Tangled Lanterns Hit Small World

All I can say is "It's about time!" Tangled is one great Disney film- and it is long overdue for representation in the parks, worthy of more than just another character meet and greet. This Rapunzel tale should be a dark ride at the very least. For now, making its most famous and beautiful scene as part of Disneyland and Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom show "The Magic, the Memories, and You!" is a good thing. But it's not enough. Don't you agree?

Speaking of dark rides, on Monday, February 6th, I'll debut the first of hopefully many articles about them. The Disney Dark Ride series begins then. We'll start with Peter Pan's Flight. See you real soon!

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Real Freedom

Some seasons grieve you, and some seasons bring rejoicing. After being at Calvary Chapel on Sunday, I am reminded of my freedom in Christ regardless of the season. Thank you, Jesus, for paying the price for my sin and setting me free!

Notable and Quotable: Francis Chan

"For some reason, we don't think we need the Holy Spirit. We don't expect the Holy Spirit to act. Or if we do, our expectations are often misguided or self-serving. Given our talent set, experience, and education, many of us are fairly capable of living rather successfully (according to the world's standards) without any strength from the Holy Spirit. Even our church growth can happen without Him. Let's be honest: If you combine a charismatic speaker, a talented worship band, and some hip, creative events, people will attend your church. Yet this doesn't mean the Holy Spirit of God is actively working and moving in the lives of the people who are coming. It simply means you have created a space that is appealing enough to draw people in for an hour or two on Sunday."

Francis Chan, in his book Forgotten God

Houston, Sparks, and Sparkle

Now here is an interesting pairing. Whitney Houston, the gal with the once golden voice, partners up with American Idol's Jordin Sparks to remake the 1976 film Sparkle that starred Irene Cara. Should be very, very interesting to see if there is any kind of return to greatness from Ms. Houston. Will she really play the hard working maid? Can she hold up to fresh faced and voiced Sparks? And will Sparks sell out her convictions on the big screen? I hope not...

Settling Catan

Why can I not stop playing this game????

It's a Beauty in 3D

The allure of 3D films is a contradiction in terms. I much prefer 2D and the old school way of telling the story. However, when I realized Disney was releasing Beauty and the Beast in 3D, I just had to go.

Beauty is my all-time favorite Disney film, with The Little Mermaid right behind it. Like Glen Keane, my heart resonates with the Beast, and I too know the power of Love's transformation. It is such a highly personal film for me, you would think I was involved in its creation.

Knowing Beauty was arriving with a new Disney favorite, a Tangled based short, made a night to see both all the more enticing.

It was a quiet Wednesday night, and we were the only ones in the theater. Not a bad setting for a date- and a chance to view the film as only a true lover of it could.

Yes, go see it for the Tangled mini movie. The whole concept is pretty clever, and it is great fun to see Rapunzel, Eugene, and the rest of the crew back in action. In spite of all the film's charms, nothing can hold a candle- not even Lumiere- to the 3D treat that is Beauty and the Beast.

No, I won't spoil it for you, but I will say by the end of the film you'll be itching to explore Beast's castle and the West Wing in particular at the Magic Kingdom's new Fantasyland. Now, I really cannot wait for it to open...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

New Carsland and Radiator Springs Racers Image

Radiator Springs Racers looks fantastic, doesn't it? Love the waterfalls and all. Makes me want to rush to California Adventure on the opening day of Cars Land. Let's just hope all the effects stay running and the attraction doesn't turn into another Expedition: Everest at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

The Night Owl Strikes Again

What do you get when you combine a Chipotle burrito, too much Diet Coke, career changes, family news of great importance, and thoughts of how to complete article number one of my long overdue "Disney Dark Ride" series? A 2:00am wake-up call that never goes back to the snooze setting.

My Thursday Night Addiction

Just a quick word of thanks to Mint Crocodile and the Magic Eye blog for his weekly photo updates. Being in Colorado, I sure look forward to seeing what I can't see in person. Is it just me or does Cars Land look to be one of the smashes at the Disneyland Resort?

(Photo copyright Mint Crocodile.)

And I'm Stuck Home in Denver...

My nephew is in Belize, (while my folks are in the Bahamas), enjoying some sun and sand. I like where I live- even sometimes during winter if it is mild like today- but c'mon, this place looks hard to beat!

Disneyland's Summer of 1969

You just have to love Vintage Disneyland Tickets! Blogmaster Tim does an incredibly great job of finding undiscovered gems both from the Walt Disney Company's own artists and Imagineers and from outside sources such as old magazines and newspapers.

Today's post on the site shows one of my favorite things about his blog: old Disneyland guide books and maps. Here, the summer of '69 shines brightly. Go here to see the entire guide. It's enough to make Bryan Adams sing...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Imagineering By Heart

Be it Disneyland, Walt Disney World, or any of the international parks such as Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland, Imagineers from the Walt Disney Company put their heart and soul into the work they do.

Above is a terrific piece of concept art by Tony Baxter for the original idea for the Land pavilion at Epcot. It's not what was finally built, but you can sure see the inspiration for the Imagination building in it. (And Tony needs his own site, don't you think?)

I've compiled a list below of some Imagineers' websites, those both past and present. And one of a man who should be: Eric Scales. Click on each one, and you'll be delighted by the discoveries awaiting you. It will whet your appetite for what the guys and gals have planned for Shanghai Disneyland!

Don Carson
Tim Delaney
Hani D. El-Masri
Mark Hickson
John Horny
Maggie Parr
Eric Scales
Eddie Sotto
Julie Svendsen

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Needed: One Little Spark

One little spark of inspiration. That may be all that's missing from Epcot these days. It is certainly easy to come up with ideas for restaurant and bar expansion for the countries of World Showcase, but the state of Future World is dismal. And that is up with the lack of new attractions for World Showcase anyway? Corporate sponsorships. Or lack thereof. No excuse in my book. The customer is king... or should be.

Let's whip up a little excitement by giving the paying guests some new adventures with Figment and Dreamfinder. Then, let's turn over the rest of Epcot to Imagineer Tony Baxter. He has a proven track record in creating amazing attractions. The whole place needs someone with a fresh outlook. And no more video screens please.

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Goodbye My Friend

It's almost two weeks now since I learned of the news. One of my oldest and dearest friends passed away unexpectedly. Twenty-nine years is a lot of relationship. I'm still sort of numb as this wasn't something I saw coming.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing at his memorial service. Below is what I will say. To honor him will be an easy thing. To not see him this side of heaven will not. Thanks for everything, Hal.

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We’ve heard from several people about Hal and his history with them. Thank you all for sharing from your heart.

I could add my own memories as well. Hal and his family have been our friends for 29 years, so we have almost 3 decades of relationship to tell stories from.

It’s clear by looking around this room that Hal enjoyed different relationships with different people:

• Father and Husband
• Brother and Friend
• Pastor and Confidant

But Hal is most importantly defined as “Child of God”.

His son has asked that I share Hal’s favorite piece of the Bible. So, I am going to read it.

It’s from the Apostle Paul’s writing to the Christians in Rome.
I’ll begin in Chapter 8, verse 28.

Romans 8:28 – 39
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God is FOR us, make no mistake!
In our world, sometimes Christians only focus on God’s coming judgment, our sin, and an eternity in Hell for all those who reject Him. That’s all true BUT…
But God is FOR us- and that’s a good thing!

And here is the story Hal liked to tell most of all:

In His great Mercy towards us, He sent Jesus Christ to pay the death penalty for our crimes, our sin, those actions and thoughts that break His heart, go against His wishes.

IN OUR PLACE, Jesus paid the price and saved all those who would turn to Him and away from their old lives. On the cross, Jesus paid, our penalty of Eternal Death in Hell. Because of this, we can live for eternity in Heaven with Him.

And that is where Hal is now. In the arms of Jesus Christ. Because Hal chose to embrace Jesus wholeheartedly as His Savior, His King, as God Eternal.

WHO or what could separate Hal from Jesus?
The Scripture here clearly says “No One!”

• Diabetes didn’t separate Hal from Jesus
• Cancer didn’t separate Hal from Jesus
• 911 didn’t separate Hal from Jesus
• Difficulties in Life didn’t separate Hal from Jesus!
• His own Sin didn’t separate Hal from Jesus

In fact, Let Me Remind You- We’re not here because Hal no longer exists! We’re here because Hal is now spending His eternity in Heaven with the God Made Man, the one he loved with all his heart! We’ll miss him here, but we can rejoice!

Let’s reread those last two verses, for these were Hal’s favorite verses in all of the Bible. Verses he clung to in times good and bad:

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

It is Hal’s prayer and it is Hal’s heart, that his friends and family would come to trust in Jesus- the only one who we can really trust with our lives.

Thank you for joining us today to celebrate Hal’s life.
You all were precious to him!

Heigl Pines for Grey's Anatomy

Reports are coming in that television and movie star Katherine Heigl has asked the producers to return her to the show that made her famous, Grey's Anatomy. Let me go the record as saying, I'm all for it! The original cast was my favorite incarnation of the show. OK, I do like Kevin McKidd's gutsy Owen, but the moving on of so many original characters made for a far lesser show. So, if Katherine can graciously return into the mix, let it be.