Disney California Adventure Finds Elegance

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Carthay Circle Theater and Fountain - Disney California Adventure Park
A Disney Parks Blog Photo

Look at that stunning picture above. Disney Parks Blog posted the photo with a piece about what to enjoy in Disney California Adventure Park. Forget about that - Disney Parks Blog is pretty much an effort in self-promotion and merchandising. Look at the picture. When was the last time you could use the word 'elegant' when talking (or writing) about DCA? Probably not ever. I never went into Wolfgang Puck or Robert Mondavi's restaurants when were around when DCA first threw open its doors open. Maybe they were elegant. DCA was so badly ridiculed back then that nobody ever thought of elegance no matter how nice the high end restaurants were. Those restaurnts were gone within a year when it became clear that DCA was something of a joke and a far cry from grand park that Walt built across the way.
It's all changed now. Cars Land is fun and charming and Buena Vista Street oozes with nostalgic elegance. Good job Disney not that they need a pat on the back from me. It's been noted that this past week (not by Disney of course) that attendence for DCA has exceeded Disneyland on certain days - something that has never happened before which must have executives dancing in their offices and sleeping well at night.. I can see why. I could just stare at that picture all day (but I'm at work and it would probably not go over very well unless I worked for Disney).

One Trend Ends...

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BE SURE TO VOTE IN THE SEMI-FINALS OF "HOT/HOTTER" AND THIS MONTH'S THEATRE POLL!  BOTH ARE TO YOUR LEFT!
Americans are a trendy people to be sure.  Things are "in" then "out" at a rapid clip.  Though somewhat slower than most areas of our culture, Broadway is no stranger to such trends.  Over the past couple of seasons, there has been one major trend in shows making it to the Great White Way: religious themed musicals.  And over the past week, it is clear that the trend is at an end; audiences, it seems, have had their fill of God on the boards.

THE FLOPS




Leap of Faith
The God Connection: Slimy tent revival "preacher" seeks to bilk another down-on-its-luck town for its last pennies.  "Preacher" meets sheriff, beds her, has epiphany in field.  Finds God and happiness.
Church Is Out: Word of mouth (and impossibly cheap seats) weren't enough to keep this going in the face of particularly vicious criticism from the press.  And an impossibly sexy over-the-title Raul Esparza wasn't enough, either.
In The End: Closed May 13, 2012 after 25 previews and 19 performances


Jesus Christ Superstar
The God Connection: It's about the last days of Jesus Christ. This time with a foreboding tone - 2012 is The End of Days, blah blah blah.  Throw in some blue satin and a nagging Mary Magdalene, and, apparently you get the production of the show its authors always dreamed it could have.  Right.
Church Is Out: Have we finally had enough of this dated, yet always "of our times" show?  Wasn't it on Broadway a year or two ago?  Or maybe it just wasn't the "arena rock style" blow out that was promised.  Or maybe is just a tad too slick?  I'm going with a little bit of all of the above.
In The End: Producers warn of a July 1 closing without a surge in sales.  When it closes July 1, it will have played 24 previews and 116 performances.

THE MODERATELY SUCCESSFUL 





Godspell
The God Connection: It's about the last days of Jesus Christ. This time with a playful tone - 2012 is The End of Thinking, have fun while you can, blah blah blah.  Throw in a vacuous smile, a baseball jersey, some fake carnations and a nifty mid-stage pool of water, and, apparently you get the production of the show its authors always dreamed it could have.  Well, it was timely, fun and creative.  But maybe too silly for its own good.
Church Is Out: Audiences seemed to love it.  They all but gave it away for free.  And still nobody showed. The built a Beautiful City and no one saw it.  I'm not sure why.  OK, maybe I can think of a few reasons, but why kick a good guy when he's down.
In The End: The Tonys appearance didn't give it the needed BO bump, and producers announced a June 24 closing.  When it closes, the production will have played 30 previews and 264 performances.  And there's a good cast recording of it so we won't forget it entirely.





Sister Act
The God Connection: Bad girl on run from mob hides with nuns, turns their church around with some glitter and jazz hands, and finds that religion can be almost as fun as show biz.  Almost.
Church Is Out: Don't let the longish run fool you.  The show struggles most weeks at the BO.  Seems the one-two punch of movie-turned-musical-but-not-different-enough plus the absence of Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith was enough to keep the throngs away.
In The End: Despite a better than average book overhaul by Douglas Carter Beane and a better than average score by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, there just wasn't enough magic (or Raven-Symone) to keep the show going.  When the show closes on August 26 (if it makes it that long), it will have played 28 previews and 561 performances.


THE HIT


Anything Goes
The God Connection: Its main characters are a phony evangelist lounge singer and Public Enemy # whatever, posing as a priest.  The score includes "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."  OK, so it is marginally religious, but so is Leap of Faith.
Church Is Out: Though not my taste at all, this show has had an identical run to Sister Act, the difference being that it is Tony Award-winning: Best Actress, Best Choreography and Best Revival of a Musical.  And people are still coming, mostly.
In The End: 3 extensions and 3 Tonys does make a hit.  When it closes on August 5, it will have played 32 previews and 561 performances.




If only the actual show was this much fun!  Cool sailors, a shower scene and Stephanie J. Block and Joel Grey cutting loose... LOVE IT!!

WHAT IS LEFT: THE MEGA HIT




The Book of Mormon
The God Connection: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is a religion.  Jesus has a cameo and so does Satan.  And those cuties in white short sleeves and black ties make me a believer.
Church Is Out: Its a love/hate take on the Mormons as a religion, and half the characters have a definite anti-God slogan-turned-production-number.  Religion is the subject matter, but that's not what it is really about.  Maybe that's the trick to religious mega hitting on Broadway.
In The End: 7 Tonys, SRO crowds, a $185 average ticket price, and so many lottery losers that the producers are giving free performances to make them feel better... the end of days is not anywhere nearby for this show.


Jeff3.292@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

HOT/HOTTER: The Semi-Finals: Round 2

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BE SURE TO TAKE THIS MONTH'S THEATRE POLL - TO YOUR LEFT!
While you are sitting by the shore getting tan and checking out the beach bodies, here's something you can do each week to stay summer sizzling hot AND keep your finger on the pulse of Broadway!
The HOT/HOTTER "tournament" is back!  Over the winter and spring, we selected the "Sweet 16" on our way to finding Broadway's most uniquely good-looking guy, and over the next three weeks we will narrow it down to"The Elite 8".  Each Friday, there will be 2 pairs of Broadway Boys, and you will pick the hottest guy of EACH pair. (You will pick TWO guys each week.)  This week is Van Hughes vs Michael Esper and Raul Esparza vs Alan Rickman!  Moody, brooding hotties and sleek, sexy mature men all in one week - talk about a heat wave!
To see who won last week and to check out the entire "The Sweet 16" click HERE.
NOTE: Your participation in this or any survey on this blog is anonymous.
THE HOT/HOTTER TOURNAMENT 
SEMI-FINALS: ROUND 2
(Be sure to scroll down and vote for BOTH pairs!)
PAIR #1: Which guy is the hottest? American Idiots' Michael Esper or Van Hughes?


MICHAEL ESPER (LEFT) VS VAN HUGHES (RIGHT)

MICHAEL ESPER (TOP) VS VAN HUGHES (BOTTOM)



PAIR #2: Which guy is the hottest?
Leap of Faith's Raul Esparza or Seminar's Alan Rickman?


RAUL ESPARZA (LEFT) VS ALAN RICKMAN (RIGHT)

RAUL ESPARZA (TOP) VS ALAN RICKMAN (BOTTOM)


Be sure to scroll down and complete BOTH polls.  
Hit "Submit" each time.







THANKS FOR VOTING!  LOOK FOR ROUND 2 NEXT FRIDAY!
AND WHILE YOU ARE HERE, VOTE IN THIS MONTH'S THEATRE POLL 
(TO YOUR LEFT)



Jeff3.293@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

FAREWELL: Richard Adler

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I wouldn't be too surprised to find that when the news of Richard Adler's passing at the age of 90 on June 21st started showing up on Twitter, news feeds and theatre sites, that many people hooked into them were wondering, "Who was Richard Adler?"  I am equally certain that when people found out he was half of the writing team that created  two classic musicals, Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game, many of them had one of those "ah-ha! moments."  But even after that, if you still had no idea who the man was, I bet you know at least one of his songs.

With his writing partner, Jerry Ross, Adler created music and lyrics for two back-to-back Tony-winning Best Musicals: 1955's The Pajama Game and 1956's Damn Yankees.  After Ross' death hewent on to write music and lyrics for just one show, the short-lived Kwamina, and the music for the even shorter-lived Music Is..., an adaptation of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, which he also co-produced.  Later, he was a producer of yet another flop, Rex and a 70's revival of The Pajama Game.

But it was his two Tony-winning shows that will be his greatest legacy.  Both shows have been revived in the last two decades and are perennials in regional, community and school theatres.  Four of his songs are a permanent part of the American Songbook and are constantly in pop culture:  "Heart" and "What Ever Lola Wants, Lola Gets" from Damn Yankees and "Steam Heat" and "Hernando's Hideaway" from The Pajama Game. Even today, people of all ages could probably hum "Hernando's Hideaway" if prompted by a few notes.

Though I am not a big fan of The Pajama Game, I still thrill to "Steam Heat," and enjoy Bob Fosse's choreography of the number - funny, sassy and sinfully sexy - readily available from the PBS taping of  Fosse, which also includes a brief section of "The Blooper Ballet" and most of "Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, Mo." from Damn Yankees.  I am a much bigger fan of Yankees and find nearly every song a delight.  Who can sit still during "Who's Got the Pain?"  Or how about the smart lyrics of "Six Months Out of Every Year"?  The romantic and so simple it hurts "Near to You"?  And there is the amazing combination of book, music and lyrics of the courtroom scene in act two.



Still, it says so much about Adler's legacy that his two Latin-tinged tunes ("Hernando" and "Lola") are so much a part of American Pop culture that generations have heard it in revivals, variety shows, films and even commercials.  That "Whatever Lola Wants" still grabs the attention some 67 years since its debut speaks volumes, even if it is for a Diet Pepsi commercial.  (And it still retains its fun, sleek and sexy ways even in that context!)







I think it is pretty sweet that my 5 year old niece sings that song on cue and every time that commercial comes on.  When she's old enough, and when there is another revival of the classic, just maybe I'll get to take her and watch her eyes light up when that vamp starts.  By then, the song will likely be 75 years old or more, and another generation will fall in love with Lola, Joe and Applegate all over again.  What a great legacy.

Thank you for that, Mr. Adler.  Rest in peace.



Jeff3.294@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comment below (Blogger)

PRIDE 2012: Broadway Tweets

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HAPPY PRIDE 2012!

As New York celebrated Gay Pride with its annual parade, Broadway was well represented, of course.  Two of the biggest presences were Evita and Broadway Impact.  Bot groups took to Twitter to chronicle the event as it happened.  Below are a few of there TwitPics and Instragrams, in case you missed and/or don't follow them.  Both make me so proud of the community I love - there is nothing like a group or two of theatre people!

Evita (@evitabroadway)

Here's the view of the parade and the "Evita Bus" aka "The Rainbow Tour"!




And here's the cast and crew in action...plus an Evita fan spotted from the bus, Jordan Roth!






Broadway Impact (@BroadwayImpact)

Broadway's political action group showing the world that we are here, have accomplished so much, and have so far to go.


Andrew Keenan-Bolger films the event from the street, while the group marches.

Rory O'Malley and his Book of Mormon co-star celebrate Pride
and represent!

Jeff
2.295
@jkstheatrescene(Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comments (Blogger)

... a New Trend Gets Started: High School Musicals

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PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO VOTE IN THIS WEEK'S SEMI-FINAL ROUND OF "HOT/HOTTER" AND THIS MONTH'S THEATRE POLL - BOTH TO YOUR LEFT!
The other day, I blogged about a Broadway trend that appears to be on the wane, religious-themed musicals.  Even if the Kathie Lee Gifford tuner Saving Aimee does make it to the Main Stem soon, I stand by my blog.  Sorry, Ms. Semple, that boat has sailed.

But, like the rest of American pop culture, Broadway appears to be riding a couple of trends that are just getting started, but by this time in the next two years or so, the New York theatre scene should be teeming with high school teen angst and enough street urchins to make Fagin want to split and run screaming for the hills.  They are closely related, at least demographically, and may even morph into to one "Super Trend," but for now I'll separate the two.  Today, let's look at shows that tackle the American high school experience.

GETTING STARTED




High School Angst: Carrie 
(Off-Broadway, Winter/Spring 2012)

• Fits the Mold:  Well, it is pretty obvious, since the show takes place, primarily in an American high school in Maine.  The main characters include: bitchy teens, do-gooder teens, and, naturally (or in this case, supernaturally) the teen outsider of all time.  And there are the disapproving parent (who really sent a bad message about God) and the nurturing teachers.
• Angst-filled Themes: The hot topic of the decade was front and center in this much-improved re-do of the flop musical of the 80's: bullying.  And, what high school musical would be complete without the cool kids vs the nice nerdy kids?
• Yearbook Memories: This one has the Senior Prom, albeit a charcoal colored one.  I'm guessing, too, that while it fits as a rite of passage, getting your period in the gym showers probably wouldn't get you elected Prom Queen.  Well, unless you are Carrie White.
• Trend Setter: This gem - and it really was pretty good - took us from High School Musical to real-life (sort of) in one nasty fell swoop.  What a way to get things started!

COMING VERY SOON




High School Angst: Bring It On: The Musical 
(Broadway Summer2012)

• Fits the Mold: Is there anything more all-American than the high school experience of cheer leading?  Make it the high stakes world of COMPETITIVE high school cheer leading, and you have the next entrant in our "relive high school through Broadway" trend.
• Angst-filled Themes: How about cultural respect?  Self respect? Body issues and perceived sexual stereotypes?  Throw in some good old fashioned cheating, and you've nailed the 21st century teenager.
• Yearbook Memories: A popular cheer leading squad and an underdog squad from a disadvantaged background fight it out up the ranks to a national title.  And they learn a lot about life's more difficult lessons long the way.
• Trend Setter:  Mean girls, sexually questionable guys and school rivalries are the very blood of this trend.  Dress it up as a competitive sport and the audience can relive some fond and painful memories, and their kids can get another glimpse of the dream and nightmare of the high school experience.

IN THE PIPELINE




High School Angst: Bare 
(Off-Broadway, Fall 2012)

• Fits the Mold:  Like Carrie, the other Stafford Arima-helmed high school musical, Bare takes place in an American high school.  This time it is an exclusive boarding school, which affords some of us a certain distance to take a small amount of pleasure in the fact that rich kids  think they are special, but really have the exact same issues as the poor kids in public schools.  For the rich folks in the premium seats, a chance to remain in denial.
• Angst-filled Themes: From what I understand, this revised version of the show will feature that timely stand by, bullying, as a central conflict, along with drug abuse, alcoholism, and homosexuality.  In other words, your typical high school issues (and I mean that sincerely, with not a trace of irony or snark).
• Yearbook Memories: The sports star loves his nerdy roommate.  They are outed, and the school play goes off almost without a hitch.  Almost.  Death, destruction, and a painful lesson learned.
• Trend Setter: An edgy pop-rock score, hot boys kissing, and a guaranteed cry fest make this one a no-brainer.  More high school as it is, rather than what we pretend it is, Bare is the reality check of the genre.  I hope.

Jeff2.296@jkstheatrescene (Twitter); jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com (email); Comments (Blogger)

DCA Buckles But Doesn't Break During Cars Land Opening

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Cars Land - Opening Day - June 15, 2012
An O.C. Register Photo

Disney won't do it. They are very secretive when it comes to numbers reporting but MiceAge's Al Lutz put the numbers out there (based on inside sources). Disney California Adventure broke its all time attendance record with the Buena Vista Street and Cars Land Opening on Friday. Some 43,000 people passed through the turnstiles. The record fell again yesterday (Sunday) when 45,000 people entered DCA. And most of them headed right to Cars Land. Attendance will continue to be high through this week with the possibility of more records next weekend before the summer blackout period begins for Southern California pass holders. 
Yes it was crowded as evident by some of the pictures coming out. And while Cars Land was near impossible to navigate, most felt the rest of Disney California Adventure handled the record crowds quite well. DCA did flex and bend with the crowd levels but did not break into chaos gridlock as some had predicted. Disney could be on to something. They may finally have made California Adventure into a very nice, thematically rich, full featured, full day theme park, and a park that can be enjoyed by high numbers of guests.

The passes through Buena Vista St.
An O.C. Register Photo

Care to ride on Radiator Springs Racers? Here is the back of the line.
You are hours away from the Cars Land and the ride itself.
An O.C Register Photo

Taking A Pass On Pixar's Brave

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I wrote a few weeks back (link here) that after seeing previews in 3D of Pixar's newest film Brave at the theaters, I was all in about getting to the local multiplex to see it when it was released, which was yesterday. Now no one should ever let professional critics be the barometer as to whether or not you should make a decision to see a movie. Critics are writers stating opinion, it's the film's viewers that matter. So with that, critics are pretty much on board with Brave as being a quality movie, beautifully animated and with wonderful music. And then we get to the story. Ooops.
Here is where things get a little complicated and opinions vary greatly. I think the bottom line for most, both critics and regular people who have seen the movie, the story is good but not great and the film as a whole is nowhere near the best of Pixar and that for me is kind of disappointing. After the horrid Cars 2 story (though once again, an impressive visual spectacle) I was hoping for Pixar to return to glory, return to the storytelling of what was probably Pixar's best run of films  - Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up, and Toy Story 3, all Oscar winning films. Almost universally, most will tell you that Brave doesn't run in that category of Pixar films. It's more middle of the pack or below. 
I have mentioned before, the older I get, the less I am inclined to go to the theaters to see a movie. I have a nice set up here at home - large screen TV, blu-ray player, 5.1 surround sound, and a pause button. I really got to want to see a movie to go to a theater and it's not about the ridiculous price it costs to see a movie in the theaters these days, espcecially in 3D or IMAX 3D. For me, unless the audience is small, quiet, and well behaved, I can get terribly distracted about what's going on around me. Not to mention in a filled theater, I get claustrophobic. Case in point is The Avengers which I had to see (along with millions of others). I saw The Avengers twice. The first time Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and I saw the movie it was in a 3D theater on a Monday afternoon with about a dozen other people. Perfect, great, outstanding. The second time we took The Boy with us. Also in 3D, the theater was probably close to three quarter full right at the tipping point where claustrophobia begins to set in. And a couple of seats down from 4 teenagers took up residence. They talked through the entire movie, not loud enough to where I could here what they were saying, but loud enough to where I just heard a steady stream of distracting background noise in my ear from their constant whispers. Oh, and every 15 minutes or so, one of them would get a text message, the number one reason why going to theaters has become a whole lot less fun in recent years.
So with the reviews of Brave being good but not great, with another common complaint about the movie is it seemed more like a good Disney Princess story than a Pixar original, I think I've decided to wait for it to come to video. Of course, I can always change my mind or Mrs. DLT can change it for me.

A Closer Look At - Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin

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Well, yesterday marked the twenty fourth anniversary of the release of the Robert Zemeckis Touchstone / Disney film Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I remember seeing it at the theaters with my nephew and and still remember it as being one of my favorite experiences seeing a movie in a theater. It would have to be if I remember seeing something 24 years ago. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a great movie. It hasn't carried itself well over time with now dated technology but for the period it was made, it was really something to see blending live action characters and story with classic animated characters.
The movie was a huge success, so much of a success that Disney decided to build a whole land based on ToonTown, the alternate universe town where cartoon characters actually live - all of them. And on the surface of it, ToonTown at Disneyland looks amazing and for the most part is a delight for children with its never ending stream of interactive gags and props along with an always present supply of classic walk around Disney characters. We can excuse the fact that Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a movie that small children should probably not see with it being a murder mystery with a gumshoe detective with a drinking problem, a cigar smoking cantankerous baby, and a voluptuous animated female lead with an "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way" sultry attitude. But ToonTown, the home of Mickey Mouse in Disneyland, continues to delight its many visitors. Adults without kids may be bored because beyond the colorful building facades, there just isn't much there. Except. The cornerstone of ToonTown is the great dark ride Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin which comes right out of the movie. It may be Disneyland's best traditional dark ride filled with colorful scenes you pass by in your interactive taxi cab ride vehicle which you can actually spin. Over the years, I've dropped the spinning part. Sometimes you spend so much time, effort, and concentration spinning the darn thing that you miss some of the story going on around you. Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
Roger Rabbit's Cartoon Spin also has one of Disneyland's best queue lines filled with jokes and puns. You need the entertainment value as the line for the ride can get pretty long. It also has a fast pass option. The one drawback of a great ride like RRCS being in ToonTown is the place opens later and closes earlier than the rest of Disneyland so the ride's operating hours are shorter. The ride itself is contained in a huge show building that is outside of the Disneyland park limits. This isn't a Fantasyland dark ride which ends in a minute or two. RRCS has a bit more length to it - not mention that on hot days, it is nice and cool in there.
Roger Rabbits Cartoon Spin is one of my favorite rides at Disneyland because it drips with creativity, imagination, and color. You could take ToonTown out tomorrow (like they did in WDW) and I wouldn't care but leave the Cartoon Spin behind (and Mickey's House too, that's pretty cool).
For me, it's a great D-Ticket attraction. Here is a Roger Rabbit Cartoon Spin ride through from the Disneyland HD videographer Asianjma123. Enjoy your spin....
  

Main St. Ponderings

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I'm a morning person in general unlike Mrs. DisneylandTraveler who is still sawing logs in bed. I especially love Disneyland mornings. It doesn't have to be about a mad dash to get to your favorite ride as soon as you make it through the turnstile. Sometimes you go and grab a cup of coffee, find a nice bench and soak in the atmosphere as people file in. The picture above is the Disneyland Railroad station. At the top the stairs before entering the station there are some nice benches that overlook Main St. It's a good place to sit, enjoy your coffee and ponder all things Disneyland. I'm not there but I can pretend. Here are a few ponderings.
Man did I get tired of the Cars Land beat down. Yes, the opening of a new "land" is a special event but the hype got tiresome after awhile. Can't wait to see it and ride Radiator Springs Racers but I also know that it is probably a place Mrs. DLT and I aren't going to spend a lot of time. We're grown-ups and maybe not the best candidates for a land themed for kids.
I'm still struggling with dill flavored popcorn, especially if you have to wait a half hour to get it from one of the cozy cones.
A lot of the exclusive merchandise sold at Cars Land is sold out until later on this summer. Stuff was gone in a week. Not sure if they guys that run Disney Consumer Products are happy about this or kicking themselves in the pants.
Disney shopping. I don't get it. Not everything is a collectible. Some of it is junk. But I guess it keeps a lot of people in China employed.
Over at Disneyland, the Matterhorn looks great and the list complaints about the new sleds grows every day. Why did they change to a new seating design? Oh yeah, mandated safety. Apparently wedging people in theirs seats so tightly that it would be nearly impossible to fall out is a good safety measure.
Next time you go to Disneyland with a group, start a pool as to what attraction breaks down first. Indiana Jones is a smart bet. It's due to have a major refurbishment. If it happens during a time for one of our trips, it may be a deal breaker for Mrs. DLT. She loves that ride.
How can Disneyland enforce fast pass return times when its a 50 - 50 chance that the attraction will be temporarily closed when you return for your window?
I sure miss not seeing Billy Hill and the Hillbillies for awhile now. Of all the crap we have bought at Disneyland, why didn't we ever buy one of their CDs? 
What's a great day? A corn dog from the Little Red Wagon, a safari skewer from the Bengal BBQ, and a Pineapple float from the Tiki Room stand - that's a great place to start.
There are so many new places to eat and menu items to try that it would probably take a two week stay to get to them all. Exactly what Disney wants.
Will I ever beat Mrs. DLT at Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters? Short answer - No.
Well my coffee cup empty. That's enough pondering for now. Time to move on to other things.

Confessions Of A Wannabe Disneyland Photographer

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That's a really nice picture of Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. It's from my extensive collection of Disneyland photographs that have been taken over the years. I didn't take that picture. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler did. She takes nice pictures. I carry the camera.
Of course I take pictures too but I stink at it. I don't completely suck when it comes to taking pictures, just mostly suck. Of all the pictures I have taken over the years (well, since the advent of digital photography) I probably like less than 5% of my total picture taking output. But I try. And try. I really, really want to take good pictures but my efforts often fall short. I admire people who can take a good picture. Mrs. DLT can take a good picture most of the time. Me? Well... I'm handicapped. Literally to a certain extent.
I had a great Mom. She passed many great things on to me I would like to think. And she passed  one not so great thing on to me as well. My mom had a tremor in her hands. It's called benign familial tremor. Her hands trembled. She passed that gene on to me so my hands tremble. Oh, it's not bad. I'm fully functional with my hands but they do shake a bit including when I hold a camera. You also may not want to get too close to me in a buffet food line. So there ultimately is the struggle with my picture taking at Disneyland. Pictures are not always razor sharp. In fact, rarely are. I probably have to take twice as many pictures as the next guy simply because so many will be deleted because of poor quality. Darn it. Oh, by the way, my mom was a waitress, shaking hands and all.
I try and blame the camera for a lot of this. Maybe if I have that perfect camera, then I can take magical pictures. In the years we have been married, I think Mrs. DLT and I have gone through 4 or 5 digital cameras. Sometimes they eventually break. Sometimes there are "accidents" as Mrs. DLT learned that it is not such a good idea to have a camera tethered around your neck when you walk into a swimming pool. But sometimes, I'm just looking for that camera that will say to me "just leave it to me Mr. picture taker, let me do the work, your hands are not a problem".
I really think I would enjoy photography as a hobby. Goodness know I need something to get me out of the house. Why not go take some pictures? The local Fry's Electronics is selling a Canon T3 DSLR camera this week for $379 (it was almost $800 when it first came out). The good people at Fry's send me an email every week suggesting things I might like to buy. This week they put the camera on sale that I could drool over. The Canon T3 is an outstanding piece of photographic equipment by almost all accounts. Could this be the camera that allows me to take that perfect Disneyland picture or pushes me out my chair on a Sunday morning to go take some pictures of, well, anything? I don't know. It's nice to dream about it.
Stupid hands....  Oh, by the way, whatever I wrote a photographs above, it also applies to videos. Probably more so.
Here are a couple of videos of Ol' Mr. Shakey in action. The first one is kind of short. Nice shot if the camera was still...


The next one is a longer video from a few years ago. I didn't take all of the snippets but the ones I did aren't hard to find.

DHI Remembers Tomorrowland's Flying Saucers Ride

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Cars Land's Luigi's Flying Tires is getting punished around the internet world. There are some who like the ride, but most find it slow and boring (those that can actually get the tires to move a bit that is). The other complaint is that the queue line moves extremely slow because of low ride capacity.
With that in mind, the Disney History Institute has just posted an excellent video giving us a look at the original Flying Saucers attraction in Tomorrowland that had a brief lifespan back in the early 60's. The ride was eventually shut down because of low capacity, constant breakdowns and a large staff to support its operation and maintenance. Luigi? Take a look in the mirror.

Let's Glow With The Show....Or Not

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Glow With The Show at World of Color
An O.C. Register Photo

As mentioned, I'm a sports guy. I like sports. Currently on tap is the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat (boo) vs. the  Oklahoma City Thunder (yah). Both teams, especially OKC, have rabid fans. And both teams do something similar. Before every game a cheap t-shirt is draped across the expensive seats that are within view of the TV cameras. It is hoped that everyone puts the t-shirt on. What is presented on TV is a sea of white if you are Miami at home and a sea of blue if you are OKC at home, basically the fans are wearing the same color as home uniforms of the players. Now it may look like a united front on TV with players and fans all wearing the same colors, but I struggle with this lemming type of behavior. Whatever happened to the individual? If I were fortunate enough to get one of these expensive seats, there would be no way I would put on the same shirt just because "everyone else is doing it". As my Dad said years ago, "if everyone else was doing it, would you jump off the Golden Gate Bridge too?" (his examples were a bit on the extreme side).
Which brings me to the great "Glow with the Show" experiment which is being test run with spectators of the World of Color water show at Disney California Adventure. Special lighted Mickey Ears can be worn which will turn colors to match what is being presented with the show itself. Emitters placed around Paradise Pier send signals to the ears telling your noggin to change colors. Yep, there is a certain amount of technology going on here but I'm not interested enough to try and explain it. I'm trying to figure out the purpose of doing the exact same thing as a few thousand other people standing there watching the show. I'm there to watch the World of Color, not look around and watch the top of people's heads. To me, the idea seems kind of lame. But I'm also perfectly willing to admit that this could be just me as there are people desperately trying to get into the special Glow With The Show World of Color. Did I mention the special ears cost $25? You get to look like the people standing next to you, Disney pockets large amounts of cash from ear sales.
I'm no fun at all.
Check out a few minutes of YouTube video from Glow With the Show from wdwinfo.com and decide for yourself.

DCA Buckles But Doesn't Break During Cars Land Opening

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Cars Land - Opening Day - June 15, 2012
An O.C. Register Photo

Disney won't do it. They are very secretive when it comes to numbers reporting but MiceAge's Al Lutz put the numbers out there (based on inside sources). Disney California Adventure broke its all time attendance record with the Buena Vista Street and Cars Land Opening on Friday. Some 43,000 people passed through the turnstiles. The record fell again yesterday (Sunday) when 45,000 people entered DCA. And most of them headed right to Cars Land. Attendance will continue to be high through this week with the possibility of more records next weekend before the summer blackout period begins for Southern California pass holders. 
Yes it was crowded as evident by some of the pictures coming out. And while Cars Land was near impossible to navigate, most felt the rest of Disney California Adventure handled the record crowds quite well. DCA did flex and bend with the crowd levels but did not break into chaos gridlock as some had predicted. Disney could be on to something. They may finally have made California Adventure into a very nice, thematically rich, full featured, full day theme park, and a park that can be enjoyed by high numbers of guests.

The passes through Buena Vista St.
An O.C. Register Photo

Care to ride on Radiator Springs Racers? Here is the back of the line.
You are hours away from the Cars Land and the ride itself.
An O.C Register Photo