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| Main Street USA late 1970's |
There's just something about the old time Americana feel of Main Street USA. Perhaps it's the sweet harmonic sounds of the Dapper Dans greeting you or the Suffragettes with their victory sashes serving as a reminder of how far we have come as a nation. Maybe it's the clang of the trolley overflowing with petticoat laden ladies and handsome lads donning boaters and spats. Or is it the clip-clop sounds of Clydesdale shoes and the 'ahoo-ga' horn reminding you this is a very active street?
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| Thanksgiving Tradition! |
Then again it could be that glorious Castle standing 183 feet tall in the distance; a backdrop for countless beautiful (and some down-right kooky) family memories spanning over four decades. In fact, it's all of these, the sights and the sounds, mixed in with the melding smells of cotton candy and popped corn that welcome my family each and every time we enter the Magic Kingdom, reminding me we are in our favorite place on Earth!
The Magic Kingdom is without a doubt my favorite Disney theme park, but not for the same reasons so many others admire. Simply put, from the moment I enter, I know I am home. While most folks tend to rush through Main Street to get to the different "lands", we have always enjoyed and truly appreciated the keen attention to detail, themed shops and street characters that Main Street has to offer.
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| Always so thrilled to visit with Scoop and the Ladies! |
As annual passholders we get to go quite frequently, and often find ourselves searching for specific characters. I mean, how neat is it to be in a place where both the Mayor and Fire Chief are accessible to you? In fact, every time we go, we make sure to look for Mayor Weaver as well as Fire Chief Smokey Miller and say a proper hello. (Side note - as a parent I find it's a great civics lesson while on vacation!) And ladies, let's not forget before the "Spice Girls" - there were countless Suffragettes fighting for "girl power" - and one of the Main Street characters, Hildegard Harding, reminds us how far we've come! Our favorite character to look for on Main Street is Scoop Sanderson the Main Street Gazette Reporter who also happens to be quite the Pin Enthusiast!
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| Grand Marshals - October 2, 2015 |
All the Characters of Main Street have such dynamic stories they are willing to share, if you just take a moment and engage them. Last October, while on a girl's trip, it was one of these chance meetings that led to a remarkable experience. We stopped to speak with a group of the street performers and posed for pictures. We were there celebrating our friend who is an amazing cancer survivor. Little did we know there were ears nearby listening and before we knew it, she had been made Grand Marshal for the day, and we got to tag along for the ride.
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| Michael outside The Plaza Restaurant in 1976 |
Of course, I love all the lands the Magic Kingdom has to offer. Each one is so carefully themed and the details bleed through right down to the trash cans! But without a doubt, it is always Main Street USA that fills my heart with that overwhelming joy one experiences while at a Disney theme park! So next time you find yourself entering the Magic Kingdom, put the cell phones and cameras away, take a deep breath (so you can smell that fantastic popcorn and cotton candy) and take a leisurely stroll. Make new friends, as you relax, The rides will still be there after you do, I promise, and you just may learn a little something you didn't know, not just about Walt Disney World, but about America's history!
Now I know many of you worry about your little ones being entertained without the thrills at the Disney Parks my friend Megan has written a great blog about the many ways to entertain the kiddos at Epcot! Visit her at Bibbidi Bobbidi Mom
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