Electrical Water Pageant

Posted on February 10, 2012February 10, 2012 by Dusty Roads

This is one of the few times I didn’t have my camera with me so you’ll just have to use your imagination. I’d say close your eye and visualize but since this isn’t a recording that you can play it wouldn’t work very well.

We returned to the campground by taking a boat from the Magic Kingdom to the dock at the Wilderness Camp. We still needed to catch a bus to the parking lot. It’s a really big campground. They have actual campsites for RV’s and sites for tents as well as the cabins.

The bus dropped us off at the parking lot where we started our day oh so long ago. It seemed hard to believe that it was only one day. We’d done so much. I put my camera away in the trunk and everyone piled into my car. I wanted to see the cabin and that seemed the best way to handle it. There was only one parking space.

The cabin was really cute as you’d expect from anything Disney. It had a bedroom with two bunk beds and a full-sized bed. The living room had a pull down Murphy Bed that was also a full-sized bed so if you wanted to share it could sleep 6 people.

There was a kitchen and bathroom of course and a little table and chair set for meals. Joe told me the prices without his “Disney Discount” and I thought it was a bit pricey but of course, it’s Disney. It was very reasonable with his discount and if you had 4-6 people each sharing the cost it wouldn’t be bad either even without a discount.

We settled on our plans to meet up in the morning and then we all decided to take a walk back down to the beach. On the boat from the Magic Kingdom someone said they thought there was an “Electrical Boat Parade”. Since it was a question I decided not to lug my camera gear down plus it was dark and I didn’t have my tripod. It was a decision I would regret although just sitting back and enjoying the show was nice too.

There weren’t a lot of people at the beach so we were able to get nice beach lounge chairs to sit back and enjoy the evening. Lighting was minimal and it was very peaceful, especially after the noise and excitement of the day.

Briefly I thought I heard some music in the distance but it faded out and I went back to looking at the stars and enjoying the quiet night.

About 9:30 I saw a green dot or small ball moving from left to right across the lake. A Few moments later there was another. It was very quiet as I watched first one then another start across from the same area. Pretty soon they were strung out across the lake in front of us…just these small green lights. I joked that it was a pretty poor “Light Parade”. As usual I had to eat my words.

It was in fact the Parade and with a fanfare the music started and the first green dot burst into a dragon breathing fire. Each subsequent dot transformed into another brilliant visual display against the black lake. There was a whale spouting water, Dolphins jumping, an octopus and a turtle. A sea serpent with its many humps and a dinosaur munching water plants accompanied a chomping alligator as sea horses pulled Poseidon’s Chariot.

Then all at once the music changed to a Patriotic Medley of God Bless America, Yankee Doodle and You’re a Grand Old Flag and a flotilla of American flags and blinking stars replaced the animated creatures.

Too soon the lights blinked out and once again it was quiet and the green dots moved off down the lake.

It was a very short parade but it was spectacular. I wanted to go back the next night with my tripod to try to catch some of these images but Joe said they weren’t staying in the campground again.If you stay in the campground be sure you catch this parade. It’s wonderful! (Thanks to the wonder of the Internet I located some photos. The link to another page is below. I must give credit where credit is due. But I wish they were my pictures lol)

I found this link on You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhzGVpyYGgo

Photos from http://www.allears.net/tp/ewp.htm

Magic Kingdom

Posted on February 6, 2012February 6, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Now that we had the Keys to the Kingdom we were free to play the rest of the afternoon. This is when the experience becomes more visual and auditory. Although I don’t have sound, imagine an undercurrent of laughing and crying (and yes, children do cry at the Happiest Place on Earth. I guess no one explained that to them) , talking and even yelling. There is music and the sounds that go with the rides. There’s the clack-clack of the roller coasters and then the screams of fear or delight and they go over the top and start the plunge.

We had a couple of Tea Cup fans . Joe and Saralyn both like those so we had to let them get a ride.

I like the carousel but I’d rather take the pictures than ride it. Tim and Joe were willing to take that ride for the sake of art.

I wanted to ride the Steam Train and the River Boat. We made it to the River Boat but the Steam Train has to wait for another visit. The River Boat was a relaxing ride while the narrator pointed out the sights and sections of the country we were passing through. We could hear “Sam” calling out the depth as we went along…Mark….Twain….

We caught a showing of the animated bears. I forget what they were called but they were a real hillbilly jug band.

The show at Cinderella’s Castle is spectacular. It made me think of the show that was televised during the Christmas Parade this past December.

We can’t forget “It’s A Small World”…after the ride the song will be in your head for the next week! 🙂

Of course what would Walt Disney World be without parades.

We went in search of a sweet snack or ice cream and ran into the Barber Shop Quartet. They were really entertaining. At one point instead of tapping one of the members did a series of little hops. I laughed and said “I can do that” meaning hop..not tap dance…well someday I may learn to keep my mouth shut!. They got to the refrain, each did their little tap dance and then the last one pointed at me and shouted. “take it!” I did my best impression of soft shoe in my clunky sneakers while everyone one clapped and laughed. Good fun if a bit embarrassing.