Mouse Extra

I am not a big fan of the counter service options at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. At my most recent visit to Walt Disney World, we decided to head over to the Backlot Express for a quick lunch. My opinion of the counter service options has not changed. Essentially, the Backlot Express is OK. The menu cosnists of the typical burger, nuggets and dogs with a few other unusual options. There is a grilled vegetable sandwich thats decent and a fairly popular southwest salad that features corn tortilla, black bean relish and plaintains, the last of which I did not enjoy.

Although crowded when I went, the lines move relatively briskly. Plus, there are tables hidden throughout the place. So, although it might look crowded, there is seating that is hidden when you first enter. It is also conviently located between the Indiana Jones show and Star Tours.

The theme is interesting in that you are supposed to be in a studio’s lot garage containing props and other junk collected over the years. Some of it is interesting and some is, well, junk. Still, the theme is fun although the food is average.

Today’s Disney Dining Review is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra.

I understand that it can be difficult for a theme park to be environmentally friendly. Truthfully, in this era of being “green”, Disney does do somethings right. Yet, there are two things I think need to be changed at the Mouse. First of all, Disney has placed next to some of their trash cans, a recycling bin for plastic. Yet, for some reason, this is not a universal policy. That is, recycling bins can be found next to some but not all trash cans. Now, most people will recycle if its there, but they will not go to the next area, especially at a Disney park where many guests are concerned about proceeding to step 12B of Day #2 of their Magic Kingdom touring plan.

The second suggestion has to do with a rather bizarre policy at Disney’s Boardwalk concerning the refillable mugs. Guests at that resort can go to the Bakery to refill their mug for coffee. Disney employees are required to fill a disposable coffee cup and hand that to the guest. In other words, hundreds of disposable cups are filled and immediately thrown away by guests there. In fact, even if you request that they fill your refillable mug, they won’t do it. This really should change.

Well, it didn’t even take 24 hours.  According to this article in the Canadian Press, the Barenaked Ladies have cancelled their appearance on Disney’s Block Party Tour that scheduled for Long Island in late-August.

Drug possession charges against Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page have prompted the band to cancel a scheduled performance at a children’s concert in New York.

…manager Terry McBride said the “Ladies” chose to cancel the concert out of respect for the sponsor.

I am sure Disney is breathing a sigh of relief this morning, as the band has saved them from a potential public relations nightmare.

As the Disney Music Block Party Tour makes its way around the country, it seems it may have hit something of a snag.  Steven Page of the group Barenaked Ladies, who are scheduled to play with the tour August 22nd in Long Island, New York, was arrested this week on charges of possession of cocaine.  According to this story in the Associated Press, the court will not hear the case until August 26th.

The arrest comes as the band, known for its clean image and cross-generational appeal, recently released a new album for children titled, “Snacktime,” a collection of two dozen original children’s songs.

Terry McBride, the Vancouver-based manager for the band, said Barenaked Ladies shows are still scheduled, but he declined comment on Page’s arrest.

“We cannot comment because the matter is before the courts, but we are confident our client Steven will be completely exonerated,” McBride said in a statement. “Until that time, it’s business as usual for the Barenaked Ladies.”

As far as I can tell, Disney has not made any decisions or announcements about the status of the band for their upcoming concerts.  This is one of my favorite bands, and it was reported to me last night by Brooke, a contributing writer to Mouse Extra and an even bigger fan than I, that Page has been dealing with a rather messy divorce.  If Disney were smart, they would allow the band to play and stand behind a man who is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty.  But we all know that “imagine” trumps morals.

In January of 2007, I got to go on a cruise with this band.  It was an amazing time.  Myself and the people I went with all got a chance to lounge by the pool and even chat a bit with the members of the band, including Page.  I can’t draw any conclusions from that time other than to say the man deserves the benefit of the doubt the law provides. 

I’m writing this post for anyone who may be booking an airfare, not only to Walt Disney World.  This is not intended to specifically slam Jet Blue, which is still my preferred airline, but just to make sure all of my readers are prepared for what is happening in the airline industry.

A couple of weeks ago myself, my brother, and my father all booked airfare to and from Orlando for a trip to the Mouse in January of 2009.  A few days after the bookings were confirmed, Jet Blue sent notification to all of us that our flight time had changed for the trip there.  It wasn’t a big deal because it actually only pushed it forward about 30 minutes earlier.  So we all confirmed the change and off we went.

The next day my brother, the observant one, discovered that in that process our seat assignments were somehow lost for the flight back home.  I thought it odd, but didn’t think it was anymore than a glitch.  So we all went and confirmed it and off we went.

I can only imagine that something just didn’t sit right with my brother, because unlike the rest of us he didn’t just go about life thinking nothing was wrong.  Because he soon discovered that not only had they lost our seat assignments for the return flight, but they also moved the time from 7pm all the way up to 11:45am that same day.  For those of you who are also Disney World addicts you can immediately see the disaster here.  With Magical Express, we would have to leave our hotel at 8:45 in the morning.  Instead of having the better part of a day in the park, we now have no time at all.  Not acceptable by any means.

What makes this such an annoying story is that the airline never informed us of any of this.  All the email said was that our flight down was slightly earlier.  They simply failed to mention the bad parts.  Thankfully my brother is obsessive compulsive, or we all would have been happy and smiling until we tried to get on a flight home at 7pm that didn’t exist.

These types of cancellations and changes are now par for the course in the airline industry.  Thanks to the amazing fuel cost increases, airlines are cutting back many, many flights.  Be aware that this could happen to you and make sure you go over each of your itineraries with a fine tooth comb.

The Disney Gossip blog has come to an interesting conclusion regarding the apparent spotting of some Imagineering vehicles parked around the Wonders of Life pavilion.  This might be wishful thinking, but WDI may not be looking into new ideas for the Food and Wine festival center.

Well it turns out that the “Body Wars” motion-simulator vehicles are near clones of the ones used for Star Tours. Since Body Wars is no longer open to guests, it makes sense for WDI to be testing their Star Tours 2.0 ideas there.

Yes, this is something of a leap to draw this conclusion out of some cars parked in Epcot, but this is not the only evidence we have.  For months and months we have be getting new rumors regarding the next incarnation of the Star Tours ride.  From what I understand, this is happening.  We are just getting the normal tight lipped treatment we have come to expect from both Disney and George Lucas.

This rumor has certainly had many of us Star Wars fanatics excited, but also rather nervous.  Star Tours is by no means the perfect attractions.  The droid is pretty annoying, but all of us who loved the original movies can’t help but get excited by flying through the trench on the Death Star.  The problem is Lucas has many ways to go here with a new version that can be disappointing.  Basically, anything involving the recent trilogy of films would have to be something really special to excite me.