Chester & Hester's Time Machine
At Disney's Animal Kingdom, Dinoland has the serious Dino Institute, and the not-so-serious Chester & Hester's Dino Rama which is a full-on tribute to the larger than life Tourist Attractions along Route 66 in its hey day.

As the story goes, Chester & Hester, did not want to be outdone by the Dino Institute and the fancy time machines that they had.  So, they quickly created their own time machine like contraption to lure in the gullible tourists.

Exciting Little Roller Coaster
Although you may not travel back in time, you will get a fun filled ride. The "time machine" ride vehicle spins as it travels along the track.  This makes the sharp turns and twists of the track even more thrilling.  Even without a big hill, the spinning and quick changes of direction make this a roller coaster worthy of checking out.

Added in the spring of 2002, the Primeval Whirl uses bright colors and playful artwork of various dinosaurs to entertain the riders.  The mood is light and fun.  The props comically depict the dinosaurs realizing that their extinction is at hand.

While you are riding Primeval Whirl make sure that you read the signs and take in all of the details.  There is a lot to see and rarely do you notice all of it the first time that you ride.

Recommended Attraction
Definitely put this whimsical roller coaster on your list of attractions to do during your next trip to the Animal Kingdom.  The over the top theming and quick turning ride vehicle make this a recommended attraction.

As the legend goes:
The Hollywood Tower Hotel was the place that the stars of the silver screen liked to come to relax in the 1930’s. In its day it was amongst the elites. On the wall next to the Concierge Desk hangs the famed AAA 13 Diamond Rating given to the hotel. This would be the only 13 Diamond Rating ever given out.

Then on that fateful Halloween night in 1939, 5 unsuspecting guests were riding the Hotel’s maintenance service elevator when it was struck by lightning…and they were never seen from again.

The Disney Imagineers set the bar high for storytelling and theming when they created this attraction. It starts with the overgrown gardens and dry fountains you pass in the outside queue while waiting to enter the building. Take the time to notice all of the little touches they have added to make this look like a hotel that has been abandoned for 70 years.

Inside the Hotel, en route to the ride, you experience three rooms: The Lobby, the Library, and the Boiler Room.


You spend the least amount of time in the Lobby and that is unfortunate because there is so much to take in. Much of the furniture and artifacts in the room are either authentic from the 1930’s purchased from Hollywood area auctions and estate sales or especially reproduced to match furniture from that era.

Details abound as you gaze around the room
The before mentioned AAA 13 Diamond Rating plaque does indeed hang on the wall (as shown in the picture above in the upper right-hand corner).   There are references to characters from Twilight Zone episodes in the signs and material used as props in the room.  This is all just to create the mood and set the scene, allowing you to escape into this fantasy world for a brief moment in time.

Once you enter the Library, you are told the story of the Hollywood Tower Hotel and the event that changed it forever. The Twilight Zone theme blends seamlessly into the story as it is told. Now you understand that you will be reliving the event that caused the disappearance of the 5 guests and led to the downfall of the Hotel. This is when fear sets in.

In the final queue before you board the elevator to take you to the Twilight Zone, you find yourself in the Boiler Room. Again the details are amazing. Can there be a more ominous setting than a basement boiler room?

Having a free-fall style elevator ride with randomly programmed drop sequences is thrilling enough to make people want to ride the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Designing an entire Hotel with a sordid history and immersing you within that story makes this a Disney attraction…and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

In 1994 the Astro Orbiter replaced the former StarJets on top of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) Station as part of the major Tomorrowland redesign to become the fanciful version of the “Future That Never Was.”

Although the ride itself has similarities to the Dumbo ride, the major benefit is its rooftop perch. This gives the riders fantastic views of the Magic Kingdom when they “fly” their rockets to the highest position. The riders can reach heights of nearly 80 ft above the Tomorrowland walkways.




Day or night the best part of the ride is the view. These are perspectives that you can’t get from anywhere else in the Magic Kingdom. Whether you are looking at Cinderella Castle, Space Mountain, or even the Contemporary Resort the perspective that you get from the Astro Orbiter is one of a kind.


The Astro Orbiter rarely lands on anyone’s must see attraction list, but should be. Its major drawback is the same problem that plagues the Dumbo attraction, it cannot handle large quantities of people. With only 12 rockets that typically hold 1-2 people each, the lines can move very slowly. To avoid the crowds, plan on riding the Astro Orbiter near park opening or late at night, and see the Magic Kingdom from a whole new vantage point.

Disney World's newest roller coaster, Expedition Everest, is considered by many to be its best.

Expedition Everest certainly gives Disney's Animal Kingdom the signature E-Ticket attraction that it was lacking.

For those of you that have never experienced Expedition Everest, or those who cherished the memories of your last ride, here are some pictures taken while riding this incredibly themed roller coaster.

The Experience
The ride vehicle is designed to allow the guest to "believe" that they are traveling through the mountains on an old train.










You get a great view of what is to come when you make your grand ascent.



You are also reminded, and warned, that this is sacred Yeti territory. Coming here is not recommended by the locals who know to fear the yeti.
At the ride's highest point you come to a complete stop. Apparently the Yeti has ripped out the track, so you will not be able to go any further.

After a significant pause at the top, you start going backwards down the mountain.

This is probably the most thrilling part of the ride and you will swear that you go upside down during the high speeds turns, but you do not.




The train comes under control and stops somewhere deep inside the mountain, you will see the shadow of the Yeti. Then it is time to race forwards down the rest of the mountain.

Catastrophe Canyon has been a part of Disney World since Disney’s Hollywood Studios first opened on May 1st, 1989.

Although the Studio Backlot Tour itself has changed several times during the past 20 years, the one constant for the attraction has been Catastrophe Canyon.

Catastrophe Canyon adds an exciting element to the Backlot Tour. The premise is that you are on a live movie set and you get to experience the special effects first hand.

Catastrophe Canyon
The 200 seat open air tram you are riding in pulls in to the Canyon set during your Backlot Tour.

Once the tram comes to a complete stop, you are introduced to the set and they demonstrate how they can make it rain on a movie set with special sprinklers creating realistic rain.

















They point out the sprinklers and lure you into a false sense of security before the real action begins.


After the rain stops, the tram is shaken unexpectedly by a simulated earthquake and fire starts to break out on the set.

The tram is really moved about during the earthquake, and you begin to be drawn into the action surrounding you.

The fire builds and spreads to an oil tanker truck.

You can really feel the heat of the flames as the fire builds.


















Then torrents of flood waters start rushing into the canyon.

It builds quickly and appears that a giant wave will overtake the tram and wash you away. The effect of the flash flood is exciting and thrilling. If you are on the left side of the tram you are the closest to the action and may get a little wet.



You think that a tidal wave is going to overwhelm the tram and wash you away.

Then magically the water flow reduces to just a trickle and then stops altogether.

Once the tram gets underway again they take you to the back of the set to see how it was constructed. You get to see the powerful pumps and water canons that were used to create the simulated flash flood.



Sadly the tram then carries you back to the real world again and your Disney World experience of being in the movies is over all too quickly.

Breaking News Story From The D23 Expo:

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 12, 2009) /PRNewswire/ — Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo detailed plans for future lands, attractions and adventures that will be delighting Disney guests for years to come, at the first D23 Expo. Most notable among the announcements were the confirmation of an all-new Star Tours attraction.

"Storytelling is the DNA of Disney dreams and we're always exploring new ways to tell new stories in new places," Rasulo told a crowd at the Anaheim Convention Center in California before taking them on a "behind-the-magic" tour of their favorite Disney destinations.

Rasulo announced that a new 3-D version of the tremendously-popular "Star Tours" attraction will debut at the Disneyland Resort and Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2011.

Based on the iconic Lucasfilm "Star Wars" films, the attraction will include immersive new elements that will take guests to many familiar places in the Star Wars galaxy.

Here is a video clip showing what the new Podrace sequence for the next generation Star Tours may look like:




In an exciting scene from the new Star Tours, guests aboard Starspeeders will join in a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine. 2009 © Lucasfilm Ltd.TM and Disney © All Rights Reserved.

Can't wait until this long needed update to the Star Tours attraction occurs.

With the upcoming release of the Toy Story Mania Video Game for the Nintendo Wii only a week away, let's take a look at the continuing popularity of the real Toy Story Mania attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

When visiting the Disney World theme parks, you have to be on alert to catch all of the special surprises that are hidden in the attractions and surroundings. If you are rushing from one attraction to another you may miss the best parts of Disney World: the Details.

Many of you are familiar with hidden Mickeys (Mickey Mouse head shapes that are worked into various items throughout Disney World), but there are many other secret surprises out there for guests who have a sharp eye and an inquisitive mind.

Here is one for you to look for during your next visit to Disney's Animal Kingdom:

In the final stage of the ride queue for the DINOSAUR attraction, you will notice a lot of pipes. As you descend the stairs to the floor level where you will board the ride vehicle, look back in the direction in which you entered that room. You will see three pipes running horizontally across the room over what appears to be a large electric transformer. You will notice that there are words and chemical symbols on the pipes.

Take a look in the picture (you probably need to click on it to expand it):

















The surprise is that these chemical names refer to the ingredients for ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise in a tribute to McDonald's who was one of the original sponsors of the attraction.

Instead of taking the rumor at face value, let's investigate a little further to see if it is true. By researching each of the ingredients listed here is what we get:

Red Pipe: Ketchup

• Lycopersicon lycopericum (should be Lycopersicon lycopersicum) = tomato
• C6H12O6 = Sugar or Corn Syrup
• CH3COOH = Vinegar
• (C6H12O6) = Another Sugar (part of the symbol is blocked by the pipe clamp)
• NaCl = Salt
• Allium cepa = Onion

Yellow Pipe: Mustard

• CH3COOH = Vinegar
• H2O = Water
• Brassica juncea = Mustard Plant
• NaCl = Salt
• Curcuma Longa = Turmeric
• Allium sativum = Garlic

White Pipe: Mayonnaise

• Glycine soja = Soybean Oil
• Ovae = refers to Egg, in this case Egg yolks
• CH3COOH = Vinegar
• H2O = Water
• NaCl = Salt
• C6H12O6 = Sugar (or Corn Syrup)
• Citrus limon = Lemon Juice

Conclusion

If I was on the show Myth Busters, I would have to say that this Myth has been CONFIRMED. Those chemical names and symbols on the 3 pipes actually do refer to the ingredients for Ketchup, Mustard, and Mayonnaise.

This is just another example of the great level of detail that the Disney Imagineers went to make the attractions realistic and fun for their guests.

So next time that you are in line to ride DINOSAUR, point to the red, yellow, and white pipes and amaze your friends. You get extra points if you print this out and are able to translate each of the ingredients for them.

This July 4th weekend marks the re-opening of the Magic Kingdom's Hall of Presidents attraction after its most extensive refurbishment ever.

Besides the obvious addition of our 44th President, Barack Obama, there is:

• A new 20 minute long opening documentary written by noted Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and narrated by Morgan Freeman.
• George Washington has a speaking role for the first time.
• Abraham Lincoln now recites the entire Gettysburg Address.
• New Digital audio, video, and lighting to bring the performance to life.
• Never before seen realism in the new President Obama audio-animatronic figure.

Here is an excellent video from DisneyParks that discusses some of the activities that went into the refurbishment along with actual footage of the new President Obama audio-animatronic figure in action.

For a video clip of President Obama himself recording the audio for his Hall of Presidents' figure go to: Only WDWorld Videos.

This extensive refurbishment looks like the Disney Imagineers have done a great job updating one of the Magic Kingdom's original attractions, dating back to October of 1971.