I’ve received a helpful letter from someone with more details on how Disney’s finger scanning technology works. It appears I was mis-informed about all the data being stored on the magnetic strip portion of the card, just the identifying info for the card is stored there. But putting more information than that on them is… Read More »Finger Scanning: Inside Stuff
Well it appears the day went off fairly well, all things considered. The park was packed at times, but the gates never closed. Here’s a look around the net at some of the coverage. LaughingPlace.com kept sending photos of the event in real time via it’s ‘LIVE‘ cameraphone feature. The official 50th Anniversary Podcasts. The… Read More »Disneyland’s well-wishers
Dear Disneyland, There’s been a lot of celebrating going on. But I’m afraid the real real reason for the happiness has been lost amid the corporate boardroom battles, budget issues, marketing gobbledygook, and the need to appease the behemoth your legacy has become. But don’t worry, we fans remember you. We know that it’s your… Read More »Happy Birthday Disneyland!!!
Roy Disney has announced that SaveDisney.com, the website from which he led his charge to oust Eisner, will be shuttered as of August 7th. That’s a shame because there is plenty good reporting there. Many articles express the hopes and dreams of so many cast members, artists, fans, and scholars for the Walt Disney Company’s… Read More »SaveDisney.com to close August 7th
Disneyland turns 50 this year and it’s biggest fans are throwing one heck of a pre-party in the form of the 2005 NFFC Convention. Schedule details have recently been posted and the lineup looks great. Since Disney isn’t offering this kind of thing themselves anymore, this is your only chance to get the scoop directly… Read More »DL50th Fan Convention Schedule Posted
It is difficult to speculate exactly what happened yesterday to cause the sad death of a young boy at Walt Disney World. Eventually the autopsy will reveal whether the attraction had anything to do with the death. It may not have. I do not mean to accuse the family or Disney Management of misdeeds, but I do wonder what a 4-year old was doing on Mission Space (M:S) at Epcot.
M:S is one of the most intense experiences available to guests visiting Walt Disney World. So what would lead a family to want to take their young child on it? Which warnings did they see and which did they miss? How can we give a family more information before they make their decision to join the queue? All questions that need to be answered to make the Disney World experience as safe as possible for all guests.
Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror probably qualifies as the most intense experience availabe to guests at the four Walt Disney World themeparks. Not only does the name imply its intensity, but as you approach the attraction to ride you can see exactly what happens to guests already on board as they plummet faster than gravity and then are jerked back up only to be pulled back down again repeated times. If the visual clues aren’t enough, the screams of terror is another signal. Those with weak constitutions know by these indicators to stay away. Parents with questions can see what happens during the ride and can judge if their child is appropriate for the attraction. At least that should work in theory.
Read More »Blink before riding: Steps to better decision making at Disney World
For the 6 weeks that I’ve been in Orlando and frequently visit the Disney themeparks here it has been easy to notice the presense of 500 workers from Hong Kong (CNN is running a story today). They all wear a bright red ribbon beneath their nametags. The ribbon identifies them as being from Hong Kong… Read More »Hong Kong Disneyland workers train at Disney World
Disney themeparks around the world are now flooded with signage and merchandise (see the LaughingPlace Store for the best selection) to honor Disneyland’s 50th anniversary. But the one collectible publication everyone will need this year isn’t even produced by the Walt Disney Company. Nope. It’s issue two of the new magazine Tales from the Laughing… Read More »New Laughing Place Magazine