My first full day there was a daytrip to Disney World. Ive never been to a Disney theme park before, however I think it would be fair to say my expectations were considerably lower than if I'd went 15 years ago. That meant when it turned out to be exactly what I imagined when I was 9, I was thrilled.
The rides themselves weren't faster, bigger or more thrilling than any at, say Alton Towers. What separated the experience and really made it special was the attention to detail on the rides. This is best explained by talking you through the Log Flume. Most log flumes will have a few drops leading up to a big drop, a theme full of funny things to look at, and a bit in the dark. The one here had a full plot, with the dramatic parts accompanied by the drops in the flume. The plot was animated, fully explained and accompanied by maybe 10 drops. After the grand finale, you turn into a cave where you see a full sized steam boat filled with animatronics and lights providing an epilogue. Then another drop. This level of detail was on every ride or event or stall I saw. The staff were friendly, the fireworks were amazing, the place was really magical. Of course if I were to look at it slightly more cynically you do pay for what you get - an entry price is $80 - but this can be countered by pointing out that a days charity volunteer work will get you a free day pass. How many other places offer so much for a few hours helping a good cause?
Much of the time was spend simply enjoying the place. The beaches are lovely, they have sand in one place we went to that doesn't heat up no matter how hot the weather, so you can always walk on it! I also saw a dog beach for the first time. It was insane! Dozens of dogs kind of form into mini packs who play and run around together while the owners enjoy the beach. I was there with the person who I was staying with and their dog, as well as some mutual friends. I mention this only as a way of fitting in how well looked after I was in both the places I stayed through the week. Considering I was a friend of their relatives friend in both cases, I was welcomed like a member of the family. Southern hospitality really does have its charms.
We finished off the week with a big night out in Daytona. Aside from some pretty nasty abuse outside the club from some self congratulating idiots with microphones (I think I'm saving this one up for another post on differences in communication between the countries), the night was an unqualified success. It was my first proper US nightclub experience - Ive mostly been in bars or hostels so far because places can be so expensive. It was great to have so many happy people in a small place enjoying themselves. I didn't see any fighting or throwing up or any of the bad stuff normally associated with a Saturday night in Cav. I don't mean to be self congratulatory over this, I just raise the night out to make a point in a very roundabout way. Back home I think there's a perception that in America people cant handle their drink and its all about chugging and being an idiot. That element does exist, but its no larger than anything you'll see back home. By and large most Americans are just as fun and engaging as anyone else. This is true in pretty much every aspect of life Ive seen here. The stereotype (like all stereotypes) comes from misinformed people who haven't visited the place. The night out just pointed this home to me, despite the differences in how things are run, people are just as good whether in a nightclub or in Disney. Or in my case, outside the nightclub re-enacting a scene from Finding Nemo.
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