A glimpse of Disney World

“If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started by a mouse.”

– Walt Disney

What better way to start off a new blog post by sharing one of the most famous quotes from Walt Disney?

I remember the first time I watched “Fantasia””, an old animated movie, which went on to win two Academy Awards. That was probably my first ever encounter on the screen with Mickey, playing the Sorcerer’s apprentice. Beautiful movie, in case you haven’t watched it yet.

At the end of the movie I used to grab a piece of paper and a pen and try to draw the mouse. Can you imagine Walt Disney and all the creative world behind it was born from a simple sketch idea? Fascinating.

I spent a full – amazing – day at Disney World, Orlando with @nina.mclernon and our friend @loves2sing55.

We went there around 10 am in the morning. We parked the car at the transportation and ticket center, which is the main parking lot for Walt Disney World and the only parking lot for the Magic Kingdom. The first ride of the day started with the tram, which took us at the entrance of Disney. Remember the character that identifies the place where you leave your car, because at the end of the day you will be tired: there are innumerable parking lots. At the exit, look for the sign villain or heroes.

First of all, when you think about Disney, it opens up a all new world: there are six parks in total (without counting Universal Studios). Two of them are water parks, however the four main themed parks are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom.

This was my first experience at Disney World and even if it was just a glimpse, I realized how much this entertainment complex has to offer!! Aside from the parks, there are shopping areas, theaters, golf courses, and a selection of hotels and dining establishments.

We had only one day at our disposal, so we thought the best option was “see less, experience more”.

If you like the classics and just like me, it’s going to be your first time, the best decision you can make is picking Magic Kingdom. It’s definitely one or even the most popular destinations. The entrance guides you to Main Street and that’s there you get the first real experience!

Open your eyes and look around you, you will take a step back in time into a typical Victorian American town with colorful houses and vintage shops.

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Thanks to our Disney expert friend, we didn’t missed out the parade and two of the newer attractions: the Cinderella Castle show and Mickey’s Royal Friendship Fair.

One of my favorite attractions was definitely the Pirates of the Caribbean. The ride takes you to the West Indies of the 1700s. For instance, I was amazed by the meticulous details from each of the characters and the light and sound system, which improved the overall experience. Such a fun ride! Will you be able to spot Jack’s Sparrow?

In the late afternoon we went to Epcot. It’s a sort of mixture park of entertainment and education. Essentially, there are two parks in one. On one side, Future World boasts all kind of space, future themed attractions. On the other, Epcot’s World Showcase features 11 “pavilions” themed to countries and their respective dining, entertainment, and attractions, set on an idyllic waterfront lagoon.

Above all, all the countries featured were extraordinary but I really enjoyed France, Italy and Japan. Unfortunately we didn’t have much time to go through all of them in detail.

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The Italian pavilion was really fun and well done. It looked like a little Venice with the classic gondola, Piazza San Marco and the typical guglie over the buildings.

In addiction, each pavilion have, not only characteristic buildings that reminds you about its respective country, but also typical local food. For example, in Italy you’ll go for pizza, pasta and vino!!

To conclude, Disney World is a lifetime experience. You’ll have so much fun no matter the age. If you have the possibility, stay longer and definitely do try not to see everything you can in such a short amount of time, it will make things stressful and you will miss all the good details.