DISboards DVC Trivia past and present - **NEW QUESTIONS** July 4, 2014 - post #44

[RobDoc]

Today's question(s):

1). The original title for housekeeping services for stays 7 days or less was "Trash & Tidy". This was later changed to "Trash & Towel". What year was this change first made.

"Trash & Towel" went into use in summer 1996. It offers the same service as "Trash & Tidy".

2). In 1999, the HHI Resort added three new "characters" who each hosted a resort program. While these "characters" are no longer hosting "Cooking with Matilda", "Longview Island Garden Socials", and "Fireside Socials" - what were their names? (Hint: none were named "Matilda" )

From Volume 8, No. 1, 1999:

Peyton Lee Beauchamp: Peyton and her father used to spend summer on Longview Island with their dear friends, the Edmunds. Peyton used to sit on a stool next to the kitchen counter at Broad Creek and watch Matilda cook all day long. While Matilda taught her all she knows about cooking, her momma taught her all she knows about entertaining. Peyton, said to be one of the most gifted hostesses of her time, invites you to her home on Longview Island in the program, Cooking with Matilda. While a guest chef teaches you how to make a southern delicacy, Peyton will entertain you with stories of days gone by (just don't ask about the tiara). She's simply tickled to have y'all here.

Rosemary Basil: Drawn to Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort by all the local press about Mr. Jim Bitler, the Resort Naturalist, Rosemary just knew it was her calling to dedicate her life to the beautification of Longview Island. She quickly founded the very democratic organization, "The Longview Island Garden Club, and appointed herself President. In addition to her gardening duties on the 16-acre island, she holds weekly Garden Club Socials to entice prospective Club Members.

Annie McDermint O'Donnell: A life long Girl Scout at the age of 25, Annie McDermint O'Donnell (don't leave a name out), is now forming her own organization called the Turtle Girl's Troupe. She can tell you tales about each badge on her sash and even provide you with a very detailed resume of her scouting accomplishments. She's done it all from bead making and egg guarding to an all-out turtle rescue in '97. Stop by to say hello to Annie at her Fireside Socials.

New questions later! Enjoy

 

[bobbiwoz]

I would have liked to have met Annie McDermint O'Donnell!

Bobbi

 

[RobDoc]

I would have liked to have met Annie McDermint O'Donnell!

Bobbi

The article has photos of all three and I have added them to the above post. Sadly, I don't recall ever meeting any of them while staying at HH. The "Cooking with Matilda" program has been around for awhile but I don't know if it is still offered. I will ask Gordon the next time I see him - hopefully next week.

The characters and Imagineering backstories remind me of the Adventurer's Club characters. The recreation department at HH was very creative in the early years of the resort, offering a wide selection of programs for all ages. Our favorite was "A Private Affair" - a dinner prepared by Chef Gordon originally in the GV model and later at the Beach House (once the sales office was gone and the models returned to normal inventory). For a fixed price, Gordon prepared anything you wanted (low-country menus were encouraged) and you could even shop with Gordon when the supplies were being purchased. He would describe the meal while preparing it.

Recreation is still creative, but they now tend to stick with the more tried & true programs since the occupancy at the resort has become pretty stable through the majority of the year.

 

[RobDoc]

Today's questions are based on BWV.

First a bit of BWV history:

During construction of the BWI/BWV Resort, a carpenter noticed a 1993 postcard from a collection of used postcards from an Atlantic City book store. The collection was being used to create the pattern for draperies to be made for BW guest rooms.

The 1933 postcard had been written by a young man to his then girlfriend. The courting couple are now the man's Aunt and Uncle - and they still live at the address on the postcard!

Now, today's questions are based on the miniature Carousel in the entryway of the resort:

The miniature Carousel was handcrafted in the 1920's in a Coney Island studio by a master designer and manufacturer of merry-go-rounds. The miniature was built as a working display for potential customers. It is a 48" model of the "Supreme" carousel complete in its mechanical workings and artistic detail.

It was purchased by Disney from the granddaughter of its builder in 1995 and was showing its age and in dire need of restoration. 22 Disney Imagineers examined the 44 prancing horses - each a unique work of art just 4" long with the heads individually carved by the builder.

Disney artists researched the original color scheme and decorations used in the full-scale pieces and painstakingly recreated the flowers and cherubs that were part of the designer's signature motif. They replated the brass, applied gold leaf, crafted miniature leather stirrup straps and replaced tiny pearl-headed pins that serve as light bulbs to complete the restoration. They even added several "Hidden Mickeys" (Hint: look for the Palomino pony) and scaled the speed of the carousel to match that of the King Arthur Carousel at Disneyland.

Now for the question: What was the name of the designer/builder of the BW lobby Carousel?

Part 2:

Above the Carousel hangs a chandelier designed to compliment the miniature masterpiece below. It is named the "Hippocampus Electro-lier" and includes fanciful fictitious carousel animals which are half horse and half sea-creature. It is finished entirely in 22-karat gold leaf, hand-cut Austrian crystal and custom-blown glass. Hanging just below the chandelier is a crystal globe.

...and the questions:

What is the weight of the chandelier?

What is the significance and purpose of the crystal globe?

Answers won't be until Sunday or Monday as I will be on the road over the weekend.

 

[pklein09]

Now for the question: What was the name of the designer/builder of the BW lobby Carousel?

Part 2:

Above the Carousel hangs a chandelier designed to compliment the miniature masterpiece below. It is named the "Hippocampus Electro-lier" and includes fanciful fictitious carousel animals which are half horse and half sea-creature. It is finished entirely in 22-karat gold leaf, hand-cut Austrian crystal and custom-blown glass. Hanging just below the chandelier is a crystal globe.

...and the questions:

What is the weight of the chandelier?

What is the significance and purpose of the crystal globe?

Answers won't be until Sunday or Monday as I will be on the road over the weekend.

1. The Designer of the Carousel is M. C. Illions

2. The weight of the chandelier is 3000 lbs. The glass globe was originally filled with a time capsule and sand and was supposed to be opened on the 50th anniversary of WDW. The globe leaked or cracked and the time capsule was removed for safe keeping.

 

[RobDoc]

1. The Designer of the Carousel is M. C. Illions

2. The weight of the chandelier is 3000 lbs. The glass globe was originally filled with a time capsule and sand and was supposed to be opened on the 50th anniversary of WDW. The globe leaked or cracked and the time capsule was removed for safe keeping.

Correct!

Marcus Charles Illions was born in Russia in 1874. He became very successful and, at one time in the early 1900's, ten of his carousels were in operation at Coney Island. When the great depression came there was little demand for carousels and his business fell to mostly repairing existing carousels and he experienced great financial difficulties. He died broke in 1949.

Here is a link to his Supreme Carousel that the BW carousel was modeled after. The Supreme is currently being restored to its original grandeur. http://brassringcarousel.com/a-look-in-on-the-restoration-of-the-1927-m-c-illions-supreme/

The weight of the chandelier is 3,000 pounds - almost half as much as an adult hippopotamus.

The crystal globe was not original to the chandelier but was added in 1997. Here is a photo of the chandelier before the crystal globe/time capsule was added.
(Click on the image for a larger view.)

The Crystal Globe contains several of the original carousel pieces which could not be restored, special pieces from the design and development of Disney's Boardwalk and beach sand from Coney Island, NY and Atlantic City, NJ. The globe itself is a time-capsule to be opened during the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World Resort in 2021. (Man, that's just around the corner!)

The next time you are in the BW lobby, be sure to look at the carousel and chandelier with new eyes and appreciate the restoration of the once-neglected masterpiece that has now come full circle.

No new questions until Sunday or Monday. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves!

 

[RobDoc]

I have a sales brochure which was sent to DVC members and those who toured the HH site early in 1995 when sales first began. It begins with an artist's conceptual drawing of the Mercantile and a foreward by Royce Edmunds, who offerd a brief history of the resort along with an invitation to visit. The original sales video (presented on VCR tape) is also hosted by Royce Edmunds.

1). Who is Royce Edmunds?

The center of the brochure is titled "Enjoy an Enchanted Island Getaway" and describes the amenities of the resort including the Broad Creek Mercantile, the Big Dipper (and Little Dipper), the Big Strike Arcade, Ben & Stretch's Workout Room, Signals and Surfman's Station. It also includes a section about a place where "pristine land and natural environment harken back centuries before Hilton Head Island was developed. Special programs are available, so enjoy the scenery and head out for a wilderness walk or try your hand at crafts or archery. The journey to this wildlife paradise is an experience in itself, and if you're lucky a dolphin may swim alongside your boat as heron fly overhead."

2). What is the name of this "pristine land"?

3). What current (and very visible) amenity at the resort was not mentioned in the "Enjoy ..." description above because it was added a few years later and was not part of the original resort?

 

[Dreams0308]

I have a sales brochure which was sent to DVC members and those who toured the HH site early in 1995 when sales first began. It begins with an artist's conceptual drawing of the Mercantile and a foreward by Royce Edmunds, who offerd a brief history of the resort along with an invitation to visit. The original sales video (presented on VCR tape) is also hosted by Royce Edmunds.

1). Who is Royce Edmunds?

The center of the brochure is titled "Enjoy an Enchanted Island Getaway" and describes the amenities of the resort including the Broad Creek Mercantile, the Big Dipper (and Little Dipper), the Big Strike Arcade, Ben & Stretch's Workout Room, Signals and Surfman's Station. It also includes a section about a place where "pristine land and natural environment harken back centuries before Hilton Head Island was developed. Special programs are available, so enjoy the scenery and head out for a wilderness walk or try your hand at crafts or archery. The journey to this wildlife paradise is an experience in itself, and if you're lucky a dolphin may swim alongside your boat as heron fly overhead."

2). What is the name of this "pristine land"?

3). What current (and very visible) amenity at the resort was not mentioned in the "Enjoy ..." description above because it was added a few years later and was not part of the original resort?

1. Royce Edmunds' family visited HHI starting when he was young. They picked the location of Disney's HHIR as the place for their vacation home where they could fish. In the 1940's, the family built enough accomodations on the land for the entire Edmunds' family and designed it after a fishing lodge.
2. Longview Island
3. Tide Me Over!

 

[RobDoc]

1. Royce Edmunds' family visited HHI starting when he was young. They picked the location of Disney's HHIR as the place for their vacation home where they could fish. In the 1940's, the family built enough accomodations on the land for the entire Edmunds' family and designed it after a fishing lodge.
2. Longview Island
3. Tide Me Over!

Two of these answers are correct!

I'll post more detail and the other correct answer later!

 

[RobDoc]

1). Who is Royce Edmunds?

"Over a century ago, my Great Grandpa Thaddeus embarked onn his quest for the perfect vacation home site. He finally located an "island paradise" whose banks were lined with natural sand dunes, live oaks and wild sea oats.

Generations later, may family still vacations on Hilton Head Island. I'm partial to golf, and luckily for me the island is home to some of the best golf courses in the world. The kids never tire of biking along the paths or going crabbing for their supper - and my wife and I cherish our romantic strolls under the moonlight.

Whether it's the dolphin frolicking just off the shore or the snow white egrets gliding across the clear blue sky, you have to experience the unique sights and sounds of the Low Country first-hand to truly appreciate it. Now that Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort is here, we have plenty of room for all our friends and family. The natural beauty of Great Grandpa's paradise hasn't changed much over the years. I invite you to come see for yourself."

This endorsement is the first page in the 1995 sales brochure for the Hilton Head Island Resort. The resort also has a handout titled "Anthology of our Resort" which offers a little more background (or should that be "back-story") -

"Edmunds Family Story"​

Royce and his family first visited Hilton Head Island when he was a mere six months old. For generations Royce and his family journeyed from their hometown in Augusta, GA. Royce’s Great Grandfather, Grandpa Thaddeus, chose Longview Island, SC, a 15 acre island nestled amongst 100 year old oak trees, as the picture perfect place to build a vacation home. In the late 1940′s Royce’s father commissioned the best architects in the south to design and build accommodations for the entire Edmunds family. Little did anyone know that it would evolve into a world class resort." There is also reference to Royce seeing Big Murggie as a boy and setting his goal to catch him.



2). What is the name of this "pristine land"?

The sales brochure included the description and promise of "Adventure Island" - a small island located in Calibogue Sound that would be part of the resort for recreational activities. It would be owner by Disney and accessed only by boat. While this might have been a pre-cursor of Castaway Cay, it never came to be. I suspect the legal department made the decision based on the lack of amenities on the small island and the potential liability should an injury occur several miles from the resort. We signed our documents in March, 1995. At that time the resort was a hard hat area and potential buyers could only view contruction from across the marina. The Beach House was only a concrete foundation on that tour. Several months later, we received new documents with the language about Adventure Island removed, a new contract number (xxx.005 instead of xxx.004) and new pricing - returning the purchase price to 1993 rates, lowering the amount about $2 per point.

3). What current (and very visible) amenity at the resort was not mentioned in the "Enjoy ..." description above because it was added a few years later and was not part of the original resort?

Tide Me Over was not part of the original resort plan (there was originally no restaurant planned for the resort itself - only the snack bar and Surfman's bar at the Beach House.

I have always been impressed with the work done by Disney Imagineers. Not just with their creative engineering to develop attractions and Theme Parks, but also in their efforts creating back-stories for resorts and attractions like Pleasure Island - including a complete history of Merriweather Pleasure. The promotional video inlcuded reference to the Edmunds family and is hosted by a gentleman (Royce) who appears to be in his upper 60's as he enthusiastically describes the resort.

The above story for the resort and the Edmunds family is another great example of Imagineering creativity ... or is it?

 

[bobbiwoz]

When was Shadow first mentioned, sighted?

 

[RobDoc]

Shadow was part of the lore from the beginning with the footprints in the entryway floor tile (which has now sadly been replaced). There is also a painting of Shadow's litter in the villas - complete with a Hidden Mickey.

Shadow's backstory is also part of the resort history, although I'm not sure when Shadow first made her physical appearance. ( I will see if I can get more info about that.)

While not Shadow related, there is a great Hidden Mickey in another of the prints hanging in the villas and the original painting hangs on the wall across from the Front Desk. Ask at the front desk if you need a list of Hidden Mickeys or clues to help find them. One of my favorites hangs on the exterior of building #20. Mickey is disguised in a survey map of Hilton Head.

Click on the image for a larger view.

In fact, the signage on many of the buildings has insider reference to a number of Disney CMs who played a role in developing the resort over the years. Check with Chef Gordon in the Mercantile for more details.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Shadow was part of the lore from the beginning with the footprints in the entryway floor tile (which has now sadly been replaced). There is also a painting of Shadow's litter in the villas - complete with a Hidden Mickey.

Shadow's backstory is also part of the resort history, although I'm not sure when Shadow first made her physical appearance. ( I will see if I can get more info about that.)

While not Shadow related, there is a great Hidden Mickey in another of the prints hanging in the villas. Ask at the front desk if you need a list of Hidden Mickeys or clues to help find them. One of my favorites hangs on the exterior of building #20. Mickey is disguised in a map of Hilton Head.

In fact, the signage on many of the buildings has insider reference to a number of Disney CMs who played a role in developing the resort over the years. Check with Chef Gordon in the Mercantile for more details.

I'll look for these things in September! Thanks!

 

[RobDoc]

Today's first question is from the Summer 1996 issue of Vacation Magic:

Reservations for the inaugural 1998 season of the Disney Magic opened to the general public on September 30, 1996 but "as a salute to our Disney Vacation Club Members, Disney Cruise Line is offering a special early booking opportunity to book and exciting Disney Cruise Line vacation."

What were the dates for this "early booking opportunity"?


Today's second question is from the Winter 1997 issue of Vacation Magic:

For bookings on the inaugural sailing season (1998) of the Disney Magic, DVC members received a couple of perks if reserved by May 31, 1997. The

What were those DVC Member perks for reserving by May 31, 1997?

 

[RobDoc]

Today's first question is from the Summer 1996 issue of Vacation Magic:

Reservations for the inaugural 1998 season of the Disney Magic opened to the general public on September 30, 1996 but "as a salute to our Disney Vacation Club Members, Disney Cruise Line is offering a special early booking opportunity to book and exciting Disney Cruise Line vacation."

What were the dates for this "early booking opportunity"?

DCL gave DVC Members almost 3 weeks before opening reservations to the public. From September 9 - 29 DVC Members had this special booking opportunity.

Today's second question is from the Winter 1997 issue of Vacation Magic:

For bookings on the inaugural sailing season (1998) of the Disney Magic, DVC members received a couple of perks if reserved by May 31, 1997. The

What were those DVC Member perks for reserving by May 31, 1997?

For DCL bookings through May 31, 1997, DVC Members received a $50 discount per person for the first two guests per stateroom and a welcome bottle of champagne per stateroom.

 

[CarolynK]

We're BWV members since 1999; I haven't known a single answer to these questions but I love trivia and this is a fun thread - thanks!
I'm not too much of a packrat but I did save a few copies of Vacation Magic; this thread encouraged me to dig them out and I am currently looking through the Fall 2006 issue talking about DVC's 15 year anniversary.

 

[RobDoc]

We're BWV members since 1999; I haven't known a single answer to these questions but I love trivia and this is a fun thread - thanks!
I'm not too much of a packrat but I did save a few copies of Vacation Magic; this thread encouraged me to dig them out and I am currently looking through the Fall 2006 issue talking about DVC's 15 year anniversary.

Please feel free to post questions from the issues you have re-discovered!

 

[CarolynK]

Shadow was part of the lore from the beginning with the footprints in the entryway floor tile (which has now sadly been replaced). There is also a painting of Shadow's litter in the villas - complete with a Hidden Mickey.

Shadow's backstory is also part of the resort history, although I'm not sure when Shadow first made her physical appearance. ( I will see if I can get more info about that.)

According to Vacation Magic Fall 2006, p. 14: "1998 Shadow the dog becomes an official Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort resident."

And now a question: in what year did Community Drive change its name to Disney Vacation Club Way?

 

[RobDoc]

...
And now a question: in what year did Community Drive change its name to Disney Vacation Club Way?

I'll take a shot at this one - I think it was renamed Disney Vacation Club Way shortly after SSR opened in 2004.

 

[CarolynK]

I'll take a shot at this one - I think it was renamed Disney Vacation Club Way shortly after SSR opened in 2004.

Close...in 2002, when Beach Club Villas opened, "Community Drive at the Walt Disney World Resort becomes Disney Vacation Club Way." This is from the same VM issue in 2006, vol. 15 p. 14.