Goodbye Rock 'n' Roller Coaster with Aerosmith- Hello Muppets?

Yes, it's time to say goodbye to an old favorite of mine. Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith is going the way of other extinct Disney attractions. Instead of replacing the band with another real band, we're getting the Muppets. OK. But really? They should have a place in Disney's Hollywood Studios, but not here. The only saving grace would be removing the Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After and bringing back in a version of Muppet*Vision 3D. Then, it would begin to make a small amount of sense. Will the new version be fun? Yes. Does it fit in? No, not really. But such is the state of Disney right now. 

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Another Idol Showdown

Talk about diversity! The final three contestants on American Idol are some of the shows best singers ever, each with individually unique styles and endearing personalities. All in all, qualities making this the most enjoyable season that I have watched in years. 

Three rounds and three winners.

First go around, Phillip Phillips' high energy "Beggin'" walked away with round one, edging out Joshua Ledet's take on Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind", an odd choice for a young artist. It also surpassed the effective and delicate "My All" by Mariah Carey. When Jessica Sanchez took on this song, I expected something different, but I was pleased by the amount of restraint and grace she used, really highlighting her beautiful voice over her ability to belt it out.

That wise restraint won Joshua Ledet round two. Jessica's Aerosmith number was alright, and Phillip's "Disease" by Matchbox 20 was much better than the judges gave him credit for, yet Joshua's control on a stunning "Imagine" convinced me he could also do something different. I still find it interesting when a Christian sings the song ("Imagine there's no heaven"), but it is a lovely melody.

Round three belonged to Jessica. Taking on the Jackson 5's "I'll Be There", she displayed an incredible versatility as she took on several different ranges in the song, hitting the money notes in the lowest registers instead of the highest pieces as a listener would expect. Joshua's "No More Drama" had too much of it, and by taking on Mary J. Blige, it was back to what he is most known for. For all the praise given Phillip's "We've Got Tonight", I found it to be stripped down to the point of being dull- something a song should never be, especially this one. It's made for his voice but not with this arrangement. 

With one win for each of the contestants, it should make tonight's elimination all the more difficult. These are three terrific kids, and my prediction is each will have long and successful careers.

(Photo by Michael Becker, Fox.)

Disney's Hollywood Studios Scrambled Mess

Although you might never know it from the jumbled mess the layout is, Disney-MGM Studios, now Disney's Hollywood Studios, had a fairly cohesive layout at opening. As this concept for the park suggests, great care was put into deciding its design. (As always, click to enlarge the art.)

Unfortunately, it was not designed well for expansion. From its penned in location to the hastily added expansion areas, the pretty little "Hollywood that never was but always will be" began to lose its focus even as it added some of its most popular attractions.

Michael Eisner knew hits when he saw them, and the concepts for both The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock N Rollercoaster Starring Aerosmith, had smash written all over them. Sadly, what could have been a fully realized expansion with a few "C" ticket dark rides added, Sunset Blvd. instead became an excuse to house the two attractions and not much more. It's a terrifically themed street, but it is lacking in so many ways. Don't misunderstand. The street is way better than what was created for the Hollywood Pictures Backlot version at California Adventure- where the stunning main attraction has been reduced to the lowest possible acceptable creation.

Later additions to the park in Florida only added to the confusing layout. The whole other side of the park seems strangely unused aside from Star Tours and the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular. What are the suits thinking?

Is there even a plan to add to the park and bring it to its fullest potential? Or is it Walt Disney World's dumping ground for any attraction that doesn't fit elsewhere? Could Marvel based attractions end up here? What's the plan?

My bet is on the Imagineers. These talented folks probably have wonderful concepts lined up- but the budgeteers probably have them frozen in the pipeline. And as long as that is the case, Harry Potter will continue to draw in guests who might otherwise visit Disney's third park.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Walk This Way with Aerosmith

How cool could Walt Disney World get? In some ways, the increase in advertising for the Six Flags parks and those of Universal made Disney parks seem focused on elementary school children. Where could Disney get hip and relevant to the teenage crowd?

In California, Michael Eisner's plans to bring in the teens to Disneyland added such significant attractions as Star Tours, Splash Mountain, and the edgy for Walt's park, Videopolis. What to do for Florida?

At Walt Disney World, the story was different. The Magic Kingdom would get its hand slapped by guests when the Imagineers did add the truly scary/fun Alien Encounter. Over at Epcot, the park wasn't focusing on the teens at the time, instead placing its emphasis on the adult oriented Food and Wine Festival and their version of the spring gardens shows found all over the country.

This left Disney-MGM Studios, so Rock N Rollercoaster starring Aerosmith shoved its way into Sunset Blvd. with a building so out of theme but an attraction that kept the teenagers walking this way through the queue. The stretch limo ride is an incredible race through the streets of Hollywood at night. All said, this is a do-not-miss attraction, one that feels as fresh today as when it first opened.
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)