Episode 33 - Losing My Mind

Goofy's How to...Do Disney on a budget.

Working for Disney is without doubt the cheapest way to visit Disney World and comes down to 2 things: Cast Member benefits and cheap rent. But you won't be entitled to any Cast Member benefits (food discounts, free park entry, etc) until after your first day of work a.k.a. Traditions. So here are some things you can do that won't leave you drastically out of pocket.

First up is Downtown Disney. Last year I was surprised by the number of people that didn't know that it is free to go there. There are loads of restaurants and shops to visit and you can spend ages just walking around the place, soaking up the atmosphere. I know lots of people are keen to go to TREX (or similar) early on in the trip and my one criticism of that is that eating in places like those can get very expensive really quickly. There is no doubt that the food is overpriced. Remember that once you get your CM ID you'll get discounts in a lot of those places so consider whether it's worth waiting to visit the more expensive ones after Traditions.

For cheaper places to dine try IHOP, Perkins, Santa Fe, or any other "Normal" restaurants, along with places like Earl of Sandwich.
Another thing you can do for free is go and visit the hotels. There are plenty to choose from and during your first few days I recommend visiting the Polynesian and the hotels around the Magic Kingdom. Several reasons... firstly the beach at the Polynesian is a great place to watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from so you can watch Wishes without spending a dime. Secondly, each hotel is beautifully themed and there's lots to explore. Thirdly, every hotel has a quick service location, many of which feature menu items that are also in their more expensive restaurants but for a fraction of the cost.

The next option isn't free but being a Disney CM won't save you any money on it so I'm throwing it in here anyway. Universal Orlando! If you're planning on visiting more than once then it's probably worth you getting an annual pass (which can also get you food and merch discounts).

Or what about more shopping? Firstly there's...ummm....Walmart which sells EVERYTHING but there's also The Florida Mall, The Millenia Mall, and the outlet malls. One of the outlet malls is right next door to the Commons and has a food court and stuff so provides another place to eat cheaply. (It's got a Subway, Starbucks, Panda Express, Sbarro etc).

Maybe you'd prefer to visit Celebration? It's a town that was built by Disney back in 1995 and it is beautiful and quaint. It's got some amazing restaurants, a cinema, and a great ice cream parlour too.

Speaking of the cinema don't forget that there's one in Downtown Disney and it's just about to start operating an in cinema restaurant as well. Basically you get fed a proper meal while you enjoy a movie - fantastic!

There's plenty of things to do in Orlando and at WDW but always try to make as much use of the discounts as possible. Loads of places will give you a discount (even non-Disney places) so ALWAYS ask before you buy.

Welcome to our Tropical Hideaway

You lucky people you! If I wasn't writing this blog right away I'd be reading it too! Why? Because it's about Adventureland!

Now I've already talked about Pirates of the Caribbean which is one of the most popular attractions in Adventureland but there's loads more to do there.

First up is the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse. I was once told by a Disney Tour Guide that if there's a queue at the treehouse then you should immediately turn yourself around and go and visit another park and if you ask me that's some good advice. I also think that everyone should go up there once just for the incredible views.

It's also a great example of attraction storytelling and some of the detail is amazing.

Next up is the Tiki Room. This attraction has been in the Orlando news since January due to a fire breaking out. Until then it featured Iago and Zazu as the new managers of the establishment (they moved in during the mid-1990s to a somewhat negative response).

It sounds like the Tiki Gods may have had something to do with the fire though because Iago and Zazu have been evicted and the Tiki Room will be reopening in June as its former glorious self.

Look out for the Tiki Birds in a future vlog.

Obviously Aladdin didn't like the idea of Iago moving into Adventureland unsupervised because around the same time a magic carpet ride moved into town. Unbelievably I can't find any pictures of either that or the Jungle Cruise on my computer. This WILL be corrected over the summer. In order to compensate I have uncovered a video on youtube of the great Skipper John who will guide you through the jungle in my stead.

I can't leave Adventureland without mentioning the amazingness that is Dole Whip. Again, I shockingly have neither photos nor video of such deliciousness but I have found a video that shows off Dole Whip in all its glory.

If that's not enough to whet your appetite then I give you ...

Next time: Master Gracey's feeling social.

Casey Jr's Coming Down the Track

Today's post is devoted to another form of transport, arguably Uncle Walt's favourite, the steam train. Specifically the Walt Disney World Railroad which I mentioned briefly when I was talking about Pirates of the Caribbean.

Before I start talking about the railroad itself I want to quickly mention Main Street USA which in terms of planning and construction is one of the places that I love looking at the most. I remember as a kid visiting the Penny Arcade and playing with the machines with my dad. The Penny Arcade has long since gone but there is still one (sort of) over in Disneyland and when I went with my friends, David, Ryan and Deborah, back in 2006 we spent a good 30 mins playing on the machines. Now as I have mentioned many a time I was (oooo! Past tense!) studying film at uni. One of the classes I took was "The History of Silent Cinema" which may seem boring to most people but I loved it, mostly because we talked about a lot of history and old theatres. One thing that came up was Nickelodeons (Not the tv channel!) where you could watch primitive movies on Kinetoscopes that are kind of like a mechanical flip book with photographs. Suddenly the memories of the Penny Arcade came flooding back. The building itself may now be shops but some of the machines still live on at the Magic Kingdom in the Main Street Train Station so if you ever have a spare few minutes go and check them out.

The easiest way to talk about the railroad is to show it to you so please seat small children on the inside of the carriages, keep your hands and arms inside the train and remain seated at all times. All aboard the Walt Disney World Railroad!

I hope you enjoyed that brief pictorial tour of the railroad. If it's ever a little wet or you just want to take a moment away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the park then hop on board the train. If you're really interested in the world of Disney steam trains then there's a tour you can do at the Magic Kingdom.

Here's a video that Disney made about the Disneyland Railroad...

I actually live near a steam train line at home and they're amazing pieces of machinery so whether you're into trains or not they're definitely not to be overlooked!

Next time: All the birds sing words and the flowers croon...

Episode 32 - Is there an echo in here?

Here's Johnny!

Give me a P....Give me an I....Give me an AAARGH!

Yes today's stop on my tour of WDW is Pirates of the Caribbean...

We pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot,
Drink up me hearties yo ho
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

Now the observant amongst you will notice that that wasn't a picture from WDW. It's actually from the original ride over at New Orleans Square in Disneyland. For those that haven't been it's a bit like a cross between the WDW version and the Mexico pavilion at Epcot but with more cavern scenes at the beginning and it is, by far, my favourite version of the ride.

We extort and pilfer, we filch and we sack,
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
Maraud and embezzle and even hijack,
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
Yo ho, Yo ho, A pirate's life for me!

These days Captain Jack Sparrow makes his home on the ride but up until a few years ago he didn't appear at all. That's what a successful film franchise will do for you. On 18th May Blackbeard is moving in too to help promote the new film and Angelica, Blackbeard's daughter, has already been appearing in Adventureland.

We kindle and char and inflame and ignite,
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
We burn up the city we're really a fright,
Drink up me hearties yo ho.

Back when I was living in Los Angeles I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. If you're ever in LA I highly recommend going. It's a beautiful old movie theater that only ever shows one film at a time that has a soda fountain attached to it. They always have at least one sundae themed to whatever film is showing. When they showed Pirates 3 they made the organ (yes, it has an organ) look like Davy Jones' organ from the film and had a gallery with loads of costumes and props from the film as well.

We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves,
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs,
Drink up me hearties yo ho

Ok, be honest, who's wondering why I just threw in a photo of a train? Well here's a little factoid for you that applies to both the Disneyland and Disney World versions of the ride. Near the beginning of both versions there's a small drop that sends you back in time. Well that drop works really well for the narrative of the ride but it actually serves a really important purpose. It allows the boats to cross the railroad line that circles the parks. At the end of the Disneyland version you cross back into the park when the boat is hoisted back up a hill near the end, but in the WDW version you cross back AFTER you get off the ride (that's what that uphill travellator is for).

We're beggars and blighters and ne'er do-well cads,
Drink up me hearties yo ho,
Aye, but we're loved by our mummies and dads,
Drink up me hearties, yo ho.
Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

The history of Pirates of the Caribbean is well documented thanks to Uncle Walt's use of television as a promotional tool. So here are two more little factoids to finish off with. First, that POTC was originally conceived as a walk through attraction with pretty much the same layout as exists at Disneyland today. The second, is that, despite it already existing at Disneyland, POTC was not an opening day attraction at WDW. Why? Because Imagineers didn't think it would appeal to people visiting the Florida park because Florida is so geographically close to the Caribbean. Guests kept asking where the ride was so they built it. Decades later when guests asked why Jack Sparrow wasn't in the ride they shut it down and reopened it with the man himself appearing throughout the attraction. Talk about history repeating itself! Well, that's guest power for you!

All together now:

Yo ho, Yo ho, a pirate's life for me!

Next time: All Aboard!

Episode 31: There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow...