WEDway Joe

Timeless Tuesday: May 17, 2011

2011-05-18T00:12:00.001-04:00

[Editor's Note: Apologies for skipping a week. Evidently there was some stability issue kerfuffle with Blogger...but I didn't even notice as I had forgot. Please don't spank me...too hard...]

KUNGALOOSH!

(photo taken by JoeZer - click on image to enlarge)

Never to be forgotten by those who visited within her spirited environs... I'm sure we all know the following by heart...

The Club Creed

We climb the highest mountains,

just to get a better view.

We plumb the deepest oceans,

cause we're daring through and through.

We cross the scorching deserts,

martini in our hands.

We ski the polar ice caps,

in tuxedo looking grand.

We are reckless, brave, and loyal,

and valiant to the end.

If you come in here a stranger,

you will exit as a friend.

~Merriweather Adam Pleasure

Club Founder 1927

* * * * * * * * *

Marching along we're adventurers

Singing the song of adventurers

Up or down

North, south, east, or west,

An Adventurer's life is best.

KUNGALOOSH!!

~JoeZer

Timeless Tuesday: May 3, 2011

2011-05-03T16:07:00.001-04:00

photo taken by JoeZer, June 3, 2005 at 7:30pm

Yes...this is the picture that the blog banner for WEDwayJoe was inspired by. Like many of the pictures I have taken, this one is one of those where the timing was just right and the image demanded to be captured for posterity.

A thunderstorm had recently moved through the Disney Hollywood Studios area (then, Disney-MGM Studios) and the day had been nearing sunset. The mix of clouds and setting sun at evening twilight made for this image in the skies as I was waiting for the tram to whisk me back towards where I had parked that day.

Nature has her way to remind you she can still amaze...

~JoeZer

New Post Category for WEDway Joe: Timeless Tuesday

2011-05-03T15:55:00.000-04:00

Got the idea, thanks to following @floridamingo on the twitters, to do a weekly scheduled photo post. Her's, and a couple of others, are called "Wordless Wednesdays". With me, there's always a tidbit of a story behind the pictures I take and there may come times I'll opt to share that with you, the readers. Other times I may not as the proverbial saying can be true..."A picture is worth a thousand words."

Enjoy...

~JoeZer

WDW Trips from 2010: Did I Really Go Four Times?

2010-12-29T04:10:00.002-05:00

Yeah...I really need to scrape the dust, rust and corrosion off of this blog. I think it has gone beyond just taking a damp cloth to remove the e-dust. Been long enough where I may have to rely on an e-sandblaster or some such.

Two-thousand ten, I think, has been a year where I’ve been to the WDW parks in Orlando more in one year since I moved up to the Atlanta area from my hometown of Bradenton, Florida. At least if you count the raw number of days spent in "the World" as my trips this year lasted anywhere from three to five or six days each for park time.

There is one thing about going to the parks that still proves true for myself: I have a better time there when I have friends/loved ones there with me to share in the experience. If I am there alone I am more apt to "get lost in my own head" while wandering around.

For some, this is not a bad thing...roaming the parks alone. I fully understand the concept of being able to follow your own path/choices on what to do when and using the "single rider" queue whenever possible. However, for me, I’ve been plenty enough times where I’ll just begin people watching, hearing the cheerful cries and laughter of young children, and taking pictures. This feeling of "sharing is caring" really came to play during my first two trips this year: June and August.

June I was in "the World" around the first weekend during an "unofficial" event known as GayDays as well as it being during Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I had friends to hang with from the Atlanta area, Dallas, Texas as well as from right within Central Florida. Things conspired, as they do, where we would often be following our own agendas from time to time which left me in that wandering alone state. Boredom set in (I know? I’m in WDW and I’m bored?? WTF??) and I began feeling a bit let down.

A kind and sweet highlight was being in the Magic Kingdom the same day that park management decided to use as a "sneak preview" of not only the return engagement of the Main Street Electrical Parade but also the "Summer Nightastic" fireworks display. Getting to see the Electrical Parade again after nine years since the previous time was still bittersweet for me...and possibly not for the reason(s) you think...or maybe possibly. (Trust me...I have an entire blog post burbling about that. Just need to work through and make it cohesive.)

The Tower of Terror under gloomy skies

Rose Garden at Magic Kingdom (aka: former queue for the Swan Boats)

August happened as almost a last-minute kind of trip for me. This one was the shortest of all four trips I took. It came about as two of my cousins from New Jersey were headed down to Orlando with their immediate families and I wanted to catch some time with them. Was able to save some travel costs thanks to a friend who let me crash at his place during my stay; however, I think that was a wash on the expenses as it turned out my cousins were there for Universal Studios this time and weren’t planning on doing any of the WDW parks.

I don’t have anything against Universal. Not in the least. I enjoy their parks quite well. Was just the unplanned expense of getting a pass to enter Islands of Adventure on the day we all planned to hang out as their kids were anxious to do the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction (before they began modifying the Kuka arm ride vehicles for those of us with girthier bodies). I can say that I was nicely surprised by how well the theme, detail and immersion is once you are in the Hogsmeade section of the park.

One of the many views within the Harry Potter area of US-IOA

This trip, aside from the jump over to Universal, I was basically all by myself at the WDW parks. So, I just idly wandered and began snapping photos of the architecture in the parks. Ehh...what can I say?

October was the next time I ventured down to WDW. This time, my friend and WDW-padawan Kevbot was going to be along for the excursion. We were there for the first week as it encompassed my birthday. I enjoy sharing experiences with him as he is still rather "new" to the WDW parks. Having him around allows me the chance to play the "old sage" and usually say silly things starting with "I remember when..." while we roam the parks together.

Through him and his enthusiasm I have found myself peeking in on things happening in the "Disney Parks Fan Community" as it were. Kevbot is not so much as an "enabler" as he is the one to jump in with both feet which finds me in the splash zone from time to time. One portion of the DizComm he has been following is the TouringPlans.com group and their mobile app known as "Lines" (an app that helps the user determine how best to make their way around the WDW parks by providing them estimated wait times, crowd levels, etc). During our time in WDW this trip, some of the staffers of TouringPlans.com were also in "the World" and had announced a meet-up they were hosting.

Kevbot attended their meet-up while I opted to take a break and rest a bit. Lo and behold, he made a few new friends right then and there (and he claims he was scared to go to it thinking he’d not know anyone and would feel out of place...sillyKevbotissilly). I got to meet a good few of these people, this Crew, later that evening during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: Kristen H, Kimber K, Stevie B, Scarlett L, Megan A and a few others whom I’m not really sure from then but believe we’ve all swapped Twitter handles by now.

We, Kevbot and I, even garnered an invite the next day to spend time later in the evening for drinks at Bay Lake Tower. Evidently, they took to me well enough where I was made part of the Crew family that evening while we all christened the Canoodle Hole at the Top of the World lounge atop Bay Lake Tower.

Color me flattered...here I am, just someone who would normally just amble about along his way at the parks not worried about being "part of" any particular set of fans or groups of like mind and I am thought of as "one of us". The evening at the Canoodle Hole was something I needed. A chance to make some new friends...collapse in fits of laughter...and just being in the moment.

A birthday cupcake after breakfast at Kona Kafe

Kevbot being silly in the BouTiki at the Polynesian Resort

One thing I got to do for the first time this October trip was the evening Extra Magic Hours for Animal Kingdom. My, the park is beautiful during onset of twilight and evening. Also, riding Expedition Everest after dark makes it easier to see the Yeti animatronic; believe it or not.

I also got to find out that the enhancement that was put in place for the Haunted Mansions’ stretching rooms actually lasted longer than I thought. I enjoy the plussing that has been done to the audio used in that sequence and always hang back to hear it. What I didn’t know is that instead of just the audio playing and going "indistinct" then fading out before being reset for the next batch of guests there is a definitive end to it where one of the ghostly voices grows a bit out of the indistinct "noise" and can be heard whispering "Get out" to anyone still lingering in the stretching room. For that, I thank the castmember who saw me linger and nod my head happily listening to the audio and then asking me if I had ever heard the entire thing. I replied to her that I didn’t know there was more and she motioned for me to stay and hear the rest of it.

This trip was also Kevbot’s first chance to see the Main Street Electrical Parade. Watching him and his ever increasing levels of exuberance and giddiness during it kept the bittersweets at bay for me. Instead of my mind rolling back to when I’d be viewing the parade with my late-mother next to me I got to share a parade that is special to me and my childhood with a friend who became instantly enamored with it.

The truly tender moment of this trip, though, was when during dinner at the 50’s Prime Time Café Kevbot pulled a simple, wrapped gift out of his backpack for me. I unwrapped it to see it was a photobook he had made for me using pictures taken of our previous shared trips to WDW together. On the frontispiece he titled the book he created for me "Joe & Kev Love Disney World". If that little stinker didn’t know I was a sentimental sap before, he found out pretty well at that moment.

Sometimes it isn’t just about "being in the parks" with those you enjoy in your Life. It’s the small, quiet moments where those people and you come together that can be the most special.

December...ah, December. Kevbot and I again, this time we had booked and made plans to partake in an event called Reunion. It is a small gathering of Disney Park community fans where there were some meet-ups and special gatherings. After Kevbot and I mentioned our October trip to friends far and wide, an old acquaintance of mine now in San Diego had his curiosity piqued.

Paul had met Kevbot earlier in 2010 during Kevbot’s first ever trip to Disneyland. Paul, as I’ve come to find out, has been as big a fan of WDW as I am and became intrigued as to possibly returning to WDW one day. Kevbot and I both replied to Paul that he should consider December with us.

Getting Paul added to our booking was easy enough. (Bless the staff with MousefanTravel.com for their assistance with that.) Intermingled with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the events/meet-ups for Reunion and just roaming about the parks I got to enjoy getting to know Paul and the Crew better; plus feeling even more a part of the "inside jokes" and camaraderie. And, can I say, sharing hugs with the likes of Kristen H and Scarlett L can make one feel like family.

Cinderella Castle all lit up for the Christmas holiday

The Osbourne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios

Made a few more Crew friends during December/Reunion: KChristine, Caroline B, Susan C, ErinSpice, Deanna S, Elizabeth & Colin O and probably many others whose names and Twitter handles escape me at the moment. To say that my circle of friends has been broadened in 2010 might be an understatement...and through these people there are others who I am coming to know via Twitter only so far. And it continues...

Four trips, one year, four parks...

What other experiences are waiting for me there? Time only knows what each excursion-yet-to-be will contain.

~JoeZer

(photos taken by JoeZer)

Playing with Pictures...

2010-03-10T23:43:00.009-05:00

So...as my friend Kev can attest, I've been in need of a new hobby since I've been dabbling with a couple of image processing apps that I've acquired and uploaded to my iPhone, Ianto.

From the files of "Gone, but not forgotten": this picture is of one of the ride vehicles (subs) from the extinct 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction that was part of Fantasyland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom in Florida. I'm not sure if it was photographed by Disney staffers though it looks like a "planned" shot possibly for promotional materials. I snerched the picture from a twitter user I follow (@wdwfacts) recently...

Growing up I quite enjoyed this attraction. Yeah...there was a touch of cheesiness to it...but still I liked it. When I came across the image in the twitter feed mentioned above, it was part of that day's "Wayback Machine" photos that they've started putting up and out on the interwebzzes. A clankity-clank jumbled in my brainpan and I got the notion to filter it to more of a steampunkier feel...or, at least, a sense of something more Verne-ian in vintage...

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I'm also noodling with the idea to do an arty crop of thie sepia'd version and adding text to it as the thought upon seeing the "after" I knobbled together could very well work as a banner for the WEDwayJoe entries where I look at experiences about the WDW parks from the far-flung past...

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I'd enjoy seeing the reactions to the "before" and "after"...if you have a mind to spare a moment...

~JoeZer

Blowing the Dust

2010-02-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

Greetings, All. JoeZer of WEDwayJoe here...

I know it seems an interminable time has passed since I last cast light on my WDW/Disney blog here. For that, I am sorry.

I can assure you that it hasn't been from a lack of things to write about. In fact, I have about a dozen or so items back-logged to write and get posted up in here. A few of them may now seem "dated" due to the amount of time that has passed...however, I owe it to not only myself but to YOU to publish the items.

Thank you for your patience and for bearing with me...

~JoeZer

- Posted via Ianto, my handy iPhone.

Test of interface

2009-11-20T21:30:00.001-05:00

I know things here have been quiet...lots of entries backing up here at the desks of WEDwayJoe.

Know that we are still here...and now testing a mobile app that should make for live posts where ever I am.

~JoeZer

- Posted via Ianto, my handy iPhone.

Pin Chasing – Ellie’s Grape Soda bottlecap from UP

2009-08-03T21:31:00.004-04:00

Every once in a while I’ll go poking around on Disney’s Official Pin-Trading website as they will list new and upcoming pins. I do that to see if there is anything coming out that catches my eye and/or bellows in loud, authoritative tones “YOU. MUST. BUY. ME.” Having those reactions can happen either for ones that I like or pins I think somebody else might enjoy…or both.

A quick side-step here about me. Yes, I do collect items. As a general rule, though, I do not “chase” after every single piece in any particular “line” that one can build collections out of. More often than not, my eye is caught by unique or interesting pieces in the range of choices or items that have some level of deeper meaning for me. To look around my home, you might come away saying that my tastes are “eclectic”.

But...back to pins...

This particular time in early June of this year I was poking around the pin-trading website and noticed one of the pins being released in conjunction with Pixar’s movie, UP.

The grape soda pop bottle cap that Ellie and Carl use to show they belong to the same adventurer’s club. The pin also takes on a more symbolic meaning over the course of the story. It gains a sentiment and the weight of emotional value that follows it as it is passed from one character to another...from Ellie to Carl, and then from Carl to Russell. The bottlecap badge came to represent a shared dream that had gone long unfulfilled. For a while, the dream looked to have been lost when it actually had just lain dormant waiting to be dusted off and the embers re-lit.

As I looked over the release date, details and location for this pin I should have known to jump on it the day it was being released. The batch size was set at 300 copies and the release point was the Disney Soda Shop and Studio Store next to the El Capitan Theater in Los Angeles. One thing that held me back was that I was not sure if the staff at the shop would be able to accept purchases over the telephone or not. By the time I took the chance to find out the pin had sold out.

While talking with the Castmember she relayed a couple of anecdotes about the Grape Soda Pop Bottle Cap pin:

A couple of people who purchased the pin when it first came out wore them when they went to Disneyland and they were fending off people asking where they found the pin; which caused an in-flux of buyers stopping by the store.

Castmembers manning the counters at the soda shop reported that a few Girl Scouts had come in and purchased the pin as well...to wear on their uniform with their merit badges (...I completely and totally <3 those girls for this idea)

Yet, with the small disappointment with not being able to buy one for myself, I did make note to keep the telephone numbers for the Disney Soda Shop and Studio Store handy as they will gladly accept telephone orders and arrange shipping of purchases. See...a silver lining to this can be found.

Since that time I have, for the sake of this entry, looked online in eBay just to see if the grape soda bottle cap pin has hit the resell market yet. From what I can see, it is beginning to trickle in to the reselling aftermarket segment. I’ve also found it priced there as quite a collector’s item anywhere from $50 to $300 depending on the source offering it.

Along with the aftermarket resellers, I have also noted a few sources offering “non-Disney” knock-off versions of the bottle cap in not only the grape flavor, but also cherry, orange and lemon-lime. Now, these have been constructed by loving fans with a safety pin, making it look more authentic to the film though still not officially licensed by Disney/Pixar. How the quality comes across in the final product, I do not know at this time.

Still...it would have been neat to have been able to get my hands on one...or two...or three (the extras to gift to special friends, of course...).

~JoeZer

Top Ten (and then some) Pieces of Music from WDW

2009-06-17T23:58:00.006-04:00

Howdy all...your pal Joe here with Kev (of Expeditions KEVerest) right at hand...

A while back, one of our favorite podcasts, WDW Radio, did a whole show about their top ten favorite Disney attraction theme songs. Now, being a fan of Disney attractions, lists, and podcasts, Kevbot was enthralled. So enthralled, in fact, that he emailed me, his pal in all things Disney and asked if I’d be interested in doing a cross-post entry about just that topic.

When Kev next heard from me, I had compiled my list – with commentary! – and was only waiting for him to compile his. Which he, um, kind of dragged his feet on (with justifiable reasons). Until now!

What follows is the closest Kev and I can textually render a podcast dialogue experience for all you good readers. Strap in, hold on to your hats and glasses, and enjoy: Our Top Ten Disney Attraction Theme Songs!

Where I opted to just go for more of an overall approach going for pieces that stick out in my mind or have stayed with me over the years/decades, Kev went all numbered-listy on us creating an actual ranking for himself. Now, though I have the breadth of park history behind me going back to late-71/early-72 I’ve been a bad Joezer in not really paying attention to the songs/music used in DHS and AK (go ahead and spank me).

Since Kev went through the extra effort to creating his rankings, we'll start off with his and go from there...

It certainly looks like we have a few overlapping choices though, Kev. Pardon my interjections as we look through our selections… *wink*

This one's a doozy...so make sure to visit the restroom first, then grab a cool drink and find a spot to get comfy...

KEV’S SELECTIONS:

10. “Hapa Duniani” – Kilimanjaro Safaris, Animal Kingdom

When compiling my list, I tried to cast my net wide and include all the parks. I was only mostly successful, as we’ll see. A fair bit of this song plays during the Kilimanjaro Safaris, and it’s always this nice bit of calm in between the driver’s patter and the theming of the ride (which I like, but “Come in, Simba-1!” can get a little much.) I’d like to try to hear this on the safari at sunset someday; it seems like it would fit in well.

9. “it’s a small world” – “it’s a small world,” Magic Kingdom

I worry that most of my picks come from the Magic Kingdom, which has a few advantages over the other parks. For one, it’s the one that closest resembles Disneyland, which had a lot of these rides and their attendant theme songs in place as classics decades before Disney World even opened. For another, because of the nature of the park itself – more like being in a movie than any of the other parks, even Hollywood Studios – it lends itself more toward theme music.

A part of me thought I was picking “it’s a small world” simply because it’s a classic. But the truth is, despite its bad rap, I actually really like it. People rag on it because it’s sappy, but I’m not sure “it’s a world of laughter, a world of tears / it’s a world of hope, it’s a world of fear”? The Sherman Brothers – a big-time successful music duo Walt favored – concocted this one, and what a lasting concoction it was.

Joe: I had thought of this one…even contemplating listing it as an “Honorable Mention” for my selections. It would have been for the historical aspect of it as “it’s a small world” was developed for a World’s Fair before it appeared in Disneyland and later, Walt Disney World. However, I elected to pass on it. I’m happy to see that it is being recognized, though.

8. “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” – Carousel of Progress/Horizons, Magic Kingdom, Epcot

More Sherman Brothers. I actually love this song on the Carousel of Progress, and the different iterations it goes through as the carousel goes through different twentieth-century American eras. (For awhile, it was replaced with “Now Is the Time,” my friend Mark’s least favorite bit of music ever, excepting Genesis’s “I Can’t Dance.”)

But my favorite version of this was actually in the defunct Epcot attraction Horizons – the Carousel’s sequel attraction – which I sadly never visited. I’ve seen ride-throughs, though, and there’s a moment where you see a TV screen featuring a gentleman singing this one in an old-timey big-band style. It’s similar to the first iteration on the Carousel, but sung solo. It’s terrific.

Joe: The Carousel of Progress is definitely a classic; another attraction that Walt developed for a World’s Fair that was saved and given a home at WDW in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. With this one, my inclusion of it was based on how the music has stayed with me over the years (going back to when ticket booklets were in use at the Magic Kingdom). Now, I know that, technically, there are two pieces of music or songs that have been used for Carousel of Progress: “Now is the Time” and “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow”. Me? I guess you could say that I’m a “Now is the Time” fan as it’s been the only one of the two I’ve heard in use. It’s a simple yet catchy melody and lyrics with the music style easily melding from one time period to the next as you traveled around from one scene to another. The upbeat, optimism extolled with Now is the time, now is the best time, now is the best time of your life… as the electrical age began, grew and evolved enticed you to bounce your foot in time and sing along.

Kev: I suppose I don’t know “Now Is the Time” well enough. I’ve only heard “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” at the Carousel, so I don’t have the personal connection that you do. That said, I want to hear it more now!

7. “Soarin’” – Soarin’, Epcot

Composer Jerry Goldsmith created this rousing theme, changing mood and tone with each shift in the scenery, while keeping it a cohesive whole. It’s actually no surprise that I like this as much as I do – Goldsmith did both the Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager theme songs. Soarin’ is one attraction where the theme song is completely integral to the experience; if it hadn’t been as good as it is, it would have sunk the attraction.

Joe: I can easily agree with this…though I’d also be happy in Soarin’ with just hearing the sounds of nature as we drifted through each scene.

6. “Grim Grinning Ghosts” – The Haunted Mansion, Magic Kingdom

I love this classic – yes! – Sherman Brothers song in part because you don’t entirely realize that it’s playing throughout the whole attraction unless you really listen. Another part of why I love it so much is that Thurl Ravenscroft, my favorite Disney voice artist (and voice of Tony the Tiger), has a very pronounced part in the song. But most of the reason why I love this is that I liked the song years before I knew any other Disney theme songs. Barenaked Ladies did a cover of it a long time ago, and I listened to it over and over, nearly a decade before I ever went to the parks.

Joe: Ahhh, yes…The Haunted Mansion. Its soundtrack begins setting the tone outside with sounds of gusting winds, wolves howling and thunder strikes. Inside, it changes over to soft music played in a minor key that continues through the attraction. When you get to that attic scene and the music shifts to a sinister twist on “Here Comes the Bride”…a piece of music we’re all used to hearing, but played in a minor chord influencing the mood. After the exit from the attic we’re now partying away with the ghostly and ghoulish denizens of the cemetery singing “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. Unlike you, Kev…I didn’t know BNL did a cover of “Grim Grinning Ghosts”. But, I do have an audio “walk-through” of sorts of the attraction to listen too on dark stormy nights alone.

5. “Bear Band Serenade” – The Country Bears Jamboree, Magic Kingdom

There are so many songs to choose from in Country Bears. “Tears Will Be the Chaser for Your Wine” is probably the best song, and there’s no doubt that “Blood on the Saddle” is the absolute funniest. (Liver-Lips McGrowl scares me.) But I love this one because it introduces the Bear Band, and it’s fun and funny without going over the top. Plus, Henry’s singing along!

Joe: Ok, Kev…it’s getting creepy how we’re aligning with our attraction choices here. Country Bear Jamboree – another classic that gets people clapping, stomping their feet and singing along.. The sounds are down-home folksy country and bluegrass. The lyrics encourage both singing along and laughing. The show closes with a crescendo to a heck of a hoedown for all the family to enjoy. “Blood on the Saddle” and the lament of the three girl cubby bears are upper stand outs for me in a show full of catchy ditties.

Kev: My favorite part about them is the film-strip that plays out behind them. It’s SO 70s and hilarious. Doodle-doodle-doodle-do, bom bom!

4. “Star Tunnel” – Space Mountain, Magic Kingdom

Hands-down the most relaxing music in all of Walt Disney World. You don’t think of a theme park – and especially a turbulent roller coaster – as being a place you can go to relax, but this queue music subtly captures the essence of the calm silence of space. At the same time, the electronic beats make it seem futuristic, putting it squarely in the theming of Tomorrowland. Also, it almost – almost – seems meandering, unless you listen closely. There’s definitely a song structure going on here, and it’s wonderful to pick up on.

Joe: Ok…the creepy, shared-brain thing is ramping up, y’know. This one is a great atmospheric piece: the queue line music for Space Mountain. Here, you’re in the dark for the most part…light coming from blue shaded lamps or different astronomic photographs of starscapes. What should be a nerve-wracking wait – underground – in dim lighting – wondering what was at the other end is tempered by the soft tones and wandering melodies of the electronic music (WDW doing “new age” before it the term was even considered as a musical genre…at least in a mainstream sense).

3. “Golden Dreams” – The American Adventure, Epcot

Call me jingoistic if you want, but this song at the end of the American Adventure show in the United States pavilion brings me to tears every single time. Part of it, obviously, is the images of American history playing out across the screen, but a lot of it has to do with the song itself – patriotic without being campy or sounding square.

Joe: Agreeing again I am.

Kev: Are you Yoda?

Joe: Please...do I look green and two feet tall? I'm actually his younger, hairier, more handsome cousin twenty-three times removed from his great-grandmother's college roommate side.

Kev: I see your Schwartz is as big as mine!

Joe: “Golden Dreams”, the closing piece to the presentation in the American Adventure and its sweeping orchestrations, pictures and videos of historic elements, rousing lyrics…gives me chills sometimes.

2. “If We Can Dream It, We Can Do It,” Horizons, Epcot

Extinct attraction Horizons once again steps up to the plate. And how can it not? A completely sincere, straightforward message about how dreams can come true if we believe in them enough … and work hard at making them realities. “Today holds the challenge to make the world a better place to be!” it goes, “New Horizons for you and me!” And then the chorus of children singing the title riff, followed by “Yes we can! Yes we can!” An absolutely brilliant song about reaching your own potential, for yourself and for the world. God, I wish I’d been able to ride Horizons.

Joe: Another piece that had a hook in its message. Here, the song played to our sense of wonder and hope at what the future might bring and solidified that feeling with using a children’s choir – the voices of our future, in a way – all coming together in the chorus refrain of “Yes we can, yes we can.” And, I’m really not surprised, nor creeped with the shared-brain-ness, about both of us listing this one since I was the mad scientist that gave birth to the Horizons-love-monster in you.

1. “How Do You Do?” – Splash Mountain, Magic Kingdom

With all the songs on Splash Mountain – especially “Zip-a-Dee-Dooh-Dah” and “Everybody’s Got a Laughing Place” – this one has stiff competition. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that this is the first one you hear on the ride, or maybe it’s just the folksy sweetness of it. How do you do? Pretty good, sure as you’re born! Plus, it sets up the whole story of the ride, where Br’er Rabbit announces his adventure, declaring, “I’m looking for a little bit of fun now!” Although there are ominous signs, with the critters singing “he’s heading for trouble one of these days.” Absolutely the perfect way to launch into one of the best attractions in all of Disney World.

Runners-Up:

Some quick thoughts about songs I didn’t pick.

“A Pirate’s Life For Me” – From Pirates of the Caribbean. Love it, but not quite enough to make the top ten.

Joe: Pirates of the Caribbean made it to the main part of my selections. Like the Magic Kingdom, Pirates has been a dear old friend for me – classic in feel – and has music that makes pirating feel fun. The bouncing beat, the flow of the words in the lyrics, the simple and catchy melody line…it all adds up to fun skipping music while you swing your sword around.

“Everybody’s Got a Laughing Place” – An extremely close runner-up for “How Do You Do?” as my favorite song from Splash Mountain

“We’ll Meet Again” – The spooky Vera Lynn version that plays outside the Tower of Terror sometimes. I made a rule not to include pre-existing songs, but this one would have been a great representation of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Joe: Like you, this was the only attraction in DHS that stood out for me. For me, it’s all in how the music in the queue line sets up the atmosphere for the attraction. Outside as you wind your way along the paths through overgrown foliage and misty air there’s haunting jazz era pieces lightly playing. To help set the mood of a dilapidated, potentially haunted, building the music is in a minor key mixing the feel that this used to be a grand place while adding a darker element to the glamour that has long since faded (boy howdy that’s a run-on sentence). How and why that is? Well…that’s for the Guests to find out, right?

“Celebrate You” – This brand-new song plays during the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Parade at the Magic Kingdom. There’s a version of it by Corbin Bleu from High School Musical, but I like the one that plays at the park. I didn’t include it because a parade isn’t really an attraction, per se.

“Shenendoah” – Which also brings me to tears. This is done a capella, sometimes, by the Voices of Liberty, the group that sings preceding the American Adventure. This is one of my favorite folk songs of all time, and these folks perform it so well.

Joe: All right, shared brain time again. I am definitely with you about The Voices of Liberty. A very hearty thumbs-up recommendation whether as a precursor to the main American Adventure presentation or on their own. The vocal harmonies are splendid and moving – Kev and I can attest. The one song that got my emotional button punched but good was their rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star”.

“Blood on the Saddle” – Because it’s the hands-down funniest thing in all of Walt Disney World.

JOE’S SELECTIONS:

Muahahahahahaha…now, comes the rest of my selections. These are in no particular order as far as I’m concerned. And, since all things must have a place to start, let’s begin with the Grand Dame of the Orlando Resort, the Magic Kingdom.

Within the MK there are literally scads of music to choose from (as you’ve seen Kev and me touch on) covering parades that have come and gone, shows from the Castle Forecourt stage and other spots within the Kingdom, night-time fireworks, and attractions old and new – existing and extinct. And, when it comes to the Magic Kingdom, I got to give props to a couple of classics: The Haunted Mansion and The Pirates of the Caribbean (as you read above). Both are like siblings to me still living in a place I think of as a second home.

Even though I’ve mentioned a good few attractions there are a couple more I want to shed some pixie dust on from the “Extinct Attractions” category: If You Had Wings and The Main Street Electrical Parade.

Way back when; when Tomorrowland was still all smooth lines and curves, light grays, white and blues there was an attraction that Guests did not require nor need a ticket to experience: “If You Had Wings” (initially sponsored by Eastern Air Lines). Essentially, IYHW was one big travel advertisement. The omnimover vehicles took you past film segments showing off exotic locales and destinations in the Caribbean – lush foliage, brightly colored marketplaces, smiling people – all to the catchy signature tune “If You Had Wings”. It’s been well over 25 years since I’ve last been on this attraction (and the show building has had many refurbs and is now home to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin), but the music still pops in to my head from time to time.

Kev: What I find interesting is that Disney can do blatant marketing without it seeming blatant. Well, okay, it seems blatant in Test Track, but that’s another story. I need to see a ride-through of If You Had Wings…

The Main Street Electrical Parade – while dearly loved, proved to be a bit of an emotional Achilles’ Heel for me later in life. The main portion of the musical track is something known as “Baroque Hoedown” with smaller, specific bits, scattered throughout the parade depending on the float. Like with today’s night-time parades, there’d be voice announcements acting as a countdown to when the spectacle would start. Once at that magic hour…that magic minute…all the lights would go out and the synthesized voice welcoming the viewers and kicking off the parade would be heard. Then…then the goosebumps came for me as the combination of music and light began wending its way along Main Street where my family always made sure to set up spots to sit. The last time I got to see this parade it was wrapping up a final encore appearance at the Magic Kingdom in WDW during Spring 2001. (The emotional reaction I had? Well…there’s another post in the works about the scant few moments I’ve had like that while visiting WDW.)

Now, let’s hop a monorail to the TTC where we can hop another monorail over to EPCOT shall we? Yes, lets.

Now, before I get to pieces from extinct attractions, I get to that quasi level of an attraction still in operation to some degree but being heavily redesigned. For those who know EPCOT, you can pretty much guess I mean Journey Into Imagination. I admit, I am a big fan of the initial version of this attraction – the two following iterations leave me somewhat unsatisfied though Figment has been added to the overall story again with the return of “One Little Spark” towards the end of the current attraction. But, “One Little Spark” is the heart and soul of the story of this attraction. A song putting to words and sprite-ly music the idea that everything we have…anything we have accomplished…anything we can do…all starts with one little glint of imagination.

Kev: Not having the history to fall back on, I don’t really grok the overwhelming emotion that comes with memories of this attraction. The new iteration I like, but don’t know as if I’ll ever love. I’ve seen some videos of the original, and that seems like a little like Horizons – a big omnimover experience that helped you believe anything was possible.

Other catchy and sometimes inspirational pieces can be found by diving in to the past of EPCOT...

Aside from my fondness for Horizons there was another attraction that is no longer with us: World of Motion. In this attraction, the theme song reminded us “It’s Fun to be Free” thanks to the wonders of transportation with the warm vocals and, again, a bouncing, rollicking piece. Near the end of the attraction there was a model of a future city done up with UV reactive paints, fiber optics and such and the music changed to a sweeping, epic orchestration intimating the grandeur of a city where traveling between destinations was hassle-free.

Kev: SIGH. I saw the ride-through for this like three days ago and I already desperately wish I could have ridden this. THIS is why time travel needs to be invented.

Joe: …and here I am with a bum TARDIS…

Surprisingly, this kind of wraps it up for me and EPCOT on our musical highlights tour. How about we hop that bus over to Disney Hollywood Studios, eh? Or, at least I would…but the only one to stand out for me here is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the overall music theme for it. (*points above*)

Under other circumstances I would normally take on Animal Kingdom now…but as my experiences with this park are quite minimal it’d be hard for me to offer any opinions about the music used within it and its attractions. On this one, I defer to my friend and WDW excursion cohort, Kev.

Now…before I wrap up, I have to give props to one piece that has gained quite the cult following. A piece with such a following that no matter when you hear it, there is always at least one person chanting it back in synch with the recording:

”Please stand clear of the doors.
Por favor manténganse alejado de las puertas”

Kev: I have that shirt!

Yes, folks…our beloved monorail spiel that greets thousands of Guests a day. Though technically not a musical piece, this six to eight second audio segment feels like it is as tied to the atmosphere of the Disney parks as the song for “it’s a small world”.

Music; whether instrumental arrangements or with full-blown lyrics, can add an extra, almost imperceptible sometimes, layer to any experience. This is quite the case within the Disney parks – the melodies that bounce and weave around our ears – the words that sometimes scroll by in our minds – stay with us long after our visits.

Kev: Wonderful co-writing this with you, Joe!

Joe: Just as much fun as last time. I look forward to next time!

Kev: Now, time to be movin’ along…

~ JoeZer and Kev

Wearing Those Funny Glasses: 3-D Movies at the WDW Parks

2009-06-13T16:55:00.003-04:00

If you’ve been to WDW recently (at least since 1983), there’s a very good chance that you have taken time to check out a 3-D movie during your visit in the parks. The movies that play in the parks now take audiences on different excursions that all started with some flights of fancy.

“But, why since 1983?” you ask. Well, that was the year that the Kodak sponsored Journey Into Imagination attraction opened in EPCOT’s Futureworld. Attached to the show building is the Magic Eye Theater where Guests would get the first chance to experience a new way of watching 3-D movies using glasses with polarized lenses instead of one red lens and one blue.

A brief aside about polarized lenses: the polarizing is due to lots and lots of microscopic “slats” similar to Venetian window blinds. On one side, these slats go side to side and on the other, they go up and down. The way the movie is filmed and then viewed through these glasses the process creates a cleaner 3-D effect than the red/blue version of old. It’s the same process that 3-D movies released today use in your neighborhood theaters.

The first movie presented in this updated 3-D format at EPCOT was called, appropriately, Magic Journeys. In Magic Journeys we follow a boy and his friends through a series of vignettes of different day dream-like sequences ranging from being at the circus, playing in fields of milkweeds, to floating in space. As a first look at the new filming process, Magic Journeys made quite a good showing.

Then the next level came when it was time to ramp up the entertainment quotient. In the same theater where Magic Journeys debuted a new film called Captain EO began delighting audiences in 1986. This new movie brought together Kodak, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Michael Jackson among other stars for a project that not only made use of this 3-D filming technology but also gave us a rollicking science-fiction movie cum extended music video. To make room for Captain EO, Magic Journeys was transplanted to the Magic Kingdom. It was set up in the space where the Mickey Mouse Revue had been in Fantasyland. After a few more years there, Magic Journeys was replaced with a Lion King based show. I do not know if Magic Journeys has been seen in any other capacity since then.

Each time I caught Captain EO (and, to be honest, I always made time to see it) the audience always gave an enthusiastic response from the “Ooooo” of the opening sequence with the starfield to the rousing applause when the film concludes when our misfit band of heroes saves the day. Unfortunately, a few years later, controversies in Michael Jackson’s personal life began coming to light and Disney opted to sever ties removing Captain EO from the parks.

Not ones to leave the space empty, Disney Imagineers developed a new 3-D show based on the family comedies Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Honey, I Blew Up the Baby. The theater had been augmented to include motion effects to be used in concert with the film making for a 4-D experience, if you will, called Honey, I Shrunk the Audience.

Now…we’ve only looked at the evolution of the 3-D movie attraction in one location within the parks. Along with Honey, I Shrunk the Audience there have been 3-D movie attractions brought to all the parks within WDW. DHS is home to Muppet Vision 3-D, Animal Kingdom’s Tree of Life houses It’s Tough to be a Bug and the Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s PhilharMagic. We’re in a time now where we have a wide selection of 3-D visual entertainment in the parks from Muppets and their lab experiments and musical shows, shrinking down to see bugs up close and getting swept up in tow with Donald Duck as he bounces between musical segments from some of our favorite Disney animated movies.

The presentations have grown to where there are other elements used to enhance the viewing experience. The aforementioned motion effects used in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience is one. It’s Tough to be a Bug adds a “smellitzer” and effects that drop from the ceiling (note, this show does have the disclaimer that some effects and sequences may be too intense for younger children) as well as effects built in to the seating. The “smellitzer” is also used for Mickey’s PhilharMagic and other segments use soap bubbles and/or light sprays of water.

Disney showcased the new 3-D filming technology in EPCOT (a park partly developed to display technological innovation) to expose the public to the cinematic product. Over the years, they have developed enhancements (or, “plussed”) to create a more immersive experience for the Guests. This innovation is one of the values held in EPCOT and it has come to benefit movie-goers across the world as 3-D movies are coming out that have been filmed/processed using the polarizing technology. The Digital 3-D format has been married quite well to the polarized lens technique making it easier to produce new, and re-release older movies, in this format.

Yet Disney Imagineers are not resting on their laurels. No sirree. The 3-D movie technology has been adapted for use within its new attraction, Toy Story Midway Mania. In this application, Guests go from game to game wearing the 3-D glasses, and interacting with what they see on the screen. Definitely takes this 3-D technology down another path that could prove viable for arcade and potentially home video games.

Focusing back at the 3-D movie selections in WDW that can currently be viewed; if I were to rank them in order of preference for my own tastes (from “Have to see” to “I can pass”) I’d go with:

Mickey’s PhilharMagic (MK)
Muppet Vision 3-D (DHS)
It’s Tough to be a Bug (AK)
Honey, I Shrunk the Audience (EPCOT)

Even though they are no longer available for viewing in the parks, I would have to add Captain EO and Magic Journeys to the list as I have fond memories of them. For me they would fall between Mickey’s PhilharMagic and Muppet Vision 3-D if not in a three-way tie with the Muppets.

Bear in mind that my rankings are not an absolute “This is the best” kind of gospel – as they say, “Your mileage may vary.” You may very well enjoy others more than I did and vice versa. So…if you haven’t already, give them each a shot. You may be surprised.

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~JoeZer

“Keep your imagination always moving toward the horizon.” - me

Introducing myself...

2009-04-04T20:33:00.004-04:00

Well, hello there. My name is Joe and I am a fan of the Walt Disney World parks in Central Florida.

ALL: Hi, Joe.

Ok...now that the twelve-step basic intro is out of the way (haha)...

Yeah...I'm a "Joe" for real and for true. I've been to the WDW parks in Florida many times over these past (nearly) four decades; so much so that, like some others, it feels like a second home to me. The biggest thing that helped towards that was growing up in Florida (three years in Key West and twenty-three in Bradenton). When we end up living an average of about an hour and a half drive away and that itch started up, all we needed to do was jump in the car and off we went on one of those numerous daytrips. Then, once I came of age and had my own driver's license (and my own car), that itch scratching was taken care of a bit more frequently.

Now...enough of that. Let's have some more of this: the reason I'm "here" in the blog-o-sphere (if anyone comes by to read, that is...). Nearly two years ago, my friend KevBot (of Expeditions Keverest) dived in to WDW fan life with both feet: he began grabbing on to podcasts, scouring the internet...and when he realized that I had years of personal experience going to the parks...he helped reignite my own enthusiasm. The more I shared stories of my previous excursions and adventures, the more he soaked them up…and the more he learnt added a longing for the attractions that had been in place and lost (go ahead…ask him about Horizons. I dare you. *wink*).

I’m not the slowest to pick up on these new-fangled digital age things like mp3s, YouTube and such…but I wasn’t a quick adopter either. Following his enthusiasm I began checking up on the podcasts and such (I had already been a, somewhat lurking, member of the WDWMagic.com forums). Heck, I've even been interviewed for a WDW centric podcast.

Within the last couple of months, something began ticking away in my brain...

Even though the internet is awash in websites for pretty much anything you can think of, including and not limited to Disney and WDW, there's always room for more, right?. Such is the beauty (sometimes, curse) of cyberspace...and I'm claiming a few bytes and pixels for myself. Bear in mind that I'll be approaching this from my own personal viewpoint and in no way is meant to reflect the views and opinions of the Disney Company, the theme parks or their subsidiaries.

What I’m planning to write and post here are a few differing things from recollections of attractions/shows from the WDW parks that are now considered “extinct”, first-hand reports from recent and current trips to The World, reviews of attractions and restaurants, and a review here and there of Disney/Pixar movies that I am able to catch. I just need to remember to tag and title the entries appropriately. *wink*

And…yes, oh yes…pictures, pictures, pictures when and where ever I can use them in here.

So…grab a drink/snack, find a comfy spot and enjoy…

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~JoeZer
“Keep your imagination always moving toward the horizon.” - me

...tick...tick...tick...tick...

2009-03-28T18:54:00.000-04:00

It's coming...soon, the blog where your pal JoeZer focuses on WDW/Disney...

Thank you for your patience during the development and launch.

~The Management