The Kind of Stuff Screams are Made Of

Given the day, it just seemed right to take a peak at the beloved Disney attraction, The Haunted Mansion. I was one of the fortunate ones to be at Disneyland in August of1969 when the park's scariest ride made its debut. We were visiting with a friend from Mexico who had never been to the USA before, so of course a visit to Walt's park was a must! The brand new attraction was one that provided happy screams of adults and kids of all ages ever since. Other companies may try to duplicate the feel, but they just can't beat this Imagineering classic. (The two movies attempt to create their own spell, but what awful films they ended up being! I actually found the Eddie Murphy original the better of the two.)

When I finally visited Walt Disney World for the first time in 1975, I was thrilled that the mansion ad an entirely different look and feel! Befitting to its placement in Liberty Square, its gothic inspired design and beautiful greenhouse made it an instant architectural favorite. Above is a terrific photo here of the Magic Kingdom's iconic Haunted Mansion on opening day in Walt Disney World on October 1, 1971.

 

The Disneyland original.

It would be years until I visited Disneyland Paris, the first being in 1997, when I would step into Phantom Manor. This visit would actually be our youngest son's first Haunted Mansion ride. Long before he'd see the originals in the Stateside parks. The darker tone, Western theme, and fantastic music made this version an instant classic all its own.

In Florida.

At Tokyo Disneyland.

So far, I have not been to the Tokyo Disney Resort. Yet. Unfortunately, I keep postponing my trip for various reasons, but Fantasy Springs at Tokyo Disneysea may finally be what tips the scale. Japan's Disney mansion seems to be a bit different as well, with tones of red and green providing the creepy lighting scheme. Can't wait to see it myself.

The Haunted Mansion themed bar on the Disney Cruise Line's new Treasure ship, will be home to a brand new experience never before seen or heard or now, tasted.

The Haunted Mansion's tropical themed distant cousin, Mystic Manor, in Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland, may have an entirely different storyline and feel, but the thrills are there. Will I ever see this one? Probably not. I'd enjoy visiting Hong Kong and China, but their government is becoming more invasive and is now even scarier than any ghost inspired theme park creation.

Will there ever be another Haunted Mansion as originally designed? Never say never. Theme park guests can't get enough of the attractions that mystify, thrill, and scare!

(Photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Fall's True Colors

Oh, the sweet days of Fall! Just a wonderful time in Colorado when the temperature is mild during the day, the skies are sunny, and the colors of the Autumn season are just spectacular in their display of God given hues. 

I installed and painted the garden travel sign years ago, and it began with real travel destinations to places we visited over the years. Everything from Paris to London to Walt Disney World and Victoria. But the individual markers mostly deteriorated. The one for Kapaula Bay, Hawaii, now sits on my office wall above the door. Years later, I replaced them with these storybook locations.

 

It has sort of become my custom to take photos of my yard this time of year. I guess 2023 is no exception. The photographer has his faults, and the end result is certainly not professional by any means. But the colors do not do justice to the real thing.  

Remnants of Summer are still to be found in my garden if I look for them. The hammock lies empty for now at least. Once the kids come back, it's a pretty popular spot to hand out- and in the case of the littlest guys, it's always a three person affair.

Hidden in the very corner is this little festival of color. A bit of each season. It will have to do until next year when things change again, and once more, my eyes wonder at the marvels of God's design. As a former Californian, Summer used to be my favorite season, but I have to admit, my heart has changed just like the colors of my garden!

Vintage Central Florida Poster

An old time poster from Delta Air Lines advertising the attractions of Central Florida. Of course as expected, Cinderella Castle sits in the prime position! Walt Disney World's first park, the Magic Kingdom, had just made its debut in 1971. But don't overlook Cypress Gardens represented by their water ski show, a tour of the swamp land, or downtown Orlando and its stunning lake. All in all a very nice piece of retro / vintage art.

What? Liberty Square's Skyway Station?

You might think this is some kind of April Fool's joke or a Halloween prank, but I can assure you it is not. Once on the drawing boards at Imagineering, there was a plan to place the Magic Kingdom's skyway station in Liberty Square and not in Fantasyland. Here's the proof: a piece if concept art from 1967 done by Imagineer Ted Rich. Of course, as we know, this windmill inspired version never materialized next to the Haunted Mansion. Instead, wiser heads prevailed. Proving once again that any idea can and should be considered, the original Walt Disney World skyliner almost ended up in another themed land.    

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Sunset in San Diego

What's not to like about beautiful San Diego? My youngest daughter and her family decided to go there vs. a much more expensive trip to Walt Disney World. Sun, sand, surf and Sew World. A nice sunset photo just sent to make me a bit jealous... and happy for them. And it worked.

As We Eye the Blue Horizon's Bend

Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, but there's a lot to be said for the original music made from the original artists. Yes, it is great fun to hear what could be- or in the case of Karen Carpenter- what could have been. Richard Carpenter has been more than great about giving fans everything he did, keeping the Carpenters flame burning bright. But, like most of us die hards, I'd still like more. Human nature, I guess.

After returning home from a very long but productive business trip, I just wanted to hug my wife and listen to some music. Instead of popping on a piece of vinyl or dropping in a favorite disc, I found myself on You Tube, and the ghosts in the machine did the work for me. 

Up came "I Can Dream, Can't I?" the absolutely mesmerizing 1940's standard found on the duo's 1975 landmark album Horizon. Pure sonic perfection! In one way, this is truly a Karen Carpenter solo recording. The lovely time honoring arrangement was done by the great Billy May not Richard, nor is he on the keyboards, and even those adored, refined and renowned layered background vocals were performed by a trio of singers instead of the famous siblings. 

Wow- a breathtaking performance, one of the best Karen ever put on record. Was there anything she could not do?

In my initial review of Horizon, I considered the album the duo's masterpiece. In many ways, this holds true. The disc's second single Only Yesterday remains an incredible record, and the Neil Sedaka tune Solitaire shows off Karen's incredible range as few songs do. But that's only the beginning. It's just made up of one standout cut after another. 

When I gave the Horizon album a fresh look (listen) and revisited the collection years more than a decade later, I referred to it as one that shows the duo at their artistic peak. I still stand by that assessment. 

Could there ever be more official Carpenters music to come? I Can Dream Can't I?

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For any fan of the Carpenters or this particular album, I'd highly recommend purchasing  Carpenters: The Musical Legacy, written by the man himself with Mike Cidoni Lennox and Chris May. It's filled with insights on each album by Richard, rare photos, and recording information. 

If you want to read more of my reviews, both the initial ones and the Revisited/Fresh Look versions, check out the list below. 

My Revisited / Fresh Look at the albums:

Offering / Ticket to Ride
Close to You
Carpenters 
A Song for You 

Now & Then

The Singles 1969 - 1973

Live in Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

Christmas Portrait (Coming Soon!)

 

My Initial Reviews of the albums:

Offering/Ticket to Ride

Close to You

Carpenters

A Song for You

Now & Then

The Singles 1969-1973

Live In Japan

Horizon

A Kind of Hush

Live at the Palladium

Passage

The Singles 1974-1978

Christmas Portrait

Made in America

Voice of the Heart

An Old Fashioned Christmas

Time (Richard Solo)

Lovelines

Karen Carpenter (Solo)

As Time Goes By

EPCOT's Israel Showcase- An Unbuilt Gem

Imagineer Herb Ryman's beautiful Israel pavilion for EPCOT Center deserves to be built. Painted in June of 1982, shortly after the park's grand opening, this piece of concept art captures all the warmth, history, and beautiful architecture the country is known for. You can feel yourself walking down the streets and exploring the courtyards. That's Herb! It even made the infamous list of coming attractions to Epcot. Take a look below.

Back when Epcot was truly forward looking, the Disney Imagineers had great plans for additions that celebrated human ingenuity and culture with a beautiful design plan to keep guests coming in for decades. But greed and lack of vision altered that plan, so now we have Marvel characters, Disney princesses, and friendly fowl replacing  scientific theory, legendary trolls, and Aztec and Mayan culture.

The blueprint for Israel (shown above) has been in circulation for quite awhile, and it shows the expected mix of shops, a cafe or restaurant, and an entertainment venue. Blow the image up and explore a bit! It might make you wish this had come to pass- although it did in a much smaller version for the Millennium celebration. I saw it first hand, and it was quite interesting. 

A photo of Israel at the Millennium Celebration.

In the real world, Israel is under attack from Hamas and with the help of Iran apparently. But don't worry just pray. For whatever reason, the Almighty God has called Israel his chosen people, and He will not let the nation be destroyed. Many nations have tried, some have even conquered the land, but the people endure. And they will do so until the end of time when Jesus returns to earth and brings judgment to both those that love Him and those that do not. I do not know about you, but I do not want to be against anything or anyone God is for! (Is it time to once again crack open that book of Revelation in the Bible's New Testament?) No, everything Israel does is not perfect, but God will judge that too. (Nations are just like people, aren't they?)

In the fake world of Epcot, World Showcase badly needs this Israel addition! It is very Eurocentric, and fleshing it out with a country from the Middle East would be a smart albeit risky move. 

The proposed, delayed and forever not yet announced Brazil addition would be a good place to refresh this half of the park by bringing a new country and culture to explore. It needs more than Ratatouille. (Find out more in these posts with artwork included. Post One. Post Two.) Even if it is only shopping, restaurants and some entertainment, World Showcase needs this, and the "new" Epcot especially.  In a fantasy world geared toward kids and Disney intellectual properties, the roots of World Showcase should not be ignored. But that's just one man's opinion. Is it yours?

Disney Symphony of Dreams Coming Soon to Disneyland Paris

Hinting that a new nighttime show is a spiritual successor of sorts to the beloved Main Street Electrical Parade is risky business. Even for the Walt Disney Company who is known for using superlatives for mediocre products. Let's just hope this is not the case for the new Disneyland Paris castle show Disney Symphony of Colours. Combining drones, water, and fireworks, the concept art certainly does look impressive. 

Is it enough to make fans go to the resort when it debuts in January? We'll see. I'm going to Paris in the next month, and for the first time ever Disneyland Paris is not on my to-do list. 

Want more Disneyland Paris? Go to the DLP Report.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Could Disney's Wish Movie Finally Bring Spain to Epcot?

Could Epcot's World Showcase finally be getting a new pavilion? I'm placing my bets that Disney's new Fall 2023 film Wish finally gets the gorgeous and never yet built Spain to finally come to Walt Disney World. Will Imagineering be given the go ahead by Josh D'Amoro? I thin so- and here's why.

I'd like to say that the original plan for Epcot included plans for many more countries for World Showcase is the reason. But it is not true. Most all those masters of Imagineering 1.0 have passed on. Many of the recent greats with ties to the old masters and their ways of doing things have moved on. So, we know this is not the reason. It boils down to three main issues:

1- The EPCOT transformation has not been seen as "that" successful by die hard fans or the public. After many years and too much wasted money, folks are seeing that Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind, Remy's Ratatouille Adventure, and the minor add Journey of Water Inspired by Moana is just not enough and definitely not compelling enough to build a trip or. Nor will it be enough to compete with Universal's upcoming Epic Universe. Other plans announced or hinted at- Mary Poppins, the Spaceship Earth redo, PLAY! and the Brazil showcase- have fallen by the wayside or deemed vastly unpopular and taken out. What, again, was the name of that monstrous failure of a nighttime water show? 

A new country to explore with an attraction that could hold promise based on the movie's storyline would give more for the little ones to do while providing additional dining and shopping opportunities. Spain has already proven to be a beloved and successful stall at the Food & Wine Festival. Why stop there?

Once planned, never built.

2- The Intellectual Property mandate. Like it or not, and I'm not fond of it for Epcot, this is the course all four parks are headed. Enough said on that, right? I'd rather have the Future World and World Showcase of old but it seems the suits are pandering to the old Universal model of being parks about their movies instead of individual, highly themed parks that include some movie related attractions to strengthen the focus. An individual Intellectual Property themed land would not fit in this park, but one that highlights a culture (fictitious or "close enough to a real one) certainly would.

3- The Money. Perhaps the ultimate bottom line. The leaders of the Walt Disney Company finally realize that making significant investment to the parks brings in the most revenue for a consistent amount of time is a major driver for investors. Something is needed to fill all those Disney Vacation Club additions. Disney+ is a bust, and something must change to bring in the bucks. It's time to go back to the business model that worked- and one that made theme park fans happy.

Now about the movie itself.

The upcoming Wish film takes place on the Iberian peninsula. Spain as a new pavilion location is a perfect fit. As you can see from this concept art above, the flavor of what was once proposed fits in perfectly with art from the movie as seen at the top of this post.

Main heroine Asha fits the mold of a likable lead, and my hunch is she is rightful heir to the throne of villain King Magnifico. So you can add in another princess promotion. Toss in a lovable sidekick, a beautiful landscape, a handful of magic, and perhaps most importantly, plans for a pavilion that already exist, and you have all the makings of a fresh take on an old once planned addition to a park that needs something new on the lagoon skyline.

Is it the best plan? Absolutely not. Is it one that would fit the original Imagineering model for this park? Not even close. But these days, a Wish inspired Spain may be the best we get. 

Ready for some paella? I just think I might be ok with this. Maybe.

(Art and photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)