Mouse Extra

…or at least until you can think of something better.

Today’s Web Check column concerns an article on mgmstudios.org by Matt Hochberg.   Just to give you a little background on Matt, he has this great website, as well as awesome tribute sites for the Rock n’ Rollercoaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, as well as one of the best Disney World podcasts on the internet called WDW Today.   Bookmark all of Matt’s sites.  They are great fun.

Now, let’s talk about this piece called “Move the Hat!”.  As you can probably imagine, he’s referring to the big sorcerer hat in front of the Great Movie Ride at the Disney-MGM Studios.   I am one of the few people I know who truly like the hat, and do not want to see it removed or even relocated without some better idea for a park icon in its place.   Matt has a good idea, but I don’t think it addresses all the concerns.  He wants it moved directly above the turnstiles…

Think about how cool it would be to walk under the hat as you enter the park.   To quote Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park when they drive into the park, “What do they got in there? King Kong?”  The Hat’s larger than life aspect to it would be a grand spire that would set the tone for the park.

This is not a bad idea, and certainly better than the idea of simply tossing it into the Seven Seas Lagoon that most anti-hatters give me.   The problem here is that Matt and I don’t agree with this basic premise….

The problem with the hat is its location.  Basically, it ruined the Great Movie Ride courtyard.

I don’t care about that at all.  In fact, that big open space is rather silly.   But more importantly, I don’t want the Theater as the weenie in the center of the park.  It already failed in that role.  There is nothing at all creative about replicating this building, and having it front and center makes the place look like a bad imitation of Hollywood and not something unique or magical.  This was the problem I had with the Studios from the get-go.  The themeing was sub-par and boring.   They went after a 1930’s era look, but only got halfway there.  The hat at least hides some of the less interesting architecture behind something truly unique to Disney, and also from the proper period in film history.

But I am always open for ideas, and Matt has a reasonable one.   But his idea does not address the problem of that Great Movie Ride courtyard area being open and boring.  So what can be done?   Instead of moving the hat, why not keep it and change the exterior of the buildings on Hollywood Boulevard.  The idea of the “Hollywood’s Golden Era” has long since been abandoned by the Imagineers.   Perhaps something more fantastic is in order, something that better matches the sorcerer and not the other way around.  Any ideas???   (We’ll save those for another post)

Today we have the first installment of Mouse Hospitality, our collection of resort reviews.  Over the coming weeks and month’s we will try to post reviews for every resort in Disney World.   Hopefully this will be a useful reference for those of you planning a trip to the Mouse. 

Let’s begin on a positive note and talk about my favorite of all of Disney World’s Resorts; the Boardwalk.

I have never been so content at a Disney Resort like I was at the Boardwalk.  We spent a week here recently, and stayed in the Vacation Club’s Villas portion of the property, but there is little to differentiate the villas from the inn as they both share the same amenities.  The room was spotless and well themed, but that is to be expected from a deluxe resort.

There are few surprises here, except how much we enjoyed it.  I had been to the Boardwalk before, though this was the first time staying there.  I knew about all the bars, restaurants, and shops that lined the authentic feeling boardwalk.  I had been to the delicious bakery, pizza stand, and candy shop.  I knew the location was terrific, with easy walking access to the World Showcase in Epcot and the Disney MGM Studios.  I knew the pool looked like a blast, and that the building was beautiful inside and out.   None of these things were discovered during our stay there.

What I did discover was the first Disney resort that I actually made a point to spend time at.  Whether it was to have a cup of coffee on a bench overlooking Crescent Lake, sip a pint at the Big River Grille and Brew Works, or take a slide down the Keister Coaster at the Luna Park pool, the Boardwalk made me want to be there.  Often a resort is a place to sleep, get breakfast before your day at the parks, or maybe rest a bit during the hot mid-afternoons, but not this place.  For those who stay there, the Boardwalk becomes part of the vacation experience, and part of the fun.

This is the one place that I can truly say has something for everyone.  If you like some nightlife, they have the dueling pianos at Jellyrolls or dancing at the Atlantic Dance.  If you’re a sports fan, what more can you ask for then the ESPN Club?  If you are a tavern lover like me, the aforementioned Big River brewpub is a good spot to try some fresh and unique beers. Spoodles and the Flying Fish offer terrific menus for folks looking for a top-notch restaurant.   Also, the boardwalk area has funnel cakes, pizza, hotdogs, ice cream, and so much more.  You’ll never go hungry, and you’ll find yourself wanting to make time during your trip to experience all the resort has to offer.

The Mousetunes podcast came up with this idea, and I just couldn’t resist. It was first mentioned on the November 5, 2006 show, and I highly recommend that you make this a weekly listen. Thanks to Lou and Nathan for planting this one in my brain. Read the rest of this entry »

So how does this all happen?  Most of it occurs overnight, in what must be a massive effort.  In a recent trip to the Boardwalk during the week before Thanksgiving Week, we came back to the resort after a late night at Downtown Disney.  What we found was a lobby full of Christmas decorations.  The pictures below show them as they were being carted into the lobby.  You can see the racks the cast members carry them on, and the tags that are used to identify where they belong.  When you think of all the decorations that adorn every inch of the parks and resorts, you can imagine the scope of the manpower needed to do all this in a week.

Then when you wake up, the place is Christmas central.  Here’s an example of the interior decorations…

And this tree appeared in the courtyard…

The only thing left undone was the chocolate and gingerbread sculpture of Santa’s workshop.  In the morning, a crowd had already gathered to watch these magician’s cooking up the centerpiece of the Boardwalk’s holiday décor…> 

I know what you are saying, two “Web Check” columns and both are about Jim Hill Media.  I promise that we will discuss many more Disney-related websites in the coming days, but I could not simply let today’s post go ignored.  Because today, Mr. Hill has quite literally read my mind. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to Mouse Extra, a blog that feeds the Disney addiction daily.  Here we will be focusing on Walt Disney World but always willing to expand to the Disney Company’s ever growing kingdom.Among some of the things you can look forward to reading are…

• Commentary on the latest happenings at WDW.
• Building My Imagineering Resume-a column dedicated to my ideas for making the Magic Kingdom more fun.
• Rumors about possible changes at WDW
• Reviews of resorts, restaurants, bars, and everything else that makes a vacation fun.
• Opinions and comments on the best Disney related websites and podcasts the internet has to offer.
• As many photos I can possibly take
• And much, much more.

Please stop by as often as possible.  The archives below are from the Mouse Blog, our former site.