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Kingdom Keepers

Kingdom Keepers “Mary Poppins Lounge” at Disney Revealed-The Carousel Room

26 July 2011 by Suzannah Otis 10 Comments

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Last year at this time, I was able to visit the VIP lounge at the former Wonders of Life pavilion in Epcot’s Future World. The pavilion has been closed for quite some time now but functions as a special event space for things like the International Flower and Garden Festival and International Food & Wine Festival, along with wedding receptions held in the VIP lounge. The Tables in Wonderland program has held a preview for the Food & Wine Festival for the last two years and I was lucky enough to attend both events for the Disney Food Blog. (As always, click to enlarge photos)

Wonders Lounge red doors
What lies beyond the red doors???

 

While I shared photos of the Wonders Lounge and circus-themed restroom here on the blog, I wondered all night long what lay behind the two red doors in the main lounge area. The original lounge was entirely circus themed, but the main area has since been repainted in more muted tones, with the exception of some bold color choices like the bright red doors. In speaking to cast member friends, I was informed that there definitely was something behind those doors…but never told what. I put it from my mind, thinking I’d probably never get the chance to solve this mystery first-hand. Then suddenly, it was July again and the Tables in Wonderland preview gave me hope that maybe I’d get to find out.

Wonders Lounge
What the lounge once looked like

 

Wonders Lounge
And today…

 

I tweeted that I was so excited to be in the Wonders Lounge again since it was my favorite of the VIP lounges I’d seen so far. A back and forth on twitter brought up the question of whether I liked it even more than the lounge at the Seas and I said that yes, while the Seas was a very close second, I just loved the (clown-free) circus theme up here. It was then that I discovered that the space behind the red doors was actually called the Carousel Room. I wondered if I could try to sneak a peek but thought I’d probably chicken out (I am shy in-person after all!). I was encouraged to just ask a cast member, since I was up there I had to see it. I agreed that it was silly to sit by and not try to get in to see it. So we asked, and a very nice cast member said yes. She said the couches and chairs that were usually out in the lounge area were stuffed in the room, so if we waited till the event had cleared out a bit, they would move them out so we could get around.

By now, my head was swimming with possibilities. I pictured this giant ballroom with a full-sized carousel inside, or at the very least, carousel horses filling the room. I had been told by my helpful twitter friend to prepare myself, so I knew it must be something breathtaking.

At the end of the event, we patiently stood by the door and waited for our kind cast member to give us the okay. In the meantime two guests from the event strolled by the doors and said casually, “Oh, I wonder what’s in this room here…” and then just opened the doors and went in! I did hear them gasp before the doors closed behind them so the anticipation was killing me, but I wanted to do things right and not cause problems for anyone by just storming in myself. My husband went over to ask the cast member again but she was deep in conversation with the event hosts and the two other people had come out by the time he got the okay to go in. As it turns out, this room was mentioned in the third book in the popular Kingdom Keepers series: Disney in Shadow and was referred to as the Mary Poppins Lounge. The two people that went into the room said they had booked the Tables in Wonderland dinner just because it was in this lounge and they wanted to see this because of the Ridley Pearson series. Now there was a bit of buzz around the door and when we were given the official all clear, two other couples went in with us too.

To say I was shocked is an understatement. It isn’t so much that what’s in there is scary or unbelievable…it’s more that the space itself is very small – it’s actually a meeting room, not the grand ballroom I was envisioning. There is a huge oval-shaped table which takes up all of the room, with purple chairs that definitely looked like they arrived in the late 80’s. The few couches and chairs from the lounge were still stacked in there, but it didn’t detract too much from the main focus of the room, which was, in a word, overwhelming. Without further ado:

Wonders Lounge
Look, ma, I made it!

 

The walls of the room are painted – in amazing detail – as if you are in the very center of a beautiful carousel. The colorful and lifelike horses surround you as does the painted wooden floor of the carousel and the landscape beyond the horses. As in a real carousel, each horse is uniquely themed. The ceiling continues the painted theme with stripes, so that you feel like you are inside a tent. Another surprising feature of the room was the amazing acoustics. I was speaking at one end of the room in a normal voice and another guest on the other side said it sounded like I was right next to her. Perfect for business meetings where everyone needs to be heard clearly. The main wall ahead of you as you walk in slides apart and there is a white board behind it, again, perfect for brainstorming about the wonders…of life! Here’s a slideshow with more Carousel Room goodness:

[portfolio_slideshow exclude=”6242,6253,6263,6262,6248″]

Another curious detail is that one of the horses has what appears to be a marble or small ball in its teeth. I tried doing some research on what this could signify, but came up blank. I’m pretty sure, given what I do know about Walt Disney Imagineers that each horse depicted has specific meanings or nods to something either artist or Disney-related. Even if I’m wrong and they are just historically-accurate carousel horses, I would love to know more and truly be able to solve this mystery.

Carousel Room
What’s in that horse’s mouth?

 

Carousel Room
A ball? A marble? What does it meeeean?

 

Wonders Lounge elevator
My husband and I being dorks on the elevator. It’s really cool but kind of impossible to capture on a camera!

 

 

While I never got to experience the GE or Kodak VIP lounges while they existed, and I still have not seen the lounges of Spaceship Earth, The Land, Universe of Energy or Test Track, I stand by the Wonders Lounge as being my favorite. It is definitely the most unique so far. Although the HP lounge has all sorts of cool technology inside and the Seas lounge is just fun to sit in and look at the water views, the level of theming in the original design is, well, a wonder. I still continue to hope I’ll see the remaining Future World lounges (and any others hiding in the World too!).  If anyone has any insight to the design stories behind the Carousel Room, please feel free to share.

Please do not use any of the photos here without permission, all photos are copyright Suzannah DiMarzio. Thank you!

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Past, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Carousel Room, Epcot, EPCOT Center, Epcot corporate lounges, Epcot Employee lounges, EPCOT Future World lounges, Future World, Future World lounges, Future World VIP lounges, hidden lounges of Epcot, Kingdom Keepers, lounges, Mary Poppins Lounge, Ridley Pearson, VIP Lounge, VIP Lounges, VIP lounges of Epcot, Wonders Lounge, Wonders of Life

Keeper of the Kingdom:Interview with Author Ridley Pearson

5 August 2010 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

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Maleficent with Ridley Pearson
Everyone's a fan! Photo courtesy of the Ridley Pearson facebook page

A while back I posted my interview with fellow Disney Mom Margaret and she mentioned her love of the Kingdom Keepers series. Imagine my surprise when I received a comment on that entry from none other than the author himself, Ridley Pearson, thanking Margaret for the KK love. I figured I shouldn’t let that bit of providence go to waste, so I emailed Mr. Pearson to ask if he’d be interested in answering a few questions for ZannaLand readers. He responded that he’d be “pleased and honored” to do so. As a fan (of both Ridley’s work and young-adult fiction in general) and a wanna-be-writer, I was a bit excited at the prospect.

What follows are my silly questions and Ridley’s wonderful answers; sharing a bit more about himself,  the writing process and his Disney-themed work.

Zanna: What made you first decide to take the leap from a successful adult thriller writer to the young adult genre?

Ridley Pearson: The most obvious change was having children.  When my two daughters were little I would tell them a different story every night before bed. Every night.  My wife and I would read to them as well, no less than an hour a night.  At some point, as a writer, you just start to think: “Why am I not writing for my kids?”

Z: Did you head into The Kingdom Keepers thinking Walt Disney World would be a great setting for a book or did you decide to bring the Disney aspect in after the fact?

RP: Actually, Disney did a remarkably generous thing for me (and for Dave Barry) the result of which was a thank you phone call that ended with me and an editor, Wendy Lefkon, discussing working together.  She proposed I use my crime-writing skills to develop a series set inside the Disney theme parks that the Disney “attorneys would approve.”  It was a challenge I couldn’t resist.

Z: Had you always been a fan of Disney parks?

RP: I LOVE the Disney parks, but came to it late.  (That was the generous gift Disney gave me (and Dave Barry): 3 days with our families as VIP guests in Disney World!  It changed my (publishing) life.

Kingdom Keepers IIIZ: Did you anticipate the Disney fandom appreciating how you handled the parks and becoming so passionate about your books (and every detail)?

RP: The reader reaction caught me and my publishing team at Disney TOTALLY by surprise.  The first book Disney After Dark sold well, but not phenomenally.  Then, after a few months, this groundswell began and tens of thousands of readers (later, hundreds of thousands) “got the bug.”  It was a so much fun for me, as a writer, because it meant more books — and then, once those books caught on, they way they did, we set a series length (7 books) and I could create a large “arc” for the entire series.  It’s been a very special part of my work.  I treasure the KK series and its readers.

Z: As a guitarist in the band of published authors, Rock Bottom Remainders, who are some of your musical inspirations? Do you listen to music while writing?

RP: On my iPhone you’ll find everything from opera to U2.  Nickleback to Scott Hamilton.  Jazz, rock, soft rock, “oldies” — having played music for years now I take it any way it comes.  I love music and sometimes, though certainly not always, play music when I’m writing.  If I know the music really intimately I can write with it playing; if not, too much of my attention is taken by admiring the piece.

Z: With so many young adult books in the marketplace now, how do you ensure you’ll capture a reader’s attention? Do you have any advice for aspiring authors to set themselves apart?

RP: I try not to think about all the other books (although I read them! I love Eoin Colfer and Rick Riordan, Carl Hiaasen).  I just try to write a compelling, fast-paced story with fun characters (that’s tough enough).  I think the key to new writers is “have fun.”  If you have fun writing, chances are the reader will too.

Z: Do you have a definite end in sight for The Kingdom Keepers? Will there be a part 4 or beyond? Any hints? (Thanks to my 11 year-old for this question!)

RP: I sure do!  See above.

Can’t wait to see what happens next! Huge thanks to Ridley Pearson for taking the time out of his incredibly busy schedule to talk with us today! I know I loved learning a bit more about the process and how Kingdom Keepers began. If you’d like to check out Kingdom Keepers III: Disney in Shadow, his Peter serieswith Dave Barry, as well as all his adult fiction, head over to the Ridley Pearson author page on Amazon or his official website RidleyPearson.com. You can also follow Ridley on twitter @RidleyPearson and  “like” him Pearson on facebook, where he updates regularly about his work and appearances.

…

This post is part of the Disney Blog Carnival. Head over there to see more great Disney-related posts and articles!

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Filed Under: Disney News Tagged With: Dave Barry, Disney, Hyperion, interview, Kingdom Keepers, Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter series, Ridley Pearson

Sunday Readin’ April 11 2010

11 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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buzz at pizza planet
photo ©Alex Goldman

Welcome to the second Sunday in April (I almost wrote August there, oops)! It’s been another exciting week in the world of Disney blogs, and I’m about to share some of my favorite articles. But first, I’d like to invite everyone to check out the wonderful links on the Your Disney Community tab on ZannaLand. There are some great places to get your Disney fix and discover something new!


In addition, if you missed the articles on ZannaLand this week be sure to check out my interview with AJ Wolfe of Disney Food Blog fame, Disney Moms Panelist Erin Foster’s report on Disneyland Paris, and my review and giveaway for Chad Emerson’s Project Future.

And finally…my good friend Amanda Tinney has decided to turn the tables and put the Meet Your Moms Panel spotlight on me…but YOU get to ask the interview questions. Head over to DisneyEveryDay.com and ask a question, which Amanda and I will get together and share the answers to in the near future. Oh, I almost forgot – Amanda also let me share my take on the new D-Street Vinylmation shop in Downtown Disney’s West Side, so check out the pictures and news there too!

Now, onto the Disney articles that caught me eye this week:

  • First, whether you are on twitter or not, you must do yourself a favor and check out Scott Otis‘ twitpics of his adventures in Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. He’s sharing some amazing pictures and updates with all of us – Thanks Scott!
  • The official Disney Parks Blog tells us all about the new adults-only dining option on the upcoming Disney Dream cruise ship – Remy – after the famous culinarily-gifted rodent from Ratatouille.
  • Then head on over to the Main St. Gazette for a great interview with Ridley Pearson of Kingdom Keepers fame. While you’re there, take a look at the great collection of Official Walt Disney World Transportation Cards – how cool!
  • If you’re looking for even more (and constant!) Disney stories from around the world – don’t forget DisMarks.com and be sure to submit your favorite stories there to keep the updates growing strong!

Happy Sunday!

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Filed Under: Disney News Tagged With: AJ Wolfe, Amanda Tinney, Disney Dream, DisneySea, Erin Foster, Kingdom Keepers, Main St Gazette, Remy, Ridley Pearson, Scott Otis, Sunday Reading, Tokyo Disneyland, Weekend Round-up

Easter Sunday Readin’ April 4 2010

4 April 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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For those celebrating either at church or with copious amounts of chocolate and marshmallow bunnies, I hope you can take some time out to enjoy some great posts from the world of Disney blogging this past week:

  • Tokyo Disneyland Easter Parade
    Tokyo Disneyland Easter Parade {Photo courtesy of cafetricot on flickr}

    Via @DisneyKing6785 – check out these amazing photos of Easter happenings in Tokyo Disneyland!

  • Amanda Tinney at DisneyEveryDay.com clues us in to the What is Vinylmation Jr. Quest with great photos and info about the newly released mini-creations.
  • In the “what if” category check out these thoughtful posts:  from MainStreetGazette.com, friends wax poetic on what they’d like to see in the home of the Adventurers Club and in the wish-it-wasn’t-an-April-fools-joke department John Frost at TheDisneyBlog.com gives us a whopper of a press release for upcoming Disney plans.
  • From the Official Disney Parks Blog – Dara Trujillo tells us to check out the dates for an upcoming Ridley Pearson book signing to celebrate the release of the third entry to his Kingdom Keepers saga – Kingdom Keepers III – Disney in Shadow. Lastly, Jonathan Frontado shows us the amazing treatment Animator’s Palate restaurant will receive on the newest Disney Cruise Line ship, the Disney Dream.

Thank you DisneyFoodBlog {who should really just get a permanent spot here on Sundays since there are just too many great posts to choose from!} for the reminder about the DisMarks Disney Blog Carnival! Head over there for some great reads all about Disney.

Whatever you celebrate, have a wonderful Sunday! See you next week!


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Filed Under: Disney News Tagged With: Adventurer's Club, Animator's Palate, April Fool's, Disney Dream, easter, Kingdom Keepers, Ridley Pearson, Sunday Reading, vinylmation, vinylmation jr, Weekend Round-up

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