Last week, I made a visit to Walt Disney World for the first time in 9 years. One of the days on our visit, my wife and daughter had a Mommy 'n' Me date at the Grand Floridian for a Princess Tea and I decided that I'd have a Mommy 'n' Me date with my mom by taking her to the Magic Behind Our Steam Trains tour. Below are several pictures that I took during that outing (click to see the full-size images) ...

























































I should have a few more railroad images to share of the Broggie at Fantasyland Station when I find a chance to edit them.

Matt

Great detail photos as usual, Matt. What did you think of the tour?

Lots of great shots, Matt! Nothing against Kathy and Chelsea, but I would have picked steam trains over princesses, too.

Obviously, I thought it was well worth the money (especially if you use your Disney Visa to get a discount) and waking up early to get to the park before opening.

The nice part for me was that I didn't drag my mom to go to this, I did this for my mom as a surprise because she enjoys trains so much. So it was a nice way for the two of us to enjoy some time together in a way that we wouldn't normally have.



I've been lucky enough to experience Disney trains in ways that the general public could never dream to participate so I can only imagine that those without the access I've been given must be even more amazed to stand in front of the engine, climb aboard the cab and get some background as to why steam power exists at the Disney theme parks.

This tour certainly appealed to me as a photographer being granted up-close-and-personal access to shots I couldn't normally get, including the staged shot of the train at Main Street Station before the beginning of the tour. It appealed to me as a Disney historian from the perspective of having a (fairly) concise recap of Walt's love for trains and how that love helped shaped the creation of the Disney theme parks. And it appealed to me as a railfan to climb into a warm cab and look at all the machinery from such a close perspective.



The first part of the tour was my favorite. Entering a mainly empty Magic Kingdom, climbing the steps of Main Street Station and awaiting a train that's coming to pick you up for an adventure backstage, and having fairly unrestricted access to look around the roundhouse bay entrance and whatever equipment they might have on display. Going back to Main Street Station was OK and I'm glad to have gotten to experience the lecture once but having known much of what was said, it didn't hold the appeal that climbing up and down the cab held. Of course, lasting to the end paid off with the nice pin they present to you for having done the journey.

There's so many experiences that can be had at Walt Disney World and never enough time during such a short vacation. I'm the type of person who might be more interested in doing something new next time I visit. That said, I'd sign up for this tour again in a heartbeat and maybe make sure Kathy and Chelsea get a chance to enjoy it rather than dancing with Sleeping Beauty!

Matt

Looking again at your photos makes me think I need to take the tour again sometime. Since I last took it, I have had a significant upgrade in photography equipment, software, and knowledge. I'll probably wait a few more years until Jaylin is old enough.

I apologize if this untoward...But Matt, you look like you've lost some weight. Congratulations, if so. And I liked reading your report--I can see where you're coming from, as far as being a little more deeply involved than the next guy.

It was Day 5 of my vacation so I probably had just sweated off the excess weight in the Florida heat and humidity.

Seriously, I started to lose some weight when I switched to a carb-conscious diet and increased my daily physical activity in an effort to manage the diabetes I was diagnosed with a year-and-a-half ago.

I had been suffering from some complications that the doctors couldn't figure out. From what I had read, I assumed it my have been diabetes-related but my fasting glucose numbers came back normal. Only after a battery of tests were they able to find out it was diabetes with an extremely high A1C. Rather than just taking medicine or insulin to manage it, I started counting carbs and increased my exercise to an hour a day. The weight came off through these efforts but that wasn't the primary objective. I lost about 40 pounds in the first 4 months and have maintained my current weight for just over a year. The doctors are amazed at how well I've managed my diabetes with all of my current blood work coming back normal as though I was no longer diabetic (though I will be for the rest of my life) and without the aid of any diabetes medication.

Certainly enjoyed the great photos! And nice to hear about your good health story, too!

A few more pictures from Fantasyland Station ...















Matt

And don't forget about that fun Magic of Disney Monorails Tour you had with those wacky people from Tennessee (one of whom isn't in this photo because he was taking it):