Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-76592.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Video: New Walt Disney World Railroad Spiel Includes New Fantasyland</b></a> <p>The Walt Disney World Railroad has a new spiel that now includes aspects of New Fantasyland. The entire spiel is available in the video below.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> <object height="300" width="450" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/KMcdNwcEZLM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KMcdNwcEZLM?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0&hd=1" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> </object> </p> <p> </p>
Originally Posted By Westsider Apparently, Snooki is now working as a conductor on the Disney World Railroad? I always enjoy the East Coast accents of the CM's when I visit WDW. ;-) I never realized how truly ugly the back side of the the Magic Kingdom is as seen from the railroad. That bridge you pass under at the 6:15 mark looks for all the world like an aging highway overpass in any city. All it is missing is graffiti. And the landscaping there appears to have been turned back over to mother nature 20 years ago; it's just sort of ratty looking trees and shrubs growing wildly. Was it always that bad? The first third of the WDW Railroad offers some great scenery. But that back half of the park? Yikes.
Originally Posted By twirlnhurl ^I've always thought the service road bridge could be hidden with a tunnel quite easily, so it's odd that it was left that way when the park opened. The trees and shrubs in that part of the ride look like natural Florida, so I have no problem with that.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost I think the overgrowth of stuff along the track is completely intentional. It makes the area look natural (they don't trim the shrubs along a railroad line) and it helps hide the service areas of the attractions. It probably wasn't always like that because it takes awhile for the growth to become completely natural. Did or do they actually take on water at the Toontown stop? Anyone know?
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 I never thought of the backside of the MK as ugly, but it has gotten worse over the past 10-15 years. They thinned out some of the natural vegitation after some very bad fire seasons in the late 90s. So, instead of lush, it was more of spotty greenery that also allowed you to see more backstage than previously. Then came the hurricane season of 2004 where many trees fell or where damaged to the point Disney felt they needed to be cut. So, it became more of a mess. And since those were always 'wild' areas, Disney wasn't going to replant. I've never liked seeing the access road, but gotten used to it just like the visual intrusions you can see on the DL RR.
Originally Posted By tonyanton Yes, I want to say when i was younger during the visits to the park in the '80s and early '90s looking left from the train you could barely glimpse the industrial looking backstage buildings of WDW and to the right the IASW and HM show buildings...now they are plainly visible, which IMO is bad show. It seems they go to much greater lengths from within Disneyland to hide this sort of thing. I can think of at least 3 more spots in the MK where you can clearly see a "backstage" view of a show building and it really takes you out of the place.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost It could be that the train ride is the attraction and not really themed to anything. It is just a train ride to them. It passes through Frontierland, but it also hits Fantasyland and Tomorrowland as well as Main Street. I don't think they are trying to set you into a time or place, just a ride on a train. Old to Present to Future and back to Old.
Originally Posted By tonyanton I hear you, but the trains in the other parks worldwide basically avoid this with a combination of berms, tunnels, and attractions like Primeval World and Grand Canyon.
Originally Posted By Dreemfinder If your purpose is recording the train spiel, you might want to sit toward the rear of the train where the dialogue won't be drowned out by engine noise...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "It seems they go to much greater lengths from within Disneyland to hide this sort of thing." The train itself may do a much better job of hiding backstage at DL (using the inward-facing cars helps a lot), but the Monorail there is pretty bad. It goes directly over several backstage areas along the back of Tomorrowland, Autopia, and Hollywood Pictures Backlot, and there's really nothing done to conceal it. I'm not sure if it's still there, but there was an announcement that turned guests' attention to Harbor Blvd while passing the costuming building and chiller plant, which really says something. When they intentionally try to get you to look outside Disney property (and specifically at Harbor Blvd), it must be pretty bad. But at the same time, I'm not really sure what else they can do, since it's tough to block the views from the Monrail, short of enclosing it in a building like while passing through the Grand Californian.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>I'm not sure if it's still there, but there was an announcement that turned guests' attention to Harbor Blvd while passing the costuming building and chiller plant, which really says something. When they intentionally try to get you to look outside Disney property (and specifically at Harbor Blvd), it must be pretty bad. But at the same time, I'm not really sure what else they can do, since it's tough to block the views from the Monrail, short of enclosing it in a building like while passing through the Grand Californian.<<< The last time I was there was in 2005 and at that time they definately did draw your attention to Harbor Blvd. It surprised me that the Monorail even came that close to Harbor, but I guess when you have limited space you have no choice. Thinking about it though, hiding show buildings was always strived for but if it got in the way of an attraction they didn't seem to worry about it. Even Walt didn't. Think of the Skyway, that gave out all types of secrets yet it was put in place anyway. If I recall correctly, due to space limitations it is/was pretty common in DL. The ride that I think is hidden the best in DL is Indiana Jones. Judging from the length of the "Q" for it I would think that the ride itself is somewhere in central Mexico.
Originally Posted By brotherdave Gooferynmost, yes, I do believe that the engine does take on water at Toontown Station. If I recall correctly, years ago before Splash Mountain was built, when the trains stopped at the old Frontierland Station (anyone else remember the little red Frontierland train station?), they took on water there. Not sure if they can take on water at the new station or not, but when Splash Mountain was built, I believe that Toontown Fair Station became a water stop. This takes me back to my early visits to WDW and there was no Toontown Station, only Main Street and Frontierland. Unlike now, the trains didn't stop in this area back then, but usually had to stop near the Carousel of Progress to wait for clearance into the Main Street Station (which possibly still occurs today for the same reason).
Originally Posted By Bob Paris 1 "Judging from the length of the "Q"" What does John DeLancie have to do with it?
