June 25, 2026
Attraction Poster for the Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park
June 22, 2026
The Reunion of Whitney Houston and Clive Davis
Clive Davis, the music executive that developed so many incredible artists under his watch, has died at the age of 94. Whitney Houston, Bruce Springsteen, Barry Manilow, Aretha Franklin, and many others prospered by his visionary leadership. He told some of many tales in his decade old book, The Soundtrack of My Life.
From the expected stories around Whitney to the very unexpected ones about many others, the book is an eye-opening glance at the music industry. Good, bad, and very, very ugly.
Clive's story is finished. If you're reading this, yours is not. Each of us will have to give an account to God what how we've lived, what we've done, and who we believe in. Are you ready?
(Top photo by PurePeople.com)
Days of Disney Past: Videopolis at Disneyland
This super high technology dance club was the most quick and easy addition of the new projects. It brought the crowds into a little used space in Fantasyland, but it was only the first move in a succession of big time hit attractions. Captain Eo starring Michael Jackson would open in 1986 and the first ever attraction based on Star Wars, the incredible Star Tours, would open in 1987. The next big splash was the fan favorite Splash Mountain. With almost one new attraction a year for the first four years, it seemed as if the gifts from the suits and the Imagineers would never slow down. But it did. The next big attraction was the Indiana Jones Adventure (and I was there opening weekend).
Will Disneyland see another season of heavy investment under Josh D'Amaro? Here's hoping!
June 21, 2026
Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Surprisingly, I got the above text from my Dad, thanking us for his restaurant gift. I'm just so taken a back by it!
June 19, 2026
When Reality is Better Than Imagineering Art: Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean
To hardcore Disney theme park fans, Walt Disney World's Pirates of the Caribbean has long been considered the lower class version of the iconic Disneyland attraction, but that does not mean it is without its own charms or great design detail! Here above is the original ending scene, courtesy CardCow.com. Those poor soldiers protecting the treasure are overtaken by the rowdiest group of pirates ever to assemble in a Disney park.
When the gold standard of attractions made its debut at Disneyland in 1967, there was nothing like it- and there still isn't to this day!
Never, ever had anyone in the entertainment industry created a theme park attraction that was almost 15 minutes of one stunning seaworthy discovery after another. Unbelievably, when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, it was not on the opening day attraction roster at Walt Disney World!
As us Disney geeks know, the expansion plan for the Magic Kingdom included a full scaled Wild West styled version of the pirate adventure, Western River Expedition. The Marc Davis imagineered area Thunder Mesa included many other attractions built into one magnificent and very expensive structure.
As us Disney geeks know, the expansion plan for the Magic Kingdom included a full scaled Wild West styled version of the pirate adventure, Western River Expedition. The Marc Davis imagineered area Thunder Mesa included many other attractions built into one magnificent and very expensive structure.
There were no plans for this until Magic Kingdom guests demanded it.
It'd be easy to blame it on the energy crisis or the wait and see attitude of Disney accountants, but Western River Expedition and all the attractions at Thunder Mesa were not to be. Park guests won out with their numerous complaints. Executive Card Walker made the decision to toss out Davis' unbuilt masterpiece in favor of a sure bet where most of the hard design work had already been accomplished.
Construction in full swing.
See this concept art in full size! Just click on it.
When it came time to add the Pirates attraction for Florida's Magic Kingdom, Imagineer Marc Davis wanted to add elements that would bring the rowdy story to light in different ways than the one found in Disneyland's New Orleans Square. In Florida, the fan favorite would find its home in an expansion of Adventureland known as Caribbean Plaza. The pirate story would begin as guests entered an old Spanish fort El Castillo (later renamed Castillo del Morro). Good beginning!
Starting in the queue, there would be hints of what was to come, like the dueling pirate skeletons at the dust covered chessboard locked in an eternal stalemate. The biggest change overall would be the brand new conclusion. I've always loved the original ending in Florida. There the Spanish soldiers protecting the fortress are tied up while the pirates grab all that glittering treasure. The concept art was good, but the final execution was just brilliant!
Nothing they could do about it!
Over the years, the attraction lost its steady stream of visitors, but it didn't take long to regain them. Once the films based on the attraction became very popular, both the Disneyland original and the Florida version added Johnny Depp aka Captain Jack Sparrow to the mix. Purists scoffed, but fans of the Black Pearl series and Mr. Depp loved it. Crowds returned to the Florida attraction, filling the queue once again.
Photo by Mike Thomas at Magic and Memories.
Changes are constantly in play with the attraction. Additions have included other characters from the film and even a hint of deadly mermaid activity in the caverns. Those have been installed and subsequently removed.
In 2027, Pirates of the Caribbean celebrates its 60th Anniversary at Disneyland. I wouldn't be surprised if the Imagineers are planning for some new surprises to celebrate and honor this landmark attraction.
(Unless denoted, art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
June 16, 2026
Carpenters Revisited: A Fresh Look at Made in America (Part Two)
In April of this year, I published my Revisited / Fresh Look review of the Carpenters album Made in America. This hotly debated musical collection easily divided fans of the duo almost as much as the views of Karen Carpenter's one and only solo album. Let's consider one more idea regarding their 1981 comeback album. Read the Made in America (Part One) review if you need a refresher before we move ahead.
I can't decide which was the bigger production,
the wedding or the Made in America album.
Neither one performed as well as hoped.
Watching the 1981 album go up and quickly down the U.S. Billboard charts was a very frustrating experience. As I wrote earlier, it's not a bad album, but it's not a great one. After all, how bad could it be when Karen's voice it there? But the consumers and radio programmers all but said "We're done with them" after the initial limited success of the only solid hit single Touch Me When We're Dancing. The album of origin did not fare as well as the single.
In the U.S., this song was single number 3.
Just look at the album's journey up and down the Billboard charts:
Week Date Position
1 July 4 99 (The album's debut.)
2 July 11 85
3 July 18 79
4 July 25 71
5 August 1 61
6 August 8 54
7 August 15 52 (The album's peak.)
8 August 22 62
9 August 29 64
10 September 5 81
11 September 12 78
12 September 19 78
13 September 26 155
14 October 3 155
15 October 10 186 (Last week on the charts.)
Compared to Passage, the new album was a disappointment. Back in 1977, the very adventurous album debuted on October 22nd, charting at Number 98. Its peak was Number 49 on December 3. The album's last week on the chart was January 28, ending its 15 week run at Number 117. In essence, both albums were fairly equal performers, making the duo's highly anticipated comeback album a relative failure.
The initial Japanese single. But the last one in America.
Were the album's singles successful elsewhere on the globe? Definitely better in Japan and in the U.K., as expected. While A&M Records in the U.S. began the Carpenters comeback by issuing Touching Me When We're Dancing, the Japan took a different tactic which relied on their past success. They chose Beechwood 4-5789. Their love of the Oldies was well established, and the Now & Then album was one of the duo's best sellers in the Land of the Rising Sun, so this choice would seem like a no-brainer.
It was a different story in Brazil. There, A&M executives restarted the duo's career with (Want You) Back in My Life Again. In every market, the Richard Carpenter / John Bettis collaboration Because We Are In Love (The Wedding Song) was the flip side of the first single's release.
No doubt that music market is different in each different locale and region, and so are our own individual preferences. With that thought in mind, let's move forward.
Back in 1981, looking at the singles and album's modest success gave fans an opportunity to wonder why this occurred. So, now many years later...
It's time for us to "Create your own version of Made in America" or even "Made in America Redux". This is something hard core fans at the great A&M Corner forums have been doing ever since more and more of the songs recorded have been released on other Carpenters projects. There's even been some creative photoshop projects envisioning a new look for the album cover and insert.
The core of it all, the focus of any album, begins with the music.
Listed below are the songs recorded for the album that have seen the light of day as of the time of this article. They're listed in order of the dates work was first begun on each number. The songs are:
“When It’s Gone (It’s Just Gone)”
“Two Lives”
"Touch Me When We're Dancing"
“Prime Time Love”
“Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night”
“When You’ve Got What It Takes”
“Somebody’s Been Lyin’”
"Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
“Strength of a Woman”
“(Want You) Back in My Life Again”
“Your Baby Doesn’t Love You Anymore”
“The Uninvited Guest”
“Make Believe It’s Your First Time (Carpenters version)”
“The Rainbow Connection”
“Beechwood 4-5789”
“Those Good Old Dreams”
“Two Lives”
"Touch Me When We're Dancing"
“Prime Time Love”
“Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night”
“When You’ve Got What It Takes”
“Somebody’s Been Lyin’”
"Because We Are in Love (The Wedding Song)"
“Strength of a Woman”
“(Want You) Back in My Life Again”
“Your Baby Doesn’t Love You Anymore”
“The Uninvited Guest”
“Make Believe It’s Your First Time (Carpenters version)”
“The Rainbow Connection”
“Beechwood 4-5789”
“Those Good Old Dreams”
"At the End of a Song"
However, just to make this more interesting, in addition to the ones recorded in 1980 and 1981, there are also the following songs to choose from. These are selections from the planned 1979 album and others that up to 1983 remained in the A&M vaults:
"You're the One"
"Sailing on the Tide (#2)"
"Dancing in the Street"
"Leave Yesterday Behind"
"Thank You for the Music"
"Slow Dance"
"When I Fall in Love"
"Little Girl Blue"
"Where Do I Go from Here"
"Ordinary Fool"
Now we're ready.
Imagine you are Richard Carpenter working alongside Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss to come up with the best line up possible for your oh so important comeback album. Your choices will determine what's presented to radio programmers and the public. You are in charge of the project, but you have to create an album with the best possibility of bringing Carpenters back to the top of the charts.
Here's the assignment given to you by the label boss: Choose at least three singles, and limit yourself to ten songs total for the album.
Of course there is more to making an album a best seller than just the music. How do you present yourself in the best light possible? So, assignment number to is to create a strong visual look for the album.
Lastly, if you can, you must retain Made in America as the title of the album.
I'll start with the visual versus the audio side of things.
The front cover.
From a visual standpoint, Karen and Richard are on the cover in a real photograph. This is very important because they are clearly no longer teenagers but young adults and need to be presented as such after a long time out of the public eye. There's nothing sweet or sugary here. The optics are fresh and contemporary with just a hint of whimsy provided via the use of the light sky behind them. The frame could be replaced with a thin line inserted about half an inch from the edges, but I liked the overall feel of it better with some weight added. The Made in America script is clean and stylized, but it feels personal too. A very nice touch that I chose to keep.
My favorite album cover is Horizon, as I think it represents Karen and Richard in the best light possible. Much more serious and moody. But a similar approach wouldn't work on Made in America where the contents are relatively optimistic, light, and even inconsequential. The contents and the visual arts have to work in harmony.
The wallpaper a la A Kind of Hush in burgundy.
A very classy element that I wish they'd continued to use.
In blue, if you prefer.
In a nod to the past, the wonderful Carpenters "wallpaper" becomes a standard part of album packaging going forward. This was first used on A Kind of Hush. It is "branding" but in a very elegant manner. The investment of extra time, effort, and finances subtly communicates "This artist is important to us!"
The interior of the gatefold album... with some help from AI.
The sleeve. The opposite side is lyrics and production credits.
Does anyone out there have a nice, crisp version of this photo?
Let me know please...
And thanks to Ned Nickerson, it is now a reality!
The inside sleeve provides another photo opportunity as does the interior gatefold. I considered adding the new logo first seen on the Only Yesterday 45 sleeve, but I decided against it. As much as I like it, that era was over.
The vinyl.
The custom label for the record features David Willardson's artwork. He's a gifted artist and in small doses for this purpose, his art does communicate well. As part of a bonus, this image as well as the cover are available as a poster for fans through the official fan club.
The back cover. Inspired by one of the new selections on the album.
Now for my musical selections. As you pick your musical choices for the comeback album, feel free to make up your own rules.
The following were my guidelines. I wondered what would come together if 1- I left off I Believe You as it was released in 78; 2- Because We Are in Love was left as a special "B" Side for the first single, and 3- I could only replace one additional song (making for three total).
Here's what I came up with:
1 Touch Me When We're Dancing (Single #1- Late Spring)
2 Those Good Old Dreams
3 Strength of a Woman
4 (Want You) Back in My Life Again (Remixed Single #2- Summer)
5 When You've Got What It Takes
6 Kiss Me the Way You Did Last Night (Single #3- Fall)
7 When it’s Gone (It's Just Gone)
8 Prime Time Love
9 Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore (Single #4- Early 1982)
10 Somebody’s Been Lyin'
In my mind, the first single should lead off the comeback album. It's the one that will probably get the most radio play and probably be most remembered from this particular album. This is especially true if the follow up singles are not successful.
Side One is a fairly close representation of what Richard imagined, only adding in one song originally on Side Two and moving the last number to be the closer of the entire disc.
Side Two feels entirely different with better, stronger selections with a bit more edge. It misses the juvenile feel and lyrics of Beechwood 45789 but closes out with the very adult lyrics and feel of Somebody's Been Lyin'.
In my view, the whole album is punchier, looser, and with a more pop radio friendly sound. The follow up singles would still find their home on Adult Contemporary radio and those charts, but without the ultra soft, ultra processed feel that could relegate them to the trash bin of pop radio. This is particularly true of selections 1, 4, 6,8, and 9 that remove the airbrushed feel of the original choices with instrumental breaks that are lively and diverse and an overall more powerful drum work.
The most important new elements are stronger vocals from Karen. She feels more invested and present. Richard is more vocally impactful and involved. Although it feels fresh and new, the production also feels more "traditional" Carpenters. Karen's famous alto appears more often. There's also more diversity in style, all to the benefit of the collection and how it would be perceived.
What would be your choices?
In contrast to the previous Fresh Look at Karen's solo album, by the time I had completed my new revisited review of Made in America, I was not interested in listening to the collection for a very long time. The album is pretty, it has some nice elements, and it represents a wonderful season in my life. But it does not have the drawing power of their previous releases. In fact, at completion of Part One and Part Two, I've had relatively little interest in listening to the duo at all.
Karen and Richard were wise to quickly go back in the studio to work on their next album. Sadly, we all know what happens and what album comes next in 1983. Now if I can only get myself in the mood to dig into the research! Made in America wore me out!
--------------------------------
This is part of a continuing series on the albums of Karen and Richard Carpenter. There are so many stand alone posts highlighting different aspects of their career, recordings, rare photographs, and life that I've lost count.
Below is the list of my "Revisited /Fresh Look" reviews and then my initial ones a decade earlier. Each have different photos and clippings.
My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:
My Initial Reviews of the albums:
June 14, 2026
Looking Out the Window from The Walt Disney Family Museum
Without question, a visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum should be a must see attraction for any hardcore fan of Disney's animated films or theme parks. The beautiful scale model of Disneyland alone is worth the visit! There's so much to explore, that you could quite easily spend 2 to 3 hours there. Our visit was just what the doctor ordered. No large lines, no advance planning, no rush. Relaxing, enjoyable, and filled with opportunities to learn. (Sounds a lot like EPCOT Center in its early years.) One unexpected pleasure was the view outside. It was picture perfect as you can see!
(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)
June 13, 2026
Epcot: Saturday in Mexico Two Ways
Without a moment's hesitation, I'd reply "EPCOT Center" if asked which Disney park had the most spellbinding Imagineering art. Much of it was created by the legendary Herb Ryman. Not all, but quite a bit. And the pieces created for Future World are just as stunning as the ones created for Mexico, France, and others.
Oftentimes reality is not as good as Imagineering artwork. Sometimes, reality is better! (See Cars Land at Disney California Adventure for example.) Every once in awhile, concept art shares details we wish Disney had included. Above is one such piece.
The original and enchanting El Rio del Tiempo took riders through sets both elaborate and simple as they explored the history and culture of Mexico. (I'd still take it over The Gran Fiesta Tour any day- but that's a whole different story.) If you look closely at some of El Rio's great concept art, you'll notice the boats were to be more like the classic flower adorned ones of Xochimilco than the plain and ordinary ones they are. A little change like that, however, would have necessitated a much more grand scale than what was built. Due to budget cuts because of overages throughout the park, the lovely boat ride that was supposed to be more on the scale of Pirates of the Caribbean became a lot less ambitious.
Unfortunately, it also became the new standard when it came to ride length of future boat ride attractions. From Norway's Maelstrom to Animal Kingdom's Na'vi River Journey, traditional water attractions are now shorter in time, making it more difficult to fully immerse riders in the story and in the landscapes. They are still very popular, though! Maybe one day, elaborate and lengthy trips on the waterways will make their return. Disney Imagineering seems to be bringing back Audio-Animatronics after years of moving away from their use, so who knows what will happen.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)
June 11, 2026
The World Cup and Our Thousand Dollars a Day Car Rental
We started in Geneva, Switzerland before ending up in France. Then the unexpected (why was I surprised?) happened when the French air traffic controllers decided to strike, leaving us stranded and unable to fly back to Geneva for our return home. What could we do? Only one thing. Rent the last car at the airport for $1000- yes, one thousand dollars- and drive to Geneva to catch our flight. How is that for price gauging? Now, we laugh, but back then...
Gotta love all those World Cup athletes and the way they train so hard. I used to be more in shape than I am, but now I take solace in these words: "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8). Honestly though, that's no excuse for my laziness!
June 10, 2026
All the Earth Will Worship Jesus- Every Knee Shall Bow to Him
As I read these verses in the Bible (Romans 14:1-12), the fear and awe of God hits me:
"Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me,
and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God."
What a beautiful but scary picture of what heaven will be like! Giving an account to God for how we've lived our lives! What we've said. What we've done. Even what we've thought. We are all sinners who need the gift of Jesus Christ to save us. But also, what joy is coming! People from all over the earth, from all generations, praising His Name forever!
June 8, 2026
Art for Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure
There are plenty of reasons why Universal Orlando Resort's Diagon Alley is one of the best single Intellectual Property themed land in any park, Universal, Disney, Warner Brothers or anywhere else. The mix of great design detail, unique shopping and dining and those thrilling attractions make it an area a guest can spend hours in. Still it is not the most popular Harry Potter themed attraction to be found.
Perhaps the most popular one is this little coaster named Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. (And you thought Disney was the only one who had claim to ridiculously long attraction names.) In order to get to Hagrid's, you have to leave the Studios park for Islands of Adventure, but it is worth it! Besides, Diagon Alley aside, the Studios park is not nearly as richly themed as the resort's second theme park.
The concept art from Universal Creative captures the spirit of fun and discovery. It'd be foolish to think that those of you reading this have not been on the ride. But multiple launches, engaging show scenes with real animated characters, an unexpected surprise along the way and multiple ways to ride make this an adventure that is worth repeating. Disney wishes they could pull off something this terrific!
Universal keeps upping its game with Epic Universe being the next shot at taking up more of those vacation days. What ultra creative, groundbreaking Potter attraction comes next? We'll have to wait and see.
(Art copyright Universal Creative.)
June 7, 2026
The Hidden Monster in Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment in Lights On Mode
June 2026 Update: Here's the cleanest, clearest photo ever of the hidden monster in Epic Universe's incredible Monsters dark ride. What makes this image from UTPTVids so special?
Well, just one look at it, and you'll see it is because it comes from a full ride through of the attraction with the lights on. You can watch it above.
Look deeply but look quickly! There's a hidden monster that is very difficult to see at Epic Universe's incredible Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment attraction. It's not the above photo but the one below. This little discovery in Dark Universe is all you need to impress your friends! You might think it's the funny and cruel Ygor, but it is not. Nor is it Victoria Frankenstein- although I think that may be up for debate.
Who is he? None other than Quasimodo, the Hunchback himself. Up in the bell at the very beginning of the ride portion of this fantastic attraction.
You've got to slow down the speed, but you can see him for a few seconds at the 8:40 ish mark. Open this in another tab and watch for yourself. Thanks to LMG Vids for capturing him in enough light!
Earlier Update:
Here's a newer version from "SeeWDW!" at the 31 second mark.
View it here.
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