Trip Log:

Started off the morning bright and early with a 6:45 alarm, but somehow managed to wake up around 6ish. Headed off to Everything Pop for breakfast and then over to EPCOT via bus. We arrived early, around 8:15 for our 8:45 meeting time for Backstage Magic. For a log of the tour check out our tour section. We departed our tour at the TTC and took the resort monorail over to the Magic Kingdom. Met up with the rest of our group and we entered the park and took the train to Frontierland. Walked over to the Country Bears and watched the show, followed by dinner at Pecos Bill’s then a trip to the Hall of Presidents. Went and grabbed a Fastpass for Buzz and then walked out to Toontown via the trail and took the train to Main Street. Got off and some shopped while others, namely me, took pictures. Headed back to Tomorrowland and road Buzz followed by a trip on the People Mover. Walked over to Liberty Square for funnel cakes and ice cream then some left the park, I circled the castle then headed for the express monorail and the monorail to EPCOT. Wandered through Future World and took a right into World Showcase, circled the lagoon while watching Illuminations then back to the bus.

Thoughts & Observations:

• Half of us spent most of the day on the Backstage Magic Tour. This is the 7+ hour excursion that takes you to EPCOT, the Studios, and the Magic Kingdom as well as other spots on property. To read our thoughts and log of the Backstage Magic Tour please visit our tour section, click here (it will open in its own window so you do not loose this page). Overall I thought the tour was ok, but not as good as some other tours I have been on. There were a couple great highlights, the central shops and backstage at the American Adventure to name two.

• We were carrying on a conversation before we left about the distances in the parks. The discussion centered on there being a similiar distance from the train station on Main Street to the castle at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. We decided to walk it off and lone behold they were within 20 steps of each other (and you add in the error of us not taking the same size steps, and us having to dodge other guests and that makes them nearly identitcal.
  
  WDW's rough distances:
  Train Station to the edge of Town Square - 50
  Top of town Square to Partners – 260
  Partners to compass – 70
  Total: 380 steps
  
  Disneyland's:
  Train Station Steps -> Flag Pole 22 steps
  Flag Pole -> Partners 267 steps
  Partners -> Castle entrance 110 steps (probably can subtract 10-20 or so steps from the castle entrance back to the compass).
  Total: 387 steps
  (Note: I took off 12 steps from the compass to the caslte entrance)
  
  

• Caught the Country Bears and it just reminded me of how much we miss them at Disneyland... I wish they would make a return appearance.. critter country could use them.

• After riding Buzz again, still think it stinks compared to Disneyland's.. the guns and targets were quite annoying after using the new and improved version on the West coast.. I used to find this one of my favorite WDW attractions, but not anymore due to Disneyland's version..

• As you will see, there was a Flower being projected on Spaceship Earth as you exited the park after Illuminations, this was new to me, I do not remember it from years past. I used to enjoy seeing the globe projection..
  

Pedometer Information for the day:

Enough with the text.. onto the pictures

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