Fantasmic: A Review

Over the years Disney had done everything you could think of to make seeing Fantasmic very difficult for me. Between the days with single shows to the huge lines for it to the day restrictions I had never seen this show.


The truth be told I almost didn’t see Fantasmic on my last trip either. Like usual it seemed like everything went wrong. After a horrible (and I mean horrible as in worst ever) dining experience at the Hollywood Brown Derby that ran about an hour longer than it should have, a wife who got sick, and a niece who didn’t care if she saw it or not I figured it would be at least another two years before I saw Fantasmic.

In the end my wife told me to go. By that point I figured it would be a bust because it was the second showing and people were already seated.

When I got over to the venue it was still ten minutes to the show but I had to sit in almost the last section to the left. Needless to say it was not a good seat but I figured it would still be good after all the majority of the deeks out there rave about Fantasmic.

 

If you do the dining package or are late this is the kind of seat you will end up with.

I have to say that Fantasmic is one of the most overrated shows I’ve ever seen. Yes it is a good show but I would take Wishes or Illuminations over it any day of the week. Considering what you have to go through to see Fantasmic I’m not sure I’ll ever see it again.

There are some high and low points to the show. From where I was sitting the scene where they set the lagoon on fire was impressive. You really feel the heat pouring off of the water.

There is a limited use of fireworks but it’s a little disappointing. Then again the main focuses of the show are the characters and the story. In regards to that your experience will vary greatly depending on where you are sitting. If you are on the side you will miss most of what is going on.

The use of the lagoon for multiple boats and other aspects is really fun and allows everyone to get a good view of that part of the show.

Fantasmic suffers a low point much like Illuminations low point. It’s a scene where a lot of movie clips are displayed on water screens. It’s a nice technology and it’s fun at first but it just goes on for too long. You start to get bored with it.

The music in Fantasmic is okay. It’s just okay. The music for Wishes is better and the music for Illuminations is drastically better. Fanasmic has about twenty seconds of good music and then a lot of generic bland music.

Overall Fantasmic suffers from its popularity and its venue. The venue is so limited that you really do have to get in line at least an hour early to really see the show. If you try to just show up or get in line too late you will end up with a poor seat. While you will technically see Fantasmic you will miss a lot of detail that other people will get to see. It’s this aspect that hurts Fantasmic so badly. A lot of planning and time is needed to really enjoy Fantasmic. It’s really hard to justify that kind of planning just to see a show.

Photo of the Week - Illuminations

Fireworks photos are fun.  They are also are annoying at times.  This photo is an example of when you capture most of the things you wanted to.  When it comes to fireworks follow this general rule - setup your camera and then shoot almost non-stop.  You'll get about five to ten good shots and about a hundred that are just average or bad.

I won't now recommend trying to time fireworks shots.  That can be insanely frustrating.

Photo of the Week - Star Burst

Capturing a photo like this isn't as hard as it seems.  You just need to play around with the settings on your camera.  Just follow these tips:

1 - If you camera has different "film" modes change it to the "vivid" setting.  It may be called something else but you basically want the very colorful mode.

2 - Use a tripod or flat surface.  In Disney a trashcan is normally works well.

3 - Put the camera into shutter priority sometimes labeled by an "S" on the dial.  This mode lets you tell the camera how long to keep the shutter open for each photo.

4 - Set the shutter speed to one second.

5 - Forget steps 1, 3, and 4 and just put your camera in fireworks mode.  It will do something very similar.

What following the steps above or using the fireworks mode does is cause the streaks you see.  You can get some really fun effects when you use these settings on fireworks.

What this does is captured the streaks you see.

New Video Posted: Illuminations Globe Up Close

If you have never seen the Illuminations globe enter the lake check this video out. 

I'd never really given it much thought before.  To get the globe in they raise one of the bridges near the Africa trading post.  This surprised be because I've crossed this bridge many times over the years and never realized that this was a drawbridge.

The globe itself is rather impressive.  I can't imagine how many hours of engineering went into it.  It also looks like it could be a monster to try and fix. 

You can see the video here.

Photo of the Week - The Contemporary?!?

When most people decide to stay in the tower at the Contemporary they pick the Magic Kingdom view.  While this might be a good view that decision overlooks some vital facts. 

The view of Bay Lake from the tower in the Contemporary is amazing but that's not the coolest feature.

Most people don't realize that the Bay Lake side of the Contemporary offers a decent view of Illuminations.  Yes you can not only see Spaceship Earth from the Contemporary you can see a majority of Illuminations. 

Finally if you stay on the Bay Lake side of the Contemporary you can watch the Electric Water Pageant from your room. 

Considering all of that how can the Magic Kingdom side beat it?

How Did They Do It - Disney Fireworks

Most people take fireworks for granted.  Most people realize that Disney fireworks are much better than your everyday fireworks.  One thing a lot of people don't realize are the small details that Disney pays attention to.

Disney is known for paying attention to the smallest details on their rides.  You just need to look at the pirates with hairy legs, hidden mickeys, and inside jokes to realize this.  Most agree that Disney does this because they want the experiences they deliver to be as close to perfect as they can be. 

Think about the perfect fireworks what would make them up.  Now think about Wishes and Illuminations.  There is something about them you don't find at home.  In most fireworks shows there is a guy with a death wish who runs around with a torch and sets off fuses.  In high tech shows computers are used to trigger fireworks.  In Disney shows the fuses don't exist.

How does Disney do that?

First Disney doesn't use rockets which are common in standard fireworks.  Most people use a type of rocket because they have build in propulsion which gets the firework off the ground.  They also have a fuse which is put in sync with the propulsion so it blows up at the right time.  The burning propusion leaves a smoke trail and you can often see the burning fuse too.

Disney uses shells with no built in propulsion and no fuses.  That leaves two problems.  One: how do you get the shell off the ground - and - Two: how do you ignite the shell.

First Disney uses air cannons to launch the shells.  If you put that in redneck terms they use giant,  high tech, potato cannons to laugh their fireworks.  There are a few cool things about that.  Using this method eliminates smoke trails and any evidence of the shell flying through the air.  Using this method allows explosions to appear in the sky like magic. Another cool thing about this method is the fact that it reduces debris and general polution.

So how do you get the shell to blow up?  Magic!  Well almost.  Disney puts small chips into each shell.  This chip controls when and how the shell blows up.  This allows for amazing control and consistent results.  That's why Wishes and Illuminations are the same each time you see them.

Next time you see some Disney fireworks keep this in mind.  It makes the display even more impressive.

Photo of the Week - Illuminations Setting #2

Last week I showed a photo of illuminations that was taken with a Landscape setting.  This week is another photo of Illuminations but taken with a Fireworks setting.  The big difference between the two settings is the shutter speed. When you use the Landscape setting the shutter speed is fairly fast so you get a real snapshot of what is happening.  When you use the Fireworks setting you get streaks of light.  This is due to a longer shutter speed.  Both can be very impressive but Fireworks is much harder to pull off.  With the longer shutter speed you need a flat surface or a tripod to get decent results.

In this photo a railing was used. A tripod would have given better results but one was not available.

This photo was taken with this camera:

Photo of the Week - Illuminations

Taking pictures of fireworks can be easy.  There are a few things you to do to ensure your photos come out.  

This photo wasn't taken with a night or fireworks setting and a flash was not use.  There are a few ways to get this photo with most cameras.  First turn your flash off. Next put the camera in Landscape mode.  If your camera doesn't have a landscape mode putting it into daytime mode might work.  Next get as close to the fireworks as you can. Finally put the camera on a railing or other flat surface.

When you tell the camera to use a certain mode it defaults some of the settings.  Normally at night the camera will automatically try to use a mode that is too sensitive and your photos will come out blurry unless you are using a tripod.  Putting it into a daytime mode lets you capture photos like this.

Most cameras can capture this photo because the ISO is only 800. That means it's low light but not to an extreme degree. Once you get above that you really need a good camera and a tripod.

Next week I'll post a photo taken with the fireworks setting turned on so you can see the difference.

This photo was taken with this camera.  It's good in low light and a great overall camera:

Lou Mongello’s Best Idea EVER

As you may already know I like to make fun of WDW Radio host Lou Mongello from time to time. At times he makes it very easy. His love…and I mean love…of Disney cuisine, his, at times, unintentionally funny videos, and his ability to somehow get huge interviews have all provided fodder over the years.

Despite what you think I don’t just make fun of people. I give props when someone does something good.

In episode 187 of the WDW Radio Show Lou had an idea that really impressed me. A listener posed the question: “If you could build a restaurant into one attraction which one would it be?”

I was trying to think of one and the ideas I came up with was either Pirates or the Jungle Cruise but both would be hard to do right. Lou had a better idea. He suggested putting an imagination themed dining location in the glass pyramid / second floor of the imagination pavilion.

Now think about that for a minute. Imagine the Monorail driving by, the lights at night, the great views, and if angled correctly – Illuminations viewing. I don’t doubt for a minute that this would become one of the most difficult places to get and ADR in all of Disney World. I’d even go as far as to suggest that it should be high end dining and two table service credits on the dining plan. You can do that because people would pay it.

Now I’ll take his idea a couple steps further. For lunch make it a character dining experience with Figment and friends. Do tricks with the food. Top Chef does a challenge where you make one food look like something else. That would fit perfectly here. Imagine eating something that looks like a cucumber but it’s really colored and formed mash potatoes. Stuff like that. Also make a lot of food funky colors like normal wheat bread that has been colored blue with food coloring or a cheese bisque that has been colored to look like split pea soup. This would really take that imagination idea to the next level.

Ok maybe I just hijacked Lou’s idea but I still give him props for coming up with one of the best Disney related ideas I’ve heard in quite a while.

Photo of the Week - Moon Over World Showcase

This photo was taken from the Canada Pavilion. Some people can tell when it was taken as soon as they look at the photo. The fire pot on the left gives it away. It was taken just before Illuminations started.

Photo of the Week - Illuminations

One of the best things about Illuminations is how the show can be different every time you see it by simply changing where you watch it. There are even some locations that allow you to see the show from an elevated position. Just keep an eye out and you might find one of those locations.

New Video Posted - Illuminations

I have posted a new version of Illuminations to YouTube. This video is better quality than my last one. I won't say exactly where I was but I will say it was in the Canada Pavilion. You'll notice the very large full moon. It was an almost perfect night in Epcot.

Part One

Part Two

Photo of the Week: Illuminations from the Boardwalk

A lot of people have seen Illuminations. It's a great show. Have you ever seen it from the Boardwalk? It's a totally different show from the Boardwalk. It's amazing in it's own right.

Illuminations Video - Part One and Two Posted!

I've finally gotten around to posting my Illuminations videos. I took these in December 2008 from the Japan Pavilion. The temp was around 40 and I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt so I was trying to not shake too much. You will notice that this is the holiday version of the show. There are a few small differences between the regular version and this one.

Part One
Part Two

New Video - Disney Montage!

You can see my latest video - Disney Montage, HERE.

All of the video was taken in December 2008.

The music used is Disney's favroite montage music. It's from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

Epcot Runs Out of Nachos

Disney cast members are trying to figure out what has caused the sudden surge in nacho orders at the quick service location in the Mexico Pavilion. Orders have more then tripled in two weeks causing the location to run out of nachos, infuriating patrons.

“It’s really odd. People have been inconsolable when they find out we’re out of nachos. It’s like someone brain washed them into thinking they can’t live without them,” stated a cast member who works at the pavilion.

We’ve had few cases of people trying to drown themselves in the lagoon when we inform them we’re out of nachos. One guy even tied himself to the Illuminations barge,” stated another cast member.

Experts have been offering theories on what is causing this odd behavior. The most popular theories are:

The nachos are laced with an addictive drug.

Mike Newell brain washed all Mouse World Radio listeners with his mind control software into thinking they need nachos.

There is a new flu that makes people want nachos really bad.

Compounding the problem is the fact that the WDW Today podcast has labeled the nachos as one of the best quick service meals available despite the fact that Mike Newell nearly died after eating them (the 20 pounds of food he ate after the nachos had nothing to do with it).

Due to the nacho shortage a nacho black market has sprung up. Members of the WDW Mafia have been reportedly selling nachos for upwards of $50 a pound. Further proof of their involvement was provided when Buzz Lightyear and his friend Woody ended up in the hospital after a nacho deal gone bad.

Regardless of the cause, Disney has increased their supply orders and hope to catch up to demand within a few weeks.

Second Video Now Loaded!

The Cousin Mickey Doesn't Talk About has loaded another video. The new video is a slide show of Disney World Fireworks. Illuminations, Holiday Wishes, and the Mickey's Christmas Party displays are all included. The slide show is played to the music of "Space" which used to be part of the Horizons attraction in future world in Epcot.

Feel free to rate the video and leave messages either here or on YouTube.

The video can be viewed at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uk9pmjbWekM