WDW Today Episode 745 – EO 2.0
by Recent News on July 11, 2010
Episode 745 of WDW Today is now available for download here. Join TouringPlans.com owner Len Testa as co-host for a podcast that features many Walt Disney World travel planning tips!
One-click subscriptions to WDW Today:
The Excellent Magic Kingdom Adventure!
by TouringPlans Guest Blogger on July 11, 2010 3 Comments
The Weidner/McGufficke family (Graeme 46, Karla 44, Megan 15, and Ian 12) has been visiting WDW since 1997; their latest trip was their sixth. Though as their children grow older their focus may have changed over the years — more Space/Splash and less Dumbo — the Weidner/McGuffickes have always loved the totality of the Disney experience. They currently live in the mountains of western North Carolina.
A couple of months ago the Weidner/McGufficke family decided to do some volunteer work in order to earn a free day at a Disney theme park. We volunteered at the Health Adventure in downtown Asheville as docents and really enjoyed the experience. But we weren’t sure when we would be able to use our free Disney passes as vacation time was going to be hard to schedule. And afford.
And then Megan and I started to talk about possibly attempting the Magic Kingdom Ultimate Challenge — see info on the challenge here — which requires that you experience all of the core attractions (rides, parades, major live shows, etc.) along with as many bonus attractions (character greetings, minor live shows, etc.) as possible in one day. And Saturday June 12 was the selected day.
We drove down on Friday June 11 and headed straight to Downtown Disney for a huge dose of pixie dust. Megan — the ultimate Disney fan — made many purchases and then we checked into our hotel. [The Holiday Inn Maingate East is only ten minutes from WDW and we got rooms -- with bunk beds for the kids -- for $50 per night.] Dinner that night was at a place called King O Falafel and the meal was great! If you are in the area and enjoy middle eastern food then give this place a try!! (Yeah, it may be in an old Quizno’s and looks a bit sketchy, but the Palestinian folks serving and making the food are great!)
We tried to get a good nights sleep but were awoken by a cellphone alarm at 1:30am. So when the real alarm went off at 5:30am we weren’t all that well rested. But we all got dressed and trooped out to the car and on to a nutritious breakfast at IHOP. We entered WDW property at 7am and were so early that the entry gates were not yet manned so we didn’t have to pay the $14 fee. We parked in the Contemporary Resort parking lot and walked over to the main Magic Kingdom gates. [You may ask, "Why did they arrive so early?" There were two answers: (1.) We had to exchange our Give A Day, Get A Disney Day passes and didn't know how long that would take, and (2.) we wanted to be first in line. Duh.]
It was going to be a very hot day — forecast was for 93F/34C — so we stayed in the shade as much as possible while waiting the next hour or so. Megan and I spent the time reviewing our plan while Karla and Ian spent the time complaining about how early we had to get up. (To be totally honest, Karla and Ian were really great and supportive of our challenge attempt! And I was really glad that they had a great time at the park while Megan and I were racing around.)
Arrived at MK around 7:15 and waited until park opening
The crowd got thicker and finally the Magic Kingdom Welcome Show #1 started at 8:50am. By the time the countdown began we were both pretty excited and ready to get started!! When the rope was dropped we were off at a gallop, heading down Main Street towards Cinderella’s Castle and then on to Dumbo. Our second stop — and first inside the park — was to take a photo of one of the murals inside Cinderella’s Castle #2. This took just a few seconds but my first attempt was blurry so I had to take a second. By this time the crowd had gathered at the second rope at the border of Fantasyland. Since we needed to be on the first Dumbo run we had to step it into high gear and pass a bunch of folks pushing strollers. We wound up third and fourth in line and had huge grins on our faces!
8:55AM — Main Street
Dumbo the Flying Elephant #3 was our first real ride at the Magic Kingdom but our third stop on the challenge. We enjoyed our air-time as it now felt like we were really in the middle of things. We had a short worry as the ride stopped after one rotation but we were soon back in the air for the full Dumbo experience. Our carriage stopped right next to an exit so we were soon out of the gate and headed towards Peter Pan’s Flight #4. After our trip to Never Land we zipped over to Tomorrowland and the Astro Orbiter #5 as it is one of the slower loading rides with low capacity. We had one of our longer waits here — nine minutes — and definitely our most uncomfortable ride as we both got into the same carriage. We laughed the entire ride and were very glad to have this ride completed. We then dashed over to get FASTPASSes for Space Mountain and then hightailed it back to Main Street to ride a Main Street Vehicle #6. Definitely one of the rides most folks ignore Megan and I jumped onto a horse-drawn trolley for the ride back to the hub. It was nice to be resting for a bit, even though we had been going less than an hour. (I was already sweating something awful.)
Our next stop was at a character greeting in Toontown, but along the way we tried to get an autograph/photo with Cinderella’s stepmother and step-sisters and then Alice in Wonderland but the lines had been closed just seconds before we arrived. Oh well. These two stops had made us late for the rope drop at Toontown — which doesn’t open until 10am — so as we approached we saw the mass of humanity already ahead of us and steaming towards the Toontown Hall of Fame and the Fairies and Princesses character greetings. Megan and I did a great job of ducking and weaving, and we wound up about tenth in line to see the Fairies. (You may ask why we tried this so early in the day, and the reason is that historically the wait times to see the Fairies is 45+ minutes with the Princess line 30+ minutes. We only needed to wait in one time so thought if we were near the front of the line we could get this completed quickly. As it was we only waited seven minutes.)
After being shrunken in size to enter Pixie Hollow we were finally lead into the greeting area we saw that there were three fairies — Fawn #7, Iridessa and Terence. We told one of the fairy wranglers that we only need an autograph/photo of one of the fairies and were told that the other fairies would be very upset if we left without meeting them. We apologized, said that we really did want to meet the other two, but that we had to go. And we rushed out. Laughing all the way. (We are likely to spend some time in Disney Purgatory for that…)
But time was a wastin’, so we zipped across the street to ride The Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farms #8, which is a personal favorite of ours. Only 63 seconds long but still loads of fun! We then headed back to Fantasyland — as we ran along someone asked us if we were doing the challenge — and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh #9 where Megan complained that I was taking too many photos. (I wanted to make sure that we could prove that not only did we visit the entrance to a ride but that we actually rode it too. This practice lead to the untimely demise of my two Blackberry batteries by 4:30pm. I’m pretty sure that Megan gave me a few “I told you so” looks.) Anyway, we survived the Blustery Day and Heffalumps and zipped over to The Haunted Mansion #10.
10:25AM — The Haunted Mansion
This became the first of many stops where we timed it perfectly and slipped in the door just as it was being closed. Once inside the stretching room we worked our way to the correct side so that we could be some of the first out and onto a Doom Buggy! (See! We aren’t just incredibly good looking.) Photos were tough to get inside the Haunted Mansion but Megan got a good shot of us with our ghoulish friend. On our way out of the mansion we were asked by a Disney cast member — for the first and only time today — to not run but to walk. Which we did. At least until we rounded the next corner.
Our next stop was going to be the Hall of Presidents, but when we arrived at the door the greeter told us it would be seven minutes, so we decided to zip through the Swiss Family Treehouse #11 and then come back. But we got caught by some slow moving tourists oblivious to the importance of us getting through the treehouse quickly and it took us six minutes to complete our tour. But just in case we ran back to The Hall of Presidents #12 where the greeter was yelling at us to hurry as the door was about to close. We slipped in at the last second and the show — with a new President — started. Morgan Freeman was a great narrator! We were planning on spending some of the time inside drinking and snacking but that was explicitly banned, so we reapplied sunblock and enjoyed the show.
From Liberty Square we zoomed over to pick up a FASTPASS for Splash Mountain and hop onto the Walt Disney World Railroad #13 if it was sitting at the Frontierland Station. Megan checked on the train while I got the FASTPASSes, but I kept on getting “This is not a FASTPASS. You can get your next FASTPASS at 11:10am” messages. It was 11:08am. While I was getting frustrated about having to wait Megan came back down the train station’s stairs and yelled that the train was about to go. Should I stay or should I go? But we needed the FASTPASSes, and the train would take 20 minutes to do a complete circuit. I kept trying to get the passes until I was finally rewarded. Grabbed them and rushed up the stairs. We were again the last folks in the door and the train took off.
The train ride was very relaxing, and we took the time to rehydrate and eat some snacks. (The Granny Smith apple I ate was great!) We discovered at the next station that eating/drinking was not allowed while on the train. Oops. Upon completing the circuit we alighted at Frontierland Station and raced to get onto the rafts for Tom Sawyer Island #14. Our timing here was again pretty good. We were required to remain on the island for 15 minutes and had to take three photos — shooting a rifle at Fort Langhorn, at one of the caves, and on the barrel bridge. Once all tasks were completed we wound up waiting for the return raft voyage so took our first potty stop. It was about 11:40am and we had gone through a bunch of bottled water already.
We were headed back to Main Street for some scheduled attractions but had time to have some target practice at the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade #15. I aimed and Megan pointed in the general direction. We still had a little time to spare so doubled-back and picked up FASTPASSes for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. [Potential disaster occurred here: Megan went to get the FASTPASSes and I was apparently supposed to stay put. Which I didn't. Megan got back to where I was supposed to be, and I wasn't. And I had her bag with her phone. She wound up borrowing a phone to contact me. We linked back up and all was well. I begged Megan's forgiveness.] Then we raced back to Main Street where we bumped into the the Mayor of Main Street #16 and the Dapper Dans Barbershop Quartet #17. A few minutes later we were watching the Main Street Trolley Parade #18, where we were walking right down the middle of Main Street USA. Next we tried to see if the step-sisters were back in place — which they weren’t — but Megan spotted the Fairy Godmother #19 emerging from a secret door and on her way to a character greeting, so we asked if we could join her and were the first ones in line.
With a major live attraction approaching at 12:30pm we then zipped over to the Tomorrowland Arcade #20 for a game of Centipede [Our scores totally sucked.] before picking up FASTPASSes for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, and then wound up back on Main Street to watch a glassblowing demonstration #21. The Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party #22 was next and lasted way longer than expected, but we drank and ate and headed back to Tomorrowland to find PUSH, the Talking Trash Can.
We totally lucked out here again and spotted PUSH #23 as he emerged from a side street, so were able to be the first folks to talk to him and get his autograph. (He rolled his track over our autograph book. Cool!) We then headed to Toontown to zip through three attractions in less than four minutes — Minnie’s Country House #24, Mickey’s Country House #25, and Donald’s Boat #26. We then had just enough time to get back to the Fairytale Garden for Storytime with Belle #27. (I didn’t feel too out of place here as I was with my 15yo daughter. But I can just imagine teams of two adult males attempting the challenge sitting here feeling just a little uncomfortable.) We rested. We drank. We ate. And then we headed to Frontierland.
12:51PM — Push, the Talking Trash Can
This time it was for the Country Bear Jamboree #28 which Megan had not seen since she was almost three. She wasn’t incredibly impressed. But it was air-conditioned.so we were happy. We then moved to Adventureland to pick up our FASTPASSes for the Jungle Cruise and finished off our last arcade stop with Shrunken Ned’s Junior Jungle Boats #29. We had brought quarters for the three arcade stops but this one only took dollar bills. I raced to a vendor and changed quarters into a dollar bill. And we then discovered it was $2. So Megan raced back over to the same vendor and changed more quarters. The experience was pretty lame as the boat didn’t really do anything. But it was another stop off of our list.
Back to Frontierland we happened to bump into the Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob #30 playing their banjos and a tuba. I asked Megan to go stand behind them so I could take a photo, and one of the guys beckoned Megan to join them, and she happily sang “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah” with them. Awesome!
1:45PM — Notorious Banjo Brothers and Bob
It was almost 2pm and we decided to ride some major attractions so we headed to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad #31. The wait time was listed as 30 minutes and we waited only 5 minutes so the FASTPASSes really helped us. The entire Weidner/McGufficke family enjoys this ride! Megan and I only rode it once today but Karla and Ian rode it 5-6 times. Our FASTPASS experience with Splash Mountain #32 didn’t work out well but with a 40 minute wait we were still happy only waiting 12 minutes.
The 2:30pm departure of the Liberty Square Riverboat #33 was imminent so we hightailed it over there, and were again the last folks on board a ride before departure. We again took advantage of the shade and time to drink, eat, and rest. The afternoon parade was fast approaching but we had enough time to stop by The Magic Carpets of Aladdin #34 on the way.
You are required to watch parades in their entirety but are allowed to start at the beginning and walk towards the end. So we timed things so that the start of the Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade #35 was already well down Main Street by the time we got there, took the required photo, and then took only three minutes to walk the full length of the parade so that we could take a photo with the final float. We may have missed a couple of details on some of the floats, but we were both very impressed with our speed and efficiency!
Back to Adventureland we had a few minutes before Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial #36 so Megan used the restroom facilities. My bladder of steel was doing fine. The Johnny Depp look-a-like was very Johnny Depp but we were soon heading towards the Pirates of the Caribbean #37, where we totally bumped into Karla and Ian! We chatted while waiting in line, got caught up on what each group had been doing, and then went our separate ways when the ride ended. (I am pretty sure that Megan and I were moving much faster, but then we had somewhere to be.)
We used our FASTPASSes to get onto the Jungle Cruise #38 a few minutes faster than had we not used them and then survived the next nine minutes of stand-up comedy gone wrong. (If you have ever been on the Jungle Cruise you know what I mean.) Escaping from the boats we hit The Enchanted Tiki Room #39 at just the right time and pretty much ignored the show. It just isn’t our favorite thing at the Magic Kingdom.
We then tried to cross almost the entire park in order to see when the next showing of Carousel of Progress would be; Megan ran ahead and I walked fast. But my eye was caught by a very short line for Dole Whips — soft-serve ice-cream. So I got in line. When Megan texted me to see where I was, and I told her I was buying ice-cream she about blew up! And my delay caused us to miss the next showing of Carousel of Progress. But the Dole Whips were great! [And I begged Megan's forgiveness.]
4:25PM — Dole Whips!
Since the Carousel of Progress wait was now too long, we hit Stitch’s Great Escape #40 — another of the Magic Kingdom’s not-so-great experiences. But it was inside and air-conditioned so we endured it well. From there we headed to Main Street and were lucky enough to see Winnie the Pooh and Tigger #41 with a very short line. After that we were right in place to watch the Flag Retreat #42. (This is a practice that has occurred every day and is the lowering of the flag with due pomp and circumstance. An honor guard is in place and an Honored Veteran helps every day.)
We then headed back to the hub to watch the Dream Along With Mickey #43 show in the Castle Forecourt. This is really a great show with lots of characters involved. We watched from the shade and ate, drank and rested. Once this show was over we headed to Frontierland yet again to watch the Frontierland Hoedown #44, which is another enjoyable show! It is especially fun to watch near the end when cast members wander into the crowd to pick guests — mainly kids — to join in the hoedown! We stayed on the outer edges of the crowd so as to not get picked.
Back to Fantasyland we got into the it’s a small world line but soon jumped out of it as the line was simply not moving. We then hit Mickey’s Philharmagic #45 show which is just great! I have seen it a number of times but I keep forgetting how good it is! We then hopped onto the newly re-named Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel #46 for a short ride. Megan opted for a noble stead while I slumped into a carriage. I was worried about the elevation change.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures #47 was next on our list, and we weren’t all that happy with a 12 minute wait. But it was getting late in the day — 6:15pm — and we couldn’t be too choosy. Then we backtracked to it’s a small world #48 and had only a 10 minute wait.
We had planned to eat dinner at Casey’s Corner, where hot dogs and fries are the main feature. Why there? Because at 7:00pm there was supposed to be someone playing the piano that would count as another stop for us. But he/she/it never showed so we wasted 12 minutes there. But the food was very good so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.
6:58PM – Casey’s Corner Pianist
Our next stop was at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor #49 which we totally enjoyed! The technology is great and the jokes — though a little lame — keep everyone laughing! (And I was NOT “that guy!”) Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin #50 was next on the list — where we had another group ask us about the challenge — and Graeme totally smoked Megan’s score! We then finally got to watch Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress #51, with its great big beautiful tomorrow. We stayed in Tomorrowland to ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority #52 and enjoyed not walking, not running, eating, drinking, and not sweating as much.
We were feeling really good as we were very confident about breaking the record and we still had three hours of park time to go. Space Mountain #53 was next up and we both really enjoyed the new and improved ride! I think it is a much faster ride now. We then hit another restroom stop — Megan’s third and my second — before heading towards the Tomorrowland Speedway #54. Waiting in line here was the low point of our day. After the Speedway we only had one more ride left to go; the rest of the stops were live shows and character greetings. That last ride was the Mad Tea Party which we could see from the Speedway line. And it wasn’t in operation. Without riding that ride we wouldn’t have ridden all of the core attractions that were operational that day so even had we posted a higher number than the previous record it wouldn’t count. We were not happy campers as we “drove” around the speedway track.
We walked up to the Mad Tea Party and asked a cast member if it was closed for the night. and were incredibly ecstatic when she said that it should be open in the next 30 minutes! What a reprieve!!! We thanked her effusively — I might have even proposed — and zipped off to Toontown for some character greetings.
Our first stop was to the Princess line at the Toontown Hall of Fame, but the line was at least 30 minutes long so I sent Megan over to the Judge’s Tent to see if the line for Mickey and Minnie was shorter. Which it was! We relocated and it took us just an 11 minute wait before we were in the presence of Mickey and Minnie at the Judge’s Tent #55.
9:20PM — Judge’s Tent
We then made our way back to the Mad Tea Party #56 and really enjoyed that last ride! Our next stop was Cinderella’s Castle to experience the “Kiss Goodnight” #57 where the castle goes through a bunch of color changes sometimes accompanied by Roy Disney’s speech from the park’s opening in 1971.
We then returned to the Princess line at the Toontown Hall of Fame #58 and were surprised — and elated — to see no line at all! Since we had lots of time left we decided to go ahead and get all three princesses autographs Princess Aurora, Belle, and Cinderella. The princess wrangler was amazed at our data sheet and showed it to everyone in the room.
It was 10:00pm and time for the Summer Nightastic Fireworks #59 show. Definitely impressive! Karla even admitted to crying a little. We then had almost an hour to wait for the final parade so wandered back to Tomorrowland as we had picked up an extra Space Mountain FASTPASS just in case. On the way we stumbled into Stitch’s Club 626 Dance Party #60 which wasn’t on the official list but wound up counting as a stop towards the challenge. We then rode Space Mountain and headed back to the hub to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade #61 with Karla and Ian
The parade was awesome and the day was awesomer!! Megan and I completed 61 unique attractions in thirteen hours and 39 minutes. We were tired and sweaty but happy and proud! Thanks go out to Karla and Ian for supporting us in our attempt!! And an especially huge thanks to my partner in crime — I couldn’t have done it without you Megan!!!
11:30PM — The whole family back together at the end of the day!
That night back at the hotel Megan said to me, “I haven’t gotten married or had kids yet but this will always be one of the best days of my life!” My favorite part of the day was watching my 15 year old’s face being transformed again and again into that of my 8 year old daughter’s. And finally, records are made to be broken but the memories from this day are forever!
Have you attempted an Ultimate TouringPlan? Tell us about it in your comments!
WDW Today Episode 744 – Dinner And A Show
by Recent News on July 9, 2010
Episode 744 of WDW Today is now available for download here. Join TouringPlans.com owner Len Testa as co-host for a podcast that features many Walt Disney World travel planning tips!
One-click subscriptions to WDW Today:
Foto Face-off Friday — Tomorrowland v. Frontierland
by Tom Bricker on July 9, 2010 2 Comments
Congratulations on making it to the conclusion another work week! As you count down the hours until your weekend begins, here’s something to take your mind to a Fantasyland…err…Tomorrowland…and Frontierland. That’s right, in this edition of Foto Face-off Friday, the weekly blog that features photographs from our TouringPlans Flickr Group that are an extension of the Disney Debates we’ve been holding on our Twitter Account, @TouringPlans, we will attempt to resolve one of Walt Disney World’s “biggest controversies,” which is better: Tomorrowland or Frontierland. Since pictures speak louder than words we’ve decided to seek definitive resolution photographically for this especially hotly contested Disney Debate!
Although it initially seemed that Tomorrowland was going to be the clear-cut winner, at least to my biased mind, Frontierland mounted a stunning comeback wherein five straight individuals chose it as their favorite. Our followers on Twitter similarly were torn on the issue:
@tiggerdaddy found the decision easy, retorting, “frontierland=pecos bills=taste bud win.”
@kyleheine succinctly expressed a sentiment seemingly held by many, “Frontierland in the day. Tomorrowland at night.”
@ddindy was similarly split, “Frontierland has better mountains and parades but Tomorrowland has better atmosphere, especially at night! #disneydebate.”
@deefordisney found the decision a little more difficult, confoundedly responding, “I just spent a good two minutes staring into space weighing this week’s @TouringPlans #disneydebate: Tomorrowland v Frontierland #disneydork.”
@Wedwayradio wasn’t so diplomatic, saying, “If we’re talking WDW: Tomorrowland. If we’re talking Disneyland: Anything but Tomorrowland (except Toontown of course).” We’ll score that as one vote for Tomorrowland, just the same.
Despite the help of our Twitter followers, it is unclear as to which land reigns superior. Thus, we now turn to our Flickr group to see if they can help in the resolution of the debate be taking a look at the Foto Face-off held in the Flickr group.
Along with their photo entries, we asked for an explanation as to why each poster preferred their respective choice. Their reasons may pertain to photography, general enjoyment of the choice, or both. Their personal thoughts are provided below their photo-entry. To view more of their photography click on their respective submission, which will direct you to their Flickr photostream.
We’ll save the best land for last and start with Frontierland:
Submitted by CenterLine717:
CenterLine 717 had this to say: Strolling through Frontierland makes me think about when times were simpler. The storefronts and Tom Sawyers Island provide a unique old west feel. However, at the same time Frontierland also represents the wild west with Splash Mountain and the ‘wildest ride in the wilderness’, Thunder Mountain.
Submitted by debs:
Debs had this to say: I enjoy Frontierland’s 1800s western theme. I like the way it follows through as you step off the railroad platform with music playing and CM’s in western garb. The thrills of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain. There’s something for everyone from the Country Bears, Tom Sawyer Island, The Shooting Gallery to the riverboat.
Submitted by Scott Smith (SRisonS):
Scott Smith (SRisonS) had this to say: Tomorrowland is such a cool place to photograph at night. But based on theme and atmosphere, I have to go with Frontierland. To the simple wood railing that’s indicative of the Wild West…. to banjo playing and ho-downs around ever corner [not totally, but that sounds better 
]; it’s the one place in the park where I feel completely a part of a total engrossing experience.
Submitted by wonderful world of Hilary:
wonderful world of Hilary had this to say: Got to give another one for Frontierland. I’ve just found so much more to photograph in this land as oppose to the others. Plus if you’re not the best at night photography, Tomorrowland just seems to have less character to it.
Submitted by Eddy Alvarez:
Eddy Alvarez had this to say: My choice is Frontierland. Space and time have always been an interesting subject. But because our theories and ideas change over time, tomorrowland fails to have any kind of identity. That area is all speculative and it changes with every passing decade. Frontierland, on the other hand, is all about a time that has existed. The wild west lives and breathes here and is clearly identifiable with its rich, detailed, and complex structures.
Submitted by Corsey21:
Corsey21 had this to say: I’d have to say Frontierland, but it wasn’t easy. I just feel that with the 2 E-ticket attractions (Splash being my favorite), fun shops and restaurants, and the theming that makes you want to stop all your hustle and bustle and just relax, make this the land of choice. Plus it offers some unique photo opps for fireworks as well.
Tomorrowland
Submitted by h2m:
h2m had this to say: I love the Tomorrowland of 1994. The story of the land is great. I wish it wasn’t slowly disappearing…
Submitted by DugJax:
DugJax had this to say: While Frontierland has many photo ops, Tomorrowland does it for me because of all the futuristic lines, shapes and lighting which make for brilliant photos from classic to abstract. And while Walt was proud of the past and present, he was a visionary and was always thinking about the future. I often wonder if the inspiration for EPCOT Center was Tomorrowland. Plus, Tomorrowland has the TTA!!
Submitted by ddindy:
ddindy had this to say: I grew up in the 60s, a time when space travel was a big deal, atomic energy promised a limitless future (or nuclear annihilation) and the 21st century was a long way off. Tomorrowland embodies that time for me. The present incarnation of Tomorrowland is termed by Disney as “The future that never was.” To me, Tomorrowland represents “The future that should have been.” Spaceships, aliens, ray guns, people movers – it’s all here.
Submitted by Cory Disbrow:
Cory Disbrow had this to say: The neon at night just sets it off from every other land in the Magic Kingdom. Don’t get me wrong, I love the entire park, but TL just comes alive after dark. And the more I go down there, the more the TTA becomes my favorite attraction!
Finally, my personal entry:
While comparing Future World and World Showcase was like comparing your two kids, comparing Tomorrowland and Frontierland is more akin to comparing filet minon to a churro. Sure, the churro may taste great, but when push comes to shove, are you really going to take it over that delicious cut of beef? Okay, perhaps that’s a bit strong, especially when Frontierland has some exquisite theming and two of Imagineering’s finest creations.
Or maybe it’s a testament to Tomorrowland’s quality. I won’t even get started on the architecture and how the land comes alive at night as some of previous posters have done that, and I could ramble for paragraphs, so I will get right to the substance of the attractions (but, for the record, the theming in Tomorrowland, especially at night is easily the best anywhere in Walt Disney World). Three of my all-time favorite attractions reside in Tomorrowland, one of which, Space Mountain just got a heck of a lot better during its recent refurbishment. Another, the TTA, is a gem for relaxing at night and enjoying the sights and sounds when your epic TouringPlan has already taken you on an exhilarating voyage through the parks and you still have three hours to go until the park’s 3 a.m. Evening Extra Magic Hours closing time. The last favorite is similarly a classic without parallel, Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress. What’s not to love about the Father’s witty charm as he takes you through the changes his family experienced during the 20th Century? These three attractions are tough to be topped by any others on property and yet they’re in the same corner of the same land? Now that’s a stacked line-up and compelling reason alone that Tomorrowland deserves the win! Add-in the wonderful Counter Service restaurant Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe and you’ve got a land that cannot be beat. (Hey, Pecos Bill, where’s your counter to the amazing vocal talents of Sonny Eclipse?)
Then we come to the remaining attractions. The reasons Tomorrowland gets a bad reputation from some. While I don’t intend for this to sound like a diatribe, I find much of the online criticism of Laugh Floor, Spaceranger Spin, and Stitch’s Great Escape, and how they don’t fit the Retro-Futurism “future that never was” theme of Tomorrowland to be baseless. I think if suspend disbelief even slightly, they all work. Spaceranger Spin and Stitch’s Great Escape both involve, to some degree or another, space travel. Laugh Floor, which coincidentally I believe is the most underrated attraction in all of Walt Disney World, involves a sort of alternative energy being collected by a type of being that currently doesn’t inhabit our world. Sure, if you nitpick you may be able to find these attractions outside the “proper” scope of Tomorrowland, but what fun is nitpicking when you’re at Walt Disney World? Rather, enjoy yourself. Embrace the Fantasy of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.
Thanks to all those who submitted photos to the Flickr discussion in helping attempt to settle this Face-off; while you’ve all presented great arguments, I declare Tomorrowland to be the winner! Congratulations, Tomorrowland! Disagree with the sentiments expressed by myself and others? Have an ace-in-the-whole that totally changes the debate? Let us know what you think in the comments!
Next week’s Disney Debate subject of the Foto Face-off Friday will be a little different. In an attempt to solve the Studios’ identity crisis, we’re asking you to tell us which icon you believe is/should be the one true icon (icon in the vein of SpaceShip Earth, Cinderella Castle, or the Tree of Life) of the Studios. As best I can tell, there are currently four icons: Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the Big Sorcerer’s Hat, the Earful Tower, and the Tower of Terror. Post a shot showing your favorite and explaining why it should be the “chosen one”! Please, help us settle the debate on Twitter by voicing your thoughts to @TouringPlans and entering your submissions in the TouringPlans Flickr Group discussion entitled “TouringPlans’ Foto Face-off Friday Blog – Studios Icon v. Studios Icon!” You could have your comments and picture chosen to be featured in next week’s blog, so get to Tweetin’ and Postin’!
Steampunk Willy
by Todd Perlmutter on July 8, 2010 12 Comments
Sometimes I have to step back and apologize for what I like to call “geek blindness”. I’ll use a term, tweet a thing, or post a link to something that is a bit outside the common knowledge of others. I forget that not everyone within my online social circle has read comic books, reads science fiction,. has worked for a gaming website, etc. So, when I re-tweeted a fellow blogger’s post the other day, I have to admit I was caught off guard by the questions about the term steampunk.
This has been a hot topic as of late due to the upcoming release of the Wii video game Epic Mickey later this year. When this game was originally announced, it was presented to the world late last year in a series of concept art that to many must have seemed bizarrely surreal. Post-apocalyptic visions of some of our favorite Disney attractions presented in a world that looks like its been taken over by bizarre clockwork machinations that were referred to as Beetleworx – creatures formed of discarded and broken animatronics.
As a computer and platform game player and former gaming network staffer, I and others like me were ready to be floored, but at the same time skeptical. The two key reasons for this are that gaming concept art often promises far more than is ever delivered, and, more importantly, things change. To make a long story short, the steampunk aspects of Epic Mickey have been mostly removed from the landscape of the game. There are still the Beetleworx and other clockwork contraptions littered about that Mickey will have to interact with. And of course, a very cool Steamboat Willy game level that was demoed at this year’s E3.
More recently, there was another use of the term steampunk related to Disney with the introduction of something called The Mechanical Kingdom. The premise here is very simple, what if, instead of a Magic Kingdom, there was a kingdom that was driven and rooted in a world of clockwork machinations and Victorian era dress. One where the fab five were still on top. This world was first presented to us by a series of Disney Pins with rumors of a Vinylmation set some time in the future.
So just what then is steampunk? Well for starters its a sub-genre of science fiction & fantasy, and probably the one with the coolest name. Many say it’s roots go back into the 1980s, but the truth is that it goes back much father than that.
The general premise is that widespread use of modern technologies and electricity never came to be, and instead the world uses steam power and other energy sources to power the world (yes even computers). A world where gaslight rules the night and people wear stylized modern versions of Victorian-era clothing. Where the mechanics are made from precious metals like copper, brass, and gold, and often appear overly complex as their clockwork designs of gears, levers, springs, and tubes tend to dominate the task at hand. And flying machines like dirigibles dominate the sky.
Does this sound at all familiar to you? Well if you’ve ever been to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom you’ve seen these very devices strewn about. From the entrance archway for Tomorrowland, to the famed Astro Orbiter (my favorite ride), metallic palm trees, the front of the arcade, and others. Steampunk surround you in Tomorrowland, you just probably never realized these clockwork contraptions all had a common theme to them.
So remember that I mentioned that the origins of steampunk go way back? Well they go so far back that you’d likely need a time machine to find it. Up until recent years Tomorrowland had just such a time machine in The Timekeeper. This attraction took you back to meet the two gentleman who are considered to be the forefathers of the technologies that are considered to be part of the steampunk mythos: Jules Verne and H. G. Wells. And the two robots that took you back in time, Timekeeper and 9-Eye were very clockwork in nature.
Their stories of fabulous lands and stupendous contraptions are the very inspiration for steampunk. Wells described his time machine as, “a thing of brass, ebony, ivory, and translucent glimmering quartz” – it was a calculating machine that pushed one forward and backwards through time. And Verne’s Nautilus, perhaps one of the most iconic of science fiction devices, was described by him as, “a masterpiece containing masterpieces” with a mercury battery that created power through its interaction with sodium extracted from the very seawater that it swam through.
Walt Disney himself recognized the importance of Verne’s work and produced the 1954 film adaptation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In fact, the image of the Nautilus, designed to look like a mechanical version of a narwhal, that most people carry with them today comes from this movie. This visage was also the basis for the ride vehicles for the former Magic Kingdom ride 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage (another ride that shares my birthday).
Steampunk has carried into at least two Disney animated movies. The first of these is Treasure Planet with its very stylish concept of “Treasure Island in space.” It has semi-mechanical ships that sail through space using solar power and solar wind, cyborgs, and a clockwork robot named B.E.N. It is also generally regarded as the better of the two movies when compared to its counterpart Atlantis: The Lost Empire which takes place in the year 1914 and has technologies very similar to those found in Verne’s 20,000 Leagues.
So, as you can see, while steampunk may be a term that’s new to you, it’s not a term that’s new to the Walt Disney Company. And it’s something you’ve very likely seen before. It’s in their theme parks, movies, and merchandise. From a Disney perspective it’s been around for more than 50 years, and considering Epic Mickey and The Mechanical Kingdom there’s no reason that presence won’t continue.
What about you? Were you aware of steampunk before? Had you noticed its presence in the parks? What’s your favorite bit of Disney steampunk?
BETAMOUSE #22 – Disney Win, Fail, or Meh
by Recent News on July 7, 2010
A new episode of Betamouse is out, co-hosted by TouringPlans.com developer Henry Work.
Download the episode directly or subscribe via iTunes or RSS.
TouringPlans.com August Meet Week!
by Katie Siloac on July 7, 2010 18 Comments
It has been far too long since TouringPlans has taken over the “World” so we plan to come back and do it full force! Join our wonderful Wednesday Columnist and Unofficial Guide Researcher, Kristen and Social Media Guru, Katie as we travel down to Disney World and host the first ever TouringPlans.com August Meet Week! What better to do in 100 degree weather than enjoy some quality bonding time with other Disney fans! At least that’s what we’ll say to bloggers Todd and Caroline as we convince them to skip work and join us!
There are many TouringPlans.com users and Lines badge lovers traveling down to Disney at this time! So please feel free to come join us, meet new Disney friends and perhaps see some old ones!
Here’s the schedule:
Thursday August 12th, Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Tower of Terror Wait Time Sign, 6:00pm
The Summer Nightastic Tower of Tower meet! It isn’t Friday the 13th yet, and maybe that is a good thing! Join us for this meet to ride Tower of Terror and see the Summer Nightastic changes before they disappear!
Friday, August 13th, Magic Kingdom Hub in Front of the Popcorn Stand, 8:30pm
This is one of your last chances to see the amazing Main Street Electrical Parade and the new Summer Nightastic fireworks at the Magic Kingdom! TouringPlans.com wants to go out with a bang the same way we started the summer! We’re treating you to popcorn and coke as you enjoy the events. Will you join us?
Saturday, August 14th, Epcot in Front of the Germany Pretzel Stand, 2:00pm
What better to cool you off on a hot August afternoon than a nice, hot, salty pretzel? That’s what we thought too! So we’ll be treating you to some of these delicious goodies!
Sunday, August 15th, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park at the Dawa Bar, 1:30pm
For this meet we are starting off in the shade, relaxing at the Dawa Bar and then heading over to Kilimanjaro Safari’s to fill a jeep! Are you in? Bring your Safari hat!
Also, remember to join and subscribe to our Plancast to keep up with these events and please “count yourself in” so we can see who is attending!
We’ll see you in August!
Samland Visits World Showcase in Epcot
by Sam Gennawey on July 7, 2010
Last week, you got the Samland view of Future World. This week I take a stroll around the lagoon and visit the World Showcase.
So how do you bring peace and harmony to the world? The formula at the World Showcase is to host countries in a suburban-like cul-de-sac around a lagoon and give each country the same amount of waterfront footage. Use a design trick called “shrink and edit” on vernacular architecture and then populate the pavilions with residents from the host country. The idea came from Imagineer Harper Goff, Art Director for 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and designer of Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise and City Hall.
Each pavilion tries to capture the essence of one country and create a sense of place. Instead of being a collection of exact replicas of famous buildings, the Imagineers use a cinematic trick called “shrink and edit”. This technique takes well-known iconic buildings, changes the scale and some of the details, and then arranges the structures to make the most compelling composition.
The architectural aficionado is going to have a field day as you stroll the 1.3-mile promenade around the lagoon. Going clockwise you start with an Aztec-style pyramid with a Mexican village tucked inside. Next-door, a Norwegian castle and village is out front with its Stave Church and sod roofs. A scale model of 1420 Hall of Pray for Good Harvest dominates China while Germany heavily leans on Bavarian influences. In Italy, the reproduction of Venice’s Piazza of San Marco is reversed.
The American Adventure’s Georgian manor uses forced-perspective to hide the huge show building and to make the structure look smaller than it really is. The traditional torii gate along the waterfront and the 83-foot pagoda outside the entrance of a palace defines the Japan pavilion. The King of Morocco brought over his own artists to create the amazing hand-made terra-cotta tile mosaics that line the rooms and corridors that connect the ville novelle section to the Median section.
France celebrates the La Belle Époque (Beautiful Age) period and includes a 1/10th scale model of the Eiffel tower. A replica of the long-gone Pon des Arts Bridge connects France to the United Kingdom. The UK pavilion is a history lesson in British architecture and includes examples of Elizabethan, Tudor, Regency, Yorkshire, and Victorian buildings plus a Shakespearian cottage. Finally, Canada presents nothing less than the Rockies and one of that country’s most famous gardens.
WDW Today Episode 743 – Listener Questions
by Recent News on July 7, 2010
Episode 743 of WDW Today is now available for download here. Join TouringPlans.com owner Len Testa as co-host for a podcast that features many Walt Disney World travel planning tips!
One-click subscriptions to WDW Today:
Beaches & Cream – A Disney World Hidden Treasure
by Caroline Baggerly on July 6, 2010 18 Comments
Hidden behind the Beach and Yacht Club pool resides one of Walt Disney World’s hidden treasures — Beaches and Cream. Disney Imagineers designed Beaches and Cream to be an old fashioned ice cream parlor. This restaurant recalls memories from days gone by. While you might go for the ice cream, it’s a great place for a casual lunch or dinner.
The menu is basic All-American food – High quality at pretty reasonable Disney prices. I have tried most items on the menu — they are all good. The Beaches and Cream Burger Heaven (Hamburger) is my favorite, and it’s big enough to share. The French fries and onion rings are also both winners. I have even ordered the fresh fruit! It’s what I like to call “Disney Fruit:” cantaloupe, grapes and honey dew (it’s the same fruit salad you get all over Disney World).
The Roast Beef sub is a big hit with my family. Grilled roast beef, onions and peppers topped with melted provolone cheese will satisfy any carnivore. For the vegetarians in the group, the vegetarian Burger is grilled and served with lettuce and tomatoes on a multi-grain bun. You can make special requests for all of the food items.
But the burgers are not what got me to try this special place – it was the ice cream. The ice cream sodas, cones, malts and shakes are delicious. Beaches and Cream also serves its signature sundaes:
1. Milky Way – Bundt Cake topped with 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, caramel, whipped cream topped with white and dark chocolate shavings and a cherry.
2. Fudge Mud Slide – A Brownie covered in hot fudge, 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream, Oreo cookies, whipped cream topped with chocolate syrup and a cherry.
3. No Way Jose – Chocolate and Vanilla ice cream smothered in hot fudge and peanut butter along with peanut butter and chocolate chips, whipped cream and a cherry
4. The Kitchen Sink – Scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee and mint chocolate chip ice cream smothered in every topping they have along with every cookie and cake they have. At 23.99 this dessert can feed an army and maybe then some. It’s great fun to see the presentation by the Cast Members of the Kitchen Sink.
You cannot go wrong with a meal or just ice cream at Beaches and Cream. It’s worth the walk over from Epcot. Be warned, however: it gets crazy busy at night. I’ve found the best time to go is around 11:00 am and between 3 -5 pm. If you don’t mind waiting you can try it at dinner, but be prepared to wait!
Beaches and Cream is 1 Table Service on the Dining Plan. Personally, I’d use your Table Service Credit at another, more expensive restaurant to get the most bang for your buck.
AND REMEMBER! There are no calories at Disney World. Enjoy every bite.
What are your favorites at Beaches and Cream?
