Yesterday: The Beatles Invasion- 50 Years

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Beatles invasion, here are just a few of my favorite tunes by the group that changed musical history:

• "I Saw Here Standing There"- I grew up on Motown, so unbelievably, I did not know the Beatles music as theirs until after 1970. This song, among the first I'd heard with knowledge, stands out for its playful, youthful vibe- the power of boy sees girl. And isn't that the fun part of Rock and Roll?
• "Day Tripper" - The opening notes are instantly recognizable, the melody sinks into your brain and never leaves. 
• "The Long and Winding Road" - Sentimental and symphonic, the pure emotion of the piece overwhelms me at times. If there was any doubt Paul McCartney and John Lennon would be legends, this puts the argument to rest.
• "Back in the USSR" - I just love to listen to this as I run! With its lyrical tongue in cheek tribute to the Beach Boys, the song is just Fun, Fun, Fun.
• "Yesterday" - no explanation needed, is there?

Herb Ryman's Liberty Square or Was It Liberty Street Disneyland?

 Yesterday, I shared a piece of concept art for Liberty Square in Florida's Magic Kingdom, a few thoughts on the attractions, shops, and dining options to be found. In 1975, it was the land I instantly wanted more of. Little did I know back then that the inspiration for the place came from ideas Walt Disney himself had for a similarly themed avenue at Disneyland in California. Or was it to be a full-fledged land in the Anaheim park? Keep reading...

Here's a piece of concept art I had never seen before... and I do not remember where this came from, so please forgive me for not giving credit where it is due. I'll take a guess that the Imagineer responsible for this art is none other than the legendary Herb Ryman (whose rather unseen work appears paragraphs below). The layout of the proposed addition is quite different than what was finally built years later in an entirely new theme park. I'm sure the attention to detail would be found, but keeping the design linear by necessity would create an entirely different experience. Contrast this piece seen above to the classic art of the Florida entrance below:

Of course, color aside, this piece creates an area a bit more expansive and inviting. Note George Washington never made an appearance at the bridge entrance, and sadly, the boats that once traveled under the bridges (Plaza Swan Boats), no longer do. The missing slice of kinetic energy creates an odd stillness to the area- something that a Magic Kingdom park should never have. In contrast, Imagineer Tony Baxter and team understood the impact and importance of movement in drawing crowds. At Disneyland Paris, most every land comes equipped with its own "weenie" to draw guests in.

Back to Herb Ryman. This piece above is labeled "Liberty Square Waterfront" and is dated 1964, the year Walt starting gobbling up land in the swamps of Florida. Could it be that artwork design on an East Coast kingdom really was in full swing by then? Or was Walt going to use a parcel of Disneyland shoreline to add a taste of Colonial America to his beloved park? 

It would have been a kick to find another elegantly executed, historically based, land at the bend from Frontierland. Certainly the Sailing Ship Columbia could have had its dock moved and then the Mark Twain could have found itself properly placed in New Orleans Square. Lest you think that to be a logistical nightmare, let me say- both ships are rarely run concurrently.

Perhaps both Liberty Square and New Orleans Square point to the reason I find Epcot's World Showcase so appealing. The detailed environments and attractions found within encourage exploration and the discovery of culture and history. It's something lost on many guests to the Magic Kingdom styled parks today as they rush from attraction to character meet and greets and back.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Pursuit of Liberty (Square, That Is!)

Just as Disneyland's New Orleans Square stands as its crown jewel, it is Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom that is set apart as an achievement in taking guests to another place and time. During my first visit in 1975, I was taken aback by the "sense of place" which created the warmth and charm in this area. Little details were to be found just about everywhere I glanced. With great attractions in a spectacular setting, period appropriate merchandise, and a strong sense of patriotism in all that is good in a Young America, this land is a winner. 

Over the years, much of both has changed, but the Hall of Presidents continues to stir me. The Liberty Tree Tavern and the Columbia Harbour House are among my first choices when I want to dine in the Kingdom. Lastly, but certainly not least, I find the creep factor of the Haunted Mansion to be superior than the California mansion due to the choice of design and it's location high above it all. Loving our heritage, Liberty Square is the one area of the park that I wish were expanded with new attractions, streets to explore, and discoveries to be found.

Could there have been a Liberty Square in Disneyland? Come back tomorrow to see some evidence...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Bill Nye vs. Ken Ham

The Bill Nye / Ken Ham debate over evolution vs. creation was interesting, and I found this depiction of each world view very well articulated but pretty incomplete from a graphic standpoint. (Starting from the bottom going up.) Of course, people have a wide variety of views on both sides of the fence. From a Christian perspective, Ken's point about it ultimately being an issue of authority comes into play. By that thought, the chart doesn't address it and the idea of Jesus being sacrificed for our sin, that all who turn to Him will be saved from Hell vs the humanistic thought it is not even necessary. But nonetheless, a great graphic depiction of some of the major differences.

Gone Too Soon

Gone way too soon. Your fans all over the world still miss you, Karen Carpenter. Thank you for your music.

Captain America on His Way!

As one of my favorite comic heroes, I cannot wait to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  I love his heart to do what's right in the face of evil. Chris Evans brings an inner strength to the role,  making him an equally effective Marvel hero to Robert Downey Jr.'s sarcastic, witty, and talented Iron Man. Speaking of Iron Man, I'm ready for another Avengers as well. Bring on the summer flicks and the popcorn!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company / Marvel)

Ratatouille the Ride Logo

In the Disney world, it sometimes pays to check out the foreign based websites! Thanks to the Dedicated to Disneyland Paris website, we now have a look at the logo for the Ratatouille attraction for Disney Studios Paris. It's coming this Summer, and they say late June. Of course, there will be some soft openings, I'm sure. Hopefully this attraction is a huge hit- the poor little part needs it!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Super Bowl Heroes

Yesterday was not a glorious day for us in Denver and definitely not for the Broncos. But whether you rooted for Denver or Seattle, you've just have to check this out!

Celebrating the Lunar New Year with the Disney Geek

The Lunar New Year celebration at Disney California Adventure concludes this weekend, so there is not much of a chance I'll get to see it. Maybe you won't either, but a look at the dozens of photos from the Disney Geek should help ease the pain.  The way the newest West Coast park celebrates the various cultures of California makes me think of Epcot and World Showcase. I'd like to see them bring back the California Food & Wine Festival. Wouldn't you?

(Photograph copyright DisneyGeek.com)

The Lure of the Coast

While its cold and snowy here in Colorado, things probably look pretty good in California right now. One of our latest trips out west brought some incredible opportunities to relax on the beach and grab a few handfuls of iconic photos. This lifeguard shack down towards Capistrano hits the spot today. The retro number sign, clear blue sky and water, and empty sand seems like just the thing to make me dream of my next trip home. 

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

All the World's a Stage

Everyone is watching. Right now in the theme park world, everyone is looking to see how the infusion of Harry Potter into Universal Studios Florida will impact the industry. First, Harry's Forbidden Journey created waves of cash and guests when it debuted at Islands of Adventure. The sales of Butterbeer and specialized wands created another flurry of income. 

The next wave of impact comes to Universal Studios Summer of 2014 when the Escape from Gringott's attraction is opened and the two parks are linked in one savvy, game-changing move. It's a win for theme park guests, even if it comes at increased prices for park tickets. 

Visitors are watching, and so is Disney. They are watching their primary competition move in to what was once their domain. They're watching New Fantasyland not be the impact maker they hoped. On the positive side, the suits are watching as plans for Pandora / Avatarland at Animal Kingdom are finally being turned into reality. But they are also watching Epcot rot one piece at a time as are the fans who so dearly love the place.

Will Walt Disney World ever return to the place of delight and wonder it once was? Who knows? But we're watching.

(Photograph by Mark Taft.)

Discovering an X-Rated Disney World

Yesterday, much to my dismay, I discovered one of my favorite Disney sites had been hacked. In the place of the family friendly welcome page was a very large piece of not-your-garden-variety Playboy centerfold porn. Very, very sad. What kind of sick person would do this, exposing others- including children- to these kinds of images? In my opinion, it is the parent's responsibility to teach their children about sexuality, and no one else's. Be that letting their kids learn about sexuality from proper authorities at school, at their place of worship, or at home. But on the web? Really? Pure evil.

Further, it is not the job of television or films, Disney or otherwise, to do it either. Yet, again, the news broadcasts have generally become places where news is interpreted as its being reported- another sign of responsibility being bent.

Musical Meringues: Crystal Gayle, Donny & Marie, Diana Ross

Fluffy, light, delicious, and impossible to partake just one. Everyone once in awhile, you just have to indulge! On my i-pod this week, a few bites of musical sugar went down so smoothly while I ran on the treadmill. Just to review a few:

Crystal Gayle, "Cry"- The country songstress sister of Loretta Lynn first hit the pop charts big with "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue". It only gave the slightest hint to what she could do, but it did win her many pop fans who would not have found her on country radio. I didn't buy every release, but when I did, I was rarely disappointed. Her stinging ballad "Cry" had it all- diva vocals pulled off effortlessly, a piercing arrangement, and very personalized lyrics by Keith Stegall and Dan Hill. So much fun!

Donny & Marie, "Deep Purple"- In the 70's, it was a pretty common pattern for the duo of Donny and Marie Osmond to record remakes of 60's pop songs. Taking on a popular recording of Nino Tempo and April Stevens, their rendition is faithful to the original and totally irresistible. Pop perfection.

Diana Ross, "The Boss" - Although this 1979 release was followed up by the better selling Nile Rogers' production, I've always found this title single much more fun than "Upside Down" and the singles from the latter disc. Diana is a modern legend, part of one of the most powerful girl groups ever.  When she moved on, she then assured her place in music history by an almost equally successful solo career. 

With pop fun such as this, my hour on the treadmill went by quickly. I had so much fun sharing about these ones, I'll just have to share some more musical meringues in future posts.

Newbies to Orlando Choose Universal

A family of four that are friends of mine (father, mother, daughter 20, son 17), departed for a first time trip to Orlando a few weeks ago. They have five days total for the parks. Their choices? We'll see. I'm guessing the Boy Wizard mixes things up.

So, it's now been a week after their return, and what did they have to say? After one day at the beach, here's a review of their time by the 17 year old:

Next day we went to Universal which was a lot of fun. We only went to the main park and all really enjoyed the transformers ride and the roller coaster in the park. Some of the stuff felt a little dated however like the Twister ride. The next day it was too cold to do anything outdoors so we went to a mall and shopped all day. Then, the last day was Disney and we started out at Epcot. From a vacation standpoint, it felt a little less enjoyable than a normal amusement park but, from an educational standpoint I think it would be an awesome place to take your kids to learn about culture. The only thing we all really enjoyed there was the Soarin' ride. Then we only had enough time to head over to magic kingdom and the only major ride we rode there was space mountain. The experience of being in the area made you feel like a little kid but, it was a bummer that the lines were so long. I think I would of enjoyed the park more if we had an extra day to explore and it was a little less crowded but, overall it was a great trip!

Interesting, isn't it? If you read between the lines, when choosing a park, Transformers at Universal Studios outranked Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey at  Islands of Adventure. Parts of the Studios park seem "dated". Over at Disney, Epcot and Magic Kingdom were half day parks. Soarin' and Space Mountain, respectively, were the only attractions popular with the family. Epcot was "less enjoyable than a normal amusement park". There was no mention of much else at Disney. What I found most interesting of all was the fact this family had scheduled 5 days for visits to the parks and only ended up going two total.

Met Mom for coffee, and her take was somewhat different: She wished they had more time to explore the Magic Kingdom and Epcot... she loved Soarin' but she was disappointed in Epcot in contrast to her visit there 25 years ago. 

All said, perhaps the battle for the dollar still rages. At least from one family's perspective.

Carpenters Naked Truth

Even as they were on their way to becoming the largest selling act on A&M Records, it was generally understood that the label didn't have a clear idea of how to successfully market Richard and Karen Carpenter. Much to label head and musician Herb Alpert's delight, the music did it for them. The runaway success of their  recent 1970 album, which included hits Burt Bacharach's epic (They Long to Be) Close to You and Paul Williams' beautiful We've Only Just Begun, guaranteed another collection would soon follow. 

The duo's next release Carpenters, also known as the Tan album, was an instant smash. How could it now be when it included radio successes Superstar, Rainy Days and Mondays, For All We Know and fan favorite Let Me Be the One? Karen sounded incredible on every cut, and Richard's work shone brightly.

Even if some inside A&M were embarrassed by having the uncool Carpenters as part of their family, they had to work with Karen and Richard, acknowledging their success since the cash they made the label continued to roll in. 

The image above comes from a trade ad that poked a bit of fun at the duo's image. Whether it was meant in good humor or whether it was a jab at their image, it was a pretty unique piece of marketing magic. "A&M execs stand by their artists", I believe was another tag line. In the image, it is one time Carpenters producer Jack Daugherty who is fully clothed standing behind their Tan album.

The debate about the musical genius from a production standpoint was eventually settled. It was Richard, not Jack, doing the arrangements and working with the musicians. Starting with the classic album Now & Then, Richard would get the production credit he long deserved. The naked truth eventually came out that Jack just booked the studio and session players. So, even though he looks fully dressed, the Emperor really had no clothes.

(Image copyright A&M Records.)