The mountain itself is a huge structure housing an equally massive attraction. I find the best place to truly take in the view of Splash Mountain is on the bridge passing from near Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn towards the central area of the entrances to both Splash Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. This view gives guests a preview of what’s to come if they choose to ride. It can also provide a cool down as a hidden water cannon fires off a refreshing blast of water about every third log to those watching from the bridge. As you take in the view of Splash Mountain, there are several great details to notice. First consider the color of the rock work- it appears to be almost a faded magenta red, right? Originally the color was supposed to be a deep muddy brown to reflect the correct color of the soil and mud found in the Deep South. The color was changed to this magenta red in order to better mesh with the color and theming of  the close by preexisting rock work of Big Thunder Mountain. Also be sure to look at the rock work surrounding the opening of the top of the drop. There is a Hidden Mickey built into the rocks and the easiest way to find him is to look for his nose protruding from the opening of the drop.

Once you decide to brave the drop and experience the attraction, one of the first things you encounter on the queue is a small play area called the Laughin’ Place. This playground was built in 1997 to help keep little ones who don’t meet the 40 inch height requirement busy while other members in their party ride. As you proceed further into the queue, you will find lots of great little details including many signs indicating just how wet you may get. One of my favorite details on the queue comes at the very end when you are just about to round the corner to get to the loading dock. There are a series of portraits and framed cross stitches along the wall. My favorite cross stitch features the wise hint “You can’t run away from trouble…ain’t no place that far.” A warning to Br’er Rabbit, perhaps? Immediately following the cross stitch is a series of portraits first introducing the three main characters you will follow on your journey through the mountain. Br’er Rabbit is “Lookin’ For Adventure,” Br’er Fox is “Lookin’ For Trouble,” and Br’er Bear is “Just Lookin’.” These great little details serve as an introduction to the story line of Br’er Rabbit becoming restless and seeking out adventure while constantly escaping the clutches of the sly Br’er Fox and his numbskull partner Br’er Bear.

Once you reach the loading dock, take note of just how wet you want to get. The closer toward the front of the log, the wetter you will be. If you want to remain rather dry (or even prefer getting soaked) simply ask the Cast Member assigning the seating to situate you according to your preference. They will most likely be able to honor your request. Don’t worry about getting extremely wet during the colder months of the year as the water level on the attraction is lowered to prevent guests from being too wet and ultimately cold. If you are curious about seeing the reservoir where all of the mountain’s water is held, be sure to take the Keys to the Kingdom Tour. The tour takes you backstage of the mountain to see the reservoir and other backstage magic of the attraction. As you are getting into your log, take notice of a flickering light along the loading dock. While it may seem fitting in the old fashioned looking area, it actually serves a more important purpose- it flickers to alert Cast Members of the timing of both loading and sending off the logs.

As you begin moving, you first encounter a lift hill bringing you past Br’er Frog who serves as a narrator to your tale. You then take a loop around the bottom of the drop where you encounter the first chance to get absolutely soaked, regardless of where you are sitting in the log. As you near the far side of the drop and are about to enter into the wood building housing another lift hill, watch the right side of the log for a hidden water cannon that goes off when logs drop and is aimed directly at your log’s path. While often times it will miss your log, if it’s a direct hit you can get soaked (I’ve been a victim of this). After going up the next lift hill, you encounter the first area of critter homes on your journey. These homes have great detail as the show you little nuances that each animal would actually prefer and feature in their homes. Some feature laundry hanging on lines, a vegetable garden, and other small props. Be sure to look all around you and take in as many details as you can as they add a great depth to the attraction’s experience.

Next you finally enter into the mountain and are met with the Fishin’ Hole featuring a medley of singing frogs and geese welcoming you by singing “How Do Ya Do?” While you pass through the Fishin’ Hole look for another Hidden Mickey in the form of a large fishing bobber with two smaller bobbers attached as ears. Soon after this you will finally get your first real glimpse of Br’er Rabbit deciding to leave home followed by Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear beginning their pursuit of him. While Br’er Fox uses every trick in the book, Br’er Rabbit manages to continually evade his clutches. Eventually Br’er Fox sets up a fake sign pointing to the Laughin’ Place which actually sends you down a dark hill into a room full of bee hives. As you exit this room you see Br’er Fix sneak up behind a laughing Br’er Rabbit with a bee hive with the intent to finally catch him. Before you have a chance to see what happens, you plummet down another hill into the real Laughin’ Place featuring more singing audio-animatronic animals and lots of water fountains.

Shortly after entering the Laughin’ Place you’ll see a gopher drop down from the ceiling and yell “FSU!” This pays homage to Florida State University where many of those who helped to create and build the attraction attended.  As you near the end of the Laughin’ Place, suddenly the music turns ominous and two vultures appear above warning you that their version of a Laughin’ Place waits up ahead. Between the ominous music and the creepy vultures you know where they are sending you isn’t going to be good. Suddenly a massive lift hill appears before you ending in the opening of the big drop, creating an added sense of excitement for the grand finale of the attraction. As you are headed up the hill, look for the Hidden Mickey I mentioned earlier that juts out of the rock work surrounding the top of the drop. You can see it from inside the mountain as well. When you finally reach the top of the lift hill you see that Br’er Fox has finally captured Br’er Rabbit and intends to either cook him or send him over the falls and into the Briar Patch below. It seems as though you are in for the same fate! As you plummet down Chick-A-Pin Hill into the Briar Patch you are at a forty-five degree angle dropping fifty-two feet and traveling at forty miles per hour. That’s faster than Space Mountain, making this the fastest attraction in the Magic Kingdom! That’s quite a thrill!

After you reach the bottom of the hill and assess how wet you are, you move into the finale scene featuring the classic Disney hit “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” and the massive steamboat “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Lady.” The steamboat is one of the largest animatronics ever built by Imagineering and is thirty-six feet wide, twenty-two feet tall, continuously rocks back and forth with the music, and features twelve singing and dancing animatronics. Talk about a big prop! The celebration in this scene is centered on Br’er Rabbit’s escape from Br’er Fox and return to his birth place the Briar Patch unharmed. As you pass by the Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah-Lady, look on the wall to the right for the final Hidden Mickey of the attraction. As I mentioned in a previous post on Hidden Mickeys, up in the sky is a full body profile of Mickey laying down on his back and watching the clouds. All in all this scene is really wonderful to take in, and don’t worry about missing out on it if you don’t want to ride the attraction: you can get a glimpse of the scene from riding the Walt Disney World Railroad.

Since opening in 1992, Splash Mountain has securely claimed its spot as the third mountain in the Magic Kingdom’s range and continues to thrill guests on a daily basis. This is my favorite mountain of the three and I love experiencing it multiple times on each visit to Disney World. Although I will admit, I hate getting wet! So look for me sitting towards the back of the log and enjoying all the great details and fun this attraction has to offer.

Is Splash Mountain your favorite mountain in the park? Do you like to get soaked or stay dry? Let me know in the comments below, I would love to hear from you!

Caitlin Corsello was born and raised in New York. She graduated from Adelphi University with a Masters in Mental Health Counseling in 2012. Her love for Disney started as an infant and has continued to grow with family vacations to Disney parks almost every year since. She holds a particular interest in WDW’s parks and attractions, never passing up an opportunity to visit. She looks forward to continuing to explore and learn about all things Disney and to share that passion with readers.

The post Disney From The Twenty-Something: Splash Mountain appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #305 for the week of December 16, 2012.

I’m here to help you have the best possible Disney vacation experience, and bring you some Disney magic to to wherever you are with this podcast, videos, blog, live broadcasts, events, trivia books, CDs and more. You can find it all at WDWRadio.com

This week we’re going to connect the dots and talk about one of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions, the story that serves as the inspiration for it, and look at its history, significance, and controversy. Jim Korkis joins me as we discuss Disney’s 1946 animated and live action film Song of the South and its connection to Splash Mountain. We’ll talk about the attraction and the film, including it’s connection to Walt, its production, the debate, its future, and Jim’s new book, “Who’s Afraid of Song of the South.” It’s a fascinating look at a film that many people have not seen, yet features characters and songs that delight people in the Disney parks so many years after its initial release.

I’ll have the answer to our last Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week, and pose a new challenge for your chance to win a Disney prize package.

I’ll then have some announcements at the end of the show, including information about the new, free WDW Radio app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows mobile devices! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from This Week’s Show

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Have you seen Song of the South? Would you like it to be released on DVD? Leave your answer in the comments section below!

• Listen to this week’s episode for the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for a chance to win a Disney prize package!
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If you have any suggestions or feature requests, email app@wdwradio.com

It’s fun, and FREE, so download it today, and if you like the app, please rate and review the App in the iTunes store!

 

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Purchase your copy of Jim Korkis’ new books in print or on Kindle from Amazon.com (affiliate links):

Who’s Afraid of the Song of the South? And Other Forbidden Disney Stories		The Revised Vault of Walt: Unofficial, Unauthorized, Uncensored Disney Stories Never Told
	xxx
Paperback or Kindle		Paperback or Kindle

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The post Show # 305 – Dec.16, 2012 – Song of the South & Splash Mountain appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

‘Sup bloggers, Jonah H. here. First off, congrats to Justin for being the first to answer my last trivia question. The sorcerer Yensid is Disney spelled backwards.

Disney has roller coasters for all ages and all thrills. Starting with the Magic Kingdom, there is Splash Mountain. It’s really a water coaster but I’ll include it anyway. This ride has numerous drops and turns. It ends with a bang and a big drop! I see this ride being ridden by all ages. Next up is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. This coaster is mainly built to introduce you to the Disney coasters. It’s thrilling and fun. I recommend this ride for ages six and up. After that is Space Mountain. It does go fast, but it’s in the dark so you don’t know what to expect, giving it the element of surprise! In this ride, whenever you go left it’s most likely you’ll go right at the next turn. There is one additional coaster at the Magic Kingdom for the kiddies. It’s now called the Great Goofini, named after Goofy himself. This sixty second gentle ride used to be called the Barnstormer. It is a great introduction to Disney coasters for younger kids.

Heading over to the Animal Kingdom is Expedition Everest. This intense ride stars the Yeti. This mythological creature is known to inhabit the Himalayas. Somehow, the mountains ended up in Orlando. No one knows how … it just did. This ride has a smooth intro but kicks it into overdrive inside the mountain (if this ride had wheels, it would burn rubber!). In this ride, you see the Yeti’s footprints and the creature’s shadow, but few have ever seen it with their own eyes. This coaster has many twists and turns and it even goes backwards, but it does not have a loop. However, it is on my top three favorite coasters.

Finally, over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. This wicked coaster goes from zero to fifty-seven miles per hour in 2.8 seconds! It may seem scary at first, but it has that affect on everyone. It has constant loops and turns and even a corkscrew. The best part is that it plays music by Aerosmith during the entire ride! I recommend this ride to more experienced coaster fans, although I did see a kid ride this so remember what I’m saying is more of a guideline. By the time you’re done, you’re going to ask yourself “why was I ever scared of this in the first place?” This is what I thought after riding it.

Now for my trivia question. In Space Mountain, there’s a section where some of the tracks go up and some of the tracks go down, what goes straight? (this might sound confusing, but don’t give up).=

Jonah lives in Virginia, and considers himself the biggest Disney “maniac” in his family.  He has been going to Walt Disney World since he was 8 months old, and he still loves it to this day.  He is 11 years old and in 5^th grade.

The post Disney’s Best Roller Coasters: From a Kid’s Point of View appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

by Don Myers

There’s some major news to report pertaining to one of the Mountains of the Magic Kingdom, so let’s head straight to Brer’ Rabbit’s Laughin’ Place and dive in to the latest edition of the WDW Radio Newswire……

As indicated, the Magic Kingdom is about to be without one of its star attractions in early 2013, as Splash Mountain is currently scheduled to shut down for maintenance shortly after New Year’s. The closure, which is slated to begin on Wednesday January 2nd, is nothing new for Splash Mountain, as the attraction has seen this type of downtime for several years now. It’s actually become quite routine, as this will mark the fifth consecutive year these early-year refurbs have occurred. I did a cover story on Splash Mountain for Celebrations Magazine, and in doing so I learned that these closures usually entail the draining and re-filling of the attraction’s water chute, and the downtime also allows workers to come in and work on any necessary repairs to the Audio-Animatronics while the ride is devoid of liquid. The closure is a bit lengthier this time around than it has been in years past, as Splash isn’t set to re-emerge from its annual refurb until Wednesday March 20th. If plans stay on track, this will put the total downtime at Chick-A-Pin Hill at just over two and a half months.

Continuing in Frontierland, we make our way over to Grizzly Hall now for an update on those singing country bears. On Wednesday October 17th, the Country Bear Jamboree made its re-debut after a closure of nearly two months. The attraction had been shut down for refurb since Wednesday August 22nd, and several modifications did indeed take place during the downtime. For starters, the show’s length was cut by quite a large margin. The old version of the jamboree was approximately fifteen minutes in length, and the new show now has a runtime of just about eleven minutes. As a result, several of the show’s scenes have been trimmed up a bit. Other changes are not so noticeable, and include things like updates to the show’s control system and sound system. The lighting inside the theater was also adjusted, and some of the bears even got costume upgrades! As a whole, the changes are pretty subtle, and should go relatively unnoticed by the average Guest. But for those of us who frequent the parks, many of these changes will indeed be recognizable. I understand most of these updates were necessary, but I just don’t see why they had to shorten up the show length by four minutes. It can be difficult to get small children to sit still for fifteen minutes, and attention spans are far shorter these days, so perhaps those reasons factored into the equation. I’m interested to hear what you guys think about the scene trimming and the potential reasons it was done, so feel free to sound off in the comments section!

For more news out of Magic Kingdom, let’s take the walkway from Frontierland over to Liberty Square. Those pesky tarps that have covered several buildings around Magic Kingdom the last few years have now made their way over to the Yankee Trader. The gift shop is the latest in a long list of buildings that have had this exterior work done, a list that includes the likes of Peter Pan’s Flight, it’s a small world, Pecos Bill’s Cafe, Frontier Trading Post, Frontierland Mercantile, Sir Mickey’s, Main Street Bakery, The Plaza Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor, and many more. No word yet on how long these decorative tarps will be up, but when they do come down I’ll be sure to report it.

Time to board the Monorail and park-hop over to Epcot now, where there’s news to report out of both Future World and World Showcase. Let’s stop by Innoventions West first, where the IBM game Runtime has just closed up shop. IBM’s Runtime made its debut in 2008, so the game had a respectable run of four years inside Innoventions. Runtime pre-dated and than became a part of the IBM SmarterPlanet exhibit, which came to Innoventions in January of 2010. The other elements of the SmarterPlanet exhibit are still open, so it’ll be interesting to see what the future will bring to the section formerly occupied by Runtime.

Continuing our stroll through Future World, let’s head towards the breezeway and make a stop by Epcot’s Character Spot. The popular meet and greet location just closed down on Sunday October 21st for a major overhaul. The closure is expected to extend throughout the remainder of 2012 and into 2013, as the Character Spot isn’t scheduled to re-open until February at the earliest. If you’re going to be visiting WDW between now and February, you can still see Mickey and friends at various locations throughout Epcot. During the closure, Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto will all be conducting meet and greets in the indoor area between the Character Spot and Fountain View Ice Cream. The Main Entrance to the park will be Goofy’s new home, and a sombrero-laden Donald can be found in World Showcase at the Mexico pavilion. Donald has been appearing outside the Mexico pavilion for quite some time now, so when the re-vamped Character Spot opens it’ll be interesting to see if Donald is still part of the picture or not

Time to make our way across World Showcase Lagoon now, as we venture over to the France pavilion for a follow-up on a previous newsbit. In the September 19th edition of the Newswire, I talked about a new character location under construction near the pavilion. Well, the structure has now been completed, and construction walls have been removed to reveal a beautiful looking gazebo for the meet and greets. It looks like this gazebo will be the new home for Princess Aurora, as she has been at the location daily since Friday October 19th. As of now, Aurora is the only character conducting meet and greets at this new location. As I mentioned in the October 3rd edition of the Newswire, Marie has taken up residence at the flagpole on Main Street USA, and is expected to remain there. I wouldn’t expect the other two former occupants of the France pavilion, Belle and the Beast, to be making appearances at the gazebo either. With the Fantasyland Expansion already in soft previews, the happy couple are pretty busy welcoming Guests into their new home inside Magic Kingdom!

Okay, we’ve got one more stop to make today. For this one, we head out of the parks and make our way into the resorts. Earlier this month, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge unveiled a brand-new safari. The adventure takes place on the resort’s Sunset Savanna, and here’s the best part…the safari takes place after dark! Now, you might be wondering: How will I be able to see the animals? Naturally, Disney thought of that, as each Guest gets to wear a pair of night vision goggles! The excursion takes place on Wednesday and Saturday nights, departs for the savanna at 10pm, and lasts for about an hour. The safari is only offered to Guests staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge or Villas, and it’s available for booking at a cost of $70 per person (ages 8 and up).

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s update. But before we call it a wrap, let’s take a look back at the results of our previous poll. The question was:

Which attraction do you want to see interactive queue upgrades at next?

. Splash Mountain

. Peter Pan’s Flight

. Pirates of the Caribbean

. Tower of Terror

. Expedition Everest

And the winner is…..

Peter Pan’s Flight with 37% of the total vote! Pirates of the Caribbean finished a very close second, bringing in 30% of the votes. Splash Mountain rounded out the top 3, garnering 19% of the total vote. Tower of Terror finished in fourth with 12% of the votes, and Expedition Everest brought up the rear with just 2% of the total vote. I expected Tower of Terror and Expedition Everest to finish towards the back, as both queues are very unique and really don’t need to have interactive elements in place to enhance the Guest experience. On the other hand, interactive queues at Peter Pan, Splash, and Pirates would be pretty cool, and I’d expect to see all three attractions recieve these elements in the near future! Once again, a big thank you to everyone that took the time to vote. And now on to this week’s poll question. Halloween is just days away. So in honor of the special event, today’s question is dedicated to the darker side of Disney…

The post WDW Radio Newswire: Splash Mountain Closing For Refurb In January And Disney Villains Poll Question appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Currently the Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering. We had a chance to talk about his career at Disney, his mentors and inspirations, attractions he helped create such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Splash Mountain and many others. Tony shares wonderful stories about his personal experiences going from Disney fan to Disney Imagineer. We also discuss the current state of the Disney Parks and what the future may hold.

Listen to the FULL, unedited interview on WDW Radio show # 289

The post Video: Interview with Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #289 for the week of August 26, 2012.

This week, I’m excited to share an interview with one of Disney’s legendary Imagineers, Tony Baxter. Currently the Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering. We had a chance to meet and chat recently, as we talk about his career at Disney, his mentors and inspirations, attractions he helped create such as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Splash Mountain and many others. Tony shares wonderful stories about his personal experiences going from Disney fan to Disney Imagineer. We also discuss the current state of the Disney Parks and what the future may hold.

Answer the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for your chance to win a Disney prize package and be sure to stay for other announcements, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from This Week’s Show:

Question for YOU: If you could ask Tony Baxter to “re-Imagineer” one Walt Disney World attraction, which would it be? Leave your answer in the comments section below

• Listen to this week’s episode for the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for a chance to win a Disney prize package!
• Private Tours of Walt Disney World with Lou Mongello
• Disney Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations on our Events page
• Watch & chat during our LIVE WDW NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET at WDWRadioLIVE.com
• For more videos, subscribe to our WDW Radio channel on YouTube or the show in iTunes
• Get Celebrations Magazine on your iPad/iPhone in iTunes App Store
• Check out the Disney Food Blog e-book: The DFB Mini-Guide to the 2012 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival - Use code WDWRADIO to save $3.00!

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The post Show # 289 – August 26, 2012 appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

If you have ridden a thrill ride in Disney World, you know that a camera is located at the peak of the ride so that it will catch you off guard. These pictures are entertaining to look at, and some people buy them to put in a photo album or to bring out to embarrass somebody in the picture. After riding an attraction that involves a camera multiple times, you learn where the cameras are and expect the flash. People have embraced this knowledge and have used it to their advantage by posing and giving everybody a laugh when they see what the person was doing in the picture. Here are ways to have a unique Disney ride photo.

Using signs on rides are a unique way to get a message across in a photo.  You can just fold a piece of paper in your pocket and wait until towards the end of the ride to get them out of your pockets and facing the camera. One of the most famous (infamous) ride pictures are four best friends in the same log who held up signs showing that they loved to party on Splash Mountain. My absolute FAVORITE picture involving signs was actually taken in Disneyland.  Four guys and one man’s girlfriend hopped on a log embarking on a journey. Little did she know that it was going to be a journey she would never forget. When it came time for Brer Rabbit to get sent back down to the Briar Patch, the four men behind the lady (she was in the front) faced the camera and held up these signs. When they exited the ride and went to see their ride photo, Lindsay (the woman in the log) bursts into tears. The signs read “Lindsay will you marry me?” with a ring. One of the men proposed through a ride photo! Now how unique is that!

Posing is another easy and simple thing to do on attractions. Some make more sense on certain rides, like making the famous “Rock On” sign on the Rock N Roller Coaster (I have done this one before) and looking like you are about to dive on Splash Mountain. One of the most famous poses on the internet (and the one that I most commonly see when I am in the parks) is falling asleep. All you have to do is close your eyes, put your hands together and then place your hands under your head and lean on them. This one looks better when everybody on the ride does it.

My absolute favorite things to see in ride pictures are props. You can plan to make a face during the ride or make signs minutes before, but it take planning to use props for the picture. Some include playing a board game like chess or Monopoly (this has to be on a long, slow ride like Splash Mountain) and reading a book or newspaper. “Talking” on the phone (“Hello? Why am I not getting any reception?”) requires, well, a phone. But if you are on a ride that could get you wet like Splash Mountain or goes super-fast like the Rock N Roller Coaster, I wouldn’t recommend it. Instead, attach 2 cans to a piece of string and talk to somebody else on the ride! One that is always funny is acting like you’re lost with a park map.  The picture I have included is a great example of what I am talking about (Thanks to Haley for letting me use her picture. And yes, I am aware that this was taken at Disneyland.) Taking a photo of the camera taking a picture of you would look best on Tower of Terror or Test Track, since Splash Mountain could get your camera wet, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster won’t give you time, you are concentrating on beating your partner during Space Ranger Spin, and DINOSAUR! is a dark ride (I hate when people use flash during dark rides). Plus, on the Tower of Terror, you can see the camera clearly and you are usually at the top for a few seconds before moving.

A group of ride snapshots called “School Comes First” would be great if you are missing school to visit the parks. You take a notebook or textbook on every single ride with a camera (the same notebook or textbook). In the picture, try to look like you are studying hard. Don’t forget to show your teachers when you get back home. When you are putting together your photo album, make sure that they are back-to-back-to-back. It would make it SO much better and funnier! Shaving could also lead to a very comical picture, but I believe would look better on Splash Mountain.

A very simple thing to do before that flash goes off is to make faces. These can be planned in the queue line or even on the ride itself! I have done a few of these, including looking bored. This is great, especially if the whole vehicle decides to do it. Looking confused is a classic one that I have seen people do. Maybe you could even capture the picture “Wait: this isn’t It’s a Small World…” or something of the sort. That is sure to get a laugh!

Costume is an element that I haven’t seen in a lot of ride pictures. Disney won’t allow people dressed as princesses and other notable characters inside the park gates, so if you wanted to do this don’t make it too obvious. If you wanted to go as a character, don’t get a full blown costume. You won’t see the bottom half anyway! For example, if you wanted to go to the parks as Tinkerbell, don’t wear a wig or the shoes – maybe even just wear a shirt that looks like the top of her dress and jeans. If you don’t dress up as a character, you should not have a problem. I’ve seen two boys dressed up as the Men in Black Agents (or Secret Service Agents) and ride Splash Mountain. The picture is priceless! Dressing up like a pirate is one that works great at any of the Magic Kingdom rides because they sell Pirate gear in the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop and dress you up at the Pirate League. As long as you don’t go all-out (not including the Pirates League – unless you look a lot like Johnny Depp) you should have a smooth trip past security.

Keep in mind that if you do something inappropriate, the Cast Member will not show you your picture. It will not be available for purchase, and you could risk being kicked out of the park. So don’t do something stupid- this is meant to make your pictures fun. On that note, do you have any ideas of what to do when you see that flash? Leave a comment down below letting me know! I would LOVE to try some new things next time I go to Walt Disney World!

Diane got my “Where in the World?” question correct first. It is the truck where you can find Little Red at the end of Kilimanjaro Safaris.

See ya REAL soon!
~Makena W.

Quote of the Week: “The ancients spoke of it. It is the heart of this fierce land. It is carried in the wind. Born of our legends and when we are put to the test, it is the one thing that we must always be.” ~ Merida, Brave

The post Distinctive Disney Ride Photos appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.