Saturday, March 7, 2009

Disney Magic - Arrival

Like many of you, I love the Disney Resort Hotels. I love the immersive effect of the theming and detail.
The Grand Floridian WDW: Yacht & Beach Clubs
02 - Grand Californian Hotel - Lobby (10) Pop Century Resort WDW Port Orleans: French Quarter

But one of my favorite Disney Resorts cannot be found within the borders of Disney Property, and in fact most of the time cannot be pinned to any specific location for more than a few hours at a time.

The ships of the Disney Cruise Line bring the notion of an immersive experience to entirely new level, and are a treasure trove of details for any Disney Geek.

I'll share some of those details over the next series of posts, based on the time I spent on the Disney Magic on a seven-day cruise.

Here's the first glimpse of the ship that we saw as we approached Port Canaveral:

Disney Cruise - Terminal 02

But before we board the ship, let's take a look at the Cruise Terminal:

Disney Cruise - Terminal 04

Even before we get inside we see all sorts of eye candy. Notice the hands on the clock?

Disney Cruise - Terminal 11

And check out the details above the windows:

Disney Cruise - Terminal 16

Disney Cruise - Terminal 14(a)

Disney Cruise - Terminal 13(a)


There exterior makes use of classical decorative Mickeys, and also includes details of a more nautical nature, such as this braided rope line:

Disney Cruise - Terminal 09 Disney Cruise - Terminal 17

The window above sports the snazzy Disney Cruise Line logo, which is also visible on the back of the building:


Disney Cruise - Terminal 40

Next stop, we'll take a peek inside the terminal building before setting sail.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Put on Your Sunday Clothes

A brief confession -- I like musicals. Well, at least, I like *some* musicals.

By this point I'm assuming that most people who read Disney blogs are aware of the connection between "Hello, Dolly!" and WALL-E.

And while I realize that the Disney/Dolly connection is tenuous, for me there is another thread that connects the two -- Main Street, U.S.A.

When I watch the 1969 film version of "Hello, Dolly" I am immediately reminded of Disney's Main Street. The film's take on turn-of-the century architecture, costuming, train travel, and even singing and dancing all remind of Walt's tribute to his boyhood:

08a - Main Street - Vehicles (11) 12 - Main Street - Fire Engine Ride (13)
(Disneyland)



Main Street USA pano (1) Sept 2005
Caseys Corner pano Sept 2005
(Walt Disney World)

So if you enjoy musicals and want a quick trip to the turn of the century, then consider putting on your Sunday clothes and check out "Hello, Dolly" on your video medium of choice.