Monthly Archives: November 2012
Top 5: Christmas To Do List at Disney Parks
Nov 30
It’s official guys! We are less than a few weeks away from the man in the red suit creepily climbing into our homes to leave us all the things we ever wanted throughout the year……or Christmas. So naturally, folks have planned out their vacations and are getting prepped to be heading on a Disney vacation. Disney vacations during Christmas are a bit different than the rest of the year. I’m all for trying to see how many times I can get on Space Mountain throughout my day at the parks but not during Christmas. There are so many extra things to do that the attractions that are available all year round seem some what petty. So what is there to do during Christmas? Well, there were quite a few runner-up things but here is my top 5 must do’s during Christmas at the Disney parks.
#5-Haunted Mansion Holiday. For years now, many Disney fans have wanted to see a Nightmare Before Christmas attraction and we’ve never had a full fledged attraction devoted to Jack and Sally. We do, however, have Haunted Mansion Holiday at the Disneyland park in Anaheim. The Nightmare Before Christmas layover of the Haunted Mansion attraction is probably going to be the closest any of us ever get to getting what we had asked for, but never-the-less, this is a great addition to the Christmas season. Luckily for Disney, the story of how the Pumpkin King becomes the man in the red suit can accompany both the Christmas time and Halloween time so the Haunted Mansion can have the overlay for an extended period of time. For me, this is a must do attraction during Christmas mainly because of it’s timeline. If I make it out in the summer, it won’t be there, so if I am there for Christmas, I have to get this done.
#4-Celebrate the Magic. It’s true that the projection show at the Magic Kingdom is available to see all year round, but during Christmas, the projections change a bit to go along with the Christmas theme. If you think turning a fake castle into a projection screen isn’t cool, neither did I, at least until I saw this show last year. At that time it was called “The Magic, the Memories, and You” but the show has slightly changed but is truly amazing. I’m a big fan of this show as it embraces a mix of technology, Disneyana, and a bit of “How did the do that?” With this show, you are sure to see Santa fly across, the castle being turned into a giant gingerbread house, and so much more. If you are in Orlando for Christmas, don’t miss this at all!
#3-Santa Around The World. I’m a big history buff and I like learning about even the most trivial of things. With that said, walking Epcot’s World Showcase and feasting on food and drinks while listening to different “Santas” tell the story of how their country celebrates the holidays is very appealing. Children to adults will really enjoy interacting with the storytellers and hearing about bringing joy to the whole world, not just America. World Showcase is large and all the countries are on a timed schedule so if you plan on hearing all of the stories, make sure to be on a schedule as well and stick to it. This is more than likely an all day event, but truly an amazing one, so take the time to visit Epcot, relax, eat, drink, and be merry.
#2-Candlelight Processional. The great thing about the Candlelight Processional is that it takes place at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts so you can make it to either. It’s one of the longest celebrations and traditions in Disney park history and for good reason. I don’t fancy myself a very religious person, but I will shed a tear for hundreds of people singing Christmas carols. Choirs from around the states come together on a big stage, either at Epcot or Disneyland park, to sing joyous songs that we all know and embrace during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Another reason why this is extremely popular are the celebrities that come to tell the story of that famous nativity scene we all set up in our living rooms. Many people plan their vacations around this and the celebrities that will be there. There are some big names that come in to be a narrator so I suggest figuring out what your plan for this is ASAP if you are heading to Disney for the holidays this year.
#1.Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. I wrote an article about this subject and it got rave reviews. Actually, I don’t think my article got rave reviews, but the subject matter did. The Osbourne lights really started in Arkansas when Jennings Osbourne put up a great display of Christmas lights in honor of his daughters wish. The display rivaled Clark Griswold’s display from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and as the years went by, the display got bigger until neighbors complained about the show being too bright and Osbourne was shut down. The display was moved to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando in 1995 and has been a fan favorite ever since. The display continues to grow each year, and despite Jennings Osbourne now having passed away, his legacy will live on at the Studios. If you’ve never seen the Osbourne lights, this is my absolute must do. The Streets of America area of Hollywood Studios is competely covered from head to toe in different lights. Even a canopy lights the street above the heads of guests and the music drives as the pulse of the show. Christmas songs are played and lights dance and a smile will not leave your face. I guarantee it.
Like this list? Don’t like this list? What would you add or take away? Let me know what your favorites for the holidays are.
Josh Taylor
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World That Never Was: Myst Island
Nov 28
If you played computer games in the 1990s, chances are you played Myst, a puzzle game that was slightly creepy but extremely beautiful to look at with state of the art graphics. (For the time at least.) It was one of the most popular video games and brought along the “sandbox” games that we now see in modern times like Grand Theft Auto or Disneyland Adventures. (I know, polar opposites.) So what does it have to do with Disney? Well, Disney and the creators of Myst, Rand and Robyn Miller, all got to know each other quite well during the late 90s when Disney approached the Millers with a project called Myst Island.
There has been consideration to reach out to a certain type of guest for years. The guest that wants to experience something else beyond the theme parks. Myst Island was to be that effort into a new type of Walt Disney World resort experience. As Discovery Island, the small plot of land in the middle of Bay Lake, closed for good in 1999 with most of it’s animals moving over to the new Animal Kingdom park, Imagineers had new ideas for the island. One particular idea continued to come up. Rand and Robyn Miller, creators of the extremely popular PC game Myst, were contacted and the idea for Myst Island was to be made a reality. With the brothers Miller on board, plans formed to turn the former animal inhabited island into a giant puzzle. Guests would travel the island looking for clues that would lead them to the next before eventually solving the puzzle and earning whatever prize was at the end. The illustrious and over dramatic scavenger hunt would be a full day on the island, and to Disney’s credit, would have probably made them a considerable chunk of change oif they could have pulled it off.
The beauty of Myst Island was just simply that…beauty. The game Myst was extremely artistic, colorful, and detailed in its scenery and so too would be Myst Island. With a light fog filling the island 24 hours a day, the architecture along the paths guests would take wouldn’t be seen until up close, allowing exploration to not only be an adventure in itself, but also to make the scavenger hunt much more difficult and detail oriented. That seems right up Disney’s alley. They’ve always been big on details in architecture and backstory and that’s really what Myst was all about, so the Island in itself would be very much a Disney kind of story. The backstory to the island and the architecture that would be on the island is unclear as the project was dropped at the conceptual stage.
Despite Rand, Robyn, and everyone at the Disney company being keen on the idea, Myst Island never came to be. We can equate that too mostly one thing…money. Disney executives were a bit afraid to delve outside of the theme parks and spend a particularly large amount of money on a concept that would only excite certain guests. The price of shipping cranes and bulldozers to the island and the amount of time needed to upgrade the island and make it into a constant state of foggy art was not ideal. Also consider this fact. Discovery Island, before it closed, had a price tag just above $10 to visit the island and see all of the animals there. Despite the low cost of admission, a very small percentage of resort guests visited the island. Now take Myst Island’s price tag, which was to be much larger, and then consider the percentage of people who would want this experience at that price tag. (We are probably talking somewhere above $100 per guest.)
I don’t have any doubts that Myst Island was a great idea in concept and could have potentially been a highlight on some guests’ vacations, but imagining the cost of the island, the labor involved in buiding it, and the probable low returns in profits, I very much understand why this project got the axe. After the hit ABC show Lost gained popularity, the concept for an experience on the Bay Lake plot of land was again brought up, but just like Myst Island, it was seen as somewhat of a monetary problem. The question now is what to do with the island? It obviously has a history and has the potential to be a draw for Disney with the right idea. Will we ever be able to walk the island again? We may not, but with Disney, it’s a crap shoot.
What are your thoughts on Myst Island? Would you have visited even with a high price tag? What should the do with the island on Bay Lake if anything? Leave your thoughts and comments to keep this article going.
Josh Taylor
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Top 5: Disney Gifts Worth Giving
Nov 24
With Thanksgiving now passing us by and Christmas just a month away, everyone will be trampling each other for Elmo dolls and selling their souls just to pick up the new Wii U. Maybe you like to make all of your presents or you shop online for everyone and ship it right to them. However you decide to get gifts for your loved ones, keep in mind that Disney gifts are fun for people of all ages…..assuming they like Disney. So what are my top 5 Disney gifts this year? I’m very glad you asked this……oh, you didn’t ask, well tough! Here is my top 5 list.
#5-Pixar’s Brave. I don’t care if this is in DVD, Blu-Ray, Digital, or whatever other kind of for#3mat there is, a Pixar film is always a great pick for a present, especially if you don’t know your distant second cousin that well. Pixar films are generally viewed as great films and this can be watched by children, adults, or the whole family. If anything else, it can be a movie you watch with all of your friends while waiting in anticipation for Monsters University. (Now that’s a film I’m ready to see right this minute.) Brave was a fun film and I would especially recommend this for any child or for fans of animation as this was a beautifully animated film. Way to go Pixar!
#4-Epic Mickey: The Power of Two. If you’ve got a gaming console, you are in luck this year. the sequel to Epic Mickey is now available on all platforms and not just exclusive to the Wii. This game features some fun storylines and can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. We’ve had several discussions about this game on the Modern Mouse Radio show. It has gotten some mixed reviews but anyone who has played the original title and liked it is sure to also enjoy this game. If you know someone who spends time playing video games, pick this one up for them.
#3-Create-Your-Own Vinylmation. I’m a big fan of personalizing gifts for the holidays. (Then my aunt can’t take it back even though she told me she loved it!) A big craze amongst Disney fans are the toy vinyls that are no longer just theme park exclusive, but can also be found at your local Disney store. As cool as it is to give a vinylmation figure as a gift, a better idea is to buy the Create-Your-Own versions and paint them yourself. You can find them simply by google searching them and purchasing them online. Get some paints, follow an online tutorial on how to finish them, and box your figures up nicely. This could be a relatively inexpensive way to put together the perfect gift for someone who likes toys, collectibles, or is an all around Disney fan.
#2-Movie Theater Gift Cards. In this day and age, there are so many different gifts to give and sometimes it is just easiest to get gift cards. Although not as personal or touching, they are usually appreciated. Movie theater gifts carts allows the recipient to use them for whatever reason. Dates, solo matinees, or trips out in large groups to a midnight showing are all perfectly paid for with gift cards, and with so many great titles coming out in 2013, your lovely gift card can cover some or all of the costs depending on how generous you are. Remember, Monsters University, Lone Ranger, and Oz: The Great and Powerful are all coming up within the first half of the new year!
#1-Disney Parks Tickets. If you have the money and can splurge on someone close to you, I say purchase some Disney Park tickets. Buy them for yourself and your wife, girlfriend, best friend, mom, dad, or your drunk uncle that claims he met Walt Disney and gave him the idea for Disneyland. (Actually, leave that uncle at home.) No matter who you are, Disney fan or not, a trip to Disney is a life experience not to be missed. It’s an all ages kind of thing and can be that big present nobody is expecting. Do make sure to research into a trip if you are going to purchase the entire trip or you can usually pick up park admission cards at the Disney store or they can be found sometimes at your local grocery store where they now have an abundance of gift cards for everything. (Why does the grocery store have all those cards anyways?) So treat yourself and someone else you know and make plans for a vacation in 2013. If you can survive the Mayan apocalypse, I think you deserve a fun vacation full of new memories.
So what’s on your list of Christmas gifts you’d like to get this year, Disney or not? What are you looking forward to most this Christmas? Leave your comments below and if you’d like to send me any of these gifts listed above, I promise I won’t return them or sell them on the black market. Just email me. I’m especially looking forward to you getting me that Disney Parks annual pass I’ve been wanting. Thanks!
Josh Taylor
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Goofy’s Mullholland-Sky-School-Madness-Mouse-Coaster-That-Might-Go-Away
Nov 21
There are several attractions on Paradise Pier at Disney’s California Adventure that are throwbacks to classic amusement park attractions. The great thing about these particular attractions is their depth in history and the twists that Disney has added to them. They may not be the most techonologically advanced or the most exciting of attractions, but they are fun and enjoyable. (Plus the lines don’t seem to ever get too long.) An interesting attraction that has gone through a serious history of its own in the California Adventure’s time of operation is the current attraction known as Goofy’s Sky School.
Goofy’s Sky School is a classic wild mouse roller coaster. The design for this type of ride was invented by Franz Mack, a German designer, who came up with a wooden version that became popular in the 1960s and 1970s. The basic design was to give riders the experience of negative g-force without the high cost of a large roller coaster. The small cars made it possible for riders to always sit front row and to run several ride vehicles at once. Another great design to the wild mouse is the ratio of the car to the track. Cars typically tend to be wider than the track, giving riders the idea that they are on the edge or could fly off at any moment. Unfortunately, the design does have flaws as most taller riders can experience whiplash while taking sharp turns on the track due to the quickness of the turns. This caused a decline in wild mouse coasters in the 1980s and 1990s but they have made a comeback in recent years due to amusement parks wanting more attractions with little cost, and with roller coasters continuing to be the most popular of amusement park attractions, the wild mouse is a prime fit into most local park.
Although popular during the 1960s, the Disney company didn’t add a wild mouse coaster to any of their parks until the opening of Disney’s California Adventure in 2001. (You can argue that the Matterhorn is a wild mouse, but its track doesn’t take overly sharp turns nor does it follow the standard layout of a wild mouse track.) The Paradise Pier section was originally intended as a throwback to the old pier amusement parks along the Pacific coast. With that theme in mind, many of the original attractions for Paradise Pier lacked in Disney theming. Mullholland Madness however did have a slight theme, with ride vehicles painted like cars you may find driving down Mullholland and street signs everywhere. Unfortunately due to the design of the steel coaster track, what most guests saw was concrete and steel tracking more than anything.
Just as previously reported, wild mouse coasters aren’t the smoothest of rides and many people complained of whiplash. The attraction also had many accidents and malfunctions in its first few months, causing it to be shut down and then reopened to lackluster excitement. The attraction wasn’t popular due to it’s lack of theme and guest’s preference to not ride the jerky attraction. The ride eventually changed to Goofy’s Sky School after Disney decided the attractions of Paradise Pier didn’t work without a Disney twist to them, and that the park in general had to go through a major overhaul for guests to really get behind it. Mullholland Madness closed in October of 2010 and reopened as the new Goofy’s Sky School in July 2011.
The rethemed attraction has gotten mixed reviews and the addition of a theme, although still surrounded by steel and concrete, gives it a bit of Disney charm. Disney has publically stated that Goofy’s Sky School may not be a permanent fixture on the Pier and a new E-ticket attraction may take over the space in the not too distant future. The wild mouse coaster’s lack of appeal has been tragic, but at a resort where roller coasters are well themed, steel and wood are hidden, and guests prefer a more family friendly ride, it makes sense that the attraction will eventually be replaced. With what exactly? We will all have to wait, but my hope is that it is a play on the current wild mouse coaster, but in a much better themed environment where they can hide the flaws of the basic design, much like the Matterhorn.
Josh Taylor
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Once Upon A Time-“Child of the Moon”
Nov 19
Keith and family return with another video. With a week off from television, they had a bit more time to put this video together so make sure to watch in anticipation for this coming Sunday’s show. I love the Ruby character and her friendships with Belle and Snow are what made this episode great. Share your thoughts and we will see you later this week with more articles.
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Modern Mouse Radio #6: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Nov 18
With this week being the release of Epic Mickey 2, we found it fitting to talk about the long forgotten Walt Disney character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Oswald is an original creation from the minds of Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks, however due to underhanded business, Oswald was taken from Disney and was worked on by some of the other best known talents in the animation field. Disney does reaquire the character but what does his future look like and where do they take the character from here? Will Oswald ever be as popular as his Mickey Mouse counterpart?
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Top 5: Disney Park Attractions That Could Be Television Shows
Nov 16
Recent news broke that there has been a pitch to make a television series based on the famous Disneyland/Magic Kingdom attraction, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Details aren’t really known beyond the initial headline, but we can assume this will likely be a period show about the wild west. Disney has done a decent job with the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, however failed to deliver any goods when it came to a Country Bears film or Haunted Mansion film. Will the Big Thunder show be a hit or a miss? We won’t know until it hits the air, if it even makes it to television, but the concept got me thinking about what other park attractions could be potential television series. Here is my list of top 5 Disney park attractions that could become hit television shows.
#5-Liberty Belle Riverboat/Mark Twain Riverboat. I was initially going to give this one to the Sailing Ship Columbia, but we already have our pirate franchise at Disney. Instead I felt that there would be a great drama to be told on a riverboat. If you look back at the turn of the 20th century, lots of money was made as boats travelled up and down the Mississipi river. Gambling, theater shows, and various forms of entertainment took place on the river. Travelling along hte Mississippi was seen as something of an upper class activity while the people who worked on the boats were seen more as a lower class. The interaction between the two classes, various “celebrities” that could come aboard, and the drama that could be strictly held on the boat would make for great television. Seeing a period television show set to the 1890s along the river would be something fun and different that we haven’t seen on the screen.
#4-Kilimanjaro Safaris. Taking the natural landscapes, the broad appeal of animals, and a drama show about the real dangers of animals attacking, poachers, and problems withing the safari workers could make for great television. Would this show last more than one season? Realistically….no. We love seeing animals, but we like seeing them on YouTube in one minute clips, not for 30 minutes to an hour on television, and Africa, despite its mystique and beauty, may be too foreign for American television audiences. However, I’d love to see situations where elephants are running across the landscapes and poachers are being chased by the crew at Kilimanjaro.
#3-Carousel of Progress. The advancement of man is fascinating to me. How far we have come in the past 100 years is amazing. Imagine a day and age without radio, television, computers, airplanes, etc….Now think of how cool it would be to see those inventions when they first came out and how much they really changed society. Could we follow a family over the course of several decades? Absolutely. A single season could play out as several years, highlighting special events in family member’s lives and the celebration of new inventions along the way. The show could be comedic and dramatic all at once. Something similar to the references they make in the Back to the Future trilogy but on a grander, elongated scale.
#2-Star Tours. Star Wars, now owned by Disney as of last month, could make for great television and there have been talks of a television show previously. Keeping with the action/adventure/humor/love story/space saga that is Star Wars, Star Tours the tv show could be a big hit. Because of the broad possibilities and the chance to make every episode a bit more different because the Star Wars universe is so big, this show could last a while and still pack a punch after many seasons. This show could start as a show about the Star Tours company and it’s employess, but could take us to several different planets and on several different adventures per season.
#1-Buena Vista Street. I had a real struggle with my number 1 spot. I wanted to initially give this spot to Main Street USA, but I think the time period that revolves around Buena Vista Street is more exciting to contemporary television audiences. 1920s Hollywood is a special place. It’s partially made up, partially real, and a big mix of everything. This drama television show can show us the glitz and glamour of the golden age of Hollywood, animation, and movie stars and starlets. It can also show us edgier stories like the goverments abolishment of alcohol and the speakeasy bars that sprouted up because of prohibition. We can see the switch from silent films to sound films like in “The Artist” (One of my favorite films of the last few years.) There is such a story to tell here and nobody has even tried to do it on television. It’s a gamble, but I think this concept could work much better than a wild west show about Big Thunder. I would watch it. Would you?
What Disney park attractions would you turn into a television series? What kind of show would it be? Leave your comments below and I look forward to the next Top 5 post.
Josh Taylor
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World That Never Was: Cypress Point Lodge
Nov 14
When Walt Disney World was first being built in the late 1960s, Disney had several plans lined up for the large plot of land in central Florida. One of the plans was to have a vast array of hotels for guests to stay at. Land all around the man made Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake were prepped for what were to become several themed resort hotels that were all near the Magic Kingdom. Unfortunately, due to then CEO, Card Walker, being reluctant to spend money on such lavish hotels with many new hotels popping up right outside of Disney property and a dwindling U.S. economic status, the resorts planned for the area were not built. By the time the early 1980s came around, the vision for Walt Disney World was that of a destination resort with the opening of Epcot, and more guests were expected to be staying in or near Orlando Florida once the new park was open. Roy Miller, now having taken over the Disney company, announced three new resorts for the Walt Disney World property: the Grand Floridian resort, the Mediterranean resort, and the Cypress Point Lodge.
I’ve written about the Grand Floridian previously as well as noted about the Mediterranean before but I really want to dig into what once was seen as a medium sized resort that would be near the Fort Wilderness campgound and be themed to the National Parks and great outdoors. Cypress Point Lodge was to be a much needed resort sitting along the waterfront, with several cabins spread out over a large area. This gives off the idea that Disney executives were thinking about suites and a posible Disney Vacation Club experience long before DVC actually happened. The Lodge and main building of the resort would hosue various shops and restaurants as well as provide the setting of the Yellowstone park feel. The main mode of transportation at the Lodge would be boats. Along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon, you could walk from your cabin to the dock to make your way over to the Magic Kingdom. It’s unclear how guests would get to Epcot but I would assume a bus transport or some kind was thought up as well during the planning phases of Disney’s 2nd gate.
The announcement of several new hotels also brought along models and concept art that was housed inside the Walt Disney Story attraction on Main Street USA. So long term plans were thought out and were definitely underway. Of course we all know what happened to the Grand Floridian resort and spa, but Cypress Point, despite what was to be a “value” resort, and the need for rooms, was shelved due to the need for money to complete the first phase of Epcot.
So why don’t we have a Cypress Point Lodge now? Well, we sort of do! michael Eisner and Frank Wells took over the Walt Disney Company in 1984 and even though the announcement of three new resorts was made just a few years earlier, Eisner and company had different plans which would lead into the Disney Decade of the 1990s and the plot of land that was meant for Cypress Point Lodge would eventually become the Wilderness Lodge in 1992. Cypress Point was a smaller resort with several spread out cabins along the waterfront of the Seven Seas Lagoon, but the Wilderness Lodge really brought the National Park feel to the forefront. So with that said, I think we should all be happy that Disney ended up shelving Cypress Point because we got the Wilderness Lodge instead and I personally can’t say that about too many ideas that have been shelved over the years.
Josh Taylor
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Once Upon A Time-“Tallahassee”
Nov 11
The clan continues to get bigger for another reaction and review of ABC’s Once Upon A Time. What are your thoughts on Emma’s past? What are Hook’s intentions and what will he do when he catches up with the ladies? Leave your thoughts check out Keith’s video!
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