Ricky Brigante Loves Halloween…For a Reason

If you listen to the “Inside the Magic” podcast you know that Ricky Brigante loves Halloween. Every year he does full coverage of all of the Halloween happenings in and out of Walt Disney World.

After listening to a lot of his coverage this year I had to start wondering, why does Ricky Brigante love Halloween so much? I know a lot of people like Halloween but Ricky seems to REALLY love it. So I did what I do best. I looked into it.

Inside the Magic has been around for years so I had a lot of research to do. I went through old episodes, distant creations.com, inside the magic.com, and I even added Ricky as a Facebook friend.

Facebook turned out to be the key. When I saw the photos of Ricky on Facebook I knew something wasn’t quite right. It almost looked like he had makeup on. After following Ricky around for a week I realized I was right. He did have makeup on. I’d see him touching it up throughout the day.

Why would Ricky wear makeup? One day Ricky got caught out in a bad storm and got soaked before he could open his umbrella. I saw his face melt off. Underneath the truth was exposed. Ricky is a zombie.

That explains why Ricky loves Halloween. He can go out of the house without makeup. Not only that, he gets all sorts of complements on his costume. He’s even won costume contests without dressing up.

Before you run in fear the next time you see Ricky just remember, he is a friendly zombie that doesn’t eat brains and would stop to give an autograph or take a photo.

If you don’t know the above story is factious. Ricky is not a zombie (I hope), He doesn’t wear make up (that I know of), and I didn’t follow him around for weeks. However, Ricky does love Halloween and covers everything on his podcast.

The Problem with Planning

I’ve heard some people complain that attractions are not timed correctly. They feel that an attraction is coming out after the fact. Two good examples are Pooh and American Idol.

Pooh had made a little comeback in the early to mid nineties. I don’t know what caused it but I remember people liking Pooh. For Disney to time the opening of Pooh correctly they would have had to open Pooh around 1994. Instead it opened years later.

Idol opened about three years too late. A lot of people have scratched their heads trying to figure out the timing. Why would you open a big attraction when what it’s based on seems to be waning?

The big thing to remember in both cases is the risk / reward. Opening Pooh in 94 would mean you’d have to start planning it around 91. Construction is typically is fastest step. It takes a long time to develop a ride and get it off the drawing board. In 91 the Pooh thing had barely started if it had started at all. In 91 the idea would have seemed foolish. It would have been a huge risk.

What if Disney had opened Idol a few years ago? Big risk. The first season was huge. The second season was big too. However, how many TV shows, especially reality shows, last more than three or four seasons? Disney could have found itself opening an attraction for a canceled show. By waiting they know the show will be around for at least a few more years and they found a sponsor to pay for it. In other words – low risk.

In both cases if Disney could have opened them during the peaks of Idol and Pooh they would have attracted far more people but that just wasn’t possible. Despite the rumors, Disney does not have a crystal ball or a time machine (yet). If they did do you think they would have opened Stich’s Great Escape, overhauled Journey Into Imagination, or opened any of the other shockingly bad attractions over the years?

Massive Fire in NC Linked to Podcast Personality

The cause of a massive fire that broke out in North Carolina last week has been found. It appears that an iPhone was abused to the point combusting.

“It appears the iPhone was altered to boost its battery power and get better reception,” stated a local fire marshal.

The iPhone was owned by a one Leonard Testa, coauthor of the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World, Professional Van Halen Fan, WDW Today Personality, and Tequila Guzzling Alien. It appears the alterations were made in an effort to get better 3G reception while in doors. The primary reason for wanting the better reception appears to be improving the Mouse World Radio stream onto the iPhone.

Mr. Testa is a known MWR addict and has been through multiple stints in rehab to break him from the habit. All efforts had failed and in an effort to get a better fix Mr. Testa pushed the iPhone beyond its limits causing it start to glow and then combust.

Witnesses said that Mr. Testa knew the iPhone was overheating. One even said in a statement “He had a frying pan and was using the iPhone as a hot plate to cook breakfast while singing along to the Splash Mountain Medley. At first I thought it was cool. Who wouldn’t want a phone that can be a hot plate? But then it burst into flames and ignited the cooking oil. Before we knew it the entire place was up in flames.”

Mr. Testa escaped the flames but left the scene before authorities arrived. Witnesses said he jumped in his car and took off for the nearest Apple store so he could replace his iPhone and get his MWR fix.

The damage from the fire is estimated to be 3.2 million dollars.

If you didn’t know the above story is factious. Len Testa is not an alien (that’s debatable). He did not jerry rig his iPhone to get better 3G reception to listen to MWR (but if he could he would). He has not gone to rehab for an MWR addiction (whether he should or not is another issue). He does not use his iPhone as a hotplate but he has admitted that he’s gotten it hot enough to fry an egg while listening to MWR.

Pink and Purple Monorails to be Decommissioned

The price of the Pink and Purple Monorail pins just jumped through the roof. Both monorails are being decommissioned. Both of these monorails were in accidents recently. Some of their parts are being recycled but its unknown if the colors will be recycled.

Some people really get into the monorails and try to ride all of them. I’ve never really understood that. I’ve always seen the monorail as a really cool bus that didn’t have to stop. However, there are some people who will be very upset that their favorite monorail is being taken off line. You might laugh at that but there are people who have favorite monorails. I guess someone forgot to tell them they are all the same.

This isn’t the first time monorails have been replaced. From time to time Disney upgrades the entire fleet with new technology. There have been a lot of enhancements over the years. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see mostly automated monorails within a few years.

Why the Boardwalk?

People might ask – Why did you pick the Boardwalk for your next trip? I have a few reasons for this.

In the past I’ve stayed at the Contemporary (twice) and Fort Wilderness (lots). It was time to branch out. I like the Wilderness Lodge but my wife dislikes Native American themed stuff so that was out. I wanted to stay at an Epcot resort so that really narrowed it down. I’m not a big fan of deluxe or moderate so that left three resorts: The Boardwalk, Yacht Club, and Beach Club. I’m from New England so the Yacht Club wasn’t a big draw. The Beach Club is nice and it has a mini water park but I hate water parks.

That left the Boardwalk. At night it is an awesome site. It’s all lit up. In the morning you have the bakery right there. You can walk to DHS or Epcot and that’s a big draw.

Cat Cora’s new restaurant is located at the Boardwalk and that should be a draw. I’m part Greek. My grand mother was full Greek. She used to make all sorts of Greek food. The only time I get Greek food now is…never. Only draw back is that restaurant has gotten awful reviews. One of the big reasons is – it’s not real Greek food. It’s some kind of hybrid that just doesn’t work. Another complaint people have is it’s very expensive. Needless to say I’m not going to eat there for dinner. I have plenty of other restaurants to review. I don’t want to go into one with a bad impression.

Another reason I didn’t stay where I’ve stayed before is this blog. I want to mix it up and do reviews of different hotels. Next time we might stay at the Poly. Everyone seems to call it the best so I’m going to find out.

Info on Space Mountain Overhaul Leaked

A rumor that was leaked last week has been confirmed. The new version of Space Mountain will include updated ride vehicles.

The new Space Mountain vehicles will have actual rockets in the back of them. The rockets will be used as a replacement for the lift hill and will be set off while going around corners.

“We figured that people liked the G forces in Mission Space so much that we’d step it up a notch. We figure that you’ll be pulling up to eight Gs going around some of the corners. The top speed has also been increased from a top speed of about 20mph to 120mph,” stated Goofy dressed in his space suit.

Reports have also leaked out that an adequate breaking system is trying to be developed. The first train blew through the wall and kept going until it crashed into the former Skyway building causing extensive damage and resulting in its recent overhaul.

The second train jumped the track and ran Pluto over. Pluto survived with only a few minor bruises.

The third train worked at first. The success convinced Chip and Dale to do a test ride. They both survived but had to be scraped off the wall after their train crashed.

When asked about the accident Dale stated “It was fun until we crashed. The G forces were so strong I could feel my brain compress and Chip wet himself.”

Once the issues are ironed out the ride is expected to reopen.

The Temporary Show That Never Stopped

Disney has a habit of cutting costs at the first sign of a week economy. You don’t need to tell that to the thousands who lost their jobs earlier this year. Beyond cutting jobs Disney cut Fantasmic, shot down the new Stich show after just a few weeks, and made thousands of other small adjustments to save money.

Typically if Disney labels something as “temporary” or in Disney terms “Seasonal” it means you better see it now because it could be gone in a couple of days.

There is one “temporary” attraction that was never shut down. In fact it’s been playing since 1971. I never viewed temporary as being a term of nearly 40 years but this is Disney we are talking about.

In 1971 you had the Magic Kingdom which might take you a day to go through. You could ride the Monorail. You also had the Contemporary and Fort Wilderness. I bet someone will let me know but I don’t know if the Poly was even around in 71. Beyond that there wasn’t much. To make it more of a value Disney threw together a show and put it out there. At the time if you had told them the show would still be playing 40 years later I bet they would have mocked you.

The Electric Water Pageant has been playing every night in front of Ft. Wilderness, the Contemporary, and the Poly for nearly 40 years.

If you’ve never seen it, it’s a goofy light show set to some music. It’s so simple yet if it starts when you are there you will watch the entire thing. I don’t know what it is but there is some kind of magic to it.

Today we have special effects that the imagineers in the 70’s and 80’s couldn’t even dream about. I mention that because in entertainment there is a desire to improve on what you did, often ruining it in the process. Look at what happened to the original Star Wars. That’s just one example.

Amazing no one has tried to update the EWP. If someone did, they did such a good job that no one noticed. I say good job because the EWP is not something you update. When you get something right the first time, don’t mess with it.

Next time you are in Disney make sure to take a few minutes and check out the EWP. It’s a great way to end your day.

My Next Trip

I last went to Disney World in December 2008. I didn’t know if I was going to go back. I really couldn’t afford to duplicate that trip. I knew the only possible way I could return was if Disney ran the “buy four get three free” promo again.

I waited and waited. I monitored the Disney fan sites for months. I listened to seven different Disney podcasts (ok I do that anyways). I kept waiting to hear that the next big deal was coming. Free dining was released but I knew that was a crummy deal so I kept waiting. Then touringplans.com posted a rumor – buy four get three free might be coming back. Then they upgraded it and said it was coming back and in less than a week! I think I started to drool a little, kind of like a wolf looking at a lamb. The next Monday came and I checked the site. There was no new news. I Googled it. Still no news. A few hours later I checked touringplans.com again. BINGO! It was official.

First I called my wife. She doesn’t like Disney so I wanted to get that over with. Next I called MEI Mouse Fan Travel. I had to leave a message because no one was available. I sat in my seat and twitched for about an hour. I stared at my phone trying to will it to ring. Finally I got a call. Vicki D. called my back and she could book it. The dates were slowly starting to open up. I booked the Boardwalk Inn for seven nights.

So I had a room and tickets but that wasn’t enough. My wife and I hate the idea of waking up at 4am to catch a bus to catch a plane to rush to a hotel to try and check in and then try to salvage a day in the parks. You pay good money for that day so why not enjoy it? I booked our air for the day before we were to check in at Disney World. I also booked a late flight. Now we could sleep in, pack, and go against traffic down to the airport. We needed a hotel for a night so I splurged and picked the easiest place. Even though it is expensive, I booked the Hyatt MCO. It’s a very nice hotel right inside the airport.

Flying down the night before takes some of the stress out of the first day. It means we have to wake up and get from the airport to our resort. You can do this for no charge by using Disney’s (term used loosely – it’s not really Disney) Magical (magic can be used for very bad things) Express (“express” is just false advertising). Notice how I used the term “no charge” and not “free.” There is a very good reason for this. It’s not free. It will cost you hours. For more details check out my post “Magical Depress.”

Needless to say I did not book M.E. and tried not to laugh when Vicki asked if I wanted it. I booked a town car through Happy Limo. I cost a little over $100 for round trip. That might sound expensive but it’s worth every penny. Between the speed, service, having my luggage, and having a ton of stress removed from the day, it’s a great value. For more details about Happy Limo, check out my post “Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy” or go to their website at www.happylimo.com.

I have a room, tickets, transportation to the resort, so that leaves air and insurance. Air was easy. I booked JetBlue. It only cost me $89 a person to get down there and $114 to get back (getting back is always more expensive). I like JetBlue because they give you Direct TV and don’t charge you for your first bag.

That leaves insurance. I’m a big believer in travel insurance. One of the big reasons is the fact that I live in New England and it snows here. Losing a day or two is bad enough but having to eat the cost is worse. There are a number of travel insurance companies out there. Check with your travel agent for details.

Matt Hochberg Isn’t Afraid of Dinosaur

Matt Hochberg, host of the WDW Today podcast and owner of www.studioscentral.com, has been made fun of in the past because he’s admitted to having a strong dislike of the ride “Dinosaur” in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

People have called him such things as: wimp, girly boy, crybaby, and Len Testa wannabe.

Is it fair to belittle Matt because he is afraid of some fake dinosaurs? At first I said “of course,” but then I decided to try and find out why one would be afraid of fake dinosaurs. So I did what I do. I looked into it.

Something that I found to be odd was the fact that Matt hates Dinosaur but is ok with the Universe of Energy (I refuse to call it Ellen’s Energy Adventure. It’ll always be the Universe of Energy). As many of you know the Universe of Energy has dinosaurs in it. That eliminates the idea that Matt is afraid of all dinosaurs.

So what could it be about Dinosaur? It took a lot of research but I found out the source of Matt’s fear.

When Matt was eight years old he was obsessed with Barney the Purple Dinosaur. He loved Barney, watched his videos everyday, memorized the words to all of his songs, and owned every kind of Barney merchandise you can imagine.

One day Matt’s parents took him to see Barney in person. Matt was so excited he couldn’t contain himself. He was the first kid in line. When the employee running crowd control turned his back Matt snuck by him and ran over to the door that Barney was going to come out of. Just then the door swung open, smacking Matt in the face and knocking him to the floor. Barney ran out, didn’t see Matt, tripped over him, and fell on top of him. Barney trashed trying to get off of Matt which only made matters worse. By the time Barney’s handlers were able to get him off of Matt, Matt was barely breathing. He had been smothered by Barney.

From that day on Matt would start crying when he saw Barney. He would also freak out if any dinosaur appeared to be running towards him. As an example, Matt started crying and curled into a fetal position the first time he saw Jurassic Park because in multiple scenes the dinosaurs appear to be running at the audience.

In time it was determined that Matt was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also known as PTSD. After years of therapy including numerous electric shock therapies, Matt has made great improvement. His only noticeable remaining symptom is crying like a little girl when he rides Dinosaur.

If you couldn’t tell the above story is factious. Matt Hochberg was never assaulted by Barney (that I know of). He has never received electronic shock therapy (I hope). He didn’t break down and cry while watching Jurassic Park (as least no one can confirm it). However, Matt does HATE Dinosaur.

The Death of Cinderella’s Royal Table

One of the hardest restaurants to book in all of Disney World is Cinderella’s Royal Table. This is a character dining experience inside of Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom. Over the years this restaurant has really gone downhill.

There was once a day when you could make a reservation with only a few days to a weeks notice, a magical day when you got a menu with a variety of options and could order only one course if you wanted, and it was a laid back, fine dining experience. If you have been to Cinderella’s Royal Table in the last few years you must think I’m nuts. After all, it’s nothing like that description.

Today Cinderella’s Royal Table has turned into a madhouse of wannabe princesses, stressed out parents, bad food, and lame entertainment.

So what happened? Keep in mind we are talking about Disney. That should be a big hint. If it’s not I’ll just tell you. Money! Cinderella’s Royal Table was popular so Disney tried to figure out how to squeeze as much profit as possible out of it. There are a number of adjustments that were made to increase profit. Some are very smart. Check these out:

1 – Make it a fixed price for three courses: Keep in mind the price is more than what you would normally pay for three courses. Also most people didn’t order desert before. So why would people do it? Because it seems like a deal. Soap that sells for 23 cents a bar might not sell but if you pile it somewhere, throw a sign over that says three for a dollar, it’ll move like hotcakes.

2 – Cut the food quality: You can save a lot of money by doing this. Problem is people might complain. So how do you compensate that? Throw someone in a mouse suit and have them dance around.

3 – Deliver the food in rapid succession: Deliver the appetizer, then walk to the kitchen and return with the main course. Wait ten minutes and deliver the final course. That forces the people out in record time allowing you to turnover more tables in a set period of time.

4 – Make it a prepay experience: This cuts time at the end of meal. There is no bill, tip is included, and it allows a faster turnover.

5 – Add a photo op with Cinderella: Give them one for free so they don’t think they are getting raked over the coals and then offer photo packages to increase profit.

There you go. How increase profits while increase attendance and cutting its value. Brilliant!

Epic Mickey the Mickey Mouse Video Game

Forget what you know about Mickey Mouse video games. Mickey Mouse running around doing fun things with furry critters is a thing of the past. Junction Point Studios is developing a game for the Nintendo Wii called “Epic Mickey.”

I owned a Wii once. I sold it because I never played it. Maybe if Epic Mickey was out back then I’d still have it. It sounds good but it could alienate a lot of Mickey Mouse fans.

Basically the game takes place in a post apocalypse Disney World. There are messed up versions of Cinderella’s Castle and Spaceship Earth. Everything is going to have a steampunk theme to it including overhauls of Goofy, Mickey and other classic characters.

I know they say that life can imitate art or I guess art can imitate art. As some of you know I’ve often put Oswald the Lucky Rabbits in my blog as an evil, vengeful, criminal mastermind. I am not kidding when I say that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is the bad guy in the new game. Some of you may also remember a post I did that involved a bunch of forgotten characters who teamed up and formed a gang. The irony is the premise of the game involves a bunch of lesser known characters trying to overthrow Mickey.

To prove I’m not kidding here is a direct quote from eurogamer:

“The antagonists of Epic Mickey are the largely old and obscure Disney elements, including theme park rides and older cartoons. Having been forgotten, they are now trapped in a "forgotten world of broken machines and bitter personalities." Running this world is Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, one of Walt Disney's first creations, who has become jealous of Mickey Mouse and is seeking revenge. Oswald sends the Phantom Blot to the Disney universe, and it soon covers the world with black ink, causing the colors to run. Using a variety of artist tools, Mickey must return the Disney world to its former glory.”

I really hope this comes out for the PS3 too. This game sounds whacked enough to be either really good or utterly awful. I’d also like to say, if someone from Disney is reading this do you think you could do some of my legitimate ideas instead of taking my ridiculous posts and turning them into video games?

Break the Mold

There are a couple of times when Disney broke the mold when they made something. They are attractions that really can’t be improved very easily. In some cases it’s only a scene in a ride.

I think the biggest example of breaking the mold was the Haunted Mansion. Throughout this ride there are some amazing special effects that you’d assume are pulled off by means of computers and other advanced technology. The wild part is none of the original special effects use computers. All of them are parlor tricks and old magic tricks that have been around for hundred years.

Most of the classic scenes in the Haunted Mansion can’t be improved. Just think of some of the classic scenes. The faces that follow you, the decaying painting, the ballroom scene, the dueling paintings, the hitch hiking ghosts, and others scenes are simply amazing.

Another ride that they broke the mold on is Peter Pan’s flight. Peter Pan’s Flight is the bench mark for all other dark rides. The Haunted Mansion and Pirates don’t really count as dark rides in my book. One’s a boat ride and the other is just unique even if they call it a dark ride. Peter Pan’s flight has amazing detail, great scenes, and it makes you feel like you are really flying. For a classic style dark ride you can’t beat it.

Splash Mountain is the bench mark for all other flume rides. The music, the scenes, the drops, the colors, and the photo makes this a near perfect flume ride. When I stop and think about it I can’t see how they could improve this ride other than a clean and a repaint.

Stich Needs a Break

So once again Disney is trying to force Stich into another show / attraction. I’m not going to be surprised if we have another failure on our hands with this one. I can’t understand why Disney keeps trying to cram Stich into odd places. We don’t see Belle going on a deer hunt. We don’t see Peter Pan going for a ride on the NYC subway. We don’t see Mary Poppins going mountain climbing in the Himalayas. So why does Stich keep ending up in odd places? Why are new stories pulled out when he already had a good one?

If you want to put Stich in the a ride MAKE A LILO AND STICH RIDE! Make a dark ride based on the movie. That would have been cheaper then putting him in the worst ride in Disney World, making an awful show featuring him, and then reinventing that awful show. Stich is a cool character. Stop abusing him and put some sun glasses on him. The sunglasses hide his black eyes and make him seem goofy instead of freaky.

I’d like to make another request. Please keep Stich sway from the HGH. He somehow went from a cute little alien to an enormous moose. That’s not cool. I want the cute little guy that reminds me of Yoda not some huge beast that scares the crap out of kids.

If you can’t use Stich correctly don’t use him until you figure it out.

To Group or not to Group

When I was younger I always went to Disney World with my family. The group was mixed depending on the trip. It was almost never just my parents and my sister. Often my grand mother, cousins, aunt, childhood friend, or brother in law was also along for the ride. I think the smallest group we ever had was five people.

On my last trip it was just my wife and I. That leads me to ask the question: Is it better to go to Disney with a group or not?

There are pros and cons to both. Logistics are easier without the group. Less time is wasted without the group. Dining is easier without the group. Other than those three things, the group tends to win out.

Why is that?

Keep in mind that Disney was planed with families in mind. It was designed with a group mentality. You might not notice this until you visit Disney World in a group. Here are some areas where the group is better:

Dinner Shows and Character Dining: When there are just two of you these are ok. When there is a group of you they go beyond that. When one person gets picked on by a character or picked to do something in a dinner show, it can be funny. If it was just my wife it wouldn’t be that funny because she doesn’t like those things. Even if they left her alone she wouldn’t like it because she’d be left alone if I got invited to do something interactive. She doesn’t even like it when I volunteer to do something like that. Now put yourself in the group. For every person in the group it makes it that much better. Each person acts as a multiplier. It goes from amusing, to funny, to outrageous. Plus years later the group can reminisce about it. It’s not that easy to reminisce if you only have two people involved.

Ride Photos: The best ride photos involve the group. Two of the best I’ve ever scene involve were group photos. My wife and I had one funny one from our last trip. What made it funny were all the other people in it. We didn’t even know them but they were all so whacky it ended up being a great photo.

Flexibility: You might wonder how a group could be flexible. Look outside the box. A group and fracture into small groups if there are people who don’t want to do something. Think about it. If a bunch of people don’t want to go on the teacups, they don’t have to. The people who want to, can without having to do something alone. Everyone else can take a break or go do something else. Then you can all meet up after. There is also the peer pressure thing. The lone man out will tend to cave if everyone else wants to do something.

Pictures: Not ride photos but pictures. They tend to be better with more people. When you think about that it is because if you take a bad photo, you won’t standout as much in a group. Plus they help people remember. The picture isn’t really for you it’s for everyone.

Norway

I remember when I was a kid Norway was brand new. It was the last country to be added to the world showcase and it was exciting. I thought the trolls were cool, the people talked funny (hey I was like eight back then), and there was a boat ride!

In the late 80’s the boat ride in Norway was amazing. I made my parents take me on it a bunch of times because I loved it.

On my last trip I was a little excited to go back to this ride. Could Maelstrom hold up after 20 years? Well…kind of.

I have to say the mural in the queue is as good as I remember it. If you’ve never seen it you need to go over to this ride and check it out. I really think making a good mural has become a lost art. So many classic murals have been destroyed over the years. It’s really sad how many of those classics have bitten the dust and it seems like new rides don’t have murals.

The ride is still enjoyable. The beginning seems corny now. The eyes that light up as you ascend up the lift his is really showing its age. Many of the scenes are still very nice and have even taken on an almost iconic feel to them now. The troll scene in particular has become a classic. You won’t find another scene like this anywhere. Your boat seems like it is going to go off a cliff but instead the trolls send you backwards down a “waterfall.” What comes next always amazed me as a kid. The oil platform seemed so big when I was a kid. As an adult I can see why. It is two stories tall. Anything that is inside and two stories tall is big.

One thing that is often overlooked in older rides is the background. At most theme parks you ignore the background because there is not much to see. In Disney dark rides the backgrounds are amazing. In the oil platform scene in Maelstrom the background is great. You can see the flames on other oil platforms. This might not seem like a big deal but the flames are moving. You could cut corners and just paint them on. That’s what most theme parks would have done. Disney gave the background a lifelike feel by that simple detail.

Anyone who has ridden Maelstrom remembers the end of the boat ride. You arrive in a quaint costal town lit up by street lights. The attention to detail here is amazing. It is hard to describe how pleasant this little holding tank is. I use that term because it really is just a holding tank for the Norway movie.

Once the doors open, the smart people run through and right out the exit, the inexperienced, mentally ill, or sadists, sit down and watch the movie. I’ve covered this movie before. It is worth watching at least once. Mainly because it is so outdated that you can’t help but laugh. This movie, more than any other in Disney World is painfully outdated.

Despite the movie and some outdated effects, Maelstrom is still a classic. Next I need to find someone who has never been on it so I can see if I’m right or if nostalgia is influencing my opinions.

Big Thunder Mountain

I’ll start by saying Big Thunder Mountain was the first roller coaster I enjoyed. When I was a kid I was a wimp. I hated thrill rides. Big Thunder helped change that.

Big Thunder Mountain was the second Roller Coaster to be opened in Walt Disney World. It goes without saying that it is one of the best rides in Disney World and is a classic. In an age when a roller coaster was an ugly collection of twisted steel or wood Disney created an experience not instead of a thrill ride. Down to this day it remains one of the most well themed roller coasters in the world.

Big Thunder was one of the first Disney World roller coasters to be designed with computers. You may not have known this, but you have noticed it. How? Compare the Space Mountain to Big Thunder. Space Mountain can be jerky and it’s not what one would call a smooth ride (at least in its original state). Big Thunder has a really smooth ride when compared to Space Mountain.

The queue starts off great. After you walk under the sign you’re teleported to the old west. The old broken down mining equipment is all over the place. At times there the water is even running which really adds to the feel. However, once you enter the building it takes a turn. This can be a brutal experience. A seemingly never ending maze of switch backs. There are only a couple of decent things in this part of the attraction. The first are the panoramic views of the roller coaster itself. The second is the decent into the mine where you get on the trains.

The loading dock is one of the best loading areas you’ll find for any roller coaster. It is themed to the point where you start to believe you are in a mine. The other thing that stands out is the announcement. They could have done anyone’s voice but they didn’t. They must have been very picky. It’s the perfect western coot. It fits perfectly.

When you start moving you go through what I call the bat cave. You can see glowing eyes and hear the bats screeching. This ends at the first lift. I have to say that this lift is loud. I think it’s the loudest lift hill I have ever been on. I don’t know if this is because of when this attraction was built or if it’s on purpose. Anyways, this is a fun hill but be careful if you are video taping. The lift hill ends at a broken water tank. Water dumps off both sides of the track but you will get a little wet.

As you go through this ride you’ll see why it has some of the best theming of any roller coaster. You’ll see something new every time you ride this. If you think you’ve see it all – have you sent he guy in the bathtub, the goat chewing dynamite, the dancing girls, or what is going on in the bank? If you haven’t you might want to ride it again and then do ride it a few times at night. I’ve mentioned it before but this ride is completely different at night.

Another great part of this ride is the last lift hill. It is in a cave and as you go up the lift there is an earthquake happens the giant boulders start to tilt towards the track. It’s a great effect and fits in well with the story of the ride.

Not many people know the story of Big Thunder Mountain. Miners started mining the area despite being warned by Native Americans that the mountain was a sacred mountain where spirits lived. A massive earthquake occurred and the miners ran for their lives. When they came back they were shocked to fine the mining trains running on their own as if possessed by the mountains spirits.

Now that you know the story, go back and check the theming again. It’s creepy how well it fits into the story.

Protesters Object to New Hot Dogs at Disney World

World famous celebrity Chicken Little organized a massive protest against Disney after last weeks announcement that Disney plans to replace their “All Beef” hotdogs with hotdogs made up of a combination of beef, and chicken.

“I’m doing this for chickens everywhere,” stated Chicken Little in an interview with CNN – Chicken Nation News.

When asked about the cows whose lives would be saved by the switch, Little responded “why would I care about a bunch of grass chewers?”

Little’s response upset Bertha Chuck, head of the grassroots organization Cows Raging Against People. “C.R.A.P.s position has always been one of universal protection. We fight for the rights of all animals, not just cows. Little’s brazen insensitivity to non-avian species is deplorable.”

Little has stated that an estimated 100,000 chickens have signed on for a massive protest in Disney World in the near future.

“I’d announce the date but then it wouldn’t be a surprise. We don’t want Disney to be prepared for our arrival. It’ll be a more effective demonstration that way,” stated Little.

In a bold move Chuck said that C.R.A.P would be protesting Little’s protest on the same day. “We’ll be ready to move as soon as we find out when their protest is.”

Regardless of where you may stand on the issue, be prepared for a lot Chicken and C.R.A.P to descend on Disney World in the near future.