Theme Parks

The Haunted Mansion is one of my favorites. (Hmm, it seems like I say that about quite a few attractions.) If you have ever tried to take video inside the Haunted Mansion - or viewed one of the many fan-produced videos - you know that it's hard to get good video or photographs because the attraction is so dark.

At last, we fans have an inside look at the Haunted Mansion, thanks to Jeremy Kohrs and Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 . He's recreated the Haunted Mansion in delightful detail. Because it's based on the Disneyland version, the exterior is a bit different. The interior is perfect - hitting all the highlights!

If you like this video, be sure to pop over to Jeremy's YouTube page and rate the video.

My goodness, summer is extremely warm in Florida! Temperatures soar into the 90s as early as May, and by mid-summer, it's not uncommon for the heat index to hit 100 or more. If you are planning a summertime vacation to Walt Disney World, you and your family must prepare for the heat. Here are top tips for beating the heat.

Be a Robin or an Owl

My No. 1 rule for theme park touring in the summer: Be a robin or an owl! To avoid the heat, be the early bird and arrive about 15 minutes before the park opens. You'll enjoy cooler temps, shorter lines and more fun before the park gets crowded.

Not an earlier riser (especially on vacation)? Then be an owl. Sleep in, and enjoy lunch at your resort. Then head to the parks, enjoy indoor attractions and shows, and do the outdoor attractions in the evenings when the air is cooler. Evening Extra Magic Hours are perfect! Check the park schedules when you arrive.

Regardless of whether you are a robin or an owl (or some of both), drink plenty of fluids. That means at least 4-8 ounces of water every two to four hours. Four ounces -- about a half glass or a good "swallow" at a water fountain -- at least every two hours is best. Soft drinks don't have the same hydrating qualities as water, so that soft drink with lunch doesn't count! Cups of water are complimentary at any restaurant so ASK! Bottled water costs about $2. Water fountains are located next to every restroom and in many other locations in the parks.

And stay covered! Hats are recommended for everyone, especially for the little ones. Fortunately most of the Disney World theme parks have moderate shade and covered walkways. Take a side trip through one of the many gift shops for some shade and cool air.

If you start to feel lightheaded or overcome by the heat, visit the first aid station at the theme parks. The locations are easy to find:

• Magic Kingdom: Near Main Street USA, between Casey's Corner and the Crystal Palace restaurant.
• Epcot: In the Odyssey Center, on the walkway between Test Track and the Mexico Pavilion in the World Showcase.
• Disney-MGM Studios: Near the entrance, next to Sid Cahuenga's One of a Kind shop.
• Disney's Animal Kingdom: In Discovery Island, next to the Creature Comforts shop, on the left just before entering Africa.

Follow these simple tips for beating the Florida heat, and you and your family will enjoy a wonderful summer vacation at Walt Disney World!

I am so excited to announce the launch of a new Disney World resource designed just for you! Mouseopolis is a new Squidoo community for Disney World fans. I can hear you all asking — Mouseopolis? Squidoo?

If you haven’t already heard, Squidoo is where web-page building meets social networking meets Web 2.0. The Chief Squids describe it this way: “Squidoo makes it really really (really!) easy to share your favorite stuff online, discover great recommendations, earn a little dough and even give to charity. All for free.”

So far, quite a few Disney World fans, including me, have found Squidoo and created some amazing (and a few not so amazing) web pages about Disney World. I host a Squidoo group for a few of them. But, this was kind of haphazard and still didn’t help those unknowing masses out there looking for *helpful, organized* information.

This is where it gets fun. I went to the Squidoo people with an idea for creating a more organized group, and they told me about a brand new service they are starting called Communities. Well, not totally brand new, you still build pages (which they call lenses), but they are organized in a new way. Together, we created a new community called Mouseopolis.

My vision is a “library” of pages, created by Disney fans like us, describing every single attraction, restaurant, show and activity at Walt Disney World. The pages will be organized through the Mouseopolis Home, but you’ll have complete control over your page.

What’s in it for you? First of all, it's a place to have fun, brag about your favorite attractions and show off your photos or videos. You can even add money-making modules to your page.

I’m offering a little incentive too! The top pages will be linked directly from the Mouseopolis Home and individual park home pages. If your page is selected for a position on the Home pages, you get a free copy of the ebook version of the EZ Fun to Walt Disney World. Each month, we’ll pick the best pages for more prizes.

So, come and check it out Mouseopolis.

At long last, Disney and Siemens AG have announced plans for significant updates to Spaceship: Earth at Epcot. Siemens signed on as the official sponsor of Spaceship: Earth in late 2005, and fans have been waiting for news on what updates we might expect. Here's what the Orlando Sentinel said on April 12:

Walt Disney World and Siemens AG are giving Epcot's Spaceship Earth a new spin, updating the ride and its technologies.

Work already has begun in the attraction's post-show area, which is now closed as Disney installs new interactive features to transform it into "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow." Broader changes, including updates throughout the ride, will be phased in over the next few months, forcing a closure of the ride later this year.

Spaceship Earth, housed in Epcot's signature structure, a 180-foot geodesic sphere that can be seen for miles, offers visitors a slow, circling, indoor train ride past a series of panoramic scenes depicting the march of time, technology and creativity from cavemen through the late 20th century.

The ride has had minor updates since it opened with Epcot in 1982, but no major overhauls until now.

"We're building on Spaceship Earth's existing attractions and taking it to the next level," said Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez.

The first changes take place in the post-show area, which will reopen late this month with three of several planned new exhibits. The new features will be a 20-foot-high globe offering an ever-changing collage of images of the future; a 3-D game called "Body Builder" enabling visitors to assemble a digital human body; and a driving simulator showcasing motor-vehicle accident and avoidance systems.

For more detail, read the Sentinel's article. The article also notes that all of the changes will be inside Spaceship: Earth. That means the giant Mickey Mouse hand and wand will stay.