The Trip to my Second Home by Jillian Cockrell

On a bus in Orlando, Florida, was just where I wanted to be on Easter day with my mom and grandma.  A little ways on the drive to our hotel, I spoted a sign that will never be erased from my memory. In big red letters it said “Walt Disney World. Where dreams come true.” with Mickey and Minnie on the sides smiling as if they were there that instant. We continued driving on the large bus that held excitement in store!! 

We finally arrived at the Yacht Club Resort hotel to drop off our bags and other things we didn’t feel like carrying around. We walked in the entrance to the hotel and we were blown away with how beautiful it was. A Large globe sat in the middle of the room, a large rug was underneath that and some red chairs were behind the globe. A snack bar was far in the corner of the room, front desks hidden close by the entrance, and a couple hallways lead to an elevator, and some restaurants not far from there.

We finally dropped off in bags to our room and looked around some to sight the wonderful room. Beds nicely made, clean bathroom all tidied up, large white dresser up against the wall, and a nice balcony overviewing a beautiful lighthouse, a large lake with a sandy side, and most of all flowers!

We finally left the hotel and got on to a bus to the place with all kinds of magic in store for pleasure viewing and tons of rides. The bus ride took a little time to get there, monorails up above the roads for another way of transportation. We soon pulled up to the area where I wanted to be for a long period of time.

We got off the bus to the different bus stops for each resort. We got off and walked to the entrance for the police officers to check our bags and to scan our Magicbands to get in the park. After they checked my bag and scanned my band, I walked up to the railroad station with a big Mickey Mouse head made out of flowers. There was a big yellow, circled flower bed around it with a sign above it that said “Let the Memories Begin!” with pictures of costumed characters around the sign. On the railroad station building, it said “Magic Kingdom”, with a train going in front of it.

My mom, grandma and I walked into one of the side entrances, with loads of people entering all around us. I pulled out my iPod from my pocket and pulled up the camera and turned it to video. I started a video. I jumped up and squealed with joy hearing the familiar music playing. I walked into the little center area where a flag pole stands with bushes and a bench with a Walt Disney Figure sitting on it. Also Pluto the dog and Marie (From Aristocats) wore there to meet guests. But I ignored that and kept walking so I could see the beauty of a castle standing tall and bright. I lifted up my iPod to view the castle standing tall that I would soon see. I saw the tip of it up high in the sky, above the very tall gift shops. The shops were lit up with lights outlined all around them, gorgeous to look at.  I walked more and more to the center and finally saw the castle.

It stood there in beauty and grace. The small towers stood up against the castle, blue roofs over them with a small flag waving on top. As I looked up at it more, the taller towers appear. Gray, white and a little shade of pink cover the fiber-glass castle. The entrance at the bottom one round whole with a bridge in front of it. A balcony above it with a small clock to tell time. Tiny windows towards the top of towers, and a tall roof at the tip top of it with a yellow roof with a flag on top, and right in front of it is a Walt Disney Statue, holding the hand of Mickey Mouse, a small garden lies around it with a little fence around it as well. Benches were located around it, the area leveled up some from high viewings. Trees and bushes surrounded it. Railroad tracks in the center of the ground from horse to pulley the trollies around Main Street.

We then went to Ohana, which served varieties of Polynesian food cooked and prepared right away. Served hot and quick, landed on my plate and soon gone after a little while. Salads, chickens, shrimps, and tons more of food so good! Then smell fills your nose as if you stuck it right in your nose when really it’s sitting on a table. The smell hits you with goodness that it makes your mouth water quickly and uncontrollably.

We then later went back to the Magic Kingdom to watch shows of lights and music. I asked my mom if I could go sit on the ground front and center in front of the beautiful castle to witness a beautiful show that will be glued in my head for as long as I live. The show then began. Music played, projections of flipping pages of a book appear on the castle. Walt Disney then appeared with Tinker Bell flying all around with her pixie dust flowing behind her. The show continued with a circus tent appearing in red, blue, white and yellow! A smiling cat with tea cups dancing and whistling along with steam coming from the spouts! Cinderella and Pinocchio appeared with blues and purples all over the castle! Small firework at the end as well. They popped up quickly and quietly, surprising! Shine a bright orange-yellow color in little strips of light.

Then later cheery music played down Main Street that made my legs want to get up and dance and jump all around in happiness. The lights all over shops, bakery’s, and little store all go off together and slowly. Then big floats of objects full of lights came out of a door and had different light effects syncing with the music. Loads of characters came out, like Cinderella, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Dwarfs, Peter Pan and tons more! Dragons came out, but friendly. A carriage cames with a fairy god mother on top. Tinker Bell on her homemade air balloon! Peter Pan and Captain Hook battling on the Jolly Roger, and loads more!!!

Later throughout the week, I witnessed going to different places only in one place though! Epcot was full of different countries and food! Places like Germany, England, Ireland, Scotland, China, Japan and loads more! I soared the skies on Sorain’! Took flight without going too high or too far. Foods and music explored my head in different ways! Fireworks all around the world come exploding throughout the night with beautiful music filling my ears with ‘awe’. A globe in the center of the lagoon lit up the water and brought picture to my eyes. With fireworks lighting up the skies, in beauty.

Then I explored the wonderful world of Hollywood, only in Orlando. That’s it! Hollywood Studios! A big sorcery hat stood in center with large gloves beside it pointing at the hat with yellow and white stars and moons covering the blue hat. A fearful hotel awaited to be checked in. The Tower of Terror, dropped me faster than the speed of gravity up in the “Hollywood Tower Hotel”. Toys waited for my arrival in Andy’s room. Toy Story Mania that is! I sat in the seat with my glasses and shooter in this 4-D adventure! But sadly, my mom beat me in this round, but I know that battle won’t end anytime soon. Them at the end of an adventurous day, I ended the night with Mickey Mouse enemies in his dream, Fantasmic! Lights and water projections filled my eyes up with pleasure and happiness. But in the end, Mickey Mouse saves his dream from becoming a nightmare along with other friends like Jasmine and Aladdin, Ariel and Eric, Belle and the beast, Pluto and many, many more!!

The last park was full of noise and wonder! Nature and animals surround me with me feeling like I’m an animal myself. Animal Kingdom sounds about right! A large tree stood up high with animals carved into the large, wide trunk. I experienced Mount. Everest in a whole new way, in a coaster! I kept going higher and higher! 200 feet in fact on the mountain! We then come to a stop, the tracks are broken, and we couldn’t continue this journey! It was too far to give up, we then go backwards!! Pitch black for some moments, then I saw the monstrous creature that lives on this mountain! The Yeti!! I then rode a more relaxing ride, Kali River Rapids, I got on a large raft with seats included. We go quickly down the river, twist and turns each way. We then discovered a path was blocked by a truck, we them have to go the fast way! Down a steep, water fall down to the bottom, safe and sound, but wet.

On the last night there, my mom and I got onto the bus to “Magic Kingdom” while my grandma stayed in the hotel to rest some. My mom and I were on our way to see my favorite show of all time, “Wishes. Nighttime Spectacular!” It’s full of beautiful music, tons of fireworks and maybe even a flying Tinker Bell. I was picturing all of that in my mind, thinking of all the beautiful music in my head. I then looked at the time and said “Mom! We’ll be late to the show!!” She seemed calm about it, so we settled on the bus and just relaxed, but in my head I was screaming at the top of my lungs with excitement!! The drive went on and I heard the music the bus always played once we pulled up to this magical land. I then witnessed that the bus pulled up to a different hotel stop, further away from the entrance! My mom then yells to me “Go ahead without me! I’ll catch up!” I yell back “Okay!” Then I ran the quickest I’ve ever run, as if my hair was on fire.

I got up to the stop where officers check peoples bags, but there’s no one there, so I stood there just in case if an officer came late. I then hear the music for the show starting to play. My body froze with fright and worry, I then looked around for other stations open to check my bag. Nothing! I then called my mom on my phone to see if she’s inside. I then find out she’s in line to get in, but I still stood waiting for an officer to come. Several minutes later, I call here again and find out that she got in, she instructed me to go over on the right side of where I check in on the other side. I then run quickly that I couldn’t see what was surrounding me. I then saw that the officers at the station where people are supposed to scan their bands. I then ran to the shortest line and scan it and have the officers check my bag. I then ran the fastest out of the other two times I ran here, then I spotted the fireworks in beauty, large in the sky, lit up my heart with the happiest emotions I’ve ever had. Larger than the castle, they light up the dark evening. I stood where the flag pole was and witnessed Main Street, the castle and the sky all together in a beautiful painting never erased from my memory. I call my mom and finally find her by the bakery. I saw closer to the castle and toke pictures and a couple videos for a memory. But the problem is, I could barely see because of all the heads in my way. I stood on my tippy toes and move my head around to get good views of the fireworks and the beauty of a castle.

Several minutes later, my favorite part came and I watch and remember it as if it were a film being recorded that very second. I smile at the beauty I witness, it lights up my heart as bright as the sun. My eyes focused on the gorgeous things I witnessed. Then a couple minutes later, it ends, sadly. I only saw about five minutes of my favorite thing on my favorites list there. I was sad, disappointed. But my mom says “Well, looks like we’ll just have to come back!” I then grinned at that message. We then looked at the shops and everything then watched the parade once again along with the projections on the castle. We then headed back, we got back around eleven.

Then the next morning, my grandma said to me “Did you have fun?!” I then responded with “Yes, I have the best time yet!” With feeling and excitement. But I now know, that Walt Disney World is my second home, forever and always.