Jack Spence

Richard Carpenter & Mr. Guder

August 23, 2009 by Jack Spence

A handful of famous people have worked at Disneyland. John Lasseter (founder of Pixar) was a Jungle Cruise skipper. Steve Martin worked as a magician in the Main Street Magic Shop. Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed Alice in Wonderland. Teri Garr was a parade dancer. And Bob Cummings, Art Linkletter, and Ronald Reagan are/were members of Club … Continue reading "Richard Carpenter & Mr. Guder"

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Where Does the Music Come From?

August 17, 2009 by Jack Spence

Most people pay very little attention to the music being played in the background while visiting a Disney theme park. Our eyes are much too busy taking in all of the sights to consciously pay any attention to the melodies filling the air. The songs are simply there. But if the music wasn’t surrounding us … Continue reading "Where Does the Music Come From?"

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Bay Lake Tower – Part Three

August 7, 2009 by Jack Spence

This final blog about Bay Lake Tower will contain some odds and ends not previously covered. Also, at the end of this article, I have included a Q&A section. Let’s start with the Community Center. Located off of the Bay Lake Tower Lobby, the Community Center is where you’ll go if you want to engage … Continue reading "Bay Lake Tower – Part Three"

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Bay Lake Tower — Part Two

August 5, 2009 by Jack Spence

My “Opening Day” blog about Bay Lake Tower has generated a slew of questions. At the moment, some of them are answered within the comments section of my first blog. After I return home, I’ll publish all of the answers in a final Bay Lake Tower article. I’m going to start this blog discussing the … Continue reading "Bay Lake Tower — Part Two"

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Bay Lake Tower – Opening Day

August 4, 2009 by Jack Spence

Bay Lake Tower – Opening Day Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I need to give you a little background. When I covered the Kidani Village, I was given a private, VIP tour about a week before the resort opened. Because of this, I was able to get a lot of pictures beforehand and obtain … Continue reading "Bay Lake Tower – Opening Day"

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Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama

August 2, 2009 by Jack Spence

When Disney announced and built Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama, I was annoyed. I realized that the Animal Kingdom desperately needed more rides and attractions, but I felt that the bean-counters tried to remedy this situation by the cheapest means possible. They bought “off-the-shelf” rides and had the Imagineers spruce them up the best they could. … Continue reading "Chester and Hester’s Dino-Rama"

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Rafiki’s Planet Watch — The Forgotten Land of the Animal Kingdom

July 30, 2009 by Jack Spence

Let’s start with a little history. When the Animal Kingdom opened (April 22, 1998 – Earth Day), there was no Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Well, there was, but it was called Conservation Station back then and was an outcropping of Africa. Conservation Station failed to spark the guest’s imagination so sometime in 2001, this area became … Continue reading "Rafiki’s Planet Watch — The Forgotten Land of the Animal Kingdom"

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Fort Wilderness Railroad

July 25, 2009 by Jack Spence

It’s interesting what fond memories the Fort Wilderness Railroad conjures up in so many of us considering its short life. It only ran between 1973 and 1977. Still, this little train made a big impact and continues to cause us to wax nostalgic when we think of it. Originally built at a cost of $1M, … Continue reading "Fort Wilderness Railroad"

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ESPN RISE Games

July 20, 2009 by Jack Spence

Realizing the importance of our youth and sports, ESPN has a long history of covering and promoting high school athletic events. ESPN RISE was created to encourage and recognize teenage athletes by providing them with recognition, resources, information and the inspiration they need. This encouragement will in turn motivate them to improve their skills and … Continue reading "ESPN RISE Games"

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Hotels that Never Were at Walt Disney World

July 17, 2009 by Jack Spence

In early 1971, I purchased the above booklet – a “Preview Edition” of Walt Disney World. Within its 21 pages were dozens of artist’s renderings of this fantastic resort that was under construction in Florida. I took it home and read it cover to cover, twice. The booklet briefly described each of the lands within … Continue reading "Hotels that Never Were at Walt Disney World"

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