Disneyworld
February 2001

Having seen one of America's premier natural wonders, Yellowstone Park, several years ago, Jeanne and I decided to see America's premier unnatural wonder, Disney World. We were joined in this endeavor by Matthew, his cousin Douglas, and Jeanne's parents. None of us left disappointed. Disney is undoubtedly the tourist trap to end all tourist traps, but everything is done so stunningly well, that you almost don't notice after a while.

For four days we had access to all the parks, so we were able to take in the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, MGM, and Blizzard Beach. They were all overwhelming, and loads of fun. I enjoyed Epcot the most, especially the World Showcase. If you haven't been there, it's a series of attractions situated around one side of a lake. Each "attraction" is a different country, with its own restaurants, shops, cultural entertainment, etc. It sounds incredibly cheesy (at least I thought so), especially when you consider you're getting the Disney version of these places. But somehow it all works wonderfully.

Of course, I could ramble on (and on) about all the parks and most of the attractions. The live shows, the 3D-movies, the rides, the parades, and the Disney characters were all a hoot. Even the lines were interesting (there was always something to keep your mind occupied). And of course the park staff was as friendly as expected.

So I guess you could say I liked Disney a lot.

We also got to see a few more things while we were in the Sunshine State. Douglas, Matt, and I got to the ocean one day (Melbourne, FL), which was fun. Matthew had never seen the ocean before, so I wasn't sure how he'd feel about swimming in it. He dove right in, though, and we had a fun time body-surfing and checking out sea shells.

Disney Pictures (click the thumbnails to view the enlarged photo)