Main Street Gazette

Maroon Studios

2012-02-03T09:00:00.001-05:00

When Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened in May of 1989, at the time known as Disney-MGM Studios, it had a loud and flamboyant spokesperson just waiting to jump on any gag he could to make a guest laugh. I am, of course, talking about Roger Rabbit. There was scarcely a corner of that early park where you could not find a suggestion of Roger and his wacky crew. As Roger’s popularity waned, so too did his presence with the Studios. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still a few references to the 1988 film, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, scattered about. One of which we are going to examine today.The dead giveaway of this billboard, which can be found overlooking the Echo Lake section of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is that it has the names and faces of three of the primary cartoon characters from the film, Roger Rabbit, Jessica, and Baby Herman. The real treat is the name Maroon Studios ballooning above the three.

Maroon Studios is, according to the feature, the home of the three characters featured on the advertisement. Though we know Roger, Herman, and Jessica all work for Maroon Studios, many of its other characters are left to the imagination of the viewer. Familiar faces from Dumbo and Fantasia appear on the lot, though we are told they are only on loan to Maroon from Disney.

The studio, whose full name is R.K. Maroon Studios, is the product of founder and producer R.K. Maroon. It is during the events of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in that R.K. Maroon meets his untimely demise at the end of Judge Doom’s pistol. The role of R.K. Maroon was taken on by Alan Tilvern, in what would become his last feature film performance.

When Disney-MGM opened, Disney wanted nothing more than to have Roger standing alongside Mickey as an equal, and presented him regularly in just such a light. For better or worse, Roger’s star never shone quite as brightly as Mickey’s, though that isn’t to say that he doesn’t still have a home within the park!

Space home & garden

2012-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom has always been the city of tomorrow, though at some point it became an amalgamation of every future we had imagined in the last one hundred years rather than a true glimpse into the todays of tomorrow. This shift is understandable, considering that technologies across a spectrum of fields have been making rapid advancements and the land would date itself almost as fast as it could be update. Of course, that doesn’t mean we can’t dream of what the future could hold for us!

What better way to see what the future has in store than by seeing what is for sale or coming soon to the future. These posters can be found just over the bridge from the hub to Tomorrowland, on either side of the walkway and also as the coming attractions of The Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center. The potential for space collectibles, the latest and greatest in rocket transportation, high in the sky resorts, cosmic classical concerts, robots, home and garden necessities, planetary geography and even space yachting can all be gleamed from the various posters. There is, of course, one poster highlighting an already accessible piece from tomorrow, The League of Planets’ Astro Orbiter. Enjoy them all, and leave no detail unexplored!

Veggie veggie fruit fruit - S'mores Brownie

2012-02-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

My missus, and the Gazette’s resident reviewer of all things Disney and vegetarian, is back this month with something sweet... Take it away, Aileen!
Hello Main Street Gazette readers! Today I am here to talk about something a little bit different. Normally I focus on vegetarian entrees that you can find around Walt Disney World but I have a confession…I love dessert! In fact, I spend most of the trips we take trying to find unique sweets to sample. With that said, let’s spend a little time with the S’mores Brownie from Sunshine Seasons.

I am a huge fan of s’mores. I worked for the Girl Scouts, who are credited with making the first s’mores, for 7 years. For those of you who have never heard of them, they are a traditional campfire dessert made of chocolate and roasted marshmallows in between two graham crackers. With that background, I was extremely excited to try this brownie. The dessert itself is quite pretty in its presentation with bits of graham cracker baked in, chocolate drizzle and a marshmallow on top. The brownie is slightly crispy on the outside and chewy inside. This is my favorite type of brownie, but if you prefer something fudgier, you could be disappointed. As for graham cracker pieces, this sweet treat is seriously lacking in its inclusion of this element. I had hoped that there would be graham cracker in every bite, but in truth, they only covered the top of the brownie. The marshmallow was ok, but I was somewhat disappointed that it had not been toasted in any way, and I ended up eating the marshmallow separately. The chocolate drizzle was a nice finishing touch.

I do have to let you know that this is not a strictly vegetarian dessert. When I knew I would be reviewing this brownie, I took a second to e-mail Walt Disney World (specialdiets@disneyworld.com) to check if there were any animal products used in the making of this treat. Chef James Kleinschmidt at The Land Pavilion in Epcot promptly e-mailed me back and explained that the brownie contains egg and therefore only meets the ovo-vegetarian standard. Emailing with special dietary concerns and questions is a quick and simple way to get all of the specifics you need.

Overall, I enjoyed this dessert but I would not say it was amazing. I wanted to be reminded of campfires and taste gooey marshmallows and melting chocolate. Unfortunately, that wasn’t what I got. Instead, I received a really good brownie with a hint of s’mores.

Land of time

2012-01-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Chinese New Year, or more appropriately the Lunar New Year, is in full swing. The event does not begin on the same date every year; rather it follows the cycles of the moon. This year, the festival began on January 23rd and runs a full fifteen days, until the next full moon. Since we’re in the middle of the Lunar New Year celebration, I thought it’d be nice to take a look back at Epcot’s China Pavilion.This photograph is from early on in the pavilion’s existence, all the way back towards the beginning of the EPCOT Center itself in 1982. See Mickey Mouse, decked out in his best Chinese duds, there in the foreground? While it cannot be seen in this photograph, this early incarnation of the China pavilion was smaller than it is today. In fact, neither of the pavilion’s restaurants, Nine Dragons and Lotus Blossom Cafe, were completed and opened until 1985.

Do as dreamers do

2012-01-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

I’ll tell you something, folks, there are any number of things we look forward to and remember from a trip to Walt Disney World. From food to character meetings and first trips aboard an attraction, each holds a special place in our hearts. There are, however, perhaps no more special memories, than those of the incredible visuals that take place in and around Walt Disney World after the sun has set.

A quick aside: Since each of our memories of the nighttime spectaculars are so individual, I decided to not include any photos in the roundtable today so you can take a moment to remember what makes each show special to you!

Roundtable Topic: What is your favorite nighttime spectacular, past or present, in Walt Disney World?
Roundtable Contributors: Greg Grimsley (The Disney Obsession), Elizabeth Caran (Take the Monorail), Fiona (DF’82), Melissa Loflin (Makin’ Memories), AJ Wolfe (The Disney Food Blog), Andy Jackson (Eating (and Drinking) around the World), Eric Hoffman (Netmongrel), and yours truly.

Greg – I do not consider myself an aficionado of classical music, but I do have a deep appreciation of it. It was something that started early in life and continues even now as I work to expand my classical vocabulary. Given that background, I was captivated when I first experienced a Walt Disney World nighttime spectacular. I had settled in along the lagoon in the Mexico Pavilion and witnessed “IllumiNations”!

Mind you, I love the current IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, and my heart swells at its various crescendos. But for me, it pales to the IllumiNations that graced the World Showcase Lagoon from January 1988 to September 1996. Yes, the lasers have improved over the years as have the pyrotechnics, but the sounds of some of the worlds greatest pieces of music have faded from the promenade. This is alright; Epcot should progress and the music filling the air now has long since entered the pantheon of classic Disney music.

The reasons making this former IllumiNations my favorite are numerous. I loved how the countries of the world were celebrated with music from a native composer and how lighting and projections were used to transform a country during their moment in the spotlight. Recall the Windmills of Montmartre in France while Offenbach’s La Vie Parisienne played? Or perhaps you’ll remember how the crowd applauded as a clarinet swooned into the opening measures of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue; the American Adventure pavilion being bathed in red, white and blue light.

In Act III, the finale, we were treated to the glorious 4th Movement of Beethoven’s Ninth, the “Ode to Joy”. We celebrated with Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. All this culminating with the triumphant 1812 Festival Overture by Tschaikovsky (the first song I could hum nearly in its entirety as a child).

For me, this IllumiNations harkens back to a simpler time. So perhaps I am draw to this version simply out of nostalgia. It is full of memories of a time when I was first introduced to EPCOT Center. And as I said, I appreciate the classics; Beethoven, Mozart, The Beatles. This edition of the nighttime spectacular allowed me to celebrate a place I love with a music that I love.

I’ll close with an opening. “Good evening, and welcome to World Showcase. Tonight we are pleased to present a visual journey, an international fantasy of music and light. We're about to embark on a sparkling abstract expedition around World Showcase. With the music as your passport, we'll discover sights and sounds from colorful ports of call. And to celebrate our journey, the countries will be united by the festive elements of water, fire, and light. And now, let your imagination be your guide, as EPCOT Center proudly presents IllumiNations.”

Elizabeth – This was a really tough one for me. Each one is so different and so great! After much consideration, I think Fantasmic shines as the winner for me. And I think the reasons are largely about comfort and view. As much as I love Wishes and Illuminations, I have rarely lucked into getting a good viewing spot. Invariably, there is a tree or a Really Tall Person spoiling the view. Sometimes it's a building or other structure that I didn't think would cause me problems. Although I am not a fan of being herded into a huge stadium and sitting fanny-to-fanny with total strangers for an extended period of time, I am grateful for the seat and the clear view Fantasmic affords. Once we move past the comfort factor, I am also a huge fan of the live aspect of the show mixed with the effects and music. I don't know why, but something about watching animation projected onto screens of water is just So. Very. Cool. To me, it embodies all the things I love about Disney. High caliber talent and showmanship, animation, fireworks, and fantasy.

Fiona – If there is one thing that Walt Disney World excels in, it’s nightime spectaculars. Whether it’s fireworks, parades or shows, I always think it’s one of the most important parts of a trip to the World! So trying to think of my favourite one has been especially difficult…but I think I have to go for Wishes. There is just something about the entire spectacle that sends shivers down my spine. I can’t think of one particular moment that stands out in the show – and I don’t want to spoil it too much for anyone who might not have seen it – but the mix of past and “present” Disney music makes me get goosebumps. Thinking of Wishes, I can feel myself being transported to the middle of Main Street U.S.A., waiting amongst a throng of people, with the sound of Jiminy Cricket and the lights dimming all around me. It’s a beautiful moment, and I know that for the next 12 minutes I’m going to be surrounded by beautiful music and breathtaking fireworks.

On a more personal level, I have such affection towards Wishes due to the memories I have attached to it. Watching it for the first time with my close family, remembering the joy on all our faces (and the tears, too, I won’t lie!), right to the present and watching it with ex-colleagues, best friends and loved ones. It’s a nightime spectacular that brings everyone closer together, and from the moment you hear the opening line right to the finale firework display, Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams is one firework display that this Princess can’t get enough of!

Melissa – As with most of my favorites at Disney World, there is a sentimental reason attached as to why. My favorite nighttime show is easily Illuminations Reflections of Earth in its current form. Illuminations was my first nighttime spectacular experience ever, and it was on my honeymoon. I will never forget enjoying my hot chocolate from France with my new husband as I was completely taken aback by this amazing show. The combination of the music with the globe imagery, the lasers and fireworks engulfs you in the magic of the moment. It was more than I had ever expected. One of my favorite parts is when the countries "twinkle" and light up in the dark night sky. Years later I was even more emotional over the opportunity to share this wonderful experience with my in-laws and to see their reactions to it as well. It is always a must do on my birthday and usually we see it more than once each trip. I cannot wait to share the experience with more members of my family in the years to come.

AJ – Not sure if this counts or not, but my favorite “nighttime spectacular” is the Electric Light Parade at the Magic Kingdom. I used to stare at those glowing costumes and think how lucky those cast members were to be wearing them (I was pretty young then, but I still kind of feel that way!).

But the best thing about the parade was – and is – the music. It's boisterous and fun and addictive. It just brings a smile to my face every time I hear it.

Seeing that parade with my family during our marathon open-to-close days in Disney World when I was a kid will always be one of my favorite memories! There may not be any fireworks, but it sure is spectacular!!

Andy – In a word: Illuminations.

It’s not only my favorite “nighttime spectacular”, but perhaps my favorite thing in the World (at least in the top three for sure…).

Other shows? Yes I do love Wishes, the Summer Nighttastic fireworks were incredibly spectacular, Fantasmic is fun now and then, but a bit overdone and busy for me. The depth and beauty of Illuminations tops them all (and of course it doesn’t hurt that it’s also viewed at my favorite place, the World Showcase in Epcot… and yes, there can be cocktails…).

The story, the music, the emotion it evokes… I rarely leave a viewing of Illuminations without at least a few tears…

Eric – This is an easy one for me to answer. Of all the myriad parades, fireworks, and other nighttime events that regularly or seasonally take place at Walt Disney World my hands down favorite is Mickey's Boo to You Halloween Parade. This parade caters to the "dark side" of Disney featuring not only Disney villains and scoundrels, but numerous tributes to Disney films and park attractions.

All of your favorite and expected characters are found from the Fab 5, Peter Pan, and the Hundred Acre Woods crew to an appearance by Captain Jack Sparrow and the Country Bears. Everyone is dressed for Halloween and ready for a fun night of trick-or-treating!

There are a few stand-out favorites in this parade for me however. First of all I love the tribute to the Haunted Mansion. Leading the way is the frightened graveyard groundskeeper and his trusty hound. Next, the waltzing ghosts materialize before your eyes as they continue their eternal dance. An elaborate float featuring the iconic hitchhiking ghosts follow and sets the stage for the truly spooky grave diggers. They grave diggers perform a macabre dance in unison with real shovels. Sparks fly in the night as the shocking and grating sound of their shovels being dragged across the street fill the air. What ghoulish fun!

Heralding the arrival of any and all of the Disney villains you might expect to see is a funky skeleton band banging out one of the theme songs of the parade, "It's Good to be Bad". These guys are pretty creepy looking as they dance and perform and seem to be taking this song to heart!

My favorite part of this entire parade however is at the very beginning. In a chilling and very realistic homage to the classic horror short story by Washington Irving, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", the parade starts off as the headless horseman himself rides down the parade route, jack-o-latern head in hand, presumably on his way to Sleepy Hollow to claim another victim. In the still before the parade starts, the clip clop of the horse as it carries its evil rider on a dark journey gives you chills.

If you find yourself in Walt Disney World when this parade is running you owe it to yourself to see it, you will not regret it.

Ryan – As a child, I could not dream bigger than the Main Street Electrical Parade. As a young adult, I found culture and a bond to the world with IllumiNations. Wishes puts a tear in my eye and reminds me of movies with my family. And Fantasmic! reminds me that magic is real and all around. Yet, none of these are my favorite nighttime shows.

Silently drifting through the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, invisible save for a few red and green safety lights, the Electrical Water Pageant tugs at my heartstrings like no other. When the music pipes out from out on the water, especially if I happen to be on the beach at Fort Wilderness, you know something special is about to happen. Part whimsical parade of sea creatures, both real and imagined, and part patriotic display, there is something about the Pageant that just makes me smile.

While this could be said for almost any spectacle, the fact that I have unique memories of this show with my family as a child and now with my wife just endears it to me more.

Wishes that sparkle along with fireworks, Mickey facing down a bevy of villains, the world united against the night, blinking lights and flashing music that spread smiles, no matter what parade or fireworks display burns brightest in your heart, it is well deserved. Where does the night find you in Walt Disney World?

Disney This Week - 29 January 2012

2012-01-29T09:00:00.002-05:00

There are only three weeks left for planning your trip to Raleigh in order to see me talk about all things Disney Park history. Okay, so don’t actually plan a trip to Raleigh, NC just to come see me speak, however, if you are in the area, it would be great to see you! I promise to share as much knowledge as I can in the time they allot to me! Check the flyer for details.

Passport to Dreams Old & New scribe, FoxxFur, has all that’s fit to print and more on the Golf Resort.

Suzannah DiMarzio takes the family to dinner at Portobello and Zannaland readers get the review.

Eating WDW and Sarah Holodick grab some sushi at Tokyo Dining.

AJ Wolfe touches upon one of my favorite connection, the Disney name and wineries, at The Disney Food Blog.

Rounding out the food section this week, Andy Jackson is not only Eating (and Drinking) around the World he’s finding new ways to drink around World Showcase.

Mary Jo Collins has a breakdown of the Meet Up and Warm Up runDisney event held during marathon weekend over at WDW Fan Zone.

Readers of the Disney Parks Blog got a dose of IllumiNations from years gone by from Nate Rasmussen.

Makin' Memories and Melissa Loflin stick to Mickey's of Hollywood this week, this time looking at the shop's exterior.

Matt Hochberg gives us his two cents on the Celebrity 5 and 10 at Studios Central.

Silent Saturday - Imagination Fountain (December 2011)

2012-01-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hand-crafted tree bark

2012-01-27T09:00:00.002-05:00

We’ve all seen the reeds being pounded flat to make papyrus, an early form of paper, in Spaceship Earth. Across the globe there are similar scenes that have played out during the creation of materials which were suitable for writing, artwork and fabric. One such art took hold in Polynesia and can be seen near the elevators at the Polynesian.The Polynesian art form known as tapa was created out of the necessity for clothing for several centuries. The arduous task of creating the material starts with scraping the inner bark of the mulberry and breadfruit trees from the outer bark with a shell. The bark is placed on hardwood and pounded flat by another piece of wood, often a club like tool, all the while being kept wet and malleable. Layer upon layer of the bark is added into the fabric with the same application of force. After the desired length of material is completed, it is moved out into the sun to dry. It is then that natural pigments, mostly blacks and browns, are applied.

The once common cloth was used a regular clothing, with designs crafted to denote status and rank, but it is more commonly used today for ceremonial affairs. Outside of attire, works of tapa can also be found as curtains and drapes, blankets, room dividers or as ornamental tapestries. The art has been declining, in practice, not in quality, for quite some time. Luckily for guests of Walt Disney World there is still a fine example of the beautiful art form to be observed in the Polynesian.

Prehysterically

2012-01-26T09:00:00.007-05:00

If there’s one thing a roadside attraction needs, it is noisy advertisements that draw a driver’s attention away from the road and toward the gaudy sideshow. More often than not these billboards are brightly colored, have quirky wording, and have something special to draw attention to them, something along the lines of reflectors, lights, or moving pieces. Another angle would be to put up a ton of showy signs. Luckily for guests who choose to acknowledge Chester and Hester’s in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the roof and surroundings are filled with kitschy signage!

Slow-melting

2012-01-25T09:00:00.002-05:00

You have a small group, or know someone who could devour half of a buffet on their own, in Walt Disney World and everyone is craving ice cream. What do you do? I’m willing to bet your mind immediately drifted to the grand-daddy of all sundaes, the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream. But what if I told you there was a second option in the colossal ice cream category?

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop, located in the Downtown Disney Marketplace, is well known for its hot beverages infused with chocolate and even their individual sundaes are mentioned now and again. However, when it comes to ridiculously over the top ice cream, the have a dish that steals the show. Known as the Earthquake, it is most certainly enough to rock your world!The foundation of this silver platter is eight scoops of ice cream, with choices including: Vanilla, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Strawberry, Espresso Chip, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Strawberry Cheesecake, Ghirardelli Rocky Road, Kona Coffee, Mint Chocolate Chip and Butter Pecan. Another assortment of eight comes from the catalog of toppings: Milk Hot Fudge, Dark Hot Fudge, Chocolate Syrup, Warm Caramel, Crushed Pineapple, Sliced Strawberry, Warm Peanut Butter, Marshmallow Cream, Blueberry and Butterscotch. Piled on and around the mountain of ice cream and toppings are freshly cut bananas, decadent chocolate chips, chopped almonds and whipped cream. I would say it comes topped with a cherry, but that would be slighting the no less than seven cherries which crown this beauty.

You would think, as we did when we ordered it, that this may make for some rather odd combinations, such as Cookies & Cream topped with Blueberry. Such arrangements would seem unappetizing, but they aren’t. Clearly, the hands that craft this massive sundae have been well educated in the art of blending flavors.

The true joy of this dessert comes from the interactions amongst all the people eating it. Whether it’s sharing a favorite flavor or arguing over who’s eaten too much of a specific scoop, there are sure to be laughs aplenty as you dig in the Ghirardelli’s Earthquake and I promise it will be gone before you want it to be. Clearly we didn’t have much of problem polishing this dish off…

Bear all

2012-01-24T09:00:00.003-05:00

Often times when we look back at Walt Disney World of yore it is to discuss what has changed, what is missing, or a specific event somewhere along the decades upon decades of history. It’s rare that we discuss what has stayed the same, but we’re going to do that today, and have a few chuckles along the way.This is a 1971 press image of the opening scene from the Country Bear Jamboree. The more things change, the more the stay the same, as they say, and this same section holds firm still today. Sure, there have been bears on vacation, both summer and Christmas, but the main Jamboree has remained remarkably intact. So, what is it that draws me towards this scene? Why, the bear necessities, of course!

Here’s a rundown of the cleverly worded advertisements that preface the main show on this opening screen:

FOR MOLDY, ITCHING SKIN
DISNFECT WITH BEAR ALL

CAVES FOR RENT
BEEHIVE REALTORS

UNICYCLES FOR TRICK BEARS
BRUIN CYCLE CO.

FUR COAT SALE
SCALP BROS. FURRIERS

CORSETS
CINCH LIKE A BEAR-HUG
CLAMP’S TOGGERY

CURES PAW ROOT
WAHOO
GOOD FOR BEAR OR MAN

THE DUMP
CONTINENTAL CUISINE
BOOTHS FOR BEARS

DENTURES BUILT-IN GRIZZLY GRIP
DR. WINCH
PAINLESS DENTIST

2FAST4U

2012-01-23T09:00:00.004-05:00

Walt Disney World is known for its classic dark rides and multiple mountain ranges. One sector, the dark rides, are family-friendly fare, while the mountains may not be for the faint of heart. Of course, so far as roller coasters are concerned, are the coasters of Walt Disney World really going to send sheer terror screaming down your spine? Today, I thought I would take a little bit of time to rank the roller coasters found on property.

First things first, we have to know which attractions we’re talking about. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines roller coasters as such:

roller coaster (ˈrō-lər-ˌkō-stər) noun: an elevated railway (as in an amusement park) constructed with sharp curves and steep inclines on which cars roll

Under this definition, we are asked to disregard several thrill attractions, including Test Track, Kali River Rapids, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Star Tours and Splash Mountain. So thrills are not simply handed out via roller coasters, but we’ll play ball with just the ‘elevated railway’ attractions today, but know that in a pure thrill-seeking rundown, Splash Mountain and Tower of Terror would have ranked very high. What we are left with are a handful of attractions: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, Goofy’s Barnstormer, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Expedition Everest and Primeval Whirl.6 – Goofy’s Barnstormer – Yes, this attraction is in the middle of a refurbishment, but the core of this kiddie coaster will remain the same. Goofy’s Barnstormer can be a bit cramped for adults, but is an excellent introduction to the world of roller coasters for young children. Plus, during its climb and at its peak, it offers great views of the Magic Kingdom. It should be noted that the final spot in this countdown will likely be held by The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train once it opens in 2013.5 – Primeval Whirl – For the hurky-jerky factor alone, I almost placed this attraction at the bottom of the list. However, Primeval Whirl plays close to its parking lot fair theme, and has similar excitement to Goofy’s Barnstormer. It gains the nod of one placement up because of the individual cars’ ability to spin free of the track. Basically, it is a Tilt-A-Whirl on a roller coaster track.4 – Big Thunder Mountain Railroad – It is my personal favorite on the list (though Expedition Everest is running neck and neck with it), and has held a special place in my heart since I was a wee lad. However, it doesn’t have a terrifying element to it, just some great visuals, some tremendous bumps, and a lot of speed, topping out at 30 mph.3 – Space Mountain – While actually slower than Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, clocking in at a whopping 28 mph, Space Mountain amps up the exhilaration by sending guests hurtling through space, or in simple terms, along a track in the dark. Comparing the Magic Kingdom’s Space Mountain to Disneyland’s for just a moment, there is a lot that could be done to intensify and plus the east coast version, but it is still a top tier coaster for Walt Disney World.2 – Expedition Everest – I’ll admit it, I miss the swinging, swiping yeti, but that doesn’t mean this attraction is any less worthy of a top spot. Steep drops, suck you into your headrest turns, and a backwards spiral into the mountain all make this an incredible must-ride roller coaster. Top speeds of 50 mph come during the 80 foot drop.1 – Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster – I fully believe this ride could have been made with just the launch sequence and guests would still line up for it! Going from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds (okay, to be honest it’s only 0 – 57 mph) is an immediate injection of adrenaline. Couple this with inversions and the surprise element provided by being in the dark and you have a roller coaster recipe for success. The only thing that could make Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster better is if it were longer.

So, that’s my ranking of the roller coasters in Walt Disney World, the real question is, what’s yours?

Disney This Week - 22 January 2012

2012-01-22T09:00:00.003-05:00

In a little less than a month, I will be doing a history presentation on Disney parks in Raleigh, NC. If you’re going to be in town, I’d love to see you there! Check the flyer for details.

FoxxFur shows us that before there was Walt Disney World, there was Johnny’s Corner for Passport to Dreams Old & New.

Matt Hochberg gives us a photo breakdown of Rock the Night! Fireworks Spectacular at Studios Central.

A new cupcake from Contempo Café, a Red Velvet Cupcake, is thoroughly covere by AJ Wolfe and The Disney Food Blog.

Want to know more about the history of rollercoasters and ride design? George Taylor has the review for you at Imaginerding.

Mickey Mouse and The Doctor, do I need to say more. Thanks to Progress City, U.S.A. and Michael Crawford for finding this gem.

Adam and Andrew explain the simple joy that is Columbia Harbour House at Disney Hipster Blog.

Eating WDW and Sarah Holodick head to Fort Wilderness, so you know I’m going to promote it here. She explores the check-in area of the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue.

Mickey through the years, as seen in Mickey’s of Hollywood, is covered by Melissa Loflin at Makin’ Memories.

Steven Miller, at the Disney Parks Blog, highlights some upcoming merchandise. Check the comments section where he discusses upcoming Disney Racers with me!

A bit off property, but Cirque du Soleil is going to have a second show in Orlando for two days next month. Get the details from Suzannah DiMazio and Zannaland.

Silent Saturday - Winner's Circle (April 2010)

2012-01-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Dashing heroes

2012-01-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

Aside from the actually ride vehicles themselves, and the showroom display models, there are not many complete vehicles lying around Test Track. Throughout the queue there are sections and pieces being put through rigorous testing, but they are far from complete and road worthy. One car in the queue, however, has been on the move for quite a while.

Just inside the building, after the first turn in the queue’s road, sits an exhibit discussing General Motors’ first testing facility, a site in Milford, Michigan that they began using in 1924. The scene includes worn workbenches, black and white photographs, a chalkboard, machinery parts and a 1927 Chevrolet.For those of you who visited the park back when it was EPCOT Center and this attraction was known as World of Motion, this car may seem familiar. It did, once upon a time, have a prominent position within the attraction itself. It was featured in the air show/flying ace scene, where fashionable ladies swooned over the courageous aviator. The car was situated off to one side, filled with an excited family, including a small boy hanging off of the side flying his toy airplane in the breeze.

Whether guests today are aware of the car’s history, as you now are, it is good to know that history still has its place in the former World of Motion pavilion. History of the automotive and the park itself.

The showplace of the shore

2012-01-19T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Attic is a special events space found inside Disney’s BoardWalk. Like many attics BoardWalk’s is not easy to get to, but rather than use a rope-pull and a fold-out ladder, this room requires wandering down a winding corridor, past a number of guest rooms, towards the very end of the third floor. The room isn’t big enough for a large reception, but the room comes complete with a verandah with a vista of the BoardWalk, Crescent Lake, Yacht and Beach Club and Epcot.

Filling the nooks, crannies and eaves are a diverse selection of items that could be in any attic. Books, toys, pictures, old license plates, birdcages and even the furnishings fit the motif. Some of the more beautiful elements to fill the space are the stained-glass windows, as seen below.

Our burgers are out of this world

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Almost a year ago I wrote about the angus burger found at Epcot in the Liberty Inn. It was the kind of meat-on-meat violence the likes of which hadn’t been seen in Walt Disney World before. It was the king of heart attack hill, and there was no stopping it. Until now. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater recently unveiled The All American Picnic Burger, which means the squeamish should run and hide.

Here’s the breakdown on the burger: A Flame-broiled Angus Burger Patty topped with two grilled hot dogs, sauerkraut, sautéed onions, mustard, ketchup, and topped with a pickle spear. Even though I am self-respecting carnivore, I really, really did not want to like this burger. It seemed too rich, too decadent to be decent. I really had my heart set on thinking it was disgusting. Yet, even with my head and heart working against it, it won me over on the first bite!

I wouldn’t say that it was a picnic on a bun, but I can see the temptation to connect this burger with all things picnic. The patty is what you would expect from the one notch up crowd of burgers Walt Disney World has been crafting in recent years. The hot dogs are nothing fancy, except for their preparation. Splayed open and grilled flat, the charred meat really takes you back to the feeling of a backyard barbeque. As with all things meat, the mustard-sauerkraut combo is a perfect topping, and of course you need the sautéed onions. Pickles are also a necessity, although I would opt for slices on the sandwich instead of the spear which only leaves a bit of juice in the combining. The only detractor, for me, was the ketchup. Don’t get me wrong, I’m fine with it on burgers as a general rule. Here, however, it just seems to take away from the rest of the burger.

For sides you can opt for the more picnic-minded cucumber salad or the traditional French fries. While I am a fan of the cucumber salad that has been making its way through the parks and resorts, I am always going to pair my burgers with fries, hands down.

This is a great burger that would call me back to Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater time and time again, regardless of what else was on the menu. In the end however, while it throttles past the sandwich at Liberty Inn, it still comes up short next to a sandwich I’ve lovingly been referring to as Meatageddon, but we’ll have to save that discussion for another day.

Preview boulevard

2012-01-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

On November 15, 1965 Walt and Roy Disney, along with Florida Governor Haydon Burns, held a press conference to announce the construction of Disney World. Walt Disney would pass away before the groundbreaking began took place on May 30, 1967, by which time Roy had renamed the project Walt Disney World in honor of the man who had dreamed the venture up. While it would take over four years before the Vacation Kingdom welcomed its first guests, the Walt Disney World Preview Center opened almost two years before the rest of the development.The Walt Disney World Preview Center began welcoming invited business and political guests on January 10, 1970 and opened to the general public on the 16th of the same month. Seen here under construction, it was built just off of Interstate 4. Can you see it there in the background? That rinky-dink two-lanes each way road with precisely three cars on it? Yep, that was, and is, the main thoroughfare which cut through across the state of Florida.

Once inside the facility, guests were greeted by a hand-selected group of fourteen hostesses, who were more than happy to answer any questions potential visitors had. From models and construction footage, to the 21 minute Project Florida film, the Walt Disney World Preview Center showcased what the first five years had in store for the swamplands of central Florida. In addition to just seeing what was coming, guest could go ahead and make reservations for the two resorts scheduled to open, the Contemporary and Polynesian Village, and pick up preview postcards and other souvenirs.

The building still stands today, situated along Hotel Plaza Boulevard, but has not been utilized as a Preview Center in 1971. Still, as I have said many times, a preview center for what’s next at Walt Disney World would most certainly bring in the crowds of curious guests, just as it did in 1970. If I had my way, perhaps a preview center could bring new life to the Transportation and Ticket Center.

Clap your hands and stomp your feet

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last month I was at Walt Disney World for my thirtieth birthday and made sure to pick up the customary button that announces to the world that it was my birthday. While the free desserts were great, and the Star Tours experience I had will likely never be matched, I felt that many of the happy birthdays were half-hearted. I don’t blame the lackluster celebrations on the Cast Members, can you imagine how many birthday, anniversary, just married and other celebratory buttons they must see in a single day? It is hard to stay continually engaged and full of that confetti type of feeling all day, every day. It got me to thinking, there must be something more that can be done to further enhance the celebrations.

A couple of years back guests were given free entry into a park on their birthday, if you already had an annual pass you could substitute a gift card for the park entry, but let’s not kid ourselves, that could end up being a pricey proposition, and not one Disney is likely to repeat any time soon. I suspect a free dessert with a meal is about as much merchandise as Walt Disney World is willing to give out for celebrations, and rightly so. I don’t expect to be walking through the Emporium and receive a free Mickey Mouse plush or be perusing the racks at Villains in Vogue and be handed a complimentary Vinylmation, not that I’d say ‘no’ to either. So, what if there was a way to increase parameter of the celebration without exponentially raising the cost Walt Disney World incurs?

I think they answer has already appeared, it just hasn’t been utilized yet.

A lot of work has taken place in developing an adventure game for the Magic Kingdom that utilizes RFID technology to activate game portals throughout the Magic Kingdom. Testing of this tool in conjunction with park entry has also been taking place over at Epcot. These are two very different applications for the same tech right? So, what is RFID? RFID is an acronym for Radio Frequency Identification. Basically, it allows for data to be stored on a thin chip that can be recognized when it is within a given proximity to a scanner, but without lasers and barcodes or the physical swiping necessary with a magnetic strip.

In the case of birthday and celebration buttons, what if the RFID technology could be imbedded in the buttons and harnessed in other minor ways throughout the parks? Here are just a few ideas:

--Bonus points added to scores on games like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or Toy Story Midway Mania
--Mr. Spell wishes you a Happy Birthday as you pass by him in Pixar Place
--Spaceship Earth gives you a special look at birthdays of the future during the finale
--Hitchhiking Ghosts sing Happy Boo-thday to You

This short list is just the beginning, there are many other trivial ways the RFID buttons could brighten a birthday without a ton of long-term cost.

Stories that come alive to engage and integrate guests have become a top priority over the past several years in and around Walt Disney World and the other worldwide destinations, why not have our personal stories interact with the world around us in the parks. Can you imagine the stories guests would take home with them?

Disney This Week - 15 January 2012

2012-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

In case you missed the announcement earlier in the week, I’m going to be taking part in a presentation about Walt Disney World history next month in Raleigh, NC. Check the flyer for specifics on date and time, and I hope to see many of you there as I take my blatherings live!Now, onwards to Disney This Week!

Honestly, if you aren’t reading everything that Sam Gennawey is writing, you are missing out. This week at SamLand’s Disney Adventures, he tackles Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards.

The Disney Food Blog and AJ Wolfe venture into Japan’s new sake bar.

George Taylor rustles up some remnants of Pleasure Island past for Imaginerding.

The Disney Parks Blog and Nate Rasmussen look at the construction of the Studios' original Star Tours.

Why the Disney College Program? That is the question Chandler Witzigreuter answers at WDW Radio.

Sarah Holodick double dishes on Restaurant Marrakesh this week, with Eating WDW stopping by for lunch and dinner.

Over at Studios Central, Matt Hochberg weighs in on when is the best times to visit with characters in the Studios.

Silent Saturday - Pacific Electric Roundhouse (September 2011)

2012-01-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

Likeness of the chimpanzee

2012-01-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

This sculpture, found at the entrance to It’s Tough to be a Bug, is of a very special chimpanzee named David Greybeard. Who is David Greybeard and why does he grace the Tree of Life?

In 1960, Jane Goodall began her research in Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania. Using unorthodox methods, including naming the individuals in the troop she was studying, she was eventually acknowledged as a member of the troop, the troop she stayed with for twenty-two months. The first of the chimpanzees to approach and welcome Goodall into the group was David Greybeard.

Fast forward to the construction of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Jane Goodall, consultant and friend of the park and Disney’s animal programs, took a tour of the wild places under construction with the Director of Animal Programs, Rick Barongi. While taking in the sculptures in the Tree of Life, of which there would end up being 325, Goodall asked Barongi is a chimpanzee was planned for the wienie.

After consulting with the Chief Sculptor of the project, Zsolt Hormay, Barongi learned there was not a chimpanzee anywhere on the Tree of Life. That, however, was not good enough. Hormay and another artist took only a single week to craft a sculpture in the likeness of Goodall’s troop-mate David Greybeard. Upon her next visit, Goodall was shown to the spot where her friend would greet guests each and every day.

Positioned right next to the carving of David Greybeard is a plaque which reads:

In 1960, wildlife researcher Jane Goodall observed a wild chimpanzee as it carefully stripped a stick of its leaves and inserted it into a mound to fish for termites.

This discovery that non-humans could create tools opened a door to a previously unknown world of animal intelligence, and inspired Jane Goodall’s life-long commitment to understanding these complex, amazing primates.

To honor Jane Goodall, this likeness of the chimpanzee she called David Greybeard was created in the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Character development

2012-01-12T09:00:00.005-05:00

In December, Walt Disney World gave an early Christmas present to all of its annual passholders, a calendar. The artwork used in the calendar came from the vast collection of animation concept art. However, this was no ordinary calendar. While it came with a suggested list of ordering the images, they were separate from the actually date section of the calendar. In other words, if you wanted to put the suggested artwork for December, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, in June, go right ahead. Similarly, if you decided you wanted to look at the Buzz Lightyear concept work for three, six, or even twelve months, you could do that too!

It got me thinking about the unused queue from The Magic of Disney Animation, formerly the queue for the Studios Backlot Tour. In this zigzagging line you were educated on the importance of character development to a story. I imagine most guests glossed over this informative tile as they were blown away by the copious amounts of animation art.While these are not the same pieces of concept art from the 2012 annual passholder calendar, I’m willing to bet you could pick your favorite images from this safari of The Magic of Disney Animation queue and incorporate them into your own 2012 calendar.

Destination: Disney - 18 February 2012

2012-01-11T19:30:00.000-05:00

Okay gang, a while back I promised you some big news coming for fans of the Main Street Gazette. Well, here it is!That’s right, I’m going to be taking part in a lecture program dealing with the history of Disneyland and Walt Disney World. From Ayefour to Animal Kingdom, I can promise you all a short history of nearly everything Vacation Kingdom.

While it is a regional event, I certainly hope those of you that can make the trip will venture towards Raleigh, NC on February 18 to join me for the experience! I would certainly appreciate any and every one who can come out!

Sweet and spicy

2012-01-11T09:00:00.003-05:00

Over the past couple of years, Walt Disney World has become pros at cycling favorite dishes on and off of menus, refreshing stale bill o’ fares, and branching out into new directions that, for a Disney quick service location, may seem adventurous. However, many of the results have been scrumptious to partake in, some of which even made me giddy just to think about beforehand. One such food dream I’ve had in recent months were the waffle sandwiches from Sleepy Hollow Refreshments.Sweet and Spicy Chicken – Chicken and waffles in Walt Disney World?!?! In a word, awesome! The chicken could use a bit more kick, but the sweet and savory interplay here is great. The waffle sops up the juices and condiments while retaining its crustiness and eluding the soggy nature found so often in chicken sandwiches of this sort.Ham, Prosciutto and Swiss – Of the three waffle sandwiches, this was the only one that disappointed me. With such hunky waffles, there is not enough filling to offset the bread. Additionally, the Swiss cheese overpowers the other elements of the sandwich.Nutella and Fresh Fruit – This would not be my recommendation for lunch or dinner, although it would definitely fill you up! What could be assumed to be too sweet, actually has a great combination of flavors. This waffle sandwich is perfect for breakfast or a snack, especially if you are going to split the snack with someone else.

All in all, the waffle sandwiches of Sleepy Hollow Refreshments are a nice change from the hamburger, nuggets, and hot dogs that are the standard menu bearers around the Magic Kingdom. While some could still use a few tweaks, the sweet, hot and crispiness of the folded waffles pair well with the sweet and the savory components stuffed into them. Don’t take my word for it, go on out and get yourself one!

Era of air travel

2012-01-10T09:00:00.003-05:00

In the first couple of decades of Walt Disney World many of the most memorable images from Walt Disney World came from a unique perspective. Rather than a straight forward take on the subject matter, such as attractions or resorts, the photographs were taken from the air.

Aerial photographs and fly-overs, such as the famous Mickey on top of Spaceship Earth, were a mainstay of advertising and press photographs. They haven’t totally vanished, but these pictures are not nearly as common today, though not for lack of wishful thinking (who wouldn’t love a photograph over Kilimanjaro Safaris’ savanna?). Scrutinizing these eye-in-the-sky images offers an amazing amount insight into the early years of Walt Disney World. What was there, what wasn’t, a literal footprint of how things were laid out. Here’s just one such image, from just before the Polynesian Village opened in 1971.

Every sparkling idea can lead to even more

2012-01-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

Last week it was announced that GM and Disney had come to terms on a new, 10-year agreement for the sponsorship of the Test Track pavilion. Under this new agreement, Test Track is slated to shut down in the spring of 2012 and reopen this fall with a new slant towards Chevrolet and the design process. What should we expect when the testing facility reopens? Here’s an excerpt from the press release:
“As part of the re-imagining, the Future World attraction will feature a sleek new “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot” immersing Guests in the fascinating world of automotive design. Amid upbeat music, engaging media, dramatic lighting and a collection of Chevrolet concept cars and model vehicles, guests themselves will become automotive designers – and peer into the future of personal transportation in the process.

At interactive design and styling workstations, Guests will be able to create their own custom concept vehicles. The adventure will then shift into high gear as Guests buckle into their 6-person “SimCar” ride vehicle and put their design through its paces on the exhilarating hills, switchbacks and straight-aways of the Test Track circuit.

Their performance testing complete, Guests will move into a post-show area filled with special effects and be scored on how well their custom concept vehicle did. And of course, Guests will be able see the very latest Chevrolet vehicles in an all-new state-of-the-art showroom.”

I’ll admit, I’m a little surprised at the Test Track overhaul. The attraction is only thirteen years old, though attraction longevity is not necessarily the torchbearer of attraction stability. However, given that the attraction regularly hosts the first or second longest line in the park, replacing it seems a bit of an odd move. Then again, I can understand GM and Chevrolet wanting to freshen up their image in the attraction world. Regardless, the whole idea got me thinking about other Future World attractions in Epcot that could use some new life.

Ellen’s Energy Adventure, also known as the Universe of Energy, was opened in 1996 and harness the power of celebrity, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Nye, Alex Trebek and Jamie Lee Curtis. While certain elements of the forty-five minute show seem to date the attraction, that isn’t the major problem here. Where the Universe of Energy is lacking is in the relevance of its message. There have been substantial amount of research and development on current and potential energy sources that are not as present in the attraction.

Long story short, Universe of Energy needs a new sponsor (ExxonMobil dropped its sponsorship in 2004), and a new story that compliments and compels the audience to explore the new worlds of energy, while keeping this people eating attraction and the non-people eating dinosaurs running for a new generation.The Imagination pavilion, home of the Imagination Institute, houses two attractions: a dark ride and a 3D theater. Due to guest complaints the guru of Imagination, Figment, was returned to the attraction in 2002, though his friendly neighborhood Dreamfinder did not make the journey with him. Yet, between Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience, there was a cohesive story of invention being presented. Today, Journey Into Imagination with Figment rarely holds more than a two minute wait and Honey, I Shrunk the Audience has given way to the futuristic musical revival of Captain EO. While the slant towards invention was an inspired idea, given Disney’s history with ‘mad’ scientist movies, there hasn’t been a new inventor on the block since 1997’s Flubber.

With Kodak removing its sponsorship in 2010, this pavilion is also in search of a new patron. Imagination is something that belongs to all of us, but this pavilion needs some new life and new direction. Dreamfinder isn’t coming back and talk of Figment imagining with LEGOs seems a bit far-fetched, but that doesn’t mean we cannot dream up something new and amazing. Heck, Figment meets Walt Disney Imagineering seems like a brilliant idea to me!Then there is Innoventions. Epcot has always had and innovative flea market of ideas, starting with the earliest incarnations of CommuniCore and right on through to today. What makes this concept successful is the same thing that also causes it to sputter, the ability to rotate out exhibits. Innoventions seems to be headed in the right direction, with edutaining attractions such as Sum of All Thrills and the forthcoming Habit Heroes (more on this in a future article), but it still doesn’t pack the oomph that its predecessor once had. I’m not kidding when I say that I believe some more natural light would help, these areas are very dark and make even me want to limit my time in the closed in space.

After years of being an air conditioned resting spot, I do feel like Innoventions has turned a corner. A bit more work and some environmental tweaks here and there, and these once imaginative playgrounds can be returned to their glory days.

For several years, the Disney community has been clamoring for Epcot to be restored to its original promise. We’re not there yet, and refreshing a single attraction here and there is not going to be the long term solution, but it is a start. Epcot’s Future World has always been a place to learn from yesterday and today while dreaming of tomorrow. These thoughts may seem ambitious, but if there is one thing I learned from growing up in Epcot, it is to dream big or go home!

Disney This Week - 8 January 2012

2012-01-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

The read of the week comes from Michael Crawford and Progress City, U.S.A. Head over and check out A Model Kingdom, 1968.

One of the best says Aloha. Be sure to stop by DisneyShawn and tell Shawn Slater just how much you have appreciated his dedication and amazingly detailed stories. You will be missed Shawn!

AJ Wolfe gives us a few of the rules, well, guidelines, for dining in the restaurants of the Magic Kingdom over at The Disney Food Blog.

Sticking with Magic Kingdom dining, Sarah Holodick provides a review of Columbia Harbour House’s lobster roll for Eating WDW.

Zannaland and Suzannah DiMarzio grants us a tour of a Beach Club suite most of us will never have the chance to step foot in.

Melissa Loflin has a great look at Dino Sue at Makin’ Memories, but it begs the questions, why did dinosaurs always die running?

Adventures in Florida, in 1980, is the topic of the day from Imaginerding and George Taylor.

Matt Hochberg shares the 5 things you need to try on you next trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Studios Central and I heartily concur with each and every one of them.

Passport to Dreams Old & New scribe, FoxxFur, offers up her year end report, a thorough, thoughtful exploration of the last year in Walt Disney World.

Richard at Designerland, much beloved for his shirt designs, is now tackling Disney home décor with some great results!

Silent Saturday - Dinosaur Garden (December 2008)

2012-01-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Speak with the nearly departed

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

The graveyard at the Haunted Mansion has always been filled with the tombstones of those who met with, shall we say, unfortunate ends. Coincidentally, or rather deliberately, the names are nods to the men and women who put a piece of themselves into the attraction. With the revamping and expansion of the cemetery in 2011, many other noteworthy names were given proper burials as it were. They were not the last additions, however, as towards the end of the year a small device was affixed to crypt of Prudence Pock.

Known as the Spectrecom, the apparatus guarantees to let you “speak with the nearly departed.” It is worth noting that Prudence partiality for poetry has continued on beyond her lifetime, and from her grave she beckons out to guests who may assist her in completing a rhyme. The Spectrecom is instrumental in this form of communication. The real chills come from the creator of the mechanism…

According to the fine print at the bottom of the Spectrecom, the device has been patented by R. H. Goff. Known best as Harper Goff, this renowned Imagineer was actually born Ralph Harper Goff, the crafter of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea’s Nautilus for the 1954 film. What is his contribution to the Haunted Mansion, you might ask? Oh, just a little bit of concept work. Also in the 1950s, Goff was asked to help create a haunted house attraction for Disneyland. Original designs included a church with a graveyard running up a hill to a dusty, old mansion that would be situated off of Main Street, and had a more Midwestern feel to it than the sleepy mansion style of the south.

Perhaps one day, in a park somewhere in the world, we’ll finally get to venture just off of Main Street, through a lonely cemetery, and up to a mansion for a ghastly encounter. Until then, we’ll have to remember Goff’s Haunted Mansion contribution through stories and pictures, and from speaking with the nearly departed with the Spectrecom.

These cool cars - Part II

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

When the holidays were in full swing, we looked at some of our favorite stocking stuffers, the Disney Racers. Well, we’re into 2012 and have a second bunch of Racers that visited their homes in Walt Disney World in the past month. Included in this safari are the two most recent additions to the Disney Racers line, Sam Flynn from TRON: Legacy and Pineas and Ferb’s Agent P. It’s time to jump on the race track with these speedsters.

Meet me at The Derby

2012-01-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

There are some amazing dining experiences within Walt Disney World that change from visit to visit. They can be a confusing lot to uncover as some are Signature Dining locations and some are not, but not all of the Signature Dining locations fit into the category. What category, you might ask? A restaurant that changes its dishes based up the availability of fresh products and the chef’s brainstorms. There are certain staples that will be found on these menus, of course, but that doesn’t mean you’ll see the same bill-of-fare each time you visit.

Constant change can be delicious, but it can also make a venue extremely hard to review and predict. However, we’re going to give one of these restaurants our best shot and give you an idea of what to expect. Today, we step back into the Hollywood of old for a meal at The Brown Derby of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.There are things you will notice about The Brown Derby immediately; the gleam of polished metal, the deep, rich browns of the wood, the staggered levels of the dining room, and the caricatures of famous celebrities lining the walls. The ambiance here feels as if you have ventured back to the golden age of Hollywood, it is the Hollywood Tower Hotel without the dust and cobwebs, or the ghosts.

I opted out of an appetizer for a flight of wine, but I believe either option would have been delicious! There are usually about eight to ten entrees on the menu, but I was advised to order the chop. On the day I visited that took the form of a Sterling Silver Pork Chop topped with Smoked Gouda and Apricot preserve served over Napa Cabbage, Bacon, and Potato Hash with Apple Cider Jus. The advice was some of the best I’ve had, and so I’ll pass it on to you, order the chop. I’m sure the filet, chicken, fresh catch or any of the other options would be just as tempting and delectable, but this was one of the most succulent, savory-tangy dishes I’ve ever had the pleasure to enjoy!For dessert, I went after the Brown Derby original, the Grapefruit Cake. This yellow cake with cream cheese icing has been on my Disney dessert bucket list for some time, and it did not disappoint. Creamy, sweet, with just a twinge of sour, this cake really cleansed the pallet and hit the spot. If I had one complaint the thin layers of cake did seem a bit soggy.

Overall, I don’t believe there is a bad meal to be had at The Brown Derby!

I want to discuss a pet peeve of mine for a moment. As you can tell from above, The Brown Derby is a bit of sophistication in an otherwise relaxed setting. Now I’ve made my pleas about dressing up, not down for the parks in the past, and I understand I am in the minority there, but this is different. This is a dining experience, not a meal. Think of a nice steakhouse in your town compared to, say, an Olive Garden. There is nothing wrong with either destination, but you wouldn’t wear a t-shirt and flip flops into the steakhouse, although you might at Olive Garden. The Brown Derby deserves the same respect as the steakhouse, especially at dinner time. Make this an event for your significant other or family, leave the parks, get gussied up, and come back ready to step into glitz and glamour.The Brown Derby offers an amazing meal with top tier ambiance. You could be there on any random day of the year, no birthday or anniversary, but you certainly feel as if are celebrating something special in this restaurant. Settle in for a long meal with some good friends and good conversation, and you are sure to feel as if you are one of Hollywood’s leading men or most sought after starlets.

On the drawing board

2012-01-03T09:00:00.002-05:00

The drawing board is the place to go for fresh starts without the burdens of physical or budget constraints. For Walt Disney World, and Disney attraction creation as a whole, this is often the place where grand ideas take shape, some that see the light of day and others that are stored away in cabinets. There is, of course, that amazing middle ground where an idea from the drawing board becomes the seed that germinates into a wonderful attraction, far different than the one planned.

By 1991, a haunted hotel elevator was on the drawing boards as part of the expansion of then Disney-MGM Studios. The hotel would be situated on Sunset Boulevard and be a Disneyfied version of the popular drop rides where guests are hoisted up hundreds of feet into the air and then sent plummeting back down towards earth. Obviously, this would not be your ordinary drop ride.Even in 1991, the ride had been given the moninker, Tower of Terror, but there was no attachment to The Twilight Zone as of yet. The 1991 plans called for a 130 foot drop, which did come to pass in the final version. Other elements, however, were definitely tweaked along the way. From the artwork we can gleam a couple of interesting tidbits. There was going to be scaffolding all along the tower of the hotel, whether this was for repair of a damaged hotel or during the hotel’s now discarded construction is anyone’s guess, but my mind tends to hang around the damaged aspect. The sign for the hotel, while not seen in its entirety, gives clear indications of the words ‘HOLLYWOOD’ and ‘HAUNTED.’ Lastly, and most intriguing to my mind, do you see the guests crashing through the elevator shaft? Notice anything odd? That’s right, they have shoulder harnesses and appear to be standing up!

While it could just be a trick of the imagination, it is interesting to think of the Tower of Terror as a ride experienced while standing. I’m sure we can all remember the television spots when The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror first launched, or during subsequent upgrades, where guests are shown in the elevators standing up and then dropping, leaving behind a floating pair of mouse ears, but this was never the reality of the attraction.

For those who wonder what the attraction could have ended up looking like without the influence of The Twilight Zone, look no further than the Tower of Terror situated along the American Waterfront of Tokyo DisneySea. In this version of the attraction, a curse figurine terrorizes an abandoned hotel; still creepy, still effective, just without the lineage of The Twilight Zone.

In the end, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then Disney-MGM Studios, received a marquee attraction in 1994 that would be copied the world over. Not only did The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror bring more thrills to the park, but it also gave Disney-MGM Studios a substantial tie to the history of American television broadcasting, an avenue just as critical to Hollywood as feature films.

The start zone

2012-01-02T09:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time… I was a toothpick of a kid, so skinny you could see my resting heartbeat through my chest. It wasn’t that I didn’t eat, I did, in fact I ate everything in sight, I was just skinny. Throughout my junior high, high school and college years I ran as if I was trying to outrun the sun. Hours upon hours upon hours spent on an empty road or track or bleachers with a pair of sneakers and only my thoughts. That isn’t to say I was the fastest, I wasn’t. Truth be told I was one of the slowest people on any team I ever ran on, but I just loved to run. But I never quit, I always finished, and I always raced against myself.

Fast forward about a decade and running gave way to writing, life with my wife and a thousand other little distractions that kept me from lacing up. Couple this with the fact that I could no longer eat whatever I wanted and keep my boyish figure, not that it stopped me from eating, and you’re left with a guy wondering where things changed.

Then, my wife offered up the idea doing the Walt Disney World Half Marathon for 2009. She trained for two years for that race, and I showed up the day of having successfully completed 3 miles a week before. I finished, and was rewarded with the inability to walk for the next week. I finished, but it was incredibly stupid and I was incredibly lucky that I didn’t do serious damage to myself. It was then that I decided to train for the half in earnest for 2010 half, the full in 2011, and complete Goofy Challenge in 2012, just a few weeks after I turned 30.

Friends are aware that I was sidelined in late 2010 by a knee injury that kept me from the full and has kept me out of commission for most of 2011. I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact I was going to be a slightly overweight, shadow of my former self. Then, last month while in Walt Disney World for my 30th, I realized that is not who I am or who I want to be. Yesterday, I began the long road back to running, the pastime that I was entrenched in for most of my preteen to early –twenties.

With all of this in my mind and on my heart, I am ready to announce that I will be running in the 2013 Goofy’s Race and a Half Challenge. It isn’t going to be an easy road back. There will be steps backwards, there will be sacrifices, and it will, in the end, be a humbling experience. I am not the kid I once was, but I owe that kid more than what I’ve become.

I hope you’ll join in, train along with me, and join me in Walt Disney World in January of 2013. I’ve begun using the Twitter hashtag #2013GoofyinTraining so that you can keep up with my progress and cheer me on, or let me know how you’re training is going. Remember Goofy Challenge isn’t a race against anyone except yourself, it is a testament to the endurance of the human spirit, and an accomplishment to be celebrated.

I’ll see you all at the finish line!

Disney This Week - 1 January 2012

2012-01-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

We’ve made it to 2012, and I wouldn’t be here without many wonderful friends, colleagues, family members, and each and every one of you reading this. In the coming year, I hope to find new ways to make you think of Walt Disney World, give you some ideas, feed that rumbly in your tumbly, and give you glimpses into the Vacation Kingdom of the past like we’ve never done before. As we continue on this journey together, I hope you will take me at my word that I really want to hear from everyone out there! Feel free to email or tweet to me with you questions or ideas you’d like me to cover, and join in on the discussion by commenting on articles that tickle or intrigue you.

Here’s hoping that 2012 is bigger and brighter than 2011 ever dreamed of being! Now, let’s stop off to see only a few of the wonderful Disney writers out there to start the new year!

George Taylor takes a couple of pages from the past as he explores Earth Station and WorldKey at EPCOT Center and the Skyway between Tomorrowland and Fantasyland for Imaginerding.

We are reminded about the It Gets Better Project by Suzannah DiMarzio and Zannaland.

AJ Wolfe hands out the 2011 DFB Choice Awards for the best and favorite foods in Walt Disney World at The Disney Food Blog.

For those of us who have yet to make it there, Sam Gennawey gives SamLand’s Disney Adventures readers a walking tour of the Walt Disney Family Museum.

The details of the new house of the mouse, the Town Square Theater, are dissected by Michael Crawford at Progress City, U.S.A.

Andy Jackson takes a parting glance at the holidays of Camp Minnie-Mickey in Eating (and Drinking) around the World.

We get the breakdown on Capt. Cook’s Lemon Ginger Cupcake from Sarah Holodick and Eating WDW.

D.J. Jones weighs in on the Disneyland vs. Walt Disney World debate at The World of Deej.

We all have wishes for Walt Disney World, and Stelle gives us five of her Walt Disney World wishes at This Happy Place.

Adam and Andrew remember Wonders of Life’s Goofy About Health for Disney Hipsters.

Melissa Loflin looks into the dietary and nutritional aspects of Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Makin’ Memories.

Silent Saturday – Beach Patrol (April 2011)

2011-12-31T09:00:00.000-05:00

2011 Best in The WDW Record - That California trip

2011-12-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

I am always afraid I am going to run out of little details to discuss in The WDW Record. There have been many panic stricken moments when I feel as if, with the tens of thousands of photographs I’ve collected over the years, I am not going to be able to find a name or artifact that requires explanation. It is in these moments that I wish my future self could come back and smack me in the face, because there is always some new layer to uncover in Walt Disney World.

That California trip gave me a reason to break through the berm of Walt Disney World and venture across the country, if only in my mind. In my own lifetime, I have only spent a few moments here and there along Route 66, but I love imagining it in its heyday, which I am allowed to do, however fictionally, along Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

This road sign signifies more than just a route the zigs and zags across the United States ending, or beginning depending on your point of view, in California. US 66, more affectionately known as Route 66, is an intricate part of our country’s traveling spirit. Before interstates, Route 66 was the main thoroughfare running from Chicago to Los Angeles. It not only connected major cities to one another, but it featured a variety of roadside attractions, shops, dining and lodging. Route 66 added to local economies, sometimes it comprised the entire livelihood of towns it passed through. It was such an important part of our coutry’s heritage that Disney-Pixar even made a movie about it. You may have heard of it, a little picture called Cars.

So, what does that have to do with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Sunset Boulevard, where this sign and baggage reside, in front of Villains in Vogue? Well, everything. On the outskirts of Hollywood, Route 66 merges with Sunset Boulevard for one of the road’s final legs. Meandering into Los Angeles, Sunset and Route 66 take motorists straight into the heart of the city, Olvera Street and the Plaza de Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Most visitors to Disney’s Hollywood Studios see the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, in the form of an opulent hotel and swanky boutiques, when they turn to motor down Sunset Boulevard. Little do they know, they are still adding to the narrative of one of America’s most storied roads, Route 66.

2011 Best in Photo Safari - Pioneer founders

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Pioneer Founders could have almost been a World of Yesterday article, what with the leveling of Mickey’s Toontown Fair. However, Minnie’s lineage deserved to be showcased somewhere and, for whatever twisted reason, I had a fondness for the Toontown area (in all its incarnations).

The safaris are some of the easiest to find articles I write, and require the most dedication. When planning a trip, I have to know where I am looking for complimentary or series of images. While some are self-explanatory, others require a bit more digging. The joy I get out of the Photo Safari segments is the ah-ha moment, when readers (or myself) realize just how planned certain details were.

Among Minnie’s many talents, including artistic, publishing and culinary exploits, is her fascination with her Mouse heritage. Much of the genealogy that she has uncovered is mounted on her living room wall. These photographs of her ancestors show just how much Minnie has explored her past and loves her family, and there are some very famous mice in this lineage. Included on the wall are Sheikh Manni El Mousri, Florence Micingale, Mather and May Mousesmith, Daniel Toon, Milo Mouse and Mabeline VanMouse, Milieus and Maris O’Mouse, Mathilda Mousebjörg and Merik Mouström, Merry and Marley Mousill and Princess Marie DuMouse are all framed alongside closer family relations.

With the shuttering of Mickey’s Toontown Fair, these photographs from Minnie’s Country House were removed from public display. But chances are, they aren’t too far from Minnie’s heart.

2011 Best in Disney Delish - Only the tasty

2011-12-28T09:00:00.000-05:00

Disney Delish serves as both a blessing and a curse to me. The curse is that in order to complete so many food articles, I am continually forced to try new venues and new menu items. The blessing is that in order to complete so many food articles, I am continually forced to try new venues and new menu items. Yep, food articles make me a walking contradiction, and hungry, very hungry.

Through all the years I’ve been writing about Walt Disney World food, it always seems to me that the sweets, specifically cupcakes and fudge, tend to garner the most attention. Some snacks remind us of our childhoods and some are controversial, but nothing brings people together more than Pumpkin Fudge, as Only the tasty so humbly proved.

Often times, the menus of Walt Disney World are praised or slammed for the latest and greatest creations they concoct. It can often be years in between these types of changes, which explains why they are so scrutinized when the shifts occur. Yet, there are places on property that change their selection regularly, with amazing results. The first thought that comes to mind is the Main Street Confectionery, and the monthly rotation of fudge!

I am talking about this delicious morsel right now for two reasons. One, the tantalizing glimpse I offered of the Pumpkin Fudge last week seemed to set the world on fire. Two, the Pumpkin Fudge should be available to those of you making the pilgrimage down to Walt Disney World and the Magic Kingdom for the 40th anniversary next week, and it really shouldn’t be missed!To put it simply, this fudge is pumpkin pie on steroids! It has all of the flavors you’d expected from a well-crafted, traditional pumpkin pie, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, etc., but they’ve been amped up to send your whole mouth a tingling. Purely on the fundamentals of fudge design, the gooiness of pumpkin pie filling has been transformed into the decadently rich and creamy texture associated with top tier fudge.

Often times, you will hear people talk about how they are unable to devour an entire square of fudge due to the sweetness, richness, or filling nature of the confection. Those who have sample the Pumpkin Fudge before will understand me when I say that is not an issue here. In fact, you won’t even have to power through a chunk of the fudge, and I’d be shocked if my fellow fudge aficionados out there were unable to polish off a piece in under a minute.

Seriously, if you are in the Magic Kingdom anytime between now and Halloween, you must color me ashamed of you if you don’t take the time to snack on the Pumpkin Fudge. At the very least, you should pick up some to gobble up in the privacy of your resort room, car, or home!

2011 Best in World of Yesterday - Vacationland

2011-12-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m particularly fond of vintage Walt Disney World press photos. In fact, they make up the bulk of the World of Yesterday articles. I feel as if they are tidy, little windows into the past that I can throw a boulder of information through! However, sometimes things come along that simply knock my socks off!

Vacationland gave me a gorgeous map, a passion of mine, and an educational component I cherished as a smaller version of myself. This article, and many of the World of Yesterday, allows me to enjoy a moment I’ll never remember, that first introduction to Walt Disney World. Can you imagine if this map were your first glimpse of Walt Disney World? It safe to bet you’d be hooked for life, right?

Back when I was a kid in elementary school, I always looked forward to Fridays. Sure, there were spelling tests and once free from school there was a whole weekend to explore, but one of my favorite parts of Friday was when the teacher handed out a new edition of Weekly Reader.

The reading comprehension based educational materials from Weekly Reader have been produced for well over a hundred years now. When I was a kid I didn’t know I was learning, it was simply interesting articles about extreme sports, new movies and some clever puzzles to solve. I hope it is still as intriguing to students today as it was to me back then.

Going back even further, the summer edition of Weekly Reader from 1971 gave children a peak at what was coming from a little Disney project in central Florida. The cover shows a child constructing his own castle and encouraging his dog to help out as opening day was only two months away. The interior article featured three construction images and a brief description to whet the appetite of vacation hungry students.

The real joy of this issue, however, comes from the perfectly gorgeous map of the park, monorails and Contemporary Resort. The attraction names weren’t released with the publication, listing instead Car Ride, Tree House and Resort Hotel, but the spirit of what the Magic Kingdom was and would become is definitely captured in this artwork.

2011 Best in Perspective - Roll, bounce and float

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

Nothing, it seems, stirs up emotions like talking about our personal pasts with Walt Disney World.

While we all saw and experienced the same corners of EPCOT Center or the Magic Kingdom in our formative years, it is amazing how differently we remember those moments and places. Speaking for myself, I feel as if I always have one eye pointed towards the past and one eye towards the future, just as it seems Walt Disney did. Unlike Walt, however, I tend to lose sight of the present occasionally. In Roll, bounce and float, I tried to imprint my memories of transportation in and around the parks into a meaningful wish for the future.

With articles such as this one, I try to give words to those who fondly remember something from Walt Disney World and wish for the best tomorrow it can have, but are unable to find the words themselves. I hope you have all heard a bit of yourselves in the Main Street Gazette this year, and I promise to keep speaking up for all of us in 2012!

There is a hustle and bustle in the Magic Kingdom. It is the huddled masses crushing in upon one another, trying to get from one place to another as quickly as possible, and before someone else in the same crowd can. This massive throng of humanity, also known as park attendance, increases each year, but once upon a time there was a different feel to the park due, in part, to the continual inclusion of transit. Let’s step back to the late 1970s and early 1980s to gain a bit of perspective.

For starters, we are not talking about the illusion of movement, such as Mission to Mars, or rides that occur in darkened buildings, including If You Had We Wings. No, we want full on motion, going somewhere, being a part of something on the move! Main Street, U.S.A. alone featured seven types of transportation: Plaza Swan Boats, Jitney, Fire Engine, Horse Carriage, Horse Cars, Ominbus and the Walt Disney World Railroad. Adventureland had the Jungle Cruise and Frontierland Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, but those were more about what you were seeing or being a rollercoaster than about being a form of transportation. The Rivers of America was really active, and included Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes, Mike Fink Keelboats and the Liberty Square Riverboat. In Fantasyland, we had one half of the Skyway and methodically moving Nautiluses of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, while Tomorrowland’s transit included the WEDway PeopleMover and the other half of the Skyway.

Depending on how you account for the Skyway (with each station allowing only a one way trip, I’ll go ahead and count it as two attractions), that is fifteen attractions devoted to transportation. These days, many of these attractions have been retired: Plaza Swan Boats, Davey Crockett Explorer Canoes, Mike Fink Keelboats, both stations of the Skyway, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and one of the Liberty Square Riverboats. The Main Street vehicle brigade is all but a distant memory. They each make their occasional appearance motoring up and down Main Street, with the most frequent being the Horse Car, but these appearances are so rare that I made sure to get myself photographed with the omnibus (my personal favorite of the Main Street vehicles) when I saw it out around Easter this year, as I didn’t know when I would receive another chance. So, where are we on the vehicle count? We still have a PeopleMover, Rafts to Tom Sawyer Island, the infrequent Main Street vehicle, Liberty Square Riverboat, and the Walt Disney World Railroad, barely a third of what traveled through the park at the pinnacle of moving attractions.

Now, I am aware of the liability of putting a driver in charge of safely navigating down Main Street, U.S.A., through thousands of oblivious guests, ferrying about other antsy guests, and possibly dealing with an unruly horse (we all have our days, and this is a worst-case scenario) or springing a leak and ordering guests to bail out into the Rivers of America, not knowing who can and cannot swim. Yet, it seems to me, the Magic Kingdom could do with a little more movement around its waterways and avenues.

It is well past the time to put the Main Street vehicles back into regular service. Think of how idyllic the Plaza could look with graceful watercraft, perhaps not swan boats but possibly a modified gondola equipped to hold more guests. The Rivers of America is meant to resemble a water highway, constantly ferrying goods and people along, not a sleepy river with the sporadic boat churning through. Boats piloted by guests, while the epitome of interactive, could cause some problems. However, adding a second riverboat that adds some diversity to the river, an ironside comes to mind, while not putting the control in guests’ hands would get the river flowing again.

I understand I have a rose-colored view of Walt Disney World from my youth, but I also like to think of what might be down the road, and then come to a happy medium in the middle. As a people, we are supposed to learn from our mistakes, but our successes are just as critical to our continued achievement. Yet, the Magic Kingdom has regularly syphoned away the vehicles that gave it life and personality. While the park may not have heeded how well the water and land craft brought a sense of vitality with them, there is still time to come about face and put a few more wheels in motion.

Silent Saturday – Main Street U.S.A. Christmas Tree (December 2008)

2011-12-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

Find the gherkin

2011-12-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

We all know about the Christmases past where stockings, real foot-work socks, were filled with fruit and nuts. This may seem quaint or perhaps a bit weird in this day of overstuffed stockings, filled to the brim with candy, gadgets, and a wide array of nonsensical items that we share a smile over, but tradition should never be sneered at. Another tradition that has garnered quite a bit of attention over the past couple of years is the German tale of tucking away a pickle ornament somewhere in a tree on Christmas Eve. In fact, in Walt Disney World, you can find a whole tree stuffed to the gills with pickle ornaments!

As the story goes, and is told in the Germany pavilion, a glass pickle ornament was placed on the tree by parents on Christmas Eve and the eagle-eyed child who found the ornament on Christmas morning were rewarded with an extra gift from St. Nicholas. It’s the type of offbeat tradition that just warms you from the inside, doesn’t it? Except that it isn’t entirely true. In Germany, St. Nick comes on the 5th or 6th of December and children open their gifts on Christmas Eve. So, what is the true story of the pickle ornament?

The production of glass ornaments took off in the Lauscha region of Germany, an area renowned for its blown glass, in the mid to late 1800s. While traditional shapes and images were the first produced, very quickly molds of famous individuals and creatures of every sort soon followed. As time passed, Lauscha would become the primary source for glass pickle ornaments.

As for the pickle present, we have to come back across the Atlantic to the United States, in the midst of the Civil War. The Bavarian-born Private, John C. Lower, was part of the 103rd Pennsylvania Infantry and was captured in Plymouth, North Carolina in April of 1864. Lower was taken to the prison camp, Andersonville, where he spent the following Christmas. On Christmas Eve, near death of starvation, he begged a guard for something to eat before he expired. Softened by the pleas, the guard gave him a single pickle which gave Lower the mental clarity and strength to carry on until he was released. Afterwards, Lower began the tradition of hiding, with the reward being a year of good fortune for the family member who found the ornament.

While mostly a family narrative that cannot be easily verified, Private John Lower was a prisoner in Andersonville that much is for certain. No matter what you want to believe about that pickle tucked away on the tree, an old German tradition or a memorial to the fortitude of the human spirit, it is a Christmas ornament worthy of remembrance. The stories of all our ornaments, picked up on a family vacation or demarking a birth, marriage or other event, are the reasons all of our trees shine so brightly in our hearts.

Seasonal display

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

The holidays are about family and friends, and making the most of the extra time we are given with them during these dark, cold winter periods. However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy some of the, shall we say, more commercialized elements of the festivities. A Christmas tree going up on my birthday is a must and a new special ornament is also a tradition in my household. However, there is one holiday detail that few know I’m partial too. Call it what you like, but I am over the moon in love with lamppost decorations.

I’m not talking ribbons, garlands, or well-manicured plants. Nope, I mean the gaudy, tinsel clad snowflakes, trees and snowmen that come wrapped in lights and fill streets and parking lots all across the country. They are ridiculous, but I have loved them since I was a little tike. Disney’s Hollywood Studios does too, apparently. As the lamppost decorations have found their way to Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards, Echo Lake, and Pixar Place. They are each a variation of a star motif, which makes sense, considering that stars shine brightest in Hollywood!

Winter events

2011-12-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

The holidays always bring with them thoughts of food. From family feasts and roasted meats to stockings stuffed with fruits and nuts. Today, however, we have a plethora of snacks that may not be good for you, but they certainly are tempting to the tummy’s eye. While the holidays may only be in full swing in Walt Disney World for a couple of more weeks, My Santa-sense is tingling and telling me those of you headed that way are going to be looking for some unique stocking sweets. First up, let’s start with a beverage!Christmas Soda – This fizzy holiday drink can be found by the bottle in the shops, not bakery, of World Showcase’s Norway. Also known as Julmust, the drink was created in 1910 and began a meteoric rise as a Swedish holiday tradition.

While listed as a ‘flavorful winter soft drink,’ I wasn’t actually able to finish mine. To me, it tasted like a carbonated beer, while my wife thought it tasted like fizzy cold medicine. Either way, it wasn’t too our liking. Of course, I hope someone out there gives it a try and loves it!Candy Cane Fudge – Seasonal Fudge from the Main Street Confectionery is a time honored tradition of mine, with Pumpkin fudge currently holding the top spot. This pink and cream marbled fudge, dusted with crumbled candy canes, definitely put a sparkle in my eye.

I expected an Altoid infused peppermint fudge which, in hindsight, probably would not have been appetizing to a broad spectrum of guests. Instead I received a hunk of rich, buttery goodness. You know those small, after-dinner butter mints that restaurants serve? Picture that, but on a much larger scale and with flecks of candy cane mixed in, and you’re pretty close to this delicious fudge!Gingerbread Cookie People – Gingerbread decorations, and by decorations I mean gargantuan carousels and life-sized houses able to fit grown people inside, have become a staple around Walt Disney World since they started in the Grand Floridian. With that in mind, I decided to head over the original gingerbread house to see if the gingerbread tasted as good as it looked as a building material.

I was not disappointed. This isn’t a chewy gingerbread cookie, and it isn’t as sweet as one would expect. However, the consistency falls right between chewy and crunchy, in that great spot where the gingerbread man’s appendages bend before breaking away from the rest of the cookie. As for flavor, the emphasis is on the ginger, as it should be, which makes this a great cookie to snuggle up next to a cup of tea or hot cocoa for dunking.Hot Cocoa Peppermint Float – Okay, that may not be the precise name, but this float can be found at Scoops in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Presented in a souvenir mug, this may just be the best treat for a cold night on Sunset Boulevard!

A cup of hot chocolate, the standard quick mix kind that seems the consistency of thick water, is invigorated with a serving of pink peppermint ice cream and is topped with a generous portion of whipped cream and red and green sprinkles. The dairy in the ice cream adds a frothy, creamy component to the cocoa. Meanwhile, the cocoa warms you from the inside, even though you’re eating ice cream! It is a wintery win-win!

There you have it, the must devour treats of December. I hope you all have a great time snacking and feasting through the holidays, and if you happen to be in Walt Disney World, I hope you’ll give some or all of these treats a try!

Red platoon

2011-12-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

1961’s Babes in Toyland had a lot going for it, and still does, for fans of Disney films. Regular Disney actors and actresses, including Annette Funicello, Ed Wynn (Mad Hatter), Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin (Zorro’s Bernardo and Sergeant Garcia), gave this movie a life and more than a handful of memorable songs. As it turns out, however, the most enduring figure from this feature is the Toy Soldier.

These stiff red, white and gold trimmed military men have become an integral part of the holidays, appearing in various forms and fashions throughout the years, including the Walt Disney World Very Merry Christmas Parade. Here they are tooting their own horns from the 1984 version of the parade.

Enjoy age-old traditions

2011-12-19T09:00:00.002-05:00

The holidays are in full swing, and soon the rustling of discarded wrapping paper and the tearing of flimsy cardboard from plastic shells will be upon us. But the winter holidays are about what you get or what you give, it’s about sharing time with the ones you love. Here at the Main Street Gazette, we thought we take a few moments with some of our closest friends and discover how Disney influences their holidays.

Roundtable Topic: What role does Walt Disney World, or Disney in the broader sense, play in your winter holidays?
Roundtable Contributors: Fiona (DF’82), AJ Wolfe (The Disney Food Blog), Chris Fore (Adventure Veranda), Andy Jackson (Eating (and Drinking) around the World), D.J. Jones (The World of Deej), Eric Hoffman (Netmongrel), and yours truly.

Fiona – I think the part Disney plays in my Winter Holidays, is probably the same as in most others - we decorate the tree with an assortment of Disney baubles and decorations, and most of the decorations throughout our house are Disney. Most of the decorations hold a special place in our hearts, having purchased them at a specific time or during a specific trip to one of the Theme Parks. My most recenty acquired tradition is to get a Disney Mickey-Head Bauble 'engraved' with whichever Disney Race I have completed during my trip.

Another Winter Holiday tradition, revolving around Disney, includes the films. Every Christmas, I have to watch A Muppet Christmas Carol and (odly) The Nightmare Before Christmas. On Christmas Eve, the family will usually sit down and watch a Disney film together, either one on the television or from our collection. It is a great excuse to spend time together, watching something everyone can enjoy! And in a way, Disney helps to bring the family together during the Festive Season.

'Happy Holidays' to all!

AJ – I actually don't have a lot of Disney decor in my house, so the way that Disney has really become a part of our winter holidays is that I'm always clamoring for a trip to Disney World during the holiday season! Luckily, for the past couple of years, I've been able to make that wish come true for a few days! Heading to Orlando in December, enjoying the holiday decorations and holiday treats (yum!), and experiencing Disney World in a completely new way has become such a fun tradition for us. Hopefully we can continue that tradition, but even if we can't I know that I've created some great holiday memories that we'll be able to hold on to!

Chris – Most years find us visiting Florida during November or December, and (as my family will attest) it is hard for me to visit the Sunshine State without paying a visit to Walt Disney World. We love the holiday decorations, both in the parks as well as the deluxe resorts. Disney is also well represented in our Christmas decorations and tree ornaments - and there's usually a Disney book or film (or two!) wrapped and sitting under the tree.

Andy – I’m fortunate to be a “semi-local” to WDW and usually able to get to the World multiple times during the winter holiday season, so the events and decorations around the parks and resorts usually play a big part in my holidays.

I always enjoy the “usual suspects”: the Osbourne Lights, the storytellers around the World Showcase, the special decorations at the resorts, stalking the celebrity narrators of the Candlelight Processional, and perhaps my favorite of these year –to–year is the holiday tag added to the end of Illuminations (not surprising considering Illuminations would be my “if you put the proverbial gun to my head and made me chose” favorite thing in all of WDW).

Another great thing about the holiday season at WDW is that there is so much to see and do, that even the park going vets can almost always find something new and different to enjoy each season. This year Bonnie introduced me to the specialized Christmas trees at Camp Minnie-Mickey in Animal Kingdom. There are trees specially decorated for various characters: the Fab Five of course each have their own, as well as ones for Nemo, Stitch, the Country Bears, and many more. We spent quite a bit of time taking in all the details of the ornaments on each tree.

And really the best thing about the season at WDW (and be forewarned, here comes the sappy part) is it always offers opportunities to spend time with great friends and loved ones. With the “we-can’t-call-it-Mousefest-anymore” weekend in early December, there are always lots of good friends in the World, and considering that most of the holiday decorations are still up in early January, Marathon weekend is still part of the long holiday season, and even more great friends are in the parks then too. And best of the best, is being able to spend time there with someone you love… and I’m lucky to be able to do just that… and that’s all due to the Disney magic too… but that’s another story for another time…

Happy holidays to all!

Daniel – Disney has always played a big role in my life during the holidays, but even more so over the last several years. 3 years ago my wife and I were married at the Boardwalk the week before Christmas, so the holidays at Disney will always hold a special place in our heart. We made a pact that we would celebrate every other anniversary at a Disney resort, although we have veered off schedule by visiting Disneyland this year. Hey, when an offer to dine at Club 33 on your anniversary presents itself, you simply don't say no!

Eric – We love Disney World all through the year and across all seasons and holiday. However, we do incorporate Disney magic into our Christmas season in a few small but special ways.

The music of Disney World plays a huge part in our family's time spent away from the parks. We listen to Disney park music all the time. Christmas is no exception. Disney Christmas loops are in constant play this time of year. From the loops heard on Main Street USA to the Country Bears Christmas tunes, they add a great bit of Disney magic to this special time of year.

If we are fortunate enough to be in the parks, we will also make time to attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. The parks are amazing when decorated for Christmas - nobody does Christmas decorations and parties like Disney!

We also make a special point to watch the Christmas parade on TV on Christmas morning. And with the kids out of school there are many big breakfasts together enjoying Mickey shaped pancakes eaten off Mickey Mouse plates. But that last item happens a lot all throughout the year!

Ryan – With my birthday only a few short weeks from Christmas, the two usually roll into one, which occasionally means a trip to Walt Disney World for the event and the ability to see all of the special events (Castle Dreamlights, Holidays Around the World, etc.). However, the true Disney tradition in my house comes in during the tree trimming.

When the tree is up in its stand and all the branches have fallen, we pop a copy of Mickey’s Christmas Carol into the DVD player and begin setting in the lights and ornaments with Scrooge, Pete, Goofy, Mickey, Jiminey and the whole gang relating the Dickens’ classic Christmas tale. While short, it usually only takes one viewing to get the tree stuffed to the gills with ornaments. A second viewing immediately following the decorating ritual is usual required to send everyone off to bed with visions of sugarplums, err, rather, smishmashio dancing in their heads!

For people like us, we celebrate the magic of Disney and Walt Disney World all the year ‘long, but the holidays are times to celebrate the people we hold near and dear to our hearts. These are the days where Disney ties itself into our traditions and sprinkles a little bit of magic into the holidays while not being the main focus. Which leads us to ask, how does Walt Disney World and Disney tie into your winter holiday traditions?

Silent Saturday – Test Track and Spaceship Earth (October 2010)

2011-12-17T09:00:00.000-05:00

Mr. Imagination

2011-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

The conservation and preservation message of Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not intended solely for the animals of this planet, but also for the plants and niches of this planet. Keeping the earth, its waterways and landmasses, fertile and inhabitable for all of us is just as much a part of the solution as the ability to bring endangered species back from the brink of extinction. In order to accomplish this, however, we must remember our three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. This doesn’t have to mean the process has to be boring. Take, for instance, this sculpture found in Dinoland U.S.A.

This fossilerific figure can be found just outside Chester and Hester’s old service station and features two figures, one large dinosaur and another smaller figure. It is the brainchild of the artists known as Mr. Imagination, whose real name is Gregory Warmack. This piece, as with much of Warmack’s artwork, is composed of recyclable materials. Glass bottles, beads from jewelry, scraps of metal, and many other elements were pulled from a life of insignificance and waste in the junkyard by Warmack. While these items may have polluted the earth if left to rot in a dump, here that have been shined up and put on display for all to see and, hopefully, walk away with the message of greener is better.

Oh, and for you Hidden Mickey buffs, try finding the One-Year Service Award Pin given to Cast Members. The small, oval-shaped pin features Steamboat Mickey, and can found along the spikes running down the dino’s backside.

See, I told you Reducing, Reusing and Recycling could be fun!

Otherworldly

2011-12-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon the exit queue for Star Tours felt like a 1970s travel agency or airport terminal, a bland corridor with a few framed travel posters (Coincidentally, if anyone has one of the gorgeous posters travel posters of old that you don’t want, I’d be glad to take them off your hands!). Today, however, the new exit ramp is bright and full of today’s vision of Star Wars tomorrow, err... yesterday.

A single one of the new travel posters has more in common with a portal than a framed poster, and takes up an entire section of wall that would have previously been filled by three separate posters. While not as intricate as the mirrored travel posters of Horizons, the newest Aurebesh (that’s the written language that permeates the Star Wars universe) embellished additions seem to share more traits with those travel advertisements of EPCOT Center than that do with their Star Tours predecessors.

Don’t believe me? Just check out these beauties!

No lightweight

2011-12-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

Dough. Cinnamon and Sugar. Deep fried in a long strip. What more do you need to know about a churro?

Okay, the Walt Disney World version is longer than expected and you are definitely going to pay more for it than it would be worth outside of the parks, but c’mon, it’s a churro. The classic theme park snack never tasted better than it does sitting along the Rivers of America taking in the Liberty Belle and Tom Sawyer Island or admiring a round of perfect shooting at the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade. Trust me, you can’t go wrong here, and you’ll likely make a memory in the process.

Paint the sky

2011-12-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, there was a boy who would pour over the videos of World Key and interactive elements of CommuniCore. The only thing that could pull me away? The booming opening notes of Skyleidoscope. A daytime spectacular the likes of which haven’t been seen this side of 1987 EPCOT Center. So, what was involved in this production which launched in September 1985? I couldn’t say it any better than the press materials and newsletters Disney released.

“Skyleidoscope is a fairy tale come to life. Watch Dreamfinder, the star of Kodak’s ‘Journey into Imagination,’ paint magical rainbows in the sky. Dreamfinder orchestrates more than 70 flying, swimming, and sailing vessels from his fanciful flying machine. Colorful streamers of smoke and daytime fireworks brighten the sky. Add evil dragons, heroes, and ear-catching music, and you have a crowd-pleasing, one-of-a-kind show.”
--December 20 – January 2, 1985 Walt Disney World News

“Ma’ Dragon and her sinister sidekick, Pa’ Dragon, join the forces of evil in the 1986 edition of Skyleidoscope at Epcot Center. Along with 10 purplish ‘dragonettes.’ They stir up World Showcase Lagoon in an effort to disrupt the ‘good guys,’ whose mission is to paint the sky with rainbow colors.”
--1986 Walt Disney Company press photo“Skyleidoscope’s appeal blends a magical mix of seaplanes, kites, colorful speedboats, purple dragons, jet-powered seas shells, sailboats, balloons, and fireworks for a wild aero-nautical presentation. This entire spectacle stars the lovable Dreamfinder, from Kodak’s ‘Journey into Imagination.’ Flying above the action in an extraordinary magical biplane, you’ll hear him hoot and bellow and roar with laughter as he paints the sky with Magical Rainbows.”
--January 3 – 16, 1986 Walt Disney World News

“Dragon boats and rainbow-making flying machines combine with red-white-and-blue daylight fireworks to fill the World Showcase Lagoon and the skies above it with happy sounds and colors in the Walt Disney World 15th Birthday edition of Epcot Center’s Skyleidoscope.”
--1986 Walt Disney Company press photo

Sadly, this black and white photographs only give you a sliver of insight into what this incredible show thrilled guests with. While it only ran every day during busy holiday periods, mostly it was performed on a Saturday through Wednesday schedule, it packed the fence around the lagoon with the same capacity of awe-struck onlookers as IllumiNations would today or Laserphonic Fantasy did then! Now, if only I could find a clean copy of Skyleidoscope’s soundtrack to help my afternoons soar along!

McRivet

2011-12-12T09:00:00.005-05:00

A couple of months back as part of an article I was working on for Celebrations Magazine, I had the extreme pleasure of being able to talk a personal hero of mine, George F. McGinnis. Most widely remembered for the creation of Horizons, but on this day we chatted about 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage.

While most of the interview made it into the article, here are a few wonderful moments that I thought I wanted to share with all of you!

Main Street Gazette: What type of limitations did the submarines' designs face?

George McGinnis: As concept designer I had no limitations placed on me. But near the end of my effort, I heard a clue to my doing too much detail. Dick Irvine President of WED hailed me in the hall one day, "McGinnis are you 'glossing the goose' over there.” Meaning over at Roger Broggie's Engineering where Bob Gurr and I had our offices. Apparently Roger had been talking with Dick. ;) When I finished with the design, the project was handed to Bob to do the field supervision in Florida during construction . I was new and had no experience with field work. I made one trip to Florida on the subs to explain my drawings on rivet layout.

Thereafter I was called McRivet. ;)

George McGinnis (discussing how he felt about the design, and the fiberglas model made his design): I asked my boss Roger Broggie if I could have the model and heard the loudest NO! ever heard from him. ;)

He was Walt's "can-do man" -- all business around the office, but fun to travel with.

I cannot begin to explain how extraordinary it was to speak with George McGinnis, I'm sorry, McRivet, but it is a memory I will hold for a very long time and, hopefully, I will have the honor to speak with him again down the line.

I'll be sure to let all of you know when the rest of the interview, along with the entire 20,000 Leagues article, runs in Celebrations!

Disney This Week - 11 December 2011

2011-12-11T09:00:00.002-05:00

Kevin Kidney shows off plans for a never produced, 1990 Disneyland parade, Here Comes the Muppets.

A holiday beverage I’m looking forward to, spiced wine in World Showcase. AJ Wolfe and The Disney Food Blog tell us where to find this treat!

George Taylor give Imaginerding readers a glimpse into The Art of Epic Mickey.

Eating WDW and Sarah Holodick has found some terrific food inspired attire.

Andy Jackson gets cooking with the small world at Eating (and Drinking) around the World.

1970s Walt Disney World has a seemingly endless supply of wonders to look back at. This week, FoxxFur at Passport to Dreams Old & New and Michael Crawford at Progress City, U.S.A. both offer hints of the STOLport and a STOLport stowaway.

It may be off property, but I can’t resist a LEGO story, Suzannah DiMarzio invites us along to see the lighting of the first LEGOland Christmas Tree over at Zannaland.

Silent Saturday – Marketplace Mickey Planter (April 2010)

2011-12-10T09:00:00.001-05:00

No one more raucous

2011-12-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

The tenth hole of the Gardens Course at Fantasia Gardens features an unusual colored green. In fact, the grass has been stained entirely by the spilt wine of the jolly fellow at the top of the hill, Bacchus. The course calls for guests to put up the knoll and watch their ball drop down amongst the bubbles, towards the cup. Here’s the poetic preview and hint of the hole:
In all of the land there’s no
one more raucous
Than the fell here,
the infamous Bacchus
He’s poured you a path that
you simply putt up
Hit it just right and it
spills to the cup

So, who is this spirited character? Bacchus is the Roman name given to the Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and intoxication, and from the looks of things he definitely has intoxication under control! In the world of Disney he, obviously, appears in the 1940 classic Fantasia. Bacchus first appears during the third movement of The Pastoral Symphony. In this scene the jolly, rotund, clearly intoxicated Bacchus rides in on his donkey-unicorn hybrid, Jacchus (no, I’m not making this name up), who seems equally willing to partake in a drink or two… or three. He is clearly drawn to the centaurettes and pursues them tirelessly, until he final believes he has caught up to one of the lady centaurs and puckers up for a kiss. Wine goggles were obviously firmly in place, as the centaurette he plants a kiss on is none other than Jacchus. The duo return later in the piece, delighted with a flood of wine unleashed by the destruction of a wine vat by one of Zeus’ thunderbolts. Their antics are some of the more memorable moments of the Fantasia segment.

It is worth noting that Bacchus returns in an altered form in 1997’s Hercules. Hercules also features Philoctetes pursuing nymphs in much the same fashion as Bacchus did the centaurettes in Fantasia, and with the same result.

In the scene set up on hole ten at Fantasia Gardens, Bacchus obviously remembers the Zeus instigated wine flash flood and is seeking to recreate it for passing putters!

Best two out of three

2011-12-08T09:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, Main Street, U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom had a selection of turn of the century games that could still be played in the Penny Arcade. The arcade closed in 1995 to make room for more retail space, but not all of the games disappeared.

Any day of the week, guests can book passage aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad, okay just hike up to the second floor landing where the train stops at the Main Street Station. It’s likely that you’ll have a few minutes to wait before the next locomotive comes chugging around the bend, in which case, you’re in luck! Inside the air conditioned waiting area is a selection of games, mostly scenes in a flipbook fashion, which once lived in the Penny Arcade.

Even if you’re not hoping onboard the train, I recommend taking a few moments to check out these games. They were virtual reality before it was cool!

Imbiss

2011-12-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

In case you haven’t been keeping score, I’ve been making my way through the various quick service dining options of World Showcase over the last couple of years. In an effort to showcase something that could be eaten no matter what country you are find yourself in at mealtime, and today marks the last country I need to complete the cycle. Of course with new options cropping up on a regular basis (look for a report on the new Katsura Grill in Japan coming in early January), it’s a never ending buffet.

So, where are we headed to today? Sommerfest in Germany. First off, I didn’t save Sommerfest for last out of any preconceived notion of ‘saving the best for last’ or avoiding it as I thought the food would be inedible. This quick service location has only two entrée options, either a Bratwurst or a Frankfurter, and both come paired with sauerkraut and a roll. The best way I describe the difference between the options is a Bratwurst is close to an Italian sausage, while the Frankfurter is more akin to the typical hot dog.Okay, so this picture is a study in beige, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Still, the first problem was finding a place to sit. With so few tables in the seating area, I was forced to venture all the way down to the lagoon to find a place to rest my plate. While I don’t believe there is enough space to squeeze in any more tables than are already at Sommerfest, this popular food counter could most certainly do with some additional seating.

The Frankfurter passes the first test with flying colors as it has a nice snap to the casing. Once down to the meat of the sausage, however, there is not a ton of flavor. In fact, I’d go as far as to say there are better standard dogs to be found around property, including at Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom. However, the sauerkraut from Sommerfest is second to none on property, I only wish there was more of it. With the score for and against at 1 – 1, it’s down to the roll to decide the fate of this dish, and it falls flat. You know those almost stale, unappetizing dinner rolls someone always brings along to Thanksgiving dinner? Yep, that’s what we have here.

I think, perhaps, the pairing of the Bratwurst with the sauerkraut is the better option here, and I look forward to giving it a shot down the line. There are also pretzels and strudel to try! The Frankfurter plate, however, has a bland look to it and the flavors back that assumption up.

That's a great effect

2011-12-06T09:00:00.004-05:00

This week, I had the absolute pleasure of once again joining Lou Mongello on the WDW Radio Show. We discussed the past, present, and future of the Muppets in Walt Disney World, and we may have even impersonated a few of them along the way…

One cannot talk about the Muppets without taking a moment to mention Jim Henson (it’s actually a legally binding clause in the standard rich and famous contract). Disney’s Hollywood Studios only features one Muppet attraction, MuppetVision 3D. While Jim Henson would not see the attraction debut in the parks, he was still alive and Muppeteering all the way through the film’s principal photography. Here, he can be seen directing Sweetums. This is obviously the scene where Sweetums is showcasing the uses of 3D technology by bouncing his paddleball towards the audience.

Showman of the World

2011-12-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Today would have been Walt Disney’s 110th birthday, and while it’s a stretch to believe that he would have made it to this age under any circumstances, he should still be remembered for all he created. In a day and age when children think of Walt Disney more in line with Ronald McDonald than Steve Jobs, is it any wonder that we yearn to find those small moments in the parks where we feel Walt’s touch on the things around us?

Walt Disney never saw the ground breaking for his Florida project, but the ideas he had planted in the minds and hearts of those he worked with sprung forth to give us the grand Vacation Kingdom we know today. In fact, Walt Disney even inspired the name. What was to be known as Disney World became Walt Disney World in the wake of his passing. The small, but crucial change came from Roy Disney so that everyone would know whose dream was being created and whose vision inspired the world guests were taking part in. Without putting Walt at the front of the name, it could be brushed aside as just another project from a huge corporation, Walt allows for the human element to be front and center.

Now, with four theme parks, water parks, numerous resorts, golf courses, shopping districts and much more recreation available in Walt Disney World, would Walt Disney love everything he could see today? Probably not. But I’m willing to bet he’d be overjoyed that expansion continued and that the company tried new things. I think he would see, no matter how much we want to deride certain elements we see in the parks today, that those who crafted the worlds and attractions did so with a glimmer of Walt, an internal eye constantly enquiring ‘What would Walt do?’ The one thing Walt Disney did leave to his successors was the ability to change, to play with new ideas and have the opportunity to fail. The biggest blight that could ever befall Walt Disney World would be to stand still, be stagnant, and not reach for something different, no matter the jeers or swoons.

Walt Disney has a window on Main Street, U.S.A., an engine in the Walt Disney World Railroad fleet and an exhibit bearing his name and image in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but those are not the strongest places Walt’s presence can be felt, not to me. I feel Walt on the railroad and monorail, in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion, standing in the middle of a hub and spoke park design, tumbling along on Kilimanjaro Safaris, watching anyone create a character out of pencil or even water, in the border between Future World and World Showcase, sitting on a bench and watching the smiles break across a family’s faces for the first time as the turn the corner onto Main Street, U.S.A., in Behind the Seeds, on the shores of Bay Lake, when the word Yensid is tossed about on the Great Movie Ride and in a hundred other insignificant moments. He may not have seen any earth moved, but he is the foundation upon which everything that came after would be built.

Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, having celebrated his 65th birthday only ten days earlier on December 5. I’m sure it surprises no one to hear that Walt had been gone for fifteen years before I was born, on December 10, 1981, a day of the year that rests smack dab in the middle between his birth and death dates. He was only a man, but he had a talent for bringing out the best in people, for seeing the world in a new light and reaching for that future and for knowing what was truly important that made him a legend. He may be relegated to a supporting role by those who have not yet met the man and all of his accomplishments, but he is so much more to those of us who have sat in awe of his world. The gifts he possessed did not leave us with his passing; they live on in each person who takes on a role within the Disney organization and every individual who has been touched by one of Walt Disney’s creations.

Walt Disney’s was a life that we celebrate every time we set foot within the boundaries of the Vacation Kingdom known as Walt Disney World. Happy birthday, Walt!

Disney This Week - 4 December 2011

2011-12-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

Kevin Kidney loved a piece of Disneyland art that is now gone, leaving more questions than answers. We’ve all been there, head on over and see if you can help him out!

Imagineering Disney has a great chat with the legendary Bob Gurr.

AJ Wolfe is the only person who I know that loves cupcakes as much as I do! At The Disney Food Blog she finds a new cupcake roasting on an open fire.

Think World Showcase could use some more characters? How about these guys and gals Michael Crawford dug up for Progress City, U.S.A.

Melissa Loflin reminds readers of Makin’ Memories to take time at Conservation Station to check out the animal cameras.

The stuffed sandwiches of Min and Bill’s are explored by Sarah Holodick and Eating WDW.

Suzannah DiMarzio gives us a holiday break down of the monorail loop resorts at Zannaland.

Imaginerding has an extensive library, including Walt Disney’s EPCOT, a must read that is reviewed by George Taylor this week.

Nate Rasmussen gives us tinsel and poinsettias at the Disney Parks Blog. Trust me, just click the link!

DisneyShawn heads to Hotel Cheyenne, and Shawn Slater highlights a few details that reminded of the Fort Wilderness of yore.

Cory Disbrow has some inspired tips for photographing the Osborne Lights at Studios Central.

Silent Saturday – Oscar’s Super Service (September 2011)

2011-12-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

Casting call back

2011-12-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

A small yellow building on Sunset Boulevard in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, with the number ‘ninety-four’ written above it, which leads into Legends of Hollywood can easily be overlooked time and time again. However, the window display often arranged with baking goods has a lot to offer to those who take the time to window shop. In this case, we see Minnie baking away furiously, yet always manage to keep herself clean and dressed to the nines.From the details in the background, we can tell that Minnie is studying up for her next role. While Clarabelle’s Studio Catering is featuring cheesecake, Minnie is reading over the script for Mickey’s Gala Premier. The title card for the 1933 black and white short can clearly been seen in the middle of the window, but that isn’t where the story ends. The cartoon featured beloved characters and caricatures of a veritable who’s who of Hollywood from the time!

Just over the top of Minnie’s head we can see the call back sheet and it looks as if Donald, Goofy, and Pete have made the cut. From Minnie’s script we also get some of the credits, including producer (Walt Disney), directors (Joe Grant and Dick Lundy) and music composer (Frank Curchill). We are also treated to a set of stills from the movie, also over Minnie’s head. The photos include Mickey arriving to the gala and a willowy starlet who was also in attendance, none other than Greta Garbo!

The attention to detail for a window that would often just be passed by is a testament to the love for the characters and their history. It also serves as a great introduction to productions you may not be aware of. Now, if only Sunset Boulevard had a theater or two where you could check and see if the short was playing!

They don't have to work no more

2011-12-01T09:00:00.002-05:00

When I was a child, I was fascinated with dinosaurs, and I’m certain I was not alone in my pursuit of all things dino during the single-digit years. In fact, while I know my parents were startled by some of the imagery in Jurassic Park, I know that I was glued to every movement and awestruck by the incredible creatures walking, running, eating, and raising families on the screen. It’s still a wonder to me as to how I didn’t grow up to cling to a toothbrush in a desert somewhere.

When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 I was well on my way to becoming a teacher, but that didn’t mean that a part of me didn’t feel the tug of the extinct beasts whenever I walked through Dinoland U.S.A. In fact, I still feel that pull today. The Dino Institute is home to the time traveling marvel known as the CTX Time Rover. The Time Rovers are what pull people through the doors, and rightly so, but part of me likes to linger in the museum exhibit area of the queue. The small displays reminded me of these marvelous creatures were introduced to me as a child. The murals that display specific points in the lives and extinction of the dinosaurs, in the same room as the fossilized remains of the carnotaurus, could have filled any number of natural history museums I ventured through in my younger years.

Let’s venture back and look at those murals, one of the quaint exhibits of how dinosaurs were presented to us before Time Rovers blasted us to the past.

Veggie veggie fruit fruit - Tangierine Cafe

2011-11-30T09:00:00.001-05:00

It’s been a bit longer than we had planned, but my wife, Aileen, has returned with a new vegetarian review. She promises to be better about reporting in the new year, but comes to us today with one of her favorite meals on property! Let’s see what she has for us to taste today!
Hello Main Street Gazette readers! I am back to talk about another tasty vegetarian item from Epcot’s World Showcase. Today we will sink our teeth into the unique vegetable platter from the Tangierine Café in the Morocco Pavilion. It is a sampler platter that is big on flavor but not on cost, coming in at $10.99 for the meal.

The platter itself consists of a number cold salads, hummus, falafel, Moroccan bread and marinated olives. For those not familiar with Moroccan and/or Mediterranean food, having a myriad of flavors and textures is typical for a meal and this platter is no exception. The variety provided on this plate makes it wholly satisfying and in all honesty, I didn’t even notice I was eating a meal without meat.So, let’s begin with a description of each part of this platter. First, you receive 2 falafels, which are deep fried balls of mashed chick peas along with a number of spices served on top of a green salad. Personally, I love falafels and if you have never tried them before, I think this is fairly good example of what they should taste like. There is a good amount of crunch from the frying and a moist center with just the right amount of spice. The best comparison to another food item would be that falafels are the Mediterranean version of hush puppies.

Next, let’s move on to the couscous salad. Couscous is another item that many of you may have never tried, but I think you should take the opportunity to give it a whirl. It is basically a cross between rice and pasta and absorbs whatever spices and flavors you add to it. This specific salad has spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, parsley, red and green peppers, red onion, zucchini, raisins and chick peas mixed into it. I know that seems like a lot of ingredients but it has a light and fresh flavor that does not disappoint.

3rd on our list is the lentil salad. Lentils are also a staple of Mediterranean and Moroccan cuisine and this salad is a different way to enjoy this type of bean. It is mixed with red and green peppers and mayonnaise. The salad itself has a great texture and is extremely filling, which makes it a great addition to this platter.

Tabouleh is next on our tour. This may also be a traditional item you have never tried. Tabouleh is made up of tons of parsley, onion, mint, tomato and bulgur (a dried cracked wheat) and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. I personally enjoy tabouleh and think it is a great addition to this dish but if you are not a fan of parsley, you may want to skip this particular item as it plays a very large role in the flavor and texture of the salad.

The last items on the plate are hummus, marinated olives and Moroccan bread. In my opinion, the best of these is the marinated olives. There is a mixture of black and green olives along with spices, oil and vinegar. I think the salty, briny flavor of the olives is a great accompaniment to the rest of the items on this plate. As for the hummus, the only word I have to describe it is average. It is traditional hummus with a hint of lemon and while there is slight flavor to it, it definitely left me feeling as if it was missing something it its execution. In comparison to the other items, which are bursting at the seams with flavor, the hummus left me wanting so much more. Finally, we come to the bread. This is the only item on the plate that I could have done without. While I love bread and I feel it is integral to this type of sampler platter, the Moroccan bread was slightly dry and definitely less flavorful than I would have liked. My suggestion is to use the bread to eat the hummus or the other salads, but definitely do not eat it on its own.

So, the final verdict? This is by far one of my favorite quick service meals on Walt Disney World property (with or without meat). In fact, I love it so much make sure I have it at least once during a trip. It is a great menu option if you are looking for something with a wide variety of flavors and textures and I think it is an amazing way to experience the food of Morocco and the Mediterranean without breaking the bank. Please give it a try the next time you are looking for a new and interesting quick service option in World Showcase.

Arriving trains

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is one of those rare photographs that I fell in love with as soon as I came across it. What’s so special about this picture, come explore with me and I’ll do the best I can to make you love it too.

For starters, we are in Tampa Ship in 1970, the location where the Nautili submarines for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage were built. As is apparent here, it was also the only company in central Florida with the proper heavy machinery and spacing required to work with full sized locomotives.

The gentleman in the coat and tie is Earl Vilmer. Vilmer had been with Disneyland for a number of years, but had been brought in as Walt Disney World’s Transportation Superintendent, and charged with the construction of the Magic Kingdom’s railway and renovation of the engines for the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Which brings us to the engine itself. Found along the Yucatan Peninsula in Merida, Mexico by Vilmer and Roger Broggie, the locomotive was a Baldwin 2-6-0 “Mogul”-type. Originally built it September of 1928, the engine was in such a state of disrepair when it came to Tampa Ship that workers were provided with color photographs of the Disneyland trains to enthuse them. The engine has come a long way from when it was found, including the 85 pound brass bell that has already been attached, but this rusty, forty-two year old locomotive had a long way to go. Through sweat, blood and tears, the abandoned engine would finally be transformed into the lush green Engine No. 2, otherwise known as the Lilly Belle, named for Walt Disney wife.

It may look different here, still under renovation and without its lantern or final paint job, but this is a moment in time with a legendary railman, in a storied structure, and an engine that has brought joy to innumerable guests. It gives me shivers to see such a gorgeous piece of Magic Kingdom at such a critical juncture in its career!

Toast of the town

2011-11-28T09:00:00.003-05:00

We are smack dab in the middle of the holidays. Here in the States, we’ve just passed Thanksgiving on and are in the fast lane on the way towards Christmas and New Years’. With the days getting shorter, and the temperatures starting to dip, this is, without a doubt, a season of food. More specifically warm foods that fill us up and block against the cold. And what does this better, than something sweet from the bakery case?

That’s just the question the roundtable had to contend with this month!

Roundtable Topic: Where do you go for your favorite baked goods in Walt Disney World? What do you pick up? And why?
Roundtable Contributors: Elizabeth Caran (Take the Monorail), Melissa Loflin (Makin’ Memories), AJ Wolfe (The Disney Food Blog), Andy Jackson (Eating (and Drinking) around the World), and yours truly.

Elizabeth – The more I visit Walt Disney World with other fans, the more I realize my trips lack routine in many ways. The consumption of baked goods is one of those ways. Don't get me wrong... I do love a baked good or two. If there is a single treat (and bake shop) that I enjoy more consistently than any other, it's the famous carrot cake cookie from The Writer's Stop. But believe it or not, I don't get one every time. I prefer to go with the flow at Disney and stop when I am hungry (or at least craving a sweet). This freedom means that if I see something I really want to try, I haven't just gorged myself at the last place I passed and I am able to try it. One of the great features of Walt Disney World is there is always something new to try. My first visit to the bake shop in Norway was only about a year ago, shockingly, and I suspect it will quickly become my new favorite place for baked goods. Well, at least until something else catches me by the sweet tooth!

Melissa – If I were my husband, my answer would be short and sweet. There's nothing he loves more than a chocolate muffin from the food courts. Me, however, I need something more. Now that I've discovered the carrot cake cookie I must stop at the Writer's Stop on every trip to The Studios to have one and a coffee for my oh so nutritious breakfast. I love to sit up front by the window and people watch while I enjoy my treat. As a carrot cake lover, this cookie, made of two carrot cake pieces with cream cheese in the middle is a little taste of pure goodness that can be enjoyed in a nice quiet location.AJ – There are SO many wonderful places to get unique and delicious baked goods in Disney World... Boardwalk Bakery is always trying out new cupcakes and offering 100% unique items like the Mickey head cake (Funfetti cake! Chocolate glaze! White chocolate Mickey face!) and the cheesecake brownie; Main Street Bakery has those ginormous cinnamon rolls – and they'll pile on even more of the extra melty, creamy glaze if you can overcome your shame and ask for it (not a problem); Boulangerie Patisserie in Epcot's France offers sweet and savory pastries – you never know what you're going to get when you go in there, but leaving with an overstuffed eclair is never a disappointment; Karamelle Küche in Epcot's Germany puts together some incredible caramel cookies and brownies – heavenly – and the cupcakes!!; Kringla Bakeri og Cafe always has me in a quandry over luscious school bread, sweet pretzels, or cloudberry horns; Writer's Stop will always get my vote for the cream cheese frosting-filled carrot cake cookie; but what about Starring Rolls Cafe, the place that debuted the legendary butterfinger cupcake??? And you can't forget Kusafiri Bakery in the Animal Kingdom, where the animal-themed treats have taken on cult status over the past year.I guess if I have to pick only ONE location and ONE baked good, I'll have to go with my heart and choose the Butterfinger Cupcake at Starring Rolls Cafe in DHS. The truth is that I want to lock myself away with that cupcake every time I see it. It's like my own little dream come true. Chocolate cake filled with chocolate ganache, lardy buttercream frosting piled high on top, more chocolate ganache hugging the buttercream, and a generous coating of butterfinger crumbs smooshed into the whole thing. HOW is that not HEAVEN?

Andy – My favorite baked goods in WDW? No, it’s not one of those bigger-than-your-head blueberry muffins or the widely (and justly so) proclaimed Carrot Cake Cookie, but something not quite on the sweet side…

Many tend to think of desserts or sweet morning pastries when thinking of baked goods – I, however, tend more to the savory side, and yes, a non-sweet baked good is one of my favorite Disney Indulgences…

Where do I go? Well if I’m staying at one of the All-Star resorts or Port Orleans French Quarter, I head to the quick-service area for breakfast and order up the Biscuits and Gravy.As hard it is for a true Southern Boy to admit, Disney bakes up a darn good biscuit – top that with a fatty can’t-possibly-be-much-worse-for-your-arteries slathering of oh-so-tasty sausage gravy and you have a rib-sticking plate of goodness. Add a generous amount of black pepper and some drops of hot sauce and I’m a happy, happy boy.

What the heck, order up a side of bacon to complete the cholesterol coma…

To try and keep my girlish figure, I don’t eat such gravy goodness often, and that’s why I save it as a special treat while at the World. It’s a filling and tasty way to start a full day of park touring, and it also doesn’t hurt that it’s under four bucks!

Ryan – The easy answer here is the Boulangerie Patisserie, isn’t it? I mean, we all know I get my hopes up every trip for some raspberry schuss and, failing that, resort to any number of the other readily available sweets. Honestly, though, it isn’t the place I think of immediately for gathering baked goods, it is simply a nice park pit stop. Same goes for Kusafiri, Main Street Bakery, and Starring Rolls. They are all a nice place to stop back, especially for a morning sugar fix, but they aren’t the best thing since sliced bread for, well, sliced bread.

Okay, so I’m not going to find freshly baked sliced bread anywhere on property, but you get the picture. The bakery I make a point at stopping for these days is BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney Marketplace.

There are a variety of baked goods here, from cupcakes and cookies to doughnuts and loaves of sweet breads, which come in a remarkable assortment of ridiculously delicious flavors! This is where I come when I want to stock up the resort room with morning treats or late night snacks.The baked goods take into consideration a number of dietary restrictions, and yet still manage to taste just as bad for you as any other confection on property! More importantly, with a family member who is hypoglycemic, the agave sweetened cupcakes, brownies and loaves means she’s able to partake in the delicious treats just as much as the rest of us.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you have not yet tried BabyCakesNYC at Downtown Disney Marketplace, you need to. You will not be disappointed!

As you can tell from the short list of responses, a lot of the roundtable had a hard time crawling away from the Thanksgiving feasts last week… not that I blame them! That simply means we really want to know where you find your favorite baked goods in Walt Disney World, and what are they?!?!

Disney This Week - 27 November 2011

2011-11-27T09:00:00.001-05:00

Passport to Dreams Old & New and FoxxFur presents an in depth look at Walt Disney World park maps of the 1970s.

Jeff Heimbuch is hanging out over at This Happy Place, and he brings along Mickey’s video games history.

Progress City, U.S.A. and Michael Crawford has uncovered the television special The Muppets at Walt Disney World.

You still need a review of The Muppets that convinces you to go see it? Suzannah DiMarzio gives you her thoughts at Zannaland, and I couldn’t have said it better myself!

AJ Wolfe presented a recipe this week that has captivated the baker in my house, head on over to The Disney Food Blog to check out the Pumpkin Biscuits with Spiced Candied Walnuts.

Pumpkin Mousse, do I need to say more? You can find it over at Eating WDW in an article from Sarah Holodick.

Andy Jackson covers the world of food from the last weekend of Food & Wine to the Festival of the Masters at Eating (and Drinking) around the World.

We get a base-covering list of Walt Disney World pet peeves courtesy of D.J. Jones and The World of Deej.

Jennifer Fickley-Baker has a wonderful breakdown of Mickey balloons in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the Disney Parks Blog.

We get a reminder from the Ghost of Epcot Christmas Past, Melissa Loflin, who highlights the Lights of Winter at Makin’ Memories.

Silent Saturday – Tiger Forest (November 2009)

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

A friend in deeds

2011-11-25T09:00:00.001-05:00

Names have a power in Walt Disney World, whether you notice them or not. They lend an authenticity to the crates and cargo found from Frontierland to Tomorrowland and they pay respect to the individuals who have helped shape the Vacation Kingdom. Sometimes, however, a well-crafted name is as historically significant as it is hysterical. Take, for instance, this window on Main Street, U.S.A. credited to M. T. Lott and Donn Tatum.

Donn Tatum was Roy’s right-hand man and started with the company in 1956 and would rise as high as chairman within the company. During the exploration process into what would become Walt Disney World, Tatum was tasked to evaluate the financial standing of the cities the Disney group were considering as possible sites for the new resort area. The real story in this window, however, comes from M. T. Lott and its subsidiaries: Tomahawk Properties, Latin American Development, Ayefour Corporation, Bay Lake Properties, Reedy Creek Ranch Lands and Compass East Corporation.

As you may have put together, Bay Lake and Reedy Creek are fairly recognizable names to Walt Disney World guests by this point in time. Along with the rest, these were the dummy companies used to purchase the land that would become Walt Disney World. The cleverest of the names belonged to Ayefour, as in I-4 the interstate running along the boundary of Walt Disney World. So, where does M. T. Lott come into play?

“In late 1964 and early 1965, Disney set up a half-dozen dummy corporations, all based in Miami, to take title on the land. Ayefour Corporation was listed and run by [Robert] Foster; Bay Lake Properties and Tomahawk Properties, by Bob Price; Compass East and the Latin American Development & Management corporations, by Roy’s [Disney] alias, Roy Davis, and Reedy Creek Ranch Lands, by the mythical M. T. Lott.”

--pp. 27, Realityland by David Koenig, 2007

So there you have it, they story behind the holdings of M. T. Lott. And in case you haven’t caught on to the joke by now, say ‘M. T. Lott’ out loud a couple of times, I’m sure you’ll get the picture!

These cool cars

2011-11-25T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today is the biggest shopping day of the year. In the blitz and craze that is the sprint to grab those dirt cheap big ticket items, let’s not forget the little things that will make those eyes light up just as big as a widescreen television! You know what I’m talking about, the stocking stuffers or little everyday gifts that will be enjoyed all year round.

We talked about these last year, but I thought it would be nice to revisit the Disney Racers. The Racers are a set of 1/64 scale die cast model cars. As of the end of 2010 there were eighty vehicles in the set, including a subset of Star Wars inspired vehicles. But these aren’t your ordinary flame-stripped Camaros or souped-up Mustangs, no sir! These miniature race cars have been influenced by Disney and Star Wars characters and vehicles. Just check out the 2010 poster that featured every single Disney Racer to have been released up to that point.

Now, I should warn you that collecting the Racers can become addictive, and some Racers are only available for a limited time, or in special packages (such as Woody, who is only available through a Toy Story four pack of cars). I myself have been taking part in an exhaustive search for a Chernabog and Steamboat Willie, among others. But just imagine the look of your young padawan when he uncovers a Darth Vader car or your child of the future unwrapping a monorail speedster?!?!

With these thoughts in mind, and my own personal fascination with taking photographs of Disney merchandise in appropriate park settings, I thought it’d be nice to show off a portion of the Disney Racers in the locales that inspired them!

All vintages

2011-11-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Since my honeymoon, one of my favorite pastimes has become taking part in wine tastings or, if at a restaurant, sampling a new wine flight. There are a variety of ways to take advantage of the cellars of Walt Disney World, but can you really go wrong with a flight accompanying a delicious meal in a Signature Dining location? I think not, and as evidence I offer up the Red Wine Flight of the Stars, found on the menu at The Brown Derby.

The flight is among several available at The Brown Derby, including a Taste of California flight and a Disney Legends Flight. I opted for the Red Wine Flight of the Stars for two reasons. One, if the stars shine brightest in Hollywood, who wouldn’t want a taste of that. And two, they had me at Marilyn Merlot. The current flight includes three 2-oz pours, one each of the 2008 Marilyn Merlot (Napa Valley), 2008 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast), and 2007 Greg Norman Estate Shiraz (Australia).

When the flight arrives, it comes paired with a laminated chart. Each segment is tied to one of the three wines and features accomplishments of the individual actor or celebrity, a copy of the wine’s label, a history of the vineyard and tasting notes on the specific wine. My palate isn’t nearly as complex as those who professionally rate wines, but I feel that gives me a little more insight into the average wine taster’s preferences. So, how did I rate the individual wines?2008 Marilyn Merlot – There was a fullness to the flavor of this wine that I wasn’t expecting, and the taste really hung around on the front of my tongue. It had a fruity, almost apple hint to it. As a general rule, I am not a fan of Merlots, however, this one was excellent and my favorite of the flight.

2008 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir – Pinot Noir is a favorite of mine, however, this was seemed a bit thin to me. It was mild and warm, and I could feel a warmth to it that would be great for someone trying out Pinot Noir for the first time, but it was least favorite of the three. However, MacMurrary Ranch is featured in all three spots of the Disney Legends Flight, which makes me think this was not, perhaps, the vineyard’s finest offering.

2007 Greg Norman Estate Shiraz – While not ranked as high as the Marilyn Merlot, this Shiraz is a great wine, and it was a tough call. The notes I scribbled down the first time I tried this wine were, “Dark, sinister bite. Up to no good. Tickles the sides of the throat and the salivary glands.” I’ve had the wine since, and I stand by this appraisal. It also happens to be the most widely available of the three, at least in my corner of North Carolina.

If you are like me, then you’re probably looking for that perfect bottle of wine to go with your Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. If you’re also like me, you’ve heard the rule of white wine with poultry enough times that it is ingrained in your culinary vernacular. However that doesn’t have to be the case. Personally, I believe any of the wines featured in the Red Wine Flight of the Stars would be perfect alongside turkey, stuffing, potatoes, and green bean casserole. For my dinner, I am bringing along the Greg Norman Shiraz, and I’m willing to bet it’ll be a smash hit!

To all of the Disney chefs

2011-11-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

In 1986 Disney released Cooking with Mickey Around Our World, a cookbook which featured the “MOST requested recipes from Walt Disney World and Disneyland.” It has since been followed up with a smorgasbord of cookbooks featuring everything from desserts to specialty items from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. During one of the busiest cooking and baking periods of the year, there is no finer collection of time-tested favorites and extinct recipes! While not available in print any longer, Cooking with Mickey is easy to find in secondary markets like Ebay and Amazon, or even in used books stores (which is where I found my copy).

The recipes are the stars here, and deservedly so, but that doesn’t mean the gorgeous cover and clever interior dividers should be snubbed. Why not print off your favorite graphic and cook along with Mickey as you prepare for Thanksgiving or your next big meal!

Ogun’s firepit

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

When you examine your plan of attack for a trip to Walt Disney World there are a few universal activities that make it on to almost everyone’s itinerary. Go ahead, take a few minutes to pull out that last touring plan you created, I’ll wait…

Oh good, you’re back! Let’s take a look at it, shall we? Is there time set aside for fireworks and/or parades? Marquee attractions are sure to be at the top of your list as well, correct? I’m willing to bet there is at least one meal on there that makes your tummy roar when you think about it, right? And even though they are not likely to be listed, I bet you planned ahead to set aside time for family and friend photographs, shopping, and perhaps even a trip aboard your favorite form of transportation, from monorail to motor launch, didn’t you? Yet, the one thing that most of us forget to schedule is time at our resorts, to take part in the recreation and unique activities provided to guests. There are a ton of activities to take part in around any of the resorts, especially after the sun has set. Here is a pair of our favorite evening resort activities.

You’ve heard it on the Gazette a thousand times before, but I am a child of Fort Wilderness. Generally, when I want to take a night off from the park-going experience, I head to Fort Wilderness for the Campfire Sing-A-Long and movie under the stars. Now, I know plenty of resorts have the inflatable screens for movies nowadays, but Fort Wilderness just feels like the real deal with its grandstand, fire pits, cover wagon, projector house and permanent movie screen. I’ve talked in depth about the experience, from Chip and Dale to the song selection, but let’s just leave it at the fact that there is no more feel good experience than hanging out with some characters, watching a childhood favorite film, with roasted marshmallows warming you up from the inside.If I were not going to head for Fort Wilderness, a close second for a one of a kind evening activity is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. The nightly storytelling program is imbued with the same feelings as the sing-a-long at Fort Wilderness, but does it with its own unique set of standards. Set around Ogun’s Firepit at Arusha Rock, the stories are not only fascinating, but also encourage participation from the guests who choose to stop by and warm up around the fire. After the storytelling has wrapped up, and before returning to your room for the evening, be sure to take a moment to talk with the tellers of the tales who have much more to share with those willing to listen or venture out into the darkness to take part in some nighttime animal viewing with night-vision equipment.

These are just a pair of the amazing activities that take place in the resorts after dark, and we haven’t even touched upon the daytime options! I hope the next time you are planning ahead for a trip to Walt Disney World you set aside just a bit of time to enjoy all that your resort has to offer, from storytelling to hula-hoop contests. The resorts offer pursuits that will create some of your most memorable moments from any trip, I can promise you that!

Disney This Week - 20 November 2011

2011-11-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

With The Muppets only a few days out, Fritz and Imagineering Disney share a bit of Henson, the Frog, and the Street.

Yesterday, we featured a peek inside the Adventurers Club. For those of you who want a taste of the club, Sarah Holodick offers up a Kungaloosh recipe at Eating WDW.

George Taylor revisits the house of Mickey Mouse to tell us what books are on Mickey’s nightstand in Imaginerding.

One of my favorite part of the winter holidays at Walt Disney World are the various gingerbread displays, seen here thanks to AJ Wolfe and The Disney Food Blog.

Suzannah DiMarzio continues to showcase premium food containers I must have. This week, Zannaland features the Dole Whip Very Merry Mug.

Studios Central highlights the details of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in a piece from Matt Hochberg.

Makin’ Memories and Melissa Loflin reminds us that with the holidays come characters in holiday attire.

The Disney Parks Blog and Jennifer Fickley-Baker take a moment to note the first new planting in Fantasyland’s expansion.

Amanda Tinney and Disney Every Day feature the work of Graham Knuttel, now permanently on display at Raglan Road.

Richard returns with a Retro ’71 design for The American Adventure at DesignerLand.

Silent Saturday – Adventurers Club Library (September 2009)

2011-11-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Breaking and winnowing

2011-11-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

Often times, when visiting the Main Street Confectionery, guests find it very difficult to raise their eyes above the level of the sweets stacked upon the shelves or even to make eye contact as they are ordering from the refrigerated case. Yet, there is something to be said, as I often say, for looking up, down, and all around.

In the case of looking up, there is a mechanical system that has been rigged up to ferry the Confectionery’s goods around the shop. While it does not run as often as it once did, it does tell you that the shop’s owner is mechanically inclined and imaginative. Considering the shop is a turn-of-the-century model, this would be quite an accomplishment for a shop proprietor. As would be the two other contraptions that have been scaled down and displayed along the back wall of the shop.

TOASTING – Inspired by the newfangled ironworks we saw in Chicago, I cooked up this oven to roast my cocoa beans to perfection.BREAKING AND WINNOWING – This device, of my own invention, cracks open the cocoa beans and blows away the husks, leaving only the tasty chocolate insides.

While it would have been a decade removed, one would assume the Chicago mentioned is a reference to the World’s Columbian Exposition held in 1893. Also known as The Chicago World’s Fair, held in a 600 acre space that was a town unto itself, would have left a lasting impression on anyone who took in the sights and wonders of the exposition.

History lesson aside, and believe me I’d love to talk more about the Columbian Exposition, we’re talking chocolate here. The next time you’re in the Main Street Confectionery be sure to take a look at these windmill powered shuckers and cast iron cocoa roasters, that is once you’ve satisfied your sweet tooth!

Inspirational nighttime

2011-11-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

My wonderful friend Greg Grimsley has a knack for catching World Showcase in nighttime photographs that truly shows off the heart of the nighttime Epcot experience. You can see all of his fine photographs, including his Disney After Dark series, at The Disney Obsession. Greg was the one who first introduced me to some of the finer details and skills of taking pictures at night, so I thought I’d show off a bit of what he’s taught me. Rather than try for grand, sweeping vistas of an entire pavilion, however, I decided to go with a more subtle look at the smaller, often overlooked details at night.

I hope you all enjoy this safari as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Maandazi

2011-11-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

Kusafiri Coffee Shop and Bakery, in the Africa section of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, has been a tucked away treat for baked goods for quite some time. These days, however, it is becoming the governing body on the treat within a treat, or two treats for the price of one, niche. The White Chocolate Elephant Cupcake, which features a white chocolate elephant lollipop atop a mountain of cupcake and frosting, has a devoted following already, but something new has been taking a run at the White Elephant in the past few months.

The Cotton-Top Tamarin Cupcake was introduced in August as a part of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s month long celebration known as, what else, Cotton-Top Tamarin Month. The festivities centered around the August 15 holiday from Columbia, South America, Day of the Cotton-Top Tamarin, and the fact that the one pound primates were returning to the Tree of Life area of the park. While the cupcake was available in multiple locations during August, Kusafiri is the only site still serving this delicious treat.

The cupcake is listed as being comprised of “Chocolate Cake with Buttercream and Dark Chocolate,” but is so much more than that. Let’s start with the cake. The Disney Park’s Blog listed the hefty cake portion as a dark chocolate, and while it has the richness associated with a dark chocolate cake, there is not a hint of bitterness and a lot of rich sweetness to make this cake a favorite of mine. The cake is topped with a wonderful buttercream! I hope this continues and that, as time passes, we do not find that a grainy, overly sugary frosting takes its place. The buttercream is adorned with large shavings of dark chocolate, and if you’re a fan of the shavings in a typical French silk pie, you’ll love these additions.

What am I forgetting? Oh yeah, the Cotton-Top Tamarin themselves! The entire cupcake was the brainchild of Pastry Chef Andreas Born. Included in that delicious brainstorm was construction of molds for the white and dark chocolate portions of the Tamarin chocolate pop. The lollipop was great, but it is not really a have one snack now and save one for later type of deal. I shared the cupcake and lollipop with two very good friends, and we were all extremely satisfied. However, this would also be a great treat to eat either the cupcake or lollipop and give the other to a friend or family member. They’ll love you for it either way!

I have long been a proponent of visiting the Kusafiri window (could you imagine if the bakery actually had the space to put together a display case?!?!) for something sweet in the mornings or midafternoon. The Cotton-Top Tamarin Cupcake has only added to my conviction that more guests should be taking advantage of this sweet spot. So, what are you waiting for?

Divers' perspectives

2011-11-15T09:00:00.001-05:00

As a youth, Future World was filled with plenty of “how do they do that?” moments, but no one pavilion featured more of these wide-eyed moments as The Living Seas. It wasn’t that I didn’t believe these things could be done, although I’ll admit the Hydrolators confounded me for years, it was that I simply wanted to know how, precisely, they had pulled off amazing feats or how a person navigated through the Lock-Out Chamber.

I would watch for hours, okay possibly not hours, but as long as my parental units would allow, watching divers swim up or down the chamber, conduct observations and feedings, and interact with the creatures of the tanks. It’s a wonder I never took up scuba diving or animal sciences in school, based solely upon my fascination with The Living Seas. More often than not, while watching the divers swim about in all directions, my mind would wander to what it must be like to view the world from the other side of the glass.

For all of you out there who daydreamed about the same type of excursion, today’s glimpse into yesterday is for you! From inside The Living Seas dolphin tank in 1986, with love.

Where animation begins

2011-11-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

The Disney Chick, speaking about The Magic of Disney Animation, recently said, “once upon a time, it was a place where Disney proudly took guests behind the scenes of their upcoming animated features - including the ones in progress.”

Now, in the age of DVD/Blu-ray bonus features, we all know this attraction, along with its various sideshow distractions and galleries, are no longer the juggernaut it once was. This is partly due to the removal of feature animation production, partly because of the aforementioned hours of bonus features, and in part owing to the transition to a character meet-and-greet gathering hub. However, we are not here to bemoan or shame to past and present today. No, we are here to glimpse into a future of my imagination where this corner of Disney’s Hollywood Studios becomes truly relevant once more.

Little more than a decade ago, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream opened up shop along Mickey Avenue (now known more as the prelude to Pixar Place). It was the no-frills heart of the 100 Years of Dreams, the celebration of what would have been Walt Disney’s 100th birthday. The walkthrough attraction and film featured vignettes about important elements of Walt Disney’s life, props and costumes from live action television shows and feature films, models, artwork, and much more that offered thousands of glimpses into the life and legacy of the man. While not always a capacity crowd, Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream still maintains a healthy assembly of curious individuals.

So, what does this exhibit have to do with The Magic of Disney Animation? Everything. When you consider that California is home to the Walt Disney Studios, Walt Disney Archives, and the Walt Disney Family Museum, it does feel like the East Coast has taken a bit of a shellacking in the history department. Okay, sure, the Studios and Archives aren’t open to the public on a regular basis and tours are extremely difficult to come by (quick aside, if anyone in the Archives or Studios is willing to give me a tour, I will find a way to get myself across the country). However, the opportunities do come up on rare occasions. Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream is almost an East Coast version of the Walt Disney Family Museum, it is a historical portrait of Walt Disney, but still leaves quite a bit unexplored.

What Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream is for the man, The Magic of Disney Animation could be for the history of Disney animation. Think of the Animation Gallery, the one room, one case display, that features maquettes and sketches promoting the most recent or upcoming animated feature, but on a exponentially larger scale. Artwork, both concept and final, from the 80+ years of Disney animation could fill multiple rooms in rotating displays which could highlight princesses for a year and then switch to animal films, or the beauty of backgrounds, villains, or the houses of characters; the list could go on and on. Viewing rooms could show various shorts or clips from full length films. Just imagine a child sitting down to watch Oswald or a Silly Symphony for the first time. Then, after all of this build up, through the majesty and hilarity brought to life by drawings over the past 80 years, you show guests a room filled with drawing tables just waiting for them.

Who knows, maybe the next Ollie Johnston or Andreas Deja will sit right down at one of those stations inside The Magic of Disney Animation, draw their first barely recognizable Mickey Mouse, Goofy, or Orange Bird, and begin their own journey as an animator. It certainly is a future worth dreaming about, right?

Disney This Week - 13 November 2011

2011-11-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

If you read one article this week, make it the Orange Bird exploration from Michael Crawford and Progress City, U.S.A.

Studios Central and Matt Hochberg dig into the mailbag and answers a few questions about New Year’s Eve at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Mitch starts a great Then and Now series for Disneyland at Imagineering Disney.

Eating WDW has a wonderful review of Bongos by Sarah Holodick.

Blake Taylor has the dos and don’ts of allowing teenagers their own space at Walt Disney World for WDW Radio.

There are several pieces of Disney design that I want to see around the world, near the top of that list is Discoveryland’s Hyperion airship. Check out the story of this dirigible from Shawn Slater and DisneyShawn.

AJ Wolfe covers the transition from the Enchanted Grove to Chesire Cafe in The Disney Food Blog.

Silent Saturday – Contemporary Dock and Bay Lake (September 2011)

2011-11-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

Who discovered humans

2011-11-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks back we told the story of Wilderness Lodge’s Raven totem pole. We’re back to walk across the lobby and tell the tales of the Eagle Pole, which features Frog (The Communicator), Bear Chief, Bear’s Nephew, A Copper of Great Value, Mountain Goat, Mouse Woman, Humans (in the Clamshell), Raven (who discovered humans), Beaver (with Chew Stick), Daughter (Comes Home), Eagle Chief and Village Watchmen.

Bear Chief, symbolizing the house owner, sits at the base of this totem pole. It is widely believed that, in all of nature, bears and humans are most like each other. Bear Chief holds Frog to his mouth. Frog is known as the communicator, for he can speak to all of the animals and humans. Frog tells the Bear Chief that he should hold that he should hold a potlatch feast for his young nephew, Bear Cub.

On this pole, we see Bear Cub emerging between Bear Chief’s ears. Nephews are traditionally trained by their uncles, whose responsibility it is to educate them in the way of the Bear Clan. Bear Chief has planned to raise this totem in front of his new house at the time of the potlatch feast that he will give in honor of his nephew and all their invited guests.

A great painted shield of copper, the symbol of highest wealth, shows the design of Staget, the magical spirit between animals and humans. Originally pounded flat from native copper traded by these northwest coast Indians from the mountain folk of the far north, a shield such as this copper shield is judged to be worth an enormous amount. This copper has been given the name “27 Servants” which indicates the value of this treasured possession, a piece of which the Bear Chief plans to give to his nephew during the potlatch feast.

Klu-kun, the Mountain Goat, sits on the pole showing his shiny black horns and magic hooves. He is a famous cliff jumper and is very generous in supplying his smooth, rich, back fat, a rare ointment used by both animals and humans to heal and beautify the skin. Mountain Goat once helped a young copper seeker to climb down the mountain cliffs by lending him his hooves. Then Goat showed that youth how to jump the widest river by lending him his white leaping coat. It is Mountain Goat who holds the copper to protect it.

A short section of carefully glazed red cedar pole with a hole in its front where Ksem Wed-Zin, Mouse Woman, lives and views the animals and human world around her. Mouse Woman has always been famous for helping young people.

Once when a fisherman grew bad tempered because of his hunger, he took a salmon club and struck a young boy who was dancing and singing around the fire.

Mouse Woman scurried down for her hole in the pole and stood before the fisherman. “Angry man,” Mouse Woman said, “it was wrong of you to strike that child. The boy disappeared, but I can still hear him crying out in pain. Quickly, quickly, fisherman! Find all of the scraps of salmon meat and bones you scattered when you had finished eating, then throw them carefully into the fire.”

The fisherman had no sooner done what Mouse Woman had asked than the child whom he had struck was healed again, reappeared, and continued his happy dancing and singing around the fire. The fisherman felt very sorry for what he had done and took the boy out in his canoe and taught him the true art of fishing.

Supernatural Raven arrived in the earliest times when the earth itself was very young. There were still only a few animals and no humans in the world. Raven was flying along a long, narrow arm of sand that thrusts itself far out to the sea. Suddenly, he saw a large clam lying on the beach. Raven swooped down and opened its shell with his powerful beak. In this way, raven released the first humans who ever walked on this earth. These humans were all very small, no larger than the size of your smallest finger. But as they went running toward freedom along this lonely beach, they commenced to grow and grow until they reached the size of you and me. After that these animals humans busied themselves building houses, carving totem poles, and raising their young. The built huge sea canoes and paddle them along all the coastlines and around all the island until soon they had populated the whole world!

Beaver sits very high upon the pole, between Raven and Eagle, for these two great supernatural birds have not always lived in peace together. Once when Raven and Eagle were having an argument about who should grab the smaller Beaver’s crest and take it for their own, Beaver grew very angry and threw down his chew stick. He whistled through his teeth to both those birds, saying, “I come from a place where there’s a giant beaver bigger than either of you. He is bigger than both of you together!”

When Eagle and Raven laughed at him, Beaver dove down from his place on the pole into the family beaver dam and pulled away the small logs and alder saplings. The water in the beaver dam rushed out through the hole. Eagle and Raven called out in wonder, for there beneath them was the biggest beaver in the world hiding at the bottom of the beaver’s pond. This giant Beaver had faces on all his joints and protected himself with his huge, leather tail.

Supernatural Eagle, standing on top of the pole, sometimes chooses to be a bird, but it is said that he has the power to change easily into a human being. This Eagle once heard a girl crying far out to sea because long ago, she had gone away to marry one of the Undersea People, but while there she grew so sad and lonely for her family and her people that she cried endlessly with large tears rolling down her cheeks. Eagle flew out to the island in the sea, picked up the girl, and started to fly her back to her family again.

“Don’t look out,” Eagle warned the girl. “Don’t look down.” But, so curious was she that she spread his wing feather to have a peek, and that caused Eagle to fall down into the sea in front of the girl’s village and they both had a terrible struggle to swim ashore.

Eagle wants to be a helper to all and that is why atop his head sits three small Taan-skeels. These are the watchmen for all the humans and animals. Wearing tall, shading hats, Taan-skeel keeps their eyes wide open day and night, for it is they who protect their village houses. They peer endlessly out to sea, along the beaches, and deep inside the shadows of the forest that stands behind the village. These three Taan-skeels are the watchful helpers of the world.

Ultra modern

2011-11-10T09:00:00.004-05:00

Would you expect anything other than modern artistic interpretations in the Contemporary Resort?

The exterior walls of the little shop Fantasia are filled with a selection of characters from various segments of Fantasia in a very different light. While each portrait could be presented in its original form, each character piece has been divided into two sections and staggered with one half closer to the observer than the remainder of the artwork. Depending upon your viewing angle and proximity to the individual selection, this can cause some mighty bizarre looking scenes/creatures!

Just across the way at BVG, there are also some Warholian Mickey depictions that also deserve a few moments of observation.

The chart table

2011-11-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

As is the case in almost every avenue of dining, what you see in an advertisement or on a menu is never what you should expect once your meal arrives. However, looking at the menu picture for the Floridian Club Sandwich, found at Gasparilla Grill and Games in the Grand Floridian, the sandwich seems to be nothing to write home about, a typical deli type sandwich that you could easily make at home. With such a lackluster presentation on the menu, what appears in the take away box may surprise you!

The printed description of the Club is, “Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado Ranch Dressing on Multi-grain Toast.” Sounds pretty generic, right? Okay, well, let’s dispense with the lettuce and tomato, they were both fresh and added their desired flavors and textures to the sandwich. Similarly, the multi-grain toast was an excellent, and hearty, bookend for this sandwich. That leaves us with the turkey, bacon, and avocado ranch dressing.

This was not the thin, slimy, flavor-lacking turkey I expected. Nope, the turkey was sliced thick and presented an excellent smoked flavor to the ensemble. As for bacon, any quick sandwich, both on property and in the world beyond, tend to use the same flat, precooked bacon. But not the Floridian Club. In this instance, this bacon had dimension, both in terms of the essence of pork it exuded and in thickness. I’m serious when I say I want this bacon to magically find its way onto every sandwich I eat, everywhere!

As for the dressing, it had a nice tang to it, though I did not get as much avocado flavor as I would have liked, but I forgive them because I know how tricky it can be to work with avocado. The dressing was not slopped across the sandwich, an ample, but suitable amount was applied to give the Club just the right amount of lubrication in the presence of so many drier elements.

As for sides, the sandwich came with handmade chips, which had a great crunch to them and were not overly greasy, and a choice of tomato and mozzarella salad or cucumber salad. I opted for the cucumber, a cucumber and onion concoction that played with the vinegary zones of my tastebuds. My only complaint is that there was only a couple of bites in the dressing-sized cups.

This sandwich rocked my view of quick service deli sandwiched found around property. It is an entrée I will be sure to stop by and enjoy again when I happen to be in that corner of Walt Disney World. The great part is that it is served ready to go, you can stay and play a few games while you eat, enjoy the sun just outside Gasparilla Grill and Games’ doors, or take it with you to wherever you next destination might be!

Island repast

2011-11-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

In an era where we have color photo flyers for everything from golf to Halloween parties in Walt Disney World, it may seem strange when we had to use the written word and artwork to craft our own ideas about what a promoted experience would be like. Take, for instance, this 1975 pamphlet for the Polynesian Luau.First off, can we just take a moment to marvel at this cover image? The simplicity with which the message is conveyed with two colors, silhouetting the dancer and the moon between pools of orange and brown, is stunning (the art form, not the dancer). Okay, so my mind immediately wanders to the classic NBA icon, but in a way it is that same strength of message tied to a strong singular image that makes both so successful.

Inside, aside from the remarkable Polynesian symbol, is two pages filled with descriptions of the heart stopping entertainment and mouth-watering food. On the menu? Only Shrimp Hawaiian, Kalua Pig, Chicken Nui, Passion Fruit Ice Cream, and a handful of other intoxicatingly tasty dishes! However, the real treat here, for wordsmiths such as myself at least, comes in the brief entertainment rundown:

“Watch as kamaainas (natives) perform symbolic songs and dances from the South Seas isles.

Thrill to the Samoan Knife dance as a young islander skillfully whirls sharp blades in a hypnotizing display… or experience the tense excitement of an authentic fire dance. Then view the delightful Samoan slap dance – just for fun.

And the music is enchanting too, whether it’s the romantic verse of the favorite Hawaiian Wedding Song or the pulsating beat of the ceremonial drums. Later, the spotlight is on you as the natives ask for partners for the hip-undulating Tahitian tamura.”

It would be a stretch of the imagination to think a review of the 1975 incarnation of the luau would use almost identical phrasing as the above passage. Such depictions and imagery are rarely found in the advertisements of Walt Disney World today, but they would certainly go a long way to persuading me to partake in a special event, such as the luau or Mickey’s Backyard BBQ.

The page turns on our small flyer, and we are left with the solitary image of the moon in a sea of orange on the back cover. Again, simple, but effective nonetheless. In this age of interactive queues and saturated meet and greet locations (not that each of these do not have their place, especially in the given entertainment and gadget climate), it’s nice to remember times when the most you could ask for was a beach, glowing torches, lilting melodies, and some roasted meat.

Tall forests of pine and cypress

2011-11-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

You’ve heard it plenty of times before, but I am a native Floridian. I grew up towards the middle of the state, which meant scrub pines and swamps, not white sands and crashing waves (not that I couldn’t, and didn’t, get to them in under an hour). This heritage as it were is one of the reason I believe I was so enamored with Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground as a child. It was a celebration of my world; not a far off island halfway around the world or a modern city with fashionable architecture, it was rustic, filled with the trees, flowers, and creatures that I often saw in my own backyard. It is for all of these reasons and more that I feel most comfortable, as an adult, staying at Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge and, perhaps most surprising, Port Orleans – Riverside.It is rare that I stay at Fort Wilderness these days. I’m still a tent person, and when I grew up there were 10 tents to every one RV in the campground, it seems nowadays that ratio has been completely reversed. The underbrush has been cleared away, there are no more boardwalks, and there are almost no railroad remnants to unearth. I understand the need for safety and progress, I do, but Fort Wilderness is not the place that I remember. Does that keep me from spending a decent amount of time there? Heck, no! I still wander the old trails (as much as are still passable), sit on the fence rails, take in the smell of the Meadow Trading Post (if you’ve been there, you know there is a distinct smell among the souvenirs and sundries), watch the campfires being lit, and search for shooting stars just beyond the edge of the outdoor movie screen. I didn’t even mention fried chicken, did I? Well, I grab a couple of pieces of that too.Just down the shoreline a ways is the Wilderness Lodge. In fact, there is even a trail that runs between the two if you have a mind to venture that way on foot. For me, it’s a motor launch, it’s always a motor launch. The Wilderness Lodge pays homage to the National Parks and lodges of the west. The totem poles, artwork, music, and Native American artifacts and imagery gets this message across perfectly clear, but that doesn’t mean I don’t feel Florida and Fort Wilderness in and around the resort. For starters, there may be pine trees outside, but they are natives to Florida, not Northwestern transplants. There is a small boardwalk to the boat dock, a simple reminder of Fort Wilderness’ simple pleasures, and the roughhewn logs that fill every corner of the Wilderness Lodge are almost identical to the same type of fencing and architecture found in the few structures of Fort Wilderness. Not to mention, you are still overlooking Bay Lake, listening to the same boat and train whistles that echo across the waterways to both Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge.When considering Port Orleans – Riverside as one of my celebrate Florida resorts, you may think I’m off my rocker, and if you’re picturing the Magnolia Bend section of the resort, you’d be absolutely right! I am, of course, thinking of the Alligator Bayou area of Port Orleans – Riverside. Yes, this resort was built to resemble to wetlands on the outskirts of New Orleans, but there is a fair amount of resemblance between that area of the country and the lowlands of central Florida. Fishing holes, small houses, and waterwheels aside, I think the one thing here that beckons me back to my Fort Wilderness days are the meandering trails that lead to and from parking areas, resort buildings, and the main activity hubs. For those who have never spent much time in Fort Wilderness, as a child I loved running along the trails behind the campsites that led to the Comfort Stations (that’s restrooms and showers for the uninitiated). These trails connected to every campsite to one another and the communal hub of the loop, provided you were in a section of the loop that shared the same side of the street with the Comfort Station. I’ve gotten lost wandering those footpaths in Fort Wilderness, and I’ve misplaced myself in the Alligator Bayou just as quickly, and I’ve never been happier.

The long and short of it is, I am proud of where I come from, and I am even more satisfied to feel as if there are places in Walt Disney World that exemplify the precise pieces of my home that I picture in my mind when I’m homesick. Fort Wilderness may have been the beginnings of my obsession with Walt Disney World and my home turf, but it hasn’t stopped there. If you want to experience my Florida, the place I know and love, be sure to really explore, really look, and really love Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, and Port Orleans – Riverside.

Disney This Week - 6 November 2011

2011-11-06T09:00:00.002-05:00

This week, George Taylor reviewed two books that were already on my pick-up list, but the reviews confirmed what I already knew. Head on over to Imaginerding to get his take on The Art of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series – Layout & Background.

Stephen at This Happy Place reveals the threads the weave between Disney and Jurassic Park.

If you’re heading to The Land anytime soon, it may leave a sour taste in your mouth. Of course, as we found out from Gary Buchanan at the Disney Parks Blog, that’s only because a single tree produced two record shattering lemons!

Eating WDW and Sarah Holodick sit down for some sushi at Kimonos.

LEGO Barker Bird, anyone? Kevin Kidney found an artist who put together two of my favorite pasttimes, LEGOs and Disney.

Princesses are a part of life in Walt Disney World these days, as are weddings, but Michael Crawford shows us a time when neither were commonplace for Progress City, U.S.A.

AJ Wolfe gets some potent refueling, or a signature beverage, from High Octane Refreshments for The Disney Food Blog.

Disney Daddy, aka Chuck Lionberger, gives us a glimpse into the American Heritage Gallery.

Fiona explains what is so special about the Michael D. Eisner Building at DF’82.

Silent Saturday – Goju-no-to Pagoda (April 2008)

2011-11-05T09:00:00.000-04:00

These penguins are the orchestra

2011-11-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

We had another article planned for today, but a good friend of the Gazette (and someone I consider a personal friend, even if we’ve never met face-to-face) is facing a personal challenge right now, so I thought we should do something to try and make her smile. Get well soon, Melissa!

The pre-show area of Muppet-Vision 3D, who are we kidding the entire area is show from beginning to end, but the pre-show holding area is filled with Muppets, props, belonging, and items that have been shipped to the various Muppets. There may seem like there are a lot of barrels in this picture, but they have to feed a heck of a lot of beaks! The label reads:

From: Far North Foods
To: Nicky Napoleon & The Emperor Penguins
c/o Muppet Studios
Orlando, Fla.

PICKLED HERRING
Keep Refrigerated!

Now, I had always heard the orchestra of penguins had taken the job for the halibut, but apparently I’m hard of herring.

But, back to Nicky and his friends. Nicky Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins constitute the entire orchestra for Muppet-Vision 3D. They are seen in their traditional, puppet form during the pre-show film as they are rushing into the theater, as well as during the show when a few of them are hurtled through the air in the finale. The remainder of the time, Nicky and the other penguins appear as Audio-Animatronics. It should be mentioned that out of all of the penguins featured in the show only two, the duo that operate the penguins’ cannon, actually have feet!

So, how did these musically inclined feather friends land the gig in Muppet-Vision 3D? Well, as it turns out this isn’t their first venture into musical entertainment. The group was the musical talent of Little Muppet Monsters. Although eighteen episode were create, this show lasted but three episodes on CBS in 1985 before the plug was pulled. However, Nicky Napoleon and His Emperor Penguins were there from the very start. The pilot episode, entitled In the Beginning, finds the heroes of the show finding broadcasting equipment in the basement. Also in the basement are Nicky and his friends, whom are tapped for the musical skills to provide accompaniment from the television broadcasts of Tug, Molly and Boo, the titular Little Muppet Monsters.

It just goes to show, every Muppet has their story, and every Muppet is on their way to stardom! Of course, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have to eat every now and then.

A picture as terrific as its cast

2011-11-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

As we so often hear and want to believe, we are told that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is about the heart and soul of Hollywood, encompassing entertainment in all its various forms. To be honest though, the true heart and soul of Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been in the films that we collectively share a love affair with. Classic pictures and classic genres that fulfill our wonder of far off places and break our heart with real-world emotion, that is where the Studios captures our imaginations.

Venturing down Sunset Boulevard, the golden age of theaters is alive and well, filled with neon and eye-popping architecture. In front of two of the buildings, Planet Hollywood and Legends of Hollywood, the requisite collection of ‘now showing’ and ‘coming soon movie posters can be found. While Planet Hollywood’s posters seek to play with thematic elements associated with various genres (robots and aliens, gruff flyboys, and heart-wrenching romance), Legends of Hollywood gives us the real deal. Positioned along either side of the entrance are the posters from the cherished films Rebecca (1940), Citizen Kane (1941), Angels with Dirty Faces (1938), and Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953). While both look the part, only one set invokes the classic era of film!

Magic sunshine pavilion

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

If there is one thing I have publically lamented the loss of more than anything else in Walt Disney World, it has been the Citrus Swirl (If there are two things it is Columbia Harbour House’s chicken tenders and upstairs kitchen. And yes, it does always come back to food!) First the Sunshine Tree Terrace lost orange concentrate and began using sherbet for its Swirls, and then it lost them all together to Aloha Isle down the lane. But rejoice, Citrus Swirl aficionados, I have found a way to concoct our own Swirls, though perhaps calling it a Citrus Swirl Deconstruction would be a more apt description!

As I was making my way through the throng of guests pouring out of the Enchanted Tiki Room for the third time in a single day, I realized there was once again a crowd assembled around the Sunshine Tree Terrace, a sight as rare in recent years as a packed Tiki Room, and I decided to give the menu a once over. Remembering the good ole’ days when oranges ruled supreme under the Sunshine Tree, I ordered an Orange Slush. It was as close to the orange concentrate side of the Citrus Swirl as I had tasted in many years. To top it off, it even looked like a natural shade of orange, none of this glowing neon orange to hammer home the idea that you were partaking in something that was orange flavored.

A few hours later the thought occurred to be that if you could pair this with vanilla soft serve, also available at the Sunshine Tree Terrace, you could reassemble your very own Citrus Swirl. My first attempt did not exactly yield the results I was looking for. That is, dunking a vanilla soft serve cone into an Orange Slush is not effective, and very messy. Pouring a bit of an Orange Slush into a cup of soft serve a little at a time is more functional, but still not perfect. In the end, I found that taking a spoonful of vanilla soft serve and then a gulp of Orange Slush yielded an almost perfect result. While you can never go home again, it was as close as stepping, or tasting, back into my childhood in the Magic Kingdom as I have been in many, many years.

I miss the Citrus Swirl, I’m not afraid to admit it, and I know that I am not the only one. Memories are a wonderful thing to hold onto in the world of Walt Disney World because things are always changing, as they should be. However, when you can find a way to capture even a spoonful of those days gone by today, it can be a truly magical moment!

Dancing the night away

2011-11-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Every single time I see this picture of Mannequins, I immediate start singing Lionel Ritchie’s All Night Long. While I wasn’t able to gain access to the nightclub until a little more than a decade after it opened (such is the lot of a child of the ‘80s), it just had this incredibly unique vibe to it. So, what did Disney think of this dance palace where you were going to move whether you liked it or not? Below is a quote from the press photo, followed by the text from the plaque affixed to the wall near Mannequins entrance.

DANCING THE NIGHT AWAY -- Mannequins at Walt Disney World’s Pleasure Island specializes in hot dance tunes in a bizarre, warehouse atmosphere for the over 21 crowd. The nightclub sizzles with a revolving dance floor and performances by professional dancers. It is one of seven nightspots in Disney’s new entertainment complex.Mannequins
PLEASURE CANVAS WORKS
FABRICATION PLANT #1
1912

Second building erected on the Island, this actually housed Merriweather Pleasure’s famous canvas works. In the 1930s it was converted to a soundstage for Invisible Pictures, then into a design studio and workshop for various Pleasure projects. Most notable of these was a huge locomotive powered by a combination of steam and magnetic power. A colossal turntable was installed to facilitate the work on this revolutionary product, called “Maxwell’s Demon,” that was intended to revolutionize world transportation. It didn’t.

For further unverifiable information on the life and times of Pleasure Island, refer to the theoretical histerical plaques located at the Island’s entrances.”

All I’m going to say is that it’s a short trip from revolutionizing world transportation to spinning intoxicated twenty-somethings around a dance floor merry-go-‘round. Trust me, if you can’t figure out how you got across the room after spending a few minutes on the dance floor, it is as if you were transported halfway across the globe!