It’s the weekend of the big football game, and in the US, this weekend is almost like a holiday. I’m not sure which team to root for, but regardless of who is playing, it’s sure to be a great game. And at the end, someone will say “I’m going to Disney World”, which is something I wish I could say right now. Some of my colleagues are planning trips soon, and I’m feeling really envious. However, I’m grateful to have my memories, like this one, that I can escape to.
Today’s memory takes us back to a Wednesday morning in December 2021. As you may recall from our last memory, we ended our day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with one final ride on Flight of Passage and then explored the vibrant colors of Pandora in the dark before exiting the park. The next day, we woke up to a rain-soaked morning. The ground was covered in puddles due to the storms, but the good news is that it is predicted to be the last of the rain we will see.
We’ll join the memory as we have made our way to the Magic Kingdom from Port Orleans: Riverside in our minivan and arrived at the parking gate for early arrival. It’s nearly an hour before we can get on our first ride, but getting through security and around the lagoon can add time, so we wanted to be cautious and give ourselves plenty of time.
We parked our car two rows from the front, but since trams were not running at this time, we had to walk to the Ticket and Transportation Center and the security checkpoint. You can hear the sound of the wet pavement as we walked to the security checkpoint, where, as always, I was selected for extra screening. The check was brief, and we soon are climbing up the ramp to the Express Monorail to Magic Kingdom.
We can see a train in the station, but they stop loading just as we are about to reach the top. However, the next one isn’t far behind, and we quickly make our way through the Contemporary Resort (where you’ll hear us spot Goofy in the restaurant below). In no time, we will be around the lagoon, disembarking from the monorail, and heading down the wet ramp to turnstiles.
The lines were short, and we were quickly allowed into the magic kingdom with minimal problems (we’re getting pretty good at this). After stopping for a quick photo in front of the train station, we continued under the train trestle and into Main Street USA. The buildings were decorated for Christmas, the Christmas tree was filling Town Square and reaching to the sky, and the music lifted our spirits this early morning. We walked down the street with the crowds but stopped at the end for a quick family photo before taking our spot in the mass of people waiting to enter Fantasyland by the teacups. We are hoping to get in line quickly for the 7-dwarfs mine train, but it seems so is everyone else. We were only here for about 10 minutes before they drop the ropes and deliberately escort the mass of people in an orderly fashion into the park. As the crowds spread out, we quickly make our way to the end of the line, which had now wrapped its way around the mine train and nearly to Storybook Circus. You’ll hear the Cast Members say it was going to be a 45-minute wait, so there went our advantage on the day.
So again, for that best experience, make sure you are wearing your favorite headphones to really place yourself in this binaural memory.
WDW-Memories: Relive That Walt Disney World Magic 