Perhaps the Rarest Photo of the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

Welcome Foolish Mortals to perhaps the rarest photograph of Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion. Taken around 1971, this is a rare promotional sheet from the Imagineering files. Giving the viewer the perfect look at the attraction from the now long lost Tom Sawyer Island. Plying the Rivers of America, these beautiful canoes and a trip into the wilderness was an opening day attraction not to be missed. Liberty Square was a perfect setting for the old abandoned mansion. Guests couldn't stay away once they discovered the 999 Happy Haunts in residence. The Imagineering masterpiece has drawn in unsuspecting visitors for over 50 years now... much longer number of years than those Cars at Piston Peak will ever reach.

(Photograph copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Charm of the Magic Kingdom's Rivers of America

When it came to color design and creating a mood, there were a few standout Imagineers of the first generation. You'd have to add artist Herb Ryman to the top side of the list! This concept art captures the simple beauty and charm of a Frontierland now long gone. The Rivers of America delivers a serene landscape of dreams as several folks sit by on land watching the world go by. The originally named Admiral Joe Fowler riverboat sails on.

This being a theme park means contrasting buildings exist. At Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, the beautiful Cinderella Castle in her glorious original color scheme is seen in the distance and the lower level buildings of Liberty Square peacefully co-exist with everything else. 

The vibe was definitely chill. While Piston Peak and the world of Cars will bring a different energy, I'll be curious if the charm factor will still exist. What do you think?

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disney's Unbuilt Western River Expedition Comes to Life!

Just imagine that the Disney suits had ignored the outcry of "Where is Pirates of the Caribbean?" when the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. What would have happened if they would have trusted their instincts and stuck to their plans? Imagineer Marc Davis'  Thunder Mesa in Frontierland and its star attraction, Western River Expedition, would have been the signature Walt Disney World experience for decades. 

Through the magic of AI technology, we can imagine what could have been. Much like the results of taking the concept art for Tony Baxter's unbuilt Discovery Bay for Disneyland (look here), the results are quite striking!

The original plans from Mr. Davis included the Western themed version of Pirates, a Big Thunder Mountain Railroad coaster, and so much more. Think hiking trails, a log flume ride that would pre-date Splash Mountain by two decades, and tons of design detail that would make Florida's Frontierland the greatest themed land of its time.

Best of all? Following through with these plans would have given the castle park an identity all its own and probably saved the Rivers of America. Gone would be the upcoming Piston Peak and the Cars invasion where it doesn't belong. Sure, Villains Land would eventually come. The concept is too rich to ignore. 

The benefits would have continued: Tiana would have received her own custom designed attraction with a much better story line in a brand new mini-land, Tom Sawyer Island would still be the much needed escape from the crowds, and the thematic consistency of this whole side of the park would not be ruined. But what do I know?

I say, look at these what could have been images again, and then tell me Pirates of the Caribbean was a worthy replacement.

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

If You Can't Go to Tom Sawyer Island, Go Here Instead

The closure of Tom Sawyer Island at Magic Kingdom got you down? Does the removal of the Rivers of America bring a tear to your eye and make you wish for the days when Walt Disney ran Imagineering? Don't worry! We have you covered! There's a great place within reach that will remind you of the golden days of theme park design at its best.

Just head down the street from Walt Disney World and take a turn into Universal Orlando Resort. Head into Islands of Adventure. Walk past Hogsmeade and Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey and even go beyond Velocicoaster. Travel into Jurassic Park and stop. Take a deep breathe. Look around until you find Camp Jurassic. 

This place has all the charm and design detail you'd see on the soon to be demolished Disney island, just with a bit more thrill. Beautifully designed amber studded caves remind you this is not Huck Finn's playground. Is there something dangerous lurking around the bend?

Maybe there are flying dinosaurs overhead. Oh, no! It looks like the creature has a few victims that are being taken high above the island. I guess you could go up there for quite a ride and an incredible view.

But if you're inside those caves and hear a monstrous beast roaming them, hurry up! Get out of those caves, and take shelter up above! At least you'll get a better view of what is on the prowl. And you'll get to see how much there is to explore. 

This overlooked gem in a park stacked with thrills brings a different and immersive vibe on the world of prehistoric creatures. So, if you're missing Tom Sawyer Island and soon, the rest of Dinoland U.S.A. at Disney's Animal Kingdom, this is the place to go! Yes, Universal now owns dinosaurs in the theme park world. But at least they do it well!

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

Goodbye Rivers of America and a Large Piece of Magic Kingdom History

This is the view I will miss the most with the demolition of Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom. It's the one I first saw in 1974 on my first visit to the original Walt Disney World park. The stately Haunted Mansion up on a hill in Liberty Square and Aunt Polly's over at Tom Sawyer Island. 

Back then, there was no Big Thunder Mountain or Splash Mountain on the other side, just wilderness to explore while riding the Admiral Joe Fowler Riverboat, Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes, the rafts, or the Mike Fink Keel Boats. It was a beautiful simpler time. Imagineering had created a wonderful, totally atmospheric piece of Americana. But nothing lasts forever.  

The Disney Parks blog reported these changes last year in August to a shocked crowd at D23:

"The Ultimate Disney Fan Event, Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro, with the help of Tow Mater via video call, announced that a new area inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios film “Cars” will be coming to a reimagined section of Frontierland at Magic Kingdom. “The American West has always been about keeping your eyes on the horizon … believing in yourself, carving your own path, and striving toward success. That goes for miners in the mountains, bears from the country, a princess from the bayou … or a race car from the big city,” Josh told the crowd."

The crowd was silent, then some booed, and then it was on to the next announcement. 

Today is the last day to experience a very important piece of Magic Kingdom history. What a sad, sad day it is.

(Photographer unknown.)

A Mickey Mouse Thing

A Mickey Mouse occurrence with Blogger stopped me from posting with photos for a few days. I wanted to share the results of my fairly accurate prediction for D23. If you look back, you'll note I told you that the Magic Kingdom would be the focus of additions announced. Why? Because pure and simple, Disney will not give up the crown of Number One World's Most Visited Theme Park to Universal. They just won't- and nor should they. With Epic Universe on the horizon, the suits are running scared into spending big bucks. That's a great thing for fans! Let Imagineering have some fun, and we all win. Walt Disney World will be changing... as always.

The Plan to Save the Muppets at Walt Disney World

With Monsters announced for Disney's Hollywood Studios, fans of Jim Henson's Muppet Vision 3D are sweating pretty heavily. But there is a plan to save Muppets from the Monsters invasion. What will Josh D'Amaro approve? Will the plan to save the Muppets work?

After the bloodbath that is the removal of Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island for a Cars themed Frontierland, nothing is sacred. But we could put up a good fight if someone in the head offices and even Imagineering are paying attention- and fans like Frozen's Josh Gad have their voices heard. 

Here's how to save the Muppets in a few easy steps:

1- Create a new 3D show. Keep it fresh, keep it true to the original vision of what Jim Henson had in mind. Make it fun again.

From plans for Discovery Bay.

2- Add a kid-friendly hot air balloon ride for kinetic energy, bringing movement above the rooftops to increase interest in exploring the land.  Move guests above the rooftops, and let them enjoy the view.

3-  Build a Muppets dark ride. It doesn't have to be an expensive version like the Great Muppet Movie Ride. Make it closer to Superstar Limo and take Kermit and Piggy on a ride through Hollywood but without the hip and edgy approach. Let's be honest- hip and edgy is not Disney's strong suit. (More here. Tons of concept art.) 

4- Create a must-do dining experience by adding the Muppet Labs. Let guests eat among wacky inventions and props. Unique food teams are a big pull these days. Bring in the mobile labs. Please just make sure the food is good.

5- A mini- Muppets parade would bring in guests. Folks young and old love watching a cavalcade of characters.

6- Add some meet and greets. Draw those people in further.

7- Toss in a spinner of some type for atmosphere using characters other than Piggy and Kermit.

All these changes could make it into the Hollywood Studios version of Fantasyland but in a more intimate scale- and save the Muppet crew exactly where they are currently located.

If I can come up with something so simple that could work, why can't Disney? Simple reason- They do not want to.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

How I Learned to Love the Magic Kingdom Without Rivers of America

Maybe there's a brighter side to this shocking D23 announcement and the subsequent admission that the beautiful Rivers of America is going away.  Regardless, it's time to say goodbye to Tom Sawyer Island, the watercraft, and potentially more (like Liberty Square in the long term) as Disney Imagineers craft an expansion at the Magic Kingdom. Cars takes over changing Frontierland, and with it, another piece of Florida park history disappears. Will it be great and great looking? Probably. But what really happened to the "blessing of size"? 

Can you imagine the uproar had they shown this piece of concept art at D23? Obviously, this was the plan. Show the simple art first, lower the boom later. And answer to no one live.

There could be an upside to all this. Maybe. Just maybe.

Perhaps there's some advance planning going on. Not moving Cars to the back of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad means they can expand Villains Land, which is sure to be a big hit. A huge one, actually. Could be a piece of the river can be accessed via a bridge from Liberty Square into the new area and lots of waterfalls off the rocks to make it feel refreshing a la the old Cascade Peak at Disneyland. This would help ease the pain of losing a soothing view and a relaxing walk while around the river and seeing the former Tom Sawyer Island or the watercraft. A theme park is more than just rides. It is atmosphere too.

About 50 percent of our trips to Walt Disney World in the last many years, we did ride the riverboat and/or went to Tom Sawyer Island. Often both. Great experiences that brought some stress relief from the constant crowds and waiting in line in the Florida sun. I will treasure these times! I'm glad I did so.  

On the plus side- I'm trying desperately hard to find one- it will make the Magic Kingdom even more distinct from other castle parks. Like each one, it has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. 

If Cars goes in, the Speedway is rather redundant. Since tomorrow is becoming harder to create for, perhaps the top suits will surprise us and bring in some incredible attractions for a larger Fantasyland. Lord knows, New Fantasyland 1.0 feels disjoined. Disneyland's is much, much better even though it is smaller. The Florida expansion was far less successful than it could have been and not the "Potter Swatter" Imagineering and the suits were hoping for. Cute, yes. Must see, no. It needed a real E Ticket and did not get it. Maybe next time.

All that said, I do not trust this leadership team. Sorry, but it's true.

The negatives in both pulling the Speedway and the Rivers of America are huge, though, and the potential even worse.

The Haunted Mansion will make a great entrance point for Villains, but the Hall of Presidents could be the next thing to be turned into something entirely different. (The Memento Mori gift shop was the first step in the move away from Liberty Square being focused on the founding years of our nation. But read the article for an interesting backstory that's real.) Why is the Hall of Presidents next to go? Guests can't help but "comment" during the roll call. So, let's turn the entire kingdom into a land of cartoon characters. "I know- let's add Muppets! They were there during that part of the century." This will happen, mark my words.

What will they do next? They are erasing the American history part of the Magic Kingdom because they can and it gets rid of the persistent problem it brings in this day and age. Few theme park visitors seem interested in American history, but it seems everyone just wants to argue about the state of our country instead. When all is said and done, if it is really going to happen, just turn the entrance to Liberty Square into a Sleepy Hollow creepy looking version, change some theming and give it all a new name. Be done with it quickly and move on.

When the Speedway goes, there could be room for another DVC store, another lounge, and maybe even some attractions if they can find it in their hearts. 

I say take your photographs of Liberty Square and the Speedway now while they are still around.

What will happen at Disneyland? May the suits at Disney have the wisdom to keep Rivers of America in Walt's park!

Here's The Ride System for Magic Kingdom's New Cars Attraction- It is Not Like Radiator Springs Racers!

This is not a Radiator Springs Racers vehicle! Per Josh D'Amaro at Disney during the D23 convention, this crazy Cars themed addition to Florida's Magic Kingdom is something entirely different. Now, here is what the ride vehicle is: It is an off road all terrain vehicle, but it is in fact a theme park ride car. Who is the manufacturer? None other than Dynamic Attractions. Take a look: 

 

Now, I'm not the one that found this. It's my friends at WDWMagic that uncovered it all on the discussion boards, but I had to share it. (If the link doesn't work, go here.)

No, I'm not thrilled that Frontierland is continuing to devolve from a celebration of America's history, but I'm trying to make the best of it. Imagineering can still do incredible work if given the right budget. That's said, Tiana's Bayou Adventure should have been much better. So what do I know?

This isn't my favorite announcement at D23...

(Concept art The Walt Disney Company.)

Glamorous Parisian Auto Show

Paris, France in 1952- at least as depicted in the poster. Auto shows are popular the world over, and we've unintentionally run into them in Germany and the outskirts of Newport, Rhode Island as well as an unofficial one in Monte Carlo, Monaco. This particular poster captures the glitz and glamour you'd expect in one of the world's most beautiful cities. Just one more reason to leave the Disney World behind and see the real one.

Dashboard Confessional

Browsing the car lot, I stumbled upon this classic Oldsmobile. The outside needed a good amount of help, but the inside was in much better shape. The retro cool dashboard and wooden steering wheel meant a photo definitely had to be taken. So, here it is! Nothing fancy, but a look from days gone by.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Just Love the Logo

Our last visit to Walt Disney Studios Paris was a bust. But it seems as if the Imagineers and the money men are finally giving it some love with fresh ideas. 

The infamous Backlot Tram Tour will be reimagined to a Cars road trip down Route 66. The concept art is ok, but the logo is terrific!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Classic Red T-Bird

One of the coolest cars ever! This 1957 red two door Thunderbird rocks! From 1955 to almost the end of the 20th Century, versions of this make and model were the go to for drivers looking for a thrill and also for filmmakers who needed something authentic and eye catching to make a statement. Toss on some whitewalls, put the top down, and cruise down those American Highways!

Spy Cars from A Different Decade

Time for something a bit different. Communist era cars from two different locations- Cuba and the former Soviet Union. Don't these just take you back to the time of 50's and 60's James Bond?

Thanks to the opening of Cuba and the renewed interest in the formerly closed country, exhibits showcasing the area are gracing the United States. This automobile is fully restored to its original grandeur. Totally cool.

Sometimes an unknown make a model get revealed, and it catches my eye. I'm told this is a USSR "Volga". It's not nearly as sleek as the model above, but I could swear I've seen some Russian spy driving it!

Car Land Before Cars Land

The original Car Land at Disney's California Adventure. The gifted Imagineers were struggling to find concepts to make the park popular.   Look at this piece of concept art. This was never built, but it does look like a lot of fun. That is, of course, until you realize that in a park lacking lots of expansion space, the executed concept would be little more than the Autopia with more lavish settings.

Of course, large projects were proposed and eventually approved, but before all that, budgets weren't healthy, and Bargain Basement Imagineering was the order of the day. Looking at this piece of eye candy, differently now?

God bless John Lasseter, the Pixar genius for putting his career on the line and getting the suits to approve - and upgrade- to Cars Land and its super "E Ticket", Radiator Springs Racers. As the star centerpiece of a newly enhanced park, Disney had one chance to get it right and win back an audience. Mission accomplished, and Racers is still the new must-do on the Anaheim property. It will remain that way until Star Wars Land makes its debut in Walt's park in 2019. 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

It's a Haunted Thanksgiving Holiday

This holiday was incredibly certainly bizarre- perhaps the strangest of the strange Thanksgiving Holidays! 

We were having our traditional Thanksgiving Day meal and activities. The dinner table was set, turkey and fixings soon to be served, but my youngest son Timothy and son-in-law Andy were in the midst of a battle to the finish war playing Risk. (It ended up being a ginger domination.) The smell of turkey was filling the room as the ladies talked, and the little grandchildren were busy watching Frozen for the millionth time. Since it was a cold and snowy day, we were inside for a very long but very nice afternoon.

My phone text tone went off. Seems the wife of a new acquaintance at church had passed away earlier in the day. She'd been battling cancer, and after the latest round of chemotherapy and a brief surgery to attempt the remove a new growth, she'd been given six months to live but made it only three weeks. I hadn't expected that. 

I couldn't shake her passing out of my mind. When it was time to pray before our meal and give thanks to God for his goodness to us in the midst of times easy and difficult, we prayed for the family- and also thanked God that we had all four of our elderly parents still alive. (When your folks are in their mid 70's and early 80s, you take nothing for granted.) I'd be lying if I told you I did not get a bit choked up. Thoughts of their family stuck with me more than just the day itself.

The next day started out pretty normally, but also ended up being one with its own ghosts of sorts.

It had been a coupe of years now that I had thought of an old friend I hadn't seen in a couple of decades. This friend and I met in the most interesting way. I was on my way home from Las Vegas with my sister and then girlfriend. We had taken a road trip to go see the Carpenters at the MGM Grand in 1977. The show was terrific, with Karen and Richard in top form.

Before driving back, we slept in overnight. I was pretty beat after a late show and slept longer than normal, while the two gals went poolside. I awoke and quickly went downstairs. Who I discovered with them would change my life.

There was this seemingly friendly guy at the pool striking up a bit of a conversation with the girls. Turns out, not only did we share the same first name, but he lived only a few miles from me. I was in Huntington Beach, and he was living in Long Beach with some family after just finishing school. His family was from Oregon. He really didn't know too many people, and given that we seemed to get along remarkably well for two strangers, he and I swapped phone numbers and agreed to get together for lunch back home.

As does happen after high school, friends go separate ways and begin their new lives apart. Certainly this was my situation as I was older by a year than most of my friends, so I had been out for a year and already making plans to do something with my life. What that would be I did not know.

Mark and I got together for lunch, and we really hit it off. It was odd to me to make a brand new friend so unexpectedly, but after years of hanging out with the same old people, I found it to be a very fun piece f my new life. Mark had introduced me to a few girls he knew, and we all enjoyed the company, going out very frequently over the next year.

Flash forward a month. My sister and I were driving down Beach Blvd in my little Fiat X-19. A drunk driver crossed over the center divider and his us almost head on but, thankfully, slightly off  on the driver's side. We were shaken and not hurt badly, but my card seen better days and would not survive the transition, leaving me with without wheels.

As I began the car search, Mark would pick me up to go out. We were only about 15 minutes or so apart. This night was more than a bit different, as he wanted to go to a Monday night church service at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa. Not my cup of tea at all, but I was surprisingly open after the accident. 

The band was good, the people friendly, and a young man by the name of Greg Laurie started sharing about Jesus. I was pretty engaged, as he spoke of this Jesus like he knew him. If I heard correctly, this guy decided to sacrifice his life for the evil doings of everyone else, paying the penalty for my sin so that I could find a way to heaven for eternity, bypassing Hell. In addition to all this, Jesus promised to be the friend who would always be there unlike others who came and went. A God who loved me and was also a personal friend. Unbelievable. 

I was drawn in. The weight of doing things I knew were wrong stuck in my mind, and I knew in God's sight, I deserved death. I also knew I was pretty lonely deep down (new friends aside), so when this Greg guy asked for folks that wanted to know Jesus to come up, I went for it. Walking to the front, some folks talked to me, and I prayed to God, asking him to forgive me and start a new life of following Jesus.

Back to the haunted Thanksgiving.

The next morning was the usual after-the-holiday quiet. I made some coffee and sat down with a bit of leftovers for breakfast. It had been a couple of years since I thought of Mark, but this time, I decided to google him and see what he had been up to all these years.

Up came an obituary from 2014.

I was more than a bit dumbstruck as he was actually a few months younger than me. The photo above captured him looking just as I remembered.

Heading away from Southern California, Mark had a very full life with a wife and several kids. Clearly beloved by many, he had obviously fought a lengthy illness and made the transition we all eventually have to make- one form this world to the next. 

I was haunted by the photo and the realization that another part of my life had gone. This wasn't the first friend to die and nor would it be that last, but there was something about Mark's passing I could not shake off. In fact, it's 2am that I am writing this post, not having been able to quit thinking about him and his impact on my life- even after all this time.

Two deaths, one Thanksgiving. What was God trying to speak to me? I know nothing in our lives go to waste. Time will tell, but for now, I was thankful for that friend of years ago who just so happened to stay at the same motel as me and just so happened to live a few miles away, a friend who just so happened to be available to take me to this new church... and just so happened to be used by God to change my life for now and eternity. Wow. 

The Definitive Ranking of Pixar Movies

Warmly, but with absolutely no apologies to Kelly Lawler at USA Today who posted a totally different list with the same title, here's my ranking of the greatest (and least) of Pixar films. With an agreement that we can all lovingly disagree, your list will probably vary:

You're cute but your story is too heavy handed.

15. Wall-E
A preachy, mostly charmingless tale of two robots with only eyes for each other. The human race be damned. I'll take my Starbucks and my computer when I choose, thank you very much.

Oh no, there's some, ugh bugs, to work out of the story.

14. A Bug's Life
Even for an attraction that has to use film as its main medium to tell a story, I find this Animal Kingdom attraction based on this movie pretty terrific. But then, it's only 6 minutes at best. This film is boring, boring, boring. Had it not followed up Toy Story, it would have flopped.

I am woman. Hear me roar.

13. Brave
Beautiful scenery. Good main character but undeveloped secondary ones. Convoluted tale of feminism. Merida does win points for being a strong female in spite of some bad choices to accomplish her independence and make her point.

In my beautiful balloon.

12. Up

The powerful but depressing opening scenes give way to a tale of two odd friends. There is so much potential but it's wasted as the story becomes a fantasy filled with speaking dogs and an entirely unnecessary villain. Kudos for using an old man as a lead character.

 I see dead batteries.

11. Cars 2

Loses some points for a less than original script, but the cars are lovable, making it a great daddy and son Saturday matinee movie. Not sure if chapter three is even necessary. Out of gas?

That was it?!?

10. Inside Out

There was much potential for this to be a truly great film. But as I said a few posts earlier, the film just isn't much fun. So much for the second wave of Pixar greatness... at least for now.

Who needs a dog when you have Bullseye?

9.  Toy Story 2

Terrific storyline and characters we all know and love. Jessie's sour attitude is quite annoying, but Bullseye saves the day. Ride on cowboys!

Frat brothers.

8.  Monsters University

What's not to love here? Collage age Mike and Sully are just as much fun as their older selves. If there ever was a buddy movie with plots twists and turns we didn't expect, this is it. Not quite as good as the original but every bit as creative.

Buddy movie of a different kind.

7.  Cars

Is is Doc Hollywood in car form? Sure, but that storyline has been told for decades. Owen Wilson is terrific as the lead ego propelled racer who learns the lessons of true friendship. A winning film for those who don't care about being politcally correct. Bonus points for being the film that produced one of the best "lands" from Disney Imagineering since New Orleans Square at Disneyland. 

You've got a franchise in me.

6.  Toy Story

The first and perhaps the best loved. Buzz Lightyear is a revelation.   Optimistic and lighthearted with a good dose of nostalgia tossed in. The heartstrings don't get fully pulled until two sequels later, but boy, what a tug!

Ah, Paris!

5.  Ratatouille

One of my personal favorites. The story is unexpected, the main characters strong, and the atmosphere and musical score totally mesmerizing. If you've been to Paris, you understand. 

Could strong fathers be a key to Pixar's success?

4.  Finding Nemo

A strong loving father and a special needs son that both find their way home. You have to have a heart of stone to not like this film. Populated with an oceanful of great characters.

Who says you have to be young to be cool?

3.  The Incredibles

A Pixar film for adults that have survived (and thrived through) a midlife crisis. Discovering yourself and your partner amidst marriage drama, changing bodies, and the sometimes joyless responsibilities of being a parent. Sophisticated stuff for an animated film made enjoyable by a great plot line and dazzling environments. The perfect Pixar film for a series. Can't wait for the second one!

Is it just me or should this be a Disney roller coaster attraction?

2.  Monsters Inc.

Billy Crystal in the part he was designed for! Turning an old story on its head, Monsters Inc. creates a charming world all its own. One we are sad to leave when the time comes. 

It's ok- we've all grown up, Andy.

1.  Toy Story 3

By the time this film came out, the characters were beloved world over. The climax of the film is as gripping as anything Disney has ever done. It's at that moment we viewers realized these characters had a well earned place in our lives. The art of storytelling at its Pixar best.

(Art copyright Disney/Pixar.)

It's Incredible- Sequel Finally Announced

At today's shareholders' meeting of the Walt Disney Company, Robert Iger finally announced that Incredibles 2 was in the making! It's been a long time coming for fans of the popular superhero Pixar film. Also announced was Cars 3 (no surprise), but the news of the return of Pixar's favorite empowered family means Brad Bird will return to the helm and bring viewers another great adventure. Now, if that proposed but never built attraction based on the film would come to California Adventure...

(Art copyright Disney/Pixar.)