Imagineer Dorothea Redmond's Beautiful Concept Art for Cinderella Castle

While we fans await the return of Cinderella Castle to its initial and carefully planned color scheme, we can take a glance at this genuinely lovely piece of concept art by Imagineer Dorothea Redmond. She may be best known for her atmospheric pieces for New Orleans Square at Disneyland, but the woman could pull off anything! The delicate water colored hues she uses for the courtyard of the Florida park's icon is design at its best. There's no need to scream look at me; the design detail speaks for itself. In a new Disney world where subtlety may be a truly lost art, the old school Imagineers understood the value of guests slowly discovering the rich atmospheres they created. This added to the charm of the castle parks and all others that followed.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Audio-Animatronic Olaf Teaches Us to Draw at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Coming at the end of Summer this year, an Audio-Animatronic Olaf, the lovable snowman from Frozen, will be teaching guests of all ages how to draw animated characters. You'll find him inside the refreshed Magic of Disney Animation, the courtyard that was once home to Star Wars characters. This is a more fitting use of that space now that Galaxy's Edge is open. I can't tell you how happy this change makes me! In a season where the last couple of years Disney Imagineering- the executives actually- were reducing if not eliminating the number of Audio-Animatronic in the parks, I never thought I'd see a small attraction use one. Good job, Disney! Smart move in your part!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Solo Mio- The Fun in Getting There

Even before you see the film Solo Mio, you know the ending. Maybe. Well, perhaps not all of it as it holds a pretty big surprise, but there's a great deal of fun in the journey. Including one more unexpected twist that left me surprised and delighted. Kevin James pulls off the jilted lover Matt so well that your heart aches for him and roots for him. Even more so than in his performance as Albert in Hitch. 

Matt's journey of self-discovery leads to an encounter with a local coffee shop owner in Rome, a charming and feisty- but in a lovely way- Gia, played by a great Nicole Grimaudo. Going in, I was asking myself if The Chosen's Jonathan Roumie could play anyone other than Jesus. (Weren't many of us if we're honest?) The answer is "Yes", and his character is so against type that you forget him in his much more famous role. 

Need a date night but have some young teens with you? No worries. There's little to fret over and no need to make them close their eyes at any point. Solo Mio is family friendly without losing its edge. Go see this movie while it is in theaters if nothing else to capture the beautiful Italian landscapes on the big screen. But if you wait, just make sure you see it. There's not a misstep to be found from beginning to end!  

One More Goodbye

It's time to say goodbye to another friend. We weren't exactly what you'd call close, we didn't hang out a lot together, but we were always real when it mattered. And it mattered a lot! We worked together in a very high stress situation. His wisdom and good questions always had impact. As a man who followed Jesus and lived a life worthy of his name, I know when my time comes, we'll see each other again. That is a comfort. I hope you can say the same with certainty.

Piston Peak's Older, More Rustic Cousin: Disneyland's Rainbow Ridge

Piston Peak is sure to remain the Magic Kingdom's most hotly debated addition. Replacing Rivers of America- an opening day feature of the original castle park and one that held Walt Disney's beloved riverboat-  was an announcement that brought a hush and even some boos to D23. Deservedly so. 

Bringing the modern day Cars franchise into Frontierland. It wasn't blasphemy, but it was close. This was far worse than replacing Splash Mountain with Tiana's Bayou Adventure. 

Above is a vintage Rainbow Ridge Postcard from Disneyland's golden days when the man himself was still around to provide real vision for the park he loved. As the gateway to something fantastic, this area not only contained the Mine Train Thru Natures Wonderland, it also held the Conestoga Wagons and the Pack Mule train. 

It was truly a land of discovery filled with rustic scenes, animals native to the American West, and the show stopping Rainbow Caverns as grand finale to the mine train ride. This was the Americana version of the Jungle Cruise as designed by Imagineer Marc Davis. The whole thing was even more special as right across the river was Tom Sawyer Island, a special placed designed for open exploration and a chance to use the imagination God gave us.

Proving great ideas never go to waste, modern Imagineering borrowed from the Mine Train finale to add a taste of vintage Disneyland to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. I'm grateful for that, and I look forward to the change. But it does makes me long for a simpler day when Disney suits realized the parks were about much more than promotion for the company's Intellectual Property.

Then A Girl, Now A Woman

Happy Birthday to our oldest daughter! You know how in those middle schools years, everyone is a little awkward while they move from childhood into adulthood? This was never her. Braces and all, she was just beautiful! What is even better is she was always a girl of great compassion and tenderness toward others. Now as an adult woman with a family of her own, she still has those traits plus a faith in Jesus that is unwavering. I'm just so proud of her and the woman she's become!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

The Pokemon Cafe

Gotta love this video! And you gotta love the joy on this Dad's face as he takes his kid to the Pokemon Cafe in Tokyo, Japan. Through My Lens is quickly becoming one of my favorite channels to watch. Check out the great video travelogue:

Faking Me Out

Imagine my surprise to discover that this idyllic home in the northern part of the U.K. was actually not real at all. As I was looking for You Tube videos to get an idea about our next real vacation, I ran across one that caught my eye. Thankfully, I glanced at the comments and saw it was actually AI generated. I was disappointed. I mean, who wouldn't want to live in a home that looks like this?
 

Happy Valentine's Day to My One True Love

This one is for you. Thank you for all our years together and praying for many more to come! (We're in Charleston, South Carolina, by the way, Hard to tell from the photo.)

Notable and Quotable: Michael Eisner

“I'm not wild about the fact that it is so expensive now to go to Disneyland or Disney World.”

                 Michael Eisner, Former CEO of The Walt Disney Company

Neither are we, Michael. And this is only the beginning of what he has to say to Graham Bensinger of In Depth.  

Should we even care about what Eisner says? Yes, and incoming leader Josh D'Amaro should pat attention. Eisner's the man who brought a second golden age to Disney animation as well as theme parks. Think The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King. On the park/ themed entertainment side, he brought us Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Pleasure Island and Euro Disney aka Disneyland Paris. This all includes Splash Mountain, Star Tours, and the Indiana Jones Adventure attractions among many others. (Yes, he brought us Disney California Adventure, but I'll forgive him for that, since he also brought Tokyo DisneySea!)

Watch this segment of the interview below:

Rebuilding the 70's

Rounding out my collection of music from (mostly) the 1970's, I was very happy to find several CDs in 2nd and Charles. Who can't get a smile on their face by listening to the 5th Dimension and the incredible voice of Marilyn McCoo? The only other female voiced disc I bought was Roberta Flack, and that was a greatest hits package that included all her smashes with Donny Hathaway- including one of my all time favorite records, Where Is The Love?

Barry Manilow was an artist I didn't expect to purchase, but the deal was too good to pass up, and it was nice to have so many hits on one disc. Same with Lionel Richie and his hit album Can't Slow Down. It holds up pretty well after all these years. Not great, but well.

The last find of the day was Paul Simon's greatest hits collection. After a good listen, I came to an interesting conclusion: Yes, he's a great songwriter, but as a performer, he is better on the upbeat numbers where his voice doesn't matter so much. On the slower songs- like Still Crazy After All These Years, Something So Right, and I Do It For Your Love, the weakness of it becomes evident. He needs someone else to interpret for maximum effectiveness. 

Bonus point- these discs were very inexpensive. I walked out with the whole lot for less than $25. Guess it's time to keep rebuilding my collection!

Announcing Walt Disney World: Three Retro/VintageTravel Posters

Ah, the earliest beginnings of Walt Disney World! The thrill of anticipation! That first visit. Going from the Transportation and Ticket Center to the Magic Kingdom! Should we take the monorail or the ferry boat? Watching the horizon along the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon and daydreaming of staying at the Polynesian Village Resort. 

It was just as enchanting entering the Magic Kingdom, wasn't it? Seeing Cinderella Castle at the end of Main Street U.S.A. for the first time. Exploring a whole new world with Florida exclusives like the playful Country Bear Jamboree, the nostalgic and sentimental Mickey Mouse Revue, and the inspiring Hall of Presidents- in its brand new land, Liberty Square. 

It was a BIG deal for Disney to come to Florida! We forget sometimes, just how big this was. Imagine a whole new world built from scratch in the swamplands where there was once nothing at all. Real magic was created through hard work, dedication, and ultimately, imagination.

Let's take a look at these retro / vintage Disney World and Florida travel posters used to promote this new place of wonder and fun!  

The Delta Airlines poster at top is one that has found its place in my office. It's just iconic, isn't it? Love the original colors of the castle, and I'm thrilled they are returning. 

 

The generic "Orlando" poster from National Airlines (may it rest in peace) gets their castle from Disneyland, not the Florida one. Perhaps it is unofficial and therefore, they had to do it this way. While this one is nice as well, it's definitely third place among this trio.

The winner is clearly this one! Eastern Air Lines, being the official airline of the resort focused on the entire Vacation Kingdom. The sunset red poster did not feature its sponsored attraction, If You Had Wings, because it wouldn't open until a couple of years later. Mickey gets trips billing but so do some birds from the Tropical Serenade (aka Enchanted Tiki Room), the Haunted Mansion, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and the Contemporary Resort. 

October 1971 brought a whole new world into existence. The future plans of the suits and Imagineers made sure the future looked bright. And it was, wasn't it? 

(Art copyright the Walt Disney Company and National,Delta, and Eastern airlines.)

25 Years of Disney California Adventure? Looking Back at a Disastrous Past

Disney California Adventure park celebrates 25 Years! I was there shortly after opening. By the time I had my first visit, I had seen the reviews and wasn't sure what the actual experience would be like. But how often do you get to go to a brand new Disney theme park? I had to see it with my own eyes. My very wonderful father in law had worked for Kodak, a longtime sponsor of Disneyland, so he wanted to take our family of six to the new park on his dime. Now fully retired, I didn't want him to waste his money, so I told him I would go check it out myself first. Then, if it was worth the cash, I'd happily let him follow through. Thankfully, he trusted my instincts. My youngest daughter who was almost 15 talked me into taking her. Off we went.

The original souvenir map.

I really wasn't expecting to be as shocked as I was. Could it really be as cheap looking as they say? Certainly, Disney CEO Michael Eisner wouldn't build something on par with Six Flags next to the original and perhaps greatest Magic Kingdom!

Opening the park guide map revealed
a small park with cheap carnival attractions and retread films from Walt Disney World.

The night before, I drove off to the Disneyland Resort as it was now known, to buy my ticket and grab a map. Then I could be getting right at the park's gate before opening. 

One of the most creative parts of the park.

 

Seeing the entrance to the park from the Esplanade, I wasn't sure I got what they were going for. Even if the tile work work beautifully done in places, a cheap knockoff of the Golden Gate Bridge just felt out of place. Going in for a closer look, I was even more confused.

Just inside the gates. 

Disney must have scored huge discounts on corrugated metal.

It was everywhere.

Peeking through the park gates, it just screamed fast and cheap. Very un-Disney. What had they done? This tacky area was the one the suits wanted to show as a preview of what the park would hold? Certainly, the suits had lost their minds. What exactly were they smoking in my Colorado mountains when they planned this park to replace of the originally planned Westcot?

I walked in and hoped for the best.

Yes sir, the stores along the Sunshine Plaza entry street looked "hip and trendy" and just like any other theme park- but not a Disney one. Corrugated steel sides, lots of very loud neon and not a bit of warmth and charm.  Clearly the targeted look was something that would appeal to teens going into Hot Topic. Limited audience at best. It had to get better than this, didn't it?

Unfortunately, what I found for myself was true to what I'd read. The park was a reuse of other Disney attractions from Florida, far too many films, and a heavy dose of pure and simple carnival rides. There were only three noteworthy attractions and a whole bunch of "What the Hell were they thinking?" additions. Certainly, the executives had lost their minds. Certainly, the Imagineering team was embarrassed by the end result, and most certainly, the suits were now taking their guests' loyalty for granted. 

Just ahead of the entry was the golden, gilded sun icon including a very nice fountain around it.  I thought the sculpture to be pleasant, but as the landmark icon for the new park, it fell flat.  

The California Zephr. I really did love this being in the park. 

The main drag was no Main Street U.S.A. It was diminutive at best and quickly led guests into an entry into the park's other areas. The surprise to be found was the rather elegant and old school California Zephyr train. It housed another store (naturally), but it also held a clever coffee shop where they roasted the beans on site. Giving the whole entry area a burnt smell that I found either very intriguing or rather distracting  depending on my mood. But I loved the train itself. I even think Walt Disney would have loved it being in the park. Of course, since this was California Adventure, guests couldn't ride it, they could only walk in and make a purchase.

Then president Paul Pressler filled the park with highly detailed shops that reflected his retail preferences. Restaurants were also well themed and even quite expensive. Somehow, the real stars- the attractions themselves- were bare bones and a secondary experience in his eyes. He'd forgotten exactly why guests went to Disney.

The first fully desert themed land in a Disney park.

Straight ahead was Condor Flats and the park's best and centerpiece attraction Soarin' Over California. 

A rather plain but fitting exterior.

As they say, the pickings were slim, but the attraction was (and may still be) the best in the park. At the time, it was the new park's only true "E" Ticket. The Imagineers selected the perfect scenery to represent California, and the ride mechanism couldn't fit the attraction any better. I have to admit I got a little misty eyed flying over the state I grew up in. Nostalgia of a different kind than Disney is normally known for. As far as Disneyland's younger sister park went, it was mostly downhill from there.

GRR, somedays brr...

Moving on and with it warming up a bit, I was ready for a ride on Grizzly River Run. With a beautiful setting, I was expecting another true headliner, but without the expected but never delivered Audio-Animatronics, it's a solid "D Ticket" at best. 

Still a Disney girl deep down.

Tons better than Animal Kingdom's Kali River Rapids, though. A more complete and lengthier experience. 

One of my favorite photographs of the park at opening.

This section of the park is one of its most beautiful areas. It also is the one with the views from the overpriced Grand Californian Resort. As a day visitor, there's still geysers, waterfalls, dense forests and hidden paths to explore.  We then headed into what looked like San Francisco. What a misfire and an insult to the very beautiful city it's supposed to represent.

What the small walkway led to is the worst land in any Disney park ever: "Paradise" Pier.

Was this Disney or did I stumble into some alternate universe?

Just as certainly as the suits had forgotten what a Disney park was all about, the Imagineers had to be sorely embarrassed by what they were allowed to build. Barry Braverman was over the project. The great Tim Delaney, who had done such incredible work for EuroDisney aka Disneyland Paris was put in charge of the new park's carnival themed land, so he had to make the best of a bad decision. Fortunately, the faux wooden coaster that defined the land, California Screamin', was a hit due to his great engineering. To make matters even worse, they were placed front and center to promote their work in Disney promotional pieces. 

New lows in Imagineering design!

There seemed to be a sale on vinyl as well.

What I found for myself was true to what I'd read. The park was a reuse of other Disney attractions from Florida, far too many films, and a heavy dose of pure and simple carnival rides. There were only three noteworthy attractions and a whole bunch of "What the Hell were they thinking?" additions. Certainly, the executives had lost their minds. Certainly, the Imagineering team was embarrassed by the end result, and most certainly, the suits were now taking their guests' loyalty for granted. 

Aside from a wide range of flat rides, there was a row of cheap looking carnival games and the park's greater thrill ride, California Screamin'. And what a great, smooth, coaster it is! It's not really unthemed because of where it is placed, but it did take me awhile to get used to everything being exposed. (For the record, the move to Incredicoaster was a downgrade in the overall experience.)

 

A "love letter" to California's farmers.

This structure is now in Paradise Gardens.

(This photo is from a later trip. 

Notice the new theming based on A Bug's Life

 and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the background.)

We liked the look of Pacific Wharf, but we were surprised to find it really was just a well themed food court, albeit one with great food. A bakery and tortilla tour masquerading as attractions? Laughable. 

Tile representation of Northern California. 

Next up was The Golden State, the area of the park that was to most strongly represent the culture of California. The main attraction was Golden Dreams, a look at its history. This was another place where the budget for the park was cut, and it is very obvious to anyone paying attention. The presentation was originally to elements similar to the American Adventure at Epcot, but instead ended up being a glorified film. It wasn't a bad show, but without the Audio-Animatronics to ground it, the attraction certainly wasn't even close to repeatable. In addition, if you're not a fan of actress Whoopi Goldberg, you probably won't like she plays the main character. 

Nor will you like that Whoopi appears in not one but two attractions at California Adventure. Where? The Hollywood Pictures Backlot.

Retread films, a great animation pavilion, 

a strange stage show, and the worst attraction ever built.

 

Superstar Limo is the strangest attraction to ever be built at a Disney park. It represented everything wrong with California Adventure. Imagine running into Hollywood celebrities with distorted faces while you try to reach a premier where you end up being the star that is celebrated. Whoopi is there as is Tim Allen, Jackie Chan, Cher, Drew Carey and a long list of mainly B list types. It's snarky and full of industry inside jokes if you're part of the messed up Hollywood scene. Thankfully, the attraction was short-lived due to the fact it became the laughing stock of themed attractions as did the newest Disney park itself.

 

What did we see that we liked in this weird little park? Well, Eureka was truly a great parade. Puppets, performers on trampolines and roller skates and pogo sticks, made it a high energy presentation we really enjoyed. Almost Epcot like. Well almost. Only the oh-so-trendy theme song revealed what the park really wanted to be, and frankly, that was something that we just did not like. The Animation area was very well done, but a great mid-level attraction is not enough. I particularly enjoyed the Seasons of the Vine film. 

My daughter's assessment proved how well she understood the art of Imagineering: "It's like they forgot what made Disneyland great in the first place!" I could not have said it any better.

DCA 1.0 was a dinosaur soon to be extinct.

Dinosaur Jack's Glasses of Distinction, actually.

We left the park after about 4 hours, and even that included a leisurely lunch. We went to Guests Services to explain our disappointment in paying a full price for a cheapened experience. We were not expecting what happened next. Without us asking, we were offered tickets to Disneyland free of charge for the rest of the day. We jumped on it. I'd find out later this was the standard offer for other guests expressing their displeasure. 

We went home after visiting Disneyland, so thankful that the original and best Imagineers had designed the place under Walt's leadership. My father in law was glad I had him hold off, saving him time and money.

My daughter and I told our tales of California Adventure, but it led to a surprise: My ten year old son was now certain he had to visit the park!

WHAT??

 
What a difference a few days and a few years can make. 

As a ten year old boy, his thoughts on the park were vastly different. Very different likes and perspective than his sister. In fact, he loved the place. LOVED it.

We got there about a half hour before opening. At the time the gates opened, we were ready to go. Beginning our day with Soarin', it was a huge hit, and it still was with me. Then, time for a snack. Really, just coffee for me, and you can guess where we went. That beautiful little train was calling me. Next up was It's Tough to Be a Bug. Another hit. It seemed like it didn't fit the park in my mind, but for my son, it was just a fun film. No winery and no Seasons film because the thrills of Paradise Pier lured him in. On to the carnival! All the rides there were just taken in excitedly as part of the vibe. A huge serving of soft swirl ice cream was a must. The now long gone cement dinosaur was cool, very cool in fact. Even the quirky and cheap Mulholland Madness was something he loved. I still thought this part of the park was an ugly waste, but I didn't say so. He was having a great day already.

Grizzly River Run meant two rides in a row and one later that night. Riding in the evening is a whole different, much better experience. We spent some time at the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail, but we left as he was quickly bored. Lunch was darned good at the Lucky Fortune Cookery.  He even found the Tortilla factory fun. Who doesn't love fresh and hot little cakes of goodness?

From climbing the C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A letters at the front of the park gates, to getting drenched on Grizzly, to three rides on Screamin' in a row- the last one without me (thank God!) and just about all we did in between, it was very different experience with my son.  

Through his eyes, Eureka was a great parade. From flying cream pies in Muppets to more Bugs, each 3D film made him laugh. Superstar Limo, however, was not his favorite or even funny in his mind, proving even a ten year old can have good taste!

Pluto makes the day fun!

There it was! I had an enlightened thought. California Adventure was a "Ten Year Old Boy Park". He didn't want or care for great theming, layers of detail, or sophistication. He didn't miss the animatronics. He didn't miss the love put into designing the place. He just wanted to have fun. Although I could have just taken him to Knott's Berry Farm, I started to see the park through his eyes. My perspective on the park remained it was far from Disney's best work- perhaps its worst (that was until I saw Walt Disney Studios Paris for myself- but in spite of its shortcomings, we had a great time together. 

It was just what the suits were hoping would happen, but this didn't mean everyone would come. The numbers were dismal, and change was on the horizon even after a couple of high profile additions.

What do I think of the park 25 years later? The addition of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street are fantastic and worthy of the Imagineering name. Since that, the place has unfortunately gone back to its old ways.

I'm not all that interested now. As a theme park fan, I will keep tabs on the place, but it will not get my hard earned money. I haven't returned since 2018. My daughter returned once in 2011. The last group of family that went- including my son who visited when he was ten- all else first timers in 2022, decided the park was not worth the money and not at all close to Disney quality.

Will I go back soon? Only if Coco is great! Otherwise, not until Pandora shows up- and even then, I might delay a visit.
 -----

Want more Disney California Adventure? Here you go!

Bargain Basement Imagineering - 1.0

Bargain Basement Imagineering  - 1.5

Bargain Basement Imagineering (or Back to the Drawing Boards)

Imagineering A New Dream- DCA  2.0 - The 2017 Announcement & Reimagining

California Adventure's Cool Retro Attraction Posters

20 Years of DCA: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Disney's Real California Adventure: The Challenge and the Reputation at Stake

Ten Years of Disney California Adventure

A California Adventure Christmas- and More Dirty Secrets of Disneyland 

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft. Concept art and maps copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

Italy Comes to California

Do you love Italy? The food, the landscapes, the people? I sure do! It was during a tour of Napa and Sonoma, California, wine country, where we found a bit of Italian charm right outside our door. No, it's not Epcot (or even Westcot). Even the cloudy skies can't hide the charm!

The gorgeous Castello di Amorosa is a family owned winery. This beautiful plaza and its fortress walls were built from scratch. No, they weren't there before. The look was lovingly recreated from the minds of the family working with similarly minded architects and designers. The end result? Something you would easily find in those Tuscan hillsides thousands of miles away!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Words Get in the Way

With sincerest apologies to Gloria Estefan, my words get in the way all the time! They're not even always words of anger, they are often words spoken out of time or even confessions from my heart that get me into trouble. I do try to use my words to build others up, but that may be only when I'm on my very best behavior. the Bible's book of Proverbs says "... the tongue has power of life and death... (chapter 18, verse 21). Am I using my words to encourage people and strengthen them or do I use them to tear others down, thinking that's how I can build myself up? Oh, how I need Jesus!!!