Villas at Wilderness Lodge

We spent the first few days of our holiday in Florida at the Disney Vacation Club section of Wilderness Lodge, the Villas.  We had a pleasant studio room that must have been about as close to the entrance as you can get.  This was specially helpful for Mikki when she had to push Andrew in a wheelchair:  shortest distance.

The room was on the ground floor, which meant that instead of a balcony we had a small verandah.  It wasn't bigger than the balconies - and it had just the same table and chairs - but it meant the planting was all around us so there was a lovely feeling of being out in the woods.  You can see a little of it behind me here.

You can also see that the sun was shining.  Even though it was January, it was warm enough for the humans and Me to sit out at times.

My human Andrew really loves the lounge areas at the Villas.  There's lots of dark wood and brick and big comfortable chairs.  It's also almost always deserted so you are quite likely to have the place to yourself.  This is a little sad in one way because there are some really interesting exhibits in there.  There are model railway engines and trucks from the "Carolwood Pacific" railway.  I need not tell anyone who knows Disney that this was the railway Walt Disney ran in his own back yard at home so these are genuine treasures.

No, my picture is not of the trains but of one of the big, comfortable chairs. I am joined on it by the latest addition to the Figaro family, known as my "Twin".  This is because although he is new to our family, he is of just the same design.  Yes, I looked like that when I was new.

.Now put the camera down and come over here and give us both a cuddle.

Prrrr Prrrr

My Room at the Magic Kingdom

We are now back from our trip to Walt Disney World.  I have been very busy while away because Mikki likes me to write the Trip Reports she posts on the Intercot discussion board.  Now we are home, I would like everyone to be able to see it so I am getting the humans to put some pictures with it and publish it on their web site.  I'll let you know when it's ready.

Meanwhile here are a couple of pictures from one of my favourite places in the Magic Kingdom, the Figaro Room in the Village Haus restaurant.

I'm not sure what's happening here.  Poor Figaro looks like he's been surprised by something. Perhaps he's just slipped while playing with this ribbon.

In this second one, he's again playing with the ribbon.  It is quite ridiculous to think that he is trying to reach over to stroke my human Andrew's hair.  There are just so many reasons that can't be it. And it must be equally ridiculous to suggest he is trying to get to Cleo.

The humans visited the Village Haus twice during their stay.  They did not eat in the Figaro Room and did not even visit it on one of the occasions.  I was not with them.  Humans!  You spend years trying to train them but as soon as your back is turned.. . .

More news and pictures soon.

Pictures to Keep You Going

My humans and I have been in Florida for more than two weeks. I have been writing a report for the Intercot discussion board but uncertain internet connections have made it difficult.

I want to tell everyone about my trip aafter I get home. If you can't wait, there are photos - mostly of me - on Instagram. Look for andrew1987young.

Prrrrr.

Need More Pictures

We are now counting down the hours until we are in Walt Disney World.  Unfortunately, my humans can't count very well - especially when they can't work out what, if anything, they should add for travel, different time zones and so on.  So let's just say it will be soon.  This will probably be my last post before we go.

I was looking for some nice pictures of the first place we will be staying, Wilderness Lodge.  This is one of the best and it is over 10 years old.  Lots of things change in that sort of time.  And lots of the things that are the same deserve better pictures (some of the interior ones are very dark).  And lots of the ones taken them don't have any suitable foreground subject, i.e. me!

So I looking forward to lots of pictures.  I am pleased to note the humans are taking lots of spare memory thingies and electronic gizmos to make sure they don't lose any of the pictures. They have a smart new camera too.

You'll notice I was doing a lot of my own stunts in those days. I think Travelling Beanie, the stunt kitten will be coming this time, though.

Remember I always fly with my humans in the cabin so they can cuddle me.  "Bon Voyage" to us.

Prrr.

They're only Ornaments, but . . .

I sometimes wonder whether my humans think about me when I leave them on their own.  So, it was nice of Mikki to bring back this picture from her trip to Walt Disney World in October.

These figurines of the most adorable black and white kitten are in "One Man's Dream" at the Disney Studios park.  I'm sure we will be visiting that exhibit at least once.

We have a couple of small china ornaments of Figaro but I don't think we have any with quite these poses. It goes to show how cute cats are whatever they do.

Meanwhile, Mikki is very busy today making sure she has all the documentation for our tip to Florida.  This is becoming more difficult as everything is sent electronically now so she has to remember to print them.  Andrew asked if she had my "pet passport".  Cheek!  That's one of the reasons toy cats are better than real ones (you can take us away on holiday/vacation without worrying about injections, quarantine or passports) but let's get it straight.  Cats allow humans to look after them.  Cats are not pets.  Toy cats get cuddles when they want, like now.

Prrrr.

Looking Forward

It's only just over a week to go before we set off for our next trip to Walt Disney World and I am really looking forward to it. Today, the humans have been making sure they have the user manuals for their new camera so they can take the best pictures of me they can.  There'll be lots of new things to see as well as older and more familiar ones to re-visit.

Top of the new things to do will be the new additions to Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. Here's a picture Mikki had taken of her with Minnie Mouse in the venue and outfit she has in the rebuilt area.  I don't quite understand it myself (possibly something to do with d*gs) so I'm looking forward to checking it out personally.  I so hope Minnie can cuddle me nicely while she's wearing that dress.

And here's a picture Mikki took of a recent but familiar character - Ratatouille as he appears going round "Chefs de France".  I am always a good cat and don't chase the rat when I see him.  I'll be pleased to go to Epcot too.  We can ride "Mission Space" and I might be "Commander Cat".

Mikki says there will also be new features at "Test Track".  I need people to hold on to me very firmly when we go on that.

And there has been more good news since my last post.  The humans have booked a second trip to Florida this year.  It'll be the first time for many years that they will be going in August.  I hope there will be lots of new and different things to do that trip too.

But I also like familiar things, like cuddles.

Prrrr. Prrrr.

Remakes, Sequels and Spin-Offs

I enjoy my trips to Disney parks and I hope my humans do too.  There was a time when they had a much greater interest in all things Disney including the film making and the overall running of the company.  Andrew was once a Disney stockholder.

So here are some thoughts (with a little help from the humans) on certain types of film.  I don't know if I have all the correct words but I've called them remakes, sequels and spin-offs.  Basically, the point is whether film-makers should always seek something totally new or can re-use stories and characters they know have been popular in the past..

It used to be said of Walt Disney himself that he never made a sequel (no "Snow White Returns" etc).  One of the criticisms of his immediate successors was that they lacked originality and only wanted to make another "Herbie" movie.  The later management under Michael Eisner introduced many brilliant new stories and characters (Aladdin, Lion King, etc) but pretty soon we were also seeing a huge number of sequels too.

And as far as Walt himself was concerned, there was always a response that the fairy-tale movies were all to a formula: that, in effect, all his great classics were remakes.  Also, the "no sequel" claim could only ever be made of the feature animation:  the shorts depended on familiar characters in familiar chaotic situations.

One of the strongest current "spin-offs" is Tinker Bell and all the new Disney Fairies.  Here's a picture with of my Mikki with one of them I am still looking forward to meeting, Tink's sister!

Perhaps the talk about originality or remakes reflects a dilemma of film-makers.  For themselves, the actors and directors would like to explore new ideas, but they also want to please the public, who like an element of the familiar (and the financiers, who like proven winners).

I think that if you've got a good story it doesn't matter if it's a sequel.  "Toy Story 2" was a brilliant film  - and a sequel.  "Toy Story 3" was a quite different style of film - and still a sequel.

So here's my plan for the next sequel - or spin-off.  Pinocchio and Gepetto go to visit Hollywood where they have all sorts of adventures culminating in their precious kitten, Figaro, being acquired by Minnie Mouse (if I believe Jack Sparrow, Minnie stole him).  In later sequels or television spin-offs, Figaro has his own adventures in the modern USA (no aliens from space - not credible).  He then gets to appear in Disney parks and I can have my picture with him.

And I wouldn't mind a "based on an idea by" credit . . .

or a cuddle would do.

Prrrr..