A Disneyland Break from Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

Here you go: a mock Rocket Rods attraction poster. Long may the Tomorrowland attraction live in our memories!

Hollywood Studios Gets Stars Wars: Did Disney Learn From the Galaxy's Edge Disaster in California?

Will the Disney's Hollywood Studios version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge be better received than it was at it's older California sibling? We're about to find out! Without its star attraction, Rise of the Resistance, its anyone's guess. Certainly, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run was not desired to anchor the land. It seems as if the suits have learned some lessons from the past. A little humility is always a good thing!

I'll find out soon as to how this new land compares as our long planned Walt Disney World trip takes place very soon. In the meantime  my take on Disneyland's version of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge here.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Waiting...Not So Patiently

Today is the day. Always my most favored day of any D23 presentation- the theme park announcements. And this year, my favorite Florida park is in the spotlight. Waiting...

Cynical Look at New Plans for Epcot

MORE UPDATES: Plans for the new Epcot continue to leak out. I'm naturally very curious as this is my favorite Florida park, but so far, I'm not impressed or surprised. There are aspects I like. (More on that after the announcements on Sunday morning.) Somethings - like a ton of concept art- are left for that time when all the details finally are made official.  

This weekend at D23, the Walt Disney Company will finally reveal its long range plans for Epcot, the second Disney park in Florida and the one that was once the most ambitious. Long ago. Consider me very cynical but also somewhat relieved that they have finally chosen a direction for this long neglected world. But as you will see, this has been coming for years.

With the Leave A Legacy stones moving to a more appropriate place, the new park entrance will be lush, green, and flower filled- including Disney character topiaries to gently remind guests this is not your father's EPCOT Center. Consider it foreshadowing of what guests to the new EPCOT will find inside. 

Anna, Elsa, and Olaf were only the beginning.

On the positive side, I'll admit, the new entrance should be beautiful. It is a warm welcome to a park that introduces guests to a new direction: Magic Kingdom 2.0 is coming faster than us purists would like... but anyone paying attention to the last few years could easily see this coming. 

A new entrance. A new beginning.

A much deeper look at the concept art revealed thus far shows the Imagineers were tasked with creating an Epcot that referenced the past while tossing aside its original mission. Oh yes, we certainly are "On the Brink of New Age - October 1, 2019" as the new EPCOT poster tells us.

The current leadership under Robert Iger has been grooming us to accept and even love these changes for years as one character after another slowly slipped into both parts of the park. 

Future World would no longer be a place of the latest discoveries in science, agriculture, transportation and communication. Now, intellectual properties from the Company's film library would invade those previously almost sacred spaces once dedicated to a fine blend of education and entertainment that one Disney can do. It also does not look like this part of the park will keep its original name. Too difficult to keep up with the future.

World Showcase will no longer celebrate national cultures. Instead, it will now celebrate Disney animation's beloved characters placed in settings that look like where they could have lived. Thankfully, Imagineers set the standard with giving guests recreations of locales around the globe. They have always been romanticized views of the nations, making them a perfect backdrop of the character invasion.

The way things look today, I'll be able to stop going to Disney movies altogether and just visit the World every few years. The attractions here and at the Magic Kingdom and the Studios will give me the full story lines of those films. Money saved. 

EPCOT Center is not gone, however. We'll get references to the first incarnation of it - including all the amazing extinct attractions- in the form of nifty posters and pavilion emblems which are easily turned into pins, coffee mugs, and shirts. It's so easier to sell merchandise that way! I will ask this question: Is it wise to remind guests of what the park used to be about and what was lost in this new direction?

Reminders of the past to sell merchandise
to those who remember the real Epcot Center.

I'm not surprised. Are you? How many times can they give us Figment and Dreamfinder and iconic emblems placed on just about anything that will sell?  

With these premises in mind, let's take a (cynical) look at what's to come:

• Spaceship Earth Revamp- This one scares me. What will they do to this iconic centerpiece of the park, one of the last original EPCOT Center attractions? At least its not the once proposed Time Racers roller coaster!

• Disney's Play Pavilion- The Kid Zone for those who have to have their characters in order to have fun. A chance for executives to push the latest film. Think of it as a constantly refreshed commercial come to life.

• Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy coaster- Can you hear the suits in the planning of this one? "Hey Space Mountain is iconic. Let's give them a ride just as exciting but without the exterior architectural elegance. We'll hide the coaster in a huge box behind the original and beautiful Universe of Energy building and hope they forget we've thrown this thing together quickly because its one of few Marvel properties we can use east of the Mississippi." 

One character leads us to another.

• The Journey of Water- Moana takes us on a tour of a children's water maze as you travel towards The Seas with Nemo and Friends. Is it just me or does this piece of concept art remind you of the old Polynesian Village Resort lobby? If built as displayed, it will be a beautiful and relaxing but forgettable experience. How long will the new water features stay turned on?

New Imagination poster.

Photo by Disney Tourist Blog.

• Revamped Journey Into Imagination- Insiders seem to think this could be announced. Kiss those glass pyramids goodbye but see them restore Figment to his playful personality in exchange? The art says the building is staying but Figment returns. Where is Dreamfinder? We will soon find out. 

• Awesome Planet- This film replaces the two previous ones found in The Land. Will it be any good or just a time-filler much like the Pixar Film Festival? Regardless, it can and will be marketed as new. Good enough.

• New wide open spaces-Half of Communicore is gone. The Festival Centers, food booths, gardens, and more shopping take over. Even more dining options are coming. Honestly, I'll say this is a good call. They have not known what to do with this space for the last two decades. The structures will be new and fresh, and the area will feel environmentally rich due to the landscapes. The views will be wide open, and the plus side is we will finally get rid of the most recent awful paint color. 

That round building in the center of both these pieces

was to be the original American Adventure. 

From RETROWDW.

• Bridging Future World and World Showcase- Upscale dining in a building that will be compared to the original plans for the American Showcase. (See above.) Marketing won't miss their chance to point that out. Guests get a prime view of World Showcase from an elevated grass and tree topped new dining patio... with options for the obvious dining packages during the post Illuminations character driven nighttime show. Interesting choice of location but the intent is not surprising.

A new kid's play area.

This "Communicore" aims directly for kids-

with an easy to change out flex space.

What about World Showcase? In order to convince long time fans that Epcot is still about its core mission, they'll finally announce that Brazil pavilion- but without an attraction because its cheaper. Brazil World Showcase style will be just another place or two to eat, shop, and experience local entertainment. As I've said many times before, I do not pay the entrance fees to just enter the park so that I can pay even more to eat there. Give me real attractions, not just more shops and dining options. Give us more than the long rumored Mary Poppins carousel. 

Oh Canada! Isn't it time for a real attraction and not just another remake of the original film? And what about China? The country is rich in lore and legend, and there's even Disney IP to boot. No need to remove one thing to add something else. There is more than enough acreage. 

Does it seem as if every corner of the park will be refurbished and enhanced? It certainly does, but with what paintbrush will they change things? It should be with the heart of the original Imagineers and not those who are ordered to shove Disney related brands into the parks at any cost. 

Please, surprise us and give us more. Give us a reason to believe you suits and Imagineers still understand what this park truly stood for!

Our world is tough, and Disney knows it. So instead of opening doors to advancement for the benefit of all, they are creating doors to character filled experiences which take our mind off our troubles. And a big profit awaits if they pull this off well. California Adventure 2.0 brought in new guests with money to burn. So will the newly re-Imagined EPCOT.

(The top image is a plan from Imagineerlandblogspot.com. Other images copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Stop Saying This!

Isn't it about time that we acknowledge the truth? We dance around it, talk about it, fight it, and make laws about it. But the truth is the truth. And here is one compelling argument to get us to think and to change the way we talk: Read Stop Saying God is Not in School.

Before D23- A Guide to Epcot's World Showcase Favorites

It was our first trip to EPCOT Center in 1983. We were newly married, and my wife was about to discover my Disney theme park obsession at a whole new level. This second Disney park in Florida would be the first new park we discovered together. How exciting! 

The evening we arrived at Walt Disney World, the still sleek monorail to the park from the Transportation and Ticket Center took us through the evening darkness into the park. It was very late, but as was the practice back then, the park stayed open much later than it does now. It was a beautifully warm Florida night.

As we rounded the bend into the park, Future World shone in its nighttime glory. I couldn't wait to explore it all! Then we glimpsed the World Showcase lagoon and all the pavilions sitting like sparkling jewels against it. It was just too much for this guy to take. I barely slept that night anticipating experiencing a whole new Disney park for the very first time. It's not too often we get to do that! 

I still get a rush walking into this park. Yes, it is not what it once was- and it will never be again- yet, it's still quite the experience. With that in mind, I'd like to take you on a tour of my favorite places in World Showcase one country at a time. You might be surprised by my choices. Sometimes, I'll highlight an attraction. But it might be a shop, restaurant, or even an experience. My list has probably changed over time, but as this section of the park has experienced the least amount of expansion / re-imagineering, it's fairly consistent. This will be a fun diversion before we know all the plans for the park this weekend from D23.

We normally begin our World Showcase tour in Mexico, but for this post, we'll start counter clockwise and head into Canada. C'mon everybody! Here we go...

Love this Imagineering concept art!

Canada: A pleasant stroll through Victoria Gardens is my top pick for our first stop. The original (and still the best) O Canada film is pretty good and the overpriced Le Cellier serves delicious meals, but the gifted Disney landscape architects hit a home run with this mini creation of the famous Butchart Gardens. Part of the Epcot experience is slowing down, similar to touring Disney's Animal Kingdom. Attractions are expected and important, but they not to be enjoyed at the expense of the rest of the thoughtful design of this park.

Photo from the Disney Parks Blog.

United Kingdom: Until the suits approve that long planned and needed Mary Poppins attraction (unfortunately presumed to be a carousel according to those in the know), The Tea Caddy and the cluster of small shops is the highlight here. We haven't eaten in the Rose and Crown in years, as we've enjoyed real fish and chips and other specialties while being in the U.K., but it is an enjoyable place to stop and watch the nighttime show. 

Ah the gorgeous music!

When the film gets updated, the music had better remain.

France: Hands down, my pick here is Impressions de France. Yes, I know, the film needs updating badly, but they had better not touch that beautiful score! The music accompanying the movie is magic on its own. Remy's Ratatouille's Adventure should be great fun, and it's my favorite Pixar movie, but this journey through France will remain beloved and my first choice. Eating here is always fun, with a variety of choices to please every palate and thickness of wallet.

Photo from my most recent visit.

Morocco: This largely ignored pavilion is truly unique in that artisans from Morocco under the direction of King Hassan II did much of the striking tile work found throughout. The prayer tower, a replica of the one in Marrakesh, is a focal point, but it's only the beginning of what you'll find. (By the way, from the right angle you can see Hollywood Studios' Twilight Zone Tower of Terror- and you'll notice how it easily fits in with the style of this World Showcase pavilion. Gotta love the thoughtfulness of the earlier era Imagineers!) My choice here? The Fez House. You've got to explore around to find it, but step inside, and you're a million miles away from Florida... and you can see from walking the alleyways of Morocco where they got the inspiration for Batuu at Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. May I add a second choice? Stop and talk to the cast members / nationals working here. It's a good reminder that even if Muslims worship a different God than Christians, (Muslims consider Jesus only a great prophet. Their god is Allah. Christians believe Jesus is God in the flesh), they can be just as kind and delightful as anyone else. Sure, there are "bad apples" in every group, so avoid generalizations and take the time to talk to the cast in each country.

Imagineers' art for an unbuilt Omnimover ride.

Japan: Confession mode- I could spend a few hours exploring this single showcase, and I'd encourage you to do the same. Listening to the drummers or watching the candy maker is always time well spent. As a young adult, Japan was my first destination choice for my solo trip out of the country, and I've never lost my love and fascination with the country, the people, and the culture. A very late evening stop at the Katsura Grill is the perfect way to end the day. While crowds are headed out of the park, we love to climb up the steps in the back of Japan to this small patio. The quick service location is usually closed by this point in time, making it a lovely way to reflect on the day. Then as a bonus if you time it right, you get to walk back to the park entrance with so few people, making it the prime time for some nighttime photos. If you want to read more about all the Imagineers once planned for the Japan showcase- and it's incredible- go here.

Imagineering concept art.

The American Adventure: This Audio-Animatronic theater show is king! At its best, Disney inspires- and Walt himself and the original Imagineers were a patriotic bunch. It's sadly in vogue to bash and trash the United States these days, but God knows, you have to think twice after watching this presentation. Listen to The Voices of Liberty musical group. Such talent! There's not much else here, which is odd given it is the host pavilion, but maybe one day there will be.

Beautiful surroundings await.

Italy: Here in Italy, dining is king. Each destination reveals both familiar and unexpected choices. From the humblest of drinks and ice creams to lavish meals and freshly fired pizza, the restaurants help even the fussiest eaters find something to love... and don't overlook the waterside Venician style gondolas. Unlike those at Tokyo DisneySea, you can't get a ride, but they still photograph well! Walk around and explore the nooks and crannies of this re-imagined St. Mark's Square in Venice. From being to the real one, (here's my trip report), I can tell you the Disney Imagineers crafted their recreation with a loving and detailed hand.

A memorable "Date night" with Grandma and Grandpa.

Germany: Perhaps it is because of some recent memories, but the  Biergarten reigns as my top choice here, my Number One favorite experience in Germany. The live music and show entertain, and it gives family members a chance to dance together in the cool of the indoor restaurant. The food was better than I thought it would be, but that was secondary to the memories we made! When you shop, don't miss all the clocks. I just wish they also had a wider selection of nutcrackers since I have a few prized ones from my trips to Germany.

One day I will visit this country!

China: Top pick here? Reflections of China. It's a very lovely Circle Vision 360 film. When the park opened years ago, only a few privileged folks were able to travel overseas to this destination. Now, it's more common, but it is still a treat to experience a slice of the culture. Take in the acrobats, explore the shops, and even look at the models and concept art for Shanghai Disneyland. In today's Disney, synergy is a game everyone plays. Like it or not, it's all about the money.

It's difficult to hate Olaf.

Photo from Laughing Place.

Norway: I hate to admit it, but Anna and Elsa's attraction has grown on me. I absolutely detest several aspects of Frozen Ever After (the placement, the transformation of World Showcase into Magic Kingdom 2.0, the low end budget given the ride once it was decided upon), but there are parts that unexpectedly charmed me. 

Always changing- for better or worse. 

Mexico: I guess now that it's long gone, El Rio del Tiempo doesn't count anymore. It's been replaced by Gran Fiesta Tour, but that newer attraction still makes it my first choice and top pick. Not the entire boat ride mind you, but the first minute or so cruising the lagoon toward the ancient temple is true Disney magic. Back when this part of the park was about culture and not Disney animated properties and live action films, El Rio del Tiempo and its catchy song spoke EPCOT Center to me almost as much as Journey Into Imagination. Two totally different attractions and executions, but still full of Disney magic. On our last trip, our dinner at La Hacienda de San Angel was a surprise- one of our best meals of the entire vacation. Listen to the mariachis, drink a margarita, and enjoy the sights and flavors.

Will Coco come to Mexico? Will Brazil finally be announced? What else is coming? We will find out more in a few days!

Pirate's Lair Attraction Poster

Disneyland attraction posters continue to make great souvenirs as well as advertisements! Here's one that you won't see in any other Magic Kingdom: Pirates Lair at Tom Sawyer Island. Love it or not, in 2007, pirates invaded the island full force, partially to capture the love of the Pirates of the Caribbean film series starring Johnny Depp. The island was due for some help with many of its elements being closed or having lack of maintenance. 

Of course, once Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge was a go, the suits gave the Disney Imagineers a project with a twist. Make room at all costs. This meant cutting the island by a third. However, the end result was better than I ever expected it to be. (See this post in the series- When Reality is Better Than Imagineering Art.)

Whether or not the Frontierland island stays as it now is, fitting better in New Orleans Square or not, the attraction poster is a keeper! 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company- from a MouseInfo photograph.)

The Amazing Disappearing Disney Article II

Catch it while you can. This one article is bound to disappear soon as well, but judge for yourself...

Or read it below, written by Gary Snyder on Medium:

"Oh Mickey.
Just after midnight on March 20, 2019, rendered in perhaps his most famous role as The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Mickey Mouse sat square in the middle of a new corporate landing page for the world to take in all that is now the Walt Disney Company. To his immediate left, the affable ambassador of not merely a corporate leviathan but of America itself was bordered by Marvel’s Deadpool. To his right, Lucasfilm’s Lando Calrissian. And just above the word “Disney,” over the ubiquitous mouse, was an image of Avatar’s Jake Sully and Neytiri.

The jarring juxtaposition of images aside, each story behind those three pieces of intellectual property — now part of the Disney vault — runs counter to the core mission of the company’s eponymous founder. Far from family entertainment, they arc from a degenerate mercenary drawn from the world of Marvel Comics to a human trafficker in the Star Wars canon to the architects of genocide as James Cameron’s Avatar took corporatocracy to the extreme of the sci-fi realm.

But, beyond the $244 billion media company that exists in its current form less as a product of creative ambition and more as the result of by-the-numbers acquisitions, there is the veneer of that name: Walt Disney. Still today, more than a half of a century after his death, it implies something. If it is Disney, it is quality. If it is Disney, it is family-friendly.

If it is Disney, it can be trusted.

Only, as the Walt Disney Company surveyed the cyber-scape of a post-September 11th world in the early aughts, its corporate overlords began to realize the company was poorly positioned as traditional media in a then-new click-to-publish atmosphere where anyone with an Internet connection had the potential to turn a carefully crafted public relations campaign into the current-day equivalent of a meme. And, for the first time, Disney found itself on the receiving end of searing criticism from its most loyal fans while, at the same time, roiling from the failed launch of a second theme park across from the original Disneyland.

Enter Al Lutz. An unremarkable, meek if passionate former recording industry executive who gained a following in the early days of online engagement with Usenet, Internet newsgroups where everyday folks could share and amplify their opinions without the glass ceilings and filters or credential-minded gatekeepers of major media’s domain.

Known for “The D-I-G,” or the Disneyland Information Guide, Lutz began his online life as a resource for individuals who were planning a trip to Anaheim, California. Often, where Disney had failed to make up-to-date information on the park available online, he would deliver a just-as-it-is breakdown of everything from park hours to attraction closings to dining and lodging options.
He also would post sometimes harsh criticism of the failings of Disney’s management with regard to the park and, while regularly mocked for mentioning matters as trivial to some as peeling paint and burned out light bulbs, Lutz had earned his bona fides among Disney’s most ardent fans of its theme parks and the company itself by being a reliable, and remarkably accurate, font of information.
This presented a problem for Team Disney Anaheim, where the feet-on-the-ground operations are based, and in the highest reaches of Burbank at the Walt Disney Company’s headquarters off Buena Vista Street. As Lutz had not only grabbed the cyber-tethers of the still nascent online fan community who would wait for an update from ‘their’ man in the field, he had increasingly become the turn-to critic mainstream journalists would go to for a quote on the company.

Complaining about chipped paint on the facade of a dressed-up carnival ride in Fantasyland was one thing, being cited as an authority by the Los Angeles Times was something entirely different.

As Disney’s California Adventure opened in February of 2001 to a less-than-enthusiastic response, Lutz became an entrenched voice of discontent. From behind the screen of his computer, he lashed out at executives like theme park chief Paul Pressler, the target of his online campaign “Promote Paul Pressler!,” with energy anew over the perceived neglect of what had become, to him and his followers, their Disneyland.

Except now, it was the Disneyland Resort. With a new resort hotel, a shopping and dining area, a massive parking structure and major infrastructure improvements in what had been named the Anaheim Resort District. And, aside from the significant expenditure by Disney, the reputation of the very company whose founder is credited as having invented the theme park found itself being held to account for what Burbank was having to admit was, in its best light, a missed opportunity with Disney’s California Adventure. More aptly framed, this was the failure of its long awaited expansion.

Among fans and Disney executives alike, there was no bigger name than Al Lutz. Soft as the exterior was, this almost first of his kind online personality hit hard. As Dave Gardetta wrote in Los Angeles Magazine of Disney’s most well-known blogger, “He’s its Walter Winchell.”

Enter George Kalogridis. A career employee of the company whose backstory was part of the corporate selling of tens of thousands of low-wage, dead-end jobs for employees Disney terms “cast members.” Kalogridis started at the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, as a busboy at the Contemporary Resort, one of the resort hotels to open with the park.

Now, 30 years later, in late 2001, Kalogridis was second-in-command of the Disneyland Resort — a resort suddenly in trouble. Suddenly under tremendous scrutiny. But, the scrutiny was not coming from the local media or government, which had paid handsomely for the resort’s expansion. The scrutiny was coming from someone who may well have been the first influencer as these individuals would come to be known.

That was Al Lutz.

Although today the word ‘influencer’ produces positive images of polished Instagram posts and well-produced digital clips that work as de facto marketing arms of major companies, the idea of employing the influence of an online voice grew as a reactionary step by companies to online as well as real world critics. Kalogridis wanted to know how to blunt that criticism.

I know because I was one of the individuals he consulted. A few years earlier, I had met George Kalogridis when he was the vice president of Disney’s second park in Orlando — the former EPCOT Center — and I was a guest of corporate for the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration on December 31, 1999.

When he was promoted to the job in Anaheim, I was one of the first people he told. When the Disneyland Resort had its debut in February of 2001, I was his personal guest. My personal host was another Disney employee, Andrew Hardy, who would become George’s husband.

So then it made sense, knowing my depth of knowledge of the industry and familiarity both with him and the growing online presence of Lutz and others, that he would ask.

And ask he did. Driving down from Los Angeles on a pleasant afternoon in late 2001, I met George for lunch at a sparsely attended Disney’s California Adventure. There, the prim-to-pretentious executive selected a quick-service dining location called Taste Pilots’ Grill in a wide step outside of the normal fine dining we would enjoy. We ordered salads, served in plastic containers and eaten outside just under the monorail beam. With the park so unpopular and the economy struck by the attacks of 9/11, however, we had not a single guest sharing the outside dining area with us.

It was clear both George and the new Disneyland Resort were in trouble.

George saw an abrupt end to his career. Disney saw its reputation as the world leader in themed entertainment heading for a potentially unrecoverable fall.

This was unacceptable. Most especially to Zenia Mucha.
Mucha earned her reputation as an off-with-their-heads but always-on-message political operative for then-New York Governor George Pataki who came to Disney’s ABC television network having been courted by Robert A. Iger. At the time, Mucha had turned her role as communications director and advisor to the governor to include, as the New York Times noted, “virtually every major decision made by the governor.”

Arriving on-scene in Burbank, the rise was swift and deliberate. By May of 2002, with longtime CEO Michael D. Eisner in a curiously choreographed media swiftboating, Mucha, who was known as “Director of Revenge” in her prior life as a politico and termed “Mickey Mouse’s Karl Rove” by journalist Matt Stoller, was promoted to director of corporate communications for ABC’s parent company — the Walt Disney Company. Replacing John Dreyer, a trusted and loyal keeper of the Disney brand, Mucha was a harsh turn from the almost family-like atmosphere Michael Eisner and Frank Wells, Disney’s former president, had fostered as part of their rise to the very top of the House of Mouse.

Indeed, Jody Dreyer, Eisner’s longtime personal assistant and herself a member of the corporate communications department, was married to John. Without delay, however, Mucha had arranged the chairs to position herself as the eyes and ears of the company’s most senior executives. As John Dreyer took time away to “pursue other opportunities,” it became apparent Mucha’s ‘eyes and ears’ (which is also the name of an intracompany publication) were not necessarily there for the benefit of the individual she, at least as her job description stated, reported to: Michael D. Eisner.

From within the company, there were continuing concerns its new communications director might well have been positioned in Eisner’s office to advance the interests, to fulfill the ambitions, of Robert Iger, then-president of Disney subsidiary ABC, who is widely cited as having been instrumental in her rapid rise once at Disney. After all, he brought her into the fold — and, it had long been rumored, held major political ambitions. Of course, being the head of a network when that network is a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Company under a celebrity-esque CEO who fashioned himself as a reanimated “Uncle Walt” does not get you much in the way of press.

That was Mucha’s domain. Enter the “Save Disney” campaign.


Within a year of moving into her office in the building held up by the Seven Dwarfs on the lot in Burbank, what had started as rumblings that Roy E. Disney and business partner Stanley Gold, who had drafted Eisner and Wells nearly 20 years prior, were becoming the eighth dwarf — Malcontent — became a full-bore mutiny. Suddenly dissatisfied with the direction of the company, Disney and Gold vocally called for the removal of Eisner. Labeling the Walt Disney Company under Eisner, and ironically given the company that now is, “a rapacious, soul-less conglomerate” void of a succession plan.

If an online campaign of any sort seems out of character for the nephew of the company’s founder, who was most known for the ouster of Ron Miller, Walt Disney’s son-in-law, as the head of Disney to allow for Eisner and Wells’ entry, that is likely because it could not have been more outside of his lane. After all, not only had Eisner built the company that was headed for a hostile takeover with accompanying break-up for parts and profit into a global media behemoth, in a move that led to what has been termed Disney’s second Golden Age in animation, he appointed Roy chairman of the animation department.

Now, if an online campaign by an individual sharing the name Disney sounds more like the move of a savvy political operative, you might be inclined to look over at the individual recruited by Eisner’s successor as CEO. You might want to look at the person brought over from Governor Pataki’s office: Zenia Mucha.
Oh, and the timid if intense fellow who once introduced a classical music take on some of Disney’s most beloved tunes. The former recording industry executive. Al Lutz.

Admittedly, it does seem like an odd pairing. And it is. Yet, on the homepage of SaveDisney.com, prominently featured, was a link to what was represented as Lutz’s latest and greatest hits on Disney and its leadership under Eisner. True to the reputation of the online enigma that Lutz had grown into, it was unforgiving.
It also was not Al Lutz proselytizing to his followers who might be planning a visit to Disneyland or might have visited one of the Disney parks.

Mucha had identified, early on, the power of the World Wide Web and the potential to employ a vast network of ‘volunteers’ to bring about a certain outcome. And, in what may well be the first example of online gaslighting and the launch of brand ambassadors or advocates — now termed influencers — Mucha’s department, and the corporate communications director for what is now the world’s largest media company and the home of a major news network, had set their sights on a proxy. That proxy? It was Al.
Except, the recording industry guy turned media company gadfly was hardly able to produce the content, the strategic strands of nouns and verbs, required. No problem. From behind a keyboard, as the world has learned, anyone can pretend to be anyone. So, it appears, she did.

Mucha’s Disney recruited a hungry-as-a-dog-before-dinner and needier-than-a-new-arrival-to-Sunset-Boulevard cast member. Even gave him an impressive title to use, Corporate Liaison for Imagineering & Operations (“CLIO”).

No, that would not be Al. That was Troy C. Porter.

Except, to everyone clicking on that link at SaveDisney.com and everyone reading the columns produced, they thought they were reading the thoughts, observations and ramblings of their ‘old friend’ from The D-I-G. Instead, they read carefully crafted copy to undermine the leadership of Disney CEO Michael Eisner.
To this day, while Al Lutz has been in the later stages of Parkinson’s disease, the antagonistic voice of the fan community that is grating and caustic at the same time as it is homespun in that dysfunctional and abusive manner has been maintained as his. It is not.

By December of 2002, the online personality known as “Al Lutz” left the Disney fan site he co-founded, MousePlanet, and started MiceAge (later to be hosted by MiceChat, whose placeholder was and remains a backseat-blazer wearing and Simonized-smile dressed character known as “Dusty Sage,” who is, in real life, an individual with dubious connections to the Walt Disney Company named Todd Regan).

Quickly redirecting Al’s followers, Porter was engaged and continuously employed to ferry the talking points that seemed to advance the position of Mucha and Iger while, at the same time, undermining the leadership of — and, more importantly, the faith of the financial community in — Eisner. All, apparently, using the faux voice of an early superfan as misappropriated by the very corporate communications office of the head of the entire company.
All using the company’s co-founder’s son as a dupe in the Save Disney puppet show which was, in appearance if not fact, a corporate ops stratagem of Mucha and Iger.

The goal being, of course, to replace one “Uncle Walt” with another. Here, replacing Eisner with Iger in, what then was thought to be, an effort to position the latter on a launching board to high-level political office. The bailiwick of none other than Zenia Mucha.

And, for nearly a generation, it stayed positioned just so. The facade, as meticulously as they had crafted it, stood. Then, as typically happens, they got sloppy. Stupid. Arrogant. Or, maybe they were always that and folks simply did not think to question it — to pull pack the curtain to see what lurked behind it.
Dating to the mid-1990s, when Troy Porter relocated from Oregon to Southern California to work for Disney, he began posting on the Usenet boards. His online moniker was TP2000. To this day, on fan sites, you can find this same poster under an assumed persona posting about the behind the scenes happenings at Disneyland and within the Walt Disney Company.

Presenting as an Orange County Log Cabin Republican with a penchant for spinning yarns about “the neighbor lady” and “things overheard about the goings-on at Disney,” he seemed near-pitch perfect to adopt the writing voice Mucha and the top tier of Disney’s corporate communications department thought would sell to this new if soon-to-be industry-of-its-own medium of passionate fans who devoted significant portions of each day following every move of the company.

So Troy Porter became Al Lutz. Or, as the fans would see it, Al Lutz became somehow different yet familiar. But the con was in. Set. And it has stayed in position for all of these years with Disney listening in on and eventually manipulating discussion boards into controlled focus groups lorded over like a corporate clubhouse hidden in the backroom of your local YMCA.

From a former partner of Regan’s and housemate of Al’s, “I cannot say that Al ever wrote a single column for MiceAge or MiceChat.” And, in fact, studying the writing voice and the spot-on information distilled in a manner at once disparaging and dispiriting and yet also weirdly complimentary, or strategically complimentary, the fingerprints are all there.

These works were cut-and-paste-and-forward writings that read as though precisely positioned by Disney’s Mucha & Co.
“It always seemed as though, while people thought Al had all of these sources, something he would do nothing to dissuade people from believing, he had only one — Troy Porter.”

Continuing on, another person familiar with the operations of the site that published ‘Al’s column,’ said, “When Al missed a week or two, it was because Troy hadn’t sent the copy to him.”

It appeared there was a not-so-small amount of narcissism at play among all involved, however. As, by early 2005, with the relentless attacks by ‘Al Lutz’ as promoted by SaveDisney.com, the shareholders held a no-confidence vote and Eisner was on his way out. Who was to succeed him? Well, despite an alleged corporate search, there was only one candidate — Zenia Mucha’s. Robert A. Iger.

The eventual undoing was vanity though. As Porter had become so accustomed to the feedback loop writing as Al presented, and posting on fan forums as TP2000, he continued writing. For years after the Save Disney campaign was little more than a Wikipedia entry, Porter wrote as Lutz.

With the recent, and highest profile of Iger’s tenure, failure of the massive Star Wars land expansion, Galaxy’s Edge, added cancer-like on the back of Walt’s hallowed Disneyland with a companion land coming to Walt Disney World in just a couple of weeks, Al has reappeared in a grand way. Make that, Troy Porter has reappeared.
The goal — the reason— could not be clearer. As Porter wrote here, directing folks to ‘Al’s column’ on MiceChat.com:
“I wonder does the current crop of Burbank execs and Bob Chapek even know how big a deal this is? Do they understand the weight that Lutz’s words have with the long-term West Coast fan community? If I were Mr. Chapek, I would be concerned that I did indeed cut things a bit too far and awakened the Tiki Gods and Al Lutz.”

So, it seems, the ‘once an operative always an operative’ Mucha reenlisted that crusty old influencer from days of yore. Now, the need was even more urgent, as Iger needed someone to take the fall, hard and fast, for the flailing and single largest expansion at Disneyland and anchor intellectual property for both domestic resorts. That would be Mr. Chapek, the as-if-stylized-by-Mr. Clean chairman of Disney’s Parks & Resorts division.

And that career employee of the Walt Disney Company who started as a busboy at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort? George Kalogridis? Well, George might well have been Mucha’s only real conduit to Troy Porter. Where is George?

George Kalogridis is the president of Walt Disney World. The largest private single-site employer in America — marketed as the world’s top vacation destination.

According to the story, he started clearing tables. Now, he sits at the head of the table.

As for how this all came to be, this campaign that likely is the start of what is understood now as that of the influencer who grew out of something pure and passionate — a fan, it all came to be one fall day at the flailing theme park across from Walt’s original in Anaheim. Over lunch at Taste Pilots’ Grill.

When an executive from Florida, whose job with the company if not career was on the line, asked a friend who was an early participant in the online world of engagement and knowledgeable in advancing a brand or thwarting one how to counter the later named superfan.
“Control the message by controlling the messenger,” I said. “Acquire the voice.”
“You do not counter someone like Al. You cannot counter Al. You can, if done smartly, own that voice as your own — as a conduit of the Walt Disney Company.”
Now, you can grab the fresh-squeezed lemonade, add in some just brewed iced tea, even toss in a bit of an adult libation and ask ‘the neighbor lady’ if she knows anything about how a political operative came to script everyday Mouseketeers, a weatherman came to lead the world’s largest media company and a busboy came to run the world’s largest resort destination.

After being named the new president of the Walt Disney World Resort in January of 2013, the local newspaper ran a puff piece by Jason Garcia entitled, “George Kalogridis: From clearing tables to Disney World chief.” Garcia wrote, “Kalogridis’ star has soared since he took over as president of Disneyland, where attendance and spending have ballooned…”

Quoted just below that: Al Lutz. “I think he showed up at the right time.”

Reflecting on that meeting in late 2001, over a mediocre Cobb salad with a man of middling potential who was seeking a spot on the mainstage, I am not entirely sure who Lutz was referring to.
Author’s Note: The Walt Disney Company declined to comment on this column."

Rare Piece of Fantasyland Art for Disneyland

Here's a little Disneyland surprise, a rare piece of concept art for "Walt's park"- Sleeping Beauty Castle and it's courtyard. Clearly, the Imagineers concept for the area was not used, as this big archway is not to be found anywhere in the park. Yet, it's quite the charming piece- even if it was passed on in favor of something different. These early pieces convey an innocence and optimism about what Walt was striving for. I can't get enough of them!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Aretha Franklin Still Gets Respect

The legendary Aretha Franklin. One year after her death, the woman is still often imitated, but no one comes close to her power, her passion, and her sass! 

The 1960's and 1970's were her strongest years, producing mega hits like Respect, Chain of Fools, Rock Steady, Spanish Harlem, A Natural Woman, and more. Of all these hits, it's the charming and warm Until You Come Back to Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do) that still gets to me after all these years. It's a Stevie Wonder composed gem.

Aretha still had many chart hits after those glory years. Freeway of Love comes immediately to mind, although she had many songs on the R&B charts that ranked significantly higher there than on the Billboard Hot 100. (Is it just me, or does Billboard now seem to be less about the music and more about politics these days?) 

In many ways, the music of the 80's and early 90's was instantly dated- and this song may be one of them- but I totally groove on her duet, "I Knew You Were Waiting For Me". He may be somewhat of a cliche by now, but George Michael (may he rest in peace as well) is great on the song- and even though he can't hold his own with Aretha, he brings in a strong performance.

With a family rooted in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ and a strong commitment to the authority of the Bible, Aretha may be gone from this earth, but her enduring love for and faith in Jesus means she's rocking the heavenly realms as we speak. Glory Hallelujah!

Friday's Island Escape

Breathe in, breathe out. Everyone deserves a little island getaway after the end of a busy week. This photo is of Kauai, my favorite escape from the Mainland. Ah, Hawaii! It's the stuff daydreams are made of...

(Photo from Getty Images.)

The King's Table- A Must Hear

Author Fraser Keay has released a wonderful audio book telling the story of Mephibosheth, the son of King David's best friend and faithful warrior Jonathan. Here's the links to the audio book and a link to a free short video. Well worth a listen!

Amazon: viewbook.at/placeatthetable

AudibleUSA: http://tiny.cc/frasersaudiobooksUSA_KT

AudibleUK: http://tiny.cc/fraseraudiobooksUK_KT

Video version here.

It's That Time Again!

A very cute little guy all anxious for kindergarten! Looks just like his Dad at that age. It's that time for school again...and all the parents rejoice...as the teachers are filled with mixed emotions!

A Brand New Magic Kingdom is Coming to India

A new Magic Kingdom in India? Yes, that really is the not totally unexpected hidden news within MiceChat's update by MiceAge founder Al Lutz. You can find the article here (Al Lutz India park rumor)- look toward the very end of it. The bulk of the article chronicles the would of  /should of aspects of the troubled Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and all the cutting Bob Chapek did to what was originally intended- including that impressive looking animal transport- to save some big bucks. This was certainly a foolish decision after seeing dismal crowds and mostly tepid fan reaction all summer at Disneyland. (I had a lot to say about it three posts below.)

For years, there was a recurring rumor that Disney Imagineers were actively designing an India pavilion in World Showcase at Epcot. India is one of the world's oldest civilizations and one of the most populated places on earth. It also has the potential for a huge client base for Disney. Alain Littaye at Disney and More had this story to share way back in 2014 about Disney's attempts to break in to television and film there (as well as Consumer Products) and the hope of a new Magic Kingdom. 

Wouldn't you want to see a smaller version of this

grace the World Showcase lagoon? I would!

With regards to Epcot, it would bring in some new perspective on the overwhelmingly Eurocentric park. This whole World Showcase  expansion is not a new idea. At the WDWMagic boards have been talking about it for years as an expansion in addition to what's supposed to be added, the long delayed Brazil pavilion.  Watch those WDWMagic boards. It's a great inside source from real industry insiders with great track record. 

Taj Mahal Westcot version.

Disney Imagineering has long wanted to include the mysterious world of India into the parks. Even the aborted but much desired Westcot in California included the nation in its extensive plans. (Read more about it here- and see the concept art.) Looks like something better is coming soon. Stay posted. 2019's D23 could reveal more than we expected! If it doesn't, well, rest assured India is on the Disney executive's lines of sight!

(Top photo copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Imagineering Stories Tie Disneyland's Haunted Mansion to Pirates of the Caribbean

Did you know there are Imagineering ties that bind Disneyland's 50 year old Haunted Mansion to its also iconic Pirates of the Caribbean? Read more below and you'll discover there were almost ties to these attractions and Tom Sawyer Island as well. That one never materialized, but oh what it would have been!

Beautiful, creepy- and just the beginning of what was planned.

Let's begin with a question- Why do these two beloved attractions have in common that cements them as fan favorites generation after generation? A great story, rich atmosphere, memorable music, and a chance to explore the mysteries of the unknown. All done without lessoning the experience of the guests by cutting corners. 

The very first generation of Disney Imagineers truly understood what Walt Disney was trying to accomplish at Disneyland. Why? Because Walt himself recruited men and women who came from a background in the film industry. He made sure they shared his heart for his new pet project! Storytellers and artists such as Marc Davis, Herb Ryman, Claude Coats created classic attractions, but they also prepared the next generation to carry on, including men like Tony Baxter who kept the torch burning until his retirement. This elite group also included the very gifted Eddie Sotto - the man with a great but unrealized attraction using Tom Sawyer Island to tie together three thrilling and different park experiences. 

Overhead look at Disneyland's Crown Jewel.

Disneyland was already an international sensation by the time New Orleans Square debuted at the park in the mid-60's. Imagineering then hit its stride with the masterpiece Pirates of the Caribbean. The new land was a stunningly beautiful recreation of the famed and colorful Louisiana city. Guests soon discovered its beautiful lacy ironwork, intricate back alleys, delightful shops, and restaurants with authentic food and drink. Seeing the Mark Twain riverboat round the bend from the land just brought it all together. It was so elegant, so unexpected, so Disney.

If Imagineering's stride was hit in 1967, the land itself hits its peak once more with the opening of the long awaited The Haunted Mansion in 1969. Being right next door to each other, Pirates and Mansion deliver a one-two knockout punch, giving park guests an experience unrivaled from any other land in any other Magic Kingdom park. The closest competitor is found in Disneyland Paris where the Phantom Manor works in unison with Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, where its Frontierland tells the story of the effect of the gold rush on a wealthy family doomed to disaster.

Imagineer Ken Anderson's concept art

for "Captain Gore". 

As originally planned, New Orleans Square would have its own story to tell, tying the newly opened Mansion to the Pirate adventure. The wicked sea captain pictured at the top of the article was an undeveloped character considered to bring the two together, one with a difficult part and a bloody intent. "Captain Gore" shown above was another direction that was considered, the groom of the mansion's wedding story who turned out to be a bloodthirsty pirate. Those stories remain untold with only a sailing ship - or is it pirate ship- weather vane that sits atop the mansion to this day.

Concept Art by Eddie Sotto for the unrealized new attraction.

Speaking of stories, Imagineering secrets and those ties that bind...

Back to Imagineer Eddie Sotto. Like others, he had once been involved in some new ideas to tie the two iconic attractions together. He offered up the idea of using historical references to real life pirate Jean Lafitte. This is where Tom Sawyer Island comes into play. There's still a remnant of Eddie's plan to be found in the park. Imagine entering into an old crypt for a brand new and very creepy walk through adventure...

Go to this incredible Long Forgotten Haunted Mansion post to see a number of photos and read the story in full.   

One more piece.

Do you want to find out more about the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean? Or perhaps more detail about Disneyland Paris' incredible Frontierland? This blog has more than 3,000 posts contains dozens of articles about the Disney parks including rare pieces of concept art, photographs, trip reports (like my recent visit to Disneyland's Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, found below) and more. Browse around and check it out!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)