There Goes the Sun...

Confirmed by the Orange County Register, the sunny face on the Sun Wheel at California Adventure will be a thing of the past. Soon to be replaced by Mickey's face and renamed Mickey's Fun Wheel. We knew this was coming, but let the work begin and the changes continue...

(Photo by Sonya Smith at The Orange County Register.)

Hopeful

Not a very popular or fun topic, but AIDS/HIV affects many people that we love. It doesn't matter who you are or how you choose to live, it is almost impossible to look around at suffering folks and not care. Care Link is a wonderful agency in the Metro Denver area that serves folks in practical ways. And they are a great group of people to boot! Mike Tucker, who leads Care Link is a wonderful man with a great story. Read more here. Whatever you do, take time to think about how you can make your world a better place. Helping someone else really helps all of us.

(Come back Monday for a detailed look in photo and text at Disney's Vacation Club on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We just came back and were surprised by what we discovered.)

Taste of Wales

Here's a fun little travelogue photo. Cardiff, Wales is a great place for a visit if you're headed over to the United Kingdom. It's the capital city right on the water, and it has the distinction of being very sophisticated, with a nautical feeling and a very Old World ambience all at once. The people are very friendly, the food is decent, and the sights worth a look. Had the pleasure one night of going out with one of our friends to a coffee house named "A Shot in the Dark". It was open late, much like pub hours, and had a theme of sorts being about mystery novels. A great after dark hangout.

Cardiff is a terrific city for walking. You'll hit signs like the one above all around town. The government is encouraging its citizens to once again learn and use the Welsh language. As you can see by the sign, its quite a puzzle!

Disney and More Rocks It Again!

One of the best pieces on the legendary and unbuilt Western River Expedition attraction is now on the Disney and More blog. As always, Alain Littaye does a terrific job of taking us behind the scenes with great stories and yes, amazing concept art. Check it out. 

(Concept art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Webcot View of the Disney Worlds

Here's a great find if you need a fix of rarely seen Disney concept art and great photographs. In depth articles too, if you can read French. Check out Webcot. Amazing site- just wish it was updated more often! You will, too, once you see it!

Kodak Moment: Portrait in Red

Then a boy, now a man. Happy 18th Birthday! Love, Dad.

EPCOT's Information Fountain

There was one indoor fountain at EPCOT Center on opening day, and here is a concept of it from the pre-opening book given corporate sponsors. It was a great piece of art. Very fun to watch and a nice addition to Communicore.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rocky Mountain High 2

John Denver had it right. It is very easy to get high in Colorado! We took a short family vacation about one hour south of Denver, visiting many places we have taken for granted over the years.

The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is one of the most unique and best themed zoos I have ever seen. Set in the mountainside of the Rockies in Colorado Springs, it is easy to get happily lost in the numerous paths that wind around the open air animal exhibits. The giraffe area (below) is almost Disney quality in its execution- including elevated viewing areas and a very up close and personal petting and feeding patio.

Of course, the alligators were an unexpected find at about 6200 ft. above sea level!


At the base of the zoo, a chair lift takes you to the top of the mountain and back down for some spectacular views, including the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel, built in an elegant 1920s style. The Spanish style resort buildings are gorgeous up close but still very impressive from a distance.

The last shot is of the Seven Falls. It is quite a hike up to the top, but the payoff is being in the midst of a lush forest next to the falls. If you look at the top of the photo, you can see one of the suspended bridges.


This is only a small glimpse at what can be found in "The Springs". There are Indian cliff dwellings, the Cave of the Winds, the breathtaking The Garden of the Gods- a red rock paradise with climbing and hiking, and the wonderful Flying W Ranch- picture a dat at an authentic old school Knotts Berry Farm western town and ending with an evening outdoor BBQ dinner with live music under the stars. It's always nice when a real vacation from home can be just an hour away!

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)

Ticked Off

Ever been so mad it feels as if your head is going to explode? I have been there way too many times, unfortunately. Getting much, much better over the years, but every once in awhile- boom!

The whole "Be angry but do not sin" scripture from the New Testament really gets to me. How can I do that? Get angry legimately and not let it take me places I don't want to go. A puzzle. We were discussing this issue with some good friends the other night. One of them said she thought God created anger as part of our palette of emotions. That got me thinking.

Anger is a good tool for telling us when our personal boundaries are crossed. It also functions like an alert system, pointing us to areas of our life that still need to be worked on. Actually, anger can even reveal deep pain in us from situations past and present that we still need healing from.

It is very unfortunate that there are so few models in the television and movie representations of it. Usually, a villain gets angry and does something evil. Or a hero gets angry and avenges the world. I guess I'd like to see someone get really ticked off- then stop and reflect what would be the best thing to so with it from there. Would certainly set a good model for behavior under hard circumstances- and maybe even reduce violence in our world. Maybe even cause me to stop and try to reflect on God's heart in a difficult situation- you know, in that instant when we have to decide how to handle ourselves. Just imagine the times I wouldn't have to apologize for the things I've said and done in anger.

Move Over, Elton John

Wanna hear the definitive version of "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" Well, have a listen to the amazing version by Elliott Yamin. Yes, Elton gets props for writing a good song, but Elliott elevates this to a new level. Epic.

Bella: Unexpected and Powerful

My wife brought home this little movie the other night, and it sat on our dresser for a few days. Finally popped it in last night- and what a whollop this little flick makes! Great movie. Very moving performances by a cast I had never heard of, produced and directed by names that were new for me.

Tammy Blanchard plays a woman in despair who is befriended by a chef in the restaurant in which she works. The story revolves around these two characters and how their growing friendship impacts and heals the wounds of their pasts. Looking for a film that will touch your heart? Bella is it- and it is the kind of film Disney should be making for mature audiences.

The Original EPCOT Still Fascinates

Just a great website find today. Follow this link to the Original Epcot site. Kudos to the webmaster for the most detailed documentation of Walt's intentions for EPCOT yet. Added bonus is the amount of concept art, many pieces I had not seen in the past. Go check it out. 

(Artwork copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

A Hoax and a Hope at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Let me state up front that the "concept art" above is (poorly) photoshopped by me. But let's pretend for a moment...

Rumors abound in what Disney will do in Florida in response to the emerging world of Harry Potter. These include a revamped and amazing Journey into Imagination at Epcot, Monsters Inc coaster for Disney's Hollywood Studios, and a Little Mermaid attraction for the Magic Kingdom. All bound for Florida by 2011 or 2012 depending on your web sources. Why nothing for Animal Kingdom? Disney loves to market with a "something new at every park approach".

If Beastly Kingdom is truly dead, what about importing the premier and centerpiece attraction from Tokyo DisneySea- Journey to the Center of the Earth? A detailed attraction with a popular and thrillingly used ride system. Oh yeah, comes complete with a show building of instant recognition and it is inhabited by a fantasy-inspired Lava monster. Makes for a pretty enticing first impression walking into the park. (By the way, below is the original artwork that I used. It is for an alternative impression of the Tree of Life.)

So, check out the "art" in larger form and see what DAK's skyline could look like. Here's hoping! 

(And come back Monday for some real concept art- an Epcot you've probably never seen before. Original artwork copyright the Walt Disney Company.)

Hanna-Barbera Mystery Book

Would you help me out today? Friends of ours own this mystery book from Hanna-Barbera. Her father was in accounting with HB in the 60s, and this book was given to her as a gift a few years before he passed away. The cover is shown above, the introduction page is inside. No table of contents. It has no year or publishing information.

The text and gazillions of character images cover television productions into the early 1970's. Our guess is it was an employee only issue, a thank you celebrating a major anniversary of the studio. Anyone have any ideas? You can be a hero... Thanks!

Real Music

Tired of music with no guts and no soul? Want to listen to someone sing with a man's voice and not a whiny falsetto? Pick up any disc by Jeremy Camp and get ready to enjoy yourself. Real guitar, real drums, real music. Lots to choose from, but the album Carried Me and its amazing song Beautiful One would be a great place to start.