145 Middle Schoolers: Wicked Awesome or Epic Fail???DeParting-Such Sweet Sorrow p. 76

[pixarmom]

I'll see what song I can instill in everyone next time.

Not sure you'll be able to replace our current tune - "Very Merry Unbirthday!" We just decided to go as Mad Hatter (R), Tweedle Dee (W), Tweedle Dum (M) and Alice (me) to MNSSHP. M (husband) is still undecided. We say Cheshire Cat, but he's not up for it. Anyway, if you can replace our tune for a while, I'd be good with that!

And gardens at ToT! Who knew? So much to learn - highly educational.

And finally, I'll just add another "GO BEN!" We do need a Cheshire Cat . . .

Mike, LOVE the photos. ToT is my favorite ride of all time. Not as good as your series, but if I can dig out the photo of our youngest on ToT from DL last March (he just hit the height requirement), I'll PM!

 

[natebenma]

Oh yeah.....Pierce took the chicken exit more than once. And oh would I give him grief. But he would give it right back to me on Mission Space. No way I'm going Orange on that sucker again.

As you can probably tell Lee Ann is a thrill ride junkie. She starts laughing time the ride(s) starts and doesn't stop till it's over (and then some).

That's great that Lee Ann loves the thrill rides. Is she pretty much game for all of the rides at Disney?

I'll do all of the thrill rides at Disney and most of the rides I have encountered at other amusement parks or theme parks. The ones I can't do are the spinning rides. Even Astro Orbitor does me in! Forget the Mad Tea Cups!!!

Mike- Great pics!!! Thanks for sharing!
It has been the other way around with some rides and my DS15.
He is a big chicken lol! He has ridden RnRC a couple of times but won't go anymore. Same with EE and Splash.
I really wish he would go on these rides b/c the rest of us love them! I feel so bad that he sits them out but he is completely fine with it.

It is really tough when you have different thrill tolerences in your group.

 

[natebenma]

Seriously? As many times as we have been to Disney, it wouldn't surprise me if one of us had been caught on camera.

The boys and I watched it this morning. I don't think it is John. Then I looked behind, and there was a woman who looks slightly like you, but it is hard to tell because she is wearing a visor. Then my son says "And there's a kid, too". And I'm like "They have a kid!"

But I don't think it is you folks, otherwise I would try to take a photo of the tv and post it.

There goes your brush with fame! Sorry to get your hopes up!

 

[natebenma]

I can see where screaming would be a serious distraction! Pretty funny how little you learned though.

Yes, I'm a little embarassed that I didn't come out of that experience spouting off all sorts of impressive technical facts about ToT. And unfortunately, it doesn't get much better as the day goes on.

Someone needs to start taking MUCH more detailed notes!

So, what kind of chaperone are you - taking pictures while the kids are having an important lesson in the laws and physics of ToT! Kidding - I would be distracted as well. I really am always curious about the timing of the two elevator shafts. What would happen if the both loaded at ran on the same program at the same time?

Love the ToT pics. I have to admit, I am a sucker for ToT pics!

You think that's bad, I have a truly appalling chaperone fail coming up in a future update.

In the very brief amount of time I was actually listening to the lesson, they really weren't getting very technical. It was more about the staging and how the appearance of the things in the Tower help make it an awesome attraction.

I was really happy with the pictures. To be honest, there are times that my DH is annoyed and a little embarassed when I take lots of pictures, so it was very "freeing" to be able to take pictures without being scrutinized.

Not sure you'll be able to replace our current tune - "Very Merry Unbirthday!" We just decided to go as Mad Hatter (R), Tweedle Dee (W), Tweedle Dum (M) and Alice (me) to MNSSHP. M (husband) is still undecided. We say Cheshire Cat, but he's not up for it. Anyway, if you can replace our tune for a while, I'd be good with that!

And gardens at ToT! Who knew? So much to learn - highly educational.

And finally, I'll just add another "GO BEN!" We do need a Cheshire Cat . . .

Mike, LOVE the photos. ToT is my favorite ride of all time. Not as good as your series, but if I can dig out the photo of our youngest on ToT from DL last March (he just hit the height requirement), I'll PM!

Ben says "MEOW"

So the way I see it, your DH needs to be either the White Rabbit, the doormouse, the March Hare or ... wait for it... The Queen of Hearts!

If you have been over to the Y&B FAQ thread, you know that the current song obsession is "Island of Misfit Toys" or perhaps "Hello, Dolly!"

The gardens are not really part of the ToT grounds- they are over by some of the CS restaurants I have never been to (Catalina Eddie's, Fairfax Faire and Rosie's All American Caffe), but I love the view of ToT from there.

In more Ben news, he has started reading my "Never going to Disney in the Summer TR" and unfortunately has discovered that I'm writing this report.

Nate does not know that I am writing this, and would be mortified if he found out. So now Ben is using this info as blackmail... "Are we going to Disney, or am I going to tell Nate?"

 

[ddluvsdisney]

Yes, I'm a little embarassed that I didn't come out of that experience spouting off all sorts of impressive technical facts about ToT. And unfortunately, it doesn't get much better as the day goes on.

Someone needs to start taking MUCH more detailed notes!




You think that's bad, I have a truly appalling chaperone fail coming up in a future update.

In the very brief amount of time I was actually listening to the lesson, they really weren't getting very technical. It was more about the staging and how the appearance of the things in the Tower help make it an awesome attraction.

I was really happy with the pictures. To be honest, there are times that my DH is annoyed and a little embarassed when I take lots of pictures, so it was very "freeing" to be able to take pictures without being scrutinized.




Ben says "MEOW"

So the way I see it, your DH needs to be either the White Rabbit, the doormouse, the March Hare or ... wait for it... The Queen of Hearts!

If you have been over to the Y&B FAQ thread, you know that the current song obsession is "Island of Misfit Toys" or perhaps "Hello, Dolly!"

The gardens are not really part of the ToT grounds- they are over by some of the CS restaurants I have never been to (Catalina Eddie's, Fairfax Faire and Rosie's All American Caffe), but I love the view of ToT from there.

In more Ben news, he has started reading my "Never going to Disney in the Summer TR" and unfortunately has discovered that I'm writing this report.

Nate does not know that I am writing this, and would be mortified if he found out. So now Ben is using this info as blackmail... "Are we going to Disney, or am I going to tell Nate?"

What a typical brother would say!
I feel bad for Ben. It kinda reminds me of the time I went to Disney with my parents and my sister's family w/ out my OWN family. I felt so guilty about that trip. It's kinda a long story so I don't wanna bore you. We just couldn't afford to all go AGAIN in Nov. when we just got back in Aug.
I know the trip w/ Nate was totally different but Ben still feels left out. I know... I'm NOT helping lol.

 

[natebenma]

[/B]

What a typical brother would say!
I feel bad for Ben. It kinda reminds me of the time I went to Disney with my parents and my sister's family w/ out my OWN family. I felt so guilty about that trip. It's kinda a long story so I don't wanna bore you. We just couldn't afford to all go AGAIN in Nov. when we just got back in Aug.
I know the trip w/ Nate was totally different but Ben still feels left out. I know... I'm NOT helping lol.

This has been difficult to deal with- seeing how desperately Ben would love to go to Disney, but also knowing that he has been lucky that he has taken the number of trips he has. And that his turn will come in a few years.

 

[natebenma]

Our next stop was the American Idol theatre. I had never been in here, so I was interested to see what it looks like. Plus we got to sit down in air conditioning. Nice!!!

There were at least two other groups attending this presentation with us- one was a drama camp and one was a high school group I believe. 3 students- one from our group and one from each of these other groups were brought to the front of the stage for a brief interview.

I know the first person was asked “How did you feel riding the Tower of Terror?”

Our student was asked something very technical, unfortunately I can’t remember what the question was, and then the third student was asked another
easy question.

The discussion continued about how the show design at Tower of Terror enhances the guests’ experience of the attraction in a multi-media presentation. We saw visuals of some of the development process and there was a discussion about how Imagineers used principles of light, sound and gravity to create the amazing effects.

Next, students were introduced to the creative process of Disney Imagineering- a culture of collaborative problem solving where no idea is a bad idea and possibilities are endless. The key is to be curious and to keep moving forward, always moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things.

Then, we met Alex Wright, Show Designer Principal- an Imagineer who has been involved in a variety of diverse projects over the years, ranging from Magic Kingdom's Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and the latest renovation of the Haunted Mansion (he worked on the staircase and the stretch room), to Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.

He is also the author of the popular Field Guide to Imagineering books for The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and AK.

Alex is the one on the right

He talked about how he started out at WDW- I believe he said he started selling ice cream novelties in the Magic Kingdom.

His advice to everyone was that it's important to find the thing(s) that you enjoy doing, and pursue those until you become really proficient at them. He believes that being in the right field of study will lead to a greater degree of success in studying it. That was always his experience.

One of the attractions he talked about was Sum of All Thrills, the design your own thrill ride at Innovations in EPCOT. Both the students and teachers were intrigued by this attraction, and I was validated since this was one of the suggestions I had included in my tip sheet for EPCOT.

I found this portion of the class to be informative and inspirational.

Up next- we experience another Hollywood Studios attraction that demonstrates technological expertise and incredible theming.

To the Forum!

 

[ddluvsdisney]

I've never been in AI either. It looks cool.
Wow! selling ice cream then becoming an Imagineer-pretty impressive.

I know Ben will have his turn. Sometimes I think it's worse when kids have been many times- they know exactly what they're missing. I know my
DS11 will feel like that next yr. when we don't go.

 

[jenseib]

I swear I commented this morning, but I guess I didn't. This looks neat. I have never been in the theatre...and probably never will as I have no desire to see that show, but this interview with Alex looks so cool.

 

[MHTeacher]

Oh, yes, AI is a great place to sit on a hot day. It's cool, and the seats are mostly comfortable.

From selling ice-cream to an imagineer is pretty impressive! That's what I'm going to do in my second life!

 

[emmysmommy]

What a great discussion. I'm in awe of the Imagineers who have brought so many amazing concepts to life so that we can enjoy the parks as we do today.

And the audience didn't have to vote for their favorite student on stage??

 

[MEK]

From selling ice-cream to an imagineer is pretty impressive! That's what I'm going to do in my second life!

I agree - this is most impressive.

Imagineering is an amazing blend of creativity, intuition, and engineering. When I toured University of Delaware this weekend with my son I could help think about how Imagineering is so closely linked to Engineering. As two the engineering professors talked about the projects they were involved in, the link was clear.

I think I would have loved that lecture. Why can't they have a lectures series like that for adults? Those lucky kids!

 

[elphie101]

All caught up! Funny how the DIS gets away from you during busy times.

It's pretty easy to be distracted by ToT - I don't think you can take a bad picture of it, and if someone terrified is on it, well that's all you'll hear

Your chat with an imagineer sounds fascinating - someday I'd love to d the Dine with an Imagineer at the Brown Derby. And pretty much everyone gets their start in quick service or custodial - one of my orientation trainers during my CP said he moved down to Orlando at 50 something and started making Dole Whips! Now he works at Pirates League and orientates new CMs.

Can't wait for more!

 

[natebenma]

I've never been in AI either. It looks cool.
Wow! selling ice cream then becoming an Imagineer-pretty impressive.

I know Ben will have his turn. Sometimes I think it's worse when kids have been many times- they know exactly what they're missing. I know my
DS11 will feel like that next yr. when we don't go.

The theatre was beautiful and very colorful. I haven't been to one of the AI shows- I am more the "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" type, but I never saw any of those shows, either.

It was really cool listening to Alex.

I swear I commented this morning, but I guess I didn't. This looks neat. I have never been in the theatre...and probably never will as I have no desire to see that show, but this interview with Alex looks so cool.

I thought this was a really nice component to the class. Part of the promotional stuff for the Y.E.S program states that you have experiences you can't get anywhere but at Disney, and this was one of them.

What a great discussion. I'm in awe of the Imagineers who have brought so many amazing concepts to life so that we can enjoy the parks as we do today.

And the audience didn't have to vote for their favorite student on stage??

No we didn't have to vote for the favorite student. There definitely would have been class loyalties. And it was totally unfair that "our" student was asked a difficult question and the other two were lobbed softballs.

I agree - this is most impressive.

Imagineering is an amazing blend of creativity, intuition, and engineering. When I toured University of Delaware this weekend with my son I could help think about how Imagineering is so closely linked to Engineering. As two the engineering professors talked about the projects they were involved in, the link was clear.

I think I would have loved that lecture. Why can't they have a lectures series like that for adults? Those lucky kids!

This was a great opportunity for the students, and for me, too!

He also answered questions from the audience. Of course, I don't remember what any of the specific questions were. But to their credit, none of the students asked how much $$$ an Imagineer earns.

All caught up! Funny how the DIS gets away from you during busy times.

It's pretty easy to be distracted by ToT - I don't think you can take a bad picture of it, and if someone terrified is on it, well that's all you'll hear

Your chat with an imagineer sounds fascinating - someday I'd love to d the Dine with an Imagineer at the Brown Derby. And pretty much everyone gets their start in quick service or custodial - one of my orientation trainers during my CP said he moved down to Orlando at 50 something and started making Dole Whips! Now he works at Pirates League and orientates new CMs.

Can't wait for more!

You are right- the Tower of Terror is great building to photograph. But my favorite pictures are the ones from EPCOT where the ToT blends into the Moroccan pavillion. There are also a few Lagoon View rooms at the Yacht and Beach Club that have views of the Tower.

The Dine with an Imagineer sounds like a great opportunity!

There are some really neat jobs at Disney World (as you know). I'm sure most of us have fantasies of getting a retirement job there someday. Making Dole Whips or selling Mickey Bars would be OK by me!

 

[AnjieNet]

I love watching the AI shows at DHS. But then we are big fans at home too. We always hope we'll recognize one of the singers in our show on the actual television show. Hasn't happened yet. Ah, well. We'll have to try again!

How fun to have a Q&A with an Imagineer!

 

[Katesdad]

Nate does not know that I am writing this, and would be mortified if he found out. So now Ben is using this info as blackmail... "Are we going to Disney, or am I going to tell Nate?"

I really like how Ben thinks. I remember trying that once on my parents. It didn't work either. GO BEN!!!

 

[DrMomof3]

I'm another one who has never been inside the American Idol Theater. It's funny because we used to watch Idol at home.

That sounds like a great presentation and a great message for kids to hear!

Amanda

 

[Missyrose]

Wow, the DHS Yes class sounds spectacular! Alex sounds like an amazing speaker (I love all three of those books).

Do you know what would happen if there was a scaredy cat (like me) who didn't want to ride ToT?

I love how your "sleep in" time is 5:30 a.m. and there are nights when I'm still awake at that time.

 

[dtr_angel]

clearly I have been living under a rock - I JUST thought about your trip and read your entire TR so far. I am so sorry I'm such a DIS slacker!!!

Your first day definitely had me stressed out just reading about it - 20 people yikes!

I cannot wait to read the rest!

 

[MickeyT]

That's great that Lee Ann loves the thrill rides. Is she pretty much game for all of the rides at Disney?
.

Oh yeah....Any park. Any time.

In more Ben news, he has started reading my "Never going to Disney in the Summer TR" and unfortunately has discovered that I'm writing this report.

Nate does not know that I am writing this, and would be mortified if he found out. So now Ben is using this info as blackmail... "Are we going to Disney, or am I going to tell Nate?"

You know you are build a cult hero in Ben. I'm in awe.