Welcome to those of you joining me from Mouse on the Mind and those of you just hopping aboard. I am the 3rd stop on our Magical Blogorail. Enjoy the ride as we share with you our memories of our very first trips to Disney.
I was lucky enough to grow up just a short drive from Walt Disney World. So my family went quite regularly. I’m sure we went a few times when I was a baby, but the first trip I really remember and the one I consider to be my “first trip” was in the Summer of 1995.
I was a pretty awesome kid.
It was a particularly lengthy trip. We stayed for 10 days, 9 nights at the Swan Hotel. And this was 10 days in a Walt Disney World that only had 3 theme parks. Its pretty difficult to do “everything” at Walt Disney World, but I can tell you that we certainly did quite a lot in that time. Rather than go through each detail, I’m going to hit on some items of significance from that year and reminisce a bit. So what happened at Disney World in 1995?
Say what you will about Blizzard Beach now. Back in 1995, it was my very first water park. Actually, I was probably so young that I didn’t get to experience as much of it as I would have liked (Fun Fact: I’ve never been back), but I did enjoy it! I remember spending a considerable amount of time in the lazy river. Back then, I much preferred River Country and many of my “water park memories” from that age come from either River Country or from the wave pool at Typhoon Lagoon.
When I was a kid, Tomorrowland was my favorite land. Even today, something about Tomorrowland brings me back to my childhood more than almost anywhere else in Walt Disney World. A big part of this is the TTA. Its still my second favorite attraction (behind my beloved Haunted Mansion, of course), and one I have fond memories of riding as a child. At the time, I was too short to ride Space Mountain; however, being able to ride through Space Mountain was something special for me. I remember looking at the riders on the track (it was much brighter back then) and thinking “One day I’m going to conquer that mountain.”
Part of my love for Tomorrowland, of course, comes from the fact that my trip was right after the official opening of New Tomorrowland. As a nerdy kid obsessed with space exploration and Star Wars, it was easy for me to get into the theme. And back then (certainly not anymore) Tomorrowland really felt like a unified land. Theme was everywhere in New Tomorrowland. It felt, truly, like I was in the middle of an intergalactic spaceport. With attractions like the Time Keeper and the (far superior) narration for the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, it was hard not to be immersed in the world of tomorrow. I hope Disney spends some time in the future retooling Tomorrowland to give it some semblance of a theme again. It’s probably ready for New New Tomorrowland.
But of course…what brought Tomorrowland to life for me the most was one very special attraction:
Next to Horizons, Alien Encounter is the Walt Disney World attraction I miss the most, especially considering how poor its “replacement” is. As a young child, riding Alien Encounter was a fairly terrifying experience; however, its one I remember every single detail of. When you’re that young and you’re at Disney World, you’re old enough to understand that what you’re seeing isn’t real; however, you’re not quite sure how they’re doing it. In my mind, I couldn’t quite figure out how Disney managed to transport an “alien” into a room with me. So at the time, I don’t think there was a more immersive attraction experience than Alien Encounter. I’ve heard people say that Disney removed it because it’s “too scary” for kids, but I think that’s not entirely fair. It was certainly scary, as I said, but thats because it was so damn well done. And isn’t that the whole point of Disney?To bring the unbelievable to life? It’s really a shame that future generations won’t experience it the way I did.
So that was my first Disney year. Not too much happened at Disney World, but it’ll always be a significant year for me. Its interesting to see how much has changed, but also how much has stayed the same. Did you go to Disney World in 1995? What do you remember from that year?
Thank you for joining me today. Your next stop on the Magical Blogorail Loop is Disney Living.
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just for Kids
2nd Stop ~ Mouse on the Mind
3rd Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
4th Stop ~ Disney Living
Final Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts
The Magical Blogorail Green Loop
Welcome to the first stop aboard Magical Blogorail Green. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride as we share with your our favorite ride vehicles at Walt Disney World.
Best On-Ride Photo I’ve Been A Part Of
I love Unique-looking ride vehicles. I love flying on a pirate ship with Peter Pan or sitting in a Honey Pot with Winnie the Pooh; however, I also love ride vehicles that move you through the attraction in unique ways. I love the ingenuity behind Soarin’s erector set or the way the Toy Story Mania vehicles spin you and move you about. But I think one truly unique ride vehicle is often overlooked: The CTX Time Rover.
The Time Rover is the ride vehicle used at Animal Kingdom’s Dinosaur attraction (the CTX comes from the ride’s original name, Countdown to Extinction) and is the vehicle which transports guests back in time (albiet a little too close to the astroid impact that destroyed most life forms on Earth). And, with some cosmetic differences, it is essentially the same ride vehicle as that of Disneyland’s Indiana Jones Adventure.
The ride vehicle seems like a fairly simple design. Its shaped and built a little like a Jeep, though one that’s obviously made to fit an added number of passengers. But what separates this vehicle from others and what gives it the honor of “my favorite ride vehicle” is the way it moves. It’s incredible programmable hydraulic system allows it to move in a near infinite number of directions. Not only do these hydraulics allow the rider to feel the “bumps” in the road, but it makes you feel like you’re truly traversing rough and rocky, unexplored terrain.
Throughout the ride, its movements are exaggerated. When a T-Rex jumps out at you, the Time Rover jerks back and stiffens up, just like its riders. When it loses traction and attempts to escape, it feels like an animal charging up to flee. The way the vehicle responds to events and cues throughout the ride makes it feel less like a vehicle and more like a person, another character in the attraction. Its feeling what you’re feeling, seeing what you’re seeing, and responding to situations in the exact way you are. When you (or Dr. Seeker, more exactly) wants to step on it…the Time Rover steps on it. But yet this is all so subtle that most won’t realize the effect this vehicle has on the experience. Imagine a version of Dinosaur (Dinosaur: Green) where instead of riding in the Time Rover, you’re in a standard dark ride vehicle, slowly moving through the attraction. Sounds awful, right? I agree. The Time Rover makes all the difference.
I’m not sure whats stopping Disney from developing similar ride vehicles for other attractions. Perhaps the ride system is actually highly inefficient? Maybe its too complex? Too expensive? Or they just don’t have any interest? If you have any info, let me know in the comments. I, for one, would love to see a similar ride system pop up in more places.
Next time you take one of the Dino Institute’s tours, pay attention to the way the vehicle is moving and see how it adds to the ride.
Thank you for joining me today. And special thanks to the Blogorail for having me back after a short hiatus. Check out all the other blogs in this month’s loop. Keep stopping by Your Highway in the Sky for more news and check back next month for another ride aboard the Magical Blogorail.
Your next stop on the Green Loop is Disney Living.
Here is the map of our Magical Blogorail should you happen to have to make a stop along the way and want to reboard:
1st Stop ~ Your Highway in the Sky
2nd Stop ~ Disney Living
3rd Stop ~ A Disney Mom’s Thoughts
4th Stop ~ Walt Disney World: Not Just For Kids
Final Stop ~ Mouse on the Mind
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