A throwaway reference to an old Disney legend about the Magic Kingdom Liberty Tree sparks a treasure hunt that spans all of Walt Disney World
Liberty Tree Treasure Hunt Leads to Surprising Discovery
Liberty Square
Is the Haunted Mansion Wolf Howl Silenced Forever?
You only need to hear the Haunted Mansion wolf howl once and you’ll never forget it. Its long, mournful wail is as iconic as Disney park sound effects get — as memorable as the whistle of the steam train, the blast from the Riverboat, the ridiculous honk of the monorail. It’s really more of a […]
Liberty Belle Riverboat Refurbishment Deals Blow to WDW49 Challenge
Early this year, the Liberty Belle Riverboat went under refurbishment, putting successful attempts at the Parkeology WDW47 Challenge on hold. With the opening of Toy Story Land last weekend and the dawn of the WDW49 version of the challenge, many of us have been anxiously awaiting the Riverboat’s return on July 20th. Unfortunately this morning, […]
Disney Doubles Down on Fading 70s Puppet Show
While its rival opens up yet another ho-hum thrill ride based on a monkey from the 1930s, Disney has revolutionized the theme park business with announcements for not one but two next-generation themed experiences, aimed squarely at the emerging Millenial audience. Dubbed a “Potter-killer” by industry pundits (a reference to Universal’s well-received Harry Potter lands), the […]
5 Times Ben Franklin Made Me Want to Punch Him
Ben Franklin is an unrepentant theme park windbag and he deserves to have his butt kicked. I’m not going to focus on the petty stuff, because that is beneath me. If you want to wear your stringy dishwater hair like a half-bald Michael Bolton, more power to you. Nor will I pick on his frilly-suit/white-socks ensemble. […]
The Thing Behind Door 24
It cannot be real. I won’t let it. Yet somehow the desperate, still-sane part of my mind will not let me forget the truly unsettling site I witnessed at the Magic Kingdom on the evening of March 24. As I write this, I am still quite shaken. I don’t know what will come of this nightmare. […]
Alternate Fantasy – Bizarro Squares
We now come to the part of our tour where each coast diverges into its own unique little niche. Florida, by virtue of its large collection of Confederate flags, inability to efficiently count election results, and its heritage as the birthplace of “Making Fun of Natives By Uppity European Explorers Searching for Magic Life Potion,” […]
Stocks and Bongos
The most evil buzzword in the theme park industry today is “interactive” (followed closely by “guest experience,” and rounded out by “Potter-killer.”) I’m a traditionalist, darn it, and I prefer my theme parks shaken, not stirred. If I have to hear about another “living character initiative” or “NextGen project,” I think I’m going to have […]
These Fifes Sure are Tasty
Hidden away in a secluded area behind Liberty Square is the ruin of a small venue known as the Fife and Drum Snack Bar. It closed shop right around the time the Constitution was ratified, and once sold refreshing beverages to parched Liberty Square guests who didn’t know that the Hall of Presidents had air […]
