From: Rich_Koster@agwbbs.new-orleans.LA.US (Rich Koster)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.disney
Subject: Disneyana - Backstage Tour - Pt. 1
Distribution: world
Date: 6 Oct 92 06:12:05 CST
Organization: The Amiga GateWay BBS * New Orleans, La.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 * SPOILER -- This whole article should not be read if you think you *
 *            might someday take the Innovations In Action - Behind  *
 *            The Scenes Tour at Walt Disney World which takes you   *
 *            "backstage" at the Magic Kingdom, including inside the *
 *            Utilidor tunnel system!  This article is a big spoiler,*
 *            SO BEWARE, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!! :-)                *
 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 
Part 1: "Brush with greatness, almost 'Breakfast Under The Castle'!"
 
We attended the Sunday morning "Innovations In Action" group tour on
the last day of the Disneyana convention.  The meeting place was in
the Contemporary Resort's Grand Ballroom "A" at 9 am, although they
allowed a few minutes for late arrivals to stroll in and for everyone
to get settled.  Orange juice, coffee, and soft drinks were available
while we sat waiting for the tour to begin.
 
The first 40 minutes or so were spent in the ballroom while we were
told about the interesting innovations that Walt Disney had his
people bring about and test at Walt Disney World.  We were shown
about 25 minutes of videotape and film of these innovations, and we
saw most of a report that David Brinkley made at the time Disney
World opened.  Brinkley pointed out that Disney was bringing about
(and doing it well) what a lot of future planners were talking about:
(1) innovative, efficient transportation like monorails and people
movers that can keep cars away in one place while the people travel
comfortably in another place, (2) to efficiently provide telephones,
electricity, sewer, water, drainage, waste management and other
utilities, (3) private nterprise providing what had been government
services in newer, better ways and (4) bringing to reality futurists'
ideas for better living.  We were also given an overview of what we
would see that day.
 
Next, a few minutes were given for a restroom break.  We were also told
that cameras and recorders of any kind would not be allowed on the tour,
so we might want to use that time to put our cameras in ourrooms, or
else they could be checked with the bus driver.  We were told to meet at
the bus depot at the front of the Contemporary Resort.
 
After boarding one of the waiting buses, we began our tour.  We were all
excited as the bus approached the Magic Kingdom and we entered a private
driveway for cast members only.  This lead to an underpass through the
park berm under the WDW railroad tracks.  It is bhind landscaping to
the right of the main entrance as you face the park.  We were in awe as
we saw the white-painted walls of the back of the Main Street USA
buildings.  Then our smiles turned to puzzled expressions as we were
immediately driven back out of the park.  "Is this all we get for our
$45???" we briefly wondered.
 
But the smiles returned when we were realized that it was just a quick
taste of hat backstage is like before we came to the first stop on
our tour -- going into the Utilidor tunnel system under the Magic
Kingdom!
 
We were driven North past Space Mountain along the continuation of
the road that brings guests to the Contemporary Resort.  On our left
we saw the fire and emergency response building, and then the back of
the "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" attraction where the extra
sumarines are kept and worked on.  The Fox from Pinocchio happened
to be strolling along there (wearing his head) either on his way from
or just going to Fantasyland.  That was to be the only cast member in
a character costume that we wound up seeing on the tour, although we
saw many cast members costumed for running the attractions, or selling
food or merchandise.
 
When we got out of the bus, we split int two groups.  Our group walked
to the left and entered the Utilidor tunnel system near the cast
member changing rooms and then toured the wig styling area.  The other
group walked straight off the bus into the Utilidor right at the cast
member cafeteria (the famous area where the privileged few of another
tour got to "breakfast under the castle"!), and then into the wardrobe
storage area.  (The cast member cafeteria is actually under part of
Pinocchio Village Haus restaurant above in Fantasyland, rather than the
castle).  We saw those two areas while they saw we had just seen.
There is a vending machine near the wardrobe room which sells snacks
as well as stockings and hairnets. A sign on the door at wadrobe has
Mogli from the Jungle Book dressed in oversized clothes, with the snake
telling him "Trussst me, man cub -- it fitssss!"
 
We saw the many utility pipes above us in the Utilidor, including
the vacuum system that sucks away trash from many locations in the
Magic Kingdom to a large trash compacter.  Later in the tour we
would see where cast members go through the trash separating the
various kindsof recyclables.
 
In the Utilidor many electric carts went by hauling all kinds of food
and merchandise.  It gets very busy in there sometimes!  The walls
are painted in a light cream color, and once you get out of the
entrance corridors there are color-coded stripes added to the cream-
colored walls -- a different color for each land that the tunnels go
under.  In addition to the different color stripes, each land has
its name and logo above the stripe -- this was added when it was
realized that some cast members are color blind!  The tunnels of the
Utilidor are actually on the ground level and the Magic Kingdom is
one story above them.
 
End of Part 1 -- Coming up in Part 2: "Under Fantasyland with Bubba!"

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