Eat Your Heart Out Marty McFly......AC's 1978-1989 Trip Back in Time (updates that go back to 1975 commenced on 3-12-15 )

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

The original iteration of the Main Street Electrical Parade:

 

http://youtu.be/Tak6jYNT6Ls

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

http://youtu.be/7IL0YFzy3WE

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

http://youtu.be/CoOc-lNBlV8

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

Those MSEP videos are gold.

 

I didn't realize how watered down the current version is. There are entire floats that are no longer in the parade- I saw a circus themed one, and a Small World float in the videos.  Those are no longer included.

 

And there are way more CM's marching along and in between the floats.  The whole thing used to be much more elaborate and impressive.

 

Oh well, I guess they needed to cut a few things here and there to free up some cash for the My Disney Experience program.

 

TCD

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Those MSEP videos are gold.

I didn't realize how watered down the current version is. There are entire floats that are no longer in the parade- I saw a circus themed one, and a Small World float in the videos. Those are no longer included.

And there are way more CM's marching along and in between the floats. The whole thing used to be much more elaborate and impressive.

Oh well, I guess they needed to cut a few things here and there to free up some cash for the My Disney Experience program.

TCD

I thought you guys would like that. It is amzing how much is gone from the parade now. When i first watched the video, I couldnt believe how long it was taking bc of all the extra things that were part of it back then.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

I'll try this again. I actually answered these before posting the last update which was the MSEP videos my dad had from 1989. Not sure what happened.

I remember birthday land!!!

Interesting that Buzz kept the same track.

I'm loving the old pictures!!!

Thanks Kelly. I am glad you are enjoying them.

These are cool!

  

Thanks Carol. Glad you are along for the trip back in time.

Wow.

 

I am happy to say that I never saw any of the Birthdayland stuff in person.

 

That show is interesting.

 

I couldn't get into it, though.

 

From the very first video, it bothered me that the pink phone on the wall is bigger than the refrigerator.  Why?

 

TCD

I couldnt get into the show either. My comment earlier about not being able to go your life without seeing it was complete sarcasm. In fact, i believe my two younger brothers were present during the video-taping of that show, but I bet my older brother and I were roaming the park riding BTMRR or something of that ilk.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Here are some more MK photos from our 1989 trip:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up we will visit a piece of Fort Wilderness past.........

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

And here is the next update.....

 

 

A few monorail pics before we go back to the Fort:

 

 

 

 

 

We took the boat to MK sometimes, but we loved the monorail, so sometimes  my dad drove us to the Poly and then we would take the trip around before heading in to MK.  There were a ton of topiaries to see along the way back then.  I liked seeing them too.  I believe there are some pics of that much earlier in this report.

 

Anyway, back to the Fort and an attraction of days gone by:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's enough of the petting farm.....although I really wish it was still there.  Any WDW experts no the reason they got rid of that?  The obvious answer would be $$, but they still pay people to take care of the ponies so maybe a couple more employees could take care of the ducks and goats.  Anyway, another time honored but extinct Fort tradition will be shown in the next update.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

I also wish they still had the petting farm.  My kids love petting the goats at the Nashville zoo.  Disney goats have to be that much more magical. 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

 

That's enough of the petting farm.....although I really wish it was still there.  Any WDW experts no the reason they got rid of that?  The obvious answer would be $$, but they still pay people to take care of the ponies so maybe a couple more employees could take care of the ducks and goats.  Anyway, another time honored but extinct Fort tradition will be shown in the next update.

I also miss the petting zoo.  It was a place we would visit every day when we were at the Fort.

 

If you ask why the petting zoo is no longer there, you may get the old E. coli outbreak story.  Kind of like the cousin of the River Country closing from amoebae story.  But neither of those stories is true. 

 

The Fort  petting zoo got raided by Animal Kingdom.  Right before Animal Kingdom opened, the goat population at the Fort soared.  There were more goats there than ever.  On our first visit to the Fort after AK opened, there was not a goat to be found.  But there was a tasty new meat being carved on the Boma buffet.  No, just kidding about that.  AKL didn't open until 2001.  The Fort goats all got moved to the new petting zoo at Conservation Station at AK.  All of them.  They also took both sheep.

 

At that point, all that was left at the Fort petting zoo was one lonely pot bellied pig.  I think he was allowed to die of old age.  Although there was that time that they had some weird ribs at the Hoop Dee Doo.

 

There really was a big E Coli scare centered around Florida petting zoos, but that wasn't until 2005.  The Fort petting zoo had long been out of business by then.  Here's a newspaper report on the E Coli/petting zoo issue:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/01/health/01zoo.html?_r=0

 

If the real reason was fear of E Coli, then why is the AK petting zoo still in operation?

 

The truth is that the Fort petting zoo cost money to operate, and brought in no revenue.  That is not the Disney way, so it had to go.

 

TCD

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

I think it was purely $$ too. Sadly.

I have more good news though.

I have figured out where another giant stash of pics is from our earlier trips that we took with another family that stayed on the same loop with us. Those will be coming in the near future and will be added to this TR in due time.

I think that stash may have the other Fort pics and river country pics I remembered seeing a long time ago.

It may take awhile to procure them and get them ready to upload so be patient.

In the meantime, this report will continue soon with the current bonus features that are underway.

[dblr....Rennie 224]

We will be waiting, thanks

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

I am revisiting the If You Had Wings tribute video for a minute, because it solved a big mystery that' been bothering me.

 

The TCD twins do a bit of pin trading.  There's a pin that we've often seen on pin boards that has this logo on it:

 

 

 

We never knew what it was, and we've even asked CM's about it, and nobody ever knew.

 

I learned from the video that is the logo for the attraction that was known as "If You Could Fly," which was the first replacement for If You Had Wings when in first lost its Eastern sponsorship in June 1987.  According to the video, the ride operated with the If You Could Fly name from June 6, 1987 until January 4, 1989.  It then closed until it was reopened as Delta Dreamflight on June 23, 1989.

 

Delta's sponsorship ended on January 1, 1996, and for about six months the ride didn't operate.

 

Then it reopened as Take Flight in the summer of '96, and operated until January 5, 1998.  My daughters and I visited the MK often in that time frame, and I don't remember Take Flight at all, but there are images of it on the video:

 

 

So, now I know what that weird bird pin is from.

 

TCD

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

We rode Take Flight on our first trip in 1997. I don't remember much about it, but I do have a picture from the inside stored in the pile of regular film pictures from that first trip.

[CCIntrigue...aka Gwen 547]

My kids loved Birthdayland!

 

I didn't realize how watered down the current version is. There are entire floats that are no longer in the parade- I saw a circus themed one, and a Small World float in the videos.  Those are no longer included.

 

Although I love the current MSEP, the original version was much better.

[Ok Grumpy AKA Cindy~~ 9]

This has been a real eye opener. Really have enjoyed the pictures and time line.

Thank You!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

We will be waiting, thanks

 

Thanks Rennie.

 

I am revisiting the If You Had Wings tribute video for a minute, because it solved a big mystery that' been bothering me.

 

The TCD twins do a bit of pin trading.  There's a pin that we've often seen on pin boards that has this logo on it:

 

 

 

We never knew what it was, and we've even asked CM's about it, and nobody ever knew.

 

I learned from the video that is the logo for the attraction that was known as "If You Could Fly," which was the first replacement for If You Had Wings when in first lost its Eastern sponsorship in June 1987.  According to the video, the ride operated with the If You Could Fly name from June 6, 1987 until January 4, 1989.  It then closed until it was reopened as Delta Dreamflight on June 23, 1989.

 

Delta's sponsorship ended on January 1, 1996, and for about six months the ride didn't operate.

 

Then it reopened as Take Flight in the summer of '96, and operated until January 5, 1998.  My daughters and I visited the MK often in that time frame, and I don't remember Take Flight at all, but there are images of it on the video:

 

 

So, now I know what that weird bird pin is from.

 

TCD

 

Great info TCD!

 

We rode Take Flight on our first trip in 1997. I don't remember much about it, but I do have a picture from the inside stored in the pile of regular film pictures from that first trip.

 

Let's see 'em.

 

My kids loved Birthdayland!

 

 

Although I love the current MSEP, the original version was much better.

 

Agreed.

 

This has been a real eye opener. Really have enjoyed the pictures and time line.

Thank You!

 

You're welcome.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Next up?

 

Hammock time.

 

That's not to be confused with Hammer Time for you late 80s music junkies.

 

However, the MC Hammer pants on a few of you would be good comic relief.

 

If Lou read TRs, he could do some photoshopping.

 

Anyway, here we are:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven't had much time the last few days, but I wanted to get a quick update done; so there you go.

 

Next we will head to 1989 Epcot Center.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

Love these old pics, Aaron. 

 

Regarding If You Had Wings.....I have vivid memories of riding that during our very first Fort trip over Christmas 1977.  I've sometimes wondered why I remember that ride so well where I don't remember much else.  Now I think I've figured it out; because it was free my parents probably let us ride it several times.  But that's ok....we loved the speed room.  Very cool! 

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

It SMB that they took away our hammocks.  Maybe Bobby could take a grand less in pay and they could get us some stinking hammocks?

 

 

Love these old pics, Aaron. 

 

Regarding If You Had Wings.....I have vivid memories of riding that during our very first Fort trip over Christmas 1977.  I've sometimes wondered why I remember that ride so well where I don't remember much else.  Now I think I've figured it out; because it was free my parents probably let us ride it several times.  But that's ok....we loved the speed room.  Very cool! 

 

True.

 

It's also cool that the speed room is still there, and incorporated in the Buzz Lightyear ride.  But, it was cooler when it was the speed room.

 

TCD

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

So Aaron was one of the hooligans that got our hammocks taken away?!?!  JK!

[YodaGirl 13]

I remember those hammocks. I'd actually forgotten about them.

I loved Mickey's Birthdayland. Somewhere, my parents have video of the train ride form Main Street to Mickey's Birthdayland. They had a special song for it, and there were character cut outs long the route. I think Goofy's truck broke down and he was walking. Anyway, we watched the show, as well. I thought it rocked.

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Love these old pics, Aaron. 

 

Regarding If You Had Wings.....I have vivid memories of riding that during our very first Fort trip over Christmas 1977.  I've sometimes wondered why I remember that ride so well where I don't remember much else.  Now I think I've figured it out; because it was free my parents probably let us ride it several times.  But that's ok....we loved the speed room.  Very cool! 

 

Thanks Dave.  I have pretty vivid memories of that ride too.  The speed room was great.

 

It SMB that they took away our hammocks.  Maybe Bobby could take a grand less in pay and they could get us some stinking hammocks?

 

 

 

True.

 

It's also cool that the speed room is still there, and incorporated in the Buzz Lightyear ride.  But, it was cooler when it was the speed room.

 

TCD

 

Hammocks could be brought back easily and cheaply.  Come on Jose.  Don't be a cheapskate.

 

So Aaron was one of the hooligans that got our hammocks taken away?!?!  JK!

 

Actually my younger brothers were the hooligans.  I was much better behaved.

 

I remember those hammocks. I'd actually forgotten about them.

I loved Mickey's Birthdayland. Somewhere, my parents have video of the train ride form Main Street to Mickey's Birthdayland. They had a special song for it, and there were character cut outs long the route. I think Goofy's truck broke down and he was walking. Anyway, we watched the show, as well. I thought it rocked.

 

Everytime I get to the beach I look for them.  Alas, they are never there.

 

Bring back the hammocks and the dam* wagons!

[AC in A2......Aaron 693]

Okay. 

 

Ready for some 1989 Epcot Center?

 

Well here it comes ready or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Epcot Center in the next update including a beloved blast from the past.

[GaDawgFan.....Kelly 799]

Kitchen Kaberet!!! Man, I haven't thought about that in a LONG time!