Safety Dance

Please allow me to interrupt the Month of Epcot for this special safety announcement.

Settling the Score

Music is an essential part of the Disney experience. Even when you're gone, it can make you imagine the sights, sounds, and smells of the parks. Music can create and most importantly trigger memories. When I'm at home, I love to listen to park music to try and recapture the magic.

Music can also be essential to the story of an attraction. A good score can even help tell the story. Attractions like Soarin', the Haunted Mansion, and the Tower of Terror are great examples of this. It can takes guests on fantastical journeys and put their minds in far away places. Music is part of the Disney magic.

Here are some of my favorite music clips from around WDW:

I love Epcot music. The music is futuristic and does a great job telling the stories of all the attractions. It totally sets the mood and is definitely my favorite from WDW.




 Soarin' Over California is the last attraction the Imagineers made with a truly great soundtrack. The music for this ride is absolutely beautiful. It is very moving and goes very well with the video in the attraction. It really adds to the experience of the attraction.


 Is Honey I Shrunk the Audience a dated attraction? Absolutely. Should it be replaced? Probably. But that doesn't effect my love for this music from the attraction. It is some of my favorite music for Epcot. It sounds like an awards show and captures the feel of the original Epcot at the same time.


 While its hard to pick out any one track, the music from the Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios is a great example of audio storytelling. The music echoes and has a very creepy feel to it. You can really picture yourself in an old haunted hotel.


 I'm a sucker, I know, but I love the music from Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress. It embodies the spirit of Walt more than any other attraction ever has. It is also extremely catchy. Try not to get it stuck in your head. It's impossible. It makes you want to believe in a better future. It's awesome.


What are your favorite pieces of music from the parks?

Fear and Loathing in Disney

Pixar is Disney. Whether people wanna accept it or not, its a fact. So why are avid Disney fans so against seeing Pixar put in the sacred Disney Parks around the world?

I decided to first compile a list of Pixar attractions in WDW:

• Toy Story Midway Mania!
• Monsters, Inc.:Laugh Floor
• It's Tough to Be a Bug!
• The Seas with Nemo and Friends
• Turtle Talk with Crush
• Buzz Lightyear Spaceranger Spin

Those are all the major Pixar attractions in Disney World. There's only 6. So why is it such a big deal?

One of the major arguments against Pixar in the Parks is the quality of the attractions. Many people believe that the Pixar attractions are sub-par. I tend to disagree. The Seas with Nemo and Friends made the Living Seas a much more entertaining pavilion. While it might not suit everyone's tastes, Toy Story Midway Mania is an impressive and fun ride. Turtle Talk with Crush was, at the time, a very innovative theme park experience.

I only agree with the ban Pixar movement in one area. Monsters Inc. It was a great movie, but has no place in Tomorrowland. Timekeeper was great and fit in extremely well in the land. Monsters Inc. completely goes against the theming of Tomorrowland. I also don't like the show in general. The seats are uncomfortable and the jokes are very generic. Good for little kids, not so much for anyone else.

In general my feeling is story is what matters in an attraction. Who cares if it once was a Pixar movie? I'll take a well made attraction with a deep story any day. The issue here shouldn't be Imagineers using Pixar, it should be the Imagineers making average attractions. After all, there are some attractions that I feel Pixar could improve.

The Backlot Tour
Who wouldn't wanna go on a tour of the Pixar Animation Studios? You could see artists hard at work creating your favorite characters. Imagine journeying through real life recreations of your favorite Pixar movies. It could be like a Pixar Great Movie Ride mixed with the Magic of Disney Animation.

Universe of Energy
 Okay, you have to follow me on this one. I'm not saying take the science and facts out of this pavilion. They are the most important part. But this would be a great place to use the Wall-E character. It would be a great way to get kids introduced to the importance of energy and the enormous affect its going to have on our future.

The Incredibles
 So there isn't one attraction I'd like to see them replace. I think WDW needs an Incredibles attraction. It was such a cool movie and I know it could be a great ride. We can only hope the Imagineers have the money to develop an attraction worthy of this film.

So what do you think of Pixar? Too much? Too little? Don't care?

WDW Bucket List

So this may seem like a little off topic, but I decided it would be fun to create a Walt Disney World Bucket List for myself. It's a list of things at Disney World that I'd like to at least once in my life. It's is no particular order really, since I want to accomplish them all.

1. Have lunch with an Imagineer.

2. Stay at a premium resort.

3. Drive a stock car at the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

4. Tour every resort.

5. See a show in Downtown Disney(either Cirque, House of Blues, or some new show in the future).

6. Attend a hard ticket event at the Magic Kingdom.

7. Go on a Segway tour at Epcot.

8. Go on one of the special early safaris at the Animal Kingdom.

9. Complete the Ultimate Magic Kingdom Touring Plan. (Every ride and show in one day)

10. Watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks with my significant other.

11. Get my child a haircut on Mainstreet USA.

12. Gain enough courage to ride Summit Plummet.

13. Learn how to surf at Typhoon Lagoon.

14. Drink around the world at Epcot-once I'm 21 of course ;).

15. Do the Keys to the Kingdom Tour.

16. Go on an Illuminations Cruise.

This is just a short list, and I'm sure that there's so much more to do at Disney World.

What's on your bucket list?

The Future is Born

This is a momentous day in Disney History. On this very day 28 years ago, EPCOT Center was opened to the public. Walt Disney World was then changed forever. While it wasn't anywhere close to the magnitude of Walt's original dream, it was a gamechanger years ahead of its time. This isn't a story with a happy ending, unfortunately. But, that doesn't mean that the fat lady has sung on this dream. It's not too late to return to the old Epcot. In two years, this grand vision will be turning 30. What better time to go back to the future?

A New Hope

On this day in 1984, a new empire began. Michael Eisner and Frank Wells became Chairman and President of Walt Disney Productions. This began an unprecedented explosion of growth in the Disney company. While both of their careers ended with much scrutiny, I must give them both their due respect. Even though many of their decisions were made for the wrong reasons, they both had their share of home runs and showed a true commitment to the company. Eisner was so hands on that he demanded a test run on Splash Mountain before anyone had rode it. The Imagineers reluctantly placed a trash bag over their boss to keep him dry and sent him on his way. He was ecstatic when he returned to the station and demanded another ride. So even with all of the evil that came out in his later years, Eisner did in fact have a heart.

I like to consider Eisner and Wells like the Star Wars Franchise. In their early years, much like the original trilogy, they were newcomers that seemed unstoppable. But then, their egos got the best of them. And like Episode I, they turned into merchandising machines. So in retrospect, we must look at both the good and the bad. And we can only hope that current executives can learn from their mistakes.

What do you think? What are your thoughts on this on dynamic duo?

Kodak Out

Kodak is officially no longer the sponsor of the Imagination pavilion in Epcot's Future World. Almost the entire ImageWorks post show area of Journey into Imagination with Figment is walled off. The new park maps also no longer feature Kodak as a sponsor of the pavilion. It is believed that all Kodak signs around the area will be taken down shortly.

My first impression is that this is a good thing for Epcot. It's Kodak's fault that this ride became such a mess in the first place. Hopefully a new and generous sponsor will come in and revamp the pavilion. Any company would surely make a name for themselves in the Disney community if they were know as "the saviors of Figment". So hopefully this is the future that plays out for this beloved opinion.

Or....we could have another Wonders of Life on our hands. A sponsor-less attraction that is allowed to sit and deteriorate until it finally reaches extinction. Time will tell..

What do you think will happen to the Imagination pavilion with Kodak gone?

TTA Peoplemover

Image Copyright Disney

In a bit of news probably not noticed by most guests, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority was renamed to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover. The move was made to help connect to the ride's past. Back when Imagineering was know as WED Enterprises, the ride was called the WEDway Peoplemover. The ride opened as such in 1975 and was renamed in 1994. Most Disney fanatics never really took to the change. They mostly called it the peoplemover of simply the WEDway. This change represents a recent commitment to nostalgia and guest taste in Imagineering.

While the new name is a bit of a mouthful, I really like the change. To me, anytime Imagineering makes a nod to its past its a very good thing. It's always important to remember where you came from. Maybe if the current Imagineers continue to look to the past, they can learn a thing or two.

What do you think? Do you like the change?

Disney Water Parks

This is a commercial being run by Disney this summer featuring their Water Parks. While I know its just a commercial, it's great to see Mickey and the gang in the media again. I think his stature and symbol are extremely underused. His silhouette is using to make millions on merchandise, but not enough cartoons or movies feature the silly mouse anymore. What are your thoughts?

New Unrapped: Disney Delights

The Food Network has finally come out with a new Unwrapped episode concerning the Disney parks.



Part 2

Part 3

Hollywood Studios Live

This is an idea for a new nighttime show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It would be like an epic variety show that would be held a few times a week as an alternative to Fantasmic. The show would take place on a stage in front of the giant Sorcerer Mickey Hat.

Your host, Marty Sherman, would come out to start the show. His energy and wit would set the tone for the rest of the night. Entertainment would consist of different acts from around the WDW Resort. Comedy groups and musical acts would be rotated on a schedule to create a new show every night. In between the performances, skits would take place. These could include Disney characters, cast members, and even park guests. One of the key concepts that would set this show apart would be its commitment to making you laugh. Not only would there be plenty of hidden jokes for adults, but it wouldn't be afraid to make fun of other things at the resort.

And of course the only fitting end to any Disney nightime show is a fireworks spectacular. The fireworks and lasers would be set to classic film scores and great Disney movie soundtracks. This would definitly be a night of fun for the whole family.

The Expendables

The Expendables is one awesome movie. In honor of its explosive greatness, I present a list of what is expendable at the Walt Disney World Resort.






-Stitch's Great Escape
I must admit, I was a fan of the original Stitch movie. Was it perfect? Far from it. But it was a fun, hand drawn movie and I liked it. Then the suits at Disney got a hold of him and turned them into their next cash cow. That's when Stitch joined the dark side for me. Instead of coming up with a brilliant new attraction (Which Tomorrowland desperately needs), the Imagineers simply placed Stitch into the old Alien Encounter show. And the results are as disappointing as you would suspect. This is definitly expendable for new life in Tomorrowland.

-The Current Tiki Room
I refuse to call this attraction by its given name. I despise everything about it. Its everything that Disney used to stand against. This is far from a Disney attraction and millions of miles away from the original attraction. It must be fixed...or eliminated.


-Studio Backlot Tour
This is one you just have to experience for yourself. A perfect example of a good concept with poor execution.

-"Honey, I Shrunk the Kids"Movie Set Adventure
It's time to welcome Disney's Hollywood Studios to the 21st century. This franchise was fun while it lasted, but its time passed a long time ago. The Studios is in need of more actual attractions, and less outdated boneyards like this.  

-Chester and Hester's Dino-Rama
The Disney geek inside me is torn on this one. One on hand, I love the in depth theme of the battle between the Dino Institute and Chester and Hester's. But on the other hand, I hate the cartoonish appearance and lame carnival rides. So in the end, it's expendable.

-Ellen's Energy Adventure
It's 2010. The Universe of Energy Pavilion needs to realize this. This ride has been screaming for an update for years. Maybe we will be lucky and this Universe will be the one that ends in 2012...or hopefully sooner.

Start Speeder 1000

Lucasfilm will be holding Star Wars Celebration V at the Orange County Convention center from August 12th to the 15th. The event celebrates all things Star Wars. Disney will have a booth set up to showcase new merchandise available at the parks. One of the items is a limited edition Star Speeder 1000. This will be the new ride vehicle for the updated Star Tours attraction opening at Disneyland and Disney World in 2011. It is limited to 10,000 pieces and will sell for $24.95.

My Disney Book Collection

Imagineer Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom
Imagineer Field Guide to the Epcot
Imagineer Field Guide to the Disney's Animal Kingdom
The Imagineering Way
The Disney Mountains: Imagineering at Its Peak
Designing Disney
Walt Disney Wolrd Then, Now, and Forever
Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic Real

This is my growing collection of books on Walt Disney World. By far my favorite and what I find the most useful book is the Walt Disney Imagineering Book. It has so much information and provides a great background on imagineering. However the field guides can also be pretty handy. They aren't as in depth as the other books, but they have some cool facts and pictures, If you're into thrill rides you'll love The Disney Mountains book. I couldn't put it down. It has concept art, pictures, and stories from all the great Disney mountains. Designing Disney has a great perspective on the late John Hench. It is such an interesting look at his incredible park innovations. For the more casual Disney fan, Then Now and Forever is filled with tons of pictures and great facts about Disney world. I look forward to expanding my collection with the Field Guide Disney's Hollywood Studios, Walt Disney Imagineering: A Behind the Dreams Look at Making the Magic More Real, and the Field Guide to Disneyland. Post any of your favorites or recommendations in the comments!