OPINION: Doing Walt Disney World again, in style, p2

Oct. 27—When last we met — figuratively, anyway — I explained a few can't miss attractions at Walt Disney World. It's important that you think about these, for a number of reasons. First, WDW is becoming more expensive by the year; you can blame Gov. Ron DeSantis' war with this behemoth company that accounts for a huge chunk of Florida's economy, or you can claim greed is a factor. None of that matters; you should only concern yourself with your wallet.

I explained that while WDW's own resorts are great places to stay, they're far out of reach budget-wise for most of us. That's why the Dolphin and Swan resorts — now Marriott, or Bonvoy, properties — in the Epcot area are your best bets. If you are geezers like my husband and I — in other words, at least 62 — you can get an even better discount. Military rates apply as well, as they do to park tickets. One of the best benefits of having served in the military is the discounts on tickets to attractions across the country. WDW is no exception, and the same is true for Universal Orlando. Still, most normal folks can't afford to spend two or three weeks at one of these locations, so knowing where to invest your money and time can be helpful.

We've already dealt with Epcot and Hollywood Studios, which are our favorite of the four WDW parks. Now we'll move on to the other two, where families with young children might want to plan at least a day each. The first is Magic Kingdom.

This is the cousin to Disneyland itself, although my husband — who grew up about 13 miles from there — says the Anaheim park is far superior. (He's still holding a grudge against WDW for taking out Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and replacing it with that "Winnie the Pooh fiasco.") Disneyland also has the iconic Matterhorn bobsleds. On the other hand, WDW has its own unique attractions.

One would be "Carousel of Progress," which used to be in Disneyland, right after Walt himself introduced it at a world's fair. This is a round theater separated into four segments, and the seats are constructed on a "ring" around the stages. Disney's famed animatronics are at the forefront here, with the characters explaining progress through the centuries in America. It's a heartwarming, feel-good tale that everyone will enjoy.

The newest attraction at Magic Kingdom, the Tron Lightcycle Run, is a "dark" coaster much like Guardians of the Galaxy at Epcot, but not nearly as good. Riders are seated on a rather uncomfortable motorcycle-like apparatus, but you have to lean forward so far that you have to crane your neck to see the virtual reality scenes passing by. It might have helped if we'd actually seen the modern "Tron" movie; what doesn't help is the braces the cast members force your calves into. You should probably give it a shot if you're a smallish person with some flexibility, but be warned that you'll have to sign up for a virtual queue, which means being at the right place at the right time with your cellphone.

The Seven Dwarves Mine Train is a cute and fun coaster, and a very popular one, so you may wait in a long line. If that's not your bag, go for the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which is very similar in speed and configuration. The former is obviously themed for the Snow White movie, and both are "starter" coasters for pre-teens or younger. Space Mountain is the original "dark coaster," and it's a little more peppy — and rougher — than the other two, but you don't want to miss this one.

Other favorites of ours:

—Peter Pan's Flight, which puts you in an airborne "sail barge" and takes you through all the scenes of the beloved story. There's always a long line for this one, because the kiddos love it. Be aware that there are some scenes that could be deemed racist by modern standards. (That's the reason Splash Mountain is being reconfigured; it's currently closed.)

—Pirate of the Caribbean. Another Disney classic — a boat ride that takes you through, in this park, the Caribbean, whereas the original attraction in Anaheim has more of a New Orleans flair. This version is a bit shorter, but like the original, it now has superb animatrons of Johnny Depp. The ever-PC Disney might get rid of his likeness in the wake of his messy divorce, so do this one sooner rather than later.

—Haunted Mansion. Omnimover vehicles — "carriages" strung together in an endless loop — takes you through various ghostly scenes. Believe it or not, some little kids are frightened by the "black widow" bride, probably because of the beating heart. It's a rare treat if you make it through the whole circuit these days without stopping, due to the high number of handicapped folks visiting the parks. (They need extra time getting on and off the rides, and though it's frustrating, I know I might be one of them eventually.)

—Jungle Cruise. This is my husband's favorite since the departure of Mr. Toad. It's another boat ride through three totally unrelated rivers — Nile, Amazon and Mekong — and the skippers are about as campy as you can get. Still, every now and again, one comes up with a new riddle or zinger, to replace the never-ending admonishment to watch out for the crocodile named Ginger, because "Ginger snaps." This ride has been cleaned up to remove the potentially offensive racist overtones. (Trader Sam is no longer touting his shrunken heads, but his namesake Tiki bar is still at one of the resorts; more on that later.)

—Transit Authority People Mover. I love this silly little tram ride that takes you through Tomorrowland with the help of innovative — at the time of construction, anyway — magnetized linear induction motors. You even go through Space Mountain, and if you're lucky and that ride is having a problem, you'll get to see the superstructure.

Next week, I'll tell you where to eat, and we'll finish up with Animal Kingdom.