Disney World
One surprising detail that eventually comes out about my past is that I am a former Walt Disney World cast member. I worked there for only a few months, not as a character — as is the first question I am asked — but in the Magic Kingdom as a lowly food service employee.
In addition to my former employment, I have visited Disney World more times than I care to admit. Learning I am a former cast member, most people proceed to ask me a dozen or so questions. There are two things in the questioning that set me off with a surprisingly fierce answer. The first is someone considering Disney World and Disneyland the same place, because one is vastly superior to the other, and the second is making the mistake of asking me, which one is better.
In 1955 The Walt Disney Company opened Disneyland, the first modern theme park. In 1971 they outdid themselves and perfected it by opening Walt Disney World.
Many of the key ideas of Walt Disney World were actually built out of the failures of Disneyland. The famous story goes that Walt Disney was in Tomorrowland in the original Disneyland and saw a cowboy walking through on his way to frontier land. Seeing the cowboy, he realized that the illusion he was trying to create was destroyed. Because of this experience Walt Disney World was designed differently, the Magic Kingdom is actually on the second floor, while a series of tunnels known as the “utilidor” takes up the first floor. This allows for costumed employees to travel around, without worrying that the illusion they are trying to create to be destroyed.
The utilidor also further keeps the magic alive by keeping deliveries out of sight and trash removal is handled underground in a vacuum system located in the utilidors.
The location of Disney World increases its superiority. Located in beautiful sunny Florida, the entire Walt Disney World Complex sits on an impressive 30,000 acres and while some of this land has been used for attractions, hotels and wildlife preservation, there are thousands of acres just waiting to be developed for future projects. Landlocked Disneyland however sits on 300 acres or just one percent of the size and is in the middle of the traffic and congestion nightmare that is Anaheim, Calif.
Walt Disney World also features its own roads and the Reedy Creek police and fire departments service it. Reedy Creek only services Disney World, giving them the benefit of a devoted municipal infrastructure. The entire Walt Disney World setup caters to easy access to planes, trains, monorails, boats and automobiles.
While talking about Walt Disney World, people often mean the Magic Kingdom. While the Magic Kingdom was the first park and the only park for the first 10 years, it is just one of four theme parks located on the grounds. Guests enjoy the Magic Kingdom, and then Epcot, Hollywood Studios and the Animal Kingdom, all four make Walt Disney World a prime destination. The theme parks aren’t the only attraction gracing Disney World though; two water parks, 24 resorts and five golf courses are only the start of all the activities. Disneyland is almost embarrassing in comparison. Disneyland offers only two theme parks and a mere three hotels.
Both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort are great destinations. Disneyland is something for bored people to do over an afternoon. Walt Disney World is an event that needs to be planned out in advance and even being a Cast Member for months, with free admission to the park and during the slow season, I still wasn’t able to see a fraction of what I wanted to see.
http://www.westerncourier.com/opinions/disneyland-vs-disney-world/article_77bfe024-39c4-11e2-9d53-001a4bcf6878.html
No comments:
Post a Comment