This is an update about the instruments at Walt Disney World near
Orlando, Fla., which I was incredibly fortunate enough to visit twice
this year.

A posting five years ago remarked that Big Bertha, the Gavioli band
organ, was playing terribly.  We were lucky enough to find a great
hotel deal and ended up in the Grand Floridian Resort hotel for our
second trip.  1900 Park Fare, one of the restaurants at that hotel, is
the home of Bertha, who sits in an alcove overlooking the dining room,
which is themed with carousel animals.

I was unable to get a reservation for the restaurant on this trip but
hoped I might be able to beg my way in to hear her play.  The employee
whom I asked about Bertha looked at me like I was crazy in suggesting
that she played.  "That never plays," I was informed.  My earlier
inquiry about Bertha and other instruments, sent by email in March, was
not answered, and I think I now understand why.  Perhaps Disney hopes
to sweep Bertha under the rug and keep her there as a prop for the
dining room.

This is shameful if true and I will be contacting Disney for more
information about it.  One night I asked the cleaning crew in the
restaurant whether I could come in and have a look around.  Sure
enough, at least one rank of pipes is half knocked over, at an angle
that suggests being unplayable and perhaps abuse of some sort.  At any
rate, I was very disappointed and wanted to warn you all to avoid this
disappointment.  Perhaps we could all write Disney a letter about this.

The Seeburg KT in the Main Street Station of the Railroad played
satisfactorily, if very faintly, in March; in June, it did not play.
There was no "Out of order" sign or anything similar, and the
orchestrion appeared to be plugged in and ready to play; but it ate two
quarters without playing.  So I gave up.  I mentioned this to Guest
Relations when I went to make an inquiry later, but nobody had any
information about it.  The orchestrion (which I noticed was labeled a
music box on the plaque Disney installed inside the case, which also
appeared to have been modified to have simply a pane of glass instead
of the wood cabinet-style doors I've seen on all other KTs and KT
Specials) will hopefully be back to service soon, but it certainly
doesn't seem to be one of Disney's priorities.  When I contact Disney,
I will ask about this as well.

Finally, I read a report on a website that a Seeburg E with flute pipes
(one of my favorite styles) was in Crocket's Tavern at the Fort
Wilderness Resort campground.  I tried to call the Tavern but the phone
was not picked up.  I went to Guest Relations and asked them if they
had any information about that instrument.  It took them a while to
figure out how to contact the Tavern, but the phone was once again not
picked up, so they tried making inquiries through the main desk of the
campground.  Nobody could be reached with any information, so I got on
the boat from the Magic Kingdom theme park to Fort Wilderness and
thought I'd just try my luck.  I scoured the restaurant and found no
sign of the orchestrion.  When I finally found an employee to ask, she
said she was sure no orchestrion was at Crocket's Tavern but that there
might be one at the dinner show at another restaurant at the
campground.  There was no chance to make reservations for that
show, and the restaurant was closed for setup when I was at the
campground, so I cannot confirm or deny the possibility that the
orchestrion is there.  I was rather nettled by the lack of information
that Disney had about their instruments.

I could find no sign of any other instruments, although the same
website on which I found the report about the Seeburg E suggests that
Disney retains a few more instruments in storage, with no plans for
their exhibition.  I've read about the great collection Disney once had
and I think it's a shame that the display at its premier resort has
deteriorated to its present state.

TJ Fisher

P.S.: A very warm thanks to all of you who responded so kindly to my
posting yesterday, The Future of Mechanical Music.