Photoshop Fun: Pluto in the Hub

The Pluto statue in the hub at the Magic Kingdom.

On the Shoulders of Giants

Congratulations to Bob and Doug, NASA, and SpaceX on a great launch and a return to space from American soil.

Disney Dining at Home: Cornbread from the Hoop Dee Doo

Down Home Cornbread

From: Trails End and the Hoop Dee Doo Musical Revue at Fort Wilderness

Ingredients:

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 T. baking powder

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

2 eggs

Method of Preparation:

1. Blend flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, blend milk, eggs, and oil with a mixer.

3. Using that same mixer, slowly add the blended liquid to the dry ingredients prepared in step 1, mixing just enough to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients.

4. Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with nonstick food spray and pour the batter into the pan, spreading evenly.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes. or until golden brown.

6. Allow to cool.

Flashback Fridays: The Village Restaurant

The Village Restaurant opened in 1975 at the Lake Buena Vista Shopping. Offering a menu of beef chicken and specialty seafood the Restaurant also had a large range of soups. It offered menus for "bruncheon" and dinner and even had valet parking available. The Village Restaurant closed in July of 1990 to make room for Chef Mickeys which would later move to the Contemporary in 1995 making way for the Rainforest Cafe on the same site but the original building was destroyed.

Disney After Dark: Tomorrowland Towers Above

Tomorrowland Shines at night.

Dateline Disney: Big Day for Disney's Future

Today as the Disney owned stores open at Disney Springs we learned exactly when everything else will open. In fact, I sat in on the Orange County Governments meeting to vote on the opening which was unanimous.

The moment the vote was cast.

So when will everything open let's take a look. Just keep in mind the parks will be opening with reduced capacity and many new restrictions in place including temperature checks and requiring masks. Let's hope we can find an end to this virus in the next 12 to 18 months so we can get all the parks back to normal soon.

The Magic Kingdom - Saturday, July 11

Disney's Animal Kingdom - Saturday, July 11

EPCOT - Wednesday, July 15

Disney's Hollywood Studios - Wednesday, July 15

Disney Vacation Club Resorts and Fort Wilderness - Monday, June 22

Disney World Resorts - Saturday, July 11

Disney Day in History: Today We Return To Space!

As we wait for the "go for launch" let us remember some other Disney moments in space history.

Neil Armstrong visits Disneyland

Guests watch the Apollo 11 landing from Tomorrowland

Buzz rides on the Space Shuttle

Woody and some fans watch Buzz take off for infinity and beyond

Mapping the Magic: Epcot 82 and 83 Part 3

So part 3 is short but oh so cool. This is the spinner wheel in the guidebooks. This was a little wheel you turned to get info on the pavilions of Epcot. In the picture above we see both are turned to Spaceship Earth. The funny thing is that in the 83 map all the outlines of the pavilions that played such a big part of the 83 changes are gone but they show up for the first time on the 82 map. Replacing them on the 83 map is a small description of where to find the pavilion. This makes sense as the outlines are already in the book twice they are using this chance to help you find them in person.

And on the flip side of the wheel is this great ad for Kodak. Some obvious changes are the introduction of two new cameras the Kodak Disk 3000 and the Kodamatic 940 Instant Camera. I love how they talk about the old rental camera program that the parks used to offer and how you can get photo advice from the experts at the Imagination Pavilion. 

Mapping the Magic: Epcot 82 and 83 Part 2

Back to the early years of EPCOT. Today we dive into part 2 of our 82-83 map deep dive. Let's take a look at World Showcase. Like we said in part 1 the 83 map was made to be more user friendly for guests by replacing the pavilion icons with simple outlines of the pavilions. The same was true in World Showcase where we see the nation's flags removed and the outlines put in their place. Also, the order of the countries is changed again to make things easier to understand for guests.

In the 82 map the first country we learn about is America. Although The American Adventure is the centerpiece of World Showcase it was confusing for guests trying to understand the order of countries around the lagoon. So in 83 America is moved to its proper order as they are now listed in clockwise order starting in Mexico. One little change that I see was in France they no longer list Impressions de France as being housed in the Palais du Cinema. This may have been to simplify things as the name of the show is above the door to the theater and the Palais du Cinema name is all the way at the top of the building out of eye line.

After our trip around the world, we get a map of the other world... Disney World. Not much change here except for some line placement in the top right and the Dutch Resort Hotel on Hotel Plaza Blvd. gets renamed to Americana's Dutch Resort. Also the Main Entrance Toll Plaza is changed to the Main Entrance Toll Plaza for Resorts and the Magic Kingdom. Again most likely to remove confusion for guests.

On the info page the Car Care Center is dropped for info on Dining Reservations and about visiting Earth Station to make them. A fun note is that it says you can't make lunch reservations at Earth Station but at the Restaurants only. I remember this as a child being mad that my grandfather couldn't talk to the person on the TV to make our lunch reservations and I knew he wasn't about to pay sit down dining dinner prices. Another neat little thing I saw in the second column is that they added a list of languages that are available for the Foreign Language Translator Units including Spanish, French, and German. I wonder if this was given more info or if they weren't all online in the early days.

Visit tomorrow for part 3 for what I think was the coolest part of these guide books... The Spinner Wheel.

Mapping the Magic: Epcot 82 and 83 Part 1

We all know that the 21st Century began on October 1st, 1982. So when better to start taking a look at park maps from Epcot Center. But let's also compare the 1982 map to that of the early 1983 map. We know that this 1983 map is from before October 1st of that year because the map still shows horizons as coming soon. So what we ultimately have is two maps less than a year apart with some interesting changes.

First off we see two very different art styles on the maps above. I personally like the 82 map more with its cartoonish details. So why the change? Well if you look at the next few pages you'll see that the beautiful pavilion icons have been replaced by the images of the pavilions from the above map. This was most likely done to help guests identify locations of attractions and also help them find their location in the park. Remember in the early '80s not everyone knew that that big golf ball was called Spaceship Earth.

We also see that the descriptions of the attractions in each pavilion are featured more in the 83 map. This would make it easier for guest to understand that World of Motion is located inside World of Motion... yeah I get it now. Joking aside it does help guests understand that the main attraction was just part of what was offered inside each pavilion.

One last major change we see is that the images of each attraction have changed from concept art to photos from inside the pavilions. This was a luxury that they didn't have in 82 as most of the attractions were completed just days before and in some cases after opening day. One to note is that for Journey into Imagination we see the Rainbow Tunnel from the Image works and not a Photo of the Attraction. This was because Journey into Imagination was one of those attractions not completed by opening day and would not be open till March of 83.

Join us tomorrow for Part two when we look at the early days of World Showcase. Besides missing Morocco and Norway we'll see any other changes it may hold.

Disney Dining at Home: Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter from Artist Point

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Brown Butter

From: Artist Point Wilderness Lodge

Ingredients

SWEET POTATO GNOCCHI

2 (12-ounce) sweet potatoes

1 egg yolk

2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, for serving

Aged semi-firm cheese, shaved thin, for serving

BROWN BUTTER

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

Coarse salt

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND WILD MUSHROOMS

3/4 pound Brussels sprouts, halved

3/4 pound mixed wild mushrooms

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

METHOD OF PREPARATION

FOR GNOCCHI:

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 2-inch cubes. Place in a steamer basket set in a pan with 2 inches water over medium-high heat. Cover pan tightly; steam until tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Press cooled sweet potatoes through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add egg yolk, 2 cups flour, and salt. Stir until mixture holds together as a soft dough, adding more flour if needed, a tablespoon at a time. The mixture should be soft but not sticky.

Divide dough into 6 pieces and roll each piece into a 1-inch-wide rope. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece over the tines of a fork, if desired. Place gnocchi on a lightly floured sheet pan and refrigerate 1 hour.

FOR BROWN BUTTER:

Place butter in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat.

Cook until butter is golden brown and smells nutty.

Keep warm over very low heat.

FOR ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS AND WILD MUSHROOMS:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss Brussels sprouts and mushrooms with oil in a large bowl.

Spread mixture on a large sheet pan. Roast until edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until ready to use.

TO SERVE:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in 3 batches, cook gnocchi 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked through but still tender.

Combine cooked gnocchi, roasted Brussels sprouts and mushrooms, and enough brown butter sauce to coat in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, tossing gently until heated through.

Garnish with sage and a shaved semi- firm aged cheese.

On Canvas: Heading for Adventure

Heading for Adventure.

Flashback Fridays: Dumbo's Old Home

A photo that tells a story. We see dumbo in its original home behind the Cinderella Castle. Also in its original format. With only 10 elephants it would not see its numbers grow until 1993 when it went up to 16. Later in 2012 it would move to the newly created Storybook Circus where it would double in size with two ride systems giving us a total of 32 flying elephants. Another part of the story told in this photo is that of some extinct attractions. We see both the Skyway and the entrance to Mr. Toads Wild Ride. A little detective work can place this photo sometime after 1975 because we see Space Mountain in the background. Also, it would be taken before 1992 because we see the older style tent over the Mad Tea Party. I would guess it's from the late seventies or early eighties however due to the grain of the photo and the look of the guest on Dumbo.

Making Memories: A walk in the wilderness

A walk along the boardwalk from the Wilderness Lodge to the boat docks.

Photoshop Fun: Tropical Walls

Three wallpapers I made with the Polynesian Resort logo. Feel free to download them. just click to enlarge. Then Right-click and save. Enjoy!

Audio Archives: Main Street Cinema BGM

This is the loop from the films that played in the Main Street Cinema before it was turned into a gift shop in the late 90's.

Disney after Dark: An Evening in San Marco Square

Nighttime in the Italy Pavilion.

On Canvas: On our way to the Magic Kingdom

On our way to the Magic Kingdom.

Audio Archive: Space Mountain from the 70's

A few weeks ago we posted iconic queue audio from the Space Mountain from the 90's and 00's. Today we go back in time to the opening of Space Mountain in the mid 1970's. Here is the Audio experience you would have had if you went on a flight in space in the Magic Kingdom in your plaid pants and polyester shirt.

Also below is the previous release of the 90's queue audio for your listening pleasure.

Parks in Print: Teen April 72, Part 3

Ok, part 3 let's jump in. First off some of these girls are giving off a scary Jan Brady vibes. That aside you get to see the waterfall from the old Polynesian pool. And in the middle one of the old Magic Kingdom hub benches.

The left column shows what's happening in each of the pictures on the last page. the next to columns have some really cool stories from young cast members telling their Disney experiences. I personally like Vito's story in the third column.

More Cast stories from Tour Guides to Call Center Hostesses.

Stories continue including how a young man moved from up north who was trying to start a rock band but joined the Fife and Drum Corp in Liberty Square instead.

This page has a cool story about Kirk on the Jungle Cruise. He worked at Disneyland and so did his father. His dad was transferred to Disney World and Kirk came too and worked at this Jungle Cruise. He may be the first and only person to do so full time.

And our last page has a cool contest for a chance to win a 3 day trip to Walt Disney World. Along with some prizes from our other sponsors. So that's what it would have been like to be a teen in the early '70s. Well maybe not but that's at least what a teen would have read in the early '70s.

Parks in Print: Teen April 72, Part 2

 Today we are back in Liberty Square now with the Fife and Drum Corp for a second fashion breakdown.

Another Pixie full-page ad. This time the model is posing in front of the Polynesian Resort. You can see the monorail station in the background.

We see some recreation pictures and the Diary continues. Our writer mentions that while riding a boat from the Contemporary she sees Blackbeard's Island. For those that don't know that was the original albeit short-lived name for Discovery Island. It had that name till 74 when it was first developed and open to guests as an animal preserve.   

Back with Kurt. Uh... he's doing ok for himself. Moving on.

Ok a lot going on here. Top Left is a top-down view inside one of the Bob-A-Round boats. This is the only close up picture I've seen of them. Top right and two below it some cool Haunted Mansion shots. Lots of flirting going on around the rest of the pictures. And in the center a rare shot inside the Cozy Kal Kan Kennel.

So with that center Picture on the last page what better time for another ad. This time our next Disney World partner Kal Kan pet food. The cool thing here is that the Kennel club image is pretty spot on how it looked then and still does today. Take a look next time your at the TTC.