George Lucas on a Bench
Well-Known Member
WDW POTC has the same exit as the DL HM, only without a doll. Absurd theme-killing escalators in period settings.
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The Miscellaneous Thought Thread
- Thread starter mickEblu
- Start date
Rich T
Well-Known Member
A tiny auctioneer on WDW’s POC speedramp would have been awesome.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
I don’t think it was impossible but he was also dealing with constraints that demanded compromise. We now appreciate them for their quirks but they weren’t supposed to be there. We also would not try to force such outcomes if we were starting from scratch on something. There are some great movies that didn’t have a finished script or were largely improvised but in general people would say that if you want to make a good movie you want to start with a good script.
TP2000
Well-Known Member
Miscellaneous Thought on life after masks...
I have a favorite hobby of trying to pick the checkout lane at Target with the most fun looking Target Lady; the crazier and chattier the better. Today did not disappoint! I saw a Target Lady that I hadn't seen working at my local store for awhile, but she's always been fun to chat with in the past. I chose her line, even though it was long.
I loaded up the belt with my smattering of house cleaning items and a Glade candle (their new Lavender Aloe scent is great in the kitchen). She finished up some bizarre conversation about hair products with the college girl customer ahead of me (Go Hornets!) and then turned to me to start the transaction. She said "Hi" and I said "Hi" back. Then she looked over my items as the conveyor belt turned on and delivered them to her within her ergonomic safety zone and said, I kid you not...
Target Lady - "Oh, I'm so glad to see someone not buying nose hair trimmers and teeth whiteners!"
TP2000 - "Uh... really? Are those on sale?"
Target Lady - "No. But now that Biden said we don't have to wear masks, there's been a rush on nose hair trimmers and teeth whiteners."
Then she just let that odd statement hang there for a moment silently as she beep-beep-beeped my items.
TP2000 now laughing - "Really?! That's happening?!"
Target Lady - "Yup. They've definitely been the hot ticket items today. People are gettin' ready to go maskless!"
TP2000 still laughing - "Wow. Good thing I already have a nose hair trimmer."
Target Lady - "Yeah, I can tell. You look good! That'll be $24.38, do you want to put this on your Target card?"
If you aren't choosing your Target Lady checkout gal carefully, you are missing out on a lot of living!
I have a favorite hobby of trying to pick the checkout lane at Target with the most fun looking Target Lady; the crazier and chattier the better. Today did not disappoint! I saw a Target Lady that I hadn't seen working at my local store for awhile, but she's always been fun to chat with in the past. I chose her line, even though it was long.
I loaded up the belt with my smattering of house cleaning items and a Glade candle (their new Lavender Aloe scent is great in the kitchen). She finished up some bizarre conversation about hair products with the college girl customer ahead of me (Go Hornets!) and then turned to me to start the transaction. She said "Hi" and I said "Hi" back. Then she looked over my items as the conveyor belt turned on and delivered them to her within her ergonomic safety zone and said, I kid you not...
Target Lady - "Oh, I'm so glad to see someone not buying nose hair trimmers and teeth whiteners!"
TP2000 - "Uh... really? Are those on sale?"
Target Lady - "No. But now that Biden said we don't have to wear masks, there's been a rush on nose hair trimmers and teeth whiteners."
Then she just let that odd statement hang there for a moment silently as she beep-beep-beeped my items.
TP2000 now laughing - "Really?! That's happening?!"
Target Lady - "Yup. They've definitely been the hot ticket items today. People are gettin' ready to go maskless!"
TP2000 still laughing - "Wow. Good thing I already have a nose hair trimmer."
Target Lady - "Yeah, I can tell. You look good! That'll be $24.38, do you want to put this on your Target card?"
If you aren't choosing your Target Lady checkout gal carefully, you are missing out on a lot of living!
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Those speedramps really are odd. WDI in the 1960's loved to plop them in wherever, even if they made no sense thematically.
The first speedramp was at the Disneyland Monorail when it opened in 1959. There were two of them back then, and into the 1980's; one up to the platform, and one down. It made sense in a '59 futuristic sort of way.
Speedramps showed up again in '67 for the PeopleMover. And it seemed kind of Future Supersonic Airport in '67, so it worked in Tomorrowland. Then in '77 they added more to get up to Space Mountain's queue. It still kind of worked in the Disco Era.
But when they added one to Haunted Mansion's exit in 1969 it just seemed... odd. But then, you just disembarked from a Space Age egg-shaped Omnimover going through a late 1800's Southern Mansion with singing ghosts, so who can judge? When they put one in for WDW's rushed and Cliff's Notes version of Pirates in '73, it was just stupid and theme killing.
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Here's another random thought on Speedramps.
In 1962 in Tacoma, jealous that big brother Seattle just to the north was hosting a fancy World's Fair with a real monorail and a Space Needle, installed speedramps in their hilly downtown core. Except they didn't call them speedramps, they called them Escalades. They still existed the last time I was in Tacoma in the 1980's, but I'm not entirely sure if they are still there. They were entered via random openings in downtown buildings, and they transported you up the steep hills of downtown Tacoma.
I have no idea if General Motors got approval from Tacoma to call their Cadillac SUV an Escalade, but Tacoma thought of it first in 1962.
Tacoma has Escalades for shoppers, but Seattle has speedramps up to their Monorail in '62. Which would you rather ride on?
Also in 1962, American Airlines installed a speedramp in their terminal at LAX. They called it an "Astroway", in homage to their fleet of Astrojets that were being heavily marketed back then. Here's Lucille Ball arriving at LAX after an Astrojet flight, and the American Airlines marketing team put up a paper scrim that Miss Ball then burst through on the moving Astroway to announce her arrival at LAX. And from the looks of it I'm sure Miss Ball didn't ask the Astrojet stewardess for a second vodka tonic before landing. Or did she?
In 1962 in Tacoma, jealous that big brother Seattle just to the north was hosting a fancy World's Fair with a real monorail and a Space Needle, installed speedramps in their hilly downtown core. Except they didn't call them speedramps, they called them Escalades. They still existed the last time I was in Tacoma in the 1980's, but I'm not entirely sure if they are still there. They were entered via random openings in downtown buildings, and they transported you up the steep hills of downtown Tacoma.
I have no idea if General Motors got approval from Tacoma to call their Cadillac SUV an Escalade, but Tacoma thought of it first in 1962.
Tacoma has Escalades for shoppers, but Seattle has speedramps up to their Monorail in '62. Which would you rather ride on?
Also in 1962, American Airlines installed a speedramp in their terminal at LAX. They called it an "Astroway", in homage to their fleet of Astrojets that were being heavily marketed back then. Here's Lucille Ball arriving at LAX after an Astrojet flight, and the American Airlines marketing team put up a paper scrim that Miss Ball then burst through on the moving Astroway to announce her arrival at LAX. And from the looks of it I'm sure Miss Ball didn't ask the Astrojet stewardess for a second vodka tonic before landing. Or did she?
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Ooh, speaking of Astrojets...
The Astrojets were a popular C Ticket attraction in Tomorrowland from 1956 into the early 1960's.
The name "Astrojets" was chosen by WDI almost five years before American Airlines began marketing their new 1960's jet fleet as "Astrojets" and their mainline jet service as "The Route of the Astrojets".
But when United Airlines was tapped in 1963 to sponsor the Enchanted Tiki Room, which included United being branded as the official airline of Disneyland, the bigwigs at United were not happy to learn that there was an unsponsored ride called "Astrojets" that reminded visitors of their competitor American Airlines. So.... in late 1963 the Astrojets were artfully renamed Tomorrowland Jets.
That name stuck from '64 until the big New Tomorrowland remake of 1967, when the ride was moved atop the PeopleMover platform and renamed Rocket Jets.
The Astrojets were a popular C Ticket attraction in Tomorrowland from 1956 into the early 1960's.
The name "Astrojets" was chosen by WDI almost five years before American Airlines began marketing their new 1960's jet fleet as "Astrojets" and their mainline jet service as "The Route of the Astrojets".
But when United Airlines was tapped in 1963 to sponsor the Enchanted Tiki Room, which included United being branded as the official airline of Disneyland, the bigwigs at United were not happy to learn that there was an unsponsored ride called "Astrojets" that reminded visitors of their competitor American Airlines. So.... in late 1963 the Astrojets were artfully renamed Tomorrowland Jets.
That name stuck from '64 until the big New Tomorrowland remake of 1967, when the ride was moved atop the PeopleMover platform and renamed Rocket Jets.
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TP2000
Well-Known Member
Wasn't it great back then? The whole park was full of excitement and notables.
That's the first time I've noticed an old map labeling it a "Stephens-Adamson" speedramp. Who was Stephens-Adamson I wonder? Off to Google, hang tight kids...
It's a conveyor belt company that still exists! But it's now called Stephens-Harris, although their website is kind of a mess and still mentions Adamson on occasion. I bet there was a rowdy office Christmas party that got out of control and sent Mr. Adamson stomping off into the night to form his own conveyor belt company. At least, that's how my mind works, and how I'd like to think the name change happened.
But they still exist. They make conveyor belt systems, mostly for factories. They are based in New Orleans. And they rated a mention by WDI in the maps of the 1960's. That's hilarious! You learn something every day. Today I learned there's a run on nose hair trimmers at Target as America gets ready to go maskless, and a company called Stephens-Adamson rated a mention in 1960's park maps for their speedramp installations. Who knew?
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BasiltheBatLord
Well-Known Member
Give me y'alls rankings of every theme park you've ever been to
Hard to make, but if I had a crack at it it would be something like:
1. Disneyland (CA)
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Tokyo Disneyland
4. Universal Studios Florida
5. Islands of Adventure
6. Hong Kong Disneyland
7. Disney's Hollywood Studios
8. Tokyo DisneySea
9. Disney California Adventure
10. Epcot
11. Universal Studios Japan
12. Disney's Animal Kingdom
13. Universal Studios Hollywood
14. Silver Dollar City
15. Six Flags Over Texas
Hard to make, but if I had a crack at it it would be something like:
1. Disneyland (CA)
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Tokyo Disneyland
4. Universal Studios Florida
5. Islands of Adventure
6. Hong Kong Disneyland
7. Disney's Hollywood Studios
8. Tokyo DisneySea
9. Disney California Adventure
10. Epcot
11. Universal Studios Japan
12. Disney's Animal Kingdom
13. Universal Studios Hollywood
14. Silver Dollar City
15. Six Flags Over Texas
1. Disneyland
2. Disney California Adventure
3. Universal Studios Hollywood
4. Knotts Berry Farm
5. Sea World San Diego
6. Busch Gardens Tampa
7. Six Flags Magic Mountain
8. Santa’s Village
9. The MGM Grand Theme park from the 90’s
10. Pharaohs
DavidDL
Well-Known Member
Mine would probably look something like this, give or take. The bottom couple tend to shift around depending on how I'm feeling.
1) Disneyland
2) Islands of Adventure
3) Epcot
4) Magic Kingdom
5) Animal Kingdom
6) Universal Studios Hollywood
7) Universal Studios Orlando
8) Disney Hollywood Studios
9) Legoland CA
10) Knott's Berry Farm
11) Disney California Adventure
12) Seaworld San Diego
13) Six Flags Magic Mountain
No Name
Well-Known Member
1. Disneyland
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Tokyo DisneySea
5. California Adventure
6. SeaWorld Orlando
7. Epcot
8. Hollywood Studios
9. Islands of Adventure
10. Universal Studios Hollywood
11. Universal Studios Orlando
12. Tokyo Disneyland
13. Cedar Point
14. Six Flags Great Adventure
15. Hersheypark
16. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
17. SeaWorld San Diego
18. Six Flags Magic Mountain
19. Knoebels
20. Six Flags New England
21. Knotts Berry Farm
22. Busch Gardens Tampa
23. Six Flags Great Escape
Tough call ranking a bunch of them because I love different things about different ones. For example Orlando’s Diagon Alley was absolutely stunning but I absolutely love Universal Hollywood’s Studio Tour. So yeah it’s tough.
2. Magic Kingdom
3. Animal Kingdom
4. Tokyo DisneySea
5. California Adventure
6. SeaWorld Orlando
7. Epcot
8. Hollywood Studios
9. Islands of Adventure
10. Universal Studios Hollywood
11. Universal Studios Orlando
12. Tokyo Disneyland
13. Cedar Point
14. Six Flags Great Adventure
15. Hersheypark
16. Busch Gardens Williamsburg
17. SeaWorld San Diego
18. Six Flags Magic Mountain
19. Knoebels
20. Six Flags New England
21. Knotts Berry Farm
22. Busch Gardens Tampa
23. Six Flags Great Escape
Tough call ranking a bunch of them because I love different things about different ones. For example Orlando’s Diagon Alley was absolutely stunning but I absolutely love Universal Hollywood’s Studio Tour. So yeah it’s tough.
Sbk1234
Well-Known Member
This is a difficult challenge, and some are REALLY close to being a tie, but here goes:
1. Epcot
2. Disneyland
3. Magic Kingdom
4.Disneyland Paris
5. Disney Studios
6. Animal Kingdom
7. Disney California Adventure
8. Lego Land CA
9. Knott's Berry Farm
10. Bush Gardens Williamsburg
11. Universal Studios Hollywood
12. Six Flags Magic Mountain
13. Hershey Park
This is all I can remember. I decided to limit the list only to parks I've visited as an adult. Also, I did not include parks like Sea World which I view as more of a zoological park than an amusement park. Even though there are rides, I see them as just an enhancement to the animals (and not a very good one.)
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BasiltheBatLord
Well-Known Member
Dang this made me realize I forgot to list Sea World in mine.
I’m curious about Epcot, when was the last time you visited? It’s hard for me to imagine anyone citing modern day Epcot as their favorite theme park in the world.
lazyboy97o
Well-Known Member
It’s more Zachtastic than ever!
Rich T
Well-Known Member
1. Disneyland
2. Knott’s Berry Farm (pre-Cedar Fair)
3. Original Epcot (Horizons Era)
4. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
5. Magic Kingdom
6. Frontier Village (Extinct)
7. DCA before Pixar Pier
8. Magic Mountain (pre-Six Flags)
9. Marriott’s Great America
10. Disney/MGM Studios
11. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
12. Universal Studios Hollywood (pre-escalators)
13. Marine World/Africa USA (extinct)
14. Busch Gardens, CA (extinct)
15. Oaks Amusement Park, Portland
16. Paradise Park, Hawaii (extinct)
17. Santa’s Village Scotts Valley (extinct)
18. Marine Land of the Pacific (extinct)
19. Playland at the Beach, SF (extinct—Visited when it was falling into ruin but still had its huge, wonderful, enter-at-your-own-risk Fun House)
2. Knott’s Berry Farm (pre-Cedar Fair)
3. Original Epcot (Horizons Era)
4. Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
5. Magic Kingdom
6. Frontier Village (Extinct)
7. DCA before Pixar Pier
8. Magic Mountain (pre-Six Flags)
9. Marriott’s Great America
10. Disney/MGM Studios
11. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom
12. Universal Studios Hollywood (pre-escalators)
13. Marine World/Africa USA (extinct)
14. Busch Gardens, CA (extinct)
15. Oaks Amusement Park, Portland
16. Paradise Park, Hawaii (extinct)
17. Santa’s Village Scotts Valley (extinct)
18. Marine Land of the Pacific (extinct)
19. Playland at the Beach, SF (extinct—Visited when it was falling into ruin but still had its huge, wonderful, enter-at-your-own-risk Fun House)
chadwpalm
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Not really, but that grotto (between the second dip and the storm scene) is probably my favorite place to be in all of Disneyland. The solemn music, "dead men tell no tells" being spoken, the sound of the waterfalls, the POTC smell (bromine)......absolute heaven on earth.
Sbk1234
Well-Known Member
The last time I was in EPCOT was 2016. I admit that it isn't the park that it was in the Golden Age of the early/mid 1990s, but I still love it, especially the World Showcase. Perhaps I'm still letting it coast on nostalgia factor?
I also live near Disneyland, so I'm there a couple times a year, so perhaps I'm more enamored with the infrequency of my WDW trips. Honestly, the top three positions were pretty darn close.