Bella Notte

Do you believe in magic? Well, we do. Today marks our first wedding anniversary, and what a magical day it has been! When we checked in last night, we were given buttons to wear this week letting all of Walt Disney World know that we have cause to celebrate. As a result, we received congratulations and VIP treatment everywhere we went. Our concierge, Stephanie, pulled out all the stops and ensured that we would be moved to a more suitable room then the one we were first shown. She called one of her contacts and said, "I've got an anniversary couple here, and they need a king-sized bed! I know where you are. Don't make me come down there!" And so our room troubles vanished.

Knowing that she has not yet regained 100% of her pre-operative stamina, Kala opted to rent a wheelchair for the day in the Magic Kingdom. This proved to be a wonderful idea! Not only did Kala not become exhausted by midday, we were able to get priority seating for parades and shows.

In the Magic Kingdom, we experienced familiar rides as well as a few which were new to us. Some of the old attractions featured fun new twists. For example, the beloved Enchanted Tiki Room show was interrupted by a couple of Disney's newer avian characters, Iago (from Aladdin) and Zazu (from The Lion King). These loud-mouthed interlopers angered the tiki gods, but ultimately order was restored.

There are only minimal differences between the Walt Disney World versions and the Disneyland versions of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "It's a Small World." The biggest difference in the latter was that here in Florida, "It's a Small World" sits down amongst the other rides in Fantasyland, and not on a glorified hillside pedestal like in California.

Most of the new rides we tried today did not impress us at all. Stitch's Great Escape was the biggest disappointment. Advertised as a ride, it is more of a show, without all of the great 3-D effects of other movie-related shows that can be found in all four parks.

The new (to us, at least) attraction that we really enjoyed was Mickey's Philharmagic. This 3-D movie with "4-D" effects was one of the best we've seen. The show features Donald Duck scrambling through memorable scenes from some of our favorite Disney movies to retrieve Mickey's runaway hat. The sights, smells, and other physical sensations were superb.

As we explored the Kingdom, we were wished a happy anniversary by Disney cast members in every mode of employment at the park, from bus drivers to food service workers. We watched the "Share a Dream Come True" parade and got to meet many of our favorite Disney characters, several of whom also noticed our anniversary buttons and congratulated us with "magical wishes."

We dined at Tony's Town Square Restaurant, where Lady and the Tramp once shared a romantic meal, and were treated like royalty. They seated us at a table for two specially decorated with confetti and streamers. We dined on (what else?) spaghetti and meatballs, which were not only delicious, but a good value for a theme park restaurant of this caliber. As if the warm wishes of the staff and the thoughtful decorations were not enough, our server offered a toast to us, and everyone in the restaurant raised a glass in our honor.

Tummies full of fine food and hearts full of love, we took our time getting to the Disney-MGM Studios themepark, where, after a quick and disappointing trip through the "Great Movie Ride," we would bring our "Bella Notte" to a spectacular conclusion at "Fantasmic!" a show of music, lights, fire, water, animation, and live action. We were escorted to a seat with a wonderful view of the whole arena. We were mesmerized by the creativity of the shows' creators as Disney magic was brought to life before our eyes. It was the perfect end to a beautiful day.

Back at our new room at the resort hotel, where our belongings had been transferred while we were out playing, we were pleasantly surprised by the quality and comfort of our new accommodations. We are now quite satisfied with our lodging and look forward to snuggling into the soft, spacious bed. Our thanks go out to Stephanie, whose hard work went a long way toward restoring our belief in the magic of Disney.