Fall is here - and not that you need anything for an excuse to want some Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup from Epcot's World Showcase pavilion - but imagine enjoying some while sitting on the couch, watching your Walt Disney World vacation planning DVD (or football on Sundays)!

Well, now you can! Here is a short video courtesy of Disney showing you exactly how to make it at home! If you aren't sure if you have it just right, let me know, as I'd be happy to come over and do a taste test! (Can we watch the Giants if it's Sunday, please?)

To find our more about the Canada pavilion, visit Disney's web site ... or better yet, head on down and enjoy the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival , going on now through November 9!

First, let me apologize for the lack of updates recently. I won't go into the whole "busy" thing, we'll just move along...

So during my "non-research" trip to Walt Disney World recently, I couldn't resist pulling out the camera and grabbing some photos when the "extended" queue of the Jungle Cruise was being used. Often closed off, the covered area on the right hand side of the queue was open last week, and inside it revealed a number of new, "hidden treasures." "Sorry kids, daddy has to stop the line and take a picture of this thing on the floor again. And lady, can you stop your kid from talking? I'm trying to get some ambient sounds over here..."

So here you go - a few "new" crates and boxes and obscurities that no one else other than me seemed to care about. "Don't you people know who Harper Goff is??!" I thought to myself in line. 

The Jungle Cruise queue as you know is filled with subtle tributes to Imagineers, historical figures and Disney-created fictional characters. For example, on the overhead speakers you can hear the “Global Broadcasting Service - the voice of civilization,” mention Ted Sears and Winston Hibler – two of the creators of some of the original True Life Adventure series of films, partially upon which the Jungle Cruise was based. Here you see a barrel honoring him as well. Oh, and the Outpost number? 71755? 7-17-55 was the opening day of Disneyland.

And the “Reverend Goff of the Jungle Mission”? He was Harper Goff, an Imagineer who did the conceptual work on the Jungle Cruise, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and a variety of attractions in Epcot. His boyhood home? Yup - Fort Collins, Colorado. Goff was also instrumental in the concept and design of Disneyland's Main Street, USA and is quoted as saying, "... We had banks that looked like banks, you know, and there was a Victorian city hall. I was born in 1911 and these buildings were around when I was a kid. When I started working on Main Street, I had photographs of Fort Collins taken. I showed them to Walt and he liked them very much.   Disneyland's City Hall was copied from Fort Collins…so was the Bank building and some of the others."

More to come, I promise. 

See you in the queue... 

With things being as hectic as they always are for us all, I have not been able to post to my Blog as often as I would like (suprise, suprise, I know). There are lots of things going on "backstage" here and at the "WDW Radio Show Studios", but I still want to share some of what I enjoy most about Walt Disney World here with you on the blog.

And since I'm still journeying aboard my Wayback Machine doing research for various projects, show segments, etc., I thought I'd share with you, on occasion, a "view from the window of the Wayback Machine" - a sort of virtual glance out the window at what we might see as we travel back in time to WDW.  

So here's just a quick look out the window at the Magic Kingdom during a recent "research trip" back in time. 

This is the entrance to the Magic Kingdom during Walt Disney World's 15th Anniversary in (Lou does some quick math) 1986. 

Couple of quick things to note here (besides the 15s on each number of the clock); Why in the world are there two cars parked there? No, that's not Michael Eisner's Chevy Cavalier, but one of the cars and trucks that was given away every day! What else can you spot that's different now than when this photo was taken?

I'll do a full Wayback Machine piece on the 15th celebration, and talk more about the prize tickets, new parade, and of course, the two-hour variety show special that featured such celebrities as Bea Arthur, Dolly Parton, The Monkees, Air Supply, Charlton Heston and Ronald Reagan. 

For now, enjoy the view out the Wayback Machine's window.  

Thanks to Mark Abel for the photo
 

I just learned of a couple of new experiences you and your family can enjoy while in Walt Disney World: 

First, there is a new Archery Experience at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Camprgound that is now available to book beginning 7/31/08. This is available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons from 2:45 - 3:15 p.m. It is offered for Guests ages 6 and up, and is $25 pluus tax. 

Second, (oh how I wish I was a kid again), children can board a "Haunted Pirates Cruise" at Disney's Polynesian Resort. 

Sounds like another "research trip" is in order!

For more information about these activities, you can call 407-WDW-PLAY.