Going to Disney World, where Snow White gives autographs -

Going to Disney World I wrote this in one of the reports I emailed live during the 2004 solo trip. Many years later, a bitter film m at also entertaining, about the world that is next to that from the parks-a dream called Florida.

I had to think hard about what to see at Disney World; the park at the time actually consisted of 4 parks. As is evident from the featured photo, not even artificial intelligence in my fantasies allowed me to meet Duckoga and Eta Beta, which would be my favorites.

The trip to go to Disney world

From New Orleans I was supposed to take the train to Orlando and then go to Disney World. But the train was broken, so they loaded us onto a bus. The two drivers were very nice, but I don’t know if they were recycled train drivers. They didn’t know the way and we got lost a couple of times.

Having split up, passengers who had a more distant destination like me avoided all the intermediate stations. So instead of arriving at 8:30 p.m., we arrived much earlier, at 1 p.m. Also, there was no polar weather on the train, and being few in number, I stood in the gallery occupying 4 seats; most comfortable.

Arriving early at the hostel, I also enjoyed the pool. Then I watched some TV in the common room. There was a very interesting program, about a machine that helps women in masturbation, but it is not a vibrator but a rather large and complicated machine. In hyper-puritan America I really didn’t think they could show such things.

If Western culture, that is, commercial culture, the culture of junk TV, snack foods, image, veils and fake boobs, is an American invention that we have taken, American citizens are victims just as we are, in fact perhaps more so. They admire and envy the TV stars, who advertise junk, but are in great shape. While there are many more overweight people around than in Europe. Around seen the biggest man in my life, his ankle was like my thigh.

A group of Hare Krishnas ised in a meadow in front of a reconstructed medina in a Disney park — A group of Hare Krishnas in front of a reconstructed medina

Near Disney world, the tip of the century

Where I’m staying, in parts of Orlando, there’s a cluster of hotels, little hotels, supermarkets and various stores. It’s like being where Omer Simpson takes the family shopping. All parasites on the big playground and its rivals (there are a ton of them…), it’s very tacky and rather sad. Many offer concessions for the park: one appliance store a $40 discount, if I knew that, I’d buy a dishwasher.

Last night I had one of the best steaks of my life, but more importantly I left a spectacular tip; instead of the usual 15%, 70%. I guess the waitress is still there counting the money, and hoping for my return. For goodness sake she was very nice, but the fact is that I was wrong. The dollars are really ugly and incomprehensible: all the same, much better our colored euros.

Of Disney World I first visited the Epcot center, which is supposed to be the technology park with an educational background, I didn’t like it so much, although I stayed there all day.

Going to Disney World means making choices, but there’s Snow White giving autographs

The most significant moment was when I saw a little girl asking Snow White for her autograph. She wasn’t even in her park, maybe she had dropped by to visit a friend…or were they cleaning in her castle?

Rock band on a stage at Disney World, dressed in Scottish kilts — Bravissimi a group of Canadians playing rock music with a bagpipe and complete with Scottish kilts.

I had a great time in a couple of the three-dimensional attractions, in one it looked like rats were running underfoot! There are good ideas, some things practically museum-like, some terrible, and there are the attractions representing some countries of the world. Basically they are a series of little stores with souvenirs, some are nice, some are pure tourist money-grabbers; the American one is so boring: their super patriotism and self idolization is even more incomprehensible than baseball.

Magic Kingdom

Today I went to Magic Kingdom, which is the ultimate Disney park. It is so big that you have to like certain things. I really liked the attractions with three-dimensional movies here too, while the 45 minutes in line for Peter Pan was painful.

In general, I enjoyed today more than yesterday, probably because I was better turned around, there was more stuff outside, so less air conditioning. Outdoors is baking hot, but certain temperature swings bother me like a beast, and more importantly I was much less tired.

I must admit that the thing I will remember most about my going to Disney World is today’s lunch: a walking turkey leg. It is to be held with a sheet of paper in your hand, and as you walk you take a bite out of it now and then, as if it were ice cream.

At Disney World a small family eats turkey legs for walking. A large white bird is nearby, watching them — A small family intent on eating turkey leg for walking. Who knows what was going through the head of the big bird in front of them.

I’ was expecting a gigantic roundup of Disney characters, but instead there aren’ t many to be seen; it’ s better because the more famous ones have never been that likable to me. I think Mickey was paying bribes to Commissioner Basettoni; Donald Duck is sclerotic; Scrooge McDuck is too assonant with Berluscon de Berlusconi; of Grandma Goose I appreciated the cake, but she only gave it to Scrooge because he has money; my favorites were Phantom Duck and Eta Beta!

With this digression I will have offended someone, yay! maybe some criticism is finally coming!

Toward the end

I confess that I’m a bit dumpy, a little bit of exhaustion, a little bit of end-of-trip-then-return-to-home smaron, a little bit of feeling that the best is over, then an email that pissed me off a lot from Italy; whatever, I’ll try to make the best of the last few days as well.

If it happened again, in the U.S. I would certainly revisit New York, Boston, and New Orleans; Washington and Philadelphia would not, while Disney only with children, I think it would be different.

Tomorrow Miami! I hope my cicerone will have some time for me. I really want to go to Key West, everyone tells me they are beautiful. They are coral islands connected by a road that is like crossing the ocean, but I don’t know how and if I’ll be able to do it because the best thing would be the car, and I don’t know how convenient it would be for me to rent it by myself, we’ll see.

p.s. I didn’t take that many photos, 3/4 rolls. I usually take many more, we are strangely missing the silly photos, the somewhat surreal self shots I usually take, and the cow photos (except the first one). I have photographed a lot of squirrels, though, in all poses-I only miss the trumpeting squirrel then I have all versions!