Dreaming Disney - WDWNT: The Magazine Issue 19

WDWNT: The Magazine issue 19 is live online and available for download at MagCloud. 

Issue 19 is Epcot focused with articles about EPCOT 1994, Horizons, and my review of From Dreamer to Dreamfinder. 

With the low price of free you cannot go wrong!

 

Between Books - Vinyl Leaves

Karl Marx, Henry Adams, and George Orwell are typically not three names you would associate with the Walt Disney World Resort.  But these are just three of the many intellectual giants used by Stephen M. Fjellman in his analysis of the Florida theme park in Vinyl Leaves: Walt Disney World and America.  He tours through the park based on common themes so an area of the Magic Kingdom Park could be placed next to a Disney-MGM Studio attraction and a water park.  Published in 1992, Fjellman tours through the parks of the resort that existed at that time and uses his knowledge of history and anthropology to explain the background and messages that park areas and attractions are telling.  The analysis discusses heavily the commoditization of the park experience and the biased messages that the park is sending to guests, especially in support of American industry.  

Fjellman proclaims that he is a Disney fan, and will return to experience the parks again and again.  However, I think it is easy to say that his perspective is one of a cynic.  For example, he writes with a bias that is clearly anti-corporation.  So while he may be a fan, he accuses Disney of cooperating with industry to cover the sins of the industrial and post-modern age by over idealizing the histories of corporate America within park attractions.  And he notes that the key historical message, or as he calls it Distory a distorted Disney picture of history, is progress achieved through the efforts of business.  Distory is a history that ignores the injustices against non-Whites, women and the poor while applauding industry.  Distory makes pirates rape fun as Pirates chase damsels within Pirates of the Caribbean.  He classifies EPCOT as the Experimental Commercial of Tomorrow.  Additionally, he calls out how the Disney park experience is one of purchasing commodities including civility.  I admit, I understand Fjellman’s points about Disney’s editing of history.  But as someone who has written history and read history extensively I also understand that history is often edited even in academic publications to tell a story that is often slanted by the writer.  Additionally, I do not feel like Disney is currently trying to hide their corporate partnerships, often used by Disney to pay for the creation of attractions.  But honestly I do not believe I personally have bought any products or services because I was aware of a partnership with Disney.

I really was looking forward to this book.  I had read great things about it and had seen ratings that were generally high on book websites.  But for me the cynical attitude was too much.  For example coming from an academic background and understanding that this is a very academic book, I found this text to be overly judgmental.  And the judgment and personal bias comes through in the writing.  It often feels like the author is unable to accept that Disney would act like what it is, a company which has a mission to make money!  I have no problem understanding that companies, including Disney, make decisions I would not support for profit.  As much as we would like to see Disney as a public trust, it is not.  It is instead a company with a good reputation.  But I understand that making money is their main focus.  And perhaps that is why I am more interested in Imagineers, who intellectually we might believe were acting in the best interests of the guests, instead of the Disney Chief Financial Officer! 

I really cannot get away from the tone.  When I was grad student, my major professor overheard another of his grad students and me discussing General George Patton and some of the more outlandish and perhaps mythical stories around him with some undergraduates.  He chuckled for a moment and looked at me and stated there are stories you tell on a bar stool and stories you tell in a lecture hall.  The point was clear to me.  One should not be reckless and glib when you speak from an academic position of authority.  Fjellman’s explanation of WED, now Walt Disney Imagineering, as the place where the Imagineers hang out is simply to glib to me.  And his discussion of Walt Disney and the possibility of him being cryogenically frozen so he could return and repair the mistakes of his successors is a bar stool myth.  I was especially frustrated that the only possibility of this being a myth is within the footnotes which many readers may not reference.  I understand that some may enjoy this type of history in an academic wrapper, but I would be more willing to accept this kind of tone if the book did not represent itself as an academic endeavor.   

Vinyl Leaves is generally a well loved and reviewed Disney book on culture and Walt Disney World.  However, I personally did not enjoy it, mostly due to the bias I found within it.  Perhaps I have been brain washed, as I believe that Walt Disney wanted to create something fantastic and that his successors used his strategies like cooperating with cooperate sponsors to build something good though not as wonderful as originally planned.  Additionally, I do agree that Disney edits history in the parks, but I also feel it is foolhardy to use theme park attractions to build one’s holistic picture of American society.  I found the book slow to read and would never recommend it someone looking for an enjoyable read.  Instead I would recommend that researchers be aware of the book and use it understanding the bias found within it.  Just because it is biased does not mean there is not plenty of factual information within it.  Personally, I kept comparing much of it to Walt and the Promise of Progress City which is an easier to access picture of what Walt Disney intended in Florida and how it feel short.         

Mousey Movies - The Santa Clause

One weeknight during Thanksgiving break of 1994, my college girlfriend and I drove 45 minutes  to spend time with her grandmother, Gram.  The three of us decided to leave the house and go see a movie. This movie is they only one that I ever remember seeing in a theater with Gram.  The local cinema only had two screens , and despite my pessimism, we chose Disney’s new movie The Santa Clause,  We spent the next 90 minutes constantly chuckling and enjoying a movie that became an instant Between Family hit.  The plot revolved around an ordinary man who becomes Santa Claus and the impact it has on the relationship with his son. 

A little less than a decade later, the girlfriend is now the Between Wife and the Between Tween has been born.  Sadly though, Gram passed away before the Tween’s first Christmas.  Gram may not have been my biological grandparent, but the love between the two of us was strong.   I can truthfully say she was one of my biggest fans and she often bragged about me.  I am convinced if she was with us today, she would not only have learned how to surf the internet just to read the blog daily but also would have bragged to her friends about her grandson-in-law the “popular” blogger. 

Because of Gram and the memories I associate between her and The Santa Clause, I love this Tim Allen movie.  It is my hope that you also have happy memories like these that can are triggered by something as simple as a movie.  In the Between House as our Christmas Tree goes up, The Santa Clause plays in the background.  This allows the Between Wife and I to tell our stories of Gram, a great grandparent my children cannot remember for themselves.   

For Tim Allen, 1994 was a watershed.  He starred on the number one show on television, Home Improvement.  Allen was on top of the New York Times bestseller list with his memoir Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man.  And with The Santa Clause he had the number one grossing film.  For one week in November, Allen was king, his stardom was secured, and he had made a place amongst my favorite memories with this Mousey Movie:

·         Legendary: Tim Allen plays the main character, Scott Calvin, who becomes the legendary Santa Claus.  In 1999, Allen was inducted as a Disney legend, just five years after The Santa Clause!  By then Allen has billed himself as a bankable television star on ABC with Home Improvement.  And he has shown that success was more than a one hit wonder with ABC’s current Last Man Standing, which you might argue is Home Improvement 2.0.  Probably the most important Disney contribution Allen has provided is the voice of Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story franchise which premiered a year later.  And Disney showed they had no fear placing Allen in other live action movies such as Jungle 2 Jungle and The Shaggy Dog, which sadly do not hold up when compared to The Santa Clause.  And I am still more than willing to let Allen star in anything Disney because I find many of his movies including a non-Disney offering like Wild Hogs very funny. I would be first in line with my ticket if  Disney would  move on the rumor of Tom Hanks and Allen in a Jungle Cruise live action film. 

·         Team Player:  I think it is safe to say that director John Pasquin likes working with Tim Allen.  He might be his biggest fan!  Pasquin came to his big screen directorial debut with a laundry list of television hall of fame shows including: Roseanne, L.A. Law, Family Ties, Newhart, and Growing Pains.  And they he had worked on this little hit show called Home Improvement starring Tim Allen.  The two clearly hit it off on set as their careers are linked.  After his debut, he went onto direct Jungle2 Jungle, Joe Somebody (non-Disney), and the current ABC show Last Man Standing all starring Tim Allen.  Based on this record, clearly Allen likes collaborating with Pasquin.  Along with directing, he portrays Santa #6!  Yes, you need that many Santas to make awesome.    

·        The Tool Man:  Scott Calvin on his first ride in the sleigh drives next to a truck and asks for directions to the I-94.  The driver is actor Jimmy Labriola who appeared on 24 episodes of Home Improvement as Benny.  Labriola and Pasquin are just two of several references to Home Improvement.  Before he puts on Santa’s suit which is too big, Calvin says he hopes the man of the house was a tailor.  On ABC his character was Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.  At the end of his first Christmas Eve, Calvin grunts his success in a manly Tool Man manner.  And in Santa’s workshop Calvin sizes up an elf tool belt, which would easily find itself on Tim Taylor.        

·         Free Gift:  As Calvin explains to his son Charlie why Santa’s reindeer and sleigh are on their roof he exclaims that it is a gift from the cable company, they are getting the Disney Channel.  In 1994 this would have been a gift.  We live today in a world where there are not one but several Disney branded channels in many basic cable packages.  But in 1994 for most the Disney Channel was a pay channel like HBO.  It was not until after The Santa Clause that Disney worked with cable providers to move the familiar channel into the basic cable package.  From 1997 to 2002, Disney collaborated and at times pushed providers to make the move to basic cable.  And I for one am thrilled that I have the gift of the Disney Channel, in my basic cable package, but where is my reindeer?   

·         Railroading:  The North Pole Railroad, the N.P.R., is a small scale train that the elves are able to ride when traveling from Santa’s workshop to other locations at the North Pole.  It will remind Disney fans of the Carolwood Pacific Railroad that Walt Disney built behind his Holmby Hills home in Los Angeles.  The Carolwood Pacific was one of Disney’s inspirations to build an outdoor entertainment experience, which eventually became Disneyland.

I can be honest.  The Santa Clause is not Shakespearian nor does it have the best special effects.  You can see the snow blanket rolling up when Santa falls off the roof and the North Pole is clearly a set, but The Santa Clause is a movie that brings the humor, and a sentimentally that is unmatched in my home.  You may not enjoy it as much as me, but I can ensure you will chuckle as Allen delivers some classic one liners.        

Between Books - My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business

Dick Van Dyke in My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business reminisces on his life and career as an entertainer.  Van Dyke chronicles his early years as a boy growing up in Illinois, a boy who showed an aptitude for performing.  Van Dyke recounts childhood, years as a young man serving in the military, early jobs in entertainment on radio and as a television host.  Van Dyke’s big break came with his role of Albert Peterson in Bye Bye Birdie.  This play led to his introduction with Carl Reiner and his breakout role as Rob Petrie on the Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966.  This role led to other opportunities including as Bert in Mary Poppins.  Constantly threatening retirement, Van Dyke continued a prolific acting career on television and the big screen that continues after the 2011 publication date of My Lucky Life In and Out of Show Business.  Along with his professional career, Van Dyke details his family life including his alcoholism, divorce from his first wife, relationship with long time partner Michelle Triola, and the death of his oldest grandchild due to Reye’s Syndrome. 

This review is of the audio version of the book.  And honestly the format probably increased my enjoyment.  As an audio book read by Van Dyke you both feel like you are engaged in an actual conversation with a joyful man.   And Van Dyke is able to not only read but perform for you his book.  And Van Dyke is truly a delight!  The content itself is an easy listen, and would likely be an easy read.  But I think in the print form I would find myself more critical of his mistakes, such as calling the U.S. Army Air Corps the Air Force, and I did not seek out glaring omissions.  In the audio format it is truly Van Dyke’s story as told by Van Dyke.  And you simply don’t have the heart to interrupt or correct him as he tells you of his life. 

I was overall surprised by the content.  You discover that Van Dyke at one time planned to become a pastor.  This reveals an unexpected spiritual side of Van Dyke.  He paints himself as a man who puts a large value in the power of love.  And I was not aware of his battles with alcohol, including how he used his work to help battle this demon.  The text also reminded me of a time when television network movies had a greater impact on society than I believe occurs today.  But I was also disappointed, Van Dyke has led a full life so the sections I wanted to hear the most about run past at a fast pace.  His discussion on Mary Poppins is too short for my liking.  Of course that is me the Disney fan wanting an entire disc, or maybe two, to cover this seminal movie.  I did enjoy him recounting his experience having to audition for the role of Mr. Dawes Senior for Walt Disney.  And he clearly hated working on wires!   

Van Dyke clearly has a viewpoint where he sees things in only the most positive way.  He jokes as he opens that the fact that he was born out of wedlock is the only real controversy in his life.  To others that may seem as a strange statement.  Van Dyke as an adult struggled with addiction.  In  the 1970’s the family friendly Van Dyke both separated from his wife, who he did not divorce until the 1980s, but also started a long-term relationship with Triola.  Triola had recently completed a long term relationship with actor Lee Marvin, who she was suing for palimony a completely new concept at the time.  And some of his professional choices caused a stir, such as controversy  in the 1970s on The New Dick Van Dyke Show that hinted his on-screen son accidentally witnessed his television parents being intimate.  But for events some may see as controversy, Van Dyke just seems to view as life.    

Overall, I am glad I listened to this book instead of reading it.  As an audio book it was both a performance and a conversation.  But as a book it lacked the Disney specific content I would want to add to my personal Between Books library.  Still, Van Dyke is a treasure and his spirit of joy is infectious especially when one can hear it in his voice. 

Dreaming Disney - Writing Walt Disney World

Full disclosure: I stole this idea from the Couponing to Disney blog.  The Between Wife found a link to the original Couponing to Disney post on Pinterest.  And the minute I heard about the idea, I knew it was a Dreaming Disney concept.

Betweenlanders you need you to know that you can write Disney characters at the Walt Disney World Resort and get a response.  At one time, the response you received included an autographed photo of the character you sent the letter to.  But Couponing to Disney also noted this had changed.  And I needed to verify for myself and you the actual experience of writing to your favorite character at Walt Disney World. 

Earlier this summer I had a great opportunity to try this experiment out with four Betweenland children forced to spend time with me.  I worked with each kiddo to select a character, print off a picture which they colored, and write a letter to the character.  This process itself was pretty easy except some of the youth changed their minds several times to who they wanted to write.

Their targets were the following:

·         Between Kid 1 who is the youngest always chose Lightening McQueen, which was a relief since it led to the least amount of work for me.

·         Between Kid 2 wavered a lot.  The kiddo chose Tinker Bell, then shifted to Merida, and then went back to Tinker Bell, and then finally got completely bored!

·         Between Tween 1 started with Rapunzel, changed to Merida and then chose the Mad Hatter which is a character which fits this kiddo better than the other choices.

·         Between Tween 2 is the oldest and shifted only once starting with Tiana and then choosing Mulan, which like the other tween was a better fit for this youth.

Our Letters

I packaged up the photos and letters and asked what will you get? 

Between these four Between Kids there are two addresses in two different states.  So I was also interested in the timing of the responses they would receive. 

Between Kid 1 received a postcard of Mickey and Friends with a message from the Big Cheese.  Between Kid 1 was thrilled and is currently keeping the postcard alongside some other special items, including family pictures from past Disney vacations (man I love this kid).

The Mickey Postcard

 Between Tween 1 received a postcard from the Disney Princesses with a special message from Cinderella.  The Tween was not thrilled.  It was okay to receive a message from Cinderella, but what was really wanted was a card or message from the Mad Hatter.  The Tween has moved somewhat away from princesses and the Hatter is a bigger impact character in the Tween’s life.

The Princess Postcard

These two kids received a response in around two weeks.  Between Kid 2 and Between Tween 2 are still awaiting a response months later.  I actually felt like I had to have made an error in addressing the letters since they both live at the same home and it seemed odd that one address would get responses and another would not.  I have since confirmed the address, but I am still convinced there was a user error on my part. 

So here are my lessons learned from this experiment.

1)     Spending time with kids you like, even if indecisive, is very fun.  Don’t forget it!

2)      If you are a girl writing a character at the Walt Disney World Resort you are probably getting a princess postcard.  And if you are a boy you are probably getting a response from Mickey and his friends.  I am assuming that there is some variation and maybe if a boy wrote to Cinderella he might get the princess postcard.

3)     Kids love getting mail.

The book is closed on the Walt Disney World writing experiment.  The Between Kids have not asked to write again.  But I wonder about what happens if they write that west coast park? 

Between Books - Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park

Jeff Kurtti in Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park outlines the lives of 30 Imagineering legends, both official Imagineers and unofficial ones, that help build the Disney theme parks that we love today.  Kurtti begins with Walt Disney himself, whom Kurtti labels as the original Imagineer.  Kurtti follows with themed chapters including The Prototype Imagineers, The Executive Suite, The Place Makers, The Story Department, Masters of Mixed Media, The Model Shop, The Machine Shop, The Music Makers, and The Unofficial Imagineers.  The book concludes with a section titled The Renaissance Imagineer which provides a slightly longer biography of John Hench.  Most of the biographies are less than five pages and filled with photos and illustrations from the legend’s career.   

The text itself is factual, well researched and a valuable resource for the lives of these Imagineering legends.  Each biography provides a quick overview on each figure spotlighted.  The biographies are more than just bland facts, with the Kimball chapter discussing the low points of Walt Disney and Ward Kimball’s relationship and another explaining why Yale Gracey is a mysterious figure in Disney history.  The only difference between the quality of information and style I have found in Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park and academic historical books and articles I have read is the sources which include fan magazines, which for Disney legends are an excellent resource for their past interviews.  Some readers may find the writing an obstacle since it is academic in nature.  Therefore, it can be difficult to “get into” each biography if one was hoping for a hook to pull you into the story.  

Walt Disney’s Imagineering Legends and the Genesis of the Disney Theme Park is an essential volume for any Between Books library.  In less than 150 pages it provides an introduction to 30 key players including Walt Disney himself.  I personally have consulted this volume a number of times to verify and clarify information.  Due to its size and writing style it will never be a book one packs up to read poolside, but it is a book one will consult again and again as you ask yourself questions about these men and women.  If anything I hope Kurtti would consider another volume in the future including new Imagineering legends not included like Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter.    

Mousey Movies - Fantastic Four

Before Pixar was founded, before The Incredibles was a glimmer in Brad Bird’s eyes, before Disney purchased Marvel, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced the world to the Fantastic Four.  Debuting in 1961, Marvel comics brought us the first family of Superheroes.  After an accident in space during an experiment, four astronauts underwent physical transformations that made them truly super.  Dr. Reed Richards or Mr. Fantastic developed the ability to stretch and contort his body into multiple shapes, like Mrs. Incredible.  Susan Storm or Invisible Girl developed the ability to become invisible and project force fields, like Violet.  Richards’ best friend Ben Grimm’s body transformed into rock and became super strong taking the name The Thing, strength being shared with Mr. Incredible.  And Johnny Storm or the Human Torch could turn himself into fire and fly, kind of like an anti-Frozone.  Yes, there are a ton of similarities between the superhero families.  Luckily now that Pixar and Marvel are all part of the same family there is no fear of any legal entanglements! 

In 2005, Marvel and 20^th Century Fox brought the Fantastic Four to the big screen, in the movie Fantastic Four, providing both the origin of the team and showcasing their struggle against Doctor Doom.  I was really hopeful for this film.  The cast had my attention.  I had become a fan of Ioan Gruffudd in the Hortio Hornblower movies, movies that led me to read the entire book series.  And I had really enjoyed Julian McMahon (Doctor Doom) on Charmed, yeah I had watched Charmed!  And it was a superhero movie during a time when I pretty much went to any superhero movie.  And The Incredibles had just come out the year before making me open to the original family.  These things helped me overcome my lack of love for the Fantastic Four, Reed Richards has always been a character I was meh about.  Financially it fared well at the box office which led to the green light of a sequel. 

But for most fans the Fantastic Four was a miss.  I think there are a number of reasons for this result.  First, the Fantastic Four just did not have the fan base of other teams like the X-Men.  And though people came out to see the movie the performances were at times underwhelming.  There is a least one character (who’s indemnity I will protect) to me who seems to be sleep walking through the story. 

Yet, despite the fact that Marvel and Disney were not linked yet, there are still plenty of ties that make this a Mousey Movie:           

·         Cap:  Johnny Storm is pretty much a jerk and Ben Grimm is often a target of his pranks.  At one point he walks into a locker room and startles Grimm into attention by yelling, “Captain on the Deck.”  The irony of this line is that Johnny Storm is played by Chris Evans who would later play another Marvel superhero as the lead in Captain America: The First Avenger.  My guess, and I really mean certainty, is that with Evans ruling the box office in his Captain America projects and The Avengers that the future of this cast in any future Fantastic Four projects is non-existent. 

·         EXTREME:  Johnny along with being a jerk, also enjoys action sports.  He skies areas that have clearly not been cleared for tourists.  After Johnny’s powers manifest he decides to go out and blow off some steam.  Just like any other guy he grabs a motocross bike and performs some jumps at the X Games sponsored by Disney’s ESPN. 

·        Ordinary Hero: Actor Michael Chiklis has had a long relationship with Disney’s ABC.  His breakout roll was as the lead in ABC’s 1991 The Commish.  The Commish ended it’s run in 1996 the same year Disney purchased Capital Cities/ABC.  The show starring Chiklis allowed him to show his range delivering both comedy and drama.  He would later reach greater acclaim leading another police drama The Shield, for FX.   In 2010 having played Ben Grimm in two Fantastic Four movies, Chiklis returned to ABC and the concept of a superhero family in No Ordinary Family.  Chiklis instead of portraying the Frozone character as the buddy took his turn as the Mr. Incredible head of the family, matching super strength.  Sadly, the show failed to find an audience and was cancelled during its first season.  I say sadly, but I have to admit that the show failed to catch on in the Between Household.        

 

·         Lieutenant:  As noted early it was Gruffudd’s work in the Hortio Hornblower franchise that made me think I might really enjoy Fantastic Four.  He brought Hornblower alive from me playing the young British Royal Navy officer both smart and likeable.  Much of Gruffudd’s work, like Hornblower, is British film and television work with him not catching on in the United States as much as I would like.  He does have some Disney connections.  First, he is Harold Godfrey Lowe, the Fifth Officer, in James Cameron’s blockbuster Titanic, an officer lucky enough to survive and pull Rose out of the water.  Okay, the ties between Gruffudd and Avatarland are pretty tenuous.  His true Disney connection is 102 Dalmatians, where he plays Kevin Shepherd, the owner of an animal shelter setup by Cruella de Vil, played by Glenn Close, for the theft of Dalmatian puppies in another attempt to make a spotted coat.  Honestly, as much as I enjoy Gruffudd, I cannot remember if I have ever seen this movie!        

·         The Architect:  I have said it several times about the DC movie franchises, they need a Kevin Fiege.  As the President of Production for Marvel Studios he oversees the film projects and with the Avengers Initiative ensures the films weave a cohesive story.  As Christopher Nolan ends his stint on Batman and a new Superman movie releases summer 2013 some fans ask if the DC universe will mesh together in the same way the Marvel Cinematic Universe does, due to Fiege.  The answer for DC could easily be no as they consider rebooting Batman.  Though not part of the Avengers Initiative, Fiege executive produces this offering.     

With everything going for it, and against it, the Between Family enjoyed Fantastic Four, despite compared to The Avengers it is fairly bland and nowhere as funny.  The Between Wife is not a comic book fan, yet she has been known to ask to watch Fantastic Four on family movie nights.  So those saying they did not see Fantastic Four in the theater are likely lying.  In the end, who can resist a movie that has a Stan Lee cameo and mirrors in live action The Incredibles, even if the cast at times appears to be phoning it in.  If you enjoy this Mousey Movie, please feel no shame in consuming this mindless flick!