If you read many of my articles you probably know that I enjoy the little known facts of Walt Disney World. I’ve written several “Did you Know” type articles and this is another one. I’m constantly reading trying to learn new things that I didn’t know so I can check it out the next time I’m in the parks, so here’s a few new ones that I’ve found out about.

1. Liberty Square is one of my favorite spots in the Magic Kingdom. To me it’s what I envision the older America to look like. Next time you’re there look at the address to all of the houses. They all are two digit addresses. If you add the number 18 in front of these you find the year that the architecture of that house was popular.

2. When crossing the bridge from the hub coming into Liberty Square look to either side of the bridge. The rocks that you’ll find there were mined from a quarry a few miles away from where George Washington crossed the Delaware.

3. Something I found amusing about It’s a Small World is the animatronic child choking a chicken. Look to your right as your cruise is in the Mexico portion and you’ll see a “chicken choking” child.

4. Next time you’re boarding the Tower of Terror elevator look to the right of the elevator door. It’s an inspection certificate inspected by a person by the name of Cadwallader. Now for those of you who are Twilight Zone aficionados that name might ring a bell, but for those of who don’t know I’m going to fill you in. In the episode “The Escape Clause” there is a character that calls himself Cadwallader who turns out to be the devil.

5. In Soarin’ when the ride is passing over the golf course and a ball is hit towards your glider. It’s Michael Eisner hitting the golf ball.

We’ve all heard it or asked the question. What makes Disney World so special and magical? To some it’s the rides or seeing a princess for the first time. To others it may be eating all you can possibly fathom and not gain a pound (Yeah, right), while others may find it magical because they can see all of their favorite characters. To me what helps with a lot of the magic are the hidden things. I’m not talking the “Hidden Mickey”, but the little things off the beaten path. Those things that you may have to take a few minutes to actually find and enjoy and this week I’m going to share some of my favorite “Treasures off the Beaten Path”.

1. The first of my favorite treasures is the Windows on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. Although they’re not really hidden, a lot of people may not know what they are exactly. So for those who don’t know, the window are on the upper floors of the buildings going down Main Street and contain the names of those people who contributed to the Magic Kingdom and are influential to the Disney Company.
2. Sometimes if you’re lucky you can spot a castmember walking around with with a mop bucket and broom. And if you’re even luckier you can watch them draw a Disney character with that broom and water on the pavement.
3. Another of my faves is pretty small and subtle, but next time you’re around the outside of Tony’s Town Square Restaurant look on the pavement and see if you can find the paw prints of Lady and the Tramp.
4. In EPCOT if you stand in the right spot outside the Mexico pavilion across the lagoon from the Morocco pavilion, you’ll see the backside of the Tower of Terror and finds that it blends almost flawlessly with the Moroccan pavilion.
5. Next time you’re leaving EPCOT at night look down at the pavement in Future World and you’ll see a cool fiber optic light show.
6. Before entering the Indiana Jones Stunt Show walk over to a well with a sign that says “Warning Do Not Pull Rope”, what should you do? Pull the rope of course.
7. Next time you’re visiting the Backlot at the Studios lookout for the Singin’ in the Rain umbrella for a perfect photo op.
8. One word, Divine. Look for her next time you’re out an about in the Animal Kingdom, she’s a really cool spectacle.
9. Head over to Fort Wilderness and lookout for the famous Lawn Mower Tree.
10. When you’re over at Port Orleans checking in and you see the musical notes.  Try to guess what those notes are to. (Hint: When the Saints Go Marching In)

These are just some of my favorites of what seems to be a never-ending list. So next time on your visit to the “World”, take a minute or two out of your commando day and look for some of these random “Hidden Treasures” with your friends and family. I think that it’ll give everyone a deeper appreciation of what the people at Disney do to give that extra little magic.

“Little Orange Bird in the Sunshine Tree
Won’t you think of something sunny just for me?
Think funny thoughts or sunny words
That will make me happy, little Orange Bird
He thinks beautiful orange pictures and beautiful orange words
Though his little feet can’t even make a squeak
All the thoughts he ever spoke appear in orange smoke
That’s what makes Orange Bird unique
When you’re just about green with envy
Or gonna be feeling blue
And you could use
An orange thought or two
When you start in blushing pink
Or your temper turns you red
That is when the Orange Bird
Can see you through
With his beautiful orange feathers
And beautiful leafy wings
He’s a fluffy little puffy sight to see
He can turn your frown around
When you see him looking down
The little Orange Bird up in the Sunshine Tree”

How many of you remember those lyrics by the infamous song writing duo, The Sherman Brothers and sung by the former Miss America contestant Anita Bryant? How many of you remember the Florida Orange Bird? A big bird with an orange for a head, leaves for arms and a green stem sprouting from his head. Some of you are saying “yes I remember The Orange Bird”, some may not remember him and others may think I have lost my mind and do not have a clue what I am talking about. But from opening day of the Magic Kingdom in 1971 until 1983 when he flew the coup, there was a walk around character called The Florida Orange Bird. So sit back, relax and grab yourself a Citrus Swirl from Sunshine Tree Terrace and enjoy this month’s article on the gone but not forgotten Florida Orange Bird.

In 1967 Walt Disney Productions and the Florida Citrus Commission (known as The Florida Citrus Growers within the park) entered into negotiations for a Florida Citrus Commission sponsored attraction. On October 22, 1969 the deed was signed. The FCC would sponsor the 3 million dollar pavilion in Adventureland that included The Tropical Serenade ( a duplicate of Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room), The Sunshine Tree Terrace snack bar and the rest of The Sunshine Pavilion. The following year WED Enterprises created The Florida Orange Bird to serve as the FCC’s official mascot and “the friendly face of Florida sunshine and fresh squeezed orange juice.” This was sort of an unusual move by Disney since most people that visited WDW were coming to see Mickey Mouse and not some bird with an orange for a head that was completely unknown. This was not Disney’s first time using a character that was unassociated with Disney. When Disneyland opened in 1955 there was a walk around for the syrup connoisseur Aunt Jemimah which could be found in front of her restaurant.

The Florida Orange Bird was designed by C Robert Moore who worked on many other Disney projects including the Walt Disney stamp. The Orange Bird would be featured heavily in television ads, print media, and souvenirs. Guest would see billboards on the way to Magic Kingdom, advertising The Orange Bird and once in the park could see him at The Sunshine Tree Terrace. Located between The Enchanted Tiki Room and the walkway to Adventureland, the Sunshine Pavilion housed the Sunshine Tree Terrace. After guests exited the Tropical Serenade,they could stop off here to grab a Citrus Swirl, the predecessor of the Dole Whip. A three dimensional Orange Bird located on the porch had a small screen that projected his happy orange thoughts.

The FCC signed Anita Bryant in 1968 to serve as the official spokesperson. In 1971 with the opening of Magic Kingdom she joined The Orange Bird in publicity photos and commercials. One of the products that resulted in this paring was a full length 45 LP. The record included an illustrated 10 page storybook that told the back story of The Orange Bird. The story on the LP was narrated by Bryant who also sang all the songs on the record. Anita and The Orange Bird stayed together until 1977. The Florida Citrus Commission ended their relationship with the singer and former Miss America contestant after she became very visible and vocal against anti-discrimination legislation in Miami where she lived. She led a boycott of Florida citrus products and had a very vocal and public opposition against homosexuality. The little Orange Bird no longer had a public spokesperson to speak his thoughts and sing his praises.

In 1981 the FCC and Disney signed a new 5 year sponsorship agreement and maintained its formal connection to The Sunshine Tree Terrace and the Tropical Serenade. They later opened a new juice bar in the form of Fantasyland’s Enchanted Grove, replacing the Fantasyland Art Festival. By 1986 the bird had ceased to appear in commercials and was primarily just a licensed character sold on merchandise at souvenir shops and fruit stands throughout the state. The FCC and Disney parted ways that same year.

Well into the 1990’s the birds popularity was quickly fading. He was becoming less associated with the citrus industry and becoming more noticeable as a state of Florida character. His face was now being seen on Florida t-shirts and other merchandise throughout the state. But you can never hold a good orange bird back. In the early 2000″s the bird began to spark a re-interest. His song could be heard on-flight with Song Airlines and around 2004 Tokyo Disney began producing it’s own Orange Bird merchandise. Recently he has even popped back up in Walt Disney World with a new t-shirt and his own Vinylmation figure. It’s good to know that Disney hasn’t completely forgotten this (as far as I know) first non-Disney character and maybe one day (fingers crossed) might bring him back into the parks, but until then just “Think funny thoughts or sunny words”, and next time your at the Sunshine Tree Terrace grab one of those Citrus Swirls and think back to those days when the Florida Orange Bird would come out to greet you.

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 make their 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.

Do you remember? What do you miss that’s no longer at Epcot?

We are re-posting this story tonight for Corey. He and his family suffered an enormous loss today, with the passing of his father, Harold.  We send Corey and his family our deepest sympathy and prayers during this time.  TMSM is a family, and we are here for you! ~M

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.

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.

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.

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.

Most Disney fans know that behind the majority of the attractions comes a backstory. Haunted Mansion has one, so does Pirates of the Caribbean. But do you know the one about Chester and Hester? Most don’t, as a matter of fact; a lot of people may bypass this area all together because they feel it doesn’t add anything to the Animal Kingdom theme park. I’ve heard some people exclaim that it makes the park look cheap. But if you know the story you may feel a little bit different, I know I did.

Dinoland’s official name is Diggs County, before construction it wasn’t more than a strip of road along Florida’s 498. There wasn’t much in the area, but there was a gas station that was owned and operated by two people, they were Chester and Hester. In 1947 some dinosaur bones were found in Diggs County by a group of fossil hunters. The Dino Institute was formed soon after and they bought all of the surrounding land. But Chester and Hester refused to sell their property to the Institute.

The Institute soon set up headquarters in an old fishing lodge. After they began to receive funding they added onto the lodge. Chester and Hester wasn’t going to be left without a little of the profit that was coming into the area so they turned the service station into a souvenir store.

It soon became clear to the Institute that the lodge wasn’t going to be sufficient to house their research anymore so they began construction on a new building. They soon made a new discovery, that of time travel and began offering tours to those who were brave enough to partake. Next time you’re in the park, take your own tour over at ‘Dinosaur”. Before long they converted the old lodge into the cafeteria “Restaurantosaurus”.
Chester and Hester began to make their own changes. They set up a midway and carnival, and dubbed the attraction as “Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama”. They installed a few rides such as “Primeval Whirl” and “Triceratops Spin”. “Primeval Whirl” was a ride created to poke fun at the Institute’s ride “Dinosaur”.

If you take a peek inside the “Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures” you can see a picture of Chester and Hester along with the first dollar that they made. There are a lot of things to see in this area if you can take your time and look around. Look for the plaster dinosaur made with rocks, bottles and broken glass. Look for the painted over gas sign and planters made out of used tires. There’s so much detail in this area and because of this, it’s an area I’ll never bypass again.

Most Disney fans know that behind the majority of the attractions comes a backstory. Haunted Mansion has one, so does Pirates of the Caribbean. But do you know the one about Chester and Hester? Most don’t, as a matter of fact, a lot of people may bypass this area all together because they feel it doesn’t add anything to the Animal Kingdom theme park. I’ve heard some people exclaim that it makes the park look cheap. But if you know the story you may feel a little bit different, I know I did.

Dinoland’s official name is Diggs County, before construction it wasn’t more than a strip of road along Florida’s 498. There wasn’t much in the area but there was a gas station that was owned operated and by two people, they were Chester and Hester. In 1947 some dinosaur bones were found in Diggs County by a group of fossil hunters. The Dino Institute was formed soon after and all of the surrounding land was bought by them. But Chester and Hester refused to sell their property to the Institute.

The Institute soon set up headquarters in an old fishing lodge. After they began to receive funding they added onto the lodge. Chester and Hester wasn’t going to be left without a little of the profit that was coming into the area so they turned the service station into a souvenir store.
It soon became clear to the Institute that the lodge wasn’t going to be sufficient to house their research anymore so they began construction on a new building. They soon made a new discovery, that of time travel and began offering tours to those who were brave enough to partake. Next time you’re in the park take your own tour over at ‘Dinosaur”. Before long they converted the old lodge into the cafeteria “Restaurantosaurus”.

Chester and Hester began to make their own changes. They set up a midway and carnival, and dubbed the attraction as “Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama”. They installed a few rides such as “Primeval Whirl” and “Triceratops Spin”. “Primeval Whirl” was a ride created to poke fun at the Institute’s ride “Dinosaur”.
If you take a peek inside the “Chester and Hester’s Dinosaur Treasures” you can see a picture of Chester and Hester along with the first dollar that they made.

There are a lot of things to see in this area if you can take your time and look around. Look for the plaster dinosaur made with rocks, bottles and broken glass. Look for the painted over gas sign and planters made out of used tires. There’s so much detail in this area and because of this, it’s an area I’ll never bypass again.

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!

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 Disney Springs 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. Disney Springs – 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.

“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.

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.

If you read many of my articles you probably know that I enjoy the little known facts of Walt Disney World. I’ve written several “Did you Know” type articles and this is another one. I’m constantly reading trying to learn new things that I didn’t know so I can check it out the next time I’m in the parks, so here’s a few new ones that I’ve found out about.

1. Liberty Square is one of my favorite spots in the Magic Kingdom. To me it’s what I envision the older America to look like. Next time you’re there look at the address to all of the houses. They all are two digit addresses. If you add the number 18 in front of these you find the year that the architecture of that house was popular.

2. When crossing the bridge from the hub coming into Liberty Square look to either side of the bridge. The rocks that you’ll find there were mined from a quarry a few miles away from where George Washington crossed the Delaware.

3. Something I found amusing about it’s a small world is the animatronic child choking a chicken.  Look to your right as your cruise is in the Mexico portion and you’ll see a “chicken choking” child.

4. Next time you’re boarding the Tower of Terror elevator look to the right of the elevator door. It’s an inspection certificate inspected by a person by the name of Cadwallader. Now for those of you who are Twilight Zone aficionados that name might ring a bell, but for those of who don’t know I’m going to fill you in. In the episode “The Escape Clause” there is a character that calls himself Cadwallader who turns out to be the devil.

5.  In previous version Soarin’ when the ride is passing over the golf course and a ball is hit towards your glider. It’s Michael Eisner hitting the golf ball.

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

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.