oolunastaroo

From my experience, Shaw is the smallest base I’ve lived at. The BX is the smallest one I’ve ever seen, and the same with the bowling alley and pretty much everything else. They haven’t updated in a while. It’s smack dab in the middle of the smallest town I’ve ever lived in, too. As a young, newlywed, childless woman, I don’t enjoy living here because I feel like I’m limited to the things there are for me to do. However, it is to my understanding that this place is a wonderful base to raise children in, and the outdoor recreation (that I’ve yet to experience because I’ve unfortunately arrived here in the winter) is enough to want to be stationed here. If you’re an outdoorsy and/or a family person, you’d love this base. If you’re single or young and childless, I don’t see any reason to try for this base over any other one.

The Magic Kingdom didn’t offer me any more than the Disney park on the other coast, which cost me alot less for practically the same thing. However, The Animal Kingdom was wonderful. On the “safari” I was able to get so close to the animals that our group was actually held up by a giraffe blocking the route of our car. Epcot blew me away. The rides, though not all that thrilling, were very enjoyable and educational, and the park offered one of the best shopping and culinary experiences I’ve ever had.

A tip I have for people who are used to going to Disneyland who are visiting Disneyworld for the first time: Don’t buy the Parkhopper tickets. The Parkhopper system works well in Disneyland because the parks are within walking distance from eachother, but Disneyworld has this bus system they use to go between the parks and it’s a waste of money and time to go between them throughout the day. Unless you’re an old Disneyworld pro, I suggest just buying the day pass for each park for each different day. ♥

Coming here from a pretty good-sized city left me feeling like I’ve lost alot of conveniences. It was pretty hard for me to get used to not having alot of places to go at my fingertips. Because of this, unless you’re used to the small-town, middle-of-the-woods atmosphere, I personally wouldn’t recommend stopping by unless you’re visiting someone. It’s not bad, though. Coming from the desert, just being able to have green grass, natural water (lakes and rivers), and trees is a beautiful thing on its own. I think the big thing about Sumter is that its a great place to raise a kid, plus Columbia is only 45 minutes or so away if you’re looking for some fun. Swan Lake, woot!