A few weeks ago, I used the "My Disney Vacation" feature on the Disney site to create customized maps of the four WDW theme parks. My family could easily navigate the parks without maps, but I wanted to see what a customized Disney Chick map would look like (and I secretly hoped they would be suitable for framing). Within each park map, the program lets you check off which attractions, dining, shows, etc are among your favorites, and then the custom maps are mailed directly to you.
When my maps arrived, the results were ... surprising. See, each of my "favorites" is noted on the park map, but all of the other things I didn't check off are also noted on there, as a visual "hey, you should check this out too." What started out as a ploy for cheap artwork ended up being a fascinating study in how my family experiences Walt Disney World.
The Findings:
When it comes to the Magic Kingdom, my family has it down to a T. Literally. The Magic Kingdom is a big circle, but I was surprised to see what I already know - we walk right down Main Street, then hit up Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, and Frontierland. Our path makes a perfect T shape - the one lonely dot in Mickey's Toontown Fair (RIP) turned out to be for the WDW Railroad, and that dot in Adventureland? Pirates of the Caribbean.
There is nothing that we don't do in Epcot. The only things not listed on my map are the Character Greeting Spots and Kim Possible's World Showcase Adventure. And neither of those things belong in Epcot anyway.
It's no wonder we're always tired after a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Man, that place is big. And we do most of the things in the park, minus the Camp Minnie-Mickey area. So my map has lots of little Me dots, but they're all really far away from each other. Memo to self: wear comfortable shoes.
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a giant waste of space. Obviously, this is not news to anyone who's been to this park lately, but seeing it in visual form is staggering. I had to lower the bar when I put in my favorites. Really, we only do four - FOUR - things at this park: Rock n Roller Coaster, Toy Story Mania, The Magic of Disney Animation, and Star Tours. That's it. If we have time to kill we'll do Muppet Vision 3-D. Indiana Jones loses its luster after the 14th viewing, and don't even get me started on the Backlot Tour. The decay of Hollywood Studios deserves a ranty post all its own, but .... wow.
Have you had your custom maps made? Did you learn anything interesting? Let's continue this study in the comments below.
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Related Links:
* Thoughts on the Fantasyland Expansion
* Segway Tours in WDW: This is How I Roll
* WDW Trip Countdown: The Six Month Stretch
January 30, 2011
What Do Your Disney Maps Say About You?
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5 comments:
You dont do Tower of Terror?
I don't - I went on it once, years ago. I knew in advance of riding that there would be three drops, but when I was on the ride, I counted five - meaning, my brain couldn't tell which way was up and which way was down. I think that anything that disorients a person that much can't be good for you.
We did those customized maps and I was annoyed when all the attractions were listed and not just my favorite ones. What's the point of that?
picture???
Have they added restrooms to the maps yet? I ordered some a few years ago when they first started offering them. They were very pretty, and I had them laminated so they wouldn't fall apart while in the parks. I discovered the lack of restrooms on the maps when we were in the middle of Liberty Square trying to find the nearest restroom for my then 3-year-old newly potty-trained son, and had to defer to my father who had picked up a map on the way in. Needless to say, we don't actually use them for navigation anymore, but the kids really enjoy playing with them at home. :-)
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