You will also notice that we have changed up our look a bit, introducing a new logo typeface and twenty-five new page headers. These headers feature original images from my 2008 and 2011 trips to the Magic Kingdom, not only of the Jungle Cruise, but also of surrounding Adventureland.

Thank you for staying with us,

Updated March 18, 2012

Original Notice, Updated on November 20, 2011:

AWOL Airwaves will be back On Air soon.

Welcome to AWOL Airwaves! If this is your first time visiting, I’d like to thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoy your time here. If you are returning, thank you for your continued support.

I’d like to apologize for the lack of activity here on the blog and on Twitter in the past several months. As I continue the search for my blogging rhythm, I hope to return to AWOL Airwaves soon with more frequent and consistent posts.

"Get a good idea, and stay with it. Dog it, and work at it until it's done, and done right."

I will soon begin to revitalize the content currently on the blog, hopefully sprucing up its appearance a little, and refreshing the old entries where it is needed. I will also reevaluate my usage of Twitter to make sure that I am using that platform to its full potential.

At this time, I feel it necessary to postpone our Ub Iwerks 110th Birthday Celebration, as the timing is no longer proper. However, I do hope to eventually publish the articles that I had planned for the celebration at a later time.

Please continue to check back as I work to improve AWOL Airwaves. Until then, I encourage you to read some of our old articles, or visit some recommended Online Attractions.

Thank you,

One day last summer, while on a run in Brimfield, Massachusetts, I took a rest at an antique store, one of many in a small town that every year hosts the largest flea markets in New England and the oldest in America.  Of course, I was keeping my eyes wide open in this store – which was crowded from the floor to the ceiling with all sorts of antiquities – for anything Disney.  I saw lots: a Minnie coin purse, a Mickey pocket watch, a rubber Donald Duck doll, and a Goofy jigsaw puzzle.  But nothing that really intrigued me.  And then I saw it.

A beautiful glass tray depicting Monorail Green exiting the Contemporary Tower.  The tray’s packaging had been nicely preserved with the sticker on the box still proudly proclaiming the piece “A Gift of Glass From Walt Disney World”, and it appeared as if this particular present had never been opened.  However, that did not stop me from opening it to get a closer look after I purchased it and took it home.

The tray measure roughly 5 x 7 inches.  The image on the tray itself has a three dimensional appearance, with the monorail painted onto the front and the background painted onto the back.  It is very similar to a piece of 1969 concept art by George McGinnis, shown below in The Art of Walt Disney World Resort, by Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon.

I presume that this souvenir was sold at Walt Disney World in the 70s.  A quick internet search confirmed early notions of mine that other versions of this tray were sold featuring monorails of different colors – I was able to find similar trays for sale online depicting Monorail Red.

While today’s merchandise offerings aren’t quite what they used to be, a popular topic of discussion among fans in the Disney online community lately has been the gradual improvement of the selection of merchandise available at the resort.  Maybe one day, guests will again have the opportunity to purchase their own gift of glass from Walt Disney World.

"so it's rather safe to say, that it seems that it may turn out to be . . . feels that it will undoubtedly . . . looks like a rather blustery day today"

At the beginning of the Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day segment in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, viewers are offered a fleeting glimpse at the land that lies beyond the Hundred Acre Wood.  I never noticed this when watching the movie as a child, but a few years ago, I happened to catch this brief view that lasts for only 64 frames, or a little more than two seconds, by my count.

"Hang on tight, Piglet!"

When Pooh visits Piglet to wish him a happy Windsday, he finds Piglet being blown about by the wind.  Piglet begins to take flight and Pooh takes hold of his scarf, which starts to unravel.  Piglet is now airborne, flying like a kite.  It is at this point the land beyond the Hundred Acre Wood comes into view.  We can see a barn and silo, surrounded by many barren fields stretching to the horizon.  In one of the fields closer to the foreground is a ladder leaning against a haystack.  Evergreens and trees with leaves of changing colors dot the landscape.

It is the small, often overlooked details like these that place Disney animation a cut above the rest.

Updated November 22, 2011

Honey's not the only thing we need...

During the past few years, there have been quite a few occurrences when I went searching for a particular Winnie the Pooh product to buy, and to my frustration, I discovered that it was not available for purchase.  I have been keeping a mental list of these items, and with Winnie the Pooh in theaters, I thought now would be a perfect time to share it here.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on Blu-ray

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is my favorite film.  I love the art, the stories, the songs, and the great warm feeling I get every time I watch it.  Do you know what would enhance this experience?  High definition!  I want my favorite movie on Blu-ray.

Original Soundtrack of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on CD

Music is a huge part of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  I think that the songs written by the Sherman Brothers for this film are among their catchiest, and they are fondly remembered by many.  The charming score composed by Buddy Baker is certainly worthy of listening to separately from the film.  A soundtrack featuring all of these songs and the complete score as they were presented in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, restored and released on CD, would be much appreciated.

The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on DVD and Blu-ray

For those that don’t know, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh was an animated television series produced by Disney which originally aired on ABC from 1988-1991.  As an adult, I enjoy watching the few episodes that I have of this show on VHS.  However, it would be nice to be able to own the entire series – all 87 episodes – on DVD or Blu-ray.

Disney, I would gladly buy any of these Winnie the Pooh products from you in a heartbeat.  All you have to do is make them available for purchase.

Do you have a Winnie the Pooh wish list of your own?  Let us know what’s on yours in the comments below!

References and Further Reading

• The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh on Wikipedia

“The Jungle Cruise: The Early Years” features terrific photos and analysis of an early refurbishment of an attraction so dear to my heart, the Magic Kingdom’s Jungle Cruise.  The photos are described by FoxxFur as follows:

This photo set represents some of the earliest and most extensive photo documentation I’ve ever seen of the ride at a time when it had not been touched basically at all since opening day – a true look at the unadulterated vision of the original design team. It’s also a fascinating look “under the water” at the Jungle Cruise, something few people ever get to see.

She also includes some information about the history of this attraction’s development.  This piece is an invaluable read to any fan of the Jungle Cruise.  FoxxFur, thank you for this gem.

Disney’s newest traditionally animated feature film, Winnie the Pooh, is premiering in theaters this Friday on July 15.  When I first viewed the trailer several months ago, I noticed that the style of animation was very similar to the original The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  This would be expected, but I was amazed at how nearly perfectly the animators matched the styles used in that original film to this new film.  Everything – from the unique appearance of the landscapes, to the mannerisms of the characters, to some of the same uplifting motifs – seems to have been so precisely replicated.

Take a look at the trailer, then check out some of the comparisons I have included below.

The magic of Disney animation and the talent of Disney animators never cease to amaze me.  I hope that the same principles which made The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh a beloved classic help to make Winnie the Pooh a hit as well.

What are your preliminary thoughts on this movie?  Let us know in the comments below!

Many people have told me that the “Heffalumps and Woozles” sequence from Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day frightened them when they were children. To this day, I still find those heffalumps and woozles a bit unnerving.

I cannot remember if Pooh’s nightmare ever gave me nightmares, but I do remember that the part of this scene pictured above always scared me the most. For some reason, those two heffalumps dancing together in the honey never failed to creep me out.  However, no fright ever eclipsed the animators’ artistic greatness or the Sherman Brothers’ musical genius, evident in this scene and throughout The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Did heffalumps and woozles ever frighten you as a child? Let us know in the comments below!

Disney Parks fill the top eight spots.  Magic Kingdom is the most popular park in the world, followed closely by Disneyland.  With more than 120 million guests in 2010, Disney Parks are the most popular worldwide.

Disney’s six American parks are the six most popular parks in North America.  Attendance at Disney California Adventure increased 3% from 2009 to 2010.  Because Disney’s Hollywood Studios had 1% fewer guests in 2010 and Disney’s Animal Kingdom had 1% more guests, these parks swapped their positions in the worldwide rankings, making Disney’s Animal Kingdom more popular than Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

In Asia, both parks at Tokyo Disney Resort showed increases in attendance of more than 5%.  Attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland increased 13%.

In Europe, both parks at Disneyland Resort Paris showed decreases in attendance of 2.6%.

Not directly related to Disney, but equally interesting, is the fact that attendance at Universal’s Islands of Adventure increased more than 30% in 2010,  no doubt due to the popularity of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter expansion which opened last June.  This large rise in attendance makes Islands of Adventure more popular than Universal Studios Florida.

What are your thoughts on the attendance report? Let us know in the comments below!

References and Further Reading

• TEA/AECOM 2010 Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF)
• TEA/AECOM 2009 Global Attractions Attendance Report (PDF)

The first time I saw this, I was greatly moved.  As I have said, I think this is truly Walt Disney Imagineering’s greatest initiative in years.  I believe that this attraction will become Disney’s best fairy tale dark ride.

The Audio-Animatronics in this attraction appear to be very advanced, especially Ursula.  Dark rides just seem better when they are on a large scale and have deep, immersing scenes.  This is one of those attractions, and the “Under the Sea” scene illustrates this flawlessly.

I also applaud the Imagineers’ use of color and music in this attraction.  The songs from Disney’s The Little Mermaid are among my favorites, and this is a perfect showcase for them.  The vibrant colors and meticulous theming really give off the feeling of being underwater.

To me, Ariel’s Undersea Adventure marks the beginning of the Disney Parks’ return to their roots.  There is more classic Disney soon to come at the Disney California Adventure Park, including Buena Vista Street, Hollywoodland, and additions and changes to Paradise Pier.  The revitalization efforts at Paradise Pier are highlighted in the video below.  Additionally, for more information about what Disney has in store for the Disney California Adventure Park, check out the Blue Sky Cellar.

Of course, additions are also coming to the Magic Kingdom.  The Fantasyland expansion will bring us Storybook Circus and Belle’s Village, which includes an interactive Beauty and the Beast dining experience.  The Little Mermaid~Ariel’s Undersea Adventure will also be brought to the Magic Kingdom when the Fantasyland expansion is complete, as Under the Sea~Journey of the Little Mermaid.  However, I am most eagerly awaiting the addition of the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train.  The latest progress in Fantasyland can be seen in this aerial photograph at WDWMAGIC.COM.

Elsewhere in the Magic Kingdom, The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management is quite literally returning to its roots, as it is restored to an attraction evocative of Tropical Serenade.  These changes come after a fire at the attraction in January 2011.  It seems as if most fans greatly appreciate this move.

Rejoice friends, for Disney is back!

What do you think of this new attraction? Let us know in the comments below!

Disney Legend Ub Iwerks animated Plane Crazy on his own, working in secret for three weeks.  According to his Disney Legends biography, he sometimes made up to seven hundred drawings per day during this time.

March 24, 2011 was the 110th anniversary of the birth of Ub Iwerks.  I have held a great admiration for Ub Iwerks since I was very young.  His contributions to The Walt Disney Company are simply astonishing, however, I feel as if his role in the history of the company is often underrated.

He was one of Walt’s closest friends and one of his first partners and animators.  He was the creative genius behind Disney’s earliest animated shorts and the innovator behind such technologies as the multiplane camera.  Perhaps most importantly, he breathed life into Mickey Mouse.

My favorite Disney documentary, The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story pays tribute to the life of Ub Iwerks and those early days at the company.  If you held on to your VCR, I encourage you to scour the internet and find yourself a copy of this truly great film.

References and Further Reading

• Ub Iwerks Legend Bio at Disney Legends
• The Hand Behind the Mouse: The Ub Iwerks Story.  Directed by Leslie Iwerks.  1999.

Updated March 18, 2012