One of the best things on the buffet has to be the made-to-order omelets. Even if you ask them to cut the cheese in half (or 1/4th, as I do, in my attempt to make it much healthier) its one of the best omelets on property. However, ordering the omelet is anything but “Disney.”

If you haven’t been there, then imagine this: a long spread of buffet options spanning a VERY large room. A line so long it can easily accommodate the max. capacity of guests dining at the same time as you. But the smack dab in the middle of that line, in an area where the space behind you thins out as a decorative half-height wall curves in toward the buffet line … is the omelet station. A space that gets about 5 feet wide and is often overflowing with people trying to get their omelet from one or two chefs trying hard to manage the whole process and keep the large list of ingredients in order for each guest’s individual order.

Why? Why so little space? Why so much chaos? Why do the cast members have to work so hard in this one little “flaw” of an otherwise near perfect restaurant?

I don’t know, but I think I have a simple fix that could go a long way. The Which Wich Menu.

This little piece of brilliance is a simple, integral part of the Which Wich restaurant (which is like a make-your-own Potbelly, Subway kinda place). Fill out your name, the ingredients you want and your meal is made.

Boma needs a Which Wich menu for their omelets. A simple menu that would sit at your table and list all of the options for the omelet. It would also have an area where you could fill in your name and the table number, which would either be pre-stamped on the menu or easily identifiable from where you were sitting. You fill in the menu, hand it to the chef (so he can confirm you have your table # on there) and then you walk away. A few moments later, your server appears with your perfectly made omelet. You then sit back, enjoy and think to yourself: wow, Boma just went from near-perfect to perfect — thanks to Netcot and Which Wich.

Oddly enough, I’ve suggested this to a manager there once two years ago and was told “thanks, we’ll consider it.” But apparently Which Wich has the rights to a patent describing a menu with fill-in-the-blank options, because it has yet to appear at WDW (kidding, they don’t hold the patent on that – to my knowledge, there is no patent for such a thing).

So there you go… my simple imagineering way to make a nearly perfect WDW breakfast spot, “perfect.”

As seen in this YouTube video, Disneyland is testing a Mickey Mouse character greeter that can blink, move his mouth and even talk as he completely interacts with guests. Its simply an amazing piece of technology and worth checking out.

No word yet on how this may be used more frequently in the parks but one can imagine that a character that talks may have slower lines for photos as he/she needs to politely excuse himself/herself from one guest to greet another.

(Incase you’re wondering, the other item we are all waiting for is a WDW monorail expansion. And now that we have a talking Mickey, I suggest Disney get working on THAT.)

For Thanksgiving weekend, Florida State University Basketball will take part in the 2009 Old Spice Classic at Disney’s Milk House according to the Orlando Sentinel. In addition to FSU, Alabama, Baylor, Creighton, Iona, Marquette, Michigan and Xavier will be invited to the classic. This is the fourth year for the Old Spice Classic at the Milk House.

If you’d like to vote (and we hope that you do) please stop by PodcastAwards.com, go to the “travel” category (last category at the bottom of the page), click on “Netcot” and vote. You can vote multiple times a day until polls close on Nov. 6, 2008.

And once again … Thanks!

“Wiinders of Life”

I haven’t been inside Epcot’s Wonders of Life pavilion for many years. My memories of it are few and far between. One recollection that stands out, however, is of a baseball game that was featured very early on in the pavilion’s history as a part of the Fitness Fairgrounds. A guest would step into a ‘batting cage’ and stand in front of a large projection screen while holding an electronic bat. The idea was for the human batter to hit the ‘virtual’ ball being thrown on screen.

I remember this game specifically because I never played it. With only one booth and single occupancy, the line was always much too long.

I also remember this game because the technology blew my mind. This interactive experience wiped the floor with the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis of the time. A quiet yearning grew inside of me: I can’t wait until I can get one of my own.

Fifteen years later, as Epcot has lost some its promise and I enjoy my Nintendo Wii, it occurs to me that a piece of the ‘EPCOT future’ is indeed here! The game I longed for as a child is in my hands! Other than some of the gadgets* featured in Innoventions, it’s not too often that a ‘promised’ technology actually does make its way into pop culture and the mainstream. We may not be living in space or on the ocean floor, but we certainly are waving our Wii remotes in order to hit a virtual baseball. I can’t help but wonder if some of the fine folks at Nintendo hadn’t visited 90’s EPCOT.

As this week marks 25 years of continued inspiration for the generations, we may be able to chalk up the Wii as yet another reason the dream that once was EPCOT Center should be celebrated, defended and restored. If wii can dream it, wii can do it!

This observation also comes with a cry for help. Does anyone remember this baseball game? (Did it, in fact, exist?) Can anyone recall the name? Who sponsored/created it? And here’s the big one: does anyone have a photo of this exhibit? Any info would be greatly appreciated, if for no other reason than to prove my lucidity and solidify the point of this entry. Also, please share any other technologies you first experienced at Epcot that have made their way into our everyday lives.

If you believe in the need for an EPCOT and are continually excited when the promise of the future catches up to itself, you’re not alone.

–Chris
RetroDISNEY
“Celebrate the future of Yesteryear!”

*I saw my first widescreen TV at Innoventions ‘94 and remember wondering who would want a lopsided screen?

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Jewel Strong, a missing Jacksonville 4 year old, has been spotted at Walt Disney World over the past 2 months. Strong was believed to have drowned on a Memorial Day vacation to Panama City, Florida a year ago. Her body was never found and presumed lost at sea. Since then, video surveillance from stores and eye witnesses has indicated she is still alive and in the Orlando area.

A $5,000 reward was offered for Jewel’s safe return and $1,000 additional is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any person responsible for kidnapping her. Anyone with information is asked to call 800-THE-LOST or the Jewel Strong Organization at 904-647-6977 or 904-422-8448.

Commentary: Please review your photos from your vacations at Walt Disney World to help find this lost child. Additionally, please be on the lookout for her while at Walt Disney World. Additional information may be found at www.thestrong.biz.

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Walt Disney World has released a video showing the decorations planned for Cinderella Castle for 2007/2008 Christmas. The castle will be covered in LED lights which will hang from the castle like icicles. To view the video, go to Walt Disney World’s web site and click on ‘My Disney Vacation’ at the top. Once there, login and click on the ‘All Video Backstage Pass‘ at the bottom of the page.

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