Does Tokyo Disneyland's Cinderella's Fairy Tale Hall Show New Interactivity Options?

Read the official announcement for this Tokyo Disneyland Attraction. Can we see more interactivity options such as this coming to the American parks?---------------
(October 15, 2010) Tokyo Disneyland® Park announced its decision to open a new attraction titled Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall. This will be a walkthrough-type attraction located inside Cinderella Castle. Guests can wander through gorgeous rooms that bring to life the world of the Disney classic film Cinderella and view paintings, diorama, and other artworks that follow the story of the beloved princess. This new attraction, where guests of all ages can immerse themselves in the world of Cinderella’s fairy tale fantasy, is scheduled to open on April 15, 2011.

Cinderella’s Fairy Tale Hall is located in the castle where Cinderella lives with Prince Charming. Cinderella, wanting to share her magical princess story, decided to open up the castle even during her absence and exhibit various artworks that show scenes from her story.

At the lobby and corridor, guests will find eight murals showing how Cinderella changed from beloved daughter, to servant girl, and then to Princess. They will also see a diorama of Cinderella magically transformed into wearing a beautiful ball gown, and other artworks made from various materials such as paper, wood and glass. In the Grand Hall guests will find a magnificent chandelier, the renowned glass slipper, a throne, and special paintings that reveal a magical message when photographed using a flash.

Attraction Outline

•Location: Inside Cinderella Castle in Fantasyland
•Attraction type: Walkthrough
•Total capital invested: Approximately 2 billion yen
Note: With the addition of this facility, there will be a total of 44 attractions, Disney character greeting facilities and entertainment facilities at Tokyo Disneyland Park (breakdown: 40 attractions, 1 greeting facility, 3 entertainment facilities).

Three Old Friends

Time passes by so quickly, doesn't it?

Friendship is a gift from God, and a very good friend is a reflection of His heart towards us. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for being so caring and so generous!

New Art of Hong Kong Disneyland's Adventureland

From Imagineer John Horny, comes this piece of concept art for Adventureland at Hong Kong Disneyland. Isn't it beautiful?

There is a clear nod to the culture with the inclusion of the Chinese Junk and other smaller elements, yet still some very traditional when compared to other Adventurelands found in the parks. Click on it for a full size view.

Just a shame Disney opted out of the eleborate Pirates of the Caribbean themed area! I would have wanted to travel to the park just to see that, as it is my favorite Disney attraction.

You can see more of John's work here.

(Art copyright John Horny and the Walt Disney Company.)

No Accident

Ever wonder why some things happen and some things don't?

My brother in law and his daughter were in a very serious accident a few days ago. She was driving, and they were hit by a driver running through a red light at full speed. Not being the first car to move ahead when the light turned green, she didn't expect what happened next.

T boned at full speed, he immediately passed out due to losing so much blood. Medics airlifted him out after they cut him out of the car. My niece freaked, thinking her dad was dead. She immediately called her Mom who was 1500 miles away, screaming on the phone. Since my niece was ultimately only bruised in several places, medics drove her by ambulance to the hospital an hour away.

Shattered nose and sinus cavities, broken bones in his face at several spots, and a fractured hip, my brother in law should have been much worse off than he was. He'll be in a walker for a couple of months, but by all accounts from the police, medics, and doctors, he should have been dead. My niece would have died had she been in the passenger side instead of him. Her body wouldn't have been strong enough to endure the impact.

Why were they spared and others are not? I don't know, but I am thankful. Only God knows why- but this I do know: God chooses to allow what He does to ultimately draw others to Him, displaying his love, and having things happen for his eternal purposes. Nothing is by accident.

For My Records

Not to sound harsh or nasty- I've had enough of those types and don't want to be one- but sometimes, I post for me. And honestly, this is one of those times! I find this brand new attraction poster for California Adventure's Silly Symphony Swings very appealing. Had to keep a copy on file. This poster should add a nice touch of class to the Paradise Pier area. Can't wait to see what the Imagineers or the talented Greg Maletic (!) have cooked up for Ariel!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Disneyland's Plectus Intergalactic Revue- Concept Art!

Back on my Tomorrowland kick...

Maybe one day after all the changes to California Adventure are complete, Disneyland's Tomorrowland will get something as cool as this-

I took this photo in 1990 of concept art for a new use of the Carousel Theater at Disneyland. I believe the name was to be Plectu's Intergalactic Revue. This was back in the day before characters invaded, when aliens from other planets came and staked territory first. The friendlier ones were to put on this show, and an angrier alien was to make his appearance at the West Coast version of the great Alien Encounter. Plans change, ideas change, and this concept art was eventually removed from the public eye. The building would have looked great- and I left the enlarged image quite big so that the details can be seen.

A call out to Mr. Tony Baxter and those with a passion for being visionary: Please tell all us "Walt's park" geeks that a wonderful makeover of the Land of the Future is not in the too distant one!

(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Unplugged

What is it with self-indulgent, entitled, and rude people lately?

OK, I'll admit it- I'm a little ticked. Today, I'm sitting at my favorite cafe, plugged into the wall, checking email and blogging. Sounds like a relaxing way to spend a morning off. The coffee's sure good. Music, too.

Fast forward a half hour later. Some dude about 70 or so, comes to sit at a table by me, and he bends over to plug in his laptop. No problem, right? Except he decides he needs two outlets- and promptly unplugs mine to put his in! (And I'm only mentioning his age because I do not want my readers to think I only see many preteens as entitled and rude!)

Is this what we have become? Really?

Jesus and Oral Sex

How is that for a catchy title? Have your attention?

Unfortunately, there is some artwork in a Loveland, Colorado museum seemingly depicting The Creator of the Universe receiving oral sex by a man. (Sorry, no photo for this post!)

I'm all for freedom of expression, but this crosses the line. What about kindness and sensitivity to others and true diversity? If nothing else, if this is in fact true, it is a hateful thing to do, intending to offend even if providing social commentary. Same holds true for those idiots who broadcast that poor young man in sexual acts, causing him to commit suicide. There are no boundaries anymore, I guess.

May God forgive the artist for this lack of good judgment and the city of Loveland for even allowing this to be shown. I forgot, He already did by dying for their sins regardless of what they are- these folks just have to ask for it.

New Attractions for Disneyland

Here's a great little piece of advertising/concept art. As most of us long term Disney geeks know (even those of us not of the D23 variety), Walt Disney and his Imagineers "put the pedal to the metal" when it came to expanding the Anaheim park.

In 1959, Disneyland debuted the Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Submarine Voyage, the Motor Boat Cruise, the Autopia, and a little non-attraction billed as one, the Alpine Gardens. A pretty terrific expansion! But I have to say, this sort of takes the bite out of Disney advertising non-attractions- like those gardens- as the real item. I mean, wow, they were doing it back in Walt's day, too!
(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Rod Stewart: 5th Time is the Charm

Well, we shall see. On October 19, Rod Stewart will release his fifth album of standards from the Great American Songbook series. Naturally, there are some great songs: Fly Me to the Moon and I've Got the World on a String among others. But is this really necessary?

Blue Sky Disney?

(With both apologies and thanks to Blue Sky Disney's Honor Hunter...)

It does, in fact, seem as if the skies are blue over the Walt Disney Company these days!

The buzz on World of Color is having a great impact on attendance at Disney California Adventure. Seems guests are very pleased with what they see. For the first time at the Disneyland Resort, the nighttime show Fantasmic! is having some competition. Although the Disney suits are hesitant to say so, seems more guests are translating into more evening dining in the park. Maybe even an increase in purchasing at the shops.


Regardless, folks are staying longer in the park, and there is no way they cannot notice all the change and construction going on. For better or for worse regarding the new design choices and direction for this place, this little sister of a park could become a more serious contender for Disneyland's dollar once Ariel's Undersea Adventure opens along with Cars Land's Radiator Springs Racers. A newly constructed Buena Vista Street only adds to the atmosphere as does the revamped Paradise Pier.

In Florida, Walt Disney World continues to pull in the crowds as it is more of a vacation destination than the west coast resort. Eventually, the suits will have to approve some additional attractions for the third and fourth gates, as both Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney's Animal Kingdom remain substantially less satisfying an experience. The new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom will be a pull, but will take away more guests from the aforementioned parks versus increasing their attendance. And we all know increased attendance means increased spending for Walt Disney World's captive audience.

I won't address the overseas parks here and now, but we can pretty much be assured the Tokyo Disney Resort will remain profitable while Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Paris continue to bleed, with Shanghai Disneyland remaining a mystery until plans are unveiled.

These blue skies continue for fans in the realm of film. Pirates of the Caribbean 4 is on the horizon, and Johnny Depp certainly draws a crowd. Closer to today's date, the newest animated film, Tangled, (hate the title!) is generating good word of mouth. Hopefully, the film will be better than its advertising and usher in the next wave of feature animation greatness. The one Princess and the Frog almost delivered. It was a very good movie, but for some reason, crowds stayed fairly disinterested.

ESPN remains a successful brand for the Company. Perhaps ABC Television shows will muster some ratings clout. Results for daytime shows seem much stronger than the evening fare, although Castle is great fun. Yet this season of Grey's Anatomy once again lost me as a viewer as did the now horrible Private Practice. Seems creator Shonda Rhimes cannot leave a good thing alone. The first season's characters and storylines of both shows were much stronger and far more appealing than what we see now. (Kevin McKidd's terrific Owen Hunt aside. And why has the gifted Kate Walsh seen her character morph into this insecure, "gotta have a man" no longer alpha female? Makes her amazing and powerful entrance at the end of Season One Grey's seem like two different women.)

Consumer Products? Well, let's just say with the Christmas holidays coming up, I am sure Disney has some tricks up their sleeve- even if it isn't the "fabulous" overhaul of the Disney Stores that I hoped for!Just more cheap plastic and plush... so, I guess it is not Blue Sky Disney everywhere.

If it is blue skies now, will it stay that way? It certainly will be interesting to see the state of our favorite company a year from now. Will Disney delight us or disappoint? Should delight be the end result, we will certainly and happily give them our hard earned cash.

Should we be disappointed, well, Robert Iger will need to lead the company into trying a bit harder. Remember, even Walt Disney himself had some cloudy days in between all his creative and financial success. Anything is possible but the sky's the limit!

State of the Walt Disney Company

What is the current state of the Walt Disney Company? What lies ahead for Disneyland and Walt Disney World? Will California Adventure's $1 billion Pixar focused remake bring in the guests? How do things look in the television and movie portion of the kingdom? Are there blue or dark skies ahead? Come back tomorrow for one man's opinion.

Male Ambiguity 2

Although last week's humorous post on Male Ambiguity pointed to something really funny about us men, the truth is there are many reasons for us to be confused about what it means to be a man. And that is no laughing matter! Most men, me included, spend a good amount of time trying to discover just what it means to be male in our world, and with that, why it seems so important to us to make an impact while we are here on earth.

Why does this process take longer than it should? Let me throw out a few thoughts for your consideration:

We are robbed by valid images of manhood and the transition to manhood by absentee man and unavailable fathers. Here's some examples- Abusive or silent or emotionally detached dads, broken homes caused by divorce or single mother homes, men consumed by career, etc. All these contribute to young boys being left to fend for themselves as they mature.

There is also a deterioration of extended family. In many cultures, extended family by necessity must live together. Or they live or work close by. In the United States, we are a much more mobile society, one where it is common to move to support a career change or advancement. It's probably now less common to stay rooted in one place! Therefore, there is a lack of real relationships with uncles, grandfathers, older brothers and other men to build networks of friendship and support.

Even under the best circumstances, we men also have to deal with unhealthy and unrealistic views of what constitutes a man! Distorted ideas of "real men" from the media (in both Reel and in Real life) leave us in a state of confusion. It seems the media presents only three acceptable scenarios for us to model ourselves after when in fact, there is much diversity in our roles and function and personality from a Biblical standpoint.

The media scenarios seem to be found in Option One- nontraditional families: gang life, prison life, or teen family “groupings” where mature adult men are not present. Option Two is the "Bumbling Dad". This one has been around for awhile. From Ozzie Nelson is the 1960s on to the terrific Tim Allen (the voice of Buzz Lightyear) as the well meaning father of “Home Improvement", men are presented as absorbed by sports and cars and alcohol, oblivious to other aspects of life. Currently, the American television show "Two and a Half Men" with Charlie Sheen throws in a curve: a trio of men from one family bond together as they try to figure out life without women.

Lastly, Option Three is the Superstar Man. The media and the public love these athletes, rock stars, and movie and reality television stars. Their exploits have become fodder for watercooler discussion and sell many newspapers and magazines, but unfortunately they are for the most part, poor role models for the real world most of us inhabit.

All said, absentee men and media misrepresentation of what constitutes a man makes things tough. It gets worse. The process is complicated even more by our lack of cultural traditions- ie. Ceremony and Task Completion. This leaves young men in an entirely different place than our ancestors of old. Could this be why gang initiation powerfully draws our young men?

Let me toss you a few questions to consider:
• When Did You Realize You Were A Man?
• What Steps Seemed Most Significant in your Quest for Manhood?
• And maybe most importantly, Who Told You That You Were A Man?

Ponder the answers to these questions and watch for additional posts on this subject matter. For the sake of your future and for those of you with children, for their sake, let's together consider who we are and where we are headed. We will impact our world. The question is "How will we impact our world?"

Sleepless Night

It's not that I wonder where you are, Lord Jesus, it is more I wonder where I am. You are always so faithful and so gentle with me in my darkest moments. Even though I easily find you in my sunny days as a sit and ponder your goodness to this man who falls so short so often, it is harder to find me in the dark still night, wide awake when I should be sleeping. Please find me in You; that I would please you and honor you with my life. For you are the only One worthy and the One who loves and the One who will judge us all one day.

Disney's Real California Adventure: The Challenge and The Reputation at Stake

Note: With a slightly tweaked introduction, seems to me the challenge for the Walt Disney Company is the same today as it was two and a half years ago when I first wrote this post. What do you think?
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Things are looking real fine at Paradise Pier at California Adventure. Thanks to on line photo updates, this landlocked man gets a glimpse every few days of how the construction on The Little Mermaid is progressing. Carsland, too- and even now, Buena Vista Street.

For the Walt Disney Company, I believe the real California Adventure involves much more than turning attendance around and upward at this theme park. There is alot more at risk- and much more to prove now.

Let's be honest- most of us Disney park fans were hoping for so much more than what we got in 2001. Some was good, even excellent, but a large portion of this park was mediocre at best. I will not rehash the details. Here's where things stand- the public at large has spoken, and Disney has acknowledged the challenge.

The Real California Adventure for Disney? This challenge:

1. Differentiate the Disneyland Resort as a unique experience from the other Disney resorts worldwide but especially Florida. Brand this resort as being worth our money and our time. Here in Denver, it is often cheaper to go to Florida than California. Convince us to make a trip to the West Coast.
2. Build a foundation for the future. Whether it is the anticipated Third Park, additional hotels, or more entertainment and activity options, plan for long term investment not just short term profits.
3. Show commitment to the original intent of the park. Drop adding any cloned attractions, think through the character additions, and continue adding fascinating and varied experiences which celebrate the great diversity of California as it is now and as Walt Disney found it decades ago. No one can duplicate the wonderful beaches and the breathtaking Yosemite area that God created, but attempt to make any additions as good as they can be when paying tribute to that which is man-made. Yes, bring in character based attractions where they fit. (I am looking forward to The Little Mermaid and Carsland- but please come up with a better name!) That is part of the Disney heritage and future. In the midst of that plan, however, continue to strive for the elegance of Epcot, the fun of Disney Studios, and the discoveries of Animal Kingdom. It can be done. Disney is the best at what it does when it remembers each park needs to be for all ages to enjoy. No one else comes close in standard setting theme park execution. No one.

Which leads us to the biggest Real Adventure and Challenge, point #4:
Regain the great Disney reputation that was lost. Show the world once more that you can wow us by telling great stories in wonderfully immersive environments and by using new technologies unavailable elewhere. Think about what Indiana Jones Adventure did for Disneyland and top it! Don't make us fly to Tokyo to be mesmerized. We will love you for it- and we'll pay for the chance to experience it for decades to come.

(By the way, the above image for a proposed look for California Adventure came from this site. There's a nice painting of Frontierland in Disneyland Paris, too. As always, all concept art is property of Disney.)