Back in the Saddle

When it comes to naming a carousel after a Disney movie, one can look back and easily arrive at Cinderella.  It’s a natural fit, since she had a pet horse which was turned into a human, and mice which were also turned to horses for about twenty seconds of screen time.  This obvious conclusion only […]

capitalizing on a tower

Nothing says that the world is tiny like a giant, soaring 120 foot tower.  If it was still around today, it would be the second tallest structure in the Magic Kingdom, but of course it’s gone.  Pepsi Co isn’t even the sponsor of “it’s a small world” anymore.  That honor is reserved for the Daisy […]

Shakespeare’s Ghost

When it comes to famous writers in Disney theme parks, Mark Twain got an island named after his character, a riverboat named after his pen name, and a frontier fortress named after himself.  He’s doing pretty good. Jules Verne used to have a submarine ride, a guest spot in Timekeeper, and an entire land at […]

Treasure of the Incas Still Buried Under DisneyQuest Basement

DisneyQuest itself is a virtual treasure trove for parkeologists.  Even Alien Encounter, that beloved Magic Kingdom classic, still has a presence here. But on the ground floor, just around the corner from the Virtual Jungle Cruise, in an area currently occupied by a bunch of Jungle Safari-themed video games, there is a lost treasure just […]

To S.I.R. With Love

The show building now known as Stitch’s Great Escape has seen a lot of changes over the years, but through it all, one thing has remained constant:  Stinky chili dogs.  Or maybe that’s just the Stitch version.  At any rate, I hate that part. But really, there is something else.  Every incarnation of the attraction […]

Monsters Before Monsters

Yesterday Universal finally announced an opening date for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Judging by the carefully retouched hi-res publicity photos and the always-accurate concept art, they have obviously knocked it out of the park. Oh, stop being so sarcastic, you say.  It’ll be good.  And I have to admit, I’m looking forward to […]

Guard Duty

Back when Disney’s Hollywood Studios first opened, there wasn’t much to it.  Sure, the park was only slightly smaller than the Magic Kingdom, but if you looked at the map, you’d see that it fully half of the real estate was taken up by something called a “Backstage Tour.” Yes, this was a hearkening back […]

Tronorails

A few monorails around the resort are starting to take on a new look.  They will stay this way at least for the next nine months or so, until Walt Disney Pictures gives birth to the sequel to a certain breakthrough film from 1982. No, Condorman was 1981. There’s a lot of internet buzz for […]

A Great Place To Meet Models

As a Disney World fanatic growing up, I would always end each trip with a collection of park guide maps, so that I could pour over them later back home in Indiana.  Sometimes I couldn’t wait until I got back home, so I would pour over them in the hotel room.  Remember back when it […]