A Blog About Disney Stuff

This week’s SATURDAY SIX takes a look at recent news via theme park memes! Christmas is less than one week away and we all know what you want under the the tree… more theme park memes! Well, we’ve made our list and we’ve checked it twice. In fact, we even consulted the grand poobah Len Testa for an algorithm on who’s been naughty or nice! Turns out, everyone’s been pretty good this year (except Seth Kubersky) so we’re here to deliver the goods. Let’s kick it all off with…

# 6 – A Mysterious Monolith

What a weird story this was. In late November, it was revealed that a mysterious monolith appeared in the middle of nowhere in Utah. Soon, other monoliths started to appear elsewhere across the globe. Like Disney and Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, turns out the people behind monoliths figured it was easier and cheaper to clone a monolith instead of creating something new.

Leave it to DisTwitter to have fun with this bonkers story. First up, a monolith appearing in the Utah-like atmosphere of Big Thunder Mountain.

Another had it replacing the Partner’s statue in Disneyland.

Then came memes replacing the mysterious monolith, such as this one using a Leave A Legacy slab from EPCOT.

The only thing more mysterious than a monolith that appears out of nowhere? Disney reusing the Castle Mirror Float for almost 35 years.

# 5 – Speaking of ugly non-sensical structures

Well, after removing a thousand things from EPCOT over the past few years, this month Disney finally added something new to the park in the form of a massive barge. Pictures do not do justice to the gigantic nature of this eyesore. Thankfully, DisTwitter was around to make things a little easier to swallow…

Many noticed the barge’s general shape of a taco.

Did we mention it’s big?

We have the first aerial featured in SATURDAY SIX  that wasn’t taken by @bioreconstruct…

Universal had some fun with this hideous barge by poking fun at one of their old shows…

While another user suggested that maybe the odd shape of the barge was for a specific reason…

# 4 – What Ya Hiding Back There….

This month a large scrim was erected at the very front entrance of Disney’s Magic Kingdom, as the Main Street USA railroad station undergoes some refurbishment. This caused one guest to ask,

DisTwitter had answers…

 

One user did an incredible job photoshopping the scrim out of the picture and replacing it with what the area could look like afterwards…

…but he also realized that below has just as good of a chance at happening.

# 3 – New Lockers at Forbidden Journey

After 10 long years of waiting, our long national nightmare is finally over as Universal listened to our pleas and built a new bank of lockers for Muggles to use before riding Forbidden Journey. For those who haven’t been before, the old locker system at Forbidden Journey can best be compared to the subways in Japan where people are literally pushed inside the cars. It was a miserable situation, both for the guests and for the Team Members.

For a while, Universal has been working on building a whole new locker setup that is set away from the entrance of Forbidden Journey, much like how guests will find the locker situation at attractions such as The Incredible Hulk Coaster, Rip Ride Rockit, or Men In Black: Alien Attack.

The new lockers make the guest experience much better, and on top of that the entire locker bank is themed with the gorgeous rockwork that surrounds Hogwarts Castle.

The Forbidden Journey lockers sit at the edge of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. In fact, the back side of them is actually part of the Jurassic Park section of Islands of Adventure. The section in Jurassic Park is nowhere near as elaborately themed as what guests see in the Wizarding World.

So, you ask, what does any of this have to do with memes? CALM DOWN! We’re getting to that!! (EDITOR’S NOTE: Please forgive Derek’s anger. For the past few weeks he’s had to get up at 4:00 a.m. on Friday mornings to watch The Mandalorian before it got spoiled on social media) One of the most fun viral meme formats this past month was called the “They Don’t Even Know” format. The actual meme format itself is based around a similar one called “I Wish I Was At Home,” which has been around for over a decade. It is based on a crudely drawn comic strip, with the main character being depicted as uncomfortable and anxious at a party. The main character, alone by himself in the corner, is having issues with his own self-worth. Users would change the dialogue in the comic strip, and it is meant to reflect the main character thinking that he has some sort of knowledge that would impress everyone else at the party if they only knew.

One of the best examples of this meme format was TouringPlans’ resident millennial Joe Matt, who used the Forbidden Journey lockers in his self-depreciating comic strip.

 

Another person used an attraction that is beloved to many of our hearts…

Some used the meme format to make ultra-niche jokes, such as DisTwitter member Mateo, who has probably ridden Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway and Rise of the Resistance more times than any other human on Earth.

Of course, as the M Night Shyamalan’s Unbreakable movie taught us, if there is a superhero there must also be a villain. While Mateo gets boarding group after boarding group every day he goes to DHS, poor Weenie hasn’t yet to obtain a boarding group for Rise of the Resistance during any of his recent trips.

I guess some people would consider a glitter farting Troll to be obscure, but let’s not forget that Guy Diamond was a winner at the 22nd annual Burgys honoring theme park excellence.

Anyone who is a member of an official Disney or Universal page on Facebook knows how crazy things can get and how almost every person in each group considers themselves The Holder of All Knowledge. The meme below is referencing the “secret” entrance to Universal Studios Florida located next to the Blue Man Group.

Yours Truly even got into the game, using a bit of trivia for the cinematic masterpiece known as SHARKNADO 3.

 

# 2 – Thank You For Changing my Life

One meme format that burned like a red hot sun for a brief period of time was titled “Thank You For Changing My Life.” The meme involved a girl saying thank you for changing my life, with users following that up with an item being absolutely ridiculous. For example, one thing that ran wild in theme park circles was when it was discovered that Disney put a new sweater on some Figment characters in Journey Into Imagination. This was a real life version of Malibu Stacey’s Hat moment from The Simpsons, as people did not care about the horrible current state of the attraction and were instead obsessed over these minor sweaters.

Disney Meme Icon @SuperWeenieHtJr brought back an old school fanboy obsession, Horizons.

Newer theme park weirdoes perfectly sane fans are more attracted to the colored walls at the parks…

While others of us will live and die by a certain theme park snack.

While some memes seem to last longer than others, you know the fire is just about out when the meme itself is in the meme format.

 

# 1 – You’ve Heard of Elf on the Shelf….

It’s just about Christmas, one of our favorite days of the year, and one of our yearly annual traditions on DisTwitter is to bring back the Elf on the Shelf meme. This one is pretty self-explanatory, as the meme will start off with “You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf…” and it is followed by a picture. The reader that figures out what the rhyming combo is, such as Tiger on the Iger.

One referencing the Dinosaur attraction in Animal Kingdom with Dr. Seeker on the Beaker.

After mourning the tragic loss of one of the three caballeros earlier this year, it was good to see Panchito on the Burrito.

DisTwitter is good for some deep dives, such as Marc on the shark, featuring Walt Disney Imagineer Marc Davis.

Nothing is hotter on Disney+ than a certain “Baby Yoda” show, so of course we loved Lando on the Mando.

But one user went next-level and showed us that if you zoom in, there’s actually a Brando on the Lando.

Honorable Mention – EPCOT Attractions in 2020

One of the best designers in the entire theme park community is Howard Bowers. You have to check out his store for shirts, posters, and decals that blow away what we can buy in the parks. This past week he came out with some more incredible artwork that uses the minimalist design of EPCOT Pavilions and mashes them up with what we are currently experiencing in the world. Just genius-level work.

DOUBLE SECRET HONORABLE MENTION – The Chapek Challenge…

We’re going to close with an example of a meme which never ceases to make me smile. Generally speaking, the format has a person asking readers to like their tweet. For every 20 likes, they will do something goofy to the picture. In our case, @HackermanJoe asked people to like a picture of Bob Chapek. For every 20 likes, he promised to increase the size of Bob’s forehead. That’s INSANE, right? Well, that’s our type of insanity here at the SATURDAY SIX…

The whole challenge started simply enough, with Bob Chapek’s forehead growing and growing…

Growing and growing…

It wasn’t long before the forehead starting getting out of hand, because the original tweet went viral. Instead of giving up, our artist went outside the box, and started showing the forehead as if you could see it from outside the park. Here we have the forehead growing up in the distance in the back of a newly finished entrance way to Walt Disney World.

Eventually, even with the new background, after many updates @HackermanJoe would hit the top of the picture. Does he give up?

Nay Nay, he finds a new way to have fun.

 

What makes this threads so extra special bonkers is that you are getting a condensed version. @HackermanJoe put in the work, and each one of these pictures was slowly increased in forehead size until it hit the top of the frame. After Universal, Chapek’s forehead was seen against the skyline of Orlando itself. But we’re still not done…

We had to zoom even farther back to the show the world itself. Yes, the original tweet was getting that many likes as people were LOVING IT.

In lieu of going mad, @HackermanJoe finished this exercise by showing Chapek’s forehead going up through the Milky Way itself. It was a bravura performance by an hugely talented artist.

 

So there you have it: A Look at Theme Park News via MEMES! See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles covering the latest from the Disney Outlet Stores. You can also follow Your Humble Author on Twitter (@derekburgan).

If you enjoyed this article, you will surely like the following: 

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 1)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 2)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 3)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 4)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 5)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 6)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 7)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 8)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 9)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 10)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 11)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 12)

The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Theme Park News via Memes (vol 13)

Special Thanks to The Elite Brandon Glover, the bio-est of all reconstructs @bioreconstruct, Captain Cruiseline Scott Sanders of the world famous Disney Cruise Line Blog, my personal protege Hunter “Elvey” Underwood, the SAT SIX Fun Squad of Parkscope Joe and “the Dadalorian” Nick, hot shot Michael Carelli, charter member of the Universal Four @Nitro230, and Hermione Granger’s tutor Megan Stump for their invaluable assistance with this article. The SAT SIX is inspired each week by goofballs Aengus Mackenzie and LitemAndHyde and you Potterheads will  enjoy Meg’s other blog work over at the Central Florida Slug Club.

The post The SATURDAY SIX Looks at Recent News via Theme Park MEMES appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Saturday Six, Walt Disney World (FL)

Crowded theme parks during the Christmas holiday are as certain as death and taxes. Every year we see crowd levels hit their peak as we head into the final week of the year. As we all know, this year is different. Will we see the same extreme crowd levels?

This year’s Thanksgiving Day crowds were significant but not extreme. The average posted wait time on Thanksgiving Day was 35 minutes. Compare that to 41 in 2019 and 45 in 2018. It seems likely that we will see a similar dip in the average wait time over the Christmas holiday too. We have seen some signs that capacity is increasing however. At Magic Kingdom, Haunted Mansion and Under The Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid are now loading every vehicle. This is a sign that attendance is increasing, but with the new ride capacity per hour the posted time will stay about the same.

If you are planning a visit to the parks sometime between December 23 and January 2 we strongly suggest that you prepare for extreme crowds. Maybe not as extreme as we usually see but significant nonetheless. A touring plan is essential during this time. We have been testing our plans a lot lately with great success so our confidence is high. Use the plans–they work!

Universal Orlando Updates

We are modifying some crowd level predictions for Universal Orlando Resort for dates in December and January. The Florida Resident Buy One and Get Unlimited Returns is about to expire on December 24, so we think a lot of guests are going to head to the parks to get the last bit of value out of those tickets. We are already seeing surprising surges in crowds during the week, but only at Universal Studios. The crowds at Islands of Adventure have been in line with our predictions.

Reviewing the Calendars

In the last 30 days our predictions for the crowd levels have been good. Our predictions at Animal Kingdom have performed the best with an average error of 0.8 points. So, on average we missed by less than one index point. At Hollywood Studios the average was 1.2. Magic Kingdom was a little higher, coming in at 1.5 points, while EPCOT was the worst. There, we missed by 2 points on average. EPCOT was very uncrowded for most days between the reopening in June and Thanksgiving Day. Since then, however, it has seen much higher wait times. Our last update addressed some of this but it takes a while for our post-COVID models to gather enough data so that new trends are reflected. We are also very suspicious that the posted wait times we are seeing at EPCOT are not a good indicator for actual wait. Universal Orlando crowds have been pretty close to normal. Other than some unusually large crowds during the week at Universal Studios park, our predictions have done well. In the last 30 days our predictions for Universal Studios missed by less than 2 index points on average while at Islands of Adventure the average error was 1.3.

The post Disney World Crowd Calendar Mid-Month Update for December 2020 appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Crowd Blog, Universal Orlando Resort, Walt Disney World (FL), Crowd Calendar

We’re here with a series of quick posts, “Disney in a Minute,” bite-sized nuggets of information that can better help you understand a Disney term or planning topic. Enjoy!

What is the purple wall?

If you know, then you know. What a silly question! If you don’t know then, this one is a real head scratcher.

The purple wall is, well, a purple wall. This particular purple wall happens to be located in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, along a passageway between the rarely open Tomorrowland Terrace restaurant and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor. The exact tipping point of fame is under question, but likely sometime in 2015 Instagram users discovered that the lilac paint on this passage wall was a flattering backdrop for posing. And then it took on a life of its own. More Instagrammers came and took photos. A dedicated account fan popped up, and then copycat fan accounts followed.

Disney itself got in on the action big time when, in early 2018 they, gasp, repainted the wall. Instead of just solid purple, the wall became a multi-hued mural, with geometric shapes of different shades in the purple spectrum. More folks took pics. They began stationing a PhotoPass photographer at the wall. There was purple wall merchandise! Other random walls around Walt Disney World got their 15 minutes of fame (bubblegum wall on the backside of EPCOT’s Spaceship Earth, we’re talking to you).

Some of the hubbub has died down, but the purple wall lives on. Nearly every time I walk by, someone really is taking photos there. Now when someone says, “Meet me at the purple wall,” you know where they want you to be.

Have a question about a Disney term that is unfamiliar to you? Suggest it here for an upcoming Disney in a Minute segment. 

The post Disney in a Minute: What is the Purple Wall? appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Just For Fun, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World (FL), purple wall

EPCOT’s Regal Eagle Smokehouse continues to be a solid source of tasty sustenance for the carnivorous among us. Located in the America pavilion in the center of EPCOT’s World Showcase area, Regal Eagle has a menu that is, not surprisingly, heavily focused on smoked meats. The only vegetarian option of substance is BBQ Jackfruit Burger; unless that’s a personal favorite, if you eschew meat, then you should plan to dine elsewhere.

During the COVID era, Regal Eagle is a good option for guests who prefer to dine outdoors. Where there are socially distanced tables inside the building, plentiful picnic tables outside near the giant smoker give you space to spread out and the aromatic smoke adds to the atmosphere.

Here’s what I ordered during two recent visits. First up: North Carolina Chopped Smoked Pork Butt Platter served with vinegar sauce, garlic toast, and a choice of side (I chose coleslaw). For dessert, apple crumb tart.

The meat was tender and flavorful, made more so by the extra sauce I drizzled on top. There are half a dozen sauces to choose from. In normal times, these are available in pump dispensers at the side of the dining room, but during COVID there are pre-portioned cups available when you collect your food.

The coleslaw was a highlight for me – not too much mayo with a nice hint of vinegar. The poppy seeds and carrots added visual interest and additional texture. Overall it’s a far more interesting take on this picnic staple than offered at the similarly themed Flame Tree BBQ at Animal Kingdom.

Unfortunately my luck with the apple tart was not as good. The texture was nice, but it had an off, almost metallic, aftertaste. Perhaps I just got a bad item, but I ended up throwing this out after two bites.

During this meal, I had water to drink. Pro tip: You can ask for a cup of iced tap water at any WDW counter service restaurant and they’ll give it to you at no charge. You don’t have to pay for bottled water if you just want something cold and quick. As I was visiting on a hot day, there was a tray of free water all ready for guests to take.

On my next visit, I ordered the Sliced Texas Beef Brisket Sandwich with a choice of side. Here I chose the house-made pickles. My meal was washed down with an Angry Orchard cider and finished with their banana pudding.

The sandwich was sooo close to being fantastic, but an errant piece of gristle in the meat tilted my opinion to just very good.

Now lets talk about the “pickles.” My TouringPlans comrade Derek Burgan has chosen these pickles as his bete noir, a mortal enemy that shall never be redeemed. “Pickles are not a side,” rants Derek.

Sir, I beg to differ. This dish is woefully misnamed, I’ll give him that. The cukes here are so lightly pickled, that you’re really just getting a hint of pickleness, BUT if you think about this item as a cucumber salad, then it becomes a lovely and refreshing side dish.

Several years ago Cosmic Ray’s over at Magic Kingdom served a resplendent cucumber salad as their standard healthy side dish. I nearly weeped when they replaced this item with sad, mushy green beans. The Regal Eagle pickle side is a worthy step toward remedying that menu excision. My only complaint is that they went a little too heavy on the onions. Cut the onion component by half and I’d be a truly happy camper.

While the apple tart was a fail, my banana pudding dessert was perfection. My family gets the banana pudding from New York’s Magnolia Bakery with some regularity and consider ourselves connoisseurs of the genre. Regal Eagle’s version has true banana and cream flavors, with no notes of artificial tinkering. There are chunks of fresh fruit and a generous layering of vanilla wafers. I can see myself making a stop at EPCOT just to get this item.

Have you eaten at Regal Eagle? What have been your favorite items?

The post PHOTOS: EPCOT’s Regal Eagle Smokehouse appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Dining, Epcot, Walt Disney World (FL), regal eagle

It may fly under the radar of many people, but YeSake may be a hidden secret at Disney Springs. Located in a small kiosk near the Orange Garage, Planet Hollywood, and the AMC Movie Theater, this location offers reasonably priced Japanese street food snacks and build-your-own poke bowls.

For the holidays, YeSake offers two special treats — one food and one drink.

First up, the food: a pizza bun. If you’re a fan of the cheeseburger pods over at Pandora, you’ll want to give this a try. A soft bao bun stuffed (but not overstuffed) with pizza sauce, sausage, and cheese, this is an easy way to get a delicious pizza snack on the go.

Next up, the holiday boba tea. This is a fairly typical chocolate milk tea, but the peppermint crunch adds a little extra spark. For those who are not familiar with milk tea with boba, but have had popping boba in other dishes, have no fear — the boba here are actually chewy tapioca pearls and have no flavor on their own.

Although these two on their own wouldn’t make a huge meal, they’re a great option for a quick snack as you wander around Disney Springs.

Have you tried YeSake before? Would these holiday specials tempt you? Let us know what you think in the comments.

The post Holiday Treats Are Fun and Tasty at YeSake appeared first on TouringPlans.com Blog.

From our friends at touringplans.com

Filed Under: Snacks, Walt Disney World (FL), YeSake