No Work and All Play – Disney on the Company’s Dime! (8/1 There and Back Again)

[praisehisname]

Cool update; that show sounds like it was fun! Was it not popular--is that why it didn't last?

 

[MeMom]

We didn't get over to see this short-lived show. I like all the dance parties they have for kids in any of the parks, though, because it does give them a chance to let some energy out. Pluto and Goofy were dancing with Mulch, Sweat, and Tears out in front of the hat last week, and the kids were rockin' out!

Nice update.

 

[thecapells]

Cool update; that show sounds like it was fun! Was it not popular--is that why it didn't last?

I think the biggest reason the show didn't last was the location.
With no overhead protection and no seats, you are basically sitting on the ground in the middle of the Florida heat.
When the afternoon shows come around, it gets pretty bad.
People began taking to watching the show from under the cover of the nearby TTA tracks.
But that basically took away the dance party atmosphere and Stitch couldn't really talk to you over there.
Nighttime shows were held during the hard ticket parties and those worked well but during the day, the location just was a poor choice.

We didn't get over to see this short-lived show. I like all the dance parties they have for kids in any of the parks, though, because it does give them a chance to let some energy out. Pluto and Goofy were dancing with Mulch, Sweat, and Tears out in front of the hat last week, and the kids were rockin' out!

Nice update.

Thanks!
Yeah, surprisingly the little ones like the "get out and dance" areas.
And it does let them blow off steam - they are basically the equivalent of a playground most of the time.

 

[MEK]

Cute show - thanks for sharing it with us! You narrated so well. It's like you just saw it yesterday. Great job!

 

[thecapells]

Cute show - thanks for sharing it with us! You narrated so well. It's like you just saw it yesterday. Great job!

Thanks - it was fun narrating from that point of view.
Getting in character definitely makes the storytelling more exciting!!

 

[thecapells]

Without the kids in tow, I was excited to finally give Star Command my full attention.

My FastPass directed me down a line all by myself passing all of the tourists.
Us Space Ranger recruits apparently are treated better than the average tourist.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: One of these days, people will figure out how to use a fastpass

On the way, recruits were urged to charge their Crystal Fusion batteries at the Star Command Power Center.

I was pretty excited for this mission as I was solo and would have more control of my cruiser.
This time around, I wasn’t spinning my ship to allow the little ones a decent shot at our enemies.
This time it was just me against all the evil that Emperor Zurg could throw at me.

Buzz Lightyear himself was outside the Launch Bay giving us our final instructions.
With a quick salute, I hurried along.
The Launch Bay is dedicated to the great Space Ranger.
All recruits must taxi past a huge mural portraying one of his most epic battles against the evil Emperor Zurg.

But now it was my turn.
With a deep breath, I fought back the nerves and approached my XP-37 Space Cruiser.

I eyed the ranking device insider our fighters designed to gauge our usefulness during the impending raid.
I was committed to impressing Buzz and earning a promotion – several in fact.
I stabilized one of the two single-shot ion pulse cannons in my cruiser and headed into orbit before blastoff.
Blaster fire could be heard in the distance and I braced myself for what was to come.
My battalion of fighters emerged into the fray and all bleep broke loose!
For a Junior Space Ranger, I fought as hard as I could.

The Astro Accelerator had sent us deep within Sector 9 to battle hoardes of Zurg’s minions.
Gigantic robots swarmed all around us.
I concentrated my firepower on the Boxobot and let loose a stream of ion pulses.
Zeroing in on his weakest point, I continued to fire – bullseye!
My rank shot up past Space Scout and I was automatically promoted to Space Ranger 1st Class.
I continued my onslaught hitting everything that moved – and lots that didn’t!

The robots were apparently protecting the Zurg’s volcanic home planet.
After blowing away some disgusting aliens who charged my cruiser, I centered my attention on the volcano itself.
Firing pulse after pulse from my ion canon, I lit up that volcano more than the magma itself.
My rank continued to grow – Planetary Pilot, Space Ace, Cosmic Commando…
Boy was Buzz going to be impressed!

I navigated my way into some sort of command capsule equipped with Zurg-O-Vision and let loose on an array on batteries.
And then it happened.
I could see Zurg in his spidery cruiser slightly ahead but it no longer mattered.
I looked down in shock.

I had been promoted to Galactic Hero!
I’ve never done that before and I couldn’t believe it!
Here I was in the middle of my mission and already my ion cannon was inoperable due to overuse.
Now what? Do I just sit and relax and enjoy the sites of our armada destroying Sector 9?
I grabbed my camera and began documenting my surroundings and trying to capture intel footage for later missions.
Sorry it’s a little blurry.

Then it occurred to me - I have another ion cannon!
I quickly slid over and grabbed the second cannon just as Zurg escaped into the star tunnel.
I chased him inside firing at will.
Sure enough, his days were numbered – after all, I was now a Galactic Hero!
I emerged from the tunnel victorious as Zurg’s cruiser wasn’t going anywhere.
The Space Rangers had won this day.
The Little Green Men beckoned us home to Star Command and Buzz was waiting with congratulations.

He even posted a chart on the wall to convert your points into your new ranking.
I didn’t have to look – I was still mostly in shock.
But, for those Junior Space Rangers out there, here are the ranks:

0 to 1,000 points: Star Cadet
1,001 to 10,000 points: Space Scout
10,001 to 100,000 points: Space Ranger 1st Class
100,001 to 300,000 points: Planetary Pilot
300,001 to 600,000 points: Space Ace
600,000 to 999,998 points: Cosmic Commando
999,999 points: Galactic Hero

I docked in the Maintenance Bay a bit weak in the legs.
I still could not believe my triumph.

I wanted to remember this day always so I grabbed my camera and headed towards the debriefing room.
There, among monitors, were recaps of the day’s missions.
I found mine – complete with rank assigned to me – and quickly took a picture.
Apparently this clip was taken after I reached my goal and was gathering digital intel of Zurg’s fleet.

On my way out, my rank was realized as I was honorably saluted by Space Ranger Booster Sinclair Munchapper.

Heading back out into Tomorrowland, I was at peace.
I don’t think Galaxy Day could get any better.
A celebration at the heart of Tomorrowland followed by a complete promotion to Galactic Hero?
What could possibly be left to top this?
I deserved some RnR and I knew just where to get it!
Stay tuned…

 

[dawnbu40]

Galactic Hero?!!

Congrats on the awesome score and title! Sounds like you were having a terrific last morning!

 

[MEK]

Galactic Hero?!!

Congrats on the awesome score and title! Sounds like you were having a terrific last morning!

I'll second that and add another

How do people score that high????? boggles my mind. No only did you get a perfect score but you got really fantastic pictures of the attraction. I love them all!

 

[thecapells]

Galactic Hero?!!

Congrats on the awesome score and title! Sounds like you were having a terrific last morning!

Thanks!
I definitely was making the most out of my several hours.
And it's so much easier when you're not explaining yourself as you shoot and trying to make sure the kids have a good target...

I'll second that and add another

How do people score that high????? boggles my mind. No only did you get a perfect score but you got really fantastic pictures of the attraction. I love them all!

I basically zeroed in on a couple of high point targets I knew about and went to town.
I was actually astonished at how quickly in the ride you can max out.
And I'm glad you're enjoying the pictures!

 

[WrightFamily06]

Two very nice updates

Galaxy Day looked like so much fun , I was sad to read at the end that they were no longer running it I know the kids would have enjoyed it !

Congrats on your Buzz Lightyear Galactic Hero win , I never new there were ranks for the score you received .

Can't wait to see where you have your RNR at , is it Carousel of Progress or The People-mover ???

 

[praisehisname]

I love how the ride photo caught you taking pics! Way to go on scoring a Galatic Hero!!! I never noticed that the photo puts your rank at the bottom; I'll have to go back and check mine out.

I deserved some RnR and I knew just where to get it!

TTA perhaps?

 

[thecapells]

Two very nice updates

Galaxy Day looked like so much fun , I was sad to read at the end that they were no longer running it I know the kids would have enjoyed it !

Congrats on your Buzz Lightyear Galactic Hero win , I never new there were ranks for the score you received .

Can't wait to see where you have your RNR at , is it Carousel of Progress or The People-mover ???

I was so ecstatic about maxing out Buzz Lightyear!
And you can't miss the ranks - my kids always check their scores at the end to see what rank they have achieved.

As for my RnR, good guesses but not this time.
Stay tuned...

I love how the ride photo caught you taking pics! Way to go on scoring a Galatic Hero!!! I never noticed that the photo puts your rank at the bottom; I'll have to go back and check mine out.

TTA perhaps?

Yeah, that was pretty funny.
I was trying to take a picture of Zurg while he took one of me.
That pic was the blurry Zurg shot from the segment.

And I love how your is rank listed on the bottom - you can compare your ranks over the years...

 

[boxmaster]

On the way in, I noticed this great sign.
Anyone have any clue what it says?

OK, next time you want something deciphered, can you at least make sure the picture isn't blurry? That added a bit of time to my efforts and strain to my neck craning closer to the screen.

Anyway, here's what it says:

----
Dedication

This galactic federation prisoner teleport center is hereby dedicated to the preservation of peace and harmony throughout the galaxy by protecting the nice from the naughty.

The grant councilwomen
2009 November 16
----

(NB: I'm not sure of the year or day of the month. Whatever date this ride opened is surely what that should be? There's no way of verifying the numbers in the cipher.)


Wasn't too tough, if you start with the three symbols in the center of the logo you showed standing for P.T.C. (Prisoner Teleport Center) and go from there.

Now to read the rest of the report.

 

[thecapells]

Dedication

This Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center is hereby dedicated
to the preservation of peace and harmony throughout the galaxy by
protecting the nice from the naughty.

The Grand Councilwoman
2009 November 16

Okay J - you rock. WOW.
I always expected that to be an actual language the Imagineers constructed - not a code.
Very impressive decrypting that message (sorry for the blurry shot) - especially using a random logo I happened to include.
You'll have to come by and decrypt the subtitles from the Supersonic Celebration video.
And you should totally post that decryption to the other boards.
You will be the Disney Decryption Guru!

 

[thecapells]

I headed next door for some much needed downtime and some laughs.

After all, “The Future of Energy is a Joke!”

Upon entering the building, I was transported dimensionally into Monstropolis!
I realized I was a bit hungry after the huge galactic battle that just took place.
Better grab a snack before continuing on.
Hmmm – what looks good?
Maybe some BLORT?

We had some time before the Comedy Club opened, so I checked out my surroundings.
Dimensional Teleportation is a cool new concept, after all.
I walked over to the window in the corner.

What a beautiful city Monstropolis is.

I finished up my BLORT and searched for a trash can.
Unfortunately, all I could find was a trash compactor.
That’ll do I guess – more efficient I imagine…

Then Mike Wazowski appeared overhead on the monitors to explain the recent changes to Monsters Inc.
After all, it wasn’t long ago that the monsters were after our screams, not our laughs.
But with the transition behind us, this doorway from Tomorrowland to Montropolis made a lot of sense.
Us humans got to experience a new city and comedy show; the monsters got a free supply of energy.
All in all, a win-win situation.

Then they flashed the logo – the show was due to start any minute.

The doors opened on the other side of the hallway and we were ushered in as Roz told us to move down our rows.
Before I headed in, I grabbed one more shot.
I figured it was important to know who the best comedians in the joint were and there just happened to be a “Wall of Fame” over here.
Can you believe Roz made it?
February must've been a very weird month...

The show was humorous as usual and, no, I did not top off my morning by being “That Guy.”
In fact, I didn’t make the video screen at all and that was okay.
This was the perfect way to get some downtime this morning.
So, I teleported back into Tomorrowland and headed for the Blue Line.

 

[dawnbu40]

We love the Laugh Floor! No matter how cheesy the jokes are we always have a good time! Sorry you didn't get picked to be "that guy"! We always hope Dale will get picked and it never happens. Nice pics!

 

[praisehisname]

Cool update! We've never done the Laugh Floor, but it looks really fun!

 

[thecapells]

Dedication

This Galactic Federation Prisoner Teleport Center is hereby dedicated
to the preservation of peace and harmony throughout the galaxy by
protecting the nice from the naughty.

The Grand Councilwoman
2009 November 16

I told DS about your code breaking prowess today and he was thoroughly impressed.
I'm still dumbfounded - I never even thought to consider this was a coded message.
And decoding blurry text with only 3 "known" letters is not trivial.
I can't wait to set you loose on the rest of Disney in January now that we've given you an eye for detail.
Hopefully we'll have lots of new revelations to share in that Trip Report!

 

[thecapells]

We love the Laugh Floor! No matter how cheesy the jokes are we always have a good time! Sorry you didn't get picked to be "that guy"! We always hope Dale will get picked and it never happens. Nice pics!

No worries - it was a good show as usual and I really enjoyed discovering some new pre-show details.
For example, I never noticed that window before with the awesome views of Monstropolis.

Cool update! We've never done the Laugh Floor, but it looks really fun!

The Laugh Floor is extremely cheesy but alot of fun.
You should totally give it a shot!

 

[thecapells]

Before leaving Tomorrowland for the day, I had to take a ride on my favorite – the PeopleMover.
Yes, I still call it that and I’ve taught my kids to do the same.
So, after a nice relaxing trip on the Blue Line, I figured I should grab something to eat.
Once again, being on my own made this selection easy.
I opted for my favorite counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom (and the one my wife doesn’t particularly enjoy) – Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café!

So I love going to Disney World and I never understand the numerous amount of people that go and come back complaining of burgers and dogs.
I never have burgers or dogs when I go to Disney – there is so much more in the way of food.
So much more so, in fact, that planning the restaurants is a huge part of planning our trips.
However, when I do want the occasional burger, Cosmic Ray’s is the place.
The burger is ok, but the toppings bar is divine.
Hot cheese for the fries and to top off the burger along with all lots of other fresh ingredients make this burger so much better.
But, honestly, you don’t come to Ray’s for the burgers or the toppings bar – you can get either at Pecos Bill.
What does Ray’s have that Bill’s doesn’t?
Why, Intergalactic Lounge Lizard (and I do mean that literally) Sonny Eclipse, of course!
How can you not like Sonny?
Where else can you get counter service food with a show to occupy the kids?
Heck, I didn’t have any kids with me and I was still psyched to watch Sonny’s set.
It’s cheesy, corny, and bad puns are all over the place, but that’s Sonny and you gotta love him.
Or at least I do.

Lunch was good as usual and the entertainment was a blast.
I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't even take any pictures - can you believe it?
I also had a chance to people watch and felt sorry for the guardians of this huge school trip that was also eating at Ray’s.
The kids were a bit spun up and the adults were obviously fried.
And it was still pretty early in the day.
I sighed knowing I was solo and didn’t have to deal with such issues myself.
So, with the Tomorrowland attractions I set out to accomplish now behind me, I headed back towards Fantasyland.
There were some new “hidden gems” I wanted to search out before I left the Kingdom.
Let’s see how many I can find…