News Happy 50th Birthday to Walt Disney World!

[TP2000]

In today's mail I accidentally got the neighbor's Costco magazine, and on the cover it had a picture of Walt Disney World's 50th celebration. And I thought, wait... that's tomorrow isn't it?!?

We aren't hearing about it much out here, but they've got big doings going on in Orlando this weekend. Or what passes for "big doings" in this muted post-Covid world. But a 50th birthday doesn't come around often, it usually takes 50 years. And I know fun will be had in Orlando this weekend.

So please join me in raising a birthday toast to our friends out at Walt Disney World!

 

[TP2000]

I might just watch this grand opening special tonight on TV. It's been years since I've seen it, but if memory serves it's a fascinating glimpse into that buoyant early 70's era for what was then Walt Disney Productions. Plus, it's the early 70's so the TV specials of that era were hilariously campy and fun. And it's in Living Color!

 

[brb1006]

Strongly recommend visiting the website RetroWDW. It's a website dedicated to the earlier days of Walt Disney World (notably the 1970s and 1980s period) that contains tons of archive and old home video recordings of Walt Disney World from the 1970s. Especially their podcast where it's told by longtime visitors of Walt Disney World discussing their fondest memories and fascinating history behind some of them.

Paging @wdwms

 

[Sailor310]

In today's mail I accidentally got the neighbor's Costco magazine, and on the cover it had a picture of Walt Disney World's 50th celebration. And I thought, wait... that's tomorrow isn't it?!?

We aren't hearing about it much out here, but they've got big doings going on in Orlando this weekend. Or what passes for "big doings" in this muted post-Covid world. But a 50th birthday doesn't come around often, it usually takes 50 years. And I know fun will be had in Orlando this weekend.

So please join me in raising a birthday toast to our friends out at Walt Disney World!

View attachment 590187

Boy, no EPCOT. I wonder if you can still swim/water ski in Bay Lake. Don't they have trouble with alligators?

I just looked it up. Yes, they do parasailing, wakeboarding, jet skis, etc.. but not swimming.

I also like the "Cape Kennedy" label on the small map. of course I had to look it up. It was Cape Kennedy 1963-1973, then was returned back to its 400-year-old-name of Cape Canaveral. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA side of Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral "Space Force Station" is the military launch site. I spent allot of time at both sites.

 

[TP2000]

Strongly recommend visiting the website RetroWDW. It's a website dedicated to the earlier days of Walt Disney World (notably the 1970s and 1980s period) that contains tons of archive and old home video recordings of Walt Disney World from the 1970s. Especially their podcast where it's told by longtime visitors of Walt Disney World discussing their fondest memories and fascinating history behind some of them.

Paging @wdwms

I just checked out that website and it's fabulous. I've decided I'm doing an entire theme night tonight. It's 1971! I'm going to make a mini meatloaf from an old family recipe, and serve it with green beans. Perfect 70's dinner.

At sundown to kick the evening off I'm making a Grasshopper, which was a cocktail that my aunts and mother and grandma used to have in the Nixon era while the men drank Scotch; it's a drink made with Creme de Menthe that is actually green like the tacky carpeting of the era. The Creme de Menthe that the kids left here from summer is hipster stuff that is not green, but luckily I have food coloring.

Then, after a meatloaf dinner, I'm settling in front of the TV with a second (ahem) Grasshopper and will watch that WDW TV special. Happy 50th Walt Disney World!

I don't have my Mr. Boston's here at the beach house, so I Googled the recipe for a Grasshopper. Of course it brought up this image, as in the early 1970's you had to align your cocktail with your astrological sign.

 

[brb1006]

I just checked out that website and it's fabulous. I've decided I'm doing an entire theme night tonight. It's 1971! I'm going to make a mini meatloaf from an old family recipe, and serve it with green beans. Perfect 70's dinner.

At sundown to kick the evening off I'm making a Grasshopper, which was a cocktail that my aunts and mother and grandma used to have in the Nixon era while the men drank Scotch; it's a drink made with Creme de Menthe that is actually green like the tacky carpeting of the era. The Creme de Menthe that the kids left here from summer is hipster stuff that is not green, but luckily I have food coloring.

Then, after a meatloaf dinner, I'm settling in front of the TV with a second (ahem) Grasshopper and will watch that WDW TV special. Happy 50th Walt Disney World!

I don't have my Mr. Boston's here at the beach house, so I Googled the recipe for a Grasshopper. Of course it brought up this image, as in the early 1970's you had to align your cocktail with your astrological sign.

I love seeing home video recordings from the 1980s and 1990s when Disney Characters used to be allowed to water ski around the Seven Seas Lagoon area (such as Mr. Smee, Goofy, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Pluto). It was a very pleasant surprise for first time visitors to get a glimpse at their favorite Disney Characters in person before actually meeting them at the Magic Kingdom. Here's video of Pinocchio entertaining guests shot in 1991.

 

[Sailor310]

I love seeing home video recordings from the 1980s and 1990s when Disney Characters used to be allowed to water ski around the Seven Seas Lagoon area (such as Mr. Smee, Goofy, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Pluto). It was a very pleasant surprise for first time visitors to get a glimpse at their favorite Disney Characters in person before actually meeting them at the Magic Kingdom. Here's video of Pinocchio entertaining guests shot in 1991.

Thanks. He doesn't have a life jacket on........because wood floats!

 

[TP2000]

I love seeing home video recordings from the 1980s and 1990s when Disney Characters used to be allowed to water ski around the Seven Seas Lagoon area (such as Mr. Smee, Goofy, Pinocchio, Geppetto, and Pluto). It was a very pleasant surprise for first time visitors to get a glimpse at their favorite Disney Characters in person before actually meeting them at the Magic Kingdom. Here's video of Pinocchio entertaining guests shot in 1991.

That is absolutely hysterical! Why they don't do this now, I have no idea.

Especially in this TikTok TweetPlace world we live in, a random yet adorable thing like that would be retweeted and shared a gazillion times.

They've got entire cubicle farms of "experts" working in Celebration who are supposed to come up with good marketing and publicity. And instead of sending Pinnocchio out to waterski, or send Daisy Duck up parasailing, they just tweet photos of cupcakes and C List celebrities with suspiciously smooth faces posing in theme parks.

They're sitting on a gold mine of viral moments, and they're talking about cupcakes and the C List.

 

[brb1006]

That is absolutely hysterical! Why they don't do this now, I have no idea.

Especially in this TikTok TweetPlace world we live in, a random yet adorable thing like that would be retweeted and shared a gazillion times.

They've got entire cubicle farms of "experts" working in Celebration who are supposed to come up with good marketing and publicity. And instead of sending Pinnocchio out to waterski, or send Daisy Duck up parasailing, they just tweet photos of cupcakes and C List celebrities with suspiciously smooth faces posing in theme parks.

They're sitting on a gold mine of viral moments, and they're talking about cupcakes and the C List.

The biggest missed opportunity is for WDW to gain a brand new electrical parade (like Disneyland gaining Paint The Night for it's 60th Anniversary or Spectromagic debuting for WDW's 20th Anniversary). Maybe someday WDW might gain their own electrical parade (if the pandemic hopefully dies down).

 

[TP2000]

The biggest missed opportunity is for WDW to gain a brand new electrical parade (like Disneyland gaining Paint The Night for it's 60th Anniversary or Spectromagic debuting for WDW's 20th Anniversary). Maybe someday WDW might gain their own electrical parade (if the pandemic hopefully dies down).

No kidding. I just scanned through to see what was actually happening out there for the 50th.

It was... underwhelming, to say the least.

Which is why I'm going to just focus on 1971 instead, because 2021 is kind of a bust for them.

Onward to meatloaf and a Grasshopper!

 

[Sharon&Susan]

Anyone willing to place any bets on the new kite show having another accident mid show tomorrow? Murphy's Law and all that. At least nothing can go wrong with the Electric Water Pageant (as far as I'm aware).

 

[TP2000]

Anyone willing to place any bets on the new kite show having another accident mid show tomorrow? Murphy's Law and all that. At least nothing can go wrong with the Electric Water Pageant (as far as I'm aware).

I just saw some Macy's type balloon things they've got in Animal Kingdom that don't look... right. Is that the kite show?

EDIT: I Googled. Apparently a jetski flipped over? Does no one in TDO not remember that the jetskis added to Disneyland's Fantasmic! in 2009 were a complete disaster and had to be pulled after only a few weeks of messiness and accidents?

I always forget there's not a phone line that stretches from Anaheim to Orlando, and those two teams aren't allowed to talk to each other.

But seriously, what's with this? I've been around for a very long time and have seen some of Disney's final park products that end up looking nothing like the concept art, but this thing really takes the cake.... Yikes.

The hazy, dewey, lovely concept...

The harsh, HD, odd reality...

What the heck is this blue bear doing? I hope he's on our side and not working for the Russians.

I thought this music and orangutang was supposed to be racist now? Again, apparently no phone lines between Burbank's HR department and Florida.




I don't blame that orangutang. This is about how I felt halfway through a circa 1971 Grasshopper...

 

[TP2000]

I'm reminded why I tried to make this celebration about 1971 instead of 2021.

But I have to be honest and let you all know just after the Cocktail Hour, Pacific Time, that a 1971 recipe for a Grasshopper is pretty gross. Syrupy, overly sweet, creamy but not actually refreshing. Also green.

I tried. But in order to salvage my theme evening, for the big TV viewing of the 1971 Grand Opening Special in Living Color, I'm going to have to not make another Grasshopper.

At least the meatloaf turned out well. Better than that kite thing they're doing in Florida at least.

 

[BasiltheBatLord]

I find some of the pessimism on the WDW side of the forums kind of extreme. It's fine to be unhappy with how some of the new additions are being executed, but I see people claiming that WDW is being ignored or that Disney is being lazy with it while it's right in the middle of the biggest investment in that resort that I've ever seen in my lifetime. The 50th obviously got scaled back cause of Corona, possibly severely cut back, but they're clearly trying to make a real effort to celebrate it and expand the parks, even if the results are not what people here are liking.

But anyway, happy anniversary to the second greatest Disney resort in the world. I haven't been in a long, long time but am planning to go next year sometime during the 50th.

 

[TP2000]

I find some of the pessimism on the WDW side of the forums kind of extreme. It's fine to be unhappy with how some of the new additions are being executed, but I see people claiming that WDW is being ignored that Disney is being lazy with it while it's right in the middle of the biggest investment in that resort that I've ever seen in my lifetime. The 50th obviously got scaled back cause of Corona, possibly severely cut back, but they're clearly trying to make a real effort to celebrate it and expand the parks, even if the results are not what people here are liking.

But anyway, happy anniversary to the second greatest Disney resort in the world. I haven't been in a long, long time but am planning to go next year sometime during the 50th.

I've only spent about 5 minutes over on the WDW side, but there's got to be more to their 50th than the weird kite show, right?

Lemme guess... new fireworks. But they must have something else up their sleeve. Right?

 

[Sharon&Susan]

I've only spent about 5 minutes over on the WDW side, but there's got to be more to their 50th than the weird kite show, right?

Lemme guess... new fireworks. But they must have something else up their sleeve. Right?

Top of my head what's new that's going to be open/operating by the big day tomorrow:
Steakhouse 71 (and I guess the rest of the Contemporary and Polynesian refurbs?)
Space 220 Epcot restaurant
New 50th castle float in Electric Water Pageant
New Fireworks show for MK
Ratatouille: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride
HarmonioUS Epcot Nighttime show
Odd golden character statues scattered throughout the park
Park Icon LED night show (in all 4 parks)

That + the kites is all at the moment I believe for major stuff, but I could be forgetting about something (I don't consider remodeled shops or a new paint job on X attraction to be major). Nothing here that would make me want to take a trip to WDW for the 50th. At least Tron and Guardians roller coasters should be open by the end of this 18 month or so celebration.

 

[brb1006]

Anyone willing to place any bets on the new kite show having another accident mid show tomorrow? Murphy's Law and all that. At least nothing can go wrong with the Electric Water Pageant (as far as I'm aware).

The Electrical Water Pageant is doing just fine, love the 50th Anniversary edition

 

[brb1006]

I've only spent about 5 minutes over on the WDW side, but there's got to be more to their 50th than the weird kite show, right?

Lemme guess... new fireworks. But they must have something else up their sleeve. Right?

2 new fireworks shows (Harmonious at Epcot and Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom)

 

[Bullseye1967]

2 new fireworks shows (Harmonious at Epcot and Disney Enchantment at Magic Kingdom)

FTFY

 

[TP2000]

Top of my head what's new that's going to be open/operating by the big day tomorrow:
Steakhouse 71 (and I guess the rest of the Contemporary and Polynesian refurbs?)
Space 220 Epcot restaurant
New 50th castle float in Electric Water Pageant
New Fireworks show for MK
Ratatouille: Remy's Ratatouille Adventure ride
HarmonioUS Epcot Nighttime show
Odd golden character statues scattered throughout the park
Park Icon LED night show (in all 4 parks)

That + the kites is all at the moment I believe for major stuff, but I could be forgetting about something (I don't consider remodeled shops or a new paint job on X attraction to be major). Nothing here that would make me want to take a trip to WDW for the 50th. At least Tron and Guardians roller coasters should be open by the end of this 18 month or so celebration.

That's very helpful, thank you!

I'm taking a mid-show break on the 1971 Grand Opening Special. This show is so typically 1970's that it hurts, but it's more entertaining than those kites and more palatable than that Grasshopper.

It's amazing how well those '71 monorails have held up! I know they've been replaced, but they look the same to me. Back to the show!...