Disney World PF Gathering and Tips for Disney Mania!

[ZapperZ]

Oh, yes yes yes yes! I want this pin! It's perfect!

:)

http://eventservices.disney.go.com/files/10980392.jpg

Zz.

 

[Stevedye56]

HAHA! That is perfect! I gave up on New Years Resolutions. I never stick to them and then i always get mad. I do good the first month and then its just all downhill from there.

 

[ZapperZ]

Disney Lamp Had A Meltdown

This could have been an unfortunate catastrophe.

A little girl's Disney Princess Disco lamp http://www.ksby.com/home/headlines/4951216.html" and melted! Luckily, it was noticed and unplugged before it could do any damage. Yowzah!

Maybe the manufacturer thought that they were making a Wizard of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West's lamp!

Zz.

 

[Stevedye56]

No WAY! This was just in another thread about disco balls being one of the 10 most deadly Christmas presents. Wierd. I thought it was all a total joke.

 

[ZapperZ]

ABC Radio's presentation of "Merry Christmas from Walt Disney World, Hosted by Teri Hatcher".

http://abcradio.go.com/show?id=474

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

So I've been going over some of my Disney pictures trying to pick out a few when I came across this picture that I haven't noticed before. I soon realize that this could be one of the best pictures that I've ever taken, and since then, has become one of my most favorite pictures. So I'm going to share it with you. This is, of course, taken on Main Street, USA at the Magic Kingdom, and during the performance of the "Welcome" song (or some people would call it the Trolley song).

Zz.

 

[Stevedye56]

I agree, I looked at that picture and it looked so perfect. The colors are sharp and everything is in focus. I hope you didn't get run over. :-). I still need to go back to Disney before there's no more Disney Quest :-(

 

[ZapperZ]

That picture is in competition with other pictures at a Disney fan forum. So wish me luck!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

For your holliday viewing pleasures, here are the various Disney specials that will be on TV if you're in the US (or maybe even in N. America):

1. Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade 2006
Monday December 25, 2006 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM; Channel - ABC

"With the enchantment of the holiday season upon us, Walt Disney World and Disneyland once again invite America to celebrate Christmas morning on the ABC Television Network. Co-hosts Regis Philbin, Kelly Ripa (Live with Regis & Kelly) and Ryan Seacrest (Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007) will bring the magic of the Disney Parks to viewers nationwide as Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade airs, MONDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; 9:00-11:00 a.m., CT, MT, PT; check local listings).Highlights Include Performances by Beyonce, Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana), Andrea Bocelli, the Cast from High School Musical and more."

More info can be found http://abc.go.com/specials/wdwxmasparade2006.html".

2. John Ratzenberger's Made in America
Tuesday December 26, 2006 from 3:30 PM to 4:00 PM; Channel - Travel Channel

"Join us as we catch a pop fly at Nocona Sporting Goods in Nocona, Texas, down a can of red and white at the Anheuser Busch brewery in St. Louis, Missouri, and then head off to Tomorrowland to see why the world of Disney is a small world after all. (TVKirby note - The segment of the show is the last 5 minutes or so. It is really just a short history of Animatronics. Lots of footage we've seen before <Wathel Rogers in the Carousel of Progress programming harness, etc.>. Segments are shown from all the parks and going back 50 years. Expedition Everest's Yeti is shown, but commentary says it opened in 2005 instead of the correct year of 2006. Lucky the Dinosaur is also shown. Worth recording for the completist. Interesting, but not essential viewing.)"

3. Modern Marvels - Walt Disney World
Saturday December 30, 2006 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM; Channel - History Channel

"Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a make-believe world spanning some 27,000 acres, brought to life by cutting-edge technology. What was once Florida swampland now boasts the world's largest theme park. The ride technology ranges from space-age centrifuges to enhanced motion vehicles powered by 3,000 PSI of hydraulic pressure. And hundreds of audio animatronics brought to life through the power of pneumatics, hydraulics, and electrical systems. Walt Disney World is made up of four separate theme parks, each with its own innovations: the 107-acre Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. The four parks are all part of a megaplex of a resort. Twice the size of Manhattan, it was the final vision and crowning achievement of a man who spent more than 40 years pushing the limits of technology to create entertainment magic: Walt Disney."

This documentary premiered late last year, and is also available on DVD.

Zz.

 

[Stevedye56]

Im going for the one on the History Channel because of the pneumatics :).

 

[Moonbear]

One of my friends just gave me a Christmas present...knowing I enjoy Disney, she waited until she made her trip there last week before getting mine...a new lanyard with Mickey on it, and a nice Disney bag that's a good size for when I go to conferences (small enough to cram into other luggage when I don't need it, but large enough for toting around things like programs, notebooks and a sweater for cold conference rooms). Very cool! I guess the lanyard is my hint that I'm supposed to go back again soon.

 

[GeorginaS]

Nifty Disney gifts! But, um, sorry, I keep forgetting what a lanyard is. Is that a long pin to hang smaller pins off of? Or do I have no clue whatsoever?

 

[Moonbear]

Nifty Disney gifts! But, um, sorry, I keep forgetting what a lanyard is. Is that a long pin to hang smaller pins off of? Or do I have no clue whatsoever?

Close. It's a fabric "necklace" type thingy that you stick your pins in so you can wear them when you want to trade them. I have one that I got when I was there with Zz, but it's just a plain one. This one has Mickeys on it. I have a Chip n' Dale "medallion" to hang on it too (think of it like a medal attached on a ribbon...the medal would be the medallion thing, and the lanyard is the ribbon). I think we just have to get you to Disney to show you!

 

[GeorginaS]

Yes, that might be the only way.

Okay, thank you for the explanation. I kept seeing that word over and over and not quite getting what it was about. So it makes you a walking collectable-pin-board, then?

 

[hypatia]

Eating my Disney candy canes and playing with the nifty 3-D flashing card of Mickey that came with it!
What a wonderful photo ZZ, I adore that horse. The hues over all are perfect!

 

[ZapperZ]

Eating my Disney candy canes and playing with the nifty 3-D flashing card of Mickey that came with it!
What a wonderful photo ZZ, I adore that horse. The hues over all are perfect!

Thanks, hypatia. So far, the picture is leading its group in the first round of voting. I'm hoping it'll do well in the final round.

GeorginaS: if you need a visual example of a lanyard, here's one I posted earlier. This was the lanyard they were giving away (plus a pin) during the Passholder/DVC member preview of Expedition Everest this past January.

You do become a "pin trading" board, but this is only because you want to trade with people. Kids, on the other hand, don't quite know, or are aware of this. So most wear them because they like them, not because they have something they want to trade. So I apply different rules to adults and to kids. I will also trade anything that I'm wearing on my lanyard with kids when they approach me, even if I already have that pin. With adults, I'll only trade if they have a pin that I either want, or don't have.

I agree with Moonbie. We should get you to a Disney theme park and get you a lanyard!



Zz.

 

[GeorginaS]

Thank you for the visual, Zapper. I didn't know you'd posted a picture earlier and, alas, I haven't been following this thread as closely as I ought to have for all 182 pages of it.

I like your rules for pin trading as differentiated between grown-ups and kids.

 

[ZapperZ]

Santa is almost here!

I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Seasons Greetings, and a very Magical Holidays! May all your http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5227052788418699530" come true!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Victoria & Albert restaurant at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort wins another http://www.laughingplace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=1611" award. Meanwhile, Jiko at the Animal Kingdom Lodge snags the AAA 4 Diamond Award.

Of course, these are not exactly the cheapest places to eat. However, one can get around that if one is on the Disney Dining Plan. Both Victoria & Albert and Jiko (and the California Grill at the Contemporary) will take two table-service DDP, which isn't that bad of a deal. This is especially true if you don't intend to dine at a Disney resort throughout your stay, so you can save one extra to use at these fine restaurant, assuming of course that you can get a reservation. The California Grill, for example, is extremely difficult to get especially during the time period for Wishes at the Magic Kingdom. It has a clear view of the fireworks show, with the music piped into the restaurant, and the lights dimmed for a better viewing.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

This is NOT the best time of the year to go to Walt Disney World!

For the 2nd straight day, Disney had to http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/business_tourism_aviation/2006/12/disney_crowds_c.html" .

All reports are coming in from news agencies and people who are there indicate that all four theme parks are packed to the gills. Animal Kingdom, which seldom is so full that they had to shut it down (due to its size), had back-to-back halt in entrance. Most are attributing to the rise in attendence to 2 factors: (i) Expedition Everest and (ii) Finding Nemo - The Musical, which has been drawing rave reviews while still in previews before its official opening in January.

There is a strong possibility that WDW will break the attendance record set last year. I guess I played a miniscule part in that since I went 4 different times.



Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Wow! I bet a lot of little kids are very disappointed if they didn't get to see Mickey! How do the other non-Disney parks fare? I would guess that people turned away at Disney would try some of the other parks instead, like Universal or Sea World. Do those also reach such capacity? Is this an increase in travelers to the Orlando area, or an increasing popularity of WDW over the other parks?

I'm also curious, if you buy your tickets in advance, and then can't use them because the park closes the gates, is there any mechanism for a refund? It's not the same as someone changing their mind about going if the park just won't let you in, and those tickets aren't cheap, especially if you are paying for a whole family.

I remember how shocked we were that the parks were still packed in the week after New Year's when we thought all the kids would have been back in school already. Are they getting longer vacations than they used to?

 

[ZapperZ]

Wow! I bet a lot of little kids are very disappointed if they didn't get to see Mickey! How do the other non-Disney parks fare? I would guess that people turned away at Disney would try some of the other parks instead, like Universal or Sea World. Do those also reach such capacity? Is this an increase in travelers to the Orlando area, or an increasing popularity of WDW over the other parks?

I haven't heard anything yet on other non-Disney parks. None of the news sources have indicated that these parks had reached capacity during the past week.

I'm also curious, if you buy your tickets in advance, and then can't use them because the park closes the gates, is there any mechanism for a refund? It's not the same as someone changing their mind about going if the park just won't let you in, and those tickets aren't cheap, especially if you are paying for a whole family.

The parks didn't stay closed all day. In fact, most reopened in a couple of hours. Also, I don't know if you can buy tickets only for a particular day, even if it is only a day ticket for that one park (one would have noticed that the park is very full if one is buying a single-day ticket at that park). So I believe that most tickets will allow you to use the ticket on other days. And you certainly cannot get a refund if the park is closed due to capacity.

I remember how shocked we were that the parks were still packed in the week after New Year's when we thought all the kids would have been back in school already. Are they getting longer vacations than they used to?

Now it appears that the first week in December might be the best time to go. Unfortunately, for me, that is also one of my busiest time of the year at work. So not very easy to get away. I will stick to my regular schedule, and maybe a later trip in Sept. to get to experience the Halloween stuff.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

On our trip during the holidays this past January earlier this year, Moonbie and I went to the https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=875007&postcount=1587", hoping to see the Gingerbread House there. Unfortunately, while they still had the trees and other decorations, they already took down the gingerbread house a couple of days earlier. So we didn't get to see it.

So this is a small consolation. On page 3 of http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-344.asp" are pictures of the gingerbread house at the Grand Floridian taken recently during this holiday season. While it is up, the house also function as a candy store. The link also has other pictures of the holiday decorations from the Deluxe Resorts at Walt Disney World.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

I think I was better off not knowing what I missed. That looks YUMMY! And, while the chocolate carousel still seems even tastier, that you can actually get gingerbread to eat at the gingerbread house is really a cute idea.

 

[Cybersteve]

One of the highlights of our recent trip to WDW was an hour we spent waiting to be seated at the Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom.
You may think we'd view this as a waste of time but in fact my wife spent the hour sampling the various cocktails.
For Christmas I've bought her all the equipment and ingredients she needs to recreate the cocktails - but neither of us can remember the recipes.
She'd love to try some tomorrow before we go out to our New Year's party.

Somewhere I've seen photographs of the Rainforest Cafe menus.

Can anyone tell me where?

 

[ZapperZ]

One of the highlights of our recent trip to WDW was an hour we spent waiting to be seated at the Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom.
You may think we'd view this as a waste of time but in fact my wife spent the hour sampling the various cocktails.
For Christmas I've bought her all the equipment and ingredients she needs to recreate the cocktails - but neither of us can remember the recipes.
She'd love to try some tomorrow before we go out to our New Year's party.

Somewhere I've seen photographs of the Rainforest Cafe menus.

Can anyone tell me where?

Try here: http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_rfcak.htm".

On a related topic, a lot of people have given Rainforest cafe, especially the one at Animal Kingdom, very bad reviews, both in terms of food and service (especially service). I've eaten at both there and the one downtown, and I can't remember how well (or bad) my experience were. It has been at least 3 years since I've been to either one.

I tend to not go to a place that I can find elsewhere, especially here in Chicago (there's a Rainforest restaurant downtown).

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

This time, last year, I was packing for a trip to WDW on New Year's Day. This year, I'm staying home! :(

Still, Happy New Year, everyone!

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/7301/10953093bk3.jpg

Zz.

 

[Cybersteve]

Thanks for that, but it doesn't give the ingredients of the cocktails.
However, we have had great fun tonight trying to work them out for ourselves!
By my calculations you Americans should just about be welcoming the New Year in.

So Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for all your help and advice in 2006.

 

[Moonbear]

Thanks for that, but it doesn't give the ingredients of the cocktails.
However, we have had great fun tonight trying to work them out for ourselves!
By my calculations you Americans should just about be welcoming the New Year in.

So Happy New Year to all of you and thanks for all your help and advice in 2006.

Another hour and a half for those of us in the Eastern time zone. I think I'll make a New Year's resolution to get back to Disney in 2007.

 

[ZapperZ]

Oh dear!

I don't know whether to be amused, or sad. It appears that during happier times, Saddam Hussein and his clan were http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_hea...bjectid=18360656&siteid=94762-name_page.html"

I am very sure that I didn't bump into any of them at the Magic Kingdom while riding Space Mountain.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

As I've said earlier, I submitted this picture to a Disney fan website picture contest. The votes are in. I won with 50% of the votes! There were 8 in the final poll. This is my first outright win. I've shared first place before in a tie, and a few 2nd and 3rd place, but never in sole possession of 1st till now. There have been simply some of the most astounding pictures being submitted to these contests each week, so I'm terribly happy to even get this far.

I knew there was a reason that this is one of my most favorite picture! :)

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

It's no wonder it won...it's a gorgeous photo! Looks almost like a painting, actually. That one is definitely worthy of being made into a poster size print!

 

[mathwonk]

any other fans of disney comics and stories? they were my favorite as a kid, until i switched briefly to Mad and Classics Comics.

i liked the serials in the back, like mickey mouse and the mystery of man eater mountain. also the phantom blot. and the exciting adventures of scrooge, donald and kids vs the beagle boys, drawn as i know now by carl barks. those junior woodchuck manuals had everything almost up to building nuclear reactors.

my folks disapproved, but i believe to this day they are partly responsible for fueling the visual imagination that made my mathematical research career in geometry possible. they were at least mountains of fun.

i had a large collection until my mom threw them away while i was at college. i still remember that "hey where is my comic collection!?" feeling when i saw that empty space in the attic where the neatly catalogued mags had been.

but probably you guys are too young for that. that is afantastic photo by the way. you are on aniother levelof sophistication from me, but I grew uploving disnet products.

i am looking forward to ratatoullie. watching the movie cars with my granddaughter made me realize the golden era of disney movies is back, after 60 years.

I think i saw cinderella in the theatre, and peter pan. then there was the wonderful series of disney tv shows, including werner von braun explaining space shuttles.

 

[ZapperZ]

any other fans of disney comics and stories? they were my favorite as a kid, until i switched briefly to Mad and Classics Comics.

i liked the serials in the back, like mickey mouse and the mystery of man eater mountain. also the phantom blot. and the exciting adventures of scrooge, donald and kids vs the beagle boys, drawn as i know now by carl barks. those junior woodchuck manuals had everything almost up to building nuclear reactors.

my folks disapproved, but i believe to this day they are partly responsible for fueling the visual imagination that made my mathematical research career in geometry possible. they were at least mountains of fun.

Do you still have these Disney comics? If you do, there is a very good chance that these are worth quite a bit of money. Can you take pictures of them and put them up here? I have never seen one personally.

Zz.

 

[mathwonk]

sadly no. i had a large collection, kept neatly in order and catalogued by dates and volume numbers, and i stored them in the attic. when i came home from college the first semester, they were gone. my mom gave them to some kids who destroyed them.

apparently these personal things one loves are anthema to parents. i recall having the same negative feelings about my sons violent (to me) japanese samurai comics, but having heard my tale, he put me on notice that they better be there when he got home!

I do have the Classics, but not the disneys. if anyone cares about them ill try to learn to post them.

i might have one Disney left. ill look.

(i also lost a number one mad! in the house cleaning. i lost the classics too, but i have spent years recovering that collection. it is too costly to recover all three, disney, mad, and clasics, and i only have the one collection restored.)