All Ears® Guest Blog

While I was in Epcot this week I looked for any signs that the Flower and Garden Festival preparations were underway but didn’t see any. However, the Innoventions Fountain is still being worked on.

Also, the Goju-no-to pagoda in the Japan pavilion is being worked on. It never ceases to amaze me as to the steps that Disney takes to hide ugly construction from guests and to keep the parks looking beautiful. The five-story cloth hiding the construction is a great example of what I’m talking about.

A small area in front of Canada is blocked off. It’s not a big area and no construction can be seen so it may just be repairs to the ground or just getting started building a kiosk of some sort.

Finally, as I was walking around the countries I noticed that a new Kim Possible station has been added. This one is located near the Moroccan pavilion on the side closets to France.

Well, that’s all for now. As my good friend says “see ya real soon”….DizneyMike

Mike Bachand (aka DizneyMike) is a long time Disney Enthusiasts. Over the years Mike and family made numerous trips down to WDW from their home in Massachusetts. Now Mike and his wife live year round in the Orlando area. He is a Florida Annual Passholder who visits WDW on an average of once a week. Besides his love for WDW, Mike has a large collection of Disney books, figurines and ornaments and is a former Disney Cast Member working as a Concierge at the Contemporary Resort.

So, how many of you who have been to Epcot before have taken the time to stop into either Innoventions East or West? Well, if you haven’t you’re missing some pretty neat stuff. Mind you, Innoventions is meant to educate both adults and children, but in a very entertaining way. In my opinion it’s definitely something worth doing; especially on a hot, humid afternoon or a rainy day.

The first attraction inside Innoventions West (I’m right-handed so I started on the right side of the park first) is Kim Possible. Since I wrote about that in my last blog I’ll skip over that. Beyond that is “Where’s The Fire?” Guests are separated into teams and each person is given a device that looks like a large flashlight. Each team competes by moving from one room to another inside the house detecting unsafe and potentially dangerous fire hazards. (For example: in the kitchen there may be a small appliance near water.) You move from one room to another identifying hazards until time runs out. Once that’s completed there are other activities like teaching small children what to do in case of a fire and you can have your picture taken in front of a fire engine and emailed to yourself or whomever you want.

The next exhibit is “Think Place” by IBM. Here you become part of computer game. Pictures are taken of you running in place, jumping and doing a victory dance. After that, you control your image as you play a video game. When the game is completed you can send the video of that game to your email address.

“Slap Stick Studios” exhibit is sponsored by Velcro. A very entertaining master of ceremonies selects guests to come up on stage and play a couple of games that revolve around the use of Velcro. I found the Cast Member playing the part of the master of ceremonies to be quite funny and very quick-witted. The kids really loved this show!

“Rockin’ Robots” is where you control large robotic arms that play various musical instruments. Personally I didn’t spend much time there as it’s not something that will hold your interest for long.

Next to “Rockin’ Robots” is “Video Games of Tomorrow”. There are about 20 stations where you can play some of Disney’s latest video games.

“Segway Central” is where adults (not children) can take a short ride on a Segway. You’re first brought into a room where you watch a brief video about the history of the Segway. You sign a standard release and then queue up for your turn to ride. A Cast Member gives you personal instructions then walks in front of you and you ride the Segway up and back a 15 to 20 yard course. This is a must for anyone who’s ever said that riding a Segway looks like fun.

The first exhibit in Innoventions East (beyond another Kim Possible station) is "Storm Struck." Here you experience the force of a hurricane in 3D. Then you get to choose measures in building your house (like type of roof, etc.) that will best withstand a hurricane. Those measures are put to a test to see how effective they are. If you want to get an idea as to the fury and strength of a hurricane then don’t miss this exhibit.

Waste Management sponsors the “Don’t Waste It” exhibit. Team up with family or friends and push a mini Waste Management truck to three interactive stations. At each station you play video-like games dealing with recycling and the environment. At the end you get a certificate that can be sent to your email address.

Presently, “The House of Innoventions” is being updated and no date as to when it will reopen has been given. However, I’ve been through this house before so I can tell you a little about it. A Cast Member gives you a tour of a house filled with the latest technology. You’re guided through a kitchen, bedroom and living room with all kinds of high-tech gadgets like keyless door locks that are programmed by finger prints.

“Test Labs” is much like “Rockin’ Robots,” only here you get to perform “tests” like UL would to certify certain products. As with the robots, the kids seemed to enjoy this more than I did.

Finally at the end is a wonderful Walt Disney timeline displayed on three large walls. If you have any interest in Walt and all his accomplishments then take the time to view the wall.

If you have some time before your next FastPass or dinner reservation I encourage you to stop by Innoventions East or West and try out some of these exhibits. You won’t be disappointed!

I hope this blog helped you as you plan your next trip to Epcot.
And, as my good friend says, “see ya real soon”….

Mike Bachand (aka DizneyMike) is a long time Disney Enthusiasts. Over the years Mike and family made numerous trips down to WDW from their home in Massachusetts. Now Mike and his wife live year round in the Orlando area. He is a Florida Annual Passholder who visits WDW on an average of once a week. Besides his love for WDW, Mike has a large collection of Disney books, figurines and ornaments and is a former Disney Cast Member working as a Concierge at the Contemporary Resort.

One of my favorite places in the World Show Case at Epcot is China.

I love the details, the art of the entire country. The colors are so rich in the buildings and the landscaping. Not to mention the food is also great, it is going to be wonderful when Nine Dragons opens again. And there is always something that I want to purchase at the shops in China.

Anyway to celebrate the beauty of China I wanted to share with you this week some of my favorite China shots.

First up the main building in China:

I love to take pictures of this building each time we go to Epcot. Every time I take a new photo of it, I notice some detail I did not notice the last time I took a picture. It is so ornate, here is a close up of one of my favorite details of the building…

Besides the main building that houses the Reflections of China show and some Chinese art work I also love the Kodak Picture spot there. I could spend all day photographing the water, trees and flowers. Here are some of my favorite shots at the spot…

Have a Disney Day!

Amanda

Once again America Gardens is rocking out. This week the sounds of ABBA are filling the night air for Epcot park goers. Bjorn Again is a group that was formed in 1988 as a tribute to ABBA. Completely in character this group of Australian and British musicians sing ABBA greatest hits. Everyone in the audience was having a great time. Here are some of my favorite photos from Tuesday’s first show…

Have a Disney Day Everyone!
Amanda

Hello All! My name is Amanda.

FIrst, a little about myself. Currently, I am working on my Masters of Science in Software Engineering. My family and I just moved to Florida from Colorado last month.

One of the first things we did upon our arrival was purchase our annual passes to Disney World. We both are long time fans of Disney and with our annual passes we use Disney as our daily hang out. Our two favorite parks (although we love all four) are Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Excited about all there is to do at DisneyI I started an online journal I like to call Mouse Beat . Disney fans be sure to stop by!

Thank you to Deb for asking me to share my Disney Adventures with you all! And to get the ball rolling here is a little bit about what we did last night at Disney…

It turns out that Disco is not dead!

Now in its second week the "Sounds Like Summer Concert Series" at Epcot was host to "Stayin Alive" A Tribute to the Bee Gees.

If you like the music of the Bee Gees, definitely head on over to the America Gardens this week. They will be there all week and the show times are 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45.

The band has about 20 songs on their play list and from the excitement of the crowd they are some of the Bee Gees greatest hits.

Unfamilar with the music personally I did not recognize many of the songs, and was a little disappointed that they did not play "Staying Alive" in their last show of the night.

THe group "Stayin Alive" did a great job paying attention to detail from the stage setup to their costumes. Here are the brothers all dressed up...

They were crowd friendly. Although they never left the stage like 2U A Tribute to U2 (last week's Sounds Like Summer group) , they do make an effort to include the crowd.

They tell jokes to each other, talk about Mickey, remark on the America Gardens and encourage the audience to dance. And oh boy did the audience dance! In the bleachers, in the aisles, disco got their feet moving!

The adults in the crowd were having a fantastic time but I did notice that some of the youngsters were not as entertained. Unlike the 2U concerts last week the kids in the "Stayin Alive" audience spent most of their time on the bench eating their goodies.

Oh and one note, "Stayin Alive" does not permit the audience to video record their performance. You are allowed to take as many pictures as you want but not video recordings. Just a note.

Overall it was a good time and I recommend it to all those Bee Gee fans out there!

Have a Disney Day!

Amanda

by AllEars Guest Blogger: Michelle Scribner-MacLean

MouseFest 2007 is over and I am left with one question: How can it be possible to pack so much into a few days?

As I waited at the airport, ready to leave the cold New Hampshire weather, I ran into my AllEars® buddy, Mike Scopa, who, of course, was also off to MouseFest.

We spent the day visiting EPCOT and listening to storytellers from around the world. One of the things I really enjoyed about this was watching the way many of the performers really tried to make special connections with the children in the audience by asking them questions, involving them in the skits, and by displaying artifacts from their lands.

Illuminations at EPCOT is one of my “can’t miss” experiences when I visit, but I’d never seen the “holiday tag” before. At the end of the regular Illuminations during the holiday season there about seven minutes of additional show featuring narration by Walter Cronkite and music by the Harlem Boys’ Choir. The ending is a blend of spectacular fireworks, lasers, and holiday music….The only thing I can say is that I was speechless. So I had to see it again two nights later….

Being a MouseFest veteran, Mike was able to make suggestions about how to get the most of out my experience. The next day Mike and his co-presenter, Mark Goldhaber, later shared many of his suggestions with a crowd of nearly 300 at the highly-successful MouseFest 101.

During the meet, I also got to meet Masayo and her husband, Marumu, from Japan. We were surprised with Scopa Towers sweatshirts – Masayo for coming the furthest to MouseFest, and me for helping out a teeny bit with the development of MouseFest 101.

The view from my balcony at the Boardwalk on Saturday morning provided a terrific view of the site of the Mega Mouse Meet on Saturday – The Dolphin.

What a thrilling experience to be surrounded by so many webmasters, podcasters, writers, photographers, and fans who all love the mouse! In addition to meeting many of the other AllEars team members, I had the opportunity to meet dozens and dozens of AllEars readers from all over the country.

On Saturday night I attended the Fantasmic Dessert meet hosted by Matt Hotchberg of StudiosCentral.com. As we waited in the courtyard to go backstage to join the party, I got a nighttime glimpse of my favorite ride at MGM – but with a 70 minute wait, I opted to forgo a ride until my next trip. During this meet with had the opportunity to chat and visit with friends as we ate dessert and watched Fantasmic. Very fun!

Although this isn’t really MouseFest news, I just have to mention that I was lucky enough to get a chance to ride SpaceShip Earth during one of the infrequent soft-openings. I didn’t get to hear the entire audio program because it broke down toward the end (which, of course, is probably the point of a soft-opening – to fix those things). However, with Dame Judi Dench narrating a new script, several difference scenes, and personalized touch-screens (which very much reminded me of the ending of the extinct Horizons), it is significantly different than the last version.

So….now I’ve participated in two MouseFests….

I met so many interesting people from all over the country and around the world. There were families with children, people traveling on their own, senior citizens, and grade school kids. I’m not sure I would call myself a MouseFest veteran (I made “rookie” mistakes like forgetting to eat…and sleep), but I do know that I’m thrilled to be part of the Disney committee and can’t wait until next year.

************

Michelle Scribner-MacLean is a college professor by day and a Disney fanatic in every other bit of free time. She first visited WDW when she was a teenager and now is a DVC owner who visits Walt Disney World two or three times per year. Michelle lives in New Hampshire with her husband and two boys and loves roller coasters, the fantastic food at Disney, and always cries when she sees IllumiNations. She is also a Disney podcast addict and adores WDW Today.

Michelle is a guest columnist for the AllEars® newsletter. Here are links to other articles by MIchelle:

MouseFest Primer: http://allearsnet.com/btp/issue421.htm

Tune In to a Disney Podcast (or Podcasts 101): http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue417.htm

Vero Beach with Kids: http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue403.htm

Navigating WDW with a Picky Eater: http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue395.htm

Science in the Parks: http://allearsnet.com/ae/issue390.htm

Trooper Bill sends us a report from the Disney stamp unveiling ceremony that was held at Epcot on 8/16/07:

The stamp unveiling ceremony was held at 1 p.m. in the America Gardens Theatre. It began with the Fife & Drum Corps, and a female singer named Jackie Stressman, who performed the National Anthem.

Following that, the MC, Holland Hayes, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Scoop Sanderson of the Magic Kingdom, welcomed the guests, and introduced Senior VP of WDW Erin Wallace. She gave a brief speech about the collaboration between Disney and the Post Office in the series of stamps, culminating in today's new release. Erin was followed by Linda Kingsley, Senior VP of the USPS who also spoke about the partnership between Disney and the USPS over the years. At the end of her remarks, the Fairy Godmother came down the center aisle, and took over, singing Bibbidi Bobiddi Boo, and introducing Peter Pan, Dumbo, Genie, and finally Mickey, the four subjects of the new series of stamps.

After that, the official unveiling took place, with a typical Disney flourish. The finale was the introduction of the three artists who developed the series: David Pacheco, Peter Emmerich, and Terry McCaffrey.

Following the ceremony, which lasted about 20 minutes, the three artists sat and signed the merchandise in front of the American Adventure shop for a couple of hours. They were very gracious and I was able to get my framed set signed by all three, with a nice Mickey ears flourish added to the 2007.

There was a merchandise display area set up outside of the American pavilion, under the covered area to the right. The merchandise consisted of stamps with first-day cancellations, postcards, and other items related to the release of the next four stamps in the USPS series of Disney stamps. The four stamps include Sorcerer Mickey, Dumbo with Timothy Mouse, Aladdin & Genie, and Peter Pan & Tink. The theme of the new series is "Magic".

The merchandise area ran smoothly, and there were no real lines to purchase items. There was also limited merchandise available inside the American Adventure store. The outdoor merchandise was under the auspices of the USPS, while the merchandise inside was sold by Disney. Inside the main item was a Limited Edition (LE) 50 framed pin set, with all four pins from the release, with a first-day cancellation envelope with all four stamps, and a Sorcerer Mickey envelope. This was in a matted background, with a small plaque that read, "The Art of Disney Magic," and "Limited Edition of 50." It retailed for $150, and as of 3 p.m. they only had one left. (They would have had two, but yours truly decided to spring for one.)

Also, while at Epcot, I happened to notice they are selling several retro design Epcot Center t-shirts in MouseGear. I have not seen these before, and took a few pictures of them.

I also got a pic of the wand removal progress.

Welcome TrooperBill as our guest blogger. He visited Epcot (8/1/07) and sends these photos and updates:

The wand that once adorned Spaceship Earth continues to be dismantled. You can see progress daily.

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