A Last Ride on Snow White

The Scary Adventure of Snow White was a ride that scared more kids that Alien Encounter ever did.  Why?  Because it was around a lot longer than Alien Encounter.  The witch freaked a lot of kids out.  It's almost sad that kids will need to find another way to get freaked out in the Magic Kingdom.

I'm sure there are some people out there who loved this ride.  For those people I have something.  I've posted a video of the ride in 1080p on YouTube.  It was taken back in October.  If you loved this ride go ahead and check it out.

Good bye Snow White.  


You can see the video here.

New Video Posted: Spaceship Earth in 1080p

Spaceship Earth is a much beloved ride.  From time to time Disney overhauls parts of it but the general theme of the ride has remained unchanged since it opened. 

I remember when I was a kid I didn't believe that a ride could be housed inside that big globe.  After going on it for the first time I wanted to go again.  Even as a kid I realized how detailed Spaceship Earth was.

Another thing that I love about this ride is it's connection to the original Epcot.  The "edutainment" of the original Epcot is still alive and well when you ride Spaceship Earth.   We can thank the structural design for this.  Very little can be changed about the layout of the ride.  This was discovered years ago when Michael Eisner wanted put a roller coaster inside of Spaceship Earth.  Sometimes it's good when an idea fails.

You can see the video here.

Photos of the Week: Where Did I Put My Blanket?

If you think he looks like he can't remember where he put something you just might be right.  The morning this photo was taken was rather cool.  He and his buddies just wanted to warm up.

There that's better.  He wasn't the only Gorilla looking form his blanket.  Another one made a bed out of his.

New Video Posted: Malestrom

Malestrom is an old school boat dark ride.  I first rode it as a child.  Back then I thought it was awesome and made my parents go on it multiple times. 

Over the years Malestrom has really aged.  It turns out that it's not one of the classic rides that doesn't age.  However it's not the same as the movie that follows it. Nothing aged worse than the film after Malestrom. 

I'm glad I caught this ride while I could.   Some day it won't be there anymore.

You can see the ride here.

New Video Posted - Main Street Philharmonic

I've been to Disney World a number of times.  At this point you'd think there was nothing left for me to experience.  After more than a dozen times you'd think I would have seen it all.  WRONG!!

The Main Street Philharmonic.  If you have not seen this fun show you need to.  It's a nice offbeat show that most people wouldn't even stop to check out (as seen in the video).  However, if you stop and see the Main Street Philharmonic you will not be disappointed.   It's a fun, goofy show that won't disappoint.

You can see the video here.

New Video Posted: Good Skipper on the Jungle Cruise

I've posted another Jungle Cruise video to YouTube.  This time I got a decent skipper.  While not the best skipper I've ever had he's still very good.

The right skipper can make or break this ride. To see what I mean compare these two videos.  The first one is my video of possibly the worst Jungle Cruise skipper I've ever seen.  The second on is this guy.

Bad Skipper

Good Skipper

It's amazing to compare these two.  You can tell one likes his job and one is just mailing it in and collecting a paycheck.

Photos of the Week: I See You!

Most people blow through the nature trails at the Animal Kingdom without really stopping to see the animals.  The big cats really are not that fun.  They normally just lay around.  The really fun animals are the offbeat animals.  Some of them have some real tude. This photo shows what I mean.  When you hit this enclosure there is always someone keeping watch.  

Now for some info on why the photos look different.  I wasn't paying attention.  I had set bracketing for a previous photo (bracketing is when you set a range for photos.  The first would be normal exposure, the second under exposed, and the third over exposed.  This is used for HDR photography).  This resulted in some photos under and some over exposed.

Now when you over expose a photo you really can't do all that much to fix it.  Darkening the photo doesn't help.  Once a section of a photo registers as white it cannot be saved. 

If a photo is too dark you can normally lighten it a little. The first photo is an example of this. That's also why the background is greener that the other photos. 

The last photo is an example an over exposed photo that has been corrected as much as it can be.

The second photo is the one that was taken in a normal exposure. 

Dining Review: Princess Storybook Dining

I'm not a fan the whole princess fad.  Then again I think it would be disturbing if I was.  A guy in his 30's who loves the princesses is just creepy.

So why did I go to the Princess Storybook Dining in Norway?  For a couple reasons.  This is a very popular breakfast, a lot of people who are considering a Disney vacation and have young children might want some info on this,  and I didn't go alone I brought my wife and 21 year old niece.

Since this is a character breakfast and has a fixed price I'll cover this one a little differently than usual.

First - What do you get?

You get a photo of you and your party taken with one of the princesses.  The price of the photo is included in the price. You also get a half buffet style meal which consists mainly of generic breakfast food items.  The last thing is the interaction with the princesses.

Now I say it's a half buffet because the hot food items are delivered to your table family style while the rest of the food is available at a buffet.  Like the other Disney buffets you also get juice or coffee.

Next - The food

The food is really generic.  If you have been to one Disney breakfast buffet you have been to this one.  The typical bacon, eggs, Mickey waffles, and pancakes are here.  The only exception to the norm, and the only Norway connection I could find, was the fish offering.  To be honest if you just want breakfast DO NOT GO HERE.  The food is not worth the money.

The Atmosphere

The atmosphere is ok.  It's nothing special.  There are some nice wood accents and some fireplaces that are not accentually burning wood.  Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with the atmosphere.  I guess the best way to put is that it's a normal Disney atmosphere.  It's not boring but it's not top notch like the San Angel Inn.

The Princesses

The princesses are decent.  I really tried to put aside my feelings about the Princesses and try to think about how a kid would react to their interaction.  What they typically do is approach the table, refer to all of the girls (and women) at the table as fellow princesses, and they might refer to some of the men at the table as kings or princes.   Keep in mind all of the princesses are totally in character so Ariel will mention having her legs instead of a tail, Aurora might mention being woken up with a kiss, and Snow White might talk about the the seven dwarfs.  While this is nice they really do not do anything that really makes them stand out.  None of the princes really went above and beyond while we were there.

I will say one thing.  One would think that Disney would almost have their choice when it came picking their princesses.  It seems like there should be enough people who want to be princesses to really be selective.  Now don't get me wrong, all of the princesses were nice and tried to stay in character.  However,  I could understand why a prince would fight for the Cinderella and Ariel that came to our table.  However if Snow White or Aurora had to rely on their looks alone to get their princes to wake them up....they might have had to wait quite a while.   I'm not saying they were ugly but they were not what I'd call a princess.

To be honest the Aurora that came to our table looked a little psychotic.  I thought at any minute she could lose it and start stabbing people.  The Snow White looked like she just woke up in an ally and Disney stuffed her into a princess outfit and tossed her out there.

You might have noticed that I didn't mention Belle.  That's because she was being used for the formal photos that Disney was taking.  There was a reason for this.  The lady playing Belle was extremely nice and stunningly beautiful.  She was a near perfect Belle.  You will not see a photo of her because Disney technically owns the rights to that photo and also because I'm in it and there is not a single photo of me anywhere online.

The Service

There really isn't much to mention here.  It's typical buffet style service.  Our server was nice.  I actually felt bad for her.  It can't be easy to work somewhere like this.  The price is basically fixed and you are not the center of attention.  It's almost like no matter what you are going to get what you get and nothing more.

The Value

If your children are REALLY into the princesses then you might find this experience to be a good value.  If you or your children are not into the princesses then you're better off skipping this because it's insanely expensive for a breakfast never mind a buffet breakfast.

New Videos - The Haunted Mansion in 1080p

I posted two new videos to YouTube.  The first one is for the the stretching mansion at the Haunted Mansion.  The second one is the ride portion of the Haunted Mansion.

Keep in mind that the ride portion is very dark. Even considering that it's still a fun video.

You can see the Stretching Room here.

You can see the ride portion here.

Both are in 1080p.

Photo of the Week: The Imagination Pavilion at Night

The Imagination Pavilion makes me sad.  It's such an impressive looking pavilion on the outside but a trashy mess on the inside.  Even though the ride is an abomination they still light up this pavilion like no other.  Between the pyramid and the upside down waterfall it's hard to find a better pavilion once night falls.

Why WDW Today Is Ending After 1000 Episodes

Many people have bought into the rumor that WDW Today is ending after their 1000th episode.  The truth is it's not a rumor but a fact.  However, the members of WDW Today have not been honest about why they are ending the podcast.  In fact each member has their own reason for ending the show.  I know why.

Extensive research and hacking into each members personal computer has allowed me to bring you this ground breaking information.

Len Testa:  Len Testa is returning to his home planet where he is accepting a position with the Intergalactic Federation.  His primary job will be the spreading tequila throughout the universe.

Matt Hochberg:  Matt Hochberg will be focusing on his family.  His goal is to have at least 15 children in an effort to score a reality TV show.  It is unknown if his wife is on board with this plan or not.  If his wife decides against this plan Matt will just clone himself 14 times.

Mike Scopa:  Mike will be going back to crime fighting.  Instead of a cop he is going to become a vigilante super hero.  He will punish criminals by making them run until they pass out.  Then he will place them at Gospel Brunch in Disney World to teach them some morals.

Mike Newell:  Mike Newell is going back to the drawing board and will be working to make Mouse World Radio more addictive before the feds catch on and outlaw it. If they catch on he already has his house wired to explode but not until he and Mary escape in his home made hot air balloon.

Annette Owens:  Annette will be organizing her army and taking over a yet to be named third world country in South America.  Once she takes it over she will install herself as a ruthless dictator who makes everyone wear high heels.

Fred Hazelton:  Fred will pursue his life long goal of escaping Canada.

Deb Wills: Deb will be returning to her previous life (see How Does Deb Wills Do It).


A.J. From the Food Blog: AJ is planing on eating around the world.  This will most likely prove fatal as we have seen from Sip Snack and Sic.

Henry Work: As many people know Henry got a job at Disney.  What he doesn't know is that they are going to scan him, dispose of him, and create a new AI Animatronic.  No one will be able to tell the difference because most people confuse Henry for an animatronic anyways.

CMDTA's Disney Year End Review

Another year has come to a close so it’s time to do CMDTA’s Disney Year Review.  Keep in mind that these subjects are not in any particular order.  Also this is not a complete list of events that took place in 2011 it’s just what I felt was noteworthy.

The Death of Steve Jobs

Disney Impact: Steve Jobs was the largest share holder of Disney stock and was a board member.  Beyond that he had a set of skills that drove Apple to be the highest valued company in the world. At the end of the day you cannot replace a loss like this.

Personal Notes: It was shocking how little time took place between the announcement that Jobs was stepping down from his position at Apple and the time of his death.  In some ways it reminded me of how suddenly Walt Disney died.  One day he was at work and a short time later he was gone.

The Fantasy Land Expansion

Disney Impact: This should draw more people into Fantasy Land and not because it’s new.  When all is said and done Fantasy Land should have a much higher capacity.  This could take some of the strain off of the headliners in the Magic Kingdom.

Personal Notes: It’s about time. Out of all of the lands in the Magic Kingdom I spend the least amount of time in Fantasy Land.  It’s typically too crowded and there are too few attractions that I care to ride.  That could change when this expansion is complete.

The Closure of Toon Town

Disney Impact: They sure got a lot of use out of a “temporary” land.  Disney isn’t really taking a big risk by replacing it.

Personal Notes: In all my trips to Disney World I never spent more than five minutes in this area of the Magic Kingdom.  I can’t say I’m sad to see it go.

The Disney Dream

Disney Impact: This ship helps them stay competitive in a brutally cutthroat industry.

Personal Notes: I’m still not going to book a Disney cruise.  I just can’t afford it.

The Haunted Mansion Updates

Disney Impact: Disney keeps guests who are stuck in line happy and they proved they can improve something without ruining its charm.

Person Notes: When I heard the hitchhiking ghosts were getting an overhaul I was really worried.  Disney had a really mixed track record. They hit this one out of the park.  The new ghosts are awesome.

Mars Needs Moms

Disney Impact: They took a huge hit on this film.  This one is going to hurt for a while.

Personal Notes: You know a movie failed when it’s available through Netflix’s instant stream and I still have no desire to see it.  I honestly do not know a single person who saw this movie.  To call this movie a total failure would be the understatement of the year.

Star Tours 2 Opens

Disney Impact: When you update a popular ride you are taking a big risk.  When that ride involves Star Wars the risk is much greater.  Disney put their best foot forward and didn’t try to cut corners.

Personal Notes: I heard a lot of details before riding this ride.  Those details really didn’t ruin the ride for me.  The 3D is honestly the best 3D I have ever seen.  Most 3D just doesn’t work for me.  It seems like I can never really focus on the 3D aspects.  This ride is a huge exception to that.  The multiple rides is also a huge plus that got me to ride this multiple times in a row.  I haven’t done that in a while.

Seal Team Six

Disney Impact: Disney got mud on their face for this one.  Trying to profit off of this was just a dumb move.

Personal Notes: How could this have turned out in a positive way?  Was Disney going to do a war game? After all nothing says violence like Disney.

Pirates on Stranger Tides

Disney Impact: Massive impact. Disney ended up with more than a billion reasons why the Pirates franchise is still alive and well.

Personal Notes: It made a billion but it still stunk.  I loved the first Pirates movie. After that they were all trash.  I will say that this movie was much better than “At Worlds End.”  That movie was truly awful.

The Best Fire Ever

Disney Notes: When the Tiki Room caught fire Disney made lemonade out of lemons and did it on a dime.

Personal Notes: When the Tiki Room caught fire I really didn’t care.  In my opinion that ride was destroyed years ago.  When they announced that the original Tiki Room was making a comeback I thought “What’s the Catch?” Well the catch was the fountain was gone but it’s still a better ride than what we had before.

Avatar Announced

Disney Impact: It’s a big gamble that could be either a huge success or a huge failure.  Time will tell.

Personal Notes: I didn’t believe it when I first heard the news.  When the shock wore off I thought “Thank you Universal.” If Harry Potter didn’t show up at Universal we would have never seen an announcement like this.  I personally think this will be a big boon to the Animal Kingdom.

The Muppets Make a Comeback

Disney Impact: Disney made money off of a franchise that had been on the shelf for quite some time. They didn’t make as much as they hoped but it still worked.

Personal Notes: I was very happy to see the Muppets take the center stage again.  Who in their right mind doesn’t love the Muppets?  I just hope Disney keeps them an active franchise.  I don’t want to see them disappear.

So there is 2011 in a nutshell.  Sure I didn’t mention things like Cars 2 but I couldn’t list everything.  If I did this entry would be huge.

If you want more info on what happened in 2011 go download the year end edition of the “Inside the Magic Podcast.”  They cover almost everything and it took them almost five hours to do it.

Two New Videos Posted

Two new videos have been posted to YouTube.  The first one is a short goofy video entitled "When You Know You Went to Mickey's Philharmagic Too Early in the Day."  This has to be a rare video.  It's a video of me in Mickey's Philharmagic and me alone.  That's right there is not a single other person anywhere.  I didn't even see a cast member.

The second video is entitled "Epcot's Fountain of Nations in 1080p."  One nice thing about this video is the weather.  The sky is crystal clear.  There is not a cloud in the sky so it's really easy to see the water shooting into the air.

You can see the Mickey's Philharmagic video here.


You can see the Fountain of Nations video here.