"S" - A to Z Challenge - Walt Disney World
"S" is another huge one and some might be a bit controversial (well, as controversial as Disney can get!), and I can't guarantee I won't mount the soapbox once or twice, so just bear with me to the bear end (sorry, couldn't help it!)!
Stitch's Great Escape - I may be the only person on the planet that likes this attraction, but like it I do! It may be because of Stitch, it may be because of the whole Kevin McDonald - Kids In The Hall link to Stitch (he's Pleakley - and a bit of KITH trivia, when Pleakley has his family reunion on Lilo And Stitch the Series, all his relatives are voiced by the other KITH's, and, in case you don't know, Dave Foley is the voice for Flick from It's A Bug's Life - and in case I haven't mentioned it, I'm a HUGE KITH fan!!).
But back to Stitch's Great Escape, it's not a ride (although that would be even cooler!), it's more of a sensory attraction. A harness drops down on your shoulders and gives you sound and movement (as well as a few other surprises - chili dog anyone?), but it has one of the most advanced audioanimatronics on property, i.e. Stitch himself! I haven't seen it since they upgraded the visuals, so I'm excited to see it!
Parents hate it because it's still as scary as Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter was (the attraction that Stitch replaced), most people hate it because it's smelly and they think it's just not cool. Well, I'm a total Disney geek, so of course it's cool! Yes, as a Disney geek, I did notice all the mistakes (we all know Stitch wasn't Stitch until he comes to Earth and meets Lilo, before that, he was just Experiment 626, but, like I said, I overlook it for Stitch's sake!).
Moving on to food - let's go to Sleepy Hollow Refreshment Stand - now, I already know what you're thinking...of all the restaurants and good food I've showed you guys, and now I'm throwing funnel cakes and icee's at you? Well, believe me when I say, it's the best funnel cake you've ever had with an amazing view of Cinderella Castle, what could be better? The headless horseman on the sign is another plus! But I do need to warn you, the place is surrounded by bees and wasps and such, so you have to be careful!
Next up, let's go a little bit up the food scale and Sci-Fi Dine In Cafe and Theater. The food is so-so, but the atmosphere is freakin amazing! The tables are little convertible cars and you are in a "drive-in" watching a continuous loop of trailers for 60's sci-fi movies! It really is pretty on the inside! What I don't like is the fact that if there is only two of you, they may put you in a car with other people...I'm not OK with that! Why in the world would I want to eat my meal with strangers?
Best oreo milkshake I've ever had and I don't like oreos! They were ground up really tiny (because I don't like biting into them):
There are three mountains in the Magic Kingdom, and here is where we're gonna talk about two of them...Splash Mountain and Space Mountain!
First up - Splash Mountain - based on the Brer tales of the banned movie Song of the South, it follows the trials and tribulations of Brer Rabbit as he attempts to outwit Brer Fox and Brer Bear with a little support from Brer Frog on his way to the laughing place. Now, I know there is a lot of controversy over the movie, but I do have to ask, for those who think bad of it, have you ever seen it? I'm a firm believer in you can't comment negatively on something unless you have actually seen it. After that, if you still feel negatively about it, then comment away! You're now fully informed on the subject to which you are discussing.
I grew up in the south, right in the heart of Southern Baptist territory in the late 70's, early 80's, so I had to deal with record and book burnings for the sake of "preserving family values". And I'd bet you anything, they never listened to or read anything they burnt! I can remember one of the albums being Duran Duran! Come on! Seriously? Oh yeah, Duran Duran is right at the heart of ruining society!! Maybe that's when I started to pull away from organized religion. And don't get me started on the 10 year ban they had on Disney because of their policies for homosexual workers. Disney was, and is, at the forefront for gay rights and that guarantees them a huge plot of land right in hell according the the SB's(I always LOVE the stories of unsuspecting Disney World visitors during Gay Days!! One word...PLAN YOU IDIOT (OK that was four words)! If you don't want to "subject your children to debauchery" (their words, definitely not mine), then pay attention to the schedule, or maybe THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT PLANNING would be better!). I remember one comment on the DisBoards about how this woman went to all this trouble to make her whole family matching red shirts, only to discover that the gays wear red during gay days and everyone thought they were gay and it ruined their trip. Hilarious! If she planned, she would have know that, it's common knowledge to the informed Disney guest, she ruined her trip by not planning and being a homophobe!...but I digress, back on topic now...
Yes, the movie deals with heavy racist overtones, but no more than Gone With The Wind does. Yes it deals with the bad aspects of slavery, but it also deals with how a child's parents separating affects the child, it deals with a boy coming into his own, standing up for himself and protecting what is his, and, more importantly, moving past racial boundaries and making a friend that forever changes his views of people, black or white. There are really heavy racial overtones with the cartoon as well...yep, it's where the tar baby came from. But the message of the movie, at least in my opinion, is about the friendship of a little boy and an old slave and their ability to overcome all obstacles, even race, to make them both better people. However, I wouldn't recommend showing it to your kids without a very lengthy discussion about racism first and maybe a Q&A afterwords...no more than you'd do with Gone With The Wind (or you should do, but I'm sure most people don't because they see Gone With The Wind as a love story and/or they couldn't get their kids to watch it even if they made them!). Like all the movies and cartoons of that era, they were more about realism than political correctness and reality is rarely ever politically correct.
Funny thing about Song Of The South, it's where Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Daa comes from and who doesn't love that song? It epitomizes Disney! Does it change your mind about the song knowing where it comes from? Same thing with the ride...everyone loves it, black, white, yellow, green! Plus, who doesn't love a good log flume! I just find it amazing that people separate the ride, song and movie...they all came from the same place and if you condemn one, you gotta do the same for the others. If you want to get technical on the political correctness, it's a little bit insulting to Southerners, making fun of our accents and colloquisms, but I'm not a big fan of political correctness...this country takes it WAY too far, it's a never ending cycle. It always makes me think of the South Park Christmas episode where by the time all the parts that offended various groups were taken out, the kids where dressed in gray jumpsuits and booping very weirdly! Then the parents were all pissed off because it wasn't Christmasy! Well, what did they expect? Someone can find offense in anything, so what's left after you take away everything? Nothing...exactly! But enough soapbox and on to the pics!
Last, but surely not least, Space Mountain. It may be a classic, but I'm not a fan of this ride. All the rides at Disney are extremely Pooh-friendly (made for plus sized people), but this one is tight and very bruise worthy! It doesn't top 30 mph, but because it's completely in the dark, you'd think you were going 100!
We're getting close to the end! I don't know about ya'll, but I'm about ready! This has been a wild ride! I know I was a bit wordy on this one...but I get passionate about things! I guess you could say that I am prejudice....against IDIOTS!
Stitch's Great Escape - I may be the only person on the planet that likes this attraction, but like it I do! It may be because of Stitch, it may be because of the whole Kevin McDonald - Kids In The Hall link to Stitch (he's Pleakley - and a bit of KITH trivia, when Pleakley has his family reunion on Lilo And Stitch the Series, all his relatives are voiced by the other KITH's, and, in case you don't know, Dave Foley is the voice for Flick from It's A Bug's Life - and in case I haven't mentioned it, I'm a HUGE KITH fan!!).
But back to Stitch's Great Escape, it's not a ride (although that would be even cooler!), it's more of a sensory attraction. A harness drops down on your shoulders and gives you sound and movement (as well as a few other surprises - chili dog anyone?), but it has one of the most advanced audioanimatronics on property, i.e. Stitch himself! I haven't seen it since they upgraded the visuals, so I'm excited to see it!
Parents hate it because it's still as scary as Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter was (the attraction that Stitch replaced), most people hate it because it's smelly and they think it's just not cool. Well, I'm a total Disney geek, so of course it's cool! Yes, as a Disney geek, I did notice all the mistakes (we all know Stitch wasn't Stitch until he comes to Earth and meets Lilo, before that, he was just Experiment 626, but, like I said, I overlook it for Stitch's sake!).
Moving on to food - let's go to Sleepy Hollow Refreshment Stand - now, I already know what you're thinking...of all the restaurants and good food I've showed you guys, and now I'm throwing funnel cakes and icee's at you? Well, believe me when I say, it's the best funnel cake you've ever had with an amazing view of Cinderella Castle, what could be better? The headless horseman on the sign is another plus! But I do need to warn you, the place is surrounded by bees and wasps and such, so you have to be careful!
Next up, let's go a little bit up the food scale and Sci-Fi Dine In Cafe and Theater. The food is so-so, but the atmosphere is freakin amazing! The tables are little convertible cars and you are in a "drive-in" watching a continuous loop of trailers for 60's sci-fi movies! It really is pretty on the inside! What I don't like is the fact that if there is only two of you, they may put you in a car with other people...I'm not OK with that! Why in the world would I want to eat my meal with strangers?
Best oreo milkshake I've ever had and I don't like oreos! They were ground up really tiny (because I don't like biting into them):
There are three mountains in the Magic Kingdom, and here is where we're gonna talk about two of them...Splash Mountain and Space Mountain!
First up - Splash Mountain - based on the Brer tales of the banned movie Song of the South, it follows the trials and tribulations of Brer Rabbit as he attempts to outwit Brer Fox and Brer Bear with a little support from Brer Frog on his way to the laughing place. Now, I know there is a lot of controversy over the movie, but I do have to ask, for those who think bad of it, have you ever seen it? I'm a firm believer in you can't comment negatively on something unless you have actually seen it. After that, if you still feel negatively about it, then comment away! You're now fully informed on the subject to which you are discussing.
I grew up in the south, right in the heart of Southern Baptist territory in the late 70's, early 80's, so I had to deal with record and book burnings for the sake of "preserving family values". And I'd bet you anything, they never listened to or read anything they burnt! I can remember one of the albums being Duran Duran! Come on! Seriously? Oh yeah, Duran Duran is right at the heart of ruining society!! Maybe that's when I started to pull away from organized religion. And don't get me started on the 10 year ban they had on Disney because of their policies for homosexual workers. Disney was, and is, at the forefront for gay rights and that guarantees them a huge plot of land right in hell according the the SB's(I always LOVE the stories of unsuspecting Disney World visitors during Gay Days!! One word...PLAN YOU IDIOT (OK that was four words)! If you don't want to "subject your children to debauchery" (their words, definitely not mine), then pay attention to the schedule, or maybe THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT PLANNING would be better!). I remember one comment on the DisBoards about how this woman went to all this trouble to make her whole family matching red shirts, only to discover that the gays wear red during gay days and everyone thought they were gay and it ruined their trip. Hilarious! If she planned, she would have know that, it's common knowledge to the informed Disney guest, she ruined her trip by not planning and being a homophobe!...but I digress, back on topic now...
Yes, the movie deals with heavy racist overtones, but no more than Gone With The Wind does. Yes it deals with the bad aspects of slavery, but it also deals with how a child's parents separating affects the child, it deals with a boy coming into his own, standing up for himself and protecting what is his, and, more importantly, moving past racial boundaries and making a friend that forever changes his views of people, black or white. There are really heavy racial overtones with the cartoon as well...yep, it's where the tar baby came from. But the message of the movie, at least in my opinion, is about the friendship of a little boy and an old slave and their ability to overcome all obstacles, even race, to make them both better people. However, I wouldn't recommend showing it to your kids without a very lengthy discussion about racism first and maybe a Q&A afterwords...no more than you'd do with Gone With The Wind (or you should do, but I'm sure most people don't because they see Gone With The Wind as a love story and/or they couldn't get their kids to watch it even if they made them!). Like all the movies and cartoons of that era, they were more about realism than political correctness and reality is rarely ever politically correct.
Funny thing about Song Of The South, it's where Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Daa comes from and who doesn't love that song? It epitomizes Disney! Does it change your mind about the song knowing where it comes from? Same thing with the ride...everyone loves it, black, white, yellow, green! Plus, who doesn't love a good log flume! I just find it amazing that people separate the ride, song and movie...they all came from the same place and if you condemn one, you gotta do the same for the others. If you want to get technical on the political correctness, it's a little bit insulting to Southerners, making fun of our accents and colloquisms, but I'm not a big fan of political correctness...this country takes it WAY too far, it's a never ending cycle. It always makes me think of the South Park Christmas episode where by the time all the parts that offended various groups were taken out, the kids where dressed in gray jumpsuits and booping very weirdly! Then the parents were all pissed off because it wasn't Christmasy! Well, what did they expect? Someone can find offense in anything, so what's left after you take away everything? Nothing...exactly! But enough soapbox and on to the pics!
Last, but surely not least, Space Mountain. It may be a classic, but I'm not a fan of this ride. All the rides at Disney are extremely Pooh-friendly (made for plus sized people), but this one is tight and very bruise worthy! It doesn't top 30 mph, but because it's completely in the dark, you'd think you were going 100!
We're getting close to the end! I don't know about ya'll, but I'm about ready! This has been a wild ride! I know I was a bit wordy on this one...but I get passionate about things! I guess you could say that I am prejudice....against IDIOTS!
Comments
Storyland Treats is so cute! We had a surprise run-in with my parents there while they were having waffles and we made them take our picture with that amazing view of the castle in the background.