To Turn Left or To Turn Right?: That is the Question

            Now, when Hamlet posed his question, “to be or not to be?,” he was pondering much deeper issues than whether to turn right or left; however, every Disney World fan faces this important directional decision upon entering the Magic Kingdom in Florida.  When one reaches the crossroads at the hub, one must make that day altering decision, Adventureland or Tomorrowland?  The debate always rages on about which choice is the better one, but both directions have merit. 

            If you choose the path to the right of the park, you will be headed in the direction of Tomorrowland, and you will be faced with yet another decision: which ride should I run to first?  Should I get a fastpass for Space Mountain, or should I reserve my fastpass for some other major headliner.  There is no right answer.  You have to do what works best for your family and your needs.  Obviously, if you have small children, Space Mountain may not be the best choice for you; perhaps, you might want to head in the direction of Fantasyland to explore some of those more family friendly options.  For my husband and I, we always go to the right on the first day that we spend in the Magic Kingdom.  We head to Space Mountain, and we obtain a fast pass, then we make our way to Buzz Lightyear so that I can be shown up as a lesser space hero.  My husband is always a Galactic Hero, while I usually rank just slightly below that.  We have a friendly, but fierce rivalry with regard to this ride!  Then, we make our way to the Peoplemover.  Is this the most efficient way to tour the park? Maybe not, but for us, it has become tradition.

            Now, after we have used up our first fastpass, we usually spend our next round on Splash Mountain or Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.  We then spend the rest of the day’s fastpasses on Peter Pan or perhaps another spin on Big Thunder.  We have no qualms about running back and forth across the park in order to obtain fastpasses for attractions that lie on completely different sides of the Magic Kingdom.  Again, this strategy may not work for everyone because many families are not going to want to run back and forth across the entire park multiple times in a day. 

            Even though, we run across the park for fast passes, we resume the right to left course during our journey through the rest of the park.  After Tomorrowland, we go to Fantasyland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, and then to Adventureland.  If we are in the Magic Kingdom for multiple days, we will vary this plan of attack depending on which rides we want to experience.  However, that first day always begins in the land of Tomorrow.  After many trips, we have figured out what works for our touring plan, but you, as a family, must decide what will work for you.  There is no one right way to tour the park for everyone; you just have to see what will fit your specific needs.  Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

One Little Spark

“One little spark of inspiration is at the heart of all creation. . . .” On March 5^th, 1983, Dreamfinder and Figment started singing this song when the Journey into Imagination ride opened in Epcot Center at Walt Disney World.  This whimsical attraction allowed guests to board a ride vehicle and journey with Figment and Dreamfinder into the world of imagination.  This incarnation of the ride was very different than the current Imagination ride.  During the course of this attraction, Figment needed our help to fill up the idea bag, and these ideas would help to fuel the rest of our journey through the wondrous world of an active imagination.  After the ride, guests were invited to play in the Imageworks and experience all sorts of technology that allowed them to engage their imaginations with the childlike wonder that they have just learned from Figment.  My brother and I loved this ride as children, and we enjoyed conversing with Figment and Dreamfinder when they used to make appearances outside their attraction.  You couldn’t help but sing Dreamfinder’s catchy tune as you exited, “Imagination, imagination, A dream, can be a dream come true.  With just that spark, in me and you!”

Walking Right Down the Middle of Memory Lane

On a recent trip to Disneyland, I took the photo that you see at the beginning of this article.  This photo captures several attractions that no longer exist in their original forms, so I thought it would be interesting to explore the history of two of these attractions.  First, the circular building housed the Carousel of Progress from 1967 to 1973.  This attraction can still be experienced in Walt Disney World in Florida, but when it opened at Disneyland, it was not exactly brand new.  Before the Carousel of Progress arrived in Disneyland, it had already been a part of the 1964-1965 World’s Fair in New York.  This show was part of the General Electric Pavilion during the World’s Fair, and the audio animatronics that are the central focus of the show were new innovations in technology at this point in time.  After the show played in Disneyland, it was moved to Florida and re-opened in 1975.  The Carousel of Progress is still going strong in Walt Disney World as we speak. 

After the Carousel of Progress moved to the East Coast, another musical number opened up in its place.  America Sings took the place of the Carousel of Progress, and this show was another audio animatronics based show, except the actors were all animals.  These animals sang songs that took the audience on a journey through history with the central focus being different types of music.  The animal figures still exist today, and they make their home in Disneyland’s Splash Mountain.  America Sings closed its doors in 1988, and the building just sat vacant for several years. Finally, in 1998, Innoventions opened in the Carousel of Progress Theater. 

When all of the singing animals from America Sings and the family from the Carousel of Progress were doing their shows on the first floor of this structure, what was happening up on the second level? Long ago, the entire model for Progress City was displayed for all to see on the second level of the theater.  You can still catch a glimpse of a small section of this model when you ride the TTA Peoplemover in the Magic Kingdom in Florida. The model is no longer in tact, and what you can see of it today is just a tiny piece of one of the original concepts for EPCOT the city.  If this topic interests you, check out a book called Walt and the Promise of Progress City by Sam Gennawey.

Now, when you examine this photo for more remnants of the Disneyland that was, you can’t help but notice a rocket ship.  This ship was called the Moonliner, and it was part of the entrance to the attraction, Rocket to the Moon from 1955 to 1961.  This attraction was sponsored by TWA, and eventually became Flight to the Moon in 1967, then Mission to Mars from 1975-1992, and finally Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in 1998.  From 1967 to 1998, the rocket was missing; however it returned with the Tomorrowland overhaul in 1998.  This rocket is not quite as tall as the Moonliner, but this smaller rocket is a friendly homage to Disneyland’s past.  I hope you have enjoyed my journey down memory lane, and the next time you visit Disneyland or Walt Disney World, try to think about the attractions that are no longer present.  It is fun to figure out where they were and how the parks have changed over the past almost sixty years.  Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

Bibliography:

Weiss, Werner.  “General Electric Carousel of Progress.” Yesterland. N.p., 2007.  Web.  25 February 2013.

Weiss, Werner.  “ Rocket to the Moon.” Yesterland.  N.p., 2010.  Web.  25 February 2013.