The Goofy Challenge-2008

Last year at this time, as the Disney half marathon ended, I noticed essentially no soreness in my muscles, despite not doing any training whatsoever. Of course, I didn’t push myself particularly hard, either. The usual post-race euphoria makes people do strange things, like promise to themselves they will do a MUCH better job in the coming year training for the marathon, so therefore it will be okay not only to sign up once again, but to go ahead and sign up for the granddaddy event, the race-and-a-half Goofy’s Challenge. You do a half-marathon on Saturday, and then the full marathon the very next day on Sunday. That’s 39.3 miles in a single weekend (technically, in 10.5 hours or less, if you’re keeping up like you’re supposed to).

I dug in and started my training right away, building up to four, five, and six mile daily runs by March, and doing it five days a week. Things were going so well, and happening so early, that I had visions of grandeur at the January 2008 races. I set new goals. Not only would I finish, I’d do the whole thing running, with no walking allowed! I’d finish the half marathon in under two hours!

I guess I got greedy, because I over-trained, as it’s called, and suffered an injury that had me avoiding the treadmill for two months. Not good. With the spell broken, I didn’t feel the urgency to climb back into the saddle once my knee was good again, and laziness set in during the whole summer. After summer I tried again, but had serious problems finding time, and let it go after only two weeks.

Long story short: I was back to where I’d been before (twice now): about to race at the Disney Marathon with essentially no training. Only this time, I was set to run 1.5 marathons. And I was twenty pounds heavier, due to a year-long restaurant project you’ll hear about soon. My blood pressure had recently been assessed as high, though that may have been a fluke. I’d recently smacked my knee hard, resulting in surface bruising and swelling. All the stars were aligned in exactly the wrong way. I’d be lucky to finish the races without permanent or serious damage. In fact, I was worried about death or a heart attack. It does happen at marathons! I knew I’d have to dial my expectations way, way down, and take things easy.

My only remaining target was to finish both races in the allotted time. You get 3.5 hours for the half marathon, and 7 hours for the full. That’s a pace for 16-minute miles, sustained over the entire stretch. When I do jog, I usually don’t try for a more energetic 6 MPH (which is a 10-minute pace), but stay at 5 MPH (which is a 12-minute pace). Walking at 3 MPH is a cross between a brisk purposeful stride and an unhurried stroll, and it yields 20-minute miles. My strategy was to run (well, to jog) the first half of each race at my normal 12-minute pace, and then walk the second half at the 20-minute pace. The combination of those would yield exactly a 16-minute pace.

Put that way, it’s not so bad. The half-marathon would be reduced to just a six-mile run, with some normally-paced walking after that. The full marathon would be harder, at twice the length, and especially since it took place the day later, when muscles are sore. But by digging deeply, it could be done. Even without much in the way of preparation.

Now is as good a time as any to point out that, well, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. People bite off more than they can chew with marathons all the time, and literal deaths are sometimes the result. I may be horribly overweight, but I walk twenty miles each weekend (we spend two full days in the parks, you see), and I used to be a prime athlete in high school. Granted, that was twenty years ago, but I really was on the cutting edge for fitness, and moreover, my sports of choice revolved around running: track, cross-country, and soccer. I could do the half mile in 2:20, the mile in 5:04, and the three-mile run in 17:10. So please be careful in emulating my stupid attempts to run these things without proper conditioning.

Saturday morning came quickly, but I had done all the right things: trimmed my sleep patterns so I’d be used to waking early, eaten properly the night before, had good gear and actual running shorts, running shoes, running socks, etc. I’d learned in previous runs that chafing is a problem, so I had Vaseline strategically placed, and band-aids over the nipples (sounds weird, but it works to prevent problems). The only thing I didn’t have this time around was a digital camera. Since this set of races was going to be hard on me, I didn’t want to carry unnecessary weight. I was carrying enough of that around my midsection, thank you very much.

Disney continues to tweak the event, and I’m pleased with the current iteration. There are still not enough bathrooms in the front, but they had a ton of port-a-potties just before the start line. That said, they still need more of them after the race has started. Best of all, they didn’t repeat the annoying mistake of holding back “waves” of runners (those slotted to start 10 or 25 minutes after the “real” beginning). Previously, that had created a bottleneck not too different from what you see at FastPass Return lines, with some people off the to side and waiting their turn, and others trying to fight through. Only here, it was worse, because the bottleneck was orders of magnitude larger, and the people on the side never were granted entrance after just a few minutes. Now, they just let everyone head toward the start line and the corrals, where people had been pre-sorted based on their expected finishing time. It went smoothly.

What wasn’t smooth was the singing of the national anthem. I became aware that the blaring, too-loud rock music had died away, replaced with silence for us back in corral E (and presumably all corrals out of normal vocal range of the start line). The singer was there on stage, the video was visible to us on nearby screens, but no audio was being transmitted. And then one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen happened. The chattering fell away all around me, almost as if on cue, and I was treated to a sight of thousands of people making no noise whatsoever. Absolute silence. Ever so faintly, the song became audible. We were hearing the speakers from the very front of corral A, some quarter mile away from us. That’s how quiet it was. For some reason, this really resonated with me. The sentiment of the moment was powerful; more powerful, I think, than any other Star Spangled Banner moment I can think of, and I’m usually a sucker for this kind of thing. It was almost as if everyone put everything aside for a moment and paid homage to the flag with silence. It lent a solemnity and respectfulness to the occasion I’ve seldom seen. People hooted and cheered at the last verse of the song, of course (are we the only country that does this?) and the mood returned to celebratory. It was a rare moment, and I cherished it.

The half marathon started normally, which is to say, with a countdown accomplished by a series of fireworks. I was hyper-aware of the ground below me. On two occasions in the past, I’ve twisted an ankle in the first mile of the marathon, so now I’m always careful. The woman in front of me wasn’t as cautious, and tripped on the mat right at the start line that electronically records our presence (we’d all tied chips to our shoelaces). She went right down to the ground, though I think she was unhurt. Hopefully she was able to continue.

My plan for only running half the race worked beautifully. For some reason, I was barely tired by the time I hit six miles, and had been running at a pace of exactly 12-minute miles. I did experimentally slow to my walking speed for a mile, to verify that the pace I thought was a 20-minute mile really was the right pace, but I started occasionally jogging again after that. I didn’t need to jog. My plan was to take “the longest time possible” on the half marathon, but still finish within the 3.5 hour limit. To do that, I’d now need to simply walk the rest of the way. But spectators line the course, and they cheer you on. Worse, they unwittingly instill guilt if you’re not running (who wants to look like they’re out of energy already?), so I’m afraid I did some running after all. This was probably not a good idea. I’d need all my energy the next day. And getting injured was a serious consideration. I forced myself to walk a couple of miles, but by then, most folks around me were also walking. At that point I noticed others around me, wearing the same orange bracelet I was wearing, signifying they were also running the Goofy Challenge and would be doing the full marathon the next day. Like me, they were walking. I suspect many of us employ this strategy.

All told, I crossed the finish line after about 3 hours and 12 minutes. Since I’d not made it to the start line until sixteen minutes into the race, that meant I was just under three hours. Not bad. This was clearly my slowest half marathon yet, but that was intentional so I would save some energy for Sunday. In fact, it wasn’t as slow as it was supposed to be. I would have preferred something closer to 3.5 hours, but it’s too late to change that now.

Everything written until this point was composed on Saturday afternoon, after the half marathon. You can sense the interplay of optimism and worry in the tone above, since I had no idea how Sunday would play out. On Sunday morning, I rose at the usual 3:00 a.m. and did as I had done for the half-marathon: just drive out to the Epcot parking lot ASAP, skipping breakfast. It hadn’t been a problem the day before, so why should it be this time? This is an old trick of mine from playing soccer. I always played better on an empty stomach. It should have occurred to my addled brain that there is a difference between a two-hour game and a seven-hour running event.

I had some aches. My thighs were a little sore, and there was some significant pain in the tendons around the outside of the knees. That one worried me. Would the soreness evaporate when I started moving? Going up and down any stairs or inclines was already painful. At least the shin splints I had had at the end of the race on Saturday was gone.

The race lead-up and start were uneventful, and more or less the same as the day before. This time there were no “waves” at the start, but there were two courses for the first few miles, so things were a lot less crowded. That’s not to say they were uncrowded. These WDW roads are simply not wide enough for the volume of runners present. There were 18,000 marathoners on Sunday. Can’t they invent a new course layout that uses wider roads at the start?

Things were going to be warm on this run. The temperature in the waiting areas was around 63, and it was going to get up to the 70s on this run, with partly cloudy conditions and the threat of rain later. Humidity was 80-90% the whole time, an unpleasant combination.

My pains did disappear very early in the run, just as I’d hoped. I was able to make decent time, which surprised me. For the first several miles, I kept my usual 12-minute pace. This was going exactly according to plan. I’d go 12 miles at that speed, which would enable me to just walk the remainder at a 20-minute pace. That’s not quite halfway, but it was close enough that I’d still make it to the finish line in time, because even during the “walk” phase, you do trot from time to time. Usually when the crowd urges you on, or shames you into it.

It turned out that it was a stretch to think I could run at my pace for 12 miles. I’d only gone six miles the day before, so it couldn’t be used as a comparison. Indeed, I failed to get all the way to mile 12 before slowing to a walk. I made it to mile 10, though, still at a 12-minute pace, and I was very proud of that. But I was pushing myself hard to make that happen, and just after mile 10, I got dizzy and simultaneously felt some of my fingertips go numb. Uh-oh. That’s a very bad sign, especially considering my weight, my recent high blood pressure reading (which may or may not have been an anomaly), and the fact that my dad suffered a major heart attack when only a few years older than I am now. I slowed to a walk for the next few miles.

By mile 13, I tried running again and discovered I was having a glycogen problem in my legs. There was no more energy! This was ridiculous. Usually that happens at mile 20 (the famous “wall”), though I suppose the fact that I ran 13 miles the day before could have helped. Most of the problem was doubtless that I had not trained in the months before the marathon.

But also problematic was my stupid oversight in not eating breakfast. I had scarfed down an energy bar at the start line, but that was 3 hours ago. I had been counting on Disney offering food on the course, but by mile 13, there was still no sign of food. Usually they had something at mile 10, but it was either absent this year or “sold out” by the time I got there, which was inexcusable considering my relatively fast pace to that point. By mile 13, we had only seen Powerade and water. I was not pleased.

So I was out of energy, my thighs were burning prematurely, and I had slowed to a walk a few miles too soon. Running through the calculations in my head, I realized that I could continue to walk at a 20-minute pace and get very close. But not close enough. I’d be at mile 16 by 4 hours, mile 19 by 5 hours, mile 22 by 6 hours, and mile 25 by 7 hours. That’s 1.2 miles short when the clock ran out. Thus, I’d have to go faster than 20-minute miles to make up the time. Even worse, the calculations here assume I could even maintain a 20-minute mile, which was not presently the case and would doubtless get worse as time went on and the marathon became harder. A 20-minute pace isn’t a stroll exactly; there’s some pep to your step. Under normal circumstances, I’d be able to do kick things up and go faster than a 20-minute pace, no problem. But the lack of food and training had taken a big toll on me. Also, I was worried about trying to push myself if that meant I risked passing out, or even something worse. That dizzy spell weighed on me, even though it hadn’t come back.

Because of the dizzy spell, I stopped by a medical tent just after mile 13, and learned my blood pressure was 139/98. That’s a very high, and very worrisome, number. In a word, it sealed the deal for me. I wasn’t going to push myself with my system untrained, unfed, and running such a high BP. I’d already had one dizzy spell, which was tantamount to my body issuing me a warning. Had I been injured in the foot or leg, I would definitely have stuck it out and fought through the pain. But you don’t fight your circulatory system. You’ll lose, and losing means something very bad, like a heart attack or death. With a very heavy and very reluctant heart, I told the nurses I needed to drop out. The time was about three hours into the race. I’d run a virtually identical race as the day before. The same 13.1 miles, and at about the same pace.

I briefly considered avoiding the medical van, and just walking in the course until the bus came along to “sweep” me for going under the 16 minute pace. It would be neat to witness that once. Since I wanted to be swept (I no longer thought I could make it to the finish line in time), I found myself thinking about Tommy Lee Jones in Men in Black, leaping in the air at the big bug and yelling “Eat me!”, except I was mentally leaping and exclaiming “Sweep me!” But that would take a full two hours for the sweep bus to catch up to me, and my legs were killing me. And I was ravenous.

I used instead the “sag” wagon, a van which carried folks back to the Epcot staging area when they were injured or quit. I was joined by several others with injuries. Someone clipped out my timing chip, gave us drinks, and drove us back. One of the other runners asked if we would get medals anyway, but this practice was abandoned a few years ago. Now, only the finishers get the finisher’s medal.

I was disappointed in the turn of events, but not discouraged about Disney’s decision regarding no medals for drop outs. In fact, I applaud them for it. If they had given me one, I would have found it hollow and devoid of meaning. I’d rather have it mean something, even if it results in me not earning one this year. That will make it much sweeter when I do earn one. Maybe next year.

As I walked by the post-race area, I saw many elite runners who were done already. The Mickey medal for the marathon this year was redesigned and gorgeous, presumably in honor of the 15th year of the marathon. The mouse ear shape used to be a solid gold color, but now has black ears, and there’s a full-color Mickey Mouse caught in a sprint pose in the middle. I also walked by the tent which had the Goofy Challenge medals gathered on a railing, glinting in the sunlight. I looked forlornly over the fence, feeling for all the world like a child standing outside a candy store.

I went home, showered, got some food, cleaned up around the house a bit, and then took the family to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (DHS). By this time, it was 12:00, which would have been roughly the exact moment I would have been here in the marathon, if I were still running. Check that. Given my injuries, I’d be an hour behind. But this is where I was supposed to be.

It made me sad to see the runners making their way through DHS. Having gotten some food in me and a chance to recuperate (not to mention a shower), I was feeling quite good physically, and wondering why I’d dropped out at all. There were very few pains in my legs by now. It crossed my mind that if I had my race number here, I could have pinned it back on me, jumped back into the racing crowd, and finished the race to receive my medals. I wouldn’t have a chip in my shoelaces, since that was cut out, but that wouldn’t stop the medal-awarding, since chips are removed right away after the finish line and no one would know it if I just zoomed past them and went to the medals instead. I wouldn’t really do this, since I’m fundamentally a rule-following person, and act ethically whenever I can. But it did seem to me something a cheater might be able to get away with. Easily, even. I wonder if it’s happened before?

I don’t feel remorse very often, but I felt it that afternoon, watching the athletes pass me by, and thinking it could have been me. I consoled myself with the thought that while I might have been able to make it after all, I might just as easily have given myself a heart attack, and that wouldn’t be fair to my wife or young kids. As sappy as it is to say this, my family needs me. It would have been selfish of me to continue, and endanger myself just to prove something to myself. While watching the athletes, I gave my youngest son a tight hug and did my best to forget about the medals I wouldn’t be hanging around my neck.

I’ll sign up for something next year. Clearly, the half-marathon is the right size for me if this trend of not-training is going to continue. I do want the Goofy medal, though, so I may yet try again.

In prior years, I was able to finish the half marathon without training, and one year the same was true of the full marathon. But in the Goofy Challenge, I’d finally found a race that I could not conquer with zero training. Having failed in the quest once, I’ll know not to be blase about the training the next time around. Losing has a way of sharpening your resolve.

FastPass, PhotoPass, Photo Locations, and Recycling

A real potpourri today:

1. Stitch FastPasses may not be networked to the whole system. I got a Jungle Cruise FP just for the souvenir, and was told I could get another one at 3:40. But at 3:20 I thought to myself I'd get a Stitch souvenir, the kind saying 'you aren't eligible for a FP yet!' but to my surprise, I got a FastPass. Either Stitch or JC is not on the network. I asked the Stitch CM and he said something completely unhelpful (wow, I guess you got really lucky!), so I'm stymied.

2. PhotoPass CMs are taking over the streets. As you walk down Main St, there is not one, not two, but more like six PhotoPass CMs that you pass on the way to Fantasyland. At first I wanted to complain about this nonsense. But there were actual lines for the PhotoPass folks at a couple points, so maybe the market really wants this. I do agree with the notion of a Photopass, but somehow it just feels like overkill already.

3. You know those Kodak Photo Locations? I always joked that the signs almost imply you should stand next to the sign and pose WITH the sign rather than with the object in the background (ie, the castle). Well, just yesterday I saw a family doing this very thing. It was a photo location, they must have reasoned to themselves, so they took a picture with the sign. The castle was not in the photo, as the photographer was standing at totally the wrong angle.

4. Since we're talking about those kinds of visitors, I'll share this one. When I came under the train station, I was behind a father, mother, and 14 year old girl. The father said, "should we go to the Magic Kingdom?" I would have bet my whole bank account he was being deadpan. Without skipping a beat, the mother said "yes, sure, where is it?" and the father replied "behind the castle, I think".

I edged away from them before they could infect me with whatever they had.

5. I saw an unusual sight in Adventureland: near the eggroll cart (oops, it only sells turkey legs now!) there is a new thing, a trashcan that is fused together with a recycling can. On first glance, it looks like two cans shoved together, but nope, it's really a double-wide thing. I approve of recycling cans being in the parks. I hope this takes off more. Someday, every trashcan could have recycling right next to it. Fine by me.

Give Kids the World... for Christmas!

The Disney online community came together several months ago to raise money for a charity, Give Kids the World Village (a resort that hosts many children and families visiting the Orlando area from Wish-Granting organizations, including the big ones whose names you know).

Since it's the holiday season, it's time to see if there's a bit more money around for the children. Please help! Every little bit helps.

http://www.firstgiving.com/disneyfans

(You webmasters out there can also help by either linking to this page, or creating your own 'widget' that lets you run your own fundraising page for this very worthy cause).

Thanks all in advance. Happy holidays!

Benches in Germany (and Epcot in Winter)

Fairly new to World showcase are regular, plain vanilla picnic tables (unpainted pine, even, by the looks of them) that sit waterside in Germany. This is a great idea, since Germany always sells food from vendors and has no place to sit. And there was a pretty large walkway along the water that holds plenty of room, which was just un-utilized before.

It's my favorite season at Epcot. Crowds are way, way down. Temps are down. The Wand is down! (yay!)

The Lights of Winter are up. The holiday fireworks finale is up. My blood-alcohol and thus my mood is up.

Benches? Sure, why not. Epcot is such an amazing park to have in my backyard, I can barely notice it when small things are added or taken away. Well, strike that. I notice it when they disappear. But this kind of small 'plussing' of the place keeps me going, and going, and going.

I suppose the occasional drink helps. Not that they make this easier. The beer stand at the UK, usually left open after Food and Wine, still stands but I haven't seen it open yet. In the UK pub itself, they've stopped selling those half-yards of beer or cider.

Doesn't matter. Epcot is still phenomenal. Especially at this time of year.

Hong Kong DL: The reason Disney parks jumped the shark

Have you heard the term 'jump the shark'? It refers to Happy Days, when Fonzie jumped a literal shark on water skis, and the show started to go downhill from there.

When did Disney parks lose their luster and start to go downhill? A lot of people blame it on Eisner (and especially on the loss of partner Frank Wells).

That's mostly true. But another truth could be pointed to: the quitting of upper park management, the bi-coastal team of Dick Nunis and Norm Doerges. It wasn't until this week I learned why Dick had left the company - turns out for the same reason as Norm. Both of them were angry at Eisner for insisting on a park at Hong Kong.

Dick had wanted Australia - badly - and felt a communist country was the wrong place to be, just for political reasons. And that Chinese people didn't know the Disney characters. (He's right about that!)

When Eisner insisted, Dick had had enough. He'd been annoyed and burned once before (he wanted Spain for the Euro park, not Paris) and this was the icing on the cake. So he left.

When he left, the parks stopped focusing on the very things which had kept the cast happy and family-like for so many decades:

1. history
2. tradition
3. training

They went right out the window. I was there in those years and saw it happen. Hearing Dick reminisce about those times this week really struck a nerve with me.

Odd to think that a big, thus-far-unacknowledged part of the reason for such a huge change in the parks is Eisner's insistence that the company build in Hong Kong. I guess we all suffer for that little park that's still struggling.

Next big announcement: Hong Kong Disneyland

A little birdie whispered in my ear today that the next big announcement out of Disney, due any day now, will be about Hong Kong Disneyland. Something to rival the size and scope of the DCA makeover. Stay tooned.

AT-ATs and Osborn

The Jedi training stage is there next to the AT-AT and it looks great. It's themed to the bunker entrance in Return of the Jedi. My wife joked we should jump on stage, hide in the sides of the bunker, and say the lines from the movie. We're geeks.

The AT-AT shoots water now (did it do that before? or just have the noise? or the noise plus lights?) and this soaks some people at night. Very amusing.

Osborn started up Monday night. Some thoughts:

1. there is more purple than ever before. pretty.
2. the dancing starts every 7 minutes, not every 15 minutes. this is much better customer service
3. the snow runs nonstop in the time when dancing is 'off', rather than saving money by only running some times. good customer service.
4. there is better choreography to the music this year. good show.
5. the new song is a lightning-fast version of jingle bells. I don't know if I liked it. At least it's more peppy than Feliz Navidad (which is just out place, it's so slow).
6. the 'side street' behind the Muppets exit is the barest I've ever seen. Where did the train go?

WDW After a Month's Absence

When you visit every weekend, you hit all four parks with some regularity (Epcot I see at least every seven days, for instance). So when you're gone for a month to Tokyo, you come back to seeing some changes!

Magic Kingdom
- Haven't been yet. But I've seen what the Xmas lights look like on the castle's facade during daytime, and it looks bad. Did they think we wouldn't notice? It's a bit like the Big City facade at MGM, how it looks during the day. The difference is that the castle is a major icon and photography target. I'll know more when I see it F2F, and not just via pictures online.

Christmas has come to all the parks early, actually. By the first of November, there were traces. Seems a bit like a long season to me, but what do I know.

Epcot
- The highly embarassing line breaks and typos in the text for Lincoln (at the new exhibit in the American Adventure) has been fixed, I'm sure at great cost. Good for them.
- I saw traces of fresh paint on lots of things. In France, the Litfasssaeulen (a German word for those round columns with ads on them) are brand new, with presumably newly printed ads on them. They pop with color now.
- Half an hour before park closing, the 25th celebration room in West Innoventions-South was empty and awesome. The piped in nostalgia music really took me back in time. What a great reflective experience.
- I think I saw wine booths open from one week to the next. They are still adding wine capacity this late in the game? Lines have been long enough, during this F&W Festival, so maybe they are just maximizing profit.
- To Jim McPhee: thank you for NOT opening Spaceship Earth. It was either you, or an Imagineer in charge, who must have decided the show was not ready and thus would not open on time. I applaud this. Quality will out. I'd rather have it late and right, than on-time and poor.

DAK
- Catherine Jobson is still in the queue video for Safari, though not on the ride. Ironically, we had a ride where none of the onboard audio was working, so there was no Warden Wilson, just our guide speaking to us. I kind of liked it, actually.
- We got into line for safari 40 minutes before stated close time for the safari (due to sunset). The Standby wait time said 40 minutes. Coincidence? The real wait time was about 12. Am I cynical to think they do that on purpose to make sure the ride 'closes' on time for sunset? I guess they have to, to make sure the animals get back safely to their cages.
- Speaking of wait times, they inflate it badly for Everest Single Rider. It's not 25 minutes with ten people there. More like 5 or 10 minutes. In general, one person per minute moves from Single Rider into the ride.
- On our visit at least, Everest was totally dark in the backwards helix - they fixed the 'light pollution' problem! Hooray!
- Of course, the yeti was operating in 'b-mode' (not moving, and thus not lit up normally, but only lit with a strobe to imply movement). I'm one who thinks having a B-mode is a good thing. otherwise, the ride would be 101 (broken down) all the time, and that's a worse scenario.
- As someone pointed out in email to me, DAK has paper straws now, and has for some weeks. Hooray! Long overdue. And the animals will still be protected.
- At the Dino Dig kid's play area, there are some rope tunnels that are supposed to be 'one person at a time' but usually isn't guarded. On this visit, we saw a CM at each such tunnel enforcing the rule (it's on and off enforced anyway). It struck me as a waste of manpower, not to mention a horrible job to have to actually work. Do they endure lawsuits here, is that why they have to station a CM there?

MGM
- We saw ODF carts being rolled backstage at the end of the night, but not pushed by workers with bad backs. The carts were electrically controlled - there was a motor and the CM was merely 'driving'. Have they had this out here forever and I'm only now noticing?
- MGM closed at 8pm on our weekend visit. Sad, sad, sad. Bring on Pixar, bring on Lucas, and keep this sucker open til midnight.

Universal
- Saw a guest riding a segway around CitiWalk. I guess Uni lets them in. Disney certainly doesn't; they don't consider it an 'assistive device'.
- From the top of the Dueling Dragons lift hill, look ahead and to the left. You'll see a very large rectangle of ground cleared, with bulldozers pushing dirt around - that's for Hogwarts castle. Potter really is coming! Seeing the castle located there, you get a sense for how really big this sub-park is going to be, since it starts back by Poseidon.

Farewells

I meant to comment on the news that Uni-Orlando is closing 'Earthquake' to replace it with something else, in just a few short weeks (which implies a makeover, not a new ride), but reality intrudes and I have to say farewell to something else: Bruce Gordon.

Disney fan sites are all saying goodbye to Bruce, and I echo their sense of loss. It's even deeper for me, though, since Bruce was a guiding light to Jason and I when writing our first Disneyland books and a mentor about publishing in general. I'm more than mourning - I'm pissed at the unfairness of the world. Bruce was a great guy, at least to us, and his passing is bad news for just about the whole world. His touch wasn't always golden (witness DL's Pooh ride), but that could very likely be the cause of budget considerations beyond his control, and not his fault. None of that matters. We are all a little more impoverished with this news.

Epcot without Spaceship Earth

With Spaceship Earth out of commission until 2008 (probably February), Epcot is almost a different park. We find ourselves just a touch less excited about going there than had been the case before - is SSE really that central to the experience of Epcot?? I never realized it entirely. It's making me miss the older Epcot Center even more, when there were lots of AA extravaganzas.

Too much going on - dozens of updates to do

Sorry for the very long radio silence. Let's take a quiz. Do you think I was:

a) visiting Tokyo Disney Resort for the first time ever
b) writing a 'how to visit TDR' book (over 100 pages) based on copious notes, previous research, mistakes made in person, and additional research once home
c) finishing the preview edition of Mouse Trap, my Disneyland CM memoir
d) visiting Disneyland for the first time in 2 years
e) updating 101-DL, 101-WDW, Magic Quizdom
f) updating WDW Dining Guide and menu prices
g) all of the above

Obviously, the answer is all of the above. The Disney hobby absolutely takes over if you let it.

In the meantime, I have literally dozens of things, little notes I made to myself, to post in this blog. Things from little maintenance issues to large, big-forest type observations.

Here's an important one: the costuming building backstage at Disney's Hollywood Studios is moving; a new one is being built behind Indy. What does this matter? It matters because it means space is being cleared from behind the existing buildings of Pixar Place. Meaning the expansion there is sure to heat up soon. (Thanks to themelaw for the heads up there).

I'll just have to get to the other, much smaller tidbits when I get to them. Consider yourselves privy to two new bits of info from this post: my Cast Member book and my upcoming Tokyo trip report. And of course that Tokyo book. Which isn't daring to pretend it's comprehensive... the very title ("Tokyo Disney Made Easy") points out this is a book to make things easier, not to tell you every last in and out.

Sigh. I need 38 hours in a day.

The Monorail "MAPO" test

Have you ever ridden the express monorail to MK when they had to stop between Contemporary and the park, and try a few maneuvers? When they bring a new train online, they are required to test the automated 'kill engine if get too close to another monorail' system.

While I've long known about the test and its requirement, I only recently learned the name: the MAPO test. My guess is this would refer to the 'manufacture and production' facility of WDI also called MAPO (the name also seems to refer to Mary Poppins the movie, whose profits enabled this facility to be built). If true, do the modern day CMs call it the MAPO test because the WDI guys insist this test be done?

Restaurant and park hours

I got a LOT of emails like this one from Sarah:

At the end of all this we had a huge hotel bill and from staying on site, with the only real perk being the free transport to and from the parks (we had rented a car and ended up driving in to some of the parks and paying for parking, because the bus system was unreliable, crowded, and hot). The Dining we felt was a disaster, we ate off site in Kissimmee more times than I can count because we wanted sit down, reservations were not available in the parks, and stand-by waits were never less than 90 min. anywhere we went (not to mention they were always mobbed by agitated guests). I guess we saved some money doing it that way, but had Disney not been so ridiculously packed with reservations we probably would have eaten at the park sit downs a lot more (I certainly wanted to). It felt like that if we wanted to eat at the parks we had to plan our whole vacation around food, which is silly! We were there for the Disney magic and attractions, Disney food is just a bonus - it shouldn’t feel like a huge hassle. We’re on vacation, we’re trying to have fun and relax!

Will we go back again? Of course, it’s Disney! We’ve even started planning a trip for the indeterminate future. But, we won’t be staying on site next time and we won’t be visiting the Disney parks for a full week. I enjoyed my first trip to WDW, but if Disney wants me as a repeat tourist every year they need to fix the dining program and do something about the hours.

PhotoPass pretty expensive

I'm not shy in my column to point out the virtues of PhotoPass. But John writes in:

I loved the idea when we were at the parks on our honeymoon. But when we got home, we discovered that each individual print was $12.95! We wanted seven prints of the same darn photo and that cost us $90! That's crazy and terrible -- there's no way printing 7 copies of the same photo should cost so much. Next time we go to WDW, we will skip the PhotoPass entirely. It's a great idea and also a complete ripoff, plain and simple.

Make park hopping automatic?

In response to a recent column when I noted any one park at WDW couldn't stand up to DL, Robert M. wrote:

But of course, as your careful "vs. one park" wording belies, WDW is more than one park, it's a full ecosystem and should be treated that way. This, however, reminds me of something I have been mulling for a while: Is it really in WDW's interest to make park hopper tickets a surplus charge? Of all the surplus ticket charges, it seems the easiest to avoid - it does not give access to a new park or protect your investment in case of a change of plans. In other words, it seems the most like a "luxury".

Yet, it seems so very much in Disney's interest to have people park-hop. When they park hop they take themselves out of the ride queues for at least an hour, but likely longer. And they are using facilities which are off the shelf and easier to maintain. They expose themselves to more of the advertising and merchandizing that exists at the entry/exits. They are more likely to try a restaurant they are interested in at another park (compared to finding an interesting restaurant without an admission ticket acting as a cover charge). It load-balances the parks; if one is busy that day, some people can opt to hop to a different park. And then there is also the intangible stuff you like to focus on: feelings of being respected, of being in control, not feeling like they have to pre-plan, etc. And in a world of full-park hopping a per park comparison as you did would seem as odd as a per-land comparison.

I really feel that, if not free, park hopping should be an easy to attain add-on. Free with resort stay; free with online/advance ticket purchase; free as a dreams come true thing; free with EPCOT restaurant reservation; etc.

Transportation Cards at WDW

We rode in the nosecone (operating cab 6) of the monorail last weekend and in addition to the usual Monorail card, we got a new one. This one gave some factoids about the ride and claimed it was part of a series of WDW Transportation Cards - there are 18 in all.

I'm intrigued. So we have to figure out what the 18 forms of transport are? And then we have to figure out how to get the cards? We wouldn't have known about this if we hadn't stepped into the nosecone of the monorail. Do we have to do other tricks like this to get the other cards?

Certainly, the bus is one of them. Maybe the Liberty Belle wheelhouse? Personal water craft? Ferries to Fort Wilderness? Boat to the Swan? How could there be 18 varieties??

Broken seagull

One of the three seagulls outside the Nemo pavilion (sigh, the Seas pavilion) is slightly broken. His lower jaw is permanently open, though it flaps around when he's supposed to be squawking. This is just a note to see how long it takes them to fix it.

Censored Monorail!

As you exit the monorail, the voiceover says: "please take small children by the hand as you disembark".

But twice yesterday, the 'hand' was bleeped out by the 'door-opening-chime' and the result sounded a bit like Jimmy Kimmel's Unnecessary Censorship, if you've seen that late night spoof.

I wouldn't have bothered posting this if it hadn't happend twice in one day! Back to seriousness: Disney should find a way to avoid bleeping out its safety spiel. Even though the result is unintentionally funny.

Monorail Gold joins Lime

Monorail Lime was the first to do away with the rail in the middle of the standing section of each monorail cab; they put four small poles instead to hold on to. This helps a lot when it comes to space for strollers. Monorail Gold now has it too! I hope they hurry with converting the rest. It is so much easier.

'Rain or Shine' doesn't mean that, always

Alan reports:

My sister’s family was at MK for a Pirates & Princesses Party on one of the rainy nights. I know that it rained until 10:00 PM and that there was a severe thunder shower over the park, but can not tell you what day it was.

They were told to keep there ticket stubs and that they could use them for one free day at the MK. They had one year to do so.

And they still had a great time at the party. They got to ride almost everything they wanted to, the lines were short (or nonexistent), and the kids got enough candy and beeds to entertain them on the drive back to Massachusetts

Wagons, Loops, and EMH

Three unrelated topics today:

1. At the MK on Sunday, I saw a mother pulling a store-bought heavy-plastic wagon, in which was sitting a girl. I had to blink at that one. I thought Disney prohibited pull-from-behind anything. Strollers are "push in front of you". Did the policy change? Did the mother get away with something?

2. Fantasyland last night had area music, as it always does, only this time, it was the Pinocchio Village Haus loop! The land needs a Matterhorn if they're going to play that all the time. I stopped a wandering manager, who agreed with me that it was new, and weird. Maybe it was a mistake?

3. Saw EMH wristband distribution multiple times, and something occurred to me: no one, and I mean no one, looks carefully at those keycards. Could someone cheat the system by using last year's cards? Could a local visitor like me just get ahold of 3 cards for my family and enjoy EMH illicitly forever? I happen to not like EMH (man, is it ever crowded - the MK got more crowded as the EMH hour approached) so I would never do this, but I did wonder about the cheating.

Back from radio silence!

Sorry about the extended radio silence. I've been putting the final touches on Draft 1 of the next book (which will be out for Holidays 2007, and will be Disneyland CM themed).

To make up for it, let me pack into a single post several things I've been meaning to say lately:

1. Free dining is back. You can tell because all reservations are full, and most tellingly, the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station is now again a temporary looking all you can eat dinner buffet. Sigh. I'd say it's time for the rumored restaurant to be built on the site of the old TL skyway building!

2. Recently discovered little devices atop one shop in World Showcase, right near the rose garden. Turns out they are bug clickers, designed to scare away bugs from the rose bushes at the shop. Weird. They are quite audible to human ears.

3. No more milk refills to kid's meals at sit-down restaurants. That's quite sad. Are we pushing soda onto the next generation? I refuse to give in.

4. There's a lot of 'tiny atmosphere' now: they draw hopscotch at the UK pavilion, or a giant 'snakes and ladders' (think chutes and ladders). Many country pavilions are now doing more interactions and games like these. I see games in heavy use at the MK before parades: hula hoop, four square, even jumping rope. The latter makes me cringe each time. What if a Guest face-plants and sues?

5. When walking past the Lego store at DtD, I heard a ringing public telephone, so naturally I looked for it. Joke's on me! The sound emanated from a speaker above their window displays. I surmise they installed this because they know that heads turn, naturally, to the sound of a ringing phone. Those heads will now see the Lego displays. Cute.

6. I'm dismayed by the merchandise decision to make some stores at the parks look like discount stores. Watch for endcaps and counter displays that have a giant, garish '$10' in yellow letters. We don't want Wal-Mart, do we?

7. But one great thing about merch: Epcot is stocking retro designs from the 1980s on a few t-shirts. Alas, they don't seem to carry XL. don't they realize that many of us old enough for those t-shirts now wear larger sizes??

8. Have you ever hung around in the HISTA playground at MGM? (I guess I should start saying DHS). Parents by the dozen perch at the exit and await their kids, who run amok. Fine so far. But the parents are on the ground and in the sun. Is it so hard to build chairs and benches and shade here???

9. There's a ride in almost every park I've never done. At DHS, it's the Animation Academy. At DAK, it's Pocahontas. At MK, it's the Astro Orbiter. At Epcot, ... nothing.

Signs that you photograph Disney parks too much

Here's a sign I spend too much time at Disney World, chronicling its changes for the masses: whenever I pass by the replacement flyovers and loops at the 408/I-4 interchange, I keep having to fight the urge to whip out the camera and record this week's progress. Is it just me?

Thank you, Jim MacPhee

New Epcot honcho Jim MacPhee spoke to the Orlando Sentinel last week about plans to change the show inside Spaceship Earth and to remove the wand.

This is Jim's first public move, and I think he is to be congratulated for doing something that is fan-friendly: he gave a heads-up. It wouldn't have been unusual for Disney to just close it down one day without warning.

But with this warning, fans poured out to SSE this weekend (you could see them taking lots of pictures). I for one want to say thank you for that.

Self-order kiosks at Pecos Bill

Two weekends ago, I got to try the new kiosks at Pecos Bill that let you order your own food, and bypass the lines for a human. It worked fast and well, with one exception: I'm no stranger to this kind of system, and I got stuck anyway.

After you click PAY NOW, the screen didn't seem to change. I kept punching PAY NOW and didn't notice anything change. Only by cancelling my order and starting over could I figure out what happened. When you first click that Pay now button, a new panel pops up on the left side of the screen, and it wants you to click the method (ie, credit card). Once that panel is there, clicking the Pay Now button over and over again does nothing.

To reduce this confusion, they need to program that PAY NOW button to disappear after you click it once.

But otherwise: two big thumbs up.

Stitch leftover

Remember when Stitch was new at the MK and they had a big promotion to pretend he's taking over the park? It included his voiceover on the monorail ("welcome to Stitch kingdom..."

Well, over in the bathrooms between Adventureland and Liberty Square (quick aside here: the CMs who work in those two lands call the department "Ad-Lib," which I find hilarious) there is a remnant of Stitch Kingdom. The background music is infused w/ Stitch muttering every so often, which is really confusing if you don't know about the by-now-old campaign for the attraction.

Treehouse: real moss?

Here's something that doesn't happen often: I'm confused if a particular item is fake Disney magic, or a real something! On the (fake) treehouse in Adventureland, there are fake leaves. But then there is a lot of Spanish moss around, and here's the thing: Spanish moss looks fake even on real trees; it's waxy and plastic looking. And the more I think about it, the more I think real moss could grow on a fake tree.

And then there are other parasite looking vines up here with bright red flowers. They are way too vibrant to be fake, even though they are intertwined with the fake leaves. Right? Right???

Cinderella Royal Table price increase

Effective November 11, the prices will increase. Breakfast now costs $32.99 (adult) or $22.99 (child). Lunch costs $35.99 (adult) or $23.99 (child), and Dinner costs $40.99 (adult) or $25.99 (child).

Well, that's certainly expensive. My first thought was that this is increasingly a rip-off. Disney has a history of maximizing profits, after all (a point on dramatic display if they take away the "inclusion of tips" in the 2008 Disney Dining Plan).

But pause. These character meals do include a printed photo (rather than a hard sell for an extra $15 for one, like at Norway). That's not bad. And let's not forget the role of supply and demand. This place sells out a full 179 (if not 180) days in advance. People are willing to pay that much, apparently.

I'll say this for sure: it's not locals-friendly. But little is, these days.

FastPass problem number 4,532

For those keeping count, here's another reason FastPass creates problems: it requires a heavier staff than an attraction that doesn't run FastPass. Results include things like not having a greeter at the very front of the attraction, or the greeter having to pay more attention to return times than greeting.

Or, heaven forfend, the stuff they are supposed to control. Such as, oh I don't know, the hand-cranked sign saying how long the standby wait is? We walked past Pan two weeks ago and saw the line completely filling the outside queues and wrapping around in Fantasyland and generally making a mess. The standby sign said "20 minutes", when in fact it must have been 90, given that length. I conclude a guest must have moved that sign, and no one in the Cast noticed. Guests, thinking the line was short or fast moving, jumped in and the line got out of control. I wonder if there was a lot of rage as that supposedly short line stretched past the first hour?

DVC hard sell on Main Street

I've long known that DVC has kiosks in the theme parks. Their very presence is a problem in some ways; it's not the pure Disney park with those things in there. But at least they don't intrude and turn into carnival barkers - that would be worse.

I've also long known that the Main St. exhibition hall in Orlando (where Lincoln is at Disneyland) is used an hour per day for a DVC presentation. This week I learned that they give out water, small snacks, and DVDs when you attend. I'm slightly more uncomfortable with that. It's not the hard sell you see about timeshares out there on 192, but it's still more than I think Disney should be doing. Do the gifts and water increase guest 'guilt' and make them more likely to buy? If that's even very slightly true, then the whole thing stinks.

If the product is strong enough to sell on its own without any external force (ie, the free bottled water), then fine. But Disney is on slippery ground here.

Quik-E-Marts

CNN has the story that Orlando is one of eleven cities nationwide to receive a makeover for a 7-11 store, into a Quik-E-Mart theme: http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/Movies/07/02/7.eleven.kwik.e.mart.ap/index.html

Just how is this theme-park-Orlando related? Easy. Simpsons are coming to Universal, and this move builds excitement for the Simpsons movie. I've got to find this 7-11 and visit it pronto. I'll post pictures.

Edit: here it is, on 535 right near Downtown Disney:

12298 Apopka-Vineland Road

Major line cutting at Universal's Mummy

Ever been in the single-rider line at USF's Mummy? It can save a ton of time. But it's right next to the standby line, and this weekend I witnessed four complete sets of youngers (all of them 18 or older, really) jumping from the single rider line into the standby line. In one case, they just elbowed their way in, and in the other cases, the standby line was mostly on the other side, since the line had split into two. This is bad for the standby line, since these "single riders" get up to the front of the line with no wait, and then switch into the line that moves more slowly.

There are two fixes that need to be done immediately: first, install netting underneath the poles of the guiderail. All of the line jumpers I saw went UNDER the rail. If there was netting here, like there is on the other side of the same line to prevent people from falling into the queue theming, that would solve the problem mostly. Second, they should abandon the idea of splitting up the standby line. Just use the one which wraps around the idol in the queue (and away from the singles line) and leave the singles line alone on this side of the room. That way, there's nothing to jump into.

And my goodness was there a lot of trash on the ground in this queue. Disney has been slipping lately, but Universal is worse.

Epcot: info, concourse, and scooters

A few tidbits:

1. Ever wonder what happens when Epcot runs out of the scooters, the ECVs (electronic convenience vehicles)? Simple. They tell the guest to call an Orlando service (AA Tourist, for instance), who will bring it right to the park. And it costs less than Disney's.

2. The secondary digital info board by Mission Space and Energy has a cousin in front of the Land pavilion now. This is a very nice touch and good guest service.

3. The area south of Innoventions (on the Land side) has long been un-used. In my family, we call it the Concourse because it always looked like an airport concourse. Well, the area has been rehabbed and looks even more like a concourse. In fact, I suspect the theming is meant to match the Soarin' look, which is just right across the way. The new character meet area is fine and all, but I'm upset they changed the carpet. The old carpet here had the Communicore logo on them, in reference to this structure once being part of Communicore. No more!

Another hole in the wall

Walk past the Odyssey restaurant in Epcot right now, and you'll pass by a wooden wall next to the restrooms. This wall was the home to the giant FLOWER AND GARDEN sign here recently, and remnants are still visible in the form of giant bolt holes in the wood. It was quite noticeable and very bad show. Someone needs to cover this up, pronto.

Caffeine-free diet coke (aka Cantina de San Angel)

Since when has the Cantina de San Angel offered only caffeine-free diet? They have regular coke, but the only diet they have has no caffeine. Has this always been the case?

I ate there this weekend and they have REALLY turned around the food here. We swore off this place 3 years ago but finally tried it again, and man is it better. Rice and refried beans has given way to salsa and black beans, and the difference those make in the burritos, tacos, etc, is hard to overstate. I'd go so far as to call this food delicious, which is really amazing.

Fantasmic Techs help out at Give Kids the World Village

Do you know Give Kids the World Village? They have a "campus" near Disney World and house children with life-threatening illnesses (and their families) that have been sent here by wish-granting agencies. I've seen the campus, and it's amazing... themed... fun... like something designed by Willy Wonka. I've also started an online giving program to raise enough money to build a villa there to house families for a long time. See http://www.firstgiving.com/disneyfans for more.

I came across this video today, showing Disney Cast Members, the technicians from Fantasmic, helping out at Give Kids Village in the theater they have there, which can show movies, do stage shows, have special effects, etc. It's great to see Disney and these CMs helping. It's heartwarming, as is everything about GKTW. Have a look at the ten-minute video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfIMuq5aAJ8

A minor rant: no upstairs condiments at Pizza Planet

Here's a small detail in the grander scheme of things. At MGM's Toy Story Pizza Planet, the ordering is done downstairs. The rest of downstairs is an arcade, so patrons head upstairs to find tables. There are a lot of tables, so this is convenient. What's not convenient is that there is not a single condiment cart upstairs, where the tables and chairs are. There's a cart downstairs, by the ordering, and this may catch a good half of the patrons.

But simply watch the patrons sometime. Go upstairs, camp out, and watch people when they find a spot. A healthy chunk of them sit down and realize they didn't pick up napkins and forks and so on (and a smaller minority had done so, but realize they forgot an item). So they look around where they are, which is upstairs. There is no cart up here.

I have a theory that this has to do with the presence of Custodial. It seems to me that only Custodial workers are upstairs, which is a different department from foods. Does the foods department not want to let anyone go upstairs?

I don't care about the politics. Fix it so the customers are best served.

New French Fries at Disney World

Slammed by public advocates of health, Disney promised to adjust the recipe for French fries and the oil used. At MGM recently, I've seen the result. The fries have skin-on for one or both ends, and the fry itself is thinner, and obviously cooked with a different oil. Thing is, it's a lighter, crisper taste that surprised me. I'd expected "healthier" to mean "less tasty." Not at all. I actually prefer the new fries, and trust me when I say I was a fan of the old fries.

On an unrelated note: they now have kid sized chocolate milk. So your kid meals can come with chocolate milk and not face a surcharge of $.50 to get the larger size. Bravo!

Parking at Uni-Florida

OK, I'll skip over the lameness of premium parking (and how easy it would be to put on my flashers and just illegally join that lane).

What I want to focus on instead is just how poorly staffed, and poor run, the parking is for the everyday folks. On a good day, you are directed to a row correctly, and once you get there, folks routinely ignore the directive to drive to the END of the row, and just park wherever they feel like. More than once I've seen the attendants lose control of the situation, and drivers just parking wherever they bloody well felt like.

There's a part of me that thinks this may be related to the ultra-cheap price of annual passes ($200 for two years currently, with Coke coupon), which attracts an audience less used to acting with class.

But what I saw this weekend had nothin to do with visitor and everything to do with the stupidity of the attendants. We were waved into a row that was completely full, something we didn't discover until we got to the end of the row. At Uni, there's only the guy at the end of the row telling you which row to go into, not a guy directing you into a spot. Thus, there is no way the guy will know if the row is full. We were on our own to find a spot by circling the lot down to another row and hunting for a spot where someone had left.

This is highly inefficient, wastes tons of time, and aggravates the visitor to no end.

MGM lacks an onramp from Osceola Pkway

Have you ever come up Osceola parkway from the west, heading east? (You would if you took the back way on to property). Coming in that direction, there is no simple way to access MGM. You have to rejoin World Drive and then exit for the Epcot Hotels, and get in to the MGM back entrance.

That's fine as far as it goes, but in the process of all that, you do a flyover over the normal MGM entrance. It would be simplicity itself to add a second lane that joins this MGM entry area. Why isn't there one??

Universal's decline by degrees

It gets much less press, but Uni has its own set of problems from the operational standpoint. It's also less extreme than you see at WDW.

But for comparison, here's what I saw at IOA last weekend:

1. Half the torches at the entrance to Jurassic Park had no fire.
2. The Wassamotta U shop has been closed and abandoned for years on end now.
3. The Triceratops Encounter is closed, abandoned, and boarded over, with no replacement.
4. Most restaurants close at 5, despite the park being open til 8. This may be to force folks out to CityWalk, where food costs even more, but it's not friendly.
5. The lagoon taxi has been closed for years too. And without a hub, this lagoon gets in the way.

How do you compliment folks at Guest Relations?

I had courtesy and friendly service at the Magic Kingdom's Guest Relations last weekend by Jeff, and I walked away thinking that if he had been working at Space Mountain, I might have gone to Guest Relations to file a compliment. But I couldn't very well give Jeff a compliment by talking to Jeff. I suppose I could have gotten *back* in line, but that's kind of funky.

I wonder if this means that folks, once they transfer to GR, actually get fewer written compliments than they did in their previous careers at Disney, simply because of the nature of the job.

The way to fill up baseball games at Disney's Wide World of Sports

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays played at WDW recently, and the games were not well attended, despite many tickets being given out free. But there's a way to fill up those games, courtesy of an idea the Dodgers are doing: for $35, you get a field ticket and all you can eat (hot dogs, nachos, etc). The full details are here: http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/ticketing/allyoucaneat_pavilion.jsp

Disney should *totally* mimic this move. Tourists tend to like all-inclusive deals anyway, and the locals would probably like the economics of this plan.

Candy and Playsets

Not sure how long these have been around, but at Typhoon Lagoon this past weekend I ran into some Disney-branded candy, things like a lookalike for M&Ms or Nestle Crunch bars. They were branded with Mickey and Minnie, Goofy, or Chip and Dale. They also featured both "Disneyland" and "Walt Disney World" lettering on them.

I thought at first this was a good idea. People want candy in the parks, after all, so why not capitalize on that and earn every last cent, not just a tiny percentage of what the candy makers would earn?

But the more I dwelled on the bicoastal branding, the more I disliked it. They've long done branding for both sets of Disney theme parks at the same time, the obvious idea being to reduce costs. But the WHOLE POINT is to make the product unique, isn't it? "Look mom, I bought this because it's unusual. It's not M&Ms... It's Mickeys and Minnies!" Well, the very uniqueness is taken down a notch if the product is available on both coasts, don't you think? It would be a touch more magical still if you bought the candy from Disneyland and it said "Disneyland" on it, don't you imagine?

I used to resent the bicoastal branding because I was on the West Coast, and the bicoastal branding always favors the East Coast. But now as a right-coaster, I still don't like it. I found a set of new PVC figurine toys of the Fab Five this same weekend, and the box had the WDW park icons prominently in the background. Also in the background, off to the side, was the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty Castle.

It's just insulting what they think the public does or doesn't notice.

The one-hour FastPass window at DAK

Two weekends ago, when I visited DAK, I saw the new FastPass tickets in use there. Gone are the thin, square paper versions. Now there's a thick paper version, shaped like a longer rectangle, that closely resembles Disneyland's FP tickets. There's a barcode (no one knows what for, but the privacy implications are troubling), the date stamp is much more visible, and there's more information.

One bit of information is when you can get another one. In my case, I got an early morning Everest FP and saw that although my return time was 3pm, my next FP window would open in an hour. Pleased, I got one an hour later at Safari. Hm. Oddly, that one had a return time in 1.5 hours, but I could get ANOTHER FP in sixty minutes. So when that time arrived, I got a FP for Dinosaur, and suddenly I was the holder of three FastPasses, all of them still yet to mature.

Unless I'm missing something, this is new. It used to be you were capped at the two-hour window, not one hour, and you could only hold two at a time, not three. Disneyland has long had networked and unnetworked machines, meaning locals who knew the system could have an advantage.

At first, I was annoyed by this sudden new complexity. But I thought about it and now I'm not so sure. It could very well be that this new system ends up being tourist friendly, which is what I always advocate (I'm not really an advocate for the locals, despite being one myself). Just how could it be tourist friendly? Because the info on getting another one is clear, large, and well-explained, it's likely tourists will finally take advantage of that. And the one-hour policy means more FP tickets will be gone in the EARLY part of the day, not the later part, and this too is tourist-friendly.

The jury is still out, of course (when is the jury never "out" on the subject of FastPass?!) but this isn't an instant negative. If tourists win, the system could yet prevail. Of course, what tourists want is a central FP bank that you visit at the start of the day at the start of the park. That would mean completely mapping out the day, though, and I'm not in favor of that, even if the tourists want it. The tourists might like gambling and stripper halls too, but I think Disney should avoid giving them some things they might profess to want.

Nemo musical: bye bye Alison, Michael, Vanessa, etc

I hadn't been back to the Nemo musical in months and was in withdrawals. I made it back this weekend to see essentially a whole new cast (thank goodness we caught V. still playing Crush!)

I really miss Alison and Vanessa as Nemo. Apparently, Alison's last day was earlier this week, and she's left Florida. Michael, one of the Bruce actors, quit a few months ago and I didn't even realize it. He'll be missed, too.

Some of the opening-months cast was apparently "on loan" from New York from the beginning, so it's no wonder a few of them have been gone for some time. They had some really great voices, and great timing.

There are still some really strong performers in the Nemo musical, but there are also some new folks who haven't yet gotten the full comedic timing. It'll come. In the meantime, I'm very slightly in mourning for the dazzling show we got in those first few months.

Surveys on tables

At DAK Sunday we saw the usual survey-takers near the turnstiles, including some armed with the customary PDA-type electronic notebook and a stylus. But then we also came across a table set up with some laptop computers, possibly running a locked-down survey program (so you couldn't cruise around the open Internet). We didn't pause to take part, but it looks like they are offering to let folks take surveys by themselves, at their own pace, and without interacting verbally with the CM. Or maybe this was a special survey with a lot more questions?

DDE now tracking drink sales?

At Tusker House yesterday, my Disney Dining Experience (DDE) discount worked a little unusual (first: yes, counter service at DAK gives you a discount, because they don't yet have table service restaurants).

It used to be that the 20% discount was given on one line. But my receipt had two lines. One for DDE Food 20% - and then the amount saved.

The other line said DDE Drink 20% and listed zero as the amount saved.

Mind you, we bought a soda refill and milk, so we did have drinks. I conclude they are now trying to track how much money people are spending (and saving) by buying alcohol with the DDE.

Part of me is worried. Are they looking to curtail benefits? To charge more per year for the card? This bodes ill.

Disney's ballpark = money on the table

John at thedisneyblog recently wrote about the awful lines at the concession stands at Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Well, I was at that same game, and it's worse than he's making it sound. I stood in that line. It was excruciating.

I worked for nine years in a Disney restaurant and know just about everything there is to know about lines. If there's no line, you lose money because passersby don't know there is something worthwhile there, and they just don't stop. And if the line is too long, no one will stand in it.

And if the line is long AND it never moves, you've got a nightmare scenario for customer satisfaction. Not dire enough for you? Then think of this: a quickly-moving line would have meant at least triple the profit for Disney. 300%.

They are leaving money on the table. People were there, they had money, they wanted to buy, but we saw droves simply leave the line.

Stupid, pointless, and asinine. They need to fire someone at Wide World of Sports, pronto. And then work to fix the problem in a permanent fashion. This was one of the worst food experiences I've ever had. Certainly the worst at a Disney establishment.

One more reader email about AbandonedWorld

I don't normally run reader emails in my blog, but I've missed my only chance to recap reader response to AbandonedWorld, and Ruth's email is just so important that I hope Disney reads it anyway:

[begin quote]

I really enjoyed your article on abandoned areas and the reader responses even more. What we have loved about WDW most in the past are 1) the little interesting exhibits and special areas you find tucked away and are delighted to discover, and 2) how absolutely pristine the parks and gardens are. Two years ago we found both wanting. This December, the change was VERY visible. Shut off areas, unclean restrooms, details gone all over the place. It's as if Disney sees their parks as super-themed Great Adventures, with all the emphasis on rides, and nothing more. I don't get it.

My husband and I are middle-aged (58/48). No kids. We typically go to WDW during their slow weeks, book a special room in a deluxe, and dine at the more expensive restaurants. It's a bit of a mental holiday more than anything else, as we can afford to take "real" trips. We never leave the World when we visit. Good customers, right? Little wear 'n tear from us, lots of profit. We looked at each other after our early December visit and decided we don't need to return. We were planning to take our active 75 year old parents with us this year but honestly thought we'd be embarrassed by exposing them to the experience. Now that's sad.

The only thing that would convince us to go back would be a very clear message that Disney was returning to the old standards, or that a Concierge service designed for a true deluxe experience was being offered (I don't need a free box of Cheerios in the a.m. but I do expect turn-down service without having to pick up the phone), or something similar.

Keep up the great writing!

Ruth

Knott's Berry Farm Lecture

Chris Merritt, a historian of Knott's Berry Farm and the creator of a book on Knott's history that still isn't published, but will set the bar for all such books on any topic (not just Knott's) when it does come out, will be holding a presentation about Knott's on May 21.

The audience is the La Crescenta Historical Society, and this is a multimedia presentation. Not to be missed!

Monday, May 21, at 7pm - free admission, open to anyone.

Were I living in LA, I'd be there in a heartbeat. I'm jealous of all of you who get to go!

Tusker House converting to buffet

In August, DAK's counter service Tusker House will close. When it reopens in November, it will be a character meal buffet.

WHY? fans are screaming everywhere. I'll tell you why: this is yet another curse of the Dining Plan. You see, in late summer 2007, the Yak and Yeti will open up, featuring both CS and TS. Aha, people will exult. finally a sit down restaurant in DAK!!! But their excitement will be short lived. What do you mean, this doesn't accept my Disney Dining Plan (it's run by an outside company). They will be peeved.

Knowing this, Disney World is making plans now to create a TS in DAK that *will* be on the DDP. They looked around and saw they couldn't convert Restaurantosaurus, due to the contract with McDonald's. Flame Tree is outdoor only; that won't do for a buffet and TS. So they decided to chop up Tusker House.

Of course it's a mistake. They should have gone after Pizzafari, another indoor restaurant that has lots of seating. Losing that wouldn't be a crime, since the menu is so bland. But losing Tusker House is a major problem.

Blame the Dining Plan.

PhotoPass in the water parks

I don't frequent the water parks in the winter, even though I live here. So the last time I was at BB or TL was in 2006, and back then, when they snapped your photo in the lazy river, they gave you something waterproof to claim the photo later (I think it was a wristband or something). I don't think the PhotoPass system was part of it then.

Now in 2007, I see something different: a little hard plastic square with the PhotoPass artwork on it, a little like a supermarket discount card meant to attached to your keys. I haven't seen this in the (regular) parks too, but is this now what PhotoPass looks like everywhere, rather than a credit-card sized piece of plastic?

New FastPass tickets debut at Everest

For years, WDW has had flimsy, temporary-looking FastPasses on cheap thermal paper, shaped like a square. Disneyland and other Disney parks worldwide use a rectangle, card stock, more artwork and color on their FPs. This week Expedition Everest moved to the Disneyland-style FP, with Dinosaur to follow.

I suppose this is good. WDW had taken the cheap route with the older passes, so any step is a positive step. I'd rather they just did away with FP in the first place, of course.

No more gratuity on the Disney Dining Plan

A message board poster (and WDW CM) heard from a union rep that Disney will remove the included gratuity on the Disney Dining Plan (DDP) starting in January 2008. Yes, this is hearsay. But it has the ring of truth.

Naturally, Disney won't be reducing the price of the plan.

I predicted this months ago when I chronicled the problems the DDP brings to the parks: smaller and more standardized menus, lackadaisical service, very very crowded restaurants. I knew the company would squeeze more money out of the program; it's one of the things they do "best."

The real future of the DDP is on display at Universal Orlando, where the $24 meal deal gets you all you can eat... but it's all fast food, it's all crappy quality, and there is not one guest around in those eateries who is paying out of pocket.

Haunted Mansion "ring" returns

For years, an old queue pole broken off in the cement at the exit walkway to the HM has prompted people to think there's a diamond ring embedded in the ground (folks have invented a backstory about throwing this ring out the window above). It's not true, of course.

In 2006, this ring was cemented over and the area made smooth. A return trip last week showed me a surprise: the cement covering has itself been scraped away, and the "ring" is again visible. I wonder if there's a backstory to this, such as workers at the mansion uncovering what they perceived as a maintenance mistake?

Contemporary North Wing now fully flat

The old north wing of the Contemporary annex building, only a couple stories tall, has been under demolition for some time to make room for the still-unannounced DVC tower (really more a horseshoe than anything else) going in here. The area is now completely flat, and all traces of the former building are gone. The zone has a surprisingly small footprint.

I'm withholding judgment on this one. I've seen the concept art, yes, and my first reaction is to recoil, but I'm still waiting to see what it really looks like.

Stitch attraction - the ending is different?

Is it my memory, or did the cartoon Stitch once crawl around Tomorrowland (specifically, the Astro-Orbiter) at the end of the filmed part of the ride? He now crawls around the castle, but not TL. Was this changed at some point? Maybe when they went to make the ride even more kid-friendly?

FWIW, my four year old has been tall enough for this ride for 13 months, but we've held him off it until now. He was brave and didn't clench up during the dark scenes, but came out not really liking the ride. They should raise the height limit, and shorten the dark scenes. Advice that also works for DAK's Dinosaur, but that's another story.

Wire free on Nemo

Saw a show last week of the Nemo Musical which had no wire work at all. Apparently, this wasn't due to the system breaking down, but a lack of appropriately trained safety personnel. So they did a show without any flying. It was bizarre to see, and surprisingly boring. The performers were good, as always, but apparently a lot of the show's dynamism depends on the action of this one scene.

Intriguinig to think that at one point early on, the designers wanted to make the WHOLE show on wires. That would have been a sight to see.

The futurism of Epcot, now in Downtown Orlando

While at the Orlando Science Center this weekend, I saw a display on inventors of 2006, with little biographies and explanations of the science. Apparently, this was funded by the History Channel, for they'd done this very content as a show. It got me thinking: this kind of hopeful optimism and futurism used to be EXACTLY what Future World was all about. Now, the closest you come is Innoventions, which is just plain sad by comparison. That's what comes of corporate sponsorships. Why not some more inventive alliances, like this very display done by the History Channel? It would fit the theme of Epcot so very much better.

New TV monitors in Backlot Tram Tour

Not sure how many weeks (months?) they've been there, but the prop warehouse of the tram tour now sports monitors looping a series of quick trailers and videos. I've got to wonder about that. Don't people basically blaze through this building anyway?

Of course, I'd rather they let people opt to skip the Harbor Attack scene and go straight to the warehouse. Then I'd be more inclined to ride this thing more often than I do now. And in such a case, you might actually have a line in the prop warehouse, prompting a need for monitors. I can only hope!

Like Magical Express, but for I-Drive

Beth Kassab is reporting that Lynx, the public bus company, will soon operate a shuttle from the airport directly to I-drive. This is like the Disney's Magical Express, a way to bypass limos, taxis, and expensive shuttle services. If you ask me, it's high time. Orlando taxi operators were making a lot of money in the years before DME and now this, and there needed to be alternatives.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-buses1807apr18,0,5542194.story?track=rss

Hide the children: free dining is back

Mouseplanet is reporting that Free Dining is back, for trips beginning at any point between Aug 26 and September 22. Details here. You apparently need to book this quickly, or else it sells out.

You all go enjoy that time. I'm going to HIDE and avoid all the restaurants in that month. I suppose I may swing by to see the madness, photograph the anger. Just need to keep the blood from spattering on my lens. The free dining promotion creates massive chaos.

Reedy Creek and the paramedics

I found out this weekend how strong the presence of Reedy Creek Improvement District's (RCID) emergency personnel at the Disney parks is. Seems they keep one team at DAK and one team at MGM all the time. And they keep two teams at Epcot and MK at all times. While they are themselves EMTs and paramedics, they don't keep ambulances around. They'd call for a real ambulance if they need one. But they do have a cart they can push out into the park. Not a "crash cart" (to revive a dying person) but something to maintain minimal life support, akin to some of the tools around on the ambulance itself.

More fruit at ODF

Outdoor Foods (ODF) carts at Epcot are sporting some pieces of fruit now - I'm thinking of the one outside Electric Umbrella. It's a good trend. More healthy options!

New street signs at Downtown Disney

Noticed a small thing this weekend: the street signs at Downtown Disney, where Buena Vista Dr intersects, aren't there anymore. Now there are boxes that display digital text in their place, I think via small LEDs. At the moment, there merely displayed "TEST TEST" on them, but I assume this gives Disney some flexibility on what to put there, rather than street names. Like if a band is playing that night, maybe they could put it right there on the street sign. Or say House of Blues and place an arrow there. Neat.

WDW hotel expansion

It's been a few weeks since Disney announced to the "real" media that they will expand WDW offerings with a luxury (Four Seasons) hotel and a budget section out on Western Beltway (hotels, shops, dining).

The former is likely a play by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, one of the major DLP investors who is probably demanding reciprocation for him propping Disney up (you see, he's part owner of Four Seasons). And yes, there probably is room on property for ultra luxury. Those customers would come to Disney too.

The budget stuff seems to me a blantant attempt to get people paying Disney and not some unnamed hotel for the budget experience. I said as much when I broke the news about Western Way expansion (and this is one of only two things I can really say I beat every single media outlet on). Disney sees the 192 corridor full of cheap hotels and thinks: "gee, how can we get *their* money too". The problem is, the "cheap" experience is NOT the Disney experience. On the whole, this one is probably bad news. As always, I withhold full judgment until I actually see it, but that doesn't prevent me from guessing. Let's just say my guesses are not as yet very positive.

Year of a Million Video Games

While at DisneyQuest on Saturday with my wife, four year old, and five month old, we were approached by a happy CM wearing the usual DQ outfit. He asked how we were and if we'd been on any rides yet. (They have "rides" in the form of VR simulators, raft simulators, a pirate boat video game in a whole room, etc). We said no, not yet. He offered to backdoor us on every single ride, one after the other, as we took part in a quest for Jack Sparrow's treasure. He'd accompany us on this journey, and at each ride, we'd search for clues for which ride to go on next. At the end there would be booty - I think meaning treats and chocolates and such.

My wife didn't want to - she had the baby strapped on her belly in a "snugli" sling. So we took a pass. It didn't occur to me until later that this may be DQ's version of the Year of a Million Dreams... this is how they make a family's dream come true. Had the kids both been older, we would have jumped at the chance.

Gators at the Park

You may see deer around Walt Disney World. We did, even as tourists. There was a mating pair hanging out in the parking lot for the Ticket and Transportation Center, where there are mild woods around. I also almost ran over a buck more recently on the more-heavily-wooded Western Beltway exit to Disney World, where they are going to build the new value-version of Downtown Disney.

Over in the TTC, I've also seen wild turkeys in the central patch of swamp. That was neat.

But then a couple of weeks ago, I finally saw a live, wild alligator at WDW. You'd think I would see it in the canals that run alongside (and across) the roads. But nope, I saw it within the confines of a theme park. It was just swimming around, loose and carefree, in the central lagoon of DAK (you know, the one between Expedition Everest and Dinoland). It was small - maybe a four footer - but still really neat to see. We were at the Flame Tree BBQ and it was right below us, about ten feet down, and sitting lazily in the water. Cool. I wonder if anyone's ever been bitten by a gator at the parks? Access to that body of water is by and large restricted, but the fences are pretty low-key. If he wanted to, the gator could have found his way to people.

A CGI Dark ride

Tonny S. pointed me toward the new video of "Invincible" by the band Muse. It's a long dark ride in the vein of It's a Small World, though decidedly more violent than the usual Disney ride.

Tonny points out, and I agree, that it's sad Disney can't make dark rides any more, or at least not as often as movie rides.

Here's the video: http://bookish85.vox.com/library/video/6a00cd9700115b4cd500d09e5cad12be2b.html

or try www.muse.mu

T-Rex Cafe photos

Landry's, the restaurant chain behind Rainforest Cafe, is building a T-Rex Cafe in Downtown Disney next. Here are some photos of the kinds of props they are building for the inside: http://www.theeffectslab.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=353&highlight=dinosaur

Another Disney death

A visitor to Walt Disney World's Blizzard Beach water park collapsed of an apparent heart attack Thursday afternoon and later died at a hospital, theme-park officials said.

[snip]

The death is the 10th involving Disney World rides and water-park attractions since late 2004.

The full story here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-disneydeath16x07mar16,0,1626148.story?track=rss

That really gave me pause. Ten deaths in a year and a half?! The vast majority, if not the complete totality, have been due to natural causes and pre-existing conditions. So it's not like Disney safety is to blame.

But look where these people are dying: climbing steps for water parks or after riding roller coasters. These people are NOT dying while riding any "Walt" rides (that is, rides the whole family can go on together). Something I hope they remember. Thrill rides do cause deaths.

Michael Eisner's newest venture

Whatever you do, don't compare Michael Eisner's latest project to Lonelygirl15. Yes, Prom Queen, a web-based serialized soap opera made up of three months' worth of 90-second shorts launching April 2, is aimed at the same tech-toting, YouTube-watching, advertiser-tempting teens. But Eisner insists he's offering viewers far more than a pretty face talking into a camera.

With Vuguru, the new standalone production studio behind Prom Queen, Eisner -- best known for his 20 years at Disney -- hopes to own the realm of made-for-web original programming. He'll do it, he says, by offering what he calls far better storytelling and quality than what's currently found on the likes of YouTube. Oh, and instead of one pretty face, you'll get five, all with scripted lines and post-production cleanup.

The full story on Wired here: http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,72976-0.html?tw=rss.index

National Geographic's take on Orlando and sprawl

Thanks to Chris P. who pointed out to me, by email, a National Geographic article that takes on Orlando's sprawl and how the city really has turned into Disney (and the author doesn't mean that in a good way).

"All over Orlando you see forces at work that are changing America from Fairbanks to Little Rock. This, truly, is a 21st-century paradigm: It is growth built on consumption, not production; a society founded not on natural resources, but upon the dissipation of capital accumulated elsewhere; a place of infinite possibilities, somehow held together, to the extent it is held together at all, by a shared recognition of highway signs, brand names, TV shows, and personalities, rather than any shared history. Nowhere else is the juxtaposition of what America actually is and the conventional idea of what America should be more vivid and revealing. Welcome to the theme-park nation. "

The full article here: http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0703/feature4/

Orlando housing alternative: rent a house instead?

If you are coming to Orlando, or Disney World in particular, you may want to stay on property at one of the Disney World hotels (though I never did this as a tourist myself). However, if you have a large family or if you desire more space than a cramped 400 square foot hotel room, there are other options.

You may know that I write occasional travel articles for OrlandoVacation.com. These folks connect renters and vacationers in the Orlando vacation home business. Such vacation homes have popped up all around Disney World’s main entrance, and there are almost as many vacation homes in Orlando than there are hotel rooms. If you are looking to rent a vacation home or condo near Disney World, you should check out Affordable Travel of Orlando, the parent company of OrlandoVacation.com. They specialize in vacation homes and condos in the Disney World area, and have over 400 vacation homes, condos, and town homes to choose from. Presumably, for any budget too, but check on that to be sure. Their phone number is 1-800-633-7108.

Looking back at my experiences now, I would definitely give the vacation home experience a shot. If you’re going with a group and can use multiple rooms, you’d be surprised by how much money you can save using a house instead of a hotel room.

New Disney Cruise Line Ships

Disney Announces Expansion of Successful Cruise Business
Two New Ships will More than Double Passenger Capacity

The Walt Disney Company plans to expand its successful cruise business by adding two new ocean liners, President and CEO Bob Iger announced today. Scheduled to launch in 2011 and 2012, the ships will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line® to meet the sustained demand for Disney's family cruise vacations.

The new 122,000-ton cruise liners will be two decks taller than the existing 83,000-ton ships, the Disney Magic® and the Disney Wonder®. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms. Specific design plans and itineraries for the yet-unnamed ships are still in development and will be unveiled at a later date.

A trip to Pleasure Island

It's been some time since I've stepped foot in Pleasure Island. Last time I was there, they were finishing the new bridge from the West Side, but the old one was still there. A walkway low to the water, going under the bridge, was down to its pylons and looked weird. A shop in the middle of the district was boarded up.

That shop was since torn down and rebuilt, though it looks similar to my mind's eye. The new bridge is all there is; there is no trace of the old bridge. (This was changed out to make the way across districts fully wheelchair accessible; the old bridge ended in a set of stairs while the new bridge slants upward).

The big change, though, is the removal of the stage next to that torn down building (there is still a stage over by the bridge and the comedy club). In its place is a new open area that leads to a boat stop. Yes, the boat that runs from House of Blues to Rainforest Cafe now has a stop in Pleasure Island, though only in the HOB to Rainforest direction, not vice versa. Was this boat stop always here? I rather fancy not.

Mysterious Dirt Roads in WDW

For the last several months, I've noticed some dirt roads off to the sides of several main roads (World Drive, Osceola Parkway). There's a 99% chance this is routine, nothing to get worked up about, maybe even something there for ages. But I could swear they weren't there a few years ago.

My best guess is that they provide a path for heavy-duty construction vehicles, so they don't have to travel on the Guest roads (and cause delays). Why they NEED heavy vehicles is another interesting question. Again, it's probably routine. Fixing overpasses and the like. But I did want to report on the dirt roads all the same.

Random Nemo and Pirates observations

There's a new (well, three weeks old) merch cart hiding in Future World West, between Character Connection and Innoventions West. It's dedicated only to pirates merchandise, which has about as much to do with Future World's mission as Spider-Man does with global warming. I don't like it. Disney always identifies trends late and then jumps WAY too deeply into them. Just think of how they overkilled "Who Wants to be a Millionaire." They will tire the audience out with this if they aren't careful. Which they aren't being.

Over at Nemo (the Epcot ride, not the DAK musical), there's been damage already. On week two of the attraction, someone had punched a hole in the painted and themed wall near the entrance door. That, I'm pleased to say, got patched up promptly. But at the loading dock a few weeks later, one of the beautiful etched glass "windows" from the queue to the loading belt (it's a knee level and below) has been replaced by a plain board. Apparently it shattered quite badly. I didn't get to hear if this was done maliciously.

What I care about is that it's taking so long to replace this. I do desperately hope they ARE replacing it...

Now then, the other Nemo observation: while I like this ride a lot, it occurred to me right from the beginning that the characterizations and motivations are "off" somewhat. Think about it: the storyline here is that Nemo has run away "again". Let's forget for a moment that Nemo didn't run away in the movie, and let's focus on Nemo hiding just out of sight for several scenes in this ride, and giggling like a kid getting away with something. In short, the designers made him an undisciplined brat in this ride. That's not the Nemo we knew in the movies. Nemo was many things, but a "playful jerk" wasn't one of them. Yet this drives the whole action of the ride.

I could go on. Just how does Bruce know Nemo's name? Why should Nemo listen to Crush rather than all other characters, and finally return home? Why do we see Nemo, Marlin, and Dory TWICE at the end, as projections on two different scenes? But mostly I'm annoyed that Nemo is basically out of character.

Disney hotels in non-Disney locations?

There's some precedence for Disney having a hotel in an area remote from the theme parks; namely, the DVC resorts at Hilton's Head and other locations (some not yet built). But Rasulo announced this week that they may be looking to export the Disney hotel concepts to "other" cities.

Just plop down the Polynesian resort in Chicago, say, or the Wilderness Lodge in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. Would that work? Would it succeed or fail? To be honest, I can't say off the bat. It's too funky a concept to be sure that it WOULD work (or, for that matter, it's too funky to say for sure that it would fail). I have to wrap my mind around it.

My heart tells me the Disney brand name will work to lure people in, and they'll do this kind of much-more-affordable vacation than traveling all the way to Orlando. Sounds good for Disney, doesn't it? But it wouldn't be so good if the result is merely cannibalizing their Orlando (and to a lesser extent, Anaheim) visitor base.

That, in fact, would be disastrous. So let's hope that they build a test one somewhere, and it FAILS. Because otherwise, the parks will suffer in yet another not-so-visible way. Rasulo and gang really are all about diminishing the theme park experience, bit by magical bit. It's all about raiding the brand. Short term profit over long term viability. Sadly, we've seen all this before.

Refillable sipper cups at Disney

Busch and Universal parks have them. Heck, Cypress Gardens has them. So why doesn't WDW have those souvenir sipper cups you can buy once and get cheap refills on?

There's the coffee rumor (keep your cup all day and refill for free; it's semi-true but I find it uncouth). And there's the resort mug, which really is good for the length of your trip. But no sipper?

Well, there is a sipper, and I always forget about it. It's only at DAK. Refills are a bargain rate $1.00 (I think) and I just recalled recently that I used to have like two of these sippers. Both are now missing, so I should buy one. These days I spend a lot of time at DAK, and those soda prices add up.

Turtle Talk, Take 2

Turtle Talk is moving to another "pod" in the Seas; that much has been known. Kitty-corner to its current location is a closed off pod, top level and bottom level, that was obviously going to be the queue for the attraction - the idea is to get people and those switchbacks out of the middle of the room. And it's a good idea.

But where's the theater to be? A friend explained it would be where they used to show the movie "The Seas" (back when this was still The Living Seas and a Nemo-free pavilion). That confused me. Said theater, I thought, was on the OTHER side of the new queue built for the Nemo ride. Were they going to use a catwalk to get Crush guests over the Nemo queue?

Thanks to another friend (Mr. B!) I finally learned what's going on: the Crush theater is right next to the pods being reconfigured. Apparently, there were once TWO theaters for the Seas movie. The one to be undemolished for Nemo (and to be used for Crush) had been out of commission since the mid-90s, which explains why I forgot about it. So there's no need to cross the Nemo line at all.

Things are progressing on this attraction. A few weeks ago, I noticed a temporary wall separating Nemo and the Crush area had been replaced by a permanent wall, whose placement also makes managing wheelchairs easier on the Nemo attraction.

Some WDW restaurant happenings

You may know that I'm the author of the Unofficial Dining Guide to Walt Disney World 2007, a book with current menus and prices at WDW restaurants. As a result, I'm doing my utmost to stay plugged in to the happenings at WDW eateries.

There's always a lot going on. At DAK's Asia, you have Ying and Yak replacing the fries shop and the quick service Asian food. At DtD, Landry's is opening T-Rex, a concept I'm really looking forward to (they are being coy about where, exactly, the building is to go. Or if it's replacing something already there). At the Swan, Il Mulino will soon open, replacing an older table service concept named Palio.

Rehabs continue all the time. Teppanyaki in Japan is down for four months this spring, as is 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian this fall.

The Concourse Steakhouse will close this spring, and Chef Mickey will expand. Meanwhile, the food court downstairs at the Contemporary will be removed, and an Asian Fusion place named the Wave will take its place. I'm looking forward to that one.

Here's a minor decline by degrees related to restaurants: they used to give away a free lithograph when you ate inside Cinderella's castle for dinner (lunch was a plastic wand for girls or sword for boys). Now they just give out the wand or sword for all meals. Le sigh.

No 25th for Epcot

Brad Rex has said in an online interview that Epcot will *not* celebrate its 25th anniversary in any meaningful way, though workers may hear something about it from time to time. This is more than a shame; it borders on a crime. John at the Disney Blog is trying to organize an online movement to convince Disney to re-think this, and I wish they would.

Presumably, no one wants to overshadow Jay's lame Year of a Million Dreams. Just about anything would be better than the YOAMD, though. Don't you think?