Holy Crap! Last One! or... Real or Bullshit Part 10!!!

Hiya Disney Dorks!

This is it! Finally! Ten parts, ten posts, ten days! High stepping into the endzone!(that's a sports reference people!)

Are you as sick of reading this as I am writing it?? Wow. That was rude... You were SUPPOSED to say no!

Let's get to 'em! And by "em" I mean the last 5 on this list right here!

#46 The Magic Kingdom in Florida is actually built on the second level of the park. The first level is a network of "utilidors" built to allow costumed characters to cross the parks unseen by the public. It can also be used to transport trash and can be used by ambulances in emergencies.

This is totally true! The utilidors are also used to hide the parks utilities... right there in the corridors! Hey wait! Utility! Corridor! Utilidor!! The original celebrity couple name mash up! Oh who needs you Kimye, Branjelina and Bennifer? We got Utilidors!

You wanna see what they look like?
 

Found a map about it! Wanna see it? Here it goes.

The utilidors are not actually underground. They are built at sea level and the Magic Kingdom is built about 15 feet above them. The "tunnels" are also color coded for easy of navigation!

Exciting stuff huh?

Ready to move on to the next thing? Me too!

TRUE

#47 There are vents on Main Street that pump artificial vanilla scents into the air. During Christmas, though, they use peppermint. 

Fun fact about FSL(Future Supreme Leader... aka my wife). She has a Super Sniffer and can smell things way better than I can. She just told me that she has NEVER smelled vanilla or peppermint walking down Main Street. During the holidays, when it snows, it smells like gingerbread... hell, even I could smell that! Most of the confirmation I have seen about this is from WDW... That's kinda par for the course with this list, it is very Disney World heavy!

Disney's use of Smellitizers, which pump the scents out, are another example of  "sensory tickles"(still sounds kinda creepy) used to create an immersive experience for the guests.

PUSH... will let you know after the next time we go to Disneyland

#48 If you hear Code V over a radio, it's for vomit.
  
Also heard "protein spill". Here is an article from a former CM from, you guessed it, Disney World.

I found a list of radio codes used in Disneyland.
100 - Delayed opening 
101 - Attraction Down
101G - Attraction is Down due to Guest Activities
102 - Attraction is up - Routine
103 - Attraction Down - Emergency
104 - Attraction is operating at reduced capacity (running fewer units, trains, cars etc.
105 - Attraction is operating at full capacity
514 - 'Look out for' or 'Check it out'
902 - Traffic Accident
904 Fire
Code 90 - Temperature has reached 90°, loosen clothing
PXXXXX - VIP importance where P stands for Priority... and the x's indicate importance.
"V" is called when a certain ride does not agree with one's stomach.
Code "H" means one of the Main Street horses left some recycled hay on the street.

TRUE
 
#49 When it first opened in 1955, Disneyland had a lingerie store on Main Street called "The Wizard of Bras"

Finally one that is about Disneyland! You know the porch on the right side of Main Street if you are headed into the park? Great place to people watch if you haven't sat there before... Well, that used to house the shop Intimate Apparel also referred to as the Corset Shop in some 1956 guide books.The store was sponsored by H-M Company, at the time known as Hollywood-Maxwell or The Wizard of Bras! BOOM! Some say the porch was build to keep a buffer zone between the apparel and the prying eyes of some of the younger guests. Here is an example of the Whirpool Bra, created and sold by Hollywood-Maxwell.

Unrelated to the H-M Company, there is a Wizard of Bra's in Monrovia, CA... Not as awesomely retro as the former Main Street Store, but... it has the same name!So, it's kinda the same... but different...

TRUE 

#50 There is room for eight more countries in Epcot's World Showcase.

No body cares! Woooo! Thanks everyone! That's my time!

But apparently it's true.  

Here is the article I "borrowed' the picture from...

TRUE 

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH! OH CRAP! AHHHHHH! WOOOOOHOO!

I am finished!! Up next a 143 part post on the history of... your mom! Just kidding! That would only take one post!

Today's tally 4-0-1... Bringing the grand total to... 37-10-3!

Coming soon-ish... Emphasis on the -ish... Haunted Disneyland and what would I like to see them add to the park...

First, a full nights sleep... and a cocktail...

Thanks for sticking with me through this. I had been avoiding writing for so long that I wanted to see if I could pull off a marathon of blogging. 

Stay Dorky!

-Jumba

P.S. Any comments? Besides Brianne... Did you enjoy this series? Get updates on Facebook!

P.P.S. I am going to change it up on this and not put any pictures right here. Instead, I have some heartfelt thank yous... or is it thank you's? Either way. Thank you to FSL for her love and support... and pictures! Thanks to my CM friends who helped verify some information and kept me hydrated, #sorrynotsorry. Pesk and Rossco! You are the original Disney Dorks! Thank you! Matt, Jason and Erik thank you for the support and liking stuff on Facebook! Brianne - The only commenter and my first follower that I didn't know beforehand! Thanks for the new post ideas and trying to have a dialogue! Drew K.- Thank you for posting this mind numbing list. I will never forgive you. Ramiro and Carolina - You guys are amazing! Thank you for sharing my posts and nudging me when I was secretly ready to give up. Finally a HUGE thank you to all the new readers and followers! I hope you are enjoying yourselves... More to come!

P.P.P.S PICTURES!!!!!

 

Underwear? More Like Undershare or... Real of Bullshit Part 9

Howdy Dorks!

This is it! The post before the last post! I feel like I have given birth to a giant sarcastic, poorly written baby.

Thanks for hanging in! These last few are anything but ground breaking, but let's see if any of them are true.

Ready?

Here is the list we are looking at, just so we are all on the same page... literally.

#41 There used to be paint brushes hidden on Tom Sawyer Island. If you found one, you could present it to the barge driver and you and your party would get Golden Fast Passes.

As recent as 2012, paint brushes were hidden by Cast Members on Tom Sawyers Island in Disney's Magic Kingdom. If you found a paint brush and brought it to the raft pilot you would receive a pass for Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain. The hunt ended in January of 2013.

Here is a pic

Photo courtesy of  www.wdwprepschool.com

TRUE

#42 When it was built, Tomorrowland was supposed to represent the far off future year of 1986.

Eerie right? 1986... It was once futuristic and now it's just retro.

Here is what Walt had to say about it:

"Tomorrow can be a wonderful age.Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit out children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future."

They used 1986 because that was the year Haley's Comet was going to be visible from Earth. Tomorrowland was the last land built for the 1955 Opening. Work, on that area, was behind enough that Walt had resigned himself to have "coming soon" signs outside of the futuristic land. He decided to push the construction until the last day. A good gamble, because Tomorrowland opened with the rest of the park although is was no where near complete. They used colorful banners and signs to hide the fact that MOST of the land was unfinished. The first few days there wasn't a whole lot going on. The only attractions available were a display only model of the Moonliner rocket, the Circarama theater, the Hall of Chemistry and a barely working Autopia. Within a month of Opening Day the Rocket to the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Exhibit and Phantom Boats were open and drawing large in crowds. Tomorrowland really hit it's stride in 1959 when the Matterhorn(part of Tomorrowland then), Submarine Voyage and the Monorail opened to the public.

Fun Fact. All the plants used in Tomorrowland and edible! Just don't pick the and eat them though. They are there for everyone's enjoyment! OH! And even though it was created to represent the year 1986 they have since changed the time period to a more ambiguous 21st century... ohhhhh! Score one for ambiguity!

TRUE

#43 If you are referred to as a "treasured guest," it means you are an asshole and workers are being warned against you.

Spoke with a few Disneyland Cast Member friends and they all have never heard this to be a real thing. Which brings up this point. It's Disneyland... Act like you've been there before, but NOT like you own the place. Seriously. Don't be a dick! Then, when a CM calls you a "Treasured Guest" they will actually mean it!

I have heard the term Passhole.... It's used for the Annual Passholders that think they are owed something because they have a pass... Guess what? Disneyland  doesn't like you because you don't spend money in the parks! It's not the mall!

FALSE Although... I am sure that one time or another it was used by a sarcastic Cast Member.

#44 Until 2001, Disney required all cast members playing costumed park characters wear communal underwear.

Trying to contact some people to get the inside scoop on this one...

Haven't heard back... Here is an LA Times article that is talking about this myth.

There seems to be some validity to this story. Seems that cast members were given ALL parts of the costume and turned them in at the end of the day to be laundered. The purpose of the standard under garments was to make sure the costume fit properly and to avoid bunching and visible panty lines.

In 2001 the Costumed Characters Union(not really a thing, but it would have most adorable strike ever) won a dispute(thank you pubic lice and scabies). Multiple CM's have confirmed that they are now expected to wear their own underwear underneath their tights or bike shorts.

TRUE

#45 Everyone knows that there are hidden Mickeys all over the Disney Parks, but there are also hidden Tribute Mickeys at Universal Parks in the Harry Potter and Jurassic Park rides.

This one is just ridiculous! Disney has no stake in Universal! Why would they hide "tribute" Hidden Mickey's?? It absolutely makes no sense. There are a few Disney references inside the Universal Parks, but they are not showing respect to Disney... They are mocking it!

Here is one on Twister... Ride it Out.

Disney Mouse Ears at Twister... Ride It Out. PHOTO BY GREGORY RYAN

Mickey ears... RUN OVER!

Here is one from Jurassic Park

Photo courtesy of someone whose ship I boarded and looted!

 In the water next to a boat that was attacked by a dinosaur!! Not cool Universal!

Oh! Here is something interesting!! This is the Dragon Challenge(formerly Dueling Dragons) from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Photo courtesy of KindaShifty on reddit

This is an awesome Hidden Mickey! Another shot of it. Here is the story... it's a doozy... Originally, this coaster was built for Disney's Animal Kingdom to be part of unbuilt Beastly Kingdom. Conflicting stories here... Some say the ride was sold to Universal and some say that Islands of Adventure, including the Dueling Dragons roller coaster was designed by former Imagineers... Either way... Seems the Studio's ended up with Disney's hand-me-downs!

In yo face!

I wouldn't say these are "tribute" Mickeys, but there ARE nods to the Mouse, even if it is in a derisive fashion...

FALSE because I don't think they are tributes... But I  can't wait to go to Wizarding World of Harry Potter!

Phew! Made it! Almost at the finish line!

Today's record? 3-2... Over all... 33-10-2

Next time... Tunnels, smells, vomit, bras and dumb ole Epcot!

Stay Dorky for at least one more post!

-Jumba

P.S. Going to the park later today... Anyone else?

P.P.S. Future Supreme Leader's generously gave me more pictures from her Instagram

.

When is a Mountain Not a Mountain or... Real or Bullshit Part 8

Oh man! The title of Part 7 still makes me chuckle... Ha... Phew... Top of my game there folks... and you witnessed it! Lucky dogs! It's all down hill from there... But enjoy today's post!

I think I need to figure out a new name for us! I like Disney Dorks... But after 7 posts of calling you Dorks, the word has lost all meaning! Any ideas?

It's Penultimate Post Day Eve! My favorite holiday that I just made up fpr this occasion! Let me check the calendar here... Ahhh, yeah, you don't have to go into work today, there IS mail delivery and trash pick up will be on it's normal schedule but all buses will be on their Sunday schedules

Where is the list?? Here it is!

#36 The pavement between the different "worlds" in the Disney parks changes suddenly. These "sensory tickles" startle you and make you look up and around, realizing that your surroundings have changed.

Seriously.

What have I gotten myself into?

That would totally explain why I am constantly hearing people GASP! when they cross into New Orleans Square. Startle? Ha! Who wrote this?

Yes the ground between lands changes. It is a wonderful touch! Here is an article about the ground at Magic Kingdom. It's pretty interesting.

TRUE... although...the term "sensory tickles" kinda creeps me out.

#37 The skull on the headboard of Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean is a real skull.

The story goes like this. When Imagineers were building Pirates they were disappointed with the way the artificial skeletons were looking so they put a call into UCLA Medical School to get some cadaver skeletons. Somewhere along the line most of the real bones were switched out. The only real bones that are left are the skull and crossbones on the wall in the Captain's Quarters scene. There is some debate about this. Some sources site that there were real human remains on the ride but were ALL given back ti have a proper burial. The majority of people do seem to agree that the set behind the Captain is still real. 

Even the CM's seem to agree. 

The rest of the debate about the skull has to do with the moral question of should Disneyland keep the remains of a human being on the ride or give them a proper burial. For me, there is no question. In fact, when I die(as if I could) I WANT my bones on Pirates... What do you guys think? Does Disney have a moral obligation to return these bones? Leave a comment with your opinion... even if it is wrong!

TRUE

#38 If it were an actual mountain, Space Mountain would be the third tallest mountain in Florida.

This shit is pretty funny!

I know Florida is pretty flat... The highest mountain in Florida is Sugarloaf Mountain at 312 feet, followed by Iron Mountain at 295 feet and Sandy Mountain at 270.... Then Space Mountain at 180 feet... But that is just you take into consideration that those "peaks" in Florida ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT HAVE "MOUNTAIN" IN THE NAME!! There is literally a metric fuck ton of "Hill"s that are higher than elevation than Space Mountain... Are they trying to get technical on ME?? Dicks. This can't be right... back to the library! That's where I do all my research! "Library" means sitting in front of the TV in my living room, right?

Shoot! It's not even the tallest mountain at Walt Disney World! Expedition Everest is 199 feet(one more foot and they would have had to put a red flashing light on top) above ground level.

Busted? I think so... Wait!!! Hold the phone! Let's take into consideration that most of the WDW resort is 80-90 feet above sea level... That would bring Space Mountain up to... carry the one, divide the demoniator, subtract the sum... move the decimal point... okay... between 260 and 270 feet above sea level! Okay! Let's check the chart! Nope! Still like the 16th tallest...

You wanna know what the shitty thing about this whole thing... Not even sure if the numbers are correct. It was super easy to find height requirements for Space Mountain... Ride height? No problem. Actual height of the peaks? Not so easy. You know what "mountain" peak height information was easy to find?? DISNEYLANDS!!

FALSE 

#39 Steve Martin worked at Disneyland between the time he was 10 and 18, among other things as, a magician.

Yes. That was before the cocaine...

TRUE

#40 The Tinkerbelle that flies across the sky during the fireworks show is sometimes played by a man.

Who? I don't know who that is. What park is that at? OH! You mean Tinker Bell! Ah, I get it now. Maybe they are talking about Tink from Disneyland Paris? Is that how they spell her name? I will look into that, because this "silly thing" is definitely on the horrible side...

Back to it. 

TINKER BELL ISN'T A FACE CHARACTER! Did we know this already? I didn't. Gives some credence to the "fact"... 

Okay. Here is what I have found out... Tinker Bell who flies from the Matterhorn to the Castle is played by a woman... or a man... but definitely ALWAYS a woman... and sometimes a man. Has to be a woman! Gotta fit in the harness and all... and has to be no taller than 5'2"... Although, occasionally.... it's played by a six foot tall dude... Can't be a woman! Gotta carry battery packs!  No, no, you are all wrong! Tinkerbell is played by a drone!(That's not even a joke! In the eighties, it almost was!)

I am really no further on in figuring this out than when I started this post, what seems like, ten years ago... Everyone claims to have spoken with a CM. Someone even claimed to have photographic proof that flying Tink was female and posted a picture of Tinkerbell... from a parade. Geesh!

Hard facts that seem pretty agreed upon? The stuntwoman... OR man! Ahhh, stunt... person? Yeah. Let's go with that... The stuntperson who makes the flight gets paid $650 for it. Sign me the fuck up! OH! And when I die in a horrible firework induced crash into the ground, Pirates gets my bones! Boom! Call back! That's a plan!

What interested me most in my research was... how stupid some people really are... But beyond that, was the story of the first flying Tinker Bell, Tiny Kline. Born in 1981... errrr!(that's a cars brakes sound... make it in your head... go ahead, I'll wait) Sorry, born in 1891, Hungarian born, Helen Deustch moved to the United States with a dance troupe when she was 14.  She began working for Barnum and Bailey Circus under the name Tiny Duchee, where she met her husband, an equestrian trick rider named Otto. When he passed during a stunt Tiny took over for him. In 1933 she performed her "slide of death" trick, sliding across a wire in Times Square by her teeth!


In 1958 Disney approached Tiny to see if she would be willing to dress up like Tinker Bell and slide down the Hollywood Bowl a concert that Walt was sponsoring. Three years later when Tinker was added to the fireworks show, she was approached again and agreed to continue to perform the flying stunt. She started working at Disneyland at the age of 71(!!) and continued until her health forced her to retire in 1964. They had no way of stopping her at the time so when she got to the end of the line, two burly Disney Cast Members were waiting... with a full sized mattress for her to crash into... Some things never change! As recent as 2011, guests who are watching the fireworks between Village Haus and Casey Jr. have seen Tink fly into a mattress!

What a life Tiny Kline had! There are sources that say that the job of Tinker Bell was passed on to Tiny's daughter and then her grand daughter but I could find no confirmation of that.

"Tinkerbelle: is NOT how they spell her name in Disneyland Paris... Stupids.

And speaking of stupid! I always thought her name was Tinkerbell, like Cher or Ke$ha... But it's actually Tinker Bell, Or Miss Bell if you're nasty...

Have we decided on an answer yet? I am leaning toward true, because it just makes sense...

TRUE

Did we make it through?

 I think I want to to a list of my own totally made up facts...

Today we went 4-1. Barely... more like 4ish... grand total.... badabadabada(that's a drum roll. God! Do I have to hold your hand through EVERYTHING?) 30-8-2! ONLY 10 MORE TO GO!!

Tomorrow... Pheeeew... I am going to try to get both posts done because FSL and I are probably going to the parks Thursday... Whoops. That was supposed to be internal monologue. Luckily the last ten are pretty lame, I should be able to half ass my way through them pretty quickly... INTERNAL Jumba! INTERNAL...er, I mean give them my best effort!

Dtay Snorky! I wanted to change it up a bit and got completely uncreative... Sorry(no I'm not*wink*)

-Jumba

P.S. Jumba's Totally Not Made Up and Scientifically Proven Facts About Disneyland
1. There are ALWAYS 47 ducks on the property, never more and never less... and if you see two ducks flying after each other you are required by law to yell out "DUCK RAAAACE!" That last part I made up because I really want to get this DUCK RAAAACE thing to be a thing.
2. Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor was named after Kirk Gibson's daughter.
3. Space Mountain isn't really a rollercoaster just two guys to shake the car and some fans.
4. Starting in 2016 you will need an actual Drivers License to ride Autopia
5. The real Matterhorn in the Alps also has a rollercoaster going through it.

P.P.S. The pictures today come courtesy of FSL's Instagram

Ali is the Garnish Character Queen... That's KINDA like a celebrity

...

 Also, that "characters" name is Lemony Smokeit...

And the Poop Will Flow Through the Streets or... Real or Bullshit Part 7

What up Disney Dorks?

Could have I come up with a worse title? Holy hell!

Here were some other contenders...
*I Can Do It With The Whole Hand or Just Two Fingers, But Not Just One Finger...
*Dead Presidents Have a Purpose After All
*When It Rains, Thank The Main Drain
And then something about Big Balls.

And I went with poo... Because I am classy.
 
Here is Part 7 of the Silly Things You Wouldn't Know About The Disney Theme Parks

Ready to jump back into this? Here is the list!

#31 Park employees are required to point with either their whole hand or with two fingers. This is because some cultures see pointing with one finger disrespectful.

Totally true. That was too easy... Short post today... can feel it in my bones. And when I saw "my" bones, I mean the ones I keep in the jar next to my desk JUST so I can write this sentence...

Craziest story about the pointing thing. I read a comment on someone else's blog(yes, I can read) where they tried to say it was because that's how Walt's fingers were when the digitally removed the cigarette from all the pictures of him... Awesome! Wrong, but awesome.

The one finger point is considered rude in so many other countries, especially those in the Middle and Far East that it is probably just a smart idea to adopt the Disney point and use it in your every day life.

Here is another one finger point that is considered rude in many places, just not my Secret Lair on Skullcrusher Mountain and at Cove Bar Social Club... It is actually rude NOT to try to slip this single finger point into a picture, to emphasize your point, or as a form of salutation.

From Left to Right. FSL'S finger, Me and Joseph's finger(coming out of my face) and Judy... No salutation from her

See? That's from a Cove Bar Social Club Meeting during World of Color...

TRUE

#32 The brown pavement in Liberty Square is supposed to represent the sewage drainage into the street which was common in Colonial days. Yes... it's poop.

Oh my god! Who gives a shit?(Pun totally intended) It's actually a nice touch. Not much more needs to be said about this. Wanna see it? Here... annnnnd here...

In case you have never been to Magic Kingdom. Liberty Square is Disneyworld's equivalent to New Orleans Square... With shit...

TRUE

Hopefully this next one will be interesting.

#33 Some of the characters in Spaceship Earth are actually re-purposed robots from the Hall of Presidents. Teddy Roosevelt is a Roman Senator, John Adams is a Monk, and William Taft is an Egyptian priest.

Nope, not interesting. Disney has been repurposing animatronic figures for a long time. Most of the America Sings characters ended up in Splash Mountain and a couple in Star Tours. It totally doesn't surprise me...

Let's see if I can find some pictures... Carolina and Roman! Can you guys take pictures while you are there? Boom! Gimmie a three weeks and I should have some pictures for you guys... Can you wait that long? I am ALREADY getting excited! It's like waiting for Christmas morning! In this case, all you are getting for Christmas is blurry pictures of dead presidents dressed up as other people... Ooooh. You must have been bad this year.

Here is a good list of all the repurposed animatironics on Spaceship Earth

TRUE

#34 When it rains, guests standing underneath Spaceship Earth will not get wet thanks to it's unique drainage system

What's with all the Spaceship Earth stuff all of a sudden. I think whoever wrote it has a little crush!

Here is what Spaceship Earth looks like...

Photo courtesy of http://orlandoinside.com

Photo courtesy of http://thedisneyblog.com

Rain water is absorbed into the sphere through one inch gaps in the facets of the panels and drains into a system that channels all the water to into the World Showcase Lagoon. Fun-ish fact there are 11,324 facets and 954 partial panels. Fun-er fact.., I counted them all... Fun-est fact... I made that last one up! FUN!

TRUE but I have never been there to verify the validity...

Last one for today...Anyone else bored with these?

#35 The aquarium at Epcot's "The Seas" is so big...(how big is it? My tribute to the Match Game), Spaceship Earth could fit inside it.

Balls! This is getting ridiculous! This is how I am reading this. "The aquarium at Epcot's "The Seas" is so fat, my boyfriend, Spaceship Earth could fit inside." We get it! You love a giant sphere! Geesh! 

This one may need some math.... I am great at two things, drinking, swearing and counting things! 

Opening in 1986, Living Seas is home to the second largest salt water aquarium in the world, holding 5.7 million gallons... That's MILLION... 5,700,000 gallons... That's a shit ton!

Photo courtesy of http://apogeeattractions.com

The main aquarium environment measures 203 feet in diameter but only 27 feet deep while Spaceship Earth only has a diameter of 165 feet... but is 180 feet tall. I guess you need to take away the 18 feet the sphere is off the ground, bringing it to 162 feet tall... So, while it is true that SE could fit in the footprint of the aquarium... it would tower over it. 

I am going to call this "true"(I am even going to put quotes around it because as I say it I can totally picture myself doing air quotes as I say it) but "fit inside", is a relative term. I am still debating this one... If I buy  a pair of shoes, the shoes "fit inside" the box... But if I were able to stand with both feet in the same box, would you say that I "fit" in the box? True? False? True-ish? False-ish? Let's go with a push until we can debate it further... Leave your opinion in the comments!

PUSH  

This group was kind of... Boring? Sucky? Lame? All of the Above?

What's the tally for today? 4-0-1. Bringing the grand total to 26-7-2.

Let's hope tomorrow picks up a bit! Tomorrow we get to tackle: Pavement(not giving me a lot of hope), skulls(getting better), the definition of a mountain(lame, but I think it will prove enlightening), Steve Martin(pre cocaine and banjo) and Tinkerbell being a dude... There is some hope in these.

We are almost at the finish line folks! What am I going to write about after this? Any ideas? Post them to the Facebook page!

Please... If it's not too much trouble, remain Dorky!(It's hard to find new ways to say goodbye...

-Jumba

P.S. My top 5 things to eat at the Disneyland Resort
5. The Biscuits from Carathay - Save the Biscuits, Save the World
4. Lettuce Wraps from Cove - New and pretty damn tasty
3. Chimichanga from street vendors - Don't judge, blame Mario
2. Fried Pickles from Carnation Cafe - Delicious...
1. Corn Arepas from UVA - I may call them Corn Rapists...

P.P.S. GIF-TACULAR! Plus a Celebrity... Sadly, that may be that last of my Celeb shots.

Celeb alert! Mariska Hargitay from Law and Order: SVU

Who Wrote This Crap? Err- Not THIS Crap, Cause I Wrote This or... Real or Bullshit Part 6

The road so far...  *Carry on my wayward son...*
Abandoned WWD parks.
Erections
Grey Stuff
Sam goes to hell
Gum
I'm not a crook
Doritos
Explosions
Dean is a demon

Sorry... Spoiler alert! You are supposed to say that after you say the spoiler, right?  Oh Man! I wonder if I can slip in any other references to my fandoms??  Prossibly... (that means no)

Also...  Dorks! *high fives all around* *some low fives for safety's sake* *couple of fist bumps* *and 7 awkward hugs*

Phew... What a journey! We are now OFFICIALLY over half way!

What have the jerkfaces brought us today?

#26 Any cast member can invoke the "No Sad Kids" rule. That means anything from replacing dropped ice cream and lost souvenirs to replacing soiled clothes for free.

I don't know if it is actually written down as the "No Sad Kids" rule. But it is true that Disneyland is great when it comes to replacing lost, damaged or dropped items. I have seen kids drop their ice creams and immediately get swarmed by CM's, one cleans up the mess and the other replaces the ice cream. It's not just kids either! One time FSL bought a light up Tinkerbell pin. We went on Haunted Mansion and as we were exiting she noticed that just the pin back was on her shirt and Tink was nowhere to be seen. We went back to the vendor where she got it, told him the story, and he directed us to City Hall where they issued a replacement voucher and BAM! New pin!

I am going to try wetting my pants and see if I can get replacements!

Just kidding! I already tried it... annnnnnnd it didn't work! People just wrinkled their nose and looked at me weirdly.

In actuality, during a Cove Bar Social Club meeting the "wind" *cough*FSL*cough* knocked a menu into a drink, which fell over in a torrent of icy, boozy, wetness all over my innocent leg(yes, including the Luxardo Cherries). No free clothes... Apparently Mother Nature isn't Disney's fault.

Oh! But I DID try to pick up my Diet Coke... with chopsticks... In the Carathy Circle Lounge... and I DID get a replacement soda! In a child's cup... with a lid. :( My shame... Shhh! I kept the chopsticks!

TRUE... But when it comes down to it, I think it falls to the Cast Members discretion.

#27 Fourteen of the original rides from Disneyland's 1955 opening are still in operation.

This is how I know that the jack ass who wrote this isn't a real Disney fan. This one is false because of a poor choice of words. It should say that there are 14 attractions from Opening Day that are still open today.

Here is what they are... I will start with the "rides"
1. Disneyland Railroad - actually called the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad
2. Jungle Cruise - My favorite.
3. Mark Twain Riverboat - Mark 1... Mark 2... Mark Twwwwaaaiiiiinn
4. Casey Jr. Circus Train - Had a lot of problems the first day, was closed the second day and reopened two weeks later.
5. King Aurthur's Carousel - Fun fact. One of the 72 horses is a mule.
6. Mad Tea Party - Not to be confused with Mad T Party...
7. Mr. Toad's Wild Ride - A ride about drunk driving and going to hell... Awesome.
8. Snow White's Scary Adventure - If you hit it right, you can hear the Evil Queen say "apple" 5 times...
9. Storybook Land Canal Boats - Originally called Canal Boats of the World
10. Autopia - Not Autotopia... CM's get extra money for working there because of the fumes
11. Peter Pan's Flight - Just a bit of Pixie Dust and we'll be on our way...

Not my definition of a "ride", but close enough

12. Fire Engine and Horse Drawn Carriages - The vehicles that travel up and down Main Street

There only seems to be 12. So right here the this myth is busted! Change ride to attraction and let's see what happens...

13.. Main Street Cinema - Now shows Disney shorts including Steam Boat Willie
14. Golden Horseshoe Stage - If you haven't been here, GO! It's air conditioned, has food and a great, fun show!

If you want to be technical and I do... The Disneyland Band debuted on Opening Day as well and they are still around... So that makes 15. DOUBLE BUSTED!

Researching this was difficult ... Everyone seems to have a slightly different list of Opening Day attractions. Weird. Should be pretty cut and dry right?  So, I did what I could and just filled in my own blanks... Captain EO was there on the first day, right?

FALSE based solely because of a poor choice of words... and it was the wrong amount of attractions as well. So there;s that too... "Solely" was a poor choice of words.

#28 When Disneyland was first built, it was supposed to have included the Land of Oz, but it was never constructed.

Kind of... But not really... Loaded language strikes again. This makes it sound like there was going to be a Tomorrowland, Frontierland and Land of Oz. That was never on the books... Disney was, however, going to build Rock Candy Mountain and incorporate it into Storybook Land Canal Boats. Riders would have floated into caverns in the Mountain and seen scenes(geez! That was a mouthful. Lemme try that again)... riders would have found scenes from Disney's new movie based on one of Frank L. Baum's many Wizard of Oz sequels. Plans for the movie fell through and the idea of Rock Candy Mountain and all its relation to the Wizard of OZ were EXTERMINATEd.

FALSE


#29 Disney parks are constantly repainted of touched up nightly to make sure the park looks pristine, They also employ undercover security to prevent vandalism and graffiti.

Yep, I mean that makes it sound like the entire park is repainted everyday and the would be an impossibility. But they do their best to keep up on all maintenance including repainting and touching up if necessary. 

The under cover security also looks out for thieves, public intoxication, death eaters and other behaviors that could ruin other guests experience. Also... they have a shit ton of cameras... Just kind of assume you are ALWAYS on camera.

This one is dumb... It's just common sense! Come on people who came up with these! Step up your game! We went from an obscure part of an attraction that was never build to this?

TRUE  

#30 During the parks first year, real ammunition was used at the Penny Arcade's shooting gallery.

Ooooh! Interesting... I couldn't find a whole lot of information on this topic. Some sources say that the Main Street Shooting Gallery used .22 caliber short rounds(Haha free Temple of Doom reference! That's not even part of my fandoms!). Winchester made rifles specifically for shooting galleries that fired the .22 short around that time. More likely the rifle shot .22 caliber BB's which were similar to air fired .22 caliber pellets that you can "shoot your eye out" with today. Unlike the .22 short, the BB does not use any propellent and uses only the energy of the primer to discharge the round.

Either way, the Main Street Shooting Gallery located in the Penny Arcade didn't last too long. Main Street is meant to portray the idyllic version of Small Tow, USA and gun fire apparently didn't fit into that.

I would love to be able to talk to someone who was there, or better yet a CM that worked at the Penny Arcade to give us some confirmation!

I am going to say that this "Silly Thing" is true because by definition any projectile shot out of a gun can be considered ammunition.

TRUE

That's it for today... I actually had to do some work on some of these! Won't be making that mistake again!

3 and 2 today...  22-7-1 lifetime.

In the next episode. Fingers, poop, dead presidents, rain and water! You had me at poop!

Stay Dorky!

-Jumba

P.S. Interesting question for you... Going back to Part 3 of this series.  Does the new Starbucks, that took the place of Market House, sell gum? You can usually buy gum there... Someone check on that! Or I will next time I go to the Parks... I will keep you posted! I know you will be checking the Facebook EVERYDAY until you have an answer... You are just that dedicated!

P.P.S. I know what you are waiting for... Well at least Carolina is waiting... I am going to dragggggggggg this out!

P.P.P.S. So! How are you guys doing? Having a good Memorial Day?

P.P.P.P.S. Pictures or GIF's? Both?

Fake Joey Fatone

Fake Nole Marin - Stylist and judge on America's Next Top Model

Almost Halfway or... Real or Bullshit Part 5

Good morning... or afternoon... or evening... I guess it all depends on when you are reading this... Let's try it this way...

Good whatever-time-you-are-reading-this Dorks!

This here is the almost half way point of our incredible journey through the realm of what silly things about Disney you may or may not know... To honor this auspicious day I am... err... I MAY be doing some proofreading, but no guarantees... and when I say "no guarantees", I really mean no...

Ready? Let's get weird!

#21 If you hate crowds, go in January.

There may have been a point in time when that was true. If you have been to Disneyland lately, you have come to notice that THERE ARE NEVER ANY DAYS WHERE THERE NO CROWDS! Oh my god! It's so annoying! I want yell at all the slow people blocking the walkways, "Do you know who I am?!" But no one would and that would be pretty lame. That is part of the reason that Disney recently increased prices and suspended sales of the Southern California Pass.

It does seem to be true that right after the New Year, when most kids go back to school, the Parks aren't as busy as they are during Thanksgiving through Christmas... and Spring Break... annnnnnnd Summer... annnnnnnnnnd any major holiday in the in between time. *cough*Memorial Day*cough*

If you want to avoid the peak times, I would say January, February and March, also September through the week of Thanksgiving are slower than the peak times with the exception of the Halloween Parties.

If you REALLY want to avoid the crowds... Stay home and look at other peoples pictures on Instagram and live vicariously through them. Here is FSL's and mine(not all Disney though)... and Cove Bar Social Clubs

TRUE(ish)

#22 Count the Captain Jack Sparrows on Pirates of the Caribbean. There are usually three. If you have seen four, you might have actually seen Johnny Depp who sometimes hangs out in the ride in full costume for fun.

This one makes it seem like it happens all the time. I have never seen it... Nor has anyone else on the internet. No pictures, no videos, no really cool stories. After the 2006 referb Johnny Depp went ON the ride and got a close up interaction with one of the Animatronic Jack Sparrows, but he is obviously not in full costume. UNLESS that is an animatronic Johnny Depp and the real one is in the full get up in the barrel!

I am going to chalk this one up to Disney Myth and/or if you have seen 4 Captain Jacks... maybe you are just bad at counting.

FALSE

#23 There is a basketball court hidden inside of the Matterhorn.

There is.

According to a cast member, when you get signed off to operate the Matterhorn, they take you up to the fifth floor to sign the wall and invite you to shoot hoops. Some CM's decline...

The rumor of how the hoop came to be inside the 1/100th scale replica of the real Matterhorn is pretty funny. The legend goes that Walt wanted to get around Anaheim zoning laws limiting heights of buildings, by using a loophole that a "sports complex" was not subject to the restrictions. Put in a basketball hoop. BOOM! instant sports complex! Unfortunately, that story doesn't fit because those zoning laws didn't get on the books until loooong after the Matterhorn was finished. The truth is a little more mundane. The hoop was put in by the climbers who wanted a way to pass the time between climbs and bad weather days.

http://www.invisiblethemepark.com

TRUE

#24 At New Orleans Train Station you can hear morse code playing. It's Walt Disney's inaugural speech "To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Here age relives fond memories of the past and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future."

I will mark this in the close enough category.  99.5% of the Disneyland guests won't be able to tell the difference, but it isn't actually Morse Code, but Landline Telegraphy a.k.a Railroad Morse a.k.a. American Morse Code used by the railroads to communicate. Confused? Me too... but don't worry, just remember the term "Landline Telegraphy" and if some says it's Morse Code, tell them what's up and win the argument. Check this out if you want to know more...But why would you? You have already won the argument.

Also important to point out. It's not the full speech. The clacks and dots only tap out two of the first three lines from the speech.

There are some myths that go along the message. I have heard that the message was tapped out by Lillian Disney who was a telegrapher before she worked for Disney. This is where it gets good. Allegedly, the code was tapping out messages that were not quite guest friendly and Lillian was the one figured it out and changed it. Probably not true at all but I really like the idea of it.

TRUE 

#25 Richard Nixon's famous, "I'm not a crook" speech was given at Disneyland.

The speech must have been given in Washington DC or something, right? Apparently not. The Speech was given in a meeting room at Disney's Contemporary Resort at the Magic Kingdom. This is NOT a case I will mark in the "close enough" category. Nixon had

FALSE... but the truth is still pretty cool.

Is that it? Are we at 25?!?! Half way bitches! Today the record stands at 3 True and 2 False bringing the total record up to 19-5-1. Not bad!

Hope you all enjoying this as much as I am writing it. And by that I mean, NOT AT ALL! Haha! Just kidding. I am learning a lot. I just hope the information I am giving you is, at least, close enough to the truth that I can avoid internet persecution... Like... what I am doing to the jerk who posted the Silly Disney crap... Uggh.,. Circle of blogger... This may not be the best Disney Blog(I am trying to sound humble, you know as well as I do that this is the greatest), but what I lack in class, good writing and facts, I make up for with charm, adorability and great calves...

More tomorrow...Guns, unhappy kids(two of my favorite things), paint, friends of Dorothy and "rides"...

And as always... Stay Dorky!

-Jumba

P.S. Did anyone go to the Rock Your Disney Side 24 hour event? From the pictures that I have seen and stuff I have read, it seemed to go really well! Everyone looked like they had fun. One thing I have to say about Disney. They do a great job changing and learning from their mistakes. The first 24 hour day was damn near catastrophe, the second they shifted some things and it was better and this last one they seemed to be firing on all cylinders.

P.P.S. Not a whole lot of pictures in this post... let's see what I can do about that!

Matt Mira and me on my birthday

Best day EVER!

Joey Fatone

High Five, Fist Bump, Butt Touch or Real or Bullshit Part 4

Hiddly Ho Dorkarinos!

Where we at? Part 4?

This one may be a short one because some of these are pretty cut and dry... With an emphasis on the dry. Boring? Maybe. Will I do my best to make them interesting?? Prossibly... That is a word I made up... For all you new followers and people with bad short term memory, here is how it's used...

Friend : "Hey. are you and FSL going to meet us at Knott's Berry Farms?"

Me: "Pro-(oh shit, I don't really want to)ssibly."

Gives you the the best of "probably", AND a way out with "possibly"...

Here we go! Here is the list!

#16 The largest Hidden Mickey in the Disney Parks was located at the Disney Hollywood Studios.

FALSE! That's so not true! Let me see if I can find a picture... hold on a sec... Let's see what we have here...

Holy balls! THAT IS BIG! Largest Hidden Mickey? Prossibly! Oh and just for clarification... the picture is not to scale. But! It is said that the only man made objects visible from space are the Great Wall of China and THIS Hidden Mickey! One of those facts is suspect at best and the other... I totally made up!

TRUE! Curses!

#17 Costumed characters are discouraged from giving adults high fives. 

Met some Cast Members at a Belgian Gastro Pub and I learned a couple of things... First, I never need to go to a Belgian Gastro Pub again and B) They texted their CM friend who is a character wrangler, and she said that there is NO rule against costumed cast members giving high fives to adults. For safety's sake, some characters only give "low fives," but that is up to the CM.

Ooooooh! I actually learned something on that one... At first I thought it was false, but then I tried to recall a time where I got a high five from a costumed character... Fist bump, yes. High five? Don't remember. Butt touches? Only from Pluto... and Donald, but you know how ducks are.

Fun game for adults only! That's sounds like it's going to be dirtier that it actually is... Get a picture of a character high fiving you or some other adult and post that shit on the Facebook page. Everyone who posts will get the adulation of their peers and a high five from me!

FALSE! Damn I love it when people are wrong!

#18 There is a hotel room inside Cinderella's Castle reserved only for contest winners. There is one in Disneyland above Pirates of the Caribbean

So far, this crap is pretty WDW-centric... Yes, there is Cinderella's Castle Suite in the castle at Walt Disney World. Rumor is that it was intended as an apartment for Walt and his family while they were in Florida. After Walt's death it sat unfinished for many years. In 2005 Disney announced it would be redone and used as a prize during The Year of a Million Dreams.

Here is a picture that "fell off the back of a truck."

Pretty good blog post with a good overview and some pictures.

The Dream Suite over Pirates of the Caribbean was also designed to be a space to host visitors, after Walt's death, the project was set aside. In 1987 to 2007 the room housed the Disney Gallery. During the Year of a Million Dreams, the room was refurbished into a suite where some lucky guests would win an overnight stay. It is still used by some special VIP's... Probably like Johnny Depp and I dunno... The guy who played Buddy on Charles In Charge or maybe Bananarama... Are they still a thing?

Here is a video tour!

True too!


#19 There is an alternate entrance into Epcot called International Gateway that lets you into the World Showcase the Dolphin Hotel and Yacht and Beach Club.

Ahhhhh... Don't really care...

It's true...

Here is me in some hates... HAHAHA! Totally keeping that typo! I meant hats...

 Holy hell I am adorable!

#20 Disney jail is actually a thing, but it's more of a holding area for disruptive guests and thieves.

Oh sure there is a jail at Disneyland... one in Toontown and one in Pirates of the Caribbean

rando's I borrowed a picture from

Disney "jail"

From what I have been able to decipher, there is no actual jail cells, but they have a room... kinda like the one at Target in West Covina where "Tony" the security guard accuses people of trying to steal Swiffers and Friskies Salmon cat food... Joke was on him... I always have a can of cat food in my pocket... Errr- I mean some people always have cat food in their pocket... Life time ban my ass!

True but it should be in quotes... Disney "Jail".

That's it for now... Let's check the tote board... 4 right and 1 wrong! Grand total of 16-3-1

Let's consult Madame Leota to see what is coming up in tomorrows blog post... Stuff... More stuff...

Stay tuned and stay Dorky!

-Jumba

P.S. Here is this...

 P.P.S. and this

P.P.P.S annnnnnnd this

You are welcome!