Today was our first full day in a park, and our first of many days in the Magic Kingdom. We started the day with an unexpected little backstage tour of Splash Mountain when the ride had to shut down while we were on it. Disney World cast members safely helped us climb out of the ride, and we got to see a small portion of the "behind the scenes' area of the ride when we left. We were all given free FastPasses, and luckily we all got to ride the ride at some point before it closed.
Next, after a quick ride on Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster, we started our first class activity. The night before we read about how Walt Disney designed the park to make guests the center of the story and how Magic Kingdom is seamlessly separated into six different and very distinct lands. Our task: Explore each land and describe how each one is unique and how it is designed to affect our senses (sight, smell, sound and taste).
The class split off into groups for a few hours to explore. We spent about 15 minutes walking around the land, taking in the visual details and smells. We also stopped for some snacks and rode a couple rides. Even though each land is different, Imagineers designed the area to transition well between one another so there is not an abrupt change in scenery for the guests. To try to keep this short, we'll just briefly summarize what we saw in each land
My group started in Frontierland, which has a distinct Western and country theme. The team noticed the desert structures and buildings you may see in a classic Wild West movie, along with country and banjo music playing in the background. Next, we went to Adventureland, which actually has two themes––one that's more Spanish and pirates to match its staple ride, Pirates of the Caribbean, and an area that has more jungle and tribal themes near Jungle Cruise. This is also where to get the famous tropical Dole Whip snack. Liberty Square was our next area with colonial America architecture and very patriotic music playing in the background, along with the occasional whistle from the Liberty Bell boat. On to Fantasyland where you'll see most of the areas themed around Disney's classic fairy tales. The land mixes medieval ares right by the Cinderella castle, a "Beauty and the Beast" area further down, and a circus themed area complete with circus animal tracks and fake peanuts engraved into the ground. We then walked from the world of fantasy to the world of tomorrow in Tomorrowland. This land is distinctly about progress and the future with all silver and blue colored modern architecture, techno music playing in the background and even metal palm trees. We spent a lot of time here where we rode Space Mountain and the Carousel of Progress. Finally, we looped back around to Main Street U.S.A., the street in front of the park that resembles the main drag of a small town in the 1940s, with bakeries and shops. The smells of popcorn, candy and baked goods, and the sounds of live performances flooded the street as we walked down. We even stopped to grab some sweet treats and watch a parade. Once we finished our individual explorations, the class gathered back in the hub to take a group photo in front of Cinderella Castle.
In the early evening, we met with a Franklin College alum who currently works at Disney. Kiera Shackelford graduated from Franklin in 2018 and is currently working in children’s activities at the resort pools. Kiera started her career with Disney with the college program and slowly rose the seniority ladder, hoping one day to be in the cast of a live performance. In addition, she was a performer in the Stranger Things haunted house for Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights. Kiera offered great information on the Disney College Program regarding what to expect, how to apply, and how to make the most of your semester. Like other before her, Kiera used the college program as a stepping stone for a sought after career at Disney World or another Orlando theme park. After the guest speaker we had free time to eat and explore before the fireworks.
We capped off the night at Magic Kingdom with a showing of the fireworks spectacular Happily Ever After. The show combines fireworks, music, and state-of-the-art projection mapping to transform Cinderella Castle. Dr. Fonstad scouted out a spot in front of Crystal Palace to watch which gave us a great view of the castle. As always, the show was breathtaking and left us with the message that our dreams are able to be obtained if we have the courage to pursue them.
That's all for now! Next we will head to Animal Kingdom to explore Pandora: The World of Avatar.
––Emily Ketterer and Corbin Lee
Thanks for this post to the blog. As you said, problem with Splash Mountain was, in some way, good, since you got a chance to see a part of what happens behind the scenes. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to see behind the scenes, including seeing Space Mountain with its lights on.
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