So, You Want to be an Imagineer Season 13: Get a Clue (Discussion Thread)

[DinoInstitute]

As I'm writing up the third part of this full of trip report, I'm just now realizing there is an actual Trip Report forum here Oh well, I'll keep this a special excluding to the imagineering squad!

Once we got back to the park and got to Adventureland, we were right on time for our Skipper's Canteen reservation. I'm not going to go through everything about the restaurant, as it would take way to long, but suffice to say it felt amazing. Never before have I been in such an immersive dining experience, with the classic Jungle Cruise theming that I love all around me, the servers being more than just your average waiter/waitress but rather being your wonderfully corny Skipper, and the story being told all around you as you eat. The menu has interesting passages to read about the history of the Jungle Navigation Co. and it's connections to S.E.A., which are both also shown on the incredible detail of the theming in the rooms.
The menu was very fun. In particular, my favorite food item name was the "Tastes Like Chicken- Because it is!" (Which I loved for two reasons; not only does it work on the level of it being a classic Jungle Cruise gag, but also references the subtle chalkboard in the ride queue with the food menu for the week!). And another great thing, the menu isn't your average burgers and chicken fingers, etc. It's very adventurous culinarily, which I think is a very good thing. I had the pork, which was very flavorful and would definitely recommend if you're looking for something unique and special to expand your palette as I did. Another very adventurous item if you are into that would be the shrimp, which come with a very interesting sauce (I tasted it which my sister got and I didn't really love it all that much, though others really did). In addition, they come with the heads on them, which is something I've never seen before! If you're looking for a safer option for a meal though, I would say to go with the steak. It's very tasty, and it doesn't really have especially bold flavors so I think most people would like it.
All in all, between the magnificent story telling that doesn't come with many other restaurants anywhere in the world, the uniquely themed atmosphere and menu, as well as the hilarious and fun Skippers at your service, this was for sure one of if not the best dining experiences I've had at WDW.

Finished dinner a little after 7, was able to change the Fastpass time for Jungle Cruise to around then, and immediately got on. As always, JC is one of my favorite attractions as a timeless classic, yet always manages to be a new experience. Of course, when on this ride, it all depends on whether or not you have a good skipper, and luckily I did, she was on point Though, while she was great, nobody will ever beat the best Skipper I've ever had with that ride a few years ago. She was essentially April from Parks and Rec, if any of you are familiar with that show, and she was hilarious. But yeah, next time you go to the Magic Kingdom, doing the Skippers Canteen and the Jungle Cruise back to back as a combined experience really immerses you in the story and is a really fun time!

After the ride, we left the Magic Kingdom and went over to the Animal Kingdom. This was the first time I've ever been in that park at nighttime, and it was an amazing and beautiful experience. The pathways were perfectly lit, giving it this feel of being in a natural habitat that magically felt somehow alive...if that makes sense The tree of life looked awesome, and the Deer show on it was really cute and a cool little thing. We ultimately didn't see Alive With Magic, as we went on the Safaris and Everest during the 9:00 show and didn't feel like staying for the 10:30 show (By the way, these two attractions are both incredible and different experiences in the dark, and will become multi-ride musts the next time I visit this park for the full day). We were going to leave after those two attractions, but that's just when the 9:00 show was letting out and the crowds were huge, so we went in to see Its Tough to be a Bug in the meantime, in which the theater was practically empty

After a long day of fun, we soon got back to the hotel, catching some of the Electrical Water Pageant on the roof before dropping dead asleep I'll be back momentarily to write up what should hopefully be my final part of the trip report, my day today in Epcot!

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

I guess if we're all doing trip reports, although not Disney, I'll share my time here in Boston.

Yesterday we took the Old Town Trolley to the wharf, where we had an amazing lunch at James Hook + Co. We got lobster rolls, clam chowda, and lobster bisque, it was delicious! Next we went on a boat tour of the bay, which was beautiful, of course. After that we finished the trolley loop (which has a stop at our hotel) Our guide during that part was Boston Rob! Actually, he called himself Boston Bon, but same thing We checked into our hotel room, and ended up being on the top floor! (38) Our view is amazing, we can see all the way to the mountains! (I've been told their actually hills, but Florida's biggest "mountain" is Expedition Everest

For dinner we went to a restaurant in Little Italy, which was really good. I ordered Cheese Ravioli, but accidentally got Lobster Ravioli. We ended up paying for the cheese (I'm not really sure why, because we didn't say anything. I didn't notice until I was half way done, I thought it was just really fancy cheese ) So I ended up having more lobster yesterday than I had had in my whole life before that (Luckily it's really good here ) After that we got cannolis from Mike's and Modern bakery, and had a test test at the hotel. Personally, I preferred Modern, but I think it might have been because we got minis there, so I could actually take a bite. Either way they were the two best cannolis I had ever had!

 

[DinoInstitute]

So, Epcot was where we spent the day today before leaving the world. It was the park I was most excited for, given the fact that two new attractions (err, well, big refurbishments of attractions) have opened up since I last visited. Let's start there!

So the first this I did was head straight to Frozenstrom. And when I got there, the line was already flowing out the building at 60 minutes! Keep in mind, I went here right at park opening at 9...earlier than that even, as they let guests in the park early now to disperse crowds...60 minutes... Yeah, that capacity for this ride is awful They load/unload only one boat at a time, since they combined the load and unload from Maelstrom. Granted, the queue does move well though, there weren't really long periods of time where we were just stopped. The queue was very nicely themed, though one problem I have with it (which is really a minor nitpick, but irrationally bothered me) was the fact that, while we were still supposed to be in some Norweigian building as the story of the ride went, there were Google stock photos of the blonde guy and his reindeer just hanging on the wall. Like, it was unnecessary and just set a weird tone for me that this ride would be too IP-ey with no real, well, point in Epcot.

That being said, I was pleasantly surprised. Actually, very pleasantly surprised! This attraction was very well done! The animatronics were great, and while I though the music would be too cheesy and overall too much for me, I really do think they worked, and the Let it Go scene was really great.
There are a lot of people online that bash on the ride, and while the location is not ideal, I think the imagineers did s great job working with what they were forced to shoehorn to make it fit well. Like, people say that it's just a hodgepodge of musical scenes from Frozen and is not a story but rather some little girls themed musical party, but that couldn't be less true. This sounds harsh, but honestly, you'll notice and appreciate a story of you actually pay attention to the details and audio and what the scenes are depicting. I don't want to spoil the ride for those who haven't ridden it yet and want to save it for themselves, as after all it is new, but let's just say this is the way, IMO, to successfully pull off a book report-esque retelling of the movie dark ride. Aside from the photos in the queue I'd say my only really complaint is not enough Norway in the ride, too much Arendelle, but that was to be expected. Overall, I'd say an upgrade from Maelstrom, and once crowds are down, it will be a good WS ride.

After eating breakfast at the land and riding LwtL, we went to ride Soarin Around the World for the first time. It was a 70 minute wait, which is pretty long, but considering we couldn't get fastpasses and it was a new attraction to us for the first time, we decided to wait in it anyway. And honestly, it really didn't feel nearly that long at all... Not because I think the time was estimated high, but because of the fun preshow. Honestly, this is my favorite attempt at an interactive queue. They got ride of the stupid screen games that don't work and now it's a fun worldwide geographical trivia game you can play along on your phone! It was really simple but worked well and was really fun, and you could tell it was sparking conversation and getting people to meet each other and talk based on the style of playing on teams.
As far as the ride itself goes, I do personally think it was an upgrade. Obviously it's hard to tell for sure objectively, given that I've been on the old version dozens of times and this was something new and cool But I did like the fact that this ride had transitions in it, featured a better ending scene (no spoils again ), and better fit Epcot altogether being World-themed rather than California. A very nice change!

Next stop was Imagination. Please Disney, do something with this place The only reason I went on the ride though was to go up to the second level after we finished, which was a really cool experience to be able to do for the first time

The Disney Pixar short film festival is a nice show, but I still don't understand why it's not in DHS. It would be a perfect fit there on Hollywood/Sunset Blvd., in a park that desperately needs things to do, and it fits the parks theme so well.

The rest of the day was fun, had a great time on every attraction and strolling through the world showcase. It's been a while since I've been on Ellen's Energy Adventure, but given the rumors of it closing this year, I had to give it a go. And honestly, I forgot how much fun this ride is. It's serious when it needs to be to tell it's important story, but also is very lighthearted and incredibly funny. It is old and does need an update, but I will be sad to see it go.
(That said, please NO GOTG!!!)

So, yeah, that's my trip! Thanks for reading!

 

[DinoInstitute]

clam chowda

Our guide during that part was Boston Rob! Actually, he called himself Boston Bon, but same thing

Our view is amazing, we can see all the way to the mountains! (I've been told their actually hills, but Florida's biggest "mountain" is Expedition Everest

Actually, that's something that's gonna be new doen here that I hadn't realized, it's flat. I guess that'll be nice for running?

 

[JokersWild]

As I'm writing up the third part of this full of trip report, I'm just now realizing there is an actual Trip Report forum here Oh well, I'll keep this a special excluding to the imagineering squad!

Once we got back to the park and got to Adventureland, we were right on time for our Skipper's Canteen reservation. I'm not going to go through everything about the restaurant, as it would take way to long, but suffice to say it felt amazing. Never before have I been in such an immersive dining experience, with the classic Jungle Cruise theming that I love all around me, the servers being more than just your average waiter/waitress but rather being your wonderfully corny Skipper, and the story being told all around you as you eat. The menu has interesting passages to read about the history of the Jungle Navigation Co. and it's connections to S.E.A., which are both also shown on the incredible detail of the theming in the rooms.
The menu was very fun. In particular, my favorite food item name was the "Tastes Like Chicken- Because it is!" (Which I loved for two reasons; not only does it work on the level of it being a classic Jungle Cruise gag, but also references the subtle chalkboard in the ride queue with the food menu for the week!). And another great thing, the menu isn't your average burgers and chicken fingers, etc. It's very adventurous culinarily, which I think is a very good thing. I had the pork, which was very flavorful and would definitely recommend if you're looking for something unique and special to expand your palette as I did. Another very adventurous item if you are into that would be the shrimp, which come with a very interesting sauce (I tasted it which my sister got and I didn't really love it all that much, though others really did). In addition, they come with the heads on them, which is something I've never seen before! If you're looking for a safer option for a meal though, I would say to go with the steak. It's very tasty, and it doesn't really have especially bold flavors so I think most people would like it.
All in all, between the magnificent story telling that doesn't come with many other restaurants anywhere in the world, the uniquely themed atmosphere and menu, as well as the hilarious and fun Skippers at your service, this was for sure one of if not the best dining experiences I've had at WDW.

Finished dinner a little after 7, was able to change the Fastpass time for Jungle Cruise to around then, and immediately got on. As always, JC is one of my favorite attractions as a timeless classic, yet always manages to be a new experience. Of course, when on this ride, it all depends on whether or not you have a good skipper, and luckily I did, she was on point Though, while she was great, nobody will ever beat the best Skipper I've ever had with that ride a few years ago. She was essentially April from Parks and Rec, if any of you are familiar with that show, and she was hilarious. But yeah, next time you go to the Magic Kingdom, doing the Skippers Canteen and the Jungle Cruise back to back as a combined experience really immerses you in the story and is a really fun time!

After the ride, we left the Magic Kingdom and went over to the Animal Kingdom. This was the first time I've ever been in that park at nighttime, and it was an amazing and beautiful experience. The pathways were perfectly lit, giving it this feel of being in a natural habitat that magically felt somehow alive...if that makes sense The tree of life looked awesome, and the Deer show on it was really cute and a cool little thing. We ultimately didn't see Alive With Magic, as we went on the Safaris and Everest during the 9:00 show and didn't feel like staying for the 10:30 show (By the way, these two attractions are both incredible and different experiences in the dark, and will become multi-ride musts the next time I visit this park for the full day). We were going to leave after those two attractions, but that's just when the 9:00 show was letting out and the crowds were huge, so we went in to see Its Tough to be a Bug in the meantime, in which the theater was practically empty

After a long day of fun, we soon got back to the hotel, catching some of the Electrical Water Pageant on the roof before dropping dead asleep I'll be back momentarily to write up what should hopefully be my final part of the trip report, my day today in Epcot!

I absolutely love Skipper Canteen, and it's great to hear you speak so highly of it. I don't really see a ton of people talking about it, which is really disappointing. If you ever get back there, go walk around. There's a really cool memo board near the kitchen that has a TON of references to various Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and extinct attraction-type stuff. And, of course, the SEA room is spectacular. I don't know if you saw it, but there's this really cool case hidden in the bookshelf that holds the fezzes of a bunch of SEA members (including Meriweather Pleasure, which is particularly interesting.) It's just an amazingly detailed restaurant all around. And, of course, the menu is spectacular, though it has been changed slightly since I've been there last.

 

[DinoInstitute]

I absolutely love Skipper Canteen, and it's great to hear you speak so highly of it. I don't really see a ton of people talking about it, which is really disappointing. If you ever get back there, go walk around. There's a really cool memo board near the kitchen that has a TON of references to various Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and extinct attraction-type stuff. And, of course, the SEA room is spectacular. I don't know if you saw it, but there's this really cool case hidden in the bookshelf that holds the fezzes of a bunch of SEA members (including Meriweather Pleasure, which is particularly interesting.) It's just an amazingly detailed restaurant all around. And, of course, the menu is spectacular, though it has been changed slightly since I've been there last.

Yeah, I believe it changed pretty recently actually, though I think for the most part it's pretty similar. Though honestly I'm a little worried about that future of the restaurant, as from what I hear online and what I saw it seemed like there were a lot of open tables. I feel like Disney might want to try to "dumb it down" to simpler, more generic meals to try to appeal to more people, which would be unfortunate.

I did get up to go look for the bathroom at one point, and walking through the rooms to it was really cool. I didn't really stop to look at the detail, but I did get the impression that this restaurant has a high "reride-ability", if that makes sense

 

[FigmentPigments]

I absolutely love Skipper Canteen, and it's great to hear you speak so highly of it. I don't really see a ton of people talking about it, which is really disappointing. If you ever get back there, go walk around. There's a really cool memo board near the kitchen that has a TON of references to various Jungle Cruise, Indiana Jones, and extinct attraction-type stuff. And, of course, the SEA room is spectacular. I don't know if you saw it, but there's this really cool case hidden in the bookshelf that holds the fezzes of a bunch of SEA members (including Meriweather Pleasure, which is particularly interesting.) It's just an amazingly detailed restaurant all around. And, of course, the menu is spectacular, though it has been changed slightly since I've been there last.

I'm glad you noticed the fezzes. It's my hope that this is a sign they'll expand the SEA story.

 

[JokersWild]

I'm glad you noticed the fezzes. It's my hope that this is a sign they'll expand the SEA story.

Those fezzes might actually be my favorite set decoration in the restaurant. It's such a cool detail that not a lot of people would notice. And I am very curious about the few names that pop up in there that haven't really been seen anywhere else.

And I mean, they're already starting to expand a bit, which is fantastic. Between Bullion and Skipper Canteen, it seems as though SEA is finally coming stateside. I'm more curious to see how it'll be implemented next. Hopefully with some sort of attraction.

 

[FigmentPigments]

Those fezzes might actually be my favorite set decoration in the restaurant. It's such a cool detail that not a lot of people would notice. And I am very curious about the few names that pop up in there that haven't really been seen anywhere else.

And I mean, they're already starting to expand a bit, which is fantastic. Between Bullion and Skipper Canteen, it seems as though SEA is finally coming stateside. I'm more curious to see how it'll be implemented next. Hopefully with some sort of attraction.

Yes, it's exciting to see these new names. I often think back to that portrait in Mystic Manor and how we haven't seen much of these other characters and now we have new names as well.

I would think a ride would be the next logical step for the States. I mean we have two restaurants, a cruise line connection, and a brief mention in one ride, but nothing that is based solely off a SEA member. Disney has made quite an effort to connect the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, old Pleasure Island, and the extinct Adventures Club, not to mention Jock Lindsey's to this group. I can't imagine they won't have some sort of attraction eventually.

 

[JokersWild]

Yes, it's exciting to see these new names. I often think back to that portrait in Mystic Manor and how we haven't seen much of these other characters and now we have new names as well.

I would think a ride would be the next logical step for the States. I mean we have two restaurants, a cruise line connection, and a brief mention in one ride, but nothing that is based solely off a SEA member. Disney has made quite an effort to connect the Jungle Cruise, Haunted Mansion, old Pleasure Island, and the extinct Adventures Club, not to mention Jock Lindsey's to this group. I can't imagine they won't have some sort of attraction eventually.

There's a ton of characters that have been shown, but remain unnamed. They're definitely building the SEA story, which is great. It'll be very interesting to see how it builds.

I'd absolutely love a SEA ride at WDW. They've tested the concept here, rather successfully, and it's something that a lot of people are starting to know about and recognize, so it'd be great to see it expand. I'd really love to see a SEA attraction in Animal Kingdom. The park has the mythology, and it'd be great to see more story (or anything really) be put into the park. Perhaps as a replacement/ retheme of Dinosaur, or even a whole new continent (Antarctica or a general ocean theme would be a natural fit for SEA.)

 

[FigmentPigments]

There's a ton of characters that have been shown, but remain unnamed. They're definitely building the SEA story, which is great. It'll be very interesting to see how it builds.

I'd absolutely love a SEA ride at WDW. They've tested the concept here, rather successfully, and it's something that a lot of people are starting to know about and recognize, so it'd be great to see it expand. I'd really love to see a SEA attraction in Animal Kingdom. The park has the mythology, and it'd be great to see more story (or anything really) be put into the park. Perhaps as a replacement/ retheme of Dinosaur, or even a whole new continent (Antarctica or a general ocean theme would be a natural fit for SEA.)

Absolutely! I agree that people seem to be ready for this. Not only will a SEA attraction not be an IP, but there's also a massive group of people who loved the Adventurers Club and would more than likely welcome this new mythos. The level of detail and characters in this Society is on Parr with the old Club and could fill a hole that the Club created when it was closed.

Oh my god. Please put a SEA attraction in Animal Kingdom. That is by far my favorite park and would fit in perfectly. The level of detail that park has is just amazing, and it would combine two of my great loves.

Back in the House cup, one house proposed a new land for Animal Kingdom which I believe was Antarctica and the main character was Dr. Polar (I think). That would be a great addition. Not only a new land, but also could potentially use one of the characters in the picture from Mystic Manor.

 

[JokersWild]

Absolutely! I agree that people seem to be ready for this. Not only will a SEA attraction not be an IP, but there's also a massive group of people who loved the Adventurers Club and would more than likely welcome this new mythos. The level of detail and characters in this Society is on Parr with the old Club and could fill a hole that the Club created when it was closed.

Oh my god. Please put a SEA attraction in Animal Kingdom. That is by far my favorite park and would fit in perfectly. The level of detail that park has is just amazing, and it would combine two of my great loves.

Back in the House cup, one house proposed a new land for Animal Kingdom which I believe was Antarctica and the main character was Dr. Polar (I think). That would be a great addition. Not only a new land, but also could potentially use one of the characters in the picture from Mystic Manor.

I love how SEA is kind of a natural progression and evolution of the Adventurers Club, and I think that that's something that a lot of people get, or will get. It's definitely something that's already pretty special, and could absolutely be taken to the next level.

And I would absolutely love an arctic land based around SEA in AK as well. I think I remember that concept (possibly) from the House Cup as well. Antarctica is just a perfect fit for SEA. It has the exploration theme, it's a rather mysterious location, and it makes sense in the timeline of SEA. Antarctica was really just starting to be really explored in the late-1800s which makes it just a natural fit for SEA. Definitely something fit for an original character. And perhaps some appearances by other established characters (Mary Oceaneer mainly.)

 

[FigmentPigments]

I love how SEA is kind of a natural progression and evolution of the Adventurers Club, and I think that that's something that a lot of people get, or will get. It's definitely something that's already pretty special, and could absolutely be taken to the next level.

And I would absolutely love an arctic land based around SEA in AK as well. I think I remember that concept (possibly) from the House Cup as well. Antarctica is just a perfect fit for SEA. It has the exploration theme, it's a rather mysterious location, and it makes sense in the timeline of SEA. Antarctica was really just starting to be really explored in the late-1800s which makes it just a natural fit for SEA. Definitely something fit for an original character. And perhaps some appearances by other established characters (Mary Oceaneer mainly.)

My one problem with May Oceaneer, is that her ship is a little too fanciful for me, but that's just a personal preference. I was a little disappointed in how she's portrayed on the cruise ship. I understand that it is a kids area, but I was hoping for a more mature mythos for her. Now I haven't actually seen the Oceaneer Lab yet so I'm probably still missing details. I will admit that her character is more along the lines of Mystic than Hightower. It fits, but if the States does get an attraction, I hope to see more depth from her. I was glad to see her name at the bottom of one of the maps in the Skipper Canteen. It gives her a little more credence than just diving for treasure with her parrot.

 

[FigmentPigments]

Do you think Shanghai will have a SEA connection?

 

[JokersWild]

My one problem with May Oceaneer, is that her ship is a little too fanciful for me, but that's just a personal preference. I was a little disappointed in how she's portrayed on the cruise ship. I understand that it is a kids area, but I was hoping for a more mature mythos for her. Now I haven't actually seen the Oceaneer Lab yet so I'm probably still missing details. I will admit that her character is more along the lines of Mystic than Hightower. It fits, but if the States does get an attraction, I hope to see more depth from her. I was glad to see her name at the bottom of one of the maps in the Skipper Canteen. It gives her a little more credence than just diving for treasure with her parrot.

I'd really like to see her character be given more depth as well, and I'm sure she will, especially after seeing the little nod to her in Skipper Canteen (and she might be in Mystic Manor as well? I don't remember.) But she definitely is more Mystic-esque. Rightfully so, I suppose with the purpose of her character on the Dream/ Fantasy.

Do you think Shanghai will have a SEA connection?

Probably not. It'd be really interesting, and there are already a few things in that park that could work with SEA, as England showed us in our little bonus project a few weeks back, but I'd be very surprised if they started tying SEA into things over there. They seem to be making a huge effort to separate Shanghai from other Disney parks. Mainly due to the Chinese government and the various companies that paid for the park, but I digress.

Shanghai definitely has the scale and vision for it; I just don't think they'll actually do it.

 

[mickeyfan5534]

Who's Shadow?

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...-shadow-at-disneys-hilton-head-island-resort/
The only live animal mascot at a Disney resort. A little brat of a dog who's addicted to treats.

 

[IAmNotAHufflepuff]

Nice!

Certainly better than my last 24 hours.... After six and a half hours of traveling by ferry and car from Key West, barely getting any sleep, I wake up only to hear my grandmother passed away. . After all that traveling, I still have to drive four hours to get to the funeral service... Two days after I finally come back from vacation.

So.. Wanna switch?

I wake up today, and now I have a cold... Great.

 

[FigmentPigments]

I wake up today, and now I have a cold... Great.

Doesn't it just figure. Get well, Puff!

 

[Flippin'Flounder]

Actually, that's something that's gonna be new doen here that I hadn't realized, it's flat. I guess that'll be nice for running?

I just realized I said Boston Bon. It was actually Biston Bob, which makes it much better

As for the flat land, driving here is completely different. All the roads are in a grid, everywhere, and the only time you go up or down is getting on and off the highway, or over bridges.

I think pretty much everything non-IP in DAK would fit with SEA. Dinosaur, Everest, Safaris. I think it could be a great way to fix Kali.

 

[FigmentPigments]

I'd really like to see her character be given more depth as well, and I'm sure she will, especially after seeing the little nod to her in Skipper Canteen (and she might be in Mystic Manor as well? I don't remember.) But she definitely is more Mystic-esque. Rightfully so, I suppose with the purpose of her character on the Dream/ Fantasy.


Probably not. It'd be really interesting, and there are already a few things in that park that could work with SEA, as England showed us in our little bonus project a few weeks back, but I'd be very surprised if they started tying SEA into things over there. They seem to be making a huge effort to separate Shanghai from other Disney parks. Mainly due to the Chinese government and the various companies that paid for the park, but I digress.

Shanghai definitely has the scale and vision for it; I just don't think they'll actually do it.

Besides her being in the SEA picture, I haven't found any references to her otherwise at Mystic Manor. But I hope that this Mystic-esque look will not be prominent if SEA becomes a major presence in the states.

It seems a shame that Shanghai would not be involved in this attempt to tie most of the parks together through a group of characters with such an interesting and detailed history. I believe you are right though. China, while may have a Disney presence, seems to be more of an individual park when compared to the others. As far as I am aware, Shanghai has no English language used in any rides, but Tokyo at least has that option and Paris habitually has attractions that use both English and French. They've just about tied every other park to SEA in some way that I was hoping this trend would continue to Shanghai. Oh well, maybe there's more of a chance for SEA here.

Another question. What's you're take on Fortress Explorations? The SEA crest over there shows 1538, but Jason Chandler is considered the founder. Chandler wrote Bullion a letter around 1880 so there is some disconnect.

What is your take on this? I've looked around but can't seem to find a satisfactory answer. The closest I could come to explain it, is that Chandler is the founder of the American/English branch. But again, I haven't actually been to the Fortress nor can I read Japanese so I'm suck on this.