Did you know there was a working barber shop inside the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World? The Harmony Barber Shop was first located on the old Center Street end of the Emporium, but when that was enclosed and turned into more retail space, the… Read More »Harmony Barber Shop at Magic Kingdom prepares for major refurbishment
One thing Disney theme park fans love to complain about is decision by spreadsheet (or as Disney author Kevin Yee famously says “declining by degrees”). The idea that there’s someone backstage with a formula and a red pen saying, you have to cut, cut, cut because some random number wasn’t met and you end up with death of the guest experience by a thousand small cuts instead of one or two large ones. Like a frog in a pot of water, by the time you notice the end is near, it’s too late to jump out.
Wielding the spreadsheet is the moment when Disney is most like a business and least like something magical. Erin Wallace, executive vice president of operations strategy, planning, and revenue management for Walt Disney Parks and resorts, was in charge of that whole process. As such, she often became the subject of flames from the fans.
Whether Wallace deserved those critiques or not, is an open question. She answered to someone (for a long time the also departing Meg Crofton and more recently Parks chair Tom Staggs) and was subject to meeting the overall goals of the company. The company is doing remarkably well right now, but how will it work in the long term, well that remains to be seen.Read More »Disney Parks operations executive Erin Wallace departs
“Strange Magic” is a new children’s animated musical. The movie is filled with fairies and elves, bright colors and magic along with dozens of familiar songs. Another familiarity is the face that brought you Strange Magic, George Lucas. A face not exactly associated with musicals or fairies, though still the man behind the film.
The lack of association however is justified. Lucas stated that for Strange Magic he was hoping to return to a past film of his, American Graffiti. Despite his intention, Strange Magic is still not a film you would expect Lucas to have created, nor would you want him to attempt again.
Strange Magic relies heavily on the strange and little on the magic. The film itself is gorgeous, with detailed and elaborate animation that gives a surreal life like quality to the environments and the characters. Each location in the film has specific designs that make it uniquely their own within the film and for the genre in general. If only the rest of the film had received the same loving attention.
The film is a musical intended for children, so the expectations for the plot began low, and stayed low throughout the course of the film. There are lovely moments tied to the main plot of the film, such as minor character arcs or morals the film wishes to tell. Overall however, the plot is generic for a children’s movie and would have been decently pleasant.
Had it not been for all of the music.Read More »Lucasfilm’s Strange Magic Review – Heavy on the Strange, Light on the Magic
from Instagram: New two-sided Anna and Elsa Frozen Mickey Mouse ears. Perfect for Disney fans who alternate personalities. I saw these at the Magic Kingdom, but they’re also, at other parks too.
There is something about the fun retro feel of 8-bit (or in this case 16-bit) video games. The latest craze is recreating modern movies (or movie trailers) as if they were pixelated video game and the latest target of the trend is “Star Wars: The… Read More »8-Bit Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer is Retro Fun
Two of Marvel’s big screen super heroes are on opposite sides of the field, at least when it comes to NFL’s biggest game of the year, the Super Bowl. Chris Pratt, who plays Peter Quil (aka Star Lord) in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Chris… Read More »Two Marvel Super Heroes make Super Bowl Bet
Fun Spot America and Gatorland, two of Central Florida’s most beloved attractions, are teaming up to open Gator Spot, a new attraction that will bring some of Gatorland’s world famous animals to the International Drive tourism district in Orlando.
Here are highlights from the ground breaking ceremony
Gator Spot will be 15,000 square feet of unique central Florida fun. It will features the rarest of white alligators, the leucistic gator (not albino), along with pools of Florida Alligators and Crocodiles. As at the original Gatorland, there will be up-close encounters and photo opportunities as well.
“The Gator Spot at Fun Spot America Theme Parks is estimated to cost more than $1 million and will be the only location on I-Drive to showcase alligators up to 12 feet,” said a statement. Those are some of Gatorland’s largest gators.Read More »Fun Spot America welcomes Gatorland Attraction to International Drive Location
It’s like the B-movie villain that just won’t die, Disneyland just can’t escape the clutches of the Measles outbreak. It started in late December when a guest who carried the disease visited the park. Since then, dozens of cases have popped up tied to that… Read More »Disneyland Measles Outbreak Spreads to Cast Members