The 2014 Zonta International Convention will be held in Orlando, Florida USA - The home of Mrs. Banks at Walt Disney World. Marriott World Center, June 27 - July 1, 2014. Aussie Zontians will be at Walt Disney World June 20 - June 26.
for New York baby! Yeah! - oh and a little thing in Orlando - the Zonta International Convention.
When in Orlando it is pretty cool to LEAVE Orlando - and drive a fast car, for 90 minutes, on the expressway to the Space Coast and Kennedy Space Centre.
I, like squillions around the world, grew up with I Dream with Jeannie after school every day and wondered about this place called Cocoa Beach.
Finally, I got in my hire car and drove out there to check out this internationally famous American icon.
Leaving Orlando ...
.... arriving on the Space Coast. Soggy.
There are few stories that so clearly define a universal USA mental model than space exploration. So much of the countries confidence and technology developments have been drawn from NASA and the race to the stars.
Famous for the creation of Project Management, NASA have been instrumental behind miles of innovations including LEDs, artificial limbs, car tires and baby food.
yep - the front entrance gate - don't let the dogs out
Back when I visited NASA still had sole use of the base - now days it is a commercial space port, the space shuttle has been tucked inside and private contractors such as SpaceX are shooting off the rockets for satellites. Back then I took the "launch pad" tour, which started in their little bus depot.
... you are here
Do you know why KSC is located here on the Florida coast?
Back in the 60's, it was the cheapest, most eastern, and closest to the equator, territory of the USA. Being on the east coast and on the bulgiest bit of the earth saves substantial energy when trying to fling rockets out of gravity's grip.
On our bus, they had a host who told us lots and lots of great info.
Still soggy
We started off at the public viewing spot for launches - off over there somewhere
On entering the base, we went past lots of viewing towers and office blocks, eventually reaching the Vehicle Assembly Building.
Where the rocket capsules are stacked together
One's stacked rocket is loaded onto the tractor carrier
The tractor trundles down this gravel road. 3 miles to the launch pad takes all day.
The gravel road is a feat of civil engineering capable of handling the weight. Then we arrive at the launch pad.
This was as close we could get and the pouring rain limited visibility
imported from Houston - the original control centre reconstructed
Standing in the rain got too much for me, and so I went inside to see the museum.
On display is a large range equipment and media stories from the time, including bits of rockets and old capsules.
crispy - all that's left of Apollo 14
The main selling point is this:
An entire, unused Saturn rocket
This is clearly the highlight of the museum - it's HUGE and lies horizontally through the length of the room. Far too big to photograph.
As long as a football field
Essentially a big spacy airport and runway, KSC gives the public easy access to incredible adventure of space travel. In terms of content, it is fairly light and easy to understand. No astrophysics here but enough to tease one's thinking about how a huge industry going to the moon must have been.
KSC offers other attractions too - like a little garden planted with old rockets, an IMAX cinema with stunning film of the astronauts, and of course a little shop. With the finalisation of the space shuttle program, a brand new display featuring Atlantis has been installed.
poor old Explorer - absolutely stripped bare and plonked out the back in a walkway.
Did you see the original broadcast of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the moon? Will you make the trip to discover outer space?
That man-on-the-moon broadcast was totally dependent on the NASA transmitter dishes here in Australia, in Parkes and just outside Canberra at Tidbinbilla. The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex at Tidbinbilla also houses a magnificent space museum which rivals KSC for quality - just missing the aircraft and rockets.
In a follow up to my original Environmentality post, The Orlando Sentinel this weekend published a 'story' - about a local firm with a composting breakthrough and their work with Walt Disney World.
Apparently, they take all the food scraps and turn it into electricity and garden fertilizer! How cool is that?
There is an awful amount of broccoli in there - Did 'ohana have a slow week? (source: orlando sentinel)
Can you imagine the amount of food scraps WDW generates - the parks, the resorts and the restaurants - and all the unsold produce in the shops?
Check out this neat video from the Orlando Sentinel which demonstrates the process being used at WDW. Give it a second to load and it should play automagically.
Built and run by Harvest Power - this is fabulous. Check out their webpage for Florida which has the greatest title - I can't write it here - you have to do read it to make it work!
UPDATE: 17 OCT Disney just released a new video introducing the tour guides! less than 2 mins
Just as Zonta went nuts with all their way exciting Convention announcements, I was in the midst of a mini-series on Day Tripping in Orlando. About 3 posts back, I gave you a healthy list of backstage tours available at Walt Disney World. Any of these could take your fancy, but there really is only 1 considered a MUST DO at Disney.
Start by walking down Main Street USA and learn about the key design principles, including the 'forced perspective'.
How Tinkerbelle 'flies' during the fireworks show every night.
Discover the history of the famous Jungle Cruise ride - how the animatronics work.
Go off stage to see the parade float storage sheds
Ahhh - the long lost Spectromagic parade. Enough fairy lights to blackout a minor city.(source: military disney tips)
Tell some of the secrets of how they keep everyone so safe with their security systems
How they restock all the stores without a single van, truck, barrow travelling 'on stage'.
See their amazing vacuum driven garbage collection process
Go underground and take a walk through the famous utilidors (utility corridors)
The glamour of show business: Concrete! Underground tunnels! Safety signs! (source: margaret and ian's website)
This tour is fabulous for jamming in so much cool content! And lunch! and a gift souvenir.
Photography is supposedly banned on the tour - but I have scrounged some piccies for you. Google is my friend. If you are really keen here is this old Oprah special where she tours the utilidors.
Just a heads up - you won't get the same tour as Oprah
The CONS of this tour - there is a lot of standing on hard concrete and precious little sitting. In the heat of June this may be a bit overwhelming. And I suppose if you don't want to know all this 'behind the scenes' stuff, it may ruin the magic for you.
At $75 this is a reasonable for a half-day entertainment, with lunch. The tour runs every day, with multiple morning departures - I recommend the first session at 8:30am. You must have a park entry ticket. And GREAT walking / standing around shoes!
Of all the Disney backstage tours, this is the best.
So .... are you the kind of person who loves to find all the little details and discover how they make the magic? or would you rather not know?
You might not believe this, but there are only so many times I can go onit's a small world. Even with its green and purple koalas.
I'll let Larry and Chuckie explain.
Originally commissioned to celebrate UNICEF, it has a classic history and is now part of America's art scene with classic stylings by Mary Blair.
It is a great example of what this post is about - everything at Disneyworld has a story behind it.
Walt didn't just whack up a bunch of amusement rides. He created backstories for every little detail in the parks and resorts. Every hotel has a story, every ride and show, even the entry gates are part of a story.
And the easiest way to discover all these stories are to take a backstage tour.
(source: waltdisneycompany.com)
Disney run a pile of them and they are changing all the time. A tour makes for a very different experience of the resort. Always full of background stories, hints, information, some give you unique experiences or some make it easier to experience to experience a park.
These babies are expensive. You can score discounts using Disney Visa Cards, Disney Annual Passes or purchasing a special "My Way" dining plan which can include the tours among all the offerings.
I've done a number of tours now, and for first timers let me recommend the one not to bother with: Backstage Magic.
Expensive at about $250+ p.p., 8 hours, and you see lots of this:
Magic Kingdom parking lot - I suppose I could have guessed. What else would be backstage! (source: disneytourreviews.com)
This tour is TOTALLY backstage - so no free rides in the parks. In hindsight it isn't that bad. We saw:
the topiary work area at the nursery
Minnie's let herself go in her older age. What?
... and a whole lot of other places in which photography was banned! Like one of the sewing/costuming rooms; a machinery shed (where they paint and repair signs and ride vehicles); the parade float holding sheds; and the back door to the Tower of Terror ride.
We did see backstage at The American Adventure at the huge mechanical rotating stage sets; and the water holding pond for Splash Mountain!
Back of Frontier Land in Magic Kingdom - kind of what you'd expect really. (source: disneypix.com)
Lunch was pretty good - Whispering Canyon Cafe at the Squirrel Wilderness Lodge. An all you can eat BBQ skillet affair with tin plates, mason jars and YEE-HAH entertainment! Whispering is really the last thing happening here.
Umm ... yeah .... don't ask for the ketchup.
Disney has heaps of other tours - long and short - to suit all interests.
Train fanatic? You're accommodated, but get up very early.
At least this is more credible than the creepy bus spotters. (source: waltdisneycompany.com)
African Safari Trek? Wander through the back of the Animal Kingdom Zoo and visit the hippos and crocodiles, then enjoy some refreshing snacks looking out over the savanna - all without the danger, smells or tsetse fly.
For the keen gardeners, you can go Behind the Seeds at Epcot to learn how 1981 saw futuristic hydroponic gardening.
space age brussell sprouts taste just as bad. which must be why they are grown in such low density. (source: flickr.com)
If you think Disneyworld is just kiddie rides and amusement attractions - well - maybe one of these tours can show a different side to the resort.
I do have one tour I enthusiastically recommend for all first time visitors. But in the true spirit of any reality programming, you have to wait for next week for the big reveal.
What do you think? Would you like to see backstage? or would that break the magical illusion for you?
I am up to Part 3 of this Platnium Plan trip report and so far nothing has taken me inside a theme park. I am keeping myself exhausted with plenty of other diversions.
This was another one of those little "Disney doesn't contact Australians" moments. In September Disney shut down the conveniently located spa (an entirely new built spa will open in 2013 - in time for you!) at the Grand Floridian and I did a switcheroo over to Saratoga Springs Spa. On arrival, they had no record of my booking - despite it being on the official Disney itinerary - but they found a room and a therapist and suddenly I was downstairs changing into a robe and indulging in gentle background music, soft lighting and scented heated oils. In my robe and slippers I padded into the treatment room and laydown on the warm, towelled treatment table.
and with the gentle, relaxing face massage using cooling scented cream, I drifted off to sleep.
(source: Walt Disney Company)
The spa is a large complex with an indoor swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, lounge, treatment rooms, and entrance with shop. It is a fairly new building so everything is very clean and maintained. The atmosphere isn't particularly plush - they maintain a certain level of spartan for easy cleaning. And yet it is not hipster modern. Sort of beige..... and lots of moldings around the doors and walls... and potted plants .. sort of middle of the road classic.
A booking also allows use of entire facility - but I had too much to do!After bringing myself back to life - and she probably did a good job - or she may have just set the timer and read a book for all I know - I headed off to my next event.
Follow me after me the jump to see what's next (hint: food porn is involved)
"Theme park holidays?! eerrgghh! I'd rather stick pins in my eyes"
The person who said that to me could've worn this to Universal's Halloween Horror Nights. If only, she was more open minded!
You don't have to wander around the parks doing park things. For a more interesting angle on WDW you can go on backstage tours and see what it takes to produce the magic on stage. Back here I promised you that I was up for the Extreme Touring Challenge - how much high priced stuff can I jam into my Platnium Plan 41 hours?
And the answer?
Not as much as I wanted. But it wan't my fault!! Disney wouldn't let me!!
So let's see what they did let me do.
First up I promised you all that I was going swimming with the dolphins.
Santa, please bring good photo editing software
It didn't happen. Disney cancelled on me. They closed the tank to all tours due to unexpected repairs needed to the filtration system. So no fake coral for me.
Instead I went on the 7 hour Backstage Magic tour. This was a coach tour that took our group (about 16) to some backstage areas of the theme parks, and some of the operational areas.
Disney ban photography in the backstage areas so there are limited photos in this trip report - and mostly what I have scrounged from other sources.
The tour started in Epcot in the Amercian Adventure Pavillion. The tour guide discussed the architecture of the building, how they use big tree plantings to block the views of other things to not jar the fantasy, how they sourced original style bricks etc.
source: themeparkinsider.com
The American Adventure theatre contains an audio animatronic show of the history of America. The way it works is that there a bunch of little set stages and these stages are on tracks and they roll on and off stage. The tour goes back stage to show the mechanism - a very traditional mechanical track system driven by a high tech computer program. This was big grindy cogs and mechanics and stuff - and was really interesting.
Back on the bus and over to the Magic Kingdom where we were taken down into the famous "utilidors". These are the utility corridor tunnels that run underneath the park to allow for invisible servicing of the park. I'll let Oprah be your guide. Everything she saw 20 years ago (and as many dress sizes ago) is still the same today - including the appearance standards. I reckon I saw the same shoes display.
Back on the bus and staying backstage we visited the maintenance workshops. These are big functional workshops - like you'd see anywhere - where they do repairs, mechanics, signwriting, painting etc. Here we saw the cast members fixing a viking ship carriage from Epcot's Maelstrom ride, working on a car from Hollywood Studio's stunt car show and they gave us a short demo on how the animatronics work using that one dog that appears in Pirates of the Caribbean, Carosel of Progress and Spaceship Earth.
Back on the bus and off to lunch at Wilderness (Squirrel Lodge). Yes it's mini food porn time!
Whispering Canyon cafe does a "skillet family style all you can eat" lunch - a buffet laid out on the table: corn cobs, pork ribs, pork sausage, chicken, potato mash, coleslaw, cowboy beans, and cornbread. Dessert was fruit cobbler with ice cream.
I never knew the old American wild west was this bountiful! (source:disneyfoodreport.com)
The Cast Members all get into the old wild west act and even though we were a very quiet audience our server worked hard with her banter and jokes. A couple of things they do are fun and silly. Drinks are served in jam jars and if you keep asking for refills she'll just bring out the large size - much to everyone's amusement.
Can you show me the way to the bathroom?
Sometimes if you are after the ketchup you might score more than you were hoping for.
(source: lavender-ladybug.blogspot.com)
If kids are in the restaurant they'll have wooden horse racing and lots of singing etc. Whilst loud and enthusiastic it is all done gently and no-one is too embarrassed.
Fruit cobbler with ice cream (source: thepixietrail.blogspot.com)
Yee Haa!! (source:mickeyvacations.com)
I'll give it 2 spoons cause I kinda like bbq and there was plenty for everyone and I could avoid the beans.
and 3 Mr Creasotes - it is too hard to restrain oneself and it is all protein and carbs!
After lunch, back on the bus and off to Horticulture. Finally a chance to take photos! Here we saw the glass houses where they grow all the plants for display - hundreds ferns and philadendrons and poinsettas. We also saw all the frames for the topiaries used in the annual Garden Festival each May.
now we know what mickey has under those shorts
toparies are made by covering the frame with birdnetting, stuffing the netting with sphagnum moss and planting squillions of small plants all over
Back on the bus ... and off to Hollywood Studios Park.
First we stopped off at costuming. We went into the same room which is visible to the public, through glass, from the Backlot Tour ride in the park. And we saw those trolleys rumbling by every few minutes.
Looking into the costuming room from the trolley. Imagine me standing inside
I cannot tell how many different types of costumes exist at WDW. Every hotel, restaurant, ride, shop, show, parade, meet and greet - all have different costumes. Mickey himself has hundreds. Although Pocahontas has only one. Tough luck sister - no ball gown for you!
In here they are all designing and cutting and sewing and basically looking like a costuming area is supposed to look. After about 15 mins it was .....
Back on the bus and we're going backstage to see the Tower of Terror Ride. On the ride over they talked about the story behind the ride, how terrifying it was, the amazing technology to control the ride, then took note for everyone who wanted to ride and who didn't. We all piled off the bus, they separated us into 2 groups - the riders and the non riders, led us into a garage and showed us a ride vehicle. 5 minutes later, turned around and .....
Back on the bus - yep - nobody got a free ride.
Off to Animal Kingdom Park and here we went into the parade shed to see the floats for the Jungle Jamming 3pm Parade.
official disney photo - my tour group was not this photogenic
We didn't get a reserved spot for the parade - we just mingled in with the existing crowd - well - the existing cluster of people - park numbers were pretty low.
Minnies float ... competing with Hello Kitty for worst taste.
Back on the bus and back to Epcot. It was here that the tour ended at 4pm - some 7 hours later. Getting off the bus everyone was given a special tour pin.
Hmmm - thanks Disney .... I think
Pros: got a quick coverage of something from all 4 parks including those back areas such as horticulture and maintenance; lunch was great; getting on and off the bus helped break up all the walking and standing on concrete (how do Disney staff stand all day long?), provide little electronic head sets so it is easy to hear the guide, tour guides are great - friendly and plenty of jokes. Good way to learn about what it takes to run the place esp as they stayed mostly out of the parks. If you don't know the trivia, you'll learn things. No kids!
Cons: didn't get to ride anything, a bit staid and plodding at times, the guides have a set routine and it becomes obvious at times - sometimes they won't answer more pointed questions - in fact they never actually asked if people had questions - one had to thrust oneself upon them in the few presenting opportunities, very few photo opportunities; if you do know the trivia - there's nothing new. The tour is limited to 16 years plus - so if you have kids - no can do.
The price seems steep. At over $200/hd and they don't really give you anything but lunch and a pin - that's an expensive bus ride.
So as an experienced park person I would not put this tour above swimming with the fishies. And if you are a 1st timer to WDW it may be way interesting for you - as long as you can afford a whole day out.
Still, I prefer this tour over sticking pins in my eyes.
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