If the Sherman Brothers taught us anything in It’s a Small World, it’s that there is just one moon and one golden sun. And a smile means friendship to everyone unless you’re a mentally unstable Batman villain or a crocodile. But will someone please call the fire department? I don’t mean to cause any panic, […]
Disney Theme Park Hidden Secrets
Walt Disney: Junior Time Traveller
Disney California Adventure is sort of like an alcoholic that has managed to stay sober for over a year now. We’re all very proud. Doesn’t mean we trust it to drive the kids home from the New Year’s party, but we’re glad it has turned its life around. A lot of this progress is due […]
The Two Faces of Teddi Berra
You say “Two Faces of Teddi Berra” in public, and the connotation is you’ve got a bear with some serious mental problems. Like maybe one day she’s the quiet neighbor upstairs. The next day she’s on trial for beheading a deer, a moose, and a buffalo. Like a twist ending to the Goldilocks story, where […]
Gangster Rap
There are certain things I should know by now. Hollywood Studios is, what, 22 years old now? You’d think I have a good understanding of how some of these things work. But sometimes stuff slips by me. Simple stuff. Last Friday, I just noticed something for the first time, and if it weren’t for the […]
World of Disney Has a Weird and Wonderful Bird Mural You Probably Never Noticed
The World of Disney Store is a weird confluence of Disney imagery. Fairy Godmothers paint your daughter up like Miley Cyrus. A giant blue alien spits at you. Animatronic pirates rattle their cages while giant faux chrome characters loom overhead like nightmarish Macy’s Day Parade balloons. For creepy sculptures, none beats the soul-less form of […]
The Key to Jack Sparrow
Among theme park attractions, there are a few special experiences that elevate themselves above the rest into the realm of artistic masterpiece. Pirates, Mansion, Small World, Gadget’s Go-Coaster… These modern classics are considered to be the very highest class of attraction. And if art has taught us anything, it’s that a classic work can always […]
Spaceship Mac
Updated – 10/5/11 Steve Jobs passed away today. He had a massive influence on our society in general and perhaps Disney and it’s fans even more so. I think Steve Jobs in many ways is a modern day Walt Disney. His image is so closely tied to that of his company, and he has […]
Buzz Lightyear in Mathmagicland
Mr. Buzz Aldrinicus Lightyear is an elite Space Ranger, with pop-out wings, wrist laser cannon, and a swooshing helmet. He has bilingual modes, multiple sound effects button, and a box that transforms into his ship. But when it comes to numbers, the poor guy is more lost than a Brazillian tour group at the FastPass […]
Imagine the Possibilities
Everyone has a favorite scene in Pirates of the Caribbean. For 95% of the theme park public, this scene is either Johnny Depp hiding in a barrel or Johnny Depp fondling a dressmaker mannequin. The remaining 5% have a modicum of good taste. We know the classic iconography. The dog with the keys, the wench […]