And Then There's Oz, The Great and Powerful

Disney Promotional Post For Oz, The Great and Powerful

And while I really look forward to Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, I can't say the same for next spring's release of Oz, The Great and Powerful from Disney and director Sam Rami. Disney released a new promotional poster this week featuring the wicked witch that looks both lush and creepy at the same time.

I said it before, but I'm just not a fan of the Wizard of Oz. I can't see Disney's involvement with the Oz characters of L. Frank Baum. But if I'm honest with myself, who could have pictured Disney owning Iron Man and Darth Vader either. 

Still, I don't have a good feeling about Disney's Oz. I could be all wrong. It could be a massive success like the eccentric but creepy Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland. Oz could make a billion dollars and when Disney California Adventure's Mad T Party reaches its conclusion an Oz street party could be right behind it. And if that's the case, I think I'd be sick to my stomach.

Wreck-It Ralph Is A Hit

Wreck-It Ralph promotional poster - Disney

I don't know what the box office numbers will be for Disney's Wreck-It Ralph which opened this weekend but I suspect they will be pretty darn good because word on the street and from film critics too is that is just what this movie is - pretty darn good. It is a movie designed to please many age groups from kids basking in the glow of dazzling 3D color to adults who have now grown up through the video game age. Rottentomatoes.com has Ralph getting more love than either of the last two Pixar releases, the horrid Cars 2 and the lukewarm Brave. And just to make it clear, while Disney is Pixar's owner, this is a Disney release, not Pixar (with a PG rating as opposed to Pixar's pretty clean slate of G rated films).

The insider feeling is that Wreck-It Ralph will meet or exceed the success of Tangled, the last major release by Disney Animation. If Ralph makes it to that mark, then the animation department's all time winner, The Lion King, may possibly be a target. 

Haven't seen Ralph myself. I'll wait for some of the early crowds to die down a bit, but I am looking forward to seeing the movie. We're approaching the holidays. What's better than kicking them off but a good fun time at the movies.

Of course, Disneyland has it's Wreck-It Ralph meet and greet all set up to go this weekend. You can find Ralph inside the Starcade video game building in Tomorrowland. Long lines forming I am sure.

In Disneyland, It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like.....

It was just this past Wednesday when The Great Pumpkin failed to show up again and Charlie Brown go his bag of rocks. It was also the last day of trick or treating in Disneyland. But as soon as the last little costumed munchkin left the premises, armies of Disney overnight workers hit the streets and began the transformation from pumpkins, pumpkins, everywhere to deck the halls with boughs of you name it. The transformation from Halloween to Christmas moves at the speed of light. It actually begins before Halloween as places like New Orleans Square get their decorations put up.

It needs to move fast. Here we are at November 3rd and right about now, Disney TV people are beginning preparations for the taping of the Disneyland segment of the Disney Pars Christmas Parade which goes on much of today. A lot of people show up to watch the taping, a lot of people. Mrs. DisneylandTraveler and myself have showed up on parade taping weekend twice quite by accident and have come away with the opinion that the further you stay away from it, the better. It is quite boring as things are taped, re-taped, then re-taped again. Main Street is pretty much gridlock with behind the scenes walkways set up to get people out of the park. And all to get to see a minor celebrity or two. (One person in our party one year had the privilege of standing in the presence of Ryan Seacrest.)

So while Main St. is starting its Christmas festivities today, we have found that during the parade taping it is the perfect time to hit the major rides of the park because lines or short. Also a good day to visit DCA. Christmas can wait another week or two.....

Disney Blasts Into a Galaxy Far, Far, Away...

Disney CEO Bob Iger with George Lucas
A Disney Photo

Staggering....stunning....well yes, and maybe no. There have been rumors in Disney forums and blogs (including this one) for a year or so that George Lucas, the sole owner of his Lucasfilm empire, was looking for a way to extend the life of his most prized creations for generations to come. Disney, who already had a good relationship with George (it is currently but its also had some rocky periods), through its licensing of Star Wars and Indiana Jones attractions in its theme parks, seemed the most like media spaceship to carry Lucas's vision into the future.

Today it happened. Even Darth Vader has a price tag. The purchase price came out to be 4.05 billion dollars in cash and stock. George can go off and do whatever....Disney now owns the Star Wars franchise, the Indiana Jones franchise, Skywalker Sound, Industrial Light & Magic, along with other Lucas enterprises.

Bob & George Signing On The Dotted Line
A Disney Photo

But really its all about Stars Wars. And that is the direction the acquisition is immediately heading, promising a new Star Wars movie in 2015 with others coming out every two or three years the release of what is now known as Star Wars Episode 7. And if you don't think Disney isn't going to leap at giving Darth Vader and company a prime role in Disney theme parks..... stop it. Disney will be all over this with the most likely target being a presence in Florida designed to give that snot nosed Potter kid the whooping of his life.

This is huge. And now, and now....., the Disneyland Traveler has got a whole range of topics to blog about. A great day.

Bob and George talk about the Disney acquisition of Lucasfilm LTD.

Disney Parks "Limited Time Magic" 2013 Promotional Theme

Limited Time Magic Promotion - New York City
A Disney Photo

Every year or two, Disney presents us with a new promotional theme for getting people to start planning a visit to their local Disney theme park. This year in Times Square - New York City, with great fanfare and a giant ice sculpture castle, Disney gave us their new theme park promotion for 2013 - Limited Time Magic. 

"Wait a minute?" you might be saying to yourself as many bloggers and discussion board posters have - "Limited Time Magic? What the heck does that mean? Sounds more like a going the local mattress store having a going out of business sale.  Get her quick for the best deals for a limited time."

Well, this has nothing to do with discount sales. Quite the opposite. It has everything with Disney Parks staging 52 one week events (though some events may last only a day or two while others may be in place for a month) to bring guests in over and over to their local Disney park to see what's new this week. This is a promotion that seems directly directed at annual passholders with short attention spans and always looking for the latest thing going on at their Disney park and willing to pay for it in many cases. It also gives Disney opportunities to try several new things in the course of a year to see what may be a (financial) hit and what is a miss.

I tend to be cynical mostly. While there may be promotions over the course of the year in 2013 that I may really want to see, what Disney mostly wants is to get me through the turnstiles as many times as possible.

Limited Time Magic mostly seems like a lot of full time gimmicks aimed at keeping the money flowing Disney's way.

Iron Man 3 (And Thor Too)

Yeah, I know, summer has barely left us and fall/winter is just on the fringe of going full force but it's never too late to start thinking about next year (well, maybe it's a bit premature but who am I?). Anyway, Disney / Marvel is promising us not one, but two superhero movie spectacles next year. Each one hopefully destined to make the company about a bazillion dollars.

First on tap is the return of Tony Stark and his suit in Iron Man 3 hitting the theaters May 3, 2013. Hope it's a good movie if Disneyland plans on building a big time ride in based on Iron Man. It wouldn't be the best of circumstances to put up am expensive E-Ticket attraction based on a character whose best movie installment was about 6 or 7 years ago in the original Iron Man movie. Below is the first official Iron Man 3 movie trailer. Early - but seems a little dark.

Lest we forget, Thor will also return for his second go around on the big screen with Thor The Dark World set to hit theaters on November 8, 2013. The original Thor film wasn't one of my favorites leading up to The Avengers (but it wasn't quite as bad as Iron Man 2). The jumping of universes is kind of hard on my feeble brain. Thor worked best when it stayed on earth with Natalie Portman as the Norseman's object of affection. Portman returns in Thor The Dark World which is a good thing. Let's hope the universe jumping is kept at a minimum this time.

Nighttime Over Disney California Adventure

Over Disney California Adventure
A Disney Parks Blog / Paul Hiffmeyer Photo

You know, I've got a pretty good job - Information Technology stuff, web publishing stuff,.... I wear a lot hats in my cubicle. And I make a pretty good living doing what I do all things considered. It's a good job - I didn't say its a cool job. The coolest job that I know of (if you are not Bruce Springsteen) is the one Paul Hiffmeyer has. He is the Chief Photographer for Disneyland Public Relations. I actually saw him one day, camera in hand, standing by the ToonTown railroad station..... getting ready to take some pictures I guess.

Anyway, from time to time, Paul puts some of his photos up on Disney Parks Blog and shares them with those of us who do not have cool jobs. These photos were posted last week and shows Disney California Adventure at night while Paul was snapping pictures from an airplane. Gorgeous shots.

Over Disney California Adventure
A Disney Parks Blog / Paul Hiffmeyer Photo

Over Disney California Adventure
A Disney Parks Blog / Paul Hiffmeyer Photo