Theme Perks

Disney Dreamin'

2010-03-16T15:18:00.005-06:00

So I haven't really blogged in, what, 9 months? Insane. Sadly, I don' t have the time or the energy to devote any extra time to the Happiest Place On Earth. In those 9 months, I started back as an undergrad, switched to full time, been to two NFL games, converted to vegan-ism, lost myself for a while, made and canceled two vacations to Orlando, and finally, now 7 weeks before the end of the semester, may be putting my house in order. Maybe not. What I do know is that I can't just drop this blog like I tend to drop anything that is hard or challenging, but I need to transform it into what I know and can do. At any rate, the cookie at the end is an 8 day trip to WDW, complete with a one bedroom villa at the Boardwalk (forget you, Saratoga Springs!). August, here I come!! Gotta run to class. But first, I think I hear Starbucks calling my name...

"Twas the Night Before Hole Eighteen

2009-08-01T17:00:00.006-06:00

"Come and trim my Christmas tree
With some decorations bought at Tiffany's
I really do believe in you
Let's see if you believe in me
Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring
I don't mean a phone
Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight."
-Eartha Kitt, Santa Baby

Our journey ends in Santa's vacation home (DVC, maybe), and both courses end in the same place with similar holes. The big cheese is here, and a little cheese on the last hole. There's a lot going on and a lot to take in. And by this point, I am tired of playing golf! But, we must persevere. The last couple holes are pretty easy.

So the tree is half summer, half winter. One side has flamingos and shrimp, the other snowmen and penguins.

Even Santa has vacation pics. I love that the first one is of the elves and the reindeer with the boat in the tropics, but the second shows Santa with the rope in snow.

Unfortunately, Santa's house shows it's age, but is still great. You never know what you'll find.

Even Santa is online, wishing you candy cane wishes and fruitcake dreams! Puns abound.

And for those of us that may have had too much Christmas cheer - the restrooms!!

That ends our tour of the Winter-Summerland golf course. Please leave your clubs at the trailer and get your souvenir golf ball! Thanks for stopping by!

Are We Done Golfing YET?

2009-08-01T16:16:00.008-06:00

"I’m Mr. White Christmas I’m Mr. Cool.
I’m Mr. Icicle I’m Mr. 10 below
Friends call me Snow Miser
Whatever I touch Turns to snow in my clutch!
I’m too much"
-Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Mr. Heatmiser

So, whence we left our frosty North Pole consorts, they were busily roasting chestnuts on an open fire. Of course, the next logical step is to build a ice castle! So, the twin of the sand castle on the summer side is of course flanked by Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto. Notice that the elves have re-purposed their brothers sand shovels with red and white candy cane stipes. Or maybe Santa is a re-gifter? That would explain SO much...

Even elves like a good outdoors activity. They've set up a downhill ski slope!

Apparently all of their Olympic dreams went up in a puff of snow. Check out the decals on the end of the skates. At this point, I have to wonder if the elves skate as well as I golf.

Squirty the Snowman? I think they made a horror movie about this...

Ok, so that brings us to Santa's house! Oooh, and here we go a wassailing!!

Christmas in ... Almost July??

2009-08-01T15:05:00.012-06:00

Ok, so life stepped in for a couple of weeks, and my Christmas in July look at Winter-Summerland mini-golf is now Christmas in August? Just roll with it, right? So, where were we? Oh, yeah!

"I make toys, but I've got aspirations
Make some noise
Use your imagination
Girls and boys, before you wish for what you wish for
There's a list for who's been
Naughty or nice, but consider the price to an elf"
-Barenaked Ladies, Elf's Lament

So, when we left the course for our break, we hadn't quite finished the summer course. But since the courses mirror each other and end in the same place, no need to be redundant too. So if the Summer course was created for elves that wanted sun and fun, the Winter course are for elves a little more traditional, but just as funky.

So the first hole visits the Winter Elves camp ground, complete with a cooler full of milk and cookies. Bumper stickers read "My elf was the toymaker of the month at Santa's Workshop," "My child is Elf taught," and "Santa for president." Hole two takes us past a frosty pond (feels like deja vu!), and three is the remainders of the elves' campsite. By the way, I'd like to apologize in advance to the very lovely woman in the green shirt. I do not know who she is, but appears prominently in several photos, and almost recived a concussion after a hole in one gone bad. She was a really good sport, and never once threatened to sue!

Of course no camp is complete with out, you guessed it, chestnuts 'round an open fire.

More frozen icy goodness. Don't let the cuteness fool you, those hockey sticks make a normally dangerous sport life threatening.

Just in case you're thirsty, an icy cold drink? Sorry, this is stricktly coke. You have to BYOE (Bring your own eggnog?)

Next, the last half of the winter course and the great finale!

Christmas in July, Volume 4

2009-07-13T23:06:00.006-06:00

How'd ya like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?

How'd ya like to spend the holiday away across the sea?
How'd ya like to spend Christmas on Christmas Island?
How'd ya like to hang a stocking on a great big coconut tree?
-Jimmy Buffett, Christmas Island

So, we've rounded the sandcastle, which you can see from the parking lot, in case you're interested. And low and behold we see the heralds of warm Christmas, Goofy and Donald. But what about Mickey and Minnie? Hang on, we're getting there. As you putt past the giant "sand" sculptures, notice more shovels are embedded in the sand. Our beach tour continues only to lead us to Santa himself, buried up to his sunglasses. He does have a drink close at hand, never fear. A few dozing elves are buried themselves nearby.
I alluded a couple of posts back about the origin of the Peppermint Pond. Well, Frosty apparently didn't take to the semi-tropical climes as the elves and reindeer did, and he's melting fast. I guess snow at the North pole tastes like peppermint...hmm...
Which leads us to the South Pole! Beware, your golf ball may get stuck mid ride up the candy cane. I would also like to take a moment to mention that cast members frown upon beating the South Pole to retrieve your ball. You should remember that warning for the Winter course. We inch closer to Santa's summer home, and notice that we pass "Snowman's Land." The last hole today is the the 15th hole. You have to putt through diabolically designed loops of ribbon, from the Happy Wrappy Ribbon Co. The name is a lot happier than I was at this point.
I won't be covering the last three holes, yet. Up next, the Winter Course!! Bring your parkas! Hot coco is optional!

I won't be covering the last three holes, yet. Up next, the Winter Course!! Bring your parkas! Hot cocoa is optional!

Christmas in July, Volume 3

2009-07-10T13:19:00.009-06:00

"Mele Kalikimaka is the thing to say on a bright Hawian Christmas Day
That's the island greeting that we send to you from the land where palm trees sway
Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright
The sun to shine by day and all the stars at night
Mele Kalikimaka is Hawaii's way to say Merry Christmas to you"
-Bing Crosby, Mele Kalikimaka

So today we pick up on hole three, where by this point I have already dropped the camera, cussed at the roasted turkey, and cheated twice. Don't you love good clean fun? So, we've left the Peppermint Pond, which has now turned into a stream. Later, on hole 13, we see where the pond originates. But, for the time being, we have to cross the pond, and no pond is complete without fish in Santa hats. Oh! And the fish squirt water! But avoiding getting wet is not as easy as it looks, since the fish get a little high with their expectorant. Now we've left the water, but since no body of water is complete without a sandy beach, we move on to the sand, replete with surf boards, clams and, of course, the obligatory sand castle. The course has great continuity since you pass the pails and shovels before hitting the sandcastle. The puns continue on the surf boards, toting labels such as the "Little Kahuna" and "Itty Bittyboard." You can also see a shovel sticking out of the side of the sandecastle.

Each hole is opened by a sun with the hole's number on it, the same icon on each scroll announcing the hole. Also on the top of each scroll, reads "From the workbench of Santa's Elves."

Next up, the tenth hole and beyond!

Christmas in July, volume two

2009-07-08T11:10:00.015-06:00

"He needs a vacation from bad decorations and snow
Mr. Claus has a has escape plans, a secret that only he knows
Beaches and palm trees appear night and day in his dreams
A break from his wife, half-frozen in life
The elves and that d**n reindeer tea"

-Jimmy Buffett, Ho Ho Ho and a bottle of Rhum

The story goes that Santa saw the snow from Blizzard Beach and was intrigued that a place so hot had snow. So of course, he and the elves pack up and head to central Florida, upon where they decided a mini-golf course was just the ticket. Pulling up ElfStream trailers, and decorating the naturally warm climate with Christmas decor, half of the elves built the Summer Course.

The little touches the elves have left to decorate their new vacation destination are great. Some of the holes are interactive, and, technically, if you can't make it move due to your decidedly un-Tiger Woods like golf skills, well, you can cheat. Just to make thing pop open of course. I would never condone cheating at mini-golf for a the free prize (a soft drink last I checked) for a hole in one. I NEVER cheat at mini-golf. Much.

Today, I look at holes 1 through 3. Hole number one introduces us to the Elves camp, before moving on to their Peppermint Pond. Love the details on the trailer and on the elves' cooler. The elves have obviously prepared for quite the camp out, with a roasted turkey, gingerbread, and beer! Holes two and three combine the same "lake,” which runs into hole 4 as well. Notice the innertubes are made by Good Cheer and Elfstone Tires floating in the pond. There is even a lifeguard chair with Christmas light and a mixed drink. The puns and gags just get better from here. Tropical sounding holiday music is playing and if only I had a boat drink!

Next up, more of the Summer Course...

Christmas in July

2009-07-07T11:34:00.006-06:00

I love Christmas, and as we swelter through July, what better way to look toward the holiday season than with a look at Winter-Summerland mini-golf. By far my favorite of the two mini-golf courses on Disney property, I love the gags, the shaded nature of the winter course, and deserted nature that this area seems to have. Today, I want to look at the walkway leading up to the courses.

As you exit the parking lot (adjacent to the Blizzard Beach), you are greeted by Burma Shave-esque signs.

You can see in the background, the second sign reading "Is right this way"

Once past the signs, you see Santa's barn and sleigh (after that is where the fun begins).

Notice the hoofprints below Santa's sleigh. The hoof prints lead out of the barn doors.

After checking in with Santa's helpers, and getting your putter, a tribute statue to the big man himself greets you.

Next a look at the summer course...
Thanks for dropping by!

Monorail Crash

2009-07-05T11:13:00.005-06:00

When an accident happens at Disney World, for most of us, it's somehow more tragic and shocking than if a similar accident were to happen in our hometowns. Many of us view the Happiest Place on Earth as the Safest Place on Earth. Which is why this crash, although it was the first in the 38 year history of the monorail, is so heartbreaking to hear about.

According to the Orlando Sentinel and examiner.com, at approximately 2am this morning, the purple and pink monorails were involved in a crash, causing the death of one driver. The monorail was making one of its last runs of the evening, and had left Epcot. The crash occurred at the TTC.

Disney officals and Orange County authorities are looking into the crash. According to the Orlando Sentinel, a former monorail driver advised them that the monorail has a safety system in place which automatically stops the monorail when it coming within 2 checkpoints, approximately 200 feet apart, of another monorail.

My condolences go out to the family of the monorail driver, Austin Wenneberg, age 21, who died in a monorail accident early this morning.

Independence Wishes

2009-07-04T13:46:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July means a lot of things to a lot of people: freedom, independence, cookouts. I have always associated the 4th with fireworks, and my heart went out to all of the communities whose July 4th celebrations were cut short due to budgetary constraints. So, here you go. A few fireworks, fresh from the Magic Kingdom.

Look closely and you can see the roof of the Tomorrowland Terrace!

Happy 4th of July!!

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

2009-07-02T13:46:00.005-06:00

I’m currently reading Daily Life in the United States 1920 – 1940 (David E. Kyvig). A little light summer reading, right? Mr. Kyvig briefly delves into certain aspects of life in America during the year’s bookending the Great Depression.

In the chapter discussing the New Deal and the Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), Mr. Kyvig discusses that how in order to lower supply and increase demand, in 1933, the AAA asked farmers to plow under crops and kill pigs. In turn, the farmers received a stipend from the government. But then Mr. Kyvig states

The crop and pig destruction took place in 1933; advanced planning avoided the need to repeat the process thereafter. Still, in the same year some moviegoers would discern a negative political message in Walt Disney’s cartoon “The Three Little Pigs.” They equated the New Deal with the “Big Bad Wolf” who destroyed helpless creatures. The cartoon itself was ambiguous. Others viewed the wolf as a symbol of the depression; the wise pig who planned ahead, worked hard, and built a solid house as a role model; and the musical accompaniment, “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?” as an upbeat New Deal anthem. In any interpretation of Disney’s cartoon or popular understanding of the AAA, however, little pigs remained a central theme.

Wait a second! So Disney was AGAINST the New Deal and FDR? The same Walt Disney who produced Victory through Airpower and spent more money than any other studio producing war films and propaganda? This company made a film that was UN-patriotic?? So does this mean that enough Americans, enough to retell this story, watched this and feared the New Deal? I find this hard to believe.

Re-watching the Silly Symphony, I noticed a few details I’m sure were not lost on audiences in the middle of the Depression. The Big, Bad Wolf is dressed in suspenders, patched pants, and a tattered top hat. Surely this is not the face of the New Deal, which itself was touted as the hope, a light at the end of the tunnel? These were visible signs of the wear and tear many Americans felt, and as fewer people were purchasing factory made clothing, and saw daily. Looking at the Wolf as a symbol of the Depression, audiences would have noticed the Wolf’s hunger and would have thought to bread lines and the ranks to those who had died from starvation. In fact the Wolfs clothes are too big for him, and fall off in the last scenes. Fiddler and Fifer pig slow the Wolf by prosperity, causing bushels of apples to fall on his head. Literally, food falls from the sky! Hard work and the foresight to plan ahead enable Practical Pig to thwart the Wolf, values that were central to many. The brick house is spotless, clean and spacious, surrounded by fruit trees and blooming plants. During the being of the Dust Bowl in the Midwest, blooming plants and a dust free home were signs of hope in and of themselves. So, basically throughout the film are symbols of what the Depression was, as the Wolf, and what people, as the Pigs, hoped for.

Now, in his inaugural address FRD stated “We have nothing to fear, except fear itself.” Frank Churchill’s “Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf” became a hit single (first from a cartoon), by echoing the same sentiment. It was still relevant during World War II, but the Depression has been replaced as the wolf by Hitler. In fact, those little piggys would resurface in some war propaganda themselves. The movie and the song remained with the public longer than most of the features the film proceed. According to the Disney archives “At one New York theater, the marquee featured beards on the pigs' faces that grew longer as the short's run extended.” For those that could afford the movies (which was quite a lot of people), this was a huge, huge thing.

By 1933, approximately 30% of the population was unemployed. Roosevelt has only been in office 83 days when the Three Little Pigs was released. The AAA had only been in existence for 15 days. The likelihood that Disney was planning this to be anti-New Deal is unlikely. In “The Animated Man” (Michael Barrier), it’s noted that some Silly Symphonies took 6 to 8 months to complete. And it’s also noted that the outline for “Three Little Pigs” was floating around the studio in December of 1932. But…

In the background of Practical Pigs home is a picture of linked sausage that says “Father” underneath. Another picture, also saying “Father,” is of a huge ham! The picture of mother, of course, is a pig with multiple piglets suckling. Where are the rest of the pigs? I think the question has to be, are these just sight gags? I think they are. When you watch other Silly Symphonies from that time period, you can see similar sight gags. Disney wanted gags. He had an affinity for Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, and it is funny to see Dad as a “ham” literally or figuratively.

So, is it possible Southern farmers may have felt that the New Deal was the Big, Bad Wolf? Of course! But was it intended that way? No. Walt Disney may have been a visionary, but he could not have anticipated the AAA and the slaughter of 6 million pigs coinciding with his film. Most people walked away feeling hopeful, that as the pigs had defeated the Wolf, they too would defeat the Depression.

Play that Funky Music??

2009-06-30T18:02:00.004-06:00

Who doesn't love a monkey with a transistor?

Found in Animal Kingdom, in Asia, near Anandapur Tea.

Tea with Olivia

2009-06-22T12:58:00.004-06:00

We're from the South and there are a few prerequisites needed in order to have a good meal. Free bread at every meal should be a given. As should good sweet tea. Having been west of the Mississippi and north of the Mason-Dixon, I know that some people just don’t understand these concepts and their inherent simplicity. Some people actually think (the horror, really) that sweet tea is cold brewed tea with granulated sugar added after the fact. That’s so disgusting. Needless to say when we travel, we carry a handy dandy Cracker Barrel map with us! I’ve also read others concerns about a good cup of coffee on Disney property. At least with coffee, each room is equipped with a coffee pot, and sugar and coffee are sold at all of the resorts. So bringing us back to sweet tea, most tea on property is not sweet, or it’s the type that starts off as a syrup. Even more disgusting. Then one balmy October evening at Old Key West, we tried Olivia’s.

We see sweet tea listed on the menu, and the waitress assures us, that yes, the tea was fresh brewed, and if we don’t like it, she’ll be happy to swap out our drinks. By the way, she says, she’ll be bringing our complimentary loaf of bread and tropical butter out with the drinks. Sounds like a plan. Could this be too good to be true? As the sounds of Jimmy Buffet play in the background, I take my first sip. Apparently, it wasn’t too good to be true. It gave home brewed a run for the money. The free bread? It was pretty tasty, too. I’d have taken a picture of that, too, but it just didn’t last very long.

Father's Day and ESPN

2009-06-21T11:39:00.012-06:00

When I think of father's day, I rarely associate it with any warm Hallmark moments. No, I tend to think of what Sunday's and of what fathers mean in our home. Professional football. Specifically, the Tennessee Titans. And yelling at the TV. But mostly football.

My husband loves football. He loves everything about football. He has a room devoted to football. I'm sure you see the pattern. Needless to say one thing (out of many) he loves about visiting Disney World, is the ESPN club. Between the "heart attack on a plate" food, and the jerseys on the wall, and 40 TVs in the bathrooms, he's in love. Aside from cheerleaders bringing him refills, and Jeff Fisher bringing him the tab, it's sports nirvana. So he says. So here you go, imagine yourself with some dingers and a chili dog, maybe a cold drink, and a flat panel above the toilet, and have a great father's day.

If you look closely, you can see a Steve McNair Oilers jersey above the door.

A little hard to read, the jerseys on the wall are, from the top l to r: Jerry Rice, and Dante Stallworth. On the bottom l to r: Charles Woodson, and Deuce McAllister. Pictures are a little blurry because, well, we were eating.

Welcome!

2009-06-20T12:11:00.004-06:00

When I was a child, we lived 30 minutes from the nearest town and, subsequently, I spent a lot of time by myself. I filled my time by reading and dreaming. Mostly by looking at the pictures in the books that accompanied the little 45s I had about Walt Disney World. I had Disney pop-up books, Disney story books, Disney weekly readers, I had it all. And I dreamed of the day when I too could see the castle, the Haunted Mansion, and the Tiki Room. I knew all the words to the songs (thanks to my little portable record player), and I knew (or thought I knew) that Mickey lived in the castle with Cinderella?!

When I was 9, my aunt and uncle took my cousin and I took Disney World. In an RV! We had one day in each the Magic Kingdom and Epcot. It was Disney World’s 15th anniversary. (At 9, I was still disappointed I didn’t win the car for the give-away of the day.) Now I have a few fuzzy photos, a beat up plushy of Chip and Dale and a couple of torn park maps left. But what really stuck was a desire to go back. Of course, I had to wait 20 years for that to happen.

As it was when I was a child, I dream of the day when I can be on Main Street once again. In the midst of the big changes in my life (changing careers, going back to school, anyone?), I find myself wanting an outlet for the things that I want to talk about, about the one thing that I find myself obsessing about, over and over.

So, one gorgeous, sunny Saturday morning, I decided, "You know what? Why not blog about it?" I'm not an established blogger, and occasionally feel that finding my voice may not be easy, but then again most things that matter really aren't. It's time that I do find one, and use it. I may even surprise myself! I so often do!! Please enjoy yourself while you're here. Thanks for dropping by!