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Observations From the Magic Kingdom – February 10, 2014

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Hey, everyone! I have a ton of Magic Kingdom pictures for you today, so I’ll try to keep the commentary fairly short. I went to the Kingdom Monday for one of the first great weather days we’ve had in a while. It didn’t disappoint. I’ve been working on getting photos and stories at the parks lately that are hopefully either new to you or different perspectives on things you already love. So let’s see what’s been happening at the Magic Kingdom this week.

I started the day at the Grand Floridian to get some pictures of the (sort of) recently renovated pool area. This Alice In Wonderland themed splash pad is not only fun for kids, but is one of the funniest things on property to see when, after filling for several minutes, the Mad Hatter’s hat dumps a deluge down on the kids below. Even if they’re expecting it, it’s pretty funny.

It was an absolutely fantastic day at Walt Disney World on Monday and was possibly a bit more crowded than usual because of it, but bag check took just a few seconds, and I was in.

It’s still so exciting to see the banner gone from the courtyard and everything looking lovely.

This year they’ve decided to leave the crane up in order to get some maintenance done on Cinderella Castle. It’s a pain for pictures, but it’s pretty easily Photoshop-able if you have the skills (or a friend who does).

If I haven’t mentioned it before, I love the Main Street Trolley Show. Any season, any day, all the time. Their costumes are the best, and their show is an integral part of my Magic Kingdom experience.

Lots of work is going on in the Magic Kingdom, which means scrims (the coverings they put on the buildings) and construction walls everywhere, but hopefully some will be coming down soon to reveal a fresher MK. The construction of an outdoor seating area at Casey’s Corner is still well underway. I hope this new seating area is pretty.

I spent a good deal of time in Adventureland around the Tiki Room, one of my favorite attractions, and the Sunshine Tree Terrace that I also love. The architecture in this part of the park is so well themed, and I like knowing that the Enchanted Tiki Room was one of Walt’s favorites. The doors actually stay open for a minute or so after the theater empties out, so I got some fun pictures of the birds just hanging out. A good deal of the show is kind of dark, but man is it colorful when the sun shines in!

Over in Frontierland, Splash Mountain is down for refurbishment. I think it’s kind of cool to see what a ride looks like when it’s being maintained and I thought you might too.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was running full steam ahead with standby waits that weren’t bad at all. And what a great day for a ride!

Here’s a shot from the walkways in Frontierland, just to show what the crowds looked like.

I made my way around to my favorite area, Rapunzel’s village, to get some quality time with Pascal. Do you see him? Did you know that he and six others like him are hidden in the creek area of the village? I absolutely love this feature.

Sometimes I spend enough time getting pictures in the parks that I don’t get to ride too many rides but on this day I really wanted to try to get some pictures in “it’s a small world,” a second favorite of mine. They turned out to be some of the pictures I liked best from the day. First, a crowd shot. This is what IASW looks like with a fifteen minute posted wait. The wait time was actually about 12 from the time I got in line to the time I sat down.

Next, a view of the windows that look over IASW from inside Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant. I used to love eating there when I was a kid because I could eat my PBJ and watch the boats go by. If you haven’t tried it lately, maybe swing in. The new line of flatbreads is very good.

And now a picture from inside the ride. I used to dream of being a set dresser for this attraction. Doll clothes for work? Yes, please.

I found an interesting new angle of the carousel as I walked by. I love the spring flowers that are planted all over the Magic Kingdom, and these are no exception. With the focus on the horse, they look a little like a painting.

On my way back down Main Street, I spotted Scoop, the friendly reporter who has a ton of pins to trade, in front of the Emporium. New Hidden Mickey pins have been released to the Cast Members, and he was a hot commodity. Especially when it was announced it was “Canoodling Day” and he was pulled in for a hug.

I made one last stop to check for pins (I’m looking for the new Pascals) at Stroller Rental. Did you know there is a pin stroller that they’ll bring out if you ask? It’s a great resource if you’re looking for just a couple to finish those series you’ve been working on. Just remember – if stroller rentals is very busy, they may not have time to bring the pin stroller out, so try to visit at a slow time of day.

Just outside the train station, a custodial cast member was doing something pretty amazing. I love things like this and that these guys share their talent with us.

My way back to the Grand Floridian was by boat because of the weekday monorail closures. They’ve brought out some of the bigger boats, and I think it’s a cool opportunity to see the different vehicles on the lagoon.