Disney Theme Park

Press Event 2003 - Day 2

Animal Kingdom Photos | Epcot Photos | Day 1

Day 2 of the press event started at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Now, it’s important to keep in mind that most of our team was up until about 4 AM getting the info from Day 1 on the site. The team was warned that I was working on about two hours of sleep, and that protective head gear was probably a wise addition to their ensemble. As we arrived at Animal Kingdom, there was some confusion. Some people showed up early to get into the park, and others showed up for the press event. People were not too understanding that certain cars were allowed in, while others were not.

Once we parked, we boarded busses and were escorted back stage and right on to the Kilimanjaro Safari. It was here that we ran into Simon Veness, a long time DIS visitor and the author of The Brits Guide to Disney. It had been a few years since I’d seen Simon, and it was great getting to catch up with him. As we started on the Safari, I was amazed at how many animals were out and about at 8am! When you hear the suggestion to do the safari first thing in the morning, follow it! We had a few ‘close encounters’ with some animals (see the video), and the bumpy ride across the savannah is a great way to wake up ? After the safari, we were treated to a first class breakfast, being served throughout Harambe Village. Entertainers roamed throughout the area, and one particular group of acrobats had the crowd mesmerized.

Later on in the day, we headed off to Epcot for the final event - the dedication and grand opening of Mission:Space. After a pre-recorded introduction by Walter Cronkite, Michael Eisner (Disney’s Chariman and Chief Executive Officer) took the stage, flanked by Carly Fiorina (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett Packard, the corporate sponsor of Mission:Space), and Shawn O’Keefe, Executive Director of NASA. Eisner opened the event by paying homage to the Imagineers who spent 650,000 hours (and more than $100 million) building the attraction. After brief comments by Ms. Fiorina, and Mr. O’Keefe, several NASA Astronauts were introduced, including Mercury Astronaut Wally Shirra, Apollo 13 Commander Jim Lovell, and Apollo 11 legend, Buzz Aldrin. Shawn O’Keefe then introduced the two astronauts currently on board the International Space Station, Commander Yuri Malenchenko and ISS Science Officer Ed Lu. The two astronauts were displayed via a video feed projected onto the side of Mission:Space. With Michael Eisner’s instruction to “commence launch sequence”, the countdown started, and Mission:Space was officially opened.

Following the dedication, we were free to roam around Epcot, enjoying food and drinks, and some great music. First on the fountain stage was SugarRay. I’ll admit that I didn’t know who he was, but I did recognize a few of his songs. This is a certain sign of age. I found myself saying things like “Boy, that’s loud music”, and “who listens to this?”. My inevitable transformation into “crotchety old man” is nearly complete.

Viewing areas were set up around World Showcase (along with some fantastic desserts) for a viewing of Illuminations. I took that opportunity to set up at the Fountain Stage for the event I was waiting all night for…the B-52’s!!! They were simply fantastic!! I’ve been a big fan of the B-52’s for many years! They covered all their staple songs, including “Roam” and “Love Shack”. The crowd was definitely enjoying themselves, especially the woman who was standing next to WebmasterCorey and kept knocking into him while he was trying to take pictures ?

All in all, the press event was one awesome party. Disney is looking better than ever, and those of you planning vacations in the coming months have plenty to look forward to!

Animal Kingdom Photos | Epcot Photos | Day 1



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