Stick with me on this. It takes me a little bit to chart out this thought, but I think there's a real payoff here.
So I'm streaming one of the D-Tunes stations and listening to the Disneyland entrance loop...not the park loop, but a version from the central Disneyland Resort entrance plaza (or "Esplanade" as the kids are calling it now).
I know it can't be from the park itself because of the variety. Along with the usual suspects like "A Pirate's Life For Me" and "Grim Grinnin' Ghosts," there are tunes relating to DCA from Muppet*Vision, Soarin', Paradise Pier, etc. Indiana Jones and Star Tours (which are in Disneyland Park, of course) are represented too.
So it gets me thinking that one of the best things (to me) about Disneyland is that simple area between the parks and the feeling of limitless "choose your path" possibility that exists there...and a music loop that ties up experiences from both parks is such a wonderful mood setter.
Then I think about WDW, and it kind of makes me sad that there's not an analogous area where you can look around, take it all in, and basically say "my Disney adventure starts here."
Now geographically, I realize that it's impossible to stand in one place at WDW and "drink in" all the parks and assorted experiences at once. But I think the idea is still important enough to be worth pursuing.
My first thought was that maybe the old WDW Preview Center that welcomed guests before the MK's opening could be re-packaged into some kind of ultimate WDW Welcome Complex, showing you just a bit of what was waiting further down the road. There could be films and walkthroughs, a variety of food and merchandise from all over property to make the thing almost an attraction unto itself...a shrine to all of WDW within WDW itself.
But I do wonder if people would be willing to stop at a place that basically just existed to tell you more about other places that weren't right there. I like the idea, but it might get overlooked by many people.
I think the best solution would be the return of a WDW radio station...a kind of virtual "port of entry" that played music from all the different parks and resorts: The majesty of Future World's entrance loop, the big band/jazz numbers on Sunset Boulevard, the familiar Magic Kingdom songs, the rustic instrumentals from Wilderness Lodge (shortened versions, obviously) all rubbing elbows to let you know what lay ahead.
I guess the bottom line is it's a shame WDW stopped broadcasting on its own station...but the clips I've heard of the old WDW station aren't really what I have in mind anyway. Too much chatter and promotion, not enough mood-setting.
I suppose with MP3 players and streaming stations like D-Tunes, we can already achieve this on our own to some extent...so maybe it's not so much a problem after all.
So I'm streaming one of the D-Tunes stations and listening to the Disneyland entrance loop...not the park loop, but a version from the central Disneyland Resort entrance plaza (or "Esplanade" as the kids are calling it now).
I know it can't be from the park itself because of the variety. Along with the usual suspects like "A Pirate's Life For Me" and "Grim Grinnin' Ghosts," there are tunes relating to DCA from Muppet*Vision, Soarin', Paradise Pier, etc. Indiana Jones and Star Tours (which are in Disneyland Park, of course) are represented too.
So it gets me thinking that one of the best things (to me) about Disneyland is that simple area between the parks and the feeling of limitless "choose your path" possibility that exists there...and a music loop that ties up experiences from both parks is such a wonderful mood setter.
Then I think about WDW, and it kind of makes me sad that there's not an analogous area where you can look around, take it all in, and basically say "my Disney adventure starts here."
Now geographically, I realize that it's impossible to stand in one place at WDW and "drink in" all the parks and assorted experiences at once. But I think the idea is still important enough to be worth pursuing.
My first thought was that maybe the old WDW Preview Center that welcomed guests before the MK's opening could be re-packaged into some kind of ultimate WDW Welcome Complex, showing you just a bit of what was waiting further down the road. There could be films and walkthroughs, a variety of food and merchandise from all over property to make the thing almost an attraction unto itself...a shrine to all of WDW within WDW itself.
But I do wonder if people would be willing to stop at a place that basically just existed to tell you more about other places that weren't right there. I like the idea, but it might get overlooked by many people.
I think the best solution would be the return of a WDW radio station...a kind of virtual "port of entry" that played music from all the different parks and resorts: The majesty of Future World's entrance loop, the big band/jazz numbers on Sunset Boulevard, the familiar Magic Kingdom songs, the rustic instrumentals from Wilderness Lodge (shortened versions, obviously) all rubbing elbows to let you know what lay ahead.
I guess the bottom line is it's a shame WDW stopped broadcasting on its own station...but the clips I've heard of the old WDW station aren't really what I have in mind anyway. Too much chatter and promotion, not enough mood-setting.
I suppose with MP3 players and streaming stations like D-Tunes, we can already achieve this on our own to some extent...so maybe it's not so much a problem after all.
