Windows on Main Street: The Stories Behind the Names

I'm a sucker for Disney books. I have dozens. But I'd never heard of Chuck Snyder's Windows on Main Street, a slim volume with stories about the people whose names you see painted on the Main Street shop windows in both Disney World and Disneyland. I've walked past the names on those windows hundreds of times without much curiosity about the stories behind them. (There's a story behind everything at Disney.) Now I'm curious.

Disney Senior Writer Jennifer Fickley-Baker found the book while shopping at Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney. Since I won't be traveling to Disney in the next few days, I went to Amazon, instead. The book is there but out-of-print with only a few copies available in new condition from Amazon sellers. The lowest price is $99.64 (for a book that retails for $6.95). Yikes! What's the story behind that?

LaughingPlace has a large selection of Disney books for sale and, sure enough, they have Windows on Main Street available new for $9.68. They've got my business.

And Jennifer has my thanks for filling another inch of shelf space.

DisneyParksBlog has gotten hullabaloo here before, most recently in the August 13 edition for Kouzzina Nears Its First Year Anniversay on the BoardWalk.

MORE: Disney Parks Blog (Jennifer Fickley-Baker)

A Fine-Looking Family: Disney Family Photography Made Simple

Many people must rue the day they asked me to take their picture in Disney World. Putting me with a camera is like putting anchovies on your brownie.

But I'm getting better, slowly, and sites like WDWPhotography help me along. An article posted yesterday on that site by Tom Bricker is a great example of what I mean: Tom's 10 Rules for WDW Family Photography is an authoritative but humorous guide to getting better better shots of your family in the parks.

Tom uses some of his own family photography to illustrate his techniques. One of his shots shows how to avoid 'distortion' with him and a lovely lady reclining full-length at night on the bricks outside the deserted Magic Kingdom. It's .... weirdly fantastic.

If I ever see Tom Bricker in Disney World, I'm asking him to take a picture of me.

MORE: WDW Photography (Tom Bricker)

Justice Catches Up with Theme Park Artist Don Carson

Blogger Justice (not a bad name for a documentary) of ParkThoughts interviews artist and illustrator Don Carson whose work for Disney includes Splash Mountain and whose work not for Disney includes Universal's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

In the interview, Don talks about his early years, his first day on the day for Disney in 1989, and his insight into what makes for a good park attraction and how the final result often incorporates very little of the concept art that went into the design.

Don has both a professional site where you can marvel at his marvelous work and a blog where you can read more about his past projects and how he put them together.

MORE: Park Thoughts (Justice)

Helping Me Find Where I Am in Disney World

As someone who still occasionally makes a wrong turn when looking for the shortcut to a grocery store that I've been using for years, I'm not the person you want on your team in a 'Where Am I' contest.

WDWFacts has a daily version of that contest called Where in WDW Am I. I looked at today's entry. I don't know where I am. Others seem confused, too. (That helps.) I've decided to come back every day in the hope that over the next several decades I can hone my knowledge of Disney geography to the level of a normal person.

WDWFacts also has a Photo of the Day feature just like the one I recommended in the previous headline. I'm proud to say I can identify the current photo of the day. It's the monorail. (Prize?)

MORE: WDW Facts (Michael Cahill)

Disney World Picture of the Day - Every Day

Every millimeter of the Disney parks and resorts has been photographed, over and over, but often not well (my pictures, for instance).

So I'm always thrilled to find really good Disney pictures, and this morning I found a place where a new one is posted every day: Marcio's Walt Disney World Picture of the Day.

The entry for August 14 is a breathtaking shot of a gigantic reel of film unrolling in a flower garden at Hollywood Studios. Judging from the Christmas decorations in the pine bough overhead, the picture wasn't actually taken on August 14 but I'm not complaining - give me more.

WDW Picture of the Day is just one site in Marcio's network of quality Disney sites. Good stuff!

MORE: WDW Picture of the Day (Marcio)

New Disney Discounts for the Frugally Faithful

Len Testa of TouringPlans trumpets from the mountaintop (well, maybe not the mountaintop, but certainly the chair in front of his computer) the imminent arrival of new Disney discounts.

Len anticipates three discounts: more free dining, more gift cards (with a minimum stay), and a room-only discount.

He's not sure, of course, and neither is anyone except for the decision-makers at Disney. But with the dismal economy, I'm betting that Len has got the goods and we'll see discounts soon.

MORE: Touring Plans (Len Testa)

There's a Disney App for That

Hi, I'm Bob, and I don't own an iPhone.

For those who do, Chris Ridgeway's short article about Disney apps for the iPhone is essential reading. Chris writes mainly about a navigational suite of apps ($2.99 from UPinPoint) that provide park maps, mostly, with some 'brief but useful information about attractions and dining' on the side. According to Chris, the suite has no downside and is good enough to recommend to his cousin.

Chris blogs regularly for a relatively new site called GrowingUpDisney. He's joined there by Amy Eastman and DisneyDad. Good site, worth the spin, and I'm sure it'll grow fast.

By the way, I knew Chris was a cool guy when I checked his About page on GrowingUpDisney and saw him holding a massive glass of Epcot beer in each hand. Both his, I'm sure. (The beers.)

MORE: Growing Up Disney (Chris Ridgeway)

Twistin' the Night Away at Downtown Disney

It's early morning, an odd time to headline the night life at Downtown Disney, unless you're just returning from same.

Michelle Snow, a blogger for mega travel site Uptake, has written a short guide to Orlando's Downtown Disney nightlife. You'd think, after Pleasure Island closed, that Downtown Disney no longer has a nightlife, but Michelle finds a pulse, if not a beat, at late night venues like the House of Blues, Raglan Road, and Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba.

In addition to her blog, Michelle is the author of Orlando for Dummies and Frommer's Irreverent Guide to Orlando (which I found particularly useful when writing my own book, MouseMeals), both sadly out-of-print.

MORE: Uptake (Michelle Snow)