Category: Disney
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 94 – Losing my head on The Haunted Mansion
When I woke up today and found out the last and most impressive of the new effects in The Haunted Mansion, I immediately rushed out the door for the Magic Kingdom. Around 30 minutes later, I entered the attraction, eagerly awaiting the approach of its final scene where the classic Hitchhiking Ghosts have received new “life” and now play fun pranks on guests. I think everyone’s favorite of the new effects is a head swap gag in which Ezra (the tall skinny ghost) will either swap his head with yours (if you’re riding alone) or swap two guests’ heads riding together. It’s playful, fun, and completely in the spirit of the rest of the ride.
It needs to be seen in person to be completely appreciated, but I have posted video of many of the new effects. In four back-to-back rides through, I don’t think I saw them all and only had 3 different ones done to me. (I got the swapping heads one twice.)
So today’s photo is the best still frame I could grab from the video, just as Ezra has placed his head on my shoulders and is in the process of putting my head on his. It’s a dark scene, so capturing it was tough, hence all the grain and blurriness of the picture below. I assure you, it looks far more impressive in person.
Wouldn’t this make a great new on-ride photo op? Disney would sell the heck out of them.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 91 – Mickey Mouse’s new house
After finishing up work, I visited Mickey Mouse in his new meet-and-greet home, Town Square Theater. The all-new area took over for the former Exposition Hall at the Magic Kingdom. The photo op takes place in Mickey’s dressing room “backstage” at the theater. It’s a fun space filled with plenty of Disney details, though not nearly enough time is given to actually see them all. I only had a few fleeting moments with the Mouse.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 89 – A new project on the way
I spent the majority of my free time today working on a new online project that I will debut tomorrow. It’s something theme park-related (no surprise) and fun! But finishing it meant spending nearly every minute of the day in my office. I did not leave the house once today. So here was my view, while working:
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 86 – Dining at The Wave
After a long, hot, and fun day at the Magic Kingdom, Michelle and I decided to eat at The Wave in Disney’s Contemporary Resort for the first time – and it was great! Apparently the menu has changed quite a bit recently, with at least half of it completely different than when the restaurant opened a couple years ago. I had a tough time deciding what to order, as a lot sounded great but I was hot, tired, and not hungry enough for a huge meal. So I ended up getting an “appetizer,” Duck Confit Salad.
It turned out to be the perfect dinner and was plenty of food. It’s a great mix of sweet and savory. I know it doesn’t look like much more than a salad in the photo below, but there was more than enough duck to fill me up when combined with mixed greens, Purple Haze goat cheese, chestnuts, dried cranberries, and balsamic dressing. Michelle had a filet and said it was the best steak she’s ever had. I tried a bite (or three) and it was definitely up there. Good stuff.
365 Adventures in 2011: Day 83 – Entering the Grid
I received my review copy of Tron: Legacy and the original TRON today! It’s the 5-disc set that includes Tron: Legacy Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, and digital copy as well as a disc for the first film. Though I don’t personally own a 3D Blu-ray player or 3D TV, I do have a Best Buy right down the street with plenty of employees who were more than happy to let me watch pieces of the film using their 3D equipment. At home, I watched half of the many bonus features and will soon dive into the movie itself before posting a complete review next week. But I will say that I’m quite impressed with everything I’ve seen so far.
