Trip Reports

Not So Mini, Spontaneous TR (And IllumiNations 2000, Reflections of Earth) I got the chance to head on over to the world today.

09/23/99

First, Some General Comments:

Saw Doug Live, noticed that there was a different CM playing Patti than usual. (She didn't do the voice as well)
RnRC was basically a walk-on. I noticed that the Hidden Mickey made from the coils of cable on the wall was gone.
ToT was running a bit slow - it seemed that the elevator all the way to the right wasn't being used so guest capacity was lessened.
Headed over to Epcot for the first time since before Summer. I had to see the LaL monstrosities. Pictures don't lie. Those Leave a Legacy monoliths *do* look like a graveyard. You can almost get lost in the infrastructure. I pity the person who gets their tiny 1x1" square eighteen feet up...
The fountain in front of SE with the cascading water (and the huge crystal prisms) has been modified. The prisms have been removed and the smooth cascading surface has been replaced with granite blocks similar to the ones on the rough road test portion of Test Track.
The supporting column directly under SE had been wrapped in tiles silimilar to the regular LaL tiles, just about 9x9". Some workers were preparing places in the wall for terminals that will supposedly tell about the Leave a Legacy poject.
The gift shop that was dedicated to education (to the right as you pass under SE from the entrance.) has black plastic on the windows.
I couldn't find an entrance to Innoventions anywhere.
The awning-thingy over the Innoventions courtyard is a lot bigger in real life than it looks in concept art. At the base, there is an infomation desk on one side and a shop featuring pins galore on the other.
I tricked my friend into sampling Beverly for the first time - he kinda like it!
HIStA had "technical difficulties" so the show was delayed for a few minutes.
Looks like JIYI is preparing for the supposed soft opening / CM preview on Sun. The lights were on inside and it looks like some major walls have been moved around. The exit area had full lights on and you could see inside from near the HIStA entrance. There were CM's and managers standing around. I hopped down and snapped a quick picture, but as I got near to the doors, they automatically slid open, so I bolted. The inside contains a number of monitors and a row of 4 or 5 picture booths similar to the ones you see in the mall. (Get a strip of pictures for a $) Looks like the whole area has really been reworked. I'm comparing this to a Test Track / WoM type change. Of course, from what I've heard, the track layout remains the same, but may be shorter. (Hey, they had to put that 5000 sq ft. gift shop somewhere.)
Test Track. 35 min regular line. 15 min singles line. I hadn't been since Dec '98. (Sneak Preview), so we decided to brave the singles line. We were on the cars in less than 10 min. 'Nuff said. The car that hits the wall wasn't working.
IMAGINATION! (as the pavilion is formally called) CM's have new outfits. They consist of solid patterns of red, orange, yellow, and blue. (From what I remember)
I wanted to drop by Mexico and see if Paragon was there, perhaps get my loin inspected, but there wasn't enough time.
Supposedly tonight was the first full showing of Illuminations 2000. A CM at MGM Guest services told me that last night was a test show with not all the normal effects. What can I say about the show? (More after spoiler)
S P O I L E R - A L E R T

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WOW! I had no idea that it was possible to synchronize fireworks to music that well! I have never seen fireballs that big! The show starts out with a single rocket / comet - looking thing shooting across World Showcase from Canada towards Trimobia. The 27 foot torches around the lake are perfectly synchronized. They burn low before the show starts, but gradually grow bigger during the early portions of the show. Then, the announcer-guy-person "blows" them out and the flames vanish. Soon, the fountains around the lake begin to spurt colored water as all hell breaks loose. (Literally) The center barge begins so spew flames and gigantic fireballs in time with the music. Some of these must have been 30 or more feet across. Fireworks shoot everywhere. There's a lot of smoke from that much flame, and a bunch of lasers form a sort of ceiling. The lasers cycle, spotlights zoom back and forth. A huge sphere, clearly representing Earth, appears in the middle of the lake, and begins to rotate. The parts shaped like continents are used as projection screens. There's some sort of apparatus, be it laser or light bulb, that seems to emanate light to form video. (Not projected on to the sphere, but eliminating from it) Various scenes appear on the continents, from animals in Africa to artistic representations of the human race. At times, rows of lights inside the sphere begin to glow and show the inside. Eventually, the sphere splits open, and a huge torch rises. Bright fireworks shoot out of the center of the torch, as well as a number of barges around the lake. Fireworks also shoot from the rim of the lake inwards at various points. The torch bursts into flame, and rises as the flame grows larger. More fireworks shoot, the music gets faster, and a LARGE amount of very bright fireworks all shoot into the air simultaneously. The result is probably the "big bang" effect. That's the end of the show. There were so many fireworks like none I've ever seen - screaming rockets, ones that bursts into a million points of purple light, ones that explode in ways I never knew were possible, it's amazing! I might be able to post a recording of the show tomorrow. (Tape Recorder)

END OF SPOILER

After the show, my friend and I decide to take a stroll around the World Showcase. (We didn't have time to see it before, and were viewing it from the point closest to Future World. We feel like salmon swimming upstream, but by the time we reach Germany (and Trimobia) the park seems empty. I take a quick photo of SE and the lovely 2000 from Italy, and am about to continue, when I see a person taking a picture of the Italy pavilion using a tripod. On a hunch (and foolish luck), I stroll up to this person, ask them if they recognize my RADP button, and get an affirmative answer. It's no other than Denise (Tinybeetle)! Who else would be taking pictures of pavilions at this time way out in this corner of Epcot? We strolled out together, yapping about the NG's.

BTW: I checked every point of sale in MGM and Epcot I could in search of the new WDW album, but no luck. A CM at Epcot mentioned that it's not supposed to sell until October 1st, so I guess I'll just have to wait. Craig Wingerson, if you're reading this, where did you get yours? I'll be at Epcot all day Sun so maybe they'll have it then.

This wasn't exactly a mini TR, but there will be another coming on Sun. Hopefully my CM friend will be able to get us into the new JIYI, and I'll get some info, sound, pictures, etc.

Peter Stepniewicz

fudgie@mail.com

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