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 […]
Magic Kingdom
Did This Swiss Family Treehouse Cannon Protect Against Swan Boat Attacks?
If Hans Gruber wanted to attack Adventureland, he’d stand a pretty good chance at turning that Tiki Room pagoda into the next Nakatomi Tower, but everything is else is too much work. The Magic Carpets are guarded by spitting camels, the Jungle Cruise is too spread out, and the Pirates of the Caribbean has all […]
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 […]
Just Us Chickens
Today I’d like you to meet the only animatronics in Toontown. These lovely ladies may not look like much, but when it comes to three-dimensional moving figures, they’re all you’re gonna get. Everything else is either a statue, a painting, or some college kid in a foam rubber suit. These gals aren’t that hard to […]
Donald’s Boat Shark Attack Connects to Mickey’s Toontown Fair
Donald’s Boat in Mickey’s Toontown Fair tied in a storyline that went unnoticed by virtually everyone. And yes, it involved a shark.
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 […]
The Hall of Imagineers (or how a mop saved the day)
The great thing about parkeology is that you never know where it is going to lead you. Such was the case as I did research on Richard Nixon’s many connections to the Disney parks. As I mentioned in that piece Nixon was the sitting president when the Hall of Presidents opened in 1971, the […]
A view forever lost… times two.
As construction on the massive Fantasyland expansion gets underway it got me thinking of simpler times. I realized that in fact sometimes it is the simple things you miss the most. One day not too long ago there were mighty submarines plying the waters of a crystalline lagoon smack in the middle of Fantasyland. […]
Disney World Goes To the Oscars
In honor of the Academy Awards, I have decided to devote an entire post linking the most famous American award show to a 43-square-mile patch of Florida swampland. Here are the nominees and winners of the Oscars, Walt Disney World style. Best Supporting Actress The Great Movie Ride is packed with Supporting Actress nominees. Of […]