In 1984 the world was quite different. The cold war had yet to enter its death throes, the Bell System that controlled the nation’s telecommunication system, was broken up into the baby bells, the first Apple Computer went on sale, and Bob Geldorf recorded “Do… Read More »Time Travel: Walt Disney World in 1984 (VIDEO)
Walt Disney Parks Chair Tom Staggs, Snow White, and all seven of Walt Disney’s famous dwarfs gathered on Friday to officially dedicate the newest attraction at the Magic Kingdom and the crown jewel of New Fantasyland, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. “Seven Dwarfs Mine Train… Read More »Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Official Dedication Ceremony
After years of work, the last piece of New Fantasyland is about to fall into place with the ribbon cutting ceremony for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster later this week. Workers are still buzzing around the track taking care of minor details during the… Read More »Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Clearance Rig On Track As Media Event Nears
I had a few free moments this afternoon and my son and I decided to visit the Magic Kingdom to sneak in a few rides and see Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with all the walls finally removed. More on that later this weekend. As we were headed out of Tomorrowland toward the hub, just about 3pm, we saw a small puff of smoke and then fire quickly growing around a generator / water pump near the edge of the Magic Kingdom Plaza Improvement project construction zone (read my recent update of that construction).
In a few moments, it had burnt through most of the fencing directly adjacent to it and looked to be threatening the fern bushes between it and Tomorrowland Terrace. Guests were dining just a few feet away in the restaurant, but quickly took notice of the flames, some moving away, some coming over for a closer look.
I felt that on the Tomorrowland Bridge, I was a safe distance away. I took out my camera and my mobile phone to get some video. It’s hard to film both at the same time and upload to Instagram, so I handed the camera off to a poorly trained monkey nearby. The first part of the video is the footage I could save from his unfocused attempts at documenting the incident.
From when we arrived to when the fire was extinguished took almost exactly 5 minutes.
As it turns out, there was one worker in the construction zone. After standing a few paces away and thinking about the best course of action, he left the scene, traveled under the bridge to the other side of main street, then returned with a bucket full of water. Which did almost nothing to put out the flames. Luckily there was a closer source of water, so he took a few steps down the bank and refilled the bucket then dumped it on the flames again, still with little impact on the fire itself. But I think he did prevent it from spreading any further.Read More »Construction Fire at Magic Kingdom Plaza Improvement Project
Indigo is back with another installment of “A Kid’s View of Disney.” This time we go on a flying carpet high over Adventureland for a unique POV video. The Magic Carpets of Aladdin is one of the attractions we have been wanting to ride for… Read More »A Kid’s View of Disney – The Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The water park wars don’t usually get a lot of coverage in the traditional or online media, but it’s on in Orlando. Universal is rumored to be working on a complete re-envisioning of the water park experience (either on the property where Wet-n-Wild now sits… Read More »Ihu’s Breakaway Falls Nears Completion at SeaWorld’s Aquatica
As announced in February, the Central Plaza, or Hub, at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is undergoing a major update. The finished version will have more of a park like setting, with ample walking space to navigate around parades and shows, more outdoor dining seating, plus special viewing areas for fireworks and more.
I took a walkabout of the hub area earlier this week and captured a little video to show the progress. Right now they’re concentrating on the section of the hub that is closest to Main Street, where the additional fireworks viewing areas will be. However, lots of little projects are underway around the hub. The video ends with a look at the Rose Garden as it blooms for one last season in its current form.
Can’t watch the video? I have selected photos below the jump in a gallery:
Read More »Magic Kingdom Central Plaza Improvement Project Update
April is Earth Month, and Disney has a long history of protecting the environment and finding ways to connect families with nature. From Animal Kingdom to conserving resources to reducing environmental impact from everyday business practices, Disney prides itself on its conservation values. In celebration… Read More »Disney Celebrates Earth Month with “Bears”