Blue Sky In Eleven (Part One)...

Slowly, we're back...


Even though Blue Sky was quiet for the last part of the year, a lot still went on...

The beginning of the year saw an eyesore from the Disneyland Resort's Second Gate disappear.

I focused on what I thought was the true successor to Colonel Henry Walton, Jr., Ph.D.

We started to get enlightened on what Shanghai Disneyland was going to become.

This post offered a great interview with Glen Keane that focused on the difference between the Lamp and the Mouse.

Blue Sky put some perspective on what to create a Disney theme park/not create a Disney theme park.

Or this really great interview with Guillermo del Toro in the New Yorker.

And the celebration/lack thereof of Disney California's tenth anniversary.

While I liked the first "Iron Man" quite a bit, I thought the second one was a disappointment. This rumor, gave me hope a third would be the best. And then it was confirmed, making me sure of it.

Take a look at this speech, it could be coming from the man that will replace Iger.

And for those that are looking for the reasoning behind the theming of DCA, a little Blue Sky perspective.

And the year had just begun really...

Buying An Empire...

The Force will be with him, always...






Yes, this will be another one of those posts...

George Lucas gave an interview with the New York Times where he talked about how he is done with the commercial part of his career. Even producer Rick McCallum commented on it saying: "Once this is finished, he's done everything he's ever wanted to do," Imagine that, to have accomplished all your goals in life. Not many people can say that.

But if we are to believe him, it brings up that question I always wondered. Will he take Lucasfilm public, sell all, or part of the company? There is plenty of reason to believe that he will never fully let go of the reigns of power. But as time goes by, could we possibly be seeing a Lucas that desires to move beyond the commercial shadow that he's lived in over a quarter of a century? And if he moves on, what becomes of his beloved Lucasfilm and the properties that it owns? Could he wind up selling the company? Selling some of the properties? Or maybe licensing them to others for commercial use?

I've long been a supporter of the Walt Disney Company buying Lucasfilm or at least purchasing its most popular properties (Star Wars and Indiana Jones). If there were ever a company that fit the mold to control and utilize these creations, it's Disney, not 20th Century Fox. Lucas has always said that he had thought of building his own theme park, and if he didn't the one company he would want to do something with would be Disney. Lucas and Spielberg are the two figures that seem to fit as closely as possible to the mold of what Walt Disney was. Having his creations within Disney is the perfect home for them. Yes, I know I've beaten this drum before, but as time goes by, Lucas will have to address what will happen to his legacy. He will have to let someone control the universes he has created. Other than taking his company public, what other company could/would do it better?

Now, if Bob Iger will do this we can get those Imagineers working on a Star Wars theme park...

Contemporary By Design...

Now let's do something about the last hotel...


If you've been to the Disneyland Resort lately, you've seen all that construction...

Not just in the parks, but around the entire resort. And one of those projects that is about to end is the renovation/makeover of the Disneyland Hotel. After almost three years, the hotel is in the final stages of turning itself into an actual Disney Hotel. I know for some that might sound confusing, but those of us that remember, know that it wasn't even owned by the Mouse till 1989.

That's when Jack Wrather's company was bought by Disney, simply to own the hotel. All of their other properties (Queen Mary, The Lone Ranger, ect.), were sold off to try and justify the cost of getting the hotel finally into the Disney family.

And while many, myself included, had hoped that Disney would bulldoze it and put up a Hotel similar to the Disneyland Hotels in Paris, Tokyo or Hong Kong, the state of the economy didn't justify such a dramatic departure. But what has happened is reflective of what the other American Disney Resort has got.

Walt Disney World has the beautiful Contemporary Hotel. It was presented to the world on its opening day back in 1971, and the Imagineers have reflected back to that day in giving us what is essentially the West Coast version of it. While the Contemporary is a retro-version of early 70's design matched with the timeline of when WDW opened up, the Disneyland Hotel here in California is a retro-version of mid 50's design matched with the timeline of when Disneyland opened up. It is in a sentence, our Contemporary Hotel. And they've done a great job taking the bland towers designed by someone not associated with Disney, and turning into something that you could imagine had been all part of the master plan.

From the theming of the blue sky towers, the naming of each one after a land (A Tomorrowland Tower is still being talked about), the lush foliage and pools, to the newly themed restaurants. It's a great improvement. And while I'd still love to see a V(M)ictorian themed hotel (that parking lot looks awful big, doesn't it?), it's nice to see that two of the three Disney Hotels here are up to the name of the man behind it all.

Now if only plans for the Paradise Pier would just fall into place...

Gratitide...

I just wanted to thank all those that have commented...

Both private and in the comments section, people have really said embarrassingly nice things about me.

While I can't promise the site will be back up to normal publishing, it will slowly start to have more new content. So please be patient. And thanks again for the warm thoughts.

It means a lot...

Test Patterns...

Sorry for the silence, guys...

But life has to take preference over some things, and unfortunately, I've had to deal with some of those things. While they're not over, they have gotten to a point where I will be able to handle posting.

Next week, post will begin slowly. While I can't promise that they'll be back up to normal levels for a while, they will begin again.

And for those that have asked if the blog is dead, I hope this answers it...