Adventures of a Lost Boy in Disneyland (Part 8): Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln

This is the last part of my adventure that will occur in the Disneyland park for a while, but not the last part of the Adventures of a Lost Boy in Disneyland, and like last week’s adventure, this one is a return of a beloved classic.

The original Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened with it’s a small world and the Carousel of Progress at the 1964-1965 Worlds Fair in New York and was moved to Disneyland when the fair closed in 1965 where it sat in the Main Street Opera house until 1973 when it was replaced by the Walt Disney Story. Guests did not like seeing Mr. Lincoln go away, so in 1975 the Walt Disney Story re-opened as the Walt Disney Story Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. The show remained the same until 1984 when a new Lincoln audio-animatronic was created that was more lifelike and the show was changed around a little bit to add some content from the then relatively new American Adventure show at EPCOT Center.

The show continued to be a popular one until the late 90′s/early 2000′s, so Disney decided to completely overhaul the attraction and make it fresh. Unfortunately, the team that worked on this new version of Great Moments must have looked at what happened to Journey into Imagination when it got it’s overhaul and thought that it was a great idea. Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln opened with a brand new binaural audio section at the beginning and shifted it’s focus to the Civil War. This sounds okay on paper, right? Sure it does, until you realize that the show should be renamed Great Moments Getting a Shave. The show created a fictional character that guests followed as he developed pictures, got a shave, went to war, left war because he got shot, and went to see Lincoln give the Gettysburg Address. This version of the attraction focused more on the then relatively new binaural audio technology and less on Lincoln and his role in the show was cut down drastically due to the shorter length of the Gettysburg Address compared to Lincoln’s old speech. Needless to say, people were not pleased.

Luckily, this version of the attraction did not last long. When Disneyland celebrated it’s 50th Anniversary in 2005, the Main Street Opera House opened it’s first completely new show since 1973: Disneyland: the First 50 Magical Years. This was a great attraction (and still mostly exists there today) and replaced the Lincoln show with a short documentary on Disneyland hosted by Steve Martin and Donald Duck. The show was interesting, the movie was funny, and both the show and the movie were educational. In 2009, Lincoln returned to the Opera House in a new version of the attraction called the Disneyland Story Presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.

I had never seen Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln as the first time I came to Disneyland was in 2004 when the attraction was being converted over to the Disneyland: the First 50 Magical Years, but I must say that I am glad that my first experience with Mr. Lincoln was this one. This new version of the attraction is a bit of a combination of the 1984 and 2001 version. It features the same script for Lincoln as was in the 1984 version as well as some of the biography found in that show (albeit a shorter version than what could be seen in 1984) and also featured some of the Civil War content from the 2001 version, but none of the stupid binaural audio. The real star of the show here is the brand new Lincoln audio-animatronic. The new figure runs all on electronics rather than the hydraulics in the old figure and has some of the smoothest movements out of any of the audio-animatronics I have ever seen (and I’ve seen a lot) and can be one of the most scarily expressive ones in existence. This new Lincoln is obscenely life-like and managed to somehow stay out of the uncanny-valley so I was already geeking out about the animatronic when I first saw it, but when he stood up I freaking lost it. The Lincoln animatronic is absolutely amazing and I am very excited to see how this new breed of audio-animatronic will be used in the future.

Adventures of a Lost Boy in Disneyland (Part 4): The Magic, the Memories, and You!

Sorry about the lack of post on Saturday, I was moving into my new apartment and just wasn’t able to get any sort of content up.

Nighttime at Disneyland is a very full time, considering that there are 3 nighttime spectaculars in just the Disneyland park. The first of the three that I’m going to talk about is the Magic, the Memories, and You! The show takes place on it’s a small world at Disneyland and Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom and is a projection show on the face of each structure that shows various pictures and video either taken from around the parks by Disney PhotoPass photographers or sent in by guests combined with various animations. The technology is very impressive and the actual animations are cool to watch. There are sections that make the facade look like it has sections that are popping in and out, parts that make it look like it’s on fire, and parts that even make it look like it is launching into space! It’s very amusing to watch, it’s kind of a shame that the pictures sometimes get in the way of seeing the animations.

The music is good, but it’s very similar in tone to the music to Wishes. The theme for the show is very saccharine sweet and bubbly (but not necessarily in a bad way) and will get stuck in your head, and there is a variety of pieces of music from various Disney films (and even some attractions) sprinkled throughout.

Really the only problem I have with the show is how it is presented. At the Magic Kingdom, the show runs right before Wishes, so it makes the whole experience feel like a pre-show more than an actual full-blown show, and to be quite honest, I feel like that should be the way it is shown. The Magic, the Memories, and You! is a good show on it’s own, but it’s not the overly big nighttime spectacular that people are used to seeing at a Disney park, it’s very subdued and is almost completely confined to the facade of each building except for a handful of fireworks at the end. At Disneyland, the show is shown on it’s own at the very back of the park, so many people leave the show feeling let down that it wasn’t as big as they were expecting. The show (minus the pictures and video for each show) is more-or-less the same on both coasts, just with the version at the Magic Kingdom being taller and the version at Disneyland being spread out across a longer distance.

The show presents many possibilities for the future of Disney’s nighttime shows. The show uses around 16 projectors to present it and the Imagineers used 3D models of each building to make sure the animation synced up perfectly with the features. I’m much more intrigued by the possibilites that the show presents. There could be some very cool shows made in the future using this technology combined with fireworks. Imagine a firework show that combined the music of “I See the Light” with fireworks and lanterns floating all around on the castle, or they could have the Genie conjure all kinds of things on the castle’s face or even become the castle himself while “Friend Like Me” plays. Imagine a Halloween show in which the Disney Villains actually take over the castle and Maleficent transforms into her dragon form and sets it alight! The possibilities for this technology are much more interesting than the Magic, the Memories, and You!

 

It Feels Like I Did Nothing But Watch Parades

FROM THE CONTINUING ADVENTURES OF A DISNEY GEEK: You would be surprised at how long it takes me to prepare these articles, especially considering that the articles are already written (I wrote them while on location). The Magic Kingdom is easily my favourite of the Walt Disney World parks, it has both of my favourite attractions (though one of them is a bastardized version, more on that later), it is the closest American park to Disneyland

Day 3

Situational music is hilarious.

8:07 AM: Just got to the Magic Kingdom. Main Street looks as beautiful as ever and the castle is immaculate.
8:10 AM: Huh, looks like The Hall of Presidents is out of it’s refurbishment scrim, but there is no marquee up yet, interesting. It would be pretty nice if they had some secret soft opening going on today, I want to see the Barack Obama audio-animatronic!
8:14 AM: I got my FastPass for Splash Mountain, and it’s only a 10 minute wait. Might as well ride it while I wait until I can get one for Big Thunder.
8:39 AM: God, I am soaked.
Of course, that’s what happens when you sit in the second row of the log on Splash Mountain! The guy in front of me lost his hat on the way down into the brier patch. I wonder if he will be able to get it back later, can’t help but feel sorry for him on a hot day like this.
8:49 AM: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is fun, but I’ve heard that it’s better at night, I will have to study this further. Preferably, in a lab coat. Back of man, I’m a scientist!
8:52 AM: There are not a lot of people here.

The Haunted Mansion is the greatest Disney attraction ever. If you don't agree with me, then get the hell off my internets.

I’m very surprised considering the massive crowds yesterday. There is still only a 10 minute wait for Splash Mountain, might as well ride again! I hope I don’t get as wet as I did last time. Watch this, I’ll get the front.
8:56 AM: I was right.
9:11 AM: I got hit at every single point that you can get wet at (the first little drop, the waterfalls, the cannon that shoots off as you ride past the final drop, the Slippin’ Falls, and the final drop). I’ve never had to use the paper towels in the bathroom to dry off before, so this is going to be an experience. They really need to refurbish the audio-animatronics, the syncing is off and the hopping Br’er Rabbit effect hasn’t been seen for years. I think it might be time to leave Frontierland. I do believe it’s time to go meet with Master Gracey again, I frightfully enjoy our meetings, and I do hope that he will let me in, considering that I’m drenched to the bone. It would just kill me if that were to be the case.

Goofy decided on my pose, so... word!

9;42 AM: I love the additions they made to the Mansion, they definitely make the experience much creepier. I’m definitely going to do a separate article on the Haunted Mansion at a later time, but don’t hold your breath, I wouldn’t want you to leave prematurely. Oh, and be sure to look for Mr. Toad in the pet cemetery, it’s a nice send up to the premature death of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. Well, considering I didn’t catch my death of cold while touring the Haunted Mansion, might as well finish the job and go to the symphony.
9:56 AM: Heh, opera glasses. They look just like the 3D glasses for every other Disney 3D movie. Oh god, who put Goofy in the position of stage manager?
10:09 AM: Mickey’s PhilharMagic is definitely the best 3D film on property. The Imagineers definitely took everything they learned about immersion and put it to excellent use here. From the alluring scent during the “Be our Guest” scene, to the water in the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” it makes the experience seem more real. One thing I noticed is that the Ariel in the film looks like she would be more at home in the Incredibles than her own movie.
10:21 AM: Oh mans, a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride shirt! Damn you Winnie the Pooh! I love your attraction, but you took away the best iteration of the Mr. Toad ride and don’t even get me started on the closing of the Country Bears in Disneyland, that’s fodder for a whole other Journey Into Imagination style rant.

Yes, this view was the fuel for the canon rant.

10:26 AM: It’s interesting that Timothy Mouse from Dumbo is the approximate size of a mouse in real life and that Mickey is supposed to be about 2 to 3 feet tall. It seems that all of the Disney characters inhabit the same universe, so this brings up an interesting bit of canon error. I guess I can follow the Kingdom Hearts approach to the universe and just write he issue off by saying that each set of characters live on their own separate world from the other sets, but that they have the ability to cross over (as shown in obviously Kingdom Hearts, but also the somewhat short lived House of Mouse show on the Disney Channel). Wow, I just realized as I stand in line, by myself, at Snow White’s Scary Adventures and arguing Disney canon, that I don’t have a life. Maybe they sell one in one of the thousands of gift shops in these parks. Ooh, I got the Dopey car!

I haven't been to Mickey's Toontown Fair for years, so seeing these pumpkins and walking through the cartoon-y houses really brought me back.

10:40 AM: The Imagineers could definitely use what used to be the submarine lagoon across from the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh to put in some new Dark rides. Maybe they could put in either Pinocchio’s Daring Journey or Alice in Wonderland in. The relative closeness to the Mad Tea Party would suggest the latter, but the close proximity to Dumbo the Flying Elephant would suggest the addition of the Casey Jr. Circus Train. While I’m doing some armchair Imagineering, I would like them to finally do away with the “Tournament Festival” look of most of Fantasyland and make it look more like Disneyland’s.

EDITOR’S NOTE: There is a rumour (and leaked blueprints that are possibly fake) circulating the interwebs saying that Disney is actually going to use the space to put in a Beauty and the Beast attraction similar to the Enchanted Tiki Room (themed to the “Be Our Guest” scene), the Little Mermaid attraction being put into California Adventure, a Cinderella attraction, a Sleeping Beauty themed area, Pixie Hollow, and move Dumbo the Flying Elephant to the back of this new area and add a second set of elephants. This is just a rumour and should be regarded as such, but it would be super awesome if it wasn’t just another unfounded claim. I wants me some more Fantasyland.

It's completely ridiculous that I have to see a parade to see the Mad Hatter. He's the only walk-around character I really wanted to get a picture with this trip!

10:57 AM: I feel the same way about the old Fantasyland skyway building as I do about the ex-submarine lagoon. Use the space for something besides stroller parking! Whoa, a wait for the Haunted Mansion? What is this world coming to?
11:31 AM: I just saw a Max walk-around character! I haven’t seen one since I was a kid!
11:42 AM: Just got pictures with Gideon, Pinocchio, and Terrence the Country Bear.
12:19 PM: It seems that the only way to enjoy the Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management (which is to drink/eat a Dole Whip) is now not allowed. When the cast member told me I was afraid that I would have to throw away my overpriced (but delicious) frozen treat. By the way, the show is as terrible as ever.

The Move-it, Shake-it, Celebrate-it Street Party (I know, stupid name) has colours so loud and gaudy that they just work. I don't understand why.

12:50 PM: The Move-it, Shake-it, Celebrate It Street Party is a lot of fun if you don’t mind looking like a total dork shaking you’re tail feathers. It was a highly enjoyable experience. My opinion may have been influenced slightly by the inclusion of the Mad Hatter, Mr. Incredible, and Frozone.
1:00 PM: I got my picture with Max and Goofy with an added bonus of Baloo. Mission accomplished.
1:20 PM: The wait-time for Pirates of the Caribbean is supposedly 40 minutes. I remain unconvinced due to it’s ridiculously high guests-per-hour count. The queue for the attraction is exquisitely themed, much more so than the Disneyland version, but the drawback is that they took up to much space for the queue and the length (and overall quality) of the attraction suffered, making the original much better than the second (much like the Pirates of the Caribbean films). The caverns are practically non-existent, so there aren’t the funny/macabre scenes with the
skeleton pirate crew (like a skeleton drinking some rum that you can see going down his rib cage).

Why is Mr. Incredible wearing Mardi-Gras beads? That invokes way too many horrible images for me.

1:57 PM: I stand corrected, the line did take 40 minutes.
2:30 PM: Dream-Along With Mickey is very similar to all of the other castle forecourt shows, an amalgamation of ideas that really don’t come together to form any sort of story, so nothing special. The worst part is that there is absolutely no cover, so the blasted day-star is right upon me! Man, it’s hot. Some ice cream sounds good. Really good.
2:48 PM: Mmm… raspberry sorbet… and a parade! Second new parade of the day!

I miss the Aladdin parade...

3:20 PM: I think I’ll hit the Haunted Mansion and Mickey’s PhilharMagic again. I need to spend some quality time with air conditioning. Oh wait, the parade that I just watched us going in that direction. Damn.
4:03 PM: Mickey’s PhilharMagic has a 40 minute wait, so that definitely isn’t happening. Let’s see… indoor attraction… long indoor attraction… air conditioning… Carousel of Progress!
4:34 PM: I love the Carousel of Progress. The theme song is catchy. The audio-animatronics are highly advanced and relatively lifelike and it was one of the last attractions supervised by Walt Disney. My feet hurt, time to rest.
6:58 PM: Back in the park, this time with the Reisfelds in tow. We’re heading to Adventureland.
7:21 PM: Where did this rain come from? It’s lasting longer than a normal Florida shower and I left my umbrella at home! I hope it stops soon.
7:43 PM: Rain finally stopped. We have FastPasses for the Jungle Cruise, so that’s next on the chopping block.
8:12 PM: I love the Jungle Cruise, but Disney has to do something about the audio on the boats. Unless you are sitting right next to the skipper, or they’re exceptionally loud, you can’t hear them over the sound of the boat’s engine!

I have never seen an Abu walk-around character before this moment. I was both creeped out and in a state of awe.

8:57 PM: I went back to Splash Mountain, sat in the second row and didn’t get wet. Great success!
9:57 PM: The fireworks are about to start! I’m so excited!
10:23 PM: I like Wishes, but it’s the red-headed stepchild of Remember… Dreams Come True. It just doesn’t live up to the ridiculously high expectations set by the latter.
10:35 PM: Daniel wants to ride the Mad Tea Party. God, I haven’t rode that since I was a kid. My mom gets sick after riding them, so it’s never high on our to-do list.
10:41 PM: The Mad Tea Party is super fun, now excuse me while I regain my balance.
10:57 PM: I’m going to let you in on a little secret, the real reason to stay in the Magic Kingdom at night isn’t the fireworks, but rather the SpectroMagic parade. Oh, and the song WILL get stuck in your head, just so you know.


11:12 PM: I think what I love about SpectroMagic the most is that it is basically two parades, the white light version and the coloured version.

This float is absolutely gorgeous. I don't even care that it's a Princess float, I like it.

11:15 PM: Holy crap! The castle is open! I can actually see the murals inside the castle!
11:23 PM: Those murals are beautiful, it’s a damn shame that you can’t see them during the day. I can bet you that most people that just can’t see the murals because of the castle forecourt show.
12:00 PM: The “Good Night Kiss” is kind of cool. I’ve never actually seen it before, and it’s a good way to end the day. Good night internet!

Next week is going to be devoted to Ponyo related articles, so the next trip report will be in two weeks. Just thought you should know.

Waiting is Boring

TOTALLY POSTED IN BETWEEN GAMES OF THE LEGENDARY STARFY AND TURTLES IN TIME RE-SHELLED: Life just keeps getting in the way of making these posts! This time it was my sociology class combined with work, but I’m done with the class now, so I should be able to stay regular. Now on to the topic at hand, I actually mixed up my days in the last part of this series. Day 2 is not the Magic Kingdom, but rather the Hollywood Studios (formerly the Disney-MGM Studios).

Day 2

8:17 AM: Disney’s Hollywood Studios is in sight, as is the massive security line. Yay. Considering how thoroughly they check people’s bags, I’m surprised that there haven’t been any accidents at the parks. If someone really wanted to, they could easily sneak in some sort of weapon.
8:20 AM: The park hasn’t been open for too long and the Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror already has a 20 minute wait? The park literally just opened for it’s Extra Magic Hours! This does not bode well for the rest of the day…
8:23 AM: I love, love, love the queue for the Tower of Terror. The garden is so delightfully creepy (especially when it is hot out or at night when they have the mist blowers going) and when I actually reach the building, I always feel like I’m being watched. It almost makes me feel like the hotel itself is alive (sort of like the Haunted Mansion)

8:29 AM: The wait time was wrong. I’m going to do it again.
8:53 AM: Okay, the wait time was correct this time. Now it’s saying 50 minutes, definitely not going to ride it now. Time for the Rock n’ Roller Coaster Featuring Aerosmith! Party on!
8:55 AM: Yeesh, the wait isn’t much better here! Thank you single rider line!

The director will see you now...

9:30 AM: I’m not worthy, I’m not worthy! I didn’t get the front! The coaster is much better in the front due completely to the launch, it’s far to benign when you’re in the middle. I wonder when Mr. Bill and Daniel are going to get here?
9:33 AM: Ooh, Streetmosphere performer! He seems to be a director, maybe this could be my big break?
9:39 AM: Heh, he says I have an incredible shirt. Funny, funny. (I was wearing my Incredibles shirt)

I like this new marquee over the old one. I love it because it falls into my slight obsession with Fantasia.

10:00 AM: Got into the first showing of the animation presentation, time to watch some hilarious Mushu antics. I kind of miss the old Robin Williams/Walter Cronkite movie, though. Peter Pan was always one of my favourite Disney films, so seeing Robin Williams being put into that world was really special for me.

Kevin!

10:12 AM: Oh mans, they have an exhibit showing off concept art and maquettes for Up!
10:30 AM: Damn it, the first Animation Academy is full. I don’t really feel like waiting around for the next one, maybe I’ll play around with the exhibits a bit here.
10:47 AM: The audio exhibit must be busted. My Christopher Walken rendition of Iago sounded like something out of the Exorcist. Must need more cowbell.
11:00 AM: I think I’m going to see the 11:30 Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and save seats for the Reisfelds. They said that they want to see it, and I would like someone to be there if I can be an extra.

Yours truly... in a turban. Do you have a problem with that?

11:03 AM: I hope that isn’t the line to get in! It’s huge! Looks like it’s going all the way back to Star Tours!
11:04 AM: I hate always being right, it is the line to get in.
11:07 AM: I have aisle seats in the second row on the far left side of the theatre. Now if only they will get here on time.
11:15 AM: They aren’t here yet and Mr. Bill isn’t picking up his phone. This isn’t good.

11:21 AM: I hope they get here soon. I feel bad telling people that the seats are taken when there aren’t seats anywhere else in the theatre.
11:30 AM: The show is starting, they aren’t here, and I feel like an ass.
11:32 AM: I got selected to be an extra! I just had to scream myself hoarse! Ow.
12:03 PM: Being an extra is so fun, but so hot. I got stuck in robes made of wool that don’t breathe and I was sweating like crazy! The turban was comfortable, though.

I used to be on the Red Team, but posing is so much more fun than fighting Blues.

12:16 PM: I was just recruited into the Green Army and got to do some Green Army Man poses (I did the minesweeper and commander guy with the walkie-talkie). It’s kind of a shame that this whole little streetmosphere performance was just an advertisement for the Block Party Bash parade.

12:18 PM: 45 minute wait for the Great Movie Ride? I don’t think so! Love the large audio-animatronic shows and all, but there are few attractions at any of the Disney parks that I will wait 45 minutes for. The only one I can think about off the top of my head is the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye (and you thought Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was a long name) at Disneyland. It’s a damn shame that Disney will never install this attraction anywhere in Walt Disney World as it uses the exact same ride system (and track layout) as Countdown to Extinction, sorry Dinosaur at the Animal Kingdom.

Also, I would have loved to have a picture of the Chinese Theatre inserted into this post, but it’s practically impossible to get a picture of the Hollywood Studios version because of the freaking Sorcerer’s Hat! The thing is an eyesore and can be seen from most places around the park! It was put in for the 100 Years of Magic Celebration in 2001 and should have been torn down right afterwards (like the wand that used tomuck up the subtle beauty of Spaceship Earth that was added during the same celebration and was removed in 2007).

My sources tell me that Pixar Place looks very similar to the actual Pixar Studios, so if I go there and don't see toys hanging all over the buildings I will be very upset.

12:27 PM: Ugh, I have to leave the Walt Disney exhibit to go meet up with the Reisfeld’s. Maybe we’ll do something fun.
12:30 PM: Okay, we have 50 minutes to get across the park and into the most crowded show on property and it only has two showings today. It’s time to be a dick and push through some crowds!
12:42 PM: Waiting for Lights, Motors, Action! The crowds at EPCOT yesterday were fairly light, and I can’t say I wasn’t surprised, but everyone seems to be out in force today. Crowds everywhere, and it’s ridiculously hot. I’m not talking about normal Florida or summer hot, I’m talking 100 degrees hot with a metric shit-ton of humidity hot. I think the sun is trying to kill us.
1:02 PM: Still waiting…

1:55 PM: Lights, Motors, Action! is pretty cool, but having very serious discussions of how the stunts work after getting you’re adrenaline pumping is a bad idea. Especially when the viewer did not get a lot of sleep the night before(I nodded off a few times). It’s also a shame about what happened to the Back Lot Tour. It seems like every time the park gets something new, the attraction gets smaller and shorter. It used to be a huge, 3-hour long experience that was part walking and part riding and it just kept getting gutted. The riding section would actually start where the Animation Building is now and the warehouses in Pixar Place were actually used for production of movies and TV shows instead of attractions. The most recent chop was the destruction of Residential Street for the construction of the Lights, Motors, Action! show, now all that’s left of the tour is the Boneyard and Catastrophe Canyon.

2:00 PM: We split up, oh well.

2:08 PM: Over in Pixar Place (formerly Mickey Avenue) they just added in a 6 foot tall Luxo Jr. audio-animatronic and the cast member said that he comes out every 15 minutes. Here’s hoping.

(Just as a note, if you are going to watch the video below, turn down the volume on your computer. The microphone on my camera is very strong, so it is very loud. And yes, for once I’m posting a video that I actually filmed!)

I love the attraction...

...but not the wait. NOT A FAN!

2:18 PM: I was greatly surprised at how funny the little show was! The Imagineers need to continue with the living character initiative, this is definitely the future of walk around characters. They also need to bring back the other living characters (Lucky the Dinosaur, the Muppet Mobile Lab, Wall-E (who never actually made it to any of the parks, only in some very lucky science centres), and an accurate-to-canon-sized Remy) who only show up in the parks for a few months, then probably go into storage never to be seen again.
2:45 PM: I really want to see Block Party Bash, but it’s so damn hot (milk was a bad choice) and I don’t really know if I can stay in the direct sunlight for too long. Oh wait, I can stand next to the merchendise booth outside of the Chinese Theatre. Ahh… shade…
3:24 PM: That was a fun parade and it’s nice to see Heimlich in something. I would have liked the parade better if the Incredibles had their own float rather than coming out of the movie introduction floats near the end. I could only see Elastigirl well.
3:30 PM: Waiting to see the American Idol Experience. Kind of boring.
3:55 PM: The guy who does the pre-show was really funny today. Very high-energy and possibly insane, I think further study is needed. It’s interesting if you get to the theatre early enough to see them filming the crowd reactions to some of the contestants. They actually go out and tell the crowd to chant for one of the performers and rope a small child into telling the contestant that was chanted for that “you are my American Idol.” I’m ashamed to say that I got into the chanting in a very “one of us” hive mind sort of way.

The whimsy, it is in full force!

4:26 PM: I enjoy the daytime shows, but the finale show is what is really worth the time. The only part I don’t like is the Jordin Sparks commercial for the park that you are already in, it is completely stupid and pointless. The girl who won was astoundingly good, but I think it might have been partly because of her song choice. She was a big lady and she sang”Reflection” from Mulan, so it was rather fitting.
4:30 PM: Ooh, no wait for the Great Move Ride! Now it’s time to go on it!
4:58 PM: I got to see the bank robbery scene instead of the gangster scene. That was the only one I saw the last time I was at WDW, of course they were only running the second train at a time then.
5:39 PM: I just found the security booth with the key under the mat at MuppetVision 3D. I have been coming here since I was 2 1/2 and I have never found this and I feel bad about it. The cast member told me not to tell anyone about it, like it was some huge secret. I love it when they actually get into their roles. Just as a tip, when you go to see MuppeVision 3D be sure to see the entire pre-show video. It’s funnier than the actual show, not kidding.

Heimlich is the man, he chills out in a saxophone.

6:14 PM: I don’t really have any thing else to do, might as well go wait for the finale show.
6:16 PM: Do I really want to wait 45 minutes for the show? Time to check.
6:18 PM: Yes, yes I do. That’s a lot of people.
6:34 PM: Bored.
6:39 PM: Bored.
6:43 PM: Bored.
6:45 PM: Entertained.
7:37 PM: The lady who sang Reflections won! No commercial for the park I’m already in! The finale show is great!

8:02 PM: Considering how the crowds have been today, I might as well go to the Hollywood Hills Amphitheatre and get a seat for Fantasmic! I am not saving a seat for Mr. Bill and Daniel this time, besides, they probably went back to the hotel by now.

Best. Security. Ever.

8:10 PM: Jesus tap-dancing Christ, the theatre is already almost full! The cast members are already filling in the seats on the far side of the amphitheatre and there’s still 50 minutes before the show starts! What the hell?

8:13 PM: Oh the joys of coming alone. I got a seat two rows back from the front in the Mickey section (that’s the section in the middle of the theatre for the uninitiated). I’ve got my Cheez-its, I’ve got my iPod, and I’ve got my Imagineering Field Guide books to keep me busy. I just wish Disney would release the Field Guide to the Hollywood Studios, it was scheduled to come out in April, then it was pushed back to June, now it’s been pushed back to sometime next year! Get the lead out Disney!

8:39 PM: Bored.

8:43 PM: Bored.

8:47 PM: Bored.

8:55 PM: 5 minutes!

9:00 PM: I can see Illuminations going off from behind the stage for Fantasmic!, but no show in front of me. What the hell?

The name on this merchendise stand always makes me smile. HEY YOU GUYS!

9:03 PM: Spoke too soon.

9:29 PM: I love Fantasmic, it’s just so different from everything else and so uniquely Disney… it also doesn’t help that I love practically everything that has any reference to Fantasia.  The story is fun, the music is great and catchy (expecially the theme for the show), but what’s really interesting is the water screens. For anyone who hasn’t seen it (what the hell is wrong with you?), Disney has a system that allows water to be sprayed up in a fan shape and they project clips from some Disney animate films right onto the water. It doesn’t sound like much when being described through text, but the screens are quite impressive in person. Fantasmic is performed on both coasts, but I think the Disneyland version is better and here’s why:

1. There is a Peter Pan scene instead of a Pocahontas scene
2. Disney just upgraded the sound, lighting, pyrotechnics and cameras in for the water screens with HD cameras.
3. By the end of the year, there will be a 45 foot tall, audio-animatronic Maleficent dragon instead of the stupid looking puppet one they have now with glittery black and purple streamers hanging off of it to hide the mechanisms inside. The Maleficent dragon has always been one of my major gripes with the show, it just looks so out of place from everything else and has never looked threatening… EVER!

Poor monkey, he doesn't have spring loaded wings to cut him loose.

This is not to say that the version at Walt Disney World is bad, they made the show longer when it opened at the Studios and added in some fountains with nice lighting effects and more villains.

9:35 PM: No wait for the Tower of Terror, sounds good to me.

9:55 PM: You know, I used to hate the fact that Disney replaced the lab bars with seatbelts. Now, not so much. Guests used to be able to hold onto the lap bar if they felt scared, now they have to hold onto each other. So, when there is a fairly attractive member of the opposite sex hanging onto your arm because he/she is scared, it is definitely considered to be a win/win scenario. Oh well, that is all internet. Good night.

Be looking forward to some sort of gaming related article on Monday or Tuesday. I’m getting my wisdom teeth removed today (being 7 August 2009), so there may be a delay on the post depending on how I feel this weekend.

EDIT (31/8/09): The new Maleficent dragon has finally made it’s appearance.

Maleficent dragon, you’re doing it right!

Ramblings From the Future and Around the World

This is acutally from my trip in May, I wonder if anyone will notice... wait a minute...

TAKEN FROM THE NOTES APP FROM RYAN’S iPOD: I am a huge Disney fan, especially a fan of the Disney Theme parks. I have been to Walt Disney World in Florida 22 times in my life and to Disneyland in California 3 times. I rarely go anywhere else on vacation and do not see that changing in the near future. My family grew around Walt Disney World, so I have been able to see how the parks have changed over the almost two decades of my travels and I have become very opinionated about what they have become. I thought it would be interesting for people to see my rather peculiar though process as I went through the parks on my most recent trip, but I may be completely wrong…

Day 1

5:30 AM: It’s so damn early. Why am I up? Oh, plane… I have to get ready! Those 8:30 flights aren’t going to catch themselves!

7:17 AM: Where is Mr. Bill? We can’t go through security without him. Or can we? Daniel is going to try to keep up with me, but I remain unconvinced. I don’t think they have seen how fast I can walk.

7:40 AM: I hate going through security, they made me take off my shoes. That alone is not much of a problem, what is was that I was wearing FLIP-FLOPS! Now my feet are dirty, GREAT START!

10:00 AM: 20-25 minutes to landing! I can’t wait to get off of this bloody plane and start having fun. EPCOT is on the chopping block today.

11:13 AM: God, could this line move any slower? I just want to get to the hotel and get some food! RYAN HUNGRY! The airplane-shaped graham crackers didn’t help.

Classy lobby is classy

12:49 PM: We stopped at the Grand Floridian (which is probably the most beautiful hotel on property, and is also really freaking expensive. Not for the weak of wallet) and no one got off, so why are we waiting here?

12:54 PM: We are still at the Grand Floridian. Whee…

1:06 PM: Just got to the hotel! I hope we get to stay in the A Frame, stayed in one of the other buildings last time. You can’t get the full experience of the Contemporary without staying in the main building.

1:11 PM: VICTORY! A-FRAME!

1:14 PM: Super cool room is super cool! I can look out of the door and see the monorail going through the building and look out at Bay Lake from the balcony! The Bay Lake Tower looks like it’s almost finished. I wonder when it’s going to open.

The Imagineers just did a massive refurbishment to the Contemporary a few years ago. They had to make the Contemporary look contemporary again.

1:37 PM: Lunch! Finally! Lime- Roasted Chicken sandwich with pepper jack cheese and sesame green beans! From a counter-service restaurant! For under 10 bucks! This is the difference between a value and a deluxe level hotel!
2:19 PM: Just rode with the pilot of the monorail and got a co-pilot liscence! Super cool!

A room with a view.

3:06 PM: The new “Spaceship Earth” is fun, but I feel that some of the message is lost with the interactive video section at the end. Stopped by Innoventions West on the way out and got a 3:30 session for the “Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure”. I did the Japan mission in May and I hope that Daniel will like it. It was pretty fun. Don’t really know what to do in the interim, I guess the Times Board will help.

Achievement Unlocked: Complete Bay Lake Tower

3:07 PM: “Soarin’” has a 95 minute wait and no more FastPasses!? that seems to be the biggest problem with coming in the afternoon. Oh well, I have some gripes with that attraction, mostly with the editing in the film. It’s not a seamless film like “Star Tours” and that really takes you out of the experience. I enjoy the attraction a lot, but I would not wait more than maybe 45 minutes for it. I guess we’ll head away from Future World East and head to the West side.
3:10 PM: Whoa, there is actually a wait for “Mission: SPACE”? I have never actually had to wait for it! At least the G-Forces are worth it, and the wait is only 20 minutes.
3:11 PM: Good, every one is doing the Orange Course. With “Mission: SPACE”, there is the right way (Orange) and the pussy way (Green). Green is just a simulator with just some tilting, no spinning. It essentially makes the ride not worth it.

3:23 PM: There is supposedly a “Horizons” (the attraction “Mission: SPACE” replaced) logo on the space station wheel in the queue, but I haven’t seen it. Might I be looking in the wrong place?

Any store named "Fantasia" is good in my book, now where is my book...

3:50 PM: Okay, we get that “Ellen’s Energy Adventure” is a 37 minute slow moving show with no stops for bathrooms. You can stop repeating it! I just want to see the bloody show!
4:30 PM: Heh, I have to use the bathroom after the 37 minute slow moving show with no stops for bathroom breaks. Irony. My friend Marco, who is going to school down here, called and said that he is on his way to the park. I hope he understands that the park closes at 9. Well, we’re done with Future World West until our 7:30 FastPass for Test Track is up, time to move east.

I don't care that there is a rather flamboyant man holding a purple dragon on this shirt, I'm still wearing it with pride!

4:35 PM: “Soarin’” has a 70 minute wait and Daniel really wants to ride it, I don’t think I would wait more than 45 minutes for it so I think it’s time to split up.
4:40 PM: My mom didn’t want to wait either, this kind of dampens my plans. She doesn’t like the “Seas with Nemo and Friends” and we don’t want to go to World Showcase yet. God damn it! There is really only one attraction left in this section of the park, my nemesis…
4:43 PM: There is NEVER a wait for “Journey Into Your Imagination with Figment”. This does not bode well for the overhaul announced during EPCOT’s 25th birthday.
4:50 PM: If you want to read my views on this bastardization, check out the article.

4:53 PM: Oh mans, they have a shirt for the original Journey Into Imagination! I am so buying this!

Mary Blair's art is awesome, if you disagree I will find you!

4:55 PM: Well, we still have time. I haven’t actually spent any time in Innoventions in years, so that should be next.
5:30 PM: Mr. Bill and Daniel are finally done. So it’s time to travel the world! Daniel and I are headed for the international Gate Way (which is a great way to get in and out of the park in the afternoon and evening) to get our Kimmunicator and start the World Showcase Adventure. Huh, I guess my mom and Mr. Bill don’t want to play. Their loss!
5:37 PM: Our first mission is to stop Senior Senior Sr. from using a Procrastination Ray on France (not that France does anything anyway! A-ha a-ha a-ha! I kill myself!).

I want to control the monorail! Must... resist... stupidity impuse!

5:40 PM: Wow, I must not have spent any time at all in the France Pavilion, I never noticed the giant stained glass representation of Beauty and the Beast! I guess doing the World Showcase Adventure is a good way to get a captive audience in the pavilions.
5:53 PM: Wow, the bookstore area is cool! They have books and statues devoted to all of the Disney movies set in France! Hey, a section for the Hunchback of Notre Dame…

The JAMitors are super-cool. I really don't have anything else to say about them, carry on.

6:11 PM: One of the coolest things about the Adventure is that the Imagineers added items to the pavilion for the game, and they fit in perfectly with the look and themeing of the area. I never would have guessed that the olde-timey camera was part of the game until I played!

6:15 PM: Well, we saved France. I want to check out the store in Japan, so I think we should head there next. Starting the Japan mission… NOW!
6:16 PM: We have to stop the Killer Bebes from finding the Baby Bebe and using her elemental powers? What the fuck is this shit, Charles? Oh well, might as well do it. We have time. (By the way, Kim Possible is a great animated show. Think Venture Brothers but for kids and you’ll have the show.)

I like the decision to put the Eiffel Tower in the background, it forces people out of their safe zone.

6:49 PM: Well, Daniel doesn’t want to do this anymore and the last part of the mission was in the store. I think it’s time to shop!

7:18 PM: Damn it, there is an awesome hat and bad ass pair of shoes in the Japan pavilion store, but they’re so expensive! What? Overpriced Revoltech and Pokemon plushies as well! Argle-bargle-bargle!

7:19 PM: Well, it seems that Marco is finally here. Took him long enough.

I have never seen this window before, I feel stupid.

8:21 PM: Man, “Test Track” is fun. I do miss the “World of Motion”, but this is probably the most worthy predecessor to the old EPCOT audio-animatronic shows. The less I speak of “Journey into Imagination with Figment” the better. Well now I have to wait for Marco to come out. He waited in the Single Rider line and was loading as we got off, so this shouldn’t take too long. My mom, Mr. Bill and Daniel went back to the hotel because Daniel was acting like a baby, so it’s just going to be me and Marco.
8:30 PM: Well, it would be pretty cool to get some food before watching Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. I’m in the mood for some somen, so back to Japan!

I found a hidden Mickey in Morocco!

8:49 PM: Okay, if we continue to wait in this line we’ll miss the fireworks and no somen is worth that.
8:53 PM: We have a spot over in Italy for the fireworks with no problems with trees or other intrusions blocking our view. It’s Marco’s first time seeing this show, so he should see it correctly.
9:27 PM: Illuminations is probably the best fireworks on property and the 2nd best fireworks display put on by Disney (the first being the now defunct “Remember… Dreams Come True” fireworks at Disneyland). This display actually brings a tear to my eye and (temporarily) restores my faith in humanity, it’s that good.

I really don't have a silly/funny caption for this picture. Bummer.

9:34 PM: Well, there is a massive line for the monorail, but there is an Art of Disney store on the way out of the park so we’ll be able to waste some time.
9:41 PM: Oh my god, this Fantasia statue is freaking awesome… and so is this Aladdin one! Damn my lack of funds!

WANT!

9:49 PM: The Art of the Incredibles? Art of Wall-e? Art of Ratatouille? Once again, damn my lack of money!
9:57 PM: Well, the line should have died out a little bit. I think it’s time to leave, I want to go to bed.
10:00 PM: I was wrong, very wrong.
10:27 PM: Well, we’re finally getting on the monorail. Now we just need to hope that there isn’t a line for the resort monorail line at the Transportation and Ticket Centre.
10:30 PM: Victory! No line!
10:31 PM: The monorail left as we got up to it! Fail!
10:45 PM: Finally, time to get back and go to bed. Good night, Internet.

I have three other days that I can post, do you people want to read more? I can tell you that the next day (the Magic Kingdom) is quite enjoyable and rambletastic, if that helps to sway votes.

By the way, I’m going to try to update on Mondays and Thursdays now. The theoretical next post in this series will be next Thursday, so be prepared for something new on Monday!