WDWGuy Blog

Pecos Bill’s Cafe

Posted on August 15th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Trying to get back to a more regular schedule of posting, so, as promised, here is another restuarant review for you. This time, we’re taking a look at Pecos Bill’s Cafe in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom.

In my opinion, this is the best counter service restaurant in the Magic Kingdom, and maybe the best in the entire resort. I have eaten here many times, at least once per trip for the last decade. As the name suggests, the fare is not fancy — burgers and hot dogs are the staples. You can also get a pretty good chicken sandwich, and salads and fruit are available for those who don’t want\can’t eat fast food. But what Pecos Bill’s lacks in the “fanciness” of its food, it more than makes up for in quality. The burgers are excellent, especially for theme park fare, and the hot dogs are just as tasty. Portions are big, bordering on huge and prices are just overpriced and not ridiculous.

But the best part of the restaurant is the fixin’ bar, where you can dress your sandwich any way that you like. Standard condiments — catsup, mustard, mayonaise — are available, as well as tomatoes, lettuce, pickles and onions, both raw and sauteed. You can also get cheese sauce and sauteed mushrooms as well. The arrangement is good for both Disney and patrons — Disney restaurant staff can be more efficient in preparing sandwiches if it doesn’t have to specialize create each one to order, and people who can create the sandwich they want are much more likely to be satisfied with their meal.

The eating area is pretty big, with tables both inside and outside, but does tend to get crowded at lunch and dinner, even on sparse days, as this is one of the most popular eateries in the park. And the fixin bar can be a traffic nightmare any time of the day.

Still, the plusses outweigh the minuses at Pecos Bill’s. It’s definitely worth a stop if you want good fast food in the park.

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Timekeeper’s demise

Posted on August 14th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

The news has been out for a while, but I haven’t had a chance yet to comment on the demise of the “Timekeeper” attraction at Tomorrowland in the Magic Kingdom. While I’m intrigued by it’s replacement — a Monster’s Inc. version of the wildly entertaining and successful “Turtle Talk with Crush” — I’m going to miss the “Timekeeper” very much.

Why? Several reasons. First, this was one of Robin Williams’ most hysterical “family” roles. Granted, the guy is funny in almost anything that he does, but a lot of his work is not for general consumption. As the Timekeeper, he was both funny and clean and at his manic best. Second, it was also one of the few places where you could still get a dose of Robin Williams at Disney World. There’s not an Aladdin show anymore. The Animation Courtyard movie that he did with Walter Cronkite has been replaced. The Timekeeper was it, and the loss of Williams at Disney World is a loss for everyone as far as I’m concerned.

But finally, this was one of the few Circlevision movies that I could get my wife to go see. For some reason, they play havoc with her equilibrium, give her a headache and make her extremely queezy. Inexplicably, these problems didn’t seem to affect her on “Timekeeper.” Guess if I want to see the China or Canada movie now, I’ll be seeing them by myself.

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What “Pirates” may mean for WDW’s future

Posted on July 11th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Before I start, let me say that everything you see in this post is mere speculation. I have no inside sources at Disney and I am not privy to any corporate information. That being said, with more than 10 years of following the Walt Disney Company pretty closely from afar, I feel like I have about as much insight into the company’s direction as a lay-person can.

And I believe that the success of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” is going to have a profound impact on Walt Disney World in both the near and distant future. Here’s just a few of the things that I believe will (and won’t) happen, short term:

– There will be yet another update of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” ride within the next year. I don’t think this has been officially announced yet, but the rumors are flying.

– Look for a “Pirates”-themed restaurant at one of the resorts in the near future. The obvious choice would be the Caribbean Beach Resort. The only drawback is that it’s a DVC resort and not open to the general public.

– Typhoon Lagoon will get some sort of “Pirates” attraction.

– You’ll see rumblings that Discovery Island, aka Treasure Island, will reopen soon. But trust me, it won’t happen. Discovery Island is closed, permanently.

Long-term, the impact will be even more profound. In the past, Disney has always looked at theme parks as extensions of the movies. In other words, the timeline should progress something like:

1. Disney comes out with a movie.

2. Movie becomes a big hit.

3. Imagineers spend three years (or more) figuring out a way for the movie to have a permanent presence in the parks.

Take “Toy Story,” for example. That movie was out for at least five years before “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” Made its debut at the Magic Kingdom. Same for “Finding Nemo.” And how long was the Magic Kingdom without any kind of Winnie the Pooh attraction.

I believe that you are going to see Disney trying to create synergy between its various production companies and the Imagineers to try to decrease the amoung of time between a moive hitting the theaters and an attraction hitting the parks. Sure it’s a huge risk. For every “Pirates” you have a dozen “Treasure Planets” or a “Haunted Mansion.” But when you can hit a home run, like they have done with “Pirates”, they tend to go a long, long way. I think the temptation to swing for the fences will be too great to pass up.

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Pirates revamp

Posted on July 11th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Speaking of Pirates, since I haven’t been to the Magic Kingdom in over a year, I obviously haven’t gotten a first-hand look at the changes to the Pirates of the Caribbean. However, everything I have read leads me to believe that they are fantastic. Here’s one pitcure that I lifted off the Jim Hill Media website:

I’ve seen several other pictures that are just as impressive. I can’t wait to see all the changes myself.

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Pirates Mania!

Posted on July 11th, 2006 by wdwguy.
Categories: Magic Kingdom, General posts.

Well, Disney is officially neck-deep in Pirates.

It’s hard not to see why. With the success of the opening weekend of Pirates of the Carribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, you can kind of see why the Walt Disney Company would want to celebrate. Lines at both the movie and the theme park attractions are huge, with no end in sight.

I find it extremely interesting that Pirates has taken off the way it has. It’s always been one of my favorite attractions at Walt Disney World, and I don’t think I’ve ever been to the Magic Kingdom without riding at least once. But I can remember many trips where the wait was minimal — 15 minutes at the most. In fact, prior to my last trip in 2005, I can only remember waiting outside the attraction building only once or twice, and that was because only one side of the ride was being used. Now, from what I have been hearing on some podcasts, wait times are an hour-plus.

Personally, I think it’s great. Always good to see a great attraction get a new life.

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