffees and a lunch menu that is almost as big as the dinner menu. They both offer Appetizers, soups and salads, as well as a Main course and Desert. The restaurant is pretty large and is a non-smoking establishment.

So now you know, there are a couple of Unknown places in Disney World where you can get a Margarita, try some different Tequila and maybe some new food as well. Just remember too much Tequila and an eleven year old who wants a rather large sombrero may be a problem, when you try to figure out how to get that Big Hat home on the plane.

>Going Downtown

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The week has been long. Exciting, fun, adventurous and memorable, but long. You feel as if you haven’t slept in days, although you know as soon as you get to your room, the kids are asleep and you aren’t far behind to the Land of Nod. So, you decide instead of going Commando* today through another park, you will take a break and slow the pace down. You will enjoy what I call a Hakuna Mawednesday activity. But What Unknown

Magical thing will you do in Disney World today? Go to the beach? (Yes, there are beaches in Disney) A water park? Hang out at the Resort? How about a shopping excursion? That’s the one; a Shopping excursion. Did you know that the Walt Disney World Resort has its own shopping complex that is a short bus ride away from any of the resorts? From a few you can even take a boat to get there. This area is called Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney is divided into three different areas; The West Side, Hyperion Wharf and the Market Place. They all have shops and restaurants and are connected by a walkway, but they each have their own neat characteristics. At the time of this writing, Hyperion Wharf is just being built. It used to be Pleasure Island an adult night club area.

In the old Pleasure Island, they had different themed clubs that you could go to. The one that will probably be missed the most is the Adventurer’s Club, which my friend Wally over at Disney Dispatch has written about.

 The West Side of Downtown Disney is the side I consider the nightlife side. Here you will find Bongos Cuban Café, which is owned by none other than Gloria Estefan, The House of Blues, a great place for music and food that I have written about in the article In Search of Great Catfish and a few other great eateries. You will also find the AMC 24 movie house here as well as Disney Quest, the Disney interactive indoor theme park, and Cirque du Soliel La Nouba, which is the only Cirque du Soliel show that has a permanent home. There are some shops on the West Side, but mostly this is the area you go for food and entertainment.

The Marketplace is the shopper’s side. There you will find a fine selection of specialty stores; some that are Disney themed and some that are not. One of the Disney themed stores is The World of Disney. This is the largest Disney merchandise store in the world. There are 10 different rooms that are found in this store including the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Another great Disney themed shop is called Team Mickey. Team Mickey is a sports store that sells not only Disney character sports shirts and items, but they also sell officially licensed merchandise. Disney’s Days of Christmas is one of my favorite Disney shops in the Market Place, because they sell Disney holiday decorations and ornaments all year around. Mickey’s Pantry sells Disney kitchen items; things everyone needs like a Mickey head egg shaper and a Disney waffle maker.

For the kids there is Mickey’s Mart, which is basically a $10 and below store of Disney merchandise. There is also Goofy’s Candy Company. Here you can make your own snack or buy some prepackaged Disney styled treats. The Disney Design a T is a neat place for kids to, because they can create their own t-shirts to wear.

The art of Disney Store is amazing and sells not only collectibles, like Vinylmations, but

limited edition Sericels, paintings, and collectible figurines. The Disney’s Pin Traders found in the market Place is one of the biggest places on Disney property to buy pins.

Non-Disney Stores found at the Downtown Disney Market Place include: Arribas Brothers, a crystal specialty store; Once Upon a Toy Store, which is a huge toy store; Basin, which sells Bath & Facial Products and LEGO Imagination Center. There are also six different non-Disney eateries found in the Market Place; our favorite is Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop.

So, now you know, a great place to take a day off and enjoy yourself is at the Downtown Disney Complex. You can enjoy many different restaurants and entertainment venues or you can head over to the Market Place to do some shopping.

*Disney Commandos are people who run from attraction to attraction to “DO” as much as they can while in Disney World.

>Something Frozen to Cool You Off?*

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You’ve spent the morning in one of the parks. You have dinner reservations at ‘Ohana or any other one of the wonderful Disney restaurants for dinner, but it isn’t until late in the day. Your family wants to get some souvenirs and do some shopping. So, you head for downtown Disney. While you’re there you get a little warm (there isn’t much shade in Downtown Disney) and with the warmth comes the thirst. A great place to get a drink is at the Unknown Magic that is the Margarita Bar.

Picture by BILL IADONISI

The Margarita Bar is a small stand, located on the dock near Cap’n Jacks, on the East side of Downtown Disney. It is open from noon until eleven at night. There are a quite a few tables, with umbrellas, alongside that overlook the water and face Fulton’s Crab House. They are a very nice place to sit and relax for a few minutes, or many minutes and enjoy your beverages.



Picture by BILL IADONISI

 The menu is not huge; they do not offer food, just drinks and cigars. The Margaritas offered are Strawberry, a Don Julio, (which is made with Don Julio Anejo Tequila and Grand Marnier) their 1800, (made with 1800 Tequila, Cointreu and Grand Marnier) and the Ultimate (made with Sauza Gold Tequila and Grand Marnier). They also offer a Rum Runner, (made with Bacardi Silver) Pina Coladas and beer and wine. For the kids, they offer strawberry, Pina colada and Strawberry Banana Smoothies. They do sell cigars also, which you can smoke out on the deck.



Picture by BILL IADONISI


This little stand and dock area are very nice. It’s an unassuming and peaceful place to sit and enjoy a drink. It reminds me very much of the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. How you can sit out on the deck of some of the bars and watch the boats come and go.  And this Unknown Magic is a wonderful place to stop for a drink, so next time you’re in Downtown Disney and need to wet your whistle, stop by the Margarita Bar and enjoy!

* Thank you to Bill Iadonisi for the wonderful pictures of the Margarita Bar.

>A Thirsty Thursday Favorite

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In this week’s  Tips From a TeenagerTuesday, my co-author mentioned that his favorite place to eat in Downtown Disney was the House of Blues. I wrote about the House of Blues, as a restaurant in an article titled In Search of Great Catfish. In that article I wrote about the restaurant and the food, but I didn’t mention the fact that the House of Blues is a good place to get a drink.

The House of Blues is considered a chain restaurant, but it is also a great venue for live entertainment and a very good place to go for a drink and to hang out and relax. Happy Hour (in the Restaurant) starts at three and goes until five, but there is also a late night Happy Hour from 10:30 until Closing. This is also when they have live entertainment in the restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights. During Happy Hours, the Domestic Bottles are $2.50 and Import Bottled Beer is $3.50, as are the House wine and cocktails. During Happy’s they also offer ½ price appetizers. Monday through Sunday, from 5- 10:30 there is live entertainment in the front courtyard, too.

The front courtyard is a great place to have a drink, it is a very comfortable place to sit and enjoy the music and laugh with friends and family. It does get a little loud and crowded when there is a show going on in the main venue. Inside the restaurant is a nice place to enjoy a drink also. You can sit at the bar or at a table and enjoy some good food and some music. If it isn’t a Friday or Saturday night, you still get to listen to some great blues and soul, which is played over the sound system.

The beer selection is pretty standard, Bud, Budlight, Coors, Heineken, Amstel Light, Corona, Corona Light, Miller Light, and Guinness. They do offer Blue Moon, which is Belgian wheat ale. They also serve Yuengling, for those from
the Mid-Atlantic States, Sam Adams for the North Easterners and Stella

Artois, for the beer snobs (of which I consider myself). Stella is a Belgium pilsner lager that is a very nice smooth drinking beer. It goes very well with the Pan Seared Voodoo Shrimp, from the appetizer menu, or the Creole Seafood Jambalaya entrée.

We enjoy the House of Blues very much, for the food. (My favorites are the catfish bites; they come with sweet potato fries and the Blue Cheese Blues Burger). But we also like to stop in and get out of the heat of the day or even stop in later in the evening, and enjoy a drink and some family time. This is one of the Unknown Magics in Walt Disney World that you can enjoy, if you give it a try.

>Going Downtown

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The question I ask my 15 year old son John every week is the same. Sometimes the conversation goes better than others, but these are his honest to goodness answers. Enjoy.

John tell me something that everyone should know about Disney World,

Umm… uhhh…

This was my articulate son’s answer, so I helped some more.

Like maybe an attraction or something to do, or something that might be your favorite.

Downtown Disney.

What would you like to say about Downtown Disney?

There’s Lots and lots to do.

This would take a lot more work on my part today; So, I asked,

Like What?

Shopping, Food, Shows. Do they still have shows there? DisneyQuest.

To answer his question, there are sometimes special shows that are presented in Downtown Disney, things like Festival of the Masters, which is an art festival and Festival of the Seasons, which celebrates the winter holidays.

Well, I know you like shopping, so, tell me your favorite place to shop in Downtown Disney.

The Sports Store.

This would be Team Mickey. I will let him explain.

Why?

Sports are my life and I love sports.

What kind of things do they sell there?

Sports team apparel, Disney themed sports stuff, obviously and ESPN stuff.

Have you ever gotten anything there?

Yes, a hat or two and some shirts.

Anything else?

A video game, but they don’t sell them anymore.

What’s your Favorite place to eat in Downtown Disney?

House of Blues.

What do you like there?

Sweet Potato Fries and Catfish Bites. The Gumbo is good also. The general food is good.

What’s it like inside the House of Blues?

Kind of dark, lots of blues music playing, I don’t know how to describe it, you can describe it better than I can.

Ok, I will. The House of Blues is actually a chain of restaurants started by Isaac Tigrett, original Blues Brother, Dan Aykroyd and designer James Cafarelli. As you walk in and are taken to your seat, you walk past the restaurant stage. Behind the bar there is a large picture of the Blues Brothers (Jake and Elwood). The walls are covered with paintings from amateur and local artists. The restaurant is a very relaxed place with blues and other music playing and a friendly staff.

So, when you go to Downtown Disney, do you just go to those two places?

No, it’s nice to roam around the resort of Disney, the Walt Disney World Resort. Well, Downtown Disney.

They have that Balloon Ride now would you ever go up in it?

NO!

The Balloon ride, is called Characters in Flight. It takes you up in a giant tethered balloon either 200 or 400 feet above Downtown Disney. The ride lasts from 8 to 10 minutes and you can see all of Disney World. John wouldn’t do it, because he “doesn’t do” heights.

What’s the most unique shop in Downtown Disney?

The Christmas Shop.

This is Disney’s Days of Christmas which sells Disney themed holiday merchandise, all year around.

Would Downtown Disney be a good place for a group of you and your friends to hang out?

Yes.

Why?

All the shops and DisneyQuest.

What is DisneyQuest, John?

It is a big arcade with a variety of Video games.

Actually, it is 5 floors of video games, virtual reality games and interactive rides and games.

What’s your favorite thing in DisneyQuest?

The Nascar race, because you get to race against 7 or 8 other people. It gets pretty intense especially against the little kids.

Is Downtown Disney ok to go with your parents too?

Yes, because they have money,

This is why we are allowed to be seen with him.

No, I’m kidding of course, yes,

And how about on a date

Yes.

I wasn’t going to ask any further on that line of questioning.

Is there anything else you’d like to add about Downtown Disney?

Sometimes it’s hard to get parking, but you can drive there, or take a bus or even take a boat. So, go there have fun.

Thank you John,

You’re Welcome.

>Taken from Ireland, Plonked Down in Orlando.

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I’m sorry that as I am talking about the different bars and watering holes in Disney that I am not providing a lot of pictures of them, but I realized that I don’t have a lot of pictures of the drinking establishments in Walt Disney World. That is because I don’t feel comfortable taking pictures of bars when there are people sitting at them. I do have pictures of one of the best places to get a drink and a meal in Disney World, though. It is a wonderful place to have a beer, get some food and  in the evening to enjoy some entertainment. This place is Raglan Road. Located in Downtown Disney.

Raglan Road is an authentic Irish Pub that as they say, “that has been Plonked down in Orlando Florida.” There are a few bars throughout the restaurant for when it gets busy, a couple of Televisions, and plenty of tables. There are also areas where the Irish Dancer Performs and the house band plays. It is a rather large Pub, with its own gift shop and outdoor walk up window, as well as an outdoor seating area.

We ate lunch in Raglan Road last summer on a Sunday afternoon, and it was relatively quiet. The food was good. I enjoyed the Fish and Chips. The Menu also features Bangers and Mash, Shepherd’s Pie and other Irish favorites. The Master Chef was Ireland’s Chef of the Year 2009 Award Winner; Kevin Dundon.

Of course this being an Irish Pub, we need to talk about the Drinks. The Beer that is being featured as of this writing is Guinness, Murphy’s Red Creamy Irish Ale, Smithwicks Irish Ale, Harp Irish Lager, Boddingtons’s Ale, Bass Ale, Stella Artios, Kronenbourg 1664, Tucher Hefeweiss, Strongbow Cider and Newcastle Brown Ale. They have many Irish Whiskey selections and Scotch Whiskey selections for your enjoyment. They also have a full complement of mixed drinks and cigars are available.

This is a great Irish Pub, where the house band, Tuskar Rocks, plays and Creel a trio along with Danielle Fitzpatrick, their Irish Dancer, entertains Monday through Saturday nights. It is a Raucous Rocking good time. But, don’t let that scare you off if you are with a family. A few years ago, Raglan Road was

named in the top 50 Diners’ Choice Awards for Best Kid-Friendly Restaurants. The kid’s menu helps with this also, as it features the kid staples, Shrimp and Chips and the Dalkey Duo, which is sausage in a blanket and mustard.

The walk-up window outside the Pub called Cooke’s of Dublin, is their fish and chips to go. If you just need a quick bite and don’t have time to sit and enjoy a few pints with your meal, this is a great alternative to some good food. I personally would make the time to sit and enjoy my fish and chips with a nice pint of Stella Artios or some Boddingtons’s Ale, but that is just me.

This is a wonderfully authentic Irish Pub, and it is a fun place to go and sing and laugh. If you are with a family of younger kids, going during the day or earlier in the evening may provide a nice alternative for you.

For more information check out Raglan Roads website: http://www.raglanroadirishpub.com/orlando.html  and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

>An idea For New Year’s Eve at an Unknown Magic

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The Daily Disney, from the Orlando Sentinel, had this article yesterday:

Families can ring in New Year at DisneyQuest party

If you’re looking for a family-friendly activity to ring in 2011, DisneyQuest may be the place for you. The indoor, interactive gaming center at Downtown Disney’s West Side will be celebrating the New Year with a special event.

The party starts at 8 p.m. and runs until 1 a.m. Guests will have access to all games, a DJ dance party with a countdown to New Year’s Eve, party favors, an individual pizza and soda at FoodQuest.

Tickets are $39 per person in advance or $45 the day of the event. Both prices include tax. They can be purchased at the DisneyQuest box office, online at Disneyworld.com/DisneyQuest Party or by calling 407-WDISNEY.
DisneyQuest will close to day guests at 7 p.m. Dec. 31.
Regular admission to DisneyQuest is $44.73 for adults and $38.34 for ages 3 to 9.

This is an awesome way to spend New Year’s Eve and enjoy Magical Experiences. DisneyQuest is one of those Unknown Magics that people see, but don’t take the time to explore and enjoy. If you are one of the many that haven’t taken the time to try DisneyQuest, you are missing out. It is described by Disney as an “Indoor Interactive theme park… a one-of-a-kind gaming experience.” And it is truly that. When you first enter the “park” you board a Cybrolator (an elevator) that takes you to the 3rd Floor and from here you can explore the other floors and the special attractions that they have.


Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters

 They have some interactive attractions such as Aladdin’s Magic Carpet Ride, Virtual Jungle Cruise, CyberSpace Mountain, Ride the Comix (where you wear a virtual reality helmet), Pirates of the Caribbean – Battle for Buccaneer Gold, Mighty Ducks Pinball Slam and Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters. All of these attractions require you to participate and become part of the ride.

The second floor of DisneyQuest is geared toward the artist. Attractions include: Radio Disney Songmaker, Sid’s Create a Toy, Living Easels, Magic Mirror and the Animation Academy, where you actually draw a Disney Character while getting a drawing lesson from a live instructor. There are also Classic Arcade games like Pac-Man, Frogger, Donkey Kong, Space Invaders, Spy Hunter, Q-bert and of course Tron in the Replay Zone.

There are two eating areas in DisneyQuest; FoodQuest (which offers meal type items such as pizza, pastas and salads) and the Wonderland Café (which has different desserts, snacks, adult beverages, and ice cream novelties).

DisneyQuest opens everyday at 11:30AM and closes at 10:00 PM Sunday through Thursday, and at 11 on Friday and Saturday.

So, now you know, This Unknown Magic is a great place to go for the family fun. Or just to send the kids on their own; our 15 year old loves it there. Last summer when we were in Walt Disney World he and his friend went to DisneyQuest for a few hours by themselves, while we shopped in Downtown Disney.

To read the Original Daily Disney Article go here: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/disney-a-mom-and-the-mouse/2010/12/families-can-ring-in-new-year-at-disneyquest-party/

>Disney’s Christmas Decorations (Part 2 the Parks)**

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Last week, I wrote about Disney’s Christmas Decorations in the Resorts.  They are amazing. But in Walt Disney World, they not only decorate in the Resorts, but they also decorate in the Parks. And as with the Resorts, the Parks are sometimes not seen by many people, because they don’t get to travel to Disney World during the Holidays. So for those of you that don’t get to see the parks during the Holidays, I present the Unknown Magic of Christmas Decorations in the Disney World Parks.

Every park has a Christmas tree and every park has special decorations around the park. Most of the trees are found in the front of the parks; sometimes, inside, sometimes outside. The Tree at Disney Hollywood Studios for example is outside of the park. As you walk toward the front gate, the tree is off to the side of the entrance. And as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard, the street is decorated with garland and other decorations. At the Animal Kingdom, the Park is decked out in Christmas, and the tree is right in front of the park, and the decorations are wild animals and African masks and things that relate to the park.

Of course Christmas in the Magic Kingdom is as special as everything else in the Magic Kingdom. Main Street USA is decorated with special Christmas ornaments and music. The tree in the Magic Kingdom can be found in the Town Square Center. What a Magical Experience as you enter the park and see a huge Christmas Tree with Cinderella Castle in the Background. I don’t think there is anything more Magical or exciting; except maybe seeing Santa in the Magic Kingdom, which you can also do.

My Favorite is the Christmas in Epcot. Each of the countries has their pavilions decorated for Christmas and each has special performances and appearances by the gift giver that visits that Country. For Example at the United Kingdom Pavilion, Father Christmas makes appearances, while La Befana can be seen in Italy. This is a very neat Magical Experience, especially for kids, because they can learn about the customs of other countries. At the American Pavilion, they tell the history of Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah. The Epcot tree is at the entrance to the World Showcase.

Even Downtown Disney is decorated for the Holidays also, with what I think is the best tree on the whole property. Outside Once upon a Toy Store, the tree is fabulously decorated with toys and games and all sorts of Magical Things. This tree isn’t the only thing that is decorated for Christmas, but I think it is one of the neatest. Also in Downtown Disney, they have the Disney Days of the Christmas store, which is open all year around. They even have a tree in the DisneyQuest Building.

So, now you know, Christmas isn’t just celebrated in the Resorts, the Parks also offer Magical Experiences during the Holidays. There is so much Christmas Cheer for you, you may miss some of it, if you don’t take the time to look and listen for the Spirit of the Season.

**Make sure you come back next Monday to read Part III, the Special events at Christmastime in Walt Disney World.

>Why Did I Take this Picture?

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Yesterday, I mentioned taking pictures in Disney and I also wrote about it in a Great Shot.   As I was looking through my pictures this morning, deciding what to write about today, I noticed something.  Not only do I take a lot of pictures, 509 from our trip last year alone, but some of them are things that make no sense or would make no sense if someone was looking at them without narration. Which got me to thinking, people do this all the time.  They take pictures of things that they find neat or interesting and then whenever they look back on the pictures, they are reminded of something that meant something to them.  But if your pictures are being viewed by others, they don’t make a whole lot of sense. So I decided today to post some pictures from Walt Disney World to see if you can figure out why I took them. At the end of the article, I will explain each picture. So enjoy the Unknown Magic of Pictures from Disney, (even if you can’t figure out why I took them).

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

F.

G1

G2

H.

So, what did you think? Did you try to guess why I took them? Do you think you know why?

Well, here are the reasons why I took them:

A. This was our room at the Boardwalk on our first trip as a family; I wanted to remember the whole trip.

B. This plaque is on the ground in Epcot. At the time I took it, my wife was teaching 5th grade and she mentioned Copernicus in class one day along with the quote from Isaac Newton about “Standing on the shoulders of giants.” One of her kids was a shorter boy and he thought that was the coolest thing, “Standing on the shoulders of giants.” So, we had to take the picture for him.

C. and D. These are in the men’s room at Conservation Station. I took these so my wife could use them in her fourth grade class, because after we saw that you could adopt a turtle, she was using conservation and ecology as her classroom theme. I thought they were neat facts.

E. Of course as you look at this picture you think, oh a nice picture of Eeyore with your kid, but I don’t know who these people are. When my son got Eeyore’s autograph something happened with my camera, so I took this shot after he had already walked away.

F. These hands are on in the fitting room in the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney. I just thought this was a neat thing to have instead of hooks to hang your close on when you were trying things on.

G1. and G2. I know this is a banner that is seen all over Walt Disney World; so, now big deal right. Well look at the second picture I used this close-up to try and help explain why I took it. At the top right under the opening for the light, there is a bird. Actually there are two birds in this picture. There were three at one point I think the last one is still in the light itself. They caught my eye as we were walking by. I made my wife stop and watch them. I got a kick out of them dancing in and out of the light and all over the banner.

H. There is nothing in this booth, it serves no real purpose and I have no reason for taking this picture except that it was something I saw as we walked through Disney Hollywood Studios.

So, now you know, there are some pictures that people take in Walt Disney World that they take to create a memory. Some that are taken for something unrelated to their trip. And others are taken, because the subject of the picture is something that the taker found neat. And others are taken for no real reason at all; they are just part of a Magical Experience.

>The Magic of Disney World on the Teenage Mind

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I was talking about my son John yesterday at work. The woman I work with asked how old he is now, and when I said fifteen she asked me about different things that her son did and does John do these kinds of things. He wasn’t like her son much, but he is a typical teenager, we see him at meals and have to keep on him about bringing glasses down from his room and doing homework and stuff. But he’s a great kid, I can’t complain. I have mentioned that when we visited Walt Disney World this past summer, we went with John’s friend and his family. These two young men are so much alike they could be brothers. Before we went we had talked about how great it would be for the boys to have someone their own age to hang out and to go off in the park with. I mean they are both around the same age and we trust them and trust Disney to keep them safe, so it was not a problem. But what happened and what we found when we were there still amazes me, and as I thought about it more, it became an Unknown Magic. So, I’d like to share with you today the Unknown Magic of the effect of Disney on the Teenage Mind


I guess,I can see how a teenager might find this embarrassing

 Not that John is one of these kids that is totally embarrassed by us (although sometimes he has a right to be), he is pretty good about going out to the store or mall with us, even when we aren’t getting him anything, but he is at that age when it just isn’t cool to hang with your parents. And as I said his buddy is just like him. They are typical teenage boys. So, when we were in Disney and they only left us once to go off on their own; that kind of surprised me.

The one night they went by boat from the Saratoga Springs Resort to Downtown Disney. They were gone for a total of 2 hours, maybe, and part of that was looking for our room, because they couldn’t remember what building we were in (in their defense it was only our second night there). Both boys said they had a good time, and John mentioned a few different places they went to and what they did, but they didn’t seem like they really needed to do it again.

It could be that we usually do certain things when we are in Disney, go to certain places to eat and ride specific attractions, so maybe John didn’t want to miss anything, but I don’t think either one of the boys really cared that they were hanging with their parents. They seemed to enjoy what we were doing and had a lot of fun doing it.

We did have Dining Reservations for a few of our meals, but even then they both had a good time. The one was in Le Cellier, where we had a ball, and laughed all through the night. We also enjoyed the Spirit of Aloha Luau, and our last night we went to ‘Ohana, in the Polynesian Resort. Both of the boys ate as teenage boys can and savored every bite. You could tell they were enjoying the meal, but you could also see that they were totally into the Feeling of ‘Ohana (Family). I look back on these meals as Magical Experiences that we shared as families.

I sum this all up to the Magic of Walt Disney World. If we were home, the boys might hang out with us for a little while and then they would disappear to their rooms or go out, but when we were there, even though they both had a game system with them, they didn’t leave us much. Five Days they spent with us, and not just for meals. It was a great trip and an amazing time. And we all had a good time. That’s not to say they didn’t roll their eyes at us or complain that we were getting up to do an early Magic Hour, but they didn’t dwell on those things they moved right along with their lives.

Not that I think there is any place on earth more wonderful than Walt Disney World, but in my mind, there is no place else to go with a family, even ones with teenagers, than Disney. We have friends that own Disney Vacation Club points and for eight straight years they would ask their two teenage sons what they should do for summer vacation. They gave them choices ranging from the North Carolina Beaches to trips out west and each year the boys picked Disney. And each time they told me about the trip afterwards and showed pictures, it was a “Family” trip. The boys were like John and his friend, they hung with their parents. It is an amazing thing, that you don’t think would happen, but as you walk through any of the Disney Parks, you see families with teenagers having these Magical Experiences.

So, now you know, there is a Special Unknown Magic that happens when you are in Walt Disney World that makes the teenage mind stop being a teenage mind and actually lets it enjoy their family. And when this happens, all kinds of Magical Experiences can happen. So, don’t worry if you are going to Disney with a teenager, they’ll probably surprise you and enjoy themselves.