For those of you TMSM fans who actually read my articles, you know that I am a sucker for random facts about Disney. I’ve done several different articles on various attractions and recently completed one on the ever-popular Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. So here you go, 10 Random Facts about Pirates of the Caribbean.

1. Next time you’re walking through the queue line and come upon the two fine fellows playing chess, who have been sitting and playing for so long they have become skeletons, take a look at the chessboard. It has long been long rumored that they were in a stalemate and sat so long that they died, but this has been proven false in the past few years. Originally the stalemate gag was the plan. The pieces get rearranged on a regular basis.

2. Several scenes have been changed over the years because Disney thought that they might be too racy for guests. In some of the original scenes Pirates chase women around trying to catch them.

3. George Bruns, who was a co-writer for The Ballad of Davy Crockett, composed the music. The lyrics were written by X. Atencio who is also known for writing the script and the lyrics (Grim Grinning Ghost) for The Haunted Mansion.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean was the last ride that Walt Disney personally oversaw during development. He died during construction.

5. The fire effect was so realistic that the Anaheim Fire Chief asked that the effect automatically shut off in case of a real fire.

7.  It may seem like a long drop but the drop in WDW is only 14 feet. In the process of the drop you’re actually going under the Walt Disney World Railroad.

8. The ride was originally going to be a walk through wax museum about pirate history. The popularity of the other boat rides changed this idea.

9. The world premier of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was held at Disneyland and featured the longest red carpet in history (trailing from Main Street into New Orleans Square).

10. The plans for the Western River Expedition were scrapped so that the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction could be built in Florida.

How many of you have ever heard of Amezaiku? Anyone? Maybe some of you know exactly what it is. For those of you who don’t, I’m here to fill you in. Amezaiku is the Japanese art of crafting candy sculptures. The process involves an artist utilizing rice taffy, their hands and special tools such as tweezers and scissors to create sculptures out of candy. Beginning with a starchy syrup recipe, the candy base is prepared and formed into a ball then stored to be used at a later time. When the ball is heated it becomes pliable once again and the artist will take the desired amount to maketheir custom creation. The hot candy is quickly rolled, twisted, clipped and molded into form. Speed is of the essence because the sculpture must be completed before the candy has time to cool and harden.

If you’ve ever been traveling around the Japan pavilion in the past in World Showcase and stumbled upon a small cart located just outside of the entrance to the Mistikoshi department store, you probably saw the Amezaiku artist Miyuki. She became a part of the Japan pavilion in 1996 and delighted adults and children alike with her candy making skills.

Miyuki began her candy making apprenticeship in 1989 under the artistry of candy maker Mr. Kinura, her grandfather. In Japan he is one of the best and most renowned candy artists. Currently there are only 15 candy artists in Japan and Miyuki is distinguished to be the first and only woman to receive the training in That country. When she completed her training she became an independent artist and traveled in Japan and Italy to demonstrate her artistic creations at conventions, local festivals and private parties.

In EPCOT she performed several shows a day throughout the week. When she began she usually called on a child to name an animal. When the child called out, “DOG!” or “DRAGON!”, she quickly began her transformation of a ball of candy into a custom work of art. The candy dough she worked with was heated to 200 degrees to keep it soft while she worked her magic. If you’ve never saw Miyuki work, you missed out on a special treat, it was never a disappointing show. In the past the chosen child was rewarded with the final result but sadly Disney put a stop to this due to sanitary reasons. Miyuki’s last performance was at the end of 2013.

t’s no secret that when Walt Disney was planning and creating Disneyland he eagerly wanted to include real animals into the Jungle Cruise ride experience. He was eventually dissuaded from using real animals because experts believed that the animals would be unmanageable and difficult to present to guest in the manner that Walt desired. The animals would have minds of their own, sleeping during the day and more active at night and since most visitors would be visiting during the day, all they would get to see would be sleeping and inanimate animals. So this led to Walt’s first use of three dimensional animated animal figures. He never really got to see live animals incorporated into his par, but that would all change with the planning and design of the florida project, Walt Disney World. This week we are going to take a stroll over to an often over-looked island. A place a lot of people may have not even known existed or just never had that extra day on their vacation to go and experience it. So sit back and relax while we float on over to Discovery Island.

When Walt was flying and taking repeated airel surveys of central Florida, an 11 1/2 acre island in Bay Lake was one of the main spots that caught his eye. After he purchased all the land for his new resort, he ultimately liked the island so much, he decided that the surrounding property would be the first to be developed. The island was owned by several different families before Disney became affiliated with it. From 1900-1937 the island went by the name Raz Island sharing the same name with its owner. The Raz family lived on the island and farmed the land. In the late 1930’s the island was purchased by florida’s first radio disc jockey,Delmar “Radio Nick” Nicholson for $800.00. Nicholson, along with his wife and pet crane lived on “Idle Bay Island” as he called it for nearly 20 years. When Nicholson became really ill, he sold it to some local businessmen to be used as a hunting retreat. Riles Island as it was later called was sold in 1965 to Walt Disney as part of the secretive property acquisitions he was undertaking in preparations for his new theme park.

Disney officials knew from the beginning that the island was prime real estate for some sort of attraction. While many ideas were thrown around, it was ultimately decided to give the island a pirate motif and would draw heavily from the Disney movie Treasure Island.

When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the island appeared on guide maps as Blackbeard’s Island. It remained undeveloped until 1974. Construction began clearing the island of any and all of its original scrub growth. The company brought in 55,000 cubic yards of soil to build up the islands acreage and elevations. They also brought in 500 tons each of boulders and trees to create an entirely new landscape.

Plants from China, the Himalayas and South Africa were transplanted to give the island a tropical lush feel. On April 8, 1974, Treasure Island, as it was now called officially opened to the public.

When the island opened in 1974, it acted mainly as a sanctuary for birds, reptiles, mammals and other species of wildlife. The original pirate theme was woven into the cast members costumes as well as items such as the oil lamps and the ship wreckage.

The remains of Captain Flint’s ship, the Walrus, was a wrecked hull of a sailing ship and was the most prominent and photographed feature on the island. Treasure Island was accessible by one of two ways. One was by taking a direct motor launch from one of the resort docks or by the “Walt Disney World Cruise”, which was a tour of the Seven Seas Lagoon and included a stop to the island.

In 1978 Disney officials changed the name once again. This time the island was rechristened Discovery Island. It also became accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and functioned as a breeding facility for rare birds. The facilities were the home of the last known dusky seaside sparrow before it died in 1987.

Officials eventually decided to do away with the pirate theming and focus more on the ecological aspects that had become the focus of the island. It also challenged the cast members who were working on the island with the task of caring and showing the animals. The island was now showcasing over 140 species of animals such as macaws, rheas, tortoises, flamingos, pelicans, bald eagles and among many other species. It also had 250 different kinds of tropical plants, including 5 different species of bamboo.
Among some of the other islands features was a 320 foot by 102 foot walk through aviary, the coo coo cabana and the bird show, the “Jose Carioca Flyers”. A show which cockatoos, macaws and other birds took to the air for a flight show. There was also the Turtle Beach, which was where the 300 pounds Galapagos Tortoise lived.

Being that the island was only accessible by boat more than likely caused many people to pass this experience by all together, but when Animal Kingdom opened in 1998 it pretty much all but shut the island down. Attendance to the island dropped drastically. It served primarily as a quarantine for birds while Animal Kingdom was being built and then were moved over to the park. The island officially closed its doors to the public on April 8, 1999, 25 years to the date when it first opened. Since the closing of the island there have always been rumors of what was going to be done with the island. At one time there was talk of making the island based around the popular video game “Myst”, then there was talk of making it a honeymoon resort and much more recently was making a island based on the hit T.V. show “Lost”. But as of right now it remains a ghost land of what was once a fairly popular attraction at the World. Dilapidated buildings and overgrowth are all that remain. The island is still located in the middle of Bay Lake and can still be seen from watercraft, but don’t try and visit the island.

In April of 2010, an Orlando new affiliate reported that “Urban Explorer” and blogger, Shane Perez, secretly visited the island with a few friends one night. They swam to the island one night using the night skies as cover and took some pretty interesting photographs. According to him, Disney officials are considering banning him from all Disney properties for life. Perez claims that the visit predates the statue of limitations for trespassing.

Although we cant all secretly visit the island, the spirit of the Island lives on at Animal Kingdom. In late 2000, Safari Village was renamed Discovery Island. There is the Flight of Wonder show performed in Asia that is a reminder of the islands bird shows and the Maharaja Jungle Trek features a walk through aviary. So next time you visit the world, see if you may can spot the island and when your at Animal Kingdom, remember that part of what you see took place on that 11 1/2 acre island.

Many of the people who visit the Disney parks know that there is something special about each and every one. There’s “magic” at the parks. It may be in the form of a very generous castmember replacing a dropped ice cream cone or a certain song playing during your favorite firework show that sets off your “I must have something in my eye” moments. To me one of the things that make it all magical is the amount of detail given to individual attractions. The castmembers could have just designed the attraction and left it at that, but they went further by adding a back-story to a majority of the attractions. Some are pretty obvious, but some take a little searching to figure out what it may be. This could involve investigating the queue lines or even the area surrounding the attraction. In this article I am going to give you the backstory on one of my favorite attractions, Expedition Everest over in the Animal Kingdom.

The journey begins well before you actually board the ride. If you’re heading to the ride leaving the monkeys right outside of Yak & Yeti you’ll come up on a shrine of a temple. Here you’ll find a sign giving information on the mountains and in the middle you’ll find a label for The Forbidden Mountain, which stands at 20,154 feet and is the Legendary Home of the Yeti. If you stand in just the right location in front of the shrine you’ll see that the shape of the shrine matches up with that of the mountains in the background. If you approach the attraction from the Finding Nemo Musical you’ll see that there are tea plants growing on the other side of the water.
Story has it that this area was once a booming tea plantation and trains were used to deliver the tea to the nearby region of Anandapur. But years later for some reason the tea plantation was boarded up and all trains quit running. As you approach the village of Serka Zong, which is located in the foothills of the Himalayas you’ll notice a lot of the buildings that were once ran by the Royal Anandapur Tea Company are now being reused by businesses that help arrange trips for travelers visiting the Himalayas. The Himalayan Escapes Tour & Expeditions Company are the ones who arrange the Expedition Everest trek. Norbu and Bob, who was also the team that transformed most of the buildings and refurbished all of the tea trains, opened Himalayan Escape. In addition they changed some of the train tracks at the base of the mountain to carry trekkers to the base camps at Mount Everest. But they also made a shortcut through the Forbidden Mountain, which is said to be guarded by the infamous Yeti.

Your first stop upon entering the attraction is Norbu and Bob’s booking office to obtain all of the proper permits. The booking office was originally the headquarters for the Royal Anandapur Tea Company. On a back wall is a board showing all of the tours and their current statuses. After obtaining your permits you’ll enter into a barren section of the queue known as the Yeti Mandir, which is a small temple dedicated to the Yeti.
The plaque states:

VISITORS PLEASE RESPECT ANCIENT MANDIR PAGODA WHICH HONORS YETI- PROTECTOR OF THE SACRED MOUNTAIN. CARVINGS DATE BACK TO THE REIGN OF HIS MAJESTY KING PARTHIVA SANKARA GAVAMPATI 17TH CENTURY.

Next you’ll enter into Tashi’s Trek and Tongba Shop of Serka Zong. They claim “ We provide the finest in mountaineer equipment for all needs, new and used.”

Exiting Tashi’s, you’ll then enter into the tea warehouse that now has been transformed into a museum for the Yeti. Here is where you’ll find a collection of Yeti artifacts and legends of they mythical creature. The museum is ran by Professor Pema Dorje Phd., who is a firm believer of the Yeti.
He has hung a plaque that reads:

WELCOME TO THE YETI MUSEUM- DEDICATED TO THE SERIOUS STUDY OF THE SCIENTIFIC AD CULTURAL ASPECTS OF THE MYSTERIOUS CREATURE KNOWN AND REVERED THROUGHOUT THE HIMALAYAS AS THE YETI.

Next you’ll find “The Mystery of the Lost Expedition” exhibit. The artifacts here were found in the mountains after an expedition went wrong in 1982 when a group of trekkers attempted to use the Forbidden Mountain as a shortcut.
Now that you have all your gear, permits and a brief history, it’s time to board the Anandapur Rail Service trains. These are the 34 passenger trains that once were used to transport tea. And it is here that you’ll encounter the infamous Yeti in all of his disco glory.

After your encounter with the Yeti is over its time to head into Serka Zong Bazaar. This is a shop that was set up by local townsfolk and sells handmade items and Expedition Everest merchandise. Outside of the shop is a large courtyard that has various shrines to the Yeti.

This week we’re going to talk about some of the facts about Walt Disney World. Some of you more hardcore Disney fanatics are probably going to know a majority of these facts, but for those of you who don’t maybe you’ll learn something new.

So here we go. Did you know:
1. There is only one building on Main Street built to full scale? It’s Exposition Hall.

2. There’s an antenna for coordinating the Main Street parades located on the castle disguised as a flag.

3. On the day that Steve Jobs died, Disney World flew its flags at half staff.

4. “Ernest Saves Christmas”was the first movie filmed at Disney-MGM Studios.

5. When the Magic Kingdom originally opened it only cost $3.50 for admission.

6. There is a five legged goat in the mosaic muriel at the Contemporary Resort.

7. Animal Kingdom has live plants from every continent except Antartica.

8. Steve Tyler and Joe Perry rode Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster 12 times in a row when they came to preview the ride.

9. There are more than 10 million burgers, 6 million hot dogs a 9 million pounds of fries consumed in WDW every year.

10. Animal Kingdom is Disney’s largest theme park at 403 acres.

11. More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at The Land pavilion at Epcot are served in Walt Disney World restaurants.

12. Disney’s only full-time harpist entertains diners at Victoria & Albert’s, a grand dining experience at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.

13. The “Liberty Oak,” which is the focal point of the Liberty Square area in Magic Kingdom, is the proud parent of more than 500 young trees. They all started out as acorns harvested from the majestic oak.

14. John Hench, legendary Imagineer, is also characterized in the Magic Kingdom, as a knight in one of the murals in the corridors of Cinderella’s Castle.

15. More than 50 kinds of cheese are used by theme park and resort chefs.

16. Lady and the Tramp’s paw prints are found in the sidewalk outside of Tony’s Town Square.

17. There is a marker located west of Innoventions West that pinpoints the exact center of EPCOT.

18. Lightning struck Twilight Zone Tower of Terror when it was being built.

19. Only 10,000 people showed up to Magic Kingdom on opening day.

20. It took 1,700 tons of steel to build Spaceship Earth.

C’mon, admit it. We’ve all been there. We’ve all had a friend or family member or co-worker that all they talked about was their vacation to Walt Disney World. They asked you a few questions, but that was all they did. Then they get back from their trip tired and complaining about how much a souvenir cost or the only restaurant that their child wanted to eat at was full. There are many common mistakes I feel are made by the “newbie” when it comes to visiting the “World” and I’m going to list my top ten.

10. Not realizing how big Walt Disney World really is.

WDW is 47 square miles. Manhattan, NY is 33.77 square miles. You do the math. Disney World is not the size of a Six Flags over wherever. This place is massive and you have to plan for the huge scale of the resort.

9. Leaving when it begins to rain.

Don’t do it. Most of the time the showers in Orlando only last a little while. If in doubt, carry a packable rain jacket or poncho. Showers tend to thin out the crowds so now is one of the best times to be in the parks.

8. Fastpasses are your friend.

These are free and can save huge amounts of time.

7. Trying to do to much in to little of time.

As stated in number 10. WDW is massive in scale. You will not get everything covered in one trip unless you’re going to be there for months at a time (I wish). Plan accordingly. Know that time is of the essence. Extra magic hours can be your friend or your worst enemy.

6. Height requirements.

Not knowing how tall your kids are before arriving can be a downer, especially when all they’ve been talking about is riding Space Mountain, only to get there and they aren’t tall enough.

5. Not setting a budget.

Food in Disney cost more than most places in your hometown. Check out the menus of places you’re interested in eating and plan accordingly.

4. Know what kind of tickets you want.

There are hundreds of ticket options so don’t wait until its your first day in a park to buy them. Are you going to want DisneyQuest or Water Parks? Most guest services and resorts sell tickets.

3. When are you going?

Certain times of the year are a lot busier than others. Want to go during Thanksgiving or Christmas? Just know its probably the busiest time of the year.

2. Transportation

Know if you want to ride on Disney transpiration. It’ll take you most anywhere you want to go. But if you want to ride in your own vehicle, parking is free of your staying in a Disney resort of know that’ll you have to pay if staying offsite.

1. But I really want to eat in the castle!

Making ADR’s. You get to the most magical place on earth. Your child wants to dine with the princess, but “we’re sorry, we have no opening today” is not the words you want to hear. You have 180 days out to make those ADR’s to try and get some of the most coveted spots at the most coveted restaurants.

If you know anything about me, you know that I’m an avid Disney book reader. I have close to 400 books on the subject of Disney; whether it’s about the parks, movies, television or Walt himself. There’s a lot of random knowledge out there, so I get excited when I read something that I did not already have stored away in my memory. I’ve written several of these articles over the years and as I read through my Disney library, I compile a list of “Obscure Facts” that are new to me. So of course as I find new ones I like to pass them along to you guys. I hope you enjoy these “new to me” facts about Disney.

1. Everyone loves the mosaics that are inside Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. But did you know that 6 artists led by Hanns-Joachim Scharff made this masterpiece? Who’s’ that? Scharff was a German interrogator during World War 2. He also crafted the mosaics outside The Land pavilion in Epcot.
2. MGM bought the rights to one Oz novel; Walt on the other hand bought the rights to 12 others. He had a script written that was later discarded, he decided an attraction at Disneyland would be better suited. That idea was also later abandoned.
3. Most Disney fans have heard of the Hidden Mickeys that are placed in the parks. But did you know that some have also popped up at Universal Studios in Florida and Hollywood?
4. The infamous “I’m not a crook” speech given by President Nixon was given at Disney World.
5. Johnny Depp has dressed as Captain Jack and hidden in the Pirates of Caribbean attraction a reportedly 3 times.
6. My favorite chip, Doritos, was invented at Disneyland in the early 1960’s.
7. The day Steve Jobs died, Disney flew the flags at half-mast. He was also the largest single Disney shareholder.
8. Do you know what two of the most common words found amongst pub names in the U.K. are? If you guessed Rose & Crown, you are correct.
9. Out of the 18 opening day attractions at Disneyland, 14 are still around today.
10. Until 1991 Disneyland had a tobacco shop on Main Street. In addition, a lingerie shop was present on opening day.

So there you have it, 10 of the newest facts about Disney that I have recently stumbled upon. If you have any obscure facts, let them be known in the comments sections. Until next time!

Weekly I scourge books, the Internet and various brochures to find some obscure facts that I did not know. It has never ruined the “magic” for me learning about these things. It has only intensified it. For someone who has never worked in one of the theme parks, I find any of the behind the scene stuff and secret hidden stuff fascinating. I’m not talking about sneaking backstage or anything like that, but searching for things that are out in the open, but may not necessarily know exactly what I’m looking at. Some things go over my head and some things I pick up on immediately. In this article I am going to share some of the things I recently found out about Disney Hollywood Studios.

-The Hollywood Hideaway- If you ever find yourself being asked for some reason where the Hollywood Hideaway is, just direct them to the old Sounds Dangerous attraction building. This is a private VIP lounge that is booked for special events. It’s a very nice lounge area. I got the opportunity to do an interview there some years back.

-In the Great Movie Ride during the gangster shoot-out sequence check out the car tag of the vehicle in the scene. It reads “021-429”. You may be asking yourself what exactly does it all mean. It’s actually a date, 02-14-29. February 14, 1929 is the date of the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.

-U2 was originally approached to be the band that starred in the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster attraction. After they declined Aerosmith became the headliner.

-Next time you decide to dine at the Sci-Fi Dine In, check out the wall that has the plexiglass covered displays before you go into the restaurant. Find an article that reads “Who is the Rocketeer?” Then turn and look immediately behind you at the top of the opposite wall and you’ll find one of The Rocketeers jet packs.

-When you go to check out the Osborne Christmas Lights, see if you can find the black cat. Imagineers hides a cat made from lights amongst the huge light display.

-If you ever find yourself walking by Tower of Terror and notice a strange wait time of “13 minutes”, this isn’t a mistake. It means that there is no wait for the attraction.

-The lagoon where Fantasmic takes place is a whopping 1 ½ feet deep. That’s right; it’s only 1 ½ feet deep, which is not as deep as it looks.

-Have you ever wondered why there is a big green dinosaur being used outside of an ice cream booth? Gertie the dinosaur was not a creation by Walt, but was created by Winsor McCay and released in 1914. Gertie was one of the first animated characters to have lifelike movements.

-The Tower of Terror has actually been struck by lightening. I’ve yet to find out officially if anyone disappeared…again.

“Born on a mountain top in Tennessee, greenest state in the land of the free. Raised in the woods so’s he knew every tree. Killed him a bear when he was only three. Davy, Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier.”

If you were a kid growing up in the mid 1950’s then these few lines from a television theme song may be one of your fondest memories. Davy Crockett was a five part series that ran on ABC from December 15, 1954 through December 14, 1955. When Walt and Roy were looking for investors to help, with the funding of Disneyland, one company they reached out to was ABC television.

In the 1950’s television was a growing medium and broadcasting companies were trying to get the most compelling and unique content to put on their stations. When ABC was approached to invest in Disneyland they agreed, but in return they wanted a weekly television show for their channel. One show to come out of that agreement was Davy Crockett starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebson.

According to Fess Parker when Walt was looking for a lead for the show his original pick was James Arness from the show Gunsmoke. It just so happened that Parker had a small role in the movie THEM! with Arness. When Walt was screening the film he looked past Arness and was impressed with Parker’s acting abilities. Parker was later asked to come to the Disney Studios to meet with Disney. He brought along his guitar, met with Walt and sang a song. He was informed a few weeks later that he had been selected for the role over James Arness, Buddy Ebson and several other actors.
Parker catapulted to fame almost overnight when “Davy Crockett Indian Fighter”, “Davy Crockett Goes to Congress”, and “Davy Crockett at the Alamo” was televised on the “Disneyland” television series. Everywhere you went boys and probably some girls were wearing coonskin caps and carrying musket rifles around with them. “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” was originally recorded by Bill Hayes with Fess Parker later recording a version in 1955. Both made the Billboard top 10.

The first three episodes of the series were edited into a theatrical movie. The next two episodes were “Davy Crockett’s Keelboat Race” and “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates”, they were also edited into a theatrical movie. The Davy Crockett series has become known as the first T.V. mini-series. The whole series caught Disney by surprise on its popularity. Production began immediately on coonskin caps, rifles, under wear. Almost anything that could be used for licensing was. Fess Parker has noted in the past that his contract called for a percentage of all merchandising but because his contract was with Walt personally and not the company his contract was null costing him millions in revenue.

To this day there are remnants of Crockett still in the theme parks. Head over to Frontierland and you can still purchase rifles and caps. When Disneyland opened in 1955 Fess made an appearance on horseback in character and the kids ate it up. In Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland there are the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. In Disneyland Paris there are the Mike Fink Keelboats which have been in Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the past.
In 2004 Parker was honored with the highest award given by Disney, his own window in Frontierland in Disneyland. It reads “Davy Crockett, Coonskin Cap Supply Co. Fess Parker, Proprietor”. He was also named a “Disney Legend” in 1991.

When you arrive at Walt Disney World there are many different things that trigger the feeling that you’ve finally arrived. To some it may be the sight of the Monorail track when arriving on property, for others it may be arriving at the resort they are staying in during their vacation or maybe it’s the sight of Cinderella’s Castle or seeing Spaceship Earth in all its glory when you pull into the parking lot. But do you know what Walt called these things that drew people in? Just sit back and I’ll fill you in.

When Walt was developing Disneyland in the early fifties he would frequently arrive home late in the evenings and would often enter his house through the kitchen to see what Thelma, his housekeeper, was preparing for dinner that evening. Walt would sometimes grab a “weenie” from the refrigerator as he made his way through the kitchen and would share the hot dog with his dog Lady. He realized that she would follow him wherever he went when he was holding the hot dog because she knew he was going to share it with her.
While developing the new theme park Walt remembered that he could lead the dog wherever he wanted with a “weenie”, so this is the term he coined for describing to his Imagineers how to get the guests to go to certain places and directions. Unfortunately Lady died while at a vet visit around the time Disneyland was opening of a blood clot.

All the parks have what is referred to as a “weenie”. Magic Kingdom of course has Cinderella Castle while Epcot has Spaceship Earth. The Animal Kingdom has the Tree of Life and Hollywood Studios has the Sorcerers Hat. But those are only the big ones, there are many more located throughout the parks to find and explore. What are some of your favorite “weenies”?

Anyone who has ever been down to Walt Disney World knows that it can cost a pretty penny, but have you ever stopped to think about the things that they offer that doesn’t cost a dime to do? There are many things that you can do other than just going commando style at one of the theme parks or water parks. So this week I’m going to give you some of my favorite FREE things to do while we are at the “World”.

1. Resort Hopping – Have you ever been watching the Disney vacation DVD or one of the Travel Channel shows and saw one of the Deluxe resorts but knew you didn’t want to spend that much money to stay there. Well guess what, you can at least go and hang out for the day and see what the hype may be about. You can visit each and every resort on property and it wont cost you a thing out of pocket. This is especially fun during the Christmas season when the resorts go all out for the Holidays.

2. Take a boat ride – Just like the monorail, you can ride the boats for free. Take a trip from Downtown Disney over to Port Orleans or take the EPCOT Waterway boats to the Studios and back.

3. Check out a free fireworks show – We’ve done this in 2 different locations. One from the balcony at the Contemporary and over at the beaches at the Grand Floridian and the Poly. If you want the better view, the Contemporary is the best one in my opinion.

4. Hang out with Chip N’ Dale – Head over to Fort Wilderness and you can join in a sing a long with fellow Disney lovers, then watch a movie and can even roast marshmallows for a small fee.

5. Watch the Electric Water Pageant – Starting around 9:00 P.M., this parade on water can be viewed from the beaches of the Poly, Grand Floridian, Wilderness Lodge, Ft. Wilderness and the Contemporary.

6. Downtown Disney – Although this shopping and eating district is free to walk around and check out new merchandise, you’ll probably end up spending some money here.

7. Ride the Monorail – This one can kind of go hand in hand with checking out the resorts since you can knock out 3 in one loop. Transfer at the Ticket and Transportation and ride over to EPCOT and see it from a different perspective.

8. The Boardwalk – This place is a blast to just walk around in my opinion. Built around a lake, you can often see street performers and musicians performing throughout.

9. Tri-Circle-D Ranch – If ranches are your thing, then head over to Tri-Circle-D. Here you can see Cinderella’s Ponies and the horse of Main Street U.S.A. Different breeds include Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, Paint Horses, Percherons, Quarter Horses and Shetland Ponies. You can also ride trails on horseback, take a wagon rides or carriage rides for a fee.

10. The Disney Wilderness Preserve – This is not technically located in WDW but is located nearby in Kissimmee. It is a 11,5000 acre preserve where you can hike and see more than a 1,000 different species of plants and animals.

These are just some of my favorite FREE things to do on a trip. What are some of yours? Let us know in the comments box.

1. If you’re like me you sometimes forget what area you have parked in. Try taking a picture with your cell phone or you camera to help you remember incase you forgot.

2. If you hardly ever eat your sides that come with your entree, request that the side be left off and you can often save around $2.

3. Use the single rider on some of the most popular attractions to decrease your wait times.

4. Use the Disney Parks Mobile App to stay up to date with wait times, characters, and dining times. It’s free so what do you have to lose?

5. Make sure you make it for rope drop. Most of the time you can knock out most of the biggest attractions beforethe crowds really start to arrive.

6. If you’re not a parade person or have already seen each one many times, this is a prime time to hit some of the busier attractions.

7. If you have children to small to ride certain attractions, obtain a rider swap from a cast member. This will allow up to 5 people through the fast pass line. The rider swap does not count towards a fast pass.

8. Carry a poncho. If it rains, don’t leave. Tackle the inside rides.

9. If you get tired of buying bottled water, just go up to a counter service and they’ll give you a complimentary cup of ice water.

10. If you enjoy penny pressing, use pre 1982 pennies and place Lincoln’s head to the right in the coin press.

11. If you’re prone to blisters, buy some mole skin.

12. Buy a cheap pre-paid cell phone for children with programmed numbers in case they accidentally get separated.

13. Take advantage of the fastpass system. Just make sure you return to the attraction in time.

14. If you have real little ones, take advantage to the Baby Care Centers located in all 4 parks. They have rocking chairs, feeding rooms, and diaper changing rooms.

15. Know your child’s height before arriving to attraction. Cast Members are pretty strict on the height limits.

16. If you need them, each park has lockers located at the front of the parks.

17. If you’re going to be in the “World” for a special occasion, don’t forget to get your button that will showcase what that special occasion is.

18. In the parks, Sunshine Seasons and Electric Umbrella at Epcot, Tortuga Tavern and Be Our Guest Restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, Backlot Express in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Restaurantosaurus in Disney’s Animal Kingdom all have drink refill stations for free refills.

19. Free Wi-Fi is available at the theme parks and resort hotels.

20. If you’re staying at a Disney owned hotel, you can have all of the merchandise you purchase in the parks sent to your hotel.

America has had its share of haunted places throughout history. From the east coast to the west coast stories of ghosts and spirits of the afterlife have rolled off the tongues of many people. Stories of ghosts and hauntings have had a place in history for hundreds of years. Stories of places like Alcatraz Prison, The Stanley Hotel, the Battlefields of Gettysburg, Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Wait, what? Walt Disney World and Disneyland? Yes, believe it or not there are a lot of stories and folklore out there that two of the most beloved places people enjoy visiting are in fact haunted. In this month’s haunted newsletter I am going to share some of the more famous stories involving the two parks. So sit back, relax and enjoy what I like to call Hauntings From the Happiest Place on Earth.

The first story of the evening is the story of a woman who approached Disney executives telling them about her son who had recently been killed. Her son loved the Haunted Mansion attraction and she wanted to spread his ashes throughout the ride. Well Disney of course said no. But where there’s a will, there’s a way. Bound and determined the lady boarded the attraction and poured the ashes out; soon after this strange occurrences began to happen. Guests would report seeing a child running around in the ballroom scene or a little boy standing at the exit alone and crying. But by the time security would arrive there would be no child there. Castmembers have also reported hearing a child’s laughter when alone in the loading area of the ride.

The next tale, which is probably the most famous, is the story of George. George was one of the contractors working on the structure that would become Pirates of the Caribbean in Walt Disney World. One day while working he fell from a scaffold to an untimely death. Since the opening of the attraction in 1973 unexplained events have plagued the ride. There are often breakdowns for no apparent reasons. Female castmembers have reported that they have been “felt” by an unseen person. Later on in years an elderly woman would board the ride asking for a boat to herself. The lady would be seen on the security monitor weeping and talking to no one. It was later discovered that she was talking to her son George. Next time you’re riding the ride, see if you can spot “Georges Tower”. It’s located to the right of Carlos the Mayor’s house in the well scene. Legend has it that if a light is burning, it means George is home.

On Grad Night at Disneyland in 1967, a 17 year old was on the People Mover jumping from ride vehicle to ride vehicle. Needless to say, he accidently slipped and was killed by an oncoming People Mover vehicle. It’s said that he still haunts the ride. While he was alive it’s said that he was partial to females with blonde hair and to this day blonde females report that their hair was tugged during the ride.

There are many other stories that are told about the hauntings of the Disney parks such as a tan figure that strolls down Main Street U.S.A in Florida and a child that wonders around Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios. Maybe you’ve experienced a sighting or a strange occurrence on a visit to the park. If so let us know we’re dying to hear more of these…or at least I am.

It seems as if I have been a Disney fan for most of my life. From the first time I set foot in a Disney park at 6 years old, I’ve felt a connection to the place. I enjoy the movies, the animation, the T.V shows, but the parks have always been my favorite. I love the way they suck you in; at times you tend to forget about what lies outside in the “real world”. It often seems like a foreign land, which is exactly how it was designed. I love to learn the mechanics of how things work in Walt Disney World. All of the books I’ve read, stories I’ve heard or things I’ve seen have never ruined the “magic” for me. It has only intensified my interest and fueled my appetite to learn even more. I enjoy the secrets and little tid-bits that are incorporated into an attraction for fans and visitors to explore exactly why it was put there. Along the way I was pretty much a closet case fan. Not many people outside of close friends and family knew how much I enjoyed all of the aspects of the parks. Growing up we went every other year. I honeymooned there when I got hitched and currently go multiple times a year.

Over the years technology has changed, a lot. The Internet has become a staple in most people’s lives and within that has come social networking. MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have become a part of everyday life. And with them a whole new life has taken form. You can now really reach out and find others that share your common interests. Whether it is movies, music, fashion or Disney, nothing is barred. A whole new world has opened up with the introduction of social networking. I for one have never been a big fan of Facebook but I kept an account to catch up on the latest Disney news and rumors. Along the way I have met fellow Disney fans, some I liked and some I did not. As a Disney fan I have a lot of random Disney Facebook friends. 99% of them I have never had any kind of contact with outside of Facebook. Some are more dramatic than others, but there is a certain Disney bond there that makes me seem to always accept a friend request when I get one.

On June 7^th, 2010 I accepted one of those random requests not really thinking twice about it. The random friend request was from a young lady that went by the name of Michele Atwood. Like most others we had never chatted, messaged, or e-mailed but I clicked that “Accept” button. The following day I had a request to check out a site called The Main Street Mouse. I admit that I “liked” the Facebook page but didn’t go to the main site right away. Website forums have never been something I was into. I saw it pop up occasionally on my feed but just scrolled on past…several times. Then one day I decided to click on it and see what the page was all about. Immediately I could tell it was in its infancy stages but upon looking around on the page I could tell it had great potential. I went ahead on signed up for the site and began to go on everyday to read what all was posted in the forums and to catch up on the news that was coming out daily. Then I got suckered in. I began to post in the forums to just try and help them along, trying to get some interaction going. The time I was spending must have caught the eye of the two upper echelons in charge. They would send messages saying that they appreciated me helping within the site and my basic response was probably “no problem”. Several weeks went by and a fellow that went by the name of Scott approached me and he asked if I would be interested in helping him with the site. Of course I told him that I would be glad to help out. But in the back of my mind I thought that he was being pretty trusting to give access to his site not knowing who that person really was. But I accepted the challenge and began to help the two of them with the site. Along the way I’ve been drafted to be a mod for the Facebook and the Nation pages. Went from a monthly newsletter contributor to a weekly contributor, then to a magazine contributor, and have enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve the seen the site go through its ups and downs throughout the years and I’ve been behind Scott and Michele through all of them.

Over the years I’d often wonder if I would ever get to really meet the Atwoods. They lived way up in Michigan and I lived way down in Alabama, so it wasn’t very feasible to swing by and meet and greet. So we mainly just communicated through text and e-mail over the years. Then one day Scott emailed me and in that email he made the statement that they may be moving to the Orlando area. I was a little taken aback. Moving to Orlando would be a huge push and bigger exposure for the site, but on the downside it would mean having to do something out of their norm. They would be leaving behind friends and family in Michigan. It was a hard thing for them to do, but they did it for the sake of the site. After reading his email, I knew if they went through with it there was a bigger chance to meet them face-to-face.

Last October the wife and I decided to attend a D23 event that was being held at the Boardwalk. So I messaged Scott to see if they may be attending (They had decided to go through with their plan and move to Florida) the event, he said they weren’t. But we then found out a fellow mod, Mike Mozena was going to be down at the same time and then Autumn Barnes made plans to come down. So then it was on like Donkey Kong. We started throwing around ideas to have a big meet-up. It was decided that the meet up would be held at EPCOT. Being the first big meet-up I don’t think anyone really knew what to expect but there was a pretty decent response on Facebook by people who said they would attend. At the time I still hadn’t met either Scott or Michele and I didn’t really want the meet-up to be the first time so I decided to invite them to get a bite to eat a few days before the shindig. So we all met up at Raglan Road. I’m not going to lie when I say I was little nervous. Just the whole idea of not really knowing either one personally, I just didn’t now what to expect. Sometimes people can end up not being what you imagined them to be. What if I didn’t like them or they didn’t like me. But we ended up hitting it off without a hitch. It felt like we had known each other for half our lives. We sat there amongst the Irish cloggers fellowshipping, laughing and bonding to what has become a great friendship. A few days later we had the big meet-up and the turnout was great. People came and left throughout the day and we were all able to match up Facebook profiles to actual faces.

Fast-forward to a year later and it was coming time for the 2nd big meet-up. I figured it would be bigger and better than the previous year and it was. Michele being her usual self was nervous and a little scared. In the back of her mind she wanted to please everyone and have a great turnout. When she and Scott finally showed up they were greeted by a group of faces that all come to support her and Scott’s cause. We had people from the previous year and many new faces. And everyone had something in common, the love of Disney and TMSM. The site and all that comes with it is a labor of love for Scott and Michele. It doesn’t’ make them rich (yet) but it is their full time job. I tend to look at the two of them as Walt and Roy. Michele is the face; she’s Walt in female form, the dreamer. Scott is very much like Roy, the master juggler, making it all come together some way or another. As I said before, there have been many bumps along the way. There have been failures, but with those failures it has helped make TMSM what it is today. Walt and Roy had many failures, but just look what they left us with in the end. Maybe all of us who work with them are the Imagineers. Walt said, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world”. I think TMSM will be the same way. They continuously listen to fans’ comments and try to bring them what they want. The TMSM magazine was one of those things that people wanted and Scott and Michele listened. The magazine is still in its early stages but each and every month gets better and better. And it’s a steal at $1.99 and issue. It’s loaded with awesome articles from awesome contributors and awesome photography. There’s always talk going on backstage of what bigger and better things can be brought to the fans and trust me when I say you’ll want to be around to see what the future has to offer for TMSM.

At one time no vegetation would grow on Discovery Island at the Animal Kingdom. No tree, shrubs, flowers or plants. It was completely barren. One day a tiny ant planted a seed and made a wish. He wished for a tree to grow on the barren piece of land, a tree large enough to provide shelter for all of the animals. The ants’ wish came true and a tree began to grow. It continued to grow until there was room beneath its limbs for all of the animals. As the tree continued to grow upwards, the images of all of the animals that took shelter beneath it appeared on the trunk, roots, and branches.

For those of you who don’t know what this is, it’s the backstory to the Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom. When Animal Kingdom was being developed Imagineers knew that they were going to need a central icon to represent the park. One of the first concepts was a Noah’s Ark icon and another was a three leveled carousel featuring animals of the land, sea and sky. But the Tree of Live was the final choice. The early design for the tree only called for it to be 50 feet high and was going to have a playground for children to play in. But as the Imagineers kept throwing around ideas the tree began to evolve. Original concepts included a restaurant called Roots Restaurant to be located beneath the tree but this idea was abandoned in favor of a theatre to be placed beneath it. This still caused problems with engineering because the foundation needed to be able to withstand hurricane forced winds and a large room built beneath the tree. So the idea for the tree was put on hold.

But one day an Imagineer was watching a show about off shore oil drilling in the Gulf and immediately knew what could be used to build the Tree of Life that could withstand the winds it needed to. A oil drilling platform would be large enough to house a large room and a narrow center section that would be capable of supporting the branches. The next problem was the branches. The Imagineers thought that the branches would have to be made of a rigid, non-flexible material. When the concept was loaded into a computer and the drawings were rendered, the tree looked like a dome because all of the branches would be mass-produced in identical sizes. The Imagineers came up with a flexible injection molded fiberglass to create the branches for the tree. The branches would vary in sizes just like branches of a real tree would.

After the tree was completed it stood 145 feet tall and 165 feet across. It had 12 primary branches, 45 secondary branches, 756 tertiary branches and 7,891 end branches. The Imagineers worked to come up with a leaf that could withstand the climates of Florida like heat, cold and moisture and could resist the effects of UV light. 102,583 leaves cover the tree with each leaf over a foot long.

If the making of the tree wasn’t enough there are also over 320 animals carved into the tree. It took ten artists working full time for 12 months to complete all of the carvings. One day during the building Jane Goodall visited the park and asked if there was a chimp on the tree. The team immediately added David Greybeard to the tree in the roots near the entrance to Tough to be a Bug. Disney also honored Goodall with a plaque at the Tree of Life.

In 1971 when Walt Disney World opened it contained much of the beloved rides and attractions that we still have today. There was The Haunted Mansion and It’s a Small World. Peter Pan and The Jungle Cruise were also present. But there was no Pirates of the Caribbean. How could a ride that was so popular with guest today not be included in the original concept? At the time of designing the Imagineers thought that the east coasters had no interest in a Pirates ride and thought that a more western theme would be more appealing.

In 1963 Imagineer Marc Davis had moved into Imagineering from the Animation department. In the meantime he had thought up the idea of the Western River Expedition. This was to be a boat ride that guest would be able to travel in and see all the sights of the American wilderness while floating down the banks of the Mississippi all in one ride. The ride was planning on being used at a park that was going to be built in St. Louis. But alas that park was never to be built. So when things started be planned and discussed for a new park in Florida Dick Irvine called on Imagineers for new ideas. Davis had not forgot his ideas about the Expedition boat ride. He thought that with a few changes and tweaks he could make the ride far more superior to the Pirates ride in California.

The new concept focused more on the Wild West. Davis vision of the new attraction was so vast it could have almost considered a new land. The Western River Expedition was going to be located where Splash Mountain now sits and was going to be about 3 times as big. The builders were to be built to blend in with the mesas of the design while one was to be flat so that guest could go up on top and see all across the park. A runaway train ride was to be built on the top of the mesa and go up and down the sides. The boat ride was going to be a direct rival of Pirates. It would take riders through a canyon and here they would encounter a singing cowboy and his cows. The riders would then encounter bank robbers, dancing Indians and gunfights with the sheriff. There would be one central song much like most of Disney’s other attractions that would continue through the ride. The spokesperson through the ride was an owl named Hoot Gibson and he would pop in and out of the ride giving advice to guest about their journey and the dangers that lie ahead.

With the vastness in size of Thunder Mesa, the project was pushed back. They knew that it would never be completed by opening and even if attempted it would slow down on the building of other attractions. But something surprising happened when the park opened in 1971. Guests were confused and questioning castmembers where the Pirate ride was. Card Walker immediately decided that there was going to be a Pirates of the Caribbean attraction built for the east coast also. But this would also push back Davis’s attraction even more.

In the 70’s as the years went on Disney executives were beginning to fear the decline of interest in westerns and the Wild West. The estimated $60 million didn’t help any either. Not wanting to waste the space where the Western River Expedition was going to be, Dick Irvine started looking for ideas and Tony Baxter was brought in to re-imagine the runaway train concept, which would become Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This was another set back in Davis’s eyes and he even tried to take the attraction to some of the other parks, but the idea never took and he retired soon after.

But good ideas never die in the world of the Imagineers. Ideas from the concept have been used in other places. Tom Sawyer Island, Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Thunder Mesa at Disneyland Paris, the Phantom Canyon scene at the Phantom Manor in Paris, and even Expedition Everest.

When Disney was planning for a new pavilion in EPCOT Future World they were brainstorming ideas of one being based around a movie theme. The ride that was going to be included was The Great Movie Ride. But newly appointed CEO Michael Eisner came up with another idea. Instead of just placing the ride in a park, why not base a park around the ride. So in 1989 we got a third park in Walt Disney World, Disney MGM Studios. But instead of just a park with rides Eisner wanted it to be a fully functional Studio where films and television shows could be filmed. There were quite a few things recorded here over the years and we’re going to go over some of the things that were filmed here since the years the Studios opened.

Splash Too

Yes, there was a sequel to the movie Splash which starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. But neither returned for the follow up which was probably a good thing. The sequel starred Amy Yasbeck and Todd Waring taking over the leads. He’s trying to save his business and she’s trying to save a dolphin in captivity. Sounds riviting.

Marvin’s Room

This drama about a leukemia patient attempting to end a 20-year feud with her sister to get her bone marrow starred several Oscar nominees and winners. The movie has Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Diane Keaton and Robert De Niro.

Ernest Saves Christmas

Now Jim Varney never won an Oscar, but he’s one of my fav’s to watch. Corny? Yes. Childish? Yes. Fun to watch? Yes. In the movie Ernest P. Worrell helps Santa find his successor.

Oscar

This movie directed by John Landis starred Sylvester Stallone, Marissa Tomei and Tim Curry. In the movie Stallone’s character makes a promise to his father on his deathbed to leave the life of crime behind and go straight. But as we all know, it’s never that easy to leave a life of crime behind.

Quick Change

A movie from 1990 starring one of my favorite actors Bill Murray is about three bank robbers who successfully rob a bank but find it extremely hard to get out of the city. Also starred Geena Davis and Randy Quaid.

Passenger 57

Wesley Snipes stars as airline security who must take action when he finds himself trapped on a passenger jet when terrorists seize control of it.

Instinct

I remember seeing this in the theater and being bored out of my mind with it. But the movie starred Anthony Hopkins and Cuba Gooding Jr. The movie is about an anthropologist who leaves society to live in the jungle and is imprisoned for murder, and it’s up to a young psychiatrist to get through to him. It was directed by Jon Turteltaub who would go on to direct the National Treasure movies and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice for Disney.

Separate But Equal

This film follows the true story of the NAACP court court challenge of racial school segregation in the Brown vs. Board of Education. The movies starred Sidney Poitier and Burt Lancaster.

From the Earth to the Moon

This mini-series filmed for HBO and produced by Tom Hanks and Ron Howard is about the conquest of the moon by the Americans, from the Mercury and Gemini projects to the legendary Apollo missions.

There have also been many shows filmed here throughout the years such as The Mickey Mouse Club, Golden Girls, WCW Wrestling, Step by Step and Full House. Unfortunately the studios aren’t used much anymore for filming anymore, but the New York Film Academy students get to use the Studios for their workshops during the summers. And even though the park doesn’t get used in that capacity much anymore you can still check out the fake city facades and take a ride on the Backlot Tour to get a small idea of what the park once was.

Since Disney bought Lucasfilm, there has been a whole lot of hype surrounding the Star Wars franchise with around 150 movies being announced to a Star Wars Land being announced on the east and west  coast, but very little talk about one of my childhood favorites and that’s Indiana Jones.There’s been rumors of who could possibly take over the role, even Harrison Ford saying he wants to play him again. But other than that, not a whole lot has been announced. So playing off of TMSM Avengers article, here is my “26 Indiana Jones Facts You May Not Know”.

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Director Steven Spielberg had wanted to make a 007 movie for a few years. While vacationing in Hawaii with pal George Lucas, Spielberg mentioned this to him. Lucas told him that he had an idea for a much better character.
The scene where Indy meets face to face with the swordsman in the street wasn’t exactly shot the way it was scripted. There was a much more extravagant fighting scene. Ford was suffering from food poisoning on the day of the scene and decided to improvise pulling his pistol and just shooting the swordsman. Spielberg decided to use that instead in the film.

This was Alfred Molina’s first film. He would later go on to play Doc Oc in Spider-Man 2.

In the Well of Souls scene, try to find the engraving of C3P0 and R2-D2 on a pillar.

The movie was originally slapped with an R rating by the MPAA due to the villain Belloq’s head exploding when the Nazi’s open the ark. Flames had to be added to earn the PG rating. There wasn’t a PG-13 rating at the time, but more on that later.

Harrison Ford got a torn ligament in his knee from an out of control airplane.
Magnum P.I. (Tom Selleck) himself was originally chosen to play the role of Indy, but chose to play the role of Magnum instead.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

The name of the club in the beginning is called Club Obi Wan.
The sound effects for the mine car scene were recorded by sound designer Ben Burtt at Disneyland. He was given access to all the roller coasters after hours and recorded what they sounded like.

This movie single handedly created the PG-13 rating.

Ford had to have emergency back surgery due to an on set accident. Production was halted for several weeks.

Spielberg met Kate Capshaw during the filming of this movie. They soon married and had 7 kids together.

Temple of Doom is actually a prequel to Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Want to make your own “chilled monkey brains”? All you need is some custard and raspberry sauce.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Spielberg chose to come back to direct the third installment after turning down the films “Big” and “Rain Man”.

Lucas wanted to make a haunted ghost movie but Spielberg refused because he didn’t want anything like “Poltergeist”.

Sean Connery was the original choice for Henry Jones even though he was only 12 years older than Harrison Ford.

Harrison Ford recommended river Phoenix after working with him on The Mosquito Coast.

This movie explains where Indiana’s scar on his chin came from.
2000 disease free rats were bred just for the crypt scene.

Henry Jones was shot with a Walther PPK, the gun of choice used by James Bond.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

This film takes place 19 years after the Last Crusade, which is the same amount of time between the actual filming of the movies.

Sean Connery did not appear in the film because he was enjoying retirement too much.

Paramount wanted all of the bullwhips to be CGI, Ford deemed that ridiculous and demanded real whips are used.

Spielberg refused to shoot the film on digital cameras. He wanted it to look as close as possible to the other three.

The only Indy movie to not get an Oscar nomination

There are many things within the Disney universe that people collect. Some love to collect and trade the thousands of different kinds of pins that are offered. There are those who enjoy buying the one of kind lithographs that can cost thousands of dollars. Don’t even get me started on the t-shirts, bags, hats and other soft goods that are offered. There are those who like to get the newest big fig or the newest miniature diorama. A lot of these items can get pretty costly very fast, but there are many items that can be collected relatively cheaply. So if you’re looking for something to buy within the park that can become somewhat of an obsession, look no further. It’s a pretty cheap hobby that is easy to start and fun to collect. So sit back, check your pockets and couch cushions for some spare change and enjoy this article on “penny pressing”.

What does the year 1818 have to do with this article you may ask? It’s the year that the earliest documented elongated coin was produced. It was made in Vienna, Austria when Austria was still part of the Holy Roman Empire. The first elongated coin in the U.S. was created for the World’s Columbian Exposition held in 1893 in Chicago, Illinois. It commemorated the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America. Modified Jeweler’s Mills is the most likely way these early coins were made. The mills were normally used by jewelers to roll gold and other metals into thin wire.

It wasn’t until the late 19th century that the original hand cranked machines were being replaced with the new mechanical machines that are activated when the coins are inserted into the coin slots. Disney did not introduce these machines until 1987. In the beginning there were two manufacturers who wanted to have their machines in the original Disneyland Park. The Cimeter Group and Centek Inc. They both made prototypes and presented them to Disney officials, but due to the custom of sharing revenue with the machine manufacturer, Disney opted to go with the Cemtek Inc. machines because their machines were for sale unlike the Cimeter Group machines. Disney began with buying two machines in 1987 for the park, one with Mickey Mouse and the other with an image of Bear Country. Both machines were very profitable for the park, but were prone to a high failure rate due to high usage. The Eurolink penny press was later brought in. This penny press required the coin to pass between two rollers that produce 2500 pounds of pressure on the penny to create the image. Also for all the Eurolink machines, all of the “dies” are engraved by hand and not by computer. Being that they are hand engraved, this makes the quality of the image crisper than those that are made by computer. Walt Disney World did not receive any of the penny press machines until 1994. Along with the Eurolink machine, another machine was introduced which was the Penny Collector machines. Each machine now has 1, 3, or 4 different design options and the machines are spread throughout the parks and resorts, along with all of the other Disney parks overseas.

So what pennies should you use? Yes, that can make a difference on how the coin looks after it has been pressed. It is best to use pennies that are dated before 1982. Why? Because pennies older that 1982 were solid copper, unlike 1982 or newer which are copper plated zinc coins. When you press the penny the zinc will show through giving the coin silver streaks throughout the coin. But finding pre-1982 coins is a lot easier to find that most would believe. It make take some work, but by going to the bank and buying rolls of coins and going through them all, you will find more than you could probably spend on one trip down to the “world”. The problem with pennies 30 years and older is that most of them will be really dark and dirty. I’ve found that by soaking the coins in a bowl of cola for a day or two will do wonders for a dark coin. It won’t sparkle like a newly minted coin, but you won’t have to worry about silver streaks. Some collectors claim that rubbing the coin with A1 steak sauce or ketchup will clean really well. Whichever method you do try, be sure to rinse really well and clean the coin before you press, not after. Another tip is to insert the penny with Lincoln’s head facing to the right. This is the side that will give you the most complete image. On the quarter machines the quarter that is on the left is usually the one that gets pressed.

How is it legal to deface coins? Well, in the U.S. the pressing of pennies and other coinage is not prohibited unless there is fraudulent intention either in the pressing of the coinage or it’s use thereafter. So the next time your at the “world” or any of the Disney theme parks stop by a gift shop and grab one of the many different types of pressed coin collectors books and begin a new, inexpensive hobby.

Time and time again I’ve heard the same thing, “But Disney World and Disneyland are for kids.” I’ve heard it from friends, co-workers and people who have actually been there, but didn’t know that there’s a whole other side of Disney for us adults. Sure most kids love and adore it but why can’t adults have an “adult good time” without kids every once in a while. So for those of you who don’t know what to do when the kids are not around, I hope this little article helps you out. These are my favorite things to do without kids when I go to the World.
1. The Food and Wine Festival – Every year for the past 19 years EPCOT has offered a culinary adventure to satisfy almost any palate. Here you can take your time and stroll through the World Showcase sampling wines and fine cuisines from different areas throughout the world such as Australia, New Zealand and Scotland.

2. Jellyrolls – If you happen to be taking a nightly stroll with your significant other around the Boardwalk at night, then you need to head over to the 21 and over piano bar, Jellyrolls. Here you can experience not one, but two piano gurus who will play your requests as you sing along to the hits of yesterday and today.

3. California Grill – People often ask me what is the one place to eat with your significant other and my reply is California Grill. There will be kids there but they are not running around like they often do at character meals. For a little something special, try to book it when you’ll be there for Magic Kingdom’s Wishes. It’s definitely worth it.

4. Grand Floridian – Nothing says adults only and romance like the Grand Floridian resort. Just one look and you can see why it’s not as kid friendly as Art of Animation or POP.

5. Tours – Disney offers a lot of tours that kids can take part in, but they also offer some that requires guests to be 16 and older. Tours like The UnDISCOVERed Future World at EPCOT, the Keys to the Kingdom tour and Backstage Magic actually will take you behind the magic and show you how Disney does some of the things they do so well.

6. The Spa Treatment – Why not go for a couple’s spa treatment. Several resorts have spas such as the Mandara Spa at the Swan and Dolphin, the Grand Floridian Spa and Senses Spa at Saratoga Springs.

7. Carriage Rides – If taking a ride with that special someone is something that tickles your fancy, then head over to Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground or Port Orleans. Here you can pay around $45.00 for a 25-minute carriage ride around the resorts.

8. The Parks – Why not?! Why can’t an adult enjoy the parks without kids? I’ve done it for years and will continue to do it. And I’ll not have a guilty conscience while doing it.