Fireworks shows

All of the parks at Walt Disney World now include some form of nighttime entertainment show, and most of them include fireworks. When you watch each of these evening celebrations the first time, you’ll feel swept up in the proceedings, almost as if the spirit of Walt Disney is coursing through your veins.

Even though Wishes has since been replaced by Happily Ever After, I loved the old show so much that I’ll start singing the Wishes song without really knowing why. I say this to reinforce just how wonderfully orchestrated the nightly fireworks displays are, and how much they have impacted me over the years.

Still -- and this may be something that’s only relatable to the most frequent Disney visitors and Florida residents – there does come a point when the fireworks no longer trigger a magical reaction. I had this epiphany on a recent night when my wife and I and another couple exited the World Showcase. They are Florida residents, and we are frequent visitors.

Image: DisneyThat point became crystal clear as we all suddenly realized that it was three minutes prior to the start of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. We were standing near the Japan Pavilion at the time and would have had a wonderful view of the award-winning exhibition. I asked if the other three people wanted to stop and watch. I received three emphatic “NO!” replies in less than a second…and we’d all had fun hanging out that night. We just weren’t interested in yet another viewing of the fireworks. Saturation is a factor with these shows, even my favorite, Fantasmic! Then again, I’d probably watch that one every day if Disney just added some lumbar support to their stadium seating there.

Cinderella’s Royal Table

Image: DisneyThe first time that you eat at Cinderella’s Royal Table, you feel like royalty. That’s not a cliché. Magic Kingdom is the most trafficked theme park in the world, and the entire park is centered on its hub, Cinderella Castle. When you get to eat in the heart of the castle, you feel like you’re the Disney elite.

Your first meal at Cinderella’s Royal Table is magical. There’s a velvet rope of sorts that prevents the little people at Magic Kingdom from going inside the restaurant, but YOU get to pass it. Then, you take what I can only describe as prom pictures with the titular princess before heading inside. At your meal, a plethora of other princesses come to your table and introduce themselves, and why shouldn’t they? You’re basically Disney royalty when you eat there!

Image: DisneyAlas, multiple visits to Cinderella’s Royal Table in a short period of time (i.e. not decades later) may give you a different impression. You’ve already done all of the photo ops and made small talk with the princesses before. You know the shtick by now, and you’ll never match that magical first time dining in the heart of the castle. Instead, what you’ll mainly notice in future visits is that the food is remarkably ordinary, but you’re still paying $80 per person for it. Cinderella’s Royal Table definitely has a shelf life of two visits or less. After that, it should be reserved for special occasions like anniversaries and birthdays.