The Walt Disney World Critics, Mike & Justin, give a very patriotic critique on this nostalgic Walt-favorite!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Mainstreet Mugs - Summit Plummet
The Walt Disney World Critics, Mike & Justin, talk about this exhilarating free fall down the snowy slopes of Mt. Gushmore!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
"The Muppets" (2011)
Let me tell you... Disney's new muppet film CAN'T come soon enough for me!!! It's been over a decade since Jim Henson's beloved characters graced the big screen. The last time they did, was in 1999's "Muppets From Space". Disney acquired the Muppets in 2004, and after that it was kinda like "Cool, We own the Muppets ....Now what???" They didn't really quite know what to do with them. Enter Jason Segel (TV's How I Met Your Mother, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) ...a HUGE Muppet fan who just happens to have some pull in Hollywood... Segel approached Disney a few years ago with the idea to bring the fuzzy friends back for the new generation to enjoy... and according to Segel, the Disney executives gave him a look of "really? That's why you're here?" LOL Nevertheless... after countless "looks" from many, many people... the film was given a green light! And now, here we are! The most anticipated film in Muppets history is finished filming and is in post-production! The film stars Jason Segel along with Amy Adams, and in true Muppets fashion, an unlimited stream of celebrity cameos ranging from current stars like Jack Black & Zach Galifianakis, to old school favorites like Mel Brooks! Disney and The Muppets are great together as it is... but what about throwing Pixar into the mix??? That's right! Disney asked the fantastic storytellers at Pixar to review and "tweak" the script, and that's just what they did, giving it the classic touch that has made Pixar films nothing less than perfect over the last 30 years!
So what's going on in the video below??? This is footage from a dance rehearsal on the set of Disney's upcoming thanksgiving release, "The Muppets". Now don't worry... Kermit and the gang are NOT CG... They are just not present for the dance numbers unless the cameras are rolling :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Mainstreet Mugs - Kilimanjaro Safaris
The Walt Disney World Critics, Mike & Justin, give their critique on Animal Kingdom's staple attraction.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Mainstreet Mugs - Toy Story Mania
The Walt Disney World Critics, Mike & Justin, review this interactive game attraction at Hollywood Studios in Orlando.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
New Ghosts = New Tombstones
Yet another newly updated queue line is finished! I personally am a huge fan of these interactive queues that are popping up around the property. It's great that Disney is giving us things to do to pass the time while we wait for our turn :)
This one looks incredibly fun! Thanks to InsideTheMagic for the detailed video!
The Hundred Acre Wood Never Looked So Good
"The Many Adventures Of Winnie The Pooh" is probably my favorite animated Disney classic of all time... And now, The attraction based on the film has a whole new look! I, for one, am SUPER excited about the way this turned out! It looks like so much fun!
Thanks to JeffLangeDVD for the great video footage!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Magic, Memories & WOW!!!
Here is a video from WDWNTUBE.com that seems to be the best captured footage of this show so far. The new nighttime spectacular at Walt Disney World is astonishing!!! A perfect blend of hot, modern entertainment mixed with classic Disney retro style! Big Thanks to Taylor Martina from WDWNTUBE for the awesome video!
The Magic, The Memories and You! World Premiere - 1/18/11 from WDWNTube on Vimeo.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Mainstreet Mugs - Test Track
The Walt Disney World Critics, Mike & Justin, put this exciting Epcot attraction to the TEST!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Take a Ride on the Rock N' Rollercoaster Simulator!
Here is a simulation of what it's like to ride Rock N' Rollercoaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Recreating Disney rides on video games has become quite a trend over the last few years with the progression of games like "Rollercoaster Tycoon". This is, in my personal opinion, the best recreation on the net! Take some time and watch the full video if you can, to get yourself in the mood. If you just can't wait to ride it... then skip ahead to about the 6 minute mark... Enjoy your ride on the Rock N' Rollercoaster!!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Everest as it was meant to be...
Here is an interesting bit of footage. It's Expedition Everest in rare form... with ALL of it's special effects working! This was only experienced for the first year of operation, apparently. Thanks to youtube user TPRErik for the video.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Walt Disney's Carousel Of Progress - Justin Poe, The Walt Disney World Critic
Ah the Carousel Of Progress! Good times and great memories. No other attraction at Disney World screams "Walt" like this classic ride. From the story told in the intro, to the feeling you get watching the show, Walt's personal touch is sprinkled all throughout this 20 minute trip through the decades.
The show has been updated throughout the years and at one point even changed theme songs. During the 80's, I visited the Magic Kingdom as a kid, and I grew up with the "Now is the Time" version of the ride. So in my eyes, when they changed the song to "Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" in the mid 90's, I thought it was a travesty! I wasn't aware at the time that this new song was actually the original tune of the attraction, written by the Sherman brothers, who have so masterfully provided the songs for most of the classic attractions at WDW.
The show has changed throughout it's run, but not too much. It still has the same spark as it did when I was a child.
The basic idea is this: A family shows us through example (all except for the father, who speaks directly to us) what their day to day life is like "back in the day". As one scene or "era" ends, you rotate around to the next one. It's called a carousel because that's exactly what it is. The entire outer ring of the round building rotates, while the center (stages) remain stationary. I find it very interesting that the show literally never stops. These audio animatronics never stop from the time the park opens until the guests leave for the night. As each scene ends, the characters begin singing that familiar theme song. When they finish the song, their spiel starts all over again. You won't know this, however, because the carousel will have moved you to the next stage during the song, so that when the singing ends you'll be sitting in front of the next scene. It's really cool, the way it works. Simple... yet genius.
The nostalgia of the setting creates that much more nostalgia in the attraction. Also the apparent fact that the Carousel Of Progress was Walt's favorite attraction, makes it extra special. I love the feeling that this ride provides. I love the music, and even the familiar smell when you enter the theater... I can't describe it... but it's there!
Another aspect of this attraction that is very entertaining to me is the voice talent provided to the characters in the show. Voices such as Jean Shephard, famous for his narration of the film "A Christmas Story", providing the voice of the main character and narrator in the attraction. Another big cameo is Mel Blanc, the original voice of Bugs Bunny and the rest of the Looney Tunes. He lends his talents to the squawking parrot in the radio scene, and also takes on the vocal role of everyone's favorite house guest.... Uncle Orville!
People say that this is a great attraction to escape the heat... and while I do agree... I have to say this is SO much more than just a "kill some time" show! The Carousel Of Progress is a treasure chest of historical fun facts and pieces of Walt Disney's legacy. The more research you do, the more interesting and entertaining it becomes.
I have to be fair. There ARE a couple things I don't care for when it comes to my personal favorite attraction in WDW. The show desperately needs a revamp. Its becoming more outdated every year. The last major upgrade was roughly 16 years ago, and unfortunately, the Carousel doesn't seem to get the love or respect that it should. Along the same lines, the Carousel apparently isn't a priority on the "fix-it list". Whenever something goes wrong or breaks, it usually stays that way for a while before being corrected. For example, I recently rode the attraction and watched the daughter, Patricia, act out her skit with her hair brush stuck and dangling in her hair. Apparently, it had come unattached from her hand. Couple of days later.... still unfixed.... To be fair, this was only a minor detail, and didn't distract too much from the show, seeing as she was only visible for about 30 seconds... so I suppose a person can't complain too much about an instance like this, considering the amazing things that Disney pulls off day in and day out. I can give them a break, lol.
The Carousel Of Progress never has a line of people waiting to ride (plus!) which unfortunately means that it sometimes becomes a target of loud annoying teens who are only in the theater to hang out in the AC and don't actually care about or respect the show. (ugh)
All in all, the pro's far exceed the con's. The Carousel Of Progress is by far my favorite attraction of all time, and I hope that it will be taken care of and entertain us for years and years to come.... making each and every day a great big beautiful tomorrow!
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