A Visit to Disney World

The Hensley and Rowson clans descended upon Disney World last week with four kids, six adults and a to-do list a mile long. We were determined to see just about every damned ride and attraction old Walt and Co. had ever cooked up. We got close, too. All it took was three 14-hour days, no naps and lots and lots of Coke and candy. Here's the evidence:


We started off at the Magic Kingdom theme park on a drizzly, cold and cloudy Thursday morning. We made early stops at the castle and opened the rides with a twirl on the spinning teacups. Good times. Beckett especially liked the Buzz Lightyear ride that morning (we would ride it three more times that night after the crowds died down).

After more rides and lunch we hit the line for "It's a Small World." 30 minutes later we hopped on board...Beckett and Ayla dug it. Ayla especially (video).

We took strollers, but the kids needed to get a better view from time to time. That's where Papa, and his trusty eye-socket handle come into play.

We decided to splurge for the late night tickets as well that night. That gets you unimpeded access to the rides, a Christmas parade and a pretty nifty fireworks display.

Ayla was a huge fan of the parade...

Beckett was more interested in swordfighting (video).

We had to be pretty patient waiting for the fireworks, but quality time with Brenden and Mema helped pass the time. The show, by the way, was well worth it. And then, at 10:30 p.m., we caught Beckett performing showtunes. Good stuff.

The following day we hit Disney's Hollywood Studios, their attempt to cut into nearby Universal Studio's action. Ayla, not surprisingly, was not the least bit cowed by giant critters - like this one, from Disney's "Balloon Boy," I mean "Up." Beckett wouldn't so much as shake Spongebob's hand. Go figure.

Camera's, on the other hand, are another matter. "No pictures please!"

Friday night found us at Epcot, where we enjoyed a few rides, some shockingly good Chinese food and then their laser light show. I felt like we got to see about 10% of Epcot but hey, there are only so many hours in the day.

Day three was all about Universal Studios, which, we all agreed, was way better than the Disney knockoff from the day before. We rode Jaws, E.T., Men in Black and a number of other rides. Beckett's favorite, however, was the 20-second Woody Woodpecker junior roller coaster.