Apologies on the delay of this week’s post! I’ll have one up later this evening. 
Author Archive for Andy
The Last Tour to Endor at Disneyland has passed, and the Star Tours Final Flight at Walt Disney World is quickly approaching. I figured this short clip I took from queue of the Disney Hollywood Studios would be a small, but fitting, tribute.
R2? Lightspeed to Endor!
When I say the word “preshow”, what comes to mind for me is one of those safety spiel videos telling guests a little bit about the attraction they’re about to ride, to remind them to do up the safety belts, and remove any hats or glasses. But tucked away in the Disney Hollywood Studios, the preshow for the Studio Backlot Tour is a little different.
Harbour Attack is a large water stunt tank that shows guests what filming a battle at sea can be like. This is without a doubt my favourite preshow in Disney.
The Harbour Attack stunt tank.
Guests are brought into a large canopied outdoor viewing area that overlooks the water tank. Props that make up the set include a scaled down version of a navy PT boat, the inside of an engineering room, and a large ocean and blue-sky set background. The show itself recreates the scene of enemy fighter planes attacking the ship, and how Hollywood creates these stunts. It’s complete with fiery explosions and bombs going off as the PT boat is attacked, and the poor engineer getting drenched from two water tanks holding gallons upon gallons of water.
Scanning the skies from the PT boat.
I warn you if you’re in the first row of the viewing area, you may get wet!
As the effects demonstration is taking place, a crew is filming the happenings. Once all the scenes are shot, cast members show how the various scenes are spliced together to form the final sequence that viewers get to see.
If you’re feeling brave, then I’d suggest trying to get yourself picked to be one of the volunteers.
Andy as the PT boat Captain, being attacked!
Back in 2005 my Dad and I were lucky enough to be chosen – and wow was this ever a fun experience! Cast members outfit volunteers with large rainsuits (so you don’t get too soaked!), and then assign each volunteer a position: I got to be the PT boat Captain, while my Dad was the engineer. Two other volunteers were the deck crew on the boat. In these jobs, you get to experience the show by being in the middle of the stunts. Bombs will come flying at you, fireballs erupt around you, and you’ll get flooded by the water. Being apart of the show definitely makes for a unique park experience!
Andy's Dad the engineer, getting soaked.
So if you get the chance, definitely stop and see the Harbour Attack preshow of the Studios Backot Tour. How can you go wrong with explosions?
(And okay, so I’m perhaps bending the definition of what a preshow is, but who’s splitting hairs? 
)
Summer in the parks can be overwhelming hot! After spending three months working there in the summer, we learned a few tricks to cool down. Here are our Top 10 Ways to Cool Off at Disney.
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This Media Monday we take a short trip to the Caribbean, and visit a redone Pirates featuring Captain Jack Sparrow.
When it comes to Disney, it’s a good idea to have a Bucket List.
What is a bucket list? It’s essentially a list of things that you would like to do before you die. The items that typically make a list like this are things that you dream of doing – perhaps a trip to Australia, or volunteering some time.
But in this case, this list is composed of Disney Theme Park related items.
I call my bucket list my “Disney To-Do List”. It has so many items on it that I’m not even sure what number I’m at and it started when KP and I were on the WDWICP. If you have never been to Walt Disney World then you won’t realise how many things there are to do and see there. Living there for three months I still wasn’t able to do all the things I would have liked to.
And thus, my bucket list.
Currently my list is an ongoing Facebook note between KP and our friend Cee. Each time we find something we would like to do on a future trip to either Walt Disney World or Disneyland, we reply to the note.
The items could be something simple – like eat a carrot cake cookie from the Writer’s Stop at Disney Hollywood Studios – or it could be something that will require some money saving on our part.
Kitchen Sink - Now scratched off my To-Do list.
Things that I’ve managed to cross of my To-Do list include eating the Kitchen Sink and going to all four WDW parks in one day.
Here are few of the items on my Disney To-Do List:
KP about to enjoy a fruit tart from Norway.
* Dessert Around the World
Late one night while vedging out on the couch in our Florida apartment, KP and I were surprised when Cee came home from her shift at Epcot with a little white box. Inside the box were delicious pastries from the France Pavilion! At one in the morning the three of us huddled over the box of goodies, stuffing our faces with these yummy treats. And thus we spawned the idea of Dessert Around the World.
The Epcot World Showcase is known for it’s culinary delights, as each world pavilion presents its regional dishes. On one Disney trip, KP, Cee, and I would like to make a stop at each pavilion and try a dessert!
* Iluminations Cruise
This is something that I didn’t know about until working at Epcot, but you can rent a boat for up to ten people and watch Illuminations: Reflections of Earth from a boat anchored in the World Showcase Lagoon. How fun is that?!
* Mickey’s Not So Scary Hallowe’en Party
I’ve been to Disney around Christmas time before, and nobody does a celebration like it. But I always thought it would be fun to go during Hallowe’en, be able to dress up in a costume, and go trick or treating in a Disney park!
* Le Cellier
I’m a Canadian. I have to eat at the Canadian pavilion’s restaurant at least once!
* Watch Wishes from the top of the Contemporary / California Grill
I have seen Wishes from many different locations (even going past Main Street on the monorail as the fireworks go off), and KP has seen the show more times than I have… but never have we seen them from here!
One of the many possible views of Wishes.
So, what’s on your Disney Bucket List? We’d love to hear from you!
Since I have had this song stuck in my head since Friday from my last post, and because it’s been a while since we dug into the Make the Magic Music Archives, I though I’d spread the ‘infection’ so to speak.
Without futher ado, I present the main theme music from El Rio del Tiempo, a now retired Disney attraction that used to be found in the Mexico Pavilion, Epcot.
Please note: None of the music we post in the blog will be available for redistribution, so don’t ask!
The colours of the night market provide brilliant contrast to the dark evening sky. The spicy scent of the local delicacy reach the nose and make the mouth water. The gentle trickle of a prettily tiled fountain replaces typical musak, along with the excited voices of a bustling market and gentle strains of a nearby mariachi band.
And that’s just what you get when you first walk into the place.
The Mexico Pavilion is a unique experience at Epcot, or any of the other North American Disney theme parks for that matter. It is my second favourite pavilion around the World Showcase for several reasons: the theming is inspiring, the food is amazing, and the inside market is a lot of fun.
The Mexican Pavilion pyramid.
The design and theming of the Mexico Pavilion can be easily described in one word: inspiring. The exterior of the pavilion is dominated by an Aztec pyramid, designed after those built in Mexico around the 3rd century. While I don’t ever claim that pavilions are accurate to the countries they represent (KP and I are not lumberjacks, despite the costumes worn my cast members at the Canadian pavilion), the World Showcase pavilions focus on certain visual elements of each country that help specifically identify them with that country. This lofty building is what grabs the attention first, inspiring people much the same way Spaceship Earth does by just its style alone. Many of the elements featured both inside and outside the building reflect the pre-Columbian heritage of Mexico, though elements of the country’s Spanish roots are also present. This pavilion is a beautiful sight in and of itself.
Andy posing with a sign outside of the Mexico Pavilion.
The food at the Mexican Pavilion is absolutely delicious, and is one of my favourites found at Epcot – second only to the German Pavilion. Featured outside on the World Showcase promenade and inside the Pavilion, the Cantina de San Angel and the San Angel Inn both offer delicious tasting Mexican cuisine. While the atmosphere of the interior San Angel Inn is great because you get to experience the interior of the market and watch the boats go by for the Gran Fiesta Tour, the Cantina de San Angel will always be my preference of the two. I love being able to sit out on the World Showcase Lagoon, watching the Friendships go by while eating my lunch – nothing beats that ambience. Plus the prices at the Cantina are a much more reasonable price range, whereas the Inn should be reserved for special dinners since it’s a fair amount more.
Finally, I love atmosphere inside the pavilion itself. This is my favourite part of the Mexico Pavilion. Entering inside, one finds themselves surrounded by many beautiful cultural artifacts and arts and crafts, as the initial foyer area of the building plays hosts to cultural exhibits from its home country. The last time I was there it featured an exhibit called “Animales Fantasticos”. It was worth the stop to view these great pieces, because they were beautifully carved and the paint on them was bright and colourful. As an artist myself I find the pieces very inspiring. There is also usually somebody with a table set up, carving pieces for display and sale, who is always willing to share with you about their craft.
Once you make it through the foyer, then the real magic begins. Disney likes to claim they make the night as bright as the day, but in the Mexican Pavilion they turn the day into an easy nighttime hour. I always feel as thought I have stepped into a quiet village town square in the evening – the village square is called Plaza de los Amigos, where the nighttime Mercado is underway. Colour banners cross the dusky sky, with vendors selling more traditional (and touristy) goods from maracas to sombreros. The Mariachi Cobre can also be found playing some light tunes nearby that adds to the ambience. At the end of the plaza you come to the waterfront, where you can view more pyramids and Aztec ruins in the distance. Tour boats quietly slip by in front, while happy patrons eat at the San Angel Inn.
So inspiring do I find this pavilion, that I have been humming the theme to El Rio del Tiempo (the attraction that The Gran Fiesta Tour replaced) all day.
While the other pavilions around the World Showcase do an interesting job of giving guests a sample of being in the country they represent, I find that the Mexico Pavilion is the most fascinating and the most inspiring for me. On your next visit to the parks, make sure this fantastic pavilion makes your list of To-See (and To-Eat!).
Since KP brought up Discovery Island last week, I decided it would be fun to walk down memory lane with a short clip from my own video archive. These clips were taken Winter 90/91 on a family trip. Discovery Island is a place that will live on in my Disney Memories forever, and I do miss it a fair amount.
I do apologize for the poor quality, I saved it from an old VHS tape.
Edit by Andy, July 20: I went back and added the Fahrenheit temperatures for our American readers!
When traveling for any sort of holiday, the one thing that takes priority in the trip planning features is: planning for the weather. Yes yes, I can hear the obvious alarm sounding in saying that if you plan a trip to Disneyland and (especially) Disney World, you need to make sure you research the temperatures so you pack appropriately and make sure you follow the forecast leading up to the trip. It’s common sense, after all: why would you pack a bikini if you were going to Antarctica?
Despite taking a plan, flexibility is key when matching wits with Mother Nature in the weather department.
Andy and Cee hiding under a poncho to keep dry.
Most people assume when they plan trips to Sunny California or Tropical Florida that the weather will be sunny and warm for the duration of they holiday. Espescially if you’re like me, who grew up on the prairies in -40 degree Celsius winters – the sunshine is an additional thing to look forward to on a Disney vacation.
Perhaps in a perfect world, we could get the weather we wanted on all of our holidays. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always like to work that way so the main thing to do is plan ahead! I’ve done the legwork for you, so here is what the weather specialists say one “should” expect when visiting your favourite Disney Park:
CALIFORNIA
Ah, beautiful California, the Golden State. The assumption here is that the Govenator’s domain would be goregous everyday, just like in the commercials. And while on three of the four trips the temperatures were just like that. Unfortunately there was one trip to Disneyland that Mother Nature hated me.
Winter: December, January, & February
Average High: 21*C / 70*F
Average Low: 8*C / 46*F
Precipitation: 53 mm
Spring: March, April, & May
Average High: 22*C / 72*F
Average Low: 10*C / 50*F
Precipitation: 64 mm
Summer: June, July, & August
Average High: 29*C / 82*F
Average Low: 17*C / 63*F
Precipitation: 1 mm
Fall: September, October, & November
Average High: 26*C / 79*F
Average Low: 13*C / 55*F
Precipitation: 10 mm
FLORIDA
Ahhh Florida, my home away from home. The temperature in the Sunshine State can often be unpredictable (at least that’s what I found when I lived there).
Winter: December, January, & February
Average High: 23*C / 73*F
Average Low: 11*C / 52*F
Precipitation: 59 mm
Spring: March, April, & May
Average High: 28*C / 82*F
Average Low: 16*C / 61*F
Precipitation: 81 mm
Summer: June, July, & August
Average High: 33*C / 91*F
Average Low: 23*C / 73*F
Precipitation: 178 mm
Fall: September, October, & November
Average High: 29*C / 84*F
Average Low: 18*C / 64*F
Precipitation: 94 mm
The Summary
Obviously if you want better odds at having a warmer holiday, Orlando would be your best bet. But if you want better chances at having a dry holiday with no rain, then Anaheim would be safe.
Expect the Unexpected
Now just because these are the average, does not mean this is what you should expect to get. Weather can be a tricky thing, and unless you’ve lived there and experienced a full year of the local weather, it’s hard to find any of the nuances in the weather.
Soaked from a Florida downpour.
For example, my above summary easily tells you that Florida gets a crazy amount of rain in the summertime. This is largely true. However, the rain that Orlando gets isn’t an all day long dreary rain (like I get back home). Instead, you will have a nice, hot, sunshiney day – and then all of a sudden about three in the afternoon, a torrential down pour will occur. And when I say torrential, I mean it. Unless you’re covered by something you will get soaked. Then after about 15 minutes, things go back to normal, and the sunshiney day resumes.
The same can be said of Anaheim. On one of my trips during February, my parents had assumed the weather was going to be miserable (due to being winter). My family had all packed pants and sweaters, expected it to be more than a little chilly. Being the optimistic person I am, I packed one pair of shorts. Of course, the weather was definitely hot most of the time, and I was grateful for my optimism.
Another time however, KP and I went to Anaheim in April. Expecting it to be warm and sunny, we both packed shorts and summer weather. Mother Nature was mean, and the entire time we were there we shivered away until we turned blue.
So when you’re packing your suitcase, make sure you’re prepared enough for the right kind of temperature – but flexible enough that if the weather does change unexpectedly on you, you’re going to be prepared! Learn from my mistakes and experience: Pack an umbrella in your day bag when hitting up the parks in Orlando, and make sure you bring a sweater in your suitcase for Anaheim!
Happy travels!
Sources:
Anaheim Weather: Weather.com – Average Weather for Anaheim California
Orlando Weather: Weather.com – Monthly Weather Averages and Records for Orlando, FL