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3. A wave machine shakes itself off its foundations

Polynesian Resort

Dick Nunis is something of a legend of Disney theme parks. Having initially been employed in a "summer job" at Disneyland, by 1968 he was vice president of operations in the company's theme parks division. In 1971, he was promoted again, being named executive vice president of Walt Disney World and Disneyland.

Like many executives, Nunis had his own "pet project" during the construction of Walt Disney World. He was determined to introduce his favorite sport of surfing to the Polynesian Resort, where he hoped to rename the West Beach as "Surfrider Beach". His plan to accomplish this involved acquiring an enormous wave-creating machine from a start-up firm in San Diego, and setting it up on an island opposite the beach.

At first, things look promising. The machine, which used eight enormous "paddles" arranged in a semi-circle to generate waves, was successfully installed and the waves were indeed huge. So huge, in fact, that some feared that they could swamp the hotel if the machine was cranked up too high.

Unfortunately for Nunis, his plans were foiled when it became clear that the return current was eating away the island itself. In the end, the wavemaking machine simply shook itself to pieces, and the majority of its components were removed.

2. Mickey makes friends with rival characters

Mickey and Woody Woodpecker

In the early 1980s, Universal's parent company MCA was determined to bring a version of its famous Studio Tour in Los Angeles to Florida. Disney CEO Michael Eisner was not happy about this, and announced Disney-MGM Studios - a park that bore a striking resemblance to MCA's original plans for Universal Studios Florida. MCA's CEO, Sidney Sheinberg, was furious, but knew that a legal battle with Disney over the alleged "theft" of its ideas would be costly and unlikely to be successful.

Still, Sheinberg would not give up, focusing on drumming-up anti-Disney press coverage. At one point, he sent a horde of Universal-licensed characters, including Dracula and Woody Woodpecker, to the gates of the Magic Kingdom, where Disney refused them entry. Mickey and Minnie did become friendly with the Universal characters, though - Disney allowed them to pose together for photographs.

1. A golf cart is taken for a joyride along the Boardwalk

Disney's Boardwalk

Image © Disney

It sounds intriguing: a "grand theft" is committed at Walt Disney World. Has the cash storage room located beneath Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom been broken into? Has someone stolen lorryloads of unsold tickets? Or perhaps someone has nabbed an expensive artwork from one of the resort's hotels?

Nope - instead, two drunks had made off with a golf cart. The vehicle in question had been parked outside a restaurant at Disney's Boardwalk by a Cast Member, who left it there while he was removing rubbish. Along came Daniel Rossi, 33, from New York and Michael Kulesza, 38, from Massachusetts, both somewhat the worse for wear, who boarded the cart and sped off on a joyride.

Unfortunately for the pair, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's office spotted them racing along the Boardwalk, forcing guests to jump out of their way. A deputy wrote in his report that both men were "yelling, shouting and laughing as they drove past where we were standing...They rounded the corner fast enough to cause the extended golf cart to almost tip over. I gave immediate chase and caught the subjects at the back entrance to the Swan Resort."

Both men apologised immediately, and continued to profess their regret over the incident as they were taken to jail.

 
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I as gone when he resigned feel he was a good president the way I feel about Obama currently.

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