Seldom Seen Disneyland Star Tours Art

Star Tours was a groundbreaking flight simulator attraction! When it opened at Disneyland, I was there for the grand celebration. The queue lasted seemingly forever but worth the wait. Disney Imagineering was on a roll under Michael Eisner. The concept art isn't much to look at, but then again, the bare bones of a 1955 Tomorrowland does not make for a compelling facade. No matter. The older ride is every bit as fun as Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run or Rise of the Resistance. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Original Walt Disney Studios Animation Courtyard

Gotta give the Imagineers and the Budgeteers props when its due! The new Walt Disney Studios Courtyard looks absolutely fantastic! As you can see, there's brand new life in this area that was once a fast and cheap Star Wars Launch Bay experience. The nighttime photo here by the great folks at WDWMagic shows just how magical a little effort can be!

It sure looked different back when we were there in 1989...

In the opening days, the then named Disney-MGM Studios were designed to be part theme park, part actual production facilities. There was a bit of both, making for an odd mix that has made it difficult for expansion and planning in later years. Honestly, there was not a lot to do, but what was there was charming. Never intended to be more than a partial day experience, when the suits decided it needed to be a full fledged theme park, planners had to think creatively and truly out of the small sized box they placed it in. There's a reason the park feels a bit thrown together. It was! 

Wanting to one up their neighbor in California -and soon to be competitor in Florida, Universal Studios- the centerpiece attraction for the production half of the park would be a studio tram tour past sound stages, wardrobe warehouses, and outdoor sets. It was an odd combination of sites, but at the beginning, it seemed to be enough.

The star of all the backstage studios facilities was the Animation section. This is the heart of The Walt Disney Company, and the park did its best to honor their legacy. 

Beyond the gateway into the area celebrating animation.

A fairly bland entrance to such an important aspect of Disney film making!

The entrance gate would also be the way to get to The Art of Disney Animation. This attraction would be the first time Disney animators would be on display working on real upcoming theatrical releases.

"I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way!"

The idea of showcasing animators and animation was not new. In fact, this attraction was a greatly expanded concept from the much smaller "The Art of Animation" exhibit housed in Disneyland's Tomorrowland during the first half of the 1960's. The real highlight for fans of the art was watching the animators. I couldn't get enough- and the nearby store was the perfect spot to allow me to come home with some animation related treasures. 

Inside the complex was also a very clever film, "Back to Neverland" with Robin Williams and Walter Cronkite,  to be found here. (Years later, when the Company was doing things cheaply, the film was also presented in the Animation attraction at California Adventure. It was later removed when Turtle Talk with Crush took over the space.)

Back then in 1989, it didn't seem that Disney had saturated the parks with present day celebrities, so to do so here seemed a much better fit for the new park than Epcot putting in Ellen's Energy Adventure or Gary Sinese in Mission: Space.  (I hated that move to add celebrities where they don't belong. And still do! Much respect to Gary Sinese, however, for his pet project- look here.) The animation, the characters, the celebrities all belonged at Disney-MGM. You'd expect this at a park called "The Studios". Their absence would create an obvious void. The attractions gave a nod to the true stars of old as well as promoting the latest stars and starlets. 

It was this attention to honoring the past as well that made the park a place for families of all ages to appreciate. A very wise choice, and it made for good marketing. Changing the area to Launch Bay years later was a lazy move, and the public burned out on it quickly. Once Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge showed up, the area was finished. 

But here we are once more. Animation is honored again! It's about time for attractions like this that build on the past instead of tearing it down. (Looking at you Josh D'Amaro and the destruction of Rivers of America!)

They Went to Disneyland with Bob Iger

"The Rest is History" so they say. Well, in this case, the guys from The Rest is History vlog were accompanied by none other than Robert Iger on a tour of The Walt Disney Company headquarters and then on to Disneyland. Of course, Bob was the perfect host as they visited various attractions- everything from Walt Disney- A Magical Life to Pirates of the Caribbean to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and beyond.

So what did Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook think? You'll have to watch for yourself. But love him or loathe him, Mr. Iger is the perfect gentleman and a true lover of the genius of Walt Disney and his accomplishments.

Our Latest Trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort

Returned a few days ago from a trip to Central Florida. Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort were both on our to do list. This was the first time we stayed at a Universal hotel for the entire trip. I'm looking forward to sharing photos and full blown day by day reports, but I haven't even finished our trip to Italy and France. Maybe I'll do this trip in smaller chunks. Lots to tell both good and bad. That said, I have over 2,100 photos that will make for some great "Design Detail" posts in the future!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Galactic Starcruiser Closes- Egos Exposed!

The Star Wars hotel, the overpriced Galactic Cruiser at Walt Disney World, will close permanently. Between the closing of the Galactic Cruiser and the disaster that was Harmonious, it shows me that even / especially (?) with big egos and paychecks, the suits can be seriously out of touch with what ordinary WDW guests really want.

Pay big bucks for a few days of cosplay and expect your hotel will always show a profit? Bad thinking at best.

Block Epcot's beautiful World Showcase pavilion views from the lagoon? Wrong Move.

Walt Disney Company Robert Iger and company better start taking a good look in the mirror. Universal is having a heyday now.... 

And, truthfully, I'm glad about the fiasco. Humility and going back to providing a great experience for the average guest should always be a priority.

Design Detail: Harry Potter's Amazing Diagon Alley

Could Universal Orlando Resort's Diagon Alley be any more epic? (Pun intended!) When making like a muggle and finally pulling off that Escape from Gringotts, the exit brings you into this absolutely stunning little shop. Harry Potter and his friends certainly would have stopped in at WiseAcres on their way elsewhere. Why? Look up! What an absolutely beautiful piece of art. Intricate but ornate and simply stunning. 

Universal Creative was able to pull off one other piece of magic- the place feels alive, teeming with live, adventure and mystery. 

No, Escape from Gringotts isn't as sophisticated as Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance at Disney's Hollywood Studios, but I'd take a few hours in Diagon Alley over any in Galaxy's Edge- and here's why. Check out why this Disney Imagineering fan- (me!) calls Diagon Alley the best themed land ever created.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Girls Vs. Boys on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run

 

A little family feud now and then isn't all bad! Our recent family trip to Disneyland included some healthy competition: The girls versus the boys on Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run.

The highest scoring team on this very popular attraction in Star Wars: Galaxy'e Edge? Hard to say but each team captured two coaxium - certainly pleasing to Hondo Ohnaka, the infamous pirate / villain / hero running the company behind the mission.

Ultimately, Rise of the Resistance was the clear second place winner compared to the video game in the next dimension. Why? "You actually get to do something instead of watching it happen!" was a common response. Proving once again that this kind of attraction is following in the footsteps of Buzz Lightyear's shooter game and Spider-Man's webslinging adventure. 

At the end of the day, the 13 and under crew ranked the Star Wars attractions their favorites, followed by the mountain ranges and Indiana Jones Adventure.  The biggest win? Watching my whole family have a great day together!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Rare Star Tours 30th Anniversary Attraction Poster

When Star Tours opened at Disneyland in 1987, I was there. What a phenomenal weekend! The iconic Star Wars attraction has been a hit ever since. Next, it premiered at Walt Disney World's then named Disney-MGM Studios, Tokyo Disneyland, and EuroDisney aka Disneyland Paris. 

Back in 2017 at Disneyland, Imagineering celebrated the beloved, groundbreaking thrill ride with this special anniversary attraction poster. 

I wondered what would happen to Star Tours when Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge opened, but it stayed put. Good thing! It is an entirely different experience than Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run and some folks would say the original movie attraction is equal to if not better than the newer flight simulator ride. What do you think?

Want more Disneyland attraction posters? Look here for the full collection, beginning with Main Street U.S.A.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

What Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge Really Needs

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge does have some great atmosphere and one really compelling attraction in Rise of the Resistance, but if there's one thing that Walt Disney World's new Galactic Starcruiser has proven, it's this: The suits took some of the best concepts for the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge land and saved them for the upcharged, super expensive hotel experience. But there's a better option if the suits think it all through.

Does Disney really want to hold their lead with Universal Orlando's new Epic Universe park? This could be a good start: Who wouldn't like a speeder bike attraction that could compete toe to toe with Island of Adventure's great Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure? Just take a good look at this concept art!

Not only would an attraction like this bring some much needed kinetic energy to a pretty motionless and lifeless land, it would create a well rounded, varied roster of attractions for fans of different ride genres: simulators (Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run), dark rides, (Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance) and coaster (Imperial Speeder Bike Race or whatever extended name the Imagineers would give it). 

Round out the land with a new more affordable table service restaurant akin to that found on the Star Wars: Galactic Cruiser, another bar to spread out the guests needing liquor, and you'd finally have a land that you could spend hours in without having to book Oga's Cantina or pay that outrageous fee for the light saber experience at Savi's Workshop.

Will Disney announce something of this caliber for D23? No- but they should.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge from the Air

I'll tell you in tomorrow's article what Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge really needs to round out the experience and turn it into something that can do battle with Harry Potter's world at Universal Orlando, but for now, take a look at this great photo of the land found in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It's a beautiful shot! You get a great view of Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run as well as all the shops and restaurants in the main portion of the land. In the outback, the entrance to Rise of the Resistance is slightly hidden, only to be easily found by the very long line of visitors who head to Walt Disney World to get the ultimate Star Wars adventure. 

(Photograph by Bioreconstruct.)

Olga's Cantina was Not the First in Disneyland

Given all the publicity, it'd be very easy to think that Oga's Cantina in Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge would be the very first cantina in the park. This concept art proves otherwise. Frontierland was it's home, and in the days of the rollicking Wild West, there was more than just Slue Foot Sue's Golden Horseshoe to whet the townsfolk's whistle. Now, the truth of the matter is neither place served adult beverages. That honor would first go to New Orleans Square's private Club 33 (where I had the pleasure to dine once with my wife/soon-to-be fiancee).  

In other Disney theme parks, Frontierland is either renamed and/or re-Imagineered. The best version is found in Disneyland Paris. In France, it feels like a real town and not a theme park land. A single IP land if you will long before The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It's bigger, bolder, better, and filled with consistently thematic excursions into the Phantom Manor (a western themed Haunted Mansion) or a journey into the "wildest ride in the wilderness" which has the distinction of the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad going under the river and onto an island. Talk about an exciting beginning and end to a classic attraction! And they said it couldn't be done. Imagineer Tony Baxter proved them wrong.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

 

My Favorite Disney Park Photos: Disney's Hollywood Studios Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind

Step back into Hollywood during its glory days- or Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. That's what Sid Cahuenga's One-of-a-Kind shop does each time I see it. More than any other Disney park in Florida, Disney's Hollywood Studios has seen the most changes, good and bad. But this small shop brings me back to the old days when the park was fresh and new, and its future seemed bright. I snapped this shot during our last trip when the crowds were light and the noise levels low. I could almost close my eyes and think back to 1989 when I first saw the park that May.

Love Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway? So do I. But I sorely miss The Great Movie Ride. Do I miss the Studio Tram Tour and any of those other opening day attractions? Yes, but I also enjoy Toy Story Land and Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge. 

Regardless of how you feel about the park and all its changes, it has a fascinating history. If you want to read a mega-post that covers it all including rare concept art, a historical perspective, and tons of retro photos from the opening, take a look at this.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

A New Look at Disneyland's New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square stands above all Disneyland accomplishments (even Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge) for its incredible attention to detail, charm, and authenticity- not to mention its world famous and much beloved attractions! The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean continue to please fans and critics alike. With dining at The Blue Bayou and The French Market, it is the place to go for some of the best dining at the Disneyland Resort.

Here's a nice piece of concept art that is rarely seen. The Imagineers created some of the most gorgeous pieces for this area. I'd say this one is worthy of a beautiful frame to show it off, wouldn't you?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Walt Disney World Cares What You Think About Universal Orlando Resort?!?

Received this new Walt Disney World survey, and I found the questions to be rather intriguing. Is Disney finally waking up to the fact that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley are starting to have an impact on the number of days guests stay on the property? Disney's new survey is mentioning Harry Potter attractions and Universal Orlando Resort by name.

Interestingly, Disney knew that we were in Florida eight days but only spent four of them on their property at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney's Hollywood Studios, and Disney's Animal Kingdom. 

Are Universal Orlando Resort's theme parks Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios becoming more competitive, and if so why? Disney's biggest question seemed to be, "Why didn't;t you want to spend longer with us?"

What are Disney resorts guests who finally head off property and over to Universal discovering? Does it change future plans?

Disney wants you to get very specific. Very. Will it change anything? Not so sure.

(Top photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Disney's Low Tech Attractions Still Rock

Today blockbuster attractions are those that are the most complex in design and execution and often the ones that draw guests to wait hours for them: multi-million dollar coasters, like Universal Orlando's breathtaking Velocicoaster or the state of the art (and highly temperamental) mega experiences like Disney's incredible Star Wars themed Rise of the Resistance. 

We often forget that Walt Disney had to start with simple attractions as a basis for Disneyland while he continued to pioneer more cutting edge concepts and attractions. Audio-Animatronics and things like Pirates of the Caribbean were still a decade away when Disneyland came into being in 1955. So, Walt decided to make these simpler attractions as good as could be, elevating them to the highest standard of storytelling.

Swiss Family Treehouse, a walk through (a walk up?) and Peter Pan's Flight (a simple dark ride) still rank among guest favorites 50+ years after first being built. They bring charm, warmth, and a bit of nostalgia to parks that now have to be constantly on the bleeding edge of technology to impress a generation that must have the newest gadgets.

The Swiss Family Robinson film had guests dreaming of living in that family's island home in the treetops. And what kid hasn't wanted to fly above a moonlit London with Peter Pan?  Climbing the many flights of steps to the top this natural looking yet structurally complex attraction took explorers in Adventureland into a whole new world. Hearing the iconic Swisskapolka is the icing on the cake! 

Peter Pan's Flight is the most iconic and beloved of the simple dark rides designed by Imagineering. Winnie the Pooh, Roger Rabbit, and even Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc. have modern versions of this bus bar type ride, but the first Disney one remains the best. It's got a fascinating history. Read about it here.

Variations of these two attractions appear in Florida's Magic Kingdom, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, Hong Kong Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland, proving that even the hardened Communist government officials are not immune to a classic story told well in theme park form.  These Disney ride classics are classic for a reason, making each park a more rounded experience. 

The Mandalorian Visits Oakland

Our 7:00am non-stop Southwest Airlines flight left Denver for Orange County California, so you can only imagine our surprise when we landed in Oakland and then Las Vegas and finally onto the O.C. for an arrival at 4:30pm. We were dismayed not delighted as we circled Ontario Airport and could have landed there, but who understands the airlines industry these days?!?

Stepping out into the Oakland airport, we saw that The Mandalorian had invaded! This Star Wars character was in full form! Could he one day end up in Galaxy's Edge? Certainly wouldn't hurt for him to arrive in either Walt Disney World's gigantic Hollywood Studios' outpost or the similar version at Disneyland!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Walt Disney World vs. Universal: September 2021 Trip Report, Day One- Rise of the Resistance and More

Like most guests to Walt Disney World in the last year, Hollywood Studios' Rise of the Resistance was our number one priority of all Disney park attractions. In order to play the boarding group game and win, we got up extra early to be ready for that 7:00am opening of the attraction lottery. We did it- Boarding Group #13. (And we did even better getting it on our second visit! Here's how to conquer the Boarding Group game. It works the same way with Remy's Ratatouille Adventure as well.) 

It took much more than pixie dust to get this boarding group!

Follow the link above and see how we did it.

Once we were all ready to go, we walked to the main area and stopped at our resort's snack stand, Goods Food to Go, for a quick jolt of java - decent but not great- and a brief look around the resort prior to getting that early bus to one very busy park. I was surprised that even at 8:00am, the air was already quite muggy. Denver, this is not. 

For the record, Old Key West is a lovely resort. The rooms are quite large, the common areas are low key, and overall, it seems to be an undiscovered Disney resort. But beware, it is huge. The bus service between complexes is good, but if you choose to walk, be prepared. We had to make a quick stop at the temporary lobby so that our son could link his personal credit card to his Magic Band. The cast member was friendly and efficient. In contrast to our Magical Express experience, it is exactly what you'd expect from a world class resort. 

Taking the time to walk from our DVC room

gave us this gorgeous view.

Back when it opened in 1989 as the Disney-MGM Studios, our young family was there just about a week later. We've seen so many changes over the years. (Here's a 30 year retrospective of the park with my personal photos and more as I recount its history.) Our favorite attraction back then was The Great Movie Ride, an epic and innovative attraction bringing guests into classic movies of multiples genres. Sadly, this is now replaced by Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway. The newer attraction was my personal choice for second place in what I just had to ride. I love those new cartoons. They're fresh, fun, and irreverent while full of references to classic Disney park attractions. 

How would the new ride compare to its predecessor? Would I be disappointed? Well...no, and yes. Keep reading.

The Studios park is really delightful to look at! There's so much detail everywhere you look. Now that the big old Sorcerer's Apprentice hat has been removed, the view down the street to the reproduction of Grauman's Chinese Theater evokes all the charm and wonder that a Disney theme park should. The Imagineers of old and their direct descendants knew how to design places that scream for us theme park geeks to stop and take a photo or 100! And I did! (Why is it when the Imagineers go back to the original designs, the parks are better for it?)

On the left side as you enter the park...

... and the view on the right side.

You can see where the Imagineers who worked

on California Adventure 2.0 got some inspiration.

While we were waiting for the official opening time, I walked up and down the boulevard photographing the original buildings that remain from the opening of the park. It is really the soundstages and false backdrops seen on the Studio Tram Tour that have disappeared. The recreation of Hollywood in its heyday remains intact. These areas have plenty of charm and a nice reassuring, nostalgic warmth that's missing from modern Disney at large. In the other lands here, it's a mixed bag which along with the majority of blockbuster attractions found only on one side ultimately gives this park a split personality.

Every trip I take a photo of Gertie.

What is it about this lumbering green dino?

Directed by cast members to go around the Echo Lake side, we had to stop and queue to enter the home of the park's must-do latest hit. I soaked in the views of old familiar places now redone. Anyone reading remember Monster Sound Stage? It's now home to a "new" cartoon of Mickey and Minnie, Vacation Fun. Even the building is painted to match his main color scheme- and it looks pretty good!

Once the park officially opened, we had some time to walk around Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge aka Batuu aka Black Spire Outpost. In fact, we were able to almost walk right on Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run without a wait. 

 

I just like this early morning photo!

Here in Florida, it seems as if this land has a bit more energy and sense of place than at Disneyland. I'm not sure why. But this I can say, with the natural light different than in California and the positioning of the land and its slightly different color scheme, it just feels more alive. Not as sterile, grey, and cold. 

This day seemed dedicated to deluxe Star Wars activities as we had late afternoon reservations at Oga's Cantina and a light saber building reservation. When I was booking these appointments on line, I thought it would be good to lump them all together in one day just in case we saw everything we wanted in the Studios. That strategy actually worked out very well. (Planning tip- unless your main priority is to ride Ratatouille, make Epcot your second park hopping location for the day. The park is huge and most certainly the last one to close due to capacity. The downside with park hopping is the inconsistentcy in the feel of your day as you jump from one place to another.)

Smuggler's Run was fun, but if truth be told as we'd find out awhile later, it was the original Star Wars attraction that was a blast and far superior of the two similar attractions! Star Tours still has it- and even better, it was a walk on. The random sequencing of scenes made it a must do twice, and each trip, we came off the ride with a smile on our faces.

Really like this, but where are all the other

galactic citizens that we're supposed to see?

A really nice clear morning.

The blues of the spires really stand out in Florida.

It was finally time to cash in our Boarding Group pass for the one we'd all been waiting for. Walking back to the rather barren side of the land, the atmosphere all made sense once I explained to my wife that the Imagineers thought it best to have the First Order in charge of the busy town while the somewhat hidden rebel base hiding on the opposite side. That said, a few spires of rock in front of the entrance would have conveyed a bit of mystery to its location versus being out in the open. If you're going to go full bore with a theme, go all the way.

Armchair Imagineering aside, the very first ride on any new major "E Ticket" is a thrill, and I certainly had that same rush walking the queue. It was a balancing act between trying to take it all in, grab some photos, and not be a burden to others in line behind me.

Of course, I'd seen the spoiler videos. I can't resist those, especially since it takes quite an investment to visit the parks and is a luxury trip. But let me say that video viewing does not come close to giving the thrill of riding it in person. No comparison. You've truly got to see it to believe it. Really.

The big bad in his lead role!

The multiple preshows and the simulator ride set the stage for the final escape from our capture. The cast members stayed true to character without exception. Most all the effects seemed to be working, but the big "Wow!" moment for me was entering the room with the very large AT-ATs. As designed, from this point, the ride really rocks, taking it up one step at a time until the exciting conclusion. Admittedly, I didn't cry at the conclusion of this epic adventure, but I did get a little misty eyed. When the Imagineers are at the top of their game, well, the end result is epic.

Confession here: I'm not a big Star Wars fan. I can't remember most of the new character names or plot lines, and it doesn't matter to me. Nor should it matter much to riders. Regardless, Rise of the Resistance ranked as the top attraction we experienced this trip. From all three of us. (If you're reading and concerned about the thrill element, don't be. If you can ride Star Tours, you can ride this.)

Was Rise of the Resistance worth getting up very early for and trying to snag a limited spot? Absolutely! Should guests have to do that for any Disney park ride? Definitely not. This is vacation, but working within Disney's modern constraints, it often feels too much like work.

Stopped for a quick bite at Ronto Roasters as we hadn't had breakfast yet. The place continues to be a pretty fair value for a good, quick, and tasty meal. The other options seemed to be colored popcorn and a soda or a tumbler of blue or green milk. Neither seemed the right choice at 10:00am. For this and many other reasons, an expansion for Batuu has to happen and soon.

Seeing so many people waiting for a place to sit, it was hard not to feel rushed. The idea of relaxing over a bite is not possible if you're at all considerate of others. Mobile ordering is not a friend here or anywhere else in the World. This style of service leaves large crowds waiting for food and then for a table with some frustration for all. There's got to be a better way. 

Leaving Batuu, we entered the land of Woody and Buzz, taking in the lengthiest queue of the day to ride Slinky Dog Dash. The 40 minute wait went by fairly fast as we were still high on Rise and had much to talk about. Our son agreed the bare bones, lightly themed attraction had more zip and thrill than he expected. By now, the crowds were thick, the temperature was rising, and there was no shade to be found. We'd do Toy Story Mania later just before leaving the park.

OOOH- there's shade about a quarter mile away!

What were the Imagineers thinking when they designed a sure to be popular land without an adequate amount of covering in a park that is saturated with hot Florida sun? There's also a lack of indoor quick service type food options. I'm sure the barbecue restaurant planned will help that, but here's to expecting another expensive meal option.

"Nothing Can Stop Us Now".

Nice 20K tribute!

Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway is the kind of charming, old school attraction that this park desperately needed. With a song that's hard to get out of your head, this replacement for The Great Movie Ride brings the family together without having to choose whether to please adults or kids. 

A little extra construction would have made more sense.

Walt Disney himself would have been very, very, pleased. It is a solid "E Ticket" attraction of old embracing all the latest technology with its own very effective queue surprise. Yet, without a doubt, the attraction is in the absolutely wrong location. Mickey's should be anchoring its own land. The charm and strength of Disneyland is there because few shortcuts are taken. The extra time and effort and expense to give this family friendly crowd pleaser its own building while updating The Great Movie Ride would have been the wisest long term solution. In fact, it would have been a clean and honest representation of where the Disney Company currently gets its biggest popular franchises- buying other people's successful intellectual properties. 

The original Disney drop ride is still the best!

Two days later, and this was wrapped up for refurbishment.

While my wife is not a fan of extreme thrills in theme parks, she graciously rode both Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and with some major coaxing, Rock 'N' Rollercoaster. She did this for our son. I was so proud of her! No one had to coax my son or I to ride, although I probably wouldn't do them back to back again with little to no wait. 

The original Tower and its story and technology remains my favorite. I have yet to ride Tokyo Disneysea's incarnation. Disney California Adventure's Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT! is lively, but I still favor the original drop tower for many reasons. It is this park's Haunted Mansion, with superb execution of its theme from any way you look at it.

Even after all these years, the high speed cruise with Aerosmith ranks towards the top of my Hollywood Studios attractions. It's still smooth, fast, and one I would ride over and over again if I could. Just a blast!

An expensive keepsake and an impressive but rather short show.

As I said earlier, this day was our Star Wars day, and after the 1:00pm rush for Boarding Groups (in case we couldn't get one at 7:00am), we booked a 1:45pm reservation for my son to build his light saber. My wife was a good sport as always and let me experience this with him. It was a slow process from checking in to show time. Again, next to no shade in the waiting area or elsewhere, hence the abundance of plain, unthemed, afterthought, umbrellas both here and at Disneyland. What is it about this? Is Batuu a desert planet?

Back to the light saber build. Once inside, the cast member telling the saga was just excellent (seen in the photo above), but the in room special effects of a simple well designed lighting package seemed like a let down for the overall price of $200+. A surprise appearance of Yoda would not have been all that difficult to pull off, and it certainly would have been a crowd pleaser. And made the price more worth it. These extras were what once set Disney apart- or at least used to. (Universal is giving their guests some extras in service, experience, and design detail, so Disney has some new competition in this area, but we'll get to that soon enough later on in this trip report.)

C3PO rocks the universe!

RX-24, or Rex, rocks the cantina.

This was my third attempt in the last few years - made on each coast-  to get into Oga's Cantina. As the old saying goes, third time's the charm. We arrived exactly 10 minutes before our 4:45pm reservation- again, no shade. When our name was finally called, we received a very curt "45 minute maximum visit" reminder before we were ushered in. I'm sorry, but we are paying their salaries, and it certainly wouldn't have hurt to be treated with a bit more courtesy and respect when dishing out a good amount of money for three (very good) drinks and one bowl of "Batuu Bits". 

In preparation for the Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, we all agreed to order different dishes or drinks and share. This way, we'd be able to taste many different items. We did this at Raglan Road and continued on throughout the trip. 

Our time in the cantina- almost exactly 45 minutes, thank you very much- was a welcome respite from the sun and its scorching heat. The time of air conditioning, a place to sit and talk in a unique environment that is distinctly Disney, and the quality of the food and drinks perked us up. Our server was excellent- funny, charming, knowledgeable and totally in character without being over the top. The bill- and our tip- reflected our experience. 

Will we do it again? Not unless we were with someone who hadn't and wanted to. It's fun, but it is not that special for the price.

Quite good but a one and done experience.

The new Disney means having to pay a premium (in cash or time or both) to get the fullest themed experience in the parks. Very elitist! Want to eat inside that beautiful building at the end of Main Street (The Crystal Palace)? Pay for a premium priced character meal. See a Star Wars cantina? Pay a lot of money for drinks and plan months in advance to reserve a spot. Same goes for limited seating inside the Polynesian Village Resort's exotic Trader Sams Grog Grotto. Join a team to build a light saber? Pay to build one and bring only one guest with you. (Why should a kid have to choose between parents?) Want some decent shade and air conditioning? Better get ready to fork out the dough for a sit down restaurant. These are Bob Chapek's theme parks- and unfortunately, we Disney park fans had better get used to it. If Bob really did visit Walt Disney World every year with his family, he certainly walked away learning the wrong lessons.

The Skyliner was just what we wanted.

Riding it was a breeze!

We ended our visit to the park with a Mickey bar but had to walk to the Echo Lake area of the park to get away from the massive crowds. Sitting at a table with an umbrella, we discussed what was next. Should we stay in the park for dinner and then even later for the nighttime show? No. The dining options were not what we were looking for, and the fireworks and light show seemed unappealing. After considering Disney Springs but discovering the places we really wanted to eat at were already booked solid, the Food & Wine Festival won us over for an evening at Epcot.

Park hopping certainly has its pros and cons. When visiting Hollywood Studios, it can be a plus... aside from the fact you currently have to wait until 2:00pm in order to do so- and there's not nearly enough to do at the Studios even in its fully operative state.

In reality, Disney's Hollywood Studios has a relatively small roster of attractions. The theater shows are old and tired, and there is little on the other side of the park to draw people in and disperse the crowds that gather in Galaxy's Edge and Toy Story Land. The park needs "C Ticket" dark rides to even out the mix and give guests a greater variety of attractions for their families. Even with five new rides in the last two years and one new Cars themed show with an Audio-Animatronic Lightning McQueen, savvy longtime guests can tell this park has been neglected for decades. I'm afraid COVID and its effects will only further delay any additional growth. 

I was planning to end this post with a transition to our evening at Epcot and our time there. But as I wrote, I realized it really needed to be its own separate piece. It's part trip report, critique of the state of the expansion and its plans, and partially a love letter of sorts to the park I once knew and loved. Stay tuned.

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

The Disneyland Attraction Poster Collection

The magnificent attraction posters of Disneyland have been a fan favorite for almost seven decades! Fans also create their own, but none compare to those that are officially designed by the geniuses at Disney Imagineering. 

I've amassed quite a collection of them! There's a couple hanging on my wall (Disneyland's Matterhorn Bobsleds and Disneyland Paris' Pirates of the Caribbean). They are among my most loved pieces in my extensive collection of Disney park artifacts, along with my piece of original artwork for the Indiana Jones Adventure that I acquired at the attraction's opening. 

Here are the links to the posts where I share attraction posters land by land.  I have started Florida's Magic Kingdom series, but for now, enjoy the ones made for "Walt's park".

Disneyland Collection
Main Street USA
Adventureland 
Frontierland 
New Orleans Square
Critter Country
Fantasyland
Tomorrowland

Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

How We Snagged Rise of the Resistance Boarding Group 3! Will it Work for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure?

How in the Walt Disney World get we get boarding group 3 for Rise of the Resistance at Disney's Hollywood Studios on Tuesday? No, it wasn't luck but careful planning and a lot of early rising and to be honest, a prayer or two asking God to bless us! We ended up with two rides- the first being boarding group 13 on Sunday.

Here's how we did it:

1- The evening before bed, we walked outside of our resort- Old Key West- and scoped out the places to get the best signal, bypassing Disney's internet for our own network.

2- We all got up about 6:45am and confirmed our party on the My Disney Experience app.

3- The app was the only thing running and active on our phone.

4- We refreshed the screen at 6:59am.

5- Then, watching our phones, we clicked "Join Boarding Group" exactly at 7:00am.

Our son hit the jackpot twice. The key was his was the newest version phone, and it won him the top prize. It should be a success for Remy's Ratatouille Adventure as well.

Our vacation included all four Disney World parks and both Universal parks. Did Harry Potter's worlds win top theming over Disney? Stay tuned for a trip report and tons of photos!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Star Wars:Galaxy's Edge Traveler's Guide

After missing the opening of Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios by a matter of days, our next trip would not be subject to missing out! A year and a few months later- long story - we'd find ourselves back at Walt Disney World with a different daughter and her family. And this time, it meant an opportunity to experience Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge for ourselves!

What you're looking at is the Traveler's Guide that they gave out at the gate. A little waterlogged, but nonetheless, still quite an enjoyable souvenir. Millenium Falcon: Smuggler's Run was a big hit for everyone but especially the littlest passengers. Oga's Cantina was not to be visited, and we didn't build our own light sabers at Savi's Workshop, but a visit to Droid Depot was a must. The little boys saved their hard earned money to buy one (with a very tiny bit of help.

Rise of the Resistance wasn't open- but it is waiting for us this trip. By God's grace and a dash of pixie dust, here's hoping it happens this coming trip. Based on recent wait times, it may be a reality!