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My memories of Disney's Animal Kingdom 10th anniversary and Earth Day celebrations

Last week while visiting Disney's Port Orleans Riverside I stopped by the restrooms off the main lobby and was surprised by the changes. Gone were the pedestal sinks and high tank toilets. They were replaced with standard automatic flush toilets and sink counters. The floor and walls were different, too. I'm guessing this happened fairly recently as the restrooms off the food court had not changed. But its been awhile since I've visited Port Orleans Riverside so I'm labelling it "new to me".

Inside the gift shop I spotted Gnomickey mugs, planters and stakes. Additional items with Gnomickey including a rain gauge and garden figurine are now available at the Garden Town Mercantile as part of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.

Slate floors in pale grays and purples

New counter sinks feature auto shutoff water and auto soap dispensers

The older style toilets that can still be found in the restrooms off the food court at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside.

Black and white tiled floor, wooden cabinets and porcelain pedestal sink in restrooms beside the Riverside Mill at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside

Gnomickey planters and mugs

Gnomickey Plant Stake

In 2004 only a couple of months after we moved to Florida Walt Disney World hosted the first ever ESPN the Weekend. The event was a celebration of the sports network’s 25th anniversary and since ESPN is the most viewed channel in our house Doobie and I were quite excited about the event.

The goat of Big Thunder Mountain's legendary goat trick has yet to reappear according to Los Angeles Times blogger Brady MacDonald. To read more about the goat and the trick you can read his blog here.

The goat isn't a vital aspect to the attraction but I remember my disappointment when we pulled toward the hill during our holiday visit and it wasn't there. So I began to consider some of the other things around Disney theme parks that aren't absolutely necessary and probably overlooked or unnoticed that I would miss if they disappeared or were replaced. I know it sounds strange but I can't imagine that peak with another animal.

I immediately thought of the little elephant sculptures that sit atop the lightposts around Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction. I love the pyramid of performing pachyderms. I can remember strolling over to the Disneyland Hotel to view a similar image in an oversized painting above the stairs in the Sierra tower.  Whenever I stroll through Fantasyland either in Florida or California I always pause to admire them. 

On a larger scale, I'll never forget the day they shifted the street between Disneyland and the hotels during the construction of Downtown Disney. We drove in via West St and drove home via the new street that was about 40 feet over. It just felt strange and unfamiliar.

As creatures of habit I sometimes wonder how many guests would end up in the wrong restroom if for some reason they swapped them -- come to think of it they did just that to the restrooms outside the Plaza Inn (I think it was when they updated Disneyland's Tomorrowland in the 90s) and I can remember just barely catching myself before entering the wrong one.

Thankfully the missing goat offers less opportunity for embarassment.

The Candlelight Processional is among the more unique traditions at the Disney theme parks. It was begun at Disneyland in 1958. It is a profoundly religious event conducted in a style that provides a delicate balance of worship and entertainment. At Epcot Candlelight is performed nightly over five weeks with over 24,000 vocalists and 13 celebrity narrators participating in its run at the American Gardens Theater. A portion of seating in the American Gardens Theater is available through Candlelight Dining Packages with the remainder available on a first-come, first-served basis. And given the acoustics of the theater many opt to enjoy a casual meal at the outdoor tables of the Liberty Inn while enjoying the performance.

On Wednesday Doobie and I attended Epcot's Candlelight Processional. The celebrity host was Monique Coleman of High School Musical fame. She was terrific. Over the years I’ve seen some terrific and some disappointing celebrity readers.

Monique brought warmth and enthusiasm to the evening. Throughout the song “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy” she was gently swaying from side to side to the tune’s rhythm. And her readings were done with inflection as if she were recounting events she herself had witnessed rather than reading words that in many cases were millennia old. At the conclusion of the performance she thanked the choir, the audience including those who stood throughout the performance along the back of the outdoor theater and offered special thanks to all the children who had behaved so marvelously. Her visible enjoyment of the evening increased my own.

The evening’s guest director Dr Mitos Andaya from the University of Georgia also brought an infectious enthusiasm to the evening as she bobbed and swayed throughout her conducting. But her enthusiasm was even more apparent when she turned to direct the audience during Silent Night and we could see her broad smile.

As always the entrance of the various participating choirs elicited numerous flash bulbs as proud families and friends do their best to capture an image of their loved one in the choir. Even though it’s a well-produced event at a world class theme park there is something almost homespun about Candlelight Processional perhaps that is why it holds such a special place in the hearts of many Disney fans.

Harry Potter was totally off my radar until the first film hit theaters. Even then I wasn't particularly interested until in the midst of the promotion of the films the Today Show featured a reading of the tale by Jim Dale. I tuned in. Not because of Harry Potter or the developing phenomenon but because I was interested to see what Jim Dale would look like after all these years.

As a Disney fan I loved Jim Dale. He portrayed the wily Doc Terminus who wanted to capture Pete's dragon friend Elliott in hopes of turning him into various healing potions. In Disney's Hot Lead and Cold Feet he played several roles including Eli Bloodshy -- a peace loving, preacher and his longlost gunslinging twin Wild Billy Bloodshy -- who must compete over their inheritance and in The Unidentified Flying Oddball he played another comedic villain, Sir Mordred. I enjoyed these films as a youngster with my family and was particularly fond of Dale's way of being villainous but in that slight wacky, twisting the mustache style -- evil with a certain something in his eye that indicates a possibility of redemption.

So over 10 years later I was interested to see him again. As he read the story of the young wizard, I was so taken in by his performance of the characters, presented live on that broadcast. His natural flow between the voices and his timing brought the words to life. His voice was like a warm blanket. I suspect that since I listened to my Pete's Dragon record over and over absolutely loving Passamaquoddy, his voice connected with me in a nostalgic way. In his reading of JK Rowlings' books, Jim Dale is now credited with a Guiness World Record for the number of character voices he created in the performance. I haven't read Rowlings' books but have listened to them. I spent most of this past weekend laughing, crying, sighing and gasping during the 20 plus hours it took to hear volume 7. I was saddened by the realization that this particular journey was over. But then this evening, I learned Jim Dale will narrate ABC's Pushing Daisies which premieres this Fall. I must admit that this has increased my interest in this unusual tv project. Too bad DCA doesn't host ABC Primetime Weekend's anymore I'd have been there with pen in hand to meet him. What a crowd that would've generated!

 So now you know how this Disney fan found Harry Potter.

Walt Disney once said, "I thank God and America for the right to live and raise my family under the flag of tolerance, democracy and freedom." I was born several years after Walt Disney died but over the years as a Disney fan I have seen countless footage of him, heard numerous stories about him by his family and those who worked with him. Browsing through books featuring quotes from Walt Disney you can find many that reflect a deep patriotism and pride in America. Today the Magic Kingdom hosted a very special event and as I stood in attendance of the event I was profoundly struck by the special nature of the Disney parks in their celebration of America.

Watching the brief teaser for WALL-E available on Apple.com (link spotted on Upcoming Pixar blog)I developed a Veruca Salt complex "I Want It Now!" I can't remember the last time I fell so in love with a character so quickly. Maybe it was Stitch & Lilo after listening to the animators working on the film at the Disneyana Convention. I can remember my nervousness when the film finally opened I had developed such an affinity for the characters from those brief presentations. It didn't disappoint. Stitch is more crass than I'd prefer but I was too in love with the little guy who was trying to not be so bad and find a family that I forgave the over-abundance of body noises and fluids. I sometimes wonder if I would've been as fond of Stitch if I had walked into the film cold -- without all the background information. Now I wonder how my expectations of Wall-E will change as more information comes out over the years ahead.

I know Ratatouille is just around the corner and all the reviews that have gotten back to me so far from friends who went to the weekend sneak peek have been glowing. So I expect I'll really enjoy Ratatouille even though the trailers and images I've seen thus far haven't left we me wanted more of the story.  But I've not found any of the Pixar teaser/trailers to be of particular strength in drawing me to the theater out of interest in the characters or story presented. Usually its the magnificent settings or the realization of some new technique that intrigues me. 

But the brief moments with WALL-E have definitely whetted my appetite and piqued my curiosity about the character's story. I can see posting his picture among my rotation of desktop images as soon as possible. So adorable. Right now my desktop is a film background image of Paris available on the Ratatouille official site. I love its colors -- the blue sky with the buildings illuminated with a rosy glow but it doesn't include any of the film's characters. I'm just not yet able to see beyond the rat-ness of Remy yet.

So in a couple of weeks I'll enjoy a few hours in the theater discovering the story of Remy. Based on friend's reviews, I suspect it won't take too long before he stops being the dirty icky sewer rat I currently see -- captures my heart and has me rooting for him. Hopefully I'll get to see more of WALL-E in a preview, too, even though it doesn't hit theaters until the summer of 2009. I'd love to see more of the little metallic dude with the expressive eyes. 

Our wedding featured many Disney Princess inspired touches -- the rings were carried on a pillow in a glass slipper, my wedding march was "Reception at the Palace" from Cinderella, and shortly before Doobie and his groomsmen walked in a friend sang Someday My Prince Will Come with an additional verse I'd written to reflect the wedding day emotions. My Disney friends felt my wedding dress was a similar design to Snow White's familiar blue bodiced and yellow skirt but that wasn't why I chose it. It was one of the few dresses that was modest enough for my comfort without making me feel like an oversized Christmas tree ornament.

Now brides who want to bring Disney elements into their wedding have six gown collections to choose from inspired by Disney's Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Jasmine, Belle and Ariel. On www.disneybridal.com, the official website are images of the gowns. Each princess has inspired a number of dresses. I didn't expect that the dresses would look like costumes but I'm hard pressed in some cases to understand the connection to their princesses. Some of the descriptions make me wonder though if much of their majesty would be visible in person. For example the Cinderella line is described as featuring scattered crystal and silver thread that sparkle throughout the dress. Those touches are not easily seen through the computer but in person I imagine that they would give Cinderella inspired gowns the sparkle that her Fairy Godmother creations might have had. But in looking at them on screen I don't know that I'd have seen a connection to Cinderella, my favorite princess. Visually I found the Belle line and the Ariel line most reflective of the princess inspirations. Many of the Ariel dresses have a flair around the ankles seemingly inspired by her mermaid fin and the dresses feature pearl beading and draping line that reflect an ocean's waves. Belle's line features several dresses with full skirts reminiscent of her ballgown.

Given my taste though I haven't found one of these dresses that makes me wish these collections were available when I got married which suprises me. But I'm sure some of my fanatical Disney friends will be inspired to renew their vows thanks in part to Disney's Fairy Tale Collection.

I'm excited about the new blog that Doobie has setup for me on LaughingPlace.com. It'll be fun to have a place to chat about things Disney without fulfilling a space requirement. A place to share the joy I get from being a Disney fan and working at LaughingPlace.com.

Over the past 10 years I've never lived more than 30 minutes from a Disney theme park -- Disneyland for most of them and the past few years I've been close to Walt Disney World. As a tourist at Walt Disney World it always seem so isolated to me not like Disneyland where the reality of Anaheim is mere feet from the main entrance. But as a resident I feel like WDW is never as far from my mind as Disneyland was once I left the resort area of Anaheim.

Driving today I realized that even if I don't go to the theme parks chances are that I'll pass several Disney buses carrying visitors to or from the resort. And often times the supermarket baskets around me are filled with the things a family purchases on vacation. Its not uncommon to see a costumed cast members taking their dog for a walk around the complex before heading off to make magic for guests -or- hear them talking about their workday while at the store checkout. My sister gets a discount at the local mall for showing her Disney cast ID and I'm glad that the Disney cast get those types of perks. I suspect other theme park workers do too throughout this area.

In Southern California once I returned home to Huntington Beach Disneyland was in many ways out of sight, out of mind -- at least until the mild rumblings of the fireworks. The fireworks of Epcot are more than a little rumble here and I like it that way even now that they've added 11:30p Illuminations for Extra Magic Hours.I've found I enjoy being in tourist town where so many of those around have saved up for years and are enjoying a special time with family. And even though I've been here for a few years I'm still learning and exploring Walt Disney World -- discovering new paths, narrowing down which bathrooms I like and which I avoid, times of day that are best for certain attractions. Its a lot to learn with four parks, two water parks and over a dozen hotels.

So I'm looking forward to sharing these adventures here and am excited to see what topics pop up for me as I write more. I do know that it will reflect the joy I get from being a Disney fan and working at LaughingPlace.com so I hope you'll stop by from time to time.

As a regular part of my blog I've decided to highlight places where Disney references have unexpectedly popped up. For example this week while watching CBS' Amazing Race All-Stars the contestants were driving in Hong Kong. In showing the road signs for Lantau Island there was a Large Mickey Mouse head. While Hong Kong Disneyland is on Lantau Island I hadn't even thought about that during the show until Mickey's silhouette popped up on the street sign. I had not even thought that Mickey might appear on the large green & white highway signs. Can you imagine such a thing in CA or FL?

See you real soon.