by Jim Korkis
Disney discourages guests from feeding the wild animals including not just ducks but squirrels, rabbits, and other wildlife that are not an official part of the park population.
As an accredited member of the American Zoological Association, Disney realizes that some foods are not good for these creatures and can cause digestive problems or disease that can prove fatal.
Even the guests themselves can pose a threat as they gather too closely around the baby ducklings and can accidentally trample them unknowingly which is why cast members often try to wrangle the ducks off of congested walkways or accompany them back to the water.
Since the ducks eat free at Walt Disney World, however, and are surrounded by so many others of their kind and enjoy the care that Disney takes with keeping the water clean, it seems that the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages and that the parks are a bit safer than some of the other environments they might visit.
WDW History
The Love Bug
The Love Bug (1969) was the second highest grossing film in Disney history (up to that time), after Mary Poppins (1964). The Love Bug was “Herbie,” a little 1963 white Volkswagen Beetle car with racing stripes and the number “53” who had a mind of its own and helped a variety of different owners. Producer/writer Bill Walsh was a fan of Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale who had the uniform number “53.”
The huge success of the film inspired the theatrical sequels Herbie Rides Again (1974), Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977), Herbie Goes Bananas (1980), and Herbie Fully Loaded (2005). There was also a short-lived television series in 1982 and a made-for-television movie with actor Bruce Campbell in 1997.
Herbie, named after the punch line in a comedy routine by comedian Buddy Hackett who co-starred in the original film, has made several significant appearances at Walt Disney World.
Two buildings (#6 and #7) devoted to the character opened in March 1999 at the All-Star Movies Resort. Herbie (used in Magic Kingdom parades up to 1990 when it was put in storage) was displayed on a racetrack-themed courtyard. It was later relocated to the backlot tour because people kept climbing on it.
The gigantic front and rear Herbie sculptures (because Herbie can split in two) on the buildings are approximately five times the normal size of a VW Beetle. At night, they illuminate.
Both buildings are themed to a racing motif with oversized tools like a wrench, a screwdriver, and a wheel stating “Winner’s Circle.” The oversized movie clapboard says the production is “Bananas,” probably referencing Herbie Goes Bananas.
Another version of Herbie was originally on the Disney-MGM Studios backlot tour in a driveway on Residential Street (the Burns house from Ernest Saves Christmas) when it opened in May 1989. It was designed to raise up, smoke its back tires, open its doors and hood, squirt water from its washers, and do a few other tricks. Unfortunately, it suffered a major electrical fire and was completely burned and Disney decided against replacing it.
A vehicle from Herbie Fully Loaded also briefly appeared on the Backlot Tour until the attraction shut down.
Yet another Herbie that was used in Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) hung from the top of the ceiling of Planet Hollywood at Downtown Disney where its lights blinked and the headlights could turn to look down.
When Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show premiered at Disney-MGM Studios, Herbie also appeared in a cameo and as part of the show split in two. He also appeared in the original Paris version of the show. Herbie was replaced by Lightning McQueen in July 2011. Just outside the stadium was Herbie’s Drive-In, a counter-service snack stand that had hot dogs, chips, chili, and drinks.
In 1976, Imagineers proposed a Herbie dark ride for Disneyland that would take guests in oversized Herbie vehicles through scenes from the first two Love Bug movies (such as driving up the Golden Gate Bridge and skipping across a lake). The proposal even included Herbie splitting in half at the end of the attraction.
While Disneyland hosted Love Bug Days in 1968 and again in 1974 to promote Herbie Rides Again, Walt Disney World had its own “Beautify Your Bug” contest in connection with the film.
The contest, sponsored by the Volkswagen Clubs of America and central Florida Volkswagen dealers, was held June 15, 1974. Entries were limited to 200 contestants. Judging was done by winners of similar nationwide contests with the ultimate winner receiving a new Volkswagen. The top finalists had to be content with participating in a special parade down Main Street, U.S.A. with the Disney costumed characters.
WDW History
Florida’s Real Love Bugs
The notorious “lovebugs” that plague the Walt Disney World property twice a year are actually not “bugs” but rather a type of fly called the March fly. These odd pests remain coupled, even in flight, but facing opposite directions, during and after mating, earning them that politically correct nickname as well as others including the “honeymoon fly” and the “double-headed fly.”
In late spring (approximately late April or May) and late summer (usually late August or September), they generally appear and the swarm lasts about four weeks. The bugs themselves live about three to four days on average. The magnitude of the infestation is often related to the current weather with a dry season sometimes resulting in a shorter infestation.
They were first fully documented around 1940 and were common in Louisiana, Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. By the year 2000, they could be found in just about all areas bordering the Gulf of Mexico as well as Georgia and South Carolina.
It is speculated that these Central American flies were brought up to the continental United States sometime around 1920 on a cargo ship that arrived in Galveston, Texas, or New Orleans, Louisiana, and began to spread from there, in a natural migration.
The urban legend is that they were created as a genetic experiment gone wrong at the University of Florida in an attempt to design a bio-engineered bug to battle the mosquito problem. They do not eat mosquitoes or its larva. Instead, they eat partially decayed vegetation and other decaying organic material in the landscape. In their larval stage, love bugs are beneficial to the environment. Eggs are deposited in decaying vegetation, which the immature bugs eat and in doing so enrich the soil.
In the Orlando Sentinel for September 20, 2013, Philip Koehler, an entomology professor at the University of Florida, joked that “if we’d created them, they would be orange and blue [the university’s colors].” Instead, they are black and red. Nor did they “accidentally” escape from some research laboratory to wreck havoc on locals and tourists.
However, like most urban legends, these stories are often repeated and reprinted and seem to be a logical explanation for these odd but harmless creatures. Perhaps because the University of Florida Entomology Department is a highly regarded authority on bugs occurring in the American Southeast, people somehow determined that they were responsible.
These insects neither bite nor sting. but their sheer abundance make them a nuisance for motorists since they splatter on windshields, clog radiators causing them to overheat, damage paint on cars if left unremoved for several hours, and other annoyances including staining clothing. They are related to mosquitoes, midges, and gnats.
Their flights, usually restricted to daylight hours and often around highways, can include hundreds of thousands. They are attracted to the heat of the roadways and exhaust fumes. Light colors seem to also be a factor in attracting them.
Their huge population causes public concern. However, they are considered non-threatening to humans and crops and merely a nuisance, so no government funds have been designated for their elimination or control. Insecticides have proven ineffective because of the vast populations over large areas. Birds seem to be the natural predator.
They don’t buzz, click, or hum and are most active in mid-morning and just before dusk. They are not known to be carriers of any type of disease.
Florida is home to a host of annoying bugs. Cockroaches are so large that they get their own name: palmetto bug
s. Mosquitoes are a constant problem. Fire ants roam lawns. In comparison, the love bugs are merely unpleasant.
WDW History
Society of Explorers and Adventurers
Inspired by the cult-like affection for the nightclub known as the Adventurers Club (1989–2008) at Walt Disney World’s Pleasure Island, the Imagineers created a similar organization that wouldn’t be confined to just one location.
Formed by fearless adventurers on August 12, 1538, SEA (Society of Explorers and Adventurers) was first introduced in 2001 with the opening of Tokyo DisneySea. There, in the Fortress Explorations area of the park, a museum of sorts showcases a variety of treasures, including a seismic recording station embedded in Mount Prometheus where SEA members track and record the volcano’s activities.
A nearby bronze plaque at the water’s edge reads:
We, the members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, herewith establish Explorers’ Landing in order to promote the sharing of nautical and scientific knowledge for world exploration.
Also at Tokyo DisneySea is the magnificent Hotel Hightower, home to the park’s Tower of Terror attraction. Built by prominent SEA member Harrison Hightower (who bears an uncanny resemblance to Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde), the hotel displays photos in its lobby of Harrison absconding with priceless ancient treasures from around the world, much to the dismay of the local populations.
As the story goes, on New Year’s Eve in 1899, at an exclusive party to show off his ill-gotten collection, Harrison disappeared after an unfortunate incident with a cursed idol known as Shiriki Utundu. The hotel remained closed until 1912, when it re-opened to guests as part of a preservation effort. Strange things have been happening at the hotel ever since.
Hong Kong Disneyland is home to the globetrotting Lord Henry Mystic, who stored his strange treasure collection in Mystic Manor. His curious pet monkey Albert inadvertently activates an ancient music box that grants life to the lifeless, causing chaos. The attraction’s queue features portraits of SEA founding members dating back to 1899.
The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen restaurant in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom was founded by SEA member Dr. Albert Falls. Following his death, his cargo business went to granddaughter Alberta, who turned it into a Jungle Cruise tour operation before launching a restaurant in the company’s headquarters.
While most guests dine in the old Skippers’ Mess Hall, a secret SEA meeting room filled with interesting memorabilia is behind a corridor of bookshelves.
Frontierland’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has long been the stomping grounds of SEA member Barnabus T. Bullion, president and founder of the Big Thunder Mining Company (whose portrait in the attraction’s queue looks suspiciously like Imagineer Tony Baxter especially since the middle intial “T” stands for “Tony”). The drilling device that disturbed the spirits of Big Thunder Mountain was invented by Jason Chandler, another member of SEA.
One of the newest additions is Miss Adventure Falls at Typhoon Lagoon. Treasure-hunting heroine and world-famous oceanographer Captain Mary Oceaneer was created as the icon of the popular Oceaneer Club and Lab locations on the four Disney Cruise Line ships for younger guests.
Captain Mary’s goal was to sail the seven seas and collect treasures from numerous ports of call to share with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, her ship was caught in an unexpected storm and swept to Typhoon Lagoon, where her deep-sea artifacts were scattered throughout the water park.
Guests enjoying the new attraction see some of these scattered treasures, as well as the damaged hull of the ship from which Mary’s diving partner, a parrot named Duncan, continues to scan the terrain.
Many believe that additional evidence of the secret history of the SEA is waiting to be discovered at other Disney destinations.
WDW History
Garner Holt Productions
In 2012, Garner Holt Productions (GHP) in San Bernardino, California, acquired the complete Disney animatronics parts inventory dating back more than forty years. The 500,000-part former MAPO inventory included components from Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and Carousel of Progress. That means Garner Holt Productions now serves as the replacement parts manufacturer for Disney audio-animatronics.
Garner Holt and his company was granted this unique honor because of its outstanding work on Disney theme park attractions as well as its commitment to innovation in building some of the most sophisticated animatronic figures ever created.
The company has over five hundred audio- animatronics in attractions at nearly every Disney theme park around the globe, from Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage to Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, the latest Matterhorn Abominable Snowman, and Radiator Springs Racers.
The forty-five-foot-tall Maleficent dragon in the finale for Disneyland’s Fantasmic! Nighttime show is the work of GHP.
Holt said:
There were a few delays. You’re talking about arguably the largest and most complex figure ever built.
In 1973, at the age of twelve, Holt visited Disneyland and decided he wanted to be an Imagineer. His racehorse trainer father wanted him to become a veterinarian but, as Holt recalled, that trip changed his life:
That sealed my fate for the rest of my life. I still remember leaning over the front seat during the car ride home and saying, “I’m going to build theme park rides.”
The next day Holt set up a card table in his father’s garage and started building his own animatronics robot. Soon the entire garage had expanded into a workshop. With limited resources, Holt tried to re-create some of the Disneyland ride attractions.
In 1974, for Halloween, fourteen-year-old Holt built his own Haunted Mansion in the backyard with talking skulls and flying bats that turned a tidy profit. The backyard maze was so impressive that the young entrepreneur was hired the following year to build haunted houses for a pair of area shopping malls.
All the while, Holt continued to return frequently to Disneyland as much to figure out how the rides worked as to ride them. In 1976, he built a crude Uncle Sam animatronic as a tribute to Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. Made out of fence posts and cobbled-together parts, the amateur animatronic moved in twenty-eight lifelike ways.
In 1977, at the age of sixteen, he incorporated Garner Holt Productions, installing himself as president and chief executive. Executives at Walt Disney Imagineering had seen a video of the Uncle Sam figure and were impressed enough to come and visit. Among those visitors was Holt’s personal hero, Wathel Rogers, considered the father of audio-animatronics.
The Imagineers encouraged Holt to stay in school and go to college, but he decided to devote his time to his new company. It evolved into providing animatronics, show action systems, special effects, and other creations for theme parks, museums, retail and dining experiences, and other attractions including Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios, Las Vegas resorts, and Chuck E. Cheese restaurants.
By 1997, Garner Holt Productions was being invited to be one of the bidders that the Disneyland Purchasing Department called in for their periodic new project bidder’s conferences. In 2001, GHP produced the Jack Skellington animatronic for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday overlay. GHP was the first outside vendor to provide audio-animatronics for Disney.
WDW History
Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World
Steve Birnbaum was a writer best known for his travel commentary and guide books. He originally worked as a managing editor for Fodor’s travel guides.
He created his own travel guide series in the mid-1970s that totaled 36 different books, from Italy to Germany to Disneyland, at the time of his death from leukemia on December 20, 1991, in Manhattan at the age of 54.
He was well known not only for his books but his appearances on television, his syndicated travel column for newspapers, and his articles in many high-profile magazines.
Steve Birnbaum Brings You The Best of Walt Disne
y World first appeared in a 1982 edition with a fire engine red cover. A Disneyland edition followed in 1985.
His wife of 31 years, Alexandra Mayes Birnbaum, continued his work, including editing the Birnbaum travel guide books. The Disney books were published by Hearst while many of his other guides were published by HarperCollins. In 2001, Disney bought the brand and began publishing under its own imprint.
In 1990, president of Disneyland and Walt Disney World Dick Nunis wrote:
In 1981, our company entered into a comprehensive project with Steve Birnbaum to write the first official guide to the Walt Disney World vacation kingdom.
As one who has spent a major part of my career with the operation of this vast resort complex, I knew he would be undertaking quite a task to provide an all-in-one source for anyone planning to visit Walt Disney World. After an initial year of basic research and revisions, [Steve and his staff] have produced a book which is well organized, easily readable, and most important, complete and accurate.
This guide, though written by someone who has never worked for our organization, captures the spirit of what everyone at Walt Disney World endeavors to achieve.
The Disney company decided to go with Birnbaum’s proposal because they hoped it would reach a different and larger demographic of tourists planning trips. In addition, the books would be easily available at local bookstores and, in keeping with Walt’s philosophy, people who had never been to a Disney park would find the book and be motivated to come and visit.
Birnbaum’s books became the standard for Disney guide books. It remains the top-selling edition to this day.
Birnbaum had access to some impressive contributors who helped him put together his guide books including John Hench, Marty Sklar, Tony Baxter, Ken Anderson, Renie Bardeau, Van France, Ron Dominguez, John Cora, Charlie Ridgway, Dave Venables, Judi Daley, and dozens of others from the Disney organization.