Smile of The Day: Stuffed Mickey Mouse

There's nothing like walking into a store at Disney World and seeing shelves lined with Mickey Mouse. It always brings a smile to my face.

                                                                                                                                                      © Steven Liebman

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Disney Facts: How the Seven Dwarfs got their names

Drawings of the Seven Dwarfs from the press booklet
for the 1967 re-release of the movie.

Earlier this week we looked at all the rides at Disney World that have closed and how the names of the Seven Dwarfs have changed over time. Now (thanks to a suggestion from The Disney Freak) we are going to look at the origin of the Seven Dwarfs' names.

The original story from the Brothers Grimm did not name the dwarfs. But while Walt Disney was making the 1937 film, he realized the dwarfs would be the focal point of the movie. "Snow White was a charming but standard heroine; the prince appeared only briefly; and the witch was a fairy tale villainess. The dwarfs would have to provide most of the comedy and human interest," according to the 1967 press booklet created for the 30th anniversary re-release of the movie.

Walt wanted names that would reflect the personalities they were creating for the dwarfs. Some of the names proposed were Jump, Gabby, Wheezy, Nifty, Sniffy, Lazy, Puffy, Stubby, Shorty and Burby.

Snow White animator Woolie Reitherman said in the press booklet, “For the leader we wanted a special kind of personality, a self-appointed bumbler who tries to take command but gets all tangled up. We called him Doc. It was a good handle for a per­son in authority, and it suited his personality. The strongly identifying names were a beautifully simple way of establishing character.”

Many voices were tried to help spark character names. Actor Billy Gilbert had a terrific sneeze and inspired Sneezy. Other names came through the process of elimination. Happy and Grumpy provided a perfect bal­ance. Sleepy and Bashful came natu­rally.

“Dopey was the toughest of all,” re­members Ham Luske, another Snow White animator. “The boys tried to make him too much of an imbecile, which wasn’t what we really had in mind. We wanted to pattern him after Charlie Chaplin and tried many ap­propriate voices. The voice that came closest to what we wanted sounded too much like Doc.”

“Then somebody suggested that maybe he shouldn’t talk at all. That was the answer,” he said in the press booklet. “We decided that per­haps Dopey could talk but that he never really tried.”

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A look back at Disney World rides that have closed

When "Snow White's Scary Adventures" closes at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World on May 31 to make way for the new Fantasyland expansion, it will join a growing number of attractions that have disappeared since the park opened in October 1971.

The landscape at the Magic Kingdom has seen swan boat rides, alien encounters and submarine voyages come and go. Here are some attractions that were once in the Magic Kingdom:

THE PLAZA SWAN BOATS

If you ever wondered why there is a boat landing on the hub in front of Tomrrowland it's because there was once a boat ride around the hub.  The Plaza Swan Boats was a seasonal ride that operated between May 1974 and August 1983 around the hub. Twelve different swan boats would make the trip around the hub.




DAVY CROCKETT EXPLORER CANOES


The canoe ride opened in Frontierland as a C ticket ride when the park opened. After boarding a 35-foot canoe, guests would paddle around the Rivers of America. The ride closed in 1994.



MICKEY MOUSE REVUE


This was an original E-ticket attraction in Fantasyland featuring audio-animatronic performers. The show closed Sept. 14, 1980.



MR. TOAD'S WILD RIDE

Another original attraction, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride allowed guests to board a jalopy and take one of two wild rides. On the first track, guests passed through the countryside into a town where a police officer orders Mr. Toad to court for speeding. In the courtroom, Mr. Toad is found guilty and heads to jail, but drives through the jail to the countryside onto a railroad track and gets hit by a train. The final scene brings the car to Hell.

If you rode the second track, you got to see Toad's trophy room and a camp. The car also does not go to court but instead heads to Winkie's Tavern.

The ride was closed in 1998 to make room for The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh.






THE SKYWAY

The famed gondola lift took passengers between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. The ride was closed Nov. 10, 1999. The Fantasyland station, which is now used for stroller parking, will soon be demolished to make way for expanded restrooms. The Tomorrowland station was demolished in 2009.

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

The ride opened Oct. 14, 1971, two weeks after Disney World opened because of problems with the lagoon. The attraction, which took up almost one-fourth of Fantasyland, took guests a ride with Captain Nemo on his submarine.

IF YOU HAD WINGS

This four-and-a-half-minute ride was more a promotion for Eastern Air Lines than anything else. The ride, which opened June 5, 1972, took people to various destinations throughout the Caribbean and closed on June 1, 1987.

DELTA DREAMFLIGHT

Two years after If You Could Fly closed, Delta Dreamflight opened on June 23, 1989. This attraction was sponsored by Delta Air Lines and took guests on a history of flight. It closed on June 4, 1996.

FLIGHT TO THE MOON/MISSION TO MARS/ExtraTERRORestrial ALIEN ENCOUNTER

The Flight To The Moon, sponsored by McDonnell-Douglas, opened Dec. 24, 1971, and took people on a trip to the Moon. It was revamped June 7, 1975, becoming a Mission to Mars.

On Oct. 4, 1993, Mission to Mars closed. The building was transformed and reopened June 20, 1995, as ExtraTERRORestrial. This ride was like no other Disney built; it was designed to scare you. While the opening segments were light, the main part of the show featured a carnivorous alien being teleported into a dark chamber. It kills a maintenance worker and then jumps around the guests, breathing on people's necks and dripping saliva on them. Many people thought this was a bit over the top. The ride closed on Oct. 12, 2003, and was replaced by Stitch's Great Escape!, which uses many of the same set-ups and technology.

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New castle show debuts at Disney World tomorrow

Starting tomorrow (May 25), the newest version of "The Magic, The Memories, and You!” castle projection show at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World debuts.

                                                                                                    Image  © Disney

 Phineas and Ferb join other Disney characters in a 10-minute summer celebration that plays out on Cinderella Castle. Videos, animation and photographs are projected on the iconic castle. 

In addition to the Disney Channel stars, the show features a surfin’ Goofy,  Timon and Pumbaa singing Hakuna Matata, and Ariel, Sebastian and the hot crustacean band at the bottom of the ocean.

In addition to the Disney characters, the show features more than 500 photographs.

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A haircut -- hold the bibbity bobbity

No time to get a haircut before heading to Walt Disney World? No problem!

 © Mary Liebman

You'll be humming a happy tune 

after a haircut at the Harmony

Barber Shop. 

Before our last trip to Orlando, my husband couldn't squeeze in the 20 minutes he'd need to get a trim. But there was no need for him to be shaggy all week.

While little princesses have the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, babies, boys — and not a few grown men — have the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street U.S.A., a real throwback to an earlier time, complete with old-fashioned barber pole outside.

I called for an appointment and sheepishly admitted it was not for a child, but for my husband. I had a good laugh with the woman taking reservations, who was not at all surprised that a grown-up would want to get a little pixie dust in his hair. Unlike dining reservations, it wasn't hard to get squeezed in at the last minute. The barber shop sees about 400 guests every week, according to Disney, and does accommodate walk-ins.

Stepping into the tiny shop with its battered leather-clad chairs and etched glass was like stepping back in time. When I was a child, my grandfather had a barber shop in Bayonne, N.J. Seeing those chairs — complete with the same little booster seats for the kids — instantly took me back more than 30 years. It was a wonderful, comfortable feeling.

And you don't have to have barbering in your blood to get that warm, fuzzy feeling. All it takes is chatting with the lovely barbers who cheerfully snip and sprinkle their pixie dust.

 © Mary Liebman

A first haircut is a breeze when Mickey Mouse is involved.

While we waited for my husband's turn, a little blond boy endured his first haircut, but he didn't flinch as the barbers skillfully distracted him with Mickey Mouse stickers. He left, as all the first haircuts do, with his new haircut covered by special "My 1st Haircut" Mouse ears.

When my husband's turn came, the staff was charmingly good-natured about the grown-up in the room. (There may have been one mom waiting for walk-in appointments for her brood who was peeved that an adult was prolonging her wait, but the staff was unfailingly cheerful.)

My husband left with a fun story to tell when he got back to work, and a nice haircut. Bonus: The may be the one thing in Disney World that costs about what you'd pay out in the real world. Prices range from $14 for children 12 and under and $19 for adults.

The Harmony Barber Shop is open to walk-ins daily from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. To make an appointment, call (407) WDISNEY or (407) 934-7639.

I doubt the barber shop would turn away a woman in search of a trim, but if you want a little more TLC, there's the Mandara Spa at the Dolphin resort. (You might also find references to the Ivy Trellis Salon at the Grand Floridian, but it is temporarily closed due to construction.)

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Dates set for Halloween and Christmas parties at Disney World

The holidays are some of the best times to visit Walt Disney World with the parks all decked out for Halloween and Christmas.

Now, Disney has announced the dates for this year's Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and that tickets are on sale now.

Both of these after hour parties take place at Magic Kingdom. Normally the park closes to those without tickets at 7 p.m. Select rides usually remain open with special themed parades, performances and fireworks. In the case of the Halloween party, there are even places for trick or treating.

                                                                                                  © Steven Liebman
The Boo to You Halloween Parade during Mickey's Not-So-Scary
Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.

The Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates are as follows:

• September 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 30
• October 4, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30 and 3
• November 2

Tickets range from $50.95 to $64.95 depending on the dates.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates, with the bonus hot cocoa and cookies: are as follows:

• November 9, 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 and 30
• December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21

Tickets range from $59.95 to $67.95 depending on the dates.

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Tickets on sale for Night of Joy in Disney World

For the past 30 years the Magic Kingdom in Disney World has been home to the Night of Joy, a contemporary Christian musical festival. The after hours event, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. requires a special ticket. While the artists perform many of the Magic Kingdom rides remain open.

The lineup for this year is:

Friday, September 7, 2012: Casting Crowns, Chris Tomlin, NEEDTOBREATHE, Red, Francesca Battistelli, Brandon Heath, Royal Tailor, Disciple.

Saturday, September 8, 2012: MercyMe, Third Day, Kutless, Chris August, Lecrae, Yolanda Adams, Thousand Foot Krutch and Dara Maclean.Tickets for this year's event are no on sale.

Tickets are now available and can be purchased in advance for $52.95 plus tax per ticket. On the days of the event, if tickets are available, the cost will be $62.95 plus tax. Tickets can be purchased by calling 407-W-DISNEY.

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Opening dates for new Fantasyland in Disney World

                                          Photo by David Roark/Walt Disney

The first phase of "Dumbo the Flying Elephant" 

opened on March 12, 2002.

Opening dates for the next phases of the new Fantasyland have been announced and it looks like if youare heading down for the holidays you will find most of the new attractions operating.

In July, the second Dumbo The Flying Elephant will open along with the indoor interactive area serving both "Dumbo" rides and the "Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station."

"The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train" ride will open in 2014,

In time for the holidays, which is very vague but usually means by November, the "Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid," "Enchanted Tales with Belle," Be Our Guest Restaurant, Gaston’s Tavern and "Ariel’s Grotto" should be open.

“Fantasyland is a place where a very special kind of memory is made: where children just old enough to understand the moment come in contact with princesses and heroes and meet their most beloved friends,” Meg Crofton, president, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France, said in a news release.

Last month, the New Fantasyland opened the first of the two "Dumbo" rides, a new train station and "The Barnstormer" family coaster, formerly the "The Great Goofini" ride.

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Smile of The Day: Baloo waiving

It is Baloo. Yes, the bear who tells you everything you need to know when singing about the "Bare Necessities" from the movie "The Jungle Book," based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. The Hindi word for bear is bhalu, which was the inspiration for character name Baloo.

                                                                                                                                 © Steven Liebman

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Tips on drinking around the Monorail at Disney World

Every time I go to Disney World I’m on the lookout for two kinds of experiences: the new and the adult-oriented.

I’ve been visiting WDW with my husband at least once a year for the past 20 years, so finding new things to do can be a challenge. The same is true for finding grown-up things to do; it seems like even the most adult-oriented experiences are skewing younger every year.

I’d been hearing about the Monorail Pub Crawl (or “drinking around the Monorail”) for a few years, but we hadn’t taken the plunge. Naturally we’ve tried our hands at different variation on drinking around the World Showcase at Epcot -- beers around the World, wines around the World, the many tequilas of Mexico. So the Monorail Pub Crawl seemed like a natural for us.

Coincidentally, we were visiting WDW at the same time as several friends, so our Pub Crawl became a fabulous social event. But it would also be a great date night if you’re there on your own or can leave the kids with a sitter.

Take a spin around the Monorail with us:

Outer Rim, Contemporary

We gathered at the Outer Rim, a small lounge on the Contemporary’s fourth floor concourse, overlooking Bay Lake. The Outer Rim serves the standard WDW cocktail menu, but the Jetsons-style standby, the Blue Glow-tini, is perfectly appropriate. Admittedly it’s over-priced at about $10, but we wanted to set the mood for our pub crawl, so the Glow-tini was the order of the day. If you haven’t experienced one, the Glow-tini is a concoction of Skyy Infusions Citrus Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao and pineapple juice, lit from within by a souvenir glow cube.

The Outer Rim (open 4:30-10:30 p.m.) isn’t the most memorable stop on the Pub Crawl, so feel free to make it a quick stop. If you’re meeting friends, it’s a handy meeting place.

The Contemporary has two other options for pub crawling: the Wave bar and the California Grill lounge. The Wave bar is nice and quiet -- a rare respite from the madness of WDW. The California grill can be just the opposite. It’s a madhouse for at least an hour before the fireworks and 30 minutes or so after. If you miss that window, though, you can still enjoy the beautiful view -- and you may even get a seat to rest your weary feat. If you got an early start and you can fit in a fourth stop before 10, when both these places close, you can end your night with a fourth stop back at the Contemporary and get a taste of a second bar.

Tambu Lounge, Polynesian

The Lapu Lapu cocktail

We timed our trip so we could catch the fireworks from the Polynesian. We craned our necks from the lounge area, but if you wander down to the beach, there’s a beautiful view from there.

The lounge is bustling and crowded, but in a festive way. It may be hard to find a seat, but it will be worth the wait.

Tambu is the rare Disney lounge that actually does have a signature drink: the lapu lapu, Myers’s Original Dark rum and tropical fruit juices topped with Bacardi 151 rum and served in a flamboyant fresh pineapple, complete with cocktail umbrella. My husband blithely ordered one of these beauties assuming it wouldn’t pack much of a punch. After all, the Glow-tini hadn’t given him much of a glow. Boy, was he wrong. This is a serious drink (especially for a guy who’s not a hard drinker).

I ordered another drink that isn’t exclusive to the Tambu Lounge but seemed suitable to the environment: The Eco-tini. Made of VeeV Acai Liquor, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, ginger and lemon juice, this sexy martini is served with a souvenir Acai seed bracelet. Very cute.

If you want to linger, the Tambu Lounge is the last of our Monorail pubs to close, with last call at midnight.

The Eco-tini cocktail

Mizner’s Lounge, the Grand Floridian

It would be easy to sink into one of the plush chairs at Mizner’s and stay all night, so it’s a good thing we made this our last stop.

Mizner’s demands old-fashioned libations, like Old-Fashioneds, bourbon or scotch on the rocks. It’s also a fabulous place for a brandy or a spiked coffee. Mizner’s also has a great wine list, if that’s your thing. So forget the canned cocktail menu and let the spirits move you.

If you get there by 10, you also can enjoy the Grand Floridian’s jazz band or take in the fireworks from the beach.

This was by far my favorite stop on our pub crawl. It wasn’t the first time we’ve been to Mizner’s; we often stop in before dinner at Citrico’s or Narcoose’s (or -- just once -- at Victoria and Albert’s). So we knew we would sink in and be comfortable.


We lingered at Mizner’s late into the evening -- as late as possible, given the 11 p.m. closing time -- and finally shared a cab back to our resort with our friends.

More Monorail Pub Crawl tips:

• Watch the timing for fireworks. (Here’s the Magic Kingdom calendar. Click on the day to see the full entertainment schedule.) There are great views from the beach at the Polynesian, as well as obstructed view from inside near the Tambu Lounge. You can also see them from the beach at the Grand Floridian. Both are romantic spots, if this is date night. 
• Make sure the Magic Kingdom is open late so the Monorail is running. The resort Monorail typically runs until an hour after park closing. If you’re not staying at a Monorail resort, if the Magic Kingdom is open late you’ll be able to take a bus from there back to your resort. 
• Cabs are easy to get, so if you don’t want to take a bus back from your last stop, it’s easy to get a ride. Whatever you do, don’t drive. 
• Do the pub crawl at Christmas and you get the added bonus of visiting the beautiful Grand Floridian when it’s all decked out for the holidays, and you can stop by the gingerbread house.

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Smile of The Day: Woody Celebrating It

Woody riding on a Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Parade party float at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

                                                                                                                                    © Steven Liebman

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Smile of The Day: Chip and Dale

Chip and Dale are part of the ring of statues around the hub in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. Did you know Disney created the two chipmunks in 1943. Chip is supposed by the schemer and Dale the dim-witted one. Can you tell them apart?

© Steven Liebman

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Smile of The Day: Mickey Celebrating It

Mickey Mouse on the Celebrate It parade float in the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.  The Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party is an interactive show filled with music, dancing and surprises held in front of Cinderella Castle.

                                                                                                                                      © Steven Liebman

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Orange Bird coming back to the Magic Kingdom

It was a big Orange Bird that could be seen walking around the Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland greeting guests in the 1970s. Now the image of Orange Bird is returning.

The Orange Bird was created in 1970 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission after they sponsored the Tropical Serenade, the Magic Kingdom's version of The Enchanted Tiki Room. The bird also appeared in ads for oranges with Anita Bryant. The character even had his own record written by the Sherman Brothers called, “The Orange Bird Song.”

Eventually when the commissions' contract with Disney expired in the early 1980s, so did the bird.

But this morning, according to the Disney Parks Blog, D23 representatives announced the return of the bird. The Orange Bird will appear in signage and on drinks cups, as well, as a new line of Orange Bird merchandise.

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New time-lapse video of the Fantasyland Construction

Disney released this new video of how the Fantasyland construction is going at Walt Disney World.

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Disney releases video giving inside look at new Be Our Guest Restaurant

Disney today released this video giving an inside look at the Be Our Guest Restaurant that is part of the Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom. WDI Senior Concept Designer Ted Robledo shows what the centerpiece mural inside looks like.

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Homemade movie trailer for Disney's it's a small world ride

We all love movie trailers. Here's one we made a year ago based on it's a small world ride. Enjoy. We have a few more coming.

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Smile of The Day: Ursula

Another photo from the vault: Ursula waves during a 2003 parade at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

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Smile of The Day: Magic Kingdom entrance

Here's a look back at the entryway of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.

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Disney Facts: Stitch's Great Escape

Santa Stitch

When fans thought "The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter" in the Tomorrowland section of the Magic Kingdom was too violent, Disney decided to replace it with "Stitch's Great Escape." The show remained basically the same, but it was redressed and the story revamped. Instead of an alien escaping and running amok in the audience, it's Stitch from "Lilo and Stitch."

Here are some quick facts about the ride:

• Skippy, an alien seen previously in The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter attraction, returns.
• The two plasma cannons that track Stitch’s DNA were inspired by devices seen in "Lilo & Stitch." Each weighs more than 1,600 pounds.
• Stitch is the first Audio-Animatronics figure to spit.
• The alien language seen throughout the Prisoner Teleport Center was inspired by designs created for the opening scenes of "Lilo & Stitch." The designs were turned into an alphabet that can be decoded into English.

Source: Walt Disney World

MORE DISNEY FACTS

• Hooked on the American Idol Experience
• Animal Kingdom By The Numbers
• How Expedition Everest village was built
• How Illuminations is put together, By The Numbers

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