Wordless Wednesday: Autumn in Disneyland

Photos by Nick and Barbie

Another Epcot Acronym

By Beth Skarp

Many know that EPCOT stands for Experimental Prototype Community (or City) of Tomorrow.

EPCOT has also been associated with Every Person Comes Out Tired or Every Paycheck Comes on Thursday. 

Interestingly enough, I have learned that those who are in Management for the Costuming Department have their own acronym for EPCOT--Experimental Polyester Costumes of Tomorrow. This is because polyester or polyester type blends of material are used in place of heavier fabrics in many of the costumes worn by Cast Members while working in Epcot. Who knew?

When it rains, it pours!

by Gaylin

Walt Disney World is in Florida and according to Google, it is 'humid subtropical', a fancy way of saying, hot, humid and rainy. I have had vacations at WDW with nary a drop of rain and then there have been vacations where there was a rainy period every day.

In May of 2014, it was hot and humid the whole time I was there. On my last day at the Magic Kingdom there was a little bit of relief, it rained!

I was near Space Mountain when it started and I decided I wasn't going to get my rain poncho out, I went in the store at the end of Space Mountain and found not only a place to sit but I had free entertainment when a group of teenagers decided to wait out the rain by charging their phones.

When the rain stopped I got right back outside to enjoy those few minutes when it feels cooler before the sun comes out again and steams up the rain water and raises the humidity again!

Afternoon rain showers are common at WDW, you can be prepared with a plastic rain poncho and just keep going, often the ride line-ups thin out when it rains. Or you can duck into a store and do some shopping. I have heard a lot of people complain that rain just ruins their vacation . . . it doesn't have to, have a rain strategy and the magic never has to stop!

If you want a great idea of what to do with your Disney Poncho when you get home, check out this article, also by Gaylin.-Nick

Off the Wall: Cinderella Castle Pin Print

From: Nick

Off the Wall: Cinderella Castle Pin Print. I got this framed pin set from Walt Disney World a few years ago. I believe it was $14.95, with a $25 purchase at The World of Disney Store, in Downtown Disney. A wide selection of favorite Disney characters are illustrated here, with a few being represented in pin form.

 Pluto popping up in the foreground.

Tinker Bell over the castle.

Mickey Mouse shares center stage...

...with the castle's namesake, Cinderella.

A pretty nice collectible at an affordable price!

The Disney Bag Lady

By Gaylin

It turns out I am a bag lady! I have kept merchandise bags from many of my trips. Way too many bags! I don’t use plastic bags in my day-to-day life, that is not Eco-friendly. But when I go on vacation, I seem to end up with way too many of them!

I have taken 14 trips to WDW and 2 to Disneyland and the results are all these bags:

These bags from either 1978 or 1979 were a fairly thick paper that feel like they have a bit of a coating on them. Probably to make them survive a bit better in the rain!

I went to WDW in 1985 and I think this example was from that trip. I like that this bag  has different pictures on either side.

Front and back, 2 different sizes. I have no idea the year or trip that these came from!

 

I think these are from 2005, when it was Disneyland’s 50th Celebration. Notice the Hidden Mickey cuff link on the jacket sleeve. Again: Front and back.

 

These next two are from the same trip. I had so many bags all over my apartment that I didn’t get a photo of them together.

Balloons!

An assortment of Disneyland bags.

These are very big bags! I have samples of bags in a lot of different sizes. Such a Disney Dork!

I think this one comes from a trip in the 1990′s. I had to pay $2 for this one.

Another one that I am pretty sure I paid a dollar or two for. Very heavy plastic for lots of souvenirs!

Last but not least is this little beauty. A very tiny bag, probably from a trip in the 1980′s when I bought a pair of Mickey earrings.

And that’s it for the bags. But speaking of earrings: That’s for another post!

Do you have a Disney Food Challenge for your next Trip?

By Shendl

I found a list that someone had compiled of things to eat in Walt Disney World and that got me thinking about making my own Challenge for my next trip.  The one I found online was not easily achievable for me and my husband, so I went through all the Goodies that we had yet to try and came up with our own FOOD CHALLENGE!

This is my Challenge for my next trip – I hope we can complete it!

Magic Kingdom

    •    Dole Whip or a Dole Whip Float - Aloha Isle

Photo: Nick

    •    Corn Dog Nuggets - Casey’s Corner

    •    Corn on the Cob - Liberty Square Market

    •    Le Fou’s Brew - Gastons Tavern

 Photo: Angel Sloan Rogers

Photo: Nick

    •    Warm Cinnamon Roll - Gastons Tavern
    •    The Plaza Ice Cream Sundae - The Plaza Ice Cream Parlour

Photo: Sue VanVleet

    •    Mickey Kitchen Sink Sundae -  The Plaza Ice Cream Parlour

Photo: Sue VanVleet

Epcot

    •    Chocolate Covered Sea Salt Caramel - Karamel Kuche (Germany)

    •    Macaron’s - Boulangerie Patisserie Les halles (France)
    •    House made Paprika Chips - Sommerfest (Germany)

    •    Kakigori - Kabuki Café (Japan)

Disney's Hollywood Studios

    •    Wheezy’s Breezy Freezey - Hey Howdy Hey Take Away

Animal Kingdom

    •    Turkey Leg - Trilo Bites

Photo: Carrie Atkins

Downtown Disney

    •    Crème Brulee - Wolfgang Puck Café

Photo: Diane Cole

These are things that I have not tried in WDW at all and they all sound so yummy (we are trying the turkey leg as experience, not sure if we will like it)

What is on your list of Foods and Snacks to try?

The Frozen Ride Coming to Epcot's Norway

By Nick

By now I am pretty sure that EVERYONE that is a Disney fan, as well as many people that are not, has heard that a ride based on the tremendous hit Frozen is replacing Maelstrom in Epcot's Norway Pavilion.

If you have avoided this news somehow, it was officially posted on the Disney Parks Blog last Friday:
http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/09/frozen-attraction-coming-to-epcot/

Rumors of this and other changes to the Norway Pavilion have been swirling for months, and I honestly assumed they would come to fruition, so when the announcement was officially made, I really didn't have a visceral reaction.

Then I read a couple of terrific articles posted earlier this week by my friend Lisa on her wonderful Living a Disney Life: Empty Nesting with Pixie Dust blog concerning this very topic, and the changes and ramifications it could have for Epcot's World Showcase, and it got me thinking.

My favorite thing about Epcot is World Showcase. I enjoy just eating and drinking as I walk around taking in the ambience of the countries, strolling in and out of the shops.

And, as I've written about in the past, one of my favorite things to do on a Disney Vacation is to take a break in La Cava del Tequila in the Mexico Pavilion and then ride Gran Fiesta Tour afterwards.

Bringing a ride like Frozen into the World Showcase sort of goes against what I believe was the original intent of what this section of the park is/was supposed to be about, showcasing international cultures and customs.

Saying this, I'm not really offended by what Disney is claiming they have planned for the Norway Pavilion.

 

I believe that Disney could appease purists as well as fans of the film by simply having the popular characters from the film take guests on a tour of Norway, which is what I believe the aforementioned Gran Fiesta Tour in Mexico does wonderfully with the characters from the Three Caballaros.

Disney has already done an excellent job incorporating Norwegian culture and it's inspiration on Frozen with it's Norsk Kultur Display housed in the Stave Church, which we had the opportunity to see in January.

Strictly featuring the customs and cultures of Norway is clearly not what Disney has in mind however, according to the Disney Parks Blog article, which states the new attraction will take guests to Arendalle and immerse them in favorite moments from the film. There will also be a new greeting area where guests can meet Anna and Elsa.

As for the loss of Maelstrom, I am a bit sad, mostly from a nostalgia standpoint (I don't know how many times I've said "You are not the first to pass this way" and my wife's favorite hidden Mickey is in the queue) but regardless of which direction Disney goes with the ride, as with the impending Avatarland in Disney Animal Kingdom, I am optimistic that Imagineering will do a great job, and this will be a huge hit when all is said and done. 

What is your opinion of Frozen taking over the Norway Pavilion?

Wordless Wednesday: The Mickey Head Premium Ice Cream Bar Through the Years

Photos of Nick by Barbie