The Missed Opportunity at Disney's Animal Kingdom

You don't have to be a Disney rocket scientist to come up with some very cool ideas for the theme parks, and fans have been doing their own Backyard Imagineering for years. Here's an idea I'm surprised that Joe Rodhe and team missed, one that I wished would have come to fruition: A fully immersive Flik's Fun Fair under the Tree of Life. 

It could have included all the theming and rides found at Disney California Adventure 1.0 as well as It's Tough to Be a Bug 3D show. Disneys been known to pull off some incredible "underground" areas before, most notably Tokyo Disneysea's Mermaid Lagoon, so this could have been a no-brainer. 

Just imagine multiple trails leading into and around this hidden area! Now take a closer look at this AI generated image. 

With a full list of family friendly attractions, covered indoor space to be discovered in a park that's very hot, and something fully themed, an Animal Kingdom version of A Bug's Land would have been a hit right from the beginning. 

It's clearly too late now, but having this perhaps would have stopped construction of the ill-designed Chester & Hester's Dinorama and even later the rather lackluster Zootopia: Better Zoogether!

I've got a nine part series discussing the creation and evolution of this incredible park. Filled with rare concept art, trip reports, and more, you can read it beginning here.

Disneyland's Tilt A Whirl

Disney Imagineer Bruce Bushman may have produced the largest collection of concept art for unbuilt attractions compared to any other artist in the company. Here's another pice in my collection of all things Disneyland and all things Fantasyland- a Disney take on the Tilt a Whirl. If Walt rejected it because there was already the Dumbo spinner and then the carousel, he must have thought too many variations of carnival rides would not set his park apart from the cheap destinations found in parking lots across the country.

Although years later, in a very puzzling move, Disney built many off the shelf attractions for Disney California Adventure. So what do I know? 

Spiritual Realities: Hearing God's Voice

Do you love God and want to make your life count for something that will last for all time! If you've read this far, the answer is probably that you do. In the previous post in this series about Spiritual Realities, we talked about the truth that we are in a battle- whether we realize it or not. 

We can go about living our lives in a haphazard manner, or we can do it God's way for maximum impact. The truth is the key to effective ministry is in Hearing God’s Voice

It’s easy and very human to feel the need to make something worthwhile happen in our lives. God has a better plan, and it is one that works extremely well everywhere but especially in the world where following Jesus doesn’t make sense.   

Why God Speaks

There are a handful of reasons why God speaks, but His ultimate goal is to bring glory to Himself and to draw mankind into a redeemed relationship with Him. Beginning in Genesis, we see God bless the Man and Woman and give them all they needed for life (Genesis 1:28-31). Once the forbidden fruit was eaten, He speaks to correct them. Beginning with the question “Where are you?”, God draws them back (Genesis 3:8-13). Lastly, God speaks to direct and instruct. God speaks to Moses through a burning bush and has a full-on conversation with him- even speaking  to him about returning to Egypt (Exodus 3). Later, God speaks during the transfiguration of Jesus and announces who Jesus is to the three disciples who are with him (Matthew 17:1-5). In summary, God speaks to encourage  and bless; He speaks to correct; He speaks to direct and instruct. 

“To have God speak to the heart is a majestic experience, 

an experience that people may miss if they monopolize the conversation 

and never pause to hear God's responses.”

Charles Stanley (1932 – 2023), pastor 

To Whom God Speaks

God speaks to those who love Him. He speaks to those who do not love Him, and He speaks to those who don’t know Him. He spoke to Moses through a burning bush (Exodus 3) and has a full-on conversation with him- even speaking to him about returning to Egypt. During the Transfiguration of Jesus, God spoke to Peter, James and John (Matthew 17). One of the most memorable times God spoke to someone who didn’t know him was when He encountered Saul on the Damascus Road (Acts 22:6-11). We also see in Numbers 22:28, that God spoke to an unbeliever - “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” Then we see he spoke to the evil king Nebuchadnezzar, who heard God’s voice through two dreams and Daniel’s interpretations (Daniel 3-4). He continues to speak using the prophets.

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, 

but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, 

for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1

How God Speaks

First of all, God speaks through Jesus. He is the author of the Holy Scriptures, so He is first! Look at Hebrews 1:1-2: 

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”  

Obviously, God speaks through His written Word, the Bible. It’s His Word. Psalm 119:105 tells us “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”. What you hear from God in these other ways will never contradict it. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16).

God speaks through prayer and His still small voice- (1 Kings 19:12). We’ve got to wait to hear Him. We must turn down all other voices in our head, our to-do list or whatever else occupies our minds. We must patiently wait as we seek Him. 

The wisdom God gives other believers is another way in which He speaks. Read these last recorded words of King David: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me; his word is on my tongue” (2 Samuel 23:2). Because our faith is always lived out in the context of community, the very authorities above you and the people around you can often function  as the Word of God to you.  

God may speak through dreams and visions.  ““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). 

Lastly, God may use circumstances and opportunity as a way to confirm what He has spoken. However, it is unwise to look at these as our only measuring tool. These must work in accordance with everything else.

Fight on for the truth!

There's just so many things screaming for our attention. That fact leads me to this last question for now: Whose voice are you listening to? 

Next time, we will discuss Why God Speaks...

(Text copyright Mark Taft.)

The End or the Beginning?

 Today things really change for me. Is this the beginning of something new? I certainly hope so! God's not done with me. I'm certainly not retiring. It's time for a new adventure...

My Wife the Disney Food Blog Star

Yes, it's true. AJ Wolfe's team at Disney Food Blog made my wife and kids a YouTube star. At the 11 second mark of this video, you can see my wife and kids on the left. It was taken in 1989. And it appeared on this blog as part of my look at the history of Disney-MGM/ Disney's Hollywood Studios.

 

From the Jungle Cruise to Indiana Jones and the Myth of the Jade Serpent

At the opening of Disneyland, the crowning achievement on the attraction roster was the Jungle River Cruise, the centerpiece of the new park's lushly beautiful Adventureland. By any measure. Walt Disney was justifiably proud of his newly christened Imagineers for this calm yet thrilling ride through the exotic and dangerous waters of the world. This beautiful piece of concept art depicts headhunter country. It's now a taboo subject, but back then, this brought some thrill along with the fear factor. 

There was nothing like it! Groundbreaking in its theme and execution, Disneyland visitors immediately got in line for the attraction and have never stopped. With all its changes and tweaks, the Jungle Cruise is a long time favorite with corny jokes from skippers with just the right playful, irreverent attitude. Tokyo Disneyland may be flashing about plans to remove it at their park, but what a mistake that would be!

The significance of the attraction goes far beyond opening day and its continued popularity. You could make a strong case that this attraction had the most to do with then CEO Michael Eisner giving his blessing to build Disney's Animal Kingdom. Sure, Michael's competitive nature was also driven by Busch Gardens' success down in Tampa, but I believe it was also the public's love of the attraction- and Joe Rohde's clever tiger in the boardroom stunt- that tipped the scales in favor of a brand new wild animal kingdom.

Today, the newer Jungle Cruise inspired park is not the out of the box success the suits hoped it would be. Yet. Long story short, the team working on the Encanto and Indiana Jones / Tropical Americas project had better make it a huge success- or more heads are gonna roll.

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company.)

Mysterious Halloween Imagineering Art

Every few years on Halloween, I post this pic of rare concept art and ask if anyone knows anything about it. Years back, the Disney Parks Blog highlighted a piece of Imagineering concept art as a banner on the site dated October 31, 2016.  I've never seen this. If I had to guess,  I'd say it is for the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland or Disneyland Paris' Phantom Manor. Perhaps its was for Tokyo's villains themed walk through- Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour. Maybe it was part of a plan for something entirely different that Imagineering had cooked up. Anyone know more?

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company.)

And I Think to Myself...

Sing with Mr. Louis Armstrong here, "What a Wonderful World". From our "all of the family finally together" portraits in Fall of 2017, this photo captures a sweet moment between my lovely wife and I. What a gift from God she is and continues to be. Year after year. Decade after decade.

 

Musings on Disney's Hollywood Studios Now & Then

There have been many, many changes at Disney's Hollywood Studios since its opening as Disney-MGM Studios in 1989. But one thing that hasn't changed since the first time we visited the park is my love for the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater.

Opening in 1991, it was several years before we were finally able to get in to this very popular eatery. Life was busy, and the wallet was light, so a trip to Disney had to wait a bit. (And we thought Disney was expensive back then!) That was then, and things have changed a bit. What about Sci-Fi now? Take a look at our most recent visit:

Dine or Ditch Sci-Fi now?

Do you just love Disney's Hollywood Studios? If you do, check out my article. This mega post on the history of the park has tons of concept art, information on unbuilt attractions, my now vintage photos as far back as 1989 and more. Check it out here.

Farm Days

What is it about Anderson Farms? This family friendly place is known for its HUGE pumpkin patch and corn mazes. But there's so much more. It's really just a great excuse to connect with friends and family and detach from on line life and responsibilities. It was supposed to rain, but instead we got the perfect day. So fun to finally revisit a family tradition that was lost for a few years due to the busyness of life and schedules that wouldn't match.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

And The Winner Is...

The Themed Entertainment Association released its 2025 annual report. Each year, it essentially pits The Walt Disney Company against Universal Destinations and Experiences. With the opening of Epic Universe, how will the numbers change and how does this affect what each company will do in the future? Instead of telling you what I think at this point- which is essentially, we're seeing the reason Disney is upping their game in Orlando- you should read the report for yourself. Get it here. 

 

TRON Lightcycle Power Run Lights Up the Night

It is perhaps the shortest E Ticket attraction ever created by Walt Disney Imagineering. At just about one minute long, TRON Lightcycle Power Run is over just after it begins. But boy, oh boy, doesn't it make for an incredible piece of eye candy! 

The Tomorrowland thrill ride looks best in Shanghai Disneyland than it doesn't in Florida. In China, there's no Space Mountain next door to compete for visual effect, and the multi-level land creates stunning photo opportunities. 

For the most beautiful on line tour of Shanghai Disneyland, go to this video from Document Disney right here. 

 

More Epic Universe Concept Art

A few articles ago, I looked at the design detail for Universal's new restaurant at Epic Universe, the Atlantic. Well, today, here's a look at the concept art. It's pretty nice! Now, is it just my imagination or is Universal Creative upping their game in the concept art arena as well? I think so! As a lover of concept art, this makes me very, very happy. Charm is harder to convey in a photograph, but in concept art, colors of the water and sky can create something very enchanting- and this does. 

(Art work copyright Universal Creative.)

"Q; The Autobiography of Quincy Jones"- A Genius' Sad Story

Quincy Jones was such a brilliant man, but he had a sad personal life filled with broken relationships, deep pain, and career setbacks. Q's story covers a lot of territory from back in the earlier days of American jazz to his superstardom with Michael Jackson, recording We are the World, a superb album with George Benson, and beyond. You only get a glimpse of him in the film bio of Jackson, but don't miss this book. Any lover of music will find this well worth your time.

Something Old from the Disney Gallery

Something new here, you say? Well, very old actually. It's The Mickey Mouse Club Theater by Imagineer Bruce Bushman. Seems the man did many renderings for park attractions that never were built, but this one was. 

Above is a very simple pencil concept for the theater in Fantasyland, Walt Disney's park, Anaheim, California. My photograph isn't the greatest, but I'm glad I snapped it years ago. I haven't seen the piece since, so I guess that now makes it a rarity. Love those Disney Gallery presentations!