The Disney Driven Life

Community Blog for Neurotic Disney People

It is something I’ll never forget. It was the middle of August 2008 and I was with my family on vacation at Walt Disney World. We picked this time of year to go in order to take advantage of Disney’s free dining offer which I heard so much about on a couple of podcasts that I listen to.

I discovered Disney podcasts about a year before this vacation and I was already hooked on a few of them. Before leaving on vacation I remembered hearing on one of my favorite shows that Mark Goldhaber of the MouseStation podcast and MousePlanet.com was going to be there the same week. I really wanted to meet Mark so I could tell him how much I liked the show. I was also very fortunate to have won a Disney Photopass DVD on the show and I wanted to personally thank him. Well, I never did see or get to meet Mark that week.

As luck would have it Mark wasn’t the only great podcaster at Disney World. I remember it was the last day of our vacation. We were all feeling pretty sad knowing our return flight to New Jersey was later that day. So, we decided to head over to Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom and take in another show at the Monsters Inc. Laugh Factory hoping it would cheer us up. While waiting in the queue I saw someone that looked remarkably like the legendary Lou Mongello host of the award-winning WDW Radio Show podcast. He was even wearing a WDW Radio Show shirt. This person was with his wife and two lovely children but I just wasn’t sure it was really him. For one thing, he wasn’t a little person or as short as the guys on the WDW Today podcast always make him out to be, Jennifer Love Hewitt was nowhere in sight, and he wasn’t eating. So, I mentioned to my wife that I think the person with the WDW Radio shirt on is Lou Mongello. She then told me to go over and say hello but I just didn’t want to bother him while he was with his family. It also doesn’t help that I’m a relatively quiet and shy person when I initially meet people. Before my wife could convince me to go over and say hello, the doors to the Laugh Factory opened and we all entered.

This was our third time at the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Factory and although the jokes were somewhat similar the different personalities of the guests made each show uniquely funny. After the show the audience disbursed and we went over to the Tomorrowland Speedway. Then it was over to Space Mountain. After that, my daughter and I decided to go on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority while my son went back to the Tomorrowland Speedway with my wife watching him from a nearby bench.

As my wife sat on the bench she spotted and stopped Lou Mongello and his family to tell him how much of a fan I am of his and Disney World. When I came back my wife told me how pleasant and kind Lou and his wife Deanna were and she handed me a WDW Radio Show bag that she said Lou left with her for me. To say the least, I was speechless and very appreciative of his generosity.

It was just about lunchtime and we were all starting to get hungry so we walked over to the Columbia Harbor House. It’s one of our favorite counter service restaurants for lunch at the Magic Kingdom and it seemed to be the appropriate place to have our last meal on this trip. After lunch we walked through Frontierland when all of a sudden the skies opened up. There was lightening and thunder to go along with the torrential downpours. Ironically, we just made it to Splash Mountain where we were able to seek shelter right before it started to pour. Having watched the weather forecast that morning and seeing it called for sunshine I threw out our dollar store bought ponchos so as not to burden us with any extra baggage to carry around on our last vacation day. What a mistake that turned out to be!

When the rain stopped and the clouds lifted we made our way to Adventureland for one final Dole Whip. Just before we got to Aloha Isle the sky got slightly brighter and that’s when my wife noticed Lou Mongello and his family again. Without warning she gently dragged me over to say hello. We spoke for just a brief moment but you could tell that Lou and Deanna are genuinely nice people as are their children. It all happened so fast that I think I may have forgotten to thank him for the bag. So, Lou if you’re reading this, I thank you so very much!

After enjoying our Dole Whips we made our way toward the front gate stopping to see the start of the afternoon parade and to take a few more pictures. Then it was back to the hotel to wait for the Magical Express bus for that long depressing ride to the airport. As with every visit to Walt Disney World there are memories made that will last a lifetime some that even go beyond the parks and meeting Lou Mongello and his family is definitely one of them.

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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Big News for all of you planning to visit Walt Disney World this summer! Beginning in June, the Spectromagic Parade will be temporarily replaced by the…..wait for it……. Main Street Electrical Parade!!! Yes, it is back ladies and gentlemen! With new LED’s on all of the floats and a new float opening the parade featuring Tinker Bell!

This is one of the first announcements that Disney has made regarding the new line up for this summer’s Summer Nightastic! What else is in the works for this new summer theme? Word of a new summer long Fireworks Show in the Magic Kingdom and new lighting effects to the Tower of Terror have come from quite a reliable source, the Disney Parks Blog! To see what they have said about the new Summer Nightastic and to see some pictures, visit them at http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/.

Your trusty Gossip Girl will be keeping a very close eye on this new information as it unfolds so she can bring you the latest information!

P.S. Photos have popped up online this past week of constructions walls in the cast member area of Magic Kingdom that can be seen from Fantasyland and Mickey’s Toontown Fair! The overhaul is creeping ever closer!

Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.

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You’re winding down a wonderful vacation at Walt Disney World with just one more day to go. So, how do you decide where to spend the last day? I guess that depends on how long your stay is and how you’ve planned out your Walt Disney World vacation. If it’s a short stay or your trips are far and few between you might have everything planned out from the time you arrive until the moment you leave Disney property. A longer stay, let’s say a week or more, might allow you some flexibility in planning and allocating your time. However, a definite “don’t do” is going to Disney without a plan.

Everyone has their own ideas and plans on how they want to spend their last day on Disney property. Some people like to spend their last day there shopping while others try to get in one last round of golf. My wife and I have friends whose family likes to spend the last day at their resort relaxing by the pool and taking a final walk through the hotel grounds. We on the other hand try to squeeze a little more magic in at one of the parks before taking that long, depressing bus ride to the airport but, we don’t really plan out our last day with the exception of breakfast because we all know it’s all about the food.

Part of planning our trip is to leave the last day relatively free so we can decide as a family which park we would like to spend our last hours of vacation in. Everyone in my family agrees that Epcot is our favorite park and that’s where I’m sure you would guess we would spend our last day. Wrong! For some reason we always wind up at the Magic Kingdom. Although my kids are older now the Magic Kingdom has always been our unanimous choice. Maybe it’s the smell of the popcorn, taking that one final leisurely stroll on Main Street USA, the lure of having just one more Dole Whip, riding Pirates of the Caribbean again, or visiting the Haunted Mansion one more time. What ever it is there is something truly special and very magical about ending our vacation in the Magic Kingdom.

There is so much to do on Disney property that it can become overwhelming choosing what’s best for you and your family. Even after your trip itinerary is set there are still so many factors that can cause the very best of plans to go astray. Remember to plan wisely and to give everyone traveling with you time to relax and recharge their batteries. I promise it will make everyone have a happier vacation. The last thing you want is a grumpy group that just can’t go on and whose last day of vacation will be a memorable one but, for the wrong reasons.

Please keep in mind that Disney property is massive and it is impossible to do everything on property in just one visit. What ever you decide to do on your last day, make it magical so your memories will last until you return again one day to the happiest place on earth!

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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There have been several little rumors that have popped up this week, so instead of just covering one of them, I thought I would write about a few of them, just to help keep you great readers informed!

Bye-bye Jojo:  It has been said that soon, Jojo and Goliath of Playhouse Disney fame will not be seen in Hollywood Studios as a meet and greet or as a character for the Playhouse Disney character meal at Hollywood and Vine. The rumored replacement: Handy Manny.

Later parade time: The Animal Kingdom’s Mickey Jammin Jungle Parade time has been changed recently from 3:00 pm to 4:45pm.  This is believed to be an effort to make park guests stay in the park for the full day.  Many guests would leave right after the 3:00 parade.  This time change is reported to be only temporary as Disney wants to see if it actually works. Mixed feedback has been heard so far.

Dumbo is flying in: It is reported that Dumbo will start to have meet and greets! It correlates to the release of Dumbo on DVD and Blue Ray in February.  It has also been said that you can expect to see him around the new Fantasyland’s Dumbo area once it opens.

Pirates 4 changes: The confirmation has come out that there will be a Pirates of the Caribbean 4, which will be out in the spring of 2011.  Johnny Depp has signed on for this movie, which will follow him as Jack Sparrow searching for the Fountain of Youth.  Who has not signed on: Orlando Bloom and Kiera Knightly.

Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.

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It was a beautiful, sunny spring day. The temperature was in the low 70’s, the birds were chirping, there were green leaves on the trees and the flowers were starting to blossom. There was also a small breeze, the kind you only get in the spring. What a gorgeous day in New Jersey.

Except for one thing.

I wasn’t in New Jersey and it wasn’t in the low 70’s. It must have been at least 100 degrees in the shade. I was standing in the middle of Animal Kingdom, sweating bullets and praying for rain. Only the Disney Imagineers could bring the African heat to the happiest place on earth.

My wife and daughter were smart—they left the park to spend the rest of the day at Typhoon Lagoon. So, it was just me and my son waiting on a very long line for Kali River Rapids hoping to get drenched when our turn comes. Unexpectedly a cast member approached us with two ice cold bottles of water. The cast member said we could have the water if we would help him hunt for the Diamond Hidden Mickey. All we could think about was the mouth watering, thirst-quenching, ice cold bottles of water. Without hesitation we said yes we would help him and within a few seconds we drank our bottles of water. Never before and not since have I had such a refreshing bottle of water.

We asked the cast member, whose name was Davey, about this Diamond Hidden Mickey. He said no one knows exactly what it looks like and all he knows is it’s made completely of diamonds. Then Davey told us, “Others have tried before to find the Diamond Hidden Mickey and all have failed.” He said Indiana Jones couldn’t find it. Not even the great Hidden Mickey Guy, Steve Barrett has been able to find it.

“Gee Davey, then how do you expect us to find it?” asked my son. That’s when Davey pulled a rolled up parchment paper out of his back pocket and said, “I have a map that will lead us to this sparkling treasure.” He opened the map and pointed to where we were and where we needed to go. The map pointed right to the Magic Kingdom, but Davey told us to first go to the Animal Kingdom Lodge and wait for him at the entrance.

As we headed out of the park we stopped for a brief moment at the Tree of Life so I could text my wife and let her know what was going on. We then went to catch the bus for the Animal Kingdom Lodge. We waited, and waited, and waited, and finally a bus stopped right in front of us. Soon after, we arrived at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and as we stepped off the bus there was Davey waiting for us. He handed us each a T-shirt that read ‘Official Walt Disney World Hidden Mickey Hunters’ a van then pulled up and we all got in. Next stop the Magic Kingdom! As soon as we made it to Main Street, Davey looked at the map but he wasn’t sure where we should go so my son and I read it. I thought that logically we should go to The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Adventureland but my son was insistent on going to Pecos Bill’s in Frontierland. So we did. When we got there we asked my son where to go next and he politely said “inside for a cheese burger and fixins’ bar.” We went inside and grabbed a bite to eat.

According to our calculations we would need to get to Tom Sawyer Island. So we raced over to dock. Lucky for us we were the last ones to get on board the raft. Once on the island we went through the caves in search of the elusive Diamond Hidden Mickey. The map pointed to an old mine where we found what we thought was the spot where the Diamond Hidden Mick would be located. Instead all we found was a Mickey shaped map. This map pointed us right back across to Frontierland. So, it was back on the raft to Frontierland.

The three of us studied the map and we all agreed the Diamond Hidden Mickey had to be at the Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade. So we hurried over but this wasn’t exactly the Shootin’ Arcade I remember. Well, the shooting gallery was the same, so were the targets, and even the guns but, it was free to play and there was a cast member standing to the side of a makeshift wall that had shelves filled with plush Disney dolls. Above the shelves was an old wooden sign indicating how many points were needed for the plush dolls. I also have to tell you that as strange as this sounds the cast member looked like a young Walt Disney.

We stood in front of the Shootin’ Arcade pondering what to do next when my son said “I bet the Diamond Hidden Mickey is on one of the plush dolls.” We intensely studied the plush dolls from top to bottom but we didn’t see any kind of hidden Mickey anywhere. The cast member told us to look at the back of the map. So Davey turned it over to the other side. There was a clue that we all swore wasn’t there before. It said “shoot for the prize and it will be right before your eyes.”

As we select our rifles and start to take aim we see a woman come casually walking over. She picks up a rifle taking shot after shot. Each and every shot was a bullseye! The cast member tells her that she can have any prize she wants. The woman points to a very large stuffed Minnie Mouse wearing sun glasses. As the cast member reaches for it the woman said “I’ll just take what’s behind the shades.” There it was about the size of a golf ball so shiny and bright. So, I asked her how she knew it was there? The woman responded “diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” As she took the prized possession my son asked “who are you?” The woman said with a smile “Why, I’m JL.” My son then asked her what the JL stood for to which she replied “just lucky!” She then disappeared into the crowd with the diamond Mickey hidden no more.

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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It was a dark and cold winter night. I just came home from work and I seemed to have misplaced my house keys. The wind was howling, the roof was shaking, my teeth were rattling, and it was beginning to snow! So I got into my car and turned the key and all I heard was click, click. Oh no, my car won’t start! I can’t even call my wife. She’s away with the kids visiting my mother in law. So, I pulled my phone from my pocket to text a friend when a saw a glimmering shine on the dashboard of my car. It was my house keys. Thank God, at least I can now get into my house. I braved the cold wind and snow from my car to my door step and I entered my home.

Finally, inside my warm cozy house I went searching like a scavenger for something to eat. There was plenty of food but my way of cooking is using a microwave and on special occasions the toaster oven. Then I remembered there was something I could eat, a genuine Swanson Frozen TV Dinner from the 1960’s that was handed down by my mother to me. She made me promise that I would save it for an emergency. Well, this was close enough to an emergency. So, I scraped the ice off the box. Hmm, Salisbury steak, corn kernels, mashed potatoes and apple sauce. Yummy! As I read the directions, I realized this was made before the microwave was invented. So I did what any other dad and husband would do. I opened the box placed it in the microwave and hit the frozen meal button. A couple of minutes later dinner was served.

I was still somewhat hungry and I was having this craving for soft vanilla ice cream with something pineapple when my phone rang. It was Fast Freddy an old college buddy of mine. We called him Fast Freddy because he was fast! Freddy asked what I was doing and I told him what I was craving but my car was presently out of commission. Freddy said “don’t worry I know just what you need.” He said he would be right over and to be ready for a road trip.

About 15 minutes later I heard the horn of a car honking outside my house, it was Fast Freddy. Our quest was just about to begin. I climbed into his car and off we went. We drove all night. The wind died down and the snow turned to rain before it eventually stopped. The sun was now shinning, not a cloud in the sky and for the first time since we embarked on this journey we needed to turn on the air conditioner. All of a sudden Freddy shouted “Welcome to Disney World!” I finally knew what Freddy had in mind as my hunger grew stronger for that special elixir made of soft vanilla ice cream and pineapple.

We weren’t paying attention to the signs as we were overcome with excitement. Somehow we ended up at the Animal Kingdom. The heat in the park was so intense I thought I was going to faint. As we walked through the Animal Kingdom following signs to the Wildlife Express Train we came upon this lion. He said his name was Simba. We asked Simba where we could find the amazing concoction of soft vanilla ice cream and frozen pineapple. He pointed us out toward the road and wished us success on our trek.

So, it was back into the car and on the road.

As we drove around we came upon this great big parking lot. Thinking this was the right place we parked the car and made our way to the entrance. Once inside the park we realized we were in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. “Woe is me” I said. “This isn’t the home of the fantastic frozen soft vanilla ice cream and pineapple dessert.” A voice behind me said “I think you boys are lost.” It was Buzz Lightyear! Freddy said “Buzz will you rescue us?” So, Buzz agreed to help us on the condition that we beat Woody in Toy Story Midway Mania. All I can say is Buzz kept to his word. When Woody kicked our rear ends, Buzz put his head down in disgust and walked off somewhere down Pixar Place. We then left Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s to continue on our search.

Once again, we lost our way and this time we wound up at Epcot. We made our way over to Club Cool and sampled some good and not so good soft drinks from around the world. The Kinley Lemon from Israel was good but the Beverly from Italy may be dangerous to your health. After, spending a little time at Club Cool we wandered into The Seas with Nemo and Friends. We saw the sign for Turtle Talk with Crush so we decided to go in. We found the theatre empty and no sign of Crush. After calling his name out with no response we decided to leave but, just as we got to the exit doors we heard a voice, a very recognizable voice. “It’s Nemo,” I shouted! We quickly turned around and there he was. What a character, Nemo really likes to clown around. Anyway, we told Nemo of our plight and how far we traveled on our magical ride in search of the most magnificent soft vanilla ice cream and frozen pineapple dessert. Well, Nemo was kind enough to give us directions to Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. He said make two left fins and a right. We thanked him, said good-bye and it was back on the road once again.

Although the drive to the Magic Kingdom was short it seemed like it took forever because all we could think about was that awesome frozen snack treat of soft vanilla ice cream and pineapple. We entered through the gates of the Magic Kingdom and followed the directions to Adventureland. Then all of a sudden we came to Aloha Isle home of the great Dole Whip. We got down on our knees and thanked God for bringing us to the place of the great delicious dessert. Then in perfect unison we rose to our feet and stepped forward in line to place our order. The cast member gazed into our eyes and in a very pleasant tone said, “I’m sorry we’re all sold out!”

I’m kidding.

The cast member’s hands extended out to us with the Dole Whips which we ever so gingerly reached out and accepted into our hands. Then with the dignity of triumphant warriors we savored every last bit of the greatest dessert known to mankind, the Dole Whip.

Contributed by: Stuart S. (NDD #47). Stuart is a contributor to the Disney Driven Life and is the author of the Disney Geek Dad blog.

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In September 2009, it was announced that Fantasyland would be going through a major overhaul, with changes and additions never imagined before. Concept art was released and this overhaul was the big talk for weeks…and then it stopped.  Barely a word was heard on the major project for months, leaving people to wonder what was going on.

Were they beginning the work behind the park and moving up? Had they even broke ground on this project yet? When would they begin closing rides in Fantasyland to begin making room? None of these questions were answered in any way…until now.

Near the beginning of January, word started getting out that the Walt Disney World Railroad – the steam engines that travel around the entire perimeter of the park – would be shut down for three months this year. The reason for the shutdown appears to be the Fantasyland overhaul – which makes perfect sense – because according to the concept art Fantasyland will be going a bit further back than it has in the past, meaning that the tracks for the train would have to be moved in order to be around the perimeter of the park.  This seems the most logical explanation for the shutdown, aside from the routine maintenance.

It has not been announced when the shutdown will take place, though many seem to think it will be around the spring.  As the year progresses, we will have to keep an eye on this project, but at least there is a sign that this massive expansion is moving forward.

Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21). Jessica is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.

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This five-exposure high dynamic-range image was shot on a gorgeously clear and relatively tranquil morning at the Magic Kingdom. The Liberty Belle riverboat docks in Liberty Square, but seems almost equally at home plying the waters of Frontierland as well. Beckoning in the background is the Haunted Mansion, looking eerily inviting in the warm morning sun. Which should you choose? It’s still early — ride both!

I really love the soft, inviting quality of this image.

To buy a print, go to my Web site Pixie Dust Pictures. Once you open the photo you want, click “Add to Cart” above, or hover over the image for a moment and click the shopping cart icon when it appears.

- Scott Baxter

Contributed by: Scott B. (NDD #57). Scott is the owner of Pixie Dust Pictures and a contributing photographer for the Disney Driven Life.

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This is THE classic view of the THE icon of Walt Disney World. I always especially love catching Cinderella Castle with a multicolored lighting scheme. That’s not always easy when collecting the multiple exposures used for making an high dynamic range image, because the lighting changes so often. Regardless, there’s no end to the beauty and interesting angles one can find with the castle, and I can’t imagine ever getting tired of looking at it, much less photographing it!

To buy a print, visit http://pixie-dust-pictures.com/disney. Now through Christmas, save 20 percent on your order by entering the code “santa” (without quotes) at checkout.

Contributed by: Scott B. (NDD #57). Scott is the owner of Pixie Dust Pictures and a contributing photographer for the Disney Driven Life.

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FANTASYLAND OVERHAUL

It looks as though Disney is looking at doing a major overhaul of the Fantasyland area of Magic Kingdom. The supposed plans expands the size of Fantasyland to about 3 times its current size, including taking over the majority of Mickey’s Toontown Fair.

The plans include rides themed around several princesses, including Aurora, Ariel and Cinderella as well as a play area and meet-and-greet associated with Pixie Hollow. New food areas are also being added; one that seems to be much talked about is a Gaston related Table Service.

Some of the current rides will be staying, including the Carousel, Winnie the Pooh and Snow White.  Dumbo will also be staying, but moving from its current location behind the Carousel to around the current location of Mickey’s House. Dumbo will also be getting major additions to it, including a second ride area and an interactive queue.

Several small mercantiles also look to be in the plans, one including a book store that could possibly be themed around the book seller in Beauty and the Beast.

Below is what is believed to be blueprints for the new overhaul:
I would like to state, once again, that these plans are only rumored!! There has been no official announcement about this complete overhaul!

Why the buzz about it then? Well, there have been a few “unofficial” leaks about work being done in the area, including some whispers from cast members that mention construction work being done behind the scenes of the park, where cast members used to be able to go but have since been blocked off. Could this be the beginning of a new Fantasyland???

Image provided by http://www.magicchatlive.com/showthread.php?tid=680. Visit this site for further discussion on this topic along with a very interesting picture of the overlay of the park, showing an aerial view of the current areas and then the proposed blueprints on top.

Final Notice: This Has Not Been Confirmed Officially By Disney! This Is Merely A Rumor!

(Though, word around is that official word on this overhaul will be coinciding with the D23 Expo!!)

Contributed by: Jessica C. (NDI#21) is our resident “Gossip Girl” and creator of The True Disney Fan Blog.

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