The End of a Legacy....

Disney is a fascinating place where many people gather to enjoy the adventures of being a kid again. It's a place where magic happens everyday. When I'm in Disney, I always find myself asking: What should I do today? It isn’t enough just to go to one park because there is so much to do. It's a tough decision and it's never easy for me. I love the happy mood all around, the friendliness and the excitement. The only question left to answer is....

Which park is your favorite? 

Epcot's Dive Quest

Epcot DiveQuest is quite the unique scuba diving experience where, you can dive beneath the seas to see many beautiful sea creatures. Guests who are certified in scuba diving get to swim with hundreds of different creatures including angelfish, sea turtles, dolphins, eagle rays and sharks. Anyone from the ages of 10 to 14 must have a certified diver with them at all times.

Most kids and adults all say that the experience of scuba diving is the most wonderful feeling in the world, it feels as if you have transformed into a sea animal, free to explore reefs and other forms of life. While on this dive the water will be clear, still and cool, making the experience risk free and fun for all.

In DiveQuest, you will be accompanied by an experienced scuba diver who will teach you about wildlife in the ocean. If you are not certified in scuba diving, like me, there are other places where you can dive.

Main Street Electrical Parade

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls! Disneyland proudly presents our spectacular festival pageant of nighttime magic and imagination. In thousands of sparkling lights, and electro-synthe-magnetic musical sounds: the Main Street Electrical Parade!"

This parade is the most dazzling parade I've seen. Thousands of beautiful lights light up the night as Disney's parade makes its way down Main Street U.S.A. through the Magic Kingdom Park. The electrical parade features floats and live performers that are covered in thousands of electronically-controlled lights. They have synchronized soundtracks, which are triggered by radio control, along key areas of the parade route. The parade stops periodically to allow the performers to dance for you. 


It's so much fun to watch the performances and sing along with the performers. The audience stands on the sidewalks with ice cream, light up wands, necklaces and rings.


For a while, the electrical parade was actually removed from Disney. However, in February of 2010, they decided to bring it back.  Don't miss out on this spectacular event!

Pirates of the Caribbean

I'm sure most, if not all of you, have seen all three of the Pirates movies. If not, they are definitely something you should watch. Disney, as many of you may know, has a ride that served as a model for the movies. They just decided to add Johnny Depp's character to the ride; he was physically there acting as his character for awhile until they made his mannequin. This boat ride takes you back in time to a land where Pirates ruled and chaos was a natural occurrence.



As you ride through the waters on your boat, you'll hear the song "A Pirates life for me". You'll also overhear the pirates talking to each other and plotting their next attack. There are many similarities to the ride and the movie; for example, you see the three men with the keys begging the dog to let them out. Johnny Depp's character pops in and out of barrels of alcohol, while trying to track down crew members for the Black Pearl.

Throughout the ride, you'll see pirates, drinking and fights. Nothing really violent of course; just little scenes of a pirate's life. You can even see fake gold in various places during the ride. It's been awhile since I've been on this ride and I would love to go back!

Haunted Mansion

Do you love scary stores, haunted houses and ghosts? If so, then Disney's Haunted Mansion is a great ride for you. This ride takes you through a bizarre, supernatural world. Once you enter the ride, you are seated in rotating chairs, which will spin to show you all of the mansion's rooms.



You will ride through several floors of ghostly welcoming. Your ghost host will talk to you through speakers in your chair as he leads you through the eerie mansion. Madam Leota, the floating head in the crystal ball, summons the ghosts to show themselves. Once the ghosts appear, they begin dancing in the ball room, walking around in the grave yard and sitting on your shoulders. The first time I went on this ride, I got the life scared out of me by the ghost sitting on my shoulder. I used to sit in the middle of my parents because I was afraid to sit on the edges. Believe it or not, I actually thought something was going to steal me while I was sitting there.

The good thing is that the spirits are friendly. The best thing about this haunted mansion is that there is no gore, otherwise, I wouldn't be able to handle going in. I'm not much for the supernatural world, but I love this ride!

Contemporary Resort

The Contemporary Resort is an unique hotel because the monorail passes right through it. This hotel has a beautiful lake side environment, as well as fantastic views, white sand beaches and plenty of wide open spaces. The hotel is very large with modern features, great restaurants and in-hotel stores. They offer Wi-Fi internet access; it's convenient for business or simply exploring the web.

The hotel is convenient because it has restaurants within it: Chef Mickey's, California Grill and Concourse Steakhouse. In Chef Mickey's restaurant, you will enjoy entertainment and interaction with the characters, while enjoying a fulfilling dinner. My favorite meal is the mickey shaped pancakes that i've had for breakfast.


The California Grill offers West Coast American meals and spectacular views. Not only are there amazing views, but there is an onstage kitchen where you can watch your meal being made. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. It's a cosy version of the West Coast without actually being there.

The Concourse Steakhouse is a fine dining restaurant. It's pretty cool because you sit right beside the monorail; it flies by while guests dine in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere.

The rooms are big and spacious with great views, big fluffy beds and a nice big TV. It feels so good to come back at the end of a long, busy day and just flop onto the squishy bed. You can go out on the balcony and feel the warm breeze of a fun and joyous day.

Downtown Disney

Do you ever wonder what to do when Disney's parks close down? You should check out Downtown Disney. It's a great place to shop, dine, and play games. It's divided up into three main sections: Downtown Disney Westside, Downtown Disney Marketplace and Pleasure Island. There are great places to eat and plenty of live entertainment, including music and shows. Downtown Disney has indoor theme parks that welcome kids to play and interact in.

Downtown Disney is unique because it keeps changing; they want to keep everything new and up to date. Disney Westside has very uncommon shops and top notch restaurants. The food is out of this world. If you're looking for purely Disney related stores, then the Disney Marketplace is the place for you. It's the largest character store in the world. They also have lake side restaurants with beautiful views. Last but not least is Pleasure Island. They have created a few new attractions, such as the characters in the Flight Balloon ride. Talk about entertainment! You are taken up in a hot air balloon to get a bird's eye view of Downtown Disney. Its views are spectacular!

The Wilderness Lodge

The last time I went to Disney World, I stayed at The Wilderness Lodge. This is a great hotel. When you walk into the lobby, you'll notice that all the architecture is carved with the faces of exotic animals.  Everything is made from pine wood, which gives the feeling of being on a camp ground. This hotel has 2 pools and a beautiful white sand beach. This allows vacationers to relax and breathe in the fresh, warm Florida air. This hotel has a 7 story lobby with amazing views. The main theme of the hotel is to be at peace and enjoy nature.

When it comes to the rooms, there are usually 3 beds; the bunk beds are made of pine wood. For each room, there is a different theme. These themes include wildlife, Native American culture and carvings from mother nature. You have a very pretty view from the balcony; it allows you to see the pools. The Wilderness Lodge is located in the Magic Kingdom. This hotel was so unusual that I'll never forget it. 

Typhoon Lagoon

Typhoon Lagoon isn't your ordinary water park; its far beyond that. You can catch 6 foot waves in the surf pool as well as snorkel and explore the shark reef, which is home to real sharks. The whole idea of Typhoon Lagoon is quite interesting. It began during the meteorological disturbance when surf boards, along with trees and boats, were all tossed through roofs of beach houses and up into mountains. If you've ever been to Typhoon Lagoon, you'll notice that there are ships tossed on rocks. The whole theme of this park is a "ship wreck" island. 

Not only is there a wave pool where you can catch 6 foot waves, but there are slides, rivers, and waterways. Every half an hour at Mount Mayday, a boat's whistle blows and you become soaked with gallons of water from a geyser. Mount Mayday is the home of many waterslides. It's a fun way to cool off while enjoying the warm summer days. 




This park has an outdoor pool bar, quick restaurant service and two picnic areas. It's a very nice place to have dinner or snacks. All your troubles can be washed away here.

Epcot

Epcot isn't your ordinary park; there is more to it then you think. The entertainment here continues day to day. You can see live shows, meet and greet the characters, watch fireworks, see acrobats, musicians, mimes and dancers. The coolest part of Epcot is that it represents 11 different countries, such as Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, The United Kingdom and Canada. Each country is set up with shops, dining halls and features unique to them. It really makes you feel like you're in a different country.

Each country provides its own form of live entertainment. In Morocco, they have belly dancers, drummers and performers. It's the coolest! In Norway, the buildings are stone and you can explore the exhibit know as "Vikings: Conquerors of the Seas." This exhibit has a collection of authentic Norse weapons and artifacts at the gallery inside the Stave Church. 

You can walk the streets of each country and get a small taste of their culture. Everything about the countries are beautiful and interesting. Some countries have a medieval feeling and old cobble stone streets. 


While walking through these pavilions, you'll enjoy performances by actors; some might even invite you to be in the show with them. There are also areas in each country called Kidcot. These places allow kids to create one of a kind souvenirs. Epcot is known as the "world showcase" because it consists of a cluster of different countries. 

MGM Studios

MGM is Disney's Hollywood theme park. This park features the Hollywood Tower Hotel. This beautiful hotel was struck by lightning many years ago and left abandoned and haunted. Once you enter the hotel, you're brought down to the basement and board an elevator which drops once the hotel is "struck by lighting." It's a terrifying drop down to the basement; you leave your seat and stomach in the air. It feels like your heart goes into your throat from the shock.


MGM also hosts a reenactment of Indiana Jones. Actors and actresses go running through an obstacle course where they dodge boulders, fire and explosions. Not only do you watch flames burn but, you can feel the heat. You're up close and personal in this adventure.

I can't even begin to describe the rest of the park. It's just something that you have to see. There is so much entertainment that it's impossible to get it done in one day. This park is really something!

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom is one of Disney's largest parks. It's full of great adventures and entertainment. The park has more than 1,700 animals and 250 species. Animal Kingdom never has a day without entertainment; sometimes the park even has parades where the animals will preform. The park is divided into 8 different areas: Oasis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki's Planet Watch, Asia, Dinoland, U.S.A. Each of these areas has their own variety of animals. It's so exciting to take out binoculars and search for lions, zebras and so much more.

The coolest part of the park is the food. You can experience eating American, African and Asian inspired food during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Not only do you get awesome food, but the characters dine with you as well.  

Blizzard Beach

Have you ever wanted to go to a water park when its snowing? How about slide off a drop of 90 degrees? Well i've got the park for you. Blizzard Beach!


Blizzard Beach is a great water park. The coolest thing about it is the snow, not only does it have the tallest and fastest rides but it's covered in fake snow! The park has rides for kids and adults as well as snacks and entertainment. The park is set up like a ski resort providing ski lifts for the passengers. The other cool attraction about the park is the huge slides. Guests get such a whirl when they come crashing down into the cool water below. I would highly recommend this park, it's my all time favorite and I believe it'll be yours too!

State of Mind

Disney isn't just a place, It's a state of mind. It is one of the greatest places to go for a vacation. It's easy to get lost in it's many parks, parades and celebrations. It's so much fun to have dinner with the characters and spend all day at theme parks. Disney as a whole offers many rides and waterparks where you could get lost for hours. If you really want to escape the responsibilites of adulthood travel to Disney and get lost in the fun. Disney really is the happiest place on earth.