1975:I was a freshman at a hippy, intellectual, surfer college an hour and a half from WDW. I was VERY much into the Earth and the environment and not at all into what I thought would be a plastic, phony culture. High school friends (girls) visited because they wanted to go to WDW. Yuck. But they were my friends, so I went. Man, oh man! I worked at Disney the next four years! Hahahaha...
This is the first place that I ever knew of that really treated people like they were "guests" instead of just customers. Now everyone follows their model. They paid (and still do) great benefits and treated ALL employees like a valuable resource. (Another first?) Is it any wonder that visiting Russians would want to go somewhere where they can forget about the world?
I live in one of the greatest cities in the world (San Francisco) and it is filled with tourist traps, homeless people begging and our downtown "signature" street smells like urine 24/7. Lots and lots of cheap t-shirt shops.
I can't imagine anyone would go to Disney (ESPECIALLY FT's!) without asking for tips here and reading a few "insider's" guides.
Future tips:
-Don't go when school is out. The place will be overflowing. Adult couples esp are there in Feb.
-Each park opens an hour before the published time. (This may vary by season/park on occasion.) You are allowed into the first area and there is usually a quality place to have a sit-down bkfst. (Magic Kingdom: The Crystal Palace.) THEN at the "scheduled" opening time a rope is dropped and you may enter the rest of the park(s). They really do call it "rope drop"... ask about it. This is to reduce the crowding at the front gates.
-reserve a sit down meal FIRST THING for lunch and then dinner. Do lunch at reg time and dinner late. That way you can go on rides, etc. wehile others are eating. (e.g. In the Magic Kingdom eat in Cinderella's castle!).
-ALWAYS geta multi-day pass... they make great xmas presents for the remaining days as they NEVER expire(or you can sell them to the
bellboys/concierges at the hotels)
lots more.... this really can be a fun place..
oh... and one more thing: I can get you 3 t-shirts for 10 dollars in San Francisco, San Antonio, Nashville, Memphis, Miami, Key West, LA, Cleveland, NYC, Chicago, Paris, London, Bangkok, blah, blah, blah. (maybe cheaper in some of those, huh?)
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"Waiter? May I have another latté, please?"