One afternoon we had a Back Stage Safari tour booked in the Animal Kingdom, a park that didn't exist the last time I visited. To my surprise, it took a 20 minute bus ride from the Comtemporary Hotel where we were staying, just to get to that park's front entrance. The tour was fabulous, taking Benard and me "back of the house" to the food storage areas and the veterinary offices, including the operating room with a table large enough to handle surgery on a full grown lion or hippo.We also got up close and personal with a white rhino as she was munching on some dried up twigs which the keeper told us is her version of Lays Potato Chips.Disney World is totally digitalized these days. . .all our plans and reservations, especially dinner reservations, were made well ahead of time on line, and were available to us by clicking on the Mickey app on my cell phone. Without reservations, you could starve to death, the wait lines are so horrendous for walk-ins.
In the mail, prior to our leaving home, came our personalized "bracelets", (see photo of mine), that must be worn at all times while at DisneyWorld. There are no keys to the hotel room, you simply hold the Mickey side of the bracelet to the door handle, a green light goes on, and welcome home! You also need the bracelet to authenicate your FastPass reservations for everything but the kitchen sink. That included the fingerprint of your digital finger. My fingerprint refused to recognize me several times which I found upsetting but the very nice Disney "cast member" at those various ride entrances, (we were told they are not called employees, perish forbid), all reassured me that I was who I thought I was, and they had other ways to prove it. That was definitely comforting.
The only thing missing during our three day visit was a couple of kids. Couldn't help but remember my first visit to DisneyWorld in October of 1971 for the opening of the park. Daughter Andrea was a senior at the University of Florida and she drove over from Gainsville with Steve Litwin, the son of our dear friends, Elmer and Janice Litwin, to meet the four of us plus Steve's little sister Sharon, at the park. Both Andrea and Steve are grandparents these days and Sharon has grown children of her own. Wow! Time passes, but Mickey and Minnie looked exactly the same. Wish I knew their secret.If you get a chance to go, I highly recommend it. . .just be sure to wear comfortable shoes! And don't forget your "bracelet".
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Photo caption: Resting up on a handy dragon after an exhausting day in the Animal Kingdom.
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