Memory 102 – Journey into Narnia: Creating The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

** Stereo Audio **
Time: 20:25

Come and join us for another installment of the WDW-Memories podcast, where I try to make it possible for you relive your Walt Disney World Memories when you can’t actually be there.

It’s here. My summer vacation. As of the time of this recording I’m packing up and preparing to leave tomorrow for my week in Florida. And good news, we’ll be taking a break from the beach, and spending a day at Walt Disney World. Of course, you know what that means, more audio for me to share with you. Based on our preliminary plans too, it’s probably all going to be from the Magic Kingdom, but that’s not so bad since there’s all this new Fantasyland stuff to explore. I’m going to just start my recorder from the time we get inside the perimeter, and let it run till the time we leave it. This also means a new audio trip report on my return, so keep an ear out for that later. Hey, and if you’re going to be in the Magic Kingdom August 3-5 (we’re leaning towards the 4th, but still not sure which day) send me an email, text or call the voicemail line, or just keep an eye out for me (I’ll have my WDW-Memories shirt on). I’d love to meet up with you. And if you can’t be there, keep an eye on Twitter, I may be tweeting at various times throughout the day.

Now, let’s get to the important stuff, our memory for this week.

So like usual, our memory was requested by one of our listeners. This is a continuation of Brandon’s voicemail requests in Memory 101 – Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage, and sadly my last one I’ll be able to fulfill for now. Today we’re going to return to a now extinct attraction, and catch a showing of Journey into Narnia: Creating The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I’m still not sure I fully get this attraction. I grew up reading the Chronicles of Narnia, so when the movies were first coming out, I had huge expectations. Here’s the collision of two of my greatest passions, and personally the movies hit the mark (well for me, Traci would disagree, saying they changed too much, but that’s for another podcast). So when an attraction opened that allowed me to experience this, I had high hopes. When the doors open, and I got to walk through the Wardrobe and stand by the infamous Lamppost, that was a great moment for me. Then the White Witch appears, and I’m really enjoying it… but then the trailer starts on the big screen, and it loses it for me. This could have been so much greater, and what they’re now doing with the new The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attraction in this space is far more impressive (at least from what I’ve seen online).

As always, I tossed it out to social media, and… well… I got no responses. Sad, but I guess this either wasn’t an attraction that was seen by many, or it just wasn’t that exciting for folks, and maybe you feel the way I feel too. I don’t know, but it’s still worth revisiting this memory in my opinion.

So today’s memory is from Spring of 2006. I’m at Disney’s Hollywood Studios after work today, and have been enjoying myself as usual. It’s a warm evening, I’m wandering down Mickey Avenue, and sinceI’ve been thinking about trying this attraction for a while, I go ahead and get in line. The line isn’t too long outside the building, so I get in line and wait for about 15 minutes. We’ll join this memory for a brief moment in the queue and then we’re ushered through the turnstile into the first room as our adventure begins.

Today’s memory is in stereo, so I’d suggest putting those headphones on to fully immerse yourself in the memory.

Now sit back. Relax. Close your eyes. And come with me as we journey through the Wardrobe to a very cold and frozen land of Narnia, and come face-to-face with the White Witch.