Trip Reports

Trip Report September 7-11, 1999

Crazy Travelers:

Your host, David, 20, second WDW visit (first one in 1996)
My pop, first WDW visit
My second trip to Walt Disney World was merely to go with an open mind and see exactly how different it is to Disneyland in CA. Being a cast member in the CA park, I received plenty of benefits as well: 50% off resort stay, free admission to the parks, and discounts on merchandise and food. I think my dad agreed to take me because of these savings. He of course had to purchase a 5 day park hopper, also at a small discount. Our trip began on the morning following Labor day, which meant that summer was over and the crowds were smaller, which was great! But then again, it's not as fun when the resorts go partially filled and mingling with others becomes minimal. Our stay lasted approximately four and half days allowing us to only visit the four major theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Center, MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom. I wish I had some extra time to visit Downtown Disney, water parks, and miniature golf but I was on a tight schedule.

Instead of detailing everything that happened during the trip, I thought I would just give my opinions of the resort, individual theme parks and attractions... since I wanted to see what exactly Californians were missing and if possible what Florida is missing on as well. My second objective for visiting... see how Florida cast members treat their Californian co-workers. =)

Also, I hope some of you WDW fans do not take what I say too seriously... since I have quite a sarcastic outlook. =)

CORONADO SPRINGS RESORT

One of the newer WDW resorts, I was rather impressed with the scale, majesty, and detail of everything in Coronado Springs. All pictures that I saw from Disney brochures made it look very cramp in space and small. Boy, was I wrong! The resort is huge! I stayed in the Cabanas 8A room # 8147 (first floor) and it was quite a walk away from the lobby! Fortunately, I was very close to the Dig Site, which is the major pool area with a very fun water slide along side the Mayan Pyramid. I couldn't get enough of this slide (especially with the humid Florida weather, even at night) and rode it several several times... I just felt odd being the one 20 year old with all of the younger kids. (cheese alert) But hey, that's the magic of Disney... everyone's the same age here!

I like the aura of the resort, especially when live music acts are close at hand. The architecture and landscaping of Coronado Springs is also quite a vista to look at. There is a large lake in the center of the resort called "Lago Dorado" with a marina section on the side for pedal boats and the like. Sand areas are scattered about with hammocks. Great for an afternoon of vegetating. Speaking of which, the food of the resort is nothing to brag about but it is good enough, and service was great. Grade: 9/10

DISNEY- MGM STUDIOS

The MGM Studios is Disney World's third theme park opening during the late 80s. This is the park where show business takes center stage. MGM studios is the place you go where you see the typical variety of stunt shows, backlot tours, and so on. What's really cool about this park is the architectural style of old time Hollywood. The centerpiece of the park is a recreation of the Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood. Things I did not visit are: Pizza Planet Arcade, Sounds Dangerous starring Drew Carey, Doug Live!, Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure, Backstage Pass, Voyage of The Little Mermaid show, Bear in the Big Blue House live on stage, and the Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. Grade: 8/10

-THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE

This is just one of the many shows that Disney has, and I felt that this is one where they tried to fit too much show into too short of a time. The show has many performers singing the songs while performing a very edited version of the film. And when I say edited, I mean edited. If you did not know the story, you may not understand what was going on half the time. But since Hunchback is one of my favorite Disney features, I enjoyed it. It also didn't hurt that one certain attractive gypsy kept staring at me. Grade: 6/10

-JIM HENSON'S MUPPET VISION 3-D

Ah, the famous Muppets. I love the Muppets (not their more recent endeavors but their classic movies and shows). And that is exactly why I loved Muppet Vision 3D. This is Muppet comedy at it's best. Even the pre-show was entertaining. The show gets kinda weird towards the end, but overall this is really funny stuff. It even has Waldorf and Statler up in the balcony seats complaining about the show. Those on the west coast will finally get to experience in DCA (groan). Grade: 8/10

-STAR TOURS

This is virtually the exact same thing that we have in Disneyland. The only difference is the set-up of the exterior with the Ewok Village and an AT-AT on display. Also on location was a speederbike (to actually ride), and replicas of a Snow Speeder and a Desert Skiff. Aside from the Tatooine Traders store, the ride is the same, using the spaceport theme leading you to Endor. I still feel that this is one of the better thought out and fun similators around, but looking forward to an updated version. Grade: 9/10

-INDIANA JONES EPIC STUNT SPECTACULAR

As a huge fan of Indiana Jones, I was slightly disappointed with the stunt show since there was absolutely nothing that I have ever seen elsewhere. Our show begins when our hostess picks out a group of audience members to be the crowd in the show. After a huge spiel about how filmmaking happens, we finally begin with Indiana Jones running trhough some caverns to get the idol. We get the familiar rolling boulder thing happening as Indy goes through a series of stunts. They they stop and explain how everything happened, etc, etc. Soon after that, Indy is in a stunt scene running through the marketplace pummeling some bandits. Punch punch swing swing klang klang. That part is over. And well that was the show. I could have sworn that there was supposed to be an airplane scene in there somewhere but for some odd reason I didn't see one. The rain might have had something to do with it, but because I didn't see a plain explode like all of the brochures showed, I was utterly bored. Grade: 4/10

-BACKLOT TOUR

The MGM backlot tour isn't anything that special actually (when compared to Universal Studios Hollywood, of course) but it's still a worthy ride. What you see is a good number of props seen from Disney movies such as The Rock, ConAir, Armageddon, Flight of the Navigator, Inspector Gadget, and a whole lot more. Catastrophe Canyon is entertaining... especially with new riders who get scared to death from water! I would have to say that the highlight of the tour was seeing the house from Golden Girls. Kidding. Grade: 6/10

-THE MAGIC OF DISNEY ANIMATION

I was really hoping to get more out of this tour that I did, being a huge fan of Disney animation from birth. The tour includes a small film with Robin Williams and Art Linkletter about how the animation process id done. Then off we go to the studio section of the tour where absolutely nobody was working. How disappointing. Wrong time of the day I suppose? I did get to see some character designs for "Kingdom of the Sun" (now called Emperor's New Groove), storyboards for "John Henry" (I wonder if we'll ever see the light of day on that one), and some maquettes for "Fantasia/2000." Usually the tour is capped off with a "makin of" segment but instead it was a bunch of clips from dozend of the films. Grade: 6/10

-THE GREAT MOVIE RIDE - A SPECTACULAR JOURNEY INTO THE MOVIES

With an attraction like this, I suppose your experience relies all on the host or hostess. And our hostess was well.... so overly uninteresting that I could not enjoy the attraction in the slightest. I usually prefer cheeseburgers but sometimes it's better to get it without the "cheese". There's nothing quite worse than cheesy jokes given by a bored cast member. With that out of the way, the attraction is somewhat interesting for a very slow and long ride. The movies that you journey into range from Wizard of Oz to Raiders of the Lost Ark to Aliens to John Wayne and James Cagney films. Grade: 5/10

-ROCK 'N' ROLLER COASTER STARRING AEROSMITH

Wow wow and another WOW!! This was the first and second (only 10 minute wait) ride that I rode at this theme park and I just have to say WOW again! For me, this is the funnest ride in all of Disney World combined. The que area is set inside G-Force records where you can learn about the history of audio equipment. The pre-show takes place in the recording studio of Aerosmith until their manager comes in telling them that they are late for their concert. The band manages to get a super stretched limo to bring you to the concert. With that, you exit the studio into a dark alley way where you will board your limo. Inside your limo, the radio is already broadcasting the concert live. Off you go from 0-60pmh in 2.6 seconds. Your tires screech while you drive off through the freeways of Los Angeles (with loops). The coaster is a what you would get if you mix Space Mountain with a Fantasyland darkride. The entire coaster is in the dark flying through a series of blacklit landscapes such as the Hollywood sign, a giant donut, and several signs. This isn't the fastest rollercoaster, nor is it the scariest, but it sure is the funnest. During my entire course of my trip I rode this baby 5 times. It is a tad short (50 seconds) but it really is fun. This is how a themed rollercoaster is supposed to be done. You don't just paint a coaster green and expect us to feel like the Riddler is putting his revenge on you (Riddler's Revenge at Six Flags Magic Mountain, CA). The attraction exits into a store where you can buy your picture taken from the ride. Grade: 9/10

-THE TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER OF TERROR

Back in 1996 when I first went on this, I thought that this was absolutely the best ride in Disney World. In 1996 the ride had two drops while it only had one when it first opened. But this year, they seemed to have added a third drop to make it a bit more scary. And what's cool is that it's not just a drop ride. There's more to it than that. I won't tell you what it is, but it's more than what you expect. This attraction also exits into a store where you can buy your picture taken from the ride. Grade: 8/10

-MULAN THE PARADE

Now, I know if there are days when a parade goes off with some of the performers missing, but when I saw the parade, it featured a lot less acrobats as the Disneyland version. Gone are the flipping gymnasts, the guys who balance pots on thier heads, and the girls who spin dishes on a stick. I'm not sure if I just went on a bad day but if this is how their parade is all the time, it wasn't very impressive. Especially when watching it all summer in CA prior to this viewing. Other differences are in the parade order and some of the music is different. Grade: 5/10

-FANTASMIC!

Not merely a clone of the original Disneyland Fantasmic!, this is really more of a sister show, and really actually quite different than ours in CA. I'm still not sure if it's different in a good way or in a bad way. Depending on how you look at it, I suppose. If you watch CA's Fantasmic! first, you will definitely not enjoy this version as much, and probably vice-versa. The original Fantasmic! always gave me goosebumps at certain points, but none here. Even my dad told me he was unimpressed with this version. MY DAD of all people! So what gives? Well, I'll try to explain the differences (which will be good or bad depending on which you experience first). Instead of the really nifty drum solo segment featuring Kaa the snake and dancing monkeys (gotta love the monkeys), we get some dancing animals with an arrangement of "I Can't Wait To Be King" from the Lion King. Right after that is a "dancing bubble" scene on the water with a medley of assorted Disney tunes. Actually when I think of it, the differences are huge! Rather than Peter Pan dueling with Captain Hook, there is a Pocahontas battle. Also added to this version are a lot more villains such as Cruella de Vil, Scar, Judge Claude Frollo, Jafar, and Hades. Jafar has a slightly bigger role as Mickey flies on a Magic Carpet out of the Cave of Wonders (animated of course) to end up facing the snake version of Jafar. Then comes an over elaborate defeat Maleficent sequence. Other than that, it's virtually the same only longer with the addition of those new villains, and it goes on for what seems to be forever. Keep in mind that they built an entire stadium just for this show. It's a giant rock with water surrounding where the action takes place, which makes for better viewing, but much of the magic of watching it on Tom Sawyer's Island is gone. In my opinion, I think Disneyland has the better version visually and musically, but I still appreciate the fact that they tried something different. Grade: 7/10

EPCOT

EPCOT stands for Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Or something like that. Disney World's second theme park opening in the early 80s is divided into two sections: Future World and World Showcase. Future World consists of several parts in it's own: Test Track, Innoventions East and West (both closed for refurbishment), Wonders of Life, Horizons (attraction closed since they are currently at work on a new concept), Universe of Energy, Spaceship Earth, Journey into Imagination (closed for refurbishment), The Land, and the Living Seas. The World Showcase is a feature of 11 different countries where you can learn more about the people and culture, and even sample some of the foods. This is one of the most unique theme parks out there. It's more exploration and educational which is always good, and it's also pretty fun. The eleven countries are: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, America, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom, and Canada. Last I heard, they are adding a few more countries by 2000. I'm not sure which ones but they are the out of the blue countries. There are quite a few attractions aside from the ones listed above that I didn't visit: Wonders of Life's "The Making of Me" (I wish I did, but you know), Honey I Shrunk The Audience, Mexico's El Rio Del Tiempo or The River of Time (closed for refurbishment), The American Adventure, Treasures of Morocco, Impressions de France show, countless exhibits, and O Canada! circle vision show. Grade: 8/10

-SPACESHIP EARTH

The main structure that represents Epcot, which resembles a big golf ball. When you see Spaceship Earth, you know you're in Epcot. I was actually surprised that the ride is inside the ball since I thought it was just a landmark for the park. This is a slow moving ride that takes us through the course of time to see how communication started and where it is today. Animatronic figures are used throughout this ride and kids should learn a bit from it. This is one of those very relaxing rides similar to the People Mover and I enjoyed it. Lesson Learned: communication began with cave men. Grade: 7/10

-UNIVERSE OF ENERGY presented by Exxon

This 45 minute show is a movie and ride all in one. Journey with Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ellen as they go back to the dinosaur era in "Ellen's Energy Adventure." We begin our adventure with a movie with Ellen telling us about her dream being on Jeopardy! and all the questions were on energy. We then board our traveling theater as Bill Nye comes in and explains about how energy started and all that. This is a pretty fun and edumacational adventure that is quite entertaining and often humorous. Lesson learned: energy started wit dinosaurs. Grade: 8/10

-BODY WARS (Wonders of Life presented by Metlife)

Ugh, can you say "get me off this gut wrenching ride?!" Body Wars is very much in the same "vein" as Star Tours since it is a motion simulator but I don't think I ever got sick on one before. If I were to get sick on one, this would have been it. We board our little ship, then get shrunk to the size of cells to heal a patient's splinter wound!!! Well, you can imagine how gross this ride is. First of all, you're in the human body. Second, we're being jerked around this way and that without really going anywhere. This is not my idea of fun. Go on this and tell me if you got sick or not, will ya? And I went on this ride more than once to see if it was me. It's not. Lesson learned: there are tons of little tourist ships inside of your body fixing your wounds. Grade: 2/10

-CRANIUM COMMAND (Wonders of Life)

this humorous attraction takes on a journey of a young soldier who is left in charge to command the brain of a twelve year old boy. With the help of your left brain (Charles Grodin), your right brain (Jon Lovitz), your stomach (George Wendt), your heart (Kevin Nealon & Dana Carvey), and some sort of organ (Bobcat Goldthwait), you get to see what it's like to go to school, meet the girl of your dreams, defend the girl of your dreams, get in trouble for defending the girl of your dreams, then asking out the girl of your dreams. It's actually pretty funny. Trust me. Lesson learned: my cranium commando doesn't know how to get me to ask out the girl of my dreams. Grade: 8/10

-TEST TRACK presented by General Motors

One word: Eh. Have you ever thought about going on what looks to be one of the funnest new attractions and then you go on it and it .... sucks? Well, my friends, that's how I felt after riding Test Track. Once you board the car you go through a series of tests such as temperatures (both cold and hot), corosion, brakes, and a few others. Once you're going through with that, you're taken for a joy ride at 65mph on a long stretch of track. Golly gee whoop! Since it's going the speed limit, it's not as fast as I'm used to. There is nothing really great about this attraction and it's not that fun but can be somewhat enjoyable.... as long as you don't wait over twenty minutes for this attraction. The que area is more enjoyable than the ride itself. This is kind of similar to the reaction from riding Rocket Rods for the first time at Disneyland. Lesson learned: ABS brakes will save your life. Grade: 4/10

-THE LIVING SEAS

The entire exhibit features a small film about the discovery of the seas and gives you a look at some aquariums featuring dolphins, manatees, sharks, and other marine life. After the film, you board elevators taking you to your destination below, where everyone boards a short peoplemover-type ride that takes you to the aquarium viewing areas. In this area are many different exhibits and observational decks. Although very educational, looking behind glass got a little tiresome. Especially when the variety of marine life is down to a minimum. Lesson learned: explorations of the seas began with cave men. Grade: 5/10

-LIVING WITH THE LAND (The Land)

This slow moving boat ride takes you behind the scenes at Epcot's very own methods of raising a variety of crops with the aid of computer technology. It's very interesting if not fascinating journey, but lacks a bit on the fun factor. But that wasn't it's purpose anyway. Lesson learned: Everyone else's methods of growing crops are nothing compared to the Mouse. Grade: 5/10

-THE CIRCLE OF LIFE (The Land)

An environmental fable starring adult Simba, Timon, and Pumbaa, in which the latter two are planning out their Hakuna Matata Village. Simba comes in to explain the damage that they can cause and how to improve the land. Somewhat entertaining and informative. Lesson learned: improving the Earth begins in our own backyard. Grade: 7/10

-FOOD ROCKS (The Land)

Different foods sing about good health and eating right in this fun rock concert hosted by Fud Wrapper. Ths show includes performances by The Peach Boys, Pita Gabriel among others. The songs are sorta funny but the attraction is starting to show it's age. But I suppose kids would start to eat right after watching this show. Lesson learned: my eating habits are poor. Grade: 6/10

-MAELSTROM (Norway)

Maelstrom is a little boat ride that is supposed to teach you something about Norway, but it really doesn't. At one point, the boat turns around and drops backwards. That was fun, but not a big enough drop. Shortly after you drop forward again. But again, it wasn't steep enough. After the very short boat ride, we are shown "The Spririt of Norway" film, which also tells nothing about the place. All I know is that I was craving some Knudsen yogurt afterwards. Lesson learned: Maelstrom sounds like a department store for guys. Grade: 5/10

-WONDERS OF CHINA (China)

Back in the early days of Disneyland's Tomorrowland, there was a Circle Vision theater. Back in those days, The Wonders of China was playing at this certain theater until it closed a few years ago to make way for the queue area for Rocket Rods. Well, friends, this is the very same circle vision film that we had. The exact same one. And my has times changed since then. This is a good film but because it's so dated, I have to give it a slightly lower score. Lesson learned: China's not the same as it used to be. Grade: 6/10

-THE BEST OF MICHAEL FLATLEY'S LORD OF THE DANCE

Like don't you have to be good to have a best of? Heh heh, just kidding. This was actually a somewhat entertaining show, though I did find myself drifting away at times. When the whole group comes out at the same time doing their thing is when the show is at it's best. The ripple work is also pretty cool. When the show seemed to be over, the lead dancer asked the audience "Do you want more?" I buried my head into my face because all the responses were "Yes." So the troup went at it again, but this time a little faster. Then it ended. If you like this kind of stuff, it's a great show. I found it very impressive but many parts were just outright lame. At one point two girls came out rockin' to violins. VIOLINS! They were going up and down the stage bobbin' up and down like they're my heroes or something. Without them the show would have been a lot better. Lesson learned: Cute dancer girls know where I'm sitting. Grade: 7/10

-ILLUMINATIONS

Combined with the sweeping sounds of classical music, this laser light/water/firework extravanganza is really cool.....if it were still 80s. But even so, there is still much to be impressed by in this nighttime show. Illuminations begins with a greeting from countries all over the world. Even during the show, all the buildings in the different countries light up with light. The show's strong point is in the end when fireworks litter the sky with a huge orgy of explosions and colors. This isn't a boring show, but I wouldn't suggest parking yourself at the end of the lake for over half an hour. Lesson learned: Don't wait for the show to begin....it waits for you. Grade: 6/10

ANIMAL KINGDOM

Disney's latest theme park, which opened two years ago, is a park about animals.....wild animals, dinosaurs and animal characters from the imgagination of Disney. Well, that's what the guide map says anyway. The landscaping in this park is absolutely amazing. Many don't realize that it took about eight years to collect and grow all the plant life. Wow. The Animal Kingdom is divided into several areas of exploration. At the entrance to the park lies The Oasis, where you can walk through trails and take a look at several creatures such as the anteater and the two-toed sloth. After you exit this section you enter Safari Village where you can find the centerpiece Tree of Life - a 140-foot-tall symbol of the richness and diversity of animal life on earth. The images of 325 animals are hand carved onto the trunk. >From Safari Village you are free to enter 4 other lands: Dinoland U.S.A.(presented by McDonalds), Asia, Africa & Conservation Station, and Camp Minnie - Mickey. Overall, this is a fascinating adventure with animals in a very well made park, but I did find some things disappointing. The most disappointing was Camp Minnie-Mickey, which appears to be a rather poorly put together land at the last minute to give guests something to do. I was really looking forward to a section with imaginary creatures but I guess Eisner decided not to put in the very cool sounding "Beastly Kingdom" (Read Jim Hill's article for more on that). Another small disappointment was the lack of activities... since the park closed so early, but we were done well before then (like around 4pm). I hope that this will be remedied by my next visit. Things I did not visit are: Conservation Station, "Flights of Wonder" show, Wildlife Express to Conservation Station, and "Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends" show. Grade: 8/10

-COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION (Dinoland U.S.A.) or DINOSAUR

This attraction is the same type of ride system as Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland where you board an explorer vehicle and go on your way on what feels like a bumpy ride. Your mission at the Dino Institute is to travel back in time to the late Cretaceous period to bring back one of the last "friendly" dinosaurs. Unfortunately for us, the late cretaceous period is when the asteroid shower will hit the Earth so we don't have that much time. Once back in time, we travel the terrain in search of this creature. The ride is in 90% darkness and is probably one of the scariest rides in Disney World because you don't know what's gonna come charging at you. You finally come face to face to a giant T-Rex type creature (insert flash for photography). You barely escape the dino and the asteroid collision but not before bringing home that "friendly" dino. A very scary ride but not nearly as fun as our Indiana Jones. This attraction exits into a store where you can buy your picture taken from the ride. Grade: 6/10

-1999 DINOSAUR JUBILEE (Dinoland U.S.A.)

This exhibit features casts of skeletons of T-rex's and other amazing dinos. Here you can read about the creatures and also learn about dino's vision and if they can see you and all that. It's pretty interesting stuff. Grade: 5/10

-TARZAN ROCKS! (Dinoland U.S.A.)

This show recieves the Cheese award. I have never seen so much cheese in all my life. I mean c'mon! I paid to get in here and this is what I get? Well, actually I didn't pay to get in but I think I should get some sort of compensation for watching this drivel. A live band and singers perform every single song from the movie as we watch dancers dance. Now you're wondering how this can possibly be so bad. Well, the lead singer guy comes out and starts talking to us about family and stuff. "This song is dedicated to each and every one of you out there. Because we're all one. We're all family." ::ukes::: Then he breaks into "You'll Be In My Heart" and everytime he sings the word heart he puts his hand on his chest. :::blargh!::: During all this psycho in-line skaters come out and skate all around us. Then finally half-way through the show Tarzan and Jane comes out. Jane then strips down from her dress and spreads eagle as she tangles on a vine. Is this supposed to be a kid's show? I dunno, but I'm starting to enjoy it a little bit more. Then they leave, and Terk comes out and adds more cheese. No encore please!! No, don't get the audience to participate! I don't want to stomp my feet and go Woo-woo with the voice of Rosie O'Donnel! This show should be re-titled Tarzan is Cheese! Grade: 2/10 (would have been a 1 if not for Jane).

-THE BONEYARD (Dinoland U.S.A.)

I walked into this attraction, found out that it was a giant kid's playground and walked out. Grade: 1/10

-MAHARAJAH JUNGLE TREK (Asia)

This walking trail leads you around looking at a number of assorted colorful birds, fruit bats and tigers. The tigers were sleeping so that wasn't so fun. But those bats were huge! Pretty crazy. Grade: 6/10

-KALI RIVER RAPIDS (Asia)

Disney's roaring rapids type flume ride is really fun but way too short. But wait! There's a lesson to be learned on this ride. Destroying forest is bad. Near the beginning of the ride you encounter dead trees burnt by flames (very hot). There's even a small drop which was really fun. First time going on this ride I barely got wet, but the second time.....Drenched! The attraction would get a much higher grade if it were longer and had some more goodies to look at. Grade: 7/10

-KILIMANJARO SAFARIS(Africa)

In this attraction you climb aboard your open-air safari vehicle for an exciting expedition....if you have a good tour guide. Here African animals freely roam through acres of savannah, rivers and rocky hills. The animals seen include giraffes, hippos, ostriches, elephants, rhinos, cheetahs, lions, and a number of zebra related creatures. The tour goes sour when he have to chase down some poachers. Well, this is actually the fun part since the vehicle goes really fast. Grade: 7/10

-PANGANI FOREST EXPLORATION TRAIL(Africa)

Pangani means "place of enchantment" so it is here that you can find hundreds of naked mole rats, a number of African birds, hippos, and even a troop of Gorillas....sleeping of course. Grade: 6/10

-SAFARI VILLAGE TRAILS (Safari Village)

Yet another trail. This trail leads around the Tree of Life to give you an upclose look at the carvings. In the trail you can also get a close look at some of the real life animals living in the environment. By now I am much too tired to go on another trail. Grade: 5/10

-IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG! (Safari Village)

This has got to be one of the best 3D pictures around and I believe I've seen most of them. Flik from A Bug's Life takes time out to tell some of us humans how hard it is to be a bug. This show doesn't only use the 3D film but makes good use of animatronic figures and special effects as well. After we're introduced to the acid tossing termite and the stink bug (you really feel the acid and smell the stench), Hopper barges in and attacks with the aid of an army of spiders and hornets. I got stung on the back. After the fun is over, you have to wait for the roaches under your seat to exit first. Grade: 8/10

-"FESTIVAL OF THE LION KING" (Camp Minnie - Mickey)

This show has considerably less cheese than the Tarzan show. Which made this a lot better. In this festival, Simba, Pumbaa, Timon and a gang of performers dressed in wild costumes recreate the story while performing many acrobatic stunts on a trampolene and swing. It was actually pretty cool. Especially when that girl in the lion costume kept starring at me! Grade: 7/10

From: Coheteboy@aol.com Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 1:37 PM To: brian@mouseplanet.com Subject: David Yeh WDW trip report part 2

MAGIC KINGDOM

The Magic Kingdom is the second Disney park and opened in 1971. This park is very much like Disneyland only bigger. A lot bigger. But sometimes bigger doesn't always mean better. In this case bigger isn't better. The Magic Kingdom does have a certain quality creating a sense of awe, but when it comes to things to do, it suffers compared to Disneyland. This problem is mainly due to the fact that they have had two other theme parks to expand as well as their own. Now it will be even more difficult with the addition of their Animal Kingdom. This is sorta why I didn't want the new Disney's California Adventure to be built.

Like Disneyland, the Magic Kingdom is divided into different lands. There is of course Main Street, USA which is much taller than ours, but the stores aren't as impressive, IMO. For instance, their Main Street Cinema is a freakin' shop! Cinderella Castle seen from almost anywhere in the park is huge. This castle is maybe three times larger than Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty castle. That being impressive, everything else isn't. Their Tomorrowland is one of the ugliest things I have ever seen. And this is their new Tomorrowland too! Everything here is a shiny metallic gray color. Hideously plain, isn't it? The one good thing is that their Astro Orbiter is high off the ground. Things I didn't visit in Tomorrowland are: Astro Orbiter, Tomorrowland Speedway (Autopia), Walt Disney's Carousel Of Progress, and Skyway to Fantasyland.

Next land up is Fantasyland and Mickey's Toontown Fair (which I completely avoided). Fantasyland is where all the kiddy rides are! And I rode most of them! Woo-Woo!! One problem: their Fantasyland is hideous. You know all the little architecture in Disneyland's Fantasyland? It doesn't exist over there. They use giant colorful flat signs to tell us what ride it is. It was just really tacky. There isn't as much to do in this Fantasyland either. Things I missed in Fantasyland: Cinderella's Golden Carrousel, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, and the Mad Tea Party. Things missed in Mickey's Toontown Fair (everything): Donald's Boat, Mickey's Country House, Minnie's Country House, and The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre farm.

The following land is one that can only be seen here in Florida: Liberty Square. Here is where you can find the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents. The whole land is designed like old colonial time America and it's pretty neat. There just isn't much to do here that's all. Things I missed: "The Diamond Horseshoe Saloon Revue," Liberty Belle Riverboat, and Mike Fink Keelboats.

Frontierland is up next and the set up is very different. Big Thunder Mountain is right next to Splash Mountain (yup it's in the same land). Kinda weird walking around these parts. Things I missed: Country Bear Jamboree and Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island.

And last but not least, Adventureland. Like the rest of the Magic Kingdom, the land's set up is much more different from Disneyland's. The attractions are virtually the same minus the Indiana Jones Adventure. Things I missed: Jungle Cruise, Swiss Family Treehouse, and Shrunken Ned's Junior Jungle Boats.

For the most part I was very bored in the Magic Kingdom. Many of the rides that were similar to the Disneyland counterpart just didn't feel as magical. Some were better but not by much. I suppose I expected so much more from such a grand-sized park. Overall Grade: 6/10

-"DISN'EY'S MAGICAL MOMENTS" Parade

OK let's see here. We need a parade. We need a parade that little kids will like. We need a parade that will annoy everyone else. We need a parade where the guests can see a lot of their favorite characters. We need a parade that will cost us no money to create what so ever. Oh I got it! Let's take one float from every other parade we previously had, stick them together, get a cheese-filled soundtrack and we're set! That's probably how the meeting for this greenlighted project happened. For the casual Disney go-er, they'd probably not realize that they've seen bits and pieces of this parade somewhere else. Well, this guy (me) noticed! This is one of the worst parades I have ever seen. No wait, Light Magic is. No, wait again...that wasn't a parade that was a "street-tacular." OK, so this IS the worst parade I have ever seen. I'm sorry, the worst Disney parade I have ever seen. This is supposed to be a "magical moments" parade not a "let's get the ugliest girls to play Belle, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, and Alice" parade! I mean what happened? Is this the Belle after she got mauled by the Beast? Did Alice just gain consciousness from falling down a rabbit hole? Ugh. If I had not seen Tarzan Rocks! this would be a winner. And talk about an awful song. Could you stand "Remember the Magic" over and over again? Grade: 1/10

-WALT DISNEY WORLD RAILROAD (Main Street, USA) Just like the Disneyland railroad, this train goes around the perimeter of the Magic Kingdom stopping at Main Street, USA, Frontierland, and Mickey's Toontown Fair. But where's the Grand Canyon? And the primeval world? Grade: 5/10

-THE HALL OF PRESIDENTS (Liberty Square)

If you want something slightly educational for half an hour, you found the right place. Here is an audio-animatronic show with every single one of the presidents of the United States, including the very latest, Bill Clinton. I can't really tell you much about this attraction because I fell asleep. There is a small film in the beginning, followed by the hall of presidents. The only ones that actually speak are George Washington, Bill Clinton (his own voice), and Abraham Lincoln. Grade: 6/10

-THE HAUNTED MANSION (Liberty Square)

While virtually the same attraction as ours, this is actually a little bit better. But my only complaint is that the exterior architecture doesn't seem to fit in with the surroundings as well. After the stretched elevator, you immediately board your doom buggies instead of walking down the hallway looking at busts (hehe) and paintings. The transformation paintings aren't to be found here but the busts can be seen during the ride itself. A few other extras are different paintings on the wall that seem to have eyes that follow your move. There is also a gigantic spider in this version that we don't have. Something else that makes this version better is that the spirits are a little clearer, and that bride is absolutely freaky. Grade: 7/10

-BIG THUNDER MOUNTAIN RAILROAD (Frontierland)

The famous mountain mine rollercoaster is very similar to CA but I don't think I enjoyed it as much. I think part of it has to do with the location of the ride.. Grade: 6/10

-SPLASH MOUNTAIN (Frontierland)

Ah, the famous Splash Mountain. I just have to say, this is much better than ours. First, the logs seat side by side not doggie style. Second, the audio-animatronics feature a lot more other characters such as Brer Frog, Brer Goose and a few others. Third, I got pretty darn wet. Fourth, there is half a drop more over here which was a bit of a surprise.... either that or I was counting wrong. Fifth, the seats are side by side so you can't turn around for the drop and get in trouble! Overall, a great ride that beats are own. Finally. Grade: 9/10

-PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN (Adventureland)

Definitely not as enjoyable as Disneyland's version. What was great about ours was the two small drops at the beginning. Here, there is only half a drop. That's it. I also felt that the ride was cut short. The ride is about the same until after the women are chasing the pirates in circles where there is a scene with some pirates kidnapping soldiers. After this segment, the ride is over. So once again, Disneyland has the better ride. But the good thing over here is that you exit the boat without having to go up the hill at the end. Grade: 6/10

-"THE ENCHANTED TIKI ROOM Under New Management" (Adventureland)

Disney World's Tiki Room starts off about the same way as Disneyland's but is completely different when Iago (from Aladdin) interrupts the show. Zazu (from The Lion King) also makes an appearance since these two birds are the new managers of the Tiki Room. The songs sung are relatively new popular songs with a jungle beat. All the original birds are still here but just singing new songs. I can't say that this version is better than the original only because this is a new updated version and totally different. But one negative aspect is that Iago's voice gets annoying. Grade: 6/10

-"IT'S A SMALL WORLD" (Fantasyland)

Yup, I actually went on this lil boat ride. I just had to see if it was the same thing, and for the most part it is. But there are many differences here. One of them being the architecture on the outside. Instead of a colorful display of knick knaks and stuff, it's a plain facade with a big sign. Very unimpressive indeed. The boarding area is located inside the building instead of outdoors which is probably a better idea. Still, this is a rather relaxing ride and virtually the same inside. Grade: 6/10

-THE MANY ADVENTURES OF WINNIE THE POOH (Fantasyland)

This is one of the Magic Kingdom's newest dark rides starring the ever so popular Winnie the Pooh. This new attraction replaced their famous Mr. Toad's Wild Ride stirring many debates. Anyway, as a dark ride, this is a very fun one. You board little pots of honey through a journey of the hundred acre wood and experience well...the many adventures of Winnie the Pooh and his buddies. This keeps with the tradition of the other Fantasyland type rides but with updated effects in a few places (for example, the dream version of Winnie coming out of his sleeping body). In the middle of the attraction you meet Tigger, where he asks us to hop with him. At this point the ride begins to hop along with Tigger, which is quite clever. And that brings us to the end of the ride and it is a pleasant one. This is a Florida and Tokyo exclusive this far, but if they do add it to Disneyland, let's hope they add it in Critter Country. Grade: 8/10

-PETER PAN'S FLIGHT (Fantasyland)

While the very same idea as the one we have in Disneyland, this one I have to believe is not as good. Following the same method of having a track above instead of below simulating a flight through Neverland, the sights to see in this attraction are on the down low compared to Disneyland. This is one of my favorite kiddy rides but it just wasn't so great here. So overall not as good. Grade: 6/10

-LEGEND OF THE LION KING presented by Kodak (Fantasyland)

Now this would be a great attraction if it were also a darkride but as you can see, it's presented by Kodak. But funny that it isn't a movie either. It's a puppet show with the use of some moments on film to fill in the gaps that couldn't be done with puppets (stampede scene). I have to put it bluntly: this attraction....was not that great. Who needs to see the Lion King as a shortened puppet show? Nobody... perhaps kids like it, but there's so much potential for something more. It's the exact same music, dialogue, etc., but in puppet form, but narrated by a live Rafiki. So if you've seen the movie, it's a waste of your time. If you haven't, go see it, not this puppet show. Now I am usually all for puppet shows, but not this one. Grade: 3/10

-SKYWAY TO TOMORROWLAND (Fantasyland)

Wow, remember those sky-bucket things at Disneyland? Those were the coolest weren't they? I haven't been on these things in a long time. The last time I went on it the cast member said to me and my friends, "Last one out likes New Kids (on the block)!" AAAhhh!!! I was the last one out. Crap. But anyways, it was great going on this again. Though the Magic Kingdom doesn't look as good as Disneyland but it was still very relaxing. If we still had the Skyway, this one would be better only because it's longer by about 5 minutes (you know how Magic Kingdom is a little bigger right?). Grade: 7/10

-SNOW WHITE'S SCARY ADVENTURES (Fantasyland)

Again, this is exactly the same as the Disneyland version, but I simply do not like the "Carnival Faire" look of the Fantasyland. In the Fantasyland at Disneyland, the architecture matches the style of the movie itself (Big Ben for Peter Pan, old English cottage for Pinocchio, etc.). At Disneyland there is even a window that you can see the Evil Witch looking outside once in a while. At the Magic Kingdom, it's just a plain building. Grade: 6/10

-THE ExtraTERRORestrial ALIEN ENCOUNTER (Tomorrowland)

Though clever the first time, this attraction is really not that fun more than once. A sensory thriller from the creative forces of Disney and George Lucas this attraction seats the guests around in a circular staged area. Why are we here? To see a demonstration of the new "beaming"-type technology. The technical bugs haven't been quite worked out yet so of course something goes wrong. Instead of a friendly alien being transported to us, we get a ferocious monster. The monster breathes down your neck, presses on your shoulder, and other sensory actions that put you right into the action. This is really great the first time, but I didn't find it as fun the second time. Grade: 6/10

-SPACE MOUNTAIN (Tomorrowland)

Upon boarding the bobsled type cars, I wondered to myself, "is this better than our Space Mountain?" After the ride started, I answered with a confident "no." I guess I'm spoiled from our great ride because I was expecting a fast smooth ride with a great soundtrack behind it. What I got was a bumpy, jerky, silent ride in the dark. After exiting the attraction I wondered how people can wait in line for this. This is about as bumpy as our Matterhorn Bobsleds (something they don't have). Grade: 6/10

-THE TIME KEEPER (Tomorrowland)

While we completely got rid of our Circle vision theater attraction in Disneyland (now part of the queue area for Rocket Rods), the Magic Kingdom just got a new show instead. The title refers to our host, the Time Keeper (voiced by Robin Williams), who takes us on a time journey with his aide 9-EYE (the amount of screens in a circle vision theater). This adventure is kept enjoyable thanks to Williams characterization but the rest of the show is rather dull traveling around with Jules Verne and all. Grade: 6/10

-BUZZ LIGHTYEAR'S SPACE RANGER SPIN (Tomorrowland)

Tomorrowland's latest attraction is a fun little darkride starring none other than Buzz Lightyear. In this little adventure you board your little ships and arm your laser weapon to help save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg. Now if I wanted to add something to our Tomorrowland, this would be it. It's just downright fun! You and a partner both armed with laser blasters can spin your pod in any direction to get a better shot at Zurg's henchmen. With each target you hit, you get points so you can see how well you did. It's like a video game ride! Isn't that fun? My only real problem was that I couldn't aim worth crap! Well, maybe if I had another go-around. Grade: 8/10

-TOMORROWLAND TRANSIT AUTHORITY

Small modernistic train of cars take you around to see the sights of Tomorrowland... like the People Mover! You remember that ride? That was my favorite... but I can't say that this is as good. First off, this Tomorrowland is really ugly, in my opinion. I sure hope that the real Tomorrow doesn't consist in gray everything. Second, the ride itself was ugly. The People Mover were nice looking cars with small roofs over each one. The TTA doesn't have small tops to them so it looks like a mine car. A dark gray mine car. It also doesn't have roofs to them because the entire track has an overhang on it. So it just wasn't that cool. Grade: 4/10

OVERALL WDW OVERVIEW:

OK folks, so there you have it. My take on every attraction that I experienced. So what do I really think of Walt Disney World? For starters, it probably is one of the best places for families to go. Even if the attractions aren't the best, you'll still have fun exploring the huge place and just hanging around. Or you can just swim in the pool at your hotel and have more fun. But in a critical Disney fan/cast member standpoint, I was very disappointed. I know Disneyland isn't perfect but it's pretty darn close. Walt Disney World is far from that. It's just too big. Big and empty. WDW boasts four different theme parks but they simply don't amount to anything by themselves. You couldn't take a single park over there and compare it to Disneyland. Well you could but you would find that Disneyland is the most well-rounded. But let's look at the facts anyway shall we? Disney World has four theme parks while Disneyland is only one (two when Disney's California Adventure opens in 2001). In all of Disney World, they have only TEN thrill rides: Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Test Track, Body Wars, Star Tours, Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, Countdown to Extinction, and Kali River Rapids. Now let's count how many Disneyland alone has: Space Mountain, Star Tours, Rocket Rods, Matterhorn Bobsleds, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, and Indiana Jones Adventure Temple of the Forbidden Eye. That's a whopping SEVEN thrill rides in just one park. So if my math is correct, if Disney World had the same amount of thrill rides per park, they would total up to 28 thrill rides. Right now they average 2 per park. I know it's not just about having cool rides but having enough certainly does help. The point I'm trying to get across is that you'll have a much funner day at Disneyland than you will at Disney World. But a week at WDW would probably be a better experience.

The cast members in Florida weren't as friendly as I was hoping either. Only a few stuck out but none of them really did what they were supposed to do. The only time that the cast members were cool was when I checked into the hotel. They needed my Disneyland ID (for more on this subject read above) to complete the 50% off discount. When they saw my ID they're eyes opened up. "Whoa, your ID is soo cool!" Apparently, they have never seen a Disneyland ID card before. All of a sudden, a crowd of the hotel staff were staring at my ID. It was pretty funny. It wasn't just the ID thing that made them cool, they really took the time out to make my visit feel welcome. The rest of the time the cast members there didn't even know what to do when they saw a Disneyland ID. In fact, they gave me the type of attitude such as that Disneyland is inferior. I was surprised that I got that attitude through my entire trip. And when I asked them if they had ever been to Disneyland, they reply that they never have. I think this probably had an impact on my downward look of the resort.

OK, I had a good time anyway. For me, I was just disappointed on the most part, mostly with the Magic Kingdom. It's such a grand theme park but with very little to do. Animal Kingdom is great but it just needs a lot more in it. Epcot is really great, but some more attractions wouldn't hurt. MGM Studios is very nice, but plenty of room to grow. The soonest I'll go again is in at least 5 years. I think they need to add newer things more often. But I would have to say that the one thing that made this entire trip worth while was the plane ride back to California. On the plane just a dozen rows ahead was the great animator/imagineer, Marc Davis. It was a great honor to meet the one man who made such a difference in both Disney animation and Disney Theme parks. I ventured forth to talk to both him and his wife, Alice, during the flight and were both very nice. I was almost too shocked to remember what to ask him since there were so many things I wanted to know. But since I was so overwhelmed to meet one of Walt's original 9 old men, I just did a quick chat, got his autograph and left him to enjoy his flight. He was actually returning to CA from a Disneyanna convention in Florida. Back at the airport we met again when going down the elevator and chatted some more. At that point, all of my complaints about WDW seemed to have disappeared and didn't matter all that much... since I experienced something that was far greater than going to any theme park.

David Yeh

coheteboy@aol.com

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