Weekend Update: Tokyo Japan, Korean DMZ, Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Venice
We're sending you this edition of the Weekend Update from one of our favorite places on Earth: ORLANDO! We saw a few of our MiceChat friends today (Friday) and we hope to see even more of them tomorrow at the Magic Kingdom.As we told you last week, our new Weekend Update correspondent Jaime Begley takes us to the Korean Demilitarized Zone. We are privileged to visit this rarely seen area of the world. Then we take a trip to Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, courtesy of CaptPhoebus. Last up this week is another look at Venice from Richard Williams and Ian Parkinson.
This week we'll start in Japan with another report from TDLFAN:
Tokyo Disneyland Resort
Tokyo, Japan
TDLFAN shares some photos from a very recent brief visit to Tokyo Disney Resort.
Cinderella Castle.
The Roz Sundae is a cool green tea ice cream treat at the Ice Cream Parlor.
Flowers are in bloom..
The expansive Hub at TDL.
TDL's hub has the nicest gardens of them all.
Characters we do not see at all at other Disney parks outside Japan..
World Bazaar and Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.
The Hub... again. TDLFAN loves those bricked walkways.
Now that TDL's 25th anniversary has concluded, the special castle Bling has been taken down.. Hooray!
Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.
A short ride on the Disney Resort Line, heading towards Tokyo DisneySea.
The Aquasphere.
Ponte Becchio.
Nautilus' parking space inside Mysterious Island's crater.
That melted lava is still smoking hot after all these years... do not touch and keep your distance.
Ariel keeps watch at Mermaid Lagoon's Triton's castle.
Interesting flower.. the "Tower of Jewels". These are displayed in Port Discovery, but they originally hail from the Canary Islands.
American Waterfront and the Tower of Terror.
Hmmm.. where have we seen her likeness before? Hint: FL.
Korean Demilitarized Zone
Between South Korea and North Korea
New contributor Jaime Begley takes us along on a fascinating tour of the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Quote:
The Korean Demilitarized Zone (Korean: 한반도 비무장지대) is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and the east end lying north of it. It is 155 miles long and approximately 2.5 miles wide, and is the most heavily militarized border in the world.
Division of Korea
The 38th parallel north—which cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half—was the original boundary between the US-occupied and Soviet-occupied areas of Korea at the end of World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, informally North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South Korea) in 1948, it became a de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War.
Both the North and the South remained heavily dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean War. The conflict, which claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on June 25, 1950, with a Soviet-sponsored DPRK invasion across the DMZ, and ended in 1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th parallel. In the ceasefire of July 27, 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed in the armistice to move their troops back 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) from the front line, creating a buffer zone 2.5 miles wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed. Since the armistice agreement was never followed by a peace treaty, the two Koreas are still technically at war.
Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL. Sporadic outbreaks of violence due to North Korean hostilities killed over 500 South Korean soldiers and 50 U.S. soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999.
Tae Sung Dong was the only village allowed by the armistice committee to remain within the boundaries of the DMZ. Residents of Tae Sung Dong are governed and protected by the United Nations Command and are generally required to spend at least 240 nights per year in the village to maintain their residency. In 2008 the village had a population of 218 people. The villagers of Tae Sung Dong are direct descendants of people who owned the land before the 1950-53 Korean War.
Division of Korea
The 38th parallel north—which cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half—was the original boundary between the US-occupied and Soviet-occupied areas of Korea at the end of World War II. Upon the creation of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK, informally North Korea) and the Republic of Korea (ROK, informally South Korea) in 1948, it became a de facto international border and one of the most tense fronts in the Cold War.
Both the North and the South remained heavily dependent on their sponsor states from 1948 to the outbreak of the Korean War. The conflict, which claimed over three million lives and divided the Korean Peninsula along ideological lines, commenced on June 25, 1950, with a Soviet-sponsored DPRK invasion across the DMZ, and ended in 1953 after international intervention pushed the front of the war back to near the 38th parallel. In the ceasefire of July 27, 1953, the DMZ was created as each side agreed in the armistice to move their troops back 2,000 metres (2,200 yd) from the front line, creating a buffer zone 2.5 miles wide. The Military Demarcation Line (MDL) goes down the center of the DMZ and indicates exactly where the front was when the agreement was signed. Since the armistice agreement was never followed by a peace treaty, the two Koreas are still technically at war.
Owing to this theoretical stalemate, and genuine hostility between the North and the South, large numbers of troops are still stationed along both sides of the line, each side guarding against potential aggression from the other side. The armistice agreement explains exactly how many military personnel and what kind of weapons are allowed in the DMZ. Soldiers from both sides may patrol inside the DMZ, but they may not cross the MDL. Sporadic outbreaks of violence due to North Korean hostilities killed over 500 South Korean soldiers and 50 U.S. soldiers along the DMZ between 1953 and 1999.
Tae Sung Dong was the only village allowed by the armistice committee to remain within the boundaries of the DMZ. Residents of Tae Sung Dong are governed and protected by the United Nations Command and are generally required to spend at least 240 nights per year in the village to maintain their residency. In 2008 the village had a population of 218 people. The villagers of Tae Sung Dong are direct descendants of people who owned the land before the 1950-53 Korean War.
Here we are waiting for our bus at the USO office in Seoul, South Korea.
This is a view of the observatory where we looked through binoculars to catch our first glimpse of North Korea.
Land mines surrounded us.
After a highly propagandized film, we were led to a museum. The museum itself was much better than the film. After the museum, we got to walk through one of the spy tunnels the North Koreans dug. It was very damp and long with low overhead, and we were not allowed to take pictures.
This was on the floor beneath us. There was a thick sheet of glass for us to walk on, and underneath was a model of the DMZ.
Models of the South Korean soldiers during the War.
This is me! The statue and I are dressed alike.
Fun statues outside the tunnels of the DMZ.
I loved this sculpture. It was the globe divided, with children pushing it back together.
The Joint Security Area of the United Nations.
I took this when we had just arrived to the Joint Security Area. I found it quite interesting that the term "US Army" was never used. Everything was run by the United Nations. The Army guides even had UN logos on their uniforms. When we entered this room, we had to sign a UN release form, in case anything unfortunate were to happen.
The flags of the United Nations.
This monument marks an incident that occurred in the late 70's, where a U.S. General was killed by the North Koreans the day before he was to go home. There was a tree that was obstructing the security on the South Korean side, so the Americans decided to cut the tree down, causing a rift with the North Koreans.
This was our guard from the US Army/United Nations. Once we got to the Joint Security Area, he took over the tour.
The guards are all highly trained Tae Kwon Do experts, standing in Tae Kwon Do stances.
The building in the background is North Korean. The guards you see are the Republic of Korea Army (South Korea) whose job it is is to secure the tourists coming through. Basically the South Korean guards are eyeballing the North Korean guards, creating a very eery atmosphere.
This is a North Korean guard.
This guard is technically standing in North Korea. His job is to make sure the door is locked behind him.
This was as close as I got. Just looking at the guard's fist I could tell how strong was. It was a little unnerving.
Inside this building is where UN conferences take place. On the left side is South Korea. On the right side is North Korea. The microphones on the table are on 24 hours a day, monitored by both the North and South sides.
When I was at this location, we were surrounded by North Korea on three sides. I was amazed that we could take so many pictures.
This is a North Korean guardpost.
This is the Bridge of No Return. This is where families were separated after the war, unable to contact each other through any means. Very sad.
Another view of the Bridge of No Return.
This is Propaganda Village, where the North Koreans pump out propaganda to the one South Korean village in the DMZ proclaiming how great Kim Jong Il is 12-16 hours a day.
This is another view of North Korea.
Recently CaptPhoebus and DOOM BGI spent some time in Palm Springs, California. One of the city's biggest attractions is the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway.
Quote:
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway in Palm Springs, California is the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world. It was opened in September 1963 as a way of getting from the floor of the Coachella Valley to near the top of San Jacinto Peak. Prior to its construction, the only way to the top of the mountain was to hike for several hours from Idyllwild. The tram is one of the biggest attractions in the Palm Springs area.
The eight-and-a-half-minute ride begins at the Valley Station at 2,643 ft (806 m) and passes up North America's sheerest mountain face through several life zones on its way to the mountain station at 8,516 ft (2,596 m) above mean sea level.[1] The trip has been likened in terms of geologic and climatic change to a motor trip from Sonora to the Canadian tundra.
The eight-and-a-half-minute ride begins at the Valley Station at 2,643 ft (806 m) and passes up North America's sheerest mountain face through several life zones on its way to the mountain station at 8,516 ft (2,596 m) above mean sea level.[1] The trip has been likened in terms of geologic and climatic change to a motor trip from Sonora to the Canadian tundra.
There is a lot of the same scenery along the way.
The Valley Station.
The Tram.
And the view along the way. The gondola rotates 360° the entire trip for great views.
A good point at which to hope for the skills of the engineers and folks who built this device. There is a distinct drop and a bit of a bounce when passing over each of the towers.
Arriving at the upper station less than ten minutes after boarding.
There are hiking trails and beautiful views from the top. A real attraction when there is in snow on the ground, is to spend an afternoon sledding and making snowmen. The temperature difference between the upper station and the valley floor can be 40°!
Hey, isn't he that guy we saw at Disneyland Paris, Capt?
Looking for up-to-date reports from Disneyland
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
including photos, gossip, park schedules and more?
Visit these MiceChat columns each week:
Andy Castro's Dateline Disneyland
David DarkBeer Michael's In the Parks
A few weeks ago, Ian Parkinson and Richard Williams took us on a trip around the canals of Venice, Italy. This week we get to see the rest of Venice through the lenses of these fantastic photographers.
And that brings us to the end of another week. Our photographers have just enough time to reload their cameras before we see you all again next weekend. Thank you to all of our wonderful readers, and as always, a huge thank you to our amazing team of global photographers, spies, and gossips:
TDLFAN
Denise nbodyhome Preskitt (mousesteps.com)
SummerInFl (wdwfanpics.com)
sir clinksalot
Ian Parkinson
MickeyMaxx
BigPigletFan
Abominable Snowman
"Postcard Junkie" darkfairycthulu (postcardjunkie.blogspot.com)
Fishbulb
PhotoMatt
Jack Hollywood 1939 Wixom
A very special thank you to to our wonderful guest photographers Richard Williams, Jaime Begley and CaptPhoebus for sharing their vision with us.
Your Editor - Rixter
Where have YOU been recently? We invite you to share your photos of theme parks or any other destination that may be of interest to our readers. Please feel free to contact me via MiceChat Private Message (screen name Rixter)
or send me an email: oceansiderick@gmail.com.
or send me an email: oceansiderick@gmail.com.
It is readers like you who make MiceChat such a special place.
Don't miss a single one of MiceChat's Featured Blogs (including the Weekend Update). Add our feed to your favorite feed software or site:
MiceChat: Featured Disney Blogs
Follow us on Twitter
MiceChat: Featured Disney Blogs
Follow us on Twitter
Total Comments 19
Comments
-
Love these photos! Thank you to everyone for sharing.Posted 06-05-2009 at 11:49 PM by Figaro
-
Great update! The DMZ bit was fascinating! And for the Venice part, as Indiana Jones would say, "Ah, Venice."
Posted 06-06-2009 at 06:33 AM by Barbossa -
Great shots in Korea, very impressive and sad at the same time.Posted 06-06-2009 at 08:27 AM by hadesthecat -
How did you manage to visit the DMZ? Can anyone go?Posted 06-06-2009 at 09:33 AM by DisneyPrincess4590 -
Fantastic shots again by everyone this week.
Posted 06-06-2009 at 09:42 AM by Mac Daddy -
Great pictures from around the world.Posted 06-06-2009 at 11:36 AM by pratt55 -
Wow, the DMZ pictures were absolutely fascinating. Loved it.Posted 06-06-2009 at 11:53 AM by sir clinksalot - Tokyo Disney Sea is amazing! Been there three times and can't wait to go back. It's really worth the trip.Posted 06-06-2009 at 02:34 PM by yorkiedad
Updated 06-07-2009 at 10:58 PM by yorkiedad (goofed) -
Wow!!! tokyo disney is so beautiful hope to see it one dayPosted 06-06-2009 at 03:19 PM by D.E.1955 -
I thought report from South Korea was most Interesting!
Specialy what we hearing on the news last couple weeks.
PS: Miss the old postcards ?Posted 06-06-2009 at 08:27 PM by Eagleman -
the palm springs tram was built by the same manufactures as the great disneyland skyway.vonroll bern switzerland..Posted 06-07-2009 at 12:25 AM by vonrollskyway1 -
The last DisneySea photo shares its likeness with Madame Leota's tombstone at the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion.Posted 06-07-2009 at 01:01 AM by Evan -
The Palm Springs tramway (and restaurant) looks identical to the Sandia Mountain tramway in Albuquerque. The one in New Mexico doesn't rotate, but even the restaurant layout is identical. I don't know which one came first, but one of them was ripped off from another state.
As for the Korean DMZ, that was fascinating! Such a different world than the United States with its peaceful borders with Canada and Mexico (drug wars notwithstanding). It's so ridiculous, having 2 sworn enemies literally a stone's throw away from each other staring each other down. I remember when Korean-made stuff was synonymous with junk, but nowadays they make some of the best cars and electronics in the world... even better than Lexus and Sony (for the price). Too bad the North can't spend all that time and energy on more productive stuff than agitating the rest of the world. For crying out loud, those people are starving and the government spends something like 98% of the GDP on "defense".Posted 06-07-2009 at 03:59 PM by Athlonacon - Kim Jong Il can be described within 2.5 words: Small-Man Syndrome. The guy is like the neighborhood bully who gets off on pretending they're important by creating chaos and ticking people off.
And just to show what an amazing country we live in, I would most like have been executed for saying something like that if I was in North Korea. God Bless the U.S.A.!Posted 06-07-2009 at 04:03 PM by Athlonacon -
DMZ zone WOW I give you alot of merit for visiting that placePosted 06-08-2009 at 06:06 AM by hurricanefreak -
Another great update! Palm Springs?? Geeze you guys were almost in my neighborhood!!Posted 06-08-2009 at 11:53 AM by penguinsoda -
awesome pics.Posted 06-08-2009 at 03:16 PM by wdwnut4life -
ahh, Venice.Posted 06-10-2009 at 09:54 AM by Mission Seagull -
"Letting a sleeping dog sit" is definitely my favorite photo of Venice.
The DMZ is an amazing photo essay in tension.Posted 06-11-2009 at 06:00 AM by Orcatime
