The Year of a Million Dreams

Some highlights may include the Grad Nite Celebration (for high school seniors) in Magic Kingdom for the Class of 2008. Exploring and observing the animals and many other parks at Animal Kingdom. Enjoying the rides (like the Tower of Terror) at MGM (now Disney's Hollywood Studios). To top off the variety of highlights, IllumniNations, a firework show at nine at night at Epcot.

Quick Tips:

Start planning before your trip, so you can find places like Club Cool at Epcot's Innoventions that offer free Coca-Cola products from around the world.

Bring a ziploc bag if you don't want to get anything wet while on the water rides.

Sit on the left side if you don't want to get soaked on Splash Mountain.

On Me Ship, the Olive in Universal Studios, you can wet people on Bluto's Bilge Rat Barges with cannons; plus get a great view of the park. If you need to rent a locker at Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure, use the one at Guest Services. It's cheaper.

The best time to see Animal Kingdom is in the early morning and at noon.

Best Way To Get Around:

To get to each Disney theme park, you would go to Epcot's Transportation Center and find a bus that will take you to Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios (MGM). You'll take the monorail if you want to go to Magic Kingdom to the Transportation and Ticket station, then board another monorail to go exactly to Magic Kingdom.

"The world of a comic strip ought to be a special place with its own logic and life...."--Bill Watterson, author of comic strip Calvin and Hobbes

In Toon Lagoon, comic strip characters are coming to life. They now have a street dedicated to their legacies, such as Betty Boop, Beetle Bailey, and even Cathy. The Comic Strip Cafe is easy to recognize. Look for the green witch with straw black hair who has collided into a post and is seen with "#$%&*" in a cloud above her. Not only does the Comic Strip Cafe have American food, but is a counter service for salads, pasta, pizza, and even Chinese.

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You are the guy who'll decide where to go."--Dr. Seuss

Seuss Landing is a fun-filled recreation from the memorable stories told by Dr. Seuss. When you enter through the unique shops and bakery of Port of Entry, you will find this whimsical land on the right. Out of all the sections of Islands of Adventure created, Seuss Landing is the most colorful with bright pastel colors of pink, green, blue, red, and yellow. It is also likely for a person to get sunburned easily because the colors love to reflect the sun.

Some rides one might see would be Caro-Seuss-El, a golden carousel ride with a meagerie of Seuss's creatures. The Cat in the Hat is like Disney's It's A Small World where it tells the story of a cat come to visit on a rainy day. If I Ran the Zoo is fun for children five and younger to explore the animals' exhibits, climb through small archways, and play in a playplace in the back with fountains of water. You can steer a fish through a series of obstacle course of fountains on One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Finally, the best way to see Seuss Landing is to go on the High in the Sky Trolley Train Ride, which brings you to sections of Seuss' stories and through the Circus McGurkus restaurant where you can watch people eat and see Seuss' creatures hang from the ceiling like Trapeze artists.

Circus McGurkus is a under $15 type of restant that offers a souvenir cup with the kids' menu of fried chicken, cheeseburgers, spaghetti, and pizza.

"A passport, as I'm sure you know, is a document that one shows to government officials whenever one reaches a border between countries, so the officials can learn who you are, where you were born, and how you look when photographed unflatteringly." ~Lemony Snicket, author of a Series of Unfortunate Events

Toon Lagoon, Jurassic Park, and Marvel Super Hero Island are other sections of Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Toon Lagoon is where you'll find all kinds of characters from Betty Boop, Beetle Bailey, Dudley Doo-Right, to even Popeye and Olive Oyl. Dudley Do-Right's Ripsaw Falls is a water ride where there is a sure promise one will get wet. Water canons on the bridge overlooking the plunge become very convenient. Next, there is Popeye and Bluto's Bilge-Rat Bargers, a water ride where a group of people ride in this rubber circular raft down a twisting, churning path. Once again, there is another promise one will get wet if not already by a series of fountains. Me Ship, the Olive is not exactly a ride, but a large three-story ship where there are water canons on the second story, and a picture-perfect opportunity to see all the sections of the park. There is a lane dedicated to old comic strip characters from Betty Boop to a Dagwood sandwich to even Cathy!

Jurassic Park becomes similar to the movie in the Discovery Center, a place with large dinosaur bones, statues of what some may have looked like, the movie of how scientists found the dna in the amber, and see a dinosaur egg hatch. Next, two interesting rides would be Pteranodon Flyers, a ride that lets two people glide over Camp Jurassic Park and trees to get a bird's-eye view, and the Jurassic Park River Adventure, a serene ride down a river until T-Rex comes to visit. Finally, Camp Jurassic Park is a playground for children of all ages to explore amber mines, climb through dinosaur nets, and go underneath a waterfall in this prehistoric playground.

Marvel Super Hero Island has many heroes, but none are as popular as Spider Man and the Incredible Hulk. The jolly green giant and spider-like man have their own rides that has a very long wait time unless you get there first thing in the morning. The Amazing Adventures of Spider Man is a 3-D adventure while the Incredible Hulk is a roller coaster. Other rides include Dr. Doom's Fearfall towers above the street that drops a person at 150 feet in the air, and Storm Force Accelatron, where a person can help Storm generate enough power to help Storm defeat the evil Magneto.

"Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air - explode softly - and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth - boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn't go cheap, either - not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in."--Robert Fulghum

The Lost Continent is like taking a trip back to ancient cultures and civilizations.
One minute there's Egyptian and Greecian architecture, then it becomes like an Arabian marketplace with shops on family ancrestry, to have your fortune told, and ride souvenir shops.

You'll see ancient statues and even a mountain with faces carved inside that become waterfalls. Don't be fooled by the magnificent display of nature because it's actually one of the best-rated restaurants called Mythos, which has the atmosphere of an undersea cave.

Across from Mythos, you'll find a hand sticking out of stone holding a triton, the entrance to Poseidon's Fury. Poseidon's Fury is a temple that has Greek and Egyptian ruins that begins in a room where you'll find a professor's assistant, Taylor, whom has lost his professor in Poseidon's Temple. Suddenly, a voice echos throughout the room as he reads an inscription and releases Lord Darkenon, one of Poseidon's ex-worshippers. The doors open and one will move through individual rooms that you will get somewhat wet and will become hot from the special effects. The ride may be a little bit frightful for children five and under.

The Eighth Voyage of Sinbad is a show near a mystic fountain. The times are Monday-Thursday and Sunday from 1pm and 3:30pm, Friday times are 12:30 pm, 2pm, and 4:30pm, and Saturday has 12:30pm, 2pm, 4:30pm, and 6:15pm. Try to arrive fifteen minutes before the show, and look for the word "Splash" on the first row to see if you will get wet. The top rows are very safe. The show is great to see for death-defying stunts that all ages will love. To find Sinbad's show, look for a courtyard with a fountain. The fountain, called the Mystic Fountain, isn't your ordinary decoration. It can speak, hear, and even ask questions! Be careful what you wish for when you try to throw pennies in this fountain. It also wets you.

The Dueling Dragons is a popular roller coaster that has a blue dragon (ice) and a red dragon (fire). One can pick on which roller coaster they want to go on. Fire can go faster than ice. Also, if you find a circle and stand in the middle of it, you can see the ride almost collide with you.

A roller coaster for children and the young-at-heart is the Flying Unicorn.

"Sharks: [reciting] I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food."--From the movie Finding Nemo

Set in a lush landscape and a promise of exciting, close encounters of wild animals, Disney’s Animal Kingdom is turning ten years old! The park has a tropical oasis, a 14-story tree, an African village, ruins of Indian temples, and even a playground for young children to dig up dinosaur bones in the Boneyard and ride the rides adjacent to the Boneyard. The best time to go is early in the morning, or at noon.

The Oasis is a tropical lush island where you’ll find South American macaws, wallabies, tiny deer, anteaters, otters, and even a rhinoceros iguana perched on a rock, bathing in the sunlight. Discovery Island is beyond the Oasis where you’ll find the Tree of Life, the symbol of nature connected to the earth. Disney Outfitters has a totem-pole that is a must-see as well as the many souvenirs from glass figurines to t-shirts.

An African village is what you’ll see past the Tree of Life. Sounds of drums can be heard upon entering the run-down village with uneven cobblestone. Traditional African dancers will perform throughout the day. Two must-sees of Africa are the Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trails. You’ll see Nile crocodiles, hippos, gorillas, cheetahs, giraffes, and elephants.

Between Africa and Asia, pay careful attention to the trees. An acrobat wearing stilts, dressed as a tree, is hidden among the bamboo trees. She dances and performs her acrobat tricks. Asia has the Kali River Rapids (a water ride), Maharajah Jungle Trek, and Expedition Everest. The Maharajah Jungle Trek has Bengal tigers and fruit bats. Finally, Expedition Everest is Animal Kingdom’s first major roller coaster.

Dino-Land USA is where kids can ride the rides and go explore the sand areas to find fossils. The show Finding Nemo can be seen in a building near here.

"Of all of our inventions for mass communication, pictures still speak the most universally understood language."--Walt Disney

Disney’s MGM Studios has gotten a make-over. Now called Hollywood Studios, the park is home to many movies from Indiana Jones, the Muppets, Toy Story, Star Wars, and even Tower of Terror. The main street is a long avenue with old-time billboards, shops, and a large sorcerer’s cap with mouse ears. Some popular attractions on Sunset Boulevard is the Tower of Terror and Areosmith’s Rock N’ Roller Coaster.

The Tower of Terror, a creepy 199-foot building, has an eerie story behind it. On Halloween night in 1939, lightning struck the building where a few guests were traveling in an elevator and disappeared. The line wraps around an interior garden with herbs, then through a lobby with cobwebs, dead roses in a vase on a breakfast cart, and old newspapers that give the room a scary feeling. You first enter the library where you see the Twilight Zone episode of the hotel (and the last opportunity to change your mind about riding). You then proceed to a boiler room that puts you in the elevator, and starts the show when you venture through a hall and another dimension with special effects before dropping four floors (not the thirteen floors I had thought). You’ll find a gift shop after you get off the ride where you’ll find a bell that you can tap and say "Hollywood Tower Hotel" on them. Areosmith’s Rock N’Roller Coaster, a roller coaster in the dark that makes sure you arrive on time to an Areosmith concert, is one of the best indoor coasters because of the neon signs and other special effects.

Other interesting rides are the Backlot Tour, which shows you places that movies were filmed (a popular sight is the Golden Girls’ Miami home), the Great Movie Ride that brings you through many movies (small children may be scared of the Alien movie section), and the Muppet 3D Vision Ride, a show featuring Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.

Three interesting shops on Sunset Boulevard are Villains in Vogue, Sweet Spells, and Mouse About Town. Villains in Vogue has a large accessory of villains, Pirates of the Caribbean items, and even The Nightmare Before Christmas stuff. You can actually buy Sally’s Deadly Nightshade jar. Sweet Shops, however, has the wicked witch off of Snow White dumping her apple into the cauldron from a street window. The sweet shop has candy apples, fudge, candy, drinks, and other tasty items. Across the street, you’ll find Mouse About Town where you’ll find other Disney souvenirs, such as Ariel and Cinderella trinket boxes.

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."~Edgar Allan Poe, "Eleonora"

Disney’s Magic Kingdom is truly the happiest kingdom of them all. The park is divided into sections named Main Street, Adventureland, Fronteirland, Mickey’s Toontown Fair, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland.

Main Street is a quaint street with many shops. Main Street also has a candy store, a jewelry store, a crystal shop, and the Emporium, one of the best places for souvenir shopping. You’ll find everything and anything from mugs, photo frames, figurines, costumes, dolls, t-shirts, and stuffed animals.

Adventureland is full of adventure from climbing a tree like the Swiss Family Robinson’s Treehouse, to walking inside Cinderella’s Castle. This section of the park also has the ride Pirates of the Caribbean, the Enchanted Tiki Room, a show with singing birds, and a Jungle Cruise. If you’re in the mood for tacos and tacos salads, check out El Pirata y El Perrico (The Pirate and the Parrot), a Spanish restaurant that has really good food. I especially love the Spanish courtyard.

Fronteirland is notorious for Tom Sawyer’s Island with its underground caverns, Splash Mountain, and Big Thunder Mountain Train. For Tom’s Island, the lines can be really long so you might want to get to the park early.

Mickey’s Toontown Fair is a town where you can meet Disney characters in a small town setting. The best time to visit is late in the afternoon or evening.

Liberty Square is like being transported to colonial times. They have a Christmas shop, other shops with ye olde things, and Haunted Mansion. Haunted Mansion has received a makeover inside and out. Madame Leota is no longer seated.

Fantasyland has one of Magic Kingdom’s biggest attractions: Cinderella’s Castle. Two famous rides in this land include the tea cups and It’s A Small World. It’s A Small World was closed down for some time for reconstruction. Another must-see is Ariel’s Grotto.

Tomorrowland is a futuristic land with many spinning objects and planets and stars. Space Mountain is the best in the dark roller coaster. The lines can be very long for Space Mountain, but it is worth the wait. While you’re waiting to ride, you can see the roller coasters above you as well as comets and shooting stars. Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor has all the loveable monsters where you can text jokes for them to say. Last but not least is the favorite blue alien Stitch in Stitch’s Great Escape.