The Not-So-Obvious Update

brkgnews

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Photo Update: The Not-So-Obvious

Since everybody has thoroughly covered Soarin/The Land in their updates, I thought I'd focus on some of the other not-so-obvious stuff around the parks. (That being said, did anyone else notice that each of the four seating areas at Sunshine Seasons now seem to be color-themed to a seperate season?)

On to the updates, in no particular order...

EP: The new stage in front of American Adventure has thankfully been themed so it looks like part of the pavillion from across the lagoon. The old one was just like a white tarp on the lagoon side. This one is like colonial brick. Looks more like the pavillion looked from future world in the good old days...
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EP: Disneyland banners on American Adventure...
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MK: At night, the castle is being lit more and more in gold, obviously a nod to the 50th. Talk about moving -- I was standing on the ramp to the castle when the Kiss Goodnight began. By the way -- the "mirror" was not rotating when I was there -- it was just stuck on the WDW castle scene.
0418castlegold1vj.jpg



MK: The big stone globe in Tomorrowland is FINALLY floating on water. You can now move it -- it had been pretty much drydocked for ages.
0418globe4kw.jpg


EP: This relatively small banner is about the only thing (aside from a brief mention in the guidemaps) to indicate that the preview center for Hong Kong is up and running.
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EP: Interesting concept art for the trains and buses at HKDL...
0418hkdl025uu.jpg



MK: A quick photo of Wishes over IASW (the queue line looks amazing!)
0418iasw3nw.jpg


++++ MORE TO FOLLOW ++++
 
brkgnews

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
EP: Looks like Toro bought into the Flower/Garden festival. Here's a display on the history of lawn mowers, presented by Toro.
0418lawn1ss.jpg



MK: Starting to see a lot of merchandise with this 50 years logo...
0418merch015vg.jpg



MK: They're selling light-up 50th Celebration editions of Sleeping Beauty Castle at WDW. Gold turrets, plus a clear-ish plastic so it can light up in several different colors.
0418merch023gx.jpg



EP: A couple of hidden Mickeys -- one in a display showing how they create the floating gardens...
0418mickey022pd.jpg


And another (kind of hard to see here) on the matrix board that posts wait times at EPCOT. Australia has changed shape!
0418mickey016se.jpg


EP: Both sides of the marble contraption in MouseGear are now working. There are two tracks -- one had been broken for a while.
0418mousegear0bm.jpg



EP: Epcot is selling a postcard now that features a rather old photo of SSE. It is pre-wand, plus you can tell that the old AT&T lounge is still painted white, rather than its current beige-ish color.
0418postcard0ek.jpg



++++ MORE TO FOLLOW ++++
 
brkgnews

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
EP: Near the new greenhouse they've erected what they're calling a "SpaceNet" for kids to crawl all up and down.
0418spacenet9jy.jpg



Pop: (Pardon the blur) Pop Century was offering special late mail service on April 15th. Who in God's name would bring their 1040s to the Magic Kingdom?
0418tax5hg.jpg



EP: Nice and crowded for Extra magic Hours at EPCOT -- they kept the fast pass machines up and running during the evening EMH.
0418testrack8ou.jpg




EP: OK -- help me out here. Has this construction wall in SeaBase Alpha migrated forward or not? It's currently butted right up against the "UP" escalator? Still no official word on Nemo and SeaCabs.
0418tls016og.jpg



EP: These guys are hanging out now around the exit of The Living Seas. They stand still until someone comes to take a photo. Then, they jump and make a popping noise to scare the bejeebus out of folks.
0418tls020mc.jpg



MK: What looks like a sponsor message of some type is now being projected onto the glass in front of Progress city on the TTA. Hard to read in this blurry photo, but it says "The city of tomorrow is a great electric machine working for you."
0418tta1kf.jpg


+++ MORE TO FOLLOW +++
 
brkgnews

brkgnews

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Non-photo updates:

MK: To resurrect an old topic -- yes, that is a new guy dangling his leg of the bridge in PotC. His face is different -- clean-shaven and skinny, not bearded and chubby.

MK: The Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station seems to be a well-kept secret. I ate there during prime dinner hours Wednesday and had no wait. It offers great views of the castle, if you can stand hearing the TTA spiel over and over.

MK: What's left of Timekeeper is still being used as a Stitch Meet-n-greet, as well as issue point for EMH bracelets.

MK: On one of my ride-throughs of Haunted Mansion, Madame Leota apparently had a bad case of laryngitis -- her mouth was moving, but no words were coming out.

MK: Nothing really new from the old 20K lagoon -- work continues. The new walkway to Toontown is up.

EP: The "family of the day" at EPCOT now takes a spin around the park in a Test Track vehicle, leading the rope drop crowds into the park.

EP: They've changed out the newscasts on the descent portion of Spaceship Earth. They recently showed storm damage from the hurricanes, but now they show astronauts working on the space station.

EP: I've seen the new costumes for servers in Garden Grill. Both are Khaki pants with a sort-of pinstriped collared shirt (reddish-maroon for men, gold for women).

EP: Some "generic" cast members (not attraction-specific) at EPCOT are now wearing purple and teal polo shirts with a Spaceship Earth logo on them. I asked if they were new -- a CM said no, but they hadn't been worn in a while. They refer to them as "rescue ranger" shirts for some reason.

EP: Thankfully, there are still some fans who remember the old EPCOT. I ran into a guy who was wearing a homemade World of Motion shirt.

EP: Wonders of Life was, of course, closed. People have taken to using it as an unofficial smoking area. Dontcha love irony?

EP: Several Cast Members confirm that there will be no more soft openings of Soarin' until the grand opening on May 5th.

EP: Ice Station Cool is STILL without snow. I spent a bit of time in there convincing people to "Try the Beverly -- It's AWESOME!"

DS: In Walt Disney - One Man's Dream, the scale model of Sleeping Beauty Castle has been removed for refurbishment. I guess they may be sticking on all of the 50th bunting, or maybe are just shining it up for May 5th. Meanwhile, the Adventureland scale model is off on loan to the Henry Ford Museum.

DS: The Gangster car in Great Movie Ride is WORKING AGAIN! It comes from the tunnel and lights up just like it should.

DS: Lights Motors Action is using a parking lot near the costuming shop as a stunt practice area. It is readily visible on the Backlot tour.

Pop: Disney's Magical Express is up and running to Pop Century.

++++ That's it! ++++
 
barnum42

barnum42

New Member
I like the American Adventure Stage theming and the Seabase stilt walkers look fun. I guess they are friends of Dee Vine.
 
NemoRocks78

NemoRocks78

Seized
brkgnews said:
MK: What looks like a sponsor message of some type is now being projected onto the glass in front of Progress city on the TTA. Hard to read in this blurry photo, but it says "The city of tomorrow is a great electric machine working for you."
Click to expand...

I noticed that as well....very odd I must say.
 
E

ead79

New Member
Great update, thanks! Keeping my fingers crossed for the return of Sea Cabs. I love the new stage at American Adventure (looks very nice).
 
A

amfail20

New Member
brkgnews said:
Non-photo updates:

EP: Some "generic" cast members (not attraction-specific) at EPCOT are now wearing purple and teal polo shirts with a Spaceship Earth logo on them. I asked if they were new -- a CM said no, but they hadn't been worn in a while. They refer to them as "rescue ranger" shirts for some reason.
Click to expand...

FYI that is an actual role for Disney CM's... I was one of them for most of 03! it was the best way to get involved! You are trained in several areas and then get to go wherever help is needed. And if u have no "home" then u are able to go around and help out guests! the polo's were the best bc of 1) the SE logo and 2) comforatable and easily worn!
 
LSUxStitch

LSUxStitch

Well-Known Member
amfail20 said:
FYI that is an actual role for Disney CM's... I was one of them for most of 03! it was the best way to get involved! You are trained in several areas and then get to go wherever help is needed. And if u have no "home" then u are able to go around and help out guests! the polo's were the best bc of 1) the SE logo and 2) comforatable and easily worn!
Click to expand...

Hey, didnt I work with you?? ;)

RESCUE RANGERS UNITE!!
 
M

Mission: SPACE

New Member
Just a side note, they call them Rescue Rangers because they come in to 'rescue' the shift when someone calls in... hehehe... those Disney people... always thinkin'!
 
imagineersrock

imagineersrock

New Member
Thanks a lot for the great update...

I am SO glad to hear about all the "little things" you mentioned. From the marbles at Epcot, to the gangster scene on the GMR... it is AWESOME news to hear disney is actually putting the time and effort into fixing the things that need to be fixed. :sohappy:

Does anyone else smell that...?

-Smells like a new "Disney Decade" if you ask me..! :D
 
marni1971

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
Great updates - nice to pick up on the little things too, like the SSE footage - some poor CM or WDI crew must have been inside at 2am swapping the footage, cursing the fact no one will realise it anyway...

Great also to hear about the GMR gangster mobile. Can anyone clarify if the walls in Seabase Alpha have moved? Grizz - you seem to know something about the `cabs problems - any elaboration? If it was structural (unconfirmed), would this mean a support device is possibly on the Omni track?

Thanks again brkgnews.
 

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