Issues of the Heart

Cannot stop thinking about this.

What do you say to a family that has just lost their 18 year old son to a heart attack, especially when it is caused by an undiscovered heart defect? The poor father went to wake him for a family vacation only to discover his son had passed away in the night. No drugs, no alcohol abuse, no warning, no nothing.

Our hearts cry out to God for answers in situations like these. All I can say is "I'm so sorry", but words don't seem enough. The mystery of what God allows and how it intersects with our choices...

Amazingly, their faith hasn't failed them, as God alone is the one giving them truest comfort in the midst of loss. It is as if God Himself is saying, "I understand- I lost a Son, too." And He did for our healing, for our freedom, and all because of His great love. It's a love that makes a difference. Just ask these guys...

Disney Park Countdown- #7 Disney's Animal Kingdom

Before anyone screams "Fail!" for placing the beautiful Disney's Animal Kingdom just above the horrible Walt Disney Studios Paris, let me state up front that there couldn't be a larger gap between any other two parks on the list when it comes to quality and presentation.

With any "Best of" list, there is an automatic time stamp on them once they are completed. Had this list been created a few years ago, the ranking would be somewhat different as Disney has made some great strides with other parks, all while letting some- like Animal Kingdom- slide by neglect.

Joe Rohde and team's Animal Kingdom had a terrific if slightly shallow roster at opening. The addition of Expedition: Everest in 2006 gained new fans for the park and raised hopes for its future. We waited. Imagineering moved forward. The suits did not.

(The park's history is fascinating. The chronology of its development and growth - including rare concept art and photos- is found on my blog series starting here. In fact, you could almost consider this article the next piece in the continuing series!)

Let's discuss the park's strengths before observing its weaknesses.

Theme and execution of theme: With a wide open and embracing theme of man's love for animals, the park is broad in appeal and possibilities, yet focused in its presentation.

It is almost impossible to stroll through this place without being in awe of the surroundings. The abundance of plant life astounds, creating an instant refuge from the real world. The animal displays are designed with such care, it would be easy to forget this is somewhat your basic zoo. Elegant, Disneyfied, and lush, but still an animal exhibition at the core.

The execution of the theme only falls short on a few attractions. Kali River Rapids fails with its pedestrian presentation and lack of continuing story. Dinorama tries to pass on cheap quality carnival rides for true Disney Imagineering. In contrast, the remaining pieces of the park are stunningly beautiful and incredibly detailed. The term "feast for the eyes" could have been coined by guests at the park!

Dining: Some of the best meal opportunities in all of Walt Disney World exist within this theme park. Africa's Tusker House serves delicious and authentic fare, with the restaurant much worse for the wear when it transformed into a character meal location. By the same scale and with the same high price tag, Yak & Yeti in nearby Asia, offers exotic cuisine in a lavishly decorated series of rooms. On the carry out/take away side of meal options, Flame Tree Barbecue presents top quality, mouth watering meats. It's secluded seating location next to the lake makes for a relaxing meal.

Shopping: As with the dining, Animal Kingdom's merchandise used to be among the most unique in all the World. That said, the variety is still fairly good but it is sliding, with much more Disney character and cable show merchandise finding its way into places it doesn't belong. (Like the entire park!)

Unique Attractions: With Kilimanjaro Safaris leading the way, Disney will probably never build these type of attractions or ones on this scope and scale ever again. Why? First, animal care is expensive. Audio-Animatronic versions will never match the real thing, but they do not require the same type of upkeep. 

Additionally, Disney continues to move forward with a movie character based mentality when it comes to designing new attractions- especially under the Robert Iger/John Lasseter watch. These two reasons alone will keep Animal Kingdom a unique experience that will not be duplicated.

In spite of its breathtaking scenery and unique attractions, Disney's fourth park in the Walt Disney World complex suffers from a couple of near fatal flaws: too few attractions, including too many of the same type, too much reliance on theater shows, no night time hours, and lack of an evening spectacular.

Viewing animals in and of itself will not satisfy the bulk of Disney's hardcore guests who return year after year. National zoos are also giving Disney some competition, upping the ante and making the experience less unique. (Look here.)

In spite of these facts, the money barons at Disney seem to be letting Animal Kingdom stagnate. With broken special effects, including the star of the thrilling Expedition: Everest; closing attractions with no replacement; stale parades and a decade old theater show, the experience is becoming less fun and alluring as times passes.

I really enjoy this park, yet after our last visit, it has now moved to the bottom of the rung in the Walt Disney World Resort. Will a new attraction bring me back? A definite "maybe", depending on which one is built.

Number 6? Well, I think this one will cause some debate...

Stay tuned!

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)

Happy Birthday, Lauren!

Today is my youngest daughter's birthday! Here she is with her sister on her sister's wedding day. There are many things I love about her: She is full of joy, integrity, playfulness, and most of all, she loves her Lord Jesus Christ with all her heart. Certainly makes this father very proud! It's tough to be a young person with passion for God and to live with integrity and humility, but Lauren does it with a focused determination. Happy Birthday, Lauren- I love you and am so proud of you!

Notable and Quotable: John Bevere

"What we learn in the presence of God cannot be learned in the presence of men."

John Bevere, author

Disney Park Countdown- #8: The Walt Disney Studios Paris

This second Parisian Disney Park is in a class all by itself- and that is not a compliment!

The lack of world class, unique attractions, absence of good dining (in France!?!) and abysmal layout make this theme park the poorest excuse for one in the history of the Walt Disney Company. Clearly, the powers that be had to satisfy an agreement with the French government, so they did it as inexpensively as possible.The view from the entry gates looks somewhat intriguing, even promising. The looming Studio One building welcomes guests into a nighttime Hollywood. However it is themed as a set instead of trying to deliver a great recreation, thus leaving exposed steel, catwalks, and studio set pieces to create the magic. Like the Backlot at California Adventure at opening, it misses the mark and left me somewhat disappointed by what I would find there and elsewhere as I explored the Walt Disney Studios Paris.

Stepping outside the covered and enclosed entry area, it only gets worse. Our visit in 2007 meant the elaborate facades and small shops created around the soon-to-open Tower of Terror were still behind walls. In its place: a vast amount of ugly concrete with little attempt at landscaping, offering no warmth and an amazing lack of charm.

Things were slightly better as we approached Crush's Coaster. At least the big building housing the attraction was lightly themed, and the ride itself was a lot of fun. Even better, it showcased the first Audio-Animatronics in the park: the same set of birds found at Disneyland's renewed submarine voyage.

The mini Carsland, complete with spinner and small scale versions of the landmarks from Radiator Springs, brought some life, color, and fun into the drab surroundings, yet at the same time only emphasized the lack of it elsewhere.

To the lovers of the park, the unique attractions CineMagique and Animagique are must sees, but for us, we do not spend big bucks to sit in theaters and watch film (Soarin' Over California being the main exception). We tried to see the former but constantly missed the show times. The latter, apparently a blending of character and black light shows, was of no interest.

The Studio Tram Tour was on par with what is now in Florida, in other words, forgettable. Rock N Rollercoaster was happily equal in experience, but the standout attraction was the special effects show built around the Disney movie Armageddon. Here, finally, guests were immersed into the world of film making. It was a thrilling show, leaving us with a feeling on par with the old Magic Kingdom frightfest Alien Encounter.

Stopping for lunch meant heading back to Studio One for a strangely bland and overcooked burger. We shopped for a few souvenirs, buying only a small photo book, and quickly headed back to the gorgeous Disneyland Paris to finish the day.

The addition of Toy Story Play Land is a strange choice for a park trying to change its reputation and earn its place among Disney fans. Screaming "carnival", it will temporarily give families another reason to visit. Yet it won't bring us back. That may take the opening of the much rumored Ratatouille attraction, as it is one of my favorite Pixar movies. Then again, maybe not.

Next up at Position #7, a choice that may surprise you...

(Photos copyright Mark Taft.)

Disney Park Countdown

Just a few days back, I was counting my blessings- something great to do on a day your mind wanders. It keeps life in perspective!

Anyway... it dawned on me I have had the opportunity to visit every Disney park in the world with the exception of the parks in Asia! Wow! (And I hope one day that I will get to see the incredible Tokyo Disney Sea park...)

Of course, this all means my travels have taken me to Disneyland Paris as well as the Studios there, Walt Disney World (before and after adding three additional parks besides the Magic Kingdom) and my "home" park, Disneyland with its rapidly improving California Adventure.

All said, I thought it would be fun to share my Top Ten List (Minus A Few) of Favorite Disney Parks. I'll throw in some photos with my observations as well. I'll be curious to see if you agree or disagree- and if you are surprised by my list and reasoning. If all goes well, I'll start tomorrow with Number 8. See you then!
(Photo copyright Mark Taft.)

Let's Celebrate!

In spite of all our troubles and the ongoing selfishness of our politicians, we have much to celebrate as citizens of the United States of America!

Be thankful for our freedoms- they are being taken away in much of the world. Be thankful for our relatively high level of peace. Even though there is violence in our world- we are not torn by civil war. Be thankful for the opportunity to worship as we please- even if we choose to focus on no one but ourselves, we have the right to live life as we choose.

Be proactive to protect these freedoms and our foundations. Choose to serve others and use your vote to protect them, avoiding the historical mistakes of socialism and communism that remove these freedoms from us.

Island Paradise and Other Adventures

It was just one of those lazy afternoons while still on vacation after our daughter's wedding. We were enjoying a late lunch date together at one of our favorite spots, Rumbi Island Grill. Looking up, I saw this terrific poster. I immediately flashed back to our two trips to Hawaii.

The next flashback was to my many visits long ago to Disneyland. At least once a summer, we stopped to eat at the wonderful Tahitian Terrace in Adventureland.

I am sure this was where my love for the islands originated. As a teen, I read books like The Dove, and fantasied about sailing away to some tropical paradise.

Now landlocked in Denver, I treasure my rare days at the beach, be it in California, Florida or Hawaii. And I'm so glad the Disney suits plan to bring a bit of Tahiti and the Terrace back to the Disneyland Hotel. When they do, you can be sure I will be there...

Japan Pavilion Expanded

The always great Vintage Disneyland Tickets blog has a wonderful post on the Japanese Village and Deer Park that once occupied land in Buena Park, California. This smaller park was not too far from Disneyland, but it was world's away from Walt's lands! Think of your favorite pavilion from World Showcase at Epcot. Now expand that into a full blown theme park!

It was almost an entire days worth of shows, exhibits, shopping and food. The folks that worked there were terrific. Just like at Epcot, they spent the time to really interact with guests, making a visit a delightful experience. I loved this place so much, it was instrumental in me choosing Japan as the destination of my first international trip.

Thanks, Tim, for rocking my world with a trip down memory lane!

Risky Love

In our day, Marriage is a risky choice- a courageously brave and difficult choice!

We live in a culture of short term commitments:
• Throwaway relationships and Disposable Marriages
• Employment that ends with the benefits don’t suit someone
• Facebook Friends we never see Face to Face

We can live our lives with the attitude of “What’s in it for me?”
We desire to live our lives without making promises.
The problem is- then no one makes promises to us!
All of which makes marriage the biggest gamble we take!

In the book of Ephesians, the Apostle Paul tells us husbands should love their wives as Jesus loved the church. But what exactly does that mean?

It means marriage is a choice of dying to our own preferences for the sake of our mate- doing this on a daily basis and holding to the promises we make on our wedding day.

When Jesus, by choice, chose to die on the cross to pay for the sins of Man, he was taking a huge risk. He knew some would not accept His Love and His Sacrifice. And the Enemy was against Him. But the pending reward of eternity with those who believed outweighed the risk. So, Jesus gave up his life because He loved His Father and he loved the people He created.

There will be times when keeping the promises will be impossible. The pain will be so deep, when the anger and fear seems impossible to bridge, when you totally forget why you even chose to marry and may regret your choice. Your friends and family may even encourage you to opt out of your promises, but this is when Love can win.

As you persevere in marriage and do so with a heart to sacrifice, your rewards will be great. God will use you to heal and bless each other- and to be a witness of His Love to a world that is dying. As you persevere, you will be transformed into the image of Christ- and you will bless your Heavenly Father by choosing obedience and sacrifice versus self indulgence!

Taking a Bite Out of Disney's Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom had better get going on something new! Crank up those Imagineers and loosen that budget! Zoos all over the country are taking giant leaps forward in making the experience for visitors much more like what it is at Walt Disney World. And to a large degree, they are successful. Disney's Animal Kingdom is the park most likely to suffer loss from the competition.

Case in point: The Denver Zoo. (But check out your own local zoos as well and see what they are planning! Or just search "zoo expansion" and watch the results.)

In the last couple of years, the powers that be have transformed this zoo into an amazing experience. First, a brand new entry plaza- totally first class in design and execution. Next, the newly revitalized Africa exhibit, which has been wildly successful and for good reason. The animal habitats really capture the landscape it duplicates. (My sister-in-law and her family went on an extensive three week safari, and I have seen their professional quality video and still photos.)

I couldn't believe what I was seeing when we toured last year. Very high quality exhibits and landscapes beautifully put together. The animal information was relayed in very unique ways, very reminiscent of what you would find at an Epcot pavilion.

Coming soon- the Asian Tropics area (Above. All the images can be enlarged). Now, with limited space compared to what is available for Disney in Florida, this won't be nearly as large as Animal Kingdom's Asia, but the animal exhibit space will compare well.

Take notice of the prayer flags in the rendering above. As with many zoos in the nation, theming is now an important part of the experience. Operators are going paw, hoof, and claw to toe with Disney, fighting for the tourist dollar.

Just as with Harry Potter's Forbidden Journey, Disney may discover that guests find many other ways to spend hard earned money, and as with California Adventure that the name Disney alone does not guarantee business. Tough lessons to be learned in a new and tougher economy.

Driving by the Denver Zoo this past weekend, the parking lot was almost full, and the lines to get in were quite lengthy. I am truly looking forward to going back this summer and definitely as soon as the Asia exhibit is complete. Chances are, I am not alone.

Why should Disney care and compete?

Let's look again at the zoo example. If Animal Kingdom is not a zoo, then it needs to add attractions to differentiate it from those zoos that are truly reinventing themselves into something Disneyesque. In a new market where local attractions are infusing cash and creativity with local bonds assisting (as in Denver), the ante has been raised significantly. The stakes as well! In addition, "Staycations", holidays where families remain at home exploring their own cities and those nearby, are increasing in popularity.

Unlike Disney's Hollywood Studios or even the Magic Kingdom, the suits do not have the luxury of a never ending supply of movies in which to form favorite characters and stories and translate these into experiences that will attract guests. I'd venture to say that Florida's Animal Kingdom is the most vulnerable to guest fluctuation and therefore decreased spending. If this park were a standalone Florida attraction, it would be in dire straits.

Finally, the Walt Disney World parks have grown a bit stagnant. Remaking El Rio del Tiempo into Gran Fiesta and the new (but honestly excellent) Nemo puppet show do not cause guests to book their return flight to Florida. Nor do new animal habitats. Nor do broken effects that are centerpieces of advertising!

How does Disney compete and differentiate Animal Kingdom from the local zoos? It takes stunning attractions that physically move you into the environments- like Expedition:Everest and Soarin'. These will keep visitors from spending their days elsewhere. This is where Disney shines! Showcasing Imagineering's best and brightest concepts brings in the crowds and keep them ahead of the competition.

If the teen wizard at Islands of Adventure teaches The Walt Disney Company anything, it may be that "good enough" no longer isn't. Thank you, Universal and Harry!
(Art copyright The Denver Zoo.)

Progress City, U.S.A.: Tim Delaney

Take a look at this great piece of art for Hong Kong Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean with a Splash Mountain ending. Ex-Imagineer Tim Delaney has just launched a website, and the always impressive Progress City, U.S.A. blog highlights his work with a terrific post.

Look closely at the site, and you'll find beautiful pieces on the stunning Discoveryland from Disneyland Paris as well. After viewing his work, it is all the more obvious that the suits killed the funds for California Adventure. Tim's pieces for the underfunded project are on his site as well. All said, you just have to go look for yourself. Thanks, Tangaroa and Beacon Joe for bringing this to our attention!
(Art copyright Tim Delaney and the Walt Disney Company.)

Big Troubles Ahead for Disney's Animal Kingdom?

Just finishing up a piece for tomorrow. It's a look at why Disney's Animal Kingdom is facing some fierce competition, why it is THE Disney park most susceptible to failure and what Disney must do to hold off the competition. Stay tuned!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company. Original image from the wonderful Disney and More blog!)

Directives from God Changed Our Lives

It's now 2016, and I buried this post deep in the blog as most people will never read it, but I hope that you, my children, will find it. Perhaps even long after I'm gone.

Some of you are still following Jesus, and I'm so thankful for that! Sometimes you may have doubted how personal the Creator of the universe is, whether or not He really interacts with the people He created. I write this for you. Just one example for you, although you could read my Bible, and look for dates marked next to verses that reveal God was making His word very personal. Or you could look in my personal files, and see I've kept written words people have given me. But here's a powerful memory not written down until now.

It was 1998, and your mother and I were overseeing the Week of Prayer at the church we were very involved with at the time. We were working with the children and happy to do so, but I did long to go into the last service for the remaining minutes of worship music. I snuck away.

Going into the sanctuary, I stood off to the side, letting the worship music have its impact. Minutes later, I found the worship leader- a man I had never met- had walked over to me. He put his hand on my shoulder saying these words: "God will make you a bridge between cultures". Your mother and I had no idea what this meant.

It wasn't until 2009 when I started to see this come to pass. If you remember, that year I went off on a foreign mission trip I did not want to go on. But I went out of obedience. The impact was so huge. My life changed forever. Two of you in the family experienced this trip with me and know its impact first hand. 

As of this writing- 10 trips later and 4 more in the planning stages- we've made many changes to our lives in order to be obedient to the Lord because of what He has done- starting with words spoken over me almost two decades ago. Even though its been hard, we have no regrets. Obedience to the Lord is its own reward. If your mother and I have pleased Him, that's all that matters. 

Live your lives the same way. In obedience to a very personal God who loves you. Jesus said He was the only way to the Father and an eternity in Heaven. He meant it. Don't settle for the things of this world when you can have the things of God. Now is so temporary compared to eternity.

Rainy Night

Another rainy night in Denver. But this one is different- it's my last Saturday night before I return to work after vacation. Yes, a bit blue I'd say, but thank God I am employed and doing what I love. Make sure you come back all this week for some new posts, ok? Thanks for reading!