A Grand Californian Adventure: Part Two- DCA Reborn

Editor's note: My friend Len Yokoyama returns with part two of his California Disney Resort Trip report. In addition to being a great photographer and all around nice guy, did you know Len also is a huge comic book fan with his own comic book series? Anyway, onto his interesting take on Anaheim's second Disney park. Enjoy!
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I can't recall the exact year I first visited Disney California Adventure, but I do remember being vastly underwhelmed. There were hints of creative inspiration...the postcard motif at the entrance gate, the Golden Gate bride replica lit up at night, and of course, the debut of Soarin'. Other than those few bright spots, DCA struck me as a low budget Disney park, hastily slapped together with bits and pieces from whatever the company could cobble together. Comparing the layout and theming of both Disneyland and DCA, one could see the vast differences that put them apart at the farthest ends of the spectrum. Whereas Disneyland's layout guides you down Main Street, past the hub, and straight on to Sleeping Beauty Castle, DCA's entry path lead you to Sunshine Plaza who's reigning carrot was a sun icon above a rather plain looking fountain. The whole thing felt and looked like a visual dead end. You could imagine then CEO Michael Eisner telling his Imagineers to just slap something in that space...the visitors won't care, they'll still come in droves. Well, the visitors did care, and they did come in droves...to Disneyland! Our vacation strategy was to run over to DCA for a relaxing lunch and then head back to DL for some real park fun. The second gate ended up being a rest stop for us, albeit one with an expensive entry fee. My biggest disappointment, however, was that it wasn't Disneysea. Now I know if that particular park had been built, it’s would’ve been in Long Beach, but the thought of having a park resembling the Tokyo version always makes me a bit melancholy. 

Flash forward a few years later with park in full renovation mode thanks to a generous 1.1 billion dollar budget signed off by new CEO Bob Iger. Gone are the large letters spelling out C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A replaced by an art deco style entrance that immediately sets the stage for the classy upgrades. Replaced too are the large postcard tiles and homogenous mix of stores and eateries. Paying tribute to the California that existed when Walt arrived on the west coast, the strong theming and overall composition immediately transports one back in time to an era of fun, whimsy, and style! 

Although I often bypass Disney entertainers in order to rush to a popular attraction, I find myself stopping dead in my tracks to enjoy the live performances on Buena Vista Street. The current group, Five and Dime Swing Band (a talented quintet of jazz performers and a lead vocal singer) belt out a number of catchy, danceable tunes that harkens back to the past. The group loves playing to the audience, pulling them into the show as active participants. 

Also in this area, you’ll find a lot of cast members dressed up in 1920’s attire such as a photog or police officer. The one officer I ran into reminded me a lot of Ward Kimball (I think the round spectacles he was wearing had a lot to do with it) – one of Walt’s “Nine Old Men” from the golden age of animation. 

Wonderful food at the Carthay!

The centerpiece of Buena Vista, is of course, The Carthay Circle Restaurant. Standing tall and proud at the end of the street, the Imagineers did a magnificent job of replicating the original movie palace circa 1926. 

Beautiful!

On a moonlit night, after park closing, you can buy into this place existing in a time long since past. The restaurant inside is just as beautifully designed with strong attention to period detailing and style. The food and service are excellent (although not on par with Napa Rose), but it’s the atmosphere and overall environment that will stay with you long after your meal has been digested. 

Condor Flats- now in California Adventure's Yesterland.

I love the area known as Grizzly Peak! I could be happy with a whole park that is designed similar to this area. While I miss the now gone Condor Flats (love that name), the newly redesigned Grizzly Peak Airfield fits nicely as a transitional space between the Peak and Buena Vista Street. There's an open airy feel here that reminds me of Andy Griffith's Mayberry and its small town hominess. Soarin' Around the World is still the big draw here, and the newly updated ride means long, long lines. 

Truth in advertising.

Wet guests are a trademark of Grizzly River Run, but truth be told, I haven't rode it since I started lugging around my Nikon DSLR...lol! My good friend Eddison Esteban, an amazing photographer, gets some crazy cool shots as he's going down the rapids, but some men are just born with nerves of steel (mine are more like house grade aluminum). Taste Pilot's Grill has been replaced by Smokejumpers Grill...a really cool restaurant celebrating the legacy of those airborne firefighters of yore. Sue and I ate there for lunch and found the sandwiches (both a burger and chicken) quite ono (Hawaiian for delicious) with the french fries nice and hot! The downside was the crowds ... plenty of 'em, so finding seats was a challenge. We ended up in the dining area outside which I don't recommend due to the heat. But inside tables are very limited, so you have to make due. 

There were two special parties I attended at DCA, both on my first day at the park. The first was the Frozen Dessert Party. A $60.00 price tag gets you into a pre-show event with sweet treats, photo ops, and alcohol (wine, beer, and hard liquor). Since I don't drink, I gave my complimentary ticket to another guest to enjoy. I had a snow cone (similar to shave ice in Hawaii), which is a blend of fine crushed ice and sugary syrups. There were 5 or 6 dioramas where families could have their pictures taken against the backdrop of Arendelle and other assorted winter scenery. Olaf made an appearance to the delight of the children and the event was capped by a cool snowstorm in the middle of the room. Being the only adult, I didn't get much out of it other than the treats (which wasn't the reason why I signed up). Come show time, we were escorted to the Hyperion Theater for priority seating. Now, priority seating at some other events (looking at you Candlelight Processional) doesn't mean much, and can often be disadvantageous for photographers (sort of looking at you World of Color Dessert Party). But for Frozen Live! “priority” truly lived up to its billing as we were first to arrive and allowed to choose whatever seats we wanted! I choose front row...smack dab in the middle! 

Sisters, sisters.

Frozen Live! features great vocal talent, first rate scenery, and high production values. Does it surpass Aladdin for me? No, but that's because I don't have strong emotional attachments to the film (and that’s purely a subjective issue...I know it strikes a chord in many of the younger audiences). One thing that did bother me though out the play (and found it a major distraction) is the actress who plays Anna...looks much older than the one who plays Elsa! This really kept me from suspending disbelief and buying into the play's reality. I do want to clarify that Anna had a great voice, and she is very talented...but it would have worked better for me if Disney had casted a younger actress. 

Outstanding food choices all over the park- even if you pay extra for some.

The other hard ticket event I attended was another dessert party, this time for the World of Color. The first time I saw this show was during its premiere back in 2010. I watched it twice. The first with friends while I recorded the entire thing on my video camcorder (I dabbled a bit in videos, but eventually went back to still images. I found that I rarely, if ever, watched my recordings once I got home). I thought the show was pretty cool, if a little underwhelmed by the nearly non-existent narrative. 

The second time was with Sue strictly as a spectator (no cameras). As the show started, my wife turned to me and said, "This is so cool!" The colorful images and cascading waters popped up one after another...and another...and another. After about 10 minutes of this, Sue turned to me and asked "How long is this show?"…hahaha! I found myself getting a bit antsy around the 15 minute mark and was ready for it to end a good 5 minutes before the finale. Besides the lack of a narrative, WOC ends up being a bunch of images that have no connection other than being Disney produced. I liken this show to a summer blockbuster with lots of action and great special effects. Interesting for a bit, but no real story or characters to get me invested. So why did I even book this event you might be asking yourself? Pretty much to use my camera. Unfortunately, the area reserved for this party, while very nice, is not conducive to taking good photos. Guests are more off to the side of the show, directly behind a couple of huge speakers. While the photos are a total loss, I must say the desserts and service were excellent. Being alone, I was seated with this wonderful retired couple from Oregon. We started talking and I really enjoyed my time with them. So, I still give the event two thumbs up (but still don’t recommend it if photography is your main purpose)! 

A classic San Francisco lunch.

The Pacific Wharf area is another favorite area of mine at DCA (I seem to say this a lot about DCA in general). I love the variety of foods here, and I'll pretty much head there by default to have the Clam Chowder in a Sourdough Bowl at Boudin Bakery. The Mexican food at Cocina Cucamonga is also darn tasty and who can go wrong with a sundae or ice cream cone from Ghiradelli's? 

Better than before but still very weak.

Due to the short time I was allotted at both parks, there are still many areas I did not photograph or explore. For DCA, I barely glanced at Paradise Pier, but part of the reason being it’s my least favorite area. I understand how it fits into the period of California when carny games were popular, but it comes off as unimaginative and "low budget" to me. Mickey's Wheel is definitely the centerpiece of the pier, but even the ride itself is nothing you can't experience at a local state fair or carnival. And while I love Hollywood Studios in Florida, I don't spend a lot of time at the California version either. We did see the "Pete's Dragon" 4D preview at the Sunset Showcase Theater which was pretty cool. And the obligatory multiple rides on Tower of Terror is a must. If I had known that the end was coming for the ride's theme, I would have taken a bunch of pictures, but as it is, I only got a couple of the cast members. 

Webslingers!

I used to scoff at waiting to take pictures with Disney characters. That was before I got into photography, and now, I laugh at a mere one hour wait time! Make it a Marvel character, and I'm willing to camp out all night if necessary (okay, I'm getting carried away, but what do you expect from a comic book nerd?). 

Protecting America for all!

Captain America and Spider-Man were both there for pic ops and autographs. One thing I noticed is how much better the costumes looked at DCA compared to their Universal counterparts. The main reason is that Universal probably has the license only for the comic book look while Disney can do the actual movie versions. The difference is night and day since the movie takes real world aesthetics into consideration. While waiting, I struck up conversation with this family in front of me from New York. Super nice people and it helped the time go by faster. It also occurs to me that I'm becoming more like my mom as I get older. I'm talking more and more to strangers I don't even know...LOL! 

Even great photographs do not do the place justice!

The current "Piece De Resistance" of DCA is Cars Land by a wide margin! Now, I don't even like Pixar's Cars...I still think its their weakest animated film to date. But regardless of how you feel about the movie, Cars Land is an amazing area, a true testament to the skills and creative geniuses of the Imagineers. This place literally feels like Radiator Springs come to life. Not sure if the fact that its based on a CGI animated film (as opposed to traditional hand drawn animation) is what enabled Disney to make such a seamless transition from screen to park reality. I'm thinking the more realistic, three dimensional nature of computer generated images provides a much better blueprint for bringing characters and environments to life (of course, the amazing job they also did on WDW Beast's castle in new Fantasyland pretty much tears major holes in my theory). Still, I can't imagine being able to faithfully reproduce the stylistic backgrounds of Eyvind Earle from Sleeping Beauty with this degree of accuracy (although I would love to see Disney try). 

Luigi's Rollickin' Roadsters replaces the much maligned (and deservedly so) Luigi's Flying Tires. Sue and I rode Flying Tires when it first opened, and the ride had all the thrills of waiting in a dental office to have your teeth cleaned. Okay, it wasn't that bad, but it struck me that even 50 years later, Disney still can't get this type of floating ride to work (Flying Saucers anyone?). I probably won't be alive when the Imagineers give it another shot, but hopefully the third time's a charm! 

The new standard for theme park attractions.

If Cars Land is the "cream of the crop", then Radiator Spring Racers is the "cherry on top of the sundae"! Is this an E-Ticket ride? Absolutely. RS Racers has jumped to the top of speed rides, surpassing both Test Track and Rock 'N' Roller Coaster. What gives Racers the edge? For me, it's the depth of immersion felt through the entire ride. From the audio-animatronics that brings the citizens of Radiator Springs to life to the incredible desert landscapes as the track takes you out into the open air. Not as fast as the WDW rides, the vehicle acceleration is still nothing to sneeze at. Overall, this attraction puts Cars Land on the map in a big way. If you have to ride only one ride in DCA, this is the go to guy! 

From a photography standpoint, you can't take a bad picture here. Every inch of space, every angle has been maximized for visual impact and storytelling. Disney's attention to detail is a company trademark, but here it's taken to a new level. The downside of all this "theming goodness" is the place is literally packed from dawn to dusk. This is one area that security begins to close down access almost immediately at park closing. On the first night, I made the mistake of shooting Pacific Wharf first, and 15 minutes after closing, a guard would not allow me to enter Cars Land. While getting shots without people is challenging, the quick closures does usher folks towards the front much faster, clearing out areas for isolated images. 

Overall, Disney California Adventure is morphing into a really terrific park. It’s finally begun to forge its own strong identity, tapping into the potential that was absent during the initial opening. While it has a bit more work ahead, I can see DCA one day standing equal to its sister park Disneyland! 

(Photographs copyright Len Yokoyama.)

We Are Family

In honor of my oldest son's birthday today, I thought I'd put up this photo of he and his brother along with dear old dad. These days, our lives have each taken us to different places with different ideas of what our faith means in how we live out our lives. But one thing is certain- we love each other. Happy Birthday!

Princes and Praises

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!

I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.

Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God,

who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;

who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free;

the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous.

The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!

      (Psalm 146)

Shanghai Disneyland at Its Best

Say the words "Shanghai Disneyland", and I'm sure you'll get a thousand different responses, everything from a head nod up and down to a puzzled look. Business analysts watch closely, Disney's competitors more so, and certainly governments are keeping a close eye on everything. 

While Disney park fans drool over Tron Lightcycles and the new version of Pirates of the Caribbean, bloggers such as the always excellent Mint Crocodile from Magic Eye give viewers a close up and personal look at a park many will never visit.

So far, my opinion on the park has been mixed. I love Disney's  "Castle parks", and on that alone, a visit might be on my list. When you add Tron Lightcycles to the mix, well, the urge to go gets even stronger. On the negative end, the castle seems to do little for me. Chunky, clunky, and a bit showy for its own sake, I'm just not impressed. However, these photos from Mint do take my breath away a bit. Why?

Mickey Avenue looks its very best as taken in photo one, and a zoomed in version of the same photo presents the castle in a much better light. I wonder how many more shots like this will change my opinion of the place.

I'm certainly looking forward to additional posts on Magic Eye about the trip to Shanghai. If you've missed part one, start here.

(Photographs copyright Mint Crocodile.)

Divided We Fall

Alright folks- let's talk politics. You've read my previous post on the election day. It still holds. But let me share with you a few other pieces I found that are excellently written and make great points to ponder.

Found on Facebook by one of my family members:

"1) Remember when everyone who didn't want Obama in office thought the world was going to end in 2008/2012? It didn't. Same thing goes for this election. Life goes on. We'll endure and make it through these four years.

2) Calling a group of 59 million+ people racist, sexist, KKK supporters, uneducated, etc is unbelievably ignorant. There are other legitimate reasons people may have chosen to vote for Trump over Clinton, but grouping them all together under these terms goes exactly against the very motto the Democratic Party has been pushing these last few months: "Love Trumps Hate." So stop spreading more hate.

3) Just because I am glad Clinton lost doesn't mean I am happy about Trump winning.

If #2 specifically seems like something you absolutely can't stop doing or get your mind around as a Democrat who just watched Clinton lose, I would honestly love to have an open and honest discussion with you to try and help you see that there can be good in people you disagree with, and that we do need to come together as a country."

As expected, lots of articles are being written about a Trump Presidency. A link to the best one, one explaining why a large group of Christians could vote for a guy like Trump is below. Catch it before it disappears off USA Today. It's just too objective to last for long in a news format that is losing its balance on reporting vs. propaganda. 

Best article so far. (11/11/16- and another one!)

Regardless, we need to work together as a country, and we need to pray for it. The world is watching. Will democracy fail because the extreme liberal left is angry about the results? I hope not.

Zoo Day

The cutest little animals at the Zoo. Fun for grandpa and grandma!

Back To It

Thank God the election is over! Did your candidate lose? Sorry. Did your candidate win? Good for you. Either way, it's time to go back to our friendships, building those bridges of relationship that make our country so great. And it's time to go back to the gym and work off those stress eating snacks while watching the returns.

Here's one of the best articles I've read about the right attitude in working out. Enjoy it- and celebrate that America still offers the best representation of democracy today.

The Businessman or the Politician

Well, today is the day that one of the greatest free countries ever known to grace this earth will choose its next leader. But what a horrible choice we have!

Who will it be? The pompous, foolish, loose-tongued, hateful, self-serving, sex predator businessman worth millions or the arrogant, self-serving, Christian- hating millionaire career politician criminal who covered up the acts of a sex predator? They are both disgusting in my view, and like you and me, they need to repent from their sin. Each give lip service to faith in Jesus Christ, but neither of their lives reflect it. 

Is this really the best we Americans can do? Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton will be the next president. There's no turning back now. Either way, America loses.

My trust rests in no party and in no man or woman. And that view is about to be severely tested. Severely.

Proverbs 29: 2 says, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn." 

As a nation that has largely turned away from God, I'm afraid that we are getting what we deserve. Lord, have mercy on us!

Happy Birthday Billy!

A good reminder of what is really important- eternally so. Thank you, Pastor Graham, for your wisdom and passion for God all these decades!

The Killing of Innocents

Today, November 6th is the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Yes, it may not sound like much interest to many folks, but the reality is that women, children, and the men who are to take care of them are beaten and killed all the time in the name of religion. Mostly in the name of radical Islam. America and her politicians have largely turned a blind eye to this in favor of being politically correct. Sounds like Nazi times all over again.

The short video above gives the statistics. If you want to see what persecution looks like in the different regions of the world, go to this website and hear from folks who live in each region: Open Doors. I have traveled to some of these areas for myself doing humanitarian work, and I can tell you from personal experience this is happening. 

Take a chance, and take a look. You could be involved in saving someone's life by getting involved.

An Entirely Different Look Than Disney's View in Shanghai

An entirely different look at Shanghai today. The above map of Shanghai Disneyland tells the story Disney and the Chinese government wants to be told. Yet, today's trip report comes from a friend living overseas, a friend of a different nationality and therefore an entirely different perspective on what it means to be Chinese (or American). The perspectives might be shocking or expected- but none the less, it makes for a veery interesting read. Enjoy.
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Days of listening to words both spoken and unspoken revealed much about life in a Socialist country.  I’m startled at how startled I am by the differences between China’s powerful, dynamic culture and my own deeply embedded national-origin values (Liberty, Freedom of Speech, Independence).

Like the good and bad of everything, Chinese fundamental values include some precious and admirable, along with some less-than.  A few examples:

1. Harmony and cooperation
2. Family focus – prioritize and plan to care for elderly parents, along with intentional, sacrificial devotion to caring for and investing in the children’s futures. 35% of China’s family incomes is devoted to children’s education.
3. Saving face – decisions made in order to appease, so others would think of one as a good person and avoiding embarrassment at all cost, even by lying more colorfully than “white lies”.
4. Impressing others by your success as evidenced by your possessions, even if it means spending money impractically

I wonder to what extent the above enable the political system of restrictions of speech and autonomy.  And that causes me to consider how my own national-origin values drive personal values, both admirable and otherwise.

 Squatty Potties

Every toilet I encountered in Shanghai was a (normal by western standards) pedestal seat, and ranged from reasonably to remarkably clean.

The other 6 Chinese cities’ countless toilets visited offered the non-western variety you see here.  Also, this is an exceptional ladies room in that all the others had individual, private stalls with doors that closed and even sometimes latched.

Men’s and women’s were always separate, and while many women’s rooms had one or several pedestals, the majority of stalls had a porcelain base on the floor and flusher activated by foot pedal or button to press.  Several had a shared trough under the entire row of stalls, and one flush pushed water along the entire trough.  That system was more…aromatic… in a negative way.

Some were as dirty as the worst U.S. gas station bathrooms, but most were reasonably clean.  Near the sinks, many but not all had a roll of paper and many stalls had no paper, by design. Needless to say it didn’t take long to establish patterns:  bring at least 4 “servings” of TP in one’s daypack or purse, and use theirs whenever it was available.  While some women from my tour patiently lined up for the pedestal stalls, others of us enjoyed the flexibility to take care of business the Chinese way.  I found the squatting preferable in dirty facilities, and that’s probably more than you ever wanted to know.

P.S. The men made no comments in my hearing about differences, cleanliness, or otherwise.

China is a socialist country, led by a one Party: the Communist Party.  I’m not aware of history where Socialist or Communist methodologies haven proven beneficial to the masses in the long run; rather I consider them as philosophies that sound good in theory but don’t work in reality.

Last year’s visit to Berlin gave me visual clarity of the contrast: black and white drab poverty colored the pre-1991 side of the Wall that had separated Communist from Free post-war Berlin, while the Capitalistic side enjoyed color that reflected opportunity and a dramatically higher standard of living for the people.  We have so much history from which to learn.

As the U.S. struggles through this election season, I learned that the current leader and ruling party (the Communist Party) choose China’s next leader. Then the Party members’ “vote” either for that nominee, or no vote at all.  To not vote for the “candidate” is foolishly self-destructive for future economic and social opportunities for the individual party members as well as their extended family, so in actuality it’s obligatory.

The several Chinese people I asked told me that the “Party leaders are smart and know what’s best.” Do they have the freedom to tell me if they think otherwise?  One offered that because there are so many Chinese, it would be impossible to have elections like the U.S.

Can you imagine: 1,390,000,000+ Chinese voters?!?

Venturing into other observations about culture, were you aware of the above creative clothing strategy for potty-training?  Note the split rear seam – and take a moment to envision the ease of immediate urge.  

However, “squat where you are” is problematic, if there are not pooper-scooper laws like the U.S. established years ago for dogs – I mean, their owners. I didn’t see it happen, but am told the “product” is left where it’s deposited by these darlings . . .

Are any readers aware of this strategy in any other country or culture?

Our Tibet guide sang to us enroute to the airport during our final time together. His use of a nearby water bottle/microphone prop was spontaneous and charming!

   

Driving through cities ranging from 35,000,000 to 6,000,000 in mainland China revealed towering high-rise condominiums alongside old, single story dwellings and dwarfed dilapidated apartment buildings targeted for removal and renovation respectively. Standard practice of drying clothing outside rendered surprise to the eyes of my fellow travelers from the U.S.  Since it’s the norm in much of Israel, it’s become my norm as well.

Doors are closed and privacy is ensured for the safety for those speaking about how the government operates, discussions about propaganda, mistakes by the government, etc. Predictably, suggestions for change to the government are typically dismissed as merely the voice of one, while petitions listing many signatures are at least considered more seriously.

However, the tone must not include any implication that the government is wrong or mistaken.  If someone were to appear to be criticizing the government, their extended family to three generations could be vulnerable to recriminations interfering with employment, promotions, education, etc.  I was startled, rattled really, to learn of 21st century people accepting the directive of government without any option for facilitating change or freely voicing questions, concerns, disapproval.

In 1980, the Chinese government imposed substantial fines and even forced abortions upon families having a second child.  Exceptions included minorities, farming families, and of course those who knew someone important who could grant absolution from the restriction. Finally realizing that the economy cannot support an aging population without more workers paying taxes, the government has recently changed the policy; no surprise that the campaign launched to encourage each family to have 2 children completely contradicts the preceding decades of rationale for having only one.

The blend of Chinese characters with western influence was at every turn, from knock-off Colonel Sanders fast food to genuine Starbucks and Hagen Daz, to this merry-go-round.   

We enjoyed a lecture by a foreign language and linguistics professor from Xi’an International Studies University, whose specialty is teaching courses in Chinese culture and international studies.  She presented an overview of Chinese philosophy and religious evolution along with highlights of the many ruling dynasties.

Do people still play Trivial Pursuit?  If so, perhaps you’ll be interested to know that Confucius’ name was really Kong FuZi.  The Wikipedia specifics on his name explain pulling clan name + given name + Ancestral name come together into “Kong FuZi.”  Saying that quickly has resulted in “Confucius” as we know him today.

I guess I found that interesting partly because names are so important and I struggle terribly with them in Israel. Meeting other guests at a dinner or event can be a challenge for all of us.  To remember Mary, Sam, Judy is one thing, but hanging on to a handful names around a dinner table that I’ve never heard and can’t immediately link with a name or word I know is a challenge at which I typically fail.  I appreciate the gracious patience of Israeli’s as I struggle to remember and wrap my mouth around foreign sound combinations and stress.

Back to Kong FuZi:  I recognized Konf FuZi’s teaching as foundational to what I learned to be Chinese life-philosophies.  He taught filial piety, loyalty to rulers, love for siblings, and that at birth everyone is good but bad people make them bad by modeling or by abuse. Some think that respect as a foundational principle of the culture is to be blamed for China’s inability to resolve political problems. I see how respect carried to extreme could interfere with reasoned analysis of problems and solutions.  What do you think?

Chinese Chess

Online resources are restricted in China. Even Google! Gmail was not accessible, as were links in various news sources. Facebook and Linked-In? Inaccessible! My Gmail address is forwarded to my primary email address, so I received all email, but my tour companions with only Gmail simply could not access their email the entire trip.  I could not access Google’s maps or translation sites either.

It’s hard to imagine why some were blocked, but more understandable when researching Chinese or related events, places, or people mentioned during touring, some apparently restricted.  By the way, it was clearly not the hotel wifi, because I accessed my bank, Quicken, and other sites having nothing to do with China.

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(Top image copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Sure to Be a "Beauty" and a "Beast"

Here's a look at the cover of Entertainment Weekly and its insider view of Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast. The film is a beloved classic, even now after 25 years since it's initial release. 

Will Dan Stevens and Emma Watson be able to duplicate the heart felt success of the original roles made famous by Robby Benson and Paige O'Hara? My guess is yes- with some twists along the way. And the film is sure to be a creative beauty, a smash when released in Spring 2017. And sure to be a beast when it comes to padding Disney's bottom line financially.

Disney's banking on the film to re-ignite interest in its upcoming theme park expansions in the Asia market as well as in the US. Where will the Imagineers build these breathtaking attractions? Take a look here- including 25 years of how Disney's animated classic has been infused into the Disney culture world-wide.

(Image copyright Entertainment Weekly and Disney.)

The Disneyland Paris Map That Got Away

Yes, I had purchased the new book on Disney Maps- and it's quite an interesting take on Imagineering. I mean, who doesn't like to stick their nose deep into a park map and look at all that's going on! Thanks to Imagineer Sam McKim and others who followed, the maps became pieces of art themselves as well as promotional tools.

Today's map is not in the book. In fact, it's a fairly unknown piece of concept art for the train tracks / map of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Paris- certainly the definitive version of the Tony Baxter designed classic. Sitting just across the river from the Phantom Manor, the attraction beckons guests to board the wildest ride in the wilderness starting with a quick descend under the river to the island in the middle. Quite an opening act!

The whole of Frontierland tells a fascinating story. Without a doubt, it is the most fully realized tale of the American West to ever grace a Disney theme park, and it certainly would make Imagineer Marc Davis proud. Now all it needs is a 21st Century version of Western River Expedition to be built on the vacant piece of land by the Cowboy Cookout... 

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Scarier Than Halloween

Halloween 2016 is now officially over, but the frightening things going on at the mainland Disney resorts are creepier than even the most macabre of happenings. It's as if the shoehorning of an entire Star Wars world in the midst of Disneyland park just wasn't enough for the ghouls in charge of the parks.

Disney/Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is already a work in progress as the "new" attraction forces its way into the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It just doesn't make any sense. Why destroy a classic Disney attraction? Has Imagineering bought into the game or are they helpless pawns? Wouldn't the whole story behind the decision make an incredibly strange episode of the old Rod Serling television show? 

"Imagine if you will a once beloved and trusted entertainment giant deciding to simultaneously force their latest acquisition into media in which it doesn't belong and instantly alienating their most die-hard fans. Led by the ultra greedy CEO and his equally clueless Board along with a host of other characters, 'the Company' moves full steam ahead to destroy the legacy of its founder in order to fill their pockets with cash. All this before disappearing into The Twilight Zone."

It's a story, screenplay, or book that practically writes itself! And it is only the beginning as more of Marvel finds its way into the parks. Epcot is next, using Future World as an environment in which to shove film and comic superheroes. It's no longer about what is thematically correct (see much of Norway and Mexico at World Showcase in Epcot these days for examples), it's more about making a quick buck. 

Will the madness ever stop? Probably not...on U.S. shores at least.

(Photographs copyright The Walt Disney Company.)