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Bring to Walt Disney World: The Hyperloop

wdw-hyperloop-pods

This week crazy-like-a-fox billionaire businessman Elon Musk introduced his latest revolutionary concept, the Hyperloop, and then gave it away to the masses as an open source project. Musk’s previous successes include Paypal (without which much online transactions wouldn’t happen), Tesla (an electric car company that’s profitable for a change), SpaceX (a private company that is helping NASA get payloads into space with an eventual goal of Mars(!)), and SolarCity (affordable solar panels for home and business; It remains to be seen if this will fall into the success category, but it seems likely with a net positive in the profit column last quarter).

Hollywood director Jon Favreau has said he modeled his version of Tony Stark, aka Marvel’s Iron Man, at least in part after Musk. But I think Tony Stark is the wrong model. Musk reminds me more of late period Walt Disney, when Walt had his eye on the future, not just of entertainment and the Disney Company, but of the planet as a whole and improving the lives of those who live on it. His gained steam with Monorails (mass transit), moved onto PeopleMovers (person rapid transit (PRT)), and dabbled in energy efficiency and recycling. Then Walt united all his theories and took on the mother of all urban planning projects – EPCOT, the experimental prototype community of tomorrow. With EPCOT, Walt wanted to build a working community where he could partner with industrial explorers with a similar vision for the future.

That is essentially the same vision as Elon Musk; which is why I think there is a natural partnership between Musk, his companies, and The Walt Disney Company. To get started, create the partnership for the purposes of building a working prototype of the Hyperloop at Walt Disney World. Musk, or his team, would be involved enough to oversee things, but most of the R&D would be left to Walt Disney Imagineering. The resulting prototype would be a great first step to making a full scale Hyperloop a feasible project to get past local and state governments.

Disney’s Imagineers already have much of the expertise needed to build such a system. They have experience with air-bearings (from the Flying Saucers ride in 60s to the revisited version at DCA), mass transit systems (Monorail, PeopleMover, etc.) and for years they used a garbage disposal system at the Magic Kingdom that magically whisked away trash right from the curb side down an air pressure driven pipe. They also have good contacts in the coaster and mass transit construction industries, so finding suppliers would not be difficult. Read More »Bring to Walt Disney World: The Hyperloop

D23 Expo: Live Action Movies from Marvel and Disney

live-action-films

Disney’s box office calendar for the next few years has already been announced, but many projects lacked details. At D23 Expo we began to get some of the important details we’ve all been waiting for. Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, and Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, presented overviews of the upcoming Marvel Studios and Disney live action slates.

A recap of the presentation follows:

ANTHONY HOPKINS, NATALIE PORTMAN, TOM HIDDLESTON, KEVIN FEIGE (PRESIDENT, MARVEL STUDIOS)

  • Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” thundered into D23 with an introduction by its producer, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige, who then introduced stars Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston and Anthony Hopkins to the excited crowd.

Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself.  In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness.  Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.

Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Christopher Eccleston, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano and Jaimie Alexander with Rene Russo and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” is directed by Alan Taylor, produced by Kevin Feige, p.g.a., from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat and screenplay by Christopher L. Yost and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, and is based on Marvel’s classic Super Hero Thor, who first appeared in the comic book “Journey into Mystery “ #83 in August, 1962. The film releases November 8, 2013.Read More »D23 Expo: Live Action Movies from Marvel and Disney

“Get A Horse!” Animation Short Art Released

Walt Disney Animation Studios has just shared two animation cells from the never-before-seen Mickey Mouse short “Get A Horse!” There was some mystery about this black-and-white, hand-drawn short. We’re told it features Walt Disney himself as the voice of Mickey Mouse. but the providence of… Read More »“Get A Horse!” Animation Short Art Released

Saving Mr Banks

Saving Mr. Banks: The Poster

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This just might be the greatest Disney movie poster ever. Seriously, doesn’t this just give you goosebumps (mousebumps)? Saving Mr. Banks opens December 2013. Photo

Saving Mr. Banks First Trailer

SAVING MR. BANKS

Yesterday we got the first glimpse of Tom Hanks as Walt Disney in Saving Mr Banks and now the new trailer is available.


Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.Read More »Saving Mr. Banks First Trailer

First Look: Tom Hanks in Character as Walt

Disney released this first still from Saving Mr. Banks earlier today, showing Tom Hanks playing Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. The pair appear to be at Disneyland. The film, which opens in select theatres on December 13, follows Walt’s struggle… Read More »First Look: Tom Hanks in Character as Walt

Happy Independence Day Holiday

Wishing a safe and enjoyable Independence Day holiday weekend to all of Walt’s fans! Thanks to him, there’s a love of Americana in all of us!

Behind the Tiki Bar at Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room

Although Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room was originally sponsored by United Airlines, in 1973 the sponsorship was taken over by Dole. This brought the addition of Dole Pineapple flavored treats to the little bar in front of the attraction. So, as the Tiki Room celebrates… Read More »Behind the Tiki Bar at Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room