Here's your copy of the latest ALL EARS(R) Weekly newsletter,
per your subscription request! Enjoy!
Deb Wills, Editor-in-Chief
AllEars(R) Weekly Newsletter
Sharing the Magic Worldwide
Walt Disney World News and Information
February 5, 2008 Issue #437
Established September 1999 Library of Congress ISSN: 1533-0753
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Here's what you'll find in this issue:
Feature Article: Spaceship Earth: Re-Imagineering an Icon
News Bites: Studios Parade Changes Course; Animal Kingdom
Musicians Bid Farewell; Heart of Florida United Way Chef's Gala;
Maryland Pin Trading Meet
ALL EARS(R) Hears -- LETTERS FROM OUR READERS!
FROM OUR EARS TO YOUR EYES! What's New on AllEars.Net?
Mousy Mindbogglers: Brain-teasing Riddles about WDW!
Enjoy the issue!
Deb Wills, Editor-in-Chief
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Spaceship Earth: Re-Imagineering an Icon
By Deb Wills
AllEars(R) Editor-in-Chief
Tomorrow's Child (Tomorrow's Child)
Gathering gifts from our past.
Tomorrow's Child (Tomorrow's Child)
Shaping a world that will last...
Ah, that song brings back fond memories of Epcot's early days. I
still vividly remember my first trip to Epcot in 1991.
It seemed that every attraction I entered included a song with a
catchy tune that stayed with me.
I recall walking around Epcot singing tunes like:
One little spark, imagination...
The Universe of Energy.....
Tomorrow's Child......
When I returned home and one of those tunes popped into my head,
it always brought a smile to my face.
It was with great anticipation that I rode the recently reopened
Spaceship Earth, signature icon of Epcot.
This is the type of attraction that I believe allowed the Disney
theme parks to rise above the rest of the "amusement parks." It
is storytelling and imagineering at its best.
As I've gotten older, I'm less than thrilled when attractions
such as Mission Space open, but I realize not everyone is like
me. For the parks to remain alive and vibrant, attractions must
appeal to all ages. But, if I had my druthers, I'd rather see
2008 era enhancements like that which the Haunted Mansion just
went through... and yes, Spaceship Earth!
I had read that Emmy(R)-award winning composer Bruce Broughton
conducted a 63-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir for a new
musical score for Spaceship Earth. I was hoping that it would
include a catchy tune that I could hum when I returned home...
to remind me of my magical adventure in WDW.
I also read about Dame Judi Dench doing the new narration. And
while I wasn't going to miss Jeremy Irons too much, I can still
hear Walter Cronkite s words in my head. Yes, this is one of
those attractions that has always held great memories and
meaning for me.
The signage around the attraction is new, simple, futuristic
silver and blue. The entrance mural is the same. I wouldn't have
minded a new mural but I enjoyed seeing the space walkers once
again.
The vehicles have not been changed, but each row has had a new
flat screen added to it. This screen is the focus of the entire
last half of the ride. It's still a little tough getting in and
out of the ride vehicles, not so much due to the moving
platform, but the small width that the "door" opens to allow you
to enter and exit the actual vehicle.
Ah... as our time machine started up the incline, I began to
immediately notice changes. The scenery was cleaned up,
repainted and oh my... new things had been added. Right away I
noticed subtle and not so subtle enhancements -- and they kept
coming. It seemed as though each scene had something new. The
new audio-animatronics are amazing and very realistic, and
really brought each area to life. I found myself sitting on the
edge of the bench to see what was around the next corner.
I must admit it was hard for me to focus on the narration
because I was so involved in looking at all the new additions.
Periodically I heard Dame Judi's voice, but my head was filled
with thoughts of "WOW,""That's new,""How cool!" etc. Because of
that, I can't really comment on the new narration.
As the time vehicle slowly ascended into the Spaceship Earth
building I remember thinking, "I need to get right back on this
so I can see everything again!" I was even more excited than
when I saw all the wonderful enhancements at the Haunted
Mansion.
Once you ride, you'll see why I was so excited about the changes
and the new scenes. Even the ones that didn't change a bit were
touched up to become more, hmm... lifelike!
Unfortunately, my excitement was short lived. At the height of
the ride we did spend a fair amount of time looking at the star
studded galaxy and Earth (always one of my favorite scenes). But
the impact still isn't what it was with the powerful musical
score of the Walter Cronkite narration days.
And then, our vehicles slowly rotated for the backwards descent.
I had heard from many readers that the entire last portion of
the ride focused around the video screen.
Indeed, the screen came on and we were asked questions about
where we wanted to live, vacation preferences, etc. The photo
that was taken of us near the beginning of the ride then became
part of the cartoon. Our vehicle's photo was only of me, not the
person riding with me, so the second individual in my cartoon
was just that, a cartoon face. I could see the vehicle in front
of ours had two faces, so I guess our photo didn't turn out
right.
After answering the questions, a short cartoon video plays. It
was pretty funny, at least initially and I heard giggles from
others around us, especially the kids.
But the more I watched the video screen, the more I started not
feeling well -- I was getting queasy. I do suffer from motion
sensitivity, but the slow ride backwards in Spaceship Earth
never bothered me before. But now, concentrating on the screen
in the vehicle, I quickly became nauseous. I tried looking up,
but the rows of lights in the tunnel we were passing through
didn't help much. I just closed my eyes. Bummer, I thought to
myself.
Wow, what a let down. I wasn't interested in jumping right back
on. As outstanding as the first half of the ride was, the last
half was, well, disappointing. I really hope there is more that
will be added to the last part of the ride.
I will return to enjoy all the new scenes and additions on a
future trip, but I'll not be playing the computer quiz and
watching the cartoon on the way down. If you have motion
sensitivity issues, beware of this section of the ride. A friend
who has epilepsy told me that the strands of lights in the
descent tunnel were very bothersome to him.
To the imagineers, the first half of the ride was incredible,
one I am sure Walt would be VERY proud of! In fact, you outdid
yourselves. It reminded me of the first time I entered Epcot. I
could see it over and over again... and I left with the feeling
of wanting to return immediately.
But whether it was a lack of money, or time, or that this
50-something baby boomer is just not "hip" anymore, I was
disappointed in the ending. And that combined with the motion
issues, will very sadly remove Spaceship Earth from my "Must See
Every Trip" list.
Oh, and that musical score I was so anxious to hear... well,
sitting here a few days later, I can't remember one note of it.
Quite honestly, it may have been because I was so focused on the
new scenes, so to be fair, I'll pay more attention to both the
music and narration on my next visit.
In the old A-E attraction ticket days, I would have rated the
first half of Spaceship Earth a huge EEEEEEEE (the best), but
the last half gets a generous B ticket.
Note: The Tomorrow's Child verse I started with used to be
played during the ending of Spaceship Earth, as you were
traveling backwards in the descent. It was several rehabs ago,
so some of you may not recognize it.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Related links:
Spaceship Earth Fact Sheet:
http://allears.net/tp/ep/e_spe.htm
Reader Reviews of the Soft Opening:
http://allearsnet.com/tp/ep/e_spe1.htm
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TIPS OF THE MONTH!
EDITOR'S NOTE: Our Tips featurette is now monthly! Thanks to
everyone who has written us asking us to return to including
tips every week. Unfortunately, we do not receive enough "new"
tips each week to keep the feature weekly. We have enhanced our
Tips Database, though -- there's a new category that allows you
to pull up the 15 most recently added tips.
Look for a selection of tips every month in our Bits and Bites
issue!
Submit your Tips of the Month to: allearsnet@yahoo.com
And don't forget to check our searchable database of reader tips
http://allears.net/rta/tips.php
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NEWS BITES
As of February 1, the Disney Stars and Motor Cars Parade now
starts at the gate near Sid Cahuenga's One of a Kind shop near
the front of the park. It then progresses down Hollywood
Boulevard and turns left in front of the Sorcerer's Hat,
following the regular parade route. It passes in front of Star
Tours and continues down the hill past Tatooine Traders. It then
turns left and exits the park at the gate near MuppetVision 3D.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Inkas Wasi, the South American music group, gave its last
performances in Animal Kingdom on Saturday, February 2.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The Playhouse Disney! Live on Stage show has reopened in
Disney's Hollywood Studios. The updated show now features
several new characters, such as Disney Channel star Handy Manny.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Last week, we reported that Passholders can enjoy priority
viewing of the Magic, Music and Mayhem Fireworks Spectacular at
Disney's Pirate & Princess Party on party nights in February
2008 by signing up via the Passholder website. Unfortunately,
the sign-up page was not available for a few days after we
published this item, but it is now! Sign up for the fireworks
priority viewing on the Passholder site at disneyworld.com.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Disney is running a new "Dreams Come True" sweepstakes during
the month of February, giving away FIVE magical Disney
vacations. Grand prize is a trip to Disneyland that includes a
stay in the newly constructed Disneyland Dream Suite. For
details or to enter, visit:
http://home.disney.go.com/travel/dreams/
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Orlando-area media recently reported that Downtown Disney's
Raglan Road, an Irish pub and restaurant, was closing. This
report was made in error -- Raglan Road is still open, with no
plans to close.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
The 16th Annual Chef's Gala benefiting Heart of Florida United
Way will be on Saturday, April 5, 2008, from 6 to 10 p.m. at
Epcot's World Showplace at Walt Disney World. More than 20 of
Central Florida's top chefs from the finest dining
establishments will prepare unique dishes paired with best in
class wines. The event also includes live jazz music and an
elegant silent auction, all to benefit local health and human
service programs supported by Heart of Florida United Way. Each
entree and dessert item is carefully paired with wines that have
been identified as complementary to each menu selection.
Sommeliers will be on hand to provide information about each
wine and discuss pairings. The Chef's Gala helps provide
critical assistance to the nearly 200 programs operated by
nearly 100 local social service agencies supported by Heart of
Florida United Way. Funds raised at the Chef's Gala will help
serve more than 375,000 Central Floridians in need in Orange,
Osceola and Seminole counties. Tickets are $175 per individual.
To purchase tickets, call 407-835-0900 ext. 377 or email
chefsgala @ hfuw . org.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Maryland Pin Meet: The popular Parkhopper Pin Meet held in
Rockville, Maryland, is returning February 23, 2008. This is not
only a great pin trading meet, but Vince and Suzy have their own
museum of framed pin sets and pins in the room. The fun starts
at 1 p.m. Contact host Vince Gredone for directions:
VINCEGREDONE @ prodigy . net
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ALLEARS(R) HEARS
EDITOR'S NOTE: Items we run in ALL EARS(R) HEARS are from emails
we receive from our readers, and are not necessarily confirmed
announcements from the Walt Disney Company. We run these items
merely as points of interest; they often contain speculation or
hearsay. If we are not able to confirm a piece of information we
receive from a reader by the time we go to press, we may publish
it in the ALL EARS(R) HEARS section to get feedback from others
as to whether the item has any foundation. For factual
information that has been confirmed or published by the Walt
Disney Company, please refer to our NEWS BITES section, which
generally runs above this section.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
... from Debra Miller: I wanted to let you know that the grilled
shrimp served on the skewers is back on the menu again at
'Ohana. Our server said they are adjusting the menu again based
on customer requests. The meal was delicious as always, but even
better with the return of the jumbo grilled shrimp!
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
... from Chad: Regarding Kosher food -- If you want to do the
Kosher character breakfast experience, make sure you choose it
at an all-you-can-eat site. If you do it at a table-service site
(e.g. princess breakfast in Epcot's Norway), you will be paying
only for your kosher food. At a buffet breakfast, in addition to
the kosher meals, you have access to the buffet. While nothing
at the buffet is certified kosher, there are cereals, closed
yogurts, fruit and drinks available if you should desire. We did
the Pooh breakfast in Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom in 2005,
and just did the Tusker House Donald's Safari Breakfast in
Animal Kingdom. Both were well worth it.
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
... from Editor-in-Chief Deb Wills, just back from a long
weekend in the World with these observations:
-- I had a wonderful dinner with friends at Animal Kingdom
Lodge's Jiko. The food and wine were great, and Nassar, our
server, was outstanding as always. Chef Brian, who took over the
kitchen just a few months ago, talked a bit with us and said
that he has begun to make small changes to the menu. For
instance, his new seared tuna appetizer was delicious. One of
the flatbreads has changed as well. He told us that he is also
involved with the new restaurant going into the Animal Kingdom
Villas Kidani Village, which will be Indian cuisine.
-- Animal Kingdom was extremely crowded on Saturday and just a
little less so on Sunday. I saw more animals out on Sunday than
I have seen in a long time... Most of the gorillas, the naked
mole rats are back, the white ibises are now nesting on eggs,
the tigers were quite active, many many bats were out. Over at
Rafiki's Planet Watch, Jiminy Cricket rarely had a line of folks
waiting to see him.
-- I found that if you renew your Disney Dining Experience card
at one of the theme parks Guest Relations desks, you will be
issued a card similar to Annual Passholder tickets, instead of
the hard plastic credit card.
-- Unlike during my January trip, all servers explained to me
that the DDE now has automatic gratuity. In cases where I left
an additional tip for the servers who did an outstanding job,
they came over to make sure I knew tip was included already!
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MOUSY MINDBOGGLERS
Sponsored by
Think you know Walt Disney World inside and out? This AllEars(R)
feature is designed to stump Walt Disney World enthusiasts. Put
on your thinking cap!
Guest Mindboggler Bret Sohl has come up with a variation on the
idea of Hidden Mickeys -- he calls it "Hidden Mick-E's." Bret
has taken pictures of signs all over the parks and resorts and
cropped just the letter E from the sign. The idea is to identify
the sign based on the single letter. Each E is somewhat unique
and should be recognizable. Your job is to identify all the
locations/attractions based on the single letter.
Here's the link to this week's image with the Hidden Mick-E's:
http://allears.net/ae/mb2508.jpg
Think you know the answer? PLEASE, please read our rules
carefully:
1) You must be an ALL EARS(R) subscriber. 2) You must be 18
years of age or older. 3) Only ONE entry per subscriber.
Multiple entries will result in disqualification. 4) All entries
become the exclusive property of ALL EARS(R) and will not be
acknowledged or returned. 5) Only ONE winner per household. If
you've previously won a Mousy Mindboggler snowglobe, please do
not enter again. Your entry will be disqualified. 6) Void where
prohibited.
Our complete Mousy Mindboggler rules can be found at
http://allears.net/ae/mbrules.htm
TO ENTER: Send your guess IN THE SUBJECT LINE of an email
message in the format 1) LOCATION; 2)LOCATION, etc. to:
mmindboggler@yahoo.com
[17](NOTE: If your answers won't fit on the subject line, you
may enter them in the body of the email.)
DEADLINE: Send your guesses in NO LATER THAN 11:59 p.m.
(Eastern), Sunday, February 10, 2008. One email will be chosen
at random from the correct answers.
The winner of this week's Mousy Mindboggler will receive a
beautiful Disney snowglobe courtesy of Shontell Crawford and
http://www.dvcbyresale.com/
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
LAST WEEK'S MOUSY MINDBOGGLER:
You can greet this girl in a land well-known
For cinema's golden age
But her virtual home is on TV
Not in films or on the stage
Danger and adventure seem to follow her
Along with her male companion
When you meet with this girl, just watch out
Around her anything can happen!
Who is this contemporary Disney character and where can you find
her in the theme parks?
SOLUTION:
The character is Kim Possible, featured in her own show on the
Disney Channel. She holds Meet & Greets daily with her co-star
Ron Stoppable, in Disney's Hollywood Studios' Streets of America
area.
http://allearsnet.com/tp/wander/lkb9.jpg
Congratulations to Frank S. of Maine, whose email was chosen
from among about 540 submitted with the correct answer this
week. Frank will receive a beautiful Disney snowglobe courtesy
of Shontell Crawford and http://www.dvcbyresale.com/ -- a
perfect year-round reminder of the Disney Magic!
Many thanks to all of you for playing!
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Is there anything more magical than the promise of a perfect
day? This gorgeous Photo of the Week, taken along Disney's
BoardWalk, was submitted by Rick Hauser of Plymouth, Michigan.
Do YOU have a wonderful photograph that captures the Magic of
Walt Disney World? Send it to us and it could be chosen as our
Photo of the Week! Each week we'll select one photograph that we
think best conveys that extra sprinkling of pixie dust, and
display it for all our readers to see. Send us your favorite
memories and let's see what "develops!"
http://allears.net/pw/pw.htm#guidelines
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FROM OUR EARS TO YOUR EYES!
WHAT'S NEW ON ALLEARS.NET?
Menus for most all of the Disneyland Resort Restaurants have
been updated and are current as of January.
http://allears.net/dlr/din/menu/menus.htm
Also, we have updated information on this year's Disney's
California Food and Wine Festival, to be held daily April 11 -
May 5.
http://allears.net/dlr/tp/dca/dcafw.htm
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
There's always something new at AllEars(R) Blog Central:
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/
Anita Answer writes about her first experience with Animal
Kingdom in Deb Wills' blog:
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/debwills/
Mike Scopa continues his blog on the Disney Marathon Weekend:
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/mikescopa/
Jack Spence writes about Beverly, the specialty beverage
featured at Epcot's Club Cool
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/jackspence/ ]
Linda Mac writes about the new Animal Kingdom Villas Kidani
Village:
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/lindamac/
Picture This! Scott, Lisa and Barrie share their latest photo
tips. Every Sunday a new "Where in the World" photo game begins,
now with a monthly prize drawing!!
http://www.allearsnet.com/blogs/photoblog
-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-
Need an answer? Then read Anita Answer! This week, Anita answers
questions on Sonny Eclipse, how Mickey got his name, storing
groceries while awaiting check-in, what will replace the
Concourse Steakhouse, and the "Outpost Orange" bus at Fort
Wilderness. She also gives tips for conquering your fear of
pirates, and more info on the mysterious "guy in the garage" in
Spaceship Earth!
http://allears.net/aa/anita.htm
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ALL EARS(R) Archives: ALL EARS(R) feature articles through
January 8, 2008, have been archived. If you want to receive the
rest of the ALL EARS(R) news and other juicy bits of timely WDW
information, you must be a subscriber! Why not sign up now?
http://allears.net/ae/ae.htm
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