Sixteen Jewel Boxes

 

When planning attractions in his parks, Walt Disney insisted they look amazing from far away, from a middle distance, and in close-ups. All that eye candy is the first thing anyone notices while visiting a Disney theme park. But the real magic in a Disney vacation is that it’s a multi-sensual affair. Every area of every park comes with its own soundtrack. Music envelops you as you queue at the entrance, surrounding you until you head back out. Perhaps the most creative part of the experience is how the park SMELLS. The Magic Kingdom’s entrance is designed to feel like a theater lobby. It makes sense that it smells like popcorn. A stop at Pirates of the Caribbean comes with the aroma of gunpowder and seawater. Cinnamon wafts from the shops on Main Street USA. The Haunted Mansion smells of dust and flowers. Most guests never notice them, but clever diffusers called Smellitizers pump specific odors all through the park.

Two More Double Pinwheels

 

If you look at the original logo for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the first thing you notice is the Tree of Life: the park’s icon. Beneath its spreading branches are a lion, an elephant, a triceratops, and a goat. And in the center of the design there was a dragon with wings outstretched. That’s because the original Animal Kingdom plan included an area focused on fictional animals. The “Beastly Kingdom” would have included a dragon-themed dark roller coaster, a ride based on the movie Fantasia, and a hedge maze called “Quest for the Unicorn.” When those plans were scrapped, the Imagineers slated to work on it were let go – and immediately scooped up by Universal Studios, where they worked on the dragon roller coaster that’s now part of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The area that would have been the Beastly Kingdom is now Pandora – the World of Avatar. Instead of dragons and unicorns, you’ll find banshees and direhorses. 

That Fairy Tale Quilt

 

Universal Orlando opened in 1990 under the name “Universal Studios Florida.” It was developed to compete directly with Disney-MGM Studios – now called Disney Hollywood Studios – which is only thirteen miles away. Nine years later, an adjacent park, Islands of Adventure, opened. Both parks are built around small lakes. The “islands” of Islands of Adventure are really just waterfront zones. When we were here last, we were only interested in seeing the Harry Potter-themed attractions, which were only in Islands of Adventure. Everyone else seemed to have the same agenda. Flight of the Hippogriff, Forbidden Journey and Hagrid’s Motorbike were slammed, as were Ollivander’s and Honeydukes. The rest of the attractions were largely ignored. Today, there’s a Harry Potter section in Universal Orlando as well, with an “Escape from Gringotts” rollercoaster, Fortescue’s ice cream parlor, and Gregorovich’s wand shop. There’s even a Hogwart’s Express to carry you from one park to the other. How could we resist?

Four Birds in the Air Blocks

 

“Youth often ask what I believe and why I believe. I remember visiting virtually with one young woman in her home. Her question for me was good: ‘What are the most important things I should know?’ I answered with the things of my soul, the things that prepare me to hear promptings, that lift my sights beyond the ways of the world, that give purpose to my work in the gospel and to my very life. May I share with you some of the things of my soul? These things apply to all who seek to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. First, love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior. Second, love thy neighbor. Third, love yourself. This is where many struggle. Isn’t it curious that loving ourselves seems to come less easily than loving others? Fourth, keep the commandments. Fifth, always be worthy to attend the temple. Sixth, be joyful and cheerful. Seventh, follow God’s living prophet.” – Elder Ronald A. Rasband

Twelve Ovens

 

Miami, Florida is the only major US city to have been founded by a woman. Julia Tuttle (1849-1898) was a Cleveland native who grew citrus fruit on the land that eventually became Miami. Julia encouraged the development of a railroad here to ship her fruit, essentially putting Miami on the map. The city’s name comes from one of the tribes that lived here in the 1600’s and 1700’s: the Mayaimi. Miami’s nickname is “The Magic City.” It is surrounded by the Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, and the Atlantic Ocean. Miami is called the cruise capitol of the world, serving nearly five million passengers annually. Miami Beach is home to one of the world’s largest snow skiing clubs, despite the fact the only time it’s ever snowed here was January 19, 1977. The beach in Miami Beach is imported. In fact, they have to keep replacing the sand as it is washed away.

Four Anvils

 

The country known as the Bahamas is a chain of over 700 islands in the Atlantic, just northeast of Cuba. Only about 30 of these islands are inhabited. Most of the rest are refuges teeming with wildlife. The combined land area of the Bahamas is smaller than the state of Connecticut. The largest island in the Bahamas is Andros, but the most populated is New Providence, where the capital city Nassau is located. This isn’t the Caribbean, but Dead Man’s Chest and On Stranger Tides were filmed here. So were Splash, After the Sunset, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and four Bond films. There are a lot of blowholes in the Bahamas: large, underwater caverns with openings on the surface. Ocean waves send water spouting inland and upwards like geysers. There’s also a legendary “monster” here called “La Lusca.” It’s said to be 75 feet long; part eel, part squid, part octopus and part shark.

Three-Inch Double Pinwheels

 

Gorda Cay was first settled in 1783. Gorda used to have an airstrip that was used by bootleggers in the 1930’s and later by drug runners. The beach where Tom Hanks met Daryl Hannah in Splash was on Gorda Cay, and much of Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl was filmed here, too. In 1997, the Disney Cruise Line purchased a 99-year lease of the island from the Bahamian government. Disney spent the next 18 months and over $25 million to make this the perfect cruise destination. They dredged 50,000 truckloads of sand from the ocean floor to build pristine beaches, and renamed the island “Castaway Cay.” I should mention there are two very similar English words meaning “small island.” Key is used more in the US and Cay is more common in the Caribbean. They’re both pronounced “KEE.” Neither has anything to do with Quay (wharf), or that thing you use to open locks.