Disney Christmas Wish

If I had a Christmas Wish to bring back one extinct Disney attraction what would it be? Easy. I'd want the Journey Into Imagination With Figment to be restored to it's original glory.

This ride was great! In it, Dreamfinder and the product of his imagination, Figment, takes us on a tour through the process of creativity and ingenuity. "One Little Spark" may be my favorite all time ride anthem and the characters and ride scenes were vivid and alive.

As good as the attraction was itself, the ride exited into ImageWorks, an awesome interactive "playground" where you could continue your exploration into music, art, and color. It was a lot of fun! This area encouraged you to really explore the limitless potential that exists in each of us and playfully create something. Did I mention it was a lot of fun!

Part of the reason I want this attraction back so badly is that its replacement is so bad. I enjoyed other now-gone Epcot attractions like Horizions and the World of Motion, but I also enjoy their replacements (Mission: SPACE and Test Track). I cannot say the same for the newest "Imagination" version. I'm not even sure why they still call it "Imagination" as the ride now deals more with the five senses - meaning things you experience through sight, sound, or smell. Contrast this with the original version which encouraged you to follow the conviction of your own ideas - things you must "believe in" to create and share with others.

Associated with the new current attraction is ImageWorks: The What-If Labs. It is similarly uninspired when compared with the original.

WDW Radio explored the history of this attraction in great detail (start listening at the 39 minute mark).

I get a little sad when I take my daughter into this attraction and realize all that she's missing. I also feel this way in the new Tiki Bird attraction which is equally bad when compared to the original.

If only...

Disney Tip Idea #2 - Share Stuff

I've heard the idea to share fast passes a number of times and I had the opportunity to try it on our last trip.

We had gotten 3 fast passes to Peter Pan earlier in the day, but as the time for SpectroMagic and the fireworks approached, we realized we wouldn't make it back to Fantasyland in time to use them. We found another family of 3 and asked if they wanted them. They couldn't be happier! It was fun to see their excitement as they raced off toward the ride.

*****

Another time, as we sat waiting for SpectoMagic a family sat next to us and offered my daughter an extra sucker they had just purchased at the candy store. It was a sweet gesture (pun intended) and we had a nice conversation while waiting for the parade to start. What a simple way to to make fast friends!

*****

On the first day of our last trip, we bought my daughter a Mickey balloon - one of the large double balloons where a Mickey balloon floats inside of a large, clear, outer balloon. Anyway, this thing lasted the entire week! We knew we probably wouldn't be able to take it on the plane home, so we told my daughter to find another little kid who looked like they could use a balloon and pass it on. She found a little boy and he was really happy to get it. His parents were touched by my daughter's gesture and it was a good lesson in sharing.


For some reason, this type of sharing and openness comes more naturally for people in Disney World. I can't believe all the nice people we met while waiting in line or on the buses traveling to the parks. It gave us a good feeling to make these new friends. We've been trying to follow some of these simple sharing techniques now that we're back home.

Stealin'

My car was broken into on Sunday. Nothing important was taken - just some CDs, the car's owners manual, and a few Tim Horton bucks.

Apparently the thieves didn't think most of the stuff was worth stealing either - they ditched the CDs and owners manual in the front lawn.

I don't know what to feel worse about - that my car was broken into or that my stuff wasn't even worth stealing!

Re: 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World - Cast Members

In the last installment of his 7 Wonders of Walt Disney World series, Lou Mongello and the guests on his show discussed the Cast Members as the key component which make Walt Disney World a truly special place to visit. It's the way we're treated - the little personal touches, the courtesy and respect, the passion all the cast members have - which allow these "strangers" to become such an integral and important part of our family vacations. For frequent visitors who see some of the same cast members on each trip, these people become an extended family. This story is one of many I've seen firsthand which demonstrate this unique bond.

On our first trip to Walt Disney World, we took our daughter to see Beauty and the Beast, Live on Stage. We got to the stadium early and had some decent seats. We watched some "stagehands" bring out some mics for the show, do a sound check, and then - completely to our surprise - burst into song! We were completely duped by these guys! It was so cool! We loved the "main" show itself - it was a highlight of our vacation - but it was the surprise of the preshow that really stuck with me.

My parents joined us on our next trip and I knew they'd enjoy this "surprise" too. I also learned that this was going to be one of the last performances for this group (Four for a Dollar) as their contracts were ending. Apparently a lot of other guests also heard the news - the stadium was loaded! My poor parents were a little confused when the guy who brought out the first mic for the show received a standing ovation. The ovations and frequent calls to the guys lasted more or less the entire show. This extended ovation was a testament to all the great memories these guys provided to families through the years. That so many people would turn out to personally thank these guys and let them know they would be sorely missed was an obvious sign that this group became a big part of many vacations - which possibly started the first time these guests were also "duped" like I was. It was a "meeting" guests looked forward to every time they visited Walt Disney World - like seeing an old friend. They will certainly be missed on my next trip.

Other places can try and duplicate the attractions or the theming, but it's the Cast of People working at Walt Disney World which truly sets it apart from other destinations.

Christmas BBQ

Maybe it's a little irreverent, but I thought up this song on my way home last night with some BBQ takeout (sing to "Christmas Shoes")

Sir, I'd like some barbecue
For my Mama, please
It's Christmas Eve and she really wants some ribs
Could you hurry, sir,
Daddy says there's not much time
You see she's been hungry for quite a while
And I know these ribs would make her smile
And I want her to be really full
So can Mama eat barbecue tonight?

The BBQ was good by the way.

Disney Tip Idea #1 - Pack swim suits for kiddos in the parks

I've read a lot of Disney travel tips (and will repeat my experiences following some of those), but one we've stumbled into on our own is pack swim suits for your kids in the parks.

All the parks have water areas where kids can cool off when it's hot out. Usually, these "fun fountains" squirt water randomly up from the ground over a rubberized surface. Our daughter loves to play in these and gets totally soaked.

We've started to pack her swim suit and bring it to the park each day. We're usually the envy of other parents in the area - especially those who must tell their kids that they can't get their clothes wet because they are close to a dining reservation.

So even though you don't plan on being near a pool, don't forget pack your kids swim suit everyday! Your kids will thank you!

Lost Season 5

I've started to see promos for the next season of Lost on TV (1/21). To be honest, I almost lost interest. I still love the story, but last season was fragmented with the writer's strike and now there's this horribly long (8 month) layoff between seasons. The producers of Lost attempted another Alternate Reality Game during this down time, but I never got into it much and it ultimately failed.

Then I found http://www.sl-lost.com containing...

• a Mr Friendly message for Jack
• a count of all the times Hurley said "dude" in 4 Seasons
• a series of "In preparation for Season 5" videos
  
• and some new videos from Damon and Carlton
  

Great stuff!

It's got me thinking again...

• Why is Locke now known as Jeremy Bentham and why do they need to take his dead carcass in order to return to the island?
• Can Ben go back to the Island? It didn't seem like it when he left.
  
• Where is the island?
• What about dead Michael and dead Jin - do they need to return to the island? What about Desmond and Frank?

All this and the usual smoke monster, where are the kids, what is DHARMA questions....