http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Travel and Fan Site (wdwadvisor.com) en-us webmaster@wdwadvisor.com Thu, 29 Jul 2010 11:08:38 -0400 60 http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-132.html Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:06:09 -0400
Expect long lines on the weekends at EPCOT.    For those who love food and wine your not alone.    The lines for these events are fairly long and the crowds are pretty big.    So plan for a whole day to really take in the sites and smells of the event.    

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy kicked of the concert series in the American Gardens Pavilion across from the American Adventure.    BBVD packed the pavilion for just about every show.    People were swing dancing all over.   Terrific group to kick of a great event at EPCOT.

In my opinion this is not a great event for young children to attend or if your easily offended by people drinking.   Each booth sells wine and spirits.   The smell of alcohol is in the air.     It is a great EPCOT event but for a little bit older crowd. 

On a down note.   Pleasure Island closed this last weekend to huge crowds.    Not sure if there was an over flow from the International Food and Wine Festival.   EPCOT closed at 9pm and I can't see the party ending there.   
]]> 132@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-131.html Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:33:10 -0400
1) You enter the preshow area.  It can hold two shows worth.   The group closest to the entrance will get 3-d glasses like you would wear at any other 3-d show.

2) A few minutes before the inside show begins you see a brief preshow on a screen above the entrance door.  There is also another screen at the back of the line.   The volume was a little low so I couldn't hear what they were saying.  But the idea was about a storm machine that tested building material to see what would work during a major storm.

3)  You enter the show room.   I think they could have explained this a little better, but your sitting in a room in a house with a couple big windows.     The windows are actually 3-d screens.   The are 4 rows of benches with each seat on the bench having a screen and two buttons.

4)  The show starts with you looking out the windows at a garage and a neighbors house.  The storm starts.  Wind blowing trees falling and the roofs tearing off.   The glass breaks and you get spray in your face..(The part I hated the most is that it kept spraying me in the mouth. I could have lived without the spray).  Of course the storm destroys everything.

5)  You now get a quiz of questions about what building material is the best against storms.   You get to choose A or B for each one.  The computer build a house on your choices (popular vote wins).  

6)  The show then runs with your choices and you see how it works out.

7)  The host then tells you what the right answers were and why.

8)  You exit to the post show area.

The post show area shows a machine that simulates wind.   There are some other displays. 

Overall right now I would say its a B on the scale of Innoventions shows.    It could get to an A with tweaking.  I think its a good fit for epcot.   It can no way be compared to the Twister at Universal.     
]]> 131@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-130.html Thu, 07 Aug 2008 07:24:09 -0400
Disney World offers a deep discount on multi-day tickets.    If there is any chance you'll be going to the parks for more than one day you should take advantage of the multi-day tickets.   The price of the park hopping option has also increased.   If your on a tight budget you probably could skip it and just go for the multi-day discount.
]]> 130@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-129.html Sat, 28 Jun 2008 16:59:19 -0400
For some time Pleasure Island has not been a good fit between the two sides of Downtown Disney.   During the day its a pain to walk through it.   It would be nice to see something in that area.

Check out more at the Orlando Sentinel

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/orl-disney2808jun28,0,2367595.story


]]> 129@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-128.html Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:23:35 -0400 ]]> 128@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-127.html Tue, 13 May 2008 06:47:26 -0400
Queue:
1) Terrific theming.   It's been awhile since I have seen a queue line that was that original and entertaining.  
2) Mr. Potato Head.  What an AA.   This AA interacts with people in line.  It can see you and pick out colors, people, and buttons.
3) Fast moving.  (With FP running I would expect a full queue line to take 60 - 90 minutes to get through.)

Ride:

1)  Easy load and unload
2)  Terrific graphics
3)  Easy game play (Expect to have to ride a few times to get a really high score).
4)  You can ride it over and over and not get sick of it.
5)  Air and water effects make it like a 4D attraction.

Everyone that I saw was happy when they got off the ride.    What an awesome feeling for the folks that worked on the attraction.   I've been on another new orlando area attraction and people didn't look so happy when they got off the ride, but this one is not even in the same leauge. 

Disney World has another top attraction.   Look forward to it opening soon for all guests.

]]> 127@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-126.html Sun, 04 May 2008 08:07:33 -0400

]]> 126@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-125.html Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:26:15 -0400
There are some YouTube videos floating around of Mr. Potato head that does some talking in the preshow of Midway Mania.  It's video of the Disneyland Resort version but it should be close to the same.   It's pretty outstanding.  
]]> 125@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-124.html Fri, 21 Dec 2007 17:45:41 -0400 ]]> 124@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn http://www.wdwadvisor.com/news_item-123.html Wed, 19 Dec 2007 10:32:13 -0400
What is a soft opening? 99% of the attraction rehab is done. The Imagineers allow the attraction to reopen for a few hours a day to see how the public responds to the changes and to test the ride systems. Some days it may not be open at all, but if your one of the lucky ones you'll get a great preview of Space Ship Earth.

What do people have to say about the upgrades? Its a mixed back. The first part of the attraction is stunning. New improved animatronics have replaced the old models so their movement is very life like. A new score and new narration has been added along with video touch screens to each car. Several scenes have been changed and a couple new ones added. Most notably the computer room at the top and the garage where Apple Computer started. From there the critics have been out in full force. The decent from the top of Space Ship Earth has been changed. It is completely dark on the return trip. The touch screens come to life and ask you a set of questions then play a pretty non-disney looking cartoon. The question seems more like a survey than anything else. SSE fans are pretty much down on the last half of the attraction. People that could have never rode it before or just once or twice probably wouldn't notice the change or care that it changed.

Will the ending change? Hard to tell. We are in the soft opening stage of the attraction. Somethings may not be working yet. Attractions have been known to be changed as a result of the soft openings. Alien Encounters preshow was redone as a result of testing. Also, the Laugh Floor also went through joke and graphic improvements during the soft opening phase.

The best thing to do is ride it yourself and be the judge. Look for the attraction to be open on and off for the next couple months until the offical open date listed on the Disney World web site.
]]> 123@http://www.wdwadvisor.com Disney World Posted by jeffgn