Goodbye 2010...Happy New Year!

I'm pretty sure that this will be the last chance I get to write a Disney Fan Ramblings post in 2010. I thought I'd recap my own Disney experiences this past year, and mention some of my favorite blog moments.

We returned to Florida for our first visit since January of 2009, and spent 5 days at the Disney parks and two days at Universal. I'm still writing about those experiences; I plan on posting something about the Harry Potter ride at Islands of Adventure (with photos) and writing something about my own comparisons between the two resorts/experiences, for what they're worth...

We also had the opportunity to see Mary Poppins (for our second time) at the New Amsterdam Theater in NYC. This was a very nice experience; the theater is beautifully restored, the performers in this New York version are top-notch, and the whole experience is very family friendly.

We went to a few Disney films this year, includingPRINCE OF PERSIA, TON STORY 3, and TRON: LEGACY. We watched a few more on DVD, including TOY STORY 2, which I was sure I had seen, but apparently had not, at least not in its entirety. I got a few Disney books, including THE PIXAR TOUCH, PROJECT FUTURE, and THE HIDDEN MAGIC OF WALT DISNEY WORLD. I enjoyed all of them and learned something from these three in particular.

We went to a couple of non-Disney offerings; of course I've already mentioned our two days at Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, but we also visited Six Flags' Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, and Michigan's Adventure near Muskegon and near Lake Michigan's shores. (The post I linked to talks about the park in relation to some superficial discussion of the differences between theme parks and amusement parks.) We also found time to visit the Morton Arboretum, Chicago's Navy Pier, and Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, a wonderful example of what Epcot could be in part. Last, we also visited Central Park in New York City, which I saw one book refer to as one of the first "theme parks."

It was a good year for me and my family; we learned a few things, saw a few new things, and had some fun. I hope 2011 is just as good for us. And for you, my readers, also. Thank you for reading my ramblings, and I hope you continue to visit my blog in the upcoming year!

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