DISNEY MAGIC

If you intend taking your kids to Orlando for a holiday, do not consider it as a holiday. It is a mission. Orlando has 4 Disney main parks; 2 Disney water parks and a few downtown entertainment centres. Then Universal studios has 2 parks; there is sea-world, Kennedy space center (NASA) and god knows how many more parks. Each Disney theme hotel is also an attraction with hordes of activity.
You cannot just land there and have fun. You have to plan in advance to have fun.
We decided to be selective and just do the Disney parks and NASA. To do more one needed more time and stamina.
After doing a lot of reading and consulting, we took some decisions:

1) Do we stay in Disney theme hotel or any other hotel? If we stay in Disney hotel we would be allowed some hours extra each day in some park. This is an incentive to beat the long queues and have more time on rides with little or no waiting. We decided not to stay in a Disney hotel and instead stayed at Radisson as the deal was good. It was a smart move. (A smart move means a move which saves lot of money).
Tip: There are a lot of hotels near Disney parks which are not as expensive as Disney hotels, they are quite comfortable and they offer free shuttle to Disney Parks. It makes sense to take such hotels if you want to save money. We stayed at Kissimmee area which had a lot of hotels, restaurants, shopping and it was not too far from Disney.
Another tip : Often if you combine tickets with hotel, you get an even better deal. I did my bookings through orlandovacation.com.
2) Do I want a 3 day or 4 day or 5 day ticket? Do I want base ticket or hopper ticket? Do I want it with water parks tickets? I finally chose a 4 day base ticket without hopper option and without water park option. This meant that on one particular day I could visit one Disney theme park and not ‘hop’ from one park to another. I could not visit any water park also unless I bought separate ticket. As I bought 4 day ticket- they gave me complimentary 1 day extra so it became 5 day ticket. I said I didn’t need it but they wouldn’t listen. I didn't realise this at that time that this would later actually pay me back.
Tip : always buy base ticket as it is unlikely that you will have time to hop from park to park. Hopper option is expensive. If later you decide to go to a water park, buy ticket separately. The price reduces for base ticket based on the number of days’ ticket you buy. The more the number of days, the lower per day price!
3) We then decided on which park to visit on which day based on their time of closure, types of rides and their fire work schedule. Some parks open for longer on some days- mainly on Wednesdays and weekends.
4) We then studied about the main rides in each park; the meaning of fast-pass and the meaning of photo-pass. All this will be explained later.

Armed with a 5 day ticket, we decided to attack Disney the moment we reached Orlando instead of waiting for the next day. We immediately went to the ‘Magic World’, the flagship of Disney world and got there around 7 PM in the evening. The moment you enter the gates you are greeted by the famous ‘ cindarella castle’ which is just like the pictures you see in many magazines. The atmosphere was festive. Kartik had a spring in his walk and a grin on his face. “I am getting excited,” he commented and increased his speed of the walk as he wanted to get onto some ride to make a start.. We did ‘Splash Mountain’ and a few more rides before the rain came hurtling down. This gave us an opportunity to do a few kiddies shows and rides like Peter Pan etc, which otherwise were not in the radar. “Splash Mountain” was nerve wrecking as you are taken in a boat for around 10 minutes. This ride features the antics of Fox and his attempts to catch the wily Rabbit. Over 100 Audio-animatronics figures entertain you as your log boat winds its way through caves, swamps and bayous, and down three minor drops before climaxing with a 52 foot plunge after Rabbit outfoxes the Fox. I was feeling relaxed and happy when suddenly I came hurtling down the 52 feet drop where you find your heart coming in your mouth and you splash into water.

You come out and at exit they have a photo of you for sale at $20.00 coming down the drop with the scared expression on your face. Often you will be seen screaming. This photo business happens in all the rides where you are scared and sometimes even when you are not scared. they sell hell of a lot of photos doing this.
Photopass : There is this concept of photo pass whereby you can link all your photos and have them online. You are given an ID on payment of fee.
In spite of rain the spectacular fire works did take place and we watched them as we ran out to catch a cab to the hotel. We were fully soaked but we had had the first taste of Disney magic.
Tip : Don’t get taken in by the name ‘Sunny Florida.’ Always carry umbrellas and raincoats with you as Orlando has a reputation of downpours and thunder.
EPCOT
Epcot is an extremely popular theme park and the largest of the Disney world parks. It deals with science and Geography. The science part is called ‘Futureworld’ and across the lake where the country pavilions are located, it is called ‘The world showcase.’ You are greeted by a huge golf ball at the entrance which is pretty majestic and called the ‘spaceship earth.’ Inside this golf ball is an interesting ride, showing you communication history of the world and it is pretty educational.
Tip: Spaceship earth can accommodate many people and it is not a very hot ride so visit this after you have done more popular rides before the crowds arrive.


As was our plan we reached Epcot by 9 AM and proceeded straight towards the ‘Test track’, a ride sponsored by ‘GM’ . Replicating car testing grounds,’ Test Track’ takes you through the testing of a new car through icy conditions, through extreme heat, through uneven roads and , including the high speed banked turns. It was scary, educational and thrilling. The wait was for 30 minutes so we stood in the line and took a ‘fast pass’ for this ride as well so we could come back.
FAST PASS is a pass you obtain from a counter at a particular ride which gives you a particular time to visit this ride. Then you don’t have to wait. However, you cannot take another fast pass till you finish this ride. It is important to plan this well.
By the end of the day we had done ‘Test Track’ driving three times as it was the most thrilling ride of EPCOT. As we had taken Fast Pass for this ride, we did not have to wait in long queus.
Some other interesting rides were :
- Mission: Space : A great simulator ride which takes you to Mars and you have to Navigate and control. Worth going twice.
- Soarin’ : It replicates a hand glider over California. Pretty thrilling as you soar over California and almost feel that you are going to crash into ocean or to one of the sky scrapers.
- Honey I shrunk the audience: A 4 D movie. You have to wear special glasses to watch it. Good for kids.
- The Seas with Nemo and Friends: good for kids.
- The turtle talk with crush : Again good for kids.

In the world show case there were pavilions of many countries and many of them had restaurants serving their cuisine. Some of it was pretty good. The Italians were selling chocolates and wines. There was a live band playing and I was pretty amused with the belly dancing which took place on the edge of the lake. Everyone was avoiding Mexico pavilion after the swine flu scare. The American pavilion had a nice art gallery and a 30 minute film on history of America called ‘The American Adventure.’ It put me to sleep. Some pavilions like Norway had rides and some like Canada and France had films about tgheir countries. By 7 Pm we had had enough and decided to skip the famous light show of 10 PM. It does get tiring spending so many hours and as most of the time you are on your feet, it’s a welcome relief to go back to hotel. We were lucky that weather was good and cool otherwise normally it is pretty hot in Orlando and then it can be very taxing. I have heard some people actually go back to their rooms or pool in the afternoon and come back again.
HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS




The hotel shuttle dropped us at the gate of magic kingdom and if you have to go to magic kingdom or EPCOT, you could take a monorail from there. For Hollywood Studios we had to take a Disney bus. From the gate itself the atmosphere was that of movies.
Tip : As soon as you reach a Disney park, take the park map and the daily programme from information desk. For such huge parks, you will need this map from reaching from one place to another.

Looking at the programme, we knew we could safely keep shows like Voyage of the little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast , American Idol, Muppet vision 3 D etc in abeyance and watch them if we have spare time. We proceeded towards the rides we wanted to do first before the crowds built up. The rides that we targeted were:
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster
It was a Roller Coaster zooming from 0-60 mph with the force of a supersonic F-14, taking in high-speed loops and turns synchronized to a specially recorded Aerosmith soundtrack. The kids and I loved it so this was perfect for Fast Pass and we did the ride twice more.
Tower of Terror They take you up the phantom elevator in the creepy façade of a once-glorious hotel for a jolt back in time. They take you up 13 floors! You plummet down. You rocket back up, only to plummet down yet again. You scream and you shout. You are happy when it is over. After a couple of hours you are right back in it!
Star Tours - The Ultimate Star Wars Thrill Ride
This is a simulator ride for a turbulent trip through outer space. With an absent-minded droid in the cockpit, you're in for warp-speed near-misses, collisions with comets and high-flying excitement - not to mention a wrong turn into a combat zone, right into the path of the Death Star. Exciting.
What we really enjoyed were the live shows of :
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
This stunt actually had live explosions, crashes, aircraft, jeeps, clashes and death-defying stunts of Indiana Jones' onscreen adventures. We had to take our seats 45 minutes in advance and it was well worth it and it was like being on a movie set. Many of the audience were chosen to be extras.
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
This had a series of highly orchestrated stunts, specially designed cars, motorcycles and jet skis and amazing pyrotechnics which gave us behind-the-scenes look at how action stunts are created for the movies. Mesmerizing. We had to sit an hour before the event started and the way the cars zoom and crash-it is really thrilling. One has to realise that this is happenning live and not on a film ! I believe that this event started in Paris Disney and has been brought from there.

There is a show called Fantasmic which is supposed to be the highlight of the evening of Hollywood studios. Unfortunately it was not supposed to be held on the day we were there. In this, Mickey faces off against Disney villains in a lavish spectacular of dancing water, dramatic music, breathtaking animation, lasers, fireworks and surprises. It has melodies from famous Disney films. It’s just as well that we were not looking forward to it as there was another downpour in the evening and most shows and outdoor rides were cancelled.
The whole day we kept feeling as if we were in a big studio. The entire park had posters of past films and they were building up excitement for some forthcoming blockbusters. There were music shows happening in diiffernt locations and entertainment was the buzz word.
Once again, we did not have to wait till late night and we could go to the hotel well in time for drinks and dinner. It was a day well spent.

The Magic Kingdom

We were told that ‘Animal Kingdom’ was a glorified zoo and the rides were nothing spectacular. We gave that a skip. We decided to spend Saturday in Magic Kingdom. On Saturdays it is open till 12 AM.
Tip : Normally the parks get crowded on weekends and holidays. When kids have school breaks the queues for popular rides are for 2 hours plus. Keep this in mind when planning. Check American school holiday calendar well in advance.
The magic kingdom is quite huge and divided into sections: Main street USA, Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland,Liberty square, Mickeys toontown fair and tomorrowland. For us Advenureland and Tomorrowland were the best as they had the rides exciting enough for Kartik, Sanya and me.

The Magic Kingdom has maximum ride for the little kids. The entire park has people dressed as the famous disney characters like Mickey mouse, winnie the Pooh etc and there are long queus of kids taking autograph and getting their pictures clicked.You can hire strollers, wheel chairs etc from the gate (in all the parks). Most people having small kids prefer this park to others as it has activities for all ages. As the entrance ticket is pretty steep, they like spending 12-14 hours in the park. As a result by late afternoon you will find hundreds of tired crying kids and parents on short fuse.
Tip: give kids a break. Take them to Disney parks when they are at least 8+. This way they will enjoy and you will get value for money.
Our kids attacked Splash Mountain and Big Thunder mountain rail immediately. We convinced Devicka to join us for Big Thunder mountain rail- which is like a roller coaster train in the midst of landscape designed to resemble Monument Valley during the gold rush days. Riding at night gives you a whole new experience as you fly by the twinkling lights of the Magic Kingdom. After this Devicka vowed not to go onto another ride though we felt that it was a mild ride. Another big attraction, ‘the space mountain’ was shut for renovation.
The kids loved ‘Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin’ and it turned out to be one of the most fun attractions in Disney World. You're literally in the middle of a giant arcade game, shooting lasers and racking up points as you head to the ultimate showdown with the evil emperor Zurg. You ride in XP-37 Space Cruisers and keep aiming, shooting and collecting points. God knows how many times the kids did this ride using the fast-pass.
The main street family parade held during mid day is a colourful spectacle which goes around the park with all the Disney characters. It is not something one should miss. It keeps you involved and most people were dancing with the music along with Donalds, Piggies, Mickey and hundreds of other characters on the roads of Magic Kingdom. We couldn't help but join them.
There is plenty of food of all types all over the parks. The restaurants are always full. We were eating hot dogs, hamburgers, pastas, turkey legs, roast chicken, salads and ice creams all the time. There are plenty of souvenirs at exorbitant prices and most popular rides and shows have their own souvenir shops or toy shops at exit point of the ride. The sales are brisk. Some like Indiana Jones or Star trek are more popular than others. We could not convince the kids not to shop. So, one has to carry a fair bit of money to enjoy the parks.


In Magic Kingdom one can take jungle cruise, train ride or river boat to relax if one is getting tired. I skipped snow white scary adventures and Haunted Mansion and had coffee instead. Kids did not find them scary. The Monsters inc. laugh floor was not funny at all. The boat ride in the ‘Pirates of Caribbean’ with Jack sparrow was a fun ride in a cool tunnel with outstanding sets. Rest everything was for small kids.

When the kids went for the splash mountain the last time, their ride got stuck due to computer malfunction and we panicked. We worried if the kids were safe and they thankfully were.
Tip: Always carry a couple of cell phones with you so you can be in touch with each other if going for different rides. Otherwise, the parks are too big to find each other. Give the kids a cell phone if they are going alone in a ride.
Disney parks are well spread out, they have nice buildings; lakes; spectacular lights and they use a lot of old people for helping out. Must be good for these old people to stay busy and earn some money. Each worker appeared committed and everything worked with clockwork efficiency. There was no pushing, abusing or breaking lines. This comes as a big shock to those from india. These parks cater to millions each year and this is possible due to high quality and efficiency standards. Seeing the number of Indian tourists in Disney, I am surprised that they don't have Indian restaurants. People come to have fun and most of them go back satisfied even after spending most part of the day in queus. Many return year after year. It is not only the young who are seen but surprisingly many old people come to have fun, several on wheel-chairs !!
on our last night in Orlando,we were about to enter a restaurant near our hotel for dinner when Devicka noticed a shop with sign board 'We buy and sell unused tickets.' We had one day ticket left for all 4 of us and we were leaving the next morning so I just took a chance and went inside the shop. He paid me $ 40.00 for the tickets ! Our dinner was free !
Big Tip : If you are planning to visit Disney park or Universal studios for a day-its worth a try buying tickets from these shops. You may get ticket at 50% of the cost !!
At the end of the Disney adventure I asked the kids if their expectations had been met. Both felt that to a large extent- Yes.Sanya said het dissapointment was that the Micky, Minney, Donald, Winnie etc were not actually the REAL things but people dressed up as them. She said that all these years she felt that in Disney park these creatures would be the REAL ones. Kartik said he was dissapointed that there were not more of the scary Roller coasters and more dangerous rides.
Well, boys will be boys and girls will be girls !