Marvel Meets the Mouse

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Cinderella. The Green Goblin. Funny as it may sound, these characters now inhabit the same world of fantasy.

It's been a lingering question, since Disney acquired Marvel in 2009, if these famous fantastical personalities would live harmoniously in Disney's own worlds of fantasy: their theme parks.

"The Avengerail"

Bob Iger, the CEO and supreme chancellor of Disney (now that he's chairman of the board, too), recently mentioned that the future will see Marvel characters walking around, posing for pictures in Disney's theme parks.

The superhero's first foray near the theme parks (not including merchandise) will pop up this spring as the TRONorail will be replaced with the Avengerail. It's a good move by Disney, as it will slowly introduce a presence of the new slew of characters to the Disney parks. It's also a great advertising gimmick, and keeps the older models of Walt Disney World's monorails looking fresh. 

It's the first small step towards integrating the two companies (that are now, technically one). When Iger announced that the characters would eventually be making their way into Disney parks, my reaction was one of "No Duh!" 

People will love seeing their favorite super heroes roaming around the parks, but Disney will have to work hard to separate itself from the much less classy Universal Studios that the Marvel Universe is still associated with. 

James Cameron tours Animal Kingdom 

They can't just put them anywhere. Hollywood Studios at the World and the Hollywood Pictures Backlot at California adventure seem like the only logical places to meet and greet with The Hulk and Iron Man. Though, once the idea seems a little more natural, who knows how we'll feel. 

The "Disney" brand has always branched a little from the actual Disney company in itstheme parks, and it's usually for the better. Who doesn't love Star Tours, Indiana Jones or the Terror of Terror? Soon, Avatar, which was distributed by 20th Century Fox, will have a significant presence in Animal Kingdom, and the American Idol experience is a prominent part of Hollywood Studios.

Disney knows how to seamlessly introduce things that weren't produced in-house to its theme parks. Introducing Marvel characters is a challenge Disney has yet to face, as their presence has previously been in a rival theme park, but it's one Disney is almost guaranteed to pass.      

Cars Land and the Realization of a Park

My distaste for Disney California Adventure Park is not something I shy from, but it may be something I abandon come June 15.

That's when the results of park's gigantic, $1.1 billion  renovation will open to the public. This means the new Buena Vista Street, with its classic, 1920's Hollywood theme, and Cars Land, Radiator Springs and all, will open to the public.

It marks the final stage of a re-imaging of California Adventure that brought us The World of Color, The Little Mermaid, and the re-theming of Paradise Pier, all welcome additions what was a less-than-thrilling park on opening day a little more than 11 years ago.

It says a lot about the park's (lack of) original vision that Disney was willing to cough up over a billion dollars to do something for the underwhelming park.

Personally, the only thing that's been there from day one that remains fresh is California Screamin' (the video was shot before the Paradise Pier makeover), which itself has had a design overhaul. I still stand by my statement that there is no place for a story-less river raft ride in a Disney park (That means you too, Kali!).

But alas, with the addition of Cars Land, the new Buena Vista Street, and everything else that has been added since the park's lackluster launch, The Disneyland Resort may actually become a two-day park, instead of a one-and-a-half day outing, where you visit California Adventure on your way to the airport.

I know I'm ready to be impressed with the new additions. How do you feel about them?

My Favorite Sherman Brothers Song

Today, the Disney community has learned of the sad news that Robert B. Sherman passed away. The man lived a long, productive life, and provided a great amount of joy to many people (and agony to some when they got a song of his stuck in their head, which in a way is a compliment to his talent).
There's a great documentary, which I have reviewd on Robert and his brother Richard, and I highly reccomend it. There's a great story behind their great music.


I wanted to focus on Robert's legacy, which of course, is music. Though I find most of the Sherman brother's music throughly entertaining, there is one song I favor particularily.


I'll give you a hint: it's about bird who sings words and crooning flowers.



It's the best Sherman brothers song that you can find in a Disney park. Considering its comptition is "it's a small world," that may not be saying much (Though, "it's a small world (after all)" is a genius song, both in concept and the catchiness factor that so many detest).

Unlike "it's a small world," with it's elaborate sets and scenes, the "Tiki Room" theme is the attraction, especially viewed by today's standards. The singing audioanimatronics were extremely innovative when the attraction debuted, but as with all technology, it has become dated. The music, though, is timeless, and is a pleasure to have stuck in your head.

What's your favorite Sherman brothers song? Winnie the Pooh? Chiti Chiti Bang Bang? Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious? Comment with your pick!

One More Disney Day: How Was It?

I've probably come across as bitter for not having been able to go to Disneyland for "One More Disney Day." I'm not. I've been in the Magic Kingdom all night long. If I did it again, I think I might have stress flashbacks.

From the news about how it went for everyone yesterday, I wouldn't have needed to suffer from reliving the memories of my College Program days to be throughly stressed out.
Read it for yourself:

@DLdocumentary: I want to apologize to all kids I've complained about at Disneyland. I'll take you any day over teenagers I dealt with last night. #Disney24

#Disney24 should have been exclusive to pass holders only...what a waste #disneyland

@Disneyland: UPDATE: "One More Disney Day" @Disneyland continues to be very popular. Disneyland park is currently full. Updates to follow. #Disney24


@DLthings:I can't believe I'm saying this, but #Disney24 should have been a hard-ticket event. Anything to avoid the horrors I witnessed last night

I read tweets that claimed 2.5 hour wait times JUST TO GET INTO THE PARKING LOT.

I completely understand the novelty of attending what could be a one time Disney event. It would have been special to be part of.
But it's February. There is not reason to wait in any line more than 20 minutes at Disneyland. It's the down season, meaning the weather isn't great (I heard it hit the 40's last night) and the crowds should be slim.

So, kudos are in order to the marketing team for the event. Just like many of the different types of runDisney events, "One More Disney Day" made a typically slow day into a money making hit for the theme parks.

It just doesn't sound like any magic was made. And magic is why you go to the disney parks.

Your iPhone: A Guide to the Magic

Tech is my mistress when it comes to my love of all things Disney, but sometimes, that relationship can be a little progressive and all three of us can have a good time together.

The load screen. Verizon still has ties
to the app. 

I love Disney, and I love apps, and sometimes the two work together in harmony, like the new Disneyland Explorer App for the iPad. I wrote a review for it (which was up here, until I tried to edit it on my phone and deleted the whole thing somehow) and it's a great free app, offering a lot of interactive features and an immersive experience you'd expect from Disney.

Disney seems to be a roll in 2012, as today, the Mobile Magic App, previously exclusive on the Verizon network, has been released on all iOS devices! I am super excited about this because I have always drooled over Big Red exclusive app, but now, I can use it.

 The app is great for finding character, getting around the park, making dining reservations, and many other things. I was looking at the wait times and Fastpass availability, though, and their system is disappointing. Instead of specific wait times, it displays that attractions are "See Now" as in no wait, "Moderate," or "In High Demand." This could require guesswork, which is a design flaw. Just tell me the time!

See what I'm talking about? 

The biggest feature I was looking forward to was seeing when the Fastpass times were without having to walk up to the attraction, a function I heard the app delivered. It does, but again, only kind of. It's a lot more black and white on the app, informing users only if there are any Fastpasses left. If you know the parks well enough, you know that after 2 p.m. on a crowded day, it's going to be hard to get a Fastpass for any ride where the shorter wait time could come in handy.

I like things to be specific, and the app has a lot of general information. It could do better.

Let me know what you think, and how the app functions in the parks, and compares to the Verizon-only version!

Is "One More Disney Day" Worth It?

Nothing is better than walking around Disneyland in a state of severe sleep deprivation, right?
Wrong. I don’t know about you, but I’m a guy who appreciates a good, full night of sleep so I can tackle the next day at 100 percent.

Now, not all people are like this, especially my age, and Disney knows this. That’s why, during the busy seasons, the Magic Kingdom is sometimes open until three in the morning.

I’ve seen it, and sometimes when I was working those late hours, I would wonder what these people were going to do for the remainder of their vacation. The best way to do a park is to get there when it opens, which is impossible when that’s the time you get home from your hotel. Often, these groups were with small children, who wake up with the sunrise.

When my girlfriend came to visit while I was doing the College Program, we tried to do a late night, but didn’t last and instead decided to go back and sleep, hoping our foresight would make the next day better.

Which brings me to my topic for this post, buried in the fourth paragraph: Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom’s upcoming “One More Disney Day!” event coming up on Feb. 29, better known as leap day. On this day, the two parks will be open for 24 hours straight. (Boy, am I glad I don’t work at the Magic Kingdom right now. That’s gonna be tough.)

The event, in theory, sounds like a great promotion. It’s innovative and buzz worthy from a marketing viewpoint, but that is about the only purpose it serves. No one is going to enjoy a 22, 23, or 24 straight hour at Disneyland. There’s a lot to do, but not that much, and even if there was, nothing is fun when every step takes that much more effort.

With admission prices being as high as they are, many will try to squeeze every minute out of this special offer. Though, with the money they will no doubt spend on coffee and Five Hour Energy and the harsh, probably incomprehensible words sure to be yelled at each other in the 23rd hour, will it be worth it?

Remaking the Mountain

My Google updates (my secret has been revealed! It's like you've seen my backstage) have been exploding (I've gotten like 6 updates) about the Matterhorn's $1 million refurbishment. 

Many of the articles (at least two) mention the fact that some guests to Disneyland were disappointed to find out upon seeing the mountain dressed in scaffolding that they would not get to ride down the famous 1/100 reproduction of the Swiss peak.


When I was working at Walt Disney World, I showed up in January and in February, Mickey's Toontown Faire was closed to become the double-Dumbo'ed Storybook Circus.

You want to know how many times people asked me where Mickey's house was? (Hint: that was a rhetorical question, with the answer being a large, annoying answer.)

If I was in a smart-alec mood, I would tell them "It's in Anaheim!" If I was in a literal mood, I'd tell them the truth. But always, after the question, I would ask myself "How much money did these people spend to come here, and they didn't figure out pre-visit that Toontown would be a relic of the past?"

The Disneyland monorail passes by the Matterhorn
(Glenn Koenig, Los Angeles Times / February 2, 2012)

So, it's no secret how much sympathy I feel for these people who are surprised about the Matterhorn's status. It's always been my strong held belief to make plans and do your research.  

You know the internet? That thing you're connected to right now. It's a great resource, especially when you're about to drop a couple grand on a vacation and you'd like to know what you're going to get for all that money you spent. Though, if you're reading this, you probably know that, and I just wasted your time. Sorry about that.

Since I will not be missing anything, as I won't be visiting Disneyland between now and June (but my mom will, sorry mom! But I don't get to go so ha! Serves you right for not taking me!), I'm happy that the mountain will be shiny with it's new snow (paint) and its new ride vehicles when my next visit comes!

No More Fastpass Cheating

Looks like all that golden information I gave you all in my "How to Never Wait In Line" is null now.

TouringPlans.com reports that on March 7, that second time printed on you FastPass will actually mean something. No longer are the days of getting a FastPass and only worrying about the first time and showing up after that. It will now be mandatory to show up in the hour window printed if you want your FastPass to save you time instead of saving your page in a book post-vacation.

This seems like a small change, but it's not. My whole strategy for getting a lot done in a Disney park, even on a crowded day, will have to be completely reformulated. Usually, as I discussed on the aforementioned previous post, I stock up on FastPasses and rarely use them in the hour window they suggest.

Logistically, the move makes sense. The whole system works on some type of algorithm or some other big math word that I don't even try to pretend to understand. But simple logic says that if everyone who has FastPasses for a certain attraction on a certain day decides to show up at a certain time, regardless of when they got the FastPass, then the whole system is useless and your FastPass only gets you into a slightly smaller line.

On a macro level (Yeah, macro) it will make things smoother and more functional, but on the micro level, meaning me being selfish, it's a game ruiner.

I'm Going to Disneyland...On My iPad!

What I'm Reading

After a 7-month-long trip to Walt Disney World in hellish Orlando, FL, I figured I’d cleanse a little via some Disneyland literature. The book: Disneyland Through the Decades