tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-225765942024-03-23T11:22:08.275-07:00Re-ImagineeringMr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-56064227653544702372010-12-12T22:58:00.000-08:002010-12-18T16:49:15.013-08:00Even Greater Moments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nY5Tm78BIdimi9nPGm5fjp31Nqjg3NRLdJcWJBrYGHICrXVZQ7XpMImFQEDHBGvLBpForzK_xYK7H_Xd0f42czzJGDPrzQXzvDNVDv_UIQkgW91dDcVVr4P9tR3bw9AqGLyV/s1600/Lincoln1.1.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 302px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1nY5Tm78BIdimi9nPGm5fjp31Nqjg3NRLdJcWJBrYGHICrXVZQ7XpMImFQEDHBGvLBpForzK_xYK7H_Xd0f42czzJGDPrzQXzvDNVDv_UIQkgW91dDcVVr4P9tR3bw9AqGLyV/s400/Lincoln1.1.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550058661586785282" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I</span>t seems odd to fixate on a fireplace mantel when discussing the return of “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” at Disneyland nearly a year ago. Yet fixate we must, as in that presumably simple pre-show set piece is a sure sign that wisdom and clarity are returning to the halls of Imagineering.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBeUEMxDfKJ4yM785XR69CWnGJ01ncs91Cz27o0gqn2jL-6DQj0CTEyvi2_Z_qHWzA6kO5ml9CR_2sPLaRHZA6k4-P9tVPpdHJztYqjqOwve-Dpo0YWPXdUD9LUSgrn_IC-gl/s1600/IMG_0727.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlBeUEMxDfKJ4yM785XR69CWnGJ01ncs91Cz27o0gqn2jL-6DQj0CTEyvi2_Z_qHWzA6kO5ml9CR_2sPLaRHZA6k4-P9tVPpdHJztYqjqOwve-Dpo0YWPXdUD9LUSgrn_IC-gl/s200/IMG_0727.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550058904650774466" border="0" /></a>It wasn’t too long ago that executives would have been hard pressed to have Lincoln return to Disneyland at all. Not relevant, not cost effective, not inclusive to a synergistic game plan.<br /><br />Yet a budget was drawn up not only for the return of this attraction but for, among other things, the creation of a fireplace mantle for the pre-show lobby that provides an elegant footing for the new film that introduces the show. Of course it’s not just any mantle as it takes its cue from the one seen in John DeCuir’s masterwork “The Burden of War”, a painting used first for Walt Disney World’s Hall of Presidents and now appearing in this freshened up version of Great Moments. It’s a clever touch, a classy prop, a nice bit of theming.<br /><br />But it’s important to recall that the number crunchers of days gone by would have argued vehemently against such a costly and superfluous extravagance. Something as simple as a pre-show mantel wouldn’t have gotten past the first brainstorming session.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLpBcGSewV-K_GBnmK5Clj8hjjx6oAEgouDTCBXFJhJQD_rgTfLOWSf5wSZTklt7o0wreuWcbnlVXrL7oRUnERtD9VVZOasfIYBE0g5D4gvqgn6ceqpVxfMjG8sWqz3YsDIXs/s1600/IMG_1125.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 249px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLpBcGSewV-K_GBnmK5Clj8hjjx6oAEgouDTCBXFJhJQD_rgTfLOWSf5wSZTklt7o0wreuWcbnlVXrL7oRUnERtD9VVZOasfIYBE0g5D4gvqgn6ceqpVxfMjG8sWqz3YsDIXs/s320/IMG_1125.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550059784208283618" border="0" /></a>But here we are and there it is; a touch of genuine elegance at Disneyland that in the broader sense spells out why no other theme park in America comes close when it comes to quality showmanship.<br /><br />Thankfully it doesn't end there. While strolling through the pre-show gallery check out the wall coverings, the carpet, the crown molding, the light fixtures, the placard spotlighting, the cabinetry. It’s all top-drawer extravagance that would give an Eisner era bean-counter an aneurysm, all the while screaming, “This is an amusement park, dammit, not the Hermitage!”<br /><br />And we haven’t even entered the auditorium.<br /><br />Kudos goes to the entire Lincoln team for placating the purists while bringing a fresh new sheen to this Walt Era masterpiece. You’d think a mash-up of The Hall of Presidents, The American Adventure and previous Great Moments incarnations would create a messy dissonant presentation but good taste prevails, with the creative team pulling the best parts of these shows together into a cohesive, heart-tugging whole.<br /><br />Luckily, anything resembling the egregious and disturbing ‘Civil War’ version of Great Moments from 2001 is nowhere to be found, along with the gimmicky headsets, the graveyard consecration and the uncomfortable moist lapping at the ear.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G1EzXOP48iLk0Brql2xOtIMU42D8SNVfzzQ0CjLhldDeEzqPW4fymdv4RVDSCvRlPOqYC-cAWxInZUSueGlAp2ig0vAeY3OiL_Tx1ZPKDzxLOEvWuw_rphnbCMpDZS-UPCOO/s1600/Lincoln1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1G1EzXOP48iLk0Brql2xOtIMU42D8SNVfzzQ0CjLhldDeEzqPW4fymdv4RVDSCvRlPOqYC-cAWxInZUSueGlAp2ig0vAeY3OiL_Tx1ZPKDzxLOEvWuw_rphnbCMpDZS-UPCOO/s320/Lincoln1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550069310286392546" border="0" /></a>Back is the classic red-velvet curtain and white Ionic column version from the ’64 World’s Fair.<br /><br />Back is the now digitized Sam McKim slideshow introduction, this time making room for many additional paintings in service of a gorgeous rendition of ‘America the Beautiful’. Irving Gordon’s ‘Two Brothers’ from American Adventure returns from the 1984 version to help illustrate the Civil War.<br /><br />Back is the original music, chorus, Royal Dano and Paul Frees.<br /><br />And back is a refreshed Lincoln along with the bulk of his original and always relevant speech. (Purists can forgive the exclusion of his ‘grave and the gay of all sexes’ comment, a move that insures guest relations will have a slightly shorter line to tend to.)<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJClw8lI0OcDoP42jCqGG6RVrPL3OZSipNoP0WJ5n7BAT0O2V3TxT2ymY7ukzZWyf0bAdwrW35hEUfUXQYWApQL9nhLiOp7PpBze4s-sssrpPzWb4sdpzuBtZj_Nxnx1hsQDz/s1600/face.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 181px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJClw8lI0OcDoP42jCqGG6RVrPL3OZSipNoP0WJ5n7BAT0O2V3TxT2ymY7ukzZWyf0bAdwrW35hEUfUXQYWApQL9nhLiOp7PpBze4s-sssrpPzWb4sdpzuBtZj_Nxnx1hsQDz/s200/face.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550065847992279938" border="0" /></a>It’s certainly a thrill to see Lincoln’s technologically enhanced facial features but far more thrilling to finally witness, after decades of missteps, his most stately performance since 1984 when a breakthrough in animatronics made him both more ‘compliant’ and more hyper. Hats off to the current team of imagineers who understand that, despite advancements in audio-animatronics, just because a figure can flap his arms like an orangutan doesn’t mean it should. By toning down the trickery Lincoln has not only become more uncannily life-like but far more dignified.<br /><br />If criticism be leveled at all, it falls not on the show but on the exit corridor. Portraits of America’s innovators, sports legends, entertainers, creators and philanthropists flank the walls; most of them time-honored revolutionaries. But in company with Martin Luther King, Amelia Earhart, Bob Hope and Elvis is the alarming inclusion of Miley Cyrus. If you’ve ever whacked your head against a stone doorway as you exit the Sistine Chapel then you can imagine the feeling of bumping into her here.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlINyhqEYYyr_UfhP8MyttK5vFMa_aQztO_bt5TBr_UC6_Ti1Ye2bkMIF6BTzjYOT7sytd5FTbPKuWJpIYRbltNbbZiK6lvVgG0n3ptJuZapWg8H10vvyuwCg8xmsUNX1diLg/s1600/Lincoln2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlINyhqEYYyr_UfhP8MyttK5vFMa_aQztO_bt5TBr_UC6_Ti1Ye2bkMIF6BTzjYOT7sytd5FTbPKuWJpIYRbltNbbZiK6lvVgG0n3ptJuZapWg8H10vvyuwCg8xmsUNX1diLg/s200/Lincoln2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550060649095900162" border="0" /></a>Regardless, the overall whole is a tour-de-force of Imagineering know-how and intelligence all at the task of resuscitating a true Disneyland gem. Kudos to Tony Baxter (Senior Vice President, Creative Development), Josh Shipley (Creative Show Director), Kim Irvine (Pre-Show Design), Ethan Reed (Animator), Brian Scholz, (Show Producer), Chris Tietz (Art Director) and the entire team that pulled this one off.<br /><br />And finally, kudos to the executives. Disney brass certainly had plenty of arguments against bankrolling the endeavor, including that pesky superfluous John DeCuir mantle homage.<br /><br />But they did.<br /><br />And the Happiest Place on Earth just got a <span style="font-style: italic;">lot</span> happier.<br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwz2aBGiP4c5W2WiC9-zQ20r4VWdgY1B3qesu4L1vzwNCXM5tVKdr1gtFMKyHc_kpoE9USV_hrFBPjcTOvQnjYv_qXWOBlI_Af15r_JQbgAFmHsKQRCaqcMmVMMcuHK1ve5Pz/s1600/Lincoln3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiwz2aBGiP4c5W2WiC9-zQ20r4VWdgY1B3qesu4L1vzwNCXM5tVKdr1gtFMKyHc_kpoE9USV_hrFBPjcTOvQnjYv_qXWOBlI_Af15r_JQbgAFmHsKQRCaqcMmVMMcuHK1ve5Pz/s400/Lincoln3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550066443151733378" border="0" /></a>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-58269933251474381352010-03-05T22:49:00.000-08:002010-03-06T10:39:03.306-08:00Step Right Up!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKekbfT3zJoc1vz3DpW42uADZXkNh7EcQWGIyBbNqEjAT8P8JvL-KHEjQeaLSyJm3x0Xdx4rshOdsSCxUG5LiHSbbcqZGYyYB21jfy_EWaxHkJMirh45G85rG2I9gcjA_BzbY/s1600-h/tsmm-mainsign.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 176px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpKekbfT3zJoc1vz3DpW42uADZXkNh7EcQWGIyBbNqEjAT8P8JvL-KHEjQeaLSyJm3x0Xdx4rshOdsSCxUG5LiHSbbcqZGYyYB21jfy_EWaxHkJMirh45G85rG2I9gcjA_BzbY/s400/tsmm-mainsign.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445585695706556226" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">F</span>or a truly all-encompassing critique of Toy Story Midway Mania it’s important to first look at the way video games and play in general were presented in the Toy Story film itself.<br /><br />With Andy’s playtime at the opening of the film a villainous Mr. Potato Head threatens to flatten Bo Peepʼs sheep with an R.C. car unless the piggy bank uncorks itself. Only Sheriff Woody can save the day. Here Andyʼs playtime is creative, funny, and inclusive.<br /><br />Compare that to Sid, who abuses, deconstructs, tortures, and ultimately forgets his toys. If Andyʼs room, with its cloud wallpaper, is Heaven and Sid’s room, with it's dark shadows and black light, Hell, then Pizza Planet, where Sid and Andy play together, must be a sort of purgatory. Here kids drink soda styled after xenomorph mucous, mount giant lasers to blow up planets and whack aliens sprouting from an astronautʼs torso. Every playerʼs play-time is identical to everyone else’s, and the violence inherent in these games seems to particularly suit Sidʼs mean streak.<br /><br />The sceneʼs deluded antagonist, Buzz Lightyear, finds Pizza Planetʼs atmosphere astonishing, but the sceneʼs protagonist, Woody, sees it as a hive of zealotry and over- stimulation. Fortunately, Woody got over that in time to host Toy Story Midway Mania!, which may be Imagineeringʼs most meticulously-realized hive of zealotry and over- stimulation yet.<br /><br />With that it mind, I invite you to step right up bravely scrutinize the fastidiously arranged chaos that is Walt Disney World’s 'Toy Story Midway Mania’.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Queue</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj6rmG3JaBV29WgSz7EJLl1OuoQfJIGnowUCteZ1P2BCa71J-USPIuGLCmESUDrxd9YTz1U9rnqCkhQ_g6SeMQamfYpHHgiI0lRCoYd7JypQRmUTz7NOU67MsdXUks_VHPvcH/s1600-h/2624281529_9ab7b2338e.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 134px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMj6rmG3JaBV29WgSz7EJLl1OuoQfJIGnowUCteZ1P2BCa71J-USPIuGLCmESUDrxd9YTz1U9rnqCkhQ_g6SeMQamfYpHHgiI0lRCoYd7JypQRmUTz7NOU67MsdXUks_VHPvcH/s320/2624281529_9ab7b2338e.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445585989694248562" border="0" /></a>Low capacity, frequent breakdowns, FastPass bottlenecks? In short, it’s a long wait.<br />Surely this was anticipated, and the queue thusly designed to soothe the testy masses.<br />There are countless precedents for tasteful queues in the face of grueling wait-times. Think of the ethereal queue in EPCOTʼs the Seas with Nemo and Friends, Each room taking guests deeper into the ocean; soft blue lights, rusted rails, and ambient music. Lovely, just lovely.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the queue for Midway Mania is set in a toy box. The space is dominated with clutter, sharp angles, a shock of colors and human-sized product placement for classic toys. It is the visual equivalent of both a sugar rush, and a sugar crash. And at the center of it all...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Mr. Potato Head</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3O4GBEQARUWAwAGarn3duRrjDAoqXvrmkychOEEZCrNUYpVAqO_N1H_TU4qpmNRyiaKWI4jRCsfkg7kQB3PjSq66WxcKEXemmcBaSXl4axRoN1Jls0HRTH6eiQQP5d5C1Elg/s1600-h/tsm5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 128px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3O4GBEQARUWAwAGarn3duRrjDAoqXvrmkychOEEZCrNUYpVAqO_N1H_TU4qpmNRyiaKWI4jRCsfkg7kQB3PjSq66WxcKEXemmcBaSXl4axRoN1Jls0HRTH6eiQQP5d5C1Elg/s320/tsm5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445586201073075042" border="0" /></a>Mr. Potato Head is a revolutionary audio-animatronic figure, capable of interacting with guests via thousands of lines of pre-recorded dialogue. Heʼs also a jerk. Rather than mining the wealth of character appropriate puns about body parts (“Lend me your ears!”), dismemberment (“Keep your parts inside the vehicle or youʼll end up like me!”), and potatoes (“Can I borrow some sunscreen? I hate when I peel!”), he instead resorts to caustic jabs and clumsy, grating songs.<br /><br /><blockquote>One potato, two potato, three potato, four... five potato, six potato; play the game and score! Seven potato, eight potato, nine potato, ten... come on, you hockey puck, and play the game again!<br /></blockquote><br />When guests fail to applaud, heʼll admonish, “Folks, Iʼll give you a hint: this is the part where you clap.”<br /><br />Other times, he asks, “What do I have to do to make you people happy? Pull off my ear?” and after he pulls off his ear, he says, “Ouch! There. Are you happy now? ...yeah, well, neither am I.”<br /><br />Guilt trips belong at home, not while queueing at Disney World.<br /><br />The interactive games in the stand-by line for EPCOTʼs Soarinʼ may be irrelevant to the rideʼs content, but at least theyʼre engaging. Considering the humor and charm apparent in other interactive attractions like the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor and Turtle Talk with Crush, Mr. Potato Head could hardly be more disappointing, especially when he could be better utilized in the actual ride.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">How Many in Your Party?</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQid57FJTvzPGIFxU6MQfUp3ma5LpIWMq_GQFRSVDYoq6ode0nwT2KHVf5-3-JRL_yaSqFYFOYTW013x5tDz-j7FRrqnh9EZIJzstYJmSzahbbIHqrzJY3RKF7upQLIFNp1HR/s1600-h/toy-story-mania-entrance-edited.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 171px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQid57FJTvzPGIFxU6MQfUp3ma5LpIWMq_GQFRSVDYoq6ode0nwT2KHVf5-3-JRL_yaSqFYFOYTW013x5tDz-j7FRrqnh9EZIJzstYJmSzahbbIHqrzJY3RKF7upQLIFNp1HR/s320/toy-story-mania-entrance-edited.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445586651136104962" border="0" /></a>The Toy Story Midway Mania Load platform is situated beneath a tent, which is meant to be Andyʼs bed. The rideʼs “story” tells us that Andy is on vacation, and his toys have built him a carnival to celebrate his return.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it violates the foremost rule of the films: toys must remain inert in the presence of humans. Granted, that rule gets broken, but only in the most dire situations. ‘Surprising Andy with a carnival because heʼs cool’ doesn’t quite match the urgency of ‘Buzz is strapped to an exploding rocket and Andyʼs pulling out of the driveway and moving away forever’. I concede this is a nitpick but at the same time I donʼt see why any mere fan of the film should care any more about being true to the rules of it’s world than the multi-million dollar theme park ride based on it.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ride</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM71a4zihLS_9u0hrB4ezgLTSDGfngIjtIL0duQsrRyXMPsbwi0DXQkRRW0xuZI5Nj3YoLzP_MquQBHX4UizqaUF0XNE_mbCjf8fcR2mmTIWq4GtQg5HI-atLXDqJiwBL3XbcD/s1600-h/tsmwii2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 171px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM71a4zihLS_9u0hrB4ezgLTSDGfngIjtIL0duQsrRyXMPsbwi0DXQkRRW0xuZI5Nj3YoLzP_MquQBHX4UizqaUF0XNE_mbCjf8fcR2mmTIWq4GtQg5HI-atLXDqJiwBL3XbcD/s320/tsmwii2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445586923131125154" border="0" /></a>Any complaints raised about the queueʼs aesthetic pale in comparison to the frenzy that is the ride itself. Itʼs a first-person shooter, so youʼll be focusing on images projected in 3D lit by black-light while being hit in the face with water and bursts of air while seated in a spinning vehicle whose seats weren’t built for the human posterior, but rather, a small up-turned piano.<br />There are only two things missing: strobe lights, and an endless loop of ‘The Hamster Dance.’ But thereʼs no time for hosannahs, because the time has come for...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Training Screen</span><br /></div><br />Here youʼre encouraged to shoot the heroes from Toy Story and Toy Story 2.<br />Yes, that’s right. You have a gun. Buzz, Woody and the gang hold targets. Your gun shoots pies. If you miss the target then one of the heroes from Toy Story gets slimed.<br />I can only think of one defense for this: Hitting beloved characters is fun! Personally, I never visit the Country Bear Jamboree without lobbing a turkey leg at Liver Lips McGrowl.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtmMJEACGPMdKdLmHduG8tE-MI14ZbylDI-bU2HTf1Pj1dWNIQ4vXeDiXkW019FaX4VUXZZJS1NlJY-CdwrLa3KKsYoO0lew-KZmfE0ilCWlFfv9xcuyDULMozZ-AtLd75t6S/s1600-h/WDW_063008_019_800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 261px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRtmMJEACGPMdKdLmHduG8tE-MI14ZbylDI-bU2HTf1Pj1dWNIQ4vXeDiXkW019FaX4VUXZZJS1NlJY-CdwrLa3KKsYoO0lew-KZmfE0ilCWlFfv9xcuyDULMozZ-AtLd75t6S/s320/WDW_063008_019_800.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445587616681753266" border="0" /></a>I appreciate Imagineeringʼs attempt to answer the demand for interactivity, but shooting the heroes from Toy Story is unacceptable. In fact, no, I take that back. There are several characters from Toy Story that can be shot. The green army men can be shot. They get knocked over, and Sarge waddles on-screen and orders them back to their feet. Mr. Potato Head can be shot. Heʼs a slapstick character, and can give you a dirty look with features that have been blown off his face. The evil Emperor Zurg can be shot, because heʼs evil.<br /><br />Woody, Jessie, Bullseye, Rex, and Hamm, however, should not be shot, because the films ask us to invest in their physical well-being. In fact, Woodyʼs physical well-being is the foundation of Toy Story 2ʼs plot: After tearing his arm, Woody confronts his own mortality and considers leaving Andy in order to become an “immortal” collectible.<br />Encouraging guests to shoot Woody is not only unethical, it also betrays the rideʼs source material.<br /><br />After shooting the heroes of Toy Story, guests are whirled through...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">A Selection of Midway Games</span><br /></div><br />Just like Walt would have wanted! Didn’t he love carnival midways and wish there were more of them in the world? Isnʼt that why the first incarnation of Carousel of Progress was part Gravitron, and every guest who didnʼt throw up won a goldfish?<br /><br />Disneyland was built to be a clean, safe, permanent, themed environment. Its patrons were “guests,” not “customers”. Its employees were “cast members,” not “carnies,” and they adhered to a code of excellent customer service. There was one flat entrance fee, and immersive experiences were emphasized over games of chance. These standards werenʼt set accidentally. They were built in response to--and in spite of--carnival midways.<br /><br />So itʼs bad enough that Toy Story (Midway) Mania! emphasizes video games, where the player is not an equal participant, but rather, a computer variable, but the tone of these games is objectionable to the underlying concept of the Walt Disney’s theme parks.<br /><br />Inevitably, however, the rideʼs apologists retreat to the exclamation...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">“...But Itʼs Fun!”</span><br /></div><br />And I canʼt claim I donʼt understand its draw. Especially with that cool “Sproing!” noise the gun makes. But letʼs again review the gimmicks lacquered onto this thing:<br /><br /><blockquote>1. DisneyQuestʼs Pirates of the Caribbean, Battle for Buccaneer Gold game.<br />2. Played in a Mad Tea Party spinning teacup.<br />3. On a track.<br />4. Featuring a series of carnival-themed, first-person shooter video games.<br />5. Projected in 3D.<br />6. With 4D elements incorporated into the ride vehicle...<br />7. Based on a popular recent film series.<br />8. Without actually paying attention to the rules of the film’s world.<br />9. Or making any real effort to synergize the rideʼs concept into the films.<br /></blockquote><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJKZW6GY2AxbTbJ4lYrs0lMYYtF5spqV0HdSKwKYsxNX_ufLWa-Rj7lSMP7wXaX8NzM61-_7C1vV9VoP6HUwVrSQmtu7kfG-9NZuWsdCwMwVw8htYjSOB4qMFpdp8HEm0llAb/s1600-h/CIMG0612.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJKZW6GY2AxbTbJ4lYrs0lMYYtF5spqV0HdSKwKYsxNX_ufLWa-Rj7lSMP7wXaX8NzM61-_7C1vV9VoP6HUwVrSQmtu7kfG-9NZuWsdCwMwVw8htYjSOB4qMFpdp8HEm0llAb/s320/CIMG0612.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445587995136321730" border="0" /></a>This ride is Imagineeringʼs “Mmmbop.” A meticulously-crafted chart-topper, whose sole aspiration is to be catchy and addictive. Toy Story Midway Mania! was built by demographics, not imagination. It is fun, in the same way that a nine hour sitcom marathon is fun. Artificial, mind-numbing, and devoid of aspiration.<br />When guests have finished, theyʼre shown...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Final Score!</span><br /></div><br />In Buzz Lightyearʼs Space Ranger Spin, your score corresponds with a rank in the prestigious Galactic Alliance. Guests all share an inclusive role shooting aliens and thus being promoted to ʻPlanetary Pilotʼ for fine service. Your score is a means to determine your prize, and the prize is integrated into the rideʼs plot.<br /><br />In Toy Story (Midway) Mania!, your score corresponds with a CG stuffed animal. In other words, your score determines whether youʼve won a plush aardvark, deer, or polecat--which you donʼt get to take home. So itʼs safe to say that the emphasis is on the numerical score, rather than commenting on your growth since the start of the ride.<br />Just as the highest-scoring guests start bragging about their superior-but-ineffectual numbers, theyʼre dragged before...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Todayʼs High Score!</span><br /></div><br />And the odds are, ʻTodayʼs High Scoreʼ is far better than yours. The last thing you see on the ride compares you with ʻa player whoʼs verifiably good.<br />“I hope you werenʼt playing for fun, or to bond with your family,” the High Score suggests, “because this is a serious game and we take it seriously.” This is just one mark of the aggressively Darwinian tone of Toy Story (Midway) Mania!<br /><br />The ride vehicle holds four guests--two pairs of two, seated back-to-back. If youʼre in a group of three people, youʼll be sharing this experience through geography, alone.<br />Youʼre churned through a series of free-for-all landscapes where you can steal single-use targets from one another. You “win” a number score, and then get told that someone who played earlier was much better than you.<br />And just how does this ensure a magical experience for every guest?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">In short...</span><br /></div><br />Toy Story (Midway) Mania! is overwhelming, mean-spirited, thematically undercooked, philosophically offensive, over-produced, Darwinian, and encourages guests to shoot the heroes from Toy Story.<br /><br />And for the record, the gun is triggered via pull-chord, and firing it requires a distinctly masturbatory gesture.<br /><br />Who smuggled a Universal Studios attraction into the Disney parks?<br /><br />In the words of Monsieur Potato Head, “Thatʼs rhetorical! It means you donʼt have to answer!”<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINxrzm-2zPsby7wE6h8nQ5faIuaGtxaCoX2ofnr6dT0eT0GbDI82rAaz1NuQk9tZahCQ7XXJYjrdf1jMkb_fevtkx2ODnx6OTZOj9_J7RX500aV2Og0LWVabv-U-JxgOxoF2n/s1600-h/2624340011_7173595c7d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhINxrzm-2zPsby7wE6h8nQ5faIuaGtxaCoX2ofnr6dT0eT0GbDI82rAaz1NuQk9tZahCQ7XXJYjrdf1jMkb_fevtkx2ODnx6OTZOj9_J7RX500aV2Og0LWVabv-U-JxgOxoF2n/s400/2624340011_7173595c7d.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5445589217961392242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Contributed by Re-Imagineering reader Ian Kay</span></span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Those interested in contributing entries to Re-Imagineering should initially forward a comment to any existing entry that includes your e-mail address and your stated interest. The comment will not be published and your e-mail will remain anonymous.</span></span></span></span><br /><br /><br /></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com136tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-17567103865699024092009-11-21T13:50:00.000-08:002009-11-23T22:23:01.668-08:00Technology vs. Longevity<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0RJ4xua5XziuNJPj8CfZVBS2QGoIIe9vMxCkVlGxj4pCb54nJsbJF6wffOCXNuRrOT1HP5x_F1kkpWYwK5Z-bp8om6QaNcmHcEwVSHiFjHe8VHs0w6DbVv3DuSB0rsvz-ZR8/s1600/Untitled.jpg"></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUQsD9YyMSiiHG7wiWsPv5ur0tk_RvGyPXGH3-Vbuz8jHY1gnVTn372wTqzk-G7qlObsxn8-7gWuMSqD9ZFweFBfFvp1fn4FEc_hN7QIoV-9pe_6DCi2BVl91Vuua45DkkCKo/s1600/toy_story_mania_300_dpi.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 294px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOUQsD9YyMSiiHG7wiWsPv5ur0tk_RvGyPXGH3-Vbuz8jHY1gnVTn372wTqzk-G7qlObsxn8-7gWuMSqD9ZFweFBfFvp1fn4FEc_hN7QIoV-9pe_6DCi2BVl91Vuua45DkkCKo/s400/toy_story_mania_300_dpi.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407524167362775394" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span">An engineer’s analysis</span></b></i></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">T</span>hroughout history Disney has consistently been at the technological forefront of theme park design. From introducing steel roller coasters (Matterhorn) to being the first to implement linear induction motors for urban transportation (the People Mover), Disney has always been a leader in world class technology. However, the more recent technology Disney has been using in their attractions seems to lack a certain wow-factor so prevalent in the parks earlier history. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFMENe6y-tTro4VlrV5PH3-SD3dI0uLzMsEpe6ZGan-T1KyfKu5TIbjurloic87DJWoP6Rg8pgo1RdG4XZ-iW5V_RwwoUtSkmQ4ufSE7lviaHtqvDOs8-2-DIPaunI3z-beuT/s1600/head.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFMENe6y-tTro4VlrV5PH3-SD3dI0uLzMsEpe6ZGan-T1KyfKu5TIbjurloic87DJWoP6Rg8pgo1RdG4XZ-iW5V_RwwoUtSkmQ4ufSE7lviaHtqvDOs8-2-DIPaunI3z-beuT/s320/head.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407527932014821362" border="0" /></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">While newer attractions such as Raytheon’s programmable-animatronic arm and Toy Story Midway Mania are reasonably impressive, they lack the quality, theming, and all encompassing immersion displayed in the Pirates, Mansions and Thunder Mountains of years gone by. Toy Story Midway Mania may very well be an exciting attraction, with smiling guests proclaiming their long wait well worthwhile. But exactly how long will those smiles last?</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The main driving force behind Midway Mania isn’t the adorable storytelling, funny characters, incredible view or thunderous thrills; it’s the technology. Midway is unique because it offers riders the first interactive 3D experience in a theme park ride. However, while this technology may be remarkable the implementation is weak. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Current generation video game consoles coupled with next generation’s televisions* are able to perform the same tasks with equal awe. In fact, Disney readily recognized this and released a Toy Story Midway Mania game for the Wii and iPhone. While these versions lack the 3D spectacle that makes Midway Mania so amazing, future renditions will be more than capable of providing this effect. That’s right; you can play Midway Mania from the couch in your living room. You may have to give up the ride’s signature quirky-jerky motions in order to skip the line but the trade off is negligible. </span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Currently Midway Mania is a significant draw for DCA and DHS- meaning that guests attend those parks with the sole intention of experiencing the attraction. But when you are able to play the game at home and in 3D is the long wait now worth it? It’s safe to say Midway Mania will have an extremely short life span.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAJIt5PohhTh7UQEk7Mbee-AOfR-ECFleoUH8JDrVnqBeH8yVr-fHiIOpn__NMQws-7_7ks5IGcpPft-WVPdaVuaN04iPSwc-g4YUEfm59e2JnGW5e4imj3EbQD06Oibk2Xw0/s1600/Maniawii.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 237px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXAJIt5PohhTh7UQEk7Mbee-AOfR-ECFleoUH8JDrVnqBeH8yVr-fHiIOpn__NMQws-7_7ks5IGcpPft-WVPdaVuaN04iPSwc-g4YUEfm59e2JnGW5e4imj3EbQD06Oibk2Xw0/s320/Maniawii.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407526366354832882" border="0" /></a></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">After further analysis of the ride, it appears obvious that Disney was not only aware of this, but prepared as well. If you remove the 3D effects and guns from Midway mania what’s left? A grocery store shaped room, tacky cardboard cutouts on the walls and TV screens lining the aisles. The basic empty shell that’s left over screams 'cookie cutter': any object of significant value can easily be re-purposed. Not even the vehicles appear to be long term. The attraction runs off of an HP laptop cleverly housed inside the vehicle shell (which is fading and tearing). While the model that Disney used is currently out of production, the closest model with similar specifications sells for $500 from Best Buy.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">The lack of quality that Disney put into the environment and the mechanics speak the same message: quick fix. Toy Story Midway Mania isn’t an attraction that will run for years and years; it’s a number in an accountant’s book—adding a quick boost in the numbers for the short term. WDI bit the bullet here and pulled off a wonderful smoke and mirrors attraction. Midway Mania, despite its cheap roots, is highly prized. Enjoy the ride for the time being because it probably won't be around very long.</span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></p></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">________________</span></span></p></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-family: georgia; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0RJ4xua5XziuNJPj8CfZVBS2QGoIIe9vMxCkVlGxj4pCb54nJsbJF6wffOCXNuRrOT1HP5x_F1kkpWYwK5Z-bp8om6QaNcmHcEwVSHiFjHe8VHs0w6DbVv3DuSB0rsvz-ZR8/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0RJ4xua5XziuNJPj8CfZVBS2QGoIIe9vMxCkVlGxj4pCb54nJsbJF6wffOCXNuRrOT1HP5x_F1kkpWYwK5Z-bp8om6QaNcmHcEwVSHiFjHe8VHs0w6DbVv3DuSB0rsvz-ZR8/s400/Untitled.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407528807290119506" border="0" /></a></p></span><span style="font-size:85%;">Disney even released an accessory to house your Wii-mote in, in order to make the game more authentic</span>.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">_________</span><br /><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-family:Helvetica;font-size:medium;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; min-height: 16px;font-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:14px;">* <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">2010 televisions from multiple distributors have been <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/18/3D.home.television/index.html">announced</a> being 3D capable at the same price as current generation television.</span></span></p><p face="'Times New Roman'" size="14px" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; min-height: 16px;"><br /></p></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Contributed by Re-Imagineering reader John Clayton</span></span></span><br /><br /></div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;"></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Those interested in contributing entries to Re-Imagineering should initially forward a comment to any existing entry that includes your e-mail address and your stated interest. The comment will not be published so your e-mail will remain anonymous.<br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">.</span></span></span></span></span></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com81tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-72089812391031835732009-11-13T15:29:00.000-08:002009-11-16T12:55:55.619-08:00East Meets West<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Post removed due to Reader Objections.<br /><br />For those of you who laughed, thank you.<br />For the rest, we now return to our regular programming.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);font-size:78%;" >.</span><br /></span></span></blockquote></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-34786825801764795172009-11-08T17:22:00.000-08:002009-11-08T18:11:14.006-08:00Utopia Now<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDULKFM3PnxMSugAClga515Z1FMySlE3tvvXhPPkApWysgG7JFKCcu3ifknwjgOsEwHr1iOqQsHR4sx0rP4tW15IFMt90h_7fZMQD0iB5ioGyCWO2Cs06O9tKEEUwX8iysU6n/s1600-h/1960.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDULKFM3PnxMSugAClga515Z1FMySlE3tvvXhPPkApWysgG7JFKCcu3ifknwjgOsEwHr1iOqQsHR4sx0rP4tW15IFMt90h_7fZMQD0iB5ioGyCWO2Cs06O9tKEEUwX8iysU6n/s400/1960.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401911827912927666" border="0" /></a><br />Tomorrowland has, from its inception, borrowed heavily from the popular imagination of the future. Through the late 1950s and into the ‘60s, culminating in the complete overhaul of Tomorrowland in 1967, WED had a great big beautiful tomorrow that was ensconced in the public’s mind to draw from. It was a future that people already understood and believed in, a future they could connect with. All WED had to do was build that tomorrow, today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR3VxkHXWWdc-62V4laPj4sO4DqtA80g1ua9MKbd1zcTJiM91qOzNO35Csxe-zAIRZtqfDGBLuQIgWx1pLoqO3EeErVVbX59xHorlaJGW0TrmmkD-XUrW43Wsg4y5-c15d6sP/s1600-h/house_of_the_future.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 195px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdR3VxkHXWWdc-62V4laPj4sO4DqtA80g1ua9MKbd1zcTJiM91qOzNO35Csxe-zAIRZtqfDGBLuQIgWx1pLoqO3EeErVVbX59xHorlaJGW0TrmmkD-XUrW43Wsg4y5-c15d6sP/s320/house_of_the_future.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401911994173032546" border="0" /></a>When Disneyland opened in 1955, the Interstate Highway System had not yet been built. Autopia modeled what would one day become our freeways and allowed guests the opportunity to experience this exciting new world. The Monsanto House of the Future was similar in many respects. It gave guests the ability to imagine themselves in the type of home they might have expected to be living in in the not too distant future.<br /><br />As Tomorrowland continued to develop it drew heavily on the bold vision put forth as part of the space race. Tomorrowland was a place where the public could go and feel like they were a part of America’s greatest endeavor. Guests could make believe that they were the astronauts blasting into space and exploring the heavens. Space Mountain, Flight to the Moon and Mission to Mars have all responded to this formerly popular vision of the future.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ6bkwD-LoPOpAqZ74kgwBwvuDLz3iP6GtU5WFAx9OUzrV_b3998PbcZJkNckcGnjzpsJUc_1s9ah_Q9-fgr9w-_KwqRApI3QN56Ek3n75Ch_HWMAGiLKhXZqxOwMJ5F1qaaM/s1600-h/dystopian.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPZ6bkwD-LoPOpAqZ74kgwBwvuDLz3iP6GtU5WFAx9OUzrV_b3998PbcZJkNckcGnjzpsJUc_1s9ah_Q9-fgr9w-_KwqRApI3QN56Ek3n75Ch_HWMAGiLKhXZqxOwMJ5F1qaaM/s320/dystopian.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401917656900346002" border="0" /></a>Today, however, our vision for the future is not nearly so uniform, or positive. There is a lot of fear, uncertainty and doubt about our future. Today’s popular culture shows a future plagued by robot uprisings, undead armies, global warming and apocalypse. We see it in the movies and television we watch, the books we read, and even throughout our political debates there is an underlying sense of concern for the direction we’re currently heading in. This vision of the future does not mesh well with Tomorrowland’s, or Disney’s, overall outlook (with the possible exception of the forthcoming video game Epic Mickey.)<br /><br />Because the popular perception of the future has shifted away from the utopian ideal that Tomorrowland was founded upon, it has felt lost, missing its unifying vision for what’s to come. The refurbished Tomorrowland that debuted a decade ago was presented without context; it failed to tell a compelling story that guests could buy into.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSchqL8mTSDokSmKSuE1BSlqoHeEEL-PwFiGjBxdzjUcy_i9-TsofBPRYyJ-fDFY49fA-KRgfQUg3uamGimcpGuHfKiGcpSLrzUnAaTkHfSr7Hq9UFWKmcPZ3TAeWZboY6tIPC/s1600-h/PeopleMover.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 149px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSchqL8mTSDokSmKSuE1BSlqoHeEEL-PwFiGjBxdzjUcy_i9-TsofBPRYyJ-fDFY49fA-KRgfQUg3uamGimcpGuHfKiGcpSLrzUnAaTkHfSr7Hq9UFWKmcPZ3TAeWZboY6tIPC/s320/PeopleMover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401912851956300658" border="0" /></a>WDI has three options when it comes to the future of Tomorrowland: they can continue the current course without direction or destination, ensuring Tomorrowland becomes increasingly less relevant and less of a draw for guests; they can borrow from the popular culture and make Tomorrowland much darker than it is today, giving up its utopian make-believe for a gritty reality; or, WDI can present its own vision that addresses many of the problems we face today and try to return a sense of hope, excitement and optimism to the future. <br /><br />As Disneyland's founder built the park on a foundation of optimism, all of us at Re-Imagineering will remain optimistic as well. Here's hoping WDI can deliver a great big beautiful Tomorrowland 4.0.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguETX9cH0GXmfBVIYbAg_PFF_EMohGvW1wCqONNtXlRt0ys7xGe8kTK4oZwpYOuZKKl5441HafJfBf0z75d4C14Gv1VCbleBs8JzRXkBvhSi9jhHLMB-AXhPfRYhNisfdrSJHb/s1600-h/rocket.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguETX9cH0GXmfBVIYbAg_PFF_EMohGvW1wCqONNtXlRt0ys7xGe8kTK4oZwpYOuZKKl5441HafJfBf0z75d4C14Gv1VCbleBs8JzRXkBvhSi9jhHLMB-AXhPfRYhNisfdrSJHb/s400/rocket.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401913122906215458" border="0" /></a> </div><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;">"We want our Utopia now."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Sinclair Lewis<br />Main Street<br /></div></div><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span></p></blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Contributed by Re-Imagineering reader Grant Henninger</span></span></span><br /></div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Those interested in contributing entries to Re-Imagineering should initially forward a comment to any existing entry that includes your e-mail address and your stated interest. The comment will not be published so your e-mail will remain anonymous.</span></span></span></span></div><div align="right"><p><span style="font-family:Arial;"><i></i></span></p> </div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-65727944279587149892009-10-17T23:38:00.000-07:002009-10-18T23:20:32.235-07:00Rainy Days and Mondays<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtTUDKqyDC5kgDf14ZODoH5MR4cUulPcEgo8MfMrLQfQ-plsP74LpsiVLSszxWLHGWy8Gz5aDnEuaOMDERnH7e0Y5uSDHesiJMzfDSe5utrkve7eHwWmxUMZBpu8GlOt1tbBf/s1600-h/Tim.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 210px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjtTUDKqyDC5kgDf14ZODoH5MR4cUulPcEgo8MfMrLQfQ-plsP74LpsiVLSszxWLHGWy8Gz5aDnEuaOMDERnH7e0Y5uSDHesiJMzfDSe5utrkve7eHwWmxUMZBpu8GlOt1tbBf/s400/Tim.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393847179999352898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">T</span>wo of WDI's senior Imagineers just were given their walking papers, leaving a tsunami of questions in their wake.<br /><br />Tim Delaney had been with Imagineering since 1976. As Executive Designer, Vice President, his high points were easily Discoveryland at Disneyland Paris, the centerpeice of which is the incredible re-imagining of Space Mountain, and The Living Seas at Epcot.<br /><br />On the low end Tim brought us California Adventure's inaugural entryway and Paradise Pier. Just two days before California Adventure opened, Tim defended the park with a ferocious tenacity not seen since the Queen Mother Alien fought off Ellen Ripley.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Doobie Moseley - </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Laughing Place</span>: Have you been confident this whole time that this park (California Adventure) would be able to please Disney guests?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tim Delaney</span>: Absolutely, no question in my mind. Absolutely. The reason is because of the combination of the way it’s laid out and the art direction, everything about it...They’re going to love it and this is how I felt about this entire California project from the very beginning. </blockquote><br />Dubious taste aside, Tim was still an old school champion of quality at Imagineering and always fought for the better show. It could easily be argued that getting even the most basic elements of quality green-lit for an Eisner-era project whose very manifesto was about cheaper than cheap meant a fight to the finish, something Tim hinted at in the same interview.<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tim</span>: I like Paradise Pier. I knew it would be challenging but I knew we could do it. I knew that there was something there so I had to fight. It’s a fight. </blockquote><br />It was that very spirit of holding firm to ones ideals that very well may have been Tim's undoing. Infact, most recently Tim fought hard for a truly first class version of Pirates of the Caribbean for Hong Kong Disneyland, but Jay Rasulo squashed the idea and sent him back to his room without supper.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCN7ptRthyI-vrUgFUan6slEvlImndBc3bycdtSl6Hp5-woN_hcu13TbsOP6VxBq3pfZdaSZCvVDrevWfoZIivVatEFDlbBxEgZMRwM-hLl5pDNTUTo9ktoCwTB8ajaCQdung/s1600-h/Valerie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFCN7ptRthyI-vrUgFUan6slEvlImndBc3bycdtSl6Hp5-woN_hcu13TbsOP6VxBq3pfZdaSZCvVDrevWfoZIivVatEFDlbBxEgZMRwM-hLl5pDNTUTo9ktoCwTB8ajaCQdung/s320/Valerie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5393847492398177778" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">P</span>erhaps even more bewildering is the dismissal of Valerie Edwards, WDI's head sculpter, who had been with the company for 21 years and was a featured guest artist on the D23 webzine as recently as this August. She oversaw the creation of character sculptures for Disney parks throughout the world and just recently finished the sculpt of Barack Obama for The Magic Kingdom's Hall of Presidents.<br /><br />As with Tim Delaney, she was known as a fearless champion of quality at Disney, something her mentors, master sculpter Blaine Gibson, Imagineering legend John Hench and animation artist and father George Edwards would have been proud of.<br /><br />Judging by the emotional fallout over at WDI these past few days, her colleagues were equally proud.<br /><br />Unfortunately current management saw her tenure a bit differently. Where previous mangement saw her value, today's leadership saw her as 'difficult'. Seems Valerie read John Lasseter's "Quality is a great business plan" memo too literally.<br /><br />For the creative professionals who remain at WDI the message is both clear and ominous. Along with their feelings of loss and sadness comes a creeping fear that the company will continue to jettison those who fight for quality in order to promote those who just say, 'yes'.Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com68tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-61039431839082366562009-10-06T07:21:00.000-07:002009-10-12T18:54:43.857-07:00Why We Whine<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><div id="post_message_372631"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.homevideos.com/freezeframes/courtjester49%20.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 369px; height: 210px;" src="http://www.homevideos.com/freezeframes/courtjester49%20.jpeg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">“Get it?”</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> “Got it.”</span><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"> “Good.”</span><br /></div><br /><br />You’ll hear the phrase thrown around a lot on Disney boards and blogs, mostly in the context of critics of Disney Theme Parks and those who they feel share their way of thinking. <span style="font-style: italic;">“That guy get’s it!”</span><br /><br />So what is this “it” that they get? What set’s them apart from the rest of the critical, mean spirited blogosphere out to get Disney?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Would You Like Some Cheese With That Whine?</span><br /></div><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJWC4Vb_oXJKIuwBGUvxvOHz7hoRpxntl7MXFY9YZHnA_L3jmCxPDaS9zugpJGZz_r4OTH4LYAGTedzx-WqY9ui-Y6q-3EzZy7ZXTl_78KHrmraSXLJuQ_T8fU-Bz5qh6FjBz/s1600-h/Cheese-n-Wine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 253px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJWC4Vb_oXJKIuwBGUvxvOHz7hoRpxntl7MXFY9YZHnA_L3jmCxPDaS9zugpJGZz_r4OTH4LYAGTedzx-WqY9ui-Y6q-3EzZy7ZXTl_78KHrmraSXLJuQ_T8fU-Bz5qh6FjBz/s320/Cheese-n-Wine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388863921609010786" border="0" /></a></span></span>First off, let’s just drop the notion that every Disney critic is just complaining because it’s fun or because they have an axe to grind or because they're just miserable, as that’s simply not true. Criticism of Disney is not the same as armchair movie critiquing, browser wars or debates over favorite sports teams. Disney Critiquing is fueled by a whole other animal.<br /><br />The vast majority of truly sincere Disney critics are the old timers, the ones who've seen Disney in its prime. We've witnessed a business model all the experts said wouldn’t succeed succeed in ways no one could have imagined. Now we witness the budding growth of those principles plowed over before they've fully blossomed.<br /><br />We know what Disney can be but now we don’t always see it trying.<br /><br />Take Space Mountain. Bereft of any Disney characters, the Mountain has been one of those must-ride attractions for guests of Walt Disney World and Disneyland for generations. How ingenious is a ride design that, with only moderate refurbishing, still manages year after year to draw not only the most jaded teens and thrill seekers but even coaster-phobics whose greater fear is missing out on a truly magical Disney experience? Plain and simple, <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> is a well crafted attraction; a success that has as much to do with the spirit and principles that went into it's creation as it does with the steel and plaster comprising its parts.<br /><br />But when we look at something like the recent character infusions in "it’s a small world" or Epcot's Grand Fiesta Tour we see a completely different Disney than the one we knew; a Disney not trying to put its best foot forward but its hand into our wallets. We don’t see craftsmanship, we see crass commercialism, a directly antithetical concept to the ones laid out by Disney’s founders, a philosophy that Disney already proved didn’t work in the long run.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ILctZgxLf94L4W68lRP5ZIh9ZnietAj5AtXIlkAM453hYCcsb-sZF2cYpZcBglHSY7l62-wrnErBl_b6nE6p9QY2r8z-HVlITLT2gopeCdfnmqUO7laIi2t34OSBHmb2pMgY/s1600-h/Grumpy-Old-Carl.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 250px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9ILctZgxLf94L4W68lRP5ZIh9ZnietAj5AtXIlkAM453hYCcsb-sZF2cYpZcBglHSY7l62-wrnErBl_b6nE6p9QY2r8z-HVlITLT2gopeCdfnmqUO7laIi2t34OSBHmb2pMgY/s320/Grumpy-Old-Carl.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388898456967028338" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">That’s Not Nostalgic. That’s Just Boring</span>.<br /></div><br />And that brings us to another misrepresentation. The nostalgists.<br /><br />If you think that all the Disney critics are a bunch of sour, grumpy old men living life in the past, then you’re about as far away from accurate as Carl Fredricksen was from Paradise Falls. You’ve taken one characterization of nostalgia and over emphasized it. Nostalgia is so much more then pining away for the days of old.<br /><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >The type of nostalgia were talking about here isn’t just about remembering something fondly from our youth. It’s about rekindling that fondness each and every time we hear the name, watch the films or visit the parks.</span></span><br /><br />Walt and his gang understood the concept of nostalgia quite well, even if that was never a stated or exclusive goal. By pouring so much energy, talent and money into their theme parks they succeeded in creating timeless worlds of fantasy and adventure that guests were eager to revisit, even after their sour old disposition should have overtaken them. You could never got tired of, or tired in, a Disney theme park.<br /><br />It didn’t mean stagnation. It meant that, despite the occasional refurbishment or freshening-up, you still had a sense of connection and familiarity with the place, one you’d want to share with your friends, family and loved ones. H<span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >ow masterful a business it is if it can not only keep customers patronizing them throughout the entirety of their life but actively recruiting converts to the Disney theme park experience.</span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24k0ZNKtBpBZ0dlJVPkFV_ORWlWMTY5zaZYS_uUUjza8WXMy83Zv8pr3VQ7NmfW7y6OvicYGm1RC32u6nOH9tRuKB5yvlZmzcc5Rx6blu0YpB8Dr98WcwCQCwxKJrb2_xuh9J/s1600-h/DisneylandBurned.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 156px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi24k0ZNKtBpBZ0dlJVPkFV_ORWlWMTY5zaZYS_uUUjza8WXMy83Zv8pr3VQ7NmfW7y6OvicYGm1RC32u6nOH9tRuKB5yvlZmzcc5Rx6blu0YpB8Dr98WcwCQCwxKJrb2_xuh9J/s320/DisneylandBurned.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389342426103774002" border="0" /></a>The Disney parks were, of course, designed to be be enjoyed by young and old alike, not as a place kids merely dragged their parents to. Without that spirit, without that sense of kindling nostalgia in all its guests, Disney would stagnate on the back of one demographic. Disney already proved that trying to include everyone is a much more successful strategy in the long term. It's a business model that not only worked, it worked in spades.<br /><br />And this is what mostly younger, post-Eisner era Disney fans generally do not understand. They see a thread or blog post lamenting the dismantling of Horizons, the desecration of Future World or the inclusion of some Disney characters in "it's a small world", and they don’t get it. They only see the surface elements: the destruction of something old, the inclusion of something new and 'old people' not happy about it. They don’t necessarily understand that the much maligned slogan <span style="font-style: italic;">“Disneyland will never be complete”</span> didn’t mean the total destruction of an attraction because it was merely old, nor the carte blanche inclusion of anything because it’s new and shiny.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4-aanumN21HtmhYz9MQR2x-fK6HJmtRkmEzVt59gkGKVBqz1C9y34F1a10kQAqj4SU0mu0gFWvbbvLPWDhlOYU33nHnh1lnSS1AjTVB_uHrp6flhpvFjwURzTjP8w9eti4Me/s1600-h/WalCo.png"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT4-aanumN21HtmhYz9MQR2x-fK6HJmtRkmEzVt59gkGKVBqz1C9y34F1a10kQAqj4SU0mu0gFWvbbvLPWDhlOYU33nHnh1lnSS1AjTVB_uHrp6flhpvFjwURzTjP8w9eti4Me/s320/WalCo.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389342820725516594" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sell-Out, Don't Sellout</span><br /><br /></div>True fans never wanted Horizons to just continue to take us past a giant outdated microprocessor or present video chatting as a future technology for all time. Nor did we wish for World of Motion and "it's a small world" to be covered in lacquer and preserved as is for future generations. What we expected, what vintage Disney delivered over several generations, was an elevation of the principles that made it a cultural phenomenon in the first place.<br /><br />The new company buzzward 'synergy' so often implemented today is just the opposite. In some cases it’s successful in the sense that it often causes an explosion of cash in every corner of the company, but often at the cost of an even more lucrative long term investment. Ellen may have made Universe of Energy more tolerable, but how long did it take for the gag to wear thin? How many times can any one guest tolerate another belch from an animatronic Stitch? Martin Short? Sure, he's funny. When he tells a <span style="font-style: italic;">different</span> joke ever so often.<br /><br />Our arguments are not about calcifying the past. They're about learning from it; not dismissing the best tenets of success as if they were dumb luck or happenstance but applying them to modern times. In an age where corporate leaders play internal politics for the betterment of themselves rather than the company, we understand how difficult it can be for a top executive to focus less on on their bonus check and more on returning the Peoplemover to Disneyland. But we also know that the founding father of the company would have had nothing to do with that reality.<br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">“Some people worship money as something you've got to have piled up in a big pile somewhere. I've only thought about money in one way, and that is to do something with it. I don't think there's a thing I own that I will ever get the benefit of except through doing things with it… I'd rather have that in (the company) working…”<br /><br /></span> <div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Walt Disney</span><br /></div> </blockquote></span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA0qa_x3sCJU9FgaRJKow_QlIhdpowoT1FFaX5fmoqJtjbE1hEvFNs320UY6dhEbvNo7s-jeyvOBsgwd-sBaV6sG2TTg4rXPu-FHJvCtVRmGu71XnWm7L1wosh5huf2Xn6axw/s1600-h/DSCN0464.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMA0qa_x3sCJU9FgaRJKow_QlIhdpowoT1FFaX5fmoqJtjbE1hEvFNs320UY6dhEbvNo7s-jeyvOBsgwd-sBaV6sG2TTg4rXPu-FHJvCtVRmGu71XnWm7L1wosh5huf2Xn6axw/s320/DSCN0464.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5389349563435296098" border="0" /></a> The Disney brand is, by and large, all about heart. We’ve no delusions that it’s not a business. But if you understand the basic concept of a business that puts emphasis on its customers to the Nth degree, understand the difference between genuine synergy and pandering, understand that the causes and events that made fans so demanding are the exact same causes and events that made Disney <span style="font-style: italic;">Disney</span>, then maybe, just maybe, you’ll understand us whiners and get “it” too.<br /><br /><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >We complain, critique and whine because we love Disney that much. Imagineering's Golden Age trained us to expect more, and to never settle for less. We’re simply byproducts of the same philosophy that made the company such a success.</span></span><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><div>__________________<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">Contributed by Re-Imagineering reader Digital Jedi</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Note: Those interested in contributing entries to Re-Imagineering should initially forward a comment to any existing entry that includes your e-mail address and your stated interest. The comment will not be published so your e-mail will remain anonymous.</span></span><br /></div></span></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-30599454069013631412009-09-08T15:09:00.000-07:002009-09-08T15:23:12.240-07:00A Great Big Ugly Tomorrow<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPOT6N-wKB17yOo3UAvMdzTyUc6QQPNcsIPqMYfll4e6UBgslr9Y-xVmYfOxE-3bjNkbAQ76IFfCmq1l7R1RLjQCMDHwk3nYTxyc5-cPycszmz996kdgqj4ZDzI97xX4FrY9/s1600-h/Tomorrow+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlPOT6N-wKB17yOo3UAvMdzTyUc6QQPNcsIPqMYfll4e6UBgslr9Y-xVmYfOxE-3bjNkbAQ76IFfCmq1l7R1RLjQCMDHwk3nYTxyc5-cPycszmz996kdgqj4ZDzI97xX4FrY9/s400/Tomorrow+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5379225564394000514" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><blockquote>"I'm not sure I'm ready to celebrate the re-birth of the golden age of Imagineering just yet.<br /><br />Things have just been too dismal with WDI's recent efforts for me to just jump on the bandwagon and start pushing again.<br /><br />I just returned from a week in Disney World and I can tell you that Tomorrowland without Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority is a wasteland. We stopped by for a couple spins on Buzz Lightyear and took in a nostalgia-driven showing of the Carousel of Progress, but outside of that we passed right on by. Stitch and Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor are nearly unwatchable.<br /><br />Epcot's Future World is a shadow of what it once was. Yes, Soarin' is terrific (although the film is in bad shape already), but the new Spaceship Earth is a DISASTER, the Wonders of Life pavilion remains vacant, Mission Space has run its course, the Imagination ride is the WORST Disney attraction in history, and Test Track is still a breakdown waiting to happen.<br /><br />The Studios has been stagnant for YEARS now. How many times can you watch the Indiana Jones Stunt Show or see the same tired little Mermaid stage show? Toy Story Mania is a gem for sure, but that's about it.<br /><br />Animal Kingdom ... Everest is nice, but nothing really spectacular. The rest? Mostly off-the-shelf stuff I can see at my local theme park or zoo.<br /><br />Where are the Pirates of the Caribbeans, Haunted Mansions, and American Adventures for the next generation? Disney has abandoned what made them successful for decades and really given us a lot of recycled slop in the last decade.<br /><br />I think the last truly great ride that Disney built was Splash Mountain ... and that was what? 20 years ago??"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic;">-Anonymous</span></div></blockquote></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica;"><br /></span>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com75tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-27306474043713809592009-09-02T09:45:00.000-07:002009-09-05T00:02:07.062-07:00Bobby! Cindy!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWTaEzBXXNJtMymhIIGTtqztRfYxbkOp84MMzWQgOjYMrfgdrMEjwLV-40phD7Pfqb8iq7si6ZR1O7zwgdqjMHO14qR1KijKl7eA2XJiCedefFoSIiQzplXj8bwJx48sGZVUp/s1600-h/desert.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTWTaEzBXXNJtMymhIIGTtqztRfYxbkOp84MMzWQgOjYMrfgdrMEjwLV-40phD7Pfqb8iq7si6ZR1O7zwgdqjMHO14qR1KijKl7eA2XJiCedefFoSIiQzplXj8bwJx48sGZVUp/s400/desert.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376928659503585346" /></a><br />Four months in, and still no entries? Why?<div><br /><div> </div><div>Well, the reason is simple and two-fold.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Firstly this blog has lost momentum. When Re-Imagineering started, WDI couldn't have been in worse shape; badly managed, demoralized and bereft of creative and financial capital. Contributors had an easy time of rallying together and belting out a collective battle cry. We had stood in the shadows and witnessed the deterioration of our stateside parks for far too long.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>But even though its petty politics as usual at 1401 Flower, there is an undeniable seachange underway there. How can you not celebrate the resuscitation of the Magic Kingdom's Fantasyland, of Disneyland's Lincoln and Disney World's Hall Presidents, the demise, imminent and otherwise, of giant Mickey wands in Future World and Hats in Hollywood? And the list continues: Worlds of Color, America's River teeming with life, Cars Lands, Ariel E-tickets, Red Cars and the Roaring Twenties. WDI has never been busier. </div><div><br /></div><div>And so, perhaps, Re-Imagineering has become a little less 'relevant', an ironic admission in that WDI has been championing and misusing the term for decades.</div><div><br /></div><div>As for the other reason Re-Imagineering has been so dead of late, quite simply we've just been busy with other things. It's a challenge keeping up a blog when life gets in the way. We'll try to do better in the near future.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Finally, I'd like to open up this blog to other contributors. More than a few reader comments have been excellently written, incredibly entertaining and completely in tune with the tone of this blog, so if any of you have an entry in mind send it on and we'll pretty it up and put it front page.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>For the rest of the readers, don't worry, we're not finished here. Several more articles are in gestation and will go up eventually. (Tomorrowland is still a catastrophe!) In the meantime, I hope that the articles already posted are still of value.</div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div>Stay tuned.</div></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-64465538966658156712009-05-02T20:51:00.000-07:002009-05-04T14:18:38.529-07:00Adieu, Mickey Bounce House?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdSieHrjLyAaVO02J7r_CB24K5J9OfGF04_NFDby7G4_IX7eSVqSHbYN7r0SizwXh9eHt8TtNmDoekqbup6YXWCjIs2nrSimLgVOgyqDUlwnd5Wo1HjfvBNfONVSexYBTgUOD/s1600-h/JS_Dis-MGM-Hollywd-Blvd.jpg.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSdSieHrjLyAaVO02J7r_CB24K5J9OfGF04_NFDby7G4_IX7eSVqSHbYN7r0SizwXh9eHt8TtNmDoekqbup6YXWCjIs2nrSimLgVOgyqDUlwnd5Wo1HjfvBNfONVSexYBTgUOD/s400/JS_Dis-MGM-Hollywd-Blvd.jpg.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331442081225260866" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:130%;" > <blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 15px;font-family:Helvetica;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"> <b>“This was the view walking down Hollywood Boulevard on opening day. You can’t get this view anymore. I hope we will get this view again soon.”</b></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Bob Weis</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>Executive Vice President - Imagineering</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>May 1, 2009</b></span></span></span></div></blockquote></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;font-size:12;" ></span></span></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com105tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-4765404215994609772009-03-25T07:54:00.000-07:002009-03-27T05:16:42.154-07:00Passport to Dreams: Old, or New?<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHhMZQIuSqXMyNXbQfWbhPeJxTbI8F7G-22lq0Fsg5DFEHAHVdKqoRo4KWW4WGjdUI62MYbpWg4YTX-_g5N_D0RRPfr2hMqZt5UgSJjZzpO9NcButyl4BO2Z8TjlwjiuU0CWVMg/s1600-h/Wdw-peoplemover.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHhMZQIuSqXMyNXbQfWbhPeJxTbI8F7G-22lq0Fsg5DFEHAHVdKqoRo4KWW4WGjdUI62MYbpWg4YTX-_g5N_D0RRPfr2hMqZt5UgSJjZzpO9NcButyl4BO2Z8TjlwjiuU0CWVMg/s320/Wdw-peoplemover.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274855904498508162" border="0" /></a></div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">W</span>hat you hear: <div><br /></div><div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#003300;">"Citizens of Tomorrowland! Join Buzz Lightyear on a daring space mission to save the universe from the evil Emperor Zurg!"</span></b></span></blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">W</span>hat you see:</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-cYm8njQbXhETltF_m8n-tPnV5VZI1MSa_A94tDnsYs3VuyeaDWaadxtQiohEPCoyC4EQ4PVcvFXG__ko7DuQ5Rlf_-QsD6biutO30S6HBLa7T354Fvk7N3L_k5J0j_xebl3HnQ/s320/TTAmismatch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274854309363167714" border="0" /></div><div><br /></div>Virtual Toadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12601737654750795321noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-43279437245481642762009-03-21T21:34:00.000-07:002009-03-25T22:52:18.455-07:00One from the heart...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJv1yF9pYCm0nTfF4A06tsXzBfACc4hyphenhyphenkYqQx5va4jds07czRvSmQhAGfOxW1UfmoY73pas3LODcntAxa8gsujHnepGZFTs4oy_bBBonh2FXHYkGK2fP_Zi1_1vLY61jjb9QF/s1600-h/title.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 325px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIJv1yF9pYCm0nTfF4A06tsXzBfACc4hyphenhyphenkYqQx5va4jds07czRvSmQhAGfOxW1UfmoY73pas3LODcntAxa8gsujHnepGZFTs4oy_bBBonh2FXHYkGK2fP_Zi1_1vLY61jjb9QF/s400/title.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315868453763763602" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><br /><br />"Nice is different than good."</span><br /><br />-Stephen Sondheim<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmrURFGwU-1Odj8LTkr7tQONOlHJpmzCYHo8ABwX5hkOMfE_cnt3xs_XHiJEYhCbA6d7p-NK-5Wg8BxhwG-XI-VV1tWwhzxAubH60hxuSaVgP2MV-D2bnoJFBupychZWXXQaY/s1600-h/One.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 138px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqmrURFGwU-1Odj8LTkr7tQONOlHJpmzCYHo8ABwX5hkOMfE_cnt3xs_XHiJEYhCbA6d7p-NK-5Wg8BxhwG-XI-VV1tWwhzxAubH60hxuSaVgP2MV-D2bnoJFBupychZWXXQaY/s200/One.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315881307718351922" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">And so it goes. On a wet Friday last February ‘It’s a Small World’ finally re-opened to the public, this time with 29 fresh faced Disney characters dotting the landscape from England to the Great Southwest. Yes, our Small World didn’t stop spinning after all. Life will go on as it always has before.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> And, at least on this branch of the great Disney Blog-o-sphere, this will be the last you will hear about it.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> The omniscient tone of Re-Imagineering has been a hallmark of this site since its inauguration back in early 2006. The ragtag group of professionals that contributed rarely personalized their opinions in an effort to raise the level of discourse above the general fanboy rabble.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> But in this instance I can only speak from the heart.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> For me, ‘Small World’ was my childhood. Having grown up on the coast meant nearly every day opened under a blanket of grey fog so it’s easy to understand how Small World’s kaleidoscopic wonderland profoundly affected the neural freeway inside this five year olds head. From that first boat cruise my childhood could easily be dated BSM and ASM, the orgiastic display of color, music, light and animation forever rewiring my sense of self.</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWv7RiImK8Yc0WdP9gcMA2VdMl0dryWYKjXGi2mNOpcm97-iyUJFQhO3v1_IoN03D9qxUHwl6GVoiKsIS7zHaVMVPtXfAhHQ8wZlxIaXj7u_8QR_Fnt6kYREXs1P-fZ2ngtn_/s1600-h/Two.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 162px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdWv7RiImK8Yc0WdP9gcMA2VdMl0dryWYKjXGi2mNOpcm97-iyUJFQhO3v1_IoN03D9qxUHwl6GVoiKsIS7zHaVMVPtXfAhHQ8wZlxIaXj7u_8QR_Fnt6kYREXs1P-fZ2ngtn_/s200/Two.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315881321974742706" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">As adolescence demands reassigning the Small World esthetic as cheesy, childish and annoying, I dutifully stepped in line. However, once I joined a burgeoning group of animator wannabes at Walt’s art school dreamland in Valencia, California, it was time to grow up. There the rigorous demands of design class, taught by some of the finest mid-century artists of their time, gave all of us a renewed respect for the masters of the form. Enter Mary Blair.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> No longer would it be possible to dismiss the visual construct of this Disney attraction as kitchy, naive or childish. The color and design sensibilities on display were a wonder to behold; the more you studied it the more complex and sophisticated it all became.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Several generations of animation students, smitten by the Mary Blair touch, have tried repeatedly to imitate her style. Rarely do they even come close.</span><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2neXjlzKNhV1KS1gB-sWef9d02BYjwpS1XO3ovzKaND3P8lb6syUnFsZobn5g2WTcdFW2wAil6aNtCnZJcuHsyBLd3JHbwRg5-vbiJtAbUw8HC_3XizAy1iDN0QW8mUOrMIFQ/s1600-h/Three.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2neXjlzKNhV1KS1gB-sWef9d02BYjwpS1XO3ovzKaND3P8lb6syUnFsZobn5g2WTcdFW2wAil6aNtCnZJcuHsyBLd3JHbwRg5-vbiJtAbUw8HC_3XizAy1iDN0QW8mUOrMIFQ/s200/Three.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315881322817011138" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">But the merely visual does not a work of art make, as what truly etched this into the collective conscience as a classic work of pop art had everything to do with its simple, crystal clear conception. To sell world peace the show writers had the audacity to cast the children of the world, separated only by costume, skin color and setting, as a way to underscore our inherent innocence and common humanity. Thus was born a profound subtext that gave this Disneyland attraction a relevance that has lasted 45 years.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> And so we come to where we are today, when the children of the world move aside to make room for dozens of distinctly different and specific Disney kids and kinfolk. And, as could be expected, endless debate on the merits and demerits of such an endeavor exploded on the internets.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> On my first trip through Small World 2.0 I had the notebook out as well.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • New boats? A little cheap looking, but appropriately toy-like and should hold up well.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Matte black ceiling. Very nice.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Everything’s so bright and shiny. Bravo.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Alice and the White Rabbit. Delightful, actually. If this were the only addition it might very well have been a fitting tribute to the creative legacy of the shows stylist.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Peter Pan. Tinkerbell. Oh dear. There’s a reasonable argument for adding characters that are a part of the cultural folklore of their specific land. But isn’t the United Kingdom a bit overloaded?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Cinderella has her own pedestal with Jaques and Gus staring up adoringly. Imagineering Ambassador Marty Sklar promised these characters wouldn’t say, ‘look at me, look at me’. This one screams it. What’s a flat painted bluebird on the backdrop doing? Wouldn’t the original designers have created this in three dimensions? Still, at least Cinderella is not portrayed in her Disney Princess ® finery, but in her populist rags.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Pinocchio, looking encephalitic, chubby and squished, uncharacteristically hanging on strings and propped up under an arch of 26 lights belies the Imagineer’s watchword ‘Unobtrusive’.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Aladdin, Jasmine and Mulan succeed in being unobtrusive.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • The African Jungle. Still bliss with or without the Lion King characters.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito Pistoles puppets in South America? As authentic to the culture as the taco is.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Ariel in the South Seas? Imagineering Senior Vice President Tony Baxter said that if a character stood out we’d be ‘looking at it for the wrong reason’. I was looking at it for the wrong reason. Ariel’s long strands of bright woolen hair, her own awkward solo and white hot spotlight gave me the heebies.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Nemo, Dory and Flounder? Well, they’re only fish, though it can be argued the super shiny Flounder may actually be more obtrusive than his diva Mermaid friend.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Stitch. So charming. So wrong.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Relocated Rainforest? Thank you.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • American Southwest. Easily the most egregious misfire of the entire endeavor. Static children, out of step stylistically, flat unappealing scarecrow and hybrid cow-pig that, again, should have been realized in three dimensions if at all. Poorly art directed. Wonky, awkward Toy Story Woody and Jessie characters. Best to look down at your lap till the finale.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> • Re-instatement of the gorgeous Farewell Tapestry, balloons, finale sun. Beautiful.</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgPH5gtrukYkfxlpkxL3r43Ep6vb4jvHhHk0-Otd2YKWkbcvBU1PBnwnlLRRkSYgRv-rshQUXhX_WVbmElXI88FnQgxrVab4JNA784lVgpXsGZi7Wil3jh9SlFgfI5alGf9Ru/s1600-h/Four.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 115px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbgPH5gtrukYkfxlpkxL3r43Ep6vb4jvHhHk0-Otd2YKWkbcvBU1PBnwnlLRRkSYgRv-rshQUXhX_WVbmElXI88FnQgxrVab4JNA784lVgpXsGZi7Wil3jh9SlFgfI5alGf9Ru/s200/Four.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315881314251020754" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Still, for all the scribbling, cross chatter and geeky blogger debate, the point remains. The children of Small World were intentionally homogenous, but now some of them are a bit more ‘special’ than others. In Imagineering’s effort to make every last attraction at the parks more relevant by adding Disney characters, Small World’s core message has been compromised.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> More relevant? No.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> Less relevant? Absolutely.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> There’s a cabal at Imagineering that bristle at those of us who appear to constantly reject any change at the parks. Their argument, not unfounded, is that when an attraction is so inexorably tied to the nostalgia of our childhoods any tampering is going to feel like a personal attack. Their remedy? Get over it. As audiences taste change, so must the park.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> They’re absolutely right, but in patronizing those of us whose irritating ‘nostalgia’ keeps cramping their style, they’re also discounting the real message behind our madness: Is what you’re doing different or better?</span><br /><br /><br /><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd5-ZC51Uj7aCmL79e2qpiEzY8-HgxC7UdJtQSTvtkCd4oDcjd8b3dFfGiALf9Go0BzQB9-IqqR1qbCzND5eEpOo9Ptaik2reaEEx-KZflUbGtIpxgpD7eCqBsxI9ZzZHQaVx/s1600-h/Five.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpd5-ZC51Uj7aCmL79e2qpiEzY8-HgxC7UdJtQSTvtkCd4oDcjd8b3dFfGiALf9Go0BzQB9-IqqR1qbCzND5eEpOo9Ptaik2reaEEx-KZflUbGtIpxgpD7eCqBsxI9ZzZHQaVx/s200/Five.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315881311893151474" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Regardless, there are signs everywhere that the leadership at Imagineering, though faltering here and there, is doing the difficult introspection necessary for a vibrant and exciting renaissance. As I exited Small World 2.0 with a close friend (and one of the finest Disney historians on the planet) we both admitted that, overall, this is probably a minor misstep in the recent evolution of the Imagineering brand.<br /><br />"Well," he remarked with a roll of the eye, "At least it's fix-able."<br /><br />It’s not as if those pesky Disney characters can’t eventually be removed and the ride restored to Walt Disney's original vision. After all, Disneyland will never be completed.</span></blockquote><br /></div></blockquote></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-78009758873668472372009-02-07T18:18:00.000-08:002009-02-07T18:39:52.515-08:00Born Every Minute<blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNSOyrFuBM7k2VxvPbAwqJ3LzrK-hCv1Gp6DD7bAGaZwPFroiG8HEOAyc9hOheNd2xIvkK2oYQTuJiADG1MFB5jUbWPctJDZdEWdi3fygo_tOjZSA9XCu4K10yCMWKPlKJiJd/s1600-h/edie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNSOyrFuBM7k2VxvPbAwqJ3LzrK-hCv1Gp6DD7bAGaZwPFroiG8HEOAyc9hOheNd2xIvkK2oYQTuJiADG1MFB5jUbWPctJDZdEWdi3fygo_tOjZSA9XCu4K10yCMWKPlKJiJd/s320/edie.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300247856685028514" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);font-size:130%;" >T</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">he addition of Eddie Murphy into Disneyland's Haunted Mansion is absolutely amazing! He's so lifelike and so well done. Audio Animatronics have reached a new peak!"</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 51, 0);">-Disney Fan</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 51, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >T</span>he Eddie figure added to Haunted Mansion doesn't at all take away from the crazy fun of Disneyland's Haunted Mansion. He's so funny, and so much of the ride is funny too!"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Defender OM<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I</span></span>t's so clear that Imagineers worked over-time to assuage all those ridiculous fears Disney purists had about Eddie Murphy's appearance in the Haunted Mansion. He fits in perfectly! His costuming, his manner, his funny ad-libs as you pass are all top notch! Bravo team WDI!"<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">-Not a Museum-goer<br /></div></div></div></div><br /></div></blockquote>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-21262099319432761502009-02-07T12:05:00.000-08:002009-02-07T16:41:10.188-08:00When Gods Speak<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTn221vXPN3DUDfHqCoA3gQl5RReNf_ONS6d2obkk4-g3ztiYvc0hhLMvl4ipyW-S5wMQ98udqU-pg0NTk8-J-dhT5bsrOFhnIKo4Gy_Zc9sSMO77BLd9Ddq0-haOkXa7iiOp/s1600-h/Stormy+Weather-2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTn221vXPN3DUDfHqCoA3gQl5RReNf_ONS6d2obkk4-g3ztiYvc0hhLMvl4ipyW-S5wMQ98udqU-pg0NTk8-J-dhT5bsrOFhnIKo4Gy_Zc9sSMO77BLd9Ddq0-haOkXa7iiOp/s400/Stormy+Weather-2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300220032651605794" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">On Friday, February 6, 2009, it rained at Disneyland.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">.</span></span><br /></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-43780809573839005622008-12-05T14:58:00.000-08:002008-12-05T15:07:27.802-08:00Happy Birthday, Uncle Walt<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqJ24IKheTU5GBTpX2bo3HLBoQEtgxRllkuhyphenhyphenkPqlzmx-FUIN9yMt4EO8DVtsdBGqSZRdJHdOxZZM4htAVchUD2DOyEzrbJoSWt-V-UljyO7S4Ih_SoE7eTv5wekHvYvLZatv/s1600-h/Walt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqJ24IKheTU5GBTpX2bo3HLBoQEtgxRllkuhyphenhyphenkPqlzmx-FUIN9yMt4EO8DVtsdBGqSZRdJHdOxZZM4htAVchUD2DOyEzrbJoSWt-V-UljyO7S4Ih_SoE7eTv5wekHvYvLZatv/s320/Walt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276445256873549506" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><blockquote><span style="font-size:130%;">T</span>oday marks the 107th birthday of Walt Disney, born December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois.<br /><br />Happy Birthday to an American original.</blockquote></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-42999540761220290452008-11-30T20:04:00.000-08:002008-12-01T05:42:52.584-08:00The Little Things<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tO36QPJdmD1HyxV4aVgQjTye0HEF-OwZxBDwis9XPdW9NkylczRZilPq1V62f8xOUB0d8rUWEBpxy-KFo_3YKXAqQAtOolydGLMWYdGuIyRisz1dCjFt0ZaV9GXwjRtpxlQw/s1600-h/SBCext5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1tO36QPJdmD1HyxV4aVgQjTye0HEF-OwZxBDwis9XPdW9NkylczRZilPq1V62f8xOUB0d8rUWEBpxy-KFo_3YKXAqQAtOolydGLMWYdGuIyRisz1dCjFt0ZaV9GXwjRtpxlQw/s200/SBCext5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274660315153825250" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">"Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things."<br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);">-- Robert Brault<br /></span></div></blockquote></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"></span></div><blockquote></blockquote>In the rush to create the latest and greatest multi-million dollar E-ticket, one has to wonder why Walt Disney Imagineering doesn't pay more attention to the power-- and value-- of investing in the multitude of smaller touches that separate Disney's themed environments from the rest of the pack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UoEmVepM86Ncklr_F7VD7aH-65XjK-HHgpI7L5d3AnTp3pzpPZ740UY1qlpfsC0EyoM4krlmb_aBRcWiOihwNdUlj8gEIJi_NWpefHZBmiwwY8qdHzylmwD9Ovg9bZ5M0wDrjA/s1600-h/CastleWalk.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3UoEmVepM86Ncklr_F7VD7aH-65XjK-HHgpI7L5d3AnTp3pzpPZ740UY1qlpfsC0EyoM4krlmb_aBRcWiOihwNdUlj8gEIJi_NWpefHZBmiwwY8qdHzylmwD9Ovg9bZ5M0wDrjA/s320/CastleWalk.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273184939872043922" border="0" /></a><br />Fortunately, those smaller yet extremely satisfying projects aren't completely out of vogue. Witness the wonder of the newly refurbished Sleeping Beauty Castle walkthrough at Disneyland. It's not the only reason someone would visit the park, but it's definitely one of the reasons people keep coming back for more.<br /><br />In a self-contained park such as Disneyland, those smaller touches are arguably easier to conjure and create. It's not difficult to add layer after layer of detail when you have a relatively small canvas to work with. Walt's park is also blessed with the power of nostalgia. Anything added at Disneyland needs to have that Disney look and feel. The guests demand it, and the company and Imagineers deserve a great deal of credit for respecting and adhering to those "old school" principles that, while sometimes creatively frustrating, have served the park well for decades.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIoHpb3VumlU9mQUT1HVjGSI0bTaFSJBx1Yj9PQqRSuiXXJnk-fag9GinfRpwQcIrUVwVFDkc9PeoFfIF7K2_anH1DTIEDelqc_dfbfPoJqk2V79l-OxlXI7Zt8BZxTO7oVve7w/s1600-h/Wedway.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 232px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXIoHpb3VumlU9mQUT1HVjGSI0bTaFSJBx1Yj9PQqRSuiXXJnk-fag9GinfRpwQcIrUVwVFDkc9PeoFfIF7K2_anH1DTIEDelqc_dfbfPoJqk2V79l-OxlXI7Zt8BZxTO7oVve7w/s320/Wedway.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273185752249327970" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />In the early days of Walt Disney World, back when the Florida property was much smaller and easier to manage, that famously obsessive attention to detail flourished. For nearly a quarter of a century, Walt Disney World had the genuine look and feel of a true Disney environment. It seemed back then as if Imagineers held sway over everything--right down to the manhole covers and beyond.<br /><br />But as the canvas expanded, and new parks and resorts emerged, Walt Disney World lost its creative focus. Today, the respect for theme has all but disappeared; lost are many of those wonderful "worlds within the World" that transformed the soggy swamp into an escapist utopia.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRSar_oLMa5WeKdkkGOBQA58-28VHJaOYPF_EgY8mOL4DMLCocISrC9zx08H_J9OcXhEeZvFda3fmvp9kCqeSJNAcmm9GZmNZlwCrP9NXMjAlVvIWiibSnoFBQ-ZcUB4nkC6ksg/s1600-h/CampStroll.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJRSar_oLMa5WeKdkkGOBQA58-28VHJaOYPF_EgY8mOL4DMLCocISrC9zx08H_J9OcXhEeZvFda3fmvp9kCqeSJNAcmm9GZmNZlwCrP9NXMjAlVvIWiibSnoFBQ-ZcUB4nkC6ksg/s320/CampStroll.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273186612035405650" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Recently, I had the wonderful (if not exhausting) privilege of escorting my energetic and inquisitive pre-schooler through the grounds of the Fort Wilderness Campground, truly one of the crown jewels of Walt Disney World. After taking a leisurely stroll, we headed back to the parking lot via the resort's internal bus system.<div><br />As the pine trees and campsites passed by our windows, a recorded voice came over the loudspeakers to tell us more about what we were seeing. This new automated voice system now operates on busses throughout Walt Disney World, and while the technology that makes it possible is undoubtedly cool, the attention to theme falls just a bit short. There is themed music on the bus, but the voice on the loudspeaker is "the" voice of Walt Disney World, the same voice you hear on the monorail, the same voice you hear on bus after bus after bus. And while the announcer's deep monotone is certainly attention grabbing, on the internal bus at Ft. Wilderness, it also, sadly, seems woefully out of place. Gone is the suspension of disbelief, gone is the feeling of being lost in the wilderness. Yes, we are on a bus in the wilderness, but it's the voice that breaks the illusion, reminding us, after all, that it's not really the wilderness, it's only Walt Disney World. Perhaps they were going for a Jack Wagner kind of presence here, but the execution is jarring-- and misses the mark. An opportunity to add to the immersion has been squandered, or at the very least, overlooked.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIbncLessDxIs2UZ8H1h3ZhUErYwQJL5h5N3RsX2t_Y_IUdc1P0YEE610uvdLEhWwVjJUako1PaddtBI4l9FrOS7LRF7VB2pMbdW33Knc0RIBIGFksQUfA0YSr9bmfk9xZQ6XMw/s1600-h/RCountry1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIbncLessDxIs2UZ8H1h3ZhUErYwQJL5h5N3RsX2t_Y_IUdc1P0YEE610uvdLEhWwVjJUako1PaddtBI4l9FrOS7LRF7VB2pMbdW33Knc0RIBIGFksQUfA0YSr9bmfk9xZQ6XMw/s320/RCountry1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273187926697086226" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />By way of contrast, cast your mind back to the early days of Walt Disney World. You're about to enjoy a trip down one of the water slides at River Country. You ascend the rock formation that serves as a staircase and peruse the "wanted" posters at the summit. The fresh Florida breeze blows through the partly cloudy sky over your slightly sunburned skin. Suddenly, a voice calls out over the uptempo banjo music:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(102, 51, 51);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>"Welcome to 'Whoop 'n' Holler Hollow'! Now the water below us is up to six feet deep, and has a strong current. Only experienced swimmers should use the slide."</blockquote></span></blockquote><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiXHsYVdDOGRr74QqlhKfbglBplVdUmHp9PTTp7OiCLweitxvl0XDC3KU4in2qXSlq8a2sjs6eIwrelcseoPl1j4RwwmpFc2IYN9RFnwvuCNNq8SECBHHfodwaO-pMVMmTjxs2g/s1600-h/RCountry2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiXHsYVdDOGRr74QqlhKfbglBplVdUmHp9PTTp7OiCLweitxvl0XDC3KU4in2qXSlq8a2sjs6eIwrelcseoPl1j4RwwmpFc2IYN9RFnwvuCNNq8SECBHHfodwaO-pMVMmTjxs2g/s320/RCountry2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273191851874053650" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Those of us who remember River Country can instantly hear the old cowpoke's voice as he implores us to use caution. They didn't have to do it that way back then, but they did, and that simple themed voice-over remains a fond memory to this day, one of those small but inexplicably satisfying finishing touches that transforms mundacity into pure magic.<br /><br />Yes, I know, some would argue that the typical Florida guest doesn't care about the details anymore. And harping about the voice on the bus is admittedly very, very picky. But Walt Disney World is supposed to be a collection of unparalleled immersive environments. Anything that detracts from that immersion needs to be addressed.<br /><br />Fortunately, it won't cost a fortune to remedy the situation. Curbing the internal busses at Ft. Wilderness in favor of the old steam trains that used to traverse the campground would be beyond wonderful; but for now, let's be reasonable, and focus on the little things. In this uncertain time of smaller budgets and economic anxiety, a series of very small fixes might be just what the doctor ordered.<br /><br />Walt Disney Imagineering would be wise to seize this opportunity, visit Florida, and take a much-needed inventory of all those missing details at Walt Disney World. Start by separating the property back into its individually themed environments. What works? What doesn't? What's missing? What can we add?<br /><br />A holistic approach by Imagineering-- a renewed interest in, and creative ownership of, all of Walt Disney World-- would refresh the property and restore the Disney shine like never before. It's a simple, cost-effective approach. And here in Florida, it represents some tender loving care that's long overdue.<div><blockquote style="color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Never neglect the little things. You can never do your best, which should always be your trademark, if you are cutting corners and shirking responsibilities. You are special. Act it. Never neglect the little things." </span></blockquote><blockquote style="text-align: right; color: rgb(51, 0, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;">-- Og Mandino</span></blockquote><br /><br /></div></div>Virtual Toadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12601737654750795321noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-47572179020075348262008-11-28T12:34:00.000-08:002008-11-30T19:21:34.536-08:00Tis the Season...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsa2xBCXsmO6KQ26IWJJZv31SFwKtyPKFwb5ouRl6BErbRQOEAE8798SXKdF_tEWy4BDiH4DyOD4c2Rgy0iYFBbh1dUNWm0qu_e31h2nbBb2rhgcI8rRIBH3Tb_0-2us5u-tg/s1600-h/castle.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 277px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsa2xBCXsmO6KQ26IWJJZv31SFwKtyPKFwb5ouRl6BErbRQOEAE8798SXKdF_tEWy4BDiH4DyOD4c2Rgy0iYFBbh1dUNWm0qu_e31h2nbBb2rhgcI8rRIBH3Tb_0-2us5u-tg/s400/castle.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273812813551188210" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I</span>t’s that time of year again to once again sluff off the cynicism and be thankful for our many blessings. Since its inception nearly three years ago, Re-Imagineering has witnessed much to be thankful for and it never hurts to remind ourselves of the many projects going right in the world of Imagineering.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJYs2gVyZEfJpXVdsJ1at94APF4gy8u3KQ0Kiwz8x5d3JnimWKzug-0r65je4ngNpwDl70_FkQTKd4nXf5qrqM_OlqYbFYCBDHqPCnHW3vHIbtONTTjVRV7OUqJrXQyVECcFx/s1600-h/spaceship+earth.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 106px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJYs2gVyZEfJpXVdsJ1at94APF4gy8u3KQ0Kiwz8x5d3JnimWKzug-0r65je4ngNpwDl70_FkQTKd4nXf5qrqM_OlqYbFYCBDHqPCnHW3vHIbtONTTjVRV7OUqJrXQyVECcFx/s320/spaceship+earth.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273812968456539506" border="0" /></a>Our first howl of disapproval was that giant Mickey Wand gracing the sleek lines of Spaceship Earth at Epcot Center. It seemed to exemplify all the tacky turns for the worse the stateside Disney parks were all suffering through. Now it is gone. The collective sigh of relief that followed undoubtedly spiked global warming to it’s most dangerous levels yet.<br /><br />Where once the submarine lagoon at Disneyland sat dormant for nearly a decade, it resurfaced last year in fine fashion. We may whine that the Nemo and Friends overlay is more Fantasyland than Tomorrowland, but the love infused by animators and designers shines through, diluting that argument substantially. The subs are back, and that’s cause for celebration enough.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yvL78SYhlKZ0IINJW4FJyaehiolOv8ZI71hMhSgjP9Xnaj0nGPMdk1d9_b8E1G69p95DTahwzuNoDhDdXkFdOlDja7s1wxLrbMXVFkeJgNEWorMhjrPneun5Zr1bW_Iii5hB/s1600-h/Expedition.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yvL78SYhlKZ0IINJW4FJyaehiolOv8ZI71hMhSgjP9Xnaj0nGPMdk1d9_b8E1G69p95DTahwzuNoDhDdXkFdOlDja7s1wxLrbMXVFkeJgNEWorMhjrPneun5Zr1bW_Iii5hB/s320/Expedition.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273813170347493650" border="0" /></a>Expedition Everest, a classy, carefully researched and finely detailed attraction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, was a call-back to what Imagineers do best. Opening in early 2006, it’s another jewel from the team of Joe Rhode, an Imagineer that truly ‘gets it’. Walt is smiling and so are we.<br /><br />California Adventure got the new name, ‘<span style="font-style: italic;">Walt Disney’s California Adventure</span>’, and the new infusion of more than a billion dollars of capital. Finally this glowering mis-mash mall of the cheap will become the romantic sun-kissed orange blossom state of Walt’s 1920’s arrival, all mission-style tile roofs, red-cars and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJQ1I0J-e39DjFwycJTyKnVzDNlUODK_BknoHMB9NgPuds0weqZhRnTb4O0b-Ziz8OoB7FSSiN8M-TT2kx_P36wvonTZyAcz25pvU4vVWcZdnbknntY7vda_zQorm1YYm_YLG/s1600-h/DSC_5375.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 125px; height: 205px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJQ1I0J-e39DjFwycJTyKnVzDNlUODK_BknoHMB9NgPuds0weqZhRnTb4O0b-Ziz8OoB7FSSiN8M-TT2kx_P36wvonTZyAcz25pvU4vVWcZdnbknntY7vda_zQorm1YYm_YLG/s320/DSC_5375.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273883543590870706" border="0" /></a>Walt’s own California Adventure will, of course, be only be the beginning. John Lasseter is overseeing Car’s Land, a giant slab of acreage celebrating the romance and lure of Route 66, while the beloved little mermaid Ariel will debut in her own E-ticket extravaganza sometime in 2010. What she actually has to do with California is a little bewildering, but what the heck, we’ll welcome her to the golden state regardless.<br /><br />Though the work at WDCA will take years to complete, the fact that the brass at corporate are putting their money where <span style="font-style: italic;">our</span> mouths are signals much to be thankful for. Already Paradise Pier has seen a swatch of Victorian Era gingerbread bloom along its shores with the opening of Toy Story Midway Mania and the recent draining of the area lake is a clear sign that work has already begun to re-tool for the planned water fountain spectacular ‘Disney’s Wonderful World of Color’. Let us bow our head and give thanks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHFcnSyb6q1EGhJUbAmp_eCiYkLaG_1u-_ViDbUiUeUnxdyjt5f_93imKqocGG2guaKVq5strjDDj8GdXxw82-ObFsSBoZUKYjd02Oij89AtmBX4SODFu9CkWgobd7gjhEXQx/s1600-h/Small.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 127px; height: 122px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiHFcnSyb6q1EGhJUbAmp_eCiYkLaG_1u-_ViDbUiUeUnxdyjt5f_93imKqocGG2guaKVq5strjDDj8GdXxw82-ObFsSBoZUKYjd02Oij89AtmBX4SODFu9CkWgobd7gjhEXQx/s320/Small.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273813873861165122" border="0" /></a>Say what you will about adding Disney-kin ready-to-order dolls to ‘<span style="font-style: italic;">It’s a Small World</span>’, (and this blog certainly has) but when version 2.0 re-opens in early 2009 it will be cleaner, sound better and revive missing details not seen since the late 60’s. Perhaps refreshing those glittering details came with a deal with the devil, but we’re thankful for the spit and polish nonetheless and will try not to notice the price-tags affixed to those adorable Disney characters throughout the attraction.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqP10mSkXzbV0rd-msxfVAyO4de22WTwhHscaY5C4l7DybmygXzW6EofuDmlhLcPWwwiXeG7xgTXUHul37CUhIn1CSNVwJyyD3DYtE3BmMSY2TQGxMEFsFuqjlZ2lpr3QN1fZ/s1600-h/main08+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 143px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqP10mSkXzbV0rd-msxfVAyO4de22WTwhHscaY5C4l7DybmygXzW6EofuDmlhLcPWwwiXeG7xgTXUHul37CUhIn1CSNVwJyyD3DYtE3BmMSY2TQGxMEFsFuqjlZ2lpr3QN1fZ/s320/main08+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274017791816558530" border="0" /></a>Now that Obamania is in full swing and the country appears ready to proudly wave the red white and blue again, Disneyland’s Main Street is ready to highlight the long neglected ‘U.S.A.’ part of its title in the coming months. Up will go the banners and flags while the Opera House will welcome back a resuscitated Lincoln, this time possibly sharing the stage with Barack himself in a supporting role. Republicans and Democrats can now both unite and give thanks.<br /><br />Back at Disney World, Space Mountain is slated for an infusion of some tender loving care in the near future and though it may not be the complete overhaul this classic deserves, every little bit helps.<br /><br />The rumor mill is also closely monitoring the plans for a much needed re-tooling of Florida’s Fantasyland. Details are sketchy, but it appears hopeful that the entire land will undergo a complete makeover. Perhaps we should thank Harry Potter over at Universal for that one.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Em9YgryONTsBqlEqT_LfeVJYOVtNFFH-K_ysyRXUuHKukAYZiU8CHRrs5orL7FFH_kbJKaV_FMTUmCSQ1haciIsPWjaDzvJo4ehLZRugormppe_W87dKELGkMZfENJhE1G0/s1600-h/Haunted-Mansion.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 138px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK1Em9YgryONTsBqlEqT_LfeVJYOVtNFFH-K_ysyRXUuHKukAYZiU8CHRrs5orL7FFH_kbJKaV_FMTUmCSQ1haciIsPWjaDzvJo4ehLZRugormppe_W87dKELGkMZfENJhE1G0/s320/Haunted-Mansion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5274197924832732162" border="0" /></a>We also bow courteously to the ooky new sets and surreal sounds at the Haunted Mansion, the splash of Siemens all over Spaceship Earth, the newly refreshed bears at Country Bear Jamboree and the promise of things to come at The Hall of Presidents.<br /><br />Finally this week marks the soft re-opening of a true gem at Disneyland’s Fantasyland, the retro ‘57 Eyvind Earle version of the original castle walk-thru not seen at Disneyland since the mid-70’s. Though this is a small animatronic-free series of intimate dioramas and not a splashy blast-em up E-ticket extravaganza, it remains a sterling example of Disney magic at it’s absolute finest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjU66PbiGMdA3fnOB8F2BotTfeYKQZ_2q3CUPDffZMIFy-TlUN2dp_Yw2niqmGAUkF0FOWGtBluh2F1DojF_UorcXkvcHo833amajRoSh3SmxZdjK1dJMStTlS26UoP9Uw1tG/s1600-h/earlecastle+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 166px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvjU66PbiGMdA3fnOB8F2BotTfeYKQZ_2q3CUPDffZMIFy-TlUN2dp_Yw2niqmGAUkF0FOWGtBluh2F1DojF_UorcXkvcHo833amajRoSh3SmxZdjK1dJMStTlS26UoP9Uw1tG/s400/earlecastle+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273818580533393618" border="0" /></a><br />Here quality, craftsmanship and artistry take the front seat and the effect is positively swoon-worthy. Mere thanks for this re-opened jewel-box doesn’t seem appropriate. Genuflect.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Happy Holidays from Re-Imagineering!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span><br /></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-84016964304716454792008-10-07T16:38:00.000-07:002008-10-07T17:39:15.986-07:00Gettyland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vEq-hfP2TvjhPgfKjzb1Qb2dx_MsAfDl3tdj_roi8CUQuR9UHEN0ax8vLroY8y73n7YPxcmhLBFYpH8MRpyjeqBfZtEmSnL0N6lbMYi-xN_jrVQ0R2vj1sIEIzofAOiunSc4/s1600-h/peaceful.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vEq-hfP2TvjhPgfKjzb1Qb2dx_MsAfDl3tdj_roi8CUQuR9UHEN0ax8vLroY8y73n7YPxcmhLBFYpH8MRpyjeqBfZtEmSnL0N6lbMYi-xN_jrVQ0R2vj1sIEIzofAOiunSc4/s320/peaceful.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254561824571861490" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;">I</span>t’s sometimes hard to recall some of the simpler pleasures of Disneyland in this rough and tumble era of season pass holders and video game attention spans, but once upon a time they flourished from one end of the park to the other.<br /><br />Luckily there are still places you can go in Southern California that succeed in stirring up some of the sense-memories that were very much a part of vintage Disneyland. One of these places is the newly re-opened Getty Villa in Malibu, California.<br /><br />It’s here, in this painstaking recreation of the Villa Dei Papiri in ancient Hercullaneum, where much of Disneyland’s missing mystique is alive and well.<br /><br />Plumb the exit polls of Disneyland in its first two decades and you’d get a clear idea of what informs the Getty Villa playbook of today:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">• </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">Disneyland was obsessively clean</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">. Back when there seemed to be one janitorial host for every 10 square feet it was common for guests to bet on how quickly a cigarette butt would be scooped up the moment it was tossed to the ground. The winner always knew to bet on seconds.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">• </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">Disneyland cast members were courteous and well informed</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">. Mid century America swooned with approval at all the well groomed smiles and came back year after year for more.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">• </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">Disneyland was often bucolic, pastoral and idyllic</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">. There were moments to be found around every corner of Walt’s park that celebrated the quieter pleasures found in a small town or a rural countryside.</span><br /></blockquote><br />It is these elements that truly transform mere fun into pure bliss, elements that are in full bloom and firing on all cylinders at the Getty Villa and that underscore so much of the compromised Disneyland experience of today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpEYpjhNfJWF6CEhCarAy63MPdXMypi6bEmvuKhuhkNa3fNh4OUptP1CxN3xXo7tw56u4PmvBWfMgv-GgkjRYLGqGCBb3MuQw4Mzx1tWLUrpXcj-QpV_dz9XXnfE3Pl3rqyUv/s1600-h/getty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdpEYpjhNfJWF6CEhCarAy63MPdXMypi6bEmvuKhuhkNa3fNh4OUptP1CxN3xXo7tw56u4PmvBWfMgv-GgkjRYLGqGCBb3MuQw4Mzx1tWLUrpXcj-QpV_dz9XXnfE3Pl3rqyUv/s400/getty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254562180111702370" border="0" /></a><br />Though primarily a world class museum of Greek and Roman antiquities, visitors to the Getty Villa wishing to merely revel in the experience of being transported to another time and place are richly rewarded.<br /><br />On arriving at what might as well be called <span style="font-style: italic;">Rome A.D. 79 Land</span>, docents greet everyone up close and personal with a smile and guide map and send you on your way through the garden path stairwells to the shining Villa on the hill. This personal touch is classic Disneyland.<br /><br />Lush landscaping abounds, unobstructed by souvenir stands, vacation club kiosks or popcorn vendors, from the Italy specific herb garden and fruit trees to the 300 varieties of plants endemic to ancient Rome. Along covered walkways around the inner and outer peristyle guests are treated to fanciful fountains, bronze statues and intricate wall paintings. Past the jaw dropping 220-foot reflecting pool a spectacular view of the Pacific Ocean awaits, poking up between two terraced hillsides bordering the villa.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYt_-OJ1XcpCW6czSs_alJwFHQul8V23N6TcVQN-19D_ojUM1jCJh17NQMMUjTXDtnwdUnDlvWmv-9qC-u7KuAQVgL0yUxCW5R4NzBE75rNNJyXBsEWngx7EyGdF3i58C4u_D/s1600-h/villa2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYt_-OJ1XcpCW6czSs_alJwFHQul8V23N6TcVQN-19D_ojUM1jCJh17NQMMUjTXDtnwdUnDlvWmv-9qC-u7KuAQVgL0yUxCW5R4NzBE75rNNJyXBsEWngx7EyGdF3i58C4u_D/s320/villa2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254562643264822162" border="0" /></a>Everywhere small wonders excite the senses; the gorgeous sculptural banisters on the way to the second floor, the fountain festooned with seashells, the painted crickets scampering over the peristyle murals, the exquisite craftsmanship of the pocket window shutters along the gallery hallways or the whimsical intermingling of rosemary and boxwood topiaries for textural variety in the gardens.<br /><br />Granted, these subtle qualities are far removed from the more animated theatrics of Disneyland today but, within the more reflective and calming wonderland of the Getty Villa, no less effective in stirring up a true sense of wonder.<br /><br />Visits to places like the Getty Villa help to clarify where the Disneyland touch has tarnished over time. Guests are finding it a little harder to find more peaceful pleasures at the park, like an evening stroll along the gas lit banks of the River’s of America, quaint water features like Skull Rock or lazy hikes along the trails surrounding Fort Wilderness. Cast member smiles and personal service are often as barren as Thunder Mesa. Visual clutter and errant trash has eroded the suspension of disbelief in many a themed environment. Crowds and noise seem to have edged out the meaning and value of quieter oases of enchantment.<br /><br />Luckily there are hold outs in the Disney Theme park hierarchy. The Zen-like environments at Disney’s Animal Kingdom or Epcot’s World Showcase in Florida immediately come to mind.<br /><br />Still, if you’re looking to reconnect with the simple pleasures of Disneyland at at its finest look no further than the <a href="http://www.getty.edu/visit/">Getty Villa</a> in Malibu, California.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5gYiail8BzXlqd-zO8jw0dNPaKckUrnpSCsO1K_H-xFkyDFO2WKibby2LPbCd0FLSNdGQcYQaYczGkVSjiaXSbsf_-Fo88ZUzRJSAyX_HffrLj-tqkOJxsJPqzxB0FqxJBdY/s1600-h/lilies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5gYiail8BzXlqd-zO8jw0dNPaKckUrnpSCsO1K_H-xFkyDFO2WKibby2LPbCd0FLSNdGQcYQaYczGkVSjiaXSbsf_-Fo88ZUzRJSAyX_HffrLj-tqkOJxsJPqzxB0FqxJBdY/s400/lilies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5254564955309712754" border="0" /></a>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-28682604609241502122008-09-30T01:18:00.000-07:002008-09-30T09:56:52.535-07:00Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow<span style="font-style: italic;">Recently I received an email with a deceptively simple question that seemed like a great topic for Re-Imagineering:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85ufIwup7_-O7qs_u1lmsp1BTaigRpCHHFEIRAOa-gNdhnTudmBZHOiRjfiPwcaX0DVu3A5xBtlXWpQZqRL8emxrD0LRCilvmBuYSqAyYxxhjAdpL-I3oG8HdkN2iYYfPeAw/s1600-h/RocketToTheMoon%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi85ufIwup7_-O7qs_u1lmsp1BTaigRpCHHFEIRAOa-gNdhnTudmBZHOiRjfiPwcaX0DVu3A5xBtlXWpQZqRL8emxrD0LRCilvmBuYSqAyYxxhjAdpL-I3oG8HdkN2iYYfPeAw/s200/RocketToTheMoon%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251733203910179122" border="0" /></a></span><blockquote style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0); font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hey Merlin,<br /><br />When you get a moment -- just philosophically speaking, if you could take Tomorrowland to any place you wanted, what would you do? Would you just bring back the old stuff (Rocket Jets, PeopleMover, Adventure Thru Inner Space, Carousel Theatre, Circle Vision, etc.) as they were, or would you bring them back repurposed, or would you go forward to completely new ideas (the way Walt would’ve, I think), or what --?<br /><br />I cannot believe the passionate debates this subject is creating --<br /><br />Dexter Reilly</span></blockquote><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAA50zFyNjpCklEjj2tGpp1PBUMXOQTuI3Aq2RRJCaeN52IVKqndLLIchjjeIYfrwXjXgD6L_40t1ChBMJdmCXB862dVdi79KvZQqlPO_Yjh2_FqaoPbvK2CR5P8ee64stno/s1600-h/FlyingSaucer%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrAA50zFyNjpCklEjj2tGpp1PBUMXOQTuI3Aq2RRJCaeN52IVKqndLLIchjjeIYfrwXjXgD6L_40t1ChBMJdmCXB862dVdi79KvZQqlPO_Yjh2_FqaoPbvK2CR5P8ee64stno/s200/FlyingSaucer%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251730990236543970" border="0" /></a><br />It's a good question. To answer it, let's look at what Walt really did in 1967: He didn't actually scrap the place and go forward with all-new ideas or an all-new aesthetic or point-of-view as is often ascribed to him, he simply grew the idea from what was most successful and updated his message with the latest technology and modern design. <br /><br />Thematically, the same utopian, optimistic corporate global futurism was on display in New Tomorrowland, just with a better budget, a more complex show and entertainment experience for the 60s. The additions and revisions of 1967 padded out the original concept (as did those in 1978).<br /><br />In terms of attractions: Astro Jets, Autopia, Monorail, CircleVision, Skyway, Submarine Voyage and Flight to the Moon all survived the original 1955/59 Tomorrowland into the 1967 New Tomorrowland, but in improved, technically advanced versions, while Carousel of Progress, PeopleMover and Adventure Thru Inner Space were added (and Space Mountain was being planned for), all extensions of the original theme.<br /><br />The design aesthetic was updated and improved, but within the same family of streamlined ultramodernism that had been associated with science-fiction since the 1930’s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDwT1w_zyYJcjBCwUTFs4tJ4I8tERjE15uy9fGiOjqyRFFs8I9kRr3edluV80XLAxwphEpfgh58AKwuTzxM6hBsw4M-CdE9SjqOZ6rfM1d90Al32qzZWAyDP_VwvaCxBDhaE/s1600-h/AstroJets%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBDwT1w_zyYJcjBCwUTFs4tJ4I8tERjE15uy9fGiOjqyRFFs8I9kRr3edluV80XLAxwphEpfgh58AKwuTzxM6hBsw4M-CdE9SjqOZ6rfM1d90Al32qzZWAyDP_VwvaCxBDhaE/s200/AstroJets%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251730241631617122" border="0" /></a><br />In updating Tomorrowland these days, where thematic concept has gone off-track - - for the original Disneyland anyway, as Walt had a specific vision for his work and park that should be maintained - - is to discard the idea of utopian modernism. When Imagineers turn instead to recent trends in fantasy-science-fiction, Hollywood (Star Wars), eco-futurism (agri-future gardens), dark apocalyptic vision (Alien Encounter), cartoon franchise marketing (Buzz Lightyear) or nostalgic pre-modern futurism (Jules Verne, steampunk), it no longer feels like Walt Disney’s Tomorrowland.<br /><br />Neither does it seem like Walt’s Tomorrowland to focus on other worlds than our own for answers to Man’s future. His concept seemed to be about how we can help shape our own destiny with optimism and imagination and stick-to-it-tivity. <br /><br />People haven't changed all that much. They still want to see what it's like to live like the Jetsons or the Space Family Robinson - - in an exotic world of streamlined beauty and comfort and inner and outer space experiences. A vision that’s familiar and reassuring but once removed from our own. (Unlike the variation on a current tract home as we see in the new Innoventions. It looks so much like what we already have, it just smacks of consumerism rather than futurism). <br /><br />The beauty of Apple, Mac and iPod design shows us that the design ideas of modernism still hold that same glamour and appeal and image of forward momentum for the consumer public. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSw9MKUxB8bxcPI3B7RueX9zKWBkWO0aofSDQZCljSe2dT0XIglNkovU3gzzTbMZ8WwLVQgB4QJerEMSY1s1eNdrQCCwb4BVVcFsPo5aq-ZfQfYw63TDrVjO5xu52lLlItc5k/s1600-h/PeopleMover%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSw9MKUxB8bxcPI3B7RueX9zKWBkWO0aofSDQZCljSe2dT0XIglNkovU3gzzTbMZ8WwLVQgB4QJerEMSY1s1eNdrQCCwb4BVVcFsPo5aq-ZfQfYw63TDrVjO5xu52lLlItc5k/s200/PeopleMover%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251732695490011634" border="0" /></a><br />WALL*E's starship Axiom shows a great model for an upgraded Tomorrowland design in that it embraces that same flavor of utopian ultramodernism we all loved in the past while adding the Tokyo-like technology of the present and future (video-screens and billboards, etc). The blend keeps everything minimalist in shape and texture, just adding a layering of the new and current. It’s a progression of the Tomorrowland ideal, not a replacement for it.<br /><br />Though the film’s irony is that the BuyNLarge folks have a failed dream of their consumer Utopia, the humans on the Axiom handily ignore that outcome - - as guests of Disneyland always have (and would still if given such eye candy and futuristic pleasures at the park once again). <br /><br />Is optimistic futurism selling a lie of corporate propaganda like BuyNLarge? Well, the ideal is still relevant even if the execution in our real-world has been misguided. To progress, we still need the optimist’s ideal that Man can and will make things better. We just have to do it more wisely.<br /><br />As the filmmakers behind “WALL*E” have said: We are all still waiting for that jet-pack future we were promised. If we can’t have it everyday, we at least expect to find it at Disneyland.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I3WLV5Nnfy7KLP7qYdJwj2Q790-D6vLUXYb_mFxD2fZJH9lz6TMlAYWOf4ETax22ff_pYj79ZwYMmeGa1YmWY-TijNHTbogI0G0ejUK9N1cWbHEYicZspYSrXQ0zOS87f2Q/s1600-h/SubmarineVoyage%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I3WLV5Nnfy7KLP7qYdJwj2Q790-D6vLUXYb_mFxD2fZJH9lz6TMlAYWOf4ETax22ff_pYj79ZwYMmeGa1YmWY-TijNHTbogI0G0ejUK9N1cWbHEYicZspYSrXQ0zOS87f2Q/s200/SubmarineVoyage%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251734792100689202" border="0" /></a><br />In terms of attractions for a New Tomorrowland, a slate that features advanced technology with a variety of experiences should be the imperative, so let’s take another look at the varied pleasures Tomorrowland once provided when it was “A World on the Move” taking place Above, On, Below, Within and Without our Earth’s surface. <br /><br />What have we lost?<br /><br />The Rocket Jets up on the platform were not only an attractive “weenie,” but also a soaring experience high over Disneyland, the gift of flight. Skyway also provided this point-of-view - - But the "air" portion of the Disneyland experience parfait is gone now. It should be returned in some form. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguASmZK7tELLEozpoVJLdmYhJZ-1FMHxgT_0ClY3XrC4G4Puuqc0uMoWCdEPa7YuuMewuOUXYRDMa4z4Hctq5eoc6h1ZXHTyYRXChxrpeZaPSkNsHNzk8DrUlT_4uXa6Lp2DI/s1600-h/Skyway%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguASmZK7tELLEozpoVJLdmYhJZ-1FMHxgT_0ClY3XrC4G4Puuqc0uMoWCdEPa7YuuMewuOUXYRDMa4z4Hctq5eoc6h1ZXHTyYRXChxrpeZaPSkNsHNzk8DrUlT_4uXa6Lp2DI/s200/Skyway%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251734503854448386" border="0" /></a><br />Inner Space provided both a visceral shrinking experience to another dimension “inside” our own and a psychedelic visit to a world of surreal Disney design. It went internal instead of external to teach us about ourselves (and to blow our minds with abstract visuals and effects) - - another angle of the Disney experience we have lost without replacement. Exploring the world of the atom is still a relevant and compelling idea, we just need a new tech way to do it - - like the Spider-Man ride at Islands of Adventure, a moving, three-dimensional experience. With the theme still so fresh, why not bring it back in a new way?<br /><br />As a show, perhaps Carousel of Progress has had its day, but seeing the progress of Man and the product of his imagination should not be a dead concept - - Is there another way to do it that's interesting today that still entertains and inspires us toward a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow? The original EPCOT’s late, lamented Horizons was a modern variation on the theme and points in directions a new attraction could go.<br /><br />And there are new places to visit within and without Man’s experience on Earth that we haven’t even considered. These should be natural extensions of Walt’s approach, new visions that expand on the original idea without cannibalizing it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWd4um4lPXJ-wMowCdSQL7abWzlWxF20XitB2OlIBr-Isid6lOdwfM4Cb_Cg3oKPl4AwxKgwN5vDxHWpfhJ-HFW4lui1dHj0vSq14xGukG66cAbLzPootI1wsPDqEX5MQ-6k/s1600-h/AdventureThroughInnerSpace%5B1%5D.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWd4um4lPXJ-wMowCdSQL7abWzlWxF20XitB2OlIBr-Isid6lOdwfM4Cb_Cg3oKPl4AwxKgwN5vDxHWpfhJ-HFW4lui1dHj0vSq14xGukG66cAbLzPootI1wsPDqEX5MQ-6k/s200/AdventureThroughInnerSpace%5B1%5D.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251732235298690194" border="0" /></a><br />So, here’s the answer for me: I'd bring back the nostalgic and reassuring images of a fantastic ultramodern future we love - - then add in the all-important new angle of exploration and adventure and thrill and wonder that extends the optimistic utopian theme, as Walt himself had done. <br /><br />Keep what works, then PLUS it. Wouldn’t Walt have wanted to do both? That's what the company ALWAYS did in those times. They never threw away the past, only added to it. They brought along the best and built forward from it.<br /><br />What is the new experience or two? Well, that's the fun part to dream up for today’s Imagineers - - But it should be flashy and memorable, exceed expectations, thrill us - - and grow out of the consistent theme, taking us to an experiential and design plane we haven't yet visited - - or provide a visceral experience that is lacking in other attractions and areas at the park. And it should be artistically beautiful and modern. And all within the parameters of established theme.<br /><br />Disneyland should always be a complementary platter of Past, Future, Fact and Fantasy, Nostalgia and Challenge in all its angles, a unified timeline with a running theme. The recipe for the future is on the dedication plaque.<br /><br />Go back? Go forward?<br /><br />Do both.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiUFju_tc2loAlvdOjt_JFCAKQm3i4R07bokQEFYe2KmQb9BoUkyslFrAsuwXTLrBeHVEuH0fQhOpdJnCQcrOdXx3KlTHFN_P8CNy55tD56zPOxueYpobNOPzBDnqBCA-ytc/s1600-h/monorailposter.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipiUFju_tc2loAlvdOjt_JFCAKQm3i4R07bokQEFYe2KmQb9BoUkyslFrAsuwXTLrBeHVEuH0fQhOpdJnCQcrOdXx3KlTHFN_P8CNy55tD56zPOxueYpobNOPzBDnqBCA-ytc/s200/monorailposter.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251743930778633378" border="0" /></a>Merlin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397520005969644808noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-85815235367958171992008-08-05T17:08:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:28:07.224-08:00Audio Out-Source Atronics<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOlY0n3tob3py3MWRzze9rL1m5hIDSyU6CoembJ8-OQwcjYAH-4HYbN0x7wQjeKTpbBbcKWjZFYn9XqtP9iFBR_ppDuI7S5ijeD9Ql3FTl3DQR978QVN65zbv7oZCn2LlzD10/s1600-h/lincoln.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOlY0n3tob3py3MWRzze9rL1m5hIDSyU6CoembJ8-OQwcjYAH-4HYbN0x7wQjeKTpbBbcKWjZFYn9XqtP9iFBR_ppDuI7S5ijeD9Ql3FTl3DQR978QVN65zbv7oZCn2LlzD10/s400/lincoln.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231208277273509122" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">J</span>ust last June Disney Imagineering quietly announced what has been one of the worst kept secrets at the company; the majority of all Audio Animatronics manufacturing would be outsourced.<br /><br />In a casual, plain-spoken letter to O-Meon.com, WDI Spokesperson Marilyn Waters explained:<br /><br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(0, 102, 0); font-style: italic;">“The new strategy for our Manufacturing and Prototype Organization is to focus on greater innovation in prototyping and developing the next generation of Audio-Animatronics figures. This will involve strengthening our competencies in the creation of unique Audio-Animatronics figures.”</blockquote><br /><br />In other words, WDI stands to save a considerable amount of cash by letting outside companies create the majority of Audio Animatronics figures used in their parks. Nowhere did this pay off more handsomely than in the recent creation of the more than 200 animated children in Hong Kong’s ‘It’s a Small World’ which just opened last April. Chinese vendors were not only a fast, efficient and friendly labor pool, but most importantly worked substantially cheaper than their US counterparts.<br /><br />For the Disney company, outsourcing animatronics is nothing new. They’ve been using private firms for decades, Garner Holt Productions in San Bernardino probably being the most high-profile. Still, the official announcement from Bruce Vaughn, Craig Russell and Kevin Eld last June stands as a reality check in the history of this venerable art form.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNtmsTuyYs7irRPhImYi9zvzxvhdCdICeiDRbdks4GZyA-PVbGxVTSOYuV-_JKZb0pNrZdNnx0a_ueNTRiXL8TWPwwjXFJ75ytq79Vzj51ed15hyphenhyphenh_Ad1iji_JFvKbExEEqCv/s1600-h/bear.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwNtmsTuyYs7irRPhImYi9zvzxvhdCdICeiDRbdks4GZyA-PVbGxVTSOYuV-_JKZb0pNrZdNnx0a_ueNTRiXL8TWPwwjXFJ75ytq79Vzj51ed15hyphenhyphenh_Ad1iji_JFvKbExEEqCv/s320/bear.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231195062513685570" border="0" /></a>As far as Walt Disney was concerned, Audio-Animatronics was nothing less than the next great leap forward in the history of animation. His giddy excitement over this new form of entertainment took palpable shape in his animatronics masterpieces Tiki Room, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress and Pirates of the Caribbean. After Walt passed away audio animatronics arguably reached it’s technological zenith with Hall of Presidents, Mickey Mouse Revue and Bear Country Jamboree in 1971 and the mind-bogglingly complex 114 characters in 1974’s America Sings.<br /><br />Since then Audio Animatronics showcases never quite surpassed the level of sophistication and audaciousness of those earlier halcyon days. Though Epcot saw a substantial renaissance of animatronics performers when it opened in 1982, most notably within Spaceship Earth, Journey into Imagination and American Adventure, often the figures verged from limited animation (Kitchen Kabaret, Horizons) to mere mannequins (World of Motion, El Rio de Tiempo).<br /><br />But it was Epcot’s park-wide reliance on film over form that perhaps foreshadowed the years to come. Filmed entertainment at Epcot took precedence over Animatronic showcases 2-1, with even the most spectacular figures of American Adventure sharing half their stage presence with lengthly movie interstitials.<br /><br />Today Audio-Animatronics never carry a show; instead single complex characters either introduce a ‘movie’ (Toy Story Mania), punctuate a movie (Tough to be a Bug, Muppets 3-D) or provide a climax to a rollercoaster (Expedition Everest). The balance of audio-animatronic characters are now relegated to dark rides and often can’t even be called truly ‘animatronic’, the animation now left to rotating turntables and opening and closing doors (Monsters Inc., Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMvNEaTmlxe1Ngn5wf3khP_OS36yGdaEa5ZpcOXDCy0cwA1xFO4ySmEuyxsp8lqf4XsLue8d4MeRxDDrdclzFZ-e1ZFVqb2iKS7B3OOdoa3nx7gaPGVxQRdeiecfpTLMjB9NW/s1600-h/America.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCMvNEaTmlxe1Ngn5wf3khP_OS36yGdaEa5ZpcOXDCy0cwA1xFO4ySmEuyxsp8lqf4XsLue8d4MeRxDDrdclzFZ-e1ZFVqb2iKS7B3OOdoa3nx7gaPGVxQRdeiecfpTLMjB9NW/s200/America.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231195332485297810" border="0" /></a>With the official word now public, the only question to be asked is what this portends for the future of the art form. Are sophisticated animatronic variety shows officially a thing of the past? Will dazzling new leaps in technology only show up as single figures sprinkled sparingly throughout the park? Has Disney copped to the cheap showmanship of everyday 2-D film and digital video over truly dimensional animated fantasy performances?<br /><br />One can argue that out-sourcing animatronics makes perfectly good business sense in our complex new world market. But we can also wonder whether Disney Imagineering has inconspicuously relegated the Audio-Animatronics Extravaganza as a relic of days gone by.<br /><br />Perhaps, to counter Al Jolson’s giddy proclamation in 1927, <span style="font-style: italic;">“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”</span>, we have indeed seen it and it’s time to move along.Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-19618969330322877902008-07-17T16:00:00.001-07:002008-12-10T05:28:07.988-08:00Sleeping Beauty to Reawaken!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv-uLpsdywZFVKaSacTukbaC0Kb-poJLxNTIb9PRleg49yt7s9Fbprg0GTCRiyZhXytYSf7R0t5jAvY1PObbRKDoRc1R1LB2E8CwRkSbRqNAnUtc6-qHWs2jtQmytDZi5r2k/s1600-h/1304534439_6a8b6533ce_o.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv-uLpsdywZFVKaSacTukbaC0Kb-poJLxNTIb9PRleg49yt7s9Fbprg0GTCRiyZhXytYSf7R0t5jAvY1PObbRKDoRc1R1LB2E8CwRkSbRqNAnUtc6-qHWs2jtQmytDZi5r2k/s400/1304534439_6a8b6533ce_o.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224133076599790722" /></a><br />July 17, 2008 - Anaheim, CA - The interior of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland will open in time for the December holiday season, offering guests a “reawakened” version of its classic walkthrough presentation kissed with vibrant scenes of Aurora, her charming prince, the evil Maleficent and other characters from the beloved fairy tale film.<br /><br />“It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland,” said Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of Creative Development for Walt Disney Imagineering, who unveiled a model of the castle on July 17, the birthday of Disneyland park.<br /><br />Next year marks the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty,” and the excitement generated by the anniversary of the motion picture spurred interest in the return of the Disneyland attraction.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsXyMdL-cHE6hzX69sLSNLqg4aVQQXDibzB2KEARH2rjIL2078JV4uUk8qjHQYV0bJUouHZo9_AbfDn5u7UZdZ0EqS25GL628JTXKR5LFpsUpyEYAPuRymSl_WSJIK4B4vII/s1600-h/fire-sleeping.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNsXyMdL-cHE6hzX69sLSNLqg4aVQQXDibzB2KEARH2rjIL2078JV4uUk8qjHQYV0bJUouHZo9_AbfDn5u7UZdZ0EqS25GL628JTXKR5LFpsUpyEYAPuRymSl_WSJIK4B4vII/s400/fire-sleeping.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224130874860169682" /></a><br />Also celebrating the milestone 50th Anniversary of “Sleeping Beauty” is Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, which will release a two-disc Platinum Blu-ray™ Hi-Def disc, making “Sleeping Beauty” the first Walt Disney animated classic title to be released in high definition, as well as on two-disc Platinum DVD. A bonus feature on the new release will be “The Original Sleeping Beauty Walk-Through Attraction With Walt Disney Imagineering,” an immersive experience recreating the original castle walkthrough.<br /><br />On April 29, 1957, nearly two years before the premiere of Walt Disney’s animated feature “Sleeping Beauty,” the Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough opened with an in-park ceremony featuring Walt Disney and actress Shirley Temple who, some 20 years earlier, had presented Disney with his special Academy Award – one Oscar and seven little ones – for “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”<br /><br />The crafting of the 1957 walkthrough show fell to Walt Disney Imagineer Ken Anderson and animation art director and color stylist Eyvind Earle, credited with giving the motion picture “Sleeping Beauty” the distinctive and colorful look of storybook illustrations in medieval style. An entirely new look appeared in 1977 when the attraction’s redesign featured miniature dioramas, including moving figurines similar to the window displays in the shops on Main Street, U.S.A.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhZssQ7GeTeriC7gliWMUwsyfZ9MrC5pA7WSRzqEeBwUfS-8uigdHR8nL7ZxlEdURGpZxizQR4g2DNh1hiGp2-S_WddJUnErPiMsJh7zGEvAZE9a0j2hES5fwYClvq9hEvlE/s1600-h/cradle.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjhZssQ7GeTeriC7gliWMUwsyfZ9MrC5pA7WSRzqEeBwUfS-8uigdHR8nL7ZxlEdURGpZxizQR4g2DNh1hiGp2-S_WddJUnErPiMsJh7zGEvAZE9a0j2hES5fwYClvq9hEvlE/s400/cradle.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5224135195221697842" /></a><br />When the attraction is unveiled later this year, the “show” will differ from the dioramas of the 1980s and ‘90s, returning to the unique style of the original 1957 show and motion picture. Enhanced with new scenes and special effects magic, the re-Imagineered attraction will employ technology not available in the 1950s to represent scenes from the story of "Sleeping Beauty," including the magic of good fairies Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, and the more sinister spells of the evil Maleficent.<br /><br />For the first time, guests who are unable to climb stairs or navigate the passageways of the Castle will be able to experience the walkthrough “virtually” in a special room on the ground floor of the Castle.<br /><br />Source: Disneyland Press ReleaseMerlin Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13397520005969644808noreply@blogger.com62tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-75811179273525431352008-07-01T20:59:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:28:09.141-08:00A "Bold, New" World<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Vc_bF342XYOJj2Wf5g_ZmvBGz5PsN-IuFWnP-l_9HGEn9JCMHwvrQjnyaxcpc5KNxDQ1QjE4snCuEQVLixA8_2tXRN7f7W9L2ucUmMNxY93gab0gbtzoMFHCQbZzQRlZUGf0/s1600-h/shoppinggirl.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Vc_bF342XYOJj2Wf5g_ZmvBGz5PsN-IuFWnP-l_9HGEn9JCMHwvrQjnyaxcpc5KNxDQ1QjE4snCuEQVLixA8_2tXRN7f7W9L2ucUmMNxY93gab0gbtzoMFHCQbZzQRlZUGf0/s400/shoppinggirl.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218291945346660178" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: right; color: rgb(0, 51, 51);"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Our guests tell us they want additional shopping and dining experiences at Downtown Disney." </span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kevin Lansberry</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Vice president - Downtown Disney Florida</span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /></div><br />Souvenir stands, carnival thrills, and T-shirt shops. U.S. 192 in Kissimmee? Not if some at the Walt Disney Company have their way, as they prepare to execute what they call a "bold new vision" for Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World in Florida.<div><br /></div><div>In a news release quietly disseminated late last Friday, the Walt Disney Company announced its new plan for the Downtown Disney area. Buried within the news release, this sentence: <span style="font-style: italic;">"To make way for the new offerings, all of the clubs currently on Pleasure Island will close on September 27."</span></div><div><br /></div><div>At first glance, this might not seem like that big a deal for the Imagineering enthusiast. But slated for demolition, along with the more traditional clubs of Pleasure Island, is one of Imagineering's true crown jewels: The Adventurers Club.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmCF1BsnqWvT8v2iiDQYXCf-G3s9AltZlBc6BmKclUAa-QhKhHKYty7OLbXYoJg2JCy1XYomtBHxaSgAqSWcYRhQK7xVnzclQLEP10w1DI3b7hqrGFreXVeV26okd5jQlYEpH/s1600-h/AC1.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxmCF1BsnqWvT8v2iiDQYXCf-G3s9AltZlBc6BmKclUAa-QhKhHKYty7OLbXYoJg2JCy1XYomtBHxaSgAqSWcYRhQK7xVnzclQLEP10w1DI3b7hqrGFreXVeV26okd5jQlYEpH/s400/AC1.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218461885108209986" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>If you're a Disneyland enthusiast who lives in California, you might not know much-- or anything-- about this hidden Imagineering gem. It's one of the truly superior attractions we Floridians can proudly claim as our own.</div><div><br /></div><div>Some guests who enter this 1930's gentleman's club wander around the mezzanine, and depart without discovering the true genius this venue has to offer. Guests who descend the staircase and sit down for a drink or two are in for the time of their lives.</div><div><br /></div><div>Throughout the evening, several amazing performers make their way through the Adventurers Club, welcoming everyone to a 1937 New Years Eve open house. The club president and other permanent members continually converse with the guests. An animatronic colonel (okay, he's really a puppet) leads patrons in the singing of the club's all-purpose theme song. Musical performances here can be of Broadway caliber, and few who stay long enough to learn the club salute are immune from the club's addictive charm.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3wXDy8pBmWEubxTqoK252uMRfBC3u8MovV2yibBaTK93EoGMbbWCn9GLc-2MpKaTTp3xryJ17VPDb4azyD_MPK0594RNR2Fm1Xw-MNAC5psI48cfkXJAf8dFv_Pcy4Tl0Rdl/s1600-h/ac3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3wXDy8pBmWEubxTqoK252uMRfBC3u8MovV2yibBaTK93EoGMbbWCn9GLc-2MpKaTTp3xryJ17VPDb4azyD_MPK0594RNR2Fm1Xw-MNAC5psI48cfkXJAf8dFv_Pcy4Tl0Rdl/s320/ac3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218466233412246706" border="0" /></a>While the sublime execution of the club's detailed back story and character development are a testament to the truly talented men and women who perform their hearts out each and every evening, just as incredible-- and important-- is the rich intricacy and superb thematic execution of the venue itself.</div><div><br /></div><div>The walls and antechambers of the Adventurers Club are adorned with an almost infinite number of period photographs, artifacts and mementos from fellow adventurers around the world. This amazing attention to (and investment in) the details sets the Adventurers Club apart as one of the finest themed environments ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering. Consider experiencing <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Pirates of the Caribbean</span> as a walk-through attraction. Would the details withstand the scrutiny? They do at the Adventurers Club. Remember, this isn't a roller coaster or even a slow-moving boat ride. It's a fully realized environment that has to endure intimate and repeat inspection from guests who spend several hours poring over its walls. Remarkably, the club's interior not only endures, it <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">envelopes</span>, as only a classic Disney attraction can.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today, the Adventurers Club still thrives in the midst of a diminished Pleasure Island. After two decades of financial and creative success, many here in Florida considered it sacred ground.<br /><br />Or for the time being, at least safe.</div><div><br /></div><div>So it should come as no surprise that the Adventurers Club is currently slated for demolition, along with the rest of Pleasure Island's clubs, in favor of a "bold new vision." A vision that includes (brace yourselves)...</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowmVKX1w86XW-e9Y_XjZu0yz8aG6YJoWjuGX9csdmrRvalKHkt6kqRXeEqZWvA9K9HIUBDnt8oOC3kByiH9xrsQBEf8g4WyzGxzqWjPYi2UZKWJK8IrK_qLZkcIdSLXTuVJmI/s1600-h/AC2.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowmVKX1w86XW-e9Y_XjZu0yz8aG6YJoWjuGX9csdmrRvalKHkt6kqRXeEqZWvA9K9HIUBDnt8oOC3kByiH9xrsQBEf8g4WyzGxzqWjPYi2UZKWJK8IrK_qLZkcIdSLXTuVJmI/s400/AC2.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218463528003682274" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>...a t-shirt shop and a hot air balloon.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the news release: </div><div><br /></div><div style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>"Over the next year, the 120-acre entertainment-shopping-dining complex will add a number of one-of-a-kind, immersive experiences for guests. Downtown Disney will even get its own iconic attraction, in the form of a giant, tethered balloon that will take guests 300 feet into the air to view the amazing vistas of Walt Disney World Resort. Other new experiences include... a design your own t-shirt store from Hanes [that] will add to the growing collection of merchandise guests can personalize at Downtown Disney."</blockquote></div><div><br /></div><div>To be fair, there is legitimate logic behind some of the changes. Until as recently as 2004, Pleasure Island's gated turnstiles impeded pedestrian traffic between the Marketplace and West Side, two wildly profitable retail areas. Removing the turnstiles improved the awkward and sometimes dangerous traffic flow, but invited non-paying guests onto the Island. Loitering teenagers are now tarnishing Downtown Disney's desired reputation as a family-friendly destination. Add to the equation property that's far too valuable for aging dance clubs, and its obvious that changes must and will be made.</div><div><br /></div><div>Let's be clear about this. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">N</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">o one is saying Pleasure Island shouldn't change</span>. But there are at least two things about this "bold, new vision" that should be especially troubling to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">anyone</span> who cares about the Walt Disney company, financially or creatively.</div><div><br /></div><div>One: That Disney's idea of "bold" and "new" calls for replacing unique Disney experiences with <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">even more</span> third-party dining and shopping venues, a t-shirt shop, and a hot air balloon.</div><div><br /></div><div>Two: That caught in the path of the wrecking ball is one of the finest themed environments ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering.</div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA5dlecaQEe0Ymy6gOOL-_dTLEubiCXB0UMCq2-GEij8XCPaltQe1NDyBLTvsM0epNcFG6TLz3avq710kaTgClSwF7z0LoQ8aTUhThQmZjg-59UrJpenWawOZMstCDncUboKG/s1600-h/hi,+loser.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDA5dlecaQEe0Ymy6gOOL-_dTLEubiCXB0UMCq2-GEij8XCPaltQe1NDyBLTvsM0epNcFG6TLz3avq710kaTgClSwF7z0LoQ8aTUhThQmZjg-59UrJpenWawOZMstCDncUboKG/s200/hi,+loser.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218467751001884786" border="0" /></a>Unless <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">someone</span> with power and vision intervenes, the Adventurers Club will welcome its final guests this fall.<br /><br />And that, on so many levels, is very, very sad. The sense of loss <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">this</span> time will come with added profundity and poignancy, because what's being destroyed is <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">so</span> unique, and works <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">so very, very well.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps the club will find a new home inside Animal Kingdom or elsewhere. We're not holding out much hope. But we are losing sleep. We just can't imagine a Walt Disney World without the Adventurers Club, and, judging from the more than <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">five thousand</span> on-line petition signatures compiled so far, a lot of other people feel the same way. </div><div><br /></div><div>The capable folks at the Walt Disney Company should go back to the drawing board on this one, and challenge themselves to re-imagine a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">truly</span> "bold, new" Downtown Disney, one that keeps the Adventurers Club in its mix. The current plan is only "bold" for its audacity, and destroying works of creative genius to pursue short-term profits is sadly nothing "new." </div><div><br /></div>Virtual Toadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12601737654750795321noreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-13732240449016984612008-06-25T16:42:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:28:09.495-08:00Compare and Contrast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7urlTByQVOZABCdcd19Q231jQAssFqTY8ildNoSEGCJzcFv_LqkFBzQ1rVRQdVzQnNO46z1GTd8mep_Pm-Hdt5DORpSWskZAK-KMr01EfNvhxjAENXxkV95TLIbXjzWTDzLP/s1600-h/Walt.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 87px; height: 93px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7urlTByQVOZABCdcd19Q231jQAssFqTY8ildNoSEGCJzcFv_LqkFBzQ1rVRQdVzQnNO46z1GTd8mep_Pm-Hdt5DORpSWskZAK-KMr01EfNvhxjAENXxkV95TLIbXjzWTDzLP/s320/Walt.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215969426123416610" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">- - Walt Disney</span></span> </div><span style="font-size:130%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbynp3fDvjvxYAmovP7XHNILgHfAhZF70gGKXegZqRUScttWFr7YTmb_oU70rfPfpWrj8Gzz712mP3_3WfbMZe7EqarJRD1JZHv-6_CiH0iCBmLImfc3A3gzFUBrGyy7ltfYf/s1600-h/Jay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 91px; height: 92px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqbynp3fDvjvxYAmovP7XHNILgHfAhZF70gGKXegZqRUScttWFr7YTmb_oU70rfPfpWrj8Gzz712mP3_3WfbMZe7EqarJRD1JZHv-6_CiH0iCBmLImfc3A3gzFUBrGyy7ltfYf/s320/Jay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5215969681926959330" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"When completed, Disney's California Adventure will feel more immersive and richer. It will have more heart."<br /></span></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">- - Jay Rasulo</span></span> </div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com53tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-39030526003745783852008-06-19T15:18:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:28:09.996-08:00"Yes, but is it art?"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz27eCcCE3ytGVDVW_itBKZHz71YRsRNDdGzyxslF8zjAJ9vNFVNPlHVUAUvQTl4EyYzYZLqUB99cUF4iL4pV95EsLcDB1q6uld4RG7fQ-lQhB4eCV6Q4f3EXiIDVOEp9-Y99/s1600-h/Blair-SW-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQz27eCcCE3ytGVDVW_itBKZHz71YRsRNDdGzyxslF8zjAJ9vNFVNPlHVUAUvQTl4EyYzYZLqUB99cUF4iL4pV95EsLcDB1q6uld4RG7fQ-lQhB4eCV6Q4f3EXiIDVOEp9-Y99/s400/Blair-SW-4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213720985689327298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> "S</span>he was an extraordinary artist, and Walt thought very highly of her. She was the most amazing colorist of all time. I don't even think Matisse could hold a candle to her - and I mean that very sincerely."<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">- Marc Davis<br />Disney Animator, Imagineer on Mary Blair<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS9B7A80W0OmP-7iAlN2-dYOFOORdHVewNoyF2zeuEhGSVzP4WjavRyRBVzPoPTXl0oT4pn_qX0Z70b9SNyMaqBoOYgj06wL7_LOGKRttoC_Za5dni7_I7Ox5gnvgKAzEPId_/s1600-h/davis-marc.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJS9B7A80W0OmP-7iAlN2-dYOFOORdHVewNoyF2zeuEhGSVzP4WjavRyRBVzPoPTXl0oT4pn_qX0Z70b9SNyMaqBoOYgj06wL7_LOGKRttoC_Za5dni7_I7Ox5gnvgKAzEPId_/s400/davis-marc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213721945072113762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 204);">.</span><br /></div>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22576594.post-66807894312592151912008-06-18T16:09:00.000-07:002008-12-10T05:28:10.198-08:00Editorial Comments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYmP8PTEx5uPm55B_7Hv4wD3Cn2ITydTbDnLYAnpVoJ50h1WpvHTMngDkKHhyphenhyphenEkvBQ3TqS17NKVRFRaA5snMGiuax1DzciFkUMwAFLKGdMBx0tgYpmiWklvISRM2LNWpCMjAe/s1600-h/AnnT10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtYmP8PTEx5uPm55B_7Hv4wD3Cn2ITydTbDnLYAnpVoJ50h1WpvHTMngDkKHhyphenhyphenEkvBQ3TqS17NKVRFRaA5snMGiuax1DzciFkUMwAFLKGdMBx0tgYpmiWklvISRM2LNWpCMjAe/s400/AnnT10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213364280525730690" border="0" /></a><br />One time imagineer and current Pulitzer Prize winning editorial artist Ann Telnaes recently chimed in on the recent Small World refurbishment over at Flipanimation.net.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">"Like many of my former CalArts classmates, I'm a fan of Mary Blair's work and this redo sounds like another unfortunate move by people in the company who have no business making creative decisions. It also sounds very political, adding a big 'Up with America' scene at the end. Maybe they should include animated Bush and Cheney Dolls."<br /><br /></span>More of Ann's amazing work can be found at <a href="http://www.anntelnaes.com/">her site.</a>Mr Bankshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12952506736745891323noreply@blogger.com55