Fantasyland is my favorite segment of the Magic Kingdom. To get there from the front of the park you walk through the Cinderella Castle. This is an experience by itself. Murals telling the Cinderella story cover the left side of the wall while blue curtains drape over the right side. There's a popular character dining place inside, but to eat there you have to book a reservation very early- typically at least half a year in advance! Once inside, you can do all sorts of Disney things. The carousel is fun and tends to have a very short wait. It, too, has little pictures depicting the Cinderella story. And if that isn't enough Cinderella for you, head over to the Cinderella fountain. It's small but fairly easy to spot. This is where you can typically find Fairy Godmother and, I believe, the Stepfamily.
Towards the front left side of Fantasyland is Mickey's PhilharMagic. Donald travels through classic Disney movies (songs, to be more precise) in order to track down the famous sorcerer's hat. I was nervous beforehand but the show turned out to be completely worth it. This film is advertised as 3D but as you will find out once inside it is definitely 4D. *I'm putting a minor spoiler warning here but if your Aspie might be bothered by said effects you might want to read on: You feel rather strong blasts of wind as bottles open during Be Our Guest. There is also wind during A Whole New World but it is lighter and was actually soothing to me. You can kind of smell the French food as Lumiere begins to sing. Just before Part of Your World there is a splash and water tickles you. Nothing big, if anything cooling on a hot day, but if unexpected potentially uncomfortable. The ending might be a little loud; I'm not sure because I covered my ears as a precaution after learning what happens. For once, no fireworks or anything, but something happens nonetheless.* Parts of it are dark (as 3D tends to be) but it really wasn't too bad. The wait time tends to just be the amount of time it takes for the previous show to finish. I surprised myself by really enjoying this show.
Outside the theater you can get FASTPASSes for Pooh and, at least temporarily, Dumbo. Dumbo is being renovated as part of the New Fantasyland which will include a small circus-themed section, Belle's and Ariel's castles, a new restaurant, etc. I really want to see it but I doubt I will as going back to this particular Disney isn't a priority right now. There will very soon be two (same) Dumbo rides up and running. They were both already built when we visited. I love Dumbo; it's such a fun little romp. Get to this section as early as possible and the wait will be minimal. The queue is very, very large so I can only imagine how busy it gets later on. If you can't get here first, make sure to grab your FASTPASS and return in the time it tells you! Dumbo is basically "Magic Carpets" with ears, you even control it with the same type of lever. It's still nice to do even if just once, especially if you have younger kids with you. "Pooh," on the other hand, was a nightmare for me in California. I heard that since then the Heffalumps and Woozles part has been cleaned up-and lightened up, for that matter- which is good because that was definitely the creepiest part (eerie chanting in pitch black with neon creatures jumping out at you. Umm, I'll pass.) It has become a gentler ride. However, it still has the thunderstorm that washes them (Piglet? I think?) away. And it's not exactly the quietest little storm either. Scenes like this are naturally intense for young children. Just keep that in mind when you board the oh-so-adorable hunny pot cars.
"It's a Small World" absolutely terrified me in Disneyland. The light-up electrical dragon at the beginning (which apparently isn't at this one), the creepy dolls chanting out that annoying little song, the time periods in the dark (which apparently are much more frequent at this one). I let the parents go on it and waited at the exit. Some kids will probably think it's fun or even *shudder* like the song. But different things bother different people and I don't believe I'm the only tyke who has been frightened by it before. Make sure to tell the little one(s) about the darkness before you ride. If you're one of those people that get creeped out by dolls (it's funny, as an avid AG collector I'm typically not) sit this one out. There's an island of penguins, which I gotta admit sounds cute. This is across from "Peter Pan," another one I skipped (I'm just not a fun person to take to a theme park, am I?). The line for it is always crazy. I was by it around 11am and noticed it had reached an hour. Again, FASTPASS comes to the rescue! If you like the movie, this ride will be a really cool experience. I've been told that there aren't many special effects at all here but it does get dark. I've never seen the movie all the way through so the darkness and pirate-y stuff is enough to keep me out, but I'd probably brave it if I liked the story. Somehow I think liking Tinker Bell and being equated to her personality-wise doesn't count.
How did I forget my favorite ride in all of Disney? Why of course, "Mad Tea Party" is part of Fantasyland! It is located next to Dumbo. If you get queasy easy, second thoughts might be appropriate, but it isn't as bad as you might think. You control how fast your cup spins via a wheel in its center. There are different tracks the cups sit on but each of them feels the same. One morning we rode at the same time as Alice and the White Rabbit, which was great because I was literally first in line to meet them. This seems to be the trend in this park: early in the morning, common meet-and-greet characters ride the attraction that matches their movie. I think this happens at "Pooh" and possibly "Peter Pan," too. It's a really fun touch.
My final Magic Kingdom blog, Tomorrowland, should be coming tomorrow as I'll be spending the rest of tonight blocking out the world as the thoughtless neighbors shoot off illegal fireworks as they do every year.
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