Show me: photos an avg tourist may not take

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[MarkBarbieri]

This picture, taken from a hotel, looks like a pretty typical tourist photo at first glance. What makes unusual is that it was taken from an elevator...an elevator that has a habit of dropping without warning. Most smart tourists are too busy holding on to take pictures.

Fun fact, the "elevator cars" on the Tower of Terror don't fall like typical amusement park drop ride. They are driven down and often go down faster than a falling object. I don't recommend it, but I've heard of some people testing this by setting a penny on their palm before the drop starts. Because the elevator pushes down faster than a falling object, the penny shoots up relative to their hand.

Another fun fact told to me by the guy in charge of theme park software development when the ToT was build... When they were building the ToT, they allowed the construction workers to go up and down in the elevator cars rather than always using the stairs. They are, after all, just highly customized elevators. In fact, Otis made them for Disney. One day, some of the workers got on, press the button to go up, and got shot up at super high speed, knocking all the workers off their feet. Nobody was seriously hurt, but they quit using those elevators after that. The problem was the development team had been doing some tests and forgot to reset the elevator movement profile.

When Disney first met with Otis about the project, Otis took them on one of their fastest elevators. They imagineers were very disappointed because, despite the speed, they hardly felt like they were moving. Otis explained that it takes quite a lot of work to make it move that fast without feeling like you are moving fast. Disney had to explain that they wanted the exact opposite.

One last Disney elevator factoid - Many people don't realize that the "elevators" at the Living Seas aren't really elevators at all. When you get on the "elevator" to leave the attraction, it shakes around, makes noises, and even looks like it is moving back up from the depths, but it isn't actually going anywhere. If you stay on the "elevator", immediately after the doors to the outside close, the doors on the inside open and you can see that you didn't go anywhere at all.

 

[klmall]

View attachment 742050
This picture, taken from a hotel, looks like a pretty typical tourist photo at first glance. What makes unusual is that it was taken from an elevator...an elevator that has a habit of dropping without warning. Most smart tourists are too busy holding on to take pictures.

Fun fact, the "elevator cars" on the Tower of Terror don't fall like typical amusement park drop ride. They are driven down and often go down faster than a falling object. I don't recommend it, but I've heard of some people testing this by setting a penny on their palm before the drop starts. Because the elevator pushes down faster than a falling object, the penny shoots up relative to their hand.

Another fun fact told to me by the guy in charge of theme park software development when the ToT was build... When they were building the ToT, they allowed the construction workers to go up and down in the elevator cars rather than always using the stairs. They are, after all, just highly customized elevators. In fact, Otis made them for Disney. One day, some of the workers got on, press the button to go up, and got shot up at super high speed, knocking all the workers off their feet. Nobody was seriously hurt, but they quit using those elevators after that. The problem was the development team had been doing some tests and forgot to reset the elevator movement profile.

When Disney first met with Otis about the project, Otis took them on one of their fastest elevators. They imagineers were very disappointed because, despite the speed, they hardly felt like they were moving. Otis explained that it takes quite a lot of work to make it move that fast without feeling like you are moving fast. Disney had to explain that they wanted the exact opposite.

One last Disney elevator factoid - Many people don't realize that the "elevators" at the Living Seas aren't really elevators at all. When you get on the "elevator" to leave the attraction, it shakes around, makes noises, and even looks like it is moving back up from the depths, but it isn't actually going anywhere. If you stay on the "elevator", immediately after the doors to the outside close, the doors on the inside open and you can see that you didn't go anywhere at all.

I think this the best picture I have ever seen taken while riding the TZToT! I have tried many times without much success. And the story is fascinating Mark; reminds of my research for the "Osh" Popham Emporium window on Main Street. Maybe I'll post that one tomorrow. There is so much history behind places in WDW (and Disneyland).

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

"Osh Popham" Proprietor of the Emporium. If you look closely at the windows alongside the southwest corner Emporium entrance, you’ll see the words, “Osh Popham” named as the proprietor of the happy, bustling shop. But who is Osh? He’s actually a character who was played by Oscar-winning actor/singer Burl Ives in the charming 1963 Walt Disney feature film, “Summer Magic,” co-starring Hayley Mills. In the film, Osh was a shopkeeper, postmaster and good-natured meddler. He helped the struggling Carey family find a new home in the little town of Beulah, Maine. For the character of Osh Popham, the Sherman brothers wrote two of their most memorable tunes: “Ugly Bug Ball” and “On the Front Porch,” which is Robert’s personal favorite Sherman Brothers song. “Ugly Bug Ball” became an international success with several cover versions by other artists and years of airplay on British radio. It also became the title song of a nice little show in “a bug’s land” at Disney California Adventure park. B’gosh, Osh! You may have even noticed hearing “Summer Magic” songs during your leisurely strolls down Main Street, U.S.A., as part of the instrumental background music!".

 

[goopysolelady]

The old Starbuck's building:

 

[klmall]

 

[MarkBarbieri]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

 

[goopysolelady]

 

[klmall]

 

[goopysolelady]