Category: Articles

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“Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” Preview at the DLR

I’ll be honest, I was pretty worried about there being a 4th “Pirates…” movie; especially without two of the main characters. Then the first trailer came out and I was really worried because it was a teaser with what seemed to be a last-minute little thing shot with Johnny Depp announcing the new pirates film to a small audience at the Downtown Disney AMC theatre.

© Disney

Then, they kept using it for each and every trailer and I got really worried because I didn’t think that little announcement was well produced or well acted. However, the trailers have been getting better and better and this looks like it could be the most fun “Pirates…” film since the first.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, TDA announced that they were going to do a big preview event similar to what they did with “TRON”. I was pretty upset and confused about the whole thing even though I remember how cool I thought the “TRON” preview was. Then I started seeing the construction photos and artist renderings for a transformed Festival Arena has gotten me all giddy!

 

Tron 3D Sneak Peek

I don’t care at all for the 3D aspect to the movie nor the preview event but what they have planned in the way of cast-members interacting with the show as well as pyrotechnics, etc… I think Disney has created a new way of showing movies. They have been doing it for years with films like “Captain EO”, “It’s Tough to be a Bug” and one of my favorites, “MuppetVision 3D.” But in recent years, the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood has been doing these interactive shows with the movies as they’re shown.

 

© Disney

Same with the “TRON” preview at DCA, this new interactive storytelling is immersive and fun for the audiences and really gets the audiences pumped up for a thrill ride not only at the park that day, but in the theatre when the film is released this summer.

 

I suppose it’s more the technology than the film that I am excited about but there’s something about this installment that excites me. I back it!

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Fav’s at the DLR

We all have our favorite DLR attractions.  Some of you are lucky enough to have favorite Disney attractions the world over.  Today I’ll cover my favorite local attractions from the Anaheim Disneyland Resort.

  1. Haunted Mansion
  2. Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  3. Remember… Dreams Come True
  4. Pirates of the Caribbean
  5. Space Mountain
  6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  7. Fantasmic!
  8. California Screamin’
  9. Blue Sky Cellar
  10. California Food and Wine Festival

Probably a less-than-traditional list and not all of my favorite things are rides.  Many might be shocked to see rides such as Splash Mountain, Matterhorn Bobsleds, and Indiana Jones are missing.  But fret not — I do enjoy those rides but this is a list of my top 10 and compared to this list, those just don’t do “it” for me.  These attractions — I back ’em!

Feel free to comment and let me know what your favorite attractions are!

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Top Ten Disneyland Resort Attractions

Disneyland Top Ten

  1. Pirates of the Caribbean
  2. The Haunted Mansion
  3. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
  4. Splash Mountain
  5. Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye
  6. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
  7. Space Mountain
  8. Matterhorn Bobsleds
  9. Jungle Cruise
  10. Disneyland Railroad
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Smell That?

What makes Disneyland so special?  It’s not just any other theme park.  You are totally immersed in a world like no other.  All five of the human senses are tested to its limits, including the topic of discussion: smell.

I ask you:  What’s your favorite smell in Disneyland?  Is it the musty sea water in “Pirates of the Caribbean”?  The smell of decay in “The Haunted Mansion”?  Or is it the smell of churros being made on Main Street U.S.A.?  No matter where you are, your olfactory nerves are enriched in scents of all kinds.

Disneyland:  “It never smelled so good.”

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Star Tours

I love Star Tours and I believe that I will love the new Star Tours, The Adventures Continue, but can we talk about some of the rumors and some of our issues with this new incarnation?

Potential Pros:

  1. Multiple Destinations: I hope with my heart of hearts that we will be able to choose a gate when approaching the launch platforms. While a slightly longer trip with multiple destinations would be fun, I would also love it to act as more of a space port offering travelers choices.
  2. Glasses-less 3D: I am not a fan of 3D at all but for some reason, I am way into this.  One of the biggest problems the old ride had was the aging film projection.  Nostalgic? Absolutely.  Distracting?  You bet’cha!  This technology will probably be the most futuristic thing in Tomorrowland.
  3. Seeing Rex Being Built in Queue: I haven’t seen this anywhere but with the hints that we are getting from TDA, I theorize that my favorite post-bird-animatronic droid will be working on Rex while listening to the radio and chatting it up with guests.  A boy can hope!

Potential Cons:

  1. Pod Racing: with as much backlash as there has been, how were they able to justify a pod racing scene?  I can’t wait to see how they integrate this into the story.
  2. No Classic Endor Moon Trips:  Now, travelers are supposed to see Endor, Bespin, and Alderaan, but I am assuming that this will be within the new (older) timeline.  I suppose I could bring my iPod and put on Rex’s old ride-through over one of the new trips, but it won’t be the same.  Perhaps there might be a loading platform for a new “prototype” Starspeeder 3000 that is testing flights to the Endor Moon?

Hazy Areas:

  1. Ace or C3PO?  People seemed to be outraged that they chose a “new” pilot droid for the Starspeeder 1000 and soon after, it was revealed that C3PO would be the pilot upon takeoff.  Was this a last minute addition?  I am excited for C3PO, though — just seemed to be a weird way to announce it.
  2. Updated Trips?  One of the biggest selling points for Star Tours was that new trips could be added as necessary.  It has only taken 23 years to follow up on that promise and that’s just too long. Might we see new trips every 5-or-so years?

Things I’d Like To See:

  1. Adventure Thru Inner Space: I am sure that I went on it as a kid, but at best I would have been a year old.  I would love for there to be a nod at the classic attraction somewhere.  There may have been before — to be honest, I never thought to look.  But, a nod to the past in a building that hasn’t changed much would be a lot of fun.
  2. Starspeeder 2000: We will have gone from the modern (yet still run down) Starspeeder 3000 to the “old” (somehow more modern and souped up) Starspeeder 1000, I wouldn’t mind seeing a Starspeeder 2000 being worked on by R2 in the queue.  Might not happen but would be a cool touch.

All-in-all, I couldn’t be more stoked for the new Star Tours.  Already, the facade is getting an awesome facelift, the ride system has been updated, and there’s glasses-less 3D.  With a potential to add trips to other Star Wars locales, I back it!

UPDATE: Robert just told me about the huge nod to Adventure Thru Inner Space in the old Star Tours.  Please keep the heckling to a minimum.  If you haven’t seen it, I suggest dodging right while avoiding a close call.