Florida Archives - Page 45 of 115 - Uncle Walt's Insider
The old Disney look (left) versus the new standards (right). Or is it the other way around? We can't tell them apart.

Disney’s new “Relaxed Look” policy — too relaxed?

In olden days a glimpse of stocking was looked on as something shocking; now heaven knows, anything goes. SANTA MONICA, CA -- When Walt Disney first opened his beloved park (Disneyland), he mandated that the only mustache allowed in the park be on his face. Cast Member's hair could be no longer than his, and their uniforms had to match the land in which they worked. Thousands of newly-hired Cast Members were forced to get a shave and a haircut, which in ... Read more
The NBA's new logo, alongside Lebron's favorite Epcot Pavilion. Photo via DepositPhotos.

Next year’s NBA “Global Games” will be held at Epcot

"This whole trying to make a buck without ticking off a tyrannical Communist regime thing is hard!" -- Adam Silver, maybe WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Seeking to avoid the international controversy this year's China tour has brought, NBA Kommissar Commissioner Adam Silver announced that next year's Global Games would be held in the World Showcase portion of Epcot. Courts will be set up in each of the twelve country's pavilions, and the games will be played as if they are in the ... Read more
Empty promises on a Skyliner sign. Photo by wdwnt.com.

Skyliner reopens; riders advised to pack for an overnight stay

Repairs now give "better than 50%" chance of completing your journey. WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Just a little over a week after the Great Skyliner Immobility of One-NinerTM (and Disney's unpopular attempt to turn it into an attraction), the Disney Skyliner gondola system has reopened to guests. Park officials report that repairs and changes made to the system now give it much higher reliability rating, "better than 50%." Your humble reporter [Ed.: Who?] called to ask what length of time the 50% ... Read more
Ford, seen here napping between ride vehicles. Photo by Loren Javier [CC BY-ND 2.0] via Flickr.

Harrison Ford retiring from Indiana Jones Adventure

He'll be replaced by audio-animatronics. DISNEYLAND, CA -- Actor Harrison Ford, age 77, has informed Disneyland officials that he will no longer be playing Indiana Jones in the Indiana Jones Adventure ride. A spokesperson for the actor says that the repeated performances for each ride vehicle, involving rope climbing and outrunning large boulders, was becoming too much for Ford, especially when combined with his multiple daily performances in Florida's Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. The ride will be closed for "refurbishment" in early November. ... Read more
A newly Bahamian-registered Friendship boat at Epcot. Photo via DepositPhotos.

Disney reflags Friendship boats, requiring foreign port call

Docking at the Morocco and Germany Pavilions may not satisfy the "non-U.S. port of call" requirement, though. WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- In what is being called a cost-saving measure, the Walt Disney World Resort and Spa has reflagged its fleet of "Friendship boats." The boats now are officially registered in the Bahamas. Having foreign-flagged vessels operating in U.S. waters is not unusual. Most cruise lines, including Disney's, have non-U.S. flagged ships, so that U.S. labor laws will not apply to their crew. Foreign ... Read more