Epic Battle of Epicness: Round 1: Bayside: Mickey Mouse v. Freddy Krueger

Name: Mickey Mouse A.K.A.: - Hometown: Disneyland Known For: Making millions of people happy. Strength: Being cute Weakness: Not too smart Wins: -

VS

Name: Freddy Krueger A.K.A.:  - Hometown: Springwood Known For: Killing teens in their sleep Strength: Knows your every weakness Weakness: Once you stop believing in him, he no longer has power. Wins: -

Mickey Mouse is a great character, he is happy-go-lucky and never wants to hurt anyone. He is the mascot of a multi-million dollar, international company, with the forces that come with it behind him. Freddy Krueger is the "son of a hundred maniacs" and is a child killer. His no-holds bar fighting technique guarantees that Freddy would take down the mouse in just a few seconds. But Mickey is the "final girl" and the only surviving character because of his innocence and his ability to turn dreams into wishes. 
Conclusion: Mickey Mouse v Freddy Krueger

Epic Battle of Epicness: Round 1: Metropolis: Kermit the Frog v. Fa Mulan

Name: Kermit the Frog A.K.A.: - Hometown: Hollywood Known For: Being green Strength: Very friendly Weakness: Short temper Wins: -

VS

Name: Fa Mulan A.K.A.: Ping Hometown: China Known For: Cross dressing Strength: Caring for her family Weakness: Doesn't look like a boy Wins: -

Kermit is the lovable frog that has had an on-again-off-again relationship with a pig for several decades. He is the glue that holds the Muppets together, but sometimes throws temper tantrums. And like Mulan he has a good singing voice. Mulan saved her country (and her father) by masquerading as a man to fight in the army. And even after she is found out and dishonored, she still defends the Emperor. Mulan is very brave and even gets the guy in the end. She wins.  
Conclusion: Kermit the Frog v Fa Mulan

Trip Report: Las Vegas v. WDW

I deplaned and waited anxiously for my bus to pull away. If feels like I’ve been traveling for days but it was probably just the build up of coming here. Seeing my old friends, making new ones. As the bus winds its way to my hotel I see wonderful theming. Each hotel a world away from each other though being within a few miles of the next. The scaled down objects found across the world invite me in to shop and dine and enjoy all the entertainment attractions offered at each of these well themed areas.

            I finally arrive at my hotel, exhausted and ready to call it a night, so I can be up early to enjoy a grand buffet with my friends.

            I am not talking about Walt Disney World or Disneyland, but rather Las Vegas. I recently had a great trip there and couldn’t help notice the remarkably similar aspects between WDW and Vegas.

            I stayed at The Palms Casino Resort off of “The Strip.” This is a gorgeous hotel with all the amenities that one expects from a casino resort in Vegas, just a little further from other resorts.

            Although The Plams was not overly themed, they had so much going on at the resort, I never had to leave! Several sit down dinning restaurants, many quick service dinning options, two pools, MANY bars, a couple dance clubs, a movie theatre, and the casino floor itself. I only left the Palms three times. Once to look for a drug store, once to get Starbucks coffee, and once for the rehearsal dinner. Remind you of Eiser’s call to keep people on property by offering more and more things for them to do, and then providing bus services to even dissuade guests from renting cars.

            The strip itself had a lot of well themed hotels and areas with shows and attractions and shopping to appease the masses. Despite being hundreds of miles from WDW, I felt like I was home.

D23: Pre Event Excitment

From disneyparks.disney.go.com

Less than a month away from the this years D23, I’ve finally looked over the current schedule (as of July 11) and have compiled my tops (and bottoms) for this convention.

Top Seven events I am excited for during this year’s D23 Expo

1. Richard M. Sherman and Alan Menken: The Disney Songbook (8/10 – 6:30pm, D23 Arena)
2. Broadway and Beyond (8/9 – 6:30pm, Stage 23)
3. Disney Imagineering Legend Marty Sklar Presents … Dream It! Do It! (8/9 – 3pm, Stage 28)
4.  Undiscovered Disneyland (8/9 – 12:30pm, Stage 23)
5. A la Mode Costume Contest (8/9 – 2:30pm, Stage 23)
6. Voices of Disney Parks (8/10 – 2pm, Stage 28)
7. We still don’t know what “Walt Disney Imagineering’s 60^th Anniversary” events will be, but considering that is what Sunday is about, I’m sure I’ll have something from all those panels here.

Non-Panel excitement:

·      Mary Poppins archives exhibit

Bottom Seven events I am LEAST excited for

1. ALL Disney Channel meetings
2. Exclusive Screening of Disney’s Planes (8/9 – 3pm, D23 Arena)
3. Broadcast from Buena Vista Street (8/10 – 10:30am, Stage 28)
4. ESPN Films Screening of The ‘99er (8/11 – 2:30pm, Stage 28)
5. R5 Performance (8/10 – 4:30pm, Disney Channel Pavilion)
6. Disney Ambassadors (8/11 – 4pm, Stage 28)
7. Rave Bossert Remembers Roy E. Disney, with special guest Roy P. Disney (8/9 – 1:30pm, Stage 28)

Top Seven Second Choice events

1. Disney Legends Ceremony (8/10 – 2pm, D23 Arena)
2. Crash Course in the Force: Star Wars Saga 101 (8/10 – 5pm, Stage 23)
3. Ridley Pearson and the Kingdom Keepers Quest (8/9 – 12 noon, Stage 28)
4. Charles Phoenix Presents (8/10 – 12noon, Stage 28)
5. Mayhem, Mischief, and Monkeys: The Magic of Mystic Manor (8/9 - 11:30am, Stage 28)
6. The Art and Artistry of Aulani (8/9 – 4:30pm, Stage 28)
7. We still don’t know what “Walt Disney Imagineering’s 60^th Anniversary” events will be, but considering that is what Sunday is about, I’m sure I’ll have something from all those panels here.

If I Ruled The World: Magic Kingdom

Now that the colonies are under better control, I can turn my attention to the capital, the Magic Kingdom.

If I Ruled the World: Magic Kingdom
(not too much change)

Main Street, USA:
• Main Street doesn’t have a lot going for it. It’s the shopping district of the Magic Kingdom, and I’m fine with that. What I don’t like here (and in other parts of the park) is every time there is a parade, they lay tape on the ground. This takes a lot of manpower and doesn’t look great. I want to embed metal strips into the ground, in the exact locations of where the tape gets laid.

Carousel of Progress Main Street edition

Back where they belong

• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. I LOVE this game. On more than one occasion I’ve spent the entire day playing the game. I want to see more locations. There is nothing in Tomorrowland nor Storybook Circus. Expand the game.
• Whatever happened to the Swan Boats? Well, they are back!
• Move the Carousel of Progress to Main Street, and bring back Walt’s original ending. It harkens back to the glory days of Walt, although it would play with the timeline of Main Street, it just fits in better with the theme of “Yesterday” better than “Tomorrow.”

Tomorrowland:
• Let’s start with the now emptied space that was the Carousel of Progress. I actually want to make it part 2 of the Carousel of Progress. Have the final scene just a 10 years in the future, so the first scene would be 1980, followed by ‘90, 2000, and the final scene being ’10. Then, as we approach ’20, dismantle the ’80 scene and move everything up. This updated scene would continue to highlight the newest marvels. I would like to see Apple sponsor this pavilion.
• I’ve previously discussed moving the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor from Tomorrowland to Pixar Place in Hollywood Studios. I don’t know what I’d like to see instead, but Monsters have nothing to do with the future.
• The Tomorrowland Raceway. I’m not sure which of the flowing I would like better.
1. As cars have nothing to do with “tomorrow” they could be rethemed to be more futuristic – possible look like Jetson type cars, or even space ships.
2. Move the entrance over to Fantasyland and rethemed the cars to Pixar’s Cars.
Both of these could make perfect sense, but for now, I’ll leave it in Tomorrowland, as Fantasyland is going to have a lot of new attractions.

Fantasyland:
• With all the construction, I’ll wait to pass judgment on the current expansion.

Liberty Square:
• Liberty Square River Boat. I would update the Native Americans. This seems like the perfect place to include Pocahontas.

Frontierland:

Woody's show building
(borrowed from Buzz's show building)

• Country Bear Jamboree. Update the score. Give us some digital quality songs.
 • Return the Diamond Horseshoe Review show. The building is so sad – that is when it is open.
• Add a Woody (from Toy Story) Ride. Frontierland is tight on space, so the show building would be outside the brim, right where the parade route ends. (The parade would be onstage for a bit longer as it would follow the new path created for Woody.) As for the content of the ride, I don’t have any ideas yet.

Adventureland:
• Just like the hat at Hollywood Stuidos, I don’t like Aladdin’s Magic Carpets. They just take up space! So they are gone!
• The Swiss Family Tree House needs some TLC. I would like to see it rethemed somehow, but from my understanding the retheming to Tarzan at Disneyland didn’t bring in the crowds. Maybe it has just served it’s purpose and it’s time to reclaim that land for some other walk through exhibit.

Wishes:
• God I LOVE this show! But I hate the crowds. There have been many times when I enter the park just as Wishes begins and I can’t get up Main Street (let alone into Tomorrowland). So I would just want them to use the new line built into the ground to keep a path open for pedestrians. Perhaps these lines could have fiber optics that get turned on during the evening parade and Wishes.
• The evening parade. I don’t like The Main Street Electrical Parade. The music sounds like it was made on a synthesizer. Bring back Spectromagic, or even better yet, how about a whole new parade.
 • Wishes Desert Party. I enjoyed the Wishes Desert Party, but I wanted something more for my money. A second level should be added to the Tomorrowland Terrace. From this second level, we would have an excellent view of Wishes, and then the audience would be able to enjoy the evening parade too.

Now that my Kingdom is perfect, I can rest and relax until I see what the New Fantasyland looks like.

If I Ruled The World: EPCOT

If you haven’t realized by now, EPCOT is my favorite park, but that doesn’t stop it from needing some major and some minor work. My desire to learn about science and culture comes through EPCOT.

If I Ruled the World: New EPCOT Map

Over All:
• Illuminations: I love Illuminations, but I want an updated score.

Future World:
Over All: • Bring back logos. I love them, and they should be used. Logos are part of are daily lives again, thanks to social media apps (look to the left to see the social media buttons and see it you can name them just from their buttons).

Universe Of Energy Pavilion:
• This ride just needs some updating. A new Ellen Audio Animatronic. The new Jack Sparrow one looks so much like Jonny Depp, but Ellen’s barely looks like her.
• Maintain the story line of the entire show, but give more time for alternate forms of energy (Bill Nye just glosses over them)

Wonders of Life Pavilion:
• Do something with this. Either turn it in to a permanent attraction (not just a festival center). Or have more festivals. I would love to have a body pavilion again.
• It could focus of DNA and genetic research.

New Physis Pavilion
(courtesy of Hollywood
Studios Map)

Physics Pavilion:
• In between the Space and the Transportation pavilions, I would like a physics pavilion.
• Sum of All Thrills would set up permanent residence there, in a much larger capacity.

New walkway from World
Showcase to Future World

The Imagination Pavilion:
• Do something upstairs. This space is currently used for storage, but Imagination is supposed to be limitless. This could be a playground for new technology where guests provide feedback on the ease of use.
• What does Captain EO have to do with imagination? Get rid of this film and have Figment do something in the theatre.
• I would also open up a path that goes from World Showcase to the Imagination Pavilion.

The Land Pavilion:
• Soarin’ needs another theatre.

Two show buildings for Soarin'

• I would also change the movie in Soarin’. I just don’t think it’s right for the Florida park to be soaring over California. It should be a more national view.
• Circle of Life, update the film. Use HD footage, etc.

The Seas Pavilion:

Finding Nemo Musical show building
from Animal Kingdom

• This is where the Nemo Musical belongs.

World Showcase:
Overall:
• Unique merchandise at each location, and all merchandise found in each country will only be found in that country and nowhere else.

People mover track

• People mover. Here is another place where a people mover can come in handy. There would be a stop at every other country. It would be above and through the pavilions.
       o Stops Include:
            • Trading Post East
            • Norway
            • Current Outpost
            • Italy
            • Japan
            • France
            • UK
            • Trading Post West
            • There is no connections between the two trading posts, as to not ruin the view across World Showcase Lagoon

White space means open real estate.
Of course the World Showplace would be closed.

• Fill it In! See the Google map for expansion locations. I don’t care what countries are put in, but it’s time for more countries.
• As for the countries that are currently there, just update films all around and a good paint job.

Just one more park left to spend my unlimited funds.

If I Ruled The World: Animal Kingdom

I sit upon my throne at the top of Cinderella Castle, and I look at a map of my land, and I can’t help but turn my attention to my zoo, Animal Kingdom. Now that I have more efficient Transportation and am working on Downtown Disney I send my unlimited funds towards the newest addition to my world: Animal Kingdom.

If I Ruled The World: New Animal Kingdom Map

New CMM close up.

Camp Minnie-Mickey:

• The Lion King show has grown on me, but I don’t think it belongs there in CMM. It doesn’t fit with the theme. Move it to Africa somewhere behind the Tusker House. I can’t be the only one who thinks that a show that takes place in Africa should be in the African section of this park.
• Also, in CMM, I think the theme should be extended even more. Add several more Kids Discovery Club locations here. Maybe with a conservation/merit badge theme. Some kind of cross between Kidcot at the World Showcase at Epcot and the interactions of Innovenetions.
• I’d also open up a path from CMM to the new Lion King show, to complete the outer circle walkway.

Africa/Rafiki’s Planet Watch:

• I enjoy Africa as it is. And I like the train ride to Rafiki.

Asia:

• Fix the Yeti! It’s sad that the largest Audio Animatronic is broken.

Dinoland USA:

Torosaurus - Joan Marcus
copyright CPC 2008

• I would take out Finding Nemo: The Musical. It’s a great show, but it doesn’t fit with the theme. I have other plans for this show. I think this show building could be used for a dinosaur themed production. Something like the traveling show Walking With The Dinosaurs. This show would invoke the same feel of Nemo but be truer to the dinosaur theme.
• I don’t like Chester and Hester’s Carnival. Why are there carnival rides in a Disney park? Isn’t that why Walt created Disneyland, so parents and children could ride rides safely, and together? Also, any theme that has you on a parking lot is a bad theme. Is the Dino-Institute allowing them to be there? I don’t have an idea of what to replace these attractions with, but given my unlimited resources, I think Imagineering can come up with something.

New DinoLand U. S. A. close up.

Discovery Island:

New Discovery Island close up.

• It seems as though I don’t really like any of the shows in the park. It’s Tough To Be A Bug is an okay show, but I don’t see it as the center attraction. It just doesn’t belong in the park’s weenie. Something Chip and Dale might work, it makes sense for them to be inside a tree, they are B list characters, they are funny. They can be guiding guests through some kind of animal misadventure.
• Boats! So much of this park is water, but why aren’t there boats in Discovery River. If I ruled the world, there would be.
• AK needs some sort of closing, nightly show. I know that I can’t have fire works. So perhaps something like California Adventure’s World of Color. I would put it in the Discovery River between Asia and DinoLand USA.

And after my hard day ruling over the Animal Kingdom, I bid adieu for now.

If I Ruled the World: Hollywood Studios

When my royal mind needs a break from the daily grind of ruling the happiest place on Earth, I call my lackeys and have then entertain me with films and things of the sort. But all is not well in the little park that could. For what was once the epitome of theming has now turned into one dead-end street after another that barely reflects the Hollywood that Never Was. Of course, I am talking about Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney/MGM Studios).

If I Ruled the World: New Hollywood Studios Map

Hollywood Boulevard:

Not the best photo manip, but
better than the hat.

• Remove the hat! It’s just an eye sore. I don’t like it. I don’t want it. And there is no one in Imagineering you can convince me otherwise.
• The Great Movie Ride once was great, because it mixed classic movies with contemporary ones to give you a long-range view of movies. However, that’s not the case anymore. I think the ride just needs a few new scenes. I personally don’t like the Public Enemy scene nor the western scene, but there are other places to update movies. Disney Studios has many more classic (and modern classic) movies than it did when the park was built, use some of those properties.

Echo Lake:
• I would do something with the Sounds Dangerous building. I have never seen it used for the Drew Cary show. The last time I was in the park, they were doing something with America’s Funniest Home Videos in the space, but I couldn’t get in, so I don’t know what was going on. This unused space could be turned into a preview center. Show exclusive trailers and behind the scenes featurettes for upcoming Disney releases.

Skywalker Ranch with Indiana Ride
from Disneyland Map and Cantina.

• Next, I would rename the area on the left side of the lake to “Lucas Films Land” or “Skywalker Ranch” to better reflect some of the other changes happening over there.
 • Indiana Jones: I love the stunt show and want to see more Indy. Import Indiana Jones Adventure from Disneyland to just behind the stunt spectacular.
• Transform Backlot Express to the Mos Eisley Cantina. It would serve exotic sounding food (but really maintain its current menu of burgers and fries) with an Audio Anamatronic cantina band playing Star Wars music all day long (think Sunny Eclipse at Magic Kingdom’s Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café).

They would play all day!

• Also, at the Mos Eisley Cantina, one might be able to run into Star Wars characters. A meet and greet in one corner of the restaurant would allow fans face time with some of their favorite characters.

Streets of America:

Muppet Hollywood Studios Land.
(Dark ride building is courtesy of
Walt Disney Studios Park Map - Paris)

• Studio Tour: What to do with this studio tour? I understand that nostalgia has kept this here, and what would a studio be without its back lot tour? But this tour used to be something. Now it’s a shell of its former self. Catastrophe Canyon looks likes it’s been through a catastrophe, it’s dirty and your can clearly see where everything is going to fall. And Pearl Harbor? When did that come out? I say, close it down for a lengthy refurbishment. Gut the whole this and start from scratch.

Toy Story playland from Disney Dream.

• Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure: reposition it’s entrance to be part of Pixar Place and change it to a Toy Story Movie Set Adventure, something like the Oceaneer’s Club on Disney Cruise Line’s Dream and Fantasy.

• I would also split this land up. I would take the entire left side and call it “Muppet Hollywood Studios,” where the word “Muppet” was placed on top the world “Disney” in a sign that looked just like the park’s logo.
• Muppet Vision 3D would need updating. A new movie and working 4D effects.
 • Pizza Planet: To better fit the Muppet Hollywood Studio’s theme. Pizza Planet would be turned over to the capable hands of Swedish Chef.
• Mama Mel Rose’s would also be rethemed to Muppets.
• A Muppet themed dark ride. Behind the streets of San Fransisco, I want a new show building for a Muppet dark ride. Muppet’s fit so well with the Disney ride ideology of “then something when wrong.”

Commissary Lane:
• No changes.

Pixar Place:

Pixar Place with new Toy Story Playland
(courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Park Map)

• To help ease the transition from old Pixar Place to the new Toy Story play area, the show building that currently houses Studio Catering Company, would be broken up to create the new pathway to Toy Story play area.
• This show building next to Toy Story Mania will be for the Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor. It doesn’t belong in Tomorrowland (monsters have nothing to do with the future). But it fits right in with Pixar Place.

Mickey Ave. and Animation Courtyard:

Why doesn't this walk way
already exist?

• Update the Voyage to the Little Mermaid. Use HD footage, create new costumes, etc.
• There would also be a paid experience added to the backstage area new the Magic of Disney Animation. I really enjoyed the area where you are taught to draw characters. The problem here is that the room is too small for how many people want to do it. I would add another studio that required a special admission (perhaps with a backstage tour aspect), which would give you a couple hours of drawing class.
• I’d also add a path between the courtyard to Sunset Boulevard. It is really annoying to go from one to the other – being forced to go to Hollywood Boulevard.

Sunset Boulevard:
• Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. The map calls this a musical Broadways-style show. However, I’ve seen Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, and I don’t remember seeing any characters that wore masks (or heads). I would just update the costumes for Beast and the Beast’s enchanted servants. Make is a combination between what is there now (very representative of the movie) and Broadway (a bit too fanciful for Hollywood Studios).
• Fantasmic! – If Disneyland can have Fastpasses, so can we!

So ends another day of spending and fixing. I know I did not make Hollywood Studios have a more cohesive theme (in fact, I made it more sporadic by splitting some of the lands), but I believe these changes will help make this park stronger.

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Part 51: Winnie The Pooh

Series Intro: This is Part 51 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: Winnie The Pooh
Release: July 15, 2011
Running Time: 63 minutes (wow, one minute shorter than Dumbo)
Estimated Cost: $30 million ($130 million less than Tangled)
Estimated Revenue: $33.15 million (barely broke even. Last movie to flop was Home on the Range loosing about $7 million)
Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Plot Summary: Abridged
Pooh just wants a pot of honey but gets distracted by helping Eeyore look for his tail and avoids the Backson, who they all think has kidnapped Christopher Robin. An unseen narrator helps tell the story as all the characters interact with the text of their storybook. Pooh finds Eeyore’s tail at Owl’s and Christopher Robin rewards him with a giant pot of honey.

Songs:
1. Winnie the Pooh
2. The Tummy Song
3. A Very Important Thing To Do
4. The Backson Song
5. It’s Gonna Be Great
6. Everything Is Honey
7. Pooh’s Finale
8. So Long

I was frankly surprised that the song “Winnie the Pooh” wasn’t just a remastered version of the original from Many Adventures. I didn’t like the new version. However, the rest of the songs were true to the oringinal.

Plot Rating: 3 stars out of 5
It just didn’t seem like enough was happening/happened the entire movie. I felt a little jipped at the length and then not given powerhouse stories. Although I did enjoy that Pooh’s quest for honey was carried throughout the entire movie.

Animation Rating: 3 out of 5
It’s been a while since I’ve called a WDAS movie “cartoony” but this one was. It didn’t look like WDAS spent money on it. And they didn’t. In fact, they used the animation software that DisneyToon (the animation studio responsible for Disney cartoon series and direct-to-video sequels).

Final Thoughts:
Not worth the wait. And where does WDAS get off giving us only 63 minutes. We aren’t in between world wars here.

Next Up:
Wreck It Ralph

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Part 50: Tangled

Series Intro: This is Part 50 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: Tangled
Release: November 24, 2010
Running Time: 100 minutes
Estimated Cost: $260 million (nearly twice the cost of Frog)
Estimated Revenue: $590.72 million
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:
Rapunzel holds a drop of sun in her body, thanks to her mother using it to survive childbirth. However, the flower that had grown from the drop of sun was being used by Mother Gothel to stay young. After hundreds of years of staying young, Mother Gothel steals the baby and discovers her hair now holds the magic of the sun and locks her in a tower.

Eighteen years later, Rapunzel wants to leave the tower to find out about the festival of lights that occurs on her birthday. Of course Mother Gothel refuses, but Rapunzel tricks Mother Gothel to leave the tower for a few days.

Flynn Ryder, local thief, has stumbled upon Rapunzel’s tower, while running away from the lead horse of the guard (Max), for stealing the princess’ crown. Rapunzel makes Flynn take her to the festival to see the lights in person.

Rapunzel and Flynn have many misadventures (ala the frogs in Princess and the Frog and many other buddy films from WDAS). But Mother Gothel has grown wise to their scheme and sends Flynn’s betrayed partners after them.

After the wonderful day at the festival, Rapunzel and Flynn find themselves in harms way as Flynn is captured by the guard and Rapunzel returns home after an attack by Flynn’s partners. Rapunzel believes Flynn sold her out, and is betrayed as she just thought they were falling in love.

While home Rapunzel realizes she is the lost princess for whom the festival of the lights is for. At the same time, Flynn escapes a hanging thanks to his fellow riff-raff (whom were charmed by Rapunzel). Mother Gothel, refusing to let Rapuzel return to her true home, begins to take her away from the tower, when Flynn (thanks to his new partner, Max) enters to be stabbed by Gothel. Rapunzel trades her freedom for saving Flynn. Gothel agrees, but Flynn has another plan, he cuts off Rapunzel’s hair and it looses all its magic. Gothel falls out the window (with a little help from Pascal (Rapunzel’s chameleon side-kick). Rapunzel cries over her lost love, but her tears contain the drop of sun and save his life.

Flynn and Rapunzel return to the castle to be welcomed into the royal family. And they lived happily ever after.

Songs:
1. When Will My Life Begin?
2. Mother Knows Best
3. When Will My Life Begin? (Reprise)
4. I’ve Got A Dream
6. Mother Knows Best (Reprise)
7. I See the Light
8. Healing Incantation

Welcome back Mr. Menken! It has been too long. The music for this movie was interesting. While there were some standout songs, like “I’ve Got A Dream” (that evoked old feelings of belonging not seen in quiet a few movies). I didn’t quite like the pop feel of the “I want” song – “When Will My Life Begin?”

Plot Rating: 5 stars out of 5
The music, did help move this plot along, and the whole movie hand a much closer structure to WDAS’ renaissance. I fell in love with both leads almost from the moment they were on the screen.

Animation Rating: 4 out of 5
WOW! Just WOW! Finally, WDAS has learnt from PIXAR. The CG animation was clean and the hair was amazing (not just Rapunzel’s 70 feet) but all of it. The soft matted backgrounds from Bolt return to make the characters live in a hand painted world. The characters moved and lived very well in the world. Of course though, there were some moments when the CG was overwhelming, but they were few and infrequent, although when they happened (say when a character was moving too fast) it did take me out of the story and reminded me that I was watching CG.

I did have some trouble believing that Rapunzel was 18. She was so much smaller and less developed than Mother Gothel and the Queen. I kept thinking she was 14 or 15.

The Test of Time:
Rapunzel became the 10th Disney Princess even before the movie hit the theaters. I think Disney was jumping the gun, and we do need to wait.

I also feel that this section will close now too, and be called “Final Thoughts,” as “The Test of Time” can’t exist from now on, as not enough time has passed.

Final Thoughts:
WDAS was extremely proud of this movie, as it marked the 50th animated movie released into theaters.

Next Up:
Winnie the Pooh

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Part 49: Princess and the Frog

Series Intro: This is Part 49 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: The Princess and the Frog
Release: December 11, 2009
Running Time: 97 minutes
Estimated Cost: $105 million (nearly $50 million less than Bolt)
Estimated Revenue: $267.05 million
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:
Since childhood, it has been Tiana’s dream to open a restaurant. And she is close during this Marti Gras. She has been working two or three jobs, never having fun since her childhood days of playing with Charlotte La Bouff (who’s life-long dream is to become a princess).

At the same time, Prince Naveen (disowned by his parents) comes to New Orleans to find a rich wife to return to the life he has grown accustomed to. Charlotte has her daddy throw Naveen a party. But in the streets of the French Quarter, Naveen is tricked by Dr. Faciller, who wants to rule New Orleans, and this can be done by killing Charlotte’s farther (the king of the Marti Gras parade). Dr. Facilier turns Naveen into a frog and Naveen’s manservant, Lawrence, into a copy of Naveen.

Frog Naveen gets away and meets Tiana at the party (where Lawrence is masquerading as Naveen), and convinces Tiana to kiss him (mistaking her costume grown for a real thing). This turns Tiana into a frog and thus begins their misadventure on the bayou to solve their problems.

Along the way they meet Louis (a trumpet playing alligator) and Ray (a firefly). The four go to look for Mama Odie to help solve Tiana and Naveen’s frog issue. Tiana and Naveen fight a lot (he’s free loving, she’s rule following).

Mama Odie sends them back to the Marti Gras parade for Naveen to be kissed by Charlotte (princess of the parade). Dr. Facilier sends shadow creatures to keep the frogs away. Only at the last moment, does Dr. Facilier get taken by the shadow creatures (after killing Ray). Charolette is told the entire saga and tries to kiss Naveen, but the clock strikes midnight and is too late.

Frog Naveen marries Frog Tiana (they had learned to love each other along the Bayou), and when they kissed they were both turned into human (when he married her, Tiana became a princess).

Naveen, now settle down, is welcomed back into his family, and they help Tiana open her restaurant, where Louis is the main entertainment. Charlotte thinks she will marry Naveen’s brother (she will wait until he’s much older than 6). And Ray joins his love, a star, in the night sky.

Songs:
I’m so happy to have this section back!
1. Never Knew I Needed
2. Down in New Orleans (Prologue)
3. Down in New Orleans
4. Almost there
5. Friends on the Other Side
6. When We’re Human
7. Gonna Take You There
8. Ma Belle Evangeline
9. Dig a Little Deeper
10. Down in New Orleans (Finale)

I found it odd that WDAS didn’t bring in Alan Menken (of Mermaid, Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Hunchback, Hercules, and Home On The Range) considering how successful so many of his previous scores have been. Yes, Randy Newman wrote the score to Pixar’s Toy Story, Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, Monster’s Inc, and Car but none of these were musicals. I think Menken would have given the score more “umph.”


Plot Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
The movie has all the elements for success, but it just didn’t do it for me. As I said above, the score wasn’t enough (save for Almost There). I liked the idea of Dr. Facilier using voo-doo and I thought it was interesting that this movie took place in New Orleans. I just didn’t enjoy the leads begin frogs for most of the movie.


Animation Rating: 4 out of 5
It was so nice to see the gorgeous hand drawings again. Although WDAS had claimed that Home on the Range was to be the last hand-drawn animated feature, I am happy they were wrong. The backgrounds were still too CG’d for my tastes, and there were several moments when I had to reflect on how little growth WDAS had made in making their characters look natural in the settings. Of course the CG settings mimicked those of Bolt that they looked like paintings, but just the way the character interacted with the settings seemed too forced.

Above I mentioned the song Almost There, this song (both musically and stylistically) was the standout moment of this movie. The art deco design and oil pastel colors beautifully matched the jazz music.

The Test of Time:
Tiana has been forced down our throats as a princess equal to the status of her predecessors. I can’t help but wonder, is she only there because she’s African American. Yes, she was the star of a good movie, but I don’t think we know if she has the staying power.

Through the Modern Lens
Isn’t this modern? This section is now closed.


Next Up:
Tangled

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Part 48: Bolt

Series Intro: This is Part 48 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: Bolt
Release: November 21, 2008
Running Time: 96 minutes
Estimated Cost: $150 million
Estimated Revenue: $309.98 million
Overall Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:
Bolt is a dog actor, who has been raised to believe that his TV character “Bolt” is his real persona. All is good, until Bolt gets loose one day and finds himself lost in New York. There he meets an alley cat, Mittens, who he believes is part of the TV villain’s plot to capture his human. Bolt forces Mittens to return him to Penny in Hollywood. Mitten does not believe Bolt has special powers.
Mittens and Bolt have several misadventures and along the way meet Rhino, a hamster that believes the TV Bolt is real. As they continue to travel West, Bolt learns that he is an ordinary dog, however he still wants to be with his human, despite Mittens wanting to stay in Las Vegas.
After saving Penny from a studio fire (caused by Bolt’s replacement), Penny and Bolt retire to a farm where they both get to be normal. Penny also adopts Mittens and Rhino.

Songs:
Not a musical, and the score wasn’t memorable.


Plot Rating: 4 stars out of 5
I was reminded of Cars while I watched this movie, in the fact that for the first third, I really didn’t like the main character. Then, as the “buddy-movie” feeling finally kicked in, I felt like I was watching a childhood favorite, Homeward Bound. I do enjoy WDAS’ buddy movies, so this was when I really liked the movie.
Interestingly enough, there wasn’t a villain in this movie.


Animation Rating: 5 out of 5
Now this is what I’m talking about WDAS. Finally, they have a CGI movie that looks good enough to bare the “Disney” name. The new “Non-photorealistic rendering” made this move so bearable. The backgrounds looked hand painted. The characters had cartoony looks but not overly so nor overly realistic.
For those keeping track, the last time a WDAS movie scored “5 out of 5” in Animation was for Lilo and Stich (only 6 movies have this rating)

The Test of Time:
Where’s Bolt? After he stopped being a jerk, he was cute.

Through the Modern Lens
I hope that this rings in the modern renaissance. It has been too many mediocre movies in a row.


Next Up:
Princess and the Frog

If I Ruled The World: DownTown Disney

With the recent new about Downtown Disney possibly getting a major rehab/refurb, I’ve decided to skip DTD as having it’s own blog, but before abandoning it completely, there is one thing I would like to see: another people mover.

This one is self explanatory: the people mover would follow the street between DTD and the parking lot. It would be elevated to allow for safe pedestrian crossing.

Stops would include:
West Side: Circ du Sole
West Side: Main
West Side: Bus Bay
Pleasure Island
Market Place: Main
Market Place: Bus Bay

If I Ruled The World: Transportation

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This is the first entry in a blog series called “If I Ruled The World,” where I will explain what I would do to make Walt Disney World better. Of course, I know some of these things aren’t feasible or financially responsible but as the keeper of the Kingdom, I can do just what I want.

Some of these changes will be to make the guests’ experiences easier, and some of them are just my wish lists for better theme-ing.

So without further ado, here is the first entry in “If I Ruled The World: Transportation.”

Walt Disney World has excellent internal and external transportation. One can get from the airport to the property, around the property, to the parks, shopping, dinning, resorts and back to the airport with ease. But only if you travel in a set path. Want a high-speed option? I hope your staying at a Magic Kingdom resort. Want to get from Animal Kingdom Lodge to Fort Wilderness? Ha!

WDW Internal transportation was made to get you from your resort to a park or Downtown Disney. The busses are clean and are generally driven by courteous drivers. Disney says busses run about every 20 minutes and are limited to “Resort to Park” or “Park to Park.”

In addition to busses there are three monorails; the Magic Kingdom (MK) express (from the Transit and Ticket Center/Magic Kingdom Parking Lot (TTC) to the MK); MK resort loop (stopping at MK, Contemporary, TTC, Polynesian, The Grand Floridian); and Epcot loop (from the TTC to Epcot).

There are water taxis that can take you around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake (making stops at MK, Contemporary, Polynesian, The Grand Floridian, Fort Wilderness and Wilderness Lodge). Also at the MK you can take a ferry boat to the TTC.

Friendships can take you from the International Gateway (Epcot) to Hollywood Studios making stops at the Swan/Dolphin, Boardwalk, Beach/Yacht Club.

If money is no object, the following map would be identifying the new monorail routes. If money is an object, this would be a hard rail map. This wouldn’t replace the busses, however, it would supplement them and make park and resort hopping faster and more convenient.

The Red Line would travel in a loop (in both directions). Stops will include:
• TTC
• Epcot
• Typhoon Lagoon
• Hollywood Studios
• Wide World Of Sports
• Blizzard Beach
• Animal Kingdom
• TTC

Blue Line:
• TTC
• Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Animal Kingdom
• Coronado Springs
• Blizzard Beach
• All-Star Sports
• All-Star Music
• All-Star Movies
• Wide World of Sports

Green Line
• TTC
• Wilderness Lodge Villas
• Wilderness Lodge
• Fort Wilderness
• Epcot
• Beach Club/Beach Club Villas
• Yacht Club
• Swan/Dolphin
• Boardwalk/Boardwalk Villas
• Caribbean Beach
• Pop Century/Art of Animations
• Wide World of Sports

Orange Line
• TTC
• Epcot
• Port Orleans Riverside
• Port Orleans French Quarter
• Old Key West
• Lake Buena Vista Golf Course
• Saratoga Springs
• Downtown Disney Area Resorts

You’ll notice the Orange Line doesn’t go to Downtown Disney’s Shopping districts. I’m keeping with Disney’s current philosophy that because the parking is free, they don’t want people to park there to get to the parks.

Yellow Line
• Palm Golf Course
• Magnolia Golf Course
• Oak Trail Golf Course
• TTC
• Wilderness Lodge Villas
• Wilderness Lodge
• Osprey Ridge Golf Course
• Eagle Pines Golf Course
• Port Orleans Riverside
• Saratoga Springs
• Lake Buena Vista Gold Course
• Old Wey West

In addition to the new monorail/hard rail lines above, I also see a place for a people mover. See below. It is a pleasant walk from Hollywood Studios to Epcot and a long boat ride. I recently walked this twice and thought it would have been a great place for a people mover.

Stops are:
• Epcot International Gateway
• ESPN Zone/Boardwalk
• Swan/Dolphin Bridge/Boardwalk
• Hollywood Studios
There are a few other places in the world that can have people movers, but I’ll talk more about them in their parks.

Finally, there are the waterways. Of course, they are slow (the opposite of rail above), but I would like to be able to take boats to more places at WDW. Here are the new waterways I’d like to see:

In the new waterways boats would launch in a circular pattern – in both directions:
• Magic Kingdom (at the current MK dock at the front of the park).
• Epcot (at the current Epcot dock at the International Gateway).
• Hollywood Studios (at the current HS dock at the front of the park).
• Animal Kingdom (at a new dock in between The Oasis and Discovery Island).

This boat service would not replace the current Friendships that travel between Hollywood Studios and Epcot and make stops at Epcot area resorts. The new route would only stop at theme parks.

Returning to the busses, I believe Disney should have a “next bus” type system to help guests better judge the wait time, and now that there are multiple ways to get around, knowing the times would be very beneficial in planning the trip to your destination.

That’s what I’d love to see at the world in relationship to transportation.

What do you think? Comment below on any areas of transportation that the park could use.

And for your listening pleasure:
A song…sung to Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok”
Wake up in the morning feeling like Walt Disney
Grab my ears, I’m out the door, I’m gonna hit the Kingdom
Before I leave, brush my teeth with my Donald tooth-brush
‘Cause when I leave for parks, I’m in quite a rush!

Walt Disney Animation Studios: Part 47: Meet the Robinsons

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Series Intro: This is Part 47 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors.

Official Title: Meet the Robinsons
Release: March 23, 2007
Running Time: 95 minutes
Estimated Cost: n/a
Estimated Revenue: $169.34 million (ouch!)
Overall Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:
Orphan child, Lewis, is a poor inventor, but on his way to stardom, when one day he meets a boy from the future, Wilbur. Because of the Bowler Hat Guy, Wilbur and Lewis wind up in the future. Lewis finally feels like he’s part of a family while he works on the time machine at Wilbur’s. Things turn bad when Bowler Hat Guy follows Lewis into the future, bent on stealing Lewis’ inventions. It’s revealed that the Wilbur’s family is actually Lewis’ family, in the future. And Bowler Hat Guy is Lewis’ roommate from the orphanage. Lewis’ inventions save the day, and as his dream of seeing his birth mother (before she left him on the steps of the orphanage) becomes reality, he realizes that the past is behind him and he mist “keep moving forward” and think of his future family. Lewis is adopted by the judge of the science fair, and we can see how his future family evolved out of the people surrounding him during the science fair.

Songs:
Not a musical, but a great score.


Plot Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Overall, I enjoyed this movie.


Animation Rating: 2 out of 5
WDAS did up it’s game. The animation was less bulky and more fluid than Chicken Little, but was still amatureistic when compared to PIXAR’s current release Cars. In fact, the animation was reminiscent of 1997’s Toy Story.

The Test of Time:
Hasn’t stood up at all!

Through the Modern Lens
PIXAR’s John Lasseter took over this film and rewrote about 60% of it. That would explain why the plot was SOO much better than Chicken, but not as to why the animation wasn’t up to par. I LOVED the future world (think about it). There were lots of nods to the Tomorrowland areas of Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. Not only was there Space Mountain and the Astro-Orbiters, but the bit that sent me rocketing, was the People Movers (last time I was in WDW, I road the People Mover about three times a night across three or four nights). Plus, “Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” (from Carousel of Progress).


Next Up:
Bolt