The Terrible Catsafterme

I previously shared the article I wrote for Dante’s Info #17, which highlighted the many goings-on of the 1996 Sons of the Desert Laurel and Hardy Cruise (seen here). What follows are a few postings that include the memories that still linger in my head during the present day – with the notes found in my little 1996 Sunshine Pocket Planner assisting. The cruise itself didn’t actually begin until Monday, July 15, 1996, but our group, which included friend and fellow tent member John Poe, Mom, Denise, Lisa, and me, decided to take the pre-trip to Disney World. This of course was right up our alley.

So on the morning of Friday, July 12, we left bright and early for the Dayton International Airport, where we met up with John. Our flight took us to Atlanta, Georgia, and then on to Orlando. Here we took a shuttle to our Days Inn motel, hung out in Orlando for the evening, apparently not doing anything noteworthy other than having dinner at Burger King.

Our stay at Disney World was two days and we had all obtained park hopper passes. We spent Saturday the 13th at the Disney-MGM Studios and then moved onto the Magic Kingdom that evening. All of the photos that were taken were taken on this day as we most likely didn’t bring the camera along on the second day.

As I was into WCW Wrestling at the time, I was enthralled by the fact that the show was taping Monday Nitro that month at the MGM Studios. Of course, we were only there on Saturday and would be gone by the time of the taping on Monday.

Denise, Mom, and John walk ahead toward the park entrance

I pause to check out the Monday Nitro ring, located just outside the park

There were no new rides at MGM since Lisa and I’s visit from the summer before, but I did get to do something new during this visit. During the walking portion of the Studio Backlot Tour, I was selected to participate in the Harbor Attack segment. This was where we get to see two audience members doused with water as it is explained to the guests how special effects can make it look like a storm is brewing or bombs are exploding in the sea. I was covered in a gaudy yellow raincoat and rainboots, so although I was in fact hit with lots of water, my clothes remained dry.

I always marvel at the prices for autographs at the Sid Cahuenga’s One-of-a-Kind Antiques and Curios shop – especially ones that I own. Case in point: Porky Lee for $150, Mary Ann Jackson for $175, and Butch Bond $175…and this is when they were all still alive

Denise, me, Mom, and John in line for the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It was a very hot day.

I’m the yellow dude in the back. I would get inside that ship steering cabin on the right

Taking our bows

After the dousing. That entire water tank hit me while I was in the cabin

That night we hit the Magic Kingdom and as many of the traditional rides that we could fit in, catching the SpectroMagic parade that evening before heading back to the motel.

Cinderella’s Castle from the Fantasyland side as we approached the Magic Kingdom in the monorail

Sights of SpectroMagic

The next day we visited Epcot in the morning, concentrating on the main rides in Future World, and dipping into the World Showcase at least as far as the Maelstrom, which would inspired John and I to partake in Norwegian accents throughout the week.

Epcot had two major rides closed at this time, the Universe of Energy, being re-tooled for the Ellen DeGeneres version, and the World of Motion, which had seen its final day in January 1996 and was soon to re-open as Test Track. We made sure to pay note to Journey Into Imagination as it contained the character of the Dreamfinder, voiced by Chuck McCann. He would actually be present for the cruise. I spent a significant amount of time trying to find a photo of some sort that included the Dreamfinder, which I would ask him to sign on the cruise. All I found was the postcard seen below.

Postcard from Journey Into Imagination, signed by Chuck McCann as “The Dreamfinder” during the cruise that week

That afternoon, we made our way back to Magic Kingdom one final time. Noteworthy here was that the Delta Dreamflight had been renamed Take Flight! the month before our arrival, so this would have been the first of two times riding it while it went by this name.

On Monday morning, July 15, we took an early morning bus from Orlando to Miami. Chuck McCann, the Dreamfinder previously mentioned, was on this bus and spent nearly the entire four hours of the trip either on the microphone talking about Laurel and Hardy and his friendship with Stan Laurel, or showing us the video on the bus monitor of his film The Projectionist, throwing commentary in whenever appropriate.

In these days a passport wasn’t necessary to embark on an international cruise, but we did have to go through a version of customs, showing our ID and  birth certificate. They snapped a photo of us, which was later available for purchase – which Mom did in fact buy – and then we boarded the Ecstasy cruise liner run by Carnival.

Postcard of the Ecstasy

Tourists getting ready to board our sea vessel

We went though all the necessary life vest drills and then we casted off. It wasn’t long before I was meeting up with Bob and my other Sons friends and we had officially kicked off the Tenth International Sons of the Desert Convention.

The cruise will continue…

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 at 6:16 am and is filed under 1990's - Late, Autographs, Disney, Vacations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.