Friday, October 21, 2011
Google Loves Mary Blair Too!
I haven't had much to update here for a while, though when I saw this on Google early this morning I did a double-take!
Mary Blair, creator of the five-legged goat and it's a small world, would have been 100 years old today!! Kudos to the folks at Google who made the image, it definitely follows the Mary Blair aesthetic, lively and geometric, with a colorful but subtle palette. As an occasional artist who loves to experiment with watercolor media, I can only hope to create work that can even half approach hers in awesomeness.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Churros From Heaven
There are two food items I find myself craving often but cannot indulge in due to various reasons. One is Planter's PB Crisps, a peanut-shaped 3d cookie from the 90s with a smooth peanut butter filling that has long been discontinued. The other is Walt Disney World churros.
I had my first churro ever in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. Oh how amazing! My four-but-almost-five-year-old tongue was delighted by the sugar and cinnamon coating and the simple fried dough base. Caramel sauce wasn't even necessary. On my Epcot visit last fall, after over 14 years away from the World, churros were the first thing on my to-do list. I don't remember how the Magic Kingdom churros were served, but at the Mexico pavilion they were served as four short sticks in a paper boat, with a little plastic cup of caramel (dulce de leche?) sauce.
There's something special about Disney churros. Maybe Disney magic is part of the recipe? I've bought churro sticks from the freezer section of the supermarket, and I've bought them at other theme parks. Don't even get me started on Taco Bell's cinnamon twists. The closest to Disney flavor that I've tasted are the sopapillas at On the Border, but those aren't in a convenient stick form.
Supposedly in the west coast parks the churro presence is stronger, and churro carts are far more abundant with the tasty treats coming in a variety of flavors. I've never been to Disneyland or DCA unfortunately, so I can't compare from firsthand experience. I can say that even if it takes a little bit of effort to find, you should not leave Disney World without trying a churro. Or at least don't leave without buying a few for me!
I had my first churro ever in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. Oh how amazing! My four-but-almost-five-year-old tongue was delighted by the sugar and cinnamon coating and the simple fried dough base. Caramel sauce wasn't even necessary. On my Epcot visit last fall, after over 14 years away from the World, churros were the first thing on my to-do list. I don't remember how the Magic Kingdom churros were served, but at the Mexico pavilion they were served as four short sticks in a paper boat, with a little plastic cup of caramel (dulce de leche?) sauce.
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| From http://gidgeteats.com/ - I'd have taken my own pic but I ate them too fast |
There's something special about Disney churros. Maybe Disney magic is part of the recipe? I've bought churro sticks from the freezer section of the supermarket, and I've bought them at other theme parks. Don't even get me started on Taco Bell's cinnamon twists. The closest to Disney flavor that I've tasted are the sopapillas at On the Border, but those aren't in a convenient stick form.
Supposedly in the west coast parks the churro presence is stronger, and churro carts are far more abundant with the tasty treats coming in a variety of flavors. I've never been to Disneyland or DCA unfortunately, so I can't compare from firsthand experience. I can say that even if it takes a little bit of effort to find, you should not leave Disney World without trying a churro. Or at least don't leave without buying a few for me!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Memories of a Time Before Fastpass
Sometimes it's hard even for me to believe, but the Magic Kingdom existed for 28 years without the Fastpass system. I bet if most of your visits to WDW occurred after the launch of Fastpass, it's almost inconceivable. Being completely at the whim of fate, your only source of wait time information being the estimates of a cast member in Attractions. Those were also the days before smartphones with apps that estimate line waits for you. I suppose you can get a similar experience if you head to the park late in the day and forget your cellphone. Not that either is recommended.
My first three trips to Disney were in the BF era, Before Fastpass. They were also in the summer, one trip even taking place over the Fourth of July holiday. I guess back then the closest thing to Fastpass was if you had VIP status, or perhaps you suffered through waiting in the Splash Mountain queue for an hour in the midday August heat, only for the ride attendant to realize you don't meet the minimum height requirement. This happened to my younger brother on one visit. To award his endurance and patience, he was granted a certificate good for letting him to the front of the line on a future visit (when he was tall enough, of course). I suggested making photocopies to my mom, but I think she just held onto it as a memento.
This was from 1994, almost 2 years after Splash Mountain's opening. It's not a brand-new attraction anymore but it's still insanely popular, and I still wish I had one of these certificates of my own because that is a long, long line.
I visited Epcot at the end of last September. Fastpass was only one of many changes I noticed after not visiting the parks in over a decade. Of course I had to try it.
I managed to get a Fastpass for Soarin' (which I always instinctively follow with "over California". Stupid incongruence between Epcot and DCA!). The machine reminded me of Metrocard and train ticket dispensers, but the Fastpass machine did not need me to feed it money first. That's one of the best features of Fastpass, of course.
It was kind of a disappointment to see that even with Fastpass, you still have to wait in a line. It's a shorter line, but still a line. I suppose I shouldn't have expected VIP status for something that's free to all park guests. Also Soarin's line is completely indoors, so it's probably not as much a lifesaver as a Splash Mountain Fastpass, which might reduce your chances of getting sunburn and heat exhaustion. I still like the idea, and think it's great for people who are trying to plan and budget their time at the parks. But hopefully it will not completely endanger that most sacred of Disney experiences, the hour-long wait for Space Mountain that results in the ride breaking down just before you board the train. That was a fun one.
My first three trips to Disney were in the BF era, Before Fastpass. They were also in the summer, one trip even taking place over the Fourth of July holiday. I guess back then the closest thing to Fastpass was if you had VIP status, or perhaps you suffered through waiting in the Splash Mountain queue for an hour in the midday August heat, only for the ride attendant to realize you don't meet the minimum height requirement. This happened to my younger brother on one visit. To award his endurance and patience, he was granted a certificate good for letting him to the front of the line on a future visit (when he was tall enough, of course). I suggested making photocopies to my mom, but I think she just held onto it as a memento.
I visited Epcot at the end of last September. Fastpass was only one of many changes I noticed after not visiting the parks in over a decade. Of course I had to try it.
It was kind of a disappointment to see that even with Fastpass, you still have to wait in a line. It's a shorter line, but still a line. I suppose I shouldn't have expected VIP status for something that's free to all park guests. Also Soarin's line is completely indoors, so it's probably not as much a lifesaver as a Splash Mountain Fastpass, which might reduce your chances of getting sunburn and heat exhaustion. I still like the idea, and think it's great for people who are trying to plan and budget their time at the parks. But hopefully it will not completely endanger that most sacred of Disney experiences, the hour-long wait for Space Mountain that results in the ride breaking down just before you board the train. That was a fun one.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
The Disney Airport
Just when you thought Utilidors were the most awesome secret transportation in Walt Disney World, it's true; there's an airport hidden on the Walt Disney World property. I bet now you feel slighted, poor traveler who had to land at MCO (you know, the Orlando International Airport) and take the Magical Express to get to your hotel on property. Not that you had to pay extra for it or anything.
Technically at one time WDW had TWO airports, but only one still exists. The other Disney airport, currently the site of Disney's upcoming Art of Animation resort, was called the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark. It had a circular landing pad and was intended only for very small aircraft. For some reason it's still listed as an active airport on this site's FAA listing. It also shows an activation date of 1991, so I guess it was only around for a decade.
The airport that still exists, and has been around for nearly all of Walt Disney World's existence, is called the Lake Buena Vista Airport. This airstrip lies directly west of the Magic Kingdom parking lot and is just beyond the Monorail line, with the runway paralleling World Drive. At one time it was apparently open for general aviation use, but numerous factors, including the Monorail's proximity and the no-fly zone over Walt Disney World eventually hampered the airport's use. Today the Lake Buena Vista Airport is officially deactivated and mostly used by Disney as a staging area for buses. However, according to the link above, it is still usable and has been covertly used for certain events and people.
Finally here is an aerial view of the airport, which is even labeled in Google Earth/Google Maps:
Technically at one time WDW had TWO airports, but only one still exists. The other Disney airport, currently the site of Disney's upcoming Art of Animation resort, was called the Epcot Center Ultralight Flightpark. It had a circular landing pad and was intended only for very small aircraft. For some reason it's still listed as an active airport on this site's FAA listing. It also shows an activation date of 1991, so I guess it was only around for a decade.
The airport that still exists, and has been around for nearly all of Walt Disney World's existence, is called the Lake Buena Vista Airport. This airstrip lies directly west of the Magic Kingdom parking lot and is just beyond the Monorail line, with the runway paralleling World Drive. At one time it was apparently open for general aviation use, but numerous factors, including the Monorail's proximity and the no-fly zone over Walt Disney World eventually hampered the airport's use. Today the Lake Buena Vista Airport is officially deactivated and mostly used by Disney as a staging area for buses. However, according to the link above, it is still usable and has been covertly used for certain events and people.
Finally here is an aerial view of the airport, which is even labeled in Google Earth/Google Maps:
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
May I Have Your Autograph?
The first two times I visited Disney, I don't remember character autographs being a big deal. By the third trip to WDW we noticed the autograph books in the gift shops, and my parents picked up two, one for me and one for my brother.
We weren't obsessive about the ordeal. I don't remember my parents religiously checking character appearance schedules and hounding character attendants and other cast members. So let's see what is inside.
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| The book cover - with original WDW logo |
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A Sticky Situation
Sure, plenty of people across the world love Disney. Plenty of those people write about their love of Disney on the internet. But why on Spaceship Earth would anyone name a Walt Disney World blog MaPo Syrup? What kind of name is MaPo and what does it mean?
For those who already know what MaPo is, scuttle along - or keep reading and don't spoil it for everyone who doesn't know. I'm going to tell a story.
Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom there was a monorail system that connected all the people to all parts of the kingdom. This revolutionary mode of transportation allowed trains to swiftly glide above the ground, its track bolstered high up on column supports. People from around the world traveled to this kingdom and rode its newfangled trains. They admired how safe, timely and fast the system was. Little did they know those trains weren't running on any diesel, but only a spoonful of sugar.
Of course I'm referring to Walt Disney World's monorails. That part about the spoonful of sugar isn't literally true (maybe someday if biofuels science gets that far). But you might be thinking "Mary Poppins? That's Victorian England! What's that to do with monorails?" Well first of all, Mary Poppins is set in Edwardian England, a subtle difference. Second of all, not much except it travels through the air kind of. But the real connection is that Mary Poppins lends her name to the computer system that runs the Walt Disney World monorail safety system.
Ma(ry) Po(ppins) will stop a monorail train if it is sensed to be too close to another train. Why is it named after her? Supposedly because the enormous box-office success of Mary Poppins in the 1960s helped fund the development of the software. Only once has this system failed to prevent an accident, in 2009 when a pilot override of the system allowed a fatal collision to occur. Since then no accidents have taken place, and although guest passengers may no longer ride with the pilot, the Walt Disney World monorail is still an awesome must-have experience for any visitor. I mean a trip to Disney World without a monorail ride? Not a trip worth going on in my opinion. Unless you can fly me around with your magic umbrella.
For those who already know what MaPo is, scuttle along - or keep reading and don't spoil it for everyone who doesn't know. I'm going to tell a story.
Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom there was a monorail system that connected all the people to all parts of the kingdom. This revolutionary mode of transportation allowed trains to swiftly glide above the ground, its track bolstered high up on column supports. People from around the world traveled to this kingdom and rode its newfangled trains. They admired how safe, timely and fast the system was. Little did they know those trains weren't running on any diesel, but only a spoonful of sugar.
Of course I'm referring to Walt Disney World's monorails. That part about the spoonful of sugar isn't literally true (maybe someday if biofuels science gets that far). But you might be thinking "Mary Poppins? That's Victorian England! What's that to do with monorails?" Well first of all, Mary Poppins is set in Edwardian England, a subtle difference. Second of all, not much except it travels through the air kind of. But the real connection is that Mary Poppins lends her name to the computer system that runs the Walt Disney World monorail safety system.
Ma(ry) Po(ppins) will stop a monorail train if it is sensed to be too close to another train. Why is it named after her? Supposedly because the enormous box-office success of Mary Poppins in the 1960s helped fund the development of the software. Only once has this system failed to prevent an accident, in 2009 when a pilot override of the system allowed a fatal collision to occur. Since then no accidents have taken place, and although guest passengers may no longer ride with the pilot, the Walt Disney World monorail is still an awesome must-have experience for any visitor. I mean a trip to Disney World without a monorail ride? Not a trip worth going on in my opinion. Unless you can fly me around with your magic umbrella.
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