ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º THE VERY UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO WALT DISNEY WORLD º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ By Todd D. McCartney 1992 Edition Revision 92.4.3 Released: April 20, 1992 Next revision due out on May 20th. ÚÄ¿ ³C³opyright 1992 by Todd D. McCartney ÀÄÙ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³This book is dedicated to every child, in other words,³ ³ every single person young and old alike. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ INTRODUCTION ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Walter Elias Disney was always a dreamer. Walt wanted to create a place which would be as much fun for adults as for children. This refers to the quote "There is little adult in every child, but there is a lot of child in every adult." On July 17, 1955 Disneyland opened its doors in and became the "Happiest Place on Earth". Yet Walt wasn't satisfied, he realized he should have purchased more land. Walt soon went to work on it and purchased 27,500 acres (43 square miles) of land near Orlando, Florida. This piece of land was 150 times larger than that of Disneyland in California. Walt made this statement on his TV show: "Here in Florida, we have something special. There's enough land to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." Here, not only would a theme park be built but an entire resort complex with hotel and recreational facilities. Walt Disney never saw his Florida dream come true. He died in 1966 right after introducing his plans. His brother Roy took command of the company Walt had established. The creation of Disney World became the largest private construction project in the United States ever. Over 8,000 workers built the Vacation Kingdom. More than eight million cubic yards of earth had to be moved, swamps had to be drained, and canals and lakes had to be dug. On October 1, 1971 the Vacation Kingdom of Walt Disney World was opened to the public. Roy O. Disney used Walt's comment in his dedication speech: 'You can dream, design, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.' In one year the resort had attracted almost 11 million guests. Before his death, Walt even had ideas for other parks. His concept of the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT) was described as this: EPCOT will take its cue from the new ideas and new technologies that are now emerging from the creative centers of tomorrow that will never be completed, but will always be introducing and testing and demonstrating new materials and systems. And EPCOT will be a showcase to the world for the ingenuity and imagination of American free enterprise. When EPCOT has become a reality, it's our hope that it will stimulate American industry to develop new solutions that will meet the needs of people expressed right here in this experimental community. Walt wanted EPCOT to be a city that people could actually live in, and demonstrate the highest technology available. The city would have its inhabitants living around a central hub, or main building. Eleven years after the opening of Walt Disney World, Walt's greatest dream became a reality. On October 1, 1982 EPCOT Center was opened to the public. Although EPCOT Center was not as Walt envisioned, it is a showcase of technology and the world. Almost seven years later, the Disney/MGM Studios was opened on May 1, 1989. Now in 1991, the Vacation Kingdom is a young twenty years old, housing 3 theme parks, 2 water parks, 12 resorts, a night club type entertainment complex, a hotel complex, a shopping village plus a lot of magic, and much, much more. Two more resorts are being built now, a large addition to the Disney/MGM Studios and construction of the fourth theme park has begun, and many ideas have yet to be released to the public (See the 'IN THE FUTURE' section for more information on these topics). Walt Disney World is truly The Vacation Kingdom of the World. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ To the reader: This book actually started out as a letter to some friends in England. I heard they were going to visit Disney World and they wanted me to give them some information. Of course the original was much smaller (less than 4000 words (We are now over 11,500!)). I am also writing this book, if you can call it that, so that you, the reader, can get an idea of what Walt Disney World is about. I have been down there quite a few times and it is an incredible place. You should know (providing you read the introduction) that there are three main parks in Walt Disney World (With a fourth under construction!): The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and The Disney/MGM Studios. I'll describe each one and tell you about each attraction in each park. The time given after the description of a ride is the actual time for that ride. An asterisk (*) next to a description means the attraction is a personal favorite of mine. An "at" sign (@) next to it, it means it is a popular attraction to the general public, and you should ride it during parades, fireworks, right after the park opens or right before the park is about to close, if the lines are longer during peak hours. I have divided the book into nineteen main areas: When Should We Go?, Resorts, Contacting WDW and Making Reservations, Transportation, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, Disney/MGM Studios, Night Life, Dining, Shopping, Water Parks, Other Attractions, Basic Tips, In the Future, Maps (Gif form for IBM), Fun Facts, Famous Quotations from WDW, Special Thanks To, and Revision Information. Please feel free to make copies of it for friends, family, neighbors, pets (well, read it first, then paper train your puppy!) etc., but please don't add your own information. This is copyrighted material so if you have something to add, please write and tell me about it, and don't add to it or copy it. If you use this information for reports etc, I take no responsibility in the accuracy of the information provided. I will update this approximately every two months, and as I receive more information from Disney about new things going on down there. I get the magazine "Disney News" so I am updated on the newest things going on. Most of my writings are based on my opinion and a personal description of the ride. Any extra information such as bus schedules, statistical data, etc., that I needed please refer to the bibliography section. After my physics teacher read over my book he mentioned that I was missing one important item: information for the Handicapped. I never even thought of it, sorry to say. WDW is VERY well adapted for wheelchair use. Wheelchairs can be rented at the following locations inside the parks: (Magic Kingdom: right after you walk through the main gate there is a place to rent them. EPCOT: To the left of Spaceship Earth, after you walk through the main gate. MGM: To the right of the main gates, inside the gas station.) Blind people can rent a audio cassette player and a tape with a description of the park. I believe these can be rented at the same locations (I'll find out definitely for the next release). Almost any attraction in the entire resort complex is well outfitted to accommodate wheelchairs. I will update and expand this area in the next release. If you feel like making a comment, see an error, get a sudden urge to send me some money so I can go to WDW again, or just want to thank me, you can do so by writing to me at: Or call PC-Exec BBS at Todd D. McCartney 300-2400 (414)789-4210 21 South Auten Ave. 9600 Dual Standard (414)789-4315 Somerville NJ 08876 24hrs, 250+ lines!, 15 gigs! USA Send mail to Todd McCartney THE LARGEST NATIONAL BBS SUPPORTING ALL COMPUTERS!! I hope to hear from you, I love getting mail and I would like to know what you think of this. Please write!! I need ideas! Well, I hope that this book gives you a good idea of the Vacation Kingdom of the World. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³NOTE: I will refer to AA many times throughout this book. This ³ ³stands for "Audio-Animatronics". Audio-Animatronics is the use ³ ³of computerized moving mannequins, and it is used in most of the³ ³Disney attractions. The mannequins are quite realistic and ³ ³their movements are incredibly lifelike. ³ ÃÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ´ ³ Also from now on, anytime you see WDW it means Walt Disney ³ ³ World and anytime you see TTC it refers to the Ticket and ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ Transportation Center.ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART I ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ WHEN SHOULD WE GO? ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ One of the most challenging questions for any vacation is deciding when to go. The one thing about Walt Disney World is that it is never closed so you don't have to worry about that. Personally I feel that October is the best month. The temperature is mild and all the kids are back in school and the crowds are much smaller. Taking the kids out of school for a week should not be too much of a problem, but just make sure they get their homework done BEFORE you leave, (especially high school students (being one myself I know.) because once you get down there, they won't be able to find any time to do it. The only problem with October is that the parks usually close earlier (8 to 9pm), rather than staying open to midnight as in the summer. The drawback from the parks closing early is that certain parades and fireworks may or may not be presented. Call Disney for information on parades and fireworks. I found August to be VERY hot and crowded. If you do like waiting in 1-2hr lines in 90-100 degree weather go in August. Stay away from Christmas, New Years, President's week etc. They will be the most crowded. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART II ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ RESORTS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ There are 12 main resorts in the Vacation Kingdom, each with its own theme. I will explain each one and give you an idea of the prices. No matter where you stay in WDW there is excellent transportation. However, the first three resorts are by far the most convenient because of connections to the monorail lines. Personally I feel you should rent a car no matter what resort you are staying at. The car will come in handy when you want to go to parks outside Disney property, or go shopping at the Disney Marketplace, etc. The Polynesian Village Resort - You are transported to the South Seas when you stay here. Torches illuminate the walkways at night, and tropical plants abound. Traditional Polynesian architecture can be found here along with two pools (one with a slide built into a "lava mountain" with a waterfall). This resort is a personal favorite of mine. The white sand beaches are an incredible romantic setting. The restaurants here have seafood on the menu with a twist of Polynesian style cooking. (GREAT FOOD!!) Not all of the food is Polynesian style, most of it is American. Moderately Priced. Boat rental. By far one of the most if not "the" most convenient resort in WDW. MONORAIL SERVICE The Grand Floridian Beach Resort - Jump back to the turn of the century in this awe inspiring resort. A Big Band plays music every night in the incredible main building. This resort has an 8,000 square foot swimming pool, a health club and more. A perfect setting for a honeymoon, very romantic honeymoon suites overlooking the lagoon. Very good Italian restaurant, also this resort has a VERY posh restaurant and a buffet. Moderate to Very High prices. Boat rental, tennis and more. MONORAIL SERVICE The Contemporary Resort - This A-Frame building has Monorails gliding swiftly in and out of it all day. WDW's largest arcade can be found here with the latest in arcade technology. Many places to eat and drink are here along with a dinner show at the top of the building. If you like tall buildings and walking out your hotel room door to a hallway overlooking up to 14 stories this is for you! Not a personal favorite, but it has great places to eat, shop and excellent recreational facilities. Good all you can eat buffet, a great dinner show on the 15th floor, and nice lounges. Moderately Priced. Boat rental, tennis, and more. MONORAIL SERVICE The Caribbean Beach Resort - Very affordable resort with a twist of the Caribbean. Steel drums are heard in Port Royale, the main building. An incredible pool is here; part of it shaped like a fort with cannons that actually fire little bursts of water. Very Low priced (Highest is approx. $95 per night). For this resort I recommend a rental car since it is quite a distance from most of the parks. Unfortunately the only place to get food at this resort is at Port Royale; pizza, and food court style food. No "sit down" restaurants. Bike, boat, etc. rental. Low Priced: As low as $95 per night. Dixie-Landings Resort - This resort takes on the theme of the time when paddlewheel boats cruised the Mississippi. Nature surrounds the resort, complete with ponds and natural shrubbery. You can stay in two types of buildings: three story plantation homes, or two story bayou buildings. Bayou Bill's Cafe serves up the cuisine, and a large food court accompanies it. Moderately Priced. The Yacht and Beach Club Resorts -Two separate resorts but right next to each other and both with the same theme. These resorts look like New England seaside resorts from the late 1880's. Features of the resorts include sand bottom pools, snorkeling, croquet lawn, and more. Indoor clambakes, and five other restaurants are here. Boat service to EPCOT Center is available. Moderate to High Priced. Port Orleans Resort - Just open, this resort looks just like New Orleans. Eat at Cafe Bonfamiles and listen to the jazz, or relax in the Mardi-Gras pool where the tongue of a dragon is the slide! Sit down restaurant, and food court style eating. Spas, marketplace dining, and cobblestone streets are also found here. Low Priced. (Approximately the same price as the Caribbean Beach Resort.) The Disney Inn - This resort is tucked away in the northwest corner of WDW. It is situated between two PGA tour championship golf courses, The Magnolia and the Palm. Swimming pools, tennis courts, and heath spas are all here. A nice restaurant that serves a good meal and most people skip is here. This resort has recently been remodeled, and a Snow White theme has been added. Moderately priced. Disney Village Resort Villas - Many different types of townhouses can be yours for the duration of your stay. The famous Treehouse Villas are set in the woods and offer privacy. Other villas include One-and-Two Bedroom Villas (formally the Vacation Villas), Club suites (formally the Club Lake Villas), Two-Bedroom Villas (formally the Fairway Villas), and the Grand Vista Suites. Most villas are set on lakes or in the woods, and all of them are near golf courses. I recommend a car since most of these villas are quite a distance from the theme parks. Most villas have washing machines and dryers, along with full kitchens. Some sleep up to eight people. Great for large families. A rental car is a must. Moderately Priced. Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground - Are you driving your RV to WDW? If so you might consider staying here. Hook up your RV to full service, or stay in one of the permanent trailers with full service also. Canoeing, campfires, biking, and fishing make this resort for those who love the great outdoors. Nightly campfires and marshmallow roasts, and daily canoe excursions are also here for those who love the outdoors. Moderately priced. The Dolphin and the Swan - Both hotels (Both near the Yacht and Beach clubs) were built by Disney but are run by separate companies. The Swan is operated by Westin and The Dolphin is operated by Sheraton. These are upscale hotels with conference halls for big conventions. A 6,500 square foot convention center is here along with a 505 seat theater. Boat service to EPCOT Center is available. High Priced. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART III ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Contacting WDW & Making Reservations ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Contacting WDW is quite easy and they do their best to make the reservation process as easy as possible. Call the number: 1-407-W-DISNEY 1-407-934-7639 This number will connect you to central reservation and information line. Don't be discouraged if the phone isn't answered right away. Disney realizes that it is not a toll-free number so a computer puts the calls in order and lets the phone ring instead of picking up and having you pay for the toll call. Be expected to let it ring 5-10 minutes. There are many plans that one can obtain to go to Disney World. For first time travelers I recommend that you go through your local travel agent. Let them handle the rates, airline tickets etc, but you should pick out where you want to stay etc. Disney has so many packages its hard to find one that doesn't fit your lifestyle. Most can be customised to fit your needs. The most expensive is called the "World Adventure Plan". With this plan everything is paid for in advance (I mean everything!!). In 1989 I went down there on this plan. There were 8 of us and without airfare it was $10,000 for 10 days. It sounds expensive but here is what is included in that price: All meals, breakfast lunch & dinner (You can order ANYTHING you want! (Lobster tails everynight if you want!)); Admission to all three theme parks for 10 days; Admission to Pleasure Island, Typhoon Lagoon, River Country, Discovery Island etc. for 10 days; All boat, golf, fishing, etc. rentals for 10 days; Unlimited transportation; VIP service (I mean it too!); Gratuity on all meals; and a whole lot of fun!! The only items excluded are: souvenirs, snacks purchased at a stand, alcohol, sundries, etc. It is worth it if: You are very active and WILL rent boats, golf equipment etc.; Your party EATS A LOT!!; and you have the money to burn! THIS SECTION WILL BE EXPANDED IN FUTURE RELEASES ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART IV ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Transportation ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Getting to WDW from Orlando International Airport is quite easy. However, there is a lot of construction at the airport, which confuses the heck out of anyone driving a rental car in some place they are unfamiliar with. Of course the airport shuttles zooming by at MACH 2.3 really don't help, but that's another story. After you have claimed you luggage, (provided they have not been shipped off to Antarctica or something like that) grab a sky-cap (not literally) and go down stairs to the rental car counters. After you get your car drive through the parking garage slowly, stop signs seem to pop out of nowhere. Be careful merging into the MACH 2.3 traffic on the road that goes around the airport. Follow the signs for Airport Exit, it's not as easy as it seems, somehow you are in the right lane and the next sign tells you to go into the left! After you have exited the airport, follow the signs for the Bee-Line Expressway WEST (don't go east like we did!). The turn off comes very quick after exiting the airport. WARNING: The Bee-Line Expressway is a Toll road. Bring quarters with you!! The tolls to Disney World amount to approx. $1.25. (yes $1.25 to go about 10 miles.) Look for the signs for Interstate 4 and exits for Walt Disney World resort. If you are going to the following resorts take the EPCOT Center exit: (Polynesian, Contemporary, Grand Floridian, Disney Inn, or the Magic Kingdom). Then follow the signs for The Magic Kingdom exit. This is faster and shorter than going the "correct" way. Otherwise follow the other signs. The signs on Walt Disney World property are very plentiful, and it is hard to get lost. Just follow the signs, It might look like you are out in the middle of nowhere, but you'll get there. Keep in mind, Disney property is the size of Manhattan! There are plenty of buses running to every theme park and resort. The best way to get around WDW has to be the Monorail system. Here are the stops for each monorail: Resort Monorail: TTC, Polynesian Resort, Grand Floridian Resort, The Magic Kingdom, and the Contemporary Resort. Magic Kingdom Monorail: TTC, and The Magic Kingdom. EPCOT Center Monorail: TTC, and EPCOT Center. The best way to get from EPCOT to The Magic Kingdom and back is via Monorail. Get on the monorail at EPCOT center and then get off at the next stop. This will be the TTC. From here you have two options: you can board the ferry and float across the lake or take another monorail. There are two choices for the 2nd monorail: the Resort monorail or the Magic Kingdom monorail. The Resort monorail will have short or no lines. You can only take this monorail if you are staying in a Disney owned resort. If you are staying at a Disney hotel use your Resort ID card to board the resort monorail. The cards are printed by computer with your name, resort, and room number (Sometimes stamped with FOR TRANSPORTATION ONLY). Your best bet to get to MGM Studios from your Disney Resort is via bus or by driving if you have a rental car. However, you are now able to take a boat from EPCOT, The Swan, The Dolphin, The Yacht Club, or The Beach Club to MGM. All buses running in WDW are color coded so you can easily spot which bus you should take. Here is a list of the colors and their stops. WARNING THIS SECTION ON BUS SCHEDULES IS NOT UP TO DATE! FUTURE VERSIONS WILL HAVE UPDATED INFORMATION. Green Flag - Disney Inn, Polynesian Village, TTC. Red Flag - TTC, EPCOT Center, The Disney Marketplace. Blue Flag - Fort Wilderness Resort, TTC. Green/Gold "EC V" Flag - All Villas, EPCOT Center, Lake Buena Vista Club, Disney Marketplace. Green/Gold "MK" Flag - All Villas, TTC. Blue/White Flag - Hotel Plaza hotels, Disney Marketplace. Gold Flag - TTC, Contemporary Resort. THIS SECTION WILL BE EXPANDED IN FUTURE RELEASES ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART V ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ THE MAGIC KINGDOM ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ The Magic Kingdom is divided into seven major "lands": Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Mickey's Starland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. I'll describe each one and tell you the attractions that are in that land. -MAIN STREET USA- This is where you might do most of your shopping. The street is lined with shops and places to eat. There are a few attractions here: The Walt Disney World Railroad, which I recommend riding when you are tired of walking and need a break; an arcade with vintage arcade games; and the movie "The Walt Disney Story," which tells the story of the Man behind the Mouse. If you do ride the railroad, ride it around the entire park, there are a lot of sights to see. The ride contains some AA. Part of the Railroad might be closed at times due to construction in the park. The buildings are built with turn of the century architecture. Stop and have an ice cream cone and listen to the piano player play tunes, or cool off on a horse drawn trolley. -TOMORROWLAND- This is a 1950's view of tomorrow which contains some popular attractions. There are also shops and places to eat here too. @ * Space Mountain - A thrilling roller coaster ride in the dark. This ride is tame, but still not for the weak at heart. I have ridden it 3-4 times and I enjoyed it. This ride is accompanied by long lines. Ride it just prior to park closing, or right after the park opens. Don't miss it if you like roller coasters!!! 2 minute 38 second ride. * Carousel of Progress - A neat entertaining ride with a catchy song (you will be singing it after the ride!). This ride does not have long lines. It traces one family's progress through two centuries. Go on this ride if you are tired and hot. 22 minutes long. This ride contains a lot of AA, and a rotating theater!! * Dream Flight - A cute ride about the history of flight. Very short, but entertaining, usually accompanied by short lines. 4 1/2 minutes long. Large screens overhead simulate landings, take offs etc. Some AA, 2-D cut outs and "popup" book scenes. Mission to Mars - Outdated "simulator" (if you can call it that) where you "fly" to Mars. The theater has some neat effects (seats moving during launch, etc.) yet it is not very exciting. However, it is a good place to cool off. Small amount of AA. Take note of how everything is outdated in this attraction. Be sure to give a nod to Mr. Johnson at the "preflight" briefing -- he has an incredible likeness to the father in Carousel of Progress. * American Journeys - 360 degree circle vision film (the screen surrounds you!) about America. Enjoyable and good sights of the USA. 21 minutes long. @ Grand Prix Raceway - A fun ride if you like don't mind long lines. You drive a miniature gasoline powered car around a 2,260 foot track at a blazing 7mph!! Small children under a certain height are not allowed to drive. Approximately 4 minutes long. A great ride for kids to "drive" a car. @ Star Jets - A simple rule for this ride is: Skip it! Not very exciting and there is usually a 1/2 hour or more wait. It is no more than those carnival rides with the hydraulic arms that lift the "spaceships" off the ground. Very similar to Dumbo the Flying Elephant in Fantasyland. * WEDWAY People Mover - A fun and relaxing ride on monorail like trains. They ride above Tomorrowland and go into other rides. If you have any doubts about riding Space Mountain, ride this first as it will take you into Space Mountain and you will be able to see what it is like. The people mover uses electromagnets for pollution free power. -ADVENTURELAND- This land has some of the best rides in the Magic Kingdom, including some shops where you can buy unusual souvenirs (pirate hats, pirate cap guns, rubber spiders, etc.). The buildings are of Caribbean and Polynesian style. Here you also can have your picture taken as a pirate! The Enchanted Tiki Birds - An interesting but tame attraction in which AA birds serenade the audience with quite a few songs which will leave you smiling. (Yet don't go in it twice, you will get bored with it (at least I did!)). * Pirates of the Caribbean - Probably the best AA attraction in the Magic Kingdom. This is a boat ride that takes you along on a pirates' raid on a Caribbean island. A truly amazing ride that will leave you singing the theme song. There is a small log flume drop in the beginning, but nothing to be scared about. It is a truly a great ride! Don't miss it! When you are about to go on this ride, go into the LEFT line. It is ALWAYS shorter. (See Basic Tips section) @ * Jungle Cruise - This is a good 10 minute boat ride where you ride through the African jungle along with your witty boat captain. Encountered along the way are an Elephant bathing area, hippos, gorillas, snakes, large waterfalls, and more. An enjoyable and entertaining ride, loaded with AA. Kids love this ride! Beware, the waiting lines are longer than they look. Go just before the park closes, or right after it opens. Swiss Family Treehouse - This outdoor attraction is a recreation of the treehouse from the Swiss Family Robinson Disney Movie. Climbing stairs is involved here, so those who hate stairs beware. Despite the stairs, the tree (which is artificial) has many interesting inventions that the family devised. This attraction closes at dusk. -FRONTIERLAND- This land takes a look at the Old West of the USA. Many of the attractions are fun and enjoyable. Shops and places to eat can also be found here. * Country Bear Vacation Hoedown - A great show where AA bears sing about their vacation. The songs have funny lyrics, and the show is altogether fun and entertaining. Don't be discouraged by long lines, they move all at once when the show lets out. Be sure to give a nod to the AA moose, deer and buffalo on your way out. Tom Sawyer Island - Here kids can experience a playground with barrel bridges, Ft. Sam Clemens, and more. Food and restrooms are available on the island. Adults, relax and get a bite to eat while the kids play. * Splash Mountain - (OPENING FALL 1992) This is the same ride as the one in Disneyland in CA. It follows the adventures of Brer Rabbit and his friends from the Disney movie Song of the South. At the end you are treated to the a 45 degree log flume drop down Chickapin Hill!! 9 minutes long. * Walt Disney World Railroad - Here is another place where you can get on the railroad. WARNING: AT THE START OF CONSTRUCTION ON SPLASH MOUNTAIN, THE FRONTIERLAND STATION WAS DEMOLISHED. I HAVE NO INFORMATION IF A NEW STATION WILL BE REBUILT. THERE IS NO RAILROAD SERVICE TO FRONTIERLAND AT THE MOMENT. @ * Big Thunder Mountain Railroad - This is another great roller coaster. It's a lot of fun, but again it's not for the weak at heart. If you are unsure walk up to the exit of the ride, where you can see the "runaway" mine trains going around the track. Go on this ride during the parades, fireworks, or at the end or beginning of the day. It is a very popular ride. There are terrific sights inside the "caves" where the train goes. If you are still shaky about whether or not to go on it, try the ride at night, when it becomes much tamer than it is during the day. Just a note of warning: The worst drop on the ride is after the 3rd hill (the hill is the thing that brings you to the top (real noisy)), after a sweeping left turn the train will straighten out, and then all of a sudden, down you go!! -LIBERTY SQUARE- This land represents colonial USA. There are some neat shops here along with a 130 year old oak tree. Shops and places to eat are also here. The Hall of Presidents - Not a thrilling attraction. The show takes place in a theater and it is quite boring for the most part. The show starts with a film describing how important the Constitution is to Americans. The good part of the show is the roll call of all 41 presidents of the United States (Including George Bush). The AA figures are incredibly lifelike. Then Abraham Lincoln stands up and talks. Not incredibly thrilling, but a good place to cool off. Not for kids under 10, as it will bore them to death (unless they really fully understand what the Constitution is and what it means to us as Americans). Liberty Square Riverboat - This is a neat ride on a recreated Mississippi Riverboat. It has some great scenery including "injuns", a cabin fire, and more. It's a nice way to relax for 20 minutes on the rivers of America and see Huck Finn country. * Haunted Mansion - This is not as scary as it sounds; in fact, it is actually quite humorous. During your journey through the house you meet up with 999 happy haunts. The lines are usually short and it is worthwhile to ride it. Contains AA. Lots of fun! Small children might be scared however. -MICKEY'S PARTYLAND- This used to be Mickey's Birthdayland, but it was changed when Mickey's party was over. It is now called Mickey's Starland but overall it is still geared toward very young kids as it was before. Petting Zoo - Pet the farm animals. See Minnie Moo, the cow with the Mickey Mouse ears on its side. Mickey's house - Take a look at this (it's pretty cute). + Other Items, such as meet the characters from The Disney afternoon etc. (In the back.) Duckburg U.S.A. - A recreation of Uncle Scrooge's town. * Walt Disney World Railroad - Yet another place to grab the train. -FANTASYLAND- This is where you will find most of the smaller kids and their parents on the rides. Most of the rides here are simple and short, yet interesting and fun. Shops and places to eat are also here. * Magic Journeys - A 3-D 20 minute film with INCREDIBLE 3- dimensional effects where the objects come right out of the screen and in front of your face!!! Don't miss it. It does not have long lines and you get to see a 3-D Donald Duck cartoon before the actual film. The only Disney cartoon ever made in 3-D: Working for Peanuts. And it's Air- Conditioned!!! Skyway to Tomorrowland - This is your typical skyway cable ride. If you don't feel like walking to Tomorrowland then take this. The lines are usually shorter at Tomorrowland. By taking this ride you get so see some of the not so impressive sights of WDW, such as the rooftops etc. This attraction closes when the wind starts blowing hard, or a Florida storm is brewing. * It's a Small World - Don't miss it!! A very cute and entertaining boat ride where dolls from all over the world sing a song that you will never forget. In fact, you'll probably be singing it for weeks! Includes AA. A relaxing and cooling ride. This ride came from the 1964 World's Fair in New York. Snow White's Scary Adventures - Don't be misled my the name of the ride. It's a cute ride, nothing spectacular. A witch keeps popping out at you and trying to "scare" you. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - Actually it's not that wild but it's geared for kids. It always looks like you are going to crash into something during this ride, but that's part of the fun. Peter Pan's Flight - A cute ride about Peter Pan, where you fly around the ride looking down on a city, Captain hook, etc. Includes AA. @ * 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - A submarine ride based on the movie where you will "descend" under the sea and see sharks, the lost city of Atlantis, serpents, and more (all artificial). The effects on this ride are not that incredible, but it is a neat ride. WATCH OUT, the lines for this ride are LONG!! * Cinderella's Castle - Not really an attraction, but it's a great background for pictures. Inside there is a 6-7 panel mosaic with gold that depicts the story of Cinderella. It also houses the restaurant King Stephens Banquet Hall. Mad Tea Party - Spin yourself dizzy in those famous teacups. You don't have to go fast if you don't want to. This ride is nothing exciting, but if you want to go on it you must fight with crowds. It is surprisingly popular. Golden Carousel - Your typical carousel. Originally from Olympic Park in New Jersey. Restored to an incredibly dazzling condition. Take note, everyone gets to ride a white horse on this carousel. Dumbo, the Flying Elephant - Just like the StarJets in Tomorowland (including the long lines). ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ EXTRA SHOWS IN THE MAGIC KINGDOM Check the information centers for EXACT times. After you see the shows once, take advantage of the crowds not trying to get on the rides. Most of the waiting times for most rides are cut more than 80% during parades and fireworks. Daily Parade - Usually around 3pm. See it once and then take advantage of it on your next visit to the park. The 20th anniversary parade has huge cold air balloons of famous Disney characters and more. SPECTRO-MAGIC - This new show replaces the old Main Street Electrical Parade which is being sent to Euro-Disneyland. This parade uses fiber-optic, prismatic holographic, and electro-luminescent technologies. Clouds of underlit liquid nitrogen accompany the good old twinkle lights. Truly an incredible parade with great music and super effects. DON'T MISS IT. (The parade might not be running during the 'off' season. Check information centers for info.) Fireworks - 10pm. Don't worry about this, as you can see it from anywhere in the park. The Grand Floridian resort, The Polynesian Resort, and the Contemporary Resort are all good places to watch the fireworks. Personally I enjoy the Polynesian, grab a chair on the beach and look straight across the lagoon. There are only fireworks when the Magic Kingdom is open after 10pm. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART VI ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ EPCOT CENTER ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ EPCOT (Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) Center is divided into two major areas: Future World and World Showcase. In each of the two areas are pavilions about certain topics and countries. NOTE: Most of the rides in EPCOT Center use a continuous train, so people are always getting on them and the lines move quickly. The majority of the rides in Future World can be ridden during midday with average waiting times, however if you don't want to wait, go on the rides during Illuminations (the Laser Light show), or stay until the park closes; the lines get shorter about 2 hours before closing. -FUTURE WORLD- Future world has 8 main pavilions, each with its own theme. Some pavilions have attractions within them. * Spaceship Earth - This ride (which is actually inside the big silver sphere!!) traces the history of communication and is one of the best rides in EPCOT. DON'T MISS IT!! TONS OF AA!! See all sorts of sights such as the Sistine ceiling, Rome after it fell, King Tut, the telegraph, television, today's technology and the technology of Tomorrow's Child. The climax is when you reach the top of the geo- sphere and encounter a breathtaking view of the stars. This is by far one of the most incredible planetariums I have seen. Then you descend and listen to the song Tomorrow's Child. Narrated by Walter Cronkite. DON'T MISS THIS RIDE!! * The Living Seas - This attraction is a walk through as well as a ride. First there is a brief preview, then you see a very good movie about the oceans. After that you descend in a "Hydrolator" to Sea Base Alpha and ride through part of the coral reef environment. After that you are free to walk around Sea Base Alpha and try on a diving suit, see the manatee, learn about all sorts of marine life, and more. It's a lot of fun. Much can be learned here about the undersea world. * The Land - This pavilion actually has 3 attractions in it! * Listen to the Land - This is a boat ride through the gardens of EPCOT, ecosystems, and future agriculture. See lettuce growing in styrofoam, plants hanging in midair, bananas growing next to rice right next to cacao. Most of the food grown here is served in WDW restaurants. Some AA. Excellent * Kitchen Kabaret - This theater show explains the 4 basic food groups in a comical way. Bread, Ham, Eggs, Milk and others sing to you about health with your AA host Bonnie Appetite. A lot of AA. Symbiosis - A 19 minute film about agriculture and farming. Not my favorite, yet informative. Also in this pavilion are two places to eat: a rotating sit-down restaurant and a marketplace type food court. * Journey Into Imagination - 3 attractions * Journey Into Imagination Ride - A ride about the imagination, with AA figures. When you see a white light flashing ahead in the ride, smile!! Your picture will be taken and shown at the end of the ride. Ride with Dreamfinder and his helper Figment (a purple childish dragon) through the imagination. * The Image Works - A futuristic playground where you can conduct an orchestra, star in a movie, play with sounds, lasers, pinboards, sound effects, bubbles, a neon tunnel and more. *** Captain EO - Another 3-D movie that is absolutely incredible!!! DON'T MISS IT!!! Lasers shoot throughout the theater along with lights. A INCREDIBLE movie. (18 minutes) There is a pre-show about taking pictures, which is good. The movie stars Michael Jackson. And he and his puppet friends must turn an ugly empress into a beautiful princess through music. * World of Motion - 2 attractions * World of Motion Ride - This shows man's progress in his quest for transportation. A lot of AA make this ride really good. Don't miss it. It's worth it. A great ride!!! See the wheel being invented, a train being held up, a "small" automobile accident, planes from the Golden Age of aviation, and the future of transportation. Transcenter - Here you can see the cars and transportation of the future. Actual working prototype cars are on display here, along with the Geo Tracker Boom Box Truck. You can also look at and sit in the newest GM models. * Horizons - This ride looks at 3 aspects of the future: Desert, Space and Sea. This ride has lots of AA and is one not to be missed! At the end of the ride you can choose which way you want it to end. There are also two three story movie screens which make you feel like you are flying. See the future of desert farming, undersea habitation, and space colonization. Don't miss it!! * Wonders of Life - 3 Main Attractions. * Body Wars - A flight simulator ride through the human body. Here you are "shrunk" down really small and you are injected into the human body. When an emergency occurs however, your tour becomes more than just for sightseeing. The entire 40 seat theater bucks and pivots to the movie. Very good but too short. * Cranium Command - You look through the head of a 12 year old boy and see his thought processes. Includes such stars as Bobcat Goldwaith, Hans & Frans from SNL, and a cute story line. Try not to miss it. It is worth a few laughs. Includes AA. The Making of Me - Dramatic micro-photogrophy explains the reproduction cycle from fertilization to birth. This attraction had the longest wait in all of Disney World. Some people may not want their children to see such material. A sign explains what this attraction is about. It is up to your discretion to see it or not. * Universe of Energy - This ride, which is interesting to those who want to learn, is about energy. It has one great part where you travel back millions of years to the time of the dinosaurs and see them (They are AA). Very informative look at the diminishing supply of energy on the planet earth. The entire theater in this attraction actually moves!! The solar cells on the roof of the building provide the power. There are 2 other small pavilions: Communicore East and West - These smaller pavilions have computers and other electronic gadgets to play with, as well as places to eat and shop. Communicore East also hosts Backstage Magic. This is a look at the computers that run EPCOT Center. SPACE PAVILION - ONLY IN PLANNING STAGES, MAY NO BECOME A REALITY -WORLD SHOWCASE- World Showcase depicts 11 countries from around the world. Some of them have attractions; others do not. They all have restaurants where you can sample authentic food from that country. The people who work in these pavilions are from the countries that they represent. Each pavilion has shops where you can buy authentic merchandise from that country. The countries are listed in a counter clockwise direction around the EPCOT Lagoon (Except for Russia). Canada - This country is depicted by a 360 degree Circle Vision film, two shops and a cafeteria style restaurant called Le Cellier. The movie, named O' Canada, displays the life of the people in Canada. Some of the most impressive sights are in this film; skiing down slopes, the Cathedral of Notre Dame, ice hockey, and part of the Canadian air force, all in 360 degrees! The castle like building in this pavilion was styled after Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. The two shops offer authentic French-Canadian gifts and souvenirs. See ya en Canada, eh? * United Kingdom - This pavilion recreates an English town; complete with a tea shop and a pub. The Rose and Crown Pub offers traditional English cooking, I recommend the seafood medley (broiled scallops, shrimp and muscles) as an appetizer and the Fish N' Chips with malt vinegar for the main course. The lamb chops are also very good. The Pub also offers many other dishes, dark beer, and ale. The shops include The Toy Soldier (toy shop), tea shop, and... A few times a day the English Players present a hilarious street play based in Shakespear's time. This play would not be complete with out the help from the audience though! Have a jolly good time old chap!! France - A miniature Eiffel Tower sets the mood for France. A few restaurants offer up the traditional French cuisine complete with escargot and crepes. To cool off go inside and see the movie. A very elegant theatre (complete with a crystal chandelier and velvet curtins) depicts France on a 180 degree screen. The film is very well done. Other shops are here where you can purchase all sorts of French merchandise. Bon Appetite! Morocco - Well, you can get all sorts of strange things here. I never spent much time here, but you can get a fez! Japan - Good food, & shops where you can buy fans and stuff. If you are in the courtyard area of the pavilion, keep your eye out for the man who sculpts candy. I am not kidding either, it's pretty neat. Nice Japanese gardens and the Emperor's Palace. Soyonara! * U.S.A. - Here you can get the traditional hot dog and soda. But you must see the American Adventure. This 29 minute presentation shows the most important parts of the history of the U.S. in a unique way AND remember, none of the people on stage are real!!! They are all AA. Don't miss this one. See ya later! Italy - Food and shops. No real attractions, Italian statues spot the courtyard. Good Italian food. Germany - Here you can get German beer, and German Food. A cart with German lead crystal has some crystal key chains for sale along with other items. China - This country has a 360 degree circle vision film which is very good. The fast food area has the best egg rolls I have ever had. @ * Norway - DON'T MISS the ride Maelstrom at this pavilion!! It is a ride in a Viking boat through the Norwegian seas. With a few surprises!! -But very short. The ride does move you backwards for a bit, and makes it look as if you are going to go over a cliff. Some folks might find this unnerving. Excellent cafeteria style and sit down food is available here along with shops selling miscellaneous items and a travel center (If you plan to visit). If the line for Maelstrom is outside the building you may want to wait. Disney engineers have come up with an incredible way of herding people and at times it can be quite deceiving! * Mexico - Almost the entire pavilion is enclosed in a large reproduction of a Mexican pyramid. This means that it is all air-conditioned!! Inside it is set up as a Mexican market at night. The ride called "El Rio del Tiempo" (Translated means: The River of Time) is here. This boat ride takes you through Mexico's past and present. Although represented mainly by rear-projection movies, this is an enjoyable and pleasant ride. The end has some of the best "imitation" firework effects I have here see. Mexican is served on the bank of this "river". Many authentic Mexican gifts can be purchased here, ranging from sombreros to those rugs that the people wear (If anyone knows the name of those things please write to me and tell me!!!) In the entrance to the pavilion there is an ongoing display of Mexican art depicting the history of the country. RUSSIA - ON THE DRAWING BOARD. NOT OPEN YET, ONLY IN THE PLANNING STAGES. SWITZERLAND - ON THE DRAWING BOARD, MAY NOT BECOME REALITY. I am putting a catchy phrase from that country at the end of each description. I need something for the following countries: Morocco, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, & Mexico. Please send me any suggestions. Thanks. Try to see all of the rides marked with an asterisk (*). Any rides that you miss during the day, go back and see during Illuminations. Extra Shows in EPCOT Center - Check the information centers for the time that the show starts. After you see the shows once, take advantage of the crowds not trying to get on the rides. As in the Magic Kingdom most of the waiting times for most rides are cut more than 70% during parades and fireworks. Illuminations - An incredible laser & fireworks show over the lagoon in EPCOT center. Don't miss it. But warning, crowds start lining up around the lagoon as early as 2 hours before the show starts!! The ultimate firework/laser show!!! Surprise in the Skies - A special daytime fireworks show along with kites, ultralights to celebrate WDW's 20th Anniversary. For the show's finale, cold-air balloons of famous Disney characters, representing all EPCOT countries, are blown up all around the lagoon. There also may be some other shows on the lagoon in EPCOT center during midday, again check with information centers for times. NOTE: In future versions I will go into more detail about World Showcase and Future World. I apologize for such a short section on World Showcase. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART VII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ DISNEY MGM STUDIOS THEME PARK ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ At this park you can see actual films being made. There are only a few attractions, but an entire day can be spent here. This park is much smaller than the other two, so it doesn't take many people to make it crowded. (The lines are bearable in the early morning hours (7am) and after 5pm. @ * The Great Movie Ride - This ride contains some of the most sophisticated AA figures ever created. Hollywood's greatest films are feature here. It is a great ride but the lines can get quite long during midday. Movies featured are Singing in the Rain, Casablanca, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Alien, and The Wizard of Oz, just to name a few. @ * Backstage Studio Tour - This is a Tram ride through the back lot of the studio. It features Catastrophe Canyon: a simulated rainstorm, earthquake, flash flood, and explosions all rolled into one. Other things include wardrobe, lighting, set design cameras etc. Of course you can walk the New York street back lot set. Also included are the bungalows where the actors stay while on location. (You can't enter them, but the tram goes by them. @ * Special Effects Tour - This tour, which lasts approximately 1 hour, shows how miniatures, blue mats, and other special effects are done for the movies. Some other parts of the tour include 3 soundstages, video editing, audio recording, and final production. At the end of the tour a preview of new Disney/Touchstone movies is shown. @ * SuperStar Television - This is a great production where the audience actually takes part in a television broadcast. The audience can star on the Tonight Show, David Letterman, Cheers, I Love Lucy, the News, and even hit a home run for the New York Mets. * Animation Building - Here you can take a tour and see how cartoons are made by Disney animators. See cells from Disney classics, or watch Disney artists work on current animation projects. * Monster Sound Show - Here you can learn how sound effects are added to a movie. Of course that is done with the help of a few volunteers from the audience. The sound effects are produced on the famous Foley stage, named after its creator. The outcome is quite humorous. @ *** Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular - All I can say is DON'T Miss it. This shows all kinds of different stunts. There are only a few shows a day, so get the times and decide when to see it. If you see a crowd forming, get in the line -- chances are they know the starting time and they are getting a head start. If you can, sit near the middle top for the best view. After dusk the show is sometimes shortened. Go during midday to see the entire show. @ ** Star Tours - This is a flight simulator ride through space based on the movie Star Wars. You are supposed to be going to the planet Endor, but your "pilot" (An AA robot) does not really know how to fly this ship. It is his first flight and you are in for a bumpy ride!! The entire 40 seat theater bucks and moves in time to the movie, creating a very good effect. @ ** Muppets 3-D Movie - Probably the best 3-D movie of all time. incredible 3-D effects follow the humor of the crazy and lovable Muppets. When Fozzy Bear squirts water at the audience you feel it, and bubbles come out of the ceiling when Miss Piggy sings "Dream a Little Dream." * The Honey I Shrunk the Kids Move Set Adventure - Here you can experience what it would be like to be shrunk down to a quarter of an inch. Truly a very imaginative playground. Fun for all ages. Try to see it!! * Voyage of The Little Mermaid - This attraction just opened a few months ago. Although I have never see it, people have told me it is spectacular! The stage show incorporates live action, AA, lasers, holographic imaging and more to present the songs and other items from the animated movie. If you have small children be sure not to miss this one!! Even the adults will love it! Hollywood Blvd. - (Main street at the entrance to MGM) Here you can star in your own music video, make a movie, have your picture taken on the cover of a magazine, buy actual props from movies and more. SUNSET BLVD. - UNDER CONSTRUCTION (For more information, please refer to the "In the Future" section.) TWILIGHT ZONE TOWER OF TERROR - UNDER CONSTRUCTION, 13 story free fall drop!! (For more information please refer to the "In the Future" section. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART VIII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ NIGHT LIFE ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ If you are staying in Disney World when the theme parks close around 8pm-9pm, don't fear!! The night is young at that time! Almost every resort offers some type of night activity. Personally, I enjoy going over to the Grand Floridian, sitting in the main building and listening to the band play. It plays every night around the same time. The Polynesian has a 6pm and 9pm luau every night. Reservations are required, but it is a lot of fun. The Contemporary Resort offers Broadway music with dinner (Broadway at the Top Dinner Show (Reservations required 30 days in advance)), The Outer Rim (a lounge, but they serve non-alcoholic drinks to those under 21, and they show Monday Night football, baseball etc.) and also WDW's largest arcade with the latest in arcade technology. Take at least one night go up to the 15th floor of the Contemporary resort. There is a breathtaking view of the Vacation Kingdom up there, along with a lounge; a great place to watch the fireworks. For the ultimate in night-life, go to Pleasure Island. People under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. There is a 10 theater movie house, The Comedy Warehouse, The Neon Armadillo (Country music), XZFR Rock & Roll Beach Club, The Adventurers Club, and much more. Some are night club and dancing, others are comedy and music. Pleasure Island's motto is "New Year's Eve every night!!". And they mean it, fireworks and all!!! (For more information on Pleasure Island please see the section "Other Attractions".) ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART IX ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Dining ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Now for a section on places to eat. Most restaurants in Disney World can be expensive, depending on what you order. I'll tell you about some of the restaurants that I have been to and enjoyed. Although, all the food in Disney World is great! Reservations are required for almost all sit down restaurants. The Magic Kingdom does not have many restaurants. I believe there are only a few places to sit down and have a dinner. But there are plenty of places to snack on hot dogs, hamburgers etc. In the Magic Kingdom try King Stephen's Banquet Hall located in Cinderella's Castle. Also try Tony's Town Square Cafe and the Plaza Restaurant, both located on Main Street U.S.A. A full service dinner/show is available in Frontierland at the Diamond Horseshoe (reservations required). The Liberty Square Tavern in Liberty Square also offers full service. For cafeteria service try the Crystal Palace. There are plenty of places to get a hot dog. EPCOT Center has plenty of restaurants (More than one could ask for!). Future World offers the Coral Reef Restaurant in the Living Seas pavilion. Here you can eat seafood right next to the aquarium! It is really a lot of fun. In the Land pavilion there is The Land Grille Room restaurant. This restaurant actually rotates and you can see part of the rides in the building. In World Showcase, England's Pub has great food. Like I said before, the fish n' chips are great! The Chinese restaurant has great Chinese food. Every pavilion in World Showcase has some sort of restaurant with authentic food from that country. Dine in France for a romantic night, or party the Oktoberfest way in Germany. Then hop over to Japan where your food is cooked on your table in front of you, or head over to Italy for some pasta. There are almost unlimited possibilities for dining in EPCOT Center. If hamburgers and hot dogs are all you want then head over to the American pavilion in World Showcase, or visit the Communicore East and West in Future World. In MGM I recommend the Brown Derby for a good meal. The prices are a little expensive, but it is worth it. For something a little out of the ordinary try The 50's Prime Time Cafe. Here you sit in a mock "kitchen" with 50's decor while "Mom" serves the food. The food offered is Magnificent Meat Loaf, Granny's pot roast, Aunt Selma's chicken salad, and alphabet soup. While eating you get to watch reruns of famous TV shows from the 50's such as Car 54, Donna Reed, etc. There are also plenty of places to get a hot dog, such as the Backstage Express, and The Soundstage Restaurant. In the Disney resorts there are restaurants too. And the food is just as good as anywhere else. The Polynesian has seafood at the Papeete Bay Verandah. Go to Flagler's in The Grand Floridian for a great Italian dinner complete with accordion music and of course the song Amore. The Dolphin offers 7 restaurants, Port Orleans has one or two along with a food court. The Caribbean Beach also has a food court, and the Contemporary has a $13.95 all-you-can-eat buffet with roast beef, shrimp, pizza, salad, dessert and more!! There is one thing for sure though, you won't go hungry in WDW. You will always see some place and say: "Ooo, I think we should try that sometime." All around the food is delicious and I never really had a "bad" experience. Dinner reservations can usually be made 2-3 days in advance if you want to. Plan ahead and decide what park you are going to go to the next day, then plan which attractions you will try to see. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART X ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ SHOPPING ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Ah, the dreaded part of every vacation... Trying to figure out what to buy your friends back at home. There are shops all over the place in the theme parks. In EPCOT Center you can get authentic gifts from whichever country you choose in World Showcase. Future World offers futuristic gifts. If you really can't decide what to get, go over to the Disney Marketplace (Lake Buena Vista). Here are all sorts of gifts from all over the Vacation Kingdom. One of the best shops is Mickey's Character Shop. Here you can buy stuffed Disney characters, animation cells, robot airbrushed T-shirts, magnets and more. There are also gourmet shops, clothing stores, a nature store, and more. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XI ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ WATER PARKS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ There are two main water parks in Walt Disney World. The two parks were built almost 20 years apart, so obviously there are some major advantages to the new one. Here are some features of each one. River Country - This water park has white sandy beaches, rope swings, tube water slides, and other water attractions. This park was built in 1971 and the admission price is nominal. (about $10.75 for an adult, $8.25 children 3-9 years old. Typhoon Lagoon -The ultimate water park!!! The world's largest wave pool can be found here along with Humunga Kowabunga. This is a body slide at an incredibly steep angle in which you reach speeds of 40mph!!! Castaway Creek is a relaxing slow water raft ride through tropical rain forests, water falls and more. Some of the best water slides are here also along with saltwater snorkeling with fish!! The white beaches are also a relaxing sight. When you're]there don't forget to hit Mayday Falls, Keelhall Falls, and Gangplank Falls for some water slide fun. Get the tubes that hold 4 people for Gangplank Falls. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ OTHER ATTRACTIONS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ The three theme parks and the two water parks are not the only things to do in WDW. During the day take time off to swim in the pool or rent some boats. The boats can be rented from most resort marinas. The fees are high, however, if you stay in a Disney resort offering boat rental, you might be able to get a special deal such as: $50 will buy 2 hours of boat rental per day per person in your party for the duration of your stay. That is an incredible deal, since the regular price is $17.50 to rent a mini- speed boat for 30 minutes. Just about every resort in WDW has some sort of pool. Recently Disney has been going crazy with its pool designs. At the Beach and Yacht Club resorts the pool has a sand bottom, at Port Orleans there is a dragon for a slide, and at the Polynesian there is a waterslide through a fake lava mountain. The best pool for laps is over at the Contemporary resort. Pleasure Island is the ultimate in night club entertainment. Opening at 7pm, guests must be over 18 to enter alone. (U.S. driver's license or passport must be presented.) Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Here is a brief description of what you will find at Pleasure Island: (Age restrictions given where applicable.) Neon Armadillo Music Saloon - The hottest live country music on this side of Nashville. XZFR Rock & Roll Beach Club - Classic rock from the 50's to the 90's played live. Surf's up!! Mannequins Dance Palace - Contemporary music, dancing on a rotating dance floor with incredible sets and special effects. The spaceship from Close Encounters can be quite realistically reproduced here. (Ages 21 and older). CAGE! - Best in European and American Top 40 video dance music. (Ages 21 and older). Adventurers Club - Eccentric travelers, talking masks, and outrageous stories. This 1930's explorer's club can have anything happen!! Good fun for the entire family. The Comedy Warehouse - Live stand-up comedy. Watch 5 hilarious comedians make fun of Disney in a way you will never forget! New Year's Eve Street Party - Live dance, band, nightclub on the street. Every night countdown for a fireworks show, and confetti! New Year's Eve every night! Shops - Shops for clothing, gifts, Disney Memorabilia, food, posters, and more can be found here. Restaurants - American barbecue at The Fireworks Factory, Italian food at Portobello Yacht Club and sweets at Sweet Surrender. Counter service available at Merriweather's Market. AMC Pleasure Island 10 Theaters - 10 movie theaters playing the latest films with state-of-the-art projection and sound systems. Discovery Island is a certified zoological park. To get over there you must hop aboard one of the big boats that look like yachts. There is a nominal admission fee of about $5.00. Here you can explore an "exotic" island with all sorts of wildlife on it. See toucans, parrots, flamingos, giant turtles, and more. There are streams and foot bridges throughout the island. It is a nice place to escape from the everyday hustle and bustle of WDW. Take note: NO drinking straws are allowed on the island. As the animals might strangle themselves. Fort Wilderness offers, biking, canoeing, campfires, and more. If you are a golfer then you are in heaven. Three PGA championship tour courses are at your disposal (Along with 2 under construction, The Osprey Ridge and The Eagle Pines courses, to open on January 1, 1992). The Oldsmobile Golf Classic is held annually on the courses. If you really become bored (very doubtful) you can leave Disney property and head over to Universal Studios Florida or Sea World of Florida. Both offer an enjoyable day under the Florida sun. Farther away (1hr and 30mins) is Kennedy Space Center. This is a great place to learn about space. You can see the space shuttle here among other NASA things. You can also see a launch of the space shuttle if you go at the right time (a once in a lifetime event!). ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XIII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ BASIC TIPS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Here are some basic tips for ANY Disney theme park: 1. Arrive 10-30 minutes before the park opens!!! Have a light breakfast (doughnut and coffee, juice etc.). 2. Quickly go to the most popular attractions first!! Those are the attractions I have marked with a @ sign. Go on as many as you can before the lines get too long. At EPCOT, start halfway around Future World, instead of at Spaceship Earth. 3. Make reservations for dinner around 9-10pm. Your reservations should be set for about 4-5pm. 4. Eat lunch before the crowds do. 11am is usually good. (I know it probably doesn't sound too good to eat lunch early, but you won't have to fight larger lines!) 5. WHEN ENTERING ANY RIDE ALWAYS GO TO INTO THE LEFT LINE!!!!! Why? - Most people are right brained and right handed so they assume right is better. (I am not making this up.) I found this to be true. 6. Parade time!! (3pm) Now, you have eaten lunch, and the rest of the crowds are watching the parade, quick you have 1 hour to see the popular rides!! 7. Eat dinner around 4:30-5:30pm. After 5pm the lines for the rides start to shorten. Then go on more rides. 8. Fireworks, parades, Illuminations, are now being presented. (9pm, 11pm etc.) Quickly go on more rides, putting emphasis on the popular ones. 9a. Stay until the park closes (providing your kids aren't asleep yet!), going on the more popular rides as it gets later. 9b. Return to your hotel, get washed-up and go to one of the resorts and walk around. For kids goto the Contemporary resort, there is a huge arcade there. For couples I recommend a romantic walk on the Polynesian's beach or relax to the big band music at the Grand Floridian. 10. Sleep and start over. (Or stay up all night...) Change this around anyway you want, but numbers 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9 are the most important!! ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XIV ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ IN THE FUTURE ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ This section is reserved for information regarding resorts, attractions and other items of that nature that have not been opened yet, are still on the drawing board, have just opened within the last revision, or are under construction. There is also information on new Disney Animated films, and Touchstone films. The information in this section comes from Disney News magazine, other Disney related sources, and newspaper clippings. Due to the nature of this section, I can not promise that any of these plans will become a reality. This section is for the kind of person that MUST know what Disney is doing at all times. I don't know of any other source where this information is all put together. MK=Magic Kingdom EP=EPCOT Center MGM=Disney/MGM Studios Attraction Name Where is it?? When does it open? ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Splash Mountain MK (Frontierland) November 6, 1992 Voyage of the Little MGM (Backstage near OPEN Mermaid the animation bldg.) Twilight Zone Tower MGM (Next to main 1994 of Terror entrance) Expansion of MGM All over, making All throughout (Sunset Blvd.) MGM twice as large the 1990's Dixie Landings Resort Near the Treehouse OPEN Villas Bonnet Creek Golf Near Dixie Landings OPEN Club Disney's Vacation East of EPCOT Center OPEN Club Private)* All Star Villages NO LOCATION KNOWN 1994 Resort Fort Wilderness Lodge NO LOCATION KNOWN Mid 1990's Mediterranean Resort NO LOCATION KNOWN Mid 1990's 2 New Golf courses Near the Disney Villa's OPEN Eagle Pines and The Osprey Ridge Alien Encounter Most likely, Disneyland NO TIME KNOWN in CA first Roger Rabbit's Toon MGM NO TIME KNOWN Town Transit Mt. Fugi Roller EP, Japan Pavilion -- \ Coaster \ One or the other or / in the next 5 Matterhorn Mountain EP, Swiss Pavilion?? -/ years. Bobsled Ride 4th Theme Park South of MK's Main NO TIME KNOWN (Thrill)** Parking lot Space Pavilion EP, Future World NO TIME KNOWN Russia Pavilion EP, World Showcase 199? Disney Boardwalk NO LOCATION KNOWN MID 1990's Celebration; Disney Southern edge of WDW Groundbreaking city for residency scheduled for 1993 NON-FLORIDA RELATED DISNEY INFORMATION For those of you who must know what Disney is doing. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ EURO-Disneyland France, (Near Paris) OPEN Disney/MGM Studios EURO-Disneyland 1995 Tour-Europe Beauty & the Beast and The Little Mermaid EURO-Disneylnad 199? Thrill Rides Second Theme Park in PLAN HAS BEEN ABANDONED Palm Beach, CA Mickey's Toontown Disneyland 1993 Toontown Trolley Disneyland 1993 Adventureland Tokyo Disneyland 1992 Marketplace Swiss Family Treehouse Tokyo Disneyland MID-1993 Second Theme Park in Tokyo Disneyland NO TIME KNOWN Tokyo WESTCOT (EPCOT out west Disneyland ONLY IN PLANNING STAGES near Disneyland MAY NOT BECOME REALITY Mini Disneyland near INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC HAS NO TRUE Philipsburg NJ, or SOURCE, AND WAS HEARD BY WORD OF MOUTH AND Philadelphia PA. IS NO GUARANTEE!! ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ NO LOCATION KNOWN or NO TIME KNOWN means that I have yet to find information that suggests the location or approximate opening day of the attraction. No guarantee that all of these attractions will become a reality, however those projects listed have either been started, made public or are on the drawing board. (With the exception of the mini Disneyland.) * The Disney Vacation Club is a private Disney residence where you actually buy Disney property and can stay free. However you can stay here under the World Adventure Plan. ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ ** IMPORTANT 4th THEME PARK INFORMATION ** ³ ³ ³ ³ As of late Dec. 1991 the construction of Disney's 4th ³ ³theme park was encountering problems. In the late 60's when ³ ³Disney purchased the land, they agreed that 30% of the ³ ³land would remain as wildlife preserve. The land that was ³ ³cleared in early 1991 for the 4th theme park was under this ³ ³"protection". I don't really have any more information, ³ ³however I presume that construction will continue as soon as ³ ³this matter is cleared. For those interested the 4th theme ³ ³park will be a thrill park. Take a Six-Flags type park and ³ ³give it a Disney twist and you get one heck of a thrill ³ ³park!! ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ ANIMATED FILMS TO BE (RE)RELEASED ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ NAME NEW OR RERELEASE WHEN? ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Beauty and the Beast NEW November 21, 1991 The Adventures of the RERELEASE Feb. 1992 Great Mouse Detective Pinnochio RERELEASE Summer 1992 Aladin (one voice NEW Fall 1992 by Robin Williams) Completely computer NEW ???? Animated movie (No title known yet) NEW TOUCHSTONE OR DISNEY FILMS TO BE RELEASED ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Honey, I Blew up the Baby Medicine Man Hand that Rocks the Cradle Noises Off Newsies Blood on, Blood off ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XV ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ MAPS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ In this first version there was a map in IFF (ILBM) format. This format is standard for Amiga computers. However, I sold my Amiga and got an IBM so now the file includes a map in the GIF format. As of now the map is pretty crude, hopefully I will have a new updated and color-coded map soon. I just have to find the time to edit the map. Here is the key for the map: 1 - Magic Kingdom D - Swan Resort 2 - Grand Floridian Resort E - Disney/MGM Studios 3 - Polynesian Resort F - Discovery Island 4 - Ticket & Transportation Center G - Fort Wilderness 5 - Contemporary Resort H - River Country 6 - Magic Kingdom Parking I - Disney Resort Villas 7 - Car Care Center J - Disney's Market Place 8 - Main Toll Plaza K - Pleasure Island 9 - EPCOT Center L - Hotel Plaza A - EPCOT Parking M - Caribbean Beach Resort B - Dolphin Resort N - Typhoon Lagoon C - Beach & Yacht Club Resorts O - Disney Inn Solid lines represent roads; dotted lines represent the monorail lines. The flag marks golf courses, and blue stands for lakes, streams etc. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XVI ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ DISNEY FUN FACTS ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Here are some interesting and trivial facts about WDW to test your friend's knowledge with!! 1. Built in 1917 the Golden Carousel in The Magic Kingdom originally came from Olympic Park in Maplewood, NJ. The carousel was refurbished, and all horses painted white. (My mom rode this when she was little in the 1950's) 2. The Walt Disney Railroad locomotives were originally used in Mexico to haul sugar! They were completely done over and the four locomotives were give the names: Lilly Belle, Roy O. Disney, Walter E. Disney, and the Roger Broggie. 3. Cinderellas Castle is 180 feet high, and has a private apartment in the castle that Walt designed so he could stay over night in the park. Unfortunately he never got to use it. 4. The Jungle Cruise attraction uses 100 gas-fired heaters to heat up the air to keep the tropical plants growing. 25 million BTU's kick in when the temperature drops below 36 degrees Fahrenheit. 5. The Swiss Family Treehouse is artificial, with 42 foot roots, 800,000 vinyl leaves, and 600+ branches. 6. The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad track is 2,780 feet long, is on 2.5 acres of land, took 15 years of planing, 2 years of construction, 650 tons of steel, and 16,000 gallons of paint. When finished in 1981 it cost $17 million, or the entire cost of Disneyland in 1955!! The fastest speed on the ride is 30 some mph. 7. The nautical flags that fly at 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction were once hung wrong! A navy officer pointed it out when the park first opened, instead of reading "Leagues" it read "seugael". The attraction's lagoon contains 11.5 million gallons of water!! 8. Space Mountain is 180+ feet tall, 300+ feet in diameter, has 4,508,500 cubic feet of space, occupies a 10 acre site, and is composed of 72 pre-stressed concrete beams weighing 74 tons each! The ride never exceeds 28mph, slower than Big Thunder Mountain! 9. Mission to Mars was originally named Flight to the Moon. It was changed in 1969 when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. 10. The mini-race cars on the Grand Prix Raceway cost over $6,000 each. The track is 2,260 feet long and the cars go 7mph max. 11. Spaceship Earth is 164 feet in diameter, 180 feet high, and contains 2,200,000 cubic feet of space. The outside "skin" of the geosphere is made up of 954 triangular panels, none of equal size or shape. Spaceship Earth is NOT perfectly round, so it is not a geodesic dome, the word geosphere was born. 12. The Living Seas tank is 27 feet deep, 200 feet in diameter, and contains 5.7 million gallons of seawater. The acrylic windows are 18 feet high, and 8 inches thick! 13. The Wonders of Life is enclosed in a 100,000 square foot geodesic dome. The attraction cost $100 million! 14. In The Universe of Energy, the moving theater cars weigh 30,000 lbs when fully loaded with 96 passengers. However they are guided by a wire on the floor that is only 1/8 inch thick!! 15. There are more than 6,000 different food items available at Walt Disney World! 16. Disney World uses 5.5 million pounds of potatoes each year just to make french fries! That's enough julienned potatoes to circle the world 2.5 times. 17. In 1990 22 tons of vegetables were grown in the Land Pavillion's greenhouse. 18. There are 166 restaurants and snack spots from which to choose from, and 35 varieties of cheese are served. 19. The chefs offer up 400 cases of fresh fruit daily. 20. Visitors order 2.1 million pounds of seafood each year and over twice that in poultry. 21. Each year WDW serves enough hamburgers to cover every inch of a four-hundred mile line. 22. The Caribbean Beach resort contains 2,112 rooms, making it the sixth largest hotel complex in the United States!! 23. The creation of Walt Disney World became the largest private construction project in the United States ever. 24. The Vacation Kingdom of the World was going to be called Disney World, but it was Walt's brother Roy who insisted that it be called WALT Disney World. 25. "By early 1992 hotels on Walt Disney World property will provide more than 17,000 guest rooms and 580,000 square feet of meeting space." 26. By opening day on October 1, 1971 there were 60,000 trees and shrubs planted. Enough sod was used to cover 500 football fields. 27. Walt Disney World has recently aquired new monorails. Talking to the driver I found out that: The new monorails began their daily runs in August of '91; and the monorails are now all computerized with a speed restriction: 40mph. Although, the driver of the monorail stated that on test runs they have gone 90mph and could go faster!! 28. The lost and found department of WDW holds more than a thousand hand tagged items lost by visitors. Some items that were lost include: a wheelchair, a lamp, a Casio portable organ, and fake ID's. A pair of false teeth and a glass eye were never claimed!! More to come next time!! If you know of some interesting information about Disney World send it to me!!! ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XVII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³Famous Quotations from Walt Disney World³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ WALT DISNEY WORLD is a tribute to the philosophy and life of Walter Elias Disney ...and to the talents, the dedication, and the loyalty of the entire Disney organization that made Walt Disney's dream come true. May Walt Disney World bring Joy and Inspiration and New Knowledge to all that come to this happy place... a Magic Kingdom where the young at heart of all ages can laugh and play and learn -together. Dedicated this 25th day of October, 1971 -Roy O. Disney ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ The above is what Roy O. Disney stated when he dedicated Walt ³ ³Disney World. The bronze plaque on which this is inscribed can ³ ³be found in Town Square on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom. ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ "Part of the Disney success is our ability to create a believable world of dreams that appeals to all age groups." -Walt E. Disney "Here in Florida, we have something special. There's enough land to hold all the ideas and plans we can possibly imagine." -Walt E. Disney "You can dream, create and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it takes people to make the dream a reality." -Walt E. Disney ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XVIII ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ Special Thanks To: ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ This section is where I can express my gratitude towards those that have helped make this travel guide possible. Walter Elias Disney - Walt demonstrated to the world that if you put your mind to it you can create your dreams. He is a direct inspiration to me. My Parents and Grandparents - for taking me to Disney World five times, without that I wouldn't have been able to write this book. Adam Liss - My editor. He did a great job in finding all those errors I made while typing for a zillion hours. Thank you for changing the ILBM file to GIF. January Adams - Co-worker at my place of employment. She helped me proofread the entire document for grammatical and other types of errors. James Kelly - My incredible Physics teacher who also enjoys Disney World. I'd like to thank him for getting me information on the new Little Mermaid Attraction, and for giving me some suggestions. Uncle Hank - (Not my uncle) He publishes a Shareware Review newsletter, and in his latest issue he summarized my work. Thank You for the first publicity of this book!! THE LIST IS GROWING!! All you have to do to get your name in here is to write a letter to me with some sort of new, trivial, or interesting information about Disney World!! ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ PART XIX ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ REVISION INFORMATION ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ Here is a brief explanation of what has changed in each revision, and how to read the revision code. 91.12.2 91 is the year, 12 is the month and 2 is the number of revisions for that year. So 91.12.2 would read: December 1991, 2nd revision. The size is the Un-zipped professional write file, not ASCII. 91.10.1 - Original document. Tons of problems: spelling, LF and CR, mistyped data, absence of some data. IFF form Map released with this version. WHAT A MESS!! Size: 65k 91.12.2 - The entire document was checked for spelling by the computer so if you find errors, don't blame me. The `In the Future' section was extended to include new information and Disney cartoon movies (Touchstone films to follow). The entire document was fixed for CR and LF problems. 'Special Thanks To' section added, along with 'Revision Information', 'Contacting and Making Reservations', 'Fun Facts', and 'Famous Quotations'. General Cleanup. GIF form map released with this version. Expansion of Pleasure Island information, some bus info added. Full Bibliography added. Boxes around sections added, along with solid lines. Size: 88k 92.2.1 - New data on future items, 4th theme park information added. New margins, more fun facts. Some Touchstone movie information added. EPCOT Center World Showcase Information expanded (well, not much). Grammatical clean up. Released 6 days late. PC-Exec BBS number added. Size: 93k 92.3.2 - Expanded the EPCOT Center World Showcase Information. More people added to the Special Thanks to Section. Little Mermaid attraction info added. EPCOT quote in the introductions expanded. Some handicapped information was added. General clean up and rewording. Non-Florida Disney related info added. Part of the "To the Reader" section reworded. Size: 102k 92.4.3 - Reservation info added. EPCOT Center World Showcase information expanded. Two new fun facts added. General clean up and rewording. "ORDER.TXT" file added to zipped archive. Program file now available. Dixie Landings Resort added to the resort section. Some minor changes the the esort section. Section titles and other lines centered. Size: 104k2 ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ I hope you found this information valuable in planning your Walt Disney World vacation. I am not affiliated with WDW in any way so I am not being paid to promote WDW here, but it truly is a great place to be. Again any suggestions should be sent to: Todd D. McCartney 21 South Auten Ave. Somerville, NJ USA 08876-3142 If you would like the latest version of this "book" and it is not on your local BBS please print out the form included in the zipped file called "order.txt". Instructions on how to order are in this file. Remember I will be updating this every month (hopefully), so there is always something new!! Also if you have any magazine or newspaper clippings or any other information about Walt Disney World please send it to me and it will be added to the guide. I will also put your name in the file in a section called 'Special Thanks To:' which has now been formed. Thank you very much and have a great vacation at Walt Disney World. M - I - C, See ya real soon!! K - E - Y, Why? Because we like you! M - O - U - S - E Todd D. McCartney ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ÚÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ¿ ³ BIBLIOGRAPHY ³ ÀÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÙ "Give credit where credit is due." Birnbaum, Steve; Steve Birnbaum Brings You the Best of WDW. 1990 Edition, Hearst Professional Magazines, Inc. Newsweek, Inc.; Disney World, 20 Years of Magic, a Yearlong Birthday Party. Fall/Winter 1991, Newsweek, Inc. Walt Disney Company; Walt Disney World. 1985, The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Company; Disney Vacation Club Guide. 1991 The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Company; Disney Village Marketplace and Pleasure Island Directory. 1991 The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Company; Disney News. Fall 1991, The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Company; 1991 Annual Report. 1991 The Walt Disney Company. ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» ºWalt Disney World, Mickey Mouse, Audio Animatronics, and Circleº ºVision are registered trademarks of the Walt Disney Company. º ºAll resort names, ride names and other items in the theme parksº ºare also The Walt Disney Company's property. Some information º ºsuch as ride length, and other statistical data was taken from:º ºSteve Birnbaum Brings You The Best of Walt Disney World, 1990 º ºEdition; 1991 Magic Kingdom Club and Membership Guide; the º ºbook Walt Disney World, Disney News (various issues), and 20 º ºYears of Magic published by the publisher of Newsweek magazine.º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ