QCT Disney Orlando Trip Part 1 Page 1 of 2
Trend Magazine Online™
Article December 2015

I began my Magic Kingdom visit by deciding to take the complementary shuttle from my hotel in the Kissimmee/Celebration area which is about a 10-minute drive from the park. This way I could do a little sightseeing while in route, avoid the task of finding a parking space, and save the $20/day fee. Unfortunately the trade-off for not driving was that the earliest shuttle from my hotel was at 9:50 A.M. which is 50-minutes after the park opens at 9 A.M. (EST, Eastern Standard Time). In addition, I had to transfer to the free Magic Kingdom bus at Animal Kingdom which dropped me near the entrance at approximately 10:45 A.M. -- nearly one hour after departing my hotel. Read more about my stay at the Diamond Resorts in this edition of Trend Magazine Online^tm.

It was quite impressive to see the many air-conditioned buses heading in all directions around the Orlando/Kissimmee area to the various parks and attractions. And it is no problem to find which one is going your way because of the staff personnel and directional signs. Arriving at the Magic Kingdom toll gate brought back fond memories of my dozen or so other visits since the park opened in 1971. You cannot help but to revert back to your childhood with anticipation of all that you are about to see and do at the world-famous park.

The good thing about taking the bus -- as mentioned earlier -- is that it drops you only about a tenth of a mile away from the main entrance gate of the Magic Kingdom. All you have to do is follow the crowds and you there is no need to try and remember where you parked for your return trip home/back to your hotel. Yesterday's paper ticket has been replaced with a new-fangled credit card which digitally stores your entrance rights. After the security check you have to present one of your fingers initially to be scanned for ins/outs at this park and others depending on your paid options. One of the first things that I do is head on over to the flowery image of Mickey Mouse -- for a pic (picture) -- which has been a tradition of mines since the 1980's. I have a saying that "you ain't been to Disney without that pic."

My next order of business is to obtain a site map which will allow me to expertly plot my route strategy. Fortunately they are conveniently located in racks -- in multiple languages -- near the flowery Mickey image. If you miss them, they also have a staff person handing them out as you pass through the park entrance tunnel. The park also conspicuously lists the closing time for that day just in case you did not check beforehand or forgot; like I do sometimes. If you have little ones or seniors you can rent the appropriate getting-around-aid inside the entrance tunnel as well.

I must admit that I was tempted to rent one of those cool motorized wheel chairs as it had been a while since I walked extensible. The entrance tunnel also features a neat pictorial history of the park to include photos of the man himself --Walt Disney who must have been a kid at heart in order to dream up such an imaginary place for the young and old.

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