Annnnnnnnnnd the worst idea I’ve heard this week is that Walt Disney Theatrical Productions, or Disney Theatrical Group, or Disney on Broadway, or whatever Tom Schumacher’s calling his cadre this week, wants make a Broadway version of Dumbo: “Disney’s ‘Dumbo’ bet.”
Ugh.
Stupid, useless, and a waste of money.
Imagine a chorus of blackface crows. In 2010.
Gee Tom, are you trying to ruin another corporate division?
What’s next, Song of the South?
Criminey.
I have no idea what website this came from, or what a “PaleyFest” is, but this article popped up on my radar yesterday: “‘Lost’ Creators Want to Get the Finale Right – PaleyFest Report.”
Most of it was useless info, but then there was this bit:
the most exciting bit of news for series fans might be that Disney is considering turning the island attraction at Disneyland (once the ‘Swiss Family Robinson’ Tree House, later a ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’-themed scene). Yes, ‘Lost Island.’ Theme park fans should stay tuned.
Awesome!
The problem is … it doesn’t make sense.
See, Disneyland (in California) had a Swiss Family Treehouse that turned into Tarzan’s Treehouse about a decade ago. No Pirates to be seen.
In case they messed up their coasts, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdon (in Florida) has a Swiss Family Treehouse that’s still Swiss.
The Pirate Treehouse just doesn’t exist.
I think the attraction to which they are referring is actually Disneyland’s Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.
In 2007 the island, formerly all Tom Sawyery, was invaded by Pirates for the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. They still haven’t left yet.
It’d be relatively cheap to overlay Lost on the island, and it’d be a huuuugggggeee draw. Especially for the repeat crowd in Southern California.
Yep, Sawyer on Tom Sawyer’s Island? Let the in-jokes begin …
This one is a half-percenter, but it’s the kind of thing the internet loves, so here we go.
Last week I talked about the trailer for the new documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty about Disney animation’s revival (see Waking Sleeping Beauty).
The image on the poster is old fashioned castle surrounded by dynamite and explosives with the plunger in the foreground:
I knew I’d seen the image before, turns out it was a goofy sketch that co-director Kirk Wise drew during Beauty and the Beast of then Disney Studio head Jeffrey Katzenberg:
Interesting how they removed Katzenberg from the movie poster.
Not surprising, considering he runs DreamWorks Animation, Disney’s main rival, but still, interesting.
While I guess the signs have been changed for some time, today’s the official relaunch of Walt Disney World’s Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Even though I’ve been to WDW several times since the complex opened in 1997, I’ve still never seen it.
Maybe next time …
You might have heard Walt Disney World announced a new Fantasyland back in September.
Back then they released this painting:
The Fantasyland Forest expansion will be complete in 2013 and feature mostly new Princess themed attractions, restaurants and character meet-and-greet areas.
Lost will be most of Mickey’s Toontown Fair (including Mickey’s house … odd) and the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Submarine Voyage attraction that’s been closed for over 15 years, anyway.
The most anticipated new attraction is Under the Sea: Journey of The Little Mermaid that will take you literally under the sea in an Omnimover system (like the Haunted Mansion) and be identical to the one being built right now out at Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim.
Recently I came across this model which is easier to decipher than the painting. Someone else (sadly, I don’t remember who) has labelled the attractions and buildings:
To give you a better idea of the current layout, here’s a map of the land as it stand now:
And here’s a Google map photo:
Overall I’m not terribly excited, but it can’t be any worse than closing Mr Toad for the Winnie the Pooh ride.
UPDATE: Oddly Jim Hill has a story about this expansion today! For more artwork and tidbits, check out: “The WDW Resort is looking for a few dozen new Disney Princesses.”
So, as you know by now, I worked for quite some time on The Emperor’s New Groove. Musician Sting, the former Police singer, also worked on the flick.
By my logic that makes is best pals. Close confidants.
Which makes me sad that he’s such a hypocrite: “Sting in the pay of tyrannical Uzbekistan regime.”
Here’s an interesting Los Angeles Times blog entry from the other day about the Studio side of Disney and the changes Bob Iger is making there. Tragically it’s title only reflects a portion of the content, so don’t be swayed by that: “Disney taking a pass on one of the most profitable movies of 2009?”
Key quote:
Disney chief Bob Iger is also busy transforming his studio into a Brand Factory, where nearly every film that hits the theaters will have built-in brand awareness, just like a new Procter & Gamble detergent.
Check out the new trailer for the documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty about the revival of Disney animation in the 1980s.
I have the feeling once I see this movie I’m really really going to miss my old life.
We’ve had fun watching the Winter Olympics from Vancouver for the past two weeks. During the opening ceremonies I regaled Liz with stories about how Walt Disney and his artists worked on 1960 Winter Olympics held in Squaw Valley, California.
In fact, much of the pageantry of the ceremonies today is due to Disney’s influence fifty years ago.
I just came across an article by Leo N. Holzer all about the matter: “The 1960 Winter Olympics and Disney“.
Photo by Robert Reid, of the Sacramento Bee
We were just at Lake Tahoe this last summer, I didn’t know that the Tower of Nations was still up, I would have liked to have stopped.
Bummer. I guess next time …
This is awesome and more than a little scary: “Holographic Emperor Stitch Figure Coming to Disney Parks“.
The Limited Edition Holographic Emperor Stitch, in honor of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, is limited to 1980 pieces.
So the Tokyo Disney Resort just announced they’re getting a Fantasmic night-time show, similar to the one Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios show now. It’ll be open in April of 2010 as part of the DisneySea park’s 10th anniversary.
What makes this show different than the one shown in the other two parks is that it’ll be performed in the round smack dab in the middle of the park, taking up the entire Mediterranean Harbor.
Mediterranean Harbor is the body of water right below the volcano, the first thing you’d see upon entering the park.
The Orlando Sentinel’s Disney blog just posted one of my favorite recipes from Boma, a restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge: Coconut Curried Chicken Stew.
You might recognize it from Newlywed in Dubai …
Josh finally lives in Maine again
after four years at Boston University, a stint in Southern California with
Walt Disney Feature Animation,
and two years in Dubai, UAE,
where he created and wrote
Newlywed in Dubai.
