Do they still...Do you remember when...

[mkcp91]

Who remembers Discovery Island? It is over by FW and River Country. A real "zoological park" long before Animal Kingdom. It mostly had birds and you had to ride a boat from FW to get there. Is it completely closed now that AK is open?

The last time I was there would have been in 1991 or 1992.

I worked at the Land when Kraft was still the sponsor - I have the CD with the song "Listen to the Land." When Nestle took over, the song changed.

I also miss the old music to COP (Now is the Time . . .) but I heard somewhere that the music they currently have is the original music from when the attraction opened.

I also worked at Disney Clothiers when the Penny Arcade was still next door. I remember straightening up the tie rack and hearing the arcarde music. It seemed so LOUD after the guests had gone home.

At Disney Clothiers we used to sell the most beautiful kids clothes! And baby stuff too!

But mostly, I miss Horizons. That was my number one favorite attraction EVER. I'm an agricultural engineer and I love the part where the dad said:

"Send a city girl to college for six years and what's she become? A FARMER!"

And the mom says,

"AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER, is more like it!"

Not too many female AgE's - but the girl in Horizons and myself upped the number by 2!

 

[kkozma]

I remember the first ride we went on was Mission to Mars. It was a little lame, but we thought it was cool.Also the Wedway People Mover and CircleVision 360. Also staying at the Disney Village Hotels and walking to Disney Village Marketplace. Off site we also went to this Fun House type place. You walked thru these dark rooms got scared and at the end there was some kind of mini golf game.This would have been in 1976

 

[Zoo Keeper]

Remember the Spirit of Pocohontas show at MGM? My DD was mystified by it.
It was replaced by Hunchback Show which sadly has gone away too. Thet reminds me of another memory from MGM....Matt the juggler from the Hunchback preshow.

Thanks for all the memories eveyone! This is great reading.

 

[ILoveMyDVC]

The Mickey Mania Parade
Yup, I know it was hated by many and although I'm definitely not a rap fan....I always enjoyed it
Perhaps because my then 2 year old would stomp her little feet and sing 'wah, wah, Mickey Mania'

 

[donna in Oz]

Another Horizons fan still going through withdrawal . . . . and I miss the SkyWay at the MK, too.

Although this wasn't at WDW but rather at Disneyland . . . does anyone remember the ride on pack mules?? I have a picture of myself riding one of these ; my hubby was right behind me. He loved to tell folks it was a picture of me and my a**. . . .

 

[Poohbear123]

My Mom also LOVED this place, we had to go on each trip we took! It was very shady, and they had feedings of the birds and shows, great little place. The ride out there was great too.

 

[Poohbear123]

My Mom also LOVED this place, we had to go on each trip we took! It was very shady, and they had feedings of the birds and shows, great little place. The ride out there was great too.

 

[Phrank40]

Don't know if someone else mentioned this little thing which appears to now be gone but at the end of Safari ride at Animal Kingdom a cast member would stand behind the truck with the baby elephant and announce to each tram which passed by that "Little Red is okay!". Every time we did the Safari the highlight was to see what the cast member was wearing and how he did his "Little Red is okay" line. Originally the cast member had a rifle but then that changed to a walkie talkie and one time cast member had nothing but was just flapping his arms up and down and announcing "Little Red is okay". I think that one had heat stroke. Over the years I've even had friends call me from Animal Kingdom on their cell phones after riding the Safari ride just to let me know that "Little Red is still okay".

On our most recent trip in mid-April there is no cast member at the truck, the "Little Red is okay" was part of the drivers' script.

Phrank

 

[WDWalways]

Originally posted by Phrank40
Don't know if someone else mentioned this little thing which appears to now be gone but at the end of Safari ride at Animal Kingdom a cast member would stand behind the truck with the baby elephant and announce to each tram which passed by that "Little Red is okay!". Every time we did the Safari the highlight was to see what the cast member was wearing and how he did his "Little Red is okay" line. Originally the cast member had a rifle but then that changed to a walkie talkie and one time cast member had nothing but was just flapping his arms up and down and announcing "Little Red is okay". I think that one had heat stroke. Over the years I've even had friends call me from Animal Kingdom on their cell phones after riding the Safari ride just to let me know that "Little Red is still okay".

On our most recent trip in mid-April there is no cast member at the truck, the "Little Red is okay" was part of the drivers' script.

Phrank

I don't remember if the last time I went on the safari if the CM was there or not at the end but I do know that since AK opened I don't think they show "Little Red" anymore except for his trunk sticking out of the tarp hanging - in the early days of AK they would have it open to see him - I also don't know why they stopped doing the "bridge may break" routine - this hasn't been done on any of my rides in quite a while.

 

[Michelemouse]

Also in the beginning of Kilimanjaro Safaris the storyline had Big Red being killed but Little Red being okay. They changed that pretty quickly and now Big Red is just injured.

 

[webmomom]

I do remember them saying about the bridge breaking and then a couple of years ago they stopped it along with the shaking of the bridge. Then last year when we went back they are saying they hope we make it over the bridge and the bridge is shaking again.
I love to take new people on the ride and look at their faces when this happens.

 

[Phrank40]

I was sitting in the right front outside seat on my last Safari ride in mid-April and happen to look down when tram went over bridge. I may be wrong but it looks like the front right corner of bridge comes up about a foot or so. For some reason this surprised me, I just didn't expect bridge to be rising up. I knew it shook, I just didn't know it moved so much.

I believe now in the truck there is a small elephant that can be seen through the truck's curtains on the rear of the truck.

Anybody remember the theme song from one of the shows in front of the castle, goes something like "Disney mania, it's so insania". Let that get stuck in your brain for a day or two and the Disney experience takes on a whole new meaning.

Phrank

 

[montessori]

Remember when they had that show at Epcot during the day... there we boats racing around with beautiful kites trailing in the skies behind them?
Then, all the characters would fly over in little motorized vehicles?

Geez, we saw this show twice but I can't remember the details very well!
It wasn't THAT long ago.

 

[time101]

I remember that Epcot daytime fireworks/hang gliding show too...I think it was called "Surprise in the Skies"? I can't quite remember. It was memorable, but IMHO was not their best effort.

Tim E.
Dreamfinder's Other Concoction

 

[montessori]

"Surprise in the Skies" sounds right, Tim.
I wonder when that was.
It wasn't the greatest show but it was fun!

 

[MulanMom]

I miss a lot of what others have mentioned....Discovery Island, Horizons, World of Motion, FW and WS opening at the same time, etc.

Does anyone remember when Chef Mickey's was a restaurant in the Disney Village Marketplace? (where Rainforest is now) When it was a child's birthday, they would come to the table with an entire cake in a basket with a helium filled balloon on top, making it look like a hot air balloon.

And wasn't there an attraction on Main Street called the Disney Story? I remember a collection of Disney Characters painted on a wall. They'd add new ones as new animated feature films were released.

I remember eating breakfast on the porch of the Crystal Palace after having ridden Space multiple times during EE, and watching all the folks waiting for regular park opening rope drop...and being glad we weren't among the masses!

 

[stevepete]

Does anyone remember when staying onsite and sitting by the resort pool, someone used to come by on a bike selling ice cream?