I followed Ana across the bridge in front of Splash Mountain over to the section of Frontierland heavily themed to resemble a small western town. Here we swing a left passing the Town Hall and Pecos Bill's Cafe.

The main road of Frontierland is a long stretch alongside the River - much larger territory than the small entrance area of Disneyland's Frontierland.



The Magic Kingdom actually began doing their Princess and the Frog Showboat Jubilee a few weeks before Disneyland did, so we noticed that the Liberty Square Riverboat was decorated especially for the promotion.



Finally we made our way over to a "hole in the wall" attraction that I had been excited to see for a number of years now (at least since the California Country Bear Jamboree show closed back in 2001).



Inside were decorations similar to ones that I had seen in the queue I remembered. Pictures depicting a band of country bears were scattered around the waiting room, giving us a glimpse of the characters we would soon be seeing on stage.



We waited about 8 minutes or so before it was time to head in to see the show (and I could hardly contain my excitement). I knew going in that this was the original country bear show, with a lineup of songs that I was not familiar with. I had grown accustomed to the "Vacation Hoedown" which used to rotate at Disneyland over the Summer season. They eventually kept it year-round until it finally closed down. The Vacation Hoedown had tracks that I loved such as "Ghost Riders in the Sky", "California Bears" and Wendell's slideshow of a vacation trip gone horribly wrong. The only thing I really knew about the normal Country Bear Show was the rendition of "Blood on the Saddle" sung by the fattest of the bears, Big Al.



Entering the theater, it was nearly identical to the Disneyland setup - the only difference being that the heads of Max, Melvin, and Buff were on the opposite side of the room.



It was great to see the bears in action again, though it wasn't the same. I missed the feeling of going into a cave to see the show, as well as being able to sing along to songs that I knew. I was also very excited for Ana to see the show, as I had talked about it several times over the years. She really wasn't that into the setlist of country songs they played, though she appreciated it as a Magic Kingdom original and something she had never seen before.



The show ended, and despite having been a little disappointed by the show, I was glad to have had the chance to see the bears still alive and rocking.

Our next stop was going to be Liberty Square, a land exclusive to Walt Disney World. Before reaching our destination, we had to take a long walk up the Frontierland road. Passing a shady side area was a cowboy version of Goofy accompanied by Donald Duck dressed up like Davy Crockett.



In the distance on the left was the corner of the Rivers of America. There, atop a hill, was the Haunted Mansion.



While not as foreboding as it looked the night before, it still had an eerie vibe during the day. We knew we would be riding it a little later, but first it was time for a little lesson in history (and a few technical difficulties...)

After getting soaked on Splash Mountain, we decided to dry off while hanging out around the Rivers of America. It had been so dark the night before that we really couldn't see much of it (it's not as well lit as it's Disneyland counterpart). One main difference we couldn't get over was really how small that overlook of the river was. At Disneyland you can venture along the river as far back as Critter Country. Disneyland also has the drydock area for the Sailing Ship Columbia, as well as the loading area for the Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. The other difference? There's no stage-like area on Tom Sawyer's Island.



The Magic Kingdom doesn't actually have a Fantasmic show like we do in California (it's actually at the Hollywood Studios park instead). This is probably a smart idea, as there seems to be a lot less room around the river to cram in a bunch of people to watch such a show.



We sat back and relaxed for about 10 minutes or so - taking it all in. The view behind us of the Big Thunder Mountain skyline...





squirrels scurrying around the nearby shrubs...



a map of "things to come" when we visit Tom Sawyer's Island later that day...



and totem poles hidden within the trees.



It was a relaxing area with plenty of shade and a wonderful view across the way of Tom Sawyer Island.



The Rivers of America also offers a glimpse at the distant Cinderella Castle which dwarfs the rest of the park.



We looked at the clock and realized we had better keep moving onward. Having entered Frontierland from Adventureland (which divides Frontierland in half), there was still another section we hadn't had a chance to see. It was also about time to pay a visit to a bunch of old friends of mine. Who, you might ask? You may know them as Buff, Max, and Melvin.

-It has now been a month since we went on our trip, but it still seems like yesterday. Work is getting busy right now as we head into Holiday season, so updates may slow down a bit for a little while. I'll still try to use whatever free time I can to update my trip report.-

We left Pirates of the Caribbean feeling a little...well...underwhelmed. The both of us wanted to ride something that we knew we would enjoy, so we would decided that we would re-ride the three big rides that we rode on the previous night (Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion). Since the closest of those three was Splash, we decided to ride that first. Luckily, we were smart and stopped by Big Thunder Mountain first to get a Fast Pass. (Thanks to Disneyland, we pretty much already knew the in's and out's to the Fast Pass system)

Walking around the front of Splash Mountain, and seeing it in broad daylight for the first time, the difference of the mountain was instantly apparent. The walkway that takes guest around the front of the mountain is actually at eye level with the people on the ride as they round the bend. It's also very easy to get a look at them as they pass by. At Disneyland, there is a large wall obstructing onlookers, and you are only able to view the people going down the drop. On the other side of the wall is a bit of foliage, with the thorns further in the distance.



The curve following the drop was also pretty unique, and had a small island in the middle. Several white birds walked around, and it made for a fun moment - you're on a ride with dozens of animatronic figures, but these birds were real!



Another striking difference is that WDW's version allows guests to look down at the curve that follows the drop (so you can wave down to your loved ones if you want). Disneyland only offers a very brief glimpse down, and it's a bit difficult to find this spot if you're not familiar with the park.

The entrance is also very different, probably because this is Frontierland and not Critter Country.



The one REALLY cool thing about this version of the ride is that you can sit side-by-side (unlike Disneyland's version where you sit single file). This allowed the both of us to experience the ride together for the first time, and it was such a blast!









We left the ride extremely soaked, though it actually wasn't from the drop. Some sneaky Imagineers crafted a failsafe to ensure that you get wet. As your boat passes by the log falling down the big drop, it causes a huge splash to shoot up and drench the rear section of your boat (which is normally left dry after the drop). It was almost like it happened in slow motion, as we both watched the huge burst of water rise and fall right down onto us. We looked at each other with our jaws hanging incredulously, and we both began to laugh. I can guarantee that this version gets a lot more "splash".

So now what? Oh! We have Fast Passes! And it's already time to use them? We're heading to the wildest ride in the wilderness!

(for more on Splash Mountain, stay tuned for my DL vs. WDW post)

Went to Disneyland this last Tuesday. I was able to catch a performance of "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee", which premiered at Disneyland last Friday. They still seem to be testing things out with the show, as the show coordinator stood right in front of me with headphones on and a script. There were also other high-level managers gathered around her, probably just to make sure the show is going well and to catch crowd reactions.

To my surprise, the show is a lot of fun. I'm never one for shows or parades at the park, but the energy and scale of the show brought a lot of excitement. The show is really just a way to market the upcoming movie, The Princess and the Frog. It's also the first time that I can remember that they did something so large for a movie that hasn't been released yet. Well...there WAS the fact that they built Sleeping Beauty's castle BEFORE the movie came out, but that was a long time ago.

The show starts with a large group of unsuspecting guests being picked an hour or so beforehand. These guests are escorted into the Mark Twain loading area, and giving a crash course on the show and what their roles will be. Once the Jubilee begins, Princess Tiana, the prince, a jazz wailing alligator, and a band parade from New Orleans Square making their way onto the Mark Twain. The Mark Twain pulls out of the dock, and makes a stop in front of the entrance to New Orleans Square - which is pretty much centered with where Fantasmic is performed.



Through the songs they sing, we learn that the central theme behind the story is that of "dreams". Tiana has a dream to come to someday own her own restaurant in Louisiana.





The handpicked guests come out every few songs and are given props to dance with. It makes for hilarity seeing uncoordinated children, or old men REALLY getting into the performance.




With a burst of flame, the villain appears and interrupts the show. He makes a deal too good to be true with the prince, promising him things beyond his wildest dreams.



The villain is a voodoo practitioner, and offers the prince to pick 3 cards. The prince does as he says, and each card is turned to reveal black ghosts. Too bad, the prince chose poorly, or did he...as all of the cards turn to show that he had no chance to begin with. Ghosts swarm the ship as the villain sings the coolest song of the show.



The prince wasn't turned into a frog THIS time, and the villain leaves. The performers put on one last finale. This time, the selected guests come out with tambourines and yellow robes.



The show ends with a giant burst of streamers, which left the ground covered. Disney janitors quickly appeared on the scene to pick them up, but they were too slow. Kids everywhere ran up, grabbed the streamers, and decorated themselves with it. The janitors stood off to the side and shrugged, "maybe we won't have that much to pick up."



Tiana's Showboat Jubilee left me feeling very excited to see a movie that I was slightly looking forward to. If the songs and atmosphere of the show were any indication, The Princess & the Frog might be the best animated Disney movie since The Hunchback of Notre Dame. We shall see. Bye for now Tiana!


------

Around the park, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

And now, the conclusion.

The second half of the exhibit was MUCH more exciting. Now, that's not to say that I didn't enjoy the costumes in the first section, but...well, you'll see.

We turned the corner and found ourselves walking down the corridors of the Enterprise D...



...eventually making our way to the bridge!




Ha, she got mad when I said her posture is very "Deanna Troi". Just don't crash the ship!!


By the way, I was so excited to be in there that my hand was shaking, and I had a continuous smile. So much fun, and yeah, we both felt goofy running around and pretending to press console buttons.







But it was great after so many moments of seeing the bridge on tv and thinking, "oh, what it would be like to be there." While there are subtle differences to the real set, it was close enough, and I felt like I was really there. There was also the low rumble of the ship engines, and the ambient sounds of computers in the background. The main viewscreen had a starfield projected on it as well.





Outside, there was Reman Scorpion-class fighter from Star Trek Nemesis:


Wide view of the next exhibit room. The Enterprise-D bridge is behind those walls, by the way:


More props:


A small area dedicated to Deep Space Nine/Ferengi props:


Small life-size busts of aliens such as the Borg:


and Odo:


There was also a small recreation of sickbay, featuring Lt. Commander Worf:


Ana and I finally made our way to the heart of the ship - Engineering:


There was a problem with the Warp Core, but I was having trouble trying to fix it. Oh well:


----

The Exhibition was really a lot of fun. I've read comments online from people saying that it wasn't worth the money. It's only $12 with a student discount, and we spent about 2 hours in there. There's a lot to see and read, and we took our time enjoying it. We saw a small handful of other people in there as well, but they breezed right by us and didn't seem to take it all in. I would say that it's probably not for a casual fan, as there are actually a lot of props and costumes from lesser known characters. There are also some obscure props, like this framed wedding photo of Riker and Troi:


For big fans of Voyager or Enterprise, you're going to be disappointed. There was a handful of Voyager items, and almost nothing from Enterprise. The costumes were heavily either Next Generation era, or Original series. The props were focused on DS9, and the sets were all Next Generation.

If it tours again and changes, I would love to visit it again.