The Mouse Blog

Mouse Extra, Read All ABout It!!

2006-11-27T10:08:00.000-05:00

We have moved to a new address. www.mouseextra.com.

After weeks of working on the new site, we are up and running and should begin posting today. Please come by and enjoy.

Thanks,

Dave

Web Check; Jim Hill Media Rumors Suggest New Coaster at the Magic Kingdom

2006-11-02T12:25:00.000-05:00

by Dave

Have a look at today’s article by Jim Hill on his website. Mr. Hill is one of the web’s Disney informants. Today piece offers history and rumors, but I want to speak about this fun little nugget…

The Imagineers have also reportedly been toying with adding "Raging Spirits" to the Adventureland section of WDW's Magic Kingdom. Since it's been more than a decade now since Disney World's signature theme park last got a new thrill ride.

What, no Jack Sparrow??? Where are the Pixar characters??? Isn’t it really called something like “Captain Barbossa’s Raging Spirits”? Could WDI really be adding attraction to Walt Disney World that won’t come neatly wrapped with a gift shop filled with Mr. Incredible dolls? Here’s how the Tokyo DisneySea website explains the ride…

A new adventure awaits you at the mysterious Lost River Delta! This roller coaster attraction takes everyone on a high-speed ride through the ruins of an ancient ceremonial site. As you pass by the vengeful spirits awakened during the excavation, the bursting flames, encompassing steam, and spine-tingling 360-degree loop will make it a truly thrilling experience!

Take a look at the photos as well…

Well, as much as the purists like to claim that Disney has done nothing that didn’t include the four-letter word “synergy”, that claim just is not true. Look at the e-tickets added in recent years. They include Expedition Everest, Soarin, and Mission Space, so it is not a stretch to expect an addition like this. The Magic Kingdom is due for a new gate-buster, and considering how highly regarded DisneySea is, we have long been expecting WDI to import an attraction from there to the U.S. parks.

Nothing Says "Trick-or-Treat" Like Your Very Own Haunted Mansion

2006-10-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

by Dave

Happy Halloween to all my fellow Disney addicts!!

If you are looking for something nice to put into your favorite Mouseketeer’s trick-or-treat sack, then how about a mansion that inspired the exterior of the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion? Click this link for the listing of the Harry Packer Mansion in Jim Thorpe, PA.

The house was built by Asa Packer, historically one of the Lehigh Valley’s most influential political figures. He founded Lehigh University, was a major tycoon in the areas mining and railroad industry, and even was considered for the Democratic nomination for president in the 1860’s. He gave this little item to his son as a wedding gift. Nice present, huh? Now you can give it to whoever you want, for the small fee of $1.75 million. (That may be more than you were willing to spend for a trick-or-treat gift.)

It’s easy to see how this building inspired the Haunted Mansion. If you have never been to Jim Thorpe, and are in the area, take a ride out there and see it for yourself. The town is terrific, especially around St. Patrick’s Day, and the Harry Packer Mansion is much more spectacular in person.

Jungle Cruise the Movie, uh-oh!

2006-10-31T11:07:00.000-05:00

by Dave

As I am sure you already know, the Hollywood Reporter revealed last month that the first steps towards converting the Jungle Cruise into a major motion picture have already been taken. There are almost no details to speak about, but the concept alone seems risky.

There are so many ways this can go. Would it be slap-stick? The ride certainly has a slap-stick quality to it, but Disney’s recent attempts at turning rides into comedies certainly have been met with lukewarm responses, see the Haunted Mansion and Country Bear Jamboree films. Will it be slightly more intense, like Pirates? I guess it could be, but the moving down this road really separates film from ride, not that I think that is a bad thing.

The reason the Pirates films have worked is that the story is well written, and the ride is only really used as a launching point to get an immediate connection with potential film-goers. The same needs to be done with the Jungle Cruise if it is to work. Can we really have a 20 something captain of a canopy boat cracking bad jokes for 2 hours? Will going to all the rivers mentioned in the attraction really work for a movie storyline? Do we really need to hear the “back side of water” joke again in order to find the film worthy of us Disney addicts?

The answer to all these questions is no. What we need is a great, fun movie and not an attempt to turn a ride into a film. Considering the attraction has been so popular for so many years, it is easy to see the temptation to turn cliché. The ride offers great scenery, and some funny ideas to build on, just like Pirates did, but the challenge is to move away from that and not try to balloon this campy old ride into a movie.

We Need a Little Fanfare for the 35th Anniversary of Walt Disney World

2006-10-30T19:04:00.000-05:00

by Dave

Today's post is a little bit of whining and moaning over something I wish was a bigger deal than it seems to be to the folks at the Mouse, Walt Disney World's 35th anniversary. As I am sure most of you remember, the 50th anniversary of Disneyland was treated with a small bit of fanfare (wink!), as have other such anniversaries of the U.S. parks. This anniversary doesn't even get a nice t-shirt.

I am not great collector of Disneyana, but I do have a few pieces that I really like. I have some pins, some figurines, perhaps a print or two, but my favorite piece is this Lionel Train pictured below. It was released in 1990 Lionel catalog, and is a wonderfully detailed locomotive in the Disneyland Railroad colors and even has the "35 Years of Magic" symbol on the tender. For those of you who don't know, Disney and Mickey Mouse practically saved the Lionel company from bankruptcy in the 1930's by licensing a handcar for Lionel to sell during the Depression. The Mickey Handcar sold somewhere around a quarter of a million units and Lionel lived to see decades of success in the years to come, thanks in large part to the Mouse.

Now that's a great way to celebrate an anniversary, don't you think? And it was by no means the only way the Mouse celebrated Disneyland's birthday. But sadly, it seems they have forgotten this anniversary. With the exception of perhaps a few pins, it seems the Year of a Million Sweepstakes have taken its place. Perhaps this will change and some things will change. An item like this train is by no means enough, but it would certainly be a nice start.

The Little Things in Life

2006-10-28T17:58:00.000-04:00

By Dave

Just a silly post for today...

I am a new member of the Disney Vacation Club, and have yet to even use it. But that certainly doesn't stop me from getting all giddy over the little promotional items they send to make me...well...giddy about being a DVC member.

Last week when the delivery driver walked up to my door with a package from the DVC, I, of course, jumped for joy even though I had no clue what it might be. It turned out to be the new Vacation Planner for 2007-08. It was all decked out for the 15th anniversary and included this giclee.

Considering we are very close to our first ever trip "home", as they say at the DVC, receiving this silly little print that I have absolutely no use for made me even more excited to go. So excited in fact, that I took a picture of it and posted it on this blog. (My wife still looks at me funny!)

Rumor; Re-furb coming to Haunted Mansion in '07

2006-10-27T12:29:00.000-04:00

by Dave

Screamscape.com is reporting today that the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion may be going down for a long refurbishment in early 2007. This is a long overdue rehab as the attraction does show the neglect, but is seems unclear from what I have also heard whether this is simply a facelift or if WDI plans to add some of the special effects that the Disneyland version has recently added.

The broader curiosity surrounds whether or not this, as a follow-up to the recent Pirates re-do, signals the start of WDW investing money into updating some of its more neglected and dated attractions at the Magic Kingdom. There have been rumors galore about such an initiative. Back on September 17, the Mousetunes podcast reported, “Space Mountain is rumored to get a $30+ million refurb and Jungle Cruise one valued at $13 million.” We all know that the Magic Kingdom, as much as we love it, has been seemingly left alone and ignored over the past few years.

All of these attractions can use an update in technology as well as a simple cleaning. The additions to Space Mountain can really revitalize this great coaster that time has left behind. The Jungle Cruise is fun, but the technology exists to make this a much more impressive experience while maintaining its campy appeal. But let’s not stop there. The Speedway, Tom Sawyer Island, and Swiss Family Treehouse can all use..well…some reason to go there. The Country Bear Jamboree could be enhanced with some state of the art AA’s and much improved sound system.

Whenever changes are made to these old Magic Kingdon stand-buys people get nervous. But I think we may be at the point where something needs to be done to make the Kingdom sparkle again.

Photos from Finding Nemo the Musical

2006-10-27T10:47:00.000-04:00

by Dave

Check out the photos of the upcoming "Finding Nemo-The Musical" on wdwmagic.com, a site which should be a daily staple if you're a WDW addict. Besides the photos, which are from Disney, they have a terrific description.

COPYRIGHT 2006. THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY (photo from wdwmagic.com)

This new show is part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" and replaces the old "Tarzan Rocks" show. The natural complaint is that Nemo is not exactly the best theme for Animal Kingdom and that people did enjoy Tarzan Rocks. I don't really care about either of those. I have two problems with this...

The first is that this is a replacement, and a very expensive one, to something that was there already. Animal Kingdom needs to expand. It needs to become a park that takes a full-day to experience. Expedition Everest brings it down that path, but this show does not. Instead of pouring money into additional attractions that make the park worth the price tag, they spent what must be tens of millions of dollars on completely renovation the theater on top of the already high costs of staging such an elaborate show. I'm just not sure that is the best allocation of funds right now.

The second is...well...It looks down-right weird. I don't know how else to put it. Seeing these photos does not excite me in the least. Oh well, I'll have to give it a try. WDI has proved me wrong several times before.

Will Tom Sawyer Island become Port Royal? Let's hope so

2006-10-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

by Dave

There was a rumor making the rounds in the last few weeks that WDI was considering changing the theme of Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland to a Pirates of the Caribbean theme. Judging from the nearly unanimous response it received from the Disney community, I think I may be the only one who likes the idea. Oh well, I’m good with that. I mean, after all, what would be the point of reading this if it wasn’t a little different.

So let me start with a compromise. We don’t want this at Disneyland? Fine, let’s consider it at Walt Disney World then. I understand that the bond between the park and Walt is much stronger at Disneyland then it is in Orlando and that the folks who go there “to walk in Walt’s steps” will be forever heartbroken over losing Tom Sawyer Island. This logic escapes be, but I respect it.

Think of the possibilities! Can you see the Black Pearl or the Dauntless sitting at a replica of the Port Royal docks? Imagine replacing the worn-out fort with the citadel the Pearl bombarded in the first film and having it loom over Liberty Square. There can be pirates roaming the island, singing and telling stories. There are so many ways to make this idea work and appeal to everyone that it is hard to see why they want to keep Tom Sawyer Island and ignore this concept.

I am sorry to say this, but the world has passed Tom Sawyer Island by. It has been ignored by WDI and guests alike. Pirates are a draw to any audience, and a rehab of the island with this concept done right will cause a traffic jam to get across the river. It seems this concept may die on the drawing board due to the backlash from the Disneyland faithful. Let’s not pass judgment until we get a look at some concept designs. Many things have been replaced with something better. I know that many things have been replaced with something worse, but let’s have some faith in John Lasseter that he will not allow an overhaul like this to be disappointing.

The Laugh Floor. One Step Closer to Pixar-Land

2006-10-25T16:43:00.000-04:00

by Dave

Earlier this month, the folks at WDW released some information about the upcoming addition to Tomorrowland called “Monsters, Inc. The Laugh Floor Comedy Club” which is slated to open January 2007. Here’s the description from Disney…

Help Mike Wazowski, your "Monster of Ceremonies," and his wild and crazy pals power the city of Monstropolis — with laughter! Mike and his buddies have transformed the Laugh Floor at Monsters, Inc. into a comedy club for visiting humans. You won't have the exact same experience twice as Mike invites his furry
and funny friends to the digital stage to trade jokes with audience members like you. And don't miss the wise-cracking Roz, who isn't sure Mike is up to the task!

It seems this attraction is going to be an improvement on the too-popular-for–its-own-good Turtle Talk with Crush platform. It sounds like a fun, interactive addition to an area that had been going through a seemingly endless transition over the past few years. So why are the complainers out in full force over this one? Well, it’s hardly a shock that there are scores of different complaints and protests circling around the Laugh Floor. The thing is; I don’t have any.

There is the “why do we need this if we already have Turtle Talk” redundancy complaint. This makes no sense even on the surface. Why did we need the Rock n’ Rollercoaster if we already had Space Mountain? Why did we need Spaceship Earth when we already had the Haunted Mansion? We did we need Pirates of the Caribbean if we already had It’s a Small World? Why did we need Festival of the Lion King when we already had numerous stage shows? Am I making my point? Assuming an attraction will be redundant simply because it uses a similar ride platform is silly. Besides the fact that these two attractions are in different parks, we can only assume from the descriptions and all the rumors floating around the internet that the experiences will be as different as the ones I mention above.

Next we have the more nuanced “how does it fit the Tomorrowland theme” argument. This is a good one, and one that I can only answer that it means little to me. The original Disneyland concept of Tomorrowland has been lost for years. It was a concept that even Walt struggled with as the future quickly became the present. When they switched to this new fantasy-heavy concept, most of what causes folks to lodge this complaint went out the door. This area is supposed to be an old school sci-fi type fantasy area. How does an annoying blue alien or a talking toy fit into an old school sci-fi type fantasy area concept anymore than monsters owning a comedy club? Having said that, how do really slow race cars fit there either? The fact is the backgrounds and settings in Monsters Inc. have just as much “sci-fi” to them as anything else there, and certainly more than a bedroom, Hawaii or a racetrack.

My point is, the Tomorrowland we once knew is long gone, and this fits in well with the current surroundings. I know that I am lowering the bar for Imagineering a bit here when it comes to the theme, but then the argument is with the concept at large and not with this particular attraction. So perhaps the complaint is misguided, if not incorrect.

Finally we get to the one that I think is the root of the purist’s whining; the “stop turning this into Pixar-land” protest. Come on purists, admit it. This is what you really don’t want to see, Walt’s original ideas replaced essentially by John Lasseter’s. That has to be a purist’s nightmare. Well, I have no good news for you, because that is the way it is and that is the way it will be. And honestly, I can’t argue with the logic. The children in my family like the Fab Five and some older hand-drawn films, but they LOVE Woody, Buzz, Nemo, and the rest. They have the same dedication to Pixar’s creations that many of us had for Walt Disney’s. Why would Disney ignore that? So when the areas that struggle for attention or are need of an update, like Future World, the soundstage at MGM and Tomorrowland, Imagineering will turn to Pixar. When all is said and done, the parks should be filled with one-part classic attraction, one-part classic film inspired attractions, and one-part current film inspired attractions. Considering this will bring the Magic Kindom’s Pixar ride total to all of 2, I think there is still little for the purists to whine about.

Soon each park will have a handful of Pixar inspired attractions, and the people who grew up with those characters will be lining up for them. Then, in the years that follow, as those attractions are replaced with something inspired by whatever Disney is producing at that time, those people who were young in 2006 will complain and whine about how Imagineering could ever even think of replacing their beloved Buzz Lightyear ride and ask why kids don’t watch Finding Nemo anymore.

Podcasting the Mouse; Mouseguest Weekly's Attraction Tourney

2006-10-25T11:47:00.000-04:00

by Dave

Podcasting the Mouse is going to be a recurring column about the army of Disney-related podcasts that are now available. I listen to many of them regularly, and when something sparks my interested I will post it here. Check back, and feel free to add your views on these shows as well.

The first one I would like to discuss and I will probably discuss often because I really like it, is Mouseguest Weekly. The hosts, Dan and Eric, have a unique format to their show. They don’t really fill the program with news, rumors, or interviews like many others, nor do they just babble endlessly about their opinions. There is a nice structure to the show, and no one else really does what they do. They also happen to have the single nicest website, hands down, of any of their peers, and they have plans to make it much, much better with a beta version that will offer virtual tours of the Disney parks.

Currently they are holding the WDW Attractions Tournament. What they have done is group the attractions into a bracket like the NCAA basketball tournament, pairing attraction into one-on-one match-ups, and allowing the listeners a weeks to vote on which they like better. They have a few weeks to go, so go and vote. Let me tell you, this is one of the great addiction feeders I know of.

This week attractions are going for a place in the Sweet 16. There are four pairings per week right now, and two are very interesting.

The first has Mickey’s Philharmagic, a #4 seed, against the #5 seed Jungle Cruise. Now besides the fact that I would have seeded them the other way around, I think this one should be very close. Jungle Cruise is an all-time favorite of the purists and still maintains some appeal to the younger generation, though limited appeal in my opinion. Mickey’s Philharmagic has been wildly popular and is brilliant. Will the new favorite beat out the old?

The second one that is tough to call has the Tower of Terror against the Monorail. (Yes, the Monorail is an attraction by any standard). To me, the Tower of Terror is one of WDI’s crown jewels. The ride is great fun, the building is amazing, and the themeing is terrific. It really is an e-ticket through and through. But this is the Monorail we are talking about, an icon of WDW to all who come there.

Go and vote. You can find them at mouseguest.com

Check out the Free Customized Maps Disney is offering

2006-10-25T09:25:00.000-04:00

By Dave

While floating around the various Disney related forums yesterday, I found a couple of folks pointing out a really interesting new feature to the Disney World website, at least it is new to me. I know what you are thinking already; the phrase “really cool new feature” is seldom used in association with the Disney World website. For the most part, that is the case, but now it is offering free customized park maps shipped to your door. Yes, you don’t need to rub your eyes, that says “free”.

All it really seems to be is a standard park map, but the attractions you list as your “favorites” are highlighted for you. At least I think that is all it is. You can have them shipped to your house free of charge…there’s that word again…or you can print them out on your computer. It seems, at least from these two pictures, that there is a design difference between the ones shipped to you and the ones you print out. Take a look at the ad above that seems to contain the printed, mailed version. It looks very ornate. The picture below is more or less what you get to print. The only thing missing is the list of attractions under the map.

You can only get this mailed to you once per six months, so if you go more often then that you will need to print it if you want to change your favorites. The program asked when I would be at WDW, so I thought perhaps show times would be included. They are not included on the print-out version, and I can only assume that since they do not always release show times in advance that they probably won’t be included on the mailed version either. Oh well, free is free.

But let’s be fair, no matter what they look like they are worth what you pay for it and are certainly another way to feed the addiction. You can find these on the "My Vacation"portion of disneyworld.com.

Disney's Announces Animal Kingdom Villas, Bravo!

2006-10-24T11:41:00.000-04:00

By Dave

The one rumor that never seems to die is the “What DVC Resort is next?” rumor. We had all kinds of possibilities floating around, but it seems to me that the DVC folks have hit the target. The new property will be Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas.

It is hard to argue with this one. Almost every other rumor that floated around the internet had flaws. The Eagle Pines, which really wasn’t a rumor, didn’t have the “wow” factor that myself and other DVC members would like. It seemed much like Old Key West or Saratoga Springs, but with a golf course. If you aren’t a golfer, it wasn’t anymore exciting then anything currently available.

The STOL rumor, made popular by Lou Mongello from disneyworldtrivia.com and the Mousetunes podcast, was the most exciting to me. It was a new mega resort to be built on the grounds of the old STOL port (short take-off and landing for those who aren’t yet addicts) and was to be connected via the Epcot monorail line. Imagine, a DVC Resort that was on a monorail that went to Epcot and the TTC! This one seemed just too good to be true. If Lou got this one out of thin air, the DVC folks should listen. It is an amazing idea.

The Contemporary Resort rumor, which may yet pop up, had the Disney purists in a tizzy over such unknowns as sight lines, monorail crowding, and the old “messin with something Walt liked” complaint. There were plans and pictures that were passed around and most thought this was the next to be built. This rumor still has legs, so don’t be putting this one away. We all know a DVC resort on the monorail line will sell extremely well, even if the purists complain that Walt wouldn’t like it…how they know that is never really explained!?!?

Then on October 11 the DVC made the announcement. The new property will be the Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas. Here are some highlights from the press release…

The Disney Vacation Club accommodations will feature intricate African-inspired details and home-like amenities, and most will offer sweeping views of an expanded savannah inhabited by a variety of African animals. These new accommodations are scheduled for development in phases with an anticipated opening beginning Fall 2007 and a completion date planned for Spring 2009. The project’s first phase will include 134 remodeled accommodations on the fifth and sixth floors of the existing Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge building, and subsequent phases will include the construction of 324 vacation homes in a new
building on the resort property, for a total of 458 Disney Vacation Club homes.

How can this be anything but exciting? The Animal Kingdom Lodge is often thought of as the greatest and most creative resort Disney has ever built. It is raved about all over the travel industry. Also, it does not have the “sentimental” value that can get the purists upset if it is changed. My only complaint is that 458 rooms is entirely too little. This is going to be a tough one to get into without purchasing an add-on…uh-oh!

It is what is is; a sweepstakes.

2006-10-23T16:55:00.000-04:00

By Dave

I must admit that I was less than excited about Disney’s new “Year of a Million Dreams” promotion when I first heard that it would be the replacement to last years 50th Anniversary celebration. I am a WDW fan, and this is the 25th anniversary of Epcot. Instead of using that as a focus to improving this great park with new attractions, maybe a fancy new World Showcase Promenade parade, a new country, heck I would even settle for a new version of Illumination, Disney decided to ignore it and hold a giant sweepstakes. Oh great, another contest I won’t win! I wasn’t thrilled, to say the least.

Truth be told, I am still not thrilled. But let’s give credit where credit is due. This could be a lot worse, and a lot less genuine. When the rumors started circulating the various Disney websites, I assumed this would be about 12 really marketable prizes and 999,988 t-shirts. However, Disney did a much better job at putting these prizes together than many of us fans expected.

Yes, there over 700,000 silly prizes that include Mickey ears, photos, and pins and can hardly be considered “dreams come true”. But the rest of the prizes, totaling well over 500,000 items, are all terrific and even rather creative. The grand prize, to be awarded to 3 people, is a 220 point DVC membership that includes all fees and taxes. At the risk of overstating this prize, this is essentially like winning a lifetime of vacations to The Mouse, or at least a lifetime of rooms on the house. If you know nothing about how DVC points translate into the real world, basically you can get anywhere from a week to ten days at a Deluxe Resort like the Boardwalk in the most crowded times like Christmas or the summer to just short of three weeks at Old Key West during the slow times…every year until 2054..free of charge!

Ok, I know what you are saying, “that’s only 3 people” and you’re right. Let’s not get hung up on that. Here’s a list of a few others in that 500,000+…

18 various trips aboard the Disney Cruise Line
15 trips to Disneyland
3 fifteen day trips to every Disney Park in the world
307 one-night stays in Cinderella Castle
130 shopping sprees
30 VIP tours of Walt Disney’s apartment in Disneyland
28,600 special one-hour after-hours opening of various theme parks and water parks
24 Star Wars Meet and Greet prizes
130 Dinners at a winner selected restaurant
And roughly 500,000 Dream Fastpasses

This is just scratching the surface. They have put together and impressive list that really excites you as you read further and further. The variety is amazing and the prizes are a lot more creative than I thought they would be.

But in the end, it is what it is; a contest. The overwhelming majority of those who read this list, and get as excited as I just did about the possibilities, will come out with nothing but disappointment. Is that what we really want out of a Disney promotion? Personally, the 50th Anniversary was better because the money spent delivered things like Soarin, Lights Motors Action, and Expedition Everest. These are things that everyone visiting The Mouse can enjoy. With a sweepstakes, only the lucky few get to enjoy something new and exciting. The rest get nothing…literally.

Me and The Mouse.

2006-10-23T14:37:00.000-04:00

by Dave

Thanks for stopping by The Mouse Blog and welcome! If you are reading this, you likely have a similar Disney addiction to the one I have been enjoying for most of my life. What we plan on doing here is writing down our thoughts about The Mouse whenever the addiction gets the best of us…so check back often.

I can not say for sure what this site may evolve into, but the vast majority of my interest in the Disney Company revolves around Walt Disney World. I can only assume the focus in the future will be there, but I certainly have no intentions of sticking to any formula. My goal here is to feed the addiction, and to hopefully offer the reader some insight and information to make the Disney Addiction even more fun, and maybe even make a trip to The Mouse more enjoyable as well.

It seems appropriate to begin this website with a brief history of me and The Mouse. I’ve been going to Walt Disney World since the mid-70’s when I was very small. I can remember the days when all there was outside the Magic Kingdom was the Disney Village, now known as the Downtown Disney Marketplace. My father would rent boats with my brother and me while the rest of the family would go shopping. Most of the time spent in Orlando was spent outside of The Mouse. The Magic Kingdom was limiting, and since we were usually there for a week, we often go to Sea World, Busch Gardens in Tampa, and spend plenty of time at the off-site hotel’s pool. Fun, but not yet an addiction.

There were essentially two major milestones that changed a love for the Magic Kingdom into a full fledged Mouse-addiction. The first was in 1982, with the opening of EPCOT Center. That gave my parents something to really enjoy, which I think was the point. Instead of rides and characters, there now was wine, food, and shopping of the highest caliber. To me as a teenager, this was entertaining once a trip, but after that I often hopped the monorail to the Magic Kingdom to hit Space Mountain and Pirates a few dozen times, usually solo. I wonder how many kids used to do that.

The next milestone was in 1988, with the opening of the Caribbean Beach Resort, the first on-site moderate resort. Those were the days before the word “moderate” was used, because there were no “value” resorts. All that existed was the monorail resorts and off-site hotels. With the Caribbean Beach, we had a terrifically themed, affordable hotel that offered all the Disney bells and whistle. Little things like the special television shows and the bus system made you feel your were “in the bubble”. In the following years, WDW did all it could to amplify this strategy, building more theme parks, more hotels, and more restaurants and bars then anyone who was there in the 1970’s could have ever dreamed possible.

Now Disney World is a total immersive experience and I can’t wait to be immersed. I’ve stayed at nearly every resort on property, or will stay there in the next 12 months, and have been on more than one Disney Cruise. Now to make matters even better, I am a DVC member. So needless to say, I’ll have plenty of photos, reviews, and opinions of this magnificent place. (Notice I didn’t use the word “magical”. I mean, I don’t want to sound like a complete shill.)

Welcome to the Mouse Blog

2006-10-19T13:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks for stopping by The Mouse Blog, a blog dedicated to views and opinions on Walt Disney World and anything Disney-related we want to talk about. We will have trip reports, photos, and reviews of attractions and restaurants, but mostly it will be ranting about the place we love, The Mouse!

This site is just getting started and we are under construction for the next couple of days. See ya real soon!