Forever Magical
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A Disney World Magic email list recently asked the question, “Do frequent visits to the Disney Theme Parks Tarnish the Magic?” My answer is "no." For me, the Disney theme parks are like a diamond and frequent visits allow me to look at its many facets. See how it sparkles under different lights.
Marc and Alice Davis after an NFFC panel discussion
For example, growing up the Pirates of the Caribbean was a magical ride into the bayous and back to the time when pirates would invade seaside towns stealing the food and women they wanted and then moving on to the next leaving the town in ruins. Now I’m still transported into that era but I'm also reminded of its creators and its history.
Just a few years ago I learned that the various scenes found in the attraction were based upon sketches done by Marc Davis. He was the lead animator on Tinkerbell and Maleficent. His conceptual sketches for Pirates were used as a series of souvenir postcards. I began to view the scenes in Pirates as illustrations come to life. In thinking about the team of people who came together to create this masterpiece the attraction came even more alive. Many of these stories are available in books like the Nickel Tour, magazines like Theme Park Adventure and various websites.
Another way to see Disney theme parks in a new light are their tours. At Walt Disney World I'd taken the Land Pavilion's boat tour dozens of times. But one wet, soggy day we decided to take the Behind the Seeds tour. Instead of riding in the boat for 15 to 20 minutes through the agricultural exhibits we walked by them pausing by each area while our knowledgeable tour guide provided lots of information. The tour took about an hour and a half. We walked right up to the large pods of fish, eels, and alligators. We got to touch the cotton that is raised there, too. That wasn't as big of a deal for me as it was for Doobie who has been a city boy his whole life and didn't even know that cotton had a seed. Others on our tour who were obviously in the business of agriculture were able to ask and have answered very interesting questions regarding the specifics of the hydroponics process and its varieties. Unfortunately, this is the only tour we've had the opportunity to take at Walt Disney World. They also offer tours that showcase the architecture of the World Showcase, the utilidoors system under the Magic Kingdom, and behind-the-scenes of Illuminations 2000.
The Epcot Behind the Seeds Tour
Disneyland offers two tours - a general overview of the Park and Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour, which focuses more on the story of Walt Disney. During the Walk in Walt's Footsteps tour I learned about the Disney Gallery's original purpose, which was to be an apartment for Walt Disney. Our guide pointed out the initials of Walt and his brother Roy in the balcony's ironwork. Now, if you want a less polished view of the Park, in other words the stories that the Company doesn't discuss in public, take the Fabulous Disney Babe's tour. She puts the current surroundings in context, highlighting what used to be, sharing rumors of what could be coming and some stories about the personalities involved in the process.