Posts Tagged ‘Main Street U.S.A.’
Autumn in the Kingdom
Photo by Jonathan
Ballooning!
The lights of Main Street U.S.A. seem to be captured inside these colorful balloons.
Character Reference – Pluto
VITAL STATISTICS
Name: Pluto
AKA: Rover, Pluto the Pup
Favorite Sayings: “Bark! Bark!” “Grrrr” “Sniff, sniff, sniff”
Memorable Quote: “Kiss me”
Awards: #1 in The Greatest Animated Pets of All Time
Qualifications: cheerful, loyal, fun
Facebook Friends: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Pluto, Fifi, Dinah
CHARACTER COORDINATES
Remember, the appearance of a specific character is never guaranteed. Some of the locations below have regularly-scheduled appearances while others are occasional. Always check the Times Guides for the most up-to-date information, and be prepared for possible substitutions at character meals.
Meet and Greet
- EPCOT, Future World, Character Spot
- EPCOT, American Adventure
- Magic Kingdom, Town Square
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown Hall of Fame (subject to change)
- Magic Kingdom, Liberty Square
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dinoland entrance
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Oasis, main entrance
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sorcerer’s Hat
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Mickey Avenue
Character Dining
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House, Donald’s Safari Breakfast
- EPCOT, Garden Grill
- Contemporary Resort, Chef Mickey’s
- Polynesian Resort, ‘Ohana Best Friends Breakfast
- Beach Club Resort, Cape May, Goofy’s Beach Club Breakfast
- Fort Wilderness, Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque Dinner Show
Shows
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic!
Parades
- Magic Kingdom, Celebrate a Dream Come True
- Magic Kingdom, Spectromagic
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade
Miscellaneous
- Magic Kingdom, Main Street U.S.A., small bronze statue in the hub
Character Reference – Goofy
VITAL STATISTICS
Name: Goofy
AKA: Goofus D. Dawg; Dippy Dawg
Favorite Sayings: “Gawrsh!” “A-hyuck!” “Well, whaddya know …”
Prized Possession: green hat
Qualifications: optimistic, good-natured, kind
Facebook Friends: Max, Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Pluto, Clarabelle
CHARACTER COORDINATES
Remember, the appearance of a specific character is never guaranteed. Some of the locations below have regularly-scheduled appearances while others are occasional. Always check the Times Guides for the most up-to-date information, and be prepared for possible substitutions at character meals.
Meet and Greet
- EPCOT, World Showcase, American Adventure
- EPCOT, International Gateway
- EPCOT, Future World, Character Spot
- Magic Kingdom, Town Square
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown Hall of Fame (subject to change)
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown Barnstormer (subject to change)
- Magic Kingdom, Frontierland
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Camp Minnie-Mickey
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Dinoland U.S.A., Chester and Hester’s Dinorama
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Sorcerer’s Hat
Character Dining
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Tusker House, Donald’s Safari Breakfast
- Contemporary Resort, Chef Mickey’s
- Beach Club Resort, Cape May, Goofy’s Beach Club Breakfast
- Fort Wilderness, Mickey’s Backyard Barbeque Dinner Show
Attractions
- Magic Kingdom, Toontown, Goofy’s Barnstormer (subject to change)
Shows
- Magic Kingdom, Castle Forecourt Stage, Dream-Along with Mickey
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Fantasmic!
Parades
- Magic Kingdom, Celebrate a Dream Come True
- Magic Kingdom, Spectromagic
- Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade
Miscellaneous
- Magic Kingdom, Town Square, photo op with statue sitting on a bench
Main Street Melody
A feel-good repertoire of old-time favorites and classic Disney tunes; snappy red and white uniforms; unflagging enthusiasm in all kinds of weather; The Main Street Philharmonic brings its distinctive small-town-America vibe right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A.
Offering a unique brand of fanfare and fun, the twelve-piece ensemble features trumpets, trombones, and tuba; percussion, and a lot of personality.
As one of several 20-minute shows daily, guests assembling for the afternoon parade are often treated to a rousing performance in front of the train station. At 5:00 p.m., the musicians play a medley of patriotic songs as they march proudly out to meet the honor guard for the nightly Flag Retreat.
Hot Stuff
This spectacular vintage fire engine is just one of the wonderful Main Street vehicles that offer guests a one-way trip to nostalgia. Choose to cruise from Town Square to Cinderella Castle, or climb on board at the Castle for the slow-paced journey back down Main Street U.S.A. Thanks to photographer Jeff Bergman for this amazing photo of the fire truck parked right in front of the most famous address in town!
Sweet Harmony
If you’re fortunate enough to be in the Magic Kingdom first thing in the morning, you might catch the Dapper Dans jumping off the Main Street Trolley for the first of their nine daily performances. They stroll up and down Main Street U.S.A., in and out of shops, and, of course, spend time at the Harmony Barbershop. Each day at 5:00 p.m., they join the Main Street Philharmonic for the Flag Retreat.
In Disneyland, the Dans have been a fixture since 1959 and are often seen on a classic Schwinn four-seater bicycle, specially commissioned years ago by Walt Disney. They also roam by byways of Hong Kong Disneyland, delighting guests with their four-part harmonies.
The Dapper Dans entertain the crowds with a lively mix of song, dance, and comedy, featuring the vintage charms of the unique and melodious Deagan Organ Chimes. Look for their striped vests, colorful hatbands, elegant sleeve garters, and the occasional well-waxed handlebar mustache, the next time you visit the parks!
A Happy Day in History
October 1, 1971 marked the Grand Opening of the Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Fort Wilderness Campground at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Fearing the enormous crowds of Disneyland’s opening day, the company chose a time that was historically slower, and the attendance of 10,000 was exactly as planned. However, local media had been projecting much higher numbers and the negative publicity caused a drop in Disney stock prices. Just a few weeks later, on the day after Thanksgiving, the Magic Kingdom welcomed more than 50,000 guests and traffic heading for the park was backed up more than 200 miles.
The park opened with six themed lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. Mickey’s Toontown Fair, currently the seventh land, began as Mickey’s Birthdayland in 1988 to commemorate Mickey’s 60th birthday. Renamed Mickey’s Starland at the end of the birthday celebration 1990, it became Mickey’s Toontown Fair in 1996. It will be interesting to see if current plans for an expansion of Fantasyland return the park to six lands.
While many of the original opening-day elements can still be found today,some no longer exist. Shops like the Penny Arcade, House of Magic, and the New Century Clock Shop have given way to new stores or incorporated into larger shopping venues. Familiar favorites such as the Haunted Mansion, It’s a Small World, the Jungle Cruise, Dumbo, the Mad Tea Party, and Cinderella’s Golden Carousel continue to delight visitors. Others, including the Skyway to Tomorrowland and Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, have been retired.
Guests can still dine at the Crystal Palace, the Liberty Tree Tavern, and the Columbia Harbor House, but will no longer find the Mile Long Bar, and will search in vain for King Stefan’s Banquet Hall which has been renamed Cinderella’s Royal Table. Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort lost its “village” as well as the Coral Isle Café and Papeete Bay Verandah restaurant. Over at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, the Gulf Coast Room restaurant is no more, and the Top of the World is now the California Grill.
Today, Walt Disney World Resort is the world’s largest recreational destination, attracting more than 40 million visitors annually.
Do Reindeer Really Know How to Fly?
Reindeer are another recurring theme at Walt Disney World, and are found in some unexpected places. At Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, there’s a twinkling deer family grazing on a ledge over the main entrance. They add to the beauty of the lobby in the evening, when it glows with light and good cheer.
For the holiday parade at the Magic Kingdom, Santa’s reindeer have left their post to join the dancing on Main Street U.S.A. Wearing their “hollyday” bows and sleigh bells, they’re a favorite year after year.
Nestled in fields of flowers, the beautiful twig deer at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa draw visitors outside to enjoy the perfectly manicured grounds of this splendid resort.
Look for a reindeer motif featured on everything from antenna toppers to chocolate. Take the time to visit Disney’s Fort Wilderness and enjoy the fantastic holiday displays at the campsites. You’ll see lots of reindeer prancing through the woods.
But, do they really know how to fly? Oh, yes!
“A Spell of Light”
I have no choice; I must use the most overworked word in the Disney vocabulary. There’s simply no other way to describe SpectroMagic – it’s just plain magical. We all have our favorites at Walt Disney World; sights, attractions, characters, shows; things that embody our personal experience. This is mine. It’s color and music, fun and excitement; it’s beautiful and imaginative and unforgettable.
Miles of fiber optics, holographic images, and more than a half a million lights produce a mesmerizing spectacle that winds its brilliant way through the Magic Kingdom, lighting up the night. The parade celebrates many of the most-loved Disney stories in music and light. There are small one-man floats that twirl and twinkle, and characters’ costumes glow with lights. The wings of butterflies sparkle and flowers bloom in shimmering white, then burst into a rainbow of color.
If you’re fortunate enough to visit when there are two parades scheduled, plan to watch the second one. You can take advantage of shorter lines at the attractions during the first parade, and the late-night showing is typically less crowded. Arrive early to find a great viewing spot and “let pure enchantment light your way.”
SpectroMagic
Magic Kingdom
Check Times Guide for schedule
Approximately 20 minutes long
Park admission required
