As we inch closer and closer to the official opening of the new Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club at the Magic Kingdom, we can conclude that what we are seeing now is pretty close to what we’ll get. And if the reviews coming out in the past few days are any indication, the new Tomorrowland attraction is not going to break any turnstiles. Read the rest of this entry »
by Dave
It was forty years ago today, when the Walt Disney Company opened the doors to a crowning achievement in theme park history. March 18, 1967 was the opening day at Disneyland of perhaps the most popular ride in the world; The Pirates of the Caribbean.
The perfect blend of technology, storytelling, and music, Pirates captured the imagination of everyone who experienced it from the day it opened, and still does forty years later. From X. Atencio’s infectious melody and lyrics to the barely family friendly dialogue of the characters, the ride is the greatest example of the collective genius that was Walt Disney and his Imagineers ever produced. In a time before political correctness, Disney was able to make light of subjects that they would never touch today. But it gives these mechanical buccaneers an air of authenticity that is inescapable. They would drink, chase women, steal, and even auction of the local…beauties. Could you ever imagine WDI writing something like these Atencio’s lyrics?
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.
We pillage, we plunder, we rifle, and loot,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
We kidnap and ravage and don’t give a hoot,
Drink up me ‘earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.
We extort, we pilfer, we filch, and sack,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
Maraud and embezzle, and even high-jack,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.
We kindle and char, inflame and ignite,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
We burn up the city, we’re really a fright,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
We’re rascals, scoundrels, villans, and knaves,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
We’re devils and black sheep, really bad eggs,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.
We’re beggars and blighters, ne’er-do-well cads,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
Aye, but we’re loved by our mommies and dads,
Drink up, me ‘earties, yo ho.
It is hard to believe that Disney would feature the words kidnap, embezzle, char, ravage or high-jack so prominently in a major e-ticket attraction. But anything else would have caused the realism of the theme to suffer.
Those of us who call Walt Disney World our home park, have the early guests to thank for having some Pirates of our own. When Disney World opened, there were no Pirates. In fact, Imagineering had planned to not include them in the park, reasoning that folks who grew up only miles away from the Caribbean would not be as fascinated with them. But it wasn’t just Pirates that guests wanted to see. It was Walt Disney’s Pirates, and the demand they voiced caused Disney’s executives to quickly throw together a smaller modified version of the instant Disneyland classic. Though the original is admittedly longer and more entertaining, Orlando’s Pirate’s remains a great experience.
From my earliest memory of the Magic Kingdom, Pirates of the Caribbean was the first place we would go as I think my father was more excited then I was. Every trip had to start with a rollicking ride through world of Walt Disney’s drunken scallywags. And I know I am not alone. Four decades later, people at both coasts beeline to this attraction to begin their trips.
So here’s a hearty Happy Birthday to the scoundrels themselves. And I raise my glass to toast of these bad eggs, and those who brought them to us.
If you’re sitting in front of your computer today looking for something fun to read, check out this piece from MGMStudios.org. It’s by Matt Hochberg, the website’s owner and host on the terrific WDW Today pod cast, and it’s called “The never made it list”. It discusses four great concepts for attractions that never made it to the Disney-MGM Studios. I don’t know about you, but I just can’t get enough of this kind of stuff. Read the rest of this entry »
IllumiNations; Reflections of Earth is an example of the best Walt Disney World has to offer. It is one of Imagineering’s best achievements and truly should be experienced by everyone. The best way to see it is from the water, and the Mouse offers guests the chance to do just that. Read the rest of this entry »
by Dave
The “unofficial” Disney community, those who make up all the great podcasts, websites, and forums, is filled with terrific people. Many people devote hours of their spare time to bring a bit of the Mouse to all of us addicts, and often at their own expense. One of the most interesting of those people is Lou Mongello, someone I’ve talked about on this site many times.
Mr. Mongello has a terrific resume for Disney fans. He is the author of the incredibly readable Disney World Trivia books and the host of WDW Radio, which is among the best Disney podcasts available. But what I want to talk about today is another creation of his called “DisneyWorldTrivia.com Dream Team”. It is a charity that he has put together to send kids with cancer to Walt Disney World. Here is what he says…
Rather than donate money to cancer research, I wanted to help a sick child and their family now, when they may need it most. Although cancer research is in serious need of funding and donations, I wanted to make a difference for a child today. A child and their family who may be suffering physically, emotionally and spiritually, are also often struggling financially to pay for hospital bills and other medical expenses.
Lou is allocating portions of the proceeds from his books and related merchandise to the cause, as well as taking donations. If you don’t have the books, buy them through his site and help these kids. I’d like to applaud Lou for all his work, but he gets a standing ovation for this one. Also, during the Magic Meets Disney fans gathering in Harrisburg, PA in July of this year, he will be holding an auction to benefit the Dream Team. That sounds like a great way to get some Mouse stuff and help kids as well.
by Dave
As if current Disney Vacation Club members weren’t excited enough about the opening of the new Animal Kingdom Villas, the spring 2007 edition of Vacation Magic, the members-only newsletter, has a terrific story about the new property. As details roll in and the place gets closer to opening, it truly seems to get better and better.
The design appears to be architecturally fascinating. Take a look at this excerpt from the article…
Imagineers describe the new village as, “a man-made structure that seems curiously at home in the natural world.” This blending of the human and animal worlds will be evident in the village’s overall layout, which, for some explorers, will evoke images of an African necklace, with Vacation Homes serving as “beads,” hallway connectors on the upper floors as “knots” and the intimately designed lobby as the central “jewel.” Others may equate the organically curved layout to the shape of a Cape Buffalo’s horns, and the Port Cochere to a butterfly with thatched wings.
I am a sucker for great architecture, and this has all the makings of Disney breaking new ground once again with a resort. The current Animal Kingdom Lodge is a beautiful structure, but this is both different and potentially complimentary. For all the flack Disney has received in recent years over budget restrictions, they certainly have spared no expense in this plan.
Also offered in the article are some details about the pool area…
That exterior construction involves more than just erecting alls and thatching roofs, as crews will develop a variety of outdoor-recreation areas including a 4,200-square-fott water-play “camp” that’ll be central to the villages storyline.
“kids will discover an old animal-observation camoe divided into three distinct areas for various age groups,” explained Imagineer Tim Warzecha. “Water jets will flow through everything from an iconic water tower to sculpted snakes and Venus flytraps, and kids will trigger the action by aiming hoses, stepping in pressure-sensitive pads and more. We think this is going to be one of the most popular places in the village.”
Like I said before, my fellow members are already over the moon about this resort, but these details just keep raising the bar as they trickle out. This is going to be a tough ticket, that’s for sure. At least until the Contemporary is opened.
