DDW Pic 959. Monorail

Monorail

Today we say happy 43rd anniversary to the Walt Disney World monorail system. On April 15th, 1971, the last of 337 concrete beams was lowered into place, completing the "Magic Kingdom Loop." Also, the first monorail was lowered onto the beam. I took this current picture of the monorail last week, but gave it a retro filter to make it resemble a photo from the early 70s.

DDW Pic 958. Cinderella Castle

Cinderella Castle

I haven't posted a photo of Cinderella Castle in a while.  There had been a crane (or two) near it for several months. They had been doing some painting and maintenance and the crane certainly took away from the "fantasy" of the castle. Also, the moat surrounding the hub of the park had been dry for a while and was just refilled last week. With Cinderella Castle back to its normal majestic look, I decided to take this shot from the Liberty Square bridge.

DDW Pic 957. Phineas

Phineas

I was waiting for my tour guests at MuppetVision 3D today and noticed Phineas and Ferb with nobody in line. So, I walked over and got a quick picture with the famous Disney Channel duo. This is typically a popular meet and greet at Hollywood Studios, and the line gets long right after the Muppets crowd lets out. Shortly after posing with me, Phineas came out to play hopscotch and I snapped this shot.

DDW Pic 956. Fantasyland

Fantasyland 

Today, I had lunch upstairs at Pinocchio Viilage Haus. This restaurant had been under refurbishment for a while, and this was my first visit in quite some time. I enjoy he view from the balcony and decided to take a few pictures. You can see the top of the nearly completed Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction in the distance.

DDW Pic 955. Test Track

Test Track

While riding Test Track yesterday, our car temporarily stopped at an interesting part of the attraction. We were sitting in the spot just before the high speed portion. It was only for about two minutes, but it seemed longer as we anticipated the quick acceleration to begin at any moment. It had a similar feel to sitting on Rock n' Roller Coaster just prior to the launch.

DDW Pic 954. Coral Reef

Coral Reef

While waiting for my tour guests to finish lunch at the Coral Reef today, I noticed several monorails pass by overhead. I thought this looked like a good angle to get the restaurant sign and the monorail in the same shot. Many of my guests enjoy eating at this spot in Epcot, as it has good food and great views of the aquarium.

DDW Pic 953. Star Tours

Star Tours

This is an example of an area that is rarely seen by guests. A few weeks ago, I had a tour group with a little boy who was sensitive to noise who was about to get on Star Tours. They had already entered the queue when I remembered that I had ear plugs in my bag. So, I caught up to these guests to deliver the ear plugs. I then asked a cast member if their was an easy way out without getting on the ride or backtracking. He guided me to this corridor that allows guests to go directly to the exit and into the gift shop. It is basically a cut-through between gates C and D.