Rustic Ranchos

The Ranchos section of Coronado Springs is a surprisingly detail-rich area of the resort. While the Cabanas and Casitas are more or less boxy hotel buildings with little fountains and gardens in between, the Ranchos transport you to an entirely new environment. Here, cactus and rocky dry riverbeds instantly engulf you in an arid, desert landscape - something you would not necessarily expect to see in tropical Florida. Hitching posts and animal tracks in the concrete add to the look.

Safari Supplies

Ziwani Traders offers the typical selection of Animal Kingdom merchandise. But if you are looking to get the most out of your two-week safari, just take a look upwards and check out the fantastic offerings available. If you look closely, you may even spot some Kilimanjaro Safari items mixed in amongst the drinking cups.

A Horse is a Horse (Of Course)

Walt Disney loved horses as much as their iron counterpart. So it's no surprise that a tribute to the Disney family of horses can be found tucked away in the stables of the Tri-Circle D Ranch at Fort Wilderness. A true "who's who" photo display of four-legged celebrities can be found hanging on the walls, including one special bovine, Minnie Moo, who resided at the Magic Kingdom and Fort Wilderness until she passed away in 2001.

Anchors Aweigh

On May 14th, my friend Ryan over at Main Street Gazette posted an article about the details found in the bathrooms at Camp Minnie-Mickey. I'll admit that I too share a fondness for bathroom decorations that employ the same story-telling techniques found elsewhere on property. It's a touchy subject, bathroom details, so I've held off sharing anything up to this point, until now. 



These gorgeous tiles can be found in the bathrooms at Pirates of the Caribbean. They are full of so much amazing detail that it's hard to believe they were relegated to such a place. Large colorful fish surround a vessel that bears Viking influences, and if you look closely, you may even spot a lone passenger onboard.

How 'Bout Some Backstage Passes?

The queue for Rock 'n' Roller Coaster is filled with vintage concert posters, shown in all of their psychedelic glory. On August 11th, 1972, Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac hit the stage together and you could see them live - for under five bucks.

Sentimental Journey

As you enter Space Mountain, lighted signs list the various destinations in the far reaches of space. Although Fed Ex may no longer sponsor the attraction, FX-1 continues to operate. The points of call include many stars and galaxies, but also some clever puns including "Sirius"/"Real Sirius" as well as the "World Ceres."

A Whole New World

The Adventurer's Club holds a museum-sized amount of quirky artifacts from around the globe; souvenirs that the Club members have picked up during their travels. One such items is the Flying Carpet of Abu Dhabi, displayed on the wall on the entrance level to the Club. Complete with seatbelts, it has certainly been well-used for many magical flights.

The inscription belows reads:
Authentic Flying Carpet of Abu Dhabi Acquired by Lord and Lady Reed and donated to the Club's permanent collection following an unfortunate camel collision. Fortunately, Lord and Lady Reed walked away from the incident unscathed. 'It pays to buckle up.'

Another Where-speak

It's been quite some time since the last Where-speak, so here is another one - this time, coming from the Kona Cafe at the Polynesian.

Starry Sky

A fortuitous circumstance brought the following detail to "light," if you will pardon the pun. A well-timed e-stop on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (Wedway Peoplemover) turned the lights on in the tunnel leading into Space Mountain, and illuminated the ceiling. This revealed numerous neon-colored stars which are usually very hard to spot during normal operations. They are a perfect accompaniment to the Star Tunnel music which softly plays in the same area.