Green squadron

No, we’re not talking about the Little Green Men from the toy Story franchise, okay, well sort of. However, we’re quite literally going to be digging a little bit deeper than that today. This merchandise kiosk is situated in Tomorrowland, right near the ramp for the Peoplemover, and while it may look like a spaceship with Little Green Men pouring out of it, in reality it has a much better story.

The merchandise cart’s story starts in 1995’s animated feature, Toy Story. In the Pizza Planet scene, Buzz and Woody first encounter the pint sized extraterrestrials when Buzz jumps into their game, believing it to be a rocket, and Woody follows. The Pizza Planet game, Space Crane, is based off of the prototypical prize machine with a grappling hook. As the Little Green Men, voiced by Jeff Pidgeon, explain, they are at the mercy of their master, The Claw. The Claw decides who stays and who goes, when in all actuality it is the children, and perhaps parents wanting to show off, who activate The Claw and attempt to grab the alien toys.

Back in Tomorrowland, this version of The Claw can be a little tricky to see, with the best vantage point coming from zipping along overhead aboard the Peoplemover. While guests can’t play for a chance to take home a toy alien, or a Buzz Lightyear or Woody, it is a nice touch to remind perceptive guests of just how we first met the Little Green Men and The Claw.

City in the clouds

A few weeks ago, we felt a disturbance in the Force. The hosting duties for Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios seemed a bit heavy on the clones, and that disturbance grew as the list of guests was released. This week, however, all is right with the universe, the Star Wars universe that is. From May 18 through June 16, guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be able to have themselves frozen in carbonite.

Here’s a little historical and film perspective. In The Empire Strikes Back, Episode 5 but the second released Star Wars film, Han Solo, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, and C-3PO are captured by Darth Vader on Bespin’s Cloud City. In order to entrap Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader has set a trap for him that will involve freezing him in carbonite for transport to the Emperor. Unsure that a human could survive the process, Han Solo is used as a test subject, leading to the ultimate ad lib exchange of Leia calling out, “I love you,” and Han responding with, “I know.” The freezing process succeeds, Han is locked forever in a grimace of extreme pain, and is sent away with the bounty hunter, Boba Fett, only to be released in the next film, Return of the Jedi.

The idea of a living human individual being frozen alive struck a chord with moviegoers everywhere. In fact, aside from the mail-in Boba Fett, Han in carbonite is one of the most enticing action figures to the average collector. All of which brings us back to the experience being offered at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a part of Star Wars Weekends.

Using the latest in facial scanning technology, a three dimensional image is captured of a guest. That image is then used to mold a figure, slightly larger than the average action figure, which is sent to the guest in about 4 weeks.

Every child who grew up enamored with the world of Star Wars, including the movies, the television movies and cartoons, action figures, comic books, novels, etc., has dreamed of wielding a lightsaber or being frozen in carbonite. Lightsabers have been around for decades and continue to evolve into more sophisticated weapons, err.., I mean toys. The concept of being frozen in carbonite, however, has long eluded the Star Wars horde, until now. I can honestly say, from deep down in the geekiest corners of my heart, that this is one of the coolest concepts I have ever seen.

My only complaint is that the Carbon-Freeze Me experience is only available for a limited time during Star Wars Weekends. For those of us saddled with the inability to get to Walt Disney World between now and then, we can only live vicariously through our friends and hope to use a Jedi mind trick in order to nudge the powers that be into keeping this concept going. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that those who frequent parks across the globe are also hoping, and rightfully so, that Carbon-Freeze Me comes to their corners of the world.

Carbon-Freeze Me hits all of the right notes for a Star Wars fan, and I am overjoyed that the iconic scene has finally found some life in this world. It has been a long time coming, and Star Wars Weekends is the perfect venue to launch it. I only hope its lifespan is more than a month. Help me Iger-Wan Kenobi, you’re my only hope!

Information on cost and how to register for the Carbon-Freeze Me experience can be found at the Disney Parks Blog.

Patisserie menu

Most people stumble towards the Boulangerie Patisserie after a viewing of Impressions de France or wind through the streets of France because they know there is something sweet to be had there. There are a few guests with keen palates who know you can also stop by the Patisserie for something savory, such as the cheese plate with a petite baguette. What about those times when you want something a bit more substantial? Believe it or not, they’ve got you covered there too!

The Rustic Ham Tartine sounds very fancy, doesn’t it? In all actuality, it is little more than a French bread pizza or open faced sandwich. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t tasty. While in the cooler case, it may not look like much, but after they have run it through the oven for a few minutes, there is bubbling cheese, crispy bits of meat, and a crispy piece of bread. To be fair, only the exterior of the bread is crispy enough for a hearty crunch, but the soft bread underneath is also a welcome textual shift. The ham and cheese are both good quality, and the sauce in endowed with an earthy blend of spices.

This isn’t a meal, but the Rustic Ham Tartine is perfect for a between meals bite or as a dish to sample with a friend. While I may almost always venture into the Boulangerie Patisserie looking for something sweet, it is good to know that there are some savory dishes also on hand in case I have a hankering for something a bit more substantial!

Mickey Mouse, alias Davy Crockett

As a child of Fort Wilderness, some of my earliest memories of Mickey Mouse are of the main mouse capped in a cookskin, looking for all the world like a pintsized version of Davy Crockett himself, Fess Parker. Decked out in complete western wear and carrying a musket, Mickey Crockett was front and center of the campground’s longtime sign. The sign was constructed out of what appeared to be a slice of a massive tree carved with Fort Wilderness’ name and the image of Mickey Mouse. In fact, the Frontierland costumed Mickey Mouse even had his picture taken with the sign was upon a time.

The musket and coonskin cap clad Mickey Mouse could be found everywhere at campground. Mickey Crockett adorned patches, magnets and matchbooks, and was visible all the way down to the brown paper bags used to sell package groceries and souvenirs in the trading posts. As the years went by, the rifle was replaced with a guitar, banjo, or walking stick for a more politically correct mouse. The cap and fringed western gear stuck around until the most recent redesign of resort souvenirs. Now Mickey Mouse can be seen with a backpack ready for a walk in the woods, the walking stick is optional, as is the inclusion of the floppy fisherman’s hat. Fort Wilderness, however, was not the first time Mickey Mouse donned the famous frontiersman’s cap.

There were many instances of animated shorts in which Mickey could be seen wearing the coonskin cap, such as in 1951’s R’coon Dawg. While the entire outfit may not have always been present, it was clear that Mickey was ahead of the nation on the Davy Crockett craze that consumed boys young and old beginning in 1955.

Mickey Crockett was available for photographs or autographs on very rare occasions, not just at Fort Wilderness but also within the Magic Kingdom. As mentioned before, with the Fort Wilderness sign, this version of the big cheese did like to have his taken by the Walt Disney World photography corp. One such instance came in 1977 and placed the coonskin cap wearing Mickey Mouse in the front of the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. The great part of the photo is that not only do you see Mickey Crockett and the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, but also the Robert F. Irvine riverboat and a look at a much less congested Frontierland in the background.

Mickey Crockett, and yes that is the name I gave to him as a child, was a huge part of my childhood at Walt Disney World and Fort Wilderness. His smiling face on the sign was, in general, the first face I saw every trip to Walt Disney World and it let me know I was about to set off on a great adventure. Plus, he’s just a cool looking incarnation of Mickey Mouse!

Sharing our harvest

There is an incredibly positive initiative that Walt Disney World has been undertaking, quietly for the most part, for the more than twenty years. Its goal doesn’t include public exposure of itself, though raising awareness about its message is a must, and it goes about its business day-in and day-out in as subtle a way as it can muster. Today, I want to shine the spotlight on Disney Harvest.

This truck, designed in 2006, shuttles food from all around Walt Disney World. However, it isn’t filling the pantries of Boma or stocking up Casey’s Corner with hot dogs. No, instead this truck picks up the prepared foods that have gone unserved and delivers them to a local agencies that provide meals for those in need.

The program, a partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, began in 1991. The program has regularly delivered enough food to supply 1,000 children a week with something to eat. With the need to create healthier diets, Disney Harvest has pledged to provide 20,000 pounds of fruits and vegetables in 2012. Pair that with the 360,000 pounds supplied by Disney Harvest in 2010, and you have the beginnings of something special. While that may sound like a lot, it is merely a drop in the bucket compared to the actual need of children and families in Central Florida.

Walt Disney World has delved into many social issues concerning the health and well-being of youths living in Florida. From after school activities to dietary habits and beyond into mentoring and community involvement, Walt Disney World has realized that the children are our hope for a better tomorrow, which means that they need support for brighter todays. It is tough to focus on the study mathematics, languages, or sciences when your stomach is cramping from hunger pains. Thankfully, there are organizations like Second Harvest Food Bank and Disney Harvest that recognize a strong, well-feed body creates a powerful tool in the mind of a young student.

I do not foresee a day when Disney Harvest is not needed, and I am thrilled that Walt Disney World has chosen to make use their surplus meals as a positive tool rather than tossing them in a waste bin, but I don’t see that day coming in the near future. However, if initiatives like Disney Harvest continue to build and thrive, I can foresee a day when no child ventures off to school hungry or goes to sleep with the sound of their stomach growling. Disney Harvest may not be a common name in your household, and you may have never even seen this truck ambling around Walt Disney World, but that doesn’t mean that their good deed and stewardship should go unnoticed.

Disney This Week - 6 May 2012

Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar, the new wine bar in World Showcase’s Italy, opened this week. Both AJ Wolfe at The Disney Food Blog and Sarah Holodick at Eating WDW covered the new establishment, and between the two of them they covered just about everything you would want to know. Check out AJ’s article and Sarah’s editorial.

George Taylor shares a great find at MiceChat, an old school Disneyland playset.

The Lake Buena Vista STOLport is covered by Jeremy Morrison and Spins The World.

Melissa Loflin takes a look at the Haiti garden from the 2012 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival on Makin’ Memories.

Park music, the sounds you hear as you travel through the park, not the on-ride lyrical creations, bring their worlds to life. To appreciate what life in Walt Disney World sounded like in 1977, head on over to Passport to Dreams Old & New and check out A Musical Souvenir of Walt Disney World, crafted by FoxxFur.

Richard Terpstra finally reached my corner of Walt Disney World with his shirt designs, Bay Lake, and I couldn’t be happier with the result! Now, if only I could convince him to create a Fort Wilderness shirt and sell them as a set… Also, Richard posted on DesignerLand that he has another retro design being sold in Walt Disney World.

This Happy Place scribe, Estelle Hallick, shows us five waysthe Disney’s Hollywood Studios has improved her life.

Melissa Sue investigates the Getaway Stagecoach Line for Mouse on the Mind.

Disney On Wheels makes me very hungry when Melissa visits a Magic Kingdom staple, Liberty Tree Tavern.

 

Keith Mahne takes on the history of ExtraTERRORestrial AlienEncounter at Disney Avenue.

The construction of Mexico’s pyramid is tackled by Nate Rasmussen at the Disney Parks Blog.

Silent Saturday - Electrical Water Pageant Docking (April 2010)

That's my boat

The boneyard, part of the Backlot Tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, isn’t the only place to find famous vehicles from beloved movies. Strolling down to Downtown Disney, on the border between West Side and Pleasure Island, a boat is docked in the cove next to Planet Hollywood.

The raggedy looking vessel has the name Jenny hand-painted on the side, and that should be all you need to remember why you know this boat. Jenny is the shrimping boat Forrest Gump purchases in order to launch the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company in the 1994 fictional bio-pic, Forrest Gump. Named for Gump’s longtime friend and love of his life, Jenny Curran, the shrimping boat is the only ship to weather Hurricane Carmen leading to the overnight success of Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. This, in turn, leads to a fleet of vessels named Jenny.

Without even having to turn on the film, I can still see Forrest jumping off of the boat to see Lt. Dan, quipping later as the Jenny crashes into a nearby dock, “That’s my boat.” It is a wonderful piece of movie history, that is just around the corner in Downtown Disney, should you take the time to look for it.

Responsiveness

At the end of last week, concept artwork for the reimagined Test Track was released. When the attraction once again takes to the open road later this fall, the basic premise will be centered upon guest created concept cars. From the queue to the post show exhibits, everything is tailored around the creations of the guests. You can see the artwork and read the latest is this Disney Parks Blog article. Here are a few things that caught my eye or piqued my interest while reading the news.

Most people have made an instant connection between this artwork and the world of TRON – Legacy, going so far as to nickname the new form of the attraction Test Tron or Tron Track. I’m can’t argue against this notion, as I thought the exact same thing when I saw some of the track shots. So, why the digital world? My theory is that guest are creating concept cars and Chevrolet, GM is no longer the headlining sponsor, isn’t just going to build any concept vehicle. First it has to be run through its paces in their various computer programs. Queue the guest opportunity to jump into your design and ride through the virtual world of the program.

As for how your vehicle will look, I don’t expect to see many changes to the current ride vehicles, and the concept art confirms my hunches. What I do anticipate is a scene where you can see yourself in the car you designed. Picture a hybrid between the sleek car reflections present at the end of the original World of Motion and the computer enhanced Hitchhiking Ghosts from the most recent updates to The Haunted Mansion. You will see yourself in the car, and be able to take a picture of it in the postshow area, but you are actually racing around in a test car with your data built into it.

The other thing that caught my eye were the set of icons attached to and throughout the attraction. Critical components to be tested and thought about during the design phase are obviously Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness, and Power. The icons, from a leaf to an RPM gauge, give you an idea of what is at the core of the concept. The real treat for me, however, is that Test Track has been given its own emblem once again.

Epcot appears to be returning to its roots with the inclusion of icons for the individual pavilions. This trend began a few years ago when Siemens took over the sponsorship of Spaceship Earth and gave it an updated symbol. While there isn’t a uniform shape to the icons like the set that were created for early EPCOT Center, the fact that the pavilions seem to be getting some symbolic love is a-okay with me!

Overall, I am cautiously optimistic that the new Test Track will refresh a popular attraction that did not need a complete overhaul. My one hope? If there are monitors inside the ride vehicles in this incarnation of Test Track that they operate more dependably than the current cars.

Breakfast circuit

You’ve hurried into Epcot’s Future World to grab your Fastpass for Soarin’ or rush through the queue to get your first ride of the day done. You have some time before you can use your Fastpass, but don’t feel like venturing off to the other pavilions of Future World just yet. Sunshine Seasons beckons to you, but you’re not in the mood for a huge platter of food. The answer, the Children’s French Toast.

For a modest price you’ll receive two pieces of French toast, bacon or sausage, and potatoes. Throw a bottle of chocolate milk onto your tray and you are really ready to send yourself back to your childhood.

The red-skinned potatoes have been prepared with salt, pepper, onions and peppers. They are tender, savory and a classic breakfast staple! Selecting either the bacon or sausage is fine, both have their place on the typical Walt Disney World breakfast plate, but neither is spectacular. The French toast is not a thick cut, but it is sweet and has a great crisp to the outside of the bread. That crunchiness is perfect for holding the toast’s form up against syrup, while the soft inside sops up the sweet, sticky liquid.

The child’s portion of French toast is not going to win any awards, but it will do the job for a quick breakfast that is not going to overstuff you and make you sluggish for the rest of the morning. For the adults out there, don’t let the fact that you’re ordering off of the children’s menu dissuade you. For starters, no Cast Member is going to chide you or give you strange looks. Second, and more importantly, you are at Walt Disney World, it is perfectly okay, if not required, to let your inner child run free!

Appearing today

Notice Mickey Mouse’s eyes, how they’re different than Minnie Mouse’s. Walk around characters had been using the non-screened eyes for several years, but the Mickey chosen for this photograph uses an older form of the costume.

Notice Minnie Mouse’s legs and shoes? Today, Minnie’s skirt would be longer, revealing less of that slender leg, and her shoes would be oversized in order to complete the cartoonish ensemble.

Notice the wardrobe of the guests; the 1970’s camera equipment; the simplicity of the planter? All of that is great and really sets this photograph in 1978 when and where it was taken.

But you know what? Some days the history and details don’t matter, some days you just want to see old friends and give them a hug. Whether it is Mickey and Minnie in 1980’s rainbow spacewear, the classic polka dot dress and tux, or even the safari gear of Camp Minnie-Mickey, there is nothing better than sharing a moment with the Mouses.