Phil's MK-Epcot-MK Update-a-Roo 1/17 (with images)

[GymLeaderPhil]

Well the high today in Florida was in the fifties, felt a bunch colder with the wind chill, and I wore shorts. What can I say, there comfortable and easy to wear. So my first priority was of course...

...Splash Mountain. Wishes really do come true, they weren't even bothering with Fast Pass! Score!

Pen Stations. Wait, that's already been used. Signature Stations! Complete with pens, which are missing in all but a few minutes. WDW hasn't been to a bank with the pens with a chain on them I guess...

We've got structure for the MK Turnstiles!

New Magic Kingdom Guidemaps today with this disturbing image...

Removed from the map is Goofy's Country Dancin' Jamboree, with no replacement text about the Woody Meet and Greet. Of course, if the cover wasn't any indication, Stitch's Great Escape has been added. Cinderella's Royal Table went down today (and was noted on the Times Guide).

Oh and tommorow is my birthday, so I picked up the cool pins from MK and Epcot. One older CM in the Frontierland Trading Post even sang Happy Birthday to me, blatently off key, and I really got a kick out of it. Thanks again to all of the CMs who went the extra step just for me (and according to the Space Mountain Loading CMs, about seven or so others) on mine/our birthday.

THIS IS A MULTIPLE UPDATE... PART 2 IN A FEW.

 

[wannab@dis]

stitch on the cover... guess they aren't reading the bad reviews, huh?

nice update, thanks!

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Oh and since were getting to the good stuff now, let me remind you to contact me first before taking/using these images on your site. I would hate to put a watermark on the images, but if it has to come to it, I will. Again my email address is listed in my account and my PM box is nearly empty. Thanks.

Construction on the Hub continues.

I would really like to thank fate for bringing me one of Main Street's Double Decker Buses.

All of those individual character statues are gone. All that's left is the Partners Statue.

Is that the ladder in the background on the wall to the left of the Partners statue?

Many thanks again to the driver of the Double Decker Bus for these amazing shots.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

I don't know what is about Stitch's Great Escape, but of all the rides, it seems this one is the least maintained.

'

These popped up with the new 38'' requirement.

However this gentleman made things a bit tougher with the new height requirements. He was constantly walking away from his position and when a child he thought was under 38 inches walked into the queue, he'd literally yell at the party to come back and be measured. At one point he screamed at the CM, who was also not at his post at the turnstiles, to tell a man who entered into the turnstiles to go back outside of them. I also could hear the woman who was taking Fast Passes screech at a large foreign speaking tour group as they cut into the Fast Pass line.

Do we really need this kind of tone from cast members? I mean I know you deal with idiots, what not, but you do so in a calm/collective manner.

Inside the first preshow room of Stitch's Great Escape there was bits and pieces of trash scattered all over the floor. This picture doesn't do justice to the mess that I was in there.

Stitch is living up to it's name as a bad show even BEFORE you reach the theater.

 

[TravisMT81]

thanks! I love your picture updates!

 

[cherrynegra]

Thanks for the pics and the updates. Wow!! I wasn't even aware they were working on the hub! Now to be the only one out of the loop to ask, what are they doing?????

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

I just don't know why they couldn't have fixed this problem when they had birds nests up there with AE too.

Scaffolding of the FUTURE!

The CM who was working the cart pictured below said that the land balloons were going to be placed in the center of the new Astro Orbitor.

New green tarps on the outside of IASW. CMs were present to move stollers this trip, as you can recall from last time there was a wall of strollers alongside the construction walls.

I never made it back to take pictures of Dumbo, but there was a Security Guard positioned right outside the queue line for the ride. That's right, a Security Guard. I guess the Dumbo character and the Security Guard work half shifts for Meet and Greets?

Seriously though, there was a Dumbo ride vehicle right outside the walls for picture ops, and half of the cars were extended into the air above the construction walls.

 

[DisneySaint]

Good, honest update - thanks!

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Construction walls are up at Epcot's turnstiles again. This is a sign of good things to come.

Inside the construction walls? The future Epcot is going to be a really low capacity park, IMO.

Pink messed up my shot.

I have a history with free-standing queue ropes. When I was a wee little GymLeaderPhil I stayed at the Swan with my grandparents. While we were in the check in line I managed to pull down one of those heavy metal ones (with the padded ropes) and it knocked me right on my head.

Before you could say Magical Gatherings, the Disney Lawyers were already on top our family. It was at that point I knew what I wanted to do with my life. But I guess the concussion didn't help my memory too much.

Trees are gone. There is no Life except for some shrubs and flowers.

 

[GymLeaderPhil]

Except for one lone tree. So sad. Looks like one Charlie Brown would pick out.

Seems like the Land's Plaque is gone.

Dr. Pepper, the official drink for the Land wreckers.

The Garden Grill was open (or lit), but the doors weren't as inviting.

I don't understand WDW's policy on queue ropes. They have one in front of the walls, this one on the right side, but they don't have any on the left hand side. Budget cuts?

Maybe it's just me, but I've never noticed this structure on top of the building before on Sunset Blvd. Has this been around for awhile?


Anyways, that's the update. I didn't bother to claim a free ice cream for my Birthday on account of the weather, but I had a blast.

 

[tigger248]

Great update! Very informative, and many thanks to you!

 

[TravisMT81]

if they have not started on the inside, I don't see them remodeling the Garden Grill! If they are gonna do it, they should do it right!

 

[boo52]

Maybe it's just me, but I've never noticed this structure on top of the building before on Sunset Blvd. Has this been around for awhile?

They just started adding this to the ride building of R&RC. I believe it is to make it look like a soundstage and less of like a warehouse looking building. If you have seen the Soundstages at Disney Studios Paris, you will know what it is that they are adding.

 

[barnum42]

Great pics :wave:

 

[epcotfan]

Awesome update. Happy Birthday!

 

[peter11435]

I don't know what is about Stitch's Great Escape, but of all the rides, it seems this one is the least maintained.

'

These popped up with the new 38'' requirement.

However this gentleman made things a bit tougher with the new height requirements. He was constantly walking away from his position and when a child he thought was under 38 inches walked into the queue, he'd literally yell at the party to come back and be measured. At one point he screamed at the CM, who was also not at his post at the turnstiles, to tell a man who entered into the turnstiles to go back outside of them. I also could hear the woman who was taking Fast Passes screech at a large foreign speaking tour group as they cut into the Fast Pass line.

Do we really need this kind of tone from cast members? I mean I know you deal with idiots, what not, but you do so in a calm/collective manner.

Inside the first preshow room of Stitch's Great Escape there was bits and pieces of trash scattered all over the floor. This picture doesn't do justice to the mess that I was in there.

Stitch is living up to it's name as a bad show even BEFORE you reach the theater.

It's funny you mention that particular CM. I had an experience with that same man last weekend. Waiting in line for the TTA he was at the turnstile. The lady in front of us was about in her thirties and with her mother and baby. She was feeding the baby from a bottle and he started yelling at her that there was no food or drinks. He refused to let her on. Then when my family got up there he refused to let us on because my father had brought his mug from the resort to fill with water. My father said that he couldn't throw it away since it was a resort mug. All the guy did was continue to yell "no exceptions." This was very unusual as He has had that mug on just about everything before, from the TTA to RnRC. They sell those mugs in the parks too, and expect you to take them home, so obviously you will need to ride with it. Walking away I noticed he had created a large pile of trash in the planter next to him, everything from cups to baby bottle. I guess with over 60,000 CM's you gotta have some bad eggs.

 

[KevinPage]

You get free ice cream on your birthday?

WOW, I knew they were working on "the hub" that I couldn't imagine the complete overhaul, it's almost as barren as 20K inside those walls.

Are they going to put back the bronze character statues?

 

[joel_maxwell]

You get free ice cream on your birthday?

WOW, I knew they were working on "the hub" that I couldn't imagine the complete overhaul, it's almost as barren as 20K inside those walls.

Are they going to put back the bronze character statues?

i know, that is a major overhaul. they werent kidding when they said that they were going to redsign for better traffic control. i think that you could roll a jumbo jet thru there now.

 

[WDWEric]

Any body have a pic of the old hub, what a major change!

 

[jcraycraft]

Great update..... Cant wait for the next one!!! :wave: