Mouse Extra

The guidebook is a very popular subject with Disney afficinadoes. The various drawbacks and benefits are often a topic of discussion. Even Disney fans who know the parks better than the back’s of their hands get the new guides as they come out. To me, the top books have always been The Unofficial Guide and The Passporter. Well, I will now mention the Complete Walt Disney World from Coconut Press in the same breath. Its a great book written by Julie and Mike Neal. The couple spent a year researching the book by spending time at WDW (not a bad gig if you can get it). For example, Julie claims to have spent a whole day riding the Tower of Terror to study its little nuisances and the like.

And it was worth it. The details provided about each attraction are extraordinary and the best of any guide no question. Full pages are dedicated to attractions like the Liberty Square Riverboats or Pocohontas and Her Forest Friends. Several pages are set aside for the e-tickets like Space Moutian and the Kilimanjaroo Safari. In addition, these larger descriptions are typically followed by a “Fun Facts” section with little bits of trivia. For example, at Soarin’, we are told the reasoning behind the selection of Flight Number 5505, we get Patrick Warburton’s Disney resume, and we find out about all the locales used in the film.

All of this information does come at a price. The book does not provide a lot of details on the resorts. There is some good information on what to do in planning and packing for a Disney vacation but its not as deatiled. of course, no guide comes close to the Unofficial Guide in that department. Restaurants are not covered extensively either but the basics are there. You are given the location and cuisine but there’s no effort at critiques.

Before I get to negative, I will point out that one of the best things about this book is the photos, over 400 of them and all beautifully done. You can even get some behind the scenes looks. Its easily the best WDW guide in terms of photography and is worth the cover price alone.

There is also a great deal of effort by authors to provide you with details on what they call diversions. That is, the book is a great source for information on Downtown Disney, golfing, and the water parks. There is also more pages spent on the specialty tours and the special events, like the Osborn Lights and the Halloween party, then in any other book of its kind. Perhaps the best thing about this book (besides the photography) is the detail on the little, well, details. Several pages are spent discussing the architecture of the World Showcase pavillons and the biology of the animals found throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

But lets not stop there. The book provides a good outline of the various shops in and out of the parks. There are fine historical recounts of the parks, the characters, and the man himself, Walt. Only the Unofficial Guide provides more of a historical backround. I also like the “Park Puzzlers” which are sets of trivia questions. At the bottom of eack page are little tidbits such as hidden places to rest, details on the best place to sit for a ride, and the like. Similiar to Fun Facts, the authors provide “Fun Finds” which are basically scavenger hunts for the big attractions. An example of this is the listing of 36 ghosts to be spotted at the Haunted Mansion.

For Disney fans, I would certainly go out and buy the Complete Walt Disney World. Although it was just published, I was unable to find a copy at Borders or Barnes&Noble. However, it is available at Amazon.com, and believe me its worth it.

Today’s merchandise review is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

Many Disney related websites are reporting the same rumor regarding Epcot’s Wonders of Life pavilion.  It appears as though we have good news and bad news.  The good news, at least for those who like it, is the pavilion will not be closing.  The bad news is the pavilion won’t be very accessible anymore.  The Disney Enquirer had this to say…

Unfortunately, none of the current rumors will allow guests in the building in the foreseeable future. Rumors point to both Body Wars and Cranium Command to be walled up and the giant mural outside Body Wars’ entrance to be painted over. Everything else in the pavilion would be gutted and the entire space would be turned over to conventions and private parties, not to be used by guests anytime soon.

In the last 15 years or so, Disney has been fairly liberal with money over on that side Future World.  Changing the World of Motion into Test Track and Horizons into Mission Space were both hugely expensive investments.  I didn’t expect that same kind of commitment, though I certainly was rooting for it.  However, this is as cheap and pointless as it can get.

Wonders of Life has performed poorly by all accounts, to the point where Disney only bothered to operate it on a seasonal basis when people may trickle in to get away from the heat and crowds.  But if they don’t consider it worthwhile and the attractions within not good enough to operate year round, why would they bother to keep them at all?  It is hard to believe they would invest anything, and turning it into a convention facility can’t be cheap, and not at least make the attractions better and more accessible.  We couldn’t even find a Pixar character to throw over here?  (Tongue planted firmly in cheek…)

Tuesday, we talked about MiceAge’s Kevin Yee and the rumors he’s heard about the new Disney-MGM Studios Pixar-themed “land”.  However, that section of Mr. Yee’s report was not the section that made the rounds on nearly every Disney forum and website on the internet.  Instead, the Disney community is talking about what he had to say regarding the possibility of “Location-Based Entertainment”, (which we are now predictably calling LBE) Jay Rasulo’s idea to bring themed hotels and small parks to locations outside the current theme parks.

The thrust of what is causing the conversation comes from this paragraph…

It turns out Disney may have much more in mind than just a hotel. What if it were a hotel, an indoor water park, a shopping area, and an E-Ticket ride all bundled together and themed into one seamless region? Imagine Fort Wilderness, an indoor River Country, and a Splash Mountain all plopped down together and forming a contiguous themed environment. Or Animal Kingdom Lodge and Kali River Rapids and an Africa-themed indoor water park, again, of modest size and scope, but highly themed.

Certainly the topic is fun to talk about, and we will discuss these ideas in just a minute.  But the reason I didn’t discuss this topic when the piece we released is because it is nothing new.  Mr. Yee makes it seem as though he is bringing us some great scoop, but this is something the Wall Street Journal reported back in February.  Here is the link to the Mouse Extra story.

Disney is hatching plans to take its theme-park experience to the masses, rather than the other way around. Instead of building more big parks, the company is sketching out a string of niche resorts and attractions around the world. That could include such things as stand-alone, Disney themed hotels in cities and beach resorts, Disney branded retail and dining districts, and smaller, more specialized parks.

The article also mentioned water-parks and the like.  The only difference between the two is the Journal didn’t use the term “E-Ticket”, probably because it doesn’t mean anything to non-Disney addicted readers.  But just the mention of what may be down the road in a city near you gets the Disney community excited.  And quite frankly, it gets me pumped up for the future possibilities as well.  So even though there may be nothing new this week on the LBE front, it’s always fun to talk about.

So, what do you think of the ideas Mr. Yee has floated?  Do you think one “E-Ticket” at a resort is enough to drive the revenue needed to operate it?  What would you like to see in a town near you?  My idea is coming to Mouse Extra soon, so check back with us…

I am a big fan of the Boardwalk. The theme is exceptionally well done and reminiscent of an old mid-Atlantic seaboard destination. It just may be my favorite place to stay at Walt Disney World. It has is all. A wooden walkway? yup. Funnel cakes? you betcha. An ice cream store and candy shop? both are covered. Street entertainers? every night. Midway games? check. Bars and restaurants? check and check. Rides? ummm…..no.

Lets face it, any boardwalk worth its salt has a pier with some fun rides, but at the Disney version. In order to be a truly accurate representation, I feel Disney needs to add this last element. Or, at the very least, one ride in particular. At one end of the Boardwalk, there is the Dance Hall. This is a colossal waste of prime real estate. For starters, its often empty. I say we put the space to better use and have Disney construct that classic boardwalk ride, the Ferris wheel.

A Ferris wheel at that spot would give incredible views of MGM and Epcot as both are in walking distance. How great would it be to watch parts of Fantasmic or Illuminations while taking a spin? I would like to see some of the more common rides the Tilt-a-Whirl, the Himalaya, or a swing ride, as well, but we’ll start with a good old fashioned Ferris wheel.

Today’s Suggestion Box is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

The drum keeps beating on the rumors of a Pixar-land being added to the Disney-MGM Studios, and MiceAge.com’s Kevin Yee is adding some fuel to the fire this morning.  Besides an exhaustive array of ideas for the park, some good and some not so good, Mr. Yee is speculating that this area might be much bigger than originally reported and can perhaps be seen as the Mouse’s answer to Harry Potter.

…what I’ve heard recently goes much, much further. Imagine the Backlot Tour closing, and that entire land space given over to the Pixar land (or Pixarlandia, as I wish they would call it, in honor of Disneyland’s original moniker during the planning stages. Actually, the true name is Pixar Studios, as was detailed on paperwork filed with the county a few weeks ago testifies). If they demolish the rest of Mickey Avenue, except the new Toy Story Mania, that would open up some land. If they tear down the queue buildings and prop warehouse for Backlot Tour, that would open up even more.

Can an area themed totally to Pixar, from bow to stern, be popular enough to stop the marketing juggernaut called Harry Potter?  Do the Pixar characters pack enough punch among children to keep the Wizard at bay?  Frankly, I have no idea.  Certainly taken as a whole, the Pixar films are on par with the Potter films.  But what it will come down to is whether Imagineering can execute an idea that will blow people away.  I would imagine it needs to be on par with Frontierland and the like.

Whenever we discuss the future of attractions at Disney theme parks from this point forward, Mr. Potter is the elephant in the room.  It can change everything.

Here is a bit of information I should have posted last week, but let slip my mind.  However, considering we’ve talked about this subject quite a bit here, I thought we should mention it anyway.  The Orlando Sentinel reported last week in a very short one paragraph piece about the Pixar name being added to the Disney-MGM Studios.

Since early last year, when Walt Disney Co. began its acquisition of Pixar Animation, industry insiders have speculated that Disney-MGM Studios would get the Pixar name worked into it. Disney officials denied it. Then a couple of weeks ago, Disney rekindled speculation when it filed a legal notice with Orange County that referred to a place called “Disney’s MGM Studios-Pixar Studios.” Turns out the name merely designates a small area around an upcoming ride, Toy Story Mania. Disney says it has no plans to rename the entire Disney World theme park.

This certainly would clarify things, and perhaps put an end to the “Disney-Pixar Studios” renaming rumor that has been circulating and re-circulating forever.  But I can’t help but wonder if this means even more Pixar related items will be added to the area.  I mean we can’t really call one attraction a “studio”, now can we?