Walt Disney World Spring Getaway/Birthday Treat
Sunday, May 10 the Magic Kingdom /Toad in

I actually managed to sleep a little later this last morning of the trip but I still had plenty of time to pack up and check out. Check out is extremely easy you drop your parking pass in a box on the way out the gate.

On my way to the Magic Kingdom I was a bit distracted, I guess, and I managed to completely miss the turn for the Magic Kingdom and ended up instead on a two-lane road that encircles the park I got a few neat pictures though.

Space Mountain from outside the berm Monorail Parking Monorail Parking and the train shed


Upon arriving in the park I wanted to ride the Horse drawn trolley (in a continuation of my things I had not done at wdw yet theme). When I got on the trolley I was telling the kids next to me (from a school band that was visiting from Wisconsin) about how when I visited in December I was walking up Main Street and heard the sound of a barbershop quartet coming up from behind me and turned around to see them riding up the street on the trolley. Well we got halfway up Main Street and there were the Dans singing in the middle of the street and they got on our trolley I got pictures of them all. They did a good job of posing for me as I pointed the camera at each of them (and on a moving trolley even).




left photo: Paul Hesson (Paul left the Dappers in January 2003 and moved back to Ohio)
Center pair of photos: Buddy Seeberg (Buddy retired after 25 yrs in the Dappers and moved to Oregon)
Right of the center pair: Joe Hudgins (the big, blue, round mound of sound retired about 2001 after 25 or so years in the Dappers, lives in Orlando)
Far Right: Steve Culpepper

I had gotten to thinking about how Frontierland does not have an entrance on the hub at the Magic Kingdom like it does at Disneyland so, when I saw the sign marking the beginning of Frontierland I wanted to get a shot of it. There was a fair bit of live entertainment at the Magic Kingdom today the dans on Main Street, the drum and fife group in Liberty Square, The Adventureland Steel drum band. I remember riding Pirates and after listening to the Adventureland band for a bit I headed for Splash Mtn. As I neared the loading area, I saw Brian Spencer waiting on the exiting side. I tried to get his attention but couldn't. Then My boat pulled up with Jeff and Katie Spencer in it (I guess Susan was doing a mothers day thing). I thanked Jeff for Saving a boat for me :-). On the upper outdoor part of Splash mtn. You could still see some bare branches on the Swiss Family tree house and the crane that was working on it.


Liberty Square fife Drum Frontierland Entrance sign Adventureland steel drum band .Frontierland food area 
construction fence.....they want me to go where? ...pretty good, sure as your born.... Crane view from Splash .Frontierland food area construction fence: wide view Columbia Harbor House food area  construction 
outside only resteraunt remained open


The rear court of the castle was absolutely gorgeous in it's fully restored glory. I was glad to see signs announcing the coming Buzz Lightyear ride too.

My oh my what a wonderful day! coming Fall 1998 Dreamflight/Buzz Light Year


When I got in line for Space mountain, I didn't notice anything unusual around me but when I got up into the area where the queue winds back on itself I saw just a few people behind me Bill Matson. I let the folks in between us ahead of me. Bill and I toured together for a bit. We were both planning on attending the weekly Toad-in. So after we rode Space we then rode the TTA wile we got our bearings. We decided to hit the Jungle Cruise we had a female skipper who delivered the spiel very well. When she warned the parents to take small children by the hand as they exit. She claimed that's how she got started there. Her parents left her behind and the Disney folks took her to It's a Small World and taught her to sing the song in all 72 languages.


looks like those apes finally got that jeep to turn over African Veldt Tiger eyes Just Monkeying Around



Click here to Continue on to the Toad in Conclusion of my Spring 1998 WDW trip



questions? comments? email me martsolf@mindspring.com

May 1998 trip report index (on trip reports index page)

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last updated (added the names of the Dans pictured in the photos) on 30-Dec-2007 10:42 AM ...
...so that just goes to show that even a 10 year old trip report may occasionally be "plussed".