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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

SCALES AT PORT ORLEANS FRENCH QUARTER

By Jim Korkis

The text on the back of the very first postcard released for the Port Orleans Resort (later renamed Port Orleans French Quarter) in May 1991 stated:

“Evoking a bygone era of romance and charm, the hidden courtyards, splashing fountains and lush gardens of Disney’s Port Orleans Resort create a welcome retreat. At the heart of it all is Doubloon Lagoon, where ‘Scales’ the sea serpent invites visitors to make a splash!”

Scales was an original Disney character created for the resort. His name was coined by Disney executive Greg Ehrbar, who was working for Disney marketing.

Contrary to popular belief, the sea serpent’s name was not originally meant to be a direct reference to the fact that he had scales on him like a dragon or a fish.

Rather, it was created by Ehrbar, a long time Disney fan and a well known authority on Disney music, with two books on the subject to his credit.

Port Orleans French Quarter once had a full-service restaurant called Bonfamille’s Café (closed last decade), and next to it was a bar, Scat Cat’s Club.

Disney animation fans will instantly remember that retired opera singer Madame Bonfamille was the owner of the talented French cats in the animated feature The Aristocats (1970).

Those famous felines were assisted in their adventures by a jazz band of cats led by their outrageous leader, Scat Cat.

There was a special children’s menu created for Bonfamille’s Café done in the form of a coloring booklet. It was written by Ehrbar and illustrated by the very talented Peter Emslie.

In the form of a photo album journal by Madame Adelaide Bonfamille, the booklet described how the good Madame, Duchess, the kittens, Thomas O’Malley and the Alley Cat Band took a musical cruise from Paris to Port Orleans, where they were “tailed” (followed) by a jazz-loving sea serpent.

The sea creature fell in love with the jazz that Scat Cat and his band played during the voyage. He was named “Scales”, a nod to musical scales and the Sherman Brothers tune from the film, “Scales and Arpeggios”.

The story closes with Scales staying at the resort to enjoy the music played by the resident “jazz gators.”

That’s why the costumed alligator statues with musical instruments are walking down the path to the pool. Just like pied pipers, they lead Scales to the pool just as they do guests today.

When the resort first opened, guests received a copy of the “Sassagoula Sentinel,” a faux newspaper that included guest information along with a fictional backstory for the resort.

While Disney Imagineers loved the name that Ehrbar had come up with for the sea serpent, they decided they wanted a story that was more in tune with the rest of the backstory they had created.

In their version, in order to frighten their children from exploring the swampy marshes and the dangers like alligators and snakes, the first settlers came up with the legend of a large serpentine creature that lurks beneath the surface of the still waters waiting to gobble up unsuspecting children.

When some of the older children did not believe the myth, a group of fathers decided to teach them a lesson and constructed a large dragon-like serpent out of fence wire and bed sheets to scare them.

Over the years, the serpent became a fixture of the Mardi Gras parades and was honored with his own water slide in the lagoon.

Whichever version of the story you chose to believe, it is just another example of how Walt Disney World resorts are filled with hidden storytelling treasures.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim. For more from Jim on the history of the Port Orleans resorts, see this. And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including The Vault of Walt, Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South?, and The Book of Mouse, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

MORE DISNEY WORLD HISTORY POSTS FROM JIM KORKIS

• “Summer Magic” on Main Street
• Muppets and Mama Melrose
• Peter Dominick and the Wilderness Lodge
• Dixie Landing and Port Orleans Riverside
• The History of Splash Mountain
• The First Disney World Hotel
• The “Sharing the Magic” Statue
• The First Disney World Monorails
• The Water Park River Country
• The Epcot Fountain
• The Fireplace at the Wilderness Lodge
• Sid Cahuenga at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Spaceship Earth
• Downtown Disney
• The Missing Resorts
• Echo Park Homages
• Typhoon Lagoon

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JULY 25 TO AUGUST 2, 2015

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic. For more on July 2015 at Disney World, click here.

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25/-8/2/2015

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-12MN 7/25 through 7/27,  8a-12MN  7/28 and 7/29, and 9a-12MN 7/30 through 8/2

Epcot will be open from  9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-10p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-6 7/25 through 7/27, 9a-7p 7/28 through 7/30, and 9a-6p 7/31 through 8/2

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25/-8/2/2015

Saturday 7/25 Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 7/26 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Monday 7/27 Morning: none  Evening: Hollywood Studios

Tuesday 7/28 Morning: Epcot Evening:  none

Wednesday 7/29 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening:  none

Thursday 7/30 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Friday 7/31 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Saturday 8/1 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 8/2  Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25/-8/2/2015

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9 and 11p every evening

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25-8/2/2015

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p every night

Illuminations at Epcot: 9p every night.

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9 and 10.30p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25/-8/2/2015

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/25/-8/2/2015

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

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DISNEY WORLD ROOM RATE DEAL

A new Disney World room rate deal covering most arrival dates from October 4 through December 23 2015 was released today. (November 25-27 is excluded.)

This deal has

• Value resorts (except Art of Animation Little Mermaid rooms, which are excluded) at 10-15% off depending on the date
• Moderates at 15-20% off depending on the date (no moderates are excluded)
• Deluxes at a complex variety of discounts ranging from 10 to 25% off, depending on the hotel, the room type, and the date
• DVC resorts at 20-30% off, excluding Bay Lake Tower, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, and the Polynesian Villas and Bungalows

To book these discounts, contact Kelly at 980-429-4499 or kellyb@destinationsinflorida.com.

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians and author of Jim’s Gems in The easy Guide, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

LUNA PARK POOL

By Jim Korkis

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas were designed to incorporate aspects of the iconic Atlantic City Boardwalk and the fabled Coney Island to re-create an East Coast seaside vacation destination from the early 1900s.

The main themed pool at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas, Luna Park Pool, is a reference to one of the most popular early amusement parks at Coney Island.

Coney Island’s Luna Park was built and operated by Frederic Thompson and Elmer “Skip” Dundy from 1903 to 1944.

It was one of three major entertainment parks at Coney Island –the other two were Steeplechase Park and Dreamland.

That’s the reason why the proprietor of the “On the Boardwalk Thimbles & Threads” shop is “F. Thompson” and inside the resort’s main lobby you’ll find “Dundy’s Sundries—Serving the Boadwalk since 1902”.

It is 1902 because Thompson and Dundy’s amazing ride from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition (the World’s Fair held in New York) called “A Trip To The Moon” was moved to Coney Island’s Steeplechase Park for the 1902 season.

It was an electrically powered dark ride where thirty passengers boarded a wooden spacecraft and were taken on a visit to the moon complete with little people dressed up as moonmen. It proved so popular that Thompson and Dundy had enough money to build their own amusement venue, Luna Park.

“Luna” is Latin for the “moon” (and also the name of the airship vehicle in their attraction). Dundy’s sister was also named “Luna”.

Why are there elephants at the pool?

One of the biggest attractions at Coney Island’s Luna Park was its private herd of elephants, which roamed freely. Elephant rides were popular for the guests as well as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

However, cleaning an elephant is a long, arduous task so it was quickly discovered that taking the elephants out to the Atlantic Ocean to bathe was not only easier but it was free publicity for the park.

The Keister Coaster pool slide is meant to be reminiscent of the many classic wooden roller coasters at Coney Island in its prime. That’s why it is a seemingly wooden structure.

However, the huge clown face at the end is not just to reference the many clowns at Coney Island, one of whom was the famous animation director Dave Fleischer, who was rotoscoped in his clown outfit to become KoKo the Clown, the famous silent animated cartoon character.

One of the popular Midway games was the Clown Water Gun Balloon Game where a patron would shoot water into the open mouth of the head of a clown to build up pressure to blow up the balloon on the head to pop first so the player could win against other competitors doing the exact same thing with other clown heads.

The game still exists today and is popular. A variation of the game, an auto race, is one of the Midway games in the Wildwood Landing section on Disney’s boardwalk.

The nearby Ferris W. Eahlers Community Hall is not an obscure reference to a turn-of-the-century personality or an Imagineer. Said aloud it sounds like “Ferris Wheelers”, a reference to the Coney Island ferris wheels.

While most guests are unfamiliar with these connections, for those few who are it enhances an already premium experience at the BoardWalk In n and Villas.

*  *  *  *  *

Thanks, Jim. Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including The Vault of Walt, Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South?, and The Book of Mouse, and his contributions to The easy Guide to Your First Walt Disney World Visit, all published by Theme Park Press.

MORE DISNEY WORLD HISTORY POSTS FROM JIM KORKIS

• “Summer Magic” on Main Street
• Muppets and Mama Melrose
• Peter Dominick and the Wilderness Lodge
• Dixie Landing and Port Orleans Riverside
• The History of Splash Mountain
• The First Disney World Hotel
• The “Sharing the Magic” Statue
• The First Disney World Monorails
• The Water Park River Country
• The Epcot Fountain
• The Fireplace at the Wilderness Lodge
• Sid Cahuenga at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Spaceship Earth
• Downtown Disney
• The Missing Resorts
• Echo Park Homages
• Typhoon Lagoon

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: JULY 18 TO JULY 26, 2015

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic. For more on July 2015 at Disney World, click here.

Note that typos happen, and schedules change! If something seems odd, or if you want to double check, use the calendar links near the bottom to get the latest official Disney World scoop.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18/-7/26/2015

The Magic Kingdom will be open 9a-12MN 7/18 and 7/19,  8a-12MN  7/20 through 7/22, and 9a-12MN 7/23 through 7/26

Epcot will be open from  9a-9p every day

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open 9a-10p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open 9a-5p 7/18, 9a-7p 7/19, 9a-6p 7/20, 9a-7p 7/21 through 7/24, and 9a-6p 7/25 and 7/26

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18/-7/26/2015

Saturday 7/18 Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 7/19 Morning:  Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Monday 7/20 Morning: none  Evening: Hollywood Studios

Tuesday 7/21 Morning: Epcot Evening:  none

Wednesday 7/22 Morning:  Animal Kingdom  Evening:  none

Thursday 7/23 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Friday 7/24 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Saturday 7/25 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: Magic Kingdom

Sunday 7/26  Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18/-7/26/2015

The Magic Kingdom:

• Afternoon Festival of Fantasy Parade: 3p every day
• Evening Main Street Electrical Parade: 9 and 11p every evening

FIREWORKS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18-7/26/2015

Wishes at the Magic Kingdom: 10p every night

Illuminations at Epcot: 9p every night.

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9 and 10.30p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18/-7/26/2015

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

LONG RANGE WEATHER FORECAST FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 7/18/-7/26/2015

See this for forecasts.

DISCLAIMER

Everything is subject to change and typos! Check the Disney Calendars for updates and official schedules. These calendars can be found by clicking the following links:

• Magic Kingdom Calendar
• Hollywood Studios Calendar
• Animal Kingdom Calendar
• Epcot Calendar

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Google+ or Twitter or Pinterest

OVERVIEW: FEBRUARY 2016 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews February 2016 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Early February 2016 will have some of the lowest crowds and prices of the year, but also the risk of ride closures.

The end of the month brings slightly higher prices and crowds, but better weather and few closures.

In between–the period from Thursday the 11th through Sunday the 21st–we will see high crowds and high prices.

[Read more →]