reddening's thread of DISNEY PARKS gossip

when I went in February it looked like a physical expansion of Fantasyland not a foreshortening -- ugh.

In a dozen trips since 2001 I STIlL haven't been to Animal Kingdom or the Lodge, despite hearing wonders about Jiko and its South African wine selection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVp-ycAefgQ

Is there a book for strange disney facts & history?

http://static.microcosmpublishing.com/catimages/image_1631_lg.jpg

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41dJ2tVrGrL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
browsing through amazon, maybe this is the one for me. this one's about epcot. i'm about to go to disney world so I don't want to read something too dark

Bah, I'm leaving for Disney World tonight and none of the bookstores have this book (Walt and the Promise of Progress City)

Here's a good one:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1029724.Mouse_Tales

From 1994. Goes into plenty of great detail.

Carl Hiassen's book has good anecdotes beneath the snark.

apologies in advance to whiney for this picture of community creator dan harmon wearing a turkey leg t-shirt at disneyland:

http://i47.tinypic.com/2mnf4ms.jpg

oh yeah and "cars land" opens today at DCA, everyone says it's amazing, w/e

have to admit that I was kind of bummed to miss it when I visited DCA back in March

yeah i'm seething with jealousy as i read twitter ppl's reactions to it. i don't care about the cars franchise at all but the rides + theming sound pretty top-notch.

well on his way into brian wilson territory I see

Every time I see this thread I think it says "The Reddening of Disney Parks"

comment section puritans aghast that beer and wine will be sold in wdw's magic kingdom (in one restaurant, only with dinner) starting this november.

also as an anaheim girl i haven't been paying attention to wdw news closely enough, this fantasyland re-do is way bigger than i realized. a second whole castle, well AREN'T we fancy

mitt romney is currently inside disneyland, nobody go to disneyland

http://i45.tinypic.com/2z86c15.jpg

i thought disney only associated itself with winners, bad PR move for them frankly

also i'm getting a little creeped out that mitt romney keeps popping up in environs that i frequent, next he'll be posting to twitter about how there's not enough emily/nolan time in this season's revenge

A http://www.fastcodesign.com/1671616/a-1-billion-project-to-remake-the-disney-world-experience-using-rfid#1 Billion Project To Remake The Disney World Experience, Using RFID

Animatronics will see a similar personalization, so the otherwise obtuse talking robots can specifically acknowledge the people standing in front of them.…

No, why that's not creepy at all!

My sister-in-law is taking her family there very soon and they will be doing the MagicBands. I'm curious to see how that goes for them.

http://aou.com.ua/images/arts/star-orto/2/640px-sid_toy_story.jpg

"That's right! I'm talking to you… Moodles!"

Yikes!

There's a fair chance that Disney can pull this off in a non-creepy way. The Kim Possible adventure that they had at Epcot is a good example of a more interactive experience that worked really well.

i might go to disneyland sometime in the next couple of months, for a day. should i?? i grew up with disney stuff and have tons of nostalgic attachment to 50s-60s disneyana. plus i like fun.

Ned goes often!

Definitely go s1ocki

My daughter did the interactive Phineas and Ferb quest and loved it. Basically a scavenger hunt with fake cell phones.

Anybody seen the new Fantasyland in WDW yet?

My sis, who visited with her family in November, said the line for the first restaurant serving alcohol in the MK was out the door.

still waiting to plan a trip with whiney

Basically a scavenger hunt with fake cell phones.

Sounds like this is the replacement for the Kim Possible one, which worked the same way.

My sis, who visited with her family in November, said the line for the first restaurant serving alcohol in the MK was out the door.

Considering dining plan and reservations months in advance seem to rule the restaurants, I'm surprised there was a line, unless they were all impulsive last-minute hopefuls. Wonder what they charge for a beer at Disney?

any tips for tix, trix, etc??

If you visit during a slow time of year (i.e. away from holidays) you should have no trouble making same-day reservations at hotel restaurants (which are better than park restaurants anyway).

s1ocki, figure out your budget. I can't stress that enough.

You absolutely need to book meals in advance if you want a sit down meal at a park.

My favorite ride at Disneyland is the Indiana Jones one, make sure to get a fast pass for it. Fast passes are very good to get in general.

ooh, good tip.

besides park admission, what are costs i should expect?

how do fast passes work - do i buy one with my pass, or are they available to all visitors?

Anyone with a park ticket qualifies. You stick your Key to the World (lol) into the FP machine and it dispenses a slip informing you when your turn is up.

We went (as a family, for the first time) at the tail end of September into October, which I guess is the statistically slowest time of the year for WDW. Best move we made, since lack of lines made things so much more enjoyable.

You can get apps that actually do a great job planning visits. It's say, say, enter the park, head straight to X ride, but on the way grab a fast pass for Y ride. Fast Pass is free, but you can only have one at a time. You get them at the entrance to the ride, and it gives you a time to return.

Also: best tip is to avoid eating at the park, where even the most rudimentary meal can set you back $$$. There are some great restaurants scattered around, though, so maybe set aside some money for a splurge or two. Animal Kingdom Lodge has some great, surprisingly authentic eats.

Also, getting to the parks early makes a big dif. Bunch of lazy butts don't waddle in until after lunch, when things get much more crowded. And btw, you will be amazed/bummed at how many people - couples, even - you'll see in motorized scooters.

Certain popular rides provide fast passes which allow you to quickly move to the front of the line during a specified one hour window. At the ride you will see a fast pass display that shows which hour window is currently available. There is a fast pass machine with a slot where you insert your park ticket to get your fast pass. Once you get a fast pass with your ticket, you will not be allowed to get another one until a specified time, so you need to plan carefully.

The hour interval for fast passes moves forward in 5 minute increments with only a certain amount of fast passes available for each interval on any given ride. For example, there will be a certain amount of passes available for 10 - 11 am, once those are gone there will be passes available for 10:05 - 11:05.

otm on all points. Also: if it's your first visit, arrive early, like Josh said, and plan to take a midday break if you're staying on property. It really makes a difference. Use the pool, nap, have a drink, etc.

A good place to get quickish snacks, treats, and light meals at Disneyland without reservations is the new Jolly Holiday Bakery, which is located at the end of Main Street

TOWER OF TERROR IS ESSENTIAL

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I went on Tower of Terror for the first time last April at California Adventure, and yes, it was pretty amazing. The whole attention to design on it was fantastic.

Also good to note: California Adventure has a bunch of Pixar Cars rides and attractions that recently opened.

so is Dan's favorite, the BLUE THERMONUCLEAR TINI

http://www.magicalrecipes.net/mrpages/images/fifties-prime-time-cafe/blue-glowtini.jpg.

Oh god I had the worst time on Tower of Terror. It was my own fault. TOTALLY my own fault. I hate that falling sensation more than anything. But I looked at the tower and I was like, eh it's not THAT tall and maybe this will be a good way to overcome my fear since I love the Twilight Zone and was really into the theme of the ride. WRONG. Oh god it was horrible, the way they made you fall over and over and over again...I screamed the whole time, like crying. Then I sat on a park bench afterwards catatonic like "bubububububbubu" Goldie Hawn in Overboard for like an hour. Again, totally my own fault. I should have stayed away.

but everyone else I know loves it so yes, highly recommended lol

haha that is the best recommendation ever

Expedition Everest rules.

great overboard reference haha

I just watched it the other weekend so it was fresh in my mind :)