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FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Given that background, it is entirely possible that the information provided to this contractor was used solely for the purposes of establishing an estimate for the contractor’s services. I don’t doubt the legitimacy of the documentation provided, I believe it originated with Disney, but I speculate that the project is still early on in the development process and highly subject to change, if it happens at all.

With all those caveats in place, I feel comfortable saying that at the time this documentation was provided to this contractor in April of this year, Disney was at the very least considering a new interactive experience surrounding Pirates of the Caribbean in Adventureland.  This experience appears to be in addition to the experience already announced for Hollywood Studios

This seems to be another RFID based experience located entirely in Adventureland.  Multiple RFID “triggers’ throughout the land will produce multiple physical effects that appear more elaborate than those found in Kim Possible/Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure.  The plans seem to indicate very specific elements such as the following:

• Touching a skull activates the movement of the mouth of a talking tiki idol, which will reveal a jewel in his mouth.
• Touching a blunderbuss activates the movement of sails that cover a bird cage, the sails will open to reveal an animated parrot.
• Touching the fuse of a cannon activates an air cannon in the water as well as a light and smoke effect.
• Touching a piece of parchment activates a skeleton captain emerging from the water.
• Touching a snake charmers basket activates a spitting snake.
• Touching a vase activates an image on a nearby tapestry.
• Touching a shark tooth activates circling shark fins in the water
• Touching a sand dollar activates a mechanical giant clam
• Touching the carvings on a shelf will activate cannon blasts on ships in a bottle causing one ship to sink

At first glance this does not appear to be tied to a formal attraction as components can be found throughout the pathways of Adventureland.  It appears that this is more of an environmental addition than anything else.  All told there seems to be close to 20 of these RFID based effects, and each effect appears to be on a greater scale than previous similar effects found in The Haunted Mansion queue or Kim Possible’s World Showcase Adventure.

It all seems particularly interesting, especially considering the existing presence that Pirates of the Caribbean already has in the parks.  While most of the elements seem to be generic Pirate based items, the effects that are screen based appear to use images of characters from the movies.

Having been presented with this information, what do our fans think of these types of additions?  Would you be in favor of adding more moving parts to the scenery that can be triggered by the touch of a guest?

On this episode of the WDW Kingdomcast® we are one again joined by Brett Bennett of the “WDW Fan Boys podcast” and Kingdomcast groupie “Amanda Bohning” for the second half of the show about one of the most important elements of any Walt Disney World vacation, the TOILETS! We thought we could cover all the crappers in one show.  But after over an hour in, and only having MK and EPCOT covered, we released that this was a great topic, and we just had to make this a two wiper!  This episode covers MGM, DAK (even though the whole park is a toilet) and ALL of the Resorts on property! 

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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Amazon.com: The Dark Side of Disney

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Update: The Avengers shattered box office records for an opening weekend, earning an estimated $200.3 million. The previous high was Deathly Hallows Part 2 at $169,189,427.

Last August, I had the good fortune of seeing the Disney Studios presentation at the D23 Expo.  The Avengers assembled on stage at the Anaheim Convention center as they showed the teaser trailer and an extended clip.  Some awkwardness ensued surrounding Robert Downey, Jr. at the event but that turned out to be linked to the presentation’s stage manager trying to wrap up the presentation instead of letting the cast have a chance to speak.

Prior to seeing The Avengers on Friday May 4th, I wanted to make sure I had enough of the back story to get by.  I’m not a big comic book fan, but I did watch Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Captain America, and Thor.  In terms of best to worst rankings, I would probably rank them as I listed them, they were all enjoyable and technologically and visually appealing.  My expectations for The Avengers was that it would be as good if not better than the original Iron Man and I feel that it succeeded in that.  I was also pleased to see that Iron Man director Jon Favreau was an executive producer on The Avengers.

Joss Whedon (co-writer and director) did an exceptional job bringing together the collection of leading actors and actresses for this film.  As many of our fans know, I’m a big fan of comedian and podcaster Adam Carolla.  Adam Carolla has stated on multiple occasions that the place where many sequels go wrong is that they lack the slow build that made whatever preceded it successful.  In a movie like Jaws, everyone went into the movie looking forward to seeing the shark.  But they didn’t show the shark in the first scene.  Ominous music led up to the reveal of the shark, and when it finally comes on screen it’s that much more exciting.  While The Avengers isn’t a true sequel, all of the characters had their backstories explained in previous movies, and with the exception of The Incredible Hulk, the actor remained the same.  So with that said, I was looking forward to two things going into this movie:

• All of The Avengers assembling
• When would we see The Hulk?

In both cases, there was a build up.  At this point, I’ll be referring to specific content in the movie so if you want to avoid any spoilers you may want to stop reading.  Individual members of The Avengers would appear on screen either by themselves or with another person, but it was well into the movie before The Avengers truly assembled.  Additionally, the conversion of Bruce Banner into The Hulk was treated as an integral plot point, once again building up expectations.  In both cases this was done very well.

In favor of a scene by scene review, my preference would be to bullet point my likes and dislikes of the movie.

Dislikes:

• Chris Hemsworth as Thor was a bit too dramatic.  I recognize that this was part of his role though, and I think they recognized this with a few good one liners on Thor’s behalf.  In one situation, Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark/Iron Man refers to Thor fighting as “Shakespeare in the Park” and when The Avengers assembled, Tony Stark refers to Thor as, “Point Break”.
• Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury reminded me an awful lot of Mace Windu from the new Star Wars trilogy.  While not necessarily a bad thing, it was hard for me to separate the characters other than that Nick Fury had an eye patch and Mace Windu wore a robe.
• Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye.  I don’t know what it is about him, but I really haven’t liked him in anything.  Part of that is that he often takes the role of an unlikeable character.  In The Avengers he switches between being a villain and a hero after being manipulated by Loki.  With his weapon of choice being a bow and arrow, there seems to have been very exaggerated motions with the weapon, and many of his dramatic moments seemed far more out of place and unbelievable than any of the other Avengers.  This could be a lack of knowledge of Hawkeye’s backstory, but I had less of an issue with a demi-God drawing lightening from a hammer than I did with Hawkeye shooting an arrow in mid-air.

Likes:

• Tom Hiddleston as Loki was fantastic.  He had a great evil grin and while he was far from the biggest name in the movie, he was the primary driver of the story.
• Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk was a very pleasant surprise.  As Bruce Banner, he played the nerdy scientist role very well.  As a character that hasn’t worked in previous movies, The Hulk stole the show at many times.  Some of the better lines in the movie centered around Bruce Banner and The Hulk as well.  After The Hulk jumped on a plane, the line, “I think he’s angry” was uttered.  And during his second transformation into The Hulk, Bruce Banner explains, “The secret is, I’m always angry.”
• Scarlett Johansson’s butt.
• Clark Gregg  as Agent Phil Coulson.  I first saw Clark Gregg in a short lived Aaron Sorkin show, Sports Night and have been a fan ever since.  While serving a valuable roll in assisting Nick Fury, Agent Phil Coulson also provides comedic relief just by the timing of his appearances.  Additionally, his infatuation with Captain America made for some of the best comedy in the movie.
• Chris Evans as Captain America.  While I don’t think he stood out, I do feel that Chris Evans was solid in this role.  The fact that Captain America was frozen for a period of time made for a few amusing one liners, but may have been played out by the end of the movie.
• Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man.  He was everything you would expect.  While some of his comedic moments may have been a bit overwritten, there were others that were genuinely funny.  The movie wouldn’t have worked without him.

All in all, this was a very solid effort.  On the heels of recent blockbuster failures by Disney, this was a very strong rebound.  The problem is, Disney was barely attached to the project.  I’m not sure how much of the credit goes to Disney Studios for this production, but nonetheless I was entertained.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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Hunter Nixon is King of the World

]]> http://www.wdwfanboys.com/uncensored-podcast/wdw-fan-boys-uncensored-podcast-episode-024-05012012-uncensored-episode-125/feed/ 0 disney,disney parks,disney podcast,disney world,disney world podcast,wdw podcast On this month's Uncensored Episode we play the full Uncensored Audio from Episode #125. This was a live Listener Questions show recorded on Friday April 13th. On this month's Uncensored Episode we play the full Uncensored Audio from Episode #125. This was a live Listener Questions show recorded on Friday April 13th. WDW Fan Boys no 2:01:05 http://www.wdwfanboys.com/podcast/wdw-fan-boys-podcast-episode-125-04292012-listener-questions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=wdw-fan-boys-podcast-episode-125-04292012-listener-questions http://www.wdwfanboys.com/podcast/wdw-fan-boys-podcast-episode-125-04292012-listener-questions/#comments Sun, 29 Apr 2012 16:00:51 +0000 Tim http://www.wdwfanboys.com/?p=3896 Continue reading »]]> This week’s episode of the WDW Fan Boys podcast is a live show recorded on Friday April 13th.  We answer a variety of listener questions ranging from Emmanuel Lewis’ little brother, to Disneyland recommendations, as well as which celebrities would star in WDW Fan Boys: The Movie.  This audio is censored for our regular weekly listeners, but if you would like to listen to the full uncensored audio from the live recording, you can download Uncensored Episode #024 as of May 1st.

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Pixie Vacations: Free Dining at Walt Disney World
Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom: The Blog!
Epcyclopedia: WDW Photopass+

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Welcome to Episode 7 of Disafterdark.
We start with the usual introductions.
Nick is drinking Carlsberg, It has a connection with Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid.
Paul, in the first of his schoolboy errors pulled some German Becks off the shop shelf for tonights recording, and to his horror realised as he had just opened it that it was an alchohol free variety.
We were planning on meeting Brett Bennett from the wdwfanboys in the mouses head tonight but in the second of the errors, paul had misjudged the time difference between Florida and England, so Brett will be joining us a little later.

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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Pixie Vacations: Free Dining at Walt Disney World
Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom: The Blog!
Epcyclopedia: WDW Photopass+

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

On this episode of the WDW Kingdomcast® we are joined by Brett Bennett of the “WDW Fan Boys podcast” and Kingdomcast groupie “Amanda Bohning” as we cover one of the most important elements of a Walt Disney World vacation, the TOILETS! We got the best picks and spots to just hold it until you find another. We planned on doing one show covering all four Parks and Resorts, but who knew that talking toilets would be so interesting that an hour in, we only banged out Magic Kingdom and Epcot! So this is going to be a two part series with the next one (already recorded) being released soon that cover DHS, AK and all the Resorts around WDW!

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

Show Links
Join our Facebook Group
Follow us on Twitter

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

Show Links
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FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Even though Lou refuses to friend me on FB, I still promised him I’d review all of his Audio Guides. Maybe it’s empathy for how he always seems nervous when I’m around, but I feel it’s the least I can do for having never called security on me. While I’m sure fans of our show are likely expecting me to tear him apart in my classic comical fashion, I assured Lou I’d only speak well of his work. Of course, he repeatedly said if I didn’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything, but here it is nonetheless…

With a voice that’s made for talking endlessly, Lou Mongello has pushed the envelope to put out six Audio Guides(so far) that most any Disney fan should enjoy. Every guide is full of great facts and hidden gems, shared with the familiar background sounds that pertain to each land, making it easy to reminisce about your last trip to WDW. Even if you don’t listen to(or like) his weekly podcast on WDWRadio.com, his audio guides are stocked with little details and interesting tidbits, more than enough to enjoy while passing time between WDW vacations.

The best guide to start with is Main Street USA, as it touches upon early Disney, as well as all areas of the Magic Kingdom. Able to hear the familar train whistle and horse drawn trolley in the back, Lou points out the stories and legends one can discover walking down Main Street, with the occasion annoying guest being overheard in the background. Discussing in detail WDW Railroads, windows, vehicles & decor of Main Street, all the way up to the hub and Castle, the past and present are talked about with enough detail to easily hold one’s attention. The only questions listeners may have are “Do they use the smellitizer in the men’s room?” and “Did they make the height of the shop windows in anticipation of Lou?”.

Transitioning to Adventureland, we’re informed to expect adventure, romance, and mystery. Details from attractions & shops to the smallest sign & decoration are all pointed out, and we’re told how this land came to fruition, sometimes in an amusing attempt at speaking Spanish. Informed why Dole Whips are one of the greatest treats of all time, we also learn who The Orange Bird was and why he was there. Sadly, after the crop damaging freeze of 1986, the bird was sacrificed to the fruit gods and gone forever.

On to Fantasyland, we hear a more about Walt’s dream. Through design, architecture, attractions, and characters, we hear how this land focuses on children & families, no matter how annoying some can be. From Cinderella Castle to the extinct Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride & 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Lou shares details that many fans may not have been aware of, like the scandalous naming of King Stefan’s Royal Table.

The story of Liberty Square begins with Walt’s patriotism and facination with American history, explaining how Walt originally planned a Liberty Street in Disneyland. Numerous details are shared of the Haunted Mansion and it’s leading women, Columbia Harbour House with it’s signs for illiterates, and the remaining attractions, shops, and restaurants of Liberty Square. Shockingly, “Dueling Dumbos” does not refer to a debate in the Hall of Presidents.

In his best John Wayne, Lou introduces us to Frontierland and why it came to be. Comparing California and Florida, we’re told what these lands originally were supposed to be and in contrast what they are today. This land probably has the most extinct artifacts & attractions, along with those that never came to be. My only concern is the rumor of a guy in a bathtub in his underwear on Big Thunder Mt.

Gone but not forgotten, Mickey’s Toontown Fair had the most details I never knew before. Originally temporarily created as Mickey’s Birthdayland, then changed to Mickey’s Starland before settling on Mickey’s Toontown Fair, this land gave guests a specific location to always find Mickey Mouse. Due to it’s popularity(and County Bounty cash cow), it was given a more permanent home until Fantasyland pulled an Owl and reclaimed the deed. After listening to Toontown Fair, the only questions one may have are “What was Shirley Feeney doing at the opening and where was Boo-Boo kitty?”.

With plenty of facts & trivia peppered throughout, the Lou Mongello Audio Guides can be appreciated by most all Disney fans. Listened to by my son nightly before bed, Lou claims that his guides have been helping put kids to sleep for years, so who am I to argue? Just a reminder, we’re still waiting for the Tomorrowland and Fantasyland Expansion guides. ”The expansion isn’t even finished yet!” is no excuse.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

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WDWFanBoys.com: Gone But Not Forgotten MGM Studios circa 1991

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Still taken from promotional video released by Disney: MGM Studios Hidden Mickey

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Pixie Vacations Not so Fabulous Prizes Contest

FanBoy Loyalty Program
From now on (starting 1/1/12), for every $1000+ in combined purcheses you spend per calendar year through our Amazon link, we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

As I’m sure you know, I’m a big proponant of holding accountability for stupid actions. This goes for big corporations, including Disney, as well as political parties of both sides. You’d have to be wearing fused rose-colored glasses while bombed on moonshine served in a glass with a crack-salted rim to think these groups never do anything stupid.

What I’d like is for all our viewers who agree that Disney has made some stupid decisions in the past to post one in response to this article. Just to clarify, this isn’t a Disney bashing forum. I simply want our fans to post something Disney has done in the past that they feel was a pretty stupid decision. I’ll start with a couple:

#1 The shuffling of the original Habit Heroes. This ride was loved by cast members & fans alike and there were plenty of hot looking avatars to balance things out (Sweet Tooth, Drama Queen). Besides if The Glutton didn’t offend me looking like an Italian stereotype, some people just need to lighten up.

#2 The remake of the first Journey into Imagination into an inferior attraction.

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Pixie Vacations Not so Fabulous Prizes Contest
Gone and Definitely Forgotten – Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration

Contest Information
If you spend more than $1000 through our Amazon link we will give you a t-shirt of your choice. Our new shop will be up and running soon, and we will have t-shirts available with our current and classic, regular and uncensored logos. All you need to do is send us a list of the items that you purchased, we’ll verify it against our records and then we’ll send you the t-shirt of your choice.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show. You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

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On this episode of the WDW Kingdomcast® we are joined by Tim Grassey from the “WDW Fan Boys” as we talk about the upcoming addition of “Avatarland/Pandora/wtf?” to an already shitty “park” Animal Kingdom (-Gary). Well that was supposed to be the focus of our show, but somewhere along the line we get side tracked by big floppy Elephant dick, and how it would improve the AK experience when Tim shows us a photo from a past trip to The San Diego Zoo shown below. Seeing this mammoth meat mallet pretty much threw us off course for a good part of the show, but we assure you its all WDW related!

The San Diego Zoo Elephant

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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Contest Information
Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show.  You can send your audio to questions@wdwfanboys.com and if we like what we hear we will play it on a future show.

Guy Selga

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WDW Kingdom Cast

Contest Information
Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for one of our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show.

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WDWFanBoys.com: Changes Coming to Fastpass

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Disney World

• Grand Floridian DVC Construction
• Fantasyland Construction
• Animal Kingdom Potential World of Avatar Construction sites
• Art of Animation Construction
• Backstage at Epcot

Sea World

• Antarctica Construction Site

Universal Studios

• Jaws Construction Site

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This change in policy is meant to prepare guests for the upcoming “xPass” system that will allow certain resort guests to pay a premium to schedule their entire vacation in advance.  This means that guests will now be able to pay for the opportunity to schedule ride times up to 6 months in advance.  xPass will likely be used in conjunction with the current Fastpass system with the rides scheduled in advance likely deducted from the Fastpass distribution for certain time windows.

The question here is, ”What does all of this mean?”  To most guests, this won’t be a huge issue.  Most guests, were unaware that you could return outside of the scheduled return window, so to those guests this won’t matter.  However at this point it remains unknown what will happen to Fastpass distribution; it’s conceivable that it could be accelerated or decelerated as a result of this change.

To those guests that regularly took advantage of the previous policy that allowed for late returns, this change could potentially be very disruptive.  This will conceivably change touring plans entirely.  Guests will likely have to backtrack more frequently to ensure they can meet their new strictly enforced return time.  The other possibility is that Disney starts to see guests using the time between distribution and return time on their Fastpasses used for shopping instead of riding in additional rides.  At this point, it’s a significant enough change to the efficiency of the park that guest traffic patterns as a result of this change are unknown.

It’s safe to assume that for high demand Fastpass attractions like Toy Story Midway Mania and Soarin’, there won’t be a significant change.  However for attractions like Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin or Jungle Cruise Fastpass usage may decline; these attractions typicaly have return times at less than two hours from distribution, and wait times under an hour.  Often times, guests would acquire a Fastpass for an attraction like this despite a wait time of 20-30 minutes so that they could go ride something else and return with their Fastpass with a 5 minute wait.  This change could potentially eliminate or decrease that behavior.

I would also hope that a way around the return times should be the presenting of a table service receipt.  This will especially be an issue at Toy Story Mania where often times the return window can be 8-12 hours away.  A Fastpass acquired at 10 AM at Toy Story could have a return time of 7 PM.  It’s conceivable that 6 months prior to your visit, you could also have made a dining reservation at Brown Derby.  I can see a situation where people could skip their Brown Derby reservation and then be charged $10 per person, just so that they could make their Fastpass return time.  This is going to be a bloodbath at Guest Services.

Personally, I believe that the issues/changes are likely going to evolve on a case by case basis.  In a park like the Magic Kingdom where attractions are very close together, it’s far more reasonable to acquire a Peter Pan’s Flight Fastpass that’s three hours out, and still be able to spend time in the area by eating a meal and riding “it’s a small world”, The Haunted Mansion, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic during that time period.

Conversely, in the Animal Kingdom attractions like Expedition Everest are undoubtedly going to require backtracking, but that was already the case.  Unfortunately, that park is so spread out that Fastpass could be much more difficult to handle now in conjunction with shows.  It’s entirely reasonable to now have to choose between squeezing in one of Flights of Wonder, Finding Nemo the Musical, or Festival of the Lion King or making your Expedition Everest return time.  I could definitely see an increase in single ride line usage as a distinct possibility.

The other interesting thing that’s on the way is the addition of Fastpass to several existing rides.  Work is currently being done to add Fastpass to The Seas with Nemo and Friends, and it is anticipated that Fastpass will also be added to Spaceship Earth and potentially The Great Movie Ride as well.  The thought process behind these additions is less to do with demand and more to do with creating false value.  Currently in Epcot, it’s fairly reasonable to wait less than 30 minutes for every attraction in the park while only acquiring Fastpasses for Test Track and Soarin’.  As such, Fastpass is not as important in that park.  However, the existing Fastpass system will be integrated with the new pay service, xPass.  In order to give the appearance of value to guests, Disney is looking to have as many Fastpass/xPass attractions as possible, even when they are unnecessary.  Consider the ride breakdown below:

Magic Kingdom attractions with Fastpass (8): Jungle Cruise, Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Town Square Theater Meet and Greet

Epcot attractions with Fastpass (5): Soarin’, Test Track, Mission: SPACE, Maelstrom, Living with the Land (seasonal)

Hollywood Studios attractions with Fastpass (5): Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, Star Tours, Toy Story Midway Mania, Voyage of the Little Mermaid (seasonal)

Animal Kingdom attractions with Fastpass (5): Expedition Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Dinosaur, Primeval Whirl, Kali River Rapids (seasonal)

There are other attractions that have Fastpass machines but they haven’t been used in years, and then there are “Surprise Fastpasses” distributed for Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Carousel of Progress on a regular basis, but that’s more to do with crowd distribution than to save guests time.  Additionally during extremely busy times, the Animal Kingdom will offer Fastpass for two or three of the stage shows in the park.  Considering all that, in every park other than Epcot there are at least three attractions that require Fastpass in order to wait less than 30 minutes on most days.  This is largely why it will be added elsewhere (The Seas with Nemo and Friends and Spaceship Earth), to help foster that false value for the xPass customers.

Because the xPass system will allow guests to plan out their day up to 6 months in advance, I would hope that this can also be used for every day guests on the day they arrive.  I don’t expect this to happen, but in theory this would eliminate many guest concerns.  Consider this hypothetical situation:
Space Mountain distributes 100 Fastpasses for every 5 minute interval starting with 9:40-10:40 AM until park close.  If xPass distribution takes away from Fastpass distribution that will leave less Fastpasses for every day park guests, but the guests using xPass can pick any available time they want, not just the next available time.  This means that hypothetically this could leave 75 Fastpasses for the 1:00-2:00 PM window, but 95 Fastpasses for the 1:05-2:05 PM window.  More significantly, day guests without xPass don’t get to choose their return time, however because xPass is being integrated, this could conceivably be built into the software.  A day guest could arrive at the Space Mountain Fastpass machines at 9:00 AM.  The return time could be 9:40-10:40 AM, but that guest doesn’t want to get a Fastpass for that return time.  Instead they can look at all available return times, and they can choose the 1:00-2:00 PM for themselves and 3 other family members.  This would mean that when the Fastpass return time gets to the 1:00-2:00 PM window they would only be able to distribute 71 Fastpasses for that time because 29 have already been distributed.  The balance that could come into play would be that the guest that opts for the later Fastpass return time would also lock up the usage of their ticket for two hours instead of only locking it up for 40 minutes had they used the 9:40-10:40 return time.

If Disney anticpates their xPass guests are “smart enough” to handle scheduling their entire vacation, I would hope they are willing to accommodate the day guests in the same way.  Another way to help out these day guests would be through setting up centralized Fastpass machines in every land of every park.  A strict enforcement of Fastpass return times will result in more back tracking, but if a Fastpass for Space Mountain can be acquired in a distribution area in Adventureland, guests can work their way over to Space Mountain instead of having to first stop in Tomorrowland to acquire the Fastpass, and then returning at the set return time.  Again, this would likely require touch screen computer screens to be installed, but it seems that’s a trend that Disney is already headed towards.

Another problem is that xPass could be exploited in a way that old Fastpass system couldn’t.  What’s to stop people with the xPass system from scheduling rides at all 4 parks, or at the very least 2 or 3.  I would assume those people willing to pay for the premium service of xPass will also be very efficient in touring.  As such, park hopping has to be included as an xPass option.  But the question becomes will guests be able to schedule out their attractions in a way that they overlap?  Even just using 2 parks it can be pretty easy to have reservations at attractions in a park that the xPass guest won’t even visit.

All in all, the strict enforcement of return times helps to level the playing field amongst experienced guests and first time guests.  Those guests with more experience will still be able to efficiently use the system, but those slow moving families like the Grasseys are going to experience issues with this change.  I can anticipate this change upsetting some hardcore fan boys, and potentially result in some of those fans changing the way they vacation.  They may opt to cut out park hopping from their plans, or elect to visit Disneyland instead (there is currently no plan to make this change in California).

I won’t be visiting Walt Disney World until September, so hopefully all of the major issues are worked out before I arrive.  That trip will only be Marie and myself, so as able bodied adults, any backtracking will be less of an issue.  Where the real test will be is in a family vacation where the 9 of us are incapable of rushing any where to make a scheduled event.  I can anticipate an increase in stress as a result.

Some Fastpass Discussion Fastpass Podcasts
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #002 12/20/2009 – Fastpass in the Magic Kingdom
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #009 02/07/2010 – Fastpass in Epcot and Hollywood Studios
WDW Fan Boys Podcast Episode #010 02/14/2010 – Fastpass in the Animal Kingdom and the need for Fastpass

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Pirates of the Caribbean

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Ron Schneider

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Brett Messing with Italian Tourists

Tim’s Nephew tries Beverly

Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special

Main Street Electrical Parade 12/30/2011

Tim and Alex’s ride on Spaceship Earth

Brett's Fastpasses

Brett's Leg

Bus Accident

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It's a Crap!

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My nephew the klepto

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Brett’s Birthday Wishes

Gary and Hunter

Tim’s Merchandise

DVDs

Epcot 15th Anniversary Pin Set

Jungle Cruise Attraction Poster, Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction Poster, Epcot 15th Anniversary Pin Set

Jungle Cruise Attraction Poster

Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction Poster

Animal Kingdom Opening Day Lithograph, Happiest Celebration on Earth Signs

Happiest Celebration on Earth Signs

Captain EO Tribute Poster

Fastpass Bulletin Board

Fastpass Bulletin Board

Fastpass Bulletin Board

Fastpass Bulletin Board

Fastpass Bulletin Board

Soarin' Happiest Celebration on Earth Sign

Lucky the Dinosaur Happiest Celebration on Earth Sign

Expedition Everest Happiest Celebration on Earth Sign

New Magic Happiest Celebration on Earth Sign

Lights, Motors, Action! Happiest Celebration on Earth Sign

Haunted Mansion and Splash Mountain Attraction Posters, Art of Disney Lithographs

Haunted Mansion Attraction Poster, Art of Disney Lithographs

Splash Mountain Attraction Poster, Art of Disney Lithographs

Fuzzball, Hooter, Epcot Hat and Pins from D23 Expo

One of the Fastpass Books

One of the Fastpass Books

D23 Magazine Patches

Brett and Anelys’ Merchandise

VoluntEAR Mouse Ears

Resort Mugs and a variety of other smaller Items on a Mickey Rug

Water Tower Lamp

Art of Disney Lithographs

Cinderella

Cinderella

Tinkerbell

Alice in Wonderland

Various Cups

Pirates of the Caribbean

Goofy

Jack Sparrow

Hats

Pins

Monorail

Cinderella

Cinderella and Tinkerbell Bags

Mickey and Tinkerbell Bags

Bags

Watches

The photos below feature looks at New Fantasyland including Storybook Circus attractions Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Fantasyland Station and The Great Goofini as well as Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid and The Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train. Additional buildings include restaurants and shops like Bonjour! Village Gifts, Gaston’s Tavern, and Be Our Guest Restaurant.

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WDW Fan Boys: Why Epcot?

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MouseVent.com

• The likeliest location is South of Camp Minnie Mickey and it may require the movement/removal of Rainforest Cafe.  It is not expected to require the movement of Festival of the Lion King.  (Others have speculated that it will go in the plot North of Asia and require the removal of the Wildlife Express Train/Rafiki’s Planet Watch).
• The cost of this land will be 300-500 million dollars
• It will be on 11 or 12 acres
• It will include at least one E-Ticket attraction, as well as other attractions, dining, and merchandise locations
• It will include elements of Avatar 2 and Avatar 3 as well as the original

No doubt this was Disney’s response to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Others have pointed to the Fantasyland Expansion as Disney’s response to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter but while the buzz surrounding that construction is large, it will not approach the buzz created by Harry Potter.  The initial response to James Cameron’s World of Avatar was luke warm at best.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited about both of Disney’s major projects, but they don’t have the same level of excitement that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter has maintained the last few years.  Perhaps that will change when attractions are announced for World of Avatar but right now there is so much that is unknown.

This brings us to what Universal Studios is doing.  They recently announced that the classic attraction JAWS, as well as the surrounding Amity area will be closing on January 2nd, 2012.  Universal did not specify what would be replacing this, but multiple sources have indicated that additional Harry Potter content will be taking its place.  That means that Universal Studios will have Harry Potter content in both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.  While details of this expansion have also not been officially announced, it’s safe to say that the buzz for this has taken away anything generated by World of Avatar or the Fantasyland expansion.

The biggest blow to Disney is that an additional Harry Potter section will mean more time spent away from their parks.  With capacity being a major issue in the Islands of Adventure area for Harry Potter, any expansion will help spread those crowds.  This is not a dying franchise.  While the hype will certainly be lowered with no additional movies or books due out, it seems that Universal Studios is in a position of power over Disney.  They have the hot franchise, they have the hot attaction, and most importantly, they have the hot merchandise.

Both Universal and Disney seem to have very aggressive build schedules in the works.  In 2012 alone, Disney is expecting to open most of New Fantasyland including Storybook Circus with the new Dumbo the Flying Elephant and re-themed Great Goofini.  Outside of Storybook Circus will be Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid as well as the Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Gaston’s Tavern and more.  There are also two major refurbishments scheduled in Disney: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Test Track.  The rumors on Test Track point to an entirely new theme with a rumored price tag approaching $60 million.  Comparatively, Universal will be putting forth a major refurbishment of their own on The Amazing Adventures of Spiderman at Islands of Adventure and they will be opening their replacement to Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast, a simulator attraction based on Despicable Me.

In late 2013/early 2014, Disney is set to open another attraction in the Fantasyland expansion: Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train.  After this is when it really starts to get interesting.  The time frame for World of Avatar is 2015/2016, and I would expect the Harry Potter expansion to be around the same time or earlier.

I don’t think this is over, and I can’t wait for the next major announcement so that I can write part 6.

Theme Park Wars (Part 1)
Theme Park Wars (Part 2)
Theme Park Wars (Part 3)
Theme Park Wars (Part 4)

In the pictures below you can see Storybook Circus including Dumbo the Flying Elephant and The Great Goofini.  You can also the rock work and exterior facades of the Be Our Guest Restaurant, Bonjour! Village Gifts, Gaston’s Tavern, and Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid.  The last thing is right in the center of the construction – the early prep work for Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train.

12►

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WDW Fan Boys: Why Epcot?

Contest Information
Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for one of our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show.

Spaceship Earth hidden writing

Spaceship Earth hidden writing

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

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Not Safe For Work: DarkSideofDisney.com
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David’s Disney Vacation Club Point Rentals

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Draven and Leonard

Draven and Leonard

Draven

Leonard

Leonard

Those that say Epcot is their favorite Disney park are basing this off nostalgia.  They love what Epcot used to be and hate what parts of it have become.  I grew up visiting EPCOT Center and as a child it was my favorite park too.  I still geek out whenever someone shows me something with a classic Future World logo on it and I’m still hoping for a nice Disney Cast Member to purchase some Mickey’s of Glendale exclusive items for me.

I recognize that if the Future World pavilions of 1989 remained unchanged today, the park would not be as good as it is currently.  Still, something isn’t quite right.  After the 2012 Test Track overhaul, every pavilion in Future World except the Energy Pavilion will have undergone a significant change since 2003.  That means that Mission: SPACE is one well placed, Bill Nye/Ellen seeking wrecking ball away from being the oldest pavilion in Future World.  Think about that – Mission: Space could be the oldest pavilion in Future World in less than 5 years.

Future World is a completely different land than it was when Horizons opened in 1983.  So many Epcot fans will complain how much they miss the EPCOT Center version of Future World without recognizing that no part of that exists anymore.  Modern day apologists will point to the empty queues that “plagued” Horizons, World of Motion and The Sea Cabs, all the while dismissing the more logical explanation for this – these attractions had huge capacities.  Frankly, everything in classic Epcot was very efficient.  They could accommodate 2000+ people per hour with ease.  Comparitively, attractions like Soarin’ and Test Track don’t come close to approaching that number.

What happened here is the opposite of what is currently happening in the Magic Kingdom.  Epcot had too much capacity compared to the demands for the park.  Epcot rarely, if ever closes due to capacity because of this.  Conversely, the Magic Kingdom reaches capacity on most major holidays, and the Fantasyland expansion was aimed to address this.  Epcot could afford to cut hourly capacity in the Motion pavilion and The Land Pavilion as well as completely closing Wonders of Life and capacity still never became an issue.  It was a rare case of over building the park early on.  Now a days Disney opens half day parks that grow within 5 years.

With Epcot, that growth wasn’t necessary, but the park still needed to be freshened up.  The approach taken was to replace and not refurbish/upgrade.  Certainly there was enough room for both Horizons and Mission: SPACE.  Certainly Wonders of Life could still exist with 3D Body Wars simulators with 54 possible ride combinations.  The Making of Me could have been re-done with Dr. Drew Pinsky and the cast of Teen Mom.

Comparatively, the capacity demands of the Magic Kingdom have necessitated the Fantasyland Expansion.  In Epcot, as higher demand, lower capacity attractions have been added, the overall capacity of that park has remained a non-issue.  The result of the initial overbuilding are these dead areas, as well as more modern attractions replacing the classic originals.  Had the park been under built initially, the modern attractions like Soarin’, Mission: SPACE and Test Track very well may have been additions as opposed to replacements.

With regards to individual preferences, Epcot does many things very well but the ardent supporters of the park seem to do so blindly without really understanding why they like it.  Much of this stems from what the remember Epcot to be, not what it is currently.  People will argue that it’s attraction lineup is bested only by the Magic Kingdom, that it has the best in park dining of the four parks, and Illuminations is the best nighttime show.  Those that don’t take that approach offer the explanation that exploring a variety of cultures or discovering the wonders of Future World make Epcot an experience driven park moreso than one driven by attractions.  I do feel that both Epcot and the Animal Kingdom are driven more by experiencing the entirety of the park rather than bouncing from attraction to attraction as quickly as possible.  However, many guests don’t want to take the time to explore everything these parks have to offer.  They want to get the most value out of their vacation, and to many people that value is measured by a count of quality attractions.

We often romanticize the things of yesterday to help support the criticisms of today.  Ironically in a theme park devoted to discovery and the future it’s the representation of Tomorrow that has undergone many changes.  I think many people  (whether they’ll admit it or not) will admit that the additions of Test Track, Mission: SPACE and Soarin’ have helped revitalize Future World.  It’s just a shame that it cost us fans some of the classic attractions of our past.

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While details of the site will remain scarce for now, one of the drivers of the site will be photos.   This requires the assistance of Disney locals that can get up to date photos for us for things like menus and construction.  Recently I reached out to Chris Lathrop, a Disney World fan that is also conveniently training to be a pilot.  My initial hope with Chris was that he would be able to provide us with “research” shots for behind the scenes usage, but the prospect of aerial shots of Disney World was very intriguing.

Below are some of the photos from his first attempt from 11/22/2011.  You can click the photos for a larger resolution.

12►

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Probiscus Monkey

Hagfish

Flying Fox

Blobfish

Aye-Aye

We also announce our new Guest Appearances tab as well as share a tip about purcahsing the Florda Sunpass at CVS.

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MouseChat.net

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**Note**

Thanks to listener Lindsay DuBose for the following information:

The $25 portable SunPass transponder does not give you $25 towards tolls. That is just the price of the transponder, then you need to call or go online to add money to your account. The benefits of the $25 model is that you can move it from car to car, and it will beep when you go through toll booths/open tolling gateways letting you know your toll was paid.

There is also a $4.99 SunPass sticker model. This can’t be moved from car to car, and still requires you to call/go online to register your license plate and add money to your account. When this sticker was launched, there was a promo crediting back the $4.99 to your SunPass account, making the sticker “free”. They have removed the $4.99 credit message from the packaging, but as of October 2011, they were still applying the $4.99 credit to the new SunPass accounts. Obviously, the sticker can not be moved – you need a different one for each car, so it would not be appropriate for rental cars. It also does not beep – which concerns some people. I’ve never had an issue with my sticker registering at tolling locations, however.

The problem was the questions.

• Disney fans were told they could ask questions in the original announcement post, but only a handful of these questions were actually addressed by Chris Beatty.  I actually answered more of them in a response post than Chris answered in the chat.
• The only questions that got posted were softball questions.  There was absolutely nothing revealed that was not already public knowledge.
• Our friend Steve Griswold from Pixie Vacations managed to get 3 questions into the chat while several others (myself included) didn’t get any questions answered.  Steve could argue that his questions weren’t really answered either so I suppose that’s a moot point.

The positives:

• They released high resolution concept art.  All of the art had been previously seen in some capacity, but the resolution allowed for greater detail.

Some examples of questions and answers:

Q: Do you think people will really feel as if they have magically transformed into the films?
A: Absolutely. The Imagineers have done such a great job bringing these worlds and stories to life. Many of the details you see in the film, you’ll see reflected in the expansion.

Q: What do you see as the main draw for boys at new Fantasyland
A: Our focus has always been to create immersive environments for the entire family.

Q: how much work with force perspective have this new expansion? and how many imagineers work in a normal detail?
A: To achieve the idea that Beast Castle was far up into the mountains, we had to use forced perspective to bring that illusion to life.

Q: What inspires you?
A: I’m really inspired by the reaction of our guests. There’s nothing better than standing at the end of an attraction and seeing their faces when they come off.

Q: I love how Disney even takes the little things and makes them part of the experience. Ok so I take photos of Disney Trash Cans. Will there be a new Disney Trash Can design for this area of the park?
A: As with anything we do, we’re very big believers that even the smallest detail is important to our guests. To us, that’s the Disney difference.

Q: What will be inside the seven dwarf’s cottage, a chance to meet Snow White or a great place to pick up a souvenir after the ride?
A: There are some things we keep secret, so you’ll just have to wait until the attraction opens.

Q: I´ve always wanted to be an imaginner, what do I have to do to be part of this amazing group?
A: Follow your dreams, follow your passions.

Q: Share one secret with us Chris. We will not tell.
A: Okay, I’ll give you one. In a couple of days, we’ll release a picture on the Disney Parks Blog of a little something we received on-site to see if you can guess what it is.

I asked several questions, before I started to get fed up with the non answers.  Here are the questions that I asked:

• Will Storybook Circus be a separate land and if not will the Castle now “lead the entry way to six lands and more”?
• With Dumbo re-opening after refurbishment in mid february will that be re-opening in it’s new location?
• What attractions in the expansion will include fastpass?
• Will the Lumiere figure have some of the same technology as destini from the d23 expo?
• Do you plan on answering anything other than softball questions?

Admittedly, there has been discussion about all of these, but there has been no official word.  That was part of the problem for me and it resulted my posting this in the comments section of the chat transcript.

Sorry to say this, but I agree with Lauren. I know the person who got 3 questions in, and I have no issue with his questions getting through. The problem was that it seemed that Chris had a very strict gag order on him, so anything that would be remotely revealing wasn’t even asked.

Nothing new was revealed in this other than high resolution versions of existing Concept Art. I don’t expect every little detail of every aspect of the land, but perhaps some confirmation of things that are already out amongst Disney fan communities would be nice.

The Disney Parks Blog was created because the fan communities were controlling the story and this gave Disney the opportunity to get out in front of it. For the most part, trusted insiders on established fan sites are a better source for actual information than Disney themselves.

The concept of this blog is great, but it doesn’t work if the participants are afraid to confirm the smallest of details in favor of softball questions more fit for their online dating profile.

Tim
Co-Host
WDW Fan Boys Podcast

I know I probably come off as a whiny blogger on here, but I really expected more.  I was able to get more information out of the Carousel of Projects area at the D23 Expo and the Imagineers there.  They too seemed to be under certain restrictions on what they could and couldn’t tell, but at least I got something out of them.  You can find my D23 Trip Reports below:

• Tim’s Trip Report – 8/19/2011 (Part 1) – D23 Expo
• Tim’s Trip Report – 8/19/2011 (Part 2) – D23 Expo
• Tim’s Trip Report – 8/19/2011 (Part 3) – D23 Expo
• Tim’s Trip Report – 8/20/2011 – D23 Expo
• Tim’s Trip Report – 8/21/2011 – D23 Expo

On this week’s episode of WDW Kingdomcast® we are joined by Brett Bennett of the WDW Fan Boys as we cover various past deaths and incidents occurring on the Walt Disney World Resort property. We mean no disrespect to the victims but rather enlightenment on the subject that is largely unknown for good reason. Chances are pretty good that some of these incidents you may have never heard of and may not believe, but every incident is backed with articles from the Orlando Sentinel. See for your self, be sure to check the citations that link directly to the articles.

Wikipedia.org: Deaths at Disney World

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The uncensored version of this show was broadcast live on livestream.com/wdwfanboys and that full audio will be released as Uncensored Episode #019 on December 1st.

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Big Brian’s Flickr Album: Bathrooms
Big Brian’s Flickr Album: Waterfountains
Big Brian’s Flickr Album: TTC Water Fountain

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Congratulations to Jason and Stuart for winning “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy”

Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

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On this first edition of the WDW DIS-Cussion Show, me, Chris, and Tony are joined by Paul Miller and Brett Bennett of the WDW Fan Boys Podcast. Paul shares a lot of fascinating stories from his days as a Haunted Mansion cast member, and we wrap up the show with some talk about original attractions at the parks.  At the end of the show you’ll hear a recording session of Paul Frees’, and our closing music for this week.

Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @WDWDISCussion. E-mail me with questions and I’ll answer the show; ryanbarr12@gmail.com.

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On this week’s episode of WDW Kingdomcast® we are joined by co-host of the WDW Fan Boys Tim Grassey as we discuss our recent trips down to WDW. We also cover some of the events that took place during the Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary celebration! °o°  Be sure to check out our new Facebook page as well as following us on Twitter!

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Contest Information
Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

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Dinosaur at DAK – Ultimate Tribute from Martins Videos on Vimeo.

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Congratulations to Ken Vida for defeating “The Paul” in this week’s installment of “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy”

Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

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We look forward to sharing this session with all of you, and we hope that you enjoy it as well.

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On this week’s episode of the WDW Kingdomcast® we are joined by Brett Bennett from the “WDW Fan Boys” podcast and Ryan Barr as we discuss various broken attractions and effects across Walt Disney World as well as some other off topic rants. °o°

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JimHillMedia.com
JimHillMedia.com: Why For WDW’s 40th anniversary celebration is kind of a modest affair

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Disney Tour Reviews

Contest Information
Congratulations to Ryan Measure for defeating Tim in this week’s installment of “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy”

Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

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Brett can be scene accosting Lou at the 41:00 minute mark.

Susan Weaver’s logo concept

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Wikimapia: Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Mickeytar

Potential Avatar related Patent courtesy of InsidetheMagic.net

Tron Guy

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Not Safe for Work: DarksideofDisney.com
Amazon.com: The Dark Side of Disney

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Your move Universal.

For those of us waiting for Disney’s response to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, it came out early yesterday afternoon.

Back on May 31, 2007 Universal Studios announced their plans for the theme park within a theme park dedicated to the young wizard. Depending on your sources the price tag for this expansion was in the $200-250 million dollar range and by every account the money was very well spent. Crowds flocked to Islands of Adventure (You can see opening day crowds in The Game Changer) and merchandise flew off the shelves.

Even though Disney has the massive Fantasyland expansion in the works, the insatiable fan community expected more.  The Fantasyland expansion couldn’t be Disney’s only response, it didn’t make sense.  Sure it would feature two D ticket attractions, but if there’s one thing Disney fans crave it’s the revolutionary E-Ticket attraction.  So many speculated on what Disney could do to respond to this monumental achievement, and most of that speculation pointed to two franchises: Cars and Star Wars.

Herein lies the problem, both of those franchises would be welcome additions to Hollywood Studios, and I would assume, both are still on the table. I expect Carsland to be in place on both coasts before Disney World turns 50, but given the recent investments in Hollywood Studios it makes sense to take the wait and see approach just in case it flops over in California. As for an expanded Star Wars universe, the upgraded Star Tours attraction certainly lends creedence to this possibility, and the “should be vacant” Sounds Dangerous theater is prime real estate for a new Star Wars (or Clone Wars) attraction.

Star Wars and Cars certainly lend themselves to immersive environments, and the accountants love them due to the fans’ willingness to purchase merchandise. Having said all that, while these obvious choices exist for Hollywood Studios, there simply wasn’t an obvious or strong rumor for the Animal Kingdom.

Many were expecting an announcement at last month’s D23 Expo, but when the Parks and Resorts presentation came and went, people left with a sour taste in their mouth. That all changed yesterday when Disney announced the acquisition of the Global Theme Park rights to Avatar. The fan community was in shock – we were all blindsided by this. The only reporter that had any early information on this was friend of the show Lee who didn’t believe the source as he thought the whole idea was too far fetched.

I was walking around Tomorrowland when Marie saw that friend of the show Gary Hall sent us a Twitter message about the announcement on the Disney Parks Blog.  I scrambled to get as much information as possible, but it was a tedius endeavor on my Blackberry.  We were leaving the park soon and I knew that I could take advantage of MCO’s free wifi.  At that point the thread on WDWMagic was over 40 pages and the announcement was only a few hours old.

I’ll update these numbers as the information becomes more clear, but at this moment this seems to be what we know about all this:

• This will be an entirely new land with a budget in the range of 400-800 million ($500 is the most common #)
• Multiple Attractions (likely 1 major attraction and two minor attractions, presumably all rides), shops and restaurants
• The rumored location is the large plot of land North of the Asia section in the park with an entrance between Africa and Asia.  This would probably result in the removal of the Wildlife Express Train and presumably the end to guest access at Rafiki’s Planet Watch
• If It doesn’t go there, it could go in the plot of land south of the Camp Minnie Mickey area. If it does take that place it would likely mean the relocation (or removal) of Festival of the Lion King
• Construction won’t begin until 2013, it sounds like they closed the deal within the last month and that’s presumably why it wasn’t mentioned at the D23 Expo
• It will probably open between 2015-2018
• There are two more Avatar movies in development and they’ll both open before the land will open
• It hasn’t been determined what the name of the land will be, but my preference would be Pandora instead of Avatarland.
• The Animal Kingdom connection is the conservation message as well as the animal species created for the movie

Head of Parks and Resorts, Tom Staggs answered a few questions on the announcement last night, and yours truly was the fourth person with a follow up question submitted.

So now the question is, what do I think of all this?  What does this mean for my favorite park?  Will I continue to use a primitive writing style of asking myself questions?

I didn’t love Avatar.  Most people would agree that the plot was formulaic with the most common comparisons being Pocahontas or Dances with Wolves.  I like to opt for The Air Up There, but I just get quizzical looks when I make that reference.  However, the detractors of Avatar will still almost universally agree that the movie looked spectacular.  Comparitively the detractors of the Animal Kingdom will also typically agree that the park looks spectacular.  I expect this to continue with this expansion.  The movie lends itself to an incredibly immersive theme and it will allow the Imagineers and James Cameron to create something truly amazing.  I expect that this will be of superior quality and will illicit that same escape from reality found throughout the Animal Kingdom.  I won’t even take the bait and make a dig at Dino-Rama here, it’s not the time or the place for that.

So consider me optimistic.  Like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Cars I didn’t love Avatar.  But I recognize that these franchises lend themselves to theme park environments.  At this point there is so much unknown.  We don’t know the attraction lineup, we don’t know the ride systems that will be used and we haven’t seen any concept art.  Despite all that, there are plenty of reasons for optimism and I can’t wait to hear more about this project.

Theme Park Wars (Part 1)
Theme Park Wars (Part 2)
Theme Park Wars (Part 3)
Theme Park Wars (Part 5)

We met up with our friend Zack in the Magic Kingdom and did a grand circle tour of the park when all of a sudden my phone explodes with twitter messages regarding an Avatar expansion to the Animal Kingdom.  Thanks to listener and new friend Gary Hall for tweeting me directly with the news.  I’ll do a write up on this tonight with my full thoughts on the announcement, but in short – I’m optimistic.

We left the park around 4:00 PM, and I spent the time at the airport, the time on the flight and the time at home trying to catch up on the major announcement.

Attractions Visited
Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
The Haunted Mansion
it’s a small world
Jungle Cruise
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Pirates of the Caribbean x2
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Splash Mountain
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room

We got into the park around 11 AM and Fastpasses for Soarin’ were further out than normal. After a ride on Spaceship Earth we picked up our Fastpasses which if I remember correctly were for 6:30-7:30 PM. The other Fastpasses for the park were only 40 minutes out from distribution time to return time.

We hit up several things in Future World, including Ellen’s Energy Adventure for the first time in several years. In fact, today we saw two attractions that included Alex Trebek: Ellen’s Energy Adventure and O Canada.

It had been discussed on our show that I have cancelled Rose & Crown Pub Dining Reservations in the past, we kept them today and were pleased with our meal. We started off with the assorted cheeses as an appetizer. One of the cheeses smelled like a camel. There was no other way to describe the smell and Marie agreed with my description. Having said that, we were able to get past the smell enough to eat it. While it was our least favorite of the three cheeses it was fine to eat. For those wondering, there is in fact a burger on the lunch menu so I opted for that. For a Disney Burger it was good, with two huge cuts of bacon on it. The Kobe Burger at Yak and Yeti is better, but that’s also not technically a Disney burger. Marie had the fish and chips and according to her they were excellent. My last thought on Rose and Crown was that the costumes for the male cast members are somewhat demeaning. They’re made to resemble stereotypical English boys that might be hawking newspapers on a street corner. Our waiter had a hat and knickers on and it didn’t help that he had a bit of a baby face as well.

I don’t usually spend that much time in World Showcase, but today was a huge exception. Consider this the first unofficial announcement of a new project I’m working on with Rob over at WDWLive.com. The project is meant to be a collection of any and all pieces of information about attractions, entertainment, shops, dining and more inside the Disney World parks. One of the things I have been collecting over the past year is restaurant menu information and other theme park layout information. The problem is, much of this information has been coming to me piecemeal and I really haven’t had the opportunity to assemble exactly what I want in ways that I want it. One of the biggest problem areas for me had been World Showcase as I wanted to have the layout information of all the shops, restaurants, etc. as accurate as possible. Considering all this, I have been taking video and photos all trip and today was no exception. Today was actually the most content I accumulated of any day this trip taking over 7 GB of photos and video, most of which was around World Showcase. Look for components of this site to start testing over the next few months, and when it does I’ll be sure to mention it on our Facebook group.

Attractions Visited
Epcot
The American Adventure (Just Marie, I was taking photos/video)
Club Cool
Ellen’s Energy Adventure
Impressions de France
Matsuriza (Drummers in Japan, we watched for about 5 minutes)
Moroccan Style (Morocco walk through)
O Canada
Soarin’
Spaceship Earth
Spirited Beats (Japan walk through)
Test Track
The Seas With Nemo and Friends
Tomb Warriors (China walk through)
Turtle Talk with Crush
World Showcase Players (Improv type troop in UK, we watched for about 10 minutes)

Hollywood Studios
Fantasmic
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania

Later in the day we met up with listener Gary Hall and his new fiance Julie.  The two of them were nice enough to let us tag along for a few rides in Hollywood Studios before we headed back to All Star Sports a little after 3:00 to relax and not watch the Patriots game (blacked out in Orlando).

We had dinner at Boma at around 7:30 (we showed up early for our 8:25 ADR).  I enjoy Boma but it’s not one of my favorites mainly because I’m not a fan of the meat offerings.  I love the hummus, and the banana and butterscotch bread pudding is awesome, but without sacrificing some wildlife the meal simply won’t be as satisfying.

After dinner we met up with Gary, Julie and a couple of their friends for a whirlwind tour of the Magic Kingdom during Evening Extra Magic hours.  I’d like to thank them all for letting us tag along – it was great talking with fellow Disney fans.  Our listeners can also be on the lookout for a new podcast featuring some of our listeners including Gary, Ryan Barr and Hunter Nixon.  Our own Brett Bennett has already recorded a show with them.  Updated on where to download these shows can be found on our Facebook page when they become available.

Attractions Visited
Hollywood Studios
The Great Movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
Lights Motors Action
Muppet Vision 3-D
One Man’s Dream
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster
Star Tours
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Mania
Voyage of the Little Mermaid

Magic Kingdom
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
The Haunted Mansion
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain x2
Splash Mountain
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover

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ImagineeringDisney.com

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Do you have any musical talent? We’re looking for one of our listeners to put together a theme song for us and our show.

Ride Concept Expo Concept Art

Halls of Weather by Jeff Sugar

La Storia di Leonardo Da Vinci by Nicholas Bulus

Osaka Station City Water Screen

The Villa Tempus by Mike Schwalm

I’m also pleased to report that Disney has acquired new Asian Small Clawed Otters for their Tree of Life Exhibit. While we’re on the topic of animal updates, the former Malayan Tapir exhibit is still populated with Bar-Headed Geese. There were rumors not long ago that Langur Monkeys would be replacing them.

Over on Kilimanjaro Safaris we saw Zebra in the small opening before going down into the red clay pits. This has been the only place where Zebras have been visible since it was determined they were too aggressive towards some of the baby animals. Speaking of baby animals, not only did we see the new baby elephant, but also a 3 week old Gibbon, a baby Mandrill, and a baby Gorilla. Also on Kilimanjaro Safaris I saw the Addax (a small antelope) for the first time. They were in the area where the warthogs usually reside – the warthogs were M.I.A.

Now onto the important things. At the end of the respective park’s days I went to Primeval Whirl and Stitch’s Great Escape requesting Fastpasses for my collection. At Primeval Whirl they must have been testing the Fastpass machines earlier in the day because the cast member gave me a Fastpass for 8:25-9:25 AM (the park opened at 9:00). Primeval Whirl just reopened from a length refurbishment today (Just the left side), so I assume they had to go through a few different opening procedures. Over at Stitch’s Great Escape they didn’t have any Fastpasses with the actual printing on them, but the cast member gave me a huge stack of uncut blank Stitch’s Great Escape Fastpasses – these will all be welcome additions to my collection.

Attractions Visited
Animal Kingdom
Dinosaur
Discovery Island Trails
Expedition Everest
Festival of the Lion King
Flights of Wonder
Kali River Rapids
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Oasis Exhibits
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
Siamang Gibbon Exhibit
Tree of Life Exhibits

Magic Kingdom
Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
The Haunted Mansion
The Magic, The Memories and You!
Space Mountain
Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover
Wishes

Marie had her first bout with quasi fame as listener Lindsay recognized her waiting for me in front of Test Track. We chatted for a few minutes with Lindsay and her sister before going our separate ways. If any of our listeners want to say hi while we’re in the parks – the best way is to follow us on twitter.

At ‘Ohana I requested that they load up the second batch of chicken wings with the honey coriander sauce – they came back completely drenched in sauce. It was fantastic.

Attractions Visited
Living with the Land
Soarin’
Test Track
Maelstrom
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth

Food eaten at ‘Ohana
1 Tong full of salad
1 Tong full of lo mein
1 small piece of bread
1 pot sticker
1 piece of broccoli
2 pieces of steak
2 pieces of chicken
16 honey coriander wings
1/3 of the banana’s foster

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Tim’s Family Trip Report 3/5/2011 – Wild Africa Trek
Myxer.com – Illuminations Ring Tone
Tony Bonilla’s Disney Trivia iPhone App

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Disney World Resort TV Zip a Dee Do Da Tip for Today

Save Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

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ThemeParkConnection.com
AllEars.net: Dinner with the Stars
D23 Expo – Imagineering Carsland Full Panel Discussion
Brad Garrett Finds Nemo at Disneyland Park

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Do you think you’re smarter than a WDW Fan Boy? Challenge one of us in the “Are You Smarter than a WDW Fan Boy” Contest by writing questions@wdwfanboys.com with your name, phone number, and the fan boy you wish to challenge in a Disney trivia contest. We’ll randomly select a listener each week, and call you on the night we record.

Tom Staggs Video from Parks and Resorts Presentation

Planes Trailer

Total Trip Ride Count

Disneyland
Alice in Wonderland x1
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad x2
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters x4
Disneyland Railroad x2
Fantasmic x1
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage x1
Indiana Jones Adventure x4
“it’s a small world” x1
Jungle Cruise x4
Magical x1
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride x1
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey x1
Peter Pan’s Flight x1
Pirates of the Caribbean x3
Roger Rabbit’s CarToon Spin x1
Snow White’s Scary Adventures x1
Space Mountain x5
Splash Mountain x2
Star Tours x2
The Disney Gallery/The Colors of Mary Blair x1
The Haunted Mansion x2
The Magic, The Memories and You x1
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh x1

Disney California Adventure
Aladdin A Musical Spectacular x3
Animation Academy: Toy Story Zoetrope x1
California Screamin’ x3
ElecTRONica: Laser Man x1
ElecTRONica: Power Surge x1
Goofy’s Sky School x1
Grizzly River Run x2
Mickey’s Fun Wheel x1
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue x2
Soarin’ Over California x3
The Blue Sky Cellar x1
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure x4
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror x3
Toy Story Midway Mania x2
Turtle Talk with Crush x1
World of Color x3

If you have delicate sensibilities and are easily offended, you should stick with our weekly shows and refrain from listening to the uncensored shows.

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

Show Links
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Space Mountain – Star Tunnel
Space Mountain – Promising Tomorrows
Space Mountain – Star Tunnel + Promising Tomorrows

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Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

We also opted to have another meal at Cafe Orleans amidst our well paced touring. A point of note, the 3 cheese Monte Cristo isn’t as good as the turkey and cheese Monte Cristo. Another point of note – they both sit like a rock in your stomach.

I didn’t reach any decisive conclusions on the Fastpass systems at Disney California Adventure, other then my best guess from yesterday: California Screamin’ and Soarin’ Over California are linked and Tower of Terror and Grizzly River Run are linked. Goofy’s Sky School is linked to everything. Over in Disneyland I am able to confirm that Autopia and Roger Rabbit’s CarToon Spin are on their own individual Fastpass links and are not linked to any other attraction.

One of the things I really enjoyed watching this trip was Mickey’s Fun Wheel. While waiting for World of Color the Fun Wheel cycles through various iterations of graphics on its spokes. Here is a video I took before getting kicked out of the aisle by a cast member.

I also thought that fans of our show would enjoy seeing a ride through of The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. The interior of this ride is identical to Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, set to open in 2012 at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.

All in all, another great Disney trip. The D23 Expo was exciting and interesting and it’s always great to visit Disneyland. Now I’ll give me feet a 3 week break before heading to Disney World from September 16th-20th.

Attractions Visited Today

Disneyland
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Disneyland Railroad
Indiana Jones Adventure
Jungle Cruise
Peter Pan’s Flight
Pirates of the Caribbean
Roger Rabbit’s CarToon Spin
Space Mountain
The Haunted Mansion

Disney California Adventure
Aladdin A Musical Spectacular
Animation Academy: Toy Story Zoetrope
California Screamin’
Mickey’s Fun Wheel
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Tower of Terror
Toy Story Midway Mania
World of Color

I also used the solo time in the parks to ride Splash Mountain and Grizzly River Run using the single ride queue – this is a great option for people that don’t want to wait in a long line and nobody else in their group wants to get soaked.

We saw World of Color from a different view point (the Yellow section). This time we were on the Rotunda area of Paradise Park. The angle was better for straight on viewing of the show, but there were many more people in front of us which blocked the view of some of the lower fountains/effects. I’m not sure if we’ll opt for World of Color or Fantasmic tomorrow night.

Attractions Visited Today

Disneyland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
Indiana Jones Adventure
“it’s a small world”
Jungle Cruise
Pirates of the Caribbean
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
The Disney Gallery/The Colors of Mary Blair

Disney California Adventure
Aladdin A Musical Spectacular
California Screamin’
Grizzly River Run
Monster’s Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue
Soarin Over California’
The Blue Sky Cellar
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
World of Color

The real event for us today was seeing The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson over at the CBS Television City building. The real news came when our check in for the show was delayed by an hour due to the show receiving fan mail that contained a mysterious white powder.

The white powder turned out to be corn starch but we didn’t know any of this (other than there was a Haz-Mat team out front causing the delay) until Craig Ferguson himself told us about it during the monologue. He had fun with it throughout the entire show (with guest Lewis Black), and we really enjoyed the taping.

We elected to call it an early night with two full days left on Wednesday and Thursday before we head home on Friday.

I’m going to work on a video slide show presentation from Sunday’s Imagineering Carsland presentation that I can hopefully have finished sometime in the next 40 years.

Attractions Visited Today

Disney California Adventure
Goofy’s Sky School
Grizzly River Run
Soarin’ Over California
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

I’ll keep this as a brief recap of stuff I already posted on twitter.  Comedian Doug Benson was at Disneyland today, so I immediately assumed he had left a bag of weed on the teacups when we saw some security personnel and a police dog searching the attraction at around 11 PM.  It looks like it was a false alarm and someone just forgot their backpack.

Our first stop was at the Jungle Cruise, and Skipper Kevin was excellent.

Over at Cafe Orleans I had my favorite Disneyland meal – The Monte Cristo sandwich.  We also split an order of Pommes Frites (Parmesan and Garlic French Fries), and as such I couldn’t finish the sandwich.  To those unfamiliar with the Disneyland layout, Cafe Orleans is in New Orleans square, next to The Haunted Mansion.  I found it ironic that the hostess mispronounced my name as Gracey considering the proprietor of The Haunted Mansion.

Many people know of the differences between Disneyland and Disney World’s Splash Mountain (more figures in Disneyland, larger capacity in Disney World), but one thing we noticed today was how fast the flume is in Disneyland.  We were moving very quickly through the ride.

I’m trying to figure out how the Fastpasses are connected in Disney California Adventure.  I know that in the past Grizzly River Run had been on a separate Fastpass system as all or parts of that park.  I figured this would still be the case since the machines are now used for World of Color in addition to Grizzly River Run.  This is what I’ve found out so far:

• You can have a Grizzly River Run Fastpass and a Soarin’ Over California Fastpass at the same time
• You can have a Grizzly River Run Fastpass and a California Screamin’ Fastpass at the same time
• You can not have a Grizzly River Run Fastpass and Tower of Tower Fastpass at the same time

The next check would be to see if you can have a Tower of Terror and Soarin’ Over California or California Screamin’ Fastpass at the same time.

We were able to hit up all of the nighttime offerings at Disneyland one after another: Fantasmic, Magical, and The Magic, Memories and You.  While we were waiting for The Magic, Memories and You we had a conversation with a member of the custodial staff discussing the differences between the show in Florida that’s projected onto Cinderella’s Castle versus the show in California that’s projected under the facade of “it’s a small world”.  I made the point that the photos themselves are inconsequential and it’s really the other effects that make it worth watching.  He then regaled us with a story where he overheard a couple get into a shouting match as the guy saw the girl kissing someone else in one of the photos.  Disneyland… breaking up relationships since 2011.

After the nighttime shows we wound up hitting up four Fantasyland dark rides in under an hour.  Al Lutz of MiceAge recently reported that the outdoor section of Alice in Wonderland would have a permanent fix to replace the temporary rig that’s currently set up – it definitely doesn’t look good in it’s current state but it’s a pretty solid dark ride.  Disneyland has a series of Fantasyland dark rides that you would struggle to classify as C tickets because the moveable parts aren’t actually animatronics but two dimensional cut outs.  Alice in Wonderland is an exception to this as I’d say it’s a step above The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Attractions Visited Today

Disneyland
Alice in Wonderland
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Disneyland Railroad
Fantasmic
Indiana Jones Adventure
Jungle Cruise
Magical
Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
Pinocchio’s Daring Journey
Pirates of the Caribbean
Snow White’s Scary Adventures
Space Mountain
Splash Mountain
The Haunted Mansion
The Magic, The Memories and You!
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

Disney California Adventure
Aladdin A Musical Spectacular
California Screamin’
ElecTRONica: Power Surge
Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!
Tower of Terror
Turtle Talk with Crush

I didn’t learn until later in the day on Saturday that the Mickey’s of Glendale shop that was attached to the Carousel of Projects exhibit was actually an Imagineering exclusive merchandise location.  It was the first time these products were available to the public.  Had I known this, we would have gone in on Friday.  Unfortunately, they ran out of my size in several shirts: most notably the Horizons, Imagination, and Living with the Land t-shirts with the classic Epcot pavilion logos.  It didn’t stop me from spending $120+, but it likely would have been more had I been in earlier.  I’ve already reached out to the few contacts I have that may be able to get me the missing Epcot shirts (of course I bought what they had available: Spaceship Earth, World of Motion, Living Seas and Communicore).  These shirts were only $14 each as all of the items already had the cast member discount built into the price.

After my merchandise acquisitions I joined Marie in the line for the Imagineering Carsland presentation.  We chose to wait two and a half hours for this presentation as we didn’t want to miss it. It was certainly worth the wait – I took photos of almost every piece of concept art and/or construction update and will assemble all of these photos along with the full audio into a slide show later in the week.

After the presentation we went to purchase some overpriced food when I recognized Jim Hill having a conversation with someone near one of the food courts.  We had never met in person so I caught his eye and waved.  When he finished his conversation he joined Marie and myself for a discussion about all things D23 Expo based for well over an hour.  For those of you that don’t know, Jim recently got hired to do some work for the Huffington Post, and as such he was going backstage at a lot of these events, and was even moderating the panel for the Pixar Shorts presentation.

Over at DCA today we rode The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure – I enjoyed it as a thorough, well done dark ride.  i liken the animatronic quality for most of the AA’s to those in Splash Mountain, while the Mermaid, Sebastian, Scuttle and Ursula AA’s far exceed this.  It will be a welcome addition to Fantasyland and is a very solid D-Ticket.

We also experience World of Color for the first time, it’s a very impressive show and I look forward to seeing it again from a different angle tomorrow.  A point of note – for the most part, I didn’t find the projections on the water any better than those in Fantasmic, but the entire spectacle is still very well done.  I appreciated the usage of the sunburst on California Screamin’ for additional effects.  I also spent the time waiting for the show to begin by watching the light patterns on Mickey’s Fun Wheel – it’s mesmerizing.

After the World of Color show we headed over to the Hollywood Backlot to see what ElecTRONica is all about.  It’s a high energy dance party that was very well done.  The most impressive part was a twice nightly showing of Laser Man, a guy that bends and manipulates lasers for several minutes.  I’m always impressed when Disney puts something together that I can’t quite figure out.

Over at Disneyland, Marie and I each had the first corn dogs of each of our lives – we were both pleasantly surprised. After we both went on Space Mountain, I went on my second trip on Star Tours.  What was odd was the lack of a human rebel spy.  We didn’t have any empty seats, but they just showed a generic looking alien type thing during the rebel spy sequence – If anyone has any explanation as to why that would happen I’d love to hear it.  As for the rest of the ride, our first destination was Hoth.  It seems that they chill the cabin for Hoth, and heat it up for Tattooine.

Attractions Visited Today

Disneyland
Space Mountain
Star Tours

Disney California Adventure
Soarin’ Over California
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure
Toy Story Midway Mania
World of Color
ElecTRONica/Laser Man

To listen to this podcast, you can use the flash player above, search for “WDW Fan Boys” on iTunes, or click here to download (right click and save as).

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Don’t get me wrong, there were elements of the presentation that were very well done, and I discussed some of them yesterday (Tom Staggs working at the parks, Updates on existing projects, Mickey on the drums). The problem was, that the presentation wasn’t building towards anything. It was anticlimactic. It essentially ended with Tom Staggs shrugging his shoulders and saying, “That’s it”.

Smash cut to today – The Walt Disney Studios presentation was fantastic. From direct to Blu Ray releases through DisneyToon Studios, to Disney Animation, to Pixar, to Disney live action, to DisneyNature, and Marvel, each division had superb updates and exceptional star power. Unfortunately they didn’t allow recording devices of any kind so I went old school with a pad of paper and a pen.

10 minutes prior to show time an announcement was made that the “Disney Legends Presentation will begin in ten minutes”. In other news, Paramount just hired a new audio technician. The presentation began with a best of collection of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies and it was pretty clear to see that this presentation was going to be far more fan driven than Parks and Resorts.  Fans cheered the best movies (and inexplicably, Tron) and applauded for the lesser ones.  After a brief introduction by Walt Disney Studios Chairman Rich Ross, John Lasseter was introduced to a partial standing ovation (there was a lot of this given the presentation’s star power).

John Lasseter and the animated projects were a great way to kick off this presentation.  These projects all seemed incredibly solid, and overshadowed many of the other projects that followed.  Planes was the first movie introduced, for those unfamiliar it is a direct to Blu Ray release from DisneyToon Studios and it stars a crop dusting plane (voiced by John Cryer).  Described by John Lasseter as the first of multiple Toon Studios releases that will be set in the world of Cars, Planes was a surprise to me right from the start.  All I had heard about the project was that Pixar wanted nothing to do with it.  They showed us an unbelievable trailer, humorously set to “More Human Than Human” by Rob Zombie.  It showed clips of fighter jets, stealth bombers, and then the small crop dusting plane.  John Cryer was the first celebrity to take the stage and he seemed genuinely happy to be there.  Some of the celebrities featured today showed up but wound up saying very little.  I haven’t seen any of the DisneyToon Studios offerings to date but this one is definitely on my list.

The next movie introduced was from Disney Animation Studios called Wreck-It-Ralph.  Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) is a destructive 8-bit video game character that doesn’t like being a “bad guy”.  Both Jack McBreyer and Sarah Silverman lent their voices to this movie and both were included in the discussion.  When asked what it was like to be here, Sarah Silverman retorted, “I always wanted to come to Anahaeim and not go to Disneyland.”  When asked what it was like to be a voice actor, Jack McBreyer humbly said, “My own voice irritates myself.”  We were shown part of a Jane Lynch recording session as well as the storyboards (with John C. Reilly voice over) of the first four and a half minutes.  There was some great sarcasm in what seems like a great script.  Part of the storyboard included the equivalent of a bad guy A.A. meeting titled “Bad-Anon One Game at a Time”.

When John Lasseter talks about Disney he gets excited, when he talks about Pixar, he gets euphoric.  He was very excited to introduce the next Pixar film, Brave along with it’s director Mark Andrews and Producer Katherine Sarafian.  Brave is set in medieval Scotland, and as such Mark Andrews wore a kilt to the presentation.  They were joined by voice actress Kelly McDonald (Boardwalk Empire) and the incomprehensible Kevin McKidd.  Kevin McKidd deliberately spoke garbled “English” before his self translation.  While not at the presentation, Craig Ferguson received a nice applause when he was identified as another voice in the movie.  We’ll be seeing a taping of his show on Tuesday.  As for the footage, we were shown a clip of the film that included Merida (the main character) splitting another arrow in an archery contest.  Somewhere Mel Brooks is mumbling to himself “She split Robin’s arrow in Twain!”

Next up was Monsters University, described by John Lasseter was “an animated college movie”.  Illiciting laughs were the stills of the nerdy, goth and cool monsters.  The followed this up with the various types of professors as well.  Filmmaker Dan Scanlon described the process where members of the creative team spent time at Harvard, Princeton, Berkley, and M.I.T. because, “Most of us went to art school and have no idea what real college looks like.”  Next they cut to a clip of John Goodman and Billy Crystal that begin with Crystal saying, “Hello Nerds!”  It continued with Billy Crystal saying “Maybe we should have been there in person,” as he walked off frame from the recording and onto the stage.  The place erupted as Crystal made a few jokes before John Lasseter started to get really giddy.  He was about to announce the two previously unannounced projects that are to follow Mosnters University.

Coming out during the 2013 Holiday season is a movie they jokingly dubbed, “The Untitled Pixar Movie about Dinosaurs”.  This was introduced by Producer John Walker and Director Bob Peterson.  Bob went through the roster of voices he has performed in Pixar movies past which inclued Mr. Ray (Finding Nemo), Roz (Monsters Inc.) and Dug (Up).  His behavior on stage was frantic, much like Dug the dog, and everyone appreciated his SQUIRREL!  The movie was in it’s early stages so we only saw a single piece of concept art.  However, the premise is that the asteroid responsible for killing all of the dinosaurs winds up missing the Earth and the dinosaurs continued to live.

Following this was the Summer 2014 release, jokingly titled “The Untitled Pixar Movie That Takes You Inside the Mind”.  Discussed by Producer Jonas Rivera and Director Pete Doctor, the brief description was that there is a world inside your own mind and this movie aims to access that world.  Pete Doctor also showcased his voicework as well by reciting some of the not so memorable lines from Pixar movies as Campmaster Strauch from Up, and additional voices from The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc.

Since this is the 25th anniversary of Pixar Studios, Woody and Buzz came out with a birthday cake and John Lasseter concluded the animated portion of the presentation with an announcement, “Cupakes for everyone!”  After confetti blasts, dozens of employees came storming down the aisles with individual cupcakes for everyone in the Arena.  The design on top of each cupcake was the famed yellow and blue ball.

To discuss some of the live action projects, Rich Ross introduced the President of Production at Walt Disney Studios, Sean Bailey.  If this presentation had a lull, this was it.  Despite Andrew Stanton’s best efforts and enthusiasm, the response for John Carter was tepid at best.  However, it’s quite possible that everyone in the arena was terrified by Willem Dafoe, who is somehow creepier when he smiles.  Dafoe is a CG character in this movie, but still spent every day on set wearing stilts and a motion capture suit.  He was joined on stage by writer/director Andrew Stanton, producer Jim Morris, actor Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) and actress Lynn Collins (Dejah Thoris).

The next movie featured was the Tim Burton stop motion picture, Frankenweenie.  Some insights into the stop motion process were explained by producer Allison Abbate and Executive Producer Don Hahn.  None of the voice talent made an appearance but the voices were described as “Friends of Tim, without Johnny Depp.”

The next movie was titled The Odd Life of Timothy Green.  Actress Jennifer Garner came out to discuss the plot where her character and her husband are unable to have a child.  They decide to try and live through the child’s adolescence that night by writing down ten attributes they wanted in a child.  This included things like being able to cheer for him after scoring a goal as well as personality traits.  They wrote these down on ten separate pieces of paper, put them in a box and buried it in their backyard.  After a torrential rain storm they find a muddy child on the ground above where they placed the box and the story is about their interaction with this child.  One question I have from the clip/trailer we saw is as follows: How come all rain storms have to have a swinging gate?  Don’t they have latches in the movies?

Disney had just started production on Oz the Great and Powerful so unfortunately none of the cast was available for appearances.  However they did preview some scenes during tapings from the end of July.

Unlike the Parks and Resorts presentation, most of the people in attendance knew that Disney was saving some of the best films for last.  The next introduction was for Jason Segel, Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy.  Jason Segel and Kermit were sitting on a small stage that moved outwards as they had a discussion about the whereabouts of Miss Piggy. Kermit joked, that she never showed up on time to set so this shouldn’t be a surprise.  Sure enough Miss Piggy comes out riding in the side car of a motor cycle and then storms off when Kermit and Jason Segel struggle to break the news to her that she’s not in any of the clips that they brought.

The clips featured classic Muppets style gags such as a gospel choir playing when Kermit makes an appearance only to have a bus drive by with the words “Good Shephard Church Choir” written on the side.  Cut to Kermit’s house when he has a servant dubbed “80′s robot” that brings him Tab and New Coke.  The next clip features the cast of Muppets alongside Jason Segel and Amy Adams going into the now condemned Muppet theater.  They proclaim that they’re going to fix it up but they all stand around watching Scooter sweep by himself.  When the Muppets question this productivity, it’s explained to them that “You’re The Muppets, you have to do this to music.”  That’s Dr. Teeth’s cue to crank up the Jefferson Starship (We Built This City).  The gag in this scene features Kermit going through his old Rolodex to try and get celebrities to come make an appearance.  The problem is all of the celebrities are from the 80′s.  He starts with President Jimmy Carter, moves on to Molly Ringwold and before long his entire Rolodex is useless.

Following The Muppets was the next DisneyNature film, Chimpanzee.  Quite a few “oooh’s” and “aaah’s” circled the theater as the cute chimpanzees played on screen.  However we all knew where the presentation was headed.

Kevin Feige, also known as Marvel’s equivalent to John Lasseter came on stage wearing a Star Tours hat and proceeded to explain that at the 2009 Expo, he was there as a guest of this presentation sitting next to Tony Baxter.  A collection of clips from Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and The Hulk helped to set the stage for The Avengers.  Then they cut to a clip of the film that shows Loki (Tom Hiddleston) trapped in a class cage as Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) breaks down the situation to him.  It appears that Loki escapes, and then it cuts to Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) breaking down all of the characters and their attributes (The Demi God, The Living Legend that lives up to his name, etc).  The trailer was capped by Tony Stark being told, “I have an army” to which he quickly retorts, “We have a Hulk”.

After they showed the clip/trailer the celebrities were introduced: Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, and Robert Downey Jr.  The arena erupted in applause as Robert Downey Jr. said a few words before they showed the clip one last time.  All of the cast except for Robert Downey Jr. stayed out to watch it, presumably seeing it for the first time themselves.

All in all, that presentation made the expo worth it for me.

The Studios presentation went from 10:30 AM – 1 PM, and our plan after the Disney Studios presentation was for Marie to head straight up to a Pixar presentation at 2:30 and I was tasked with getting our cellphones and other stuff from the media room as well as picking up lunch.  Marie caught up to me while in line for food to inform me that the Pixar presentation was at capacity.  We tried getting into the 2:45 presentation about Buena Vista Street at Disney California Adventure, but that was also full.

We knew we wanted to make The Legends of Disney Imagineering presentation at 4:30, so we hopped in line close to 3 hours before it started.  The Expo sold out of tickets for the day, so these smaller events required guests to line up more than 2 hours in advance.  For the arena presentation we learned that we needed to give them at least 2-3 hours as well.  Tomorrow we’re planning accordingly for the one event that we plan on seeing.

As for The Legends of Disney Imagineering presentation, this was exceptional.  The panel was hosted by Disney Legend Marty Sklar who was joined by Alice Davis, Orlando Ferrante, Bob Gurr, Don Iwerks and Kim Irvine.  Together they discussed what adjustments they had to make bringing the Disney content from Disneyland to Disney World.  The full audio of the presentation will be available as this week’s podcast, but below we have a video clip that they showed to introduce the discussion.  It was footage used to sell Floridians on the benefits of Disney World.  Marty Skalr was quick to comment on the “excitement level” of the presenters.

The Imagineering Panel

Legends of Imagineering: Disney World Preview Video

After the Legends presentation we went over to the multi room Disney Archives exhibit.  We had to wait in line about half an hour to get in but there were quite a few fascinating props from several Disney films, shows and attractions.  I’ve highlighted a select few in videos and photos below.

Walt’s desk while working on Pinocchio

The original storybook from Sleeping Beauty

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Props

The Dip Machine from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Hocus Pocus Props – I hated this movie

The Princess Bride Dress – Parts of this movie were filmed in my home town

National Treasure

Pirates of the Caribbean props

Lost props

Tron props

Props from Mickey’s Toontown Fair

We finished the day shopping at the Archives store where I purchased a classic Epcot shirt.  I was also informed that at the Mickey’s of Glendale shop they have black t-shirts with each of the original Epcot pavilion logos front and center.  I might have to purchase them all, or at the very least Horizons and Imagination.

As for the presentation itself, it was headed by Imagineers that worked on the design for the ride.  One amusing story involved Prince Eric whose figure had his leg raised in a reverse image of what was seen in the movie (and in Tokyo Disney Sea).  To produce this they reversed the original model but then head to decapitate Eric to get the part in his hair correct.

The Empty Stage 28

I posted my own videos earlier, but here are some of the official videos from Disney Parks for the elements in Fantasyland:

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train

Fantasyland Model

I also have some of my own video of the Fantasyland Model as well as as a short interview with an Imagineer

Fantasyland Model

Imagineer talks about Fantasyland

In and around the Carousel of Projects there were several other interesting elements including Fantasyland concept art and ride vehicles, ride vehicles and animatronics from Carsland, an interactive animatronic, and the model for Shanghai.  You can see video and photos below:

Video of Radiator Springs Racers animatronic and Interactive Animatronic

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train concept art

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh concept art

Gaston’s Tavern concept art

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train model

Dueling Dumbos model

The Great Goofini model

Dueling Dumbos model

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train Ride Vehicle

Carthay Circle Theater Model (Disney California Adventure)

Buena Vista Street Model (Disney California Adventure)

Tow Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree Attraction vehicle (Disney California Adventure)

Radiator Springs Racers Attraction Vehicle (Disney California Adventure)

Radiator Springs Racers Attraction Vehicle (Disney California Adventure)

Shanghai Disneyland

Shanghai Disneyland

So there was a great deal if disappointment from people regarding the Parks and Resorts presentation, this stemmed largely from the lack of a major announcement/addition to the stateside parks.  They stressed the massive expansions already going on, and viewed the presentation as a progress report of sorts.  Marie and I had our own problems with the presentation.  I was the only one with press credentials, and she couldn’t get into the arena.  It seems that people that got in line 2 hours before the presentation didn’t get in – so she really didn’t have a chance.  The Little Mermaid presentation got out at 2:00 and we were both starving so we joined another massive line for horrible overpriced deli sandwiches.  At around 2:45 I decided that I had to get in line for the Parks and Resorts presentation and when I discovered that it wrapped around the entire floor of the pavilion in addition to the already sectioned off queuing area I knew she had no chance of making it.  Fortunately I was able to take advantage of my press credentials and get into a reserved section.  For tomorrow’s Disney Studios presentation we will be taking extra precautions so that we can hopefully enjoy it together.

As for my thoughts on the presentation – It was well put together, the updates on existing projects were welcome, and Tom Staggs vacillated between witty and awkward at various points in the presentation.  Below is some video of Mickey Mouse playing the drums to kick off the show:

Tommy Lee Mouse

The next segment was a video of Tom Staggs performing a variety of candid duties in and around the parks, I didn’t capture video of it, but I’m sure it will find it’s way to the web eventually.  This was very well done and resulted in the biggest laugh of the presentation.  That laugh came when a clip of Tom Staggs and an elephant trainer were shoveling Elephant feces and Tom asked, “Did Jay [Rasulo] do this?”  Then the video cut to former head of Parks and Resorts Jay Rasulo sitting on a beach sipping an alcoholic beverage.

A few more clips from the Parks and Resorts Presentation including some interaction between Mickey Mouse and Tom Staggs, the introduction to the Aulani Resort Presentation and some information about Shanghai Disney

Disney California Adventure and Disneyland Updates: Buena Vista Street, Carsland, Fantasy Faire

Below are some additional photos of the Presentation:

The Stage

Tommy Lee Mouse

Mickey Dancing with Tom Staggs

Aulani Dancers

Joe Rohde was unable to attend but he sent the video tour above of the Aulani resort in Hawaii. After they came back from the video, Tom Staggs paid tribute to Joe with an earring:

Tom Staggs as Joe Rohde

Tom Staggs as Joe Rohde

More video of the Carousel of Projects pavilion there were some other interesting elements like large props/animatronics from Carsland as well as an interactive Muppet type animatronic called Destini.

Some of the remaining photos I took during the day can be found below:

A model of the Jungle Cruise… only $7500!

The Mice Chat booth: Snow White vehicle

Painting of Walt

The Ladies Man Booth

Attractions Visited Today

Disneyland
Jungle Cruise
Indiana Jones Adventure
Space Mountain
Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters
Star Tours