The Imagineering My Way Report Card is were I review attractions, restaurants and everything Disney. The top reviews get an E Ticket just like the old tickets at the Disney Theme Parks. The worst get the "Super Star Limo" rating so named because it was most certianly the worst attraction Dineyhas ever designed.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spetacular

Indy’s stunt show goes back to 1989 and not much, if anything at all has changed over the years.

Disney World The Full Report by Brian McDaniel describes the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular this way:

It must be me, because this stage show is geared for males ( not that female don’t enjoy this show), but lets face it, demographics are demographics and where I come from guns, explosions and fighting are what we call male tendencies. The fact that I don’t enjoy this 35-minute show caused me some concern. The concern I had when I had went away, when I realized, I do have male tendencies because I don’t enjoy a single theme park stage show (except the Light, Motors, Action Show).

The show is (as most shows) a Cliff Notes version of the Raiders of the Lost Ark movie; you have the giant ball sequence, the fight i the Arabic marketplace, and the climatic fight scene with an airplane.

TIP: Extras are chosen 15-20 minutes prior to the show, if you wan to have a chance of participating, you need to be early and act like an idiot (so you get noticed).

TIP: Even though I am not a fan, it does not deter other from witnessing the“stunt spectacular”, which means the seating capacity is filled. It is a FASTPASS attraction and you should consider taking advantage of the FASTPASS system.

EXTRA: Outside the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular there are some crates which are marked “Don’t Open’ - go ahead & open them.

EXTRA: There is a well with a rope in it that says “Do Not Pull Rope!” - pull the rope.

There is no doubt that Brian calls it like he sees it and thats why I like his book. With that said he and I will agree to disagree. He is kind of a Sheila when it comes to shows and he is man enough to admit it. I like the show but I am not crazy about it and I love the Indy series of movies.

What I do like is even though the stunt people have done the show many times over they still seem somewhat fresh. I grew up with Universal Studios and Knott’s Berry farm and many of their stunt shows get old and stale real quick. Universal used to have a Battlestar Galactica portion on the backlot tour and the people who would play Starbuck trotted from one place to another shooting etc with very little feel for stage presence and flare. Same could be said for the T2 show.

Yet another stunt show it is. It is very calculated and planed. What makes it work is the story it is spun around.

What I don’t understand is the FASTPASS. Doesn’t FASTPASS imply FAST? I have been there when you could not get in unless you had one. To get a FASTPASS and then be herded in with rest of humanity on a hot humid Florida day just seems wrong to me. Queueing up with a FASTPASS? Just wrong!

Brian mentioned the crates or boxes and the well interactive spots and to honest I have never noticed them. Sound a lot like similar to a few things Disneyland’s Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Forbbin Eye has during it’s queue. This is not an attraction that I need to see every time I go and I have not spent that much time in the queue. The exit is a different matter. I do enjoy see props and vehicles from the movies. I am not sure if seeing them decay over the years is the purpose and I wonder if they have always look like they do now. The first time I saw them was in 2005 and the show opened in 1998 and I assume they have been there the entire time.

With a new adventure coming soon for Dr. Jones perhaps we might se an update to the show. The show still packs them in and based on that fact might discourage the bean counters to change the show. We can hope that Lucas, Iger, and Lassiter might see the virtue of the timing and need for change. The show is ten years old now and when it premiered The Raiders of the Lost Ark was already 8 years old with the most recent of the trilogy coming out the same year as the show opened.

As far as acting like an idiot to get picked to be in the show, just ask DPN member Burnt Toast. At Fat & Happy 07 he was the poster child for idiots and he got in!

I rate the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular an Imagineering My Way “D” Ticket

IMW Report Card: Casey Jr. Train

There is not much information about this little classic attraction based the circus train from Dumbo which was released on 23 October 1941 some 14 years earlier than the attraction opened to guests at Disneyland. Disneyland’s website describes the attraction this way:

Cheer for Casey as he recreates his epic struggle up hills from the classic animated feature, "Dumbo."

* Ride in a miniature circus train including cars designed as wild animal cages

* Listen carefully to hear Casey optimistically chant "I think I can"

Enjoy the view of the charming miniature villages of the Storybook Land Canal Boats

Category: Fun For Little Ones

Location: Fantasyland

This attraction is Only at the Disneyland® Resort

Disneyland’s website says this attraction is only at Disneyland, but there is another that shares it’s name at Disneyland Paris. At Disneyland Paris it is a little roller coaster that travels around Storybook Land just like the one at Disneyland.

On July 14, 1955, the Casey Jr. Circus Train made its first test ride. On the 25-percent uphill grade, the engine almost tips backward. Lead weights are added to the front, allowing it to temporarily open on the 17th. On July 31, 1955 The Casey Jr. Circus Train attraction re-opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland.

Some pieces of the train were from the original carrousel purchased for King Arthur Carrousel. Walt wanted to make room for more horses and guest so two sled type seats were removed and converted by WED into open air cars on the two Casey Jr. trains. The Casey, Jr. trains uses an internal combustion engine in the calliope car behind the locomotive uses a roller coaster-style chain to pull the train up the steepest hill.

This is certainly not an attraction that is a must visit unless you have kids and you visit very early in the day. For young adults or even older adults it might be a journey of nostalgia, but not one can enjoy with to many of your adult friend as the cars are very small.

It’s a quaint reminder of a different era, one that Walt Disney himself provided over and one that survived the remodeling of Fantasyland in 1983.

I rate the Casey, Jr. Train an IMW “C” ticket.

EPCOT’s Norway Pavilion

Developed on 58,000 square feet, the Norway pavilion opened in June of 1998 and was the last addition to date in the World Showcase area of EPCOT. Ten years without a new Pavilion? That’s sad and another topic. But what is not sad is the Norway Pavilion which is designed to look like a Norwegian village that includes a detailed village and stave church, a table-service restaurant named Akershus which resembles its namesake in Oslo. 4 distinct Norwegian architecture styles are present in the Pavilion which are Setesdal-style, Bergen-style, Oslo-style and Ålesund-style.

Make sure to see the Viking ship that is inspired by the famous Oseberg ship. It used to be used as a children's play area and is now just part of the scenery and a place to take photos. Also go in the Stave Church. It doesn’t look inviting as the door is always closed. Go on in and view some Viking history.

Akershus is the home to a hot and cold buffet and a "Princess Storybook Dining" which is quite popular, even with the tweens.

Assorted Norwegian merchandise is sold in interconnected shops that make up much of the Pavilion. The rear of the courtyard in the pavilion contains the entrance to Maelstrom, the feature attraction in the Norway Pavilion.

Maelstrom is an attraction that compresses Norwegian history into 4:47. After walking through a less than inspiring queue, you board a 16 passenger dragon headed Viking boat of Eric the Red and head off into the fjord’s of Norway’s past, present, and mythology.

You’ll travel up water fall and down water falls both forward and backwards. You even hang out of the show building for a short time. This is also viewable from the Pavilion's courtyard.

You’ll see Viking Villages, Polar Bears, Trolls, and oil platforms all while getting a taste of Norwegian history. It’s not an E ticket my any means, but it is worth a ride each time you visit EPCOT.

The end of your Viking voyage brings you back to a Norwegian fishing village. Once inside on of the buildings you’ll have a chance to view a movie that compliments the voyage and give a more in-depth look at Norway.

Exiting from the theater you are in typical Disney fashion, directed into the shops of the Norway pavilion.

I rate the Norway Pavilion an IMW "D" Ticket. WDI and their Norway contributors did a great job interpreting Norwegian architecture and created a fun little attraction.

The Living Seas with Nemo

I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into, but I was going in anyways. The Living Seas has always been one of my favorite Pavilions. I was disappointed, when taking my son for the first time to WDW for Spring Break 2005 and instead of some of the cool underwater exhibits, Nemo characters were there to take your picture with instead. The Hyradlators were still there but the ride through the water tanks were not. The cast member I ask didn’t even know it had had a ride. It seemed to have lost it identity.

Fast forward to Mousefest, December 2006 and the new Nemo ride is open and the Pavilion is now The Living Seas with Nemo and Friends. I was admittedly skeptical. The talking seagulls saying mine, mine, mine ever few minutes was fun outside. It was strange not to have a pre-show, but the queue was not bad. It had some nice effects and felt ok.

The attraction was good. The effects were well done and the projections were great! The ride vehicles were cute. Over the multiple time we rode it, it had some problems, but the ride is new and I expect this kind of thing.

When you get off the attraction, the whole Nemo thing is lost. Ya there is Turtle Talk with Crush and places to take your picture with Nemo characters. But it still has that 1980’s future look. It seems out a place. The two two attractions, Living Seas the Pavilion and Nemo do not marry that well. The aquarium is still outstanding, the Nemo attraction is good, but together, they just don’t work.

I know I say this a lot, but this is not what EPCOT is supposed to be about. Disney went half way with this new addition. They really needed to go all out and change the whole pavilion. Instead they inputed different Nemo vignettes into various parts of the pavilion.

I rate the Nemo attraction an Imagineering My Way ‘D’ ticket. I like it.

I rate the Turtle talk with Crush an Imagineering My Way ‘C’ ticket. It’s entertaining.

I rate the aquarium and Manatee exhibits an Imagineering My Way ‘D’ ticket. I don’t know if it’s the lighting or if the tanks need a serious cleaning, but it seemed a little dim or dingy. Not sure which really, but it is still impressive. I’ve seen many aquariums like San Diego’s Sea World, the now defunct Marine World, Monterey’s Aquarium by The Bay, and The Long Beach Aquarium. The Living Seas is still one of my favorites.

As a whole I rate the Living Seas with Nemo and Friends pavilion an Imagineering My Way ‘C’ ticket because it is disjointed and still needs work as a whole.