It’s not as obvious with the most recent changes, but one of Epcot’s classic attractions has always employed a little bit of musical steroids to pump up one of the emotional punches of the ride. It’s a sneaky bit of subterfuge, injected from hidden speakers as you reach the top, and even though I stole […]
Disney Theme Park Hidden Secrets
Animal Kingdom’s Lost Water Temple
For some time now, daring Parkeologists have been hard at work tracking down a fabled treasure — the Lost Water Temple of Animal Kingdom. One periodically heard rumors of it. Obscure references turned up in ancient Incan tablets, or in a manuscript fragment discovered in some European abbey, or in one of those original stapled […]
Vaudeville Cowboys of the 1950s
Dinner theater used to be a big deal in Orlando. Disney World alone had three shows, while out on tourist drags like I-Drive and 192, there were scores of eat-while-you-watch options. There was nary a genre that didn’t have its own dinner show. Middle Eastern, pirates, gangsters, accountants, you name it. They all had their […]
Survey Says!
A cryptic world hidden right before your eyes. A hint to a clandestine mystery right under foot. A sprawling network of clues cloaked from many, indiscernible to most, shrouded to all but the most inquisitive and yet visible to all in plain sight. But first, it’s time for the Family Feud! Nice shades That’s […]
Muppet Labs Creates Beaker’s Best Line
Last Saturday marked the reopening of MuppetVision 3-D, a Studio staple since the early 90s. The rehab included a new digital projection system, resulting in crystal clear images the likes of which haven’t been seen since Jim Henson’s mind-expansion experiments in the 70s. The show also got new carpet and seat coverings, shunting some […]
Born and Bred in a Fire Trap
Rabbits may be clever about a great many things, but the idea of open-flame cooking in a giant patch of brittle thorn brambles is probably not up there among the brightest ideas in the universe. Witness Brer Rabbit’s house, the Briar Patch, where a giant fireplace makes a nice centerpiece to their little collection of kindle. […]
Yo Ho Yo Ho Chim Chim Cheree
There’s a stupid game that my brother and I sometimes play. It’s called the Sherman Brothers Game. In this game, the idea is to come up with a new title for a Sherman Brothers song by throwing nonsensical syllables into the song title. As long as it rhymes, it’s a winner. It’s really more of […]
Indian Curses are the Least of Your Worries
Forget about flooded ghost towns, howling bobcats, avalanches, steaming geysers, runaway trains, cave-ins, or shrieking flocks of bats. If it’s grave danger you seek, you can start by looking in the loading area. Legend tells of a Big Thunder Mining Company, which struck gold in this little corner of Frontierland. They expanded operations, riddled the […]
Tramp Sleeps With the Fishes
Never go against the family. That’s the lesson here, especially in the high powered Italian underworld of Main Street U.S.A. “Take the gun, leave the meatballs.” Tramp always had it coming. He should have known better than to skim free spaghetti dinners from a kingpin like Tony. And he’s out flaunting his status with those […]