Only the tasty

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!

One year older

On June 14, 1959 Disneyland celebrated its fourth anniversary with a huge extravaganza that brought a plethora of new entertainment to the park and Tomorrowland into the 20th century. Timeless attractions, including the Monorail, Submarine Voyage and Matterhorn Bobsleds made their debuts at the park during a televised special hosted by Walt Disney himself. Fourth anniversaries mean a lot to the Kingdoms of Disney, and they have special place in the histories of Tomorrowland. With that in mind, let’s fast forward to the Magic Kingdom and 1975.

While they did not open on, or as part of, Walt Disney’s World fourth anniversary, quite a few attractions were added during the fourth year of the Magic Kingdom’s operation. The WEDWay PeopleMover, Space Mountain, and the Star Jets all began their tours of tomorrow in the year between October 1, 1974 and October 1, 1975. It is hard to imagine a Tomorrowland skyline that did not include Space Mountain or the elevated trains of the PeopleMover, but it took four years, a tenth of the time the park has been open, to bring us world of tomorrow we all know and love.

Additionally, that year also included the announcements of EPCOT, WorldShowcase and Mineral King, the premiere of America on Parade, and the opening of The Village. There was so much to discuss and Eyes & Ears did a great job cramming it all into a single page of the 4th birthday issue. Well, they may not have had a lot to say, but they did provide some fantastic pictures!

See the rare and unsual

Today, I’m talking about the new gateway into Adventureland, more precisely the bridge that was refurbished earlier this year. I’ve held off on talking about this new crossing for a couple of months because I myself have been conflicted in how I feel about the structure and the changes that have been made. Part of me is proud of what has happened and another part of me is dismayed at losing another piece of my childhood memories of Walt Disney World. I’ve weighed the matter carefully, and that may sound silly to some of you, and I think I have finally come to peace with the matter. But, let’s walk through it anyway.The design of the new bridge definitely has a much more savage feel to it. Weapons and skulls associated with a warrior lifestyle are much more abundant and clearly the focus of the crest of the bridge. Additionally, the font of the new ADVENTURELAND also has more of a swashbuckling feel. Although most of these changes are brushed aside but longtime visitors who immediately notice the bridge has lost its arch and is now flat.

As a child I would love to sit in one of the old blue strollers as my parents pushed me up and over the bridge, feeling the strips of grip material that bounce the stroller as we hurdled over the span. When seated I would let out a constant sting of uh-uh-uh-uh-uh noises to accentuate the journey. When I was allowed to push a stroller over the bridge, I loved the way it tickled my hands when the handle reverberated against them. The Adventureland bridge was one of the most fun sections of a walkway to anywhere in the Magic Kingdom. Similarly, I’ve also had the opportunity to push a friend over the Adventureland bridge, a friend who had sustained an injury prior to a trip and had to rent a wheelchair in order to move through the parks. Getting my friend over that hump took some effort, just as I would imagine a stroller loaded down with a child, diaper bags, and other miscellaneous items would take.As a young adult, I ventured into education, more specifically Special Education. Those days were some of the most trying and rewarding days I’ve ever had in my life. The individuals I worked with didn’t seek out special treatment, they simply wanted to be able to maneuver through the world as everyone else did. Thinking of the wonderful people I worked with, the Adventureland bridge I grew up with could have kept many of them from having that same welcoming experience I always felt when I entered the land. Of course, someone could help them over the bridge, but it isn’t quite the same, is it?

After much pondering I’ve decided the change was for the best. If the flattening of the bridge allows more guests to take part in the adventures in an easier fashion, I’m all for it. I do miss hearing the continuous sound of wheels running across the bumpy bridge surface, but I’ll live. The decorations that adorn the bridge are, like all things in Walt Disney World, are subject to change at any time. I guess that’s the point really, Walt Disney wanted his parks to continually change for the better, and overall this is definitely one of those changes.

Now, if they try to take away my mask emblazoned shields that line the bridge, that will be a whole different matter…

Silent Saturday - Kidani Village Lanterns (April 2010)

Hold up the heavens

Sometimes we talk about art for the sake of art, sometimes for the sake of the artist, and sometimes for the sake of what it represents or depicts. Today, we’re talking about a traditional art form and the way in which it is presented. In case you’re wondering what and where I’m talking about, today we’re glancing up at the carved creatures of the Wilderness Lodge’s columns.

Atop many of the individual posts throughout the atrium of the Wilderness Lodge are carved representations of animals that are native to the Pacific Northwest. While the creatures can be seen from the ground floor, the best vantage points are from the higher levels of the resort, overlooking the beams and lobby alike.That certainly is a lot of wood scattered and bunched together, isn’t it? As it turns out, eighty-five loads of Lodgepole Pine, otherwise known as Shore Pine, were brought in from Montana and Oregon to complete the lobby. The Lodgepole Pines were utilized because of their straight, long trunks, which include an average diameter of twenty-four inches. To give you a sense of how much wood was employed for the hall, if laid end-to-end, the timbers would stretch out for forty miles.

Notice how the how the main support columns are composed of several logs of varying heights have been lashed together? This staggering is used to support the main column, which reaches seven stories up to support the Wilderness Lodge’s pitched roof. Beyond just the roof, however, Native American legend states that the log bundles not only hold up the roof, but they also hold up the heavens.

It amazing how much thought went into the simple support beams. The use of a native lumber source that is imbued with special meaning to the indigenous people, as well as artfully crafted portrayals of native creatures, is a gorgeous addition to the Wilderness Lodge.

Jungle trekkers please apprehend

Sometimes it isn’t what you see, but how you see it. Along the Maharajah Jungle Trek in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the creatures have reclaimed the wilderness that once belonged to them. The ruins, the murals, it all depicts how their lands were lost and then repossessed by nature.

Trying to adhere to the natural elements of the trail, signage for the animal stations have are wooden structures with artwork depicting the current inhabitant. Even information about the creature is passed on verbally, rather than printed. No photographs and no scientific facts in cold lettering, just stories being told about the fascinating creatures that roam along the trails.

Veggie veggie, fruit fruit

In case you haven’t guessed by now, I’m not what you would call a vegetarian. Oh sure, I enjoy vegetarian dishes, but for some reason when I’m at Walt Disney World, I am all about the meat. Burgers, hot dogs, steaks, chicken, pork, you name it, I’ll gravitate towards it and away from a healthier option. My wife on the other hand, prefers to find the healthiest item on a menu, most of the time. With that in mind, I’ve asked her to drop by from time-to-time to talk about some of the vegetarian and healthier options at Walt Disney World here on the Main Street Gazette. Without further ado, I give you Aileen Sheehan-Wilson.

Hello Main Street Gazette readers! I am here today to give you a review of a lesser known menu item at the Liberty Inn inside The American Adventure. Now, I know you are thinking, “Aileen, I don’t really want to eat at the Liberty Inn when there are so many other awesome options at Epcot,” but please take a minute to listen to what I have to say. You may find yourself with a newfound food item that will make you happy when all you want is something simple and maybe a little good for you. So, with that big lead in, what item am I talking about? The vegetable burger…yes, you heard or rather read correctly. Today we are going to talk about a completely meatless item that is surprisingly tasty and filling.This sandwich begins with a flavorful black bean patty that is not overly processed. Often when you order a veggie burger from a restaurant that doesn’t specialize in vegetarian fare (on or off Disney property); you can end up with a prepackaged option that attempts to hide the fact that it is vegetable and bean based. This was not the case with this sandwich. From beginning to end, I could taste the black beans, spices and other vegetables. In my opinion, it is the best vegetable burger option at a counter service restaurant on property. Avocado, lettuce, tomato, red onion and melted Monterey Jack cheese round out the inside of the sandwich. I know that avocado is the new and exciting addition to sandwiches at Walt Disney World but I must say that it truly works in this sandwich. It added both flavor and richness to an otherwise basic vegetarian dish. I would have preferred the burger to have pepper jack cheese to give it a little more kick but the Monterey Jack serves its purpose with no major complaints from me. The bun the sandwich is served on is multigrain, which is a healthier option that you can see all around Walt Disney World.

So, the final verdict? This is a great menu option if you are looking for something a little healthier than the angus beef burgers and barbeque offered at the Liberty Inn.

You can reach that world again

I don’t often venture into my own office for Main Street Gazette content. Granted the texts, publications and photographs I use for research and distributing all have their home somewhere in the shelves and stacks of my office. In fact, when my wife and I moved into our current residence, I was given the spare bedroom/office for my Disney collection on the singular condition that it must all be contained in there. In other words it can’t, as my wife put it, “escape from the office.”Some of the items in my office are from my family’s personal history with Walt Disney World while other pieces I have collected on my own, as a child and as an adult. One particular collection has been a part of my Disney heritage since I was a young tyke, my Walt Disney World pennants. Some of the collection is from my bedroom as a child, while a couple had to be replaced and found their ways back to me as a grown up. While there are those who would consider attaching these rarities to my walls with thumbtacks sacrilege, this was the intended purpose of the pennants, and that is the way I chose to decorate with them.Pennants were once common, relatively cheap, souvenirs that could be found all throughout Walt Disney World. In the 1990s pennants began to fade from the various gift and souvenir shops, and have not yet returned to prominence in any sort of relevant fashion. In fact, one of the latest pennants I seem to remember seeing was a Disney-MGM Studios, with Mickey and Minnie decked out in glitz and glamour in front of the Chinese Theatre, pennant that was released right around the time the park opened.In my collection, you’ll notice pieces that not only represent my personal passions, past and present with the parks, but also elements that made the parks unique and magical. The Main Street Electrical Parade and Journey Into Imagination, to name just a couple. I hope these pennants spark a trip down your own personal memory lane, both in terms of souvenirs you collected and your personal histories with Walt Disney World.

Oh, and just in case anyone has one and is looking to forward it on to a good home, my Fort Wilderness pennant was destroyed in my teenage years and I have yet to be able to replace it. Thanks!

Stay clear of propellor

Almost everyone who has ever seen a diver clamber into the Lockout Chamber of The Living Seas (or The Seas with Nemo and Friends if you’re a stickler) and then swim out into the tanks with true creatures of the deep has wanted to take that journey on their own. The idea of making friends with the fishes is, to many of us, almost as foreign as venturing off to some unknown planet. However, did you know that there is a spot on property where you can get into the water and up close and personal with sea creatures for no additional cost?At Typhoon Lagoon, near the capsized ship, is Shark Reef. This adventure offers two options, an underwater viewing platform similar to The Sea or the ability to grab some snorkeling gear and get into the water with the fish and other sea life. Approved snorkels and masks must be used, so to save on having to check every person’s personal gear masks and snorkels are provided for free from Hammerhead Fred’s Dive Shop, just to the side of reef’s entrance. After a few minutes of instruction, guests are set free to swim across the icy cold pool, though you will have to swim straight across without much time to lag and soak it all in.

What types of creatures will you see once you begin swimming? Well, it wouldn’t be identified as Shark Reef if it didn’t have some sharks in it! That’s right, you get to swim with real sharks, Leopard Sharks to be exact. Other sea creatures that call Shark Reef home include French Grunts, Yellowtail Damselfish, Southern Stingrays, Sargassum Triggerfish, Puddingwife, Blue Tang, and Queen Angelfish, among others.

Of course this is a brief experience, but it is also a journey you can repeat throughout your time at Typhoon Lagoon. It is a unique activity that is rare to find in any water or theme park, but it is just a taste of what could be experienced in the ocean. For me, Shark Reef gives you an idea of whether or not you’d like to take a longer trip through big blue. Although, a disposable camera and free gear can grant you some terrific photographs deep in the heart of Walt Disney World.

Disney This Week - 11 September 2011

I often talk about Walt Disney World in the context of trips spent with my father. At The Disney Obsession this week, Greg Grimsley gives us the other side of the coin, talking about the Disney ties of a father to a son.

AJ Wolfe really knows how to break a fellas’ heart, simply review Club 33. Check out the articles on The Disney Food Blog: part one and part two.

Melissa Loflin is living the good life as she sits down to private dining at Uzima Springs for Makin Memories.

Studios Central and Matt Hochberg are at a crossroads, the Crossroads of the World that is!

Andy Jackson is cooking Aulani style for Eating (and Drinking) around the World.

Imaginerding has some Walt Disney World job postings, from 1972. I wonder which job George Taylor applied for?

Sarah Holodick dissects a new offering at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for Eating WDW.

Alright gang, as you are reading this, I’m in Florida for some family time and some research. In fact, if you head over to Twitter, you may catch me gushing about my first trip aboard a Starspeeder 1000! While I will still be putting together a Disney This Week for next week, it may (or may not) be a few days late. I hope you’ll understand. See ya’ real soon!

Silent Saturday - Tomorrowland Skyway Station Waterfall (September 2008)

Where I live

Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom may not feature marquee creatures like elephants, tigers, or gorillas, but the area is home to the celebration of all living animals. Carvings on the tree of life, statues, and colorful animal décor fill the pathways and shops of Discovery Island. In fact, each shop and restaurant is designed around a specific animal motif, such as Flame Trees prey and predator theme. In the Island Mercantile, the creatures present represent the process of migration.

However, when looking at the elements within the store, guests are often drawn to large carved shelves, hanging fixtures, and ornate light features. However, creatures are also present in this cartographic depiction. For each continent or land mass, in addition to the border and compass, there are animal species massed together to become a living representation of their home. The next time you are in the Island Mercantile, be sure to give this map a gander, it serves as a friendly reminder that our global neighborhood is more than just the people who live there, in it’s the animals we share these spaces with.

Surf's up

There is a definite feel to Typhoon Lagoon, the fell that a storm has rushed through and left havoc in its wake. However, it is clear that the people who inhabit the area around the lagoon are a hearty lot, just take a look at how they’ve used debris and not quite perfect structures to rebuild their community!One such entrepreneur is Singapore Sal, the owner operator of Singapore Sal’s Souvenirs and Sundries. While surfboards can be seen throughout the lagoon, sometimes embedded in a tree, Sal has used his collection of boards as decoration for his storefront. They’re some pretty choice boards too!

Commodity board

Since the closure of Pleasure Island’s clubs, nightlife at Walt Disney World has become a touchy subject. On one side, you have those who rally behind the restaurants and shopping venues of Downtown Disney and the wandering entertainment found along BoardWalk. Then there are others who bemoan that the comedy and dance entertainment provided by Mannequins, Adventurers Club and the lot have no equal currently on property. Then you have me, and my happy medium that has found a place to relax, unwind, and get carried away with laughter. Oh, and this place I speak of also has some truly great bad-for-you foods! I am, of course, speaking about YeHaa Bob Jackson, who performs Wednesday through Saturday evenings at the River Roost Lounge in Port Orleans – Riverside from 8:30pm until midnight. The performance, no matter how little or much you stay for, will make you laugh and sing, but most importantly it will engage you. Bob Jackson not only plays songs that everyone will recognize, or he’ll teach to you if you don’t, but he get guests to get up move and interact with one another in a way that makes even the shyest of introverts (like myself) want to be a part of the action and laugh alongside everyone else in the River Roost Lounge.Now, I mentioned food too, didn’t I? Okay, this isn’t the spot you’re going to find a wonderful prepared lettuce cup or mouthwatering cupcakes. There are no curries to crave or soups to savor at the River Roost Lounge. So, what do they have? Some killer bar food. The last time I attended a YeHaa Bob performance, I chowed down on boneless Buffalo chicken wings and nachos topped with beef chili. These are truly great foods that you know are nowhere near good for you. These are the types of dishes you create at home, or order as take out, when you’re getting ready to watch the big game. They are greasy, messy appetizers that fit right in with the raucous good time of Bob Jackson’s set. It may not be fine dining, but it fits in perfectly with the experience and atmosphere.There may not be a Pleasure Island that features booming beats to pass the night away with currently, but that does not mean nightlife is dead at Walt Disney World. These days, however, you have to know where to look in order to have a great time with some killer chow-down treats. Make sure you stop in and tell Bob where you’re from, chances are, he’s from there too!

The most elegant restaurant

THE EMPRESS LILLY -- The Empress Lily, which could be the most elegant restaurant in the Southeastern United States, provides a whole new set of dining and entertainment experiences for guests at the Walt Disney World Village in Lake Buena Vista. On her three decks, she houses three elegant dining rooms, a variety show bar, and a special banquet room and private cocktail area.

A world we've yet to see

There are a lot of construction walls and scrims up and visible heavy machinery around the Magic Kingdom these days. Some are for applying fresh coats of paint, or sprucing up a beloved attraction, but mostly it is for the expansion of Fantasyland. I’ve heard from friends and family that the walls have negatively impacted their trips to Walt Disney World over the past year or so. However, if I had my way you’d be seeing a lot more walls, not just in the Magic Kingdom, but all throughout Walt Disney World.

First off, let’s address the issues caused by the current Great Wall of Fantasyland. Do the construction equipment, unfinished structures, and rather unembellished walls take away from the overarching experience of Fantasyland? Yes, no question. And I do understand that some families save for years to be able to afford their perfect trip to Walt Disney World. However, the parks must change, for better or worse, and in order to create new experiences much of that work has to be done within guest areas during daytime hours. In a perfect world all the fairies and wizards, magicians and sorcerers Disney has created over the years could magically build entire new lands in an evening, but us mere mortals take longer and cannot cover our tracks with a fancy spell.

Now, why would I want to spread this barricade nightmare throughout the other parks? Simply put, the parks new some new adventures, especially Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. These are the two parks that are most commonly referred to as half day parks. Now, I’ve done my best to show that either park could easily handle an allocation of an entire day of park time, but I realize that most guests are going to hit the big attractions, maybe a couple of short queue favorites, and then jet off to another destination. That means that both of these parks need some new, serious draws, to retain the guests coming through their gates.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom has the entire world and realm of mythology to play with, surely there is an exotic locale just waiting to be discovered by fearless guests. As for the Studios, empty stages and a catalog of Marvel and Pixar stories to explore would definitely bring guests down the red carpet.

Announcements like these were what diehard fans expected to hear at last month’s D23 Expo. What they were left with were a few new details about projects that had been announced at either the 2009 D23 Expo or in the interim. I see both sides of the argument. For fans, they want to hear about something new that is coming down the line, something that sets their minds to salivating. On the flip side, Disney does not want to announce projects that are several years away, projects that may very well be altered or canned before they can be built.

I’m a reasonable man, I truly am. I understand that budgets have been tied up in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland and Disney California Adventure. I also do not want to see guests taking that one time vacation of a lifetime leave dejected because there are a ton of walls lining every park in Walt Disney World. So, what would I like to see? How about some continual expansion for the next several years? As Fantasyland starts to wind down, ramp up a new continent or fantastic destination for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. As that starts to come to fruition, begin adding in some new stories to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. And somewhere in there, maybe we get a couple of new pavilions scattered between Future World and World Showcase? That doesn’t seem like too much to ask, does it?

Disney This Week - 4 September 2011

Progress City, U.S.A. always has a way of making me homesick for a different age. Currently, Michael Crawford is bringing us another story of Horizons’ creation.

Melissa Loflin is exploring various viewingspots for IllumiNations, this week Makin’ Memories sets down in Germany.

ZannaLand presents readers with a Halloween merchandise snapshot from Suzannah DiMarzio.

Picking up where ZannaLand left off, Shelley Caran offers a larger exploration of Disney Halloween merchandise for On the go in MCO.

AJ Wolfe and The Disney Food Blog provide some excellent tips to get you primed for the 2011 International Food and Wine Festival.

At Imagineering Disney, Mitch gives his honest thoughts on Downtown Disney.

Shawn Slater explores character trails in Camp Minnie-Mickey and their original intent at DisneyShawn.

Parkeology and Shane Lindsay have a great photograph from early Disney-MGM Studios, pre Writer’s Stop.

Fiona breaks down her love of Disney’s use of Art Deco at Walt Disney Studios on DF’82.

Imaginerding and George Taylor turn the clock back to 1987 to find one of the first Mickey Mouse Club presidents wandering around EPCOT Center.

Sarah Holodick heads to the Contemporary for Eating WDW and grabs a stool at The Wave’s bar with tasty results.

DesignerLand makes the best shirts, and Richard continues the great work with an EPCOT Center worthy World Showcase tee.

Be warned, FoxxFur has uncovered frapping taking place at Walt Disney World, but you should read the Passport to Dreams Old & New anyway.

Silent Saturday - Ewok Village (May 2009)

Always Coca-Cola

There is a rather large rift amongst the American, if not global, population. While not everyone allows themselves to be drawn into the fray, those that do choose to take sides know that there is only one right answer, theirs. The cut and dry war I speak of can only be the divisive beverage battle between Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Of course, currently Coke is served within Walt Disney World. As if to emphasize this point, All-Star Sports features a super, super sized cup of Coca-Cola that would make the gallon sized buckets available at movie theaters very envious.

Coke may be the soda company of choice around property, but it wasn’t always this way. In the early years of the Vacation Kingdom, both Pepsi and Coca-Cola were served throughout the parks and resorts. So, what changed?

Well, if you’re one to believe in rumor, the story is as follows. When Walt Disney World opened, Pepsi was the only product served within the Magic Kingdom and resorts. A few weeks after the October 1, 1971 opening the park ran dry of the syrup needed to serve carbonated beverages to guests. Of course, this would have happened on a weekend. In this tale, Pepsi was unable to meet the weekend rush request, but Coca-Cola called in drivers to make a delivery on Sunday. This dedication to customer service from Coke is, they say, the reason Coca-Cola was able to swipe the rights to the parks and resorts away from Pepsi.

This story is an absolute work of fiction.

Just as both beverages were served in Disneyland, both were able to be purchased in Walt Disney World when the Florida resort opened. In 1985, Coca-Cola signed an exclusive global marketing deal with Disney, thereby securing their supremacy inside not only Walt Disney World, but Disney destinations the world over.

Whether you are a Pepsi purist or a Coke devotee, of which I am one, Coca-Cola’s presence in the parks and resorts is impossible to overlook. Coke is present at every meal and snack stop and towers over guests at All-Star Sports.

The world is full of flowers

When you think about horticulture and gardening in Walt Disney World, often the mind drifts to vintage topiaries scattered all about property, the Mickey planter, or the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival. With an eye specifically towards Epcot, everyone immediately thinks of the grand displays and gorgeous designs that fill the bed in front of Spaceship Earth year round. Yet, directly behind Spaceship Earth, is another plot that receives just as much attention to detail, but is often passed by on the way to bigger and better attractions, except of course when it is filled with topiaries for the Flower and Garden Festival. Here’s a quick tour through the bed’s ever-changing looks over the past couple of years. How many of these designs did you see firsthand?