King of the World: Hollywood Studios Addendum

With all of the rumors going around about the American Idol Experience and Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular at Disney Hollywood Studios, I have been thinking a lot about my two previous blog entries on what I would do to fix things.

First part: http://notestowalt.blogspot.com/2014/03/king-of-world-disney-hollywood-studios.html?m=1

Second Part: http://notestowalt.blogspot.com/2014/03/king-of-world-disney-hollywood-studios_10.html?m=1

Well, after some thought, I now feel this type of reorganization and re theming is a must at the studios. Why? Because it fits the current business plan for the parks, namely, synergy. If they were to theme each land in the Studios after on of their studios, then they instantly have an interactive area to promote new films.

New Star Wars film coming out? Head on over to Lucasfilm where you can meet the star of the day from that film. New Pixar film? Head over to Pixar Place where you can get your photo taken with the main character. Get the point?

The possibilities are endless! Any film from any Disney studio could be marketed and promoted right there naturally without the hassle of awkward theming. Plus, with the idea of a character or actor of the day tied directly to whatever film is being promoted, Disney can provide something guests want (fresh interactions) with a classic concept harkening back to the early days of the Studios. 

Overall, I feel confident that the core concept--re theming the Studios with lands based around each of Disney's film studios--would be just the shot in the arm DHS needs, all while maintaining the business model Disney seems to be after.

My Maleficent Review (SPOILERS)

SPOILERS! You've been warned!

Oh, "Maleficent". You raised all of our hopes: FINALLY Disney was going to give us a dark film, delving into the heart and soul of one of it's most malevolent villains. Why, oh, why did this twisted fairy wish such ill will upon the Princess Aurora and her parents? Here, we were to get those answers.

And answers we got, yes indeed. However, in order to truly enjoy "Maleficent," one had to be sure to remove his or her "Sleeping Beauty" lenses. To compare the two films--with their generation and stylistic differences--would be unfair. I can hear you now: "Why would it be unfair? One uses the other as source material and the characters are the same." To that I say, "read on!"

As I've said, "Maleficent" is based upon Disney's 1959 classic "Sleeping Beauty" about a young princess who is cursed at her official announcement ceremony by a wicked fairy (http://m.imdb.com/title/tt0053285/). "Maleficent" is billed as said wicked fairy's side of the story. Right off the bat, the audience is told this isn't the story we have heard before and, MAN, they weren't lying!

Through the story, we see Malevolent as a curious, loving young fairy, fall in love, grow to be a fierce warrior, be betrayed, and have her heart turn cold and vengeful--and that's just the first twenty minutes. Personally, I think more time could have been spent here, on the title character's backstory. Several aspects felt as if they came very quickly, like the emotions involved didn't have time to fully evolve and therefore lost their weight. With a running time of ninety-eight minutes, I think another five or ten could have been used here without hurting the film's pacing.

The whole backstory culminated with "the scene": the announcement ceremony at which Maleficent, twisted with anger and jealousy, curses the young princess Aurora. Large chunks or this scene seemed to be lifted word for word from the animated predecessor, all to the benefit of the film. This was clearly the most important scene for the filmmakers as it brought tied the audience in and told them "here is where the real story begins." What is interesting, is that one slight change was made to the wording of the curse which foreshadowed the softer version of Maleficent this movie portrayed.

The story goes on and we see Aurora growing up through the spying, ever-watchful eyes of Maleficent. That's right, huge change there, as in the source film, Maleficent spends sixteen years searching for the princess to no avail. And, not only does Maleficent keep watch over Aurora, she makes efforts to protect her. The two eventually even become friends. This was tough for me to swallow. In "Sleeping Beauty," Maleficent's goal in life was to destroy King Stephan and his family, and here she is in "Maleficent" being a guardian angel for Aurora. Something about it sat sourly in my stomach.

Frankly, most everything after this point sat sourly in my stomach. Here is where I thought the poor choices the filmmakers made really caught up with them. Certain things I was very excited to see didn't come to fruition because if said choices (the dragon). Other things which were necessary to the story seemed frivolous because of those choices (Prince Phillip). However, one decision they made (the kiss) was perfect FOR THE STORY THAT WAS TOLD. Clearly, someone high up on the Disney ladder has made a great decision about the future of Disney Princesses and it should be applauded--the message is getting out!

In the end, the hero saves the day, evil is vanquished and everyone lives happily ever after in a way completely and utterly different from the original "Sleeping Beauty." 

Overall, "Maleficent" was a good movie. The acting wasn't anything spectacular with the exception of Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. This was her movie and she reveled in it. Clearly, Maleficent represented that strong womanly character Jolie has been searching for in films like "Tomb Raider" and "Wanted," both of which failed to hit the mark. Maleficent hit the nail on the head, showing a strong woman who is loving and caring while at the same time powerful, vulnerable, and flawed. Fantastic work.

Here is my problem: this film didn't have to be called "Maleficent". It didn't have to be about Maleficent. They could have made a film about a fallen fairy out to fix the wrongs she has inflicted upon the world without using pre-existing characters. Instead, by choosing to use the "Sleeping Beauty" characters, the filmmakers open themselves up to criticism and fan scorn. Yes, we think we know the story and are therefore surprised when things don't turn out as expected, but doing that makes the ending feel hollow. I think I would have been more satisfied with all new characters and a similar story (dropping all the "Sleeping Beauty" references) than I was with what I received from "Maleficent." I will concede, though, that the name helped get me into the theater, so ultimately, I get why it was done.

I'd say, go see "Maleficent". You'll be entertained for a couple hours and hopefully your sons and daughters will come out believing true love does exist.

WDW Radio: Podcast Features #1

I've said it before (though not here) and I'll say it again (probably here) that my headphones are the only thing keeping me from losing my mind at work. Typically I'm not listening to music, but instead, I enjoy audiobooks and podcasts. Outside of Mugglenet Academia and Star Talk Radio, my podcast playlist consists of shows centered around love for Walt Disney World.

These podcasts helped inspire me to write this blog so, I thought I would do a series of features on various podcasts that I listen to and tell you how each stands out.

So, where should I start? I was thinking I should start with a feature in the podcast that got me started in my podcast craze: WDW Radio. 

WDW Radio is hosted by Lou Mongello, a former lawyer and IT director from New Jersey who decided to pursue his passion and love for Walt Disney and share it with the world. He started by writing two volumes of Walt Disney trivia before getting into podcasting. Since then, WDW Radio has become one of the most popular podcasts on the web and has been awarded the best travel podcast award every year since 2006.

What sets WDW Radio apart from the rest of the pack, is Lou's honest passion and desire to get as much helpful information into his podcast, as possible. Through his own personal knowledge, as well as a wide variety of special guests, Lou has helped teach people about ways to save money at WDW, what to do if you have special needs, various aspects of the park and greater Disney history, and any other question one may have.

However, WDW Radio is not just a stream if facts, oh no. Lou keeps things light and entertaining through fun segments like "Top 10 with Tim Foster", e-mail segments with travel expert Beci Mahnken, and walk arounds with Disney historian Jim Korkiss. All of this is enhanced by Lou's affable personality which shines whenever he is talking to a guest, whether they be reoccurring or a one-timer.

But that isn't enough for Lou. He takes things to a new level with his Dream Team Project, a charitable organization he runs to raise funds to bring children with terminal conditions and their families to Disney through the Male-a-Wish Foundation. Lou frequently run auctions or other projects to achieve these goals and uses WDW Radio to both promote and explain these wonderful endeavors.

All-in-all, WDW Radio is everything if sets out to be: entertaining, engaging, and informative. If you love Walt Disney World or are planning a trip there, I can't recommend WDW Radio enough.

www.wdwradio.com

King of the World: A Frozen Resort

I read a tweet the other day (follow me @notestowalt) asking the twitter-verse what they would do if they were an Imagineer and were tasked with making a "Frozen"-themed attraction. My mind raced to the rejected dark, boat ride themed after the Snow Queen called " The Enchanted Snow Palace" thought up by Marc Davis (http://mobile.dudamobile.com/site/jimhillmedia?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjimhillmedia.com%2Feditor_in_chief1%2Fb%2Fjim_hill%2Farchive%2F2013%2F01%2F03%2Ftitle.aspx#3122).

But then my mind started drifting and I started thinking about Disney's proposed Mineral King Resort, a development based in the Mineral King Valley of California. The resort was centered around skiing, nature activities, and shopping areas. Ultimately, the park was scrapped due to conservationalists' protests over the resorts potential impact on Sequoia National Park (http://www.yesterland.com/mineralking.html). My thinking is, why not try again, some place else?

I'm picturing a large ski resort in Colorado themed around the kingdom of Arendelle, with Elsa's castle as the centerpiece (the non-ice-crystal one). Various attractions themed around winter concepts would be found around the castle. Attractions like the "Enchanted Snow Palace" ride (imagined using Frozen characters), a bob-sled roller-coaster aka the Matterhorn, figure skating demonstrations, and a tea-cup-like ride featuring ice cubes spinning around on a sheet of ice, and the "Snowmen Serenade," among other attractions. Families could play together here as they would in the Magic Kingdom. However, I should say that I do not picture this "Frozen Kingdom" to be the same size as any of the other parks as this would be intended for people staying at the resort, not day visitors.

To one side of this play district, the town could feature shopping districts with a wide variety of shops and outlets. Imagine a place similar to Downtown Disney, but with a greater focus on stores. While all of the wonderful stores that can be found at DD would be here, I can also see more common outlet-style shops here.

To the other side of the play district, the greater town area would feature a water park in a manner similar to Blizzard Beach with lazy rivers, water slides, and wave pools. This would help attract families during the off-season when skiing is unavailable.

Behind the town would be one large, grand hotel which could feature a variety of amenities.  Various room sizes and capabilities would allow Disney to make this large hotel cover price ranges from value all the way up to deluxe in one facility.

Around the town could be nature walk spaces for hiking, horseback riding, and campgrounds. People would be able to appreciate the nature of the landscape away from the park areas.

When winter sets in, the resort could become a full-fledge ski resort catering to families looking for an all-encompassing resort with several ski-runs, spas, hot tubs, shopping, and several of the in-door attractions from the summer season.

All of this is right from the top of my head and heavily inspired by other ideas like Mineral King and the "Enchanted Snow Palace" but I still believe a Disney-themed winter resort could work and what better way to theme it than with the Mega-hit Frozen?