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Bring to Walt Disney World: The Hyperloop

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This week crazy-like-a-fox billionaire businessman Elon Musk introduced his latest revolutionary concept, the Hyperloop, and then gave it away to the masses as an open source project. Musk’s previous successes include Paypal (without which much online transactions wouldn’t happen), Tesla (an electric car company that’s profitable for a change), SpaceX (a private company that is helping NASA get payloads into space with an eventual goal of Mars(!)), and SolarCity (affordable solar panels for home and business; It remains to be seen if this will fall into the success category, but it seems likely with a net positive in the profit column last quarter).

Hollywood director Jon Favreau has said he modeled his version of Tony Stark, aka Marvel’s Iron Man, at least in part after Musk. But I think Tony Stark is the wrong model. Musk reminds me more of late period Walt Disney, when Walt had his eye on the future, not just of entertainment and the Disney Company, but of the planet as a whole and improving the lives of those who live on it. His gained steam with Monorails (mass transit), moved onto PeopleMovers (person rapid transit (PRT)), and dabbled in energy efficiency and recycling. Then Walt united all his theories and took on the mother of all urban planning projects – EPCOT, the experimental prototype community of tomorrow. With EPCOT, Walt wanted to build a working community where he could partner with industrial explorers with a similar vision for the future.

That is essentially the same vision as Elon Musk; which is why I think there is a natural partnership between Musk, his companies, and The Walt Disney Company. To get started, create the partnership for the purposes of building a working prototype of the Hyperloop at Walt Disney World. Musk, or his team, would be involved enough to oversee things, but most of the R&D would be left to Walt Disney Imagineering. The resulting prototype would be a great first step to making a full scale Hyperloop a feasible project to get past local and state governments.

Disney’s Imagineers already have much of the expertise needed to build such a system. They have experience with air-bearings (from the Flying Saucers ride in 60s to the revisited version at DCA), mass transit systems (Monorail, PeopleMover, etc.) and for years they used a garbage disposal system at the Magic Kingdom that magically whisked away trash right from the curb side down an air pressure driven pipe. They also have good contacts in the coaster and mass transit construction industries, so finding suppliers would not be difficult. Read More »Bring to Walt Disney World: The Hyperloop

Magic Kingdom – Photo Update, The Slow Pace of Change

Work on the sidewalk infront of the Emporium has expanded

Yesterday we took a walk around the construction site for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train roller coaster. Lots of work being done, even if it’s slow. Slow is the theme for the rest of the Magic Kingdom as well. Lots of stuff going on, but nothing much is happening fast.

So let’s head out on our photo update and see what’s new since our last trip around the park:

Read More »Magic Kingdom – Photo Update, The Slow Pace of Change

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction Update – August 2013 – New Fantasyland

Another look at the big drop out of the interior

Another look at the big drop out of the interior

We check in again on the progress Disney is making on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. It’s schedule to open in 2014, the last of the New Fantasyland expansion area to be finished. Hard to see much change since we last updated the project, bit it’s there. There’s more finished rock-work and more of the yellow rock contour installed. On the exterior portion they’ve really started to do some detail work in the tight twisty portion of the track.

Still, we’re a long way from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs moving in. All we know so far is sometime in 2014. I wish they’d hurry up.

Photo gallery below the jump:

Read More »Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Construction Update – August 2013 – New Fantasyland

Why Disney Parks are Magic at Night.

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You can have your rope drop, your mad rush into the parks–I’ll sleep in, go later, and stay until closing. Sure it means I’ll miss out on getting a fastpass for certain attractions (although with the new Magic Bands coming, not for much longer), but visiting the parks at night is pure magic.  I love that energized feeling you get after dinner when it’s cooler out and you’ve gotten your second wind. It’s always sweet to see sleepy families walking out of the park, happy and exhausted, holding hands.  Nighttime in the parks offers a different kind of energy than what you see during the day and to me, it’s the best part of any Disney vacation.

My favorite park at night is Hollywood Studios. It isn’t the rides or the shows, it’s the lighting. It’s beautiful shining on the old-fashioned Art Deco buildings as you walk into the park, but even buildings as simple as those in Pixar Place get a festive glow from twinkle lights strung across the buildings and in the trees.  Grab a carrot cake cookie–it’s practically mandatory that you stop in at The Writer’s Stop and get one while visiting–and find a bench and people watch.Read More »Why Disney Parks are Magic at Night.

Halloween Merch At Magic Kingdom, Plus Mickey’s Not So Scary Details

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Believe it or not we’re less than a month away from the return of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party to the Magic Kingdom. You know what that means? The seasonal merchandise is in. Also, after years of decline in terms of the what’s offered for guests, it sounds like this year’s MNSSHP will have some new offerings.

More merchandise photos and event details below the jump:

Read More »Halloween Merch At Magic Kingdom, Plus Mickey’s Not So Scary Details

American Idol Experience Opens to Junior Performers for Limited Time Magic

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The Walt Disney Company has a long tradition of supporting youth performers, from the original Mickey Mouse Club showcasing some of Hollywood’s best talent to Magic Music Days giving school kids the chance to perform in a Disney theme park. For one week during its Limited Time Magic promotion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is extending that idea to the American Idol Experience.

The age limit for performing at American Idol Experience has always been tied to the TV shows eligibility requirements. If the winner got a dream ticket they couldn’t use, that would make no sense right?

From August 12-18, Disney will have one Juniors Show, where contestants aged 6-13 can perform. They won’t get a dream ticket, but they will get an amazing experience.

The special taste of showbiz will begin with an audition in front of a Disney producer, just like the regular show. The three contestants chosen for the Juniors Show will get a Hollywood-style showbiz treatment including cosmetology, a vocal training session and walk-through rehearsal before taking the stage in front of the live audience. The three finalists will also get feedback from the panel of judges. It’s not mentioned if the audience will vote for a winner or if some other ending will be involved.

If your child wants to enter, we’ve included the list of songs choices below the jump. Better get rehearsing right away.

Read More »American Idol Experience Opens to Junior Performers for Limited Time Magic

Haunted Mansion Recreated in Roller Coaster Tycoon

The happy ghosts at Strange and Frightening Sounds Blog have recreated the Magic Kingdom version of the Haunted Mansion in Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. It’s by far the most complete ride-through of any Disney attraction I’ve seen in RCT3. Not quite as good as being… Read More »Haunted Mansion Recreated in Roller Coaster Tycoon

Signature Restaurants and Small Children? Yes or No?

I’ve noticed that a lot of parents hesitate to take small children to Disney signature restaurants, choosing instead buffet and character meal options. While those are fine, even really great in some cases, I think that parents and grandparents miss out if they don’t have a… Read More »Signature Restaurants and Small Children? Yes or No?