Monday, February 4, 2008

Daily Figment 159: Walk Around the World

During the Disney Decade, a program was offered where you could purchase a hexagonal brick paver to be placed around the Seven Seas Lagoon, creating a walking path starting at the Magic Kingdom and closely following the monorail route. Obviously, there are some inlets that would need to be crossed as well as the holding are for the Electrical Water Pageant. Not to mention some roads, a waterway and a lot of marshland.

The plan never panned out and Disney stopped halfway to the Grand Floridian. There are bricks at the Transportation and Ticket Center, The Contemporary and at the Polynesian.

Depending what the letter is on the brick, it could be in one of five places:
W: West of the Magic Kingdom towards the Grand Floridian
E: East of the Magic Kingdom to the Contemporary
C: The Contemporary
H: The Transportation and Ticket Center
P: The Polynesian

I don't have a confirmation if they sold them by the Grand Floridian, yet. Nothing that I've read points to a finished path, though. Anyone have a paver at the Grand Floridian?

Two different types of pavers were sold until the year 2000: a traditional brick paver ($85 - $125) and larger gray ones ($250). No one really knows why Disney stopped selling them ,but the most prevalent thought is that it was competing with the Leave a Legacy program at Epcot. Occasionally, more bricks have been sold (some in 2006), but they are for special occasion or sold only on a first-come, first-served basis outside of the Magic Kingdom.

As a surprise, my wife bought this one for us after our 1994 trip. The date on our certificate is from July 31, 1996. We have only visited it once--during our 1997 trip. It was even signed by Roy E. Disney...or a reasonable facsimile!

The next time you step off the monorail at the Magic Kingdom or find yourself walking from the TTC to the Polynesian, make sure you take a look down.

It's all about the details!



4 comments:

lorilovestigger said...

Next time you go looking for your brick, look for mine too. My number is W26831. I wish they would do this again somewhere.

FoxxFur said...

Wow, I've walked over your brick like a million times then! I wish they'd complete the Floridian to Magic Kingdom loop, because then you could magically walk from the TTC to the Contemporary the LONG way around!

Joe Shelby said...

Well, there's always been *something* at that west walkway spot.

Here's what it looked like in early 1973, taken from my mom's Kodak 110 from the pilot cabin of the monorail (also note the cranes in the background: they're building Space Mountain). I was only 2 so I remember very little of it, of course.

Daveland said...

After your trip to the West Coast, will you be getting a brick there? You definitely need coast-to-coast coverage, George!