Hello Worldwide readers! Welcome to the third issue of Worldwide: The Walt Disney World Newsletter. As you might have noticed, I am not reviewing the Transportarium, as I said I would in issue two. Instead, I had the luck to be able to experience the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. So of course I had to review it first. I have to admit, I think I got a little carried away this issue. I had to use two AOL memo pages to write up the whole thing. That's why it's divided up into issue 3a and 3b. Oh well, just more to entertained by. Also in this issue I've got the Contemporary Resort, and the Soundstage Restaurant covered, including a list of Epcot's hidden Mickey's. You may have noticed that in my last issue, and this one, that I have been using a different type of writing style for my attraction reviews. Kind of a you are there, tell em everything in detail type style. The reason I'm bringing this up is, I want to know how you like it. Do you think I'm giving to much information? Or, do you like hearing all the things you don't read about in newspapers or hear about on TV? Please tell me. Another issue I want to address is the Trivia area. Ever since I started this newsletter I thought having trivia would be a good idea, but not many of you are answering the questions. Are they to hard, or do you just not want to answer them? Tell me and I'll do what I can about, thanks. Well, that wraps it up for this month. Be sure to continue sending me your requests to subscribe (see Letter from the Editor, issue 2) and keep reading Worldwide: The Walt Disney World Newsletter.
Brad Ayres
||-Attraction of the Month
(NOTE: This review hides nothing, so if you want to ride the attraction and be completely oblivious to the things that are going to happen, I suggest you not read this, but if you're like me and can't wait to know, then this is the review for you.)
Alien Encounter
"Seize The Future!" Bold? Yes. Simple? Yes. But what does it mean? That is the question that rolls through your head as you stand staring at the large sign that's hanging outside the large building, located in the new Tomorrowland. Above that inspiring phrase you see the name XS-Tech and you quickly figure it is a company slogan. "Oh great, infomercials at Disney World." you think. Then you see the other, round, sign hanging below that one. It says, "The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter." Ahhhh, now this is more interesting, you quickly jump in line. The line is a long one, but it moves relatively fast as it winds around the corner of the building, and moves back forward towards the signs you read earlier. You pass by a wall dotted with 3 or 4 windows, unfortunately the windows are one way and it is very difficult to see inside. Oh well, soon you'll be in anyway. As you approach the signs you read just minutes ago, you notice a large pipe type object behind them coming out of a manhole and running all the way up through the ceiling. You didn't seem to notice it before, must've been all the excitement. After making a U-turn at the pipe, you head for the entrance to the building, which contains two large, metal-looking, doors. The attendants move you forward towards them. Within moments the doors swing open, allowing you entrance into a large, open lobby. You proceed directly forward while elevator type music plays around you. Once you reach another set of doors you come to stop and finally get a chance to look around. Hanging on the wall that contained the windows outside, are three television sets showing different fictional events happening around the universe. After everyone has entered the room, the events leave the screen and the show begins. On the set, the company name, X-S Tech, is shown in large letters and the outline of a woman, an X-S Tech employee you guess, is shown standing in front of it. As she moves forward it is revealed that she is bald, has holes for ears, and has green skin. You've just encountered your first alien (from here on I'll call the X-S Tech employees Techians to make things easier). She explains that X-S Tech is one the most powerful companies in the universe, and tells of it's creation and its discovery of earth. She then introduces the head of X-S, Chairman Clench. Clench appears on the television and says how he wants to help the residents of earth, being behind in technology and everything. As you watch him you can't ignore the eerie look about him. Even though he seems friendly you just can't seem to buy it, but you ignore it and go back to the film. The woman is back again and begins listing off all of the products X-S manufactures. Names like techno surveillance and electro robotics confuse and intrigue you, but the one you pay attention to in hyperspatial transport, since it seems to be stressed by the Techian. They then invite you to come and "Seize the Future" along with them, the doors open and you proceed through. As you walk down a small hallway you come to a turn, and as soon as you reach the turn some movement catches your eye. You look ahead to see a cute little alien sitting inside a tube waving at the entering people. The stage laid out in front of you contains two of these tubes, one on each side of the stage, and a robot, shutdown, standing in the middle with a control board. As soon as everyone is inside, the woman's voice comes on again over the speakers and introduces Chairman Clench. He speaks over the speakers saying that you are about to view a demonstration of X-S technology demonstrated by one of their most advanced droids. With that the robot springs to life and looks out at the crowd. As soon as he begins to talk, his voice has a very evil tone to it, and, like Clench, he also tries to act friendly. He says you can call him SIR and begins with his presentation, but before he gets very far, he is interrupted by the small alien making some noise. "What is it Skippy?" he asks. The creature lets out some more squeaks and blurbs. "No you can't get out, you're our lucky volunteer," he says wickedly. He then explains the process of teleportation to you, how a creature's molecules are broken down, and reformed somewhere else. He then says that Skippy will help to demonstrate this. About this time you notice Skippy looks pretty scared. He then proceeds to make him disappear. Lights flash and smoke fills the tube. After he's gone SIR 'tries' to make him reappear. Lights once again flash and smoke fill the opposite tube, only this time electricity is also present inside. You wait for the smoke to clear, and are very shocked to see a black, crispy Skippy, with red eyes, sitting in the tube. SIR simply tells Skippy that he's not burned he just has a youthful glow. You notice he seems to enjoy Skippy's pain. He then quickly says that the whole process can also be reversed, and he throws another switch. Skippy lets out a little "uh oh," and vanishes once again, but before he can be reformed in the other tube, SIR says the process can also be suspended, he flicks a switch, "indefinitely," and leaves Skippy floating about in space. You feel very sorry for little Skippy, but SIR interrupts your thoughts. He proudly invites you to continue on to see an even greater demonstration of X-S Technology as one of you are going to participate in a teleportation experiment, and since you don't have much of a choice, you move on. As you turn right and move forward, you soon find yourself walking down a dim hallway lined with pipes, scrap metal, and old broken machinery. Seems pretty eerie. Eventually you reach the main room. Immediately you are stunned by the work that must've gone into the building of it. It reminds you of something right out of the film "Alien". All the seats are laid out in rows of circles, one higher than the other, and all facing the center of the room. And in the center is the show piece of the room, a huge tube with a large metal cover over it. You know that this must be the tube that will be used in the teleportation experiment the robot spoke of. You quickly select a row and have a seat. You notice that above every chair is some kind of bar and head rest thing, supported by poles in the chair. Once everyone else is seated, screens located near the ceiling of the room come on, showing yet another Techian. This one, a male, greets you and introduces you to his assistant, a female Techian, one a bit...larger than the other female you saw earlier. They explain that they are lowering the safety restraints on the chairs, and as soon as that is said, the bar above you slowly drops down and comes to a stop just above your shoulders. These bars make you feel very nervous as you can hardly move, sitting up is totally out of question since the bar is resting so close to your shoulders, and the chair is slanted back. After the restraints are lowered, the Techians say that they are now going to choose the earthling to be beamed to their planet. With a press of a button, red lights come on and individually scan every person in the room. You shudder as it goes by you. Then the red lights, and some spotlights, focus on one person across the audience. They say they have chosen their volunteer. You sigh deeply that it wasn't you who was picked. Then, when they're about to raise the volunteers safety restraint, Chairman Clench storms in saying that this is absurd. He asks why only one of you should be beamed to him, when he can beam himself to earth and answer any questions about X-S. By now you notice the cover on the teleportation tube is raised, and you can see inside of it. The Techians running the machine are reluctant and worried, saying different reasons why he shouldn't do it, but Clench is the boss so of course he gets his way. The Techians are so distraught that they beam him out, and Clench disappears in smoke and light, just like Skippy. As soon as Clench has vanished, the Techians run into a problem. It seems something has interfered with the signal, Clench is lost. The Techians frantically search a planet map until they locate a planet resembling Saturn, and on this planet they locate a heat source. However, they do not know if the heat source is Clench. The female wants to wait and do a scan, but the male is very sure of himself and yells at the female saying, "Of course it's Clench, now beam him to earth!" No sooner said, than the heat source is beamed and smoke fills the tube in the room, but as the smoke clears, Clench is no where to be seen, instead a horrifying alien creature has appeared snarling, growling, filled with anger. The Techians immediately do a scan and discover that the creature is carnivorous, meaning it eats meat! The alien begins banging on the tube it's encased in. By now, your natural instinct to run has kicked in. Unfortunately, you're strapped into your seat and can't move much at all. The alien continues banging while the male states that the tube is unbreakable. The lights continue to dim as the alien continues banging. Then the lights go completely out, all noise stops. Suddenly, a loud explosion, with a huge burst of wind, echoes throughout the room. The lights return to show the teleporter tube broken and shattered, with the alien still inside of it. The Techians immediately turn on a force field of laser bars around the creature. The male assures you that as long as the beams are active, the creature cannot escape. Then, everything goes black. You hear some noise, followed by silence. After what seems like an eternity, a flashlight comes on above you on the catwalks. It's a technician, he asks if everyone's ok as he walks across the catwalks. The overhead monitors come on again, this time showing things from the technician's point of view. The Techians say they have a lock on the technician's night vision goggles. The technician proceeds across the cat walk over to what looks like an airlock. The Techians are constantly telling him to turn on the auxiliary power. He opens the hatch of the airlock type thing, and looks inside. What he finds are broken wires and metal. He wonders what could've done this. As he steps forward into the hatch, a noise emits from next to him. When he turns to meet it, he finds himself staring into the face of the alien. The creature moves forward and eats him, everything goes black. You can see nothing, but hear everything. You can hear the alien above you, walking on the catwalk. Suddenly the creature drops to the floor with a loud thud! It proceeds to walk towards you, and you can hear it go behind you. You feel very worried that this thing is so close to you. Then, the bars above your shoulders shove down on you! The alien is on the back of your chair! You hear it roaring and clawing, it begins biting on the head rest! It flicks its tongue out at you and licks the back of your neck, you stiffen up as a shiver runs up and down your back. Everyone is screaming, you can barely stand the noise. Suddenly the alien is back inside the tube, someone screams that it's getting out! "FULL POWER!!" yells the male as the tube begins to smoke and flash. The cover of the tube begins to lower quickly. Then finally, the cover crushes the alien, sending juices flying out at you. The lights come on, and everything returns to normal. The Techians are back on the screens, smiling, and saying they are very sorry for what happened. The restraints rise and you quickly head for the exit, still a bit shook up from your alien encounter.
(NOTE: I rode the attraction a few days before the official opening, some minor things might have been changed since then. Also, a lot was going on during the attraction, so if I don't have everything down exactly as it was I'm sorry.)
|||-Resort of the Month
The Contemporary Resort
As the monorail glides gracefully through the huge A-frame building, a sense of magic fills the air. The Contemporary Resort, with its magical shops and its inspiring design is one of the best resorts available on the Disney property. The Contemporary Resort has everything you could want from a Disney hotel. It has 1,041 rooms in the main building alone, plus more rooms in the two side buildings on each side of the main one. The rooms in the main building are located very high up, giving the guests a great view from the balcony. The rooms in the side buildings are cheaper, and not as extravagant as the ones in the main building, but guests there can easily walk over to the main building to eat, shop, or whatever. In the main building there is a large arcade located on the first floor called the Food and Fun Center. This is the largest arcade in Walt Disney World. Besides containing state of the art video games, there is also a snack area where you can order food, drinks, whatever's your pleasure. Also in the game room, there is a movie theater that shows Disney movies nightly. Up on the second floor there are large areas for convention space, and even a covered bridge leading to an external building with yet more convention space. As we move upward still we finally come to the Grand Canyon Concourse on the fourth floor. This is the heart and soul of the building. Here there are shops, restaurants, and monorail transportation. Actually, the monorail is one floor higher, but this is where you can get up to it. The monorail connects directly to the Transportation & Ticket Center, the Polynesian Resort, the Grand Floridean Resort, and the Magic Kingdom. The shops available here vary greatly. There's a candy store, women's clothing, Disney merchandise, magazines, newspapers, you name it, they've got it here. If shopping isn't enough for you, you can always take some time out to eat. There are two restaurants on the fourth floor, The Contemporary CafÄ and the Concourse Steak House. In the morning, a character breakfast is held at the Contemporary CafÄ featuring Goofy and others. And right in the middle of the floor, there's a huge, 90ft high diorama, featuring scenes of children. This drawing reminds me of It's a Small World. (HINT: After you exit the monorail, and are heading for the ramp downward, take a look at the top of the diorama. There's a goat up there with 5 legs!) Of course, not all the fun can be found indoors. There are two pools available here, plus swimming in Bay Lake. Not to mention tennis, water skiing, volleyball, and even a fitness center to get pumped up :-). You can even rent out a boat at the marina for some time out on the water. Also available on the marina is boat transportation to Fort Wilderness and Discovery Island. If you're looking for a resort with class and comfort, the Contemporary Resort is one of the best choices around.
IV-Restaurant of the Month
(NOTE: I am referring to the Aladdin Breakfast that is held at the Soundstage Restaurant in the morning)
Soundstage Restaurant
First it was the set from Big Business. Then came Beauty and the Beast. Now, the Soundstage Restaurant at the Disney MGM Studios, strangely enough, resembles the city of Agrabah from Aladdin. As an added bonus to this wonderful scenery, you can also come early to the park, and have breakfast with some of your favorite characters from Aladdin. After you enter the building you will find yourself sitting among the many buildings of the city of Agrabah. Complete with a small genie lamp on your table. Your waitress/waiter will bring you some orange juice or milk, and then you get to eat. The whole breakfast is a buffet. You just stroll up and get whatever you want, whenever you want. While you're eating you'll also be visited by two characters from Aladdin, and one from other films. Genie, Jafar, and Mickey (in Moroccan duds) stroll around greeting happy guests. After eating your hearty meal of pancakes, french toast, cereal, oranges, bananas, sausages, and anything else that you want. Your waitress/waiter will give you a button, allowing you access into the cave of wonders. In the center of the restaurant is a large stairway leading up to what looks like the inside of a cave. And there, right at the top of the stairs, is the lamp. What's neat about this lamp is when you rub it, a small genie appears above it. After playing around with the lamp for a second, you stroll over to the left and around a corner, where you meet Aladdin and Jasmine. They greet you and do autographs and pictures (kind of like Mickey's Hollywood Theater in the Magic Kingdom), and then you're on your way so the next family can come in. You are then directed down more stairs and outside. Ahhhhh your busy day at MGM has begun, and what better way to start it than with a good breakfast at the Soundstage Restaurant.
V-Here & There
Ok now, here's part two of the Hidden Mickey list, Epcot's Hidden Mickeys. Just to let everyone know, I did not write this list. So don't give me credit. This is the list available on the Internet, just broken up and served to you.
Epcot 95'
MONORAIL (TTC TO EPCOT)
-> When you take the monorail from the TTC to Epcot, look out the right side
windows toward the Magic Kingdom's parking lot. In the last area of
parking there are three trees that have perfectly round tops to form a HM
when viewed straight on. Good Luck in the search for this one.
WEEKLY ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE
-> Spaceship Earth with two fireworks exploding above. (incidentally, the
"plaza" Mickey is much less prominent in the D-MGM Entertainment
Schedule map than it used to be).
Epcot 95' future world
WONDERS OF LIFE
-> Mickey is painted clearly in the veins in the mural over the ride. He is as
plain as day if you have patience to find him.
SPACESHIP EARTH
-> In Spaceship Earth, on the left as you go through the "Sistine Chapel"
scene are three stained-glass windows. The pattern of panes in each is
made up of circles, and the pattern in the curvy triangular sections to
the right and left at the top of the windows is one big and two smaller
circles.
-> As the ride starts to go up, look overhead at the star panels. To the left
side of the second panel the stars make a HM.
-> After the "Tomorrow's Child" section of the ride where the silhouettes of
children are projected onto mirrors you will start to descend again, but
this time inside a microchip. On your right will be three monitors that
display scientific things like DNA etc. Now on the CENTER monitor three
yellow electrons will come together to form Mickey's head. You might
have to go on the ride a few times before you see this.
-> On the left as you go through the "Sistine Chapel" scene are three stained
glass windows. The pattern of panes in each is made up of circles, and the
pattern in the curvy triangular sections to the right and left at the top
of the windows is one big and two smaller circles.
-> There is a Mickey constellation in the stars at the very top. The stars on the dome are
revolving very slowly around a horizontal axis, so it may take a few rides
to see it. This one is on the Epcot Outreach official HM list.
WORLD OF MOTION
-> In the scene about the used chariot lot, the middle chariot has a
Mickey headpiece.
-> Later, as you approach the 1960's you will find everybody hitting
the open road. In one of the cars (a family going on vacation) is
a young boy wearing Mouse Ears.
JOURNEY TO IMAGINATION
-> In the ride, there is a scene of Figment in a 'dressing room' with
costumes (he's playing with a Dreamfinder mask). The hem of a dress at
the very beginning of the scene has a lace-like border with circular
cutouts; an extra length of the border material has been stapled on at
one point to create a Mickey.
-> Also on the ride, look on a giant globe for an island in the shape of
Mickey East of Australia.
Image Works
-> At the Image works there is a display featuring a distorted picture
revolving around a cylindrical mirror. The picture looks "normal" when
viewed in the mirror. It shows a balloon race including Dreamfinder and
Figment and Ear Force One - the Mickey balloon. To find the display go
through the rainbow corridor and through the next room as well. You can't
miss it.
THE LAND
-> I talked to a [Cast Member] named Brad. He has worked their for seven
years and he is considered the Hidden Mickey expert. He said that there
are approximately 20 or more hidden Mickey's in the Land pavilion alone;
including over half a dozen in Symbiosis, and approximately 5 on the
mural behind the loading area for Listen to the Land. He also said there
are subliminal audio messages in many of the attractions, including
Horizons and Journey into Imagination. I didn't hear anything. My entire
family keeping their eyes peeled for Hidden we were bound to
find some. Little did we know however that we would find some new
ones!!
-> There's a mural in the rotating Garden Grill restaurant. As you enter,
walk to the left (clockwise, against the rotation). In the middle of the
mural is a blazing sun. Far below (at eye level), and to the right, you can
see lily pads or some other roundish leaf. Above the lily pads are some
vegetation. At the border of lily pad and vegetation is a Hidden Mickey.
It's no bigger than your outstretched hand, and may not have been the
top layer of paint, but I can see it.
-> In the same mural, look at the rightmost lily pads. A branch grows
in front of the pads, forking once then again. Between the branches of the
first fork, you'll see a lavender leaf. This is left ear (your
right). To the left is a misshapen ear, and a mouselike nose points to your
right. You may see the detail of the mouse's left eye. Is this Mickey?
Has Disney been infiltrated by other mouse-illustrators? I'm not sure.
-> Those balloons hanging from the ceiling DO form a Mickey head. As you
enter the pavilion go to the left. Keep going until you are about 2/3 of
the way to the Land Grille. Now the balloons are moving, but every time
the two outer ones pass the middle balloon, head is formed and is
clear as day. (Pavilion attendants know about this).
-> Since re-decoration, this pavilion is substantially different;
There are now five balloons - three more-or-less as before and, two new
ones. The two new ones do not appear to be (mechanically) linked to the
other three. Anyway, to see the same sort of previously visible, a
new viewing location is required - on the *right* hand side (as you enter)
at the section of railings just before you reach the entrance to the
Harvest Theatre. There may be occasions when the large central balloon
makes a with the two new ones, but as there seems to be no
linkage between them this will be a rare occurrence.
-> The balloons do form a Hidden when viewed from the proper
location. The trick is to get the two newer balloons away from the others.
-> Enter and go straight to the railing and look down. The table and stools
are arranged to be a HM. During the day the stools are move around a lot
so it may not be that way for long.
-> While standing at the railing, turn towards the entrance and look
at the pattern on the floor from the overhead lights. They form a
large circle and two small circles on the carpet. It may be difficult
to see during the day.
Living With the Land
-> In the "Living with the Land" boat ride (previously "Listen to the Land")
the opening "leaf and vine" section is no longer there, so any Mickeys
there have gone too. Also, the NASA laboratory at the end of the ride has
gone, so the I reported there has gone too.
-> In Listen to the Land, spot him in the beginning leaf and vine
painting as the ride begins. Later, look for the three horseshoes
above the barn in the farming scene. It's possible that this one has been removed
(it's on the official Epcot Outreach HM list).
-> There are lots and lots of different-sized circles painted on the walls
behind the vines, and I picked out one definite HM on the right just as
the boat has turned about 90 degrees from the loading dock. It's on the
back wall about 6 feet up.
-> Just before the end of the ride there is a laboratory on the right (behind
windows). On the table in the middle is a revolving circular dish full of
test tubes. Most have white caps, but a number have green ones, and they
make the familiar head with ears pattern. This may be a temporary one.
-> The dunes on the land ride look like a from the restaurant.
Circle of Life
-> The HM next to the Indian man. The Indian is riding a horse. The HM is
laying on the ground left of the Indian (His right).
-> baseball cap of the man driving a harvester.
-> when looking at the woman taking a water sample in a lake, the
reflection in her sunglasses shows the cameraman wearing a
Mouse T-shirt.
HORIZONS
-> The second fluorescent scene depicts the future as viewed from the
1950's. On the far right is a group of three spiky-looking trees with their
circular profiles forming the familiar shape.
-> At the entrance, supposedly if you look down there is a pattern of
head made from the 3 spot lights in the ceiling above.
-> In the queuing area of the ride, there are the moving murals that are
surrounded by a mirrored border. Very often (but you have to be patient)
the pattern formed by the mural disappearing behind the mirrored border
and the reflection of this happening forms perfect HM's. Don't know if
this was planned, but it's very clear, so clear that it caught my eye as I
walked by.
-> In one scene towards the end of the ride, the family is preparing
for a birthday party. One of the presents is wrapped in
paper.
-> I can confirm the wrapping paper on the gift. It occurs twice:
Once in the kitchen in the desert (it has been wrapped for delivery), and
during the "Happy Birthday" sequence.
-> In the scene where the family is getting ready for the birthday party,
and in the scene where the family is having the party, there are
packages wrapped in red paper. The packages are clearly visible,
but the Mickeys are small. You have to look close.
-> There are two parcels in the first scene, and one in the second.
-> Just as your vehicle enters the space colony, there is a view
through windows of the colony rotating beneath you (landscape moves
from top to bottom). At one point, there were three dome-like
structures outlined with small lights that were definitely a.
The loop of film displaying this scene runs longer than it takes to
move through the scene, so on another trip through we did not see the
same view.
-> I can confirm the in the rotating space colony. I've been on
Horizons at least 10 times and never got the ride timing right before. My
daughter picked it out: the " in Lights" is toward the right-hand
side of the satellite (far side as you are traveling left-to-right). It
is quite obvious if your car happens to get you there at the right time.
THE LIVING SEAS
->As you get out of the motorized car, having arrived at Seabase Alpha,
walk straight ahead to the submarine suspended just beyond the railing.
Look down at the floor and you should see formed in shadow.
Epcot 95' World Showcase
NORWAY
->(in the queue/loading area for the ride, look at the mural)
There is a Viking wearing Mouse ears on the ship.
-> The huge mariner on the right side (operating a large wheel) is
wearing a Mouse watch (ghosted circles).
-> The REALLY tough one here is the stewardess with the clipboard.
If you look at her chest, HER right, your left, you will see a
profile in the shadows of her white shirt. He is a little
distorted but definitely Mickey..too close to be a coincidence.
-> In the initial queue area, in the fishing boat, there are 3 red floats
which make up a hidden
GERMANY
-> There was a mouse in my butter, similar to the one that was
reported in the Castle Restaurant in MK.
VI-Monthly Trivia
Good job to all who tried, June's question was
<<In Alien Encounter, what is the name of the small alien in the pre-show?>>
The correct answer was:
Skippy
And the winner with the correct answer was:
PLMarble
Hmmm either I'm making these questions to hard, or you just don't like to answer them. Oh well, I guess trivia's not going to be around much longer, now...
<July's Question>
What company sponsors Space Mountain?
(Remember to E-mail your answer to Disnymania)
VII-Next Month
Well, its the end of another great issue. In issue four I'll be reviewing Honey I Shrunk the Audience, The Dixie Landings Resort, and the 50's Prime Time Cafe. Thanks for reading.
NOTE: I do not work for the Walt Disney Company and am in no way affiliated with them, I'm just a crazed fan with to much free time. I make no profit from creating this newsletter. In other words, please don't sue me. Thank You
