#casey's corner

"Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright; the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light, and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout; but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out. Yet in the realm where dreams come true, and magic fills the air, At Casey's Corner, queues ensue, with scents beyond compare. The throngs of hungry guests partake in feast of famed delight, But lo, the bins can take no more, they're filled to such a height. The staff, they toil with all their might, to clear the mounting tide, Of wrappers, cups, and napkins, cast thoughtlessly aside. For in this land of fun and play, where Mickey makes his rounds, Even Casey's Corner must uphold the cleanliness that abounds. So let us cheer for those unseen, who keep the magic neat, Ensuring every corner's clean, and every treat is sweet. For though the mighty Casey's out, and trash cans may overflow, The spirit of Disney's always there, and on the show must go." [Disclosure: Casey asked AI for a little help in continuing his famous 1888 poem]

Casey's Corner, lit for the night.

Epic USA Birthday Adventure

My birthday is in April. For the first time in a number of years, I wanted to do something to celebrate my birthday. So the decision was made - I was going to spend my birthday at Walt Disney World.

From there, plans were made for an Epic Birthday Adventure....Four Australian girls taking on (select parts of) the USA.  Come along as I recap our adventure!

Part 24 – Walt Disney World Day 1, Part 1

Magic Kingdom

After moving rooms, it was time to head to the parks! A later start than we had originally planned, but we were excited! You may think it would be like Disneyland all over again, but trust me, it’s different! 

We hopped on the bus (Disney Transportation is quite good, and included in your resort stay) and off we went. Throughout the trip, we had our share of ‘King of the Bus’ moments. We took in the sites and couldn’t contain our excitement as we passed through the arch towards Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. We stepped off the bus and headed through security before heading up to the entrance, Magicbands at the ready. What can I say, we were easily excited just being able to scan our bands and finger to enter into WDW!

Once again, we entered under the archway and into Main Street USA. I was in awe… it was similar, yet different to DL, not in the least because things were bigger… and at the end of the street was a large castle not behind scrim! There may have been a few squeals from our group. After picking up some celebration badges from Town Hall, we went across the square to the Main Street Theater where we got to meet Mickey & Minnie, they and the room were all decked out in party decorations. Must say though, we were already missing the kisses from DL characters.

Now we were a little hungry, so we walked up the street to Casey’s Corner for a brunch of hot dogs and slushies, and then it was time for some rides! (I don’t actually remember what we rode, but I know Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin was included).

Time passed, and it was time to party! Dessert Style! We had tickets for the Fireworks Dessert Party at Tomorrowland Terrace. Lots of tasty treats were to be had, both savoury and sweet. There was also a nice view over the gathering crowds of the Castle as night fell. 

On October 1st of this year, Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, the first performance of a pianist was held at Casey’s Corner since the park reopened. And the pianist was Randy Morris, the opening day pianist from 1971 (who also played at Disneyland in 1970), who still performs at Casey’s Corner 50 years later.

It reminds me of Rod Miller, the Disneyland pianist who I met when I was 12, who remembered me 18 years later, when he was still playing (he spent over 30 years at Disneyland before retiring due to health issues).