Random Thread & the *insert topic here*

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

The Sorcerer Mickey Hat -- The icon at the end of Disney's Hollywood Studios' Hollywood Boulevard is a 122 feet tall Sorcerer Mickey Hat. Built to represent "the magic of show business and the entertainment wizardry of Disney" the new icon was formally unveiled on September 28, 2001, as Walt Disney World kicked off its 100 Years of Magic Celebration. Made from fiberglass and shaped like the blue and gold wizard-style hat worn by Mickey in the animated classic “Fantasia,” the hat weighs 156 tons and is decorated with glittering moon and star shapes. A giant Mickey hand is tipping the hat, which rests on two stylized Mickey ears. Underneath the hat is a major Disney pin station.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

The new Sorcerer Mickey Hat at Disney's Hollywood Studios follows Disney’s icon tradition of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom, Spaceship Earth at Epcot and The Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Head Measurements: The hat, if it were wearable, would be a size 605 7/8.

Mickey would have to be 350 feet tall if he were to wear this giant hat.

The Hat itself is 100 feet tall.

The interior space equals nearly 60,000 cubic feet.

The hat and ears sit atop a solid foundation that uses enough concrete to cover the length of a football field.

It can hold 444,744 gallons of water.

Six stars and two moons adorn the hat.

Paint Job: The hat is painted with a custom technique called “chameleon paint,” which shifts color as guests move around it. The hat required enough paint to cover 500 Cadillacs.

The Mickey Ears feature a new special effect called “Light Ribbons,” which change color and sparkle with internal pixie dust lighting.

Holding it All Together: There are 13,493 bolts that hold the hat together; 26,986 washers; and 17,000 feet (or 57 football field) of underground utility piping.

 

[marypops!]

I just realised how many children's shows are animated by clay, dolls, puppets, etc... At least, it seems so over here. Pingu, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Postman Pat, Thomas the Tank Engine, Shaun the Sheep, Thunderbirds, Paddington Bear, Chuggington, Roary the Racing Car, Magic Roundabout, Wombles, Bagpuss, and so on, and so forth...

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION


A mini-version of Disney's 30th animated classic, Beauty and the Beast, Live on Stage, features the popular characters and songs from the film in a lavish, Broadway-caliber production.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

I just realised how many children's shows are animated by clay, dolls, puppets, etc... At least, it seems so over here. Pingu, Bob the Builder, Fireman Sam, Postman Pat, Thomas the Tank Engine, Shaun the Sheep, Thunderbirds, Paddington Bear, Chuggington, Roary the Racing Car, Magic Roundabout, Wombles, Bagpuss, and so on, and so forth...

Bagpuss? WOMBLES? What kind of drugs are those Brits on, George?

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

Pre-Show - Since you may be seated 30 minutes prior to the show's start, there is frequently a live performer(s) to entertain you while you wait. Recently, the act has been the excellent a cappella group Four for a Dollar. They're definitely worth a listen!

Beauty and the Beast - From the popular Be Our Guest to the moving strains of "Tale as old as time..." this 20-minute show mirrors the film upon which it's based. It tells the story of Belle, a beautiful but bookish girl who lives in a small French town. She is pursued by the macho Gaston, to her dismay, for she yearns for a different life. Her father, Maurice, stumbles upon the enchanted castle of the Beast, and, to free him, Belle offers herself as prisoner in his stead. Under the anxious eyes of Mrs. Potts, Lumiere and Cogsworth, among others, Belle grows to love the Beast and, despite the efforts of the townspeople led by the jilted Gaston, the couple manages a fairy tale ending.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

The Theater of the Stars holds 1,500 guests.

The huge bats in the forest scene have 8-foot wingspans.

Beauty and Beast, Live on Stage, debuted at the Disney's Hollywood Studios in 1991.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

If you like your coasters dark with lots of unexpected twists and turns set to a powerful music track, you'll love the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. Located on the left near the end of Sunset Boulevard, just before you reach the Hollywood Tower Hotel, this exhilarating coaster boasts several "firsts" for Walt Disney World, including a high-speed launch that goes from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

Pre-Show -- The attraction begins with guests getting a glimpse into the sound booth at the fictional G-Force Records. There you see the hard rock band Aerosmith finishing up a studio recording session. It seems as though the band is actually interacting with you - and before you know it, you've been invited by lead singer Steven Tyler himself to a concert!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster - From the pre-show area, you're ushered into what appears to be a darkened back alleyway, where you await a "Super Stretch" limo. The 24-passenger limo screeches to a halt in front of you and you board, securing yourself with a padded u-bar. After a few moments of excruciating build-up, you are finally launched into the wild ride, swiftly accelerating into the imagined Hollywood night to the pulsating Aerosmith music. The enclosed coaster ride is quite dark, so that you can't make out what twists or turns are ahead of you, but it does feature individually lit Southern California landmarks, such as signs for Hollywood and the famous Roxy Theatre. After just a few minutes, you find yourself at the "concert", your destination, where you disembark into the gift shop.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster opened at Disney's Hollywood Studios on July 30, 1999.

This thrill ride features a high-speed launch of 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds, three inversions, two rollover loops and one corkscrew -- all firsts for a Walt Disney World attraction.

The coaster also features a specially recorded Aerosmith soundtrack that booms out from a 32,000 watt onboard audio system with more than 120 speakers (5 per passenger) and 24 sub-woofers.

Guests experience a force of nearly 5 Gs as they transition from launch to loop at the ride's first inversion. For comparison, astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle experience 3 Gs at liftoff.

At 3,400 feet, the coaster's track is more than a half-mile long.

The Stratocaster guitar at the entrance of the attraction is 40 feet tall and has a 32-foot-long neck.

Each limo plays a different Aerosmith track. Among the popular Aerosmith songs heard: Dude Looks Like a Lady; Walk This Way; Sweet Emotion; and Love in an Elevator.

Formed in the early 1970s in Boston, Aerosmith has sold 80 million records in its career.

Look for actress Ileana Douglas as the band's manager during the pre-show segment of the attraction.

 

[marypops!]

Bagpuss? WOMBLES? What kind of drugs are those Brits on, George?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpuss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wombles

Did you ever watch the Magic Roundabout? It was originally a French show, but the narrator for the English dub didn't like the stories he was given, so he made up completely new stories instead. So much of it is made up of drug references. Look the show up on YouTube. You can find a few episodes.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION
Looming ominously at the end of Sunset Boulevard is the rundown Hollywood Tower Hotel, home to one of the premiere thrill rides at Disney's Hollywood Studios - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Enhanced recently, the Tower of Terror now sends guests plummeting again and again and again -- a far cry from the ride that debuted in July 1994 with only one big drop. This exhilarating ride lives up to its name, as well as its new slogan: Fear every drop!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bagpuss
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wombles

Did you ever watch the Magic Roundabout? It was originally a French show, but the narrator for the English dub didn't like the stories he was given, so he made up completely new stories instead. So much of it is made up of drug references. Look the show up on YouTube. You can find a few episodes.

No, we did not have Magic Roundabout here.

We did have Teletubbies, and Lamb Chop's Play-along, and Magic School Bus, and Puzzle Place, and Big Comfy Couch. Oh, so many! Most of them were on PBS Kids or TLC's "Ready, Set, Learn!" block.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

Pre-Show - After queuing through the lobby of the dusty old Hollywood Tower Hotel, guests are directed into the Library to view a short film hosted by Rod Serling, creator of the old Twilight Zone television series. At the conclusion of his story, which sets the stage for the upcoming ride, you are plunged into momentary darkness, then guided into the Hotel's boiler room, where you await your "elevator" to the 13th floor.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Twilight Zone Tower of Terror - Guests are seated aboard a rickety old "freight elevator" that glides through mysterious hotel passageways, past ghostly images of former guests. As the journey progresses, the elevator enters a pitch-black shaft. The elevator launches guests skyward unexpectedly, then, just as suddenly, the cables 'snap' and electrical sparks shower. The vehicle then plunges 13 stories. The elevator abruptly rises once more, with an unpredictable series of shorter drops and climbs. At one point, the doors of your elevator open to reveal the Disney's Hollywood Studios parking lot 13 stories below you! You are eventually returned to a dimly lit rear hallway of the Hotel, where you exit the elevator.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTERESTING FACTS

Engineers are able to reprogram new drop sequences in the ride due to the advanced technology it employs. Riders are currently launched to the top of the tower at breathtaking speed, then dropped faster-than-free-fall to the bottom again and again.

Ride engineers tested 33 versions of the Tower of Terror before coming up with what they felt was the best and most thrilling attraction.

Imagineers watched each episode of the original Twilight Zone series at least twice before developing this ride.

Many of the items in the queue and other areas of the attraction are from actual episodes of the original Twilight Zone series, such as the poster for the Anthony Freemont Orchestra in the queue, and the small metal robot on a ledge in the library.

At 199 feet tall, The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror is the highest attraction at Walt Disney World.

On December 31, 2002, the Tower of Terror debuted a new drop sequence. This was the fourth show enhancement and placed the computers in control of the ride making each sequence unique and random.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

INTRODUCTION

Are the movies in the Indiana Jones series some of your all-time favorites? And have you ever marveled over the amazing stunts featured in these action-packed films? Then wander past Echo Lake to this 35-minute live show that features daring stunts and thrilling special effects! Relive all your favorite Indiana Jones moments from Raiders of the Lost Ark, while learning just how they did it -- and maybe even get the chance to participate in the action onstage, too!

 

[AmandaSparks730]

ATTRACTION

Pre-show: Guests are permitted to enter the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular theater approximately 20 minutes before show time. While waiting, guests are often entertained by a live performer - in the past, these have included Rosie, a loud-mouthed but hilarious cleaning lady, and Francis, a plumber, who interact with audience members. A few minutes before the show begins, the show's "casting director" gives a brief overview of the upcoming show and auditions several adult guests to serve as extras in the sequences to follow.

 

[AmandaSparks730]

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! starts with an Indiana Jones look-alike reenacting a climactic scene from the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark, complete with a 12-foot tall rolling boulder chasing him down a narrow path. He is seemingly overtaken and crushed by the boulder, only to reappear moments later as the set is being deconstructed and the director explains to the audience what's going on. The extras (who must be over 18 years old) chosen from the audience are part of the following Cairo street scene and, after a series of explosions and realistically swashbuckling fight scenes, the show concludes with even larger and louder explosions, pyrotechnics whose heat can be felt even in the audience, and an escape that will leave you biting your nails in suspense!