From the Elf Lodge

As some of you may have heard, or some of you may know from experience, I am horrible when it comes to Christmas cards. Every year I pick up a box or two, followed by another box or two during after holiday sales, and every year those cards ended up as scrap for my preschoolers to draw on, stuffed into a box in the attic, or in the trash. This year, however, I plan are starting earlier than ever in an attempt to curb my inability to send greetings out in a timely manner.

For this year, I thought I would find a Christmas scene for my holiday card. Sure, you can take a picture a year out during the winter holidays in any number of festive spots in and around Walt Disney World, but your family can change dramatically in just one year. Throughout the year there are a number of spots where you can find a holiday photograph spot, It’s a Wonderful Shop near Pizza Planet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios or the character snowmen at Downtown Disney: Marketplace, but the largest collection of year-round holiday décor comes from Winter-Summerland Miniature Golf.

While there are statues of Santa in his candy cane striped swimsuit, melting snowmen, wintery rhymes aplenty, perhaps the best composed shot for a Christmas card here is the sled near the entrance. With a bench for you and yours, Christmas is, literally, just around the corner. Just in case you’re planning ahead like me.Here are a few other photographs from Winter Summerland, including a few of Santa’s own holiday cards.

His pedaling piano

Mark Anderson may not be a name you are familiar with, but picture this: You are strolling along The Boardwalk as the sun is setting. There is a small smile creeping across your face as you admire the reflections on the water and the breeze skimming across it, while in the distance you can hear the melodic sounds of a ragtime piano. This is a very good evening to be in Walt Disney World, but where does Mark Anderson fit into this scenario?

As it would turn out, that distant piano will get closer and closer to you, and soon not only will you hear the music but the voice as well. That voice belongs to Mark Anderson, better known as Musicále Mark, who pedals and performs along The Boardwalk five nights a week from 6:00pm until 10:0pm. Mark has a storied musical past that begins at the age of four and continues until he found his niche playing a pedaling piano Tokyo, Japan. According to The Legend of the Pedaling Piano, Mark is the great great great great nephew of Marcelloni Andressonna, an 18th century acrobat and the first pedaling pianist. Oh, and Mark has also taken a trip through the town of Celebration with star of screen and stage, Kermit.

Singing and playing the piano can be difficult enough, but the addition of creating locomotion at the same time would seem impossible, if it weren’t for Musicále Mark improbable combination of skill, talent, and showmanship. Mark knows how to entertain a crowd with songs from yesterday and yesteryear, songs we all know by heart, but may not have heard in years. He is an often overlooked treasure of not only Walt Disney World, but also the music world, and should be sought out during your next trip to Walt Disney World.

If your next trip is several months, or years, away and you wish to bring home that Boardwalk ragtime feel, Musicále Mark also has an album available. Mark, his pedaling piano, and Anthony the Banjo Man masterfully perform such traditional tunes as: Yes Sir, That’s My Baby, Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, Dueling Banjos, and Mr. Sandman, while including a few Disney standards like Zip-a-dee-doo-dah and You’ve Got a Friend In Me. Songs From the Boardwalk is available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

To learn more about The Legend of the Pedaling Piano, Musicále Mark, and the music from the bicycle piano, be sure to check out Mark’s website: Musicále Mark. Better yet, watch and listen for him as he makes his way down The Boardwalk.

Form follows function

Last week, while taking a look at some of the gardens and designs from the past of Walt Disney World a friend of the Gazette mentioned the conical trees that were as essential to the Contemporary Resort as the murals of the Grand Canyon Concourse. Today, we’ll view a couple of photographs that highlight the Contemporary and its landscaping.

Picking up on a couple of elements from last week, this shot starts at the Magic Kingdom’s Hub, moves through Tomorrowland, and completes the composition with the Contemporary in the background.

Moving on to the actual greenery, these conical trees remain true to the form follows function approach of the resort.

The unique and familiar shape of these trees comes from the shearing of the laurel oaks. With the addition of the floral elements being underplanted this space uses minimal effort to create a complementary design.

Though the trees and flowers relate a part of the Contemporary’s story, they are also fully functional, creating a pedestrian footpath and a barrier between the path and the roads.

As a supplement, here are a few photographs from the construction of the Contemporary Resort.

Addendum: Place of all delight

As a bonus for today’s Asia article, here is a copy of the map that is provided for guests as they make their way through the ruins and aviary of the Maharajah Jungle Trek. Perhaps the most important details of the entire map are the messages and viewing tips on the front. The coolest feature, however, is how the scotch take is applied to secure the front panel to the map.

Place of all delight

A little less than eleven years ago, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened with a roar. It was the last park to open, to date, in Florida. As with all Disney properties, nothing ever opens in a completed state, or will ever be complete. For the second phase of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the park would move beyond the heart of Africa to the “population explosions” and “wild places” of Asia.

Asia opened to guests on March 18, 1999. It would include the Maharajah Jungle Trek and Kali River Rapids (or what was planned as Tiger River Rapids), both of which would be take place along the Chakranadi River in the village of Anandapur. Additionally, the village would house a temple under renovation that had been overrun by gibbons. Of the gibbons and the temple, Joe Rohde relates this tale:

“This is just another example of starting from a real experience. In this case, we have the gibbons who are on the islands, you know, in Asia. And we know that they need something to swing on and climb on, that’s what they want to do, they live in trees. So, we’re trying to figure, ‘Well, what in the world could we possibly build that doesn’t look like a jungle gym, that makes sense out of an environment where these gibbons would be climbing and playing, and blah, blah blah.’ And we just happened on one of our research trips to see this temple under restoration. The one in the upper left hand corner, that’s a real temple, in Nepal, under restoration, and that became the inspiration for what we ultimately built as the gibbon temples, because it solved a problem that, frankly, we didn’t know how to solve until we came across this example.”

Like the poachers that invade the reserve in Harambe, Anandapur has its only illegal activities that harm the environment and fortify the message of conservation. Kali River Rapids, as planned and executed, would have an illegal logging operation occurring down river. The meticulous planning of the queue, as would continue throughout every corner of Asia, would include a trip through the rafting company’s office, where a radio would dispatch warnings about the loggers too late.As for the Maharajah Jungle Trek, this tour would include glimpses into the habitat and disposition of animals such as tapirs, tigers, bats, Eldt’s deer, Komodo dragons, and over fifty variety of birds. According to the account given to Melody Malmberg in The Making of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Them Park, the story behind this walk is:

“The tiger exhibit devolved from a ruined hunting-lodge palace to an even more ruined hunting lodge at the behest of the Advisory Board. They asked the Imagineers not to present guests with walls, as that design called up visions of dreary old-fashioned menageries. Instead, they encouraged the Imagineers to tear down visible barriers to give the illusion that the tigers are freely roaming in a preserve with hoofed animals…”

Today, Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia turns ten. The past decade has brought many wonderful interactions, experiences, and insights from Asia to the many guests of Serka Zong and Anandapur. Anandapur, in Sanskrit, means “place of all delight.” A meaning Asia has certainly lived up to over the past ten years, and a tradition that it will carry with it for many more decades. Happy birthday Asia!

Give every man his dew

There are clearly a number of Irish skippering the rivers of the Jungle Cruise, as is evident by this jug of whiskey found in the queue. Tullamore Dew was first distilled in the small village of Tullamore, County Offaly, Ireland in 1829. It has since become the second most popular brand of Irish whiskey in the world.

Looking to the name on the jug, Tullamore Dew, clearly the location of its distilling was critical to its naming. The other piece of the name, Dew, originated with an early owner, Daniel E. Williams, whose initials spell Dew.

Williams was not only the namesake of the product, but he was also critical in bringing change to Tullamore. During the course of his life, he brought electricity, telephones, and motorized transportation to Tullamore.

In 1963 the distilling of Tullamore Dew was moved to Cork, where it is still made today. The processes and specifications that went into the Irish whiskey in Tullamore were, and are, retained. As is the name, Tullamore Dew.

You are here

A few weeks ago we took a look at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park News, the publication filled with news items pertaining to the third gate that was preparing to open in Florida. Today we take another look at the publication and its article on the times and places where you could find yourself during a typical day visiting the park. A few weeks ago we took a look at the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park News, the publication filled with news items pertaining to the third gate that was preparing to open in Florida. Today we take another look at the publication and its article on the times and places where you could find yourself during a typical day visiting the park. While many of these landmarks and vistas can still be experienced inside of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, some of these iconic images (such as the Soundstage Restaurant, The Monster Sound Show, the original New York Street, and SuperStar Television) are not lost to the Hollywood that was.

Made for you and me

Last Tuesday Disney announced the long awaited news about what D23 would be. Though some of the fan ideas were far-fetched, and details had slowly began leaking out, the news brought about as many jeers, hurrahs, and confusion as the initial viral campaign, “Are you 23?” In an attempt to wade through what is, was, and will be, I was able to sit down and talk with Lou Mongello and Chuck Lionberger on this week’s WDW Radio Show. The roundtable not only allowed us the opportunity to discuss our own feelings and the questions we have continually heard from the community, but also discuss what it means to be 23, and what the future holds for not only the D23 community, but the Disney community as a whole.

Thanks once agian to Lou Mongello for having me on the show, and to Chuck for a wonderful conversation! Be sure to check out the program, Lou’s WDW Radio, and Chuck’s DisneyDaddy!

EPCOT '94 Springs into Bloom

Later this week, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival will blossom for its sixteenth year. This festival is the most family-friendly of the events held at Epcot, and aside from the shoots, sprouts and blooms that will erupt with color and fragrance, the Flower and Garden Festival is never the same festival twice. Today’s Back Issue takes a look at the first festival, as presented in the April 28, 1994 issue of Eyes & Ears, for glimpse into what the Cast Members thought about the event that was about to unfold.

EPCOT ‘94 will bloom with the color and beauty of floral wonders during the inaugural EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival Presented by Better Homes and Gardens, April 29 through June 5.

During the five-week festival – a first for the Walt Disney World Resort – more than 30 million buds will burst into bloom throughout World Showcase and Future World. Flower and garden lovers will be able to participate in daily conducted tours of the gardens, as well as backstage growing areas and greenhouses. Lectures will be presented by internationally known horticulturists and Disney experts. During the flower festival, Guests can go behind-the-scenes to see where topiaries and other floral exhibits come to life. The “Backstage Horticulture” tour – offered each Friday through Sunday during the festival – will take Guests from the Theme Park to the Walt Disney World Tree Farm and Nursery. Garden enthusiasts also can enjoy a guided “Gardens of the World” tour each Monday through Thursday during the festival.

Guest speakers include Dr. Marc Cathey, President of the American Horticultural Society (April 29 – 30); Roger Swain, host of television’s Victory Garden (May 6 – 7); ethnobotanist, conservationist and author Mark Plotkin (May 13 – 14); noted garden author Suzanne Bales (May 20 – 21); Rayford Redell, author of the best-selling Growing Good Roses (May 27 – 28); and Tom MacCubbin of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (June 3 – 4).

Disney horticulturist will discuss and demonstrate “Gardening with Mickey” in a series of presentations, from the fascinating way in which gardens help tell a story to Environmentality in the garden of the ‘90s. Other sessions will focus on everything from the basics of gardening to the art of topiary gardening.

Even top Florida artists who celebrate the beauty of flowers in their paintings are planning to participate during a weekend focusing on “art in the garden.”

“Horticulture has always been integral to our ‘show’ – that is, to the Guest experience at our resort,” said Katy Moss Warner, Director of Horticulture and Environmental Initiatives. “Usually it’s a subtle complement to theming, but this festival brings our very special horticultural traditions – and our Horticulture Cast Members – to the forefront. More than 60 Horticulture Cast Members,” Katy explained, “will be giving lectures, and conducting tours during the five-week event. Of course, our talented Horticulture Cast Members have been working hard for months to make the event a reality. In addition to EPCOT Horticulture Cast Members, those from other areas were also tapped for their creative ideas, which will be showcased throughout EPCOT Center. The festival is a great way for Guests to see the variety of gardening techniques used at Walt Disney World Resort – from dainty hanging baskets to giant topiaries.”

Some of the extraordinary visual features of the festival will be Fantasia Gardens, with twirling topiary hippos, ostriches and alligators plus World Showcase Topiary Plaza with 25 other animated Disney characters “sculpted” of living plants. Brand new topiary creatures “born” just this spring will depict favorite characters from Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. At the EPCOT festival, Guests will see Belle’s beauty like never before: an 8-foot-4-inch topiary, a shapely growth of ivy covering a metal frame. Standing in the garden near Belle and the Beast will be their ever-faithful servants, Lumiere and Mrs. Potts – the latter weighing in at 1,200 pounds. Other guests at this floral affair include Aladdin on his flying carpet and Genie. The new topiaries are joined by a host of classic Disney character topiaries, including Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Winnie the Pooh.

An amazing horticultural display, including perennials, flowering trees, award-winning rose gardens, flowering baskets and exotic bonsai trees – plus some 165,000annuals in more than 250 freshly planted outdoor beds – will highlight the nations of World Showcase and pavilions of Future World. Even flowering fruits and vegetables in The Land’s greenhouses are part of the show. All are being planned for a maximum bloom during the festival.

“Thirty-four million Americans turn to Better Homes and Gardens each month for inspiration and guidance, and gardening is one of their greatest passions,” said Garden Editor Douglas A. Jimerson. “We’re delighted to be celebrating gardening at EPCOT ‘94 this spring.”

We are doing it

When Dick Nunis wanted to inspire the men and women constructing Walt Disney World, he allowed the workers to bring their families in to see what Walt Disney World would be. Projects would see the crews’ best efforts, as they would want to showcase for their families what they had built.

With EPCOT Center, Nunis used this same motivation to see that pavilions and attractions were completed in timely manners. As October 1, 1982 approached Saturdays began to see the workers’ families flocking to see what the future held for all of us. Then on Labor Day, less than one month away from opening, EPCOT Center held the official Labor Day Construction Family Preview. The full experience of what EPCOT Center would be could be realized during this trip, as families were even required to park in the Guest Lot. Presented below are the tickets and instructions the construction families of the future used for the event.

Provide the rest

It seems like we have been going going going here on the Main Street Gazette recently, perhaps it is time to take a short break to revitalize ourselves for the next leg in our journey. No, I don’t mean the Gazette is going to stop publishing, I mean maybe we need to find a nice out of the way corner of Walt Disney World to stop and take a break in. I think I know just the place…This courtyard is, perhaps, one of the busiest on property. Adjacent and to the rear of Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café, this seating area is outdoors, with very little shade, and draws a crowd during the midday mealtime for hungry guests who find themselves in Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s Asia. With this profusion of undesirable traits, why would I suggest this area for an out of the way, quiet, break from touring through the park? Because, the real question is when should you visit this hideaway.

The answer is anytime that isn’t lunch. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is not a park that keeps a full crowd throughout the day, this is for a variety of reasons, but that is a topic for another day. Additionally, most guests tend to schedule the sit down meals of their vacation during the evenings. This can alleviate some of the crowds that quick service hot-spots, such as Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café. The park’s structure itself also lends to the environment here. While in direct sunlight during the middle of the day, a consequence of the open natural spaces built into the design of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the trees that create the natural boundaries throughout the park also remove the sun from view quicker during the evening and keep it from view in the early morning hours. So, that gives you the when (early in the morning or late in the afternoon), why (crowds die away as the day wears on), what, and where, but is there more to this area than just a place to sit?

Yes, there is so much more. Beyond the details on the walls and the out of the way nature of the area, there is a built-in calming effect. If you are like me, when you think of a natural space, that thought not only includes vegetation like shrubs, flowering plants, and trees, but it also comes complete with a water source. In this back alley courtyard behind Yak and Yeti Local Foods Café, there is not flora that sheds beautiful flowers, but these flowers spill into a unique water feature. There is a reason that more often than not relaxation CDs highlight the sounds of a river, rain, or the ocean.

To make the moment complete, grab some chicken fried rice and pork egg rolls, and listen to the breeze and trickling water while the late afternoon sun retreats to leave you in a heavy purple dusk. Trust me, you’ll practically feel your batteries recharging, leaving you ready to take on fireworks, parades, miniature golf, or any nightlife you find across Walt Disney World.

Yesteryear

Walt Disney World, like all the parks and properties around the world, is continually in a state of flux. In fact, I’d venture to say that, with a little bit of effort, some sort of change could be documented each and every day within the parks and resorts. Sometimes these are grand occurrences, like the opening of an attraction, other times it might be as small as a coat of paint, an object being moved, new music installed on a background loop, or one type of flower being replaced with another. These changes are part of what creates the idea that Walt Disney World is vibrant and alive, and our vital to its past, present, and future success.

And yet, while some of these changes are small and large, it is always fun looking back at what was. While perusing through Gardens of the Walt Disney World Resort, a 1992 pictorial of the various horticulture designs and flourishes of Walt Disney World, for an upcoming project I came across a few images that caused me to take pause and remember all the many yesterdays. Here are a select few of those images I thought you would enjoy, along with some descriptions.


An aerial view of the Magic Kingdom’s Hub. Prior to the inclusion of the Partners statue, this space was heavily shaded and often included a central topiary figure.


The Imageworks landing from the Imagination Pavilion.

The entrance to EPCOT Center during the 15 Years of Magic celebration. The spires of the fountain are still present, along with the 15 Years of Magic’s decorations, in a very open courtyard design.


The Tomorrowland concourse. From this angle, the Star Jets structure and the original sign design of The Lunching Pad can be seen.


The Entrance to Tomorrowland. While the idealized dream of Tomorrowland motif that permeates the current incarnation of Tomorrowland offers stunning nighttime vistas and is impeccably designed and executed, this view of tomorrow will always be my Tomorrow that Never Will Be.

Refering to the Reference

Recently, I have had several people looking for content on the site, or looking for a link to a site they know they saw on the Main Street Gazette, but have been unable to find what they were looking for due to the unrelenting side column of the Gazette. Additionally, while many guests understand the real value each individual blog brings to the overall canon of knowledge, they are curious why blogs appear so much more prominently than the rest of the links provided, especially when some blogs haven’t updated in the past six months or longer. For the latter question, I inform these inquiries that this is a function of Blogger, not my own design, but it did get me thinking…

In an effort to clean up the clutter, and simplify what the readers are looking for, today I am proud to present the Reference Section. This will remove all links from the side column, aside from individual links to the various entries in Reference (more on each of these in a moment). Clicking on Reference, under Sections, will take you to all of the links we have always provided on the Gazette, plus several more that have been added during this transition. Within the Reference itself are six distinct subcategories:

HEADLINES – Sites that I recommend, and use, to get a majority of the Disney news.

COMMUNITY & LIFESTYLE – This was the toughest category to place sites into. So many community sites carry news, editorials, forums, and/or are associated with podcasts. I have pooled together some of the larger groups used for social networking I know of here, while leaving others in content areas where they appeared more focused.

RECORDS – Destinations with a distinctive slant towards the history of Walt Disney World, or a specific item or location in the history of the Florida property. Travel assistance is also going to be included in Records.

ENTERTAINMENT – These sites are dedicated to the audio and video elements of Walt Disney World.

PUBLICATIONS – All active blogs will be listed here. This list is far from comprehensive, but I hope, as time passes, to complete this woefully inadequate list of wonderful writers with intriguing insights.

ARCHIVED PUBLICATIONS – Here you will find blogs that have not published since 2009 began. A few readers asked me why I didn’t discard old, unused blogs, and I thought about the Imagineers who never discard a good idea. Some of these sites, while they haven’t updated in quite a while, are full of wonderful content that any fan of Disney should read, respect, and remember.

I hope these changes allow navigation through the Main Street Gazette to become a smoother process for each of you. Please contact me with any and all question, concerns, and comments. I hope that in the future, and as time allows, I will be able to quantify each site listed with a description of its offerings, but for now, I hope you are reading all of the well-versed writers out there and are communicating with others all across the spectrum of Disney communities.

Further unverifiable information

We have discussed the backstory and history of Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney a number of times here at the Gazette. With the current renovations taking place on the Island, it would appear that we are stepping ever and ever closer to another page of that history. Still, with all of these changes afoot, and with the doors to the clubs shuttered, it is nice to see the plaques that tell the “original” history of the area remain.

Here is one such description, from the plaque near the entrance to the former Mannequins. Perhaps my favorite line in the entire piece is the final sentence:

“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.”

What D23 means to you...

This afternoon, I had the unrivaled pleasure of sitting in on a conference call between Marty Sklar (Executive Vice President and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador), Dave Smith (Walt Disney Archives’ Chief Archivist), and Steven Clark (Executive Editor of Twenty-Three and Head of D23). While I know plenty of fellow enthusiasts were going to be live-blogging for the event, I thought I would share a different perspective, mine.

As the conference was carried out, I made notes about what was being said and how I felt about it. I hope this offers each of you some insight, not only into the thought processes and histories of Disney, but also into my personal thought processes. Enjoy!

D23

The anticipation of waiting to listen to these living Disney Legends is nerve-wrecking. And the hold music is fuzzy.


Steven Clark

How can I watch the View tomorrow?

More to come,… What was announced today is not the end of the D23 experience, more information will be made available through the website.

Site = no cost The website will have some amazing content available everyday to everyone, this is a foothold for each and every member of the community who wants to be a part of D23.

No advertising in Twenty Three That means the content is coming first with this project.

Barnes and Noble is the only outlet aside from Disney authorized venues (Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disneyshopping.com, and The Disney Store) that will sell Twenty Three

Expo couldn’t be held inside of Disneyland Wouldn’t that have been amazing, clearly they are expecting massive crowds for this.

FASHION SHOW &WEDDING AT THE EXPO?!?! Who could I get to pay for me to go to Disneyland in early September?


Marty Sklar

Stories he could tell What I wouldn’t give to sit at his feet and listen to his stories.


Dave Smith

Fandom history and purposes: Mickey Mouse Club –get kids into theaters, MMC – everyone who watches was a part of the club, Magic Kingdom Club – focused solely on the parks, and the Collectors Society – merchandise heavy.
D23 will be a full-fledged community, pulling from every corner of the Company.


Q&A

D23 is “Not one size fit all,” Steven Clark. Website will bring entire community together, members and nonmembers.
Membership item from Walt Disney Archives Collection: “Biased,… fantastic piece. Not pin.”

Room for everyone.

Expo will be in Anaheim for 4 years. After that a rotation is possible with Walt Disney World. Long-term, Expo may travel internationally.

D23 Staff is small
Twenty Three will bring in experts in their fields to write articles.

Possible special offers between subcommunities (like the Movie Rewards program or annual passholders)

“Not to sell merch… Involve with our fans…,” Dave Smith.

A little shortcut

Last weekend at Walt Disney World thousands of princesses, including the Main Street Gazette’s favorite Princess, ran in Disney’s Princess Half Marathon. I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to each and every participant, you are each miraculous individuals and are worthy of celebration!

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon is part of Disney’s Endurance Series. At Walt Disney World, this includes not only the Princess Half and the Walt Disney World Half and Full Marathon, but a plethora of events that occur throughout the year. A majority of the other races, 3, 5, 10, and 13Ks revolve around events, such as ESPN The Weekend and the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, or attractions, like the Tower of Terror 13K and the Expedition Everest Challenge. These races, more against one’s self than the other participants, speak to the increasing awareness and enjoyment that a healthy lifestyle and exercise can bring.

One event that is lacking a race through Walt Disney World is the Star Wars Weekends that run in late spring/early summer. As Star Wars Weekends is a highly anticipated event that many guests book their annual vacations around, a 5K or 10K, or both, race would draw in a remarkable number of participants. It would also allow a race event to fill a gap that currently resides between March and September under the existing Endurance Series.Growing up in Florida, I immediately understand one of the drawbacks to such a race, the heat index in Central Florida during the months of May and June. I think a simple solution to this problem would be to run the race in the late evening/nighttime hours, similar to the Expedition Everest Challenge and Tower of Terror races. Plus, the idea of running past an illuminated and active Ewok village has a certain charm to it.A race tied to such a well known universe of work would clearly need a name that not only represented what the event is, but also gives the fans something to spike their Geekometer. A name like, oh, I don’t know, The Kessel Run*. Given that one parsec equals nineteen trillion miles, any participant in The Kessel Run would be able to boast that they, too, had completed the Kessel Run in under 12-parsecs, as Han Solo had claimed in A New Hope.Star Wars Weekends is only one event that currently does not have a race event tied to it, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is another. With the appreciation of all that an active lifestyle can do for a person, I would expect the number of people becoming active to continue to rise. As a result of this, I would also expect Disney to continually find ways to entice people to run through the World.



*Kessel Run – According to the official Star Wars website, “The term Kessel Run came to encompass a number of smuggler methods designed to separate spice cargoes from licensed Imperial shippers. One particular method saw the quick distribution of spice along a slowly moving train of cargo freighters, while another approach was just a pure contest of raw speed that skirted dangerously close to the black holes of the Maw Cluster. A smuggler that managed to shave off a sizable portion of the 18-parsec Kessel Run had bragging rights indeed.”

Gardening enthusiasts

The 2009 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival is not quite here yet, but the groundwork is already being laid and raised. Reader Marilyn Johnson, of Marilyn’s Meanderings, gave us this great update in a comment the other day:

“We were over at EPCOT (yes I know it's Epcot but I still believe in Walt's dream)yesterday (we live 1-1/2 hours from WDW and have annual passes) and preparations for the Flower and Garden show are well underway. If there were some way to put pics on my comment I would do so!! There are new topiaries this year which are just incredible. The plantings around the center lagoons are done and are beautiful! Minnie's butterfly house is up and the butterfly topiary is installed (and again beautiful). The children's play area in the center by the rose gardens is about 1/4 done. All of this to say you won't be disappointed!! We'll probably not get over again until March 30 or 31. But between then and the end of the show we will be over 4 or 5 times. We find it fun to see the progression of the flowers at the beginning of the show (still tight and budding) to the end of the show in May (flowers in full blossom or almost past peak). ENJOY!!”

Additionally, Marilyn also let me know that she had posted a few pictures over at her own site, by all means, stop on by and check out the prep work being done in Epcot right now.

Dr. J Robinson

Throughout Frontierland there are a variety of crates and cases addressed to a variety of folk. Mostly, however, the addresses are confined along the banks of Mark Twain’s mighty Mississippi, including this one found in the Frontierland Station of the Walt Disney World Railroad.

If the name, Dr. J. Robinson, isn’t familiar to you, the town of St. Petersburg, Missouri should be. This is the quaint little town where The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is set. One could call the town sleepy, if it weren’t for the commotion raised by Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn, and their associates. One such incident occurred in the cemetery when Tom Sawyer accompanied Huckleberry Finn to remove warts by, according to Finn, “you take your cat and go and get in the graveyard 'long about midnight when somebody that was wicked has been buried; and when it's midnight a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can't see 'em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe hear 'em talk; and when they're taking that feller away, you heave your cat after 'em and say, 'Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I'm done with ye!'”

While in the graveyard, the two boys watch Dr. Robinson, along with Injun Joe and Muff Potter, exhuming the body of Hoss Williams, presumably for Robinson’s medical experiments. While there, the three men get into a scuffle and Injun Joe murders the doctor as a revenge for being turned away hungry and locked up as a vagrant five years earlier due to Dr. Robinson and his family. Injun Joe then pins the murder on Muff Potter, who was unconscious at the time of the murder. Thankfully, the better angels of Tom’s nature prevail, and Tom speaks up during Muff’s trial about what he witnessed in the cemetery that evening.

By the looks of it, it doesn’t appear that Dr. J. Robinson is going to be claiming his luggage anytime soon. However, other stories of Tom, Huck, Becky Thatcher, and Injun Joe, among others, can be found all along Frontierland. Adventurers, particularly for those brave enough to venture across the Rivers of America on raft, are sure to find plenty of these tales.

Ready, Set, Here's the Show!

Dick Nunis is among the top tier of names that any and all enthusiasts of Disney should. Beginning with a summer job in 1955, Nunis did not leave the Company until 1999. As Director of Park Operations, he was key to the development, implementation, and success of “Project X,” otherwise known as Walt Disney World. In 1980, Nunis was named President of the Outdoor Recreation Division which, among other projects, would oversee EPCOT Center.

In the 1 October 1982 issue of Eyes & Ears, the publication created for Walt Disney World Cast Members, shared a few words about what had been built in Florida, including and beyond the parks, and what being a member of the cast truly meant.

Our creative people at WED have had an unbelievable task in bringing into reality Epcot Center. The people of our country and the world are going to be overwhelmed with the beauty and splendor of the project. Our WED people should take great pride in what they have created. WALT DISNEY WORLD is known throughout the world as the number one vacation destination in the world. With the addition of Epcot Center, WALT DISNEY WORLD will grow into and become famous for the finest entertainment for families and people of all ages everywhere.

As Walt once said, “You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world… but it requires people to make the dream a reality.” As a member of the WALT DISNEY WORLD cast, you can be proud of the part you have played in helping establish the reputation WALT DISNEY WORLD has today.

In the relatively short span of three years since we broke ground with Epcot Center, each and every one of you have displayed hard work, determination and loyalty to the Disney name, and together have brought forth a project with as many varied faces as the world itself. I am certain that Walt himself would be proud of what his organization has accomplished.

In preparation for today, you have been asked to perform beyond your regular realm of activities, and you’ve done so with both professionalism and such vitality of spirit that I am constantly in awe of your unending faith in Walt’s dream of WALT DISNEY WORLD. I thank you for the long hours, the teamwork, the belief that “We Can Do It” … and to be sure … WE HAVE DONE IT.

It’s only once in a lifetime that a person has the opportunity to be involved in a project of this magnitude, and I’m sure each of you is as proud of your individual role as well as the final product. Regardless of where you worked or what you did, each of you has contributed greatly to making WALT DISNEY WORLD and Epcot Center a reality.

I’d also like to thank another special Disney group for their efforts throughout this phase in our company’s history. Without the support and understanding of your families, WALT DISNEY WORLD would not be where it is today.

Beyond Epcot Center, I feel strongly that we have laid a firm foundation for the continued growth of our company and Central Florida.

You can be proud of your role as a WALT DISNEY WORLD cast member in being part of bringing forth Epcot Center. I hope you are as proud as I am of the message that our creative people have designed into Epcot Center’s many shows and attractions: that there is hope for tomorrow and that man can overcome the problems facing our world today.

The opening of Epcot Center is the dawn of a new era, but it is still just the beginning; the future is up to all of us.

Sincerely,
Dick Nunis

The Main Street Gazette Second-Annual Research Trip

The Main Street Gazette is preparing for its second authentic research trip, just the Editor-In-Chief and Walt Disney World. I will be nosing around property from April 26, 2009 through my last meal, breakfast, on May 3, 2009. I enjoy spring trips more than any other for the ability to partake in the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. As a bonus this year, I will also be able to celebrate Disney-MGM Studios/Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ 20th anniversary.

I have made some remarkable friends in a short time through my relation with the Main Street Gazette, and I look forward to spending some time with them while I am down there (I will also miss the friends who won’t be making the trip this time). However, I know there are still plenty of you out there who I have not yet met, who are just as remarkable as the people I already know. So, if it happens that you are going to be at Walt Disney World the same time I am, be sure to say 'hello' if you see me in the parks, drop me a line, message me on Facebook, or leave a comment here letting me know you’d like to grab a bite to eat, take in some flowers, catch some fireworks, or relax along the Rivers of America. For those of you who won’t be able to join us, well, you know I’ll be sending you some warm wishes and postcards from the road.

The Movie Colony's Most Prestigious Address

The painted backdrop seems perfect for simple living in the heart of Hollywood, doesn’t it? Problem is, when it comes to the billboards, window dressings, and advertisements of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, identifying fact or fiction can be complicated. Sure, we all know Hess is a real gas company and that Maroon Cartoons doesn’t really exist, but what about J.J. Tapps’ Dance Studio? As for Sunset Hills, it really is a home to the stars.

Situated in West Hollywood, with Laurel Canyon, Sunset Plaza Drive, and Sunset Boulevard serving as its borders, the billboard offers one misleading bit of advertising when it comes to Sunset Hills… the price. Lots may have, at one time, been available for nine thousand dollars, but today, the average house in the area is worth well over three million dollars. In fact, even though housing values have fallen all over the country, including Los Angeles, prices here have seen inclines for the past couple of years. Although, living in such a small community would include neighbors such as Jeff Goldblum, Sandra Bullock, and Cameron Diaz and homes that were built by the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Perhaps one of the most notable, and longstanding, citizen of Sunset Hills is the Chateau Marmont Hotel. Built in the 1920s by Fred Horowitz, the hotel is modeled after the Château d'Amboise in France's Loire Valley. With as storied a history, and as elite a guest list, as Hollywood itself, the Chateau Marmont has hosted Greta Garbo, Led Zepplin, Natalie Wood, Humphrey Bogart, and Harry Cohn, founder of Columbia Pictures, to name a few. Chateua Marmont has also had it share of tragedies, as F. Scott Fitzgerald suffered a heart attack while staying here and one of the garden bungalows was the site of John Belushi’s untimely death.

Sunset Hills is a home to celebrities and a playground for the stars. A view here is to gaze down upon the real world of make believe. While lots may not be available for the going rates of the 1920s any longer, this billboard on Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Sunset Blvd. serves as a reminder of that bygone day. Another thread in the tapestry of creating the Hollywood that never was, and always has been.

I just can't wait

Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the first theme park built in an era when everyone had access to the internet. It was brought under scrutiny by not only organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) but also fans and Disney enthusiasts who would hold this park up to enormously high standards. It would be only fitting, then, to give these prying eyes a chance to see the real work, experiences, and creations that awaited inside of the park. In the finest tradition of wanting to know what still needed work, what was a hit, and where the problems were going to form, Disney began offering honored guests a chance to be one of the first to experience Disney’s Animal Kingdom.Beginning on March 23, and running through April 21, 1998 Disney Resort guests who had annual passes or multi-day tickets could, for the optimally low fare of 18 dollars, take a stroll through Florida’s fourth-gate. Advertising and coupons, such as the one presented here today, splashed bright colors and cheerful “guests” enjoying the various attractions and animals and attracted a number of the curious speculators who had been guessing and obtaining any information available since the park had been announced in 1995.

Perhaps one the more publicized gaffes of Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s entire preview period was the repeated use of the image of a frog with the tagline, “I’m so excited, I could just croak.” What seemed inoffensive at first, the statement appeared to have inadvertently foreshadowed coming events as over a dozen animal fatalities (including two West African crowned cranes that were killed by safari vehicles and four cheetah cubs that passed away due to a chemical substance) occurred in the final few weeks prior to park’s official opening. The United States Department of Agriculture looked into a majority of the cases of animal fatality and concluded that the park was not in violation of the Animal Welfare Act.Perhaps the incidents were put most succinctly by Diane Ledder, a Disney-spokesperson, “Each one is a lesson learned. Animals are unpredictable, and they do things you can't plan for.”

While looked upon by some guests as a child-friendly park, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened as not only a fourth theme park in Walt Disney World, but also a new voice for the conservation and preservation messages of the Walt Disney Company. As the park has continued, and does continue, to grow new adventures and messages have been added to entice guests. But, in the end, it is the beating heart of Disney’s Animal Kingdom that has always drawn the curious to take a closer look.

Above and Beyond

Here at the Main Street Gazette, I feel like you the readers are as much a part of my day, as I am to yours. From the comments you post on the articles offering your own unique insights, to the emails that you send me that allow us to have a more personal interaction, you have all become a special part of my day. These interactions are probably not dissimilar to the exchanges we share with Cast Members at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, or on the Disney Cruise Lines while on visiting the Earth’s most magical places.

Disney itself has a reputation for instilling, and rightfully so, a sense of ownership in their Cast Members. A sense that I have read or heard about time and time again, that tells Cast Members that they are the ones who create the magical moments for guests. These moments of excellence have been captured in books like The Magic Begins with Me. On a lesser scale, but a no less meaningful one, Cast Members have always been recognized for their dedication to the moment in their internal publication, Eyes and Ears.

I think it is the Main Street Gazette’s duty, as a window onto Walt Disney World and as a crossroad between guests’ and their stories, that we also take time away from the tiles in a bathroom, the lyrics in a song, and lanterns in the trees, and really appreciate the people that make these trips something worth remembering. Starting today, I would like to begin a series publishing your stories that showcase the magical moments Cast Members have created for you. In one incarnation of the Eyes and Ears, this section was entitled, Above and Beyond, and I think that sounds about right, don’t you?

Should you have a story now or gather one on a future visit that you would like to share with the rest of the Main Street Gazette’s readers, you are always welcome to email me your tale at mainstreetgazette@gmail.com. I look forward to see what magic has been created for you!

The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney

In J. Jeff Kober’s The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney he states in his preface, “To all who read this, may you find not only ideas, but also hope and inspiration in adapting the lessons and experiences of Disney to create magic in your own organization.” That may seem like a tall order, but Kober is up to the task. If his name sounds familiar, it is probably because you have been reading his articles on MousePlanet for the past several years.

Throughout his fist book, Kober leaves no stone unturned, from animation to park warning signs, while examine what has made the success of Disney something to admire and aspire to. Yet, in doing so, he isn’t simply touting the wonders of Disney, he is also discussing real-world scenarios where similar problem solving skills could be used. Similarly, while The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney covers overarching topics like philosophies and standards, it also breaks down everything from leadership, responses to customers, and the feelings of guests/clients/customers to the waiting game, guest compliance, and creating memorable (in a good way) experiences.

Perhaps one of the most useful tools Kober presents us with is the bulleted questions we can ask ourselves. As anyone who has ever worked in a customer service field can attest, there are always ways to improve our customers’ experiences. Throughout the book, Kober repeatedly offers us questions that can be internalized through our own Magic Mirrors and used to relaunch our attitudes and policies. One such question that I feel anyone could ask themselves daily is, “Are there Magical Moments or Take 5s I currently provide?”

For anyone who is thinking about starting their own business, has their own business, or is looking for a way to jumpstart their, and their employees, sluggish outlook on business, I highly recommend J. Jeff Kober’s The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney. For the rest of you, I also recommend this book, you’ll learn something about the way in which Disney looks at and interacts with their guests. And who knows, you might just find something to spark more positive interactions in your own life.

For more information on J. Jeff Kober, his book, and his work, please visit: JJeffKober.com and the blog Performance Journeys

The windy day

Over the past few weeks, I have increasingly found myself drawn to the Hundred-Acre Wood. I have been reading A.A. Milne’s original stories, as well as listening to them on audiobook performed by Peter Dennis. For those of you who have ever read or studied the original works, you’ll know that this is not the red-shirted, stuffed with fluff, version of Pooh Bear and his friends. A.A. Milne’s stories did one thing that I thoroughly enjoyed; they did not talk down to their audience. This is something that, up and until recently, various types of media being released from Disney did remarkably well.

It is at this point that I should mention I am part of the book club, Disney’s Wonderful World of Reading. Recently, I received in the mail a copy of one of the many Winnie the Pooh stories. On the cover was Pooh Bear and Piglet being rushed away by an overzealous gust of wind. At one time, the only Winnie the Pooh I knew of was on a short VHS entitled Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day. So, as a way to harkening back to my younger years, as if I don’t do enough of that, I read through the book once before placing it on the shelf with the multitude of other books.Earlier this week, after finishing A.A. Milne’s accounts of Pooh, I went in search of the Wonderful World of Reading book, in order to scan a copy of the Hundred Acre Wood map present on the inside of every cover of every Winnie the Pooh book I’ve ever seen. It was only after I picked up the book for the second time that I realized that the title had been changed. The book in my hand was not the same story I had grown up with, it had been retitled: Winnie the Pooh and the Windy Day.

This may seem innocuous and not something to raise a fuss over, but I was actually incensed. Of all of the issues that face children today, of all the challenges that teachers must face, I have always found the issue of literacy to be the most complex, far-reaching, and easily-fixed problem that we face. Reading to and with children are experiences that every child should have daily. It promotes social interactions, leads to basic writing skills, creates sound recognition, and increases vocabulary. What I found in this 2000 edition of the classic Winnie the Pooh story was, in my approximation, an attempt to dumb down a perfectly fine story. It is okay if children do not recognize a word immediately. They can sound the word out, ask a parent/teacher/adult for help and a definition of a word, and they can use context clues from the words surrounding the word to find meaning.

A lot of fantastic things have come from, and will continue to be found in, Disney’s Wonderful World of Reading. As for the stories of Winnie the Pooh, perhaps when those stories are pined after by my preschool students and, later, my own children, I will stick to the originals by A.A. Milne that promote literacy not the easy way out.

Continues to blossom year after year

One of my favorite pastimes while in Walt Disney World is to photograph the various plants, flowers, and trees used to invoke the spirit of a time or place. The way the slash pines and yuccas give firm roots to Frontierland, how the pagoda flowers and Bodhi Trees offer the distinct flavors of Asia in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, or even the way that pygmy date, queen, and Mexican fan palms summon classic Hollywood the manner in which these plants are selected and arranged requires not only an green thumb, but an artist’s eye to match.

The same holds true for the topiaries that line the walkways of Epcot during the International Flower and Garden Festival, circle the moat of the Magic Kingdom’s Hub, and can be spotted in other select locations around property. Perhaps though, the single greatest instance of the combination of plant and art comes in the form of the large planter situated between the entrance to Epcot and Spaceship Earth. As often as is appropriate, this container goes through changes throughout the course of a year. Sometimes, the planter will include a colossal topiary whose shadow stretches beyond the front gate. While still on other occasions, the planter will recreate an oversized flower pot, featuring but a few species of delicate blooming flowers.

Over the course of the past year, I have had the privilege of viewing this container a number of times, probably more than my fair share should allow. The emotional stirring some receive when they see Spaceship Earth from the road as they are driving in to the park or as they round the corner of Main Street U.S.A. and see Cinderella Castle again for the first time is similar to the building anticipation I get from wondering what the planter has in store for me on each sequential visit (Though, to be fair, I get just as exciting at various other moments during a trip, including those listed above). Because of my various excursions this year I have even had the opportunity to see some of the preparation work for the display pieces. I suppose it is time to stop discussing the beauty of this planter, and take a look at some of its costuming from the past year.

In April, at the height of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Minnie, Mickey, and Goofy are taking 2008’s theme of Fun in the Sun very seriously. It is worth noting that the Goofy centerpiece is riding a six foot tall wave making this one piece over fourteen feet tall.

In September, a table has been prepared for the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival. This Alice inspired table display is fitting since the premise of 2008’s festival was Cities in Wonderland. In addition, since I arrived in Walt Disney World a few days before the kick-off of the event, I was able to capture this picture of the groundwork being set.











December of 2008 allowed for an exhibit that included holiday décor, Christmas trees, and Donald, Goofy, and Pluto decked out in winter-wear.

Lastly, in early January 2009, Marathon Weekend to be precise, the ornate centerpieces of the planter gives way to the simple class of a few well-selected floras and the sleek elegance of Spaceship Earth.

Where’s your Christmas spirit

While cleaning and reorganizing the Main Street Gazette’s office I came across this great picture taken in, what I believe was, December 1997. From the finale of The Country Bear Christmas Special, a paw tapping version of the Country Bear Jamboree that ran in the place of The Country Bear Jamboree. The Special ran from 1984 until 2005 during the winter season. Rumors of the shows imminent return seem to gather every autumn, Henry and the gang have not donned their gay apparel for the past three years.

Preservation of peace

Plaques are commonly placed on buildings tell the story of the building, list an accolade the architect has been honored with, lists the occupants or warnings for the building, or is the dedication for the building. Even in the future, this is not an uncommon practice.

A small plaque next to the door of Stitch’s Great Escape, or the Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center, in Tomorrowland is, in fact, the dedication of the building. Unfortunately for most guests it is written in the language of the Galactic Federation. After consulting with the Main Street Gazette’s resident translator, we have deciphered this mysterious sign so that all inhabitants of Earth, or at least those that read English, to read.

DEDICATION

THIS GALACTIC FEDERATION
PRISOONER TELEPORT CENTER IS
HEREBY DEDICATED TO THE
PRESERVATION OF PEACE AND
HARMONY THROUGHOUT THE
GALAXY BY PROTECTING THE
NICE FROM THE NAUGHTY

THE GRAND COUNCILWOMAN
2004 NOVEMBER 16

The date is easy enough to understand, it is the date upon which Stitch’s Great Escape opened in the Magic Kingdom. However, as to the rest of it, well, it looks like the Grand Councilwoman had a conversation with Santa Claus.

Pokin' up in the sky

My friend Tony Caggiano mentioned recently that he could remember him and his brother anxiously awaiting the opening of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. If you’ve spent any amount of time around the Main Street Gazette, you know that this has long been my favorite attraction in Walt Disney World.

After Tony got me thinking, I went a retrieved this piece from my collection. Big Thunder Mountain opened in 1980 and, as a part of Walt Disney World’s 9th Birthday, pins immortalizing the attraction in plastic were handed out.

Some General Remarks On Bars With An Account Of A Meeting With A Grizzly

When Crockett’s Tavern was a complete dining experience and had a full menu, the restaurant took every chance it could to present more about the stories of Davy Crockett. Crockett’s Tavern Menu served a double purpose, as the menu and as the headlining Crockett Almanac. While the menu was filled with palate tempting items such as Santa Ana’s Chips and Dips Mexicana, Gullywhumper, Busted Luck’s Buffalo Burger, “Namaycush” Sauteed Lake Trout, and Berry Patch Shortcake, the front covered was devoted to some words of wisdom straight from Davy Crockett, which came complete with Crockett’s vernacular and idioms. Today’s Back Issues takes a look at Davy Crockett’s Some General Remarks On Bars With An Account Of A Meeting With A Grizzly.

"The best advice I kin give ya bout bars is ta leave em alone. They’re mostly solitary creatures, timid an unsociable, an they won’t fight ya unless ya start it.

"Now ya take black bars. Black bars are the ms consarndest robbers they ever was. They’ll steal anything that ain’t nailed down, an lots of things that are. An don’t think ya kin fool em by hidin gear up in a tree. Those beasts jest wrap their strong arms round a tree an up they go, paw over paw. They come back down the same way, likely with yer supper tucked inta their innards.

"Black bars are pesky enough, what with their foragin fer yer food an messin round campsites, but they ain’t a patch on a grizzly for real deep drawed excitement. Just ta start with, grizzlies are much bigger an heaps stronger. They got much longer claws, an they’re mean as a polecat with the ten-year mange.

"Once’t I was vagabondizin round the prairie huntin buffalo. I crept up on one grazin in the rushes at the edge of a river. The out jumps a great grizzly, big as Congress Hall, an belts that buffalo one terrifacious blow. May I be kicked ta death by a grasshopper if he didn’t scare that buffalo haft a death and sent him skidaddlin.

"I didn’t somehow think that bar done the right thing, for that was the only buffalo I’d see all day, so I jest up and confronted that mister.

"Well, that old bar jest walked up ta within about fifteen feet of me as big as ya please an jest sat down an commenced givin me the dirtiest look ya ever did see.

"Well, I jest started starin right back at him with the biggest grin I could muster on this face. It jest plum confused the daylights out of that grizzly, but after a few minutes he comes ta his senses an starts after me like a locomotive gone mad. I gave em a sogdologer over his haid with the barrel of Ole Betsy but he kept comin til he pitched both me an hisself inta the river. Lucky fer me, I didn’t lose hold of Ole Betsy, an when he came up fer air, I clabbed the barrel right across his snoot ta shove his face under water. I’ll be shot with a packsaddle if that ridiculous fool didn’t clap both paws on the ends of that barrel an pull away. I had nothing ta do but hold on ta the stock an float alongside of him till he jest plum wore out an let go. Last I seen of him, he was scampering up the bank bout a quarter a mile down stream. Still, all in all he was a mighty lucky bar.

"I’m not tellin the least of a lie, fer every time I come upon a grizzly, I’ll stome him dead in his tracks with one of my bar grins. Ya know, there are only two good things I kin think of bout a grizzly. There ain’t so many of them, an they’re too big ta climb a tree."