Anita Talk

Anatomy of an Anita Answer Column, Part 1

Last week, in Part 1.5, I went on a little sidetrip and talked a bit about what it's like to write for this amazing website.

I unintentionally opened up the proverbial Floodgates Of Feedback. I was sure you'd all say "Put on your big girl pants and get over it, lady!" But, as of this writing, 100% of the feedback was positive, supportive and heartfelt. I have passed on your thanks and praise to everyone who helps AllEars to be what it is. So often, the feedback we receive is to point out some error we made, rather than to praise us for all of the things we do right. This fact makes what you all wrote all the more appreciated! We are all very grateful to you readers who took the time out of your own lives to express how much you like and appreciate what we do. If I can borrowy from what one of you wrote to us, "You all ROCK!!" and you do rock! Thanks, everyone!

Ok, time to get back on track, and continue sharing with you, as promised, the nuts and bolts of how I put my weekly column together.

Pt 2: How Does Anita Choose Which Questions To Answer?

Well, to begin with, it's neither art nor science; more like a little of both with a glance into Madame Leota's crystal ball and a random handful of pixie dust thrown in. I don't exactly have a set of firm rules to go by, but it's a bit like the Pirates' Code: a set of guidelines--A very loose and flexible set of guidelines, actually. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, and I reserve the right to make those exceptions. After all, it's my column, and I write what I want to, write what I want to, write what I want to...(Readers of a certain age will now be singing that song for the rest of the day, hee hee.) Flexibility is my middle name--Anita Flexibility Answer. It just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? Um, let's move on, shall we?

So, What Are The Guidelines?

I hesitate to start off with something negative, but this is how it works. I'll begin with "Stage One: How Not To Get An Answer." These types of questions usually won't make it past the reading stage, and go right into an archive file:

-First and foremost, if the reader writes in asking me how to cheat Disney, get around policy or break rules, you won't see it in my column unless it's to explicitly tell readers not to attempt it and why it's not a good idea to try. I will never, ever, (did I mention never?) tell an AllEars reader how to cheat or break rules, even if I know full well how it can be done.

-Another good way to not get an answer is to be rude, demanding or impatient. I have a teenager. I've seen it all. Stamping your feet, shouting and slamming doors does not get my attention--In fact, it has exactly the opposite effect. Just ask Minnie Answer how well this method works for her.

-Sending in the same question multiple times probably won't work either. If your question made it past Stage One, I'm aware that it's there in the queue with 800 - 1000 of its closest friends waiting to potentially be answered. As a mom, I have developed a special Nagging Filter that automatically kicks into Ignore Mode when I'm nagged. While you're asking Minnie Answer about being impatient, ask her how well nagging works for her.

-Is the question a "hot button" topic or potentially controversial? There are certain subjects I won't address. I won't list them here, but I'm sure you can guess what some of them might be. I want to talk about the Walt Disney Company, not my political leanings, opinions on smoking or other such topics.

OK, enough of this negativity. Let's move on to Stage Two.

Stage Two is when I've moved your question to the file of potential questions to answer in my column. Getting to Stage Two unfortunately does not guarantee an answer, however. It's just not humanly possible to answer everything in that file. Today it stands at approximately 800, yet I can only answer 6 and sometimes 7 questions per week. As you may have noticed, I'm not a math genius, but I can calculate that it's impossible to answer every question I receive.

Phase 3 starts when I begin to plan a column. When I'm searching for questions to answer, here's what I take into consideration:

-Has the question been answered before? If so, is it still an important and viable question? How much time has elapsed since it was last answered? Has anything changed since then that could be updated? Pool Hopping, Refillable Mugs, the Dining Plan or Using Others' Tickets might fall into this category.

-How easy is it to find the answer by using the Search function or just looking around the AllEars site? Am I doing someone's vacation planning homework for them when the answer is easily found on AllEars?

-Is Disney about to announce something to the public that would answer the question? Will the answer be announced in the AllEars Newsletter or on the website soon? I try not to scoop the newsletter or the website with an announcement if at all possible, though I'll happily share rumors I've heard, with the understanding that they are rumors and nothing more.

-Have many readers been asking the same question? Does this signal that something may require clarification?

-Would the answer be interesting and useful to most readers or just to the one who wrote it? Keep in mind that this won't necessarily preclude my answering a question that only helps the reader who sent it in, it's just one criterion I look at when deciding whether the question might be used in a future column. On rare occasions, I'll even send the reader a personal answer directly and it doesn't go into the column.

-Is the question itself interesting? Is it interesting enough to spend several hours or even days and weeks researching the answer, or enlisting my friends' help in the process? (Hint: My favorite questions involve the history of the company, WDW and the attractions in all of the Disney parks, worldwide. My least favorite questions are about the dreaded Dining Plan, and those questions asking me how to do an end run around an existing policy.)

-Has a story just broken or are certain rumors suddenly circulating? Is it newsworthy?
The recent "Night Kingdom" rumor would fall under this guideline.

-Is the question actually a combination of two or more questions? Can I answer them all? I do prefer single questions, I must admit, because if I can't answer all of the questions, I usually don't do a partial answer, although I might take part of the question and put it with a similar question.

-Is the reader asking me something that is subjective, such as, "Will we like this resort/restaurant/ride?" I'm sorry, but it's impossible to tell readers what they'll like or not like because I don't know what their particular tastes, budgets or experiences are. If you ask my opinion of something such as, "Which Moderate resort is Anita's favorite?" I can answer this type of question because you're asking for my advice based on my experiences. If you ask, "Which Moderate Will My Family Like?" it's harder to answer, because I don't know you well enough to determine that.

-Is there enough information in the question to enable me to give an educated answer? Don't be afraid to send in as many details as you can. If it's too much, it can always be edited down to the essential information, but if it's too little, I may not be able to answer from the information given. Some questions can't be answered properly unless I know things like when you're going, where you plan on staying, how long you'll be there, if you'll have your own transportation, ages of the guests, etc. More information is better.

-And last, but not least, have you given me enough time to answer the question? If you're leaving for your vacation in the next couple of days, It's unlikely I can answer you in time. My columns can be in various stages of preparation weeks before they're published. Please allow enough time (generally no less than three weeks before your departure) for an answer. On the other hand, if you ask your questions too early, you may not get an answer for several weeks or even months. For instance, I can't tell you who will be the Candlelight Processional narrators yet, because no one knows who they are until the fall.

Now that I've shared my question selection process with you, I hope I haven't scared you off from ever writing to me again. I know this will sound counter-intuitive, but please ignore about 95% of what I just told you. The truth is, I break my own set of selection guidelines all the time, especially when a particular question strikes a chord with me. As I like to tell Minnie Answer about a hundred times a week, "If you don't try, you'll never know!" So, please continue to send me whatever your questions may be. I read each and every one of them myself, and you just never know what might strike that chord on any given day.

Next time, I'll attempt to explain where my answers come from, how I research them, and when I have to call in the cavalry for assistance. Until then, I'll see you online!

Anita

When Bad Things Happen To Good Columnists

Last time, I promised to tell you how I choose questions to answer from the ever-growing file of potential questions, which is now close to 800 again. I apologize for the delay in getting to Part 2. I had a rather lengthy entry written and was ready to go with it. Then something happened a couple of weeks ago that made me rethink what I had written, so I went back and rewrote it. I was just about to submit the second version for publishing, when the same "something" happened yet again last week, so here I am rewriting this for the third time.

I beg for your indulgence as I try to be uncharacteristically serious for a minute. In the almost-five years that I've been writing the Anita Answer column, I have only gotten six unpleasant e-mails from people who were unhappy with me for not answering their questions. I received two of the six within two days of each other earlier this month, and then a third one arrived this week. Maybe it was the full moon, the weather, or maybe it's the time of year. April seems to make people restless, for some reason still unknown to me. There's probably a scientific or psychological explanation, but as I said, I don't know what that is.

Anyway, back on point. I guess when you think of how many thousands of e-mails I've received over the years, six unpleasant messages is a rather small percentage. Still, they threw me a bit off-balance, because I like to think I have a good relationship with the site's readers, for whom I try to perform a service, and particularly because I received those three complaints so close together after all this time. It made me stop and wonder if I really had been doing something wrong. The vast (and I do mean vast) majority of people who write to me are absolutely delightful, so why were these three e-mails bothering me so much? Once I had recovered my equilibrium again, I thought it might be helpful to me and to you readers to write about it, and to share the thoughts those e-mails provoked for me.

First, you should know that I don't get paid to do this. In fact, no one on the AllEars® team gets paid for what they do. The team puts a tremendous amount of work into this website, including a lot of love and pride, too. We strive to provide up-to-date information, and we don't deal in the Rumor Mill much. Well, I do, but I always make sure it's clear I'm talking about a rumor. We want our readers to be able to trust what they read here, so we take a lot of time and care before publishing information.

I wouldn't try to speak for anyone else on the team, but I love what I do here, and I suspect they do also, or we wouldn't do it. Some of us have been friends since dirt was new, and some are new friends, but we all have this in common: We all love the Disney parks and resorts, and we all love bringing a small piece of that into your world each week. I suspect that not many people know what a gargantuan task this actually is. It requires hours and hours to research, write and maintain this site, its newsletter and the Ears To Ears forum. It doesn't all happen by magic, much as we sometimes wish it did.

Keep in mind that all of us have other full time jobs, families, pets and homes that need our time and attention too. Perhaps knowing all of this is why receiving those impatient and unpleasant e-mails so close together threw me.

The last of the three emails I received was the one that bothered me the most. It accused me of constantly writing about myself and of publishing irrelevant questions and answers. I personally invest a great deal of my spare time in researching and writing my column. I write from my own experiences and frame of reference. How else could I write the column? Short answer: I couldn't. Readers ask my advice and I give it, based on what I know. That's what the column is all about.

This is what I do, and there is no way I could do it without talking about my own experiences. This is what gives my column a personal touch, isn't it?

Other people don't want advice, but they want to know something about Disney history, something they remember from childhood, or a rumor they heard. I like to write about those things too, because they interest me. If they didn't interest me, why would I want to spend time researching and writing about them?

That leads me directly to the question, "Do I write about irrelevant subjects?" Well...What's irrelevant to Reader A is quite relevant to Reader B, and may spark even more questions or tips from Readers C and D. If every question I answered was about refillable mugs, the dining plan and what time the 3:00 parade was, how very dull would that column be? I wouldn't want to read it let alone write it. I can only hope that the majority of my readers agree, or else I'm just spinning my wheels here.

After reaching that conclusion, it led me to this thought. Before he died, my dad used to tell me all the time, "If it isn't fun anymore, don't do it. Life's too short." I've always tried to take that simple advice, and so those three e-mails had me wondering if writing this column was still a fun and fulfilling for me to do. It took me all of about 30 seconds of pondering to answer, "Yep. Definitely still fun!" For this reason, I'll continue writing my column just as I've written it for the last five years, and I'll do it until it's no longer fun. I write my column because it makes me happy to write about my favorite subjects, and if it helps somebody have a better vacation or experience, that's icing on the Mystical Cake. [Sorry, inside joke, too hard to explain. Just go with it...]

Well, as usual, I've digressed and used far too many words to convey a simple sentiment, which is this: Dear readers, try to take a little advice from me and my dad when you're planning your Disney vacation. If it isn't fun, don't do it. Take a step back, take a deep breath, examine what the problem is, and then take another route.

Always remember that we're talking about going to a fun place--A place where adults and kids alike can have a great time, but not if it becomes a stressful experience. It's a vacation, after all, not a death march. Don't fret and obsess over your planning to the point it makes you irritable and unhappy. Be flexible, be patient, and by all means, when you come to this site for help with your planning, please be respectful and polite when you ask. Behind the screen sits a team of truly great people, and we really do like to help you have a better time on your trip, or to bring you the latest Disney news and advice when that next trip seems to be too far away to bear.

OK, enough of this serious stuff. Next time I promise I'll really tell you about how I choose my questions--Really!

Anita

So, the other day, my dear friend Flo and I were talking about what we could do on our upcoming trip that would be different and exciting.

We tossed around a few ideas like trying new restaurants, or maybe a new experience like a tour, the Richard Petty Driving Experience, etc. Nothing really popped, if you know what I mean.

Then fate stepped in when my AllEars colleague Mike Scopa posted a challenge in his blog earlier this week; a challenge that involves visiting the 4 major Disney parks in the span of 1 day. "Now there's an idea that pops!" I said to myself (yeah, I often have some most interesting dialogues with myself, I just can't help it...) I immediately contacted Flo and broached the idea, and she was also very excited about it.

Mike's challenge is to visit all 4 major parks during one park operating day, park opening to park closing. We must experience three rides or attractions in each park, and Mike has made a list of eligible attractions in each park. Another requirement is to eat two meals during the day, but not in the same park. We think we're up to it.

We're both veterans of dozens of WDW trips, together, separately, and with our families and friends. We like to think that we know just about everything there is to know about how to tour the Disney parks under any condition, during any season, busy or slow.

We know the transportation system, we know the roads, we know the resorts. This will be our chance to find out just exactly how well we know them. Someone asked Flo why we'd even want to do this. "Because we can!" was her answer, and it's the truth! Call us weird, but we actually enjoy doing things like this. Neither of us can wait to try it!

First things first: We set about formulating a plan of attack. We decided on Saturday, May 10, more or less by default because it's the only day during our trip that we don't have to be someplace at a particular time.

I looked up the park hours, including any Extra Magic Hours we might be able to take advantage of. The only EMH that day turned out to be a morning one at Animal Kingdom, making it the park that opens the earliest. Woohoo! We have a starting point!

I then looked at the other parks' hours, and as expected, the Magic Kingdom closes the latest at 11 pm. Now we have an ending point, and know how many hours we'll have to complete the challenge--15.

Next, I looked at what crowd levels were expected to be that day, and which parks would be the most and least crowded. Our plan is tour the parks in a manner that makes geographical sense, but also makes best use of our available time. We decided to go in this order: Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, mixing the predicted busiest parks with their physical location and operating hours. Whew! Lots of work involved here!

Once we get into the parks, we also have a plan of action, but I'm not giving it away yet. Let's wait and see whether or not our strategy will work. We've adopted the motto "Semper Gumby" (Always Flexible) for this challenge, because let's face it, nothing ever goes exactly according to plan, does it? Rides go 101, the skies open up and pour, restaurant lines suddenly come to a standstill, etc. etc. We're making plans, with alternative plans, with other plans on top. We think we'll be ready!

If you're in the parks on Saturday May 10 and you see two crazy women rushing around with a notebook, a camera and a wild look on their faces, it's probably us. Wave at us as we run by. I promise to report back on whether or not we can successfully complete Mike's Challenge. Wish us luck!

Anita

Recently, I've received some questions about the nuts and bolts of putting together my weekly Anita Answer column.

Questions like how I choose questions to answer, why I didn't answer certain questions, where I find my answers, how I've come to know so much stuff about the World, etc. These kinds of questions really lend themselves more to blogging than to the column format, so here I go!

I'll start with some background information that may help you to better understand the process.

I receive an average of 15 - 30 questions per day, every day. Sometimes I can receive as many as 60 in a day, depending on the time of year. That's a lot of questions, especially when you consider that I only have space to answer 6 questions per week. Sometimes I live dangerously and feature 7 if I need to address something else, although this drives my editor Ditto crazy. The average column takes me 6 - 10 hours or more per week to write. Research can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few weeks to get the information I need to complete an answer.

When readers send me questions I first have to carefully read them all and sort through them, and unfortunately, I also must cull the ones I can't or won't answer and file them in an archive.

The rest are re-titled so I know what they are and moved to a file of potential questions for future columns. Currently, there are over 500 questions in that file. Until recently, the number was closer to 1000, but I had to clean that file out in order to find things more easily. I try to clean the file every quarter, and as you can see, it's necessary, otherwise I'd be drowning in questions!

Reading and sorting questions can take 1 - 2 hours a day or more depending on the time of year. I tend to get more questions when people are planning for summer or holiday trips. I get more questions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays than other days of the week. Tuesdays, because my new columns come out on Mondays; Wednesdays because the All Ears newsletter comes out on Tuesdays, and Sunday because...well, I don't really know why! It could be because readers have more free time on that day, or perhaps in hope of getting into the next day's column?

Only rarely do I answer questions that come in just before the column is published. Usually, it will be something that's newsworthy at that moment, and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. I'll talk more about that in part 2, when I reveal how I choose which questions to answer. See you next time!

With Disney-MGM Studios' renaming to Disney's Hollywood Studios recently, what better time to talk about my very first trip to that park?

Turn the clock back. It's 1989.

Mr. Answer and I had not gone back to the World since our 1986 honeymoon, and we were ready to go again. Not having to follow school schedules, since Minnie Answer wouldn't make her debut for another year and a half, we decided to take an early October roadtrip.

Our first stop would be in Atlanta for a long visit with our close friend and former roommate, who had recently relocated there. The plan was to leave Atlanta and drive down to Orlando for the second part of our trip. We had booked a few days at the Radisson, just outside of property. At the last minute, Ms. A decided to join us.

The drive seemed interminable, because we were so excited about seeing the parks again! This was Ms. A's very first trip, so she was doubly excited. Truth be told, I remember very little of this trip other than the Studios and the hotel! The Radisson was nice enough, though not fancy.

I longed to stay at one of the glamorous Disney Resorts, which by then included the Grand Floridian and the Caribbean Beach, Disney's very first moderate resort. Being poor newlyweds, that dream would have to be put on hold for another few years, however, so there we were at the Radisson. I believe we picked the Radisson from a AAA hotel guide. Can you imagine even trying to plan a trip without the internet? Thank goodness Al Gore had the foresight to invent it a few years later! (Just kidding...)

We purchased 4 Day Passports for around $100 each. $100 was a hefty sum for us, but well worth it. We had to buy a 4 Day because the 3 Day Passports didn't include Disney-MGM! We planned to use 1 day for each of the parks, and the remaining day to revisit a park, but as it turned out, after the 4 days, we didn't want to leave, and extended our stay and our tickets for another couple of days. Hey, it's only money, right?

As I mentioned earlier, I remember little of the Magic Kingdom and Epcot on this trip, probably because so little had changed since our 1986 trip.

At the Magic Kingdom, a new land had opened (Mickey's Birthday Land), but the village of Duckburg held little of interest for anyone over the age of 6.

EPCOT Center had a few exciting additions, including a new World Showcase Pavilion (Norway), a 3-D movie (Captain Eo,) and an almost-finished Future World Pavilion, Wonders of Life.

Wonders of Life didn't officially open until a week or so after we went home, but I have vague memories of touring the pavilion on this trip, which may or may not have happened. Those particular braincells are stored in the back of the vault, if you get my drift. Also at EPCOT, IllumiNations had made its debut.

The star of this trip, however, was definitely the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park, which had opened on May 1, 1989, a few months later than its original targeted opening of Oct.1, 1988.

In those days, Disney-MGM actually was a working production facility as well as a theme park. The focus at the park's beginning was on a "living movie set," according to early park guides. What we see on the Backstage Tour now is a pale imitation of the original, where you actually might have seen a TV show or film in production.

Much later, I was lucky enough to work very briefly behind the scenes on one of the last TV series produced there before the soundstages closed forever to be turned into first the Millionaire attraction and now into Toy Story Mania.

In 1989, the animation tour featured what at least looked to me like real animators working on real animated films. To clarify, animated films were definitely produced there, but I don't know if the people I saw during the tour were really animators or actors. I suspect they were low level members of the animation team, since they did appear to be working. Animated features produced at the Studios included "Mulan" and "Lilo and Stitch."

But let's get back to 1989. So, there we were, three young adults about to experience a brand new park. We walked under the Art Deco archways housing the ticket booths, and through the turnstiles. The park was divided into three main areas: Hollywood Boulevard, Lakeside Circle/Backlot Annex and the Production Center/Backlot area.

Hollywood Boulevard was much like it is today, with an avenue of stores designed to resemble early 20th Century Los Angeles, with the crown jewel looming at the end of the street: A wonderfully detailed replica of Grauman's Chinese Theatre, home of the Great Movie Ride.

Today, there's a...um...rather large, out of place and obtrusive hat blocking the view of the theater, completely ruining Hollywood Boulevard's intended sightline. Sure wish we could just airlift it out of there and put it someplace else, say near the Animation Courtyard, or perhaps outside of the park in the entrance plaza, but as usual, I've taken a side trip from my subject.

We pretty much by-passed the stores, as we were being drawn to the beautiful theatrer at the end of the street. (This is why Walt Disney and the Imagineers call park icons like Cinderella Castle and Spaceship Earth "wienies" -- they draw you deeper into the park.)

Speaking of Hollywood Boulevard, if you turned those early Studios park maps upside down, you would have seen that you were standing in the middle of the World's largest hidden Mickey! The plaza in front of the theater comprised Mickey's face, Echo Lake formed one ear and the area by the tipboard and the Brown Derby formed the other ear. With the addition of the...um...rather large and obtrusive hat and the development of the Sunset Boulevard area, this cool "secret" is pretty much gone now. What a shame.

We entered the queue area of The Great Movie Ride, and ooh'ed and ah'ed at the movie prop and costume displays. In the theater area we watched the same clips we're watching today. As far as I can tell, this has never been changed. Once on the ride, we marveled at the moving theaters, gliding silently through movie scenes. Everything but the final film clips is the same as it was then, with the exception of the Busby Berkeley scene, which used to rotate.

What to do next? There wasn't much to do attraction-wise here on Hollywood Boulevard; only The Great Movie Ride and a stage show in a tiny outdoor amphitheater called "Theater of the Stars" that was squeezed in between the Brown Derby and the shops on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1993, it was moved to it's current and much larger home on Sunset Boulevard, where it now houses the Beauty and The Beast Live On Stage show.

We skipped the show, and headed for Lakeside Circle/Backlot Annex to see Superstar Television (where the currently unused ABC Theater is now, and where the future American Idol show will go.) I was picked from the audience to be in the show to be part of a girl-group trio called "The Vonzels." We sang "Da Doo Ron Ron" on the Ed Sullivan show. It was the beginning and the end of my onstage showbiz career. Some people would call that a blessing.

Also in Lakeside Circle, next to Superstar Television, was the "Monster Sound Show," where audience members added sound effects to a hilarious "horror" film starring Chevy Chase and Martin Short. "Sounds Dangerous," which is in that spot now, isn't even remotely as entertaining as "Monster Sound Show" was, and in fact after I experienced it once, I have never been back. I went back to see "Monster" over and over again before it closed in 1997.

We also spent some time in the post show area, "Soundsations," which today is pretty much the same as it was back then. We wandered back a bit and saw the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, which I'm fairly sure hasn't changed since then either. Maybe with the new Indy movie opening this summer, we might see something new? By the way, one of Mr. Answer's life's goals is to be chosen to participate in this show, but so far, no offers. Showbiz is so fickle!

After stopping for lunch at the Backlot Express, we found our way over to the Backstage Studio Tour. In the early days of the park, the Backstage Tour was at least two hours long and divided into two parts: the tram tour and the walking tour. This attraction was so long, guests were encouraged to make a potty stop before beginning the tour.

The tram tour took you through Costuming, the Scenic Shop, the late, lamented Residential Street (where Lights, Motors, Action! is now,) Catastrophe Canyon, and New York Street (now Streets of America.)

The walking portion of the tour began with the Water Effects Tank (you know, where hapless guests get completely drenched,) the Special Effects Workshop, the Soundstages where you might see an actual production being shot, Post Production Editing and Audio department, and finally a film with clips of upcoming movies presented in the Walt Disney Theater.

Our final attraction for the day was the Magic Of Disney Animation Tour. The old tour started with a hilarious film called Back To Neverland, which featured the voices of Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite. Next was a tour of the Animation Studio, which showed the various processes necessary to bring an animated film to life. Finally, clips from favorite Disney animated films were shown in the Disney Classics Theater.

Our first day in the Disney-MGM Studios was over. Reluctantly, we went back to our hotel, and Immediately began to plan out our extended stay so we could go back again!

Special thanks to Jack Spence for the loan of the pictures of the Disney-MGM Studios.

Our final Free Dining Plan table service meal was at Artist Point, in the Wilderness Lodge.

I had eaten there about 10 years ago as well, probably on the same trip as the San Angel Inn meal, and remembered being underwhelmed by the menu. I don't really care for game meats, and their signature Cedar Plank Roasted Salmon was not appealing to me in any way, shape or form.

I'm not a salmon fan to begin with (ask me about my trip to Alaska last year: Is salmon the only food available in that state??) so a fish cooked and served on a board that is usually used for moth-proofing closets does not say "good eats" to me at all. I was hesitant when Flo wanted to eat here, but she really REALLY wanted to try it, so I capitulated. What I didn't know at the time was that this meal would turn out to be THE best meal I've had on property for at least two years. From beginning to end, everything in this restaurant would be perfection.

We arrived for our ADR 15 minutes early as directed. There were three extremely charming hostesses at check-in. We chatted about Disney, the College Program, our home towns, and other topics while we waited to be seated. I mentioned that it was Flo's first time eating at Artist Point, so one of them disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a "My First Time" button. What a sweet thing to do!

When it was time to be seated, I asked if we could have a table by the window, since it was Flo's first meal here, and I wanted her to see the pretty view. We were given the table in the corner of the windows overlooking the waterfall and the wildflower garden. We could see a bit of Bay Lake and the geyser out the other side of the windows. Gorgeous!

I was surprised to see how empty the place was on a Saturday night, but the Wilderness Lodge is kind of out of the way for guests without their own transportation, plus it was a slow time, after all. Also, Artist Point isn't as kid-friendly as many other Disney restaurants, as there are no characters or clever theming here. It does feature a kids' menu, however, and there were a couple of children dining with their parents that evening. Kids are definitely welcome here, but it does have an adult feel to it.

After we were seated, our server, Kyle, introduced himself. He brought us menus, the winelist and a basket of absolutely delicious hot crusty bread served with real butter. "OK," I thought, "If I can't find anything I like on the menu, I'll just eat this incredible bread all night and I'll be happy about that!"

Flo asked him to suggest a Reisling, and he brought us each a taste. Flo liked it, but I found it too sweet and asked for a Pino Gris instead. He brought me an absolutely delicious wine. I regretfully did not write down what it was, since I wasn't intending to write a review of Artist Point to begin with.

We sipped our wine, nibbled the yummy bread, and perused the menu. We couldn't decide what we wanted, so we asked Kyle for recommendations. He suggested the Buffalo Sirloin (yes, it's meat from an actual buffalo, not meat cooked in hot sauce like Buffalo Wings are.) We were intrigued by that, but another dish, the pork chop, featured Tillamook Mac & Cheese with Maytag (blue cheese, not the appliances,) crust as the side, which sounded sooo good--Much better than the sweet potato-hazelnut gratin that came with the buffalo. Kyle assured us we could have the buffalo with the mac & cheese if that's what we desired...and we did desire it!

On the appetizer list is an Artisan Cheese selection. Since I don't eat much sugar, I asked if I could have that for dessert, and was surprised to find that I could not. (I'll explain why later.) It was too big to have for an appetizer, so I didn't pursue it. Instead, we both went with the smoky portobello soup with shiitake mushrooms and chive oil, which arrived in a lovely geometric bowl. Oh...my...goodness, was this soup good! I tried not to lick the plate in public, but it was a struggle. The roasted mushrooms sprinkled on top were almost like bacon, and the soup was creamy and delicious and a perfect foil for that crusty bread and butter.

Just when I thought it couldn't get better, the buffalo sirloin and mac & cheese arrived. As I took my first tentative bite of buffalo, wondering if I would like it or not, I suddenly realized it was the best meat I have ever eaten anywhere at any time. It was tender and flavorful, and it was cooked and seasoned so perfectly it just melted in our mouths. The Tillamook mac & cheese was equally wonderful, with a creamy fresh-tasting cheese sauce and a crunchy crusty top with a bit of blue cheese tang that made the whole thing delicious together. This meal was so good, I could not stop eating. The portions are quite generous, and I finally had to push it away before I hurt myself.

As we ate, Kyle would stop by and check on us, chatting a little about this and that. Our water glasses magically refilled themselves, and plates arrived and disappeared without me noticing. I have a short list of criteria for judging great dining service. #1 on the list is: The server can do his or her job in a timely and efficient manner without being either too intrusive or completely oblivious to my needs. No matter how great a meal is, if the server either disappears altogether or hovers like the News2 helicopter, it can ruin the experience. Kyle has learned the art of returning to the table at exactly the right moment that his guests need him to. We never felt rushed, and we never felt ignored. A perfect balance!

#2 on the list: Does he/she know his/her stuff? Kyle does. He knows the menu, the winelist, what the chef can and cannot do for a guest, and he even knows what's inside the tea box that is brought around after dinner. Once I had gleaned just how much he knew, I began to ask him a series of questions from Anita's List of Most Annoying Dining Questions.

The first question I asked was why I could not have the the Artisan Cheese Plate for dessert, because I had discovered that it is also listed on the dessert menu. (I was simply curious, and not trying to be belligerent.) The answer was actually pretty simple: The Artisan Cheese Plate is one of the few items that is not included in the Dining Plan, because the profit margin for fine cheese is too small and the restaurant would lose money on it. This made sense to me. I then asked him a number of questions about the Dining Plan, the food, the wine, the tea, the dessert menu, what his favorite attractions in the parks were, and on and on. He never once looked or acted like I was taking him away from something more important. Which brings us to the last item on my short list of service criteria: #3 Make the guest feel like he/she is the most important person in the room.

Kyle at Artist Point wins the trifecta of great service! I was so impressed, I asked to see the manager. I never ever ask to see a restaurant manager, unless I've just been to Dining Hell and back, and even then not always. I explained to Kyle that I wanted to compliment his service, and not get him into trouble, so he needn't worry about my request to speak to the manager.

Getting back to the meal, Flo had heard rave reviews about the Artist Point berry cobbler, and ordered that. After looking at the menu and finding out that the only sugar-free item was the omni-present ho-hum vanilla ice cream, I asked if I could have the cobbler...without the cobbler, just the berries? And could I please have the sugar free ice cream in place of the sorbet? And could the chef put some of the cream it's garnished with on the side? (Yes, I knew I was pressing my luck, but it never hurts to ask.) The answer came back from the kitchen: No problem.

The cobbler-without-cobbler was served and it was tasty. Basically, it was fresh berries (not macerated or with anything added,) and sugar free vanilla ice cream, served with tiny bowls of cream and berry sauce on the side. It was exactly what I asked for. The berries were a bit on the tart side, but that was offset by the sweetness of the ice cream. Flo was somewhat disappointed with hers, finding the cobbler a bit dry and the berries too tart. Next time, she vowed to order the caramelized peach cake instead. I said she should, as long as I get to taste a bite or two!

Would there actually be a next time? Most definitely. As I explained to Restaurant Guest Services Manager Curtis Corneal, this was hands-down the best meal that I have experienced on Walt Disney World property in the two and a half or so years since the Dining Plan started that continuing decline of food quality and service. I also explained that it was absolutely the very best service I've ever had in any Disney restaurant in Orlando, Anaheim or Paris. I thanked him and his staff for the perfect evening, and told him I would tell anyone who would listen what a wonderful experience it had been. So, here I am doing just that. Artist Point gets an A+ for food and an A+ for service, and I'm giving it an A+ for decor simply because Craftsman is my favorite style. I can't wait to go back here again!

The following day, we were to meet some friends at the San Angel Inn in the Mexico Pavilion. We paid cash for this meal and did not use the dining plan, but wanted to share my experiences there.

I have to preface this part with an explanation of how we came to be at the San Angel Inn. The simple explanation is that when our friend Mickey made the ADRs, there was nothing left at Epcot except 9 Dragons and San Angel Inn. Neither of these would have been at the top of any of our culinary must-do lists, but we chose San Angel because it's so pretty in there. I had not eaten there in at approximately 10 years, and I was singularly unimpressed then. Since I live in an area of the country where wonderful Mexican food can be readily found on every street corner, Mexican food is not what I tend to seek out when I travel.

We were seated promptly at our ADR time, and we asked for a table by the "river." We were handed the menus, which I couldn't read because it's so darned dark in there! They should provide a small flashlight at every table!

After my eyes adjusted, I decided on the beef Tacos Al Carbon ($13.99) and a frozen lime Margarita ($8.00.) Tacos Al Carbon are basically beef skirt steak that is seasoned and char-grilled and cut up into small pieces, served in tortillas with grilled onions, pico de gallo, sour cream and/or guacamole.

This is a dish that is very common where I live, and it's one of my favorites. At home, the tacos are always served with a generous side of rice and beans, so imagine my surprise when my three (tiny!) tacos arrived looking very lonely on a plate all by themselves. I'm not sure I've ever seen such small tortillas. "Well," I thought to myself, "I just paid $13.99 for three tiny tacos I could buy at home for $1.50 each at a taqueria stand. Lesson well learned."

The Lonely Tacos weren't very tasty, either. They were overcooked and dry, and the hot peppers they were cooked in completely overwhelmed the beef flavor. No amount of sour cream could make them any more moist.

On top of it all, the service was spotty and slow as well, and we had to beg for tea, softdrink and water refills. The check took forever to come, and our server didn't look pleased that we had a Disney Dining Experience card for the 20% discount. All in all, the food was disappointing at best, the service was below par, and the Margarita was the best part of the meal. Next time, I'll skip the restaurant and get a [bigger] Margarita at the stand outside. San Angel Inn gets a C- for food, C- for service, and an A for atmosphere. I may try it again in another 10 years or so...or not.

Those of you who read my column regularly may have noticed that I do not care much for the Magic Your Way Dining Plan and believe that it will soon be the downfall of civilization as we know it. Well, OK, maybe it's not quite that bad, but it certainly has caused dining at Disney's table service restaurants to become difficult at best and a completely unpleasant experience at worst. Reservations are hard to get and walk-ups are virtually impossible these days. Tables are packed in too close for comfort. Service has declined in some eateries to the point where it's almost non-existent, and worst of all, food quality and selection has dropped to college cafeteria levels. I've found myself going off-campus more and more lately just to avoid the hassle.

With all that known, you would probably be surprised to hear that I used the Dining Plan once again on my last trip in mid-September, and actually had some good experiences. I had an opportunity to try out the free dining program that is offered during the very slow times of year (making them not so slow anymore!) so who was I to turn it down? Free food? I'm there!

We were staying for three nights and four days, so my friend Flo and I decided we wanted to dine at one old favorite table service restaurant (50's Primetime Cafe) and one new-to-us Signature restaurant (Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge) to use up each of our three allotted TS credits. (Signature restaurants and some dinner shows require two TS credits for those of you who have never used the Dining Plan.)

About two months before our arrival, Flo called Disney Dining and made our Advance Dining Reservations. Once again, I realize I sound like a broken CD, but I really dislike having to decide what I want to eat months before I eat it. I like spontaneity in my trips, and the dining plan rips that right out of my touring plans. But free food is free food, and besides, it was all in the name of research, right?

We arrived for our ADR for 50's Primetime about 15 minutes early. Actually, we arrived twice--The first time we were an entire hour early because someone writing this blog got her times confused, but hey, better to arrive really really early than late, correct? So, anyway, the second time when we arrived at the correct time, we had to wait in the very very crowded lobby, but only for about 20 minutes. After we were seated, I was surprised to see several empty tables when the lobby was so crowded and the hostess was turning walk-ups away. It's my understanding that many WDW eateries are quite understaffed at the moment, so that explains the empty tables...I think.

We had a friendly and efficient server named Carole. She took good care of us, answered all of our menu questions, and didn't hesitate to ask the kitchen about a sugar free milkshake for me. Our tea and water glasses were kept filled, our food was served promptly and dishes were quickly removed when we were finished.You can't ask for more that that.

Flo ordered an adult beverage from the bar, "Grandma's Picnic Punch" made with peach schnapps. I was driving, so I shared a sip or two (or three...) of her drink. Yum yum yummy! Tasty and refreshing! Next time, I'm ordering that and somebody else can do the driving. It came with a glow cube, which we had entirely too much fun playing with at the table.

For our appetizers, I ordered the shrimp cocktail, and Flo ordered the fried herb cheese. I never met a shrimp I didn't like (well, maybe once at Captain Jack's,) but I wasn't enamored of these. The "jumbo" shrimp weren't, and they were obviously thawed out after living at the bottom of the freezer for a couple of months. They just drooped forlornly over the side of the serving dish which also included a bed of limp lettuce.They were as flavorless as they were limp. It wasn't the appetizer I was dreaming of. Flo's fried herb cheese was tasty, but was nothing you couldn't easily make at home. After the disappointing appetizers, we were hoping it would get better, and it did!

For our entrees, we both ordered the Old Fashioned Pot Roast, which turned out to be delicious. It was fresh and hot, with just enough gravy. Our only complaint was that it came with julienne-style vegetables and there weren't enough of them. There was plenty of meat, however! So much that it got me into trouble. Our served asked the entire dining room to make airplane noises as she made me eat some more of my meat. Even my protests that I had eaten ALL of my veggies went unheeded.

The last couple of times I've eaten here, the servers weren't really into their roles, so this was a fun moment for me! The increase in the meat portion was a pleasant surprise for me, as the last time I had dined here in the summer of 2006, the plate held a tiny bit of meat and a plateful of gigantic chunky vegetables. Now, if they could only combine the new meat with the old veggies, it would be heavenly.

For dessert, we ordered chocolate milkshakes to go. Mine was made with sugar-free vanilla ice cream and not enough chocolate syrup. I think the chef was trying to err on the side of being sugar-free, and it ended up fairly tasteless. It was also quite frozen, so I almost turned my face inside out trying to get it to come up the straw. I finally gave up after 30 minutes and tossed it away. I had to give the chef points for attempting a sugar-free milkshake, even if the finished product was only so-so. Flo had the regular chocolate milkshake, which was delicious as usual. Over all, the meal earned a B+ for food, and an A for service. Better than my last experience there, but not as good as the "good old days" BDP (Before Dining Plan.)

Related Links:
Anita Does the Dining Plan Part 1
Anita Does the Dining Plan Part 2

My last story left off in the late 1970s. After my 1975 trip, I wouldn't be able to get back to the World until 1986. It sat at the back of my mind to make a return trip, but things got in the way, like college, jobs, layoffs, moves, lack of funds and the like.

By the very early 80's, I had met Mr. Answer, and after a few years, we decided to get married. We originally wanted to go to Hawaii for our honeymoon, but just starting out, we didn't have much money, and Hawaii is expensive. We sat down with a travel agent to explore our [meager] options. "Well, how about Disney World?" he asked.YES!! Why didn't I think of that?

He set us up with a package that included 5 nights at the Howard Johnson on Hotel Plaza Boulevard, tickets, including the new park that had opened in 1982, EPCOT Center (Woohoo! A NEW PARK!), Discovery Island, and River Country, plus one lunch.

We couldn't afford to stay at any of the Disney resorts, which then consisted of the Contemporary, Polynesian Village, Fort Wilderness, the Disney Inn and the Village Resort. The Grand Floridian and Disney's first moderately priced hotel, the Caribbean Beach, were still under construction. As our wedding date approached, we found we were far more excited about the honeymoon trip than we were about the wedding and reception!

Finally, after months of planning, it was time to go to the World! Mr. Answer had never been, but was a fan of Disney's films, and of their technology and innovative techniques. We were both anxious to see them in action at EPCOT Center.

EPCOT stood for "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow". Walt Disney's original concept was to build an actual community, but when all was said and done, EPCOT became more of a permanent World's Fair than anything else.

The "community" was built nearby in what was then called Lake Buena Vista Village. Model homes, townhomes, unique Treehouses, and apartments were built, but due to politics that I won't get into here, the homes were never sold or used for personal dwellings. Instead, for the first couple of years, they were rented out to corporate entities, and they later became The Disney Village Resort and were rented to guests.

Anyway, back to our first look at EPCOT. Entering the turnstiles, we were both completely blown away by what lay before us. The beautiful geosphere that towered over us! The fountains and gardens! The clean modern architectural lines!

We explored Futureworld pavilion by pavilion, savoring every detail. Somewhere, I had gotten a copy of a guide (Birnbaum's?) that advised us to tour the parks clockwise; and when given the choice, to always choose the left-hand queue. To this day I still tend to follow that advice, but now that I've shared it with all of you, everyone will do it and I'll have to learn to tour counter-clockwise and choose the right-hand queue. I'll have to break 25 years of habitual veering to the left.

My lasting impression of that first trip to EPCOT Center was how absolutely visually stunning the park was. It was artful and modern in Future World, yet tempered with gorgeous plants, trees, fountains and lagoons.

Spaceship Earth was majestic. It truly was an icon, so beautiful when seen from anywhere in the park. Now that the Millennium Wand is finally down, I can't tell you how happy I wias to see it a couple of weeks ago in it's original pristine state, and to view it the way it was meant to be viewed. Unfortunately, the granite monoliths will still stand in what was originally a more wide-open area blocking that wonderful fountain beckoning you to move toward it and into Future World. I hope against hope that someday, the plaza will be returned to something like it originally was, with that lovely plexiglass sculpture in the middle of the fountain and with flower beds instead of boulders which interrupt the entire flow of the plaza.

I think I miss the rows of palm trees that framed the geosphere the most, but I did read recently that the oak trees surrounding Spaceship Earth will be removed and replaced with palms. These days, the plaza is most definitely lacking in Feng Shui and sports a rather cold and uninviting look. Removing the Leave a Legacy kiosk at the bottom of Spaceship Earth, and the sales/photo area on the west side of the plaza is a huge start toward restoring it to it's original beauty and flow. With Epcot's 25th birthday coming on October 1, 2007, it looks like this park will finally be getting some much-needed attention,along with a re-dedication ceremony.

But that is now, and I want to talk about the early days. Besides the name and the entrance plaza being different in 1986, there were some other things that made the park differ from the Epcot of today.

For instance, Innoventions didn't exist. Those buildings were known as Communicore East and West. Spaceship Earth had a different show and a different narrator. The Universe of Energy also had a different show: There were dinosaurs, but no Ellen. The Wonders of Life didn't exist yet. I guess that pavilion has come full circle, since it pretty much doesn't exist today, either.

A pavilion called Horizons, featuring a trip through the possibilities of the future where you could choose your own ending, was located where Mission:SPACE now stands. In the space station area of the queue in Mission:SPACE, you can still see the Horizons logo.

The World Of Motion, a great "dark ride" about transportation with a track that went up the outside of the show building and a catchy theme song, stood where Test Track is today.

That strange looking building perched on the lagoon between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilion didn't used to be just a bathroom and first aid stop--It used to be a counter service restaurant called The Odyssey.

Meanwhile over in Future World West, a brand new pavilion called The Living Seas had a ride called the "Sea Cabs" that took you on a slow, very short ride around the aquariums. No one had yet found Nemo.

Next door at the Land, there was a fun show called Kitchen Kabaret, with an earworm theme song called "Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit". Yes, my friend Flo and I can still do the entire show complete with song, even though it closed in 1994, when it was replaced by "Food Rocks". Flo, this one is for you: "He won't forget the lickin' he got from that big chicken, so now he gets his poultry from the store..." The Kitchen Kabaret theatre used to be where Soarin's queue is now.

And last, but by no means least, was my favorite Future World pavilion and ride, Journey Into Imagination.

Why in the world the original ride was gutted and destroyed is beyond me. The original ride with DreamFinder and Figment was such a wonderful sensory experience, filled with sounds, smells, and colors. The White Room featured an incredibly beautiful glass wall. When you were done with the ride, you could go upstairs and play in the Image Works. That rainbow neon tunnel was so much fun, as were the pin tables and giant kaleidoscopes.

As if that wasn't enough, you could then go see a 3D film called Magic Journeys in the attached theater, and then go outside and play in the leapfrog fountains. Today, we're on the third, better by light years than the second, but still lame version of the ride, the ImageWorks is now downstairs and features not much in the way of imagination, the theatre houses Honey, I Shrunk The Audience, which is possibly the strongest of the three attractions, and luckily, the fountains have all survived intact. Phew! The Rumor Mill has been buzzing lately with tales of a major overhaul for the whole pavilion, to which I say, "hurrah!"

Back to 1986. Leaving Futureworld and moving into World Showcase, each pavilion transported us to those far-away places we had not yet even dreamed of visiting. The only time I had been outside of the US was a car trip to Canada around the Niagara Falls area. Since then, I've been lots of places including Mexico, China, England, France and Canada, and World Showcase turns out to be a pretty darned good representation of these countries!

World Showcase in 1986, like Future World, was different from the one we know today. The Norway pavilion wouldn't debut until 1988. My favorite pavilion, Morocco, with its incredibly intricate tile work, had just opened in 1984.

The other pavilions have remained much the same, occasionally changing out displays, revamping old rides, updating films, and changing theater seats from lush and comfy to cheap, hard and easily broken. (You guilty pavilions know who you are!!)

Some of the restaurants have undergone changes as well. Le Cellier used to be a "buffeteria," for instance. This is where we chose to have our "free" lunch that came with our package. I had prime rib for lunch. How very decadent! Mostly what I remember about dining on this trip was how bad both the food and service were everywhere around Disney property!

Our best meals were at the HoJo coffee shop in our hotel. One really bad meal stands out for me: We ate dinner at Captain Jack's in the Disney Village. My steamed shrimp had been cooked into oblivion, and were served as tasteless mush. The service was worse than the food. My husband and I joked about how bad the restaurants were on that trip for years after that, even when they had vastly improved. Unfortunately, on our most recent visits, we're seeing a return to the bad food and service of the 80's.

In the entertainment area, there was a nighttime spectacular on World Showcase Lagoon called "Laserphonic Fantasy". This show was actually the third show on the lagoon since the park opened. The first two were "Carnival de Lumiere" and "A New World Fantasy". If we saw Laserphonic Fantasy, I have no recollection of it. I do have vague memories of airplanes trailing colored smoke over World Showcase Lagoon and some bizarre boats on the lagoon during a short-lived daytime spectacular called "Skyleidoscope".

It took us at least two full days to explore all that EPCOT Center had to offer, and I'm sure we still missed a lot. I still recall how much my feet hurt after pounding around the park for hours in flat sandals. What was I thinking?? Since then, I have never gone to the World without at least two pairs of tried and true comfy shoes or sandals. Lesson learned!

Of course, we thoroughly covered the Magic Kingdom as well, since my husband had never been before, but we seemed to concentrate our attention on EPCOT Center. We tried to use our River Country tickets, but the day before, a guest had run his rented boat aground on the berm that separated RC from Bay Lake, so it was closed, darn it! We never did get to RC until the 1990's just prior to its closing. At least we got there.

I don't think we made it over to Discovery Island either, with all there was to do at the bigger parks.

As we flew home from our first Disney adventure together, we mused about the things we had missed, so of course, we'd have to make another trip to see those things! It was then that I knew my husband had fallen in love with the World, much like I had a few years earlier. Our next trip would be in 1989, a few months after the Disney-MGM Studios opened.

Next time, a look at the World of the late 80's.

Anita

Special thanks to Brian Martsolf for the use of his extensive postcard collection!
Postcard Scans are courtesty of Brian Martsolf who has an online guide to WDW Postcards.

Deb recently asked me to start blogging, but I was having a hard time deciding just what to blog about. As you may have noticed, I love to talk and write about WDW, and could drone on and on about the minutiae of the parks and restaurants and resorts for days on end until everyone within earshot got that “glazed” look and their eyeballs rolled into the backs of their heads. It was hard to zero in on just one thing to talk about that wouldn’t act as a sleeping aid.

So there was my dilemma:
What to write about? Where do I begin? WDW is a big place and the Walt Disney Company is a huge and diversified company. Daunting! I hemmed and hawed and tossed ideas around with friends and relatives and still couldn’t decide on a topic. Weeks went by, and still I had nothing. But, then I got some assistance from an unexpected source!

One of my weekly column’s readers was trying to convince some skeptical friends that a trip to Walt Disney World would be the best vacation ever, so she wrote to me for advice. She wanted to know what it was about the World that keeps me coming back time after time. It turned out that my answer was far too big for the column, so here I am writing my first blog, and hopefully, no one will doze off out of boredom. Here goes...

What I Love About The World
Pt. 1, The 1970's: The Love Affair Begins

Over the years, many of my friends, co-workers and relatives have asked me why I love WDW so much, and why do I return there several times a year? The answer lies at the very beginning of my Disney fandom. Way back in the late 50's, my love of Disney started off with TV. (This also kicked off my lifelong love of TV, but that’s another story for another day.) The Mickey Mouse Club came on every afternoon, and I watched it with my older sister. My favorite parts were the serialized stories, and my very favorite was “Spin and Marty”. Even though Annette was something of a local girl, born and raised in a town nearby where I grew up, I thought she was a dork. In recent years, I’ve come to admire her, but back then Tim Considine was my idol.

In addition to the MMC, every Sunday evening was spent with Walt Disney and Tink and what eventually became The Wonderful World of Color. Even as a pre-schooler, my life’s goal was to get to Disneyland and see Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Matterhorn in person! Growing up 3000 miles away in Central New York, it seemed a lofty and almost impossible goal, so I was forced to defer it until I was older. My parents were not “theme park types”, so there was no use begging, whining or scheming for a family trip to Disneyland. If I was going to get there at all, I knew it would be under my own steam. OK, I can wait...

Fast forward a couple of decades. A jaded 17 year old hippie-type high school junior reads that they’re building a Disney park in Florida!! OK! Florida is actually achievable! My grandparents (and later my parents) lived in Florida about 90 minutes away from Orlando, and so did my recently-relocated best friend. I could do this! I could finally get to a Disney park!! I began to save my money and to plan my trip.

The next year, 1973, I made my first trip to the World during spring break. My boyfriend, who was a college freshman, and I hopped on a train and went south, ostensibly to visit with my grandparents and my friend, but we all know the real reason, don’t we? We wanted to visit Mickey! We were staying in Tampa, and Greyhound Bus (or was it Trailways?) had a package deal for day visitors to the World that included transportation, a ticket book, and lunch. I can’t remember how much it cost, but I think it was in the $14-$15 range.

We took the bus over to WDW early in the morning. I remember that long drive up World Drive with nothing but trees on either side. Would we ever get there? The excitement mounted as we saw the TTC parking lot and bus drop-off area. At last! I have reached my goal (well, sorta...)! At last!

We hopped on the monorail (Oooh! Ahhh! Look, it actually goes through a hotel! How modern!) and sped toward the Magic Kingdom. The one thing that stands out in my mind from that first glimpse of a Disney park is not Cinderella Castle or any of the rides. Oddly, it was the Mary Poppins topiary along the monorail route and the serpent topiary that still resides in the Magic Kingdom, which is generally known as the oldest topiary at the World.

Now, mind you, I am not a gardener of any sort. House plants run away from me. The front lawn cringes when it sees me coming. I have no idea why those topiaries were important to me, but they were. I still have to tell the serpent “hello” on every trip. He never cringes, just looks benevolently over the lawn, but maybe that’s because a fence separates us, keeping him safe from my Brown Thumb.

Once inside the turnstiles, it was like walking into a lovely dream. Suddenly, it was not 1973, there wasn’t a Vietnam war, Richard Nixon wasn’t the president, Watergate wasn’t even a hotel yet, let alone a scandal, and our nation’s college campuses were not in turmoil. I didn’t have a paper due in History, and my English book report on Shakespeare was far from top of mind, nor was I doing miserably in Algebra. For that one day, I was in turn of the century mid-America, with flowers and music and charm and beauty. I fell instantly and hopelessly in love. As we moved through the park’s attractions, streets and shops, we serious hippies lost that hardened shell we had developed, and were kids playing in a giant fantasy-filled playground. Today, in 2007, I see the same thing happen with my teen daughter as soon as she arrives on property. That’s what I call “magic”!

The Magic Kingdom of 1973 was different from the Magic Kingdom of today, but fundamentally, they are the same to me because they retain the common foundation of fun, innocence and fantasy (and Utilidors...). There weren’t many thrills like we’ve come to expect today. The 1973 version didn’t have any “mountains”, for instance. No Space Mountain, no Splash Mountain, no Big Thunder Mountain.
It had instead Dumbo, Peter Pan, It’s a Small World, and best of all, the Haunted Mansion. Pirates wouldn’t open until later that year. To this day, Haunted Mansion and Peter Pan remain my favorite Magic Kingdom rides. In that spring of ‘73, we didn’t care that there were no roller coasters or bumper cars. This place was a thrill unto it’s own. The colors, smells, designs, architecture...Pure excitement!

In 1973, every shop in the MK had different merchandise. If you didn’t buy what you liked when you saw it, it involved a trek back to that particular store to get it. Now, just about everything is the same in every store in every park, resort or shopping area, but not back then. Each and every store was an adventure, and had to be explored shelf-by-shelf. When you had limited funds like we did, you had to see everything before making the all-important decision to buy! I can still remember the special souvenir I bought on that trip. It was a white china mug decorated with the Pooh characters. It had a gold rim and handle. I had to make a special trip back to the Emporium on Main Street to buy my special mug. I loved that mug, and still miss it to this day. It got lost somewhere when I left New York for Texas in the late 1970's. I expect that at the end of my life, that mug will prove to be my “Rosebud”.

From that trip, I recall nothing about entertainment, characters or parades. I recall “atmosphere” more than anything else. We were so smitten with Walt Disney World, we shelled out another $15 later that week to come back again.

In 1975, we returned again, driving our 1969 VW Squareback down the east coast, and camping out along the way to save money. We had to experience Pirates and Space Mountain, after all! We waited 2 hours in the hot blazing sun in a line that stretched out across the plaza in front of Space Mountain, and you know what? It was worth it. I would do it again too, but thank goodness for Fastpass!

The 1975 trip would unfortunately prove to be my last trip until 1986. A cross-country move, college, and a career change got in the way of my Disney goals for awhile, but not forever. Next time, we’ll explore the Walt Disney World of the 80's and why the 1980's big-haired, power-suited Anita loved it. Brew plenty of strong coffee!

Anita

Photographs are @AllEarsNetCC and may not be used or reproduced in any fashion without express written permission from AllEars®.
Postcard Scans are courtesty of Brian Martsolf who has an online guide to WDW Postcards.