The Best Of The Magic Kingdom
Main Street Electrical Parade. This old Disney favorite, which ran for 20 years from 1971 until 1991, has been brought back. This parade includes the same floats and costumes once used at Disneyland. (The old Disney World show, Spectromagic, has been shipped to Disneyland Paris.) The Electrical Parade features a half million lights on floats depicting characters and scenes from Disney movies, such as Cinderella. If you can see only one parade, see this one. Once again, very early arrival is essential to get a seat on the curb. Consult your Entertainment Show Schedule for details.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Frontierland. This mining disaster-theme roller coaster -- its thrills arising from hairpin turns and descents in the dark, rather than sudden steep drops -- is situated in a 200-foot-high red-stone mountain with 2,780 feet of track winding through windswept canyons and bat-filled caves. You enter the ride via the ramshackle headquarters of the Big Thunder Mining Company and board a runaway train that careens through the ribs of a dinosaur, under a thundering waterfall, past spewing geysers and bubbling mud pots, and over a bottomless volcanic pool. Audio-animatronic characters (such as the long john-clad fellow navigating the floodwaters in a bathtub) and animals (goats, chickens, donkeys, possums) enhance the scenic backdrop, along with several-hundred-thousand dollars' worth of authentic antique mining equipment. Riding after dark adds to the thrill. Note: You must be 40 inches tall to ride.
Country Bear Jamboree, Frontierland. I've always loved the Country Bear Jamboree, a 15-minute show featuring a troupe of fiddlin', banjo strummin', harmonica playin' audio-animatronic bears belting out rollicking country tunes and crooning plaintive love songs. The chubby Trixie, decked out in a satiny skirt, laments lost love as she sings ``Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine.'' Teddi Barra descends from the ceiling in a swing to perform ``Heart We Did All That We Could.'' Other star performers include a country-western group called the Five Bear Rugs, Liver Lips McGrowl, and the 7-foot-tall master of ceremonies, Henry. In the rousing show finale, the entire cast joins in a foot-stompin' sing-along. Wisecracking commentary comes from a mounted buffalo, moose, and deer on the wall. A special holiday show plays throughout the Christmas season each year.
Splash Mountain, Frontierland. Based on Walt Disney's 1946 film, Song of the South, Splash Mountain takes you on an enchanting journey in a hollowed-out log craft along the canals of a flooded mountain, past 26 brilliantly colored tableaux of backwoods swamps, bayous, spooky caves, and waterfalls. Riders are caught up in the bumbling schemes of Brer Fox and Brer Bear as they pursue the ever-wily Brer Rabbit, who, against the advice of Mr. Bluebird, has left his briar-patch home in search of adventure and the ``laughing place.'' The music from the film forms a delightful audio backdrop. Your log craft twists, turns, and splashes -- sometimes plummeting in total darkness -- all leading up to a thrilling five-story, 45°-angle splashdown from mountain top to briar-filled pond at 40 miles per hour! And that's not the end. The ride continues, and finally it's a Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah kind of day. Note: You must be 40 inches tall to ride.
Haunted Mansion, Liberty Square. What better way to exhibit Disney special-effects wizardry than a haunted mansion? Macabre attendants harry groups of visitors past a graveyard (make sure to glance at the epitaphs), turning them over to a ghost host who encloses them in a windowless, doorless portrait gallery (are those eyes following you around?) where the floor seems to descend. Its ambiance enhanced by inky darkness, spooky music, eerie howling, and mysterious screams and rappings, this mansion is replete with bizarre scenes and objects: a ghostly banquet and ball, a graveyard band, a suit of armor that comes alive, cobweb-covered chandeliers, luminous spiders, a talking head in a crystal ball, weird flying objects, and much more. At the end of the ride, a ghost joins you in your car. The experience is more amusing than terrifying, so you can take small children inside.
Cinderella's Castle, Fantasyland. There's not a lot to see here, but its status as the Magic Kingdom icon makes it a must-see. At the end of Main Street, in the center of the park, you'll come to a fairyland castle, 185 feet high and housing a restaurant (Cinderella's Royal Table) and shops. Mosaic murals inside depict the Cinderella story, and Disney family coats of arms are displayed over a fireplace. Cinderella herself, dressed for the ball, often makes appearances in the lobby area. You'll be able to see shows on the Castle Forecourt Stage.
It's a Small World, Fantasyland. It rates an A because -- love it or hate it -- it's something that you have to do. You know the song -- and if you don't, you will. It plays continually as you sail ``around the world'' through vast rooms designed to represent different countries. They're inhabited by appropriately costumed audio-animatronic dolls and animals -- all singing ``It's a small world after all . . .'' in tiny, doll-like voices. This cast of thousands includes Chinese acrobats, Russian kazatski dancers, Indian snake charmers in front of the Taj Mahal, French cancan dancers . . . you get the picture. It's nauseatingly cute, but it just wouldn't be a visit to Disney without it.
Legend of the Lion King, Fantasyland. This stage spectacular based on Disney's blockbuster motion-picture musical combines animation, movie footage, sophisticated puppetry, and high-tech special effects. The show is enhanced by the Academy Award-winning music of Elton John and Tim Rice, and among the actors providing voices are Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin as laughing hyenas.
Skyway, Fantasyland. This is another one of the experiences that is signature Disney, so it rates a high mark. Its entrance close to Peter Pan's Flight, the Skyway is an aerial tramway to Tomorrowland that makes continuous trips throughout the day. A good chance to let those tired feet rest and catch one of the rare Florida breezes. If you are afraid of heights though, this is one attraction you may want to skip.
Alien Encounter, Tomorrowland. Director George Lucas, of Star Wars fame, contributed his space-age vision to this major Tomorrowland attraction. The action begins at the Interplanetary Convention Center where a mysterious corporation called X-S Tech -- a company from a distant planet -- is marketing a ``teletransporter'' to Earthlings. The device is capable of beaming living beings between planets light-years apart. After a slick corporate presentation, S.I.R., a rather sinister robot, demonstrates the product on Skippy, a cute and fuzzy alien, though not with total success. Skippy ends up discombobulated and with singed fur! Despite this dubious beginning, X-S technicians try to teleport their sinister corporation head, Chairman Clench, to Earth. But the machine malfunctions, sending Clench instead to a distant planet and, inadvertently, teleporting a fearsome extraterrestrial to Earth. Dark and truly scary, it is not your typical thrill ride. It's no fantasy that your heart is racing as you work your way through lots of high-tech effects -- from the alien's breath on your neck to a mist of alien slime. Note: You must be 48 inches tall to ride. Too intense for younger children.
Skyway, Tomorrowland. Located near the Tomorrowland entrance just west of Space Mountain, this aerial tramway to Fantasyland makes continuous round-trips throughout the day.
Space Mountain, Tomorrowland. Space Mountain entertains visitors on its long lines with space-age music and exhibits, as meteorites, shooting stars, and space debris whiz about overhead. These ``illusioneering'' effects, enhanced by appropriate audio, continue during the ride itself, which is a cosmic roller coaster in the inky, starlit blackness of outer space. Your rocket climbs high into the universe before racing through a serpentine complex of aerial galaxies, making thrilling hairpin turns and rapid plunges. (Though it feels as if you're going at breakneck speed, your car actually never goes faster than 28 miles per hour.) Nab the front seat of the train for the best ride. Now that Alien Encounters has come on line, the queues to Space Mountain, which accommodates 3,000 people an hour, are usually relatively short. Note: You must be 40 inches tall to ride.
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The Best Of Epcot
Innoventions, Futureworld. The pair of crescent-shaped buildings to your right and left just beyond Spaceship Earth house a constantly evolving 100,000-square-foot exhibit that showcases cutting-edge technologies and future products. Leading manufacturers sponsor ever-changing exhibit areas here. Visitors get a chance to preview virtual reality, electric cars, experience interactive television, and try out more than 200 new computer programs and games. Kids will be thrilled to preview new Sega video games. It is a chance to feel, hear, and see the future, hands-on.
The virtual-reality offerings -- from swimming with the sharks at the Vivid Group pod or a walking tour of St. Peter's Basilica by ENEL -- are the latest high-tech wonders and a chance to experience what you have been reading about in science magazines.
There are several show areas: You can be interviewed by Jay Leno on TV, or let Sky Cyberguy take you on a tour of the future of wireless communication. At the Honeywell's Home Automation at the House of Innoventions Tour, visit the computer-controlled abode of the future. The computer literate will find this a fascinating place to play. The technologically challenged will find it less rewarding.
The two-story Discovery Center, located on the right side of Innoventions, includes an information resource area where guests can get answers to all their questions about Epcot attractions, in particular, and Walt Disney World, in general. For instance, if after visiting The Land, you would like to learn more about hydroponics, they can print out an information sheet on it. The Discovery Center also houses a shop called Field Trips, featuring educational products and software.
Test Track, Futureworld. Called a mix of General Motors engineering and Disney imagineering, the newest Epcot attraction puts guests in the driver's seat to experience the rigors of automobile testing. During a preshow -- essentially a GM commercial -- guests will learn how the company works to promote automotive safety, reliability, and performance. Then they'll board full-scale, six-passenger test cars and travel upon what appears to be an actual roadway, accelerating on long straight-aways, hugging hairpin turns, climbing steep hills, and braking abruptly -- often on less-than-perfect road conditions. The ride culminates in a terrifying high-speed outdoor run along the track's steeply banked ``speed loop,'' which extends far beyond the pavilion facility. Cars top out at a speed of 65 miles per hour. This was formerly World of Motion.
Canada, World Showcase. Our neighbors to the north are represented by diverse architecture ranging from a mansard-roofed replica of Ottawa's 19th-century French-style Château Laurier (here called the Hôtel du Canada) to a British-influenced rustic stone building modeled after a famous landmark near Niagara Falls.
An Indian village -- complete with rough-hewn log trading post and 30-foot replicas of Ojibwa totem poles -- signifies the culture of the Northwest, while the Canadian wilderness is reflected by a steep mountain (a Canadian Rocky), a waterfall cascading into a whitewater stream, and a ``forest'' of evergreens, stately cedars, maples, and birch trees. Don't miss the stunning floral displays of azaleas, roses, zinnias, chrysanthemums, petunias, and patches of wildflowers inspired by the Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.
The pavilion's highlight attraction is O Canada! -- a dazzling, 18-minute, 360° CircleVision film that reveals Canada's scenic splendor from sophisticated Montréal to the thundering flight of thousands of snow geese departing an autumn stopover near the St. Lawrence River.
Canada pavilion shops carry sandstone and soapstone carvings, fringed leather vests, duck decoys, moccasins, a vast array of Eskimo stuffed animals and Native American dolls, Native American spirit stones, rabbit-skin caps, heavy knitted sweaters, and, of course, maple syrup.
Japan, World Showcase. Heralded by a flaming red torii (gate of honor) on the banks of the lagoon and the graceful, blue-roofed Goju No To pagoda (inspired by a shrine built at Nara in a.d. 700), this pavilion focuses on Japan's ancient culture. In a traditional Japanese garden, cedars, yew trees, bamboo, ``cloud-pruned'' evergreens, willows, and flowering shrubs frame a contemplative setting of pebbled footpaths, rustic bridges, waterfalls, exquisite rock landscaping, and a pond of golden koi. The Yakitori House is based on the renowned 16th-century Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto, designed as a royal summer residence and considered by many to be the crowning achievement of Japanese architecture. Exhibits ranging from 18th-century Bunraki puppets to samurai armor take place in the moated White Heron Castle, a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th-century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji.
And the Mitsukoshi Department Store (Japan's answer to Macy's) is housed in a replica of the Shishinden (Hall of Ceremonies) of the Gosho Imperial Palace, built in Kyoto in a.d. 794. It sells lacquerware, kimonos, kites, fans, dolls in traditional costumes, origami books, samurai swords, Japanese Disneyana, bonsai trees, Japanese foods, Netsuke carvings, and pottery -- even modern electronics. In the courtyard, artisans demonstrate the ancient arts of anesaiku (shaping brown rice candy into dragons, unicorns, and dolphins), sumi-e (calligraphy), and origami (paper folding).
Be sure to include a performance of traditional Japanese music and dance at this pavilion in your schedule. It's one of the best shows in the World Showcase.
Mexico, World Showcase. You'll hear the music of marimbas and mariachi bands as you approach the festive showcase of Mexico, fronted by a towering Mayan pyramid modeled on the Aztec temple of Quetzalcoatl (God of Life) and surrounded by dense Yucatán jungle landscaping. Upon entering the pavilion, you'll find yourself in a museum of pre-Colombian art and artifacts.
Down a ramp is a small lagoon, the setting for El Rio del Tiempo (River of Time), where visitors board boats for an 8-minute cruise through Mexico's past and present. Passengers get a close-up look at the Mayan pyramid and the erupting Popocatepetl volcano. Dance performances focusing on the cultures of Mayan, Toltec, Aztec, and colonial Mexico are presented in film segments and by an audio-animatronic cast in vignettes ranging from a Day of the Dead skeleton band to children breaking a piñata. Additional film footage focuses on Mexican tourist spots. The show culminates in a Mexico City fiesta with exploding fiber-optic fireworks. Note: At press time, it was likely that this ride would be shut down in 1999 for refurbishing, to reopen at some point in 2000.
Shops in and around the Plaza de Los Amigos (a ``moonlit'' Mexican mercado with a tiered fountain and street lamps) display an array of leather goods, baskets, sombreros, piñatas, pottery, embroidered dresses and blouses, maracas, jewelry, serapes, paper flowers, colorful papier-màché birds, and blown-glass objects (an artisan gives demonstrations). La Casa de, sponsored by the Mexican Tourist Office, provides travel information.
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The Best Of Disney-MGM Studios
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage. This 1,500-seat, covered amphitheater is currently presenting a 25-minute live Broadway-style production, Beauty and the Beast, adapted from the movie version. Musical highlights from the show range from the rousing ``Be Our Guest'' opening number to the poignant title song featured in a romantic waltz-scene finale complete with the release of white doves. A highlight is ``The Mob Song'' scene in a dark forest, in which villagers led by Gaston (the beast's rival for Belle) and armed with axes, hoes, and pitchforks set out on a rampage to ``kill the beast,'' setting up the emotional climax. Sets and costumes are lavish, production numbers spectacular. Arrive early to get a good seat.
Note: Beauty and the Beast has been enjoying a long run here; a new show, based on a more recent Disney hit, may be in progress by the time you visit.
Fantasmic! With more than 50 performers, more than 1 million gallons of water, a 32,000 pound dragon, a 59-foot-tall mountain, and laser lights and pyrotechnics, this is one of the best nighttime shows in Disney's World. The 25-minute show, which debuted late in 1998, has been shown at Disneyland since 1992, but Disney officials promise that those who have seen the California show are still in for some surprises. It mixes special effects with classic movie clips projected on huge water screens, and features Sorcerer Mickey and a host of other Disney favorites from the Little Mermaid to animal puppets from the Lion King. It is held in a 6,500-seat theater behind the Tower of Terror off Sunset Boulevard. There is also room for 2,500 standing guests, but try to arrive at least 30 minutes early to get a seat. (Earlier during peak seasons.) The noise level may be intense for young children. Tip: Keep away from those splash zones if you don't want to get wet!
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Visitors get a glimpse into the world of movie stunts in this dramatic 30-minute show, which re-creates major scenes from the Indiana Jones series. The show opens on an elaborate Mayan temple backdrop. Indiana Jones crashes dramatically onto the set via a rope, and, as he searches with a torch for the golden idol, he encounters booby traps, fire and steam, and spears popping up from the ground, before being chased by a vast rolling boulder! The set is dismantled to reveal a colorful Cairo marketplace where a sword fight ensues and the action includes virtuoso bullwhip maneuvers, lots of gunfire, and a truck bursting into flame. An explosive finale takes place in a desert scenario. The action is enhanced by movie theme music and entertaining narrative, and, throughout, guests get to see how elaborate stunts are pulled off. (Here it is, another opportunity to be part of the fun. Arrive early and sit near the stage for your shot at short-lived stardom. Go ahead, you're running out of chances -- this time you get to wear a turban.)
Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D. They added an additional ``D'' and some more zany effects to this delightful film starring Kermit and Miss Piggy. The film combines Jim Henson's puppets with Disney audio-animatronics and special-effects wizardry, 70mm film, and cutting-edge 3-D technology. Wow! The coming-right-at-you action includes flying Muppets, cream pies, cannonballs, high winds, fiber-optic fireworks, bubble showers, even an actual spray of water. Kermit is the host, Miss Piggy sings ``Dream a Little Dream of Me,'' Statler and Waldorf critique the action (which includes numerous mishaps and disasters) from a mezzanine balcony, and Nicki Napoleon and his Emperor Penguins (a full Muppet orchestra) provide music from the pit. Kids in the first row get to interact with the characters. In the preshow area, guests view an entertaining Muppet video on overhead monitors and see movie props belonging to Muppet superstars. Note the cute Muppet fountain out front and the Muppet version of a Rousseau painting inside.
The Magic of Disney Animation. You'll see Disney characters come alive at the stroke of a brush or pencil as you tour actual, glass-walled animation studios and watch artists at work. Walter Cronkite and Robin Williams (guess who plays straight man?) explain what's going on via video monitors, and they also star in a very funny 8-minute Peter Pan-themed film about the basics of animation. It's painstaking work: To produce an 80-minute film, the animation team must complete more than a million individual cels (drawings/paintings on clear celluloid sheets) of characters and scenery! Original cels from famous Disney movies, and some of the many Oscars won by Disney artists, are on display here. The tour also includes very entertaining video talks by animators and a grand finale of magical moments from Disney classics such as Pinocchio, Snow White, Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Rock `n Roller Coaster. In what some see as an attempt to go head to head with Universal's Islands of Adventure, this is Disney's first inverted roller coaster. The indoor coaster, similar to Space Mountain, is fast and furious and set to rocking music. Your 24-person ``limo'' speeds from 0 to 60, tearing through three buildings in this must-do for coaster fans. It is not for the faint of heart.
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. This is a truly stomach-churning ride, and Disney has continued to fine tune it to make it even better. Legend has it that during a violent storm on Halloween night of 1939, lightning struck the Hollywood Tower Hotel, causing an entire wing -- along with an elevator full of people -- to disappear. And you're about to meet them as you become the star in a special episode of... The Twilight Zone. En route to this formerly grand hotel, guests walk past overgrown landscaping and faded signs that once directed them to stables and tennis courts; the vines over the entrance trellis are dead, and the hotel itself is a crumbling ruin. Eerie corridors lead to a dimly lit library, where you can hear a storm raging outside. After various spooky adventures, the ride ends in a dramatic climax: a terrifying 13-story fitful, free-fall plunge into The Twilight Zone! This is the best thrill ride at Disney, with a ``preshow'' so authentic that maintenance crews kept fixing leaking pipes designed to drip as part of the ambiance.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid. Hazy lighting, creating an underwater effect in a reef-walled theater, helps set the mood for this charming musical spectacular based on the Disney feature film. The show combines live performers with more than 100 puppets, movie clips, and innovative special effects. Sebastian sings the movie's Academy Award-winning song, ``Under the Sea''; the ethereal Ariel shares her dream of becoming human in a live performance of ``Part of Your World''; and the evil, tentacled Ursula, 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide, belts out ``Poor Unfortunate Soul.'' It all has a happy ending, as most of the young audience knows it will; they've seen the movie. This is a great place to rest your feet on a hot day; the theater feels misted to enhance the sealike atmosphere.
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The Best Of Animal Kingdom
It's Tough to Be a Bug!, Safari Village. Located inside the Tree of Life in a 430-seat theater, this creepy (crawly) special-effects laden tour of a bug's life will keep you on the edge of your seat. The crowd sits on long benches in what looks like a darkened burrow to experience a 3-D film accompanied by some very special effects that address all the senses. Once you put on your ``bug eye'' glasses along comes a parade of characters from Disney's animated release of the same name. Young children, however, may find the theater dark and the bugs scary; the volume here is high, and there are some creepy surprises making it too intense for little guests.
Kali River Rapids, Asia. With churning water that mimics real-life rapids, and optical illusions that will have you wondering if you are about to go over the falls, this is a premiere water roller coaster. The ride begins with a peaceful tour of lush foliage, but soon you are dipping -- and dripping -- as your tiny ship is tossed. You will definitely get wet. The lines are long here, but keep your head up -- literally -- and enjoy some of the marvelous artwork painted overhead and on the beautiful murals. There is a 42-inch height requirement.
Maharajah Jungle Trek, Asia. Disney keeps its promise to provide up close views of animals with this exhibit. Bengal tigers seem just inches away as you peer through thick glass, watching the graceful cats in their grassy natural surroundings. Nothing but air divides you from the dozens of giant fruit bats hanging in what appears to be an abandoned courtyard, while cocooned in their leathery wings. (Fortunately for those with a bat-phobia, you can bypass the bat habitat.) Helpful guides are on-hand to answer questions, and you can also check a printed guide that lists the various animals you may spot; it's available on your right as you enter the exhibit. Small children may find the proximity to the animals, especially the bats, disturbing.
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Copyright © 2002 by Wiley Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
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