>Did You See That?

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I’ve been asked before, “Where is the best place to watch Wishes (the Fireworks in the Magic Kingdom)?” Or “Where would you sit if you could sit anywhere for a parade on Main Street USA?” I’ve answered before where my favorite places to sit for the Fireworks in Oooooh, Ahhhhhh (part 1) The parades are a little different you can find plenty of great spots all along the parade route. These are great questions and yes I guess it does kind of matter where you see these Magical Experiences from, but people only seem to worry about these views in the Magic Kingdom. There are other views in the Magic Kingdom that I find are Unknown Magics that people either don’t recognize or don’t take the time to see. So, today I bring to you the Unknown Magic of the things to see in the Magic Kingdom.

Of course the most fantastic view in the Magic Kingdom is of Cinderella Castle. But most people think of the same view or take a picture from the same place; coming up Main Street USA with the Walt Disney World Train Main Street Station behind them. But from the side of the Castle, where the water is between you and the castle, there are also great places to view the Castle. All the way across the Seven Seas Lagoon at the Polynesian Resort, the view of the Castle is amazing, but from the Grand Floridian the Castle is also visible.

But Cinderella Castle isn’t the only great thing to see in the Magic Kingdom. The Mountains of the Magic Kingdom are pretty amazing also. Starting in Tomorrowland, you have the oldest of the Magic Kingdom’s Mountains, Space Mountain. Space Mountain is a magnificent white growth bursting into the sky. Or, over in Frontierland, you have Splash Mountain and the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. These are particularly magnificent at night, but still impressive during the day.

Throughout the Magic Kingdom, there are other great things to see that aren’t large and looming above, but just wonderful Unknown Magics that you can see if you take the time to look for them. Some of my favorite things to see are the second floors of the different buildings. For example in Adventureland, the second floor of the buildings above the shops are really great to see. Next time you are in Adventureland, look up at some of these balconies. The buildings actually look like people could be living in them, because of the plants and decorations on them.

Another great thing to see is in the Pirates of the Caribbean. It is made great because of the details that the Disney Imagineers put into the scene. The scene is the one where the one drunken pirate is in a mud hole with a group of pigs. The mud on the pirate along with the hair on his legs and arms as well as the other little details make this part of the attraction a Magical Experience.

But one of my all time favorite sights while in the Magic Kingdom is seeing the Liberty Belle, the paddlewheel steamship that is found on the Rivers of America, as it comes past the Haunted Mansion. It is just an amazing thing to see that is a Magical Experience that many people just don’t take the time to enjoy.

So, now you know, there are many great Unknown Magics that are waiting for you all over the Magic Kingdom. They are the wonderful things, besides Cinderella Castle, that you can see that create Magical Experiences. Some are big and bold, others are things you need to take the time to look for and can only enjoy if you take the time to see them. So, next time you are in the Magic Kingdom, slow down and see what you can see.

>Surprise!

>The first day of school is coming up for many kids, or it has already happened. A new school year brings so many emotions, fear (of fitting in), happiness (at seeing friends), anxiety (of what the year will bring), uncertainty (in ones abilities), and the excitement (of new things). For a first time visitor, the attractions in the Magic Kingdom bring

about these same emotions, the fear, happiness, anxiety, uncertainty and excitement, because, even though you may have heard about the attractions, you don’t know everything that happens or what you will see. Even if you have ridden the attractions before you may have forgotten about some things. These Surprises in the Magic Kingdom Attractions are today’s Unknown Magic.

***Spoiler Alert***

I will reveal some of the surprises that I mention, at the end of the article.If you do not want to read them, please do not scroll all the way past the last picture. I do not want to ruin a Magical Experience for a first time Disney Visitor.

As I stated in yesterday’s post, there are some attractions in Walt Disney World that Cast Members refer to as Dark Rides. That doesn’t mean that the ride is scary, but that it takes place in the dark. Probably the most famous Dark Ride in all of Disney World is Space Mountain. It was opened in 1975 and underwent a refurbishment in 2009 and as of this writing is undergoing new musical enhancements. If you have ridden Space Mountain, you know that it is a thrill ride/roller coaster that is completely in the dark. Even if you haven’t ridden it, you probably know this. What you might not know though is that the Disney Imagineers are good at making things seem like they are something else. This is our first Surprise during a ride₁.(For the surprise look below the picture that says spoiler alert)

Another Dark Ride that has an Surprise within it is the Pirates of the Caribbean. When they refurbished this attraction in 2006, they added one very neat Unknown Magic₂, that has created a Magical Experience for our family, and they left in a part of the ride that is forgotten by many, but is always fun little Surprise₃. Another one of the Dark rides that has many different little surprises that even as a seasoned visitor you may miss, is the Haunted Mansion. Everything from the pre-ride set up to the Haunted soundtrack, this attraction is full of little things that can create Magical Experiences. There are so many little surprises that you can find, that I will only tell you my favorite is at the end of the ride₄.

Another Surprise at a Magic Kingdom attraction that takes place in the dark is in Stitch’s Great Escape. The attraction itself is based on the premise of the beginning of the movie Lilo and Stitch, when Stitch is captured and taken in front of the Grand Council. You are in the holding area, before he goes in front of the council. Of course he escapes. During the rest of the time you are in the attraction, you are witness and sometimes victim to Stitch’s antics. As he is bouncing all around you one of the nastiest Surprises on a ride happens₅, it is not inappropriate for the kids, actually they seem to squeal with delight, but it is a little…ick.

A fun Surprise that takes place around an attraction, but not directly on it can be found in Adventureland, at The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. As you are walking by this attraction, you may get a surprise, and the people riding the carpets at the time, get the biggest laugh form it. Although they have nothing to do with it₆!

A very cool Surprise, which I have heard about but have not had the fun of completing, takes place out on Tom Sawyer Island. A lot of visitors don’t venture out to Tom Sawyer Island, although it is a great place to go and slow down the pace of your day. To get there, you need to take one of the rafts that dock near Big Thunder Railroad. Once on the Island you can cross the bouncy barrel bridge and hang out at Harper’s Mill, Aunt Polly’s and Fort Langhorn. And if you‘re lucky you can find a Paint brush left behind by Tom or any of his friends. This is where the Surprise comes in. If you return the brush to the Raft Dock, you get a Surprise (This time I’m not going to tell you what it is, but it is a fun one!).

So, now you know, there are Surprises on the rides in the Magic Kingdom that even if you have ridden an attraction before you might not know about. These Unknown Magics can help your family have Magical Experiences. So, next time during the ride, be prepared for the Surprise!

Spoiler Alert

1. When you are riding it, Space Mountain seems a lot faster, but the maximum speed during the ride is only 30 mph.

2. They added a waterfall that you pass through.
3. There is a little drop in the ride before you get to far in.
4. At the end of the ride, I like to see which “Hitchhiker” we will end up with. My favorite is Gus; we even have a lawn decoration of him at home.
5. The nastiest surprise on any Disney ride is Stitch’s chili-dog breath being blown in you r face as he is loose in the room.
6. The Camel standing guard over the attraction spits water out at random times, wetting the people passing by.

>Don’t be afraid of the Dark.

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There are some attractions in Walt Disney World that Cast Members refer to as “Dark Rides”. That doesn’t mean that the ride is scary, but that it takes place in the dark. Many of these “Dark Rides” are in the Magic Kingdom, a few are in Epcot, and some in Disney Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom. My earliest Magical Experience on a Dark Ride was with my brother when we went in 1979. He was all excited about his socks. Yes, his socks. He loved the fact that as we lifted off on Peter Pan’s Flight the black light turned his socks purple. So, with the same excitement my brother had about his socks being purple, I present to you the Unknown Magic of the Disney Dark Ride.

While many of the “Dark Rides” are considered Thrill Rides, some are very tame and even aimed at the younger audience. Peter pan’s Flight for instance is a very nice “flight” through the movie Peter Pan. You start outside the Darling house with Nanny barking at you and “fly” your way through until Captain Hook and the Crocodile are floating out of sight. Another great Dark Ride for kids is Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. In this ride, it is only dark for a very short time, during the Blustery Day

scene, the rest is brighter. One of the other Dark Rides in the Magic kingdom aimed at kids, but much darker, is Snow White’s Scary Adventures. This ride is very dark and some of it is scary, maybe a little too scary for very young riders.

Another Dark Ride that can be scary for younger riders is the Haunted Mansion. Although it may make Magical Experiences, there are some places during the ride that

 your youngster may be grabbing for your hand as you drive by in your Doom Buggy. Another one that you need to be careful of is Sounds Dangerous in the Disney Hollywood Studios. Almost the entire show is done in the dark. So is Stitch’s Great Escape in the Magic Kingdom. If you don’t like total Darkness these two should be avoided. Another one that is a little scary for older children even is Dinosaur in Animal Kingdom. As you travel back in time to get DNA from a dinosaur, you encounter darkness and some scares along the way.

Over in Epcot the only scary part of the Dark Rides come in Norway when riding the Maelstrom. Between the Trolls coming to get you and the waterfall, you might be a little worried. But please don’t be worried, neither the trolls nor the waterfall hurt you and it is a great ride. In the Mexico Pavilion, the Dark Ride is a wonderful romp through Mexico looking for Donald Duck. Another Dark Ride where you are looking for a

Disney character is only half dark. It is Splash Mountain. While on this ride, you are looking for Brer Rabbit and end up going all around the bayou to see where he could be. Of course this ride ends with a 52 ½ foot drop, which is the part that is no longer in the dark. Another ride that is in the Dark, on a boat in water is Pirates of the Caribbean, which is one of the all time great Disney Attractions.

Probably the most famous Dark Ride in all of Walt Disney World is Space Mountain. It was opened in 1975 and underwent a refurbishment in 2009 and as of this writing is undergoing new musical enhancements. If you have ridden Space Mountain, you know that it is a thrill ride/roller coaster that is completely in the dark. Over in Disney Hollywood Studios, the Rock n Roller Coaster is also a Dark Thrill Ride Roller Coaster. Both are awesome rides and have the thrill of Darkness to add to the ride, but the attraction that uses the dark to its advantage more than any other is the Tower of Terror. The Official name to this attraction is the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Taking place in the Hollywood Tower Hotel, this attraction leads you through the lobby of the hotel and then onto an elevator. The ride from there is one that either thrills you or scares you. Not because of the darkness, but because of the ride itself.

So, now you know, there are Dark Rides throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, to give everyone a Magical Experience. Some aimed at the youngsters, some at the thrill seekers, and some for everyone. So, When in Disney, Don’t be afraid of the Dark.