Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

YOUR PERSONAL DISNEY LIBRARY (37)

By Jim Korkis

• DisneyBound by Leslie Kay

I have been part of Disney fandom for decades and sometimes it is challenging to keep up with everything new that pops up and gathers a following.

When I was growing up, the big hobby was collecting Disney buttons, usually ones that were offered for free at Disneyland connected to special events or anniversaries. Fans traded or bought buttons through newsletters, conventions, on park visits and more. Today, I doubt whether anyone actively collects buttons although I still do when I can.

Let’s not forget Disney Beany Babies that sparked violence at Disney Stores and in the surrounding parking lots and was going to be a fan’s 401K plan. Or what about limited edition seri-cels that were going to be priceless in the future? In a way, they did become priceless since nobody seems to be able to get a decent price for them today, let alone recovering what it originally cost.

Those Disney fans investing heavily in pins, Vinylmation and Tsum Tsums today should remember that there is no intrinsic monetary value in any of them so the best advice is to collect what you enjoy and can reasonably afford.

I am also old enough to recall when Disney cosplay was born and fans dressed up in elaborate re-creations of Disney characters both human and animal for conventions. As a fan, vendor and guest at many a San Diego Comic Convention over the years, I saw that fascination grow in enthusiasm and improve in craftsmanship.

However, I was surprised when roughly nine years ago, a Disney fan named Leslie Kay asked herself the seemingly harmless question, “What would Rapunzel wear if she were a girl just like me going to the mall?”

The result was the beginning of Disney Bound, basically an outfit that was not a full costume but was inspired by a particular Disney character and could be created from items in a person’s closet or easily purchased at a clothing department. Kay’s blog was an inspiration and focal point for many fans, and in her book DisneyBound she helps explain what Disney Bound is and how a reader can become part of this group of Disney fans.

This is the first time in my life that I have ever described a book as “perky”, an obvious reflection of the spirit of the author. Interestingly, the book is an official release from Disney Editions and that gives it a seal of approval along with a foreword by Disney authority Jeff Kurtti, who confesses he was as clueless as I was when I first heard about Disney Bound.

Filled with colorful pictures of regular people and their creations, someone complained DisneyBound is just a scrapbook of her many friends, but I don’t see that as a flaw because it reinforces the fact that anybody can participate. All it takes is a little imagination and some cleverness, and nothing is more Disney than that. In addition, you can see the great joy on the faces of everyone included.

Besides the helpful “how-to” instructions, including the tip that small accessories can help complete the entire “look”, there are chapters devoted to individual characters like Minnie Mouse, Mr. Smee, Mulan and so many more, including a Dole Whip.

As I went through the pages, I was continually impressed with the thought and effort that went behind each outfit. I was also impressed that Disney Bound is also Disney “bonding” as a community that has developed around the concept and rather than being competitive, joy is shared by everyone.

DisneyBound serves as a fascinating documentation of this newer Disney phenomenon and as a wonderful introduction for those people who may be interested in exploring it, or are just a little curious.

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Thanks, Jim! and come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his two new books,  Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: FEBUARY 27 MARCH 7, 2021

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, and fireworks.

Things are … a little different… as Disney World re-opens.  See this for park previews and key insights.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/27-3/7/21

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-10p 2/27, 9a-8p 2/28, 9a-7p 3/1 through 3/4, 9a-9p 3/5, and 9a-10p 3/6 and 3/7

Epcot will be open from 11a-9p 2/27, 11a-8p 2/28 through 3/4, 11a-9p 3/5, 11a-11p 3/6 and 11a-8p 3/7

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-7p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-6p 2/27, 8a-7p 2/28, 8a-5p 3/1 through 3/5, 8a-8p 3/6, and 8a-6p 3/7

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/27-3/7/21

There will be no Extra Magic Hours anymore.  They will be replaced later in the year by a new program.

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/27-3/7/21

There will be no parades until further notice.

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/27-3/7/21

Some brief incidental fireworks happen at various times at Magic Kingdom.

Otherwise, there will be no evening shows until further notice.

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/27-3/7/21

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

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

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

THE ROSES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

By Jim Korkis

Walt Disney’s wife Lillian loved roses, and they were prominent in her home garden. They were one of the reasons Walt had to build an underground tunnel for his Carolwood Pacific railroad–so as not to disturb Lillian’s rose garden.

As a result, roses were prominent at Disneyland from its opening, and are in abundance at Walt Disney World.

The Rose Walk Garden at Epcot was initiated for the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival in the 1990s, and was such a crowd pleaser that it was maintained year-round, although roses are cut back part of the year.

Another popular Walt Disney World location for roses is the lawn side wedding courtyard at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. Roses and gardenias surround a gazebo, creating an intoxicating scent and just the right touch of romance for an outdoor wedding.

Unfortunately, with the expansion and redesign of the Hub at the Magic Kingdom in 2014, the beloved Plaza Rose Garden that had delighted guests with its beauty and tranquility since 1980 was removed.

A few of the first roses planted in that garden were All American Rose Selection 1980 winners Love, Honor and Cherish and 1981 winners White Lightning, Bing Crosby and Mariana. Over the years, the garden also displayed St. Patrick, All That Jazz, Betty Boop, Barbara Bush and Candelabra, just to name a few of the many roses that brought a smile to guests.

The garden was located between Cinderella Castle and the entrance to Tomorrowland. Many different species of roses could be found along the winding pathway that led to a covered area with benches that used to be the dock for the Swan Boats.

The garden was the recipient of the July 1985 All-America Rose Selections Inc.’s Public Rose Garden Award given for contributing to the public interest in rose growing through its efforts in maintaining an outstanding public rose garden.

Disneyland Rose
(c) Disney

Shrub roses in different shades of pink were also on display in front of the castle, and old fashioned Louie Philip roses were in the broken planter in front of the Haunted Mansion. Those at Haunted Mansion challenge the gardeners to make the plants look neglected and overgrown.

The process of keeping roses pristine on property includes a soft-cut back in October and a hard cut-down in February or March, saving only four to six of the best branches for fertilization.

When it is warm again, the roses appear in full bud. A drip-line irrigation system is used to ensure that each root has its own water emitter with drainage at the base of the rose, as opposed to a traditional overhead irrigation system.

Walt Disney World garden specialist Allison Brooks said, “They like a well-drained environment in soil that doesn’t retain excess water at the base. They are sprayed weekly for pest control and with fungicide which helps also keep away those unsightly black spots and helps to keep them beautiful and romantic all the time.

“The rose is an easy flower to take care of, since you can plant it and let it grow with minimum trim. We are lucky in Florida, because it’s warm here most months, so the roses will bloom here throughout the year.”

Some of the myriad of rose varieties that can be found on Walt Disney World property include Hybrid Teas, Grandifloras and Floribundas. A particular Floribunda that can also be found is the Disneyland Rose.

Disneyland Roses were first bred in the United States in 2003 by Dr. Keith Zary in conjunction with John Walden. It was introduced to the general public the following year by Jackson & Perkins. Disney fans can purchase a Disneyland Rose directly from them.

This wonderful floral creation was the product of cross breeding the Hot Tamale rose with the rose Sequoia Gold. The result is an extremely colorful blend of orange and pink hues. Despite its beautiful color, it has only a slight fragrance, but what it does have is light and spicy. It continues to change color as it matures so it may start out apricot or copper in color.

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Thanks, Jim!  And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his new books Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: FEBUARY 20 TO FEBRUARY 28, 2021

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, and fireworks.

Things are … a little different… as Disney World re-opens.  See this for park previews and key insights.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/20-2/28/21

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-10p 2/20, 9a-7p 2/21 through 2/25, 9a-8p 2/26, 9a-9p 2/27 and 9a-7p 2/28

Epcot will be open from 11a-9p 2/20, 11a-8p 2/21 through 2/25, 11a-9p 2/26, and 11a-8p 2/27 and 2/28

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-7p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-7p 2/20, 8a-5p 2/21 through 2/26, 8a-6p 2/27, and 8a-5p 2/28

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/20-2/28/21

There will be no Extra Magic Hours anymore.  They will be replaced later in the year by a new program.

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/20-2/28/21

There will be no parades until further notice.

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/20-2/28/21

Some brief incidental fireworks happen at various times at Magic Kingdom.

Otherwise, there will be no evening shows until further notice.

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/20-2/28/21

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

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

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

US PRESIDENTS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

By Jim Korkis

As we celebrate Presidents’ Day this month, I thought I would take a look back at American Presidents who visited Walt Disney World.

Since it opened in 1971, Walt Disney World has hosted every American President while they were in office, except for Gerald Ford and Donald Trump.

Ford did visit Disneyland in Anaheim in 1975, and his daughter Susan inaugurated River Country at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Trump was scheduled to host a Republican fund raiser event at the Grand Floridian December 2019 but it was relocated to Miami.

Of course, all the presidents are represented in Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents as audio-animatronics doppelgangers.

Jimmy Carter came to the Magic Kingdom in 1978, speaking from a podium decked out with flowers for the 26th World Congress of the International Chamber of Commerce.

Ronald Reagan made two trips to Epcot during his time in office, the first on March 7, 1983 when he visited the American Adventure. He viewed the attraction.

After the presentation, the President visited with students participating in the World Showcase Fellowship Program, an educational and cultural exchange program that no longer exists at Epcot, but was designed to enable outstanding young adults to represent their various countries for one year in the pavilions of World Showcase. That concept evolved into the College and International Program.

His second trip on May 27, 1985, was billed as the President’s Inaugural Bands Parade.

Dozens of marching bands were unable to perform at Reagan’s second inauguration because of severe cold weather. Disney CEO Michael Eisner, who was part of the viewing group in Washington, D.C., offered him the opportunity to have the bands perform for him at Epcot. Only eighteen of the original fifty bands were able to participate while Reagan observed from a special bulletproof plexiglass booth outside the American Adventure.

A star-and-striped costumed Mickey Mouse (who had previously posed for photos with the president, even giving First Lady Nancy a kiss on the lips) led off the parade with the combined Osceola and St. Cloud bands.

The bands were followed by a spectacular daytime fireworks display, the release of 15,000 balloons, and a flyover by four F16 fighter jets.

George H.W. Bush had two visits of his own to Epcot in 1990 and 1991. Walt Disney World’s 20th Anniversary Celebration was the setting for the first gathering of President Bush Sr.’s Daily Points of Light award recipients. This award is still given to outstanding community volunteers across the U.S.

It was held at the American Gardens Theater in EPCOT. President George W. Bush responded in kind in 2004 and named Walt Disney World itself a Daily Point of Light.

On January 19, 2012, Barack Obama gave a speech on travel and tourism set in front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, joking that: “I confess I am excited to see Mickey. It’s always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me.” In actuality, although Obama waved at the Partners’ Statue in Hub, he did not have a photo opportunity with a costumed Mickey Mouse.

At a later appearance in 2012, Obama spoke to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials conference held at the Contemporary Resort.

Even though both Bill Clinton and George W. Bush visited Walt Disney World property during their presidencies, they never actually went inside the parks. Bill Clinton just visited the Disney Institute in 1996 while George W. Bush delivered speeches at both the Contemporary Resort in 2003 and then the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa in 2006.

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Thanks, Jim!  There’s more on the (pre-President Biden) Hall of Presidents here.

And come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his new books Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: FEBUARY 13 TO FEBRUARY 21, 2021

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, parades, and fireworks.

Things are … a little different… as Disney World re-opens.  See this for park previews and key insights.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/13-2/21/21

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 9a-10p 2/13 through 2/16, 9a-7p 2/17, 9a-8p 2/18, 9a-10p 2/19 and 2/20, and 9a-7p 2/21

Epcot will be open from 11a-11p 2/13 and 2/14, 11a-8p 2/15 through 2/19, 11a-9p 20, and 11a-8p 2/21

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-7p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-8p 2/13 through 2/15, 8a-5p 2/16 through 2/19, 8a-7p 2/20, and 8a-5p 2/21

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/13-2/21/21

There will be no Extra Magic Hours anymore.  They will be replaced later in the year by a new program.

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/13-2/21/21

There will be no parades until further notice.

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/13-2/21/21

Some brief incidental fireworks happen at various times at Magic Kingdom.

Otherwise, there will be no evening shows until further notice.

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 2/13-2/21/21

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

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