Mouse Extra

In horrible news, a 44-year old man named Jeffrey Reed died yesterday on Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom of a cardiac arrest.  According to the report in today’s Orlando Sentinel, there was not a portable heart defibrillator available in the emergency.  This is something that has been an issue in such situations in the past.

Reed’s death is not the first associated with an apparent heart attack at a Disney theme-park location lacking a defibrillator since the company began its program. In 2005, a 4-year-old boy with an undetected heart disease died of a heart attack after riding the Mission: Space ride at Epcot. The family sued, and one of the allegations was that Disney had not placed a defibrillator near enough to that ride. Disney and the family eventually settled the lawsuit for undisclosed terms.

Does this mean that Disney World carries some responsibility here?  I am not a judge so I will leave that to others to opine on.   But it does seem strange that such a device would not be readily available at the most intense attraction on property.  Honestly, to read this is very disappointing.  I would think this would not have been an issue.

The story also goes into whether or not Expedition Everest is really intense enough to cause such a terrible event…

John Gerard, a spokesman for the American Coaster Enthusiasts, a club for roller-coaster fans, described Expedition Everest as a “mildly thrilling roller coaster with some exciting elements, but it’s obviously not one of the most intense roller coasters in the world.”

Gerard, who is a medical doctor in San Diego, said he did not think the ride would be intense enough to cause a heart attack under normal circumstances. But he said certain pre-existing health conditions such as heart disease can entirely change the level of risk.

While this may be true, it doesn’t address the issue of not having the defibrillator available in an emergency.  As we know, many heart conditions can be unknown to those who have them and even a mildly intense ride such as this can trigger something terrible.

The thoughts and sympathies of the entire Mouse Extra team go out to the family of Mr. Reed.

If you have not heard or read anything about an unbelievably violent episode that took place at the All-Star Music Resort between two Pop Warner football teams from Hawaii, then read this article in today’s Mouse Planet park update.  It is an incredibly sad situation.

A Disney cast member familiar with the situation informed MousePlanet that the All-Star Music front desk received a call at around 11:45 p.m. Friday night that there was an altercation at the arcade, and that there were 90-100 teenagers involved in a serious fight. There were reports of adults hitting kids. Three security guards and a security manager responded and broke up the fight after midnight. The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office was called and deputies interviewed participants to try to determine how the incident started. Due to conflicting stories, no charges were lodged. All of those involved were sent back to their rooms.

If you can believe it this is just the beginning of the whole incident.  Another fights breaks out only a little while later.  The story continues…

…Around 1 a.m. Saturday morning, the fight started again in buildings 3 and 6, with approximately 100-110 people involved. The front desk was called by families not involved with Pop Warner, claiming that it was close to riot conditions and that they wanted to check out immediately to get away from the situation. Sheriff’s deputies, along with Disney security staff, stopped the fight again. One boy from the Kahalu’u team had his nose broken and went to the hospital. There were no other reported serious injuries.

Anyone involved with football, even at this age, knows that this is not an unusual occurrence at all.  It happens all too often.  If you read the rest of the article, you will see that Pop Warner official had already been aware of behavioral issues in the past.  If you have been to Walt Disney World during this time you will know exactly what they meant by that, especially if you have stayed at a value resort.  It can quite simply ruin your stay.

Could you imagine being the other guests in that hotel when this happened?  Could you imagine being awoken to 100-plus teenagers and adults practically rioting outside your window?  Now I won’t say that Disney should stop holding this event, though for the good of other guests they should certainly consider it.  But it makes far too much money for Disney to ever do that.  So you can rest assured that something like this will happen again, perhaps on a much smaller scale, but it will happen again. 

I guess the only reason I am saying all this is to give a little word of advice.  Take it from someone who has unknowingly stayed at a value resort during the first week of December.  Pick another time to go!

TouringPlans.com reported yesterday on changes coming to the Imagination pavilion at Epcot’s Future World.  Rumors seem to be constantly swirling around Figment’s house.

Disney has filed a permit to refurbish the post-show Kodak Imageworks area of the Imagination pavilion. Rumors suggest that perhaps the upstairs portion of the building may reopen, though the permit only specifies new carpet and such. The upstairs are is rumored to be currently use as staging area for the Waste Management exhibit coming to Innoventions East in February.

Recently, Imagineering has accomplished some great things with refurbishments to older attractions.  But that was certainly not always the case.  There was a period when Imagineering garnered more criticism then praise and nothing is more a poster child for that time then this pavilion.  People fell in love with its trippy and whimsical playfulness when it first opened, only to be repeatedly disappointed when less then interesting updates ruined much of the appeal.

Since then rumors seem to be constantly circling this building, perhaps caused by the wishes fans have to see a return to its former glory.  And this rumor seems to be no exception.  Even though the permit seems fairly specific about what the work will include, we can only hope that it is just masking more intense changes.  But I doubt anything of real inertest and fun will be added here.  Sooner or later the time will come for Disney to either turn Imagination back into an attraction that actually attracts attention, or turn the page to something else that will.

When a new Travel Channel show debuts, I usually have mixed expectations as I sit down if front of my television.  I love to see footage of Walt Disney World, but these shows often have canned and sometimes dated footage.  But last night’s “Disney Holiday Magic” with Samantha Brown really went beyond my expectations.

This is a remake of a similar show that Brown did and has been airing for years.  It was one of those shows which cause me to be a bit cynical when viewing these kinds of programs.  But after the first few minutes of this new one, I started to get excited.  After a behind the scenes look at Mickey Jingle Jungle Parade, we were treated to a tour of Expedition Everest with Imagineer Joe Rhode, the man who led the development of the coaster.  It was fascinating to hear him speak about the inspiration and story behind everything from the ride vehicle to the artifacts that fill the Yeti Museum.  When you expect to see nothing but holiday related subjects, to get this was a real treat.

Holiday decorations are obviously a big theme in the show and for guests that travel during the season.  Brown highlighted some of the resorts as well as the usual theme park offerings.  I was especially delighted to see the show focus some time on the holiday decorations that guests at the Fort Wilderness Campground set up on their campsites.  This is a longstanding and fun tradition at Walt Disney World and one that is largely overlooked. 

There was a great focus on Imagineers that really made this show special.  Besides the aforementioned Rhode segment, we got to see interviews with others as well.  An Imagineer walked us through the famous Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, and then two more talked about the terrific new lights on Cinderella’s Castle.  If you can’t get there to see this for yourself, the show really does a good job at visualizing how impressive it really is.

As you would probably imagine, a good amount of time was spent at the World Showcase.  Many of the decorations and traditions from around the world were highlighted and even the Epcot tree lighting ceremony was there.  But I must say, I got very jealous and even a bit nostalgic when Brown walked into my beloved Rose and Crown pub for a pint.  I can wathc that segment over and over again…

All the parks were covered, as well as Downtown Disney and even a little bit of Disneyland.  Sometimes Samantha Brown can be over the top with silliness, but not in this show.  This show is one of the best I have seen on Walt Disney World and Disney can learn a lot from it.  Everything they produce, from the travel DVD’s, to the parade coverage on television, to the in-room shows, are nothing compared to this.  It is on again this Friday at 8pm and then again on Sunday at noon.  Take a look and enjoy a little holiday cheer Disney style.

Kevin Yee’s lasting column on MiceAge.com is a seriously in depth review of the new Spaceship Earth.  As I am sure you know by now, the big golf ball opened for previews a few days ago after a long period of refurbishment.  Needless to say, the new version has been getting mixed reviews.  Now before you start complaining the Mr. Yee is always negative keep in mind that he has been positive about many of the newer attractions and remakes.

The column is a terrific way to really get a feel for the scope of this project.  He compares pictures of the old version with new version all along the ride and you really get a feel for what to expect.  Throughout the first portion of the ride, the review is very positive, praising the new robotics and fresh appearance achieved.  But the descent is the place that has come under the most fire.

It’s almost as if two different designers worked on the ride. The first half is a textbook example of how to freshen up an old ride, add new effects, and make it relevant again. The second half is a complete miscalculation of what would be interesting, from start to finish, and the worst part is that I don’t see how they can fix this and still keep the viewscreen concept around.

I hope they do something. They still have some time until the official grand re-opening, and of course they can continue to tweak as time goes on, too. But something drastic is needed for that descent tunnel. It’s not working at all right now.

Many people are making a big deal out of this sequence, and I assume this feedback will get back to WDI.  But like Mr. Yee says, I don’t see how they can fix it in the timeframe they have.  Will this part ruin the ride for people like it did for Mr. Yee?  To be completely honest, the descent portion of this ride was never what excited me about going on anyway.  In fact, I normally nodded off at this point, so if it is still boring …so be it.

Today’s Suggestion Box entry is one that may be a bit unoriginal and somewhat boring for the thrill seekers.  But it is one that I have been thinking of ever since the first time I heard of the concept of Expedition Everest at the Animal Kingdom.  Wouldn’t it be cool to see some climbers ascending the Forbidden Mountain?

If you have ever been to Disneyland, or have even read about Walt’s original mountain the Matterhorn, then you know how famous it is for being scaled by some of the world’s most famous climbers.  The Sierra Club were the first to send climbers up this manufactured mountain and since then it has been conquered by Mickey Mouse, Goofy and more.  For the past few years, these climbs have been a regular part of Disneyland’s entertainment.  It’s funny, fitting of the mountain’s theme, and just a really cool idea. 

But even though climbers fit perfectly into the Matterhorn’s theme, no mountain in the world is more associated with climbing the Mount Everest.  Doesn’t it just make sense for the idea that has worked well and become so legendary in California to also be used on an attraction where it may just make even more sense and be an even better fit?  Would it not be really incredible, as you come around the corner into the parking lot of the Animal Kingdom, to get your first view of the Forbidden Mountain and see the Mouse making his way to the summit?

This could be a daily event, and kids one love it.  The only thing I can think of is that the exterior of the mountain can not physically hold people like the Matterhorn can.  Because this is an obvious idea and one that I can’t believe is not already a part of the day at the Animal Kingdom.