Tag Archives: Walt Disney World

46% of people surveyed will spend time working while on vacation

By web gangsta | Published: July 30, 2011


Working for Vacation
Buy WORKING FOR VACATION

46% of people surveyed will spend part of their vacation time doing work instead of actually enjoying their time off.

Web Watch knows how they feel – during one Vegas vacation, we spent two days in the hotel room overlooking the Bellagio fountains, compiling a PowerPoint presentation for our boss who didn’t understand the meaning of “hey, just because we brought a laptop with us doesn’t mean that we’re available to you 24 hours a day…. especially while we’re in Vegas.”

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Proof that waiting on line at Disney parks can be miserable

By web gangsta | Published: March 1, 2011


The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook
The Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook

Web Watch never get bored while waiting on line for a Disney theme park attraction.

The detailed queues, interactive distractions, background music, park smells – the general happiness that permeates the Disney parks are designed to distract you from even thinking that you’ve been waiting in line for 2 hours to ride Toy Story Mania.

Okay – maybe waiting two hours for a 3-minute ride isn’t exactly a good use of anyone’s time, and definitely showcases the largest problem with the use of FastPass (but we digress, as we’re not going to talk about the pros/cons of FastPass today).

No, today we’re going to highlight the dark side of the Disney Park experience: the “gotta go, gotta go” mentality that pushes a family to Do Everything, Because It’s an Expensive Disney Trip, Dammit.

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A Disney Dilemma: What will autistic children like Ben Miles do without the Snow White attraction?

By web gangsta | Published: January 27, 2011


Snow White's Scary Adventures
Snow White’s Scary Adventures

SNOW WHITE’S SCARY ADVENTURES is a classic Disney dark ride in Fantasyland, one of the original rides at both Disneyland in California and at Walt Disney World.

Go out and ride the Walt Disney World version of the ride while you can, because it is going the way of Mr Toad’s Wild Ride.  That is, Disney is ripping the ride out to make way for a Disney Princess meet-and-greet.

What?

Web Watch will break this down for you, summing up what other websites have already said:  Walt Disney World is currently in the middle of a long-awaited (and much needed) multi-million dollar expansion of Fantasyland, originally with the following changes:

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Read “Cast Member Confidential” for behind-the-scenes Disney fun

By web gangsta | Published: August 20, 2010



Cast Member Confidential
Cast Member Confidential -a Disney Employee Memoir

If you’re a Disney park fan, then one thing that you’re probably interested in is some of the behind-the-scenes stories about what it’s REALLY like to work at the Most Magical Place on Earth.

Sure, you could read KEVIN YEE’s book MOUSETRAP: MEMOIR OF A DISNEYLAND CAST MEMBER, or maybe even Inside the Mouse: Work and Play at Disney World, The Project on Disney, based on interviews with former Disney employees.  Both are excellent books for what they cover, and Web Watch recommends them highly.

But sometimes works like those can offer some views of life at Walt Disney World or Disneyland that are a bit more whitewashed than how things actually were.  Looking at working at the Mouse with rose-colored glasses, if you will.

Sometimes we want to see a truth that’s a bit more unadulterated and unfiltered.

Sometimes we want to really pull back the curtain and see what life really is like to work as a cast member at one of the World’s Busiest Theme Parks.

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Video Fun: Disney Character FAILs

By web gangsta | Published: July 31, 2010



Mickey Never Fails
Mickey Never Fails

As the book says, MICKEY MOUSE NEVER FAILS.

Supposedly.

But sometimes Mickey does have a bit of a bad day.  As do many of Mickey’s Disney pals around Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and the other Disney theme parks.

Because being a walkaround character (sometimes called ”rubberheads” or “FUR CHARACTERS” by some) is not always the best job to have in the theme park. 

Your vision is hindered, if you can see at all.  The costumes are heavy, unbearably hot, awkward to manuever in, and not often cleaned to smell as fresh as they should be.  You’re often kicked, poked, prodded, propositioned, and occasionally abused by children young and old-enough-to-know-better.

Yes, being a Disney Costumed Character has been called ONE OF THE WORST JOBS AT DISNEY specifically because of the high accident/injury rate associated with it according to INSIDE THE MOUSE, a book based on interviews with former park employees.

And with all that, the employees who act as “friends of” each character continue to do so in order to bring smiles to the faces of every park visitor.  And for putting up with all that, and doing their job well — we at Web Watch salute you.

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The 26 Most Disturbing Kids Movies Ever Made

By web gangsta | Published: June 3, 2010



Disturbing Movies

Growing up, we all remember being taken to see certain movies with our parents and wondering why they thought that seeing these films would be a good idea.

Web Watch faintly remembers being taken to see a double-feature of THE THREE MUSKETEERS with UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT, and recalls that we really couldn’t follow the plots of either film, let alone understand why we were taken to see them. 

But when it comes to kid’s films, Walt Disney once famously said “for every laugh, a tear must fall”, which explains why many Disney films made back in the day contain some vivid, scary imagery or themes that may be a bit heavy for what today are considered to have been – truthfully or not - primarily children’s films.  There’s a reason why the attraction at Walt Disney World is entitled SNOW WHITE’S SCARY ADVENTURES… because that Evil Queen reallydoes live up to her name.

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Another Disney Bus Accident: Improving Disney Transportation part 2

By web gangsta | Published: April 1, 2010



Disney Monorail
Disney Monorail

Today marks yet another accident on the Walt Disney World transportation system — this time, a 10-year-old boy was struck and killed by Disney bus while he was riding his bike near Fort Wilderness with an 11-year-old friend (who was unhurt).  Initial reports say that both children were wearing proper safety gear, but bike helmets are no match versus a bus.

This past year has seen an unfortunate growing number of major accidents involving guest transportation at Disney World.  Two other bus incidents – one of which just occurred last week – sent park guests to area hospitals with mostly minor injuries and one serious one.  Combined with the Monorail cast member death last July, these accidents seem to be happening with more and more frequency, especially troubling as Walt Disney World prides itself on creating a safe environment for its guests.

So while Web Watch has talked about HOW TO IMPROVE DISNEY TRANSPORTATION in the past, perhaps its time to take another look at what else could be done.

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Brianna Garcia’s Disney Princess art gallery inspires real-life Princess photo

By web gangsta | Published: November 21, 2009


So the other day, Web Watch was browsing through TheChive’s Daily Randomness when we ran across this picture:

Disney Princesses making Funny Faces

Disney Princesses making Funny Faces

And we said to ourselves, “by golly, we’ve seen this before.”

And sure enough, we had.

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Want the ultimate Disney Wedding package? It’s exclusive, one-of-a-kind, and costs $198,000

By web gangsta | Published: November 4, 2009


Disney Fairytale Wedding MusicIf you’ve dreamed of having the ULTIMATE DISNEY WEDDING, EXCLUSIVE AND MADE JUST FOR YOU, then WALT DISNEY WORLD and SAM’S CLUB has the deal for you:

The first person to send a wire transfer of $198,000 on November 18th, 2009 gets a phenomenal wedding package.  How exclusive is this offer?  Some of what is being offered is not available at all under any circumstances.

The package includes:

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Top Revenue-Producing Restaurants for 2009

By web gangsta | Published: August 3, 2009


Restaurants and Institutions magazine has released their 2009 list of the TOP 400 RESTAURANT CHAINS, in terms of revenue.

Coming in at top is no surprise: McDonalds, with over US$70 billion in sales.

Rounding out the rest of the top ten are:

  • KFC ($17.8b)
  • Burger King ($14.8b)
  • Starbucks ($13.5b)
  • Subway ($12.9b)
  • Pizza Hut ($10.4b)
  • Wendy’s ($9.2b)
  • Taco Bell ($6.9b)
  • Domino’s Pizza ($5.5b)
  • Dunkin’ Donuts ($5.5b)

The magazine also released their annual list of the TOP EARNING INDEPENDENT RESTAURANTS FOR 2009 as well.

Just as Web Watch reported a few years ago the first time we looked at these statistics, Las Vegas-based TAO is still at the top of the list, with $68m in 2008 earnings and an average dinner check of $72.  Not bad, when you have 785,000 people coming through your door.

The rest of the top 10 independent restaurants were:

  • Tavern on the Green
  • Joe’s Stone Crab
  • Smith & Wollensky
  • Tao Asian Bistro
  • Old Ebbitt Grill
  • Buddakan
  • Gibsons Bar Steakhouse
  • Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Chicago
  • Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab, Las Vegas

Falling just out of the top 10, at spot number 11, is our first Walt Disney World property, Fulton’s Crab House.  With an average check of $45, Fulton’s made $20m in 2008.  Other Disney properties that made the list include Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe at #25 ($15.7m), and the Contemporary Resort’s California Grill at #97 ($11.1m).

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Video Fun: Hitler Loves Disney

By web gangsta | Published: August 2, 2009


Due to some enterprising and creative folk with access to some video editing software, here are a few different (and occasionally NSFW) takes on a popular Internet meme of Hitler finding something to complain about:

Hitler Wants to eat at Epcot’s Le Cellier

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A Walt Disney World Bathroom Photoblog

By web gangsta | Published: July 24, 2009


Everybody Pees
Everybody Pees

Cass and Robert are big Disney fans.

They’ve been to Walt Disney World numerous times, and taken a Disney Cruise or two.

But Cass has a little bit of an obsession with the Disney facilities, as she felt the need to post PHOTOS OF EVERY WOMEN’S RESTROOM AT WALT DISNEY WORLD.

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Like Blind Item Celebrity Gossip? So Do We!

By web gangsta | Published: July 13, 2009


CELEBRITY BLIND ITEMS are those little teases you might see in US or People magazines, or the tabloid section of your favorite local newspaper (such as Page 6 for you New Yorkers).

While they won’t tell you exactly who the gossip is about, the blind item usually gives enough information for the reader to figure out on their own who the gossip-worthy celebrity is.

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Disney: Official Unofficial Rules for Beers Around The World at Epcot

By web gangsta | Published: June 16, 2009


Mr Beer PremiumA few friends of mine think that Epcot is the best thing at Walt Disney World.  There are quite a few people who agree with that belief, such as the folks at EPCOT CENTRAL, all for their own reasons.  I can’t say that I disagree with them, as Epcot can be underrated by park visitors.  Ask any person who dislikes Epcot and they often say the same things:

  • “There’s nothing to do there.”
  • “It’s boring.”
  • “Why do I have to walk so far?”

Epcot is an immersive environment, with surprises and treats around every corner, if you would only bother to look.  But that’s a different topic for a different day.  

For those Epcot naysayers out there – I say that if you don’t like where you are, sometimes it’s because you aren’t creative enough to make your own fun. 

Today, I will provide you with something to do after you have seen all that Epcot has to offer – courtesy in part from my creative Epcot-loving friends, and in part by today’s website, DRINK AROUND THE WORLD.

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New Disney D23 Exclusive Offers

By web gangsta | Published: May 15, 2009


When Disney announced D23 (the Disney Fan Community, costing $75 per year to join), there were some concerns about what “exclusive” activities would be offered to D23 members that would make the extra cost seem worthwhile.

The exclusive free screening for Pixar’s UP at the El Capitan was a nice start, but Web Watch did say at the time it was announced:

Let’s hope they do the next ones the right way and invite all D23 members, not just those who can afford the airfare to sunny California.

All it took was a little bit of time to set certain wheels in motion.  Let’s take a quick look at the latest D23 exclusive offerings:

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