Disney Whirled
My first trip to Florida since 2005 flew by unbelievably fast, a testament to just how good of a time I had with family and friends over a scant four days in the Sunshine State. Taking a flight at dawn on Saturday from LAX to Fort Lauderdale, I was greeted by that familiar wall of heat and humidity upon landing at 2:30 in the afternoon. We chose the Mellow Mushroom in Delray Beach to enjoy a meal before heading over to Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach where The Police and Elvis Costello were set to perform. Arriving during Elvis’ opening slot, I spent the remainder of his set trying unsuccessfully to find decent seats for our party of three. With only lawn and $225 pavilion tickets available, we opted to save our funds and listen to the pristine sound from outside the gates. Sting ’s strong vocal delivery showed no signs of fatigue as had been reported on earlier shows this month and Andy Summers’ guitar playing was much more spot-on than last year at Dodger Stadium but ultimately the band as a unit didn’t sound as cohesive as they could have been, though this could have been because we were listening from the side and not in front. Nevertheless, we had a great time dancing and singing along to the hits, a great start to the vacation.
Sunday morning began with a family breakfast, followed by the three-hour drive north to Orlando. We made the most of the evening after getting settled at the Sheraton Vistana Resort, first visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios to take the long-awaited plunge inside The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and a wild limo ride on the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, one of the only upside down attractions at Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom was next on our agenda and we squeezed in the classic Space Mountain prior to taking in the luminous Wishes fireworks show to cap the night. Monday we returned to Magic Kingdom for a full day of vintage Disney, highlighted by Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion, Peter Pan’s Flight, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Half video game, half tour through the animated space of Toy Story 2 , the Buzz Lightyear ride was filled with an abundance of vivid fluorescent colors and elicited the most excitement from the kids in our group.
The Floridan Himalayas: Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park
The final day began at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park where I was urged to ride Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain. It turned out to be one of, if not, the best Disney attraction I had ever been on. I found a YouTube clip of the ride, so you can judge for yourself here , but the 25-foot animatronic Yeti beast was quite a sight to behold as the train attempted to escape its grasp. Arriving when the gates opened, I rode it twice consecutively and then got soaked on Kali River Rapids before taking a shuttle over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for my second experiences on both Twilight Zone and the Aerosmith coaster. One last shuttle took me to Epcot where I met back up with family and took a spin on Test Track, a chance for riders to essentially become automotive crash test dummies. Lunch at the Coral Reef Restaurant and blasting off on Spaceship Earth inside the giant golf ball concluded my time in Florida as I departed for the airport and back to Los Angeles. After 15 years away, I’m happy to report that a trip to Walt Disney World Resort can still be magic for both children and adults.
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