Opening the park at Disney World: being family of the day

I spent my childhood craving a holiday to Walt Disney World in Florida. But, although my parents were (are!) wonderful and took us on many lovely places, including a number of wonderful driving trips around Europe. We never made it to America, and I never met the most famous rodent on earth. It is the only time that I remember my parents telling me that it was simply too expensive – taking two adults and three children to Florida was way beyond our means.

I promised myself then that I would take my children and mentioned this to my husband even before we had them! We knew it would be pricey, but we saved up and up, and finally, when the children were of an age when I thought they would remember the experience, we told them it was happening. They were 11 and 7. And they were thrilled.

[caption id="attachment_1344" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We opened the Magic Kingdom![/caption]

The magic of Disney is something which so many of you will know about. But our experience was particularly special because we were lucky enough to do something utterly amazing: we opened the Magic Kingdom.

Until we got to our first Disney Park, Hollywood Studios, I had no idea that a family was even picked to open the park. But then I saw a family do so, and they looked joyous and a little bemused. I thought no more of it as we added in Epcot and visited Universal Studios too.

We left the Magic Kingdom right to the end of our ten day visit. Knowing that the park opened at 9am, we got there just after 8am. It was a lovely day and we were right at the front of a growing queue, near the turnstiles.

We chatted away to the people behind us and the security guards and cast members too. My son was wearing a Donald Duck cap, but we weren’t doing anything special. Then, around 8.30am, a man came up to us. “We’d like you to be our family of the day and open the park,” he said. I looked at him in disbelief. Had he just said what I thought he had? Yes, he had.

We looked at each other in astonishment. I thought I was going to cry. I had waited my whole life to visit this park, the classic one with the Cinderella Tower in the middle and the It’s a Small World ride, and here I was, being brought in before anyone else, and with the people I loved most beside me. It seemed crazy.

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="aligncenter" width="940"] We got to take pictures in front of the castle with no tourists around![/caption]

The man who ushered us in told us that over a million people visit the park each year, but only 365 get to open it. He then passed us over to another lovely man called Scottie who took us over to an old 1915 blue fire engine and told us we were going to have a quick tour round the park. We drove around “Main Street USA” and Robert sat in the front, tooting the horn at different intervals. Scottie couldn’t have been more charming. He told some of the history of the park and made sure we got pictures in front of the castle – with no tourists anywhere near!

[caption id="attachment_1341" align="aligncenter" width="940"] The family with all of the cast before the ceremony started[/caption]

We were then taken into the Disney railway station where we were introduced to the cast members of the show and to the Main Street "Reporter", Scoop. He told us that we were going to be in the opening show and gave us instructions: Brian needed to stand next to Mickey Mouse, Jess to stand next to Brian, with me next and Robert next to me. My task was to say “Good morning.” I immediately wondered how to say this – and think I ended up sounding as English as I could possibly be!

[caption id="attachment_1339" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Brian with Mickey Mouse when the park was opened[/caption]

We had a picture with the dancers and then it all got very busy. The steam train came into the station and all the characters, from Mary Poppins to Chip and Dale, got off. We stood as we had been told and waved madly. We were suddenly part of a show, which began with "Good morning" from Singin' in the Rain. We were introduced as "The Ebner family from London, England" and I said “Good morning”, while the music and dancing continued around us. Then, after a countdown from 10 to 1, some fireworks went off behind. We looked down and there were thousands of people below us.



The show didn’t last long, and then we were taken backstage. I felt quite tearful if I’m honest – what an experience to be part of, and a complete fluke that we were picked. The children were given some badges, plus a general fast pass for us to use and another for us to use to meet Mickey Mouse later on. He then said that we would be driven to the first ride we wanted to go on (the haunted mansion). It was strange to think that we hadn’t even started the day properly and yet we had already experienced one of the best things ever.

The rest of the day was brilliant, and the kids especially loved it when people came up to us and said “you were the family of the day.” We felt like mini-celebrities.

When we got home we Googled how to become “family of the day” and found that there were all sorts of tips on there, from getting there three hours early, to being advantaged if you were travelling with twins or a baby. We weren’t. We don’t know why we were picked and I’m sure that if we’d tried to be, it wouldn’t have worked.

All I can say is that it was utter magic. And wonderful to experience it all together. You won’t be surprised to hear that it made our holiday the best we had ever had.



Robert says: Just a few weeks ago I wrote a list of my favourite experiences and right at the top of it was opening Disneyland in Orlando, America. It was one of the best moments I have ever had.
It started off with getting to the park early then all of a sudden a man came along as said “You have been picked to be our family of the day and open Disneyworld with Mickey Mouse.” We got a guided tour of the park on an old fashioned Fire truck and got fantastic pictures of the iconic views without any people or crowds scuttling around us. We met up with more people and were told what we were meant to do when on the balcony. We then walked on and Mickey Mouse came off a train followed by all the other Disney Characters.
It was an utterly amazing experience looking down at thousands of people, who could have been in the same shoes as us. Afterwards lots of people thanked us being so great and rewarded us with lots of fast passes. It was BRILLIANT.

[caption id="attachment_1345" align="aligncenter" width="718"] With Mickey Mouse![/caption]

Jess says: Our family has been to some incredible places and participated in unbelievable experiences, but it's not so often that we get to do something that money can't buy, and that very few people get to do.
In 2013, the Magic Kingdom hosted 18.58 million visitors, yet only 365 families got to open the park. This is probably the reason that this event was so special; everyone was so lovely and we were able to do something unique! I can still remember my confusion at being asked to move forward and get through the gate early, and my giddy excitement at driving around the park with the wind in my hair. I loved walking onto the balcony with mum, dad and Robert, and gasped with exhilaration as the fireworks exploded above us! It truly was a day to remember, and possibly the happiest one of my entire life.

READ ABOUT ROBERT'S TRIP TO SPACE CAMP AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTRE

Read about our trip to the Harry Potter studio tour - and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando...

 

Robert meets an alligator....

[caption id="attachment_810" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Robert's new friend![/caption]

When Robert went to Florida in the summer, he not only went to Space Camp, he also met some alligators and even held one! He had a brilliant time doing this and wrote about it for a lovely Australian website called TravelThereNext. We were thrilled to find out that he was one of two runners-up in their kids' travel writing competition and are very proud of him.

Here's a taste of the article...

"My name is Robert and I am 9. I recently went on an amazing holiday to Florida in America, and while you might expect me to tell you about theme parks, I'm not! Instead I'm going to tell you a boat trip where we saw real alligators. You don't see those at home.

My dad and I had a wonderful time on an airboat ride in Florida's Everglades, but it wasn't just the boat that I loved, it was what we saw too.

Firstly we got into a boat that was so fast, the wind was blowing everyone's hair backwards. Some even got into my mouth. We had to put an earpiece on so you could hear our tour guide over the wind and we could also ask questions through the ear piece.

We were on the St John's River and the scenery was beautiful, with all the plants, flowers and grass. It was such a nice day and once we got into an open space we saw cows running through the water which was really weird. I had never seen that before.

When we were in a small forest we saw our first alligator. They were quite hard to see with all the trees, but when you got a good view of them they were amazing...."

Visit TravelThereNext to read more about Robert's adventure and see some more pictures.

Our blog is nominated for the travel category of the UK Blog Awards. Please vote for us here – it only takes a minute and we would really appreciate it. Thanks very much.

Read about Robert's trip to Space Camp at Kennedy Space Center

Nasa countdown clock to be retired!

[caption id="attachment_635" align="aligncenter" width="940"] Copyright: NASA/Jim Grossmann[/caption]

Talking of Space (which we were, with both Robert and Brian's posts on the Kennedy Space Center or KSC, and Space Camp), you may be interested in the news that Nasa's hugely famous countdown clock is ticking down.

In other words, countdown has begun for the replacement of the iconic launch clock which the boys saw at KSC. The Apollo-era digital clock is heading for retirement (well, none of us stay young forever and it has been on site for more than 40 years).

You would definitely recognise the clock, which ticks down the hours, minutes and seconds to the next launch. It used 40 watt light bulbs to form digits and a plus or minus sign to count up (or down) but those parts are dated and difficult to replace, so the clock is now to be replaced with something more up to date, such as the one in Times Square.

"We are looking at [installing] a bigger screen that will look more modern," said Lisa Malone, director of public affairs at Kennedy Space Center. "It will be more flexible, so we'll be able to show the countdown, as well as have additional room to show NASA TV programming, too."

But the clock isn't going to the scrap heap - have no fear of that. Instead it will be removed intact and plans are to send it either the Smithsonian in Washington DC or keep it on display at KSC.

You can see the clock here.

Read Robert's account of his trip to Space Camp

Let Brian tell you what you should be doing if you visit Kennedy Space Center

A first post by Brian: a day at Kennedy Space Center, Florida

Major excitement today as we have our first ever post from Brian, who is Jess and Robert's dad! Read on for his visit to the Kennedy Space Center...

When Robert was at Space Camp, I took the opportunity to visit Kennedy Space Center myself.

I spent roughly half of my time at the Visitor Complex, and the other half taking a bus tour and then exploring the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

I had an amazing time, and here are some of the highlights.

THE VISITOR COMPLEX

[caption id="attachment_631" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The rocket garden (the Saturn rocket is on its side because it's so big)[/caption]

The Rocket Garden: I really enjoyed walking round the “garden” which contains many of the rockets used in the earlier space missions. Seven are real – but were simply not flown – and one is a replica (the Gemini rocket, which ironically is the first one you come to when you enter). I joined one of the 15 minute tours, and was interested to hear the guide talk about the significance of the “space race” during the Cold War: how Americans were genuinely scared of what was flying above them when the Soviets launched the first satellite into space, and then “embarrassed” when Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.

The Astronaut Encounter theatre: I saw veteran astronaut Bob Springer, who served on two Space Shuttle flights (on Discovery in 1989 and Atlantis in 1990: the latter carrying a top-secret cargo). He certainly had “the right stuff”, after being a pilot in Vietnam, then a test pilot, before joining NASA.
He told many fascinating stories about his time in the International Space Station: how he slept for only one and half hours each night (a combination of wanting to experience as much of his time in space as possible, and seeing a sunrise every 90 minutes) and the fact that he slept while floating (when most other astronauts velcroed their sleeping bags onto a wall or ceiling). He also spoke humorously about his suffering from space sickness during his second day in space - he managed to vomit into his sick-bag but the contents rebounded from the far side of the container straight back into his mouth!

The IMAX Theatre: There were two 3D films showing there. I saw Hubble, a 45 minute film narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, containing footage from the final space-shuttle mission to repair the Hubble telescope. The best parts though were the amazing images found by the telescope, with stunning animation of journeys through distant galaxies.

[caption id="attachment_630" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Space Shuttle Atlantis[/caption]

The Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit: this was probably the highlight of my day. It started with a film about the challenges of designing a reusable spacecraft, then another showing the shuttles in action. This film ended with the final landing of the Atlantis, with the commentary saying “Atlantis, welcome home” over the frozen image of the shuttle. The video screen then rose up to reveal that we had actually been looking at the real thing, and the effect was incredibly emotional. The exhibit is tilted on its side and it looks like it is flying in space with its payload doors open and the robot arm extended.  (Only the arm is not authentic, the original having been taken back by the Canadian Space Agency). The shuttle was much larger than I expected, and the building was cleverly designed so you could see it from lots of different angles. It was amazing to see such an iconic spacecraft, the one that flew the last ever shuttle mission, with its black scorch marks from re-entry clearly visible on its tiles.

The Shuttle Launch experience: this simulates being launched into space aboard one of the shuttles. It is noisy and the vibrations are quite intense. It starts with the shuttle rotating into a vertical position and ends with the payload doors opening to give the impression that that you are floating in space. I enjoyed it, but would probably give it a miss if time is short.

 

THE BUS TOUR

I went on the “Up-Close Explore Tour”, led by an expert guide, which took us around some of the famous landmarks at Kennedy Space Center:

* launchpads 39A and 39B, which were used for the Apollo and space shuttle missions;

* the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) where the gigantic Saturn rockets were stacked and the space shuttles were assembled. This building is massive – it is the world’s fourth largest building by volume, adorned with the world’s largest painted American flag;

* the NASA Causeway, which was the closest spot that the public could watch the space shuttle launches. There are panoramic views over the river from here, and you can also see the VAB in the distance.

* the Shuttle Landing Facility (one of the longest runways in the world)

The bus tour made several stops so we could stretch our legs and take photos.

The tour lasted around two hours – it started at the Visitor Complex and the final destination was the Apollo/Saturn V Center.

 

APOLLO-SATURN 5 CENTER

[caption id="attachment_640" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The boosters for the Saturn Rocket[/caption]

This is a huge museum dedicated to the Apollo missions and the Saturn V rockets that took astronauts to the moon.

A fully restored  363-foot Saturn V rocket is the showpiece exhibit.  It is suspended on its side, allowing you to walk underneath as well as around it, and it is enormous.

There are lots of other exhibits from the Apollo moon missions, including the Apollo 14 Command Module and some moon rock that you can touch.

There are two very enjoyable theatre shows to see here – the first one is a recreation of the Apollo control room and simulates the final minutes of the Apollo 8 launch , and the second  simulates the Apollo 11 moon landing.

[caption id="attachment_632" align="aligncenter" width="225"] With a new astronaut friend[/caption]

 

FINAL THOUGHTS

It was impossible to see everything properly in just one day, and I would have liked to have spent even more time there.

Daily admission at the Kennedy Space Center costs $50, and this includes the bus tour. The Up-Close tour is an additional $25 per person, plus tax, and $19 per child.

Read about Robert's trip to Space Camp!

Read some news about the famous Nasa countdown clock

My trip to Space Camp at Kennedy Space Center, Florida by Robert

I was very lucky to win a competition which meant I went to Space Camp at Camp KSC in Florida for a week! I absolutely loved it. Here are my highlights for each day.

Day 1: Micro Gravity Wall
The wall looked like a normal ladder, but once I had climbed to the top a staff member did some weird thing involving weights and I ended up being able to float up and down the ladder. It was an amazing experience.


[caption id="attachment_471" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The micro-gravity wall[/caption]




Day 2: Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center
We learnt lots about, and then saw the actual Atlantis Space Shuttle. It was huge! After that we went on a ride that simulated the launch of the spacecraft, which was so much fun. We also heard a speech from legendary astronaut Tom Jones who has been in space four times. There were loads of things we learnt about such as meteorites, planets and astronauts. It was a great day, despite it being burning hot outside.   



 

[caption id="attachment_467" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me next to the Atlantis Shuttle[/caption]

Day 3: The Mission
We were all given roles to play such as Commander, Pilot or a person from Mission Control. The non-moving simulator was incredibly big because it had several rooms. The simulation provided us with the feeling of a successful mission to launch a rocket into space. We were all given things to say and buttons to press. My character didn't have many lines or things to do but I still really enjoyed it anyway.



[caption id="attachment_470" align="aligncenter" width="300"] The multi axis trainer, which spins around[/caption]

Day 4: The Multi Axis Trainer
The Multi Axis Trainer or as the kids like to call it "the spinny ball of death" is a large simulator that can hold two people. It spins you in all directions, and you feel like you are inside a rocket when it spins out of control. The simulator was amazing and was by far my favourite part of camp, even though I did get a bit dizzy.

Day 5: The Trajectory Chair
The trajectory chair has two connected seats that spin around. Me and my partner had to throw and catch as many balls and frisbees as we could. It was extremely difficult because when I threw a ball to my partner he would have already moved on, and the ball would fall into an empty space. It was much harder than it looked and it was super fun.

 

[caption id="attachment_468" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Me at my graduation from Space Camp 2014![/caption]

I learnt loads at my week at camp. Here are my top three facts.

1.  Once an astronaut was eating m&ms. He ate something that he thought was a brown m&m but in fact it was something else. Now NASA never sends brown m&ms into space any more.

2. The amazing Space Shuttle Atlantis launches as a rocket and lands as an aeroplane.

3. When one of the first people ever was going into space there was a lot of delays. After an hour of problems the astronaut inside the rocket needed a wee but NASA said he would have to hold it in. Another hour went by and still the rocket had not launched. Now the astronaut  was desperate for a wee and asked "why can't I go to the toilet?" NASA said "because we would have to start up the engine all over again, that would waste fuel." Another hour of delays passed and the astronaut questioned "can I do a wee in my suit?" NASA replied "no, your suit has lots of wires in it, you would get electrocuted." At the end of another 60 minutes NASA turned off the power and let him pee in his suit but because he was in launch position lying down the yellow liquid spread over his suit and he went and came down from space covered in wee.

I loved Space Camp - it really was the trip of a lifetime.

Read about my dad's day trip to Kennedy Space Center and what he would recommend you should do if you visit.

Is 11 too old for Disney World?

We were thrilled that the Huffington Post UK ran J's article on our trip to Disney. In case you didn't see it there, here it is....

Princesses, parades and characters I faintly remember loving aged two. Surely I, an 11 year old girl, am way too old for Disney World?

As we drove into DisneyWorld, I felt a surge of excitement. I had dreamed of visiting Disney forever and that dream was coming true. However, I was also slightly worried. When I had been begging my parents to take me, I was still in love with Belle, Toy Story and Pluto. Surely I wouldn't feel the same way about meeting them now as I would have when I was younger?

The first park we visited was the Disney Hollywood Studios. I was most looking forward to the Toy Story Mania ride because I'd heard so much about it. My expectations were very high but when I saw the waiting area, I almost changed my mind. It was full of brightly coloured games that looked cheesy and babyish. Suddenly, Disney started seeming less appealing.

My mind changed as soon as the ride started. My family spun around, laughing as we shot virtual pies, pins and darts at pretend targets. It was such good fun.

When my parents persuaded me to have my picture taken with the Monsters Inc characters, I felt a bit embarrassed. The line was full of five year olds and I was eleven! But Disney obviously drew the younger child out of me though, and it was quite cool to have my picture taken with Sully and Mike Wazowski. I didn't even mind knowing it was actors inside the costumes.


Obviously, the Hollywood Studios weren't just full of things for younger children. I enjoyed yelling, clapping and gasping at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, where stunt actors fell off buildings, got punched in the face and ran away from Germans in a WWII scene. Another highlight was Star Wars: Star Tours, where I was strapped into the StarSpeeder 1000 (a motion simulator) and went on a journey through space with C-3PO. It was so good I went on it twice!

At the end of the day, our family watched Fantasmic. By then I wasn't even worried about whether I'd be too old - so far everything had been perfect. The show was fabulous; it had fireworks, boats and scenes from Disney movies projected onto mist. I really enjoyed it.

I wasn't worried about Epcot at all. I'd heard it had some really cool, fast rides and nice places to walk around. I screamed my head off whizzing around Test Track and freaked out on the more intense version of Mission: SPACE. We were on a Spaceship that was going to Mars and you had to press buttons to carry out your allocated roles. The ride had REAL G-forces and was one of only two rides on the whole holiday that I didn't like.

I really enjoyed walking around the pavilions at Epcot. China and Japan had really fabulous statues and Morocco looked like it had come straight out of Aladdin. There was an acrobat balancing on chairs and wine bottles in France, and a band singing British songs. There were also some yummy pastries in Norway. The pavilions looked incredible, but it was really tiring to walk around, and that slightly ruined the day.

I was a little worried about the Magic Kingdom, because the rides were mostly based on Princes and Princesses. The most scary ride I'd heard of was the spinning teacups, and I thought that I would find the day dull and uninteresting.

I changed my mind straight away when our family was picked as family of the day and got to open the park. We were driven around on a 1915 fire engine and got pictures of all of us in the empty park. Then, we got to take part in a special opening show with dancers, fireworks, a steam train and all of the Disney characters. It was brilliant!

As soon as the show was over, we rushed to the Haunted Mansion. I was looking forward to this because I'd heard that it was quite scary. The pre-show was definitely spooky, and I prepared myself for something really bad. The ride itself was actually fine. There were some really cool bits, where there was a lady's face in a crystal lamp and a graveyard, but most was quite funny. When you passed by mirrors, there was a monster sitting on top of you. It was hilarious.

We went to three rides that I thought would be too young for me and I enjoyed two of them. I had no clue how the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor would make you laugh, but it did. There was a very funny bit where they told the story of Monsters Inc using people from the audience. I also thought the Ariel ride was peaceful and relaxing. Everything looked really good, especially the Under The Sea dance with all the fish.

The only other ride I didn't enjoy was the Peter Pan Flight. The sets looked unreal and tiny and it was quite babyish. It was definitely aimed for younger kids.

Our Disney experience ended with a parade including Cinderella, Mickey, Donald, Aladdin and all of the Disney characters. It was the perfect way to end the holiday.

Was I too old for DisneyWorld? No I definitely wasn't. And whatever your age, I doubt you will be either.

Is 11 too old for Disney World?

We were thrilled that the Huffington Post UK ran J's article on our trip to Disney. In case you didn't see it there, here it is....

Princesses, parades and characters I faintly remember loving aged two. Surely I, an 11 year old girl, am way too old for Disney World?

As we drove into DisneyWorld, I felt a surge of excitement. I had dreamed of visiting Disney forever and that dream was coming true. However, I was also slightly worried. When I had been begging my parents to take me, I was still in love with Belle, Toy Story and Pluto. Surely I wouldn't feel the same way about meeting them now as I would have when I was younger?

The first park we visited was the Disney Hollywood Studios. I was most looking forward to the Toy Story Mania ride because I'd heard so much about it. My expectations were very high but when I saw the waiting area, I almost changed my mind. It was full of brightly coloured games that looked cheesy and babyish. Suddenly, Disney started seeming less appealing.

My mind changed as soon as the ride started. My family spun around, laughing as we shot virtual pies, pins and darts at pretend targets. It was such good fun.

When my parents persuaded me to have my picture taken with the Monsters Inc characters, I felt a bit embarrassed. The line was full of five year olds and I was eleven! But Disney obviously drew the younger child out of me though, and it was quite cool to have my picture taken with Sully and Mike Wazowski. I didn't even mind knowing it was actors inside the costumes.
Read more »