In a Kingdom Not Too Far Far Away

Walt Disney World

Once upon a time there was a magical place filled with beauty, fantasy, adventure and entertainment. It was a place of happiness and joy, a place where troubles and cares were easily forgotten. It was a place where tears were never shed (unless your shoes happened to be uncomfortable). Actually, this place still exists, not in a kingdom far far away, but in a kingdom only five miles down the road from my house- how cool is that?

After moving to Celebration, Florida in 1998, one of the first things I did was get myself a Walt Disney World Pass, thus joining the ranks of thousands of fellow "Passholes." Living only five miles away, it’s easy to just hop over to one of the four theme parks for a few hours of fun any time I want.

Magic Kingdom, Epcot, MGM Studios, and Animal Kingdom are more than enough to keep me busy, but if I’d wanted to, I could have upgraded to the Disney World "Premium" Annual Pass. With The Premium pass, you not only get year-round admission to all four theme parks, but also admission to Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach, Pleasure Island and Disney Quest. That should be enough fun to keep anyone happy, but if it’s still not enough, the kingdom that is Disney also offers the shops and restaurants of Downtown Disney, a handful of themed miniature golf courses, numerous resort restaurants, and Board Walk with its piano bar, dance hall, and surrey bike rentals. The list of fun things to do at Disney World goes on and on. It never ends, literally. New destinations, events and attractions are being added all the time.

Walt Disney World is ever-changing and as Walt himself envisioned it, Disney World will never be completed. Theme park attractions are always being refreshed and reinvented. Magic Kingdom’s "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Swiss Family Tree House", and Epcot’s "River of Time" and "Mission Space", are just a few recent examples.

Brand new rides and attractions are also always being added. Animal Kingdom has recently debuted "Expedition Everest" and "Finding Nemo, the Musical." Epcot now offers "The Seas with Nemo and Friends," and Magic Kingdom just opened "Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor."

I’ve been a happy Passhole for many years now. I’ve been to the parks hundreds of times and I still haven’t done everything there is to do, and I never will. As I wander throughout the vast kingdom of Walt Disney World, always discovering something new, I still can’t believe how lucky I am to live here, just right down the road from the kingdom that is Walt Disney World and all it has to offer.