Disney World PF Gathering and Tips for Disney Mania!

[ZapperZ]

From what I saw, I think this has to be THE most sought-after "pin" on the list that was being released as part of this Pin Celebration. It is Mickey Mouse as Main Street reporter Scoop Sanderson.

Now, I use the word "pin" very loosely here. This pin is HUGE and heavy, and comes in a very fancy box. It is outrageously gorgeous!

During the pin event, Scoop Sanderson made many appearances. People were lining up to take pictures of him, with him, and even to get him to autograph this pin, even though he wasn't the artist for this pin. I managed to get a picture of him as well right next to a picture of Mickey dressed as him.

Note that Scoop was actually WEARING this pin! :)

It was such a terrific event.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The active rumor of the day is that Disney is going to do a sequel to the much beloved "Tron". A director supposedly has been hired to continue with the next chapter of the story.

I can already see it now - the hero desperately trying to get out from the inside of a YouTube video.

Disney better not screw this up.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

One of the pin sets that they had for auction was something that I would want myself (but not willing to pay the big bucks for it). It is a framed pin set to commemorate the upcoming Epcot's 25th Anniversary.

It was nicely done. Inside the "25" is filled with various Epcot pins. I didn't read it too closely, but I think it is supposed to have every single existing Epcot-related pins.

I don't know how much thing went for (anyone attended the auction?), but I don't doubt that this went for very big chuck of change. Those auctions can go as high as the thousands for one of these things, especially when it is something that is one-of-a-kind.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

This is going to be a long-winded story, but hey, if you have continued to read this thread, it can't get anymore long-winded than it! :)

I have a co-worker, fellow physicist, who I would describe as very "frugal". He and his wife has 2 sons, aged (I'm guessing here) 4 and 8. They spend their money very wisely (unlike me), and seldom splurge on unnecessary items. So when John (my co-worker) told me that they do have a plan on bringing the kids to Walt Disney World some time, I of course got almost as excited as they kids would be (they didn't know it yet at that time) if they had known.

So early this year, when I got the info on when Disney was going to give the free Disney Dining Plan (DDP) as part of their Magic Your Way package, I immediately sent John all the info. I believe I've mentioned something about this free DDP already on here. It's a very good deal, whereby for a 6 day, 5 night stay at a Disney value resort, including park tickets, and they throw in the free DDP, for less than $1600 for the whole family of 4. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how expensive food can be at a Disney park. So in this package, you are getting more food than you can ever eat (just ask Moonbear) for FREE!

When I brought this package to John, even he thought it was way too good to pass. After discussing it with his wife, they all decided that this was as a time to go as any. So they planned it for early Sept. Now John and his wife has gone to WDW a long time ago, before the kids. So this will be the kids' first trip there. Of course, the sought my help in planning the trip and getting all the hints on what they should and should not do. Since they will be going during the period of the free DDP, I strongly suggested that they should also make dining reservations way in advance, because the popular restaurants will be booked solid since there will be plenty others getting the free dining plan as well. I gave them several choices for them to choose from. Of course, I also gave them all the attractions at different parks that they should not miss.

The planning part was quite fun since the whole family met me a few times during the 2 months leading to their trip. You can already imagine how excited the kids were. As their trip was getting to about 1 week away, Uncle ZapperZ decided to crank up the kids' excitement (I heard that they were already talking about the Disney trip every day). I starting giving John a couple of Disney gifts to give to the kids. And when they were about 4 days away from the trip, I gave them a picture frame for them to put a picture of them as a group in it. I was literally feeding them with tantalizing bits to ramp up their excitement for the Disney trip! (I know I'm bad! But aren't you glad that I'm not a drug pusher?)

It turned out that my last Pin Celebration trip overlap a bit with the beginning of their trip. I was at WDW from Thursday to Sunday, while they fly in on Saturday to start their 6-day vacation. So we made plans to meet up Saturday evening at Downtown Disney after they finished their dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom. We met up at the Lego Store in Downtown Disney's Marketplace. After showing them around (the kids didn't want to leave the Lego store), I took them to the Guest Relations office and got the 2 boys a pin each that said "My First WDW Trip". I then took them to several other stores (we tried to make a Mr. Potato Head) and pointed out to them the restaurants that took their dining plan. We had a lot of fun. I asked the eldest boy "Isn't this a cool place?" He turned around and with a smile and a gleam in his face replied "YEAH!" So I then said "See? Now you know why I come here 2 or 3 times a year!" :) We had a wonderful evening before we broke off that night (the youngest boy was already wilting since they've been up since 4 am that day).

Now I have to make a slight detour of the story and tell you something about Disney's current promotion called the Year of a Million Dreams (YOMD). You'll see the reason why in a few minutes.

If you have followed this thread, you'll know that one of the things they do during this YOMD is to randomly select Disney guests that are at WDW or Disneyland Resort, and give them gifts, special access, etc.. etc. to make some of their "dreams" come true. The gifts can range from special pins that you can't buy anywhere, special pin lanyard, dream fast passes, hats, etc... During our trip in June this year, we were selected to receive the Dream Fastpasses while we were at Disney-MGM Studios. So we have been the lucky recipient of one of these things. Still, I had 2 things that I had wished for: a night stay at Cinderella Castle, and the YOMD Mickey Ears Hat! Now I'm not putting in any realistic hope of being selected to spend the night at Cindy's Castle, so I'm not all that bumped out for not getting it YET. But I thought getting the hat was rather realistic, and I've seen many guests wearing that hat around the parks. So that has been my #1 wish - to get that damn hat! Alas, that luck has eluded me all this while. There is still time, though, since the YOMD promotion has been extended till end of 2008. So I still have hopes.

Now that I've set up the scenario, let's to back to the original story. So yesterday was the first day my co-worker came back to work after the vacation. I of course was dying to hear their vacation story. But WHOA, what's this on my desk? I see 2, TWO, YOMD Mickey Ears Hat!

OK, so my heart was beating rather fast, and I was feeling a bit dizzy...

"We thought you might like this. We got them just as we got off the Living With The Land ride", John said.

I don't mind telling you that I almost fell on my butt at that time.

So of course I heard the whole story. The Dream Squad (that's what they called the cast members who do the prize giving) selected their ride at random to give everyone in that ride vehicle the YOMD hat. The kids are keeping their hat but John and his wife decided to give theirs to us (chuck and I) as a "thank you" gift for helping them find the trip and planning the trip for them.

I went home and took a picture of the hats.

I know these are only a couple of stupid hats. But its one of those things where you have wanted it for such a long time (I even remember dreaming about it) that you can't believe that you now have it. I have to find a special place to display it. It probably won't take over the special case that currently holds the "July 17, 2005" Disneyland golden anniversary hat, but I'm sure I'll find some place worthy of its "stature".

So I can die happy now. :)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I have a lot of satisfaction reading this http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-epcot18sep18,0,1995017.story. The Celebration 25, which was a grass-root Disney fans movement who were utterly disappointed when they announced that there will be no official commemoration of Epcot's 25th Anniversary, was started by someone on a Disney forum, WDWMagic, which I also belong to. So I got to see this happen from the very beginning and saw it evolved from just a modest goal of getting about 50-100 fans to get together, to now with a number of more than 1100 signing up.

Now Disney had changed its mind (and changed Epcot's vice president), and fan groups such as Celebration 25 are getting official recognition from Disney, along with official Disney celebration of Epcot's anniversary.

The resort's change of heart may be partly attributed to the emerging success of various private Epcot parties -- including "Celebration 25," which is being spearheaded by Adam Roth, a 16-year-old Dr. Phillips High School junior.

Celebration 25, which will feature Epcot history tours, get-togethers and parties Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, started as an Internet-networked get-together of Epcot fans. Initially, it was expected to draw 100 or so participants, but the latest count tops 1,100 registrants.

Another private celebration, "The Epcot Thing," sponsored by the unofficial Disney-fan Web site MagicalMountain.net, also involves various parties and get-togethers Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. And the annual Florida convention of the National Fantasy Fan Club will take place at Disney World that weekend.

Yours Truly will be there for this event with the Celebration 25 fans (how can I not be there and miss this?). In fact, I will be there for the whole week not only to attend the anniversary ceremony, but also to do Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, and the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on the evening of Oct. 4th at the Magic Kingdom (it's a hard-ticket event where they cleared out the Magic Kingdom and then let in the attendees for special events, parades, fireworks, etc.). So I'm very much looking forward to this.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

These are recent pictures from the Magic Kingdom that has been decked out with Halloween decorations. It looks fantastic!

I can't wait to get to see this in person. Only 10 more days!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Latest Press Release on Epcot Dining

There have been a lot of changes and renovations going on at Epcot, especially around the World Showcase, with regards to the dining facilities and experience. A lot of it was done in anticipation of Epcot's 25th Anniversary this coming Oct. 1st. The following is the latest update from a Disney press release.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When Epcot debuted in 1982, the World Showcase pavilions pioneered the idea of global cuisine as a theme park attraction in itself, and expanded fine dining in Central Florida.
Now for the park's 25th birthday, Epcot is unwrapping the biggest makeover in World Showcase history, with grand new dining experiences that truly raise the bar with exciting restaurants, diverse menus and redesigned settings to wow guests with something fresh and different.

Here's what's on the front burner:

Patina Group's Tutto Italia Ristorante just opened in the Italy pavilion. Another new restaurant in the same space is planned for late 2008.

In October, the Japan pavilion debuts Tokyo Dining and Teppan Edo, a dramatic redevelopment of their dining rooms.

China's Nine Dragons Restaurant closes in early 2008 to create a new dining room with five cooking stations, reopening in late 2008.

By summer 2008, a new tequila bar opens adjacent to San Angel Inn Restaurante in the Mexico pavilion, and the outdoor Cantina de San Angel expands, with more seating and a new menu.

Collaborating with chefs and restaurateurs from around the world, such as France's celebrated trio of Paul Bocuse, Roger Verger and Gaston Lenôtre at Chefs de France, and Joachim Splichal's just-opened Tutto Italia Ristorante, the Epcot restaurants are premiere attractions at Walt Disney World Resort. From a spirited mariachi band and mole poblano in Mexico to belly dancing and spicy bastilla in Morocco, World Showcase offers gustatory globe-trotting -- all in easy walking distance.

"There's not another theme park in the world with such diverse dining adventures," said Rilous Carter, general manager of Epcot Food & Beverage. "The idea is to immerse our guests in traditional cultures, but with contemporary experiences."

As Epcot celebrates its silver anniversary, the Walt Disney World culinary team is unwrapping all-new dining concepts, and expanding and renovating longtime favorites. And menus are being rewritten with lighter, fresher, more healthful cuisine.

"World Showcase is timeless, and continually evolving with more interactive experiences," said Dieter Hannig, vice president of Food & Beverage New Concepts. "As our world grows smaller, Epcot grows more exciting, more authentic. The dreams and ideas are endless."

Explore Italy's Cuisine at Tutto Italia Ristorante

In the Italy pavilion, Tutto Italia ("everything Italian") Ristorante is the newest restaurant for California-based Patina Group. Showcasing cuisine from different regions of Italy, the newly outfitted restaurant features a bustling open-kitchen kitchen and a menu with freshly made breads and pastries, handmade mozzarella and pasta and an array of Italian wines.

"My inspiration for Tutto Italia was the incredible variety of cuisines that I have enjoyed during my visits to Italy," said Chef Joachim Splichal. "I wanted to distill that experience and create a restaurant with some of my favorite dishes."

Meals start with a complimentary starter, or assaggini, that includes vegetables, bruschetta, crostini and olives served with bread. Special features include the "Abbondanza Family Table" with family-style platters for sharing at lunch and dinner. Tutto Italia also has an outdoor kiosk and a gelati cart.

Tutto Italia Ristorante is the latest addition to Patina Group's portfolio of nearly 30 restaurants and its first in Florida, with plans to open another restaurant in the same space at Epcot by late 2008.

All-New Dining at Japan

Just unveiled on the top floor of the Japan pavilion is the all-new Tokyo Dining, and beautifully redesigned teppanyaki dining rooms, renamed Teppan Edo.

"This is not a renovation, but a complete redevelopment," said Yutaro Iwamura, director of business for Mitsukoshi USA. With sleek interiors and stylish new costuming for chefs and servers, both restaurants infuse authentic Japanese hospitality with a dash of hipness.

The popular teppanyaki rooms feature show-style cooking and upscale cuisine such as Wagyu and Kobe beef, along with traditional teppan dishes. Tokyo Dining (formerly the tempura bar and adjoining lounge) is a 140-seat dining room with a centerpiece "show stage" where diners can watch the sushi chefs in action. Nearly 50 varieties of sushi and sashimi and six varieties of sake are on the menu, along with tempura and grilled steaks and seafood.

Japan is one of several operating partners at Epcot who make the dining experience magical.

"These operating participants bring expertise and authenticity to Walt Disney World," said Keith Bradford, vice president of Operating Participants. "Particularly in World Showcase, these professional restaurateurs bring a diverse perspective to the park experience."

China's New Exhibition Kitchen

In China, a new Joy of Tea outdoor cart features hot and cold teas, trendy frozen green tea concoctions and alcoholic drinks such as plum wine and wine green tea slush. The pavilion's Lotus Blossom Café has been renovated and features a new menu that includes Beijing barbecue chicken, sesame chicken salad and rou jia mo, a popular Chinese sandwich made with sliced beef stuffed in toasted wheat-flour flatbread.

China's Nine Dragons table-service restaurant will close in early 2008 to make way for an innovative dining room that will feature five cooking stations where guests can interact with chefs from China. Scheduled opening is fall 2008.

Changes All Around World Showcase

In the Mexico pavilion, a 50- to 60-seat tequila bar, including a history of the beverage, replaces a retail shop adjacent to the restaurant, opening in summer 2008. Also in summer 2008, the pavilion's waterfront Cantina de San Angel is expanding with more seating with optimal views of World Showcase, and will offer a new menu.

Plans are under way to expand outdoor seating at the popular Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, with covered waterfront dining that's optimal for viewing the nightly "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks show.
The expanding roster of international chefs joining the Epcot culinary team includes Chef Damien Besson, who comes from Chef Paul Bocuse's L'abbaye de Collonge in Lyon, France. And Artur Bukalo, a native of Berlin, Germany, is the new chef at Germany's Biergarten Restaurant.

While restaurant menus are redesigned to reflect tastes and trends, there's special emphasis on fresh, seasonal creations, said Epcot Executive Chef Christine Weissman. And like the rest of Walt Disney World Resort, trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils are being phased out of all restaurants.
"Our guests know more than ever about food and wine," said Weissman. "They are health-conscious and looking for new taste sensations -- our fun challenge is to exceed their expectations."

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Adding even more diversity to the mix for dining experiences is the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, in its 12th year. The six-week-long festival adds more than 25 international marketplaces with tapas-sized tastes of food from around the world, from the Dominican Republic to Turkey.

The Epcot festival has grown dramatically, attracting a diverse audience of more than 1 million guests each fall, from wine connoisseurs and epicures to neophytes primed to boost their wine IQs. Beer aficionados can raise their steins at several tasting locations.

"There's no other festival environment in the world like ours," said festival manager Nora Carey. "From the picturesque World Showcase Lagoon to the authentic architecture that showcases many cultures, it's an ideal backdrop for the exceptional culinary and wine-related talent of Walt Disney World Resort and for the great celebrity chefs and wine connoisseurs who join us each year."

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Donald Duck Drinks

Hey, open your pantry, or that trunk chest in your attic. Do you have this Donald Duck Orange Juice can, or the Donald Duck Soda can with the cap?

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/939/donaldduckjuicexi6.gif

If you do, can I have them? :)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Re-Haunting of WDW's Haunted Mansion

The classic attraction The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney Word's Magic Kingdom has http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=38607. So if you haven't seen it recently, it is a great time to go back and see it again. But here are some new things to look forward to:

The best enhancements of the “Re-Haunting”, however, are the new features added to the Haunted Mansion. The demented Haunted Bride and her axe, as well as the fortune-teller Madame Leota’s head floating in mid-air, have both been imported from the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, but not before adding some additional improvements to them to amplify their fright potential. Even better though is the newest feature of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. Replacing the long-boring spider scene is the brand new Staircase Room. Like an Escher print brought to life, the room is full of staircases built in random directions and ghostly footprints going nowhere. The Staircase Room is a stand-out presentation and exclusive to the Orlando park.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

25 Epcot Fun Facts

As I'm about to leave for WDW to celebrate Epcot's 25th Anniversary, here are 25 fun facts about that theme parks as released by Disney news media:

* It took nearly 3,000 designers and 4,000 construction workers to build the first phase of Epcot.
* 54 million cubic feet of dirt was excavated to build the park.
* Epcot had its soft opening Sept. 28, 1982, at 4 p.m.
* Spaceship Earth, the visual and thematic centerpiece of Epcot, weighs 16 million pounds, measures 165 feet in diameter and encompasses 2.2 million cubic feet of space. The outer "skin" of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.
* At Spaceship Earth, Mickey Mouse is hidden in his own constellation just beyond the attraction's loading area.
* The fountain at Epcot Innoventions Plaza can shoot water 150 feet in the air -- within 30 feet of the top of Spaceship Earth. If all of the shooters were fired at once, there would be 2,000 gallons of water in the air.
* The ride technology for the Soarin' attraction was based on an erector set model created by Walt Disney Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.
* It took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop Mission: SPACE. The Imagineers' efforts took place over a five-year period.
* At Mission: SPACE, there are 13 quotes by space explorers and visionaries on the attraction's wall of honor. The most recent was added in September 2007 by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, reading "Reach for your dreams . . . the sky is no limit."
* At nearly a mile long and reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track is the longest and fastest ride at a Walt Disney World theme park.
* The body of water at The Seas with Nemo & Friends provides a home to 3,000 fish and other sea creatures and contains 5.7 million gallons of water, one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world.
* More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at The Land pavilion each year are served in Walt Disney World restaurants.
* The Land has a "tomato tree" that is the only one of its kind in the United States. The massive plant has produced a world-record harvest of more than 32,000 tomatoes from a single vine.
* World Showcase promenade stretches 1.2 miles and World Showcase Lagoon spans 40 acres.
* The gardens of Epcot are among the most extensive at Walt Disney World Resort. The themed landscapes are maintained year-round by a horticulture staff of more than 50.
* At United Kingdom's Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in World Showcase, a specially designed ale warmer can heat your Guinness to 55 degrees, the temperature favored by Brits.
* 26.2 miles of bratwurst are served every 60 days at the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion. That, by the way, is the length of a marathon.
* The Eiffel Tower replica in the France pavilion is 103 feet tall.
* The castle in Japan is a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji, known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan.
* A Disney crew carried a 300-pound camera up 4,500 steps of the Huangshan Mountain in the Annui Province to film the Circle-Vision 360 film seen in the China pavilion.
* From bonsai to roses, there's something for every gardening guru at the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Disney horticulturists rotate the crops twice during the festival to keep the 30 million blossoms colorful and fresh.
* Each year at the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, more than 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne are uncorked, 1.2 million hors d'oeuvre plates are served and 100,000 miniature desserts are dished up.
* More than 26,000 feet of lights outline the World Showcase pavilions for the "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" nightly fireworks show -- a string long enough to stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge more than six times.
* Earth Globe is a 28-foot-diameter sphere on World Showcase Lagoon and the centerpiece of "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth." The globe weighs 350,000 pounds and is wrapped in more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes arranged in the shape of Earth's continents.
* Some 2,800 firework shells are used during each "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" show.

I'll see you from the Happiest Place on Earth in less than 24 hrs!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Epcot's Food and Wine Festival Starts Today

The 12th Annual International http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-chow2807sep28,0,6130563.story. This year, besides food and wine from various countries, they have also selected a US state to highlight - Oklahoma!

Read the article to know why. :)

But don't miss the list of entertainers that are scheduled to perform at the America Gardens theater. Al Stewart performs tonight and tomorrow night, and then the Beach Boys on Oct. 2 and 3. Did Juice Newton had any other hits besides "Angel of the Morning"?

Not that it matters since I probably won't see any of these...

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

On this past Oct. 1st, 2007, I attended Epcot's 25th Anniversary celebration as part of the Celebration 25 group of fans. This group was organized after Disney earlier this year announced that they were NOT going to do any observation to mark this anniversary. This grassroot movement and the changing of the vice president for Epcot earlier this year caused Disney to change their minds and came to their senses, resulting in the observance of the important date and recognizing Celebration 25 group. We were given special permission to organize our own events and given tickets to attend the sought-after Marty Sklar's session that day.

The Re-Dedication Ceremony took place at 10:00 am on the anniversary day. After that ceremony, the Celebration 25 attendees had a group photo, which was when we were joined by 3 special guests: the 2 Cast Member Ambassadors and who else but Jim McPhee, the new Vice President of Epcot (they are the only ones wearing suits in the picture). See if you can spot me in this picture (for those of you know what I look like . This was taken by one of Disney's PhotoPass photographer. I noticed that since we had such a huge group, he was taking snap shots by panning across the whole group. That immediately told me "photo stitch!" So I got him to scan my photopass card to get the pictures he took. This is the result of that photo stitch, which didn't turn out to be bad at all.

I also had the pleasure of shaking Jim McPhee's hand after the photo session and a quick conversation with him to thank him for pushing for some sort of an observance of Epcot's birthday. It was a spectacular day, including the showing if Illuminations and the Anniversary fireworks tag at the end that was just jaw-dropping and had a few people in tears. I was extremely glad to have been there with this very fine group of people.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The first preview video for the Celebration 25 DVD has been released. It gives you an idea of what we were doing those 2 magical days. Your truly even appeared at least twice in the video. :)

I got goosebumps watching this because I know how much those 2 days meant to many people, and how the fans actually made the celebration happened, considering that 8 months ago, we were going to get nothing.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

It appears that this time, I'm more ahead with my videos that I am with my pictures.

This is the http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9013421235253724682&hl=en, the spectacular fireworks show during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at The Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. This was videotaped on Oct. 4th, 2007. As with my video of Illuminations and Wishes, I've replaced the live sound with the actual music for the fireworks show.

You can also find the rest of my Disney videos here.

Enjoy!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I've finally finished editing the video footage we took during the Celebration 25 two-day event for Epcot's 25th Anniversary. With apologies to Camille Saint-Saens for butchering his masterpiece, here's http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3436547739143099985.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The biggest news of the week, in case you missed it, is that Disney will be spending $1.1 billion (yes, that's right, BILLION) over 5 years to revamped the much-maligned Disney's California Adventure. If we go by from the plans that have been revealed, many Disney fans will rejoice because this is what they should have done when they first built the 2nd gate at the Disneyland Resort. Just reading the plans for the lagoon at Paradise Pier itself is astonishing - they will have lights and water show that will make the water show in front of the Ballagio at Las Vegas looks tame in comparison.

I can't wait!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Venom of Disney Fans

This poor woman, I think, has suffered enough.

The problem with writing in the mass media about Disney is that you'd better get your facts straight, because there are tons of Disney fans out there who more than likely know more about it than you do. This reporter got a first hand look at it.

It all started when she innocently http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/travel/story/4061444p-4665126c.html to the Walt Disney World. But then she started making several glaring mistakes (Pleasure Island being a theme park, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.. etc.). I think as a journalist, one kinda expects some facts checking either by her or her editor. Still, I'd say a friendly "heads up" would have been appropriate.

Unfortunately, Disney fans being who they are, blunders like this are quickly reported in many Disney fan forums. One such forum that I belong to had http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=238278 on this. I think the responses range from "Oh, this is no big deal" to "She's a total imbecile". Still, I think most Disney fans would simply shake their heads at this and let it go, or if they wish to do something, would write a friendly letter to this person telling her the mistakes that she made. Unfortunately, I think some "fans" also went over the top. I don't know how many of these people from this forum wrote nasty e-mail to this reporter, or how many actual nasty e-mail she got in total, but it was certainly enough that she had to write a http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/columnists/top3/story/4063346p-4666869c.html. In it, she not only admitted to the mistakes she made in her report, but also the ridiculous responses that she got, including someone telling her that she's not fit to be a mother??!Of course, she does NOT deserve those nasty comments directed at her, especially her duties as a mother. That is just way out of line, and it can't possibly come from someone who claim him/herself to be a true Disney fan.

I like the response she got when she contacted a Disney rep and told her about all this.

Seriously?! Man, how can people priding themselves on having pixie dust in their veins be so cruel?

EXACTLY!

Unfortunately, there's nothing different or out of the ordinary as far as human behavior is concerned. That is why we have 'extremists', people who simply can't put things into perspective. Some Disney fans are certainly not immune to such behaviors. I know that I got almost the same type of flak simply by expressing that I actually LIKE THE WAND that was attached to Spaceship Earth ("You're not a true Disney fan, loser!")

It is also a clear demonstration of the very dangerous waters when one writes about Disney in the media. Hordes of Disney fanatics have facts at their fingertips such that one slip and you're chopped liver.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Epcot's 2007 Food and Wine Festival

We have been looking forward to attending this event since we've heard so much about it before. It goes on for about 1 1/2 months at Epcot, and involves not only food from various parts of the world, but also cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, food info, etc... So it truly is a festival of more than just drinking, eating, and binging. :) As someone who lives in Chicago and have been to Taste of Chicago, the concept isn't all too different. Still, the F&W festival certainly, I would think, have a wider cultural range of food than Tastes.

Epcot was certainly nicely decked out for the festival. There's certainly a lot of references to Ratatouille, understandably.

The state of Oklahoma was being honored with a booth/pavilion/showplace by itself to celebrate its centennial. I didn't get to sample their food offerings, unfortunately. I think I was seeking more of something less available and more exotic.

The pears industry had a representation there, and you get to learn about pears, how to know when they're fully ripened, how to make dishes using them, etc...etc. I attended a couple of short cooking instructions in making pear salads, etc. I only wish they had used an actual chef, rather than an industry representative to do these demo.

I didn't get attend other cooking or food demonstrations. We simply had too much things to do especially with the anniversary activities with Celebration 25.

Now, about the food quality. In general, they were quite good, even though they were a bit lacking in quantity. I know you're not to expect any significant quantity when you pay between $2 to $3.95 for them, but still, some of them are puny. The calamari stew from Mexico had only TWO (count 'em) thin rings of calamari in it! I'm not expecting a bushel, but c'mon! I thought of all the food that I got, the stuffed cabbage from Poland was of a decent and fair size.

There was one disaster of a food. Don't get the samosa from India. The pasty dough was under-fried. It was doughy and limp, and fell apart as soon as you bite into it. It should have been golden brown and crispy. No indian worth his/her heritage would let something like this pass through. I go to a lot of Indian restaurants, and even the cheap ones do not have samosa this bad (in fact, I find that those are the best places to get really good samosa). So that was highly disappointing. The empanadas from Argentina also suffered from a similar fate. While the filling was tasty, the pastry crust was limp. At least it wasn't doughy. I think it had been sitting there for a while in a moist container.

All in all, it was a great experience, especially the sampling of various different wines from many different regions of the world.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Just in time for Halloween, guess what movie landed at #20 as one of Time Magazine's Top 25 Horror movies of all time?

Disney's Bambi.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1676793_1676808_1676840,00.html

That'll teach you to show this movie to your kids. Now you know why they ran away screaming and crying!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Boo To You parade

Just in time for Halloween, this is the video I took of the http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2450535745666892023 at the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this past Oct. 4th.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

BOO!


Happy Disney Halloween!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

One of the best aspect about Epcot that certainly makes it not unlike any typical theme park is the many "cultural" activities that can be found at the various pavilions of the World Showcase. At various times of the day, there are many specific activities or shows related to each of the individual countries.

One such shows that is very popular is the acrobatic presentation at the China pavilion. These are usually presented by a touring or invited group from China. We videotaped http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6478248894760866306&hl=en this past Oct. 1st, 2007 (during Epcot's 25th Anniversary day). These people appeared to be so young that they looked like they're still in high school!

These presentations change all the time depending on the group performing at that time. So you may not get to see this same performance at another time.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I constantly search for any story or article that has two of the things I'm very passionate about - Disney and Physics. Occasionally, I find them. The story on Enrico Fermi and Winnie The Pooh is one example.

Now comes another one, although this one is more on the scholarly level. In the November issue of Physics Today, there is an article on the http://ptonline.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_11/24_1.shtml. It includes a description of various Disney/Pixar movies and quotes from members of Pixar. It is amazing to know the amount of physics (and engineering) knowledge that is required.

Animations of both fluids and solids—and of facial expressions, clothing, and deformable objects, among other things—use various computational methods derived from discretizing continuous equations, Navier–Stokes in the case of fluids. The commonly used methods break the object being simulated into discrete elements (finite element method), fixed cells in space (finite difference method), or sample points (particle method). "The computational cost goes up with the number of grid cells or particles, but so does the realism," says O'Brien. "The tradeoff between how good something looks versus cost starts to favor the particle method when you reduce the number to make it affordable, whereas the finite element and finite difference methods are favored where you can afford a more expensive computation."

Maybe this is another line of work that could be open to physicists and engineers, no?

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hum... I'm not sure what to make of this.

This woman is watching a trailer of Wall-E, the next Disney-Pixar movie that will be released. Now, either she is a highly charged, emotional person, or Wall-E (or at least the trailer) is one heck of a movie, for it to get http://www.thedisneyblog.com/tdb/2007/11/wall-e-trailer-.html.

So now I will have to go looking for the trailer online and see what was it that she saw. I've seen on already, but in case there's more and she saw a different one, I have a box of Kleenex ready nearby!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hey, if there ever is another good excuse to go to WDW during the Holiday season, this might just be it!

They have http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4084831&a=32606793&p=75972181" this year. It looks amazing just in the picture alone, and I can only imagine how spectacular it is in person.

Moonbie, I would say this qualifies as a good excuse to go next year. I hope they have this lighting decorations again then.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Here is the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7H5VkmRcy0" of the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights (that's what they're calling it). It's spectacular.

<sobbing>

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Not to be outdone, Hong Kong Disneyland also has a http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-499.asp" . Just look at the gorgeous lights on the carriage!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

GO SEE ENCHANTED!

If you have at least half a heart, you will be enchanted by this movie. Amy Adams gave a star-making performance and one just could not help but fall in love with her. The first 10 minutes of hand-drawn animation alone is worth the price of admission.

If you have nothing to do over the Thanksgiving weekend, or want to get away from the family, go see Enchanted! You won't regret it!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-511.asp" at the Magic Kingdom to welcome the turkeys that received the presidential pardon this year. The two turkeys will spend the rest of their lives at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

This is the first time that the presidential-pardoned turkeys have been sent to Walt Disney World. All the previous turkeys so far have spent their days at Disneyland in California.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hey, there's more "crossover" between two things that I love - Disney and Physics.

It seems that the faculty and students at the Western Illinois University have an http://www.pjstar.com/stories/113007/REG_BF2R7QBL.041.php" for the public to attend. They usually have some theme to it. The one that was held recently had the Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean theme.

WIU physics professor Jim Rabchuck organized the event, which was made up of students interested in showing off their love of science. The pirate theme was suggested by his 10-year-old daughter, Lizzy.

Thursday's event featured movie clips from the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies with related experiments, such as the physics of the movie's fight scenes, mystery ships, weight distribution and even a few small explosions using simple ingredients such as Diet Coke and Mentos candy.

The things we do to make the public appreciate and understand science! :)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Disney opens a new attraction at its theme parks the same way it opens a new movie - with lots of advertisement and promotion leading up to the opening.

The most highly anticipated attraction that will be opening next year is the Toy Story Mania attraction. 2 of them are being currently built at the same time - one in Disney's California Adventure and the other at Disney-MGM Studies (or will soon be called Disney's Hollywood Studios in January).

There are already http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/?p=1057" to give Disney fanatics like me something to drool over.

Next year is going to be awesome.

So how about we have an unofficial PF Gathering in early December 2008 at WDW? That's slightly more than a year from now and plenty of time for you to make arrangements! :)

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

So how about we have an unofficial PF Gathering in early December 2008 at WDW? That's slightly more than a year from now and plenty of time for you to make arrangements! :)

Zz.

Actually, I've been thinking about that. My son would love to go to Disney World, and that would be a great opportunity. Unfortunately, my son will be in his senior yr at HS and my wife works in another school, so I'm not sure if early Dec would work.

 

[ZapperZ]

Actually, I've been thinking about that. My son would love to go to Disney World, and that would be a great opportunity. Unfortunately, my son will be in his senior yr at HS and my wife works in another school, so I'm not sure if early Dec would work.

But don't you see? That's why it is a PERFECT time to go to WDW! :)

Because schools are still in session, the Thanksgiving crowd is gone, and the holiday/Christmas crowd hasn't shown up, the first 2 weeks in December has become the best time to be at WDW. Why?

1. Not much crowd
2. Great weather
3. Holiday decorations are up, holiday events are going on.
4. Disney runs a lot of special offers and bargains for resort/ticket packages.

Maybe we should wait until your son is in college, then consider the possibility of you and and your wife taking a few days off (if that's possible) for this trip.

I'm such a bad influence, aren't I?

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Tweety, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse summoned to court

You can't make this up.

Tweety may get a chance to take the witness stand and sing like a canary. An Italian court ordered the animated bird, along with Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and his girlfriend Daisy, to testify in a counterfeiting case.

OK, so it was a "clerical error", but it is still hysterical! :)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071204/ap_on_fe_st/looney_witnesses

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Amazing videos and pictures of this year's Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney-MGM Studios.

http://www.laughingplace.com/Lotion-View-517.asp

Again, this is another incentive to have our PF Gathering there during this time of the year! :)

Zz.