"Modern Marvels: WDW" - airing tonight!!

[Paka]

Hey guys! Merry Christmas!

I've seen this special advertized on TV recently - the History Channel on basic cable has a series called Modern Marvels - a show that highlights various bits of technology (ie bridges, weapons of combat, etc), their origins, and their myriad uses throughout human history. Tonight, a new (2-hour long!) episode of the show is going to go behind the scenes to look at the tech and workings of Walt Disney World. Here's an official synopsis -

Journey underground and backstage at the technological marvel that is Walt Disney World. Enter a make-believe world spanning some 27,000 acres, brought to life by cutting-edge technology. What was once Florida swampland now boasts the world's largest theme park. The ride technology ranges from space-age centrifuges to enhanced motion vehicles powered by 3,000 PSI of hydraulic pressure. And hundreds of audio animatronics brought to life through the power of pneumatics, hydraulics, and electrical systems. Walt Disney World is made up of four separate theme parks, each with its own innovations: the 107-acre Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. The four parks are all part of a megaplex of a resort. Twice the size of Manhattan, it was the final vision and crowning achievement of a man who spent more than 40 years pushing the limits of technology to create entertainment magic: Walt Disney. TV-PG

- looks really cool! So if you're winding down from the festivities tonight, the show airs at 7pm Central Time. It also repeats at 11pm CT as well, for you night owls. If you have cable but don't know which channel the History Channel is... shame on you! Hehe... just type your zip code in <a href="http://www.zap2it.com">here</a> and it should have your local channels listed.

[Loomis]

That sounds excellent, Paka.

I know the series quite well, as I often watch our History Channel. They recently screened one on rollercoasters, and that had a large chunk on Disneyland (as many probably know, the Matterhorn was the first metal rollercoaster). They also did one on Las Vegas that was excellent.

Hopefully this will be screened out here eventually. They really do top-notch programs, so we should all expect an excellent feature.

[Luke]

This must be the program I recently noticed coming to DVD next March from A & E Home Video DVD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... eimprovemz

Those folks who don't have cable will still eventually get a chance to see this (for a price). Sounds like it'd be a cool one to review here. Let us know how it is!

[Loomis]

This must be the program I recently noticed coming to DVD next March from A & E Home Video DVD:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... eimprovemz

Those folks who don't have cable will still eventually get a chance to see this (for a price). Sounds like it'd be a cool one to review here. Let us know how it is!

Excellent! I keep checking Amazon to see if that rollercoaster one is going to be sold (if it is, I highly recommend it). However, this is even better! Must have missed it in my last 'round up'. If our local history channel is slow to screen it, at least I know I'll get a look at it soon. I probably would have bought this either way.

For those worried about a blind buy, I cannot say enough good things about the series. I haven't seen this episode, but the Channel is always producing programs of a high calibre.

[Loomis]

News story on the DVD over at TVShowsonDVD. They include a look at the cover art: