The FOL "Off Campus" Thread

[RetroGuy2000]

My favorite Disney World park is Disney Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios). When I worked there, it was my favorite park: so beautiful and uncrowded, and magical things happened to me at that park. Working at Feature, I got to work with Wayne Brady, Meredith Viera, and so many awesome celebrities. Who Wants to be a Millionaire was a highlight. The "snow" on the Streets of New York was so magical at Christmastime. The Tower of Terror was among my favorite rides.

It's not that I don't like Magic Kingdom, which has Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean (three of my favorite rides), it's just that that park fills up so quickly that you only get a brief opportunity to go when there are no lines.

At Animal Kingdom, I love Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids.

Epcot has some cool areas, including Club Cool/Ice Station Cool, and of course the World Showcase, but it is not my favorite, due to some bad experiences while working there. Oh, I do love the boats you can take from Epcot to other parks.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

My favorite Disney World park is Disney Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios). When I worked there, it was my favorite park: so beautiful and uncrowded, and magical things happened to me at that park. Working at Feature, I got to work with Wayne Brady, Meredith Viera, and so many awesome celebrities. Who Wants to be a Millionaire was a highlight. The "snow" on the Streets of New York was so magical at Christmastime. The Tower of Terror was among my favorite rides.

It's not that I don't like Magic Kingdom, which has Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, and Pirates of the Caribbean (three of my favorite rides), it's just that that park fills up so quickly that you only get a brief opportunity to go when there are no lines.

At Animal Kingdom, I love Expedition Everest and Kali River Rapids.

Epcot has some cool areas, including Club Cool/Ice Station Cool, and of course the World Showcase, but it is not my favorite, due to some bad experiences while working there. Oh, I do love the boats you can take from Epcot to other parks.

Aww so sorry you had bad experiences at Epcot. I just love it! Spaceship Earth, Soarin, Test Track, the countries! I loved Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights on Streets of America! Sadly they’re gone now as the streets were removed for Star Wars land. At Animal kingdom you have to go to Pandora it’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen Avatar so it’s ok to enjoy without knowing the material. Magic Kingdom was my favorite as a boy so I just have a special place for it in my heart. It absolutely can get out of control crowd wise though.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Aww so sorry you had bad experiences at Epcot.

It was just unprofessional behavior from supervisors, but it has stuck in my craw all these years.

I just love it! Spaceship Earth, Soarin, Test Track, the countries!

Funny story: the first time I went on Spaceship Earth (2005), they still had all of the dated 1980s-style computers in the ride!

Test Track, Soarin, and SSE are great, but not my favorites.

I loved Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights on Streets of America! Sadly they’re gone now as the streets were removed for Star Wars land.

Yeah, I heard about that. Makes me sad, but that's how it works at Disney: out with the old, in with the new.

At Animal kingdom you have to go to Pandora it’s unbelievable. I’ve never seen Avatar so it’s ok to enjoy without knowing the material.

I love dark rides anyway, so I'm sure I would enjoy it.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

It was just unprofessional behavior from supervisors, but it has stuck in my craw all these years.



Funny story: the first time I went on Spaceship Earth (2005), they still had all of the dated 1980s-style computers in the ride!

Test Track, Soarin, and SSE are great, but not my favorites.



Yeah, I heard about that. Makes me sad, but that's how it works at Disney: out with the old, in with the new.



I love dark rides anyway, so I'm sure I would enjoy it.

Haha yeah SSE is the one of the few original rides not drastically altered. Back in the 80s, EPCOT Center was chock full of 10-45 minute audio animatronic slow rides through history of various topics (communication, 21st century living, transportation, imagination, energy, etc.)

Pandora has a boat ride and a ride similar to Soarin’, but it’s much more realistic and immersive.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Haha yeah SSE is the one of the few original rides not drastically altered. Back in the 80s, EPCOT Center was chock full of 10-45 minute audio animatronic slow rides through history of various topics (communication, 21st century living, transportation, imagination, energy, etc.)

I'm old enough to remember when the park was called EPCOT Center.

We visited Disneyland when I was a kid, and one of my favorite memories is Pirates of the Caribbean (I got a pirate hat afterwards). But we never went to Disney World. My first experience with Disney World was as a cast member.

In 2005, very few of those old Epcot informational rides were left. Mostly, those areas were empty pavilions. Gone were CommuniCore, Horizons, Magic Journeys, World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Journey into Your Imagination, and Captain EO. Placards in front of those areas said something would eventually be replacing those areas. It made the park feel oddly empty, to have six or seven huge empty buildings, all in Future World. Spaceship Earth was the main attraction in Future World, and to get to the end of that ride and see 1980s computers touted as "the wave of the future" was a little hilarious. Glad they finally updated and started filling in those empty areas. Also glad they finally removed that stupid wand on SSE that had been there for the millennium celebration in 2000.

Also: guests would always ask: "Where's Figment!?"

Pandora has a boat ride and a ride similar to Soarin’, but it’s much more realistic and immersive.

Sound way cool!

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Magic Kingdom was my favorite as a boy so I just have a special place for it in my heart.

Hey! I was a boy, too! #commonground

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In 2005, very few of those old Epcot informational rides were left. Mostly, those areas were empty pavilions. Gone were CommuniCore, Horizons, Magic Journeys, World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Journey into Your Imagination, and Captain EO. Placards in front of those areas said something would eventually be replacing those areas. It made the park feel oddly empty, to have six or seven huge empty buildings, all in Future World. Spaceship Earth was the main attraction in Future World, and to get to the end of that ride and see 1980s computers touted as "the wave of the future" was a little hilarious. Glad they finally updated and started filling in those empty areas. Also glad they finally removed that stupid wand on SSE that had been there for the millennium celebration in 2000.

That's so odd that Disney would let that many buildings just sit empty in a famous park!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Also: guests would always ask: "Where's Figment!?"

A highlight of my older sister and me visiting WDW with my grandparents on spring break in the '80s was meeting Figment and The Dreamfinder!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

That's so odd that Disney would let that many buildings just sit empty in a famous park!

I found it odd, too, but that was something Disney just did at the time.

Disney-MGM Studios also had empty areas: the Disney Feature Animation building at that time was mostly empty, closed in 2003 and not repurposed until 2015 (as the Star Wars Launch Bay). I worked in that building, doing web and media work, and it was mostly a skeleton crew.

A highlight of my older sister and me visiting WDW with my grandparents on spring break in the '80s was meeting Figment and The Dreamfinder!

Awwww! That sounds very sweet.

I met Donald Duck at Disneyland when I was 7. I was shocked to find out it was somebody in a costume.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Awwww! That sounds very sweet.

I still remember the magic of it, and we have a photo our grandfather took of me, older sis (who was never "seemingly forgotten" as was Nat's older sis, lol), and our grandmother with F and TD. I'm even wearing a Figment hat!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I met Donald Duck at Disneyland when I was 7. I was shocked to find out it was somebody in a costume.

Were you disappointed, crushed, interested, or just neutrally shocked?

I got to meet Mickey Mouse on that same trip (my trip to WDW, not yours to DL, lol)---I was 7 too! (but very nearly 8!)

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I still remember the magic of it, and we have a photo our grandfather took of me, older sis (who was never "seemingly forgotten" as was Nat's older sis, lol), and our grandmother with F and TD. I'm even wearing a Figment hat!

That sounds adorable!

Were you disappointed, crushed, interested, or just neutrally shocked?

Donald put his bill up to my head, and I could see inside his mouth. There was a layer of orange mesh, and I could see a girl's face. Donald pulled back, but I put my face back by his mouth to get a better look. The girl whispered "Shhhh!", but I didn't understand what she meant.

I yelled, "That isn't Donald Duck! There's somebody in a costume!" (or words to that effect).

I was shocked to my core, but nobody else even seemed to care, as if it somehow wasn't news to them. I kept insisting that wasn't Donald, but no-one paid me any attention. It was very frustrating.

I hadn't yet unraveled the mystery of the characters, and at that time still believed in Santa, etc. (I wouldn't find out about Santa until a year or two later).

I got to meet Mickey Mouse on that same trip (my trip to WDW, not yours to DL, lol)---I was 7 too! (but very nearly 8!)

I don't remember meeting Mickey, only Donald, and the Seven Dwarfs. I likely met other characters (likely Captain Hook, since I requested a pirate hat just like his, and Peter Pan, since my sister got his hat), but I just don't remember anymore.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Hey! I was a boy, too! #commonground

You WERE?! I thought you were a robot!!!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I'm old enough to remember when the park was called EPCOT Center.

We visited Disneyland when I was a kid, and one of my favorite memories is Pirates of the Caribbean (I got a pirate hat afterwards). But we never went to Disney World. My first experience with Disney World was as a cast member.

In 2005, very few of those old Epcot informational rides were left. Mostly, those areas were empty pavilions. Gone were CommuniCore, Horizons, Magic Journeys, World of Motion, Universe of Energy, Journey into Your Imagination, and Captain EO. Placards in front of those areas said something would eventually be replacing those areas. It made the park feel oddly empty, to have six or seven huge empty buildings, all in Future World. Spaceship Earth was the main attraction in Future World, and to get to the end of that ride and see 1980s computers touted as "the wave of the future" was a little hilarious. Glad they finally updated and started filling in those empty areas. Also glad they finally removed that stupid wand on SSE that had been there for the millennium celebration in 2000.

Also: guests would always ask: "Where's Figment!?"



Sound way cool!

Well future world switched things out one at a time. There were usually no more than 2 pavilions down at once. I thought the wand was cool at first but it overstayed its welcome. Glad they’re finally filling up the last empty future world pavilion the Wonders of Life.

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I yelled, "That isn't Donald Duck! There's somebody in a costume!" (or words to that effect).

OMG! That’s terrible Retro! Idk when I figured out they were in costumes but I always found it odd they never spoke.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Donald put his bill up to my head, and I could see inside his mouth. There was a layer of orange mesh, and I could see a girl's face. Donald pulled back, but I put my face back by his mouth to get a better look. The girl whispered "Shhhh!", but I didn't understand what she meant.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I yelled, "That isn't Donald Duck! There's somebody in a costume!" (or words to that effect).

You WHAT?!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I was shocked to my core, but nobody else even seemed to care, as if it somehow wasn't news to them. I kept insisting that wasn't Donald, but no-one paid me any attention. It was very frustrating.

Since Lorsie didn't say it, I will: "Classic Rets!!"

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I hadn't yet unraveled the mystery of the characters, and at that time still believed in Santa, etc. (I wouldn't find out about Santa until a year or two later).

That's very interesting. I think I knew they weren't the characters, but I'm not sure exactly what I thought.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Well future world switched things out one at a time. There were usually no more than 2 pavilions down at once.

That definitely wasn't the case in 2005-2007. The Innoventions West pavilion had a huge, empty section that was only used for VIP character meet and greets, Ellen's Energy Adventure was closed, the Wonders of Life pavilion was closed, and The Land Pavilion was mostly empty.

I thought the wand was cool at first but it overstayed its welcome.

It would have been fine for the celebration year, but they left it up for six more years!

Glad they’re finally filling up the last empty future world pavilion the Wonders of Life.

Me too! What are they putting there? It's about time. It's been well over a decade since they closed that pavilion.