Around the Disney World in 3 days

Greetings. I just landed at my parents' house in Sanibel, where I will enjoy two weeks of quality time and relaxation. I had an amazing few days with my friend Carla at Disney World, where the laughs and adventures far exceeded the space I have here to recount them. We hit what most people consider to be the three major parks in as many days: Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), Epcot and, of course, the Magic Kingdom.

At our age, and childless, Epcot really has the most to offer, and it didn't disappoint. We had fantastic meals at a few countries (Mexico, Japan and Germany), went on the major rides (Soarin', Test Track, Mission: Space, Imagination and Spaceship Earth, for example), saw several shows/films, played with technology and even did a few things nobody else would probably be aware of, like the "Living with the Land" tour of the greenhouses where they grow massive vegetables. And it ended with a truly eye-popping multimedia/fireworks display. Carla is a big fan of Epcot and knows the place inside and out, so I didn't have to do any thinking; I just showed up.

We also had fun at Hollywood Studios, which was done up majorly for Christmas (pictured above), complete with fake snow. We did Tower of Terror and saw some of the shows and demonstrations. It's a good place. The Magic Kingdom is also a lot of fun, but more for nostalgic reasons. We hit the big ones, like Space Mountain, It's a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean. The whole thing was a perfect escape from real life, and I can't imagine having as much fun doing so with anyone else!

Now it's kick-back time on the island that my parents call home. I'm sipping a Bud and ready to de-stress.