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Disney's secrets
- Thread starter palmickey420
- Start date
PLeyava
New Member
True and true. Does anyone know what the brown path running through Liberty Square represents? Since there were no bathrooms (no plumbing) at that time, they would put everything into a bucket and throw it in the street, and since the streets were 'V' shaped, it would all run down the middle.
There are SO many on Main Street, like the Partners statue shows the actual height of Mickey Mouse in real life, Main Street USA shrinks as you walk towards the castle (to create an illusion and make the castle looks bigger), same with the trees, hygenically made to grow only a certain height. Main Street USA is on a slant so when you are walking out of the park, you are walking down hill as a little help to exit the park since you'll be tired then. When in the Magic Kingdom you are actually about 20 feet above the ground thanks to the Utilidoors (they are NOT tunnels). I could go on.
Tom
Beta Return
There are SO many on Main Street, like the Partners statue shows the actual height of Mickey Mouse in real life, Main Street USA shrinks as you walk towards the castle (to create an illusion and make the castle looks bigger), same with the trees, hygenically made to grow only a certain height. Main Street USA is on a slant so when you are walking out of the park, you are walking down hill as a little help to exit the park since you'll be tired then. When in the Magic Kingdom you are actually about 20 feet above the ground thanks to the Utilidoors (they are NOT tunnels). I could go on.
Unfortunately, you've been mid-led a bit regarding the Main Street tid-bits.
The distance between the curbs is constant the entire length of Main Street. The Castle looks bigger only because of forced perspective (the features on the castle get smaller the higher it gets).
Same with the buildings on main street. Each story above the first is a smaller scale than the one below. In actuality, the main street buildings are only 2 stories tall.
The trees may or may not be "hybrids", but more likely they are just groomed by horticulture so as not to block sight of anything important. Likewise, several years ago, they removed all of the trees from the central hub since they were completely blocking the view of the castle from Main Street.
Main Street, from north to south, is relatively flat and level. If it sloped, each building would have to step down with the slope, and you may notice that all of their floors align. Main street DOES slope from the trolley track to each curb, but that is only to allow for water drainage to the storm drains.
You are correct about the Utilidors. They were built first, as a building all by themselves, on the original grade. Then they were covered with dirt excavated from Seven Seas Lagoon and the MK was built as the "second floor".
Tom
Beta Return
lol
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Actually, there is a bit of a slope running north-south, but it doesn't start until you get to the Casey's end of the street. There the street slopes upward a bit to add some clearance over the Hub waterway. By the time you actually reach the Hub itself, the street is flat again. (I think it might even slope downward again on the Hub side of the waterway bridge) It was purely out of design necessity, and any reason beyond that (i.e. the "make it easier to walk out of the park at night") is entirely made up.
(Heck, how many Guests walk from Main Street to the Hub and never realize they're crossing a bridge along the way?)
-Rob
Tom
Beta Return
Ah yes, good point. You're right about rising and falling at the water. I was just trying to thwart the popular misconception about Main Street literally falling toward the Train Station to make it easier to leave the park.
I'll be getting some nice photos of the empty moat next week, since they drain it the day we arrive. I've never seen the actual Swan Boat tracks clearly - should be a treat!
Rob562
Well-Known Member
The Swan Boats weren't on tracks, they were free-floating vessels that were guided by water jets similar to the Friendships. They had bumpers along the edges of the water around obstacles like the bridges, but I think even those have been gone for a number of years.
-Rob
krankenstein
Well-Known Member
They have this vacation club thing. It's the best kept secret. Very hush hush.
:lookaroun
:lookaroun
my brother told me that during the day they play up beat songs on mainstreet to excite everyone and the play slow, mellow songs at night to make people feel like they had a full day and were ready to leave
mattyoglet
New Member
Needs to be deleted
actually if when u exit the ride. walk to that memorial wall in the wheelchair parking and look back at the exit and the queen is on the archway. u just can't see it cause there's a canopy covering u when u walk out but the queen is there
Tom
Beta Return
Yeah, I read a wiki article about them the other day, from another thread. Interesting. I had always been under the impression that there were tracks down there (hence the need for murky water ala JC and RoA).
It sounds like they were basically JC boats with a swan head on the front and an actual steering wheel in the back. Were they?
Rob562
Well-Known Member
They were narrower than the JC boats (just look at the archway they had to pass through by the Castle and it's doubtful that a JC boat would fit). Take a JC boat, take out everything down the middle, and squeeze it together slightly.
The steering was by two steering wheels, actually. Each controlling one of the water jets underneath. (One jet near the front, one near the back)
Here's an excellent article about the swan boats, including photos.
http://www.omniluxe.net/wyw/psb.htm
After re-reading all that, there *was* originally an electric guidance system, but it failed very early on, and thus the dual-water-jet steering was introduced.
-Rob
Tom
Beta Return
Now THAT would take some serious skill and coordination to drive! I'd have that thing sideways or upside down in a minute! :lol:
Rob562
Well-Known Member
Well, the Friendships use pretty much the same propulsion system of water jets at the front and rear. (The Friendships can spin in place 360 degrees like a pinwheel) I'll have to watch how they control them next time.
-Rob
Tom
Beta Return
You're right. I think I remember seeing a steering wheel, but I think they also have two throttle levers for the tight maneuvering and spinning.
DizneyD
New Member
In POTC the skeletons playing chess are locked in a game that will never end. Im not a chess guy but the game is set up to be a game that will never have a winner and those jailed pirates are doomed for eternity to play that game.[/QUOTE]
What makes this better is that when they were refurbishing the scene, once upon a time, they forgot how to set up the chess pieces again to make the stalemate work.
What makes this better is that when they were refurbishing the scene, once upon a time, they forgot how to set up the chess pieces again to make the stalemate work.