After the Rain

How incredibly beautiful our yard looks after a rain! The colors seem to sparkle in the sunlight and everything looks for vibrant, more alive, more refreshed. "He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills." So says Psalm 147 about the Lord God Almighty. Let me encourage you whoever you are in your life- God knows and is waiting for you to call to Him. Let Him refresh you! Everyone who seeks him will find God listens and cares.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

The Most Important Family Affair

The times when all our family is together are too few and far between, but they each hold significance. Last year, my grandson (on the left) shared about Jesus' heart for a broken and sinful people (that's all of us!) with his cousin (in the lime green shirt). This led to him asking me all about it over pizza one night while we were enjoying slices with his family. He asked incredible questions- deep ones. I could see by the look on his face that he understood the gravity of his separation from God and that he understood that only by receiving the gift of Jesus Christ and turning toward Him would pay for his sin and gain him entry into heaven upon his death. Weighty stuff! (It IS weighty! Read the Bible's book of John, chapters 1-3 and Romans, chapters 1-6 to understand these timeless truths.) 

My younger grandson prayed right then on the spot in the restaurant and gave his life to Jesus. Then he asked about baptism, saying his older cousin had explained it. He wondered if he had the facts right. When I asked more questions to clarify his understanding, it was obvious he knew it was a step of obedience in his newfound faith, one he wanted to experience. Since we were in a restaurant, I joked I could dump water on his head if I had to, but it would be better to do it later.

This year, we were enjoying the cool water of the pool, beating the July summer heat. Unprompted except by God and his own heart, he asked me, "Grandpa, can you baptize me now?" His parents gave their approval, and with his brother right there, and his cousin at his side, the youngest and newest follower of Jesus in our family, was baptized. I asked him all the appropriate questions you'd expect and asked him if he was ready to be dunked. Then, with his cousin helping me, we baptized him in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The small crowd around him erupted in cheers and with clapping. What an awesome gift God gives every believer to share the Truth and then also to be a part of a baptism afterward! I'm nothing special, but God sees each one of us as important and worthy of doing His joyful work!
 

Rock Star Secrets Beneath Red Rocks

What lies beneath the stage at the famous Colorado concert venue Red Rocks? Plenty! Everyone who's anyone in the music industry has performed here. And they've left their autographs on the walls right below the stage.  

Can you find the signatures of Paul McCartney and the rest of the Beatles? What about Sting? Perhaps Karen Carpenter and brother Richard signed their names here when the Carpenters were a hot new band? James Taylor has been here several times. And a million others. 

A friend of mine had the opportunity to go here after a concert as she knew a few of the band members. I'll withhold the name of the headliners to protect her privacy, but she was happy to pass these on.

Enjoy search for the names of your favorite musicians! There's plenty to look at!

Design Detail: Great Moments at the Movies

Great Moments at the Movies? You don't remember that Walt Disney World attraction? Sure you do! You know it by a different name. It's found over at Disney-MGM Studios aka Disney's Hollywood Studios. There it is at the centerpiece icon of the park, the Chinese Theater houses the iconic Great Movie Ride. 

Back in 1989 when the park opened- the year I first visited- the newest theme park was filled with amazing design detail as a love letter to the Hollywood of old. There are few attractions, but they were good ones. Of course, the Great Movie Ride was king. But the Backstage Studio Tour, the Art of Animation, and the Monster Sound Show made up a pretty great day. It was small but charming, a lovely way to spend an afternoon. 

There's been so many changes, and the park now ranks as my least favorite Disney park in Florida. Wasted space, too many poor quality attractions, and a very confusing layout headline its many problems. Yet, its history is rich and fascinating. Here's a look at 35 years of the park's history, including rare concept art and plenty of photographs. One part trip report from the first opening days and much, much more. Trust me, you'll find it fascinating! 

Walt Disney - A Magical Life: The Real Story and Some Rare Photos from the New York Public Library

With the opening day of Disneyland's "Walt Disney - A Magical Life" behind us, I thought this piece would add a fun bit of research opportunities for those of you that enjoy such a thing. The new show may play in rotation with Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln at the Main Street Opera House but the stories the Imagineers could tell can't be contained to short a short time frame.  Let me share with you a unique and rare series of photos. 

A few years ago, a very large number of photographs have been made public domain from the New York Public Library, including these related to Walt Disney. Some are great, others not so much, but they all focus on an aspect of the man, his work, and the company he left behind.

At the top of this article, there's a cigarette ad for Mitchell's Cigarettes. Walt Disney advertising cigarettes. How ironic to uncover this more than 50 years after his passing. It is certainly of historic value. But you can bet the suits at the company are making sure this is one photograph you don't get to see very easily.

Disneyland's iconic Golden Horseshoe. A most appropriate image to have on file if any of Walt'd beloved park and an opening day fan favorite attraction.

Walt Disney World has not been left behind either. Here's the Hall of Presidents, an opening day attraction in Walt Disney World. It was one of the must-see presentations in the park when attractions such as the Mickey Mouse (Musical) Revue were also still around.

EPCOT Center's Spaceship Earth. Futuristic elegance defined.

Two great vintage postcards from guests. The second one is worth reading. Click on all these for the largest size, by the way.

The man as I prefer to remember him. Thank you, Walt, and thank you New York Public Library for sharing these!

Here's Audio-Animatronic Walt, above, and an unskinned AA figure below. 

Now for the real story behind that Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic...

Disneyland fans had long heard about a rumored Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic that would be placed into the Main Street Opera House by the Imagineers. This would be for the 100th Anniversary of the Walt Disney Studios aka Disney100. Was there any truth to this? I can tell you first hand, the answer is "Yes!"

The story definitely carried weight, and Jack Kendall from DSNY Newscast referenced my story in a May 2024 YouTube video.  

Even back then there was talk about a Walt Disney Audio-Animatronic show! Imagineer Eddie Sotto shared the details of it in an interview with Didier Ghez way back on January 20, 2009. I was sent a series of audio discs by Didier detailing this extensive interview. Eddie discusses a variety of topics including unrealized plans for Disneyland Paris and Disneyland's Indiana Jones Adventure, and yes, the idea for a robotic version of Walt that he personally worked on. 

I tried to upload an edited MP3 of that portion of the interview, but I had no luck. Instead, here is the transcription:

"As embarrassing and weird as it may seem, I worked on a show that had an Audio-Animatronic Walt Disney in it. And it was in the Opera House, and the way we were going to do it, I think, would have been respectful and done in a real tear-jerker, you know, made for the Disney fan kind of way, and it was the Walt Disney story. But the idea of the Walt Disney story, the way we would do this, we would have a scrim or a translucent background we could project on. We'd have several of these, so when we projected on them the guests could almost get the impression of seeing in 3-D. 

And to tell you about it, you'd see a short brief film of Disney's history and then coming up to what's going to come to Disney's future. And in all this stuff I remember somehow - you know I worked on this for Tokyo Disneyland too - it'd say "And your host, like in the television show, Walt Disney" and up would come the desk from his office and he'd be sitting on the corner of his desk kind of in silhouette, and you would see Walt Disney kind of in silhouette, and just softly lit, and he would talk about and gesture and we'd project Tinker Bell flying around him and all these amazing things going on. 

It wouldn't be like Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, where he's being sole focus of the show, he's kind of hosting you a little bit, throughout the history of Disney and America and all the things that we were doing. So I remember working on that. Never happened. But you know, the idea was that you wouldn't lean on it as the sole element of the show. It was like American Adventure at Epcot you see these characters that come and go and they're part of a bigger picture."

Train Ride in Europe

In honor of my father's 86th birthday, I'm posting a shot of he and my mom on the train in Europe. It was one of their favorite trips, and I certainly understand why. Happy Birthday, Dad!

 

Bit of Kodak History

My oldest son and his family stumbled into this little ice cream parlor. As Eastman Kodak aka Kodak holds a very special place in our family history, he sent us a photo of this vintage mirror bearing a company ad.  It was due to my father in law's kindness that my then girlfriend and I got to dine in Disneyland's very exclusive Club 33.  Later on, his generosity was expressed in passing on to us free tickets to Walt's park and even Florida's Magic Kingdom and EPCOT Center. 

Last night we watched a one hour television special from about Walt Disney World from 1977. Beyond the endlessly cheery music and storyline, the presentation included some ads- and mostly of products that no longer exist. So, preserving this piece of history seems all the more important.

A Birthday Without A Photo

Finally! Blogger was up to its old tricks again!  I wanted to upload a photo of our youngest daughter and her father on her birthday, but no such luck! But today, it worked. Since our birthdays are very close together, we often celebrate together. One year, she decided to take me to the Denver Zoo to sit in the sand near the manta ray exhibit and have a margarita together. What a creative and thoughtful gift! A bit of Southern California in the middle of the plains of Colorado. Anyway, happy birthday to our youngest daughter! What an amazing woman of God she is!

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.)

Rome from the Air

The photographer is unknown, but the shot is timeless. The Colosseum is a landmark for any city, but in Rome, history is everywhere. Just everywhere you look! Believers in Jesus Christ were once thrown to the lions in the arena, and gladiators battled to the death. It was a typical afternoon of "entertainment" for the wealthier citizens. Can you imagine? Well, today, Rome offers a diversion of pleasures, and you don't have to be rich to enjoy them. 

My Favorite Disney Park Photos: A Peaceful Morning at the Grand Floridian

Years ago, a visit to Walt Disney World could mean a relaxing time with tranquil evenings and leisurely paced days. No longer. Not even planning for a trip is simple and easy! But there's still peace to be found if you are willing to get up before the sun breaks. That's exactly what we did and when this photo was taken. Why were we up at the literal crack of dawn? To make absolutely sure we got to ride the Magic Kingdom's newest and hard to book attraction, Tron Lightcycle Run in Tomorrowland. Yes, we snagged seats on the ride, and the bonus was seeing this resort quiet and calm. Following the rush for a reservation was a wonderful sit down breakfast at the Grand Floridian Cafe. Not a bad way to start the day!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame!

The Great American Pastime of watching baseball is even more fun when it's with people you love! The look on my grandsons' faces tells the whole story. I just want to know why my daughter-in-law is not showing her team spirit. Just joking!

The Hidden Monster in Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment

Look deeply but look quickly! There's a hidden monster that is very difficult to see at Epic Universe's incredible Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment attraction. It's not the above photo but the one below. This little discovery in Dark Universe is all you need to impress your friends! You might think it's the funny and cruel Ygor, but it is not. Nor is it Victoria Frankenstein- although I think that may be up for debate.

Who is he? None other than Quasimodo, the Hunchback himself. Up in the bell at the very beginning of the ride portion of this fantastic attraction. 

You've got to slow down the speed, but you can see him for a few seconds at the 8:40 ish mark. Open this in another tab and watch for yourself. Thanks to LMG Vids for capturing him in enough light!

Update: 

Here's a newer version from "SeeWDW!" at the 31 second mark.

View it here.

The Sparkle of Disneyland's Tomorrowland 1967

The Submarine Voyage and the Peoplemover. What more can you say? Plenty! Add in the Carousel of Progress, the late and great Adventure Thru Inner Space and a refreshed entrance to Tomorrowland.  The year 1967 would remain one for the books in the annals of Disneyland history. 

Walt's park seemed better than ever under the guidance of those first generation Imagineers. And, boy, they were on a roll! It's a Small World was first, then Pirates of the Caribbean in the Spring of '67 and the Haunted Mansion a couple of years later. Let's not forget Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln coming hot off the World's Fair. 

Things would slow down for awhile, but as this photograph from the late and great Vintage Disneyland Tickets shows, the future was also moving at Disneyland- unless you look at Tomorrowland. That revision in 1998 was a dud- Rocket Rods aside-, and it was the last time that area of the park had even the slightest bit of cohesion. Will the Imagineering team bring a great new person of the future for the park's 75th Anniversary? Your guess is as good as mine!

(Photograph copyright Vintage Disneyland Tickets.)

Still My Little Boy

What can I say? He may be a fully grown man with a life full of responsibility, but he will always be my youngest child. Taken just a few days ago, this photo captures the little boy smile that I find in his heart. He's a theme park geek like his dad, but like most folks of his generation, the Universal world is his playground- Harry Potter rules!- and Disney holds the number two spot.
 

Rome - Eternally Yours

Rome- The Eternal City. What an amazing place! The famous sights, the sounds of fountains, music, the people; and the utterly magnificent flavors! But they pale in comparison to what is to come. The true eternal city as described by the beloved Apostle John in the book of Revelation: "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Can there be anything better than what is to come for all who have received the free gift of the forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ? No, a thousand times, no.

 

Friends and Family

The new pope may have been chosen today, but for us, this special visit from out of state friends makes it a very special day indeed. God is so good to us!
 

The Unexpected Guest

We didn't see this coming, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a sweet little surprise. After a large family gathering full of food, fun, and great conversation, everyone went home tired but happy. We were so tired, in fact, that it took us several days to see this unexpected guest. Most likely this was the work of one of the youngest in our big extended family. But it certainly captures the heart of the day and put a smile on our faces as we had our morning coffee!

 

It's an Epic Universe in Our Backyard!

Spring has arrived! What a wonderful surprise we discovered in our beautiful back yard!Not once did we expect to have a tree with such lovely blooms on it. Who knows what else awaits us as God does his magic in the landscaping realm. There's not any Imagineer (or should I say someone at Universal Creative now?) that can outdo the original Creator!

Nighttime Falls at Epic Universe

Epic Universe is rightly all over the theme park world sites and blogs. I've been absorbing everything I can get my hands on! They range from the terrific to the silly, the objective to ones with agenda. But one thing is very certain- the park is a joy to look at! Just get a glimpse of this beautiful dusk time photo from folks at The Noble Way.  And this is only the beginning! 

By the way, if you look at the right places, you can find spoilers for the Battle at the Ministry and Monsters Unchained. Disney had better loose their Imagineers and let them dream bigger and bigger. There's definitely more to come to Universal's new park! Bring it on!