The Last Standing Magic Kingdom Ticket Booth

From the beginnings of Disneyland, you had to purchase tickets in order to experience an attraction (some attractions were sponsored by corporations and were free, like Adventures Through Inner Space). The seminal term for an amazing experience, an E-Ticket, was coined based on the 1959 additions to Disneyland. When the Magic Kingdom opened in 1971, tickets were used as well. It wasn't until the late 1970s, when Disney experimented with a multi-day passport and eventually shuttered the ticket system when EPCOT Center opened. One of the reasons was that every attraction that debuted at EPCOT Center was considered an E-Ticket.

At the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, we're down to one free-standing ticket booth. The previous one was located outside of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh but was removed when the tree from Pooh's Playful Spot was relocated to directly in front of the Pooh show building. The last ticket booth is currently being used as a Disney Vacation Club information kiosk. I have had a question about a remaining booth that was in or near the Yankee Trader. Any thoughts?

It's also used as a landing pad?

Fitting with the inter-galactic theme of Tomorrowland, Disney Vacation Club welcomes visitors to earth with a few choice images. Including one the local population being stabilized, apparently.

I'll end with a few random shots.

It looks like the door hasn't changed much over the years.

Check out my Mice Chat article on the differences between a 1975 Walt Disney World vacation (with ticket books) and a 2014 vacation.

How often have you walked past this piece of Magic Kingdom history?

 Looking for a great title on the first 25 years of Walt Disney world? Check out Jeff Kurtti's Since the World Began.

The Art of Disney Frozen by Charles Solomon

I just finished The Art of Frozen (Chronicle Books) by Charles Solomon. It truly was a gorgeous book that shed a lot of light onto the creation of Disney Frozen. If you're a fan of the film, then you need to pick up a copy of the book. A full review is coming to Communicore Weekly and Mice Chat.

Other books by Charles Solomon:

• Enchanted Drawings, The History of Animation by Charles Solomon
• The Art of Toy Story 3 by Charles Solomon
• Tale as Old as Time: The Art and Making of Beauty and the Beauty by Charles Solomon
• The Disney That Never Was: The Stories and Art of Five Decades of Unproduced Animation by Charles Solomon

Press Release: Clip: Frozen's "Love is an Open Door" Performed by Kristen Bell & Santino Fontana

Disney has released a teaser clip of Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana singing the incredible song, "Love is an Open Door." It's hard to imagine anyone that hasn't seen Frozen, yet, but our review is coming to Mice Chat and Communicore Weekly.


Love Is An Open Door by Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana from Frozen - Disney Movies Anywhere - Disney Video

World's Fair Books by Bill Cotter and Bill Young

I received three review copies from the Images of America series from Arcadia Publishing all focusing on the two New York World's Fairs. The authors are Bill Cotter and Bill Young. I'm in the process of on enjoying the books and can't wait t do a full review for Mice Chat and Communicore Weekly.

The 1939-1940 New York World's Fair

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair

The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair: Creation and Legacy

These titles are particularly timely since it is the 50th anniversary of the 1965-1965 New York World's Fair. The Fairs were also very influential on the planning and design of Walt Disney World and Epcot Center. All three books are full of great photos and great history.

• Check out my review of the amazing audio collection: Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair.

Press Release: The Making of Frozen

Disney has released a bonus clip of one of the special features on the blu-ray of Frozen, called The Making of Frozen!

Go behind the scenes of Disney's Frozen with Josh Gad ('Olaf') and Jonathan Groff ('Kristoff')! These two have something to sing about in the bonus feature 'The Making of Frozen,' and we've got a sneak peek clip below!  

Disney's Frozen releases on Digital HD February 25th and Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD & On-Demand March 18th!

Making of Frozen - Frozen Behind the Scenes on Disney Video
I'm really excited about the blu-ray release of the film, especially after reading about the specials. And hearing these guys sing!

Blu-ray Features!

• The Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
• D’frosted: Disney’s Journey From Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
• Breaking The Ice - The Real Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
• 4 Deleted Scenes with introduction by Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
• Original Theatrical Short - “Get A Horse” (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)
• “Let It Go” Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel & Marsha Milan Londoh (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD) • Frozen Teaser Trailer (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)

Press Release: Theme Park Studios Coming Soon!

I've been a supporter of Pantera Game's Theme Park Studio since their initial Kickstarter Campaign. I've posted a few articles about their progress at Mice Chat:

• http://micechat.com/28769-theme-park-studios-kickstarter-update/
• http://micechat.com/20555-theme-park-studio-a-first-look/
• http://micechat.com/23027-theme-park-studios-update/
• http://micechat.com/26578-theme-park-studios-kickstarter/

I'm really excited about the game and Pantera Game Studio has announced an Early Access Launch Date!

Theme Park Studio is almost here!

Early Access Launch Date: February 27th, 2014.

Purchase and download Theme Park Studio: http://store.steampowered.com/app/254590/

THE WAIT IS ALMOST OVER! 
We are inviting theme park and roller coaster fans to take part in our “Early Access” development build that will be released on Steam February 27th, 2014.

If you have purchased Theme Park Studio via Kickstarter or our own crowd-funding, you should have received your Steam Key already!

This first release allows our community to get started designing their parks, creating custom assets, and importing/sharing custom scenery.

Most modules are 70 percent complete. Each will be released in phases, with additional modules unlocked as we polish and add new features requested by the community. 

Theme Park Studio has branched out way beyond its original design, as we listened to our customer base. We have held focus group meetings with Kickstarter backers, interacted with forum members, and truly set out to build the ultimate theme park sandbox game, shaped by the community.

Theme Park Studio is a powerful suite of tools that allow players to design, build, and experience stunning amusement parks of their own design. Players can build whatever they can imagine, and then share it online for others to experience.

When all phases are released, Theme Park Studio will feature:

• Custom coaster creation. Players can bend, pull, and stretch coasters into any design they wish. Prefabricated templates are provided as helpers, if desired.
•  Custom Flat Rides. Design your own flat ride from the ground up, or select from our pre-built ride library.

• Park guests: After opening your park, watch park guests (peeps) tour your theme park and hop on your coasters and flat rides.
• Mesh importing: Build your own environmental objects and import them for maximum customization.

• Particle effects, including fire, smoke, fountains, fireworks, and weather effects. Our particle effects module is very versatile, allowing the player to create a wide range of effects. Particles can have triggers for setting up shows or like coasters splashing through water.
• Landscaping: Import your own height maps and textures to create stunning landscapes, or custom sculpt one of your own design. 

• Water: Control water parameters like speed, level, color, and ripple size.
• Vegetation: Our engine features an advanced vegetation solution. Our proprietary technology allows players to build everything from grass to elaborate oaks. Trees are procedurally generated and can be controlled by custom wind and turbulence settings. This technology has been integrated into Theme Park Studio.

• Oculus Rift Support: Due to overwhelming requests for this support, we are proud to announce this cutting edge technology will be included in all versions of Theme Park Studio.

New trailer video: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuSix4ySxrU

Are you excited about this new release? Did you support their Kickstarter?

A Hidden Disney Detail: MuppetVision

It's obvious that the Muppets were allowed to decorate their area of Disney's Hollywood Studios. If you've ever walked around the attraction building (close to the Stage One Company Store), then you know that the Muppets had a great time paining and decorating the building. I ran across this great little detail on a recent trip.

Obviously, the Muppets converted a planter into a giant sundae with a cherry on top!

Do you have a favorite hidden detail from the Muppets?

Inside the Whimsy Works by Jimmy Johnson

I pre-ordered a copy of Inside the Whimsy Works: My Life with Walt Disney Productions by Jimmy Johnson (Edited by Greg Ehrbar and Didier Ghez).

A full review will be coming soon to Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™) and the Disney Review at Mice Chat.

I'm a huge fan of Mouse Tracks (by Tim Hollis and Ehrbar)  and the Walt's People series (by Didier) but I wasn't sure what to expect from Jimmy Johnson's biography.

The book is based on the diaries that Jimmy kept and gave to the Disney Archives. Greg and Didier did a bit of editing magic on it and present this amazing Disney resource to us. Jimmy had a pretty amazing career and, at times, seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He really pushed the music publishing for Disney and was instrumental in helping to shape the company.

What truly is spectacular about Inside the Whimsy Works is that you get a really good sense for what it was like to work at the Disney Studios, but not in animation. Most of the memoirs that we see deal with animation; very few step outside and look at other areas of the company. We're fortunate that Jimmy's memoir has been released.

I definitely recommend this book as a purchase, even though I'm not more than two-thirds through it. Besides getting a great book about the history of the company, you're helping to support more independent Disney-related research and publishing!

Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney by J. Jeff Kober

I received a review copy of J. Jeff Kober's book, The Wonderful World if Customer Service at Disney.

I've been reading Jeff's writing at Disney at Work for many years and enjoy his thoughtful articles on customer service inside and outside of Disney. Jeff also shares insightful articles on the business side of Disney with the unique perspective of a former employee with ties to the organization. I've really enjoyed his articles on My Magic+ and the MagicBands.

A full review will be coming soon for Communicore Weekly (the Greatest Online Show™) and The Disney Review at Mice Chat but I wanted to offer a mini-review in the meantime.

There have been many books written about customer service and Disney. In the mid- to late-1990s, Disney was often held up as the leader for customer service across most industries. Jeff offers a unique perspective because he's no longer writing from inside the company but is applying his knowledge from his years with Disney and from his years teaching organizational practices in customer service.

You'll find a lot of the same information from other customer service books that focus on Disney, but Jeff is able to add many personal anecdotes that serve the lessons well. Especially since the anecdotes are all related to Disney theme parks, it's very easy to put yourself in Jeff's shoes and think about your own reactions. Jeff offers many common sense approaches to customer service at all levels in an organization. He also discusses ways to build customer service into your organization before you run into problems or issues.

The Wonderful World of Customer Service at Disney is a great choice for anyone responsible for leading customer service in their organization, no matter what their level. Front line employees and executives will be able to glean the basis for building or restructuring service at their organization.

Maharajah Jungle Trek Aviary

One of the more enjoyable experiences at Disney's Animal Kingdom is a leisurely stroll through the Maharajah Jungle Trek. It's a great way to slow down and experience a section of a theme park that truly takes you out of the park experience. I often jest that Disney's Animal Kingdom Park is a half-day park, simply because of the lack of major attractions. If you take the time to slow down, though, you'll get to experience a rich tapestry that is really astounding. My main argument is still that the Joe Rohde brand of theming was a bit of overkill, to say the least.

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Bird Aviary

One of my favorite sections is the aviary. I'm not sure why, unless it's the proximity to the birds or that it is really hard to believe that you're in Central Florida. (Photos were taken in 2010 and 2013.)

There are some amazing birdhouses inside the royal aviary. Let's take a look at some of them.

There are bird-related decorations throughout the aviary.

Do you have a favorite birdhouse or section of the Maharajah Jungle Trek?

Check out this great book on building Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Saving Mr. Banks Video Clips

Disney has released a few video clips to whet our appetite for the March 18, 2014 release of Saving Mr. Banks. Check out the press release for more details.

Enjoy!

Pamela Go Round



Never Ever Just Mary


Call Me Walt


Responstible

Press Release: Saving Mr. Banks on Blu-ray March 18, 2014

I was very glad to see the release announcement for Saving Mr. Banks in my email inbox. Not since the release of The Boys, Walt and El Grupo and Waking Sleeping Beauty has there been a film catering to the Disney nerd in all of us.

Did you get a chance to see this in the theaters? Are you going to pick it up on Blu-ray?

The Extraordinary, Untold True Story of the Origins of a Disney Classic

 Arrives on Blu-ray™ + Digital Copy, DVD, Digital HD and On-Demand March 18^th Starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson

Burbank, Calif., February 14, 2014 – Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment proudly announces the home entertainment release of the heartwarming drama Saving Mr. Banks, arriving on Blu-ray + Digital Copy, DVD, Digital HD and On-Demand on March 18, 2014.

Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson bring to life the untold true story about the origins of one of the most treasured Disney classics of all time.  John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) directs this acclaimed film, which reveals the surprising backstory behind the making of Mary Poppins.  Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Hanks) tries for twenty years to obtain the rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Thompson) beloved book.  Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the uncompromising Travers won’t budge.  Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, the set Mary Poppins free.

Featuring a stellar supporting cast that includes Colin Farrell (Total Recall), Paul Giamatti (Sideways), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore), Bradley Whitford (TV’s The West Wing), Annie Rose Buckley (TV’s Home and Away), Ruth Wilson (The Lone Ranger), B.J. Novak (TV’s The Office), Rachel Griffiths (TV’s Brothers & Sisters) and Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands), Saving Mr. Banks was directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side, The Rookie), produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie and Philip Steuer, and written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Executive producers are Paul Trijbits, Andrew Mason, Troy Lum and Christine Langan.  

On Blu-ray and Digital HD, Saving Mr. Banks sweeps viewers away with enchanting high definition picture and sound, plus delightful, never-before-seen bonus features, including “The Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins to Present,” in which director John Lee Hancock takes viewers on an insider’s tour of Disney Studios today and reflects on studio life during the creation of Mary Poppins.  Additional bonus materials include “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” in which the film’s cast and crew sing an impromptu version of the iconic song on set during the last day of shooting, and deleted Scenes.

Bonus Materials*:

·         The Walt Disney Studios: From Poppins to Present (Blu-ray & Digital HD) - Join Director John Lee Hancock on a tour of the Disney Studios lot, reflect on studio life during the making of Mary Poppins, and discover how Walt’s creative spirit still flourishes today.

·         Let’s Go Fly a Kite (Blu-ray & Digital HD) - Cast and crew sing break out in a rousing, heartfelt tribute to Composer Richard Sherman on the last day of filming.

·         Deleted Scenes                                                                                                      

Ø  Stargaze (Blu-ray & Digital HD) – A picture on Walt’s desk leads to a flashback of Pamela’s childhood.

Ø  Nanny Song (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD) – The Sherman Brothers perform a song for Pamela that she is less than thrilled with.

Ø  Pam Leaves (Blu-ray & Digital HD) – After yet another disagreement with Walt, Pamela leaves his office and heads for the airport.

*Digital HD bonus offerings vary by digital retailer

Disc Specifications:

Feature Run Time:                     Approximately 125 minutes

Rating:                                               Feature Film: “PG-13” in U.S., “PG” in Canada, bonus features not rated

Aspect Ratio:                                 Blu-ray = 2.40:1 1080p High Definition Widescreen

DVD = 1.78:1 – Enhanced for 16x9 Televisions

Audio:                                                 Blu-ray = English 5.1 DTS-HDMA and DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

DVD = English 5.1 and DVS 2.0 Dolby Digital; Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

Languages/Subtitles:                               Blu-ray = English SDH, French and Spanish Subtitles

DVD = English SDH; Spanish and French Subtitles