Finding Nemo: The Musical

[filkertom]

Anne loved Tarzan Rocks! at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, but that show is gone now. Coming soon, in its place, is Finding Nemo: The Musical, with original songs by Robert (Avenue Q) Lopez and Kristen (Along the Way) Anderson-Lopez. I'm very curious as to how it's going to look; it sounds interesting. Although I'm distressed at the news that the Theater in the Wild, a very cool space, will be enclosed rather than open as it has been till now.

Haven't asked this for a bit: If you go to Walt Disney World, what are your favorite parts of the trip? Mine are (in no particular order) the Magic Kingdom (the whole place, really, but special love for The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, and the Country Bear Jamboree), the World Showcase at Epcot (especially Japan, Morocco, and the U.K.), the Animal Kingdom Lodge, and the Adventurer's Club on Pleasure Island. I want to spend more time at the Animal Kingdom park as well, and shopping in Downtown Disney is always fun.

(If you don't go to WDW, and especially if -- as many of us do -- you have problems with the way Disney does some of their business, please let's not turn this thread into a forum on corporate greed. We know. Trust me, we know.)

Comments

[farnex.livejournal.com]

Shopping at the Star Tours Gift shop...I don't know what it is called now but it has been called the Endor Vendor and The Jawa Trading Post.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Heh. I could have one of the characters from The Last Hero On Earth make a personal appearance... "Meet Fenderbender at Endor Vendor!"

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

Hrm... favorites. Other than the whole trip?

Haunted Mansion - the ballroom scene

Pirates of the Caribbean - just 'cause!

The Princess breakfast - something we only just got to experience the last time we were there. And you KNOW you've been in the SCA too long when you automatically bow to the Disney Princess. (It was Aurora. I think we got extra points that morning, because she left giggling.)

DisneyQuest!!!!

Figment!

STITCH!!! (Love Stitch. And he tried to steal my husband's Hannukah presents when we were there last. And pouted when his handler made him give them back).

Adventurer's Club - Kongalush!

The fireworks display at Epcot. I am NOT a fireworks fan. They scare me (I got hit by a firecracker when I was five or six). These left me awed, shaking, and emotionally drained, they were that amazing. I compare it to Firefall in Spider Robinson's "The Free Lunch."

And just overall the feeling that this is a GOOD place to be. Everyone is friendly. People want to be there, and are happy. I like happy places.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I am a fireworks fan, but I have never thought Illuminations was particularly good. Now, the finale at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party... that'll change your life.

[ladysmith.livejournal.com]

And the new Wishes fireworks. Those was VERY nice.

What got me most about the Christmas display was the Osbourne Family Lights. That was truly unbelieveable.

We were down there for Christmas two years ago. And we're MOVING there in a few weeks (well, not to Disney, but to the Lake Mary area, about an hour away).

[lensedqso.livejournal.com]

I just made my first Disney trip a few months ago. I loved Animal Kingdom as a whole, although there were one or two individual rides/shows I didn't like. Everything in Fantasyland made me grin like a loon. If I had to pick one show or ride as my favorite, I think I'd go with Muppets 3-D which was just incredible (I saw it five times). I was generally disappointed with fireworks and parades when I caught them, especially Illuminations which I thought completely overrated. As a whole I liked Epcot less than expected, especially World Showcase (but I'm not a big shopper). I ended my trip with five consecutive rides on Splash Mountain (it was a coolish late night in the "slow" season so they weren't busy and let me stay on) which was a great way to end the trip but the so-called big drop was disappointingly tame (the rest of the ride was awesome though).

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge shopper, but I do love the shops in World Showcase. Much more, though, I love the architecture, the people, the street performers, and the food.

I can see where, if you're a thrill-ride addict, Splash Mountain ain't so much. For me, it's perfect. I never feel in actual physical danger, but it's a great adrenaline rush.

[lensedqso.livejournal.com]

I liked the architecture and food, but there weren't many performers around during my trip (I'm trying to remember if I saw anyone around besides that really groovy Beatles clone group in the UK). I really liked Mexico which was the first land I visited, but the rest didn't really do much for me. Part of it might be my high expectations - I really expected to love World Showcase and perhaps had unrealistic expectations of what it was and what it wasn't.

I'm so completely not into thrill rides (I spent the three minutes of Dinosaur alternately thinking I was about to die and wishing I was about to die) but I do like my water rides to have a bit of excitement. All of the stuff I'd heard about Splash Mountain really played up how extreme that large drop is, but it's tamer than just about every other flume ride I've taken. I think I may have been betrayed by those expectations again.

Maybe I shouldn't have listened to what anyone had to say about anything before I experienced the parks for myself :)

[roina-arwen.livejournal.com]

We went to WDW just this February (although we've been before). At the Magic Kingdom, the "Mickey's Philharmagic" show was awesome, Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster were also good fun. We did the Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion rides as well, but they just don't hold as much interest for me as they used to - I guess they're more "gee, I remember when these seemed cool" rather than actually still being cool. I guess they seem rather sedate and outdated now. Ah well. :)

At the Animal Kingdom, the "Bug's Life" 3-D show was great fun (love the special effects) and the new Expedition Everest coaster was teh AWESOME.

At Epcot, I highly recommend the new "Soarin'" ride and the "Mission: Space". The intereactive "chat" with the turtle from Finding Nemo was lots of fun! As far as the World Showcase, I'm fond of Morocco and Japan (sushi - yum).

And at MGM studios, doing "Star Tours," watching the Muppet 3-D show, and eating at the Sci-Fi Drive In theater are all a must!

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

I definitely want to get to Expedition Everest and Soarin'. I likely will pass on Mission Space, though -- I never really like that kind of ride.

[lensedqso.livejournal.com]

Interesting. I detested Bug's Life 3-D. Absolutely couldn't stand it, and was smelling the stink on my coat for days afterward.

Soarin' was awesome, and I say that as someone afraid of heights. Don't ride on an end seat if you're at all prone to motion sickness or afraid of heights. A bunch of folks seemed to have a lot of problems with those seats.

[adamek.livejournal.com]

You might want to read foxmagic's LJ. He lives near WDW and goes there quite often.

[allandaros.livejournal.com]

Lessee...
-DisneyQuest. Not technically part of Disney World, and I feel a bit guilty including it here, but...they had the jai alai game from Tron. That's gotta count for something. So much retro nostalgia...!
-Tomorrowland. All of Tomorrowland. Especially the spinning rockets ride, whatever it's calle.
-It's gone now, but the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ride.
-Pirates (yarr!).
-Much as I hate to admit it, the Jungle Cruise.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Sure it is. It's in Downtown Disney, on Disney property. People forget that part of the coolness of WDW is that it is frickin' huge, and encompasses much more than the theme parks.

The spinning rockets are called the Astro Orbiter.

The 20,000 Leagues ride, in Disneyland, is literally one of my earliest clear memories. Trip out west in 1964. Mom and Uncle Gary took me on the ride, and every time the bubbles would whoosh around the outside as they "took us lower", I'd freak. Finally, the ride ended, and I was still freaking. Mom held me in her arms, asking, "What's wrong?" And I bawled, "I wanna go on that scary ride again!" Which, I think, sums me up as well as anything.

And... be not ashamed of the Jungle Cruise. Sure, the animatronic tech is crude. But the scenery is great, and it's relaxing and pleasant, and it's a training ground for comedy performers. The best guides get you with those corny jokes again and again and again, and then they'll throw you a change-up and get you again.

[partiallyclips.livejournal.com]

I'm picturing a bunch of actors in fish suits in a tank, with the cast of Cats staring at them hungrily.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Always a hard question to answer...

-- Being outside of the castle, on the hub side, just at twilight. The piped in music slowly moves into nighttime, dreamy mode, the sky is a deep deep blue over Adventureland and is black back towards Tomorrowland. All the fairy lights are on and the quiet strains of "When You Wish Upon A Star" swell. Aww..

-- That first ride of the trip on Spaceship Earth, though I still miss the Walter Cronkite voice over.

-- Playing with the "water snakes" outside of "Imagination"

-- Monorail, MONORAIL!

-- Tiki Room (yeah, I still like it)

-- Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A pirate's life for me!

-- Haunted Mansion.. period

-- Eating upstairs at the Columbia House, people watching over Liberty Square.

-- Take a few minutes to sit in a rocking chair on the porch on the side of the "Hall of Presidents"

-- The overview of "Seabase Alpha"

-- Singing along with Dreamfinder... oh wait, never mind

-- Walking around the Zocalo in "Mexico"

-- The American Adventure - Gotta love AAs

-- The Yakatori House in Japan

-- Ploughman Lunch at Rose and Crown, sitting out next to the water.

-- ADVENTURER'S CLUB!!!!

Marching Along We're Adventurers
Singing a Song, We're Adventurers
Up or Down
North South East or West
An Adventurer's Life is BEST!
An Adventurer's Life Is BEESST!
KUNGALOOSH!

-- Dinner at Ohana!

-- Walking cross the bridges and over the islands at Caribbean Beach

-- Bypassing the after firework crowds taking the Motor Launch back to the Wilderness Lodge

... SIGH I SO NEED to go back.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Word, brotha. And I've got the original audio of the Tiki Room if you want a copy.

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

Cool.. someplace I've got the "Please Stand Clear of the Doors..." audio from the Monorails, including the spanish.

More about DL than WDW...

[selenesue.livejournal.com]

I'm in L.A. and keep a year's passport to D'land when I have the budget, which I don't at the moment. I've been to WDW only once and that was about 12 years ago. We conferred with our local pals and decided that we should spend our time at Epcot, since many of the Magic Kingdom features were already familiar to us. Sensible. Played in the World Showcase, where the food was surprisingly good, plus doing the Presidents and the Journey Into Imagination ride, which I loved and wished they had out here. Alas.

At either park: I have a sneaking liking for the costumed characters. They know who they are and act accordingly. We had a great time with "Chip and Dale" dressed like chefs in Ariel's Grotto, they were flirting with the women and one of our guys got them to stop stealing his wife with the pointed comment, "I have recipes for you." That worked. It was true too, he was another culinary historian type like me.

Retro faves: Jungle Cruise, Pirates, Tiki Room. If you go to D'Land with me, you have to suffer with these. Cope. A friend of mine on the inside claimed to have snuck a Horga'hn figure from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" into the Tiki Room, but I have not spotted it yet. I dearly love the Tiki Room, it may not be "high tech" but it's like sitting inside a 50's Disney short.

Oh, and Small World. I rode it before almost anybody, at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, so it's kind of a special thing in my family.

The fireworks. Nobody does fireworks like Disney, and the closer the better. I really got captured and assimilated into the collective when we watched the winter show from the courtyard in front of Small World, amidst the hopeful music swelling and snow falling.

Fantasmic, usually shown during the summer. Get ye to New Orleans Square EARLY for a good seat, like 1-2 hours. You won't be alone, you will be surrounded by fellow early-seat-getters who are also Disney fanatics and jolly good company. If this show doesn't knock you out of a depression, then you are DED.

West coast notes: CDW has gotten a bad rap but it has some good points. MUCH better food, including the only place in the double park that serves alcohol, the Wine Country Trattoria. Faster roller coasters; California Screamin' is almost more than I can handle and that's saying something.

I think that's enough topic-hijack for now. Susan signing off.

Re: More about DL than WDW...

[drzarron.livejournal.com]

I, too, was at the '64 World's Fair. All the Disney designed attractions stick so well in my mind.

And you should like this... here in Detroit we have the outer shell of the BIG Uniroyal Tire that was a ferris wheel at the '64 fair.

[bizarra.livejournal.com]

At WDW, I can easily, (and have) spend the day going between Pirates and the Haunted Mansion. :-)

I love WDW and usually try to get there at least once a year. (Have friends in the right places. LOL)

I also love to eat at the Prime Time Cafe in MGM, as well as Fantasmic! Also.. Wishes, the Magic Kingdom firework show is fabulous! I try to catch it as often as I can. :-)

Disney

[ann-totusek.livejournal.com]

I went just after Capricon this year. I wasn't so impressed with Disney per se, it was just too commercial for my taste, not that I expected it to be non- commercial. I also did the movie lots and Epcot. I wouldn't bother returning for Magic Kingdom if it weren't for my kids, and I think if I went to some of the shows that I would enjoy it a lot more, so that's on my plan for the family vacation there. I did learn that it would be best for me to take the kids there separately rather than doing it as an all-family vacation. My husband would _hate_ it. Nothing that would interest him, mostly outside, and lots of walking. I have no problem being on my feet all day for days on end, but for him it's unmitigated hell, and the resulting attitude makes it unpleasant for everyone. I did really like Epcot- especially the World Showcase- I agree that Japan and Morocco were impressive. I also liked some of the theater stuff. While I was there they had the Narnia display up and I got a good look at Lucy Pevensie's sweater, which I'm now toying with reproducing for a children's AIDS orphanage that I'm making stuff for. Unfortunately I missed the fireworks, but am putting that on my "must see" list for next time. I also discovered that when it comes to rides the animatronics don't do much for me, beyond impress me with the technical aspects, and dioramas and blinky lights in a right definitely don't trip my trigger. I'm definitely a thrill-seeker with rides- had a blast at Six Flags in Dallas when I was there doing hurricane relief with the Red Cross after Katrina/Rita.

[ashnistrike.livejournal.com]

Disney is evil. Their board of directors are the Illuminati that run the world. I accept this. That is why my favorite part of Disney isn't in the theme park at all. It's the giant pyramid around which the Mexican/Aztec-themed hotel is built. Right next to the pyramid is a volleyball court, labeled "ball court" in a nice Aztec-looking font. Thankfully, no one was using it when I was there.

In the park itself, my favorite is Space Mountain, because it's the first roller-coaster that I ever had the guts to go on (I was 22).

[the-dark-snack.livejournal.com]

I just hope that they don't have the "boobs for eyes (http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/entertainment/homepage/article_912443.php)" effect that Nemo on ice had. That was just creepy-wrong.