Have a Magical Day!

Ah, Walt Disney World. Brewgal and family have just returned from a week in Orlando. This was the first trip for Mr. Brewguy and the Little Brewers. Brewgal hasn't been since Epcot was new.

Parks visited = 3
We went to Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Disney is preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of DisneyLand, so they had set up some new attractions. The Little Brewers are still a bit young for MGM so we skipped that park.

We started in the Magic Kingdom. Cindarella's castle has been spruced up for the occasion, with golden wrappings and character statuary in flight above the turrets. There is now a stage set up in front of the castle for the production of the Cindarellabration, a show about the coronation of Cindarella attended by all the Princesses in the land (Jasmine, Belle, Snow White, and Aurora). When we saw this, Little Brewer #1 was entranced. What better way to start the day than a calvalclade of princesses!

Mr. Brewguy loved Epcot, especially the fact that it had good food. We ate lunch in France (with wine- I had a Vouvray) and had a swifty in Germany (Mr. Brewguy had a weissbier).

Animal Kingdom is a bit like having an amusement park inside the National Zoo. The Kali River ride will get you wet. Disney does a big business in dry towels and t-shirts. A word of advice to those who plan to ride Dinosaur: bring earplugs. The warning about loud noises is seriously underplayed. I am still a little deaf in my right ear.

Miles walked = 42
Average temperature = 82 degrees F
Average humidity = 90%
I love Florida!

High speed chases and police shootings = 1
Police gave chase to a speeding car which led to a "controlled crash" on Central Florida Parkway. We passed by just at the moment they were leading one person to a patrol car in handcuffs. A man lay on the ground, half-out of the driver's side of the car. The wheels of the car were still spinning in the air. I found out the next day that the man on the ground died of gunshot wounds.

Disney dollars received = 2
You get a Disney dollar back when you return your rented stroller. This is not publicized in the Magic Kingdom, nor is it practical given the mass rush for the exit at closing time. At the Animal Kingdom they tried to guilt me into giving up my dollar in exchange for a contribution to the animal fund, but I prefer to contribute to causes separately.

Merchandise purchased = $150
I admit it, I'm a sucker. How could I take the Little Brewers to Disney World and not buy them stuff? Because Little Brewers 1 and 2 have to have everything the same, we came home with two battery powered magic wands, two light-up princess crowns, two dinosaur grabber thingys, two t-shirts, and a package of Chip - n - Dale cookies. Personally, I like the light up crowns. I wear one when I'm blogging at night. It lights my words like a deep coal miner.

Parades = 2
The SpectraVision parade in the Magic Kingdom is amazing! The gender-ambiguous characters at the beginning are a little creepy, though. If you don't mind sitting on the ground, a good viewing spot is just to the side of the Liberty Bell in Liberty Bell Square (across from the Haunted Mansion). There you can see the floats as the turn the corner.

The parade through Africa in the Animal Kingdom was lower tech but just as creative. It featured actors on stilts and others walking inside contraptions designed to represent large animal shapes. A good viewing spot is in the cafe across from the marketplace. Once the parade passes by, stay put. It will come back through going the other way about 10 minutes- you'll be able to see it twice.

SPF = 45
Brewgal is a fair-skinned lass.

Photos to follow!