||-Attraction of the month-Legend of the Lion King
|||-Resort of the month-The Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
IV-Restaurant of the month-The Garden Grill Restaurant
V-Mouse Ear Extras-Magical run
VI-Monthly Trivia
VII-Next Month
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I-Letter from the Editor
Hello, thank you for downloading this first, premiere issue, of "Worldwide: the Walt Disney World Newsletter". In this monthly newsletter I will do my best to cover the different things to see and do in the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. In each issue of Worldwide I will cover one attraction, one restaurant, and one resort located on the WDW property in depth. Plus I'll have an extra section covering a miscellaneous item at Walt Disney World, and a trivia question monthly. In the future I hope to be able to add a section that displays letters written by you, the readers, concerning Walt Disney World or this newsletter. And since this newsletter is just starting out I expect it to change and evolve as more issues come out. But it will be up to you to decide what will be featured in them. I would like to hear your feedback on what you think of this newsletter. Comments, complaints, whatever you feel like saying, and I'll do my best to include the things you want to read about. Remember this is still in the experimental stages so changes can be made, if you think an extra section should be added, go ahead and tell me, I'd love to know what I can do to make this newsletter more enjoyable. E-mail all your letters to Disnymania. Well, I'll wind it up for this month. Don't forget to tell me what you think, I'm very open-minded about it. Enjoy.
Brad Ayres
II-Attraction of the month
The Legend of the Lion King
As you enter the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World you proceed directly to the immense Cinderella Castle at the center of the park. As you walk through Cinderella's Castle into Fantasyland you notice a relatively large line to your left. You curiously follow it to its origin and you see just what all these people are waiting for, The Legend of the Lion King stage show. The Legend of the Lion King is a live stage show starring Simba, Pumbaa, Timon, and all of the other characters from the hit Disney movie "The Lion King". This attraction opened around the same time that the movie was released in theaters. The characters in the show are puppets, much like the ones used in the Voyage of the Little Mermaid attraction at MGM, only this time the characters are operated from beneath the stage instead of in front of a black backdrop. After you get inside the building (HINT:don't be fooled by the length of the line, this is one big theater so a lot of people will be admitted) you will find yourself standing in a waiting room filled with paintings made of different layers of thin wood. They have a wood drawing for every character featured in the show, so this is kind of foreshadowing what's to come. (HINT: once you enter the first holding pen with the drawings, move to the left and forward as far as you can, up front is where you'll be permitted to the next room) At the far end of the room from where you entered there is a large curtain. When it's time to move to the pre-show area the curtain will rise and everyone will be permitted to the next room. Don't get to excited yet, you still can't sit down. In the pre-show room there is a large stage in the front. (HINT: be sure you can see this stage clearly, this is part of the show, at the very front of the room it's hard to see it). As African music plays in the background people continue to file into the pre-show room. (HINT: the doors to the main theater, where you can sit down, are located on the far right from where you entered the room.) Once everyone from the first room is in the pre-show area the music begins to grow louder, and as the music grows the lights die down, till it's pitch black. Suddenly lightning flashes and thunder rolls across the sky. The lights return and now on the stage we see Rafiki, the baboon. The stage is made to look like Rafiki's home in the tree from the film. Rafiki is sleeping as the lights come back on, snoring away. Then he wakes up, somewhat startled to see all these "Homo Sapiens" in his home. He then tells you you're about to hear the story of Simba. He starts to ramble on about the story, but stops himself. He says he'll start at the beginning. When Rafiki is done a large screen rises to cover the stage, and you are treated to the "Circle of Life" scene from the actual film. After the animated scene is over, the doors on the right open and all are moved into the next room, the main theater. Here is where you pick your seat. (HINT: don't sit in the first few rows, the stage is elevated so it's hard to see the characters from the front) The plot of the show is easier to follow than the one in the Little Mermaid attraction. Practically all of the movie is played out for you, including the exact voices from the film. Even all the songs from the film are sung in the show, shortened of course. I would tell you the whole show, but I don't want to ruin it for those of you who haven't yet experienced the Legend of the Lion King.
III-Resort of the Month
The Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
When people decide to stay in the Walt Disney World Resort some prefer to stay in the plush rooms of the Grand Floridean, or maybe in the down home comfort of Dixie Landings. Or they might want to do a little camping at the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. At Fort Wilderness you can choose to pitch a tent at one of the campsites, come in a RV, a pop up trailer, or you could even rent out one of the fully furnished wilderness homes trailers. All of the campsites have water, electrical, and waste hookups, unless specified. The campsites are all laid out in loops, and each loop is named after a certain animal like Bobcat Bend, or Big Bear Path. In every loop there is a comfort station which has phones, washers & dryers, restrooms with showers, and information concerning Walt Disney World. Guests in trailers most likely wouldn't need to use the comfort stations except to wash clothes, since the trailers have phones, a full bathroom with shower, a TV with cable, and a fully stocked kitchen.(HINT: The kitchens don't come with food unfortunately, so it might be a good idea to bring your own, but even if you don't there are places where you can purchase all of your eating needs right inside Fort Wilderness) Now that we've covered the basic layout of where you'll be sleeping lets move on to the recreation and dining provided at Fort Wilderness. One thing you'll need is a way to get around. Since you can't drive your car all through Fort Wilderness (no where to park) you'll have to get around by another means. Disney provides free bussing service that takes you all throughout the campground and out the Wilderness Lodge & the Transportation & Ticket center. But the buses can be slow when you have to wait for them all the time, so there are other ways to get around. Biking is a good choice since there is even a place to rent bikes out for the day, or if you don't want to peddle your way around all day you can rent an electric golf cart to drive around the campground (HINT:there are specified places to park these and you need to plug them in at the parking spot unless you want a dead battery, but Disney wouldn't leave you stranded) While we're on the subject of transportation, the Fort Wilderness buses do take you out to the Transportation & Ticket Center where you can board another bus or a monorail to get to where you're going, but there is another way. You can simply head on down to the Fort Wilderness marina where you can take a boat to Discovery Island, The Contemporary Resort, or go directly to the Magic Kingdom. (HINT: The boat for the Magic Kingdom has a green flag on it, and the boat for Discovery Island and the Contemporary has a blue flag on it, this is noted at the dock where there are two lines to get into) River Country is also connected directly to Fort Wilderness (extra admission required) to the left of the marina, and also right by the marina is a beach for swimming and relaxing(HINT: if you want to see the electrical water pageant out on the lake, the Fort Wilderness beach is a great viewing spot) Fort Wilderness also has two trading posts (shops). It's at these trading posts where you can buy food, clothing, and souvenirs. One is located near the marina and the other is located in the middle of the campground at the Meadow Recreation Center. In the Meadow Recreation Center you can play a game of tennis, take a swim, play on the playground with the kids, rent out a bike or golf cart, play some video games in the arcade, take a quiet boat ride down the river, do some fishing, or just lounge by the pool. Also at the Meadow Recreation Center is the nightly campfire sing along. At this nightly event two campfires are lit and Chip & Dale stop by for some sing along fun, and after the songs a classic Disney movie (a different one each night) is shown on a screen outside under the stars. For some entertainment more for the older crowd (heck, any age could enjoy this one) there's the extremely popular Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue (HINT: if you want to see this one make reservations in advance, they can be made up to 60 days in advance). A dinner show located at Pioneer Hall near the marina. Pioneer Hall is basically what the castle is to the Magic Kingdom. Here is where you can also get tickets & Disney information, and there is even another restaurant connected to it called Crocket's Tavern, and connected to Crocket's Tavern is another arcade. Whether you came to Disney to ride Space Mountain, or to just relax in the shade, Fort Wilderness is a good choice for everyone.
IV-Restaurant of the Month
The Garden Grill Restaurant
If you're planning on eating in Walt Disney World don't expect your usual dining experience. Every restaurant in Walt Disney World has something special about it. Maybe you find yourself eating in the middle of Agrabah from "Aladdin", or dining with Cinderella in her castle. Dining is made to be a fine experience all over Walt Disney World. One of the more "moving" dining experiences is The Garden Grill Restaurant in the Land at Epcot. The main thing about this restaurant is that it actually does, move. It's a revolving restaurant that moves slowly past the different habitats shown in the Living with the Land boat ride. The restaurant is located above the ride, so as you eat, you can look down and see the ride going by. The restaurant moves fast enough so its movement is visible but also slow enough so no one gets sick. A full spin takes about an hour. The kind of cuisine to expect here is mostly American, with seafood and steak. There are also burgers, fries, and salads among others. A lot of the food served here came right from the Land pavilion, talk about fresh. The prices are about the same for lunch and dinner, ranging from $5-$15. This restaurant does not serve breakfast and is open from noon to when ever the park closes.(in May that will be until 7:00pm)
V-Mouse Ear Extras
Magical Run
One of my most exhilarating experiences at the Magic Kingdom isn't even an attraction. In fact Disney recommends you don't do it, but one of my favorite things to do at the Magic Kingdom is to run to Splash Mountain at the park opening. I've found that the best place to start is at the entrance to Adventureland. Once the stampede begins you'd better move out if you don't want to be trampled. It's easiest to take off into Adventureland and move into Frontierland through a small walkway halfway into Adventureland. Once in Froniterland it's a strenuous run to Splash Mountain (or Thunder for that matter). Not recommended for the weak at heart. (Sorry this section is so small, but I'm leaving it open to change)
VI-Monthly Trivia
Each month I will provide a trivia question relating to Walt Disney World. If you know the answer E-mail it to Disnymania. Everyone who gets the answer correct will be credited in next month's issue. Sorry, no prizes just recognition.
<May's Question>
What 10 places hold character breakfasts in the morning? (theme parks/resorts)
VII-Next Month
Well, I hope you enjoyed this first issue of Worldwide, don't forget to E-mail me your reactions. Next month The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will be featured along with The All Star Sports Resort, and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. Plus another Mouse Ear Extras and another trivia question. Thanks for reading.
