News

• Jim and I are doing the second annual Gingerbread Challenge in Walt Disney World, starting Friday December 2, 2022.  
  

• We’re doing a live podcast recording on December 2.  Tickets available at https://touringplans.com/2022-disney-dish-tp
  

• I’m speaking at IAAPA (Int’l Ass of Amusement Parks and Attractions) in Orlando on November 18.

• Disney’s released Galactic Starcruiser dates for 2023, and Jim and I - and Hank Lonely - are doing the voyage on March 30, 2023.  We’ve already got somewhere between 22 and 26 cabins booked, and that’s a decent portion of the ship for the Dish.  There are only 23 cabins left on the ship.  If you’d like to join a band of stellar misfits on a journey for the ages, visit http://storybookdestinations.com/disneydish/ to get a quote.
  

• Jim, did you know that EPCOT’s got a holiday festival? November 25 - December 30. Here’s the lineup:

• Las Posadas Celebration at Mexico

• Sun-Thu (so not Fri-Sat)

• A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa (Norway).  This sounds like either a children’s TV show or a horror movie.

• Sundays through Saturdays

• Chinese Lion Dancer

• Sundays through Saturdays

• I will say that whoever’s scheduling these things at EPCOT did a really good job of taking guest flow into account here. The Mexico show starts at 11:05 and lasts 25 minutes. Then 5 minutes after that, the Norway show begins.  Then 10 minutes after that, the China show begins.  So whoever came up with that schedule, you know what you’re doing, so keep it up.
• La Befana – Italy Pavilion
• Daruma Storyteller – Japan
• Hanukkah Storyteller – Between Morocco and France Pavilions
• Père Noël – France
• Father Christmas – United Kingdom
• Canadian Holiday Voyageurs – Canada
• Santa Claus – The Odyssey Pavilion

• Sundays through Saturdays
• 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM
• 60-minute performances
  

• Speaking of holidays, Disney’s announced that Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will have a Christmas song added to its rotation. Please, theme park gods, make it “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.”
  
• Disney’s announced an “Under the Sea” re-theming for the current Pirates-themed rooms at Caribbean Beach. Work there will start in December of this year, and be done sometime in 2023.

Surveys

From our friend Ryan, more details about the new dining survey Disney’s sending out.

Remember we talked about this a couple of episodes ago, where Disney was asking questions to guests staying at the Grand Flo, about the general location they ate breakfast (like, at their hotel, or at another restaurant, on-site or off-site, and so on), and then about the specific location they ate at.

Here are some new questions on that survey, courtesy of Ryan:

And

And

(Ryan got the same questions for lunch and dinner, which is new)

Jim, I have to ask at this point whether we’re looking at a Disney survey, or a WeighWatchers survey.

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

And

Overall, a great survey from Disney.  

Listener Questions

From Peter the Oyster-Eater:

Dear Len and Jim!

I would just like to point out a small error in a recent show.  Not every castle park has a Peter Pan's Flight. Hong Kong does not have such a ride!

Keep up your excellent work,

greetings from Austria

Peter

From Matt:

I'm not sure if anyone has sent this, but there is a group of people including Martin Smith, who have been creating a software on unreal engine, that is a walk around of epcot on opening day, called futureport82. The level of detail is amazing. There is a facebook page and YouTube walk around video. Thought it was a good tie in with the 40th and the previous episode about communicore.

Disney Patents

Jim, we noticed that some kind of camera contraption was recently mounted on the ride vehicles over at Dinosaur in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  This patent might be related:

And (this one from Disney Research in Zurich, which is interesting because I think they helped design the story-scheduling software for Galactic Starcruiser):

And

(Note Grant Imahara, who died in 2020.)

And then a new drink bottle patent:

And:

Jim, the original Journey Into Imagination opened in EPCOT in 1983. Designed by Tony Baxter and Steve Kirk, it was one of Future World’s highlights, right out of the gate, and it introduced us to now-classic EPCOT characters Figment and The Dreamfinder.

Then, Jim, in the late 1990’s we all lost our collective minds.  Whether it was sweater vests, low-rise jeans, or, you know, seeing “The Macarena” at every wedding, bat mitzvah, and political rally, I have to say, the leadership of this country kinda got off track.  And that includes the leadership at Disney, who decided that Journey Into Imagination needed an update, right?

JIM’S TEXT

EPCOT Center (the Park) opens October 1, 1982.

People tuned into CBS on October 23, 1982 to watch “EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration.” 18 minute mark: Danny Kaye & Drew Barrmore are introduced to a character called the Dreamfinder, who – they’re told -- lives in the Imagination Pavilion. As part of this TV special, Danny & Drew are told that the Dreamfinder is “ … the keeper of the Sparks of Imagination.”

Through the magic of early 1980s era special effects, the Dreamfinder appears with a Figment puppet on his arm. The Dreamfinder then introduces Mr. Kaye & Ms. Barrymore to his “ … assistant & good right arm, Figment.”

When Kaye asks for more information about this Future World pavilion (which looms in the background of this shot), Dreamfinder launches into a poem.

Right you are, for right in there

Imagination’s everywhere

The visions once inside your head

Exist inside that place instead

Imagination is my game

whose sparks then ignite the flame

of your own creativity

And that’s real great for you & me

Intrigued by what the Dreamfinder has just told them, Danny Kaye & Drew Barrymore then stride purposefully towards EPCOT Center’s “Journey into Imagination” pavilion. As if they’re about to experience all of the wonders inside.

There’s only one problem. This Future World was still under construction at that time. “Journey into Imagination” wouldn’t actually be ready for Guests ‘til more than 5 months later. March 5, 1983, to be exact.

So what about the footage that accompanied the Dreamfinder’s poem? Which showed the Dreamfinder seemingly racing from one exhibit to the next, showing off many of the more fanciful elements to be found inside of EPCOT Center’s “Journey into Imagination” pavilion?

That was actually shot back in Glendale prior to show installation. My pal Ron Schneider (who – back in 2012 – wrote a terrific book about his career in themed entertainment, “From Dreamer to Dreamfinder: A Life and Lessons Learned in 40 Years Behind a New Tag.” Which is a great read, by the way, and still available for purchase in various formats over on Amazon) loves to tell the story about how he shot that footage at Imagineering. Mike Jittlov – the guy behind “The Wizard of Speed & Time” – and Ron spent several days at WED shooting footage that largely consisted of Mr. Schneider running from one place to the other. Which Mr. Jittlov then sped up further as he piled on the visual effects. The end result was some fun-looking footage. But Ron also blew out his knees in the process.

So why did the “Journey into Imagination” pavilion at EPCOT Center open late? Because The Walt Disney Company had a long relationship with Kodak. I mean, this relationship dated back to 1955 and the opening of Disneyland.

Eastman Kodak was one of the original leasees at Walt’s family fun park. And given the amount of color film that they sold every day to Guests who were touring Disneyland … Well, Kodak was quick to want to expand that professional relationship.

Which is why – on June 15, 1959 – when ABC aired a 90-minute-long TV special to herald the opening of the Matterhorn, the Submarine Voyage and the Monorail out at Anaheim, Kodak was the main sponsor of that show. This TV special’s title literally was “Kodak presents Disneyland ’59.” Which you can watch in its entirety on YouTube, by the way.

And this professional relationship just got stronger & stronger as the years went by. Especially with the opening of the Walt Disney World Resort in October of 1971 (and the millions of rolls of film that were sold on the heels of that opening. To hear the executives at WDW from this period talk, Cinderella Castle was the most photographed thing in America. And Disney got that info from exes at Kodak). So when the EPCOT Center project was formally announced on July 14th, 1975 and Walt Disney Productions announced that they were looking for corporate sponsors for the project, Kodak immediately raised its hand and said “We want in.”

And since Disney really wanted to do right by Kodak (who’d been one of the Disney Parks’ longest term sponsors) … Well, that’s why the Imagineers offered them Future World’s plum. Which was the “Journey into Imagination” pavilion. Which was to be the only one with a pair of Disney-like characters as its host, Figment & the Dreamfinder.

And the Imagineers went out of their way to make Kodak execs happy. Which is why – when Steve Kirk & Tony Baxter first showed them a maquette of the Dreamfinder then holding a green version of Figment (Because everyone knows that dragons are supposed to be green) and the execs at Kodak balked because green is the color that’s associated with Kodak’s arch rival, Fuji … Well, that’s why Figment went from being a little green dragon to a little purple dragon.

Anyway … Kodak signed Disney’s standard sponsorship contract for a Future World pavilion. Which stated that – because this portion of EPCOT Center was supposed to showcase the latest innovations in technology – Kodak then had to agree to update this Future World pavilion every 10 years.

Which initially wasn’t an issue. Largely because the 3D movie in EPCOT’s “Imagination” pavilion kept getting changed out.

Remember EPCOT’s “Journey into Imagination” pavilion opened on March 5, 1983. And that Future World pavilion’s “Magic Journey” 3D movie ran from that date to February 9, 1986. Which – I know – is three years and three months past that must-be-refreshed-every-10-years thing. But you also have to take into consideration was going on at The Walt Disney Company at that same time. Disney getting threatened by greenmailers. Which then results in Michael Eisner replacing Ron Miller as the Company’s CEO. And Michael has other, higher priorities during that same period. Like getting Disney Studios to make movies that people actually want to see.

Finally when it’s time for EPCOT’s “Imagination” pavilion to revamp / redo, Eisner opts to go big. Makes this Future World pavilion the home of “Captain EO,” 17 minute long music video. Opens at EPCOT Center on September 12, 1986.

Eight years later, “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” replaces “Captain Eo.” November 21, 1994. People aren’t complaining about the “Journey into Imagination” ride (not yet anyway) because it features Figment and that character sells $500,000 in plush annually.

But eventually Disney reaches out to execs at Kodak in 1998 and says “Um … Hey … We’re now 15 years into your sponsoring of this Future World pavilion. Which is supposed to showcase the latest in technology. And we’re now 5 years past the point where you were contractually obligated to make significant upgrades on the “Journey into Imagination” ride. So when would you like to get started on that stuff?”

Now you have to understand that – back in 1998 – Kodak (which was a film business) was at this same time dealing with the very serious inroads caused by the rise of digital photography. Which had severely cut into Kodak’s market share. Things had gotten so dire for this Rochester, NY-based company around this same time that they had had to lay off 10,000 workers in an effort to right the ship / pull the company out of the red.

So here’s Disney now coming at Kodak around this same time saying “We’re thinking that – in order to freshen up the ‘Journey into Imagination’ ride – we should fold in a celebrity or two. Like – say – basketball legend Michael Jordan? Or –better yet – those Claymation favorites, Wallace & Gromit. Mind you, we’ll have to pay these guys in order to get the rights to use their likenesses in our theme park. Which will mean that we need more money for the ‘Journey into Imagination’ redo.”

And Kodak execs are “No. We can’t do that. We have no money to spare. I know what our Epcot sponsorship contract says, but we can’t honor the terms of that deal. If we gave you millions to retool a theme park attraction at the same time that we were laying off 10,000 employees, Wall Street – and our shareholders – would revolt.”

“In fact, we now can’t even pay what we’ve previously agreed for maintenance & upkeep on this Future World attraction. Which means that – if our sponsorship deal with Disney is to continue – you’re going to have to lower our overall annual costs. Which means that ‘Journey into Imagination’ needs to become far cheaper to operate & maintain.”

The original “Journey into Imagination” ride closes on October 8, 1998 with WDI having been handed these marching orders. Make this Future World attraction cheaper to operate. Their solution to this problem -- “Journey into YOUR Imagination,” which opens on October 1, 1999 – turns out to be one of the most hated & short lived additions to a Disney theme park. What that entailed … And what the Imagineers did just Two year & one week later in an effort to rescue this attraction … we’ll discuss on the next Disney Dish.

BCX      

Bandcamp Exclusive Disney Dish Show

The Road to Cars Land – Part Two

Where we left off:

And the Imagineers took the orders they were getting from Disney’s new CEO very seriously. Which is why – a year to the day after “Cars” first opened in theaters (June 9, 2006) – Cars Race Rally opened at Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris (on June 9, 2007).

Mind you, Cars Race Rally wasn’t the most elaborate or ambitious attraction to ever be installed at a Disney theme park. Located in the Toon Studios section of Walt Disney Studios Park, this flat ride was a reimagining of Zamperla’s Demolition Derby. Only in this case, this ride’s vehicles that have been rethemed to look as though they were part of the ”Cars” universe.

But just four months after Cars Race Rally would open at Walt Disney Studios Park in Disneyland Paris (on October 17, 2007, to be exact), The Walt Disney Company announced its $1.1 billion redo of Disney California Adventure. This 5-year-long project will be capped off by the creation of a 12-acre area that would basically recreate Radiator Springs in all its glory at the very center of this theme park. Which – it was hoped – would then give Southern Californians a compelling new reason to go visit the Disneyland Resort’s second gate.

Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? So how did we go from an area at DCA that was supposed to have celebrated California’s car culture to a land that then recreated Radiator Springs from Pixar’s original “Cars” movie? We’ll get to that on the second installment of this new Bandcamp Exclusive series, “The Road to Cars Land.”

New stuff: