Stupid Guest Tricks

Whenever things get slow at work, my colleagues bid me to pose trivia questions. Some I ask are practical, like, "Where do you send a guest who wants a steak and a baked potato?" Some are fun like, "What are the names of Daisy Duck's nieces?"

Then some are just so hard that nobody gets them, even with copious hints. I call these "goat-chokers". The term comes from my time in Tennessee, where foods are described in increasing levels as "rain", "frog-floaters", and the worst, "goat-chokers". Country folks will understand why.

So, just on the hunch that folks here might find them amusing, I'll start a series on this thread. Each day I'll return, and if the answer hasn't been posted, I'll add a hint. Answer one, and I'll post something new. If nobody responds, I'll give up. Ready? Here's the first:

What are two connections between Disney and Gilligan's Island?

:jeb:

Have fun, kids!

Odd-looking groups dressed randomly for the same experience arrived after a 3 -hour tour with no clue of what they are doing?
Tiki-Room Huts?

Didn't Jim Backus do some work for Disney, ie Pete's Dragon? I know he did voice work for other places, but I thought he did some stuff for Disney too.

I love hard trivia questions! If I know the answer, I get to feel smug, and if not -- which is usually the case -- I learn something interesting. Bring 'em on, Z!

Apart from Jim Backus doing voice work in Pete's Dragon, as YANXWIN mentioned, Alan Hale Jr. was in several Wonderful World of Color episodes back in '59 and '60. (IMDb is a wonderful thing!) Those are the only connections I've found (other than most of the cast members being on various ABC shows, which I assume is too remote a connection).

I remember hearing that Castaway Cay was the island shown in the opening sequence, but I was quite sure that was proved incorrect.

I thought it was because they had a simple wooden boat, landed on an island covered with trees, had a professor that could make a radio out of a coconut and yeti still couldn't fix the immobile AA...Oops, I mean boat.

Very good, YANXWIN. Jim Bacus is indeed one of the links between Gilligan's Island and Disney. In addition to his role in "Pete's Dragon" he also voiced Milton the cat in the short "Plutopia", which continues to air every 54 minutes in the lobby of every WDW Resort except the Contemporary.

But I asked for two links. Jim Bacus is one, what's the other. (And this is the obscure part!) Hints tomorrow if nobody guesses.

:jeb:

I haven't posted here in ages, but this one pulled me out of lurkdom.

Connection 2 is....The Big Red Boat!
When Disney first started cruising, they sailed with Premier Cruise Lines. Premier called their private island Blue Lagoon, but the official name is Salt Cay. Salt Cay was used in the opening shots for Gilligan's Island.

First, my apologies for not posting yesterday. Every oak tree in Florida is in bloom, and I've been laid low by my allergies to them. Sorry.

Stripes wrote:I haven't posted here in ages, but this one pulled me out of lurkdom.

Connection 2 is....The Big Red Boat!
When Disney first started cruising, they sailed with Premier Cruise Lines. Premier called their private island Blue Lagoon, but the official name is Salt Cay. Salt Cay was used in the opening shots for Gilligan's Island.

Stripes gets a special award for telling me something I did not know. Well done!

Okay, we all need a hint about the second... er, third connection between Gilligan's Island and Disney. Here's a big one: It involves the musical comedy stage version of "Gilliagan's Island".

:jeb:

That shows you how lame, naive, sheltered, and everything else. I did not know that there was a musical theatrical comedy version thingy of that show.