Thumping Our Way Through Disneyland.

[Backstage_Gal]

Great chapter, Lady H, sounds like a fun ride I would like to do.

 

[bankr63]

Reading through this, I can't believe how far the tour/ride has come over the years. I visited Uni in 90 or 91 while doing some training in L.A.; I had to kill a Saturday as the flights were much cheaper if I stayed a full week instead of 5 or 6 days. The only parts I recognize from my tour are Earthquake and Jaws, well and driving by the sound stages. It seemed pretty lame back then. Sounds like there is so much more to see now.

 

[cp'ersmom]

Great chapters! I can't believe how much that tour has changed from the first time I took it. Seems like they don't do the parting seas or the Bridge on the River Kwai any more. Opps! Did I just date myself??

 

[pkondz]

Whew! We made it out of Jurassic Park without losing anyone in the process.

Which is really quite remarkable considering nobody had weapons... Oh wait. California. Somebody must've had weapons, right?

This was pretty cool though, to see how they can make their own weather at the studios. All that water is recycled back to use for the next flood.

Echoing the "That sounds like Catastrophe (Catastrophe trademarked... no, that's for another ride. Nevermind.) Canyon.

And no I don't want to get into a chicken/egg conversation on which ride came first!

And also... One of these days I'm going to write a book. The book will start with something like: It was a dark and stormy (

And then I'll write an entire novel inside the brackets and end it with: ) night.

As we continued on, we saw some great set buildings that were used in some of the old western movies. These sets are actually facades.

Yeah.... except for the last decade or two, whenever I watch a western I always catch myself staring at the buildings and saying to myself, "That could be a facade. That could be one, too. Yup, for sure that one is... etc."

In that picture. The buildings off to the left hand side are actually made of styrofoam. Just thought that was an interesting tidbit.

Didn't know that. That is an interesting tidbit.

tidbit. you gotta be real careful when you type that.

And right across the way, was an italian village.

Most old west towns did have Italian villages across from them.

It's due to the import/export ratio.

Don’t believe me? Click here to see for yourself (Sorry for any noise interference. Darn speakers!)

Ah, shoot. The link didn't work for me, I'll have to wait until I'm home.

T-Man may have something less enthusiastic to say about it since he was the one that got wet. You can actually hear him freak out a little when the water hits him in the video.

Heh, heh. That sounds entertaining.

As we moved on, we made our way to a serene island off the coast...I think it’s a pretty popular place from what they tell us. Maybe you recognize it...

Hmmm... well, from the sign, I'd say it looks like a nice place to go for a swim.

And yes Nebo, both the movie and the real life event were on the East coast.

Tour Guide Sandy was trying to yell at him to get out, as the beach was closed and we would hate for him to get a ticket for being somewhere he shouldn’t be when...

JAWS (Again, sorry for the noise pollution. Although if you listen closely at the end you can hear T-Man laugh a little, see, nothing scares him. not even a shark!).

Oh, now you've gone and spoiled it! Just once, wouldn't it be cool if while everybody who's sitting in the tram, nodding and winking to each other as they await the inevitable shark "attack", Universal would have something even scarier jump out from the opposite side?

Poor fisherman...If only he would have heeded the warning on the sign.

Scofflaws will be prosecuted... or eaten. Whichever comes first.

Does anyone remember Ms. Mona's Chicken Ranch?

No... and yes. I've heard of the Chicken Ranch in Nevada, but not Ms. Mona.

Hey I never said I was a professional.

This? After mentioning the Chicken Ranch?

Well, I guess I'm glad you clarified for people with their minds in low places.



like Nebo, f'rinstance.

And came across this as we past by:

See? Now that's service. Not only does that nice man hold the door open for the lady, he actually carries her! Now that's service!

And look. Now he's coming over to help fix any damage the tram might have received in the earthquake. See? He even has a screwdriver in his hand.


Oh, and Nebo. A tool for turning screws to affix pieces or parts together is also called a screwdriver.

Just trying to help.

As we escaped the clutches of Norman Bates, we came across this horrendous scene.

The second I saw those photos, I immediately thought, "War of the Worlds".

No matter how horribly annoying Dakota Fanning was... it was still an entertaining movie.

Oh, and Miss Fanning? SHUT UP!!!!


that felt good.

Just beyond the scene of the crash, was a green screen set behind a body of water. They use this for any scenes that use bodies of water, like a boating scene or something along those line.

I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to be funny but...

A green screen behind a body of water which is used for scenes with... wait for it... bodies of water! Holy cow!

See, I thought it was a green screen behind a body of water for use during scenes of airplanes in the sky, or forests... or possibly deserts.

Sorry.

They have used this for films like The Truman Show, and just recently for the movie Battleship. I believe they also used this for the Disney movie, Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides.

Believe it or not, I've yet to see POCOST.

I like that. POCOST. The value of an item relative to a person's monetary worth.

But I have seen, and I like, The Truman Show.

Yes Ponzi, I know that the Disney movie is not a Universal movie. In order to use it Disney would have rented the space to film the scenes needed. Which they can do, Universal is nice like that. Give me enough money and I would be too.

What? I didn't say anything!

We traveled past a wooded forest like area, that they use for scenes that well...take place in the woods...I think she mentioned that scenes in CSI have been shot there.

But you'll notice that Nebo may have had a change of heart about your intellect.

I on the other hand have nothing but respect for you (just disregard that whole "green screen" thing, 'kay?)

Unfortunately no one told Tram Driver Ted about this and he drove right into the cave.

Were Ted's parents brother and sister?

No reason, just asking.

The curse was clarified when up on the monitors comes Whoopi Goldberg who begins to talk to us and then all of a sudden is covered from head to toe in those beetles.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if that happened to all the people on The View?

Ok guys, I should be able to wrap up the rest of Universal soon, so T-Man can begin talking about DCA. I hope you enjoyed the tram journey. I hope I didn’t bore you to tears. And if I did...Oh well...Obviously you’re still reading this so I must have done something right! You are still reading right? Hello? Anybody?

What's the rush to get through Universal? You're doing a great job Heather. This chapter was terrific... and I learned a ton, too.

 

[Worfiedoodles]

The tour definitely sounds like it's well worth the effort to do it. Thank you for that entertaining account of your adventure!

Maria

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

They should have an animatronic of the lawyer sitting on the toilet getting eaten by the Rex. I'll bet that actor is still living that scene down, like the guy who became known as the "Propeller Guy" who hit the propeller when he jumped off the boat in Titanic.

That would have been funny…What would have been better, is to get an actor to do it like they did for the Psycho part of the tour. Although I’m sure they wouldn’t get many volunteers for that part.

Wow, that sounds just like Catastrophe Canyon at Disn'ey Studios.

You know, I hadn’t thought of that. It’s been so long since we did the studios tour there, I actually had to youtube it to see what it was about. And yes, it has the same effect. The funny part is, you know its coming and yet as the water rushes down at you, you still shriek a little.

How similar is this to Disaster, what used to be Earthquake at Orlando?

Again, had to youtube it. I couldn’t remember it from the last time we did it. I have to say, looking at the video, it is pretty similar. Minus the corny director telling you how to react. In the tram tour, they make it seem like it’s new to them (them being the tour guide). But they do point out when things are about to happen. i.e., “Oh no, that semi is coming straight for us!”, “Oh dear, there’s a train…stop! Brake! It can’t stop in time!”, “Oh…I think the water main just broke…watch out!” But the concept is almost exact.

Yeah, I do, but tram man Ted is one heck of a driver cuz this is off the OTHER coast!
I think.

This is movie magic after all…if you can have a Mexican village across from an Italian village, then why can’t you make it clear across the coast in seconds?

Code Brown?

Eeewwww ….There was a lot of red. And I’m sure if you are that scared when a shark is attacking you, then sure…that could happen. But I’m not gonna stop to check.

I have to say that an Anthony Perkins look a like just doesn't put much of a chill in me. Now, if it was Donald Trump heading to the tram,,,,,

What was creepy, was that as we moved along, he kept following us. It was almost like he was stalking the tram. At one point we made it up a hill and were starting to round a corner, and you can peak through some of the trees down below by the motel and he was standing there at the base of the stairs just watching us. I think that was more creepy than him coming after us with a knife.

If it was Donald Trump, I’d be more worried that he would be trying to sell me something or tell me

!

Funny, I don't remember a downed airplane in the movie, now I have to watch it again and look for it.
Oh great, that means another two and a half hours of Dakota screaming in my ear again.

Just put it on mute. Or at least hold the mute button during the more intense screaming scenes.

that last title sounds really familiar. And I still haven't decided yet if I liked The Truman Show or not.

I actually liked The Truman Show. I think it was because while Jim Carrey is known more for his comedy, this movie put him in a role of being more serious with a sense of humor. Unlike what was it, Majestic? Where for some reason I just couldn’t get into him being completely serious all the time. T-Man tries to reinact the scene where Jim Carrey guns the gas over the bridge while having his wife take the wheel because he can’t drive over bridges, only T-Man will try to do it on our Interstate overpass, because he hates roads in the air. (Yet, he will be the first one in line for any crazy rollercoaster that takes you up and over and round and round in the air…I don’t get it!).

Right, CSI ; Miami shoots lots of scenes in wooded forest areas.
Ponzi,, I'm rethinking that.

I said CSI, I didn’t say which one! CSI:Crime Scene Investigation (The original in Las Vegas) shoots there on the Universal Lot. According to the tour guide, Ted Danson walks around outside some of the scene stages at times. We didn’t see him that day.

No wonder, when your name is Imhotep and it looks more like Impotent, I'd feel cursed too!

Wow…I so did not catch that before posting. Oops!

Nobody here but us chickens. Thanks Lady H.

As long as the chickens can read and reply, then I’m happy!

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

That Norman Bates would have scared me more than anything. That movie scared the out of me when I was a kid.
We recognized the flash flood on an episode of Monk.
I miss that show, as well as all of my friends from Wisteria Lane. Thanks for the update.

He was a little creepy. Like I told Nebo, I think it was more because he seemed to be stalking us.

I did enjoy looking at Wisteria Lane. It was interesting to see the houses. I believe Mike Delfino's old house was there too, but it was being used as an art department studio or something.

Great chapter, Lady H, sounds like a fun ride I would like to do.

It was very fun. I would do it again and again. Of course, like any tour ride, the guides are what make it entertaining.

Reading through this, I can't believe how far the tour/ride has come over the years. I visited Uni in 90 or 91 while doing some training in L.A.; I had to kill a Saturday as the flights were much cheaper if I stayed a full week instead of 5 or 6 days. The only parts I recognize from my tour are Earthquake and Jaws, well and driving by the sound stages. It seemed pretty lame back then. Sounds like there is so much more to see now.

Great chapters! I can't believe how much that tour has changed from the first time I took it. Seems like they don't do the parting seas or the Bridge on the River Kwai any more. Opps! Did I just date myself??

I am with you. There was a lot on this tour that I for sure did not remember from the last time, and stuff like cp'ersmom mentioned that I missed. I was waiting for us to come across the bridge, but never did. If I remember correctly, that was where they showed us the special effects for the rain, and flash flooding before, I remember getting my feet really wet during that part. and the parting seas would have been awesome to see again, but alas, they did not do it. Of course, there have been a ton more popular movies that have been made since the first time I took this tour, so I'm sure the backlot tour has to evolve with that.

And no you are not dating yourself, if I remember what you are talking about, then we will just stick with no.

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

Which is really quite remarkable considering nobody had weapons... Oh wait. California. Somebody must've had weapons, right?

I'm pretty sure there was probably a pistol or something hidden under the tour guide or driver's seats.

And no I don't want to get into a chicken/egg conversation on which ride came first!

There's a chicken/egg ride at DL?

And also... One of these days I'm going to write a book. The book will start with something like: It was a dark and stormy (

And then I'll write an entire novel inside the brackets and end it with: ) night.

That would be awesome! People will get to the night part and go "Wha?"

Yeah.... except for the last decade or two, whenever I watch a western I always catch myself staring at the buildings and saying to myself, "That could be a facade. That could be one, too. Yup, for sure that one is... etc."

Didn't know that. That is an interesting tidbit.

tidbit. you gotta be real careful when you type that.

I don't even want to know what you typed first.

Most old west towns did have Italian villages across from them.

It's due to the import/export ratio.

Ah, shoot. The link didn't work for me, I'll have to wait until I'm home.

Sorry, it's connected to T-Man's flickr account. If you can't look at Youtube while at work, that is probably blocked as well.

Heh, heh. That sounds entertaining.

Hearing T-Man laugh because of something unexpected is always entertaining!

Hmmm... well, from the sign, I'd say it looks like a nice place to go for a swim.

And yes Nebo, both the movie and the real life event were on the East coast.

I thought so too. But I was glad that I thought twice about the bikini before leaving the hotel that morning.

Oh, now you've gone and spoiled it! Just once, wouldn't it be cool if while everybody who's sitting in the tram, nodding and winking to each other as they await the inevitable shark "attack", Universal would have something even scarier jump out from the opposite side?

To be honest, I wouldn't put something like that past Universal. I have always wondered if they do something fun or scary for Halloween, That would really get people for sure during that time of year.

Scofflaws will be prosecuted... or eaten. Whichever comes first.

Well since those laws are hard to enforce, I'm betting the latter.

No... and yes. I've heard of the Chicken Ranch in Nevada, but not Ms. Mona.

It had been forever since i had seen the movie, and so when they mentioned it on the tram it took me a minute to put Ms. Mona and Chicken Ranch together. I mean, Who could forget Dolly Parton as Ms. Mona? Or Burt Reynolds as the Sheriff?

This? After mentioning the Chicken Ranch?

Well, I guess I'm glad you clarified for people with their minds in low places.



like Nebo, f'rinstance.

Yeah, seeing as you were the one that mentioned it first....

See? Now that's service. Not only does that nice man hold the door open for the lady, he actually carries her! Now that's service!

It probably would have been nicer if the door that he held open wasn't the Trunk!

And look. Now he's coming over to help fix any damage the tram might have received in the earthquake. See? He even has a screwdriver in his hand.

Sure...all the screwdrivers I know come with blood...

Oh, and Nebo. A tool for turning screws to affix pieces or parts together is also called a screwdriver.

Just trying to help.

The second I saw those photos, I immediately thought, "War of the Worlds".

No matter how horribly annoying Dakota Fanning was... it was still an entertaining movie.

Oh, and Miss Fanning? SHUT UP!!!!


that felt good.

I knew that I recognized it all from somewhere, but I couldn't pinpoint it until they mentioned it and started showing us a clip from the movie. The moment they showed the clip it all came together. Luckily we didn't get any of the screaming during the clip.

I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean to be funny but...

A green screen behind a body of water which is used for scenes with... wait for it... bodies of water! Holy cow!

See, I thought it was a green screen behind a body of water for use during scenes of airplanes in the sky, or forests... or possibly deserts.

Sorry.

No need to be sorry...That was good...And your right it was completely unintentional. I originally wrote that and thought, "A green screen behind a body of water used for...duh...a scene with a body of water." but took out the "duh" and re-wrote. I'm at least glad that someone saw the humor in it.

Believe it or not, I've yet to see POCOST.

I like that. POCOST. The value of an item relative to a person's monetary worth.

But I have seen, and I like, The Truman Show.

I have yet to see POCOST all the way through...I will now be using the abbreviation instead of it's real name, because the real name is way too long! Thanks!

And yes, I am with you on The Truman Show.

What? I didn't say anything!



But you'll notice that Nebo may have had a change of heart about your intellect.

I on the other hand have nothing but respect for you (just disregard that whole "green screen" thing, 'kay?)

Uh huh...

Were Ted's parents brother and sister?

No reason, just asking.

What's the rush to get through Universal? You're doing a great job Heather. This chapter was terrific... and I learned a ton, too.

No real rush. I'm just worried that I've lost the handful of readers we got because I'm taking so long to write. If work would allow me time in between the busy schedule for just the DIS, there would be no problems!

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

The tour definitely sounds like it's well worth the effort to do it. Thank you for that entertaining account of your adventure!

Maria

I think it is definitely worth it. You do get a lot of insight into what goes on behind the scenes, which is really awesome to see.

Thank you for coming along for the ride! I hope to have more of our fabulous day up in the next day or so.

 

[sewmess]

heavens yes: darn work getting in the way of the really important stuff: DIS and...in my case...sewing!

 

[Backstage_Gal]

No need to rush, Lady H, I'm still here for one and not going anywhere.

 

[nebo]

No need to rush, Lady H, I'm still here for one and not going anywhere.

oh, HERE you are! Cheating on me with the Thumpers!
Well, that's just fine, I get it, no need to let this get ugly.
Just remember me from time to time as the new age comes through, and don't forget, somebody had to lay the groundwork, but that' ok, the Bunny's are good people, you could do worse.

At least until I get through with them next month:
MBWAHAHAHAHaaaa!!

Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom? I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet.

HUH, yeah, this really is weird, how I seem to get hurt EVERY STINKIN TIME we go there!
But not this next time.
nope, nope nope nope

 

[nowellsl]

Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom? I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet.

I PM'd him back . I would really love to meet up with you guys, but .... We have tickets for the Christmas party on the 2nd (celebrating DD's 28th birthday) and have early reservations at Tony's. The only time during the trip we actually have anything scheduled you guys decide to have a meet If you have anything else scheduled, let me know! We'll be there until 12/04, staying at All Star Music.

 

[pkondz]

Sorry, it's connected to T-Man's flickr account. If you can't look at Youtube while at work, that is probably blocked as well.

Well, I tried it at home too, but I guess I'd need a flickr account to see it. Ah well.

To be honest, I wouldn't put something like that past Universal. I have always wondered if they do something fun or scary for Halloween, That would really get people for sure during that time of year.

Not that I've been, but I do know that Uni has Halloween Horror Nights.

I mean, Who could forget Dolly Parton as Ms. Mona? Or Burt Reynolds as the Sheriff?

Me. I've never seen Best Little... House in Texas. But I did know Dolly and Burt were in it, so I get partial points.

Sure...all the screwdrivers I know come with blood...

At Nebo's house they do.

Were Ted's parents brother and sister?

No reason, just asking.

Ah, I see I've lost you. You kept going on about the Tram driver doing these dumb things... Stopping in front of a flood, not avoiding killer dinos, going into cursed caverns...

Remember the joke: You know you're a redneck if your state's got a new law that says when a couple get divorced, they are still legally brother and sister.

Perhaps your driver might've been a tad inbred?

 

[Thumper_Man]

Well, I tried it at home too, but I guess I'd need a flickr account to see it. Ah well.

Sorry. My bad. I forgot to change the permissions. They work now. Here are the links again so you don't have to go back searching for them. And as a quick reminder, might want to lower your speakers.

JAWS

EARTHQUAKE


And FYI, Flickr accounts are free you know.

 

[pkondz]

Got to see 'em, thanks! I especially like the Jaws one.

 

[mmeb144]

Sorry. My bad. I forgot to change the permissions. They work now. Here are the links again so you don't have to go back searching for them. And as a quick reminder, might want to lower your speakers.

JAWS

EARTHQUAKE


And FYI, Flickr accounts are free you know.

Thanks for letting us see the videos. They were great! Probably the closest I'll get to experiencing the attraction for a while.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

oh, HERE you are! Cheating on me with the Thumpers!
Well, that's just fine, I get it, no need to let this get ugly.
Just remember me from time to time as the new age comes through, and don't forget, somebody had to lay the groundwork, but that' ok, the Bunny's are good people, you could do worse.

At least until I get through with them next month:
MBWAHAHAHAHaaaa!!

Hey, Marita? Any chance you could meet us over at the Dawa Bar at Animal Kingdom? I talked to Mike tonight and he is sending out a PM to Nowells who it appears will also be in the neigborhhood for a couple days. I don't know what kind of perks or admission set ups you have, but we'd love to see you again, and hopefully this time I won't be having Smidgy try to wipe blook off my shirt right before we meet.

There is definitely a chance, that would be fun. Getting into a park is no issue. But I have conditions ('cause Im old and crotchety). 1) daytime, I hate driving in the dark and 2) preferably not weekend. So keep me in the loop about your plans and I will see. Thanks for the invite

 

[Thumper_Man]

Got to see 'em, thanks! I especially like the Jaws one.

Thanks for letting us see the videos. They were great! Probably the closest I'll get to experiencing the attraction for a while.

Thanks for reading along. Glad we have good friends we can share them with. Otherwise they would probably just take up space on my hard drive.

 

[Thumper_Man]

There is definitely a chance, that would be fun. Getting into a park is no issue. But I have conditions ('cause Im old and crotchety). 1) daytime, I hate driving in the dark and 2) preferably not weekend. So keep me in the loop about your plans and I will see. Thanks for the invite

The weekend thing might be a problem. The date is Sunday, December 2nd at 4 pm, at Animal Kingdom.