WDWNT: The Job Fair 2015 (We’re Hiring)

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

IMG_0865

In preparation for many changes to come to WDW News Today over the next few weeks, we will need the help of new staff members, so here’s your chance to be a part of the WDWNT family!

WDWNT has many volunteer employees that make up our entire group of websites and podcasts, but we are always looking for more help to keep our finger on the pulse of the Disney Parks and the fans of these amazing places. Here are the positions we are currently looking for:

 

 WEBSITE

Walt Disney World Writer – Write stories about Walt Disney World based on given information from press releases and various other sources.

Disneyland Writer – Write stories about Disneyland Resort based on given information from press releases and various other sources.

Feature/Column Writer – Write feature-length articles on a regular (weekly or monthly) basis for publication on our website.

Photographer – Take pictures of newsworthy items on a regular basis at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort.

Videographer – Record & edit video of attractions, entertainment, and special events at the Walt Disney World or Disneyland Resort.

 

WDWNT NOW

Trip Planning Content Manager – Manage the creation and implementation of a travel planning division of WDWNT.com.

Trip Planning Content Writer – Create original trip planning content including descriptions of Walt Disney World attractions, restaurants, resorts, and more

 

WDW NEWS TODAY PODCAST

Podcast Staff – Appear regularly on the WDW News Today Podcast as a panelist in various segments. Must be readily available to record one evening a week (night varies from week to week), have a good quality internet connection and microphone.

Podcast Editor – Use GarageBand or other audio editing software to edit and compile podcast segments.

 

WDW NEWS TODAY: ON THE AIR

WDW News Today: On The Air Original Programming – Produce an original audio program on a regular basis. You will need to supply your own ideas for your program. Existing podcasts or other audio programs seeking a home for streaming audio are also invited to apply.

 

YOUTUBE

WDW News Today on YouTube Original Programming – Produce an original video program on a regular basis. You will need to supply your own ideas for your program.

 

All positions are voluntary and have no monetary compensation. Please email us at wdwnewstoday@gmail.com if interested.

“All Aboard,” Walt’s Trains Exhibit at the Walt Disney Museum Extended Until March 15th

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

WDFM Exterior _SM

Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Museum

The boarding opportunity has been extended for the Walt Disney Family Museum’s comprehensive exhibition, reflecting Walt Disney’s personal and professional interest in railroading. For those who haven’t seen the show or want another look, it will mercifully be extended until March 15.

American railroading is certainly an allegory for Walt Disney’s personal and public life. He arrived at so many of his triumphs, figuratively and literally, on a train. From his first job as a News Butcher on the Missouri Pacific line, to the “birth” of Mickey Mouse on a train; from his creation of Disneyland, surrounded by a train, to his vision of a City of the Future, bisected by fleets of sleek trains of assorted sizes, quietly serving the public.

Unseen, this exhibition might be judged to be a most casual of glimpse into one of Walt’s interests. But the level of the show’s execution takes it far beyond any backward glance at an elite hobby enjoyed by some of the Studio hands. It quite possibly exposes a type of zeitgeist in evidence there and then. It is a rare group of people who have enough passion for a pastime, especially one with the myriad of intricacies involved, in fabricating and running practically “living and breathing” machines. They were precisely the type of people who could successfully surmount the difficulty of making art and music into something that is perceived as “real.”  The challenges involved in creating the illusion of life.

Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Museum

The Lilly Belle plans were reduced from a schematic of the Central Pacific engine No. 173. Image © Disney

Despite, or maybe because of the intricacies of a seemingly antiquated pursuit, the boss’s interest drew collaborators from the apex of the studio’s shops and animation stable, Ward Kimball and Ollie Johnston among them. These two were members of Disney’s group of Animation Directors, dubbed his “Nine Old Men.”  They were also among the first American “civilians” to restore and install full sized railroads in their “backyards.” But still other skills were needed to push this pursuit forward.

The destination sign from Ollie Johnson's "backyard" railroad.

The destination sign from Ollie Johnson’s “backyard” railroad.

Roger Broggie came to the Disney Studio in 1939 as a precision machinist, mostly to work with cameras and the tools of movie making. Broggie also worked with Walt Disney to create the model trains for Disney’s 1/2 mile-long, backyard Carolwood Pacific Railroad and its “Lilly Belle” locomotive. He subsequently went on to work on the bigger trains for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Seeing Walt ride around the studio lot on his diminutive live steamer must have contributed to a lightened atmosphere on the lot in the late 1940s. A little bit of Post War, Post Strike glee during the Studios’ final period before the landmark diversifications into television and theme parks.

Several elaborate electric train layouts in the exhibit pay tribute to these Disney Rail Pioneers.

This fanciful layout pays tribute to Ward Kimball’s Grizzly Flats Railroad. It includes a Hobo Camp from which is heard a plaintiff solo harmonica contributed by musician Neil Young - himself a devout miniature railroad fan.

This fanciful layout pays tribute to Ward Kimball’s Grizzly Flats Railroad. It includes a Hobo Camp from which is heard a plaintiff solo harmonica contributed by musician Neil Young – himself a devout miniature railroad fan.

And then there is of course Walt’s long time alter-ego – Mickey Mouse who shortly after his debut in Steamboat Willie, would pilot Mickey’s Choo-Choo in a 1929 short of the same name. Trains of all sorts that made appearances in Disney shorts and films, either as plot devices or as characters of their own in animated films also appear here.

An exploratory sketch of the Casey Jr. Circus Train from Dumbo. Image © Disney

An exploratory sketch of the Casey Jr. Circus Train from Dumbo. Image © Disney

Not only are the familiar “American Type” steam trains explored in this wide-ranging and ambitious show, curated by Michael Campbell, president of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society. Other trains that were used to further different stories in the Parks and films are in evidence: The Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland, the Casey Jr. Circus Train, the View-Liner and it’s descendant The Disneyland- Alweg Monorail System among them. Iron trains only! There is no evidence of Disneyland’s extinct Pack “Mule Trains.”

The actual Lillie Belle from Walt’s backyard remains on regular display in the museum’s Main Galleries. It is the little train that spawned a game-changing amusement experience. Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Museum

The actual Lillie Belle from Walt’s backyard remains on regular display in the museum’s main galleries. It is the little train that spawned a game-changing amusement experience. Photo courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Museum

 

This familiar looking poster actually promotes the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad.

This familiar looking poster actually promotes the Hong Kong Disneyland Railroad. Image © Disney

To this point in time, railroading has remained a vital component in all of the Disney Theme Parks. Here’s hoping that tradition steams forward, as the trains continue, like Walt Disney, to tell a story that runs right down the middle of The American Century.

The Walt Disney Family Museum is located at 104 Montgomery St. in the Presidio of San Francisco.

State of the Apps Address – January 2015

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

Hey there everybody! I just wanted to take a few minutes to update everyone on the status of various apps and things that I’m working on for WDWNT.

Let’s dive in!

Pushbullet

PushbulletLogo_withTitle

If you’re not familiar with the service, Pushbullet is really great. They have both an Android and iOS app and they allow for you to get phone or tablet notifications on your computer, as well as push links, notes, and files to your computer or devices from your other devices. Basically, they’re a hub for getting things from one device to another.

I use it all the time to send text messages from my Chrome browser to my friends and family.

WDWNT has a few cool features that implement Pushbullet. Our Now! site allows you to create an account and receive temporary attraction closure notifications and upcoming itinerary notifications sent through Pushbullet. It’s super simple to set up and I personally use it all the time!

Another cool feature we have is the ability to get push notifications of new blog posts. You can click the below image to sign up.

Pebble Watchapp
I got a Pebble watch for Christmas and I love this thing. I’ve never been a big watch person but having notifications from my phone show up on my wrist (and have them be actionable!) is pretty amazing.

I wrote a quick little “WDWNT Now!” watchapp that you can check out here: link

It includes many of the same features as our Now! site, including finding attractions that are near your current location. It looks like it won’t be available for iOS Pebble users for a while because a new version of the Pebble app is needed, but Android users can have at it.

Android
The official WDWNT Android app is coming along quite nicely! It includes content from the blog, the Now! site, our podcasts, Twitter, On the Air, and YouTube. The WDWNTunes Android app will be discontinued very soon as the WDWNT app will contain all of its features and updated looks.

Begin “Nerd Talk” for a second: I’ve learned a lot at work about dependency injection, SOLID design principles, and things like that so I’m incorporating them into the app (which only makes the process take longer). There are so many great Java libraries out there that make Android development a beautiful thing. End “Nerd Talk”

I’m very much looking forward to releasing this and getting some feedback!

iOS
Well, here we are. If it’s not apparent already I’m an Android user/fan. Personal opinions about iOS and whatnot aside, there’s still quite a bit of work to be done on this app. I’m using C# for the Now! site and this app (with the help of Xamarin) and to be honest, I’m having trouble getting going with it.

With the latest release of iOS, Apple is requiring many new things including new versions of OSX, Xcode, etc. Keeping up with an OS and mobile platform I’m not in love with is tough!

If there are any WDWNT readers out there who would like to help me with the iOS app, are familiar with C#, Xamarin, and source control, please let me know. You can email me at rob@wdwnt.com.

Now that the holidays are over and my family is (currently) healthy, I’ve got my work cut out for me. Please stay tuned as we have some great things lined up for you!

Thanks so much for your time!

Celebrate WDW’s 43rd Anniversary with Timeline Trivia, This Week (10/02/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

radio_show_post_logoThis week, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we celebrate the 43rd anniversary of Walt Disney World with a new game called Timeline Trivia. We have 43 trivia questions, one related to each year WDW has been in existence. The premise is simple, as long as you keep answering questions correctly, you keep playing. At the end of the night, the caller who correctly answered the most questions wins the grand prize from Theme Park Connection. Everyone who answers at least 1 question correctly, gets a prize.

Listen in and share your memories of 43 years of Walt Disney World. We will also talk about farewell performances of the Epcot entertainment, the closing of the Studios Backlot Tour and of course, Frozen.

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

Disney Animated Movies Listed In Order Of Historical Setting

WDWNT on September 30, 2014

Have you ever wondered what year your favorite Disney animated movie took place in? Well wonder no more. Thanks to Disney blogger, Aish, we have an answer for most of them and a best educated guest for the really difficult ones. Aish put together a timeline detailing each Disney animated movie and what time period each movie was set in. There are definitely allot of movies I was unaware of how far they went back to.

You can follow Aish’s Blog at http://disneysnewgroove.tumblr.com

tumblr_nb0u0jTN951tyzo9do1_500tumblr_nb0u0jTN951tyzo9do2_500tumblr_nb0u0jTN951tyzo9do3_500tumblr_nb0u0jTN951tyzo9do4_500tumblr_nb0u0jTN951tyzo9do5_500

Disney movies in order of historical setting

(Excludes most of the package films. Some films, eg The Lion King, are impossible to pin down exactly and some, like Aladdin and Treasure Planet, are anachronistic, so these are estimations. A few have been split into 2 if there is more than one time period in the movie, and sequels have been put together.)

Anna and Elsa from Frozen to be featured in Contemporary Resort Gingerbread House, Olaf Coming to Christmas Party?

WDWNT on September 5, 2014

Today at the Imagination Gala pin celebration at Epcot, the pin preview area had some very interesting upcoming pins displayed…

IMG_7789

First off, Anna and Elsa and the castle of Arendelle will be featured in the annual gingerbread display on the Grand Canyon Concourse at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Secondly, a small Frozen friend may be coming to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party…

IMG_7791

Rumors are swirling that an Olaf meet and greet character is coming to at least the Once Upon a Christmastime parade. There is also talk of Elsa being the character who transforms the castle into a shimmering, ice covered light spectacle every evening in what in the past has been called Cinderella’s Holiday Wish.

Only time will tell if these rumors are true. Stay tuned.

Ford’s Magic Skyway: The Origin of the PeopleMover

WDWNT on June 29, 2014

Screen Shot 2014-06-16 at 3.28.16 PM

Of all the extinct Disney attractions, nothing truly compares to Ford’s Magic Skyway. On paper, the attraction closed with the World’s Fair in 1965; however, it has a legacy that extends well beyond Flushing Meadows.

The Skyway was the first attraction that WED Enterprises (WED) developed for the 1964 World’s Fair. After approaching several other corporations about developing pavilions, WED was hired by the Ford Motor Company to develop an attraction. The result of this collaboration would not only be a wonder unto itself, but would serve as a springboard for future projects.

The Ford Pavilion was located in the transportation area of the fair, across the bridge from the United States and other country pavilions. Guests entered the pavilion via the Ford Rotunda. The rotunda was a two-story structure that served as the facade for the pavilion. The first floor served as a queue for the pavilion and displayed a variety of historic Ford Motor Company vehicles. Of more interest to Disney fans was the series of miniature displays known as the International Gardens. WED created eleven miniature scenes, including colonial America, Aztec Mexico, and Medieval Europe. The models were elaborately detailed and included water features, moving parts, and sound effects. Guests wound around these exhibits before boarding a motorized ramp that took them to the second floor. The second floor contained the loading area where guests boarded their ride vehicle: a late model Ford convertible.

The ride began by making a loop around the outside of the rotunda through a clear plastic tube that gave guests a birds-eye view of the fairgrounds. Guests were welcomed to the pavilion by Henry Ford II. As the vehicle finished the loop and entered the show building, the familiar voice of Uncle Walt took over and narrated the journey. The narration captured the epic tone of this trip through time and space while sprinkling in humor and factoids along the way.

The ride began with an elaborate display of dinosaurs. These were massive audio-animatronic figures, which had required WED to construct a temporary building for their fabrication. Next, the dawn of mankind was shown, detailing the trials and tribulations of the cave men culminating with the invention of the wheel. From here, riders jumped thousands of years into the future where the sum of mankind’s achievements could be seen in a city of the future. The post-show area was called “Fields of Science” where guests viewed prototype cars and were shown the many advancements being made by Ford scientists and engineers.

Legacy

Unlike the other Disney-built exhibits, the Skyway was not transferred in its totality to Disneyland. Instead, much of the ride was torn down. However, two features from the ride survived. The dinosaurs were saved and eventually made their way to Disneyland where they found permanent residence in the Primeval World diorama on the Disneyland Railroad.  The Ford Motor Company salvaged the stripped-down convertibles, re-engineered them and sold them to the public.

The concepts seen in the Skyway also had a long shelf life, and were the inspiration for many of EPCOT’s pavilions. The Universe of Energy’s dinosaur sequence was reminiscent of a similar scene from the Skyway, and the cavemen scene appears to have inspired some similar figures in Spaceship Earth and the World of Motion.

Perhaps the most significant inspiration that the Skyway provided was that of the WEDway PeopleMover ride-system.  The idea was born out of discussions with Ford executives concerning how guests could experience the Skyway from the comfort of a Ford vehicle, without the need to place a driver in each automobile. According to former Imagineer Bob Gurr, when Henry Ford II asked Walt Disney how this could be accomplished, he suggested they use the “booster-brake” system utilized by the Matterhorn. This system used strategically-placed tires imbedded in the track that either sped up or slowed down the bobsled. The Skyway took this technology in a different direction:  the tires imbedded in the track were the sole means of propulsion, while a single pylon held the car on the track. This system had the advantage of allowing the vehicle to travel at varying speeds over the course of the attraction.

WED would again turn to this technology when developing the new Tomorrowland of 1967.  The PeopleMover offered guests a grand tour of the re-imagined land.  Guests boarded specially-designed cars that moved along the tire-powered track. (Because of the prominence of tires in the attraction, Goodyear signed to be the attraction’s sponsor.) The PeopleMover featured one major new innovation: a circular “turntable” loading area. This proved to be highly efficient, providing the attraction with a capacity of over 4,000 people per hour. Disney saw the potential of this futuristic means of transportation, going so far as to start a company to market the technologies to venues and communities (Community Transportation Services Division of Walt Disney Productions). Disney would again build a PeopleMover in Florida; however, this system would eliminate tires in favor of linear induction motors. While the PeopleMover never took hold as a means of rapid transit, it remains a fascinating remnant of a future that never was.

D23’s “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” Exhibit Extended

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

The run of Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, has had its run at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, due to popular demand through August 3, 2014.

image004

“This interactive exhibit has been so well-received by guests of all ages,” said Anne Rashford, director of temporary exhibits. “It tells the great story of the imagination and perseverance of Walt Disney and offers a rare peek into his life and the unforgettable entertainment he created. We are thrilled to be able to keep it at MSI for an additional three months.”

The exhibition features more than 300 artifacts from nine decades of Disney’s rich history, from Mickey Mouse to Mary Poppins to Captain Jack Sparrow, including props; costumes; memorabilia; and artwork from classic Disney animation, theme park attractions, television shows and live-action films. Presented by Walgreens, hands-on activities allow kids and adults alike to explore animation technology from all 53 Disney animated films and learn to draw one of their favorite characters in the Animation Academy.

The exhibit is not included in museum entry but can be added to an Explorer ticket package. D23 Gold and Silver Members will receive a special discount on exhibit entry. For more information and to buy tickets, visit msichicago.org. For more information about D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, visit D23.com.

The Actual Raptor Cage from the Original Jurassic Park Movie Can Be Yours!

WDWNT on February 18, 2014

Jurassic-Park-Logo

While not really Disney related, our sponsors at Theme Park Connection are selling a true piece of film history on eBay and we did not want to pass up the chance to tell you about it. Remember the very first scene of Jurassic Park where they are trying to transport a raptor out of a cage and into an enclosure? Well, that cage can now be yours…

$_57

In case it has been a while since you have seen Jurassic Park, here is video of the opening scene where the cage is prominently featured:

The cage is currently up for bid on eBay, and Theme Park Connection is also auctioning off the massive trailer that appears in The Lost World sequel to Jurassic Park.

If you’re looking for Disney movie props, Theme Park Connection has plenty both in store and online including many from films like Pirates of the Caribbean and The Lone Ranger.