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

A PREP & LANDING CHRISTMAS

By Jim Korkis

Once again this year, WDW guests can experience the nighttime event Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, some guests may be unaware of the origins of Santa’s elves, Wayne and Lanny, who are part of the Prep & Landing crew.

Walt Disney Animation Studios wanted to revive original seven minute shorts to precede Disney theatrical features and the first one was How to Hook Up Your Home Theater with an inept Goofy released in 2007.

Chris Williams, who worked in the story department, had pitched the initial idea of Prep & Landing as another installment of that program along with several other ideas. Not only did Chief Creative Officer of Disney Animation John Lasseter like the idea of a stealth group of Santa’s elves preparing the landing area for Santa like a crew on an aircraft carrier but he felt that instead of a short that it should be expanded to a half hour television Christmas special like the ones he remembered watching when he was younger.

“Chris Williams was the one who initially dreamed up the idea of this elite group of elves who each year help get houses ready for Santa’s arrival. And when Chris got too busy directing Bolt (2008) to do Prep and Landing, John Lasseter turned to Stevie (Wermers-Skelton) and I and asked if we’d be interested in developing Chris’s idea,” said co-writer and co-direct of Prep & Landing Kevin Deters.

“Chris had already created the characters of Lanny, the excited rookie, and Wayne, the jaded veteran. But that was just for the seven-minute-long short version of Prep & Landing. We were looking to tell a far bigger story with these characters. So we worked closely with John to expand our storyline, flesh out the world of the North Pole and these elves.”

The first Prep & Landing television half hour special was released in December 2009. It won several Annie and Emmy awards. It was followed by a seven minute short in 2010 called Operation: Secret Santa and by another half hour special in 2011. Prep & Landing: Naughty vs. Nice also garnered Annie and Emmy awards but failed to attract as large an audience as expected resulting in the cancellation of a third half hour special.

To help promote the new Naughty vs. Nice special, an eight page comic book (Mansion: Impossible!) story of Wayne and Lanny preparing Marvel’s The Avengers’ Mansion appeared as a back-up story in the “all ages” editions meant for younger readers of Marvel Adventures Avengers #19, Marvel Adventures Super-Heroes #20, and Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #20.

It was written by Deters and drawn by Joe Mateo, who had received an Emmy Award as a storyboard artist for his work on the first special and also storyboarded the second special as well.

The Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! holiday fireworks show began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2016 and has continued to run each year during the Christmas season festivities after that. Wayne and Lanny conduct a search-and-rescue mission to return Santa to the North Pole in time for Christmas. Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas film has kidnapped Santa Claus and Wayne and Lanny eventually rescue the Big Guy.

The show is a combination of state-of-the-art projections on the Chinese Theater along with lasers and lights, special effects (snow falling at the conclusion) and a fireworks finale which is the “BAM!”.

It also includes montage scenes from several Disney animated films including Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Beauty and the Beast, Pluto’s Christmas Tree, Bambi, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and many more as backdrop to various standard Christmas songs interspersed with brief segments of Wayne and Lanny trying to find and rescue Santa.

Wayne and Lanny have also made appearances in digital windows from 2011 – 2015 at Walt Disney World’s former Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, and in a specially animated two minute pre-show segment for Disney’s California Adventure night time water spectacular show World of Color during the holiday season from 2011-2013.

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Thanks, Jim! For more on Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM!, see this.

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: DECEMBER 22 TO DECEMBER 30, 2018

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

For more on December at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/22-12/30/18

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-12MN every day

Epcot will be open from 9a-9.30p 12/22, and 9a-10.30p 12/23 through 12/30

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-8p 12/22, and 9a-9p 12/23 through 12/3-

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9a-8p 12/22, 8a-1op 12/23 through 12/29, and 8a-11p 12/30

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/22-12/30/18

Saturday 12/22 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 12/23  Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Monday 12/24  Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Tuesday 12/25 Morning: Magic Kingdom Evening: Epcot

Wednesday 12/26 Morning:  Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Thursday 12/27 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Epcot Evening: none

Friday 12/28 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 12/29 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 12/30 Morning: Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios  Evening: Magic Kingdom

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/22-12/30/18

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: noon and 3.30p  every day

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/22-12/30/18

Holiday Wishes 10p 12/22 through 12/29; Fantasy in the Sky 6.30 and 11.50p 12/30

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9.30p 12/22; 10.30p 12/23 through 12/30

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p 12/22; 9p 12/23 through 12/30

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: not scheduled

Jingle Bell Jingle BAM at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:8.30p 12/22; 9.30p 12/23 through 12/30

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 6.15 and 7.30p 12/22; 6.15, 7.45 and 9.15p 12/23 through 12/29; 6.30, 8 and 9.30p 12/30

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/22-12/30/18

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

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EPCOT’S INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays is a holiday and Christmas celebration at Epcot, including decorations, dining, shows, and activities.

Renamed a few years ago from “Holidays Around the World,” the Festival of the Holidays keeps all of the former crowd-pleasing elements of Holidays Around the World and adds more dining options, making it parallel to other Epcot seasonal festivals.

In the past, the offering has run from the Friday after Thanksgiving until December 30. In 2018, for the first time, it had Thanksgiving as its first day. For 2019, it returns to the Friday after Thanksgiving opening and will be offered November 29 to December 30, 2019,

DECORATIONS AND CHRISTMAS TREES AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

As in all the Disney World parks, you’ll see holiday decorations in Epcot.

Future World does not lend itself to much in the way of traditional garlands and lighting, but you will find the Epcot Christmas Tree here.

World Showcase—especially the parts from the Western tradition—has much more, including this Christmas tree in the American pavilion…

…and more garlands and lights elsewhere in World Showcase; Italy is above;

Germany;

The UK.

THE HOLIDAY STORYTELLERS AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

At many World Showcase pavilions, you will find performers who depict the holiday traditions of the respective countries.

Check your Times Guide or park signage for when these shows occur.

There’s more on the Holiday Storytellers in Epcot’s Festival of the Holidays here.

THE HOLIDAY KITCHENS AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

New the last few years has been a greater emphasis on dining during this Christmas celebration.

A dozen minor venues typically offer a few tasting-menu sized savory and dessert offerings, along with pairings of wine, beer or other drinks.

My co-author Josh of easyWDW.com has posted reviews of each of these—see this, for example.

THE CANDLELIGHT PROCESSIONAL AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

The Candlelight Processional is a much-loved Disney World traditional that combines a massed choir with a re-telling of the nativity story by a celebrity narrator–for example–during the week of my 2018 visit, narrators included Whoopi Goldberg, Bart Millard, Blair Underwood, and Gary Sinise.

(c) easyWDW.com

The Candlelight Processional shows in the America Gardens Theater three times every night during the Festival of the Holidays, but can be hard to get a seat for unless you book a Candlelight Processional Dining package.

More on the Candlelight Processional at the Festival of the Holidays—and the package—is here.

ENTERTAINMENT AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

There’s more entertainment as well.

Some of the usual offerings take on a holiday flavor, as for example you’ll find in Canada.

There’s also a stage in World Showcase where you can hear “uplifting gospel, R&B, and holiday songs” a few times during the day—not worth a special trip, but give it a test if it’s about to happen when you are in the neighborhood.

THE HOLIDAY TAG TO EPCOT’S FIREWORKS AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

A temporary new show will replace Illuminations in 2019, while Disney does the infrastructure work to support a permanent new show that will come after that. I’d imagine it will have some holiday add as well.

TOPIARIES AND PLANTINGS AT EPCOT’S FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS

All over the park, you will also find lovely plantings and fun topiaries. Here’s some of my favorites:

For Disney World’s page on the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, see this.

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

PANDORA UTILITY SUIT

By Jim Korkis

Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has added a new interactive experience with the introduction of the Pandora Utility Suit.

This human powered suit helps demonstrate how technology is being used to restore the ecosystem on Pandora. The Pandora Utility Suit is inspired by the iconic Amplified Mobility Platform (AMP) suits of power armor from the original film, Avatar (2009).

The first military exoskeletons in the mid-21st century evolved into the Mitsubishi MK-6 Amplified Mobility Platform (or “AMP” suit) that could be used in different environments from arctic to jungle to desert. The human-operated multi-purpose mechanism amplifies strength and mobility while providing protection in toxic environments. It was designed to mimic the form of a human with two legs, two arms and dexterous hands.

In the original film, the suits were used primarily to defend the base and for patrol duties, but also appeared in the battle at the Tree of Souls scene and Colonel Quaritch’s final attack on Jake Sully.

The Pandora Utility Suit is the next evolution of the AMP suit, and was created to assist in the restoration of the environment. It has a streamlined design with no protective cockpit, unlike the AMP suit.

Its sleek structure and technical upgrades make it the perfect tool to collect plant samples, study flora and survive Pandora’s wild terrain. It protects its operator from Pandoran hazards while doing ecological research for the Resources Development Administration and its Pandora Conservation Initiative.

(c) Disney

Perched ten feet high, a human pilot straps into the cockpit of this exo-carrier and controls its powerful, yet agile movements. The giant walking suit was designed with articulated hands and a shoulder span of more than five feet. It also bears claw marks and battle scars from a Thanator – an alpha predator on Pandora that apparently attacked it.

The story of Pandora, like all the lands at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, is routed in the respect and preservation of nature. As the suit traverses the land daily, its pilot interacts with guests, sharing details about the land’s otherworldly landscape, and highlighting the importance of preserving nature.

The Pandora Utility Suit is another example of the collaboration between Disney Parks Live Entertainment, Michael Curry Design Inc. (that previously supplied the 120 towering puppets for Epcot’s Tapestry of Nations parade, and the puppets for DAK’s Finding Nemo – The Musical), WDI and Lightstorm Entertainment (Avatar director James Cameron’s film production company) that first brought Pandora – The World of Avatar to life at the park.

The suit made its official debut on April 22, 2018, the anniversary of the opening Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and appears twice daily, usually in the area outside Satu’li Canteen.

Show Producer for Disney Parks Entertainment Tony Giordano stated: “We knew when the land would be opening there would be some great opportunities for entertainment. Lightstorm suggested a suit that would fix the environment rather than the one in the film that destroyed the environment.

“They drew this amazing drawing of a scientist picking a piece of fruit out of the tree. Our partners at WDI looked at that drawing and made it into a reality. And then the Michael Curry Designs actually built the suit. The final product is a great partnership between those three groups.”

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Thanks, Jim! For more on the transformation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom, see this.

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: DECEMBER 15 TO DECEMBER 23, 2018

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

For more on December at Disney World, see this.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/15-12/23/18

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-12MN 12/15, 9a-6p 12/16, 9a-11p 12/17, 9a-6p 12/18, 9a-11p 12/19, 9a-6p 12/20 and 12/21, and 8a-12MN 12/12 and 12/23

Epcot will be open from 9a-9.30p 12/15 through 12/22, and 9a-10.30p 12/23

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-8p 12/15 through 12/22, and 9a-9p 12/23

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 9a-8p 12/15 through 12/22, and 8a-1op 12/23

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/15-12/23/18

Saturday 12/15 Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Sunday 12/16  Morning: Hollywood Studios Evening: none

Monday 12/17  Morning: Animal Kingdom Evening: none

Tuesday 12/18 Morning: none Evening: Epcot

Wednesday 12/19 Morning:  none Evening: Magic Kingdom

Thursday 12/20 Morning: Epcot Evening: none

Friday 12/21 Morning:  Magic Kingdom Evening: none

Saturday 12/22 Morning: Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

Sunday 12/23 Morning: Magic Kingdom  Evening: none

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/15-12/23/18

The Magic Kingdom: Afternoon parade: 11a and 2p 12/15; 2p 12/16 through 12/21; noon and 3.30p 12/22 and 12/23

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/15-12/23/18

Happily Every After at Magic Kingdom: 9p 12/15, 12/17, and 12/19; Holiday Wishes 10p 12/22 and 12/23

IllumiNations at Epcot: 9.30p 12/15 through 12/22; 10.30p 12/23

Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 8p 12/15 through 12/22; 9p 12/23

Star Wars Show and Fireworks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios: not scheduled

Jingle Bell Jingle BAM at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:8.30p 12/15 through 12/22; 9.30p 12/23

Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 6.15 and 7.30p 12/15 through 12/22; 6.15, 7.45 and 9.15p 12/23

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/15-12/23/18

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.

WILSON’S CAVE INN

By Jim Korkis

Interesting details at Walt Disney World are often hidden within plain sight and taken for granted by guests.

Only visible from a journey on the Liberty Square riverboat in Frontierland, along the north shore of Tom Sawyer Island is a hole-in-the wall labeled Wilson’s Cave Inn, meant to be reminiscent of the infamous Cave-In Rock on the shores of the Ohio River in southern Illinois.

That real 55-foot wide one-room cave was used as a meeting place for river pirates and staging area for raids on flatboats. Once pirates took over a flatboat, the best victims could hope for was being put ashore with no possessions and no way to know where they were. Other times, victims were killed and dumped in the river.

Cave-In Rock was used after the Revolutionary War as a haven for criminals who preyed upon travelers along the Ohio River. In the late 1700s, a fellow by the name of Jim Wilson stocked the cave with provisions and opened a business called Wilson’s Liquor Vault and House of Entertainment.

Unsuspecting travelers stopped there for food and drink and illicit activities like gambling and the company of women, and would find themselves robbed and often killed. Samuel Mason took over the criminal enterprise after Wilson, and renamed the location Cave-In Rock.

The illegal activities were at its peak from 1790 to around the 1870s. Imagineers blended both stories into Wilson’s Cave Inn for the Rivers of America, using the word “inn” to suggest a tavern. In the narration on board the Liberty Belle, Sam tells guests that Cutthroat Corner is the most likely place to find river pirates.

Shortly afterwards, raucous noises can be heard coming from the mouth of Wilson’s Cave Inn. Guests are then told that they should be safe from the pirates because based on the sounds coming out of the cave, “their interests lie elsewhere” implying wild women, drinking and gambling.

That story of the riverside venue might seem familiar because not only was it documented in an episode on the History Channel, but it was used in the movie How the West Was Won (1962).

Why it appears at Walt Disney World is that it was also the basis for the Disneyland television episode “Davy Crockett and the River Pirates” (1955) that was later released along with another television episode as a theatrical movie in 1956.

The Disney story included not only Sam Mason but the Harpe brothers, who took over the location as a base of operations after Mason. Of course, in real life, Davy Crockett would have been just a teenager when Mason and the Harpes were doing their dirty deeds.

Scenes from the show were actually filmed at the actual Cave-In-Rock location, which at the time had become part of a 200 acre Illinois state park. Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen can be seen approaching the entrance to cave just prior to the climactic battle.

As Davy Crockett and his companion Georgie Russell journey down the river on the keelboat commanded by Mike Fink, the men pick up a traveling minstrel, who unknown to them, is in league with local river bandits.

On their way to get horses from friendly Chickasaw tribesmen, Davy and Georgie are kidnapped by a group of Chickasaws because white men have been murdering members of their tribe. Crockett and Fink discover that the river pirates are masquerading as Native Americans as they loot passing freighters from a riverside cave.

The men find their way into the lair, and in the ensuing battle several kegs of gunpowder are exploded, sealing the cave. The victorious heroes escape safely with the captured villains.

Today Walt Disney World guests can enjoy not only a glimpse of vintage river history but also a tribute to Disney’s Davy Crockett.

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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!!