A personal exploration of Disney media along with the chronicling of my many trips to Disneyland through the years. And while this is primarily a Disney and Disneyland blog, along the way I occasionally contribute writings on some other pop culture and media topics just for the fun of it. There are almost 800 posts to this blog. Click through the Archives and I hope you have a good time. Enjoy The Disneyland Traveler Blog (completely without ads or annoying attempts to sell you anything).
Sad. Very sad news today about Robin Williams passing.....but the Genie lives on and a legendary animated performance will never be forgotten. By all accounts, he was a very nice man.
I think about how his imagination brought a Disney character to life. By all accounts, he ad-libbed quite a bit. That tradition continues with the Aladdin show at California Adventure. Amazing legacy.
The magic of Disney (and Disneyland) is because people make magic happen. Walt Disney had the foresight to build a legacy that would bring people joy. The actors and singers and animators that bring Disney movies to life in a way that other companies simply don't do. The staff out front and behind-the-scenes at Disneyland that make magic at the park. The awe I felt walking into Disneyland, seeing Main Street, looking at Sleeping Beauty's castle, watching the fireworks....all these magicians behind the scene making my memories!
My fear is that Disney itself is forgetting that the magic happens with people and their imagination, as the park increasingly becomes a corporate-product-pushing shell of it's former self. The fact that you have an entire amazing stretch of land dedicated to the movie Cars, but only 3 rides (and the rest all shops and paid photo ops and restaurants) worries me. You notice the change more when you step into parts like Fantasyland where (at least so far) where you can't spit without bumping into a ride or experience. Not that it diminished my experience in anyway per se...but I worry none-the-less. Anyways...I digress! :)
I think about how his imagination brought a Disney character to life. By all accounts, he ad-libbed quite a bit. That tradition continues with the Aladdin show at California Adventure. Amazing legacy.
ReplyDeleteThe magic of Disney (and Disneyland) is because people make magic happen. Walt Disney had the foresight to build a legacy that would bring people joy. The actors and singers and animators that bring Disney movies to life in a way that other companies simply don't do. The staff out front and behind-the-scenes at Disneyland that make magic at the park. The awe I felt walking into Disneyland, seeing Main Street, looking at Sleeping Beauty's castle, watching the fireworks....all these magicians behind the scene making my memories!
My fear is that Disney itself is forgetting that the magic happens with people and their imagination, as the park increasingly becomes a corporate-product-pushing shell of it's former self. The fact that you have an entire amazing stretch of land dedicated to the movie Cars, but only 3 rides (and the rest all shops and paid photo ops and restaurants) worries me. You notice the change more when you step into parts like Fantasyland where (at least so far) where you can't spit without bumping into a ride or experience. Not that it diminished my experience in anyway per se...but I worry none-the-less. Anyways...I digress! :)
Very well said and quite right on all counts.
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