Curse of the Magic Kingdom

Welcome to the 100th Celebration for Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom

The banner hung from the ferry pier as the ship slowly rumbled forward. Standing on the deck of the ferry crossing Lake Buena Vista, Jake and his sister, Imelda, could clearly see the park entrance. No more ticket scanners blocking the path, allowing an unobstructed view. A train station, festooned with rainbow banners and flags, sat atop a well manicured flower garden shaped into a colorful set of Mickey ears. A handful of cast members (CMs) could be seen, dressed in the typical 1920s Americana costumes.

Disney had out done themselves for the anniversary; 100 years since the founding of the Magic Kingdom park in 1971. Every ride had been overhauled, new technologies interwoven to create all new attractions. Classics like the Pirates of the Caribbean were renovated, or "reimagineered," while a fusion of new attractions from the seven other international Disney Park franchises were seeded around the expanded park. Disney Paris, Disney Hong Kong, Disney Sea in Tokyo... an entire globe of Disney parks all located in one place.

"This is going to be epic!" Jake shouted into his iPhone camera. This was going to make a great intro for his YouTube video once he added credits and music. He wore his extra large Stitch Hawaiian shirt just for the occasion.

Re-opening day tickets were given to a hundred influencer channels from around the world, and his "Disney-fication" channel was hand picked by WDW executives for it's ingenuity, reach, and love of all things Disney... or at least that's what their email said.

"Hold on," Imelda said. "I want to get several snaps for the gram in front of that station with the flowers."

"Let's hit it this afternoon," he countered. "If we do it now, sun's too low. There's not enough light for a good shot."

"Fine... I knew I should have slept in. Why's rope drop so important? Ain't many people here anyways."

"WHY'S ROPE DROP IMPORTANT?!?" he slammed his palm into his forehead. "First, there's the welcome show. Second, first ride on the new rides! Third, to be the first into the park! Why even come otherwise?"

"Whatever nerd... good luck beating out the rest of the folks on here." She turned to her phone and started scrolling.

The ferry pulled smoothly onto the pier, the gates holding back the crowd of influencers huddling by the front sank directly into the deck. The crowd of influencers rushed forward off the ferry and into the courtyard where CMs were waiting. The CMs spread out in a semi-circle to meet the guests and corral them from moving forward. One man with a thick handlebar mustache, top hat, cane, and a bright rainbow sash saying "Mayor" stepped in front of them.

"Good Morning!" came his crisp voice, carrying easily over the background rag time music. "I trust everyone can hear me?" A few nods, but mostly just cell phones aimed in his direction. "Excellent... I'm Ryne T. Slidaw, but just call me Mayor Ryne. Welcome to what I'm sure will be a most thrilling experience. If you'll allow it, the good citizens of Main Street U.S.A. have composed a little diddy for you as way of welcome." The influencer crowd whooped in response as Mayor Ryne bowed and stepped back into the line of CMs.

Welcome to our special place,

filled with magic and royalty!

By invitation from his Grace,

Grand Magician King Mickey,

you're set to complete a race,

and you'd better do it quickly.

While singing they performed a choreographed pantomime in time with the song. Two gentleman did cartwheels across the line of singers, ending in a flip. Light applause came from the influencer crowd as they quipped to each other.

“Oh cool, this’ll get the viewers pumped...”

“A race? But I’m on vacation.”

The dancing troupe continued singing with their pantomime, a few did twirls and tap danced.

We’d love to keep you with us,

but the mouse has other plans.

He’s set for you a game of guts,

strength of will, and dashing Vans.

Ten keys for you, and you'll be free.

Anything less and you'll never leave.

Go to the mountains, and for a fee

of life and limb, a key you'll receive.

Jake and Imelda exchanged looks, as did a few of the other influencer groups in the crowd.

"Kinda' ominous for Disney."

"Aw man, physical challenges."

The dancing troupe rallied around the Mayor for the big finale. Mayor Ryne pulled a one handed handstand into a double flip.

Say goodbye to the world you know,

and hello to Mickey's questing fun.

You don't have very long, so

you'd better start to run.

The singers held the final note and ended with a flourish on bended knee as their hands waved overhead, their chests heaving from the exertion. A few claps came from the crowd.

Mayor Ryne stood up, still panting, "thank you, thank you. You have until park close to get the 10 keys and make it back here to the train station. In the spirit of things, King Mickey has extended park hours to midnight... gives it a real Cinderella vibe. Any questions before we begin?"

Jake lowered his phone. "Wait, what exactly is happening?"

"We- we just- sang a song about it... weren't you paying attention?"

"yeah, no I was, I was... just, the thing about life and limb and never leaving seemed kind of, I dunno, a little dark and edgy?"

Mayor Ryne raised his eyebrows, "what do you think you're here for, Mr. Moreno?"

Jake shrugged, "a cool Disney vacation?"

Mayor Ryne slapped his forehead and sighed. Then he shouted, "is that what everyone thinks?" Lots of nods and murmurs of agreement from the crowd of influencers. "So, none of you read the service agreements?" Mayor Ryne was met with silence.

"I see," Mayor Ryne rubbed his temple, then pulled out the pocket watch from his coat. "Well, we have five minutes before rope drop. Let me put this more plainly, you need to collect ten keys and get on board the monorail behind that gate," Ryne pointed to the right with his cane to a large wrought iron gate topped with golden mickey ears.

"You'll find the keys at the attractions on your maps. Did everyone at least download the app?" General murmurs of agreement.

"Good, your phones will hold the keys and guide you on the race. Now, there's only 10 seats, so you'll want to finish quickly."

"There's a lot more than 10 of us," came a voice from the crowd, "what if we're number 11?"

"Well," Mayor Ryne sighed. "Per the service agreements, you'll be rounded up and turned into animatronics."

"You can't be serious! How is that legal?"

"Deadly serious, ladies and gentleman," replied Mayor Ryne. "Once you stepped off the ferry, you entered into a contractual obligation with the company. It's quite binding, and I don't think you'll have time to fight the fine print before the clock runs out."

A mid-twenties woman with black hair and auburn streaks stepped forward, "well, what if we just get back on the ferry!"

"Turn around and see," he replied. The ferry was halfway across the lake, smoke billowing from it as flames burst from the window. "I don't recommend swimming either, this is Florida. The lake is alligator infested."

"Now, I wouldn't worry much about the number of seats on the monorail," Mayor Ryne continued. "Most of you won't survive the mountains. That's where King Mickey has put the real challenges."

He looked again at his pocket watch, "Ok, now before we let you into the park, a word to the wise." Mayor Ryne leaned forward, "You're on a closed network, Mickey controls all the telecoms into and out of the resort, so don't bother contacting anyone outside the park... he won't like that."

"Wait, what?!?" shouted a voice from within the crowd. "I won't even get to stream this?"

Jake rolled his eyes, "that's a concern right now?"

"Oh, don't worry," Mayor Ryne replied. "Our park is equipped with cameras and microphones everywhere," he leaned forward, "and I DO mean everywhere." The line of singers behind him snickered quietly to themselves. "Mickey has every intention of ensuring you all get your bump of fame and will be streaming the whole competition to the rest of the world! You'll all get a nice little surge in subscribers I'm sure."

"Now, final word before we begin." Mayor Ryne and the CMs stepped back into a diamond formation. "Once we rope drop, you'll have ten minutes to get to an attraction queue, after that anyone outside a queue will be fair game for the CMs." Several of the CMs pulled out baseball bats, long kitchen knives, and a hammer. "They’ve been looking forward to this all year, so if I were you... I wouldn't let them catch you." The other CMs began to chuckle.

Purple and green smoke billowed up from below them. The laughter grew in strength as the group was swallowed up by the smoke. Mayor Ryne could be heard just over the now bellowing laughter, "when the Castle chimes, it will be 8 AM precisely and the ten minutes is up."

As the smoke dissipated to a now empty courtyard, Mayor Ryne's voiced faded, "good luck..."

Jake and Imelda looked briefly at each other, then took off... 108 other contestants right behind them.

"Where the hell are we going?" Imelda swept the hair from her face.

"Well," Jake huffed, sweat starting to drip down his face. "I originally planned to start at the right and circle around. But maybe we should just get to the closest ride."

They raced up Main Street U.S.A. The shops looked perfectly at home to 1920s America, rag time music played as they sprinted ahead. Barely a dozen yards down the street and already several influencers had overtaken them.

"Okay," breathed Imelda. "Where's the closest one?"

"Jungle... Cruise," Jake managed to breathe out amidst gasps of air. Barely to the end of the street and he was short of breath and his sides ached.

"Well? Which way is that," Imelda paused. Jake came up behind her, bent over with his hands on his knees. The park's central hub, Dreamers' Courtyard, now featured a magnificent fountain of King Mickey as the Magician's Apprentice, high on a rocky pillar, surrounded by broom with pails pouring water into a vortex swirling around the pillar.

Five decorative bridges representing five new lands circled the courtyard. The newly designed castle on the northside towered over the courtyard, deep purple rooftops and sandy beige walls surrounded a central tower, a large clock face near the top. Streams of influencers were already running ahead, crossing the bridges towards the new lands.

"It's to the left, past those statues," he pointed at a pair of wooden figures standing guard over a bamboo bridge. "Should be near a cantina." Several influencers were already ahead of them running over the bridge, Adventureland in bright letters on a wicker background. He straightened himself and started jogging in that direction, Imelda behind him.

The ragtime music of Main Street faded as they crossed the bridge, replaced with a drum heavy tune. The clean courtyards and neat Americana were replaced with thick jungles and thatched roof buildings; the streets were no longer cobblestone, now irregular concrete with stones strewn about. Ahead on the left of the path, a large thatched roof with the signboard "World Famous Jungle Cruise" and a clock showing 07:54.

Imelda shouted, "come one, it's just up ahead." It was all Jake could do to maintain a semi-jogging pace.

"Tick Tock, love," came an eerie British accent from behind them. Jake leapt in surprise, then stumbled over one of the protruding stones in the pathway. A blonde woman in khaki shorts, fedora, and a blue blouse, holding an exceptionally sharp bamboo spear, blew Jake a kiss. Recovering quickly, he kept heading for the building.

"Almost there," Imelda said as they approached the entrance. Another influencer passed through the turnstyle and a metal gate slammed down behind him. The digital sing next to the queue displayed:

At Capacity: 16/16

Please check back later and have a Magical Day!

"Come on! Let us in!!"Jake banged on the metal gate. "This ride is supposed to have capacity for 165 people."

"By all means, keep banging away," the British CM behind them said. "Maybe they'll take pity."

“Gah,” Jake pressed his back against the gate. "We've still got a few minutes left. You can't hurt us."

The CM shrugged, "meh... I don't think anyone will notice. You're not surviving anyways tubby!" She thrust her spear at him as Jake tried to roll out of the way. She hit his shoulder, ripping the shirt and causing blood to stain it.

"Jake!" Imelda cried out. Jake winced from the sharp pain, but managed to keep his feet. With a burst of adrenaline he sprinted away, Imelda right behind him.

"Good luck finding a ride not already full," the CM called out after them. Her laughter faded as they made their way further north.

"Come on, Pirates of the Caribbean should be just ahead." Jake clutched his shoulder and moved along, a Spanish fortress coming to view as they rounded a corner. They could already see the gate closed and the display:

At Capacity: 12/12

Please check back later and have a Magical Day!

"No..." Jake looked at his phone, 7:56. "Come on, lets head for the back of the park. Maybe we'll get lucky." Following the path around they crossed the gates of a wooden western fort, Frontierland burned into a wooden billboard.

"What's in this area?" Imelda asked.

"Some rollercoasters and some flume rides," Jake replied. "But they've got new stuff I haven't seen yet." They exited out the back of the fort into a western styled town, passing more closed gates.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

At Capacity: 25/25

Riverboats of America

At Capacity: 14/14

"What about the big house on the hill?" Imelda pointed to a tall, wood slatted building behind a wrought iron gate.

Bells began to toll in the distance, When You Wish Upon A Star.

"It'll have to do. At least it looks open," was all Jake could manage. Bong... Bong... Two CMs in matching dark grey suits, each carrying a scythe, stood next to the gate.

"Better hurry," they creepily intoned together. Jake and Imelda ran, huffing and puffing. Bong... Bong...Bong... The creepy twin CMs raised their scythes in anticipation.

Bong... Jake and Imelda dove, crossing the threshold as the two scythes came slashing down. Bong... Bong.

Haunted Manor

Open Capacity: 8/15

"Drats," the two CMs said in unison. "Oh well," they continued. "You'll be dying to get out soon enough," and they turned and walked away.

"Well," Imelda said. "At least we're in. Let's see about getting this key."

To Be Continued.