Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Magic Kingdom A-Z (Part 4)



When I started writing these I never believed I’d make it to the end and here I am telling you about Utiladors and Winnie the Pooh.
Underground Utiladors
Did you ever wonder why you never see garbage carried out through Magic Kingdom? Or why characters are never in the wrong spot?  It’s due to the utiladors, an “underground” (actually ground level the rest of the park is built above it) system of tunnels that covers 392,040 square feet of space at Magic Kingdom. Cast Members travel through here regularly but it is even large enough for an ambulance. There are 28 stairwells to it within the park. If you’d like to see it the Keys to the Kingdom tour is one of the tours that allows guests to view it.
Vehicles
I thought this time around we might see how many methods of transportation we can use getting to/from and within the park. This is what I have so far I may come up with more: monorail, bus, paddleboat, walking, horseless carriage, train, horse-pulled trolley, raft, omnibus, or fire engine.
Winnie the Pooh
I am a grown-up and I love this ride. I love riding in a honey pot to see all my Hundred Acre Woods friends. I’ve seen promotions for the new Winnie the Pooh movie and it only makes me want to ride it again more. It’s one I often Fast Pass because it can be quite a wait but either way it’s worth it.
Xtra Magic Hours
Could you pick a more magical park to have a longer day at? Starting early is fun but staying late when the crowd thins out is a real bonus!
Yo-Ho,Yo-Ho A Pirate’s Life For Me
As a child, Pirates of the Caribbean was not a favorite of mine. I found the lecherous men and their leg hair creepy.
Enter Johnny Depp and suddenly this was a ride I could get into. The movies brought the ride to life for me and now I enjoy it more each time I ride it. I am excited by prospects of Blackbeard making an appearance with this summer’s new movie coming out.
But as always, I will be hunting for Captain Jack Sparrow appearances… and won’t be disappointed.
Zipedee-Do-Dah, Zipedee-De-Ahhh: Splash Mountain
One of my favorite stories of my husband at Magic Kingdom takes place at Splash Mountain. After one of our longest, hottest waits at any of the parks we finally got on the ride. My husband is not a ride guy but thought he could handle this. Then he found out there were no safety belts or harnesses (there are restraints now). We went through the twists and turns. Being 1st timers, we didn’t know what to expect. Finally the big drop and splash arrived. I loved it! My husband- not so much- but I did not know to what extent until we got off. He began to pick black rubber foam from under his fingernails. He had gripped the safety bar so tightly he actually had foam under his nails. I tell him he’s the reason for restraints today. The ride photo was hysterical as well as he is surrounded by laughing children while he holds on for dear life.
That is the end of my A-Z series. I do hope you’ve enjoyed reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it. Please use it to remind yourself of what YOUR favorites are and do them often.

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