A Magical Place at a Magical Time of Year

[swwake]

231 days until Disney.

Where did the idea for "Figment" (from Journey Into Imagination) come from?
A an episode of "Magnum, P.I."
B The movie Pete's Dragon
C A recurring nightmare suffered by one of the Imagineers
D Early concept drawings for Donald Duck

 

[Native NYer]

Wow! Jetblue's fares are high. They're high from NYC as well. Hopefully, fuel costs will go down and so will airfare.

231 days until Disney.

Where did the idea for "Figment" (from Journey Into Imagination) come from?
A an episode of "Magnum, P.I."
B The movie Pete's Dragon
C A recurring nightmare suffered by one of the Imagineers
D Early concept drawings for Donald Duck

I'm going with B.

 

[swwake]

Wow! Jetblue's fares are high. They're high from NYC as well. Hopefully, fuel costs will go down and so will airfare.



I'm going with B.

I hope their prices come down. Or that Southwest is less expensive.

Answer coming up!

 

[swwake]

Where did the idea for "Figment" (from Journey Into Imagination) come from?
A an episode of "Magnum, P.I."
B The movie Pete's Dragon
C A recurring nightmare suffered by one of the Imagineers
D Early concept drawings for Donald Duck

Answer: A

Believe it or not, the inspiration for Figment actually came from an episode of "Magnum, P.I." (Yes, the Tom Selleck detective show from the eighties)! Tony Baxter, the Disney Imagineer who came up with the concept, stated that he watched a "Magnum, P.I." episode that mentioned a "figment of the imagination" as a real object ("Figments don't eat grass..." is the actual line). He felt the idea of a "figment of the imagination" was never visualized, and thus found the main character for the Imagination pavilion's main attraction. "Figment" began as a rough sketch by artist Steve Kirk, which Disney legend Xavier Atencio developed into the loveable character we know today.

 

[Native NYer]

Answer: A

Believe it or not, the inspiration for Figment actually came from an episode of "Magnum, P.I." (Yes, the Tom Selleck detective show from the eighties)! Tony Baxter, the Disney Imagineer who came up with the concept, stated that he watched a "Magnum, P.I." episode that mentioned a "figment of the imagination" as a real object ("Figments don't eat grass..." is the actual line). He felt the idea of a "figment of the imagination" was never visualized, and thus found the main character for the Imagination pavilion's main attraction. "Figment" began as a rough sketch by artist Steve Kirk, which Disney legend Xavier Atencio developed into the loveable character we know today.

That's surprising!

On a different note, does Tom Selleck still look the same?

 

[swwake]

That's surprising!

On a different note, does Tom Selleck still look the same?

Not sure, but I did a Google Image search and, apparently, he still has the porn-stache.

 

[Native NYer]

Not sure, but I did a Google Image search and, apparently, he still has the porn-stache.

I wonder if it's real.

 

[swwake]

Today the dates for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party were released. We arrive on the 16th, and the only dates available during our stay are the 16th and 18th. We can't go on the 16th because that's the night we'll be flying in and we'll be staying at the Hard Rock Hotel that night. So the decision is easy for us. We will go the 18th.

This helps in deciding what dining reservations to make. So far, it looks like we will reserve the following:

Monday - 19th - California Grill
Tuesday - 20th - Boma dinner
Wednesday - 21st - lunch at 50s Prime Time Cafe

That will be it for us. We don't want/need a lot of ressies.

I see that the MVMCP tickets go on sale tomorrow (per one site) or May 8 (per another site). I was thinking maybe we should go ahead and buy our tickets, but I'm also wondering if we should just wait until our 180 day window opens in June. What are the chances of Dec 18th selling out over 6 months before the date?

 

[annmarieda]

I have no words of wisdom regarding MVMCP. I have never been and even am thinking we won't be going. When I first booked our trip I was sure we would be going and now I am having a hard time justifying it. I understand why people go to MNSSHP, but what sets the MVMCP apart from just regular days/nights at MK? ...Other than cookies and hot cocoa?

 

[swwake]

I have no words of wisdom regarding MVMCP. I have never been and even am thinking we won't be going. When I first booked our trip I was sure we would be going and now I am having a hard time justifying it. I understand why people go to MNSSHP, but what sets the MVMCP apart from just regular days/nights at MK? ...Other than cookies and hot cocoa?

I have questioned it myself, but we will go, just because we've never been. From what I've seen and read, here is what you get at MVMCP that is not there on other days/nights:
1 - Parade
2 - Holiday Wishes fireworks
3 - Snow on Main Street
4 - Street parties
5 - Character appearances for autographs (in Christmas costume)

And if it's like MNSSHP, there will be a special show in front of the castle before the fireworks.

That said, if you read one of the planning websites, they say that if you're on a budget, you can skip it, because most of the decorations are up when it's not MVMCP.

 

[swwake]

230 days until Disney.

Where can the back half of the plane from the final scene of Casablanca be found?
A In The Great Movie Ride
B In the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
C On the Backlot Tour
D Nowhere

 

[annmarieda]

I have questioned it myself, but we will go, just because we've never been. From what I've seen and read, here is what you get at MVMCP that is not there on other days/nights:
1 - Parade
2 - Holiday Wishes fireworks
3 - Snow on Main Street
4 - Street parties
5 - Character appearances for autographs (in Christmas costume)

And if it's like MNSSHP, there will be a special show in front of the castle before the fireworks.

That said, if you read one of the planning websites, they say that if you're on a budget, you can skip it, because most of the decorations are up when it's not MVMCP.

From what I understand, #1, 2 and 3 happen later in the month (after the party has ended) as part of the normal activities. So it looks like I would miss street parties and character appearances, right?

Yeah, I have read that if you are trying to cut costs that it is something that can be skipped. Like you though... we have never been. I don't want to miss something that I regret later. I also don't want to pay for something that really isn't something we want. I know that ds and dh could care less about the characters. The street parties though... what does that include? That might be worth not missing.

 

[Native NYer]

230 days until Disney.

Where can the back half of the plane from the final scene of Casablanca be found?
A In The Great Movie Ride
B In the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
C On the Backlot Tour
D Nowhere

I'm going with D Nowhere.

 

[annmarieda]

230 days until Disney.

Where can the back half of the plane from the final scene of Casablanca be found?
A In The Great Movie Ride
B In the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
C On the Backlot Tour
D Nowhere

I am going with A. I believe that scene is staged in that ride, right?

 

[swwake]

From what I understand, #1, 2 and 3 happen later in the month (after the party has ended) as part of the normal activities. So it looks like I would miss street parties and character appearances, right?

Yeah, I have read that if you are trying to cut costs that it is something that can be skipped. Like you though... we have never been. I don't want to miss something that I regret later. I also don't want to pay for something that really isn't something we want. I know that ds and dh could care less about the characters. The street parties though... what does that include? That might be worth not missing.

At MNSSHP, the street parties didn't do much for us, but we did stop and watch them for a few minutes. It was basically a few of the characters dancing and singing with the young kids. One was in Tomorrowland between Space Mountain and Carousel of Progress. The other was in the old Diamond Horseshoe Review. I'm not sure if they are similar at MVMCP, but everything else sounds very similar.

I'm going with D Nowhere.

I am going with A. I believe that scene is staged in that ride, right?

Since I may have only two readers, and I know I only have two guessers, answer coming right up. It's a long explanation!

 

[swwake]

Where can the back half of the plane from the final scene of Casablanca be found?
A In The Great Movie Ride
B In the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
C On the Backlot Tour
D Nowhere

Answer: D.

OK...this is one of those "Urban Legends" that just won't die. I'm sorry to say, the Casablanca plane won't be found in WDW. In fact, you won't find it anywhere...because it never existed. Contrary to popular belief, the aircraft used in the final scene of the movie classic, where Rick and Ilsa part, wasn't real. The filming took place not long after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, when shooting "on location" at airports was prohibited. Therefore, the entire movie was shot on sound stages at the Warner Bros. studios in Burbank, California. The soundstage used for filming the last scene was too small to accommodate a full-sized airplane. So the studio built half- and quarter-size replicas of a Lockheed Electra 12A out of plywood and balsa wood. No one knows exactly how the rumor started that the plane in The Great Movie Ride was the "real" one from Casablanca. (I'll give you one guess, though...what better way to help hype your new movie-themed park than to tell the world you have a one-of-a-kind, legendary movie prop?) It's said that Disney bought a real Lockheed 12A plane and chopped it in half, putting the front in The Great Movie Ride and the back in the Studios' Backlot Tour.

 

[swwake]

229 days until Disney.

Can you name the 65 million year old T-Rex found in Dinoland U.S.A?
A Gertie
B Elias
C Rex
D Sue

 

[annmarieda]

229 days until Disney.

Can you name the 65 million year old T-Rex found in Dinoland U.S.A?
A Gertie
B Elias
C Rex
D Sue

My guess... D But then... it is only a guess and I maybe thought Gertie...but isn't she in DHS??

 

[swwake]

My guess... D But then... it is only a guess and I maybe thought Gertie...but isn't she in DHS??

Hmm I don't know about Gertie. But the answer is coming up.

 

[swwake]

Can you name the 65 million year old T-Rex found in Dinoland U.S.A?
A Gertie
B Elias
C Rex
D Sue

Answer: D

Sue (or Dino-Sue) is not a real fossil, but a 40-foot long, 13-foot tall exact replica of the largest Tyrannosaurus Rex ever found. She was discovered in 1990 in the Black Hills of South Dakota and named after the renowned dinosaur hunter Sue Hendrickson.