The new Retro Mickey/Minnie bags at the Disney Store at
Fashion Square Mall in Scottsdale

Disney On Ice! When it came through Phoenix in April

Vinylmation in a window display on Central and Camelback in Phoenix

A Tobacco Indian, like the ones on Main Street and in Frontierland
in downtown Scottsdale

Sparky, who, as legend has it, was created in Walt's
image, and, fact has it, was created by a former Disney
animator 

MAC Villain makeup at the MAC store at Scottsdale Fashion Square

Happy 55th anniversary, Disneyland Hotel!

Today, one of the most storied hotels in the history of lodging turns the ripe old age of 55.

Not that it has very much time to celebrate, seeing is it's currently going through an enormous renovation.

The Disneyland Hotel of the 1980's

The hotel has always been a great place to take a break from Disneyland, offering free entertainment to those who don't go through Disneyland's gates.

It's been a staple of my visits to Disneyland for as long as I can remember. Having dinner at one of its restaurants before Downtown Disney offered so many options, navigating one of the remote control boats in its mini harbor and enjoying The Fantasy Waters show, the predecessor in a small way to "World of Color" at DCA.

Or maybe taking a walk behind water at the hotel's waterfall feature, or watching in wonder the hundres of beautiful koi swim around in their giant koi pond. My family never missed a character breakfast at the Monorail cafe.

In fact, the last time I took a trip to Anaheim we staid in the hotel. We had the good luck to be upgraded to a suite right over the waterfalls, with a great view of the koi. I'm glad we did, as the alluring fish were one of the first old features to go during the renovation. (See the pictures I took from the room here)

Right now, the park is under heavy construction, putting in new suites such as the Mickey and Pirates of the Caribbean suites.

I can't forget how I used to salivate over the Disneyland hotel pool when I was younger. The plans for the new pool almost made me salivate to the point of dehydration.

There have been many Disney hotels built since, from the Grand Californian that went up with DCA, to the Grand Floridian at Walt Disney World, but nothing will ever compare to the original, in every from it has taken over the years.

What are you most excited about concerning the renovations and what will you miss most at the Disneyland Hotel?

In a genius promotion, MAC Cosmetics has teamed up with Disney to create the Venomous Villains collection of makeup inspired by three classic Disney villains, and the bad guy from "Princess and the Frog."

On a recent trip to Scottsdale Fashion Square mall, I passed by the MAC store (not the Apple Store) and noticed some Disney villains staring back at me. I had remembered reading about it, so I decided to go and check it out.

Despite my overwhelming masculinity, the lady behind the counter and I struck up a conversation. She told me that, to prepare for the promotion, Mac sent their trainers to Disneyland to envelop themselves in the Disney magic.

In the near future, she told me, Disney will also be having a promo party at a local hotel where guests can dress up as their favorite Disney villains.

It was great getting a taste of Disney here in AZ, and even though there's was a Disney store nearby, I still enjoyed the dose of Disney magic.

As one of the pictures in the slideshow depicts, some of the makeup has already sold out, even though it's only been on the shelves since last Thursday, the 30.

As a man, I can't indulge in this new promotion, at least not in public. Do you see your makeup drawer getting a tad bit more villainous in the near future?

Disney Mountains: Splash Mountain

Today marks the 18th birthday of Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, the second of three Splash Mountains to have been built at the Disney Parks.

Splash Mountain at Disney World during refurbishment 

The ride, based on the now banned-in-the-U.S. "Song of the South," was built at the original Disneyland in 1989 to muster more foot traffic in the often empty Critter Country area of the park, and to incorporate audio-animatronics from the lightly attended America Sings.

Ever since, the ride has enjoyed great popularity and often long-waits, especially in the heat of summer.

Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World
For many, "Song of the South" is a movie they know little to nothing about, but that doesn't matter, as the dark ride portion of the attraction tells the story. The music also provides some fine entertainment, making you forget that the only way to get off the ride is to be dropped into the briar patch.

Br'er rabbit's escape from the claws of Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear is always a fascinating story to watch develop, even if you know nothing of Uncle Remus and his stories.

While the finale, with all the different critters singing "Zip-a-dee-doo-dah" on the steam boat always puts a smile on my face. Almost as good is watching them sing it while on the Disneyland/Magic Kingdom Railroad. You don't have to get wet or wait what through what is often a 60 minute line.

To me, it doesn't matter that the movie is not a story I'm super familiar with or that parts of the ride seem a tad bit out of place. The complaint could be put out there that it's a very basic log flume ride, but I feel that the great songs and characters that take you through the flume make up for the ride's lack of uniqueness.

How do you feel about the fact that the rides based of a little-known movie or that it's a generic log flume?

Internet and gaming division to the Internet division and Gaming Division

The New York Times reported today that "the Walt Disney Company shook up its underperforming Internet and gaming division on Sunday, effectively splitting the unit in two and tapping two outsiders to lead the businesses."

Big deal, right? We care about the parks not about Disney's bottom line.

Disney's website getting a makeover?

Disney's website will no doubt be experiencing a makeover in the coming months
Well, kind of.

Like it or not, the decisions of top executives at Disney have a trickle down effect on the parks, unless they make a decision directly dealing with them. In that case, it's more a super-soaker kill shot at the castles.

Plus, if you're doing research about the parks or just want to be

reminded of their wonder, a visit to any of Disney's websites always offers a pinch of magic. They hope to turn that pinch into a dash, maybe even a tablespoon. Can they do it?

Not if they keep on making ridiculous acquisitions like Club Penguin or Tapulous. Sure, they are cool websites, but were they started with the Disney spirit in mind? No, they were not, and they weren't bought because of the the spirit, either.

Disney is one of the most powerful brands in the world, and it has been since the earliest Mickey Cartoons came out. Creating things like "World of Cars" and changing the image of Mickey Mouse to fit in with the new videogame ""Epic Mickey" do one thing: dilute the brand.

At one time, the company had a specific thing that it was known for: being innovative, taking risks, and overall putting out an unparalleled product. Not anymore. Check out the Metascore of "You Again."

If Disney can create groundbreaking websites and game changing video games then I will welcome in the new products with open arms.

But they won't.

They will make more acquisitions with the intent to appease stockholders by increasing their monthly dividends (Well, not all of them: I have a couple hundred Disney shares, and I'm writing this).

You favorite Disney Parks attraction, now a major motion picture

Ever since "Pirates of the Caribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" made upwards of $100 million at the box office, Disney has been pumping out movies based on Disney Parks attractions. "The Haunted Mansion," starring Eddie Murphy, which I think we can all agree was a terrible movie is now being remade with director Guillermo Del Torro at the helm. I think we can all agree that it will be a much better film, but that's not the point.

From the "Country Bear's" adaptation, to the upcoming Jungle Cruise movie to the fictional Matterhorn on HBO's "Entourage," the idea has been that if it's a popular ride at the basis of a plot, a popular movie can be produced. Well, now there may be a movie based on an entire park. Good idea, right? One popular ride makes a popular movie, but what about a park full of popular rides as a plot-point? Move over "Avatar," your B.O. records are about to be obliterated.

According to JoBlo.com, "Ronald Moore ("Battlestar Galactica") has written a draft of the script but the studio is looking to develop it further with a new writer before moving forward."

The film's plot will be Disney's take on their newly acquired Marvel's "The Avengers," with all the popular Disney characters making an appearance. Sounds interesting enough, and Ronald Moore does not seem like the kind of cheap talent that Disney usually picks to pen their studio-system movies.

Is this a great idea for a movie, or a great idea from the marketing department to promote the Disney Parks?

Disney and the Dark Ride

Dark rides are classic Disney park establishments. From Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (Sorry, WDW) to Pinocchio's Daring Journey to everyone's favorite, Peter Pan's Flight, dark rides make the Disney Parks what they are.

Concept art for The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure 

Part of the charm of the dark rides is that they take riders back to the day the park was open, as most of the  Fantasyland dark rides in Disneyland have been there since day one. The rides not only take us through the scenes of the movie, they take us through the world that Walt saw. All the classic dark rides are of movies Walt was there to produce, direct or have some hand in.


Concept art from The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure
Which leads us to the modern dark rides. In a day and age where Disney parks have roller coasters that go from 0-55 in three seconds, can drop you in countless different schemes, or give you a unique experience with dinosaurs or Dr. Jones every ride, taking a trip through black-light painted wooden scenes can be less than thrilling.

Modern dark rides, such as Monsters, Inc. Mike & Sulley to the Rescue!, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and of course, the newest and yet to be opened The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure.

Monsters, Inc. and Winnie the Pooh are space fillers and nothing more. They're great for the kids and due to the success of the two movies the rides are based on, will always find an audience. But they're one-and-done attractions.

From the information that has come out about the new Little Mermaid dark ride, the vehicles are supposed to be a omnimover (doom buggy style) take on the overhead track Peter Pan ships. If they can pull this off right, it should provide a unique experience that modern dark rides are not known for. We'll just have to see how the imaginears lay the scenes out.

Are you excited to see one the most revered modern Disney animated films be brought to life via dark ride, or do you feel it's just going to be another space filler? Will they keep you coming back like Peter Pan's flight or are they a one-and-done ride like Pinocchio's Daring Journey?

The Great Castle Debate

Over the years, Disney castles have become some of the most photographed structures in the world. From the real-life castle at Disneyland Paris, to the blue-spires of Cinderella's castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, to the original Sleeping Beauty's castle at Disneyland, the castles have become symbols of dreams and wonder. But not all castles are created equal.

Cinderella's castle in Orlando is easily twice as large as the original Sleeping Beauty's castle in Anaheim, with the structure of the castle in Tokyo being identical. Then there's Le Château de la Belle au Bois Dormant in Paris which is made of real brick and stone in an attempt to keep its own with the real castles of France. Who knows what we will see in Shanghai.

Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

Everyone has a favorite castle, and I would bet that it's the one they witnessed first. For me, It's Sleeping Beauty's pearl-pink fiberglass masterpiece that Walt planned himself. For most east coasters, it's probably Cinderella's towering fortress.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland 

I have not been to any foreign park, but I can say without doubt that the Parisian castle would leave a deep and lasting impression on me.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland
Paris 

I'm what I refer to as a "Disney originalist" which means I  favor things that were created by Walt himself. Basically, I hold everything to the standard of Disneyland, since that was the only park Walt got to see the completion of.

Recently, I have been distraught every time I see a new Disney movie. It hasn't been because everything that isn't Pixar or "The Princess and the Frog" has been terrible but because of the new opening sequence that features Cinderella's castle is some type of marsh/lagoon landscape.

 

The modern opening I am not a big fan of.

I find it showy and unnecessary.  The opening I grew up with, with the silhouette of Sleeping Beauty's castle and a shooting star arcing over it was magical in its simplicity. (The original 3D one with the original "Toy Story" is by far my favorite.) The new one is only interesting before 3D movies, and besides the castle, I wonder what any part of the sequence has to do with the Disney company.

 

The opening I grew up with.

The fact that they ditched Walt's castle and replaced it with the one he never saw seems emblematic of how far the company has strayed from Walt's vision, and it sadden's me.

What's your favorite castle?

How do you feel about the new Walt Disney Studio's opening sequence?

What removing the Maliboomer means for Disney's California Adventure

The Maliboomer being deconstructed, piece
by piece

Today, the dismantling of the Maliboomer begun. An iconic ride at Disney's California Adventure, the towering structure will no longer be a part of the Anaheim skyline.

But what was it iconic of? The park itself? Thrills? Fun? Paradise Pier?

Wrong wrong wrong and wrong. That's a 0/4. You just failed the rhetorical question test.

To me, and many "Disney originalists," the Maliboomer was a sky-scraping monument to how DCA was not something Walt would have approved of.

As I posted on MSM's facebook page ("like" us, please), Walt dreamt up Disneyland as a sort of anti-amusement park, a clean haven for adults and children alike.

Basically, to have a park for people who weren't big on rides like the Maliboomer.

Up until the current renovation (video), and even still a little bit today, Paradise Pier is the antithesis for his parks. And the Maliboomer, with it's not frills, barebones drop-zone ride format was the epitome of everything Walt rebelled against.

With the new, 1923 throwback style, Paradise Pier may have enough charm to overshadow the fact that it doesn't belong in anything with the Disney label on it.

Apparently it's not only me who feels this way about the 'boomer. It's replacement: a glorified patch of grass.

2011 D23 Expo to put on official Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament

Having an official Disney fan club has been a great thing for us Disney fanatics, and now one of us will be able to have validation of our supreme domination of Disney knowledge.

According to The O.C. Register, "D23 officials made the announcement at its DestinationD: Disneyland ‘55 event."

There will be a lightning qualifying round on Aug. 18 and the finals will be held on Aug. 19.

The O.C. Register further reported that "Fans will be tested on all aspects of Disney — from park parades and T.V. shows to Walt Disney’s family history and company merchandise. Potential participants can practice with questions, which will be posted on the D23 website."

I'm going to be frank: I could win this. Not to brag, but I am the reigning Disney Trivia champion from the 2002 Disney Cruise I took, along with my mother. We still have the gold medals to prove it.

I've always been a competitive person, and some official validation of my Disney knowledge who be a great stroke to my ego. I think it's a fantastic idea that Disney is doing this, and it will be a great addition to the D23 expo.

How do you think you would do in the challenge? In other words, would you come in second or third place to me?