Third TR's the Charm! (aka "Data goes backstage") (11-22-08)

[Datameister]

Wheweeee! After six months with no visits inside either park, I returned on Saturday for a full-day trip. You see, back when I was in high school, I was an active participant in the band, and it just so happens that this band was visiting the park for Magic Music Days. Since I'm friends with many of the current members as well as the director, I couldn't resist coming along to roadie for and hang out with them...and usurp all the backstage time I knew they'd be treated to. But the band was driving down from northern California all morning, so I had from 8:30 to 12:30 to wander the park alone. Many of the photos you'll be seeing are from that time period, since a variety of things prevented me from taking too many photos of the park later in the day.

A little reminder - most of these photos are links to larger versions on my Flickr account, which you should also check out because there are some photos there you won't see in this TR.

After a little over two hours of walking, riding a shuttle, waiting at LAX, and riding a bus, I arrived at the resort. I instantly noticed and photographed a new paint job on some of the backstage buildings northwest of the park - I'd already known about this from aerial photos, but I'd been looking forward to seeing it in person.



After buying my ticket (with no line!), I was surprised to see these decorations on top of the entrance turnstyles. I hadn't seen or heard any mention of 'em, and didn't remember seeing them in the past. Better than DreamClouds, at the very least...





Passing into Tomorrowland, I got a chance to see the new pavement in person for the first time. Now, I'm not a complainer - I try to look at the park honestly, and I'm happy when I have nothing to whine about. For instance, photos of the new pavement always looked pretty good to me. But sadly, it did not look as nice in person. To my eye, it looks quite mundane and modern and already somewhat grimy.



Unfortunate, but certainly not enough to ruin my day. On to the first ride of the day, Space Mountain! Now, obviously, I just hate the attraction - who doesn't? - but I decided to be strong.



On the way out of Tomorrowland, I spotted a backstage door in the north side of the entrance rockwork everyone hates. I don't think I've ever seen it before, and I am curious where it goes. Seems to be below ground level, but only barely.



I never went into Pixie Hollow, but I did peer over at it as I walked past, into Tomorrowland. IMO, they did a pretty good job of concealing it and making it fit into the area.



The winter display on the castle was pleasantly complete in comparison to last year. Disney, thank you for putting the full effort into the sides and back, not just the front. (Next year, fix the icicles! )





What came next was a first-time event for me, one that many people here and elsewhere have been encouraging me to undertake for a while now. So...I braved the 15-minute line and I rode Peter Pan for the first time! Impressions? Mmmm...I enjoyed it, in a Fantasylanddarkridelike way, though I was actually less enchanted by the flight over London than many are. Perhaps it was just because I'd flown over a real twinkling, moonlit cityscape a week earlier. But I definitely enjoyed the next scene, when you fly over Never Land. It was enormously gratifying to see the three-dimensional starfield - an effect I came up long before I knew it was implemented in Peter Pan - and I still really hope it gets used in Space Mountain someday.

Indy came next; I really didn't take many photos, since I'd taken hundreds of the queue and exit on my last trip. I did, however, snap some shots for Mojave, who recently asked about these tracks along the exit path. I was indeed right - they're just part of the mine car tracks, and they're wider apart than he thought. But Imageshack is being stupid right now, so I'll have to show those some other time.

There was also this shot from a few minutes earlier, inside the exit. That's the first Pirates of the Caribbean show building up there.



Then came Pirates...a masterpiece like usual, though still tragically blighted by a franchise that started out as much fun as the original ride. But I'm getting used to that now. What I'm not used to is this...addition. As if the Dream Suite signage itself was not bad enough...now we get this ever-so-thematically-appropriate-and-not-at-all-gloaty work of art. Oy. Maybe that's been in use for a long while, but I hadn't had the displeasure of seeing it before. Like I said, I don't like to complain...but seriously.



I then had a really awesome time on Big Thunder. That's nothing unusual, but what was unusual was all the on-ride photos I took. Some were crap, but I'm really happy with others.









The goat trick, by the way, is even MORE amazing when you're taking photos of the goat all the way through. Just so ya know.

A ride around the railroad provided some fun backstage photography opportunities. I finally got two shots of this big red pipe on the corner of the IASW show building, for instance.



Over at Splash Mountain, I had a good time taking LOTS of onstage reference photos for my model, particularly of the exit and photo area. (Let me know if you have any need for those.) My FastPass wasn't valid quite yet, though, so I needed to kill some time. And what better place to kill something than a Haunted Mansion?

HMH is...not my favorite, as some of you are probably aware. My time was running low, and the only part of HMH I can TRULY stand behind 100% and appreciate and enjoy is the stretching room (up till Jack's head appears)...so I ended up deciding to cut the venture short by doing something I'd never done before.

The chicken exit.

Ironically, I'd been too chicken to experience this quasi-backstage area in the past, but I decided to go for it, since several MCers had told me that there was nothing wrong with doing so. I was glad I did. Took a number of photos, all of which are on Flickr, but here's just a sampler:









I will be haunted by that puddle for a long time.



My Splash Mountain FastPass was now valid, so I hurried over there to ride. It was now past noon, and I needed to meet the band at the hotel by 1, and I would be walking about a mile from the attraction to the hotel, so I was rushing...but not so much that I couldn't take some photos on the ride.



That dark hole is the "magic curtain" through which CMs can access the big lift hill, if I'm not mistaken. On the right is a stairwell that leads to a number of backstage walkways around the facility.





That's a maintenance flume that leads outside, near to the Haunted Mansion show building.

What happened next was all very, very exciting...but I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you hanging. Will I make it to the hotel on time? Will I go backstage? Will I, perhaps, get a chance to see a certain Imagineer who I look up to? Will six teenage guys surprise me in the most wonderful way? Only time will tell, when I return for...

PART II

[brenden]

Awesome pics! I love the on-ride Thunder ones.

[MonstersGoBoo!]

Great pictures of BTMRR! Especially of the dinosaur, I love it! Was the chicken entrance fully lit like that when you went through? When I went through it one time, the staircase was pitch black and I almost fell.

But yeah, anyways, great TR so far. Can't wait to see more.

[dizzneeland]

Great so far.

Bring on Part 2.

[aashee]

Very cool Data.

[caesarboxfan]

Nice job so far, Data.

[Lost Boy]

Very cool pics and I really like the one of Big Thunder Town from up high on the ride, the Dino Skeleton and Brer Rabbit and Brer Turtle A/A's. I love Disney Rabbits and Bre'r Rabbit is actually my favorite.

[Disney Liz]

Complete awesomeness so far!
Great pictures and I'm all about getting a peak of these behind-the-scenes areas. I've always been curious about the "chicken exits," but I've been too chicken to check them out myself.

I can't wait for more!

[dl_appurtenant]

Thoroughly enjoying this so far! Can't wait for Part 2, Data.

[Legally Brunette]

Great job so far. Can't wait for the rest.

[hobbitfeet]

Nice pictures, especially of the chicken exit. The one time I've been in it, with a frightened 2 year old, it was much darker than that, without those helpful, handy dandy signs. I also don't see well in darkness, and by the time we were finally outside, we were BOTH in tears. Awful.

Glad there are signs and it appears to have lighting now!

Looking forward to...the REST...of the story.

[Uncle Bob]

Very nice, I can't wait for part 2.

[Evil Step-Mom]

Okay now I am anxiously awaiting part 2!

[darkfairycthulu]

Absolutely brilliant...and I'm still freaking out about this photo...

Originally Posted by Datameister

That clinches it, I'm going to have to chicken exit out of there next trip. Rainy tree window! Awesome.

I very much look forward to the next installment, the backstage photos so far are brilliant...I like the rockwork door and the spooooky puddle of spookiness quite a bit. Good job, my friend.

[Uncle Bob]

Yeah, that puddle was odd, I wonder what it's from.