disney World - Land Of Make Believe And Golf Too!

We have to give credit to Mr.Walt Disney, whose ability to manifest his dreams is second to none. Walt, or out of respect, I should say Mr. Disney, opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California in the mid-fifties, at just about the time the Brooklyn Dodgers were leaving their fans in Brooklyn and heading for Los Angeles, California. His vision was not yet complete though, he had found a perfect piece of property in Orlando, Florida where he would initiate the creation of the most Magical Land on the face of the planet. This was also the place where another and maybe final portion of his dream would be realized. In the spring of 1990 I had planned my first golf vacation ever to Myrtle Beach and it was such a wonderful trip I was soon ready for another. While I was contemplating my next golf and vacation destination, slated for the fall or late summer of 1990, my significant other came up with what later turned out to be an excellent suggestion. How about Disneyworld? I said, "I have never been to Disneyworld or Disneyland for the that matter but what about golf?" I was reminded that the Buick Classic, which I think it was called at the time, was played at Disneyworld so "Duh", there must be golf courses there, right? Yes, there were. In fact, Disneyworld was a stop on the PGA Tour since opening in 1971, if I'm not mistaken. The Magnolia and the Palm were the two courses that high lighted the tournament. There is also Lake Buena Vista, a course less known but one that turned out to be very enjoyable to play. I was convinced that we should give it a shot, what could we lose?

In September of 1990 we were headed for what turned out to be one of the best vacations ever. We booked our hotel right on Disney premises at, "The Disney Inn", a quiet little section of the resort adjacent the two main golf courses, The Magnolia and The Palm. A few years later, the Inn was turned over to the U.S. Government and from my perception, it is now utilized for the armed services entertainment and supplementary needs. We were disappointed when we couldn't make our future reservations there because it was an out of the way place where we could enjoy peace and quiet. We now frequent the other resorts, especially Port Orleans, which is centrally located and reasonably priced. Although not quite as sequestered as The Disney Inn, it provides a certain amount of privacy, beauty and and just the right touch of ambiance in the surroundings to be enjoyable as well. In the process of booking our golf reservations, we were advised that there were two other newer courses at The "Bonnet Creek" Resort, not too far from where we were staying. They were named Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge, and were designed by two of the premier architects of the time, Tom Fazio and Pet Dye respectively. Having kept up with my Golf Digest subscriptions, I was well versed in the reputation of these two golf architects, and it dawned on me that I had just recently read about the openings and rave reviews received when they had first opened a short while ago. Since we were able to visit Disneyworld for six days, it allowed us enough time to play a different course every day and one course twice if we chose to. Luckily, we were able to reserve tee times at the two new courses at Bonnet Creek. So, our room, airfares, rental car and tee times were booked as we waited impatiently for the next few months to go by so we could venture off to another unforgettable golf vacation.

Unforgettable is just what it turned out to be. Our days there commenced with awakening in a magnificent suite at the Disney Inn Resort, which included a view of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs carved into the hedges outside our room, enjoying the sunrise each morning with an overview of a water feature in the courtyard area outside adjacent our room, which was landscaped with beautiful and exotic plantlife and fauna, then off to a cheery musical breakfast fare at The Contemporary Resort where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto and Goofy entertained and joined us for some fun. Last, but certainly not least, the anticipation of playing golf on any one of five magnificent golf venues, each one better than the next and then onto the magical park settings every afternoon and evening completed our day. It was an incomparable experience? We enjoyed every one of the golf courses, especially the two new Bonnet Creek courses, Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge. After golf, we enjoyed a quick lunch at the Clubhouse Dining Room, which overlooked the golf course and then, the fun had just begun, it was off to one of the Magical Parks that are part of the Disneyworld Resort.

We visited every park, Magic Kingdom, MGM, Animal Kingdom amd Epcot and like the golf courses, I enjoyed each one more than the next. I was 38 years old when I first visited Disneyworld but age did not matter. Whether some of us want to admit it or not, we are all children at heart, and that is a good thing. It allows us to enjoy the rides, exhibits, entertainment, characters, parades, fireworks and the rest without the inhibition of feeling foolish. The high points of my Park experiences were the fireworks over Cinderellas Castle and "The Carousel Of Progress" in Magic Kingdom, where I reminisced of my pre-teen years and when I first viewed it at the "World's Fair" in Flushing Meadows, Queens in 1963 -64, "Fantasmic" and the Sci- Fi restaurant at MGM, The Laser Light Show and Pavillions Of The World at Epcot, and The Tree Of Life, It's A Bugs Life 3-D show, and "Tarzan" at Animal Kingdom, which was awesome and a must see if you visit Animal Kingdom during your stay at Disneyworld. There are so many other wonderful things to see and do at the parks too numerous to mention. If you are planning a family vacation, or just a getaway for yourself or for you and your significant other, make Disneyworld a choice for your next trip. If golf is on your itinerary, I can attest from my own experience, "You won't be disappointed". Note: If you stay on premises, and book your tee times after a certain time, around 10:00 am, you may be able to receive discounted rates on green fees. There are also twilight rates in the afternoon that are priced at a reduced rate.

While on vacation at Disneyworld, my daily agenda included playing golf and then visiting the parks in the afternoon after golf (between 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm),and staying well into the evening and enjoying the nightly parades, light shows and fireworks displays. Since this was my first trip there, I did not want to miss out on any of the Magic that Disneyworld has to offer. I have tried to make Disneyworld an annual or bi-annual stop since my first visit and I never tire of the excitement and Magical experiences that the resort has to offer. Bravo to Mr. Disney! - He had a wonderful dream that we all can share and benefit from thanks to his fortitude and determination to make that dream come true! Happy Golfing and Vacationing To All!