The Great Experiment

Tuesday, July 11, 2000: Today's plans came together with unexpected quickness and randomness. Kristy Borkes (DisNut) was in a terrible car accident last Friday which totalled her Saturn but miraculously left her just a bit bruised; I might not have gotten to catch up with her, but she decided to take today off work to rest up. And what better way to rest up than to go to the Magic Kingdom? Meanwhile, I got a last-minute message from Jason Steven (SlinkyDog) offering to meet me at noon at the front gates of the Magic Kingdom. DisNut and I arrived there about forty-five minutes too late to catch him, but she and I managed to have a great day at the park anyway.

I decided that my primary mission today (other than to have fun) was to find and photograph the Eeyore walkaround at the park. My secondary mission, if you can call it that, was to specifically look for ways in which the Magic Kindgom at Walt Disney World is different from the one at Disneyland, for the benefit of my Californian friends. It all starts with the Magic Kingdom not having any parking of its own -- it's right next to Lake Buena Vista; all parking is done at the Transportation and Ticket Center a mile or two away, and then it's a short monorail ride to the Magic Kingdom itself.

Well, sir, there's nothing on earth like a genuine bona fide electrified six-car monorail! What'd I say? Monorail! ...

The Grand Floridian across the water

Outside the front gates of the Magic Kingdom

One of the first differences from Disneyland is that this Magic Kingdom has a statue of Roy Disney and Minnie Mouse right at the beginning of Main Street.

Also, the windows of the stores along Main Street bear the names of many of the people who helped create this place. I was once told that this is to make Main Street like the opening credits of a movie, which roll past you as the action gets under way. Roy's name is one of the first; Walt Disney's name is hidden away on one of the windows at the far end of Main Street, facing towards Cinderella Castle.

Roy O. Disney: "If you can dream it, you can do it!"

Cinderella Castle, with the statue of Walt and Mickey

The famous piano player who's been playing that piano for years (that's a mirror in front of him, not a miniature family)

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