Favorite Faux Floral at Walt Disney World

By Lisa Green  

 

Some of the best magic at Walt Disney World is achieved with the careful cultivation and placement of thousands (and thousands!) of trees, shrubs, bushes, flowers, and topiaries.  I’ve heard staggering statistics on the army of gardeners and horticulturalists it takes to keep the World looking so beautiful.  Sometimes, Disney park designers and Imagineers come up with incredibly imaginative uses for trees and, out of necessity, those trees must be fake!  That’s what I want to talk about today.  Fake Trees – aka Faux Flora!  There are bunches of fake animals at Disney World, too, but I’ll save the faux fauna discussion for another day.

This is not an all-inclusive list of every artificial plant in every Disney park – I just want to talk about a few of my favorites ones.  Ready?

Swiss Family Robinson Tree – This Adventureland marvel in Magic Kingdom gets overlooked a lot.  Probably because it is low-tech and, well, a bit boring.  The TREE though has been standing there since the park opened in 1971 looking pretty awesome!  Next time you pass by, at least check out the details of the artificial tree, even if you don’t want to climb the 116 steps to see how the Family Robinson lived.

Tomorrowland Palm Trees – They’re sharp-looking and don’t try to be something they’re not.  Perfect for Tomorrowland’s futuristic feel, these were steampunk before that was even a thing.

The Tree of Life – 50 feet wide and 145 feet tall, it’s more a work of art than just a fake tree.  This completely artificial plant plays an important role as the icon for Animal Kingdom.  Built using an oil rig for stable frame, this Animal Kingdom icon boasts over 300 animal carvings, 7891 end branches and more than 102,000 artificial leaves in 5 shades of green.  The tree’s roots shelter the theater for It’s Tough to be a Bug.  If I’m on vacation, I can often be found studying the minute details of the different animal carvings.

Boabab Trees – You know these trees – they’re the upside-down-looking ones on Kilimanjaro Safari.  Admit it – the safari just wouldn’t be the same without them!

DiVine – She gets a lot of flack.  I hear people dis this living but artificial figure in Animal Kingdom all the time.  I think she’s cool!  If you don’t know what I’m talking about – check out my DiVine-specific article here.  I haven’t seen her in a while, but make a point to look for her on every visit along the path between Asia and Africa.

Know about any faux flora I’ve left off my list?  What fake trees are your favorite at Disney World?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Interesting Facts about Liberty Square at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

By Shendl  

I was listening to my friends at the Disney Exchange, Lisa, Nick and Dave during their latest podcast about Patriotism in the WDW Parks and I got an idea to hunt the internet for interesting facts about Liberty Square!

You will find some things you have seen before and some you haven’t, so please enjoy!

. The Imagineers designed the attractions to show the historical and geographical progression of buildings. This starts in Liberty Square with the Haunted Mansion, which is in the style of the late 1600’s in upstate New York and ends in Frontierland with The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, which is in the style of the late 1800’s in southern California. 

. Take Notice of the Street Numbers for each building in Liberty Square, they represent the year in which the Building Style of that particular building was popular. An Example, The Hall of Presidents is designed in the style of the architecture of 1787 (the number on the building in 1787) and for the buildings with only 2 digits, just add an 18 in front to find out the year that the building was styled after!

. Wondering why the street in Liberty Square is a red and brown two tone colour? Well, In the Colonial times, nobody had indoor plumbing so they had to throw their ablutions out the windows into the streets….The brown colour in the walkway represents the flow of sewerage! Yucky, right???

. Looking for a Restroom in Liberty Square….you will not find one as in that time period, no one had indoor plumbing – cleverly though the location of the restrooms in Columbia Harbour House are actually in Fantasyland!!

 

. Have you noticed the Shutters on the buildings in Liberty Square hang crooked? The reason for this is that the colonists hung their shutters with leather and over time the leather would stretch causing the shutters to hang skew. The Imagineers designed the shutters to hand skew to fit with the look of the times.

. Ever seen a doll in one of the windows in Liberty Square? This was to show Firefighters that a child lived in the house. Very clever actually….

. The Liberty Tree is based on the original Liberty Tree in Boston which served as the gathering place for the Sons of Liberty in the time leading up to the Boston Tea Party. Disney Imagineers actually transplanted a 35 ton, 135 year old oak from elsewhere on the property to Liberty Square. This majestic tree holds 13 lanterns, one for each of the colonies!

. The Liberty Bell that hangs in the Square is an exact replica case from the same mould as the original Liberty Bell. In 1976, each state received a replica of the bell in celebration of the BiCentennial. Pennsylvania had the original so they were not sure what to do with the replica, when Walt Disney World asked if they could have the replica for the Magic Kingdom, Pennsylvania agreed and the replica now sits in Liberty Square. Florida is the only state to showcase two replica’smade from the cast from the original bell.

. The lobby in the Hall of Presidents is actually a Federally Recognized Presidential Museum! Other than the White House, the Hall of Presidents in Liberty Square is the only other place that a Presidential Seal can be used. An Act of Congress had to allow WDW to use the Seal. This show often gets skipped over but you should take the time to view this interesting attraction!

Do you have any other interesting Facts about Liberty Square? If you do, please share them with us in the comments section below! Thanks for Reading!!

(Not Quite) Worldless Wednesday : Artifcats at Walt Disney World's Hall of Presidents

By Nick 

On this week's Disney Exchange Podcast we discuss attractions and exhibits celebrating American Patriotism at Walt Disney World, including the Hall of Presidents and the Presidential artifacts that can be found there, so I though this a good time to share some.  

Episode 82 The Disney Exchange - American Patriotism at Walt Disney World

By Nick

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave and me, Nick.

"I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!" -The White Rabbit.

This episode would obviously have been great to post on July 3rd, but I didn't come up with the topic until halfway through July 4th.

There are plenty of references to America to be found at Walt Disney World, and we share all we can think of.

 
If we missed any, please let us know on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange  

The Wheel of Distiny topic was suggested by Gaylin. Have you ever spit any food out at Walt Disney World?

Thanks for listening to The Disney Exchange!

Goodbye Echo Lake at Disney's Hollywood Studios?

By Lisa Green  

 

Now that the Sorcerer’s Hat is a thing of the past and we can stop watching its demise piece by piece on every form of social media available, it’s time to talk about more changes at the Studios.  If the poor hat could cause such a stir, the loss of Echo Lake will likely launch a tsunami of outrage.  According to the rumor mill, Echo Lake, Dino Gertie, and Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner will be next on the chopping block.

It has to do with sightlines and the Star Wars Land expansion, if I heard the alleged plans correctly, but those details aren’t really as important right now as preparing to cope with this future Disney’s Hollywood Studios (or will that be Disney’s Hollywood Adventures?) in a dramatically altered form.

As you’d probably expect, here are five thoughts on Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Without Echo Lake

1.  It’ll be a huge adjustment!  The Studios opened in 1989 and in early 1990, I started building my Studios-visiting style and traditions.  At one time, I couldn’t imagine what the Studios would be like without Roger Rabbit, who in the early days had a major presence in the park.  So much as already changed over the years, mostly in the form of removals rather than additions.  I don’t know about you, but I still have a hard time not calling it MGM Studios.  I like Echo Lake right where it is, but I want the Studios to be back to an exciting full-day park the way it was originally.  If that’s the sacrifice that must be made, so be it.

2. Gertie’s a cutie, but the #SaveGertie movement will not start with me.

3. Min & Bill’s, I’m going to miss!  I’m sure we can and will find a substitute for the long-standing tradition of getting an afternoon beer from the Dockside Diner, but it’ll take some getting used to.  I’m confident a new and unique, possibly even better, counter service restaurant will come along.  I’ve never been impressed with the overall selection or quality of the quick service selections in the studios – it’s time for that to change!

4. Imagine the construction walls!  During the transformation, our plan will be – hit the Studios for Tower of Terror, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Toy Story Midway Mania, Star Tours and a couple of the smaller, but beloved attractions like the Great Movie Ride, MuppetVision 3D or Indiana Jones (for as long as it lasts) and then get the heck out of there.

5. Getting from before to after is going to be painful!  I’m a little sad but hopeful and excited.  From what I’ve heard so far, the park will maintain enough original elements to keep traditionalists happy while adding a much needed infusion of new attractions and restaurants.  Star Wars Weekends are already amazing and the Star Wars area of the park, though small, is (to me) the most well-themed section of the Studios.

We’re ready for a new and improved Disney’s Hollywood Studios but also understand that the changes will make the park worse before it gets better.  Will it all be worth it in the end?  Time will tell.  What are your thoughts on the Studios’ upcoming transformation?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!

Episode 81 of The Disney Exchange Podcast-We Love the Nightlife

By Nick 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download 

The Disney Exchange is Lisa, Dave and me! It's really great, we enjoy doing it (mostly), it's often funny (if I do say so myself) and, maybe not surprisingly given the title, about Disney. You really should be listening! Tell your friends!

This week we start off having a fascinating discussion about forward and backward slashes. I know I really built this show up in the previous paragraph only to bring you into the reality of our world, and for that I apologize.

This is a forward slash - / and this is a back slash - \ .

The discussion was started with me mentioning a site my friend Alison shared that helps keep track of Disney Gift Cards, a topic we discussed back on Episode 76.

I continue to thank several of our listeners for giving feedback on Facebook, sharing their thoughts. We love that people are starting to interact, so thank you again!

Lisa thanks listeners from several states. Thank you people from EVERY state! AND Country. And Providence. And Prefecture. Etc.

I say more stuff which Lisa apparently tunes out, which leads to Dave telling about his recent experiences at Walt Disney World, sharing his thoughts on Sommerfest in the Germany Pavilion, the updated Norway Pavilion, and the updated Soarin,' all found in Epcot.

Photos: Dave

Our main topic, We Love the Nightlife. We share our perfect evening at Walt Disney World. Dave goes to Disney Springs, Lisa around the Monorail Loop, and I head to Disney's Hollywood Studios, finally bringing us all together at Jellyrolls at the Boardwalk Resort.

 Photo: Lisa

Our Wheel of Distiny topic is from Shendl (thanks as always!) : Our favorite Walt Disney World Cupcake.

You can suggest YOUR Wheel topic, show topic, request a Listener Number, tell us what you think of the show, or tell me how much you love me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedisneyexchange, Twitter: https://twitter.com/disneyexchange  or email us at: info@thedisneyexchange  

And if the mood strikes, please head over to iTunes and give us a 5 star rating and or review!


Thank you for listening to The Disney Exchange!

Why You Should Give the Hall of Presidents a Chance

 

 

By Lisa Green 

 

I think the Hall of Presidents in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom gets a bad rap.  Sure, there’s the fact that it’s not a ride – there is in fact no spinning, twirling, climbing, or thrilling drops.  It might even smell a little bit educational and you know what?  When most folks go on vacation, the last thing they want to do is be educated.  History is boring, right?  Patriotism is for old people maybe.  Politics is a bad word.  Whatever the reason, the Hall of Presidents isn’t all that popular unless it’s an extremely warm day and you’re looking for a quiet place to nap.  Not me, though.  I actually like the Hall of Presidents – I love history, I love the animatronics, and I love knowing that Walt Disney would have loved it too.

Located in Liberty Square, the Hall of Presidents (modeled after Independence Hall) is an original Magic Kingdom attraction and opened on October 1, 1971.  Obviously, since there have been seven additional presidents since Richard Nixon was in office, the attraction has changed quite a bit over the years.  My fascination with the experience starts right when I walk through the door into the theater’s lobby.

The Great Seal of the United States is front and center.  That’s pretty awesome, but the perimeter of the room is what interests me the most.  The paintings are cool, the artifacts are interesting, but I love the first ladies’ dress displays.

I can’t help it – I love fashion and I think seeing different styles worn by first ladies like Laura Bush makes the imagined historical figures seem more real.  If I arrive early enough, I take a long, slow stroll around the lobby to take it all in before entering the theater.

Morgan Freeman could read the phone book to me and I’d gladly listen to every name and number.  The fact that Mr. Freeman is the narrator of the show in the Hall of Presidents makes it perfect.  The show’s use of multimedia effects holds my interest.  I really enjoy sitting close enough to study the details on each presidential figure.Honest Abe just floors me!  And gives me goose bumps.  I’m sappy, sentimental, and get all puffed up with patriotism during that show!

I don’t have to visit the Hall of Presidents on every vacation at Walt Disney World, but I’d be devastated if it ever closed.  Many people feel the American Adventure in Epcot is the better “American” attraction – and I’ll agree that Epcot’s show is also excellent, just not exactly the same.

 

   

Walt Disney had the idea for bringing American Presidents to life in animatronic form – he knew the impact that could have!  Seeing our founding fathers and those that followed all together in one place makes quite an impression.  At least to me.

What about you?  Are you a fan of the Hall of Presidents or not so much.  If you’ve never seen it or it’s been a long time since you’ve experienced it – are you willing to give it a chance?

This article was originally posted on Lisa's Living a Disney Life Blog.
She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LivingaDisLife and on Twitter at @life_of_green

Please be sure to check out Lisa along with me and David Hodges on The Disney Exchange Podcast!