Mouse Extra

One thing I love to do is listen to podcasts about Disney stuff. There are many that I like such as WDW Today, WDW Radio, Betamouse and others. One that I have always listened to was Mouse Guest Weekly. Well, on a sad note, this saturday at 2pm, Mouse Guest Weekly will be airing its final show, which will be live. I encourage everyone to listen and join in and give Eric, Cathy and Dan a big send off.

Mouse Guest Weekly has always produced quality podcasts from a fan’s point of view. I enjoyed the banter of the three hosts and their clear love for Disney. If you are reading this blog, then I am sure you share that with them.  I particularly enjoyed episodes 114 and 99 when our very own Dave from Mouse Extra was a guest.

But all kidding aside we here at Mouse Extra wish the Mouse Guest Weekly folks all the best and hope they come back at some point. I will keep my itunes subscription just in case.

Now please stand clear of the door……

I am sure you have noticed the new trend in Disney queues. That is, the retooling of some lines to make them interactive. Disney has long saught a remedy to the long lines found at the parks especially during peak times. Fastpass was one answer to this. Now Disney is trying to be at least entertain you while you stand for an hour or more on lines.

To that end, Disney has added games to the queue at Soarin’. They have also created interactivty at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and, more recently, the Haunted Mansion. I want to create a list of what I consider the 5 best queues in WDW (not counting the most recent changes). So here they are in order;

5. Monster’s Inc Laugh Floor: Yeah, I know this is a strange one, but I have always felt this attraction was underrated. And I put this on the list because of one of the things it does and thats incorporate technology. I think this queue is the beginning of a potential wave of interactivity. Its no secret that smartphones are, at this time, probably the number one form of entertainment while waiting in line. Here, Disney has, in a rudimentary form perhaps, began the process of using that tech within the queue and the attraction by allowing people to text jokes that may be used during the comedy show.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean; This queue just reeks of immersion. You really feel like you are in a dungeon. There are a lot of fun gags here, like the skeletons playing chess. And most importantly, its very cool, a wonderful place to cool down in the florida heat. The ride is pretty nifty too.

3. The Tower of Terror: Immersion to the nth degree. Stepping into the line, you are all of a sudden in a decrepit old hotel. The theming and the story telling is impeccable. The dust looks real. The boiler room is terrific. Its all so good. Its too bad I’m a chicken.

2. Expedition: Everest; Ok, so the yeti itself is a disaster, but the queue for this ride is absolutely wonderful. The artifacts from the Himalayas are fun, especially the ones dealing with the yeti. I particularly love the riped up tent and the statue of the yeti in the courtyard. The queue is so good you want to skip fast passes just to enjoy it.

1. Muppet Vision; This is my favorite pre-show/queue in all of Disney. Its an absolute hoot. Small screens show a movie about the muppets getting ready for the big show you are about to see. Add that to a plethora of sight gags throughout the “holding area” and you have a queue that may actully be better than the main attraction.

Many I am sure remember the last D23 Expo which was held almost two years ago. Many exciting things occurred at that event. Perhaps the most memorable were the announcements relating to the new projects Disney Imagineers had in mind for Walt Disney World. At that event, Disney announced both the major overhaul of Fantasyland and Star Tours 2.

So, what does Disney have in mind for this event? Will they announce thier new big plans for parks? I am inclined to believe there will be some reveals for the Florida parks, although I don’t think there will be anything quite on the scale of the 2009 event.  So I have put together a rudimentary list of possibilities involving the parks in Florida.

1. Brazil Comes to World Showcase: To me, this is the most likely possibility on this list. And by a wide margin. The last event saw announcements for both the Magic Kingdom and the Studios. It is likely Disney will want to spread the love. And what better way then to add something to World Showcase which has basically been stagnant for over 20 years. There have been some clues as to Brazil, as well. There is a new line of vinylmation representing the World Showcase. Every current pavillon has a one, plus Brazil. And there was a recent article in a brazilian newspaper indicating Disney and Brazil had an agreement on a World Showcase pavillon. So, I think this one is likely. Remember Disney’s plans for Fantasyland were leaked in the weeks leading up to the 2009 D23 Expo, probably by Disney. This has the same kind of M.O.

2. Monsters’ Inc. Rollercoaster for Pixar Place: This rumor has been kicking around for a long time. Will we finally get a “Closet Door Factory” coaster. It seems that Disney will eventually add to Pixar Place and if they do, this seems to be the most likely addition. I would think Disney would add this over a Mike & Sulley to the Rescue clone or some dark ride based on the Incredibles. A new Monsters Inc. movie is on the way, so synergy here we come. Plus, Disney can finally change the HISTA playground to a Bug’s Life playground at very little expense. And Voila! You have a Pixar Place.

3. The Wonderful World of Color comes to Florida: This seems all but inevitable really. Sooner or later, this hit show from Cali will work its way east. I just don’t think its now. The question though is when and where. I think Disney will keep this a California Adventure exclusive for a little while longer. As to where? Well, I hope this eventually becomes the day capping event at the Animal Kingdom. They could put it over at Camp Minnie Mickey especially if they move Festival of the Lion King to Africa.

4. Australia!: Sooner or later, Disney will add a land to the Animal Kingdom and Australia makes a lot of sense. Kangaroos and koalas are very popular and you can certainly build thrill rides based on crocodiles, sharks and the like. Disney has a lot of coasters but only one log flume. Maybe a Crocodile Falls?

5. Star Wars Land: This is more of a pipe dream for me than anything else. Disney just finished the Star Tours redo, and they are unlikely to continue down that road at this point. But, seriously, how cool would a Mos Eisley Cantina be next to Star Tours 2? And what if they took the Sounds Dangerous building and did something cool and star warsy with that?

6. The Return of the Adventurers’ Club: Why do we have to have 2 Rainforest Cafes? Wouldn’t it be much better to have the Adventurers’ Club at the entrance to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? This is also unlikely but still there has been a lot of outcry at the closing of this club at the old Pleasure Island. However, Disney usually ignores that (see Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride). But every once in awhile Disney does bring things back (see Figment).

7. Marvel makes its presence known in Florida: This one is not only unlikely, but possibly illegal. Universal has the rights to Marvel characters in theme parks east of the Mississippi, so if there is an announcement of this nature, it won’t have anything to do with Florida. However, there will be a big Marvel event at the Expo so you never know….

There are just some of the possibilities awaiting us in a few weeks. What do you think we will get?

Today’s article is from Mike