Visiting Disneyland After 35 Years: My 81 Year Old Mother Does It All

Since we would both be visiting our parents at the same time, on a bit of a whim, my sister and I asked our 81 year old mother if she would go with us to Disneyland.  Would it be the "Happiest Place on Earth"? What would she think of Walt's park after not being there for 35 years? Were we wasting our time and money? Turns out, our concerns were unfounded. (For the record, not only would my father fully abhor the crowds, he would not be all that excited to pay the admission prices and deal with the standing in line. So we knew better than to ask.)

I know myself. Even though they encouraged me to decide, I told she and my Mom I would not be telling them when I wanted to leave. I did say, however, that the later we left, the longer the lines would be- and I left it up to my sister to decide. Surprisingly, she knocked on my door at 4:45am, and we were out the door by 5:15. Right into traffic filled highways ten minutes from departing the house.

 

After a two hour plus drive from Palm Springs to Anaheim, we arrived at the Disneyland Resort parking lot at 8:15- and were ready to get going.

 Looks terrific in person!

Checking the app, it looked like Rise of the Resistance was not yet open. Haunted Mansion Holiday it was. Neither woman had ever seen it. The verdict: My sister liked it better than the original Haunted Mansion that plays off season (blasphemy I say!), and my Mom just enjoyed it. I'm still impressed that Imagineering could give it a layover that makes it feel like an entirely different attraction.

 

I learned something quite eye opening this trip: Everyone enjoys the parks differently, and all too often we hard core park purists / Disney Imagineering fans get our panties in a wad over the smallest and most minute details when we need not be all concerned.  Sometimes, it is justified however, and certainly I have to agree with the old Kevin Yee descriptor "Declining by degrees". The parks are not better under Bob Chapek or even Robert Iger before him.

Walking directly past Splash Mountain with an already 40 minute wait, we decided we'd get on later and passed up the classic flume ride for a shorter wait for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge stellar attraction. It was both a good and bad decision. In contrast to the wait time for the most popular adventure at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the wait was never more than 75 minutes throughout the day. Certainly this is due to the greater number of rides in the first California park. The second, third, and fourth parks in Florida are woefully under built, especially the Studios. I'm always surprised at how little there is to do there even in contrast to the more than fair comparison to California Adventure.

 The land is impressive, but it does feel a bit lifeless when there's no characters around.

The good decision was a relatively short wait for the truly incredible Rise of the Resistance.  My only complaint about it came at the very beginning. The in cabin effects of the turntable were not working at all. I had told my Mom to hang on and brace herself for the rougher ride in the universe, but she could have very well gone hands free. We smoothly moved on long before we were caught in the tractor beam. I was honestly shocked how the lack of a rougher voyage was a definite downgrade in the experience and in setting up the thrill factors of the rest of the attraction. I was also very surprised that the ride was having a major effect broken this early in its existence. 

 

Perhaps Rise will go the way of Indiana Jones Adventure with effects never repaired after a couple of years. I wouldn't put it past this greedy corporate leadership team under Bob Chapek where, sadly, profits reign first over show and guest satisfaction. Disney historians will rightfully remember him as the black mark of all Disney CEOs to date.

 

We followed up joining the Resistance with a ride on Smuggler's Run.  Not much to say about it, actually. It is a good but not great attraction. Walking out of the newest land in the park, we bypassed the shops, Oga's Cantina (which already had a wait), and any food - including blue milk. Neither lady was interested in taking in anything else in the area, so we moved on. The area felt lifeless unless you were on the attractions. Was it lack of music, movement, characters or all of the above? Probably.

The bad part of our decision to go right to Rise of the Resistance? Due to the later extended wait, we never made it back to Splash Mountain before Tiana's Bayou Adventure takes over. It may be a good move and perhaps a fine attraction when its finally completed, but there are parts of what's planned to showcase the Princess and the Frog film that feel a bit like Bargain Basement Imagineering. Don't agree with me? I want to remain hopeful, but take a look at this.

 

 Is it too much to ask for working effects? We are paying a lot for a day at Disneyland!

Speaking of Indy, neither my Mom or sister had ridden it. They didn't know what they were missing, but I did: I had taken on the four hour wait on opening day when I unexpectedly won a large award for my work with AT&T and found myself in California. The options for one day's activity was a free round of golf on a championship course, or a day at Disneyland. No contest! I rode twice in one day. Yes, pulling the bamboo pole in the queue did what it was designed to do. Three doors meant three options, and yes, I saw the rubble fall from the ceiling a la the dyed ice effect. Rats scurried, multiple darts were blown, and the giant once realistic looking snake moved menacingly toward me. Not so much now with modern Disney upkeep... at least in the States.

 

Of all the effects not to be functioning for their first ride, the rolling boulder finale was absent. Unbelievable! They came off the jeep journey singing its praises... that is until I told them what was missing in action.  

 

Still- there's nothing like it. No, Animal Kingdom's Dinosaur aka Countdown to Extinction in its current state is not nearly as powerful an attraction. It used to be so much stronger and a much better experience when all the effects were working.

 

It was now time for lunch. Since reservations at the Blue Bayou were unavailable and I wanted to get my Mom that Monte Cristo sandwich she remembered, we went to Cafe Orleans. Surprised that the wait would be 40 minutes when I joined the standby reservations, I took the advice of Cast Member Lisa. She mentioned even with a wait of that length, she'd often seen seating take place within 10 minutes. True to her word, I had barely sat down when our names were called.

 

Our long and leisurely lunch included that Monte Cristo and Caesar Salad, soup, drinks, and a shared Mint Julep for all of us to try. It was terrific to be out in the sun but under the shade of a nearby tree on the patio. Jack Skellington and Sally could be seen greeting guests across the way.

 

Wandering through the back streets of New Orleans Square was next, and it is something I never tired of. California Adventure's landmark Cars Land is terrific, Galaxy's Edge very impressive, but neither hold a candle to the work of the old school Imagineering team that designed this part of Disneyland. It is still the finest piece of theme park design work done by the Company in the States. 

 

I do miss the open courtyard with the winding staircase, but this part of the park is the closest thing Disney fans have to rival Universal Orlando's show stopping Diagon Alley at the Studios in Florida. (Read my reasoning in this post: Why Every Disney Imagineering fan should see it for themselves. )

 

Snow White's Enchanted Wish... coming later.

Decades after its arrival at Disneyland, It's A Small World continues to be a family favorite. It's charm and innocence drew us all in, and the attraction was in great shape. I'm always happy to see the classics get the care and respect they deserve.

A hard earned life lesson: 

Just because the government and its leaders may be corrupt 

or even evil doesn't mean any nation's people are less than kind and friendly.

 

Disneyland's setting for the beloved attraction is iconic- the beautifully designed facade and clock tower with marching toys is a piece of art. In Walt Disney World with its blessing of size, the attraction's big box design and placement in the Magic Kingdom continues to disappoint me. Thankfully, this major design flaw was corrected in Tokyo, Paris, and Hong Kong!

 

Tangled is a favorite of all the recent Disney / Pixar movies, (only surpassed by the animated version of Beauty and the Beast. For the record, Ratatouille is in third place.) For one set of grandkids, the adventures of Rapunzel and Eugene (also known as Flynn Rider) make it one of their favorite Disney+ television series. As I was leaving Small World plaza, I saw the duo walking by just past me. I called out saying, "You're my grandkids' favorite! I have to get a photo!" They stopped, and in perfect character, Eugene yelled out, "Wait! I want to give them the smolder!" Afterward, the not in character cast member standing by remarked, "You're going to be the hero grandfather!" with a big smile on her face.

 

You have to love all this. At Disneyland, you don't (currently) need an appointment to see the characters; for the most part they just walk around greeting guests and seem like others in the crowd. (Jack and Sally were an exception.) With the abundance of actors and actresses in Southern California, you get the best of the best and the interactions with guests tend to be top tier. This builds great and memorable experiences that sell themselves and the parks as stories are shared back home. Old school Walt and team at its best. Whoever you are in real life, Eugene, thank you. And yes, the grandkids loved it.

 

The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness is a must do anytime I find myself in a park where Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is on the attraction list. And it's a necessity to take a photo of us on it or nearby and send it to my youngest daughter when she isn't with us. It's her favorite coaster and doing this - and rubbing it in a little- has now become a time honored family tradition. I didn't include the photo here, but mission accomplished.

 

Unexpectedly, my Mom got in the train and used the safety bar to guide her into her seat, thereby locking it in place. Since time was short, my sister jumped in front with me. So, Mom's riding alone, but no worries, she laughed all the way through the ride. Had the wait been shorter, I'm sure we would have ridden again.

The afternoon sun was hot, so we hopped into Red Rose Tavern for some water and a taste of the Grey Stuff. taking in the air conditioning gave us a chance to talk, rest, and regroup. Ordering was quick and easy with it being delivered quickly. The cast member asked where I was from and thanked me for coming to Disneyland. Wow.

 

Since the wait time was less than ten minutes, I ran next door to Snow White's Enchanted Wish. It's a nice, clever update. I'm not a fan of adding in pieces of the animated film. It's a update that was needed. Was it worth all the on-line chatter? Only to us geeks. Then, I took in Pinocchio. I'm not sure why it gets the flack it does. It fits in well with the other dark rides around it even with its more serious tone.

 

Eventually, we all took the  Horseless Carriage to Town Square as the ladies wanted to do some shopping. I took a few minutes to talk to the two cast members driving and asked about the Tree House. Neither had heard anything and said there has been no official announcement. 

 

There's been some chatter on the WDWMagic boards about the many changes in Cast Member grooming and all the tattoos. Yes, I saw many cast members and many with more than one display of ink art. Much more facial hair on the men as well. Obviously colored hair and such. There was no discernible change in the level of service, but visually, it was different. The classic, ultra-clean cut Disney look is a thing of the past.

 

As my sister and Mom continued to shop, I popped into the Disney Gallery or whatever its called now. My sister then ran back to the car for something, and my Mom and I took in the Enchanted Tiki Room. What's not to like about 10 minutes of Hawaiian music and more air conditioning? I truly do enjoy this attraction. The lighting effects are some of the best in the park, and the music instantly takes me back to the islands. We sat for a moment at the Refreshment Corner and listened to the piano while we waited for my sister to catch up with us. I took a view of Main Street and people watched for a bit as well.

 

Nice to see these two! It had been way too long!

Once my sister returned, a train ride around the park was a perfect way to end our perfect day in the park. We ended up meeting my nephew and his wife at 7:00pm for dinner at Ralph Brennan's (the only place available with less than an hour and a half wait on a Thursday night). 

 

We said goodbye at 9:45pm and headed home to Palm Springs. Within ten to fifteen minutes, my Mom was asleep in the back of the car. This gave my sister and I a chance to catch up. A rare opportunity as we do not live in the same state. She told me she prefers Walt Disney World over Disneyland. This didn't surprise me as it is a much more relaxed time spread usually over several days instead of one day crammed with activities. As far as I'm concerned, they are two different animals, with each one having its own strengths and weaknesses. Walt feels very present at Disneyland, and these days, Corporate Disney feels very much in charge in Florida.

 

My mother had a blast and kept up with us easily. She is amazing- fun, upbeat, and easy to be with. She enjoys life and is strong, healthy, full of faith in the Lord Jesus, and young at heart. What a blessing! As they say, a great day was had by all, and I will remember this day for years to come. 

 

(Photographs copyright Mark Taft.)

One Rainy Day at Disneyland Paris

As I'm wandering through the maze of Disney internet sites, there are three pretty sure fire links I will click on: Epcot, Tokyo Disneysea, and Disneyland Paris. While I have yet to visit the park in Japan, I can say with certainty that the most beautiful castle park is found in France. In fact, I wrote an entire article on at: The Theme Park as Work of Art. Imagineer Tony Baxter and team deserve all the accolades for creating a park where you could not go on a single ride and still feel deeply satisfied after spending the day there.

So, on to the photo above: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in all its glory! Paris' Frontierland is the best version ever created perhaps on par with the early Anaheim version when it was stuffed with attractions. The wildest ride in the French wilderness begins on the landside before riders are taken under the river onto the island. A truly unexpected and spectacular setting my a fan favorite attraction.

This photo by Gregg Jacobs is taken from the porch of the Phantom Manor. It is part of his trip report posted on the Mouse Planet site. (Speaking of that, I'm still finishing up my trip report to Anaheim.) In a park drenched in atmosphere, the weather certainly added a special dimension, resulting in one terrific photo!

 

A Mickey Mouse Halloween at Disneyland

It was a beautifully warm Thursday afternoon in "Walt's park". What a perfect day to visit. Disneyland looked great! Taking the Horseless Carriage to Town Square for a little shopping, I decided to walk over to the Emporium. This gleaming, friendly looking Mickey pumpkin won me over, and I had to take a photo. Normally, I post something interesting about the Imagineering art of the Haunted Mansion (or Disneyland Paris' Phantom Manor), but this year, I'm more than a little tired of how ugly, dark, and sometimes outright evil the world has become and how this holiday is observed. So, friendly Mickey is in. I hope it puts a smile on your face as it did mine!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)

Date Night!

Yes, we've been married a very long time, but we still love to go out on a date! Here we are during one of our business trips sneaking away for a short but wonderful little date. Just look at my beautiful wife! Not only is she pretty, smart, and fun to be with, she is a godly and wise woman. So on the occasion of her birthday, I celebrate all that she is and all that God made her to be. I'm SO thankful for her.

The World Map Project

After spending yesterday painting my old tired office the perfect shade of blue/green, (Thank you Joanna Gaines), it's now time to find the perfect world map. What a chore! There's seemingly hundreds of them. 

What's a guy to do when his job means traveling to many different places and the need to get creative designing itineraries with often unique connecting routes? I go to the map and look for ideas.

Plus, having a world map in my office has been a tradition since my oldest son gifted me with one. (Truth be told, I unintentionally tore that one taking it down.) Let the search continue...

Travels Along the Way: Istanbul's Hagia Sophia

Due to a series of travel related events, our latest tour ended up taking us through Istanbul, Turkey. What a fascinating city of over 20 million people from all walks of life! Crowded, noisy, full of history and ancient cultures. The variety of foods, music, clothing, and languages presented a true crossroads of cultures that I haven't seen elsewhere.

The Hagia Sophia, behind us in the photo, was the one of the world's oldest and largest cathedrals- now becoming a mosque in recent years. Islamic symbols now cover up as much of the Christian references as possible, although hidden crosses and other smaller items remain in view if you look carefully. This isn't Disney World's beautiful World Showcase in Epcot, but the real thing. Just another reason it is important to travel beyond the Disney bubble. The real world is much more fascinating and rich and eye opening!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.) 

Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon and The Disneyland Hotel Project from the Past

Long before Anaheim's difficult to book Trader Sam's, there was Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon. It was the place to go in the area for some late night mischief on The Disneyland Hotel  property. Imagine a Canadian show setting with an Adventurer's Club vibe. It was unique to the time, setting the stage for what would come later in Florida when Walt Disney World needed to compete with Church Street Station's popular complex in Orlando. Did you think under Michael Eisner's reign, Pleasure Island came about because of more altruistic motives?

Anyway, back to Aneheim.

 

 

The Disneyland Hotel has been through so many additions, so many incarnations,  that it is pretty impossible to track them all. 

This piece of concept art above is most likely from the 1970's when the newest feature was planned- a large, expanded tropical pool zone. The Imagineers on this job kept it pure and simple, and probably rather inexpensive. But I don't remember this actually being built as shown. Dancing Waters? Check- been there and remember that. Same with the hotel's first video arcade. And many other additions.

Sgt. Preston's Yukon Saloon, and the beautifully done wharf area nearby made the area a great place for a cheaper date night when you wanted your Disney fix.  You could still ride the monorail from the hotel into the park and back for a small fee. In earlier days, day guests could even play miniature golf on a course that featured icons from Disneyland park. 

What comes next after the Disney Vacation Club tower opens? Who knows?  But the evolution of the hotel and its grounds will go on and on as long as there are Disneyland fans left in the world. In other words, until the end of time!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

God is Leading in New and Fresh Ways

If the pandemic has taught us anything, it's that the past is over. The pandemic has killed life the way we knew it to be. The way we wanted it to be. Globally but in different ways, people are struggling with anger, fear, depression, It's not only people. Businesses are struggling to regain a footing in a new world economy. Churches are struggling. Persecution in many countries; apathy and confusion in the West.

Maybe your church is gone. Maybe it's changed. Those good old years from the past are just that. The past. They are nothing more than a memory now. We all have to let it all go- and let the memories take their proper place.

It's a tough world! Has God stopped caring about His Children? Has He stopped caring about those who don’t know Him? What is His plan? 

GOD’S PLAN HASN’T MOVED AN INCH!

Thankfully, God’s Word gives us hope and it directs us. 

Let's look at one example in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. Let's read the book of the prophet Isaiah, verses 43:16-21. A prophet’s voice that points the way to Jesus the Messiah.

 

So reliable is the Bible, it's our go-to source for hearing God's heart and truth!

Here's a bit of background:  Isaiah’s written between 739-681 BC. A pretty big span of time. Here's what happens leading up to Chapter 43…

·   Chapters 29 and 30, Israel’s leaders reject Isaiah (8: 11-22; 29:10-12 and 30:8-9)- he seals up the scrolls with the prophesies

·   In Chapter 39- Isaiah tells King Hezekiah that the kingdom will fall to the Babylonians, and it happens!

 

Chapter 40- The prophet speaks words of hope to the people! Naturally, God is faithful to His people as they cry out to Him. What will they learn? What can we learn? God’s people are in exile in Babylon- banned from their home. They’re looking for a way out. A way back home.

 

Of course, this makes them remember the great exodus from Egypt.

You know- When God was faithful in impossible circumstances. Let me tell you- God loves "impossible circumstances! Then, when He works in the midst of them all, He and only He gets the glory and praise.

 

Let's look at Isaiah 43:16-21. It breaks down into three segments, each revealing a piece of God's heart towards the people He loves (and that includes us who follow Him): 

Isaiah 43:16-17  

¹⁶ Thus says the Lord,
    who makes a way in the sea,
    a path in the mighty waters,
¹⁷ who brings forth chariot and horse,
    army and warrior;
they lie down, they cannot rise,
    they are extinguished, quenched like a wick:

 

They need to remember the past to give them hope by remembering that our God works on our behalf! Oh, the Exodus:  God’s people in captivity in Egypt – It was a hard life! Did the people think the Egyptian gods were more powerful? They were desperate and hopeless. But God wanted to deliver His people. He used Moses, a murderer who was now tending flocks for Jethro, his father in law. He uses broken people just like us.

 

Why would He do that? God uses broken people for the same reason as He loves impossible circumstances- He gets the glory!

 

Did Moses ever remember where he came from, the life he once had, and the murder he committed? How could he not! Yet, he was eventually obedient when God wanted to use him to deliver his people out of Egypt. God uses a burning bush that never is consumed to draw Moses to Himself. God sends plagues to convince Pharoah that the Almighty is in control (The Nile turns to blood, frogs, gnats, flies, boils, hail, locusts, the plague on the firstborn (The Passover- remember placing blood on the door frame so the first born children of Israel would die, being made subject to what the Egyptians would endure do to their leader's hardened heart.) God parts the Red Sea to let his people walk through to freedom. The, He doesn't stop there to let them figure it out for themselves. God gives manna and quail to eat. He gives Moses the Ten Commandments. Things look good so far, right? Well, there's a big problem that comes next. Aaron- once a trusted leader and brother of Moses- and a man anointed to serve as a priest of God but he is frustrated with a people who constantly complain- Aaron gets the people to give them their gold and he creates a golden calf for them to worship.
 

They are a people of fickle hearts, easily led astray at times.  Just like you and me at times, right? 

What does the Isaiah say next?  Let's move on and look at verses 18-20:

¹⁸ “Remember not the former things,
    nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I am doing a new thing;
    now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
    and rivers in the desert.

²⁰ The wild beasts will honor me,
    the jackals and the ostriches,
for I give water in the wilderness,
    rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people, 

 

They need to let God work in a new way and discover what He will do. The Lord is telling Jewish exiles “Remember and learn from it, but Don’t live in the past!” They are stuck in Babylon and there’s no way out. They can’t figure it out. Their plans are not clever enough. There’s not enough information available to make it work. They must trust God to make a way through the wilderness they are in. Through it- not around it! Have you ever been in that position? Maybe someone has done something that brought dire circumstances your way? Maybe, just maybe, your own sin has brought calamity you never expected. Boy, I've been there! Isn't that the human condition? Absolutely!

God's people- that includes us- can get stuck looking backwards. How? What does this look like?

  

We can expect God to work like in days of old. Like us, they began to doubt God, making the past an idol, and making it seem better than it was. Maybe they began to think they knew better than God. Their preferences become dividing points- leading to deadly results.

 

Here's a HUGE one- They can also get stuck, remembering their sin and failure.Oh, I've been there, thinking God will never use me again because I've fallen flat on my face. That's a big lie! We'll pay the consequences for our sin, we definitely will, but God is not done with us as long as we are on this earth.
 

Maybe it is fearful of the future- We are afraid to look forward. Or worse- Forgetting God is still in control and has a plan! Were God’s people believing the Babylonian gods are more powerful? Did they remember anything about how God delivered their ancestors when they were exiled in Egypt? Our memories are all too short, but one thing is certain. Man’s plans, rules, regulations, mandates, and laws are no match for God's!

 

DO WE BELIEVE GOVERNMENTS & POLITICIANS-   THE GODS OF THIS WORLD-  ARE BIGGER THAN OUR GOD? NO!
 

WILL WE LOSE HOPE? NO! 

IS OUR GOD SLEEPING?  NO! 

HE HAS PROVEN HIMSELF AGAIN AND AGAIN!

 

God has not changed even if the circumstances have!

 

What is the end result of all this?  Finally, we see in verse 21:  

the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.

The same powerful God that took them through the sea can and will take them through the wilderness this time so that we can declare our His praise.  

 

Let's look at another passage. This time, it is the words of Jesus in the New Testament.  

Let's read Matthew 9:14-15: 

14 Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.

What just happened to them to make them ask the question? Jesus called a hated and despised tax collector to come into His inner circle of disciples. A tax collector! Imagine that! Two chapters later, Jesus lumps them in with the prostitutes.

 

The people were upset and angry. Confused. Frustrated. How dare He do something like that! And it led to some important discussion.

 

First-  Jesus is not saying don’t fast. He’s not trying to repair the old ways. He’s not bowing to religious legalism or the way it has always been done. Jesus came within the context of the Old Testament prophecies to fulfill the Law but not abolish it. 

 

Pharisees preached it but didn’t live it out.

 

Look at verse 16: 

16 No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made.

 

What about the cloth- Practically, we understand the unshrunk cloth analogy.  It makes sense, but it also has spiritual significance. Spiritually, clothing/garments were symbols of righteousness. As followers of Jesus, we are clothed in His righteousness. A beautiful picture to remember when we think that God sees us AS our sin. Let's move on.

Now, take a look at verse 17. There's encouragement here, so don't stop reading.  

 

17 Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved.”

 

What about the wine? In the Old Testament, wine refers to earthly prosperity given by the Lord (Genesis 27:8; Deuteronomy. 7:13; Proverbs 3:9-10)

In the New Testament, wine refers to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Both are pretty sweet things for God to tell us. Isn't He good?

In the old days, grapes were harvested, left to sit in the sun for several days, then crushed so the juice would sit in jars or wineskins to ferment. Since this caused gasses to emit, the skins had to be flexible so the wine wouldn’t burst out.

 

 We're going to focus here for a moment. There are three commonly recognized interpretations of the scripture here, and they are all correct.

1-     Jesus Brings The New Covenant of Grace replaces Religion and Animal Sacrifice as the Way to God  (The legal truth in God's eyes)

2-     The New Wine represents the Moving of God the Holy Spirit.    (The Spiritual truth) 

3-     The Inappropriateness of Doing Something New in Old Ways.  (The Physical and the Practical application)

What can we learn here? Well, let Me Ask You a Question First-

Many churches of all sizes are closing their doors but others are opening or are growing. What could that mean?  

Could it be that in this season of difficulty, these churches and leaders have recognized the eternal truth of flexibility in the way they go about the work in God's Kingdom?

You can be sure they have learned how to rely on God and not on their own cleverness or wisdom!   

 

Look, old American methods of reaching people no longer work. 

 

Inviting people to church doesn’t work well-  We believers hardly go regularly. (And that is straight up disobedience!)

 

If you're gone from church and watching on line because it is easy and not for health restrictions or transportation issues, it’s a great time to come back in person. The enemy’s biggest plan is “Divide and Conquer”. Why help him defeat you? By watching when you can participate in person, you are missing community by watching church- and I can tell you, they are missing YOU!

 

Let's go back to flexibility. Sometimes God just wants our sacred cows placed on the altar.  

What are yours??? Think of your ministry your areas of involvement.

Is it the Name of your church? The time you meet? It could be other things where we confuse our preferences for God’s ways.Sometimes, we have to try new things- or try old things in new ways!

 

So… Back to the question- What Can We Learn?   

What happens when we embrace what God is desiring to do new things? What happens when we look for and follow the moving of His Holy Spirit?

 

We properly honor God by remembering His faithfulness to us without living in the past.  We will get excited about walking out What we say we believe once more- making Jesus known throughout the world. We will watch God be faithful first hand as we step out in obedience to His word and His leading. We see new fruit – including new relationships that will be a blessing! 

 

In the words of the great old night night advertisers- "Wait, there's more!"

 

God’s character will be revealed to us in fresh ways- increasing our love for Him and our trust in Him. We’ll be transformed even moreso into the image of Christ. Our Joy, strength, and zest for life returns as we follow Him. Depression, fear, anger, and a critical spirit will give way to peace, joy, love and all the Fruit of the Spirit! It's a pretty good trade off, I'd say!

 

God doesn’t just use us for His Glory- He also knows our work in the Kingdom strengthens us because we get to see His Hand at work in our world! This is the way things were designed- God’s work was to be a blessing to us- back to the Garden! 

 

Listen- Every time King David was obedient and went to war, he saw God’s hand at work and his faith was strengthened, resulting in praise.  It’s when he chose not to go to war that he got bored and fell into sin with Bathsheba. 

By the way- back to the Jews in exile- God was faithful to His Word. As prophesied by Isaiah, the Persians took over Babylon and their King Cyrus allowed the Jews to go home. They not only went home, they began to rebuild the temple. Something they'd wanted for years and years. God would be praised again and again!

 

So yes, let’s remember the past and thank Him- but let’s honor God by looking forward!

 

We must accept that  God wants us to be flexible for His purposes. Are you willing to once again put yourself in God’s hands and let Him lead? 

Here's a great divine truth that can be easy to believe but difficult to walk out: What God has planned for us is always better than what we can imagine or dream up on our own. 

 

I want to be where God is moving! Don't you? Give Him your life fresh to day to use as He sees fit. You won't be disappointed!

(Copyright Mark Taft.)

Something New from the Carpenters Just in Time for the Christmas Holidays

Just when I thought I wouldn't see anything new by Carpenters for the holidays, here comes An Old Fashioned Christmas on CD for the first time ever. Released a couple of years after Karen's tragic passing in 1983, the second holiday release is full of that voice the world loves. 

There's just not enough of it, but oh boy, are there some great cuts here! Little Altar Boy may be one of Karen Carpenter's best for those incredible low notes, but there's also Home For the Holidays, a stellar version of Do You Hear What I Hear?  

My personal favorite, What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? is just a slice of 40s coolness with a vocal performance that equals their classic Merry Christmas Darling. Richard fills out the seven vocal cuts by his sister with a variety of beautiful instrumentals. O Holy Night is among the best and brightest.

It's an import from Japan, so the price is a bit higher. But it is so worth it! A perfect companion piece to their iconic Christmas Portrait.

Damaged Epcot

Epcot is broken, and not even the cast of every Marvel movie can save it- Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind won't do it and neither will Remy's Ratatouille Adventure. Yes, there's finally new attractions to be found, but there's also too much construction lasting for years now. Universal Orlando Resort is making headway. Epic Universe is coming faster than Bob Chapek can imagine ("Can he imagine too? they ask.) Everything they've built of late- from Velocicoaster to Hagrid's Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure- is proving massively successful. Universal now inhabits two of the top five parks in the United States based on attendance. Gaining by the millions, actually. Now holding positions two and three after the Magic Kingdom. Disney holds a lackluster D23, making it a relative laughing stock in the industry, akin to the disaster that was California Adventure in 2001. Can someone- anyone- wake up at The Walt Disney Company before its too late?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Summer Meets Fall

The late afternoon sun was coming down yesterday while I was flying paper airplanes with my granddaughter and playing a round or two of intense tether ball with her older brother. I noticed all the colors in our garden and was struck by the beauty God creates this time of year. The warm oranges, reds, and yellows contrasted nicely with the lawn, my flower bed, and the tiki torches of summer nights. Winter is on its way, but for now, the charms of the season make that hard to think about!

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)
 

100 Days My Prince Means Drama, Romance, and More

Don't be fooled by the title. Television's 100 Days My Prince has it all-

epic battle scenes, engaging characters, humor, suspence, a love story that spans the ages, incredible sets, and tons upon tons of plot twists. Sixteen full episodes of enjoyment if you can handle subtitles. It stars

Doh Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-hyun as lovers with an unfortunate past but perhaps as dangerous a future. This was a South Korean cable television smash for good reason. Prepare to be hooked if you make it through the first episode.

D23 Revealed: Tiana's Bayou Adventure Recycling Project

Yes, I'm a big fan of Splash Mountain. It's iconic, it's Imagineering genius Tony Baxter's, and it is just a good amount of fun. But I'm also open to Tiana's Bayou Adventure. The problem is, I'm just not all that trusting when it comes to current Imagineering projects where Disney gives fans an overlay of something new on top of something old and beloved. Usually, the new is just not better. Don't believe me? Look at this article where I compare and contrast new vs. old and Disney's recent projects. Disney's new math just doesn't add up.

Look at the photograph above. It's Belle in full on Audio-Animatronic form as she appears in Enchanted Tale of Beauty and the Beast at Tokyo Disneyland. She's a beautifully articulated figure found in an amazingly detailed Fantasyland attraction. Look pause here but look at the concept art of Tiana at the beginning of this article. Anything strike you as interesting? It should. Disney Imagineering is recycling and not in a good way. My hunch is this is only the beginning of Bargain Basement Imagineering.

This year's D23 did not give me much hope that Princess and the Frog will be given its due. Bayou Mist? And now a recycled Belle along with recycled animatronics from Marc Davis' classic America Sings musical show? More screens, more cheap ways to tell the story? Will a cast of Benjamin Franklin from The American Adventure be used to play the role of Prince Naveen? (I'm joking here, but you get the idea.) When will it end?

Even the new model of the attraction was underwhelming at best. Throw in a few trees from Pirates of the Caribbean's bayou scene and all it good.

No doubt Imagineering's Charita Carter is a kind, very talented, and well meaning woman, but she is not the executive determining the budgets and the scope and scale of this project. 

Whether its in Disneyland's New Orleans Square or in the Magic Kingdom's Frontierland under Disney CEO Bob Chapek, are you sure Tiana's Bayou Adventure will be all it should be ? I'm not. He's given us way too much reason to be uncertain he has what's best for the fans and Imagineering's legacy in mind. I'd love to be proven wrong, but all this leaves me with one question:

Where's the Oriental Land Company when you need them?

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Beautiful Evergreen

Living in the Metro Denver area, it's easy to forget how beautiful so much of the state of Colorado really is. Here's a photograph of Evergreen Lake on a perfect Fall day. You could feel it in the air that winter was around the corner, but the warm sun and mild climate made it feel a million miles away.

(Photograph copyright Mark Taft.)