Capt. Jack at Pirates of the Caribbean

"Dead men tell no tales . . ." When I first heard that Disney World was going to modify the classic Magic Kingdom ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, by adding Captain Jack Sparrow, I really thought they would ruin one of my favorite Disney attractions. However, last week I checked out the "new, improved" Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time and the latest additions weren't too intrusive or damaging to the original spirit of the ride. I viewed Jack Sparrow just three times during the ride (I might have missed something). He seems to be trying to avoid capture in the first instance, he's hiding in a barrel during the second and in the final scene he's chilling out surrounded by a ton of treasure. In addition, Davy Jones himself can be seen in an awesome apparition near the beginning of the ride and Barbossa shows up during the sea battle scene. I believe I read where Disney also made some changes to the sound and lighting but I never really notice those types of subtle changes anyway. All in all, Pirates of the Caribbean remains one of the best attractions at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Don't miss it!

Sunday Mornings at Disney's Magic Kingdom

Nothing beats a trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom on a Sunday morning, even the Sunday after Thanksgiving. We took the bus over from Disney's Old Key West Resort and arrived at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom a little after 8:30 AM. There was already a load of people milling around. Some cast member in Victorian garb comes out and welcomes everybody. And then the train pulls up with a group of singers, some Disney characters such as Stitch and the Mad Hatter, and some dopey looking family that got handpicked to help open the park for the day.

After the brief show, the crowd files in to Main Street, U.S.A. We head to the left and up the stairs to catch the first train to Frontierland. This is a good way to beat the crowds and hit some of the most popular rides before the rest of humanity shows up and you end up waiting over an hour for a 3-minute ride. Sure enough, when we depart the Frontierland train station, we immediately head to Splash Mountain and walk right on. Then we head over to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - no wait there either. Then we head to Pirates of the Caribbean and walk right on. Then we cut through Adventureland and head right to Haunted Mansion and walk right in. At 10 AM, we had experienced four of the best rides at the Magic Kingdom without waiting in any lines.

From there it was on to it's a small world and we hopped right on to one of the boats. As we exited, I did notice that the crowds were getting larger. However, we headed over to Mickey's PhilharMagic and the place was half empty. Then we went over to Pinocchio Village Haus in Fantasyland for an early lunch to beat the crowds. We ate a decent but expensive lunch that came to over $40 just for a couple sandwiches and individual-size pizzas. Then it was on to Mickey's Toontown Fair because the kids wanted to ride The Barnstormer at Goofy's Wiseacre Farm (about a 15-minute wait). By 1 PM we had seen enough and headed home. That's the great thing about a seasonal pass, you don't feel like you have to cram too much into one day.

I found the Magic Kingdom opening ceremony video below that somebody had posted on YouTube. It's slightly different than the opening ceremony I experienced the other day but it gives you a decent idea of what to expect . . .

Thanksgiving at Old Key West Resort

I was fortunate to spend Thanksgiving at Old Key West Resort with the entire family - we had a great Thanksgiving dinner at Olivia's Cafe with a party of 35 friends and family! Well, okay, it was really a late lunch (2:50 PM sitting) but the service and food were excellent (the only drawback being that we had no leftovers!). My family of four stayed in one of the one-bedroom suites at Old Key West Resort - very spacious with a full kitchen and within just a short walk of the bus stop and a small pool.

We had some quality, if somewhat overpriced, breakfasts at Olivia's Cafe (my personal recommendation is the poached eggs and hash, served over sweet potato and ham hash with a buttermilk biscuit - absolutely delicious). For a quick lunch, we ate at Goods to Go, which offers counter service, outdoor picnic tables and a menu that includes burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips, fries and ice cream. Next door to Goods to Go lies a tiny bar called The Gurgling Suitcase, where my brother and I ran up a huge tab on drinks. It's the perfect place to unwind after a day of dealing with immense Thanksgiving crowds at the Disney theme parks. Nearby, the kids enjoyed the Community Hall, which offers an air hockey table, foosball, board games, toys and DVDs for rent. The large pool at Old Key West Resort features a great waterslide and the water is heated - perfect for a relaxing swim even when the weather was a little chilly.

In addition to taking advantage of the onsite amenities, we took the free boat over to Downtown Disney - it runs about every 20-25 minutes in both directions. We also took advantage of the bus transportation to Disney's Magic Kingdom and only had to wait about 10 minutes from the bus stop at both Old Key West and the Magic Kingdom. The bus takes you right up to the Magic Kingdom entrance, so you don't have to wait for a monorail or bus. Very convenient!

I found the Old Key West Resort video below on YouTube. I took a bunch of photos and I will post them once I get motivated to upload them to my computer . . .

Welcome to Deconstructing Disney World!

I've been to Disney World dozens of times since my first visit in 1971 at the age of 6 (my family attended the "official" grand opening on October 23 even though Disney World actually opened on October 1, 1971) and now I want to share some of the insider tips I've learned on this blog, whether you are seeking advice on not-to-be-missed Disney attractions, best places to eat and sleep, and how to save time and money at Disney theme parks.

To start off, below is a creepy 1971 Disney World commercial (actually a promotion for Eastern Airlines). Whoever came up with this thing must have been dropping acid. It sounds like Orson Welles doing the narration - who can blame him, he needed the money! I guess it beat doing those moronic Paul Masson wine commercials. For more classic Disney videos, check out Disney World Retro.