The Belle Vue Lounge at the BoardWalk is a quiet place to sit and talk

The Belle Vue Lounge at the BoardWalk is a quiet place to sit and talk, as well as play a nice game or two. To help set the mood, the walls are filled with shelves containing all sorts of antique books, games, and other interesting objects. An old radio, a Chinese Checkers board, and a stereoscope are just some of the fun things to look at in the lounge.

Quiet on Set

Superstar Television may be lost to the past, but its memory still lives on with this casting call sign. It is still in public view, for a few more days at least, in the entrance to the Comedy Warehouse.

Include Quinine

Travelling the jungle rivers is no easy task, especially when dealing with a wide array of dangerous illnesses and creatures. The queue for the Jungle Cruise is filled with photos, maps, and other paraphernalia including a certain poster warning about the risks of contracting malaria. Quinine was an often-used treatment for malaria up until the 1940s, and so was an important thing to pack for any jungle adventure.

Crate Comedy

The Comedy Warehouse is just full of wonderful artifacts from Disney parks throughout the years. It also has a nice collection of interesting crates, containing everything from Dalmatian spots to poison apples.

Back When I Feel Like It...

Rizzo's painting in progress of Miss Piggy has been deliberately sabotaged, but when you take a long lunch break it's probably to be expected!

Mickey at the Races

Mickey must be a horse-racing fan, as his famous ears can be found in the clouds above in this gate by the Grandstands pool at Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa.  

Keel Haul

The Mike Fink Keel Boats may be a long lost memory in the history of Disney attractions, but the legacy of the legendary race between Davy Crockett and Mike Fink lives on at the Trail's End Buffet at Fort Wilderness.

A model of the Gully Pitts vessel sits in a handsome display case.



A piece of Mike Fink's own boat, the Gully Whumper, hangs on the wall. The Gully Whumper was one of the actual keel boats that navigated around Tom Sawyer Island until 1997.

Bonjour!

What would be a trip to France without some souvenirs? This handy pop-up display contains everything you might want to remember your trip: paintings, photographs, books, and of course, the qtintessential mini Eiffel Tower.



A camera also stands at the ready, waiting to take your photo with the scenic City of Light in the background.

Trinkets Galore

A variety of turn of the century items lines an ornate bookshelf in one of the main hallways of Disney's BoardWalk Inn.

Please Proceed

The reception desk to Kilimanjaro Safaris may currently be devoid of people, but that does not mean it is any less filled with details.

Knock Knock

This ornate doorknocker can be found gracing the front of one of houses that comprises the Hall of Presidents show building facade. Its handcrafted patriotic design is a perfect accent to the surrounding area.

Hop to the Music

This colorful hopscotch board can be found in the back of the 8TRAX night club. It serves as the perfect entrance to the quirky club.

Nearby, a relic of the building's original tenant can be found on the wall:

A Horse is a Horse (Of Course)

Walt Disney loved horses as much as their iron counterpart. So it's no surprise that a tribute to the Disney family of horses can be found tucked away in the stables of the Tri-Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness. A true "who's who" photo display of four-legged celebrities can be found hanging on the walls, including one special bovine, Minnie Moo, who resided at the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness until she passed away in 2001.

The Family Crest

The Pirates queue is full of intricate details that create excitement over what soon awaits. A large fireplace adorns a corner in the left side of the queue, with a family crest hanging above. It is a nice subdued area that serves as a reminder of the pillaging that is taking place all around.

Happy Fourth of July!

In honor of our country's birthday, here is a video I took earlier this week of the Magic Kingdom's brand new fireworks show, Disney's Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky. (Make sure you look for the Mickeys at the very end)



I hope everyone has a very happy, and safe, Fourth of July!

And make sure you stop by Passamaquoddy for some more Fourth fun, with Doc Terminus' 4th of July Cookout!

Slip and Fall

Tucked away in the front of the MuppetVision 3D preshow theatre is a bright yellow drum full of banana puree (Chiquita bananas, to be exact). One can only help but wonder what might be their intended use.

Behind that drum is an amusing crate whose inscription reads "Mikey's TV Rental, It fell off the truck -- if it works, good luck!"

Wishing Well

Cinderella's Wishing Well is a little hidden detail in itself, set off the beaten path. It provides a quiet spot to escape from the craziness of a busy day at the Magic Kingdom and make a small wish. The Wishing Well is beautifully decorated from top to bottom, but it is the bottom that deserves the most attention.

The basin is surrounded by the bluebirds, carrying a ribbon that stretches around the entire circumference. The birds are sculpted in lively poses that are unique to each individual.





Around the base, we find Jaq, Gus, and the other mice trying their hardest to steal a strand of pearls from under Lucifer's watchful eye. It's a wonderful sculpture, that begs the viewer to walk all the way around to get the full story.

Rustic Ranchos

The Ranchos section of Coronado Springs is a surprisingly detail-rich area of the resort. While the Cabanas and Casitas are more or less boxy hotel buildings with little fountains and gardens in between, the Ranchos transport you to an entirely new environment. Here, cactus and rocky dry riverbeds instantly engulf you in an arid, desert landscape - something you would not necessarily expect to see in tropical Florida. Hitching posts and animal tracks in the concrete add to the look.