To paraphrase Julius Caesar: all Disney World is divided into four parts.
You’ve got Epcot, which is nerd paradise. I could happily wander in circles there for days at a time. There are a few rides here and there, but it’s mostly educational, which is not so good for children. (I recommend Spaceship Earth, a slow-paced trip through the past and future narrated by Judi Dench, that ends with a crazily funny video featuring you!)
You’ve got the Animal Kingdom, the nicest zoo I’ve ever seen. They added Mount Everest since I last visited, and it is beautiful. I love the India area in general (they call it “Anandapur,” pretending that it’s an independent principality in the Himalayan hill country). Although Africa is nice too.
You’ve got the Hollywood Studios. As far as I’m concerned, this park lacks cohesion. It’s like Disney’s reply to Universal, you know? There’s one good ride – the Tower of Terror – and some good miscellaneous stuff.
And then you’ve got the Magic Kingdom.
Pro: It’s the heart of Disney. It’s Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck and Goofy.
Con: It’s ten thousand bawling children (only three of whom appear to be having fun), and five thousand zombiesque parents, and a thousand grandparents trying to keep up with the family. (I heard a little girl scream from her stroller: “Keep up, Nana!”, to her exhausted grandmother in a wheelchair. )
Pro: Cinderella’s castle.
Con: Approximately a million people surrounding Cinderella’s Castle watching the inane show they put on every hour. “But I beweeve in dweams!” I can still hear Donald Duck squealing. (We always seemed to pass by the castle right at that moment.)
Pro: The Haunted Mansion, which is still fun even after all these years.
Con: The 45-minute wait to get into the Haunted Mansion, while standing in the hot Florida sunshine.
Pro: Splash Mountain! The Big Thunder Railroad!
Con: Two burgers, two fries, and two Cokes, for thirty dollars!
Pro: Toontown, where Mickey and Minnie live, and you can sit in Minnie’s big heart-shaped chair, and tsk at Mickey’s kitchen, which is being (chaotically) remodeled by Donald and Goofy.
Con: As of this year, Toontown is closed.
I could go on forever.
However:
We happened to stop into one of the photo-op places where some of the characters were posing with children.
One child – really just a baby – was completely entranced with Winnie-the-Pooh. It was one of the most extraordinary things I’ve ever seen. You could tell that the baby was completely delighted by this big soft smiling creature, and was laughing and smiling the whole time. He/she was just old enough to believe that this big soft gentle smiling creature was one of his/her own toys come to life – just like in the story! – and the person in the Winnie suit was playing with the baby adorably, rolling on the floor with him/her.
It tore our hearts out to watch it.
And that’s maybe why you should visit the Magic Kingdom.
Just make sure you have thirty bucks in your pocket for burgers and fries.
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