King of the World: 5th Gate: The Other Side of The Tracks

The Other Side of the Tracks will be the Neighborhood that highlights some of Disney's villainous toons. Disney's baddies are very popular, so much so that some people want to give them their own park. I don't really buy into that idea, but I do think an area dedicated to some of the...gentler villains could work really well.

The first attraction is the Weasels' Wicked Wild Whip-Around! Guests will go on a wild car ride with the weasels as they escape from their latest caper. This would be very similar to Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, but themed with a city-scape as they travel between buildings.

Next up is Magica's Magical Seance where Scrooge McDuck's villainous rival Magica DeSpell attempts to speak to a passed spirit but only ends up conjuring every other spirit out there. Comedy and mayhem ensues until she is able to get everything back in order. I imagine this as a more advanced Tiki-Bird-type show.

Two of my favorite eatery ideas are in this Neighborhood. First is Ma Beagle's Bakery. If anyone has seen the TV show Duck Tales, or are familiar with the villainous Beagle Boys, they are probably aware of Ma Beagle. She is the loving matriarch of the gang known to send home-made baked goods to any of her boys who end up in the slammer. She likes to slip a surprise into her snacks, usually something to help her boys escape. The unique thing about Ma Beagle's bakery is that each item will come with a surprise souvenir inside for guests to bring home with them.

Finally, you have Peg-Leg Pete's Smokehouse. Pete the cat is known as the cigar chomping thorn in the Fab Five's side. Nothing says "smoking" like barbecue, so logically, Pete has a barbecue joint. Guests would be able to get classics like turkey legs and pork shanks from this classic hole-in-the-wall.

The Other Side of The Tracks would be a small corner of the park, dark and out of the way, but with the type of attractions people love.

Star Wars EU No More!

Disney and Lucasfilm announced this week a clarification of the future of Star Wars storytelling.  There were a lot of words in the press release, but basically, what it all boils down to is that from here on out, the old Star Wars Expanded Universe (the print stuff and video games) are no longer considered to be part of Star Wars continuity.  All that currently is in continuity are the films and the Clone Wars TV show.  In addition, they also announced that a new expanded universe will begin soon with four new novels coming out.  

Here is a link to an article explaining all of this:

http://www.blastr.com/2014-4-25/disney-announces-first-four-novels-new-star-wars-canon

So, here's the thing: people are pretty pissed about this and frankly, I don't get the frustration.  People are saying, "I've invested 30 years of my life into this and they are just going to abandon it?"  I'm saying, "of course they are!" 

The Expanded Universe created a very tight box for the filmmakers to work with. Were there some good stories in the EU?  Yes.  Some.  But none that could viably be adapted to the screen which means the Disney would need to write a new story that fit into 30 years of continuity.  That's a tough job.  On top of that, if they did write a film within the EU parameters, they would have been forced to either try to explain all of that to non-EU experts or leave those millions of people in the dark.  That wasn't about to happen.

People are saying Lucas have his stamp of approval to everything in the EU and considered it canon.  Yeah, ok.  He ignored all of the cloning tech and back story created in the Thrawn Trilogy when he made the prequels.  Lucas went out and created his own ideas without any regard for what was happening in the EU.

Frankly, Disney is doing the right thing.  They are going to keep all of the original EU in print under a separate brand as its own story.  Now they are going to tell their own story with a committee whose job it is to keep the continuity consistent.  

End rant.

Which Classic Disney Character Are You?

I love Buzzfeed quizzes.  Like, a lot.  I took this one this morning and got Chip! I was surprised by this answer so I am curious which character you got.  Let me know in the comments below!

http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/which-classic-disney-cartoon-character-are-you?bffb&s=mobile

King of the World: 5th Gate: The Waterfront

The third Neighborhood up for discussion is simply called The Waterfront. As you can guess, this is the dock area featuring fewer attractions but some other unique things to draw people to this part of the park.

First of all, I would like to start with Donald Duck's home. It is similar to all of the other homes we've discussed so far except that Donald's house is a boat. Guests can walk through before doing a meet-and-greet outside.

Across from Donald's would be Daisy's Diner, where guests can enjoy usual diner fare. This could be a good spot for character meals. I picture a typical (albeit larger) diner with counter seats, booths and even a jukebox featuring a variety of Disney songs. The ideal here would be to have that familiar feeling where everyone knows you and is happy to see you.

Next up would be the Import/Export Exchange, a large shopping complex comparable to the Emporium in the Magic Kingdom. It would be themed in the fashion of a dockside warehouse full of all sorts of exotic wares. Guests should be able to find whatever they need there, whether that be a Disney tee, a toy or plush of even an obscure character, a necessity like a poncho or umbrella, or even things one wouldn't expect to find at Disney like antiques or art pieces. If you can think of it, it should be there!

Neighboring the Import/Export would be something exciting (if you asked me): The McDuck Towers. Straddling the boarder if the park, McDuck Towers would be two tall, in-park, deluxe hotels connected by a common lobby and an enclosed causeway. Guests would be given the benefit of a private entrance into the park as well as the best, closest park views of any hotel on property. It would have a signature restaurant as well as a rooftop lounge, each on a respective roof. The restaurant and lounge would not be accessible from the park.

Back in the park, we have the only "ride" attraction in this area, Baloo's Seaplanes which would be based upon the TaleSpin TV show. Picture the Dumbo ride, but instead of elephants, the Guests ride around in seaplanes. The special feature of this ride is it's proximity to the water and that the planes would swoop and soar over the bay!

Finally, there will be a lounge--the only one in the park-- called Louie's Lounge, based upon Baloo's favorite watering hole and fueling station from TaleSpin. Dressed all shabby and worn down, this lounge would be a well broken-in place, comfortable and easy. 

I think the key to this Neighborhood is the comfort level the Guests will have here. The Waterfront should feel lived in, like it has been there for quite a while. As there is really only one ride, the store and eateries need to really stand out which I think they would. 

King of the World: 5th Gate: Spoonerville

The second Neighborhood in Toon Town would be Spoonerville. This one is a bit obscure, as it comes straight out of the Goof Troop TV show and movies. Goofy is classic, though, so I see no reason why he shouldn't have a land where he is the centerpiece.

As such, the first attraction would be Goofy's House, a walk-through like Mickey's and Minnie's houses, respectively. It would also be a meet-and greet for Goofy and his son from the show, Max.

The big weenie (as Walt would have called it) in this part of the park would be the Goofy's Candy Co. Factory. Goofy's Candy Co. is the Disney brand of candy that you can purchase throughout all of Walt Disney World (and all the other Disney parks, I would imagine) and so it would make sense that that candy is made somewhere. The attraction would be a dark ride tour of the factory and follow a storyline like the classic Goofy cartoons which "teach" people how to do various things (like play baseball or football). It could also feature homages to other classic candy scenes like from I Love Lucy or Willy Wonka. 

The second attraction in this Neighborhood would be Dippy Dog's Joust. Dippy Dog was Goofy's original name when he was first introduced. In one of his early cartoons, Dippy Dog had to face Mickey Mouse in a medieval confrontation for the love of Minnie Mouse. Carrying on that idea, this would be a "dueling" roller coaster as I call it. It would feature two tracks which eventually cross past each other like knights in the joust. 

And of course there would be food! It would be one quick-serve restaurant like a creamy stand from the northeast. One side would be food (like hot dogs and such) and the other side would have soft serve ice cream. You could call it Dippy's Dawgs and incorporate both the hot dog theme and the ice cream dip.

Last, but certainly not least, would be the Spoonerville Train Station accommodating Spoonerville and neighboring Mouseville.

This little corner of the park would celebrate the rich and varied history of Goofy, one of the Fab Five, and give families some thrills and humor. Accompany that with some good ol' American food and you have yourself a good time.

A Review of Cars

The "Cars" brand is the fourth most lucrative in the world, or so I've read. I believe, too. Two "Cars" movies with a third on the way, a "Planes" movie with another on the way, a dedicated land at Disneyland, a featured area at a Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, toys, games, and countless shirts, shoes, socks, underoos and other apparel. Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater can be seen anywhere you turn. Kids everywhere love Cars and everything about it, so I thought I ought to watch the movie and see what the big deal was all about.

I signed up for My Disney Rewards a couple months back and registered a couple DVDs I had around the house. In doing so, I qualified for a free DVD so I picked Cars so I could give it a look-see. Overall, I thought it was pretty good.

The story was nothing spectacular, but I am far from the target audience and went in knowing I wasn't watching Citizen Kane. I will say that if my 8-10 year-old self had been the one watching Cars, I would have thought it was wicked sweet! It was big, it was bright, it was loud, it was everything a little kid could want in a film!

The animation was Pixar's standard brilliance. Some of the colors seemed to explode off the screen and the landscaping was stunning. The cars themselves moved fluidly and "naturally". Everything you would expect from Pixar.

Characters in the movie were pretty stock and simple, but still fun and entertaining.

I can say that I enjoyed Cars, but I wouldn't say that I loved it. Pixar has set a high standard when it comes to gravitas and emotion which Cars failed to reach. That's not to say it was disappointing, just different, which for some, that might even be a good thing.

King of the World: 5th Gate: Mouseville

The first of "Neighborhood" in Duckburg that I want to talk about is Mouseville, home of everyone's favorite rodent, Mickey Mouse!

Speaking of Mickey, he and Minnie would be the stars of the first couple attractions, those being their individual residences. I picture fun walk-through attractions, like the ones from Toon Town Fair, filled with hidden treasures for ardent fans to find. I also see these as meet-and-greet areas for the characters.

The next attraction would harken back to before even Mickey's time. A few years ago, the Disney Company was able to re-acquire the character Oswald the Bunny who was a character that was originally created by Disney to star in shorts for Universal way back in the day. I figure, if you have him, use him! 

One classic Oswald skit involves Oswald having an adventure on a construction site. Kids love construction equipment and Disney, so let's combine the two. I imagine a play area filled with cartoony construction equipment (bulldozers, trucks, etc) for kids to climb in and around. There could be picnic tables for families to eat on or for adults to sit while the little ones burn off some energy.

The "big" attraction in this area would feature two other old-school Disney characters: Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow. I call it Horace and Clarabelle's Hayride Adventure! Picture The Jungle Cruise, but on a farm! Not do much? To quote Tim Foster, "go with me here." It would be a hay ride (sans actual hay) and would bring Guests through various farm scenes: some pigs singing in the mud, cows gossiping in a field, a bull chasing a farmer around, etc. I think it could be a great deal of silly fun which could be enjoyed by the whole family. It could also be an opportunity for Cast Members to interact with guests in a fashion similar to The Jungle Cruise.

Of course there are going to be places to eat in Mouseville! First off would be Chip and Dale's Nut Cart. Here I picture of if those classic carts you see outside of baseball games sell peanuts, pistachios, hot pretzels! A nice protein snack to get through a busy Disney day.

Looking for something a bit nicer? Alright, how about Remy's? Straight out of Rattatouille, Remy's would be a sit-down restaurant themed like a French bistro, but one you might see in small-town U.S.A. Make sense? Let me try to clarify: you know how many small towns have swanky restaurants that feel...not quite out of place, but more like...fancier than one might expect for that town? That is how I picture Remy's.

Mouseville would be a laid back kinda country Neighborhood. A place where a family could go to get away from the hustle and bustle and catch their breath, all the while experiencing a history of Disney animation (Oswald->Horace/Clarabelle->Mickey/Minnie->Chip and Dale->Remy) in a nice, subtle way.

King of the World: the Fifth Gate

For a long time, there has been talk of a fifth park at Walt Disney World. 

Unfortunately, most of the whispers you hear tend to be pretty narrow, focussing on one target audience. This, however, is pretty problematic as it specifically going against Walt's dream of a place where families can have fun together.

But, I have an idea. It's a park where a kid can be a kid, an adult can be a kid, big kids can get their thrills, and families can really have fun together. It features a theme which is immensely Disney, able to explore both classic characters and new ones.

It would be Toon Town. Yes, I know, that isn't an original idea. In fact, there already is a Toon Town in Disneyland, however, this would be much grander. Not just a Toon "Town" but a Toon CITY; Duckburg, to be precise, complete with suburbs, docks, schools, municipal buildings, and train stations.

I picture a fully functional city. You'll have a mayor, police officers, fire fighters, everything! Shops, restaurants, factories, you name it, it will be there.

So, where's the fun, you ask? Everywhere! These are toons, everything they do is fun!

There would be six "Neighborhoods": Downtown Duckburg, Duckburg University, Mouseville, The Waterfront, Spoonerville, and the Other Side of the Tracks. Like any cartoon, these will be vivid, colorful areas each their own with separate themes and stories. Guests will be entertained with various attractions aimed at exploring the fun world of Disney cartoons.

In future posts, I will explore each Neighborhood individually and show what stories I would tell through them.