Magical Times in the Kingdom

Everyone has the one thing they do on their first day in Disney World. Most people head straight to the Magic Kingdom. My family is no different.

Nothing screams “DISNEY!” more than walking down Main Street, USA and watching Cinderella’s castle get closer and closer. We turned off to get to Tomorrowland, coming out close to Monsters, Inc. After fastpassing Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, we decided to go get lunch at Cosmic Ray’s. Unfortunately, everyone else was in Cosmic Ray’s as well. My father and I scoured the main room for seats but we ended up on a side room, away from the alien entertainment.

We finished and started our rounds around Tomorrowland, eventually ending up on the Carousel of Progress. As we made our way through the 20th century, our tour of human progress was constantly interrupted. A cast member’s voice kept telling us to remain seated for our own safety. As the warnings kept going into the 1920s, I pondered something: If the cast members could tell someone was standing, couldn’t they go into the theater and remove the guilty party? We slid into the 40s, but the theater didn’t lock all the way and the lights came on. When the scene ended, the theater didn’t move and we ended up hearing about the “Fabulous Forties” ALL over again. By the third go around, a cast member came to rescue us. As we poured out of the theater, we were handed “good any time” fast passes. The vacation was off to a sweet start, even if it was raining.

The day progressed and night had fallen. We started to wind down in the Magic Kingdom and rode Splash Mountain. We boarded our log and headed for the hill that would drop us into the first scene. And we hit what I call a “boat backup.” This is a common occurrence in Disney World, particularly as you approach the load/unload section. However, this boat backup occurred just before the drop into the first scene. One this early usually means that they’ve stopped the load in process in order to get a wheelchair-bound person into the log. The minutes ticked by. Eventually a cast member came up and counted the logs before disappearing behind an entryway. Another cast member arrived to start entertaining us. A guy in another log gave him drink orders, including “beers and milk for the children.”

Twenty minutes of sitting later, the ride began moving again. We finished the ride and as we disembarked, we got another set of “good any time” fast passes! Our vacation was off to a good start!

REVIEW TIME!

As always, Disney is constantly changing. Both the Haunted Mansion and the Hall of Presidents went through some overhauls. They changed the hall of portraits in the Haunted Mansion; the eyes now longer follow you but turn into eerie incarnations as lightning flashes. Another room, as you climb the stairs, has been turned into Escher’s staircase. The bride with the beating heart in the attic has been given a back story. She is a woman who has married at least five times and been widowed all times—her husbands meet tragic ends. The other new additions are in the graveyard scene, where more ghouls romp around to the tune of “Grin Grinning Ghosts.”

The Hall of Presidents was not only altered to add Barack Obama in the final scene, but Disney also changed the preceding movie. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, they recount how George Washington (voiced by David Morse) refused to be king and then set the most important precedent—he left office. Next moves onto Andrew Jackson, a man who rose to the presidency and wasn’t an aristocrat like the six preceding presidents. His wild inauguration in which the populace stormed the White House is recalled before the movie moves on to Abraham Lincoln. Naturally, the Civil War is discussed and the audio-animatronic figure of Lincoln comes out to recite the Gettysburg Address (in Royal Dano’s voice).

In the past, the movie usually ended with Lincoln and talked about the 20th century in vague terms. Now, though, they discuss Teddy Roosevelt and how he just called the presidential mansion “The White House.” He is followed by his cousin, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and how he overcame polio. Disney plays some of his fireside chats as well as reads excerpts from letters written to the president by American citizens. John F. Kennedy finishes the individual retrospections, the film mentions the different movements in the 60s—Women’s Lib, the Civil Rights, etc. The movie shows clips of the presidential speeches given at times of tragedy: Johnson’s address to Congress after Kennedy’s assassination, Reagan’s address to the nation after the Challenger explosion, Clinton’s address to the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and Dubya’s address to the first responders and workers at Ground Zero after September 11th.

After the roll call of presidents, Washington stands and says a few words before Obama takes the Oath of Office. He gives a speech about liberty and the future before the show ends with a rousing chorus of “America the Beautiful.”

I prefer this new version of the Hall of Presidents. I never understood why the old film ended with Abraham Lincoln and didn’t go past. If I was a foreigner watching this video, I would think the last great American president was in 1865! The presidents they focus on were great leaders—both Roosevelts and Kennedy. If you don’t leave the Hall of Presidents wanting to wave a flag and hum “Stars and Stripes Forever,” check your pulse. You might be dead.

RING THE DINNER BELL!

Our first night there, we ate at the Liberty Tree Tavern in Liberty Square. The menu is preset. The first course is a salad covered in a strawberry vinaigrette dressing. As my mother is allergic to strawberries, we were given a salad with just oil and vinegar. There is also my favorite part of the meal—the bread and butter. I do not know what type of butter they use at the Liberty Tree Tavern but it is the most delicious I have ever eaten. I often have to stop myself or else I’d fill up on bread and butter alone!

The next course is the main one. Ham, turkey and London broil are placed before you to choose which you want. It is accompanied by steamed carrots, string beans, mashed potatoes, stuffing and gravy. Seconds can be requested if you haven’t eaten your fill. This time, I found the turkey to be a bit dry, but gravy fixed that up. The potatoes and stuffing were delicious.

The last course is dessert—a delicious apple crisp, complete with ice cream. No matter how much you’ve loaded on the other courses, there is always room for this sweet treat.

This is a definite place to put on your reservation list.

A note of warning about the Magic Kingdom: It is always the most crowded park, so go in prepared to deal with crowds and toddlers. Learn to avoid the stroller brigade and how to weave effectively.