MAGIC KINGDOM

TOURING
Guide Map

Attraction Seating
   Photo Gallery
Basic Services
Calendar of Events
Character Meet and
   Greet FAQ
E-Ride Nights
Extra Magic Hour
FASTPASS
Kennels
Operating Hours
Overlooked
   Attractions
Rehabs and Closures
Ride Restrictions
Smoking Policy
Special Needs Travelers
Ticket FAQ

WDW At Large

AT A GLANCE...
Attractions
Characters
Restaurants
Shopping

Main Street USA
Harmony Barber Shop
Harmony Barber Shop
   Photo Gallery
Walt Disney World
   Railroad

Adventureland
Enchanted Tiki Room:
   Under New
   Management
Jungle Cruise
Magic Carpets of
   Aladdin
Pirates of the
   Caribbean
Swiss Family
   Treehouse

Frontierland
Big Thunder Mountain
    Railroad
Country Bear
   Jamboree
Splash Mountain
Tom Sawyer Island

Liberty Square
Hall of Presidents
Haunted Mansion
Liberty Square
   Riverboat

Fantasyland
Cinderella Castle
Cinderella's Golden
   Carrousel
Dumbo the Flying
   Elephant
It's a Small World
Mad Tea Party
Many Adventures of
   Winnie the Pooh
Mickey's PhilharMagic
Peter Pan's Flight
Pooh's Playful Spot
Snow White's Scary
    Adventures
Storytime with Belle

Mickey's Toontown Fair
Barnstormer at
   Goofy's Wiseacre
   Farm
Donald's Boat/
   Toon Park
Mickey's Country
   House
Minnie's Country
   House
Toontown Hall of
   Fame/Judge's Tent

Tomorrowland
AstroOrbiter
Buzz Lightyear Space
    Ranger Spin
Carousel of Progress
Monsters Inc.
    Laugh Floor
Space Mountain
Stitch's Great Escape
Tomorrowland Indy
   Speedway
Tomorrowland Transit
   Authority

Entertainment
Disney Dreams
   Come True Parade
Dream along with Mickey
Electrical Water
   Pageant
SpectroMagic
Wishes

Favorite Viewing
   Locations for the
   Fireworks!

Special Events
Grad Nites
Mickey's Very Merry
   Christmas Party
Mickey's Not So Scary
   Halloween Party
Pirate & Princess
   Party

Special Reports
Carousel of Progress
   Photo Gallery
Hats of the Magic
   Kingdom Photo Tour
Magic Kingdom vs
    Disneyland
Main Street USA:
   Then and Now
Mickey's Not So Scary
   Annual Passholder
   Event
Parade Grand
   Marshals

Archives
20,000 Leagues
    under the Sea
25th Anniversary
75 Years of Mickey
   Statues
Adventureland
   Challenge
Cinderella Castle
    50th Anniversary
Cinderellabration
Cinderella's Surprise
  Celebration
Easter Parade
ExtraTERRORestrial
   Alien Encounter
Goofy's Country
   Dancin'
   Jamboree at the
   Diamond Horseshoe
Magical Moments
   Parade
Main Street
   Electrical
   Parade
Mickey's
   Birthdayland
Mickey Mania Parade
Mr. Toad's Wild Ride
Night of Joy
Share a Dream Come
   True Parade
Surprise Celebration
    Parade
Swashbuckling
   Pirates
Sword in the Stone
   Ceremony
Timekeeper
Walk Around the
   World Bricks
Walt Disney Story

OTHER THEME PARKS
Animal Kingdom
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Epcot

Disneyland
Disney's California
    Adventure

Before our trip I had made matching T-shirts for the gang of us. They are a bit corny but it makes a fun Main Street photo and apparently helps to get you noticed.

About halfway up Main Street a cast member named Ray stopped me. He was looking at my hat that had several pins on it and asked if I knew about the pin trading that was going on during the millennium celebration. The next thing I know he gives me 2 CM only pins! One was a small cruise line emblem and the other was a space Mt. with FedEx next to it. Ray asked about the shirts, how many people were in our group, and other chit-chat to get to know us a bit. Then he asked the BIG question..... How would we like to be the grand marshals of today's parade?!

THE GRAND MARSHALS? Karen Alti, Paul Alti, Georgiana Ottersen (Mom) Carol Otteren (sister-in-law) and Ralph Ottersen (my brother) Kids are my nephews Mark Ottersen (the little one) and Chris Ottersen! I felt my knees turn to jello. Did I hear him right? Was I dreaming? "YES! YES! WE WOULD LOVE TO". We got the rest of the group together and gave Ray our names and hometown info. We were told to meet him at 2:30 over by Pecos Bills where the parade starts. I think we were extra lucky that day because Ray told us that he had picked another person before us but they had 23 people with them, way to many for the car. I thought 2:30 would never get there! We had had showers in the afternoon the previous 2 days and we all just kept out fingers crossed that it would hold out today. Several of the rides we had been on this trip had technical difficulties so I didn't want to ride anything after lunch just in case it got stuck. Last year we were stuck on the Pirates of the Caribbean for 45 min. and I had visions of me stuck on the skyway yelling... " Help me! The parade can't start without me... I'm the grand marshal". We made it to the gate and waited for Ray. When he arrived he escorted us back just far enough so we couldn't be seen from the street to where the car was parked with our driver Roy. We were each handed a pair of ears with our names on the back and each family (Mom, my Brother Ralph and his family, and Me and Paul) got a certificate saying we had been the grand marshal of the MK parade.

We put our ears on and attached them with bobby pins that Ray provided (they think of everything!) and boarded the old time car. The train was approaching so Ray suggested we practice our wave, and wave we did!! It was time. They opened the gate and we moved forward. Ray then said the only complaint he wanted to hear was that our arms hurt from all the waving. We could see the crowd lining the street ahead, and over the loud speaker they began to announce the welcoming of today's grand marshals... " Please welcome the Ottersen's from Long Island New York and Paul and Karen Alti from Long Island New York"

WOW! What a thrill runs through you at that moment! (I think they did that 3 times along the parade route). Now let the waving begin! People had no idea who we were but they were waving back at us, some were even video taping us! There were several groups along the way that cheered for New York which was fun. The only thing that was weird was we were alone, the band wasn't marching today and it was 10 min. before the actual parade. When we got to the hub in front of the castle Roy stopped the car and Ray got out and took pictures of us with our cameras, even some video of us and a pan of the crowd. It would have been nice to have a shot done by a Disney photographer here (even if we had to pay for it). I almost cried when I got home and developed my pictures and that shot was crooked and off center. It was a once in a life time experience and I wanted a good picture to frame. Yeah! Ray had better luck with my brother's camera.


When we arrived at the end of the parade route Ray had us pose for pictures in front of the grand marshal sign on the side of the car. We then said good-bye to Ray and he drove off backstage after doing a great job! We had some time to kill before the parade caught up to us and when it did Ray let us stand right in front of the barn! The floats would come real close to us and then make the tight left turn. I don't think it can get any better than that! I can't say enough about Ray! He was so nice and helped to make it such a special experience. We will never forget that day! We also have a new respect for the grand marshal's and the next time we saw the parade we made sure to give them a big wave back! So remember, get to the MK early, don't have to large a group and have fun (corny shirts can't hurt either)! With a little luck you too can get picked to be the grand marshal!