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After our days at Universal, we moved on to the main attraction: Disney World!
We arrived in a torrential downpour, which happened a lot during our time in Florida. Apparently all that greenery requires precipitation.
Our trip was pretty magical. I won't go through all 7 days, but I want to hit the highlights.
Our hotel was awesome. We stayed at one of the "monorail" resorts, the Polynesian. This made our lives so much easier and added so much to our vacation.
The kids were a little freaked out when this guy danced with fire at the luau. But I thought it was cool.
Staying there made it possible to spend much more of our time in the Magic Kingdom, which is really the only park worth a full day at Disney World. We spent a few full days at MK plus a few evenings. Like the evening after our day in Epcot, where the "future" is 1982.
We loved staying late at the Magic Kingdom. In the cool of the night, we played after the crowds had gone.
I think this will be the last time Emily will be interested in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, so we savored the experience.
Jane is Aurora. Emily is Leia. I love how she marches to the beat of her own drum.
Our family is all about the rides. Disney World had a few we hadn't experienced before and many that we had.
Rock n Roller Coaster was great fun. This was the day that the family stomach bug hit me and I was still having fun. (Thanks to a few Zofran I had leftover from chemo)
Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom is the finest executed roller coaster I have ever experienced. It combines theming and thrills in a way that I have never seen another ride do. Best ride ever.
Seven Dwarves Mine Train is a lot of fun, even if it is a little kid ride. Incidentally, this picture was from our last day. It marked the one year anniversary of the start of my chemo. It was like a dream come true being here with my family one year from the day where I stood at the gates of hell and was escorted in by an IV drip.
Our last night in Disney World, we ate at "Be Our Guest". What a fun recreation of the ballroom from Beauty and the Beast!
Unfortunately, this is the night that the family tummy bug struck Jane. Such a sad sight.
She suffered through what should have been cool dinner. After this, she and I left while Chris and Emily stayed to play.
Our last day was sad, but still magical.
We met Gaston, who is hilarious.
We rode some more of our favorites one last time.
And then we cried. Which is what you do when you leave Disney World.
So... those who know me know that I have a long history with Disney. I've lost track of how many times I've visited Disneyland. And I love it. So of course, it's hard not to compare the two, seeing as how this was my first trip to Disney World.
Here is how I see it:
Food: Point Disney World. Chris and I had a lovely date night in Epcot where we didn't ride one ride. Which is good because the rides at Epcot suck. (Except for Soarin, of course). Although I will say the food is still outrageously expensive.
Peoplemover: Point Disney World. It was a taste of my childhood. You'll rue the day you got rid of this one, Disneyland.
Fastpasses: Point Disney World. Peter Pan actually has fastpasses in DW. This alone was worth the trip. We never stood in line for more than 20 minutes for anything. Fastpasses in DL are still paper and can only be obtained one at a time.
Traffic flow: Point Disney World. If you're stuck on the Tomorrowland side of DL during a parade, you're there for the duration.
Ease of transportation: Point Disneyland. We stay on resort and nothing is more than a 10 minute walk from our room.
Density of Fun: Point Disneyland. In one day you can visit Disneyland, California Adventures and Downtown Disney. If you get sick of one thing, it's easy to make a quick switch. Most of the parks in Disney World had one or two decent attractions and were a 20 minute bus ride away from our hotel. We never even visited Disney Springs because momma don't get on a bus to go shopping at overpriced stores.
Smell: Point Disneyland. Disney World smells like the weird sulfur water that PS you're also expected to drink.
Cost: Point Disneyland. Everything from plane tickets to park tickets is cheaper. The hotels are slightly more expensive in DL on account of scarcity.
Number of Awesome Rides: Point Disneyland. Surprisingly, DW wasn't able to pack any more awesome into its huge park that DL can pack into its compact space. Plus, the Matterhorn is a staple. Without it, the magic just isn't quite there. Also, the big drop at the beginning of Pirates followed by the refrain, "Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me!" and the clapping of the passengers... sorry you missed the boat DW.
Childhood nostalgia: Point Disneyland. It's where the magic lives. Disney world felt like it was just built as a money making venture. Disneyland feels like it grew out of something more special. DW felt like a copy of DL. Like when your favorite restaurant opens a second location and things aren't quite the same.
Ultimately, I think the winner is Disneyland in my book. But still, both are awesome in their own way and I love both.
I am so grateful to have taken this vacation. I am happy I was healthy enough to go. It was a magical trip indeed.
