We had a restful time in Orlando last weekend, trying new restaurants and visiting Walt Disney World. This time we went to the Magic Kingdom. One is never too old to enjoy the happy ambiance, the lush landscaping, and the familiar tunes blaring on the loudspeakers. Heading left off Main Street, decorated for the autumn season as shown in these photos, we boarded the Jungle Cruise for a leisurely boat ride through various themed areas while the driver’s running commentary offered a series of witty puns.

  MAIN STREET

  DECORATED LAMP POST

  FLOAT

MICKEY AND DONALD

JUNGLE CRUISE

Hungry, we ate lunch in the place opposite the Haunted Mansion, choosing healthy hummus or tuna sandwiches. This was a great time to be here. With all the kids back in school, lines were short. We went right into the Haunted Mansion afterward, where we’ve been so many times I’ve lost count. Then we headed for the Hall of Presidents which had been refurbished in Frontierland. We sat through the inspiring movie, a review of American history. My son wasn’t so impressed. He said, "If I wanted a history lesson, I’d watch the history channel. I’d rather get up close to the audioanimatronics figures." After the movie, the presidents were introduced. These were automated figures who looked real. Lincoln gave his famous speech and President Obama spoke a few words. Then a rendition of "America the Beautiful" finished the production. The audience applauded. Clearly some people had been impressed. From here, we crossed to Tomorrowland and our favorite Carousel of Progress. I never get tired to seeing this attraction. Each era thinks theirs is the best. It makes me wonder about the advancements I’ll never live to see.

We didn’t spend our entire weekend at WDW. Venturing north to Winter Park, we dined at Wazzabi, a Japanese restaurant on Gay Road off Orlando Avenue. With a large sushi bar, hibachi and regular dining rooms, this popular place gets filled quickly. I had sesame ginger shrimp that came artfully arranged with a dome of rice on my plate. Naturally, I took notes, since my proposed new mystery series takes place in quaint Winter Park. Other places we ate: Timpano on W. Sand Lake Road, also known as Restaurant Row. The Elephant Bar at Millenia Mall. Urban Flats in Winter Garden. We hit the Prime Outlets and Downtown Disney Marketplace. So it was fun, although VERY hot. It’ll still be hot when we return in October for the Epcot Food & Wine Festival, but we’ll happily suffer as we taste the foods of different lands.

NANCY DOING RESEARCH AT WAZZABI JAPANESE STEAKHOUSE & SUSHI BAR

Great job, Nancy!

Please consider posting some of these photos on THE CORE OF HAPPINESS fan page! I think they capture certain aspects of the wonderment of being a kid and looking at the world with the joy of cartoon eyes!

If you're interested, http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Core-of-Happiness/190769252624?ref=nf

Best wishes!