Boo!

Happy Halloween, Fellow Disney Geeks/Fans...

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been incredibly busy in the real world... not the Disney world. New posts should resume in a couple days. Until then, don't eat too much candy!

But Names Will Never Hurt Me...

This is companion piece to the "Sticks & Stones" post from a few days ago.

There's been a great deal of talk lately, and a good amount of e-mails asking me about DCA. In particular, the name. Like, will it stay? What will it be if they change it? And a few others.

Four and a half years from now is a long way off, friends...

A lot can happen, a lot can change.

But as far as the name...

Will DCA be DCA in 2012?

The answer is no, both in name and appearance. You've already seen some of the artwork. Some of it quite good, others that are just preliminary and concept type stuff, but the gates you walk through and the experience you have four and half years from now will be like visiting two different parks with different souls. Presuming that DCA ever really had a soul, which is what many complain about. The lack of that magic that's embalmed in Disneyland and the total lack of it in most of California Adventure is one of the most commonly heard complaints of the Disney faithful.

And as to the name. No, it won't be called "Disney's California Adventure" when the park celebrates it's 10th anniversary in about three and a half years. It's more than likely that that will be when the changeover occurs.

What will it be called? That I can't say, because I really don't know. They haven't decided yet as to what to call it. There are almost a dozen names that they are flirting with and none has been decided on for the new name yet. About half, actually a little under half still have the California name as part of it. Several others focus on the "Disney" aspect of the park... "adventure" is working its way in a couple, but they won't make a decision for a while. It's really going to be a while before the decision is made. Look how long they took to decide on "Disney's Hollywood Studios" and you can see it's not an imminent action. After-all, there's a park that needs to be rebuilt right now.

Now I personally have felt it would be better to move away from the California name, but WDI and others still want to work with that theming and as I mentioned several have the state in the title. I won't list them all, actually I've only heard of a few of them, not all, but there is one that sticks out. One that a good percentage of the Imagineers like. Remember the rumors about "Disney's California Adventure" becoming "Walt Disney's California Adventure" a while ago? Well, that's not it... from what I've been told. But it's close. The one several in Glendale want to fight for is "Walt Disney's California". This is the clear favorite of all the names that still contain the Golden State in its title. How can it be Walt's Cali, you say? Well, from what I hear... it's reflective of how the Old Maestro perceived the state and how his vision created all that Disney is today and how much of the park's creations are California based(yes, even Pixar which is now part of Disney). That's used as an explanation of characters not having to do with the state, but Disney in general.

Will this one win out?

Who knows. Like I said in the beginning of this post... four and a half years is a long, long time. Anything could happen. But one things for sure. Disney's second park is about to get a second wind. And this time it's going to have a much better chance of winning the hearts and minds of the guests who enter its gates.

Disneyland Premieres Before Disneyland Premieres...

On this day, Fifty-Three years ago, the ABC Television Network premieres a new television show by famed movie producer Walt Disney. It's a cue for the young network. Disney's new show is called "Disneyland" after the new theme park he is building down in the sleepy orange groves of a small southern California town named Anaheim.

The first episode draws almost 31 million people. During the episode, Disney tells the audience of his plans to build the park and opens up his studio for America to see. No one knows it yet, but today we would call such shows infomercials. But this is an incredibly entertaining one...

Beauty Forgets To Pay Heating Bill...

The Mouse finally made official what we mentioned in a previous BSA, about the Castle being draped in snow for the Christmas season with a press release this weekend.

"New enchantment arrives in Disneyland as the holiday season finds “Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle” covered in freshly fallen snow. With its exciting new look, the Castle will serve as a shimmering centerpiece for a daytime holiday celebration, and as a snow-capped stage for the new music, lighting and special effects that will precede the legendary “Believe ... in Holiday Magic” nighttime fireworks spectacular."

And no, that pic above is not what the castle will look like...

The artwork for the castle is very beautiful and should become an instant classic that turns into an annual tradition. It's one of those things you look at and go: "why didn't we think of that before?"... this Holiday Season the Castle and the Park will get a whole lot cooler.

What Sign Are You? Not A Leo, Apparently...

The Walt Disney Company released the artwork for the new logo of "Disney's Hollywood Studios" Park in Florida today. Notice that it says "Studios" not "Studio". Personally, I think it's rather understated and filled with a styling that is reminiscent of Hollywood's past... so I guess you could say I like it. It will go well with the upcoming changes to the park. 2008 will be a transitional year and 2009... well, hopefully those Imagineers get their projects approved soon. 2009 could be a kicker of a year.

The new logo is a good start...

Dedication...

Although it had been open almost a month, on this day Thirty-Six years ago...

Roy Disney formally dedicates Walt Disney World in memory of his brother who passed away less than five years earlier.

The Resort only has one theme park... the Magic Kingdom. The vision of EPCOT that Walt had is still on Imagineer's minds but the direction it should take is no longer clear since his passing. Planning is still moving forward to carry out his dream in some form.

Today, we honor that dream...

Old Animators Don't Die, They Fade Into Imagination...

In Pasadena, Nineteen years ago... in the quiet part of a hospital room, legendary animator Eric Larson, one of Disney's "Nine Old Men" passes from this world and joins Walt in the next.

Eric Larson was an animation director on such Disney classics as Fantasia, Dumbo and I'm not lying here, Pinocchio. After Walt's passing, he was the one that made sure they found and trained all new talent. From those ranks trained under his tutelage were Brad Bird, Glen Keane, John Lasseter and many others. His last work for the Mouse was "The Great Mouse Detective", which is the dawn of the Second Golden Age of Disney Animation.

How fitting that his last work would be what would start the rebirth of the famed animation studio...