Disney Parks Podcast Show #533 – Interview With Disney Artist Dave Avanzino
In today’s show, we share a recent interview with the amazing Dave Avanzino, Disney fine artist and scenic designer!
All the Disney Parks in One Podcast
Disney Parks Podcast Show #533 – Interview With Disney Artist Dave Avanzino
In today’s show, we share a recent interview with the amazing Dave Avanzino, Disney fine artist and scenic designer!
By Edward Freda
A couple summers ago I was fortunate enough to go to Europe for three weeks. While most would be excited to go see the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and the Colosseum, I wanted to see Port Aventura, Europa Park and the Disneyland Paris Resort. With my first DLP day spent almost exclusively in Disneyland, the next day was almost completely dedicated to Walt Disney Studios. For those who haven’t been to these two parks, Disneyland Paris is like Disneyland lite and Walt Disney Studios is like Hollywood Studios lite. I was pleasantly surprised by Space Mountain Mission 2, Phantom Manor, Rock n’ Rollercoaster, Crushes Coaster and Cinemagique (tied for best show I’ve ever seen). I won’t go into my feelings on Indiana Jones or Ratatouille, but what I will get into is Toy Story Land.
Toy Story Land in WDS has three flat rides: A launch tower, a Caterpillar and a shuttle coaster. If you’ve been to your local fair, you’ve been on all three of these. All of them are located outside, so inclement weather makes them inoperable. The capacity of these rides is a tick over zero, and since you’re in a Disney park, you’ll have to wait in very long lines for (basically) nothing. There’s no food option and good luck with getting TS merch. With Ratatouille taking the cake as the worst attraction (compared to the hype), Toy Story Land was the most disappointing use of IP I’ve ever seen in a Disney park. When the announcement came out that they were doing away with Pixar Place (although not explicitly stated) and instead focusing on building another Toy Story Land; I was crushed.
I envisioned Imagineering brokering a back alley deal with Ticket Taker Tom for his used carny rides. WDI would add some nuts and bolts, slather some paint on and rubber stamp the attractions for ops. More and more it’s as if the R&D money has gone out of attraction development and into other things like outdoor theming (the one positive of WDS’s Toy Story Land). All the while, the time table balloons out of control. Instead of a mess, we got a boutique land that was just what the doctor ordered!
First off, everyone’s a fan. While I’ve never seen Frozen and I don’t like the Lion King, I love Toy Story. To this day, I get into arguments on why Mulan is one of Disney’s best movies; but I’ve never had to make a case for Toy Story. People might disagree on how good the sequels were, but no one has ever said that Toy Story 1 was a “bad movie”.
It’s a franchise. While Walt Disney World is late green lighting this IP, Toy Story is a three movie franchise. The brand global, making 1.97 BILLION dollars in the box office. DVD, digital, apparel and merch numbers? I won’t bore you with that because the 2 billion dollars speaks for itself.
The characters are iconic. Buzz or Woody? This was a popular question when the movie first debuted. The EVIL Emperor Zurg is great villain, and dare I say, more enjoyable to watch than Darth Vader (on whom he’s based). Sales of Mr. Potato Head increased over eight-hundred percent after Toy Story came out and the manufacturer of Slinky Dog had been out of business ten years before Toy Story resurrected Slinky Dog from the dead.
It was the first, feature length, computer animated film. This is HOLLYWOOD studios after-all (for right now); the park that celebrates music, television and film. While Disney’s not going to make a show for the first 3D film (The Power of Love), a ride for the only silent film to win best picture (Wings) or a land for the first PG-13 film (Red Dawn); they made a land for a paragon of a movie. Although, they could always move Snow White and the Seven Dwarf’s coaster to the studios (the first animated feature film).
For those who aren’t athletic millennials, you probably wouldn’t know about the resurgence in games like dodgeball and kickball. In almost every town you can find a league for one, if not both, of these nostalgic sports from our childhood. The comebacks that are easier for all ages to recognize are shows like Rosanne, Stranger things, half the movies in Hollywood and all of the song beats. While I’m a huge fan of originality, Nostalgia is what sells, so that’s what’s making a comeback.
Toy Story Land is nostalgia at its finest! Babybel Cheese sponsors the restaurant. Animal crackers and oreos are built into the design. Rubix Cubes, Yo-Yo’s, Tinker Toy’s, used popsicle sticks, bendy straws; the list goes on and on. While Disney doesn’t want to build a nine figure land on a fad, WDI did a great job of incorporating the current pulse in a timeless way.
Like Pandora, you haven’t really seen this land if you haven’t been here at night. Beyond the Christmas lights strung over the walkway, the attractions are taken to a different level. The feel of Alien Swirling Saucers changes from the bland Tea Cups to a late night, kinetic disco (albeit in some strange alternate dimension). The track of Slinky Dog Dash lights up dynamically, with the coaster being the main draw. When you’re on the ride, it starts simply enough; green lights pressing you forward, objects illuminated. The real magic is at the second launch point, with lights and sounds pairing together seamlessly. Even Wheezy the Penguin gets the spotlight!
Before this expansion, these were the rides at DHS:
You could include The Great Movie ride if you like, but even then, only 1 ride in the park was for the little ones. Depending on the age, the kid would likely enjoy pulling the string more than playing the game. Couple this with the Star Wars expansion and Disney is missing a chunk of their market. Even with rumors coming out daily about Galaxy’s Edge, there are zero rumors about a children’s ride. I’d have to guess that the attractions will be on the Young Adult-Adult side because Toy Story Land is all about the family.
Midway Mania was already the only ride that the little ones could enjoy. Alien’s Swirling Saucers (I really wanna abbreviate this one) is the only true blue kid’s ride in the park. And since I absolutely love step-ups in theme parks, Slinky Dog is astonishing. In the same fashion that a child could go from the Great Goofini to Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train to Big Thunder Railroad; a kid could also grow to get comfortable with SDD, before braving RnRC. The true genius lies in the launch. SDD has not one, but two launches; the second one feeling faster than the first. They’re both magnetic launches which is a smoother, slower accelerating launch versus other launches. RnRC is a catapult launch; likely the fastest accelerating launch out there (I’m no engineer, but it feels harder than all other tire launchers).
The Imagineers didn’t just do their homework, they turned it in, and got an A!
This, I’d garner, is the million dollar question. Taking a look at the overhead, if they wreck the Cast Member parking garage and admin offices [you can see both in the picture], they could build north. Unfortunately, I don’t think Toy Story Land will be at the “Harry Potter” level of success needed for a land grab like that. However, one thing I think TSL will have, is longevity. It’s going to be that slow and steady that gets families to return again and again (granted the wait times stay reasonable).
Why would I talk about expansion?
Hollywood Studios is going through a much needed overhaul from the barely boutique park Eisner opened. Even with the added attractions (including Mickey’s Runaway Railway and SW:GE), the park will only have a sliver of the ride capacity of Magic Kingdom. The park could see twenty mil through the gate, but they can only do it with more to keep guests occupied. Beyond the lacking throughput, Woody’s Lunchbox is a bit of a mess. It’s amazing food (don’t get me wrong), but they underestimated its popularity. I think Disney culinary is crushing it with all of the new stuff, so they should expect more guests at the windows than they can handle. Right now, at Woody’s LB, it’s not possible; but with an expansion, we could have an array of options that keep Disney’s stock flying high. They also need a real retail option if the want to both capitalize on Toy Story, as well as nostalgia.
The truth is, Toy Story Land is amazing for what it is; but it isn’t perfect. However, it could become the best land in Walt Disney World (you hear that Galaxy’s Edge, I’m talking to YOU) with a little help. Right now, the land has:
If you look at the land in these terms, it’s got more than:
Oh, and a little land named WORLD SHOWCASE!
If you’re following along:
I think you need both of the dining areas to be indoor; one table service and one counter service. Woody’s Lunch Box is great when it’s not raining, but when it is, there’s nowhere to hide in Toy Story Land. I feel like the table service needs to be a real deal, true blue, Pizza Planet. This could also be a counter service like before, but with the money it’ll take to recreate the arcade games, there’ll need to be a higher check average. Also, if the games are on free play for restaurant guests (somehow tied to a magic band timer for the duration of your meal or an hour), Disney can charge all kinds of money for it! If it starts getting a little slow inside, throw in some exclusive games and watch the reservations fill.
As for the counter service restaurant, I’d say a classic diner that plays episodes of Woody’s Roundup. The problem is that there’s already a diner inside of Hollywood Studios and you’d have to pay to produce a T.V. show that’ll never been see outside of one restaurant. I guess Disney could also put it on its streaming service, but if the show goes mainstream, the entire restaurant concept will go up in smoke.
As for retail, Al’s Toy Barn is the only option (pretty cut and dry here). If you look at the picture from Shanghai, you can see how the theming of Al’s fits the theming in Orlando. Dollar signs are on the wall. Bring the cranes back!
Knowing what I know about Star Wars, the Runaway Railway and potential door’s coaster, I think we need to throw the kid’s stuff in here. I’d like to see a Toy Story omnimover or something like Mike and Sully to the Rescue (a guilty pleasure ride of mine). If not this, then a Toy Story water ride fashioned like a slip and slide. Without this, Hollywood Studios will be without a water ride for the next ten years (minimum).
The second thing that would be brilliant is a covered show. One in which we’re invited into Andy’s “room” and get to watch him play with his Toys. Think about the opening of the first Toy Story, but in live form. They could do 2-4 different shows a day on the same stage (since they won’t need stunt actors). With two crews, and the load/unload time of a big theater, they could run it (pretty much) continuous. For those who haven’t got the visual, watch THIS for a couple seconds and tell me you aren’t entertained!
Agree? Disagree? Don’t care? Pick your poison before writing a comment below. Also, feel free to follow the photo album from my adventures at vsco.com/albertawol
As autumn draws near, get ready for a whole new host of seasonally-inspired eats with WonderFall Flavors at Disney Springs! Starting September 7, 2018, celebrate your favorite fall flavors with everything from harvest tacos and pumpkin desserts to hard ciders and autumn-inspired cocktails.
This seasonal celebration includes over 14 restaurants and quick service locations throughout Disney Springs. I’ve put together this foodie guide to help you find all the flavors of fall!
YeSake
Enzos Hideaway
STK Orlando
Maria & Enzo’s
Morimoto Asia
Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar
The Boathouse
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant
Paddlefish
B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co.
The Daily Poutine
Amorette’s Patisserie
The Polite Pig
D-Luxe Burger
Additional Delights
Fall-Inspired Hard Ciders at Dockside Margaritas and Select Outdoor Vending Carts
WonderFall Flavors at Disney Springs starts September 7 and runs through November 6. If you’re looking to get you fix of fall flavors, then this is definitely the place to be! Be sure to stop by the Disney Springs Welcome Center or any participating location to get your WonderFall Flavors booklet. This pocket-sized guide will help you chart your course and keep track of your tastings!
For more info, visit the Disney Springs website. To make reservations, visit the Walt Disney World Resort website or call (407) WDW-DINE (407 939-3463)
Watching the fireworks at Disneyland is a challenge. Many people line the streets in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle hours before the 9:30 pm showtime. I am not one to wait around. There are alternate places to walk up at the last minute, such as Rivers of America and It’s a Small World area. Yet, you don’t get to see the projections on the castle, flying Tinkerbell, or the fireworks right at the castle. There is reserved seating on benches at the castle, but that is for invited guests or guests that had VIP tours that day.
Disneyland has lacked the Fireworks dessert parties that other Disney Parks have offered for years. At Walt Disney World, you can attend dessert parties for nighttime entertainment at all four parks: Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and now Animal Kingdom. Even Disneyland’s neighbor, Disney California Adventure, has offered a World of Color Dessert Party and now a Paint the Night Dessert Party.
If you are looking for a relaxing place to watch the fireworks from afar, try the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience! I brought my Dad to Disneyland for the day and gave him my own VIP tour of the best of the Disneyland Resort. My Dad has not visited Disneyland in about 10 years. We visited on Disneyland’s 63rd Birthday. He enjoyed a multitude of rides using Maxpass, Carthay Circle Restaurant for lunch, and the Tomorrowland Skyline Lounge Experience to end the night.
The Skyline Lounge opened about a year ago and has quietly kept it’s place on the second level of the Star Wars Launch Bay. Reserve your spot in the same way that you reserve table service restaurants at the resort. The cost is $50 per person, no discounts, and is paid when you arrive at the lounge that night. The lounge has several couches and high top tables with bar stools and chairs. For the best seat choice, arrive 15 minutes prior to 8:00pm when the lounge opens. You are able to come and go during the 2 hours that the lounge is open without losing your seat.
A host will help you take your dessert box and drinks to an available table or couch of your choice. Drinks are unlimited, but the dessert box is the only food available. There are cans of Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, and Perrier. Coffee and hot tea are also available. Your host will offer you games, Jenga or Connect Four, to play while you wait for the fireworks. They also offer blankets because Southern California nights can be a bit cooler, especially up on the second level of the Launch Bay building.
A surprise from the night was a visit from Minnie Mouse. Disney’s website did not mention character visits. Minnie spent time taking group and individual photos with all of the guests in the lounge.
The reason we book the lounge is for the fireworks views. Anaheim was quite windy that day, and the fireworks were delayed by about 10-15 minutes. Disney’s website says does not guarantee the fireworks. Fireworks are often cancelled at Disneyland due to winds. If fireworks are cancelled, I do not know if you will receive a partial refund of your lounge experience. A downside of the high top tables and bar stools is that the tops of the fireworks are cut off. You are asked not to lean on the railing for viewing of the fireworks. Most of the guests who were seated on the couches remained there to watch the fireworks. I would recommend arriving early for couch seating.
Overall, I would recommend ending your day with this lounge experience. It was a great to have a seat and wait for the fireworks. The desserts were quite tasty, even as breakfast the next day! We did take the box home because we had a full day of meals and snacks already. Since the desserts come in a take-out style box, it was easy to close up and take the uneaten treats home.
By Edward Freda
An unpopular opinion
When it comes to American Football, I’m a Dallas Cowboys fan. This year, they’re playing the Panthers in week 1, but in the years previous, they’ve played memorable matches against the Giants. Last season was the Cowboys blowing out the Super Bowl contender by 16, In 2016, Terrance Williams ran around with no time outs, causing us to lose by 1 when we could have kicked a field goal. In 2015, Romo fumbled the snap before hitting Witten for the game winner with 8 seconds left.
Needless to say, these aren’t games to miss.
For the aforementioned 2015 game, I found myself in WDW. I spent the first 8 hours of my day in the parks (with a 2-hour break at the ESPN Zone); but, as all sports fans do, I kept my eyes on the clock. I got back to the Caribbean Beach ‘Resort’ with thirty minutes to spare. I went down to the food court (to see if I could eat and watch), but there weren’t any TV’s playing games. Connected to the Old Port Royale Food Court was Shutters.
When I asked to see if they had any TV’s playing the games, they admitted that they didn’t. Starving for both football and food, I asked to see a menu so that I could place a to-go order; resigned to watch the game in my room. I was told that I couldn’t order to-go because the kitchen was “too backed up”. However, if I wanted, I could sit in the restaurant and eat there. I tried to get them to let me place an order, then I’d come back at halftime to pick-up the food, but I was told that they, “may not open up the kitchen to to-go tonight”.
Fuming, I left two food locations on Walt Disney World hungry, before heading back to my room.
Since I’m a fan of American Football, College Football, Soccer (International, La Liga and NWSL) and Lebron James, I watch a lot of sports. While Disney is great at taking money out of your pocket, they’ve always been bad at leveraging sporting events to do it. To contrast, Universal Orlando has: NBC Sports Grille and Brew on City Walk, Finnegans in the parks, Jake’s, The Hideaway and The Kitchen at the hotels.
I’m going to go over some places where you could watch on Disney property, but then, I’ll dive into the much better spots to see your favorite sports. Oh, and since I did get to eat at halftime, I went across the street to the gas station for chocolate milk and trail mix.
AT DISNEY:
ESPN Zone
This is where most lists begin and end. The overly popular Boardwalk spot is filled normally, but overflowing (with a Soarin-esk queue) when there’s a sporting event. With overpriced food, average service and massive lines, you might be wondering why would anyone wait for this!?
The truth is, that there’s no other “sports bars” in WDW. A quick google search of “Sports Bars in Walt Disney World” will give you:
Two in the top 10, one of which is located at a location that most visitors don’t know exist!
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest brings the lines and prices of ESPN Zone, without the bar popularity. Unlike ESPN, this place isn’t littered with televisions, but the bar has more than enough to watch your game. Most don’t know that the bar is open seating, so it’s a great way to skip the lines. With two locations, one of them being in Animal Kingdom, it’s a convenient place to break away to get your sports fix.
But anyone looking for a Sports Bar atmosphere or a television sports package (except for the NFL Sunday Ticket package) will be sorely disappointed. This is first and foremost a family restaurant, the bar being an afterthought.
PB&G
A more recent addition, PB&G is an outdoor spot at the Four Seasons Resort. When I want to make a day of watching sports, and I don’t have my own transportation, I bee-bop busses until I land here.
This outdoor bar and restaurant has televisions all around, as well as sports playing over the sound system! The three bartenders I’ve been with are all super knowledgeable about sports, and love to speak it with you. The food is everything you’d expect from a Four Seasons, with next level apps and hand-helds. As of now, this is a relatively unknown spot so you can park at the bar for the day and not feel guilty if you’re only ordering a pint every now and again.
While this is technically inside of the World, it’s unfortunately as inconvenient as leaving (unless you’re staying on the Monorail loop). Parking is Valet only and will set you back $30. The food is, well, Four Seasons; so don’t expect to get away on a McDonald’s budget. Appetizers will run you $12-16, sandwiches float around $20, and entrees get into the $30s. You can get a bucket of 5 beers for $35, or a local draft for $8.
The big negative is that you could be dropping around $100 to watch the game; doubling my normal daily vacation food budget. The second downside is the 6pm closing time; meaning you’ll have to find another way to watch the 4th quarter.
Splitsville
While I’ve never been here, I’ve heard from several people who say that Splitsville is the next ESPN Zone. For me, it’s already hit the mark because the wait is too long for me to get in (I’ve tried half a dozen times to get a lane). If you’re headed here, you can grab an alley, or sit at one of the bars.
This “West Side” spot (formerly the Virgin Mega Store) offers typical Sports Bar Snacks. Sliders, Nachos, and Pizza highlight the main fare; but you can also get Bowling Alley Sushi. The prices are Four Seasons level, but the food isn’t…the choice is yours.
NOT AT DISNEY:
NBC SPORTS GRILLE AND BREW
Truth be told, if I want games, grub and I don’t want to spend a lot of green, I go to Universal’s NBC Sports Grille and Brew.
With a dozen starters, you could bring a group and munch on sharables from the 1pm games through the night games. The food is well priced, portions are large and the service has always been great. There are more televisions than people, and I haven’t found a single bad spot in the house. For those who have only gone to ESPN Zone, imagine that capacity….DOUBLED! For the ladies who want to enjoy the weather and not be entrenched in sports, they have outdoor seating available.
While many tourists are beginning to split their vacations between the two Theme Park giants, there are those who aren’t. Universal is a hike from Disney and the Uber bill alone might detour one from making the trip. Also, unlike Disney Springs, Universal’s City Walk has a steep parking fee. If you don’t have a year pass, I can see that being a big reason why not to go to Orlando’s best Tourist Sports Bar.
Craig Miller’s Field House Sports Bar
A 5-mile drive north from Crossroads will bring you to my favorite sports bar in southwest Orlando; the Field House. The food is great and I haven’t had bad service yet.
Chips and Salsa will run you $12 at PB&G; Nachos will set you back $15 at Splitsville. At Craig Millers, the prices are $3.75 and $8.95 respectively; and that’s not a special! For lunch, they run an Eight Dollar, 9in pizza, with a choice of soup or salad. Feeling extra hungry? Get 2lbs of wings for around $20 tossed in one of their 15 sauces.
The menu is massive, giving you all the American food options you’d expect to see at a Sports Bar. Sound is always playing inside, but they also have an outdoor bar. If you’re going with a family, there’s plenty of booths around the perimeter. If you’re like me (and flying solo), there’s both the bar, and bar seating around the bar!
For sports food and atmosphere, it doesn’t get much better than the Field House
The Local Chains
For those from the States, there are plenty of local chains nearby enough. Driving east on Hotel Plaza Boulevard will run you into Buffalo Wild Wings, Miller’s Ale House or Twin Peaks. To the Southwest of the World, there’s another ‘B-Dubs’ and Miller’s, but if you travel down 192 a mile or two, you can stop at Gator’s Dockside or Hurricane Grill & Wings.
All of these places will give familiar food to the domestic out-of-towner. It’ll also give the International visitor a taste of American Sports Bar chains; well-priced, fried pub food, with sports all around, served by a hit or miss wait staff.
If you’re looking for something to the Northwest of the Magic Kingdom (as Southwest through Northeast have been covered), you won’t find anything except for a desolate 429.
LAST CALL:
With a car
With an Uber/Lyft
Only Disney Transportation
Pay Per View’s
Agree? Disagree? Don’t care? Pick your poison before writing a comment below. Also, feel free to follow the photo album from my adventures at vsco.com/albertawol
Hey Howdy Hey friends!
Walt Disney World is gearing up for the official opening of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Sat, June 30. As a huge Toy Story fan myself, Im so excited to share with you my 5 Must Do’s At Toy Story Land!
By Edward Freda
An unpopular opinion
I can’t tell you about my first trip to Epcot because I don’t remember it; nor does any individual trip I’ve ever taken to Epcot stand out in my mind. What I remember about my pre-postgrad days at Epcot are: rides on Horizons and being able to choose your ending (I always went with space). Walking in, and always starting with Spaceship Earth; walking out, and finding our picture on the boulders. My rides on Body Wars, the best motion simulator Disney has made to date (in my opinion). Being lifted over the barrier around Mission Space by my Dad so that I could get a clear visual of the beautiful building façade. To me, Epcot has been a toe touch park; you plan when you’re going to leave before you even get in.
Disneyland is known as a locals park. I have heard estimates of around 1 million Annual Passholders for the Disneyland Resort. AP’s visit the park daily and the streets are crowded and lines are long. AP’s love the parades and fireworks. They line up with their blankets, board games, cards, and iPads to pass the time while the wait for hours on the curb. AP’s love to see openings or re-openings first or be the last ones to ride if the ride is closing. They will line up outside the gates early to be the first to see the new ride, show, or parade! Some Disneyland Facebook groups having running jokes on how crowded it will be. The real answer is: Disneyland is ALWAYS crowded! But, I have a few tips on how to beat those crowds and enjoy your day or your vacation at the Happiest Place on Earth.