Obama visit, Hollywood Studios Fireworks, and EMH Changes

[rct247]

President's motorcade entered behind Splash Mountain and drove up the service road to Main Street USA. Walls were up backstage as well over there separating the Main Street backstage from the Jungle Cruise backstage. He then entered on stage from the Casey's Corner area. Portions of the Utilidors were blocked off by Secret Service as they didn't want traffic passing underneath the President especially before/during/after the speech after they searched and secured it. Motorcade did not drive through the tunnels because it would have majorly disrupted park operations for cast members entering and exiting for work, MK Entertainment base, Cash Control, the Mouseketeeria cast cafeteria, and the locker changing rooms. The large automobiles would also be hard to maneuver in the tunnels. Usually smaller electric vehicles are only permitted inside including for medical units.

The pics earlier in the thread showed the wooden work walls blocking Main Street and behind the castle. The bridges to Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Fantasyland didn't have these. They just have layers of cast members, security, Secret Service team members, ropes, and metal special event barricades.

Any vantage points of where the President would be standing were blocked off and secured. I'm not sure what they did, but I'm sure seating was affected in Cosmic Ray's until after the speech. The Astro Orbiter and Swiss Family Treehouse did not shut down, but the Peoplemover did for a couple hours. The turn at Stitch's Great Escape gave a clear vantage point that posed as a security hazard. The Walt Disney World Railroad was also closed, mainly because the Main Street Station gave a clear vantage point that was a security risk.

From a guest stand point, the park was very dead today. Disney did a great job steering guests away from the Magic Kingdom.

 

[prberk]

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Tourisman

Link to the video of the president speaking.

Thanks for the link. C-SPAN is good because it continues through to the very end, and you get to hear the patriotic music on Main Street, USA, that played while he signed autographs and shook hands.

It did surprise me, though, that they did not use the live Main Street band for that music. Would have been perfect, especially in their outfits standing behind him.

Paul

 

[Firepath]

Did anyone notice that he accidently said "Disney Land" but shortly after correctly referred to "Disney World?"

 

[Slugger]

President's motorcade entered behind Splash Mountain and drove up the service road to Main Street USA. Walls were up backstage as well over there separating the Main Street backstage from the Jungle Cruise backstage. He then entered on stage from the Casey's Corner area. Portions of the Utilidors were blocked off by Secret Service as they didn't want traffic passing underneath the President especially before/during/after the speech after they searched and secured it. Motorcade did not drive through the tunnels because it would have majorly disrupted park operations for cast members entering and exiting for work, MK Entertainment base, Cash Control, the Mouseketeeria cast cafeteria, and the locker changing rooms. The large automobiles would also be hard to maneuver in the tunnels. Usually smaller electric vehicles are only permitted inside including for medical units.

The pics earlier in the thread showed the wooden work walls blocking Main Street and behind the castle. The bridges to Tomorrowland, Adventureland, Liberty Square, and Fantasyland didn't have these. They just have layers of cast members, security, Secret Service team members, ropes, and metal special event barricades.

Any vantage points of where the President would be standing were blocked off and secured. I'm not sure what they did, but I'm sure seating was affected in Cosmic Ray's until after the speech. The Astro Orbiter and Swiss Family Treehouse did not shut down, but the Peoplemover did for a couple hours. The turn at Stitch's Great Escape gave a clear vantage point that posed as a security hazard. The Walt Disney World Railroad was also closed, mainly because the Main Street Station gave a clear vantage point that was a security risk.

From a guest stand point, the park was very dead today. Disney did a great job steering guests away from the Magic Kingdom.

Part of his motorcade did indeed drive through the Tunnels very early in the morning around 630am. It wasn't the larger SUV, but smaller SUVs like a Ford Escape. They stopped right infront of the Mousecateria because someone left their pargo parked along the wall and they had to run out and go move it so it could continue on its path.

 

[disneyeater]

Did he just call it Disneyland?

He said Epcot "center" and Disneyland...

Disneyland? *sigh* geez

I noticed "Disneyland" and "Epcot Center" too... oops! Although, I'll forgive him for the Epcot Center one!

as soon as he said disneyland i burst out laughing and told my wife lol:wave:

I expect my president to know a lot about a number of different topics. The proper name of theme parks is not one I care if he knows about.

 

[wdw71fan]

The route the motorcade took:

 

[wdwmagic]

Thanks for the route descriptions. Very interesting.

 

[UltimtMickeyFan]

Part of his motorcade did indeed drive through the Tunnels very early in the morning around 630am. It wasn't the larger SUV, but smaller SUVs like a Ford Escape. They stopped right infront of the Mousecateria because someone left their pargo parked along the wall and they had to run out and go move it so it could continue on its path.

If there were any Secret Service vehicles in the utilidors that early in the morning, then they were only the advance security detail and would not have been part of the motorcade at all. Especially since the motorcade wasnt even in Orlando at that time of day.

 

[wickedfan07]

Anybody have a scan of yesterday's Times Guides? I would imagine that would have been an interesting one to have given all the changes to the schedule.

 

[WDWTrojan]

Clearly you have never been down there.

Clearly I worked at the Magic Kingdom for four years and was a MK tour guide. The tunnels were designed to accomodate limited vehicular traffic (hence why the Brinks truck drives in there, as does an ambulence if necessary).

 

[Thurp]

Here you go, an article about previous visits to WDW by both sides of the spectrum with some neat old pictures:

http://www.mousesteps.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=746&Itemid=121

 

[TiggersPooh]

Clearly I worked at the Magic Kingdom for four years and was a MK tour guide. The tunnels were designed to accomodate limited vehicular traffic (hence why the Brinks truck drives in there, as does an ambulence if necessary).

money truck no longer drives in

 

[Clever Name]

money truck no longer drives in

That's good to know. Did ya' hear dat Lefty? :wave:

 

[flavious27]

Flags set up for the president's speech

https://twitter.com/#!/easywdw/status/160023930214682624/photo/1

Secret Service on site?

https://twitter.com/#!/easywdw/status/160024351566082048/photo/1

I like the pictures but the quality isn't that good.

 

[dixiegirl]

Regardless of the reasons for it happening, great to see a Studios firework show!

My thoughts exactly even if it was from my computer!!! Its just too bad they could'nt do it more often , I mean when you think of it, Hollywood and fireworks just seem to go well with one another, but I understand why they don't due to the area 's around!

 

[The Mom]

I like the pictures but the quality isn't that good.

It appears he was using his phone in an effort to be unobtrusive, especially when taking photos of Secret Service agents.

 

[marni1971]

Clearly I worked at the Magic Kingdom for four years and was a MK tour guide. The tunnels were designed to accomodate limited vehicular traffic (hence why the Brinks truck drives in there, as does an ambulence if necessary).

The Brinks truck was specially designed to have limited access to the main tunnel portal.

Normal vehicles cannot drive Much further since the extraction system wasn't designed for engine fumes. Let alone size.

 

[flavious27]

It appears he was using his phone in an effort to be unobtrusive, especially when taking photos of Secret Service agents.

He posted much better pictures here:

http://www.easywdw.com/uncategorized/president-barack-obama-visits-walt-disney-world-not-canned-pictures-from-the-ground/

 

[unkadug]

I've been involved in a President visiting and it's a pain. Clinton use to come to Renaissance weekend on Hilton Head which years ago was held at the Hyatt hotel. SS would do things like close route 278 because Clinton was playing golf on Trent Jones, 3 of the holes run down the side of 278 which is the main and only road to go from one end of Hilton Head to the other. At the same time I lived in a Condo right on the golf course and I was drinking a coffee reading the paper on my back porch, I look up, there was like 12 people at the tee box. Took me a minute to figure out what was going on but it was Clinton and the SS right there. Funny part is they closed a highway and I could have jumped right off my back porch attacking him with a coffee cup. LOL. We had another strange thing happen too, SS all over the place with a "war wagon" park right near the front door. A guy walked right up with a pistol in plain sight, LOL. SS jumps out of the van, walkie talkies out asking the doormen if they knew who the guy was. They did, he was a local detective and his girl friend was a sous chef in the hotel so he dropped by every couple of nights a week before she got off work. SS didn't stop him or anything but they did keep track of where he was in the hotel. My point is the SS goes a little over the top and when it's all said and done random people end up right near the President which I guess the SS does keep people with a thought out plan away from the Pres but when they are closing a highway or air space just in case and at the same time I can hit the President by throwing a pine cone or some guy walks right into a hotel with a pistol you kind of have to wonder if it really is all necessary??? One genius SS guy wanted to take away the waiters wine keys??? And they will suck the corks out of the bottles???? That's why I got paid the big bucks to point out operational problems like that....LOL. Never less to say I'm not a big fan of dealing with less than bright ideas from the SS.

You have been flagged as a possible enemy of the state! :lol:

 

[Larry Mondello]

While the President was enjoying himself at WDW Romney was doing his laundry.