Tiki Spaceship Earth

From the extremely talented and sometimes depraved mind of Leonard Kinsey I give you two must read books:

These have been out for a while now and its basically insane that its taken me this long to write about them.  They are COMPLETELY different in the sense that Dark Side of Disney is more of an informational standpoint and Our Kingdom of Dust is a fictional story – each of course taking place in Walt Disney World.   Why is it so important to read these?

“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.” Walt Disney

You can learn a lot from these books while being entertained!   Dark Side (please don’t confuse this with the spiritual dark side in the Star Wars universe which I would never promote – go team Ewoks) of Disney offers a lot of information about various things we’ve all thought about – sneaking into the parks, extra discounts, and potential new places to explore in the park.

Our Kingdom of Dust won’t go into the logistics of how to find cocaine in the park but it will teach you a little bit about yourself and make you realize your need for escapism that comes along with a visit to Walt Disney World.  Its also a page turner that you can’t put down. It might frighten you how much you relate to the characters in the book but its a journey worth taking.

So grab a dole whip float, add a nip of rum, and get into these books!

Kukui nuts are rad – you typically see them worn as leis by the Disney Polynesian staff but also anyone who is living aloha. They are also worn throughout the islands as everyday adornment and for special occasions.

These nuts do more than make us look good, they have a VARIETY of uses. For starters, Kukui nuts contain about fifty percent unsaturated oil which enables them to ignite and burn like candles – they were burned in torches and stone lamps. Kukui literally translates to mean “lamp” or “light”.

Other nut uses include:

• Applying the kukui nut oil to wooden howls to make a glossy, waterproof finish
• The soot (pau) of burned nuts provided a black dye for tattooing and stain for painting designs on canoes and on tapa cloth
• Shelled nuts are roasted and pounded into a paste in order to make inamona poke

There is more to the tree than just the nuts. Hawaiians used the trunks of kukui trees for:

• Construction of canoes
• The sticky gums and resins were used medicinally and as glue to strengthen tapa
• The inner bark provided a red-brown dye for tapa cloth and `olona cordage

The Kukui nut tree was named the Hawaiian State tree in 1959 however it is not a native plant. Its blossom is now the official flower of the island of Molokai.  So now you see how big a deal this tree is and can appreciate how amazing it is that the Polynesian Resort in Florida actually has one!  The tree is located behind the Great Ceremonial House and can be distinguished from the other foliage by its light-green silvery leaves.  Its rumored to be the only Kukui Nut tree on the mainland of North America.

In addition to the above, this special tree has both internal and external medical applications and is considered to be a powerful la’au (plant/tree) by traditional healers to this day.  Separate from this is its spiritual meaning in the leaves as the embodiment of the pig god, Kamapua’a.

Sources:

1. Kukui Nut Jewels of Hawaii, Armstrong, Wayne- Ornament; Summer2005, Vol. 28
2. Indigenous Hawaiian Nonmedical and Medical Use of the Kukui Tree, RYAN A.K. YOUNG,1,* LUIS G. CRUZ,1,* and AMY C. BROWN, Ph.D., R.D.2 – THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE, Volume 11, Number 3, 2005

This year we split the trip between Bay Lake and Beach Club and so the first two days were spent entirely at the Magic Kingdom – I’ve never visited ONLY Magic Kingdom for a single day let alone two!  Here is the breakdown.

Day 1

First, Bay Lake is AWESOME.   Its got modern rooms with great art work, an incredible view, and the Top of the World Lounge is an awesome hang out.  My favorite part of the lounge of course being the John Hench concept art work on display behind the bar and in a side lounge.  After having a delicious breakfast with fresh vegetables at The Wave we WALKED to the Magic Kingdom!

• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom – I couldn’t help myself.  I think this is so neat.  I like the idea of the technology and completely buy into the magic of an ordinary space magically turning into a portal!  Only downside is waiting in line for it and if you are the only one in your group playing the others might not want to follow you where the game takes you which are random spots on the map.
• Buzz Lightyear

• Carousel of Progress
• Wedway PeopleMover
• Snow White – Final Ride :-/
• Its a Small World
• Haunted Mansion – Tried the interactive queue.  This may or may not have been the source of the horrible cold I got a few days later but any tribut to Thurl Ravenscroft gets my support.

SNACK TIME!  Between the four of us we had 2 Citrus swirls, 1 Dole Whip Float with pineapple soft serve, 1 Dole Whip with vanilla, 1 Dole Whip with orange, and 1 pineapple juice.   I don’t think I will ever be that refreshed unless I end up at tropical island before my next visit – although the Dole Cocktail Contest at Ohana might be close.

• Splash Mountain – nice gentlemen gave us fast passes!
• Tortuga Tavern – never again, just horrid
• Main Street Bakery – Peanut Butter Cupcake

We ended the night at the Polynesian’s Tambu Lounge for some drinks and apps before heading back to the Lounge to watch the Wishes Fireworks.

Day 2

We took the monorail over to the Polynesian’s Kona Cafe to start out the morning with Tonga Toast.   Then another monorail ride and back at Magic Kingdom!

• Peter Pan
• A visit with the Wicket Step Mother and Step Sisters
• A visit with Princess Tianna
• Jungle Cruise
• Enchanted Tiki Room – while I miss the fountain, I can’t complain about this version!
• Railroad

  

After it got hot and the crowds started in we headed out of the park for lunch at Sanaa over at Kindani Village in Animal Kingdom.  For dessert, we went back to the Polynesian for more Dole Whips at Captain Cooks.

Not to be defeated, we went back into Magic Kingdom where I finished my Sorcerers game, got a veggie burger with all the fixins from Pecos Bill and a Walnut Chocolate Brownie from Main Street Bakery.   Again, we ended the night at the Lounge watching Wishes.

Robert Sherman of the Sherman Brothers, a Disney Legend has passed.  His musical accomplishments are amazing and will allow us feel and hum the magic.  Progress City USA has done a wonderful tribute including audio and video. And now, to celebrate his life…

October 21, 2011 would have been the 100th birthday for Mary Blair. Google celebrated this Disney Legend’s birthday with a Google Doodle!

Mary used simple shapes and patterns along with creative color in her work that was used in a variety of scales. She is of course responsible for the style and concept of Its a Small World.

She also has a huge mural on display at the Contemporary Resort – a 90-foot, floor-to-ceiling ceramic mural celebrating the Grand Canyon and the Southwest.

In addition to her work in the park Mary is also responsible for the concept art and design for Disney films, for example this concept art was created for Peter Pan and features Peter’s mermaid friends sunning themselves.

Included in Mary’s work are some Polynesian designs used for the concept of Its a Small World.

These were some of my favorites but there are countless works by Mary worth exploring.   They don’t make them Disney Legends for nuthin’!