NATURE
The Circle Of Life Visits The Magic Kingdom
Chip and Dale had a bad day.
I am not a Disney person per se, but when in Rome — or when attending trade shows in Orlando, if time allows, I’ve been known to jump on the bandwagon with a few colleagues who are Disney fans.
It’s somewhat nostalgia for me. Growing up, we visited my Grandma Harriett in Naples, Florida every Easter over spring break. We went to the beach and dug for coquinas, swam at the pool till we exuded chlorine, and rode her three-wheeler around her senior community, watching for alligators in the lagoon. We always went to some parks, places like Parrot Jungle, Busch Gardens, and of course, Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
I didn’t have kids or a big infatuation with Disney, so I didn’t go back until recent years with my colleagues on a work trip.
I have to say I was pretty impressed. One expects places that looked amazing as a child to be diminished by jaundiced adult eyes. I did notice a few seams and a drop ceiling in the Small World ride, but generally, the place holds up to scrutiny.
It’s a real fantasy-land bubble-world type experience. I can see why people enjoy it. You have to kind of go with it or you are totally screwed though.
Some things have changed. One is the pre-planning. I won’t get into it here, but it’s not a very spontaneous experience anymore. The other was the level of Disney experience one can have, if you are able and willing to pay.
What a sight it was to see young girls in full-out Disney princess mode, walking around in an other-worldly state with dresses and full hair and make-up. They were Arial or Elsa or whatever the other princess names are nowadays.
They didn’t have that level when I was a kid.
A few years ago, on a half-day visit to EPCOT, my colleagues and I were strolling around the World Showcase looking for some sustenance, when we heard some cries of alarm. Several parents had one hand pointing to a tree and one covering their mouths in horror as a hawk ripped the guts out of Chip or Dale, not sure which one, but it was bad.
Suddenly, the bubble burst. The reality of nature reared its ugly head. This was The Circle of Life in all its glory.
The truth is, Disney World is a great place for a hawk to get a meal. The place attracts all kinds of defenseless wildlife like birds, squirrels, and chipmunks. There’s lots of greenery and water features. If I was a hawk, I’d hunt there too.
Not going to mention the issue with water and it being Florida only to say that as Floridians are fond of saying, if there is a body of water, there is most likely an alligator in it.
Beneath the well-crafted veneer of the Magic Kingdom, nature finds a way to exist and do as nature does. Make sure and cover the kiddies' eyes when it happens.
