Mouse Extra

I have to admit I was not one of those people who got terribly upset that Dinsey closed Pleasure Island. I was hopeful that whatever they put there would be fun. I am not the type of guy who enjoys dance clubs. Still, Pleasure Island was an enjoyable experience. I, of course, loved that pure Disney invention- the Adventurers’ Club. But then, who didn’t? When you see people lamenting the loss of PI on the internet it invariably leads to the mourning of the Club.

One other thing I enjoyed about Pleasure Island was the Comedy Warehouse. I always liked improv comedy and would watch “Whose line is it anyway?” all the time. Well, now, from December 35 to New Year’s Eve, the troupe from the old club will playing shows at the ABC Sound Studio at Hollywood Studios. And I like this idea. I suppose this does mean that Sounds Dangerous is officially dead. If a “seasonal” attraction is not open Christmas week, then it ain’t seasonal anymore.

I encourage anyone braving the parks during that week to check this show out. If its anything like the old show at PI, it will be great. And maybe this could become more of a staple to the park. as well.

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.

OK. I know this isn’t really news, but Disney has officially through its blog announced the destinations you will see at Star Tours. Disney has shown a “Destinations” board with what are the locales you will see once Star Tours relaunches.

Many of these were known already mostly due to the release of images showing us the pins that were to be released with the updated attraction. But, be that as it may, the destinations are Kashyyyk (home of the wookies), Genosis (where we will see the first Death Star), Hoth (the ice planet from the Empire Strikes Back), Naboo (home of everyone’s pal, Jar Jar Binks), Coruscant (the city planet where much of the episodes 2 and 3 took place), and Tatooine (the home of Luke and Jabba).

Disney has also stated that guests will take off from a new Spaceport. I assume this means the queue is being re-imagineered. We will all find out on May 20th when the attraction reopens.

Recently Disney has previewed some of the pins that will be released in the hoopla surrounding the opening of the refurbed Star Tours. The story was first posted by WDW News Today.

 We already knew about Tatooine (heck it was in the preview film) and, of course, Coruscant the city planet (yes, I am a star wars geek, sorry).

So what other destinations will you have a chance to see? Well, if the pins mean anything, you might get a chance to see Geonosis (from Attack of the Clones) which is likely where you would encounter Boba Fett. Kashyyyk, forest planet of the wookies so you can bet Chewbacca will be there for that. Hoth, the frozen planet from the beginning of the Empire Strikes Back, and Bespin, the cloud city of Billy Dee Williams fame have pins.  Naboo, where much of Episode One took place, has a pin so we may not have seen the last of JarJar Binks. There is also a pin of a Death Star where guests will likely encounter Darth Vader and newly created skytroopers.

Disney has NOT officially annouced these as possible destinations on your tour, but the ride vechile appears in the scene leading to the belief.

There are 2 notable missing planets: Dagobah and Alderaan. Both are likely destinations, as well. We know that the attraction takes place between episodes 3 and 4. We know both Yoda and Leia will be in the attraction. Yoda was stranded on Dagobah at that time. And Leia was a teenaged princess in Alderaan.

See, I told ya I was a star wars geek.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

After much clamoring for the duo, Stitch Kingdom has reported that Phineas & Ferb will have a meet and greet area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The pair will greet guests near MuppetVision’s exit. According to the report, the two will actually be involved in a meet & play for a more interactive experience.

I love love love this show. And I am not alone. It seems to me there should have been a Phineas & Ferb meet-n-greet a year ago. I hope this is just the beginning. A dark ride at the Studios would be great. So would a character meal at the Hollywood & Vine. Heck, maybe P & F replace Aerosmith at the Rock N Roller Coaster. And a Perry the Platypus meet-n-greet is a must.

For the time being, we have to be content with this. The meet and play does sound interesting. The guests will help the duo make a movie. It is set to start this May.

Today’s posting is from Mike, contributing writer to Mouse Extra

The Disney Blog has announced some additional star wars characters you can expect to see when Star Tours reopens in May. They have already announced two new characters, the droids Ace (pictured below) and Aly San San. Now we know some classic characters will appear in the attraction.

Yoda, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Boba Fett, and a personal favorite, Admiral Ackbar will appear. And, of course, Darth Vader will make his presence known. He will be joined by Skytroopers, which have been created specifically for the attraction. Can you say merchandising?