Disneyworld ScrapbookMarch 2009

By Julienne

All I can think about recently is FOOD...... and what I like to eat.Sure, you go to Disneyworld in Orlando for the six different theme parks they offer. You arrive pumped up and ready to go on old familiar rides like Space Mountain and Splash Moun-tain, and all the other mountains. Then you’re excited to ride ones that only Disneyworld has to offer, like the Himalayan rollercoaster that runs out of track and starts to go backwards. But you know you also go there for the thrill of the food. One of my classic favorites that can also be found in Disneyworld in California is the

whopping, juicy turkey leg that is almost as big as my head. If you’ve never seen one before, it may seem grotesque, but if you’re willing to get over the initial shock of biting into a huge ligament, the result is rewarding. I don’t know how they season that thing, but every bite is meaty heaven. Sometimes the skin is tough, but it’s always a nice surprise when you find the soft tender parts that tend to be pinker in color. I always share with my boyfriend because we can’t finish one on our own, but I watched a man sit down and tear that thing apart on his own, in about 15 minutes flat. That’s skill.

Strawberry churros and frozen bananas are another classic favorite of mine, and unfortu-nately none of the parks had either of them.

They discontinued strawberry churros, and apparently there is a hold on peanuts for the frozen bananas because of the poisoned peanutcrisis imported from China. In any case, there are still plenty of sweets and snacks to sample. One of the best places for a wide variety of food is Downtown Disney. We liked it so much, we went two nights in a row. At Goofy’s Candy Shop you can get regular candy with a Disney theme, like Mickey Mouse shaped gummies or pixie sticks in plastic tubes. I loved the Mickey candy apples and rows of multicolored cupcakes. Downtown Disney has some great restaurants for dinner, and a wide variety to choose from depending on price range and cuisine. The first night we went to Fulton’s Crab House which is a high-end seafood restaurant inside a boat. We ordered raw oysters, lobster and crab bisque and a huge plate of really sweet crab legs. The bill came out to be around $100 or so. The next night we decided to do something low-key, and went for Fish n Chips. We got a basket of Shepherd’s Pie stuffed with chicken and mushrooms on top of steak fries and another basket of fish n chips. Throw two beers into the deal and it was one of the best meals I had on the trip.

Magic Kingdom Even the sky looks fake here

Since I’ve never been to Disneyworld before, but go to Disneyland once a year on average, I had this whole vision that Magic Kingdom was where it was at. The TV commercials I watched when I was young made it seem like a bigger, more fantastical version of Disneyland where you couldn’t possibly finish playing in just one day. You would need at least three days to conquer this park. It turns out I was wrong, and the biggest misconception of Disneyworld is that it is one huge park. It isn’t. It is made up of six different theme parks, and Magic Kingdom is the Disneyland of Disneyworld, except smaller, and with less rides. It was kind of disappointing. The three moun-tain rides were there, which is a big relief because that’s what people go to Disneyland for. Space Mountain was significantly different, seating one person per row instead

of two. The spaceship is tiny with nothing really to hold on. Being as scared as I am of roller coasters, I was terrified during the ride because there are sudden drops, and sitting in such a small coaster made me feel like I was going to fly out. Splash Mountain was the opposite. Instead of being a one seater on a vertical log, each log is wider and seats two people. Thunder Mountain was exactly the same, and is the ride I am least afraid to get on. There’s something comforting about sharp turns replacing steep drops. I always look at babies waiting to get on these rides and wonder what thrill issues they have as I hobble my 21-year old ass unwillingly into the cart.

A theme park that’s more worth visiting than Magic King-dom is Animal Kingdom. There, Disney tried to recreate South Africa as best they could, and even o�er a real safari where animals roam in their man-made savannah. The driver actually drives the safari truck, which is not operated by a track and I feel that they did a

pretty amazing job. We wanted to try authentic African food while we were there, but the only restaurant that had it was bu�et style, so we ended up eating burgers and chips instead. The most popular attraction is the Himalayan roller coaster, a ride that runs out of track, goes backwards, and ends with a giant drop from the mountain’s peak.

I’m an astronaut!

Bruce ate Stanley

Ariel

In Germany

In England

Norway

My absolute favorite was Epcot, the experimental prototype commu-

nity of tomorrow. Basically its dedicated to what life will be like in the

future, but the best part is the world showcase. They did an amazing job

recreating little communities representing different countries such as

France, Japan, Norway, Germany, Morocco, Mexico, and more. We chose to

dine in Norway with the Disney princesses and had braised pork shank and

lamb stew. The night ended with a fireworks display, which is how I always

like to end my trips to Disney.