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On the Cover: “I’ve Got a Bad Feeling About This...”, photo by Tim Devine Issue 22 Tours: 42 Contents New Destinations, Letters...... 6 New Worlds Calendar of Events...... 8 Disney News & Updates...... 10

MOUSE VIEWS...... 15 Guide to the Magic by Tim Foster...... 16 20,000 Leagues Explorer Emporium by Lou Mongello...... 18 Under the Sea 48 Hidden Mickeys by Steve Barrett...... 20 Photography Tips & Tricks by Tim Devine...... 22 Pin Trading & Collecting by John Rick...... 24 Disney Cuisine by Allison Jones...... 26 Discover Your Travel Tips 54 by Beci Mahnken...... 28 Inner Artist! Magic by J Darling...... 30

FEATURED ATTRACTION Snow White’s Scary Adventures...... 32

FEATURED RESORT : All-Star Music Resort...... 36 Your Ticket to a 60 FEATURED FILM Magical World The Muppets...... 38 Lou Mongello’s Wayback Machine...... 70 Wandering the World...... 72 By the Numbers: Kilimanjaro Safaris...... 73 Quick Quiz...... 74 In Search of: The Mortimer Stamp...... 76 The Story Behind Kids Korner...... 78 64 Mystery Quest: ...... 82 the Muppets at Tim & Lou’s Top 10...... 84 Studios Setting Your Own Pace

“Take your time.” “Follow a plan.” “Make reservations.” “Spend one day at this park, two at that one.” “Stop and admire the details.” For the Disney traveler, the one thing you’re sure to receive as you make your plans is a wealth of advice, either from friends, travel agents, the internet, or guide books. It can be overwhelming, and worse yet, contradictory. Do you take the advice of a Disney veteran who tells you to slow down and enjoy the little things? Or the travel itineraries that plan every minute of every day to maximize your attraction quota? Obviously you can’t do both, so what do you do? There is no easy answer, and the fact is that every Disney Guest tours the parks in their own, unique way. One person’s method may not work for someone else, and most of it depends on who you are and what your situation is. To a first time visitor who is anxious to see everything (and doesn’t know if and when they will ever be back), the advice to slow down and enjoy the surroundings may sound smug coming from someone who’s been at the parks many times before. For them, a well-planned itinerary can be very helpful to avoid the worst of the lines. Conversely, it’s always disheartening to see a family running around tired, hot, and miserable as the afternoon wears on and they’re racing to that next attraction (despite the fact that no one is really in the mood anymore). What’s a mouseketeer to do? The answer lies in taking all of that advice in and deciding for yourself what kind of person you are. Do you like keeping active and experiencing big, bold adventures? Or do you yearn for relaxation and a slow pace? Will this be your only visit or will you come back again? Most important of all, you need to remember why you’re there. You’re there for enjoyment, and to experience that one-of-a-kind . The pace you set is one you should be comfortable with, regardless of what others tell you. Remember, even with a lifetime of visits, you’d be hard pressed to see it all, so plan your trip in a way that makes you happy, and leave the worrying to someone else. The best advice? Read the tips, decide what you want to see, but when all is said and done, go where your heart takes you. A relaxing boat ride to the Wilderness Lodge? Hopping in line for Soarin’? A leisurely pastry in France? Or looking for that perfect IllumiNations viewing spot? There is no wrong answer, especially if it takes you to a place where you really want to be. That’s where the true magic lies. Tim Foster

2 · Celebrations Editors Tim Foster • Lou Mongello

Contributing Writers Steve Barrett J Darling Tim Devine Allison Jones Beci Mahnken John Rick

Associate Editors Jennifer Bright Reich • Michelle Foster • Catherine Lusby

Creative Direction and Design Tim Foster Associate Art Director Michelle Foster

Social Media Director Jessica Clawson

Contributing Photographers Tim Foster, Tim Devine, Don Morin

Basic subscription rate is $29.99 for six issues ($35.99 for Canada residents, $54.99 for other international residents). To subscribe online visit www.celebrationspress.com. Single issue price is $5.99. All orders must be prepaid and are payable in U.S. funds only. Celebrations (USPS 025-286) is published bimonthly in the U.S. by Celebrations Press, Inc, 308 Sundance Drive, Chester Springs, PA. 19425. Periodicals Postage Rate Paid at Chester Springs, PA and additional mail- ing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Celebrations, ATTN: Subscriptions, 308 Sundance Drive, Chester Springs, PA 19425. SUBSCRIBERS: If the postal service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

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©2011 Celebrations Press, Inc. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express writ- ten permission of the publisher. Statements and opinions herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Celebrations is owned and operated by Celebrations Press, Inc. and is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with , Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. Resort® is a registered trademark of The Walt Disney Company. The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc. This publication makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks, and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., and other trademark own- ers. The use in this book of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, no commercial claim to their use, or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement, is made by the authors or publishers. Those words or terms that the authors have reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitaliza- tion, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which trademark or other proprietary rights may exist. Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgement on, or affect the validity of legal status of, any word or term as a trademark, service mark, or other proprietary mark. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the passage of time will always bring changes in operating schedules, attraction openings and closings, and policies. The authors and publisher shall not be held liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company.

3 · Celebrations The Magic of Technology

Walt Disney loved technology. As much as he was interested in history, adventure, travel, and storytelling, he was even more fascinated with the future. But while he was fascinated by the future, he was also frus- trated by how technology was never able to catch up to his dreams.

Necessity being the mother of invention, he tackled his frustrations by creating new technologies, from the simple to the advanced. To give depth to animation he created the multiplane camera, and to take sto- rytelling to a level never before experienced, he created Audio-Animatronics. When it comes to attractions, technology enhances the overall experience, but at its most basic level, some of the most beloved, classic attractions themselves are not high tech.

Think about how uses simple “technology” in its most famous effect that is more than 100 years old (“Pepper’s Ghost”), or how the “burning” town in is done with flickering light.

In fact, some of the most wonderful storytelling in Walt Disney World is accomplished in the simplest of ways. Think about “it’s a small world,” the Liberty Square Riverboat, the , or this issue’s Wayback subject, the . While they are all enjoyable on their most basic level, they use the simplest of technologies to convey fantastic stories.

While Walt loved, utilized and developed technology, and his Imagineers that follow continue to do the same, it is the story that drives our experiences. Next time you’re in the parks, be sure to take the time to slow down, look for, and appreciate the spectrum of technology, both minimal and groundbreaking, that Disney uses to tell its stories.

Lou Mongello

4 · Celebrations Contributors

Ray Harkness thanks Disney Jim Korkis is an Donald Myers Jr. first trip Ryan P. Wilson was born for saving his marriage. internationally recognized to Disney in 1986 at age 4 and raised in central After being shown the joys Disney Historian whose forever sparked his passion where his passion for Walt of a vacation by his lovely writing and original for Walt Disney World. Disney World was developed wife Nancy, he now cannot research has been utilized by Don is not only a true at a young age. Today he imagine being away from other Disney Historians as Disney enthusiast, but also lives in Asheville, NC with his work if it doesn’t involve a well as the Disney Company. considers himself to be a wife, Aileen, and spends time Disney resort. When not “Disney traditionalist” as teaching and authoring the touring the parks, Ray well. He loves the history of Main Street Gazette writes for his blog Grumpy’s the resort and has a special www.mainstgazette.com. Hollow under the name place in his heart for all of Grumpwurst (grumpyspace. the extinct attractions of blogspot.com). Walt Disney World.

Candra Spirtoff and Megan Voisard are identical twins, born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio. Their passion is any- thing and everything Disney, and they are most inspired by memories and experiences enjoyed with their family at WDW, ever since their first visit at the age of four.

5 · Celebrations Letters

Even More Holiday Magic

I just want to say how much my husband and I love your magazine! I thought I’d share something with you that is very festive for this time of year. You Never Know Who Every year for the holidays, I create You’ll Run Into! a homemade gingerbread house. I told Lou it was like meeting Mickey It has become a hobby of mine for This year, we headed to Disney to Mouse for the first time! Thanks Lou the past several years. This year, take part in the 4 day Cruise on the for all you do. We love the magazine I decided to combine my love of Wonder, and then a visit to the parks and enjoy your updates on the creating gingerbread houses and to wrap up the week. On our last day, magical . Walt Disney World...and the outcome we were visiting the , was a Gingerbread recreation of and we spotted a familiar face as Sincerely, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom we passed the construction of The Toners Train Station. It’s made primarily of ! Lou Mongello himself! Barnegat NJ gingerbread, sugar cookie, and tons and tons of royal icing. It took about 2 months to create...working on it from time to time throughout the week.

I have attached a photo to share with you...... Happy Holidays!

Thanks! Lisa Viola Warrington, PA

Got a question, photo or story you’d like to share? email them to: [email protected] 6 · Celebrations Spreading Holiday Cheer

Here are my twin daughters (Amanda and Ashley) holding something very special. They loved the book. This special edition will be part of our Christmas every year! Happy holidays.

Gary Zerilli Staten Island, NY

Autograph Magic

Before one of our recent trips to WDW my wife and I thought it would be a great idea to make an autograph book for our son Mason. We did one page a week until we left for our trip. This really helped keep up the anticipation. It was great seeing the reaction of the characters. They really enjoyed all the hard work we put into it. We go to WDW twice a year and start looking forward to our next trip on the long drive home to . Here are a couple of the autograph pages from our book.

Tom, Lori, Mason, Josie

7 · Celebrations Calendar of Events International Flower & Garden Festival March 7 – May 20, 2012 An eight-foot-tall floral Sorcerer Mickey topiary holds court at the entrance to the 19th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 7-May 20. Standing atop a 12-foot-tall floral mountain cliff and towering above the park’s front-entrance topiary bed, the commanding Sorcerer Mickey will direct a riot of color in the manicured shapes of dancing broomsticks, buckets, mushrooms, hippos, alligators and elephants straight from the classic Disney film, Fantasia.

Atlanta Braves Spring Training ESPN Wide World of Sports Early Spring, 2012 Some of Major League Baseball’s marquee teams, including the reigning World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees, will take on the Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World Resort during spring training in 2012. Each Braves spring training game has a unique Disney At the end of each day, let loose with music, comedy and feel with family-oriented fun, including in-game enter- dancing at the Hyperspace Hoopla! tainment, Disney character appearances and on-field fan experiences. And in what has become a Disney tradition, Sounds Like Summer Concert Series kids will again have the opportunity to run the bases after Epcot World Showcase every game. Summer 2012 Summer just isn’t summer without great tunes. So all sum- Weekends mer long, Epcot has your ears covered with great enter- Disney’s Hollywood Studios tainment from some of the world’s greatest tribute bands, Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 18-June 10 courtesy of the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series. is an annual special event at Disney’s Get the family together and get into the groove with the Hollywood Studios theme park that celebrates the legend- songs you all know and love. Dance to classic hits and have ary Star Wars Saga and the animated television series, Star a toe-tappin’ good time under the skies of the open-air Wars: The Clone Wars. America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. Have a memento signed by Star Wars celebrities attending the event! One autograph per Guest. A Disney’s FASTPASS ensures your place in line at the celebrity autograph kiosk Magic Kingdom outside the Front Gate entrance. Grab a FASTPASS before September 7-8, 2012 the park opens, as quantities are extremely limited and Each fall, Night of Joy brings spirited and soulful enter- are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Once FAST- tainment to the Magic Kingdom theme park. During this PASS tickets have been distributed, stand-by tickets may contemporary , Guests can delight be issued, although stand-by tickets do not guarantee an in live performances by music superstars across a variety autograph. of genres—including rock, pop and gospel.

8 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney 9 · Celebrations Disney News

The centerpiece of the celebration is the spectacular 3-D Wookiees, and Droids, attraction, “ – The Adventures Continue.” The at- traction, which opened last spring at Disney’s Hollywood Oh My! Star Wars Weekends Studios, uses eye-popping 3-D, a dramatic musical score and -based technology to immerse Guests in the Star Wars galaxy like never before. Returns to the Walt Disney “Jedi Training Academy,” one of the interactive entertain- ment experiences at the theme park, allows young Guests World Galaxy in May 2012 to learn from a Jedi Master before testing their newly ac- quired skills in a battle with . tar Wars Weekends returns to the Walt Disney World Also featured at Star Wars Weekends: the chance for fans SResort during May and June 2012, as Disney’s Hollywood to purchase one-of-a-kind Star Wars memorabilia, Star Studios celebrates the Star Wars film saga and the hit ani- Wars games, plus there’s special Star Wars parades and mo- mated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. torcades, star conversations and autograph sessions with The annual special event, included in regular theme park Star Wars actors and creative talent (celebrity lineup will be admission, will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday announced at a later date). The ever-popular “Hyperspace from May 18-June 10, 2012. Hoopla” ends each Star Wars Weekends day with a show The power of the Force and magic of Disney combine as filled with comedy, dancing, high-energy music and many plenty of out-of-this-world characters – including Wookiees, of the famed Star Wars characters. droids, , bounty hunters and Jedi – roam the streets For more information and future updates, Guests may go of Disney’s Hollywood Studios for meet-and-greet opportu- online to disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends or starwars. nities with Guests. com.

10 · Celebrations Photos ©Disney citing and interactive ways.” ” Disney and General Motors “As a global brand, Chevrolet is looking forward to wel- coming Guests from around the world to the re-imagined Create Magic for Guests at Test Track,” said Joel Ewanick, Global Chief Marketing Offi- cer for General Motors. “The best of Disney and the best of Chevrolet will come together to bring Guests an immersive a Re-Imagined Test Track experience in the design process of the vehicles they see on the road today and will see in the future.” Plans call for closing the current GM Test Track in April Experience 2012, with an anticipated opening of Test Track Presented by isney and General Motors have renewed their long- Chevrolet scheduled for fall 2012. Dterm business relationship with a new multi-year cor- As part of the re-imagining, the Future World attraction porate alliance. will feature a sleek new “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot” As part of the new alliance, GM will be actively involved immersing Guests in the fascinating world of automotive with in the development of a design. Amid upbeat music, engaging media, dramatic light- re-imagined, design-centric Test Track experience. The re- ing and a collection of Chevrolet concept cars and model furbished Test Track will be presented by one of GM’s most vehicles, guests themselves will become automotive design- famous brands, Chevrolet. As Chevrolet marks its 100th an- ers – and peer into the future of personal transportation in niversary, the new alliance agreement enables General Mo- the process. tors to tell its story in new and exciting ways to millions of At interactive design and styling workstations, Guests Guests from around the world and continue as the official will be able to create their own custom concept vehicles. vehicle sponsor of Walt Disney World Resort. The adventure will then shift into high gear as Guests buck- “We are excited to renew our long-term alliance with Gen- le into their 6-person “SimCar” ride vehicle and put their de- eral Motors,” said George Aguel, Senior Vice President, Cor- sign through its paces on the exhilarating hills, switchbacks porate Alliances for the Walt Disney Company. “This unique and straight-aways of the Test Track circuit. agreement extends collaboration between two of the most Their performance testing complete, Guests will move recognized brands in the world, a relationship that spans into a post-show area filled with special effects and be over 30 years. The re-imagined Test Track Presented by scored on how well their custom concept vehicle did. And Chevrolet will continue our shared goal of providing unique of course, Guests will be able see the very latest Chevrolet and innovative experiences that engage Disney guests in ex- vehicles in an all-new state-of-the-art showroom.

11 · Celebrations Disney News

in spring 2012. Behind a special door is a hidden jewel, The Royal Guest Room, with 512 themed rooms where beds are trimmed with dazzling crystals and gold accents and “magical fireworks” swirl about. The new Royal Rooms im- merse families in favorite Disney fairy- tales with fun and engaging features, playful artwork, plus richly appointed drapery and custom linens. Rooms sleep four with rates starting at $198. Call 407-W/DISNEY for reservations.

Disney Fantasy Takes Family Enter- tainment to New Heights New Main Stage Musical “Wishes” Debuts On the , entertainment is designed to charm and bedazzle the entire family. Guests delight to some of the most elaborate original musicals presented at sea, over-the-top deck par- ties and, bursting above it all, the largest fireworks spectacular aboard a cruise ship. A new ship means new main stage entertainment at the Walt Disney Theatre, and “Wishes” is a spectacular production debuting on the Disney Fantasy. Dateline Disney This signature show is a 45-minute musical journey about three best friends who discover the secret to being a grown- Sorcerers Invade the Magic Kingdom in Early 2012 up is staying connected to their inner child. In an all-new interactive experience, “Sorcerers of the An enchanting world with a cavalcade of Disney char- Magic Kingdom,” Merlin the magician will recruit Guests acters, full-scale production numbers and special effects as apprentice sorcerers to undertake missions to subdue bring excitement to the stage as the cast of “Wishes” per- villains and ne’er do wells. Armed with magic spells in the forms original songs and classic Disney tunes with a con- form of special cards, Guests must search for the magic temporary twist. Notable moments include: symbols that lead them to animated villains’ hiding places. In an over-the-top musical comedy number, the song “I’ve By casting different magical spell cards, players can do bat- Got a Dream” from Tangled sets the scene with Rapunzel, tle with Yzma, Kronk and other “baddies” hiding throughout Flynn Rider and a tavern full of hilarious thugs. In “Hawaiian the land. From fireballs to frantic frogs and cyclones, there Roller Coaster Ride,” the stage fills with giant windsurfing are spells to bring down each and every villain, with a sim- sails, kites and surf boards, as performers ride a surfboards, ple flick of the wrist. This immersive role-playing adventure flying atop a giant blue wave silk. King Louie and the Mon- will be included with park admission. keys perform a high-energy swing band version of “I Wanna Be Like You” from The Jungle Book. Royal Rooms Make Debut at Port Orleans Riverside To learn more about or to book a vaca- An enchanting new hotel offering fit for a or prin- tion, visit www.disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at cess opens its regal doors at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.

12 · Celebrations Photos ©Disney Florida Residents Can Make More Memories in 2012 with 3-Day, 4-Day ‘Wild For Disney’ Passes ust in time for the new year, Florida Residents Jget added incentive to make more memories at Walt Disney World this spring, with an extra special ticket offer. From now until May 21, 2012, Florida residents can purchase a “Wild for 3-Day Pass” for $99 (plus tax) or upgrade to a “Wild for 4-Day Pass” for $129 (plus tax), valid for entry into one Walt Disney World park per day. For even more memory-mak- ing, Florida Residents can also add “Park Hopper” or the “ Fun and More” option for $27.50 per ticket.

Details: 3-Day “Wild for Disney” Pass Price: $99, plus tax Includes: admission to any of the four Walt Dis- ney World theme parks any three days (excluding blockout period); one park per day.

4-Day “Wild for Disney” Pass Price: $129, plus tax Includes: admission to any of the four Walt Dis- ney World theme parks any four days (excluding blockout period); one park per day.

Both Passes Offer period: Jan. 4 – May 24, 2012 Purchase by: May 21, 2010 Blockout dates: Feb. 18, 2012 – February 20, 2012; April 1, 2012 – April 13, 2012 Proof of Florida residency required; pass is non- transferable and excludes activities/events sepa- rately priced.

Photos ©Disney 13 · Celebrations

elcome to MouseViews, a special section of WCelebrations Magazine where you’ll get an insider’s peek at the Walt Disney World Resort. In every issue we’ll bring you a treasure trove of tips, secrets, magical moments, special insights, little known facts and a whole lot more! Whether it’s a different look at a familiar attraction, a hidden secret waiting to be discovered, or a helpful piece of advice for your upcoming trip, you’re sure to find lots of fun-filled information inside.

So put on your Mickey ears, set your imagination free, and get ready to discover all of those things that make Walt Disney World the most magical place on Earth.

Ready? Then here we go...!

15 · Celebrations Get Out!! ou’ve blasted your way across the cosmos, survived your encounter with 999 Yhappy haunts, and discovered your future with the help of some innovative technology. So now it’s off to the next attraction, or for some of us, a much-needed helping of funnel cake. But wait, why are you in such a hurry? Just because the at- traction is over doesn’t mean the experience is. More often than not, just when you think you’ve seen it all, you’ll find that there’s a lot more to discover. And thus we ar- rive at one of the great overlooked features of Walt Disney World: the magic of the attraction exits. The actual queues are of course the stuff of legends, whether it’s the creepy hotel lobby at the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror or the humorous props at the Jungle by Tim Foster Cruise. With few exceptions (largely limited to the very oldest of attractions), the queues at Walt Disney World are often just as entertaining as the attractions them- selves. Not only do they help pass the time while you’re waiting in line, they set the stage for what is to come, creating a world and telling a story that provides the background for the thrills and chills that await you inside. Some queues, such as those at Expedition Everest, Kali River Rapids, and the aforementioned Tower of Terror, are so detailed and so atmospheric that they could be considered attrac- tions unto themselves. You’ll often have plenty of time to marvel at these wonder- fully imaginative queues as you move through the line, particularly if you’re waiting for one of the more popular attractions. Too often though, when the ride is com- pleted it’s often a hurried rush to get back outside and on to the next destination (especially if you’re adhering to a minute-by-minute itinerary in an effort to see and do everything). That’s too bad, because many times you’ll miss out on an extra bit of magic that the Imagineers have devised for you. At the Haunted Mansion, for example, take Tim Foster is the author of some time to look around as you exit the foreboding gothic structure. To the left the Guide to the Magic book you’ll find a mausoleum, and upon further examination you’ll discover a treasure series, which includes the Guide to the Magic for Kids, the Lost trove of pun-filled inscriptions. Say a few out loud if you can’t figure them out! Con- Journals, and the Guide to the tinuing on, you’ll soon come across the Pet Cemetery. The gravestones are a bit fur- Magic Autograph & Sticker ther back and positioned a bit higher than their counterparts that stand guard at Book. Tim is also the creator of the Mansion’s entrance, but they are just as much fun to study. For the keen eyed the www.guidetothemagic.com website.

16 · Celebrations among you, look all the way back to the left and see if you of merchandise sure to please any pirate or wanna-be Jedi. can spot the tombstone of Mr. Toad, a one-time resident of Tatooine Traders in particular is a must-visit for any Star Fantasyland. During Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Wars fan. In addition to the expected clothing, toys, and ac- the Pet Cemetery takes on a whole new aura, with black tion figures, you’ll also find lots of collectible items includ- lights illuminating the cryptic memorials, and ominous fog ing autographed memorabilia and rare trinkets. Just be slowly cascading down the hillside. Even as you finally exit, warned, both of these stores are a gold mine for young visi- take a peek on the ground and see if you can spot the horse- tors, so be sure to set the ground rules ahead of time before shoe prints left in the concrete. Memories of the Headless you venture inside! You’ll often find yourself spending much Horseman? Or the ghostly tracks of the bearer of the mor- more time in the shops than you did in the attraction, and bid hearse that sits nearby? if the little ones are trying to pick out a souvenir it’ll be dif- Over at , your exit takes you through a ficult for them to stop at one. (Don’t be too smug though, fun-filled arcade. Even if video games aren’t your style, take you’ll discover plenty of kids your own age rummaging a peek around and look for the futuristic props and space- through the racks and shelves!) ships. But the true magic of the attraction’s exit happens Over at Epcot, the exit areas often feature their own at- before you get to the arcade; it’s the long moving sidewalk tractions in keeping with the concept of the park being a (or Speedramp as it’s known to the local astronauts) that continual world’s fair. At Spaceship Earth, the Seas With brings you back to the surface. You’ll see several futuristic Nemo and Friends, Journey Into Imagination With Figment, scenes depicting life in the far off future. TTA fans will recall and Test Track, you’ll get the chance to try your hand at a these scenes from their journey through Space Mountain, host of interactive exhibits that expand upon the concepts but now’s your chance to see them up close. By the way, if introduced during the attraction. At Spaceship Earth, you’ll you ever wondered why the ramp dips down and then back also get to see yourself projected up on the giant globe. Once up again, that’s because you’re actually traveling under- you enter the post-show area, look up at the globe and see if neath the Walt Disney World Railroad tracks. you can find yourself (it may take a moment for your image to appear). Once your face is on display, it will stay for a few seconds and then be whisked away to your hometown (now you know why you entered your place of residence at the be- ginning of your journey through time!). For repeat visitors, it can be fun to pretend you live in a different place and see your image race over to Australia or Japan. At the Seas pavil- ion, the post-show area is actually home to the main attrac- tion, which is the giant aquarium that’s home to hundreds of a fish and sea mammals. This is definitely one pavilion you’ll want to explore, and if you look around long enough you’ll even discover Nemo’s real-life counterpart. At Mission:SPACE, you’ll come across a number of interac- tive games and play areas. So many, in fact, that the pavilion Several attractions have exits that take you into a gift is a wonderful attraction even if you don’t think you have shop, including the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, the right stuff for the flight to Mars. The pavilion features Stitch’s Great Escape, and Mickey’s PhilharMagic to name a one of the lesser know play areas for children (though argu- few. There are two shops that merit special attention; the ably one of the coolest), and a cooperative game for space Pirates Bazaar at Pirates of the Caribbean, and Tatooine explorers of all ages. Traders at Star Tours. Both are brimming with unique col- These are only a few of the post-show areas that offer lectibles and hard-to-find treasures, and both are nearly as fun and surprises beyond the main attraction. As you catch much fun to explore as the attractions themselves. In fact, your breath after your thrilling adventures in space or the you’ll find lots of people that come to visit the shops in their deepest, darkest jungles, take a bit of time to explore and own right, and whether you’re looking for a personal souve- see if you can uncover a bit more undiscovered magic; you’ll nir or a gift for someone special, both shops offer a wealth be glad you did!

Photos ©Tim Foster 17 · Celebrations Exploring the Swiss Family Treehouse ne of the many classic stories that Disney retold in film and in the parks was Othat of the Swiss Family Robinson. As Guests explore the lush landscape of , they might notice the simple, wooden sign for the Swiss Family Treehouse, adorned with the name and crest of the Robinson family, the legendary family from the 1960 Disney film adaptation of the 1912 Johann David Wyss novel. Johann Wyss and his children used to imagine what it would be like to be stranded on an island, and together, they came up with many adventures for the fictional Robinson family. Wyss wrote the book, in part, for his kids, and to educate them about family, good husbandry, respect for nature, working together, self-reliance, by Lou Mongello and other real-world lessons. An opening day attraction, the Swiss Family Treehouse is a self-guided, walking tour of their fabled Treehouse, built from their wrecked ship and whatever else they could scavenge from the island they landed upon. As you climb the tree, you can see how the family not just survived, but built a home complete with bedrooms, kitchen, library, a working waterwheel, and more. These are all nestled within a Dis- ney-created tree that was made to look like a real Banyan tree, with roots that were sunk 42 feet into the ground for structural support. It has a trunk that is 90 feet in diameter, 9 major limbs, 116 steps, more than 1400 branches, and 300,000 lifelike polyethylene leaves. There are actually four of these Disney-created “trees” in the world, with the oth- ers being in Anaheim, Tokyo, and Paris. The Walt Disney World version of the Swiss Family Treehouse is known a “Disneyodendron Eximus,” which loosely means “out of the ordinary Disney tree.” Lou Mongello is the host of the And while Disney created everything you see in the tree, the one thing that is real award winning WDW Radio podcast is the Spanish moss that is draped on the leaves and branches. Take your time and and the author of the definitive explore, enjoy the unique views that it affords you of the park, and pay attention to Disney trivia books, “Walt Disney the amazing detail Disney included. World Trivia” Volumes 1 and II. He is also the producer of the newly released Audio Guides of Walt Disney Exploring the Treehouse World, a CD series that gives you a As you begin to walk through the queue, notice the planked walkway, the pieces personal tour of the happiest place of the ship’s deck now being used as handrails, and the tall oars lining the path. You’ll on Earth. You can listen to the show also notice a number of cannons standing poised and ready to defend the entrance and discover more secrets, rumors to what is now their family’s home. and facts at Lou’s website: www.wdwradio.com Setting the stage for the story you are about to be immersed in, the sign along the pathway reads: “On this site, July 17, 1805, the Swiss Family Robinson, composed of myself, my good wife and three sons, Fritz, Ernst and little Francis…Were the sole survivors by the grace of God of the ill-fated ship SWALLOW. From the wreckage we built our home in this tree for protection on this uncharted shore. SIGNED Franz.” As you explore the Treehouse, take note of the many ingenious methods the fam- ily used to survive and flourish. Making use of the limited selection of what was available on the island, they were able to fashion a sink from a large clamshell, cre- ate a hearth and oven from volcanic stone, and devise a clever water wheel system

18 · Celebrations to supply running water through the use of ropes, pulleys, the kitchen, complete with many of the comforts of home. and bamboo. And fortunately, they were able to salvage a As you exit the Treehouse, notice the flagpole above the number of items from their wrecked ship, including furni- queue as it flies the Swiss flag. At one time it bore the dis- ture, flatware, lamps, mirrors, and many other items, which tinction of being the only non-American flag flown outside undoubtedly made their tenure on the island more bear- a Walt Disney World attraction each and every day. That able. Take special note in the Library and to the two books changed a few years ago, when a Union Jack flag was raised sitting on the table. Remember that continuing the educa- on the dock of the Jungle Cruise (you can spot it as you dis- tion of his children while shipwrecked was of high impor- embark your boat, just over the loading area). tance to the Robinson family, and Wyss wanted to use the story to educate his children’s minds and spirits. In fact, one Today, this unique attraction retains its immeasurable of the signs in the Treehouse reads: “we shall never hunger charm by virtue of its simplicity and classic, unparalleled of food for the mind nor the soul.” And speaking of spirits, al- Disney attention to detail. If you haven’t been on the attrac- though there is no alcohol in the Magic Kingdom, see if you tion in a while, be sure and explore it again (and if you get can find the cask of brandy hidden in the library’s rafters. the chance, visit the Treehouse after the sun sets for a com- Despite the unfortunate circumstances, their home is pletely different experience). And before you do, watch the quite elaborate, and includes the ship’s working organ, play- Swiss Family Robinson film again and see how the smallest ing the memorable Swisskapolka theme, written by legend- details have been integrated into this fascinating attrac- ary Disney composer Buddy Baker. You’ll also find rooms like tion, a perfect example of how attractions don’t have to be the Crow’s Nest, where the boys slept and stood lookout, and “high-tech” to immerse you in wonderful story.

Photos ©Tim Foster 19 · Celebrations Tomorrowland Hidden Mickeys

cattered among the headliner attractions in Tomorrowland are subtle SHidden Mickeys. In fact, some of the more compelling Hidden Mickeys in all of the Magic Kingdom are to be discovered in Disney’s Land of Tomorrow, and I describe below a few of these Hidden Gems. Try to spot these images the next time you visit the Magic Kingdom.

1. A small classic (three-circle) Mickey is traced in the cement close to a sup- port beam near on the side toward Space Mountain, be- tween Cool Ship and The Lunching Pad.

2. In the third scene of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, Mickey’s blue Sor- cerer’s Hat sits at the right side of the room, next to the girl in the shaker by Steve Barrett machine.

3. In the last scene of the Carousel of Progress, on the left side of the room, a nutcracker shaped like stands on the left side of the man- telpiece.

4. In the last scene of the Carousel of Progress, a pepper grinder on the kitch- en counter has Mickey ears. Look for it as you exit the room.

5. On the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover, toward the end of the ride, the woman getting her hair done sports a belt buckle with a black classic .

6. On the outside wall to the left of the entrance to Monsters, Inc. Laugh Steve Barrett is the author of three Floor, a picture advertising a Recreational Rocket has a moon with craters Hidden Mickeys Field Guide books at the lower left shaped like an upside-down classic Mickey. (Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the Disney Cruise Line) and “The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World 7. On the outside wall to the left of the entrance to Monsters, Inc. Laugh Vacation” book, as well as an iPhone Floor, a sign advertising a Space Collectibles Convention includes an aster- app for Walt Disney World Hidden oid shaped like a classic Mickey head. Mickeys. You can check out more Hidden Mickeys at Steve’s website: 8. A side profile of Mickey’s face with red ears is on the right side of the dis- www.hiddenmickeysguide.com play at the top of the FASTPASS machines for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Rang- er Spin.

9. On the wall mural inside Mickey’s Star Traders shop, the headlights of a train form a classic Mickey.

10. On the wall mural inside Mickey’s Star Traders shop, Mickey hats sit atop windows halfway up the sides of a building, and satellite dishes form a classic Mickey on top of this building.

Photos ©Steve Barrett 20 · Celebrations 1 2

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21 · Celebrations Taking a Look at Some of Those Indispensable Accessories f you look inside a photographer’s bag, you will find many neat and curious ob- Ijects. Some of them are more useful than others of course, and a few are down- right indispensable. With that said, let’s spend this issue talking about a few of my favorite things. While these items do not have a whole lot about them that is fancy or high-tech, they do provide a functionality that will make you wonder how you ever took pictures without them. I am talking about filters, lens hoods, and remote shutter releases. by Tim Devine Lens hoods are the plastic extension pieces that fit on the front end of a lens. Some lenses come with their own hoods, but most offer them as an additional ac- cessory. Although they can seem expensive when you consider that most of them are a piece of plastic, they can be invaluable for two major reasons: protection and image quality. Hoods provide protection for the front elements of your lens by surrounding it with a protective barrier that makes it more difficult for stray objects (fingers, branches, personal effects) to come in contact with the front of the lens. Of course, a lens hood will not protect against a head on strike or any major impact, but it can keep irritants such as fingerprints, dust, firework ash, and the like from degrading your picture quality. Hoods also prevent stray light from entering the front of your lens. This can cre- ate an often unwanted phenomenon known as lens flare, which is rings of light Tim Devine is an avid photographer that show up in a picture and are often undesirable. On the other hand, flare that is and the owner and webmaster captured on purpose can often lead to stunning creative results, but in most cases of www.themagicinpixels.com, a it is something to be avoided. Unwanted lens flare is very difficult, if not impossible, website created for and dedicated to fellow Disney Photography to correct in post-processing so it is best to avoid it from the beginning. Enthusiasts. In addition to a large It is important to note that hoods are custom matched to a particular lens, so gallery of photos you can browse, be sure to get the correct hood for the correct lens. Mismatching hoods can lead you’ll also find tips, articles and to visual imperfections such as vignetting, or the darkening of the pictures edges, equipment reviews to help you create because the end of the hood was seen by the sensor. Hoods can be round or petal magical photo memories of your shaped. Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Tim lives in South Jersey with his Filters are glass or plastic rings that either screw into the threads at the front of wife, Karen, and their son, Billy, and your lens or drop into a filter holder that fits onto the front of the lens. There are recently celebrated the birth of their many different types for many different purposes, but for now we will just stick to second son, Ryan Christopher, on neutral density and ultraviolet filters. May 12, 2009. Be sure to check Neutral density filters are made of dark colored glass and act as sunglasses for www.themagicinpixels.com for your camera lens. They can be used to tame extremely bright conditions so you current information on Pixelmania! a festival of Disney photography, don’t get blown out highlights, and can also used to slow down the camera’s shutter friends, and fun in Walt Disney World speed by reducing the amount of light entering the lens and striking the sensor. October 2011. This can be used to make moving water look creamy by slowing down the shutter speed, or to make objects in motion look streaky in bright daylight. There are differing degrees of darkness with neutral density filters, measured in “stops” of light. Some filters are capable of cutting as much as nine stops of light! To get an idea of how much light reduction nine stops really is, figure that if you had a

Photo ©Tim Devine 22 · Celebrations shutter speed of 1/500 second in bright daylight, a nine stop neutral density filter would reduce your shutter speed to a tripod-mandatory 1 second shutter. My nine-stop filter is so dark that I can barely see through the camera’s viewfinder, resulting in the need to use a tripod with live view in order to be able to compose and take the photo. This can be used to make people appear to be moving rapidly on Main Street USA, just like they would in a night time photo with a long exposure, but in the middle of the afternoon. Neutral den- sity filters are also very popular with fireworks photography, as they allow for much longer exposures and thus longer streaks and better colors. Ultraviolet filters are clear glass filters that are used pri- marily for lens protection, especially with digital photogra- phy. Because digital sensors are not susceptible to ultraviolet light in the way that slide film used to be (and still is), an ul- traviolet filter will not improve your photo in any noticeable way, but it is much more comforting to shatter a $40 filter than the expensive front piece of glass in one of your favorite lenses (been there!). If you are considering getting an ultraviolet filter (known in stores as a UV filter), make sure you spend a few extra dol- lars and get one that is multi-coated to ensure that you don’t degrade picture quality with a low-grade piece of glass. The last key item that you should always have with you is a remote shutter release. They come in wired and wireless versions (though I prefer wired versions) and allow you to trip your camera’s shutter without having to touch it. Even if your camera is securely mounted on a tripod, by pressing on the shutter you can actually introduce movement and thus blur your photo. Using a remote shutter release will remedy that problem. The Magic in Pixels invites all Disney Theme Park Shutter releases come in a variety of prices with a variety photography buffs to the fourth annual Pixelmania, of features. Basic shutter releases will allow you to focus the scheduled for December 6-9, 2012 at Walt Disney World. camera and activate the shutter, while more advanced (and Pixelmania is The Magic in Pixels signature annual expensive) ones will have intervalometers, time lapse, and event featuring lots of photographic instruction, get the ability to set the camera’s f/stop or shutter speed with- togethers, surprise guests, and prizes at a relaxed and out having to touch the camera. Anyone who shoots long enjoyable pace while enjoying the magic of the Disney night time exposures from a tripod must have at least a ba- Parks with lots of fellow photo enthusiasts. sic remote shutter release; if you don’t, using the camera’s Have you been to The Magic in Pixels recently? self timer is a workaround, especially if you have a 2 second TMIP just received a fresh coat of paint and has never countdown option. looked better. Be sure to stop by and see the all-new Purchasing and using these accessories will make your photo gallery, which is better looking and more photography more enjoyable and give you some added feature-filled than ever before! protection for your valuable equipment. For some help in Also, please be sure to send in topics that you would like getting started, please visit themagicinpixels.com for some to see covered in Shutters and Lenses! links to filters, lens hoods, and remote shutter releases.

23 · Celebrations Spring Is In The Air, And On The Pins!

ince 2002, with the arrival of each spring, the Paris has pro- Svided the Disney pin community with their “Seasons” pin collection. Since spring is almost here, this month we will take a look at the “Printemps” (the French word for spring) pins from this very popular series. With an edition size of 3000, this 2002 spring offer- ing features a very colorful pin with several dangle el- ements. It spotlights Mickey smelling a flower, and the by John Rick dangles are 2 flowers and an Easter egg with a ribbon. The top of the pin reads “Printemps” inside a rainbow. Across the bottom of the pin reads, “” and the cloud next to Mickey reads “2002.” The pin was released on March 21, 2002. All of the Limited Edition pins released at the Disneyland Paris Resort are individ- ually numbered on their backstamp, such as 195/3000. The offering for 2003 had its edition size lowered to 2000. Again, it was released on March 21. This dangle pin features Winnie the Pooh in the garden, watering a flower in his hunny pot. The pin is silk-screened with the “Disneyland Resort Paris” logo in white across the bottom. “Printemps 2003” is in a pink rectangle within the dangle portion of the pin. The pin has an outlined appearance and is colored with an under-filled epoxy. For 2004, the entire “seasons” series was centered on a single character, Stitch. This time, the edition size is 1200, and we find Stitch sitting on the grass holding a flower with a couple ducklings surrounding him. The John Rick founded the Central flower in Stitch’s Jersey Disney Pin Traders in 2002. You can visit the website at left hand is on a spring and moves. “Printemps www.cjdpt.com and contact him at 2004” is above his head and he is featured as a pin [email protected]. John is also one of on pin element. The dot above the letter “i” and the Hosts of the Disney Pincast- the the zeros in “2002” are shown as flowers. only weekly podcast dedicated to In 2005, the pin brought us the Genie from Disney Pins. It can be found at Aladdin. On the pin www.disneypincast.com. John and his wife Sheila live in you can see Aladdin’s central New Jersey. castle in the back- ground, two white birds and some flowers. The pin’s edition size is down to 900 now, so the Disneyland Resort Paris pin team is con- tinuing to realize that lower edition sizes create more demand for a pin. The sun and the dangle include glit- ter fill. The Genie is a pin on pin element. Across the bot- tom of the pin reads, “Printemps.” The dangle is polished metal in the shape of Aladdin’s lamp and it reads, “2005.” This pin was released March 19.

24 · Celebrations Tinker Bell is the character Mickey and Min- featured on the 2006 pin. Her cos- nie together in tume is green glitter filled. She is front of the Disney- included as a pin on pin element land Hotel grace and she is standing amongst the pin designed lots of pretty flowers. The leaf to celebrate “Print- on which she is standing reads, emps 2009.” It was “Printemps 2006” in gold letters. released in March She is holding a flower similar to and had an edition the ones that make up the back- size of 900. Mickey ground. This year the edition and Minnie are pin size was 1200, and the pin came on pin elements, out on March 31. and they are both dressed in their Spring finery, which in- The first pin in the cludes a parasol for Minnie. A pink oval dangles from the 2007 series has an edi- bottom of the pin and reads, “Printemps 2009.” The street tion size of just 900. The light just to Mickey’s left is decorated with two baskets con- pin features Mickey taining spring floral arrangements. and Minnie gardening. That brings us to the Both are pin on pin ele- final pin in this “Spring ments. Mickey is water- Fling.” This pin com- ing the flowers with a memorates Spring gray watering can and 2010. It was released on Minnie is carrying a March 20th and has an shovel. Mickey is wear- edition size of 900. Tin- ing green bib overalls ker Bell is featured in a and a yellow hat while Minnie sports a blue dress and pink floral print dress with hat with a blue bow. A large tree dominates the background a flower in her hair. Her of this pin and across the bottom of the pin in red letters is, upper torso is a pin on “Printemps 2007.” March 21 saw this pin’s release. pin element and her “Printemps 2008” wings are blue translu- brought us Mickey in cent fill. She is standing front of a castle. He on a large pink flower. has stopped to pick a This pin also includes a white flower from the dangle element contain- side of the path. Below ing the text, “Printemps him in a yellow box is 2010.” The zeros in “2010” have been replaced with flowers. “Printemps” in green The Disneyland Resort Paris has created beautiful pins letters. Mickey, along to celebrate this vibrant time of year. By using very familiar with what appears to characters in settings that portray spring as a time of re- be a sort of vine on the newal and great joy, Disney has once again reminded us of right side of the pin, are how special and important spring truly is. These pins, along pin on pin elements. with the others in the “Seasons” collection, are very popular The dangle consists of with pin traders around the world. With spring “blossom- a white daisy with the ing,” this is a great time to look at all the great pins that are number two in green within the yellow center. This year’s released to acknowledge this time of year as well as the holi- “Seasons” series all fit together like a puzzle and the dangles days that take place during spring. Ah, but that’s a story for spell out “2008.” another time…

25 · Celebrations Flavors of Africa akuna Matata! My latest restaurant review was inspired by my favorite Disney Hmovie, The Lion King. A popular restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort called Boma-Flavors of Africa, reminds me of this movie. When you walk into Boma, you feel a sense of the African culture with bright colors of a typical African marketplace and the sweet smell of a wood-fire. The menu is much better than the grubs that Timon and Pumbaa would eat, with African-inspired entrees and des- serts from over 50 African countries. Boma is an all-you-can-eat buffet that serves breakfast and dinner. For breakfast, you can expect many of the traditional breakfast menu items with a twist of Afri- can flavors. For dinner, your taste buds will go on an adventure with unique flavors and dishes right from Africa. By Allison Jones The highlight of the restaurant is the numerous food stations and the open kitchen with a wood-fire rotisserie grill. You can watch the chefs prepare the en- trees in this open kitchen. There are also several chefs at the various stations if you have any questions or desire more information about the unique dishes. Unlike a typical buffet line, you just wander to the stations you prefer to sample the various salads, entrees, and desserts. To start off your meal, I would try some of the incredible breads or salads. The salads include mixed field greens, potato salad, pasta salad, Kool Slaai, Chicken Salad with Chili Cilantro, Fruit Fool, or Moroccan Seafood Salad. The Kool Slaai is white and red cabbage with carrots tossed in a sweet mayonnaise dressing. The delight- ful Fruit Fool features pineapple, apples, mango, grapes, and banana with coconut, vanilla and cream. The Moroccan Seafood Salad is couscous, mussels, scallops, and shrimp. There are several seasonal soups to sample with your breads including Chicken Corn Porridge, Tomato Soup, Creamy Carrot and Ginger Soup, Coconut Curry Sea- food Soup, or Butternut Squash Soup. (Note that only two soups are featured per night.) The Creamy Carrot and Ginger Soup features carrots, ginger, cream/milk, and American Cheese. The Coconut Curry Seafood Soup includes mussels, white As an Orlando local, Allison has seen the growth of the Walt Disney fish, shrimp, scallops, onions, red peppers, potatoes, and jalapeno peppers with World Resort. She experienced the sweet coconut milk and honey. inside as a Disney Cast Member For entrees, you can enjoy Durban Spiced Roasted Chicken, Malabu Pepper Steak, and has planned Disney vacations Grilled Seafood, Wood Roasted Meats, Bobotie, Vegetable Skewers, Chicken Pepper for over 10 years. Allison Jones is a Pot, Curried Coconut Seafood Stew, Couscous Marrakesh, Chicken Tenders or Spa- travel consultant with Destinations ghetti and Meatballs. The popular Durban Spiced Roasted Chicken incorporates a in Florida Travel and MouseDine. Destinations in Florida is an special mix (called Durban Spice Mix) with some incredible flavors including corian- Authorized Disney Vacation Planner der, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and more. The Bobotie is a lamb and beef selling Disney vacations. quiche with onions, raisins and bread. MouseDine is a restaurant Some of the side dishes include Sweet Potato Pancakes, Vegetable Lentil Kofta, consulting company for Disney Pap, Braised Greens, and FuFu. The Sweet Potato Pancakes are pan seared sweet po- World Dining Reservations. Visit tatoes with sugar, pepper, and cinnamon. Pap is a staple in Africa and features corn www.destinationsinflorida.com or www.mousedine.com for more flour and water chilled and topped with chutney. FuFu is mashed white and sweet information on Disney Dining. potatoes with a touch of coriander and cinnamon. If you saved room for dessert, you are in for a treat with the Zebra Domes, Simba Paw Prints, Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake, Passion Fruit Panna Cotta, or Guava

26 · Celebrations Cake. The Zebra Domes are a sweet treat with milk choco- ¾ cup white chocolate ganache late, espresso, and Kahlua Liqueur. The Pineapple Upside ¼ cup dark chocolate ganache Down Cheesecake includes a cheesecake with fresh pine- Sponge cake apple and a white chocolate and graham cracker crust. All of the desserts are delightful enough to even please Scar. Prepare: Boma-Flavors of Africa is a sit down restaurant that ac- 1. Melt milk chocolate. cepts the Disney Dining Plans. Be sure to book an Advanced 2. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Dining Reservation for this restaurant, since it does book up 3. Mix yolks with sugar. quickly. Call 407-WDW-DINE to book your reservation. Here’s 4. Soften gelatin leaves in cold water. a little insider tip: if you like any of the recipes they will give 5. Mix gelatin with Kahlua and coffee. Set bowl over hot wa- you a recipe card to take home. Just ask your server for a ter bath to dissolve the gelatin. recipe card! 6. Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into the chocolate. A favorite around the waterhole is the Zebra Domes. En- 7. Add the yolks, then the gelatin mixture. joy this recipe directly from the Chefs at Boma-Flavors of 8. Fold in the rest of the cream. Africa to our guests at Celebrations magazine. 9. Pour mousse in flexipan domes almost to the top. 10. Place sponge circle on top. Leave in freezer to set. Zebra Domes 11. Once hard, unmold and place in glazing racks. Boma-Flavors of Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge 12. Make white chocolate ganache and chocolate ganache. Ingredients: 13. Put chocolate ganache in a pastry bag. Ladle white choco- 1 pound milk chocolate late ganache to cover each dome. Pipe a zebra stripe design ¼ cup espresso coffee of chocolate ganache over the dome. 5 egg yolks 14. Refrigerate to allow the glaze to set. ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 15. Decorate the bottom edge with coffee crunch. 6 sheets gelatin 16. Place a chocolate covered coffee bean on the center of ½ cup Kahlua Liqueur each dome. 4 cups heavy cream 17. Enjoy!

Photo © Disney 27 · Celebrations Avoiding Ticket Trauma o you’re going to Walt Disney World! That’s great, but you’re going to need some Stickets. How do you know what you’ll need? What about annual passes? What about park hopping, water parks, and more? Should you get non-expiration tickets? To be honest, the right ticket option really depends on how you want to tour the parks and how often you think you’ll be visiting. Before we explore some of the different ticket options, keep in mind that Disney considers Guests ages 3-9 as children and Guests 10 and older as adults (though many of us are still kids at heart). Ticket prices for children are slightly lower than By Beci Mahnken adult prices. For the rest of this article, I’ll be listing the adult price only. Also, special CTC-MCC events such as the holiday events and some ESPN Wide World of Sports events re- quire a separate ticket.

Magic Your Way Put simply, with Disney’s Magic Your Way system, the longer you stay, the cheaper it is (per day) to play. So what does this really mean? A base (one-day, one-park) ticket costs $85*, while a 10-day base ticket costs $291*. When you look at the per-day cost, a base ticket costs $85* for a single day, while the 10-day base ticket costs only $29.10* each day. The per-day cost drops dramatically once you start looking at four-day and longer tickets. Keep in mind these are costs for base tickets, meaning that you can only visit a single park per day. If you want to visit two parks in a single day, you’ll want to add the Park Hopper Option, which we’ll get to later. Also, keep in mind that these tickets are only valid for 14 days, beginning with the first day’s visit. What does that mean? Let’s say you purchase a 10-day base ticket. Once you enter a park, you have 14 days to use the remaining days on your ticket. After 14 days, the tickets ex- pire, regardless of how many days are left on the ticket. Don’t worry though, there is one exception, non-expiration tickets, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Beci Mahnken, CTC-MCC is the Founder, President and CEO of MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel – An Authorized Disney Vacation Planner - Beci has over 12 years vacation planning experience, specializing in vacation packages and cruises, with a team of over 75 affiliates nationwide. Visit: www.MouseFanTravel.com or follow her on twitter @beci_mousefan

Artwork © Disney 28 · Celebrations Park Hoppin’ that five-day park hopper ticket to cost a little more for your As I mentioned before, the base ticket gives you admis- second trip three years later. So overall, you’ll spend more sion to a single park per day. If you want to visit more than than $620 per person for both trips. If, instead, you pur- one park during the same day, you would need to add the chased a 10-day no-expiration Park Hopper ticket, it would Park Hopper Option. What is park hopping? With the Park cost $571* per person and it would cover park admission for Hopper Option, which is an add-on to a base ticket, you can both trips and save some money. So there are times when visit as many parks as you wish, as often as you wish. The the no-expiration option is a good idea. cost for adding it to a one-day base ticket is $35*, while the cost to add Park Hopping to a 10-day base ticket is about $55* 365 Days of Magic (or $5.50* per day). So, like the base tickets, adding Park Hop- But wait, there are even more ticket options. If you know ping gets cheaper per day the more days you play. you’ll be visiting Disney World twice for 10 days (or more) in the same 12-month period, you may want to consider pur- But Wait, There’s More chasing an Annual Pass. Disney’s Annual Passes give you 365 As you know, there’s more to Walt Disney World than days of admission (from the first use) to all four parks, free just the four parks. There’s DisneyQuest, ESPN Wide World parking, and discounts on a variety of purchases, including of Sports, two water parks, and several golf courses. If you shopping at the World of Disney, tours, lodging, and more. want to take advantage of these additional offerings, Dis- Annual passes cost $519*. Disney offers special discounts for ney offers the “Water Park Fun and More” ticket add-on. This Florida residents and members, as add-on gives you a certain number of admissions to the well as a discount on Annual Pass renewals. water parks, DisneyQuest, ESPN Wide World of Sports or a If you’re interested in the water parks, DisneyQuest, and round of golf (9-holes) at Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course. The golf, you might want to consider the Premium Annual Pass. number of admissions is dependent on the number of days This pass costs $649*. The Premium Annual Pass includes ev- on your base ticket. The costs for the Water Park Fun and erything that comes with the regular Annual Pass as well More add-on are the same as the Park Hopper option. as unlimited access to the water parks, DisneyQuest and rounds of golf at Oak Trail. Making Tickets Last Longer Annual Passholders also have the option to purchase an- Remember when I said you have 14 days to use your Magic other discount card, Tables in Wonderland. It costs $75* and Your Way Tickets once you first use them? That’s correct, is good for a full year. With Tables in Wonderland, Guests unless you purchase the no-expiration option. If you add no- receive a 20% discount off their total bill at nearly all table- expiration, you can use the remaining days (with whatever service restaurants on property, and allows for free valet add-ons you included such as Park Hopper or Water Parks parking. It pays for itself in just a few uses. Fun and More) whenever you want. However, unlike the If you want to go all-out, in 2010 Disney began offering the other add-ons, the cost to add the no-expiration option gets Premier Passport, which basically is a Premium Annual Pass more expensive per day, from $12.50* per day for a two-day for both Walt Disney World AND Disneyland. The Premium ticket to as much as $22.50* per day for a 10-day ticket. So, if Passport costs $749* per person. Despite the seemingly high you want to add the no-expiration option for a 10-day ticket, price tag, it’s actually a really good deal considering a Dis- you’ll have to pay a total of $225.50* MORE per ticket. If you neyland Premium Annual Pass alone costs $499. added all the other add-ons listed above, that 10-day ticket (for one person) would cost a total of $626.00. You Don’t Have To Figure This Out On Your Own Now, before you immediately dismiss the no-expiration Trying to figure out just which ticket option(s) are best option, let’s say you are planning a five-day trip to Disney for you can seem daunting. This is where a Disney Special- World this year and are expecting to take another five-day ized travel agent can be especially helpful (shameless plug trip three years later. You want to park hop, but don’t need alert). Of course, we here at MouseFanTravel.com are here the Water Park Fun and More option. If you just purchased help you with all Disney planning, including which tickets a five-day hopper pass for this year’s trip, that would cost are right for you. about $306* per person. Keep in mind Disney has been an- * Prices listed are current as of publication time, taxes not included. nually raising the ticket prices in August, so you can expect

29 · Celebrations The Evolution of the Monorail

isneyland’s monorail system, built in 1959, was originally intended to showcase Dtransportation of the future. Based off a similar system Walt Disney had seen in Germany, Walt tasked (then a fledgling Imagineer in his 20s) with the daunting task of designing this unique form of transportation. Bob’s original de- sign resulted in the red and blue monorails, with each train featuring three cars. However, the project (as with any new attraction) was fraught with its own unique challenges. Like any new technology, the monorail had many false starts before findings its legs, or wheels, in this case. In fact, the Disneyland monorail only made By J Darling its first complete trouble-free circuit on its track the night before its opening on June 14th, 1959. The monorail’s original track was designed to tour Tomorrowland in one com- plete circle, and even today, the track boasts some great aerial views of the land of the future. But Walt’s original vision was to introduce the monorail as a form of transportation of the future. With its opening in 1959, Disneyland’s monorail be- came the first daily operating monorail system in the western hemisphere (known as the Mark I family of monorails). The design at the time resembled a rocket ship’s pointy nose with sleek, bubble like windows on the sides of the cars. Obviously, the monorail as we know it today has come a long way from its predecessors.

Hail to the Chief The Disneyland monorail not only holds the title as the first daily operating monorail in the western hemisphere, but it also holds another claim to fame—acci- J Darling is a California native and dently kidnapping a future President of the United States! On opening day, Walt Dis- life long Disney fan. Her parents first ney invited the Nixon family to help dedicate the new attraction. After the ribbon took her to Disneyland when she was cutting, Richard Nixon (who was Vice President at the time) and his family set off 2 years old. According to them, her with Walt for a lap around the Tomorrowland track. The monorail was piloted by eyes just popped out of her head, and Gurr, and he has recounted in many interviews the hair raising experience of driv- apparently they never went back in. ing the monorail on that sunny opening day in June, an experience that was even Outside of her Disney fandom, J is a singer, songwriter, blogger, and more nerve wracking when he realized the Secret Service was still standing on the theatrical actress. platform! The monorail finished its first loop, much to the Nixon family’s approval. You can find her music at Nixon and his family enjoyed the ride so much that they wanted to repeat the ex- www.jdarlingmusic.com perience. The monorail slowed as it was coming into the station, with many irate and on Myspace at Secret Service members awaiting the return of the Vice President to the platform. www.jdarlingmusicmyspace.com. But much to their surprise, the monorail then sped up for another trip around the Her blogs are available at www.jjourneybook.blogspot.com. track, leaving the baffled Secret Service behind yet again! Reports say Nixon exited the monorail, laughing at the shock and dismay of his Secret Service men. Of course, at the time there was no other station for the monorail to stop at, so the Vice Presi- dent and his family were safe and sound throughout the entire trip. That was an “E”-ticket ride to be sure!

Now Boarding...The Monorail Makes a New Stop In 1961, a little over 2 miles of additional track were added so that the monorail could stop just outside the Disneyland Hotel. The platform added to the Disney-

30 · Celebrations land Hotel housed the Monorail Café and Lounge, which allowed Guests to take a break from the parks with an adult bever- age (since no alcohol is sold in Disneyland). The Monorail Café was also well known amongst youngsters in the 1980s for excel- lent milkshakes and burgers. With the addition of the platform out- side of came the addition of a new ticket as well. A special round trip ticket could be purchased for Guests to en- joy the scenic ride, but without entering Disneyland Park itself. Guests with these tickets would ride in a special car with doors that didn’t . Getting away to Downtown Disney feels open when the car arrived at the Tomorrowland Station. worlds removed from the hustle and bustle of Disneyland Today, the monorail is considered a one-way ride. Park, but still maintains that Disney magic all Guests know and love. An afternoon trip to Downtown Disney can be a The Monorail Today great time to regroup and rest before returning to Disney- The monorails seen zooming overhead today include a land for an evening full of fun. few more special features and offer even more astounding Only a short walking distance away from the Downtown views than ever before. In 2006, the monorail underwent Disney monorail station are the Disneyland Resort hotels: massive renovations. This worked out perfectly because the Disneyland Hotel, Disney’s Grand Californian, and Para- at the time, the Submarines were just be- dise Pier resorts. If you’re a hotel Guest, the monorail is an ing added to Disneyland’s line up of amazing attractions. ideal way to glide into Tomorrowland and save your feet the (See Celebrations magazine Issue 8 for an in depth review trip! Keep in mind that monorail trips these days are usu- of this amazing attraction unique to Disneyland Park.) The ally one way, either into, or out of the parks. Today’s mono- track actually crosses the Finding Nemo Submarine Lagoon rail cars are complete with narration, explaining to Guests four times in a round trip. It also curves around the Mat- just what is in store for them in the parks, or in Downtown terhorn (discussed in depth in Issue 7 of Celebrations maga- Disney as the case may be. zine) giving some amazing views of Fantasyland (especially When Disneyland’s monorail reopened for daily opera- at night when “it’s a small world” is all lit up). Reopening in tions in April of 2009, its views included both Disneyland 2009, much to the delight of Guests of all ages, the mono- park and Disney’s California Adventure. Not sure if a park rail cars are now complete with special interior lighting. hop into the Disney’s California Adventure is for you and Nearly every seat has a window view worth any platform your family? This quick trip is a great way to get a peek into wait. Though the Disneyland Hotel station is long gone, the the park. You’ll enjoy views of Mike and Sulley to the Rescue! Tomorrowland Station is still in use today, fifty-three years (a Monsters, Inc.-based attraction discussed in detail in Cel- after it opened. ebrations magazine Issue 12), Muppet Vision 3-D, and you The current attraction boards Guests at two stations. In can even catch a glimpse of ElecTRONica (if you happen to Disneyland Park, Guests board at the Tomorrowland sta- be riding after dark). tion, located above Disneyland’s in Tomorrowland. The other station is located in the heart of Downtown Dis- In Walt Disney World, the monorail is a regular means of ney. Guests coming from Disneyland’s Tomorrowland Sta- transportation between the TTC (Ticket and Transporta- tion can pop into Downtown Disney for a stroll through tion Center) and the Magic Kingdom or EPCOT. Though Dis- the Lego store, or enjoy a meal at any of the delicious eater- neyland’s monorail may not have as many destinations, the ies found in the Downtown Disney strip. Everything from experience and sights are well worth the trip, just like its Mexican and Cajun to Italian cuisine is represented in east coast counterpart.

Photo © Don Morin 31 · Celebrations By Don Myers, Jr.

32 · Celebrations now White’s Scary Adventures was an opening day at- you are greeted by another 1994 addition, the Magic Mirror. Straction, making its debut along with the rest of the The mirror proclaims that “Snow White is the fairest one of Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971. But like so many early all,” a fact that the Wicked Queen just refuses to accept. It’s Walt Disney World attractions, its roots stretch all the way here where you see a familiar sight from the original ver- back to the west coast. Anaheim’s version of Snow White’s sion, the Queen’s transformation into the witch! Scary Adventures (originally titled Snow White and her Ad- In the next scene, you are whisked into the depths of the ventures) was an opening day attraction for Disneyland, un- castle to witness the witch’s preparation of the poisonous veiled on July 17, 1955. Based off Walt Disney’s first full length apple. There’s also another glimpse of Snow White shortly feature production, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, thereafter, as the Woodsman tells her to “run away never the attraction takes you right into the storybook world of come back.” But her efforts to escape are futile, as the witch Snow White, the Wicked Queen, and of course, Doc, Dopey, is already hot on her trail. Grumpy, and the rest of the merry little crew. Now deep in the woods, the next scene takes you right The original Disneyland and into the tiny cottage of the seven WDW versions were certainly not dwarfs. For their first appearance, exact replicas of one another, but this scene features all seven of the they did have several similarities. dwarfs, who are singing, dancing, The most obvious was the fact that and playing instruments. But the Snow White was nowhere to be cheerful mood is short lived, as found at either attraction! That’s around the corner on the other side right. Riders of both the Disney- of the cottage, the witch has finally land and WDW versions were all caught up with Snow White. wondering the same thing...where’s The scene in which the witch Snow White? But this omission was gives the apple to Snow White was no mistake, as Imagineers had pur- another new addition from the posely designed it that way in or- 1994 refurbishment, as was the next der to give Guests the “first-person scene where Sneezy and Bashful can experience” of actually being Snow be seen trying to rally the troops to White as they traveled through the go after the witch. From there, it’s attraction! It was a clever and inno- a reproduction of the film’s climax, vative idea for its time, but one that as you see the seven dwarfs chas- unfortunately was lost on the aver- ing the witch up a jagged mountain age visitor. side. Just as she is about to seal the By 1994, the attraction was en- dwarfs fate by sending a massive tering its twenty-third year of op- boulder crashing down on them, a eration at WDW. In December of that year, the ride would clasp of lightning strikes near the witch. The powerful blast receive a substantial refurbishment. During this closure, shatters the ground she is standing on, and the witch and a major overhaul took place. The dwarfs were now in sev- the boulder plummet down into the abyss. This was also a eral of the scenes instead of just one, and Snow White was 1994 addition, as the original WDW version saw the witch finally added into the mix. The Princess could now be seen pushing the boulder down onto the riders, who were sup- numerous times throughout the course of the attraction, posed to be experiencing the ride through Snow White’s with the first sighting taking place just seconds into the eyes. But with the first person perspective now eliminated, ride. As you pass through the castle courtyard and make the scene was changed to resemble that of the film’s actual your way past the wishing well, Snow White could now be climax. seen sitting amongst some birds on the castle steps. The With the Wicked Queen’s demise, it’s on to the final room Wicked Queen is also visible here, as she is keeping a watch- for the last two scenes. First up is Prince Charming’s kiss to ful eye on Snow White from her tower window. As you enter awaken Snow White, which is followed by the finale, where through the doors and make your way into the first room, Doc and Happy bid farewell to the new couple (and Dopey

Photos © Tim Devine 33 · Celebrations Scary Adventures will be drifting into the realm of extinction. While this may be a tough pill to swallow for many Park traditionalists, solace can be taken in the fact that the Fantasyland expansion will be bringing about a whole new adventure for fans of Snow White and the beloved dwarfs. Sched- uled to open in 2013, The Coaster is sure to satisfy Guests of all ages. The attraction will be located between the new Beauty & the Beast and Little Mermaid areas, and will take Guests on an exhilarating journey into the depths of the dwarfs’ diamond mine. Just like its predecessor, the new attraction will be equipped with lots of Audio-Animatronic waves good-bye to the exiting Guests). This is completely characters from the movie. In addition, the attraction will different from the original version, in which the final room use a combination of both “thrill ride” and “” ele- was filled with flashing strobe lights piercing through the ments (a la ), and will feature brand-new darkness. The previous lighting effects had been utilized to state of the art ride vehicles that will be equipped with the insinuate that the boulder had dealt a fatal blow, and the ability to sway from side to side. This ride technology will Wicked Queen was now “the fairest one of all.” But as was provide an attraction experience that is unlike anything the case with the climax scene, this room also needed a else that has ever been built by WDW Imagineers! complete overhaul since the first-person theme had been scrapped. Touring Tips So after the 1994 remodel, Guests were basically present- As you may well know, Fantasyland can get extremely ed with an all-new attraction. Audio-Animatronics of Snow crowded during the day. This can lead to some very long White and the dwarfs could now be found at every turn. wait times for most of the land’s attractions, including Each room had existing scenes that were drastically altered, Snow White’s Scary Adventures. So to avoid the long lines, and many new scenes had also been added to the fray. In you may want to wait until after dark to ride the attraction. addition, the attraction’s finale was no longer a tragic one. Morning and afternoon wait times can be 35-45 minutes de- Guests were now able to experience the film’s traditional pending on the season. Meanwhile, late night waits can run ending, as oppose to being crushed by a giant boulder and between 5-10 minutes (this Touring Tip can be applied to winding up in the afterlife! most of the Fantasyland attractions as well). And since it’s a “dark ride,” you don’t have to worry about having a different Snow White Today and Tomorrow experience at night (like you would on Dumbo, for example). The current incarnation of the attraction has remained relatively unchanged since the 1994 remodeling. There were The Best Seat in the House some brief closures for minor touch-ups 2004 and 2008, The ride vehicles can hold up to six Guests, and they come but the ride itself has been the same experience for nearly equipped with three rows of seating. So for the best experi- eighteen years. However, this is all about to change later in ence, you are going to want to sit in the front row. For first 2012. It has already been announced that Snow White’s Scary time riders and youngsters, this is the best place to sit. If Adventures will close down permanently to make way for you’re riding solo, just ask a Cast Member, and you will most a new meet and greet. The building will be known as Prin- likely be accommodated. But if you’re riding with a group, cess Fairytale Hall, and will be the new home of some of the seating arrangement is going to have to be settled your favorite Disney Princesses (Snow White included, no amongst yourselves! doubt). So if plans stay on track, in mid-2012 Snow White’s Snow White’s Scary Adventures has been a Fantasyland

34 · Celebrations staple since the Magic Kingdom opened its gates on Octo- ber 1, 1971. And although its fate has been sealed by the land’s upcoming expansion, Snow White’s Scary Adventures will live on with Toad Hall, Mesa Verde, and Brava Centauri in the minds of countless individuals. There may not be any new memories to create after the spring of 2012, but the 41 years of cherished moments the attraction has created for so many will never fade into extinction!

Secrets & Little Known Facts • The ride vehicles are designed to look like mine carts, and each one comes equipped with one of the seven dwarfs names inscribed into the front portion of the vehicle. • Originally, each mine cart had a capacity of 4 Guests. But when the attraction closed down for its 1994 overhaul, the vehicles were redesigned to accommodate 6 Guests. • In the final scene, only three of the seven dwarfs can be seen. Off to the right-hand side, Doc and Happy are waving goodbye to Snow White and Prince Charming, and Dopey waves at Guests from an overhead perch as they pass by. tures their humble abode, a special kind of paint was ap- • The dwarf that makes the most appearances is a five-way plied to the walls to give off the appearance of candlelight! tie between Doc (cottage, climax, and finale), Dopey (cot- • It’s been almost 75 years since the release of the film, but tage, climax, and finale), Happy (cottage, climax, and finale), when Disneyland’s version of the attraction opened in 1955, Sneezy (cottage, mine, and climax), and Bashful (cottage, the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was less than mine, and climax), who each appear in three scenes. Mean- eighteen years old! To put that into perspective, when the while, Sleepy and Grumpy only appear in two scenes (cot- Little Mermaid ride opens in the fall of 2012, 23 years will tage and climax). have passed between the film’s release and the attraction’s • When the attraction re-opened after the 1994 refurbish- opening. ment, something very prominent was missing. The word “scary” had been removed from its title, and the ride was simply called Snow White’s Adventures. But the change would be a brief one, as the title was fully restored to Snow White’s Scary Adventures a few years later. • When coupon books were in use at WDW (1971-1982), Snow White’s Scary Adventures was a “C”-ticket attraction. • In the original version of the attraction (1971-1994), the dwarfs were only featured in one scene. In the scene, the dwarfs could be seen timidly creeping up the stairs of the cottage to see who’s intruding in their home. • Living up to its “scary” moniker, the original version fea- tured a total of seven Wicked Queens. When the attraction went through its 1994 update, this number was reduced from seven to six. In addition, the current version also fea- tures six appearances by Snow White. • Naturally, the seven dwarfs remote little cottage did not come equipped with electricity. So in the room that fea-

Photos © Tim Devine 35 · Celebrations By Don Myers, Jr.

he “Value Resort” was born on April 29, 1994, when Disney’s All-Star TSports Resort became the first in its category to open its doors. But the buildings along Dugout Drive and Hall of Fame Lane would receive their first neighbor about six months later, as a brand new Value Resort opened up just down the road on November 1, 1994. Just follow Melody Lane to Stardust Drive and you’ll find yourself lost in a world of Jazz, Country, Calypso, Broadway, and good ol’ Rock ‘n’ Roll. There’s only one place on property that can bring all of these unique genres together under one banner: Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. Disney’s All-Star Music Resort is made up of five sections, each of which represents a particular musical genre or style. In each section, you’ll find two buildings, each one standing at a height of three-stories. The five sections are: Calypso, Jazz Inn, Rock Inn, Country Fair, and Broadway Hotel. From the names, you can pretty much surmise what style each section represents. But just in case there were any doubts, Imagineers have left behind a few larger-than-life icons in each area. You’ll find pairs of 45-foot maracas and xylophones as tall as the build- ings themselves decorating the Calypso wing, and the Jazz Inn has three-story drum sets that tower over the landscape. Massive mar- quees are prevalent throughout the Broadway Hotel, and in the Coun- try Fair wing, you’ll find oversized fiddles, banjos, and matching sets of 30-foot tall cowboy boots. And of course, rock ‘n’ roll is alive and well at the Rock Inn, where you’ll find gigantic microphones, guitars, and juke- boxes proudly on display. The five sections are flanked by Melody Hall. Melody Hall serves as All- Star Music’s main building and central hub, with check in/out services and the Resort’s restaurant, Intermission Food Court, located within its walls. Also located inside Melody Hall is Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop.

36 · Celebrations And just like his neighbor Sport over at All-Star Sports, Maestro Mickey has a long and storied his- tory when it comes to Disney animation. Mickey first appears as a conductor in the 1935 animated short, Concert. In the cartoon, Maestro Mickey at- tempts to conduct his band (which includes the likes of Horace Horsecollar, Clarabelle Cow, and Goofy, amongst others) through an outdoor concert. Mickey is up against it from the start, having to deal with ev- erything from a swarming bee to a rampaging twist- er. At one point, he even has to fight off ! Donald makes his first interruption when he appears in the crowd with a vending cart. Then he takes to the stage toting a multitude of flutes, without invitation from Maestro Mickey of course. But this wouldn’t be the only appearance Mickey would make with the conductor’s wand, as he would take to the stage yet again in 1942’s Symphony Hour. In the cartoon, Mickey (who is actually voiced by Walt himself!) is charged with the task of leading an orchestra through the playing of a radio performance. And just like his pre- vious endeavor, Mickey has to deal with more chaos from the likes of Goofy and Donald. The Band Concert and Symphony Hour both serve as the basis behind Maestro Mickey’s, with his “tuxedo attire” at the Gift Shop closely resembling that which he wore in Symphony Hour. But as classic as they may be, the popularity of the two cartoons pales in com-

Photo © Tim Devine 37 · Celebrations parison to the Maestro’s latest crack into the world of con- blend of music and Disney animation. It’s in the form of yet ducting: Mickey’s PhilharMagic. The attraction has been a another statue, this time dedicated to characters from the Fantasyland staple since 2003, with Mickey having to deal 1989 masterpiece The Little Mermaid. The statue features the with an all-new wave of aggravation and strife from his old character trio of Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian. Ariel is play- pal Donald (Are you noticing a recurring theme here with a ing a guitar, and she must be good, because Flounder and certain duck?). So in the end, it all came full circle. You have Sebastian are by her side with huge grins on their faces. the 1935 and 1942 animated shorts inspiring the theme for The Little Mermaid Statue doesn’t double as a fountain like the Resort’s Gift Shop in the early 1990s, and then a nearly a its Caballero counterpart does, but its position off to the decade later some of those same magical elements are back side of the Piano Pool makes it an ideal spot for a photo-op. as the basis behind the beloved attraction. There’s even a place to sit right between Ariel and Flounder! But Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop isn’t the only spot at the Before wrapping things up, there’s one more gem to be Resort dedicated to the blend of music and Disney anima- found at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. It can be summed tion. Venture over to the Calypso section and you’ll find the up in two simple words: Family Suites. In 2006, several of the Resort’s Main Feature Pool. Shaped like a guitar, the Calypso Guest rooms in the Calypso and Jazz Inn sections were re- Pool features a very special centerpiece. It’s a statue of Don- modeled and converted into Family Suites. With 520 square ald Duck, Jose Carioca, and Panchito Pistolas, the feathered feet, the suites offer twice the space of a standard 260 trio from the 1944 Disney film The Three Caballeros. The Ca- square-foot Value room. They can accommodate up to six balleros Statue is a perfect fit for the area, and it also serves Guests (seven if you have an infant in a crib), and in addition a bit of a dual purpose. You see, the statue doubles as a to the extra space, they also offer larger families the benefit fountain! Every few seconds, cold water shoots out of one of plenty of sleeping room, a refrigerator, microwave, cof- of the three characters. Panchito’s blasts come from his two feemaker, two televisions, and perhaps most importantly, drawn pistols, while Donald and Jose come equipped with two bathrooms. In total, there are 192 Family Suites located squirting flowers on their attire. throughout Calypso and Jazz Inn. The Resort’s aquatic fun isn’t confined to just the Calypso Between the five elaborately themed sections, the dozens section, as there is a second pool featured at All-Star Music. of larger-than-life icons, Melody Hall, the Calypso Pool, and Located smack dab in the center of Jazz Inn, Rock Inn, Coun- the Piano Pool, there’s fun waiting around every corner at try Fair, and Broadway Hotel, this second pool is shaped Disney’s All-Star Music Resort. Sprinkle in those little odes like a grand piano. And just like Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop to Disney animation in the form of Maestro Mickey’s, the and the Calypso Pool, the Piano Pool features that special Three Caballeros Statue/Fountain, and the Little Mermaid

38 · Celebrations Statue, and you’ve got more than enough to entice the pal- ette. Add in the presence of the six-person Family Suites, then top it all off with the money-saving fact that All-Star Music is in the Value Category, and now you’ve got the sym- phony of ingredients necessary to make a memorable Walt Disney World vacation.

All-Star Music Little Known Facts • All-Star Music’s total of 1,604 rooms is the smallest among the three All-Star Resorts. This is due to the fact that All- Star Music is the only one of the three All-Star Resorts to feature Family Suites. The suites take up more space than a traditional room, so this lowers All-Star Music’s total. • Take note of the enormous gold star in front of Melody Hall, as it stands at a height of more than 55 feet and weighs over 55,000 pounds! A star of identical size and shape can also be found in front of both Stadium Hall at All-Star Sports and Cinema Hall at All-Star Movies. • The top hats at Broadway Hotel are size 125, and the cow- boy boots in the Country Fair section are size 270! • Calypso is the closest of the five sections in proximity to Melody Hall. So if you want a room with a short walk to the transportation and food court, you may want to request Calypso (this section is the “Preferred Section,” so rooms run about $15-$20 more per night). Jazz Inn would be your best second choice, as it’s the next closest section to Melo- minuscule when compared to the 934 banana leaves that dy Hall after Calypso. adorn the sides of the Calypso buildings! • The 1935 animated short, The Band Concert (which was one • For a real treat, wander over to Melody Hall and take a of the inspirations behind Maestro Mickey’s Gift Shop) was good look at the musical notes underneath the check-in the first Mickey Mouse cartoon to be produced in color. desk. A keen eye will soon recognize that unmistakable • To completely immerse you in the section’s theme, lamp tune: “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Keep your eyes peeled posts in the Broadway Hotel area have been equipped with for more “Hidden Songs” around the Resort, including “Be intersecting road signs for “34th Street” and “Broadway.” Our Guest” at the Intermission Food Court beverage sta- • The gigantic drum sets in the Jazz Inn area are slightly tion, as well as more of “When You Wish Upon a Star” on the taller than the buildings on Main Street USA! Guest room curtains. • In addition, if you stacked four of the oversized maracas • There are several Hidden Mickeys scattered around All- in the Calypso section on top of each other, their height Star Music just waiting to be discovered. For starters, head would be roughly the same as Spaceship Earth! over to Melody Hall and check out the large mural inside • Take note of the large marquees in the Broadway Hotel sec- Intermission Food Court. Fixate your eyes to the saxo- tion, as they all feature advertisements for the same show: phone player, and look closely at the keys along the bell of Beauty and the Beast. The musical would hit Broadway in the instrument. 1994 (the same year that All-Star Music opened up), and had • For more Hidden Mickey fun around All-Star Music, ven- a decade and a half run, finally ending in 2007. With 5,464 ture over to the Country Fair section and make your way performances, the musical ranks in at #8 on Broadway’s list over to those size 270 cowboy boots (either pair will be of longest running shows. fine). Carefully study the pattern on the boots, and you’ll • Rock Inn is a vinyl-lovers oasis, as there are a total of 160 find a classic Hidden Mickey in the area where the front of records lining the section’s balconies. But that number is the ankle meets the foot.

Photos © Tim Devine 39 · Celebrations “We’re here to sing, dance, make people laugh and somehow, just a single appearance from an unknown frog puppet became maybe, make the world a little bit better place. That may sound a global phenomenon that is still going strong 35 years later. silly, especially coming from a frog. But the Muppets have always Early Muppet appearances date back to the mid-1950s, tried to inspire the world with silliness and to show folks that no when a primitive version of Kermit the Frog began the matter who you are or how weird you seem to others, there’s a American sensation by appearing on “Afternoon, Footlight place for you and people who care about you. And when you find Theater” and “Sam and Friends” in 1955. A year later, a revised that place and meet those people, wonderful things happen.” version of Kermit appeared on national television on “The —Kermit the Frog Steve Allen Show.” Later, Rowlf the Dog was created for a Purina Dog Chow e’s green. He has crazy friends, flippers, a penchant for ad in 1962 and then began making regular appearances on Hpigs…and one of the most recognizable singing voices “The Jimmy Dean Show” in 1963. Gonzo was next with his since the King. first appearance in “The Great Santa Claus Switch” as the Kermit the Frog is back on the big screen, and this time, “Cigar Box Frackle” in 1970, later appearing as the Gonzo we he’s teamed up with Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper know today on “The Muppet Show” in 1976. and newcomer Walter, plus the whole Muppet gang, for a Throughout the 1960s, Muppets also made appearances brand-new, big-screen adventure in Disney’s “The Muppets.” on dozens of nationally broadcast variety shows including On vacation in , Walter, the world’s biggest “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Their first international exposure Muppet fan, his brother Gary (Jason Segel) and Gary’s girl- came on Canadian television with the airing of the special friend, Mary (Amy Adams), from Smalltown, USA, discover “Hey Cinderella!” in 1970. By 1971, the Muppets could be seen the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to on U.K. variety shows, such as those hosted by Tom Jones raze Muppet Studios and drill for the oil recently discovered and Julie Andrews, before making their way to Germany for beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage a “The Peter Alexander Show” in 1975. telethon and raise the $10 million needed to save the studio, The first pilot of what would become “The Muppet Show” Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, aired on January 30,1974, and was titled “The Muppets Valen- who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now per- tine Show.” After that the characters of Fozzie Bear, Statler forms with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, & Waldorf, Sam Eagle, Swedish Chef and The Electric May- Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Ani- hem Band (featuring Dr. Teeth, Animal, Janice, Floyd and mal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Zoot) were created for the second original pilot titled “The Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. Muppet Show: Sex and Violence.” The show aired on March 19, 1975, and contrary to the scandalous name, the premise The History Behind the Mayhem of “The Muppet Show: Sex and Violence” was to parody the Since “The Muppet Show” began in 1976, the Muppets have rise of sex and violence on television with the Muppets been embraced by audiences worldwide. What began with performing a pageant based on the seven deadly sins. “The

40 · Celebrations Muppet Show” as we know it officially began in 1976 and was “The Muppets are just your average, everyday dysfunctional well-received internationally, going on to broadcast in more family: loud, crazy, odd, silly…total chaos all the time. But that’s than 100 countries. The show was in first-run syndication okay, because when you get right down to it, we really do care from 1976-1981 on CBS affiliates domestically as well as nu- about each other. We believe in each other, and we help make all merous outlets globally. At its peak “The Muppet Show” was our dreams come true. And that’s what really matters. Besides, I seen by more than 235 million people. kinda like weird.” With the success of “The Muppet Show,” the Muppets —Kermit the Frog branched out to the big screen, releasing their first feature film, The Muppet Movie, in 1979. The film starred a myriad of Film Fun Facts actors, including Bob Hope, Cloris Leachman, , • Disney’s The Muppets is the 7th feature film featuring the Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor and Paul Williams. This impres- Muppets. sive list of celebrity cast and cameos became the hallmark • More than 120 Muppets appear in the film. of all Muppet films, five of which followed, including The • The film tapped 60 dancers to perform with Jason Segel Great Muppet Caper (1981), The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), and Amy Adams for the “Everything’s Great” opening musi- The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), Muppet Treasure Island cal performance. (1996) and Muppets From Space (1999). All six films have signa- • Hollywood Blvd. was shut down for two evenings to record ture soundtracks that received countless awards, including the finale dance scene of the reprise of “Everything’s Great,” an Academy Award® nomination for Best Song for “Rainbow featuring 100 dancers. Connection” and Best Original Score for “The Muppet Movie.” • A total of 12 different costumes were made for Miss Piggy— Throughout the years the Muppets have also produced more costume changes than any other actor in the film. numerous public service announcements and have acted • The largest Muppet, Thog, stands over 9.5 feet tall and is 4 as spokespeople for many causes both domestically and feet wide. internationally, ranging from The National Wildlife Fed- • Amy Adam’s character Mary is a teacher with 16 students. eration, UNICEF and the American Film Institute, to the Thus, no less than 16 perfect apples sit on the edge of the University of Maryland, the American Library Association stellar teacher’s desk. and the Better World Society. Kermit regularly appears as a • Kermit uses the banjo from 1979’s The Muppet Movie dur- giant balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New ing the “Rainbow Connection” performance in Disney’s The York City. Muppets.

Artwork ©Disney 41 · Celebrations New Destinations, New Worlds by Jim Korkis

42 · Celebrations Main photo ©Tim Devine Inset Artwork ©Disney 43 · Celebrations hile I often share the historical stories behind the lo- could be utilized in the future. Over the years, rumors con- Wcations and attractions at Walt Disney World, it’s al- stantly circulated about these upcoming changes as Lucas ways important to remember that great Disney stories are lobbied for a new film utilizing updated technology (The not just things of the past but are still created today at the film would eventually be realized as Star Wars Episode I: The park. One of my favorite new stories is the wonderful work Phantom Menace). behind Star Tours: The Adventures Continue. At its official In 1997, Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald, one of the show writers grand opening ceremonies on May 20, 2011, just over a year on the original attraction, visited Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch ago, the basic back-story was captured on a huge screen on facility during post-production on The Phantom Menace. a stage erected in front of the Sorcerer’s Apprentice Hat at Lucas was excited about the prospect of updating the Star Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Tours attraction into a simulator version of the Tatooine The event began with the legendary opening “crawl” that pod race in that film. Imagineers even storyboarded a ver- starts every Star Wars movie. However, this crawl clearly sion. The concept of young Skywalker wearing goggles dur- stated that it was “Episode III.V” which definitively placed ing the race sparked the idea of Guests wearing 3-D glasses. it between Episodes 3 and 4 of ’ much beloved However, it was decided to wait until all three films of the series of films (that would be The Revenge of the Sith and A new trilogy were released in order to take advantage of all New Hope [the original film], for those of you not up on your of the new story elements. In April 2005, Lucas announced Star Wars numbering system!). that a new version of Star Tours was in production, though “It has been a long time since the end of the Clone Wars, it still took years to work out the multiple scenarios. and the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader continues to tighten his grip on the Empire as the galaxy moves closer to the brink New Adventures, New Stories, and New Faces of a great civil war. Instead of just being a misadventure on a routine flight “A new intergalactic spaceline, Star Tours, seeks to pre- to , the ride is now broken into four acts with two serve unrestricted intergalactic travel in this age of tyran- different beginnings (one features Darth Vader, the other ny. Freedom fighter Captain Raymus Antilles has assigned shows the ), three detours (to Hoth, to two droids, See-Threepio and Artoo-Detoo, to help launch Kashyyyk the Wookie planet, or to Tatooine for a podrace), the spaceline, fueling Imperial suspicion that Star Tours is three transmissions (from , , or Admiral part of the . Ackbar), and three endings (at Naboo, at Coruscant, or at the “Star Tours is about to open its first intergalactic space above the planet Geonosis). The different seg- terminal in the Earth System as rumors of a fearsome ments are randomly sequenced, and overall, there are fifty- weapon of mass destruction dash all hope for peace and four possible combinations. freedom in the galaxy...” In the new attraction, many of the original cast reprise Even Walt Disney changed things at Disneyland during voices for their characters. , of course, who his lifetime, but he always made sure that the change would has done C-3PO’s voice in just about every Star Wars proj- be better for the Guests. Certainly, the changes in the classic ect from the films to animated cartoons and more, is the Star Tours attraction have enriched the Guest experience, voice of the golden . James Earl Jones returned to do especially with its many layers of story detail. the voice of Darth Vader, and , who rarely does the voice of Yoda, also returned to do the voice for the attrac- A Long Time Ago... tion. An ageless image of Princess Leia (with the voice of Ever since its original opening in 1987, it was always the in- ) is the result of the work of Bill George, Visual tention to continually change the experience in Star Tours, Effects Supervisor at Industrial Light and Magic, going into but a number of factors prevented that from happening. the archives and finding unused footage from In a 1987 press interview, George Lucas stated, “One of the Leia’s famous plea to Obi Wan. In addition, this original foot- basic ideas behind this is that it’s reprogrammable. This will age had to be made 3-D. give us a big advantage in being able to upgrade the ride, There are plenty of familiar faces to be sure, but the up- to improve it or change it or make it into something else.” dated attraction also features a cast of characters that are At the time, Lucas offered four different story choices that new and exclusive to Star Tours, including:

44 · Celebrations G2-9T, a Droid Security AC-38, who is also known Agent that operates the as “Ace”, the short, stocky Luggage Scan Machine in pilot droid for the the Security Area. While he Starspeeder 1000s. The loves his job because of his AC series, Class 3 droids curiosity of humans and are regarded as the most their odd possessions, he is confident, competent, not very good at this role and friendliest pilots in because of his unfamiliari- the galaxy. ty with the objects he sees. His voice is supplied by Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald.

G2-4T, another Droid RX-24, also known as Security Agent in charge of “Rex,” is a next-genera- the Thermal Scanner. He is tion pilot droid, though overly suspicious and offi- the version seen in the cious but knows he must pre-show Security Area keep the line moving. How- is apparently defective ever, he always thinks the and is being returned passengers are trying to to the factory for get away with something. reprogramming. Rex, of His voice is supplied by ac- course, was the ill-fated tor Patrick Warburton. pilot in the original at- traction.

Judge Me By My Size, Do You? A Look at the Little Things Aly San San, the spokes- Here’s a wonderful bit of attention to detail and story droid for Star Tours. that may be overlooked by excited Guests. Many of the signs Friendly and enthusiastic, and graphics within the Star Tours terminal are written her basic design is based in both English and Aurebesh. In the universe of Star Wars, on the WA-7 service droid Aurebesh is the standard universal language that most civi- waitress FLO in Dexter’s lized species use to communicate with each other, though Diner in Episode 2: Attack it’s never actually spoken in any of the films, it is simply a of the Clones. Lucas sug- written alphabet. gested the name of the The Starspeeder 1000 is supposedly the most sophisti- character as an homage to cated and luxurious space line in its class. R2-D2 works for actress Allison Janney who the Star Tours company as an astromech, and C-3PO as a provides the voice. systems analyst.

45 · Celebrations During the launch sequence, Guests can see other St- Tatooine Transit is solid blue with a white letter “nern” arspeeders painted with different color schemes and logos looking like a “W” missing the last stroke. and a light blue than the one they are on, as well as an Aurebesh letter em- “dorn” which looks like a backwards “F.” Tatooine Transit pro- blazoned on the side of each of them. Just like the airports vides tours of the planet Tatooine in the Outer Rim Terri- we are familiar with today, this busy spaceport has other tories. This dangerous area is controlled by the Hutts, but spacelines using the facilities to go to other destinations. travelers can still visit popular sites such as Mos Espa, The Despite the rise of the galactic Empire, interstellar travel is Dune Sea, moisture farms, and even the infamous Mos Eis- still a thriving industry. Different tour companies like Star ley Cantina. Tours carry tourists to the distant corners of the galaxy for Bespin Direct is white with a brownish top with white exotic vacations. letters outlined in red “wesk”, “dorn”, “isk” that looks like “O71”. Bespin Direct offers tours of the gas planet in the Bespin system, located in the Outer Rim Territories. Tours include the refinery production facilities of the tibanna gas mines and the famous floating Cloud City luxury resort. Naboo Spacelines is gold with a brown circle at the back with a white “nern” looking like a “W” missing the last stroke. Naboo Spacelines travels to Naboo near the Outer Rim ter- ritories. It is a largely unspoiled world with large plains, swamps, and seas. Tours include a visit to the capital city of Theed or the underwater Gungan city of Otoh Gunga. Air Alderaan is white with a brown “aurek” letter at the back looking like a line over its mirror image. Air Alderaan offers tours of the second planet in the Alderaan system. This planet is considered the “Shining Star” of the Core Worlds. Wild grasslands, old mountain ranges, and large oceans dominate the planet’s land surface. One of the high- lights of the tour is a visit to the capital city of Aldera. In the original film trilogy, Alderaan was Princess Leia’s adopted home planet, and would eventually fall victim to the tyran- Here is a quick identification key to the other Starspeed- ny of the Empire when it was destroyed by the Death Star. ers. Perhaps these vehicles hint at new adventures in the fu- By the way, it was George Lucas’s idea to have Imperial ture or adventures that were shelved in preparing the ride. Walkers on Hoth even though that famous battle didn’t oc- Dantooine Express is white with a brown diagonal cur until Episode 5. He felt that emotionally Guests would stripe at the rear with the letter “dorn” that looks like a back- want to see those all terrain armored transports, and he wards letter “F”. The lettering on front is “aurek”, “besh”, “grek”. was right. (I wonder what restraint it took not to use the lettering “au- The idea of going to Kashyyyk (the home planet of the rek”, “besh”, “cresh” which would have translated into “ABC”. Wookies) was suggested by the legendary John Lasseter Or “wesk”, “esk”, “dora” that would have translated into “WED”.) (watch for his photo and that of George Lucas flashing by in Dantooine Express provides tours of the grasslands, rivers, the video hologram during the droid’s scan). and lakes on Dantooine, located in the Raioballo sector of the Outer Rim and far removed from most galactic traffic. What is truly amazing about the new attraction is its On the tour, visitors see native wildlife, including the kath many layers of detail. While remaining reverential to the hound, the iriaz, the kinrath, and the graul. Avid Star Wars Star Wars , the attraction is filled with playful ref- fans may remember Dantooine as the false location of the erences as well as background material that is not always Rebel base provided by Princess Leia in A New Hope when consciously recognized but that immerses Guests into the she was being held prisoner on the Death Star. entire experience.

46 · Celebrations Photo © Tim Devine Using the universal translation key presented here, see if you can decipher the various signs located in the Star Tours facility.

47 · Celebrations by Ryan P. Wilson

48 · Celebrations Photos © Tim Devine his is speaking. Welcome aboard the choice,” a choice that set course for a new adventure with a TNautilus. We are proceeding on a course that will take sea captain Guests were very familiar with. Having decided us on a voyage 20,000 leagues under the sea.” This line sent to move ahead with the film’s version of the Nautilus, Mc- shivers down the spines and thrilled others for the better Ginnis decided to go right to the source and sought out the part of twenty-three years in Fantasyland. Captain Nemo Nautilus’s creator. welcomed visitors to his home port of Vulcania and aboard his beloved Nautilus for a most extraordinary voyage to lost Building the Fleet undersea worlds. Thrilling adventures and exotic sights “I talked with Harper Goff, designer of the movie sub. He awaited those who boarded the fabled subs, but unfor- showed me a photo of his concept model of the sub. He de- tunately, as the years went by, it wasn’t all smooth sailing scribed his concept sub as having fish-like scales rather than for the Magic Kingdom’s submarine fleet. Join me on this the orderly plates of the movie sub. Harper said he figured journey as we explore the Captain Nemo built his sub true depth and breadth of from plates scavenged from the 20,000 Leagues Under ships he had sunk. Therefore, the Sea . Harper designed the sub to 20,000 Leagues Under the look like a fish with scales Sea, the film starring Kirk made from this scrap. It had Douglas, James Mason and the same form of the movie Peter Lorre, was a smash hit sub, but a little rougher.” One when it was released in 1954. element missing from McGin- And yet, when Disneyland nis’ designs was the sword- unveiled its submarine fleet fish-like nose projection made in 1959, the park chose to famous by the film’s Nautilus. model their vessels upon the Though long rumored to more modern nuclear sub- have been removed from the marines. When the decision design as a safety concern was made to give the Magic (under the belief that a Guest Kingdom a lagoon of its own, may jump into the Vulcania the Imagineers returned to lagoon and be impaled by the the Jules Verne classic and nose), McGinnis provides the their own cinematic repre- real reasoning. “The length of sentation of the fabled Nau- a ride vehicle effects the ca- tilus. George McGinnis, the pacity of the ride, because of Industrial Designer tasked the time it takes for queuing with bringing the subma- subs to clear the load/unload. rines down to a manageable We had to leave off the won- size, explains the reason for derful prow spear accord- the return, “Disneyland’s nu- ing to this important need... clear sub was appropriately in Tomorrowland in the 50s. the subs had bumpers close to the guideway which added WDW’s [Walt Disney World’s] sub was to be part of Fanta- length,” clarifies McGinnis. syland. I designed the sub and Claude Coates did the show, McGinnis’ design incorporated many elements that never borrowing a lot from [the] Disneyland sub ride show he saw the light of day, or rather the internal glow of a sub- had also done.” While a more fanciful design based upon marine. McGinnis was chided by Dick Irvine, President of the prose of Jules Verne turned out to be well suited to the WED Enterprises, that he was including too many details in storybook realm of Fantasyland, the original intention was his designs. In the end, many of his favorite elements were not to base it on Disney’s feature film. McGinnis claims, “Be- buried at sea. “There was a lifeboat on the rear hatch which ing able to stay with the original movie subs design was my was left off, probably because of its weight.”As McGinnis fin-

49 · Celebrations ished his designs, they were sent down to Florida, where Bob marine’s voyage would take the better part of an entire day, Gurr waited to implement the designs in the field. Gurr was setting out in the morning and reaching Fantasyland just as brought down to the Gulf Coast as WED’s representative right the sun was beginning to set. While dodging the numerous around the time the project was transferred. The submarine underpasses in the area was tricky, it wasn’t the most diffi- construction continued on without a hitch from either side, cult part of the journey. According to Gurr, the real headache “the job just got yanked pronto and the purchasing and legal was, “passing under overhead wires…thru small towns.” guys would wrangle it out later,” says Gurr. When the Nautili began setting out on their maiden voy- Of course, that doesn’t mean there weren’t hurdles to over- ages, taking on passengers for a miraculous journey to come. The sweltering heat and regular afternoon thunder- depths and destinations unknown, other problems began to storms offered their own challenges, as Gurr was plagued by crop up. McGinnis explains, “During construction the hatches “constant sweating, trying to find a big fan to stand in front were lightened by eliminating their metal frames. This com- of, but LOVED the nightly thunderstorms.” promised their rigidity…they warped and water was let in Then there were the designs themselves. McGinnis sup- when going under the entrance cave waterfall. They added plied drawings for various design elements at breakneck flap to the hatch to divert the water, but the Belgium carpets speed. Often times, however, the wiring schematics would never returned. Carpets were replaced with what we called leave out elements or, even worse, contradict their own Rub-bub, rubber matting. Captain Nemo would never have drawings. There was also the problem with some of the origi- approved.” nal construction work, which sometimes played fast and Meanwhile, on site in Fantasyland, the actual depths that loose with design specifications. According to Gurr, the most would be probed by the submersibles were being prepared. wearisome ordeal came from “the inaccurate drawings that The footprint of Vulcania and the other underwater destina- had no real engineering supervision...We had to punt a lot.” tions took up approximately a quarter of Fantasyland. The Yet, Gurr didn’t see this as a setback, as there were “no limi- storyline of the voyage was meticulously crafted by Claude tations...just make decisions myself on the fly. Explain later if Coats, with identical show scenes appearing on either side of asked, but no one had time to ask.” In fact, for the entire proj- each Nautilus, giving each Guest the same experience. ect, he was most proud of his electrical work, especially “not setting the sub on fire or electrocuting anyone during the All Aboard! electrical tests...being only a mechanical guy.” The 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine Voyage was When it comes down to building a submarine, most of us not an opening day attraction for the Magic Kingdom. Delays would think the lighter the better, but as it turns out that is withheld this “E” Ticket journey for two weeks, with the first precisely the wrong mindset for building a durable underwa- Guest launches taking place on October 14, 1971. For a majority ter exploration vehicle. In the case of the Magic Kingdom Nau- of Guests, the voyage required an extended wait. In fact, most tili, Gurr states “a deeply floating sub needs a LOT of weight; 3” Guests had to wait outside of the covered ticket turnstile and thick steel plate floor, heavy fiberglass hull, etc.” queue in the blazing Florida sun in a line that could stretch As the project moved along, budgetary concerns also all the way down to the . Eventually, a canopy caused the submarine’s ornate interior to be simplified. “Cost would find its way outside of the regular queue to offer some cutting at the last minute eliminated the framed maps and shade to the waiting passengers. features from Nemo’s Grand Salon. The luxurious padded seat The first destination for Guests booking passage aboard backs were gone. Even the elegantly wood-framed portholes. the Nautilus was Captain Nemo’s home port, Vulcania. Nau- A modern material was used with photo grain imprinted on tical flags flew in front of the attraction spelling out 20,000 a simple vacuum formed frame. After the subs were taking Leagues, metal piping and sheet-work permeated the main on passengers, the handsome Belgium carpet runners were queue, and the volcanic rock ensconced the lagoon, cropping the last to go,” recalls McGininis. up throughout the queue. While awaiting their submarine, As the fleet of twelve submarines began to take shape and Guests were serenaded by the sounds of an accordion belting was completed, it was time to transport them sixty miles out maritime melodies. to Walt Disney World. A long, winding route was charted for Soon, a hatch would open and Guests would be assisted the submarines, now perched atop the largest flatbed trucks onboard by a waiting sailor, moving down either side of the available to make their way to the Magic Kingdom. Each sub- submarine’s main cabin to find one of thirty-eight seats.

50 · Celebrations Clockwise from top: Bob Gurr and Jack Gladish Christen with the first sub. Overlooking Fantasyland and the 20,000 Leagues lagoon. Walt Disney talks about the film. Original plans for a cast iron stair tread. The Nautilus en route to the Magic Kingdom.

51 · Celebrations Once everyone was settled in, a pipe organ took over the first time during the voyage that sea creatures were seen musical chores and Captain Nemo began his narrative, al- swimming free, by use of cable and a motorized wheel above though the voice of this voyage belonged to Peter Renoudet the water’s surface, as opposed to the other creatures that and not James Mason. Each trip took around ten minutes to were tethered to the floor or rocky coral structures. complete, but lasted considerably longer in Guests’ imagina- While storms like the one raging above were hypothesized tions. Once out to sea, Guests would find it incredibly difficult as the cause of the wrecked ships, the next scene offers a dif- to discern where the walls of the lagoon actually were due ferent answer. As Guests made their way out of the shipwreck to the diffusion of light. Any attempt to keep a grip on real- graveyard they were met immediately by polar ice caps. Glid- ity vanished as soon as creatures of the deep, including lob- ing underneath the ice, a rare sight was presented to the sters, fighting crabs, eels, giant green sea turtles, grouper, and Nautilus’ passengers; the dancing lights of the Aurora Borea- bubble-blowing clams began to appear around the Nautilus. lis. The gentle interplay between the ice and lights abruptly With the invention of Nemo’s remarkable sonar hydrophone, passengers were treated to the sounds of fish chattering away with one another, though no intelligible vocabulary could be recognized. Just as in the feature film, the next scene featured crew members that could be seen harvesting their underwater farms. Wearing the same bulky suits seen in the movie, the sea farmers from a second submarine tended to seaweed beds and rounded up sea turtles. Sure to wind up as vari- ous meal components, Nemo mused, “They’re harvesting the abundance which nature has sown here beneath the sea. Kelp beds are cultivated, sea creatures corralled and protect- ed from predators, just as terrestrial shepherds protect their flocks from ravenous wolves.” halted when the sub began rubbing up against the crushing An approaching storm cut the tour of the underwater icebergs and is ordered to dive once more. Now beneath the ranch short and seemingly sent the Nautilus down eighty North Pole, in a “realm of eternal darkness,” there were a wide fathoms. The diving illusion was accomplished with the help variety of menacing looking fish and sea creatures swim- of a few simple tricks. Firstly, machines on the sea floor sent ming around the submersible. While Nemo discussed the way out massive amounts of bubbles, creating bubble screens or nature had provided for the creatures of the deep sea, Guests curtains that made viewing anything from the portholes are treated to bioluminescent displays, as the fish light their virtually impossible. Secondly, it was at this juncture that own way and attract prey with their radiant, internal lights. the Nautilus passed through the waterfall and rocky cave, as Upon reaching maximum depth, almost exceeding the “limits seen from the surface in Fantasyland, and into the darkened beyond which man and his puny efforts cannot survive,” the where all lighting elements had been carefully passengers were ushered back up to more hospitable depths. staged. The effect was so convincing that, even though the Next, the Nautilus stumbled upon the ruins of , the sub was never completed submerged, more than one Guest lost continent. Toppled columns and gorgeous sculptures lay complained about decompression sickness after emerging in ruin along the bottom of the sea. An animated Nemo ex- from their submarine! panded upon the idea that Atlantis was lost to volcanic activ- The very next scene featured the hulls of countless ships ity, while also presenting the counterpoint that many believe that had found their way to the bottom of the ocean. Brand- Atlantis to be a myth, “along with legends of sea serpents and ed the “graveyard of lost ships” by Nemo, this scene was used mermaids.” Dismissed by Nemo as being submerged too long, to expound upon why his vessel is the preferred method both crew members and Guests would begin to see signs of a of travel, as it is able to dive below the effects of a storm at sea serpent. For a very brief instant the sea serpent appeared, sea. Sharks have also dodged the storm’s influences and are with a silly grin plastered across his face and a collection of swimming about the shattered remains. This marked the mermaids holding onto his leash. All at once, the underwater

52 · Celebrations volcano that claimed Atlantis erupted, causing further dam- spelled the end for the Submarine Voyage. Once the subma- age to the lost civilization. Nemo then ordered the subma- rines ceased operating, the queue area was transformed into rine out, dodging crumbling columns along the way, all the a character meet and greet spot, dubbed the Fantasyland­ while believing this experience confirmed the fate of the lost Character Festival. continent. Rumors swirled about the future of the area, such as the Moments after escaping the treacherous volcano, the Nau- area being converted into a section of a proposed Villains tilus came upon a giant octopus clutching another subma- land with an attraction known as Villain Mountain, or it be- rine. Nemo lamented, “Good lord, it’s one of ours,” but Guests ing the home of a new attraction based upon The Little Mer- had little time to worry about the crumpled vessel. Out of maid. Two of the more plausible ideas to surface included a nowhere, another octopus appeared, heading straight for walk-through Nautilus attraction, similar to the one found the Nautilus. Passengers relived the fateful battle seen in the in Disneyland Paris, and another submarine voyage utilizing feature film as large tentacles began to close up around their the escapades highlighted in the animated feature Atlantis – portholes. Nemo sprang into action, ordering a “full repellant The Lost Empire. charge,” or the electrification of the hull, and executing a se- After a decade of abandonment, the lagoon was filled in ries of evasive maneuvers in order to avoid the same fate as and became a play area known as Pooh’s Playful Spot in 2005. the cinematic Nautilus. Today, however, the entire area once occupied by the Vernian As the Nautilus surfaced, Guests were treated to calm for- submarines is under heavy construction as part of the ex- ests of seaweed and towers of coral before docking into the pansion of Fantasyland, which will include the return of wa- safety of Vulcania’s harbor, a welcomed sight after the heart ter features to the land. pounding adventures of the previous few minutes. As for the submarines themselves, they were scattered about and experienced a variety of different fates. A por- Keeping the Fleet Afloat tion of one Nautilus was used, for a time, as set dressing in Over the next two decades, the 20,000 Leagues Under the the water effects tank portion of the Studio Tour at Disney’s Sea Submarine Voyage would have nearly half a dozen major Hollywood Studios, known at the time as Disney-MGM Stu- refurbishments. The first of these extensive rehabs would dios. Another pair of submersibles was scuttled off the coast come in 1975 and included the draining of the entire twelve of , Disney’s private island, for use by Guests million gallon lagoon. The original creatures of the voyage aboard the ships of Disney Cruise Lines and to create a reef were activated solely by the natural motion of moving water, habitat for sea creatures. so during the refurbishment sea life that could be activated The remainder of the vessels were sold off for scrap, sec- by compressed air were added to the attraction. Extensive tions of which found their way to various online markets, be- rockwork, crafted by out of clay and then turned fore being buried, on land, not at sea. into molds, enhanced the lagoon’s western edge. As for the water itself, a closed filter system was added to In the early years of Walt Disney World and the Magic King- enhance the clarity of the water for Guests’ viewing pleasure. dom, before the park was anchored by a trio of mountains, Even the entire fleet of Nautili received some refreshing dur- the lagoon of the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Submarine ing the 1975 refurbishment. Voyage attraction was one of the cornerstones of the park. From various vantage points around Fantasyland, including The Final Voyage aerial views from the , the Nautili beckoned Guests to On September 5, 1994, the last voyage of the Nautilus docked escape into a world not often seen by the eyes of man. Slowly in Vulcania. The submarines were destined not to return breaking through the water and into caves filled with adven- from their unforeseen hiatus. The charm of the attraction, a ture, the submarines bought even the most hardened adults submarine voyage with a limited number of Guests, was part back to summer days when they dared to travel aboard of its undoing. The small capacity led to extremely long waits, Nemo’s submarine in their own backyards. A work of art, a and this, combined with inaccessibility for wheelchair bound thrilling journey, and one of the coolest ride vehicles ever cre- Guests, the large number of staff needed to operate the subs, ated, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea may be gone, but it shall and the cost of maintaining such a gargantuan attraction, never be forgotten.

53 · Celebrations Discover Your Inner Artist!

By Lori Elias

54 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Foster 55 · Celebrations t may seem like a contradiction in terms, but one of the alternative for the Disney film industry. It was thought Ihighest-rated attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that with two animation studios—Burbank and the new is also considered one of its best-kept secrets. Florida theme park—the amount of animated films being is an informative, hands-on drawing produced by Disney could double. Visitors to the Anima- class in which participants learn to create favorite Disney tion building could view a short feature film created at the characters. Tucked away in the Magic of Disney Anima- Studios, and would then observe through large windows as tion building in Animation Courtyard, Animation Academy Disney animators worked on future blockbusters including might be overlooked by those visiting the park seeking Tow- Mulan, Brother Bear, and Lilo & Stitch, all of which were cre- er of Terror thrills or Mania magic. But though it ated almost entirely at the Studios (segments of Beauty and may take a little exploration to find, those who have experi- the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin were created here, as enced this attraction would agree that it is definitely worth well). the effort. Ultimately, the decision was made to combine both stu- When the Studios opened in 1989 as Disney-MGM Studios, dios into the Burbank headquarters. One of the early goals it was not only a theme park but also a working movie and of the Studios theme park was to educate Guests about the television studio. A growing demand for films required a entertainment industry, so when the Florida production greatly increased workspace, and because land in south- component was closed down in 2003, the tour was adapted ern California was expensive and in short supply, it was to allow Guests to become the creators! decided to utilize the abundant untapped resources of the Animation Academy is part of this re-vamped “Magic of Walt Disney World Florida property to create an east-coast Animation” tour, though it can also be enjoyed indepen-

56 · Celebrations Photos ©TIm Foster Paint,” where these aspects of animation can be explored, as well as a computerized quiz which allows the participants to learn which Disney character is most like them. Then, like a yummy dessert at the end of a delicious meal, Guests can take part in the Animation Academy! In this 20-minute expe- rience, a Disney instructor provides Guests with a step-by-step class in drawing a beloved Disney character. The students are provided with paper and pencil (but no erasers!) to use at their lighted drawing desks; clipboards are available if there is an overflow of Guests. The artists-in-training are led through the process of drawing characters of the classic variety, such as Mickey, Goofy, and Tigger, and today’s favorites, including Buzz Lightyear and Pascal, Rapunzel’s little chameleon pal from Tangled. dently of the tour if desired. The tour itself begins with the Are you thinking, “I can’t even draw a stick figure”? Don’t interactive film/narrative Drawn to Animation. Guests are worry—you won’t need to. The instructors work methodi- seated in a small theater where Mushu, the lovable dragon cally through the drawing process, so that even the most from Mulan, helps a live WDW Cast Member and (via video) amateur of artists can produce a piece to be proud of! (And additional members of the Mulan animation staff explain even if you are something less than a Van Gogh or Picasso, the extensive process that a character undergoes from who cares? You’re having fun!) The process begins with original conception to finished product. some lightly drawn crossed lines in the center of the page; then little by little circles and arcs are added. Before your very eyes, a lovable familiar face emerges from the marks on your paper—a face that you have created yourself! Participants are permitted to take their drawings with them as a souvenir of their experience. Because the drawing paper is somewhat large, you may wish to visit the Anima- tion Gallery shop, where a Cast Member will gladly provide you with a rubber band so that you might roll up your mas- terpiece and keep it looking museum-worthy (or at least re- frigerator-door worthy!). You can also use this opportunity to check out the movie memorabilia and Academy Awards displayed in the gallery. There is also a branch of Animation Academy located in the “Create Zone” area of DisneyQuest. Instead of paper, the drawings are completed on a computer screen, but you are able to purchase a printout of your creation at a small cost, as well as a collectible Animation Academy pin. From here, Guests are led past the former work areas of the Florida-based animation studios, where many tools of So the next time you’re strolling through the Studios, take their trade can still be seen. Then the participatory fun be- some time to escape from the heat to enjoy “The Magic of gins, as Guests are presented with a series of hands-on com- Animation” tour, and awaken your inner artist at Animation puter kiosks such as “The Sound Stage” and “Digital Ink and Academy!

57 · Celebrations Learn How to Draw Mickey Mouse! 2) Now, imagine that the circle is a ball, and draw two guidelines as shown. These will 1) First, draw yourself a circle. Be sure to leave room help you position Mickey’s facial features. for the ears! At this point, draw your lines lightly, Again, make sure to keep these lines light! as these will serve as guides.

3) Next, we’ll start to draw in Mickey’s “mask.” 4) Now, draw a “C” shape as shown. Make sure First, draw an “M” shape as shown. This will be the the two lines meet on the middle guideline you outline for the eyes. drew.

5) It’s time to draw Mickey’s snout. This is tricky, 6) Draw Mickey’s nose, which is oval-shaped, just be sure to look at where you’re starting and being sure to overlap his snout slightly. ending, and make the curve nice and loose.

58 · Celebrations 7) That Mickey’s one happy fellow, so let’s give him a big 8) Starting on his dimple, draw a “U”-shaped smile! Start by giving him a dimple at the end of his snout, line, ending where the snout and circle meet. following the curve of his mask. Give it a nice curve on either end as shown.

9) Following the same curve you just drew, add 10) With two simple curves, draw Mickey’s Mickey’s lip. His lip ends short of his dimple. tongue.

11) Now, add two eyes, making sure to keep the 12) Erase your guide lines and color in the farther eye smaller. Add his ears. Here’s a secret-no black areas, and there you are! A perfect Mickey matter how he faces, Mickey’s ears are always round! Mouse!!

59 · Celebrations FastPass: Your Ticket to a World of Magic (Without the Wait!)

By Candra Spirtoff and Megan Voisard

60 · Celebrations Photos and artwork ©Disney o one likes waiting in line, especially on vacation. Parks, grab a bite to eat, or soak in their surroundings while “virtu- Nresorts, and attractions beckon thousands of tourists ally” standing in line. to the Walt Disney Resort every year. In order to cope with Even though FastPass has existed for over a decade, most the increasing number of visitors, Disney designed a system Guests are surprisingly unaware of its history. Because the to reduce the wait times of the most popular attractions in Disney parks are ever-changing, Imagineers continuously each park: FastPass. Introduced to the Disney parks in 1999 research ways to enhance the “Disney experience” for each and first utilized in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, FastPass can Guest. To better understand the benefits and need of the be compared to an ‘express’ queue and is similar to making current FastPass system, it is best to explore the various a dining reservation at a restaurant. Instead of waiting in ticketing systems used since the Parks openings. line, surrounded by thousands of tourists (and the occa- sional cranky child), visitors can ‘skip’ the line and return at History a later time. Guests are now free to visit another attraction, Walt Disney World first opened its doors in 1971 with the

61 · Celebrations debut of the Magic Kingdom, requiring two entrance tick- also came a change in price; Disney no longer sold discount- ets; one for transportation and one for park admission. At ed admission tickets to resort Guests. All Guests, staying on that time, all Guests staying off-site were required to park or off property, paid one flat entrance fee. Transportation at the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC) and take the to and from the Disney Parks remained, and still remains, monorail to the Magic Kingdom. Off-site Guests purchased free for all on-site Guests. their tickets for both transportation and park admission at In 1997 thru 2004, Disney sponsored “E” Ride Nights. This the TTC. On-site Guests staying in one of the two hotels on was a special ‘hard’ ticket event where resort Guests could property (the Contemporary and Polynesian Resorts) were purchase a limited number of tickets to stay in the park able to purchase tickets at the hotel’s Guest Services. an extra three hours to enjoy “E” ticket attractions. Evening Tickets were sold in booklets known as “Adventure Tick- Extra Magic Hours eventually replaced the “E” Ride Nights et Books.” Containing transportation and park admission and became available to all Disney Resort Guests staying on vouchers, these booklets also housed various attraction property instead of only a limited number. tickets. The tickets ranged from “A” to “E,” with “A” being the In 2005 the Park Hopper, Park Hopper Plus, and Magic Your tamest of rides and “E” being the must see attractions. Way tickets were introduced. These new tickets provided To many Guests, there were never enough “D” and “E” flexibility for Guests to customize their Disney experience. vouchers, so Disney set up centralized ticket booths where As the Walt Disney World resort continued to grow with additional ride tickets could be purchased for a small fee the dawning of the millennium, Disney saw the need to op- (costing only 10 to 90 cents!). timize Guests’ time spent at attractions verses their time The Adventure Ticket Books sold in Walt Disney World expended in lines. The answer was FastPass; a computer- were identical to the books offered in Disneyland, mak- ized system that reserves a certain number of “seats” for ing individual ride tickets exchangeable between the two an attraction. A return ticket is given with an allotted time parks. Guests who possessed ‘lower’ ranking tickets (A- C) frame in which Guests return and “jump line” to enjoy that could exchange any combination of these tickets in order particular attraction or show. to receive one voucher for a “D” or “E” ticket attraction. In 1979, Disney introduced a two-tier pricing system allow- How it Works ing resort Guests to pay slightly less than the general public So, how does FastPass actually work? When the number for admission. During the 1970s, Disney also introduced Two of people who wish to view an attraction is greater than Day Passports, which admitted Guests for two days into the the attraction’s capacity, a line is born. FastPass helps with Magic Kingdom and provided unlimited access to most at- managing admission to an attraction and can free up an tractions. With the Two Day Passports, the “A” to “E” tickets estimated one and a half to two hours of each Guest’s day. were no longer required. Attractions participating in FastPass also have the option The Adventure Ticket Books posed a problem for Disney of a traditional line. as Guests would buy and sell partially used ticket books to Most Guests will never be aware of the complexity of the unlicensed vendors. With the opening of EPCOT in 1982, the FastPass hardware. When an admission ticket is inserted Adventure Ticket Books disappeared and the one-day gen- into a FastPass machine, it is scanned and processed to eral admission ticket was launched, along with the first ensure validity and that the Guest is eligible for a FastPass. Annual Passport. Guests no longer had to “hand” over their Once the admission ticket passes validation, a “media dis- admission tickets to Cast Members at the entrance gates, tributor’ allows a FastPass ticket to be printed displaying a instead tickets were stamped and returned. return time ‘window.’ The years 1994 through 1996 brought Disney into the era At the start of every operating morning, participating of the Automated Ticketing System (ATS), which eliminated FastPass attractions have a certain number of seats re- the need for ticket stamping altogether. Photographs and served. As time elapses and the standby line of an attrac- magnetic stripes were placed on the tickets, which were re- tion exceeds 45 minutes, the FastPass system is initiated. duced to the size of a credit card. At admission, tickets were FastPasses are distributed by divided time intervals (usually inserted into machines and electronically tracked by a com- five minutes). As more Guests obtain FastPasses throughout puter. With the introduction of ATS, the problem of buying the day, the longer the virtual wait becomes. For example, if and selling unused tickets ceased. Along with these changes a Guest obtains a FastPass at 10 a.m., the return time may

62 · Celebrations be an hour later, at 11:00 a.m. But a Guest obtaining a Fast- All in the all, the benefits of the FastPass are unbeatable! Pass at 1:00 p.m. may not have a return time until 4:00 p.m. It’s a great way for Guests to see their favorite attractions, This means that FastPasses can be quickly depleted early on discover new ones, and actually relax on their vacation! in the day at popular attractions and can no longer be ob- With a little research, taking advantage of this free system tained once all of the FastPasses have been distributed. The can only enhance how each Guest experiences The Walt Dis- FastPass machines process all of this information within a ney World Resort in their own, magical way. matter of seconds while Guests anxiously wait for their re- turn ticket. Once a Guest received their FastPass ticket, they are free to leave the attraction and come back during their Attractions Currently Offering FastPass in reserved time. Walt Disney World:

What the Future Holds Magic Kingdom The future is what keeps the Walt Disney Company mov- Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ing. One of Walt’s most beloved quotes was “keep moving Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin forward,” which indicates the FastPass system may not al- Jungle Cruise ways remain as we see it today. Disney will continue to im- Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh prove as possibilities and opportunities arise. Suggestions Peter Pan’s Flight from Guests have included having a ‘tier system’ which Space Mountain would allow Guests to pay more money for more benefits. Splash Mountain For example, Guests staying in deluxe, moderate and value Mickey’s Philharmagic resorts would have more perks for staying on park Proper- Stitch’s Great Escape! ty. Benefits would increase depending on the Guests resort level. Epcot Living with the Land Making the Most of your FastPass Mission SPACE For shows that offer FastPass, the time issued on your Soarin’ ticket is the show-time you will be admitted to view. Test Track Make sure your FastPass does not overlap or prevent you Maelstrom from missing a dining reservation or parade! All persons do not need to be present to obtain FastPass Disney’s Hollywood Studios vouchers! So, if you’re running late for a dining reservation Epic Stunt Spectacular and still have a “must see” on your list, have someone in your Muppet Vision 3D party obtain FastPass vouchers for your entire party while Star Tours the others check in at the dining reservation. Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster starring Each FastPass is only valid the day it is issued and can only “Twilight Zone” Tower of Terror be used ONCE during the return-time displayed. There are Toy Story Midway Mania! of course exceptions to every rule, so if a ride or attraction is Voyage of the Little Mermaid down during a Guest’s allotted return time, Cast Members will honor the FastPass for any time after the ride or attrac- Disney’s Animal Kingdom tion reopens. Expedition Everest Guests are not limited to a number of FastPasses that can It’s Tough to be a Bug! be obtained in one day; however, there are limits to how Kali River Rapids many tickets can be held at one time. In order to receive a Kilimanjaro Safaris second FastPass, Guests must either use their current Fast- Primeval Whirl Pass, or wait until the next available time displayed on the Dinosaur FastPass has elapsed.

63 · Celebrations 64 · Celebrations The Muppets at the Studios

n August 1989, legendary puppeteer Jim Henson was final- pleasant, fun fellow to be around. The room always lit up Iizing negotiations with the Disney Company for Disney to when he was around. It was a two year process from con- acquire the rights to his Muppet characters, excluding the cept to finished production [for Muppet*Vision 3-D]. I think ones that were in the television show “Sesame Street.” Hen- Jim liked that it would be something people could see for son had found that he was spending more and more time a long time in an environment like a Disney theme park. on business matters and less and less time on the creative I think he also liked doing something new, unique, and aspects that he enjoyed so much. He was genuinely excited groundbreaking.” that the Disney Company would be a good custodian of his With the unexpected and tragic passing of Henson in May characters, a situation that would allow him to explore new 1990, final negotiations with the Henson Company stalled ideas and technologies. and the Disney Company abandoned trying to obtain the While the official contract had not yet been signed, Hen- rights to the Muppets. However, one major project was al- son was so confident that all issues would be shortly re- most complete, and arrangements were made for it to open solved that he began work on several projects, including as planned as a tribute to Jim Henson. some for the then new Disney theme park, the Disney-MGM Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D was one of the very last Studios. One of the first tasks was the production of an in- projects personally supervised by Henson before his un- teractive 3-D movie that would incorporate Audio-Anima- timely death. It was actually finished by his friend, puppe- tronic versions of some of his characters. The show would teer Frank Oz, coordinating a small group of other creative be called Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D. personnel from both Henson and Disney. This popular at- “Jim Henson was very involved with the project,” said for- traction opened at Disney-MGM Studios in May 1991. mer Imagineer Mark Eades,“He was genuinely interested in doing [Disney] theme park attractions. His natural curiosity The Muppets Come to the Studios and openness and receptiveness to new ideas made him a The first proposal for Muppet*Vision 3-D would have es- perfect fit to work with at Imagineering. He was always a sentially been an introduction to Bean Bunny with all the

65 · Celebrations other more well-known Muppets having cameos. Bean Bun- fornia, except for the actual installation. The film was shot ny first appeared in 1986 as the star of the TV special, “The almost entirely on Stage 3 at the Disney Studios, the same Tale of the Bunny Picnic.” In 1989, Bean joined the cast of The stage that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [1954] was filmed Jim Henson Hour, appearing in both the control room and on. We needed the water tank for Miss Piggy’s musical num- the “televised” portions of the “MuppeTelevision” segments. ber. The Miss Piggy number was the first sequence filmed. It Henson was later convinced that the attraction would be took several days. Then we moved over to the other side of more entertaining for Guests if it focused on the more fa- the stage for the Muppet Labs sequences, both the hallway miliar characters, but it helps explains why Bean Bunny is and the [Dr. Bunsen] Honeydew set. Then we went outside still so prominent in the current show. to the old Town Square from Something Wicked This Way An observant Guest is rewarded with many humorous Comes [1983] for the brick wall blowing up shot and the last surprises in the detail of the theater itself and the pre-show shot when Kermit comes in on the fire truck ladder. Then as well as the actual attraction. The show is a glimpse be- we moved back to the other side of Stage 3 where the Miss hind the scenes of the newest technological advancement Piggy set was, which was now black, for the entire patriotic from Muppet Labs mixed with several amusing scenes, finale which was done against a black backdrop.” including a grand finale “Salute to All Nations (But Mostly By the way, when the CGI character, Waldo, transformed America).” briefly into Mickey Mouse, the artwork was supervised As Eades explained, “The entire project was done in Cali- by Disney artist Andreas Deja with the voice provided by

66 · Celebrations Photos ©Tim Foster , who was at that time the official voice of Mickey.

What Might Have Been Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D was only the beginning of a much larger project that would have been called the Muppet Studios. The out- side of the attraction building gives some clues as to those plans for ex- pansion including Gonzo hanging off the hand of the outside clock just like comedian Harold Lloyd in the film Safety Last. The exterior queue line is decorated with Muppetized versions of popular films. The foun- tain has Fozzie Bear as a camera- man and Gonzo as a director filming Miss Piggy for the finale. More importantly, in the pre- show, there are crates addressed not to “Muppet Labs” but to “Muppet Studios.” If the contract had been signed, Muppet*Vision 3-D would have been just Phase One of a much larger plan. Phase Two would have included an interactive restaurant, The Great Gonzo’s Pandemonium Pizza Parlor, and another major at- traction, The Great Muppet Movie Ride, among many other delights. The Great Gonzo’s Pizza Pandemo- nium Parlor would have been a res- taurant that was inspired by the famous memorabilia filled spring to life and attack the befuddled chef. eateries like Planet Hollywood and the Hard Rock Café. Gon- The walls would have been decorated with Muppet zo and Rizzo the Rat would operate the restaurant. Things memorabilia (both real and created) just like a famous Hol- would constantly be going horribly (and amusingly) wrong lywood restaurant. The place would also be interactive both offstage and in the dining area itself. Gonzo and Riz- where at any moment the kitchen doors might explode zo had hired the Swedish Chef to run the kitchen. Guests open in a cloud of chicken feathers and rants from the chef. could watch him making their meals “live” on little overhead Rizzo and his friends (with the help of the serving staff) television monitors that would also show clips of the Mup- would deliver meals to the tables on a small model railroad pets from their television shows and movies. Guests would train with flat cars that ran throughout the restaurant. have seen the food fighting back unexpectedly against the When the development of Muppet Studios was cancelled, Swedish Chef on the monitor as he tried to prepare meals. this concept of an Italian restaurant in the heart of Hol- Armed lobsters would take over the kitchen to prevent lywood was transformed into Mama Melrose’s Ristorante being boiled, or an animated lump of pizza dough would Italiano.

67 · Celebrations The Backlot Theater that housed productions like the lasers as the rodents try to swing across on ropes to board Hunchback of Notre Dame: A Musical Adventure show was the spaceship. originally intended as the location for the major attraction Yet another scene would have parodied Peter Pan. In the at the Muppet Studios, The Great Muppet Movie Ride, an- scene where Peter teaches the Darling children to fly, the nounced to open Spring 1993. green Kermit would have been the heroic Pan. The Darling Parodying the Disney-MGM Studios premiere attraction children would have been Janice (the hippie singer with Dr. at the time, The Great Movie Ride, the ride would have been, Teeth & The Electric Mayhem) as Wendy, the ever proper as Jim Henson explained it, “a backstage ride explaining Scooter as the bespectacled John, and Fozzie the Bear as Mi- how movies were shot…and chael in footie pajamas and all the information is wrong.” holding a teddy bear. Guests would have board- Rat technicians would ed ride vehicles similar to clearly be operating the awk- the ones at The Great Movie ward and obvious pulley rigs Ride and would have glided and ropes to help these per- through several movies be- formers fly. However, they ing made with gag filled ac- are having difficulty with tion happening on both sides. one of the performers, the Audio-Animatronic Muppets robust Miss Piggy dressed as would find themselves in Tinker Bell. From the looks of classic film scenes. the huge holes in some of the One scene was a take-off scenery, she has apparently on the popular 1931 black and had some mishaps, so the white horror film, Franken- massive Sweetums has been stein. In this scene, director brought in to try and help Gonzo and inept special ef- control her rope. fects technician Fozzie Bear The area outside the at- are overseeing a frightened traction including the store- Miss Piggy and Kermit who fronts would have been have stumbled into a mad themed to the Muppets. Fire doctor’s lair in the dungeon Station No. 1 (the home of the of an old castle. The scientist fire truck that appears at the is Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, and end of MuppetVision 3*D) still on his operating table slab is his lab assistant, a ten foot tall exists today. At one time, even the actual fire truck from the Beaker (with bolts sticking out of his neck), waiting to be scene was on display nearby. Philo’s Fish Co. next door was brought to life. originally intended to be Lew Zealand’s Boomerang Fish The seriousness of the situation is constantly undercut Market. Guests walking along the street would have heard by the effects going wrong, thanks to the lack of skill of the performer practicing. In the windows, there would have Fozzie, who is frequently being accidentally electrocuted been fish packed in ice that would spin around or tell awful causing his bow tie to spin, his eyes to light up, and his wig- puns like being “hard of herring.” gling ears to produce puffs of smoke. The next scene would have been a segment from a big All of this was just the beginning of the fun to be discov- screen version of Pigs in Space, a popular segment of the ered by eager Guests. Perhaps with the recent success of a Muppet television show. The crew of the intrepid U.S.S. Swi- new movie devoted to Henson’s clever and lovable creations, netrek (Link Hogthrob, Dr. Julius Strangepork, and Miss Pig- the Muppet Studios might someday become a reality, paro- gy) are in the middle of a battle with space “pie-rats” (Rizzo dying, in classic Muppet style, the movie making traditions the rat and his relatives). Both groups are wildly blasting celebrated elsewhere in the theme park.

68 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Foster 69 · Celebrations Florida Citrus Growers in the park, the Orange Bird. So as you can see, the Florida Citrus Growers had a huge presence in WDW, as they sponsored The Tropical Serenade show (which was inside the Enchanted Tiki Room), the Sunshine Tree Terrace snack stand next door, and basically the entire building, which was known as The Sunshine Pavilion. The Orange Bird would also be featured outside the park in print and TV ads as well, and be “The friendly face of Flor- Remembering the Famous ida sunshine and fresh squeezed Florida orange juice.” More importantly, they created him as a walk around character Orange Bird for Disney’s new multi-million dollar theme park. This was quite a move, considering that people coming to see Mickey hrough the years (and on trips aboard my Walt Disney and Minnie were being greeted by a character that they TWorld Wayback Machine), I’ve seen some pretty inter- were not only unfamiliar with, but who had this freakishly esting things: a waterskiing Goofy, gunfighters shooting large orange head with a couple of green leaves sticking out it out in , singing fruit, a rapping Mickey, and of the top and two green leaves for arms. much more. But when I think about some of those things, The Orange Bird character was designed by C. Robert some of which may seem a bit odd, the oddest just might be “Bob” Moore, and in traditional Disney style, they created a a big orange character with a giant orange head, leaves for backstory for him, as was told in the oh-so-memorable song arms and a green stem sticking out of his head. by Anita Bryant. Do you remember this character? Do you know who I’m OK, so many people are saying, who is Anita Bryant? talking about? If not (or even if you do), climb into my Way- Let’s talk about her for a minute. She was a former Miss back Machine (I just had it detailed) and let’s go back, way America contestant who was also the model All-American back to the very early 1970s. For those who don’t know, I’m housewife and official spokeswoman for the Florida Citrus talking about the little Orange Bird, who was the Figment Growers. She teamed with the Orange Bird in photos and to Anita Bryant’s Dreamfinder. TV commercials, most of which ended with the line, “…from Now in that one sentence, I mentioned names that maybe the Sunshine Tree.” The song was quite memorable to those some of you youngsters may not recognize at all, especially of us that heard it, which means it could only have been Anita Bryant. But for some of us old timers, we remember written by the masters of theme park music, the Sherman her and the Orange Bird very well. Brothers. The Sunshine Pavilion in Adventureland, located between Anita sang about how the Orange Bird lived in the Sun- the Enchanted Tiki Room and the walkway to Frontierland, shine Tree and had all kinds of sunny thoughts that ap- was at one time sponsored by the Florida Citrus Growers. peared above him in an orange cloud (No, really!). Sing along Naturally it served citrus drinks, including the legendary if you like: Citrus Swirl, predecessor to the modern Dole Whip. The Orange Bird was present from the park’s opening day “Orange Thoughts of an Orange Bird” for about 20 years or so, but for a variety of reasons, both by Richard and Robert Sherman Anita and the Orange Bird “flew the coop,” and the Sunshine Little Orange Bird in the Sunshine Tree, Tree Terrace went through a number of changes as well. Won’t you think of something sunny just for me? Think funny thoughts or sunny words, How It All Got Started That will make me happy, little Orange Bird The “Florida Citrus Growers” was the name of the Florida He thinks beautiful orange pictures and beautiful orange words, Citrus Commission group that joined with Disney to create Though his little feet can’t even make a squeak a $3 million tropical bird attraction in Walt Disney World. All the thoughts he ever spoke appear in orange smoke, In October of 1969, a deal was signed, and a year later, Dis- That’s what makes Orange Bird unique ney created what would become the official mascot for the When you’re just about green with envy

70 · Celebrations Artwork ©Disney Or gonna be feeling blue, And you could use tion, Fantasyland’s Enchanted Grove, in 1983, replacing the An orange thought or two, When you start in blushing pink Fantasyland Art Festival at the same spot. Or your temper turns you red, That is when the Orange Bird, Can The bird was still seen (alone) on merchandise and com- see you through mercials, but just three years later, the Florida Citrus Com- With his beautiful orange feathers, And beautiful leafy wings mission and Disney ended their relationship, and the bird He’s a fluffy little puffy sight to see, He can turn your frown around flew the coop (literally). When you see him looking down, The little Orange Bird up in the Sunshine Tree The Orange Bird Today The Orange Bird made a mysterious comeback in 2004 What? You don’t remember this little ditty? Didn’t you – but not in the United States. began to pick up your Orange Bird produce its own, unique album (that’s like a big Orange Bird merchan- black CD, kids – ask your dise line around that parents) and storybook? time. Though similar No matter…let’s move in appearance, today’s on. Orange Bird features a If you DID visit the head that’s dispropor- Terrace back then, you’ll tionately larger than its likely remember the body, in keeping with fake orange tree behind the style of traditional the counter, complete Japanese animation. with hanging fake or- Recently, April 14 has anges, and our little been designated as “Or- buddy the Orange Bird ange Day” in Japan, a sitting on a perch. And new holiday promoted since he couldn’t talk, he by Japanese and U.S. cit- had a monitor over his rus growers like Sunkist. head that conveyed his The concept is that on thoughts. “Orange Day” people con- So what happened to firm their love with the Anita and the Orange objects of their affection Bird? In the late 70s, by exchanging oranges Anita Bryant became or orange-colored gifts. very outspoken about More recently, Disney’s her opposition toward , the official Disney same-sex relationships, fan club, featured the which led to a promi- Orange Bird on shirts nent boycott of orange and merchandise for its juice by pro-gay activists (a boycott supported by a number Destination D event, which celebrated Walt Disney World’s of “A-List” celebrities at the time, including Barbra Streisand, 40th Anniversary (I still hold out hope that the Orange Bird Bette Midler, Paul Williams, and Jane Fonda). Bryant’s posi- will make his triumphant return to the Sunshine Pavilion). tion and public campaigns led to the Citrus Commission So there you have it - the story of the Orange Bird. Want quickly ending its relationship with her. to hear more (and a clip from the song?). Listen to my WDW But the Orange Bird survived relatively unscathed, and Radio Show #250 from November 27, 2011. the Florida Citrus Growers and Disney continued on in their See you next time on the Wayback Machine! Who knows relationship. In fact, they opened another citrus drink loca- where (or when) we’ll end up next!

71 · Celebrations hen we last parted ways, my companion and I total of 325 in all, that makes for quite a competition!) Whad just been awash with culture by exploring On this day, my companion noticed a path that was off the Art Gallery in the Morocco Pavilion. As we were leav- to the side, giving us the impression that it led deep into ing Morocco, we decided that we wanted to move onto the jungle. We looked at each other and then, without something else before we ended up too exhausted to do saying a word, rushed to investigate. Instantly, we felt much more. cut off from the rest of the crowds that were swarming As we walked toward the exit we let a game of Rock, the park and slowed down to take in the sights. It was Paper, Scissors decide where to go next. I lost to my long before we happened upon a truly amazing discov- companion, who wanted to see some animals. So, Dis- ery. Inside a giant hollowed-out log, we found a small, ney’s Animal Kingdom was our next stop. quarter-sized window. Peering through the window, we As we headed out of the park, we made our way to were delighted to find an exquisite carving of an ant, undoubtedly a resident of this fallen tree limb. What amazed us the most was the “hidden nature” of this delight- ful find. We later heard of a legend that said that this was the ant that planted the original seed that grew into the Tree of Life. The fact that Disney’s Imagineers lav- ished this much atten- tion on a detail that few people would ever dis- cover was yet another the parking lot. A picture of our row number, which I testament to the magic that can be found everywhere always take upon parking, ensures our safe, unhin- you look, even in the most unlikely of places. dered return to our car. After 10-20 minutes of leaving So, fellow wanderers, remember that despite the “the bubble,” we were once again through bag check and well-traveled paths that are all around us, an honest back inside the warm, loving embrace of Disney Magic. to goodness off-the-beaten path may actually be just One of the things that we love about the Animal King- a head turn away. Don’t be afraid to dive in, because dom is that you cannot get anywhere of note without a whole new world may exist on the other side of the passing by the Tree of Life. And what we love about the threshold. Tree of Life is all the animal carvings, especially the chal- lenge of trying to find them all. In fact, we have turned Until next time, this is Ray, and you have been Wan- it into a game of who can find the most. (Since there’s a dering the World. 72 · Celebrations Number of weeks that, according to the backstory, you’ll be 2 traveling through the Harambe Wilderness Reserve

Length, in minutes, of your actual ride along the two mile trail 22 in the African savannah. Not quite the two weeks stated in the backstory, but long enough to make it one of the longest attractions in all of Walt Disney World.

Size, in acres, of the entire attraction. That bigger than the entire 110 Magic Kingdom!

Number of animals (besides the humans) that live inside the 250 safari.

Weight, in tons, of your safari jeep. That’s just about double the 10 weight of a full grown African elephant! 10 Maximum speed of your safari jeep, in miles per hour. Amount of earth, in cubic yards, that needed to be moved in order 4 million to transform the Florida landscape in to wildlife preserve.

Amount of rock, in square feet, that needed to be sculpted in 1 million order to create the rugged landscape. (And you thought all those rocks were real!)

Depth, in feet, of the moats that separate you from the animals 18 (or the animals from you, depending on your point of view!).

Number of years that the landscaping was allowed to grow 2 before animals and tourists were allowed to enter. This allowed the landscape to be enjoyed in all its lush, natural glory from the very beginning.

Photo ©Tim Foster 73 · Celebrations Test Your Knowledge of the Future at Walt Disney World by Tim Foster

1. Which one of these is not one of the three 6. What does the official name of the Imperial transit lines on the Tomorrowland Transit walker outside of Star Tours, AT-AT, stand for? Authority PeopleMover? A. Armored Transport And Terminator A. The Blue Line B. All Terrain Armored Transport B. The Yellow Line C. Artillery Tactical and Transport C. The Green Line D. Allied Team Advanced Transport D. The Red Line 7. What is the only film that does not 2. What two historical figures appeared in the include the Pizza Planet Truck? former Timekeeper attraction? A. Finding Nemo A. Thomas Edison and Benjamin Franklin B. Ratatouille B. Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe C. The Incredibles C. Jules Verne and HG Wells D. Up D. Neil Armstrong and Henry Ford 8. In what year does your flight to Mars take 3. Which of these is the only attraction that does place in MISSION: Space? not take you into the past? A. 2036 A. Dinosaur B. 3001 B. Spaceship Earth C. 2071 C. Star Tours D. 2069 D. Mission: SPACE 9. What princess makes an off-camera 4. What is the highest possible ranking on Buzz appearance in Stitch’s Great Escape? Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin? A. Snow White A. Planetary Pilot B. Cinderella B. Space Ace C. Sleeping Beauty C. Cosmic Commando D. Lilo D. Galactic Hero 10. Which attraction transports you farthest 5. And what is the lowest ranking you can get? back in time? A. Star Cadet A. Universe of Energy B. Space Ranger B. Spaceship Earth C. Space Trainee C. Dinosaur D. Junior Starfighter D. Maelstrom

74 · Celebrations 11. What Muppet could be found in disused 14. What is the new name for Space Mountain’s “droid” form in the queue of the old Star Tours base of operations? attraction? A. Spaceport 75 A. Yoda B. Federation of Planets Headquarters B. Kermit the Frog C. Star Command C. Fozzie Bear D. The Tom Morrow Jet Propulsion Laboratory D. Gonzo 15. Including its current occupant, how many 12. On what other Tomorrowland attraction can attractions have been in the building that is you find Stitch? now home to Stitch’s Great Escape? A. Space Mountain A. 2 B. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin B. 3 C. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor C. 4 D. Carousel of Progress D. 5

13. Which of the following is not a crew Quiz Answers assignment on Mission: SPACE? 1) B 6) B 11) B A. Engineer 2) C 7) C 12) B B. Navigator 3) D 8) A 13) C C. Captain 4) D 9) B 14) A D. Pilot 5) A 10) A 15) C

ANSWERS 7. H 6. Buzz’s laser is gone. MYSTERY QUEST (pages 82–83) KIDS KORNER (pages 78–81) 8. E 7. There is an extra post. 9. A 8. The panel is empty. SECRET SYMBOLS WHERE AM I? 10. J 9. There is a new planet. 1. Hidden Mickey on the planet Pollost 1. The Wilderness Lodge 11. C 10. The blue nebula is a different shape. Prime in the queue of Buzz Lightyear’s 2. The Contemporary Resort 12. I Space Ranger Spin 3. Adventureland 13. N FIND THE DIFFERENCE BONUS ANSWER 2. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor sign 4. The Backlot at Disney’s Hollywood 14. L XB-37 Space Cruiser 3. Tomorrowland Video Arcade outside Studios 15. F Space Mountain 5. The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts WORD SCRAMBLE 4. Stitch’s Great Escape 6. The Animal Kingdom and Downtown BRAIN BUSTERS 1. Battery 5. Merchant of Venus Disney C-3PO 2. Volcano 3. Alien WHERE AM I? OUT OF THIS WORLD FIND THE DIFFERENCE 1. Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin 4. Robots 1. Mickey’s Star Traders 2. Pizza Planet at Disney’s Hollywood 5. Laser 2. Planet on the Astro Orbiter Studios 6. View Master 3. Target in Buzz Lightyear’s Space 3. Mission: SPACE 7. Emperor Zurg Ranger Spin 4. Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater 8. Gamma Quadrant 4. The exit queue of Space Mountain 5. Spaceship Earth 5. The Carousel of Progress 6. Space Mountain 6. Stitch’s Great Escape 7. Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor WHO SAID THAT? 8. On the marble ball in the 1. K Tomorrowland courtyard 2. G 1. The bars are all yellow. 3. B 2. The alien only has two eyes. 4. D 3. The light on the floor is gone. 5. M 4. The green beam is bigger. 6. O 5. The button is a different color.

75 · Celebrations I found myself wandering through the Magic Kingdom, and couldn’t help but notice many depictions and tributes to a rather famous mouse named Mickey. I seemed to recall that Mickey wasn’t his original name, though for the life of me I couldn’t remember what it was. I came upon this statue in the , and noted that, at least here, he was known as Steamboat Willie. Could that be the name I was seeking? Alas, I learned that Willie was just an early character he played, albeit way back in 1928. Even more surprising, I learned that 1928 was the year that Mickey came into existence, so I was sure I wasn’t that far away from the answer. If I only there were a museum of animation history nearby...

Of course, what was I thinking? Right down the street was a majestic building that, if memory served, contains a thorough history of animation and of Mickey Mouse in particular. I raced over but slowed dejectedly as I got closer, it seems the museum is gone. In it’s place was a crowded venue where Guests could meet the Big Cheese himself. I decided to pay him a visit, and when I finally approached him I asked him what his original name was. He didn’t answer, but instead looked down and slowly nodded his head. Somebody told me that was because he couldn’t speak, but I knew better. It was a clue indicating that the answer could be found on the ground.

I hurried outside and scrounged all over the grounds, looking for any hint or clue as to the original name that I was seeking. I wasn’t having much luck until I came upon this strange inscription. It was a heart, perhaps symbolizing the love between Mickey and Minnie? I looked closer at the paw prints and realized they were a bit too large for mouse paws, and in fact seemed to be in the unmistakable shape of a dog’s paw. Curious! I couldn’t figure out why that would be until I looked around a bit. I realized that I was standing in front of Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, and as everyone knows, the most famous couple to ever have dined there was none other then Lady and the Tramp. I was told that if you looked around, you might spot them out in the back alley, happily dining on their spaghetti dinner. But that’s a tale for another time...

76 · Celebrations I next hurried to Mickey’s house, only to find it gone. However, I did have my old scrapbook and thought I’d see if I could find a clue. Sure enough, I did run across an old Steamboat Willie poster in the rafters of the garage, and next to it a cryptic license plate. The word “Min” confused me (Short for Minnie? Nah, that would be too obvious.) until I recalled a diner named Min and Bill’s located in a nearby Hollywood Studio. That must be where the answer lies!

I arrived at my destination and scoured the grounds, but the only thing I saw was this curious footprint. What sort of creature could make such an impression? Surely not a mouse! I looked and looked and was just about to give up when I suddenly noticed a giant dinosaur rising mightily in the sky! Not being in the mood for any trouble, I quickly ran off and didn’t stop until I found myself on a street called Sunset Boulevard.

I was nearly out of breath when I arrived, and I decided to take time to collect myself. I slowly wandered down the street, taking in the sights and sounds, when I came upon this majestic looking building. I realized that this was the Carthay Circle Theatre (or at least a replica of it), and I knew from my history that this was an important building indeed. It was here that a rather famous princess from these parts made her debut, in the 1937 feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The original theater also saw the premiers of films such as Gone With the Wind (1939) and Romeo and Juliet (1936). However, to me the most exciting part of the theater’s history came in conjunction with one of the greatest film roles that Mickey Mouse ever played, the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in the 1940 classic Fantasia. On that occasion, , the most elaborate sound system in use at the time, was installed specifically for the film, bringing the classical music to life in a way audiences had never heard (at least that’s what I’ve been told). In my mind that meant I must be getting close, so I continued on in pursuit of my goal.

Just down the road, I noticed that my shoe had become untied, and I stepped on a curb to rectify the situation. Upon completing my task I was about to continue on when I spotted it. A subtle stamp made in the concrete, one that was very old by the looks of it. It was hard to make out, but I could just read the words “Mortimer & Co. 1928 Contractors”. 1928? Could it be? Yes, yes, this must be it! Mortimer, the original name of Mickey Mouse, preserved forever in the shadows of the theater that played home to his signature performance. I kind of liked the name and wondered aloud why he didn’t keep it. I caught a few odd glances from passers by. I realized that they were right, otherwise my favorite song would go “Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me? M-O-R-T-I-M...well you see the problem.

77 · Celebrations Where can you find these fun places to eat? 1. The Whispering Canyon 2. Chef Mickey’s 3. Aloha Isle (home of the Dole Whip!) 4. The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater 5. Beaches and Cream 6. The Rainforest Cafe

Star Tours may boast some cool spaceships, but they’re not alone. Can you figure out where these ships are?

1 2

3 4

5 6

78 · Celebrations Can you match the famous movie quotes to the character who said them?

_____ 1. “To infinity...and beyond!”

_____ 2. “It’s not everyday you see a horse with two rear ends!”

_____ 3. “No capes!”

_____ 4. “There’s a snake in my boot!”

_____ 5. “I am speed.”

_____ 6. “ Fish are friends, not food.”

_____ 7. “Now put that thing back where it came from or so help me...”

_____ 8. “A little perspective. That’s it. I’d like some fresh, clear, well seasoned perspective...”

_____ 9. “You have saved our lives. We are eternally grateful.”

_____ 10. “Silly old bear.”

_____ 11. “The sun grows the food, the ants pick the food, the grasshoppers eat the food...”

_____ 12. “Oi! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck.”

_____ 13. “A lie keeps growing and growing until it’s as plain as the nose on your face.”

_____ 14. “And this... well, this is where I live. It’s got a disco, it’s got a dune buggy, and a whole room just for trying on clothes.”

_____ 15. “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.”

A. The Toy Story Aliens F. Mufasa K. Buzz Lightyear B. Edna Mode G. Aladdin L. Ken C. Hopper H. Mike Wazowski M. Lightning McQueen D. Woody I. The Genie N. The Blue Fairy E. Anton Ego J. Christopher Robin O. Bruce

Answers on page 75 79 · Celebrations Who is your pilot on the new version of Star Tours?

There seems to be a lot of confusion at Star Command Headquarters as Buzz gets you ready for your mission. Can you spot the 10 differences in the photos below?

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

______

BONUS QUESTION What is the official designation of your Star Command vehicle?

80 · Celebrations See if you can unscramble the names of these things you can find in Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.

1. TRYTEAB 2. ALNCOVO

3. LINEA 4. STROOB

5. RELAS 6. WIVE STREAM

7. PROMERE GRUZ 8. MAGMA TRANQUDA

Answers on page 75

In each issue, our Kids Korner columnist will answer questions that are too tough for the grown-ups! If you have a question for her, send it to: [email protected].

What attraction scares your an animal - I once turned into a cat. But my parents the most? favorite activity is to make different sounds My mom absolutely won’t do Tower of by dancing over pictures on the floor. It’s Terror no matter how hard someone tries to fun to make a dance to go along with the talk her into it, she says she doesn’t like to different sounds. fall. I don’t blame her...I won’t do it either! Daddy always says that he is always afraid of Have you ever tried the Kitchen the bill...I think he is only half teasing! :) Sink at Beaches & Cream? I love Beaches & Cream - their food is great What’s your favorite thing to and it’s a fun place to hang out, but I’ve do at the ImageWorks in the never attempted the Kitchen Sink! I really Imagination pavilion? want to, but my mom says we would never Isn’t ImageWorks tons of fun?!? I like that finish it. We may not be able to finish the there are always fun things to try out, so scoops of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, don’t go rushing through after Journey Into coffee, and mint chocolate chip ice cream Imagination! You can conduct Figment in that is served with all the toppings in the an orchestra or even send an email picture house and a whole can of whipped cream... of what you’d look like if you turned into but it sure looks fun to try!

81 · Celebrations Secret Symbols Where can you find these cryptic inscriptions?

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The distinctive beams on the exterior of Did You Know? Space Mountain aren’t just for decoration, they’re actually an integral part of the As you approach Rockettower Plaza you’ll see structure. While the beams would have a large sphere perched on a marble stand. typically been covered by the roofing The sphere is supported by a thin film of material, the roof for Space Mountain was water, allowing you to spin the sphere in its instead applied to the underside of the base. The sphere itself is so heavy that the beams. Not only did this provide a flat surface fountain of water supporting it would shoot for the projected stars, comets and meteors 210 feet in the air if the sphere were removed. on the inside, it also added a decidedly The paving in Tomorrowland is marked futuristic look to attraction building. with a distinctive design of orbital paths and The Tomorrowland Transit Authority planetary shapes, sort of like a road map to PeopleMover is powered by 533 the Galaxy! electromagnets that form the linear With its continuous showings from 1964 to induction system. Through a carefully times today, the Carousel of Progress has become sequence of pulses, the electromagnets the most performed show in the history of people the cars of the TTA smoothly and American theater, as well as the most-seen quietly along the track. stage show in America. Incidentally, if the Part of Space Mountain was originally meant narrator sound familiar, that’s because it’s to occur outdoors, but it was determined that Jean Shepherd, who also narrates the classic the roller coaster technology wouldn’t stand holiday film, A Christmas Story. up to the Florida climate.

82 · Celebrations Can you determine where these Where Am I? photographs were taken? 2 1 3

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Answers on page 75 83 · Celebrations Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Lightning McQueen

1. Old-time movie fans might think that Lightning McQueen tion, Lightning McQueen sports a yellow “rookie stripe” on was named after actor Steve McQueen. It would make his rear bumper during his first Piston Cup race. sense, as McQueen was an on-screen costar of Paul New- 8. Lightning McQueen was certainly a powerful car, and it man’s (who of course provided the voice of Doc Hudson), took powerful computers to bring him to life…so pow- and he was also an avid race car enthusiast. However, erful in fact that they were 1,000 times faster than those Lightning was actually named after Pixar animator Glenn used in Toy Story. No detail was unimportant, and to that McQueen who sadly passed away in 2002. end the animation team used computer models similar 2. Lightning may have passed up his chance for a Piston Cup to those used for real-life automobiles. in the movie Cars, but don’t feel badly for him. He went on 9. Owen Wilson’s performance as Lightning McQueen to win four consecutive Piston Cups, from 2007 to 2010. earned him a nomination for Favorite Movie Animated 3. And what did he do with that first trophy once he had Voice in the 2012 People’s Choice Awards. won? Put it on display in his trophy room? No, he decided 10. If you’ve ever dreamed of racing alongside Lightning Mc- to pay homage to his mentor and friend, Doc Hudson, and Queen, your dream will soon come true! Radiator Springs left the Cup in Doc’s clinic alongside the Hudson Hornet’s Racers is a new attraction planned for Cars Land, soon to own three Piston Cups. open at the Disney California Adventure Park. Guests will 4. You probably know that Lightning McQueen’s number is be briefed by Doc Hudson and Lightning himself before 95, but it wasn’t always going to be that. His number was finding themselves in the middle of a high-speed race originally 57, which is the year director John Lasseter was featuring hairpin turns and steep banks. The attraction, born. Incidentally, 95 represents the year that Toy Story, opening this summer, is one of the most expensive that Pixar’s first feature film, was released. Disney has ever built, with an estimated cost of over $200 5. A fast car needs fast wheels! The tires that Lightning uses million. (Still, that pales in comparison to the budget for are Buzzard models manufactured by Lightyear. A refer- the first Cars film, which came in at $320 million!) ence to Buzz Lightyear? Of course, though the name is also a sly reference to the real Goodyear “Eagle” tires used in NASCAR. Incidentally, if you look closely you can see the Lightyear Blimp floating in the sky during the film’s race scenes! 6. Lightning’s tires get an upgrade dur- ing his stay in Radiator Springs thanks to Guido and Luigi. And what is the make of those beautiful white- walls? Why, Fettuccini Al- fredo, which of course is also the name of the deli- cious white sauce beloved in Italian cuisine. 7. In a nod to NASCAR tradi-

Keepsake Image: “Happily Ever After”• Photography by Tim Devine 84 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney Back Cover Photography by Tim Devine

“Since the beginning of mankind, the fable-tellers have not only given us entertainment, but a kind of wisdom, humor, and understanding that, like all true art, remains imperishable through the ages.” – Walt Disney