Inside John's Locker

I noticed this morning that the name of Disney's new residential community, Golden Oak, had gone up on the signs at the entrance.

The entrance to the new community, located on the site of the old Eagle Pines golf course has been completed for some time but it doesn't appear that there has been much other construction that can be seen from the road.

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As you enter Old Key West, this sign welcoming you to Conch flats is off to your left.

Old Key West was originally named Disney Vacation Club and in classic Disney fashion, an elaborate backstory was created which included the fictional town of Conch Flats.

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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That is indeed a kitchen sink in the center of this photo--spouting water up through the drain creating a fountain.

This could only happen at Port Orleans Riverside.

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Here's another bridge for you. This one is from Stormalong Bay, the fantastic pool complex shared by the Beach and Yacht Club:

Stormalong Bay is by far the largest pool at Walt Disney World, covering over three acres. It has a sand bottom and contains over 750,000 gallons of water...
john

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This isn't one of the tiki gods you can see scattered around the Polynesian...look closely, it's a pool shower.

I'm always amazed at how the imagineers manage to constantly turn the ordinary into something special and this is yet another great example.

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Here's another example of the amazing degree of detail you'll find at Coronado Springs.

The main lobby/check-in building at Coronado Springs is called El Centro. As you walk in the front doors, you enter a rotunda featuring a large fountain. The main lobby is off to the right, the shop is to the left as is a hallway leading to a bar and restaurants. Above the fountain is a highly decorated dome.

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I wanted to share a photo of this really cool chair and this little girl and I played a waiting game over whether she was going to move or be in the photo. She won.

The wooden chair is in the lobby of Bay Lake Tower where everything is cool, sleek and modern. If you look closely, you can see that the chair is made up of numerous planks pressed together. I have no idea how they managed to curve the wood in the chair...I can tell you it is very heavy.

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Another bridge...this one is on the Boardwalk. The Beach Club Resort and Villas are to the left and The Boardwalk Inn and Villas are to the right.

The boat you see is one of the Friendships heading toward the International Gateway at EPCOT....
john

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Unless you arrive at Walt Disney World by helicopter or parachute...or seriously know some back roads...you'll recognize this Mickey Mouse welcoming you to your favorite vacation place:

At each entrance to Disney World, you'll find a Mickey just like this one letting you know you have arrived.

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A post from a couple of months ago featured a sea serpent's tail sticking out of some bushes at Port Orleans French Quarter.

And if you've been wondering what was on the other end of the serpent's tail, now you know:

Port Orleans French Quarter has the neatest pool called Doubloon Lagoon. The centerpiece of the pool is this sea serpent slide with King Triton sitting atop the serpent's head.

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This is a Wyoming state flag from 1890, the year Wyoming became a state. And when you check it out up close, it LOOKS that old. The current Wyoming flag has the state seal in the middle of the bison (I like this one better).

This flag in the Territory Lounge at Wilderness Lodge.

The Territory Lounge is my favorite bar in Walt Disney World. It's off the left rear of the lobby next to Artist Point. This flag hangs on the wall on the right hand side of the bar. An earlier Everyday Adventure featured its pendant, or mate, that's to the left of the bar.

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There are three great hotels located on Universal Studios' property. This is the clock tower Portofino Bay. (The other two are the Hard Rock Hotel and the Royal Pacific).

Portofino Bay is Italian themed and has 750 rooms including 45 suites. Since it is connected to the Universal parks, there's complimentary transportation and guests have access to special ride access.
A lot of my Orlando friends say this is their favorite area hotel for a romantic getaway...
john

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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OK, I'm into bridges now! Isn't this one impressive. It's at Port Orleans Riverside.

This bridge takes you across the Sassagoula River to the section of Port Orleans Riverside known as Magnolia Bend. The theming of this part of the resort is plantation style mansions.

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Shades of Green is the U.S. Military resort located across from the Polynesian and between the Palm and Magnolia golf courses.

The resort has its own buses but a lot of folks heading to the Magic Kingdom walk to Ticket and Transportation Center. This gazebo is a great resting place along that walk...and the view isn't that bad either...
john

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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Now, THAT'S a pool bar.

I think you have to agree that Leaping Horse Libations, at the main pool at Boardwalk, is probably Disney's most elaborately themed pool bar!

The main pool at Boardwalk is called Luna Park Pool and it is named after an amusement park at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. The imagineers obviously weren't shy in theming Leaping Horse Libations to look like a carousel. It's not far off of the carousel in the Magic Kingdom...only this one serves a mean margarita!

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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A couple of months ago, in an earlier post, there was a photo of a huge Lady at Pop Century.
Well, if you've been wondering if Tramp was far behind, here he is--just opposite his sweetheart:

Tramp, of course, is from the 1955 film "Lady And The Tramp" and both of these 30 foot tall characters are in the 1950's section of Pop Century...
john

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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One of the things I enjoy noticing in the Disney resorts is the light fixtures. Resorts like Animal Kingdom Lodge Jambo House have spectacular lights hanging in the lobby.
But, there are also neat lights like this wall sconce throughout the resort.

I think these torches are an excellent example of the detail the imagineers go to in the resorts. Isn't it neat that you can pretty much guess that this is from Animal Kingdom Lodge as soon as you see it?

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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Every once in a while someone will tell me that I will one day run out of things to share with you in The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van.

Well, today (finally) it hit me that I should occasionally focus my camera on a few bridges...

Water is everywhere in Walt Disney World and where you have water you've got to have a way to get across it. And bridges are just one more thing Disney has done with style.

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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This is the two masted schooner yacht "Valeria" and, according to the brass plaque, its owner was Stephen H. Schoed, it's designer was Harold Elmont and its length was 115 feet.

A prominent feature in the lobby of the Yacht Club is the collection of intricate model ships. This one is in the far right alcove behind the front desk...
john

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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This display in the lobby of Gaylord Palms Resort says it all...

john

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The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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Here's another one of the new marble medallions that have been installed in the lobby of the Grand Floridian:

This medallion featuring Peter Pan, Wendy and John is one of my favorites and it's sort of difficult to find. It's on the far right of the lobby, behind a staircase near an exit. Don't know why they manged to hide this little gem...
john

The Everyday Adventures Of The Purple Van is brought to you by Owner's Locker and Magic Strollers.
j

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