The Miscellaneous Thought Thread

[mickEblu]

No it didn't connect. The motorboat lagoon was at a higher level than the submarine lagoon. But as your little motorboat approached that 180 degree turn just under the PeopleMover tracks, you looked out over the low wall and as you approached it did appear that you were headed for a dropoff to the submarine lagoon.

I'm not sure if they did that on purpose, or it's just how it worked out. But that slight scare caused by the visual trick caused by that dropoff often fooled people. I remember being in a boat with a female relative who freaked out over that, sometime in the 1980's. And she was dead sober at the time.



Oh, geez. You're going to make me do work, aren't you? And on a weekend where we're supposed to be relaxing and celebrating Reverend King. Okay...

The original Motorboat Cruise area was mostly filled in when they reworked the Submarine Voyage in 2007. They drained the canals and put in paths and walkways over that area, presumably to ease access for the emergency exit zones attached to the submarine warehouse building below ground in that area. So much of the old Motorboat Cruise waterways simply haven't existed for the past 15 years.

Here's an aerial from about 1990, when the Motorboat Cruise was still in operation but the area landscaping had grown in quite a bit since 1959.

View attachment 614391

And here's what's left of the Motorboat Cruise waterway in 2022. It's just that little pond that surrounds the old dock; the dock used as Marlboro Country in the 2000's and 2010's before in-park smoking was finally abolished. You can see that the old Motorboat Cruise waterways south towards the Submarine Lagoon have been turned into pathways that lead away from access doors to the Submarine Voyage ride building buried beneath the Autopia freeways.

The location of the low wall where the Motorboat Cruise boats made that 180 degree turn under the PeopleMover tracks and Autopia bridge is noted by the blue line in this edited photo. You also have to remember that the 2007 makeover of the Submarine Voyage extended out the rocky caverns quite a bit to the west, which would have shielded the view into the Sub lagoon had the Motorboat Cruise still been in operation.

View attachment 614393



Really? I'm partial to blue-eyed brunettes and a good glass of Scotch. But I'm glad you're here.

Very cool, Thank you for this! Sorry to put you to work! Lol. If I ever run into you at Disneyland, your first scotch is on me. Sadly, I can’t do anything for you in regards to the Blue Eyed Brunette. With that said, my wife and I did produce a Blue Eyed Brunette. Here she is in one of my favorite pictures of all time…

 

[truecoat]

 

[TP2000]

That's hysterical! A wonderful laugh for this overcast Monday. Thank you!

 

[D.Silentu]

I certainly hope that is not the end of the Spiderbot!

And here's what's left of the Motorboat Cruise waterway in 2022. It's just that little pond that surrounds the old dock; the dock used as Marlboro Country in the 2000's and 2010's before in-park smoking was finally abolished.

Recalling that made me laugh almost as much as the Spiderman video. I always loved how they just slapped down a sign designating the overgrown area "The Fantasia Gardens."

 

[TP2000]

Very cool, Thank you for this! Sorry to put you to work! Lol. If I ever run into you at Disneyland, your first scotch is on me. Sadly, I can’t do anything for you in regards to the Blue Eyed Brunette. With that said, my wife and I did produce a Blue Eyed Brunette. Here she is in one of my favorite pictures of all time…

View attachment 614523

She's adorable! Make sure you are saving these photos to use at her wedding. They're priceless.

 

[TP2000]

Recalling that made me laugh almost as much as the Spiderman video. I always loved how they just slapped down a sign designating the overgrown area "The Fantasia Gardens."

I was only a rare social smoker at bars and parties back in the 20th century, and I know smoking is not good. But...

I always thought they should have really themed the smoking areas and gotten Phillip Morris to sponsor them. You could have had a real Marlboro Country at the Frontierland smoking area, maybe get Virginia Slims to sponsor the pretty and feminine Fantasia Gardens smoking area, Parliaments with their modern filtertip design in Tomorrowland, film noir Chesterfields in Hollywood Land, the refreshing outdoor taste of Merit Menthols near Grizzly River Run, etc., etc.

A lost opportunity for showmanship.

 

[D.Silentu]

There you go! Although I would hope that you are given the thematic option to roll your own in Frontierland!

 

[TP2000]

Happy MLK Day everyone! I hope we're all enjoying the long weekend.

For the past 15 years or so I've had a tradition in my house to celebrate the good Reverend King. I make a fun dinner of Turtle Soup and then sit down to watch the Blu-Ray of "Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?", the 1967 film treasure starring Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracey, and Sidney Poitier.

It's going to be a bit melancholy this year with last week's sudden passing of Mr. Poitier, but I will toast him when he makes his first screen appearance this evening. It's a funny and also thought-provoking movie that is a window back in time, and much of it's social drama seems silly today. But it really was a big deal back then, and the film stands up over a half century later.

Also keep an eye out for two wonderful supporting actress performances by Isabel Sanford (who went on to be Mrs. Jefferson in the 1970's) and Virginia Christine (who went on to star as Mrs. Olson in all the Folger's commercials).

I watch the Blu-Ray, but it's available streaming on Amazon Prime.

Even if you don't watch Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, join me in a toast this evening to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and all the Americans he inspired!

 

[truecoat]

You can tell the 50th is a special anniversary.

 

[TP2000]

You can tell the 50th is a special anniversary.

Perfection. That's absolute perfection. And I would expect nothing less from Florida.

I can't even imagine being a big WDW fan and dealing with what they were served up for their "50th".

 

[disneyC97]

Perfection. That's absolute perfection. And I would expect nothing less from Florida.

I can't even imagine being a big WDW fan and dealing with what they were served up for their "50th".

And that’s a permanently closed restaurant location

 

[Mac Tonight]

Look, I get that dunking on WDW is the "cool" thing to do on this side of the forums, but to me it just seems... odd. It's like hating your best friend's younger brother just because he's the younger brother and chooses to live in a slightly different way.

I was actually at WDW during the 50th, and sure, I wasn't bowled over with the celebration aspects, but I didn't really care, because that's not what I went for. And if I may be so bold, frankly I don't really care for the anniversary celebrations at DL either. I much prefer the parks when they're "normal".

 

[TP2000]

And that’s a permanently closed restaurant location

Yes. The whole vignette is perfection. It's art.

The permanently closed restaurant from a dying brand. The 25 year old pop art signage. The random patio table. The bad grammar and missing ordinal for the word 50th. The slightly-crooked letters that look merely sloppy instead of outright derelict and so will never be fixed. The use of an acronym instead of correctly spelling out the place that the sign is celebrating. The expensive hotel rooms next door because this is a "Premium!" and "Deluxe" facility.

It's simply perfection.

HAPPY 5 0 ANNIVERSARY WDW

 

[TP2000]

Look, I get that dunking on WDW is the "cool" thing to do on this side of the forums, but to me it just seems... odd. It's like hating your best friend's younger brother just because he's the younger brother and chooses to live in a slightly different way.

I was actually at WDW during the 50th, and sure, I wasn't bowled over with the celebration aspects, but I didn't really care, because that's not what I went for. And if I may be so bold, frankly I don't really care for the anniversary celebrations at DL either. I much prefer the parks when they're "normal".

Totally get that. I generally stick to the awful weather and questionable CM training and supervision.

But this image is perfection. See my post above on all the little details that have gone missing or untended to, or bigger details that portend broader corporate problems. It's a Deluxe hotel charging premium rates. Dockers-clad managers walk by this scene every single day, and apparently they see that and think "Yup, we've nailed it. World Class!"

 

[Mac Tonight]

Totally get that. I generally stick to the awful weather and questionable CM training and supervision.

But this image is perfection. See my post above on all the little details that have gone missing or untended to, or bigger details that portend broader corporate problems. It's a Deluxe hotel charging premium rates. Dockers-clad managers walk by this scene every single day, and apparently they all see that and think "Yup, we've nailed it. World Class!"

No I totally get it. And actually, that sign made me laugh when I first saw it. I guess I was responding more to the broader DL>WDW vibe I've been seeing in a few threads lately.

As I said, I'm not really even into "celebrations" at the parks. I have always found them slightly tacky and a bit over-wrought. Like people who celebrate their "birthday month".

 

[TP2000]

No I totally get it. And actually, that sign made me laugh when I first saw it. I guess I was responding more to the broader DL>WDW vibe I've been seeing in a few threads lately.

As I said, I'm not really even into "celebrations" at the parks. I have always found them slightly tacky and a bit over-wrought. Like people who celebrate their "birthday month".

Ah, got it.

I absolutely can't stand "birthday month". That's not a thing. A birthday is a day. It's literally in the word itself. Maybe for the big ones at 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 you get a whole weekend. But there needs to be planning involved, and a hosted bar.

 

[truecoat]

Look, I get that dunking on WDW is the "cool" thing to do on this side of the forums, but to me it just seems... odd. It's like hating your best friend's younger brother just because he's the younger brother and chooses to live in a slightly different way.

I was actually at WDW during the 50th, and sure, I wasn't bowled over with the celebration aspects, but I didn't really care, because that's not what I went for. And if I may be so bold, frankly I don't really care for the anniversary celebrations at DL either. I much prefer the parks when they're "normal".

I was there on October 1st and it was pretty much just another day except for the crazy merchandise people. I also went to the 50th at Disneyland (my first visit). Comparing the two are night and day so I was disappointed in my visit to WDW.

 

[Mac Tonight]

I was there on October 1st and it was pretty much just another day except for the crazy merchandise people. I also went to the 50th at Disneyland (my first visit). Comparing the two are night and day so I was disappointed in my visit to WDW.

I would definitely agree with you. Again, I'm not trying to really "defend" WDW's 50th celebration. It was definitely lacking, compared to DL's 50th. A few golden statues and a "celebration churro" don't really represent half a century's worth of existence.

I guess my original post was more of a general response to the way this side of the boards tends to jump on anything WDW does, that's less than spectacular, and go, "Ha, see? WDW sucks!" (paraphrased of course).

 

[waltography]

Bought tickets to D23 this morning. Will be my first time there, so I'm excited.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Bought tickets to D23 this morning. Will be my first time there, so I'm excited.

I've gone every time since 2013. It'll be interesting to see how affected it is by the Covid.