Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

“The only end of writing is to enable readers better to enjoy life, or better to endure it.” –Samuel Johnson

THE EFFECT OF THE DELAYED OPENING OF MICKEY AND MINNIE’S RUNAWAY RAILWAY ON WAITS AT DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

In another surprise, although rumored for a while, Disney (in an oh-by-the-way style) announced late last week that the new ride being developed in the old Great Movie Ride space at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, would have its opening shifted from this fall to the spring of 2020.

The immediate concern of everyone was the impact on crowds at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after the partial opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in late August.  The widespread perspective is that Disney needs another high capacity attraction to give the crowds drawn by Galaxy’s Edge something else to do besides building up the lines of the currently existing rides and shows.

But on reflection, I can think of a couple of ways that this decision might actually be good for lines at Hollywood Studios (other than in Galaxy’s Edge).  [Read more →]

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 (16)

By Jim Korkis

• Skipper Stories: True Tales from Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise and
• More Skipper Stories by David John Marley

Walt Disney once famously said that it takes people to make the dream a reality, and that is certainly true of the cast members who work at the Disney theme parks. In fact, for some attractions like the Haunted Mansion and the Tower of Terror, the personalities of the individual cast members add tremendously to the overall experience.

However, the one attraction that has always been dependent upon the personality of a cast member is the iconic Jungle Cruise in Adventureland. It is infamous for its bad puns and corny jokes that developed almost from the opening of the ride in 1955.

Being a Jungle Cruise skipper is considered one of the prime and most coveted positions for a cast member.

David John Marley was a Disneyland skipper on the Jungle Cruise for three years. Currently, he is a professor at California State University, Fullerton with a background in history.

He had the idea to contact dozens of former Jungle Cruise skippers who worked the attraction over six decades to create an anecdotal oral history recounting humorous and horrific tales of working on the ride. The result is a fascinating and entertaining glimpse into the life of a Disney cast member.

Some former skippers asked that they remain anonymous as they shared their tales, but the overwhelming majority are identified by their entire name and by decade. Interestingly, some of the current skippers had to have their thoughts reviewed by Disney Media Relations.

The book is divided into twenty-three short chapters devoted to different topics from training to interactions with guests to accidents and much more. Each chapter is filled with many different skippers offering a paragraph or two discussing their personal experiences about that topic.

Marley allows each participant to tell their own story without any interjection from himself. However, Marley does share a few of his own stories just like the other skippers.

Not all of the memories are memorable, or in some cases even that interesting, but those that aren’t help provide a wider perspective, and make those that are amusing stand out even more.

Those funny moments run the gamut from the clueless questions asked by guests (“Is that water real?” “Where is Adventureland?”) to the various pranks devised by the skippers (like the five gallon jug of liquid soap that was dumped into the water, transforming the river into a bubble bath, or the skipper who showed up in the elephant bathing pool one trip wearing just his boxer shorts and holding a bar of soap).

Marley even had Jason Schultz from the Richard Nixon Presidential Library dig out information about a former skipper, Ron Ziegler, who later became Nixon’s press secretary.

The book was so well received that a sequel following the same format, More Skipper Tales, was released in December 2018.

Thankfully, these books debunk the theory that what happens in the jungle stays in the jungle.

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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 latest,  The Vault of Walt Volume 7: Christmas Edition, and his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 20 TO APRIL 28, 2019

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

For for more on April 2019 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/20-4/28/19

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a to 12MN 4/20, 9a-12MNp 4/21, 8a to 12MN 4/22 through 4/25, 9a-12MNp 4/26, 8a to 12MN 4/27, and 9a-10p 4/28

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-8.30p 4/20 through 4/27 and 9a-9p 4/28

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9a-9.30p 4/20 through 4/26, 8a-9.30p 4/27, and 9a-9.30p 4/28

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/20-4/28/19

Saturday 4/20 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 4/21  Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Monday 4/22 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Tuesday 4/23 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Wednesday 4/24 Morning:  none Evening: Magic Kingdom

Thursday 4/25 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 4/26 Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Saturday 4/27 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 4/28 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/20-4/28/19

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/20-4/28/19

Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom 9.15p 4/20 through 4/27 ; 9p 4/28

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p 4/20 through 4/27; 9p 4/28

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p 4/20 through 4/27; 9.30p 4/28

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:  8.30 and 9.30p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/20/-4/28/19

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.

DUMBO AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM

By Jim Korkis

One of the most popular attractions at Disney theme parks is Dumbo, inspired by the 1941 animated feature of the little elephant who, thanks to his large ears, could take flight into the skies. It was one of the original attractions at Disneyland.

Dumbo is known as a “hub and spoke” attraction because the ride vehicles rotate on an articulated armature connected to a central hub. Guests use a lever inside the vehicle that operates a hydraulic ram to control the vertical height. For decades, all versions rotated counterclockwise.

When the attraction first opened at Walt Disney World, the elephants were missing their hats and the attraction was missing the iconic Timothy Mouse figure who was added about two years later. In 1993, the attraction was expanded to sixteen vehicles to meet the demand for the ninety-second ride.

The original concept for the attraction was not multiple Dumbos but ten pink elephants on parade from the film. Supposedly, Admiral Joe Fowler questioned having children riding an alcoholic hallucination and Walt quickly agreed and had all the elephants painted gray.

Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland underwent a large expansion and renovation that resulted in Storybook Circus being added to the area in 2012. The Dumbo attraction was moved to this new section with a new interactive, enclosed queue resembling a Big Top circus tent that serves as a playground, as well as water fountains that change colors at night.

The original Dumbo carousel spinner closed on January 8, 2012. The new spinner (the first Dumbo ever to spin clockwise) soft-opened on March 12, 2012. The original spinner was refurbished to match the new theming of the attraction and be a fraternal twin of the new spinner. That new spinner soft-opened on June 15, 2012. Richer paint shades were used and the bottom of Dumbo’s feet are now pink.

The new attraction’s two spinners separated by about fifty feet rotate in opposite directions, so that those looking at the middle of the attraction will see elephants moving toward them on both sides of the walkway.

Timothy Q. Mouse, an iconic part of the original attraction, was moved to the entrance archway. “We cleaned him up and moved him over,” Imagineer creative director Chris Beatty said. “He’s such a neat ambassador.”

Timothy holds a representation of the magic feather seen in the film, rotates atop the sign, and bows toward each half of the attraction. The back of the sign reads “Believe & Soar!”

High in the play tent queue is a flying Dumbo and Timothy Mouse. The area includes a tall burning-building set as seen in the film — the climactic scene where the title character discovered he could fly.

Pull a cord near the fireworks display to set off a light show with strobes. Benches line the outer edge, providing rest for parents who have been given a ticket-themed pager to let them know when their group can board the ride.

A center ring, designed primarily for 2- to 3-year-olds, has interactive elements such as a little fire truck with horn, tap-touch lights and various cranks. Step on animal prints and it creates noises.

The Dumbo attraction inspired imitations at other amusement venues such as Bulwagi’s Flying Adventure at Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Florida; Amazing Flying Elephants at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee; and Elephant March at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.

*  *  *  *  *

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

In the meantime, check out his books, including his latest,  The Vault of Walt Volume 7: Christmas Edition, and his Secret Stories of Walt Disney World: Things You Never You Never Knew, which reprints much material first written for this site, all published by Theme Park Press.

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

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: APRIL 13 TO APRIL 21, 2019

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

For for more on April 2019 at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/13-4/21/19

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a to 11p 4/13, 9a-12MN 4/14, 8a to 12MN 4/15 through 4/20, and 9a-12MNp 4/21

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

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-8.30p every day

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9a-9.30p every day

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/13-4/21/19

Saturday 4/13 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 4/14  Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Monday 4/15 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Tuesday 4/16 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Wednesday 4/17 Morning:  none Evening: Magic Kingdom

Thursday 4/18 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 4/19 Morning:  Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Saturday 4/20 Morning: Animal Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 4/21 Morning:  Hollywood Studios  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/13-4/21/19

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 3p every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/13-4/21/19

Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom 9.15p every night

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9p every night

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8.30p every night

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9p every night

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom:  8.30 and 9.30p every night

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 4/13/-4/21/19

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

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

DISNEY WORLD CROWDS FROM LATER DECEMBER 2019 TO EARLY JANUARY 2020

Disney World sees its highest crowds and prices of the year in the later third of December and the beginning of January, in the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

This is for a pretty basic reason: kids are out of school then. However, not every school district has the same break schedule.

In 2019, as always, there’s more kids out the week between Christmas and New Year’s than before or after.

However, because of the Wednesday Christmas, there’s not a lot of kids out the week before Christmas week–fewer than we’ve seen some recent years.

Crowds will be massive by December 21, 2019, and will be at their worst between 12/24/2019 and 1/1/2020.

More schools are taking two week breaks over the holidays in the 2019-2020 school year, so the week after New Years in 2020 has many kids still on break. Thus I expect Disney World to be heavily crowded through January 5, 2020. [Read more →]