Avatar/Disney - I remain cautiously optimistic

Don't get me wrong... I hated Avatar. This was a mess of a movie with a re-tread of a story that had plot-holes big enough to drive one of those giant blue bison through. I haven't forgotten or forgiven James Cameron for his blue-monkey monstrosity.

That said, this is James Cameron we're talking here. The King of Geeks who thinks BIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGG! This is a guy who paid for a mission to the Titanic so that he could shoot footage for his movie - then invented brand new 3-D cameras so that he could capture the experience better. James Cameron - Titanic, Aliens, True Lies, Terminator and Terminator 2 - yeah, that James Cameron.

So, what do I think of an Avatar and Disney hook up? I loathe...love the idea. First of all, I have to remind myself that Avatar in Animal Kingdom is actually a good match. Second of all, I have to remind myself that a theme park is not a movie. My love or hate of Johnny Depp has no bearing on my love or hate of Pirates of the Caribbean as a ride. They are two very different things. Third of all, I can't wait to see what sort of Bat$?*t crazy things James Cameron and Disney are going to dream up for this theme park. I'm guessing that there won't be some freakin' princess themed dark ride, nor some lame out of the box roller coaster that has a picture of a blue monkey on the side. No, if anyone is going to bring the world of Avatar alive to be visited and explored, it will be James Freaking Cameron. And I'm okay with that...

You see, I actually thought the world of Avatar was pretty darn cool - before the story messed it up. I REALLY wanted to enjoy it. In fact, I can remember the first moment where my stomach lurched and I suddenly heard the alarm bells going off that perhaps this was going to be a rancid turd of a bad movie (Unobtanium... 'nuff said). But even after that moment, I kind of dug the world of Pandora.

Though I'm not really sure what part of my body I'm going to need to insert into the roller coaster ride in order to make it fly... (Eeeewwwww...)

Peter Pan (Disneyland)

For as long as there have been theme parks, there have been dark rides – but nobody does them better than Disney. And the quintessential dark ride of them all is Peter Pan. Taking the concept of the complete ride through of a movie and blowing it up, this is not just some sort of observational dark ride where the story unfolds from room to room – you are actually experiencing this entire movie from within.

Starting from the moment you board that beautiful flying pirate ship of your very own, you are whisked off on an adventure straight out of Neverland. First you fly through a nursery where Peter is struggling with his shadow, and then, voila, a little pixie dust and you go out the window and slowly soar above the clouds until London is tiny and far below you and everyone is the size of ants. You follow the second star to the right and the next thing you know, Captain Hook is shooting at you. There are mermaids and crocodiles and Tiger Lily and a fight between Hook and Peter on a pirate ship, and through it all, you fly right through the middle of the action.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Peter Pan not because I fell in love with it as a kid and its my favorite ride, but because unlike other Fantasyland rides, I never experience it as a ride. I love seeing London from a thousand feet up, and I love dipping down into the mermaid lagoon. I love Katie Nana barking at me as we fly through a window, and I love Peter and Hook fighting in front of me. There is an economy to this ride that hides its incredible nature – to wit, that this dark ride hangs from a ceiling, that you REALLY are soaring over things, and that, as a result, the sets are built around you and not above you. This kind of 3-D effect is what truly set Disneyland apart from the other theme park rides. Anyone can turn a common flying ride into Dumbo by theming their ride vehicles as pachyderms, but only Disney would ever dream to have a dark ride with FLYING vehicles. Game, Set, and Match competition!

Fantasyland rides tend to be packed all day long, so I never try to schedule this ride for any time of the day. I wait until I see a line that’s low and then I get in line. No matter the wait, though, this ride is worth it and, like it’s protagonist, it never gets old.

And now, here are some links:
AllEars
Laughing Place
Mice Age
Disney Shawn
YouTube
Official Disney
SURPRISE!

Sommerfest (EPCOT World Showcase - Germany)

There is only one reason to go to Sommerfest – the bratwurst smothered in sauerkraut and German mustard… and a German Beer. There are only two reasons to go to Sommerfest, the bratwurst in that perfect bun and an ice cold glass of the best German beer in the world… and apple strudel for desert. There are only three reasons to go to Sommerfest in the German pavilion at EPCOT – Bratwurst, Beer, and apple strudel for desert… unless you’d rather have the Black Forest Chocolate Cake… Okay, basically, you can’t go wrong eating at Sommerfest. Its like all the really good things about German food tucked into a quiet little stand underneath the glockenspiel, in the shade, and with little tables to eat at. I never miss having my bratwurst there. Ever. And you shouldn’t miss it either. Here is the menu:
Sommerfest
Germany - World Showcase - Epcot
Counter Service
Menu Date: March 2011

Entrees
Bratwurst - served with sauerkraut and roll $6.69
Frankfurter - served with sauerkraut and roll $6.59

Desserts
Authentic Hand-twisted Pretzel $4.29
Black Forest Cake Roulade $3.59
Bavarian Cheesecake $3.59
Apple Strudel - with vanilla sauce $3.59

Beverages
Radeberger Pilsner or Altenmunster Oktoberfest $7.50
served in a Souvenir Mug $10.75
Schnapps and Shots $7.25
Apfelkorn or Jagermeister
Liebfraumilch Wine $6.00
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Orange, Iced Tea, Lemonade $2.49
Bottled Water $2.50
Hot Tea or Hot Cocoa $2.09
Coffee $2.09

And here are some links you might enjoy:
Laughing Place
MiceAge
Disney Shawn
YouTube
Disney Official
SURPRISE!

First - a little apology

I apologize that I've been absent of late. I've been doing a lot of ground work for other projects and they've left me drained of both time and intellectual capacity. But I'm back now, and God forbid there be any further delays, I should continue on a much more regular basis from here on out.

The Wilderness Lodge (Walt Disney World Resort)

Whenever I go to Disney World, I always stay at The Wilderness Lodge. Nestled on the shores of Bay Lake near Fort Wilderness campground and across the lake from the old River Country waterpark, the Wilderness Lodge is patterned after the old great National Park lodges, particularly the Glacier Lodge in Glacier National Park.

Starting from the moment you walk into the cavernous lobby, you will fall in love with the Wilderness Lodge. The main lobby of the giant A framed log structure is seven stories tall. Giant redwood trees form the structural poles that rise up all the way to the roof. There is a grand fireplace in one corner that also reaches all the way to the top – and has been sculpted to look like the strata of geologically correct rock found in the side of the Grand Canyon. Incredibly designed metallic chandeliers float above it all. There are comfortable chairs for sitting and contemplating it all.

Off the main lobby you can find a mercantile store with just about every amenity you might possibly want or need. There’s also the entrance to the Whispering Canyon Café – a restaurant that you have to experience to believe and about which I’m sure I’ll talk about later. Other restaurants at the Wilderness Lodge include a snack bar called Roaring Forks and a premium four star restaurant called the Artist Point – that serves the delicacies of the Northwest like cedar plank smoked salmon, and buffalo, and other delicious entrees.

The pool is rough hewn out of rock with a zero degree entry, a water slide, and a waterfall. And once every hour the resorts very own geyser spouts off. The exterior of this resort is just as breathtakingly beautiful as its interior.

There are two ways to depart the resort – busses go everywhere, but if you want to go the Magic Kingdom or to Fort Wilderness or The Contemporary Resort, you also have the option of taking a boat across Bay Lake.

I keep telling myself that all of Disney’s resorts are probably just as good, but after that first time I walked into the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge, I’ve never wanted to stay anywhere else.

And now some links:
Allears
Laughing Place
MiceAge
YouTube
Disney (Official)
SURPRISE!

Soarin Over California (Disney California Adventure)

There’s just so many cool things about this ride that it would be hard to pick just one thing. I think for me the coolest aspect is the thought that this ride started as an erector set. Having been inspired as a kid to build my own Disney rides out of my various toys, the thought that a grown man with an engineering degree could not only dig up his erector set to play out an idea for a new ride, but that he could then build the actual ride mechanism from that toy is kind of cool. And vindication for all the times that I was “playing” and I said that it was research.

So the basic premise of the ride is that you’re boarding a giant hang glider for a trip over the state of California. You are brought into a giant warehouse like room, put into giant bench like seats, and then raised from the floor into the sky. Really, it’s hard not to imagine the giant hand pushing down the erector lever here… Anyway, once you’re off the ground, a giant IMAX sized screen in front of you comes to life and wind machines and speakers and mists and smells activate to make you think that you are in fact flying over the fields, mountains, orchards, oceans, trees, and lakes of California. You even soar over Disneyland. It’s actually quite cool.

There is a direct version of this ride in EPCOT in The Land pavilion. Rumors still persist that the film at EPCOT will be changed to something closer to Soarin’ over the World. But I’m inclined to believe that as long as the ride remains popular in EPCOT, there won’t be any incentive to create a new expensive film.

Here… read up on some other links…
WDWIG
Laughing Place
MiceAge
DisneyShawn
YouTube
Disney(Official)
SURPRISE!

Flame Tree Barbeque (Animal Kingdom)

Today’s dash of Disney comes to you courtesy of the Animal Kingdom and the good taste of barbequed meat everywhere. Flame Tree Barbeque sits in the dead center of Animal Kingdom on the island that acts as both hub and home of the Tree of Life. This counter service restaurant has been at the Animal Kingdom from the very beginning and has been serving delicious food ever since. I’ve been visiting this restaurant since my first trip – two weeks after Animal Kingdom opened. And I can’t wait to go back again.

There are some very subversive things about a barbeque being located in the middle of an animal park, but until I read the blog DisneyShawn, I had no idea just how subversive this restaurant was. Please read his blog below in the links section and also enjoy the complete menu (courtesy of allears.net):

Flame Tree BBQ

Animal Kingdom

Counter Service

Menu Date: July 2010

Flame Tree Favorites
All meat seasoned with special Flame Tree Special BBQ Rub

1/2 Slab of St. Louis Ribs - served with baked beans and corn muffin $10.49

Smoked 1/2 Chicken - served with baked beans and corn muffin $9.49

Beef or Pork Sandwich - served with baked beans $8.49

Chilled Offerings
Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich - sliced turkey breast served on a multi-grain bun with cole slaw $7.89

Barbecue Chicken Salad - crisp greens and tomato with balsamic vinaigrette dressing in a toasted garlic shell $7.49; without chicken $7.79

Fruit Plate - seasonal sliced fruit plate served with honey yogurt $6.99

Side Orders
French Fries Basket $3.99
Onion Rings Basket $3.79

Desserts
Key Lime Mousse $3.59
Chocolate Mousse $3.59

Beverages
Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Minute Maid Light Lemonade, Iced Tea $2.19/$2.49
Bottled Water $2.50
Coffee $2.09
Hot Tea $2.09
Hot Cocoa $1.89
Bud Light $5.50
Safari Amber Specialty Brew $6.25
Wine: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot $6.95

For Guests Ages 3-9
All meals include choice of 2 sides: grapes, carrot sticks, applesauce or fruit punch gelatin
Choice of: 1% milk, Small Bottled Water or Apple Juice

Baked Chicken Drumstick $4.99
Hot Dog $4.99
Chocolate Chip Cookie or Soft Drink substituted upon request.

LINKS:
Laughing Place
MiceAge
DisneyShawn
YouTube
SURPRISE!

The Carousel of Progress (Magic Kingdom)

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow starting at the end of every day and for more than forty years, one family has been singing about it. They started singing at the World’s Fair in New York, then they sang about it for a while in Disneyland, before settling in to their final home in the Walt Disney Magic Kingdom in Florida. The Carousel of Progress has followed one families journey towards the future all that time, and I’ve got to admit that just like seeing Mickey Mouse standing on Main Street, it never gets old.

To be fair, the first time I can remember going on the Carousel was in 1998, but it has been a staple of any trip to Disneyworld ever since. Starting at the turn of the century, this rotating theater tells the story of one family as they progress from the dawn of electricity all the way to the future of electricity. It has some memorable characters and, of course, a humdinger of a great Sherman Brothers song to keep the show bouncing along.

Allegedly, the Sherman Brothers wrote the song as an homage to their boss, Mr. Disney – who certainly lived with just the philosophy expressed by the song. Other things to note about this show is the voice of Mel Blanc (of Looney Tunes fame) – most particularly as the cantankerous uncle in the bathtub.

This is one of my nostalgic favorites and a must see. There are so few older rides left that patrons should definitely take the time to check out the true classics before they are all gone.

Oh, and the theater moves… which is kind of cool.

And now for some links:
WDWIG
Laughing Place
MiceAge
DisneyShawn
Youtube
Disney(Official)
Surprise

The Great Movie Ride (Disney's Hollywood Studios)

This is the original spark for an entire theme park. As EPCOT raced towards completion, Michael Eisner had this idea for an EPCOT pavilion dedicated to the magic of movies. Though the proposed pavilion was eventually cut, the idea lingered in Eisner’s mind – eventually giving rise to an entire theme park dedicated to the magic of movies, Disney Hollywood Studios. At the core of the entire new theme park, however, was going to be one ride where the audience could ride through the most famous movie scenes of all time – The Great Movie Ride.

Housed in a replica of Graumann’s Chinese Theater (True story – the only movie I ever saw in the original Graumann’s Chinese Theater is Raiders of the Lost Ark. I remember walking into the theater carrying a large tub of popcorn and this giant boulder rolled right towards me, shaking the entire theater. GREATEST WAY TO SEE A MOVIE FOR THE FIRST TIME, EVER!) the Great Movie Ride is, quite frankly, great with displaying movies, but not so great as a ride.

First you enter a giant lobby filled with movie memorabilia and with clips from movies playing everywhere. Finally, at the front of the line, you board one ginormous tram and begin your slow moving tour through Hollywood history. The tram takes you past great replicas of fantastic movie scenes – Casablanca, Wizard of Oz, Alien, etc… - all put together with audio-animatronics and Disney magic. At one point you either enter the roaring twenties or a western town and the tour guide switches places with an actor from the movie that you’re in – with the actor taking youse (or y’all, depending) on the rest of the tour. If it sounds hokey, that’s because it is.

The problem with the ride isn’t with what it is. It’s fine the way it is. But it could have been so much better. I was really expecting something closer to a classic dark ride with an omni-mover system that takes you through several dozen great movie scenes. Instead, you get a glacially slow tram and a canned tour. It takes all the glamour out of Hollywood and kills most of the magic of the scenes you’re traveling through.

Still, a bad Disney ride is better than any day at the office. I’d ride the Great Movie Ride a hundred times a day if I could. If you’ve never done this ride, I totally recommend it. If you’ve done it before, and liked it, then I suggest you go back again.

And now for some links:
WDWIG
Laughing Place
MiceAge
Disney Shawn
Youtube
Disney (Official)
Surprise

Coca Cola Refreshment Corner in Disneyland

Coca Cola Refreshment Corner (Disneyland)

Today’s dash of Disney comes to you courtesy of Disneyland – the Refreshment Corner – and is in honor of Rod Miller, the piano man who tickled the ivories at this location for more than 30 years. He was very gracious this weekend to offer a free concert and anecdote session at the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. Thank you, Rod Miller for your Disney dedication.

At the far end of Main Street, USA on the left side, sits Refreshment Corner – a turn of the century Soda Fountain that mainly serves Coca Cola and Hot Dogs. For most of my life, I’ve made it a point to stop at this location at least once a trip for a hot dog and Coke. Seating is outdoors, and on days with good weather, there is usually a man tickling the ivories of an upright piano in the seating area. He plays old-fashioned favorites – ragtime, jazz, and Disney favorites in those styles – and completely sets the theming for this end of Main Street. My only regret – they used to sell a chocolate brownie that was to die for! Alas, we are all a little more health conscious now.

Please note the complete menu (courtesy of allears.net):

Hot Dog Baskets
Featuring a Premium Hot Dog. Includes
sliced apples or small bag of chips.

Hot Dog $5.89

Chili Cheese Hot Dog $6.59

Hearty Chili in a Sourdough Bread Bowl - topped with Cheddar Cheese $8.99

Kid's Turkey Dog - Served with a fruit cup and choice of small Low-fat milk, juice or small bottled water. $5.99

Chips and soda available upon request
________________________________________
Snacks

"Mickey Mouse" Pretzel $3.49
-- Add a cup of cheese $0.89

Jalapeno Cheese-filled Pretzel $3.49

Cream Cheese-filled Pretzel $3.49

Large Bag of Chips $2.79

Beverages
Coke, diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange, Light Lemonade - Regular $2.79, Large $3.29
(Add a "splash" of Cherry, Raspberry or Vanilla flavor to your soft drink .49)

Souvenir Sipper $8.99

Hot Cocoa $2.79

Coffee - Regular or Decaf $2.79

Low-fat Milk $1.79

HOT TIP: For those of you arriving for the Rope Drop at the beginning of the Disneyland Day - duck through the shops to the far corner by the Coca Cola Refreshment Corner where there will be a rope extended across the doorway that leads into the seating area. This is the place where the Rope drops first and is usually not very crowded. You can get about a thirty second head start here on the rest of the crowd. Of course, this only works if you're heading to the left side of the park (Indy, Splash Mountain, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, etc...)

And now, some links...
WDWIG
Laughing Place
Miceage
Youtube
Surprise!

Spaceship Earth

This massive Geosphere, the symbol of EPCOT, is always my first ride at Disney World because of its old school Disney story-telling and its relaxing pace. As it looms impressively over you, this giant silver ball reminds me a little bit of all the spaceships I drew as a child. It’s both inviting and awe-inspiring in the same breath. I half expect to find E.T. waiting for me at the top of the ramp inviting me to explore the universe.

The show inside however, explores the ongoing search by humans for ever more efficient means of communication. Using sophisticated audio-animatronics and state of the art special effects, the show does an impressive job of conveying the story of communication. The ride, which Disney consulted on with Ray Bradbury, takes you on a memorable 14-minute journey. It begins in a musty smelling dark cave and continues through history and into to the future.

The attraction has incredible special effects, such as the flickering candles in the scene where a monk has nodded off, and the smell of smoke coming from the Fall of Rome. Every scene is loaded with that Disney detail. Your head will turn as your vehicle makes its way through the ride.

Most recently, in 2008, there was a remodel of the ride and they changed the ending. You can now insert yourself into the ride by choosing your future and having the computer generate your image into the rides graphics. It sounds pretty cool, but I haven’t had a chance to try it out myself.

I’ll also be interested to see whether the changeover in narration from Jeremy Irons to Dame Judi Dench will be as impressive as it sounds on paper. I’m half expecting her to say, “Oh, Bond, grow up.”

This ride is a don’t miss! Check it out the next time you are there.

HOT TIP:

The line for Spaceship Earth is usually long during the early morning hours and relatively short in the late afternoon and evening.

Here are some awesome links to read more cool things about Spaceship Earth:

At AllEarsNet (WDWIG) - http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_spe.htm
At Laughing Place - http://www.laughingplace.com/Guide-Attraction-33.asp
At Disney Shawn - http://disneyshawn.blogspot.com/search/label/Spaceship Earth
At Disney - http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/epcot/attractions/spaceship-earth/
On YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHiYAYBZ9RM
On Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaceship_Earth_%28Epcot%29
And a surprise link - http://sse.disney.go.com/media/ap/spaceship-earth/index.html

Welcome

Welcome to the first ever Daily Dash of Disney - launched on July 17th, 2011 - which is, of course, Disneyland's birthday.

Ever since I first can remember, I've been a fan of Disneyland. How can you not be? But for me, as a young writer growing up, this was a chance to actually LIVE inside one of the great stories. Sure, Disneyland represents lots of different stories and different ideas, but at its core Disneyland is a story unto itself - a story of adventure and imagination, knowledge and wisdom, and most of all, a story of heart. In every nook and cranny and nuance, Disneyland tells this story. Before I could even contemplate such complex thoughts, I could grasp that the Disneyland story was one that I wanted to experience again and again and again.

And so, ever since I discovered books, I've been reading about Disneyland - devouring every little bit of knowledge I could find. I've read some books dozens of times to glean every last kernel of imagination from them. Disneyland's flights of fancy have bred flights of fancy of my own - as if I could squeeze the theme park dry of inspiration and soak it up. Disneyland is not the stuff of dreams, its the stuff that gives you dreams and lets your dreams take flight.


But now it's time to give some of that back. I can't wave my magic wand and whisk us all to the various Disney parks together where we can experience them at the same time, but I can do the next best thing. I can put together some thoughts and some other people's thoughts and anecdotes about various aspects of the parks so that together we can all take a mental trip to the Disney parks and soak up some of that residual magic just floating around. Maybe your dreams will be inspired by what you read here.

Enjoy.