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View Full Version : Walk with an Imagineer on Buena Vista Street



Toocherie
12-10-2013, 02:42 PM
Did anyone else "win" for this event which was on the Disney Parks Blog last week? Each morning this week they are having a special event for 25 passholders to accompany a WDI Imagineer who will discuss the development of Buena Vista Street. A friend and I were lucky enough to get chosen for Friday morning (it just so happens I am staying at the resort Thursday and Friday nights)! Not quite sure what it will entail--was hoping that someone else had done it yesterday or today and to get a "preview"

olegc
12-10-2013, 04:41 PM
I won - but my session was today and I could not attend. BUMMER!

Toocherie
12-10-2013, 05:04 PM
I won - but my session was today and I could not attend. BUMMER!

Oh that is a bummer! I'll try to give a good report when I get home

DwarfPlanet
12-13-2013, 08:01 AM
Oh that is a bummer! I'll try to give a good report when I get home

Yes please, would love to hear about what all it entailed.

Toocherie
12-22-2013, 09:51 AM
Sorry it took me so long. This was actually a fun event. I should have taken notes. I can't remember our Imagineer's name (but he was very nice). We started by Guest Relations in DCA and he took us down the street pointing out details as we went. What used to be the Golden Gate Bridge is how called the Hyperion Bridge and is based on a bridge in L.A. As you walk down the street, the architecture before the bridge is evocative of 1920's L.A. and after the bridge is evocative of 1930's L.A.

An interesting tidbit that i had never noticed--the bas relief over Mortimer's Market--there are relatives of Mickey in the scene which I had never noticed.

He told us the "backstory" for some of the display windows on the street. It was interesting that so much thought goes into these--but I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.

We went into Five and Dime/Elias & Company and he pointed out the differences--the Five and Dime part is similar to what a Woolworth's would have been; the Elias & Company part is layed out more like a higher-end department store (like Bullocks-Wilshire) would have been in the 20's/30's. Outside of Elias & Company we stopped and he mentioned that all of the trees and foliage are native to the area.

Then we got to go over to 1901 Lounge where we were given a private tour by one of the CM's that work there--we had a private demonstration of the spherical ice thingie (unfortunately we couldn't order drinks--of course, it was still morning). The CM's pointed out some of the photos and a special 'visit from Walt' that gets projected on the wall from time to time. We next went to the Carthay lounge where another CM gave us another spiel about some of the items in there, then we were taken upstairs and toured around the restaurant. (It was pre-lunch time still.)

My only complaint was that it was sometimes hard to hear the Imagineer when we were on the street -- but that is a small complaint. The CM who checked us in was kind enough to let a friend (who had not "won") accompany us since not everyone who won showed up. There were only 12 or 13 of us (out of what was supposed to be 25) and I can't imagine how everyone would have been able to hear if all 25 had been there.

All in all, it was a pleasant 1+ hour and I appreciated the opportunity.

Janis and Aaron
12-22-2013, 03:34 PM
You lucky duck, Toocherie! That sounds really neat.

bennette
12-22-2013, 05:05 PM
My only complaint was that it was sometimes hard to hear the Imagineer when we were on the street -- but that is a small complaint. The CM who checked us in was kind enough to let a friend (who had not "won") accompany us since not everyone who won showed up. There were only 12 or 13 of us (out of what was supposed to be 25) and I can't imagine how everyone would have been able to hear if all 25 had been there.



I was kind of wondering about that. Seems like it would be difficult to really even get 25 in the lounge. Perhaps they knew not everyone would show up.

olegc
12-23-2013, 10:07 AM
All in all, it was a pleasant 1+ hour and I appreciated the opportunity.

thanks for the review.

currence
12-23-2013, 01:08 PM
Thanks for the review/recap. I have not yet entered any of the weekday daytime events because each time there has been one or two days that I could probably make it work and the rest of the days that there is no way I could come. It doesn't seem fair to those who could go to enter and potentially take their spot. I'm glad you were able to attend and report back, that way we can at least be there in spirit.

I suppose Disney looks better by saying that there will be 25 winners each day, when they only want 10-15 people, but I would prefer that they had fewer winners but allow those who enter to self-select the days that they are available.

I will now need to go study the Mortimer's Market relief. It sounds like the sort of thing MouseAdventure gurus already know about. :)