The WDW Radio Show – Episode 119 – Originally aired May 17, 2009
The radio dial intro is all over the place, but include a couple familiar jingles from the past. Most notably “Little Orange Bird” by hate-monger and former Miss America Anita Bryant. Wait, I’m sorry that’s not fair . . . she never was Miss America. She lost.
I can tell almost immediately that I’m going to love this one because Lou announces there’s to be a Top 10 with Tim Foster. Always entertaining.
News and Rumors: The BIG news comes from D23. They are rolling out a series of events in addition to the coming inaugural D23 convention in Anaheim. Including an event called “Up all Night” at the El Capitan theater which would allow guests to see an advanced screening of PIXAR’s new film Up.
There’s a pin event. Something to do with Mary Poppins, including one in my hometown Chicago since Mary just flew in here too. A number of others I won’t type out here. You can listen.
I have to come clean here. I am not a member of D23. When it was first announced I was really excited. But when the details were unveiled I was greatly disappointed. I know a lot of people are saying “but you get access to buy exclusive merchandise and buy tickets to exclusive events!”
So in other words it’s an opportunity to spend more money for the privilege of spending more money?
And as for the events, I wouldn’t be able to attend most if not all of them. So basically I’d be paying $75 for 4 magazines a year.
I realize some people love being members and I don’t put that down. I understand it. I still often feel that tug at my heart that I’m NOT a member of the officially community. There is a sense of feeling “left out.” But I’ve just decided I can live with that, until they start offering a few more benefits to the club that I can’t live without.
The Disney Store Online is now selling theme park merchandise, including Mickey ears, pins, clothes, etc.
I have noticed that the selection is pretty limited even now two years later. I really want that monorail warning in Spanish shirt!!! And there’s a new one I saw on FB that says “Real Men wear Mickey Ears!” WANT IT!!!
The Virgin Mega-store is closing. Always kinda wondered if they were doing enough business to afford what I imagine was premium rent in DTD.
Let’s get to it . . . The TOP TEN ATTRACTION THEME SONGS!
Although Lou starts with his Top 10 nicknames for Tim Foster. “Bananas, Freckles, Samantha Brown, . . .”
The boys are kind of all over the place on this one, and understandably so. There’s so much to choose from, between four parks. I’ll try to just hit some highlights. I’m not going to bury the lead either, there really is no Top Ten. These two list roughly their top 214 songs from the parks here. Even when Lou tries to give a definitive 10, he is completely derailed. So if you’re reading this hoping for an orderly, even list . . . sorry.
They decide to go park to park, but Lou kicks it off right in the Magic Kingdom and with arguably the best composers, especially of Disney music, The Sherman Brothers.
Lou’s first pick is “TheTiki Room.” The original of course, not the current Iago “Never Had a Friend” version. Although I guess that’s not even current since Iago has since been barbequed!
Tim follows with . . . “It’s a Small World.” I admit, he’s right. It belongs on the list. I could live the rest of my life without ever riding it again (unless they finally add characters like Disneyland did) but the song is a classic. And if you actually delve into the lyrics it is a good song.
Since Lou educates as well as entertains, I learned from this segment that the title of “Grim Grinning Ghosts” was actually lifted from a William Shakespeare poem, Venus and Adonis.
“Hard-favour’d tyrant, ugly, meagre, lean,
Hateful divorce of love,’—thus chides she Death,—
‘Grim-grinning ghost, earth’s worm, what dost thou mean
To stifle beauty and to steal his breath
Lou says one of his favorites is the “Swiss-a-polka!” Man that’s kind of a thin one but ok, it’s original!
Lou also goes with Country Bear Jamboree, which admittedly is full of good ones. And written by Tex Ritter, father of the great John Ritter!
There is some contention between whether “Now is the Time” or “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” should make it in, since they are from the same attraction. Believe it or not, I have never seen the show in the GBBT incarnation. Haven’t seen it since I was a kid and that was during NITT. I still hear that chorus in my head. So I’m a little partial to it. When I was a kid we’d always go straight into Tomorrowland and ride Misison to Mars first, and the over to Carousel of Progress, my dad’s two favorites.
As for Epcot Lou suggests Soarin’, composed by Jerry Goldsmith, Oscar winning composer. Now, don’t know if this should count as it’s more of a score than a song but it is Lou’s podcast, his list, his rules. And it is awesome music! Lou’s bit of trivia: Goldsmith said after actually seeing Soarin’ he would have scored it for free. (Of course I’m assuming he didn’t return the check!)
Again, another conflict, this time in Epcot. “Tomorrow’s Child” vs. “If We Can Dream It.” At least they’re from separate attractions. Do you know which??
Tim picks “We Go On” from Illuminations. Boy am I a pathetic Disney fan! I did not know that was the name of the song!
Lou picks three from Imgination. The theme from Honey I Shrunk the Audience. “Another Part of Me” from Captain EO. And of course, the great Sherman Brother’s creation, “One Little Spark.” That should be at the top of the list for me. As Lou says, they wrote it as a theme song for people. I love it. If I did my own list, it would definitely be up in the top 3, if not #1.
The boys had some difficulty with Hollywood Studios because most of the attractions actually use previously released music. Tower of Terror, uses recycled Twilight Zone and Disney music. Rock & Roller Coaster . . . duh. Lou says Star Tours uses original music. I guess I don’t know enough about Star Wars in general to weigh in. I’m a super hero geek, not a sci-fi geek.
At Animal Kingdom, Lou goes for Big Blue World from Finding Nemo the Musical. I haven’t seen this show, but I do know the song and I can agree. I had a hard time watching Finding Nemo the movie even before I was a father. Now that I have two young kids, forget about it. Don’t know if I could handle the live show either. Lou even bought the CD at a souvenir kiosk right after the show the first time he saw it, which he “never does.”
As the boys say, Animal Kingdom has some of the greatest background music flowing through the park. However, that doesn’t count here.
Tim takes a strange turn and tries to include some music from the Wilderness Lodge, but fortunately Lou immediately vetoes him. This is music IN the parks!!! Nice try Tim “Dancing with Wolves” Foster!
(You’ll have to listen to the show to get that one.)
They more or less wrap it up after that, although Lou is still thinking of more music as the segment fades out . . .
Walt Disney World Trivia time! This week’s trivia prize is very specific and really can only be utilized by a limited number of people, due to geography. Lou has secured tickets to The Little Mermaid and The Lion King on Broadway!
The Questions are as follows:
1. What was the name and proposed location for a magic themed restaurant in a Disney theme park? (If you’ve been following my blog this week, you already know!)
2. On a daily Disney diary video, Lou completed a list of questions at the Italy pavilion as part of the Italian Liberation Day celebration and went to collect a prize, which he thought would be a cruise, but was really what? ( I actually remember this video, but don’t remember the prize.)
3. Name all 3D films that have played in WDW theme parks.
4. When Pecos Bills Tall Tale Inn was refurbed in 98 in took over space from what establishment, and what audio-animatronic characters could once be found inside? (I don’t remember the name, but wasn’t it the three heads from Country Bear Jamboree?)
5. Name a place you can still find reference to Roger Rabbit in a WDW park.
That’s all the time we have . . .
The next Meet of the Month was going to be at the Studios, June 6th during Star Wars Weekend. I can’t remember if the upcoming Star Tours refurb had already been announced at this point.
It’s funny to note that I don’t even notice the Facebook and Twitter plugs these days but they stand out now that I’ve spent most of this week in past casts. In the first 3 podcasts I’ve blogged about this week, I don’t recall a word about Facebook, Twitter, etc. They both would have been in their very early stages. Heck I think Mark Zuckerberg was still trying to figure out how to rip off those weird twins when Lou first started WDW Radio!
So that’s about it. A number of nice voicemails complimenting Lou and the show but nothing too notable. Although this is the second appearance in my week of Lou that Josh, a highly energetic (and oft out of breath) fan called in. Something tells me this was far from his second call though!
This was kind of a long one but a good one. Sorry it took so long to get it on the blog. Time got away from me, and Blogger was down most of Friday anyway! SOmething tells me nobody noticed anyway! ; )
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