Best 2012 Memories, #21: Seeing a fire-breathing dragon in flight
How often do you get to see a real fire-breathing dragon soaring in the sky? How can seeing that sight live and in person not count as a high point of 2012 and one of my top 25 favorite memories?
When you live in Orlando, things that normally sound crazy, like flying dragons (and flying elephants and talking mice and the like) are actually quite possible. You never know what magic you might encounter.
The dragon had been rumored and spotted a handful of times prior to the opening of New Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. I was on hand for the media party the night before the opening, and there he was! He put on quite an impressive show for the gathering, soaring in the night sky, flapping his wings, roaring, and even spouting real flame. It was the sort of spectacle where you can barely believe your eyes.
Click the video at lower left to see the dragon for yourself. He looks impressive on film, but multiply that by at least a factor of 10 in person.
That dragon is definitely one of the crowning achievements at Walt Disney World. I don't know what the ultimate plans are for him, but he's much to special to use just for one event. I'm sure we'll see more of him in the future.
New Fantasyland is magical in many ways, and the dragon is just one of them. Continue on to my next article for more of the magic.
If you missed the previous five articles in my top 25 countdown, use the links below to jump back to them:
- Optimus Prime and Bumblebee at Universal Studios Florida
- Birthday Present at Legoland Florida
- Dine With Shamu at SeaWorld Orlando
- Penn and Teller at Halloween Horror Nights
- Early Peek at Halloween Horror Nights
Need advice or guidance from a Central Florida theme parks expert? Check out my ebooks for Kindle and Nook.
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